Are these foods too rich for her?

S

Shawna

Forums Novice
I have a 10 year old Sheltie who has been on grocery store foods her whole life. I took her from my grandparents (moved into a retirement home) and I want to change her diet. She did fine with the move as I lived with my grandparents for 7 years of her life. I've had her for 8 months now.

The foods that I've tried give her diarrhea from just a few pieces. I want to get her onto a high quality food though. I've tried:

Go! Sensitivity & Shine Duck (diarrhea everywhere for 3 days, from only 5 kibbles once)
Go! Refresh & Renew Chicken (diarrhea once, from only 5 kibbles once)
Now! Small Breed (again, diarrhea for 3 days)

I'd like to stick with Canadian brands. And I was thinking Acana Lamb & Okanagan Apple. And giving her pumpkin to go with it for the diarrhea. Or would that food be too rich?

The ingredients are:
Lamb meal, deboned lamb, steel-cut oats, peas, whole apples, whole potato, sunflower oil, oat flakes, lamb liver, sun-cured alfalfa, whole pears, algae meal (source of DHA, EPA), pea fiber, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.

The protein (25%) and fibre (4%) are very close to the food she is eating. The fat (16%) is a bit higher but I think that'll be fine. She doesn't have a weight problem.

If anyone has had something similar and can give any advice, that would be helpful. I'm going to ask my local holistic pet food store, they are great with this stuff, but I'd like other opinions too.
 
I don't think "rich" is a well used term.

If the dog eats the same thing day in and day out, then they only have the gut flora to handle that one thing. It can take weeks or a month to develop the right gut flora to handle other things. If the dog has been eating crap-ina-bag for 8 years, it's going to take time to get them onto not crap.

This is where mixing down slowly is important. It might take a month to transition, maybe longer. Get rid of the pumpkin, they can't digest it, and it's keeping an already inflamed gut more inflamed.

This is also why I don't feed a single food. My dogs eat a variety of foods, or mixes (like the two bags I mixed yesterday). So no matter what I feed them, they are fine.
 
You're on the right track, but do go slowly as you've done. Add some probiotics and digestive enzymes to your dog's food. It will help her digestive system adjust from the food she's been eating. It's not that your new food is too rich for her; it's that the other food had such substandard ingredients that as Clantyre said, her system can't handle it.

I use the Go! foods for my dogs and love them. They aren't rich at all. By all means though, try something like Acana. I have found that lamb doesn't sit well with my dogs, but yours may be different. Perhaps once you get her on probiotics/digestive enzymes you'll find you're able to mix just a few kibbles a day into her old food until you've made the transition.
 
I have used go and now for mine, as well Summit Holistic (all by Petcurean). If you need to add a probiotic, talk to your vet about FortiFlora - this is what Liam is on for his gut/motility issues. It is a holistic medication, which is what the vet recommended for him. I pick it up at the vets.
 
When i switch Gavin's food, it can take 4 weeks or longer.
I mix in a small amount of the new in with the old, and gradually increase the new food % over time. If I go too fast, it's one messy experience.

I always keep rice in the house just in case he has a setback.

we have had good success with wellness core, i have heard evo can be too rich for some dogs. I've heard nothing but good things about acana.

oh, and too many treats can set him off as well.
 
I bought her Acana Lamb and Apple. I wasn't home to feed her for the last couple days and the person feeding her didn't follow my directions. Instead she gave her only the Acana (didn't mix old and new). She hasn't been sick at all for the last couple days. So would it be okay to just toss the old food in the garbage?

Also, she's been eating slower since she has been on the new food. Is that normal?
 
As everyone has said already, it takes time to transition a diet, particularly if they are used to one diet for so many years. It's not surprising you are dealing with tummy upset.

You really need a slow transition, ideally over a minimum of 2 weeks or longer if possible.

In the meantime, for sure pure greek yoguort will help. I've also recommended pumpkin in the past, so I'm surprised at the suggestion to NOT feed pumpkin that ClantyreSheltie suggested.

You are on the right track. Go! and Now! are good food. I've fed my dogs exclusively on Now! for several year ever since Bacca was diagnosed with all his various illnesses. Its the only food he will eat faithfully.

Dogs really do like the grain-free, turkey, duck and salmon combo. It is efficient food
 
Get rid of the pumpkin, they can't digest it, and it's keeping an already inflamed gut more inflamed.
Click to expand...

Phew...glad to read this - I thought my dogs were just weird! If I give them pumpkin, it actually makes their stomachs MUCH worse. I tried it a few times, thinking it was just the amount/brand/bad luck, etc., and then gave up on it. Now we just do rice and chicken.
 
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