help

[minmin12]

I paid thru the teeth for one of my dogs and found out that there is absolutely nothing wrong with him. Now the vetrinarian has prescribed medi cal and he mentioned that he has to remain on this diet permantly it is the brand gastro intestinal fibre response the vet said if I take him off his diarrea is going to return sometimes I give him a treat and I do notice that his stool is not hard anymore however, I have noticed people saying that this brand is no good please advise

[Rgeurts]

Hi zorba

I am very against kibble, for the most part. But I did have an older boy as well that had colitis and my vet put him on Medi-Cal gastro. It was the only food he did well on and didn't have any bouts of diarrhea. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer, so I had to take him off the food (kibble and anything with carbs is a big no-no for cancer). So even though I really dislike the ingredients in the Gastro, it did a great job for my boy. If it works for him, I'd say keep him on it... but that's just my opinion.

Good luck!!

[Longblades]

At least give it a try. If it works you then have a measure by which to judge other foods if you want to try a switch later.

Is he having diarrhea? Or just soft stool? Diarrhea is more serious and it needs to be cleared up. You have a bit more time to dither around with soft stool issues. Basically the difference is the viscosity, to put it politely.

There are other methods of dealing with soft stool. Pumpkin is favoured by many. Google, you will find others and how to use pumpkin. Also probiotics to enhance good bacteria in the digestive system and thus improve food utilization and thus output.

Another food that might help is the Vet Rx type weight loss formulas. My sister's English Shepherd had poop issues all his life till a substitute Vet suggested a weight loss formula. The dog did not need to lose weight but the higher fibre formula (which is what you are doing by adding a bit of pumpkin, increasing fibre) fixed him right up. A negative was he did lose weight, was a picky eater, and it was hard to keep weight on him, he was super model thin. At the time we did not know about pumpkin or would have tried it. Also, this dog could NOT have any treats or table scraps. A couple of little pieces of pepperoni once literally made him explode. Not nice.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Longblades

At least give it a try. If it works you then have a measure by which to judge other foods if you want to try a switch later.

Is he having diarrhea? Or just soft stool? Diarrhea is more serious and it needs to be cleared up. You have a bit more time to dither around with soft stool issues. Basically the difference is the viscosity, to put it politely.

There are other methods of dealing with soft stool. Pumpkin is favoured by many. Google, you will find others and how to use pumpkin. Also probiotics to enhance good bacteria in the digestive system and thus improve food utilization and thus output.

Another food that might help is the Vet Rx type weight loss formulas. My sister's English Shepherd had poop issues all his life till a substitute Vet suggested a weight loss formula. The dog did not need to lose weight but the higher fibre formula (which is what you are doing by adding a bit of pumpkin, increasing fibre) fixed him right up. A negative was he did lose weight, was a picky eater, and it was hard to keep weight on him, he was super model thin. At the time we did not know about pumpkin or would have tried it. Also, this dog could NOT have any treats or table scraps. A couple of little pieces of pepperoni once literally made him explode. Not nice.

You can only feed your dogs plan pumpkin, there are two kinds of canned pumpkin one is a filling that has sugar and spices added to it and this should not be feed to dogs. People should be sure to read the label and made sure they're buying plan pumpkin for their dogs. I have a hard time finding canned pumpkin at the stores during the summer as it consider to be a seasonal item to be sold only during the winters holidays.
White rice and boiled chicken that has all the fat and skin removed to given to given dogs too. I would check with the vet first .

[dogs]

Have you tried feeding your dog the same food you eat.
I think if your dog is eating the same quality food as you it will be healthier.

[mastifflover]

Originally Posted by dogs

Have you tried feeding your dog the same food you eat.
I think if your dog is eating the same quality food as you it will be healthier.

Don't feed your dog the same food as you eat. That will not help at all.
There are other gastro foods but try the medical it is the easiest to get.

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by dogs

Have you tried feeding your dog the same food you eat.
I think if your dog is eating the same quality food as you it will be healthier.

That is a bad idea , what if the OP cooked with a lot foods that dogs can't eat like onions and mushrooms this is very toxic to dogs. And people food can made dogs gain weight to fast if they eat it all the time.

[Longblades]

Originally Posted by Barkingdog

You can only feed your dogs plan pumpkin, there are two kinds of canned pumpkin one is a filling that has sugar and spices added to it and this should not be feed to dogs. People should be sure to read the label and made sure they're buying plan pumpkin for their dogs. I have a hard time finding canned pumpkin at the stores during the summer as it consider to be a seasonal item to be sold only during the winters holidays.
White rice and boiled chicken that has all the fat and skin removed to given to given dogs too. I would check with the vet first .

I missed this comment. Check out the baking aisle. Not all pie filling has spices in it. My Mum always preferred to add her own spices and only bought the kind that was nothing but pumpkin. Also, read the label of the one you were using, if you have a can, or google it. Many cans used for pies are not pumpkin at all but squash. Squash might work and you can probably buy your own squash in the grocery store and cook it. I'd try a butterCUP type, not a butterNUT type. The former are drier when cooked. Note though, I have not had to feed any to my dog. But I like the buttercup types I grow myself for my own pies. Check Glycemic index on these if sugar is a concern, they are sweeter. YMMMMM.

http://www.foodsubs.com/Squash.html

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by Longblades

I missed this comment. Check out the baking aisle. Not all pie filling has spices in it. My Mum always preferred to add her own spices and only bought the kind that was nothing but pumpkin. Also, read the label of the one you were using, if you have a can, or google it. Many cans used for pies are not pumpkin at all but squash. Squash might work and you can probably buy your own squash in the grocery store and cook it. I'd try a butterCUP type, not a butterNUT type. The former are drier when cooked. Note though, I have not had to feed any to my dog. But I like the buttercup types I grow myself for my own pies. Check Glycemic index on these if sugar is a concern, they are sweeter. YMMMMM.

http://www.foodsubs.com/Squash.html

Where I lives canned pumpkin is very hard to buy in the summer, the stores does not like to carry food that does sell well and canned pumpkin does not sell very fast in the summer. I said you should make sure NOT to BUY pumpkin filling that has SPICES in it , to buy PLANNED canned pumpkin. I know know you buy fillings with no spices.