[Allie512]

Hi -
Allie, my GSD, has been having bouts of bloody diarrhea with mucus and at times just diarrhea; she seems to resolve the issue with metronzidolze however this has been going on since 1/22; last night she had bloody diarrhea and this morning a very soft stool; we took her to the vet today she had blood work done and the vet is going to try Sulfasalazine. For the past three years she has been eating Organix (kibble and wet); I wanted to know if there was a chance it could be the food. Has anyone tried Natural Balance and if so is there a good formula for colitis.

Thank you.

 

[sable123]

Hi -
Allie, my GSD, has been having bouts of bloody diarrhea with mucus and at times just diarrhea; she seems to resolve the issue with metronzidolze however this has been going on since 1/22; last night she had bloody diarrhea and this morning a very soft stool; we took her to the vet today she had blood work done and the vet is going to try Sulfasalazine. For the past three years she has been eating Organix (kibble and wet); I wanted to know if there was a chance it could be the food. Has anyone tried Natural Balance and if so is there a good formula for colitis.

Thank you.

I would fast the dog for a day. Then feed rice, bananas & low fat boiled meat like chicken until she gets better.

I suggest you feed a simple kibble, preferably one with beet pulp. BP is a very gentle and beneficial fiber. Stay with a 25/15 type food. Pro Pac is a good one.

 

[Mika140]

My 5 yr old dog has IBD & colitis. I've tried all the "usual" food remedies and many have not worked. Rice and chicken were terrible for him - chicken is a common food problem for IBD dogs and rice can be very sharp and irritate an already sensitive/irritated intestinal system. Oatmeal has been a better option for mine.

My dog went through a flare up a few months back with bloody/mucousy diarrhea...it took us til just recently to get things under control. We used metronidazole and continued the use of probiotics. I also added in L-Glutamine.

My dog was unable to tolerate any kibble or home-cooked food at the time. We put him on the Hills i/d canned (be careful because the canned has no chicken, but the dry is based on chicken as protein). The i/d canned helped tremendously and we got him back on track using it.

I then started adding in some Honest Kitchen Zeal formula (expensive, but the only thing besides i/d canned that has worked in the last 3-4 months). The formula is made for sensitive dogs and has a lower fat content.

My priority for kibbles with a colitis/IBD dog would be lower fat content (11% or lower), and very simple ingredients (Wellness Simple Solutions; Natural Balance limited ingredient; California Natural).

 

[Elaine]

I don't think it's the food in and of itself, but some of the ingredients in it aren't agreeing with your dog. Try switching to another food with different ingredients and see what happens. If that doesn't work, you may need to do a food elimination diet to find out what your dog can safely eat.

Stress can also be a problem and can be a cause of colitis.

 

[Allie512]

Thank you. She gets very stressed - I know she cannot have beef; she had a piece of banana when I first got her and threw up the banana and gagged; it may be the chicken now. However, my dog, Murphy has also had some bouts with soft stool - so I am thinking Organix is just not good for them anymore. My vet is not sure it is the food as this happened so quickly with Allie however I am leaning toward switching to Nature Balance - I think you said the limited ingredient? Allie was given California Natural Chicken when I made a switch when Canidae change formula and ended up in the hospital on an IV after two cups of the CA Natural.
We are vegetarians so Allie and Murphy never get meat that is not dog food so my protein knowledge re their eating is limited; I am wondering if she should be on a diet with less gluten - I cannot tolerate gluten.

Will look into Natural Balance.

Thank you.

 

[Mika140]

Natural Balance has a number of limited ingredient diets - I'd try one of the more common proteins first, in case you need to go to a more novel one later. Maybe the fish and sweet potato?