The big OOOOPs!!!! o_O A sticky situation....

[bullmama]

So, I need to run to town today for errands, going to petsmart being one of them to load up on some dog food. Gonna switch back to Avoderm, cuz we really liked that one.

Note, I have 4 kids and 5 bullies. Going to town is a major day each week. Takes me hours just to get ready to leave

Welll..........

We ran out of food quicker than I thought. So yesterday I go to the feed store that is just 10 minutes away to pick up a bag of the food they are currently on, and they are not open on Sundays!

MENTAL NOTE: Don't run out of dog food on a Sunday. Not good!

So I found another feed store close by, (only 5 minutes away) ---but they did not carry the old brand. I was running out of options now, was too late to go to town (25 minutes away) and get food from petsmart- so here is what I did. I hope it works, for a sticky situation like the one I got myself into.

I am down to the nitty gritty on the current dog food, so a switch over time is just NOT going to happen at this point.

I bought a bag of Taste of the Wild (I have not tried this one yet anyway) Salmon, and went home and boiled some hamburger and cooked some white rice.

I knew that the bland diet of boilded hamb+rice would not upset their tummy, so I made that with 1/4 c of the taste of the wild. Not only did they LOVE it, but their poops were in perfect order this morning. So for breakfast, I gave them the same (hamb+rice) and 1/2 c of TOTW. I will repeat this tonight with 3/4 c TOTW.

So, will this work? I hope so. It would be nice if it does, this way making a gradual switch (which actually causes a major tummy upset for 2 of my bullies, even if I do it very slowly!) may not be my answer in the future. I am going to keep trying new foods until I find the best for my bullies, but I hate that 2 of them don't take the change well.

I will keep an update on whether or not this works well. So far, so good.

What is everyones thoughts on this? And anyone have any other ideas for future knuckleheads --like myself ---who run out of dog food? LOL I know, it was a major case of poor planning, and have learned a pretty good lesson......

 

[cali~jenn]

That sounds like what I would do. totw is a good food for firm poops also, we used it a while back but once again it didnt agree with cutty 100%. We actually just got our avoderm sat and started the slow switch, fingers crossed it works well for cutty and their shedding. I have to say the boys were VERY excited to try it, must smell awesome to them or something cuz they grubbed.

 

[bullmama]

Which formula did you get?

 

[cali~jenn]

The chicken and rice since he was already on chicken before this. All I know is they LOVE it. lol. Not that they have ever not liked any food I have bought but they keep sniffing the container it is in, in the garage. Cant get them away from it. lmao.

 

[TessaAndSamson]

Desertsky I'd say I would do the same thing too I never run out of dog food though. I am a major planner, I always have a new bag days before the last one is gone. The feed store I go to is right by my work and I just pick it up on my lunch. So I really don't have a good excuse like you anyway

 

[bullmama]

well now I have 1 30lb bag of totw and 2 30lb bags of avoderm lamb n rice. Should be set for awhile!! Maybe 3 weeks... Hard to guess when you are feeding 5....

 

[laurentourville]

whoa, i have enough trouble getting out of the house to go shopping and i only have one kid and one bully (and a 12-year old babysitter that lives upstairs!). i still end up running out for horse's food at the last minute! sounds like you've got it all under control though!

 

[bullmama]

well I was mainly holding out for my next trip into town. I did not want to get more canidae- but just wanted a small bag so I could switch them over. Shouldve ran up there on Saturday but oh well....

Cali, is the chicken formula light in color? I got the lamb and the pellets are pretty dark. I know I used the oven baked kind before- it was very light tan in color. They do not carry the oven baked Avoderm anymore at petsmart tho


I don't know why but I suspect the light color means less dyes. One of the things I really liked about the Avoderm before...

The totw is also very dark in color. I'm bummed...

 

[cali~jenn]

well now I have 1 30lb bag of totw and 2 30lb bags of avoderm lamb n rice. Should be set for awhile!! Maybe 3 weeks... Hard to guess when you are feeding 5....

WOW! That would last us 3 months. lol. Never think of the food that adds up the more bullies you have huh?

 

[cali~jenn]

well I was mainly holding out for my next trip into town. I did not want to get more canidae- but just wanted a small bag so I could switch them over. Shouldve ran up there on Saturday but oh well....

Cali, is the chicken formula light in color? I got the lamb and the pellets are pretty dark. I know I used the oven baked kind before- it was very light tan in color. They do not carry the oven baked Avoderm anymore at petsmart tho


I don't know why but I suspect the light color means less dyes. One of the things I really liked about the Avoderm before...

The totw is also very dark in color. I'm bummed...

No it isnt light in color, actually the same exact color as my eagle pack hollistic I am switching from, which I guess is the same as the totw and all the rest I have used really. Only diff is the shape of the pellets. I didnt have a list to go off when I ordered cuz I have it delivered to my house and the guy who does it didnt have avoderm on his site so I asked him for it personally. I guess I should have looked up the diff types they had first, just assumed the chicken would be the best since thats what we have used with success with other brands. Maybe when I get more I will ask him about the oven baked and see if he can get it.

 

[bullmama]

48 hours later: Update

Wow, so far NOT ONE creamy stool. This is amazing. 2 of my bullies always get creamy stools when I switch, no matter how long I do it for. They just do not take it well. Right now, I have nothing but tootsie rolls in the backyard (of course very large tootsie rolls!) and the amount of stool has decreased by 1/5!!! The Canidae Grain Free ALS must have a lot of fillers because I am telling you- the amount of stool I was picking up was REDICULOUS. More than any food I have tried so far.

On day one, (sunday eve) I made them boiled hamburger and rice for dinner, with 1/4 scoop of TOTW. (they had never had Taste of the wild before)

In the morning (monday) I gave them boiled hamb + rice and 1/2 c TOTW.

Went to the store and got some Avoderm too.

For (monday) dinner I gave them rice with 1/4 c TOTW and 1/4 c Avoderm Lamb & Rice.

Next morning (Tues) I gave them 1/3 c TOTW and 1/3 c Avoderm

Dinner (Tues) I gave the adults 1/2 c TOTW and 1/2 c Avoderm, the puppys 2/3 c Avoderm and 1/2 c TOTW

Repeat the above for breakfast.

(I also put a bit of salmon oil on their food as well)


Really pleased that I got no upset tummys out of this whole ordeal, which is what I was dreading!!! I think I now have found a good way to change dog food, I guess running out ended up being a blessing for me instead of a curse!

 

[cali~jenn]

Very good!!! With as many bullies as you have that could have been a messy situation had it not gone so well. At least now you have a back up plan.