Fewer Poop Problems, thanks to Chewy
Oh no! The month is nearly over and I haven’t told you about the goodies we got from Chewy this month! God, stupid month, going so quickly and all. Well, I guess I should probably dive in, since our March time is wrapping up. Sometimes it’s awesome when Chewy or other companies send us products that are for fun, like toys or new treats, but sometimes it’s even better when we get stuff we really need and use regularly. That was the case for this month, when we received some Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers Superblends and a probiotic from Purina called FortiFlora.
We received products from Chewy.com in exchange for an honest assessment of our experience. We only share products with our readers that we've tried and love and the opinions shared are our own.
I’ve said it once, and I will say it 800,000 times...Bean is a diva! Like, a hard core diva. She has managed to practice her “I’m judging you, and your life choices,” look for over seven years. You can literally feel her stare at you, with a raised eyebrow, practically nosing the food bowl towards me saying “did you honestly think you could feed me THAT, woman?!”
I have shared our food woes with you. It’s a never-ending battle to find something that is healthy, nutritious, grain-free, doesn’t impact Bean’s allergies, or her sensitive stomach, that she actually eats!! I kind of don’t want to think how much money I’ve lost throwing uneaten food out, it makes my heart sad.
We got some Stella & Chewy’s products when we brought home our gigantic bag of swag from BlogPaws. For awhile, we had been crumbling some of the patties with different protein sources (duck, lamb, and beef) over her other food. I will say, that the patties in and of themselves increased the statistical likelihood that Bean would actually eat. It seemed only natural that we “upgrade” to the SuperBlend meal mixers as soon as they hit the market.
We’ve been using the meal mixers for a couple of months and both dogs are in love with it! Well, we’ve established that Yoda will eat anything so, I guess he doesn’t count in this conversation. On to Bean! She is much more likely to eat all her food now that Meal Mixers are a part of the equation. It includes the same yummy protein options but also has fruit like bananas, strawberries and blueberries. Bean is an odd duck, who spits out the blueberries and gives them to Yoda but she does really seem to enjoy the other fruit. While there’s no guarantee that Bean won’t enact her diva behavior and reject her food again down the road, for right now, we’re taking advantage of how much she likes the addition of the Stella & Chewy’s SuperBlend Meal Mixers.
This is a very Bean-Centric post today, but that’s okay because her needs are probably something that our fine readers can probably relate to. So, now that our brown and white pup has officially reached senior status, we had been searching for a probiotic to add to her regular repertoire. Probiotics can be a valuable addition to a dog’s regiment of food and dietary additives. They can help to reduce farts (and since we basically live in a green gas cloud, this is a helpful way to clear the air). It can also help to promote intestinal health, meaning Bean is less likely to have loose stool. If you change foods, in a rotation diet for example, using a probiotic like FortiFlora can help to ease the transition without an upset stomach.
Now, I’m going to say some gross things, but you’ve read this far which means the following. One, you’re most likely a pet owner, which means you’ve heard yourself say to yourself or to your significant other “What was her poop like?” when figuring out if all is right with the poop train. Two, as that pet owner, you know that s*it happens, and sometimes we need to talk about it. So, here we go. Bean is more likely to have loose poo. She has frequent bouts of tummy upset, in addition to a general lack of appetite. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these two happen simultaneously.
Since the addition of this probiotic, which we’ve had the opportunity to use for just about an entire month, we’ve noticed that Bean is more likely to be enthusiastic about eating. Also, she has not had a single incident of loose poo (or thousands of farts) this month. That is impressive, and I don’t think it’s a fluke. We’ll continue to use this probiotic and monitor her, but I am really appreciative that I had a chance to try this before making a purchase, thanks to Chewy’s and Purina’s generosity.
Have any questions for us? Do any of your dogs suffer from food aversion or poop problems? Let us know in the comments so we can see if there’s a way we can connect you with resources!
