Changing to no grain

[flyer]

After reading the threads about over heating which I think Colt (10 mos) has been on the edge of a couple of times for not a good enough reason in my books I decided to switch him over to a cool running food.

 

He was eating Wellness chicken with oatmeal as the grain. I have mixed in Orijen's fish/no grain this week. I tried Colt on no grain Orijen before when he was around four months thinking that it might be a good diet for him but after only four days I stopped because I thought/felt he was edgy and it might not be agreeing with his stomach. He had a loose stool, but I was told to expect that for a few days. Anyway I stopped back then and went on to find the Wellness chicken and oatmeal and he was good on this from the get go although he had to eat more than the recommended to maintain weight. He's a rangy guy.

 

After reading threads on food I thought maybe I just hadn't given him a slow enough switch over back then and so I have tried again this week. Today was day five. He got a cup of Orijen and 1/2 of Wellness this morning. He threw it up largely undigested at 4:00 this afternoon. I have noticed that his little tongue has been out in the late mornings and he has been a little reactive to the stranger danger which was getting much better so I have been suspecting he was not feeling so great with this food.

 

Anyone experience this with high protein foods? Should I reintroduce a grain? Any suggestions of fish based foods with grains? Or beef based with grain? Would this happen if we went to a raw diet?

[Rave]

Since your dog handled Wellness fine, I'd try switching him to something within the Wellness line at first. Wellness Core is a good one with a lot of varieties.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

Orijen is an incredibly high protein diet, plus a cup and a half sounds like a lot of food? Or was it just a cup split 50-50? Some dogs don't do well with high protein diets just as some don't do well with grains. I agree with Rave that maybe you should try something in the line that you are currently feeding that has a higher protein level and a lower grain level....

[JohnLloydJones]

Some dogs don't do well with high protein diets just as some don't do well with grains.

Yes, Senneca, my female, did well on the Orijen fish formula (and also Eagle Pack Holistic fish). My foster, Rhys, simply couldn't handle Orijen at all. Way too rich for him (I have no idea what he was eating before, but I'm guessing it was pretty bad).

[border_collie_crazy]

could it be the fish? a previous dog of mine, got really flighty and testy when he ate any fish based kibbles, and one of my moms other dogs has the same problem, although not quite as bad lol

[Root Beer]

could it be the fish? a previous dog of mine, got really flighty and testy when he ate any fish based kibbles, and one of my moms other dogs has the same problem, although not quite as bad lol

 

That's what I was wondering. Dean can't tolerate any kibble with fish in it, although he can eat actual fish.

 

If you still want to try a grain free, why not try another? One that has no fish.

[flyer]

Hmm...yes I was wondering if it might be the fish too, but since he had a similar reaction the first time with Orijen, a chicken based one I am thinking it is just too high a protein for him and perhaps his tummy really needs that grain.

 

I have only ever fed Colt Natural Balance, Orijen, Wellness and Acana which was what I fed him when we were on vacation in NB for a month in August. He actually packed weight on with the Acana which was nice, but his coat lost some of it's gloss so I switched back to his Wellness when we got home. I just couldn't get the Wellness in Fredericton. Seems the only food he didn't do, doesn't seem to well on is the no grain and perhaps with fish, though I use salmon treats and he loves those and does fine with those.

 

OK, thanks for letting me think out loud to you all and reflecting back experiences. I will go back to a food with a grain that is cool like barley or oatmeal and try the fish that way and if that doesn't work for him try beef based which is also a cool food.

 

Any one else have any suggestions go for it.

Thx!!

[in2adventure]

Try other foods before giving up. No grain food isn't any different than food with grain when it comes to figuring out what they can eat and what they can't. I agree with trying Wellness core first, since you are using Wellness already. Evo and Taste of the Wild are good foods, too. I use Go Endurance with my guys. Grady couldn't handle Orijen for whatever reason and had terrible poops while on it.

 

Don't give up too soon. You just haven't found what works yet. Also, buy the small 8 lb bags first. That way way you can switch foods without worry of wasting if it doesn't work.

 

www.k9cuisine.com has free shipping on dog food and they sell almost everything on the market. You can get free samples of a lot of things when your order. Just look the web page over good for them.

[FlyByNight]

Another vote for trying out Wellness Core.

 

My mutt does really well on it and she's a picky eater who has a hard time gaining weight too. It's the only thing that keeps her from getting super itchy/dry in the winter as well and I like that even though it's grain-free, it's a little less intense on the protein side.

[MrRipley]

Have you tried an enzyme and a probiotic? I had the worst time getting Ripley's system on track after I adopted him earlier this year. He eats Orijen (I switch between the fish and the regular formula) plus some raw now. But I noticed a huge difference after using Prozyme and Total Biotics. He's still on the Prozyme and Total Biotics, but I have cut back the amount and he is doing great.

 

But I agree with the others, the Orijen fish just might not be the best choice for your dog. Try something else.

[WildFlower]

Have you tried an enzyme and a probiotic? I had the worst time getting Ripley's system on track after I adopted him earlier this year. He eats Orijen (I switch between the fish and the regular formula) plus some raw now. But I noticed a huge difference after using Prozyme and Total Biotics. He's still on the Prozyme and Total Biotics, but I have cut back the amount and he is doing great.

 

I second the use of a probiotic. I give both my cat and dog a probiotic daily.

 

I also used a product called SeaCure on Daisy after she ate a small amount of fertilizer last summer (careless neighbor). There is a store near my house, The Natural Pet, and the owner was trying to help me with Daisy after the incident. I did take her to the vet when this happened. But Daisy seemed to be having a really difficult time digesting any type of food weeks after. She recommended this product. It is used in poor countries where many people are starving - they often times cannot digest food properly. This product helps heal the digestive system. It is made from whitefish, so if your dog is having a problem with fish may not be the best thing. But I thought that I would throw it out there.

[flyer]

Ok, I just bought a bag (small) of the Wellness Core chicken base so it is closer to his old food, the Wellness chicken with grain. I will slowly switch over through the next week. If he accepts this food well I will then try the fish Wellness Core to get him onto the cooler burning food. I do hope it works for him as the weight in the summer looked great!!

 

This is probably what I should have done in the first place. One change at a time. I just didn't think fish would be an issue and hey, it might not be. We'll see.

 

Thx all!!