Thoughts on a new food??? and Shiloh update

[Lynn Stoops]

Hi

 

Has anyone tried this food ~ our natural/organic pet shop suggested it as an new option:

Precise Holistic Complete® Wild at Heart. There are three formulas in this line, Flight Line - Dog Formula, River Line - Dog Formula and River Line - Cat Formula. 

 

Precise Holistic Complete® Grain Free. There are also three formulas in this line, Lamb & Turkey With Garbanzo Bean - Dog Formula, Pork With Garbanzo Bean - Dog Formula and Turkey & Chicken with Spring Yellow Peas - Cat Formula.

 

After the mess with TOTW I switched our doodles over to Acana and they are enjoying it.  We finally got a diagnosis for Shiloh he has developed esophagitis hopefully we can manage it before it turns into megaesophagus.  He is eating the Acana, Blue Buffalo can food all mixed/blended with water into a thick milkshake (3x day).  He is eating vertical (not elevated) and taking Cerenia (for vomiting), Pepcid AC and Carafate (coats & heals esophagus).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The food is okay. It's got a lot of grain, and the protein levels are fairly low. The Omega 6:3 ratio is average, slightly more than 5:1. Flaxseed provides some of the Omega 3, which is not a form utilized well by dogs. It uses dried egg product rather than whole eggs.

Acana is a much, much better quality food, and if you are using a grain-free formula of the canned Blue Buffalo, Shiloh is on a grain-free diet, which is usually easier for dogs to digest than foods with a lot of grains. So I personally see nothing to be gained by switching to a grain-heavy diet.

If you are looking for another food, there are others I like much better than the Precise. But if the dogs are loving the Acana, why are you looking to switch? If I know what you are looking for, I may be able to suggest some other alternatives.

Also, has your vet given you any advice on the ideal type of diet for Shiloh in terms of macronutrient levels, i.e., lower fat, or anything like that? I do know that soft foods are preferred for dogs with esophageal problems.

 

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I agree with Karen on this - definitely seek your vet's advise on ideal diet type.  It's amazing what a diet can do for diseases like this.  Many times, there are very specific nutriets that make the disease more manageable for your dog - basically, some are easier than others on certain organs, etc....

[Lynn Stoops]

We just need to watch his weight.  The vet does not care what we feed (he suggested Rx food- yikes!) as long as we blend it to a soft consistency.  Some people on the Yahoo group for ME dogs are using coconut milk to add calories.

 

I am happy with Acana ~ just wish it was not so expensive!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Coconut milk seems an odd choice, as it is only contains 35 k/cal per TBSP. One tablespoon of plain peanut butter has 94 calories, so if putting weight on is the goal, there are lots of better ways.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I went back to see if we had discussed Precise dog food before, and we have, I found several references to it in the FG discussions...including one you started, Lynn, lol: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/precise...

[Lynn Stoops]

I am losing my mind ~ LOL!  Too many things happening around here!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Karen has the food covered. Just wanted to add that esophagitis, which is an inflammation of the lining of the esophagus, does not become megaesophagus. They are entirely different things.

[Lynn Stoops]

Odd...the specialist said that if the esophagitis does not get under control then it could lead to megaesophagus.  The specialist said that the esophagitis was caused by the anesthesia when Shiloh had his surgery for his injury in April.

 

I will call the specialist this morning and discuss this with him.  He is at NC State

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Some info from the Merck Veterinary Manual on esophagitis:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/23206.htm&...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

After reading this, Karen and F., does it mean that it can be a temporary condition that, if the espophagis is allowed to rest/heal, goes away?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That's my understanding with the reflux form of esophagitis, which would be the type that Shiloh has. Not sure about the other kind, primary esophagitis. I'm not very familiar with this condition, although I am unfortunately familiar with megaesophagus, and do not remember hearing that esopagitis could lead to it. I would follow the specialist's advice, though.  

[Lynn Stoops]

Yes we are hoping that Shiloh's esophagitis can be stopped and reversed.  It is a  side effect to anesthesia.  We are working closely with the specialist and I have joined a few support groups.  We are keeping our fingers and paws crossed that he does not need surgery.

We go back to the vet again at the end of this month for follow-up testing.