[Elizabeth H]

I have a 4 month old Dobe lab mix and she cannot tolerate any food other than Royal Canin canned gastro intestinal high energy. I’ve tried slowly switching her over to 4 different foods but, half way through the switch she develops watery diarrhea (the only symptom) and she has to go back on the canned prescription food. I am a first time dog owner and I had ZERO idea on what to do. We’ve been to the vet 6 times in the last month and I’m starting to think he’s a quack lol. We’ve tried blue buffalo, pet smarts version of wellness and a wow brand with chicken salmon and turkey. After the first bout of diarrhea she had round worms and they were treated and since about a month ago all of her parasite tests come back negative. I’m going to try to go back to the food she was on when I got her which was purina puppy chow. If there are any suggestions on what I can do to get her back on a normal diet it would be greatly appreciated!!!!

[DieselJunki]

You’re story sounds hauntingly familiar. My Ambull started off this way but I couldn’t find a kibble he did well on at ALL. It was hard because he was wasting away, like he wasn’t digesting. I spent soooooooo much money and got 0 answers from my vet. I threw my hands up and went and did a raw diet, that was the only thing that worked for us, I did that for 2 years and just recently switched back to kibble trying brands that I had tried before and am getting good results this time. I have no idea what happened between when he was a puppy to 3 years later but he’s doing so well on kibble I’m actually quite surprised.

At least she is doing well on something. Halfway through the switch you say she develops the poops. Have you tried to add more of the old food back in with the new to see if that would help instead of just going straight back to the prescription food? How slow are you going with her switch? Have you been keeping track of common ingredients in those foods and tried to find another food with out those ingredients in it? Food trials take time, but anythings better than Purina and Royal Canine. In my opinion it is worth the effort. In a food trial it is best to keep all table scraps, and treats out of the mix to really truly get a handle on what it is that is causing her issues. You could use her current food as ‘treats’ and she wouldn’t know the difference I bet.

Have you tried any probiotics, or enzymes?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by DieselJunki.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by DieselJunki.

[Susan]

Hi, change vets & see a vet that’s knows about IBD SIBO EPI etc has she been tested for SIBO? have a look at the fat % & fiber % in the food she is doing well on…. ring Royal Canine & find out what % is the Soluble fiber, Insoluble Fiber & Crude fiber % in the wet tin food, did you try the matching kibble to the wet tin food she’s doing good on?? …. Have you tried limited ingredient kibbles & cooked meals? Have you tried boiled chicken breast, not boil till chicken pieces are like leather, get 1 chicken breast & cut up into small bit size pieces & just before it boils the pieces are normally cooked, take off stove drain water, boil the jug & rinse the chicken pieces with boiled water, the fat & white froth comes off then I put chicken pieces in cold water to stop the cooking process, also boil 1 potato & 1 sweet potato… same cut into bit size pieces… I freeze the Sweet Potato pieces in meal sections, same with the chicken pieces, I freeze in 1/2 cup sections & 1 cup sections…You cant freeze the potato it goes yuk I have found so I cook enough boiled potato for 2-3 days & keep in the fridge, I add 1 cup chicken pieces, a couple pieces of potato & a couple of pieces of sweet potato about 1/4 cup each to 1 cup chicken, put the chicken & potato & sweet potato in the blender & blend for a few seconds, stop when everything is all blended, put 1/2 in the fridge & warm the other 1/2 in micro wave if you have taken out of fridge for about 10-15 sec make sure it isn’t hot, now add 1/2 a can of her wet tin food she does well on & see when you add the chicken pieces, sweet potato & potato if she still does firm poos….maybe start with just the potato first no sweet potato just in case later if poos are firm then try adding some sweet potato… every thing you do has to be limited ingredients & only 1 thing at a time or you wont know what is causing the diarrhea…

My dog gets real sloppy yellow poos from the vet diet Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal cause it has Maize & boiled rice in it, boiled rice can irritate the bowel causing diarrhea…
Have you tried “California Natural” Lamb Meal & Brown Rice?? it has just 4 ingredients but cause you have a puppy you should have your dog on a puppy large breed Lamb & Rice kibble…. here’s the California Natural web site… a few dogs with IBD do really well on the limited ingredient California Natural, I’m pretty sure its money back guaranteed if it doesn’t agree with your dog….

I really think you should be seeing a specialist that deals in IBD in dogs, she may need to be put on Tylan Powder or Metronidazole or a steroid…. Tylan Powder is excellent & firms poos over night but you need to put the Tylan Powder in empty capsule cause its very bitter & dogs can stop eating cause of the taste it leave a metal taste in their mouth, it’s online how to get a shoe box & put small holes in the top of the empty shoe box, so you can put the Tylan Powder into the empty capsules, you add about 1/8th -1/4 teaspoon into capsule & must be given with a meal once a day if once a day doesn’t firm poo, then give twice a day breakfast meal & dinner meal but I only gave at Dinner meal..

When you try any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure they have limited ingredients…. just 1 protein & 1 carb, another kibble & wet tin food brand you can try is “Natural Balance” Dick Van Patten limited ingredient but look thru all the formulas as some have peas only pick a formula that just has Potato & 1 single protein, that’s why the California Natural Lamb & Rice is the best it has no peas its just Lamb & grounded brown & white rice, feed for breakfast 1/2 cup kibble then wait 5-10mins & then feed 1/2 can of the Royal Canine that she can eat, what ever you try always add her wet tin food but I don’t like feeding wet tin or cooked with dry kibble together, my boy gets pain when I’ve added the wet tin & a kibble dry 2 together your girl might be Ok…. For breakfast I feed cooked chicken sweet potato, then I feed the 1/2 cup kibble for lunch, so you’d feed her wet tin for breakfast, then lunch try just 1/2 cup limited ingredient kibble for lunch, then for dinner her wet tin food do not give anything else that day, no treats nothing, just her wet tin food & the new kibble or the cooked meal……That would cost a bit buying the vet diet wet tin foods being a pup, they eat a bit, that’s why if you can, its cheaper to cook & fresher…..do 1/2 wet tin food & 1/2 cooked chicken/sweet potato also if sweet potato give sloppy poo, then try just the boiled potato, if it does work you will need to balance the cooked meal, I use DigestaVite Plus powder
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

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[Susan W]

Hi!
I’ve head really good luck with VeRus foods. You can check them out at http://www.veruspetfoods.com/
I have a little mutt that has a very finicky digestive system. She’s had no problems eating VeRus’ Cold Water Fish and has even stopped itching. If you contact them, they’ll ask you questions and likely send samples to try.
Good luck!

[Elizabeth H]

Wow thank you this was VERY informative. I have her on a fast today and I will resume feeding tomorrow. The vet said he didn’t believe she has IBD because before the round worms she was fine on the purina and blue buffalo kibble. I am considering a new vet we’ll see how this goes when we start over tomorrow. I will be using the boiled chicken and long grain white rice then I’ll add pumpkin. And add probiotics to it that I got from the vet . I tried to press reverse when I noticed her stool getting soft but it would be too late and watery.

[Susan W]

Sadly, chicken can be an allergen, too. As well as beef. Something about all the hormones and growth chemicals they ingest. VeRus is also wheat/corn/soy and artificial/chemical preservative free.
Also, you can give your dog plain yogurt (about a teaspoon) for probiotics.
Good luck! Keep us posted!

[Author]

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