Hunger & Hooks : When/whether To Change Food?

[Bizeebee]

Looking for opinions from this greyt group! I've been lurking for a while but could now use some insight, or to be told that I'm overthinking it!

 

We've had our new grey (Bismarck) for about a month now and have been debating changing his food, for a couple of reasons:

 

1) He is on Purina One SmartBlend Chicken & Rice - I know, I know, full of all the "crap" they say not to feed your dog (corn/soy/wheat). But it's what he was on at the kennel and when he came home he refused to eat anything else. We try not to give in completely to the hype about the need for super fancy dog food, but we're thinking he should be on something better. Especially judging by the volume of poop, it seems like there is plenty that is not being absorbed.

 

2) We're hoping to find something that makes him feel more full, especially overnight. (All those fillers certainly don't seem to be doing it). We currently feed a morning meal, an after work meal, and a right before bed meal which also includes some Olewo carrots, but he still wakes up acting like he's not been fed for days and days (potty-schmotty, I must eat now!!!).

 

On the other hand, we've been hesitant to switch food because by all measurable accounts it agrees with him very well. He is not gassy/gurgly, he's not overly itchy/yeasty, his coat/skin are in great shape, we're monitoring his weight but it is in a good place, and his poops aren't perfect but they are 'fine' - much better than we expected during a hookworm infection. (We're one month into the Prison Protocol treatment)

 

And I wonder if it's even possible for a dog to feel full when they have hookworms? It seems like I've read here that a lot of people see a big change in their hounds' hunger once the worms are gone.

 

Do the hooks cause the higher volume of poop/poor absorption? Even as their numbers wax & wane during the treatment period? Or is the volume more likely the result of a food full of fillers? Both?

 

Does it make any sense to try to change food while we're still dealing with hooks? And, if he's doing this well, does it make sense to try to change it at all?

 

Any and all insight and opinions are appreciated

[greysmom]

Get rid of the hooks and then reevaluate his food. You may see a big change once they are gone. Hooks can really upset the whole digestive tract, so if he's doing ok now, just leave things be.

[GreytXpctations]

If the food really is working, then i see no sense in changing it. I kept my Frida on the same (as yours) food for years for the same reason. She came from the rescue with that food and it worked for her. I currently have one on a specific Canidae and another two on Eukanuba LB because that is what works for them. We also have have gone through the prison protocol for hooks. There really is no hard and fast rule for greyhound food, although many swear by foods with beet pulp in order to keep things firm.

 

After a month on the treatment, the adult hooks should be killed off and you will just be managing newly hatched larva, so it shouldn't be like an advanced case where the dog's nutrition is going all to the worms. He should probably be putting on any lost weight by now. If his appetite and digestion are affected, it may be more from the meds than from the hooks at this point.

 

There is a thread started by cgs, titled Hookworm on this site. Please feel free to join in and share your experiences. We have had varying levels of success and other related food/digestion issues with the hooks, so your contributions are appreciated as we work together to nail down a decisive treatment. Thanks, and welcome aboard!

[GreyTzu]

There is nothing wrong with what you are feeding. I have fed Purina One Lamb & Rice for years with no issues. If your dog is doing well on it, continue. Feeding animals is about what works for you and your budget, and what works for the dog. NEVER feel pressured into feeding a higher prices food. Just because 27000000000000 people shun a food is not a reason to use it. And conversely, just because 27000000000000 say it's the BEST food ever, does not mean it is. The key is what works for your dog and budget.

 

As for the amount you are feeding, my thought is that it is a lot of food. My four greys get 2 cups of food mixed with some of whatever leftovers we have, topped with a spoon of yogurt, ONCE a day. They also get acidophilus pills. We do not have Labbie-fat greyhounds, or dogs in general.

 

Hooks are a PITA to get rid of. They required repeated worming over several weeks, for a few months. They are a major pain. Remember that a fecal test only shows what is in that bit of poop and only that sample. False negatives for hooks are very common. As for hooks causing hunger, I have never noticed it. The main thing I saw was refusal to eat, excessive tummy gurgling, and really, really nasty poops during that day. With Danger, the flair would last about 24 hours.

 

Good luck and let us know how things work out.

[cleptogrey]

we changed to purina pro plan focus and saw an immediate reduction in stool(coat as well). it your dog is producing that much stool the food is not being processed and that can also be why he's hungry. my salukis had hook worm for who knows how long, they never showed crazy hungriness. but they were salukis. some dogs are chow hounds and will always seem hungry, some aren't. purina makes some good products these days, the pro plan line is pretty good. it's also used by a lot of handlers and breeders. nothing wrong with a mid-range food.

[NewGrey2017]

Mine did the "3AM bark like a lunatic" routine until his hookworms were gone. Now we've graduated to, "Are you going to get up or what?"