advice needed

[TJG]

Hi Everyone,

I have been wondering why one of my Rotties have this loose bowel. I have bought one of the better foods, Purina One. Can anyone can help with this delima? I was wondering is Sergents Flea and Tick topical a good topical and does it cause any internal problems?

[Rott-Wiley]

Purina One is typically not considered to be one of the better quality foods. I would check Whole Dog Journal for their recommendations of the top ten foods.

[LavenderRott]

Well, first off, do a search in the Nutrition section on foods. Purina One is not one of the better foods. Too many grains.

I am not sure if Sergents will cause any internal problems, but I am not that sure they will keep fleas off either.

Sorry.

[rottsnroses]

We use Frontline Plus with excellent results. No flea or tick problems and I prefer it over many others because fleas do not have to bite your dog to get the stuff that kills them. The stuff you buy at the supermarket and pet stores doesn't work very well, especially here in the south where fleas can be very difficult to control. You can get Frontline Plus at a discount price through Revival Animal Health.

Purina One is generally not considered to be a high quality dog food. This may or may not be the cause of your dog's loose bowels. Is this a problem that has surfaced recently, or has he had diarreah for awhile? Has there been any changes in diet or environment?

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally Posted by Rott-Wiley

Purina One is typically not considered to be one of the better quality foods. I would check Whole Dog Journal for their recommendations of the top ten foods.

Here's the link for the list:

http://www.simplyschnauzer.net/wdjtopten.html

[TJG]

Ok, we all have established that Purina One is not one of the best and it has to many grains. But, my question was about why is her bowel so loose? I will check out those web sites as well. The feed back is appreciated as well about the dog food.

[TJG]

The links that was submitted is cool but, those dog foods are not here in Louisiana. Most feed stores carry other brands of dry foods and those aren't available.

[mmilard]

Originally Posted by TJG

The links that was submitted is cool but, those dog foods are not here in Louisiana. Most feed stores carry other brands of dry foods and those aren't available.

What feed stores do you have in your area? Is Tractor Supply one of them?

[LavenderRott]

The quality of what goes in your dog directly affects what comes out of your dog, both quality and quantity.

If you can't find a good quality food at your local feed store, you might be able to order it online and have it delivered to your front door.

[TJG]

That front door thing is good but, I don't like giving out credit card #'s online. I also have two other Rotties that eat the same brand food, Purina One large breed and only a few terds are released and not this mushy stuff like when I fed them Purina Dog Chow. One of my Rotties would not eat that stuff. It was and is the worst brand dry dog food I have ever delt with.

[LavenderRott]

My mom doesn't like to give her credit card #'s out online either. So if she wants to order something on line, she orders from a site that has a telephone number listed. That way she can call and place her order over the phone.

Have you asked your vet about this issue? Maybe this dog has some type of irritable bowel problem.

[mmgy]

Originally Posted by TJG

Ok, we all have established that Purina One is not one of the best and it has to many grains. But, my question was about why is her bowel so loose?

Purina One Chicken and Rice starts off like this:
Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), whole grain wheat, beef tallow

At least 3 of those ingredients are common allergens for dogs, so common in fact that you could pretty much assume your dog is allergic to one of them. Loose poop is usually the main symptom of a food allergy.

So look for a food with no wheat or corn first. Can you find a Petsmart? Nutro has two lines, Natural Choice and Natural Choice Ultra, that should provide you with a substantial upgrade. And these foods will benefit your other dogs as well.

Another option is to find a feed store that carries Diamond products, and see if they can get the Chicken Soup formula.

I'd try the Nutro first, it's a simpler formula, and since she's got an obvious issue with something, simpler is better.

If that doesn't work after a month or so, ask again! And be reading the nutrition archives for information. There is a ton there, and I think you'll be surprised at how easy some of these foods are to get.

And from one southerner to another, I'd look into Frontline for control. We need it!

[rottsnroses]

Originally Posted by TJG

The links that was submitted is cool but, those dog foods are not here in Louisiana. Most feed stores carry other brands of dry foods and those aren't available.

Check the manufacturer's websites. They usually have product locators where you can find the nearest supplier. You are only about 1½ hours away from a major metropolitan area, so you should be able to find one of the better foods not too far away from you. Otherwise you may want to ask one of the feed stores or pet stores in your area if they can order it. When you feed a premium food, you'll find that you feed less and have healthier dogs, which costs you less in the long run.

[RottiMomCT]

Here is a link to the PetCo locations in Louisinana: LA PetCo locations

And here is a link to the PetsMarts in LA: LA PetsMart Locations


Both locations carry better foods than the Purina brand. I feed four dogs the Sensible Choice Natural Blend Holistic Formula by Royal Canin which I get at PetCo and all dogs have great coats and not alot of poop.

If you've taken the dog to the vet to rule out a medical reason for loose stools, I would restrict food for 12-24 hours to give the dogs stomach a chance to settle, and then begin to feed only a small amount of food for a day or two and see if that helps alleviate the problem. You can also feed canned pumpkin (NOT the pie filling with all the spices!!!!!) - that will help firm things up.

Good luck!

[Brooke&Ryan]

Also, check out www.waggintails.com. They can ship a lot of the premimum foods right to your door!


Brooke