# Transitioning to Farmina



## dobbythetoypoodle (Sep 3, 2020)

Hello everyone😁
Our vet was very insistent about feeding Dobby with Hill's VET ESSENTIALS GROWTH Small & Mini Puppy Food with Chicken this food. I don’t know what it is with vets and their Hills obsession🤦🏻‍♀️ I’ve noticed many are big fans.. anyways, we tried it for a while, but I wasn’t satisfied with the ingredients and decided to switch to Farmina Pet Foods - Dog food - N&D Ancestral Grain Canine - Lamb & Blueberry Puppy mini. She’s still having more of the hills,maybe around 75% to 25%. It’s been 2 days and her stool was normal,she liked the taste as well. But today after lunch, she started to scoot and couldn’t poop😕 she only managed to leave the tiniest stool after trying for minutes.Her anal glands seem to be swollen and a bit red as well. Maybe feeding her low-grain is the reason? or maybe switching the proteins?
I was excited about this brand and I want to continue feeding her with it but should I stop considering the situation? Or should I see how it goes after a few days? I’m wondering if anyone had a similar experience with Farmina or with low grain food in general. Also feel free to look at the ingredients and write your opinion about the food, I could really use some help😅


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

It seems unlikely that introducing 25% of a new kibble could cause that, but maybe she's allergic to one of the ingredients? Allergies can absolutely affect the anal glands, and if she's having trouble pooping, that's worrisome. Constipation can be dangerous, as can abscessed glands. 

Has she had issues with her anal glands before?


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## Michigan Gal (Jun 4, 2019)

If the grain in each food is different, this could give her problems. You really should not mix the foods because each grain needs a different balance in the gut. 

Let the dog skip a meal if possible, or give him a meal of raw meat. This is to give his system a chance to rest. Foster dogs rarely are delivered with their dog food, but since I feed raw it has never been a problem- no change over in grain.

Hills is not a top rated food. Vets like it because they can earn money by selling it. I'm not saying it might be a great food specifically for a certain dog, but over all, it is not a best food. I would not feed it to my dogs. Give the Hills away and just give the Farmina.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Two days is certainly not enough to cause the anal glands to be over-filled. Most likely they just need to be emptied.


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## dobbythetoypoodle (Sep 3, 2020)

To clarify some stuff,she isn’t having problems with pooping now, she pooped the normal amount and the stool was normal. She is still having issues with her anal glands though. They seem to get worse😕 She has never experienced this before, I saw her scoot maybe once or twice and that’s it.They never got emptied.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

dobbythetoypoodle said:


> To clarify some stuff,she isn’t having problems with pooping now, she pooped the normal amount and the stool was normal. She is still having issues with her anal glands though. They seem to get worse😕 She has never experienced this before, I saw her scoot maybe once or twice and that’s it.They never got emptied.


How old is she now? My dog didn't need them emptied for a few months but then started needing them emptied occasionally.


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## dobbythetoypoodle (Sep 3, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> How old is she now? My dog didn't need them emptied for a few months but then started needing them emptied occasionally.


She’ll be 6 months old in a week.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

dobbythetoypoodle said:


> She’ll be 6 months old in a week.


Then I do think it is quite likely that she just has slowly built up fluid in them. That is similar to the age mine was when he started needing them emptied. Small dogs generally need them emptied because they do not apply enough pressure when defecating to naturally empty them. I typically check them around once a month now, just because waiting until they start leaking gets really gross.


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## dobbythetoypoodle (Sep 3, 2020)

Raindrops said:


> Then I do think it is quite likely that she just has slowly built up fluid in them. That is similar to the age mine was when he started needing them emptied. Small dogs generally need them emptied because they do not apply enough pressure when defecating to naturally empty them. I typically check them around once a month now, just because waiting until they start leaking gets really gross.


Yeah you’re right, it can be completely unrelated to the food situation. Thanks for sharing your experience☺


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## Swaney (May 18, 2021)

dobbythetoypoodle said:


> Yeah you’re right, it can be completely unrelated to the food situation. Thanks for sharing your experience☺


Did this solve the problem? I’m experiencing the same thing with my pup who just turned 6 months. He’s been on Farmina since day one.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Swaney said:


> Did this solve the problem? I’m experiencing the same thing with my pup who just turned 6 months. He’s been on Farmina since day one.


If this is the first time, I would have your vet check, let them assess if they need emptying. Let the vet empty them and discuss what you should do. 

Have you used any new treats? Farmina is a highly regarded popular dog food... it may be the cause, or it may not be. 

For some dogs it’s food allergies or intolerances, for others they need more fiber or less fat. Some dog’s just seem to have issues while other dogs never do. Hopefully this is not an ongoing problem.


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## Swaney (May 18, 2021)

Skylar said:


> If this is the first time, I would have your vet check, let them assess if they need emptying. Let the vet empty them and discuss what you should do.
> 
> Have you used any new treats? Farmina is a highly regarded popular dog food... it may be the cause, or it may not be.
> 
> For some dogs it’s food allergies or intolerances, for others they need more fiber or less fat. Some dog’s just seem to have issues while other dogs never do. Hopefully this is not an ongoing problem.


Thanks. No it’s not on going. Are you a vet?


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Swaney said:


> Thanks. No it’s not on going. Are you a vet?





dobbythetoypoodle said:


> But today after lunch, she started to scoot and couldn’t poop😕 she only managed to leave the tiniest stool after trying for minutes.Her anal glands seem to be swollen and a bit red as well.



No I’m not a vet. But you mention the glands being swollen and red..... if the glands are blocked and can’t express properly, they can develop an abscess and/or burst; both of which you want to avoid. Since this is a puppy it’s good to be careful to get it checked out. 









Anal Sac Disease in Dogs | VCA Animal Hospital


The anal sacs are two small pouches located on either side of the anus at approximately the four o'clock and eight o'clock positions. The walls of the sac produce a foul smelling fluid which is released whenever the dog passes a bowel movement. Bacteria that are normally present in the feces can...




vcahospitals.com












Anal Sac Disease in Dogs


If you’ve seen your dog scooting across the room on his bottom, it could be a sign of anal sac disease.




pets.webmd.com





If the anal glands have returned to normal and your dog isn’t scooting any longer, then no need to see a vet.

I do have a dog with food allergies and intolerances...and ulcerative colitis. By figuring out what Is safe for her to eat, and working with my vet I’ve been able to keep her healthy with normal bowel movements and no gland issues. One issue with her is the higher protein, higher fat foods which is what is in many fancy highly regarded dog food makes her sick.


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