Hello Kathryn,
Everyone seems to have their own idea about what is the best dog food, but what is best for one dog may not be the best for your dog. Obviously, feeding the “best” food you can find and having your bloodhound throw it up is not the best food for your dog.
It appears that every food you have tried is not tolerated by your bloodhound except your vet’s recommended Purina EN Gastroenteric Wet. So listen to your vet. Purina EN also comes in a dry kibble so you could ask your vet if it would be alright to add some of that to the canned food.
Also, (and with my vet’s approval I might add) I will cook (crockpot or grill for flavor variety) a family pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts and chop them up to add 1/2 cup to my Great Dane’s kibble. I store portions in freezer bags and defrost each bag as needed. Chicken breast is probably the easiest meat on your dog’s GI tract. Ask your vet if that would be OK to try with your bloodhound.
As info, I also cook boneless skinless chicken thighs which are tastier than the breasts but have a little more fat content. Additionally I rotate other meats–lean ground chuck, lean pork roast. If something gives him a bout of diarrhea I discontinue that or at least try a smaller portion added to his kibble. All this is with my vet’s approval. Great Danes have sensitive stomachs but these fattier meats might not be appropriate for your bloodhound.
Lastly, if you are concerned about the ingredients in the Purina EN, keep in mind that the first ingredient, brewers rice, has a very beneficial effect on canine GI/diarrhea issues. Years ago I had a Great Dane with a severe diarrhea problem. Instead of giving him medications for it, I cooked large batches of white (not brown) rice in chicken broth and mixed it 50/50 with his kibble. Within a week his diarrhea was gone.
I hope some of this information was helpful to you. Good luck with your bloodhound and rub his belly for me.
Sincerely,
Richard Pflueger
