Unsure about Holistic dog food- Blue Buffalo

I agree with everyone else that 4 cups a day is too much.  My boys are 56 and 60 pounds, and they each get 2.5 cups a day of Orijen.  They are both (especially Harry), pretty active young dogs.  Now the recommendation on the bag is 3 cups a day each, but they both do well with 2.5 (no losing or gaining weight).  You kind of just have to play around with the amount to see what works best for your dog. 

 Mine are fed TOTW.

Cheyanne is 52lbs and gets 1 cup a day. And she still needs to lose weight. Lillie is 56lbs and gets 2 cups(I have gave her as many as 6 cups a day but she still is scrawny looking). Joker is 45lbs and get 4 cups. Fynn is 70lbs and gets 3 cups. Holly is 50lbs and gets 2 cups a day. I also give Lillie,Joker, and Fynn a chicken quarter and an egg a day. 

You have to feed what works. I have tried to feed Joker less but he doesnt look good on anything but 4 cups.

My guys are very very active!

I definitly don't feed her 4 cups a day of the solid gold! that is way to much, she gets 1 cup and 1/2 in the morning and 1 cup and 1/2 in the evening. she is pretty active so i think its a good amount.

Its not that she has diareah, its just lightish color and soft (doens't pick up in the bags easily!!)

So im not really sure if its actually upsetting her, its just not digesting properly.

I've been on the solid gold for about 3 days now, and she seems to be doing half and half. half good consistancy, and half too mushy.

I have not heard of the Orijen brand around here. I have been going to Cutters Mill, it is a natural pet place and they sell all the other kinds of brands you have suggested (including the solid gold i picked up) so there are many other options if this one still doens't work out.

we are going to the vet this coming monday for booster shots so i will bring up her diet while im there.

3 weeks ago when we went they did take a stool sample and said everything was fine, but im not sure what they were checking for? maybe just worms...

 I'm pretty sure that's from overfeeding. Back off what you are feeding by maybe a third and see whether that helps her "output" quality.

If it does, then just watch her condition. Add food if you think she's losing weight (if that is not desired, of course), very gradually, until she's reached a stable weight again.

If it seems like there's not enough "leeway" between not enough, and icky poops, consider a "senior" formula. She may need the gi conditioning ingredients that these formulas often contain, even if she's a youngster. Many dogs do - it's quite all right. I've got two here that are like that - they are on Orijen Senior and thriving.

be prepared for an ear-ful on your feeding from the vet! many are still stuck on the science diet foods... don't back down on the quality! your vet should respect what you chose to feed.

I hope the SG works for not! not all foods are meant for every dog

erica1989

be prepared for an ear-ful on your feeding from the vet! many are still stuck on the science diet foods...

Sheesh, no kidding!  When I brought Sammy in for his first checkup after we adopted him, the vet (we had never seen this particular doc before that day) was talking about *cough* good *cough* foods, his examples were Purina One, Iams, and Science Diet.  I said, "Well, we feed our other dog Orijen, so we'll be transitioning Sammy to that as well."  His eyebrows shot up and he said, "Great!"  It seemed like he meant it, so I was pretty happy with his reaction.

erica1989

I hope the SG works

Me too!  It's only been 3 days, so don't get too discouraged.  It could take a month or more to get the dog's tummy settled back down and used to the new food.  I've also found that adding plain yogurt helps.  Even after transitioning to a new food, my dogs still get a couple spoonfuls of yogurt mixed into their kibble every night.

If you're interested in learning more about Orijen, here is their website: http://orijen.ca/orijen/orijen/.  I am currently feeding the Six Fresh Fish formula, but all of their formulas are excellent.  They have a new one, too, Regional Red, but I haven't seen it available from my usual source.  I order mine online from k9cuisine.  Always free shipping on all orders over $50, which is one bag of Orijen, lol.  Actually just placed a re-order today.  I expect it to arrive by Friday.  They are great about shipping out very quickly.

Let us know how the Solid Gold is working as the weeks go by.  Oh, and they sell Solid Gold at Petco, too, in case you ever need to get food when you're traveling and can't get to your regular store.

 About the recommendation of amounts of the bag... I always start at the bottom of the range for the weight range my dog is in. Max had trouble on Blue Buff if he got slightly too much. I really didn't get as much lee way with that as I could with evo or wellness. If I gave him a little extra, it bugged his stomach.  Luke doesn't have those sorts of issues.

Ok well i did a week on the Solid Gold, and definitly no change what - so - ever! if anything it got even worse!

I'm concerned and unsure if it could be something else? I've decided to switch one last time to a sensitive stomache formula from Nutro. Its Hering and rice and says its good for sensitive stomaches. I mixed like a 1/2 cup with some boiled rice (to help her bind up a little) I will try this for another day or two, then do just the food. I am visiting the Vet tomorrow to get her booster shots and lymes vaccine, and like you all brought up i'm going to get an ear full if i bring it up and the types of food i've tried.

Especially because I go to the Banfield Vet inside of the Petsmart they are just going to suggest the science diet or whatever brand they promote i'm sure.

Do you think some sort of internal parasite could be causing this? she really has no other symptoms... she does have an appetite, and drinks water regulary, has energy and still plays, and naps when we're gone for the day.

Oh i forgot to add, that to get to the bottom of this we are cutting out everything besides the food and temporarily the rice... no treats or bones! in case those are the quilty culprits! But i'm not sure if any of them are yet or not becuase since i've adopted her, her stool has never been "normal" so i really have nothing to comare it to yet!

 Fill a cookie jar with kibble, and still give her "cookies" Special trick I learned, when my dog recently had to go on a prescription diet AND NOTHING ELSE (vet's emphasis!). She still felt like she was getting plenty of treats, and was totally fine with it.

Coccidia or Giardia  could cause it.... Maybe take in a stool sample, if you haven't already?

Yes they said it definitly sounds like Giardia and took a test for it, but it came back negative. they beleive its becuase she's proabbly had it for so long (because i've had her for almost 2 months, she was in a kennel for a month before that, and who knows how long she had it before then even!!)

But we still got meds for treating the Giardia, and i've seen an improvement in her stool already! and its only been a day.. so i'm guessing it wasn't the kind of food i was feeding her, but we are still not feeding her any treats or bones, just food and the medicine (Dr.'s orders) until she compelets the regimine..

I know she had to of had this when i got her, but i also asked if this type of microrganism can be picked up from swimming in ponds and she said yes definitely... that kind of saddnes me because trixie LOVES to go swimming and jump in when we're on hikes, so does this mean she never can again, in case she picks up something like this again :(

She can still go swimming - just have the vet run a full fecal on her every couple month - or - you could skip the fecal, and just do a routine deworming every few months with safeguard or something similar.

Hope Trixie is feeling better soon!  I know finding the right food or food combo can be so hard! 

jennie_c_d

She still felt like she was getting plenty of treats, and was totally fine with it.

Jennie--just an FYI, they do make z/d cookies.  I've bought them a few times. 

3 cups even seems a lot for a 55 lb dog. My 75 lb Chow eats 3 cups..and somedays he doesn't eat that much (depends on how active he's been).  I'd also give a food more than a week before switching again..sometimes dogs' systems just can't handle rapid changes in foods

It also helps to know that the feeding guidelines on the package are just that, guidelines, not necessarily written in stone. Shadow only eats 1.5 to 2 cups at a time. He is, IMO, foodwise, a large breed, and I treat him as a large breed because of his Lab heritage, which can be prone to hip dysplasia, though he has shown no signs and he is, this month, 6 years old.

I have always found the feeding "recommendations" to be way high.  If I followed the feeding recommendations on ANY bag I'd seen, instead of using kcals as a guide, I'd have the worlds FATTEST gsds.