• Hi, currently I am having two concerns with my 4.5-month Westie Polly. First of all, I am concerned about her eating habits. She eats Purina Pro Puppy and everytime we try to add a different brand or a different type of food (wet) to her bowl, she either doesn't like it or she eats and she has either a reflux or diahrrea. She loves chicken but everytime I give her chicken (white meat) she has diahrrea and reflux in the morning. I am wondering if this is something to be concerned about or if these are signs of a sensitive stomach dog...? And if so, how should I proceed with her nutrition? My second question is also good related - she loves water! She goes to the shower and barks at it expecting us to run the water for her. When we go to the dog park, she plays with the water fountaind and more often, than not, she comes home muddy from playing. I am wondering if there's any food that I can add to her diet to protect her skin and coat? Specially because Westies tend to have skin problems and this is something that I would like to prevent since she's having baths once a week.

    Hi Ione,

    I recommend that you take Polly into see your local veterinarian. The diarrhea and reflux that you are seeing after adding to or changing her food can be caused by a couple of different things. It could be something relatively minor like a sensitivity for new foods but there can be other more severe causes as well. It is best to try and rule out other cause rather than just assuming that it is something minor. Your vet can talk to you more about the cause of her symptoms after they have gotten a complete history and examined her. They may recommend some lab tests to help diagnose or rule out certain diseases.

    It sounds like she has a lot of fun with the water! Excessive exposure to water can sometimes case skin issues or ear infections. Her risk will depend on her overall health and how often she is exposed or plays in the water. I recommend that you talk to your local vet about if she needs anything added to her food. Her issues with other foods does complicate this and your vet can give you the best advice on this.

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