Is it the food?

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

Since the Diamond foods recall we swapped Cocoa out from TOTW Salmon to Earthborn coastal.

Because of all her problems in the past we swapped her very slow almost a whole month.  The end of last week the 1/4 mix ran out and it was time to go full to Earthborn.  Sunday & Monday nights I was up to explosive poops.. all over the cage, her & the walls around the cage  YUCK.

We also had a cook out Saturday night with about 8 kids here and we at first figured someone dropped food in the yard and Cocoa must have found it and we just needed to wait it out.... vet said by wednesday she should be better if that was the case.

Tuesday I gave her the last can of RX food u had left over thinking it might calm her belly (vet said hold food).

Woke up Wednesday morning no poo YAY.  So we went back to Earthborn yesterday.  DH woke up at 1:30 am and from our bedroom upstairs could smell it.  Sure enough it was all over again.

So we are thinking its the food???  What do you all think?

I was trying to avoid TOTW for recalls since her last 2 bags had been recalled. But looks like im going to run out this morning and buy a little bag. I could take her to the vet but all they will do is put her on RX food again and we all know it does fix anything.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

In my IBD group, some dogs can't tolerate foods with flaxseed, and others have no problems. Jane's Murphy, who has had GI issues most of his life, does beautifully on Honest Kitchen, and it contains flaxseed.

[MICHAEL KEELING]

So I have read through this discussion and something confuses me.  Can anyone tell me why Earthborn Holistic is a brand on the recommended food list if it has all these fillers that aren't easily digested?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The company is a good one in terms of ingredient sourcing and quality control.

Orijen is about as good as it gets in terms of kibble, yet we have had people whose dogs just can't tolerate it. The same formula that has caused constipation in some dogs has caused diarrhea in others.

But I still recommend Orijen. :)

Every dog is different, and what works for one causes problems for another one. Just like people. My DXH couldn't eat peppers or beans; I have no problem with them. Many dogs do better with foods that contain grains, and some, like Jack, don't tolerate them. As you can see from Lindsey's post just above yours, some dogs are doing great with the Earthborn.

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

Interesting....

And Oh my the gas was horrible... as bad or worse than Blue when she was on that.

I don't know to try something new or just go with TOTW since I know that works.  I really don't have the money to experiment with these pricy foods.  I have a 5 pound bag of blue, 28 pound bag of Nutro and now a 28 pound bag of Earthborn all that I am stuck with... that's almost $100.00 in wasted dog food.

Not to mention im so tired. I have a 7 week old baby and he gets me up all night to eat and then to have to clean the carpet, wash the dog and clean her cage 1-2 times a night on top of that I don't know what to do :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Lindsey, most stores will take back an opened bag of food and give you a credit for it if it causes your dog problems. They send it back to the manufacturer. This is especially true of the higher end stores and the premium foods. I'd bring the Earthborn back.

[MICHAEL KEELING]

Thanks K & JD.  Our pack is indeed doing fine on the Earthborn, and in fact has much less 'output' than when on Canidae.  But to the original post, it seems that even though several foods have been tried there is still an issue, which would seem to indicate a need to isolate the actual cause - which could be an ingredient of the food, or an illness, or some environmental factor, among other things.  Our Vets usually recommend a bland diet (usually home cooked rice and boiled chicken) to deal with such issues.  Once things stabilize there might be a better chance to rule out kibble.  You could ask your vet for advice along those lines.  Hopefully it will help eliminate some potential causes and give you a better path to finding the right one.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, there's been a history of these issues and many discussions about Cocoa's GI problems in the past; this is not the first time Lindsey has posted, and much of what you are saying has been addressed in previous discussions. Cocoa was doing fine on the TOTW and this new problem may be due to the switch to Earthborn food or it may be a recurrence of the giardia she had in the past.

 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Lindsey, I tried the Earthborn about a year ago because I really liked that it was from a company in Indiana; however, I just couldn't get Cubbie to "firm up" while on it.  We now use TOTW and other than the praire formula he does great.  We had the same problem with the Orijen too so even though there was that recent TOTW recall, we are going to stick with it for now because it works.

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

ok so just talked to a neighbor and found out we have been under a biol advisory.... great so was that why cocoa has to poops?

I just got totw again anyway and need to hurry and boil some water.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

OMD, if the water is contaminated, that could definitely be the reason!

But go with the TOTW anyway, just to be sure for now.

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

just thought about it if it was the water would it have stopped for one day? and the day we took her off Earthborn?

Oh well going back to totw and will keep you all updated on if it works.

Karen I dont think she ever had Giardia.. 3 fecals were negative and as soon as we swapped out of chicken & grains her poop instantly firmed up.  But also it could have cleared up right then and we thought it was the food.  But i will try this and if its still bad Monday I will run a fecal to the vet.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Really, maybe I need a memory supplement, lol. Too many dogs with GI issues, and then there's my IBD support group taxing my memory even further. I'm starting to get confused, can you tell?

I think your plan is a good one, Lindsey. And your point about the coincidental timing of the diarrhea stopping with the Earthborn being stopped is significant as it relates to the issue of the water, too.