Puppy With Sensitive Tummy

[Jerry Kandel]

We finally got a brother for Bailey - his name is Kobe and is four months old. We have had him a few weeks shy of two months - and got him from a reputable breeder and from the same breeder where we got Bailey. Kobe has had continually loose stools - better described as a small mound of mush. We are feeding him Taste of the Wild Grain Free. He is not lethargic - he has doubled his weight in two months (10 lbs to 20 lbs) - but he rarely (read: almost never) has formed stools. We did a stool sample with our vet and it came back negative. Our breeder de-wormed him prior to our getting him. We are at a loss as to what to do to have him have regular hard formed stools. We don't know whether we should change foods (perhaps he is allergic to one of the ingredients in TOTW) - our breeder suggested getting Probiotic Max - she said that she has had good luck using that.  Is anyone familiar with Probiotic max?

Hope someone can help

Thanks

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

I agree..no one has put more time and effort into researching each brand, (and then even researching each type of food each brand makes) than Karen!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jerry, the "star ratings" are based on high protein content. Take a look at the protein percentages of the foods that get the highest ratings. You will never find a low fat, lower protein food that gets a high star rating on dog food advisor. He says so himself in his article on "The Problem with Dog Food Reviews".

That's why we don't "rate" foods here; because what works for one dog doesn;t work for another.

Tell you what, I'll let you get your advice from Dog Food Advisor and other people. I don't have time to keep trying to help someone who doesn;t want my advice. Good luck. 

[Donna K & Quincy]

You can lead a horse to water. :>0

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

How about leading a horse to basic reading skills? Not that it matters, but the two specific formulas I recommended get 4 star ratings, not 3.5. That's the average "rating" for the line, some formulas rated higher and some lower.  http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/wellness-dog-food-si...

Now I get it...in this group, you actually have to read something. With the ratings sites, all you have to do is count stars. 

[Jerry Kandel]

Karen - there is nothing wrong with my reading skills - with all of the problems we have had with Kobe - I am only trying to do the best for him.  Had I known that you were the "expert" on dog food I wouldn't have attempted to go to other sites to see how they rated various foods.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Karen, you have the patience of a saint. I would gotten frustrated and given up by now.

[Brittney & Cally]

Amen!!!! Karen, you are a saint!!!!

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Jerry, please stop asking for help and requesting input and then doubting everything that everyone (especially, Karen, who has definitely proven her credit and merit as an authority on more than one occasion in this discussion alone) is telling you about. It seems extremely disrespectful to someone who spends so much of her time selflessly guiding others in choosing the best nutrition for their individual dog or puppy. The beautiful thing about this community is that we all are committed to helping share knowledge with one another and helping and encouraging others through answering questions and celebrating successes. Please don't ask us to do this for you and then not trust the aid we are all trying to offer. I think we could all thank Karen at least a few more times for how diligently she researches and digs to find the best answer for all of our questions we present to her. I like to believe that you are just trying to find the best solution for your puppy, but why must everyone answer that question multiple times?

[Brittney & Cally]

Could not have said it better Stephanie. I do have to say we have all tried and you have ignored us, especially Karen.

[Jerry Kandel]

Stephanie, just trying to be sure since I had received so many different responses from the vets I contacted.  Since I had no idea that Karen was knowledgeable about all of the different food types - it never became a matter of not trusting opinions but simply trying to make sure that I didn't screw up on what was best for Kobe. So after reading all of the above responses - I would like to apologize to the Doodle Community. I hope everyone accepts my apology and that we can still have an intelligent exchange of communication.

[a.k.a. Rodney]

jerry, i had a similar experience with my vet & the DK community & Karen...We were going in circles b/c of some of the same reasons you are challenged by  in this situation...The bland chicken & sweet pot/pumpkin diet never helped my pup...She did have about all tolled  about 10 days of Metrod...i stopped & started the probiotic..one of the problems, i a.m. sure.  The vet did encourage me to buy Rx food from him..i did and either ended up returning it or never used it past one day..he finally realized i was not going to feed her that junk and decided Stella & Chewy's dehydrated rabbit might do the job for her..along with the proviableDC daily...She had the same stools you say your dog has..pudding/mush...she was always cleared for parasites etc...once he took her off ALL treats & even any oral  heart worm medication....she has improved steadily..over one month now

he insisted nothing go into her digestive system, but the rabbit & probiotic

(she never was trained with treats so that was never a problem, but i could just break some of her reg. food off if i needed a treat) 

i know this isn't providing you a long term study...but i offer it as encouragement and also to say...the advise offered here and by the vets are all well meaning..just sometimes we get in our own way & sometimes things aren't said with the appropriate info offered ..   i  for instance was never told that the probiotic needed to continue long past the MetroD. Proviable comes in a capsule form and i was relating to it as if it were an antibiotic...so i thought the sooner i could get her off it the better....Dumb, i know..truth is i never ever knew about probiotics..so...i screwed up

I also was reluctant to listen to someone ..even tho they seemed to be a voice of reason..that was on a website...i was lucky, my vet is a good guy & a  family friend and really tried to help me get this solved the way i wanted it to be handled.

so, now i alert everyone who comes in contact with my doodle that she gets NO treats..and keep her on this simple routine of hydrated freeze dried rabbit twice a day..Btw, did i tell you from day one she was fed Acana Wild Prarie from the breeder, which is made by the same peeps who make Orajen?  so keep plugging away..it will get better!!  

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I can tell you that as a highly educated woman who has been reading Karen's advice for the past three years, following the replies to her and the updates from those who did or did not take her advice, that she is 100% reliable in her evidence based knowledge and works through problems with those ask for it.  It is true that the internet is full of garbage, just not here in the Food Group on DK.  

Some of you have been given advice repeatedly and with great patience but have not taken it.  That is your choice. I do think that Karen has the patience of Job.