New Collie with Diarrhea...Food Suggestions?

[LauraKY]

So, my beautiful new 1 1/2 year old collie was being fed Pedigree dog food at the foster’s. I’ve been feeding my guys 4Health dog food (4 stars on the dog food rating site), but it doesn’t seem to agree with her. I started off very slowly, mixing with Pedigree, but we now have the doggie runs.

I’m feeding her boiled rice and chicken…looking for pumpkin because the stores around here only carry it around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Any suggestions for a good dog food for a sensitive tummy girl once we let everything settle down?

She was very itchy on the Pedigree (not surprised), so I’d probably want a limited ingredient or grain free food. Not thrilled with TOTW, I fed that for a while and all of a sudden all my dogs turned their noses up at it…

This happened with my last collie too, we ended up on veterinary diet sensitive stomach dog food for a while (10 years ago, not as much choice as there is now).

I’m thinking maybe Wellness or something comparable? I’m guessing the high fat content in some of the premium foods could be a problem…calling all food gurus.

[wendy]

well it’s hard to advise since these things always depend entirely on what exactly it is that the dog is sensitive to. Which you don’t know. She might just be stressed by the new home.

[MizzouMom]

I’m starting to sound like the Wellness junkie, keep coming up with this advice. My itchy shelter dog got lots better on dry chicken-formula Wellness (purple bag), but the full-cal version was too much for her - she had a bought of vomiting and diarrhea that appeared to be heading for pancreatitis, so I fasted her for a couple of days and changed her to the low-cal version (pale purple bag), and then back to a 50-50 blend when her weight started to drop and coat looked dry. She and her 14-year-old buddy are both on the 50-50 now and look fantastic after 2 years.

So your pup might be grain intolerant, or the stuff is too rich for her. Some of the reviews I’ve read say people switching to Blue Buffalo or Wellness have had these “richness” issues, but the quality of the food makes fussing with a balance worth it.

Assuming here that she’s been checked for various parasites?

[LauraKY]

The first day I fed her straight Pedigree…no problems. When I started adding in the new is when she had a problem. She’s fine on rice and chicken, but that can’t last forever and she really needs to put on some weight.

She was checked for parasites several months ago…I have a vet appointment next week. She’s been on heartworm meds (Interceptor), heartworm test was negative. I’ll be doing a full check and fecal when she goes to the vet.

The foster said she ate a couple of fallen apples the day before I picked her up and had the runs, but she was fine her first night home. It wasn’t until I added a little of the new food that she had a problem.

[lovey1121]

It really sounds like the food-switch-runs…come to think of it, every collie I’ve known has had a sensitive stomach! I might try a lower-fat grain-free dry food mixed in miniscule amts, like maybe 1/8 cup, w/the rice and chicken, w/pumpkin, if you can find it—if you have a Whole Foods, they might have it-they had some when our other stores didnt. You might have to go back to Pedigree for a while (god forbid) while you begin to slowly acclimate her gut to better food.

Her gut isnt quite ready to live the good life yet! My Lab ate only dry Nutro Natural for his whole life (kenneled show/hunt dog), so I had lots of poopy prob’s w/anything I gave him, but 10 mos. later he’s now proudly becoming what I call a “bucket dog”, who can pretty much eat anything w/out an explosion, though I’m never w/out Metronidazole!

[Chief2]

My brother’s collie has a sensitive stomach. After a lot of trial and failure in the commercial dog food department the vet finally put her on a home cooked food diet, including carbs, protein and vegetables, and it is working well.

[tradewind]

I have several Collie breeders as clients and they feed the Fromm Gold Adult, which comes in a black bag. It is a highly rated food. You may also try some plain yogurt in her food, it helps restore benificial bacteria in the intestinal track in addition to the pumpkin you are adding for fiber. Also a change in water will give dogs loose stools, this in addition to the change in food may be contributing to the problem. The dog should adjust relatively quickly (in a few days) to the water change. Collies are a really neat breed and I hope the problem resolves itself shortly for you.

[LauraKY]

I found pumpkin. Hooray. She has no problems on the rice and chicken, had no problems on Pedigree (except very itchy). Same problems I had with my previous collie…itchy and sensitive stomach (she outgrew the sensitive stomach, though).

I’ve started her on probiotics and I’m looking at a lower fat, limited ingredient food when I start adding it in…very, very, very slowly. My previous collie couldn’t handle a high fat diet either.

There is a possibility she ate something outside, probably rabbit droppings. Damn rabbits.

[Kryswyn]

I know it’s not one of the ultra designer foods, but my old collie (gone 6 years now ) as well as my all of my Jacks over the years have all thrived on Hill’s Science Diet Adult Formula.

Real chicken is the first ingredient, yes it does contain ground corn, but the protein/fat ratio is good and my collie NEVER had a problem with her stomach.

[lovey1121]

One step further…F***ING RABBITS! my puppy found a hoard of bunny doodoo in the front yard,and after she brought her treasure trove inside (picked up w/bare hands…ewww), the lightbulb has now been lit nd she is HUNTING…

[LauraKY]

One of my barn cats, the master rabbit hunter, went MIA last fall, so we are overrun with rabbits. She could catch rabbits 1 1/2 her size…simply amazing.

I’m thinking it’s the water too…we have particularly nasty water (I don’t drink it)…maybe a Brita filter will help for the dog water.

[Nes]

Pumpkin is a squash so presumably you could give them acorn, or butternut with the same result (roasting squash is stupidly easy!).

Our collie girl had a HUGE hives reaction to something in pedigree so we just steer clear of all those big commercial foods. We feed ProSeries which is amazing, but they don’t sell it very many places.

With our collies the hardest thing I’ve found it keeping weight ON them (ProSeries was formulated for sled dogs) they just run so much they are both super-skinny.

Funny enough one of our cats has digestive problems and is only alright on walmart cat-chow (smart kitty or something?)… at least he’s cheap to feed

[LauraKY]

It’s the water!!! Started bottled water yesterday, no runs tonight. Will be changing over to the good food from the rice and chicken, we’re up to 2/3 of a cup, need to get to 2 cups.

Hooray! Thanks for your help. Water purifier going in this weekend.