Vegetarian Diet

My dog Hank had some blood tests done. I've been having trouble with him getting chronic diarrhea out of the blue every so often. Also, I've been having a hard time keeping weight on him, he's too thin and if I add more food or add something extra for some calories, he gets diarrhea. He has a very sensitive stomach. The vet also said that his guts are quite gassy and tender during the physical exam.

The blood tests didn't show much, nothing that could explain his condition. The vet recommended to supplement his diet with enzymes and even possibly a vegetarian diet in hopes of seeing some improvement.

He's currently on a limited ingredient diet which is fish based. There is a turkey based food that I was thinking of trying before trying a vegetarian diet.

Anyone have experience with this?

Timber it is gone 1am in the morning in the UK. I'm 2hrs ahead but cannot sleep tonight!

I am sure you will get some responses tomorrow when the UK wakes up.

I'm sorry your dog is so poorly and can tell how worried you are so just wanted to 'check in' with you.

Hello, sorry to hear about his troubles. I had a fox hound mix who I rescued when he was ten years old, and he suffered frm colitis. He could eat all sorts of rubbish out on walks but couldn't cope with anything rich meat wise...treats of actual bit of meat. I tried him on a vegetarian kibble for a few months but I'm afraid it was so long ago now that I can't remember why I stopped! Not very helpful sorry, but I do remember it was a shop bought vegetarian kibble. Each time he had a bout of diarrhoea I gave him chicken or tuna and rice for a couple of days and then gradually introduced kibble again.

I had him another ten years and his condition gradually improved and he was ok on James wellbeloved....and then Fromm, which I think you can buy in Canada. I

One of our late dogs really didn't like meat, he was vegetarian from about 8 months old when we stopped trying to make him eat meat (at the time everyone said dogs needed meat). He did really well on a meat free diet for 13 years. His poops were far less and less smelly. Teeth were lovely and apart from one bout of colitis when he was put into kennels for a week we never had any digestive problems with him.

I am unsure if you can get a commercial diet now at the time we had him we couldn't find one so home cooked for him.

HUGS,

Has your vet done any allergy tests on him? This can be allergies. Bonnie can get colitis if she eats most things, Joe used to have so many food allergies that finding a food for him to eat was very difficult and Merlin had a very sensitive stomach, having all 3 dogs at once was a nightmare until I discovered Burgess Sensitive dog food. It is British lamb, white rice and sugar beet, all 3 dogs started to thrive when put on it.

I have a wheat intolerance and if I eat any I get a gassy and very tender tummy.

I was so desperate with Joe, his allergies came out as seizures, that I learnt to dowse, I went into a food merchants and dowse every dog food they had, I didn't know there was so many different dog foods, several hundred Only 2 were suitable for Joe, one was twice the price of the other. I put them on Burgess Sensitive and they never looked back.

I can help you start with food allergies by dowsing, it is a start but does give you an idea of what foods to cut out, cut them all out to start with then see how Hank does, if he improves there is a problem with one or more of them. Start to introduce them one at a time and see how he is.

If you want me to do this please let me have a photo and the foods you want me to dowse for, doesn't matter how long the list is, it is more important to find out what is wrong with Hank.

I don't make any guarantees but each time dowsing has said there is a problem there has been.

I will happily do this for any dog if they have a problem.

Hello, my dog eats vegetarian kibble as she has suspected allergies, to what we aren't sure but the vet believes it could be an animal protein, whenever she is on meat based kibble we get loose stools, diarrhoea, paw biting, flank chewing, she scratches her neck and ears although I know she doesn't have fleas.

She eats ami vegetarian dog kibble which i really feel is the best one.
All the other brands I have seen contain soya (Penelope is definately allergic to this) which is a common allergen and also wheat which is a common allergen.
Ami has l carnitine added but no taurine, all the other foods have no l carnitine and no taurine.
If your going to feed vegetarian, you need to add veggiedog supplement by harbingers of a new age for the taurine.

It's worth noting though, Penelope has no reaction to meat that's not in kibble, we give her sausages, bacon, chicken etc and she's fine but as soon as you feed her meat kibble she reacts.

Your dog might be okay on a raw diet perhaps?
Or a mostly vegetarian with plain cooked meat added which is what Penelope has.

Thank you Tang. I have been dealing with Hank's digestive issues for so long, i'm so frustrated. I know it's not his fault but I am so very tired.

Fromm I can get here but not sure about James Wellbeloved. I will check. Thank you.

What did you add in the home cooked diet?

Unfortunately I cannot afford an allergy test right now. They are very expensive here and i'm on a very tight budget until school is finished. Doesn't help that my car is dead and have to find a way of getting another one.

I'm sorry to sound ignorant, but what is dowse?