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? 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Lucy had no LB in her poo tonight. This is her first one since she ate them about 10 hours ago.. Daphne hasn't had a 2nd poo yet.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am really curious to see if it takes as long for them to show up as it did with JD. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, this is very interesting. I didn't think of the possibility that some of the dogs might digest the beans and they would never show up, lol!

But if your pack is like JD, the beans should show up in their poop some time after 8 a.m. tomorrow.

(PS: You never know, JD and Sherry might just be related!) 

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Going on 3 days now and no lima beans...I think Bailey's system just digested the whole bean...  I think I will try this again and see what happens...

And so the "great lima bean adventure" continues LOL

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Remind us of when he ate the lima beans, Elizabeth? 

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

She ate hers at 530 pm on Sunday. She goes potty about 3 times a day so you would think there would be something by now.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oops, sorry for calling her "he"! 

Well, that's over 72 hrs, so I'd say yes, she digested them. Very strange how some do and some don't. But then, there was a recent study that they vary in their ability to digest plant foods. 

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

I can't wait until the first one appears..the suspense is exciting! lol

We will start our study either Tues evening, or Thurs evening..I will keep you posted! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Please do! 

LOL, the great lima bean hunt! 

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

We didn't exactly do the Lima bean challenge, but yesterday we were at the beach (for the first time in a month) and Oliver kept swallowing sand trying to retrieve his ball. He was also eating snacks and drinking water at the time. This was yesterday from 2:15 to 3:00. On his afternoon walk today at 6:45, he went to the bathroom and it had a segment of all sand (in the center)! Apparently, it takes a little over a day for Oliver to digest his food.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is so interesting. It appears it's the stuff they can't digest that takes longer, but you would think it would be the opposite. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't think that necessarily true. It just may be we always yesterday's or the day beforehand food remains in feces. I think so. But once something is "in the queue" I think it maintains it's place.