Which first new food or Vet

ScoutLove · #1 18th April 2012, 05:51 AM

Hello all. Hope you are having a good day. I was not sure if I should put this post here or in feeding so I just picked one and went with it.

My 10 month old girl, Tonka, seems to be having some tummy issues. She does not act like she feels bad, but her stools are never consistent. (sorry if this is too gross for some) Sometimes they are formed but pretty soft and other times they are not formed at all (runny but not if that makes sense at all). And sometimes the are both of the above in the same movement. Like I said she does not act like she feels bad, she still plays with our 11 wk old puppy, Zed, and does not seem to be lethargic (unless she has just worn herself out playing). This morning he seemed to have some tummy trouble but this is not the norm for him. Now they have been eating rye grass any time they can get away with it, which is only if the kids take them out and don't watch them well. Not sure if that makes a difference.

We feed Chicken Soup for the Soul Large Breed Puppy right now. Should I switch foods first to see if that resolves the issue or take my girl to the vet first to see if there are other problems first. I have debated this in my head for about a week and decided maybe others would have some good advice for me.

Thanks

**Jan** · #2 18th April 2012, 06:53 AM

I would try a different food. Pick something that doesn't have chicken in it, just in case that is the culprit. Pick a 5 or 6 * food from Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble

Good luck!

LILYLARUE · #3 18th April 2012, 07:34 AM

There is potential issues with Diamond Foods right now. The plant that was found to have salmonella produces Taste of the Wild Lamb, and also produces Chicken Soup. So....how long have you been having this poop issue? If for a 2-3 months, I would absolutely switch until Diamond has their act together. This issue could be playing a role in your girls problem.

As the other had said, check the site for another 5-6 star food, and I would suggest a grain-free at this point. Chicken also seems to be an allergen for some dogs, along with corn. So you can try a buffalo or venison mix, or even a fish recipe in grain-free.

I wouldn't bother with a slow transition, I'd get off the Chicken Soup and on to another food immediately just in case it's Diamond foods that is the issue. You should see a change in stools in less than a week. BUT if not, then get a fresh sample and take to the vet to test for bacteria, specifically salmonella, and possible parasites.

Sansal · #4 18th April 2012, 08:47 AM

I would also skip the puppy food. Choose an all life stages, grain free brand. And make sure you don't over feed, too much food can also cause loose stool.

ScoutLove · #5 18th April 2012, 09:04 AM

Thank you all for your responses.

We have noticed the issue more in the past couple of months. Originally I thought some of it could be stress related with bringing the new puppy into the house. But it has not corrected itself yet so kinda ruling that out. Also wondered if it could be the yogurt I was giving her in the mornings so cut that out...nope didn't fix it. I had heard about Diamond's recall and knew that they produced Chicken Soup. Sent an e-mail to Chicken Soup with my concern and they said that their product was not affected.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sansal

I would also skip the puppy food. Choose an all life stages, grain free brand. And make sure you don't over feed, too much food can also cause loose stool.

Would you take the 11 wk old off the puppy food as well? What is your suggestions for an appropriate amount. I don't think I am overfeeding her but maybe I am. She is 10 months old and weighs close to 60 lbs.

Sansal · #6 18th April 2012, 09:32 AM

If you choose an all life stages food you can feed it to the puppy, too. If you choose to feed puppy food I wouldn't do large breed puppy, boxers are considered medium sized.

How much are you feeding? Are you sticking to the feeding guidelines recommended by the manufacturer? They tend to be a little on the high side. If you think overfeeding might be a problem you could try cutting back the food a little and see if that helps. Monitor your dogs in terms of weight, you obviously still want to see weight gain, especially with the puppy.

ScoutLove · #7 18th April 2012, 02:19 PM

It is possible that I am overfeeding her. I feed her 1 3/4 cup I think, which is probably close to the manufacturer's recommendation. The puppy obviously does not get that much. But we definitely want to see weight gain in him as he was extremely thin when we got him.

I need to go buy food today. I will not get the large breed this time. I guess this is going to be a trial and error thing for a while. If it continues though will definitely take her to vet.

Sansal · #8 18th April 2012, 02:26 PM

Check the guidelines on the new bag. Sometimes puppies actually need more than older dogs because they are still growing so much.
Do you mean 1 3/4 cups per feeding? I am assuming twice a day? That actually does sound like you are in the right ballpark.

ScoutLove · #9 18th April 2012, 02:42 PM

Yes, 1 3/4 cup per feeding twice a day. She also gets a fish oil pill with the evening feeding.

One of my dilemmas here is finding another good quality food for about what I am paying for the Chicken Soup. I know a good quality food is very important, but I cannot increase my dog food budget right now. Summer is coming up and that increases day care and food costs in my household. Many of the better quality foods (4 and 5 stars) are out of my budget at this time. The other one the feed store recommends is listed as a 3 star food.

ScoutLove · #10 19th April 2012, 10:24 AM

Checked my feeding cups last night and I am feeding our girl 1 2/3 cup twice a day. I had to buy food last night and did get the Chicken Soup, partly because I have no idea what I am going to switch to yet and I wanted to see if overfeeding is an issue. Having said that, it very well could be. My oldest son fed them last night before I got home, but they had not eaten yet by the time I returned. Their bowls looked a lot fuller than when I feed them. The oldest was in charge of the dogs and his brothers while we were out of town over the weekend so it is possible that over feeding was an issue this week. I did not buy the large breed formula this time though. The kibble of the regular puppy formula is a lot smaller than the large breed. They finished their bowls this morning and acted like they were still starving. lol

LILYLARUE · #11 19th April 2012, 11:10 AM

That's one problem of more than one hand in the kibble jar! LOL

Maybe find a cup, bowl or something that holds exactly the portion you feed. You could even get those plastic red beer cups and cut it to the height of a meal portion and lable the cup with the name of the dog that it belongs to. That way, no matter who feeds, the portions will remain the same.

I remember one time I thought my daughter didn't come home cause she wasn't there when I got home. The dogs were looking at me like they were hungry. So I fed them. Then my daughter comes back in the house and asks why I am feeding them again. Darn it! They scawfed down that food I bet knowing that once she came in I would take it away. It was only seconds and all the bowls were empty! Crazy kids are crazier than the dogs! LOL

TyTysmom · #12 19th April 2012, 11:57 AM

My husband and I used to have the problem of whether or not the other already fed Tyson. So, I typed up a card; one side says "Tyson has been fed" (in red letters) and the other side says "Tyson hasn't eaten" (in green letters). Then I laminated it and now is on the counter next to the coffee pot. Of course, Tyson doesn't like it very much because he doesn't get double fed anymore :-)