|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
02-05-2013, 03:33 PM | #1 |
Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: c
Posts: 427
| Why is picking a food so hard? need senior food advice. Columbo went to the vet yesterday and it was recommended that I change his food to a senior small breed food with a protein % in the mid 20s. For the past 4 months, he has been eating Wellness Core grain free (protein 36%). For the past couple weeks, he's been urgently peeing after meals. I'm supposed to hear the results of his senior blood work and urinalysis tomorrow, so I'm waiting to hear those results before heading to the store to buy food in case there are surprises, but everything else was fine at the vet. So I've been looking up senior foods on dog food advisor and yorkie talk, and thought blue Buffalo looked good. Then I find a post with a link to a large amount of consumer complaints about Blue. Issues with gas and diarrhea and worse after a couple months on the food. What senior small breed foods have you had good luck with and have been feeding for a long period of time with no issues? |
Welcome Guest! | |
02-05-2013, 03:47 PM | #2 |
I♥PeekTinkySaph&Finny Donating Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 18,866
| I tried a Senior diet when Peek turned 10 or 12 (CRS). He steadily went downhill so I switched back to a regular maintenance diet. Since then I've read that Senior diets are bunk, forget where I saw that but I do believe it, especially for small, very active breeds. Also read that there's no proof that reduced amounts of protein and other stuff found in a Senior diet will do anything to protect the kidneys.
__________________ Kat Chloe Lizzy PeekABooTinkerbell SapphireInfinity |
02-08-2013, 06:40 AM | #3 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Any news on the test results? Hope all is okay. Another idea is to keep him on the Wellness if he likes it and does well on it, but then maybe find an add'l Wellness brand food that has less protein - and mix the 2 together to 'cut' the protein content of the Core. Barring that, you could still keep the Core and find another brand with which to cut the protein. Btw, why does the vet want to cut protein? Does he have kidney or liver issues? Or is he worrying about bone mass? As far as bone mass density, I really think the info out there is so conflicting. One study says that ONLY plant protein truly leeches protein from bones (ie, as related to senior diets, human or animal) while animal protein increases BMD....another study says the opposite. VERY frustrating.
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
02-08-2013, 06:52 AM | #4 |
YT 2000 Club Member | I have my dogs on BB for a little over 2 months and I have no complains. They have not had any issues with gas or loose stools. I personally think, that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all! What ever is working for your dog is what they need to be on. Good luck in your search!
__________________ Proud Mommy to Max, Teeka, Tatiana and forever in my heart Tameka! My sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from my puppies eyes! |
02-08-2013, 07:27 AM | #5 |
Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: c
Posts: 427
| We are holding off switching for a few days. I have a thread in the sick section if you want to read more, but Columbo's senior tests came back and his albumin was low, along with blood calcium. He had a bile acid test and serum calcium test done yesterday. We might hear the results of the bild acid today or Monday. The calcium test takes 7-10 days. The vet is checking his liver function. Columbo has no symptoms of anything being wrong, other than he lost a pound (thought that was because of the low carb food & he needed to lose it), but he has been having urgent peeing in the evenings for the last 3 weeks. My vet is very thorough. I am trying not to worry until we know more. |
02-08-2013, 09:58 AM | #6 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Did the vet do a urinalysis, btw?
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
02-08-2013, 10:46 AM | #7 |
Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: c
Posts: 427
| Yes, he did a urinalysis. Good new is we got his Bile Acid test back a few minutes ago. Completely normal. Now just waiting for the serum calcium test which will take another week. No liver issues, though. Since his senior tests showed low albumin and low blood calcium, (although corrected it was on the low end of normal), he wanted to do further testing before doing his dental. He has more loose teeth. His thinking was that maybe if he had a metabolic reason for his teeth issues (other than just being a yorkie!), maybe he could save them. The serum calcium test will rule out hypoparathyroidism which is rather rare, but he just wants to be sure. If this test is normal, then unfortunately, he will lose more teeth. Anyway, I can go ahead and get him on a lower protein food now. So off to the store. |
Bookmarks |
|
|
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart