Wellness dog food.

[lulup722]

Both of my dogs eat wellness food. My 5 year old who is a little overweight is on the weight management formula, he has lost 8 lbs so far. my 5 month old is a horrible picky eater and is skinny, but she loves the wellness and is gaining weight on it. She was on a few different foods prior to the wellness. My problem is that both my dogs have soft stools, they are formed but soft. I don't know if I should continue with the wellness or switch again. If i decide to switch I need a low fat food for the 5 year old and something that the 5 month old would like, as she drove me crazy when she didn't eat. They are both on the food a little over 6 weeks.

 

[gmacleod]

If it's only been six weeks, then it might be worth persevering a little longer, and perhaps feeding just a bit less of it. See if they adjust with time. If they don't though, then it's probably wiser to look at a different food.

I'd be a bit cautious about the so-called diet foods though. The thing that puts weight (fat) on dogs the most in dry foods is not actually the fat content but the carbohydrates. Dogs have evolved, and are well adapted to, consuming diets that are in the vast majority made up of meat and fat. Fat is for instand energy, meat protein for maintaining muscle mass. But carbs - well, dogs don't actually have any evolved need for carbs at all. And so, they're usually just stored as fat.

The problem with many diet foods is that they cut out meat content, cut out fat - and give the dog a load of carbs. Which it then prompty stores as fat. Not exactly the aim There are but a few 'senior' or 'diet' foods on the market that don't do that. The only one I can think of just at the moment is Canidae Platinum.

Another possible option is to try one of the high protein grainless foods instead. Something like Innova EVO (which also has a reduced fat version). What's great about those foods is that they greatly reduct the carbs in the diet - and although not many people use them with the stated aim of a diet food, many do report that their dogs do lose weight (and gain muscle) when switched over. So perhaps it's another option to consider.

 

[lulup722]

As I stated my dogs are getting soft poop on wellness dog food. I did some researching and found that canidae seems to be a good kibble and also has a low fat weight maintenance brand. Has anyone tried this food and how did your dogs do on it? Wellness core is rated a 6, and canidae is a 5. on the food analysis site, the first ingredient in wellness is deboned chicken, and the first ingredients in canidae is chicken and turkey meal. I need help as I just cleaned a yard full of soft poop. I understand most people don't agree with weight management formula, but my 5 year old needs a low fat food as we are dealing with a high fat content in his blood work which can lead to pancreatitis. Also my 5 month old is a terrible eater and I need to find a food she will eat.

 

[Escher_fan]

Another possible option is to try one of the high protein grainless foods instead. Something like Innova EVO (which also has a reduced fat version). What's great about those foods is that they greatly reduct the carbs in the diet - and although not many people use them with the stated aim of a diet food, many do report that their dogs do lose weight (and gain muscle) when switched over. So perhaps it's another option to consider.

Mya definitly got leaner when I switched her to Wellness Core from Canidae.

Overall her weight has stayed the same, but she has bulked up a bit and dropped some fat mass.

 

[gmacleod]

As I stated my dogs are getting soft poop on wellness dog food.

I read it the first time. And suggested you try feeding less, and giving it a little longer to see if they adjust.

Having said it, however, I would also consider Canidae Platinum to be a much better food than Wellness senior. It would not, of course, suit the 5 mth old at all - but one of the standard versions should suit a puppy perfectly well.

 

[SH&CH]

Has anyone had any allergy issues when feeding Wellness Core?

Darby has some allergy issues, so we are swapping her food over to a better quality & grain free formula. The Core is a 6-star rating and is grain free........it looks like it could be a winner for sure. We are feeding her the Wellness Venison&Rice formula right now, but if the Core would be better I might try it out.

Steve