In the early spring I started cooking Rhody his food. He has such a sensitive stomach and the vet isn't sure if it's allergies or gestational. He was on a special prescription food, however it was super expensive and I was sick of paying $70 for an 18 pound bag every two weeks. The vet recommended that I start home cooking for him. It would be cheaper and his stomach might be able to handle plain chicken and or hamburg. I started giving him 2 cups of chicken and 2 cups of white rice per day. He was doing well on it for a few months and decided to do some research for a dry food he could handle. I found a commercial dog food marketed to sensitive stomachs dogs and it was also all natural. I bought a small bag and mixed a 1/4 cup of it with the cooked food for a week or so and then started giving him the food on its own. I thought we'd be good and I wouldn't have to cook for him anymore. I was wrong. He started getting diarrhea from the new food and I was back to the drawing board.
This time, I decided to switch to hamburg and rice, as cooked hamburg is good for a dog with diarrhea. He'd been eating that for a few months and had been doing well. I decided it was time to look for another commercial food that his stomach could handle. Rhody was eating a home cooked meal 7 days a week twice a day, more the I do! I scoured the Internet and decided to try a high protein, grain free diet for him. No fillers, I bought him a small bag of EVO Red Meat, which is 42% protein. I started mixing it with his regular chow and for about a week and it seemed that his stomach could handle it and he loved it! I was excited. I had found a food that he and his stomach liked. I thought again we were onto something, until he started waking me up in the middle of the night and in the early morning, which is not like him at all. You see, Rhody is sometimes compared to camel. HE can hold his pee for hours and hours, especially on days that it's raining out. (I've figured out a trick to rainy days though and it's been working well. I stuff my pockets with cookies and head to the car and take him for a ride down the street to the park or beach. He follows me every time! He won't go for a walk but for a ride to the park...he's in!)
So, back to the food issue. I checked the internet and some people had posted on forums that they had also noticed a frequent urination in their dog after giving them a high protein diet. I decided that I had to take him off the food. I couldn't have him home alone knowing that he was dying to be let out, while I was at work. So, I was back to the drawing board.
I went back to cooking him hamburg and rice while I did some research online. Today I went to my local pet store and picked up Wellness Core. It's also high protein and grain free, however this one is 33% protein not 42% like the EVO stuff. Rhody is going to get a 1/4 cup each night with his hamburg and rice for a few days and we'll see how he does.
Switching Rhody onto a new food is such a gamble, but i feel that there's got to be something out there for him. Have you walked down the food aisles at your local pet store. It seems like have something for every dog and I am determined to find what Rhody can handle. I am tired of running to the grocery store 3 times a week for hamburg and you should see the looks I get from people when I buy the huge box of instant white rice. People must think I live off white rice! I've even had people ask me about it and then I have to explain to then that it's for my dog with the sensitive stomach.
I've learned a lot being a dog owner over the past 3 years. Especially with a dog with such high maintenance needs as Rhody! I feel like I am getting to know his needs better and better. We might be on the same page one of these days.
I'll let you know how the new food works out. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Maybe three times is a charm.
