Bichon Not Doing Well with a New Food

[sylvia]

OK if she has been to the vet then the next thing to do is go to the BFCA healthsite and look up what kind of diet works best for the problem. One type of stone is more linked to diet than the other. I have never had the problem so am not on top of that info. To help the dog get back on track they should give her either boiled rice or a small macaroni with stewed chicken for a week or two. I use thighs, one should make 2 meals. Canned pumpkin helps both runny stools and constipation. Pure pumpkin not pie mix. A tablespoon for a couple of days and then every couple of days.
Science Diet is so bad but I do not want to recommend a food till she knows what should be on the label. Therese has links to so many foods so its easy to compare.
Bichons have major problems with all those flea and tick products so they should be avoided. Same with all the vaccinations. There are links to almost everything Bichon on that site. Most a 14 year old should understand but maybe someone will help her.  Her parents might do that. I seldom log on this site any more but just happened to do it this weekend. These problems are so common among the Bichon pet owners as they do not have the information the Bichon show/breeders have. Have her google Dr Michael Fox. He is a holistic vet who also has tons of info on diet and health for dogs in general.
http://www.bichonhealth.org
Sylvia

[Bonkers]

Out of curiousity I visited  www.bichonhealth.org.

I looked around quite a bit and did not see anything where that it recommended any particular type of food. It gave the normal guidelines for what to look for in a so called quality food, but did not mention any brand or protein source to use.

As sherrylynne has mentioned we are all trying to help a teenager who is trying her best to convince her Mother to try other foods since the Hill's was causing severe skin issues.

It was previously recommended that the dog eat more wet food, but the Mother of the poster wants to continue to use dry. So Sylvia if you know of a particular brand of food that may work well for this dog, please share it.

[sylvia]

Bichon health is a site for information gathered over decades by serious show breeders. They do not advertise any products but offer guidelines to owners of Bichon Frise. I said I will not give a list because I do not know the dog's health problems. That is up to the vet.  What does the vet say? If the dog has kidney or bladder problems read the information and it will help guide to what should be/not be in the diet. Then you have to read the labels carefully. If the allergies are due to flea and tick products diet won't help. There is a contact where the dog's problem can be  explained, emailed and someone will get back with help and advice. There are articles on virtually every problem including the dangers of over vaccination as well as a link to Dr Jean Dodds.
Dr Fox gives a list of foods he thinks are good but once again what are the problems? Switching foods at random is not a great idea. Is the dog allergic to chicken, fish, beef or just reacting to all the junk in foods like Hill's ?Does it have stones or kidney problems, is it basically a skin problem, and then what products are they using on the dog? All have to be considered. I have nothing against Wellness but never used it either. Some breeders feel it is not the best choice for Bichons. They are very sensitive to so many things.
Many feed raw as I do. Some use high quality kibbles with added meat , veggies and eggs but first what is the diagnosis? I would be happy to suggest food choices if you let me know what the vet says the problems are. In the meantime  the stewed chicken with rice or macaroni will get her bowels back to normal and the canned pumpkin will work even faster. Please tell her not to use the Revolution.

[Bonkers]

 The bowel problems only occured when the dog was switched upruptly from the Hills to the Core. I may be mistaken but I do not think that is a problem she is dealing with at the present time.

Hopefully Claudette will return and let us know how the dog is doing.

[sherrylynne]

She'll be here shortly, I imagine . The vet is recommending Hill's only, if I'm correct. If not- Claudette will correct me(and I think she'd love the chance ). And no, the bowels are not the present problem.

[Claudettebillie]

Okay, I'll try to remember everything!


My dog was brought into the vet in December and HAS been checked for her bladder problems. Her urine is monitored VERY closely very regularly and in January she had stones removed from her bladder. The vet (who doesn't know any better obviously) suggested Hills and mom thinks vets know ALL. Claudette's remaining crystals went away with the C/D.

Also wanted to say she has BOTH types of crystals!!!

On C/D, her urine was perfect. A few crystals but nothing serious. So I researched the best foods for dogs with bladder stone issues and was told GRAIN FREE with Methigel. So I got a grain free food and am giving Methigel like the bottle says but she's getting worse with peeing. Her poop is normal.

I do know the requirements of dog nutrition which is the exact reason I want her off C/D.

So now I'm kind of stuck in the middle. What do you give a dog that does good on bad food, and bad on good food!! I would LOOOVE to feed her raw but mom would never let me give her "prissy" dog raw. Mom also thinks canned food will make her poop softer which is a bad thing apparently.

What about trying Evo Red Meat small bites and Evo 95% canned?

[Claudettebillie]

She'll be here shortly, I imagine . The vet is recommending Hill's only, if I'm correct. If not- Claudette will correct me(and I think she'd love the chance ). And no, the bowels are not the present problem.

Yup Sherry's 100% correct.

[Bonkers]

Hi Claudette,

 Either way, I would definitely give her more wet food daily. Not sure I understand the concern about her poo becoming softer.

 If you put her back on the Hills her skin issues will most likely flair up again.


 So it is you who will have to make the decision as to what route to take next.

 Nothing wrong with trying the Evo if that is what you choose.

[Claudettebillie]

I don't really understand the softer poop, either. My mom used to pick up the poop in the driveway when it was crushed rock and she wanted the hardest poo possible to clean up. Now we have hot top and she goes on the grass where no one goes and the rain usually cleans it after awhile.

I'm going to try to get her to eat more canned.

[sylvia]

Hill's Science Diet is a very poor food. Vets sell it so  they prescribe it too. If she has both kinds of stones you need a food that fits best. You have to read labels. If she has skin allergies the recommended protein is lamb or duck as a lot of dogs have a problem with chicken. You want a food with the fewest ingredients and something with probiotics. It is all the grains and by products and chemicals which cause the problems with runny stools and allergies. Evo is an excellent kibble but make sure you read the label to see it fits the needs of a dog with stones. Other top dog food companies would be  Honest Kitchen makes a food that has all human ingredients. It is dry and you mix with warm water. They have several kinds so read the labels. You can add a little meat, veggie, cottage cheese to it. I use it with raw meats. The more meat and less of other ingredients the smaller the stool. Fromm, Petcurean which has Go!Natural (which I think is a good choice for dogs with stones),Pinnacle, Wysong,some Solid Golds mixes, Artemis, Eagle pack, and Merrick are all good. There are more. Plain kibble is not an adequate diet for a dog. Add a good oil such as salmon, pure coconut, flaxseed, or even olive oil. Mix a tablespoon of canned with the kibble for each meal and a little cottage cheese once in a while or an egg. You do not need to feed all canned. You can get percentages of ingredients that must be limited in dogs with stones off the bichon health site and then read the labels on the different varieties each company makes to see the best fit. Bichons are very sensitive to most flea and tick products so try not to use  them. Bathe with a gentle shampoo and brush everyday or so. A little cornstarch will help keep her clean and soothes the skin. Dust some on before you brush. Read up on the dangers of vaccinations too. Hope this gets you started.
Sylvia

[Claudettebillie]

Okay! Thanks! I'm going to look at that. I thought the Wellness fit most of the categories fairly well but it's just not working for her.