Akita diet question
Ok - I know there are some users that are Akita owners other than Michelle and I - I'm interested in hearing what people feed their Akita (including you Michelle).
<first off, excuse the grossness of this post>
We have an issue with Hilo that's kinda odd. Hilo has perfectly formed poo, except for the last part - it's liquid [a few solid pieces and a final squirt]. We just took some samples of the solid and soft version to our doc and she found no issues. She said that she thought it might be a supplement we are feeding him that just doesn't get digested and "pools" in his intestine. We can't figure out what it is because he has pretty much always had this - even before we started supplements.
This is what we feed:
1.5 cups of Orjen or the equivalent RAW three times a day.
First feeding is just food, second feeding is food + fish oil and a probiotic, third feeding is food + zinc and a sea meal multi vitamin. All supplements are Solid Gold supplements or HK except for the zinc - it's from Howling Dog Mushing Supplies.
Any one have any ides what could be causing this?
What do you guys feed your Akita? Hilo doesn't seem effected by the final squirts, he still loves food... But it obviously points to a diet issue and we would like to get it worked out. Our vet told us to hold off on the zinc because that's the only thing she can think of that might cause an issue - so we are gonna stop that ASAP - but he had this issue before we gave him zinc supplements... In fact he has ALWAYS had this issue.
Comments
Hmmm...
Careful with the seameal as Orijen already has a good amount of kelp (iodine) in it already. You could probably save the money and not give the supplement to him (?).
Other than that, Tasha (& Ronan) eat close to what Hilo eats:
Honest Kitchen Embark mixed with Bravo twice a day. Evenings are when I add supplements: Seapet w/vitamin e, Flexicose joint formula, and a probiotic. If I'm running late, I feed Orijen kibble mixed with HK or mixed with Nature's Variety canned. If it helps, Tasha is getting a professional diet consult. I'll let you know what that contains. I don't supplement with zinc or multi vitamins. What you might be seeing is that Hilo is emptying his anal sacs???
Hmmm - that could be, I have never really experience an anal sac emptying.
We have communicated with Sabine at Better Dog Care about a diet consult as well (I'm assuming that is who you are speaking of since you sent us to her) - I just never got the final form and payment to her. Maybe I should get on that.
Yep. Sabine. I'm filling out the form now. I just have to go back through my files and gather all of Tasha's medical records.
Yeah, she's really very good. She's helped a lot with Tasha and Ronan's diet with supplement suggestions, information on calcium/phosphorus levels, iodine levels, protein, etc.
Tasha has an on-going issue with her glands. For some reason, she can't empty them on her own so we have to take her in to the vet so a tech can do it (lucky them -
Jack had a problem for the first year, but was fine after that. A vet explained to me once that when a dog eliminates, that right at the end, they empty their glands. Not every time they go, though. It would be a clearish type liquid. (Sorry for the visuals, everyone).
So we have scaled back Hilo's supplements and his poo has progressively gotten worse. So I guess that means the supplements help him digest his food. I think that might mean he can't digest all the food we give him, but as of now we actually feed him less than is recommended... Maybe we should feed him smaller meals more often???
Hmmm. Sounds like an intolerance to something he's eating. It's not uncommon for Akitas. Jack had tons of things he couldnt' eat. Tasha cannot tolerate grains. There's something that is making her really belchy, so I'm working through an elimination diet.
Here's my two cents:
First, I'd stop every supplement, except probotics. Even those vitamins and fish oil.
Second, feed only one protein source for food and treats. Don't deviate. I'd also either feed him just the raw w/HK, or just the kibble - your choice, but kibble is more difficult to digest as a rule. If you keep feeding both, there's no telling what additive or supplement, etc. that may be causing the problem. If you feed Embark, that means he should eat only turkey. If you use Preference, then you can even go a step further and try a unique protein he hasn't been exposed to yet (I always try to keep from feeding 2 protein sources for this reason).
This means he cannot have anything from the table or for a treat that isn't listed in his daily food. If it clears up, wait one week then add ONE item back at a time, and don't add ANYTHING else for 7-10 days. If there's no change, add the next, and so on until you find what the problem is. If you change proteins, that counts as a diet change - only one per week-10 days.
Again, just my two cents. Othewise, I'd say it is time for that diet consult.
Thanx for the input Michelle - I will pass it on to Jen (she handle the feedings), sound like a solid plan tho... I think we are also going to get in touch with the diet consultant.
Yea, he seems fine - this problem has really been going on since he got here in May. He drinks, eats, and plays fine. We did take him to the vet about it and they checked his stool, he is very healthy they said - no bloat or bacterial over growths.
Our pups drink filtered water, and we add a little nursery water to it to give them just a little fluoride for there teeth.
Jen is updating our forms for the diet consult now.
I just sent mine off to her for both dogs. Ronan is doing great, just finicky. He doesn't like veggies and fruits much, so hopefully she can work up a diet w/ supplements to make up for whatever he might be missing. Tasha is belching quite a bit lately (I mean she's had some nearly productive ones), so I don't know what's up with that.
Good to know he's physically okay, though. Ours drink filtered water only - no floride. Ray made a comment the other day about how good Tasha's teeth look since I've been using that PetzLife stuff on her. Ronan's teeth are perfect, have been perfect - so no change there.
Now, if only the humans in our house were so good about nutrition, LOL!
I did, and sometimes still have the same poo problem.
I feed Rem raw minced beef with a little liver and tripe, or chicken, or fish with boiled rice and ground raw vegetables /carrots and gourgettes mostly/ I add cod liver oil, or E and D vitamins, plus calcium carbonate, seaweed and brewers yeast. I am not very keen on additives and now that he is almost completely grown I am reducing the amounts.
Rem's poo gets very soft when I give him brown rice or oats which have more fiber, so what I am doing now is give him mostly white rice, very well cooked and some raw chicken bones, 2-3 times a week - they definitely help make the poo more solid. That helps with emptying his anal glands as well.
Talking of anal glands, what you see is not them emptying. There is not a lot of content in them, it has a distinctive smell and is watery in appearance.
I must say that when feeding kibble his poo is perfectly formed, but for me the occasional inconvenience when collecting a poo is a small price to pay for his health, so I keep cooking for him.
Thanx for the info - we added a different probiotic to his diet and his poops are mostly well-formed now. We still feed a mix of RAW and Orijen kibble - we would like to feed only RAW but it's just too costly w/ 6 dogs (and three of them being puppies).
I don't mind picking up the loose poops, I was just more concerned that it pointed to a larger problem. Hilo just seems to be sensitive to lots of foods, but I'm sure hit has to do with his genes, he seems to be a mixed-bag of poor genes.
I'm feeding our dogs BARF and Orijen kibble, when feeding BARF i am adding as a main source of fiber cooked beetroots - works perfectly, no more loose poops
Also In the future I will try to change a little our BARF formulas, when I was talking with my japanese friend, he told me that japanese dogs are very rarely eating meat or bones. The main source of animal proteins comes from fishes.
All our three japs, have big problems after eating bones even in small amounts, Buffy (Siberian Husky) could eat bones without problems.
I have started to gave them frozen cods, they love them
Ktrebor
Indeed Rem loves fish!
Have not tried beetroot yet. Will you share your BARF recipe?
So far I am defrosting it in hot water and some of it gets partially boiled in the process, then add the rice and vegetables and any additives. I boil the rice beforehand in a pressure cooker.
If I gave Rem the meat in big pieces he would not touch the rice/beetroot/whatever else there is... not that I have tried, but I am pretty sure.
He is eating half a kilo /a bit more than a pound/ of meat daily, the odd bone is on top, plus about twice as much rice. I tried giving him some coarse maize flour, boiled and he eats it, but likes it less than rice. He enjoys oats, but gets very very soft poo from them.
I have always thought frozen food can be bad for their stomach, but am hearing lately that quite a few people give frozen food, especially when it is hot. I might try it in the summer.
I would really appreciate some pictures if you have the time to take and post them.
Onions have been known to change the shape of red blood cells in akitas.