JD's Lima Bean Challenge, An Experiment For All Food Groupies!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Before JD was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in December 2011, I used to add a little of my own dinner to his dinner bowl just about every night. A particular favorite was lima beans. He always knew when they were on the menu, and was even more eager for his dinner than usual those nights.

All that stopped after the IBD diagnosis, and it had been a long time since JD got lima beans in his dinner bowl. Not so much because there is any reason he couldn't have them, but I had just not been cooking them for myself much either since my family's schedules changed and family dinners are a rare occurrence here. And I had gotten out of the habit of giving JD some of whatever I was eating for dinner, since there is so little he's allowed to have. 

But last month, I cooked lima beans and gave JD about 2 tablespoons with his dinner. 

The next morning, his poop was the same as always.Ditto the evening poop. 

But on the morning of the second day after he'd eaten them, there were lima beans in JD's poop. 

Now, the fact that the lima beans had passed through undigested was not a surprise. That's par for the course, because dogs can't digest plant cellulose. (People aren't very good at it either.) 

But the fact that the lima beans showed up in the poop about 40 hours after he'd eaten them, and that he'd had 2 normal poops in between, did surprise me. 

I tried it again this past week, and same thing.

It seems to me that in the past, they would have appeared in the next morning's poop. But I don't really remember. 

I think maybe JD's food is taking much longer to pass through his system than is normal, due to the IBD, and maybe all the meds. 

But I thought it would be interesting and maybe informative to see how long it takes food to pass through a healthy dog's GI tract. So JD and I are looking for volunteers to participate in our Lima Bean Challenge experiment. 

The LB Challenge is open to all dogs over 8 months old who do not have any current digestive issues, who do not free feed (food is eaten at regular set mealtimes), and whose owners are willing & able to immediately inspect all poops from the time the dog eats the lima beans until said beans exit the premises.

Here's all you have to do. Over the next week, cook some lima beans (we use frozen baby limas). Set aside a small portion (1-2 tablespoons per dog) before adding butter, salt, or seasoning. Let them cool sufficiently and then add them to your dog's dinner. Make a note of the day and time that your dog ate the beans. 

Then watch the poop. Make a note of each subsequent poop (day & time) in which the beans do not appear. I do not think there will be more than one, if that, but that's the point of this experiment. And then when the beans do show up, post your data here. I'd like all results by next Sunday, June 29th, please.

Yes, this is very unscientific and maybe silly, but you will be helping me & JD, and we might all learn something besides. :)

Do I have any participants? 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

:)   

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Olga, I love your photos!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thank you, Olga! And I'm sure the dogs and cat thank you, too!

[Gail and Bailey]

Olga...what a lovely looking soup.  It looks delicious!

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Interesting experiment! I love lima beans, but have never given them to J &J so not sure if they'll eat them! We will try and I'll report back. I wonder if dog size makes a difference though, Jilly is 24 lbs.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Janie! You can use less than a spoonful for Jilly if you want. :)

[Shari Becker]

Sorry Karen, Lexi's stomach is already so sensitive, but I'd be curious, too.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I know, Shari. Thanks. 

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

This is one challenge Oscar will be happy to participate in. With Lucy, its doubtful she'd even eat lima beans. She's that picky. I'll offer them to her as well in the off chance she actually likes them. Lima beans are the one bean I will not eat. I just do not like the taste. So the beans will be for the dogs only. Give me a couple days to get them and I'll report back with the 'data'.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Debb.

JD used to be the pickiest eater in the world. He wouldn't eat peanut butter, didn't even really care about cheese. The only thing he liked was animal protein- meat, fish, poultry or eggs. No fruits or vegetables of any kind, except...lima beans! I have no idea why. So Lucy might surprise you. :) 

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

We'll see... :-)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Hey, you lost me at "Cook" ... Just kidding!  What surprises me the most about this so far is that so many people hate Lima Beans!  I could eat them by the can full, but they have so many more calories than other veges I don't tend to eat them often.  Looks like you have several subjects willing to participate so I'm going to pass since I wouldn't be able to give Lucy any and she would be sad if AnnaBelle got something she didn't!  Will be interesting to see the results!