Food Brainstorm - Nutritionists out there?

[Namor]

Sorry this is long. Just thought I'd ask for some thoughts and ideas.

Deuce always had a sensitive digestive tract. When he was a puppy we had re-occuring bouts with bloody stools. They told me to give him chicken and rice and it got worse. Went on Hills prescription ID diet (turkey) plus fortiflora and he got better. It took us a while o regulate him. I can't remember what kibbles we've been on but the most current one is Royal Canin gastrointestinal low fat since one of our (vet) suspicions was fat content causing problems. He gets no table food from us. He is now 8 years old and annually we go through a bout of diarrhea mucus and bloody stools. Take him to the vet, Do the blood work, get metronidazole, just give him the Hills id wet food and he recovers. This time I was guilty of giving him too many treats maybe 2 or 3 a day but that built up in his system. We had a problem with diarrhea, blood and mucous. Took him to the vet, got the prescription, just gave him the wet food and he appeared to be recovered after a week. I began to give him the RC Lowfat kibble in his meal and the blood and mucous started again. So he went back on another round of Metronidazole and just wet food. He was fine. I started the kibble again and after 3 days I saw a little mucous and blood in his stool. Now I'm just feeding the wet food for 2 days with no blood.

Looks like it might be linked to the dry Royal Canin. It has chicken in it. Do I worry about the chicken or fat content? So what would be a good limited ingredient low fat option? I don't see a problem with turkey. I saw Wellness has a limited ingredient Turkey kibble Is it a good option? How about the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protien one? I feel kibble satisfies his hunger and I use it as his treat too.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by Namor

Sorry this is long. Just thought I'd ask for some thoughts and ideas.

Deuce always had a sensitive digestive tract. When he was a puppy we had re-occuring bouts with bloody stools. They told me to give him chicken and rice and it got worse. Went on Hills prescription ID diet (turkey) plus fortiflora and he got better. It took us a while o regulate him. I can't remember what kibbles we've been on but the most current one is Royal Canin gastrointestinal low fat since one of our (vet) suspicions was fat content causing problems. He gets no table food from us. He is now 8 years old and annually we go through a bout of diarrhea mucus and bloody stools. Take him to the vet, Do the blood work, get metronidazole, just give him the Hills id wet food and he recovers. This time I was guilty of giving him too many treats maybe 2 or 3 a day but that built up in his system. We had a problem with diarrhea, blood and mucous. Took him to the vet, got the prescription, just gave him the wet food and he appeared to be recovered after a week. I began to give him the RC Lowfat kibble in his meal and the blood and mucous started again. So he went back on another round of Metronidazole and just wet food. He was fine. I started the kibble again and after 3 days I saw a little mucous and blood in his stool. Now I'm just feeding the wet food for 2 days with no blood.

Looks like it might be linked to the dry Royal Canin. It has chicken in it. Do I worry about the chicken or fat content? So what would be a good limited ingredient low fat option? I don't see a problem with turkey. I saw Wellness has a limited ingredient Turkey kibble Is it a good option? How about the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protien one? I feel kibble satisfies his hunger and I use it as his treat too.

If it were me, I'd feed him only the prescription wet food that he does well on. However, if you want to risk another bout of diarrhea, I'd try the Wellness limited ingredient turkey kibble first. It could be the chicken in the Royal Canin food, but it could also be some other ingredient further down on the list causing the problem. But frankly, I wouldn't want to subject him to this again. His body has already told you what food he can handle--I'd listen to that.

[Namor]

I get you on the wet food. I just don't feel he is full after he eats even though I give him the prescribed amount twice a day. The dry food seems to do the trick and can serve as a treat. You know what I mean sometimes you just "need" something crunchy. It feels special. Like cheese doodles!

[Lovetodream88]

I think I would be looking further into the issue. Maybe a specialist is needed. The thing about store bought limited ingredient food is all the other foods that are made in the same plant are going to be in the food anyway so if its intolerance to certain food or ingredient that isn't going to work. I wonder if it could be IBD.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by pstinard

If it were me, I'd feed him only the prescription wet food that he does well on. However, if you want to risk another bout of diarrhea, I'd try the Wellness limited ingredient turkey kibble first. It could be the chicken in the Royal Canin food, but it could also be some other ingredient further down on the list causing the problem. But frankly, I wouldn't want to subject him to this again. His body has already told you what food he can handle--I'd listen to that.

Exactly!!

And the RC HP actually makes dry food AND treats too - it's right next to the canned food - so just buy some of that as well if you want something crunchy. Or, make your own treats. I would not risk more of these bloody episodes bc the next time you could be facing pancreatitis.

[Namor]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Exactly!!

And the RC HP actually makes dry food AND treats too - it's right next to the canned food - so just buy some of that as well if you want something crunchy. Or, make your own treats. I would not risk more of these bloody episodes bc the next time you could be facing pancreatitis.

We never tried the RC HP dry food. But reading about it it is designed for food sensitivities but it is higher in fat than the Gastrointestinal product they sell and had chicken fat in it. So I'm not sure about the chicken. I'm sure there is less than the ID has.