Blue buffalo wilderness upsetting stomach, alternatives?

[KINGSTON92603]

Hello, I recently rescued a 2.5 year old Shepherd and started him on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon. Its been 3 weeks and he still has soft stool and sometimes runny. I noticed he is also itching a lot. My vet warned me at his first checkup that BB can often cause stomach problems due to the high protein content. The transition was slow, but after 3 weeks he should be adjusted.

Has anyone transitioned their GSD from Blue Buffalo to another brand with success?

Thanks!

[DukeJazz]

IF you search here you will find lots of threads on foods & what others are feeding.
Thing is, each dog is different & what works for my guys might not be the answer for you, so you may need to do a little experimenting.

1 thing to consider is the amount you are feeding vs. his activity level. The recommendation on the bag is for an ACTIVE dog & many dogs really aren't all that active. For example my 85 lb guy (moderately active) does quite well on 3 cups of ToTW - a comparable food that has ~10% less cal. per cup.

Also, feeding 2x a day can help them digest vs. 1 large feeding.
You could try a food like Canidae that is still a high quality food, but has less protien.
You could also try adding a tablespoon or 2 of canned pumpkin (NOT the pie mix, just plain pumpkin !) to each feeding.

Lastly, I assume he has been checked for worms (hooks, tapes, round, whips etc) by the Vet ?

[KINGSTON92603]

Yes, he was tested at his first checkup. We're pretty active with him, we go on a hike of atleast 2.5 miles at night and he get about a 45 minute jog in the morning.

His hikes will increase as we build up his endurance. I was going to give TOTW a shot, but read some negative things. Then again, almost every food I have researched has had some type of negative comment.

Originally Posted by DukeJazz

IF you search here you will find lots of threads on foods & what others are feeding.
Thing is, each dog is different & what works for my guys might not be the answer for you, so you may need to do a little experimenting.

1 thing to consider is the amount you are feeding vs. his activity level. The recommendation on the bag is for an ACTIVE dog & many dogs really aren't all that active. For example my 85 lb guy (moderately active) does quite well on 3 cups of ToTW - a comparable food that has ~10% less cal. per cup.

Also, feeding 2x a day can help them digest vs. 1 large feeding.
You could try a food like Canidae that is still a high quality food, but has less protien.
You could also try adding a tablespoon or 2 of canned pumpkin (NOT the pie mix, just plain pumpkin !) to each feeding.

Lastly, I assume he has been checked for worms (hooks, tapes, round, whips etc) by the Vet ?

[msvette2u]

Our puppy gets the runs if we give him more than 1 1/2 c. of food per meal...doesn't matter the brand of food.
I wouldn't assume itching is food allergy, but do try a few other of the BB formulations, maybe just not wilderness?

[doggiedad]

when you went to to the Vet did the
Vet check a urine sample and stool sample???
did the Vet do any blood work???

find an organic or natural shampoo and give your dog
a bath. that might help with the itching.

you may have to switch foods several times before
finding one that works for your dog.