# why the heck re shanes stools soft!??!?!!?



## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

IDK WAT IM DOING WRONG. I STARTED SWITCHING 2-3 WEEKS AGO, AND IM GOING SLOW. TWO DAYS AGO I STARTED MIXING 50/50. but then i cut it back to 60/40(old/new)

i feed 2-2.5 cups a day. my dogs stools come out normal shape, then i poke it with a stick and it smears, its so gushy and soft. im getting frustrated here. i never checked his stools on regular canidae, but i assumed they were ok. i mean canidaes a decent food, so if dogs on purina are doing ok, hsi stools should be ok.

hes 75 pounds should i feed less????? this food is way to expensive for him not to be absorbing.

it has less calories than canidae, and i fed around 3 of canidae.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Couple things

1) Canidae's formula has changed, which I'm sure you have heard all about, and according to Canidae faithfuls, their dogs have not done well on the new formula.

2) If you fed junk dog food previously and for a long period of time, there is a chance that your dog has damage to its digestive tract. If the new kibble is a high meat source, they may not be able to handle (absorb) for some time until the tract heals itself.

3) Try a digestive enzyme like Prozyme or Omega Zyme from Garden of Life. Every kibble needs a whole foods supplement of some kind. Whole food supplements like Springtimes Longevity or Bio Preparation have digestive enzymes already in them. Also, if you treat fleas and ticks internally and naturally (not chemically), these too have digestive enzymes in them as well...like Springtimes Bug Off Garlic and Earth Animals Bug Off.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

SaltyDog said:


> Couple things
> 
> 1) Canidae's formula has changed, which I'm sure you have heard all about, and according to Canidae faithfuls, their dogs have not done well on the new formula.
> 
> ...


1-Ive been feeding canidae;'s ALS formulas for years, i jsut switched to canidae's GRAIN FREE ALS. i never had a problem with the formula switch back in 2008.

2-junk food is all opinion, but i was feeding canidae ALS, which i consider alright , but wanted to switch to GF.

3-i use vectra flea and tick preventive. dont know how you treat ticks naturally without chemicals?

thanks for the response.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Feed less quantity of food. Instead of feeding 2-2.5 cups, feed 1.5-2 cups per day split into two meals. 

When switching foods, its good to go slow in the transition as well as the quantity.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

wont he starve? he ate 3 cups of canidae a day and maintained healthy weight. canidae is more calorically dense than ther grain free one, hes 75 pounds.


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> wont he starve? he ate 3 cups of canidae a day and maintained healthy weight. canidae is more calorically dense than ther grain free one, hes 75 pounds.


He's not going to starve over the span of a week or two. He'll be fine. 

It's possible that he might have just eaten something weird like a treat or a dead animal. :biggrin:


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

You can treat fleas and ticks naturally with products found in petsmart marked as natural or order them online, for example Sentry Natural Defense Natural Flea & Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs & Puppies - Flea & Tick - Dog - PetSmart

try cutting him back and see how he does with it. If his stools look the same as they did on Canidae ALS, but you never checked his other stools consistently, maybe they haven't really changed and you're just now noticing that they weren't _that_ firm before. You also have to keep in mind that he's transitioning right now, which means his digestive system is still figuring out how to process the new food, so that could also lead to looser stools. 

I know of several people whose dogs have had looser stools when in the transition process that firmed up once their dogs were fully onto the new food within a week or so.


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

^^^ agreed as well. :biggrin:


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

harrkim120 said:


> He's not going to starve over the span of a week or two. He'll be fine.
> 
> It's possible that he might have just eaten something weird like a treat or a dead animal. :biggrin:


i guess he really does want to go raw lol!:tongue:


rannmiller said:


> You can treat fleas and ticks naturally with products found in petsmart marked as natural or order them online, for example Sentry Natural Defense Natural Flea & Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs & Puppies - Flea & Tick - Dog - PetSmart
> 
> try cutting him back and see how he does with it. If his stools look the same as they did on Canidae ALS, but you never checked his other stools consistently, maybe they haven't really changed and you're just now noticing that they weren't _that_ firm before. You also have to keep in mind that he's transitioning right now, which means his digestive system is still figuring out how to process the new food, so that could also lead to looser stools.
> 
> I know of several people whose dogs have had looser stools when in the transition process that firmed up once their dogs were fully onto the new food within a week or so.


damn ive been using the stuff from the vet that you pur on his skin,to keep fleas away, salty dog told me that fda is banning those soon?????
and yeah i agree with you. i meant what you are saying, that maybe his stools werent perfect on canidae either. idk, but today i reduced the food. i couldn't bring myself to drop to 1.5 cups for a dog his size. i gave just under 2 cups,and im not giving more for a weeks time.
i gave 1 cup of the old, and .8 or .9 cups of the new..just an estimate.


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> i guess he really does want to go raw lol!:tongue:


Well.... he IS a Carnivore

:wink:

:biggrin:


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> IDK WAT IM DOING WRONG. I STARTED SWITCHING 2-3 WEEKS AGO, AND IM GOING SLOW. TWO DAYS AGO I STARTED MIXING 50/50. but then i cut it back to 60/40(old/new)
> 
> i feed 2-2.5 cups a day. my dogs stools come out normal shape, then i poke it with a stick and it smears, its so gushy and soft. im getting frustrated here. i never checked his stools on regular canidae, but i assumed they were ok. i mean canidaes a decent food, so if dogs on purina are doing ok, hsi stools should be ok.
> 
> ...



That seems like a lot of food to me. You have to feed less on a grain free diet. I used to give Aspen 3 cups a day on EVO and he did perfectly well. And he's 115 lbs. I would go with danemama's advice. 1.5 to 2 cups a day in two meals.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Agree with MALL. 

My biggest is about 60lbs. and he holds weight at about 1.5 cups per day...(2/3 twice per day...thats 1.5 cups, right? 


RC, you've got to understand, EVO is super duper rich and a perfect food...lots different than that Canidae stuff :wink:


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## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

Yep, sounds like too much, too rich.
Cut him back a bit and see if things firm up, like everyone advises.

Make sure people aren't giving him treats as well.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Agreed. Feed less food like I suggested earlier.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

kevin bradley said:


> Agree with MALL.
> 
> My biggest is about 60lbs. and he holds weight at about 1.5 cups per day...(2/3 twice per day...thats 1.5 cups, right?
> 
> ...


i still feed canidae grain free right now, but i cut back down to 2 cups, although i free feed so i put it in at the beginning of the day, and he eats it when he pleases(usually half at the morning and half at night)


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> i still feed canidae grain free right now, but i cut back down to 2 cups, although i free feed so i put it in at the beginning of the day, and he eats it when he pleases(usually half at the morning and half at night)


I was just funnin' ya, RC. 

Get Canidae out of that Diamond plant and I'll consider putting them back on my radar :wink:


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

yeah,that is why im gonna rotate to evo after doing canidae for a few cycles. natura is a good company, who i dont have any issues with. i just cant decide if i want to get the herring or the turkey.

and i doubt my store has samples.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> i still feed canidae grain free right now, but i cut back down to 2 cups, although i free feed so i put it in at the beginning of the day, and he eats it when he pleases(usually half at the morning and half at night)


Grain free = rich food no matter what brand it is.

Feed less than 2 cups of food and your dog will most likely have better formed stool. Also, you might want to get him on a feeding schedule so you know EXACTLY how much he is getting each day. He will not starve. He will only starve if you don't feed him at all.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

agree w/ Natalie...


and one point I continue to see more and more....I do NOT believe in the transitional tables the food companies put out...typically a one week transition. As always, it depends on the dogs...but 2 of my 3 have to go REAL slow-I mean a 2-3 week transition minimum. I just moved Harry to Acana off EVO and moved a bit too fast and the poor guy had such bad gas this morning that I felt horrible. Hard to believe as EVO is a stronger, richer food...you wouldn't think it would be hard on his system...kind of weird. But it underlined the fact that you've got to go real slow w/ the moves.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> Grain free = rich food no matter what brand it is.
> 
> Feed less than 2 cups of food and your dog will most likely have better formed stool. Also, you might want to get him on a feeding schedule so you know EXACTLY how much he is getting each day. He will not starve. He will only starve if you don't feed him at all.


well i think i will see how he does on 2 for now, and lower it acordingly, his stools seem a little better.


kevin bradley said:


> agree w/ Natalie...
> 
> 
> and one point I continue to see more and more....I do NOT believe in the transitional tables the food companies put out...typically a one week transition. As always, it depends on the dogs...but 2 of my 3 have to go REAL slow-I mean a 2-3 week transition minimum. I just moved Harry to Acana off EVO and moved a bit too fast and the poor guy had such bad gas this morning that I felt horrible. Hard to believe as EVO is a stronger, richer food...you wouldn't think it would be hard on his system...kind of weird. But it underlined the fact that you've got to go real slow w/ the moves.


ive been at this for 2-3 weeks, and im gonna make it atleast a 1 month transition cause i still got a lot of old food left. im starting to raise the percentage of new food starting thursday. Thursday im doing 1.5 cups new and .5 cups old, and i will keep him on this for 2-3 weeks.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

Is there anything about eating too much fish? Like in people, there is mercury poisoning I think, but does that apply to dogs?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> Is there anything about eating too much fish? Like in people, there is mercury poisoning I think, but does that apply to dogs?


Unless you are feeding MASSIVE quantities of deep, cold water fish and not much else...I don't see any reason why your dog should get mercury poisoning. But yes, they can get it. Mercury is a heavy metal that is soluble in water in the right conditions, which is why its found in deep, cold water fish. They accumulate it in their bodies from living in the water.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> Is there anything about eating too much fish? Like in people, there is mercury poisoning I think, but does that apply to dogs?


Like danemama already said, it would take a LOT of fish to cause any kinds of issues, and even so Herring, Whitefish, and Salmon are the most commly used fish in pet foods, and they have some of the lowest levels of mercury as far as fish goes.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Besides, aftr all the processing it goes through, by the time it's made its way into little kibble nuggets, it can hardly be called fish anymore. 

I feed whole sardines and talapia at least once per week, much higher amount of fish than what would be found in kibble, and my dogs are just fine.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

well if i wanted to switch shne to herring evo how long do ineeed to wait since ijust switched to canidae gf?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Why do you want to switch again???

I think you just need to stick with one thing for now, from what you are saying about your dog. Decide on one thing and stick with that for several months until you notice consistent normal stools and are happy with the results. THEN you should decide on adding new foods into a rotation.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

well everyone tells me im horrible for feeding canidae.


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

Oh jeeeeez. Nobody is saying that Canidae is bad food. In fact, I think the consensus is that it is actually quite decent. 

I just think that some people are having trouble with the fact that you have touted it as the BEST of the BEST, which, clearly it is not.

I don't think you are a bad dad. The fact that you are here all the time learning about what is good for your dog just goes to show that you are actually a very caring person who has invested a lot of time trying to figure out what is best for your Shane.

By all means, keep with the Canidae if Shane is doing well on it. :wink:

Richelle


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

Ania's Mommy said:


> Oh jeeeeez. Nobody is saying that Canidae is bad food. In fact, I think the consensus is that it is actually quite decent.
> 
> I just think that some people are having trouble with the fact that you have touted it as the BEST of the BEST, which, clearly it is not.
> 
> ...


alright thanks. another reason i was looking into switching is cause i keep hearing to rotate. i figured, id keep him on this food for 6 months, but idk if that's too long, cause i really wanna try the evo herring.

plus as much as i like canidaes formula, i do have a small issue with them as a company compared to natura, and id prefer an ethoxyquin free food, although for me these are minor issues. but i would like to upgrade to evo eventually. for now though, i wlil prob get a few more bags of canidae GF cause i can get 30 pounds for 49 dollars wit tax.

oh and i might consider going a little lower than 2 cups a day for him, after trying 2 cups. even the bag says for a 75 pound light/senior dog 1.5 is the recommendation. however for an adult 75 pounder go up to 3 cups, so i just used 2. hes only 6, but since its been colder we havent done much walking.he was on 3 of the regular canidae and maintained fine.


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## jdatwood (Apr 13, 2009)

CorgiPaws said:


> I wouldn't worry too much about it. Besides, aftr all the processing it goes through, by the time it's made its way into little kibble nuggets, it can hardly be called fish anymore.


Couldn't have said it better



CorgiPaws said:


> I feed whole sardines and talapia at least once per week, much higher amount of fish than what would be found in kibble, and my dogs are just fine.


Bailey and Akasha eat whole raw fish every morning so it were an issue they'd be dead :wink:


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> well everyone tells me im horrible for feeding canidae.


RC,

Hoping you don't think my lockerroom ribbing meant I think you're horrible for feeding Canidae. Honestly, I have serious reservations about Canidae's relationship with Diamond....I flat out don't like it. 

But Canidae has outstanding ingredients, appears to be a great, great product on paper certainly. If your Dog does well on it...you have to make the call. 

Feeding Canidae makes you a 1000% better owner in terms of healthy feeding that 9/10 owners. I fed freaking Pedigree and Nutro before I knew better. I WAS A CRAPPY OWNER for doing this. Never again though.


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## Gia (May 29, 2009)

Just wanted to add that one of my clients has a poodle/shih tzu cross that is 22 years old! He has fed him Canidae for at least the last decade!


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

kevin bradley said:


> RC,
> 
> Hoping you don't think my lockerroom ribbing meant I think you're horrible for feeding Canidae. Honestly, I have serious reservations about Canidae's relationship with Diamond....I flat out don't like it.
> 
> ...


thabks kevin. yeah i fed science diet LB puppy (one 5 pounde bag) AND thought it was decent when i got my dog from the huimane society at 10 months.

then i immediately switched to nutro natural choice large breed pup, and later large breed adult, i thought i was an awesome parent and heard nutro was the best. my dog started making weird noises as he was laying down..crying noises, so i looked into it, and switched.

ive been on canidae ALS for a while, and thought it was a good food, but after switching to the grain free, i just checked the ingredients of ALS a few weeks ago, and theyre not that good. sure there's a lot of meat, but there's potatoes and peas. PLUS GRAINS. the grain free has potatoes and peas, but no grains!

for now i feel good about feeding canidae gf, but really wanna upgrade to herring evo soon. i have coupons for the canidae but dont care. i was actually very close to getting a free bag of regular canidae, cause iwas almost at 10 bags, but isaid screw it and switched to grain free canidae qfalso.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

Gia said:


> Just wanted to add that one of my clients has a poodle/shih tzu cross that is 22 years old! He has fed him Canidae for at least the last decade!


i can only hope!


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## PUNKem733 (Jun 12, 2009)

Gia said:


> Just wanted to add that one of my clients has a poodle/shih tzu cross that is 22 years old! He has fed him Canidae for at least the last decade!



My dog should match or beat that. He is about 15, and still jumps and runs enough to wear out 3-5 year old dogs. I swear they'll lay down panting, and he'll be jumping all over them. :biggrin:

I sleep on a cali king bed that is a little over 3 feet high, he jumps on it when it's time for bed.


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## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

rannmiller said:


> You can treat fleas and ticks naturally with products found in petsmart marked as natural or order them online, for example Sentry Natural Defense Natural Flea & Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs & Puppies - Flea & Tick - Dog - PetSmart



I just wanted to mention. That sentry smells very very very strong, the dogs hated the smell, and it only worked for 1 week.
it turns white fur yellow.
it has been known to cause SEVER skin irritations in dogs too.


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## Gia (May 29, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> f i was actually very close to getting a free bag of regular canidae, cause iwas almost at 10 bags, but isaid screw it and switched to grain free canidae qfalso.


Won't the store give you at least the cost of the regular canidae bag for your free be?(taken off the price of the grain free bag) I'd ask them...after all it is the same brand you are buying, just a more expensive formula.


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

Gia said:


> Won't the store give you at least the cost of the regular canidae bag for your free be?(taken off the price of the grain free bag) I'd ask them...after all it is the same brand you are buying, just a more expensive formula.


Haha...you know I thought the same thing and even got so far as to type out that very same question, but then I hit a button and it closed the window. :frown: I was so frustrated that I totally couldn't be bothered to type it out again. So, thank you for asking my question. :biggrin:


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

nope they say they cant i did ask before switching. they said the company doesnt allow it(canidae or something)


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> nope they say they cant i did ask before switching. they said the company doesnt allow it(canidae or something)


Is the 10th bag free thing a Canidae promotion or a promotion from the store where you buy the food from?


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

harrkim120 said:


> Is the 10th bag free thing a Canidae promotion or a promotion from the store where you buy the food from?


It's a Canidae promotion.
If a store orders 12 bags of Canidae at a time, they get one free. Some places pass this on to their loyal customers. Some places don't ever need to order that much at a time, so since they never get the deal, nor can they give it to their customers.


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