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I have four dogs, in ages ranging from 7-10 years. A few months back I switched from Natural Balance dog food supplemented with boiled chicken, carrots, and broth to Taste of the Wild, no extras added. Fresh water is always available.
Now 2 of my dogs appear to have problems eliminating their bowels - they seem constipated and look like they are straining. They also have started scooting (on my best rug, no less), which they never did before. One was so bad I took her to the vet to get her anal glands expressed, and the tech said she got a lot out of her.
I'm wondering if they actually need the grain for proper elimination. Thoughts?
Dogs don't need to be on a grain-free diet. We supplement ours with vegetables and she loves it and is healthy (same thing for all of the "past" dogs in our lives).
As a child, I remember people scraping leftovers into their dogs' bowls, and that's what they ate--meat and potatoes. Dogs are omnivores.
Anytime you have a food change your dog is going to have an adjustment period. Even switching from one grainless to another grainless food messed up my dog's digestive system (loose stools) for about a month. Once he had adjusted, all was well, and he's been on that food now for several years.
The grainless food we use still has many vegetables in it (Acana grainless). Grainless is not vegetable-less.
It could take as long as a month for final adjustment.
Anytime you have a food change your dog is going to have an adjustment period. Even switching from one grainless to another grainless food messed up my dog's digestive system (loose stools) for about a month. Once he had adjusted, all was well, and he's been on that food now for several years.
The grainless food we use still has many vegetables in it (Acana grainless). Grainless is not vegetable-less.
Yes, this is my experience, too. (And my dog gets the same food: Acana Grasslands.)
For the OP: Did you switch PROTEINS when you switched foods? (If the old food was chicken, is the new food also chicken?) Also, is your dog getting different treats? If your dog is having food allergy issues, you don't want to be mixing up the protein profiles, and that includes ALL ingested foods, both kibble and treats.
They've been on the Taste of the Wild poultry for about 3 months now, so I think the adjustment phase is definitely over. I took a long time to make the switch gradually as well, adding more of the new food a little at a time over a period of weeks. It just baffles me that these problems are cropping up now with more than one dog.
The taste of the wild has lots of veggies and fruits in it; but no grain. I'm wondering if the lack of fiber from grain is the culprit.
They've been on the Taste of the Wild poultry for about 3 months now, so I think the adjustment phase is definitely over. I took a long time to make the switch gradually as well, adding more of the new food a little at a time over a period of weeks. It just baffles me that these problems are cropping up now with more than one dog.
The taste of the wild has lots of veggies and fruits in it; but no grain. I'm wondering if the lack of fiber from grain is the culprit.
To be honest that's the food I moved my dog away from, after doing some reading on the quality and also when they had the scare a few years ago of running out of inventory. I took it as an opportunity to move him to better food.
It just may not be the right food for your dog. We also tried Fromm which has fantastic reviews and is made in the US and all that, and the food just did not work for my dog. I really liked the support for Fromm, the recommendations from the vet, etc. But it just did not work.
I don't believe grain is a natural part of a dog's diet anyway: it's used as a filler.
Try a different grainless food. Sometimes it takes a few tries. I agree three months is enough time to know if it works or not.
I think it has more to do with the brand than being grain-free. I went into a small pet store that only sold Taste of the Wild. Since I hadn't done research on it, I told them I would come back. After searching the internet, I decided that Taste of the Wild wasn't of the best quality. My dog did fine eating grain-free versions of Wellness Core, Nature's Variety, and Innova Prime even though a pet store I went to said they pulled Innova Prime off the shelves due to the multiple recalls. My dog didn't do so well on Blue Buffalo's Wilderness (grain-free).
I think it has more to do with the brand than being grain-free. I went into a small pet store that only sold Taste of the Wild. Since I hadn't done research on it, I told them I would come back. After searching the internet, I decided that Taste of the Wild wasn't of the best quality. My dog did fine eating grain-free versions of Wellness Core, Nature's Variety, and Innova Prime even though a pet store I went to said they pulled Innova Prime off the shelves due to the multiple recalls. My dog didn't do so well on Blue Buffalo's Wilderness (grain-free).
I forgot about Innova. We went through a trial period for that food as well (about 3 or so weeks), and it also did not work for my dog.
Another brand not mentioned yet is Orijin, which also ranks up there in very good quality. It does have a larger than typical amount of protein, and sometimes this can be harsh on the dog's stomach.
To OP: this may be a trial and error situation for you that lasts a while. Research and try out for several weeks different brands. There are many good threads on food here to help with that. Good luck!
One thing that dogs have in common with people is that both of us need some sort of fiber in our diets. If dogs don't get any fiber, their stools are too small to express their anal glands and the dog can end up with impacted anal glands.
Impacted anal glands can cause scooting.
OP, pay close attention because diarrhea and constipation can cause the same symptoms, with straining and discomfort. Make sure you've seen the actual movement that is produced before you decide it is constipation. More fiber in the diet can help constipation issues.
Somewhat counter-intuitive, more fiber in the diet will often cure diarrhea issues.
Is there a reason you switched to a grain free food? Allergies?
Wild canines will consume grains both in grass eating, and from the gut of the critter they are eating.
I believe if a dog has an allergy problem then switch. If not, then don't. Too many people think about people diets when they feed dogs.
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