Do I switch again????

[shodanusmc]

I old Corso, and new Corso pup both did/do well on Nutro Ultra Large Breed. Then again, my Yovties also love it

 

[Sadies Mom]

All the foods I have experimented with has had the same results. She does great for a bag or two and then it turns into diarrhea. I cut out the yoghurt this time and now we are back to normal. I guess I have now discovered she is allergic to chicken, grains and dairy. What's next???

 

[Smart_Family]

How long are you staying with the foods for? If you are switching more often than every two or three bags the digestive system is going to go into shock and then need a reboot.

 

[Sadies Mom]

I have been staying with her food for at least 2 28lbs bags. The only exeption was when she got sick a few weeks back. We were half way through our second 28 lbs bag when she stopped eating for 5 days, and I switched to Castor & Pollux. Unfortunatley, they only have the small bags at the store at the moment, so we are on our 4th or 5th bag right now. I looked on the bag and they are referensing the amount of food in a standard 8oz meassuring cup. It says......50-100lbs- 3-4 1/4 cup. I have been feeding her more then that (about 5-6 cups) ever since she started feeling better. She did loose 5 lbs when she was sick and we are now back to her "pre-sickness" weight of 70lbs (That is what she weighed on Thursday)

 

[Smart_Family]

Why are you feeding more than the bag says to feed?

 

[Sadies Mom]

I says to use it as a guide and adjust the amount according to age and activity level and with her being an active puppy I have been feeding her more. She is not over weight by any means, you can easily feel her rib cage and see the last one or two. I am keeping her on the slim side so she does not grow to fast. This is an adult food, not an all life stage, well, I guess it could be since the feeding guide starts at 3 lbs and go up to 150 lbs.

 

[Smart_Family]

Well you're feeding her enough food for a dog twice her size so that could very well be the reason for the diarrhea. Also please be careful feeding more than what the big says, especially that much more when it comes to the calcium and phosphorus. She's likely getting close to twice as much calcium as well and she may be growing slowly now but that can easily catch up to her. If you feel like she's not getting enough food maybe you should switch to a higher calorie food or you can give snacks of green beans and/or sweet potatoes which are low cal but filling.

 

[Sadies Mom]

I have tried the green beans and she does not like them. I will try sweet potatoes and see if she likes that. It looks like I will switch food again, since there is only one flavor available from Castor & Pollux that would accommodate her allergies. I will get some earthborn tomorrow and start the switch. Is that food higher in calories, or do I need to supplement with snacks in between meals. I am still feeding her three times per day, should I go to two times per day? Thank you for all your help!

 

[ruthcatrin]

Ok, timeline question: when, in relation to her heatstroke, and you increasing her food after that, did the diarrhea start?

 

[Sadies Mom]

She had the heat exhaustion/stroke on a Sunday. I took her to the vet on Tuesday afternoon and they started IV. She started having watery diarrhea on Thursday after not eating, (She did not eat that whole week) and only lots of fluid. She was getting IV fluids Tue, Wed and Thursday and I bought the new food and gave it to her Friday night, and she has eaten ever since. That was three weeks ago now. Her stool firmed up after a couple of days on the new food, and has been normal until Monday of this week, when it started getting loose again. After she started eating, I was feeding her small amounts, 6 times per day and the amount was according to the bag (about 3 1/2 cup), but she kept asking for more (once she became her self again) so I gave her some more. She has never been one to eat, just to eat. She eats when she is hungry and she has left food in her bowl. I am not free feeding, we are on a set 3 times per day schedule at the moment.

 

[Smart_Family]

All three appropriate formulas of earthborn are higher calorie than the castor and Pollux.