Dry Food For Sensitive Stomachs

[Kayne's Mum]

Hi all,

I posted some time ago when changing my two poodles to a premium dry food. I switched them to eagle pack holistic duck and chicken vairieties. I recently switched them to the small and medium breed holistic formula which doesnt seem to be enjoyed or tolerated well.

I am thinking of going back to the duck but I'm open to other suggestions. My guys seem to get gurgly and upset tummies or diarrhoea fairly easily and I just wonder if there is a food I should try to keep them a bit more stable?

FYI: They get sardines, RMB, plain youghurt, egg, pasta and chicken/beef mince aswell.

Any reccomendations would be great.

I would take them off the beef/ beef byproducts for starters and see what happens. A lot of dogs cannot digest beef and it also causes many allergic reactions.

Cannot comment on your kibble as i've never tried it on Kayne (gsd)or Patou (toy poodle)

Kayne was very sick as a pup and the only food he could keep down was Royal Canin Hypo allergenic. No meat at all.

Dairy is not suitable for a lot of dogs so remove that from their diet also.

Colic is a sign that 1. you are swapping/mixing their diet around too much or 2/ s/thing in their diet is having bad side affects on them.

It took me many months to get Kayne on the right diet.

Try going back to basics with no dairy, no beef, try steamed or boiled chicken. I wouldn't feed it raw at this stage.

Science Diet have their ID range for problem dogs if you'd rather try that instead of Royal Canin.

Start reading the ingredients on packaging to be sure you know what you're feeding your dog. Additives, preservatives, etc, can also upset their tummies.

It's a lengthy process but one well worth doing for the dogs sake.

good luck.

[Sankari]

My GR has a terrible stomach at times, she has with success tolerated Advance Sensitive skin and stomach & Eukanuba sensitive stomach, havent tried any other brands. I did find she was fine on those

I dont believe all dogs can tolerate RMB. But then i am sure some will debate that but going on personal experience my girl has issues tolerating RMB yet she can tolerate a small amount of roo a few times weekly then once a week she gets half a roo tail (way too rich to give a whole one).

[poodle proud]

Try going back to basics with no dairy, no beef, try steamed or boiled chicken. I wouldn't feed it raw at this stage.

Science Diet have their ID range for problem dogs if you'd rather try that instead of Royal Canin.

Start reading the ingredients on packaging to be sure you know what you're feeding your dog. Additives, preservatives, etc, can also upset their tummies.

It's a lengthy process but one well worth doing for the dogs sake.

good luck.

Thanks Kayne's Mum.

They are just getting the chicken and rice and the probiotics for the moment. I'll do a bit a research on the hypo-allergenic formulas and see what I come up with. I have looked at the hills science in the past but looking at the ingredients I havent been too impressed, same with Royal Canin. It just seemed like a lot of fillers.

Ill give the royal canin and hs another look.

My GR has a terrible stomach at times, she has with success tolerated Advance Sensitive skin and stomach & Eukanuba sensitive stomach, havent tried any other brands. I did find she was fine on those

I dont believe all dogs can tolerate RMB. But then i am sure some will debate that but going on personal experience my girl has issues tolerating RMB yet she can tolerate a small amount of roo a few times weekly then once a week she gets half a roo tail (way too rich to give a whole one).

This is my feeling about Osca, He loves them but doesnt seem to do well on them. Where do you get the roo tail from? Maybe something I could give him once all this is sorted out.

Thanks for the reccomendations

[Sheridan]

The only way to know for sure what is causing the problem is to do a food trial.

True but doing this is easier to start with.

Your approach is easier than feeding a dog one type of food and only that for 5-6 weeks? Giving a dog one type of food for a few days and then switching is more likely to screw up the digestive system even more, surely.

[Kayne's Mum]

Try going back to basics with no dairy, no beef, try steamed or boiled chicken. I wouldn't feed it raw at this stage.

Science Diet have their ID range for problem dogs if you'd rather try that instead of Royal Canin.

Start reading the ingredients on packaging to be sure you know what you're feeding your dog. Additives, preservatives, etc, can also upset their tummies.

It's a lengthy process but one well worth doing for the dogs sake.

good luck.

Thanks Kayne's Mum.

They are just getting the chicken and rice and the probiotics for the moment. I'll do a bit a research on the hypo-allergenic formulas and see what I come up with. I have looked at the hills science in the past but looking at the ingredients I havent been too impressed, same with Royal Canin. It just seemed like a lot of fillers.

Ill give the royal canin and hs another look.

My GR has a terrible stomach at times, she has with success tolerated Advance Sensitive skin and stomach & Eukanuba sensitive stomach, havent tried any other brands. I did find she was fine on those

I dont believe all dogs can tolerate RMB. But then i am sure some will debate that but going on personal experience my girl has issues tolerating RMB yet she can tolerate a small amount of roo a few times weekly then once a week she gets half a roo tail (way too rich to give a whole one).

This is my feeling about Osca, He loves them but doesnt seem to do well on them. Where do you get the roo tail from? Maybe something I could give him once all this is sorted out.

Thanks for the reccomendations

It's not easy, that's for sure. What might suit one dog may not be good for another.

I agree with you re Science Diet ID range.. Kayne did very poorly on it AND, it cannot be fed long term.

RE roo meat. Kayne was ok for a little while then it all went haywire. So no more roo for him.

But then even Patou, who has an iron gutt, cannot tolerate roo meat. weird!

[tomas]

The only way to know for sure what is causing the problem is to do a food trial.

True but doing this is easier to start with.

Your approach is easier than feeding a dog one type of food and only that for 5-6 weeks? Giving a dog one type of food for a few days and then switching is more likely to screw up the digestive system even more, surely.

I said stick to just raw or just kibble,what I should have explained when sticking to just raw,was go back to that type of protein which was well tolerated and use that. Lets say chicken....buy whole chickens and feed only that whacked into appropriate sizes to teach the digestive tract to work normally.

That is what I would do . Without the rice.

Also Poodle Proud I don't think the paper wrapper would have upset the tum to what you are seeing now and mucous is a sign of irritation...slippery elm would be very useful in your situation. Here is a link I found you to help http://www.holvet.net/slippery_soup.html dosage details are near the bottom of the page.

I also totally agree with a few of the other posters,not all dogs do well on the same foods...some ,though few I believe just cannot tolerate raw. But I do not think yours is one of those,I think you just have an irritated gut and once that is calmed ,whatever works will be whatever works. Raw or kibble. As I said I would just go raw chicken till things firm up...

I use Natures Way probiotics and I just feel human grade is better regulated and of a higher quality. JMO.

Hope that helps

[poodle proud]

I said stick to just raw or just kibble,what I should have explained when sticking to just raw,was go back to that type of protein which was well tolerated and use that. Lets say chicken....buy whole chickens and feed only that whacked into appropriate sizes to teach the digestive tract to work normally.

This is what I am wondering., what is an appropriate size portion if I do that? He is low energy, 7kg and 5 years old. The toy is 4kg and just 12 months old, medium energy.

Also Poodle Proud I don't think the paper wrapper would have upset the tum to what you are seeing now and mucous is a sign of irritation...slippery elm would be very useful in your situation. Here is a link I found you to help http://www.holvet.net/slippery_soup.html dosage details are near the bottom of the page.

I also totally agree with a few of the other posters,not all dogs do well on the same foods...some ,though few I believe just cannot tolerate raw. But I do not think yours is one of those,I think you just have an irritated gut and once that is calmed ,whatever works will be whatever works. Raw or kibble. As I said I would just go raw chicken till things firm up...

Thanks Tomas, I will check out that website.

He is a lot better today. My only concern is that his poos are small. I don't know what to put this down to. Whether its because he is only getting what I am giving him rather than free access plus bones. They just seem even smaller than the toy poodles who is eating the same amount. The frequency has significantly reduced today though. I just don't want him to get backed up. (This was why I was questioning whether the wrapper had contributed to this)

[tomas]

I said stick to just raw or just kibble,what I should have explained when sticking to just raw,was go back to that type of protein which was well tolerated and use that. Lets say chicken....buy whole chickens and feed only that whacked into appropriate sizes to teach the digestive tract to work normally.

This is what I am wondering., what is an appropriate size portion if I do that? He is low energy, 7kg and 5 years old. The toy is 4kg and just 12 months old, medium energy.

Also Poodle Proud I don't think the paper wrapper would have upset the tum to what you are seeing now and mucous is a sign of irritation...slippery elm would be very useful in your situation. Here is a link I found you to help http://www.holvet.net/slippery_soup.html dosage details are near the bottom of the page.

I also totally agree with a few of the other posters,not all dogs do well on the same foods...some ,though few I believe just cannot tolerate raw. But I do not think yours is one of those,I think you just have an irritated gut and once that is calmed ,whatever works will be whatever works. Raw or kibble. As I said I would just go raw chicken till things firm up...

Thanks Tomas, I will check out that website.

He is a lot better today. My only concern is that his poos are small. I don't know what to put this down to. Whether its because he is only getting what I am giving him rather than free access plus bones. They just seem even smaller than the toy poodles who is eating the same amount. The frequency has significantly reduced today though. I just don't want him to get backed up. (This was why I was questioning whether the wrapper had contributed to this)

If you are just feeding raw,poops are small,as they use much of what they eat,unlike dry where a lot passes through. Do not expect large poop with raw. Also whatever you feed will be whatever comes out. Today mine had beef heart,over a kg each. Tomorrow they will all have softish but formed black poop!

I have Vizslas and believe me some days there is very little and they all get over a kg a day! It also depends on what the meal is. Chicken usually gives them small firm poops

Base your initial amount on 2% of their weight. So for your 7kg dog you would feed around 200g a day and for your smaller dog about 120g a day...I would whack a whole chicken into portions and hand that out over quite a few days. Lucky you cos mine all get a small whole chicken at one sitting! I really need smaller dogs!

If you feel he is getting backed up,remember to add more meat....bone to firm things up and meat to loosen,organs work well in that regard too,but for a while just stick to meaty bits on the bone. A chicken is 27% bone which is more than enough without being too much. Oh and I would'nt bother with wings at all,just too bony. So legs and breast bone in bits it is :-)

[Koemi]

My little girl, Bambi, has had a sensitive stomach ever since we brought her home from the RSPCA. I don't feed her bones anymore as she tends to vomit an hour after she eats them and usually has diarrhea as well. My friend has started supplying me with the Eagle Pack and it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. I can't pimp it enough, my boy has dropped 2 kg just from eating this food as well, even though one of my housemates still overfeeds him when I'm not around to do it. This is a dog that used to throw up every day without fail. I love Eagle Pack. ♥

[poodle proud]

If you are just feeding raw,poops are small,as they use much of what they eat,unlike dry where a lot passes through. Do not expect large poop with raw. Also whatever you feed will be whatever comes out. Today mine had beef heart,over a kg each. Tomorrow they will all have softish but formed black poop! :p

I have Vizslas and believe me some days there is very little and they all get over a kg a day! It also depends on what the meal is. Chicken usually gives them small firm poops

Base your initial amount on 2% of their weight. So for your 7kg dog you would feed around 200g a day and for your smaller dog about 120g a day...I would whack a whole chicken into portions and hand that out over quite a few days. Lucky you cos mine all get a small whole chicken at one sitting! I really need smaller dogs!

If you feel he is getting backed up,remember to add more meat....bone to firm things up and meat to loosen,organs work well in that regard too,but for a while just stick to meaty bits on the bone. A chicken is 27% bone which is more than enough without being too much. Oh and I would'nt bother with wings at all,just too bony. So legs and breast bone in bits it is :-)

Well they have been on the cooked chicken and rice for the past few days on advice from the vet. So if I was going to switch to raw would I need to do it gradually? Also what about salmonella? Are dogs guts strong enough to cope with it?

And I am a bit paranoid about them eating the bone in the chicken, even when raw. Could I just give chicken mince or cut up breast?

My little girl, Bambi, has had a sensitive stomach ever since we brought her home from the RSPCA. I don't feed her bones anymore as she tends to vomit an hour after she eats them and usually has diarrhea as well. My friend has started supplying me with the Eagle Pack and it has helped TREMENDOUSLY. I can't pimp it enough, my boy has dropped 2 kg just from eating this food as well, even though one of my housemates still overfeeds him when I'm not around to do it. This is a dog that used to throw up every day without fail. I love Eagle Pack. ♥

Thanks Koemi, Mine have been on eagle pack. If I went back to it I would go back to the holistic duck or chicken. The combined meat one for small-medium breed dogs was no good for mine. I'm glad Bambi is doing well!

[Kayne's Mum]

Well they have been on the cooked chicken and rice for the past few days on advice from the vet. So if I was going to switch to raw would I need to do it gradually? Also what about salmonella? Are dogs guts strong enough to cope with it?

Personally, I wouldn't feed raw chicken at this stage.

Best way to go - ask your vet. Go over some of the tips mentioned here and discuss it with him.

Everyone can give you advice going by their past experiences but it all boils down to how your dog copes.

It's trial and error.

[poodle proud]

Well they have been on the cooked chicken and rice for the past few days on advice from the vet. So if I was going to switch to raw would I need to do it gradually? Also what about salmonella? Are dogs guts strong enough to cope with it?

Personally, I wouldn't feed raw chicken at this stage.

Best way to go - ask your vet. Go over some of the tips mentioned here and discuss it with him.

Everyone can give you advice going by their past experiences but it all boils down to how your dog copes.

It's trial and error.

This is what my gut is telling me also. I may consider raw for the future (Thanks for all the info and advice Tomas!).

Osca had his first good poo today on the chicken and rice. Hooray! So I'm pretty happy things are settling down but will keep him on it until I talk to the vet and do a bit more research.

I think the probiotics have really helped. They werent cheap at $50 but it was cheaper than a vet's visit

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Ive got a few brands of dry I can research now and will investigate feeding raw also. Ive learnt now that I should stick to one or the other and I won't give into them by giving them treats until we have had good progress on a food for a substantaial length of time.

:p

P.S Kayne's mum,

I love the name Patou

[tomas]

The probiotics are allowing the gut to heal,can take a good few days so yay for that.

Nope if you feed raw you need about 10% bone at least,so no just meat meals. Also a badly adhered to raw diet is worse IMO than even the cheapest dry!

As was said they are your dogs you need to do what you feel is right and comfortable with :p I have said what I would do

Best of luck.

[Kayne's Mum]

Well they have been on the cooked chicken and rice for the past few days on advice from the vet. So if I was going to switch to raw would I need to do it gradually? Also what about salmonella? Are dogs guts strong enough to cope with it?

Personally, I wouldn't feed raw chicken at this stage.

Best way to go - ask your vet. Go over some of the tips mentioned here and discuss it with him.

Everyone can give you advice going by their past experiences but it all boils down to how your dog copes.

It's trial and error.

This is what my gut is telling me also. I may consider raw for the future (Thanks for all the info and advice Tomas!).

Osca had his first good poo today on the chicken and rice. Hooray! So I'm pretty happy things are settling down but will keep him on it until I talk to the vet and do a bit more research.

I think the probiotics have really helped. They werent cheap at $50 but it was cheaper than a vet's visit

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Ive got a few brands of dry I can research now and will investigate feeding raw also. Ive learnt now that I should stick to one or the other and I won't give into them by giving them treats until we have had good progress on a food for a substantaial length of time.

:p

P.S Kayne's mum,

I love the name Patou

I'm sure things will settle down in time.

I was SO happy when Kayne finally did a normal poo, that I took a photo of it. Believe me, I've been (or should that be Kayne's has) thru the ringer and I know what you're going thru.

thank you. Patou is short for patrick in french. named after the dog OH's had aboard a navy ship.

[Kelly_Louise]

I haven't read all the replies, but I used to have the same problem with Sasha. Her poos were more consistently on the sloppy (sorry)/runnier side. She has a sensitive tummy and we have a hard time finding what does and doesn't agree with her. Unfortunately, I think I've discovered that raw food gives her runnier poos - so she is back on canned and dry food. Not ideal and very expensive - but her poos are nice and firm and she rarely has any off days where she has an upset tummy or goes off her food. She looks much better too. She gets a small meaty bone once a week, and I find if it's only small it might turn her poos a bit softer, but she loves them so much and it doesn't seem to affect her negatively. Anything more, and she's off.

I've tried both chicken and beef meats - same effect. The only time I know she is consistently well is if I feed her Advance dry food (and I also feed her Advance canned food too). If I run out of Advance I will use Optimum and this doesn't affect her at all either - she could quite happily live on either with no ill effects.

So Advance gets the thumbs up here for a dog with a sensitive and unpredictable tummy!!

[stormie]

Why don't you just go back to feeding the Eagle Pack Duck?