What should I do? Digestion issues with Carnilove

J
Johndoesullivan Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

So, here's my dilemma. Like many of you, I've been looking into my dog's diet more closely lately and I must say, it's been a real eye-opener!

I have a "little" German Shepherd who's 5 and a half months old, and like most pups, he came from the breeder on Royal Canin dry food.

After doing a bit of a "mini research project" online to pick his food, I eventually settled on Carnilove Puppy Large Breed Salmon & Turkey.

I made my first mistake by starting the transition when he was about 4 months old and it was a total disaster! He had acute diarrhoea for a whole week, which meant two trips to the vet... anyway, I stopped the Carnilove and went back to the Royal Canin.

Knowing that Royal Canin isn't the best for him (far from it!), I've been trying to introduce the Carnilove dry food again in small amounts for the last 3 weeks. But as soon as I get to a 50/50 mix, it's the same old story: his stools are fine in the morning but he has diarrhoea by the evening.

I'm really not sure what to do now. Is it the grain-free side of things that's making him poorly? Should I try Acana or Orijen? Or will I just have the same problem?

Or should I inevitably go for Purina Pro Plan, which seems "slightly" better than Royal Canin?

Anyway, I'm at my wits' end. I've just bought two more bags of Royal Canin, so that's us sorted for about a month and a half, but I'd love for my lovely boy to be settled on something that's nutritionally good for him once this supply runs out—and, most importantly, something that doesn't make him sick anymore!

Thanks!

Translated from French
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16 answers
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    • S
    Sansirius Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, Sirius is on Orijen, but I did a very slow transition. I started with 10% of his daily portion and increased the new dry food by 10% each week, only if his stools had settled. We had quite a few soft stools, though it didn't get as bad as diarrhoea, and I supplemented with probiotics for a week. Since then, everything’s been spot on—his stools are well-formed and there’s not much wind, although it really stinks when he does have gas (that's the only downside)! His coat is silky and he’s growing beautifully.
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    My Tosca has been quite poorly with several grain-free dry foods, so I’ve had to go back to Pro Plan. I’m not a fan of the ingredients list, but they really agree with her, so I’m sticking with them.
    Translated from French
    Doudou229
    Doudou229 Icon representing the flag French
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    🙂

    Some of the dry foods you mentioned are actually okay ingredient-wise—though it’s hard for me to admit that as a raw feeder! ;-) But for me, it'll never be the same as fresh food (meat, fish...)

    Regarding the kibble he had as a puppy, his stool issues don't surprise me one bit. To be honest, I think he's doing alright considering; I had much worse trouble with two of my pups on Royal Canin.

    That’s why I suggested psyllium husk...

    I’ll share my Pinterest boards for my dogs with you.

    And don't hesitate to ask if you have questions. I’ve been feeding my girls raw since the end of 2012 (BARF and Prey Model), and I’ve tried everything—dry food, home-cooked diets...

    Organic blond psyllium husk will soothe his digestive system and get it back on track.

    A health food shop is your best bet; for a 200g bag of powder, you’re looking at about £6...

    And it’ll save you having to use meds...

    https://wamiz.com/chiens/husky-siberien-206/forum/husky-avec-diarrhee-persistante-94614.html

    The dosage depends on his weight.

    For the animal:

    The ml measurements are for a measuring scoop, which isn't included (1ml is roughly 0.65g).

    Cats: 1 to 2.5ml per day

    Dogs: 2.5 to 5ml per 1 stone 8 lbs (approx. 22 lbs) per day

    Mix the psyllium powder with 5 times its volume of water, wait for the gel to form, and then stir it into their meals.

    https://www.pinterest.fr/Doudou229/le-barf-pour-chien/

    https://www.pinterest.fr/Doudou229/friandises-maison-pour-chien/

    https://www.pinterest.fr/Doudou229/pour-chiens/

    It's all about finding the right diet that suits him, just like with Jador—there's a perfect food for every dog out there...

    And it'll be different for every puppy or dog..

    See you in a bit

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    J
    Johndoesullivan Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks doudou,

    Yes, the more I read up on it, the more I’m leaning towards a natural diet.

    But one step at a time; I’ve got a young puppy and two small children to think about. Once everyone has settled in and we’ve found our rhythm, I think I’ll get there in stages.

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    Doudou229
    Doudou229 Icon representing the flag French
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    Then again, there are other feeding options...

    which will be lower in carbs...

    by feeding a natural diet...

    Translated from French
    Doudou229
    Doudou229 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there

    To help regulate their stools, you can use organic blonde psyllium husk; it's all-natural and will help get things back to normal gently...

    (Avoid using Smecta) for your puppy...

    Hi Jador 👍 :-)

    I’d worked out the carb levels for a few of the girls on here...

    WOLFOOD JUNIOR LARGE BREED

    I calculated the carbs for the duck, salmon and sweet potato variety; it came to 29.10%. The ingredients look quite decent.

    Orijen

    21% carbs for the puppy large breed (the mauve/purple bag)

    Acana Heritage Puppy Large Breed

    27% carbs.

    Hi Balista

    Regarding the rice, yes, they can tolerate small amounts, but you have to be careful with some brands of dry food. Sometimes it’s brewers rice (which isn't the same thing at all) and it’s often not specified on the labels... usually left out on purpose.

    Give Pinup some cuddles from me

    Translated from French
    J
    Johndoesullivan Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your feedback, I was coming to the same conclusion about finding a dry food with grains that’s still a high enough quality for my dog.

    I’m going to give a high-quality grain-inclusive brand a go. I’ll keep you all posted! Thanks again.

    Translated from French
    Balista
    Balista Icon representing the flag French
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    I’ve got a young Labrador who’s 6 and a half months old. She really didn't get on with Orijen dry food at all (loose stools, constant wind...). She’s been on a low-grain kibble for a good two months now (the same 'Large Puppy' one you posted the ingredients for) and it’s been spot on: firm stools (except when she starts scavenging for any old rubbish the second our backs are turned...) and as for the farts, she still lets one off every now and then (but who doesn’t?), but it’s nothing like it was before... Plus, her coat looks gorgeous, she’s growing perfectly, and she’s full of beans. What more could you ask for? Looking back, I reckon grain-free is just a bit of a fad, but you’ve got to face the facts: loads of dogs just don’t tolerate it. There’s clearly something not quite right there. On the other hand, rice has been used in dog food for donkey’s years and is usually very well tolerated.
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    Jador
    Jador Icon representing the flag French
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    Statistically, potato-free and pulse-free (peas, lentils) dry food is the best tolerated. Grain-inclusive ranges are too, but the issue there is usually a carbohydrate level far above what's considered healthy for a dog (20% or less). Most grain-inclusive dry foods actually have carb levels of 40% or even higher. With a high-quality brand like the one I use, there are no pulses or potatoes. The starch is mostly provided by rice, which dogs tolerate very well. But then again, we're only talking about statistics. Every dog is unique. My girls are on this food and I haven't found anything better for them in terms of tolerance and performance. For one of them, she was a bit of a fussy eater and didn't tolerate fish; for the other, she has a very high metabolism which meant I had to switch her to working dog ranges. This brand has sorted out all my worries.
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    J
    Johndoesullivan Icon representing the flag French
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    Here’s the latest one:

    WOLFOOD:

    Dried duck 27%, rice 26%, dried salmon 12%, poultry fat, barley 5%, sweet potato 4%, dried apple, dried beet pulp, linseed, krill 2% (dried marine zooplankton), hydrolysed poultry liver, minerals, dried haemoglobin, yeast, dried herb mix 0.33% (parsley, rosemary, nettle, chamomile, sage, thyme, coriander, dandelion, liquorice), shellfish extract (source of glucosamine) 1000 mg/kg, chondroitin sulphate 1000 mg/kg, dried seaweed, mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS), dried cranberries, chicory inulin (source of FOS), yucca schidigera extract.

    Which dry food do you think is most likely to suit him?

    Translated from French

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