Panic at the dog food store (part 2)
 

So a few months back the food I feed my very allergic dog, California Natural, was recalled. We got Natural Balance Limited ingredient and it worked good but I feel like it made both my dogs poo more. The guy at the store said it was because it has more fiber but seriously Chibi has been pooing in the middle od the night which wouldn't be such a problem if my Molli dog wasn't a poo eater! So I decided I would give California Natural another chance, as that food has work very well for my Chibi but when I went back to the store California Natural had been recalled AGAIN! I looked at some other foods but ended up just getting Natural Balance again. We almost got this new stuff 'I love and love dog' or something, its freeze dried so you have to add water and can't leave it out which I kinda feel bad since they are both used to free grazing and some days we both work late and I would hate them to be hungry! :( I do not want to go raw (too much work involved) but I dunno if Natural Balance is going to be a good food to switch to with all the extra pooing.
Any one know any other good 'almost raw but not' foods?
Chibi is allergic to:
beef, beats, corn, milk, peas, salmon, shelllfish and any oats (yes this includes oatmeal)
It took me SO long to find a food that worked for him, I feel frustrated and defeated and sad!

I'm browsing dog foods ... I wouldn't recommend staying with your current food if they're recalling it constantly. :( What about Canine Caviar Grain Free Open Sky? It's not a raw food, but I don't see any of those ingredients in the formula unless I'm blind. A lot of people on here feed Canine Caviar and seem pleased with it!

Ingredients: Duck meal, chickpea, duck fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), menhaden oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sun-cured alfalfa, Aspergillus niger fermentation culture, Aspergillus oryzae fermentation culture, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation culture, sun-cured kelp, fos (prebiotic), calcium proteinate, sodium chloride, lecithin, choline chloride, parsley, fenugreek, peppermint, taurine, selenium, whole clove garlic, vitamin E, zinc proteinate, vitamin C, papaya, rose hips, Yucca schidigera extract, niacin, beta-carotene, manganese proteinate, vitamin D3, biotin, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12, potassium proteinate, folic acid

Whole Life has nice freeze dried treats that you can crumble over food as well to entice them to eat, or you can just feed as a treat (rehydrated or not!).

I think that after your dog adjusts to a new food, they should be pooping less, and it should be a formed stool (not loose) if it agrees with them ... Excess pooping to me seems like it's not a great choice for their specific systems.

I thought it was just a transition thing but they were on it for a month and still poo twice the normal size and amount :eek:
Chibi seems to have more 'gooey' poos on the Natural Balance also. I got them the same flavor, Lamb and rice like they are used to but both of them have not seemed to adjust to it as much as I would like. You think I should give it more time?

My dogs were on natural balance for 3 yrs and I fed them grain free. Del monte has purchased natural balance so I chose not to feed natural balance any more. We are now feeding earthborn holistic grain free..( meadow feast )...and the girls love it and are doing well on it. They also transitioned over to this food very easy.

After a month, huh? Hm. Well, personally, I would go ahead and try a different food. If you are noticing changes for the worse and it concerns you, then I wouldn't waste anymore time or money on that food! There are a lot out there to try, and you don't have to be committed to the same dog food for the lifetime of your dog(s)! I was thinking of trying Earthborn too, but I thought I saw peas in the ingredients, so I suggested the Canine Caviar: Open Sky for you pups' needs. :thumbup: I would try to shoot for a grain free than a '_______ and rice formula' though and see if that helps. I'm really not a rice hater or anything, but if it's grain free then you have a better chance of other grains being left out of it, and they are usually a bit better quality in the ingredients department. The wonderful thing about having the Internet as a resource is that you can research into ingredients from the comfort of your computer chair! :p

:thumbup: Mine ate Canine Caviar Open Sky (grain free duck) & did very well on it. Currently, they're eating Wilderness & loving it too. Turbo is intolerant of beef, eggs, pumpkin & who knows what else (it makes him throw up) & CC is perfect for him. Mine do not do well w/foods that have potatoes, flax & grains in it, esp oatmeal...it makes Momo's poopie soft & Princess gets brown spots on her belly. Lamb has the highest fat & protein level amongst the meats & many Yorkies do not do well on it bc of the higher fat content. I used to feed Natural Balance when I 1st got Mimi but switched when they changed formulas & started putting potatoes b4 the meat protein. Potatoes are fine in moderation, a good source of carbs, there's too much potatoes in NB. That's what Chibi is pooping out bc they simply cannot digest it.

Your story sounds just like mine :( I started out with Natural Balance and Jada thrived on it. Then comes the recall so I switch to California Natural and now two recalls back to back, so I went searching again. Right now I am trying out a small bag of Earthborn Holistic and still in the transition period.
Good luck in your search, I know how hard it is. I'm praying that Jada does well on the Earthborn as it has 5 star rating and no recalls and an added bonus I can buy it locally( I have to order kibble online normally).

Morgan eats the grain free merricks

Since Chibi can not have Beef or fish what main meat source should I try??
(would like to stay away from rabbit, bison, venison for personal reasons)

Nature's Variety makes a limited ingredient dog food: Nature's Variety Instinct Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Diet Duck Meal Dog Food at PETCO

I use their Instinct kibble with raw boost (has some freeze dried raw in it and grain-free): Nature's Variety Instinct Rawboost Grain-Free Chicken Meal Formula Dry Dog Food at PETCO

I also use their frozen raw, which is available at Petco. Very little work involved, it comes in little medallions and you just have to remember to let it thaw. It also comes in little tiny pellets that can be poured out like kibble, but I haven't tried that yet.

All of these come in a variety of protein sources.

The Canine Caviar Open Sky is a duck formula. Nilla seems to really enjoy the flavor of duck -- right now she is trying Holistic Select's duck formula, but I'd like to try out CC and Earthborn as well to see what she likes best. ^^ She's never liked seafood treats or foods, so I stray away from those. Lamb is usually a popular flavor with dogs as well. When I used to work in a pet boutique, we had NutriSource Salmon, Bison, and Lamb, and most people's dogs preferred lamb. Hope that helps!

I switched Dolly about 6 months ago to canine caviar and she is doing great on it

Have you thought about raw food?

I have but right now it wouldn't be a good option- our freezer is not very big nor do we have good counter space. Also the preparation part is blah. Plus I'd like a dry food I can leave out for them. I thought of doing dry LID and doing the freeze dried but right now ideally the easier the better.

Canine Caviar seems awesome- too bad none of the stores around here carry it, I'd have to order it, Id only worry that I'd run out before more came or something- I don't have any room to store bigger bags of food so I usually buy 2 small bags when I go dog food shopping- do you guys knoew if they have shorter shelf lives?