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Alternative to Hill's Prescription Diet D/D for IBD/Food Sensitivities


gd4

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I am happy to return to say hello and state that my little girl is hanging in there on her hypoallergenic diet for the IBD. She is still taking two meds: metronidazole and omeprazole. The vet put her on Hill's Prescription Diet D/D - I give her the canned and dry version of the venison and potato. Recently, she is slowly turning her nose up to the dry food. She will still eat the canned. However, this food is EXPENSIVE! I simply cannot afford to keep her on this diet. I need a good, over the counter diet that is not made in China for dogs with IBD. I am thinking a Limited Ingredient diet. I know the vets do not agree as it is not scientifically tested for additives and everything but with the money we have spent and still trying to catch up, along with me between teaching gigs, I need help! Any suggestions? I've heard that Natural Balance and Wellness are good. I don't want to jeopardize her health but the vets love to push the prescription diets and are not much help when asked. I don't think a home cooked diet would work as I want something for when we travel. If anyone has a pup with IBD/possible food sensitivities, please advise.

Have a great weekend!

Edited by gd4
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Don't have any special knowledge personally. Thoughts on Whole Dog Journal's Veterinarian-Prescribed Foods section on IBS foods? 

Quote

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Not everyone agrees that IBD is a food allergy, but it is certain that diet can play a large role in its management. Symptoms of IBD include vomiting and diarrhea, though not necessarily both, and not necessarily at the same time.

Two dog foods fall more into the IBD management category than the others, and they are also touted for their ability to treat pancreatitis, colitis, diarrhea, constipation, and gastrointestinal disease in general. These are Eukanuba Low Residue, and Purina EN (ENteric, meaning intestinal). Low Residue contains moderate levels of soluble fiber, is overall low in fat but with a “balanced” Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acid ratio, and is highly digestible. EN is low in fiber and fat, and provides extra medium-chain triglycerides, all of which theoretically make it easier to digest. IVD’s Select Care Neutral, also a relatively “hypoallergenic” diet, can be used as well.

On the limited-ingredient side it appears Acana makes several, although I do not generally think of their foods as inexpensive :o 

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Sorry to hear  about  everything you are going through.  My other dog that is a mixed breed, a 9 year old beagle Scottish terrier has had these problems since he was 2.  He started on Wellness Lamb and rice at first.  He did  very well on this but now is eating Hills prescription diet z/d for skin/food sensitivities. He eats the canned and dry, likes the taste and is doing great on it so far.  Hope you find just the right product.

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T

I understand your reluctance to go with Hills Prescription and other vet-recommended Prescription Diets. That feeling has been echoed here frequently by others as well.

To comment on the above, I've understood that as Brad says, Acana can unfortunately be pricey, but is considered to be good quality with a good safety record/lack of recalls. Both the lower-priced Natural Balance and Wellness are also have good reputations. I fed Wellness some time ago, but when I reported recurring diarrhea to my vet, I was told that Wellness can be too rich for some dogs and the problem stopped when I switched to Natural Balance. Assuming that diarrhea might be one of your little girl's problems, it might be good to monitor her closely if you decide to consider Wellness. Of course the tried-and-true remedy for diarrhea has always been to add plain, canned pumpkin to the diet. Although in your case that will treat the symptom, not the disease, it still might be something to try.

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FEAR THE CAIRN!

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Thank you, all!

Brad, thanks, I actually pulled that bit of info up today. I found good info on the Eukanuba Low Residue but one post stated on Chewy review that they may discontinue this food. I would regret getting her started if this were to happen. I will continue to look into these diets.

Corn and Sanford: My pup did well on Solid Gold Lamb and Barley for years until her issue. My other pup still eats the lamb and barley dry with some Merrick canned on top (he's not picky :) ). I am curious about Wellness and Natural Balance.

I will continue my research. On a positive note: My girl has gained 2 lbs. since her surgery in December!!! This is a very good thing! She was terribly skinny and they wanted to see her gain weight after being so ill!

I hope to post a pic of her soon.

Thanks!

 

 

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Angus has wellness core seafod kibble with canned seafood topper. Works well for him but he does not have health difficulties. You may just have experimentvs bit till you find the right thing. Good luck and let us know how you get on. There is a lessexpensive similar wellness food which I have also used. Look them both up and check the ingredients. 

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My now 14-year old Westie has been on Nature's Variety Instinct 'rabbit' formula kibbles (i.e., rabbit is the protein source) for several years now after her IBS/IBD diagnosis and it's been nothing short of a miracle cure. The few times I've tried anything else her symptoms come back immediately. Interestingly, clay is one of the ingredients. It's not inexpensive, though I don't know how it compares in price to other brands. My rationale for the cost was that it's probably cheaper than vet bills and medication. Good luck!

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As always, thank you again for your input! I appreciate the information shared. I have decided to finish up her canned prescription and move into Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet canned/dry. They have a venison and sweet potato version which is similar to what she is eating on the Hill's. I plan to begin the transition with the treats and then slowly segue into the Natural Balance dry with Hill's wet and so on..., I thought a combo of the two might be helpful to make a smooth transition. This is much less expensive and I have not read too many bad reviews on the Natural Balance. I did see where they had a recall in 2007 and 2015. I suppose many foods do. When I reviewed the Consumer Affairs page, I was shocked to see that Hill's had two stars compared to Natural Balance with three stars. We shall see :)

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Gd4 don't be shocked by some vets promoting Hills, Science diets etc. These companies "teach" nutrition to vet students. It is in my humble opinion that you are wise to try another brand. 

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Until one has loved an animal, a part of  one's soul remains unawakened.  - Anatole France

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You can go to Dog Food Advisor - maybe you already have - and getting ratings for almost all dog foods. But like anything else you have to temper what they say with what you can afford and what works for your individual dog.

And I agree with others. Just because a vet sells the food it doesn't mean it is the best. They often do deals with the dog food companies to promote a certain brand.

I'm sure you will find out one way or another what works for both of you:)

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We are on the Wild Calling gluten free/limited ingredient rotational diet for skin allergies....mix the dry with the canned.  They even have canned Alligator!  So far so good...got off  of the Science Diet sensitive skin and stomach....started itching after 2 bags....I like the rotational diet because you change the protein source but stay in the same brand of dog food.  Pepper the Cairn never had itching problems until we started giving her the Science Diet prescription because of Teddy the lab's itching problems. 

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Pepper's Mom

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4 hours ago, Pepper Bug's Mom said:

...got off  of the Science Diet sensitive skin and stomach....started itching after 2 bags...

Ruffy had the same experience with Science diet. The shelter sent this food home with us when I adopted him. The itching stopped when I discontinued Science Diet.

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FEAR THE CAIRN!

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I gave up on advice from the vet and did my own research - kept costing lots of money for stuff that didn't work.

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Pepper's Mom

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Addie had frequent diarrhea as a pup and she had some bad skin allergy and conjunctivitis issues that I eliminated by changing her diet and adding a doggie probiotic. 

She did well on Wellness Simple (their limited ingredient diet). I switched to Acana Regionals because I trusted the manufacturing and ingredients more than Wellness, but that was my own personal preference to spend more money, and not as a reaction to Addie's health. Last I fed it, Wellness Simple was made in the USA.

Addie's allergies were terrible until I switched to Wellness Simple and eliminated all sources of grain, chicken, beef, and pork from her diet (including treats and chews). 

Addie's been taking FortiFlora doggie probiotics since she was a little over a year old. She gets one packet per day and her constant youth diarrhea hasn't been a problem since.

Like your pup she basically lived on metronidazole as a pup and hasn't had to take it in nearly 4 years now, since she started the probiotic. I only switched her diet (due to her allergies) in 2015.

I hope that's somewhat helpful, at least from the perspective of someone who had a pup with similar issues. 

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"as far as i am concerned cairns are the original spirit from which all terriers spring, and all terriers are cairns very deep down inside." pkcrossley

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I'll also note that I'm my dad is a veterinarian who sells Science Diet and he doesn't argue with me about the diet I've had Addie on (Wellness regular, Wellness Simple, and Acana). He'll occasionally make fun of me for being so obsessed about her food, but he's never argued that Science Diet is better for her, or ever suggested a Science Diet prescription for her stomach and allergy issues. 

When Addie first started having recurring stomach issues he immediately suggested FortiFlori, and never suggested a Science Diet prescription. I actually didn't know d/d existed, but it's been a while since I've been in his stock room.

He does, however, encourage owners with certain pets who have certain health issues to use the prescription diets. I believe their kidney and liver health diets come to mind. 

Edited by _whits_
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"as far as i am concerned cairns are the original spirit from which all terriers spring, and all terriers are cairns very deep down inside." pkcrossley

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Hello and thank you for all the great information! I am definitely looking up the FortiFlori that you mentioned. I am trying her on Natural Balance limited ingredient because they have a similar venison and potato recipe that she is currently taking on the Hill's. However, the Wellness makes sense to me and maybe, I can try that. Ultimately, if she does well, why spend so much money on the Hill's!

Blessings to you and your pup!

 

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2 hours ago, gd4 said:

Hello and thank you for all the great information! I am definitely looking up the FortiFlori that you mentioned. 

 

I have a friend with a dog who has a sensitive stomach and she also gives her pup FortiFlora, but only when he's actively having diarrhea. I think that's a more common use of FortiFlora (and saves money by not having to buy it as often). It seems to work great for my friend's dog with only occasional use. I use it every day because of how often Addie was having issues... and because of how often my family insists on feeding Addie people food that she can't handle. Just a thought in terms of managing costs. 

 

Edited by _whits_
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"as far as i am concerned cairns are the original spirit from which all terriers spring, and all terriers are cairns very deep down inside." pkcrossley

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  • 4 weeks later...

Since my last post, I decided to try Trinity on Natural Balance Limited Ingredient canned Duck and Potato (they were having issues getting the venison at the time in cans). I mix both this canned food and the Hills Venison and Potato canned for now. So far, she is tolerating it for two weeks. Eventually, I hope to get her on the Natural Balance exclusively. Of course, the internal med doc does not agree. The Prescription diet is simply way too expensive for us. I also chose to give her the regular Tri-Heart Plus heartworm tab that she has always taken instead of switching her to the topical Revolution. So far, this is the second month and she appears to have no reaction. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can keep a healthy and more economical pattern. She has gained a lot of weight back and is almost back to normal :) She is taking the metronidazole, 1/4 tab, twice daily. No more antacid or other stomach pills.

Take care, all.

 

Gina

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  • 1 month later...

Hello, everyone,

Just checking in to say that my little girl is doing very well. She has gained weight and I don't feel her "back bone" as prominent, anymore :) She is eating well, tolerating the metronidazole well. This is the only med that she is on. She has tolerated her regular heartworm chewable tab each month (Tri-Heart Plus); the same that she took before her illness. Currently, she is eating Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Duck and Venison canned food and I have moved her into the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Venison dry food. I still mix some of the Hill's Prescription Diet that they had her on (ID/Venison wet food) throughout the week. I'm taking it easy on going head first into the Natural Balance.  She enjoys the Hill's Prescription Hypo Allergenic Treats but plan to try her on the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Duck/Venison treats soon.  Needless to say, this saves a lot of money compared to the prescription diet.

Although she will be 14 in October this year, she is quite spunky and runs around happy as a little pup again. So, incredibly thankful to have her with me. She is still sleeping in the room with me, in her crate, each night since her illness. Our time together is now precious.

Take care, everyone and hope your babies are doing well.

Gina

 

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Thanks for the wonderful update! So lovely to hear how well your little girl is doing! Send her some kisses and cuddles from us. 

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"as far as i am concerned cairns are the original spirit from which all terriers spring, and all terriers are cairns very deep down inside." pkcrossley

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