trying to find a food for my dog whose prone to weigh loss and loose stools

[tkruger]

hi

i've asked another question about pooch and mutt but i'm asking what food would be advisable to
feed my dog because he suffers with loose stools bad wind and all of a sudden very hyper. he was fed raw. it lost lots of weight. was 8kg and went to just under 6kg and the more ravenous he became the more weight he lost and the more we fed and decided it wasn't for him and vet ran tests and he's been off raw for 2 months but only gone from 5.9kg to 6.5kg. we started on eden fish but it went right thru him.  on barking heads bad hair day he was ok but hyper. trialling millie's 60/40 turkey lamb and tripe but he seems super hyper. then carnilove remainder but not agreeing. i just want a food he will settle with and can't overload his tummy so guess he needs higher fat ? or does he need more carbs. so confused and just want the best for him. need to know what i should be looking for on the food dials on this website when researching food. i was thinking of trialling pooch and mutt but not sure. what would be s good food for putting on weight.

[Tinyplanets]

Hello and welcome to the forum, I was just wondering if you are set on feeding a dry food as it sounds like digestion is an issue, perhaps a wet complete may be easier for your dog to cope with.
Have you thought about something like forthglade which has very few ingredients in. Less to potentially cause problems.
Unfortunately it may be a lot of trial and error but perhaps important to only feed your chosen food and no treats for the time being.
You might find some useful advice here

Good Luck.

[LS25Lee]

I know your pain with stomach problems and the runs and how mortifying it is. I've been feeding wainwrights lamb grain free small breed for three weeks now and my dog is producing really good poo..... Every dog is different of course but as long as he's eating it I won't be changing.

[tkruger]

thanks. i wasn't sure if feeding wet food would make it harder to gain weight. he still has some weight to gain. as someone mentioned feeding wet would make it harder so not sure but it was said feeding dry would help him put weight on quicker. i have left the millie's out tonight and he had barking heads bad hair day lamb and he's had firm poo. it's like you're on constant poo patrol. i think millie's is def not for him even though it is a good food. i did think about wainwrights lamb. but maybe as barking heads seems to be working ok maybe i should stick with it. it gets a 4.2 rating on here so can't b a bad food and as i have small dogs it lasts longer

[LS25Lee]

Yeah I'd stick with the lamb you're using definitely.... Yes I'm always on poo patrol that's for sure

[Dottie]

Usually good quality wet foods have a higher fat level which should help your dog to gain weight. However, they tend to have a correspondingly higher protein too and you have indicated that your dog does not do well on high protein.

The product you have chosen, Barking Heads Bad Hair Day has a moderate protein of 25% and higher fat, 18.5% so in theory should be a good choice for your dog. The review of Barking Heads Bad Hair Day is here. The brown rice and oats will add carbs and fibre which should help with intestinal health. It would probably be better if you gave nothing but the Barking Heads so that you can evaluate it properly. He should not be hyperactive on this because the protein is only 25%.

I don't see probiotics in the formula so if you want to supplement, have a look for something or maybe ask your vet.

As his poo is now firming up I would advise you to stick with this product. Don't forget that you can soften the kibble with warm water to make it easier to digest. Also the dog will be less thirsty. Weigh the food and don't be in a rush to get the weight back on.  It's important that you don't overfeed. For now, concentrate on stabilising your dog rather than gaining weight. Once the poo is nice and firm you can very slowly increase the amount if you feel it necessary. 

Going forward, Wainwright's grain free might be suitable, particularly as there is a flavour range. However, I really think that for now the best thing is to stick with the product you have chosen as it appears to be helping.

Your little dog has had a tough time and I hope that he is soon better. Please would you let us know how he gets on?

[Dottie]

Thank you Meg. I had forgotten that single source protein is useful with dogs that have intolerance or digestive issues. Agree about raw not suiting all dogs. I found some issues with my older two dogs. I am not really sure that a largely sedentary, pet dog requires such high protein but I accept that lots of dogs do well on such diets.

Unfortunately, the OP has not given us an update yet.  I hope the advice has been helpful and the dog is doing better.