[tammyw]

We have had the hardest time with Ollie and food sensitivities. We just got nutrascan results and nothing is showing as bad. Yet we just can’t seem to find a food that doesn’t eventually give him diarrhea. The vet is doing a blood test today for maldigestion profile test. And his suggestion is trying foods like duck or venison. He can no longer even tolerate steam rice and boiled chicken! I moved on to steamed rice and cooked lean ground beef but he can’t tolerate that either. I tried the whitefish kibble Twyla uses and no good. We’ve tried many things! We even tried the LID canned lamb and rice. I’m at my wit’s end! We really need to get this food thing figured out!!

 

[Moni]

Louie swears by his Stella and Chewy's freeze dried - it is like doggie crack. We stick to the lower fat versions Venison, Rabbit, Surf & Turf and he never has any problem. Only problem I have heard is that they get used to S&C and refuse other food after that...

 

[Moni]

Louie swears by his Stella and Chewy's freeze dried - it is like doggie crack. We stick to the lower fat versions Venison, Rabbit, Surf & Turf and he never has any problem. Only problem I have heard is that they get used to S&C and refuse other food after that... oh forgot to mention - S&C is raw -freeze dried... in case that make a difference..

 

[tammyw]

Louie swears by his Stella and Chewy's freeze dried - it is like doggie crack. We stick to the lower fat versions Venison, Rabbit, Surf & Turf and he never has any problem. Only problem I have heard is that they get used to S&C and refuse other food after that... oh forgot to mention - S&C is raw -freeze dried... in case that make a difference..

Oh I forgot - we did do a raw food diet (frozen Primal raw beef) for six weeks and he ended up with such severe vomiting and diarrhea he had to get treated by the vet. So would freeze dried raw have similar results? We’ve done freeze dried minnows forever with no issues. Isn’t that the same idea? It might be worth a try!

 

[lily cd re]

What a bummer that NutriScan didn't give you good insights. I wish I had a magic solution for you. The one thing I see as problematic is rice since it has been a repeat ingredient across several things you have tried that still caused problems. Maybe replace rice with pasta.

 

[tammyw]

What a bummer that NutriScan didn't give you good insights. I wish I had a magic solution for you. The one thing I see as problematic is rice since it has been a repeat ingredient across several things you have tried that still caused problems. Maybe replace rice with pasta.

I know! I was so hoping that would be our magic solution! This new blood test by the vet is also $300 so this stuff is adding up!

He did suggest maybe trying something like venison and potato or duck and potato. I’m going to do some intense shopping at the pet store today. I want my baby to feel better!!

 

[tammyw]

One weird thing - we went on vacation and had our friend stay here with him. Before I left, I mixed up ground beef and rice and froze little baggies (because he was tolerating the beef and rice at the time). No issues at all. Then we got home and I cooked up more beef and rice and fed it fresh - immediate diarrhea! Yet it was the same stuff just fresh instead of frozen (and he had been fine with it one week earlier!!!) what in the heck?

 

[fjm]

I think I would try a home prepared diet, as it gives you so much more control over ingredients - so many foods may say Lamb or Beef, but then contain protein from any number of different species, and it is the same for the grains and other ingredients. As your vet has suggested venison that may be a good place to start - just venison muscle meat at first, with a tiny bit of venison organs if you can source them and ground eggshell rather than bonemeal for the calcium source (very well washed to remove egg, just in case). If that is OK after a few weeks I'd try adding more single ingredients, one at a time and some time between each, so that you can see what is causing problems.

Has your vet suggested trying a hydrolyzed protein food? That can be the answer for very sensitive stomachs.

ETA Just read your last post - could stress be part of the problem? Even joy can be stressful! Or was he able to get into any other food after you got home? Treats? Bins? Garden? Neighbours' bird tables?

 

[Michigan Gal]

Rice is a grain and it could be an allergen for your dog.

Try feeding a single protein that is really a single protein. Get chicken wings, or leg quarters, depending on your dog's size and try that. It just has to be big enough so he will chew and chew and not chew twice and swallow. Raw.

Feed him beef the same way, so he has to tear it up himself.

Next, try canned mackerel. Next, a raw egg and shell.

One of my fosters could not eat anything without throwing it up, except raw. I discovered that if I also gave him kefir that he could eat Taste of the Wild kibble.

 

[Dechi]

Beckie is sensitive, less now but still, and she does very well on salmon as a main ingredient. You can find kibble for sensitive dogs, with salmon in many brands.

Right now I buy Pro Plan salmon for sensitive dogs, because of the DCA problem. Both my dogs like it and do well on it.

 

[tammyw]

Just got home from the blood test. Results will take a few days. Vet said hold off on changing anything until we get test results and we go from there. Hydrolyzed food might be a suggestion he said.

 

[Streetcar]

Dechi, we continue switching over to that Pro Plan Small Breed Focus salmon kibble for sensitive skin and stomach, and Oliver is doing well. I started too fast and had to backtrack and lower the PP for a bit, but all is well now so just doing things slower.

As well as he did on the Castor & Pollux Pristine salmon, and it took a while to get to that food, I'm glad to be getting away from the chickpeas due to the cardio question and that we have this great option. Love chickpeas for me tho .

 

[Streetcar]

Just got home from the blood test. Results will take a few days. Vet said hold off on changing anything until we get test results and we go from there. Hydrolyzed food might be a suggestion he said.

Tammyw, will the blood test check for possible pancreatic insufficiency? I know some dogs end up needing enzyme supplementation for it. People, too.

Sure hope this gets solved SOON for you both!

 

[Viking Queen]

Tammyw, will the blood test check for possible pancreatic insufficiency? I know some dogs end up needing enzyme supplementation for it. People, too.

Sure hope this gets solved SOON for you both!

That is a good suggestion....poodles don't often have EPI, but my girl's littermate has it. Few vets think to check for EPI although they check for other Pancreatic disorders. Other breeds are more likely to have EPI but it can happen in poodles. Milo is well recovered and is stable ....he takes enzyme suppliments and is on a special diet.

Best of luck.

 

[Rose n Poos]

You may have addressed this already but I have a couple of questions. Has the vet run any tests on a stool sample? and have you tried pumpkin to fiber up his stool?

 

[tammyw]

You may have addressed this already but I have a couple of questions. Has the vet run any tests on a stool sample? and have you tried pumpkin to fiber up his stool?

We did a stool test a couple months back and it was totally normal. We put a small spoonful of dried pumpkin in his food every day!

 

[tammyw]

My husband has a new theory. While we were on vacation, we didn’t have our pet sitter brush his teeth. His poops were perfect the entire time. We came home, brushed with CET enzymatic chicken toothpaste and next day, diarrhea. We stopped the toothpaste and within a few days (this morning) his poop was as solid and perfect as I’ve ever seen it (and still feeding the same ground beef and rice).

So, after all this, could it be the toothpaste?! We’ve now spent $700 on tests (stool sample, nutrascan, and latest blood), plus tried SO many pricey foods. Can you imagine if the problem all along has been a $10 tube of toothpaste?!

 

[twyla]

Yes it could be that simple

 

[tammyw]

Yes it could be that simple

It’s crazy! We had looked at every single thing but didn’t even think about the toothpaste!

The scary things are some amazon reviews show it coming out as brown when it should be white. Theories are that it is mold.

 

[twyla]

My dear Flower was extremely sensitive to clipper lube and Nylabone chews, she would develop massive weeping hot spots within an hour