(Closed) Has anyone had a problem with Nutro Natrual Choice?

• lablove_12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2008

We bought a second 35lb bag of Nutro Natural Choice food (venison and brown rice) for our almost 5 y/o lab on April 19th.  On April 20th, he had to have an unexpected surgery for a hematoma.  Post-op, he was drugged up and adjusting to his e-collar, and wasn’tq uite himself.  He was also put on an anti-fungal.

Previous experience with the anti-fungal has caused him to have a bit of GI upset, so we weren’t surprised when he wasn’t readily accepting all of his food.  He’d take a few bites and then walk away.  During this time, he was still on two different pain medications for his post-op recovery.  While he wasn’t eating his dog food, we attempted to give him eggs and rice (which he ALWAYS eats).  Thinking, if he didn’t want eggs and rice, we would know something was up.

He ate the eggs and rice for two meals.  When we got home from work one evening alst week, he’d thrown up an eggs and rice meal, and it almost looked completely undigested.  That evening, he ate a good bit of dog food that we offered him.  almost 14 hours later, he threw all that food up too.  Mostly undigested.  At this point, he’d finished his pain meds, and we’d stopped the anti-fungal at the request of the vet, in the hopes of stopping his stomach upset.

Since Friday, he’s not accepted any dog food, but will eat eggs and rice with no problem.  The last time he vomited food was early Saturday morning (after he’d eaten dog food).  Since then, he’s had some of the dog food, and also an eggs and rice meal.  He’s kept it all down.  He’s drinking water and acting normally, except he refuses to take food from his bowl.  We’ve bleached the bowls and cleaned them compeltely.

This morning, he began eating his dog food at will.  We’re hoping that when we gte home, he hasn’t thrown it up. 

Have you expereinced this?  With Nutro Natural Choice especially?  Do you think the bag of food may be bad?  we’re having trouble determining it because this bag of food was started less than 24 hours before his surgery, and after the surgery he was all messed up for a couple of days with a weird appetite, as would be expected after anesthesia.  Now we’ve cut out all medicines and are just trying to see what combination of food/eggs and rice makes him not throw up. 

• lablove_12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2008

@roxy821:  Eggs and rice is one of the things he’s NEVER refused.  In fact, the only time he’s thrown it up was recently (three days ago) and it looked undigested.  At that point, he was still on Tramadol and Ketaconazole, which we know irritates his stomach.  He was ravenous yesterday and gobbled up the eggs and rice, ate it out of his bowl, but wouldn’t touch the dog food that I tried to put in there first.

We’re hoping that all of this culminated at the same time and this stomach upset was a result of anesthesia and all the medications afterwards.  Either way, we’ve alraedy decided on a couple of other foods we want to look into, including Blue Buffalo and Canidae.  Judging by other issues he has/had (yeast infections in paws, ear infections, lots of itchiness), we are almost certain he has a food allergy, so we’ve cut out things with corn and chicken.  Hopefully we can find a good food balance soon.  We’ve cut out milkbones, and have been using pieces of food as treats, but I’ve also purchased a bag of baby carrots to use as treats, which he loves. 

I’ve not heard browned hamburger meat or peas as a meal for a dog with an upset stomach!! We’ll definitely try that…I’m sure he’d love the variety. 

• lablove_12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2008

@MissNoodles:  I did do some research on Nutro recalls, but, like you, didn’t see any recent ones…i did read lots of testimonies from 2007-2009 about dogs geting sick from that food :-

We intend to switch him after this bag of food (if he continues to eat it without getting sick).  We aren’t willing to put him on a chicken and rice diet, beacuse our vet advised that chicken is the most commen food protein allergy.  We are almost certain that he has a food allergy, and since food allergies are almost always protein related, we wanted to start by cutting out chicken.  We’ve introduced foods with previously un-eaten proteins like venison and salmon.  We used to do boiled chicken an rice for him when he had an upset stomach, but we’ve since cut out the chicken, especially after taking him off of a chicken and rice blend of Purina Pro Plan.

We’ll hopefully find the right balance soon…but next on our list to try are the Blue Buffalo or others suggested!

• lablove_12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2008

@MissNoodles:  I’m glad to hear you’ve had such a positive experiece with it!! we just want to find something that is the best thing for him (but, sadly, we do need to find it within a certain price point). 

• lablove_12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2008

@squeak35:  I’ve not heard of Merrick’s.  We’re also considering Natural Balance, which Fiance saw was ona  list of the healthiest dog foods.  We need something that ideally is for large breeds, and we tend to try out the sensitive stomach and skin (though he mostly needs it for his skin) forumals if they are available. 

• lablove_12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2008

@LoveMySailor1018:  That’s very interesting to know.  I scoured the internet for anything regarding a recent recall of a certain blend or lot number, but found nothing.  We have a lab, so you can imagine how difficult it is to STOP him from eating, most of the time.  He is NOT a picky eater, but stopped eating this food within three days of opening a new bag.  As I posted above, this also coincided with a surgery, so we didn’ tknow what the real issue was.  Now that he’s off meds, we’re thinking it’s this food.  He is/was still very interested in our food, and was practically drooling as I fixed eggs and rice for him.  If ever there was a day when he refused to eat anything at all, I’d be petrified.  What kind of large breed is your pup??

• lablove_12
• 6 years ago

• Wedding: October 2008

@almostmrsj:  We’re looking into natural balance!! We’ve researched blends that are made from “unique” proteins and carbs, and have tried salmon and potato, venison and brown rice, ones with oatmeal, etc.  We have been really diligent about not feeding food that have corn or other by products, and have given up on chicken blends.  He liked the salmon and rice blend, but we felt it made him even itchier.  That was a Purina Pro Plan blend, and we switched away from that blend for Nutro Natural choice, and the first bag (of nutro) had no problem.  Just with this second bag has he refused to eat it.  We won’t be going back to things like chicken or turkey.  We’re aiming for fish and potatoes or oatmeal, etc!!  Who knew dogs could be so complicated 😉