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? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Sheri. I'm surprised at how many people don't like lima beans, too! 

[Vivian & Mojo]

I think its all in the cooking, I have some boring nasty Lima Beans but in a salad, soup or saute with proper seasoning they like the hated Brussels sprout can be divine. I've even put the beans on my homemade pizza and people that hated them couldn't eat them fast enough even children.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree. And the canned ones are nasty, IMO. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I can't join the experiment because of my guys' special diets, but I can't wait to see the outcome.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Jane, me either. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

hmmm, now I'm curious. I've never made lima beans but am always willing to try something new. I'll seek them out at the grocery store today.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Sherri. If you get the frozen ones, it's very easy, all you do is put them in boiling water and simmer for about 15 minutes. (I like them soft, with lots of butter, lol). And the baby lima beans are the best. :)

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

I'll "do" it with Bailey.  Going to the grocery store this afternoon so she will get them for dinner tonight.

And for the record...I love baby lima's

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Elizabeth! I always knew you had excellent taste, lol! 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Daphne & Lucy both had Lima beans with their breakfast. The countdown starts...  Oh and I love lima beans!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

So if JD is normal, the beans won't show up until Monday night. I'm betting you see them before that. 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Daphne just had her first poo and there were no lima beans. Nothing from Lucy yet.