dogfood allergy

[Guest]

It started last month. Wes got diarrhea suddenly and the vet pointed the finger at "people food."

"Just feed him dog food," he said. "Remember, no scraps." The whole month, Wes was on pepto bismol on and off. We hardly gave him anything but his kibble.

Yesterday morning, not only did he make in the house, but he kept throwing up the dinner from the night before. We were frightened.

Now Wes is on canned food for dogs with sensitive stomachs. He absoslutely LOVES his new diet. Compared to how he wolfs down this new food now, he must've been starving before.

Last night after dinner, we saw a big smile on his face. And this morning, he was so docile- such a little gentledog!

[George 'n' Gracie]

I'm so glad you found a solution! There truly is nothing more pitiful than a sick puppy. Be careful not to overfeed though. I'm sure you know that cairns will eat and eat and eat! How wonderful it must be to see him enjoying his life again!

[Guest]

I know what you mean about overfeeding. I feed Wes a little at a time, so I can drag out his eating and figure out when enough is enough.

The vet said he can eat 1/2 can per meal, but does that mean I have to deduct something if I give him a treat during training?

[bradl]

The vet said he can eat 1/2 can per meal, but does that mean I have to deduct something if I give him a treat during training?

Probably, although how much depends on common sense. A single "Charlee Bear" or a single kernal of popcorn isn't going to add up to much of a decuction. But ten or twenty tiny treats (or just a couple 'cookies') add up to a handful and can be significant.

Puppies do eat more than adults. Both will try to convince you they are starving. Our oldest girl's ambition is to weigh 50 lbs. At 13 pounds (her actual weight) she eats only 3 oz of food a day (plus approximately 8 pea-sized treats). Feed her four ounces for a few days and she will gain weight. The other two 14-15 pound bitches eat 4 oz/day and our 18-19 pound boy eats 6 oz unless he is on a diet, when we cut him back to 5 oz.