# Digestability/Calorie Count



## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

I need suggestions for a food that is very high in calories but at the same time also very easy to digest. Doesn't really matter if it's raw, cooked, canned, etc. 

Also, what foods might sound good but should actually be avoided because they are harder to digest?


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

> I need suggestions for a food that is very high in calories but at the same time also very easy to digest. Doesn't really matter if it's raw, cooked, canned, etc.
> 
> Also, what foods might sound good but should actually be avoided because they are harder to digest?


Why? O


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Arden Grange Salmon and Rice is easily digestible, protein 25%, not particulary high, but you could add more salmon, chicken, etc.

Is this for an adult or puppy dog? I'm thinking puppy food is about 35% amd even if it's an adult dog, you could feed it puppy food if the digestibility is guaranteed.

I've heard that rice, as we eat it, is not so good for dogs that have diarrhoe because it drains.

Is this for a long-term food or for a pup / dog that is temporarily ailing?


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Ah! yes, potatoes, noodles, maize fed alone can be indigestible.

They don't bring much on protein either!!

Cat food is very high in calories! Not advisable for long-term but for short term?


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

It's short term for Mac who is recovering from an obstruction surgery. The vet recommended multiple very SMALL meals throughout the day while the intestines are healing, but at the same time is concerned about his overall weight (he's lost a lot of weight due to the obstruction) and would like to see some weight gain during the same time period. Personally I think canned food (what the vet recommended I feed) is for the most part crap, but at the same time kibble isn't recommended, he obviously can't eat anything with bones, so ... I have bone powder which I can add to any raw food I give, and I'm really not that worried about a strictly balanced diet over a short period of time. It's more about what is the easiest to digest, but the most calories per ounce so he can get very high calorie, yet small volumn meals.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Risotto (short grained) rice, well cooked could help make it sloppy and maybe add chicken - you can mince it for better digesitbility. I guess anything hard would not serve the purpose such as long grain rice. 

Maybe ground maize (cooked) would serve? I think the main problem with maize is allergies.

Pasta, mixed with other food is ok, but not good alone.

I agree tinned food is crap, about 60% water!!!

*What about processing the food for better digestibility?*

*I think here the main thing would be to ease the digestion.*

I do know, not the same as your dog's ailness, that after enteritis, etc. kibble is not advisable - it's too difficult to digest..

Wïll have another look in the German Google.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> It's short term for Mac who is recovering from an obstruction surgery. The vet recommended multiple very SMALL meals throughout the day while the intestines are healing, but at the same time is concerned about his overall weight (he's lost a lot of weight due to the obstruction) and would like to see some weight gain during the same time period. Personally I think canned food (what the vet recommended I feed) is for the most part crap, but at the same time kibble isn't recommended, he obviously can't eat anything with bones, so ... I have bone powder which I can add to any raw food I give, and I'm really not that worried about a strictly balanced diet over a short period of time. It's more about what is the easiest to digest, but the most calories per ounce so he can get very high calorie, yet small volumn meals.


What is his weight now? What should his weight be? When was the surgery?


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Gillian, what is the purpose of feeding grains? If you are googling, try looking up "low residue" diet. O


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Canned food can be far better quality (for dogs) than kibble because of course it doesn't have to have the starch/grain that kibble has to have for the kibble process. (Grain-free kibbles generally use potato or something else, like pea flour or tapioca, etc.)

High digestibility doesn't generally go hand-in-hand with high calories because high calories means fat (9 per gram).

So ... biggest question: How is the dog's digestive system generally? Do you need to avoid fat or not?

When that's answered, meat(s) can be determined.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Does the dog have or tend to have diarrhea?


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Anne Vaini said:


> Gillian, what is the purpose of feeding grains? If you are googling, try looking up "low residue" diet. O


Weight gain, primarly


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Normal weight is 85-90. I'm not sure what his weight is right now, but I'd guess mid-upper 70's? You can see hips, ribs, spine, etc. Surgery was Tuesday but the weight loss is from the week before surgery. I was out of town and my teen was watching the dogs. He usually feeds Mac outside so the girls don't steal his food so didn't notice the eating then vomiting, and attributed the weight loss to having multiple females in heat. It was a partial blockage, in the stomach vs the intestines, so fluids and some food was getting through but not enough and then in an effort to throw up the blockage he went nuts on the bushes, grass, etc eating all sorts of leaves, twigs, grass plus paper, cloth items, etc. 

The problem is the concept of small meals, the vet doesn't want his stomach expanding at all due to teh stitches, yet enough calories to actually put weight on him.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Connie Sutherland said:


> So ... biggest question: How is the dog's digestive system generally? Do you need to avoid fat or not?
> 
> When that's answered, meat(s) can be determined.


In general the only thing I avoid giving him is pork because it gives him horrible gas. Otherwise he can eat pretty much any raw food or quality kibble. Stools range from somewhat soft to normal to hard, I suspect that has more to do with what leftovers he's cleaned up that day then his actual dinner.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> In general the only thing I avoid giving him is pork because it gives him horrible gas. Otherwise he can eat pretty much any raw food or quality kibble. Stools range from somewhat soft to normal to hard, I suspect that has more to do with what leftovers he's cleaned up that day then his actual dinner.


First, what was the canned food your vet suggested? I'm curious about what s/he considered to be calorie-dense but easily digested.


Are you familiar with Wellness Core canned food? Also, did the vet mention anything about cold-pressed oils (after the food is gotten used to) to add calories?

Here is what I did with a foster dog who lost weight before (and a little after) multiple teeth were extracted. I started with Wellness Core plus some white-meat ground chicken (I added appropriate calcium, but I was looking at a little longer term), about half and half, because of the efficiency/easy digestibility of white poultry, then gradually moved to mostly Wellness. I slowly added some cold-pressed oil (I used hemp oil) in addition to the usual fish-oil-and-E. I did this until the total fat was around 30%. I also gave full-fat plain unsweetened live-culture yogurt, but started with 2% and worked up to full-fat (over the course of using one quart).

All this fiddling was because I didn't want sudden fat to trigger diarrhea.

I did not add any kind of cooked fats, because of pancreatic stress concerns.

Maren? You here?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Gillian Schuler said:


> Weight gain, primarly


From grains?

Carbs have the same number of calories per gram as protein.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I'm thinking grains = carbos = language problem??


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

> the vet doesn't want his stomach expanding at all due to teh stitches, yet enough calories to actually put weight on him.


Umm.... why is your vet not recommending a diet or helping you with this? :-s 
_________________________________________________________________________________

I don't really feel the need for this disclaimer... but FWIW: I'm not a vet, have no education or training in nutrition. I have some books and a brain. 
_________________________________________________________________________________

I'm estimating that he needs about 3,350 kcal/day. That is based on an ideal weight of 88 lbs (39.9kg), moderate activity level. 3((70)*39.9^0.75) 

If you divide this by 6 meals, your goal would be to feed approx 560 kcal per meal.

Fats will be the most energy dense ingredients, at approx 8.5 kcal per gram. (Comparatively, carbs and proteins are approx 3.5 kcal per gram). IMLE, beef fat is better tolerated than chicken fat. Since beef fat is 35% more calorie dense than chicken fat, beef fat would be my first choice ingredient to try to get your dog's energy requirements. My next choice ingredient is vitamin E, which will be a necessary supplement. 

Unfortuanately, I don't have my notes or text with me with nutrient requirements. Maybe Connie can look it up for me? What are the minimum protein requirements for growth?

I also don't have the formula for calculating the correct amount of bone powder to include. (Connie??) *insert puppy-dog eyes smiley here*

Kadi - I'm thinking that since it is a short-term diet, that focusing on the energy requirement, protein requirements and macrominerals would be "good enough." If I was doing this for one of mine, it's what I'd be doing... Connie? What do you think about that approach? Careless? Appropriate?

Ingredient list (so far):
Beef fat
Boneless meat to provide min. protein requirements
Bone powder to provide calcium and correct Ca
Vitamin E


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

He didn't recommend any specific brand of canned food, probably because he knows that I won't usually use it LOL Especially when they usually recommend the Science Diet specialty diets. If I asked him for a recommendation I'm sure he'd be happy to give it to me, but I think I can find something better doing my own research. He did recommend adding oil to the food for the extra calories, didn't recommend any specific type. I talked to him this morning about Mac's diet, he said it sounded like I was making "soul food" and could he come on over LOL I like my vet, he's kind of "typical" in that you will find the normal Science Diet type stuff at his office, but at the same time he's also very open to whatever works, has no problem with a well thought out raw diet, etc. 

He also loosened up the restrictions on amount, said it's important not to go nuts with the amount, but at the same time it's just as important that Mac stop loosing weight, and preferably gain some back.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Gillian Schuler said:


> I'm thinking grains = carbos = language problem??



Grains are carbs, yes. I was asking why you would add carbs "for weight gain" when protein, which dogs are designed to digest, has the same number of calories.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> ... He did recommend adding oil to the food for the extra calories, didn't recommend any specific type.



Good. Supermarket-type (corn and "vegetable") oil is generally crap, heat- and chemical-processed.

Cold-pressed oil for a recovering dog (even though animal fat is certainly the way to go with a healthy dog) is my preference because of its easier digestion. Again, this is for a recovering dog. Nothing wrong with fresh animal fat for a healthy dog ... nothing at all!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I can answer the calcium question, but only after knowing the rest of the diet.

Bone powder contains phosphorous, so it's different from other calcium supplements.

Also, you would be supplementing ONLY the part of the diet not commercially produced.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Oh, I forgot you said raw was OK. I was thinking you said cooked or canned.

Still, I'd start with white poultry and cold-pressed oils and only gradually move to more calorie-dense meats (meaning fattier).


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> ... Here is what I did with a foster dog who lost weight before (and a little after) multiple teeth were extracted. I started with Wellness Core plus some white-meat ground chicken (I added appropriate calcium, but I was looking at a little longer term), about half and half, because of the efficiency/easy digestibility of white poultry, then gradually moved to mostly Wellness. I slowly added some cold-pressed oil (I used hemp oil) in addition to the usual fish-oil-and-E. I did this until the total fat was around 30%. I also gave full-fat plain unsweetened live-culture yogurt, but started with 2% and worked up to full-fat (over the course of using one quart).
> 
> All this fiddling was because I didn't want sudden fat to trigger diarrhea.
> 
> I did not add any kind of cooked fats, because of pancreatic stress concerns. ...


I still like this. Simple. :lol:

And YES to Anne's small meals suggestion. Absolutely!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Oh, wait a sec. This is an adult, right?


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Connie - to avoid diarrhea (or would it be steatorrhea?) with the higher-fat diet, would it be reasonable to start with the amount of fat in the dog's diet prior to this incident and surgery? Or would you start from scratch?

Hypothetically: IF the dog was previously fed raw diet of poultry necks backs to 3350 kcal (2.3 lb RMB), the dog would already be accustomed to having 300 grams of fat per day, or 1794 kcal from fat. 

That's compared to a high fat (32%) kibble which contains 184 g fat/3350 kcal portion.

If the dog was eating skin-on RMB befpre this happens, I don't think as much caution is necessary in incresing the fat content of the food, versus if the dog was on kibble.


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## Butch Cappel (Aug 12, 2007)

Kadi,
Chicken leg quarters are my recovery food of choice. It contains the most fat of any chicken part as well as some Iron. I think Gillian pointed out that beef has more fat per gram, but the plus for chicken is total protein assimilation. 

Of all proteins only egg, and Salmon and White Cod have a more totally digestible protein or BVR count than chicken. That is why Paul Iams used it as his protein in the original Eukanuba (not to be confused with todays product of that name) 

For maximum intestinal slide-ability I boil it until the meat starts to fall away from the bone. Then take the water you boil it in, pour it into a blender and add the meat to blend it all together. I always add the water I boiled in so I don't lose any calories or minerals. 

The only way to get more easily digestible calories would be to add egg yolk.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Grains are carbs, yes. I was asking why you would add carbs "for weight gain" when protein, which dogs are designed to digest, has the same number of calories.


Rice is often used after gastro upsets, easly digestible and longer verdaungs prozess than meat? 

Weight gain: maybe an old wives' tail!


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

I used chicken quarters a lot with the dogs, also chicken and turkey necks and backs, so they are used to that level of fat content. My dogs are "combo dogs", raw and kibble.

Connie, I could google it but is olive oil a "Cold-pressed oil"? I have plenty of that at home, I use it on a regular basis instead of the corn/veggie oil (also have that in the cupboard though).


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

> Chicken leg quarters are my recovery food of choice. It contains the most fat of any chicken part


That is not correct. 

CHICKEN:
Back - 130 g fat per 453g (1 lb)
Neck - 118 g fat per 453g (1 lb)
Wing - 72 g fat per 453g (1 lb)
Thigh - 69 g fat per 453g (1 lb)
Leg quarter - 55 g fat per 453g (1 lb)
Drumstick - 40 g fat per 453g (1 lb)


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> Connie, I could google it but is olive oil a "Cold-pressed oil"? I have plenty of that at home, I use it on a regular basis instead of the corn/veggie oil (also have that in the cupboard though).


It can be. It says on the bottle.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Oils/fats are so important (to humans and dogs, although different types).

Fresh raw animal fat for a healthy dog is very important, IMO. Cold-pressed (not heat- or chemical-processed) oils are important to us and to a dog who needs an interlude of easily-digested fat.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Butch Cappel said:


> Of all proteins only egg, and Salmon and White Cod have a more totally digestible protein or BVR count than chicken. That is why Paul Iams used it as his protein in the original Eukanuba (not to be confused with todays product of that name)


You mean egg _white_ and white fish, I believe.  Salmon would not fall into this category, as good a food as it is.


P.S. The most "easily digested" meat proteins as well as the most efficient are generally those lower in fat. (I'm not including hydrolyzed proteins or anything else that can come from a lab.)

Again, there is NOTHING bad about fresh animal fat for a healthy dog.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Anne Vaini said:


> ... If the dog was eating skin-on RMB befpre this happens, I don't think as much caution is necessary in incresing the fat content of the food, versus if the dog was on kibble.


Right. But it's so easy to start below that level and see, that I'd say "why not." He's recovering from intestinal surgery.

It's always easier to avoid diarrhea (or any other GI upset) than to fix it. 

The inflamed gut takes time to recover from a bout of diarrhea. Fasting this dog who needs weight added is probably something to avoid.

JMO!


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Hi,

I've had a dog (gsd) of mine have a similar surgery - he ate an old Robert Cray audio tape (before cds) of mine, didn't manage to get him to the vet until it was through the system and hanging out the other end.

They cut into his bowel in three places, kept him overnight and had me pick him up first thing in the morning, (think they thought he was going to die)! He was two years old and fit.

I fed him small meals of pasta with chicken, then small amounts of beef mince (fatty), with either rice or pasta, but I put olive oil in with it to help it slide along and out. He managed on that, he certainly wasn't comfortable for a few days or so but he was back at training (agility) within the month.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

maggie fraser said:


> I fed him small meals of pasta with chicken....


What made you decide on a wheat-based menu?

This is confusing to me, both in a post above and this one. There is no caloric-density advantage, and no easy-for-dogs-to-digest benefit. What would be the reasoning behind wheat as a substantial chunk of the diet?



P.S. I love your "location." :lol:


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Connie Sutherland said:


> What made you decide on a wheat-based menu?
> 
> This is confusing to me, both in a post above and this one. There is no caloric-density advantage, and no easy-for-dogs-to-digest benefit. What would be the reasoning behind wheat as a substantial chunk of the diet?
> 
> ...


In a word - ignorance!

I had no internet then (t'was a few years ago), or vet support, my thinking was.... nothing sharp and jaggy, he liked it, pasta and/or rice seemed a reasonable balance for the meat content in the circumstances, and the olive oil to help lubricate the system, plenty of energy in there to aid the healing process.

Folks were quite shocked to see him back at training so soon.

I obviously didn't over analyse!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Well, it worked out! LOL

It agreed with your dog, and it worked for him.



Rice, of course, and even the water poured off overcooked rice, is "binding" .... but I think what we want here is to avoid the need for diarrhea-treatment.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

....as is pasta water! Yep it worked for my dog and yet give pasta or rice to my jrt, he gets the shits. Depends on the dog too don't you think?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I don't put rice into any category with wheat, really, starting with the gluten thing.

I pretty much avoid wheat for dogs.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

I do too actually, but that's been more through experience than academic knowledge. I did experiment a while back feeding a diet of pasta and minced beef to four dogs for a period of a few months - they got fat and developed a sluggish digestive system - no surprise there then! 

Sorry to go off topic from the op!


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Had meant to add, I worked horses in Portugal for a short time and that was where I got the idea for feeding pasta to the dogs.

The dogs I came across there were fed on boiled bones and offal and pasta, fed complete with the water it was cooked in - they did seem relatively healthy and bright!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

maggie fraser said:


> Had meant to add, I worked horses in Portugal for a short time and that was where I got the idea for feeding pasta to the dogs.
> 
> The dogs I came across there were fed on boiled bones and offal and pasta, fed complete with the water it was cooked in - they did seem relatively healthy and bright!


Sounds better than many kibbles! :lol:

How come the bones were boiled?


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

_How come the bones were boiled?_

Dunno, maybe because they weren't big on refridgeration practice or just culture - not sure! :grin:


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Maren? You here?



*waves* Yes, here I am! Cashing in on that offer already, Kadi? :lol: The vet likely recommended something like i/d (easy to digest) or a/d (very energy dense). If you want something like i/d, you can use California Natural Lamb & Rice or Salmon & Sweet Potato canned as both has very simple ingredients for canned food and a decent amount of calories without being real high in fat. For a/d, EVO 95% venison is their highest fat/calorically dense food as a recovery diet. The salmon & sweet potato is probably the best if he's anorexic as it's quite fishy smelling if he likes fish like his son does.  

Incidentally, do NOT put him back on a raw diet with bones until he's done healing. Probably hold off on the kibble for up to a week as well. The mucosa of the stomach and upper GI tract can heal fairly fast, but there's no good reason to stress it with raw bones (or their microbes) until he's at 100%. A fine ground and gently cooked mix is fine, or canned. Hope he's doing better soon...


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Is he anorexic? I didn't even catch that.

That would steer me away from the most efficient proteins, all of which are pretty low in appetite-enhancing aroma.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I mentioned *if* he's anorexic, as many dogs don't want to eat after surgery when they actually need even more calories to help heal. But if he's not, whatever he'll eat is okay.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> I mentioned *if* he's anorexic, as many dogs don't want to eat after surgery .....


Oh, right.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

....hence when I added in my post that my dog liked it. Some folks forget about that bit.... cos if there's little to no appetite, they won't eat no matter how nourishing or balanced it may be.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

maggie fraser said:


> ....hence when I added in my post that my dog liked it. Some folks forget about that bit.... cos if there's little to no appetite, they won't eat no matter how nourishing or balanced it may be.


Yup. 

Luckily there are additions that many dogs love. I'm thinking of that Ice Pups powder made into warm "gravy," or actually any unsalted beef water poured over the top ... and dogs often love fish oil, too.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

I have nothing to add other than I hope Mac recovers quickly and fully! Sending good vibes his way!


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

He's doing well today. He eats whatever I put down, and is looking for more, but we are still doing "smaller" meals. Smaller being relative, probably 1.5 cups of whatever approximately every 2 hours. In general Mac has a good appetite, even when the girls are in heat he has no problem finishing off his dinner, he is just a "hard keeper" in that his metabolism runs high and he has to take in a LOT of calories every day to maintain his weight.

He's getting a variety of stuff, chicken livers and other organs, chicken (cooked with the skin), raw hamburger, some beef fat, olive oil, cottage cheese, some canned food (have to check the brand, I think it was Chicken Soup for the Soul puppy, it was the highest calorie one they had), some bone powder with the raw meat/fat. Finally pooped, normal stool, so things are going in one end and coming out the other, which IMO is the most important hurdle we had to get over. 

Overall he's acting perky, but is also happy to lay around, I'm sure he's very sore although the incision looks pretty good. I took him to the pet store to do a muzzle fitting, he wanted to drag me all over in the store and greet people. He had an episode last night where he suddenly started trying to eat anything/everything in sight with that almost obsessive "need", so now he's wearing a basket muzzle when he's out of the crate so I don't have to worry that he'll walk around the corner and suddenly decide to down a towel. I talked to the vet and he felt he probably needed to be fed more (I thought maybe I over fed him), that his stomach started burning and he was trying to relieve the pain. He did settle down after I let him drink as much water as he wanted, and gave him a Tagiment.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Tagamet? Is that an antacid?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

It is an antacid. I wouldn't give an antacid to a raw-fed dog.



e.t.a.
That is, if I had to give an antacid, I'd cook the meat during that period.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> .... Finally pooped, normal stool, so things are going in one end and coming out the other, which IMO is the most important hurdle we had to get over. ....


Yes indeed!


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Connie Sutherland said:


> It is an antacid. I wouldn't give an antacid to a raw-fed dog.
> 
> e.t.a.
> That is, if I had to give an antacid, I'd cook the meat during that period.


Why? 

The Tagament is something the vet put him on, twice a day for at least a few weeks.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Does the vet know about the raw meat?

The extra-caustic stomach acid of a dog along with the short fast digestion are his tools against raw-food pathogens. One wipes some of them out, and the other gives the rest very little time to colonize.

So I don't like to modify the stomach acid or slow the trip from one end to the other. 

Commercially ground hamburger and supermarket poultry are particularly pathogen-y.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Yes, that's absolutely correct. Some people feed calcium supplements to their dogs and cats via Tums tablets if their dog is on a ground home prepared diet with no bones, which is fine for a calcium source. But it does raise the pH of the stomach, making pathogens more likely to get through and the inorganic calcium from the bones not as easy to break down, which could potentially mean a higher likelihood of perforation. When a dog is healing from a major surgery, raw meat anything is not advised because the dog's immune system is trying its best to deal with that issue. Colonization of bacteria, being the sneaky little critters they are, could be easier during this time. So that's why cooked or canned is a wiser alternative. 

Fun fact of the day I just learned about not all that long ago: about 60% of a dog's immune system is in their GI tract.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> .... about 60% of a dog's immune system is in their GI tract.


Hence the emphasis that many put on avoiding unnecessary antibiotics for baby puppies, and giving lots of cultures as the immune system is maturing.

Somehow (mechanism unknown or at least not well understood by me), even adult and senior dogs appear to benefit from probiotics and prebiotics in fighting allergic response. I'd have guessed that this would have to be at an early age, but I'd have guessed wrong.

Anecdotal, yes. But my log has convinced me, when combined with similar experiments done by another forum member (both of us doing the record-keeping for the last 18 months or so with previously hard-hit environmental-allergy dogs). 

Of course we both first did and do all the other steps, including trials of antihistamines, washing/rinsing pollen, etc., before allowing dog inside to drag allergens onto the carpet and dog-bed, fish oil and E, excellent diet, etc., etc.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Mals are SUCH dumbasses. LOL Hope he gets better real soon.


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