# Question for dog-food experts :



## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

Why is it that some dogs (apparently, more than a few) get upset stomachs, heartburn, indigestion, diarrhea, and/or vomit, and/or refuse to eat, etc., etc., if dog food (usually of the commercial variety, I think) is not changed gradually?

It just occurred to me that when I was feeding commercial kibbles, I always followed the standard procedure of shifting foods gradually without ever questioning "why" sudden shifts potentially. frequently cause gastrointestinal distress. 

I eat different foods every day & so does Rain (mostly raw, but lots of variety). She shows no signs of the above mentioned maladies. So, perhaps it has something to do with the commercial foods &/or the way we feed them ? hmmm .... Or, I guess, perhaps Rain has a cast-iron stomach ?

It would be interesting to know just why shifting dog foods quickly potentially causes various types of gastrointestinal distress.


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## fuzzymom (Sep 19, 2013)

Well, I'm not a dog food expert, but I can guess. I know people who have gone vegetarian for health reasons and then decided they were going to eat meat for some special occasion. They became very ill after eating the meat because their body had become acclimated to only vegetables. So I think it's just a matter of the body getting used to eating a specific set of ingredients over a long period of time.


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

fuzzymom said:


> Well, I'm not a dog food expert, but I can guess. I know people who have gone vegetarian for health reasons and then decided they were going to eat meat for some special occasion. They became very ill after eating the meat because their body had become acclimated to only vegetables. So I think it's just a matter of the body getting used to eating a specific set of ingredients over a long period of time.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yes, that sounds very logical to me. Though it would seem that a shift among similar quality dog foods is not quite so radical as your analogy. So is it, perhaps, that the digestive enzymes (etc.) required to digest one diet (one dog food) are not present, or not present in sufficient quantity, to digest another diet (dog food)?

I'm researching this; just curious. Your reply is a good answer; it helps. Thanks !


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

If I switch my babies to a comparable (grain free, many of the same ingredients) dog food they probably will not have diarrhea, I feed kibble and canned mixed together and have switched the canned part or the kibble part a few times without any problems.. 
Ps. I always add 1 table spoon of unseasoned canned pumpkin

This is indeed intriguing though... I'm curious now. 


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

OK, so here's a brief description of what may be happening, more or less; not as disinterested as I would like, but it is difficult to find information where the provider is not trying to sell something (supplements).

*Digestive Enzymes & Your Pet | All The Best Pet Care*

*Without Enzymes, Digestion Could Not Take Place*
Enzymes are an integral part of the digestion system. From the time food enters the mouth, various enzymes break it into smaller units until it can be absorbed through the intestinal wall. These enzymes come from two sources – from the food itself, and from the body’s enzyme back-up system.

*Different Enzyme for Each Type of Food*
All raw food contains the proper types and proportions of enzymes to assist in the process of decomposition. When raw food is eaten, chewing releases these indigenous food enzymes from within the cells, which go to work immediately in the mouth and later in the stomach.

There are four basic types of enzymes. Protease breaks long protein chains into smaller amino acid chains, and then into single amino acids. Amylase reduces large carbohydrates, such as starches, into simple sugars that the body can burn for fuel. Lipase digests fats into free fatty acids small enough to pass through the intestinal wall. Cellulase, not naturally produced by dogs or cats, breaks down plant fibers to free the nutrients inside the cell walls of fruits and vegetables.

*The Body’s Back-up Enzyme System*
Cooking destroys enzymes starting at about 104° F. Other types of processing and storage destroy them as well. The body must produce its own replacement enzymes or become malnourished. In response to each batch of undigested food that reaches the small intestine, the pancreas manufactures and delivers the right enzymes to do the job. With cooked and packaged pet food, 100% of the enzymes must be supplied all the time.

Animals, who evolved on raw foods, were not designed to make so many enzymes, and this puts an enormous strain on the system.

By middle age, most dogs and cats experience significant enzyme depletion, resulting in allergies, skin problems, immune system breakdown, premature aging, and a host of other complications.​
After a section about adding supplements to a diet (which. I feel can also be problematic), some symptoms similar to those associated with abrupt dog food changes are described :

*Symptoms of Enzyme Deficiencies:*
...
Intestinal gas, diarrhea, undigested food in the stool, stool-eating – slow or incomplete digestion of carbohydrates. In addition to enzymes, probiotic cultures may be needed to repopulate the intestinal tract with beneficial bacteria for complete food breakdown and nutrient absorption.​


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## Jamie Hein (Aug 17, 2013)

I think that if you are switching from a poor quality food (Beneful) to something nice like raw or Orijen then your dog will be going through toxin withdrawl. Things get worse before they get better you know? Otherwise, I think it would be lack of variety in the diet. If someone has never eaten seafood, then it is likely to cause their stomach to hurt if they suddenly start eating it.


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## Lily's-Mom (May 31, 2012)

*"Yes, that sounds very logical to me. Though it would seem that a shift among similar quality dog foods is not quite so radical as your analogy. So is it, perhaps, that the digestive enzymes (etc.) required to digest one diet (one dog food) are not present, or not present in sufficient quantity, to digest another diet (dog food)?"*

_*"If I switch my babies to a comparable (grain free, many of the same ingredients) dog food they probably will not have diarrhea" *_

I am curious too. I have tried gradually switching Lily to a different flavor of the Fromm grain free and she got bloody diarrhea both times I tried (different flavors).


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Lily's-Mom said:


> *"Yes, that sounds very logical to me. Though it would seem that a shift among similar quality dog foods is not quite so radical as your analogy. So is it, perhaps, that the digestive enzymes (etc.) required to digest one diet (one dog food) are not present, or not present in sufficient quantity, to digest another diet (dog food)?"*
> 
> _*"If I switch my babies to a comparable (grain free, many of the same ingredients) dog food they probably will not have diarrhea" *_
> 
> I am curious too. I have tried gradually switching Lily to a different flavor of the Fromm grain free and she got bloody diarrhea both times I tried (different flavors).


Maybe they have tough tummies then! Lol

I can use any blue wilderness flavor I can also use Evo, but because of the several recalls I quit using Evo. I can also use mmmm what's the name of it.., I think it's Natural balance limited ingredient diet any flavor... I tried 1 flavor of Taste of the wild too. And they didn't get sick.
I usually stick to blue wilderness now, just rotate the flavors, (they lose interest easily LOL)


But they do get sick with other dog foods that are not grain free and has too many different ingredients or even with something different like this one time I gave Lou a 2inch size piece of fried catfish, she loved it as much as I do, but she had bad diarrhea! Could have been too oily or could have been that it was too "different"... I don't know...
Also when I first gave Apollo a pig ear (the crunchy greasy kind) he had bad diarrhea so I started with smaller pieces and he is fine with it now




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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

After getting his food allergy test results, I switched Beau cold turkey from Taste of the Wild to Canidae kibble. No I'll effects at all, and he's been regular as clockwork since. (Knocking wood right now!) Our experience might just be a lucky fluke, but it did cause me to wonder if problems attributed to fast switching might be overblown?


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