[metrojoe82]

Hi everyone,

After some trial and error, it seems my pup Alfie (15 weeks) might have a sensitivity to turkey and chicken. Long story short: he was having intermittent soft stools and then suddenly had 3 days of serious diarrhea. My vet advised boiled chicken and rice, and then integrating his dry food back in after 3 days of regular looking stools, and sure enough, the day after I did so, his stool got markedly softer. So I'm on the hunt for a limited ingredient lamb, beef, or salmon dry food (he's been on boiled chicken and rice). My vet says a lot of the boutique or small batch foods might be too rich for his stomach, and he's also advising me to steer clear of grain-free foods.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a food that might fit the bill? Does anyone else have a poodle with a sensitive stomach who can't do poultry?

 

[MaizieFrosty]

Because we have a pack of 6 dogs, some of which have food sensitivities, we feed Purina Simply 9 Lamb. It is an adult stage food, so wouldn't work for your pup yet, but consider it in the future when he's adult. They LOVE It and ALL have excellent digestion on it (amen).

How about Natural Balance? It is a limited ingredient food, and they make a lamb puppy kibble. They also have a puppy duck and potato kibble. https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry-food/limited-ingredient-diets/lamb-meal-brown-rice-puppy

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Just want to make sure I understand before weighing in - he's doing well on chicken and rice, but you feel he's sensitive to chicken?

 

[metrojoe82]

Just want to make sure I understand before weighing in - he's doing well on chicken and rice, but you feel he's sensitive to chicken?

Sounds silly, I know, but my vet (as well as my pup's breeder, whom I reached out to) thinks it's possibly something in the processing of the chicken-to-kibble, or the inclusion of chicken meal, as opposed to fresh chicken breast?

 

[lily cd re]

I would make sure you have evidence on what Alfie's sensitivities are actually about. You should consider doing a NutriScan analysis so you can make a data based decision. If you have insurance the testing should be covered since you are having a problem that is food based.

 

[metrojoe82]

I would make sure you have evidence on what Alfie's sensitivities are actually about. You should consider doing a NutriScan analysis so you can make a data based decision. If you have insurance the testing should be covered since you are having a problem that is food based.

Helpful advice, thank you.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Sounds silly, I know, but my vet (as well as my pup's breeder, whom I reached out to) thinks it's possibly something in the processing of the chicken-to-kibble, or the inclusion of chicken meal, as opposed to fresh chicken breast?

That doesn't sound silly to me at all. It's kinda like the difference between a grilled chicken breast at a nice restaurant vs. chicken McNuggets

I'd recommend trying Honest Kitchen. It's human grade, so maybe even the chicken would be well-tolerated. But they have a variety of protein options.

Scroll down to see their limited ingredient options: https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/meals

We have a small pet food store in town that has very knowledgable staff and provides sample food packets. Maybe you can find somewhere similar nearby that could assist in your search.

 

[Charmed]

I concur with PeggyTheParti's recommendation of Honest Kitchen. One of my favorite things is that their website has a product selector which helps you choose the right food for your dog's needs.If you don't like mixing the dehydrated they have a fairly new product that they call crumbles which is like kibble. My dogs usually get the dehydrated, and when they get the crumbles they are like a kid with candy. The crumble does come in beef since you think poultry is an issue. They also offer both grain free and grain inclusive, although the crumble is all grain free. I alternate, but have to avoid beef and duck because of allergies. And yes, I had my dog tested.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I concur with PeggyTheParti's recommendation of Honest Kitchen. One of my favorite things is that their website has a product selector which helps you choose the right food for your dog's needs.If you don't like mixing the dehydrated they have a fairly new product that they call crumbles which is like kibble. My dogs usually get the dehydrated, and when they get the crumbles they are like a kid with candy. The crumble does come in beef since you think poultry is an issue. They also offer both grain free and grain inclusive, although the crumble is all grain free. I alternate, but have to avoid beef and duck because of allergies. And yes, I had my dog tested.

I've been thinking of using those crumbles as a treat. Think they'd work?

Our super knowledgable local pet boutique staff explained to me that grain-free kibble was really intended for dogs that can't tolerate the grains in traditional kibble, and that the binding agents used in trendy new grain-free products are now causing their own set of problems. Sigh. I find it very hard to keep up!

But I figure the crumbles would be a fine occasional treat for crate time, etc. and they seem more cost effective than high-quality products that are marketed specifically as "treats."

P.S. I weirdly enjoy the smell of the dehydrated chicken from Honest Kitchen. Reminds me of a packet of soup!