Nomarc Posted June 23, 2019 Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Hey guys, Kai is having some serious GI issues that are due to food. I used to feed him TOTW - High Prairie, but the vet asked me to switch it due to concerns over new research suggesting that grain free foods (specifically, those with peas) are leading to dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs that are not prone to it. Now I'm feeding him Purina ProPlus Focus - Large Breed (Chicken and Rice). This has not been going well, and I need to find something better. I've considered going RAW. Unfortunately I can't afford it both financially and logistically. I'm a medical student, so time and money are at a premium. I would prefer to spend time exercising Kai. So, I'm coming to you guys for help. What do you recommend that I give Kai? I read a lot of the food forums here, and I would like to not ignore the DCM concerns. So, if something is going to be grain free, I would like to avoid peas. Thoughts? Also, since Kai is super cute... here he is!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robke Posted June 23, 2019 Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Try feeding less...over feeding is a common problem with huskies which leads to runny stool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Huskyfun Posted June 23, 2019 Report Share Posted June 23, 2019 Grain free foods are being found to be really bad for dogs. One of the daycare clients just lost her 2 year old lab from a heart attack and the vet linked it to that. *can’t wait for this fad to be over* My pups have serious GI issues and I spent so much money on Meds and trying different foods. I have switched to a Holistic vet. Best choice every! These are the things I had to do to end the nightmare; food allergy/intolerance test. Not 100% but will guide you. Started them on a cooked diet. My male has to have bi-weekly B12 shots. Put them on a very good probiotic and enzymes and a really good omega 3. My vet has a nutritionist so everything is calculated with what they can and cannot eat. It sounds like a major pain in the ass and sounds expensive but honestly,,,, it is so easy and I am spending less because it has cut the vet cost in half. I wish I would have done it sooner. The pups didn’t digest the nutrients they should have gotten because of the diarrhea. So now we are correcting skin issues, leaky gut syndrome, and chewing (I have noticed that is decreasing now that they are not nutrient deficient) And Robke is correct. These guys don’t eat as much as normal dogs. Feeding them too much or switching foods too fast causes serious diarrhea. Please do your research for Huskies and find a vet that knows the breed. Also watch PetFood on Netflix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomarc Posted June 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2019 I switched him to boiled chicken and rice... It did the trick, however, I know this is not nutritious enough and I really won't be able to keep on cooking for him... So, I would really benefit from finding the best kibble that would be good for him nutritionally and for his stomach. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Huskyfun Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 Chicken and rice did more damage then good for my pups in the long run. If you are unable to cook or feed raw then I suggest doing research. Lots of research. LOL Some of these kibble brands cost an arm and a leg. Not sure where you are from but for US... My vet recommended (for my Sibes with their GI issues) Honest Kitchen, Primal, Instinct, or Stella & Chewy However, I personally really liked the Instinct LID (limited Ingredient Diet) then you can switch to either the raw or high protein Instinct once the belly settles down. Because of their intolerance to so many things, I am doing cooked to control it. It’s in the middle for price road and my pups did really good on it. If they got the runs I would just skip a meal and then feed only half the next meal and worked back up to where they needed to be. Get a good probiotic and enzymes, along with omega-3 with EPA and DHA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luna-tic Posted July 4, 2019 Report Share Posted July 4, 2019 Kibble? Really, not if you want your dog to be healthy. Raw is easy, it’s just raw meat or fish, some big bones and offal, how is that difficult? Offal is cheap, heart is cheap, you can buy bags of frozen raw cubes, Dr. Mercola makes a powdered mix to sprinkle on the food that contains everything a dog needs, called Meal Mix, works out about £1 a day but if you’re in the States it’s likely to be much cheaper. You can buy dehydrated meat, Nature’s Menu make it, it’s balanced and the only other thing needed is access to water. You have a great dog, he deserves the best food you can manage.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Huskyfun Posted July 4, 2019 Report Share Posted July 4, 2019 I, like probably some others are unable to do raw because themselves or someone in the house has a medical condition. I have a daughter with cystic fibrosis. Yes, I handle raw meat when cooking food. However, if the pups have some sort of bacteria on their fur, lick her face, or something (it may not make anyone else sick) but it could hospitalize her with a bad outcome. She has a team of 7 doctors. We looked into it from every angle. Then there is the pups intolerance to a lot of foods, my boy’s leaky gut syndrome, and other GI issues. Cooking provides my house hold with an all around solution. Cooking is less expensive then the kibble I was feeding. Hardly anytime invested since I either use a crockpot or just feed our left overs. Can bag and freeze meals a week at a time. There are several options on how or what to feed our fur babies. I may not agree with some.... Normac, look into putting taurine in the kibble to counter act the DCM from grain free/ peas and lentil thing. That is what my vet recommended if I was going to choose to stay with kibble. Hopeful his diarrhea has settled down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeonah Posted July 4, 2019 Report Share Posted July 4, 2019 It's all a matter of trial and error and what is right for your husky. People scoff and say "you shouldn't feed that to your husky" or "you should feed them this". I say you should feed them whatever they are happy eating. My pack are so fussy it's unreal and it's taken me forever to work out what they are totally happy with. I even went through a period when all they would touch was Wagg and that stuff is terrible but cheap. They now have, Natures Menu free flow Chicken, one 2k bag does 2 days, mixed with a double kibble from completely different ends of the spectrum. One bag is Acana Prairie Poultry, £48, and the other is Wagg chicken, £10, and we mix them both together in a separate sealed tub. Combined chicken and kibble weight is around 300g per dog per day. Costs me around £140 per month for the whole pack. My guys also race at weekends throughout the winter which builds their muscle density. Keep experimenting and you'll find what's right for Kai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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