OT: Dog Advice

[Hungry Jack]

We got a pandemic pup back in August, a beautiful golden retriever.

Olive "Ollie" is now approaching 7 months, and doing well. She is a great companion, and easily trained.

Our issue is her digestive track. Like so many dogs, she is having trouble with the processed foods commercially available. She has had lots of diarrhea over the past few weeks.

So we putting her on a very bland white rice and boiled chicken diet. Mrs. Jack has been making this at home.

Has anyone here dealt with this, and found a commercial brand of food that fits the bill?

 

[NJCat]

We got a pandemic pup back in August, a beautiful golden retriever.

Olive "Ollie" is now approaching 7 months, and doing well. She is a great companion, and easily trained.

Our issue is her digestive track. Like so many dogs, she is having trouble with the processed foods commercially available. She has had lots of diarrhea over the past few weeks.

So we putting her on a very bland white rice and boiled chicken diet. Mrs. Jack has been making this at home.

Has anyone here dealt with this, and found a commercial brand of food that fits the bill?

I have had 3 Wheaton Terriers. They are prone to GI inflammatory issues. Our vet put them on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat food. It has worked like a charm. Runs about $90 for a 28# bag at PetSmart. You need a Vet's prescription for it.

 

[thewildcat2011]

We got a pandemic pup back in August, a beautiful golden retriever.

Olive "Ollie" is now approaching 7 months, and doing well. She is a great companion, and easily trained.

Our issue is her digestive track. Like so many dogs, she is having trouble with the processed foods commercially available. She has had lots of diarrhea over the past few weeks.

So we putting her on a very bland white rice and boiled chicken diet. Mrs. Jack has been making this at home.

Has anyone here dealt with this, and found a commercial brand of food that fits the bill?

We have a doodle, who have notoriously finicky digestion. Royal Canin has been fine and what she’s had since she was born essentially (first the Royal Canin Medium Puppy then Royal Canin Medium Adult).

 

[runawayCat]

We got a pandemic pup back in August, a beautiful golden retriever.

Olive "Ollie" is now approaching 7 months, and doing well. She is a great companion, and easily trained.

Our issue is her digestive track. Like so many dogs, she is having trouble with the processed foods commercially available. She has had lots of diarrhea over the past few weeks.

So we putting her on a very bland white rice and boiled chicken diet. Mrs. Jack has been making this at home.

Has anyone here dealt with this, and found a commercial brand of food that fits the bill?

I’ve had luck with Fromms, kibble only.

white rice, canned pumpkin, and boiled chicken have cured the fire hose!

 

[Williesfan]

I have PWD’s and fortunately do not have any digestive or other health issues. Their kibble is alternating Purina Pro Plan. I would stay away from any grain free kibble. It has been suspected of causing Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Talk to you vet when he gets stabilized and maybe consider utilizing a raw diet.

 

[FloridAlum]

Hey, Hungry, This is a Cat board. Are your cats OK? I think the dog board is at the university of Georgia

 

[Hungry Jack]

These are great suggestions. Thank you all.

Here is a follow on question, or perhaps a conundrum.

We moved to a new neighborhood (Uptown) a few weeks ago. Finally found a bigger (but not too big) place. There is a dog park less than 2 blocks away (Puptown)! It take Ollie there every morning, and sometimes in the pm.

Because I cannot help myself, when I see something in the public sphere that needs fixing, I fix it (and ask for forgiveness later). It is how I came to be the builder and caretaker of a public (privately owned, publicly used) green space in my own neighborhood before we moved.

I noticed that the dog park, which is paved in the center (not great for dogs, I think) and bare ground on the perimeter, had large accumulations of pea gravel along the perimeter fence line, and very little gravel in the lower elevations in the open ground areas. In this space, the soil was compacted, and then made muddy / icy with some recent snows. It looked to me like the gravel had been dumped along the fence line (perhaps from the outside as a drop off during construction?) and largely left there.

So I started relocating the gravel. There is a storage shed full of tools, so I grabbed a wheelbarrow and shovel and got to work. Over about 3 weeks, I estimate I have moved maybe 10,000 pounds of gravel (about 200-250 bags) by doing about 6 wheelbarrows per day. I have laid 3-4" thick on the low areas. I am just finishing up the north side of the park. I will see how it holds, and add more if needed.

I am trying to determine how the gravel ended up piled 2 ft deep along the fence line. I can only come up with the hypothesis I described above. I spoke with several people who have used the park for years. They claim that the gravel has migrated via traffic and wind (really?) from the lower elevations back toward the fence line. This is a distance of about 15-20 ft, and a climb of probably 6 - 18 inches.

Again, that explanation makes no sense to me.

So, if anyone has experience building and maintaining dog parks, please weigh in.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Hey, Hungry, This is a Cat board. Are your cats OK? I think the dog board is at the university of Georgia

The cats have made it clear where Ollie is allowed and not allowed to go. The other day Ollie got her front paws up on our bed, and the senior cat went after her like Glades goes after spare change.

 

[Alan Smithee_rivals156293]

I have PWD’s and fortunately do not have any digestive or other health issues. Their kibble is alternating Purina Pro Plan. I would stay away from any grain free kibble. It has been suspected of causing Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Talk to you vet when he gets stabilized and maybe consider utilizing a raw diet.

That’s been largely if not wholly debunked. Nothing wrong with mixing some kibble with grain in it though. And I’m glad you’re using Pro Plan - I would steer VERY far away from any other Purina dog (or cat) food. Lowest-common denominator stuff, though the Pro Plan should be fine.

 

[Fcmchi1]

We had a similar problem with our Golden. After temporarily feeding him rice, boiled chicken or pumpkin purée we went with one of the Natural Balance brands foods: duck, bison or some other protein with rice; no other grains in it.

That change seemed to do the trick.

 

[Zootcat]

I have one other thought, if the above suggestions don't work for you. We had the same issue with our (now 70 lb.) English Setter puppy. We tried the boiled chicken and rice thing which sometimes helped, but every time we transitioned back to dog food we had the same problem.

After pulling our hair out, we took him to an emergency vet we knew was really good. Her suggestion - "try some metamucil." Boom, the first time we tried it it cured him. We now give him 1 tablespoon at every meal and it works like a charm.

P.S. - We also made some of the food changes suggested above.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I have one other thought, if the above suggestions don't work for you. We had the same issue with our (now 70 lb.) English Setter puppy. We tried the boiled chicken and rice thing which sometimes helped, but every time we transitioned back to dog food we had the same problem.

After pulling our hair out, we took him to an emergency vet we knew was really good. Her suggestion - "try some metamucil." Boom, the first time we tried it it cured him. We now give him 1 tablespoon at every meal and it works like a charm.

P.S. - We also made some of the food changes suggested above.

We have adding minced pumpkin to her kibble, which obviously is a source of raw fiber. It did not help in her kibble, but we will continue to use it.

 

[Darren72]

Our Airedale has had persistent gastrointestinal issues his whole life.

One thing that helps is using a probiotic food additive, such as Animal Essentials Plant Enzyme & Probiotics Supplement. It's available at Amazon and most pet stores. It's fairly pricey, but will last a long time. It's just a powder that you sprinkle on the food.

My dog's vet recommended a prescription dog food (Purina HA) because it is easy to digest. We use this now. Prior to that we used a food called Abady New York Natural (https://www.fordogsake.com/products/abady-new-york-natural?variant=75845602), which is a limited-ingredient food. He was doing well on this. Prior to that, we used Fromm food.

I agree with the advice above to stay away from grain free. It didn't agree with our dog and our vet doesn't recommend it.

One key is to maintain a consistent diet. If you keep changing what they get, it will be very hard to figure out what works and what doesn't. Our dog's internists said to stick with the food only, no treats or anything else, until we figure things out or at least get to a steady state. Related, only make one change at a time and give it some time to see how your dog reacts.

Last, if the issue is persistent, you may want to talk to a specialist. You can ask your regular vet for a referral to the internal medicine group at Med Vet.

Go Cats!

 

[High Hopes Cat]

We’ve had two weimaraners. Our prior in particular had a very sensitive stomach with lots of upset. Our best success by far came with Abady. Our current Weim likes it as well. Our vets have always remarked on how well they have aged / are aging and their general health. Unscientific but I believe a direct result of the food.

They are very focused on ingredient quality and sourcing. Small enough company you can call then and talk to somebody who knows something.

Limited distribution so may be hard to get locally (unless you are lucky) but they will ship it to you.

https://www.therobertabadydogfoodcoltd.com/

 

[Darren72]

We bought Abady at For Dog's Sake, which is a great store and the only place in town that sells it. They also deliver if you don't want to drive to out to Humboldt Park.

 

[FitzFan]

We fed our old pup (black lab / bordie collie mutt) Canidae brand kibble with a quarter-can of V8 tomato juice for every meal. She never had GI issues and lived to be 15, although I'd contribute her longevity to adequate exercise more than anything else.

As for the dog park, I lived in Uptown for a year around 2016 and seem to recall gravel collecting along the fence line. Wouldn't be surprised if it occurs due to weather and high foot traffic in the areas of lower elevation. I never walked along the fence because the dogs urinated all over it.

 

[rwhitney014]

Dog advice? Take NU ATS as dogs on the road.

 

[docrugby1]

Be very careful of the run of the mill processed dog foods-they are loaded with potential carcinogens. A Vet said the average life span of a golden retriever has decreased dramatically in the last 30-40 years and he attributes this to processed dog foods.

My wife has switched our English setter and Jack Russel terrier to natural food supplied frozen from "Farmers Dog" I have no idea what it costs but it may be worth investigating

Since starting this diet my dogs have flourished-the setter not only speaks English but a passable French now

 

[xxxbobxxx]

We got a pandemic pup back in August, a beautiful golden retriever.

Olive "Ollie" is now approaching 7 months, and doing well. She is a great companion, and easily trained.

Our issue is her digestive track. Like so many dogs, she is having trouble with the processed foods commercially available. She has had lots of diarrhea over the past few weeks.

So we putting her on a very bland white rice and boiled chicken diet. Mrs. Jack has been making this at home.

Has anyone here dealt with this, and found a commercial brand of food that fits the bill?

Pumpkin is a great natural stool hardener. Mix a little in with meals. My ex used to freeze ziplocs of it after each fall to use throughout the year for her special needs cat.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Pumpkin is a great natural stool hardener. Mix a little in with meals. My ex used to freeze ziplocs of it after each fall to use throughout the year for her special needs cat.

Explains why Mrs. Jack keeps feeding me pumpkin pie?

 

[LansingCat_rivals315357]

Don't forget the other items your dog invests. It took a while to figure out that my dog reacts to beef. We were doing elimination diets while giving her beef hide chews.

 

[phatcat_rivals223240]

Mustard, relish and onions. Never ketchup.

If chili, add grated cheese, remove relish

 

[zbag51]

There are still strong suspicions in the veterinary world about grain free diet predisposing dogs to dilated cardiomyopathy. Unfortunately, we do not know the exact mechanism as of yet, and more research is certainly called for into the matter, but most vets still recommend avoiding grain free unless there is a specific diagnosed allergy.
Many dogs will have an allergy or intolerance to one or more ingredients in their diet, and most of the time, it is the protein source that is the culprit, with poultry and beef being the most common cause of food allergies in dogs. Often times, changing to a different protein source (salmon or other fish work well much of the time) will help with chronic GI issues.

 

[techtim72]

This thread may get the award for longest ever.

 

[techtim72]

These are great suggestions. Thank you all.

Here is a follow on question, or perhaps a conundrum.

We moved to a new neighborhood (Uptown) a few weeks ago. Finally found a bigger (but not too big) place. There is a dog park less than 2 blocks away (Puptown)! It take Ollie there every morning, and sometimes in the pm.

Because I cannot help myself, when I see something in the public sphere that needs fixing, I fix it (and ask for forgiveness later). It is how I came to be the builder and caretaker of a public (privately owned, publicly used) green space in my own neighborhood before we moved.

I noticed that the dog park, which is paved in the center (not great for dogs, I think) and bare ground on the perimeter, had large accumulations of pea gravel along the perimeter fence line, and very little gravel in the lower elevations in the open ground areas. In this space, the soil was compacted, and then made muddy / icy with some recent snows. It looked to me like the gravel had been dumped along the fence line (perhaps from the outside as a drop off during construction?) and largely left there.

So I started relocating the gravel. There is a storage shed full of tools, so I grabbed a wheelbarrow and shovel and got to work. Over about 3 weeks, I estimate I have moved maybe 10,000 pounds of gravel (about 200-250 bags) by doing about 6 wheelbarrows per day. I have laid 3-4" thick on the low areas. I am just finishing up the north side of the park. I will see how it holds, and add more if needed.

I am trying to determine how the gravel ended up piled 2 ft deep along the fence line. I can only come up with the hypothesis I described above. I spoke with several people who have used the park for years. They claim that the gravel has migrated via traffic and wind (really?) from the lower elevations back toward the fence line. This is a distance of about 15-20 ft, and a climb of probably 6 - 18 inches.

Again, that explanation makes no sense to me.

So, if anyone has experience building and maintaining dog parks, please weigh in.

A very big puppy looking for a bone?

 

[4IUSox2]

We keep multiple cans of pumpkin filling on the shelf. If any of our 3 show signs of GI issues, in goes a 1/2 can into their food. Always does the job.

 

[Zootcat]

Don't forget the other items your dog invests. It took a while to figure out that my dog reacts to beef. We were doing elimination diets while giving her beef hide chews.

Where can I get a dog that “invests?”

 

[Alan Smithee_rivals156293]

Where can I get a dog that “invests?”

My border collie is better with money than I am.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Where can I get a dog that “invests?”

Pit bull?

 

[Zootcat]

My border collie is better with money than I am.

Mine spends all his on biscuits and......(well, I’ll just let you fill in the rest).

 

[Pasadena Bound]

We got a pandemic pup back in August, a beautiful golden retriever.

Olive "Ollie" is now approaching 7 months, and doing well. She is a great companion, and easily trained.

Our issue is her digestive track. Like so many dogs, she is having trouble with the processed foods commercially available. She has had lots of diarrhea over the past few weeks.

So we putting her on a very bland white rice and boiled chicken diet. Mrs. Jack has been making this at home.

Has anyone here dealt with this, and found a commercial brand of food that fits the bill?

I can recommend Diarrice for dog diarrhea if the diarrhea is caused by poor diet, stress, change in routine or change in diet. What may have started as a mild intestinal flora imbalance, might be made worse with lots of food changes. A bland diet and Diarrice should solve your problem if there isn’t something else going on (parasites, etc). You can get it on Amazon or Diarrice.com. We have 3 dogs and it works. We always have a jar of Diarrice in the pantry anticipating the “inevitable”.

 

[chicagocatfan24]

We got a pandemic pup back in August, a beautiful golden retriever.

Olive "Ollie" is now approaching 7 months, and doing well. She is a great companion, and easily trained.

Our issue is her digestive track. Like so many dogs, she is having trouble with the processed foods commercially available. She has had lots of diarrhea over the past few weeks.

So we putting her on a very bland white rice and boiled chicken diet. Mrs. Jack has been making this at home.

Has anyone here dealt with this, and found a commercial brand of food that fits the bill?

You can give dogs Pepto. I have a 7 month old puppy too and he's had some diarrhea as well, the vet said rice and chicken then a half tablet of Pepto before bed. I did that and it worked great. Can google it if you'd like.

 

[DocCat2]

Have you had your Vet check your dog and it's poop? Many puppies eat all kinds of horribleness and get parasitic and helminthic infections that cause diarrhea. Be sure to have stool tests done.

If infectious causes have been ruled out by your Vet, then I recommend Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. It worked for my Standard Poodle.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Hey, Hungry, This is a Cat board. Are your cats OK? I think the dog board is at the university of Georgia

That little kid of mine who helped you and FarEastCat at the first NU Alamo Bowl just got a pandemic cat. Has proven to be the perfect antidote for the daily stress faced by him working in the operating room and for his nurse wife.

Go Cats (of all breeds)

 

[BorisSutherland]

It is a very common problem nowadays. I also have a dog, and it is my pride. All my friends know him, and he also knows all my friends. My dog's nickname is Jack and even though he is a big Rottweiler, he likes playing. When I just bought it, I had no clue what should I give him to eat. From the beginning, the situation was not that good, but I found the best large breed dog food, and since then, I give him only the food that is allowed for dogs like mine. If you have a dog, make sure you take care of him the right way.

 

[Bwm57]

Have you had your Vet check your dog and it's poop? Many puppies eat all kinds of horribleness and get parasitic and helminthic infections that cause diarrhea. Be sure to have stool tests done.

If infectious causes have been ruled out by your Vet, then I recommend Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. It worked for my Standard Poodle.

I don’t know, this seems suspicious coming from someone named DocCat...

 

[Hungry Jack]

Turns out Ollie had giardia. Hard to say how she got it, but perhaps goose poop. We are on the second round of treatment, but she seems to be doing better. Thanks to all who weighed in!

 

[The_Waterboy]

Your pooch's giardia is probably from Ollie eating scat (rodent, racoon, possum, wild/feral dog/cat, even the green duck or goose stuff) in parks or around your neighborhood. Scat munching, especially among female dogs, is a normal instinctual maternal response to droppings produced by her litter pups (which, in actuality, is a good thing because Ollie's canine maternal response will really come to the fore when she relates to babies, toddlers & young children and which eventually will become the foundation for more loving, protective attachment to every member of your household in the process). It's almost impossible to control scat munching, especially if you live in a more non-urban neighborhood. The earlier advice to have Ollie's scat inspected & tested for parasites and other naturally occurring nasties, like giardia, will prove very beneficial. Once the nasties have been identified, then it's all a matter of addressing the parasite/bacterial nastie issue.

 

[chicagocatfan24]

Your pooch's giardia is probably from Ollie eating scat (rodent, racoon, possum, wild/feral dog/cat, even the green duck or goose stuff) in parks or around your neighborhood. Scat munching, especially among female dogs, is a normal instinctual maternal response to droppings produced by her litter pups (which, in actuality, is a good thing because Ollie's canine maternal response will really come to the fore when she relates to babies, toddlers & young children and which eventually will become the foundation for more loving, protective attachment to every member of your household in the process). It's almost impossible to control scat munching, especially if you live in a more non-urban neighborhood. The earlier advice to have Ollie's scat inspected & tested for parasites and other naturally occurring nasties, like giardia, will prove very beneficial. Once the nasties have been identified, then it's all a matter of addressing the parasite/bacterial nastie issue.

My dog has Giardia right now too, sucks

 

[Hungry Jack]

My dog has Giardia right now too, sucks

We dropped another fecal sample last night. Hopefully that's the end of it.

I (used to) backpack quite a bit. Giardia was something to be feared. Thankfully, I never had it, though I filtered plenty of water in beaver country. Always tried to pull from smaller, moving streams or from springs / sand seeps.