Hmmm, my update disappeared

[KC]

Of course it would happen after I had typed reams :) So here is the actual update. My son, Milo and I went and visited all the better pet stores in the area and talked to the owners about Orijen, Fromm, and others. Funnily, they all hesitated to recommend these two brands and kept steering me towards brands that I  knew were not as good! Volume incentives?
Anyway, at the last store, a small, poky little place recommended by a fellow morning dog walker, the owner listened to my tale of woe, and said understandingly "Labradoodle with sensitive stomach? I have just the thing for you." and produced a bag of Acana. Since Karen had mentioned it, I asked him more about it, and he said the higher protein of the Orijen sometimes itself created soft poops, and a lot of his labradoodle owning customers had good results with Acana.
We bought a small sample, opened it right there, and Milo who has to be coaxed into eating his Prairie kibble by adding yogurt or pumpkin, wolfed it down enthusiastically as though  it was a liver treat!
So feeling hopeful that this is a step in the right direction, and many, many thanks for all the advice you all have given us.
Poop status report to follow :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Which Acana formula did you get? They have several, some grain-free and some not.
We'll be very interested to hear how it goes. Please do keep us posted!

[KC]

We got Acana Grasslands, which is a grain free formula with lamb and fish. It does smell more like real food than the Prairie which smelled like Cheerios. So far having a hard time trying to transition it slowly. When I mix it into the kibble, Milo has picked out all the Acana kibble and left the Prairie behind :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's no great hram in just going cold-turkey if it works better for you. The faster you make the switch, the sooner you'll see how it agrees with him. You're going to have some not-so-great poop for a little while either way.

[Cheri & Bonny]

After many trials and foods for Bonny, we've ended up with either Orijen or Acana and I've been switching through the flavors in an effort to get her used to several flavors. She loves the red meat Orijen and the lamb Acana the best. I find that I still have to add a bit of pumpkin and about 1/3 cup of brown rice at dinner to keep her poops nice and firm. I tell my husband who thinks I'm "spoiling" the dog that the pumpkin is for me since I'm doing the cleanups!

A tip on the brown rice -- I make up a big batch in the rice cooker and then scoop the rice into 1/3 cup blobs and freeze these on cookie sheets. Once they freeze, I put them in a ziploc bag and just take them out as I need them. I've also frozen the pumpkin in ice cube trays to make it easy to grab one of these as well.

Good luck!

[KC]

Oh I do that too! I freeze the pumpkin in cupcake pans, and then move the little hockey pucks to a ziplock bag. We eat rice almost every day, so keeping aside some for M is not a problem. But I have not given him rice for a few days, just the pumpkin, thanks for reminding me.

[Cheri & Bonny]

I don't have enough cupcake pans for this. I just cook up an 8 cup batch in the cooker, sometimes with chicken broth, then use a measuring cup. I leave the rice sticky so it holds together and just pack it in the 1/3 cup measure and it sits on the cookie sheet just fine. This lasts about 3 weeks before I have to do it again. I've tried leaving out the rice, but she obviously needs it.... Pumpkin alone is not enough.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Can you add this to the DK cookbook or is it already there? This is worth saving. Often you open up a can of pumpkin, use a few Tbsp , then end up throwing the rest away.

I'd love to try this recipe.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Wow, you people must not have "one way" freezers! Things go into my freezer but never come out until I'm desperate to put something important in. Then an outdated something gets tossed. I'll think about some of these freezing tricks when the weather is cold enough so I can put a cookie sheet on the screen porch and then transfer the blobs to the freezer.

[KC]

LOL. We only have one way sock dryers :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Unfortunately I know what you mean!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Yes! Whoopee! Keep us posted. I can't get Orijen, Fromms or Acana in my town and those are my top three pics for great food.

[Lauria Orr]

What a great idea..freezing the pumpkin, and the brown rice! This site is always so helpful with hints!