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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Faro
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Dog is a male weimaraner, 120 lbs. He's overly large for his breed, plus about 15 lbs. overweight. Vet says to just keep trying to find a food that works, gradually switching him over. I've tried Eukanuba, Chicken Soup dog food, Canidae. Nothing works. Any suggestions? I can't afford, nor do I have time, to cook a special diet for him regularly. |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Urquhart
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I would try him on an elimination diet to figure out what ingredient(s), specifically, he is sensitive to. So, start with one ingredient, like plain chicken, feed for a week, if he is still symptomatic, switch to another protein, try that one out for a week, etc. until you find a protein that he will tolerate well. (note that in especially sensitive dogs, it may be something like fish, duck, bison, etc, so think exotic if the run of the mill meats aren't working) Then add a carbohydrate. Potatoes are usually one that is well tolerated by dogs with sensitive stomachs, so I'd start there. Pick sweet or white potatoes, and cook and serve those with the protein for a week. If he's symptomatic again, try out another, like brown rice or barley. Once you've found a carb and a protein that are working for you, look for a dog food that uses that carb and that protein. There are diets out there for dogs with pretty much any sensitivity. It will take you a while to figure out what will work, probably, but it will be worth it in the long run. |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Corwyn
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There can be a number of issues going on here: Overweight, colitis, food allergies.
For colitis and/or IBS, vets can treat with sulfasalizide and metronidazole which works very well. That along with a supplement like Fortiflora, which recreated 'good' bacteria in the colon are very effective.
Trying to identify food allergies are very difficult. Even though I detest Hill's Science Diet foods, their prescription Z/D is excellent for diagnosing food allergies. That particular food contains pre-digested proteins and absolutely cannot create allergic reactions. I would recommend trying that food just to see if it *is* a food reaction.
If it is, then you can start with single source protein foods to identify what is causing reactions. If it isn't and the symptoms still are present, you can then move on to other diagnostic testing.
Weight is simple - calories in/calories out. You should be able to feel you dogs' ribs, but not see them. Cut back on the food.
Good luck~ |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Maddockson
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IBS is hard to manage - but you may be able to gt your dog stabilized after some work. It's not easy.
One dog I know gets some glutamine supplemented as well as probiotics made especially for dogs. He is on Wellness Atlantic Whitefish and Sweetpotato kibble. That is pretty much all he gets.
I have a dog with some problem in his GI tract that has not been scoped (and won't be - who can only digest fish and oatmeal - which was in fact suggested by the owner of the other dog. It worked like a charm, and yes although I do cook it for him, it is a simple recipe that isn't any harder than making a casserole dish full of oatmeal, really. It has saved his life for the past three years, and is the only thing he can eat - we tried all of the prepared food available.
If you wish to try it, email me and I will give the recipe - easy, and you will need your vet's help to get the Rx vitamins he will need to round out the recipe. It may be a good thing to do at least for a while, in order to get him stabilized so you can try other options. |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Stephanos
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THERE IS A WEB SITE called www. trilogy.com. there is all natural type foods there and i believe the site is one created by a vet. i get my cat all special treats that support the gastrointestinal tract as he has problems with constipation that have required surgical procedures in the past or he would have died. since finding this, i am certain there are stuff and lots of good info for your dog s condition on this site. my vet approved wholeheartedly the treats and amazingly she was unaware they even existed. if it isnt.com it may be
. net but i think its .com. i actually saved it in my address book because i didnt want to lose it after 2 yrs in a row almost losing my kitty. since these treats he is much much better. i know you will find alot of info and food that helps him. take care.sorry about the caps i see you have alot of responses and wanted to be sure that mine caught your attention as i do believe you will find relief for you and your dog. |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Faro
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Stay away from any grocery store brand and any brands that start the ingredient list with corn. You're saying you have no money, no time, aren't willing to cook for your dog. What do you want us to say? You're already spending money on metranidazole every time he gets a serious episode, so diet changes could save you money. Also, if he's that much over weight, you may have an improvement just by reducing the amount of food that you feed him. Just over-feeding the dog will give him diarrhea. Cut what you're feeding him by about 15%. The dog food bag will tell you to over-feed your dog, so unless you're feeding a super premium food, the amounts are inflated.
So, what ARE you willing to do? Cut what you're feeding him (you'll save 15% right there). Switch to a higher quality food-- you'll feed less, have less stool volume, too. Give it a two month trial-- are you wiling to do that? Look for a protein that your dog hasn't eaten, like duck. Stay away from corn and wheat, so look for rice, barley, potato.
Here's a link with more information:
<a href="http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1571&articleid=305">http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1571&articleid=305</a> |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Urquhart
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Honestly I think IBS is just from bad food.
I use Wellness chicken flavor and it's doing wonders. Part of your dogs problem is that he's grossly overweight. See if there is a common ingredient in the dog foods you've tried, such as soy, corn, molasses, etc. Is he being fed table scraps? Most dogs don't become overweight from dry kibble.
Give him a bland diet for a few days. Plain boiled white rice with boiled hamburg, chicken, or cottage cheese. This will help settle his stomach.
Take your dog swimming to help him exercise and lose the extra pounds. |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Corwyn
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Perhaps a non grain formula of dog food. I use Evo red meat, Merrick's Before Grain. It is well liked by my dogs young and old. |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Maddockson
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all natural no soy wheat or corn try a duck or venison product |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Stephanos
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Don't get a dog if you can't afford to feed it the right foods. If you can't afford to feed your baby anything but McDonald's, you're in no position to keep the child. Same with a dog. Spend the right amount of money for your dog's food. The natural stuff works better than the stuff you would find in commercials.
I did a search online for good dog food and came across these - they also have a .com so google them in case you need to know where to find these in your area:
Innovapet
Natural Balance
California natural
Solid Gold
Nutro Natural Choice
Wellness
You also have to give your dog some time to get used to the new food. Don't expect a full change in a week. Make sure you don't get anything from the grocery store or anything you see on commercials.
"The companies that produce these dog foods can afford heavy advertising because they use cheap-o, bottom-of-the-barrel ingredients in their products." - asuperiorgsd.com
I added a few sites in the source section for you to see. |
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Subject :Large dog with irritable bowel syndrome, can anyone advise me?..
2009-07-09 15:49:13
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| Faro
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Excersise him regularly, buy him science diet, it is a special food for dogs that have health problems. and give him lots of love  |
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