Probiotics

[Janice Jones]

I have a gorgeous 18 month old ALD. He started out with some tummy problems, but with adjust of food and probiotics things have settled down very well. (Thanks Karen for all your help)
Should probiotics be given daily or just restarted if problems reoccur? At the moment I give Gentle Digest once a day, (maintenance) but have Proviable DC on hand for bigger problems (solution)
Next question, how often should I think about introducing a new food? I would stay within the food group that is working, (Wellness, Simple)but would like to give a change of flavor once in a while.
Thank you for any help

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would continue to give the Gentle Digest every day. It's inexpensive, and is really more of a "prebiotic" than a probiotic, in that it encourages the growth of good flora in the gut. 

It's really helpful to take probiotics daily if you have any kind of digestive issue, and the same is true for dogs. But I can understand that it's also an expense. You might consider giving plain unflavored nonfat yogurt every day with meals, or as a treat between meals. (Try sprinkling a few blueberries or dried cranberries in it, most dogs love it.)  The number of live cultures in yogurt is actually higher than that in many of the probiotic products you see advertised, and it's fairly inexpensive. 

If everything has been fine with your guy's digestion for a decent period of time and you would like to try another "flavor" of the Simple Solutions, I don't see any problem with that. There are not a lot of choices, basically you have Turkey or Salmon with Potatoes, or you have Duck or Lamb with Oatmeal. That's it. I would try the formula with the same carb source as the current food first, i.e. if it's one of the potato formulas, try the other one. 

[Janice Jones]

Thanks for your reply Karen. Glad to have a guide for going forward. Perhaps I will add some yogurt to his food every couple of days to change up the flavor. At the moment I give him the turkey/potato and salmon/potato (he isn't as keen on the salmon) I had thought to introduce the oatmeal/?? for a change, but perhaps I will just add another flavor to his kibble that is healthy. He is maintaining a good weight :-)
Hope JD is doing well!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Janice! We are just trying to get through this miserable winter, lol! 

[Gail+Kathleen,(Sydney+Olivia:)]

Hi, Karen!  What do you think of Purina ProPlan which is getting lots of publicity from the Dog Show the past few days.  We have our Doodles on Orijen (Thanks to your suggestion on the Food Group) and they still like it and seem to be healthy from this diet.  Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think all Purina products are absolutely garbage, made by a multinational corporation with ingredients imported from China by third party food brokers. I wouldn't give it to my dog if they paid me to do it.

Multi-billionaire dollar budgets do buy a lot of attention. I'd rather the company that makes my dog's food spend the money on quality. :)

[Janice Jones]

Thanks for posting that question Gail. I watched the dog show last night and was amazed that the Best In Show from last year was promoting Purina. Yes, I know it is all about the mighty $$, but surely they aren't being honest saying that they feed their dogs this rubbish.

[Gail+Kathleen,(Sydney+Olivia:)]

AMEN!  We will stick with Orijen!  Thanks to Karen for all of her research and honesty!  And, her love of DOGS!