Best Food?
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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?
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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
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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. -
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.
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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 -
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.
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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!
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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.
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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...
