Need Some Help For My Benners

[Guest Downtownhoundz]

My Ben has a bowel issue which causes him to have a heck of a time going poop. He's had two surgeries to correct it but still seems to have trouble in that area. My vet did a rectal on him and said he has like a balloon shape at the end of the bowel which is holding the waste making it difficult for him. She said he needs to be on a low residue diet and recommended Eukanuba just for that problem...trouble is a 30 bag of it runs $74.00 and the canned is $36.00 for twelve.I know for a fact that I would run through all that food within two and half to three weeks.The boyz get each get a can of food a day mixed in with dry, fish oil cap and a little bit of hot water to make a broth. I just don't have that kind of money to buy expensive overpriced food like that.

My question is...what other food alternatives are there to give him to help him "move things along easier". He also gets two poop pills a day.

At some point, I'm gonna take him to a specialist for a consult.

[Batmom]

Alternative to the precription low residues is homecooked. Meat/rice mixture, for example, with some calcium and multivitamin added. I know somebody on this board has consulted with Dr. Remillard, who provides custom diets for dogs. I think MomOfSweetPotatoes has worked with Dr. R, and maybe RobinM?

 

My Zema eats mostly meat. At grocery store prices, it costs me @ $2.50-$3.00 per day to feed her (including the calcium and multivitamin). If I were to do 50-50 meat and rice, she'd still get plenty of protein but the cost would drop to @ $1.50-$1.80 per day. Maybe not ideal from a budgetary point of view, but beats prescription food. She has a different problem from your B-Ben, but I can tell you that a meat or meat-and-rice diet is even somewhat lower residue than the prescription foods.

[ahicks51]

If "low residue" is the goal, then quantity is the problem- and most of the bulk in feces comes from fiber. Fiber absorbs water, creating greater volume- which makes for looser stool, so there may be problems if you back off too much, too fast. Homecooked or raw food will greatly reduce the stool volume. Taper off the quantity of vegetable matter (such as rice) until a happy medium is achieved between volume and firmness so as not to unduly discomfort (or impact) the dog.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Have you shopped around for prices? Petfooddirect.com has the 30 lb bag for $63 and 12 cans for $22. Might buy you some time to get him stable so you can look into home-cooking, etc.

 

 

[Guest eaglflyt]

I'd ask your vet before giving rice to your Ben. Rice is very constipating. It is advised not to be given to any dog having constipation or elimination problems in the online info I've looked up.

 

We'll be seeing our vet tomorrow. I'll ask if he's heard of any new, successful ways of managing canine megacolon.

 

I'm praying for your Ben, you and all your family. Blessings and hugs to you for taking in these two boys that needed a home.

[Guest Downtownhoundz]

If "low residue" is the goal, then quantity is the problem- and most of the bulk in feces comes from fiber. Fiber absorbs water, creating greater volume- which makes for looser stool, so there may be problems if you back off too much, too fast. Homecooked or raw food will greatly reduce the stool volume. Taper off the quantity of vegetable matter (such as rice) until a happy medium is achieved between volume and firmness so as not to unduly discomfort (or impact) the dog.

 

 

What even is "low residue"? Is it the same thing as sh#*? I'm avoiding any rice in the canned food anyway.

[Guest scfilby]

Sorry about poor Ben's troubles..

 

Instead of a high fiber diet, you can try fiber supplements. It will be far cheaper. Here is some info. This site mentions canned pumpkin.

 

Link

 

Also, google Diet for megacolon in dogs. There is some more good info.

 

As far their current diet and cost, you are feeding far more than we do. We give about a cup and a half in the morning to each, mixed with plain low fat yogurt and water added. In the evening they get another cup and a half and 1/3 can shared with water added. One can will last three afternoon meals.

 

We use a good quality kibbel, and change up the the canned food flavors for variety.

 

This diet has brought our chubby girl down to a nice healthy weight, and added pounds to our skinny boy. They are both the same size, and each weigh 66 pounds now (girl down from 72 and boy up from 62).

 

Hope this helps..

[Batmom]

What even is "low residue"? Is it the same thing as sh#*? I'm avoiding any rice in the canned food anyway.

 

Low residue is LOW fiber, not high. Low residue makes less poop, not more.

 

Rice may seem constipating in some dogs because white rice is very low residue -- the lowest of any carb sources you can use. Some folks may recommend noodles or potatoes, but in my experience those are higher residue (and have produced undesirable results in most of my dogs as well; YMMV).

 

On prescription low residue food after his surgery, Joseph got along on 2 cans per day. Over the long term he should've had a bit more calorie-wise, but we didn't want to stress his system in the short term. We used mostly Hills I/D, a few cans of Eukanuba Low Res, a can or two of Purina EN. I use only the canned, have not had as good results with the dry and don't recommend it. I think Hi-Tor makes an EN food which may be similar and a lot cheaper, but I would have to look that up.

[tbhounds]

Could you not supplement with Miralax?? It works really well for cats with megacolon.

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

You can also save yourself some money by only feeding Ben the special food and keep Bernie on the other food.

 

 

 

[Guest mcsheltie]

Monica Segal is wonderful. She does consults and can formulate a diet for Ben. Her philosophy is what works best for each dog. She works with commercial, home cooked and raw diets. I've used her several times and can't say enough good things about her! She knows her stuff.

[tydyelady]

Could you not supplement with Miralax?? It works really well for cats with megacolon.

 

It also works well with humans with IBS primarily constipation!

 

Sorry I couldn't resist, I swear by this stuff!

 

I hope you find something to help your beautiful Ben with his problem. I truly sympathize with him!

[krissn333]

I don't have experience with this but just wanted to send Ben a big hug I'd look into consulting with a dietary specialist to at least find out what your options are, and then you can pick the option that will work best for you.

 

I feed Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream - just dry kibble, and my dogs have a pretty low volume of poop...I wonder if something like that would help?

 

I personally am not a fan of Eukanuba or Hills products...mainly because of the cost vs. "what you get" discrepancy (seems the prescription foods are just full of corn and other fillers and don't really provide any "real" food value).

 

Good luck to you!

[Guest Downtownhoundz]

Thanks everyone! I switched him to a small bag of authority and he seems to be having a little less struggle going.I'm gonna also try the eukanuba..trouble is, they BOTH want to eat out of the same dish at the same time....brothers, gotta love em....

[cello]

Thanks everyone! I switched him to a small bag of authority and he seems to be having a little less struggle going.I'm gonna also try the eukanuba..trouble is, they BOTH want to eat out of the same dish at the same time....brothers, gotta love em....

 

Then you need to separate them when they eat. My boy Riley is a food hog, so he eats gated in the laundry room. Simple solution.

[CaliforniaGreys]

If he was doing well at the kennel, do you know what they were feeding?

[Guest FatCatSkinnyDog]

Could you not supplement with Miralax?? It works really well for cats with megacolon.

 

This is what we use for Morgana... so far so good!

 

I think I heard that Petco is having a big sale on some of the more expensive foods this week - I have to go check it out for the Science Diet that we have to feed Morgana - same reason... low residue