I have a small mixed-breed who is 14+ years old. I used to feed her a mix of dry kibble mixed with wet food and a little cooked chicken on top.
About 5 years ago she was having digestive issues that resulted in less appetite, off-colored and loose stool. It didn't seem to relent so, I tried some other foods. Didn't help much. I then began shifting away from dog food and making my own for her which worked much better and I later added a multi-vitamin which also produced positive results. What I figured-out myself (fortunately! Without spending hundreds or thousands on Vets and tests) was that she cannot process fats well anymore. A pancreas issue, I assume.
So, for 5 + years, I've made a mash-up of some combo of carbs - potatoes, white and sweet, pasta, rice, quinoa, couscous, grits - along with cooked veggies plus black or kidney beans and only cooked chicken with no fats added for protein. That's all that will work otherwise, she has problems. Just to make her sniffer happy, I sometimes add a tiny bit of cooked pork or beef on top so she isn't bored out her mind.
Notable observations: She throws up less on this diet and she scooches her bottom on the floor a lot less also. Small dogs are known to get impacted anal glands and that's why they do that. Well, it may be the commercial food that's causing it -- too much junk or fat in it.
Also, let me mention something from a prior dog that had digestive issues for a time. That one did cost me a bit at the vet but, the solution was simple. No dog foods with Red dye #40 in them! That was his issue. Changed his food, problem resolved. FYI, many dog foods have it - read the ingredients.
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