[harp31]

I have 2 Boston’s, one is 11 mos old and one is 11 weeks old. They have been eating Wellness Core dry (adult small breed formula for the 11 mo old and puppy formula for the 11 week old, since they don’t offer a small breed in the puppy formula) with a little (1 tsp or so) Wellness Just For Puppy canned mixed in. They are not too interested in the dry alone and are both losing interest in the canned as well. They both have loose stools with this food and I am currently looking for something to provide good nutrition as well as a firmer stool for them. I am considering Orijen or Taste of the Wild or Fromm’s. Most of these would have to be ordered via the internet, due to no availability in my local Petsmart. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Mary

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Mary –

Of the foods you mentioned I believe Orijen is the best choice. I would never feed TOTW as it’s manufactured by Diamond. Fromm is a great company but the food is really overpriced for the quality and not worth the expense (imo). I wouldn’t stick with one food though. Rotating foods often will keep your dogs interested and will also strengthen their digestive system. If they prefer canned and you can afford to feed only canned this is actually preferable to feeding dry food – canned food is more species-appropriate than dry food due to the fact that it’s less processed, high in moisture and higher in protein. Most dogs also find dehdyrated or freeze-dried (both of which you rehydrate prior to feeding) and raw foods more palatable than dry food – these options are healthier than dry food as well. For the loose stools try adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin and a probiotic supplement to their meals, this may help.

[harp31]

Thank you for the suggestions, I am looking at some samples (some free and some minimally priced) from K9cuisine. I value your opinion (based on what I have seen on this forum) so I will forgo the TOTW. The rotational diet makes sense, too. I am getting samples of Orijin, Acana, Amicus, Fromm, Solid Gold, The Honest Kitchen and some freeze-dried grain-free chicken and beef from Dr. Harvey’s. Hopefully, they will like the freeze-dried. I have tried the pure canned pumpkin a couple of times but I don’t want to add it to every meal, since they eat 3 meals a day and I’m afraid that may be a bit too much pumpkin. My last 2 Boston’s were picky eaters, too and they ate mostly canned food but it seems like I tried every brand there was available and they were never really fond of any of them. I ended up cooking for them a lot (beef/chicken and brown rice with vegies, etc.) I was feeding them a small amount of Canidae dry with the home cooked mixed in with it. I was hoping to find a good quality food so I don’t have to spend so much time preparing a home cooked diet (but I will if I have to). Thanks again, this dog food selection always seems like a daunting task for me … sigh. Mary

[olga]

Hi, I have a 2 year old Boston Terrier that has always had a sensitive stomach and some skin problems. We used to buy him high quality high protein food because he is very active, however it never sat well with him. Out vet told us that a GI oriented diet is better for him because he can’t process high levels of protein and he needs more fillers in his diet. I used this website to compare brands that have about 30% or less of chicken meal not by-product as the main ingredient and then some safe fillers. We currently use the Costco brand Kirkland Chicken flavored dry food with added glucosamine for his joints. It has worked great!
Regarding dogs getting tired of food, our dog does that with every brand. We usually buy a can of wet food, something organic, natural or limited ingredient and add a tablespoon to each meal. Otherwise, I add a tablespoon of greek yogurt (which helps with the farting) or pumpkin pure (high in fiber).
Otherwise, I add a little bit of water and heat it up in the microwave so its wet and warm, especially in the winter he enjoys it. In the worst case I just add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, which makes it moist and is great for his skin and coat.

[harp31]

Thanks for the suggestions Olga. I have been feeding Orijin Regional Red which is for all life stages and they are both eating it (although the 4 mo old doesn’t like it as much as the 1 yr old does). I also add a little wet food to the dry (currently Wellness 95% beef, turkey or chicken). I just wonder if the high protein is too much for the little one … Orijen Reg Red is 75% protein plus the wet is high protein but I only add enough to coat the kibble (1/2 tsp or so). I also add a little boiled/chopped chicken breast to the top (1 tablespoon or so). The one year old gobbles it up and eats very well, but the little one is not as fond of it. She eats it just fine when the older one is near “cause she doesn’t want her to get it, though … LOL. We are battling a yeast infection in the little one’s ear right now and she is a little itchy and licking her paws, not sure if it is environmental or food related. Hoping it’s not the food …

[theBCnut]

Just so you know, Orijen is not 75% protein. It is 75% meat/animal ingredients. Those animal ingredients have fat in them too. And that’s where a lot of the ash content comes from too.

[harp31]

Yes, you are right about the 75%. I was wondering if you think this food has a high ash content? My little one is only 6 lbs at 4 mos … she will be a smaller Boston than my 23 lb 1 yr old. I know that high ash is bad for cats. I assume it’s not good for puppies/dogs either? Thanks for the advice.

[theBCnut]

They say they do not have high ash content and because of how they formulate their food, I tend to believe them.

High ash content is generally not a problem in dogs, but certain breeds and certain individuals do have problems with ash.

[Author]

Posts