How To Avoid Switching Food Too Often

[jaym1]

I suppose what I am hoping is that his digestive system needs to sort of "reset" itself, but I don't know how to do that if he won't tolerate any other, theoretically easier-to-digest foods.

[JohnF]

That Iams will still be on the high fat and protien side, yes I know you want top nutrition to build him up but some dogs just can't cope with high levels of protein.

I had Peggy on James Wellbeloved lamb and rice hypoallergenic kibble, same as all my dogs over the years, but it was to rich for her. Even changing to their chicken and rice had less beneficial effects than I hoped. So I went to the green Iams (proactive) and saw a considerable improvement. Then I changed to a local hypoallergenic brand called "Gelert Country Choice" (you won't be able to get that over there) and her poops have been the most conisistent ever. This stuff is about 3% less protien rich.

Peggy never gets skinny though so the malabsorbtion isn't the issue as it is with your dog. You seem to have enzyme problems and that will be linked to the Pancreas. Your dog must not have greasy foods (<9% fat in kibbles), nor anything like human gravy with even a hint of onion powder in it. Vitamins A and E are tied up with problematic digestive systems (as with any area where rapid cell turnover is called for), try giving Vitamin E at 1/2 tsp a day from wheatgerm oil (hardly any gluten remains in it). That might be all it takes to get your Iams working as well as it did earlier.

[Guest aowam]

I have a similar problem. I've had my own 4yo, 74 lb boy for a little over 3 weeks now, and after issues with soup-poop to pudding-poop back to soup-poop (He refused Science Diet, got a little better with Blue BUffalo and then relapsed and got even worse) I finally took some advice on the forums and chose an Iams bag, though I chose Iams Simple and Natural Chicken and brown rice. Like many other testimonials, the turn around was really very immediate: about 24 hours to a firmer poop.

 

His spine, hip points and ribs are still showing so I'm trying really hard to get him to eat more. So glad that he is liking the food so far. My only concern is that it does too well a job reversing the loose stool. Will continue with the Iams for a while to really see how he's doing.

[greyhead]

You might want to consider the possibility that this is more of a medical problem than a food problem, though I really hate to say it. We went through quite a bit with our older boy, with lots of food changes. To make a very long story short, he ended up with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and he developed an inflammatory response to everything he ate. We didn't want to do a biopsy either because he had lost 20 lbs., was 8 years old, etc. You might consider doing what we did, which was an abdominal ultrasound. The vet and the radiologist, doing the exam together, could tell by the structural changes in the intestinal walls that he probably had moderate to severe IBD. Importantly, the US was able to show exactly which parts of the intestine were inflamed, and that told us that endoscopy couldn't reach those places because they were too far in. So to do the biopsy we'd have had to do it surgically, and we sure weren't going to put him through that on top of everything else he'd been through. So we just treated it as if it were IBD, and that worked out well. In addition to the Flagyl, we used budesonide (not predinisone!!!) as an immunosuppressant, and also Tylan (aka tylosin). We also had to switch to a novel protein. By that point we'd tried so many foods that the only novel things left were venison, whitefish (not salmon), and kangaroo! And that's why I caution people not to exhaust so many proteins in the course of food changes.

 

So I guess I agree with your vet that some diagnostics are in order. But an ultrasound is only a few hundred dollars and can tell you a lot, even as to whether endoscopy would be productive.

[jaym1]

You might want to consider the possibility that this is more of a medical problem than a food problem . . .

 

no, i agree with you completely. clearly there is an underlying medical problem here. i am going to bring him in for an ultrasound, and we are going to switch him to tylan (i spoke with my vet this morning). i am hesitant at this point about an endoscopy, and i am reluctant to put him under unless its really necessary, but also cost is becoming an issue. i hate to admit this, because health should be the only concern, but my vet bills in his first 6 months are now approaching $2K. i know that veterinary costs are a risk every pet owner takes, but i wasnt really prepared to face this costs right off the bat, especially as the dog i adopted had apparently passed all his medical checks.

 

strangely, he doesnt seem to be suffering any ill effects, e.g., he is not LOSING weight, and remains at his racing weight. he just absolutely will not put any lbs on.

[greyhead]

Maybe you could post in Health and Medical, with a link back to this thread, and see what wisdom pops up. You financial concern is understandable, but I think you're most concerned with putting him under in his depleted condition. Is your adoption group keeping track of this with you at all? I'm glad you seem to have other greyhound owners around you for support.

 

Just wanted to mention that it may need to be Flagyl AND Tylan given together, not either/or. Tylan is super-mild; it was amazing to me how much good it did when we added it to the protocol along with the Flagyl (and the budesonide in our case).

 

Before we got to the IBD stage, Spencer had a long-undiagnosed case of SIBO. His only symptom then was progressively softening yellow poop that started smelling progressively worse until it attained the status of GAWD AWFUL. (The bacterium we cultured was Clostridium perfringens, which is anaerobic.) And before we found the SIBO, we did a cobalamin/folate test that showed him having Intestinal Malabsorption. So those are a couple things you can look for that would give info without huge expense. Are you with him when he poops, so that you'd know about the smell?

You can do an archive search in H&M, by the way, and see what there is about SIBO, tylosin (Tylan), etc. If you need help with that, I have enough time to dig up some links for you, so let me know.

Edited March 28, 2012 by greyhead

[jaym1]

thanks again, greyhead. i have an amazing real time awareness of his poop quality. its the primary way i have been tracking his progress (or lack of progress), in fact, and am keenly aware of changes, including any increase in odor. currently it has an occasional, noticeable malabsorption smell now and again, but in the past when he was really bed i have been lucky enough to experience the horrors of what you are talking about. its the size and relative softness of the stools that is the main hint that something has gone awry.

 

we have had his pancreatic enzymes tested, along with a full blood panel, liver tests, etc. all proved more or less normal.

 

i did not really get my dog through a standard adoption group process -- i adopted him through a local shelter after he was at the adoption group only briefly, and moved out due to over-capacity. thus their medical history on him is somewhat lacking and regardless, i had a falling out with the owner of the group and we are no longer on speaking terms. at this point i know far more about his history than they would anyhow, but there are many greyhound groups and many owners in this area, and my vet has been extremely candid, and has really made herself available for questions around the clock, so i in no way feel like there arent people to turn to for advice.

[Guest Jacks_Human]

Jack had large, loose stools when I got him, and feeding him unflavoured yoghurt regularly helped a lot. He was also very thin when I first got him, with patchy fur (my mum thought he looked like a 'starving dinosaur'). Someone had recommended potatoes to me as a food to help greyhounds gain weight. I did a homemade mixture of microwave-baked potato and tinned fish that I mixed into Jack's kibble which did wonders to get his weight up. I think the combo of yoghurt, plus the additional homemade food, helped him transition to his current kibble without any problems.