Is my IBD dog's sweet potato & rabbit diet nutritionally balanced?

Good for you for committing to make Sweetpea's food in order to help manage her food allergies! It can be tricky to assure that home cooked diets for dogs are properly balanced with all necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. I always recommend utilizing recipes formulated by veterinary nutritionists, such as those available on www.balanceit.com. These recipes can be tailored for dogs with food allergies to avoid certain ingredients (or even just use the ingredients currently being used), but will also have the vitamin and mineral supplements available to assure that the diet is balanced. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Sweetpea!

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Chi has been unwell. If IBD is suspected, we should always try out a limited ingredient hypoallergenic diet (such as rabbit, venison, or kangaroo), for a minimum of 8 weeks with NO other treats or table scraps. However, since Chi's appetite is not the greatest, it will be a challenge to find a hypoallergenic diet that she likes. It sounds like the medications that were prescribed are appropriate for the suspected illness. Carafate is a gastroprotectant that is used to minimize gastric ulcers - it should not worsen diarrhea symptoms. Two other suggestions which I would discuss with your vet: 1) try a different type of anti-diarrhea antibiotic, such as tylosin. 2) consider weekly treatments of vitamin B12, as many dogs with IBD are B12-deficient. 3) try again with steroid therapy such as prednisolone, or try a different immunosuppresant such as cyclosporine. I hope this helps, and that Chi feels better soon.

Hi there! If you want to do a home-cooked diet for Temperance, I would highly recommend using the site www.balanceit.com. It was founded by a veterinary nutritionist, and will walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a balanced diet using the ingredients you choose, including any necessary additives or supplements :)

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Kyro. Dogs are able to break down/digest bones. If Kyro did not demonstrate any vomiting/diarrhea and was eating well after this event it is unlikely that the bone was causing a problem. IBD is caused by excessive inflammation in the GI tract to certain particles in food. Most commonly it is the protein source in the diet that causes this inflammation. There are two different diet forms that are used for dogs with IBD. One is called a hypoallergenic diet. This means that the diet is specially made to take away any of the particles that could be leading to the inflammation in the GIT. Some diet options that fall under this category are Hill's Z/D or Purina HA. The second type of diet is called a novel protein diet meaning that the diet is made using a protein source that most animals haven't been exposed too. Diet options that fall under this category are Royain Canin Duck, Venison, or Rabbit formulas. All of the diets mentioned above are prescription diets, meaning that you will have to either purchase them from a veterinary clinic or you will need veterinarian approval to buy them elsewhere. Hope this helps, good luck!

I'm going to give you two websites that have recipes for homemade diets for dogs. They are run by veterinary nutritionists, so you are guaranteed they are balanced and no need to add any supplements. I hope this helps! https://secure.balanceit.com https://www.petdiets.com

I would consult a veterinary nutritionist, but I don't know that there are any where you are located. Another good option is the website balanceit.com. They will help you formulate balanced recipes and I believe there is a free option as well.

Hello, sorry to hear about Trixie. So with irritable bowel, they are typically sensitive to the protein in the food. Common proteins such as chicken and beef tend to also be the most common types of sensitivities. Rabbit protein which you are feeding now is not common and likely why Trixie has tolerated it so well. Unfortunately, there is a possibility that she can develop sensitivities to this protein after she has been eating it for some time. You may therefore need to change her diet again. However, I would likely work this along with your veterinarian so that the case can be followed by both of you. Additionally, she could have other causes for her decreased appetite and vomiting and these other causes should be screened for as well by your veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.