Problems with new dog food!

Boxer100 · 01-07-2009, 04:33 PM

We fed our 2 year old boxer Purina Pro Plan and then Pedigree. We then decided to switch to Blue Wilderness from Blue Buffalo. It is food high in protein and low in carbs. We switched to it after seeing the contents of the Purina and Pedigree brands. They contain corn, too many by-products, and not much meat. After feeding our boxer Blue Wilderness for a couple of days, his stool became liquidy. The more we fed him this food, the more liquidy it became. I guess his stomach cannot digest this food properly or maybe it is too strong. Anyone tried feeding their boxer this food and what were your results? We now feed him Royal Canin for boxers. His stool has improved and he likes the large size of the kibble. Also, the kibble has some very unusual shape that was designed for boxer's jaw in mind.

Ron · 01-07-2009, 05:22 PM

He may of had an allergy to an ingredient in the food, or it could have been the protein source (buffalo) I know my dog doesn't do well on dog foods with chicken as the main protein source.

KeeperBoy · 01-07-2009, 07:35 PM

The Royal Canin one is pretty poor, so I wouldn't go that direction. You could try a single carb, single protein source food.

Boxer100 · 01-08-2009, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeeperBoy

The Royal Canin one is pretty poor, so I wouldn't go that direction. You could try a single carb, single protein source food.

I know that it is not as good as the previous one, but his stool is back to normal and his coat is not dry anymore like it was with BLUE Wilderness. The company seems to be expanding pretty fast. They've recently opened a new factory in Canada and invested more than $70 million. They have factories in Europe, USA, and Canada. Their yearly earnings are about a billion dollars. Again, all this does not mean their food is the best, but our boxer likes it and he's doing much better now. Also, they seem to spend time making the food tailored for specific breeds, so that also makes a difference. All I know is it is much better than Healthy Vitality!

JoeV · 01-09-2009, 09:06 AM

Hey guys,
I've been feeding my puppy Origin (by Champion Pet Foods) for a few months now. She was fed Pedigree Puppy by her breeder and as soon as we brought her home, we started to introduce Nature's Variety to her with her Pedigree. Eventually she was on a full diet of the Nature's Variety. But, a month or so into that food she had very loose stool and knew it was upsetting her stomach. So, after much research, I went with Origin, and it seems to be great for her.
Basically, it is trial and error with food - but I strongly suggest a good quality food. Look at the ingrediants in the food and make sure that the first few listed are meat products (chicken, chicken meal, fish, etc.) and stay clear of anything that says "by-product" unless you want your best friend eating ears, feet, noses, etc. I really feel that a dog can live a longer, healthier life with both good food and exercise (just like people can).
PS if you choose Origin, it can be a little hard to find in some places. There are a lot of online retailers that offer the food, many with free or at least fairly priced shipping.
Here's a site that also helped me to narrow down good foods:
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

KeeperBoy · 01-09-2009, 09:24 AM

I had really wanted to try the Origin Fresh Fish a while ago but with shipping it was just too expensive with shipping. We ended up trying Wellness Core Ocean and apparently I have the only dog allergic to fish! Poor man was an itchy mess. We ended up with regular Wellness Core and both dogs are doing great!

I do agree that there is no substitute for high quality food. With that being said, I do know a few people who have tried dozens of food and have only had something like Pro Plan agree with their dog. At some point I guess you have to just say "what ever works".

Also, when you do switch foods, a gradual change is usually easier on the dog.

JoeV · 01-09-2009, 10:14 AM

She's still on Origin Puppy formula. I'll keep her on that until 1 year or so... (Does anyone know if that is a good time to swich from a puppy formula)?
I plan to feed her one of the Origin adult formulas when she's off puppy.

My friends feed their Austrialian Shepard the Wellness and does well with that - very good food also.

I was initially intrigued by the Nature's Variety b/c I wanted to try the "Rotation Diet" and give her a mix of raw, kibble and wet food. I think though that diet is a little over the top - raw meat? Not sure that would be best. Besides, I looked into the company and each one of their types of products are manufactured at an entirely different company (one of which is Menu Foods, Inc. - no thanks!) Origin formulas are made by the company itself, not outsourced, and made all in the same facility. They also offer an alternative to Origin called Acana. Haven't read too much about that yet, and it seems really hard to find... at least here in the US.

Ron · 01-09-2009, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeV

She's still on Origin Puppy formula. I'll keep her on that until 1 year or so... (Does anyone know if that is a good time to swich from a puppy formula)?

Here is a good thread discussing if puppy food is even necessary

Does a new puppy "need" puppy food?

JoeV · 01-09-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magtie

Here is a good thread discussing if puppy food is even necessary

Does a new puppy "need" puppy food?

Thanks Magtie. I'll check this out. I've actually compared labels between the puppy formula and original adult formula... not too much different. However, there are calories. I guess the manufacturer's philosophy is more active and growing = more calories per serving? Ha, who knows.

KeeperBoy · 01-09-2009, 10:50 AM

We didn't do puppy food at all for our little dog and she developed beautifully. I while heartedly believe puppy food is just a scam.

We fed the Nature's Variety raw for several months with Keepers and it was great. It was a huge pain in the butt though, and we were going through 15 pounds/week. I really think the raw cured his colitis though, and if he ever has a flare up again we will go back on raw. I don't really buy into the rotation within one brand thing though. We rotate between raw, The Honest Kitchen freeze dried and Wellness kibble. Both dogs love it, especially Keepers who is very picky.