In the November issue, already in subscribers hands and available at WholeDogJournal.com, we have a number of articles about canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and diet. The articles are a response to the announcements by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding their investigation of possible links between certain types of diets and the development of the disease in what seems like a growing number of dogs.
No statistics are kept about the rate or prevalence of DCM in dogs, but veterinary cardiologists first raised their concern that the disease might be occurring more often, and even more distressingly, in breeds that are not known to be at an increased genetic risk. They sent reports about their cases to the FDA, who began investigating. The agency apparently thought the matter merited extra attention or alertness from pet owners and veterinarians, and, in hopes of increasing awareness of the symptoms of the disease, they issued their first announcement in June 2019.
More DCM Cases, or Increased Awareness?
The number of cases of any suspected health condition will rise upon news about its potential risk – and it does seem that there has been an increase in the number of cases since awareness of the symptoms of DCM have been widely publicized. I’ve been following a number of Facebook groups for owners of dogs who have been diagnosed with DCM, and daily, there are people who post stories about their dogs – dogs who were newly diagnosed, dogs undergoing treatment, and dogs who passed away. But, dang, it’s frustrating to not have any idea whether the incidence of the disease really has increased or if it only seems so because more people are aware of the symptoms and are seeking veterinary attention for symptoms that, previously, might have been mistaken for “old age” and gone undiagnosed.
But, as I said in the editorial in the November issue, another thing that makes me crazy is the number of accounts that I read that lament how much they trusted the maker of the very expensive dog food they were feeding their dog – they fed it for years and years, and are now angry that the food may have contributed to the dog’s disease. I don’t think anyone should trust any company with the sum total of their dog’s nutrition for years on end!
What Does This Mean For Your Dog?
It’s important to keep in mind that even the companies whose products have been named in the FDA’s reports most frequently haven’t knowingly done anything wrong. The products have met the existing standards for nutrition, and they have not been contaminated with something that causes illness. No one has identified the cause or causes of the problem, so it’s not like the companies have failed to do something they were supposed to do. There is something – or, more likely, a few things – going on with some foods and/or ingredients.
The solution isn’t just avoiding those foods; until we know more, the solution is not feeding any food as your dog’s sole source of nutrition for years on end. If there is one thing that should be easy for us to do, it’s to switch foods at least a few times a year. Call it a hedge, call it “balance over time,” call it a hassle – whatever you call it, unless your dog is intolerant of many different ingredients, it shouldn’t be that difficult to buy a different product from a different company every other time you buy food. For most dogs, the more often you change their foods, the more robust their ability to digest different foods will become.
What about frozen raw whole prey food like Stella and Chewy’s? Should I be switching off to other frozen raw brands or to high quality kibble? I do rotate S&C’s raw among beef, duck/goose, lamb and venison patties.
From my experience (and really good vet advice) it’s not so much switching the brand as it is switching proteins (ie: beef, chicken, turkey, duck, bison, fish, although, switching brands occasionally probably doesn’t hurt either.
Susan, definitely switch between raw brands and proteins. Look brands that rely on all nutrients coming from the food ingredients, without needing to add synthetic vitamins and minerals. Primal, Steve’s, Answers, and OC Raw are good choices to add into your rotation!
Susan
That is exactly my question as well since I feed a specific raw diet and rotate between duck, beef, chicken and turkey.
I used to make a conscious effort to buy a different brand of dry food every time I ran out. That worked great up until my current Golden, who suffered several episodes of pancreatitis, vomiting and diarrhea during the first couple of years of his life. Finally the vet suggested “stop changing his food”, so I found one brand that he seemed to tolerate well and stuck with that. It’s been three more years now and he’s had no recurrence of digestive problems, but now I’m forced to feed him the same food all the time. What’s a conscientious pet owner to do?!
Maybe do some research about Taurine supplementation and then supplement if you feel it would help. You can keep the same diet with supplementation.
Bob, Listen to your vet. He went to school for a long time to be able to address your dog’s health concerns.
the risk of DCM seems to be associated with potatoes or pea/legume protein and taurine deficiency, so BARF diets should be safe, right? Raw feeders tend to rotate foods anyway since adding variety is part of the standard feeding protocol. I haven’t read or heard about any of the frozen raw grinds or mixes/blends being implicated and I don’t know of any BARF model that contain legumes
I have always heard about feeding in a rotation but even though I have tried to go slowly over two or more weeks I seem to get dogs that are sensitive to change and end up with diarrhea. I have even found that switching treats has caused stomach issues at times.
I feed my German shepherd two different dry foods. One expensive and one middle of the road cost. Also am feed gets 1/4 can of expensive canned food and pm feed 1/4 cup of ground beef. Plus she gets a joint supplement.
She gets lots of exercise. 3 years old, 70 pounds and very muscular. I am considering adding a third dry food to add variety to her diet.
I like your plan. I throw in vegetables, pumpkin, green beans and broccoli. A
Joint supplement and bone broth. I will add the can food, beef and additional dry food. Sounds like the best of all foods.
This article ignores dogs with IBD who are an highly restrictive diets and can’t easily switch foods, especially when their bodies have rejected normal proteins like turkey, beef, lamb, and chicken. And canned Duck, rabbit frequently has guar gum and other preservatives known to make IBD worse. So, please do tell, what to do in that case? Does Nancy have a vet background or speciality in treating canine nutrition?
I am in the same boat as you RR. My dog has IBD also and switching up his food could be dangerous for him. So what are we supposed to do until the cause of DCM is found ?
RR and LM: My first dog died of complications of IBD (by that, I mean I believe that the medications necessary to prolong his quality of life ultimately killed him BUT gave him a longer happy life than he would otherwise have had). The problem is that dogs w IBD have to be fed novel proteins and novel carbohydrates to which they have not become sensitized. In early years, for us, that meant using things like Natural Balance single protein foods. In later years, I had to learn to cook for him myself, changing proteins and carbs frequently and, w the help of professional nutritionists, adding the necessary micronutrients and minerals to create a balanced diet. That was hard word, but I would have done anything to help him. In the end, I believe he developed widespread lymphoma and his vet confirmed complete liver failure. But he kept his will power going until the end! It was very painful; an awful disease to have to deal w. I’m not convinced that you should worry about DCM before your IBD dog is stabilized on a diet to which his immune system has not yet rejected. JMHO.
I hate having to use the same food; it makes sense to change things up. BUT my slim, otherwise healthy dog got pancreatitis after she got into another dog’s food during boarding. My vet recommends sticking with 1 food. What’ll I do?
Karen, I’m just a dog owner, not a veterinarian, but I’ve experienced a serious nutrition-related disease w my first dog (see my previous post). I pretty much fed my dogs the same food year after year, but DCM didn’t kill them – ultimately, cancer did. However, I now believe that switching dog food about once a year is actually a pretty good idea – PROVIDED that the alternate food agrees w your dog. Any new food must be introduced gradually, usually over a 1-day period, to avoid gastrointestinal upset. If your dog is prone to pancreatitis, you might want to look for a good quality food w low fat. My own surviving dog is prone to struvite crystals so is on a VERY high quality and expensive vet diet, but I might switch him to a regular good dog food for a while to let his system re-adjust. I’ve not yet decided, but I no longer believe that a dog should be kept on the same food for years on end.
Switching food over a 1 day period? Surely that’s a typo. I always take 10 days to switch foods when I absolutely have to switch. My dog has a long list of allergies so switching is not something I do on a regular basis unless the dog food company changes formulation.
Karen J. My mini Dachshund (runt of the litter) was diagnosed with Pancreatitis early in life and spent his whole life on a Vet. low fat food. He never had anything else. He made it happily, 8 mths. into his 17th. year. My oldest x bred lived into her 21st yr. on a variety of foods, depending on what I could afford back then. I have done so much hair pulling and research over the different opinions of a good diet and have never reached a definite conclusion. My dogs have a great quality of life, and I do the best I can with what I know re diet.
I have 7 dogs, ages from 3 to 15. I have always fed them different food. Half kibble and half canned with some homemade ( sometimes leftovers on top). They have never had any problems with this. I try to buy the best that I can. I think that they enjoy this because they never know what will be served.
Good article. Thanks. Instead of frequently changing our four dogs food which I’ve been told by a couple vets isn’t the best option for their systems, we feed four different brands/manufacturers of dry that contain different ingredients and varying levels of nutritional values (one chicken and rice, one turkey and barley, one salmon and potato, one 6 fish). I mix them all together in an airtight tub. It’s definitely a hassle because only a quarter of each bag fits at a time so we have four bags of food in their pantry, but they’re worth it. I feel their ribs everyday to make sure they aren’t over or under fed. Then we supplement them a ton. Fish oil, pre and probiotics, joint supplements, bone broth, pumpkin, peanut butter, baby foods of apple, blueberry, kale, spinach, etc, and packets of beef. Meal times are quite a production but I feel good knowing I’m doing the best I can regarding their diets.
What is a good dry food though?
For all of you who ask about what to do….first off most vets have 1 semester of nutrition, so unless they actively want to learn more about feeding they know very little. That’s why they recommend crap like Science Diet full of corn and by product. Not to say it doesn’t sometimes have value but rarely.
What this article says is the more variation in your dogs diet the more robust they become to different foods. Why everyone talks about dog food only is beyond me. Do you not have left overs? Dogs used to live off what people had left over. Of course you need to be careful but most of what we eat our dogs can eat. My dog begs for peach’s, blueberries and raw carrots. She also loves the part of steak I don’t eat. Left over rice, ice cream in small amounts, veggies, the list goes on. If your dog has never had this start with a couple bites. Not a total meal. If you’re worried then stay with the same brand of dog food and vary the protein within that brand. Then there is less IBD risk. All dogs should have variation in food. Imagine if you only ate cereal every single day every single meal for your entire life or for 10 years. It would keep you alive but you would not be healthy. The more fresh food you can feed your pet the better. Buy ground beef, turkey, chicken, lamb, cook it up with carrots zucchini and feed a little with dry each day. This mix can keep in the frig for a week. Or freeze portions. This is often cheaper than canned dog food. Boil a whole chicken with carrots and zucchini you can add a sweet potato or potato but just one. Then the broth is like a multivitamin for the dog and can be kept for a week in frig or frozen to add nutrients. Fresh food is always better. Even better than a raw store bought diet. However if you make your own food in its entirety you’ll need a vitamin mix to add so you’re sure your pet is getting all needed nutrients.
If you want to attack me, I’m not a vet, I’m a person who’s had animals my entire life and I’m old. My dogs have had all sorts of issues but they’ve all lived long healthy lives. I’ve spent a lot of time researching dog food and how best to feed your dog. Take this or leave it your choice but remember dogs have been a part of families for centuries. Kibble came into fashion in the early 1900’s. Before that dogs lived on table scraps.
Thank you! You’re common sense approach is refreshing!! I make a portion of my pets diet (1:3 ratio) – brown rice, veg, turkey, and some grain and mix it in each meal with her Origen dog food – she’s 11 and going strong !!
LJR, you are incorrect. Vets have more knowledge about nutrition than just 1 semester. Vets do NOT get kickbacks for recommending certain foods. They recommend companies that follow WSAVA guidelines which means that they do actual testing on animals and assess their responses over time (years). That is one reason why we aren’t seeing dogs with nutrition related DCM that are being fed kibble from those 5 companies. Taurine supplementation won’t help a dog who has nutritional DCM and is kept on the same food that is causing it.
I changed my own dog’s food this spring and it was a hard thing for me to do (i have been feeding Orijen for years) but until the FDA figures this out, I’m feeding Purina Pro Plan. My pup means too much to me to take a chance and I have read enough reports of bad outcomes and very expensive vet bills to keep her on a non WSAVA grain free food just because I had succumbed to marketing and grain free hype. I will listen to the experts and follow the scientific data.
I think your comment is excellent! As a dog owner (all lived till age 14 or older) for 35+ years, I agree with everything you wrote!
Thank you for sharing.
I am reluctant to trust any dog food manufacturer, so our GSD gets 4 different foods from 4 different places, and two of them are human foods. That way, if any one is contaminated, it’s only 1/8 to 1/4 of his intake. We feed him twice a day to minimize the chance of bloat. For each meal he gets 1 patty of Primal frozen raw, 1/4 c of Orijen* kibble, 1/2 cup raw pasture raised chicken liver from WI, and one raw pasture raised duck wing from SC. He also gets Run Free prophetically for hip displasia, and salmon oil for his skin. I will occasionally give him a probiotic and goat colostrum.
His immune system is compromised and he’s sensitive to many proteins but I’ve found several he can tolerate. Rather than rotate, I give them all at once because I’ve heard that feeding too much of any one thing can cause the dog to develop sensitivity to it.
*When the Orijen runs out, I’m switching to Kiwi, since I trust Orijen the least of all 4 sources.
I make my own recipe of raw food and my 18 month Standard Poodle is doing fabulously well. I sometimes add a bit of kibble cause I have a small bag in the pantry for travelling (mix high grade kibble and healthy canned food when travelling for a few days and cannot keep raw food frozen/properly chilled). Only use Orijen kibble as it has all meat ingredients (not meal, byproducts, etc. – read the label on your dog’s food!) My raw food recipe includes: ground pork, lean pork loin, ground beef, whole chickens ground up (all bones and cartilage, too), organ meet from cows/pigs (heart, kidney, liver), green beans, carrots, peeled/steamed sweet potatoes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, broccoli, white fish, raw eggs, & Omega oil and vitamin/mineral supplements. I also put little “surprises” on top of doggy’s dinner ever second meal, or so – chopped up leftover steak, chicken, pork, other meats; couple of tablespoons of high quality canned dog food, a sprinkling of shredded cheese (not much – about 1-2 Tbs/meal), etc. I stopped buying and feeding many of the commercially made kibbles as, after learning how to read a dog food label, I was astonished by the garbage ingredients in many foods. And, checking out the FDA guidelines for what is permitted to be put into commercial dog foods was the most frightening exercise of all! So many toxic and so “not food” ingredients go into some of these foods; including foods recommended and sold by many vets! So, I only buy Orijen or Acana kibble now – both made in Canada and both made with high quality ingredients and ALWAYS meat ingredients first listed on the label – meaning more meat and less crap/filler!
Raw egg whites are not good for dogs. It can cause biotin deficiency. Cook at least the egg whites please.
I worked as an MD in places where there was no running water. I saw several cases of trichonosis (also known as trichonellosis).
Trichinosis or trichinellosis is a disease that can be contracted by eating meat that contains the larvae of a roundworm or nematode called Trichinella. Trichinella spiralis is the most common species. This disease cannot be spread through human contact but from eating undercooked contaminated meat. Trichinella is usually found in pork or in game meats.
The cycle of contamination begins when an animal eats contaminated meat of another animal, which contains cysts. The cysts dissolve in the stomach, releasing worms that inhabit the intestines and grow into adult ringworms. The female worm releases new larvae which travel through the bloodstream to the muscles, where new cysts are formed. If a person eats such meat containing cysts, he or she will contract the parasite.
Your pet will have the parasite in his or her muscles for the rest of their life, It will cause muscle pain. In severe cases, there may be heart and respiration problems.
Orijen and Acana was on the FDA list with potential concerns, so i don’t know……
I don’t see anyone thinking about supplementing with taurine, something that is suggested as possibly the root of the legume, potato, peas issue. I buy Life’s Abundance kibbles, which have taurine listed in their dog food ingredients. I was switching between grain and grain-free but recently, in view of the dog food news, I have kept the grain formula and added The Farmer’s Dog raw food assortment. I can’t tell if the level of taurine in Life’s Abundance is sufficient for my 60 lb. dog. Thank you all for you input. I’m inspired to do more for my dog based on your recommendations and feeding habits.
I feed my seven dogs the way you do Ljr. Variety and plenty of lean meats, changing their kibble often and trying to keep it interesting by trying different veggies, fruits and grains. I use millet, quinoa, oat bran, barley and brown rice in the mix of homemade food I make every five days. Bone broth has been a new addition and one of my dogs loves plain yogurt. I like to cook so have made it a priority to feed my pups what I hope is a healthy diet.
I foster and adopt frequently and when I bring a new dog into the house they go crazy over the meals I serve. I can’t imagine feeding them the same boring kibble all the time. One guy has a sensitive stomach so I have to be careful with him but mixing a bunch of kibbles together seems to do the trick.
Good luck to all. It is very frustrating especially given the fact that MOST bets know nothing about nutrition.
my cockerpoo is 14yrs old. I know it is boring to eat the same thing day after day. I use Blue Buffalo SENIOR day food. It only comes in chicken and brown rice recipe. He had been on this for several years and any problems he had seem to have disappeared. Is there any other SENIOR dry food you would recommend. Would ADULT food still be ok for him
What’s a pet parent to do when just about every single dog food is grain free, full of peas, legumes?? I’m not taking a chance bc my 5 yr old golden has done really well on science diet perfect weight along with wet food ,veggies and diff supplements I add to her meals. She is absolutely beautiful and very healthy. I looked at changing to another weight reduction food, but again just about everything is grain free. Do the dog food manufacturers not listen to all the recent news re: dcm? I feel like the whole grain free craze is just a marketing tool. Surely there cant be that many dogs allergic to grains. In addition, I get alerts about all the frozen dog food recalls due to salmonella. I’m sticking with what has worked and kept my golden healthy.
I’m with you. I walk into every pet store to find them jammed wall to wall with grain free foods. And I find that some dog-owning friends have never heard of this issue. It’s a head scratcher for sure. I get Purina PPP Savor from Amazon as it isn’t stocked in my small town.
I enjoy reading the various dog food and supplements that owners provide for their best friends. However, I own a Miniature Schnauzer who gets 1/3 cups of food a day. I carefully monitor the treats she gets. She gains weight easily so I check her ribs regularly to ensure she is not putting on weight. Since her quantity of food is restricted, how do I add these supplements or is there one that is the most important to add?
I’ve always thought of ‘feeding the same brand of “complete” dog food day in and day out to your dogs would be akin to feeding your child the same MacDonalds Burger every day.
I thought that each time I found a newer more highly touted (expensive), all the right ingredient food that I should have the healthiest dogs around. I have been feeding my dog one of top ten of highly rated foods made in Canada, without recalls that I am aware of. I added veggies, supplements, chicken and organic meats. They have been healthy dogs (specifically) my two Dutch Shepherds who are generally long lived often live to 17 yo.
My 12 yo, was often mistaken as a dog looking like he was under 5 yo. Full of vitality. At almost 12, I noticed he was slowing down. I thought okay, now it begins. But actually it is, where it ends. He was always a careful eater, heavily smelling everything put in his dish, never eating anything on the ground. He began having breathing problem, and would not eat anything unless it was in very small pieces.
Not even a week ago, in the middle of surgery which was expected to be a diaphragmatic hernia (breathing and swallowing problems), and a Xray and Ultrasound. It was instead huge malignant tumor in his lungs. I had to let him go. My beautiful full of life boy, my soulmate of dogs.
Two weeks before that I took in my younger 10 yo Dutch Shepherd that had been coughing off and on. Then I noticed large nodules under her neck under her collar. Lymphoma was the diagnosis. She is doing well on the Prednisone right now, which has reduced her symptoms. But we know with that diagnosis it is only a matter of time. I don’t believe in putting toxic chemicals into my body or theirs to try to add a few weeks or months, and have them suffer more.
I had many dogs over the years, most lived past 14 (larger dogs). I often self fed them dry food. With water always available. I never had one dog with cancer before. I thought I was doing my best for my guys, only to have to end their lives in pain with so much enthusiasm for life still left in them. I am so torn up and now I don’t know what to believe about feeding my dogs anymore. Instead of getting a better outcome it has just been the opposite.
Serena can put some info on the dog 🐕 diy at surgery, can you go with more details one of my dog’s birthing is heavy some times and I think it is normal I don’t have a vet yet and expeses?
I don’t know why it is so difficult for someone to just provide a good solid dry food and variations for assuring our pets get proper minerals /vitamins as well
I give my minature Aussie 100 percent Organtic, dog food. I’m so against so many foods on the market. But how are you to switch foods now and then ,when there’s not much of a choice in Organtic foods?
My dog ate dog foods only in the morning and the rest I cook their meals with chicken or pork broth with vegetables like carrots, pumpkins, potatoes with rice.
10 years ago after much study I switched to raw. I spend about $2 per pound. It’s what dogs should eat. If people could manage to feed half raw that would be great!
To answer the question about selection of dry dog food… I made a list of criteria and chose foods that met it and had acceptable nutritional values for their ages and activity levels, etc. Criteria I came up with are from reading WDJ, WSAVA, pet nutrition alliance, and Linda Case book Dog Food Logic. First three ingredients are real listed meats (ie chicken not meat by product), USA ingredients (human grade when possible), made in USA in factories owned by the company who employ veterinary nutritionists and can answer question about digestibility percentage (84% or higher), with grains when possible. Almost everyone except Acana/Orijen had recalls so I had to remove no recalls from the criteria. Took many months to find four acceptable foods. Then we also supplement with a variety of extra proteins, grains, veggies and fruit on a rotating basis (e.g. boiled eggs, pumpkin, fish oil, etc.) and pre and probiotics. I had echocardiograms done on all the dogs in July and no one has any heart problems, thankfully.
Hi lisa.
Thanks for your comments. May I ask you what the “four acceptable dog foods” that you discovered were?
Many thanks!
I am sorry but changing dog foods this much is a lame idea! First when introducing a new food it needs to be done slowly. Doing this several times a year seems like a waste. Now maybe next time buy a bag of something different and just mix a little into the food you feed. Keeping the base food the same. As GI upsets are no fun. Pancreatitis once a dog gets can get it on a recurring basis if your not really careful what goes into that dog. But after 50 years of experience having dogs and 35 of showing and breeding stick to a regular food and once in a while add a little something different to it.
And as far as DCM. I find it a non issue. Just bringing it out in the open is going to cause more to look at things differently and unless further extensive testing is done and more statistics are concrete dogs do have all kinds of health related issues just like humans. And actually with selective COI breedings and using DNA will help us breeders in the future to produce as healthy as possible. As far as I am concerned we breed healthier dogs, than us humans select when choosing to marry and start a family. Until I get concrete stats. I am not jumping the gun!
I have a young 60 lbs girl who is allergic to all common grains, legumes and eggs. She also has environmental allergies. I have found a number of good foods that contain none of these ingredients, and use grains such as millet ,quinoa and sorghum. I mix several kibbles together, along with air dried Max Meats, fresh meats, and immune builders such as bovine Colostrum and medicinal mushrooms. She is doing great, and on no drugs. Check out Sport Dog, Nature’s Logic, and Taste of the Wild’s new Ancient Grains formulas. All legume free
Natures Logic Sardine …with a duck topper. Saved our baby Stella.
I have 4 dogs. 2 that can eat anything and 2 who have food sensitivities. Flaxseed fish chicken and grain being huge issues. Have found only one food they can eat canidae ancestral red. Multi red meats no flaxseed. The so called bad Ingredients start at #7. Their costs are gorgeous. I really dont like grain based and feel even my other 2 do better on gf. I have noticed with grain based their teeth are not as clean as with grain free and I brush their teeth. I would love to switch around with the other 2 but it seems most dog food companies love to make their food same way. I do puree carrots spinach green bean broccoli to add to their food. Was adding meat but cant afford it the way I was doing it. Beef is very expensive. Where I live we dont have access to all the different types of meat where you could afford to buy it. On a very limited income now.
Taurine supplements do not work. My vet, along with vets in DCM forums have corroborated this. Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers – but, it seems that legumes and potato block absorption of taurine.
I was told by my vet that just feeding Hills Science Diet for their entire life is a good choice. But your advice here seems a lot more commonsense – dog’s are not machines and like us obviously like to mix up their diet and try different things. Our beagle got tired of the hills kibble within 2-3 months so we try him on a different dry food every couple of months now.
Only Hills special foods temporarily….
We found out my Weimaraner has a heart murmur a month ago . We caught it early and he had an echo .
He had been on Taste of the Wild for 9 1/2 years , not because I wanted low carbs but because as a puppy we tried 5 different type foods (Iams, Science Diet, Royale Canin, Blue Buffalo ) all which gave him terrible painful gas and diarrhea. The Vet told me I had to put him on a food with grain. After researching I chose
Nature’s Logic Duck and Salmon because I felt the Millet would be easier on his gut. I switched him over a 10 day period and thought he was doing good, but a week into full new food he has terrible painful gas , vomiting up green mucous and also has it in his stools. I am not switching him to Purina Pro Plan Savor Chicken and Rice with probiotics. Any other suggestions besides the real expensive home cooked meals which I cannot afford . I feel for him. I took him off a food that his has done so well on all his life.
Marty, I also have a Weimaraner with painful gas, vomitting and bloody diarrhea. She was fine for years on Orijen, but when I switched foods the problem came up again. I’ve linked it to food allergies and did an elimination diet using Rx Royal Canin Ultamino. Then slowly added foods (1 food every 2 weeks) to find out what she is allergic to. She has many, many food allergies now confirmed (chicken, turkey, eggs, pork, dairy, rice, potatoes, and possibly salmon.) All Nature’s Logic has porcine plasma which is pork blood. My Wiem is allergic to pork, so I couldn’t feed her that food. I am home-cooking for her now. The main thing is to find a food that agrees with your dog’s GI system. If that happens to be Purina Pro-Plan-then so be it. Alternatively, you could check the ingredients on the Taste of the Wild you were feeding and try to match the same proteins/ingredients in another food, minus the peas and legumes. Both Instinct and Stella & Chewy have started making a grain inclusive food. It’s almost impossible to find a food with a single grain source so it makes it harder to identify a specific allergy if that’s what is going on with your guy. I feel for him and for you too, as I know how frustrating it can be. In my case, the GI symptoms evolved into full facial swelling and hives after eating foods she was allergic to for several months (I had no idea she had so many allergies.) Just wanted you to know that you could be dealing with allergies. Apparently, it is not uncommon for Weims to have allergies that result in GI symptoms that you’re describing. I wish you and your guy the best.
Krista,
Thank you. Radar does have allergies. We just never knew exactly what he was allergic to. Thanks for the suggestion. I just found out Taste of the Wild came out with a food with grain. I am slowly switching him onto this and see how he does. It has millet, quinoa and sorghum. Everything else is the same as his previous food.
Keep your fingers crossed that this works. Oh, I also did not mention the Vet put him on a supplement but it had oat meal, oat flour, rye flour and soy. That may have torn his gut up. I took him off it and ordered a different one.
Thanks again,
Marty
Only Hills special foods temporarily….
Natures Logic has alot to choose from.
I usually cook for my dog’s meal and haven’t tried giving them processed yet.
We are really fortunate to have so many natural food choices today. I like to cook the food for my dog but that’s not always possible when we travel like going home for the holidays. So I don’t cook for him every day, I mix it up with natural grain free dry food.
I agree exactly