It’s not always the amount of fat in the food but what kind of fat that is important. My vet told me that salmon (and other similar fish) are good to have in the diet because the oil is absorbed immediately in the upper most region of the digestive system whereas fat from beef and pork are not and they make the pancreas work harder. There are lots of other benefits of fish oil as well.
So I’ve been feeding my standard poodle a combination of Merrick Pacific Catch kibble with Wellness 95% Salmon (a “mix-in”, not a complete dog food). She likes it and has not had a pancreatitis relapse since having a severe episode in early May.
Hi Marylou- Do you know if there are any remaining parasites from the Giardia? She could still be feeling sick from that or the meds and not want to eat. Also, I do know that most Poodles (at least standards) tend to be on the thin side. You can usually see their hip bones etc unlike with other breeds. Have you asked the vet about her weight? I would definitely seek the opinion of a vet over a groomer (no offence). If she was weighed at the vet and her weight was not brought up she might actually be a normal weight.
If you want her to gain a little weight, you can give her coconut oil. Dogs love the taste and it’s high in calories. You could try adding it to the food as well. Also there is nothing wrong with adding chicken breast to her kibble. However make sure it’s not overcooked. It should be boiled if anything.
I just got my order of Darwins yesterday, this morning I fed both my dogs a little with their regular big dog natural food my Standard Poodle threw hers back up, my Toy Poodle did fine with hers. Any one else have a dog that threw it up?
Mine is more a question than a nomination. Well, more than one question actually. Out of the following 3, which is the best choice?
1. Fromm 4 Star beef
2. Wellness TruFood (small breed)
3. Farmina Pet Food’s N&D
My dogs have tried both the Fromm and the N&D, I have no complaints. Haven’t yet tried the new Wellness.
What would you folks recommend for a Standard Poodle with gastroenteritis. Was on Wellness Complete Turkey & Potato dry, then the dreaded Prescription i/d dry, then Wellness Simple Turkey and Potato dry and now Wellness Simple Lamb & Rice wet & dry.
Last 2 questions…in general, which is better Raw (store bought) or Dry?
Any feedback is very welcome. The Poodle is a Seizure Alert Dog of a client of mine and the company they got him through keeps insisting on the Wellness brand (probably getting a kickback). The other questions would be more for my own 2 dogs but for the Poodle too.
Thank you in advance.
Hi everyone,
I searched the forums for information about what to feed for pancreatitis but it seems that a lot of dogs with this issue need to lose weight. Mine needs to gain.
Lucie is a 13 1/2 y.o. standard poodle. Love of my life. When people see her they never believe how old she is. She is high spirited and a total people dog. But she has always been a picky eater (unless she has access to human food and/or the trash can, lol). A few years ago she had some elevated kidney results in her blood work and a liver result that was a bit elevated too. Also, high blood pressure. We put her on IAMS renal dry mixed with Purina NF wet (just did the calculation and the NF is >20% fat on dry matter basis). She was never thrilled with this food.
She has always has a weak immune system. A year ago she had persistent diarrhea so she went on metronidazole. We were unable to stop the metro w/out the problem returning. We recently tested for EPI (negative) but she is pos for SIBO/SID. We switched her to Tylosin and she’s doing well on that. But about 3 weeks ago she stopped eating and lost all of her energy and happiness. Pancreatitis (although an ultrasound showed it to not be “acute”) She was SO sick I wasn’t sure she would make it. She lost weight she couldn’t afford to lose. But, thank goodness she pulled through. I spent a couple of weeks cooking every lowfat/quality protein thing I could think of. Now she’s eating enthusiastically but she needs to gain weight. I’m giving her Rachel Ray wet food – this is the one food she likes and will eat for more than one meal in a row. But she is not eating enough.
Obviously her food needs to be low fat but preferably high-calorie. I’m leery of the Iams/Purina combination because she doesn’t like it much and that’s what she was eating when she got so ill. Anyone else have a similar problem with a success story to share?
Thanks in advance!!!
–Sarah & Lucie
Sorry to hear about your pup. I just brought home a standard as well. I was curious as to why you chose those foods over the editors choice large breeds? I just read those and they haven’t listed the ones you used. Is there a more specific option we standard poodle pup owners should be trying? (sorry didn’t mean to thread jack…just thought it was inline with my own question) The breeder was feeding “Jessie” Victor Professional and I am trying to find the best food option.
I’m a new subscriber with a new AKC registered litter of beautiful and healthy standard poodle pups on NE end of Lake Washington near Seattle. I’ve been feeding my dogs Darwins for a number of years’ now and attribute the longevity of my oldest Rescue Poodle to that awesome and natural food prepared fresh right here in Seattle. It is delivered frozen in styrefoam coolers right to my door. I definitely think it should be added to the list of recommended food as I intend to recommend it to all of my new pet owners. I hope to see Darwin’s on the list of best foods for dogs and I agree that the customer service couldn’t be better.
Hi there! We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of our standard poodle puppy next week & so I’ve just subscribed to figure out what to feed him. Our knowledgeable & well-respected breeder has recommended Dick Van Patten’s Sweet Potato & Venison Dry Formula, but I’m also wondering about Blue Buffalo’s Wilderness Brand that we fed our first standard poodle who lived to the wonderful age of 15 years & 3 months. I don’t see either or these brands in the current Editor’s Choice. Please advise & thanks in advance!
I have had several Standards and currently have 2. I rotate their food with one meal per day being raw&/or The Honest Kitchen and the other meal one of the following:
Orijen, Acana, and Fromm. I like to rotate protein sources and I occasionally add a bit of green tripe to the kibble. I stay away from grains as Standards often can have yeasty issues. Good luck & congratulations on your new adventure – life with a Standard Poodle is never dull!
I loved, loved that adorable Beagle. Skye was very eye catching. I’m just glad the Standard Poodle or the Portuguese Water Dog didn’t win again. No offense to anyone, it just seems like they always win.
I thought the Giant Schnauzer was the most beautiful Schnauzer I have ever seen though, but then I’m not a judge.
I’ve been looking at puppy foods for a new Standard Poodle I have coming. I narrowed it down to about 15, 4 and 5 star foods but……….I need help anyone with opinions or experience with this breed. kw
My Doberman, Kyzer, is hyper and has a very sensitive tummy and I have him and my 4 Standard Poodles on Fromm Salmon Tunalini and he has done well for 4 years now. Have you tried the slow eater dog bowl ?
I have a Standard Poodle that is 1 and about 40-42lbs she eats 1 1/2 cups a day and a toy poodle that is 9 and weighs about 8 1bs she gets 1/2 cup a day.
My 14 year old standard poodle Matisse was healthy his whole life. We had to board him for the first time ever in May while my husband and I were out of town. He came home very sick, had lost weight, lethargic, diarrhea, etc. After 3 rounds of Metronidazole and Sucralfate he still wasn’t better. His energy was back somewhat and he’d gained weight but still suffered from chronic diarrhea and constipation. I decided to stop following my vets advice (he also had Matisse on Royal Canin Gastro food) and try Canine Cavier. He started having normal stools after 3 days. Then added in plain canned pumpkin. Things got even better. Finally added goats milk. He is now 100 percent better. He has 3 normal very healthy bowel movements a day and his energy is way, way up. This transition didn’t take long. 2 to 3 weeks, but I could see results within a day of each added item. I was lucky, too. My local natural pet food store has an excellent woman who guided me. Natural Pet in Dunedin, Florida. If your dog is suffering from chronic colitis this combination is definitely worth a try. It has done wonders for us.
Nancy, I have a standard poodle that just turned 1 and a toy poodle that is 9 years old. Neither one had a problem switching cold turkey to BDN.
What age are you considering a puppy? I have a standard poodle who just turned a year old.
Thanks Kristin, I just tried Big Dog Natural freeze dried after someone on this board recommended it and my dogs love it! I have a Standard Poodle and a toy poodle they both absolutely love it. My toy will sit and cry while she is waiting for me to mix it. I e-mailed the company with questions before I ordered and they responded within 10 minutes of me e-mailing them each time. I e-mail Darwins with questions and they responded 3 days later.
Nancy, I just placed a order with Big dog natural. They answered my e-mails right away. They said it would cost about $48.00 to feed my standard poodle. I was paying much more than this. I couldn’t find a review for it on this site, I guess it hasn’t been reviewed. Thanks for all your info! Hoping my picky girl likes it. Cindy
Thanks Nancy! Any idea of what it would cost to feed a Standard Poodle who is about 38 lbs.
Hi have a gassy Standard Poodle. He belches frequently, which concerns me since he is deep chested and therefore prone to bloat. He also will sometimes regurgitate/throw up food that is still whole, as if he’s not chewing at all. And the stranger thing to me is that even if it is hours after having eaten, the food is still in it’s original shape and undigested…just wet and expanded a bit.
I currently feed him “Wellness Complete Health/ Chicken & Brown Rice for Large Breeds” He eats in a raised bowl most of the time….from what I’ve read I should eliminate that as the “raised bowl” way of thinking is changing. His other bowl is one that has dividers in it in order to slow him down. I restrict him from playing for an hour after meals.
Perhaps the belching is OK…at least the gas is releasing, but honestly it is LOUD. Louder than most humans. And I’m a worrier, having had an Akita die from bloat.
So, I’m asking for suggestions. I’m tending towards duck with potato or sweet potato, or oatmeal. I’m hoping for a larger kibble, but he apparently doesn’t chew the Wellness large kibble, so maybe that’s not important. Or maybe I should change to canned?
He’s 4 years old and has no other health issues beside the gas and occasional regurgitation of undigested kibble. The vet does not think it is mega esophagus, or anything serious but said if the regurgitation ever gets more frequent that he would run tests.
Any suggestions?
Currently feeding this to my standard poodle and she is doing okay on it. Haven’t had any issues with it and her transition from Earthborn to this was pretty decent. The ingredients are pretty much the same, bag for bag. We’ll see how it goes.
Barbara, my dogs (standard poodle 10 mos. & toy poodle 9 years) love grrek yogurt & cottage cheese I only feed them a little bit the standard about a tablespoon and the toy about a teaspoon a few times a week. Is this something they can have everyday?
I have a very picky standard poodle that is 10 mos old. I have tried numerous food that she would eat for a few days and then not eat and some she wouldn’t eat at all. All quality food like Orijen, Honest Kitchen (this one she wouldn’t eat at all) Now Fresh. I started feeding Primal freeze dried and she loves it! It is expensive, what can I add in to cut the cost?
Hello Sully’sMom!
The first thing to do is to do a fecal test – which I’m sure you probably have done.
I had the same problem with my Newfypoo (newfoundland+ standard poodle) puppy. I tried canned pumpkin twice a day, and probiotic yoghurt but his soft serve poop never went away. I had to finally introduce a digestive enzyme into his diet. The one I use is on Amazon and is made by naturvet. http://www.amazon.com/NaturVet-Digestive-Enzymes-Pets-1-Pound/dp/B009O31QXY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407154566&sr=8-1&keywords=digestive+enzymes+for+dogs
Good Luck!
Thank you for the info re Pepcid. Not that it changes the warning, but Alf is a 50 lb standard poodle. He has had digestive problems for so long, I am desperate and willing to try anything – not a good way to operate. Thanks again. Any other suggestions welcome.
I have been giving our dog Lotus brand grain free kibble mixed with Merrick’s canned grain free for the last year with really no difference in the amount of eye gunk. It comes and it goes…. but in the last month I have been going over to Darwin’s natural selection raw also mixed in with Lotus kibble in place of the Merrick’s grain free canned food. Our dog now has gunk almost always and now has a little hot spot between his toes. This month has been a real change for the worse and I cannot tell if it’s due to the change over to Darwin’s Raw. It seems to be illogical that Darwin’s is the reason. Could it be just that it is summer and more humid and more pollen? Also, is Darwin’s worth all the expense and trouble? And is it better than Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw patties? A lot of questions here so I’m grateful for any answers that you can give me….
I have had my standard poodle puppy on Merrick for 5 weeks. He likes it and seems healthy. However, his poop is always soft, some times a little runny, like soft serve ice cream.
He has been checked for worms. So I think this food does not agree with him.
What is it about the food that could cause this problem, and how do you choose another food to try and avoid this issue?
thanks!
My 1yo Spoo has been getting terrible infections in her shout for months. She has been treated with antibiotic four times. The Vet finally did 3 biopsies ($$$) that came back positive for staph and show extremely large amounts of cells caused by allergic reactions. She put her on hills prescription Z/D. Well we can’t afford it. I didn’t buy cheap dog food in the first place we fed taste of the wild which is high end. There is NO WAY we can afford it. Do any of you have a suggestion on a less expensive choice in foods?? I don’t know what to do. We just invested a lot of $$$ in her training, she is a service dog. We can not continue to afford a high cost diet for her and cooking is not an option as she travels too much. I wouldn’t be able to keep her food “safe”. The Vet didn’t say if this was a full time food change but she wanted to remove everything from her diet and start here. If it were for only a week or so I would say ok but she said 8-10 weeks. at 10 weeks that is well over 500 dollars for just her food vs 120.00 for ten weeks worth of food we feed now. unfortunately we can’t keep that pace up. 🙁
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This topic was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by
aasteapots.
I wrote here a few weeks ago. Alf, 5 yo rescue standard poodle/Intermittent diarrhea/terrible stomach gurgling, & wouldn’t eat on those days. Vet did stool tests (negative) and gave Flagyl & probiotics on the chance they might help. They didn’t. Got some good suggestions here — Thank you! I continued my search on the internet and even wrote to Dr. Tim (as someone here recommended). He suggested I cut out everything but one food. I tried his dry food first, but that didn’t help. However, upon his advice, added to that of my research, I concluded Alf might have a food intolerance. I decided to try LID Lamb. Alf has been on NB LID Lamb (and absolutely nothing else) for 8 days. He eats 3 cans a day (in 3 feedings). He has not had one day of the above symptoms. Such a relief! This problem has been so troubling. We still hold our breaths every potty break, hoping there will be no diarrhea – so far, so good! I am not that happy with NB’s review (3+) on Dog Food Reviews, but it has solved a big problem for us. Does anyone have other brand suggestions? I hate to change when NB is working, but we might consider something else after another month or so.
Thank you for your answer, but what kind of calcium level does a standard poodle need?
Hi Qi X –
While I wouldn’t consider standard poodles to be a large breed, however I do know that they are somewhat prone to hip dysplasia so you may want to consider feeding one of the formulas in the list with appropriate calcium levels. You could feed your adult toy poodle the same food as the puppy or check out any of the 4 or 5 star rated foods. If he prefers a smaller kibble, as some small breeds do, some good options are Victor, Amicus, Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Variety and most any formula labeled for “small breeds.”
Hi Hound Dog Mom
I have a 8 weeks old standard poodle puppy (she is 11 pound now,her dad mom are about 50 pound)and a 4 years old toy poodle(8 pound).Any suggestion of which brand dog dry food good for poodle? Sorry maybe you had wrote about it to somebody eles before, but I didnt read all the 70 pages, english is not my first language, It is kind of hard to read all that pages and it will take a long time to read and do translate at the same time..Thank you so much!
Alf is an apricot standard poodle! Sweet boy!
Standard Poodle, 5 years old, rescued 2 months ago. No info about digestion problems before we adopted. About 1 month ago, he started with explosive diarrhea x1 and terrible stomach grumbling. OK for about 1 wk, then diarrhea again for 2 days. Ok for 1 wk, then diarrhea – took to vet – Metronidazole x 7 days, probiotic caps for 10 days. (Some wretching, but no vomiting the entire time.) Chicken & rice x 4 days, then added canned food (Whole Earth Farms) back gradually. Yesterday back to all canned. No appetite & grumbling stomach again today. Suggestions?
Hello everyone!
I have a 5.5 month old Newfoundland Standard Poodle mix puppy (Onyx) who weighed in at about 60 pounds 2 weeks ago. We were feeding him Blue Buffalo large breed but the food doesnt agree with him, he itches constantly on it. And, his poop is Never good. I hate picking up mushy mess always. gross.
So, I was thinking about switching to Taste of the Wild’s salmon stream puppy formula, He was on this food before we got him and he loved it and was doing well on it. Im picking TOTW because of the following reasons:
1. It’s actually pretty reasonably priced for a 4 star food (on DFA) and I am a grad student so money is an issue.
2. The calcium content is at 1.4% and as recommended in this article (http://www.ivcjournal.com/articles/feeding-large-breed-puppies/) since it should be around 1.5% it seems okay to me.
3. The salmon is supposed to be good for his coat, he has the poodle hair, and I would like for it to be shinier than it is now.
4. He loves salmon anything.
I’d say Onyx is quite healthy and has a BCS of 4. Other than the occasional bout of diarrhea especially if he’s been digging up dirt, he is pretty happy and healthy.
Can anybody tell me if this is a terrible idea please? Here’s the link for the TOTW nutritional information – http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/puppies/dry_food/pacific_stream_puppy_formula/
Thank you!
Some Spoos are naturally very lean dogs, and some are a little neurotic and have trouble gaining weight. I know that there is a supplement recipe online called Satin Balls that can help– some of my forum friends with show poodles use these before shows to put weight on their dogs. And one of my friends, her Spoo lost so much weight that the vet put him on a human antidepressant (can’t remember which one) which in dogs causes the dog to have more appetite.
My mother-in-law’s 10 year old standard has been bony his whole life– but healthy.
The honest kitchen is dehydrated, but its not raw. Marie my standard poodle is very picky but she just started eating Orijen and she finishes all of it.
I feel so much better now feeding this to my toy, I wanted something that my 8 mos old Standard Poodle and my 8 year old toy could both eat. They both love this food. When I was feeding Merrick neither of them were that interested in it and my Standard was very gassy, she doesn’t have that problem on Orijen. I am trying to find a canned food that they will both eat also, one that is just as good as Orijen. I am going to try Go fit & free, does anyone use that or have a opinion on it?
I have started feeding my Standard Poodle and also my Toy Poodle orijen regional and they love it, but someone told me its not good for a Toy Poodle. any one know
Patrice..if the bones are all able to be felt I am guessing your boy should be around 55lbs though you can’t go just based on height..bone structure also comes into play but 55 is probably a good start.
I would use Abady granular. Almost 800 cals per cup he will gain. For poodles who wont gain weight I start with 1 cup dry am and pm mixed with 1/2c Abady then increase to 50 50 etc until he gaind the needed weight. I would also look out for addisons disease as some of the early signs are genrral malady as well as lack of appetite and weight issues. Standard poodles are one of the most affected breeds.
I have a 8 mos old standard poodle who is not a big eater, I am switching her from Merrick grain free dry to Orijen and she seems to really like the Orijen she is picking that out of her bowl and letting the Merrick there.
Which is best? I thought canned was better than dry but my standard poodle dosen’t seem to like it and she dosen’t like it mixed with dry either. I tried Honest Kitchen and Merrick canned. I am switching her from Merrick grain free to Orijen.
I am switching my 8 mos old standard poodle from Merrick to Orijen, she is really liking the Orijen she picks that out and leaves the Merrick in her bowl.
I have a 16 month old Standard Poodle (Jake). He has a ton of energy and very happy. He is the coolest dog in the world. (lol) Anyways, he has never been a big eater but he does eat. Some days he will eat 4 cups some days he wont eat at all. I have tried feeding him twice and three times a day but that didn’t seem to matter, so now I free feed him. He is 24 inches from the floor to the top of his shoulder and only weighs 39 pounds. The vet recommended Eukanuba High Performance food but I see here it is not rated very high. Can any one suggest a food to help put weight on my dog and still be a good healthy food. He also by the way has gas issues with some foods. He is eating blue buffalo puppy now and no gas (unless he eats the cat food) but we have been through several that either gave him runny stools or bad gas. I suppose if I could feed him cat food he would fatten up a bit but I’m sure that’s no good for him.
I’ve been getting into the habit of feeding my newfoundland and standard poodle mix puppy a half tsp of coconut oil for about a week. It has done wonders with his breath! You have to slowly build it up to the recommended amount so that it doesn’t play havoc with his stomach all of a sudden.
Wondering the same thing I have been using food that says all life stages for my 8 month old standard poodle, should I be using puppy only?
There are a few things you can do.
A hypoallergenic food can help.
An otic cleanser like Zymox or an ear powder like Thornit (have to special-order from the UK, a poodle rescuer friend says this is the best) are also good things to try.
You also have the physical attributes of the ear to consider. Dogs have a vertical ear canal, unlike humans, so moisture will fall down into the ear canal after swimming or bathing and is difficult to remove. Keep the ear canal well-plucked, use cotton balls in her ear during bathing to keep out water, and consider shaving her ears. If you can’t bear to shave her whole ears, shave about a 1.5 inch wide strip. A friend of mine with a Standard male does this, and while it looks different it does have kind of a cute pig-tailed look– and the lack of hair helps the ear canal dry out and become less hospitable for bacteria.
Good luck!
Thanks for the “feed”back. Alf is a 5 year old male standard poodle who we rescued about 6 weeks ago. Your answers make sense. I was told he ate canned in foster home. He is tolerating canned WEF very well. In fact he loves it. I am in the habit of always leaving dry available. He doesn’t eat much of it, but every time I see some gone, I notice the loose stools. I think I will try another brand. Any suggestions?
Has anyone had a problem with Orijen dry? My dog, standard poodle eats Whole Earth canned mostly. I keep Orijen dry out at all times. I noticed when he eats the dry he has loose stools. He is a standard poodle.
Last night I mixed about a 1/2 tablespoon of raw honey in with her kibble and she ate all of it! Does anyone know if a tablespoon of honey a day is ok for a almost 8 mos old standard poodle?
