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...Lay off the canned food... it’s garbage.. like fast food for dogs. Get her on a good quality kibble.
Kibble is not always the best answer. I've been feeding my dogs (all adopted at older ages) canned dog food for as long as I've been adopting them (45+ years -- they're all large breed dogs whose average longevity is @ 11 years). I admit the reason I've fed them all canned food is that they were/are older and had bad/missing teeth so canned food was/is easier for them to eat. But none of them have ever suffered due to the canned food. In fact, one lived to be 14.5 years old and died of a heart condition which she had when I adopted her at the age of 8 years old.
I did have one dog who ate some kibble when a relative was staying with me and fed her own dogs kibble. My dog got very sick on the kibble and almost died of bloat. She had to have part of her stomach and all of her spleen removed.
Kibble is not always the best answer. I've been feeding my dogs (all adopted at older ages) canned dog food for as long as I've been adopting them (45+ years -- they're all large breed dogs whose average longevity is @ 11 years). I admit the reason I've fed them all canned food is that they were/are older and had bad/missing teeth so canned food was/is easier for them to eat. But none of them have ever suffered due to the canned food. In fact, one lived to be 14.5 years old and died of a heart condition which she had when I adopted her at the age of 8 years old.
I did have one dog who ate some kibble when a relative was staying with me and fed her own dogs kibble. My dog got very sick on the kibble and almost died of bloat. She had to have part of her stomach and all of her spleen removed.
I would suggest a raw or partially raw diet but not everyone is up that task.
I can see canned food for elder (or any) dogs with using teeth, but to feed a healthy dog nothing but canned food isn’t ideal.
And of course the type of kibble also matters but not everyone feels that way
Take her off all food and give a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (plain pumpkin not pie filling) and plain greek yogurt. This usually works well for a digestive upset and usually resolves the problem in 24-36 hours.
If this D+ goes no for more than a few days it is a good idea to have the vet check her out.
My first thought is some sort of parasite possibly giardia or coccidia. If possible take a sample of D for the vet to look at under the microscope. When I am caring for a dog with several bouts of digestive upset I give a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice for 2 days. Then I start adding regular food back in a little at a time over several days.
Canned pumpkin (not pie filling) is a good source of fiber that can help regulate the bowels of a dog with a sensitive system when added to their regular food. Use it in moderation as too much fiber can cause problems (the same or opposite).
Kibble is the worst "food" you can feed your dog. Visit a rendering plant, if you need proof. Any nutritional value the ingredients MIGHT have, are cooked away at high temperatures.
Also, kibble "cleans" a dog's teeth about as well as Doritos would clean a human's.
A dog can survive eating kibble, but s/he isn't thriving.
OP - PLEASE do some research. There are vets that are educated in canine nutrition. Many have websites and many have written books.
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