# I’m new here and I need advice please



## Mslitlsa (Mar 31, 2020)

I have my first poodle Winston that is, well was in the middle of training to be my service dog when this virus hit but my question is can someone help me with food recommendations I have 2 puppies him, he’s 6mths and a 5th old irishdoddle named Ginger (my daughter got her couldn’t take her jumping and just being a puppy so I have her now) I’m so confused about what to feed them... and he has a sensitive stomach which makes things more difficult Idk what he suppose to weigh I hoping he’s at a good weight he’s 45lbs and just turned 6mths she’s probably 35lbs at 5mths just need some affordable good recommendations when feeding 2 puppies thank you so much in advance


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I think that an all stages kibble in your situation. All stages for dogs - Free shipping | Chewy
Note that the sizes you first see are prices you see are for a large bags and there are other, smaller bags. under options.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

What is he sensitive to? What have you tried?


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

For Want of Poodle said:


> What is he sensitive to? What have you tried?


Yes, this. And keep in mind, your kibble may not be the problem. My boy Pogo couldn't handle dried liver treats when he was a pup. Even now he will get the runs if he gets into too much cat food. His most recent instance of the runs came after a glorious day of counter surfing in which he scored a hamburger sans bun, half a pound of Zekes peanut butter dog treats, and some gingersnaps.

My vets for both cat and dog are comfortable with Purina ProPlan, which has several sensitive stomach formulations. However, depending on what triggers the bouts, what works for one dog may not work for another.


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## Mslitlsa (Mar 31, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> What is he sensitive to? What have you tried?
> We have a problem with him not having solid stools... his breeder had him on Purina Puppy not the best at all... he’s been on 4 or 5 i can’t remember them on I have them written done but not when I can’t get to them right now but the last 2 were grain free then I started reading all the bad things from that diet and just bought Iams this weeks We have tried Purina for large breeding puppy which I was hoping would work but his stool was really runny sorry for the detailed picture but don’t know how else to say it thank you


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Ok. If it's possible, I would suggest comparing the foods you have tried. My girl ended up being sensitive to both chicken and fish, and it was a huge bother to figure that out. The runs, throwing up, etc. Not fun. 

I think it sounds like you are pretty price concious? If you were in Canada, I would recommend trying a small bag of Lifetime brand fish, and lifetime brand lamb. They are all life stages, and pretty inexpensive (not much more than the Purina or Iams), and lots of dogs do well on them. Try to find a food that has a single protein source, probably not grocery store Purina or Iams. Protein sensitivities are more common than grain sensitivities, and I like that Lifetime has no corn, wheat, or soy, which are the main dog grain senstitivies. Most dog foods have chicken, so I would start with a non chicken based food. There should be something similar where you live. Natural Balance had a lot of single source proteins. Even if you can't afford them long term, trying a few small bags to see what he does well on (and switching to pieces of meat/veggies as treats at the same time) should allow you to make more informed decisions about what is causing his stomach upset. I have heard good things about the Purina Proplan but not personally used it because of the grain content. 

A lot of boutique pet stores allow you to return food if the dog doesn't do well on it, so if you are on a budget, that's a question I would ask them.

I am personally allergic to gluten, so lifetime/ProPlan isnt an option for me. Annie was on diamond Naturals beef as a puppy, and Taste of the Wild High Prairie puppy. I suspect the diamond naturals is a bit cheaper. She is now on Acana Classic Red, which costs me with tax $100 CAD for 2.5 months for one spoo, which isnt horrible.

Re grain free.... I am not entirely convinced by the excited frenzy around the dangers of grain free food. Definitely if you do feed grain free, look for a food with more meat (there are some that are almost entirely legumes) but the percentage of dogs fed grain free compared to the number of dogs who had DCM isnt that overwhelming to me. It's something to be aware of definitely, but I somewhat suspect the marketing people from the big manufacturers have taken and ran with it. There was, historically, the same issue with lamb and rice foods, but no one has suggested no dog should ever be fed lamb and rice dog food. If more conclusive evidence about particular formulas or proteins comes out, I will check again.

Hope you find something that works!!


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## Mslitlsa (Mar 31, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Ok. If it's possible, I would suggest comparing the foods you have tried. My girl ended up being sensitive to both chicken and fish, and it was a huge bother to figure that out. The runs, throwing up, etc. Not fun.
> 
> I think it sounds like you are pretty price concious? If you were in Canada, I would recommend trying a small bag of Lifetime brand fish, and lifetime brand lamb. They are all life stages, and pretty inexpensive (not much more than the Purina or Iams), and lots of dogs do well on them. Try to find a food that has a single protein source, probably not grocery store Purina or Iams. Protein sensitivities are more common than grain sensitivities, and I like that Lifetime has no corn, wheat, or soy, which are the main dog grain senstitivies. Most dog foods have chicken, so I would start with a non chicken based food. There should be something similar where you live. Natural Balance had a lot of single source proteins. Even if you can't afford them long term, trying a few small bags to see what he does well on (and switching to pieces of meat/veggies as treats at the same time) should allow you to make more informed decisions about what is causing his stomach upset. I have heard good things about the Purina Proplan but not personally used it because of the grain content.
> 
> ...


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

If he's been on 5 or 6 different foods in just a few short months, there's a good chance he's reacting to the abrupt transitions between formulas. When you do decide on his next food, try introducing it very slowly.

It's very common for dogs to get diarrhea with food changes.

I'd recommend Nutro Ultra. It's a good-quality, mid-priced kibble. I've had good luck feeding it to sensitive dogs.


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## Mslitlsa (Mar 31, 2020)

Thank you everyone for all your advice I’m so happy to have found all of you ❤❤❤


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## Mslitlsa (Mar 31, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> If he's been on 5 or 6 different foods in just a few short months, there's a good chance he's reacting to the abrupt transitions between formulas. When you do decide on his next food, try introducing it very slowly.
> 
> It's very common for dogs to get diarrhea with food changes.
> 
> I'd recommend Nutro Ultra. It's a good-quality, mid-priced kibble. I've had good luck feeding it to sensitive dogs.


I have started him on Nutro Ultra and with every food change I’ve done them slowly but so far so good thank you


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## Whoiscoconut (May 11, 2020)

My poodle used to do really well on royal canin. She had a very sensitive tummy too. The only food I’ll never use is taste of the wild, they’ve had numerous contamination issues and when you call them about it they never return calls or address the issues with a recall. I can’t stand behind a company that at least doesn’t address their problems.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

If the food sensitivities continue, you may have to do like I did and resort to having your dog allergy tested. It was a one time expense, about a hundred dollars, but he had so many sensitivities that with out the test I doubt I would ever have figured things out. As mentioned, you are going to have to be careful about treats. At first, I resorted to just keeping a handful of his his kibble in an old margarine tub, and I used it as his treat. At least I knew that he was getting the "right" ingredient. It took several months for him to get rid of all the red stained fur on his mouth, paws, underarms and tummy. Hopefully your dogs will not have multiple allergies.


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