Malamute GI issues from high-protein diet

A 2-year-old Malamute in a flat with suspected GI issues from a high-protein diet — that's a situation worth unpacking carefully. True food allergies in dogs are actually less common than food intolerances, and the two can look almost identical from the outside. The most reliable way to get to the bottom of it is an elimination diet using either a novel protein (something your dog has never eaten before) or a hydrolysed protein food, where the proteins are broken down small enough not to trigger a reaction. To point you in the right direction: what symptoms is he showing — loose stools, vomiting, excessive wind? What's he currently eating, and have you spoken to a vet or tried switching foods yet?

Chicken and beef are two of the most common dietary triggers in dogs, so that's actually a useful clue. With the frequency you're describing — loose stools most days and vomiting a couple of times a week — this is worth taking seriously. A vet visit is sensible just to rule out anything else going on (parasites, for example, can mimic food intolerance symptoms), but in parallel you can absolutely start an elimination diet. The key is switching to a single novel protein he's never had before and sticking with it strictly for 8–12 weeks — no treats, no table scraps, nothing else. What does his current kibble brand look like ingredient-wise, and has he ever eaten anything like duck, venison, or turkey regularly?

High protein isn't automatically better, especially for a dog showing GI signs — and for a Malamute living in a flat with probably moderate daily exercise rather than sled-pulling distances, his caloric and protein demands are actually lower than people assume for the breed. Turkey is a great elimination option here since he hasn't had it. My recommendation is Canagan Grain Free Turkey for Dogs. It uses free-run turkey as the single main protein, it's grain-free which removes another common irritant, and the ingredient list is clean and short — important when you're trying to isolate what's causing the reaction. It's well-tolerated by dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities and is available in sizes suitable for a large breed. Transition slowly over 7–10 days to avoid compounding the GI upset, and keep a simple diary of stool consistency and vomiting frequency so you can see whether things improve over the first few weeks.

Most owners see some improvement in stool consistency within 2–4 weeks if a dietary trigger is the main culprit, but for a proper elimination trial you really need 8–12 weeks before drawing conclusions — the immune response can take time to fully settle. If you see no improvement at all after 6 weeks on a strict single-protein diet, that's a strong signal to go back to the vet, because it may point to something beyond food — inflammatory bowel conditions, for example. But given what you've described, a novel protein switch is the right first move and Canagan Turkey is one of the cleaner options for it.

That's exactly the right approach — running the diet change and the vet check in parallel means you're not losing time either way. Good luck with him, and if his symptoms shift or you hit any questions once you've started the transition, you know where to come.