# Purina EN



## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

I have been talking to some very knowledgeable golden owners and my vet about switching Bogey over to Purina's EN food for his rotten tummy. No amount of antibiotics seem to clear him up.

I'm interested to hear what your experience was with it? Has anyone given it a try? If so, why did you choose EN? Did your dog stay on it forever or just for a period of time until his tummy was better?


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Bogey's Mom said:


> I have been talking to some very knowledgeable golden owners and my vet about switching Bogey over to Purina's EN food for his rotten tummy. No amount of antibiotics seem to clear him up.
> 
> I'm interested to hear what your experience was with it? Has anyone given it a try? If so, why did you choose EN? Did your dog stay on it forever or just for a period of time until his tummy was better?


I don't have experience with it, but if I had to use it, I imagine it would be until the tummy healed. My understanding is that it is a very gentle food.


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

Bogey's Mom said:


> I have been talking to some very knowledgeable golden owners and my vet about switching Bogey over to Purina's EN food for his rotten tummy. No amount of antibiotics seem to clear him up.
> 
> I'm interested to hear what your experience was with it? Has anyone given it a try? If so, why did you choose EN? Did your dog stay on it forever or just for a period of time until his tummy was better?


Here are the ingredients to the Purina EN dog food.

Brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, chicken meal, coconut oil, animal digest, animal fat preserved with mixedtocopherols (form of Vitamin E), calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, sodium bicarbonate, soybean oil, fish oil, salt, choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc proteinate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, copper proteinate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

This food is nothing but grain products. The Purina EN is probably 60-70 % grain, which really isn't good for any dog. Grain products should never be the first 3 ingredients of any dry dog food. Dogs are carnivores not herbivores. 

Try to find a dog food with the first 2 ingredients being meat or meat meal 

Here is a website that explains the ingredients in the dry and canned dog foods http://www.doberdogs.com/menu.html

Pat


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I have to disagree with Pat. Over the short term, a grain based food, especially rice, is much more gentle on the stomach. You probably wouldn't want to keep him on it for the long term, but until you sort out what's up with him it's a very good interim food. A lot of vets will put dogs on either that, or Eukanuba/Iams low residue, or Hill's I/D, to get the tummy to settle down. 
Over the long term, I agree with Pat.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

The EN is pretty expensive, if I remember. Marie was on it before we realized it was cancer and not a bowel problem.

I don't think it is meant to be a long term solution, just to try and heal an irritated bowel. The other dogs loved it and would go nuts for a taste of it-go figure!

It is supposed to be very easy to digest and good for their irritated system. There are other brands available as well, if your dog does not do well on EN.


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## Brady's mom (Dec 20, 2007)

We feed Brady EN whenever he has tummy upsets...used to be due to parasites (giardia) but now it's usually due to some random yucky thing he eats in the yard. The EN really works! We try to switch back to his regular food whenever the problem clears up, but sometimes we feed 25% EN just to keep his poo in good shape. I also heard second-hand that a local boarding place uses EN exclusively because of the great poos it produces.

For what it's worth, our vet spent a good 15 minutes explaining why EN is good for gastro problems, regardless of how pet food websites rate its ingredients (usually pretty low).


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Daisy ate this food for about a week, after she bloated last October. We didn't use it longterm but it carried her through the worst illness of her life ... and she's fine now


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

Thanks for the great info. This is very helpful. We are looking to use with just for a short time (up to 6 months) until we can figure out what's going on in his tummy. So far we've ruled out the normal worms and parasites, but there is "something" in his stool according to the vet. They just can't figure out what.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Mine used it for about a 2 week period when she was having tummy problems. She did great on it and it certainly served it's purpose. I would use it again.


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## GRZ (Dec 4, 2008)

I think that getting him off antibiotics if he's been on them for a while would be wise as they kill normal flora and can make some bugs resistant and therefore superbugs. 

Good luck! Sounds like the Purina is the right food?


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

We love the California Natural that we normally feed him, but we might switch for the time being. To keep the healthy bacteria alive and well we are always using Forti-Flora with the antibiotics. We will probably keep him on that after the antibiotics too just to make sure he's getting good stuff in his gut. 

It's been a long drawn-out very stressful process - I hope we are finally making some progress.


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## GoldenGirlMags (Mar 16, 2008)

En is a good food for tummy problems, as well as HIlls I/D would be. We have been using this food for almost 8 years in our kennel. We will only feed this food. It is good for drastic switches in diets...ie Owners not bring their dogs food in. It is very bland. We always explain it as feeding your dog hamburger and rice in a dog food form! We send all hospitalized pets that come in with GI problems with EN kennel packs which conisits of some EN dry and some canned and also FortiFlora. We were worried with the new addition to the EN that Purina has added (bovine colostrum) But actually we have experienced dogs to like it even more now. We feed our personal Goldens half EN and half JM. And they do well on it. 

PS. Studies have shown that dogs can eat EN for a regualr diet


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Bogey's Mom said:


> Thanks for the great info. This is very helpful. We are looking to use with just for a short time (up to 6 months) until we can figure out what's going on in his tummy. So far we've ruled out the normal worms and parasites, but there is "something" in his stool according to the vet. They just can't figure out what.


I had a foster dog that had chronic diarrhea. The vet finally sent a sample out to a lab for a culture and it came back and "undertermined bacterial overgrowth." She put him on an antibiotic called Tylan, it's a powder form and he took that for 3 months, and FortiFlora, it finally cleared up the problem. He was in EN for a few months also and liked it.


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## KRayl (Aug 22, 2008)

Avery had stomach issues when she was a young pup. She was on Science Diet I/D for a short while and it definitely helped her through it. It also helped us out when she was teething and refused to eat her kibble. She started losing weight so we needed to find SOMETHING. I knew that we could safely and quickly make the switch to I/D, canned, and it'd be gentle on her stomach....


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## Popebendgoldens (May 16, 2008)

Bogey's Mom said:


> Thanks for the great info. This is very helpful. We are looking to use with just for a short time (up to 6 months) until we can figure out what's going on in his tummy. So far we've ruled out the normal worms and parasites, but there is "something" in his stool according to the vet. They just can't figure out what.



Have you tried another vet? Sometimes getting a different perspective on the problem helps. If you are near a vet school, try them.

Pat


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Tylan is almost a miracle worker for diarrhea! I always have it on hand and carry it with me when I travel.


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

3 months of Tylan, really? That's great to hear! We had him on it for 6 weeks and he's totally fine when he's taking that, but it comes back the day he goes off it. Maybe after this round of treatment we'll try that again for a longer period of time. He responds so well to that. 

As for seeing another vet - that is also in the plans. We have someone we really like, but she is out of town right now and doesn't want to interfere with the current vets treatment at the moment. So, if things don't clear up in the next 2-3 weeks we are going to try her.

We are very close to both the University of Illinois and Purdue, which have great vet schools. We're both Purdue grads so would likely go there  

Thanks for all this GREAT advice. It is so helpful to hear that others have gone through similar things. 

mylissyk - it sounds like we are going through something similar to what you did except that not every stool sample we send in comes back with a lot of bacteria. Some of them are fine. Very weird.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

My Beau was on the EN after his stomach bloat surgery. He needed it for the gentleness to his stomach. We used the can and dry. Hopefully they will find out what is causing Bogey's problems and get it straightened out. That Tylan was a great thing when 2 of my 3 were sick. Good luck and let us know how he is doing.


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

Tylan certainly is a miracle drug!


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

I'm pretty sure this is a Prescription-Only, bland-based food designed to get him past his current issues. I don't think it's designed to be used long-term or recommended for long-term.

It's hospital food


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Our rescue dogs have been using it for a while. The vets they see said that would be fine and it makes it easier when they get adopted and there new home puts them on a different food.


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## KSD (Jan 10, 2009)

I was curious to know how the puppy did/is doing on the EN? Also curious to know if you came up with any cause for the messy stools? We are still working with meds and food to try to solve our puppy's problem. The vet can't seem to figure out why she goes so frequently with mucous in the stools (sometimes blobs of mucous other times a stool will be encased in a milky mucous membrane....like a sausage link).

Thanks and good luck to you!

Karen


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

We have not switched him over yet. We are finishing up a round of antibiotics first, and if that doesn't clear up the problem - and it's not looking like it will - we will give the EN a try. We know he will need to be on it for at least six months and we will probably do it with a 3-month treatment of Tylan too. 

I think we are going to do just the kibble, not the wet food, introducing it slowly and mixing it with half of his old food for the first two weeks. Any thoughts on using just the kibble?


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

most owners of medium/large breeds use just the kibble!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I would for sure try a course of flagyl if you have not. 

The canned Eagle Pack Duck and Oatmeal for sensitive stomachs works really well, and California Natural. 

Duck & Oatmeal Formula
Ingredients: Duck, Duck Broth, Oatmeal, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Carrots, Peas, Potatoes, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Carrageenan, Cranberry Powder, Dried Kelp, Vitamins & Minerals, Blueberry Powder, Yucca Schidigera & Marigold Extract .


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

We have tried the duck and oatmeal before with no luck. Now Bogey is on the EN and for the three days he has been on it we've had zero problems. It's like a miracle. 

EXCEPT....

Here are the first few ingredients: Brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, chicken meal

Gross! I don't like him eating this stuff for long-term. It doesn't seem good. I'd like to get him better (maybe he'll outgrow it?) and put him on Fromm. So frustrating! But I'm thankful his poop is better.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Bogey's Mom said:


> We have tried the duck and oatmeal before with no luck. Now Bogey is on the EN and for the three days he has been on it we've had zero problems. It's like a miracle.
> 
> EXCEPT....
> 
> ...


Just give him time to heal . I bet in time you'll be able to introduce new foods. I personally would talk to my vet first to see when would be the best time start a new food.


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

You're telling me to be patient?! Now that would be too logical! 

You're absolutely right. I just need to give it time - at least several months. He is still a puppy - growing and changing.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Glad to hear that Bogey is doing well on the En.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

Bogey's Mom said:


> We have tried the duck and oatmeal before with no luck. Now Bogey is on the EN and for the three days he has been on it we've had zero problems. It's like a miracle.
> 
> EXCEPT....
> 
> ...


Maybe those ingredients are not as bad as the rap they get? Your dog is doing well and we all know people who feed 'lower quality' foods that have pretty good results. My sis in law has a mix that is on basic Purina Dog Chow. He is 15 and doing well.

For the record, I feed my golden Natural Balance Ultra.


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## Bogey's Mom (Dec 23, 2008)

Well....another update:

Bogey is no longer doing well on the EN. He went through one 8-pound bag and was doing fine until the last 2-3 days. His stools have been super soft and HUGE. He won't go after dinner any more, which is extremely unusual. So in the morning he has a huge, soft pile. The doctor said to keep watching him but that he wasn't too worried about that.

Today he has been twitching and can't get comfortable at all. About an hour after his breakfast he had HORRIBLE diarrhea, according to my husband who is home with him. It wasn't just soft - it was very liquidy. 

I am at a total loss! 

Has anyone here had to experiment with long doses of Tylan? That seems to be the only thing that works for him. Although as soon as we take him off of it the problems return. 

We aren't giving up on the EN yet, but it seems to not be working as well as we thought.

Help!!!!


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