# Dr.Harvey / Grandma Lucy users please help!!



## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

I'm questioning the food I am using and I am very worried. My malt has been on Grandma Lucys for a while now and her POOP looks just like the food. Bits of carrots, celery and other weird bits are always found in her poop. I apologize for the description but I am seriously thinking she is NOT digesting the food. I follow the exact directions too on the package. 
Have any of you experienced this with freeze dried food?


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## pammy4501 (Aug 8, 2007)

How's her weight?


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

Hunter's poop looks like that and his weight has stayed the same and his bloowork is all right so I am just assuming this is how the remainder 'comes out'.


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

She has not lost any weight. The poop is just so strange looking...it literally looks exactly like the food before she eats it.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Pretty sure I saw that one of those sites, like Honest Kitchen or Dr. Harvey's said that this was normal and that they are still getting the nutrients. I can't find it now but if I find it I will post. 

Lola had her first Dr. Harvey's with wild salmon tonight, she looks like she is in heaven :biggrin:


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## Dixie's Mama (Mar 19, 2008)

Dixie has been on Dr. Harvey's Canine Health for about a year now. She loves it and is doing great on it. I've read the same thing about it being ok for the poop to look that way Maureen.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I've never tried Grandma Lucy's, but are the vegetables cooked? Lady's vet up in Raleigh told me that dogs don't have the digestive enzymes we do that to break down vegetables. Lady's poop always looked like that when I gave her uncooked or partially cooked veggies. They pretty much came out the same way they went in.

I cook her food in a Crockpot now plus I give her probiotics, so she doesn't have that problem anymore.

Have you asked your vet about? I tend to agree with you. If Vanilla isn't digesting the veggies, she can't be getting much nutritional benefit from them.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

I think this could be the article I was thinking about. It is from NRG dehydrated foods https://www.nrgdogproducts.com/Scoop_on_Poop.html

Lola has only had the one meal so far and she doesn't seem to have undigested food from what she has produced.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

I fed Grandma Lucy's Artisan freeze-dried bison mix to the dogs on Sunday, and their poop looked the same as it always looks, no undigested food, completely normal. When I fed them Dr. Harvey's, I saw some bits of carrots in the poop. Possibly because the freeze dried carrots might rehydrate slower than the rest of the veggies contained in the premix. A longer soaking time might hydrate them further, and make them softer and easier to digest.


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

silverhaven said:


> I think this could be the article I was thinking about. It is from NRG dehydrated foods https://www.nrgdogproducts.com/Scoop_on_Poop.html
> 
> Lola has only had the one meal so far and she doesn't seem to have undigested food from what she has produced.


*Thank you so much for the link. The article states that it is ok to see bits but I still do think she is not digesting the food well.* When I feed her chicken, rice and veggies from scratch i never see bits of food in her poop. I really think the veggies in the mix do not rehydrate......they are too hard.


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Nikki's Mom said:


> I fed Grandma Lucy's Artisan freeze-dried bison mix to the dogs on Sunday, and their poop looked the same as it always looks, no undigested food, completely normal. When I fed them Dr. Harvey's, I saw some bits of carrots in the poop. Possibly because the freeze dried carrots might rehydrate slower than the rest of the veggies contained in the premix. A longer soaking time might hydrate them further, and make them softer and easier to digest.


That has been my experience too...normal poop on Grandma Lucy's (I did see some bits of carrots though). On Dr. Harvey's he definitely has more bits of carrots and veggies in there.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

Jenna, I'm really glad you posted this thread. I just ordered the Grandma Lucy's for my two girls. I'll make sue I soak it well before feeding.


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

How long are you letting it soak? When I feed him Grandma Lucy's, I usually make a large batch (enough for two or three days) and put it in the fridge. That way it has plenty of time to rehydrate. Some of the meat pieces are tough and it takes a long time for them to soften up.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

This is what I was trying to say in my previous post:

*All scientific evidence points towards the fact that dogs, while not true carnivores, are opportunistic, carnivorous scavengers.....There is a difference between a carnivorous scavenger and an omnivore though - dogs lack the dental characteristics, longer digestive tract and specific enzymes of true omnivores like humans. That is the reason why they can not digest grains and vegetables unless they are "predigested" by processing, mincing/grinding, breakdown by enzymes, or fermentation through bacteria. Once converted, they are fully available to the dog. *

The Dog Food Project - Myths about Dog Nutrition


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Ladysmom said:


> This is what I was trying to say in my previous post:
> 
> *All scientific evidence points towards the fact that dogs, while not true carnivores, are opportunistic, carnivorous scavengers.....There is a difference between a carnivorous scavenger and an omnivore though - dogs lack the dental characteristics, longer digestive tract and specific enzymes of true omnivores like humans. That is the reason why they can not digest grains and vegetables unless they are "predigested" by processing, mincing/grinding, breakdown by enzymes, or fermentation through bacteria. Once converted, they are fully available to the dog. *
> 
> The Dog Food Project - Myths about Dog Nutrition


Thanks for the link. The article and site are very interesting.


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## poochie2 (Jan 14, 2010)

I always give my dog raw cucumber pieces, romaine lettuce and baby carrots. Her poop NEVER has bits of these veggies .....that is why I am puzzled. No matter how long I rehydrate Grandma Lucys the veggies are too tough .


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

poochie2 said:


> I always give my dog raw cucumber pieces, romaine lettuce and baby carrots. Her poop NEVER has bits of these veggies .....that is why I am puzzled. No matter how long I rehydrate Grandma Lucys the veggies are too tough .


I wonder if cooking them in with the meat would help?

Grandma Lucy's appears to be good food. According to this, it meets the AAFCO guidelines and is nutritionally balanced.

The Best List of Natural Dog Foods | eHow.com


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

you can puree the dr. harvey's after you hydrate it to help them absorb more of the food and nutrients.


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