[Squeetie]

My 11.5 y/o Border Collie mix, Willie, has been on Fromm 4 Star Chicken a la Veg for about 1.5 months. We switched him from Blue Buffalo Senior because his poops, while good consistency, were very frequent (like, 4-5 times a day!).

I am very happy with the frequency of his stools now (1-2 times a day), but the consistency is lacking. It is light-ish in color and fairly loose - not like pudding, but still not together, and he was licking his backside more than usual for awhile. After about 2.5 weeks of this, I began giving Mr. Willers a heaping tablespoon of pumpkin with his dinner every night, but his stool has remained the same (minus any discomfort/licking).

Any ideas? His recent bloodwork is fine, vet check was good. Should I maybe try Fromm Gold or even Blue Wilderness? I'm not quite ready to make the jump to RAW, so would like to stick with kibble for now. I was hoping the pumpkin would do the trick, but I'm out of ideas. Thank you in advance for any advice!

 

[BAN-ONE]

I hope someone here can help out, but if not

BC Boards

 

[Squeetie]

That will be my next stop if I don't get an answer here! I've spent the last year and a half researching on this site for my next little one that I have come to respect the opinions of many members here and figured it was worth a shot! I'll probably check out the BC boards as I'm sure it, too, has members more experienced than myself. Thanks, BAN-ONE!

 

[Allie512]

I have been feeding my 1 1/2 year old Fromm Chicken A La Veg for the past two months and he was doing great but in the past two weeks he started have a soft stool - had tests run and nothing is wrong with Ziggy. Am looking for another food; tried a small amount of Pure Vita but he did not like it at all. Fromm said they did not change their formula. The vet added 1/2 cup of Hills WD as an experiment and his stools are not firm. We agree he cannot stay on W/D so I am looking for a food with more fiber.

 

[Buggibub]

Has your dog been outside or have access to creek/pond/lake/garden hose water or puddles? It may not be the food, but could be something in water that he frequently drinks. Just a thought.


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[Squeetie]

Thanks for the thought, Buggibub, but there is not much of a chance he would have gotten into anything. We always supervise him outside, and almost always inside since he follows me everywhere, so it's doubtful he ingested anything icky. I have been holding off on giving him new treats until his belly is settled, too (although it's sooo hard not to give him the Himalayan Dog Chew I got him!).

 

[Allie512]

Wanted to say the mix of W/D with Fromm did help. Am wondering if it is the 4 Star formula - may try Fromm Gold instead

 

[Buggibub]

Maybe Fromm is just too rich for your dog. Perhaps something with a higher protein content would do the trick.


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[Squeetie]

I was hoping it wouldn't be too rich when I switched him over, but I suppose my wish won't be granted. Thank you Buggibub and Allie512 for the advice - I'll go back to the research I did when I chose Fromm in the first place and hopefully find an alternative that will work for my Willie-dog!

 

[Buggibub]

The Himalayan chews give my dog loose stool. They aren't accustomed to yak milk as a regular part of their diet.

Look at the Fromm protein/fiber ratios and compare it to some other high-quality foods. I think a few percentage points higher protein will work wonders.


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[Squeetie]

I heard that about the chews, which is why I am holding off until his belly settles. I'm just anxious to see how he likes it!

I'll certainly check out protein/fiber - the Blue he was on before was lower in protein, but higher fiber. I'm guessing that's because it was their "senior" formula. I've still got my "short" list of kibbles I researched a few months ago on my home PC, so will take a look at that this weekend and see what other options may have better ratios for my boy.

Thank you sooo much for your help and advice! :hug:

 

[Buggibub]

glad to help. We feed Acana kibble after trying Premium Edge, Evo, and TOTW. extremely happy with Acana.




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[Allie512]

Switched to Salmon A La Veg with a little Chicken A La Veg and he is now doing great.

 

[Squeetie]

Thanks for the update, Allie! I was considering one of Fromm's fish-based varieties next time. Based on your results, I'll probably try one - I'm hoping not to have to switch brands, although I do have some that are on my "short list" if needed.

Thanks again!

 

[Allie512]

He had no trouble switching to Salmon A La Veg but I still put in a little Chicken A La Veg - found out Ziggy has trouble with both beef and duck - I like the fact that Fromm has a relatively low ash content in its fish formulas compared to PureVita.