Help! Possible food issue - Taste of the Wild Puppy and UTIs

2024 Views 10 Replies 5 Participants Last post by sydneynicole, Nov 23, 2018

OUGrad05

Discussion Starter · Nov 22, 2018

Hello everyone. New poster here.

My 1 year old boxer pup has been eating TOTW almost since we got her, she was eating Wellness Core puppy initially and we switched after the first UTI and really soft stools. We fed our previous boxer Chicken Soup and TOTW so I went back to TOTW.

Our pup has had three UTIs in the last 9 mos. The vet has suggested we consider changing foods, but the foods they "recommend" honestly are just garbage with initial ingredients being things like corn or other non-natural dog food items.

I'm thinking about a switch to Blue Buffalo and mixing it half and half with TOTW till its gone? I'm definitely open to other puppy formulas that would be reasonable quality and hopefully not too bad on the wallet.

Any help and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Mods, if you feel this goes in another forum, feel free to move.

Save

1 - 11 of 11 Posts

Shell

· #2 · Nov 22, 2018

Note-- I am not a vet

Has the vet done a urine culture test to make sure that the antibiotics are targeted correctly for the cause of the UTI?

Is the vet recommending a certain food because of urine crystals? For struvite bladder stones, a diet with restricted phos and magnesium is often recommend in conjunction with the antibiotics to help dissolve the stones. My understanding is that many times, eliminating the infection can mean the stones don't again become a problem and the dog can go back to a regular diet.

Is she spayed? If so, how old was she when she was spayed?

IMO, Blue Buffalo is crap. Overpriced and many dogs have digestive upsets on it. Heck, I once had a starving foster puppy refuse to eat it! And yes, she ate other food just fine when offered it so it wasn't a health issue causing lack of appetite.

At 1 year old and large but not giant breed, she doesn't need "puppy" food. You can pick a good All Life Stages food (which means it meets the standards for both adult maintenance and for growth and reproduction aka puppy food) or an adult food.

I'd look for a food with an ash content of under 7%. High ash content means more minerals for the dog to have to process out, there is indication that high ash like 9-10% is hard on the kidneys.

See less See more

Save

OUGrad05

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 22, 2018

Shell said:
Note-- I am not a vet

Has the vet done a urine culture test to make sure that the antibiotics are targeted correctly for the cause of the UTI?

Is the vet recommending a certain food because of urine crystals? For struvite bladder stones, a diet with restricted phos and magnesium is often recommend in conjunction with the antibiotics to help dissolve the stones. My understanding is that many times, eliminating the infection can mean the stones don't again become a problem and the dog can go back to a regular diet.

Is she spayed? If so, how old was she when she was spayed?

IMO, Blue Buffalo is crap. Overpriced and many dogs have digestive upsets on it. Heck, I once had a starving foster puppy refuse to eat it! And yes, she ate other food just fine when offered it so it wasn't a health issue causing lack of appetite.

At 1 year old and large but not giant breed, she doesn't need "puppy" food. You can pick a good All Life Stages food (which means it meets the standards for both adult maintenance and for growth and reproduction aka puppy food) or an adult food.

I'd look for a food with an ash content of under 7%. High ash content means more minerals for the dog to have to process out, there is indication that high ash like 9-10% is hard on the kidneys.

she is spayed, she was spayed at 6mos and we had her looked at then due to the prior two UTIs. They said no conformity issues. Most recently she had X-rays and there were no stones.

I've read conflicting things on puppy food. Some say move to adult food at 1yr others say 2 years on large dogs because they still need the nutrients as their bones complete the final growth and connective tissues strengthen.

Save

Shell

· #4 · Nov 22, 2018

OUGrad05 said:
she is spayed, she was spayed at 6mos and we had her looked at then due to the prior two UTIs. They said no conformity issues. Most recently she had X-rays and there were no stones.

I've read conflicting things on puppy food. Some say move to adult food at 1yr others say 2 years on large dogs because they still need the nutrients as their bones complete the final growth and connective tissues strengthen.

There isn't exactly such a thing as "puppy" food. Basically, there are two nutrient profiles recognized by the AAFCO. Growth and reproduction, and, Adult Maintenance. Foods that meet the minimums for both are allowed to label themselves as All Life Stages. But on the whole, the minimums are pretty minimal. Adult protein minimum is 18% and fat only 5.5%, growth minimum protein is 22.5% and fat only 8.5%. Micro-nutrients like calcium or iron for example have higher minimums in growth/repro food than adult food, but the vast majority of high quality foods are actually All Life Stages anyways and many Adult foods still meet most of the puppy minimums but maybe for a handful of ingredients.

The long and short of it is that IMO it is better to research a specific food or line of foods rather than restricting yourself to foods marketed as "Puppy" foods.

Since it sounds like she has only been on grain-free foods, consider a grain-inclusive food. Especially one with minimal peas/legumes. What major protein (chicken, beef, lamb etc) has she mainly been eating?

Do you know how much water she takes in each day? Some dogs aren't big on drinking water if they haven't been running around a lot or if the weather isn't super hot, so measuring how much you refill her bowl with can give you an idea if she is not drinking enough. Good hydration is super important for avoiding urinary issues.

See less See more

Save

OUGrad05

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 23, 2018

I will pickup something different tomorrow. She drinks a lot when it's warm but lately not nearly as much. I have also been worried about her hydration but in general seems fine and is full of energy.

Appreciate the thoughts.

Shell said:
There isn't exactly such a thing as "puppy" food. Basically, there are two nutrient profiles recognized by the AAFCO. Growth and reproduction, and, Adult Maintenance. Foods that meet the minimums for both are allowed to label themselves as All Life Stages. But on the whole, the minimums are pretty minimal. Adult protein minimum is 18% and fat only 5.5%, growth minimum protein is 22.5% and fat only 8.5%. Micro-nutrients like calcium or iron for example have higher minimums in growth/repro food than adult food, but the vast majority of high quality foods are actually All Life Stages anyways and many Adult foods still meet most of the puppy minimums but maybe for a handful of ingredients.

The long and short of it is that IMO it is better to research a specific food or line of foods rather than restricting yourself to foods marketed as "Puppy" foods.

Since it sounds like she has only been on grain-free foods, consider a grain-inclusive food. Especially one with minimal peas/legumes. What major protein (chicken, beef, lamb etc) has she mainly been eating?

Do you know how much water she takes in each day? Some dogs aren't big on drinking water if they haven't been running around a lot or if the weather isn't super hot, so measuring how much you refill her bowl with can give you an idea if she is not drinking enough. Good hydration is super important for avoiding urinary issues.

Save

Shell

· #6 · Nov 23, 2018

Dunno what is available in your area, depending on the stores around if you're not shopping online but here are a couple of my favorite "go-to" grain-inclusive foods that would suit an older puppy

https://www.propacultimates.com/dog-food/puppy-chicken-meal-brown-rice-formula/

https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/wholesomes-chicken-meal-rice-formula/
(A little lower in protein and a single meat source of protein, an All Life Stages food available at Tractor Supply)

https://victorpetfood.com/products/ocean-fish-formula-salmon
(Not as easily found in stores, but Victor makes great food at very good prices and this is a rare grain-inclusive option that has fish as its single source of protein; a bit lower in fat than I prefer but a good option if protein allergies might be an issue)

https://victorpetfood.com/products/nutra-pro
(Basically my favorite All Life Stages grain-inclusive food around. High protein, high fat, high calories--- great for high energy dogs)

Consider getting a pet drinking fountain since flowing fresh water can really entice a dog to drink more. You do have to keep up with filters and they have to be plugged in, but you can get a simple one for $30-40 or so.

See less See more

Save

NadiaK

· #7 · Nov 23, 2018

I can't really comment on the UTI issue but wanted to mention something regarding the food. I buy all my dog food at a high end pet shop in town. A few weeks ago they sent out an email to all their customers saying they will no longer be carrying Blue Buffalo because it no longer meets their standards for quality and safety.
Also, all the foods that Shell mentioned can be bought online at the link below. They are a great company and ship very fast. You might also want to add some water to your dog's kibble so you know she is getting more water if she is prone to UTI's. Good luck.
https://www.chewy.com/s?query=Vicor

Save

OUGrad05

Discussion Starter · #8 · Nov 23, 2018

NadiaK said:
I can't really comment on the UTI issue but wanted to mention something regarding the food. I buy all my dog food at a high end pet shop in town. A few weeks ago they sent out an email to all their customers saying they will no longer be carrying Blue Buffalo because it no longer meets their standards for quality and safety.
Also, all the foods that Shell mentioned can be bought online at the link below. They are a great company and ship very fast. You might also want to add some water to your dog's kibble so you know she is getting more water if she is prone to UTI's. Good luck.
https://www.chewy.com/s?query=Vicor

Thanks for the tip!

Save

OUGrad05

Discussion Starter · #9 · Nov 23, 2018

I decided to try the Acana red meat formula. I'm definitely open for additional future suggestions. Honestly, I'd prefer to go Canidae due to the vast majority of what I've read about them the last 24 hours...but one major sticking point with me. They use diamond foods to MFG their product. That gives me the creeps since I'm trying to get away from diamond.

I realize Acana and Orijen have a pending lawsuit, but in my experience many lawsuits are frivolous and I may not be feeding it long-term.

Hoping for more help and insight from you guys.

Save

christine_72

· #10 · Nov 23, 2018

OUGrad05 said:
I decided to try the Acana red meat formula. I'm definitely open for additional future suggestions. Honestly, I'd prefer to go Canidae due to the vast majority of what I've read about them the last 24 hours...but one major sticking point with me. They use diamond foods to MFG their product. That gives me the creeps since I'm trying to get away from diamond.

I realize Acana and Orijen have a pending lawsuit, but in my experience many lawsuits are frivolous and I may not be feeding it long-term.

Hoping for more help and insight from you guys.

Sorry to veer off topic, but what lawsuit has Orijen got going at the moment? I'm going to start feeding it when it arrives in Australia next year, and now I'm worried...

Save

sydneynicole

· #11 · Nov 23, 2018

christine_72 said:
Sorry to veer off topic, but what lawsuit has Orijen got going at the moment? I'm going to start feeding it when it arrives in Australia next year, and now I'm worried...

A quick google yielded many results about the lawsuit. Here is one https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/7062-lawsuit-alleges-heavy-metals-bpa-in-champion-pet-foods

Save

1 - 11 of 11 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month