Does Your Dog Have GI Issues and/or Fart Excessively?

[ajzepp]

My dog has had mild GI difficulties since he was a pup. Every so often he would develop the most pungent, permeating gas I've ever been around. Usually accompanying the gas would be mushy, often runny stools that would cause me to either have to get up out of bed to take him out or to scrub some of the nastiest smelling s**t out of the carpets when I got up. I thought maybe he had some sort of irritable bowel issue or doggie Crohn's or something, but when I took samples to the vet they never really could figure out what was going on. They did put him on a special dog food once, but he hated it and refused to eat it. I was careful not to give him any human food and I tried different brands of dog food, but to no avail.

 

Well, I happened to see some of the dog food reviews on Amazon and I noticed that one brand in particular - Natural Balance (the Dick Van Patten brand) - had near universal praise. I read more of what people were saying, and several of them had issues like my dog was experiencing. Others were talking about how their dog had skin allergies and such that were triggered by what they ate. Well, I learned more about "Limited Ingredients Diets", and decided to try the food. It's been about two months now and the difference is amazing. The apartment has been free of any unwanted doggie flatulence, I have not been bugged to be taken outside a single time, no messes have occurred, and on top of all that he actually LIKES the food! His stools have been much more consistent and formed, too.

 

If that weren't enough, my other dog - a 15 y.o. Bichon - has always had a bit of a constipation issue since HE was small. Well he's been on this food too, and he poops like a champ. He doesn't strain nearly as much and he's not squatting in the ready position for like ten mins as he used to do. In fact, not to get too graphic here, but the first week he was on this stuff you would not BELIEVE what came out of him. He must have been far more backed up than I ever imagined, cause he was rollin' out like 7" logs back to back, and this is from a little 20 lb dog!

 

The only drawback I can see is that the food is a bit more pricey (although I'm happy to pay it given the results!) and it smells really bad. Aside from that, I order right from Amazon and the UPS guy brings the bag right to the door...in the words of the immortal Charlie Sheen..."WINNING!"

 

Here's a link to the stuff I'm talking about: www.naturalbalanceinc.com

[Booster4324]

Are you sure it was the dog?

[ajzepp]

Are you sure it was the dog?

 

Pretty sure, cause the problem persisted even after Lana left.

[Nanker]

Pretty sure, cause the problem persisted even after Lana left.

 

That's heartwarming.

 

I had a Berner and if I ever have another dog, I will not feed it junk dog food, ever. There was (probably still is) some moisty packaged crap that I fed him that gave him urinary tract issues.

He'd eat just about anything without complaint... the full turkey left over from Thanksgiving dinner that we left on the back pantry shelf, the top crust of a beautiful apple pie (still looked damn good - but I'm thankful I realized it was a covered pie before I had a second helping), raw broccoli (yes, it's not a typo. He LOVED it - go figure). When he was a pup he chewed through about six layers of a 12 foot roll of linoleum we bought to replace our kitchen floor (of course he chewed through the MIDDLE of the damned roll - not on an end).

[Chef Jim]

My dog has had mild GI difficulties since he was a pup. Every so often he would develop the most pungent, permeating gas I've ever been around. Usually accompanying the gas would be mushy, often runny stools that would cause me to either have to get up out of bed to take him out or to scrub some of the nastiest smelling s**t out of the carpets when I got up. I thought maybe he had some sort of irritable bowel issue or doggie Crohn's or something, but when I took samples to the vet they never really could figure out what was going on. They did put him on a special dog food once, but he hated it and refused to eat it. I was careful not to give him any human food and I tried different brands of dog food, but to no avail.

 

Well, I happened to see some of the dog food reviews on Amazon and I noticed that one brand in particular - Natural Balance (the Dick Van Patten brand) - had near universal praise. I read more of what people were saying, and several of them had issues like my dog was experiencing. Others were talking about how their dog had skin allergies and such that were triggered by what they ate. Well, I learned more about "Limited Ingredients Diets", and decided to try the food. It's been about two months now and the difference is amazing. The apartment has been free of any unwanted doggie flatulence, I have not been bugged to be taken outside a single time, no messes have occurred, and on top of all that he actually LIKES the food! His stools have been much more consistent and formed, too.

 

If that weren't enough, my other dog - a 15 y.o. Bichon - has always had a bit of a constipation issue since HE was small. Well he's been on this food too, and he poops like a champ. He doesn't strain nearly as much and he's not squatting in the ready position for like ten mins as he used to do. In fact, not to get too graphic here, but the first week he was on this stuff you would not BELIEVE what came out of him. He must have been far more backed up than I ever imagined, cause he was rollin' out like 7" logs back to back, and this is from a little 20 lb dog!

 

The only drawback I can see is that the food is a bit more pricey (although I'm happy to pay it given the results!) and it smells really bad. Aside from that, I order right from Amazon and the UPS guy brings the bag right to the door...in the words of the immortal Charlie Sheen..."WINNING!"

 

Here's a link to the stuff I'm talking about: www.naturalbalanceinc.com

 

I know you guys love your dogs but man if I had a dog that forced me to get up in the middle of the night to walk him or if I had to scrub nasty smelling dog crap from my carpet the dog would be gone.

[BuffaloBill]

Are you sure it was the dog?

 

 

[UConn James]

We were fostering a Weimaraner for several months a few years ago, and he had a very nasty "metal butt" smell as the owner described it, which is a relatively common thing with the Weims and the anal glands not expressing naturally when going. At times it was like ooze. He'd been on the Beneful stuff. We switched to the Sam's Club 50-lb bag of Purina. To use your word, it formed / cased up, and it stopped smelling that way so often. Weims are some of the craziest effing dogs I've ever encountered (and my dad used to do Animal Control and bring me along, so I've met my fair share of dogs and dog breeds).

 

We've got a GSP now and are still on the Purina. This dog is trip. Feed him in the morning, and as soon as he's done eating, he's by the door waiting to go out for a #2. Feed him in the evening, same deal. Like a damned sieve! Just wondering if this (or anything) might help with shedding. He's a dominantly white GSP and in my experience, those seem to be the ones that shed the most. Seriously, it seems like he sheds his whole coat on the floor every 2-3 days. (I wanted a standard poodle/3rd cross labradoodle mostly for this reason; they don't shed).

 

Is the higher price tag offset by not having to feed as much? As I remember, some are like that....

[ajzepp]

We were fostering a Weimaraner for several months a few years ago, and he had a very nasty "metal butt" smell as the owner described it, which is a relatively common thing with the Weims and the anal glands not expressing naturally when going. At times it was like ooze. He'd been on the Beneful stuff. We switched to the Sam's Club 50-lb bag of Purina. To use your word, it formed / cased up, and it stopped smelling that way so often. Weims are some of the craziest effing dogs I've ever encountered (and my dad used to do Animal Control and bring me along, so I've met my fair share of dogs and dog breeds).

 

We've got a GSP now and are still on the Purina. This dog is trip. Feed him in the morning, and as soon as he's done eating, he's by the door waiting to go out for a #2. Feed him in the evening, same deal. Like a damned sieve! Just wondering if this (or anything) might help with shedding. He's a dominantly white GSP and in my experience, those seem to be the ones that shed the most. Seriously, it seems like he sheds his whole coat on the floor every 2-3 days. (I wanted a standard poodle/3rd cross labradoodle mostly for this reason; they don't shed).

 

Is the higher price tag offset by not having to feed as much? As I remember, some are like that....

 

 

LOL,gotta love dogs and their pooping issues...well, except for Chef Jim who just GETS RID OF THEM!!!!

 

My dogs self-regulate their own dry food intake, so I'll have to pay more attention to whether I'm going through more, less, or the same amt of food. There are some really good consumer write-ups at amazon.com for this food too, and I think some of them did speak to the issue of consumption. Also, I definitely would suggest going with the standard poodle. My family has raised them since I was a kid and they are great dogs. The "foo-foo" rep that poodles have gotten over the years has come from the little yippie ones and the folks who breed all types of poodles to look ridiculous. My dog is very friendly, but most people are very intimidated by him at first. They typically stand very tall and because of their coat (which, as you pointed out, doesn't shed) they look to be bigger than they are. They're very athletic, protective, smart, intuitive, loyal, and they TYPICALLY get along well with other dogs and animals.

 

That's heartwarming.

 

I had a Berner and if I ever have another dog, I will not feed it junk dog food, ever. There was (probably still is) some moisty packaged crap that I fed him that gave him urinary tract issues.

He'd eat just about anything without complaint... the full turkey left over from Thanksgiving dinner that we left on the back pantry shelf, the top crust of a beautiful apple pie (still looked damn good - but I'm thankful I realized it was a covered pie before I had a second helping), raw broccoli (yes, it's not a typo. He LOVED it - go figure). When he was a pup he chewed through about six layers of a 12 foot roll of linoleum we bought to replace our kitchen floor (of course he chewed through the MIDDLE of the damned roll - not on an end).

 

holy crap!! lol

[BuffaloBill]

When he was a pup he chewed through about six layers of a 12 foot roll of linoleum we bought to replace our kitchen floor (of course he chewed through the MIDDLE of the damned roll - not on an end).

 

 

Are you sure it was not one of the kids?

[ajzepp]

Are you sure it was not one of the kids?

 

 

or maybe....just maybe...

 

 

...it was ME!!! MUAH HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!

[Beerball]

I know you guys love your dogs but man if I had a dog that forced me to get up in the middle of the night to walk burp him or if I had to scrub nasty smelling dog kid crap from my carpet the dog child would be gone.

That's also why you don't have kids!

[Chef Jim]

That's also why you don't have kids!

 

Waaaaaaaay before the dog.

[DrDawkinstein]

That's heartwarming.

 

I had a Berner and if I ever have another dog, I will not feed it junk dog food, ever. There was (probably still is) some moisty packaged crap that I fed him that gave him urinary tract issues.

He'd eat just about anything without complaint... the full turkey left over from Thanksgiving dinner that we left on the back pantry shelf, the top crust of a beautiful apple pie (still looked damn good - but I'm thankful I realized it was a covered pie before I had a second helping), raw broccoli (yes, it's not a typo. He LOVED it - go figure). When he was a pup he chewed through about six layers of a 12 foot roll of linoleum we bought to replace our kitchen floor (of course he chewed through the MIDDLE of the damned roll - not on an end).

 

 

Out of all the dogs my family members have had, 4 of them were fed canned Alpo their whole lives. All 4 of them died of stomach cancer. I dont have any "scientific" evidence, but it was enough to teach me that what you feed your dog really does matter.

 

My dogs are spoiled and get the good stuff. Orijens all organic, meats and vegetable, no fillers. They get bully sticks and Pupperonis sometimes, but mostly get baby carrots and apples as treats, which they love because theyre crunchy. Broccoli is another good one, as are raw green beans. Just gotta stay away from onions, grapes/raisins, and some nuts.

 

These are the ingredients of the two flavors Orijens we get. They eat better than I do!

 

INGREDIENTS

Fresh boneless salmon*, salmon meal, herring meal, fresh boneless herring*, fresh boneless walleye*, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), fresh boneless lake whitefish*, sun-cured alfalfa, fresh boneless flounder*, fresh boneless northern pike*, pea fiber, organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium. *

 

* DELIVERED FRESH, preservative-free and never frozen.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Fresh deboned wild boar*, fresh deboned lamb*, fresh beef liver*, fresh deboned pork*, lamb meal, peas, salmon meal, russet potato, herring meal, fresh whole eggs*, fresh deboned bison*, potato starch, fresh deboned salmon*, pacific whitefish meal, fresh deboned walleye*, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, dried organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.

 

* DELIVERED FRESH, preservative-free and never frozen.

[ajzepp]

Out of all the dogs my family members have had, 4 of them were fed canned Alpo their whole lives. All 4 of them died of stomach cancer. I dont have any "scientific" evidence, but it was enough to teach me that what you feed your dog really does matter.

 

My dogs are spoiled and get the good stuff. Orijens all organic, meats and vegetable, no fillers. They get bully sticks and Pupperonis sometimes, but mostly get baby carrots and apples as treats, which they love because theyre crunchy. Broccoli is another good one, as are raw green beans. Just gotta stay away from onions, grapes/raisins, and some nuts.

 

These are the ingredients of the two flavors Orijens we get. They eat better than I do!

 

Cool, another option! Looks like Amazon carries your stuff, too

[Jim in Anchorage]

Deboned wild boar?

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

My dog has had mild GI difficulties since he was a pup. Every so often he would develop the most pungent, permeating gas I've ever been around. Usually accompanying the gas would be mushy, often runny stools that would cause me to either have to get up out of bed to take him out or to scrub some of the nastiest smelling s**t out of the carpets when I got up. I thought maybe he had some sort of irritable bowel issue or doggie Crohn's or something, but when I took samples to the vet they never really could figure out what was going on. They did put him on a special dog food once, but he hated it and refused to eat it. I was careful not to give him any human food and I tried different brands of dog food, but to no avail.

 

Well, I happened to see some of the dog food reviews on Amazon and I noticed that one brand in particular - Natural Balance (the Dick Van Patten brand) - had near universal praise. I read more of what people were saying, and several of them had issues like my dog was experiencing. Others were talking about how their dog had skin allergies and such that were triggered by what they ate. Well, I learned more about "Limited Ingredients Diets", and decided to try the food. It's been about two months now and the difference is amazing. The apartment has been free of any unwanted doggie flatulence, I have not been bugged to be taken outside a single time, no messes have occurred, and on top of all that he actually LIKES the food! His stools have been much more consistent and formed, too.

 

If that weren't enough, my other dog - a 15 y.o. Bichon - has always had a bit of a constipation issue since HE was small. Well he's been on this food too, and he poops like a champ. He doesn't strain nearly as much and he's not squatting in the ready position for like ten mins as he used to do. In fact, not to get too graphic here, but the first week he was on this stuff you would not BELIEVE what came out of him. He must have been far more backed up than I ever imagined, cause he was rollin' out like 7" logs back to back, and this is from a little 20 lb dog!

 

The only drawback I can see is that the food is a bit more pricey (although I'm happy to pay it given the results!) and it smells really bad. Aside from that, I order right from Amazon and the UPS guy brings the bag right to the door...in the words of the immortal Charlie Sheen..."WINNING!"

 

Here's a link to the stuff I'm talking about: www.naturalbalanceinc.com

 

One of my dogs had horrible gas problems that were pretty much solved by switching to a lamb and rice food instead of the chicken and rice we started him with.

[DrDawkinstein]

Cool, another option! Looks like Amazon carries your stuff, too

 

Hey dude! I was just checking the Natural Balance website, good to see they're all meat and veggies too. It's definitely that type of recipe that is the best for the pups. Glad to hear it fixed up your dogs, and they are feeling better!

 

Sidenote: For any dog that has skin or coat problems, I really recommend the Orijens Fish flavor. Even if your dog just has bad dandruff, this stuff will clear it up almost instantly with all the fish oils and vitamins it has.

 

Deboned wild boar?

 

Theyre based in Vancouver Alberta, so its all ingredients from local farms and land. Crazy stuff for sure.

 

This stuff smells like wild boar too! lol.

Edited March 8, 2011 by DrDankenstein

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

We were fostering a Weimaraner for several months a few years ago, and he had a very nasty "metal butt" smell as the owner described it, which is a relatively common thing with the Weims and the anal glands not expressing naturally when going. At times it was like ooze. He'd been on the Beneful stuff. We switched to the Sam's Club 50-lb bag of Purina. To use your word, it formed / cased up, and it stopped smelling that way so often. Weims are some of the craziest effing dogs I've ever encountered (and my dad used to do Animal Control and bring me along, so I've met my fair share of dogs and dog breeds).

 

We've got a GSP now and are still on the Purina. This dog is trip. Feed him in the morning, and as soon as he's done eating, he's by the door waiting to go out for a #2. Feed him in the evening, same deal. Like a damned sieve! Just wondering if this (or anything) might help with shedding. He's a dominantly white GSP and in my experience, those seem to be the ones that shed the most. Seriously, it seems like he sheds his whole coat on the floor every 2-3 days. (I wanted a standard poodle/3rd cross labradoodle mostly for this reason; they don't shed).

 

Is the higher price tag offset by not having to feed as much? As I remember, some are like that....

 

 

I have a GSP too and he does the same thing after eating. He also has addisons disease and is on prednisone. It makes him drink a ton and he has to go out a lot more than before. I have found that food can have a big effect on the amount of shedding. I recently switched to Blue Seal lamb and rice and it seems like a good food for the money.

[Jim in Anchorage]

Hey dude! I was just checking the Natural Balance website, good to see they're all meat and veggies too. It's definitely that type of recipe that is the best for the pups. Glad to hear it fixed up your dogs, and they are feeling better!

 

Sidenote: For any dog that has skin or coat problems, I really recommend the Orijens Fish flavor. Even if your dog just has bad dandruff, this stuff will clear it up almost instantly with all the fish oils and vitamins it has.

 

 

 

Theyre based in Vancouver Alberta, so its all ingredients from local farms and land. Crazy stuff for sure.

 

This stuff smells like wild boar too! lol.

I thought it would be from Texas. They are so overrun with wild hogs they shoot them from helicopters and let the carcass lay.

Edited March 8, 2011 by Jim in Anchorage

[ajzepp]

Hey dude! I was just checking the Natural Balance website, good to see they're all meat and veggies too. It's definitely that type of recipe that is the best for the pups. Glad to hear it fixed up your dogs, and they are feeling better!

 

 

 

 

I tell you what, they must put some nasty ass crap in some of those more popular store brands of dog food, cause I am truly shocked at the difference. I'm really glad you mentioned the brand you use, cause I wasn't sure if there were other foods out there that were formulated this way. I've got no problem spending an extra $25-50/mo on my dogs if it's somethign that will really help them (and me). I won't be going back to the other stuff any time soon!