Looking To Get Off Prescription Food!

[Guest joviemom]

I thought I would see if you all have any recommendations for my girl.

 

I spent a while figuring out what she could eat and we finally ended up putting her on a prescription diet and she is doing pretty well on it. Finally gaining some weight and no longer has diarrhea and vomiting. (I did take her to the vet and he determined it was food related).

 

I have tried switching her (slowly!) a few times to a different food but I have not had success or found something that her sensitive stomach can handle.

 

The reason I want to switch from the prescription food is that it can be hard to find. The only place in my area that carries is it quite a hike away.

 

This is what I am currently feeding,

 

http://www.purinaveterinarydiets.com/Product/ENGastroentericDogFood.aspx

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

I have tried Acana Lamb and Apple formula, and Natural Balance Synergy, and Pro Plan

[JenniferS]

I have had good luck with the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient foods.

[Guest joviemom]

Any formula in particular?

[Guest mld]

I used the Acana Lamb and Apple!

[Guest joviemom]

I was really hoping she would take to that food but it caused so much diarrhea

[JJNg]

Would it be any easier for you to get Hill's Prescription i/d? It's fairly similar to Purina EN. You might also consider trying Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. A lot of people don't like Hill's products, but sometimes results are more important than ingredients.

[JenniferS]

Any formula in particular?

My boy who had IBD and was on a prescription diet did well on the Venison formula. My current dogs who are only slightly sensitive have done well on the Duck formula.

[Guest blueberri]

Sparky was on the Royal Canin gastrointestinal formula due to severe gastritis. He didn't gain weight on it, but stopped vomiting, filled out a little, and his diarrhoea wasn't as bad (3x day vs 6-7), and he was energetic again. Horrifically expensive though...

 

We transitioned him onto Orijen adult. He loves it, his coat has filled in and is getting glossy, breath improved, but still liquid butt a few times a day.

 

Interestingly, his remnant bald buts are starting to fill in!

 

The 6-fish version gave him rotten fish breath (thought he'd dug up some fish heads, but nooooo), and gas of doom, even after only two meals, so that bag aint getting opened again!

[tbhounds]

Would it be any easier for you to get Hill's Prescription i/d? It's fairly similar to Purina EN. You might also consider trying Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. A lot of people don't like Hill's products, but sometimes results are more important than ingredients.

Agree with this. You can also ask your vet for a script and order your food online.

[GeorgeofNE]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

Get a script and order online, or buy a few bags at a time.

 

Read your initial post. You found something that keeps your girl healthy, fit, and doesn't give her pudding poo. Don't mess around with success!

[Guest joviemom]

Oh I didnt even know ordering online was an option! I am going to talk to my vet about that!

[4My2Greys]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

The real problem which people overlook is that something IS broke and do nothing to fix it. Instead of having to settle for prescription food because that is all your dog can handle do something about healing the gastrointestinal tract. Manuka honey and L-glutamine are two things that have proven to help with this.

[Batmom]

What other foods have you tried?

 

If I were in your position and wanted to try switching, I'd look for something similar in fat and fiber content to what you're feeding now.

[Guest RMarie]

I feel your pain. By no means does James have the most sensitive stomach in the world, but a cast iron stomach he does not have. He was on a prescription food with similar ingredients to yours when he came to us, and in my opinion it was complete garbage. He had skin and poop issues, so we transitioned to Kirkland's Nature's Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato. He was doing ok on this food for a while, but slowly started going downhill and eventually had a serious inflammation problem in his gut. After a round of antibiotics, we took the plunge and transitioned to Iams green bag. This food wasn't terrible for him; it really helped him gain weight and helped his coat fill in, but it also caused him to poop ALL the time and his farts and breath were the stuff of nightmares.

 

We're now feeding a mix of Iams green bag with Nutro Natural Choice Venison and Rice, which is designed for sensitive skin and stomachs. His farts are all but gone, and when he does fart, they don't stink. His poop frequency has decreased, his coat looks good, and his breath is much improved.

 

Good luck!

[Guest Symphony7]

Something to look at, as I have learned with a severe IBD Bedlington, is the protein in the food she is doing well on. The foods you may have tried may have had a protein she cannot digest. The one you have her on looks to be mainly grain based with chicken meal. Anything else like lamb, venison, beef, etc. may be proteins she is intolerant or allergic to. Desmond is HIGHLY intolerant to beef protein. He is now on Royal Canin Potato and Rabbit, which is a little more expensive than what we were feeding but it has all but cleared up his diarrhea. We also removed all other sources of meat protein in the way of treats. He is now on vegetable protein only for treats, and his rabbit formula for food, no other add ins of any kind of meat. I am pretty sure he is allergic to venison, lamb and potentially chicken as well.

 

What one dog can tolerate, even a dog with a sensitive stomach, does not mean it will equate to another dog. They all have different sensitivities, so I would try to narrow down her sensitivities, and restrict her diet to only that.

 

I am also along the line of thinking that for food sensitive dogs, resist the urge to mess around with their food. You can actually cause new/worsening allergies and intolerances by continually exposing them to new proteins that cause reactions. I would stick with her current chicken formula and buy in bulk or order online.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Symphony7

[a_daerr]

I am also along the line of thinking that for food sensitive dogs, resist the urge to mess around with their food.

 

I agree with this. Script food is definitely expensive, but if she's doing well on it, I'd just maintain.

[Guest WhiteWave]

What about California Natural Chicken and Rice? It is very basic ingredients most of which are already in the food you are feeding plus the GA is similar so it may not upset his stomach as bad especially if you do a gradual switch.

 

Ingredients of California Natural:

Chicken Meal

Brown Rice

Rice

Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid)

Flaxseed

Natural Flavors

Potassium Chloride

Sea Salt

vit/min

 

What you are feeding now:

 

Brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, chicken meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), coconut oil, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, wheat bran, animal digest, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, sodium bicarbonate, salt, fish oil plus vit/min

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

Try soaking the kibble in equal parts water for an hour prior to feeding. If you don't have the time, you can blend it into a powder and then add water. Soft food is more easily digested.

[Guest FrankieWylie]

Any thought of trying raw? I don't know the differences between it and kibble in terms of how it effects sensitive stomachs, but just thought I'd throw that out there.

[Guest joviemom]

Update on this one!

 

I was able to place a large order with my vet (cant believe I didnt think of doing that or know that was a possibility! This is my first animal that needs prescription food though so thats my defense!)

 

I also picked up a case of the wet food for her too just to try it out. Man she LOVES it!