Dog food woes

*blackrose

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#1
As some of you may have guessed based on my past few threads, I am having issues finding a food that agrees with Abrams that I can afford to feed. So, instead of having a ton of different brands of food sitting around, I thought I'd see if anyone has any good recommendations, because I'm lost.

The breeder was feeding (and strongly recommended) Eukanuba Large Breed puppy food. When I brought him home at 7.5 weeks, I switched him cold turkey to Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice. He did fine for a bit, then started having loose stool. I chalked it up to being a wormy puppy. Negative fecal. Then I chalked it up to him being hot (as it was WARM outside and we didn't have air). It still continued and didn't improve. His poos pretty much looked like cow patties.

So, I did another fecal. Negative. Did a giardia snap test. Negative. Begged the vet for some Metronidazole to see if that would help (as I was getting sick and tired of cleaning up nasty cow patty poos, and he was getting me up in the middle of the night/early morning to go poop outside). While he was on the antibiotics, his poop was pretty much normal. Started him on some probiotics to see if that would make a difference. Gave it a few weeks to see if it would "kick in", and nothing.

So, a couple of days ago, he had explosive diarrhea all over his crate at 1am. I said, "Fine, enough," and had Mike go and pick up some 4Health Salmon and Potato to see if that would firm up his stool. We switched him cold turkey. He's still on the probiotics.

The past two days he has had normal stool, but now he has RANCID farts. Like, bad. He's sleeping under my feet and I'm gagging about every five minutes due to another fart coming on. I'm happy his stools are normal, but at least I didn't have to smell his gross ones when I'm trying to relax!

The 4Health S&P is an adult maintenance food (which I didn't realize when I purchased it), so he is going to have to eat something else anyway. I just don't want to purchase yet another bag of food to only have it give him horrible gas/diarrhea. Which I realize will most likely happen, but I'd like to make the best decision, so at least if/when the food does disagree with him, it was my best choice and I don't kick myself for spending $$$ on food that isn't needed.

So, he was eating this:
Ingredients:
Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, white rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, dried plain beet pulp, egg product, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, fish meal, vit., min., etc.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein: 26%, Fat: 16%
Nasty smelling soft served stools.

Switched to this:
Ingredients:
Salmon, ocean fish meal, potatoes, peas, cracked pearled barley, egg product, millet, canola oil, tomato pomace, natural flavor, flaxseed, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, dried kelp, carrots, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberries, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, vit., min., etc.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 25.0% (min.), Crude Fat 14.0% (min.), Crude Fiber 3.0% (max.)
Nice, solid stools. NASTY farts.

Should I stick with something that is grain inclusive (thus trying to avoid maybe a potential potato/pea issue), but fish based? Or switch to something grain free (thus, potatoes/peas), but not fish or chicken based?

Halp? :confused:

(If you're going to give me brand name ideas, I need to keep it as cheap as possible. Like, around a dollar/pound. Which limits my options, I know...I've basically been looking at 4Health and the Diamond products at TSC, as the food sold at Petsmart and such is way too $$$ for the quality of the food. I can't spend $65 for a 30 pound bag. ALS is also ideal, because then I can feed it to Cynder, too.)
 
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#3
I would stick with the 4Health for a while and add some yogurt and charcoal to his diet. Do you feed him any treats or anything besides the food?

I also like Natural Balance Limited Ingredient foods.

And if he gulps his food, get a bowl that deters gulping. If he's swallowing air, it will only make matters worse.

I feel for you. I know how it is... Every once in a while, both Shepherds eat something that disagrees with them and it's horrible in here for the next few days! I can't imagine dealing with it all the time.
 

Kat09Tails

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#4
I would try less food more frequently (split to 4 meals) and I would probably treat for giardia anyways. I have one who gets it if you look at him sideways - and yes... recurs no matter what the vet says.

This probably isn't a food specific issue. I suspect that it's just more food than his little puppy bod can handle right now or he's just not completely over the giardia thing. .
 

*blackrose

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#5
He never had giardia - I tested just in case. He had roundworms as a pup, which pyrantel cleared up.

We've also tried reducing his food intake...didn't do anything besides make him lean. I'm really not comfortable enough reducing it any more, especially now that he's eating a lower protien/fat/calorie food.

I can try feeding more frequently, but I'm not sure if my schedule will allow it. I can try mor.ing, evening, and then late night, but that will be about all I can do.
 

Kat09Tails

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#6
He never had giardia - I tested just in case. He had roundworms as a pup, which pyrantel cleared up.

We've also tried reducing his food intake...didn't do anything besides make him lean. I'm really not comfortable enough reducing it any more, especially now that he's eating a lower protien/fat/calorie food.

I can try feeding more frequently, but I'm not sure if my schedule will allow it. I can try mor.ing, evening, and then late night, but that will be about all I can do.
You're not really reducing the amount- just the frequency so it's not one giant amount that his digestive system can't keep up with. Even if you leave him with a treat ball or kibble ball that dumps a few nuggets at a time when you leave for the day it's still better than making him sit on far too much food.
 

*blackrose

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#7
You're not really reducing the amount- just the frequency so it's not one giant amount that his digestive system can't keep up with. Even if you leave him with a treat ball or kibble ball that dumps a few nuggets at a time when you leave for the day it's still better than making him sit on far too much food.
Oh, that's a good idea. Didn't think of that.
 

Southpaw

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#8
I wonder if you try a digestive enzyme/probiotic supplement again? Might not have been the answer for the loose stools but maybe it will help with the gas?
 

JacksonsMom

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#9
Honestly? Was he doing okay on Eukanuba? I would just feed him what works for the time being. Wait til he gets older to do the food trials, etc.
 

*blackrose

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#10
He's still on his probiotic supplement - don't want to take him off of it encase it's helping! Lol

I honestly don't know how he did on Eukanuba. I brought him home at 7.5 weeks, and he had only been eating it for a short while. As far as I know his stools were normal, but at such a young age....I don't know if it would matter? I have considered, though.
 

JacksonsMom

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#11
He's still on his probiotic supplement - don't want to take him off of it encase it's helping! Lol

I honestly don't know how he did on Eukanuba. I brought him home at 7.5 weeks, and he had only been eating it for a short while. As far as I know his stools were normal, but at such a young age....I don't know if it would matter? I have considered, though.
Yeah, I mean, I would personally think it'd be worth a shot. Maybe buy a small bag. I have no idea about Euk's pricing (probably not as cheap as I'd think it would be) but they have a few formulas that actually aren't half bad.
 

Southpaw

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#12
He's still on his probiotic supplement - don't want to take him off of it encase it's helping! Lol
Ahh okay. Re-reading your original post I see that now :doh: I just know when Juno was a sensitive puppy, we relied on Prozyme for a while, did wonders with the gas issue!

Since it's only been a couple days I might just wait it out a bit too and see if it resolves itself once he's been on the food a while.
 
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#13
Yeah, I mean, I would personally think it'd be worth a shot. Maybe buy a small bag. I have no idea about Euk's pricing (probably not as cheap as I'd think it would be) but they have a few formulas that actually aren't half bad.
Eukanuba is a horrible brand with terrible ingredients.
Eukanuba Adult Maintenance says there’s “0 fillersâ€... actually, the ingredient list contains only one meat and the rest is nothing but fillers full of starch and sugars such as Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Dried Beet Pulp, Dried Egg Product and Fish Oil.

Plus, Eukanuba and Iams just got recalled in the U.S.
Along with Natura, all of P&G pet foods are in a recall.
Roger Biduk
 

*blackrose

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#14
Since this was spammingly bumped...I'll post an update! Lol

We've weaned off the probiotics and he's currently eating a mixture of 4Health Salmon and Potato, 4Health Whitefish and potato grain free ALS, and TOTW Pacific Stream puppy. LOL (Can you tell I couldn't make up my mind?) Stools are great, no more farts, and he is doing great. I get a discount at work, so I think I'm going to throw ProPlan Sensitive Stomach formula into the mix - it is grain heavy, but much higher in kcals than the other foods, plus has the exact C/Ph ratio I want.

(But dang, now their breath and poop smells like fish. LOL)
 

Hillside

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#15
Since this was spammingly bumped...I'll post an update! Lol

We've weaned off the probiotics and he's currently eating a mixture of 4Health Salmon and Potato, 4Health Whitefish and potato grain free ALS, and TOTW Pacific Stream puppy. LOL (Can you tell I couldn't make up my mind?) Stools are great, no more farts, and he is doing great. I get a discount at work, so I think I'm going to throw ProPlan Sensitive Stomach formula into the mix - it is grain heavy, but much higher in kcals than the other foods, plus has the exact C/Ph ratio I want.

(But dang, now their breath and poop smells like fish. LOL)
It may be higher in kcals, but I still had to feed Saga almost 4 cups of it a day versus 2 of TOTW because she wasn't absorbing most of it. GIANT poops. I'd stick with the 4Health and TOTW. And if you have finally found something that works for him, I wouldn't mess with it. There are several foods that I would like to try with Nico, but since his tummy is SO sensitive, I'm sticking with the one that I know works.
 

meepitsmeagan

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#16
Earthborn Holistics is decent as well, and it only runs about $10 bucks more around here than 4Health. I do rotations of Earthborn, 4Health GF, and the occasional Acana now.
 

Barb04

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#17
Glad to hear you found a good combination. Just to let you know I tried Earthborn and had to stop using it as my dogs were getting severe allergies while on it. A few of my friends had the same experience. I'm feeding TOTW and 4Health also. I use the grain 4 Health. I haven't tried the grain free one.
 

Toller_08

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#19
If feeding commercial foods, dogs should always have a grain-free, high protein food.
Roger Biduk
Normally I ignore your posts, but sometimes it's hard. While you do have plenty of good information and knowledge, you come across pretty conceited. There is no "always" when it comes to dogs. Some dogs do better on a grain inclusive diet. Not all dogs do well with grain free, and especially some of the higher protein grain free diets. And this is coming from somebody who feeds Orijen to two dogs (because surprise surprise, they do better on it than raw) and raw to her other two dogs and works in a natural pet food store. It's absurd to point out that you should only feed a certain type or a certain brand of food.

If you're going to continue to randomly pop in with information that 99% of the forum is aware of already, you could do so in a more friendly, informative manner and perhaps participate in other areas of the forum as well. Not that you haven't already been told that. You have a very "my way or the highway" attitude and it's aggravating.
 
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#20
Normally I ignore your posts, but sometimes it's hard. While you do have plenty of good information and knowledge, you come across pretty conceited. There is no "always" when it comes to dogs. Some dogs do better on a grain inclusive diet. Not all dogs do well with grain free, and especially some of the higher protein grain free diets. And this is coming from somebody who feeds Orijen to two dogs (because surprise surprise, they do better on it than raw) and raw to her other two dogs and works in a natural pet food store. It's absurd to point out that you should only feed a certain type or a certain brand of food.

If you're going to continue to randomly pop in with information that 99% of the forum is aware of already, you could do so in a more friendly, informative manner and perhaps participate in other areas of the forum as well. Not that you haven't already been told that. You have a very "my way or the highway" attitude and it's aggravating.
Unfortunately you seem to have no idea what you are talking about nor am I remotely interested in your criticism or the fact that you don't read my posts.

BTW, there is no carnivore or obligate carnivore in the world that "does better on a grain inclusive diet".
And the so-called "higher protein diets" you mention aren't that high at all when you take into consideration a canine's ancestral diet is the same today, which is around 49% protein... and I couldn't care less what you feed your pets.

You confuse knowledge with conceit which is a character flaw on your part, not mine... I wish I was able to get this knowledge from someone years ago for the benefit of my pets.

As far as your back-handed compliment of having "plenty of good information and knowledge", if even one cat/dog benefits from it because their owner changes something because of it, it's worth it... and I'm happy to say that's happened many, many times... nothing to be conceited by spreading good info and recommending the best vets.
Roger Biduk
 

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