Need suggestions for the best food for Bella

[Tina Patton]

Recently I changed Bella to Rachel Ray Nutrish Chicken and Veggie food.  1/4 way into the bag Bella started having bloody, mucous, and runny stools.  This has happened 3 times and have been to the vet and have done testing and now just realizing it may be the food since she does fine when she is on a bland diet of turkey and rice.  Also she gets an occasional dog cookie which has never given her any problems and I have also been giving her plain yogurt for a treat. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

What was she eating before the Nutrish? Any problems with that? Any digestive problems before now with any food?

The thing with food issues is that they usually don't start right away when you start a new food; a dog can be eating something for years before an allergy or an intolerance show up.

Here's the ingredient list from Nutrish:

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Ground Rice, Corn Meal, Soybean Meal, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Corn Gluten Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Dehydrated Alfalfa, Dried Peas, Dried Carrots, Dried Tomatoes, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Olive Oil, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Oxide, Dried Parsley, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Folic Acid. 

I'd choose a limited ingredient food that does not contain chicken. None of our recommended foods contain corn or soy. You might look at Canidae's Pure Sea, it's a salmon and potato formula that doesn't contain any of the ingredients in Nutrish. Or Canidae's Pure Land, which is bison and lamb based.  

 

[Tina Patton]

One of my friends is going to bring me some of the Canidae that she feeds her doodle to try with Bella.  Before that Bella was on Science Diet and she seemed to do fine with that but seemed not to eat enough of it.  I would fill her bowl and some days it looked like she had not eaten anything.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Again, you need to look at the specific formula and not just the brand. Canidae makes many different foods, and the one your friend feeds is probably not one of their limited ingredient formulas, which is the Pure line. Canidae makes grain-free foods, foods with grains, and limited ingredient foods. All have different qualities and nutritional profiles. The reason you want a limited ingredient food right now is that you want to see if something in the food could be causing the problem, and the only way to do that is to eliminate as many of the ingredients in the current food as possible, and also keep the ingredients in the new food limited  so that you still have options if you have to change again.

Bloody mucous-y stools can be a symptom of colitis in dogs. The worst case scenario is Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which Jackdoodle has, and it is one of the worst, most difficult diseases to control. (It can't be cured). I'm not saying that's what Bella has, but it really pays to keep some protein options unused, just in case.

Science Diet is a horrible food, so I'm glad you switched, but a lot of dogs are picky about eating and have days when they don't eat. I would not change foods for that reason. Eventually, the dog will refuse anything you give them, hoping for something better. We have lots of discussions here about that as well. 

Which exact Science Diet formula was she eating?

[Tina Patton]

Karen,

  I am getting ready to take Bella off her turkey and rice with in the next few days.  Today I went to the pet supply store and little overwhelmed by all of the dog food to choose from.  I did look at the Canidae Pure Land and Pure Sea and then someone at the store asked if I needed help.  So he suggested Science diet for sensitive stomachs.  I ended up leaving with out buying anything so I need your help again.  

What food do you feed Jackdoodle?  I am very confused as what exactly to look for when I look at the ingredient on the package.  

I will check out the food group again but look forward to hearing from you with some very needed advice. 

Just very nervous about trying something new......Thanks again, Tina

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

First rule of thumb: Do not take any advice from the store clerks. They are retail clerks working for minimum wage, and the fact that this one recommended Science Diet shows you beyond a doubt that he knows absolutely nothing about dog food.

The whole point of our Recommended Foods list is to give you a reference so you don't have to read every ingredient on every label, and you don't have to be nervous. Many people print it out and take it with them to the store. Do not look at anything that's not on it. Just don't.

Jackdoodle has Inflammatory Bowel Disease, so what he eats is not a good guideline. Half his diet is Natural Balance chicken and sweet potato kibble and the other half is homecooked chicken breasts and sweet potatoes. Before the IBD started he ate Orijen, but I would not recommend that for a dog with undiagnosed digestive issues.

I'm not sure why you were hesitant about buying the Canidae Pure formulas, but if you want to be on the safe side, go with Natural Balance Potato & Duck or Potato and Venison formula; they don't have a turkey formula. You can't buy a much simpler or easy to digest kibble, many people in my IBD support group use these. I just hate that the protein levels are so low.  

[Tina Patton]

Thanks Karen, I am going to try the Canidae Pure Formula starting tomorrow so if she has any problems it will be on the weekend while I am at home.  

You have been so helpful with all of your information and I continue to read the food group blog and have also been reading about home cooking.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We have a good basic recipe for homecooked food, courtesy of Jane, Guinness & Murphy's mom. I'd do full homecooking myself if I didn't have an 85 lb dog.

[Tina Patton]

I have a hard time cooking for myself so will try the Canidae, Bella only weights about 38 lbs

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Homecooking is definitely an option, but I would try the kibbles first.  I cook for my 7-pound chihuahua and even that's a pain!!!

[Bella]

Our Bella is doing well on Blue Chicken. Your dog is lovely by the way!

[Tina Patton]

Thank you...she is such a good girl.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

stay away from foods with corn/corn meal/corn gluten meal as this is really hard for dogs to digest. Some dogs have issues with grains so try a grain free formula, and as Karen says avoid the chicken too as thats a common allergen. The canidae grain free line Karen reccomends is really good - great ingredients and good protein levels