[allieg]

Update.....
Athena has already eaten breakfast this AM.She has not eaten breakfast this early in months.Usually she won't eat till 2 o'clock or later.I have my neighbor who works in the big city getting me the 30# bag today.$49.99 minus the $3.00 coupon.A little more than my other food but I can handle it if she will eat it.Also the company has returned 2 emails since I inquired about their product and is sending some samples.LikeN them so far..

 

[rokanhaus]

Allie,

I am not sure where in NH you are, but I know the Petco up in Manchester carries Pinnacle!! When I am up that way I always get some to save on the salex tax. Love shopping in NH!!!!

 

[allieg]

I can go to Petco in Concord.Hubby drives by there everyday so if all else's fails and I don't get to Concord I'll make him pick it up.I'll be watching for good prices though because I really don't want to spend 50.00 on a bag.That might even be a sale price I don't know.

 

[LisaT]

I like the Pinnacle foods, and I've also found that dogs that don't do well on anything else, do well on the the Breeder's choice foods (pinnacle and avoderm).

 

[debbiebrown]

i like the pinnacle chic/oatmeal i have given to my 11 month old, but he has never had consistant poops as i stated in another thread. i don't believe it would be the food, although i have never changed it. i am going to have to try a different food to see if thats it, if not he's got different issues going on. he also strains to go, it just doesn't look normal for a dog to dilly dally, go around in circles, move around to different spots while trying to go. i have never seenthis behavior in any of my other dogs. they go out get the job done in one place and move on...etc. definitely doesn't look normal to me.


debbie

 

[LisaT]

Doesn't sound normal to me either.

 

[debbiebrown]

i have been tempted to try digestive enzymes. i asked the vet about it, which doesn't do any good sometimes, he asked what kind of food i feed., which i guess would be a normal question when there are poop issues present. i just can't see any ingredient in the pinnacle chic/oatmeal that would cause this problem. but, before i get into any extensive testing i will try a different food. what, i don't know. my thinking that if a dog is straining to poop and having on and off soft stools and diarrhea., grain free wouldn't be the answer., if using a digestive enyzme helps, its still not going to pinpoint exactly what the issue is. so, i guess, its going to be trial and error for a bit, and then if things don't improve, its onward to tests at the vet.

debbie

 

[elly1210]

Have you tried a grain free food? Right now for Sonny the only food that works well for him is Natural Balance any of the favors.

 

[LisaT]

Originally Posted By: debbiebi have been tempted to try digestive enzymes. i asked the vet about it, which doesn't do any good sometimes, he asked what kind of food i feed., which i guess would be a normal question when there are poop issues present. i just can't see any ingredient in the pinnacle chic/oatmeal that would cause this problem. but, before i get into any extensive testing i will try a different food. what, i don't know. my thinking that if a dog is straining to poop and having on and off soft stools and diarrhea., grain free wouldn't be the answer., if using a digestive enyzme helps, its still not going to pinpoint exactly what the issue is. so, i guess, its going to be trial and error for a bit, and then if things don't improve, its onward to tests at the vet.

debbie

I would try the enzymes. Either a porcine (pork) pancreatic enzyme or a bromelain (pineapple) capsule. Even if the tests are negative, an enzyme could help, so the real question is whether you try now or later. Indy has never been tested, and she's the one that requires levels at about the amount an EPI dog would -- has been that way for about a decade.

Max used to strain -- he would thump his right rear foot. Poor Max, DH would laugh at him -- NOT NICE!!!! With Max, it was either straining or very loose or soft stools, never just right. Somehow I have him more balanced now. I did treat with doxycycline and he gets the bromelain (he's allergic to pork and the plant-based ones didn't work so well).

Here's a disturbing thought...you may never pinpoint the problem. Seems to be true for these dogs over here!

 

[GSDBESTK9]

Originally Posted By: AllieGAlso the company has returned 2 emails since I inquired about their product and is sending some samples.LikeN them so far..

They are awesome! I've been dealing with them for years and they always get back to me right away. They also give me lots of coupons when I see them at Pet Expos and such.

 

[GSD07]

Originally Posted By: debbieb i just can't see any ingredient in the pinnacle chic/oatmeal that would cause this problem. but, before i get into any extensive testing i will try a different food.

Debbie, before switching to a different brand maybe try a different formula of Pinnacle, like trout and sweet potato. Your pup may be allergic to chicken. I also started Anton on Chick/oatmeal and he was doing ok but not great so I switched him to Pinnacle trout and he improved literally overnight. It turned out he was allergic to chicken.

 

[debbiebrown]

yes, i was thinking of trying another Pinnacle flavor. i know the trout and potato is more expensive, but worth a try before totally switching to another brand. also the peak protein was a thought at some point, but i think he's still to young for that.

Lisa, your right, i could go through all kinds of expensive tests and still not know. i think the wise thing to do, is try an enzyme first, use the rest of my food since i have two bags left, see what happens. i did put him on a probiotic two days ago, thinking it might be bacteria overgrowth in the lower bowel. he might have to go on antibiotics, which will be part of the process of figuring this out. if things don't improve. i have used Prozyme before and might try that. i also used another one from kv vet can't remember what it was now, but i liked it.
i will change the flavor of the pinnacle if i get no results from the above. then can go from there. i never had such a young dog with this issue. although it also very well could be that he was infested with worms when i got him and i had a **** of a time trying to get rid of them. so, the worm issue could very well have ruined his digestive system. hopefully i can at least get things regulated.

and that the worms did not do extensive damage.

debbie

 

[LisaT]

I hope you get this figured out -- I know how frustrating it is. Btw, both my dogs did terrible on prozyme

 

[debbiebrown]

Lisa,
what have you been using? maybe you mentioned it earlier in this thread.

it is frustrating, this dog is thin he needs weight on him. i mean he doesn't look like a malnutritional child from africa or anything like that, but ribs are showing, not just shadows of ribs, the do stick out. sooooooo, hoping to get things moving with the poop issue. no pun intended!

 

[LisaT]

For Indy, I have to use two different ones (and she's not a GSD!!):

http://www.vitacost.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Zymes-Plus
http://www.ritecare.com/prodsheets/asp/ITI-74230.asp

For Max, I use Bromelain capsules under the brand name of our local health food store.

With Max, I did have to treat for SIBO with doxy, for Indy, when she was younger, she needed panacur and albon.

 

[allieg]

I don't want to discourage anyone but now Athena has diarrhea.I am unable to mix the new food with her old because she just won't eat it but now she has the runs.I gave her pepto pills and will mix rice with whatever I get her to eat tomorrow.I hope I can get her tummy to like it.I just bought a 30 lb bag.She is very picky about eating.

 

[LisaT]

I'm sorry Allie that Athena is having such a tough time.

 

[allieg]

She hasn't eaten since 3PM yesterday would the food still be causing her the runny poops?I fed her rice and hamburg this AM and hope it will bind her up.We were up every hour last night.I am making her drink to stay hydrated.I gave her more pepto too.

 

[elly1210]

Personally if this was my dog I would start at square 1 and I did do this with Sonny because we had food issues on what worked for him.

I did what was suggested on another thread and did a 12 hour fast, then I did chicken/rice/sweet potato or pumpkin or potato for 3 days or until the poops were firm. Then I took the brand of food I was going to feed him and started to mix in 1/4 if we were fine for 2 days, I increased to 1/2 then if we were fine then all dog food.

What I found out was that he could not eat Taste of the Wild or CA Natural both those foods gave him runs and I did find out that Natural Balance has been the only food (any favor) to date that he can eat without any issues.

Also I didn't read through the whole thread so maybe this was done another stool sample to rule out any buggies in the intestinal track.

 

[allieg]

Originally Posted By: EllyPersonally if this was my dog I would start at square 1 and I did do this with Sonny because we had food issues on what worked for him.

I did what was suggested on another thread and did a 12 hour fast, then I did chicken/rice/sweet potato or pumpkin or potato for 3 days or until the poops were firm. Then I took the brand of food I was going to feed him and started to mix in 1/4 if we were fine for 2 days, I increased to 1/2 then if we were fine then all dog food.

What I found out was that he could not eat Taste of the Wild or CA Natural both those foods gave him runs and I did find out that Natural Balance has been the only food (any favor) to date that he can eat without any issues.

Also I didn't read through the whole thread so maybe this was done another stool sample to rule out any buggies in the intestinal track.

I haven't gone to the vet yet but if Mon I can't get her regular she will be going in.This has come on with the food change so I doubt anything will show up.I went cold turkey with new food because she wasn't eating her other stuff and mixing it the brat still wouldn't eat it.
So you cooked up chicken with the other ingredient. Then once poops were ok you added the new food to that over a period of time?If so that will work because she ate the hamburg and rice so I know if I mix it up she'll eat it once her poops are solid again.Thanks