Should I change her food?

[imported_jay adams]

Maple, my 14 month old Viszla, is showing some peculiar signs, and I'm wondering if I should change her food.

Some history:

The breeder, who has won numerous awards and is putting out the most consistent breeding that we've seen in our area, has all her dogs on Ol' Roy, which I have found to be absolute garbage. She told us that we'd hear a lot of people say it's garbage, but for whatever reason, her dogs tend to do well on it.

Well, after one bag of that, we chucked it and switched to Evolve Puppy Formula, after doing our homework and finding the ingredients to be pretty good. Maple did fine on that stuff -- her energy levels increased, her coat was nice and shiny, etc. All in all, a great food for our furkid.

On her one year birthday, we naturally switched her to Evolve Maintenance -- the adult food.
It's been almost two months, and her energy level is still alright, though she is sleeping more in the daytime. That is not to say she's lethargic; when she goes to the park everyday, she's as hyper as ever and has more than her share of playing at home. I've just noticed a bit more sleeping lately. However, this might be the long winter we get up here.

Her poops are also a bit inconsistent since going on this new stuff. One will be solid, the next will be a soft pile of mush. She is also more gassy.

I have also noticed a bit of dandruff on her the past couple of weeks, though perhaps this is part of her shedding her winter coat??

I am listing the Evolve Maintenance ingredients below. Could it be that this is a good food that simply doesn't agree with my pal?

Ingredients:
Lamb, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, ascorbic acid and Vitamin E), Chicken Digest, Rice Bran, Yogurt, Farmer's Cheese, Dried Skimmed Milk, Spinach, Green Split Peas, Tomatoes, Beets, Dried Whole Eggs, Fish Oil, Dried Brewers Yeast, Garlic, Parsley Oil, Probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated, Bifidobacterium thermophilium fermentation product dehydrated, Enterococcus faecium fermentation product dehydrated), Calcium Carbonate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Potassium Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Magnesium Oxide, Magnesium Proteinate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, D-activated Animal Sterol (a source of Vitamin D3), Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Menedione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (a source of Vitamin K activity).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (minimum) 25
Crude Fat (minimum) 15
Moisture (maximum) 10
Crude Fiber (maximum) 5

[Andre Mendizabal]

I'm really really not an expert, but here's a thought... you can compare puppy with adult formula and see if there is a different ingredient or an amount of an ingredient that really changed from puppy to adult... Did you did the switch cold turkey or slowly??? sometimes they just have a hard time getting used to new food... that's about all I have to say... :)

[Grace Erick]

I'm not sure either about changing, but people tend to mix a little of the new food in with the old so the dog does not get an upset stomach. It seems like a lot of rice and then chicken fat? Maybe I'm just not used to looking at the contents off hard food.

There is a topic somewhere under food where it gives a chart from the Evolve site that you can do a comparison to it and other hard foods. If you can't find it, try doing a seach for the Evolve dog food site and see what's in other hard foods. I also asked the question whether chicken fat was okay somewhere on this board. Maybe dogs don't get harmed from it like humans do????

The thing is always some dogs do better with certain foods than other dogs, so it's an individual thing. Now about Ol Roy, a dog can still look good and shiney and healthy, but the problems come out down the road after years of feeding bad food. Some people just don't understand that, just like if a person ate bad all their life. It catches up with you later on.

[Grace Erick]

www.nuturapet.com This is the link someone else posted so you can see what's in other foods and compare them.

[Maria Juliano]

Maple, my 14 month old Viszla, is showing some peculiar signs, and I'm wondering if I should change her food.

Some history:

The breeder, who has won numerous awards and is putting out the most consistent breeding that we've seen in our area, has all her dogs on Ol' Roy, which I have found to be absolute garbage. She told us that we'd hear a lot of people say it's garbage, but for whatever reason, her dogs tend to do well on it.

Well, after one bag of that, we chucked it and switched to Evolve Puppy Formula, after doing our homework and finding the ingredients to be pretty good. Maple did fine on that stuff -- her energy levels increased, her coat was nice and shiny, etc. All in all, a great food for our furkid.

On her one year birthday, we naturally switched her to Evolve Maintenance -- the adult food.
It's been almost two months, and her energy level is still alright, though she is sleeping more in the daytime. That is not to say she's lethargic; when she goes to the park everyday, she's as hyper as ever and has more than her share of playing at home. I've just noticed a bit more sleeping lately. However, this might be the long winter we get up here.

Her poops are also a bit inconsistent since going on this new stuff. One will be solid, the next will be a soft pile of mush. She is also more gassy.

I have also noticed a bit of dandruff on her the past couple of weeks, though perhaps this is part of her shedding her winter coat??

I am listing the Evolve Maintenance ingredients below. Could it be that this is a good food that simply doesn't agree with my pal?

Ingredients:
Lamb, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, ascorbic acid and Vitamin E), Chicken Digest, Rice Bran, Yogurt, Farmer's Cheese, Dried Skimmed Milk, Spinach, Green Split Peas, Tomatoes, Beets, Dried Whole Eggs, Fish Oil, Dried Brewers Yeast, Garlic, Parsley Oil, Probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated, Bifidobacterium thermophilium fermentation product dehydrated, Enterococcus faecium fermentation product dehydrated), Calcium Carbonate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Potassium Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Magnesium Oxide, Magnesium Proteinate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, D-activated Animal Sterol (a source of Vitamin D3), Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Menedione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (a source of Vitamin K activity).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (minimum) 25
Crude Fat (minimum) 15
Moisture (maximum) 10
Crude Fiber (maximum) 5


Jay,

I'm no expert either, but having done a little research on dog nutrition for my puppies prior to getting them, I would like to make some comments about Maple's reaction to her current food.
I noticed a lot of dairy ingredients: yogurt, farmer's cheese, dry skimmed milk , dry whole eggs...she could be lactose intolerant, in which case causes gas build up and loose stools. The other ingredients I don't like about her food are: chicken digest, beets and rice bran.

Please, check the "List" Topic in the Food Section. Also, you can log on to www.naturapet.com to do a food comparison ( this is were I found the food for my puppies. ) Read the label of ingredients. If there is any fillers, preservatives, additives, sugar, stay away!. I would not buy commercial brands sold in supermarkets.

When introducing the new food make sure you do it over a period of 7-10days. 1st day: 90% old, 10% new, 2nd day: 80% old, 20% new, till you reach the final day: 100% of the new food. Another thing to watch are the treats, they could also give Maple an upset stomach. I learned that the treats I was feeding my pups "Charlie Bear", liver and whole wheat, was the culprit of their loose stools and diarrhea.

Hope this helps.

Keep us posted on Maple. :)

Maria Juliano ( Lina and Giotto's mom )

[Maria Juliano]

Here is the link to www.naturapet.com

Maria Juliano ( Lina and Giotto's mom )

[Maria Juliano]

Jay,

OOps! I have a correction to make on my original opinion on Maple's food....Brewers Rice is what I didn't like, the Rice Bran is actually a good source of fiber.

Sorry, I told you I was not an expert! :oops:

Best wishes,

Maria Juliano ( Lina and Giotto's mom )

[Grace Erick]

I know lots of people feed their dogs yogurt. I think it puts good bacteria in them and aids in digestion amongst other thing. I think yogurt has less lactose in it. You will also see Lactobacillus acidophilus in foods which is milk for people who can't digest lactose, and it's supposed to be good.

[imported_jay adams]

Thanks to everyone for their advice and for the useful links. I'm thinking of making the switch to either Solid Gold or Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul.

Any opinions on these would be appreciated.

[Grace Erick]

I feed my chi canned food, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Solid Gold, Natural Balance and Merrick. Hard food ingredients are very different from canned foods even by the same manufacturers. I like the canned, less preservatives, even though the better ones use harmless preservatives now, and I always read canned foods have more protein once the moisture is removed. I think the canned foods tend to have more protein from a meat/poultry source than from grains.

I don't blame anyone for feeding hard food. It's more economical if you have a big dog or many dogs and they make better hard food these days.

[Maria Juliano]

I feed my chi canned food, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Solid Gold, Natural Balance and Merrick. Hard food ingredients are very different from canned foods even by the same manufacturers. I like the canned, less preservatives, even though the better ones use harmless preservatives now, and I always read canned foods have more protein once the moisture is removed. I think the canned foods tend to have more protein from a meat/poultry source than from grains.

I don't blame anyone for feeding hard food. It's more economical if you have a big dog or many dogs and they make better hard food these days.




I feed my puppies Innova Adult Dry Food, 1st ingredient: turkey, 2nd: chicken, 3rd: chicken meal...protein: 24%, moisture: 9.5% per cup. Each 6 pound bag cost me almost $ 12.00 and worth every penny! All of Natura products are high quality, human grade, nutritious food with NO addictives, preservatives, hormones, antibiotics nor pesticides.

Dry food is beneficial to dogs teeth... less tartar build up.

Maria Juliano ( Lina and Giotto's mom )

[Grace Erick]

Maria, I've read twice that hard food really doesn't clean the teeth. I even wonder if that is true or not. You would think it would clean a dog's teeth. I read that the doggie biscuits don't clean the teeth either. Sometimes some people that write articles have an agenda, so you don't know whether to believe them or not.

After 3 years, my dog has very little tartar build up from canned food, and another person I spoke with that had a 3 year old that fed hard food had tartar build up on their dog.

Innova makes another variety called Evo that is grainless and the protein level is very high about 42% give or take a %. They tout it as being as close to feeding raw while still feeding hard food.