Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  3. Basenji and food problem suggestions

Basenji and food problem suggestions

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • starcentralS

    I adopted a male 4 year old Basenji named Benji 3 weeks ago.

    The previous owner had him on Kibbles and Bit's (poor little fella) so I switched him to Purina Adult Pro Plan Chicken & Rice (blended the two until finished). He is vomitting bile 1 - 2 per week, and is now having occassional soft stool.

    I use to let him have free run of the house while at work during the day, but now after 2 major messy accidents I can not leave him with free run of the house.

    Does anyone have any similar experience or suggestions? Obviously I don't want him on Kibble 'n Bits, but perhaps the Pro Plan is not working out for him either.

    I live in Canada, so might not have all the same food suggested by some people here so please keep that in mind.

    Thanks for any insight… we want Benji to be happy and not have to be locked up all day.

    0
  • V

    I bet he is just stressed from bieng in a new environment.

    Pro Plan is good food. Try steaming a big pot of rice and adding some of that in his food to "bind".

    I'm sure other forum memebers will have lots of other good suggestions too.

    But, I know you can get rice in Canada!

    Congrats on your new pup!

    0
  • Rita JeanR

    I to say Congrats on new baby. You may have changed the dog food a little fast and his system just needs to adjust. Rice and boiled chicken. New home, new dog food he might just need a little more time.

    Rita Jean

    0
  • MacPackM

    Congratulations on your new boy. It can take a month or more for some to adjust to a new home, with loose stomach as the result. That, combined with a food change, might have him a bit loose for awhile. I hate to say it, but if the rice doesn't work, you might go back to the original food for a few months (if it agrees with him) then gradually change again to a better food. Good luck!

    Anne in Tampa

    Chipley, Missy & Lucky

    Topper, Nicky & Eddie in the clouds

    0
  • tanzaT

    I think as I stated in the other thread started, this might have more to do with "free" feeding, which I am totally not in agreement!) then the type of food. IMO, Pro Plan is not that much better then Kibbles & Bits… there are better foods out there and many threads on the Forum about food (and yes, food choices are very personal, so this is just my opinion)

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • S

    I do have to agree with Pat. You need a better food.
    Might be his system can't handle all the additives.
    Find a good chicken and rice food with as little additives as possible, and slowly add that to the diet.
    California Natural comes to mind.
    I avoid Lamb as my 2 don't thrive on it.

    Sharron Hurlbut

    BRAT, basenji rescue

    Evergreen basenji club

    Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

    0
  • thunderbird8588T

    Congratulations on your new addition, hope you get his problems sorted soon

    Shelley

    Basenji Malaika

    Basenji Malaika
    Basenji Kwame

    0
  • NemoN

    I think I actually felt a little nauseous reading the ingredient list of kibbles n bit.

    Ditto on what everyone else said regarding a new food. The Pro Plan looks like it might have a bit more chicken (or any sort of meat for that matter) in it than the KnB food so it might be a bit of a shock to his system. I have one dog that I have to change over different protein sources very slowly while the other I can change pretty quickly. And like Sharron said regarding her dogs and lamb, I have one that doesn't thrive on chicken. Each dog can be a little different with what agrees with them. Good luck with Benji!

    Connect with the Basenji Club of America on Facebook

    http://www.facebook.com/basenji.org

    0
  • NerdyDogOwnerN

    Dear lord, what's with ppl 2xposting topics latley?

    Here is what I wrote in the other same topic:

    Wouldn't it be a better idea to go back to Kibble 'n Bits, wait until he is "back to normal" and then gradually transcend (by mixing little by little) over to the food you would like to use?

    It sounds like a "shock" reaction to having his diet change so abruptly, especially since he has been on it for some time.

    That's what I would do anyways.

    My Mejuba Albums!

    TheNerdyDogOwner YouTube Channel

    0
  • starcentralS

    @NerdyDogOwner:

    Dear lord, what's with ppl 2xposting topics latley?

    Sorry I didn't know which forum was better, but since his problem could be related to either food or health both places made sense to me. I did appologize first thing in the other forum.

    To your suggestion however, I hate to think of even doing it, but I think I've decided to do just what you said… put him back on original food. It was probably too much change at once, and also to many variables now to properly determine what is wrong. There could be an underlying health issue so I should go back to square one.

    There is just not a lot of consistency with the stool. Sometimes it is okay, sometimes it is not which is where I am puzzled. The bile vomit could just be empty stomach.

    Yesterday, he barfed beige colored mush. It honestly looked like mashed potatoes but the food he eats is brown. At 2am this morning, he barfed again and this time it was bits of food and liquid.

    Does anyone know if Basenji's are especially sensitive to glueten, healthy or with any diseases common with Basenji's?

    0
  • tanzaT

    Corn and wheat are biggies in all breeds. Especially Corn…

    If this were my dog, I would stop all dog food (kibble or otherwise) and get him back on tract using boiled ground meat (boiled in water and pour off the fat) can use beef, turkey, chicken mixed with white rice (easier to digest then brown). And I would do that for a few days to settle down his digestive system. Then I would get some good quality kibble that has no grains. Ones like Natural Balance Potato and Duck and slowly start to mix that in.

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • starcentralS

    I will continue this topic in the FOOD FORUMS since likely this is not a health issue at this time:

    http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=7726&page=2

    Thank you everyone for you comments, I am new here, and new to Basenji's so all the help is appreciated. The longer I keep little Benji confined, the more destruction he starts doing to the laundry room! :D

    0

Suggested Topics

  • J

    Basenji Puppy bottom problem after bowel movement

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    U
    My 8 yr old just had this happen. He has had diarrhea issues his entire life, but never this. It is called a prolapsed anus, and even if it resolves in its own, u need to go to vet for antibiotics and to discuss possible causes. It’s not normal, but can happen when straining.
  • J

    Urine problems

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    3k Views
    J
    Thank you... I wasnt sure about the food, some say too much protein, some say that protein are good for acidic urine... i will loose the vegetables for a fee days (Fred will be happy) and keep treating UTI with antibiotic and D-manoze. Kibble is a problem because he is straching his mouth and ears when eating it, That’s why we are on raw diet. He eats horse and lamb meat and he likes green peas so that was his main vegetable. I hope the problem was in the peas 😂🤣.. Thank you... we are going tomorrow on x ray to see If there are any Stones...
  • R

    Sick Basenji :(

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    5k Views
    P
    I too am sorry for not seeing this thread sooner and hopefully the poster will return. My Basenji had some teeth removed and the vet prescribed Carprofen as the follow up antibiotic. My Basenji turned out to be allergic to Carprofen which caused her liver to fail. I went through the same scenario you are describing. She gradually quit eating over the course of several days and then her water consumption started to go down. The eating had me worried since she had an excellent appetite upon return from the vet and the final purging of the anesthesia from her system. Nevertheless, her condition started to degrade. I followed her outside and watched her urinate. Her urine was a very bright yellow. I suspected then a liver issue. Once back inside she was shivering - off to the vet we went. LIver panel blood work up showed very high on specific indicators for failing liver. Vet prescribed Denamarin (containing SAM-e and silybin). SAM-e helps protect liver cells from cell death and aids in cell repair and regeneration. The Vet also started fluid injections. Fluid injections were everyday for two weeks. My Basenji showed a remarkable response to the fluid injections becoming much more her normal self even after the first day. She hated the injections and I could hear her cry when receiving them at the vet (believe me that will tear you up). But she was doing better and she (me) were going to have to tuff this out. Also a different antibiotic was prescribed to prevent liver infection during recovery. The Denamarin comes in dosages based on weight (medium for us). It is the size of a large human like solid oblong vitamin pill. Instructions want you to give it on an empty stomach and preferably not to cut it or place in something similar to a pill pocket however you can if necessary. My Basenji would not take that size (can't blame her). Cutting and disguising it did not work either. I was frantic and got the SAM-e in powder form. I couldn't slip her that either. All though some folks had success with peanut butter and liverwurst. I finally after three days had to have the vet pill her along with her fluid treatments. A week later another blood sample and her liver panel indicators were coming down. The pilling would last for a month and it took two people to get the pill down her. The important part is - she fully recovered from the liver failure. She is 13 1/2 yrs old. My experience after having 5 Basenjis is that the breed is sensitive to medications (anesthesia also). Many of the medications work just fine in most other breeds and mixes. The vet, if not that experienced with the Basenji, must be cautioned. Mine was not. Before accepting any medication have the vet go over any contraindications with you and to double check their resources for potential side effects when dealing with Basenjis. They may switch to something else if a medication has a bad track history with Basenjis. Know what to watch for should your Basenji start to react in a non-positive manner. The poster did not indicate if there were medications in play when the dog started showing degenerating conditions. I sincerely hopes this helps in some way and helps other Basenji owners
  • fountainheadF

    Problem?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    2k Views
    Ninabeana26N
    Dallas has the same thing & I was told it was a reaction to his recent rabies vaccination. It will go away within a few weeks.
  • etzbsederE

    Basenji with problems

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    7k Views
    QuercusQ
    @etzbseder: While I've got people looking at this, my B also has a minor umbilical hernia, I was wondering, how big of an issue is it, and should I get him fixed. Do the potential problems get overweighed by the benefits? That is usually not a big deal. The majority of Basenjis are born with umbilical hernias. Should you get him fixed? As in neutered? Yes. Should you get the hernia fixed? They could do it when they neuter him if it bothers you…but it isn't a health concern unless it is quite big.
  • etzbsederE

    Puppy with problems

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    2k Views
    MantisM
    how big is the lump? it could be as simple as a pore clogged with oil. it can feel like a cyst and by massaging it you can get it to head over time. Or try a warm wash cloth. Shot reactions, like they said, are on the shoulder blades. Caesar has a reaction to a shot and his shoulder blew up to a softball size. The vet tech that gave a shot didnt insert it in the correct manner and it dissolved with time and a Benadryl shot. Does your pup react when you touch it like it might hurt? What size is it? When Cairo was being neutered the vet pulled two teeth (canine and molar) that were not completely out or pushed out by the new teeth. They didnt charge me that much because he was already asleep. This is a great time for them to inspect and fix anything. They charged me $50 for pulling a baby canine that didnt come out and a molar that was on its way out.