Penny’s Tragic Story

by Mike Sagman
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In 1995 my wife and I adopted a precious little shelter dog named Penny. Her short but troubled life had been a featured story on a local morning television show.

Penny was a small poodle-terrier mix. Her deep brown eyes concealed the more than two years of daily abuse she had suffered under the care of her previous owner.

Penny quickly filled our home with joy and our hearts with love.

A Special Diet Gets Rejected

But sadly, not long after her adoption, Penny developed a digestive health issue. So, at the recommendation of her doctor, she was placed on a “special” diet… a prescription dog food supplied by her veterinarian.

Little did we know her dog food might eventually contribute to her downfall.

From the very beginning Penny rejected the food.

When we reported the problem to the vet, he suggested we ignore her “attitude”. He assured us she would eventually grow hungry enough to overcome her distaste for the dog food.

And we tried. But we just couldn’t do it.

We just didn’t have the heart to starve our sweet little girl. And yet we innocently trusted this doctor-recommended dog food. After all, the can even looked like medicine… complete with its “scientific” name.

A Sneaky Idea That Works… for a While

So we found a way to disguise the dog food by grinding up our own table meat with the prescription dog food.

And that seemed to do the trick.

For years we continued to feed Penny some form (or another) of that same brew of prescription dog food mixed with our own table food… chicken, beef or pork… even shrimp.

Penny never really welcomed her mealtime concoction. She simply tolerated it. Sometimes she would spend as much as fifteen minutes picking through the mixture trying to avoid the manufactured portion.

Well-Meaning Advice May Have Been Deadly

Then, in 2007, things changed. Following an injury, Penny gradually stopped eating altogether. No matter what we mixed with her food, she simply refused to eat.

So, our new vet suggested we try feeding her canned cat food. She felt the higher meat content would be more appealing to Penny.

And she was right. It worked. Penny began to eat again.

However, when she developed signs of severe weakness and visible weight loss we began to suspect her diet. So, we immediately returned to the old combination. 

But it was too late.

Penny’s condition became visibly worse. Her chronic ear infections (which she had suffered from most of her life) intensified wildly.

She lost even more weight.

Then, on December 1, Penny reached the point where she could no longer move. She was euthanized at 9:30 that morning.

The Biggest Mistake You Could Ever Make
When Choosing Dog Food

As I write this it’s still difficult to choke back the tears.

Because of what happened to Penny, I became painfully aware of something… something I had ignored over a lifetime of caring for all my family dogs.

I had taken for granted the nutritional design and safety of commercial dog food.

You see, 2007 was also the year of the U. S. government’s now infamous pet food recall. And we were shocked when weeks later, we found Penny’s brand of cat food was on the FDA’s list.

Unfortunately, we had already discarded the surviving cans. And it was too late to compare the published lot numbers against that official list.

Was this what took Penny’s life? Or was it what we later discovered to be the nutritional inferiority of her predominantly corn-based (nearly meatless) diet?

In all those years of caring for Penny it never once occurred to me that I might be feeding her anything that could jeopardize her life.

In fact, quite the opposite… I had always thought that because I was paying extra for a premium dog food, I was surely giving her the very best.

Yet it appears we may have unknowingly (for a lifetime) robbed Penny of proper nutrition.

Had we slowly (yet innocently) starved to death a beloved member of our own family?

How to Learn from Penny’s Story
and Add Years to Your Dog’s Life

I know your dog must certainly be a cherished member of your family, too. And I know you would never knowingly do anything to endanger your beloved pet.

But what you don’t know could do just that.

Well, now, I’ve finally found a more predictable, scientific way to recognize the better commercial pet foods to feed my dog.

That’s why I created The Dog Food Advisor… to share with you what I’ve learned. And to show you how to keep Penny’s tragic story from happening to your dog, too.

So, give your precious pet the best opportunity for living a long and healthy life. Provide her with a safer and more nutritious dog food. To do that you must…

  • Be aware of the enormous range of dog food quality
  • Recognize the better brands
  • Avoid choosing an inferior product

With a little effort, you can significantly improve the chances of feeding your dog a healthy and more biologically appropriate diet.

Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


Newer Comments →
  • http://brotherscomplete.com Richard Darlington

    Samantha

    Mike has worked hard and tirelessly and sacrificed the time required to bring this site to life in an honest and heartfelt effort to help others avoid the tradegy that he and his wife experienced with their beloved pet. Most of us have made the mistake over the years of trusting our Vets where diet was concerned. My step dad graduated from the University of Pa. Vet school (rated the highest in the country I have heard) and freely admitted that he got zero nutritional training. If he wanted to know anything about nutrition it was up to him to do the research.

    The vast majority of Vets out there have little to no knowledge of nutrition or they would not recommend Hills dog food to anything but a rat – only someone who is truly ignorant of canine nutrition, or greedy to the point of not actually caring for the dogs entrusted to them, would recommend such absolute crap. Mike is far too professional to describe it as crap but I’ll be only too happy to point out the obvious to you…since you seem to have your head so far up your butt.

    As Mike has so astutely pointed out – the contents of your post reveal more about you than any meaningful information about nutrition. That you are such an insecure and base individual is truly sad. That you feel the need to share your rude and cruel viewpoint with others is most unfortunate for all of us who witnessed it. That you spend your energy typing such patently idiotic verbiage in an attempt to protect your financial interests while consciously attempting to hurt someone is a reflection of a damaged, sick, twisted mind and spirit. To attack a man who only means to help others, rather than you electing to get the help necessary to deal with the emotional devastation that must be behind your need to be so inappropriate and hurtful, is the cowardly behavior of a bully…and reveals much about your true character…which in and of itself is quite sad. After all is said and done you will still be the pathetic, vindictive, miserable person you have revealed yourself to be. Mike, on the other hand, will remain a kind and considerate human being who is proud of who he is and what he represents.

    Mike

    I regret that your efforts to help others must also expose you to the lowest common denominator of human beings – but know that for each of these emotionally and spiritually bankrupt people that feel compelled to project their misery and self hatred on you there are hundreds and thousands of us who stand beside you and who admire and support your commendable efforts to educate dog owners about dog food. I say “Keep truckin Mike, and don’t let the bloody bastards get you down.”

    You always deal with the random criticisms (which are usually incorrect or faulty anyway) very well and are quite capable of taking care of yourself – but in this case you must forgive me my need for a little self expression – I find this kind of self serving, incredibly ignorant, totally erroneous, disgustingly vile, mean spirited, cruel and vicious, vitriolic rhetoric totally inexcusable. A moron too damn stupid to know she’s a total moron is forgiveable to some extent, but this is completely vile behavior by an educated adult – one can only hope she neither has dogs nor children.

  • melissa

    Samantha-

    Shading in cream poodles is NORMAL and not indicative of unresolved food allergies. Just as you wish to say that training is required to judge qualities of foods, I would suggest that you go back and learn some color genetics, particularly of the poodle before making such ignorant comments. Since you were able to “pick up” the subtle shadings and immediately equate that to the typical “rust colored” discolorations of feet normally associated with licking/chewing of food allergies, I would have to agree with Mike that it seems very likely that you are in the veterinary field. Unfortunetly for you, the shadings also repeat themselves on the nose hair, throat area and ears-all common areas for darker shadings/highlights to remain as the main coat color faded.

    With that said, it does not take a vet or nutritionist to read and interpret labels. Anyone with half a brain and the capability of researching would be able to(eventually) determine exactly what is in a product and potential issues of feeding that product. Mike has done all the hard work for us and presents that information in a concise and precise manner-of which anyone can access with a few clicks. I would suggest RIF to you-reading is fundamental-nowhere does Mike advise people on dog foods to feed, but rather simply dissects the food itself according to its ingrediant label.

    Mike-I am truly sorry for your loss of this adorable little lady and while shameful that you even had to respond to such comments, you handled it alot nicer than I would have.

  • J Aaron

    C’mon now, I doubt she’s a bitch, if she was she would know better than to eat cheap dog food. A bitch would be smart enough to know which food is better.

    So enough with the name calling and insulting dogs.

    Maybe she’s a nutritionist with Royal Canin? Or a professional food taster for Ol’ Roy?

    Sorry, I was really trying hard to avoid responding in a mean way with my last post, but all this insulting of dogs just got to me. I love dogs, Samantha is not a dog.

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Samantha – You can be scheduled for an examination tomorrow to determine if you are evil or just psychologically unstable. Preliminary handwriting analysis results indicate an imbalance.

  • Michelle

    Samantha, What is your problem? Do you get a thrill from being a TROLL? Why are you such a BITCH? Being a vet doesn’t mean that you know anything about nutrition, just like being a MD doesn’t mean you know anything about human nutrition. Most vets and doctors just want to give out prescription medication-they get kickbacks from drug companies, not whole food or natural remedies……. Your comments are not welcome here, and are really uncalled for.

  • Mike P

    Sam must be a professional B@%#H . Anyone who can comment so mean spirited on someones tragic loss is mind boggling to me . When I lost my two dogs to cancer , I was devastated . I mourn them to this day and that was over a year ago I lost my Roxy girl . If Sam is indeed a vet , I would rather treat my dog myself than let that cold hearted person look at her . Sorry Mike that you had to read and respond to Sam’s post …

  • Mary Lou

    Wow, Samantha ~ I don’t know what you do professionally, and I personally have no interest. However, what you said to Mike was so unkind, unnecessary and cold hearted. Are you having a bad day?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Samantha… I was disappointed to read the mean-spirited nature of your remarks.

    For example, your casual and unscientific “diagnosis” of my dog having allergies was made from a thumbnail photo of her without any clinical information whatsoever. And your suggestion that I could have been (in any way) negligent in the care of my beloved Penny tells me much about you as a human being.

    I find your groundless remarks even more disturbing if you are (as I believe) a member of the veterinary profession (which based upon the tone of your comments certainly appears to be a distinct possibility).

    In any case, as I state on every one of the more than 500 reports on this website, our reviews are based upon an analysis of the company’s published label information only. And nothing more. My reviews are accurate. And based on fact. Not on their appropriateness for specific conditions.

    What’s more, nowhere on this website do I ever claim to suggest that feeding any one dog food (especially the “prescription” type) guarantees any specific result.

    In addition, your unscientific (and biased) suggestion that a “background in veterinary medicine or nutrition” is required in order to read and interpret a US government-regulated pet food label defies logic.

    Like some physicians who routinely receive much of their drug prescribing information from the pharmaceutical industry, many veterinarians get a significant amount of their own pet food education directly from pet food manufacturers themselves.

    For proof, I refer you to this recent comment posted on our review of Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D Canine formula by a practicing veterinarian…

    Hi Mike,

    I am a veterinarian. Though I see that you are not, I share your views regarding the low quality ingredients in Hills’ foods. This was not always the case. Once upon a time, they were a great, much smaller company. However, in veterinary school most of our nutrition education comes from these big companies who “brainwash” us and schmooze us by offering free food for reading their “educational material” and taking quizzes. I think what you have done here is a good thing in trying to make people more aware of these ingredients. I personally try not to recommend any food that I would not feed to my own pets and this includes all of Hill’s diets and most of the other highly commercialized brands. Most holistic veterinarians have taken extra time to become more knowledgeably about food since what an animal eats can have a tremendous impact on their health, much the same as humans.

    Elisa Katz, DVM

    Samantha… Since it is your professional opinion that only a veterinarian can have the knowledge to judge the quality of a dog food product, don’t forget to check with your family physician before you buy your next box of corn flakes. After all, he went to school to be able to do this. Right?

  • J Aaron

    Hi Samantha,

    Why don’t you tell us exactly what your expertise is, and what is your relation to the pet food industry?

  • Samantha

    I am so sorry to hear about the loss of Penny. I can only imagine how tragic it must have been for you. Based on the picture you shared of your beautiful girl, I highly suspect she had untreated food allergies; no wonder she was rejecting her food. It probably made her feel like garbage on a daily basis. If you were really worried about her lack of appetite, why didn’t you seek a second opinion?

    FYI, thousands of diets, both prescription and over-the-counter, were recalled. What you didn’t mention was how the manufacturers of the veterinary food diets financially supported the owners of animals that were suffering from renal failure caused by the contaminated food. And although there was no undoing the damage caused by the contaminated food, veterinary pet food companies made significant changes to the way they manufacture food to ensure that this never happens again. For example, Medical Royal Canin now screens every raw ingredient that comes into their factor to ensure there are no contaminants. Any abnormality noted and the entire shipment is turned away. They use the same technology as used in the manufacturing of human food.

    You have no background in veterinary medicine OR nutrition, yet somehow you think you have the expertise to advise people on pet food diets. Clearly you don’t need a background in a subject to be considered an expert. In fact, I’m starting to book people in for oral surgery on my kitchen table this week. Would you like to be my first patient?

  • Michelle

    If you would like to sign a petition against animal cruelty, you can do it here. http://www.change.org/petitions/ask-for-a-strong-sentence-against-patricks-abuser

  • Ren

    I would like to thank you for this site. Like you, my experience with a dog’s death linked to poor nutrition is what made me want to research dog nutrition. I’ve been scouring labels and reading articles for years, and was also certified as a pet nutrition counselor (ironically my program was funded by Hills, and I’ve used that education to reccommend against their foods). Your site is an asset and I send folks its way constantly, because it portrays honest, accurate information without bias or guilt-tripping. The latter is hugely important to me; there is a nasty atitude of elitism and snobbery when it comes to pet food that can really turn people away. Most people do not feed their pets poorly out of a lack of caring; like you did with Penny, most folks simply don’t know better and have been mislead by the pet food industry. I know I was, and our childhood dog died fat with a bad coat, rotted out teeth, and multi-system organ failure for it.

  • sandy

    On their website, click Home, click FAQ, and choose “why is brushtail meat used and what are it’s benefits” and there’s a link that will bring up the info page on brushtail.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Carol… Brushtail is a type of possum.

  • Carol Smith

    I recently switched my three yorkies to addiction brand dog food I was wondering if anyone knows what the brushtail ingredient is?

  • Lexi Blevins

    Thank you so much for your website. This website had helped me learn so much about dog food. I never knew that Iamms for was so bad for my dog. Now my little Strider is happier than ever and has way too much energy! Thanks for giving me a brand new dog!

  • http://www.whosyourvet.com Sandi

    Dr. Sagman, I’m sorry for the loss of your dear Penny. It is a heartbreaking story! I still can’t get a handle on how people abuse their pets. Thanks for creating this website to educate pet parents about pet food and thanks to everyone sharing their story, that is how we all learn. I also appreciate telling us your background.

    I wrote “Who’s Your Vet” to encourage pet parents to be proactive not only in getting other Vet opinions, and that is all it is, their opinion, but to learn about the food they are feeding their pet. I ask people what they are feeding their pet and some don’t know the brand name, just the color of the bag. We must always be proactive in our health as well as our pets. If your Vet/Dr. prescribes a medication, google the side effects before you start on it. Sometimes you can be worse off than when you started out.

    We are all here to learn from each other!

  • VICTORIA

    I am so sorry about little Penny. Over the years when I have lost my precious four legged children, I’ve tried to think about Christ’s return. He will be riding White horses….that tells me that there ARE animals in Heaven, even though many say Dog’s don’t go to heaven. I BELIEVE they do. I often see my “best friend” McMuffin, in the cloud formations and I know he is running like the wind with my other babies…
    God is with Penny now. You were great parents.

  • Pingback: Mike Sagman: Dog Food Advisor | Bradley Howington | Blog

  • Carolyn P

    Thank you for sharing Penny’s story. I am so sorry for your loss.

    May I ask what you feed Bailey?

    I am desperate to find a good food for my 8 mo. old Chi and currently the Vets are recommending Hills.

    She is scheduled for Surgery Thursday and I want her to be put on something that is good for her, and will help her in her recovery. High protein is not a good thing for her as we witnessed with Orijen.

    I’m stumped and on information overload. Am feeling the guilt over the homecooking we did for her that may have been inadequately supplemented.

    With thanks

  • Bill

    Dear Mike, yes, it is sad to lose a pet, especially when you think you are doing your best to care for it. I discovered your site about 3 weeks ago and immediately switched to a 5 star brand. My step son has a new German Shepard puppy, I told him what I was feeding and he said he never heard of it. I said, well, you probably haven’t heard of most of the top rated foods because they don’t run the “hype” campaigns like the other companies. Also, it’s truly a shame companies are not required to list the country of origin for all ingredients!

  • Maureen

    Thank you for your empowering story! It makes me feel confident in taking responsibility for my puppy’s diet!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sindy… You may wish to consider a quality grain free or hypoallergenic dog food. If you decide to use a kibble, try mixing it with a nice canned good, too. Our Bailey loves this combination.

  • sindy

    I cried as I read your story regarding penny. I to lost my sweet little girl last year. I recently added a standard poodle put to our home and I am having a terrible time with food for him. The breeder was giving him Natural Balance and he did OK for a short time and then had very loose stools. I was then told to use Verus and he has flaking skin, red ears and terrible gas. I did some research and found verus is not the best dog food. I also have a 12 year old bichon who just will not eat. I try everything, mixing chicken etc but she will only eat the human food and leave the dog food…anyone have any suggestions. At my wits end!!!

  • kat vogel

    somehow the above entry omitted the book I was recommending..it is Reigning Cats and Dogs by Pat McKay!

  • kat vogel

    I have been breeding and showing Bichon Frise’ since 1970 and have no hot spots or eye stains due to rotating high quality foods (mainly Wysong) and partial raw. We would not feed ourselves the same food daily so however does one conclude that our 4 legged pets can be healthy fed the same diet over and over? I love this site! Thank you!McKay addresses many food and innoculation issues-order through Amazon.
    multi BIS BISS Vogelflight Bichon Frise’ since 1970
    AKC breeder of merit

  • Helyn Pick

    Thank you for sharing your story of Penny. You have honored her memory by researching and devoting your time to helping others find the answers they need to be able to maintain their own pet’s nutritional wellness…

    In search of answers myself, my groomer recommended your site to me today. I have a standard Wirehaired Dachshund and a West Highland Terrier. Our 1 1/2 yr old Dachshund, Zoey, was a rescue from DachshundPaws.org. Our Westie, Scooter, was a puppy from a litter born in a family home. Both were being fed Nutro Max before coming to our home. Scooter, is a love, but is finicky and was having loose stools on his walks. Zoey, a sweet and determined girl, will eat anything that’s put in front of her…in seconds – obviously not finicky (I am very careful to keep her weight in balance so as to avoid back problems). I didn’t particularly like the idea of feeding them Nutro Max so I originally began feeding them Science Diet. I still felt the need to find a better food.

    At the recommendation of my groomer I began feeding them both Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish (for the past 6 months). I noticed recently that my Dachshund’s hair has become dull and seems to be thinning on her back end. She is by no means balding but I have noticed a difference. I am wondering if the diet she is on is contributing to this problem. The groomer said it could simply be shedding due to the time of year. Rather than adding supplements to their food I would rather find a food that fed them appropriately.
    I originally was in search of a single dog food for both but I am quickly realiizing that this may not be the answer. I will begin reading the information you have provided and will be back with my questions.

    Thank you! Helyn

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Lori… We were feeding Penny one of the prescription dog foods (not I/D). But that’s not what finally killed her. It was a popular product (I’d rather not name) that had been suggested to us when Penny refused to eat her prescribed dog food. Unfortunately, that brand was one of the foods listed by the government in the massive 2007 pet food recall. Thanks for your encouraging comment. :)

  • Lori Kutlik

    Hello. Thanks for sharing the story about Penny. I am sorry for your loss. You did not mention the food that Penny was eating. I am assuming that it was Prescription ID (Pedigree) or the Purina version of the same. My dog was prescribed this for sensitive stomach (vomiting). He liked it at first – but not after a while. I did not keep him on it for long. Can you reveal the brand of dog food that made your dog ill? I am very curious. I have only recently become somewhat knowledgeable about dog food and am completely disgusted with the major dog foods – as they are all inferior – Purina, Pedigree, Iams, Eukanuba… I have switched to Verus, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Innova, Evo, Merrick, Dogwell, and am happy with the results. I switched around foods and mix several dry foods together – keeps my dogs from getting bored. Thanks for your wonderful site. It is very informative and I have referred many people to it. I have been trying to get everyone I know to feed their dogs better. Unfortunately, most vets do not do much to promote the better foods. I am still trying to figure that one out..have a few theories..like Proctor and Gamble must provide a lot of funding to the vets schools… Thanks again! Lori

  • Tracie

    I’m so sorry for your loss. But thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I have 3 precious dogs and I’m always on the lookout for quality treats and dog food. I’ve subscribed to a magazine called The Whole Dog Journal which gives yearly reviews on dog food since my co-worker’s labs have died from cancer and could be caused by poor diet from bad doh food. I came across your informative website and love the reviews and the knowledge I’ve gained. Thank you for what you do!!

  • Claire Sellers

    it is sooooo tragic to see a dog die from a food like a commerical one. and bad dog food does suck.

  • tina

    how tragic. as an only child with deceased parents and no kids, my two rescue dogs are my family and making sure they are well cared for is a high priority.

    recently my 7 1/2 year old lab mix and my 6 year old shepard mix started trying to eat their own poop. not catastropic, but wierd given they never did it before. they had been having some diahrrea problems and the vet put them on one of the “special prescription low residue” formulas that cost a fortune but lack a lot of nutrients. when i told the vet about the new poop eating problem she just shrugged and said they don’t understand why that happens and proceeded to sell me a bottle of $30 tablets to put in their food to discourage the practice (the pills lasted about 2 weeks).

    on my own i finally figured out they couldn’t handle the high protein levels in their original food and using your rating system and trial and error have been working to find something that works for each dog. i tried to get it so both dogs could be on the same food but it isn’t working and just like your disclaimer states, it looks like each dog will end up on her own food. fortunately i have your ratings to help.

    thank you.

  • Jill Serr

    We began feeding “raw” when we had a “Carolina Dog” that had terrible diarrhea continually. A local dog trainer recommended AFS “Majestic Raw” . Our dog, Dixie, never had a diarrhea stool again after the first feding of raw food. Our next dog, a standard poodle, had Irritable bowel disease diagnosed by a vet. Same story, started on a raw diet and no more diarrhea! When you stop to think about it, all dry kibble is “dead” food. It’s all missing enzymes.

    Thanks for sharing the story of your dog.

    Jill

  • Andrew

    I am sorry for the loss of Penny.
    I’ve been feeding Pedigree to my previous dog for the 15 years he lived, and I still regret and sometimes cry about it every night when I hug and pat my 6 month old Katie good night. I’ve always wondered why my dog always had so much stools, but the vet assured that it was fine, “just feed less”.

    I regret not researching more about the pet food industry, and not learning more about reading pet food labels. I always read labels for MY food, but I feel so ignorant and ashamed that I never stopped to think about reading what my pet was eating.

    From then on, starting with Katie, I’ve done a lot of reading and found sites like this that helps pet owners learn about what’s really out there. I’ve also signed up for the ASPCA newsletter and help send letters to the Government lobbying animal rights and treatment, and hopefully regulated dog food industry.

    I’ve been taking Katie to Petco at least 2-3 times a week, and the pet trainer there who watched Katie “grow” tells me that her coat is getting shinier, and better looking. I am glad Katie is no longer on “cheap junk” that companies like Purina “donate” to animal shelters. I don’t blame animal shelters because of their budget, but I am glad Katie is nowhere near that stuff.

    As a broke college student, I was scared at the price of the rated 4 stars and above dog food listed on this site at first. Although it MAY be more “Expensive”, in the long run, I know I’ll be saving money on unneeded vet visits, and I can feed less because my dog will digest the kibble better than kibble that contains corn and other stuff.

    I’ve been telling my friends who are also dogowners about this site, and various other ones. After reading, they too are shocked at what they’re really paying for in their “premium dog food”. Although the friend count I’ve informed is only 2, I’m sure they’ll be telling their friends, and so on.

    Thank you Mike for this site, and I wish everyone out there a happy, healthy, and long enjoyable journey with their families and their pets.

    - Andrew in Southern California

  • Chester Leonhardt

    Thank you! for your story of care and Love, but most of all your Hard work . on good and bad as well as poor pet foods. with love care and Frendship! Chester and Morgan Dill Leonhardt. Brookings OR 97415

  • Judy Zellers

    Thanks so much for your site! I can see its benefits in my two dogs, which we got from a shelter (which feeds Science Diet) a couple of months ago. The dog who’d been there for two months had vasculitis in his ears, dandruff, tufts of hair missing on the edges of his ears, and very little hair on his chest. Now the vasculitis is gone, there’s no trace of dandruff, and his hair has grown back on his ears and chest….

  • Kathy

    Thank you Dr. Sagman! I share your passion for pet food (which is lacking in many “old school” vets). We have two dogs and three cats, all rescues and all thriving. Range in age from 7 to 15. When we first hired a pet sitter, she mentioned a pet store in town and Innova, Evo foods. We fed brands that were famous, so we assumed healthy. Funny, the truly wholesome brands do no national marketing, other than their web sites! I thought going to a special store for pet food was silly. We went and met the owner who, like you, has a degree (from Hopkins) in chemistry, specializing in what’s in our food. As a dog parent, he became inspired as you did. We’ve shopped there for years now. At the very least, I seek foods that are all natural, and ideally, from companies that have their own US facilities and use only domestic ingredients such as Natura Pet Products, Merrick, BG. Tricky to find companies that process their own canned but Wellness is very good for cats. We supplement with skinless chicken, turkey, occasional eggs. Thanks for sharing your story and the fruits of your labor of love!

  • Brian

    THANK YOU for this website! Finally, a place where people like me can go to find clear, objective advice on dog food! We’re in the process of switching foods (to Diamond Naturals) based on your advice and I couldn’t feel better to know that I am providing a much better food to our dog for even less money than what we were spending before! To everyone out there, you don’t need to spend a fortune to give your dog good nutrition! Thanks again!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Cathy… your experience with homemade dog food does much to support our theory regarding the little-understood cause of atopic dermatitis… feed-grade cereal grains. These inferior ingredients can be frequently contaminated with insects, mites and molds.

    Many blame cereal grains (like wheat and corn) for chronic canine allergies. But those allergies are probably more a result of what’s in the grain… than the grain itself.

    By the way, we’ve already succumbed to the love of our new family addition… a sweet little shelter mix named “Bailey”.

    Thanks for sharing with our readers how good food has improved the quality of your dogs’ lives.

  • Cathy Whitney

    Thank you for your sad story of your beautiful Penny. I have been feeding my 3 girls a raw homemade diet for over 8 years now. My 9 year Jack Russel Bailey started me on this. She had a severe reaction to a DHLPP vacc. when she was 12 weeks old. The vet told me it was minor. REALLY? I don’t think soooo!!! She developed atopic dermatitis.I changed Vets!! I tried many packaged dog foods, and thru a holistic vet developed a homemade raw diet. It changed her life, and as we acquired the other 2 girls, they have been on this diet as well. One other thing for you to consider is watching vaccinations. Vets love to give them and collect money for them, despite what they do to our babies. The first set of vaccinations in their puppy age is really all you need. Check it out on the internet. My holistic vet confirms this. Rabies is something you need to weigh. I am on a quest for a dry dog food for an inherited 8 year old lab from my husbands brother who passed away last year in Dec. She is currently at my inlaws being fed purina or some other junk. She is a big girl and putting in the labor for a pure raw diet for her would be huge, so I thank you for your site, as I am looking to do a combo of raw and commerical diet for her. I will be looking for Orijen ,based on your recommendation. I hope you got another fur child to be a part of your life, you seem like you have a lot of love to give. Thank you again, Cathy

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