In desperate need of advice

[borzoimom]

Nutro does contain high amounts of sodium selenite. Try the holistic of this food, or go to Bil Jac select. The reason is the quality of the ingredients. Bil Jac is human grade verses Nutro.. The holisitic of their food is better but still... Even Eagle Holisitic is better..

[GreyhoundGirl]

I've never heard of those brands I live in the "boonies" and I know the nearby towns don't sell those foods. Nutro is about the best quality around here. I was told Nutro was very good....

[borzoimom]

I live in the boonies too but bil jac is at petsmart.. And so is Eagle or Nutro holistic.

[GreyhoundGirl]

There is no Petsmart around here.

[borzoimom]

errrrrrrrrrrrrrpetco or call your local feed store.. Where did you get your nutro from? They shoud carry the same..

[bluebird]

Here's a suggestion. Let her stomach and system have a rest (withold all food) for 24 hours and see what happens. If she doesn't vomit during that 24 hours then the next day try 4 small feedings of a small amount of cottage cheese mixed with rice or boiled potato. If she doesn't vomit that up, try small feedings of the Nutro the third day. If she begins vomiting again once the nutro is reintroduced, change her food.

If she continues vomiting while fasting, it's time to consult with the vet.

This is a harmless, simple and inexpensive way to discover if her vomiting is connected to the current brand of dog food or could be from other causes.

[GreyhoundGirl]

Here's a suggestion. Let her stomach and system have a rest (withold all food) for 24 hours and see what happens. If she doesn't vomit during that 24 hours then the next day try 4 small feedings of a small amount of cottage cheese mixed with rice or boiled potato. If she doesn't vomit that up, try small feedings of the Nutro the third day. If she begins vomiting again once the nutro is reintroduced, change her food.

If she continues vomiting while fasting, it's time to consult with the vet.

This is a harmless, simple and inexpensive way to discover if her vomiting is connected to the current brand of dog food or could be from other causes.

You want me to starve me dog?!?! I don't think Jen would like that. I wouldn't get to sleep either, she'd keep me awake begging for food untill I oblige.

I get her Nutro at Wal-Mart.

[Giselle]

It's not called starving. It's called fasting. When you're ill with the flu and you're throwing up everywhere, does your mother lay a steak in front of you and force you to eat it? No, she gives you hot soup because your body is too busy trying to repair its immune system. It doesn't have time to digest a steak.

In the same sense, you're giving Jenny's stomach a rest by feeding her bland rice and chicken/turkey/whathaveyou. That is, if you decide to feed at all. When my dogs are sick, I'll often forego a meal (or two meals).

I don't know why she's getting so sick, but I'm going to suggest it's because the food is not agreeing with her. In that case, I would switch to something higher up like Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Innova, Innova EVO, California Natural, Pinnacle, Fromm, Wysong, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, etc. You can find a store locator at any of these brand's website. Simply type the brand name into Google and you'll find a link.

Secondly, DO NOT run your dog after jogging!!!!!! Although the exact causes of bloat are unknown, there is very high speculation that running/jogging after eating and drinking is going to increase the risk of bloat. When you have a deep-chested breed like a Greyhound, you must be on the lookout of bloat. Dog with full tummy + gasping/panting for air = TROUBLE. If you must exercise her after feeding, do so after a period of rest. For example, I refuse to let Giselle play until at least an hour after feeding.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Nutro has added a low quality ingredient to their products, which is causing dogs to become sick. It is not a food that I'd ever recommend anymore, to anyone. It used to be a decent midway food, but now it's not much better than Iams. In my opinion, absolutely any food that you can find in Wal-Mart is awful. I won't even feed any food that is sold in PetsMart. I only buy my food at the smaller, pet speciality stores as they seem to be the only places that sell anything decent (in Canada anyway). If she's throwing up daily, as you say she is, switch her off of it. Canidae is pretty good, and not overly expensive either. It's what Winston has to eat, because he throws up on anything else and he's been great on this. California Natural, Innova, etc. are even better but I think you said before that you can't find them anywhere or something. Incase I have you mistaken with someone else though, you can find store locators on both of their sites (www.naturapet.com and www.Canidae.com). Good luck! I hope you'll be able to find something that agrees with her soon.

When my dogs are sick, I also fast them for a meal or two. It doesn't do them any harm at all..

[bluebird]

I'm not a fan of raw feeding, but that's not the issue here and I'm not about to get into another one of those pointless debates.

In Jen's case though it might pay to give raw feeding some serious thought.
Since it's hard for you to buy any of the quality foods in your area, it might be easier to buy the ingredients for raw feeding. Another consideration is Jen's continuing problems with digestive upset. She sounds like she could be a prime candidate for bloat, and if that's the case, raw feeding could be a potential life saver!

With her history, it would be advisable to wait at least two hours after exercise before feeding her. Or to wait two hours after feeding before beginning any exercise.

[borzoimom]

I'm not a fan of raw feeding, but that's not the issue here and I'm not about to get into another one of those pointless debates.

In Jen's case though it might pay to give raw feeding some serious thought.
Since it's hard for you to buy any of the quality foods in your area, it might be easier to buy the ingredients for raw feeding. Another consideration is Jen's continuing problems with digestive upset. She sounds like she could be a prime candidate for bloat, and if that's the case, raw feeding could be a potential life saver!

With her history, it would be advisable to wait at least two hours after exercise before feeding her. Or to wait two hours after feeding before beginning any exercise.

If you want to feed raw, let me know, as I have been doing it for the last 19 years. But at least take her off of nutro. They have been such a mess for years as they use rendering plants to make their food which includes 4d meats- tumors, discarded rancid meat etc. It use to be good, but they took their money from the ingredients and went into advertising.
Try any of the ones suggested above. But DUMP the nutro... Authority is better than that one, and I bite my tongue as I say it.
I got involved with dog foods in the 80's in the ethoxquin problem and wish I didnt know what I do, but I do... Even pedigree is cleaner than nutro if that tells you anything.. ( off my soup box now.._

[borzoimom]

Nutro has added a low quality ingredient to their products, which is causing dogs to become sick. It is not a food that I'd ever recommend anymore, to anyone. It used to be a decent midway food, but now it's not much better than Iams. In my opinion, absolutely any food that you can find in Wal-Mart is awful. I won't even feed any food that is sold in PetsMart. I only buy my food at the smaller, pet speciality stores as they seem to be the only places that sell anything decent (in Canada anyway). If she's throwing up daily, as you say she is, switch her off of it. Canidae is pretty good, and not overly expensive either. It's what Winston has to eat, because he throws up on anything else and he's been great on this. California Natural, Innova, etc. are even better but I think you said before that you can't find them anywhere or something. Incase I have you mistaken with someone else though, you can find store locators on both of their sites (www.naturapet.com and www.Canidae.com). Good luck! I hope you'll be able to find something that agrees with her soon.

When my dogs are sick, I also fast them for a meal or two. It doesn't do them any harm at all..

AMEN APPLAUSE APPLAUSE!!!!!!!! GOD BLESS YA- YES YOU ARE RIGHT ON!

[borzoimom]

CANDIEA IS GREAT SO IS WOLF SOMETHING and Bil Jac.. Nutro has been sued several times for rancid food..

[borzoimom]

You want me to starve me dog?!?! I don't think Jen would like that. I wouldn't get to sleep either, she'd keep me awake begging for food untill I oblige.

I get her Nutro at Wal-Mart.

The longest I have ever done a fast is a full 12 hours. I feed a light dinner early, then nothing.
But- the " hurls " can be gas in her stomach she is trying to rid also, and a empty stomach will make more..
The closest you can get her food is a walmart??? hmmm... Even if you had to go a few extra miles once a month for a good food would work... I like bil jac. ( I feed raw but not as puppies). Its 98 percent digestible, turns to instant mush instead of swelling like a kibble, and human grade. How far as you from a petsmart? Even a trip once a month would work..Or heck I will mail it to you... lol

[crow_noir]

Even though i was on board for natural ingredients and raw foods i just couldn't get into the fasting thing. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. At age 13 though my Shepherd started loosing muscle mass. I was browing around online looking for soemthing for my own nutrition one day when i ran across a study done on humans to find out if fasting did anything for us. It doesn't. However it named numerous studies done on mammels, including dogs. There is plenty of evidence that certain chemical that repair the body are released ONLY when the animal is fasting. This doesn't kick in for many hours. ( A 36 hour fast would do more good than a 24 hour, but who of us could actually bring ourselves to do this to our poochies? ) (Of course this isn't reccommended for already malnourished dogs.) With in a month of me fasting King once a week he was showing vast improvement. In two months we were going on long walks again. I didn't believe in starvy day, but i sure am a beleiver after seeing the wonders that it can do.

Please see your vet first to make sure there aren't other underlying problems though.

I wanted to make a seperate post about this in Health, but since we were on the topic anyhow... .