Dilemma

[EvieMom]

I have been trying to switch Evie from Eukanuba to Castor & Pollux because that is what my Grandpuppy eats and it just seemed easier when she was visiting. She visits alot!!! The Grandpuppy can't eat anything with wheat in it.

I've been mixing the food for well over two months but each time I try to give only Castor Pollux to Evie, her stool is VERY LOOSE. It's actually pretty loose even on the mix of the two foods.

I'm wondering now if I should try something else but am not sure how or what to try. My question is two fold:

1 - How do I throw a third food in the mix since she is right now eating a mix of 1/4 cup Eukanuba to 3/4 cup Castor and Pollux?

2 - Is there a food without wheat that is known to firm up stool?

[mcemily]

We ran into the loose stool problem with Lerwick when he was a puppy. Turns out he can't have any poultry. If the kibble had any chicken, duck, or turkey, he had the runs. That rules out a lot of kibble, since so many of them have chicken! We also have to be careful what we feed our cats, just in case Lerwick gets into their food (and he works so hard to get at it, he does occasionally succeed). We have found he does best with fish-based kibble. Apparently a lot of dogs with various allergies and sensitivities do well on fish-based kibble... and the fish oil does wonders for their coats! So, all the pets are on Acana Pacifica.

I would start by comparing the labels of the Eukanuba and the Castor and Pollux foods. Do they have the same protein sources? If there are some differences, then your Evie may be sensitive to one of the meats they use in the C&P, which isn't in the Eukanuba.

It could also just be that the C&P is too rich for her, since she's used to food with more "fillers" and less protein/fat. Check the feeding suggestions on the C&P bag and make sure you're not feeding her too much given her size. The grain-free foods tend to call for smaller serving sizes.

There are lots of wheat-free dog foods out there, so if the C&P doesn't work out, hopefully you can find one that will. Here is a good list of grain-free brands: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-d...dog-foods-dry/

To introduce a third food, I'd drop the C&P back by a quarter cup. So, it'd be 1/4c Eukanuba, 1/4 cup new food, 1/2 c C&P, and then after a week or so, switch to 1/4 Eukanuba, 1/2 new, 1/4 C&P, and then after another week or so, eliminate C&P, and then after another week or so, eliminate the Eukanuba.

Something else you can do in the meantime is to add a spoonful or two of canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie filling, with spices etc... just the plain stuff) with each meal and see if that helps firm up her stools. You can also try plain yogurt. Sometimes a change in a dog's food upsets the balance of the good bacteria in their digestive system, and the yogurt will help restore that balance.

Good luck... I hope you can find a food that both Evie and the grandpuppy can tolerate!

[PatC]

Just FYI, if you think chicken might be the problem, Castor and Pollux also makes a grain-free salmon-based food. My two do very well on it.

[EvieMom]

Thank you both so much for your response. I didn't really think about chicken being the culprit. I appreciate your help!

[Lightplum]

If your dog is doing fine with the Eukanuba Im going to say it isnt a chicken issue as thats the first ingrediant in Eukanuba..it may however be an issue with another item in the castor and pollux food. You can do a side by side ingredient comparison and see if there is anything different that may be causing an issue..and some dogs just cant handle certain types of food...like I know alot of shelties cant handle the richness of wellness and it gives them diarrhea...

[EvieMom]

Thanks Linda. I did as you suggested and C&P had chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal all listed first thing in the ingredients. I'm wondering if it isn't just a bit rich for her. I may give the Acana Pacifica a try and see how she does.

I really appreciate the feedback.

[Mally's Mom]

A little cooked plain rice mixed in with the dog food will help in the loose stool department.

ps I noticed last evening on a post that some cooked noodles mixed in with the dog food, also, works.

[BarbV]

Originally Posted by Lightplum

If your dog is doing fine with the Eukanuba Im going to say it isnt a chicken issue as thats the first ingrediant in Eukanuba..it may however be an issue with another item in the castor and pollux food. You can do a side by side ingredient comparison and see if there is anything different that may be causing an issue..and some dogs just cant handle certain types of food...like I know alot of shelties cant handle the richness of wellness and it gives them diarrhea...

I'm with Lightplum here. If your dog was doing fine on a chicken protein diet and you switch to another, its not necessarily the chicken protein that is the culprit.

As she said, I would do a side-by-side compare of the top 10 ingredidents of each food. There could be another ingredient in the new diet that is causing this. Also check the compatatives of the Guaranteed Analysis. Swithcing from a moderate protein to a higher level protein, even if the same type could cause temporary gastro.

The other thing is how quick did you do the transition. Generally, I start with 3/4 old food, 1/4 new and spread over a 2 week period.

[EvieMom]

Thanks for the reply Barb. Still not sure if chicken was the culprit or not but I have started transitioning her to Acana Pacifica and things seem better. Just FYI, I transitioned over a lot longer than 2 weeks. Just couldn't get the poo to firm at all. Hopefully this new food is the answer.

Just curious, is there any benefit to chicken over fish in food?