Help!

[mer55]

I have been a little remiss in posting regularly- so much going on in my life right now- computer time is limited, but I really need some help/advice from my bulldog gurus!!

Everyone who has known Bogey and I have known that my little guy has had more than his share of digestive issues since the day we brought him home! After many different dog foods, we finally settled in on Earthborne Holistic Meadowfeast. I found that he could only tolerate up to 1/2 cup of kibble, so I supplement with boiled rice and hamburger or lamb at dinner, an egg and cottage cheese at breakfast, and greek nonfat yogurt at noon (very small amt with a chopped banana). Sounds like a great diet, right? We have had to have Bogey treated for bacterial gastroenteritis 3 times in the last 4 months. He starts with soft stool, not more than 2 x a day, then it progresses to pure water over the course of a week. One time it was full of blood! So, the vet does a stool culture each time and it is full of bacteria. The last two times she had me stop the kibble and put him just on bland diet for a week, then reintroduce the kibble. I also give him probiotics every am. The thought was his immune system is not mature enough yet to fight off this bacteria which I guess is prevelant in Florida. We keep him out of hte dog parks, and his walks are on pavement,,but of course he poops and pees in the lawns which are a haven for all these germs, esp with all the rain we have had. Well, this week, he started again, and sure enough, BACTERIAL infection AGAIN!!! This time , my vet INSISTED I stop the home cooking, stop his kibble and she put him on- hold your breath- science diet WD- a low fat, high fiber kibble and she has me adding 1/4 cup of same canned. He is on Flagyl, and was given all kinds of shots to stop the diarrhea. thsi has worked. His stools are hard, but so much more. Of course the first ingredient is corn. Since he stopped the diarrhea, I wanted to get him off this food, and she seemed very annoyed that I was trying to get him back on "good food". Her arguement was, "well, he is thriving on this stuff, and your other food and home cooking was contributing to his GI issues". I will also add, he has been treated for round worms and demodex mange which have both resolved. I am at my wits end with this. I really like this vet, she is very bulldog knowledgeable, but she is insisting on this food for long term. Should I give it a try? What else can I give him to boost his immune system? He tried salmon oil as a pup and he did not tolerate it (challenged it twice). I don't want to go against vet advice, but I just feel they are abnormally attached to this stupid science diet stuff. If I go against her, I may run the risk of her not wanting to treat him if I don't follow her recommendations. Any other food suggestions out there? He loves this food, and I can't argue the nice firm but large poops, but I keep looking at that corn as the first ingredient, and I worry about problems creeping up. ANY SUGGESTIONS???

 

[Lucy-licious]

His poops are firm at the moment....let his whole system relax and his GI tract heal up before you start thinking change again. Just take a deep breath and use the time he is ok to relax and research new food choices for him.
Look for good foods that are also low fat, high fibre....I would go for a food thats also low protein below 22 if possible. [MENTION=2291]cowsmom[/MENTION] and [MENTION=4225]Twice[/MENTION] will be good help here xx

 

[Vikinggirl]

Wow poor little guy, he's been through so much. I'm so sorry you and Bogey are going through this. Was he given antibiotics for each of these bacterial infections, this can also cause more of an upset on the immune system, due to killing off the good bacteria, and flora of the digestive system. You're already giving him great probiotics, and also Greek Yogurt, so I don't know what else you can add for good probiotics, other than some people use Kefir, as it has more probiotics than yogurt, or you could give him apple cider vinegar to either his food or his kibble, ACV kills the bad bacteria in the body, and so boosts the immune system. It also has many other health benefits.

As for the food, I'm not a food Guru, maybe some other more knowledgable members will come along and give you some advice or suggestions. If it were my dog and I was in your situation, I would probably keep Bogey on the vet recommended food at least for now, due to the fact it's working for your guy, and his poops are good and firm. I would think having so much diarrhea and watery poops, he's not getting too much of the nutrition through his food as he's pooping it all out. It may be good to leave him on this food even if its for a little while, to allow him some relief from the diarrhea, and to give him the firm poops. We all strive to give our babies the best natural and nutritional foods, but every bully is different, and some are more sensitive than others, and not all bullies can tolerate the same proteins, what works for one doesn't always work for all dogs. If you find a food that he tolerates, and one that doesn't cause him gastrointestinal problems, then sometimes we have to compromise, and feed the brand of food that works for your guy, even if its not always what we think is the best food. You can always continue to give him the probiotics, yogurt, and other beneficial supplements, and healthy treats which will help him. Good luck Hun, and don't feel bad about his food, you are a great bully mommy, and Bogey may be just so sensitive that he can't tolerate some foods. Please keep us posted on how he's doing.

 

[Manydogs]

Hello. I am so sorry to hear about all your Bogey's problems. i am not a food guru but I just have a question-not an answer. Your baby has had so many issues and now, for the time being, it seems that the vet prescribed food is giving him relief. At this point, wouldn't you want to try what works? Perhaps you feel it is not the BEST food-but it's a possiblility that it is something that HIS system tolerates. I am sure many dogs(not necessarily bullies) have lived long lives eating this brand. Why not go with 'what works',
at this point? The best may not ALWAYS be the best for all..........

 

[mer55]

Hello. I am so sorry to hear about all your Bogey's problems. i am not a food guru but I just have a question-not an answer. Your baby has had so many issues and now, for the time being, it seems that the vet prescribed food is giving him relief. At this point, wouldn't you want to try what works? Perhaps you feel it is not the BEST food-but it's a possiblility that it is something that HIS system tolerates. I am sure many dogs(not necessarily bullies) have lived long lives eating this brand. Why not go with 'what works',
at this point? The best may not ALWAYS be the best for all..........

very wise advice!! I am just stuck with the " grain issue" and don't want to create more problems, as we all know bullies aren't known to tolerate grains. That said, I have a friend who has an 8 year old bully who has been on Purina One since the day they brought him home with not one food allergy, skin issue, etc. Maybe I HAVE sabotaged his immune system. I am going with the vets advice right now. He really loves this food! Guess I just needed to hear form others. Anyone out there willing to admit here that they use plain old commercial grade kibble with no problems??? Hope this doesn't open a can of worms!!
thanks to all who replied. Just love you guys!!

 

[Pati Robins]

I have to agree with everyone here , if the food is good for him he might have to stay on it ,not every bulldog is allergic to grains , and even tho SD is not the greatest of foods is still better than some bullies i know of are feed .
I know you want the best for your baby xx and for now i would stick with vet advice , at least he will get all the food in him rather than let 80%off the other end xxxx

 

[mcraven2]

I truly believe that what works for one dog, may not work for another. My two females could eat any brand of food we give them and be fine on it, but Gio has only done well on Fromm, so the other two eat it. I tried Beneful, Blue Buffalo, Natural Balance, and Iams with him and non worked, but if the Iams or Beneful had worked well with him, then all 3 of them would be eating Iams or Beneful to this day. I just don't think you should try to fix what's not broken and stick with the Science Diet, and then maybe in a few months try something new. Have you ever tried a food with fish as the main ingredient? Gio does terrible on Fromm Beef Frittata and he does okay on the Pork&Peas, but he does amazing on the Salmon Tunalini! Fromm has a Whitefish & Potato recipe that I am thinking about trying, it only has 23% protein compared to the 28% in the grain free Salmon Tunalini. I'm also curious to see how Gio does on a food with fish still as the main ingredient, but it also has grains it.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do! And I'm glad that Bogey is have normal #2's..... it's amazing how much all of us bulldog owners talk about and we all think it's completely normal, it's definitely a bulldog thing!!

 

[Alice Kable]

I agree with what everyone is saying, stick with what is working for Bogey. Canidae is a brand that is very low in protein, if you are still thinking about a switch.

 

[fastmatt613]

I also agree with the consensus here. HOWEVER, I do agree with your point with the vets trying to push the SD- it kind of makes you feel like they are prescribing it for the wrong reasons. I do believe that your case is different and I would do what the vet said but I see where your uneasiness with it comes from. I hope everything works out!!

- - - Updated - - -

I also agree with the consensus here. HOWEVER, I do agree with your point with the vets trying to push the SD- it kind of makes you feel like they are prescribing it for the wrong reasons. I do believe that your case is different and I would do what the vet said but I see where your uneasiness with it comes from. I hope everything works out!!

 

[buffym]

I agree with everyone to try this food as it seems to be working. I'm not a big fan of Science Diet but a lot of vets use this brand of food.

I am one of those people that feed my bully plan old over the counter food since the day I got him. Dually currently is eating Pedigree and does absolutely fine with it. He has never had any skin issues or allergies (knock on wood). I know Pedigree is not a great food but it works for him so why change a good thing?? Not to mention its easy on my check book!!

 

[ddnene]

I agree w/everyone else too... if he's doing fine on the food then I wouldn't change it. I get irritated at my vet, he suggested Purina One... but honestly if your dog seems okay on Science Diet who cares what it is. I certainly would love to bring my dog food bills down some... LOL :D

 

[Twice]

He loves this food, and I can't argue the nice firm but large poops, but I keep looking at that corn as the first ingredient, and I worry about problems creeping up. ANY SUGGESTIONS???

Corn is a filler. Nothing more, nothing less. It cannot and will not hurt him in any way shape or form. Not all dogs have sensitivities to grain just like not all dogs are allergic to chicken. You have no idea how crazy it makes me when I see folks keep saying no chicken, no grain. Chicken is a perfectly fine protein source and grains aren't deadly. Dogs are like people. Some are allergic to strawberries, some are not. Some can die from shellfish or peanuts.... you get the picture.

There is no question here that Science Diet is crap food. But it's food that Bogey is tolerating well. Sure are other options you can visit later but for now there is nothing wrong with keeping him on it for the next few months. As much as I detest Hills their food does serve a purpose in the short term.

His system needs to stabilize. Boost his immune system with some coQ10 and B complex vitamins. If he is sensitive to salmon oil, you can always try pollock or coconut. We can work out the food issue later.

 

[cowsmom]

ok im going to weigh in here. i think for the time being that you need to keep him on the sd stuff and get him feeling better. i agree with [MENTION=4225]Twice[/MENTION] and some immune boosting is in order. she has already givin good advice only thing i would add would be a vitamin and you can just buy adult centrum not the kids one esp since hills doesnt have much in the way of nutrition. i give sarah a centrum every day as i home cook for her totally now as i cant find a kibble that works. perhaps that is what happened is the immune system got down due to the partial home cooking and not enough vitamins and immune system boosting. i also would cut out all that other stuff you were feeding such as cottage cheese and eggs and such if you do go back to kibble which i think in the long run i would do. when you have a dog with a sensitive stomach sometimes less is better and perhaps all those things upset the stomach. you can always add them in one at at time at a later date if needed and perhaps just as treat a few times a week. and yes bullies can have chicken and grains and be just fine as that is what sarah is eating now though alot do fine without them.

 

[mer55]

You are all so great!! THANKYOU! My mind is eased. I am doing more research and as was said, I may have sabotaged his immune system with not enough " good stuff" and too much home stuff!! Dog food is made or a reason! So, one step at a a time if he tolerates this, it will be this for the long haul! I want to be celebrating longevity no matter what he eats!! Thank you all again! I have gotten some very sound and logical advice!! Love you guys and gals!!

 

[Texas Carol]

Mary, great advice from everyone, just wanted to give you & Bogey
big hugs from me & Cami and so sad hearing what y'all have
been going thru. Thank goodness you've found something that works
for him.

May I suggest Slippery Elm (buy online or at health food stores) as it
helps calm the gut and heals it too. Great for animals & humans and
safe

Missing y'all on here and putting y'all back on prayer list~much LOVE!

- - - Updated - - -

Mary, great advice from everyone, just wanted to give you & Bogey
big hugs from me & Cami and so sad hearing what y'all have
been going thru. Thank goodness you've found something that works
for him.

May I suggest Slippery Elm (buy online or at health food stores) as it
helps calm the gut and heals it too. Great for animals & humans and
safe

Missing y'all on here and putting y'all back on prayer list~much LOVE!