Dog food for sensitive stomach

Mom2E&B

I'm sorry if this is a bit long but I need some advice. My pug puppy, who just turned a year old, was spayed about six months ago. Within an hour of bringing her home she had popped open her incision and her intestines were exposed to air. She was rushed back to the vet for emergency surgery where they flushed out her insides and stapled her back up. A few weeks later she had major digestive problems and it turned out that she has developed many adhesions. They operated again and had to tease all of her intestines apart. She eventually seemed to get back to normal. In August she developed diarrhea, which lasted for nearly a month. She went through times that she wouldn't eat, was vomiting, and most recently would go as much as 14 hours without urinating, and a few days without any stools at all. Then, suddenly she started having just one bowel movement per day, which was firm and normal. She is ravenous, acts like she's starving all the time. More energetic and playful, acting like she feels better than I've seen her in over a month. The vets were convinced that she was developing adhesions again, but were hesitant to operate since opening her up again will probably just make things worse. Now that she is doing so much better they want me to transition her from the chicken and rice she's been eating for weeks to Science Diet W/D. I'm not a fan of this food, and my dog won't touch it. Does anyone have any recommendations for a food that's reasonably priced that will be gentle on her stomach? We prefer a canned food as getting her to drink has also been challenging, so dehydration has been a concern as well. 

Caz1221

Poor little pup!  What foods have you tried that didn't work?  It might be helpful to analyze those and try something different (different protein, go grain-free, etc.).  Each dog is different, so even a high quality food won't necessarily agree with every dog.

I have 2 pugs, one of whom had sensitive tummy issues (though nothing like what you are describing), and our vet also recommended w/d.  I'm not a fan of the food (and I admit, I tried it at first, but he still had tummy problems), so I put him on Wellness Core, which is a grain-free food.  He eats the dry version (as does my other pug), but Core makes wet food as well.  It's a bit pricey (~$55-$60 for a 26 lb. bag), but both of my guys do great on it, so we've stuck with it. 

If Core is above your price point, there are many other high-quality, grain-free foods like Taste of the Wild (my guys do well on that also).  I believe Costco might have a grain-free dog food as well if you're a member.  You can also ask your vet (or find a different vet) for a different food recommendation or ask what it is about w/d that made your vet recommend it (which might help you pick out a higher quality food that has the ingredient(s), protein/fat/etc. levels, or whatever it is your vet thinks your dog needs).  You can often get small/sample bags from the company if you want to try out a food but don't want to buy a big bag in case it doesn't work for your pup.  GL, and I hope you can find something that works!

sandollar1010

The poor little girl! That is a rough start   My two pups have sensitive bellies, just loose poops though.  I find that they do best on TOTW, but only the lamb version.  I recently switched to Earthborn (also Lamb) due to the recalls.  They are doing great on that too... it has similar fat and protien content to TOTW and it's also grain-free.  I also mix in a little Merrick canned and add some water to the dry if I am concerned about their water intake.  Like pp said, each dog is different and it took me a while to find one that worked for both dogs.  Unfortunately, it may be a bit of trial and error

leamgood

I recommend Burns Chicken and rice. It has never been on any of the recall lists and it is a food that once your dog is on it you can see a big difference. It is a dry food but you can wet it for 5 minutes before you feed it and it will moisten right up. this is a much better alternative to feeding wet food because it won't lead to tooth decay and weight gain down the road like wet canned food will. you can order this food online at k9cuisine.com. This really is a great dog food and a healthy alternative to using canned food.