Any dog food recommendations for reducing bloat/gas

[TexasErin]

As some of you may remember, I have posted about my 130-pound Great Pyrenees mix who previously had bouts with diarrhea. I changed her dog food to Wellness Super 5, but she is still having problems with gas.
I took her to the vets a couple of weeks ago because I was afraid she might be getting bloat and/or stomach torsion. She had been very restless that night and was making a lot of weird noises licking her nose. When I put her food down that morning, she tilted her head down and all of this clear fluid went all over my floor. I really wasn't sure whether it was drool or mucus???? So I took her to the vet and he did an X-ray. She did not have any bloat or stomach twisting, but he said she did have a lot of gas in her intestines.
He told me I could keep her on some generic Pepcid a couple of times a day plus to keep feeding her 3 small meals a day with high quality dog food. I asked him about just feeding her boiled chicken and rice instead of dog food. He said that would be too much protein and could end up causing damage to her kidneys.
She still seems to not feel good sometimes and I notice her occasionally burping or perhaps being gaseous out the other end . I am so afraid of bloat and want to do anything I can to keep her from getting it. Does anybody have any idea of any low gas-producing dog foods if there is such a thing????
I love my big silly girl and want her to be around forever.

 

[Dax]

You could switch to a different high quality brand..

My pugs are very...musical...and I have been using a strict Lamb and Rice or Venison and Rice diet.

I am also VERY strict on reading the ingrediants. No by products listed in the first 3. Also prefer no corn or other fillers in the first 3.

I found Wellness to cause gas in my dogs as well.

 

[TexasErin]

I had heard the same thing about staying away from corn as an ingredient. That is one of the reasons why I switched to the Wellness brand. What brand are you currently using?

 

[yoopermom]

Absolutely no corn, if at all possible, and I would try one of the more "exotic" blends like venison/wild rice/etc. Is she very calm before eating, eating slowly, and then resting afterwards/not exercising right away? Think of what you'd want if you were after a meal that didn't upset your stomach. As a trainer, I've even used the dog's daily portion of food as "treats", so you could even try slowing her down by handfeeding her tiny portions at a time, so she would slow down and relax while eating.

Good luck, pyrs are great dogs!
Terri

 

[TexasErin]

I do try to make sure that she doesn't get much exercise right after eating. She was drinking a lot this morning after she ate, so I called her to me since I have also heard that they shouldn't drink a lot right after eating. I have wondered how I could slow down her eating since she does tend to eat pretty fast. I'll try to hand-feed her some to see if that helps.

 

[syko]

my bassett hound was prone to gas and diarrhea so we changed her food to ORIJEN, and only give her wheat / grain free treats too......and have not had any problems since.

 

[Dax]

For the longest time on was on Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance dog food.. L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets™ Sweet Potato & Venison Dry Dog Food..

Basically it has no grains in it...perfect for dogs with grain issues. I had to switch because with 5 pugs, it was hitting my wallet.

Currently feeding Nature’s Recipe Easy-to-Digest Lamb, Rice & Barley Recipe. Have been on this for about 6mo straight, and does well with my pugs.

 

[TexasErin]

Thanks everybody for the recommendations. I'll check these out and see if I can find any of these in my area......

 

[Dax]

The Petco in my area sells both that I listed, and the Petsmart sells the Nature's Recipe. Sometimes if you ask the stores, they may be able to get it in stock for you.

 

[CathrynRose]

Taste of the Wild has *no* grain fillers. None. No corn, wheat, barley - nothing.

Dogs dont need these fillers. Theyre simply that - fillers.

Charley doesnt fart if he is on a non-filler food. And he farts BAD when he is.

We recently switched to Taste of the Wild, after Canidae made their changes (which still irks me)

Charley REALLY likes it - a lot. They have 3 formula's - duck/pheasant, Venison/Buffalo and Smoked Salmon. He has done good on all 3 - but really likes the fish one. I like that it contains the 'good' pro-biotic - the stuff that yogurt has in it....what is that stuff called?

Check out this: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

And Taste of the Wild's site: http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

ALSO - have you tried going to a very simple food? Like California Natural - Salmon & Sweet Potato? (Charley likes that one, too)

Wellness is good - very good. But it has a lot of fruits, veggies that can cause gassiness in some dogs.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I do try to make sure that she doesn't get much exercise right after eating. She was drinking a lot this morning after she ate, so I called her to me since I have also heard that they shouldn't drink a lot right after eating. I have wondered how I could slow down her eating since she does tend to eat pretty fast. I'll try to hand-feed her some to see if that helps.

They should drink NOTHING after eating. Take up the water for at least an hour. The water dilutes the digestion and slows it down. Not too mention it is bloating up the food in their stomach.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You did a nice job recognizing the potential signs of bloat and getting your dog right to the vet.

Not mentioned yet: No vigorous exercise either before or after eating.

My vet has us feed twice a day and add a little water to dry food before serving (so it doesn't expand/produce gas in the stomach).

Limit water gulping, too, especially after exercise.

Do not use elevated feeding bowls (contrary to what some of the ads themselves claim, they can encourage air entering the GI system during eating).

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Also when I was reading about bloat, a good tip was to get their digestion going to the point of drooling before they eat. That way their stomach is prepared.

I have a dog that is a fast eater and a gulper when he drinks.

 

[SadieDog]

Here is some information regarding slowing your dog down while eating.

The most common and most effective strategy was to place a large object that the dog had to eat around in the food bowl. The object that worked best, although it sounds a little unusual, was a heavy chain with big links. Unlike a rock, which the dog can push out of the way, a heavy link chain forces the dog to eat under and around it.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I had a gassy and sensitive tummy puppy and changed him to California Natural Lamb and Rice. They are a great food for allergy dogs, as they have limited ingredients, and by the same company as Innova so you know it's good.

Most pet stores will have sample bags you can try or allow you to return an opened bag if it doesn't work.

I'd also add some canned pumpkin to his diet to see if that will help soothe his tummy some more.

 

[TexasErin]

With all of these suggestions, I should have no problem finding something good for Molly.

Who would have thought that dog food could be such a complicated issue? I'm just glad I found out about bloat BEFORE anything bad happened because its not really something that you hear a lot about. I read that it is the #2 killer of large breed dogs so this is something that should get a LOT more attention.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Taste of the Wild has *no* grain fillers. None. No corn, wheat, barley - nothing.

Dogs dont need these fillers. Theyre simply that - fillers.

Charley doesnt fart if he is on a non-filler food. And he farts BAD when he is.

We recently switched to Taste of the Wild, after Canidae made their changes (which still irks me)

Charley REALLY likes it - a lot. They have 3 formula's - duck/pheasant, Venison/Buffalo and Smoked Salmon. He has done good on all 3 - but really likes the fish one. I like that it contains the 'good' pro-biotic - the stuff that yogurt has in it....what is that stuff called?

Check out this: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

And Taste of the Wild's site: http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

ALSO - have you tried going to a very simple food? Like California Natural - Salmon & Sweet Potato? (Charley likes that one, too)

Wellness is good - very good. But it has a lot of fruits, veggies that can cause gassiness in some dogs.

Our babies love the fishy formula Taste of the Wild too. I think it's odd that dogs love fish so much, but you know, it works for them, and it's a healthy food.

 

[puzzifootin]

We use Purina One Lamb and Rice...chicken gives my boy the gassies...PHEWWWWW!

 

[SadieDog]

Some peope like to add a little plain yogurt to their food too.

 

[CathrynRose]

Some peope like to add a little plain yogurt to their food too.

We do that at night. It's his 'yogurt treat' - then he knows it's bed time.

We actually had to do this a lot more on Canidae, than we do now. Probably that pro-biotic that's in Taste of the Wild, helping out.