Dog Food for Specific Health Problems

If you are concerned about your dog’s kidneys, I would add a high moisture food such as canned or raw, to your kibble (assuming you feed kibble). Or you can soak kibble in warm water. Moisture is so important for the whole body, especially the kidneys. Dont think your dog’s teeth benefit from hard kibble, they dont really. Give your dog healthy chews and brush his teeth at least one per week, for dental health

My vet says my dog has kidney disease and wants me to put him on Hill’s. The kidney health formula. Does anyone know if this is decent food? And if it is, how can I get my dog to eat. He will barely eat even if I cook his food for him. He has almost no appetite at all.

Thanks very much Shawna for your reply. I thought that advice was rather strange as it was coming from a reputable vet in this little town.

No, that is absolutely untrue!! In fact, they know that protein doesn’t even harm dogs that HAVE kidney disease. There’s TONS of info online (reliable info) about this. This is a quote from one I particularly like.

“Mythology of Protein Restriction for Dogs with Reduced Renal Function

In recent years, 10 experimental studies using dogs have been published that clarify the controversy of protein restriction. A multicenter study conducted in human medicine is also noteworthy to review.

The beliefs about protein restriction will be discussed as a medical myth. The question of why the practice of reduced protein intake persists despite the lack of supportive scientific evidence is explored.” http://www.dogaware.com/files/bovee.pdf

If dogs that HAVE kidney disease don’t require a reduced protein diet to prevent further kidney deterioration, dogs that have healthy kidneys certainly don’t need reduced protein.

I actually have a dog that was born with kidney disease. She has eaten a HIGH protein raw diet her whole life (45 to 54% — WAY more than 25%). She, Audrey, will be seven years old the end of June and is in very very good health.

Hi! Thank you so much! I will look through this list – appreciate it! Kay

PLEASE HELP! I could really use some advice or suggestions! My senior girl (G. Shepherd) has a history of pancreatitis from the people I adopted her from and initially she had a couple attacks with me. Then I put her on California Natural Lowfat Lamb & Rice Dry for the last 4 years and she did great – no more attacks. Now, at 15, she’s been diagnosed with kidney issues PLUS California Natural has been recalled TWICE in something like the last month and half. My vet has moved her to a Prescription Diet. I’m not thrilled with the ingredients list but I don’t even know where to begin to find a food that will support her pancreas and her kidneys. It took me months of research and trial and error the last time to find the California Natural product. And she can’t eat fish and some of the “alternate” proteins as they did not agree with her.
Does anyone have any suggestions, recommendations or ideas? I am desperate! Thank you in advance!

Until you find the right food for your boy and he is completely used to it, you may want to consider adding probiotics and digestive enzymes to his food. This will give his system the extra help it needs to deal with his food issues. Human digestive supplements from the health food store are fine, but he may only need a quarter of a human dose.

Yes you can give human grade fish oil to your dog. Here’s what I share with my dog: fish oil, tumeric, mushrooms, chlorella, coconut oil, emu oil, joint supplements. Just give a smaller dose or just give a couple times a week (depending on the size of your dog).

Hi Darjea, as a fellow sheltie lover & owner, your post tugs at my heart. She has so much “wrong” with her, poot little gal. Severe itching and feet biting make me think of putting her on a grain/potato free food…if you go to the forum (found in the red bar above), click on dog food ingredients, I posted a stickie with those foods. Good luck!

i have a 6yr old sheltie. She has had osteoarthritis since 10 months old. She is not using her back legs much. Her front legs propel her, so no more walks. She has anal cancer and really bad allergy to something. I have fed her oriegen dog food for about 2 years. I am at a loss as to how to deal with her severe itching and feet biting. She also rubs her nose on the pavement to stop the itching. The osteoarthritis will get her before the cancer will. She is so intelligent and loving, i can not put her down yet. Any one know what i can do next? I am thinking raw diet?

Are you able to get either ZiwiPeak or Vom Daxii Hundefutter? ZiwiPeak isn’t “dry” per say, it’s an air dried food so the consistency is a bit like a softer, but still chewy beef jerky.

ZiwiPeak contains green lipped mussel which is a great source of omega 3′s and glucosamine and Vom Daxi Hundefutter contains cartilage which is a natural source of glucosamine.

You might also consider adding a high quality fish oil supplement to your dog’s diet for an additional source of omega 3′s ~ the recommended dosage is 200 – 300 mg omega 3′s per 20 ~ 30 pounds of dog. Another incredibly easy way (and probably the best way) to add glucosamine to your pup’s diet is with raw, meaty bones. Try a duck neck, chicken wing, back or foot ~ the bones are fully digestible and are a great source of completely bioavailable calcium, glucosamine and chondroitin ~ plus, you have the added benefit of shiny, clean teeth.

Hi January –

Canned food is actually – in most cases – healthier than dry food so it’s not a bad thing that he won’t eat dry food without canned mixed in. Canned food is generally much higher in protein than dry food, less processed and contains more moisture making it more species-appropriate. Just pick a high quality dry food and mix in a high quality canned food or you could even feed him only canned (although only canned be can be quite expensive, especially for a large dog). A canned food that most dogs go nuts for is Tripett – it’s straight canned green tripe so it’s not a complete diet, just for supplemental feeding, but a few spoonfuls of this will get just about any dog to eat (trust me). Sometimes a deficiency in omega fatty acids can cause a dry coat and skin – I’d try supplementing with some fish oil and/or coconut oil, both of these oils seem to help the skin and coat. Also, as far as bathing and grooming goes, I’m not sure how much you’re bathing him but over bathing can cause a dry coat and dry skin. Only bathe him if he really needs it. My hounds only get bathed every 3-4 months. I use a shampoo and conditioner made by Earth Bath and afterwards I spray them with mink oil that I get from Bio Groom – it makes their coats so soft and shiny. I’d try brushing him a least a few times a week too – this can distribute the oils in his fur.

I have a 6 year old Doberman, Odin. I adopted him from a rescue. He was kinda skinny when I got him, I have tried several dry dog foods like Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild, and now I am giving him Victor proffesional formula and he just wont eat unless I mix some canned dog food with it. Odin has really dry and itchy skin ( no fleas, no mange)  Ive tried different shampoos with oatmeal but no change. Odin is up to date on all his shots, wormed, and well care for. Odin is an inside dog. Any suggestions?

Hi Lilian –

In order to get the sodium content of a particular food you would have to contact the company directly as sodium isn’t generally listed on the packaging or website for dog foods. In my opinion, your best option would probably be a balanced homemade food (raw or lightly cooked) – you can control the salt content yourself and it will be rich in naturally occurring heart-healthy amino acids. I would also recommend supplementing with CoQ10 – it’s very important for maintaining heart health.

I had kidney stones myself but my nephrologist never recommended eating Hills or RC … in fact he said diet doesn’t matter (genetics and metabolism does though, along with an amount of water consumed)  and my literature search indicates that indeed there is lack of solid evidence that diet does help in case with humans.

I have a 6 year old Lhasa that i adopted 2 years ago that has had 2 types of kidney stones removed – sturvite and most recently, Oxalate.  She was prescribed Hills g/d and it’s causing all kinds of other problems!  PLUS – she hates it and the reviews I’ve read on this product is NOT flattering.   Any suggestions for low oxalate dog food products that you can point me towards?  I am overwhelmed with info! 

Hi Betsy, thanks for the comments.  We have done spa therapy. The first leg/surgery, it was great but for the second leg/third surgery, the treadmill underwater was as much as she could do.  Swimming hurts her too much.  I will definitely look into some other options and will be changing her food immediately. Hill’s is pretty pricey itself but for my baby, what’s a little more

Hi Joal Kramer Dench –

There is absolutely no reason why an overweight dog should need a special food to lose weight. Weight loss based on calories consumed and calories burned – if your dog is burning more calories than she is consuming she will lose weight. W/D is extremely low quality – the first two ingredients are non-meat ingredients and the only meat in the food is by-products, there’s also only 19% protein which is much too low. I’d recommend picking any 4 or 5 star food and just feeding less. It’s a bit more pricey but canned and dehydrated foods are excellent for weight loss because they have a high water content causing them to be less calorie-dense.

When you think you’ve reached the end of your rope, hang on!

First, I would ask if you’ve discussed nutrition with your TCVM? My TCVM is a fantastic source for nutrition consulting.

If a carnivore’s urine is supposed to be acidic, and your dog’s urine is alkaline, doesn’t that mean that mean the there’s an improper balance of acid base balance and water balance? Does that mean that potentially an increase in sodium chloride could help? I don’t know this, but others here do.

Nldmadison ~~ please do some research on this before you feed your dog a “low protein” food..  They now know that feeding low protein to a dog in the early stages of kidney disease does more harm than good..

If your dog is in the later stages of the disease then lowering protien is advised to control the symptoms but does not help the kidneys at all.  You would also lower protein if there is significant protein in the urine (proteinuria).  This is an idication that the kidneys are inflammed.  Protein should be lowered with proteinuria until the reason for the inflammation is identified and resolved — like an infection.

The dog in the picture to the right of my post has had kidney disease since birth.  Symptoms started before she was weaned and she was officially diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at her one year blood work.  She will be 7 years old the end of June 2013 and is in EXCELLENT health (unmedicated, never requires vet visits, no sub-q fluids etc).  She has been on a HIGH protein raw diet her whole life — the protein amounts of the food she eats range from about 45 to 54% protein..

Nutritionist Lew Olson has some good info on her website b-naturals.com about kidney disease.  She was a moderator of one of the yahoo kidney forums (maybe she still is?).

Nutritionist Mary Straus has some GREAT info on her website about kidney disease (including why NOT to lower protein too early in the disease).  She also was (if not still is) a moderator on the same yahoo kidney group.  http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidney.html

Mary also has kidney friendly recommendations for commercial foods on her site.

My dog has been diagnosed with chronic Kidney Failure.  The vet said low protein, low phosphorus canned food.  Any suggestions?  I know there is Kidney Food out there but it all states it helps with kidney stones and that is not my dogs issue.  I’m just looking for a good dry and good canned dog food low in protein and phosphorus.  Please help

I have a 14 year old peek-a-poo. She has always been little but she seems to be losing weight. 1-2 lbs. over the past 2 years. she is barely 7 lbs. now. She is very active and eats very well. The vet says feed her more. I changed the food to Taste of the Wild and all 3 of my dogs love it. My other 2 have gained a lot of weight but not my peek-a-poo. She is all bones and I mean bones. Any suggestions on a food to help her gain weight?

Reva Thornton –

This article has a lot of information and links about diet for dogs with liver disease. Homemade would probably be your best bet.

http://dogaware.com/health/liver.html

have a min pin that went into liver failure about a week ago for a unknown reason the vet thinks he got into a toxin. (even tho we have not been able to find what it was) We all most lost him I was told the best thing to do was to put him to sleep but I was not ready to give up. Happy to say 6 days later he is showing a lot of improvement and looks like I was right He is starting to eat small amounts of Science diet A/D and is on antibiotics, Pred. and SAMe I am trying to figure out what to feed him when we put him back on regular food. Please let me know if you have any suggestions on what food would be best or any supplements that would help?

Wet foods with high protein (particularly animal-based protein), low carbohydrate, and grain free.

I believe Merrick and Weruva make some excellent foods.

My small dogs have stools like that. About the size of a nickel or small bird egg and they eat different brands of grain free foods and some of them eat raw food as well now for over 2 years. The raw fed stools actually will start turning ashy and crumble.

I have a 7 lb 7oz, 1year old 1/2 havaneese 1/2 miniature puddle who, when on dry food, although I add 1/8 cup of warm water, had firm, not hard bowels. She delivers them in pieces about 3 per movement … each piece is 1 inch to 2 inches …… is there a concern that the food, that is grain free is to dry?

Melissa ~ Thank you SO much for your post. You helped out a ton by directing me to the Yahoo Group for EPI dogs.  I have learned much to help my Kona get where he needs to go in health & happiness. Thanks again. Margaret

Hi Mikegardner,
Bryan brought up some good points. Itchiness can be caused by several things. Diet is one of them. Corn & grains are often the culprit. What food are you feeding them? Do they have a “corn chip” smell? Check their ears…. They may have a systemic yeast infection. Eliminating foods with grains and (white) potatoes and adding a probiotic will help with that.

Bryan also mentioned environmental causes. He gave some great possibilities. You didn’t say wether this was a new problem or not. I thought I’d give you some more causes of contact dermatitis. Fragrances: emitters and personal care products used in their home. That could include your shampoo, deodorant, laundry products, cleaners, etc. fragrances are made up of some very toxic chemicals. All fragrances contain pesticide. Dryer sheets are very toxic. They don’t stay where they’re put, they volatize, or spread by drifting through the air. Then there’s contact transfer… They are inhaled, ingested and absorbed through the skin. All chemicals that we use are.

The dogs are smaller, and closer to the ground, so they are effected more. (Same with kids.) Many chemicals are ‘heavy’ and concentrate near the ground. 2,4D, an herbicide, is one of them. Its in all weed and feed products. That’s why Bryan mentioning a new park or location is a good suggestion. However, even if a neighbor used weed and feed, its close enough to drift into your house. Studies show that 2,4D enters 98% of closed up houses, at a mean distance of 500 feet from application. If you applied weed and feed, or any other lawn chemical, including fertilizer, it would be in your yard and transfer to them, especially every time they went outside. It would absorb through their skin and be inhaled. Lawn care products (unless organic) are toxic. Yes, fertilizer contains toxins. if you read the label you will see “inert ingredients.” that does not mean that they are non-toxic. It means they are trade secrets. If you go to the EPAs webpage and search for their list of inert ingredients, you’ll see some pretty nasty chemicals on that list. All chemical fertilizers contain a fungicide. Usually Chlorothalonil. It kills all living cells by up taking glutathione. Its not only in pesticides and fertilizers but many synthetic fabrics, vinyl shower curtains, mold cleaners, indoor outdoor, & stain resistant carpets and treatments.

Glutathione is the bodies main method of breaking toxins into non toxic by products and excreting them out of the body. One of the ways bodies remove toxins is through the skin. When someone, 2 or 4 leggedhas their glutathione diminished the toxins are still caustic as they exit the skin. They itch and can even burn.

O.k., I’ve probably given you way more than you wanted to know. If you do want more info, just ask.

my dog is a fighter. she had been diagnose with liver damage casue by being posioned by someone. yes her liver wont be the smae but it can regenerate. which dry dog food is the best for her condition

My lab mix rescue has been diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). His medicine (Pancreazyme) is going to cost me $300 per month.  The Vet also wants him to eat Purina EN, however after reading the reviews, I am not sure the product is worth the money and I really need to find a dry dog food that might be comparable in terms of it’s digestability.  Any advice is appreciated.

My two pugs are ichy,do i need a small kibble dog food,what brand do i need?

oh crumbs… my  4 dogs have been on burns fish and brown rice for 5-6 yrs… hollistic food, preserved naturally with rosemary, 18% protein. ive always believed(and been told) that it’s healthier  to keep to low protein. it is a respected food and my dogs love it and seem to do well, although one recently has been very ill with oxalate stones, im finding it really confusing what to do now, i have been looking at orijen, but theyve yet to come back to me..i need to know if it is low in oxilate, may put all 4 on it. vet put him on rc urinary, it makes him smell weird..(that’s the dog not the vet!) and i agree with what ive read, it may reduce formation of stones but what other issues is it causing, stuffing him full of maize and re-hydrated poultry and all the other stuff on the list….

I don’t know about being more affordable, but now that Natural Balance has gone from Diamond, I think their limited ingredient diets look pretty good for a dog with IBD.  There are others you could try, like Holistic Select’s new grain free.  It’s fat is pretty low, fiber 6% max, protein decent, and it’s poultry free.  Fromm has a Whitefish & Pot. food, but it’s not grain free and I don’t know if it’s any less expensive than Wellness.

After looking at the Blue formulas you mentioned, I think the Small Breed Healthy Weight would be okay for pancreatitis.  However, I like Wellness dog food better than Blue, and they have a Small Breed Healthy Weight that’s a little more protein and a little more fiber….maybe you could check that out.  Hope this helps.

iluvmychis –

All the Blue Life Protection formulas a way too low in protein, but the healthy weight is the worst. It’s only 20% protein, it’s basically just filler. You’d pretty much be paying $50+ for a giant bag of rice and oatmeal. There are some much better quality foods with low fat – The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal, Weruva, Addiction, Acana Light & Fit, Orijen Senior, Wellness Core Reduced Fat, etc. Also, I’d advise checking with your vet to make sure it’s pancreatitis because if it’s not reducing the fat levels for no reason wouldn’t be healthy. The average healthy dog needs fat in the diet. My dogs all eat 50-55% protein, 30-35% fat, and 15-20% carbohydrates.

Try a teaspoon of pure pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling) with his meals, that tends to clear up diarrhea pretty well/quickly.

aly –

It would be tough for someone to recommend a specific food to alleviate an itching problem not knowing which ingredient your dog is sensitive to that is causing the itching. Most often corn/wheat/soy are to blame, grains in general, or chicken.

The brands I know of that make organic dry & canned dog foods are:
-Newman’s Own
-Castor & Pollux Organix
-Natural Planet Organics
-Karma
-By Nature Organics
-Evanger’s Organics
-PetGuard Organics
-Wenaewe

Just beware most of the organic food manufacturers use tricky marketing tactics. Their ingredients list will generally read an organic meat followed by a non-organic meat meal. Because the fresh organic portion is around 80% water and the non-organic meal portion has had water removed by the time the food is processed the non-organic meat meal will greatly outweigh the organic fresh meat, so your dog will be eating mostly non-organic meat but you’ll be paying a premium price.

I don’t know of any organic duck and potato food on the market. The only organic food I know of offered in grain-free is Castor & Pollux Organix chicken-based food.

Personally, while I love organic products and feed my dogs a homemade diet with mostly organic ingredients, I’m not impressed by any of the organic dry dog food offerings on the market and if I fed dry food to my dogs I wouldn’t feed any of these foods. Most of them are way too low in protein, high in grains, quite a few contain soy, and all the ingredients aren’t even organic. Basically you pay an above-average price for a below-average food just because some of the ingredients are organic. I think you’d be much better of going with a high quality food non-organic food. Most of the five star foods on this site use top quality ingredients, while they may not be organic the foods are much more species appropriate and you’d be getting a bigger bang for your buck – imo. For example, a bag of Wenaewe is over $80 – no way would I pay over $80 for a food with only 22% protein.

If you’re very concerned about ingredient quality you could always make your own food – that’s what I do.

i give her enzymes and probiotics but i like the my perfect pet, it holistic. maybe that will help ease her stomach ailments. i also like the idea of topping her dish w/sardines and slices of chicken. my vet didn’t help, he gave me science diet i/d. worthless. she is still skinny but seems to have better days than bad. except when she’s constipated and then hours later she has diarrhea. if this doesn’t help, i’m going to try the suggested homemade food cookbook. thanks for all the input.

Chelated copper is more easily absorbed.  Have you discussed a homemade diet with a homemade vit/min supplement that is low in copper with your vet or vet nutritionist?  Or maybe using a “supplemental food” with a special vit/min supplement? 

This company has a reduced mineral formula:

http://www.myperfectpetfood.com/products.html

I use this book.  She does not use grains in her recipes, which can be problematic (like ear problems)for some dogs.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/real-food-for-healthy-dogs-and-cats-cookbook.aspx

my dog has been diagnosed with IBS/crohn’s disease. Can someone suggest what kind of food i should be feeding her? i’m trying holistic substances i.e. licorice root, slippery elm, marshmallow plus enzymes and probiotics to sooth her digestive system. her prednizone is not helping. any suggestions?

Our dog has been diagnosed with a liver problem and copper accumulations.  Is chelated copper in dog food acceptable?  If not, what food would you recommend for her that doesn’t have copper sulfate?

What have you been feeding it? 

Ask your vet for the sodium level you should be looking for then email or call the companies of the foods you’re interested in and ask for the sodium level. I don’t know of any foods that actually list sodium content on the package. Also, if possible I would avoid senior foods they are generally low in protein and high in carbs.

Dogs will not starve themselves, but they are known to be picky. Sounds like your dog got something it likes better, and is refusing to eat anything else. Which means it’s time for tough love, in which you’ll say “either eat this or starve”, but remember… they won’t starve themselves.

I’d get rid of the hamburger all together, and only go with a dog food. Evo is an excellent food, but it is high in protein so it may not agree with her right off the bat. So don’t be surprised if she is not only stubborn for a while, but produces a loose stool and has a bit of a tummy ache. You could add some pumpkin (PURE pumpkin, not pie filling which has sugar and other stuff) to help settle her stomach in the meantime.

Hey Jess, check out this all natural Cedarwood spray. http://www.1800petmeds.com/Be+Flea+Free+Spray-prod11135.html

Jess, have you tried an oral flea medication? I was having issues with fleas last summer while using Advantix II, I tried Frontline Plus and that didn’t help either. My family in Florida told me down south the vets swear by Comfortis and Trifexis. So I took my dogs off Heartguard and put them on Trifexis – problem solved. I wish I could solve the problem more naturally like Eve’sHumanMom is talking about (I’m not a big fan of chemicals) but during the summer with the area I live in and the fact that my dogs spend a lot of time outdoors it’s just not practical and didn’t work for me.

I read on another thread recently, about garlic.  Some people feed small quantities.  But also, someone mentioned steeping it in oil and rubbing it onto the skin, although you’ll have a dog that smells like garlic toast.

Barbshap,

Pizzles or bully sticks are considered to be one of the safer chew treats – they are much safer than rawhide and don’t contain all the chemicals rawhide contains. However, as with any chew treat, check up on your dog and remove any small pieces they may swallow. Also, make sure they are from a reputable source (not manufactured in China!) and they should be fine for your dog.

Are twisted pizzles safe as treats?

Thank you so much! That is all really helpful. I didn’t know that about vitamin e. We’ll try the supplements then! 

My 14 wk-old king charles spaniel is having a problem with dry, ichy skin and some dander. She’s eating Evolve puppy, which lists fish oil in the ingredients. Can anyone suggest a good brand for puppies with more fish oil, or specifically for skin and hair? Or a quality brand of supplement? Thanks for any help!

What another one who feeds the Costco fish oil to dogs?  I do too and since I am taking the same capsules we go through a container in no time flat. One of my three had an almost bare patch when I got him from rescue a few years ago.  The fish oil caps took care of that.  I feed one/day as the dogs weigh around ten pounds.  No arthritis either.

I am probably too late with my suggestion, but I would try a teaspoon of good quality plain yogurt in her food. It restores the beneficial bacteria in the intestines.  We had one dog once who contracted diarrhea from the tiniest bit of cheese which he picked up somewhere. Ever since we stay away from anything with cheese including cheesy dog biscuits.  I pretty routinely give my small dogs a dollop of greek yogurt, sometimes with their meal and sometimes just off the spoon.

I have an 8 year old Corgi Mix that recently had surgery to remove bladder stones- my vet told me they are calcium oxylate stones, and recommended a low calcium food to prevent them from re-occuring. He said the prescription diet U/D is often not palitable for dogs- and I should do research and find a food that works for my dog. Do you have any suggestions?

can you recommend a good food (dry and wet) for a dog with epi (in all liklihood) and allergies 

I’m following Melanie’s story about “Olive” w/interest this morning. I’m having the same issues with 10 mos old Milo after bringing him back from overseas. I barely cook for myself let alone my animals, but might it be time for both Melanie and me, and if so, does anyone have any advice? His weight loss is really starting to worry me (and yes, we’ve had tests, a wk of Metrinidazole, pro-biotics, etc). Thanks. PDX

Hi Bob. Well, she is eating other items that she picks up in the yard. I do know this. However, lately I have been watching her closely. She is a puppy and runs around a lot outside in the yard and is quick to pick up those items you mentioned of course. She has been checked for everything. This started to happen into her second bag ot Iams Smart puppy. I almost thought I had a bad batch. I also transitioned her slowly. It is nuts, if she is not on the antibiotic, she has the diarrhea. Half a pill of the Metronidazole at night and she is fine.

Thank you for responding.I just have never had these issues with my mixed breeds. Now I get a full bred and loose stools, diarreah every evening. It is hard to know what to do. So many foods, not sure what to get at this point. I will look into this brand.

Hey Labs ~~ missed you and your charm and wit ..  Glad to see you back!!!

Help. I have a 6 month old Red Doberman, Olive. I am having a heck of a time with her and diarrhea. I never had problems with my mix dogs I have owned previously. She has been to the vet several times already but there is nothing wrong with her. She picks up stuff outside and eats it of course. However, when she is on the meds, metronidazole, I have no issues at all. As soon as I stop a pill, diarrhea again. She was on Iams Smart puppy, but into the second bag, she began the diarrhea. I now switched her food to Authority puppy but now was told she may be allergic to grains. I bought some Blue puppy but I just cannot afford the price of it. HELP. What can I give her to help her diarrhea? I cannot have this go on all night long every night and she cannot stay on these antibiotics.

One of our English Setters occasionally  has a sensitive stomach for no apparent reason.  (Her stools are runny and almost looks like it has mucous in them.)  Our vet gave us a pill that seems to do the trick after giving it to her for a few days.  Is there a dog food that would be good for me to feed her?

Hi again Diane303 ~~ I was on Mercola Healthy Pets forum reading and leaving comments and came across someone asking Dr. Becker about struvite crystals and thought you might be interested.

Dr. Becker writes
“Struvites,also called MAP or triple phosphate crystals, form when the urine pH is too alkaline, too concentrated and too high in magnesium and phosphates. OR there’s bacteria present (managed totally differently). 85% of struvite issues are NOT bacterial issues, they are diet/metabolism isues.”  There’s more info from Dr. Becker about treating here  http://healthypets.mercola.com/groups/healthypets/forum/p/127750/444769.aspx#444769

Diane303 ~~ Below is a link to a video and article by veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker on diet and struvite crystals/stones..

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/10/22/these-3-things-may-indicate-your-pet-has-a-bladder-problem.aspx

GSDGal,
Morning! I use the mint pure castile soap. Not ‘all’ are good. A couple have ‘natural’ in the ingredient list, which is a cue for processed free Gluteamate/aspartate. I can’t remember what’s on the labels. I particularly hated the “baby” one and it had something (fragrance?).

Hi Dean,
Can you tell me what he’s currently eating?

Yes…that’s what I was leaning towards…someone’s having a foul gas issue at PugVillage!  Not my puggies!  Their intestines are G-R-R-E-E-A-A-T-T!!

Shawna,

Sorry…I have a question about gas

Was bad stinky gas undigested proteins?  versus alot of gas in general was something else??

Shawna, you must have been the Teacher’s pet! LOL. But, seriously, you are so helpful/knowledgeable. I do feed grain inclusive, because of budget issues, and I do add fish oil. FYI Costco’s has 400 fish oil capsules for around 9 dollars! And after I saw how soft & shiny it made my dog’s fur, I started taking it too. I love Costco’s! lol 

PS — certain natural products appear to help break apart or prevent amyloid proteins — curcumin in the spice turmeric and the enzyme bromelain from raw pineapples (or a supplement) are two such products.

I think I remember reading negative information about monosodium glutamate or freed glutamic and aspartic acids and amyloids as well.  Toxed would know more about this…

Oh, yeah, all the research I read says that too low a protein ratio causes problems. Dogs utilize protein best. Why are you looking for low protein?

Thank You, Charlie will definately appreciate your help.

My Shar Pei is scratching and chewing on his back legs and hind end. I have been feeding him Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice, mostly because it has less protein than most others. been to vet and there are no fleas, skin not overly dry or infected. Could it be his food, he ways 64lbs and I feed 2 cups twice a day. We walk 3 to 5 miles every day, sometimes 2 times a day.

 Cathy – Which formula of Hill’s Science Diet worked?  Try to find a similar formula that is rated higher.  Example:  if Hills Lamb and Rice worked, then try Diamond Natural Lamb and Rice or Eagle Pack or Kirklands at Costco.  Maybe a similar grain free food might be worth the investment.

Having a hard time finding raw green tripe.  Not many to chose from and K9 Natural green tripe is not available.  Has anyone used Fresh is Best green tripe or Dr Harvey’s?

http://www.freshisbestinc.com/products/pet-treats-chews/green-tripe-snack-wafers

http://www.drharveys.com/products/show/22-power-patties-tripe-treats

Core Reduced Fat, Core Ocean, Blue Buffalo Wilderness, and Nutrisca have high fiber and are grain free.

Many thanks Alexandra & Toxed2loss for all your help.  We shall look carefully at providing our dogs with a better food, and go from there.  We were not aware  that the very treatments we give them to protect against fleas, ticks, worms etc, or vaccinations could possibly have a negative effect on the skin! We shall definitely keep an eye on all of these.

Toxed2loss,
Many thanks for your advice. Unfortunately I didn’t receive Alexandra’s reply

Miranda,

Dry itchy skin can be the result of a food allergy/intolerance. I would suggest for them that you go to a grain and white potato free food. If you have been feeding the nutro for awhile and they have had skin and issues with glands I would look at the diet. The foods do go up in price a bit from nutro, BUT you would be feeding less as the food is much denser in nutrition.

From my own experience with bad stools, look up candida overgrowth and leaky gut, they are very similar to food allergies and often missed. My own vet missed it, and through this site I have my GSD in his best shape of his young life.

The food that made the difference is Brothers Complete. I started with the allergy formula and saw huge improvement within two weeks.

Brothers Complete Allergy – potato free, grain free, yeast free.