Unfortunately, that food didn't help the situation. We waited about a month and their stools never firmed up. We decided to just gradually switch them back to their previous food, Canidae All Stages.
This summer, Canidae announced that their dog food formulas were changing and that they were going to be manufactured by a less than reputable company. I don't know about you, but after the last dog food recalls and with Thor's history of digestive problems (regardless of if I brought them on or not), the new ingredients in the food and reputation of the new company worried me a little.
Since I that initial food change in May, I've been pestering poor Colleen about her choice to switch Rocco to a raw diet. Rocco is a French Bulldog, and my dogs are Boston Terriers (poorly bred Boston Terriers, but Boston Terriers none the less). Both breeds actually have similar traits, from smooshy snouts, to ears that (should) naturally stand up and natural cork screw tails to their stout stature and broad chests. These breeds also prone to some of the same ailments.
Colleen switched Rocco's food because of a vomiting issue. There wasn't an elongated soft palate or anything involved and her vet suggested switching foods. Her trainer took her to a holistic pet food store and recommended the raw foods. Since this change, Colleen's claimed that Rocco's vomiting has stopped for the most part.
My two boys, Finnegan and Thor, boston terriers.
Brandon and I have a similar problem with Thor, and have a possible allergy problem with Finn. Today, I did some research and found loads of information on Woof Board and through out the internet concerning different brands of raw dog food. After reading the pros and cons of raw dog food, we came to the conclusion that it could be just what we were looking for!
A few example of the benefits of raw dog food: (taken from Nature's Variety's website)
- Fewer allergies or controlled allergy symptoms
- Lush, glossy coat and helathy skin for less shedding
- Smaller, firmer stools for less backyard cleanup
- Healthy teeth and gums for better breath
- Increased energy for improved vitality and health
So... on top of it helping Colleen out with Rocco's tummy problems... we decided to give it a go. Our first day with it will be tomorrow. I know that with raw food the daily amount changes .. actually they eat much less because unlike dry kibble, their bodies are able to digest most of the food... but I am still nervous about how Thor is going to respond to "less" food each day. He's quite the piggy... but has a good 4 pounds to loose anyway.
... I sure hope this works.
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7 comments:
Good luck with the switch Emily! We feed Chico and Abigail Nature's Variety Raw (the Venison one) and they both do amazing on it. We do raw 50% of the time and kibble 50% of the time - never mixing the two on the same day b/c kibble takes longer to digest than raw so we don't want to cause upset.
Chico has always been a puker. Not on Nature's Variety. I can't say enough good things about the products.
HOW EXCITING!! Your little pups are going to LOVE a raw food diet. We use Natures Variety and Rocco can't get enough of it. At first I had a hard time with the portions. Rocco eats a 1/2 patty in the morning and a 1/2 at night. It seemed like it wasn't enough food so I was doing 3/4 of a patty each meal... and sure enough he put on some weight. However that was good b/c he was underweight from all the vomiting on his old food. Anyway... we're down to a 1/2 patty for each meal and its working wonders. Yes he throws up from time to time, but he can go weeks now with out throwing up... and before it would be multiple times a day!!
Also, we just started to give him additional fruits and veggies with each meal. He was still eating grass and my trainer said it might be b/c he is craving more veggies and fruits. (??) So now he gets carrots and apples. I puree a bunch at the beginning of the week and scoop it out for each meal. Kind of a hassle but I only have to bring out the food processor once a week... and Rocco's happy, so its worth it.
My family jokes that Rocco is the most high maintenance dog ever. :-) I really hope raw food is the miracle cure for your pups too.
I'm thrilled to hear you're trying this route. My boys are all on raw and seeing as how it's quite late in the evening right now, I'll just say that you are more than welcome to email me if you wanna touch base about the whole thing and how it's gone for us over these past years. I have a Boston on raw and Frenchie mix so I can speak to both breeds... going raw saved my Boxer's life. One of the most important things to know is that as you change the dogs over you may experience some vomiting or diarrhea due to the detoxing they go through and you shouldn't be alarmed by that if it happens. Usually within a week or two their bodies are regulated again and for some dogs it's no time at all. Like I said, email me... I can't wait to hear how this goes for you! cameron(dot)thompsen(at)gmail.com
I hope it works for you! I've heard good things about raw food diets.. Though I'm still feeding nutro's natural choice. My dog's like it and they haven't had any tummy issues.
Good luck! I hope your pups like the new food! Switching food on pets can be hard -- my Winnie is so picky! Dang, I should really take them to the vet bcuz Charlie is so fat!
I switched my to The Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw food. They LOVE it and it's been great on their tummies and coats. I will NEVER go back to commercial foods.
If anyone's interested in trying Honest Kitchen, type in *BLOGGERMT* for 15% off. You can email them, reference me and they'll send you free samples too!
*Just in case you don't like Nature's Variety.
How did the switch go? And how are they doing now? I'm curious to find out if they're loving it and doing well. I've always thought about raw as well, but I've never actually made the switch because Tino is now doing just fine on his fish-based diet.
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