[Ryan K]

My vet did not recommend any hydro-therapy…I am assuming because he truly thinks she is in what could be the final couple months of her life? I am not sure though. I am starting to get a little more worried though that this is something serious that has just not been figured out. I am noticing a pretty large intake of water on her end. She seems to be getting up a lot to go drink. Definitely more then her normal amount. Also, since her vet visit yesterday she has totally turned her nose up to every piece of food I have tried to give her. Even things she would normally go crazy for like deli meats and cheese. The one thing I noticed is that if I sprinkle pecorino romano cheese on her dog food she acts like she WANTS to eat it and licks at it but spits the kibble out. This is concerning me greatly. I could live with the fact that she has mobility issues and that she falls when standing in one place for 10 seconds but the not eating, the constant panting and the constant drinking are serious concerns. I’m wondering if her kidney’s are failing? We just had blood work on her last week and the only value that was slightly elevated was her biliruben (spelling?) level. They did ultrasounds and x-rays on her stomach and everything looks fine to them though with no tumors.

Also, yes…I have wondered about the doggy dementia aspect as well because she paces at night. But, the vet also said he thinks this could be attributed to the fact that she lost her hearing so fast. He said she might just be very confused since she can no longer hear at night when everyone is asleep and things are dark. Not sure though.

Thanks for the replies.

[Ryan K]

Yes, I have actually tried Fromm’s Pork and Peas formula with her and she wouldn’t even touch it. It shocked me. I have noticed that most other Fromm’s (even in the Four Star) use Potatoes in their ingredient list. I’m not a big fan of Fromm’s for either of my dogs. My Dachshund/Terrier mix will eat ANYTHING and even he hasn’t been won over by Fromm’s. I now stay away from that brand since both the dogs have never shown interest in eating the foods from them that I have tried.

I think it might be a combination of seasonal allergies for her though like Susan mentioned. She won’t stop licking and chewing at her paws and I am wondering if it’s just because she has been in the grass/yard more lately? I wanted to get her off the Kangaroo though just based on the price. It’s costing me an arm and a leg to feed her and my other dog (he’s on another food!) and I am curious if there are alternatives to that food that would be free of the potato.

Any thoughts on Natural Balance Legume & Wagyu beef? I only had one outing with Natural Balance and the potatoes in the blend I got were a disaster. That was around the time I was discovering her response to potatoes. The Wagyu beef food is free of potatoes but it seems to have a lot of starch. I’m not sure if the overall guaranteed analysis is good for a senior dog or not. I’m not sure what levels I should keep an eye on for a dog her age? Is the protein supposed to be higher or lower as they age?

[Ryan K]

Thanks everyone!

I will look into the choices. I wish she would go for Orijen but every time I have tried her on it she turns her nose to it. Same with the Acana formulations I have given her in the past. She hates anything with fish in it. That has always been an issue for her despite my wanting to get those extra Omega-3’s in her system for her coat and skin.

The Pork and Sweet Potato might work. I wish there were more LID options for senior dogs with potato sensitivities. I always assumed she had a chicken allergy but I might try a chicken formula to test that theory out. 🙂

[Ryan K]

ALSO…she is allergic to Tapioca.

[Ryan K]

Glad to hear that DogFoodie! My vet acted like it was the WORST idea ever to lower her fiber intake but why should I feed her a dog food that is causing her to poop more than normal? Especially when she is leaking poop in her sleep because of her advanced age. They were very adamant about the fact that she has had allergy/dermatitis issues and that the Kangaroo recipe is “hypoallergenic” but she still itches and licks her paws on it. Sure, the amount she does that has decreased but not enough for me to feel like it has been a miracle worker food. Plus, how can they call it hypoallergenic when it has ingredients that a dog can be allergic to in it? Doesn’t make much sense to me. I’ll be giving my smaller dog the Kangaroo (since I have a half full bag that is just going to go to waste) since I think he needs a higher amount of fiber in his diet. He has anal gland issues. They always need to be expressed. He has been on Zignature Trout and Salmon formula and it hasn’t been doing much for him. Maybe the Kangaroo will work out for him and the Lamb & Rice will work for my big girl. Crossing my fingers. 🙂

[Ryan K]

Hi again.

I took her to the vet today after waking up to find her laying in a big pool of urine. The vet took blood work and everything came out to be totally fine. They aren’t putting her on any antibiotics or anything for the stomach issue. The vet seems to think that is just a natural part of her aging mixed with the bad arthritis in her hips. She is probably straining to stand and causing the feces to fall out. She told me the change in her food was not what she would recommend but I already ordered it so I think I am going to give it a shot. She said the higher the fiber the more solid the poop will be that comes out which is easier to clean up. So, that is not really a solution to the actual problem happening but that was her idea on it. I think I will give the California Natural Lamb & Rice a try though to see if it decreases the amount of stool she has. She really does have to poop a lot more since having started the Kangaroo & Lentils formula. She poops at least a few times a day compared to her prior once MAYBE twice a day from before.

Anyways…that’s my update. The vet put her on Proin and gave me a week sample of a medication for her arthritis called Deramaxx. We’ll see how she does.

[Ryan K]

Thank you guys so much! Susan, you just eased my mind a lot! This is BEYOND a stressful time for us. We are in the middle of a move and literally have ZERO extra funds right now for any serious incidents to be happening. Since she seems fine otherwise I am going to switch the food out to the recommended food you mentioned and hope that her poo incidents decrease. I think it’s the food. I am HOPING it’s the food. I know things only get worse as they age and as a large breed dog, 13 is pushing it, but I hope that she gives us a little longer with her. I’ve had her since she was 6 weeks old. She’s like my best buddy. If she shows any discomfort I will rush her to the vet. It’s just awful timing. AWFUL AWFUL TIMING! 🙁

Thank you for the help!! I am buying that food now!! 🙂

[Ryan K]

The vet actually told me to increase the fiber intake in his food. She said to look for food with fiber over 4%. I told her that he was on a food with around 2% so that was why she told me to up it. No tests were done though. She said the increase in fiber would help with the anal gland issues as well as having them expressed when he shows signs of irritation.

[Ryan K]

No, I haven’t tried that. I am such a forgetful person that I figured I would go to that route as a last resort if I can’t find a food that matches up to what he needs in fiber content. It’s definitely in my list of things to do if I can’t find that food though! 🙂

[Ryan K]

Hi crazy4cats! I have honestly just stayed away from anything with potato period. I took my vet’s advice and just avoided potato in general. I don’t know if Sweet Potato causes the same reaction as a standard white potato with yeast? It might be something I have to experiment with. :\

My older dog actually eats California Natural Kangaroo and Red Lentils and my little guy (the problem pooch!) LOVES it and always wants to get at it but it just doesn’t have enough fiber and the protein is so low in that formula. I give it to her because of her age and her allergies. She does great on it. I wish there was more fiber in it though so I could feed them both the same food. That would save on my pet-food cost a lot.

[Ryan K]

Thank you! I forgot to mention though that he has a sensitivity to potato in his food as well. I have to avoid it due to yeast issues he has. Whenever I put him on a food with any potato he gets yeast infections in his ears. Cutting that out has helped immensely. So, the Wellness line wouldn’t work as they use potato in most formulas. 🙁

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