[KGM801]

I transitioned her about a week ago and she’s only had one solid poop since then- right after she snuck some of her dog-cousins food out of his bowl, and it was the cheap stuff! Basically, this food is not working and the vet tells me a week of diarrhea means it’s time to give up. I want a high quality food around the Blue Buffalo price range but maybe a little better quality (5 star.) I won’t do Taste of the Wild because my last dog died and that’s what she ate (I am paranoid.) Any suggestions on which food to go to? Also, do I still transition her the same way if she’s been getting sick from the Blue Buffalo? Any help would be much appreciated, this is a big decision because whichever I decide on will most likely be what I feed her for her whole life! Thanks

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi KGM801 –

I’ve hear A LOT of people complaining about Blue Buffalo giving their dogs diarrhea. If you read through the Blue Buffalo thread on the review section there are tons of complaints, many have complained to Consumer Affairs as well and you can read those complains on the Consumer Affairs website. Last summer my friend got a new puppy and switched her from the food the breeder had her on (Science Diet) to Blue Buffalo and the dog got horrible diarrhea, she then tried another comparable food and the diarrhea cleared up overnight. So you’re not alone! I think the company has some serious quality control issues, I know I lost my trust in the company after I got a bag of cat food covered with mold and dog biscuits with bugs in the bag…

First off – have you had the pup checked for worms, coccidia and giarrdia? If you haven’t do that.

Second – “this is a big decision because whichever I decide on will most likely be what I feed her for her whole life!” PLEASE do not feed the same food for your dog’s entire life! Feeding the same food for extended periods of time is so unhealthy. Pick at least two or three brands and rotate, dogs need variety. No single food can provide a living thing with all the nutrients they need.

Any 4/5 star food would be worth a try. I know Blue Buffalo runs about $50-$55 for the largest bag. Some 4/5 star foods in that price range that I’d suggest checking out are: Earthborn, Merrick Grain-Free, Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Horizon Legacy, NutriSource Grain-Free and Horizon Pulsar.

If your pup is a large breed, however, there are other nutritional considerations and I would recommend picking a food off this list:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit?usp=sharing

Adding some plain canned pumpkin and a probiotic supplement will help with the diarrhea. Good luck! 🙂

[KGM801]

Thanks! I didn’t know that you’re supposed to rotate foods! She is a Doberman, I know the breeder was feeding her large breed puppy food but she’s not really considered a large breed, right? So confusing…

[Hound Dog Mom]

A doberman would be considered a large breed, however I know that dobermans are one of the few large breeds not particularly prone to hip dysplasia so calcium levels may not be as much of an issue. You could always talk to your breeder about it. It’s generally recommended to feed large breed puppies foods lower in calcium until they’re at least 6 months old as high levels of calcium have been linked to the development of dysplasia.

[KGM801]

Thanks again, I think I will go with Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast. One more question and I’m sorry to bother you but how often do you recommend switching up your dog’s food? You are my hero!!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Back when my oldest dog was eating kibble I switched to a new food with a new protein source at the end of every bag (for him this was about every 3 weeks). I know many that rotate this way and others that feed one food for several months and then switch. I currently feed all three of my dogs a homemade diet and they get something completely different at every meal. I would say that as long as you’re switching at least every 6 months you should be fine. Just to warn you though – the first few times you switch you’ll probably need to do slow transition and you may see some loose stools. This is normal for dogs that aren’t used to switching foods – the probiotics and pumpkin that I mentioned before will help with this. Once your dog is used to switching her digestive tract will become more resilient and you should be able to switch cold turkey with no transition.

[pugmomsandy]

KGM801,

Also feeding different forms of food can be beneficial like incorporating some canned food, freeze dried or dehydrated and even raw. You can even add eggs or sardines to the kibble. Right now I’m mixing in some Vital Esssentials freeze dried nibblets with my dogs kibble. Sometimes it canned and kibble. Then some days they just get a raw meaty bone or whole raw sardine.

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