# Grain Free Safe For Puppies



## jfisher (Dec 29, 2005)

Anika is having blasties again...







Her EPI/SIBO tests came back negative so we really have no idea what to do at this point other than changing her food. We've tried adding pumpkin too, doesn't seem to work. She is currently restricted from consuming anything but her kibble. Absolutely nothing else. It's very frustrating because though she is eating the same diet with nothing added, sometimes her poops are great, and then she'll get a blasties episode for days at a time. I have a hard time understanding how this could be, but I suppose a food change wouldn't hurt just to see.

Thing is, she's on Orijen LBP and has been since 8 weeks old. She's six months now. I HATE to change her food from Orijen because I really believe it's the best food out there, so I feel like switching to anything else would be downgrading. (That's not meant to insult anyone who feeds anything different, it's just my personal opinion and I'll always admit I could be wrong) 

I also don't want to switch from a grain-free food to one with grain either. However, I do not know of any other grain-free foods that are safe for large breed puppies. Anyone know of any?

Then thinking in another direction, I wonder if it would actually be good to try a food with grain, that maybe the grain would help with the extra fiber. I suppose I can always try another grain-free brand if one is available, and then after a few months if that doesn't work, go to a food with grain.

I never thought food could get any more confusing until Anika came along!

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Oh, just an added note, I do not want to try her on a raw diet with all these problems she's been having so that's not an option right now either.

-Jackie


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## brogers93 (Aug 23, 2009)

Tessie is 7 months. We are using Acana (same company as Orijen) grain free. very happy thus far!


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

I'm sure others will have opinions but my go-to foods for dogs with issues has always been Natural Balance, either the fish or the venison. It is an all life stages food. It has a lower protein than many grain free foods, but I just add in some of my own protein once they are doing well on it. 

I don't think you can get stuck in the mindset of "this is the best". Dogs are all different, and what is good for one is not necessarily good for another. I have known dogs that looked good on Orijen and I have known dogs where it was WAY too rich for them. One dog I knew was eating 6 cups of Orijen a day and while his coat was lovely he couldn't put on any weight and was skin and bones. Tested neg for different problems too. They switched foods and he did much better. 

We went through a number of foods, including Canidae and TOTW which were both highly recommended here and work great for a lot of people. Not for us. Funky smells and Explosive diarrhea. 

My newest puppy who is also 6 months was on Wellness LBP, and that was great for him and I just switched him to NB fish for ease since it's what I feed the others. He is doing very well on it and all 3 of my dogs have really great poop, coats look good, energy and muscle mass are good, and everyone eats happily. Can't ask for more from my food. 

I assume when you got her she was healthy and thriving...what was she eating at the breeders? For me, I have made it a policy to NOT switch food from what the breeder was feeding for at least a bag. Coming to a new home is stessful and I don't like to add stress to their systems by totally changing their diet right away. 

We love our dogs and want to do what is best, but what is best is individual and doesn't always come with the highest price tags.


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## GSDElsa (Jul 22, 2009)

Ahh, digestive issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to say I'm going to second the Natural Balance. I know they have had some issues in the past (recalls), but there are VERY FEW OPTIONS for dogs with delicate stomachs, as I've found. It's still a very good food.

Elsa was having similar issues, which are most likely due to IBD. She was on BB Wilderness, and we found out she has a chicken sensitivity. Tried Evo next....her poops were good on it, but she just didn't care for it when it wasn't mixed with something else. So, I bit the bullet and went with Natural Balance Venision and Sweet Potato. So far, she has had a week straight of really nice, firm poops. Granted, we're still switching over from a bland diet of beef and sweet potato and she's getting slippery elm before her meals, but it's working like a charm. Soo. It might not be my first choice with a no-digestive issue dog, but I'm highly impressed with it so far for this kind of issue.

I've heard many a person say that foods like Orijen, EVO, etc that are high in protein and all that good stuff are just too rich for dogs with tummy problems. 

I think what we might try doing if she keeps up so well on this is try to mix in 1/3 cup of the EVO in with the Natural Balance to get a few more good things in there. I think she'd eat it if it was mixed with the NB. If her tummy doens't like it, we'll back off. But that's my goal right now!


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## Alto (Nov 18, 2008)

> Quote: I do not want to try her on a raw diet with all these problems she's been having


maybe elaborate on this a bit ... eg, behavioral, gut, both









Has she had SNAP tests done for Giardia, 4Dx, any kidney & liver function tests, allergy tests?

Have you tried sweet potato or just the pumpkin (usually a "whatever squash" product unless you are buying specialty lables)?

How is her demeanor? 
coat? 
skin? 
vomitting? 
poop quality/quantity/appearance/odor? 
how does her normal poop appearance & schedule compare to her diarrhea days?
how long has this been ongoing?

Have you tried small amounts of natural yogurt (ie 1 tsp with her kibble)? Bio-K or other probiotics (assumption being that her intestinal flora are inadequate & need to be established/re-established)? 

Have you tried any products such as Digestive Support 


OK went looking again & managed to find this thread (no idea why it didn't come up on a more generalized search







)
In view of this, I'd definitely redo a Giardia SNAP test, unfortunately there isn't one for coccidia & both can be very difficult to detact on fecals (except if dog has a raging case of it!); if you haven't done a probiotic, I'd try that (before going into expensive allergy etc tests) - giardia can upset the gut for a looooong time in some individuals. 

I completely agree with JKlatsky's post above - don't get hung up on Origen or any other particular brand.

If you're not doing one already, start a daily dog journal - include places/events as well as foods & poops/pees.


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## sungmina (Jul 28, 2008)

I believe that Orijin is a great, quality kibble, but some dogs simply do not do well on such high protein diets. My two have always done well on Orijin/Acana If you are only considering grain free here are some other brands to consider:

Acana
Instinct
Fromm has a grain free diet (surf and turf?)
Innova Evo (my dogs didn't do well on regular Innova)
Earthborn has a grain free diet (a new company)

Good luck finding something that works.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: JkimI believe that Orijin is a great, quality kibble, but some dogs simply do not do well on such high protein diets. My two have always done well on Orijin/Acana If you are only considering grain free here are some other brands to consider:
> 
> Acana
> Instinct
> ...


 the only one i would be sure has a properly limited amount of calcium for a large breed pup is orijen. Instinct chicken i know is about 2.5%, EVO is well over 2% and even Natura reps ive spoken to have said EVO was not designed for large breed pups. the Earthborn grain free i am not sure of. im not sure what Acana's max levels are, since they only list minimums on their site.

no real reason to jump on the grain free bandwagon while they are growing unless a pup is really having trouble with grains, and even then most of them just are not suitable for growing GSD's.


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## tintallie (Aug 6, 2008)

I currently feed Miya Acana Grasslands and she has been doing well but it requires that we moisten her food with water to aid digestion. She was getting inconsistent poops depending on how long the food was in her system. The first poop of the day in the early morning was great, but it would get worse (pudding like) as the day progressed.


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