gastroparesis & my dog: the good, the bad …& the crunchy

gastroparesis & my dog: the good, the bad …& the crunchy

January 12, 2008, 2:33 am
Filed under: animals, canine, chow chow, dog, dogs, gastroparesis, health | Tags: animals, dogs, gastroparesis, health, pets

it has been a while since we talked about cody bear’s canine gastroparesis. (again, if you’re new to this blog and found your way here looking for gastroparesis info, …click the word gastroparesis in the “tag cloud” to the left) and please remember, i’m not a doctor, i just have a three year old dog with gastroparesis. i don’t mean to tell you what to do, i just want you to know what works for us.

today I thought I would mention his diet to you, in case you’re struggling to get something your dog can easily digest, with help from reglan, of course.

it is VERY hard to keep weight on cody bear. between his condition, and the fact that he is always on the go go GO, he is super skinny. i have gotten used to the comments and surprise. he is so fluffy, so he looks like he weighs at least 55 pounds, but really, he is just a 47 pounder. people are surprised at first because he looks chubby from the fluff, then they pet him and are aghast that he is so thin. I have gotten a few judgemental looks from dog people and a few dog professionals.

in addition to his high energy, the stomach condition is often aggravated by stress, so he needs tons of exercise to keep him at a healthy stress level, so he gets nice long walks a couple times a day, attends class so he doesn’t get stressed from boredom…you get the picture?

anyway, i have tried many things and found several that work. i do change his diet every so often so he doesn’t get bored, but i only use tried and true foods that are super high quality. no “bargain hound” dog foods for dogs with gastroparesis! (oops, didn’t mean to sound so bossy! i recommmenddddd no cheapy food for your dog) they need lots of nutrition to make up for what they lose when they’re sick to their tummies. i keep his portions small so his stomach doesn’t have to work too hard.

so, this month cody bear is eating:

breakfast – ¾ cup “wellness” brand dog kibble “chicken super5” flavor (i serve all his kibble meals in a molecuball. it is exercise for him and exercise keeps his stress level low)

lunch – ½ cup the same

dinner – ½ cup the same and a couple table spoons of “wellness core” salmon or chicken canned

night snack, one medium kong with a bit of kibble and ¼ cup canned wellness again.

he has also done great on a few flavors of “the honest kitchen” dehydrated dog food in place of the canned. but he does NOT do well with the flavor with oats. (sorry, can’t remember the name of that one)

many vets & people recommend rice for dogs with a temporary stomach problem. I find that the rice hangs out in his stomach a long time and if he is already having a flare up….he rarely digests that well.

now treats are important. i find the fewer ingredients the better, and he is less likely to barf treats that are “natural”. meaning plastic-y ones like snausages or pupperoni…while all dogs love them….tend to just hang out in his stomach and it takes forever to break them down.

so, he likes crunchy peanut butter biscuits. also, for training, he gets some yummy stuff because its so much fun for him! and training is so important that we want him to be really be into it. so sauteed chicken, dehydrated beef livers, cut into tiny tiny bits. also, he responds great to tiny bits of chesse! he loves it! and it sits well with him. HOWEVER, a compounding pharmacist i spoke with said you should not eat cheese if you’re taking reglan. but my human friend, who is an m.d. and has gastroparesis, loves cheese and has not had an adverse reaction. so like all things….****i super strongly recommend talking to your vet AND your pharmacist. ****

well that’s alot. hope this helps. and if YOU have tips for people who have a dog with reglan, please leave them in the comments below.

thanks for stopping by!

…for more tid bits on gastroparesis in dogs…click on the “gastroparesis” word in the “tag cloud” at the left of this blog.

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