# Question about NB Sweet Potato and Venison



## Baileysmommy (Nov 24, 2008)

I've been slowly switching Bailey to the NB Sweet Potato and Venison, bc while on Eukanuba he eats his feet, scratches a lot, and has ear infections. I thought maybe it was a chicken allergy? So I tried Fromms small bites Sweet Potato and Duck. He loved it, but his bowels were way too soft and frequent. I wasn't sure if this was an all around poultry allergy? Or if I just added too much of the new food too fast.

So now I'm on a mix of Eukanuba and NB Sweet Potato and Venison. He loves that too, but the kibble is so big, I break them in pieces before adding to the Eukanuba. The NB small bites only come in poultry varieties I think. Would anyone suggest sticking w the venison? Or maybe try the duck again? Or is there a good food that comes in small bites that is not poultry. He's not real picky, he is a good eater.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

Are you getting the small bites? THey're small flat disk shape pieces and should be easy
for him to eat. Mine eat it easily and they're not bigger dogs. It's in the sort of purple
bag.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I didn't think the NB Sweet Potato & Venison came in a Small Bites formula. The only small bites I've seen are the Ultra Premium or whatever, and the Potato & Duck (which London is on). I would LOVE to try the Sweet Potato & Venison if it came in small bites...


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I'm sorry. It doesn't say small bites on the bag but the Ultra Premium Sweet Potato and Venison
is definitely small enough for our babies. Cosy is only 4 lbs and has no problem at all. 
Is that what you are feeding? It's in the purple (sort of) trimmed bag.

If your pet store carries NB they should be glad to order this for you if they don't already have it.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Sassy had eaten small bites all her life but I changed her to NB a few months back and she has no problems eating the little round flat shaped kibbles.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

Hmm...it sounds like London is the only one that's had a problem eating the NB non-small bites. Before I bought the small bites, I bought the regular sized kibble and even *I* couldn't break it with my teeth easily. I wonder if it was just a fluke and I got a bad bag? I wanted her to be on the sweet potato & venison but saw it didn't come in small bites so I went with the duck and potato.


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

I wrote to the company about making the venison and SP in small bites because of the poultry allergy. They said htat they would take it into consideration. I think the more people that email them the more likely it is that we will see this happen. (I just used hte contact us button).

Hunter is on the Venison and he just eats it as is - I don't even break it up but feed only 1/2 his meal at a time. The size hasn't bothered him in the least (and he has to eat slower since they are bigger which is a plus for him).


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## sophie (Jul 9, 2006)

Annie is only about 5 pounds and does fine eating the venison, but then when she eats she sounds like a rotweiller - at least that what hubby says - she's not a dainty eater. When Sophie was younger hubby would break them in half for her, but she eats them just fine now, too. 

Linda


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Sodie also eats the venison with no problem. 

A very plain diet is California Natural Lamb and Rice. I highly recommend trying that before going through every novel protein source.


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## Baileysmommy (Nov 24, 2008)

I've noticed he will eat the venison as is w/out me breaking it up, but it takes him a while to chew, then he loses interest and eats the Eukanuba (I think bc its tiny). 

He loves lamb, so maybe I will give the Cali a shot. But then again, he loves all food, lol. Maybe I will continue the Venison while he's still small (he's only 15 weeks). Then when he gets a little older I can give him the Venison whole.

I don't even know if he has a poultry allergy, but I assume since he scratches and bites his feet so much that its a possibility?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

He's 15 weeks old. 

First of all, I would have a stool sample checked and deworm him even if nothing is found. 

I would stop changing his food. At his age, a food allergy is not likely. Its more likely the upset tummy is from the frequent food changes. Most commonly itching is due to an inhalent or contact allergy. So frequent foot washing would be the first, most benign thing to try.


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## Baileysmommy (Nov 24, 2008)

He got his stool checked for worms 3 weeks ago. Should I still have him dewormed? Nothing was found, but could that be why he's so itchy?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

You do not always see parasite eggs when you check a stool sample. If your puppy is having off and on diarrhea, deworming is a good idea. Also checking for giardia is a good idea. 

He could be itchy from shampoo residue, grass, winterizing products from outdoors on his feet, not being dried completely between the pads after getting wet, etc. Simply washing his feet more frequently would be a good thing to try. If his feet are red or irritated, you should have your vet take a look. 

Most allergies are inhalent, not food...and it would be rather unusual for a 15 week old pup to have food allergies resulting in skin problems.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I can tell you from experience both Toy and Cosy came to me (separately) on Eukanuba puppy kibble.
Both were itchy and as soon as I replaced the food with NB the itching stopped. Toy was
3 months and Cosy was 5 months when I got each of them. 
I would try just the NB and see how he does.


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## Baileysmommy (Nov 24, 2008)

He does great with the NB. Its just a little big for him, so I've been breaking it up (which is getting tedious, lol). But I've been careful to make the process slow, so he's still eating quite a bit of Eukanuba. I didn't want to keep changing his food, but I was hoping they came in a smaller bite size. So, for now he's still itchy especially his ears, face and feet, but I'm hoping that will eventually stop? If he's too young for a reaction from his food, it could be something else like JMM said? I dont take him outside, but maybe its the dete®gent or another irritant like that?

He actually has never had full blown diarreah. But when I tried the Fromms Duck and Sweet Potato for the first time, his stool was noticeably looser. And he was having several more bowel movements ea day. That's why I switched to the NB. But I did so very slowly, and he hasn't had issues. I noticed if I introduce something new (even a treat) he reacts w a looser stool. Not quite something that looks real alarming, just a bit loose. Perhaps he wouldve eventually been fine if I stuck with the Fromms, but I felt bad that his tummy had a reaction.

I try to keep his diet basic so I can pinpoint something if it doesn't agree with him. So far he's ok with 1/2 NB, 1/2 Eukanuba. And I've been giving Omega Salmon treats, NB biscuits, and all natural lamb treats, and he's been ok. I just feel so bad when he's itchy and nipping at himself. His feet aren't red, but he does go after them. He's been doing this since the day he came home.

Another thing that has bothered me since I brought him home, is the butt scooting. When I took hom to the vet I told her I think he needs his anal glands drained, and she told me no he's a little young to need that. I asked her to check anyway, bc he scoots a lot. And they were full. She said if he keeps scooting it could be a sign of infection? He does still scoot, and I feel bad if he is uncomfortable in any way. Even though his stool came back worm free, maybe I will have them check again, like JMM had mentioned. He's going back to the vet Friday, so I will ask then. What does this sound like? Could it be related to his itchy ears and skin?

Thanks again, everyone.


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## 2maltese4me (May 8, 2006)

I know your trying to find the right food. But at this point, I think you need to pick something and just stick with it. 15 weeks is way too young to be changing foods constantly (even if your only doing it to try and help the pup). Changing food frequently can cause diarrhea and tummy upset...and maybe thats hey he doesn't want to eat. 

Eukanuba is not a great food, and may be why he's chewing his feet. Try to find a premium food that you like. Wellness, Merrick, NB are all great foods.

Once you find a food, keep him on it. If London is having a hard time chewing it, soften it in a bit of water first.

As far as scooting and anal glands go. I can tell you Gracie had full glands all the time as a puppy. It got so bad that I taught myself how to express them and did it at least once a week. She eventually grew out of it tho...its been yrs since she's had a problem.

Good luck.


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

QUOTE (Cosy @ Jan 18 2009, 11:34 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=709291


> I can tell you from experience both Toy and Cosy came to me (separately) on Eukanuba puppy kibble.
> Both were itchy and as soon as I replaced the food with NB the itching stopped. Toy was
> 3 months and Cosy was 5 months when I got each of them.
> I would try just the NB and see how he does.[/B]



Yep, I've had several with major itching problems. NB seemed to have cleared it right up.

I do not mix the foods. It's straight to NB, and Wellness. I've not had a problem with that.

Also, like yours, mine do fine with the regular flat kibble. They are small. I figure if, a few,
can chew up my base-board, they can eat the little flat kibble. :HistericalSmiley: 

Daisy's diet was Ol' Roy. The owner brought a bag of it, when they dropped her off. I threw
it in the dumpster. I said, "deal with it Daisy, I'm NOT feeding you this". She thrived. :wub:


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## elizabeth (Oct 31, 2008)

:biggrin: I have had bella on every kibble out there......she was biting on her feet and constanlty licking her paws. Thankfully, the place I shop (Chuck and Don's), takes them all back if your dog doesn't like it or has allergy or the kibble is too big etc... 
So, I had a talk with the vet back home and with the gals at the store and they recommended I try CANNED food. I used canned on Annie (RIP), and I really wanted to get away from that with bella cuz of the teeth and plaque build up but I gave in and bought EVO canned Venison and she LOVES it and has NO MORE ITCHING! I bought a wonderful product to clean her teeth as she hates a toothbrush. It's called: PETZLIFE Oral Care Spray. One squirt a day, and she doesn't mind it at all!!! 

So, I just want to add that if any of you are having trouble with getting the right dry food for your pet, consider canned EVO or another high quality canned food. They don't have any "fillers" in them, which is what the vet says causes some allergies. the EVO canned is pure meat, veggies, berries. 
Just a thought....................... :wub:


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## I found nemo (Feb 23, 2006)

Nemo eats the NB Sweet Potato and Duck, he does fine with the tiny ones and the regular.
I also would try wetting the food and also sticking with the same food at least for 8 weeks before you try something else. Nemo's itching stopped immediately on the NB and it's been almost 3 years.
Good Luck :biggrin:


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## prism (Dec 29, 2008)

I wish the Sweet Potato and Venison came in small bites but it doesn't in my area. I'm switching from Potatoe and Duck to Sweet Potatoe/Venison because Charlie was gassy on the Duck. He eats all of the Venison out of the bowl first. lol I wasn't going to try the Venison because the pieces are so big but if he can chew on my remote and other forbidden things at every chance he gets, he can chew up the larger kibble.


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## dex'smom (Jan 11, 2009)

my 16month has been on eukauba- he loves it and does great on it-but after reading everything im thinking of switching- hes a 4ish pounder so i want to keep him on a small bite formula-would you recommend the wellness small bites or nb ultra small bites


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## LittleDogLVR (Oct 24, 2007)

OK I have been thinking about switching to NB Duck or Venison, did some research and saw that there was a recall in 06.

No issues since then ? I didnt see anything else.

Just curious if anyone had seen anything not so good about NB.

My Lizzie is / has been an allergy dog. She was on Atopica for a few months and then started to get sick from it
so I have stopped it completely. She still licks her paws and itches a little but not insanely.....not hurting herself at all.

One thing I did discover was that she is allergic to or cant tolerate dairy, she had also tested positve for grass and dustmites at the vet.
thats why we had her on Atopica. Since removing dairy from her diet she has been dramatically better, almost completely eliminated
her itching but I cant help think that Maybe a different food may help !

Right now she is eating Taste of the Wild Pacific stream ocean,and before that it was Wellness Ocean.Its been four months since going to the fish and potato
so I was contemplating another change.

So sorry for the long read..........thanks


John


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## theboyz (Jan 10, 2007)

When Chase got colitis our Vet switched him to Royal Canin Veterinary diet Potato and Venison.
All 3 eat this now. It is small bites.
Jack has not ( knock on wood) had any anal gland trouble since he has been eating this. He has always had this problem !!!!!
This dry food has been just great for our guys. We leave it out for them to graze.
You could ask your Vet about it.

Chase is on a very strict diet including special treats. All is well for him and we do not vary one little bit!


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

My puppy won't eat this NB sweet potato & venison. We also tried Wellness puppy and he won't eat that either. The pup came with Eukanuba and he only ate that the first day he arrived. We are running out of foods that I would want the pup to be on. How long should I try this before giving up? Like does putting it down for a month straight improve my chances, or is it just a waste of time? I tried wetting it, and he would have none of it.


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

QUOTE (princessre @ Feb 24 2009, 04:44 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733317


> My puppy won't eat this NB sweet potato & venison. We also tried Wellness puppy and he won't eat that either. The pup came with Eukanuba and he only ate that the first day he arrived. We are running out of foods that I would want the pup to be on. How long should I try this before giving up? Like does putting it down for a month straight improve my chances, or is it just a waste of time? I tried wetting it, and he would have none of it.[/B]


He likely won't literally starve himself to death, so just make him eat whatever food you want him to be on...No choice, no pickiness.  London was on Solid Gold and she loved that, but her poop wasn't as firm as it should have been so I switched her to NB Potato & Duck Small Bites and she clearly doesn't like it as well, but it's either that or nothing...so she eats it.


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## LittleDogLVR (Oct 24, 2007)

Well I started the food change last Sunday, transitioned them into it and Finally are eating only NB Duck and Potato small bites.
only thing Im noticing is Lizzie is Itching more now than before the food change. I am not sure I made the right move here.


Its the only thing I have changed, other than we had some warm weather last week and now the grass is showing some.
She does get her paws wiped when she comes in, but the grass is certainly not growing.

Has anyone else seen increased itching switching to NB D+P ?
I know its only been a very short time so I dont know if I should go back to TOTW Pacific stream or forge ahead with hope
of it getting better.

My Liizzie is certainly the problem child, Codie is fine and will eat what ever is in the bowl.


Getting frustrated I must say !


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## ckim111 (Dec 17, 2008)

QUOTE (princessre @ Feb 24 2009, 07:44 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=733317


> My puppy won't eat this NB sweet potato & venison. We also tried Wellness puppy and he won't eat that either. The pup came with Eukanuba and he only ate that the first day he arrived. We are running out of foods that I would want the pup to be on. How long should I try this before giving up? Like does putting it down for a month straight improve my chances, or is it just a waste of time? I tried wetting it, and he would have none of it.[/B]


That will be up to you on how much "tough love" you are willing to give. I tried that approach with Bella and she went 3 days while eating maybe 4 kibbles? That was the end of it because as a growing puppy I think getting the proper amount of nutrition is critical. So I literally tried every dog food out there. The other problem I had was her getting sick of eating the same thing after only two days. Even now she is fed something different every other day or she won't eat.


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

3 kibbles in 4 days?  Sounds about right! I hand feed Casanova the kibble all the time. I'll find him take it and then lower his head and drop onto the floor. If I hand feed and deposit in his mouth, he'll go and "take a sip of water" There he will deposit all his NB and Wellness kibble and I find it at the end of the day when I clean out his water bowl.  

I'm not opposed to trying the "tough mom" stance. But I'm also told we must train while he's a puppy. So how to train (we use treats & praise) and starve to eat dog food at the same time? I can't exactly train him with kibble that he won't eat! Maybe that will train him NOT to do things we ask..."Please Momma, don't put that NB kibble in front of my nose anymore, I will do whatever you want...Sit, Stay, Fetch...anything!" :innocent:


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

I just had a couple of points to add to this thread:

1. For those of you with dogs that itch and you are switching to a novel protein, I recommend you go with the NB (or whatever brand) with limited ingredients, and _no grains_. No rice either. Many dogs are allergic to grains, typically wheat is the worst culprit, however.

2. Also, for those of you with itchy problems: it can sometimes take 3 months for the dog's symptoms (itching) to clear up. That means 3 months of novel protein food only. So, for treats, you have to have the same novel protein and no grains. Or fresh fruit or veggies if your dog is motivated by them. 

3. If your dog truly does not "like" a certain kibble, try another one. Another brand or another novel protein. I recommend trying one with higher protein, dogs usually like that alot (like Acana or Orijen; EVO is good but a bit higher in fat). Limit the amount of or eliminate treats you are giving during the day when switching to a new food. Also, you can add different enticers to food: grated parmesan cheese, a favorite treat crumbled on top, etc.....And you have to be diligent about your feeding schedule. Food goes down in the morning for 30-45 minutes, whatever is not eaten is picked up. Food goes down in the evening for dinner and whatever is not eaten is picked up after 30-45 minutes. Lastly, I found that using flat dishes instead of bowls makes my maltese happy. For whatever reason, they would rather eat off the ground than in a deep bowl (all 3 of mine have been like this and my sister's is like this). I use the little flat sushi dishes for soy sauce, similar to the one in the front of this picture.

Hope that helps!


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

I think the above post makes some excellent points. We have had Hunter for a year and a few months and he is allergic to everything and it took us a year to get his diet right because you can only change one thing at a time and you must allow 8-12 weeks to allow things to purge through the system. 

My vets advise was to do single protein and a single starch and to keep treats consistant with these single starches and proteins. I also did not add veggies or fruits until I was 1/2 way through the 8-12 week cycle to ensure that I wasn't drawing false positives/negatives with the food changes. And when I did add a fruit or veggie I kept it consistant for the remainder of the cycle.


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## LittleDogLVR (Oct 24, 2007)

QUOTE (tamizami @ Mar 4 2009, 04:14 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=739007


> I just had a couple of points to add to this thread:
> 
> 1. For those of you with dogs that itch and you are switching to a novel protein, I recommend you go with the NB (or whatever brand) with limited ingredients, and _no grains_. No rice either. Many dogs are allergic to grains, typically wheat is the worst culprit, however.
> 
> ...



Great Post ! Some really good points


Just switched to NB Duck and potato last week and her slight itching got a alot worse, I wanted to go with the NB so I could have the treats with the same ingredients.
So now Im on to the Venison kibble and treats.....I know I didnt give the Duck a long enough time but why stay on it if she already shows signs of being worse than the TOTW pacific stream ?

Im just starting the transition tonight so as soon as I am 100% Venison I hopefully see some improvements or I will have to go back to TOTW.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

QUOTE (LittleDogLVR @ Mar 5 2009, 03:38 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=739705


> QUOTE (tamizami @ Mar 4 2009, 04:14 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=739007





> I just had a couple of points to add to this thread:
> 
> 1. For those of you with dogs that itch and you are switching to a novel protein, I recommend you go with the NB (or whatever brand) with limited ingredients, and _no grains_. No rice either. Many dogs are allergic to grains, typically wheat is the worst culprit, however.
> 
> ...



Great Post ! Some really good points


Just switched to NB Duck and potato last week and her slight itching got a alot worse, I wanted to go with the NB so I could have the treats with the same ingredients.
So now Im on to the Venison kibble and treats.....I know I didnt give the Duck a long enough time but why stay on it if she already shows signs of being worse than the TOTW pacific stream ?

Im just starting the transition tonight so as soon as I am 100% Venison I hopefully see some improvements or I will have to go back to TOTW.
[/B][/QUOTE]


I've found with NB you don't need to transition if you're already feeding one type and changing to another. I do think poultry (even duck) can be a culprit for itching problems. I hope the Venison works better for you.


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## LittleDogLVR (Oct 24, 2007)

I've found with NB you don't need to transition if you're already feeding one type and changing to another. I do think poultry (even duck) can be a culprit for itching problems. I hope the Venison works better for you.
[/QUOTE]


Thanks Brit, seems like you are correct  
Lizzie was picking the duck out of the mix yesterday so I completely went to the venison last night.
All is well with both pups in regards to tummys and poops ! So far so good.
I will have to see if Lizzies itching diminishes..........Hopefully so !


J


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## princessre (Dec 23, 2008)

I'm so happy! Our puppy is eating this now. Anyone know how many calories is in this food? There is so much more "output" than before...


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