Michael_Wise wrote 01/13/2008 05:16 PM Having trouble switching senior #175051 - 01/13/2008 05:16 PM
Michael_Wise Webboard User Reg: 07-10-2006 Posts: 4454 Loc: Arkansas Offline	I'm not having alot of luck switching the old girl. She is almost 13. She has always eaten grain based foods. I tried a meat based kibble once and she just never seemed to adjust. Same thing is happening with raw foods. I have tried twice. Probably about a week each time. Can't remember how much time was between attempts. Both times with skinless, fatless, leftover organless chicken backs. In between times I just went back to her regular food. She was having diarrhea every bowel movement. They were small and not very frequent, but never firmed up. Then last night she had a horrible accident in her room. That was the only time she couldn't hold it. She never acted like anything was bothering her either. I thought maybe I wasn't giving her enough time to adjust. If she were younger I wouldn't worry as much. What have others here done to switch problem dogs or seniors?
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Connie Sutherland wrote 01/13/2008 05:21 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Michael_Wise ] #175053 - 01/13/2008 05:21 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Yes. Here is what I ended up doing with one adoptee: I first switched her kibble to canned. I took two or three weeks to do that, slooooowly increasing the amount of canned (of the same recipe as the kibble). Then I gave her a teeny-weeny snack of raw in the form of ground white chicken every day. Then I slooooowly increased that while decreasing the canned.
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Connie Sutherland wrote 01/13/2008 05:23 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #175054 - 01/13/2008 05:23 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Oh, and I vote for a little plain canned pumpkin at first, with each raw meal. Probiotics, too. I want to add that switching a senior to fresh food is, IMHO, worth any trouble it might take.
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Michael_Wise wrote 01/13/2008 05:27 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #175056 - 01/13/2008 05:27 PM
Michael_Wise Webboard User Reg: 07-10-2006 Posts: 4454 Loc: Arkansas Offline	How were you going from canned to raw? Feeding it at the same time? Sorry I'm making you spell it out for me. I like the kibble to canned idea! Thats a little transition that nobody ever mentions. Just want to make sure I understand the canned to raw.
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Michael_Wise wrote 01/13/2008 05:31 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #175059 - 01/13/2008 05:31 PM
Michael_Wise Webboard User Reg: 07-10-2006 Posts: 4454 Loc: Arkansas Offline	Quote: Connie Sutherland Oh, and I vote for a little plain canned pumpkin at first, with each raw meal. Probiotics, too. I want to add that switching a senior to fresh food is, IMHO, worth any trouble it might take. Definitely! Even with the set backs the wifey is still on board too. I'm not a proud person, but I don't want to give up after 2 wittle weeks. Whats a little poo in the mornings anyway? :laugh:
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Connie Sutherland wrote 01/13/2008 05:35 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Michael_Wise ] #175061 - 01/13/2008 05:35 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Quote: Michael_Wise How were you going from canned to raw? Feeding it at the same time? Sorry I'm making you spell it out for me. I like the kibble to canned idea! Thats a little transition that nobody ever mentions. Just want to make sure I understand the canned to raw. I fed a little snack of raw in the middle of the canned days. The reasons I did the switch to canned were: I knew that canned had a digestion time of more like fresh than kibble. I also had in the back of my mind that if this was unsuccessful, then at least we would have made a switch to better food (I think canned is better, in general). If THK had been around then, I might have used that as a little gravy over the kibble, then upped the THK, then slowly added RMBs.... But anyway, the gradual switch to canned helped us to bridge the extreme difference in the system of an oldster who had spent her life on bad kibble. No matter what the food, the system makes every possible attempt to adapt, and now it needs to adapt back. So the unnatural grain-digesting enzymes would be cut back, and the bone-processing enzymes and acids would be increased.... and in a senior, those adaptations might well be slow.
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Connie Sutherland wrote 01/13/2008 05:37 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #175063 - 01/13/2008 05:37 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Oh, and the little raw snack got slowly bigger while the canned meal got smaller ..... you see where we're going with this... :-D The switch from ground white chicken breast to skinned backs was pretty easy.
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Connie Sutherland wrote 01/13/2008 05:39 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #175065 - 01/13/2008 05:39 PM
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005 Posts: 31571 Loc: North-Central coast of California Offline	Also, it was really not a lot of trouble.... unwrapping a butcher package of ground breast meat and opening cans was about it. I did keep a chart so I would remember where we were. I just used a wall calendar with big squares. "A.M. 1/2 can, noon 1/4 cup turkey breast, p.m. 1/2 can" or whatever. This plan did not occur to me in one brilliant flash, unfortunately.... it was the result of several experiences with senior adoptees who needed that health boost.
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Michael_Wise wrote 01/13/2008 05:45 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Connie Sutherland ] #175067 - 01/13/2008 05:45 PM
Michael_Wise Webboard User Reg: 07-10-2006 Posts: 4454 Loc: Arkansas Offline	Quote: Connie Sutherland ..... you see where we're going with this... :-D Clear as mud! Thanks for the different look! I still love the kibble to canned. Gives her stomach time to learn how to ride a bike before it jumps in the race car. Simplest ideas are always the best. Thanks!
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Michael_Wise wrote 01/13/2008 07:41 PM Re: Having trouble switching senior [Re: Michael_Wise ] #175083 - 01/13/2008 07:41 PM
Michael_Wise Webboard User Reg: 07-10-2006 Posts: 4454 Loc: Arkansas Offline	She went from MAJOR accident this morning to perfect bowel movement just now. This is the very first good, normal bowel movement she has had on raw food. Now should we keep going as we have been? Common sense tells me yes, but I would like everyone's opinion.
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