Vet suggested Iams instead of Wellness or Solid Gold because of...

[FlDebra]

Originally Posted by Princes mom

The vet said because of the fiber content of Iams.

That does not make much sense as Iams are right around 4% fiber on all the formulas I checked (wasn't sure which Iam's the vet wanted you to use) and are Solid Gold Just a Wee Bits and Wellness Super 5 Mix for Small Breed are also at not more than 4% fiber.

I feed Solid Gold Just a Wee Bits now and have been for several months now. The pups seem to like it fine and I LOVE it. The ingredients are great, the kibble size is tiny, it is an All-Life-Stage food, and it is available locally for me!

I would tell him that these are all 4% fiber and you would prefer to use a Premium food instead of Iams (which is at best a mediocre one).

I also very much agree with Maui Girl in her advice not to make major feeding changes for just a few bouts of diarrhea and try the pumpkin or beet pulp instead. If they had been doing well on a Premium brand before and this is just a recent problem, then I would think it even more important NOT to change the food as you investigate other varibles that might be causing the trouble. Could just be a normal little germ that they could pick up in the back yard or from another friendly dog lick. Good luck and I hope things get solid soon!

[hugz4all4]

Originally Posted by lil fu fu girl

Have you tried oatmeal? Instead of switching to a food that your dog does not eat, which could trigger allergies, why not just try mixing in oatmeal. It is loaded with fiber to build mass to the feces, and it contains fructooligosaccharides, which are prebiotics, and feed the natural flora to build a healthy GI tract.

Not to hijack your thread but how much oatmeal.. added to some canned food? Regular or flavored? Thanks..

[viviansnickers]

Beet pulp is a filler I stay away from. It is known to also cause tear staining. I am no expert but beet pulp is not necessary for firm stool.

Good luck sweetie with Ian...I would not feed Iams...linked way too closely to tons of animal cruelty. Pumpkin, rice & chicken, and maybe some Pectin from the vet could help. Reesie just went through a bout of diareah and that's what helped him.

Hugs-
Viv

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Pectin works well for Taycie too. Taycie has an extremley sensitive stomach and something so little can set her off for days. If you are looking at a diet change, I would try a limited ingredient diet that has helped Taycie tons!

Currently she is on Pinnacle duck and Potato and doing fantastic. I have looked at a few Natural Balance LID diets that I know many members feed here. I know many have had wonderful results with it I am going to be trying a few of the flavors to rotate with Miss Taycie

Oh I think someone also mentioned Wellness Simple Solutions too.... Those would be good too!

[deonk1]

Vets don't always know what's best in terms of nutrition, it's not what they're trained to know. My vet recently told me that the reason Harley got sick was because he was getting too much protein because grain free foods have more protein. I checked the bag of Now! when I got home and it was only 24% protein. it was lower than the crap he suggested.

my theory is some vets are sponsored to sell these foods that aren't the best. If a vet doesn't suggest this diet they risk losing sponsorship and other perks offered by these massive companies.

I never trust my vet 100% on nutritional things, I always do my own research before making a decision.

[Farleys]

I have to agree with the last statement about Veterinarians not knowing there stuff when it come to nutrition. The Clinic i work at has 5 Doctors, and not a single one knows anything about nutrition. One of them has been doing alot of research trying. But i know way more about nutrition from all the reading and research i have done for my own dog. So, its true, they dont come out of vet school knowing anything about nutrition. ANd they all want to sell everyone science diet, cause thats all they know at my vet. And the science diet reps come and have meetings with them and convince them of how wonderful it is. But they havent even heard of half the other foods.

[AlicetheYorkie]

I wouldn't switch to Iams, it's got corn (cheap filler not at all nutritious for dogs) and I don't think their protein source is "human quality" like the Wellness u are using and other holistic brands. I'd do the boiled chicken and rice with some pumpkin for a few days then try intergrading your regular food back in. If there's still loose stool, try switching to another holistic brand. I worked as a vet tech for a long time and he only recommended holistic brands unless there was a medical need for a prescription diet and even then he always had the owner add a whole food suppliment to the food, because even those such as Hills or Science Diet weren't nutritious enough and had fillers. I learned ALOT working there about canine nutrition and dietary needs and trust me - stay far far away from any commercial, grocery store brand, stick with something holistic always. I have no clue way so many vets recommend such crappy pet food, it makes no sense.

[Sandysbabies]

I know the vets here get a kick back on Science Diet and probably do with Iams. I would stick with the better foods. IMO, neither one of the foods are good.

[lmperez]

My daughter works at a feed store and she would never recommend Iams. It is not a very good food. Has a lot of fillers and by products. I would never feed this food.

[lil fu fu girl]

Originally Posted by hugz4all4

Not to hijack your thread but how much oatmeal.. added to some canned food? Regular or flavored? Thanks..

When I give them raw I feed 1/3 to 1/2 of the main ingredient as cooked oatmeal. This has truly helped Andromeda, who has always had issues with diarrhea. I just use plain Irish quick cooking oats and add them to the raw. I make sure that the oatmeal is really cooked and that the mix is still,well.....kind of slushy, as this adds more fluid into her diet as well.

I have seen a huge difference in her since I started doing this. There are several other foods that offer fructo-oligosaccharides; bananas are a fruit that contains them, and asparagus is a veggie that also has these fiber macromolecules.

Hope this helps..

[hugz4all4]

Originally Posted by lil fu fu girl

When I give them raw I feed 1/3 to 1/2 of the main ingredient as cooked oatmeal. This has truly helped Andromeda, who has always had issues with diarrhea. I just use plain Irish quick cooking oats and add them to the raw. I make sure that the oatmeal is really cooked and that the mix is still,well.....kind of slushy, as this adds more fluid into her diet as well.

I have seen a huge difference in her since I started doing this. There are several other foods that offer fructo-oligosaccharides; bananas are a fruit that contains them, and asparagus is a veggie that also has these fiber macromolecules.

Hope this helps..

It does.. thanks so much!

[Ringo1]

Mine love a little organic pumpkin on their food - couple of times a week. It does add fiber.

But if you add too much; then it can lead to diarrhea, so I stick with about 1/2 tsp for Lucy

[Princes mom]

Thank you all for this information!!!!! Very helpful!!!

[Ellie May]

Iams wouldn't be my first choice or recommendation, but there may be more reasons than just this one why your vet could be asking you to feed it. Maybe there are other concerns here...

I think I read that Wellness is being fed now. Heard a lot about stool issue from that brand... I think if it was just a couple days of loose stool, it's fine to choose another "holistic" food or try this one again.

But there are many vets who don't care about selling food. They don't want to stock it. They make very little money off of it. They don't necessarily love the companies. They recommend them because they are obligated to (by their patients). They have helped a lot of dogs. RX foods are stocked at the vet office taht I spend a lot of time at. They don't like having to stock it. They don't make much off of it. They don't get great deals on it for their own dogs. In fact, I know a vet who tried to get a deal on a name brand dog food for her own dog. She was able to get it cheaper at the pet store than what she could order a bag for through her office.