Calling all GSD owners: Sensitive Stomachs???

[cswoodlandfairy]

So calling all GSD owners! Do your dogs have issues with their stomachs? I have a 4 1/5 year old female GSD. It seems that the older she is getting the more stomach issues she has, specially over the last couple of months.

It seems that at least once a month she has a BAD case of #3 to the point when she is Kenneled during the day she accidentally messes it up (note: she HATES to mess up her area, so for her to do so meant she had to go BAD). We have usually been able to pin point what the issue was with food she wasn’t suppose to eat. It seems that she can eat dog food and that’s it…but now I am wondering as she matures if the dog food she is on is also causing the problems. We’re about a call away from the vet, but just haven’t done it yet since each time she’s eaten something she shouldn’t have so far…

Has anyone had any experience with this?

She currently eats Science Diet Adult Lamb food, along with my border collie, and had been doing well with it. She only gets about 2 cups 2x a day.

Any suggestions for food for dogs with sensitive stomachs? Probiotics?

[Marla_100]

My female GSD eats only a raw diet and has never had a problem since I started her on it 10 yrs. ago. It improved her coat and condition immediately.
First dog I ever fed all raw to and she’s been the healthiest dog I’ve ever had.

I tried S.D. years back for my Bichons, because my vet insisted and they weren’t crazy about it so we didn’t continue. Many experienced dog people on the dog forums don’t have much good to say about Science Diet in general.
It seems the vets push it because they sell it, not that it’s necessarily a great food.

I’d try a better food.

[kasjordan]

Yes. Mine went through a time where he would be good for a week, then explosive for three days, good for two weeks, explosive for three days on and on and on. I figured out that he was that way on chicken, on lamb and on beef. Fish was the ticket for him. Blue Buffalo fish and sweet potato, he has NEVER (knock on wood) had an occurrence on this food. I would switch your protein source. At least give it a try. Oh and no rawhides!

[cswoodlandfairy]

[QUOTE=kasjordan;7754732]
Yes. Mine went through a time where he would be good for a week, then explosive for three days, good for two weeks, explosive for three days on and on and on. I figured out that he was that way on chicken, on lamb and on beef. Fish was the ticket for him. Blue Buffalo fish and sweet potato, he has NEVER (knock on wood) had an occurrence on this food. I would switch your protein source. At least give it a try. Oh and no rawhides![/QUOTE]

I was actually looking at that food!!! They are nearly out of the current bag so its time to buy more food, figured it was a good time to switch. Ill try that then! My other option was the Science Diet Sensitive Stomach, but Marla 100, I have been reading some iffy reviews on S.D in general…

She doesnt get raw hides anymore, but the ones we use she has never had a problem with. She does get treats, usually at kennel up time… They are the Old Mother Hubbard ones…

http://www.petsmart.com/dog/treats-rawhide/cat-36-catid-100007?SearchParameter=%26%40QueryTerm%3D*%26CategoryUUIDLevelX%2FnfoKmUCQmRYAAAFD8RNUeFk3%2Fat0KmUCQtN8AAAFDODtUeFk3%2FNs0KmUCQfUQAAAFDxD1UeFk3%3D_JUKmUCQ4bYAAAFDO0dUeFk3%26CategoryUUIDLevelX%3DnfoKmUCQmRYAAAFD8RNUeFk3%26OnlineFlag%3D1%26Brand%3DOld%2BMother%2BHubbard%26%40GroupSize.Brand%3D0%26%40Sort.CategoryPosition%3D0%26%40Sort.SalesRankUnitsIndex%3D0&PageSize=24&_t=Brand

[Big_Grey_hunter]

I dog sit for a GSD who has an easily upset stomach. Food plays a HUGE role in the frequency of her problems. They had her on purina for the first year and it was BAD, almost constant loose stools and things got… explosive nearly weekly. They switched to Natural balance with decent success, but she still had episodes of upset stomach once a month or so. The last year she’s been on orijen and haven’t had a single incident.

[kasjordan]

Since she’s sensitive make sure you get your new bag while you still have some left so you can switch a bit gradually. Things could get interesting if you don’t

[Sunsets]

@cswoodlandfairy;7754748

I was actually looking at that food!!! They are nearly out of the current bag so its time to buy more food, figured it was a good time to switch. Ill try that then! My other option was the Science Diet Sensitive Stomach, but Marla 100, I have been reading some iffy reviews on S.D in general…

She doesnt get raw hides anymore, but the ones we use she has never had a problem with. She does get treats, usually at kennel up time… They are the Old Mother Hubbard ones…

It definitely sounds like your girl might be having a reaction to a specific protein. Or it could be a grain allergy? A lot of dog owners maintain that “grain free” is better, meaning that there should be low/no wheat or corn content in your food.

If you have a higher-end pet food store nearby you might be able to get a few free samples of some “good” single-source grain-free protein food like Fromms or Blue Buffalo and give them a try without breaking the bank.

My personal anecdote: my GSD had skin issues. I tried all sorts of food, I went grain free, I switched proteins - nothing seemed to help. He was getting awful yeast infections in his ears and gnawing at his paws and butt all the time. My vet told me it was likely an allergy, but it was going to take a lot of time and money to figure out just what the allergen was. Also, since we live in Houston, nearly all dogs have some sort of allergy to something in the air or grass here!

She recommended that before we started allergy testing that I try switching his food to Royal Canin Skin Support. She even admitted that Royal Canin, like Science Diet, had a reputation of being “not all that”, but told me that she’d seen remarkable results in some dogs on this food.

I figured it would hurt to try it, and lo and behold the expensive presription-only RC turned out to be absolutely fantastic for my dog. His coat is wonderful now, he has no stomach issues, and his weight is perfect.

BTW the RC formula is mostly rice and fish meal, with anti-inflammatories like curcumin added to it.

So I guess I’m saying not ALL prescription foods are bad, just depends on the dog!

[cswoodlandfairy]

[QUOTE=kasjordan;7754774]
Since she’s sensitive make sure you get your new bag while you still have some left so you can switch a bit gradually. Things could get interesting if you don’t ;-)[/QUOTE]

Definitely will do, have just the right amount left now to switch over.

My poor SO, usually is the one that finds it and it usually ends up when I head to the barn to stay the night for a horse show the next day…he thinks I plan these… :eek:

[Roo]

My Westie has the world’s most sensitive stomach. I tried every brand of dog food until our vet recommended ID for sensitive stomachs. It’s the only food that works. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and not available at most stores. You can order it online or buy at your vet’s office:

http://www.pet360.com/product/8821/hills-prescription-diet-id-canine-gastrointestinal-health-canned-food?utm_source=google-pla&utm_medium=cse&extcid=pla&gclid=CJb43I2Y18ACFZYWjgodkwcAdQ

[Horsegal984]

GSDs are prone to GI issues. Trial and error to find a food that works for her, then stick to it. If you go to a fish food I would find fish based treats, limit the exposure to different proteins and carbs. I’m not in the “grain-free only camp”, more of the whatever works for your pet. However with a GSD limiting your potential for issues by cutting out grains can be a big help.

You may also want to do a search for GSDs and EPI. They’re kinda known for it.

[mommy_peanut]

Depending on where you live, I wouldn’t rule out giardia or coccidia. Both can cause intermittent stomach upset & both are easily treated. However it does sound like it’s more likely something she’s eating & not tolerating very well.

Info on them: http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/giardia-in-dogs/766

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=727

ETA: adding about a tablespoon or so of pure canned pumpkin to her food will help keep things firm & more regular also.
I don’t feed any of my GSD’s any food with corn, wheat, or soy in it. I also stay away from unspecified protein sources & no by-products.
Read the labels on treats also. It’s amazing the crap they put in store bought treats…yuck!!!
super easy to make healthy treats at home

[SquishTheBunny]

Definitely try a novel protein or gastro friendly diet. 6 wks minimum. However I would also consider ruling out medical reasons. Abdominal ultrasound and bloods such as folate amid b12 can help rule out a lot of common gsd issues such as ple ibd and lymphoma. Good luck!

[cowboymom]

Our GSD has done pretty well on a variety of foods; he’s currently on Whole Earth Farms. And he also gets all kinds of people food and scraps and whatever dead mice (thanks kitties!) and horse poop he can find on his own. I’m glad he doesn’t have a sensitive stomach because I wouldn’t be able to isolate his diet; so far the only thing we know that will go straight through him is the cheap cat food that I sometimes feed the chickens.

[Arizona_DQ]

[QUOTE=Roo;7754788]
My Westie has the world’s most sensitive stomach. I tried every brand of dog food until our vet recommended ID for sensitive stomachs. It’s the only food that works. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and not available at most stores. You can order it online or buy at your vet’s office:

http://www.pet360.com/product/8821/hills-prescription-diet-id-canine-gastrointestinal-health-canned-food?utm_source=google-pla&utm_medium=cse&extcid=pla&gclid=CJb43I2Y18ACFZYWjgodkwcAdQ[/QUOTE]

My old dachshund is also on this food, he has IBS… It is the only thing he can eat. But I also have to give him Metronidozole 3 times a week.

[Anne_FS]

I have 4 GSD: 2 German showline, 1 American pet line, 1 German working line. They range in age from 1 year to 10 years old. None of the four - thank God and good breeding - have stomach issues or health problems of any sort (knock on wood). I’ve had the 10yo since he was 2 (got him at the dog pound) and have had all the others since they were 8 weeks old.

Pro Plan makes a Sensitive Stomach formula that I’ve heard people use with great success. They tried it in desperation, finally deciding to ignore all the Purina bashers. Their GSD is doing great on it.

[Anne_FS]

Obvious question: parasite check on your dog?

[alto]

[QUOTE=cswoodlandfairy;7754672]
So calling all GSD owners! Do your dogs have issues with their stomachs? I have a 4 1/5 year old female GSD. It seems that the older she is getting the more stomach issues she has, specially over the last couple of months [/QUOTE]

Take this to the GSD forum - there are some amazing GSD folks over there :yes:

ETA this doesn’t sound like a food allergy or sensitivity to her daily food, it does put me in mind of something (from the GSD forum) but that’s all my mind is willing to reveal today :o

[Rudy]

[QUOTE=Horsegal984;7755044]

You may also want to do a search for GSDs and EPI. They’re kinda known for it. :([/QUOTE]

Agreed though I would also add IBD too.

[JumpWithPanache]

My female is sensitive to chicken as a primary protein but does great on a raw diet (non chicken). I use the Blue Ridge Beef “method” if you will and it’s been great for both of my dogs (East German and Czech working-bred performance GSDs). I’ve also had them on Purina ProPlan Sport Salmon and even though it has som chicken by-product she does fine on it. Took me nearly three years to really nail down the diet plan that works best for her though. Tried Blue Buffalo foods and most of the other top of the line brands… the ProPlan Sport was the best fit for her.

[Anne_FS]

[QUOTE=Horsegal984;7755044]
You may also want to do a search for GSDs and EPI. [/QUOTE]

EPI stools are very distinctive: lots of mucous, so I’m guessing this isn’t EPI.