7 month old with sensitive stomach

This topic has 13 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 10 months ago by Susan.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

Author

Posts
January 19, 2017 at 11:44 pm #93644 Report Abuse

Matt G
Member

Hi all! I have a 7 month old Boston Terrier and she is such a sweetheart. Unfortunately we have been battling a sensitive stomach problem and the only suggestion she’s given me was for her to get her thyroid checked, or to give her Reglan, both I’m not comfortable with at this time. I would like to find a new food for her to try, but I’ve been having trouble finding one for her. She currently gets 1/2 cup of Blue Buffalo puppy food twice a day. Most of the time she is fine, but once or twice a week she has diarrhea and vomits, so it is concerning. Also she is very gasy and the fur on top of her head and behind her ears is quite bald (no redness or skin noticeable to the eye coming off though.) Other than those symptoms she is completely fine! Does anyone have any suggestions on a new food or possible vitamin regiment to try? Thank you all so much for your time and consideration!

January 20, 2017 at 4:34 am #93645 Report Abuse

anonymous
Member

I would go along with the lab work recommended including thyroid, let the vet diagnosis her.
Or find another vet, however, it is not unusual to suggest bloodwork, some vets would like it done once a year.
And what’s wrong with medication that has been prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined the dog, that’s intended to make the dog more comfortable?
The symptoms you describe could be any one of a number of things including allergies.

Regarding the food, again, I would see what the vet recommends. Adding supplements and vitamins seem unnecessary for a pup that young, plus they might upset her stomach more.
I would allow the vet to take further diagnostic tests, get the dog diagnosed, then you can go over your treatment options.
In the meantime I might presoak her kibble and start giving her the reglan as prescribed.
Also, if she hasn’t been spayed, she will be going into heat soon.

January 20, 2017 at 6:37 am #93647 Report Abuse

Matt G
Member

Thanks for your thoughts, I’ll most certainly or them into consideration! At this time I’m just looking for food advice.

January 20, 2017 at 9:56 am #93650 Report Abuse

stacy r
Member

I have a girl with sensative stomach or sometimes diarrhea or loose stool too. As i have 6 dogs i was trying many different dog foods till i had some suggest about too high protien in the food. She suggested a much lower protien current was %32 past ones were simular
I changed over to Fromm duck and rabbit but lowest protien was whitefish a potato but kept with duck and rabbit w. Wow havent looked back. Way less gas no vomiting hard firm poop

January 20, 2017 at 12:55 pm #93657 Report Abuse

Acroyali
Member

I’m not in this to bash Blue Buffalo, but I have noticed a lot of people have dogs with digestion problems while on this particular brand. IIRC, they changed formulas not too recently so hopefully they will take complaints into consideration and make some more changes.
If you can get Fromm, or are willing to order, I’d go with Stacy’s recommendation. Another option would be a dehydrated food, some dogs don’t like it but others do and many seem to have less gastric complaints than they do on a diet of pure dry.
If the symptoms continue no matter what, a thyroid test might not be a bad idea. Low thyroid is surprisingly relatively common.

January 20, 2017 at 1:02 pm #93658 Report Abuse

Denise C
Member

Matt,

You might try one of the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet formulas. I’m a pet sitter so I see how dogs do on different foods on a daily basis. Whenever dogs have issues with loose stool, I recommend they switch over to natural balance potato and duck formula. I almost always see immediate improvement after they switch over.

If you’re willing to go the dehydrated food
route, Honest Kitchen will likely do the trick as
well. Dogs on on Honest Kitchen always have solid poop from what I’ve seen

Other brands that are good for sensitive stomAchs are Orijen, Acana, and Nutro.

You can also try adding some canned pumpkin (no sugar) or cooked yams to the food to help bull up the stool.

January 20, 2017 at 5:27 pm #93665 Report Abuse

CockalierMom
Member

Matt,

The symptoms you described could very well be food related and it would probably only take 2 to 3 weeks to start seeing improvement if it is food. I agree with Denise, start with a limited ingredient food, and Natural Balance does have the Potato and Duck in a puppy formula. If that works out, then move on to other foods.

January 20, 2017 at 8:37 pm #93668 Report Abuse

Cherisse G
Member

Diet could be definitely the cause i would try that, before following the vet. Because most puppy food, is made with chicken. Which is the most common sensitivity. And you don’t have to feed puppy food because its for puppy’s, the only thing you should avoid is the ones that say adult food. So a good food to go for, is grain free, high quality meat, no mysterious meat, no colouring, no starch. Most of the time vet tests come up negative or inconclusive. Also, sometimes it is the way the food is processed in dry food that your dog can react to. In which case, try raw, it is more expensive, but it is fantastic. Vets go against it because they get a day training of nutrition provided from the big company brands at the vet. And they have to meet a quota each month as well.. Id say try raw and if you are worried that it is not nutrionally balance (because all vets will tell you different), get nupro gold, it has all the vitamins a dog needs.

January 20, 2017 at 9:49 pm #93669 Report Abuse

Ray K
Member

I feel your pain. I’ve got a now three and a half year old Boston that I rescued at just under a year old and that sounds like our first six months or so, although in her case it was more
Vomit then watery stool. Went through several foods including blue buffalo, nutro, science diet and finally on Taste of the Wild Bison and Venison mixed with their Wild Boar flavor on occasion. Vomit épisodes are down to a rare thing and usually cause by over excitement rather than upset tummy.

January 21, 2017 at 12:04 am #93671 Report Abuse

Matt G
Member

Thanks for all the advice guys, you don’t know how much I appreciate it. I decided to go with the natural balance so hopefully this will solve our little tummy problem!

January 21, 2017 at 12:06 am #93672 Report Abuse

Matt G
Member

What do you mean “move on to other foods if this works.” Shouldn’t I stay with the Natural Balance if it helps her out?

January 21, 2017 at 1:08 pm #93680 Report Abuse

CockalierMom
Member

Matt,

Natural Balance limited ingredient foods are lower in protein, and with the very limited ingredients they work out well for determining food issues and giving the GI tract time to settle down. If it does solve her symptoms, then after 3 or 4 months, I would try slowly adding another brand of grain free food with higher protein and more ingredients to see how she reacts. If at all possible, you do not want to be locked into just one brand of food. All of the brands, including Natural Balance, are apt to change or discontinue formulas without notice, and you need to have other foods to feed when this happens.

Also, when you start transitioning to the Natural Balance, do it very slowly over at least a two week period. Natural Balance does not add probiotics to their food and it will take longer to do food transitions with it.

January 21, 2017 at 1:22 pm #93682 Report Abuse

anonymous
Member

My small breed with a sensitive stomach does well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea kibble as a base (along with treatment from a dermatologist). My other dogs like it as well. See reviews on Chewy dot com.
I don’t rotate, as my dog with a sensitive stomach vomits when I make a change.
On a fixed income, I pretty much eat the same things every day, it’s working for me, lol
Seriously, I would comply with the prescription food, at least until the dog is stable, then add other things, with your vets approval.

January 21, 2017 at 5:51 pm #93687 Report Abuse

Susan
Participant

Hi, my boy has a IBD, has food sensitivities, in the beginning vet said he had Colitis, Patch starts farting, sloppy poos & itchy skin, depends on what ingredient he’s sensitive too, carrots make his ears itch & he starts shaking head & scratches his ears, with chicken he gets red paws, sloppy poos, itchy skin & vomited his raw chicken, there’s a list of foods that I finally know he cant eat…
Your best to feed a Elimination Diet, start with just 1 novel protein & 1 carb feed for 6 weeks, if she is OK you have found 2 ingredients that she isn’t sensitive too, then you add another new ingredient & feed for 6 weeks….
Food sensitivities can take from 1 day to 6 weeks to show any symptoms or look at a very limited ingredient kibble or wet tin food “California Natural” has their Lamb & Brown rice has just 3 ingredients or they have a Puppy formula with 4 ingredients but its chicken choose a different protein to the one she’s eating at the moment..
or try a Vet Diet like “Royal Canin” Potato & Venison or Potato & Salmon or the Potato & Rabbit wet tin is better to feed then a kibble, then when you find she is doing best on the say the potato & Venison after 6 weeks cause the vet diet is balanced you can start adding 1 new ingredient say boiled rice 2 table spoons is she OK with the boiled rice my boy cant have boiled rice it irritates his bowel but he can have the ground rice in a kibble…
In the end the best kibble for Patch was “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roast Lamb it’s grain free, the Protein-25% fat-15% & fiber-4% it has purified water as well.
Try & find a kibble with the same percentages don’t go too high with fat & protein….

There’s also “Canidae” Pure Formulas but the protein & fat is higher in some formulas so read them…
California Natural- http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
Canidae- http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Taste Of The Wild (TOTW)- http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
Author

Posts