quick food switch

[ladycricket]

We've had Jake here for almost 3 weeks (wow, I can't believe it) and he has been fed Nutro (can't remember if it was max or NC) with a quick switch from IAMS (at the foster home). His stool has been runny and seemingly runnier since we switched him. He also seems to be losing weight since he got here, definitely not gaining any. We are feeding him the max for his weight, 4.5 cups. THis had my dh concerned so when we went to get more dog food today we decided to try Canidae, which we planned to switch him to anyway once we could comfortably afford it. We are switching this on faster then we should too, we are doing 50/50 until the Nutro is gone and then it will be 100% Canidae probably next weekend. We are also feeding more to help him gain some weight. I'm expecting some runny stool from the switch but how long will it take before it is normal, or what to be expected as normal?
As far as how much we are feeding, it is recommended 3-4 c. and we are going to feed him 3c 2xday until we start seeing some weight gain then take him down gradual to the recommended amount.

[rottiluver]

I switched Diesel's food gradually starting with 20% (new) and working my way up, cause I didnt want him getting sick from it. But he did anyhow, he started waking me up in the middle of the night to go use the bathroom. I felt sorry for him, I had to lower the percentage even more and sick with it for a few days then start gradually working my way up again. It's been two weeks and we're only on 80% (new) but he's not sick from it anymore as it only lasted a few days.

Lower the amount to say 20% rather than 50/50, if he's still sick lower it more. And don't rush it, it takes time to adjust to the new food! Plus it lasts alot longer this way :)

[JD102175]

You may want to put him on a rice and boiled hamburger diet for a few days to let his tummy settle. Then start to add in some kibble to the beef and rice until it is all kibble. Last time Brodie had a stomach bug that is what we had to do.

Jaime

[Patty1231]

Just a quick note on the cost of Canidae. I used to feed Nutro large breed and switched to Canidae. I actually saved money on the 40# bag because you feed less Canidiae. I would also do the rice and boiled hamburger and then slowly wean in the Canidae. Have you ruled out any food allergies? Perhaps an allergy formula would work better, I would think Canidae has one. If not, I have since switched from Canidae to Natural Balance and they have a nice duck formula and a venison formula, too - both allergy formulas. Good luck, keep us posted on how it's going!

[Ilovemypuppy]

Canidae is a great kibble and very nutrient dense and you do not have to feed as much of it as with other foods. You might want to try feeding Jake three times a day and split the daily amount between three meals and see if that helps.......at least until his stomach settles down....I would also suggest cooked turkey and rice instead of beef as it is a common allergen in dogs...you could also add some pure canned or fresh cooked pumpkin to his meals..maybe a couple of tablespoons per meal. A bit of cottage cheese can help with loose stools as well and is usually well tolerated by dogs.....about a tablespoon over a meal.

[rottnelmo]

I would stop the kibble, both right now and do a rice and beef diet until the stools are firm. There is a reason his stool is loose and you have to let his belly settle. Once his stools are firm, then just add in the canidae slowy. Should take you about a week and a half to get back to full kibble. I would also recommend a probiotic such as Culturelle to his food for the first seven days, then you can back off to two to three times per week. This will help keep his stool solid and settle his belly. Start the probioitc on the rice and beef.

Hope that helps!

[ladycricket]

wow, thanks for all the responses. One quick question, would elk burger be an option for the beef and rice? We mainly live off game here, have tons of it in the freezer.

[Ilovemypuppy]

Elk would probably be BETTER than beef :o)

[ladycricket]

Originally Posted by Ilovemypuppy

Elk would probably be BETTER than beef :o)

Glad to hear it, I'm boiling him a meal now. Elk is cheap to us and we get funny looks sometimes for eating it, like we are backwoods or something. Thanks!

[leonberger]

Please remember, amounts to feed given on packaging is just a guideline. Not all dogs require the same amount of food as not all dogs have the same motabolism. If you are feeding too much at a time, that in itself can cause loose stools. Try feeding more and smaller meals each day and please stop trying to force him to gain weight until his digestion is under controll!
Once on the the food of choice, you can feed the recommended amount but when adding the meat, use lamb and or pork. Those two meats will naturally put weight on a dog without over feeding. Just think how your stomach would react if you stuffed yourself at every meal