[Pakalolo]

I have an 11-month old Bouvier who seems to have frequent bouts of diarrhea. He’s been checked by the vet a couple of times and nothing seems wrong with him. Because we’ve been training him with treats, I suspect there’s something there that does not agree with him. The obvious solution is to keep going with experiments, eliminating what could the the possible culprits; however, I was wondering if anyone here has been through the same problem and if they found out the exact treat that should be eliminated from their dog’s diet.

I’ve given my dog all sorts of natural “good brands” (or at least I’ve tried to buy what is deemed to be the best) and I don’t give him rawhide. MIght it be a meat-related issue?

Thanks for any input!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Have you tried supplementing with digestive enzymes and probiotics? That would be the first thing I’d try. A spoonful of plain canned pumpkin also seems to help some dogs when they’re having a bout of diarrhea. All dogs are different so just because another dog had luck with one food or was determined to be sensitive to a certain ingredient doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the case for your dog. If you do want to try changing something with the food I’d suggest a limited ingredient food (single protein) with a novel protein. Limit the treats you’re feeding to the same protein source as the food until you figure out what’s going on.

[Pakalolo]

Thanks for the prompt response, HDM. Today I am feeding him plain “baby pasta” and canned pumpkin. I’m also giving him probiotics. And I’ll certainly try the digestive enzymes. And the same protein idea for a few days as an experiment sounds wise too. Thank you!

[pugmomsandy]

What is he eating and what are the treats you are giving and how often?

[Pakalolo]

He was eating Eukanuba large puppies until 3 weeks ago, when he refused to eat it, no matter how starving he was. We’ve switched to Blue Large Puppies recently and he seems to like it. I have given him all sorts of different treats because I keep rotating them on a daily basis. I have Blue bits chicken for healthy joints, heart and immune system; Blue Stix lamb and apples; Rollover Lamb Biscuits; Rollover crunchy beef biscuits; Blue bites chicken with dha for cognitive development; Nutro crunchy treats – PB, apple, pomegranate, banana; Get Naked cleaning teeth sticks. Some of them, as you know, are very tiny, so he gets many a day, depending on the number of times we go out for a walk and training.

Thanks!

[pugmomsandy]

I think he’s holding out for all the treats!! LOL! You can add a little something to his kibble to make it more appealing. Like a little canned food or yogurt, or even coconut oil, maybe salmon oil if he likes the fishy smell. You can also use the kibble for treats. That way he’s actually getting something with nutritional value. I use Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets for food and treats. And also freeze dried liver.

[Pakalolo]

That’s a great idea. Thanks, pugmomsandy! 🙂

[nicolemarx13]

I’d love to add in a question for me and my dogs if anyone has ideas. I have two pits that both seem to have digestive issues with every brand of dog food I’ve tried. My male is way worse than my female but they’re both bad. The only brand that didn’t give them gas & diarrhea was Beneful (Yes, I know how terrible that stuff is which is why I don’t use it any more), but I’ve been through what seems like every type of dog food and nothing works. They’re currently on Wellness healthy weight with , but I’ve tried so many others – duck, chicken, beef, salmon and even a vegetarian brand.
Is anyone familiar with the pit breed and their digestive issues? Does anyone have a brand to suggest I try? Thank you!

[InkedMarie]

nicole: can you please tell us what foods you’ve fed your dogs? You said they’re on a healthy weight at
the moment. Does that mean one or both of them are overweight? Have you tried a digestive enzyme
and probiotic? I also want to say that digestive issues are not a breed thing, it’s a dog thing.

[nicolemarx13]

They’re currently on Wellness Healthy Weight. My male is 15 and is on the skinnier side due to his age. My female is 4 and she is slightly overweight.
I can’t even name all the brands I’ve tried since the list is so extensive, but the ones that come to mind are Avo Derm, Prescription Diet, Science Diet, Blue Buffalo, Innova, Canidae, Wilderness, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, Holistic Select, Honest Kitchen… I’m sure there’s more but that’s all I can remember now.
I only brought up the breed thing because I’ve known other pit owners that seem to have the same issues. I figured it was common in the breed.
I wouldn’t mind trying a digestive enzyme but I wouldn’t know where to begin. Originally with my male I thought it was nerves (he’s got an OCD issue as well as separation anxiety) so I tried a holistic “sedative” to help with that and it just made his bowels worse. That was the last one I tried.

[InkedMarie]

I use Digestive enzymes by Mercola Healthy Pets and probiotics from Swanson Vitamins, human ones by Dr Langer

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