Getting you Chow off canned food

[Missystone]

Okay, all my chows in the past were spoiled. Always had dry food available, with a can of
food for dinner every night.
Now I have Jasmine. She is 3. She started getting hot spots last fall. Figured it was allergies
and kept her groomed, and changed her food. We got her on science diet when we first brought her
home (thats what her foster mom was feeding her) so then she got fed pedigree dry.... then she ate my
moms dogs food benefit or somethign and loved it. So i had her on that for a while, then the hot spots.
OF course i figured it was that, so i put her back on science diet (and canned) she wouldnt eat it. She just
nibbled. So i tired different canned foods, any one with gravy gave me a mess to clean up, walls toys etc...
So to keep her tummy straight we decided to take her off all canned food. Tried solid gold, tried expensive holistic
stuff.
I got her nutro small kibble, she ate a little of it. Saw how tiny they were, got her to larger ones. Yeah well didnt go over any better. So I saw someone here loves pro plan, got the chicken one and the lamb one. She would eat it, if i sit next to her. Someone recommended solid gold wolf king, thought she might like some bison, liked the canned creatures. Didnt even eat a cup.
Here is my quest. I want to find a dry food that my dog will like. That wont require a steam cleaner kept in the house.

Thank you
missy

[Missystone]

By the way, this is my Jasmine. She was at a shelter in SC. Woman brought her in, was disapointed that at 4 months
she was already bigger than she wanted. LUCKY ME!!!!

[ciaobella]

Wow, Missy, she is gorgeous! You don't often see a mane like that on a little girl, you must be doing something right.

There are several of us here who have chows with tum issues. From what I gather, if your chow's immune system not up to snuff, problems with digesting certain foods, skin issues, hot spots and the like will tend to be a problem. Many of us supplement with human grade probiotics to help build up the immune system, and have had pretty good luck with that. It has certainly helped Sophie with her IBS and food related diarrhea that goes along with that. Fish oil for skin and coat is also a popular supplement.

Staying away from foods with corn and wheat also helps, as they are common allergens.

I personally don't think canned food is bad if it's a good quality food. Innova makes some great canned foods, were never involved in the Pet food recalls from last year. And they don't smell gross when you open them, always a good sign.

I know others will have more to add. Congratulations on getting owned by Jasmine, she's a treasure.

[ciaobella]

Just to add, there are some good fish/potato based kibbles out there that are really good for detoxing a digestive system that's been bounced around by different foods that haven't been working. If you get your food at one of the smaller specialty stores, they will probably be happy to give you whatever samples you need to find the formula that works best for her.

[Rowlee]

Have you considered a raw diet for her?

[Tai's Mom]

Jasmine is beautiful. I have a rescue also. Their loss is our gain for sure!!!
Tai has trouble with allergies. He was on Purina One Lamb and Rice Large Breed Puppy Food as his former owners. He's a pretty big boy at about 75lbs. now. But all the poor thing did was scratch, itch, and leave fur everywhere. So I tried Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance Potato and Duck kibble. Tai loved it and it sure helped the itching, but it didn't do wonders for his digestive tract if you get my drift. No pun intended. The boy could clear a room or the car in 10 seconds flat. So that was the last time we bought that. After lurking here, I decided to try Nutro. Tai didn't care for the Lamb and Rice Large Breed formula. He's a big boy and I wanted to be careful with his joints and hips so had him on large breed stuff. So after he finally got through that bag of food, we tried the Nutro Herring and Brown Rice. It's an adult food, Tai was almost a year old and I figured it would be OK for his joints and hips. He loves that stuff. But we were still having some trouble with Tai itching. A friend of mine suggested we try Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul large breed adult. So, that's what he's eating now. He acted like he really liked it at first, but now one day he eats really well, the next, will hardly touch it. I haven't seen any difference in the itching, so after this bag of food is gone, I guess we'll go back to what he likes. I also had my new shih-tzu puppy on the Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul puppy formula. Gizzie didn't care for it, but Tai sure likes it. Now I just have Gizzie on Puppy Chow, since he loves it. Tai will do anything to get a hold of that, but of course that isn't going to help the itching for sure. So I'm still looking for answers too.

[Missystone]

I found that Jasmine likes pro plan (lamb one) and pro plan selects. BUt only if i pour some safflower on it. She licks every nugget clean, then will eat pretty much the rest.
She will eat the timberwolf ocean without adding anything. She likes for me to sit in front of her and chat a little while she eats (she will eat more if i am there watching)
Her skin is nice again, dirty where she rolls in the dirt on the bare patches. But the fur is growing back fine. No itches.

THe only issue with my baby now is the morning eye goobers.

Since its been pretty warm out, when the contractor finishs the dock, my husband is building a doggy ramp so she can go back to getting in the water and cooling off.

missy

[Tai's Mom]

I found that Jasmine likes pro plan (lamb one) and pro plan selects. BUt only if i pour some safflower on it. She licks every nugget clean, then will eat pretty much the rest.
She will eat the timberwolf ocean without adding anything. She likes for me to sit in front of her and chat a little while she eats (she will eat more if i am there watching)
Her skin is nice again, dirty where she rolls in the dirt on the bare patches. But the fur is growing back fine. No itches.

THe only issue with my baby now is the morning eye goobers.

Since its been pretty warm out, when the contractor finishs the dock, my husband is building a doggy ramp so she can go back to getting in the water and cooling off.

missy

I am still working on Tai. I'd like to find something that both Tai and Gizzie can and will eat, but will also help Tai and his allergies. I know that's asking alot since I caan't find anything that Tai alone will eat and at the same time help his allergies. LOL I don't use canned food... never gave any of my dogs that choice. I clean up the yard after the fur kids and the firmer, the better in my book. Tai had eye goobers in his left eye before his entropian surgery. Has Jasmine got entropian? That's so miserable for them. Tai was so much happier after the surgery was done and that took care of the eye goobers.

[Layla]

Why do you want to get her off the canned food?

[Missystone]

Jasmines eye goober is in one eye, and not all the time, just like allergies. Here for a few mornings, then you dont see it for a month or months. Its just icky.

Jasmine got terrible hotspots on her body, i really wanted to narrow he food down.
I wanted to get her off canned food because I was feeding her like this:
bowl of kibble for anytime snacks.
can of food each night.

then i noticed she would eat a little of the canned, sometimes the entire can. But she stopped eating any kibble.
She started having accidents that were way to destructive in my house. I think seh might had been papertrained, or
she was trying to be considerate and just pooping on paperish products.......
The dvd stand was sprayed with poo, dvds, games anythign that my boys left out on the floor. Toys books homework....
She pooped on the entire Scooby dvd series I got them (they were out so i could go thru them to make copies) playstation remote controls, the wires, the headseats for xbox. (all in one room at vairous times) my sons bedroom, his bedskirt, homework notebook, closet door, drawings.
We have a doggy door, but when we arnt home, and have contractors scheduled to work in the yard, we keep the door shut. For a long time she would get me up at 3 am to go out. Most of the above issues were compounded by giving her gravy type dog food. (bits and chunks in gravy) came out just liek it went in......ICK!!!
Anyway, since she has been on dry food (with or without oil) she hasnt had any issues. You know she knew too, She acted like it wasnt her fault but she felt for me having to clean it all up..... She shows empathy. I think if she could, she would had brought me the carpet cleaner, then left the room wiht a 'see ya when your done'.......

missy