Canidae dog food

[Psychodisney]

I bought a new bag of Canidae dog food last Saturday. Coincidentally, my Golden Retriever has had an upset GI system since last Sunday. I don't know if it the food or not and I'd hate to waste a $43 bag of food. I put him on his homemade bland rice/hamburger per the vet. When I add some canidae food in with the rice, he had another bad night. He's back on straight rice/hamburger and he's better again.
Anybody else using Canidae and having issues?

 

[DisneyLover83]

I think it can differ between dogs as our dog does best on Canidae lamb and rice but we financially could not keep her on it long term. So now she is on Innova and not doing as well as she was on Candae.... so go figure. We are currently at a loss trying to find something that works that is also affordable on a regular basis. I hope you find something that works for you!

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Was this the first time you've used Canidae or is it just this new bag causing problems? If it is just this bag I would call or return it to the place you bought it and exchange for another. Maybe it is a bad bag? I did find this on the Canidae company's website:

http://www.canidae.com/company/satisfaction.html

I feed my dogs (13 yr old small mixed breed and a 2 year old Golden retriever) the Canidae All Life Stages. We've been using it for 2 years and never had any tummy issues with either dog.

 

[java]

It could just be the formulation of the food. My dog did fine using Canidae- but we switched off because of price. We switched slowly though. Some dogs are more sensitive to the change over and you are supposed to do it slowly. Since your dog seemed to have the reaction even with just a little added to his home cooked meal sounds like it's not a good one for him.
Contact the company via email they may offer a refund of some sort. (or at least a couple of coupons)

 

[wdwaholic]

I was using Canidae for all 3 of my dogs about a year ago and all was fine then they all started with n/v/d. I went on this website www.dogforums.com and found that they had changed one of their ingredients-a lot of the dogs were having the same issues,I now alternate between Wellness Super 5 mix and Natural Balance.-all are about the same $ and have the same nutritional values. We have been doing fine since.I second what others have said-take the food back to the store and get a refund or store credit.Good luck-I know its awful when your furbaby doesn't feel well
Trish

 

[rszdtrvl]

I fed my dogs Canidae for years, UNTIL they switched the formula.

This was a couple years ago.

The new formula didn't agree with them at all.

I now feed them "Taste of the Wilds - Wetlands Formula". And it works great!

 

[ceecee]

If you have been feeding the same food all along and he got sick, I would also wonder about the food. If it was a new to him food and you didn't do the switch slowly that can cause stomach upset. Call the company or return the food if it's something that you have already been using.

 

[EllenFrasier]

Look carefully at the food - does it appear different then other bags you have bought? One time our dogs (two Goldens) refused to eat the food -and if you knew my dogs, you'd know that was not normal! I looked through the bag and found that some of the food looked lighter and kind of had a dusty covering on them - maybe a mold of some type? Anyway, that bag went right back and they were fine. Good thing I noticed or they might have gotten sick.

 

[Psychodisney]

Thanks for all of the replies. He's been on the same food for 2-3 years. He had a little difficulty when the changed the formula last year but nothing major. The issues this week are major. The food didn't look/smell bad. I will try to return it though....our kennel/breeder should be cooperative. I think they have some sample bags of the life stages. Maybe I could try mixing those slowly with his homemade rice and see how he does.

 

[ceecee]

We use Wellness and it doesn't have preservatives in it, so it does expire. Did you look on the bag to see if it is fresh?

 

[Psychodisney]

I checked the expiration and it's good until 5/2011. The good news is he has been diarhhea free for 48 hours. I might try adding a little real food tomorrow.

 

[Tonydana]

i have a 2 1/2 yo golden and a 12 week old.. the puppy is on merrick and does great with it.. the 2 yo was on cannidae and would have these stomach issues on and off.. we would feed bland diet for a week or so, hamburg and rice and then start adding food to it.. he would do good for a bit, then it would come back.. like a once a month thing or a little longer. he is now off of it. and on prescription diet to see if we can get im back on track, then i wlll try another brand to see... please pm if you find anything else out.. am curious.. good luck...

 

[cinderella73]

Guys its a bit OT but just how much a month can I expect to pay for the Canidae for a lab that eats 2 times a day ? I know its expensive but we will be bringing a service dog home soon and its what the trainers feed him . ( Plus we have food allergies and its made in a safe facility.)

You guys have me worried about the cost. I know its high but can anyone tell me what it will cost about a month? Thanks

 

[dclfun]

Sorry to sidetrack a bit, but I use Innova for my service dog-it is more expensive than other dog foods but I did my research and she's worth it. When I first got her she was on Eukanuba lamb/rice-Labs usually snarf down food but I once forgot her Innova at home and had to feed her the Eukanuba I had in a container at work and she gave me a look like I was trying to kill her. She ate very slowly and stopped occasionally to glare at me. I'm not sure about Canidae, but I order our Innova via Ebates from Pet Food Direct to get a 5% rebate,then they give a 20% discount to certified service dogs. With the discount it's a little better price than free shipping,plus I also order organic treats from this site that I can't find at Petco or Petsmart. I'm pretty sure Canidae is around the same price- about $65 a bag for a large bag. I have to wonder if the OP's dog is allergic to an ingredient as the illness definitely sounds like the dog food is causing it. I agree with everyone else to return it and get something else. Poor boy!---Kathy

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Guys its a bit OT but just how much a month can I expect to pay for the Canidae for a lab that eats 2 times a day ? I know its expensive but we will be bringing a service dog home soon and its what the trainers feed him . ( Plus we have food allergies and its made in a safe facility.)

You guys have me worried about the cost. I know its high but can anyone tell me what it will cost about a month? Thanks

I buy a big 45 lb bag of Canidae about once a month. It costs about $50. I feed my 75 lb Golden 1 cup, twice daily. My small 17 lb mix gets 1 cup, once daily. So basically @ 3 cups per day the large bag will last a month so about $50 per month. I would guess your lab will eat 1-2 cups per day so it will last a little bit longer than a month. HTH!

 

[cinderella73]

Sorry to sidetrack a bit, but I use Innova for my service dog-it is more expensive than other dog foods but I did my research and she's worth it. When I first got her she was on Eukanuba lamb/rice-Labs usually snarf down food but I once forgot her Innova at home and had to feed her the Eukanuba I had in a container at work and she gave me a look like I was trying to kill her. She ate very slowly and stopped occasionally to glare at me. I'm not sure about Canidae, but I order our Innova via Ebates from Pet Food Direct to get a 5% rebate,then they give a 20% discount to certified service dogs. With the discount it's a little better price than free shipping,plus I also order organic treats from this site that I can't find at Petco or Petsmart. I'm pretty sure Canidae is around the same price- about $65 a bag for a large bag. I have to wonder if the OP's dog is allergic to an ingredient as the illness definitely sounds like the dog food is causing it. I agree with everyone else to return it and get something else. Poor boy!---Kathy

I will go look it up now. It sounds like good stuff. One issue I know we have is that we can only get dog food from nut free facilitys and the trainer also said it has to be all made in USA and organic. I will go check out the site and maybe give them a call to see if it could fit the bill. Thanks for the info. I am having a hard time finding stuff . They have the dog on the Canidae now out athe ranch but it contains pineapple which may be a issue for our own allergies so not sure if it will work out. The trainer looked up other companies and also found Flint River qhich seems ok but didnt seem quite as good as Canidae though. I hate changing the dogs diet on him so I might buy both the Flint River and Innova you mentioned ( if the company says its nut free) and let them test it with him on it before I pick him up to see if he likes it and his tummy is ok. He has to get used to me as it is I really dont think he would like me if I took away his regular food and his trainer. lol Funny what you said about your dog. When I had cats they did that to me when I brought home dry food one time. They were used to wet food.

I buy a big 45 lb bag of Canidae about once a month. It costs about $50. I feed my 75 lb Golden 1 cup, twice daily. My small 17 lb mix gets 1 cup, once daily. So basically @ 3 cups per day the large bag will last a month so about $50 per month. I would guess your lab will eat 1-2 cups per day so it will last a little bit longer than a month. HTH!

Wow it is a bit pricey. But I wouldnt dream of skimping on the quality of our dogs food. I owe him a lot being our service dog and all. I figured around 40 to 50 so it wont be to off budget. Thanks for the info. I can start budgeting now.


To the OP - I dont know what was in the Canidae orginally that they changed but when I looked up ingredients the other day I noticed there is some unusual stuff in it. I know the papaya is good for digestion and maybe the pineapple as well but it does have a lot of stuff that regular dog foods dont.I know it is all good quality but not sure how it would mix in anyones tummy. If I was to eat it I would think all that stuff mixed would give me a tummy ache! lol

 

[ceecee]

We buy Wellness and it is $54 for a bag but they usually have it on sale for $49 every few weeks, we signed up on the website and will occassionally get $3 off coupons. The store we buy at has a stamp card so when you have bought 12 bags you get one free. So you can look to save a little $.

 

[debbiecarr98]

Yes, I agree, the place that we purchase our food allows you to return the food if you have a problem with it. Also, another vote for Innova, I have Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, one has severe gastric issues and this is the only food that she has tolerated well. Their coats are beautifully shiny too! Good luck!!