# Food suggestion please....



## Peanut (Dec 1, 2013)

I would love to hear your views about what is happening to peanut...

She has always been a fussy eater...she won't eat kibble, nature diet was only good for a while, she decided to stop liking the ND's Fish one and would not eat in days. Then she went off ND's turkey and lamb....so we moved to raw food. 

She ate raw food (Nutriment) for a couple of weeks until she ended in hospital for 1 night with a chicken wing bone stuck in her bowels. The vets and nurses told me to stop raw food all together for her. They said that there is not a single company in the UK that produces a good enough product. I mentioned Nutriment and all the different vets agreed with the point above. They said they spend their days treating animals that are fed raw food in different varieties and from different companies. And no, they have never told me to buy the food they sell.

So, off Nutriment and move on to NaturesMenu. She has eaten the chicken pouches and the beef ones since mid August. I noticed that she did not particularly liked the beef one....

Since we have a coconut, I have been given him NaturesMenu puppy sachets. He loves them and he is happy...although he farts terribly. Particularly at night.

Peanut has been desperate to eat Coconut's food, so yesterday I gave her a pouch and she loved it. Puppy food.

At around 5 pm yesterday I noticed that Peanut had terrible diarrhoea.
I woke up this morning and the kitchen was covered in wet poo. And she did not look very happy.
Since midday she has been lethargic and she cannot even walk.
Her paws seem very painful. We cannot touch them. But no itchiness.
Her ears are very red and smelly (which I noticed last week too, and she was eating the NM's beef sachets).

We went to the vet at 2pm today. He thinks it is food intolerance and he just gave her an injection to stop any nausea. She cannot walk, go upstairs or downstairs, we have to carry her everywhere. Her diarrhoea is now yellow. However she is eating well and drinking some water. She is eating chicken and rice.

So, she will be on rice and chicken for a week. But then what? What is left for her to be fed? At the same time, I have decided to stop giving Coconut the NM food as her farting is not normal either.

I find hard to believe that a food intolerance would make the most active dog I have ever met a shadow of herself, not even being able to walk. She is truly sick and I am worried that they might have made a mistake on the diagnosis.

Ideas on the next food and your thoughts about whether you think it is possible to have a dog in those conditions due to eating Puppy food are appreciated.

Thanks


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

I know very little about feeding, but I did want to say how sorry I am that poor Peanut is feeling so poorly. I hope you get it sorted out soon.


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## Miss Lilly (Sep 12, 2014)

Hi
Like Fairlie, I'm not sure I know enough about feeding to be able to help but thought I would offer my own observations about Miss Lilly, who is five months old. Before doing so I would emphasise that if my dog was as ill as you describe, then I would be seeking a second opinion if the first one didn't seem to take the matter seriously enough.

When Miss Lilly came to me, she was on a mid range puppy food that contained grains and other additives. Her ears were very waxy, she had a dry-ish coat and she itched a lot. Her stools were soft but formed. She still liked the food tho....

Having done a lot of research, I slowly switched her over to a grain and additive free kibble. Ears have cleaned up, less itching and softer coat. Excellent stools...

When she had a bout of diarrhoea some time ago (Miss Lilly is a scavenger - she will pick up all sorts of crap so I'm guessing she made a poor choice on that day), I was advised to give her bland chicken and rice for a few days. And oh boy, was that a mistake! I don't want to describe her poo in any great detail but it was ugly... and yellow. From what I understand this is due to increased gut motility - and you kind of want the opposite in a dog with diarrhoea...

So I put her back on the grain free kibble mixed with cooked and shredded chicken and hey presto, stools firmed up. More recently she has had a bout of diarrhoea again. This time, rather than using rice I have mixed chicken with cooked (peeled) sweet potato. She loves it and it definitely helped. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of soluble fibre which helps firm up poos (stools are soft - but formed - and orange when feeding this mix!!. But its really important that they are peeled as the skin contains a different type of fibre that does the opposite job... It's also bland enough (mixed with the cooked and shredded chicken - small amounts ) to not irritate inflamed bowels and tummies further. I also add about a teaspoon full of live yoghurt as this contains probiotics that help to build up a health gut culture. I do not give any products containing grains to her. Ever. Including treats. And I feed in small portions throughout the day

I had a quick look on http://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/the-dog-food-directory and it seems that not all of Natures Menu foods are grain free, so you may want to check that out.

Nutriment is, I think, not a bad choice (and totally grain free) but there is always a risk that something will get stuck when feeding bones... If that was the only problem tho then that would add weight to my hunch that grains might have something to do with her current problems... 

Puppy food is also very high in fats and proteins etc. It may be that with an already dickie tummy, your Peanut was just not able to cope with all of that?

Hope this helps a little. I feel so sorry for you and peanut and hope that it all gets better soon. Please provide an update so we know how she is getting on.


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## Lindor (Feb 3, 2014)

When I had Skipper I had to keep switching foods because he would eat one for a few days and then stop. I guess they made him feel bad. Even tried hypoallergenic food from the vet. Decided to have blood work done to test for what he was allergic to. One of the main ingredients in the hypo food was rice. Turns out he was allergic to rice, dairy products, eggs, fish, peas, lamb. Very hard to find foods without these things in it. Ended up feeding him Natural Balance Duck and Potato and he never had any problems again.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I hope Peanut is a lot happier now.

I also wonder if she can't walk or more that she feels poorly and has sore paws so won't walk? So is she going to the toilet or laying and soiling herself? If she is and truly can't walk I would be going to the vets again today, if she won't and is eating and drinking I would be less concerned and give her time to start to feel a bit better in herself. 

With chicken and rice I would expect her poo to be sorting itself out in a day or so - unless she has the intolerance to one of those in which case she will need something totally different. So really see how she goes on that and don't feel you need to make a hasty decision about what to feed her if she is settling on chicken and rice, long term it will not contain all she needs but short term will do her no harm at all.

Puppy food is usually far higher in fat so that could be the problem as well from that food - Molly has pancreatitis and if she has an attack she clearly feels very sore and unhappy and just wants cuddles and is reluctant to move much too - so this sounds like a similar effect although without the sickness she experiences and with the added problem of her sore paws and ears.

For the future it really depends what her intolerance is to - could be grain, could be beef, all dogs are different and there are a whole variety of diets out there for dogs with intolerances but you do need to experiment to find out what Peanut best tolerates.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

I think if Peanut was mine I would look at cooking homemade meals for her. Beef and sweet potato and veg, that sort of thing, give her and coconut ( May as well do it for both) herbs to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need ( lots of advice on line) and give them plenty of variety in the veg you choose. I would not feed any grains. To see if it's chicken that upsets her, cut it out and see what happens. Then re introduce it. If it upsets her again. You will know. Once chicken is ruled out. Do the same with rice? Also check your garden for poisonous plants, trees and leaves. It may not be the food at all. Check your house too. I hope your little girl gets well soon.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

If it were me I would go back to Nutriment or homemade. 

Hope peanut feels better soon


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

If home cooking the main thing you need to watch out for is the calcium level in the food - I home cook for Molly and use the frozen pet mince blocks as they contain minced bone which means the calcium levels are covered.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Poor sweet Pea.
I hope she is soon feeling much much better.
Dog food - back in the say they lived off table scraps. Hunt hounds eat dead horse. Most working dogs on farms eat green tripe, biscuit mix the odd rabbit. In Kenya my Dad would buy cows heads from the abbatoire and occasionally whole cows. Raw meat and hide chopped into chunks. Big bones split and boiled for broth. Other bones fed raw... You could also buy dog oats, poor quality oats and he'd make a porridge for them.
Here pet dogs could have a huge variety of food...
Hopefully you'll find something that suits Peanut and maybe her greedy brother will set her a good example when it comes to eating what is put before her.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

I hope that peanut feels better soon, one thing, dont be alarmed by the yellow poop. Chicken and rice can turn a dogs poop yellow. 

Lady has suffered from Colitis for a long time. and finding the right food for her was very hard, she as well did not like kibble and it was hard to get her to eat. once we found the right food for her, it was smooth sailing, she still loves it and has been on it for over a year straight. her bouts with colitis are reduced greatly and generally due to her picking something up in the yard, or a new treat. we try now to keep her diet as consistent as possible. 

hoping peanut gets better soon....keep peanut as hydrated as possible. frozen cubes of stock, stock instead of water anything to entice as much drinking as possible.


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## Peanut (Dec 1, 2013)

Many thanks all of you for your kind and informative messages. I truly appreciate them.

Peanut is much better today, she can walk and is not feeling so sorry for herself. She managed to scare me hugely last night. 

Her poo is still water and yellow but hopefully that will go soon after her diet of rice and chicken. Her ears are still very red so I guess the allergies are still there.

I think I am going to do blood tests for allergies so that we can see what triggers her allergies. Then wrong can choose the food slightly better.

I am pretty sure she is allergic to beef and probably grains too. Maybe rice too. I am inclined to cook her food as I enjoy doing it and she loves home made one. The sweet potato is a good idea and I will buy it tomorrow. Thanks for the tip about the skin...

Tomorrow I will book an appointment at the vet and see what happens. 

I arrived home after the whole day out and I had two balls of fluff jumping on top of me. I could not remove my shoes...the kept biting my head.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Cute nuts.
Glad Peanut is feeling better.
Do they snuggle up together now?


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## Peanut (Dec 1, 2013)

Not yet, But it will happen soon.

Yesterday it was amazing to see that Coconut left her alone all day, he realised she was unwell. He would approach her very gently and try to be affectionate with her. 

He is an amazing dog and 200% easier than Peanut. He learns in seconds, he is obedient, walks on the leash beautifully without pulling....and he is more focused. She is everything BUT focused. The clown and the responsible one.

Like Dot and Kiki?


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## Mazzapoo (Jul 28, 2013)

What a lovely picture and I'm relieved to hear that Peanut seems to be feeling so much better xx


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Glad she is feeling better, allergies are so difficult to diagnose, good luck. Glad Coconut is being a well behaved little brother.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

So glad she is feeling better. Just give her some time for the allergies etc to clear up.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

Pumpkin is really good for tummies...you are going to want to harden up those poops a bit of pumpkin might help...just the pure pumpkin in the can....if its still water dehydration is still possible. 
Glad Peanut is doing so much better!!


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## Peanut (Dec 1, 2013)

I did not know the sell pumpkin in cans. If fresh, boiled or raw?

I have started giving her sweet potato. She loves it, whereas Rice she doesn't...let's see what happens...but I will try it too.

Thanks


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

My last dog was quite allergic to chicken. I had read that dogs develop sensitivities to chicken because so much of their food and treats have chicken product in them and their vaccines are often developed using egg as a medium. Hope peanut feels better sooner. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Peanut (Dec 1, 2013)

Peanut had a good day yesterday. I fed her sweet potato and chicken which she loved.

However she has vomited several times tonight. It is clear that she is vomiting the sweet potato. Any ideas about whether I did it wrong? Am I supposed to give her a little bit with the chicken as a side, or a proper amount? 

Her poo is tonight better but then the vomiting happened....should I stop the sweet potato then?

Oh dear...and now Coconut also has diarrhoea 

A fun night in the household.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I would change out the chicken. It seems to be a common denominator. Although, now that coconut has diarrhoea I would be concerned they have a bug. Did the vet test any poo samples?


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Agree with Ruth.....I personally, would cut right back and stop trying new things. Give them some lightly poached fish ( white) and nothing else. It's easily digested, and light on the tummy. Just give them a tiny amount. A few hours later the same again and see how they go. If all is well tomorrow, up it a bit, but keep it little and often ( 4-6) times a day. It won't matter for a few days if their food is not totally balanced. Then when vomiting has stopped introduce a tiny bit of cooked potato. Slowly build up the amount you feed them and when their tummies are settled again then introduce a tiny bit of whatever food you decide to feed them. If they react. Stop. Do the fish again for a couple of days, then try something else. Hope this helps.


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## Peanut (Dec 1, 2013)

Thanks. I am going to stick to the chicken and a little bit of sweet potato again. I am pretty sure the issue is not the chicken.
Tomorrow I will ask to have some blood tests done to have some guidance....no more vomiting this morning. Touch wood.


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

Peanut said:


> I did not know the sell pumpkin in cans. If fresh, boiled or raw?
> 
> I have started giving her sweet potato. She loves it, whereas Rice she doesn't...let's see what happens...but I will try it too.
> 
> Thanks


it comes in a can cooked and pureed. so all you do is scoop it out...I give my girls a table spoon when their tummies are off and it helps quick. especially with Lady


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

I know willow cannot handle rice. When she is sick I have to give her just boiled chicken and Hamburger. I hope they are both better soon. We have tummy issues here all the time. It gets frustrating.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Hope they are both ok soon, how worrying, poor babies. I don't think we can get canned pumpkin in the uk.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

should have checked first, you can easily online and one was from waitrose, will have to check if they have in store as it is probably worth keeping a tin or 2.


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## Peanut (Dec 1, 2013)

Thanks a lot. I think Peanut is better now that she is not having rice and I gave her a little bit of the sweet potato... but she doesn't like it anymore so today I just gave her chicken boiled and she ate as much as she could fill her belly. It is good to see what happens, but I know that the issue is not with the chicken. 
I am going to organise a blood test, it cost a little bit of money but it will point us in the right direction, so be it, it is for life. 

Coconut has recovered and his poo is good. Thank God for that. 

This week has been a little bit of a rollercoaster with them. 

Today we went to Oxford Street with them. We wanted to go into some shops, but we barely managed to walk a few metres as everybody was stopping us wanting to touch and play with the two of them. Well, I saved money and they had fun!!!


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