Sensitive dog food

[Mol1628]

My dog has an extremely sensitive stomach. If she eats anything out of the ordinary she will have diarrhoea, go off her food and just be ‘off’.

I’ve cut out all her treats trying to find a recent cause. It is fine for a few days then goes back to diarrhoea.

She was fantastic on the wainwrights trays but she’s bloody picky as well and refuses to eat them now. Then when she has an empty stomach she gets diarrhoea as well.

I’m looking for a cheap, good quality sensitive wet food (she won’t eat kibble at all) She currently has step up to naturals tins but there must be something better that doesn’t cost any more?

I’m clueless about raw but if it’s pre made and not expensive I’d be willing to give it a go. Or any decent grain free brands that I can buy in bulk perhaps.

Thanks in advance !

[Mol1628]

Oh and she’s been checked by a vet she seems otherwise in good health. No parasites etc.

[BiteyShark]

How much do you pay per tin? I use Millie's wolfheart wet food and it's great for my cocker who has suffered periods of IBD but it might be dearer than you are prepared to pay.

[AgedTawnyPort]

Have you tried Burns chicken and rice?

[maymai]

Try her on a grain free diet, it may help.

[Mol1628]

It’s about 71p per tin at the moment

I think I might give grain free a go.

I haven’t tried burns- is that a dry food. She literally will not touch any kibble at all 🙄

[BiteyShark]

Ok you can buy millieswolfheart tins in bulk which keeps the price down but it's more expensive than you are paying now. However, it's grain free and 70% meat or fish with vegetables which suits my dog sensitive stomach plus lots of flavours do he doesn't get bored.

[Mol1628]

Thank you I will have a look.

I always have to buy samples first because she is incredibly fussy as well. Had no idea feeding her would be such hard work!

It’s a shame - her poo was fantastic on the wainwrights trays- but she only ate them for a few days then absolutely refused to eat them. I tried for three weeks she just picked at them that whole time she’s so stubborn.

[Thehogfather]

Have you tried chappie? In the quantities he needed it was the only wet food one of mine could eat. However I lost him a couple of years ago so worth checking it hasn't changed, and I don't know if they even make it anymore.

[pigsDOfly]

I think I'd want to get to the bottom - no pun intended - of what is actually causing her diarrhoea tbh.

That apart my dog has to be on a very low fat diet and is on Royal Canin Sensitivity. Normally I wouldn't touch Royal Canin with a barge pole but this is a 'vet diet' food that has everything a dog needs without any rubbish.

It's worked very well well for my dog and she actually likes it, which is a bonus.

The only issue is the cost, the cheapest I've found online - can't buy it in shops -is just over £27 for 12 cans from Pets at Home; from my vet it's well over £1 more a can.

Bit pricey if you have a large dog, but doable if, like me, your dog is small.

[pigsDOfly]

Just to add about kibble, my dog loves the kibble version of her food but for some reason it seems to upset her stomach if she eats it too often.

[CMOTDibbler]

Chappie does still exist and is great for runny tums. My fussy and sensitive tum dog adores the Burns wet pouches (he will eat kibble but only really mixed in, and a small amount), but our everyday wet food that works is the disgustingly smelly but apparently very much loved by dogs is Chubb roll.

[Mol1628]

Is chappie really good?! I thought the ingredients were rubbish?!

[pigsDOfly]

Apparently a lot of vets recommend Chappie for runny tummies, of the dog variety obviously, and it works.

And the ingredients aren't good. Does make you question all the things that are said about making sure you feed a dog on the very best quality dog food doesn't it?

[Thehogfather]

Again I stand to be corrected if it's changed, but in the years I used it chappie was just very bland, rather than bad ingredients or rich like many wet foods.

I tried it on the recommendation of a livestock vet, who nevertheless treated working dogs too. I was told that prior to vets selling/ promoting certain brands it was always the go to for digestive problems.

I do remember a few people saying that because it was so bland some dogs didn't get the shiny coat etc that more nutrient packed meat gave. However that certainly wasn't my experience, or that of the majority, and with all the extras available now you could easily compensate if it was the case.

And I presume it's still cheap in any supermarket so easy enough to trial. (Sad I know but I still avoid looking because it doesn't feel right not to be loading a trolley with them)

[Mol1628]

Wow how interesting. Should I try it?! I certainly like the price!!
She’s fussy but it it’s more like junk food I’m sure she will eat it

[Mol1628]

Well at that price I will be able to afford to get her more tins of salmon etc which she loves and has every few weeks (which don’t upset her tummy and always get her eating again)

[pigsDOfly]

Oh I owe Chappie an apology then. I understood the ingredients weren't good. If it's just a bland food, it's very possible it's not that different from my very expensive 'vet diet' food.

Maybe I should look into for my dog.

Going to google the ingredients just out of interest.

[tabulahrasa]

Chappie (tins not dried, that’s different) doesn’t have awful ingredients as such, they’re just a bit vague about which bits of fish they’re using and which grains are in it... so it’s not grain free btw, which is a very common ingredient to cause digestive issues.

If you try Chappie and she likes it but it doesn’t agree with her, fishmongers do a wet grain free food.

Butchers tripe mix is also grain free... again vague about what meat it is though.

[pigsDOfly]

I've tried to compare the ingredients of Chappie with my dog's food, which is not easy as they're presented in a different way, but as far as I can see it is lower in protein, but not massively so, and is lower in oils, other than that, it looks fairly similar.

I wouldn't want to keep a dog on it long term, as I'm doing with the food my dog's on, because of the low protein content, but it certainly doesn't sound awful.

[TheVanguardSix]

Royal Canin digestive care is what our dog eats.
They offer wet varieties as well.

[SpanielsAreNuts]

Mine are kibble fed (I think it comes in wet variety too) but my Cavalier has a sensitive tum and does much better on barking heads TLC chicken than on the foods that score more highly on the allaboutdogfood website that is so commonly recommended including the highly recommend 80/20 diets.

Grain free can actually be harder for some dogs to digest. Grain free has taken it too far in my opinion - yes grains like wheat cause allergies in lots of dogs and aren't anything but a filler but grains like rice can be beneficial for digestion in those dogs with sensitive tummies.

[tabulahrasa]

“Grain free has taken it too far in my opinion”

Depends on the dog and what the issue is...

[pigsDOfly]

Yes to the rice. There's rice in my dog's vet diet food, seems to work for her but she can't seem to take the kibble version; maybe it's slightly higher in fat, which is what she has an issue with.

[Mol1628]

That butchers tripe variety looks good actually and I can order it in my weekly shop so I don’t have to bulk buy.
This is all interesting. I guess the answer is there’s no right answer and it depends on the dog.

[tabulahrasa]

“depends on the dog.”

Yep, mine can’t have wheat, maize or oily fish... he’s actually had allergy testing for a skin issue and he’s allergic to none of those things, lol, but, they definitely upset his stomach.