Need info on what to give my rescue

[i12sbaby]

Hi everyone,
I would appreciate any help you can give us on our situation. We rescued Deacon (a Newf about 12 to 15 mos old from what we believe) three months ago and the rescue was feeding him Purina One with rice & chicken added as he was very thin. We have continued that and he has gained some weight and is at a good weight according to our vet. In the past 3 weeks or so he has started itching and has white specks/dandruff? on him especially when we brush him. Also, he has begun having soft and sometimes runny poops in the house and it seems to be as he can't hold it because he has never done this before. It is always next to the door that we tend to take him out by so I am quite sure that this is the case and not that he has become lazy or defiant (always when there is noone home or when we are sleeping). I have read about Orijen and adding salmon oil but see that others use different brands also. Could anyone please help me as to what am I really looking for so that he has good poops and nice skin/coat? I have heard that Newfs shouldn't have any type of corn as it shreds their digestive system/stomachs but everything I look at seems to have corn of some type. :shrug: We and Deacon would really appreciate your recommendations. Thanks. :wave:

 

[twins2again]

:tongue:There are some rescue people on here that will be on soon to help you. Purina one is not a good quality food there are many good quality foods out there,they may recommend . Where he is a rescue and has issues, im going to let them answer this but it sounds like he has allergies to me. Alot of dogs dont do well on chicken based foods and foods with grains. Check out the food recommendations on here while you wait good luck!:heart:

 

[i12sbaby]

Thanks Carol, the allergies is what I was thinking too. I just feel bad for the poor boy.

 

[lola]

Buddy had all those things until we switched him to orijen.. now he's doign great, no flakes, his coat is niec and shiny and he doesn't itch as much anymore, so i'm assuming it was a grain allergy (though minor). He stayed at a kennel two weeks ago and i'm assuming he got some treats from their trainers because he had runny poo again for a few days after he got back home, we detoxed him with rice and hamburger meat for two days then everything was fine again, so i'm assuming their treats had grain in them. Good luck! Sometimes it's hard to find the right food (took us about 5-6 before we found the right one) and not all dogs are the same, though it seems the good part of them do well on orijen.

 

[Murphy]

If Orijen does not firm him up, you can try Acana.. it is made by the same company.. just a litle less protein and they make a grain free lamb product. Murphy did terrible on Purina.. (I didn't know any better at the time I was feeding it)..

 

[KodysGrandma]

Based on all the raves posted on this forum I switched Thunder about 4 months ago from Lamb & Rice to Orijen fish. He loves it and so does everyone else (I have not switched them, they try to snitch). Since he's a little chunky at 166 I have cut him back to 2 cups a day, along with green beans and sometimes salmon. Coat is much improved, black and shiny almost all over. Expect in another few months it will be totally improved.

 

[victoria1140]

beware feeding too high a quality food initially as rescues cant always take the high protein. If you do switch feed less initially and bulk it out with other items until you know his stomach can take it.

I have heard good reports for the Acana but it is too pricey for all of our dogs to eat, has he had any tests or have you tried switching to a home cooked diet initially until he firms up.

It also may be he has an irritable bowel so probiotics may help. Hope you get him sorted as still trying to get solid stools for my baby so I know how you feel. If he messes when you are not their or sleeping could it be a form of seperation anxiety

 

[Carlina]

I have switched to Orijen but was feeding Eagle Pac Fish and it is a very good food also. Both mine are from Rescue and we were required to feed Eagle Pac. I have been feeding this for 4 years with Nana and 2 years with Emma. I just switched them both over about 3 months ago and they are doing well on the new food.

 

[noblenewf]

Well...I'm an Orijen convert also. Been feeding it about a year now and it's absolutely wonderful. It is pricey, however, and some dogs can tolerate it...others can't. Although it's pricey, you will feed a lot less of it and the results in coat and health will definitely save you in the long run on vet bills for allergies, health issues. That being said, there are lots of wonderful foods out there too if Orijen is not an option for you or your Newf doesn't tolerate it. My Golden, Murphy, LOVES Orijen but just cannot tolerate it. He ALWAYS has loose stools...no matter how much I lessen the amount. It's horrible. He does GREAT on Eagle Pack Holistic Select formulas. I switch between the Lamb, Duck and Oatmeal and Fish formulas. Canidae is a solid brand too- they have some new Grain free formulas as well. I also have heard wonderful things about Nature's Variety. If you want him to gain weight, and have some wonderful changes in his coat I would try feeding him Satin Balls for a while. I fed these when my Newf was recovering from surgery and wouldn't eat at all...and they worked wonders. He gained weight nicely and his coat was WOW! That's all I can say. Long term, of course, you wouldn't want to feed these long term. If you are looking for a good kibble I would highly recommend any of the ones I mentioned. Although, Orijen is my absolute favorite for my Newf. He thrives on it...glows and his coat is phenomenal. He is so healthy and LOVES it too! If you can swing it I would try it. It is rich, so adjust him to the new kibble slowly. Most Newf owners also give Salmon Oil or canned Mackeral as well. Hope this helps. Good luck and keep us posted on Duncan!

P.S. Avoid all grocery store brands, Iams, Science Diet, Purina, Eukanuba. They are all packed with fillers and have very little nutritional values. I would stick with the holistic all natural foods that have named meats as the first few ingredients. No by product, no corn, wheat or soy. NO preservatives. Nothing artificial. Good luck.

 

[kagricola]

In addition to trying another food, you may want to bring a stool sample to your vet to rule out parasites as the cause of the runny poop. When we rescued Daisy she put on weight, grew a beautiful coat and looked fantastic, only to start having horrible bouts of diarrhea after about 4 months. We did lots of tests and then the vet that saw her right after I brought her home happened to see me in the waiting room at the vet practice and asked which pet I was with. When I told her it was Daisy she went running right back and told the other vet to take a stool sample and sure enough, she had Whipworms. She was wormed in rescue and after I adopted her, but some parasites can be hard to eliminate, so I tell all our shelter adopters to bring a stool sample to the vet 3 or 4 months after they bring their new dog home just to be safe.

 

[georgie1]

Hi i12sbaby, I would defineately switch to the Orijin, and would add so pure 100 % pumpkin to his food for a bit to help firm him up. Salmon oil is great BUT I would not add to much on him at once. I would start with the food, switching him over slowly with the pumpkin and then if all goes well add the salmon oil in after a bit. Good Luck!

 

[Erika]

Our rescue/adoptees had to be slowly transitioned too except Greta she was fed good food. Our Gandolph came with 2 different parasites.Definitely take a poop sample in. Ya just never know. It took us 4 months to get rid of the giardia and another month to get the right food. Definitely try to stay away from the grains.Good luck, and ya have great support here and advice. Happy hunting for the golden turd. Hugs to you Luvs

 

[4ondafloor]

There are a few "transition foods" out there. I would simply start mixing a little of the new food in with the old and transition that way though. Gradually reducing the old over a period of a week. Some do it cold turkey and it works out fine. Others, not so much.
You'll get a LOT of advice on what food is best. Do a little homework and find a good quality food that fits in your budget. You don't have to buy the most expensive food to get a quality brand.
I think you do need to take a stool sample in for testing though. I'd start there. Giardia is one cause that needs to be looked at. Parasites rear their ugly head in rescue Newfs. Been there twice with two fosters in the last 6 months.
You may want to try boiled chicken and rice mixed with the kibble too. You can also use ground sirloin mixed with rice as well. That will help some.
Pure pumpkin will also help with loose stools too. A tablespoon a few times a day is good and they love it. Make sure its PURE pumpkin in the can though and not the ready for pie type.
To the vet with the stool sample though! Good luck..and THANK YOU for taking in a rescue.

 

[suse]

I agree with Pae and Syd. It is good sound advice. Just to let you know, my dog is on 6 fish Orijen and has recently become quite itchy, with the little bumps and dandruff you mentioned, so it is not the perfect food for all dogs. I am going to try another food and if that doesn't work, we're off to the vet. Good luck and thank you for taking in a rescue!

 

[noblenewf]

Oh I forgot all about the stool sample thing! Yes! A must do too!!!