Willow's diet

Maybe go ahead and cook for her what she can eat, and add in Thorne Research Cainie BASIC multivitamin - that way you don't have to add any organ meat.  I suspect, but have not confirmed this, but I kinda think that the amounts may be a tad high in the vitamin, so when I have used it, I played conservative and only gave about 75% of the recommended amount.  Of course, if using it full time, I would compare it to Rebecca's NRC guidelines.  She made a database where you put in the dog's weight and the amounts required come up -she found the amounts at Monica Segal's site in different posts.
 

First - Lori I had to go back through your old posts to catch up on Willow's latest and - OMG - how scary!! I'm sending late but strong vibes for her to stay stable and feeling good!!

I don't know what all you've tried and what she can't handle, but what about canned EVO 95% Beef? It's complete...

The ingredients for canned en weren't quite as good as I remembered and it does have egg...

Ingredients (EN Canned)
Water sufficient for processing, beef, brewers rice, egg product, coconut oil, gum arabic, tricalcium phosphate, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), zinc sulfate, biotin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, copper sulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, calcium iodate, sodium selenite.

What are Willow's food allergies again? Could she have one of California Natural's canned varieties? Maybe the lamb & rice or fish & sweet potato?

Here's the link to fish & sweet potato canned (no regular potatoes):
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/default.asp?id=1423

Here's the link to lamb & rice canned:
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/default.asp?id=36

Have you tried having a nutritionist like Monica Segal come up with a custom recipe for Willow?  Sounds like it would have to be a basic recipe with the same ingredients each time, but heavily supplemented so she's not missing out on any nutrients that come from organ meats or a varied diet.  Because even on the prescription diet or the NB you were feeding, you really couldn't achieve variety and depended on the the fact that the foods are complete and supplemented.  I don't see why you can't achieve that with a recipe carefully devised by a professional.  Just throwing that out there as a suggestion, I don't have any experience with food allergies but I can certainly see how this can be frustrating!

that's a good thought jenn, or even maybe sabine at the dog food project?

I'm considering calling Monica for a consult.  But, at this point I still need to figure out something because from what I understand she's got a wait list. 

I think I'll just make her turkey breast and maybe potato? 

She's shedding like crazy too.  I can't have her shedding all year.  She's only supposed to do two obvious sheds per year.
 

but heavily supplemented so she's not missing out on any nutrients that come from organ meats or a varied diet.

 
I just remembered this too, sometimes supplements set off her IBS too.  There are so many issues with her sometimes I forget them until I'm reminded, IBS symptoms, food sensitivities.  They are too chicken, eggs and barley that I've narrowed down.  She's OK with turkey, beef, tuna, salmon, whitefish, potato and sweet potato as long as they as mashed into like a pate consistency but no pieces,  white rice in moderate amounts and she's good with dairy.  That's her list literally. 
 
 I could still try though. 

What about the California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato, Eukaneuba Kangaroo and Oats, or even a high fiber diet like Purina OM?? I checked out the low residue formulas, and they have chicken as the top 2 ingredients, so those won't work. The eukaneuba is what my allergy dog eats, and I'm happy with it overall, not thrilled, but whatever it takes to keep him from eating his feet off, right? The OM has a horrid ingredient list, but I've seen a lot of dogs do surprisingly well on it (before I started reading ingredient lists), and increasing fiber is one of the major options for managing IBS.

Also, have I posted conference proceedings articles for you yet?? I can't remember who all I've posted for sometimes...

Purina OM (overweight management) Ingredients (Dry) Whole grain corn, soybean meal, soybean hulls*, corn gluten meal, beef and bone meal, pea fiber, wheat gluten, natural flavor, powdered cellulose, dicalcium phosphate, beef tallow preserved with mixed-tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), defluorinated phosphate, salt, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin supplements (E, A, B-12, D-3), ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, calcium carbonate, brewers dried yeast, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite. K-4560 *15% - a source of fiber

Lori--
I can understand why your vet does not want Willow on kibble right now--a bit hard on the GI tract.  Have you tried Solid Gold canned Turkey/Ocean fish? 
 [linkhttp://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/showproduct.php?id=9&code=220]http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/showproduct.php?id=9&code=220[/link]
I think I remember Solid Gold canned foods to be pretty well mashed, so I don't think you would have to worry about chunks of sweet potato or carrot--it does have brown rice, though--not sure if that would cause a problem.  Can Willow tolerate oats?  If so, maybe you could try one of Pinnacle's canned formulas--Trout and Sweet potato, or Duck and Potato.
[linkhttp://www.breeders-choice.com/dog_products/pinn_troutcan.htm]http://www.breeders-choice.com/dog_products/pinn_troutcan.htm[/link]
[linkhttp://www.breeders-choice.com/dog_products/pinnacle_dog_duck_can.htm]http://www.breeders-choice.com/dog_products/pinnacle_dog_duck_can.htm[/link]
I have not used Pinnacle, so I don't know if there would be chunks in it or not, but it may be worth looking into.
 
Either way, I hope you can come up with something that works, and that Willow is feeling better soon.

I agree with chasza.  I think Willow is a dog who would do best on a very limited diet.  In the long run, IMO, if she were my dog I'd do something very simple.  If her tummy tolerates it, I'd be happy with that and not worry too much about the 'completeness' of the food. 
 
I think that sometimes with certain dogs, when they can only handle a couple of ingredients, you have to overlook the 'balanced' part, skip the supp's and the extras.
 
Oh, have you tried strombeck's recipes for sensitive tummies?
Here is one very simple one. You could sub turkey for the chicken:
1/3 cup chicken breast, cooked
2 cups rice, long-grain, cooked
1/4 teaspoon salt substitute- potassium chloried
1/10 teaspoon salt
2 calcium carbonate tablets (800miligrams calcium)
Provides 482 kilocalories, 22.1 grams portein, 2.3 grams fat. Supports caloric needs of a 13-14lb dog. 
 
You'll have to do some multiplying for willow's weigh though.  Read pages 169-170.
 
I hope willow feels better.

Thank you!  And, I like that recipe posted above!  I did talk to the vet today and she said I could try her back on the NB Fish and toppers which she was doing well on.  But, gradually phase the kibble in so she's not getting a lot all at once.  She thinks it'll be OK since it's been about 2 weeks with no GI symptoms.  And, she knows the i/d's not working anymore.
 
So, I'm going to try some kibble today and I made her turkey breast to go with it.   I'll add water.  She should be OK. 
 
She's doing really well.  We hiked 2.4 miles today.  The vets are going to consult tomorrow about her chronic UTI situation and get back to me on that sometime next week.  I'm not seeing any symptoms of one right now even though she never finished treatment.  So, that's good.
 
Thank you!  And, I am going to make her that recipe.  And, I'm very encourgaged to cook for her now that you agree that I could still do it without the supplements. 
Thanks!!

Glad to hear that Willow's UTI isn't giving her a problem and that you have a solution to the I/D and kibble issues.     I'm really happy for both of you []
 
 

ORIGINAL: shamrockmommy

I think that sometimes with certain dogs, when they can only handle a couple of ingredients, you have to overlook the 'balanced' part, skip the supp's and the extras.

You're joking, right?? Skipping the "balanced" part is worse than feeding 'ol roy...

Check out the latest monica segals latest newsletter... I think its highly ironic that my first newsletter from monica (I bought her book last month) confirmed my greatest fear from home cooking... You can do a surprising amount of damage in a short period of time...

http://www.monicasegal.com/newsletters/2007-06NL.php

You're joking, right?? Skipping the "balanced" part is worse than feeding 'ol roy...

 
Ugh, honestly I don't know how anyone can feel comfortable homecooking anything for any length of time between the conflicting information that's not only  here but all over the internet.  And, also the way vets respond. 
 
I'm not going to homecook anything more than maybe a batch of special meals for a weekend or something like that.  She's going to get NB kibble.  And, possibly a multi-vitamin too.
 
Lori

ORIGINAL: willowchow

You're joking, right?? Skipping the "balanced" part is worse than feeding 'ol roy...

Ugh, honestly I don't know how anyone can feel comfortable homecooking anything for any length of time between the conflicting information that's not only  here but all over the internet.  And, also the way vets respond. 

I'm not going to homecook anything more than maybe a batch of special meals for a weekend or something like that.  She's going to get NB kibble.  And, possibly a multi-vitamin too.

Lori

Short term is totally fine. But willow has a long-term problem, and I'd hate to see her get worse or develop further problems on top of her current sensitivities because an imbalanced diet was the only one you found that worked.