Expert: Delores Beck - 4/21/2008

Question
QUESTION: Good morning!
I have $ years old cocker spaniel. Last week he started throw up, sometimes food, sometimes yellow liquid. Otherwise he looks fine, nose was cold and wet, he played and it. We went to the doctor, they did physical exam and X-Ray.Everything seems fine. I feeding him Beneful from PURINA and when I did my research about dog food I decide to change it to EVO or Canidae. My question is which one is the best one, And my dog loves chew the bones. I afraid now to give him those sold on the pet shop. Could you please tell me if I can find natural bones for him .
Thank you.

ANSWER: Good for you for doing some research.  Beneful is awful.

Personally I'd pick Canidae All Life Stages - canned - no kibble.
Switch him over slowly and add a bit more of the new food every day.
Feed him 3x daily and I always add a couple of tbsp. of pulped fresh veggies.  Canidae has Chicken/lamb/fish or Lamb & rice or Chicken & rice.  Use all 3 and rotate. (Do NOT buy Platinum Formula - its for seniors or overweight dogs)

I'm concerned about the vomiting bile.  Did your vet tell you not to feed him for 24 hours to let the tummy settle down?  Always worried about pancreatitis.

No chew bones (greenies-rawhide)  They're dangerous.  Get him a kong or a hard nylon bone for a chew toy.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your respond.The doctor did not tell me about not feeding him. But I stop giving him dry food and biscuits right away. I prepare for him frozen vegetables, rice and boiled white meat chicken. I give him x a day a little portions. About canned food. He really likes more dry food not cans. We tried before  and he just ignored it. So can I give him dry food? I called a few stores and find out that is hard to find Canidae food. Almost all of them have Evo. What do you thing about it? it is good too?
He likes kong too but he wanted something inside? Can I put some treats in?

Thank you very much.(He is 4 years old).

Answer
Okay...buy one can of the Canidae and see how he likes it.  I think he will.

Yes, Evo is an excellent food.  Be sure and buy the formula that says "low carbs" on the label.  I'd also toss some veggies in the food processor and add those.  Don't use the 95% meat formulas.
Buy one can & see if he likes it.

If you go to Canidae.com they'll have a dealer locator there.

Also - try saving some food for a late night "snack".  Some dogs (and cats) will vomit if they go too long without anything in their tummies.

You can put some peanut butter inside a Kong - it'll keep him busy for ages trying to get it out :)

Basically kibble is just too high in carbs for cockers.  If you insist on kibble - then at least use half canned.
D.