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]

LOL, I love the suspense! 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

I just feed them once right? Or do they get them again for dinner?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, just this once, for this "experiment." Wait until the beans have made an appearance before giving them any more. :) 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Ok, thats what I thought but just wanted to make sure.

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

It's like a treasure hunt LOL.. Bailey gobbled hers right up tonight for dinner

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I love it! Looking at dog poop is like a treasure hunt! We're all nuts! LOLOL! 

[Suzanne & Jack]

My 3 ate theirs tonight and I think they liked them.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm so glad! If they're going to be guinea pigs, they should at least enjoy it! 

[Suzanne & Jack]

It has been 24 hours since the Smith boys ate their lima's. There was only one poop in the yard when I came home and no beans. All 3 pooped after their evening meal, still no poop. They are very regular in their potty habits. I wouldn't expect to see anything until maybe tomorrow. They each ate about the same amount but they are different sizes. Jack 90 lbs, Moose 70lbs, and Ivan 20 lb. it will be interesting to see who's poop has the beans

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is right in line with JD's timing. I'm feeling pretty happy about that. :)

[Suzanne & Jack]

As expected the beans appeared 48 hours later. Jack had his evening poop and there was a whole bean. Since he is the largest and I have seen some pretty amazing things come out of his butt, this was no surprise. Moose had bean skins in his poop. I wasn't able to find any beans in Ivan's (schnauzer) poop, but he is a sneaky pooper. He may have pooped beans in a hidden location. BTW they all had about 8 of the large ford hook limas. I only saw one bean in Jack's and 2 skins in Moose's. I'm sure their next poops will be full of beans. Also, I have pictures if you want documentation.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Suzanne, I could just hug you! At last, another doodle who passed whole beans 48 hrs later! I was really starting to think that JD's digestion was even worse than it is! 

No pictures necessary, we will all take your word for it! LOL