Question:
Hello,

So I've had Ebie on an Innova Evo RM diet for quite some time. She looks healthier coat, has more energy, and seems overall happier. I like to the food a lot except for the fact that she has (on and off) loose stool. Is it because there are absolutely no grains in the food? Is it time to switch her to a new food Maybe something that contains brown rice or oatmeal? If so I was thinking about several options...since Ebie doesn't do well on chicken (she vomits if she has chicken)

These are the top choices I'm looking at: What would you recommend for a ~13lbs Eskie?
Solid Gold - barking at the moon - no grains but great ingredients
Merrick - Cowboy Cookout
Merrick - Wilderness Blend
Wellness - Fish and Potato
Wellness - Lamb Super5mix

*Note: the two Merrick fomulas contain chicken liver. I don't know if it's just chicken meat that she's allergic to or all chicken including organs. Should I even try it?

Ebie eats anything thing so the particular meat doesn't matter as long as it's not chicken.

Some other issues, she still eats her poo - I don't think it has anything to do with nutrient deficiency now, she just likes it. But on the bright side it keeps me brushing her teeth constantly.

Her tears still stain her coat under her eyes but it has decreased.

Another idea: Instead of switching the food is there a supplement I can use?

Any advice will be great. Thanks!

Answer:
How long have you had her on the Evo RM?

Answer:
She's been on RM for at least 2 months now.

Answer:
Have you tried reducing the amount you feed? No grains in a food usually constipates a dog rather than causing runny stools. If you feed too much, the stools will be softer than they should be.

Oats and rice are fast fibers and they tend to cause a looser stool than no grains at all...

If you try cutting back a bit and the stool is still loose, Barking at the Moon is definitely a good one, and the tomato pomace (stool hardener) might work to your benefit.

Answer:
You may want to wait a little longer - it can take up to four months for them to completely adjust. So she may be having soft poop sometimes and she may still eat her own poop because she hasnt yet passed the "detox".

I switched my two boys over to regular Evo a little over two months ago, and there have been some bouts of soft stool. To help with this though, I give them a probiotic suppliment and special yogurt and pumpkin treats. It seems to help a lot!

If you still end up deciding to switch foods, all of the ones you have listed are good. You could also try Canidae if you're wanting to add some grains to her diet.

Answer:
Thanks. I'll try cutting her portion down and a probiotic.

Answer:
Yeah, Jemma and Boo can take up to 4 months to adjust too.

Don't cut too much, maybe 1/8 of a cup to 1/4c.

Probiotics would certainly help.

Answer:
One of the reasons you are seeing loose stools on the Evo is very likely to be the dairy products (cottage cheese). Cow's milk used to be the number one dog and cat food allergen until it was up-staged by wheat about 20 years ago, when they made the single worst decision in veterinary nutrition by transitioning from corn-based to wheat-based foods. Corn was bad enough but wheat would turn out to be horrific for the dogs and cats. Thank Goodness they also took the dairy out about that same time. Remember milk-coated puppy chows???

So, why are they bringing dairy back now. Plain and simple: Ignorance. They have been deceived into believing that lactose is the culprit in dairy when it is the proteins in cow's milk that do all of the harm

Below is a post I made on another forum that discusses this.

I hope it helps,
John

****************
Hi S.,

It's good to hear from you. I am not a fan of Evo due to the cottage cheese. I have written them many times about the fact that they ruin a potentially wonderful food by putting in this totally unnatural-for-dogs dairy product. I am amazed that they defend this action when cottage cheese is unnatural and one of the top food allergens in dogs, cats and humans.

The proteins in dairy (casein, alpha and beta lactalbumin) have been associated with numerous immune-medieated diseases, including pancreatitis. Fat is NOT the inciting culprit in pancreatitis. Inflammatory glycoproteins (lectins) from dairy, gluten grains, soy and corn are the guys who induce this and type-one diabetes. This is KNOWN fact and can easily be confirmed by reading medical research articles on the Internet. And this is why celiacs (gluten intolerants) have such high incidence of this and other "autoimmune" diseases.

I have asked forum members to write Natura and beg them to take the cottage cheese out. But, no one seems to be fuly grasping the damaging nature of dairy products like cottage cheese, despite the fact that a number of forum members have complained of allergy and GI symptoms from this food. THESE are the warning signs that the immune-mediated diseases are coming.

I hope this helps. Feel free to post this response on the thread you mentioned above if you want to.

John
John B. Symes, D.V.M. ("Dogtor J")

Answer:
One of my dogs (a siberian husky) had a problem with loose stools. He was fed Nutro first then Timberwolf Organics and Solid Gold. All switches were done slowly over 10 to 14 days. It wasn't until I switched him to Innova (regular formula not EVO) that he finally got firm stools.

Answer: