Help with Food most unlikely to upset my dog's stomach

[Pam Pieroni]

Simba was on Evo until the recall a couple of months ago. We switched to Blue Wilderness. The problem for us with the Blue was that he always spat out ALL the little tasty "bits" that were in there. We'd find the little "untasty for him" bits all over the floor near his bowl.  So we switched to something else that seems to give him diarrhea. We're now just giving him prescription cans of ID Chicken and Rice.  Can anyone suggest a good brand of kibble that is grain-free and has never upset a doodle's intestinal tract? 

[Paul Schumacher]

We have been feeding Wellness CORE Grain-Free and are very pleased with it.  Our doodle has never had any problems with it.  But every dog is different.  Some dogs will do great on one brand but not another, even though both might be very good foods.

There are experts here (especially Karen) who can give you more and greater info, but I can tell you what I've learned about food here.

1) the Prescription ID is garbage.  You are better off just making chicken and rice for your dog.  Pumpkin and Sweet potato can also be useful.

2) Here is a list of recommended dog food brands, including many that have grain-free formulas (http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/recomme...)

When you switch, do it over a number of days to ease the dog into the new food.  Don't just switch from one formula to the other between a meal.

[Shari Becker]

Our doodle has a super sensitive stomach. She 'seems' to have trouble with chicken and potatoes. The only kibble she she has been able to tolerate - thus far - is the Orijen Six Fish. There may be other Orijens that work for her, but we are so happy that this one works that we are sticking with it. I think it's a little bit of trial and error, and the mistake we made was mixing treats into the mix while experimenting with kibbles. Bullies make her sick, for example, so it's hard to know if a kibble is working if she's also chomping on bullies. Also, we found that tiny bits of grains - even in treats - can throw her off. So when we went grain-free, we had to make sure all her treats were grain-free, too. It's tricky, for sure, but we've found some all meat jerky treats, she does fine with sweet potato chews, and we sometimes just cut up left over meat and freeze it in tiny pieces. Good luck! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I doubt there is any food in the world that has never upset a dog's intestinal tract, lol. 

Paul is correct about Rx food, especially Hill's; pure garbage, and it usually takes longer to straighten out their GI tracts afterwards. 

Shari also makes a good point about treats. You can feed a great food, but certain treats and chews can still cause digestive issues.

My recommendation for you would be a Champion product, that's always going to be my first choice. If your dog has a sensitive tummy, you may want to look at the Acana Singles formulas. These are grain free, limited ingredient formulas using "novel" proteins, and designed for dogs with food sensitivities. The quality is top notch. 

Shari's suggestion of Orijen 6 Fish would be another good choice.

Paul's suggestion of Wellness CORE is good, too. I would go with the Ocean formula. 

Stick with pure protein treats from our recommended treat brands list. At the very least, grain-free treats. And I'd eliminate things like bully sticks if you use them.

The most important thing for a successful transition off the Hill's is to start giving him a good probiotic, to establish some good flora (essential for proper digestion) in his gut. I would order a bottle of Proviable DC capsules and start those. In the meantime, give him 2-3 tablespoons of plain, nonfat unflavored yogurt with his meals. Some plain pure canned pumpkin or mashed sweet potatoes with meals (for extra fiber) will help too, during the transition period.