Having trouble with Innova

[Luvs]

I think the Innova is causing the puppies to have diarreah (sp?) They have had problems with diarreah ever since we switched them over to the Innova. I have noticed several positive things since we have changed their food, such as Akasha no longer having disgusting breath and their gas problem has gotten much better. Something else I have noticed and I am not sure if this has anything to do with their food change but I noticed it soon after making the switch is the fact that the puppies don't bother my allergies as much as they used to. I used to have to wear long sleeved shirts during training and play time but I don't have to anymore. Granted I still get hives sometimes but it's not an everyday thing like it used to be. I don't know if it has anything to do with the food or not but it is kinda strange that it happened around the same time.

The loose stools have become a major problem. Keil has had several accidents in his kennel which is not like him at all. Akasha has also had an accident in her kennel. The poor puppies are so upset when we get home and find their accidents. Of course they never get in trouble for it because obviously if they went in their kennel they really had to go. I don't think it is a matter of them being left too long either because tonight Keil was in his kennel for 3 1/2 hours while we went riding and usually he is fine with that amount of time. I guess right now we should make sure that someone goes home and takes them out more often, although it is not always an option.

I am thinking about switching their food again. They have been on Innova for around a month or so but there has been no improvement as far as the loose stools.

I have been going back and forth about making the switch to RAW but have not totally made up my mind yet. In the meantime does anyone have any suggestions for a food that might be a little easier on their tummies. I would love to feed Canidae but to get some it would be a 2 hour drive round trip in the summer time and that is just too far right now with me working 12 hour days.

Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated!

[Rottlva]

I too have heard that Innova causes a lot of dogs to have diarrhea. It is just so rich. How quickly did you switch over from your other food?

As for a raw diet......I feed raw and am 100% happy with the results. I am by no far an expert, but we have a few very knowledgeable people on raw diets... ( Talk to Carina43 :)

Good luck!

[brunie's mom]

I have also had trouble with Innova:(
Teddy my older male cannot eat it. He had terrible runs and gas. After talking to some of my fellow rescue people they all had the same thing to say about Innova...it make their dogs gassy and runny.
I think that maybe their are too many fruits in the food...maybe some dog cannot digest it.

The same store you got the Innova from should sell California Natural...it is made by the same company as Innova. California Natural is a great food and it only has 3 ingredients. I think that you should give this a try.

Canidae is a good food...and I do have to drive almost an hour each way to get it. I pick up 3 bags at a time. I have 3 Rotts...so it usually does me about a month and a half or so. I also feed raw when I can get a supply of chicken.

Gina

[mmgy]

Originally posted by brunie's mom
The same store you got the Innova from should sell California Natural...it is made by the same company as Innova. California Natural is a great food and it only has 3 ingredients. I think that you should give this a try.

This is exactly what I was going to say!! Or, just make the trip for Canidae. If it turned out to work for you, then you could buy a few bags at a time.

[Carina43]

There's lots of excellent kibbles - this page has some great info:
http://www.bowchow.com/dogfeeding.html

Wasn't there a thread recently about Innova...? Try a search on this forum, I bet it will come up. Way back when I tried it, my two dogs got diarrhea too - something about multiple protein sources in that food. I know Canidae delivers, you could try that.

Raw is not that difficult or complicated ... :) You can do what several here do and feed kibble + raw. Just buy a pack of chicken wings next time they're on sale and hand one to each dog!

[Greg_1111]

Canidae has been a godsend. I switched over about 8 months ago, and she still loves it. I was having trouble getting her to eat the Eukanuba she was on. Iswitched to Eukanuba because she was tired of the Sensible choice, and didn't like Royal Canin (I was beginning to think she was a cat). Not only does she still love the Canidae, her coat is really shiny, and her poop is firm and predictable.

[Luvs]

Carina, is it ok to just go ahead and start giving the puppies some chicken wings on occasion or do I need to give them something to help them adjust. Someone mentioned giving them some probiotics (sp?) if we switch them to RAW. Will this make a difference?

When feeding raw what exactly do you feed? I have a bag of Steve's Real Food in both chicken and beef and I have given the puppies some a few times and they seem to love it. I just wasn't sure if it was ok to start giving them some on a regular basis. I give them yogurt every week and a raw egg every so often. I have heard nothing but good stuff about feeding RAW and I am seriously considering making the switch. I think that I will probably feed some kibble for a while also.

I will look into either Canidae or California Natural and hopefully I can get their loose stools under control. Last night was horrible. Keil had several accidents in his kennel and kept us awake cleaning both him and the kennel most of the night. We took the puppies to the lake to play with one of their brothers yesterday and I think they either ate something or drank too much lake water and it upset Keil's tummy because he was not feeling well last night. He is doing better today and his stools are a little firmer.

[Carina43]

I have actually never given any probiotics or digestive enzymes, but many people do when switching...I do give a little good quality yoghurt on occasion, though. Chop a wing into the three pieces at the joints and give them just a section each with their kibble. :) A healthy spoonful of canned pumkin with each meal is good for diarrhea, too.

[BostonRott]

My dogs get a combo of kibble (Innova) and raw. They get one thing for one meal, and something else the next (they eat twice per day). No pattern to what they eat when. They may eat raw for 2 days, and then kibble for 5, or eat some of each for 2 weeks straight. Whatever lands in the bowl. :)

There are several reasons I don't do 100% raw:

a) cost - premade is expensive, but here in New England, buying stuff to do it yourself is also very expensive. There aren't large farms, and no one around this area seems to admit that they have slightly damaged produce that they'd be willing to sell at a discount.

b) travel - when we're trialing every weekend, trying to pack enough raw into a cooler, and then maintain it with ice, x2 dogs for 4 days........it's more effort than I'm interested in, not to mention the weight of the cooler.

I do buy chix parts, if I can find them at decent prices ($0.79/lb or so) when travelling. Most chix around here is $1.89/lb and up, beef is usually $3.00/lb++