Help needed, Lab with bad stomach....

WhizPop

Hi, I have a 3 year old yellow lab 'Izzy' She's a working type lab, and is very very fit. But she has had various problems with her stomach since a pup. We've tried her on everything, (after Bakers nearly killed her) and settled on James Wellbeloved as it seemed to work. Hills is a last resort as I think it is incredibly expensive. But she still has re occurring problems every quarter year or so with going off her food(she seems to like JWB most of the time)or having another bad stomach upset. Plus she never seems to put on much weight, and it's easily lost when she has a problem.

Our vet says she probably has an inflammatory Bowel Disease of some kind but without doing a Biopsy, we'll never know. The vet recommended JWB to me but would like other options..

Is there any food out there that anyone could recommend?

Any help would be gratefully received,

Thanks,

Will

Luna-tic · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:05 pm Post subject:

Luna's doing well on Proplan Sensitive tums Salmon. Here it costs about the same as Hills, but lasts longer.

I'm pretty sure it's cheaper in the UK.

jenni270986 · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:18 pm Post subject:

can i ask do you swap the flavours of JWB? usually for hypo allergenic treatment it helps to get 3 flavours and rotate them during the year on a 4 monthly cycle, it prevent the dog from developing an allergy to the new protein source. IT may also help to feed her some oily fish (EPA, DHA) within the fish oils have an anti inflamatory action and help calm it down.
a food with beet pulp may also help as its said to help with digestive integrity (skinners sensitive ranges are made with beet pulp, but if she does well on JWB might be worth sticking with it)

antioxidant supplementation might be worth a go but im not sure whats in the JWB in terms of AO and if somethings balanced its best not to mes kind of thing

jenn

WhizPop · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:35 pm Post subject:

Thanks Jenn,

I do buy small bags of one or two flavours at a time, we did buy a big bag once but she went off it after a month or two. It gets to the point of serious worry when she refuses food, she burns so much energy that she becomes very thin very quickly, so I cook rice and plain chicken to get her back eating (which I've had to do again today!) But maybe I should try longer times on the same flavour, then switch every 3 months,

Will

littlelab · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:53 pm Post subject:

Has the vet done an Ultrasound at all?

Does she bring the food back up or is it chronic runs?

There is a food called Orijin

http://www.orijenpetfoods.co.uk/acatalog/orijen_adult.html

I know someone who has put their dog on this when they tried everything else after having similar problems

littlelab · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 2:55 pm Post subject:

Another thought, have you tried good old fashioned Meat and mixer?

Ie: Butchers tinned or Chappie ?

duinhorst · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:17 pm Post subject:

Hello Will,
how often and how many days she has this problem?

WhizPop · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject:

Thank you very much for the replies.

She has had one severe reaction to Bakers dry food and she was in the vets for a week on a drip, (cant honestly remember if ultrasound was done) but they did pretty much everything to her! Since then it's always been hypoallergenic dry food. She gets less severe problems probably on average every 2 months or so. She gets very bad runs and has thrown up too I think, but more the other end!!

I've never tried her on tins to be honest I dont know a lot about tinned dog food?

Thanks, (Izzy thanks you too, she's my avatar)

Will

KMH · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject:

Hubby's Sam is a fussy / sensitive tum / don't keep weight on type, and he is now on Skinners Field and Trial duck and rice. He loves it and looks really good.

Hope you find something to suit your girl.

Kat

jenni270986 · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject:

vomiting is a pretty severe reaction for a food allergy, has she had liver function tests n things? dont get too worried im not suggesting she has liver problems, but might be worth having them done if shes not had them. usually the allergy is an immune response to the protein in the food (body acts as if its an antigen and "attacks" it) have you notcied its when shes on a particular flavour when she has the slight relapses?

jenn