[RebeccaRose]

Hello all. E W, thank you for that point of view. I will definitely keep that in mind. How is it diagnosed? Good luck to you hope your pup gets better.

Well my Shih Tzu is doing much better. She has not had biopsy but the vet thinks IBD is a strong possibility. The Wellness never did work for us. After repeated episodes like in my original post, although not as severe, we moved completely away from chicken &/or turkey foods and she improved. It wasn’t easy… we went through 3 or 4 more foods before finally finding one that she loves & her poops are great & she has very minimal vomiting.

She now receives a 1/2 a 10 mg Pepcid every night very late, about midnight. Her meals are still spaced out with the last being at 10 pm. The food she is currently on is higher in fat that any of the other foods she’s been on but it has helped the most of any food she’s ever tried. We have been on it for 7 months. It is Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon.

I hesitate to even put that in my post because I know the hatred this community has for Purina… but I have learned the hard way that you feed what works. And this works for us. I am including the name so that it might help others from what I’ve been through. You can spend all the money you have on premium bags of dog food & still have sick dogs, I can speak from experience as I have tried some of the best, most expensive foods & she still was sick.

I keep a list of foods that I am going to try should we start having problems again. Maybe this list will help others if they are looking for a food that is either low in fat, good for a predominantly vomiting dog, sensitive stomachs, upper intestinal IBD, wanting/needing to stay away from chicken, or wanting a LID diet, or wanting to start a novel protein…

*Natural Balance: Potato & Rabbit, or Sweet Potato & Bison, or Potato & Duck, or Legume & Duck, or Sweet Potato & Venison. All these NB choices are around 10/11% fat & 4% fiber.

*Acana Singles (might have to order online) 15% fat 6.5% fiber.

*Zigniture Brand.

*Rayne Dog Food: Rabbit & Sweet Potato Dry (have to order online).

*First Mate.

*Fromm Gold Coast Weight Management Ocean Fish, 10% fat 7% fiber.

*Annamaet 24% Option Formula Salmon & Venison, 13% fat 4% fiber.

*Wellness Simple LID Healthy Weight Salmon & Peas, 8% fat & 6% fiber.

[Susan]

Hi Greg, my boy was diagnosed with IBD thru biopsies 2013, I contacted a Naturopath thru email first to see if she knew anything about IBD & she did, so I booked a consultation over phone she rings you or does Skype for overseas….
Here’s her link her “Maintenance Diet” http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html
I told her everything about Patches health, she said it sounds like Patches Pancreas isn’t doing its job & working properly & we need to fix Patches gut……
Jacqueline put Patch on the home made raw “Maintenance Diet” she would not let me buy any of those premade raw diets she said, she has seen them being made & they are not good for dogs especially if they have any health problems especially IBD…..
I had to pick 2 proteins, I picked Kangaroo mince & Chicken breast, 2-4 veggies, I picked, broccoli, celery, carrot & 1-2 fruits I pick apple, all veggies & fruit must be washed & peeled then cut & put thru a blender, for breakfast I feed 1 cup protein kangaroo & add 1-2 spoons of the blended veggie/fruit mix also had to add Digestive Enzymes 1/2 capsule & live probiotic 1/2 capsule per meal…..she told me freeze the veggie/fruit mix in 2 spoon sections & freeze the meats separate in 1 cup sections, it was so easy to do, then when Patch was doing firm stools & was OK which was the next day, I was surprised he did the firmest poo I’ve ever seen, Jacqueline promised me he would, she said the Digestive enzymes & probiotic will firm stools & they did, then I could start to add the DigestaVite Plus Powder 1/4 teaspoon then increase after 1 week.
You need to add supplements & ingredients slowely 1 at a time over 5 days cause if something goes wrong you will not know what is causing the problem……. Less is best in the beginning 🙂 also she told me No bone, some IBD dogs don’t do well eating bone……
I now cook this diet minus any meaty bones & add potato, zucchini….

Sounds like your dog Pancreas isn’t working properly either, not digesting her food properly, I would start with cooking first & see how she does, its fresh & you know what you have cooked, I freeze 2 weeks worth of meals….
have you heard of “Balance It” http://secure.balanceit.com/….Balance It gives you recipes to suit your dogs health problems takes about 20 sec then gives you all recipes, shows you how many calories, how much fat, protein fiber is in that meal & you can contact a their Vet Nutritionist….
Have you tried a digestive enzyme?? instead of increasing the steroid…..also have you tried Metronidazole (flagyl) for 2 weeks, the Metronidazole often fixes things up & kills the bad bacteria these dogs have problems with, Patch has a few scripts of the Metronidazole in the cupboard & I put him on it for 2 weeks as soon as I start to see his poos going yellow & sloppy & smelling bad….Good Luck

[crazy4cats]

Hi Becky-
Glad to hear your dog has been checked for any health conditions. The Wellness Core reduced fat recipe looks like it may be a good choice. It’s turkey and contains 360 calories per cup. Which, I believe, is quite a bit less than the Acana you are feeding. It is pretty high in fiber at 8.5% although. That is pretty typical of weight loss type food. It may cause larger or more frequent poops! Hope it works out for you. Give us a report on how he likes it! Best of luck.

[El]

Hi Rachel S

I’m very sorry that your pup is having digestive issues 🙁

I believe that proper nutrition is instrumental to raising a healthy and happy dog. That’s why no matter what the current issue with your pup might be, I would look for ways to improve his nutrition. Any extra money spent on improving his nutrition is like an investment that I believe will pay dividends down the line.

Those dividends are things like a longer, healthier and happier life. You could also wind up saving money by spending less on vet bills, tests, medicines, etc.

So, please don’t lower the quality of his current diet and instead look for small ways to improve it. Some of the things you could try are;

– Adding canned food to a dry (kibble) diet. Canned foods ate less processed than dry foods and they include the much needed moisture that’s missing in dry foods.

– Top off his kibble with fresh lightly cooked meats that you buy in the supermarket. Make sure these toppers are not more than 15% of his total diet or else you could unbalance his nutrients.

– Make one day a week a home cooked day where you feed him the same meats and veggies you eat. This option requires some research on your part so that the meal you make him is nutritionally balanced and fit for a king, I mean dog 😉

Whatever path you choose, I wish you and your “hounddog” the best, and if at any point you have questions about anything, please feel free to ask!

P.S Huge poops are usually from the starches and fiber in a dry food diet and things like pre and probiotics are very beneficial to the long term health of the gut and the immune system!

[crazy4cats]

Hi AK-

Sorry about the issues you are having with your pup. I had the same issues with mine and it was stressful. First of all, have you had a few fecal tests done, specifically for both Giardia and Coccidia. They are both common parasites/worms that can cause intermittent loose stools in dogs, especially puppies. That was the issue for us to begin with. Here is a link that was helpful to me to get my puppies tummies healthy again after ridding of those pesky parasites: http://dogaware.com/health/digestive.html This site has a whole host of information on all kinds of dog issues!

My dogs do best on a lower fat with higher fiber food. I’ve had good luck with Victor, Whole Earth Farms and Taste of the Wild so far. I still occasionally add Perfect Form supplement made by The Honest Kitchen when I am transitioning to a different brand. I also add green tripe three days a week to their kibble. It is very stinky but contains natural enzymes and probiotics to their meals. Here is a link with some of the benefits: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-stink-on-tripe/ I buy K9 Natural either freeze dried or frozen green lamb tripe. Again, SO STINKY, but they love it and it’s good for them.

I do also add frozen raw medallions or nuggets to some of their meals as well. I use either Nature’s Variety, Primal or Northwest Naturals, whichever one is having the best deal! I have had no issue adding raw to kibble.

Also, maybe try cutting back on how much you are feeding her. Sometimes overfeeding can lead to loose stools. My dogs have improved a lot, but still sometimes have issues when they are over excited.

Hope some of this can help. Good luck to you!

[Shawna]

Hi Pittiemama,

Hopefully I can help you here. My puppy had kidney disease right from birth. It is believed her kidneys just weren’t able to develop (she was the sixth puppy, the runt, for a 12 pound Chihuahua / Boston Terrier mix). The breeder had to had feed her, due to a collapsing trachea, raw goats milk and egg whites to keep her alive. She had symptoms (excessive drinking and urine) at just six weeks of age. She was officially diagnosed at one year and given a year to live. She lived to eight years and seven months old and then passed for reasons not directly related to kd.

A little background on me, my father is a naturopath. I did consult with him when I got Audrey’s diagnosis but being raised by him, I was able to mostly formulate the plan of attack myself.

Audrey’s numbers, when she was diagnosed, were right around the same as your babies — and she lived almost seven more very very healthy and happy years. It could happen for your baby too.

The first thing I would suggest is to keep up on his dental health. You won’t want to use anesthesia for dental cleanings so RIGHT now start doing anything and everything you need to keep his teeth clean. It was actually bacteria likely from a dental infection that got into Audrey’s kidneys and ultimately took her life. Use fresh garlic in his meals. Use an enzyme supplement in his water, Dr. Melissa Shelton’s essential oil called Dog Breath is very effective and a drop can be added to his water dish or you can mix with water in a spray bottle and spray right on teeth. http://www.animaleo.info/dog-breath.html I would also recommend a product made by Green Pasture’s called Infused Coconut Oil. It’s high in vitamin K2 (which has been shown to have great benefit for teeth) and has other wonderful nutrients. All of my dogs get it but I found it when Audrey’s teeth were already needing some extra support. 🙁 http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/InfusedCoconutOil/index.cfm

I HIGHLY recommend Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It is a food based supplement that “feeds” the kidneys but also has a product called a protomorphogen (which is the RNA/DNA of the kidney cell) that helps prevent inflammation to the kidneys. It is the one supplement she never went without. I also used their SP Canine Hepatic Support when I thought she needed a little liver support — helps with allergies too. I also used their Cataplex B and C as water soluble vitamins may need to be added due to the large amounts being urinated out.

ONLY give filtered or other forms of “clean” water. I would avoid tap water at all cost. Lower sodium mineral waters with good amounts of calcium and magnesium have been shown to be beneficial for dogs with kd. I like Evian water because it is high in calcium bicarbonate. I didn’t give it all the time but made sure (at least in the beginning) to give it regularly — I got lax in the later years and I truly believe Audrey would still be with me if I had not. She was doing so well though and my life got busier..

I HIGHLY recommend getting some Garden of Life Primal Defense probiotic and Garden of Life Acacia Fiber supplements as well. These are used as “nitrogen traps” and as BUN begins to build up the bacteria consuming the fiber will cause some of the nitrogen to be routed through the bowels freeing up the kidneys from having to deal with them. I gave probiotic foods (like green tripe, fermented veggies etc) frequently but when I noticed she was feeling a little lethargic, depressed, not feeling well etc I assumed nitrogen was building up and I’d give her the probiotics and prebiotic for several days. Always worked like a charm. Will be quite important as the disease progresses and he starts getting symptoms. This also allows for a higher protein diet. The protein doesn’t damage the kidneys but it does, due to BUN, add to symptoms. Oh, I forgot to mention. Audrey ate a HIGH protein raw diet up until the last six to eight weeks of her life. Audrey never had a problem with phosphorus but as your puppies disease progresses you may have to watch the amount of phosphorus in the foods you are feeding. The golden rule is to limit phosphorus but it’s obviously not always necessary. That said, phosphorus can damage the kidneys if it gets too high in the blood so either monitor it or feed the right amounts of phos for the stage your pup is at. Right now while phosphorus isn’t as big an issue, I like the Honest Kitchen Brave. To that I would add a raw egg a few times per week and give Answer’s raw goat milk regularly as well. Both raw eggs (if not whipped etc) and raw milk can easily increase the “master antioxidant” in the body called glutathione. This will obviously help out everything. Later, when phos needs to be more restricted, you may not be able to give the whole egg (as the yolk is higher in phos).

Supplements —
1. Organic Turmeric is good as it is anti-inflammatory but it also is anti-fibrotic (prevents scar tissue). Audrey didn’t tolerate turmeric well so she didn’t get it but in general it would be quite helpful for a dog with KD.
2. Spirulina, chlorella and pumpkin seed oil are all high in chlorophyll and supplies lots of other nutrients. Dogs with KD can be at risk for anemia and chlorophyll is awesome for anemia.
3. Burdock root is a prebiotic and of the herb world is considered to be the “blood cleaner”.
4. Milk thistle helps spare glutathione and is a good detoxer.
5. Distilled water (given once in a while) and food grade activated charcoal are good detoxers too.
6. Copaiba essential oil is great for pains and inflammation plus more. A therapeutic grade, like Dr. Sheltons, is the only kind to use on pets. Can be given in food or rubbed into the skin over the kidneys as an example.
7. Braggs brand apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion or tummy issues. Audrey didn’t need it often but when she did I would mix it 50/50 with water and syringe feed it. She hated it but within seconds would burp and feel better.
8. Therapeutic grade peppermint oil, ginger extract or Dr. Shelton’s GI Joe essential oil work great for tummy issues as well. I got sick to my tummy and used the GI Joe to help. Kept me from vomiting and soothed my tummy.
9. Learn about essential oils if you don’t already know. If you have a Facebook account, join AnimalEO’s page and sign up for Dr. Shelton’s Friday Fun Facts. I didn’t know about them early enough to be much use with Audrey (specifically Dr. Shelton’s oils) but I sure wish I had.

DON’T do ANY more vaccinations – not even rabies if you can at all avoid. Audrey was legally exempted from having to get the rabies vaccine for life. She wasn’t protected either as she only got her first shot (at six months) before diagnosis was made. No heartworm, flea/tick or anything like that either.

I know there’s things I’m forgetting but hopefully this is enough to give you a good jumping off point.. 🙂 Hugs to you and your baby boy!!!!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Shawna.

[Kimberly R]

My dog has developed an allergy to peas. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good dry dog food that does not contain pea flour/pea fiber/pea protein? This ingredient is now being sourced from China.

[Kimberly R]

Do not discount the possible link to Peas as a source to a dog’s allergies. Peas, pea flour, pea protein, pea fiber is now in almost all dry dog foods to get the protein numbers up. My dog started to develop allergies, or what appeared to be allergies, 6 months ago, while on a very good grain-free dog food. It started with an itchy tail head, then itchy back, then some hives on the face to full blown facial, neck and spine swelling, with difficulty swallowing. After 6 weeks of allergy testing and food “trials”, every food, including treats, that contained a form of “pea” created the same allergy symptoms within a half hour.

A recent finding by truthaboutpetfood.com shows that pea flour/pea fiber/pea protein is an ingredient from China. It is very likely that the allergy is actually a response to a toxin or poison. This scenario is all too familiar. The problem is that now that this cheap protein is available, it is difficult to find a dry dog food without it.

[anonymously]

I have been using this product (dry and canned) for 4 years now for 3 dogs (2 with issues)
with good results.

Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea http://www.chewy.com/dog/dogswell-nutrisca-grain-free-salmon/dp/35033

Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Salmon Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil (a source of DHA), Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Dried Eggs, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Carrots, Cranberries, Apricots, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract

PS: It looks like chewy carries the dog food you mentioned http://www.chewy.com/dog/victor-yukon-river-salmon-sweet/dp/120706

[DogFoodie]

Hi Craig,

Chicken and rice shouldn’t be fed long-term unless recommended by your vet. This diet lacks vitamins, minerals, amino acids, Omegas, etc. White rice has very little nutritional value.

I would suggest that you consider rotating proteins that you’re adding as toppers. Your dog would benefit a great deal from the addition of tinned sardines a couple of times weekly. Chicken is fine occasionally, but rotate that with the sardines and a red meat protein. Make sure that the extras (including treats) make up no more than 20% of your pup’s daily intake to avoid throwing off the nutritional balance of his diet.

Since you have a smaller dog, and he seems to like homemade (probably warm) food, you could fully investigate making home cooked meals, that are complete and balanced. It must be properly balanced or it’ll do more harm than good when fed long-term. A good book to read would be Dr. Karen Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Cats and Dogs. Dogaware dot com is a great website with lots of information about nutrition and home cooking meals.

If you are looking for commercial diets, you might investigate dehydrated or freeze dried foods. My favorite dehydrated foods are from The Honest Kitchen. Zeal might be a good choice to start. Freeze dried (and canned) foods tend to be higher in fat which is very important in your dog’s diet, but should be fed in moderation. Your dog is eating very little healthy fat currently, so any increase in fat should be done gradually. A good freeze dried food is Orijen, but it’s high in fat. You might also look at a lower fat canned food as an option, such as Wellness Core Reduced Fat.

You’re obviously a very caring pet guardian! I’m sure you enjoy cooking for your dog and you could fix him chicken and rice once a week or so. As long as his diet is balanced the rest of the week, it’ll be fine. I’d probably use brown rice for a little more nutrition and fiber rather than white rice. Good luck and have fun!

[Susan]

Hi Donnie, maybe see a vet, the vet will probably put him on Metronidazole a antibiotic for the bowel/stomach for 14-21 days…to clear up any bacteria over growth that he may have & you start his new diet…
Can you cook up some chicken breast & potatoes? I cut the fat off the breast then cut the chicken breast into chunks & just before it boils, I take pot off stove, I drain all the water, I boil the jug & put the boiled jug water over the cooked chicken too rinse off the fat from the chicken pieces, I cut thru a chunk of chicken to see if its cooked thru, then I rinse in cold water to stop them cooking & to rinse off any white fat, the chicken chunks don’t take long to cook about 10mins depends how small you have cut your pieces…. if you cook the chicken too long the chicken breast pieces go like leather, at the same time, boil 1 big potato that has been peeled & cut up into small pieces, I prefer the brown potatoes they don’t seem to be waxy & aren’t as starchy as the white or red potatoes, then I put the cooked chicken pieces in 1 cup to measure & put in freezer seal bags, the potatoes I boil fresh every second day same with the other veggies, I add about 4-5 small pieces of the potatoes to 1 cup of cooked chicken then I put thru the blender & blend for a few seconds or you can cut up the chicken chunks & cut or mash the potatoes, see if his poos firm up…..

I don’t feed wet tin food the fat is too high, especially supermarket or crappy wet tin food..
The fat % in Wet tin food isn’t the same % as in Kibble, when a kibble says 10% fat then its 10% per cup normally, if it says 5% fat in the wet tin food, when fat% is converted to dry matter (Kibble) then that’s around 23%-25%-fat, that’s why some dogs get diarrhea when they eat dog tin food, the fat is high…… if your looking for a wet tin food then look for tins around 4% min fat & under, it will say min% fat so the max fat % you need to add another 1-5% fat on top, depends on the company, I was emailing the companies & asking what is the max% fat %……… read ingredients, the cheap supermarket wet tin foods normally says Chicken, Lamb & Beef by products or poultry byproducts then Whole wheat, cereal by products or corn gluten meal, corn etc….. the gluten meal can make them scratch, have you ever soaked kibble in warm water, then when kibble is soft I was draining the water then cuffing the kibble in the bowl in my palm of my hand & squeezing out any excess water, then I put the soft drained kibble in the blender & blend only a few seconds & it comes out lite & fluffy, if I didn’t drain out the water properly, the wet kibble would be like a ball of goo, good kibbles soften within 50 mins of soaking them in warm water, so I stick with easy to digest kibbles…I ask for samples & test the sample kibbles & soak a few kibbles in warm water & see how long they take to soften…. I feed Patch his cooked meal for Breakfast & Dinner then he gets 1/2 cup kibble at lunch time & another late dinner 8pm another 1/2 cup kibble, Fish & Rice only kibble to keep his weight on & the fish is good for his skin, coat & stomach…… he weights about 17kg=38lbs…..

The vets have their vet diets, Royal Canine Intestinal wet tin, the fat is only 1.7%max or there’s Hills I/D Low Fat GI Restore wet tin 8.5% fat, Hills has already converted all their wet tin foods….. but for the price of 4 tins of the vet diet wet tin foods, you can buy 1kg chicken breast & a bag of potatoes & make about 5 days of cooked meals, 2 meals a day…..you will need to balance the diet later if his poos firm up….cooked meals are OK un balanced for about 1 month, my vet said while your working out what your dog is sensitive too etc….”The Honest Kitchen” has their Base Diets where you add the protein & their normal diets, have you tried the “Zeal” grain free ? you just add water…. You can buy their samples for $2 I think…
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal

If poos do firm up eating the cooked chicken & potato then slowly start adding 1 new ingredient every 5-7 days, like some tin salmon in spring water or sardines in spring water, drain the spring water, I add 1/2 a small tin salmon with the 1 cup of chicken breast pieces & 1/4 -1/2 cup of potatoes, 1/4 cup broccoli & 1/2 a zucchini for breakfast meal & put the other 1/2 tin of salmon in fridge for the next morning, salmon & sardines are good for their skin & coat, they need their omega fatty acid in their diet, he’s probably not getting enough omega 3 in the wet tin food he’s eating now, if his poos firm up on the cooked chicken & potato then add some cooked broccoli or zucchini, be careful with pumkin as pumkin is high in fiber so only add about 1 teaspoon to see how poos go, also sweet potatoes is higher in fiber then white potatoes…… I boil 1/2 a butternut pumkin & freeze little cut up pieces & take out when needed, also carrot I froze a heap but later I found when I was adding the carrots he was scratching his ears & shaking his head, that’s why it’s good to only add 1 new ingredient at a time, that way you will know if it causes any problems……

If Russell poos do not firm up on the cooked Chicken & potato or another protein & potato, then see vet….also have you wormed Russell?? when Patch starts getting tapeworms, his poos start going soft, then sloppy……..

[crazy4cats]

Hi Elena B-

Yes, please ask your vet if your pup was specifically tested for it. Like I mentioned, even if there was, it can be intermittent and hard to detect. Here is a link on the subject: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/03/19/giardia-infection-on-pets.aspx

If you do find that your dog is positive and Panacur is recommended, you can order it much cheaper online than from your vet at Chewy.com, http://www.healthypets.com/, or amazon.com.

Also, be sure to check out the dog aware site that I mentioned earlier. It might have some other ideas as well that may help your dog. Now that mine are finally clear of the parasite, they do do best on low fat foods that are a little higher in fiber. I also add tripe three or four days a week that seems to help with digestion. I think they developed a little colitis or IBS after their episode.

If she has a food intolerance, it would be best to do an elimination diet starting with a very limited ingredient diet. Good luck!

[Aymee l]

I know this forum started in 2013 but since it’s still going and a lot of research has been done since I figured I would cwould give my input.

For starters, people are correct to say animals do not produce the enzymes needed to break down heavy cellulose but they can consume those enzymes which are usually found in the dog foods. They are listed. That same cellulose is actually used as fiber which helps with diarhea. They are also good providers of potassium.

The speculation that the trolls are pointing out about protien not affecting renal failure is entirely false. While human research shows it is safe for healthy adults it is not safe for unhealthy adults and if a dog is diagnosed with renal problems you will want to lower the protien intake regardless of vegan or non-vegan food which the animal nutritionalist pointed out.

Congestive heart failure dogs will also have a big problem with meat foods because souch salt must be used to preserve these meats which would cause edema. I would look into making a homemade no-salt diet for these dogs just to be safe.

While meat is considered a complete protien it is easy to combine protien sources to get all amino acids. As long as the dog gets all its nutrients either diet will work.

Someone mentioned the case of the vegan could feeding the cat. It should be noted that cats need taurine which is produced synthetically (this is what’s in your energy drinks) however this particular couple did not own this cat. It was a stray so to claim it was abuse was based solely on a person’s opinion of the diet and not the situation.

The novel meats are usually ineffective for dogs who can not tolerate animal protien. This is usually a result of an immune response similar to when a patient gets an organ transplant. The body sees the new organ as an antigen and tries to combat it. Regardless of the protien the body will do this.

Bottom line is that each dog is different and requires different needs. Vegan diets are a tool that can benefit many . Most dogs could eat one or the other safely but only the owner and their vet know the dogs health. Having a vet who learns from education and experience is a must. If you feel a dog may benefit from a vegan diet discuss it with your vet and allow them to monitor the progress.

[Howard J]

She does not take Metronidazole. We gave her Royal Canine low fat wet food a few hours ago, the ingredients are horrendous but she seems to be doing better. Probably will never give it to her again. Still looks like she is losing weight though.

Her breath does not smell good. Smells like putrid throw up, although it has gotten better. Her butthole seems to be inflamed too. I’ll try the mashed potatoes.

I’ll refrain from giving her a raw based diet, also I mine as well buy the Honest Kitchen food looks great! My only question is the Fromm wet food I have been feeding her has 44.63% Protein on a dry matter basis of 100 grams and 10.24% Fat on a dray matter basis of 100 grams. I can only imagine the fat content of Natural Instinct’s Venison Raw.

For Honest Kitchen the Zeal Dog food profile says Protein is 38.40% on a Dry matter basis and Fat is 9.25%, which is less than the Fromm wet food. However, it does not say the amount of grams, which would be my only concern. If its 100grams then she would likely do better on this food, in part because of the low protein and fat content and the better ingredients. The Fiber is much lower than Fromm’s wet food however the carbs are higher, not sure if that is good or bad for pancreatitis.

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/media/wysiwyg/AAFCO/ZEAL-nutrient-profile-1.pdf
http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/can/shredded-chicken/technical-analysis/

Also, the As-Is Basis of fat per 100 grams of the Fromm is 2.10, which is lower than the As Received (8.5%) as well as the As Served Hydrated (4.25%). Yet, Fromms dry matter basis of 100g, the fat % is higher than all the categories in the Zeal Dog Food Nutrient Profile.

Really confusing!

[Tom G]

Hi, it would be great if this site provided a way to filter the different foods. E.g. a vet recommended to a friend that they feed their dog with Pancreatitis a high-fiber, low-fat, grain-free, chicken-free food. With filters this would be easy to find but without them it’s almost impossible.

Thanks.

[HammockLover]

I just adopted a second dog yesterday and the shelter switched over to this food (they used to use Science Diet). I got really excited at the prospect of saving some money and the convenience of getting it at the grocery store (currently I use Merrick Grain Free) so the first thing I did was come on here to see if it was reviewed.

While it isn’t reviewed, I just got done going through the ingredient list to at least see which ones are controversial and thought I should share here:

***I couldn’t find info on the following ingredients: Dicalcium Phosphate, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Manganous Oxide, L-Carnitine***

Spray Dried Egg Product – Cheap protein filler, a by-product remaining after making liquid eggs for humans.

Tomato Pomace – Cheap fiber filler, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex – A controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

The last one is what concerns me, so I plan on sticking with Merrick. I apologize if I missed any, this was just me looking at about 15 dog food reviews here and cross referencing the ingredients.

[Madelon H]

Is there a list anywhere of good low fiber dry dog food?

[Shawna]

Hmmmmm? Creatinine is only a little high… Something doesn’t jive here. I’m sure there are exceptions to the rules but creatinine is a better indication of how well the kidneys are actually functioning (from everything I’ve ever read). Maybe newer data is suggesting different but data on this site, veterinary medicine dvm360, published in 2011 still agrees “A serum creatinine concentration is the most commonly used measure of severity of renal dysfunction and is the basis for staging chronic kidney disease (CKD) (Table 1). To optimize accurate staging of CKD, serum creatinine concentrations should be evaluated on two or more occasions when the patient is well-hydrated.” http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/laboratory-evaluation-kidney-disease?rel=canonical

Based on a BUN of 77 and a creatinine of 1.6, I personally wouldn’t do low protein but rather moderate amounts of “high quality” protein.

Does your girl have large amounts of very dilute urine? Was there any protein in the urine? Was any other tests done? Is there any other medical conditions? Did you get a second opinion? She doesn’t want to eat often but you said this is just her normal. Does she have any other symptoms such as vomiting, depression etc?

This may help… My Audrey was diagnosed when she was just 13 months old but had symptoms when she was just 6 weeks old. Within the first year of diagnosis I made dietary changes and then had her blood work done every three months. On December 18, 2007 (the second blood work done after the dietary changes) her BUN was 77 (6 to 25 normal) and her creatinine was 1.9 (0.5 to 1.6 are normal ranges for this lab). Audrey didn’t eat a lower protein diet for another almost 7 years.

They also now know that senior dogs actually require MORE protein than adult dogs because they are less efficient at digesting it. Even toy breed dogs – I had a 4 pound Chihuahua live to age 19 eating a HIGH protein diet.

Please take some time to read the articles on this website. http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidneyprotein.html

Okay……..YES – I would highly recommend starting her on Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It’s pricey up front but will last a long time for a four pound little girl. I’ve never used Five Leaf but others I’ve directly talked to felt it helped. The Primal Defense and Acacia Fiber will help lower BUN. I personally would look at feeding foods with higher quality and amounts of protein and getting rid of the cream of wheat and gravy. See if you can find canned tripe — a brand that is just tripe. There is one out with quinoa but I’m not sure how much phosphorus is in quinoa so not sure it is suitable? It may be, I just don’t know. Tripe itself is higher in protein with moderate amounts of phosphorus. Most dogs really really like it too. You can continue the goat milk (best if it’s raw in my opinion). Eggs are a good option but the yolk is higher in phosphorus so, recommendations vary depending on stage of the disease, you might want to feed more cooked whites then whole eggs (maybe a one to one ratio – one whole egg with one white only). I would also suggest against feeding homemade as it is really important to get the phosphorus to calcium ratios correct and to limit phosphorus to appropriate amounts for the stage of the disease (which is early stage based on the numbers you mentioned—unless your lab normals are way different than mine?). There are recipes online if you want to home prepare. Dr. Meg Smart has a recipe – you would want the one for “early to moderate stage” http://petnutritionbysmart.blogspot.com/2013/02/home-made-diets-and-renal-disese-in.html

There’s lots more you can do but you mentioned you have a budget so start with these and then if there’s more for other things you can add on as able–such as herbs that can be helpful.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Shawna.

[Susan]

Hi Kristine, are you seeing a vet Gastroenterologist specialist? & has Koji been tested for EPI & S.I.B.O & Parasites??
When a dog is having problems with the small intestine you need less fiber & Soluble fiber, problems with the Large bowel more insoluble fiber, the only kibble that worked for my boy 3 years ago was the vet diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” low Residue, it only has 1.7% crude fiber, my boy does best with foods that are Soluble fibers & not insoluble fibers foods….the Hills Z/d Ultra is high in insoluble fiber….Have you try any of the vet diets ?? just till Koji is stable…

The vet wanted Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 1 year, so his bowel could rest & heal…Patch was doing 2 nice firm poos a day, but Patch still had stomach problems, bad acid reflux, vomiting, grinding his teeth, nausea, eating grass, in the end Patch had an Endoscope & biopsies done, they put the camera down into his mouth & into the stomach & if the Pylori Sphincter is open (end of stomach into the small intestine) the vet can look at the small bowel & take biopsies from the small bowel as well….. a lot of dogs have the Endoscope done instead of being cut open….my vet wanted to cut Patch open but I said NO……Patch had his Endoscope & Biopsies & has Moderate to Chronic Lymphocytic Gastritis with associated spiral bacteria infection (Helicobacter Pylori) & Inflammatory Bowel Disease…I finally got some answers… ask vet about Colonoscope & Endoscope + Biopsies instead of cutting open…..
Have you looked at “Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis” or Hypoproteniemia here’s a link,
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/digestive_system/diseases_of_the_stomach_and_intestines_in_small_animals/inflammatory_bowel_disease_in_small_animals.html

[Susan]

Hi Madelon, have you joined the Face Book group called “Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in Dogs” https://facebook.com/groups/38663535025/
A few people on this site feed “Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream Canine with Smoked Salmon….. Fiber is 3% fat-15% Protein-25%, Taste Of the Wild also has the wet tin cans…. Hopefully the Salmon will help his skin & the lower fiber will be OK for his EPI…
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/dog-formulas/pacific-stream-canine-formula-with-smoked-salmon/
My boy has IBD, SIBO & Skin Problems & its so hard to fix all 3 health problems… I need a low fat for his IBD, low fiber for the SIBO & a high fat diet for his skin, at the moment I have perfect firm poos BUT itchy skin…

[Madelon H]

Hi have a 1 1/2 year old GSD diagnosed with EPI in May. He has been having yeast and bacterial skin issues ever since. I’m looking for a recommendation for a dry dog food that is grain free with fiber of around 3% and LOW carbohydrate – does anyone have any suggestions?

[Shawna]

Hi Bev A,

I don’t come on DFA, and especially the forums, that much any more so didn’t see your post. Betsy alerted me that you had asked me a question. Thanks Betsy!!

Probiotics and certain prebiotics do help lower BUN – even the Merck Vet Manual agrees “feeding moderately fermentable fiber can facilitate enteric dialysis and provide a nonrenal route of urea excretion.” Unfortunately it seems most vets don’t know this yet. 🙁 http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/management_and_nutrition/nutrition_small_animals/nutrition_in_disease_management_in_small_animals.html

How high is your baby girl’s creatinine? Creatinine is more indicative of how the kidneys are doing. BUN can be elevated for additional reasons besides the kidneys. Example — feeding kibble (even KD prescription kibble), while simultaneously not getting enough water, can increase BUN. Does she have unlimited access to water and does she drink often? If you are feeding KD kibble, I would HIGHLY recommend switching to Science Diet’s KD canned foods — they have three of them (one is egg based, one is chicken based and one is beef based). Mixing up the canned food could keep her eating better based on her history. IF her creatinin is on the low side of high AND you can get the BUN down by feeding canned food and giving probiotics/prebiotics, you can also consider adding some higher protein, lower phosphorus toppers to her food and see how she does. The Merck Vet Manual has some info on this too. “In addition, research in dogs is also showing that higher protein levels than what are typically used in most therapeutic renal diets is beneficial as long as the diets are phosphorus restricted. Energy should be supplied primarily via feeding relatively more digestible fat and carbohydrates.” As stated, most of the “energy” in the diet should be fats and appropriate carbs but adding the right kinds of protein can help as well as being more appealing. For now, while the BUN is high, don’t mess with adding anything with protein, including treats, to the diet. If she likes organic, extra virgin coconut oil you can add small amounts of that to each meal and blend it in well so she doesn’t pick it out. It won’t add to the BUN. Oh, and I do like raw goats milk.

Changing from a kibbled diet to a canned KD diet should help reduce BUN. Adding a GOOD quality probiotic (I like Primal Defense by Garden Of Life or the product at Mercola Healthy Pets website) and the right prebiotic can help further reduce BUN. Adding the wrong prebiotic (fermentable fiber is another term) can make things worse as they ferment in the wrong part of the digestive tract apparently. The product I found the most beneficial for my KD girl is called acacia fiber. NOW brand makes one. http://www.nowfoods.com/Acacia-Fiber-Organic-Powder-12oz.htm

If she’s never been on probiotics and prebiotics before then I would introduce them slowly over several weeks period. My Audrey was 9 pounds and I gave her 1/2 of a Primal Defense and 1/8 tsp of acacia fiber in her food as needed (when I noticed she seemed off). To start out I would give maybe 1/8 of the probiotic for a few days. Then continue that dose but add a pinch of the fiber for a few more days. Then increase the probiotic to 1/4 but leave fiber at 1/8 for a few more days. If you don’t see any symptoms you might be able to go a little quicker. If you do see symptoms you might want to decrease the amounts being given a bit. Given to quickly to dogs not used to them, probiotics can often have diarrhea as a symptom as an example.

Let me know if you have any more questions for me and let us know how things are going.

Good luck to you and your baby!!!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Shawna.

[DogFoodie]

It’s quite possible that he has an intolerance in an ingredient in the Keen. Keep in mind, it’s not just beef, chicken or grain to which dogs can be sensitive. It could be the chicken, grain, flax, cabbage, the soluble fiber, and so on. One of the things that my dog with food sensitivities cannot have at all is flax – it causes loose stool just like your dog has now. Just because your dog reacts to it, doesn’t mean it’s not a good product. Has there been a recent reformulation of the product? Figuring out food sensitivities takes a lot of trial and error. Strict elimination is the only way to do it. One ingredient at a time.

[Susan]

Hi Liya, change the brand of food, some kibbles can make a dog poo more then other brands, some kibbles make my boy poo less, some brands make my boy poo heaps more, try him on another brand like “Wellness” Wellness have a few different kibbles & see how he goes, what is the fiber % what is the protein % in the Acana ……..

Sometimes a higher protein kibble can make them poo more, my boy was doing 5-6 poos a day on 30% protein & real soft poos, I ended changing kibbles back to a limited ingredient kibble with less ingredients & 4% fiber & around 23% protein….

a lot of these rescue dogs are use to eating real cheap crappy kibbles & when they start eating a really good kibble they do sloppy poos, diarrhea etc so I slowly started my boy on foods that were 3 stars kibbles cause the protein is lower & I’ve found Patch is back to his 2 or 3 poos a day…..
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx

[Shawna]

Hi Vicky T,

My Chihuahua mix had kidney disease from birth and lived to just shy of nine years of age. The most important thing I can say about kidney disease is DON’T feed a kibble diet — even prescription kibble. If you want to stick with prescription, Science Diet has some nice canned products that they recently came out with. One is beef based and the other is chicken based. If you are interested in feeding homemade, Veterinary Nutritionist Dr. Meg Smart has a nice recipe on her blog page. Dr. Smart gives a recipe for “early to moderate” and for “late stage” kidney disease. http://petnutritionbysmart.blogspot.com/2013/02/home-made-diets-and-renal-disese-in.html

Many, if not most, vets have not yet heard about (or understand if they did hear) the importance of probiotics and certain prebiotics (aka fermentable fibers) for kidney patients. These two supplements help to re-route BUN from the dog’s blood to the colon. This helps pup feel better and allows for a bit higher protein diet. The Merck Vet Manual has a nice blurb about it if your or your vet might be interested. They write “In addition, feeding moderately fermentable fiber can facilitate enteric dialysis and provide a nonrenal route of urea excretion.” http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/management_and_nutrition/nutrition_small_animals/nutrition_in_disease_management_in_small_animals.html

The fermentable fiber I found to be the most helpful with my Audrey was a human product called “Fiber35 Sprinkle Fiber”. It is no longer made but the fiber used, acacia fiber, is also sold by NOW brand. The probiotic I used is also a human product called “Garden of Life Primal Defense”. I gave the products together with Audrey’s meal whenever she seemed depressed, down or not feeling well. Audrey at a HIGH protein diet her whole except the last couple months and then I added some canned KD to her diet.

If Audrey had symptoms of nausea (which was rare until the very end) I would add a drop or two of peppermint essential oil (therapeutic grade only) or ginger extract (from health food store). Now vet Dr. Melissa Shelton has a line of essential oils for animals that are wonderful. I tried her GI Goe product when I had eaten something that wasn’t agreeing with me and it helped TREMENDOUSLY.. I put a dot of the oil on my finger and rubbed it on my tongue. Helped almost immediately.

Having a purified source of high quality drinking water always available is a great idea. Also giving Evian (or another high calcium, lower sodium mineral water) has been shown to help kd patients too.

The one supplement that I gave my Audrey from the day of diagnosis to the day she passed was Standard Process Canine Renal Support. It is a whole food supplement that can help prevent damage to the kidneys from inflammation. I HIGHLY recommend it.

I also really really like Answer’s Raw Goat Milk for kd dogs. It can often be found in pet boutique stores.

I found my local vets (two regular vets and one holistic vet (that I otherwise LOVE)) to be almost useless when it came to diet (or anything else natural that could be helpful with kidney disease).. I hope your vet is much more helpful!!!

Do take a look at the link that C4D posted (dogaware). That site was HUGELY helpful to me when I was trying to figure out what to do with Audrey right after diagnosis.

Good luck to you and thanks to C4D for the kind words!!!!

[Susan]

Hi again there’s also Pro Pac Ultimates Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice formula made by Earthborn Holistic, Pro Pac may be a bit cheaper & doesn’t have as many ingredients as the Holistic Select kibbles have…. also if he did well on his last kibble then find another kibble with similar ingredients & around the same fat % & fiber % if his stool were firm on the Blue Buffalo Puppy…..
http://intl.propacultimates.com/natural-dog-food/large-breed-puppy-chicken-brown-rice/

[Susan]

Hi, some dogs cant handle the higher fat & higher protein & need a diet that’s lower in fat & lower in protein…which Hills vet diet was she put on?? she should be doing nice firm poos now, she must not be on the right vet diet, all vet diets are money back & you can change over the vet diet for a different formula or brand but some vets just sell the 1 brand of vet diets….. if she was doing nice firm poos now, I always look at the fat % Protein % & Fiber % & then look for a limited ingredient kibble that’s around the same percent, have a look at “Canine Caviar” Special needs the fat is lower & so is the protein, probably the fat & protein was too high in Orijen ….

Special Needs

Also have a look at “The Honest Kitchen” ZEAL
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal
you can also try their sample I think they’re 2 for $1

If you want to stay with a vet diet, so you have a diet to fall back onto when a food isn’t working & something happens (Diarrhea) I have found Royal Canine vet diets to be the best for Intestinal problems, my boy eats the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat on & off……..Most of Hills intestinal & food allergies vet diets are higher in in-soluble fiber & some dogs don’t do too well on high in-soluble fiber diets, the Z/d Ultra & I/d Gastro made my boy poo yellow slop, just one big cow patties, & I couldn’t pick it up..

I feed a kibble for breakfast & I feed a cooked meal for dinner, Chicken breast & Sweet Potato sometimes mashed carrot & broccoli.. I cook & make up sections 1 cup & freeze the chicken breast…. I’ve been buying the Aldis baby food Organic Monkey Sweet potatoes & Carrots there’s a few different ones, I add a couple of spoons of the Sweet Potato to 1 cup of chicken breast then put in a blender & blender for a 5-7 seconds ……Cooked meals are fresher & are heaps better then any over processed kibble… even wet tin foods are good if you buy a good brand, I’m going to try the Wellness Complete Health wet tin foods or the Wellness toppers, but be careful with the fat %, as its different to kibble fat %, if it say’s 5% fat then when converted 5% fat is about 22% fat if it was a kibble, so I stick with 4% & under for wet tin foods, Wellness also have their Small Breed wet tin & kibble, Patch was eating the Wellness Small Breed Healthy Weight then it was discontinued at my Pet Shop….Now he’s eating the Wellness Complete Health White Fish & Sweet Potato kibble & sometimes he loves his vet Diet Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat, I let him pick what kibble he wants to eat in the morning…
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx

[crazy4cats]

Hi Alana-

I give NW Naturals a thumbs up. I only have fed it as a topper, but have had no issues. Currently, I’ve been using Nature’s Variety Instinct because Pet Smart has been emailing me $15 off coupons on their raw food that I cannot pass up!

I think NW Naturals is a great value. I also like their fruit and veggie nuggets. They are a great addition to a dog’s meal. Especially, if they are trying to lose weight. They add healthy volume and fiber to the dog’s meal. Once I run out of the NVI, I will return to buying NW Naturals.

Like Marie said, give it a shot and even feed both for a bit of variety.

Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi, just feed the chicken & rice first & see if poo’s firm up, then when poos are firm add only 1 spoon pumkin, pumkin can either make your dogs poos firm or sloppy. Pumkin is high in fiber,
I feed sweet potatoes instead of boiled rice, rice ferments in the stomach & goes thru my boy & he gets diarrhea & pumkin makes his poos orange & very soft so I can only add about 1 teaspoon of pumkin with a meal.

Your better to only feed 1 protein the chicken & 1 carb rice or boiled potatoes, this way you will know what foods are OK & what foods he can’t eat…..just incase the pumkin gives him diarrhea…
If after feeding the chicken & rice & poos are firm then add 1 spoon pumkin & you will know from just adding 1 spoon of pumkin to each meal if he needs more fiber or less fiber, if his poo’s go sloppy then he’ll be like my boy & needs less fiber but if his poos are firmer then he needs more fiber in his diet….

Patch weights 39lbs 18kilos I feed 1 cup (95grams) boiled chicken breast & 1/4 cup (35grams) boiled Sweet potato put in a blender for about 5 sec for Breakfast & the same for Dinner, then lunch 1/2 cup kibble his Wellness Complete Health White Fish & Sweet Potatoes, then again around 7-8pm I feed another 1/2 cup Wellness Complete Health White Fish & Sweet Potatoes kibble…
Patch has problems keeping on his weight, so far he’s gained 1/2 kilo & I’ve only started feeding the Wellness under 2 weeks ago…..his poos are nice & firm, he’s doing 2 poos a day some afternoons he’s been doing the 3rd poo a day…..

[Bobby dog]

What a terrible story, but a happy ending! That is a great budget for kibble IMO.

The protein & fat %’s in Puppy Chow are average, the fiber might be just a little more than other kibbles depending on what recipe you’re feeding. It averages 27% protein, 10-12% min. fat, and 4-5% fiber. Sometimes changes in any of these percentages can cause digestive upset. Something to keep in mind when deciding on a new food. Kibble in higher price ranges usually have a higher meat content so protein and fat percentages will go up along with calories per cup. One other thing to keep in mind is overfeeding can also cause digestive upset. If he is skin and bones I would work with my Vet to figure out the calories he needs to add healthy weight in a reasonable amount of time.

Check out Victor you should find several formulas to fit your needs within your budget; maybe the Chicken Meal w/Brown Rice. Looking at the Mitchell’s site I see they sell Purina Mills, Inc. They may sell their dog food lines, PMI Nutrition. I feed some recipes from their Infinia and Exclusive lines, these would be in your price range.

I also feed Nutrisource, Fromm, Precise, some Pro Plan recipes, Annamaet, Wellness Core, Nature’s Variety, and Rawz.

If you decide to buy on-line I regularly order from Chewy, Petflow, PetSmart, and Petco. They all have great customer service and prices.

I don’t feed Diamond products at this time due to their recall history; they make Taste of the Wild and manufacture some Solid Gold recipes along with some other brands. They have allot of affordable foods, if you decide to feed one of their products or anything they manufacture I suggest signing up for recall alerts:
/dog-food-recall-alerts/

I recommend adding moisture to kibble even if it’s just water. Adding fresh or canned foods could help with his weight. Some budget friendly canned foods are Wal-Mart’s Pure Balance Stews ($1/can), Tractor Supply Company 4Health Stews (.99/can), and if you have a Costco membership Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain (.80/can) you have to buy it by the case. Each are 4-5 star DFA rated. I don’t recommend Pure Balance 95% or 4Health Grain free canned foods due to the high fat content.

This is a download I use as a guide for adding fresh foods to a kibble diet:
https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

[Susan]

Hi, read the protein % & the fat % when buying a kibble I have to sick with kibble with 26% & lower for protein & 13% & lower for fat % fiber 4% for my boy or his poos are slop…
I don’t know how high the fat, protein & fiber is in the Victor dog food,
You need to get his stomach & bowel use to a protein around 24%, fat around 12% & fiber 4%… then when he’s doing real well slowly introduce a higher protein kibble,

Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain Free Salmon & Sweet Potato….the protein fat & fiber are good sold at Walmart……
http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/dog/dry-food/zero-grain-salmon-and-sweet-potato

or Wellness Complete Health….I’m feeding the White Fish & Sweet Potatoes it has no peas….
http://wellnesspetfood.com.au/dog-wellness/dry-recipes/#product_listed_2

If his diarrhea doesn’t clear up you will need to see a vet to get some Metronidazole a antibiotic for the bowel….

[C4D]

Hi Trevor,

As I stated earlier, what you decide to feed is totally your decision. If you have only used 1 formula of NV, you might try switching to a different protein. You could also find a grain free that is slightly lower in protein as DF suggested. NV Instinct carries limited ingredient diets that are lower in protein and are specific proteins, so if it is food intolerance, that could solve the issue.

I found that when my dog had an allergic reaction to a specific protein and I switched to a different protein and added a small amount of fiber until the stools adjusted, the anal gland issue was resolved. She did see a vet and had a bad issue including an abcess. This happened quickly. It was a combination of allergic reaction to food and antibiotics, which created diarrhea, causing an anal gland problem.

What you need is a food that gives her a solid, normal sized stool (barring any medical issue relating to the anal glands). That’s the reason some added fiber was also suggested. I hope this helps your dilemma.

[DogFoodie]

Most vets don’t have much training in nutrition. Unless yours is a veterinary nutritionist, I would take their food recommendations with a grain of salt. My vet typically only recommends raw diets.

My recommendation is that you find a food that you like and is high quality and to which your dog doesn’t react. You also need to look at the fiber content and is if the anal glad issue is fiber responsive.

[C4D]

Hi Trevor V,

I’m just curious, do you only feed one formula of the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost? There are several different proteins. As DF said, it could be an intolerance to a particular protein, or possibly something in the food that is causing a soft stool, if that’s the case. Stools that are too soft and/or loose or too small and dry can cause the anal gland issue, which is why I suggested adding pumpkin. You can add any type of fiber, as long as it works. It is highly possible that NV Instinct just doesn’t work for your dog. Just an FYI, the three foods recommended by your vets are all made by the 3 most common vet formulas. Hillspet, Purina and Royal Canin. I’m not saying use or don’t use, but that’s probably why those brands were recommended by your vet(s). It’s likely that’s what they’re most familiar with. It’s up to you to decide what works for your dog.

Red,

I’m not sure why you included the skeptvet links as neither of these links have any direct articles on anal gland issues. Your link on the “oops” comment leads to a search engine for DFA anal gland discussions rather than an actual discussion.

It seems that you simply like to discredit any alternative or natural methods other than what you believe in. I’m not sure if the “Dr. Google” reference was to me, but if it was…….I have spent many years owning and fostering a lot of dogs with many different conditions, including CCL, liver and kidney disease, every type of worm and parasite, broken teeth, and a host of other medical problems, too many to list. I’ve also dealt with a lot of personal and foster dogs with social issues as well, involving a lot of time with trainers. I’ve used MANY vets, both for my dogs and whatever vets are used by the various rescues. I think there is value to both the traditional and alternative methods of treatment. I’ve used both and have found that both have flaws and both have value. I’ve had vets completely misdiagnose a dog or be spot on and I’ve had natural and/or alternative methods cure in a much less toxic way or not work. There is room for both.

[Susan]

Hi Kathleen, yes pea starch/ protein/ fiber is from peas…..
My boy cant eat peas he gets real bad wind pain & farts & when he’s sleeping peacefully he wakes abruptly & runs off the bed when he farts in his sleep, he must think he’s going to poo him self, its awful… when he eats a kibble with peas 2nd 3rd or 4th 5th ingredient the kibble is too pea heavy for him…. Have you looked at Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion ? it has no peas, no rice, no tomato pomace & no probiotics… http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas

[C4D]

DogFoodie is absolutely correct. If you start expressing the anal glands manually, you are just setting up a lifetime of possible problems. I have a foster that has these issues occaisonally, so I supplement with some additional fiber in her diet. I use pure canned pumpkin. It has taken care of the problem for over a year.

Here’s Dr. Peter Dobias’ link:

http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014181-holistic-approach-to-anal-gland-problems-in-dogs

[DogFoodie]

I’ve never had to express my dogs’ anal glands. Neither my vet nor my groomer has ever recommended it either.

One of my dogs has multiple food intolerance issues. It is frequently the case that when he begins reacting to something that he’s eating, his anal glands begin smelling strongly. A change to one of his “safe foods,” typically resolves the problem.

Regardless of the brand, although I’m not a fan of any of those your vet mentioned, if you don’t identify the trigger, the problem will continue.

It could be a food intolerance and it could also be a fiber issue. Have you tried adding additional fiber to see if that helps? Some easy choices for fiber are ground chia seed, plain canned pumpkin, ground psyllium, and even Metamucil.

Interestingly, I find that my Golden does better with a more moderate level of protein (right around 30%) and a bit less fiber (around 4.5%). You might also find that your pup is getting too much fiber and its what’s causing the most stool.

What is the fiber in the food you’re currently feeding?

[Susan]

Hi Jo, was your dog tested for Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (S.I.B.O)?? when they have S.I.B.O they need to take Metronidazole for about 6 weeks then if symptoms look like they are coming back they are normally put on Tylan Powder 1/8th teaspoon once a day with food (Dinner) & yes the “Royal Canine Intestinal Gastro Low Fat” is low in fiber 1.7% what is needed for S.I.B.O & certain types of IBD…..

[Susan]

Hi Jan, another reason your girl is doing really well on the Hills W/d, the W/d is very high in insoluble fiber-28.1% & high in crude fiber-16.4% & lower in soluble fiber-1.3%….My boy wouldn’t do well on a high insoluble & high crude fiber diet with his IBD, he does better on less fiber, kibbles with soluble fiber……once your girl is stable & doing really well around 6-9 months, start looking for a premium kibble that is high in crude fiber & you’ll have to email the kibble company & ask what is the insoluble % & soluble fiber %, you will not find a kibble as high as the W/d, that’s why its a vet diet….
I’ve read a few post on this site & their dogs were eating the Hills W/d now their dogs are doing well on Diamond Natural light Adult, the Nuturals light has the powdered Cellulose like the Hills W/d has but lamb is the protein not chicken, I don’t know if your dog can eat lamb, my boy does good on lamb & fish….the fat is 6% & the crude fiber is 9%, I don’t know the insoluble fiber %.. there is a few ingredients in this kibble… a few tooo many to start as a first kibble, I like sticking with kibbles that have limited ingredients cause it can just be 1 little ingredient in a kibble that they are sensitive too & their colitis will start playing up again….
http://www.diamondpet.com/our-brands/diamond-naturals/light-adult-dog/

also the weight management kibbles are higher in crude fiber but I don’t know if they are higher in soluble fiber or insoluble fiber, you’d have to email the company….

Or you can do what I did in the beginning, I kept Patch on his vet diet for lunch & dinner & started to feed a cooked meal for breakfast, (I cook the chicken & boil the sweet potatoes & then froze small meals)
I knew he could eat chicken cause his vet diet was chicken & turkey, so I boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin 1 spoon pumkin, he couldn’t eat too much pumkin it made his poos very soft, so now I cook sweet potatoes instead. I put the chicken in a blender & blend the chicken & add the boiled sweet potatoes sometimes I add some boiled broccoli, carrot, celery & papaya, that’s now not in the beginning..

I google foods to find out which veggies had more soluble fiber & insoluble fiber… foods that are high in insoluble fibers are rye, barley, brown rice….that way I started introducing foods back into his diet but he was still eating his vet diet, like an elimination diet..
I found out what foods he didn’t do to well on cause his breakfast poo would be sloppy soft or have a condom film over the poo or he’d do a jelly poo….his poo would be orange cause of the pumkin & sweet potatoes…

[Susan]

Hi Mia, the ingredients in the Eukanuba FP are not the best, beet pulp & potato is the first ingredient, a meat protein should be the first ingredients…. a good premium kibble will have a few proteins as the 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients like Canidae has..
Pit Love has suggested some good kibbles, just watch out some grain free kibbles can be pea heavy.. peas will be 2nd or 3rd ingredients..
“Canidae Pure Sea” is a very good grain free LID kibble . http://www.canidae.com.au/dog-food/canidae-grain-free-pure-sea-new-formula
LID stand for “Limited Ingredient Diet”
Just make sure when your buying a new premium kibble you read the ingredients & the Fat% & Protein% & stay around the same amount your girl is use too, you will probably find higher protein in the premium kibbles cause the Eukanuba is a bit low in protein at 22%…. another good kibble is “The Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream” a few people I know that have GSD are feeding the TOTW Pacific Stream the protein is 25% the fat is 15% & the fiber is 3% pretty close to the Eukanuba FP vet formula
http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/dog-formulas/pacific-stream-canine-formula-with-smoked-salmon/

[Shawna]

Hi Sheila23,

Although a homemade diet is absolutely doable I would do a LOT more research before you decide on any one brand. Example — Tripe is a great food for kd dogs but it is supposedly already balanced in calcium to phosphorus. Adding a premix like Preference, that is designed to balance higher phosphorus meat, could be problematic. Although phosphorus needs to be watched, you can go too low too early in the disease.

Balance IT could be an option but I personally wouldn’t have fed my KD girl such a low protein diet (ESPECIALLY in the early stages). Based on the nutrient profile of their beef and rice early stage kd diet the protein amount is only 15.3%. That’s ridiculously low for early stage kd without any complicating issues like proteinuria. Not even enough to meet the minimum protein amounts required for an a complete and balanced diet. They also use corn oil — EEEEKK. The chicken & rice recipe is even worse at 14.9% protein.

If you can afford it, I would highly recommend looking at Darwin’s prescription KD diet formulated by vet Dr. Barbara Royal. The ingredient list is
“Human-Grade Meat: Beef Meat, Beef Tripe, Beef Pancreas, Beef Lungs, Beef Kidneys, Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Beef Spleen.

Vegetables: Cabbage, Celery, Squash, Sweet Potato, Beets, Romaine Lettuce.

Special Nutrient Mix: Filtered Water (for processing), Sardine oil (source of EPA, DPA and DHA), Egg Shell Powder, Parsley, Apple Cider Vinegar, Inulin, Cornsilk, Dandelion Root, Cinnamon, Cranberry, Linden Flowers, , Chitosan, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3, Aloe Vera.” http://www.darwinspet.com/our-raw-foods/our-raw-dog-food/intelligent-design-ks/

I LOVE that you are starting Alvin on Standard Process Renal Support. It is the one supplement that my Audrey NEVER did without since diagnosis. She had KD from birth (symptoms showed at just 6 weeks of age) but she wasn’t diagnosed till she was 13 months old. She was given one year to live after that. She lived to almost her ninth birthday and it was an infection that took her life not the normal progression of kidney disease.

Some other things to look at for Alvin — purified water (as much as he wants), extra water soluble vitamins if he urinates large volumes of water. A high quality probiotic and a prebiotic made with acacia fiber helps to clear BUN etc from the blood allowing for higher protein to be fed or simply helps clear BUN when necessary. This is called “nitrogen trapping”. Giving Evian (or another higher calcium, lower sodium mineral water) has been shown to be beneficial for kidney disease. I did give my Audrey fresh, raw garlic most of her life. I still believe that if I hadn’t gotten lazy and quit giving it to her near the end of her life she wouldn’t have developed the severe infection that ended up damaging her kidneys and taking her life. Enzymes to help with the digestion of his food. Certain supplements and herbs can be helpful — spirulina provides many nutrients, food grade activated charcoal given off an on in small amounts can help clear toxins, organic turmeric helps with inflammation and also helps prevent scar tissue (works best when combined with pepper or the enzyme bromelain from pineapple). Chlorella is a wonderful detoxer and it helps build red blood cells due to the high amounts of chlorphyll in it. Apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion (fed with food in small amounts or given via syringe but must be diluted first). Ginger extract and therapeutic grade peppermint oil can help with nausea (later in the illness). I also recently read that there is other therapeutic grade essential oils that can help the kidneys but I don’t remember the particulars of the article. Vet Dr. Melissa Shelton would be the person to seek out if wanting to incorporate essential oils.

I was lucky with Audrey, she was able to eat commercial raw products clear up to a few months before she passed. I’m not sure if that was because of the supplements, being fed raw from weaning or what but she did quite well. Possibly look at lower phosphorus commercial foods and then add small amounts of low phosphorus toppers (lightly cooked egg whites and coconut oil as an example) to keep the calories up while lowering the overall phosphorus even more. There are some great nutritionists out there as well that could be quite beneficial to you and Alvin.

Hoping Alvin does as well as, or better than, my Audrey!!!

Thank you Marie!

[Kathleen V]

We have an 11 month old Alaskan malamute. To keep a long story short at about 8 months old he was diagnosed with IBD from his vet and put on Science Diet Light for its higher fiber content. It helped, had better formed poop but never completely solid. It’s also been hard maintining his weight and growth. A breeder recommend Pro Plan Sport. Which doesn’t seem to agree with him either, But while in the transition process things looked promising. My question is, can you mix dog food brands? As it seemed the ingredients from both foods was working.Or is this a bad idea for a dog with IBD? Or could it be possible he just has a real sensitive stomach and needs a fiber supplement added to his food. I keep reading about pumpkin….

[Jenn H]

Whole grains like oats, whole wheat, buckwheat, barley and brown rice provide beneficial minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, fiber & protein. While you can always supplement these things, it’s usually best to get nutrients from food.
Dogs are able to digest cooked grains.
I do stay away from corn. I know that has a potential to be very irritating to their digestion.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sabrina-
I will be rotating my dogs to Victor’s Healthy Weight/Senior Formula this week. I haven’t fed it yet, but the analysis looks good to me. It still has 27% protein, only 11.5% fat and 4.5% fiber: http://www.victordogfood.com/pdf/Brochure-Senior.pdf

I have two neutered male labs that got a little “thick” this summer because it was too hot to get much exercise in. I have fed Victor grain free with success. So, I’m hoping they will do well on this food as well. It has less fat and calories in it. However, it is not grain free. It does have some brown rice and millet in it. I’ll check back in and let you know how they do on it. Just thought it might be a budget friendly food that would fit your needs. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Shawna]

Hi Paul R,

They now know that dogs with kidney disease actually need good amounts of protein in the diet as it helps with the blood flow (aka GFR) and therefore keeping the blood clean. The exception to that rule is when the dog has high amounts of protein in the urine as that is a sign of inflammation of the kidneys. The protein should be lowered until the reason for the inflammation has been found and addressed — possibly a bacterial infection, stones, food sensitivity (they know in humans that gluten can cause increased proteinuria – I would assume reactions to foods can be the same in dogs). Here’s some data on that “A gluten-free diet induced in 75% of the cases a parallel improvement in these abnormal immunological data. Mean proteinuria values were found to be significantly decreased after 6 months of the diet and a reduction was also observed in microscopic hematuria.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2311308

May not be the case with your pup but I think it is often overlooked as a possibility.

My dog had kidney disease from birth and lived nine years. I fed her a raw diet but once in a while I was running in and out or really sick for a few days and would give her some kibble. Each time I gave her kibble I had to deal with the consequences of doing so for several days after. I would highly advise against ANY kibble, even prescription. The new prescription Science Diets are chicken and beef based and look appealing. If you can’t home cook and don’t want to feed raw it would be something to try while you are trying to deal with the proteinuria. I would also give a high quality omega 3 fish oil as it is anti-inflammatory etc. Another to try is organic (must be organic) turmeric (the spice). Turmeric is anti-inflammatory as well as anti-fibrotic, which are both helpful for the failing kidneys. Start with a small amount and build. Most dogs do well with it but my Audrey didn’t seem to tolerate it well. 🙁

Don’t give any more flea or tick meds or heartworm preventatives. Also no more vaccines. Some states will give rabies exemptions for pets with life threatening diseases. Take advantage of that if your state does.

It also helps to give reverse osmosis filtered water. There are so many impurities in most tap water. Always have water available. I would also look at a good probiotic and prebiotic. The right ones can help clear BUN etc from the blood which will help your pup feel better. This is called “nitrogen trapping” which was apparently discovered and coined by Iams researchers. I used a probiotic called Garden of Life Primal Defense (a human product) and a prebiotic called Fiber 35 Sprinkle Fiber (also human). I’ve heard that Sprinkle Fiber is no longer made but it was simply 100% pure acacia fiber. Any source of acacia fiber will work. Not all fibers work, some make things worse. I found this out the hard way. The one product I would not do without is made by Standard Process and is called Canine Renal Support. It helps in many many ways.

I hope something I’ve wrote is helpful for you and your sweet puppy!! Let me know if I can clarify anything or answer any questions etc.

Prayers to you both!!

[C4D]

Hi Cheryl,

I agree with Red in that many dogs are considered senior at 7 and it is always a good idea to run a complete blood panel, urinalysis, and a thorough checkup at that age, if you haven’t done it before. I run these on my dogs every year regardless of their age. He is also correct about the water, but really all dogs should be getting some fresh or canned food mixed in kibble to help keep them properly hydrated. At the very least, add warm water to the kibble to ensure that they are getting more water in their system. Exercise is very important for senior and all dogs as well.

I have had many dogs in my life and currently have several. I never feed them a “senior” dog food, even at almost 15 years of age (large breed). I have a nearly 11 year old dog Lab who has stellar panels and is very active with a daily 2 mile rigorous walk. She eats a combination of canned/moistened kibble and raw or fresh food daily. They all eat that combination. The biggest concern when they are older is to keep any extra weight off and that they aren’t having any health issues that diet would need to address. Senior dog food is really marketing. If you looked at all the senior dog formulas on the market you would find they vary all over the place in protein levels, fat and fiber. As senior dogs age, they metabolize protein less efficiently, so if you choose one that is lowering the protein, you would actually accelerate the reduction in muscle mass.

Keeping the weight off is very important and feeding a better food that doesn’t contain fillers will reduce the poop factor. You also need to feed them according to their “ideal” weight (not their current if they are overweight) and activity level. I feed slightly less than the recommended feeding guides on almost all foods. Even thought my dogs get daily brisk walks, I still consider their activity level “typical” on the DFA calculator. You need to count any treat calories in that daily total. You also need to get an accurate measuring cup for feeding.

Here’s the link to the DFA calculator:

/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

[Susan]

Hi Amelia, Glacier Peck Holistic has their Hair & Salvia testing for $85 & test for 100+ Environment Triggers & 200+Food Items, http://www.glacierpeakholistics.com/More-Than-an-Allergy-Test_p_80.html
Have you seen a vet & tried a vet diet? the vet diets are formulated especially for the digestive tract & some vet diets have less fiber 1.7%-Royal Canine Intestinal & Eukanuba Intestinal… Hills vet diets seem to have more fiber in their digestive/bowel kibbles like their Z/d Ultra & didn’t work for my boy…..your boy wont stay on the vet diet forever, just till his bowel heals then like I did after 6months I tried another kibble but Patch had a problems with the new kibble I picked so I put him back on the vet diet then I found a Gluten, Dairy, Sugar free kibble & Patch stayed on that for 6months while I found another kibble that had least ingredients, (I live Australia we don’t have as many kibbles)
Patch was put on a vet diet for 6month-12month so his bowel could rest & heal he was also put on Metronidazole an antibiotic for the bowel… I didn’t want him on a vet diet but I had to do something, so I gave it a go, his poos firmed up within 2 days, I couldn’t believe it..I don’t know what fixed his bowel, if it was the vet diet kibble or if it was the Metronidazole but 2 years later Patch is doing firm poos & can eat anything as long as its low in fat & low in fiber…one problem I had with Patch he was a rescue & the vet said we don’t know how long his old owner left him like this (diarrhea, sloppy jelly poo, blood) he may have thickening of the bowel but ultra scan show no thickening of the bowel lining, thank-god, you really need to see a vet, your dog might just need some antibiotics, he may have S.I.B.O Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth…what we think Patch had….

[cheryl w]

 Post Pancreatitis Diet-What Worked for My Yorkie
Below is a cut and paste of what I’ve written for my dog:-

I’ve written a long post on another forum about post pancreatic diet. I’m just going to share it here as well since it doesn’t make sense not to since I’ve been a member for a long time. Maybe it’ll help someone out there that was struggling like I did. The only difference between the post and now is I do give him daily fresh blended vegetable and fruit juice that are safe for dogs as well but I do strain to remove pulp to control fibre content.

Here it goes (I’m just going to cut and paste since it’s long):-

I happened to came across this forum and I joined to say please take advice from your vet when it comes to keeping your dog on prescription foods. I know when you check online, there are so many negative comments about prescription diets but when you truly have had a very sick dog and nothing works, these prescription diets are a savior. There is nothing wrong with by-products. By-products just means clean edible parts that are not meat. Knowing my dog, he probably loves the taste of the internal organs from the food he is getting even though I find it a little grossed out but I would imagine those internal organs contains a different nutrition profile than just meat alone.

My Yorkie had pancreatitis back in April of 2014 and was in the ER for 5 days and a few more days at the vet-I am lucky to have him back. He lost 20% of his weight during that attack which is a lot for a small dog. It has been a struggle since to get his weight up especially on low fat food but last week (Jan 2015), I weighed him and he is now back to his old weight. I find that there are a few things that really helps that I will talk about below.

i) Right now, I feed him 4 times a day and I alternate the feedings with 2x dry and 2x wet. I have done the math on how much to feed per meal and I have a kitchen scale to measure his meals each time. I have mine on RC veterinary low fat gastrointestinal both wet and dry because he wouldn’t eat the Hill’s Prescription-my dog is picky but whatever. The alternate wet and dry feedings work better than when you have to mix the wet and dry in one meal in terms of digestion. I have done a lot of research and I have looked at alternatives such as Wellness Complete Healthy Weight and even though the fat is low, it is still 20% more on a dry matter basis when I compared it to RC so be careful. That is why so many people are shocked when their dog gets another bout of pancreatitis on the Wellness Complete Healthy Weight because they looked at the fat percentage and it seems fine but you need to calculate the fat on a dry matter basis. Also, a pancreatitic dog needs low fiber and moderate protein as well on top of low fat-a lot of people forgot to take that in to consideration.

ii) I do supplement enzyme to his food because I couldn’t get his weight up for the longest time and I believe the enzyme really helps. He also acts like he is hungry all the time which makes me think he could have some symptoms of EPI as a result of the pancreatitis or it is just because of the low fat food. I test him by giving him some plain cooked white rice and my dog won’t eat it when he is not starving and he really isn’t. Talk to your vet and do your research about enzymes but I find that enzyme from an animal source works better. My dog’s weight went up when I switched from plant based enzyme to an animal based enzyme.

iii) Food moisture-I do mesh up the kibbles and put some warm water in there before adding enzymes. I mesh up the kibbles to help his digestion because I was struggling with his weight for a while and the moisture just helps. I just don’t feel good when my dog ate a ton of dry kibble and then drink a lot of water. For that, I place a mortar and pestle on my kitchen island. It is quick to clean and easy to use. The low fat kibble is also somewhat salty (yes, I’ve tried a piece or two) so adding some warm water helps to dilute the sodium as well.

iv) I do work the feedings out to include tiny bit of fresh food. I do give him some boiled skinless boneless chicken breast mashed up for easy digestion (of course there are some enzyme in there as well). He also gets about 8 blueberries a day in between feedings because he likes it. He also gets some coconut water in the am for electrolytes. Make sure the ones you buy are pure with no sugar added.

I’ve also heard people who said you could put your dog back to normal food when it has passed but I have asked my vet and I do not think it is a good way to go because pancreatitis can reoccur and he has seen dogs getting it again and again.

Again these are all just suggestions and steps I have taken for my Yorkie that has been successful post pancreatitis. I just hope that someone else who reads this could use the experience I have had and hopefully, he/she will have less sleepless nights than I did.
__________
As of today, the only changes I’ve made to what I’ve written above is I don’t feed him daily coconut juice anymore but he still gets veg fruit juice daily. I’m mainly feeding RC canned now with a 5% of RC dry because of the sodium content. He still gets blueberry daily but I peeled off the skin first.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by cheryl w.

[Susan]

Hi, pumkin is high in fiber, if it hasn’t helped firm his poos stop, he doesn’t need more fiber… Try another brand of kibble, one with less protein & less fat, No peas, No lentils, a limited ingredient kibble & see how he goes, Acana may be tooooo rich for him….

When my boy was on a higher protein kibble his poos were soft & he was doing 4-5 poos a day as the day went on the poos got softer & softer, I know when he was on a vet diet with lower protein & lower fat with limited ingredients, he was only doing 2 firm poos a day….. I’m feeding Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fusion at the moment, Ocean Fusion has the least ingredients out of the Earthborn flavours, no peas, no tomato pomace, no rice & no probiotics…..my boy is doing the firmest poos since stopping the vet diet kibble….
http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/ocean_fusion/

[Frances A]

I started feeding my mini schnauzer and GSD a locally made food called Pet Wants which was recommended by my groomer. I went to reorder it and noticed the first ingredient in every flavor is meal….chicken meal, lamb meal, whitefish meal. Is this a no no?

We have struggled with finding the right mix for our GSD. He tends to get the itchys very easily, as does the mini schnau. I have tried all sorts of foods from Natures Variety to Taste of the Wild to Raw. We seem to be in a good place with this food but I’m leary the main ingredient isn’t pure chicken. Here’s the ingredient list: Thank you!

Whitefish & Duck Grain Free
Pet Wants Whitefish & Duck Grain Free dog food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for “All Life Stages”.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:
Crude Protein, min – 30.0%
Crude Fat, min – 16.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
* Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid), min – 2.5%
* Omega 3 (Linolenic Acid), min – 0.53%
* Glucosamine, min – 800 ppm
* Chondroitin, min – 400 ppm
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.
INGREDIENT LIST:
Whitefish Meal, Duck Meal, Chick Peas, Field Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Lentils, Tapioca Starch, Carrots, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Kelp Meal, DL-Methionine, Salt, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride
Vitamin & Mineral Premix:
Glucosamine HCL, Potassium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharide (FOS), Chondroitin Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Organic Dried Kelp, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Iron Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate.

Calorie Count: 437 kcal/cup
Feeding Suggestions*: (Standard 8 oz. measuring cup)
*These are quantity suggestions; the amount you feed your pet can vary, depending greatly upon the breed, activity level, metabolism and your preferences.