Soft Poo :(

[tigerlily46514]

my dog hated it too.
BUT, like i said above, way earlier,
i froze it.
I poured Pedialyte into lil plastic dishes, (like a cool whip container)
so it was about 1/2 inch deep, and set these dishes all around in my freezer.

They froze up pretty quickly.
then, i popped the ice pedialyte out of the container,
and put the slab of ice into a freezer baggie.

I broke off pieces of the slab, and fed it to my dog every hour or so.

try that?
also, you could try mixing pedialyte with a low salt broth, too. A dog as small as your dog will not need huge amounts of pedialyte, just a few tablespoons each day will help Tucker.


now, i always keep a few slabs of frozen pedialyte in my freezer, for in case he is ever sick again.

 

[tigerlily46514]

you may also want to give Tucker a few small dabs of yogurt, too, to help recolonize his colon after that round of antibiotics he just had....

 

[tigerlily46514]

you could also add a spoonful of pedialyte into his bland diet mixture??

if you are using instant potato flakes to make "bland diet" mixture,
you could swap out pedialyte for water when you cook it up.

 

[Dogster]

^
agree with everything Tigerlily said

 

[tigerlily46514]

also, to save money, you can use the generic brand of pedialyte, is exact same thing.

Thanks Dogster, i always worry about sick BABIES......whether human, or animal,
a baby anything who is sick worries me...

Babies are just more fragile, and don't have a lot of reserve to fight sickness.....

 

[tigerlily46514]

also, Candle, you could try cutting the sweet potato, half and half,
with some plain white potato (just don't TELL Tucker you did )
to help reduce chance of Tucker getting a secondary yeast infection, from too much sugar + recent antibiotics.

since Tucker might be on "bland diet" mixture for a while if you DO plan to introduce new, better dog food (?) sloooowly slowly slowly slowly as described in "Reply #14"-------well,
it might be less work for you to mix up a few days worth of sweet potato/white potato mixture, and just warm it up for each meal (if you have to warm up Tucker's food). and just keep a day or two worth of cooked chicken at the ready,
rather than cook up each meal for Tucker one at a time, from scratch each time....that might get annoying for you over time, if you dislike cooking i mean..

 

[sara]

Sweet potato is actually better for dogs than white potato. It has a lower glycemic index, so if he likes it, and he doesn't have diarrhea on it, stick with that. Most especially since small dogs can have issues with blood sugar levels.

Here's a list of foods that I feed my dogs, all have high quality ingredients:

Dry:
The aformentioned Chicken Soup For the Pet Lovers Soul,
Acana,
Orijen,
Taste of the Wild,
Fromm,
Merrick 5 Star Entrees,
Before Grain,
Addiction,
First Mate,
Canidae,
Horizon Legacy,
Horizon Amicus (designed with a low glycemic level just for small dogs!),
Natural Balance LID
Blue Wilderness,
ummm, hopefully I haven't forgot anything.

Canned:
Merrick 5 star Entrees,
Before Grain,
Addiction,
Tripette,
Blue's Stew,

Dehydrated Raw:
Addiction,
K9 Natural,
Canisource,
The Honest Kitchen,

Now, I feed a rotation diet, so my dogs get something different every day.

You might just want to try The Honest Kitchen. You will likely have to buy it online, unless you have a pet health food store that carries it (like I have) It is fantastic food. It's expensive, but a tiny dog like yours wont eat much. Or mix it half and half with a dry dog food.
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/

As to the pedialyte, you can mix it with potatoes. Also, if you can find some slippery Elm, or buy it online, it makes a world of difference for dogs with diarrhea. I dont use pedialyte, but I DO use Slippery Elm http://www.carnivora.ca/html/shop_online/slippery_elm_p37.cfm It sooths the intestines.

 

[tigerlily46514]

good to know, Sara, hope Candle read your post.
Some member here recently posted her dog got yeast infection from too many sweet potatoes. A serving of most sweet potatoes can have 19 grams of sugar, vs. only 4 grams for most white potato. Sugar is easy enough to measure, but the glycemic index is only an estimation, just an educated guess, really, and G.I. can be hard to measure especially in potatoes, as so many factors impact the effect on sugar in any given potato, (ripeness, length of storage, cooking method, type of potato, etc)

and it can be even harder to measure the impact of that sugar in any individual's blood stream, even from one day to the next, or even from one hour to the next, in the same individual.
that's why i went by sugar count...

Great list of dog foods. i hope Candle does reconsider feeding her baby dog Pedigree dog food, and does consider slowly, slowly, introducing some new, better dog food into Tucker's bland diet after this current bout of diarrhea......it sort of sounds like the kibble she is feeding the puppy *might* be the problem, since puppy did okay on bland diet....but, i could be wrong...

 

[sara]

But the thing of it is too, is starches, which turn to sugar as well. And white potato has alot more starch. And I know GI is an estimate, but from everything that I've read, there is a big difference between white and sweet potatoes. They even have a lower GI than most grains.

I give my dogs baked sweet potatoes now and then for a treat They love it!

 

[tigerlily46514]

oh yes! i so agree, i think a now and then sweet potato is fine! My dog also loves sweet potatoes, too! But, sweet potatoes do have much more sugar.
i was just worried, a baby dog, <----who might not be fully healthy, after having diarrhea off/on for weeks now, being fed only sweet potatoes at every meal,
and has just had a round of antibiotics,
and no probiotics that i know of anyway,(?)
well, i worry that this particular sick baby dog *might* be more prone to a yeast infection.....but, i could be wrong...but, that is why i thought,
maybe, maybe, Tucker's sweet potato could be cut in half or diluted with white potato, or rice, or something bland with a lower sugar count...

(see, sometimes, antibiotics set up some creatures for yeast infections, and feeding that same creature food with higher sugar counts, could also contribute to yeast getting a foothold).

 

[Dogster]

Haha, I won't take sides. Feeding half and half would be fine, I think.

 

[tigerlily46514]

 

[sara]

Hey Tigerlily,

I just read about a recall on Chicken Soup. Seems there has been a confirmed case of salmonella in their Adult light formula. I didn't realize it's made by Diamond... They have a big problem with recalls, and I dont think I'll be buying it again

 

[tigerlily46514]

Sara, THANKS FOR THE HEAD'S UP!
Yes, one(1) bag has been found to be contaminated with salmonella, so CS is voluntarily recalling the whole entire batch to be safe.
and some articles say it is only being v recalled for "possible" salmonella, <---which someone here said i don't have to worry about when i asked about feeding dogs raw eggs, cuz "dogs don't get salmonella" or something. so i'm confused now about feeding dogs raw eggs...
Luckily, i do not feed the "light" adult formula, whew! and the batch that they found one (1) contaminated bag in,
was not distributed to my state. whew again! My dog's bag does not match any of the codes here:
http://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2012/diamond-pet-foods-recalls-chicken-soup-for-the-pet-lovers-soul/
So far, no sick dogs at all.

They must really care about dogs to be so thorough. Some dog food companies refuse to do voluntary recalls....
Orijen has had bone shards in their bags, but, never ever put out a recall.
Wellness, although a great dog food, too, has quite a few customers complaining about sharp jagged fish bones, too, but no recalls are done for that, nor for the suspicions that several owners have, that their dog got liver failure from Wellness. (all over the internet, easy to find if you google "dogs with liver failure after feeding Wellness dog food")

I guess now that i have read about this, maybe i am happier with a company that will voluntarily recall an entire batch, for even a "possibility" of a problem, after finding one (1) bag test positive,
than worry about dog food companies that do not issue recalls for jagged bone shards, etc.

But Sara, you do as you feel is best. Like i often say, if i was rich, i'd probably try harder to get Buddy to like raw, or maybe feed Buddy mostly all real meat only, and no kibble at all.
but i can't afford it, Sara. this IS the best dog food that i CAN afford,
and my dog has gone from life-threateningly malnourished weakling,
to a strong muscle-y dog with a glossy coat and lots of energy,
so i'm happy with it.

The owners of Chicken Soup also do some product manufacturing for
Taste of the Wild
Candidae
Dick Van Pattens
Solid Gold, and many others. So maybe, to be careful, you'd want to avoid all those foods, too.
If you will now avoid any pet food that gets recalled, (even if recalled voluntarily to prevent any chance of any dog actually getting sick, like CS did)
you'll have to also avoid buying:
Royal Canin
Blue Buffalo
Natural Balance
Blue Wilderness
Fromm's Surf and Turf
Bravo Raw Diet
Castor and Pollux
Innova Evo /Evolve
Harmony Farms
Kirkland
Performatrin Ultra
and about 100+ other dog foods.. that have all been recalled, at some point, too.
You are right, Sara, some types of CS pet food was recalled once before, in 2007.
2007 was the time when almost 100 brands of dog food were all recalled. I did not use CS that year, back in 2007.
But, even the 2007 Evo was recalled , and many other top 5star dog foods in the same recall of 5 years ago that made nat'l news cuz it hit so many dog foods...
guess it's like i am always saying, i think we are all doing the best we can, and i'm glad for you, Sara, that you can afford pricier dog foods, but,
that is not a guarantee either. Even ppl food can get recalled.

 

[sara]

Yes, but Diamond pet foods have had some pretty serious recalls. Salmonella isn't all that dangerous for dogs, but it IS for people, and handling contaminated food can cause serious issues for us. I really dont like Diamond. And I haven't fed Taste of the Wild either since I found out they were Diamond. But that's my preference.

 

[tigerlily46514]

well, again, i'm glad you can afford your preferences, Sara! Good for you, Sara! And yes, Diamond does own, or participate, in quite a lil handful of top, 5-star dog foods, not just TOTW. And yes, it IS hard to keep track which companies are now making which dog foods, and they do keep buying each other out.

and yeah, many 5 star dog foods have also had recalls, too. This recall is not wha0 i'd call "serious" once i'd got the facts on it. This is not enough to make *me* ban this dog food.

 

[bekah1001]

Whoa. I didn't even know about the recall. Thanks! I'm feeding Brody the regular adult formula. And there are actual bone shards in found in some dog foods!?!? I go to highschool, and my mom is back and school, so we don't have a lot of money to spend on really healthy dog food but if I did have a job I would buy the honest kitchen dog food.

 

[tigerlily46514]

Bekah, i hear you, but, i still think, Chicken Soup dog food is the best i can afford. Lots of top dog foods have had recalls. Some dog foods refuse to do voluntary recalls. I could not rationalize spending $422 (FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS ??) for 40 pounds of dog food, ever, when ppl are starving all over the globe....but, that's just me. I would not spend that much on food for my family, either. It's like eating gold or something!! True, they have some lines which are at the bargain price of about $200 to $300 for 40 lbs,
but at THAT price,
i could easily feed my dog REAL meat, and donate the savings to the Heifer Project or the Humane Society, or some other charity.

For real, i know ME well enough to know, even if i COULD spend $400 per month on dog food,
i would not do it. but, that's just me.


If I had endless money, or small dog who ate less,
and could feed my dog whatever i wanted to,
I'd feed Buddy pure meat
and no "kibble" at all.
My dog does not like raw meat very much, so i don't know if i'd feed him raw meat,
or cooked meat,
but, if i had tons of cash, i'd feed him meat.

I love many things about Honest Kitchen Dog food, but, many of it's flavors list only one meat on top of list, and that meat is not yet dehydrated. These flavors get same nutritional rating as CS dog food gets, although they cost over $200 for 40 lbs.....

The ingredients are always listed by WEIGHT.
Any meat is 80% WATER, so once the meat IS dehydrated, it is now way way lighter, so it falls wayyyyyyyy down the list, and is no longer the heaviest ingredient, no longer the top main ingredient.
"Meal" is a partially dehydrated meat, btw.

The second ingredient in many flavors of the Honest Kitchen line, will then really be the main ingredient, and it is much like a grain, but, it is not scientifically considered a grain,
as it is from the family of tumbleweed, not from the family of grasses. Only parts of plants in the grass family are considered "grains", (things like oats, rice, barley, etc)
but parts of plants in tumbleweed family, are not officially "grain", but, are very grain-like anyway.
and then the rest of bag is plants.

so if and when i ever get rich again, i'd feed Buddy MEAT. not kibble. Dogs need Meat...so until i do get rich again, i just keep adding scraps of meat on every bowl.

 

[tigerlily46514]

But anyway, back to you, Candie,​

if you DO want to choose a healthier dog food than "Pedigree" dog food, Chicken Soup is great brand, imo, AND it costs LESS than your Pedigree brand, too.​

​

Right now, i would not choose the "Light" brand of Chicken Soup, but, i would not choose ANY brand of "Light" dog food, as low-fat, weight loss dog food--of ANY brand--- is good way to ruin a dog's coat. Dogs need fats, actually.​

​

and you, Candie, would be choosing the puppy brand of Chicken Soup, or of whatever brand you switch to, if you DO decide to upgrade your dog food, i mean.​

​

HOW IS THE LIL BABY DOG DOING BY NOW, CANDIE?? Is Tucker on the bland diet right now? Is the diarrhea stopped by now? did you manage to get Tucker to eat some bits of frozen Pedialyte?​

 

[Dogster]

I hear you both. The best thing you could feed a dog is meat, but a lot of us (including me) don't have the money to buy real meat. We're not rich. The reason I buy Shivon so many different foods is that she wouldn't eat and kept losing weight. Her appetite has improved A LOT, and I think tht that's the best way to feed MY dog. I think Chicken Soup dog food would be a GREAT alternative to feeding Pedigree, if you don't have a large budget.
Tigerlily and Sara, I'm not taking sides.