Grain-free vs limited-ingredient for dog with chronic diarrhea

Hi, can someone please explain to me the difference between grain-free and limited-ingredient diets? My dog has chronic diarrhea and my vet had me increase his fiber intake. She suggested adding rice or pumpkin to his dry food. I tried rice first, but his diarrhea got a lot worse (basically soup), and he eventually protested the rice in his food. I've now been using pure canned pumpkin in combination with his dry food and his diarrhea seems to have gone away.

He's on Blue Buffalo chicken and rice. However, sometimes I wonder if maybe he's allergic to rice, since there's rice in the dry food and this is when he was having super bad diarrhea-before adding any extra fiber. However, he's also a very anxious dog for whom I'm starting Clomicalm, so sometimes I think it's just his upset stomach causing the loose stools. I'd love to be able to choose a dry food with enough fiber so that I don't have to add any supplemental pumpkin. This why I'm curious about the grain-free vs limited ingredient. I just don't want the grain-free to be too excessive and then he's missing something else he should be getting. I'm looking at Purina Beyond superfood and Wellness limited ingredient foods. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I'm no expert but it's possible your dog can't take rice. My dog is stinky and has gungy eyes and I'm pretty sure it's yeast which is caused by rice and potatoes but pretty sure he has an allergy to chicken. I've had him on orijen fish and he's doing pretty well, no rice or potatoes in it. I've given him cooked chicken as treats the last few days and he's now stinky and gungy again Sometimes it's just a case of trying different foods to see which ones your dog does well on.

There's a lawsuit ongoing in America at the moment against Purina which you might want to google. I personally would avoid their food at the moment.

What breed is your dog and how long has he had diarrhea?
Has he lost weight?
He might have EPI, IBS or IBD, or a combination of.
Does he eat a lot of grass?

Vets mostly treat dogs with tummy upsets by suggesting bland chicken and rice. Fine for most, but some dogs are intolerant of chicken and also rice (grain).
I would definitely try a grain free food but go for lamb and vegetables rather than chicken and rice.
If the diarrhea persists and he is losing a lot of weight, ask your vet to carry out a blood test for EPI. (Exorcrine Pancreatic Insufficiency). Most vets have very little experience of EPI and fail to recognize the signs.

These are good grain free foods with lamb options available in the USA

Timber Wolf http://www.timberwolforganics.com

Taste Of the Wild http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com

Addiction http://www.addictionfoods.com

Avoderm http://www.avodermnatural.com

California Natural http://www.californianaturalpet.com

Canidae http://www.canidae.com

Canine Caviar http://www.caninecaviar.com

I agree with Apache.. my dog had chronic Diarrhoea for months and went through all the different foods and tests, nothing seem to work.
He also lost a lot of weight in a very short time, I finally suggested the TLI test for EPI after reading lots about it on various sites..
He came back positive for EPI so at least we knew how to treat him..
It could also be IBD, just google these two and see if there are any more symptoms than just the loose poops..
Good luck and hopefully you find a solution soon.

I think Origen is a great grain free choice for any dog. As its Canadian it might be cheaper too than it is in the UK! Have you tried any calming pheromone spray to help with anxiety....if you think that might be causing the problem. Also worth trying. Good luck!

Deebuzby is right Origen is a very high quality food and has a very high protein content, around 80% if memory serves me right. I would say though that it is very expensive and because of its high protein content can be too rich for many dogs.

I tried it several times for my dog and each time he got diarrhea afterwards. In view of the OP's problems this might not be a good place to start. As I suggested earlier I would start by looking for 25% protein, grain free, lamb and veg, and see how he gets on with that.

Hi, he's a 10-month-old mutt He's had diarrhea pretty much since I took him home at 2 months old However, he has not lost any weight and does not eat a lot of grass; however, he eats everything else-he's a complete chowhound!!! Anyways, he had a full blood test last week and is perfectly 100% healthy! So I think it's just nerves and/or he's sensitive to certain ingredients. I'm thinking he may be intolerant of chicken and/or rice. Because he had been eating a turkey venison Purina food when I take him to visit my parents, and he has been much better. However, I also added pumpkin, so it's hard to know what's responsible for the change...

I've heard of Origjen-super expensive! If I have to I will but I'm seeing what else I can find. And in regards to the high protein content, my previous vet told me his previous diet (puppy food) was probably too rich in protein, which is why he was switched to adult food at 5 months or so. SO I hesitate about going back to a super high protein content.

Hi Apache, I agree. I think the turkey, (or lamb for future as you suggest), might be helping. I'll look into a new protein source.

These are good grain free foods with lamb options available in the USA

Timber Wolf http://www.timberwolforganics.com

Taste Of the Wild http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com

Addiction http://www.addictionfoods.com

Avoderm http://www.avodermnatural.com

California Natural http://www.californianaturalpet.com

Canidae http://www.canidae.com

Canine Caviar http://www.caninecaviar.com