I have an American Bulldog that has allergies to something the vet told us to change his food to a no grain food what do you recommend we change his food to? We have tryed to change his food in the past and we have not had the best of luck as he gets really runny stools from any other food other then what his breeder was feeding him and that's not the best kind of food it's dog chow. What's the best way to change his food over? We tried adding just a handful of other food to the dog chow and he would still have bad stools. and advise would be great.

Hello Melissa.

There are many excellent kinds of grain foods available. Natural Balance has several different types with varying proteins such as Duck, Venison or Fish. Canidae would be another good choice and they offer a Fish formula as well as a four meat formula which include Chicken, Lamb, Fish and Turkey.

It is also possible that your dog is actually allergic to certain types of meat so therefore it might take some experimenting on your part to find a food he's not allergic to.

It will take at least a month for his body to cleanse itself of food allergies. That means you should stick with one kind of food for at least that long, if not longer. Remember, you will be mixing his food at first which will push the time table out even farther. Generally there is some improvement after a few weeks but by no means will the allergies magically disappear overnight.

You mentioned that whenever you have tried to switch his food that it gives him loose stools. When you change his food, it is best to actually feed him less than the recommended feeding amount. Fewer calories is easier for his stomach to deal with and helps with the transition to the new food. This will be critical when switching to a grain free food which is richer than what he is used to. Most companies suggest doing the transition over a 7 day time period. With the sensitivity of his stomach, it might work better for
him to stretch the transition time to a minimum of 10 days, with the first day only giving him at most a 1/4cup of new food. There is a product available by Eagle Pack that can be sprinkled on top of his food. It contains several types of probiotics that help aid the intestines in absorbing the nutrients and helps prevent loose stools.

Another important thing to think about is the type of treats that you might be feeding him. If the treats contain grain than it doesn't matter what kind of food you switch him to, he will still have allergies because of the treats. Most companies offer treats that correspond to their food. Depending on what kind of food you go with, see if they offer treats as well.

I wish you and your bulldog the best and a happy new year!

"The Chuck"
Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet