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Very Delicate Chihuahua Tummy.

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Tiny Tiny by Name,- Tiny by Nature     Barked: Wed Mar 21, '12 11:34am PST  My little chihuahua male has an extremely delicate stomach. When I rescued him he had been on a cheap food and wasnt fighting for his portion so as a result he was extremely underweight at around 3.1kg(that might not seem too bad for a chihuahua but he is a crossbreed and was very skinny for his height). The vet recommended we put him on a rich, high-quality food so we had him on Royal Canin Mini and his coat improved and he was putting on weight but after about 2 months he started vomiting every day and couldn't keep anything down. We discovered he had an allergy to Royal Canin and he went on a stright diet of very bland, very expensive Specific vets only food and he is still on it now. It puts a great shine on his coat but it is so bland with very boring ingredients so he has to be coaxed into eating it by adding some tuna, chicken or gravy to it. My problem is he is not eating enough to put on any weight.He is now 3.8kg but the vet says he is still too thin and wants him to be 4.3-4.5kgs. What can I give him to put on weight that will not upset his stomach? my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Bruno CGC Honorary Kelpie     Barked: Wed Mar 21, '12 11:41am PST  Do you know what particular ingredient(s) in the Royal Canin bothered him? Chicken is a common allergy, as are corn and wheat, and all three are present in the RC. If you can figure that out, you have a lot more choices in branching out. Maybe see if you can find a corn/wheat-free, chicken-free kibble. There are lots of those where I live, not sure what's available where you live. Online stores are always an option, though the shipping can be painful. Independent pet retail stores sometimes have more choices than chain stores, grocery stores, or vet offices. Since he's little you could probably do an all-canned food diet too, or a homemade diet if you're ready to do some research and planning. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Tiny Tiny by Name,- Tiny by Nature     Barked: Sun Apr 1, '12 10:44am PST  The food hes on consists mainly of wheat and other cereals and he regularily gets chicken so I doubt its either of them. The vet said that RC was just too rich for him and that I would need tests to see what exactly he was allergic to, it might be worth doing. Can you think of anything bland and gentle on the stomach that would make him gain considerable weight? my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Maxwell I'm triple- superior MAD- now!     Barked: Sun Apr 1, '12 10:54am PST  You might have been overfeeding him in your attempt to fatten him up. Instead of feeding more food in two meals a day try feeding more meals a day. I tried to fatten Sassy up by increasing her ration but she just pooped it right out so I gave up. Later I figured out if I simply split her food three then four ways she could put weight on and digest the food properly. Try that with what you are feeding now and then find a food you would rather him eat to transition to. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Toby As if I could- get cuter!     Barked: Sun Apr 1, '12 2:53pm PST  Royal Canin is not a great food, neither are most vet only diets. Have a look down this forum for diet tips, but my favourite is applaws which is mainly just meat and has a natural probiotic to assist dodgy tummys. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

joey I'm working on- three toys!     Barked: Sun Apr 1, '12 5:39pm PST  I agree with Maxwell that feeding 3 smaller meals, if that's doable, might be better. I sometimes think Joey has a very sensitive stomach, too. I'm currently feeding him Merrick canned (turkey based) but it's not cheap, and may be "too rich" - not sure! I think that Pinnacle has a kibble that is supposed to be for sensitive stomachs. Whether that's just a marketing ploy or real, I don't know, but you might want to try some if you can find it. I would try to stay away from corn and wheat - they're not for dogs, and unfortunately, commercial dog foods often are filled with a lot of that stuff. Right now, everyone seems to be on a grain-free kick, but I think I'd be tempted to start with Avoderm or something that has either rice or oatmeal as a "filler" in addition to lamb or other protein. After all, when dogs get diarrhea, most vets recommend feeding only a bland rice and chicken diet, so unless your dog is allergic to chicken, I would think that rice would be a good thing to feed (i.e., not "too rich"). I was told by Joey's derm vet that there is no accurate test for food allergies, so you'll just have to try something and see if it works for your dog. Edited by author Sun Apr 1, '12 5:51pm PST my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Penny Mouse- Fart Ayala I eat, therefore- I am.....     Barked: Sun Apr 1, '12 9:24pm PST  Hi Tiny!! I have a VERY sensitive tummy, too! I'm allergic to corn and wheat and I LOVE and have been doing super on Wellness, small breed puppy food!! The kibble is teeny tiny and I LOVE the taste! The big ingredient is chicken and since you said you're OK with chicken, why not try it? You can get it on almost any site that sells dog food, Petco is one I know for sure carries it. Make sure you get the Puppy, Small Breed formula of Wellness. They have great coupons on their e newsletter for $ off, you might even want to sign up! Good luck!!! my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Member Since 02/21/2012     Barked: Mon Apr 2, '12 5:57am PST  Aaaw, I hope you will introduce a little raw meat into the mix instead of all-kibble. my posts [notify]

Tiny Tiny by Name,- Tiny by Nature     Barked: Mon Apr 2, '12 9:30am PST  Thanks for all your answers guys! I am pretty sure Im not overfeeding him because I use a vets cup measure to measure the amount he gets. I feed him twice a day but will not touch his morning feed until late afternoon and then wont even look at his dinner, so overfeedings not the problem. Some of the food brands you mentioned I have never even heard of and Id like to think that I am quite aware of whats available on the market but obviously you have a much better selection than we do in Ireland. I do think its very important that he gets meat in his diet as thats what he would be eating in the wild so I do try to include that in his diet. He would eat ham, chicken, beef, pork and fish all day long so I dont think the problem is with his appetite, I think he just has no interest in the vets food because its so bland. If he is eating grass and being sick I know it could be for a number of reasons including feeling sick, boredom or feeling that he is lacking something in his diet. I think that he is lacking something on the vets food diet, I was wondering if anyone knew what it could be or if I could somehow supplement it? my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Member Since 02/21/2012     Barked: Tue Apr 3, '12 8:57am PST  Him, have you at least tried 1 to 2 portions of raw meat? I raw-feed a toy breed, and he has never had a problem. my posts [notify]

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