Dog food help!

frillint1 · 10-11-2011, 05:03 PM

I have Smokey on totw lamb and rice right now but its not working out. He is losing weight, so I want to get something else. His poop looks great, he loves the food, and his coat looks great, but he is losing weight even though he eats alot. He was on evo and he loved it and only ate a little bit of it, but his poop was always runny and different colors so I switched to totw. He has been on chicken soup, but he didn't like the taste of it. Its like the totw doesn't keep him full like the evo did.

I was going to go out today and get the infinia dog food, but I called and no one here carries it and I need to get him so new dog food today to mix it together. He is a 15 year old gsd/husky mix and is not that active. Also he needs the small bite dog food. I was also wondering if I could get the small breed dog food since most adult ones are to big.
Thanks.

clearcreekranch · 10-11-2011, 05:14 PM

If your dog is 15 years old, it may not be the food that is causing him to lose weight. A vet visit is in order.

sharkey19 · 10-11-2011, 05:15 PM

Has he been to the vet recently? He may have something going on causing him to lose weight.

Konotashi · 10-11-2011, 05:20 PM

I agree, at that age, it might not be the food.

Also, TOTW is grain free, so I don't know how you managed to find a lamb and rice recipe. Unless they came out with a grain-line that I don't know about.

Rott-n-GSDs · 10-11-2011, 05:56 PM

Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountains uses lamb as a protein... I'm guessing that's what you're currently feeding?

First of all, a complete vet check is in order, including a CBC and thyroid panel.

If she checks out medically, and since TOTW works well for her, stool wise, have you considered trying a different formula? Lamb really isn't a great protein for a dog to be on long term. Perhaps their Pacific Stream formula, if you're concerned about allergies?

frillint1 · 10-11-2011, 06:36 PM

I forgot to mention that he has been to the vet very recently for a flea issue, so i got him all checked then for everything and was just fine. Plus everything was fine with him until we started totw, so thats why I know its the dog food.

DukeJazz · 10-11-2011, 06:50 PM

What does he weigh & how much are you feeding him ?

ChancetheGSD · 10-11-2011, 06:57 PM

TOTW is very low calorie. It's all in the mid to low 300 calorie range. Whereas EVO is over 500 calories for all the formulas. So it wouldn't be surprising if you were having to feed more.

frillint1 · 10-11-2011, 08:58 PM

Feeding more isn't the issue its the losing weight. I ended up getting blue buffalo its less calorie than evo, but more than totw. The kibble is nice and small to. He got the senior chicken and brown rice.

DukeJazz · 10-11-2011, 09:23 PM

The point we are trying to make is that the amount you are feeding can be directly related to weight loss (or gain), especially when switching foods. If he was maintaining his weight on 2 cups of FoodA that is 500cal/cup & you switch to FoodB which is only 350cal/cup - the dog will lose weight if you continue to feed the same amount. In this example, he would need to get ~3 cups of the new food to maintain parity.

10-11-2011, 05:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
frillint1 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 384	Dog food help! I have Smokey on totw lamb and rice right now but its not working out. He is losing weight, so I want to get something else. His poop looks great, he loves the food, and his coat looks great, but he is losing weight even though he eats alot. He was on evo and he loved it and only ate a little bit of it, but his poop was always runny and different colors so I switched to totw. He has been on chicken soup, but he didn't like the taste of it. Its like the totw doesn't keep him full like the evo did. I was going to go out today and get the infinia dog food, but I called and no one here carries it and I need to get him so new dog food today to mix it together. He is a 15 year old gsd/husky mix and is not that active. Also he needs the small bite dog food. I was also wondering if I could get the small breed dog food since most adult ones are to big. Thanks. __________________ I love my dog Smokey! I know he's not a purebred, but he is the greatest. I will be getting a purebred in 2012. I also love my 4 precious guinea pigs!

10-11-2011, 05:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
clearcreekranch Master Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Friendswood, Texas Posts: 856	If your dog is 15 years old, it may not be the food that is causing him to lose weight. A vet visit is in order. __________________ Melinda Wolfgang Von Ironwood, GSD

10-11-2011, 05:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
Konotashi Knighted Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,380	I agree, at that age, it might not be the food. Also, TOTW is grain free, so I don't know how you managed to find a lamb and rice recipe. Unless they came out with a grain-line that I don't know about. __________________ Ozzy - Chocolate Pom "In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog." My Photography

10-11-2011, 05:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
Rott-n-GSDs Master Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: South Range, WI Posts: 999	Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountains uses lamb as a protein... I'm guessing that's what you're currently feeding? First of all, a complete vet check is in order, including a CBC and thyroid panel. If she checks out medically, and since TOTW works well for her, stool wise, have you considered trying a different formula? Lamb really isn't a great protein for a dog to be on long term. Perhaps their Pacific Stream formula, if you're concerned about allergies? __________________ Luna, GSD (11/22/08) Nova, GSD (07/01/07) Apollo, Rottweiler (06/28/08)

10-11-2011, 06:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
frillint1 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 384	I forgot to mention that he has been to the vet very recently for a flea issue, so i got him all checked then for everything and was just fine. Plus everything was fine with him until we started totw, so thats why I know its the dog food. __________________ I love my dog Smokey! I know he's not a purebred, but he is the greatest. I will be getting a purebred in 2012. I also love my 4 precious guinea pigs!

10-11-2011, 05:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
sharkey19 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Guelph Posts: 321	Has he been to the vet recently? He may have something going on causing him to lose weight.

10-11-2011, 06:50 PM	#7 (permalink)
DukeJazz Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Inverness, Fl Posts: 208	What does he weigh & how much are you feeding him ? __________________ Duke - GSD 7/04 (best guess), rescued 7/1/09 ~~~ Jazzy - WGSD 11/00, rescued 12/06, PTS 5/12 Sasha – S. Husky 11/95 - 3/09 Blitzer - WGSD 11/96 - 12/06 Czar – S. Husky 6/80 - 10/96 Baron – S. Husky 5/82 - 11/95 Sheba - Black Lab, childhood dog

10-11-2011, 06:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
ChancetheGSD Elite Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,910	TOTW is very low calorie. It's all in the mid to low 300 calorie range. Whereas EVO is over 500 calories for all the formulas. So it wouldn't be surprising if you were having to feed more. __________________ Gretchen -7.5 week old GSD Zoey -14 year old Pekapom Chance -(GSD/Kelpie) 6/2007-6/23/2011

10-11-2011, 08:58 PM	#9 (permalink)
frillint1 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 384	Feeding more isn't the issue its the losing weight. I ended up getting blue buffalo its less calorie than evo, but more than totw. The kibble is nice and small to. He got the senior chicken and brown rice. __________________ I love my dog Smokey! I know he's not a purebred, but he is the greatest. I will be getting a purebred in 2012. I also love my 4 precious guinea pigs!

10-11-2011, 09:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
DukeJazz Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Inverness, Fl Posts: 208	The point we are trying to make is that the amount you are feeding can be directly related to weight loss (or gain), especially when switching foods. If he was maintaining his weight on 2 cups of FoodA that is 500cal/cup & you switch to FoodB which is only 350cal/cup - the dog will lose weight if you continue to feed the same amount. In this example, he would need to get ~3 cups of the new food to maintain parity. __________________ Duke - GSD 7/04 (best guess), rescued 7/1/09 ~~~ Jazzy - WGSD 11/00, rescued 12/06, PTS 5/12 Sasha – S. Husky 11/95 - 3/09 Blitzer - WGSD 11/96 - 12/06 Czar – S. Husky 6/80 - 10/96 Baron – S. Husky 5/82 - 11/95 Sheba - Black Lab, childhood dog

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