Do I switch again????

[Sadies Mom]

So, we have had this never ending battle over food. It seems like every food I try ends up giving her diarrhea. She will do great for a few weeks, with firm stool, and then loose to diarrhea. I have figured out that she is allergic to grains and chicken. She has only been on her current food for about three weeks. She has a great appetite and eats all of it everytime. She is on Castor & Pollux Salmon. Should I just keep her on this for a while or should I switch yet again??

 

[dpenning]

If she is back to diarrhea I would switch. Daisy is doing really well on the earthborne, no gas even!

 

[babyjoemurphy]

I was told something the other day about loose stools and I don't know to believe it. I just switched Murphy from BB chicken to Chicken/grain free. He came to us with loose stools and we are now only into phase 2 (50/50) of switch over so we are still loose.

What I was told was some dogs when on high end food will always have loose stools. SMH(Shake My Head) I didn't know to believe it or not. It came from a pet store employee. Funny thing is after she said it I could remember hearing it before. I really hope its not true. I am not a believer of cheap food, no matter what the commercials say lol

 

[ruthcatrin]

Common petstore myth I think, they'll also tell you that the higher end foods have higher protein and thats the problem. To which the answer is some do some don't and not always....

 

[Smokeycat]

I know from experience with cats that the "good" food, which I prefer to feed, is not the best choice for each animal. I had one cat that no matter which food I tried him on he was lethargic with a dull, dry coat. I was given a bag of Whiskas by a friend so I tried it and in less than a week he was running around with a shinny, soft coat. So I believe that if you have tried all the "good" foods and things still aren't working it can't hurt to try a lesser quality food.

 

[babyjoemurphy]

I would agree with that. But I know from my last dog, he did very well with "good" food. Less stool as well. Which will make anyone happy. My cat doesn't care what she gets as long as its not fish. If she has less then 10kibbles in her bowl we end up with blood on us. She attacks us and will actually chase my daughter around the house till her bowl is filled.
I find with cheap food they eat more and Crap more. Doesn't make that cheap food any cheaper then the good stuff when they eat 2x as much

 

[Smokeycat]

Maybe a question you need to ask is: less stool vs firm stool. Trying a cheap food would be my last resort as I too have seen how much better most seem with a high quality food.

 

[babyjoemurphy]

I can't wait for firm lol. But Ill take loose with good food over firm and cheap. Lets face it I have to clean it lol

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

We have fed high end for years and sometimes the formula just doesn't agree but we usually end up with firm stoole within a few days on a new food. That being said we also feed some pumpkin and yogurt when doing the switch over so that their bellies and GI tract don't have any issues.

 

[Sig]

I had the issues with Sig. The breeder advised to keep him on Purina Pro Plan life stages I believe. Having owned Rotties in the past I switched him to some of the higher end brands thinking Purina wasn't all that good. After many bouts with loose stool and mixing rice with broiled chicken or cottate cheese he is back to normal. I have returned him on the Purina with a few cubes of broiled chicken or a tablespoon or two of wet dog food to mix. He seems to be doing very well with this. I think my breeder knows her stuff, many champion dogs. I'm swalling my ego on this one and relying on what the breeder has me doing. Just my .02.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Sadie I do think that if she's only been on it for 3 weeks its to soon to switch just for the sake of her system, unless it turns to outright diarrhea not just soft poo. I would consider adding some canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling mix, just plain canned pumpkin) to the kibble to see if that helps her in the mean time.

What else have you tried her on?

 

[Sadies Mom]

It is more like cow patties. I do put some yoghurt in with her food also and I have tried the pumpkin and she does not like it. She will not eat at all. The only food that gave her firm stool so far is Natural Balance, but she stopped eating it. She did not eat for 5 days and I swithed to Castor and Pollux and she is eating again. Her stool was smaller (and still is) and firm in the beginning and just in the last few days it has gone down hill. She does not act like she is sick, has tons of energy and is her normal self. Her coat looks great and she is not shedding as much. I am just scratching my head on this one. I will stick with this food for a few more days and leave the youghurt out and take the wait and see approach. Thanks guys.

---------- Post added at 07:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:33 AM ----------

I was told something the other day about loose stools and I don't know to believe it. I just switched Murphy from BB chicken to Chicken/grain free. He came to us with loose stools and we are now only into phase 2 (50/50) of switch over so we are still loose.

What I was told was some dogs when on high end food will always have loose stools. SMH(Shake My Head) I didn't know to believe it or not. It came from a pet store employee. Funny thing is after she said it I could remember hearing it before. I really hope its not true. I am not a believer of cheap food, no matter what the commercials say lol

When I first got Sadie, one of the vet techs told me that giant breeds get loose stool when they hit a growth spurt She no longer work there......

 

[Sadies Mom]

I was told something the other day about loose stools and I don't know to believe it. I just switched Murphy from BB chicken to Chicken/grain free. He came to us with loose stools and we are now only into phase 2 (50/50) of switch over so we are still loose.

What I was told was some dogs when on high end food will always have loose stools. SMH(Shake My Head) I didn't know to believe it or not. It came from a pet store employee. Funny thing is after she said it I could remember hearing it before. I really hope its not true. I am not a believer of cheap food, no matter what the commercials say lol

When I first got Sadie, one of the vet techs told me that giant breeds get loose stool when they hit a growth spurt She no longer work there......

 

[ebethvotaw]

We have a 6yr old male boxer that has kinda been through the same things you are talking about. I was at my wits end because I had tried so many foods. He would start out on one kind that he liked (he is very picky) and after a short period of time, he would get very loose stools. I too have been through the Castor and Pollux foods. He liked the taste and it would firm up his poop and then turn back to pudding. I have had every test you can imagine done at the vet. I was so frustrated! Just in the past month we picked up our new EM pup. After reading all about food on this forum I decided to switch to Earthborn's Meadow Feast. (we also have a 4 month old boxer pup) LJ's poop is now VERY firm and he loves the taste. I do not add anything else to his food. And I chose the Meadow Feast because it is a little lower in protein than the other Earthborn flavors. Although, everyone says you can switch flavors to give your dog a variety. I am NOT an expert at all...I just know I had a heck of time picking up "cow patties" everyday in the back yard...and I was beginning to think his poop would never be normal. Good Luck and don't give up. You will find the right food for him. Oh, and doggiefood.com has great prices delivered right to your door.

 

[Smart_Family]

I think a switch may be a good idea. When I got Azzy her breeder told me all her mastiffs always have loose stool and that it was just a mastiff thing. Well needless to say when I removed chicken and grains she had perfect poop. Loose stools can also be a sign that you are overfeeding as well. Most foods will tell you on the bag how much food is in a cup and many people just assume a cup is a cup is a cup so that could be an issue as well.

 

[musicdeb]

No input re: the food but I hope Sadie's belly starts to work right. Poor baby girl...

 

[ruthcatrin]

It is more like cow patties.

That would be diarrhea. How much are you feeding her?

 

[Mamie2shoes]

we had the same issue, but FINALLY found our food. Nutro Sensitive Stomach in the light purple bag. It has worked wonders. We went thru about 4 or 5 foods in the beginning like you but are super happy now. Good luck

 

[rmk]

@smart...i'm going to have to read my bag...i thought a cup was a cup

duke will have good poop for awhile and then have a day that's loose...i just assumed that was him

 

[Smart_Family]

Dog food goes by volume so a cup isn't necessarily a cup. It's a good idea when you start a new food, even a new flavor to weigh a cup and see how much a cup of the food actually is.