[winechick]

I recently changed my dogs food from Precise Senicare to Merrick Grammys pot pie, I switched because I read the ratings at Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost
And wanted her to be on a top rated food. She loves the new food, except since she has been on it she pees in her crate every night. I always walk her right before bed and she has always been good at night in the past. She is 7 years old. I have gone through so many different foods already cause of her inability to digest food. I always fed her kibble and tried wet, but that gave her diarrhea. What can I do? What food would you recommend that is a top rated food that she can digest and won't make her pee and fart all night? I tried evo but that was too rich, I tried California Naturals but she wouldn't eat that. She tried the nutro, but I switched cause of bad ratings. I thought the Merrick would have been perfect but it makes her really gassy and she pees in her bed at night with it. Please help.

[RubyPitbull]

winechick, not to be rude just asking a question, why would you switch to another food that has been given a number one rating on a website in which you don't have any idea who wrote it? You have to be careful about the information you pick up from the web. Even here, after I write this, you need to speak with the person who knows your dog best. The best food to give to your dog is the one that you have discussed with your vet about first. He/she is the person you should rely on. If you feel your vet isn't doing the best job for your dog, find another vet.

Switching up any food abruptly will cause gastric distress in most dogs. I have a dog that had a very poor start in life and was left with a lifetime of digestive issues. Most things give her diarrhea.

You are right to stay away from the wet foods for a few reasons, number one being that it causes diarrhea in your dog. First thing I would suggest is that you stop the Merrick. I am not knocking it, it is as good as anything else out there, but it obviously is creating problems for your dog. Did she not do well on the senior food? If not, does she generally get diarrhea from most foods? Since your baby is 7 years old, talk with your vet. It would be wise to check her kidney functions and make sure that the urine issue was solely caused by the food switch and she hasn't developed a problem. Once you have established whether she has kidney issues, talk to your vet about Hill's Prescription Science Diet. It is a chow that is only sold by a veterinarian's office. If there are kidney issues, there is one that is specially formulated (called K/D) that will help her. If she doesn't have kidney issues there is one that is formulated for older dogs with digestive issues (called W/D). The W/D is a kibblle that has less protein and a much higher fiber content that any other kibble out there. My dog has done exceptionally well on it. It is the first food that finally created normal looking formed stools for her. AND, I went through what you went through. I tried so many things looking for an answer. I finally switched to A THIRD vet, who immediately suggested I cut out all the "guinea pig" type testing on her that the other vets suggested, and put her on the W/D.

When you decide with the vet, what food is best for her, change the food during a week. Add a small amount of the new, to a reduced portion of the old. Basically, make sure you are feeding the regular portion but a mixture of the two. At each feeding, increase the new and decrease the old. Do this over a one week period until she is completely on the new food. Doing this will minimize any gastric upset. :)

[labman]

RubyPitbull has given you some very sensible advice. Your vet may be able to furnish you a chow your dog will do well on. After my one young Lab had a second UTI, my vet put her on Science CD. That was the last of the infections. I am even more outspoken against much of what you read about dog nutrition on the net. Many of those insulting vets with accusations of being money grubbers selling unwholesome chow are in fact huge hypocrites. They themselves are making good money selling chows with no proof they are any better than more common brands.

While you need to go no further than the ingredient list on the Science Diet, or other common brands, to prove it contains ''bad ingredients'', there is no proof the ''bad ingredients'' harm dogs. None, zero, zip. It is all speculation put out by those selling the chows your dog isn't doing well on. I am part of a program that has thousands of dogs that have eaten Pro Plan for their whole life and are thriving. I am also familiar with similar programs feeding Iams and other common brands. The attacks on such chows don't fit with reality.

I am active on another site, and I would guess I see a couple of questions a week there similar to yours. People have tried a number of well rated chows, and their dog has done no better than yours. Hummmmmmmm. Dogs eating chows with bad ingredients thrive. Dogs eating chows with good ingredients have constant digestive and coat problems. Could it be that the rating system is totally flawed?

I have publicly challenged those condemning common chows to give me some real proof they aren't good for dogs. If they respond, it with links to lists of bad ingredients and anecdotes. I have yet to see a carefully structured controlled test. Go to your web site an see if it proves anything except the Merrick contains what they define as good ingredients.

So get with your vet and put your dog on what he suggests.

I might add give any new chow time to work. I changed my Holly from Iams to Purina 1 last summer. Although I made the change over about a week, it was a month before her stools firmed up. Since Purina 1 is a little less concentrated, they were slightly softer and larger, but still easy to clean up. With having the dogs out in public a lot, that is very important.

[RubyPitbull]

Good point about the UTI and Prescription C/D labman. I am now wondering if the Merrick might have caused a UTI and that is why her dog is peeing at night. Winechick when you bring your dog in for a healthcheck as I suggested, have the vet check her urine for a UTI first, prior to spending the money on a blood panel workup. If there isn't a UTI, then you can have him check further with the blood panel. But, if there is a UTI, no need for the bloodwork but she will need an antibiotic to clear it up.

[winechick]

Thank you for the responses. She did have a full $400 check up with all blood and everything. She came out 100% fine. I was really upset with the vet I went to and felt they were just trying to make money. They made me pay $30 for drugs my dog never needed before the test results came back and then they gave me samples of the SD and PD foods which I thought were samples, but I ended up getting charged for them. Exactly 1 month after this full check up I needed to get a booster shot and they wanted me to pay another $200 for a checkup again plus the shot fees. I will be moving soon and will find a new vet, but I was quite disappointed. I really just want to find a food that won't make her pee in her bed at night. I know it takes time for the stomach to adjust to the food, but some of the foods must be much saltier or hold water more.

[RubyPitbull]

winechick, as I said, I finally found the right vet for my dog on the third try. I work with other vets in my rescue work but I love my vet. No nonsense kind of guy who won't do anything that isn't necessary. I went through the same things you did with all the excessive charges. I know how upsetting and frustrating it is. I hope that you find a good vet where you are moving to. Ask your new neighbors, co-workers, local pet store manager, for their suggestions. Talk to them about the problems you have encountered. You will be surprised how willing people are to give a good vet recommendation. It also is a good way break the ice making some new aquaintances who are dog people.

I am glad that your dog is okay. You very well might be right that Merricks has a higher sodium content than others. I don't know. I can tell you when I tried it a number of years ago, my dog did have diarrhea. You mentioned you tried the SD. Did you try to SD W/D with the higher fiber? If not, you can get it at any vet in your area. So, if you are fed up with your current vet, you don't have to go back there if you don't want to.

Good luck with the move. :)