[Susan]

The problem with grainfree is they have peas, chick peas, lentils, these all can irratate the bowel causing problems…I tried the “Wellness Simple” Duck & Oatmeal & Lamb & Oatmeal as their fat % was the lowest 11%min-12.6%max-Duck & 12%min-13.6%max-lamb & there’s no potaotes in those kibbles, also they digested easily, the kibbles went soft when I left them in water for 1 min the Lamb went softer quicker then the Duck….I always do my kibble test, I found kibbles with potatos are harder kibbles & dont digest easily .. I soak a couple of kibbles in water then after 1 min, I put 1 kibble inbetween 2 teaspoons & crush, a good kibble will crush a hard kibble flings off the spoon & you cant crush them…….Patch went real good on the Wellness Simple with the Oats the first month, farting a little on the Lamb, the Duck he didnt fart as much, must of had less peas, but into the second month his afternoon poo became sloppy, I’d say from the peas, I was feeding the Simple for breakfast & his vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner, if I try other foods for dinner we are up some nights with his bowel grumbling & rumbling, so I always give his vet diet at nights only…

Ive given up on trying commerical kibbles for now…..I was speaking to Patches vet yesterday & he told me to just stick with the Vet diet, as they are formulated especially for health problems & commerical diets aren’t.. I didnt listen to him last year & have been trying other kibbles, it just brings on flares, diarrhea, gas & sometimes vomiting, due to something irratating his stomach & bowel…..
A few ladies from the IBDogs yahoo group are feeding “Rayne” diet invented by vets in Canada, I dont know if you can get “Raynes” in America, the K9-Sensitive-GI & the K9-Low fat/Novel Protein is especially made for Gastrointestinal & Pancreatitis health….the K9-Sensitive kibble looked good & the K9-Low Fat wet food looked good & the fat was only 9.6% fat % dry matter in the wet food….I dont think you can get a wet food with the fat that low 9.6%…. I can’t get Raynes here in Australia…. I’d give it a try, just to have another food I can fall back on & I also like to give something different for breakfast & his vet diet for dinner, I give tuna in spring water drained & about 1 tablespoon of boiled pumkin for breakfast & then some of his vet diet kibble 1/2 hour later ….

I think when they have IBD/Colitis Gastro problems its very hard finding a commerical, if ur girl did good on the Nutro stick with a kibble with around the same amount of protein% & Fat%, thats when I found Patch does better, when Ive tried kibbles with protein over 25% & fats 12-14%& over Patch doesnt do too well, I just wish these vet diets they’d improve their ingredients, I found that Eukanuba is the only one that doesnt use By-product meats & doesnt have wheat, rye, like Royal Canin use.. Good-luck..