Sensitive Tummy!

[Nick Pietras]

Hi everyone,

 

I could really use your help! Our 9-month old labradoodle Gus is the best. However, ever since we got him (8 weeks) its been a bumpy road in regards to his eating. We continued feeding him INNOVA puppy, as that is what the breeder had him on (in combination with raw hamburger, goats milk, yogurt) We didn't continue that. The first month or so with him was touchy...soft stool, diarreaha here and there. I did more research, and in the beginning of December, switched him to California Naturals Lamb Meal and Rice for Puppies. His stools were normal and he really seemed to like it. I was also putting a tablespoon of plain organic yogurt in his breakfast, to help with digestion. Everything was fine until mid-March, when he got really sick one night, vomiting and diarreaha. It was very sudden, so I don't think it was his food. After a couple days of monitoring and diarreaha continuing, we took him to the vet. His stool was tested and everything was negative. The vet put him on metronidozole. He was on that for two weeks, and I was feeding him chicken and rice, and then slowly reintroducing his food. Well, once he was back on his food only, soft stools. We found out through this time that he also developed lactose intolerance, so we stopped the yogurt. I did some more research and read that many times, dogs can grow an intolerance or allergy to a food. So, I decided to switch to California Naturals Chicken Meal & Rice. Same formula, which I thought agreed with him, but different flavor. He did well on that...his stools started to firm up...they weren't perfect, but they were much improved. He's been on that since mid-April, and we're back to diarreaha and soft stool. When I feed him chicken and rice, he's fine. And sometimes, I'll put a spoon or two of rice in with his food, and his stool is firmer. Through all this, his energy level is great, he's alert, he's active...so I'm fairly confident that its not something medical. Does anyone have suggestions for other dog foods that are good for sensitive little guys like Gus? In all my research, California Naturals seems to be the best out there for this situation, but I don't think it meshes well with Gus. Is it worth having him tested for IBS? Or is this an obvious case? I'm not opposed to making him an all-natural diet, but honestly, I'd like to try other options first!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Our one year old ALD has been diagnosed with IBS. There really isn't a specific test that they can do to arrive at the diagnosis...it comes from testing for other things, and ruling them out. We went through many months of loose or runny stools, and tried several different foods. When we went to grain free, he improved, but it was only temporary. I also found that when I fed chicken and rice, he was always fine. That actually led me to home cooking. It's been several months now on the home cooked diet, and he is totally fine. We have never had another episode since we made the change. We also have to watch him closely to be sure he is not eating twigs or leaves when he's outside, because that would trigger an episode. Toys are also a problem...he can't have any toys where he could ingest even small pieces. Tennis balls for example....the fuzzy outside causes a problem if he pulls it off and swallows even a little of it. You might check out the Food Group. You'll see lots of discussion there, and many of us have had the same issues with loose stools. Keep us posted.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

As Jane says, this has been a widely discussed problem in The Food Group, and the CN does seem to be the best commercial food for sensitive stomachs. There may be a couple of others you could try, but if he's still having problems on the CN, chances are a homecooked diet is going to be your best option.
I'd also look at what other foods he's getting in terms of treats; sometimes, the food itself is fine but the treats are the problem.

[Nick Pietras]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update...although its only been a few days, we started Gus on Orijen 6 Fish on Tuesday night, and he has done a complete 180! His stool has NEVER been so good! I feel weird saying that, but it is amazing! And he absolutely loves it...usually, if I fed him is kibble without some type of topper (usually boiled ground chicken) he would pause, and look at me like "What the hell is this?" before slowly eating it. Now, he doesn't even pause.

After some more research after I posted, it seemed that given the history, a grain allergy might be the issue. So, I researched grain free foods and found Evo and Orijen. We've heard great things about Orijen, particularly their 6 Fish, so we went for that. Its good for all life stages, and so far, its working great. Guess it was the grain allergy. California Naturals is releasing a grain free food soon, so that's good.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm so glad the Orijen seems to be working. Hopefully this is your answer. The grain free worked for Guinness, but it didn't last (unfortunately). Good Luck!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm so glad the Orijen is working for Gus. I had the same great results and great poop. Once Gus has been on the 6 Fresh Fish formula for a while, you might want to try rotating the other flavors as well...Jack is absolutely nuts about the Regional Red, and likes the Adult (fowl based) formula, too.
I would guess that Gus has a grain intolerance rather than a grain allergy. Grain allergies manifest primarily with severe itching & skin problems. Digestive issues are more likely caused by an intolerance to grains.
I'm sorry to tell you that Natura, the company that manufactures EVO and California Naturals, has been sold to Proctor & Gamble. There will almost certainly be a steep decline in the quality and source of the ingredients. Most of our Food Group members who are using their products are scrambling to find alternatives, so if you haven't already started with one of their foods, I wouldn't start now. IMO, Orijen is the best kibble out there, so if it works for you, no need to look any further for now.
Thanks for updating us with this good news!

[Nick Pietras]

Thanks! We will definitely rotate with the other flavors, if it continues to work. Gus was on CN, which was fine for him for a while, but no more. That's dissappointing to hear about Proctor and Gamble though.

[Leslie and Halas]

I hadn't heard that about Evo. I guess money talks, but it still kind of surprises me that Natura would sell, when they have to know it will mean a decline in quality. I've been alternating Evo and Orijen, but Halas seems to like Orijen a little bit more than Evo, so I'll probably just go with Orijen instead of rotating with Evo. If I want to rotate, I'll just rotate different Orijen flavors. I found a store around here that sells it now, so it won't be as hard for me to get.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Orijen has a frequent buyer program for customers now, too, through the retailers. 13th bag is free!

[Shannon Querry]

Our Fleury girl has quite the sensitive stomach too. You might want to have the vet double check for giardia if that wasn't covered in the first stool check. We've had soft stool problems on and off most of Fleury's life and we too were feeding CN and then homecooking and then back to CN annnndddd now back to homecooking. She has giardia and was treated with metro and was re-tested last week and it came back as positive still so now she's on panacur. And homecooking. LOL!! She was tested for EPI as well and her folate and B12 were low so we're also now supplementing for those as well and will do another test to definitely rule out the EPI. I feel your pain, I really do!

[Nicole Zink]

My golden doodle Abby had constant tummy issues the first 6 months I had her. I tried giving her the food the breeder sent home with her which was supposed to be good for sensitive tummys. I believe it was Lamb and Rice. She was a mess. She had constant diarrhea. I had to put her on rice and chicken so many times the first few months I had her because her tummy needed something easy to digest. Every time I tried to slowly switch her to new food, she would back slide and we had to start from square one.
My previous dog was a golden and he did beautifully on Wellness Core Ocean. As a puppy he had terrible tummy issues that were resolved when I switched him over to a no grain food. He was on EVO and then I switched him over to Wellness Core Ocean, which made his coat gorgeous. I had hoped Abby would tolerate Wellness Ocean with grain until she was old enough to go on the no grain but she didn't do well on it at all. Unfortunately, different meats with Wellness were not a success either.
The lady who runs the pet store I get my food at kept telling me to try Holistic Select Duck Meal Recipe, by Eagle Pack, which was purchased by Wellness a few years ago. Her dog had tummy issues for years until she put him on this food. She told me that every time someone came in complaining about their dogs not doing well on food, she recommends this food and they immediately get better. I figured I had nothing to lose and decided to give it a go. I guess what makes this food unique seems to be that it has OATMEAL in it. It has been a Godsend for us. She started to improve WHILE slowly transitioning her over to it. Oh, and I sprinkle this powder called Eagle Pack Holistic Solution which has Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Digestive Enzymes, Inulin A Fiber. I use it every morning on her kibble and when she has tummy issues use it at every meal. This seems to help her recover quicker than when we don't use it. I used to give my golden a teaspoon of yogurt with live cultures in it but this seems to do the same thing. Good Luck!

[Nick Pietras]

The intricacies of the doodle's digestive system is very interesting!

Almost 3 weeks in, Gus is doing GREAT on Orijen 6 Fish. He absolutely loves it, his stools are fantastic (and just like clockwork), his coat is soft and vibrant, and he just seems so happy. The price of the food is a bit of a kick in the stomach ($46 for a 15 pound bag), but you don't have to feed as much as other types of food, and having him be healthy and happy is definitely worth it!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am not alone in believing that Orijen is the best kibble money can buy. My experience with it has been the same as yours.