[Lindsey2111]

Hi Guys,

I have been transitioning Izzy from Royal Canin (too many poops/itchy) to Fromm (pink bag) for the last 1.5 weeks. I've been mixing in probiotics and pumpkin in with the food and it hasn't been going too bad. 2 nights of diarrhea at the beginning, and now a bit of blood in soft poop. She's increasingly itchy and it's gotten worse. I am thinking about changing her to grain free or chicken free (maybe she's allergic) food. Thoughts?

I will be watching the blood in poop and take her in if it persists, but my question is about my poop itchy girls diet.

 

[Sweet Girl]

If she was itchy on both foods and both foods are chicken-based, it may well be worth trying a different protein. I know a lot of people have good luck with Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. One is chicken based, but there is also a salmon based one. Might be worth trying. Are you giving treats? Check the ingredients of those, too.

 

[mylissyk]

Is there any chance she has fleas? I agree with Sweet Girl, I would try a food without chicken. Pro Plan Sensitive is not formulated for puppies, but there is lamb based Pro Plan puppy food.

 

[Kalhayd]

We do taste of the wild Salmon puppy for the exact same reasons. We tried just changing the protein and she still itched, we tried removing grain and using the same protein and she still itched. Our girl is quite sensitive, but has done fantastic now that we found the right food.


If she were mine- I'd at least call the vet about the blood in her stool.

 

[Piper_the_goldenpuppy]

Chicken is a notorious allergen in dogs. I think the Fromm gold star puppy blends are chicken based, if not, they are definitely poultry based, with duck. I feed Piper Fromm's grain free surf and turf, which is salmon based, but I'm pretty sure also has duck in it. Sometimes grains can cause allergies in dogs, but sometimes the grain free formulations are too rich for dogs with a sensitive stomach. I'd probably switch over to a different protein source before ruling out grains personally. You could try switching over to something that's fish based, or lamb or something, like Purina Pro plan, as mentioned above. Taste of the wild has a salmon puppy as well--dont know if there's chicken in that.

Otherwise, Natural Balance makes limited ingredient diets that often work very well for dogs with sensitive tummies. And if it doesn't work, its easier to rule out proteins that you dog doesn't tolerate. Many dog foods now have at least 2 or 3 (or more) protein sources, plus grains, plus other fruits and veggies, so it can be hard to rule out the problem.

But, it might be unrelated to the food. For the following reasons, I'd probably take your dog in to see the vet: It could be an environmental allergy, like a flea sensitivity (allergies lead to histamine release, which causes GI upset, nausea, and even diarrhea), or something else, or it could be that he has GI parasite that's he's having an allergic reaction to leading to itching. It might be a good idea to take puppy into the vet for stool studies and a skin exam. For peace of mind, before you start having to go on a large search for a food that your dog tolerates. And, they might want to do a trial prescription diet--sometimes bloody diarrhea is a sign of inflammatory bowel disease. Especially given the bloody stools--usually dogs who are having severe pure watery diarrhea will get it from irritation, otherwise its colon inflammation.

 

[Lindsey2111]

Thanks everyone! Izzy will be going to the vet on Saturday for her final round of vaccinations. The little bits of blood in her stool have stopped, but it is still quite soft. I will mention all of her symptoms to the vet and also request a skin examination. If all is well then I will continue our search for her best fit dog food!

I contacted our breeder and she recommended adding some Omega to her diet, or a cooked egg twice a week. Something I didn't even think about was how dry our condo is. I will try putting a vaporizer out and see how she does in the next few weeks.

I will follow up with what happens at the vet