Author Topic: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..  (Read 18250 times)

Lyn

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Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« on: November 18, 2008, 06:28:59 am »
I'm thinking it's time for a food change for Bubba and Lola. :-\ They are currently eating Orijen Adult, but OMG I can't stand the stench anymore!

I'm extremely food picky. I refuse to feed anything from Diamond or made by Diamond and definitely nothing with corn/wheat/by-products/un-named junk. LOL Since the recalls I'm super picky about what I feed them. If I could afford to go completely RAW I would.

I prefer grain free kibbles. Problem is I think we have pretty much tried all the grain free foods I can get locally. Here's the list so far.....

Orijen Adult and Large Breed Puppy (normal poops but insane gas from both dogs)
Horizon Legacy (I thought we found a winner! Minimal gas, normal poop but Bubba HATES it. :'( )
Wellness Core (Insane diarrhea and gas from Bubba. He ended up with a colitis flare up. :( )
Nature's variety instinct Chicken(Same result as Wellness core)
Wellness Ocean Core (Bubba refused to eat it)
Innova EVO (Same result as Wellness Core)
EVO red meat (They LOVE this stuff but again bad diarrhea from Bubba and loose stool from Lola.)

The only other grain free foods I can get are Merrick Before Grain (Not a big fan of Merrick, I'll feed their canned food but not before picking through it first, LOL) Canidae's new grain free food that are now made by Diamond. Or Taste of the wild which is a Diamond product. I wanted to try Acana's new grain free foods since it's the same company that makes Orijen but the store I shop at stopped stocking it since they were having trouble getting it.

Bubba refuses to eat anything fish based now or I would try Orijen 6 fish.

I'm tempted to re-try the EVO red meat since they really did love it. Maybe I didn't switch slow enough? Plus Bubba is less sensitive now than he was last year. Or maybe I just need to be less picky. LOL
« Last Edit: November 18, 2008, 06:29:44 am by Lyn »

Offline People Whisperer

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2008, 06:50:12 am »
How about adding some digestive enzymes to try to reduce the gas? 
I second that  :) I give Lily 1 tsp of enzymes and probiotics a day with her food and she is pretty much gas free  ;) ;D
« Last Edit: November 18, 2008, 06:50:28 am by People Whisperer »
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Lyn

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2008, 07:05:25 am »
I've tried digestive enzymes they didn't do much for the gas unfortunately. :( I think there is something in the Orijen that doesn't agree with them. Pinpointing what exactly is impossible with all the 'herbs and botanicals'. Bubba also rubs his face on the carpet or furniture after eating. I thought at first it was a food allergy.. but he's done that since puppyhood so I'm unsure if it's just a habit or what. But he does it regardless of the protein source.  ???

They did the best on Horizon Legacy but it smells really fishy and Bubba eventually stopped eating it even with me caking it in toppings.

Liz, I do feed them the BG canned. It's worth a try. I'm not sure how Bubba will do with buffalo. I did feed him Solid Gold Wolfcub aeons ago, lol. But if all else fails I'll go back to Orijen and put up with the gas. :P Even if I can just find something to mix in with Orijen maybe the gas wouldn't be quite so frequent. lol

Luckily Lola can eat pretty much anything without digestive upset and she's not overly picky most of the time. Bubba is the one I have to keep a close eye on.

Offline People Whisperer

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2008, 07:05:56 am »
Which probiotics do you guys give? I know about acidophilis but others?  We have farty dogs.
This is the one I use

http://www.1800petmeds.com/NaturVet+Enzymes+%26+Probiotics-prod10803-10803.html

When I add something really weird to Lily's food (don't even ask me  ::) :P) I add really good probitics from a health store
"To once own a Great Pyrenees is to love and want one always."
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I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it :)


Lyn

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2008, 07:09:05 am »
How long have they been on it? Kahn was just put on it shortly before arriving here and could CLEAR the room, it was seriously offensive :o 6 Months later, those times are few and far between. With Bubba having the problems he's had, it may take longer for him to adapt and his stomach to settle?

I just figured it out.. they have been on Orijen for 17 months. Every once in awhile I rotated in a bag of something else in an attempt to switch but we were right back to Orijen after a bag or 2.

Lyn

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2008, 07:22:55 am »
I can't remember the name of the probiotics we used. I got them from the pharmacy and there were 5 different digestive enzymes  in it I believe.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2008, 07:23:30 am by Lyn »

Offline Berner_Mom

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2008, 08:39:18 am »
We are feeding Orijens large breed puppy as well...but only in the mornings now, and feeding a raw food diet at night for dinner.
The gas is incredible with Orijens, we did notice a reduction in the frequency of gassy outbursts when we stopped feeding ONLY Orijens though.
Have you thought of going raw?  Or partially raw?  It was a huge decision for us, but its one we have not regretted.  (Except for days like today when I remember I forgot to take anything out to thaw for Tucker's dinner, LOL)
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Tonda

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2008, 08:57:06 am »
My pups have been pretty much gas free since I started adding Nzymes Granules to their food. Before that they were stinky!

I should add that I have no proof that there is a causal relationship here. It could be that they adjusted to the food right around the same time I started the new supplement.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2008, 08:58:28 am by MastiffOverload »

Lyn

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2008, 09:10:39 am »
At one time I was feeding raw at night and Orijen in the morning. Generally chicken quarters or legs. But I'm finding the older Bubba gets the more picky he is. Sometimes he would eat it and other times he would leave it. Bubba will puke on an empty tummy so I just went back to Orijen morning and night. I still do give them raw occasionally.. but he has to be in the 'mood' for it. :( Lola on the other hand does back flips for raw or anything for that matter. LOL

Even if I have to mix 2 kibbles.. as long as they are less gassy I'll be happy. :D It's just finding the right 2. :-\

Tonda

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2008, 09:27:35 am »
My pups' latest fetish is apples of all things. I ate one last night and Slag sat right next to me drooling like a faucet.

Offline KiraNGunnersmom

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2008, 11:30:12 am »
Apples give me gas.....Just thought id share that.

Love them but I rival the dogs when I have apples!!

As for the topic of this post,  I hear that the Merrick BG is a great grain free kibble and is easily rotated like Instinct can.
I feed my guys BG canned tripe and as soon as Gunner is old enough I think I will feed BG kibble to both.  Right now Kira is eating TOTW and loves it, I dont even have to feed her canned to get her to eat.
I had to coat the wellness in tripe when I was feeding her that, at first she loved it then half way through she stopped eating it.
SG Wolfking gives Gunner air toots but everything else seems to give him cow pie poop.  He has on occasion eaten Kira's TOTW with no major adverse reactions.
Good luck in finding a solution.  If not, bedazzle a gas mask and make a new fashion statement!!
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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2008, 02:39:55 pm »
Have you tried the Go!Naturals grain free? ( Not the NOW Line, but the Go!)
It seems pretty decent. Oh and they're putting out a grain free duck formula and a grain free rabbit formula soon. Just a thought.


Here are the ingredients for GO! Natural Grain Free:
Chicken Meal, Chicken, Turkey, Turkey Meal, Potato, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols (vit. E), Herring Meal, Peas, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavour, Salmon, Duck, Salmon Meal, Duck Meal, Salmon Oil, Whole Dried Egg, Flax Seed Oil, Brewer’s Yeast, Pea Fibre, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Chicory Root Extract, Mannanoligosac charides, Pumpkin, Apples, Carrots, Bananas, Blueberries, Cranberries, Lentil Beans, Broccoli, Spinach, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Protease, Lipase, Garlic, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Enterococcus Faecium, Bifido-bacterium Thermophilum, Vitamins (vit. E, vit. C, niacin, inositol, vit. A, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vit. K, beta-carotene, vit. D3, folic acid, biotin, vit. B12), Minerals (zinc proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), Ascorbyl-polyphosphate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Rosemary.

Lyn

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2008, 05:35:59 am »
Hmmm.. No I don't think we have tried GO! Natural grain free. At one time I tried their regular GO! Salmon and oatmeal I think it was.

I'm wondering if it's the potato that's causing the gas. Horizon Legacy uses peas instead and they had next to no gas when they were on it and if they did toot is was nowhere near as rank as what I'm dealing with right now. Bubba of course has to sleep on my side of the bed.. right up by my head. He let out a good one lastnight and the smell woke me up from a sound sleep. LOL I could still smell it even after covering up my head. GAG!

Ann, Yup we have tried regular Innova but Bubba was chewing on his sides. He has grain allergies. I know corn and wheat for sure which Innova doesn't use. Maybe the barley? Since I'm not 100% sure which grains I just stick to grain free kibble. He doesn't have anymore chewing/licking problems now... unless of course I share food with him.. like Doritos.  :-[

Lyn

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2008, 05:43:25 am »
I think I'm going to try Merrick before grain. Probably the buffalo or the chicken.

I have a free bag of Orijen (Buy 12 get 1 free) so I think I'll use it and mix it with the before grain and hope we get a reduction in gas. LOL If that's a no go I want to try Evo Red meat again.

Lola is still dealing with yucky ears. I'm wondering if she doesn't have a protein allergy? Everything I've fed them for the most part is chicken/turkey.

Offline pyr4me

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Re: Kibble suggestions? I think we need to try something else..
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2008, 06:09:18 am »
I think I'm going to try Merrick before grain. Probably the buffalo or the chicken.

I have a free bag of Orijen (Buy 12 get 1 free) so I think I'll use it and mix it with the before grain and hope we get a reduction in gas. LOL If that's a no go I want to try Evo Red meat again.

Lola is still dealing with yucky ears. I'm wondering if she doesn't have a protein allergy? Everything I've fed them for the most part is chicken/turkey.

FYI--all of the Merrick Before Grain formulas have chicken in them, so in terms of Lola's possible allergy to chicken, the BG might not be your best bet.
Jennifer

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