Help

[Courtney]

Hey All,

I am new to the group so I am sure this has been discussed many times before...sorry.

I am having trouble finding a dry puppy food that doesn't give my dog the runs. We have had him for about 3 months now and he is 8 months old. The person who had him before gave him Purina which I know is terrible.

We switched him to Blue Buffalo and it gave him diarrhea and horrible gas. Then we switched him to Wellness and it also gives him horrible diarrhea.

I want to give him good food that doesn't make him sick...however, I can't spend a ton of money or special order food.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated =)

Thanks,
Courtney

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/problems-finding-a-dog-foo...

[Kara Duurloo]

Courtney, 

I feel like I am reading my life story though your experience. I have noticed that the Doodles have very sensitive stomachs.  We feed our Quincy Natural Balance.  It has been wonderful.  We no longer have any problems with his stomach and we also have not seen ear infections in months (knock on wood).  We had a very long bout with ear infections and it ended up being because of his food.  Maybe you should give Natural Balance a try. Please let us know if you have any luck.

Kara

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Kara, we are no longer recommending Natural Balance due to their recent sale to Del Monte. A limited ingredient formula might be just what this guy needs, but this is not the best time to switch to N.B. if you're not already using it. Most of us here who were feeding N.B. have switched to other brands. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm very confused. I just responded to your discussion in the main forum. Let me go copy that response to this discussion so i don't have to repeat myself, lol. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

When trying to find a food your dog can tolerate, you have to look at the formula, and not just the brand. Each of the brands you mentioned makes dozens and dozens of different formulas: formulas with grains, formulas without grains, chicken based formulas, lamb based formulas, fish based formulas, limited ingredient formulas....you get the idea. Instead of switching brands, if one doesn't work, try another formula within the same brand. If the dog has diarrhea on a food that contains grains, try a grain-free formula. If the dog has problems with chicken, try lamb, turkey, or fish. It's never a brand that causes problems, it's something in the particular formula. 

The first thing I would do is get a fecal test done if you haven't already. If a dog has a parasite or an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut, no food is going to help. 

If the fecal is clear, try giving him two tablespoons of plain unflavored fat-free yogurt with each meal. The probiotics in the yogurt will help. You can also try a couple of tablespoons of canned pure pumpkin. 

When switching foods, make only one change at a time. Don't introduce new treats at the same time you are changing foods. That way, it's easier to tell what works and what doesn't. 

What exact formulas of Wellness and Blue Buffalo have you tried? 

What kinds of treats and chews does he get? Any "people" food? 

[Kara Duurloo]

Karen & Jackdoodle, 

I am sorry for giving unrecommended information.  I was just going off of personal experience.  Can you please private message me why we aren't using N.B. anymore?  I don't want to be feeding my puppy/2yr. old anything that is bad for him. Thank you!

Kara

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are several discussions here in TFG about Natural Balance being sold to Del Monte, which is why we are no longer recommending it. Here's one discussion with a good explanation: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/alterna...

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Hi Courtney. When switching foods of any kind, you must do it slowly. Mixing the old with the new, gradually increasing the new percentages. These little guys have very sensitive digestive systems, and anything new will upset their systems big time. Blue Buffalo makes a " Basics" food. Only a few ingredients for those animals who are more sensitive than others.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Wellness also has a line of limited ingredient formulas, Simple Solutions. JD has been doing well on their Salmon & Potato formula. 

And many of the other brands on our recommended list make LID formulas as well. 

[KLN]

I replied to this initially but for some reason it's not showing up, hmmmm. Anywho, I use a rotation of yogurt and pumpkin (about a spoonful) on my little ones dinner each night. This seems to really help. BUT...I think a vet visit is probably where you should start, just to rule everything out. The vet can also prescribe you tylan powder which I do use sometimes on their food when they're having tummy troubles. Good luck!

[Joan]

I do Darwin's Raw, Brothers Turkey, and Victors. My pup loves them all and no problems at all. All good quality food.