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Winnie - Home 2 Weeks - Food Issues....


Guest Alysmom

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Well, it's not that I am not used to food "issues" -- it took me about three years to finally find a food that worked for Homer, trying what seemed like every quality food under the sun...

 

When Winnie came home 2 weeks ago, she had "zero" food issues, and good solid poos. Well, she was eating a food she had only been on for less than 2 weeks at "cat college"... I was told she transitioned fine. The food was "lite" (what they had for their other dogs I am told)... but the adoption coordinator said that it would probably be best to put her on a higher calorie food since she was a little under weight. I put her on the same food I fed Homer - Nutro Grain Free - which worked like a charm for Homer (he had terrible - and I do mean terrible, gas issues!!!) He also had runny poos and this seemed to solve it for him.

 

Well, now we have the almost "impossible" to completely clean up poos....ick. She is still a very timid, sometimes frightened dog.... She is getting better and gaining confidence, but everything is still pretty scary for her (she prefers mostly to hide in her crate!!). Since her poos were good while I was transitioning her with the food she came with into the Nutro -- I am wondering if it is the food and not her nerves. She was eating Royal Canin (?) "lite"....I looked for the same at Petsmart and found many varieties with breeds listed on the bag, but nothing that said "lite" (I really don't want to put her on a low calorie food anyway!!)

 

Right now, she is sleeping on a puffy bed, under a blankie with a big pillow under her head....not too stressed... :) It's hard to take these sudden changes in temperature when your are a princess!!! It was much cooler here today than it has been....

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Guest kkaiser104

Iams Green Bag saved my life when I brought Teddi home. It's not the best, but I'm sure he feels better without an upset belly, and I feel better being able to clean up his poo when we're out.

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P.S. --- It wouldn't break my heart if the food was less $pendy.... Wow, Nutro has gotten really pricey.... (I know most quality foods are and you get what you pay for....)

 

Iams Green Bag saved my life when I brought Teddi home. It's not the best, but I'm sure he feels better without an upset belly, and I feel better being able to clean up his poo when we're out.

Is that the one you can get at the grocery store?? (that would be a good thing on the ol' wallet!!) I know people around here talk about food from Costco also, which probably doesnt have all the good stuff these "naturals" do....

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Guest kkaiser104

I get my Iams from Costco, but you can find it almost anywhere. It's definitely a "grocery-store kibble", and I was cautious about using it at first (I really wanted Teddi to be on something a little better for him) but my vet (at OSU) assured me Iams was just fine, as far as kibbles are concerned. I tried Kirkland brand from Costco and didn't have good results.

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It's more than likely the food. Every dog is different it seems - what works for one will be horrible for another.

 

All my dogs, including my growing puppy, are doing well on NutraNuggets Lamb and Rice (with the yellow writing not the green writing), which we get at Fred Meyer. I think it's about $25 for 40 lbs. I feel like it's a good mid-level food. The Kirkland brand from Costco is about the same thing and costs the same.

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

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Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

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Do the US Costco stores sell the grain-free kibble? Nature's Domain? You might prefer the ingredients in that.

 

I had Summer on all the "I'm a good grey mama" high-end kibbles and she hated them all. Last month... finally... I gave in and put her onto Iams green bag. No transitioning, just cold turkey. I have to say that I'm DELIGHTED. Her coat is nicer and, even though we didn't have a poo issue before, they are now even more lovely which is nice. And, much to my total surprise, the quantity of poop has decreased! That tells me her body is happily metabolizing the Iams and that she didn't digest the high-end stuff as well.

 

Good to know that OSU has said Iams isn't awful -- that makes me feel even better about it!

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Lisa B.

My beautiful Summer - to her forever home May 1, 2010 Summer

Certified therapy dog team with St. John Ambulance

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It's more than likely the food. Every dog is different it seems - what works for one will be horrible for another.

 

All my dogs, including my growing puppy, are doing well on NutraNuggets Lamb and Rice (with the yellow writing not the green writing), which we get at Fred Meyer. I think it's about $25 for 40 lbs. I feel like it's a good mid-level food. The Kirkland brand from Costco is about the same thing and costs the same.

 

Wow, that sure beats what I've been paying for Nutro. I think the last "big" bag I bought (for Homer) was $49 for 23 pounds. I have only bought the smaller bag for Winnie since I wasn't sure what would work (although I guess I was overly confident Nutro would be the ticket since it worked for Homer!!) Also, Nutro used to have a - buy 10 get 1 bag free. They replaced it with "Nutro Rewards" where they send you by email three $3 off coupons per year!!! (such a deal!!) With a big dog, you definately go thru the bags and that no where comes close to buy 10 and get one free!!

 

I appreciate all the input a lot!!! :)

Julie

 

Do the US Costco stores sell the grain-free kibble? Nature's Domain? You might prefer the ingredients in that.

 

I had Summer on all the "I'm a good grey mama" high-end kibbles and she hated them all. Last month... finally... I gave in and put her onto Iams green bag. No transitioning, just cold turkey. I have to say that I'm DELIGHTED. Her coat is nicer and, even though we didn't have a poo issue before, they are now even more lovely which is nice. And, much to my total surprise, the quantity of poop has decreased! That tells me her body is happily metabolizing the Iams and that she didn't digest the high-end stuff as well.

 

Good to know that OSU has said Iams isn't awful -- that makes me feel even better about it!

I've heard quite a few good things about Iams lately.... Years ago, believe it or not, I had a coworker that raised Golden Retrievers (show dogs) he fed them Purina Dog Chow!!! He swore it was a good food and all his dogs had shiny coats and were very healthy..... When I was a kid, we had a Cockapoo that we fed a cheap food called "sauce cubes" and she lived to be almost 19 years old.... :) I guess I've turned into a dog food snob over the years... :read

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Last month... finally... I gave in and put her onto Iams green bag. No transitioning, just cold turkey. I have to say that I'm DELIGHTED. Her coat is nicer and, even though we didn't have a poo issue before, they are now even more lovely which is nice. And, much to my total surprise, the quantity of poop has decreased! That tells me her body is happily metabolizing the Iams and that she didn't digest the high-end stuff as well.

 

Good to know that OSU has said Iams isn't awful -- that makes me feel even better about it!

 

Ok, :sbox warning...stop reading now if you're a 'food snob'... :lol

 

Honestly, I suspect that most vets and vet nutritionists would say that Iams is just fine. It's the 'food snobs' who analyze ingredients who have decided that foods like Iams and Purina and Hill's are bad. Most veterinary nutritionists teach that it's the nutrients that matter, not the ingredients. That's not to say that I feel the quality of ingredients is irrelevant, but we have to look at the whole picture. And a very important factor is how dogs actually do on the food. Hard to ignore when you see the evidence for yourself, and I've read too many testimonies about "Iams green bag" here to believe that it's just coincidence or just isolated cases.

 

The major pet food manufacturers are the ones who hire nutritionists, are at the cutting edge of research, and conduct extensive testing on their food (such digestibility and feeding trials). Not saying that none of the smaller companies do this, but many don't. Of course, the big companies are also the ones that are accused of bribing and brainwashing vets because they sponsor some of the veterinary nutrition courses and provide free/discounted food to vet students... But really, how stupid and gullible do people think vets are? Just because a company provided free lunch seminars and dog food while I was in vet school doesn't mean I'm going to blindly push their products. Sorry, off my soap box now...

Jennifer &

Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On),

Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice

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I'm not a "food snob" by choice - my Larry has severe GI issues if he gets chicken or noodles and my Lucy is a seizure dog so I have to watch preservatives and she has some intolerance to chicken - so they need to get a home-made meal. Adam, my new greyhound, on the other hand is pretty much normal (is there such a thing for greyhounds???). Adam gets mostly home-made but, it gets mixed with IAMs new Limited Ingredient food (Salmon and Barley).

 

I'm in agreement that the larger companies have more knowledgeable staff and more importantly - many have their own processing facilities and source their own ingredients and control the quality control. Many of the "better ingredient" dog foods don't have their own processing plants and they rely on the processing plant to source the ingredients which I consider very suspect and they have no idea of the procedures that are followed in the plants. Many of the larger companies (like IAMs and Purina) are also held by public companies and as a result - any scandal could be devastating (like recalls that get into the main news).

 

Smaller companies will also have more of a tendency to change ingredients as one item gets more expensive/cheaper - larger companies will have more procedures in place that they have to follow and are less likely to "change on a whim".

 

Best to just use what works ....

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she's been home for a short time, right??? i remember your adoption pages(congrats).....i would talk to your vet before going food crazy. she might need to get cleaned up on a round or two of either flagyl or tylan powder. you don't know...i don't know...we're not vets! just call and ask. mean while i would put her on a bland diet of over cooked(well rinsed) white rice and 20% boiled chopmeat or turkey and consider what she was fed as a foster if you can get it. but let her tummy settle down.

 

btw- don't go crazy w/ the new rice scare( arsenic in rice)- it's been there for a while- it's the way it grown and enviroment...white rice is polished and most of the arsenic is rubbed off- rinsing well and cooking w/ too much water cuts it down. we're all doomed!

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I was watching her this morning, she isn't very crazy about the Nutro either....(it's "okay" - not yummy..) We have a small, independent pet food store here in our town, I haven't been there in years - maybe I'll stop in there and talk with them for a minute. I am very close to going and getting a bag of Iams....

 

On the vet thing, I am up in the air about what vet to use.... The vet I have always used (for all my animals) is very expensive and I know they don't specialize in Greys, so I wonder if we might be better off going to one who does. The one the GPA group took her to for spaying and teeth cleaning is about an hour from where I live (so that's the downside there). I was thinking of taking her there for a follow up anyway - she was spayed in July, and has a funny little bump about like a pea at the end of her incision scar. Since they did the surgery, I was thinking I should follow up there anyway. They've only seen her once -- when the group went in -- so they are not "familiar" with her either... I also need to get some Heartguard wormer as she is due the 1st of October....

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Where are you located Julie? East side? West side?

 

(That bump might be her belly button!)

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

52592535884_69debcd9b4.jpgsiggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr

Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

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I feed mine Acana Pacifica, it's pricier, but they eat less of it and it averages out to about the same price as a bag of blue buffalo because of that. My lab has severe food allergies and the Acana was all I could find that worked for him. He likes to scrounge the others' food, so they all got switched to it!

 

I love the results of the food. They have great coats and breath and their stool is wonderful! Gigi could be the poster child for this food with the way it helped her coat after coming off the farm! I order it off of mrchewys.com and have it set up as a reoccurring order, so that makes it about $10 cheaper then the specialty stores.

Edited by BellaBean

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**Shellie with GiGi aka: Good Girl (Abita Raginflame X Ace High Heart) and two honorary hounds Butter and Bella**

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Since we're on the topic of food....what do you all feed for treats?? I've been giving her the Nutro Grain Free Biscuits - Lamb & Potato.

 

I called Nutro this morning, they recommended lamb & rice food. She has been eating grain free venison and potato. She told me potato has too much starch...so maybe the biscuits are not a good idea either??

 

BTW....lots of really scary stories on the internet regarding the production of pet food....animal testing, and deceased pets sold to rendering plants used in the production of pet foods.... Wow, it can really be overwhelming. It has been years since I went thru this with Homer, I guess I had sort of forgot how complex it all can be.... Also companies that outsource ingredients from other countries. I recently saw a story on the local news about dried chicken strips (treats) that dogs died from, partly processed in a plant in China and they were under investigation as to what they were coating the chicken pieces with. All this can make a person paranoid!!!

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i still think, if she has been home for 2 weeks it's a good time for a checkup/hw/fecal/transfer her records and have someone to call. i travel- 30-45 min. to my vet- been doing that trip for the past 30+ years. so, to me ...an hour if you like the vet and can contact by phone for backup(i can if the weather is crazy and i have a problem and can also have him call in scripts if needed) sounds good. but it wouldn't hurt to have her checked out- i second the belly button bump theory!

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Guest SparrowLake

Our girl Sparrow has only been with us for a week. I suspected she might have some stomach issues from stress or change in diet so as a preventative, I add 3 tablespoons of steamed rice to her kibble (Kirkland), a little water, and 3 to 4 squirts/pumps of wild salmon omega oil.

 

Plain rice is commonly used by people when they have diahrrea issues and it settles the stomach. Maybe you could try mixing a little in with meals.

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We tried multiple high end foods (Acana, Horizon Legacy) trying to firm up Boo's poo, to no avail. Finally we started mixing half and half Nutreco Lifetime with Iams green bag and it helped a lot.

He was on medication for a while that sent us right back to cowpie square one, so we started mixing a tablespoon or two of pure pumpkin in with every meal. Can't say he likes the taste, but I never thought I would say I'm SO HAPPY to pick up dog poo. It's easy! Even bordering on fun (in relation to the last couple of months, anyways).

Maybe you could try pumpkin?

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Bri and Mike with Boo Radley (Williejohnwalker), Bubba (Carlos Danger), and the feline friends foes, Loois and Amir

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Guest Celestrina

If she's only been with you for two weeks she may be stressed and that could affect things. Have her stool tested for parasites.

 

Be careful not to over feed, especially with the higher quality foods. Angie doesn't put on weight if she eats too much, she just gets soft poop. We just switched to Acana Ranchlands and it is great.

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Our girl with tummy troubles didn't like Iams and quit eating it (it fixed up the loose movements she was having) so I started mixing it with Purina One chicken smartblend until we were half and half and she still has firm poop AND eats it all. This is the best mix for her.

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They are all so different and complex!!! I guess that's why we love them?! I have been keeping notes on what has worked for everyone. Memories have come back when I went thru this with Homer -- but his was for gas issues... I remember it took me almost 3 years to find the right food for him to solve his problems -- but back then, "grain free" wasn't so popular (or even available where we live!!)

 

Hopefully with Winnie, it won't take near so long!! :) thanks so much!!!!

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Guest Angelique

It took us about 18 months to get our first firm stool. Once or twice since, i have added a few pieces of other kibbles (think under an ounce) to his meal, it always ended in the Big D for at least a day. Now i wouldn't try anything else. We use Purina Beneful -Original, and Original only. (And i hope they never quit making it or change the formula). I'm guessing its some additive (color, preservative, artificial flavor) that is common in dog foods and for whatever reason, they don't use it in this one.

Best of luck finding the right food! Looks like your on the right track.

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Royal Canin is excellent food. Why not try their non-lite formula? It's probably very close to what she was eating. My motto is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" when it comes to food.

 

As someone else mentioned, we raised a show dog on Puppy Chow and Dog Chow. He was stunningly beautiful with a long, silky coat, excellent healthy, plenty of vigor, and he also was used for hunting.

 

We've gotten WAY too obsessed with dog food "quality."


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Guest BlackandTan

I was all about the big dollar foods until I noticed that I had to still buy probiotics cause there stool was wicked soft... I switched to IAMS green for quite a while and then recently switched to Blue Seal and have had no problems since i left taste of the wild

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