Best food for rescue Greyhound with upset stomach

A rescue dog with an unknown diet history and a stomach that's been unsettled since arriving — that's a really common combination, and it makes sense. Sensitive stomach issues in dogs usually fall into a few categories: food intolerance, ingredient sensitivity, or a gut that simply needs a simpler diet to settle. With a rescue, you often have no baseline to work from, which makes identifying the right food a little more detective work. To help narrow it down — what breed and age is your dog, what symptoms are you seeing (loose stools, vomiting, gas, or something else), and what have you tried feeding them so far?

That timing tells you a lot — the loose stools and gas started with the food change, not before, which is a good sign that this is dietary rather than something deeper. Greyhounds have naturally lean digestive systems and can be sensitive to abrupt diet changes, and supermarket kibbles often contain fillers, cereals, and mixed protein sources that can tip a sensitive gut over the edge. Before we look at a longer-term food, one question: was she showing any symptoms on the rescue centre's food, or was she completely settled on that?

Perfect — that confirms this is a transition reaction, not an underlying condition. Her gut was stable, got disrupted by a sudden switch to a lower-quality food, and now needs to settle onto something consistent and gentle. For a Greyhound in this situation, I'd go with Forthglade Complete Grain Free Adult dry food in the chicken with sweet potato and vegetables variety. It's a single named protein source, no grains or fillers, and the sweet potato provides a gentle fibre source that helps firm up stools without being harsh on the gut. It's also a calm, straightforward ingredient list — exactly what you want when you're starting fresh with an unknown history. Transition slowly over 7–10 days, mixing it with whatever she's currently on, even if that current food isn't ideal.

Fair question — the concern you've seen relates to a potential link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, flagged by the FDA in the US. It's worth being aware of, but the evidence is still inconclusive and the cases were largely associated with boutique brands using legumes like peas and lentils as primary ingredients. Forthglade uses sweet potato rather than heavy legumes, and is a well-established UK brand with a solid track record. For a dog who clearly reacts to grain-heavy foods, the practical benefit of going grain-free here outweighs the theoretical risk — but if you're concerned, your vet can monitor her cardiac health at routine checkups. The main thing right now is getting her gut stable on a consistent, simple diet.

That's the right approach. Give it a full two weeks before judging how she's doing — rescue dogs also carry stress from the transition to a new home, and stress alone can affect digestion, so patience is key. If stools haven't firmed up at all after two weeks on the new food with a proper transition, it's worth a vet visit to rule out anything like a gut parasite picked up before or during rehoming. But genuinely, most cases like hers settle down well once the diet is consistent and simple. Good luck with her — Greyhounds make brilliant companions once they find their feet.