Posts by TLI
1 - 6 of 21 Posts
Okay, whew, this has been a longggggg day! Doing some renovations to my house, and last night ended up in the ER with my youngest daughter. She played at a showcase softball tournament yesterday, and the pitcher hit her in the elbow with the ball. They thought she broke it, but it’s just super bruised and swollen. Out of school today, and not feeling that great. :/
I’m very happy to hear your baby is home and doing better!! Hugs and kisses to her!
As for food. That is pretty much a 100 dollar question. :lol: But I would not start her on anything new right now. I would give her at least a week, maybe even 2 before I started adding/switching her food. When you start you want to go super slow. Start adding in very little of the new food to the food you are feeding her now, and increase the amount daily until the old food is phased out. As for the vet recommended diet, it is a low quality food, but it does work for the purpose in which it’s intended for. It will not hurt to feed it to her for 2 weeks. They make a kibble in the intestinal diet foods as well. But canned is usually much easier to get them to eat, and when they’ve been sick, the key thing is getting them to eat. So they normally opt for canned. Something I wanted to add about kibble. None of my 4 can eat kibble. When I was feeding it, all of mine had bouts of tummy trouble off and on. Turned out that they just can’t digest kibble that well. It goes through so much processing and really doesn’t provide near the nutrition they claim that it does. Canned, wet or raw is always easier to digest, and much better for them in my opinion.
You can always tell how well your dogs digestive system is working by their stool. You want a small, firm stool. No mucus, not soft, no blood, no straining, etc.
To your question about what food to feed. I use Wellness Simple. Lamb & Rice, canned. I chose that food for the simple fact that it is exactly as described. Simple. One protein, one carb. Do canines need carbs to thrive? The answer is no. But it will not hurt them. However, some dogs are sensitive to grains. So some people go with grain free foods for optimal nutritional value, and it can end many tummy problems for some. Then again, it doesn’t work for all. Canine diets are just like people diets. There is no, “one size fits all.” Where my 4 do well on what I feed them, yours might not. I recently found out that my boys IBS is aggravated by rice, and I’ve been feeding it to him for awhile now. He is now on Natural Balance. Would it be my first choice in food? No. But it works for him, and so many other options haven‘t. You can feed/buy the best recommended, high quality food out there, and if your pup doesn’t thrive or do well on it, it’s a total waste of money and time. It actually costs you money in vet bills. Food choices are trial and error for every dog.
Honest Kitchen is one food that many like. But most of the choices have grains, veggies/fruits in them. I believe there is one that doesn’t, but it may be the one you add your own meat too. I’m honestly not sure. You can check their website. Then there is Stella & Chewy’s, which is a pre-made raw. Again, raw works for some, not all. It’s a personal choice. If you are interested in that type of diet you could start with pre-made raw, and eventually work up to the “real deal.” I know very little about raw diets because it isn’t something I’m interested in trying. Gave pre-made raw a short try, and didn’t like how my pups hacked on the pieces of bone in the mixture. Had I continued feeding it, that may have resolved itself, but wasn’t worth it to me to risk. Some raw feeders do not have those problems. If you want to go with that, you can search here on the boards for the raw fed threads, and plenty of info is provided.
Dogs with tummy troubles usually do best on minimal ingredients. I wouldn’t add any treats, table food, etc. back into her diet just yet. Once you get her food switched, you can try adding back in the bully sticks. I tried after mine had HGE, but they could never tolerate them afterwards. So I have to really watch their teeth. Try to brush. There are also plaque removal sprays, etc. You can always use raw meaty bones for chewing. Different options out there.
Lastly, I would not feed her table scraps. You never know what will or won’t send her back into a flare up. Keep her diet tailored to what gives her proper nutrition, and leave the rest out. Just my opinion of course. To many treats, different foods, etc. just make it very hard to narrow down any digestive problems should they arise.
I hope you are able to find something that works well for her. Best wishes to you guys! I can totally sympathize!
I’m very happy to hear your baby is home and doing better!! Hugs and kisses to her!
As for food. That is pretty much a 100 dollar question. :lol: But I would not start her on anything new right now. I would give her at least a week, maybe even 2 before I started adding/switching her food. When you start you want to go super slow. Start adding in very little of the new food to the food you are feeding her now, and increase the amount daily until the old food is phased out. As for the vet recommended diet, it is a low quality food, but it does work for the purpose in which it’s intended for. It will not hurt to feed it to her for 2 weeks. They make a kibble in the intestinal diet foods as well. But canned is usually much easier to get them to eat, and when they’ve been sick, the key thing is getting them to eat. So they normally opt for canned. Something I wanted to add about kibble. None of my 4 can eat kibble. When I was feeding it, all of mine had bouts of tummy trouble off and on. Turned out that they just can’t digest kibble that well. It goes through so much processing and really doesn’t provide near the nutrition they claim that it does. Canned, wet or raw is always easier to digest, and much better for them in my opinion.
You can always tell how well your dogs digestive system is working by their stool. You want a small, firm stool. No mucus, not soft, no blood, no straining, etc.
To your question about what food to feed. I use Wellness Simple. Lamb & Rice, canned. I chose that food for the simple fact that it is exactly as described. Simple. One protein, one carb. Do canines need carbs to thrive? The answer is no. But it will not hurt them. However, some dogs are sensitive to grains. So some people go with grain free foods for optimal nutritional value, and it can end many tummy problems for some. Then again, it doesn’t work for all. Canine diets are just like people diets. There is no, “one size fits all.” Where my 4 do well on what I feed them, yours might not. I recently found out that my boys IBS is aggravated by rice, and I’ve been feeding it to him for awhile now. He is now on Natural Balance. Would it be my first choice in food? No. But it works for him, and so many other options haven‘t. You can feed/buy the best recommended, high quality food out there, and if your pup doesn’t thrive or do well on it, it’s a total waste of money and time. It actually costs you money in vet bills. Food choices are trial and error for every dog.
Honest Kitchen is one food that many like. But most of the choices have grains, veggies/fruits in them. I believe there is one that doesn’t, but it may be the one you add your own meat too. I’m honestly not sure. You can check their website. Then there is Stella & Chewy’s, which is a pre-made raw. Again, raw works for some, not all. It’s a personal choice. If you are interested in that type of diet you could start with pre-made raw, and eventually work up to the “real deal.” I know very little about raw diets because it isn’t something I’m interested in trying. Gave pre-made raw a short try, and didn’t like how my pups hacked on the pieces of bone in the mixture. Had I continued feeding it, that may have resolved itself, but wasn’t worth it to me to risk. Some raw feeders do not have those problems. If you want to go with that, you can search here on the boards for the raw fed threads, and plenty of info is provided.
Dogs with tummy troubles usually do best on minimal ingredients. I wouldn’t add any treats, table food, etc. back into her diet just yet. Once you get her food switched, you can try adding back in the bully sticks. I tried after mine had HGE, but they could never tolerate them afterwards. So I have to really watch their teeth. Try to brush. There are also plaque removal sprays, etc. You can always use raw meaty bones for chewing. Different options out there.
Lastly, I would not feed her table scraps. You never know what will or won’t send her back into a flare up. Keep her diet tailored to what gives her proper nutrition, and leave the rest out. Just my opinion of course. To many treats, different foods, etc. just make it very hard to narrow down any digestive problems should they arise.
I hope you are able to find something that works well for her. Best wishes to you guys! I can totally sympathize!
The transition to switch her food should be over the course of 7 to 10 days. Some can handle it much faster, but I wouldn't push. If you want to give her a bite of boiled chicken, no salt added, that probably won't hurt. But I would make that more of a treat than part of her diet. Mix the food your vet gave you with whatever food you decide to switch too. You will need another can or so. Don't worry much about her wanting the table food. She'll be much better without it. ; ) Tough love is hard sometime, but she'll be much healthier because of it. : )
Nature's Variety, Raw Medallions.
You're very welcome!! : )Thank you so much...it answers so many of my questions...just one other one...:hello1: She's really not enjoying her vet recomm canned food. Yesterday she was way more into it...today i think she had like 2 bites
I would ask if you can use the Hills I/D, Gastrointestinal Health, canned. The Purina is kinda stiff, and doesn't even smell good. The Hills seems more palatable. Not that I've ever tried it. :lol: :wink: My pups don't like the Purina one either.
They have kibble in both, but sold in 5 lb. bags. You'll end up with quite a bit of waste. Again, it's about preference, really.
The reason I don't suggest boiled Chicken & Rice for a week or two as a sole diet is because you will not have any of the vitamins and minerals she needs included. If it were a day or two it would be fine, but not suitable for much longer than that. : )
Me 2!!! :lol: If it is a sentence or two it isn't so bad, but when you write a "book" (lol) it makes me so mad! :lol:
It def. has its benefits in some situations. I would never feed it for long periods of time if I had a choice, but if it was a choice between my pup being ill all the time, or a lower grade food, I'd choose the latter. : )I have one dog with Chronic idiopathic colitis & another dog with EPI (Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) I know most people here do not like-feed-want to feed Veterinary Diets but I do think it works for my boys, they have both put on weight, are bright and bouncy, have perfect solid little poo's, shiny coats etc.
I believe that veterinary gastro food saved my Kirbys life
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