Best Food?

Basenji Feeding
Log in to reply
  • P

    My B has a very sensitive digestive system. The Vet has him eating Purina Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric and Forti Flora for his diarrhea and we mix in Nutro that the breeder recommended. He still has occasional loose stool and was wondering if anyone had any food recommendations or thoughts on his current diet?

    0
  • NemoN

    After reading the ingredient list I don't really know what is that beneficial about it to make it good for a sensitive digestive system. Perhaps they are suggesting the brewers rice is, IDK. What other types of food have you tried in the past? Perhaps there is a pattern, such as protein sources or corn, etc. that is causing the problem. One of my dogs had an issue with chicken and once I got him off that protein source, he was fine.

    http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1318&cat=all

    Connect with the Basenji Club of America on Facebook

    http://www.facebook.com/basenji.org

    0
  • nobarkusN

    I just read the ingredients and this is really a bad food! No wonder his stomach is upset. You need to educate yourself on what's quality. Try to get away from foods with any type of grains. Corn gluten is the worst in this list!
    Is there a pet feed store there? They usually carry foods like Taste of the Wild, canned tripe and foods without grains.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • NemoN

    I don't think it's definitive that removing grains would necessarily fix the upset stomach issue. True, a better food without corn and a higher protein content would be preferable but if the dog has an allergy to a specific protein source that wouldn't address the issue (not saying that is the case here). I went through a range of foods when I was trying to figure out the issue with one of mine, one food a vet brand with corn and grains, and he did great on it. It fixed the problem because it was not chicken-based. After learning what the issue was I have now been able to move to better quality foods. I feed grain-free now but I wouldn't really have a problem going back to high quality foods with some limited low-allergenic grain sources.

    Connect with the Basenji Club of America on Facebook

    http://www.facebook.com/basenji.org

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    Food allergies are a common issue. How old is your dog? Allergies to proteins are as common as to grains.

    I suggest you switch slowly to a limited diet like Wellness fish and potato. Give a good probiotic such as Fastrack to help develop healthy gut bacteria. If the issue is allergies, even treats need to be limited to fruit or veggie types or fish based. IOW, small protein or grain treats can set the dog off. Try it for a good solid month to see if there is improvement. If there is, slowly try adding in variety… 1 food a WEEK to see if it causes issues.

    I agree with the others, the ingredients in the vet food are awful
    http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=1318&cat=7

    Debra

    0
  • tanzaT

    This food, IMO, is just fillers to bind the stool, I don't think it addresses the real problem. Again, I am NOT a Vet, but just based on years of experience.

    What tests have been done to find the underlying cause of the loose stool and sensitive digestive system? Have they tested or treated for Giardia? My OJ suffered what we thought (and the Vet too) with sensitive digestive system until we tried just treating him for Giardia with Flagyl (Pancur is also widely used with great results). It never showed in the tests (positive for Giardia) but that is many times the case.

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • P

    Thanks for the information on Giardia. I had never heard of it and after researching it seems like a possibility and I will be looking into it.

    I will also look at the diet suggestions.

    This is why I joined this forum. Each dog is unique, as well as each breed and everyone's feedback helps!

    0
  • P

    Interesting that you had a problem with loose stools, Pat, because I had exactly the same but with a puppy who was eventually discovered to have Giardia. It did take us a very long time though and in the meantime the pup was suffering.

    It also happened to a friend of mine herself who for years had a stomach problem that finally was discovered to be a Giardia infection. Because of my experience with the puppy, I had jokingly suggested the problem to her as well.

    0
  • tanzaT

    @Patty:

    Interesting that you had a problem with loose stools, Pat, because I had exactly the same but with a puppy who was eventually discovered to have Giardia. It did take us a very long time though and in the meantime the pup was suffering.

    It also happened to a friend of mine herself who for years had a stomach problem that finally was discovered to be a Giardia infection. Because of my experience with the puppy, I had jokingly suggested the problem to her as well.

    Yes… Giardia "hides" very well..... Many Vets will write it off to a sensitive digestive system when in fact it is not. Like I said with my OJ, once it was cleared up, he could eat anything...

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0

Suggested Topics

  • mikesullM

    Food

    Basenji Feeding
    19
    1 Votes
    19 Posts
    2k Views
    S
    I would find out what he scared of or what he dislikes about the car. Is it the car itself, the sensation of being closed in, the movement when the car is being driven? Then work on whatever the problem is, with food. As for food, I use raw duck and vegetables. And I hand-feed all meals, so I never have a problem with not eating/partially eating. I would also recommend hand-feeding for anyone who does have a dog with food issues. Shredded chicken is good (as long as he doesn't have any reactions). But that and some kibble isn't a balanced meal. You may wish to look into a vitamin supplement, specifically something that has a focus on omega 3 (since chicken is high in omega 6), Vitamin C & the B vitamins (because if all he's eating is chicken and kibble, where is his source of vitamin C and the B vitamins?), zinc & copper (same reasons). All the best. EDIT: I just realized this thread is a year old and was bumped by what is almost certainly a bot.
  • H

    Raw food

    Basenji Feeding
    28
    0 Votes
    28 Posts
    13k Views
    L
    We switched our 2 boys to raw from kibble about 6 months ago. The switch came because we were simply exhausted from walking them 3 times a day because they had loose stool (we don't have fenced in yard, so we need to walk them to go to the bathroom). Our vet recommended more fiber in their diet to help with loose stool. This intuitively just didn't resonate with us. Basenji are one of the most ancient breeds of dog… why on earth would more fiber be a solution to their problem (I know the theoretical why, but logically it was counter-intuitive)? We read many sources or literature on the raw diet and thought this would be a good switch for them. Again, they are an ancient breed so moving toward raw foods seemed appropriate and logical. It took that about a month for them to get really accustomed to eating raw chicken quarters, rabbit halves or pork shoulders but now they have no problem gulping their meal right down, bone and all (for those of you who don't feed raw, gulping is a normal behavior and bone is an essential part of the diet). Their digestion issues have vanished and we've even seen marked improvement in their destructive behavior. Two super happy boys now, two super happy Basenji owners!!
  • dmeyD

    Dry food and real food!

    Basenji Feeding
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    4k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Fran, what does BAB after your name stand for?
  • V

    Food switching

    Basenji Feeding
    18
    0 Votes
    18 Posts
    5k Views
    C
    @Varanus: So I have Yoshi on Canidae All Life Stages right now, and I don't think it's the food for him. He's doing better on it than on the lower-meat-content Three Dog Bakery food I was using, but it isn't making him as happy and healthy as it could. For various reasons, I don't think I can do a raw diet right now, so I'm interested in kibble recommendations. I'm willing to spend money to get good food for him to thrive on, but I'm also not made of cash. Recommendations? B's are funny about there food, I only feed dry food and use Wellness brand, which has been good for my B's, Try a newpaper under the bowl so it wond shift around, that may help. If he hungry enough he will eventually eat. Good luck.
  • DiegosMomD

    Best possible dry food??

    Basenji Feeding
    21
    0 Votes
    21 Posts
    15k Views
    DiegosMomD
    I went with one of the solid golds.. and mix with the Wellness 95% salmon, chicken, turkey, or beef.. I really like those Wellness mixers! My dogs love them and I think they have really improved the dogs coats..
  • bellabasenjiB

    Homemade food…

    Basenji Feeding
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    5k Views
    youngandtiredY
    I have now switched from Blue Buffalo food to Merricks wet and dry. The Blue Buffalo was hard to get, I had to buy it out of town. I get Merricks locally, and Sahara absoutely eats it better than all the rest. She is a picky eater and doesn't have a big appetite, but man oh man is she waiting when it is meal time now. She cleans her dish, a new thing for her. I am very happy, I use the dry also with about 1/4 cup of wet mixed in. I add alittle warm water to the dry (it makes it's own gravy) heat the wet alittle and add to the dry. Yes, I know Sahara is spoiled b/c I heat her wet food but what the heck, she is worth it, only takes a few seconds. Merricks is pricey $2 per can but I make it last for about 4-5 meals. Anyways, if you read the can and bag of the dry you will see what I mean, it is very good dog food and the family that has the company has been in business for 3 decades.