The changing of foods is going very bad

[jenn D]

I'm switching the dogs from life's abundance to acana wild prairie. I'm doing it slowly as suggested here. All three dogs have terrible runs and diahrea. It's awful! I don't know what to do. I. Don't want to be stuck feeding lifes abundance forever. Do I put them all on a rice, pumpkin and chicken breast diet to firm them up? It's so bad in the backyard. Watery diahrea everywhere and it rained yesterday and today and it's making it hard to clean up. Please help.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Try going cold turkey, Jenn. Add some yogurt and pumpkin (or sweet potato, which I prefer) and give it a couple of days. Very strange that all three are having so much trouble with the switch.

Can you give me the nutritional analysis for the LA formula you are using? I'm most interested in the protein, fat and fiber percentages.

[jenn D]

Karen, I threw away the LA bag so I can't get the fiber % but I had the protein and fat written down. There are 482 kcal/cup. Crude protein 26%, fat 16%.
All 3 stools are very runny. I'm constantly bathing backsides. :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Do you know the exact name of the formula? LA doesn't give much info on-line, but I might be able to look it up. 

[jenn D]

It was "all life's stage dry dog food". That's what my last invoice said.

[Gail and Bailey]

I would get them on sweet potato and chicken right away.  You said "watery diarrhea"...not normal for a food change....I would get them to the vet ASAP.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was thinking it didn't sound normal for a food change, too, Gail. But it seems like too much of a coincidence that they would get something like giardia at the very same time their food is being changed. Of course, it is the time of year for the spring runoff, which does often contribute to dogs getting giardia.

[jenn D]

And my guys haven't gone anywhere lately. I pick up stools twice daily and all of their treats are on the recommended list here.

[jenn D]

Also the loose stools happened before our rainstorm in the last 48 hrs. Here in New Mexico it never rains so typically no run off. It just happened that is started raining after they started having diarrhea. I am nervous about feeding them at this point. Could they have picked something up at the vet? Both pickles and brisby went to our vet for shots on Wednesday.

[Gail and Bailey]

Give the vet a call and see if something is going around.

[jenn D]

Thanks Gail. I worry about parvovirus but no one is throwing up, the diarrea doesn't have any blood and it's not too stinky ( just smells like regular poo)

[Gail and Bailey]

Hope it gets better!  For sure feed the sweet potato/yogurt/pumpkin/chicken diet and please keep us informed.