If you think it is nothing more than a sensitive stomach then add probiotics and digestive enzymes all the time. The only way I am aware of to eliminate or positively comfirm IBD is with a biopsy, though
About rice, the amount of arsenic in it is supposed to be so small that they can easily handle it, but I would not be comfortable feeding it as a large part of my dogs diet day in and day out. But then I rotate everything, so I guess you could say I don’t feel comfortable feeding anything long term.
Add in new things for about a week at a time. You can do two things at once like a protein and a starch. If you find a limited ingredient food that you are interested in and try those ingredients first, then you will have a food you can switch to if your dog doesn’t react to any of the ingredients. I would just completely eliminate grain for a while. A lot of dogs that have issues like this seem to be intolerant of grains, whether they are gluten intolerant or something else, I can’t say, but grains seem to really inflame the intestines of a lot of dogs.
You can replace about 1/4 of the ID, the first and second days, 1/2 the third and fourth days, 3/4 the fifth and sixth days, and all the seventh day. Remember this is a short term trial so you don’t need to worry about the balance, but you can move slower if that is too fast a transition for him. You really need to have him on a food for about six weeks to see if he only has a mild reaction to something, but for stronger reactions, I can tell within 3 days usually with my dog. If he does react to something, you can go straight back to the ID and give him time for his system to settle and try again with something different.
Good luck!
