[Robert B]

From the day I received my Siberian Husky to current, which puts him at 1 year and 2 months old he has had diarrhea.
The only food that works is Hills Science Diet WD. All other dog foods we have tried have given him diarrhea. He was tested and treated for giardia. He has been giardia free for some time; however, still will not tolerate any other food except Hill’s WD. Any other food give him diarrhea.
Looking for some help as the cost is quite expensive however are dog Timber a male Siberian Husky is worth it. I just don’t feel comfortable keeping him on a script food for such a long time and welcome any suggestions as to other dog foods or supplements that can be added to over the counter dog foods to stop the diarrhea.

[Acroyali]

http://dogaware.com/health/digestive.html

I hope this is helpful.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Robert-
Sorry to hear about your pup. I had the same issue with my pups. It took a very long time for their tummies to get back to normal after a long bout with giardia. The link that acroyali gave you has some helpful information. I used some of the supplements that are suggested on that site and found them helpful. Although some of them are quite expensive too.

Have you tried a VERY slow transition to a new food? Like maybe over a two week period to get fully to the new food? I still often use Perfect Form and/or probiotics when I start a new brand of kibble.

Victor grain free Hero formula was the first kibble that they actually did really well on. I now rotate it with Whole Earth Farms, TOTW, and NutriSource. Let me know if you have any questions on supplements. I used Gastriples and Vetri Pro BD and though they were helpful. I hope this helps!

[InkedMarie]

I second C4C…wonder if you did a very slow transition.

[Susan]

Hi Robert,
Why he tolerates the Hills W/D is it’s very high in Insoluble Fiber & Crude Fiber.
Crude Fiber-16.8%
Insoluble Fiber-28.8%
Soluble Fiber-1.5%
Protein is low at 18.9%
Fat is low at 9.1%
Carbs are 50.7%,
there is NO WAY you will find any dog dry kibble sold online or at a pet shop with those high fiber percentages, pet shop kibbles are for healthy dogs without any health problems……
Start looking at other vet diets like Purina contact or email Purina & other prescription vet diet companies & ask do they make a formula like the Hills W/D for diabetes/weight loss & write all the Insoluble, soluble & crude fiber percentages down, they normally ring you back to talk to you & you get free vet nutrition advice, then later look up their formulas online & see if ingredients are a bit better & see if it’s a bit cheaper..
If your vet ask why do you want to try another vet diet kibble (cause you need a prescription in America, we don’t need script in Australia, we can buy all vet diets on line) just say he’s getting sick of eating the Hills W/d & it’s getting too expensive for a large breed & I’d like to try such & such kibble it’s cheaper something like that, the Purina vet diets are very similar to the Hills vet diets & Purina is cheaper, also the protein % may be higher then the Hills W/D formula is.. then you introduce the new vet diet if he does well then start rotating between the vet diets making your boys gut stronger, 70% of our immune system is in the intestinal tract also are you giving the Purina FortiFlora Probiotic?? I know Purina has a bad name but their FortiFlora was tested with 10 other dog probiotics & Purina was one of the best of 3 that had active good bacteria the rest of probiotics were a waste of money.. I know you want cheaper kibble but all next year 2017 your going to make your boys gut healthy & strong again & the only way to do this is slowly introduce healthy whole foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins etc veggies high in insoluble fibers & introduce a new vet diet & look at introducing a weight management kibbles, I’ve written about weight management kibbles the 2nd last paragraph.
My boy has IBD & skin allergies, all I’ve done is research, join IBD groups trying to make him better & fix his stomach & bowel, looking for kibbles that work, introducing healthy foods in his diet that are high in Omega 3 very slowly, you start off just giving say 2-3 small pieces of peeled apple as a treat & some almonds, I bite 1/2 the almond & make Patch chew the other 1/2 of the almond he loves them & his coat has become so shinny but they can only have about 3 whole almonds a day, almonds can cause sloppy poos when given too many, when you introduce a fresh healthy food, do it same time every day, this way you know when he poos what poos are firm or a bit sloppy was that when he ate the new fresh foods ??

I started feeding a small cooked meal it was just turkey mince made into little balls baked in oven & I added some sweet potatoes, a very small meal for breakfast 7am & he still ate his vet diet at 8-9am, if your boy is thin then don’t take away any of the vet kibble if he is prefect weight then take away about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the vet diet when adding fresh foods..

Google, vegetables that are high in Insoluble fiber & lower in soluble fiber, soluble fiber veggies ferment in the stomach, Insoluble fiber bulks up the stool, 1 serving of Sweet Potato contains 2.2 grams of insoluble fiber, I just got that online when I googled “Is Sweet Potatoes a soluble fiber” it takes time but in 1-2yrs I bet you’ll have a list of foods he can eat & be added to his kibble to make it more healthy..

Weight management kibbles are high in fiber look for weight management kibbles that are the highest in the crude fiber, you’ll find only crude fiber % on kibble bag or their internet site, you won’t find a kibble with 16% crude fiber but maybe you’ll find 10-12% crude fiber then contact that kibble company & I always send an email & write, something like, My boy has IBD & I want to try your name of kibble, my boy needs a high insoluble & low soluble diet can I please have the percentages to the soluble, insoluble & crude fiber please, get a book & start writing this all down cause later on as he gets better & older what didn’t work a few yrs ago might work later & you try again & I always go to pet shops so I can take back the kibbles when they’re money back guaranteed if they cause diarrhea…
Have you tried the Diamond Naturals Light kibble? its a weight management kibble over the yrs I’ve read a few people who have dogs with diarrhea problems do really well on the Diamond Naturals Light, I know its made by Diamond & they have a bad name but after paying triple price for a Hills vet diet what could be worse? if you find a kibble that you could even mix 1/2 vet diet & 1/2 normal kibble & poos are good who cares what brand name it is, like Taste Of The Wild, people on this site say this & that about TOTW kibbles but when I see my boy doing nice firm poos & he’s happy that’s all that matters, Contact Diamond & ask for the insoluble fiber % & the Soluble fiber % it may be close to the Hills W/d formula & this way your adding another protein to his diet which is lamb meal & this will strengthen the stomach & bowel, my boy needs a lower fiber diet he gets bad acid reflux & stomach problems when fiber is high…

Start google & find out which grains & veggies have more insoluble fiber with less soluble fiber.. Lentils are higher in insoluble fibers so look for weight management kibbles highest in the crude fibers then email the companies if he doesn’t do well on the Diamond Natural Light kibble.
It takes time but when you do find that kibble that works its like winning the lottery & when you get them OFF a vet diet its feels excellent but you still know that that vet diet will fix any diarrhea problems just for a while until you find that right kibble.

Look at Purina EN Gastroenteric Fiber Balance Canine Formula
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.com/products/#for-dogs

Here’s the Diamond Light Naturals
http://www.diamondpet.com/our-brands/diamond-naturals/light-adult-dog/

List of high fiber foods soluble & insoluble
http://www.healthhype.com/list-of-high-fiber-foods-soluble-and-insoluble-fiber-chart.htmlesn

[Amanda P]

I had the same issue with husky. I found out from other owners that many huskies have allergies to chicken. The moment I took it out of his diet (I feed him purina one lamb and rice) he stopped suffering from diarrhea.

[Tia H]

Robert b. I have been having the same exact issue with my Siberian husky pup I was wondering if you had gotten yours under control and if you could give me some advice as to how you helped your husky. I could really use some. She has no other symptoms just the diarriah. Any advice is appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi Tia,
what has the vet done so far, has he been tested for Giardia, taken a course of Metronidazole for 21-28 days while eating a vet diet? he cant keep having diarrhea he’ll end up with thickening of the bowel, then have IBD when he’s older, have you worked out if he needs a lower fiber diet or a higher fiber diet? they normally need a lower fiber diet when they’re pups, how you do this is you add 1 spoon of boiled cooked pumkin, (not the tin pumkin) add to every meal he eats for 1-2 days & see does his poo look like they are firming up or getting worse?
Have you tried “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach formula or 4Health Sensitive Skin with the Husky on the front of the kibble bag, the Sensitive Stomach has no meat proteins it’s just egg & potato, the Sensitive Skin formula has Potato & Hydrolyzed Salmon….
4Health Special Care formula’s are both made like vet diets for dogs with stomach/bowel problems but cheaper sold at Tractor Supply.
What is she eaten in past & is eating at the moment ?

[Robert B]

Well Timber is now 2 years and 7 months old and still is on Science Diet HD. I can’t even give him treats. I use his food as treats and give him nylon chew bones. I tried forty flora from my Vet and others as well, but no joy. I also tried pumpkin and also 1/2 of a banana, but that is way too high in sugar. Occasionally if give him a mini carrot or two and he seem to due well.
His appetite is ravenous. He get’s 2 cups in the morning and 3 cups at dinner (no table food) and it’s gone in minutes. I purchased one of the maze bowels to slow him down a bit. He remains a constant weight at 50 lbs and seems health. I guess he will be on SD HD for the rest of his life.
Does anyone know if Science Diet makes HD bones for him to chew on?
So now he gets up around 2-3AM for an additional bowl movement…. ugh…. must be all of that fiber. He loves to play ball and go for walks, especially in the park. This keep both of us fit.
Thanks to all for your suggestions, they are appreciated.

[haleycookie]

A 50 lbs dog should under no circumstance be eating 5 cups of food a day unless he’s working daily as a mushing husky. I have a 70 lbs dog with moderate to high exercise and energy who gets only 3 cups a day. This food must be running through him like a train which doesn’t surpise me considering its pretty much just wheat and corn.
If he’s pooping in the middle of the night I would feed him earlier and only 2 cups at night and make sure you let him go potty before bed and stand outside with him until he goes.
What foods have you tried since the original post? Have you taken any of Susans suggestions. Like trying to find a food with a similar guaranteed analysis?

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by haleycookie.

[anonymous]

“He remains a constant weight at 50 lbs and seems healthy. I guess he will be on SD HD for the rest of his life”.

What does your vet recommend? That is who I would listen to. It sounds like your dog is doing very well, except for a couple of minor issues that you should probably discuss with your vet.

Good luck.

[pitlove]

Hi Robert-

Why is Timber on H/D? Does he have a heart condition? Or did you mean to say a different formula?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Robert-
Do you really mean WD? It is really low in calories at only 240 calories per cup. I could see where you would have to feed a lot. HD is quite a bit higher in calories at 410 calories per cup. It is a heart health formula.

Have you talked to your vet about finding a food that would be appropriate that is higher in calories? I’d definitely stay in touch with your vet. Especially since your pup is doing well.

[Susan]

Hi Robert,
Hills Prescription Diet makes “Metabolic Canine Treats”.
Metabolic Canine Treats are a great complement for dogs being fed Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ Metabolic Canine pet food, Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ Metabolic Plus Mobility,
Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ r/d™ Canine or Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ w/d™ Canine.
https://www.hillspet.com.au/dog-food/pd-metabolic-canine-treats

Have you tried “Royal Canine”
Canine Gastrointestinal Fiber Response dry dog food?
https://www.royalcanin.com/products/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-canine-gastrointestinal-fiber-response-dry-dog-food/3959
ask vet can you try Royal Canine fiber response dry kibble to see if Timber stops doing his early morning poo 2-3am, poor thing he must wake up & need to poo..
When Patch was eating Sunday Pets food he started doing 5-6 poos a day & was pooing at 11pm, as soon as I stopped feeding him Sunday Pets food his 11pm poo at night stopped & he stopped doing 5-6 poos a day…

When Patch suffers with his Helicobacter he feels real hungry & wants food all day, as soon as he starts taking his triple therapy meds, Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Losec twice a day every 12 hours for 21 days, his wanting food all day & feeling really hungry all stops…
I’d start feeding 3 meals a day, 2 cups for breakfast, 1 cup for lunch-1pm & 2 cups for dinner, space out his feeding times to keep him feeling fuller longer.. 7am, 1pm & 6pm…

Hills, Royal Canine & Purina Pro Plan all have similair vet diets,
have a look at Purina Pro Plan EN Gastroenteric Fiber Balance™ Canine vet Formula
it’s similiar to Hills W/d vet diet but it has a bit less fiber 10%, maybe if the fiber % is lowered a little, it might reduce amount of poo’s & work a bit better then the Hills W/d formula?..
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.ca/products-consumer/en-gastroenteric-fiber-balance-canine-formula/
Purina Pro Plan Vet diet has ” Lite Snackers”® Canine Treats, Hypoallergenic, high in fiber treats https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.ca/products-consumer/lite-snackers-canine-treats/
Here’s another Purina Pro Plan Vet diet that is high fiber 16%
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.ca/products-consumer/om-overweight-management-canine-formulas/
You might need to try a few different brand vet diets till you find the right one that agree’s with Timber, all vet diets are money back guaranteed & if you have a vet who has patience & willing to order in new brand vet diets or give you a presciption so you can order online…
Also you can ring Hills, Royal Canine or Purina & ask can you speak with one of their Vet Nutritionist & they can advice which vet diet would be best to feed or do what I do, I go thru all the vet diets & read Fat % Fiber % ingredients etc & try & work out which vet diet might work best then ask my vet….

[Lobo H]

There’s a couple of things you can look into regarding diet, something called the BARF diet
Or getting your husky pup on a raw diet. Search Ian Bilinghirst, and Dr Karen Becker have excellent iinformation.

I feed my husky raw lamb, rice, frozen veggies, sometimes I throw him a carrot to chew on, he likes butternut squash – raw – frozen peas, egg shells, and sometimes kefir for a probiotic.

These are just some suggestions, I give him lamb marrow bones, he can chew the marrow.

Tbh, sounds like your pup is starving. He’s eating and his body is refuting the food by passing through him too quickly for the nutrients to sustain, 50 lbs sounds light for a husky, perhaps at 1 year though he can gain another 10 pounds and be healthy at 2 yrs.

Hope this helps.

[Andrea V]

My husky puppy is now 17 weeks old and has been diarrhea free for the first time since I took her home at 8 weeks. We tried all kinds of puppy chow, soft and kibble, tested over and over for parasites. I was up at night and all day trying to take care of her needs and she was clearly uncomfortable. Finally read about some homemade dog food, and discovered a simple recipe I have been feeding her and she has now been producing excellent, normal BMs. I buy a rotisserie chicken, take the skin, bones, gristle out and shred it/chop it up finely, cook 2 sweet potatoes (medium size) in the microwave on the potato setting, cool and mash it with a fork, and cook 1/2 cup of Cream of Rice cereal with 2 cups of water, adding salt to the water, and a tablespoon of butter to the cooked cereal. Let it all cool, mix it up, and divide it into three or four portions. My dog eats a lot, maybe because she is still underweight. She has been diarrhea free for 10 days. This has helped her enormously, although it is very time consuming to put together these meals. I can now supplement (last 3 or 4 days) with the Pedigree dry kibble my 8 year old Lab eats, and plain (not flavored or food colored) Milk Bones in the Small size. I have been working closely with our vets during this time. It is just so bewildering to see a little puppy so overcome with diarrhea. Hope this helps someone.

[anonymous]

” I buy a rotisserie chicken, take the skin, bones, gristle out and shred it/chop it up finely”

Terrible idea. I would consult another vet (in real life not on the internet)
Rotisserie chicken is a processed food loaded with salt, msg, and a bunch of other chemicals.

I would not feed it to a human I cared for, never mind a pet.
Health conscious folks will not touch rotisserie chicken. The msg makes it very addictive.
Oh, msg has several different names, so you won’t find it on the ingredient list.

[Carolyn B]

I can’t believe how old this post is, really hope you found a solution for Timber!

I’ve had two huskies and both were intolerant to chicken, beef, AND lamb. Even boiled chicken and rice would give them diarrhea. I found that unique proteins like venison, bison, quail, etc do not bother their digestive system. And they thrive on fish-based kibble. I wonder if you have tried something without chicken, beef or lamb? It’s not as easy to find kibble without it, since those are the cheapest and therefore most common in dog foods. I fed both of my dogs orijen six fish.. very pricey for kibble but huskies don’t eat as much as most dogs for their weight, so it was $90 a month for two dogs. Not that bad.

Also, 50 lbs is not small for a well bred Siberian husky. People breed them bigger.. but breed standard is 45 to 65 lbs for a male. My male had champion lines and he was just over 50 lbs at a healthy weight. My female was around 40 (breed standard for females is 35 to 55).

[Karisa K]

I have a 18 week old Siberian, pure bred, from
Champion AKC lines & has had diarrhea since receiving him @ 9 weeks. Taking out stress, anxiety induced diarrhea from his travels,flight, separation from litter, the vet & a new home + tested for everything Vet placed him in RC High Energy Gastro Wet & worked. However, not sustainable & even tho Royal Canine is a vet brand & has been around there are so many more high quality, fewer ingredients + raw or other like Brands from Europe that have much higher food controls then US. Thought chicken, white meat allergy b/c of itching of ears/rears & tried Taste of Wild salmon puppy only fish, no chicken & that worked for 2 weeks then diarrhea again. No treats other than a split antler . which Breeder recommended. Yes, did boiled Turkey rice pumpkin & had added pumpkin supplement all along. Trying a new vet today. Only 2x has he become lethargic & did put weight on when on Taste of Wild but that now causes diarrhea. Also tried only filtered water. No difference. Have tried lamb too, nope.
Was Wondering if any of you have experienced a protein intolerance above 30% ? Which is the protein % of RC. All others are much higher protein/fat to vegetable/fruit (fiber) ratios.
Yes- did The prescription grade probiotics and prebiotic’s two rounds, raw goat milk, and also the traditional antibiotic anti-diarrhea protocol.

[Author]

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