Should I switch foods?

[BullyDozer]

I am stuggling with myself should I switch my dog's food. He is currently 1 yr old and weighs 38lbs. He is on Fromm Beef and Fritatta. Now here are my reasons as to why I am struggling to leave him on or switch. He is currently dropping loads 4 - 5 times a day. When he goes sometimes it's a soft solid and others it's a soft solid that transitions into a soft serve. He has a tear stain on one side which I have tried everything but it does not go away. It get's lighter for a while but then it goes back to being dark. He also developed an ear infection in which the vet said he sees yeast cells when he looked at the ear wax under the microscope. He is now taking ear drops once a day to clear it up. Other than that he is doing well. He has a great temperament and every once in a while I may catch him licking his foot. Even though he is on the smaller side for a bulldog he is well proportioned and the vet says he may just be a smaller bully. I am constantly thinking if his food isn't the best one for him because of these symptoms but everyone on hear says how they had such good results with Fromm so I am not sure.

My other dilemma besides struggling with a switch is if I do what food do I switch too? He is allergic to chicken and when he was a very young pup he turned red immediately after eating my Pugs food that had Salmon in it. (That was my mistake not paying attention when the two were eating). So I know Salmon is out. My options would have to be beef or a similar type of protein.

What are your thoughts? Am I right for thinking about a switch or am I over analyzing? I am attaching some pics so you can see how he looks.

 

[RazrRila99]

Maybe you can try the surf and turf flavor of Fromm? Go to Duck maybe? If you are feeding grain free they have white potatoes and that could cause some problems Ive read.

I feel your pain. Im in the same situation with Colossus. I am out of his current food so Im switching to Duck. Im not giving up on Fromm!!

 

[shobbsie]

Lucy reacts to Chicken, Beef, and Salmon (red muzzle, yeast). I'm feeding her Nature's Logic Lamb. It does have beef fat listed in the ingredients. She's doing better, but I think there's room for improvement. We have a locally owned pet supply store in town and the owner carries high quality food. He doesn't carry Nature's Logic and will start selling Fromms next month. He spent a very long time with me. He looked up Nature's Logic Lamb ingredients on the internet and suggested a Canadian food brand, Go. I think that's it; I store her food in viddle vaults. It was a busy weekend and my husband thought the sack was trash. I'm slowly changing her over and she is doing better than before. It seems to be a constant process. Go does have some grains, but not corn or wheat. I think just oats and brown rice. We're up to half NL and half Go. I have noticed smaller poops and she has a LOT more energy, with minimal muzzle and tummy redness. So far, I've found Lucy to have problems with Chicken, Beef, Salmon and white potatoes. The pet shop guy recommended coconut oil to replace the salmon oil. I haven't researched that yet.
Good luck!

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, your Dozer looks a lot like my Dozer, he is a smaller bully as well, he's 19 months old, and he weighs 45 lbs. We feed our guys Fromm's Beef Frittata as well, and Dozer and Blossom both do really well on this food. I understand how you feel and your frustration as the Fromm's is actually the fourth food we tried until we found something that worked. We tried Go Natural first, and it was too rich for Dozer, caused diarrhea, and it is chicken based, which Blossom is allergic to, she is also allergic to salmon, grains, and corn as well, so the Fromm's Beef works for both of them. It is a trial and error approach to finding what works for your bully, and what he will tolerate, there are many types of protein out there, and what works for one dog doesn't always work for every dog. If your Dozer doesn't tolerate chicken, salmon, or the beef he is currently eating, you could try the Fromm's Duck and Turkey and see how he does on it, you won't need to transition him, if he doesn't tolerate any of these, there are other protein sources you can try, such as bison, but I'm not sure which food would be a good choice. Hopefully other members will come along and offer some help or advice. Cowsmom, is the go to for food and allergy issues. Another option is to have Dozer tested for allergies, to see exactly what he's allergic too. I don't now expensive this is, but would be an option if you can't find a food that Dozer tolerates, you can try some of the other foods first, such as Fromm's Duck and Turkey, or a Bison based food, and then ask your vet about allergy tests. Good luck Hun, and I hope you find a solution. Please keep us posted.

 

[dieMuttivonBifi]

i have the exact same problem with my pup. only difference is his tear stain on both sides are now the color of dark red wine. it's driving me nuts! he's only 4mos. old so i can't experiment on foods (dogfood) as much as i want to. he's on grainfree acana and the other flavor i ordered online is already here. hope he does well on this one. doesn't FROMM has other flavor without chicken and salmon in it? i hear orijen is also good. i'm sorry, i know im not much of a help. just wanna say you're not alone, i know your pain.

BTW Dozer looks terrific! very handsome boy he is!

 

[jsal27]

I know all dogs are different and react different to their allergies...but my 3yr old bulldog has severe allergies. They effect his coat, tear stains, interdigital cysts,hyperkeratosis, bowel movements etc. I think you should most definitely switch. My bulldog is White and to further complicate matters...has epilepsy....We started home feeding because of the epilepsy..because I am convinced he is very sensitive to chemicals. Long story short...it was a constant battle, the vet was not helpful...insisted we changed foods, then insisted we try Hills prescription for allergies. End result after trying tons of foods...nothing was working(he gets bald spots....that is how we know he is allergic) we learned that they can be allergic to the protein....because it is so processed and filled with chemicals...there body can process it right. So yes my dog was allergic to all the protein dog foods...salmon, chicken beef, kangaroo. But he can eat real meat, chicken. We tried Raw and it was very successful. But we ended up with a homemade chicken meatloaf. Its no more money then an expensive dog food. MY dog has pure white folds with no stains, never gets cysts, or the hyperkeratosis, no ear infections, etc. I am so against dog foods...I can see the effects after one feeding if he had any. I will never go back. Good luck

 

[bullmama]

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

I have a couple of questions

How much do you feed per day? This can highly depend on his amount of poop.

Has his eye been examined to be sure there is no lashes rubbing? Since its only on one side it raises a red flag.

What products have you tried to clear the tear stain?

Ear infections can happen just from a drop of water getting into the ear. This allows yeast to grow. What do you use to clean out the ears and how often?

Unless its a reoccurring problem with ear infections I doubt it's the food but I could be wrong.

Last but not least, he's adorable!


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[JAKEISGREAT]

Surf and turf has chicken in it..we went through all the Fromm grain free formulas, before the newest one came out. Jake had a horrible reaction to salmon too. He did the best on the beef but still had soft poo..so I decided to switch. With some help here from [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION], we went to Earthborn..the Great plains, which is Bison. He has done fine..but others here had issues with it. It's so hard to find the right food, I wish you luck..

I do agree with Lisa..quantity of food can cause the loose poo...

 

[BruceP]

How much are you giving and how many times a day????? That is important. Fromm, being such a high caliber of food doesnt require the bulk that many others require. HRH gets 3/4 cup, twice a day. But seeing as how your bully is young it may require a bit more... guessing 1 cup/twice a day.

 

[Bobby Voss]

We use science diet for sensitive stomachs! We are on our second bully and it has worked well for us!


Bobby

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[ddnene]

Surf and turf has chicken in it..we went through all the Fromm grain free formulas, before the newest one came out. Jake had a horrible reaction to salmon too. He did the best on the beef but still had soft poo..so I decided to switch. With some help here from @cowsmom, we went to Earthborn..the Great plains, which is Bison. He has done fine..but others here had issues with it. It's so hard to find the right food, I wish you luck..

I do agree with Lisa..quantity of food can cause the loose poo...

Becky I'm having the same issues w/Winston... the soft poo!!! We did Beef, now are trying Pork & Peas but I'm cutting down the quantity. My boxer is doing great on Earthborn, so I may switch to that one... such a PITA!!! LOL

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Becky I'm having the same issues w/Winston... the soft poo!!! We did Beef, now are trying Pork & Peas but I'm cutting down the quantity. My boxer is doing great on Earthborn, so I may switch to that one... such a PITA!!! LOL

It's so frustrating! Jake is very sensitive to quantity too. If I tried to even increase by 1/4 cup...mushy

 

[ddnene]

It's so frustrating! Jake is very sensitive to quantity too. If I tried to even increase by 1/4 cup...mushy

I was talking to [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] about it as well... I've been giving Winston too much food!!! Trying to cut back slowly to see if it makes a difference... Back on PATROL!!! LOL

 

[BullyDozer]

I have been giving him 1 cup twice a day. The thing that confuses me is some days is solid with out any issues and others it is not. I feed him just about the same time every day and walk him about the same time every day. As far as the tear stain I have been using With Hazel and Duoxo pads.

 

[TomVan]

Yep, I give my Bailey 3/4 cup 3 times a day and it is a little softer than it was with 1/2 cup 3 times a day. My understanding with fromm you try a switch without doing the slow transition. Good luck, and by the way he looks great!