[joanne l]

Thanks I will call the vet, my dog just got a check up, I just called him and read the ingredients to him. He said too much fiber from bran. I thought so anyway. Some foods he switches fine and some he don’t. I have a German Shepherd they tend to have sensitive stomachs. He is tolerating the Holistic Select, but it is a choir making him eat it. If I put beef broth on it he eats it.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Well everyone I got Fromm’s new recipe the beef and oats, I gave him just a few kibbles with his regular dry food. He loves it but he had a bad stool. I know it is new but I only gave him a few pieces. There is oat groats in it and whole barley. These grains have the bran still in it. I know bran is a no go for my dog, it is harder to digest than pearled barley and oatmeal. So maybe I will try something else. I wasn’t sure if I should continue with transition with this, if a little bit gave him a bad stool maybe I should forget it. With grains white rice, oatmeal and pearled barley is easier to digest then the “whole grain” dogs digestive track is short and the whole grains take long to digest so my dog seems like he can’t handle it.

[joanne l]

Just do a tablespoon or 2 mixed with dry food. And see how he does. Slow and steady wins the race.

[joanne l]

I also forgot to mention, if you cook the ground meat and rice. make sure it is 2 parts rice to 1 part meat. Right now he needs more rice in the ratio. I am very familiar with this condition. I have friends that had dogs like this and sometimes simple like cooking for a few days does the trick. Also please let me know what dog food your dog was on.

[joanne l]

I don’t know if this will help you, but I will share it anyway. My friend had a dog with this condition. His vet did the same as your vet is doing. However, the owner found out it was a chicken allergy. He bought Natures Instinct limited ingredient diet of lamb and he never had a problem again. Now I don’t know if it will help your dog, but you can this food a try. It has an ingredient in there call Montrolle clay, sorry I can’t spell it but anyway they say it can help with IBD. Check chewy out and read the reviews. Other than that try cooking for the dog. Either boil ground meat and rice or chicken and rice. If the Rx diet is not working than do this. See if the cooked diet for a few days will work. If it does great, than you can add a very little of the dog food I mentioned and see what happens. I know some on here may say to go to a specialist. If you can afford it go but ask about food intolerance and allergies. What dog food was your dog on begore?? Look at the ingredients in it and let me know. I hope you can get this under control. Also by cooking you will know if she may have a allergy. If chicken and rice don’t work than try beef and rice. And please drain all the fat when boiling ground beef. Oh and only use white rice, do not use brown rice! White rice will be best for this condition. P.S. you said “RX diet may have made it worse”? There maybe something in the Purina that is not tolerated. I have a feeling your dog may do well on the cooking method I mentioned to get him back on track.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

And furthermore, what all this stuff that goes on with dog food can be frustrating for anyone.

[joanne l]

I would get a grain in food, b/c of the FDA warning about grain free diets maybe linked to heart disease. So the so called bad ingredients maybe in this food is the sweet potatoes, peas and potatoe. I don’t know what brand it is, but try to get grain in if you can for now. I am sure others will help you as well. Good Luck.

[joanne l]

Hlaleycokie, It was the can that did not agree with him. I am talking about trying the dry food.

[joanne l]

I completely understand, however with this going on right now he told me advice for this situation. I am not a fan of Purina, so I am not leaning toward anyone right now. What I do know is I don’t like grain free period. So I am avoiding that for sure. My dog never did good on grain free. So I narrowed that down, however I am feeding Holistic Select right now. I may choose to try Purina to see how it goes. If it goes well with my dog than it is fine with me.

[joanne l]

Hi everyone I just wanted to share, not that you don’t already know this, but I had a vet appointment today for check up and we were discussing the DCM thing. My vet said not to use grain free diets and don’t buy from small companies. He also said he likes companies that sell RX diets, he said since they sell these diets they are very knowledgeable and trained nutritionist that make these foods, he said he feeds his dogs Purina. I know you guys know this already just wanted to share what my vet said.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Thank you Patricia, yes I do give my dog chicken boiled. He is fine, however when it is in dog food there is a problem. I know this b/c he is on Holistic Select lamb and when I introduce the chicken one he is fine for a few days then not fine. When he was on Fromm beef I tried their chicken and the same thing happens, he don’t feel well. I used Purina’s lamb and rice and he was fine when I bought their chicken and rice it was not fine. So I know it is the chicken, in dog food not my chicken. So I think it is certain parts of the chicken he can’t have. Or he may need the highest quality of chicken for it to be accepted. I know it is strange but I know this for sure. So I did want to try Fromm’s new beef and oats, b/c it is grain in, they have chicken listed as the 17th ingredient, it can’t be that much. But I guess I won’t know until I try it or just forget it.

[joanne l]

I called my vet, what a big help his is. He told me the only way is to try it. He don’t think a small amount would hurt but he is not sure. I don’t believe in asking a vet everything, because I am the one who feeds and observes the dog. I just wanted some feed back on peoples dogs that have a sensitivity to chicken can they tolerant it in very small amounts.

[joanne l]

Anon, I seen the new Fromm recipe the “beef and oats” it looks good but chicken is the 17th ingredient and chicken liver is the 19th ingredient. I know my dog gets upset stomach with regular chicken recipes, but this is far down on the list, what do you think about it? I really want to try it however I wish it did not have chicken in there. And to all that are very helpful with the DCM issues and putting people aware, I don’t want anyone to feel that I don’t believe them or I am hard headed, I know Fromm maybe not good choice right now, but I don’t keep my dog on one brand long.

[joanne l]

I agree Robert. Well said.

[joanne l]

Nope, I ask to about their American Journey and can’t find out either.

[joanne l]

Ha Ha, I am glad to see some humor in this. b/c I can’t. I guess I get paranoid what can I say. But the only way of knowing is to feed it to the dog and hope it works. I know he can’t eat the pro plan can food.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/florida-man-finds-maggots-in-dog-food/67-510991589

[joanne l]

https://fox13now.com/2017/03/30/purina-responds-after-utah-family-finds-full-bag-of-maggots-in-pet-food/
check this out.

[joanne l]

Anon your right I was not thinking. It is the law for rabies shot. My dog had his shot and I will continue. That is dangerous!!!
And dogs should be on a leash while walking, b/c anything can happen.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Thank you, for your advice. I will keep him on his regular food. My vet is doing a check up at the end of the week. It is a shame b/c I do think Purina has all the right nutrition down to a science, but there quality is poor. People on here think I am bashing Purina for no reason, but if you type in “Purina and worms or bugs” you will see an endless thing on the computer.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

That is great! My vet only gives the rabies shot, maybe I should stop that as well. My other GSD lived to 13 years old he only got the rabies shot. I feed him Nutro all his life. Nutro I think was better back then. Thanks for the info. Always a pleasure to hear peoples opinions.

[joanne l]

Thanks for the heads up Anon. I don’t buy dog food from amazon, I just read reviews. If I buy Fromm I will buy it from them. There website to order it is Gofromm.com it comes right from there place. Maybe that is why so many people are having trouble with Purina, because they are ordering it off of amazon.

[joanne l]

I appreciate your advice and sorry for the misunderstanding. Now I got it. I will find another food.

[joanne l]

I am not looking at WSAVA approved at all. All I know is that I use what my dog does well on. Purina is not the one. I know they don’t recommend brands. I am just saying look on amazon and you will see how many people said there were worms, bugs and moths in the food. I just don’t know. I mentioned this b/c I wanted to try purina dry food, the savor has rubbery pieces in it I don’t care for. I don’t doubt that a lot of dogs do well on it, but when I seen all the bad reviews I was concerned.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Yes I always do, I use natures instinct can, eagle pack and wellness with no trouble. He is a big dog and I only give him 1/4 of a can with his dry. He is quite use to change. Forgot to mention I didn’t like the way it smelled either. IMO just b/c a food is WSAVA approved that doesn’t mean it can’t be spoiled. Don’t you think?

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Anon, I know a lot of people on here don’t like Fromm. I know they are trying to be helpful. I been looking and researching another food for my dog. A lot of people on here like Purina. I do to, however I seen a lot of complaint s with it. I posted it on another place. After reading I was going to try Pro plan beef and rice, now I am rethinking it. I might try Fromm beef and oats, the new one. Did you try it yet??

[joanne l]

I found this website with dog foods listed:
https://www.heartdoghealth.org/foods.html

[joanne l]

I just bought Purina pro plan can food, my dog is used to different kinds of can with his dry. However when he ate the pro plan he was sick for 2 days. I called the vet he said put him on bland diet. I did and he is fine. I bought eagle pack can instead and he is fine. Don’t think I can use Pro plan. Even though it is “waava approved” it is not okay if it gets your dog sick. I looked at some reviews about Purina and a lot of them said there dogs got sick. I posted on another page. This is crazy because I can’t trust certain foods b/c of DCM now I don’t think I can fully trust Purina.

[joanne l]

I did not try Purina yet, I did some research and found a lot of bad reviews. A lot of people said bugs, worms and maggots found in the food. Some others were saying their dogs got very sick, throwing up and diarrhea. If it was just a couple I would chalk it up to maybe some dogs can’t tolerant it, but there are too many saying the same thing. Of course I seen good reviews as well, but all the bad ones have me nervous to try it. Did anyone hear of this?? This doesn’t make me feel comfortable.

[joanne l]

Sounds like you are doing good. No need to try to do better.

[joanne l]

I agree with Anon.

[joanne l]

How about oatmeal? don’t think you can freeze it though. I eat cheerios, geez what in the world would they put that in our cereal for.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

I agree, in a nutshell it sounds like, Purina, Hills and RC have the science of nutrition down right, and the small companies have better ingredients. Now if you put them together you will get great food. It is always something.

[joanne l]

Did the vet say green tea extract in dog food can cause this?? I am wondering what everyone thinks about this?? I agree not liking it because it is from china. I called Wellpet and asked to remove it if they can. They ask me why? I said a lot of people don’t like it and I feel that it makes the dogs not like the food. I said this because it is true my dog hates all wellpet products, he eats Holistic Select but not enthused about it so I might change his diet. Anyway, they said it is “our preservative” I said I am sure you can find another preservative, after all I don’t see it in many dog foods anyway. So they said they will take it under consideration.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

Oh my God, is she okay now?? Go back to science diet. Let us know how she is doing. I hope your dog is okay. Stay with food that has been around for a long time, not that it will be perfect either, but the odds are better.

[joanne l]

If that is what the Doc gave you, than yes it is for that, and yes it is a good food.

[joanne l]

Thank you, I might have to change his diet because he is refusing the holistic select and he been on that since February. But he won’t eat it. I made him chicken and rice and I am going to try the Pro Plan beef and rice. I seen the beef variety Purina has. I was going to go with Victor. Some breeders feed it I found out today. But still I think I will try pro plan. I hope he can tolerate it. Fingers crossed.

[joanne l]

Anon101: I think you should rethink Zignatures. I say this respectfully, I heard a lot of dogs on this food were in bad shape. I am telling you there were young dogs different breeds as well with full blown DCM and CHF on this food!!! I see a report from an animal hospital, sorry I forgot the name of the hospital. But I WOULD NOT feed this one for sure. The breeds included GSD, Rottweilers, puddles and mix breeds. But if you like it so be it. I just wanted to let you know. I do understand there is a gray area, however if this FDA warning was with our food I know I would stay away from what they think until further notice. Wouldn’t you?

[joanne l]

I just found this website https://huffardanimalhospital.com/2019/02/05/an-update-on-boutique-exotic-and-grain-free-beg-diets-for-dogs/
Maybe you guys already seen it I don’t know.

[joanne l]

Where did you find this on chewy?

[joanne l]

Well, did you get it from a dollar store? If so I wouldn’t put it pass it, probably wood dust.

[joanne l]

Anyone use Victor dog food?? I know you guys like Purina, hills, and Royal Canine. But I wanted a beef and rice food. This one looks good, but I never used it. I don’t know if staying with just a food that is WSAVA approved is going to solve anything. Then you are limited what to use. I am just staying away from grain free and dog food makers that were not around a long time right now.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

I am so sorry to hear about your dog. Thank you for sharing that information. I was going to go back to Fromm, but I am not. Others on here don’t like it much either, with the DCM going on. Take Care. Sometimes even when we call companies to find out things, I don’t think they always tell the truth. No company is going to admit their food is no good. That is such a shame, I am truly sorry to hear this. I hope you are okay.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

That is funny I am looking for the same thing. Right now I am feeding Holistic Select lamb and rice, it doesn’t have chicken and it is grain in, but it list peas one time. So I gave it a go. They do have a fish formula that doesn’t have chicken or peas just grains. I might try that. I don’t think it is high in protein, it is average, I give my dog red meat with it. I did find VIctor beef and rice, that looks good no chicken and it has grains and no peas or legumes or potatoe. I never tried it yet need some reviews on it first.

[joanne l]

I say companies should throw in the fur and feathers and forgot the other fiber foods. LOL!!

[joanne l]

Well put, I also agree about the fiber, especially rice bran!! If my dog eats a food with rice bran his stools are terrible. I steer clear of that ingredient. Also, yes dogs poop 3 times as much with a high fiber and that is not good. I agree totally. Some of these companies have like 6 to 8 % fiber and that is way too much for us. I go with 3 to 4% for maximum. Too much stool out put more lost nutrients. Like you said.

I just read about wolves, how they get their fiber. I couldn’t believe it, but they get their fiber from fur and feathers. This is true I will try to post the articles. I checked a few and all said the same. They said, “wolves eat bones with fur on them and there are two reasons fiber and it protects their stomachs from sharp bones. Very interesting. They also eat grass to purge an upset stomach. It is so interesting how natural provides them with everything they need. So wolves don’t eat fiber foods that dog food contains. We would say yuck to feathers and fur, but it is fiber and protection to the wolf.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

That might be so, however I still don’t like grain free long term. I had another post why I don’t like it and it is because legumes and peas prohibit nutrients and minerals from being absorbed. Grains don’t do this. I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but some of my friends are. They know all about beans of all kind. Since they don’t eat meat they need to eat grains with beans to have a balance. Because there is something in grains that beans don’t have. But anyway I am not saying grains are great, but I am saying they are not bad at all. Since I know what legumes can do I avoid it in dog food. Such ingredients don’t even make sense in a canines diet at all period.
Here is an interesting article, this is one of many. You will see how beans can effect minerals.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/legumes-good-or-bad#section3
P.S. I don’t mean to sound like a smart aleck I just want to tell people about my findings, so maybe it could be of help.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by joanne l.

[joanne l]

I wonder if he has a bug deep in his ear? Just a thought. Does his food have any chicken in it?? Even though it is Rx diet if it has chicken the dog maybe allergic to it. Check the ingredients. Hope you resolve this.

[joanne l]

Regardless, still grain free dog food is a fad, and it has not been around long enough. To make it easier I just stay away from grain free and exotics meats. Reason being is because legumes and peas prohibits minerals to be absorbed. I never liked grain free anyway. So exotics meats is another story don’t like it, we don’t know what they are preserving it with and where it comes from, if it is safe, even though they can tell you it is. Plus the nutrients are different. I know there is always something with any dog food, but these trendy dog foods , to me, are not worth using for long period of time if you do use it. This is just how I see it.

[joanne l]

Anon where are you from, you mind me asking? Thank you for the advice. I don’t know much about this WSAVA thing. So what does it mean if is doesn’t meet there standards? The food is bad??

[Author]

Posts