The gas problems I've had with my dobie are much cronicled on this web board. I'm happy to report that the Natural Balance Duck/Potatoe has made the situation ok, not perfect but very few problems.

I know that grains are bad, and my dog definately has an issue with Chicken but here is my question.

Why are dogs so sensitive to changes in food? In nature they certainly don't get to eat a steady diet of anything in perticular. One day it might be fowl of some kind, the next a rabbit, dead dear, some bugs, or something else dead. Why is it that domestic dogs go from solid stools to exploding rears if food is changed quickly?

Don't want to cause any misunderstanding, I know to switch foods gradually and I've definately learned more about foods than I ever intended to know because of the dobie. But why is this the case with the sensitivity? <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

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............Why are dogs so sensitive to changes in food? In nature they certainly don't get to eat a steady diet of anything in perticular. One day it might be fowl of some kind, the next a rabbit, dead dear, some bugs, or something else dead. Why is it that domestic dogs go from solid stools to exploding rears if food is changed quickly? ....Don't want to cause any misunderstanding, I know to switch foods gradually and I've definately learned more about foods than I ever intended to know because of the dobie. But why is this the case with the sensitivity? <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

My opinion: Because we are often going from years of one food every single day (and often a very inappropriate grain-heavy junk-for-dogs food) to another.

In "real life," a dog would (1) never eat the same food every meal forever, and (2) never have a grain-based diet.

If we ate one food every meal forever and then switched to a different one every meal forever, I suspect we would have rebelling digestions too. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Even going from junk to excellent food is a surprise to the system at first.

JMO!

P.S. My dogs on fresh varied diets have no problem at all going from poultry to rabbit to lamb to yogurt, eggs, produce........ <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

OK, As stated before I switched to The Natural Balance and that is the staple for the dogs. Both the dobe and pup bet about 3 cups of the food per day, half am and half pm.

In order to get them to eat more quickly I mix in 1/4 can of food to make the meal more desireable (especially for the pup). If I switch types of canned (all grain free) to give them some verity they like it but especially the pup gets loose stools. Now, the dogs just got back from a stay at the kennel for a week,(Myrtle Beach Bike Week <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I supplied the food but no canned, just the NB dry. The pup was firm and the dobie had no signs of the gas problem. Being the good guy that I am <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> I go back to mixing in canned and what do you know, the pup gets loose and the dobie shows some (mild) signs of the gas problem. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> So now I have a new tactic I got enough of the NB canned Duck/Potatoe to go about a week. No mixing up of the canned flavors and I'm going to see if I get the same result as when they were in the kennel on straight dry. This is what has led to the question about mixing up the protien sources. If you can switch up foods without negative effect I'm still confused as to why I can't <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Obviously I stay away from foods known to cause a problem with the dobe.

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....In order to get them to eat more quickly I mix in 1/4 can of food to make the meal more desireable (especially for the pup). .....now I have a new tactic I got enough of the NB canned Duck/Potatoe to go about a week. No mixing up of the canned flavors and I'm going to see if I get the same result as when they were in the kennel on straight dry. This is what has led to the question about mixing up the protien sources. If you can switch up foods without negative effect I'm still confused as to why I can't <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Obviously I stay away from foods known to cause a problem with the dobe.

Who said you can't? I betcha I am more confused than you! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You have a dog who eats fast and has an intermittent gas problem. People were offering methods for slowing down the gulper to avoid excess swallowed air. Now I read "in order to get them to eat more quickly".........

Huh?

But I have no idea why you can't use varying protein sources. Why not? I'm a big believer in variety and the inability of any one food to supply all macro- and micronutrients every day forever.

I think he is asking because it seem's to be messing up the pup but he cant figure out why considering in the wild the protein source would always change.

If the dry only is giving you the results needed you might just want to stick with it instead of mixing. I understand the need for your mind to know why but I also understand that "if it aint broke dont fix it" <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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I think he is asking because it seem's to be messing up the pup but he cant figure out why considering in the wild the protein source would always change.

If the dry only is giving you the results needed you might just want to stick with it instead of mixing. I understand the need for your mind to know why but I also understand that "if it aint broke dont fix it" <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I gotcha.

Steve, right you are. I am using all of the methods to slow down the dobie and if the pup is interested in the food (likes the canned flavor) they actually finish at about the same time. The pup is slllllllllooooooooowwwwwww and eats about 2 pieces of kibble at a time, chews them up completely and then takes another micro bite. He is the daintiest eating dog I have ever seen. If I don't make the food more desireable than the straight kibble he would never finish, or he might finish by bedtime if we were lucky. I will generally pull up the food after about 20 minutes. Connie Steve is correct the speeding up part is for the pup.

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......The pup is slllllllllooooooooowwwwwww and eats about 2 pieces of kibble at a time, chews them up completely and then takes another micro bite. He is the daintiest eating dog I have ever seen.......Steve is correct the speeding up part is for the pup.

I gotcha. I have a chewer and two inhalers myself, and I have to police the bowl for the chewer. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Glenn,
What about salmon oil? It is a good suppliment,easy to use/store, and will give it more flavor/smell.

I'll give it a try once my experiment is done with the nb canned. Thanks