Regurgitating dog with diarrhea and under active intestines

[ArtTherapyAshley]

My 2 year old golden doodle ( golden retriever and poodle mix) went from extremely healthy to extremely sick in a matter of hours last week.  We woke up to him vomiting his food from the night before, and then continuing to vomit or regurge bile/fluid for the rest of the day.  He also had diarrhea.  We took him in and they gave him an iv under the skin and sent him home.  He declined and became very lethargic.  Now, after 5 days, he has been in the hospital the whole time and it seems his stomach and intestines are not draining the fluid, but we are not sure why.  We have done x rays, multiple ultrasounds, an endoscopy, biopsies, and even exploratory surgery, and everything is normal except the villi in the intestines don't seem to be a lively as usual and the intestines in general are under active when the DMV took them out.  There is no blockage, and they are swollen a bit, but mostly filled with gas and fluid.  

We have two days to let him recover from surgery and see if the new biopsies show anything, but if we can't find anything, we will have to put him to sleep.  Please help, we are so upset and confused with what is going on.  He seems to be the best right after they drain the fluid from his stomach, but then as it fills back up, he becomes lethargic and sick, continuing to regurge liquid an uninterested in eating or drinking.  Te vet is now saying maybe mother nature will turn things around, which seems to be our only hope for him at this point.  Any help is appreciated.

[ArtTherapyAshley]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers.  And thanks for the food info.  I will use that website in the future.

We brought Leo home on Thursday!  So far I thin he is doing okay.  He pooped as soon as we got home so that was great.  Ten this am he had diarrhea, so we are now monitoring him.  He was on 5 meds for the past couple of days, but I think we are with most of them now.  The dvm are treating this as if it is a food allergy although there was never a definite dx.  He is eating cottage cheese, rice, and hypoallergenic dog food 3x a day.  He is not supposed to be doing much, but his energy is back and keeping him settled down is difficult.  I'm so glad he is feeling better, and I really hope the diarrhea is nothing but a change to his diet... The dr said to call back if it continues for the next few days but she's not surprised by diarrhea.  

I kinda think it was an infection from something he ate... He just now found an ibprophen that he brought to us... Something as simple as that, he is good at sniffing out the dangerous stuff.

Thanks again.  I'm sure at some point I will be posting something on here again, I just hope it's not as scary!

[Misfits4Me]

Kirkland Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★☆

Kirkland Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.

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The Kirkland product line includes six dry dog foods… four claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and two for adult maintenance (Mature Dog and Healthy Weight).

    Kirkland Signature Puppy Formula
    Kirkland Signature Small Dog Formula
    Kirkland Signature Adult Dog Formula (Chicken)
    Kirkland Signature Adult Dog Formula (Lamb)
    Kirkland Signature Mature Dog Formula
    Kirkland Signature Healthy Weight Formula (3 stars)

Kirkland Small Dog Formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Kirkland Signature Small Dog Formula

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content


Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and vitamin E), egg product, beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, dried chicory root, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, cranberry powder, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, rosemary extract, parsley flake, taurine, yucca schidigera extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, L-carnitine, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.

Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.

Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.

The fourth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.

The fifth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.

The sixth item mentions dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The seventh ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

The eighth item lists potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

The ninth ingredient includes fish meal. Like chicken meal (already discussed), fish meal is also considered a meat concentrate. So, fish meal contains much more protein than fresh fish.

We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item appears1 to be ethoxyquin-free.

The tenth item includes flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With three notable exceptions…

First, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

Next, brewers dried yeast. Brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can be considered a nutritious additive.

And lastly, this food does contain chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Kirkland Dog Food… the Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Kirkland Dog Food appears to be an above-average kibble.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 30%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 44%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.

Average protein. Average fat. And near-average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.

With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

Average numbers? Sure. But more remarkable when you consider value-priced nature of this brand.

Bottom line?

Kirkland Dog Food is a grain-based dry dog food using a notable amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a lite kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Kirkland Healthy Weight Formula dog food.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Other spellings: Costco, Kirklands

[Misfits4Me]

Just a heads up: This is from DogfoodAdvisor(Dot)Com

Chef Michael’s Dog Food (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Chef Michael’s dry dog food receives the Advisor’s lowest rating of 1 star.


The Chef Michael’s product line includes two dry dog foods, each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance.

    Chef Michael’s Filet Mignon Flavor
    Chef Michael’s Rotisserie Chicken Flavor

Chef Michael’s Filet Mignon Flavor was selected to represent both products for this review.

Chef Michael's Filet Mignon Flavor

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content


Ingredients: Beef, soybean meal, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of vitamin E), brewers rice, soy protein concentrate, corn gluten meal, ground yellow corn, glycerin, poultry by-product meal, ground wheat, animal digest, salt, pearled barley, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, natural filet mignon flavor, dried potatoes, dried green beans, added color (red 40, blue 2, yellow 5, yellow 6 and other color), sulfur, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, potassium chloride, l-lysine monohydrochloride, manganese sulfate, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), biotin, sodium selenite

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Although it is a quality item, raw beef contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

Which brings us to soybean meal. Soybean meal is actually a useful by-product. It’s what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.

Soybean meal contains 48% protein. However, compared to meat, this item is considered an inferior plant-based protein providing a lower biological value.

The third ingredient is soybean flour, a high-protein by-product of soybean processing.

Compared to meat, soy proteins have a lower biological value. Yet both of these soy items are capable of raising the protein content of this food.

The fourth item is animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.

Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere: restaurant grease, slaughterhouse waste, diseased cattle… even euthanized pets.

We do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.

The fifth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice represents the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice.

This is an inexpensive cereal grain by-product and not considered a quality ingredient.

The sixth item lists soy protein concentrate, what’s left of soybeans after removing the water soluble carbohydrates. This plant-based ingredient contains about 70% protein.

The seventh ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.

Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.

This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.

The eighth ingredient is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.

After glycerin, we find poultry by-product meal… a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of slaughtered poultry after all the prime cuts have been removed.

In a nutshell, poultry by-products are those unsavory and inedible leftovers deemed “unfit for human consumption”.

This stuff can contain almost anything… feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs… you name it.

We consider poultry by-products slightly lower in quality than a single-species ingredient (like chicken by-products).

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.

We’re always disappointed to find artificial coloring in any dog food.

Coloring is used to make the product more appealing to you… not your dog. After all, do you really think your dog cares what color his kibble is?

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With four notable exceptions…

First, garlic oil may be a controversial item. We say “may be” here because we are not certain of the oil’s chemical relationship to raw garlic itself. Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1

However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic… especially in small amounts (as it is here).

Next, this Chef Michael’s product also contains menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

Thirdly, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Chef Michael’s Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Chef Michael’s dog food appears to be a below-average kibble.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 32%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%.

And both products in the line appear to demonstrate the same nutrient percentages.

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbohydrates when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Yet when you consider the presence of multiple plant-based protein boosters (like the soy products and corn gluten meal), this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a modest amount of meat.

What’s worse, it’s difficult to ignore the abundance of so many Red Flag ingredients.

Bottom line?

Chef Michael’s is a plant-based dry dog food probably using only a modest amount of chicken or beef as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 1 star.

Not recommended.

[TwoBitsMom]

Wonderful News....!!!  I will keep my fingers crossed, that Leo will continue to recover....!  Thanks for giving us the updates....I am sure there are many of us who are watching this post.
You said it might be a food allergy....if so, what are they feeding him...?
Do they feel it may be Celiac disease...?
It sounds like they are getting closer to figuring this out....Hang in there..
Thoughts and prayers are with you both.
Connie

[Ghilly]

This is great news indeed!!  I hope that your next update is even better!  :D

Ghilly

[Misfits4Me]

What a wonderful report!!!  I'm thrilled! Do keep us updated......Karla