# dog food woes....



## Bumpers (Jun 21, 2013)

Try Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach...its part of the Select line. I know German Shepherds that went years without a hard stool and in bad shape on so called better foods but absolutely thrive on PPSS. It works and its a rich food too, 26/16. Also, I would stop adding fiber rich foods and see how he does.

Ask around about PPSS and you will hear the same thing, it just plain works.


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

What Bumpers said. PPSSS has done wonders for my sensitive boy.... very pleased with it and thankful.


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

Thank you for the suggestions. But the first few foods we tried had similar ing and formulas. And he did the worst on those


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

Emz said:


> Thank you for the suggestions. But the first few foods we tried had similar ing and formulas. And he did the worst on those


Which foods have you tried?


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

2 vet prescribed ones, one hills one royal canin. We tried eukanuba, the natural ing one.
The above ones he had the worst skin and tummy problems! And gas lol
Acana LBP
Go! 
Wellness LBP
And now natures variety instint LID duck.


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

Emz said:


> 2 vet prescribed ones, one hills one royal canin. We tried eukanuba, the natural ing one.
> The above ones he had the worst skin and tummy problems! And gas lol
> Acana LBP
> Go!
> ...


None of these foods are anywhere near the same as the pro plan Sensitive skin and stomach...most of them I would consider quite a bit richer, higher in protein and/or more ingredients. Ppsss is pretty simple and as bumpers said many of us here have had excellent results with it for our sensitive dogs.


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

I dont really like the aniamal digest, or yeast and by product type ing in the purina foods. Not sure if im ready to try the brand out. But thanks for the suggestion, i will keep it in mind


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## samralf (Aug 11, 2012)

If he did well on the bland diet then you could try going with a raw diet. If that's too much then I would go with the honest kitchen. I had a lot of digestive issues with my Sheltie and probably have tried countless brands of kibble. He developed pancreatitis so with the help of a food guru, I now have a dog food that he can eat without getting sick. I give him the preference variety with raw muscle meat added and I give him a pancreatic enzyme for each meal. If you want to stick with kibble then you could add a digestive enzyme to see if that helps.


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

samralf said:


> If he did well on the bland diet then you could try going with a raw diet. If that's too much then I would go with the honest kitchen. I had a lot of digestive issues with my Sheltie and probably have tried countless brands of kibble. He developed pancreatitis so with the help of a food guru, I now have a dog food that he can eat without getting sick. I give him the preference variety with raw muscle meat added and I give him a pancreatic enzyme for each meal. If you want to stick with kibble then you could add a digestive enzyme to see if that helps.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Thanks, i did briefly look at raw. Not sure about it cost wise, and im just more comfortable with kibble. Maybe im old fashioned lol. 
Ive heard about the freezed dried brand honest kitchen, maybe ill re think it
We just started a few days ago with probiotic, digestive enzyme so maybe it will help:crossfing


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

Forgot to add he is also pooping 5-6 times a day. Is this a sign his body is not digesting food properly, or absorbing the nutrients?


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## samralf (Aug 11, 2012)

When Charlie was eating kibble then he was pooping that much. Big piles of mush several times a day. It broke his heart. The honest kitchen is a little pricey but Charlie has no more ear infections, his scratching has stopped, and his poos are great. He has hypothyroidism as well so he eats as much as a 90# dog. It cost about $90 a month to feed him. There are other varieties of the honest kitchen. Some dogs just don't do we'll on kibble. Or he could have an allergy. Have you compared ingredients?


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## samralf (Aug 11, 2012)

I forgot to mention Charlie now poops like 2-3x a day. 


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## Bumpers (Jun 21, 2013)

Emz said:


> I dont really like the aniamal digest, or yeast and by product type ing in the purina foods. Not sure if im ready to try the brand out. But thanks for the suggestion, i will keep it in mind


People like you is one of the reasons I don't breed anymore. Let the dog suffer because of a stupid opinion on "animal digest", which you don't have a clue about. What in the world would you know about "animal digest".

Pathetic


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I feed primarily raw. My cost per pound ranges from 1.59/lb to 1.89/lb for the meat which I get once a month from a Whole Foods distributor, in a variety of formulations. I add variety with lettuce & other greens, carrots, eggs with shells, yogurt, garlic and seasonal produce. In the winter after making soup stock they get the bones with the veggies pureed up. All told, I think the cost is still far less than the Fromm's which I also use a few times a week (for travelling and when my girl goes to her co-owners I need to make sure they can digest kibble). When they need more calories, I cook up rice or some other starch.

I had a severely allergic dog and the final transition to raw food is what allowed him to begin his journey to health and vibrancy. 

The cost savings in vet visits, allergist visits, dermatologists visits, allergy shots, medications for ear infections, hot spots etc more than made up for the cost of going raw even when I was spending upwards to $3/lb shopping for meat at the grocery store with my allergic boy.

FYI: I am in my mid 50s and commercial dog food came into being during my lifetime - old fashioned folks feed their dogs from their own tables LOL and it may not be purely coincidence that my dogs growing up didn't need to go to the vets except for rabies shots or leg setting on occasion.



Emz said:


> Thanks, i did briefly look at raw. Not sure about it cost wise, and im just more comfortable with kibble. Maybe im old fashioned lol.
> Ive heard about the freezed dried brand honest kitchen, maybe ill re think it
> We just started a few days ago with probiotic, digestive enzyme so maybe it will help:crossfing


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## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

I actually like Grandma Lucy's. I tried THK and I didn't like smell or texture. Tayla eats their Pureformance (potato free) line. We do that for one meal and their pre-mix and we add raw meat for p.m. She is doing very well.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

My two adults are eating PPP SS, they've been on it for two years now and doing fantastic on it. Both of them have sensitive stomachs, I tried several other dog food brands and formulas, the PPP SS worked the best for them.

Best of luck to you in your search and decision.


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## darcylee (Jun 28, 2013)

This is the thread I needed right now.  We are going to have to try a different food soon (after he stabilizes on the chicken and rice) because of digestive issues and also itching and red bumps around his back legs. I haven't researched much yet on what to try next. Our vet did mention that Blue Buffalo has a limited ingredient formula now. And we are to stay away from red dyes and beef, pork, and lamb. She wants us to try either a fish protein or a chicken, turkey, or duck protein. I'll have to see if PPPSS fits into those qualifications too. Has anyone tried the Blue Buffalo Basics (limited ingredients) with success?


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## Wagners Mom2 (Mar 20, 2012)

darcylee said:


> This is the thread I needed right now.  We are going to have to try a different food soon (after he stabilizes on the chicken and rice) because of digestive issues and also itching and red bumps around his back legs. I haven't researched much yet on what to try next. Our vet did mention that Blue Buffalo has a limited ingredient formula now. And we are to stay away from red dyes and beef, pork, and lamb. She wants us to try either a fish protein or a chicken, turkey, or duck protein. I'll have to see if PPPSS fits into those qualifications too. Has anyone tried the Blue Buffalo Basics (limited ingredients) with success?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yes PPSSS does fit. It is salmon based.  

I am not aware if a limited ingredient Blue food....


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## Millie'sMom (Sep 7, 2012)

This is a compromise between kibble and raw. It allows you to make your own food, using their premix. You pick the type of protein and fruit/vegetables that you want to add. The people I know who use this love it.

Canine Life

My 2 are on PPSSS. I buy it at PetSmart in Canada, and their is no animal digest in the version I buy.

Petsmart.com


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

samralf said:


> When Charlie was eating kibble then he was pooping that much. Big piles of mush several times a day. It broke his heart. The honest kitchen is a little pricey but Charlie has no more ear infections, his scratching has stopped, and his poos are great. He has hypothyroidism as well so he eats as much as a 90# dog. It cost about $90 a month to feed him. There are other varieties of the honest kitchen. Some dogs just don't do we'll on kibble. Or he could have an allergy. Have you compared ingredients?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I just picked up honest kitchsn few days ago. I seeing a difference in stool consitsncy already. Glad to see it worked for someone else


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

Bumpers said:


> People like you is one of the reasons I don't breed anymore. Let the dog suffer because of a stupid opinion on "animal digest", which you don't have a clue about. What in the world would you know about "animal digest".
> 
> Pathetic


I dont appriciate being called names.im just researching the best option for my dog. Dont see why harsh words are needed. I think everyone is intitled to there opinion on dog food. Theres no need to be rude. If you dont have anything helpful to say then just keep your angry opinions yourself. 
I not against useing ppss. Obviously its worked for many dogs. But some ing in the food were tried in previous vet food and he did badly on them as why trying to avoid them. Im choosing to try another food route first before going back.
Obviously there is a reason your user name says banned.....


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

Sunrise said:


> I feed primarily raw. My cost per pound ranges from 1.59/lb to 1.89/lb for the meat which I get once a month from a Whole Foods distributor, in a variety of formulations. I add variety with lettuce & other greens, carrots, eggs with shells, yogurt, garlic and seasonal produce. In the winter after making soup stock they get the bones with the veggies pureed up. All told, I think the cost is still far less than the Fromm's which I also use a few times a week (for travelling and when my girl goes to her co-owners I need to make sure they can digest kibble). When they need more calories, I cook up rice or some other starch.
> 
> I had a severely allergic dog and the final transition to raw food is what allowed him to begin his journey to health and vibrancy.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the info! I admit i dont no much about raw still. So this helped :wave
I will look into it a bit more lol i think it be harder convincing my fiance to switch though....


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

darcylee said:


> This is the thread I needed right now.  We are going to have to try a different food soon (after he stabilizes on the chicken and rice) because of digestive issues and also itching and red bumps around his back legs. I haven't researched much yet on what to try next. Our vet did mention that Blue Buffalo has a limited ingredient formula now. And we are to stay away from red dyes and beef, pork, and lamb. She wants us to try either a fish protein or a chicken, turkey, or duck protein. I'll have to see if PPPSS fits into those qualifications too. Has anyone tried the Blue Buffalo Basics (limited ingredients) with success?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Hey its nice to know im not the only one struggleing with puppy GI issues lol. Hope you figure yours out too :wave
Ive seen the LI blue at petsmart its pretty pricey though for it.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Here is a link to a thread that might be helpful to you-

It's about Dr. Susan Wynn, DVM who is a nutritionist-

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...ecipes/69410-susan-wynn-dvm-nutritionist.html


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## samralf (Aug 11, 2012)

Emz said:


> Thank you for the info! I admit i dont no much about raw still. So this helped :wave
> I will look into it a bit more lol i think it be harder convincing my fiance to switch though....


I fed an all raw diet to my last sheltie. If you need any help just let me know. If you want to do some research on your own then I strongly recommend Welcome to the Raw Dog Ranch or the nutrition section in the german shepherd forum. There are a lot of people there that can help and they are very knowledgeable and trustworthy. German Shepherd Home


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

samralf said:


> I fed an all raw diet to my last sheltie. If you need any help just let me know. If you want to do some research on your own then I strongly recommend Welcome to the Raw Dog Ranch or the nutrition section in the german shepherd forum. There are a lot of people there that can help and they are very knowledgeable and trustworthy. German Shepherd Home


Thanks so much! Ill take a look for sure. I appreciate the help:wavey: was really hoping i could find a kibble that will work, but if not....at least ill have a back up plan


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## Amberbark (Oct 5, 2011)

Switching to Natural Balance LID (Limited Ingredient Diet) Potato and Duck solved all of the problems that you described for my dog. We have also slowly added: Lamb and Brown Rice and Sweet Potato and Venison with good results. :wavey: Vicki


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## Emz (Feb 25, 2013)

Amberbark said:


> Switching to Natural Balance LID (Limited Ingredient Diet) Potato and Duck solved all of the problems that you described for my dog. We have also slowly added: Lamb and Brown Rice and Sweet Potato and Venison with good results. :wavey: Vicki


Thanks!


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Emz said:


> Thanks!


Also, Merrick has some good foods that might be more options for you:

1. Grain Free Real Pork & Sweet Potato
2. Grain Free Real Duck & Sweet Potato

Merrick makes a good product and it's part of my dogs rotation (with Acana).


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## Medster (May 19, 2013)

You are absolutely correct about the Purina products. The animal digest and the poultry byproducts are just two of the objectionable ingredients Purina uses in all of their products.
They should be avoided.


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