[Ly]

Oh, he can’t handle anything over 30%. I tried Origen and Acana (diarrhea) and Holistic Select (wouldn’t touch it) and Wellness Core (wouldn’t touch it) and BB, now I’m trying Go!. I wanted something with a few different flavors/protein choices so I can rotate within the same brand (I was told I wouldn’t have to transition then). The best poops he has is on BB chicken and rice puppy. But he doesn’t do well on the beef. And I was also told to not stick with one protein source b/c they can develop an allergy. So changing within the brand is ideal. It seems he does well around 27%. And with all the BB issues I just wanted something else. Researching I found that Origen/Acana was like the “best”, but that’s not an option for his tummy.

[Bobby dog]

C4c:
I love the name Beansie. I have a light orange and white too. 🙂

I finally found a list I made with ideas to entice your cat to eat when they are not feeling well. Some I already listed in a previous post. Here’s a few more, warm up canned food, add a little low sodium chic broth or clam juice, offer catnip before a meal, cooked eggs or egg whites, and allot of people recommended Purina Forti-Flora when all else failed.

Holistic Select used to have a digestive enzyme and a probiotic sprinkle (both had a flavor enhancer) on their website, but I can’t find it now. Eagle Pack has a digestive enzyme for dog and cats, but I don’t see it on their site either. I did find it at Wag.com: http://www.wag.com/dog/p/holistic-select-holistic-transition-digestive-remedies-2-2-oz-221578

I have been looking for some plain freeze dried tripe to mix with canned food for my cats since they liked the Verus cat food with tripe.

Here’s a list of flavor enhancers/toppers that were recommended by posters on a bunch of sites I visited last year. I never checked them out because he started eating again after the Vet gave him some fluids:

Petco Savory Tuna Flakes
http://www.petco.com/product/117258/

Halo Cat treats
http://www.halopets.com/natural-treats.html#tp31_2

Halo Dinner Party Sprinkle
http://shop.halopets.com/Natural-Treats/Dinner-Party-Chicken

Beefeaters Freeze Dried Cat Treat
http://www.petsmart.com/gsi/webstore/WFS/PETNA-PETUS-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProduct-Start;pgid=1Ip6wb8p8jVSRpB.FTRjIqx80000d5mL8f6_?SKU=36-3069

Purebites
http://www.purebites.com/index.php

Cat-Man-Doo dried Bonito Flakes
http://www.catmandoo.biz/

Stewart Flavor Enhancer
http://stewartpet.com/our-products/treats/Flavor-Enhancer/

Tuna Dash
http://www.catclaws.com/Tuna-Dash/productinfo/1700/#.VBowspRdXng

[Susan]

Hi Lori, I also rescued a dog that suffers from skin allergies & ear problems, (Canine Atopy).. I started an elimination diet & found he can’t eat Potatos, Sweet Potatos & wheat, I also stopped his chicken & I’m feeding him Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal limited ingredients as he cant have potatoes but Wellness Simple has 3 different grainfree kibbles Wellness also has their Complete Health range & their Grainfree Core…I prefer to feed a kibble with grounded rice as most of the grainfree kibble have potatos or lentals & are high in carbs causing dogs to itch more…
A few ladies from the do park have dogs with skin & ear problems, their vets put their dogs on vet diets & they didnt help with the itch so now they are feeding their dogs “Holistic Select” Anchovy, Sardines & Salmon meal also made by Wellpet & their dogs are itch free & no more itchy ears & looking real shinney & healthy, also we bath our dogs in Malaseb medicated shampoo it kills any bacteria on their skin but doesnt strip their good oils also bath weekly, the Malaseb seems to relieve any itch & helps with their itchy stinky ears..sardines in spring water are good as treats.
here’s 2 links one is the Wellness range & the other link is the Holistic Select range
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete
http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog#category5

[Naturella]

Sheltielove, a few of us here are college students, myself and my husband included. We also shop on a super tight budget for our dog, but so far we have managed to keep our food costs at $6.07/month for 4-5-star food. That is pretty low, although I am not counting Bruno’s (the dog’s) additives in the price. He gets an egg, a raw meaty bone (usually a chicken back or pork/beef neck bone piece), 1/2 can of sardines, and a tablespoon of coconut oil every other day and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt every other day. And The Honest Kitchen raw dehydrated food as a topper (1 tsp/meal, aside from when he gets coconut oil or yoghurt). The price of THK is calculated in his food cost though. Right now we are stocked on kibble and THK till the end of August, 2015.

Now, how did we do that?
Part 1 – lucked out! Our local Petland had a special during the months of November and December 2013 and was giving away FREE small bags of Holistic Health Extension. I stocked up on those with 4 bags.
Part 2 – Petland also sends me a coupon for $10 off of $25+ purchase – a great way to get bigger bags for less. I got 3 14-lb bags for about $20 each (with tax and all).
Part 3 – Luck again – there is an awesome little pet specialty store with amazing sales on top notch brands when they’re a month away from expiring, plus they give away free samples. Got me some of those too.
Part 4 – I facebooked a bunch of companies to ask for samples of their foods – some sent just coupons, some samples and treats, and some – whole small bags of food. Two bags of food came this way.
Part 5 – Planned couponing – for more info and to speak to this site’s real coupon guru Akari_32, see this thread – /forums/topic/coupons/
Part 6 – Scouting for deals and sales online. Websites, such as petflow.com and chewy.com will have flash sales at which you can get food for $1/lb – I got 19lbs of food this way, all in 4- or 5-lb bags of great, various flavors and brands.

Part 7 – MOST IMPORTANTLY – all of the above methods will be kind of on the hard side if you do not rotate protein sources (flavors) AND brands of food. More on diet rotation and why it’s important – /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/ But this way you get to take advantage of all or most deals and sales versus being stuck to a specific brand/flavor.

Also, some of the more affordable overall brands are: Earthborn Holistic, Victor Select and Victor Grain Free, in some places NutriSource (not around Kennesaw, GA though – here it is soooo expensive!), Taste of the Wild (a Diamond product), Canidae (in my area it’s not too pricy), and possibly Dr. Tim’s.

As for Diamond – they manufacture several brands. They had a huge recall in 2012 and handled it poorly. Hence the issue of many with them.

As for Nutro, I cannot speak, although I have fed their small breed puppy food – one bag, first food we bought for our doggie before we discovered this site.

Hope this helps! Welcome, and keep the questions coming! 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Lynn, Ive been posting & posting about WellPet (Wellness) kibbles telling people how good they are especially if your dog has health problems & is on a prescription vet diet & you dont like the ingredients in the Vet diets…. I have a dog with Pancreatits & IBD & the Wellness Simple the Duck & Oatmeal & the Lamb & Oatmeal have been the only kibbles that have worked for Patch beside his vet diet. Wellness Simple is a limited ingredient kibble…
Wellpet also make Holistic Select & Eagle Pack, I dont know if they are GMO free, I know the Holistic Select Anchovy Sardines & Salmon meal is excellent if your dog has itchy skin allergies….

[Susan]

Hi Kriste, my boy has runny soft poos, in the end vet said IBD, he was put on Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal, The vet said to leave him on the Intestinal vet diet for 1 year to let everything settle and get better but around 6 months I started to try better kibbles, I found I had to get a lower fat% kibble or we’d have the sloppy poos again …Wellness was the best for his poo’s. His poos are the best that they have ever been, here’s a link to have a look at their range..they have the “Large Breed Complete Health” puppy……also made by Wellpet is “Holistic Select” Grainfree Adult/Puppy… Good- Luck
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete

[Susan]

Hi Karen, I have this problem with Patch, burping after meals & bring food up into his mouth & last year he was vomiting undigested kibble 8 hours after eating it..I also thought it was Mega Esophagus & asked the vet… have you seen the poor dogs that do suffer from Mega Esopagus, how they have to sit in specially made chairs when they eat & some are just pups…poor things..
All the kibbles that I’ve tried so far, I found the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal to be excellent, its a meduim size kibble & it digests easily..Oatmeal & pumkin is excellent for tummy problems & easy to digest..
Holistic Select also made by Wellpet is another easy kibble to digest & easy on their tummys, the kibble is smaller but that is better if they swollow kibble whole, less to break down & digest being a smaller size kibble..
I do a kibble test, I get about 2 kibbles put in a glass of boiling water then I count to 40 then put 1 of the kibbles inbetween 2 teaspoons & push down, a good kibble will crush, a hard kibble will normally go flying out of the spoon & wont crush… kibbles with potato are harder, Ive found to be no good…
I also put his kibble in a bowl then I fill with cold water drain fill again & just soak for about 2-3 mins then drain water again, that way the kibble is just soft but still has its crunch & not all swollen & yuk to eat, I put the kibbles back into the cup & only add 1/4 into his bowl then another 1/4 of kibble that way he’s not gulping to much air..
With Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal he hasn’t bought up any kibble when he burps, but when he eats wet tin food it comes up into his mouth with the burp, any cooked foods that he eats comes into his mouth also…so Ive been putting his Tuna & pumkin on dry white bread toast, the toast seems to keep things down…
I think Patches stomach isn’t working properly & his food is just sitting in his stomach some days…How I know his stomach isnt working this morning Patch did his poo & the end of his poo was orange from pumkin & had grass that he ate 3 days ago, I know the last 2 days he has not eaten any grass or pumkin, so its taken 3 days to poo out his food, so I assumed things arent working properly, a lady on a different site recommended “Reglan” its a tablet that you give 1 hour before meals, this helps move the food along when the stomach isnt working properly, helps reflux, burping & nausea in dogs & humans…I’ll have to run it by Patches vet first but I might try him on the Motilium (you have Reglan in America we have Motilium) to see if this will help push his food thru instead of just sitting in his stomach & fermenting some days..
If you want to know if the food is passing thru properly, what I do is one morning for breakfast I will give Tuna & boiled pumkin on dry toast, the next morning I’ll just give wet tin kangaroo food for his breakfast, with the Tuna & Pumkin the poos are orange/brown, then try & work out how long its has taken for ur boy to digest & past that meal & then you’ll have more information to tell ur vet…
I hope this information will help your boy in some way…

[must.love.dogs.]

Hi! New to the forum and site. Sorry if this has already been addressed. We have an 8 month old Dogue de Bordeaux and 6 year old German Shepherd. The pup is already well over 100lbs, and the GSD is full grown at 130lbs. Opinions on the best, healthy food for the best price and is purchasing online a better route when cutting costs? Currently, they are eating Holistic Select – Large Breed Puppy and Large Breed Adult. Both love each others foods and will not keep to one, so I was debating All Life Stages by Canidae. All of you know mastiffs and larger GSDs eat HUGE amounts. We do not want to sacrifice their health when making budget adjustments. Any opinions and guidance is much appreciated. I just want the best for our boys while being economical! Thank you.

[Susan]

Hi Erin, Patch cant have wet tin food as he also gets sloppy poo but since I found the Kangaroo at 1.5% fat he’s Ok, so it must of been the highter fat in the other tin foods they were around 4-5% in fat that must of made his poos sloppy..
When I soak Patches kibble in his bowl I drain the water then put the kibble on a paper towel & touch dry & all the kibbles are just soft with a little crunch still & no its the same & doesnt give sloppy poos,
When I first got Patch he was always having sloppy poo then good poos & for about 9 months, we thought it was the fiber, it was flaxseed, then he had a Pancreas flare & it was the higher fat giving him the sloppy poos, so now I make sure I stick around 10% fat for kibbles & 1.5% fat for wet tin foods..
I’d try the Merrick G/F Healthy weight cause the max fat is 11% the protein is 32% min, fiber is 5% but if you have trouble with Merrick it will probably be the protein being to high at 32%
With Pancreatitis some dogs cant have a high protein diet either, thats why Ive never try the Wellness core in the begining cause the protein was 33% & the fiber is 8.5% too high, Patch cant have a high protein, nothing over 24% …also there’s the ‘Holistic Select’ senior at 10% fat & 26% protein, I did try this but I had to take Patch off chicken as vet thought he was allergic to chicken, that’s why he’s on the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal with no chicken fat,
I think that’s why dogs do well on the Vet prescription diets as they are made for illnesses & lower in fat protein & fiber, needed for some dogs with Pancreatitis, you’ll just have to see how ur girl goes, when I joined the dogpancreatitis group on Yahoo I started to learn heaps then I understood why Patch was still having his flares, I was trying to keep his protein high, I’d add a boiled egg to his meal, then he wasnt his usual happy self playing, after eating, I didnt realise that the yoke was too high in fat & protein.. but ur girl will probably be OK, not as bad….

[Ly]

No 🙁 It was like 3 days! I took him to the vet this morning. He said initially his digestion issue could be from the transition, but it’s because he was eating his poop! Of-course I don’t let him eat it! It’s just that it’s pure liquid, so it’s impossible to pick it all up. Then the next time we go out, he sniffs it out and gets a lick in before I’m fast enough to pull him back.
Plus for vacation we were at a friends house for a week (3 weeks ago) and they have 3 small dogs and a fenced in back yard. He literally went around and ate all their poop! Then later puked it up on their living room carpet! I went around and tried to pick it all up outside and kept him on a leash and walked him around after that. So maybe it was still in his system from then, and changing his food on top of that didn’t help!? The vet gave me an antibiotic and a probiotic and I switched his food to Holistic Select Adult/Puppy dry food and he absolutely loves it! It smells sooooo good too! So I think I’m sticking with that. I just want a firm normal poop now! Vet said to stop the chicken and rice and just give him that. They advertise it’s like yogurt for dogs. He’s the pickiest when it comes to food (didn’t care for but would eat BB, hated Wellness Core, loved Orijen), but he’ll eat any animals poop! “They” say he’ll outgrow it. idk? I tried those pills stool-no! Didn’t work.

[Ly]

Holistic Select Grain-Free Adult/Puppy dry food?

[matt n]

I suggest looking through the thread the others are suggesting. That’s what I’ve had to do with the absence of response to my own questions.

I might be wrong but these are the conclusions I’ve drawn for what to feed my puppy (poodle/GR mix).

A raw food diet is probably the “best”…if you have unlimited funds. For myself, I tried to find a balance of affordability, healthiness, and convenience. As a result I’ve narrowed it down to these dry foods…

Annamaet Grain-Free Aqualuk
Annamaet Grain-Free Salcha Poulet
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain-Free
Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch
Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast
Nature’s Variety Instinct
Victor Select
Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy

I’ll eventually try all of these and see which my puppy does best on. If that’s too much trial and error for you, I’d go with Dr. Tim’s Kinesis.

As far as I can tell, grain free vs grain inclusive usually only matters if your pup has issues with grains or if you’re into the “fads.”

But once again this is just my observations from perusing the forums.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by matt n.

[matt n]

Ok so I’ve done a little more research but I’m still not sure about the calcium and it’s relation to medium breed dogs vs large & giant breeds.

Also, what I think I’m going to do is start off with Dr. Tim’s Kinesis then switch to Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch and then Victor Select Lamb Meal & Brown Rice. What I’m thinking is, this should show me which food (grain vs grain free, chicken vs herring vs lamb) my dog does best on. Is this legitimate reasoning? And what amount of time do people suggest keeping the puppy on a particular food before rotating to the next? Thanks

[arwyru24]

All of the cats that I’ve tried that Holistic Select variety have really liked it. I have to really watch the calorie content with the dry food because the one that eats most of the dry food is a little tubby and gains weight quickly. He is 13.5 lbs so he isn’t hugely overweight but still should be leaner but I have not been able to get him below 13.5. He went up to 14.2 at one point. I was thinking about trying the grain free indoor Holistic Select because it is a little lower in calories. The volume seems to really make a difference to him, even though he gets wet food too, when I’ve tried giving a smaller portion of higher calorie kibble he begs and begs for more.

[arwyru24]

Which Holistic Select formula?

[Hound Dog Mom]

My cats are eating Annamaet right now and doing well. I’ve got a bag of Holistic Select to try next. Knock on wood, my female cat who is a bit sensitive has been doing well on the foods I’ve been trying recently.

[Tracy W]

Barbara – Yeah, beef really lights Cookie’s ears up, so to speak. If I feed her beef or bison her inner ears get so red and goopy. 🙁

I don’t think one package of raw a month will break me up, so maybe I’ll buy some. I have tried topping Cookie’s food with canned, and I also give her yogurt as that helps fight the yeasty ears. Typically she eats the canned food/yogurt and then gives me a look and leaves whatever kibble hasn’t been touched by the topping. *sigh* I haven’t tried mixing egg, but I will try that. I didn’t know I could give her raw eggs, but I have given her sardines and she loved those.

Cookie weighs about 65 pounds, so depending on food that puts her anywhere from 2-3 1/2 cups of kibble. The 30 lb. bags of Grandma Mae’s and Holistic Select lasted between 3 weeks and a month for her, and that was with me feeding the other 4 dogs her food for a day or two. In reality I could probably feed her less than what the bag says, as she isn’t as active this time of year; she could stand to lose a few pounds anyway.

Making broth is a great idea. I will be sure to do so next time we have turkey or pork.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I feel like I have something to build on now.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Tracy W.

[Tracy W]

I have a 3-year-old Husky named Cookie who struggles with food and environmental allergies and yeast infections in her ears. I have tried her on all sorts of different foods, and I’ve found she reacts negatively to beef, bison, lamb, and chicken. She did very well on Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Farmhouse Blend (which is pork and fish based), and she also did well on Holistic Select Duck and Holistic Select Sardine & Anchovy, and Lincoln Biotech’s Zinpro (expensive!!!!!). The problem is, she doesn’t like any of those foods very much. In fact, my mother-in-law and husband feed their dogs beneful, and Cookie LOVES it, although it doesn’t agree with her. She even likes my chinchilla’s food, but doesn’t like her own. :-/

I guess I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations of foods to try for her that won’t break the bank? I’d consider doing raw if 1) I knew how to source it affordably and 2) I knew she would still be fed raw when I go out of state.

Some of the kibbles that don’t work include:
Wellness Super5
All of the TotW
Nutro LI Venison
California Naturals, with grain
Exclusive
Precise, both chicken and lamb
Verus opticoat
Earthborn Holistic, various recipes including the potato-free ones
Merrick – she did OK on it but there was fur in the duck-based kibble. Fur? Really? They make ducks with fur now? And Merrick told me it was natural. :-/
Whole Earth Farms
Diamond Naturals
NutriSource

I was considering The Honest Kitchen’s Keen, but I’m concerned about the potatoes, and I have nowhere to get it locally. Does anyone have any suggestions?

• This topic was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Tracy W.

[Susan]

Hi Deborah, I just had a look & the first kibble Game/Millet was the best as the ingredients started with a protein the rest started with brown rice 51% then a protein… the Game/Millet had 3 proteins, thats no good if u dog has intolarences to a certain meat as u wont know what meat is causing the problem, you need a kibble with just 1 protein, like just duck or just Rabbit etc, also I couldnt find the Guaranteed Analysis (Fat % Protein% Fiber%) when trying a new kibble try & stay around the same Fat% protein% as the Hills at first & find a kibble that has Limited Ingredients so that way there’s less chances of having any reactions or diarrhea, also stay away from kibbles with potatos if he has itchy skin…3 weeks ago I started introducing Patch to “Wellness Simple” Duck & Oatmeal & he’s doing really well, better then when he was on the Vet Prescription diet, have a look at these ingredients & kibbles to the Simple range http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dog&cat=3 Wellpet also makes “Holistic Select” Holistic Select has a few single protein kibbles the Duck or the Lamb & a grainfree “Turkey & Lentils” but it has more ingredients then the Wellness Simple, maybe when ur dog is doing well on a new kibble then try Holistic Select.. http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?… the Anchovys Sardines & Salmon is excellent for itchy skin problems..but after 3 months try a different kibble then the Vet prescription diet kibbles, like u said the Z/D doesnt have any proper meats, that cause ur dog could be allergic to a certain meat & chances are he isn’t, it just could be that he was getting tooo many high Carbs ( Potatos, sweet potatos etc) that were causing itchy skin allergies, my boy cant have Potatos, Sweet potatos, Chicken, Flour, Ive learnt when I started an elimantion diet back in March..Elimination diets are the best way to find out what is causing the skin Allergies, I found Patch gets a rash from grass as well…

[Susan]

Hi Vanessa, when I first rescued Patch he’d clear a room, it was awful…I put him on a dog probiotic & changed his food… have a look at the Wellpet Range, they make “Holistic Select” & “Wellness” kibbles & wet, the Holistic Select has a grainfree Adult & Puppy health Salmon Anchovy & Sardine meal or there’s Deboned Turkey & Lentils, maybe he cant handle the high protein so pick a kibble with a bit lower protein….but the Royal Canin is full of crap & probably the same price as a good quaility kibble, make sure you read the ingredients when picking a new kibble & pick a kibble that has different ingredients to the Blue Buffalo cause something is giving him bad gas which isnt good..also try some wet tin foods aswell, kibble is over proccessed & harder to digest, even some nice home cooked meals or raw.. he’s a link to the Holistic Select range
http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog#category5

[Bobby dog]

FYI: I got my Holistic Select coupons 7/22, don’t see any Wellness yet. I always forget what account I have them sent to.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa sounds like he has bad stomach acid, I give Patch 4 smaller meals a day & at night about 8.30pm before he goes to sleep I give him 1/2 a rice cracker biscuit just to line his stomach thru the night also Patch was put on 1/3 Zantac every 12 hours 1/2 hour before food for his yellow spew, this did stop the spewing yellow bile of a morning, I think you have Pepcid in America just google the dose for dogs, I’d give him some Pepcid before bed & before he eats of a morning & see if things get better, I also have tried the Nutro Chicken & rice as it was close to the Eukanuba Intestinal formula & it gave Patch Stomach acid, so I stopped with the Nutro his poos were ok but he kept swollowing & swollowing then would spew, I thought it was cause the fat was 13-15%.. Fat can cause acid reflux & make matters worst, when you try a new food do it so sooooo slowley, I take 2 -3 weeks when I introduce a new food to Patch, first you need to stabilize him on 1 food & let his tummy & bowel heal then go from there, Patch was just on his vet diet for 4-5months to settle everything down then I started to re-introduce him to new kibbles & finally we got the Wellness Simple range in Australia, Holistic Select which is also made by Wellpet make a Grainfree Puppy Health Salmon Anchovy & sardine meal recipe the fat is 13%..in Brown pink & white packet, its suppost to be good for their digestion & has pumkin..

[Susan]

Hi Maureen, My boy has Pancreatitis & IBD, I noticed when I gave my boy a kibble that was higher in protein he got his pain back, I tried the Holistic Select Senior Chicken Meal & Rice the fat was min-10% on bag, I emailed Holistic Select & max Fat was 11.98% the protein was 26%, I thought good higher protein then his Eukanuba Intestinal vet prescription diet which is 23% protein fat-10% that he was put on but I dont know if it was the fat% being 11.98% or the higher protein at 26% but he started his whinging again & had his pain, so now Im tryng the Wellness Simple “Duck & Oatmeal” fat% is min-11% on the bag & max fat is 11.98% the protein is lower at 19% but he seems better on the Wellness Simple…Duck & Oatmeal, Im mixing the Simple with his Eukanuba Intestinal .when looking for a new kibble try to match the Fat % & the protein% & fiber%..the Wellness simple has their Healthy Weight Salmon & Peas Grain free the fat % min 8% the protein is 26% fiber is 6%, the fiber is a bit to high for my Patch, maybe this will be similer to the Hills W/D diet & its grain free.. he’s a link if u want to compare things you might see another flavour that is closer to his Hills W/D diet, & slowly so slowly start just adding a bit of the new kibble with his old kibble..Ive taking 2 weeks & Im still just adding 1/4cup & using the Wellnes Simple duck kibbles as treats.. having the IBD on top does not help. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dog&cat=3

[Jordan H]

Hi,
some of the brands available to me are Purina, Iams, V.I.P Petfoods who have a range called ‘Natures Goodness’ which has some grain-free products, Pedigree, My Dog, Chum, Beneful, Optimum. Then there are the more expensive brands available at the pet stores which are probably much better but are out of my price range at the moment. These are, Wellness, Holistic Select, Eukanuba, Advance, Hill’s Ideal Balance, Nutro, Black Hawk and Applaws.

I’d really appreciate any advice on the best ones or the ones to avoid. Many thanks in advance!

[Susan]

Hi Tracey, Shih tzu are known for stomach problems, especially pancreatitis, try a diet that is lower in fat, spewing yellow acid is a sign that she has excess stomach acid, are you sure she doesnt have acid reflux, my boy was suffering from this the begining of the year, I had to cook boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin & also he was put on 1/3 Zantac every 12 hours 1 hour before food, this fixed the problem, as he hasnt vomited now for months thank- God, also kibbles are processed & harder on their tummy to digest.. You dont say what she is eating change whatever it is she eating, so she wants to eat & smaller meals are best 4 times a day, not the 1 big meal a day, as the acids will eat away at her stomach & will cause stomach ulcers in the end, a nice low fat dry biscuits helps..for her not to want to eat something is wrong, change her diet to a lower fat easy to digest meals & see then if she’s feeling better…nice smelling tuna or salmon as a small meal, I do the tuna & boiled pumkin for a light breakfast as Patch cant stomach his kibble for breakfast, I give the kibble for lunch & dinner but he’s on a low residue kibble that breaks up very easy & now Im adding the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal, but the Holistic Select kibbles broke down easier & when water was added the Holistic Select soften real easy so he’d digest it easier then a kibble that had potatos..

[Susan]

Hi Amy, its not the Frontline, frontline only penetrates the first 1-2 layers of their skin, My boy had a reaction to Advantage DO NOT USE the Advantage penetrates thru the skin to their blood, within 24hrs one side of my boys head swelled up his ear & his bottom lip swelled, & he was vomiting blood early hours of the morning, at first I didnt think the Advantage until I rung his vet. the best way to know whats happening is an elimination diet, for 1 month you just feed 1 new protein & say boiled pumkin or rice nothing else no treats nothing, thats if you think it could be foods, I used chicken in Patches elimantion diet but now I think Patch cant have chicken as the lumps on his head that look like hives got worst, Patches vet said that he has seasonal allergies & cause I just rescued him 19 months ago she said I’ll start to see a pattern, I noticed last winter Patch was good, no itch but the end of summer Patch got all his hive like lumps, itching & rubbing along the wall, this winter Patch has his hive like lumps again, so I look in Patches diary & last winter I wasnt feeding him chicken, this winter I was feeding chicken, so Ive stopped the chicken…Ive heard all these test are no good as they give false readings the best would be if you could try him on raw, Im just starting a new kibble called Wellness Simple it has limited ingredients, also watch his carbs, no potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no carrots no high carbs that turn to sugar that makes yeasty itchy skin.. If he can handle it i’d feed raw.. & google a good Raw diet for itchy skin..Ive been thinking of putting Patch on Raw but he has IBD & I have enough trouble trying to find a low fat kibble, so raw would have to much fat for Patch..also there could be a plant or grass in ur garden or on his walks that he’s allergic to, I’ve changed Patches walking route to see if that helps….Its winter here in Australia, so if Patch has enviornment allergies or seasonal allergies like his vet said, why is he getting them now being winter & he didnt last year, thats whats making me look at his food this year, I use Malaseb Medicated shampoo, & I use a cortisone cream when he gets some of the red itchy sores, I found the cortsone 1% cream is excellent Im just using my cream…just look at the ingredients in his kibble & see if there’s Potatos sweet potatos carrots, lentils any high carb foods…A friend from the dog park had a staffy that was so itchy he was red & losing his fur she tried the vet diets they didnt work then she tried the Holistic Select Adult health Anchovys sardines & salmon & her boy is looking excellent not scratching fur all grown back..so a few people from the dog park are using the Holistic Select with great results… Im also given Patch tuna & pumkin for breakfast to replace the chicken & his hives have gone. sorry for the book..Oh a good dog probiotic this will help too…good-luck

[Mom2Cavs]

It just goes to show that not every food works for all dogs. Mine eat Wellness Small Breed (Simple, Senior and White fish and I’m going to use Healthy Weight soon) and love it and are doing great on it. I’m sure you can find another food that works for your crew. Some I like are Dr. Tim’s, Victors and Annamaet. Holistic Select is fine, too.

[Susan]

Hi Tara, my Patch also has IBD, & he’s on the Vet Prescription Diet Eukanuba Intestinal & a good Probiotic this was the only kibble that stable his diarrhea, cause the fiber is only 1.75% Iams makes a low residue kibble but its different to the Eukanuba it has By-products & the fiber is higher, Ive had Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal since August 2013 to rest & heal his bowel, the vet said 1 year just the Eukanuba Intestinal nothing else, but last December I started trying another kibble which gave Patch real bad diarrhea I think it was the fat% or the potatos so back to the Intestinal then I tried the Holistic Select senior kibble Chicken Meal & rice I got the senior cause the fat % was only 10% & fiber 3.50% protein is 26%…but Patch also get Stomach acid reflux so now Im trying the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal kibble as we just got it in at our Pat Barn he’s still on his Intestinal…. The Wellness Simple Limited ingredient has Lamb & oatmeal, Salmon & Potato grainfree Turkey & Potato… he’s the Wellness site http://www.wellnesspetfood.com all their products will come up, but few people on this site use Pure Balance or Racheal Ray Grainfree from Walmart..or there’s “4 Health” from Tractor Supply but make sure you look at the Fat % & Fiber % my boy has trouble with his Small Intestine so he needs less fiber if ur girl is having trouble with his large intestine she’ll need more fiber but having stomach Bacteria Id say its her small bowel like Patch… Patch had the H-pylori Virus last year & had to take Metronidazole to clear his bacteria up.. the Eukanuba has FOS thats suppost to help with stomach Bacteria also a give a good probiotic… even if you use a prescription kibble just until her bowel heals then like Im doing slowly try to introduce another kibble thats not a vet prescription diet, but when things go bad again u know u can fall back on his vet diet…

[Susan]

Hi, sound like he gets irritable bowel, my rescue boy gets the rumbles, its gases going thru their bowel very uncomfortable, when I first got my Patch, he was having the grumbles & rumbles every 10 days, I think he couldnt handle high beef proteins, one vet said Colitis with the rumbling bowel plus he’d sometimes poo light red blood which suggest the small bowel, now a new vet has said that he has Irritable Bowel & wanted to put Patch on Prednisone, I said NO as they havent done a biopsy to comfirm the IBD, He was put on the Eukanuba Intestinal vet diet last August. Ive kept him on the Intestinal, the diarrhea stopped so did the rumbling bowel, Ive so slowly been tryng new kibbles, Ive tried the Holistic Select Senior Chicken Meal & Rice but I only mixed with his Eukanuba Intestinal which was good with no rumbles or diarrhea, this week Ive bought the Wellness Simple Limited Ingredients Duck & Oatmeal as Ive read that oatmeal sooths the stomach/bowel & the Simple has less ingredients & is suppost to be for stomach problems… Wellpet state that their Simple range is formulated like vet prescription diet foods without the corn, wheat, eggs, dairy & by-products etc… I too hate the vet diet formulas but maybe start with one just to get ur boys stomach/bowel better & rested like I did with Patch, Patch was on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 5months no treats no extra foods, then this year Ive started playing with different foods but when anything goes wrong, I go straight back to his Eukanuba Intestinal & start again so slowly…maybe give the Wellness Simple a try , the Duck & oatmeal only gets 3 starts on this site I think, BUT thats cause it has a low protein, the other Simple kibbles gets 4 stars & in the end if ur dog stops his rumblins & diarrhea who cares about stars http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx scroll down to the bottom & u’ll see Simple limited ingredients…also Patch is on a good probiotic for his tummy…Good-Luck

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi D.M. –

Purina DCO has higher levels of fiber and lower levels of fat than most foods. DCO contains 10% fiber and 10% fat while (in general) the 4-5 star foods tend to contain <5% fiber and between 15% and 20% fat. Because the DCO seems to be helping her stool, I would suggest searching for a food with fiber and fat levels closer to that of DCO. Your best bet would probably be looking to formulas designed for weight loss. Earthborn Weight Control is 7% fat/9% fiber, Wellness CORE Reduced Fat is 10% fat/8.5% fiber, Holistic Select Weight Management is 7.5% fat/9% fiber – I’m sure there are quite a few more if you look, these are just a few that initially came to mind. You could also just pick a food that’s lower in fat and add a fiber supplement if you were unable to find a food you liked that was both low in fat and high in fiber – you could use something like fruitables (canned high fiber digestive supplement) or psyllium.

At 7 months old, I honestly wouldn’t be too concerned about calcium levels or whether or not the food was appropriate for puppies. She’s already through her rapid growth phase so I’d suggest just focusing on finding a food she can tolerate. I also,would suggest that with whichever food you switch her to, you begin supplementing with a high quality multi-strain probiotic to begin strengthening her gut.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Susan]

Hi, when its the small intestine ur right you need less fiber, large intestine you need more fiber…I have found, the same with Patch he doesnt do well on high fiber diets or Peas & Potatos, why dont u cook boiled chicken & freeze little sections & take out the night before thats what Ive been doing for breakfast, a good kibble have you tried the Holistic Select kibbles Patch on the Holistic Select Senoir its Chicken meal & rice & has NO peas the fiber is 3.50% & fat is 10% protein is 26% they have Chicken meal & rice but the fiber is 4% they have the duckmeal it has less fiber at 3.90% & less fat 13%..only their have a grainfree Deboned Turkey & Lentils the fiber is 5.50% but & it has Chickpeas here’s their site have a little look at all the ingredients & diferent flavours http://www.holisticselect.com

[arwyru24]

http://www.chewy.com/cat/holistic-select-chicken-liver-lamb/dp/104472

Something new… and I don’t see carrageenan in it unless I am missing it

[Susan]

Hi Amy, where in Australia are you from, I live Newcastle, I few friends from the dog park have had great success with the “Holistic Select” Adult Health Anchovy Sardines & Salmon meal kibble, sold at Pet Barn or Pet Stock also sold there is the Malaseb medicated shampoo this kills any bacteria in their skin & has helped my boy its excellent vet told me to bath every 5-7days as soon as they start to scratch you leave on as long as you can about 10mins then rinse off & stay away from high carbs like Potato sweet potatos etc….

[Susan]

Hi Paddy, so you buy something that you have to add to their food, also if Patch was ur dog what would you do, where would you start, when I give Patch his chicken & pumkin at night he gets his gurgling bowel 2-3am so I have to stick with the kibble at nighs for his dinner,id love to either stop his kibble or maybe change his kibble, the Holistic Select senior is min fat 10% but max is 11.98% maybe this has been causing him his pain also the protein is 26% Ive found when I started giving him more protein he had more reflux & his pain. I was going to try the wellness Simple kibble heathy weight its 8% fat but the fiber is 6% & has peas is second ingredient then theres the Eagle packs new range & their low fat is 6% but the new formula is coming out until October..all the grainfree kibbles that I can get are too high in fat, I just dont know what to do no more…

[Susan]

Hi Jerry, With EPI, dogs need a low fat & low fiber diet, the Purina one would have to much fiber for EPI thats why she is pooing so much ..My boy has IBD & Pancreatitis & was put on Eukanuba Intestinal low residue vet prescription this has really helped its 10% fat & 1.75% in fiber & he does just 2 nice firm small poos a day. Ive slowely been adding the “Holistic Select” Senior Chicken Meal & rice its 10%-fat 26%-protein & breaks up very easy, I add water & within 1 mintue the kibble has soften also the Eukanuba Intestinal softens within 1 minutue, thats how you can tell if a kibble is soft or hard the harder kibbles take forever to soften especially if they have potatos…hard kibble are to hard on their Pancreas & cause pain Ive found, can ur girl eat tin wet food cause thats better for Pancreatits a low fiber & low fat… there’s kibble & tin food that a few people on this site reconmend that’s sold at Walmart called Pure Balance or Rachel Ray that are suppost to be better then Purina one & are a good price there’s another one but I cant remember the name for tummy problems, I live Australia so we have different kibbles but we do have the Purina one sold at the supermakets & its high in fillers & the fiber is 5-6% I wouldnt feed that to Patch he’d be pooing & pooing & have his stomach pain..also I give Patch a probiotic to help with his digestion & bowel…

[Susan]

Hi, my boy was dignosed with Pancreatitis & IBD when Ive tried a kibble that was high protein Patch had his pain again, Ive slowely been adding the Holistic Select Senior health kibble cause the fat% is 10% the protein is 26% so far he’s good but Im still mixing the kibble with his Eukanuba Intestinal vet prescrition diet..Try to get a kibble similar to the hills fat% & protein % & slowly go up & see how u go, dont just go from 20% protein to a 30 something % protein he may relapse & get his pancreatitis again Ive tried the Wellness core & the protein was too high for Patch maybe ur boy will be different but just go slow very slow & see how he copes..

[tracy b]

thanks for the suggestions crazy4cats, one of the boys, Bozwell, does seem to have a more sensitive tummy than the other one (Elwood) so I am leery about giving new foods being that the one they are on is working well. Everything I have read/learned about the breed does tend to lean towards sticking with the same food and not making too many changes. obviously I want to do what is best for the boys no matter what the cost I realize when we got them that this would be a huge commitment both time and money. because of their predicted short life span I want to do what will lengthen their life as much as possible. they will soon be transitioning into giant breed adult food so this would probably be the best time to make a switch. I am looking at holistic select but im not sure yet if they have for giant breed. when you give eggs im assuming raw? do you not worry about salmonella? thanks for your advice!
Tracy, Bozwell and Elwood

[Susan]

Hi, I just read C4C post & I remembered Patch is on a probiotic, is ur boy on a good dog probiotic for his tummy & bowel, the probiotic helps their digestive tract thats what Patches vet gave Patch he was put on Vet Prescription Eukanuba Intestinal & protexin Probiotic for 5months vet wanted Patches bowel to heal…I couldnt give him anything else no treats nothing just the Eukanuba Intestinal kibble she wanted him on the Intestinal for 1 year but after 5months I started to slowly try other kibbles so slowly just adding about 1/4 cup to his Intestinal cup then if I saw his poo start to go sloppy I’d stop the new kibble & just give his Eukanuba & take the kibble back as they are guaranteed.. now I just use his kibble as treats, that way I know he wont have the runs or sloppy poo, Ive finally found ‘Holistic Select’ kibbles they are lower in fat % about 13% but Im using the senior chicken & rice its 10% fat & fiber is 3.50% Ive just been slowly mixing with the Eukanuba Intestinal so far Patch is doing really well I also give a little bit of banana or apple as a treat only natural foods no processed treats…I hope you find the right food but only try 1 thing at a time then u know whats causing the sloppy poo..Good-Luck

[DogFoodie]

In the US, Holistic Select proteins are not hydrolyzed.

[Susan]

Hi, have you tried the Holistic Select kibbles they are Hydrolized proteins & the kibble is a low residue kibble…low residue means that the kibble breaks up more easier in the dogs stomach & when water is added to a low residue kibble it will soften straight away they are not real hard kibbles..alot of grainfree kibbles are very very hard exspecially if they have poatoes they go straight thru Patch.. I have my boy on the Eukanuba Intestinal as he has I.B.D, Pancreatitis & seasonal allergies, itchy skin….he was on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic kibble & this gave Patch very very sloppy poos as the fat% was 19%, now Patch is on the Eukanuba Intestinal a low residue kibble fat is 10% it has cleared up Patches skin & fixed his sloppy poos… Ive been slowly adding the Holistic Select senior Chicken & rice the Fat% is 10% the Protein is 26% & the kibble softens straight away if I add water….. You probably wont find a low residue kibble that is grainfree, I prefer a kibble with just a few good grains like rice & oatmeal..I dont mind oatmeal as the oatmeal helps sooth Patches tummy & bowel…. http://www.holisticselect.com they do have 2 grainfree kibbles also..Good-luck its so hard finding a kibble that agrees with a dog with digestion problems, its taken me 1 year to find the Holistic Select kibbles that break up easy & dont upset Patches tummy but he still on the Eukanuba aswell I mix them together now or sometimes he has 1 kibble for lunch & the other kibble for dinner.. I ask him which one & he picks the kibble thats in containers.. I just wish I could do the whole rotation thing like a lot of people do on this site but Im just so happy that Patch is pooing normal & I can pick it up with no messes on someones lawn..

[Carolynne M]

I have a little cairn with seizures. The one ingredient I try to avoid is rosemary in any form. It is a seizure trigger for some dogs. It’s used as a natural preservative in many quality foods but checking the ingredient list will give you the information you need. That said – rosemary may not be a trigger for your dog but you never know.

A very good quality kibble will help. As mentioned by others – watch for preservatives. I make some home cooked food and serve it along with quality kibble.

Congratulations on two mild seizures in a year – that’s good control! A seizure dog should be fed as healthy of a diet as possible. You’ve made a great decision to check out foods to feed Moose. I give my girl a probiotic in addition to the kibble/home cooked due to her health status. There are some great foods that have pre and probiotics in them which might work well for Moose. Holistic Selects is one brand that comes to mind – I’ve been very happy with it for my other dogs. Fresh fruit and veggies for treats will help with the pheno munchies.

[Susan]

When I first rescued Patch he was having the rumbling bowel & blood in his stools vet said he had Colitis & I had to cut back on the fat % Patch was put on the Eukanuba Intestinal it has only 10% fat & 1.75% fiber the Eukanuba has helped, we’ve had no more rumbling bowel only when I tried mince meat he was up early hours of the morning & I could hear him coming he sounded like a car engine rumbling & grumbling.. so now I boil chicken breast & add some pumkin for breakfast, I put the cooked chicken & pumkin in a blender & munch up as Patch gulps his food this way Ive digested the chicken a bit for him. I also cant give any treats that are liver jerky treats this gives him diarrhea & the rumbling tummy… Ive been slowly trying Holistic Select Senior Chicken meal this kibble has oatmeal rice & pumkin so far so good.. I add water just to soften the kibble a bit so if he gulps & swollows the kibble whole its softer, just make sure u look at the fat% & the least ingredients the better, pumkin & oatmeal are really good on the stomach & bowel also the Eukanuba is a Low residue kibble that breaks up easy so is the Holistic Select kibbles easier on their digestion…..Chocolate would be high in fat hard fats….Also the Holistic Select Senior is high in Gluosamine supports healthy hips & joints. http://www.holisticselect.com/senior-dry-dog-food-chicken-meal-and-rice

[Jess S]

Wow Sue that does all ring very true! Bella hates the wet grass so much she won’t go to the toilet on it and messes on the patio! And I actually bought the holistic select on sunday and started her on that 🙂 I have the 1% cream gor myself also so will try that and the soak and look into the demotic with my vet 🙂 I also rub coconut oil in her ears and fish oil tablets which she gobbles up like lollies which I find has helped when she is super itch too! What type of antihistamines should I use Sara? She is 15kg

[Susan]

Hi, my rescue English Staffy boy that I rescued about 17months ago sounds like ur girl, Ive been having problems with his paws & ears since Feburuary, he was put on an elimation diet I found he cant have sweet potatoes & potatos make him itch more probably cause of the carbs in the Potatos Ive found that when he walks on wet grass of a money his paws are worst, making them red & itchy Ive been putting Cortic-DS 1% cream that I use for myself this cream will clear his paws if I put on at night before bed when he wakes up his red sore paws are all better I go for our morning walk then by lunch he’s starting to lick his feet if he has walked on grass..with his ear vet gave me Dermotic (ear & skin suspension) these drops clear his ear with days of applying very good ear drops, Have you tried the Holistic Select Anchovy Sardines & Salmon meal Adult Health kibble this kibble has No Peas beef or Chicken & has helped my friend Staffy & Ive told another lady at the park & now her mix breed staffys skin & itches have cleared up..my boy isnt on the Anchoy sardine & Salmon he’s on the Holistic Select Senoir as he also suffer from I.B.D & Pancreatitis & the Senior is a lower fat%….I also have taught Patch No Lick & everytime I see him lickin his paws, I tell his no & in the begingin I’d put him in a shallow bath with Detol Antseptic lotion or betadine, & soak his paws 3 times a week this helped kill the fungus & bacteria inbetween the toes, also no Potato, Sweet Potato make the yeast worst..

[Naturella]

Good job, Harper’s Mom! 🙂

Ok, guys, so my donation includes:

TOTW High Prairie Puppy – 5 lbs – $13 from PetLand
TOTW Pacific Stream Puppy – 5 lbs – $13 from PetLand
NutriSource Grain Free Lamb – 5 lbs – $14 from PetLand
NutriSource Grain Free Seafood Select (Salmon really) – 5 lbs – $15 from PetLand
2 free Castor&Pollux Organix Adult Samples – free from a health food store
4 cups of Bruno’s food mix – Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch:Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension:Victor Yukon Salmon in a ratio of 3:1:0.5 in the overall mix – free-ish from my stash, lol
4 J&W Small Chew bones (the nylon ones) – @ $.97/piece from PetSmart
3 rope toys – @ $.94/piece from WalMart
3 chew/rope toys – @ $.94/piece from WalMart
3 tennis balls for fetching – two @ $.99/piece and one @ $.01/piece from PetSmart
2 clickers – @ $.99/piece from PetSmart, but I already had them, so free-ish, lol
1 frisbee – @ $.99/piece from PetSmart
1 stuffed turtle toy – free gift from Petland
1 Small Greenie – free gift from Petland
8 Meow Mix Souffles – @ $.49 or $.50 from Target and PetSmart respectively

All for: $38 (includes also 12 more Meow Mix Souffles for friends’ cats, not the shelter ones)!

Here’s how it adds up: for the PetLand foods I had a coupon for $10-off a $25+ purchase, and they have a one-time promotion of buy-any-TOTW-bag-get-one-NutriSource-Free! So hence the cost of the NutriSource is nulled and for about $17 (with tax and stuff) I got 20 lbs of good food! And added the extra stuff, that can be used as treats! 🙂

Now, I just pray TSA doesn’t raid my bag and snatch it all up, cause I’d be sad… And hope the animals in the shelter like it all! 🙂

For reference – 4 bags of food, plus 2 plastic bags of toys, samples, and cat food, cost me under $40, while 2 non-full plastic bags of gifts for the family and friends cost me over $70. So I think I did good! 🙂

P.S. I think PetLand hates me though… sigh… Meh. lol

[Susan]

Ive made a mistake, I wrote that he was on the Holistic Select for 7months before I found the Holistic Select, it should of read, I had him on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 7months to let the bowel rest & heal then I started introducing another kibble the Holistic Select senior..its been a long day, Im moving & tired…

[Susan]

Hi, when I first rescued my boy he would have the gurgling Bowel, I took Patch to the vets & vet said it was Colitis & to put him on a low fat diet, so vet put Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal this kibble has stopped the gurgling bowel & rumbling, its a low residue kibble that breaks up easily & the fat% is 10%..I also could hear his bowel from another room & he too would not eat when this was happening of a morning he’d only eat grass also I would make him a piece of dry toast with either honey thinly spread or a fish paste very thinly spread as soon as he’d have his toast the gurgling would stop..Try a kibble with a low fat% 10% or under also watch what you feed at night… I dont give Patch no treats, nothing at night after his Eukanuba Intestinal kibble, this has also helped him….Have you tried the Wellness Simple range Limited ingredients they have the Duck & oatmeal & fat is min-11% u’d have to email Wellpet & ask what the max fat% is, they have the Simple Healthy weight at 8% fat its Salmon & Peas formula Im not sure about the peas thats why I havent tried as peas would give more wind pain..Ive been introducing Patch to the Holistic Select Senior also made by Wellpet cause the fat is min-10% I emailed Holistic Select & they said that the max fat is 11.98%.this kibble is a Hydrolized kibble & breaks up real easy.. I found when Patch ate real hard kibble he’d get the noisey tummy/bowel, so what I do know if I try a new kibble I boil the jug I put about 2 kibbles in a class of boiled water, I count to 40 sec then I get 2 small teaspoons & I place 1 of the kibbles that was in the boiling water on one spoon then I get the other spoon & push down, a good kibble should crush easily, a hard kibble wont crush & sometimes flings away..thats why I put 2 kibbles in the water just in case this happens but the Holistic Select Senoir or any of the Holistic Select kibbles are nice & soft after being in water after 40sec as the protein is hydrolized better on their digestion, Ive been trying to work out Patches health now for 1 year & we have it just right at the moment with the Eukanuba Intestinal & the Holistic Select senior Chicken meal & rice I only mix the Holistic Select & Intestinal for his lunch meal at the moment, But he was just on the Holistic Select for about 7months before I found the Holistic Select Senior, I did try a few other brand kibbles but they were too hard to digest.. Good-Luck also watch the fat if you give any treats or meats I do boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin for breakfast as the rice irritates Patches bowel I have also tried the Eukanuba FP as Patch has itchy skin & the fat% was 15% too high gave him the rumbling tummy/bowel then diarrhea, the Eukanuba Intestinal is for their tummy/bowel & for skin problems it cleared all his itchy skin up but at the end of summer he gets seasonal allergies from pollens & grasses & there’s nothing you can really do for that except put him in a plastic bubble & keep him looked up all summer Lol

[Susan]

Hi, try a kibble that is lower in fat%, Fiber% & maybe lower in protein & see how she goes..thats what the vets did with my boy & touch wood he hasn’t had diarrhea since last year….he was diagnosed with I.B.D & Pancreatitis & needs fat%-10% & under, fiber around 4% or under & protein around 26% or under. I also give cooked boiled chicken breast & a bit of boiled pumkin for breakfast mixed & mashed all together, then the kibble at lunch & dinner….he does 2 perfect poos a day now.. I tried the Wellness Complete Health kibble & he had bad diarrhea so I never tried the Wellness Core the fat, fiber & protein was to high for Patch…but I have him on the Holistic Select kibble as it break up more easy & is easier to digest, the protein is hydrolized making it easier to digest..he is still on the vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal it is also a low residue kibble that breaks up more easy… Ive been slowly mixing in the Holistic select kibble, I have him on the Senior cause the fat% is 10% & fiber is 3.50% protein is 26%..just have a look what the fat% & protein % is in the Urinary Gold is see if she is better, Its taken me 1 year to realize that the fat% was making him have the runs & needed a lower fat%…poor boy…

[Susan]

Hasn’t the vet put him on a vet prescription diet to see if the diarrhea will stop, then go from there, I know alot of people dont like vet diets but they are money back if they dont work & they may help ur dog until you work out whats happening.. with a lot of the grain free kibbles they have potatoes my boy cant eat the potato kibbles, 1 they are too hard to digest & go thru him, also German Sheperds are known for Pancreatitis what my boy has ..My boy has I.B.D & Pancreatitis he needs a low fat diet under 10% fat also he cannot eat boiled rice as it irratates his bowel giving him diarrhea..I give boil chicken breast with pumkin instead & this has helped him also he’s on a vet prescrition diet Eukanuba Intestinal & now he is doing real good after being on the Intestinal since August 2013 now Im so slowley mixing the Intestinal with Holistic Select Senior the fat is 10% the Protein is 26% & the fiber is 3.50% so far so good…it will say on the bag of kibble how much to feed a 18lb dog…..

[Susan]

Hi Nona MS, ur better off posting ur own post so people will read & see it better in Diet & health issues.. click on forums up the top scroll down to the 5th “Diet & health issues” click on this then scroll down passing everyones problems then u see ‘New Topic Title’ type put ‘Need help for a good Senior food for sensitive tummy’ then in the bigger box underneath type whats wrong, how old ur dog is etc then tick the box that says notify me follow up replies then click submit….
Im trying Holistic Select Senior “Chicken Meal & Rice” for my boy that has a Irritable bowel & Pancreatitis at the moment, this is only 10% fat & low fiber 3.50% & it is easliy digested kibble, so far everything is going good but Im still only 50/50 half the new Holistic Select Senior the other half his old kibble “Eukanuba Intestinal” which is also a good kibble for sloppy poos I just dont like him being on just 1 kibble say something happens & I cant get his Intestinal this way I have 2 kibbles that I know will agree with him..