UPDATE - I know Bailey is eating the wrong food...what do you recommend?

[Melissa & Wesley]

I am new to DK and I am really happy to have joined! 

 

Bailey is our new addition to our family.  He is a Goldendoodle and is almost 15 weeks old.  He is currently on Royal Canin DS27 for puppies per our vet recommendation.  To her defense, she said there were other foods out there like Blue Buffalo and Wellness that she recommended as well.  I just wanted to get Bailey off Iams. 

 

Since he has been eating the Royal Canin kibble, the following symptoms have occurred: his eyes have this terrible goopy stuff coming out and they are always weepy.  He rubs his paws over his eyes quite often.  He is constantly digging or rubbing his paws on his ears and he is always "itching" or biting at his fur/skin.  Could he be allergic to the wheat gluten or other fillers in the kibble?  I want to change him to a good quality food that will hopefully get rid of these problems. 

 

He is my baby and I want what is best for him.  I have looked at all the foods that were recommended.  What do you think would be a good food, given his symptoms?  

 

Thank you so much!

Melissa & Bailey Boop

[Jennifer and Jack]

Karen is the absolute expert when it comes to food. She actually has helped me with human nutrition as well. I know that her  Jack has some skin allergies or skin problems and she said for sure that the Orijen is the best food you can possible give your dog for those kind of issues as well as the most preferred food going.

 

I am new to the boards too, I have only been here a week. I am sure Karen will chime in. I just am telling you what she told me. I just switched Jack to the Taste of the Wild because they didn't have Orijen around here and he is itching like crazy today.

 

Have a great night, Congrats on your baby and good job wanting to give them the best food possible.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am guessing your vet is at Banfield, because she is recommending the premium foods sold at Petsmart. if you need to shop for your food there, you can go with Wellness CORE, which is their grain-free line, or Blue Buffalo Wilderness, which is their grain-free line. Solid Gold has one grain-free formula as well, which may be available at Petsmart.

I strongly recommend that you feed a grain-free formula, and my first choice would be Orijen. TOTW or Acana would be good choices as well.

It's doubtful that your pup has allergies at this age. He's less than 4 months old and has only been eating solid foods for three months max. But a better Omega 6/3 ratio might help. If you have access to Orijen puppy formula, that would be my choice.

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Good Morning and Welcome!

I just read your post and noticed the comment about the eye problem.  We just adopted a one year old pup one week ago and he also has a thick, yellowish goo coming out of his eyes along with weepiness.  I was told by the people at the rescue as well as my vet a couple of days later that the cause of his eye problems is that he has hookworms (Yuk!) which he is being treated for.  Granted there possibly could be other causes such as eye allergies, but in our puppies case it is hookworms.  I am cleaning his eyes frequently every day and expect the problem to clear up soon.  Has he  been checked for worms? 

Good luck with Bailey Boop (love his name!) and again, welcome!...... : )

 

[Melissa & Wesley]

Thank you all for your quick and helpful responses!

I can get access to Orijen & Acana.  What are your thoughts on higher protein, grain-free?  My mom used to boil chicken and give my German Shepherd/Collie Mix mostly the chicken and a little kibble at each meal.  He lived 13 years on her meal plan.  So, with that info, I have always thought a dog should eat more protein based foods.

 

My vet was concerned about him getting too much protein as a pup, but of course, that did not stop me from researching online :) 

 

As for his eyes, they are constantly watering and the goop is like a dirty red/brown color (but a light red/brown, not dark).  It gets stuck in the fur below his eyes and he is constantly rubbing his eyes with his paws.  I also have been cleaning the goop out of his fur around his eyes.  He always looks like he is crying.  He has been checked twice for worms and he has been worm free.  He is currently taking Interceptor. 

 

I will get Orijen/Acana this weekend and slowly transition him from Royal Canin. 

 

Thanks again for your advice/info/help!

Melissa & Bailey Boop

 

 

[Melissa & Wesley]

Okay, so I got Orijen Puppy food.  How do you recommend I feed him?  Should I do 1/4 of Orijen and 3/4 Royal Canin? 

 

Thank you!

[Camilla and Darwin]

You can do it that way, and slowly transition over the week. But I also think you could switch immediately, if you wanted to. You could add some pumpkin to his food to help his tummy with the transition.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You're going to have some digestive issues during the switch either way, and since the new food is so extremely different from the old, (no grains, much higher protein content, higher fat, etc), transitioning slowly probably won't help you avoid digestive issues. But you can try the 1/4:3/4 ratio and gradully increase the new while decreasing the old over a week's time.

Don't be surprised if your puppy tries to pick out only the Orijen, though. :)

 

[Camilla and Darwin]

Edit: Sorry, just saw that you got Orijen. Great choice!

[Melissa & Wesley]

Okay, so I tried to mix the Royal Canin and Orijen.  He is not eating it that way.  I tried to give him just Orijen and he is not eating it.  Added some pumpkin to the Orijen and he is not eating.  I wonder if he ate something outside?  When the vet did an x-ray last weekend of his tummy/intestines, the vet saw some very small objects in his intestines.  She felt that he would pass them and that there would be no concern unless he started vomitting or had diarrhea.  He was fine yesterday eating 3 meals of Royal Canin and acting normal.  Today he ate his breakfast of Royal Canin.  I try to feed him this afternoon and he is sluggish again and not wanting to eat.  He seems a bit restless too.  Like he cannot find the right spot to lay.  The vet also suggested we give him 5mg of pecid. 

Help!  I do not know what to do!  My poor baby just has not been feeling well now for a week!!!

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sluggish. no appetite, and restlessness indicating discomfort, added to the small objects which may not have passed, would have me at the emergency vet. Is he pooping normally today?

[Melissa & Wesley]

Yes he is pooping normally today.  He has been pooping normally the whole time he has been feeling like this.  No diarrhea what so ever.  Should we go in for another x-ray?

[Melissa & Wesley]

He is currently laying on our foyer floor, where it is nice and cool.