[sas1184]

Hi, Im new here and I have a problem with my basset Samson. He came to me severely underweight as a stray about a year and a half ago.He is about 2 1/2 now.All food at that time upset his stomach or gave him diarrea. The vet and I tried everything to get him settled, several medications and home cooking did not help. Finally with the advice from another basset owner I found a dog food that he could eat. Heres my problem: I now find out this company is the number one most wanted for animal cruelty. Samson does still get loose bowls on occasion if he gets into something and my vet said this would be a life long problem. Does anybody have any ideas or know of any similar situations that had a happy ending? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Betsy Iole]

My first basset had some sort of food intolerance, with vomiting and diarrhea. After some experimentation, we found a preparation that she did well on, and we kept her on that preparation for the rest of her life. She lived for another 10+ years.

 

[twobassets]

Hi,

My two are 10 months and both have allergies. We finally found a good food and a couple of treats that work. The food and crunchy treats are a fish and sweet potato mix. We also found training treats (soft) that are a salmon base. It has made a tremendous difference and while their stool is a little looser it's not enough to be a worry. We can buy the food locally but order the treats on-line. A little more exspensive but well worth it!

Suzanne

 

[pinehawk]

this is something that i keep reading about here on this board.i was born unto this breed 40 years ago and can not for the life of me ever remember any of our dogs having a problem.could this be a genetic problem? we have used different foods through the years and it has never bothered our dogs.what i do notice is when i can't get the dog food that our beagle club gets( Black Gold ) my father will use Big Red from Agway and it's not a bad food if you feed the right formula.my Father feeds the cheaper formula and the dogs are scootin' there butts on the ground.this has not happened to me when i used the Endurance Formula which is 5 bucks a bag more.i do use Diamond when i can't get the Black Gold.These are the 2 that i only use now.i feed 26% Protein 18% Fat,Black Gold "Black Bag" and have used the "Silver Bag" 23% Protein 16% Fat with very good results also,but i prefer the Black Bag.Now some people say that"to much protein is hard on a dogs kidney's" i think that is a lot of Bull unless your dog HAS Kidney Problems to begin with.i also have a 11 year old Brittany that gets the 26/18 food(Black Gold or Diamond) and is still in great shape with no sign of kidney problems,which some say higher protein food in older dogs is harder on there system,but you could fool me.the other thing also is no loose bowel movements and less of it to clean up than with other foods.these are just my findings over the years.a couple of things i do look for is food with NO SOY products,Meat or Meat Meal(this also includes Chicken or Chicken by products) as the first ingredient and it can not Have Meat and BONE Meal.i've found out that a strip of meat on a bone is considered this,bone is hard to digest!!!! this is what works for me and it may not work for you so you have to find out what works best for your hound.

 

[sas1184]

Thanks for the information. Im trying to do my homework so I can make an educated decision since there's alot I didnt know about dog food.According to my Vet, Samson doesnt neccessarily have allergies but may have some intestinal scare damage from his days eating as a stray. And boy do I know he would eat anything if I let him!!!LOL. I am trying to find something that doesnt include those products that commonly irritate other dogs, hoping to better my chances b/c I really hate to put him thru the trial and error that we nt thru in the begining.Thanks again, and I will look into that Black gold, Im not familiar.

 

[pinehawk]

www.blackgolddogfood.com www.diamondpetfood.com www.sportsmanspride.net these are some that we use and have been very happy with them all.i get what is ever easier to get at the time and all three are similar,but made by different Mills.

 

[jenispeidell]

pinehawk,

I just checked the ingredients on the Black Gold foods. They all contain corn meal in the first three ingredients. A couple of the types also contain wheat.

Aren't these the 2 things most dogs are allergic to? And corn doesn't actually digest? I'm asking because that is what I have read and been told.

 

[Betsy Iole]

From Food Allergy Myths, W.C. Brooks DVM,

MYTH: “Soy and corn are common food allergens and it is best to seek pet foods without these ingredients to avoid problems.”

FACT: The most common food allergens for dogs are: beef, dairy, and wheat. These three ingredients account for 68% of canine food allergies.

From Canine Food Allergies,

Dogs are not likely to be born with food allergies.  More commonly, they develop allergies to food products they have eaten for a long time.  The allergy most frequently develops in response to the protein component of the food; for example, beef, pork, chicken, or turkey.

The digestibility of corn and other foods depends, in large part, on processing. Corn in most commercial dog foods is ground and cooked, increasing its digestibility. Different types of corn products meet different nutritional needs. Some corn products meet carbohydrate needs, some have most of the carbohydrate removed and are a protein source, and some consist largely of fiber.

For more information, see Iams Technical Bulletin No. 6R Quick Facts About Corn and Carbohydrates.

[ August 07, 2004, 02:34 PM: Message edited by: Betsy Iole ]

 

[pinehawk]

zippy,most brands all have that in there first 3.i just don't want to see it as the First.they are used as a binder to hold the food together when it is being extruded.i don't think that beef or corn in general are the cause of most of the problems with allergies.i think it is the HYBRID,GENETICALLY ALTERED stuff that could be the cause,BGH in beef... etc.