Switching foods... suggestions?

    • Gold Top Dog

    HI, I switched Pella to Canidae fish about a month ago. She was on EP Fish before that, and they changed something, because she got real gassy all of a sudden and the food was the only change for her.  But even on the Canidae she isn't musch better.

    EP was perfect for her when she first went on it, but then they changed something. Now I am still searching for a food. I am now trying Earthborn,  fish and I don't see any improvement.

    Her problem is with chicken, corn and grain. Part of me is thinking just put her on Science Diet WD, put I don't want to go that route.  Won't duck cause the same problem as chicken?

    She is just real gassy, and I feel sorry for her. (and us)

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    goatman68
      Won't duck cause the same problem as chicken

    Nope-----totally different protein.  Mine cannot do chicken, but do very well on duck. It also sounds like your Pella may have issues with seafood.  Please do not rule out other protein sources such as turkey. beef, bison, venison-----there are many choices out there.  FWIW, none of my dogs can have chicken, nor can they tolerate salmon or most fish sources, they also have problems with grains and potato---but do great on beef, duck, turkey and bison.

    • Puppy
    Another brand to look into would be Pinnacle, they make trout/potato and duck/potato formulas, slightly better then NB (more meat).
    • Silver
    My hound can not eat any meat it causes sour stomach and terrible gas. I have tried all premium brands and nothing worked. I also used natural balance vegetarian it did not work. I think some dogs can not eat processed food they need fresh. It was the only thing that worked for my dog. After a week his stomach was fine and the gas gone.
    • Gold Top Dog

     bluchaos, I asked whats so bad about NB? Heres the ingredient list:


    INGREDIENT LISTING 

    Brown Rice, Chicken, Salmon Meal, Lamb Meal, Oatmeal, Barley, Potatoes, Carrots, Potato Fiber, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Duck, Brewers Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Spinach, Parsley Flakes, Cranberries, L-Lysine, L-Carnitine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Manganese Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid.

    GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
    Crude Protein 16.5% minimum
    Crude Fat 6.0% minimum
    Crude Fiber 5.0% maximum
    Moisture 10.0% maximum
    Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.3% minimum
    Omega-6 Fatty Acids 1.7% minimum

    *** Van Patten’s Natural Balance® Original Ultra® Reduced Calorie Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the A.A.F.C.O. dog food nutrient profile for all adult dogs.

    (BACK TO TOP)

     

    • Silver
    food for thought . You can not compare a reduced diet food to a regular maintenance diet. what you want to see in a maintenance diet is meat the first ingredient not rice and not meal.
    • Gold Top Dog

     Its not a diet food, its reduced calorie for less active dogs or seniors.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Dawnben
    what you want to see in a maintenance diet is meat the first ingredient not rice and not meal.

    I could be wrong, but I thought that meat meal is more concentrated (water removed), therefore higher protein content than just the named meat.  So, a meal is actually better for meat-sourced protein than the whole meat itself.  Yes, no, maybe?

    • Gold Top Dog

    A good explanation of meat versus meal can be found on the dogfood project website:

    http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=meat-meal

    • Gold Top Dog

    tzu_mom

    A good explanation of meat versus meal can be found on the dogfood project website:

    http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=meat-meal

     

    And, I'd suggest that site as a great resource when checking any ingredient list.  I think more dogs are actually allergic to grain mites than to grain itself, but that's a good enough reason to go grain-free for an allergy dog.  I'm not crazy about anyone staying on any food that is made by Natura (Evo, California Natural, Innova, Karma, Healthwise) because they will soon be taken over by Proctor & Gamble - if you think NB has sucky ingredients, just wait.  And...they don't have to inform you about any ingredient changes for six months.  These are the people who bring you such things as Iams and Eukanuba.

    • Silver
    I only feed my dogs something I would consider eating. If I ate meat , meat meal would not be on the menu because you really dont know what it is.
    • Gold Top Dog

    Dawnben
    I only feed my dogs something I would consider eating.

    Well, we'll have to be on opposite sides of that, then, because I'd never eat a raw turkey neck, but my dogs love them. Smile

    Also, wondering if the OP has had any luck with trying a new food.

    • Puppy

    TIffy- its only 16.5% protein which is ridiculously low(you want to aim for at least 25%), just another fact that its almost all grain/carb based. Keep in mind that even though chicken is listed as second ingridient, its water inclusive, when its baked and the water is removed, it goes down the list (the ingridients are listed prior to extrusion), so the main ingridient is brown rice, followed by a ton of other grains.

     I think its overpriced for what it contains, there are better quality foods. Also its a myth that senior dogs need low protein diet, in fact they need higher protein because to retain lean muscle mass and keep them sattisfied, they only thing to watch for is how much is fed, generally with higher protein, you need to reduce quite a bit, other wise the dog will gain weight.

     

    Good food for seniors would be something like wellness core reduced fat.

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Well large breed puppy anything has an imbalence calcium to phosphorus ratios. The ratio between the two should be .2 otherwise if the difference is more, this can create calcium deposits in some breeds.

     If money is tight, take a look at Wellness. Or Taste of the Wild, or Blue. Excellent foods and reasonably priced as well.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Lots of great info on this thread! I did a lot of research and calling and decided to go with California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato, since Rosie has done so well on it for so many years... but now I hear that it's been bought by Proctor and Gamble! Does anyone know when this is taking place?