# Sensitive digestion



## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm fresh out of ideas.
What are some suggestions for sensitive tummies>


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Give some more details? What has worked? What hasn't worked? What type of tummy issues?

Have you considered trying Dr. Dodd's NutriScan test for food sensitivities?


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## StellaLucyDesi (Oct 29, 2008)

Well, without knowing what you've tried so far....

I have one Cavalier (my Ruby, Laverne Marie) that has a sensitive stomach and some allergy/intolerances. I've finally decided on using in our rotation Zignature Trout and Holistic Select grain free dry foods. I do top the dry. I've whittled down from what I use to do here and am using Wellness 95% Salmon and Beef, Wellness Stew Beef, Wellness Simple Salmon and I will also use Simply Nourish non-chicken cans and Weruva Cirque de la Mer. As you can see I'm staying away from poultry. I also add probiotics 3 days a week (Vetri-Science Mega Probiotics per my Holistic Vet) and add Fresh Digest the rest of the time, which is a prebiotic with enzymes. This seems to be working, for now .


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

What have you already tried? Grain inclusive? Grain free? What proteins? Potatoes? 

I feed grain free, and for sensitive systems, a fish-based kibble. Lower protein levels (below 30%) helped a very sensitive boxer I once had. If I fed a high protein kibble, he got VERY loose poo. He also couldn't eat a kibble with a lot of peas in it (hard, b/c a lot of grain free kibbles have now put them in). Some of the "premium" foods are too rich for sensitive dogs' tummies, so you may have to rethink what a "good" food is. Often times, a very simple ingredient list is needed to narrow down the offending ingredients.

I'd try a kibble with only one protein source and one starch source. Kibbles that work for my dog (remember, every dog is different) include: California Natural Salmon Meal and Peas (coming back on the market after a recall), Back to Basics Grain Free High Protein Pork, and Natural Balance Legumes and Duck. Each has very few ingredients. These happen to be grain, potato, egg, alfalfa, and rosemary free, which my allergy dog requires. Back to Basics Open Range is on my list to try, as it is also a very limited ingredient kibble (beef and pork are the proteins).


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Mostly I am just venting. Currently have four dogs on four different foods Fromm grain free usually has been fine but I've got one throwing up on it. The other barfer is on precise kibble. Other two are fine on petguard and innova canned. It's unusual for my dogs to barf and they have been wantin g to eat grass. Wait! The two barfers have been gorging on tomatoes in the back yard. They eat red and green ones. Off to google if tomatoes are bad!


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## FarminaND (May 23, 2013)

Our Single Protein Cod might be an option. It has 30% protein and 18% fat with 92% animal protein of the total. This food is just as effective as therapeutic diets for digestion. It should be available on-line in the next four weeks. It contains no plant oil, no chicken, egg or chicken fat.


Single Animal Protein Wild Cod & Ancestral Grain Recipe | Farmina Pet Foods - Happy pet. Happy You.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

I always give Slippery Soup at the first sign of GI upset!


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Yup, they've been getting steeped slippery elm. I'm happy to report no more vomiting! I pulled out the cherry tomato plants (they were volunteer ones, I didn't plant them ) and no more vomiting. Echo and Jack were spending a lot of time when we were outside eating and eating the tomatoes, red ones, green ones. Probably ended up chewing on the plant material too. 
Vet tech friend said yes, the green tomatoes and the plant leaves are toxic! After all these years in dogs, I should've known! I don't recall hearing about green tomatoes. 

Anyway, I think that was the issue because even Jack's mushy poo cleared up.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Glad you figured out the problem. Yup, tomatoes aren't good for dogs.


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## Jan Fred (Jul 23, 2013)

> It can’t be stressed enough how important proper dog feeding is. Like humans, dog requires nutrients to get healthy and avoid contacting diseases that can be even lead to fatality. For first time dog owners, it’s vital to consult with the vet to know the kinds of food that can be beneficial for the health of their dogs. Furthermore, researching off and online about dog care can provide great details on what foods dogs can’t eat.
> 
> A balanced dog food requires certain nutrients that must be met to ensure that the dog gets all the maximum benefits of the food.
> 
> Dog foods must contain specific levels of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins, depending on the lifestage of the dog. To prove they are healthy, foods must either be made from a recipe that meets certain nutrition requirements, or they must be put through a special feeding trial.


 Dog feeding likewise requires constant supply of fresh, clean water. Again, like with humans, water is very essential in a dog’s life.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

FarminaND said:


> Our Single Protein Cod might be an option. It has 30% protein and 18% fat with 92% animal protein of the total. This food is just as effective as therapeutic diets for digestion. It should be available on-line in the next four weeks. It contains no plant oil, no chicken, egg or chicken fat.
> 
> 
> Single Animal Protein Wild Cod & Ancestral Grain Recipe | Farmina Pet Foods - Happy pet. Happy You.


Where online will it be available?


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

I would definitely recommend sticking with just the food that is working for your dog and try to limit what else they can get to. I know that is sometimes easier said than done but that is the best way to help with sensitive stomachs. If they do get into anything that upsets their stomach, I have found that plain yogurt or canned pumpkin paste can help to soothe sensitive stomachs.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

FarminaND said:


> Our Single Protein Cod might be an option. It has 30% protein and 18% fat with 92% animal protein of the total. This food is just as effective as therapeutic diets for digestion. It should be available on-line in the next four weeks. It contains no plant oil, no chicken, egg or chicken fat.
> 
> 
> Single Animal Protein Wild Cod & Ancestral Grain Recipe | Farmina Pet Foods - Happy pet. Happy You.


Looks like a good food! But is it really a single source protein food when it contains salmon and herring oils?


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## FarminaND (May 23, 2013)

BrownieM said:


> Looks like a good food! But is it really a single source protein food when it contains salmon and herring oils?




Yes, there is no animal protein contributed by the salmon and herring oil blend, not one gram. This diet was recently mentioned by Mary Strauss of DogAware.com as a choice for sensitive dogs and a lot of our testing focused on digestive issues in certain breeds. It is also an excellent choice for large and giant breeds, German Shepherds for example, given their predisposition to digestive upset and soft stools. Given its robust formulation of 48% cod, fresh and dehydrated, it can also be used for all breeds and All Life Stages. Due to the quality of the protein, it also has a very low ash level of a maximum of 6.90%. We don't think there is another food available with 30% protein and 92% protein from animal sources that combines all these benefits. No lentils, peas, pea protein or plants oils.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

FarminaND said:


> Our Single Protein Cod might be an option. It has 30% protein and 18% fat with 92% animal protein of the total. This food is just as effective as therapeutic diets for digestion. It should be available on-line in the next four weeks. It contains no plant oil, no chicken, egg or chicken fat.
> 
> 
> Single Animal Protein Wild Cod & Ancestral Grain Recipe | Farmina Pet Foods - Happy pet. Happy You.


This food sounds really interesting. It's not made in theUS though, so how does shipping and length of time from manufacture add up? I only trust a couple of pet food makers here in the US. Are your food standards/regulation different from the US's regulations?


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## FarminaND (May 23, 2013)

Shamrockmommy said:


> This food sounds really interesting. It's not made in theUS though, so how does shipping and length of time from manufacture add up? I only trust a couple of pet food makers here in the US. Are your food standards/regulation different from the US's regulations?


The standards imposed by Italy and the EU are much higher than the US. While we are registered with FDA and USDA and subject to inspection by both agencies those standards are quite minimal compared to Italian & EU food handling rules. The USA website has a comprehensive explanation of our plants and processes. Our production standards are similar to those used by human food companies, not pet food companies. Farmina is owned by the Russo family and was started in 1965.

http://usa.farmina.com/ The section, The History of Farmina has lots of good information.

We have three plants, two of which have been built from the ground up in the last 5 years using the latest technology. We buy our ingredients from a relatively small group of suppliers. Everything is sourced from Italy with the exception of fish from Denmark and dried eggs from France. Rarely do thing travel more than a few hours from source to either of our two European plants. All our plants are ISO 9001:2008 and HACCP certified.

Amadori is our largest supplier. Amadori is like the Bell & Evans of Italy.

Amadori: punto di riferimento per i piatti a base di carne

Unlike many pet food companies in the US, we have over 200 employees with 20 having advanced degrees in nutrition and food safety. We have several Vets on staff full-time.

So in answer to your question, Italian food standards are quite a bit higher than what you have in the US. You may not be aware that we are the only major food company to have filed a Pledge of Quality & Origin with The Truth About Pet Food.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Sounds good. Where will it be available online?


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

and how long to get here?


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## Dobelover (Mar 14, 2013)

Shamrockmommy said:


> Mostly I am just venting. Currently have four dogs on four different foods Fromm grain free usually has been fine but I've got one throwing up on it. The other barfer is on precise kibble. Other two are fine on petguard and innova canned. It's unusual for my dogs to barf and they have been wantin g to eat grass. Wait! The two barfers have been gorging on tomatoes in the back yard. They eat red and green ones. Off to google if tomatoes are bad!


Green tomatoes are bad!


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Dobelover said:


> Green tomatoes are bad!


That's what I was told by a vet tech! I had no idea! 

2 days post me ripping out the plants that they had access to. NO vomiting. NO diarrhea. Phew.


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## FarminaND (May 23, 2013)

bett said:


> and how long to get here?


How long to get here in terms of shipping? Or, how long before you can buy it?

I can't tell you today which on-line retailer will have it but it is one people really like. It should be in stock by the beginning of October. As for shipping, the foods are made when we get an order, so we usually allow 3 days for production, 4 days for safety hold and for ocean shipping to the USA is 2-3 weeks. The food will be about a month old, generally less, when it gets to the USA. Foods coming to the USA will use packaging sealed with nitrogen gas. We are also close with several traditional distributors covering over 1,000 stores.

We will be offering 13 formulas (5 cat), ranging from 92% animal protein to 97% animal protein, including a 42/22 Canine ALS food with very low ash that is already compliant with the new 2014 AAFCO rules for calcium and phosphorous for puppies.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

FarminaND said:


> Yes, there is no animal protein contributed by the salmon and herring oil blend, not one gram. This diet was recently mentioned by Mary Strauss of DogAware.com as a choice for sensitive dogs and a lot of our testing focused on digestive issues in certain breeds. It is also an excellent choice for large and giant breeds, German Shepherds for example, given their predisposition to digestive upset and soft stools. Given its robust formulation of 48% cod, fresh and dehydrated, it can also be used for all breeds and All Life Stages. Due to the quality of the protein, it also has a very low ash level of a maximum of 6.90%. We don't think there is another food available with 30% protein and 92% protein from animal sources that combines all these benefits. No lentils, peas, pea protein or plants oils.


It does look like it would be a good diet for a sensitive stomach. But for a dog with an allergy, intolerance or a sensitivity to salmon or herring, it is difficult for the consumer to know if any given product contains any protein from the salmon oil or other fish oils. I have a dog who is highly reactive to salmon and salmon oils.


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## FarminaND (May 23, 2013)

BrownieM said:


> It does look like it would be a good diet for a sensitive stomach. But for a dog with an allergy, intolerance or a sensitivity to salmon or herring, it is difficult for the consumer to know if any given product contains any protein from the salmon oil or other fish oils. I have a dog who is highly reactive to salmon and salmon oils.


The fish oils you buy and are used by us do not have any protein in them for a numbers of reasons relating to purification and filtering. We would be quite surprised to see a fish oil on the market with even trace amounts of protein. As for your dog, you can only try and see. True allergies to fish protein are rather low on the scale of animal protein allergies. 

And you are right this particular diet tests very well with dogs that have digestion issues, as do the others.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

FarminaND said:


> The fish oils you buy and are used by us do not have any protein in them for a numbers of reasons relating to purification and filtering. We would be quite surprised to see a fish oil on the market with even trace amounts of protein. As for your dog, you can only try and see. True allergies to fish protein are rather low on the scale of animal protein allergies.
> 
> And you are right this particular diet tests very well with dogs that have digestion issues, as do the others.


I have done Saliva IgM and IgA testing on my dog who is sensitive/reactive to salmon. Not a true food allergy, but a food sensitivity. Very highly reactive to salmon. There is no question about it.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

FarminaND said:


> True allergies to fish protein are rather low on the scale of animal protein allergies.


And, let's not forget, that it doesn't matter what the protein is, if a dog has been exposed to it and has a tendency to develop food sensitivities or food allergies, it CAN happen with no regard to where that protein might sit on the "list" of common protein allergies. The reason fish might be low on the scale is because fish is not as commonly fed as other proteins.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

FarminaND said:


> How long to get here in terms of shipping? Or, how long before you can buy it?
> 
> I can't tell you today which on-line retailer will have it but it is one people really like. It should be in stock by the beginning of October. As for shipping, the foods are made when we get an order, so we usually allow 3 days for production, 4 days for safety hold and for ocean shipping to the USA is 2-3 weeks. The food will be about a month old, generally less, when it gets to the USA. Foods coming to the USA will use packaging sealed with nitrogen gas. We are also close with several traditional distributors covering over 1,000 stores.
> 
> We will be offering 13 formulas (5 cat), ranging from 92% animal protein to 97% animal protein, including a 42/22 Canine ALS food with very low ash that is already compliant with the new 2014 AAFCO rules for calcium and phosphorous for puppies.


i have one lab that cant have chicken and i think i'd try the gf herring.
will mrchewy carry it?


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## apriliamille (Aug 28, 2013)

FarminaND said:


> How long to get here in terms of shipping? Or, how long before you can buy it?
> 
> I can't tell you today which on-line retailer will have it but it is one people really like. It should be in stock by the beginning of October. As for shipping, the foods are made when we get an order, so we usually allow 3 days for production, 4 days for safety hold and for ocean shipping to the USA is 2-3 weeks. The food will be about a month old, generally less, when it gets to the USA. Foods coming to the USA will use packaging sealed with nitrogen gas. We are also close with several traditional distributors covering over 1,000 stores.
> 
> We will be offering 13 formulas (5 cat), ranging from 92% animal protein to 97% animal protein, including a 42/22 Canine ALS food with very low ash that is already compliant with the new 2014 AAFCO rules for calcium and phosphorous for puppies.



over 1,000 stores. does this mean petco and petsmart ?


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