So confused about food

[Samsonian]

How long does it take to adjust to a new food? I'm starting to wonder if I've been giving Samson enough time to adjust to new foods before moving on to something else. We've been struggling for months to find something that will work for him without giving him gas. I feel like we've run out of proteins to try! Which makes me worry that perhaps I was too quick to eliminate some food/proteins at the beginning when he was still eating some not-so-good treats with corn, sugars and all kinds of chemicals. I really had no idea what I was doing with him at first, unfortunately - poor guy! All I want is to find a good food for him that I can stick with, but I am so, so confused!

 

[bucksteemom2]

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ This is a good site to find out what dog food would best fit your dog.

 

[HurricaneBox]

And you are right to think that it could have been the treats. I have been told that 12 weeks is about the time frame you need to look at before eliminating a food, which of course means strictly controlling any treats, add ins, etc. That will give your dog's system time to adjust, because it takes some up to 6 weeks just to switch completely over from their old food.

I'm sorry you are having such a tough time with your little guy. dogfoodanalysis.com is a fantastic resource (which you may already be using). Have you tried a grainless food? If you did early on when you were still giving treats with corn and suger, etc, you might try going back to a grainless and sticking it out for a couple of months to see if it solves your problems.

Good luck, I hope you find something that works for you soon!

 

[Jan]

Gas tends to be a boxer thing and is often caused by the grains in dog food. You might try a grain free food like Innova Evo. As bucksteemom2 suggested go to www.dogfoodanalysis.com and check out the 6 star foods.

 

[Samsonian]

Thanks so much for the replies! I have been using the dogfoodanalysis website, but it's just confusing me more. We haven't tried grainless, yet. We've tried Canidae, Nature's Variety Lamb & Oatmeal, Nature's Variety Venison, Pinnacle Trout & Sweet Potato, and California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato. My poor little guy is not even 10 months! I feel like such a terrible mother...just can't figure it out :( Part of the reason I thought to switch bags so quickly was the feed shop near me encouraged me to start with a small bag in case he didn't like the new stuff - well he always likes everything! That's not the problem. I like the looks of Innova Evo, but see it's really for adult dogs, due to the high protein and calcium. Sam will be 1 on May 6. Due you think I could start him on this a bit early, or should I stall a bit? We probably have another couple weeks on his current bag of California Natural. Samson thanks you for your help!

 

[SherylM]

I'm sorry you're having problems finding the right food. I'm surprised that Canidae caused gas. I HAD a very gassy girl until I switched her to Canidae and now thankfully she is gas free! I would be tempted to try it again, I know so many boxer people who have good luck with it.

 

[silly24boxer]

Try putting yogurt in his food it helps with the gas!!

 

[Pearlywhirly]

I would wait to go high protein, like until he's 18 months. At 10 months he has been trying a lot of new foods in a row and I think something with less ingredients might help to settle his system.

Gas is a Boxer trait and unfortunately and Pearl is a shining, or should I say stinking, example. She is on Solid Gold Barking at the Moon and is as gassy as ever, maybe ten good ones a day. We deal with it because she loves the food and has absolutely no problems on it. Before, even on premium foods like Timberwolf and Nature's Variety she would occasionally refuse to eat, instead preferring to fill her gut with grass and barf or have very bad diarrhea. Then she would lose weight and she only weighed 47# at age 3. She's now up to 53#, you can just see her last few ribs and is very healthy in my eyes. Some say she's skinny but she is just a very lean dog, like some people are naturally lean no matter their diet. Give it time, yours will come around too!

 

[Samsonian]

I really appreciate your replies! We have tried yogurt, but he still had gas. I thought maybe due to lactose intolerance. Does anyone use certain brands? I know I've heard Dannon works for lactose intolerant people... I have thought of going back to Canidae - Sam really liked it and I know it's a great food. We were feeding him some not so great treats the last time we tried it, so it definitely may have been ruled out too quickly. I've also been reading about the benefits of fewer ingredients, which is one reason I chose California Natural (our current food). He's been eating more grass than usual and having looser, more frequent poops in addition to the gass (sorry, gross). So, doesn't seem to be working out for him so far. He's still gobbling up every little bit of every meal and even seems to be eating more quickly than usual - which obviously is not a good thing! I'm tempted to give him another bag of the same food, just so he doesn't have to switch right away, even though this seems like it's definitely not the right thing. Aghghg

 

[bucksteemom2]

We use Core by Wellness it is grain less for Buckeye and Milo. Steeler gets Natural Balance Sweet Potatoe and Fish. They all get 1tbs Danon no fat plain yogurt with every meal. We have not had near the gas problems we use to and they are all finally keeping their food in