# Need some advice on new food for Samson.



## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

Samson has not been doing well on Kirkland and has had diarrhea every time he eats it. Thats why I asked if Kirkland was ok for pups. The vet took him off of it for a while and gave him some different food to get his stomach back in shape. Well the other day it was time to try Kirkland again and same results again. Yes we are transitioning him into it. Even with the special food he still is having issues when we add kirkland. We are looking for a food that is good but also easy on the budget. We are wanting to spend no more than $30 a month on food. With us buying a new house we just cant spend more than that. Please let me know any options I might have for that amount. Thanks!


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Have you looked into Canidae? It is more than $3o a bag,(It is $43 for 35 lbs here.) but with only one dog, a bag should last longer than a month. When I was feeding it, a bag lasted exactly 3 weeks and I was feeding 2 GSDs and a 40lb mix.

Canidae is fairly high in calories so they don't eat much. WIth a cheaper food, they will likely need to eat twice as much or more so a bag, while cheaper, will only last half as long.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

WHat was he eating when you got him?


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Also, gross as this sounds, what consistancy is the diarrhea? More like water, or soft pudding?


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## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

He is adopted and the foster was feeding him beneful. He gave us a small bag of it to transition him to our food. It got worse and worse each day to the point where it was just watery and that's when we took him in to the vet. Now that he is transitioning back its doing the same thing gradually getting worse. Soft pudding now but I am afraid he is going to go back to water poo again. He wasn't having any accidents in the house on the vet food and now that he is back on kirkland he has had quite a few accidents last couple of days. I feel so bad for him and I want to get him some proper food.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

Has he been tested for any parisites or infection? Chicken soup is made by Canidea but even cheaper but good price.I may be switching to it.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you might have to spend more for good food.
if Kirkland is causing problems don't force it on
your dog. you have to find something that works.

i think Verus is good food (check the ingredients).
Verus sells for $1.00 a pound.


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## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

He has been treated for worms. When they rescued him he was full of worms so they de wormed him. Now that we have him and he was having such bad diarrhea and he was eating it if he got the chance they wormed him again.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

Has he had good poops at since you got him?


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## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

He did the first day and after that they got worse. When on the vet food he has had very solid stools but they are loosening once again.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

So the vet food wasn't working either? Blood work may be in order if nothing is helping.I know nothing about the vet food or Kirkland but if it isn't already then maybe a one protein, one grain or grain free food is worth a try.Natural Balance has those kinds but it is on the high side for price another I have found is California Naturals,it is even more limited ingredients than most LID foods.


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## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

His poop was fine on the vet food until we started transitioning him to Kirkland food.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: AllieGChicken soup is made by Canidea but even cheaper but good price.I may be switching to it.


Chix soup is made by Diamond not Canidea. And depending on where you live may not be cheaper. (It is more expensive than Canidae here.)


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

what was the vet food? Have you tested for coccidia and giardia?


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## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

It's hills prescription diet. It's a canned food. They gave him an anti biotic to take care of any that stuff they said.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

It was probably the antibiotic (probably Metro/Flagyl) that firmed up his poops. 

He may have a food allergy. Can you post the ingredients in the Kirkland food? You can find them on line.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSD
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: AllieGChicken soup is made by Canidea but even cheaper but good price.I may be switching to it.
> ...


That's kind of what I meant.Just to lazy to type all of it.

It's a lot cheaper here than any food I have been pricing.


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowIt was probably the antibiotic (probably Metro/Flagyl) that firmed up his poops.
> 
> He may have a food allergy. Can you post the ingredients in the Kirkland food? You can find them on line.


Also how long was he on it? My dog with the bacterial infection needed a 30 day dose. I think a different vet or more tests are needed to get to the bottom of the Poop issues.


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## Toffifay (Feb 10, 2007)

When I first got my GSD I tried to switch her to Royal Canin and she had terrible diarrhea. I gave her cooked white rice for a day, then started adding a very, very small amount of the Royal Canin dog food. I added more dog food and less rice every day until I didn't have to give her any rice at all. It was more than a week, possibly two weeks until she was on strictly dog food. After that episode, her stomach has strengthened to the point that I can feed her just about anything. She gets various types of kibble, canned food, raw meat and bones, liver, cottage cheese, vegetables and the occasional Frito...









I'd get him off the Kirkland, find something that you can feel comfortable feeding him and try the boiled rice. When I first gave her Royal Canin along with the rice it was literally like 1/8th of a cup along with a cup and a half of white rice. It increased daily from there.

Of course, it may not work for your pup..and people much more experienced may have great advice...


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## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

The list of ingredients Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and vitamin E), egg product, beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

He was on the anti biotic for 5 days.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Three biggies: chicken, rice and barley are all common allergens. 

I would think it's more likely the grains than the chicken as he is so young. 
However, it could have been the antibiotic and not the prescription food that was firming things up. Or he could just not do well on the Kirkland food.


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## WesF (Apr 17, 2009)

He has been off the anti biotic for a few days now. I don't think he does well on Kirkland he doesn't have as much energy and has been having accidents which he normally doesn't do. I'm going to go buy a small bag of canidae today and see how that goes.


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