Merrick Puppy Food (Dry) causing diarrhea...need different food option please!!

[momto2labs]

Our 11 week old labrador retriever puppy has been eating Merrick dry puppy food since we brought her home at the beginning of February. I do not know what the breeder was feeding the puppies. She was 8 weeks old when we brought her home. We started her on Merrick dry puppy food. After about a week and a half she started having regular diarrhea and no formed stools. I took her to the vet and he found no parasites or reasons medically why she was having diarrhea. He put her on a prescription food and medicine for 7 days. She returned to regular bowel movements after being on the medicine and prescription food. On Wed (the end of the 7 days), I started to slowly mix her Merrick food in to her prescription food in an effort to get her back on her regular dog food. Last night, she started in with the diarrhea again. I think it might be the Merrick food.

What do you all think?

If I need to change puppy food, what is a good brand?

Our almost year old lab also eats Merrick food (from the time we brought her home at 8 weeks) and she has done fine with it. I know every dog is different and I don't have a problem buying different food for each of them. I just need to know what is a good brand to try.

Thanks!

[JenC]

Not all dogs do well on the same food. Why don't you know what the breeder fed?

[Shelley]

Most people will recommend you feed what the breeder fed and what the puppy was weaned onto, because changing a puppy's diet causes digestive upset and diarrhea.

I also wonder why you don't know what the breeder fed the puppy?

[momto2labs]

Nevermind. Thanks anyway. I called the breeder and got the name of the food she was on, so I will wean her back onto that brand from the prescription brand.

[JenC]

That's the best idea. Normally breeders send their puppies home with a small bad of food.

[Shelley]

Just go slowly when you get her back on the food she ate at the breeders, it may take a little while.

Congratulations on on your new addition, what is her name? Have you posted pictures yet? :-)

[momto2labs]

Thanks Shelley. Yes, I posted pictures of her a couple of weeks ago.

[Maxx&Emma]

Sending good thoughts that slowly re-introducing the original food does the trick! It really stinks when your baby is not feeling 100 percent.

[Abulafia]

Yes, definitely stick to what the breeder had her on. Can you ask them?

[smartrock]

Neither of my lab breeders sent me home with a bag of food but maybe because I'd already asked what they were being fed. I hope the switch back does the trick. I did go through a few rounds of metronidazole and a final one of tylosin when Lark was little and the vet advised a new food. Since she hadn't come home with diarrhea from the breeder, I stubbornly decided it probably was not the food and stuck with what she had been weaned on. It did take us a few rounds of meds and some probiotics to get her back on track, though. Her stool samples never showed any parasites or worms but the meds seemed to help each time. Once the meds stopped, the diarrhea returned until her final round with the Tylan. Others, notably Jeff and Hemi who has documented his efforts on here, went through the puppy diarrhea rounds and had to use several courses of antibiotics and food changes before things settled down. Hope that won't be the case for you!