We have a Bichon approx 7 years old that we rescued a couple of years ago. He normally has a great appetite and a fair amount of energy (he's generally mellow), but periodically he won't eat, has a gurgly stomach and tries to eat leaves on walks. During this time he won't eat and just sleeps, and usually after half a day or so he's suddenly back to normal. We have tried to trace the source of this, but can't seem to isolate. He doesn't get much in the way of human food, aside from small amounts of cheese. These bouts of gurgly stomach don't always coincide, however, with post-human-food consumption. Just wondering if this is just a common quirk with Bichons...
Never had a Bichon (wish I had - they're gorgeous!) but the only time my dogs have ever had gurgling tums is first thing in the morning if they're hungry. Have you tried a pro-biotic powder or a couple of spoonfuls of natural live yogurt with his meals? That might help with digestion. As long as he isn't suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea I would hope it isn't anything to worry about, but if you feel he is in any sort of discomfort it's probably best to get the vet to check him over. Hope it turns out to be nothing!
Is he just being fed once a day? As dogs begin to age, they can sometimes find it hard to deal with larger portions, and are able to digest their food better when it is split into two portions. Apart from this, I agree with Janet's post, and I am a big believer in probiotics, and use both Actimel and Protexin powder daily, for my dogs. (There are other makes available, such as Yumega, Fortiflora etc.). Welcome to Breedia. I hope your boy is soon feeling better.
It may be a bilious/acid tummy, I had the same problem with Kyra off and on for a few years, rumbly gurgling tummy noises and off her food and wanted to eat grass,the vet told me to get some 'BUSCOPAN' which is great for settling gassy, acidic tummies.
I would go down the probiotic route too, I'm not a fan of ant-acids though (sorry Vee!) as I feel stomach acid is produced for a reason. If you need to cut down acid, eating foods that are easier to digest can help. So if he were my dog I would try a species appropriate diet with probiotics
Keep a diary. If the problems start at regular intervals, it may be a food intolerance rather than allergy. Intolerance can build up in the system culminating in problems which right themselves after a bout of illness/self-starvation
Hello Rich mmm you have me there, I have never heard of that food in the UK . Ok looked it up... ...it looks ok but there may be something there little Norman can't tolerate, could be rice or oats. I would try one of the fish/potato based foods with no grains at all and see if that makes a difference. Sorry I can't suggest one because I don't know what is available over there. I would also feed three meals a day so that Normans tummy doesn't get too empty allowing an excess of stomach acid to build up which can make dogs feel nauseous. It is also a good idea to make sure Norman gets the correct amount of food so first I would weigh Him (You can do this by standing on the scales holding him then deduct your weight from the total to give his weight) then carefully weigh out the correct amount of food according to the manufacturer's instructions into a plastic mug . You can then mark the mug with tape to make daily measuring easy. Now divide the food into roughly three portions. It may not make any difference at all but will do no harm and is worth a try .
Kyra was on ‘probiotics ’ which didn’t seem to help, she was always fed twice daily it happened roughly once in every couple of months but she was rarely sick or had diarrhea, as previously said it could have been a food intolerance build up, except for the odd day she was always a healthy weight had good muscle, and extremely active and energetic. RE: Breed Specific Foods, It’s all marketing ploy started by Royal Canin, consumers see the shiny bag with their specific breed and think, "wow, a dog food made just for my dog RC is not a premium quality food, and doesn’t fare well on food review sites. To me the owner is better off knowing what the special nutritional need is (low fat or cal/phos ratio, etc.) and finding a high quality food that fits the bill. Ingredients for RC GSD specific http://www.royalcanin.com/products/products/dog-products/breed-health-nutrition/german-shepherd Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, brown rice, oat groats, chicken fat, pork meal, natural flavours, powdered cellulose, wheat gluten, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, coconut oil, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, L-tyrosine, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, taurine, hydrolyzed yeast, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], choline chloride, DL-methionine, glucosamine hydrochloride, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), monocalcium phosphate, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], tea, chondroitin sulfate, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid. They also use Cellulose which is filler, otherwise known as sawdust. I certainly would not feed this to my dogs. Breed-specific Food Comparison Yorkie Formula vs. GSD Formula http://healthypets.mercola.com/site.../2011/12/22/breed-specific-diet-for-dogs.aspx
Norman could have an prehistory gene (not sure if that's the right word or not) a sensitive stomach gene that either his dad or mum had or perhaps both, it does sound like he might have a sensitive stomach & if right will need a complete change of food, something without wheat/grain/oats. White fish is good for dogs with sensitive stomachs not sure if they do dog food that is white fish based where you live.
I agree about breed specific foods (I was personally referring to species appropriate which is very different)
As an alternative to ant-acids you could try charcoal tablets, they are great for settling stomachs in all mammals including us. They adsorb excess acid and toxins in the digestive system and settle stomachs and are completely natural. If you try them, don't worry if his poo is darker or even black after he's had them as this is normal.
I get activated charcoal capsules. They are very effective and can be opened and sprinkled on a dog's food if necessary.
