So I tried NutriSource grain free and the soft stuff turned to liquid and never stopped, even with added Geneflora at each meal.
Then I tried another limited ingredient Chicken/Potato Grain Free and I chose it because any forms of potato were well down the list of ingredients, behind peas and pea starch and several other things. They should have just called it Chicken and Pea. Anyway… it also contained beet pulp and only 21% protein. Things solidified within two days! Yay! However, he then proceeded to poop about 6-8 times a day. That seems like a lot for a dog that typically has 3, even when it’s bad quality it’s usually only 3, and in the past when he’s had no digestion related food issues it’s only been 3 times a day. Six to 8 is too much right?
I’m increasingly more convinced on the beet pulp theory. So far the only foods that eliminated the terrible gas/gurgling and soft/liquid stool have contained beet pulp along with <25% protein. I just can’t find any other commonality between foods that work and the foods that do not. Nutro has a Venison and Potato around 21% protein plus beet pulp. Hills also has two that are similar with either Chicken or Salmon.
I’m really hesitant to put him back on the grain food that seemed to work so well for his stomach before because the itching, hacking, licking and yeast ear infections were so severe… by severe I mean that over the course of the past year he lost his ability to walk in a straight line, balance, chew food, walk up stairs and hear out of one ear and all the while his ear was not exhibiting any outward signs of infection other than a small amount of wax buildup and he was not indicating he had any pain or specific problem with his ear like head shaking or pawing at it and so, despite the fact that I continually asked about the discharge, three different Vets said it was nothing and mis-diagnosed the infection for a combination of brain tumor and a stroke, for which they prescribed him Prozac for “anxiety related to the pressure in his brain” and told me to put him down. A fourth Vet finally actually looked inside his ear when I asked and realized the severity and took action, within just a few days of proper meds he was like a brand new dog. I don’t want to feed him any food that causes that kind of allergy/yeast issue again.
Thoughts? Are any of the grain AND potato free foods out there recommended for food intolerance and digestion issues?
What is the main benefit of the enzymes vs. probiotics? The Geneflora seems to do little to nothing to help him.
