# Looking for better results



## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

I finally took everyone's advice and fed Bridget less. I now feed her 2 cups a day. Been there for a week and the poor dog has lost a lot of weight. She was always on the slim side but now she is getting more and more slim and it appears hungrier than before. I tried to add green beans into her food and hoped that would help her out. The green beans caused instant wet poop. I'm just not sure what to do anymore. I'm thinking the wet poop is her response to a switch of food. She also had another bacteria inflection that my vet helped me get rid of... yet again. It's little bumps that appear around her rear. These vet bills are adding up even with insurance. 

My vet is pretty sure that it is food allergies. I'm not sure what it could be. I just started the green beans yesterday and considering stopping them now. 

The type of dog food we are on now is still Acana Pacific. She is now 7 months old. 

Summary of this post:

Lowered food amount to 2 cups from 3. Response is increased weight lost with same problems. Bacteria still continue to grow. Removed it with antibiotics. Blood test didn't show anything, no worms, fleas or anything else showing up as wrong.

Edit: Of course there is always the off chance that maybe she is allergic to something other than food that is causing these responses in her.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

bridget246 said:


> I finally took everyone's advice and fed Bridget less. I now feed her 2 cups a day. Been there for a week and the poor dog has lost a lot of weight. She was always on the slim side but now she is getting more and more slim and it appears hungrier than before. I tried to add green beans into her food and hoped that would help her out. The green beans caused instant wet poop. I'm just not sure what to do anymore. I'm thinking the wet poop is her response to a switch of food. She also had another bacteria inflection that my vet helped me get rid of... yet again. It's little bumps that appear around her rear. These vet bills are adding up even with insurance.
> 
> My vet is pretty sure that it is food allergies. I'm not sure what it could be. I just started the green beans yesterday and considering stopping them now.
> 
> ...


I don't know her history but have you tried switching to something with a totally different profile than Acana formulas? All Acana products contains a lot of fish. Adding ingredients like green beans is not going to help, instead it's a matter of getting rid of some.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Green beans add fiber and will keep a dog fuller longer!


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

DaViking said:


> I don't know her history but have you tried switching to something with a totally different profile than Acana formulas? All Acana products contains a lot of fish. Adding ingredients like green beans is not going to help, instead it's a matter of getting rid of some.


Yes, I've been through a few different types of foods before deciding that maybe this one would work based off the information that was provided here. She seemed to do the best of fish from my experience. Vision had by far the worse results, chicken was a little better, lamb wasn't bad, didn't try beef and fish seemed to be given the best results. About a month ago she ate a treat made of rice and that led to a huge mess in my yard... one treat was all it took. So I switched her to the best fish food I could find that didn't have chicken in it. 



whiteleo said:


> Green beans add fiber and will keep a dog fuller longer!


Keeping her full while not giving her too much rich food is the goal I should be striving for, right?


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

bridget246 said:


> Yes, I've been through a few different types of foods before deciding that maybe this one would work based off the information that was provided here. She seemed to do the best of fish from my experience. Vision had by far the worse results, chicken was a little better, lamb wasn't bad, didn't try beef and fish seemed to be given the best results. About a month ago she ate a treat made of rice and that led to a huge mess in my yard... one treat was all it took. So I switched her to the best fish food I could find that didn't have chicken in it.


Doing the elimination dance is a long process and in the end it might not be the answer. Was all your tests done over min 12 weeks with a novel protein source? Uncomplicated foods? Does she have any skin or coat symptoms? Wet poop from that treat doesn't necessary mean she is intolerant to rice.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

DaViking said:


> Doing the elimination dance is a long process and in the end it might not be the answer. Was all your tests done over min 12 weeks with a novel protein source? Uncomplicated foods? Does she have any skin or coat symptoms? Wet poop from that treat doesn't necessary mean she is intolerant to rice.


Not 12 weeks yet. We are barely on 4 weeks. Still have another 8 weeks to go. But I'm more curious as to rather I should keep up with the green beans. Any opinions? The blue buffalo chicken and rice was around 12 weeks. I also tried royal canine before the blue buffalo( I know... poor choice) for 12 weeks and that didn't give any good results either. Her current stool isn't the worst it has ever been as it at least has a form and can usually be picked up. Her coat is fine and shiny. Skin isn't fine. She keeps getting the bacteria inflections which the vet thinks leads to the larger bathroom problems where she will go days of little to no stool and sleeps all the time. Also during this time her stool sometimes has a extremely awful smell with it.

The doctor gave her some antibiotics again and that got rid of the problem again. Had this same problem almost month and half ago. Was hoping the food switch would get rid of it. And it still might.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

When you say bacterial infection, what are the signs?


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> When you say bacterial infection, what are the signs?


Small red bumps on her stomach. Lots of sleep. Some weird looking stool that only comes out a little at a time and has a really bad smell.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

And he tested her for a bacterial infection? He could be treating her with drugs she doesn't need and in turn is upsetting her system. The red bumps can be environmental.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

bridget246 said:


> Not 12 weeks yet. We are barely on 4 weeks. Still have another 8 weeks to go. But I'm more curious as to rather I should keep up with the green beans. Any opinions? The blue buffalo chicken and rice was around 12 weeks. I also tried royal canine before the blue buffalo( I know... poor choice) for 12 weeks and that didn't give any good results either. Her current stool isn't the worst it has ever been as it at least has a form and can usually be picked up. Her coat is fine and shiny. Skin isn't fine. She keeps getting the bacteria inflections which the vet thinks leads to the larger bathroom problems where she will go days of little to no stool and sleeps all the time. Also during this time her stool sometimes has a extremely awful smell with it.
> 
> The doctor gave her some antibiotics again and that got rid of the problem again. Had this same problem almost month and half ago. Was hoping the food switch would get rid of it. And it still might.


Ok. I'd stay with the current food and evaluate it in 2 to 3 months. The beans will hardly hurt after she get used to them but personally I try to keep things as simple as possible when evaluating things. Obviously if she keeps loosing weight something has to be done. Maybe a simple fish based canned food from a respected company.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> The red bumps can be environmental.


+1 Second that.


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Is she getting probiotics with/after antibiotics? Her gut flora could be off and that could be causing the problem. Has she been tested for things like Maldigestion? Irritable Bowel Disease?


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> And he tested her for a bacterial infection? He could be treating her with drugs she doesn't need and in turn is upsetting her system. The red bumps can be environmental.


Antibiotics is what was used to treat the bumps. It seemed to work. They also gave me this powder stuff to help with the stool. I still have more than 2 weeks of everything to give to her and both the bumps and the smelly stool are gone. I have no idea if it is being treated right. I just know that it keeps coming back. I'd prefer to not give her anymore antibiotics. 

My vet told me she tested for it the bacterial and found a normal type of bacterial that was being overactive. 



DaViking said:


> Ok. I'd stay with the current food and evaluate it in 2 to 3 months. The beans will hardly hurt after she get used to them but personally I try to keep things as simple as possible when evaluating things. Obviously if she keeps loosing weight something has to be done. Maybe a simple fish based canned food from a respected company.


What canned food do you recommend? I brought a can of natural balanced fish. Was going to fill a kong with it and give it to her to play with.



cprcheetah said:


> Is she getting probiotics with/after antibiotics? Her gut flora could be off and that could be causing the problem. Has she been tested for things like Maldigestion? Irritable Bowel Disease?


I never even heard of Irritable Bowel Disease. My vet tested her for everything she could think of related to her symptoms. I'll mention the irritable bowel disease to her.

I do have some flora packets that I haven't been giving to her. Maybe I should. That might help her get through all of these antibiotics.


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## bridget246 (Oct 26, 2011)

whiteleo said:


> And he tested her for a bacterial infection? He could be treating her with drugs she doesn't need and in turn is upsetting her system. The red bumps can be environmental.


I think your right. The bumps haven't went away. They just aren't red anymore so I didn't notice them. They dog has always itch and licked her bully like something is bothering her. Today I decided to roll her over and look at it really closing and sure enough I saw the bumps. I called my vet and she is suppose to be calling me back. I'm not going to stop my medication I'm giving her till further notice but I don't think it is actually fixing the problem. I'm thinking it is only treating some of symptoms of the problem. 

Anything I should have my vet check if I decide to take her back in? I'm kind of doubting now that is food related.


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