Sensitive stomach

[tobymen]

Hello! I am new, started looking online to get info on a remedy I heard today. We have a 3yr old blue dane, his name is Toby. He survived parvo at 6 mos old. His whole life, he's had a horrible time with diarrhea. I thought it was isolated to any change in his diet, but even now, we are very careful about what he gets (no people food, haven't changed his food in nearly a year) and yet he still comes down with bad diarrhea at least twice a month. He never seems to have any other symptoms, eats fine, drinks fine, doesn't act lethargic, just the poops. My husband saw a woman walking her 11 yr old dane this morning and she mentioned putting a few tablespoons of mashed potatoes into her dog's food each morning and said it helps. Anyone heard of this?? We're desperate! Any ideas or thoughts would be much appreciated!!
Thanks!

[FXgirl]

You can try Great Life's Enzymes Pro: http://www.greatlife4pets.com/store/index.php?cPath=40

If you do try it, let me know how it works out for you.

[tobymen]

We've had him on Purina One Sensitive System for the past year. Seems like a lot of other responses mentioned the Innova, I'll have to give that a try.
Thanks for your help!

[tobymen]

I had wondered if the parvo had a lasting effect on his immune system. I'll try that vitamin and keep my fingers crossed! 
Thanks so much!

[Duramax]

Awww, unfortunately, Purina's sensitive tummy formula has lots of ingredients that can be very rough on a tummy!  Here's what's in there:

Salmon (good)

brewers rice (leftover from breweries, little nutritional value, used as filler)

pearled barley (pearled barley has been processed to the point of losing nearly all it's nutritional value and functions as a filler)

oat meal (good)

corn gluten meal (just a filler, no nutritional value, can cause digestive problems)

animal fat (the animal source is not identified, which generally means it came from a rendering plant and could be roadkill or euthanized pets, among other gross possibilities)

fish meal (good, but it's better when they identify the fish)

salmon meal (good)

non-fat yogurt (good)

animal digest (again, the animal source is not identified, and digest is almost always from a rendering plant)

there's more, but you get the picture...

So, even though the food is marketed for sensitive tummies, it could very well be the source of the problem.  I've had this happen to me twice with foster dogs that have come in with terrible diarrhea.  One was being fed the same Purina One formula, and the other (Elli, who Jenn mentioned above) was being fed a similar Science Diet for "sensitive" systems.  Both still had terrible digestion, despite being fed food supposedly designed to help them.  I switched them both to Innova Adult and they both had great solid poops within a week. 

You might want to try a different food that has fewer potentially problematic ingredients and see how he does.

Good luck!
Holly

Holly, i definatly think you're the go to member for food issues! you have a nose for nutrition

[Duramax]

i have been supprised by what ive found listed as ingredients on some of the bags of food carried in stores

[Fumble]

i think the food issue is crazy to keep up with.  I never fully understand what's going on.  I like that htey have the ingredients and their purposes and stuff, but even so i still get confused.  the gal at our local pet store (not chain) was telling me about the ones that i had researched that i thought were decen.t  it was the california natural (?)) i think that's what it's called, the fish type, and it said that there were barely any ingredients, and she told me that there were too many for a dog with a sensitive stomach and allergies, and then the over the moon stuff, really expensive but almost staright protien, and she said that that's for gaining weight, which i can understand... and that's when she suggested the natural balance duck and potato formula.  that seems to be working fine, but i get so nervous with all the new recalls! 

So confusing!! LOL!

[newfiesx3]

Great advise everyone. Elvis had this issue and I'm with Julie on the pumpkin. Elvis does straight pumpkin 3X a week with his food and also once a day a dolop of plain yogart on his food. This has really been a BIG help. Pumpkin is a natural anti-nausiant too. I also put a little oatmeal in his food.