Your Questions About Organic Dog Food Sensitive Stomachs

Linda asks…

My shitzu throws up yellow often, what is the problem and do you have any sugestions? ?

My shitzu is a year old. I feed him Natural Choice(Chicken and Rice outmeal formula) food for sensitive stomachs. He is still throwing up about every two weeks. Can you please give me some advice is to what would be wrong. =]

Thanks

JH

admin answers:

Yellow puke is bile, so your dog isn’t throwing up his food. You should look into another food, though. The brand you’re feeding is full of fillers that aren’t nutritious for your dog. Avoid foods from the big pet and grocery stores.

Better kibble are: Timberwolf Organics, Merrick, Solid Gold, Wellness, ZiwiPeak, Orijen, Pinnacle, and Prairie.

The best you could feed your dog is raw: Bravo, Oma’s Pride, Aunt Jennie’s Homemade 4 Life, Primal, and Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl.

Jenny asks…

Why is my dog lethargic?

For the last two weeks my dog has been really lethargic off and on. He has only vomited about three times in the last two weeks, once was because he was choking on his water =/ He is eating, drinking, his poop is normal looking, no blood from either end. He sleeps (too much) and will go for a walk if I take him. However, he is soooo lethargic and looks weak in his eyes. He is also prone to bouts of shivering. Not to mention he is OVERLY cuddly, he is normally cuddly, but has been wanting to live on my head so to speak. All of the “emergency” signs are not there so I have not taken him to the vet yet. I can’t afford it if he does not need to go. I am, however, worried. Has anyone had this happen with their dog(s) before? Any insight or ideas or information would be GREATLY appriciated! Thank you:)
He is 3 years old
He is a shitzu/tibetian spanial mix

He also had little itchy bumps on his skin (nothing new, vet has seen that before and thinks it is an allergic reaction). Bumps are gone but he is now lethargic and blah.

I WILL take him to a vet, however, the vets always tell me I worry too much and to not bother unless he is showing signs of “true illness” whatever that means. I am frustrated with vets, and thought I would seek the general help of real people. I know you can’t diagnose my dog, I am just looking for ideas and feedback.

admin answers:

It is common for a dog to throw up its water on occasion if they drink too much too fast. When he shivers is it after he drinks????? If so warm the water, the water is making him cold. Some dogs shiver for no apparent reason, shitzus, chihuahas, are very known for this.

The vomiting may be due to a sensitive stomach, food allergy or an internal organ problem such as kidney or liver disease. I would recommend having some blood tests run to rule out liver and kidney disease.

In the meantime, FAST her for 24 hours…provide fresh water only. Then re-introduce a bland diet of boiled chicken OR burger with rice–NO regular dog food, treats or scraps. If she does not vomit while on this BLAND diet, then I would recommend trying a diet for sensitive stomachs.give her yogurt on a daily basis as well as adding digestive enzymes into her food such as PROZYME.

Food allergies will sometimes make them sick, and usually what causes allergies to the food is corn.

Try what i mentioned above first and see if this makes the dog change in actions.

Good dog foods are not sold at your vets or grocery stores,

Innova, canidae, solid gold, california natural, are all good foods.
Science diet recommended by vet is not a good food either,

How to grade your dog’s food: Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of “by-product” , subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source (“meat” or “poultry”, meat, meal or
fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (I.e. “ground brown rice”, “brewers rice”, “rice flour” are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog is not allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point>
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein source, but “chicken” and “” as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

Score:
94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D 69 and below = F>
Here are some foods that have already been scored.

Dog Food scores:
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten’s Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
ProPlan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Michael asks…

is this a good idea for my dog?

i would like to feed my dog a homemade diet. he is 35-40 pound american eskimo. i was thinking of using cooked ground beef, brown rice, and veggies in his diet. other meats would include chicken and turkey. but i would like more advice on this please.
thank you=]
p.s. he is currently on high quality organic dog food.

admin answers:

This type of diet for your dog is probably the healthiest choice for him. Even the top quality foods you buy prepackaged contain preservatives and other chemicals. I’ve been able to find cookbooks for cooking for dogs even! There are plenty of people out there who do this, as long as you have the time and budget for this new diet. Also i would like to add that salmon is another good source of protein and keeps their coat shiny. However your dog’s stomach may be sensitive to the change, so a gradual transition from the organic dog food to your home cooked food would be best. Try calling your vet’s office and see what they say, although i’m sure they would be more than happy to sell you their brand of dog food, the vet will also have some good advice.

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