[Mom2Cavs]

As far as I remember, Fromm’s Surf & Turf has tiny kibble, as well as some of their other formulas. Nature’s Variety Instinct also has tiny kibble pieces. I’m sure there are others but these 2 came immediately to mind. Oh and Wellness Core Small Breed plus Wellness’s regular Small Breed. Blue Buffalo also has a Small and Toy formula, I think. Hope this helps. 🙂

[suztzu]

The associate was very wrong, puppies espcially need a good amount of protein and fat they are both essential to a growing puppy. Both are good foods the Core I thought was an all life stage food and the kibble is quite large for a small puppy if he’s a gulper like mine is. My shih tzu Leo would swallow them whole and throw it up a half hour later gross. Earthborn holistics, Blue Buffalo wilderness Innova prime, Natures Variety Instinct are also all good products. When you transition him over to a different food do it slowly because some of the grain free foods are also high in fat and can cause loose stool. I never feed my dogs anything with protein under 28 to 30 % if I can help it. I also will give them Natures Variety Instinct canned at least once a day mixed in the kibble to boost the protein levels. Have fun with puppy good luck

[Anonymous]

You didn’t say what food & treats you were feeding. So many health problems are food/treat related.
My Shih Tzu had pancreatitis at 12 yrs. Plus terrible allergies with both my dogs & getting steroids. I started studying dog nutrition. I decided to try Blue Buffalo as this was the only company to write back out of 3 others I contacted.
Within 3 weeks all allergy related problems started going away. in 2 mo. the pancreatitis was GONE and she has never had another bout. She is now 15 1/2 and the boss of the house. no steroid shots or pills for over 3 yrs.
Hound Dog Mom is very knowledgeable so you might also ask her.

[KC-Cajun]

I have an 11-year-old Lab who has battled ear problems all of her life. The vet said it’s a yeast problem. Now she has some raw spots on her skin, the skin on her belly and privates is very dark, and she’s covered in lumps. I had a Golden before that never had lumps and only an occasional ear problem. I also have a 7-year-old Beagle who’s had exactly one ear infection in her entire life.

I changed her over to Blue Buffalo Salmon about 5 months ago and it seems to have eased up, but it’s still there. And I’ve spent THOUSANDS of dollars over the years on vet bills for the same problem, over and over again. (Vet #1 always found it necessary to run the same expensive tests every time I brought her in–“We can’t be sure it’s the same issue..”, and after 10 years, I switched to Vet #2. Vet #1 also charged $18 to examine their teeth {approximately 15.5 seconds}, but I digress…)

What can I do to cure her of this? Am I doing something wrong? After reading a lot of your posts, I feel terrible that a change of diet could possibly have prevented those horrible lumps/tumors. Any advice would be most appreciated–I want her golden years to be as comfortable as possible as she has been a loyal and beautiful friend 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi thesamster –

I wouldn’t look for a large breed specific food – large, medium and small breeds don’t have different nutritional requirements, size/breed specific formulas are just marketing. I also would focus on finding a high quality (high protein) low fat food and not worry about the fiber content of the food, the fiber can be added as a supplement (either psyllium or plain pumpkin). High quality low fat foods are few and far between which is why I recommend just worrying about the fat and protein level and supplementing the fiber, if you also look for high fiber you’ll likely end up having to settle for a lower quality food. In order to reduce the fat content most companies remove most of the meat and replace it with filler (grains, starch), there are only a few foods available that keep the fat levels low while keeping the protein levels (meat) levels high. Some low fat 5 star foods: Wysong Epigen Original, Venison and Fish formulas (all 11% fat), Wysong Epigen 90 (12% fat), California Natural Grain-Free Chicken (12% fat), Wellness Core Reduced Fat (10% fat), Blue Buffalo Wildnerness Healthy Weight (10% fat), The Honest Kitchen Zeal (9% fat), Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance Chicken (9% fat), Annamaet Lean (8% fat) and Acana Light and Fit Fit (10% fat).

[Shelley919]

Hi All!

This is my first post here. We have an almost 5 year old greyhound (Dyna) that weighs about 65 pounds. Right now, we are feeding her Castor and Pollux Organix Chicken and Rice Formula for adult dogs. She absolutely loves the food. After discovering this website, I tossed out the Purina Pro Plan and tried first Blue Buffalo and then Innova, both of which she didn’t like. Now I finally found a great food that she loves, but she’s a big dog and the kibble is awful small. We have a stainless steel ball that we put in her bowl to try to slow her down and force her to chew, but that’s not working all the time. I have also tried feeding her on a cookie sheet, which seems to work but isn’t really a long term solution. I actually emailed Castor and Pollux and received a response within an hour and they told me their Ultramix for Large Breed Dogs is a little bigger, so I went and check it out and it is smaller than the size of a dime. Does anyone have any suggestions without me having to switch the food, because she loves it so much and I know it’s good for her. If I do end up having to switch, does anyone know of any of the 4-5 star brands that make a larger kibble? Preferably something other than Blue Buffalo and Innova, as she showed almost no interest in them.

Thank you so much in advance for your help!

[jismys]

I feed Taste of the Wild to my 9 month old Doberman. He is not my first Dobie but I noticed that he is very hiper since a few month, he was on Blue Buffalo but I had to stop because he got diarrhea from it. Can anyone. Give me some info, thanks

[pugmomsandy]

KGM801,

Also feeding different forms of food can be beneficial like incorporating some canned food, freeze dried or dehydrated and even raw. You can even add eggs or sardines to the kibble. Right now I’m mixing in some Vital Esssentials freeze dried nibblets with my dogs kibble. Sometimes it canned and kibble. Then some days they just get a raw meaty bone or whole raw sardine.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Back when my oldest dog was eating kibble I switched to a new food with a new protein source at the end of every bag (for him this was about every 3 weeks). I know many that rotate this way and others that feed one food for several months and then switch. I currently feed all three of my dogs a homemade diet and they get something completely different at every meal. I would say that as long as you’re switching at least every 6 months you should be fine. Just to warn you though – the first few times you switch you’ll probably need to do slow transition and you may see some loose stools. This is normal for dogs that aren’t used to switching foods – the probiotics and pumpkin that I mentioned before will help with this. Once your dog is used to switching her digestive tract will become more resilient and you should be able to switch cold turkey with no transition.

[KGM801]

Thanks again, I think I will go with Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast. One more question and I’m sorry to bother you but how often do you recommend switching up your dog’s food? You are my hero!!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

A doberman would be considered a large breed, however I know that dobermans are one of the few large breeds not particularly prone to hip dysplasia so calcium levels may not be as much of an issue. You could always talk to your breeder about it. It’s generally recommended to feed large breed puppies foods lower in calcium until they’re at least 6 months old as high levels of calcium have been linked to the development of dysplasia.

[KGM801]

Thanks! I didn’t know that you’re supposed to rotate foods! She is a Doberman, I know the breeder was feeding her large breed puppy food but she’s not really considered a large breed, right? So confusing…

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi KGM801 –

I’ve hear A LOT of people complaining about Blue Buffalo giving their dogs diarrhea. If you read through the Blue Buffalo thread on the review section there are tons of complaints, many have complained to Consumer Affairs as well and you can read those complains on the Consumer Affairs website. Last summer my friend got a new puppy and switched her from the food the breeder had her on (Science Diet) to Blue Buffalo and the dog got horrible diarrhea, she then tried another comparable food and the diarrhea cleared up overnight. So you’re not alone! I think the company has some serious quality control issues, I know I lost my trust in the company after I got a bag of cat food covered with mold and dog biscuits with bugs in the bag…

First off – have you had the pup checked for worms, coccidia and giarrdia? If you haven’t do that.

Second – “this is a big decision because whichever I decide on will most likely be what I feed her for her whole life!” PLEASE do not feed the same food for your dog’s entire life! Feeding the same food for extended periods of time is so unhealthy. Pick at least two or three brands and rotate, dogs need variety. No single food can provide a living thing with all the nutrients they need.

Any 4/5 star food would be worth a try. I know Blue Buffalo runs about $50-$55 for the largest bag. Some 4/5 star foods in that price range that I’d suggest checking out are: Earthborn, Merrick Grain-Free, Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Horizon Legacy, NutriSource Grain-Free and Horizon Pulsar.

If your pup is a large breed, however, there are other nutritional considerations and I would recommend picking a food off this list:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFQXNYZW01VzRVV00/edit?usp=sharing

Adding some plain canned pumpkin and a probiotic supplement will help with the diarrhea. Good luck! 🙂

[KGM801]

I transitioned her about a week ago and she’s only had one solid poop since then- right after she snuck some of her dog-cousins food out of his bowl, and it was the cheap stuff! Basically, this food is not working and the vet tells me a week of diarrhea means it’s time to give up. I want a high quality food around the Blue Buffalo price range but maybe a little better quality (5 star.) I won’t do Taste of the Wild because my last dog died and that’s what she ate (I am paranoid.) Any suggestions on which food to go to? Also, do I still transition her the same way if she’s been getting sick from the Blue Buffalo? Any help would be much appreciated, this is a big decision because whichever I decide on will most likely be what I feed her for her whole life! Thanks

[Hound Dog Mom]

Okay, in that case your vet’s suggestion makes sense. A liver shunt would be one of the rare instances in which a low protein diet would be preferable.

I would suggest checking out Addiction. They use high quality ingredients, however their foods are fairly low in protein. They have several dehydrated foods ranging from 18% – 22% protein. Sojo’s has 2 dehydrated formulas that are 23% protein. California Natural’s grain-free venison is 21.5% protein, the kangaroo formula is 21% protein and the lamb is 21% protein. The Honest Kitchen’s Keen is 21% protein and Verve is 22.5% protein. Blue Buffalo Basics grain-free is 22% protein.

[Hound Dog Mom]

DoggieDoc22 –

You obviously don’t know my feeding philosophy – I don’t let any company influence my decision on what to feed. I’m not fooled by Blue Buffalo and Wellness commercials or the Blue Buffalo or Orijen rep at my local pet food company. I’m not fooled by dry weight versus wet ingredients or ingredient splitting, nor do I think white potato is superior to grains. In fact I wouldn’t feed any of the foods you mentioned to my dogs (Blue, Wellness, Natural Balance, etc.). My dogs eat real food. Raw meat, bones, organs and whole food supplements the way nature intended – no marketing spin there, no ingredient splitting, no reps selling me food and no need to worry about which ingredients are going in dry and which are going in wet. You’re bashing people for buying into the marketing of certain pet food companies when you are just as blinded by the marketing tactics of the big name pet food companies as anyone else is by the small “holistic companies.”

[DoggieDoc22]

“There is also such a thing as consumers fooled by marketing tactics”

It’s funny that you mention that because that’s exactly the way to describe people like yourself, backyardwolf, and BryanV21. Who exactly is it that you ever hear bashing corn, wheat, soy, etc? Let me guess, Blue Buffalo commercials, Wellness commercials, etc. There is absolutely zero research out there that shows that any of the ingredients you list are harmful or of lower quality in any way than potatoes for instance (since that is the carb of choice in Natural Balance since that brand was mentioned in a prior post). The whole “grain-free”/anti-corn kick that has been going around lately is nothing but marketing spin by pet food manufacturers.

The reason is simple, humans, dogs, cats, gorillas, whatever animal you choose to speak of don’t need ingredients. They don’t consume food to fulfill a need for any particular food. They need nutrients. You could put together the most expensive pile of ingredients you could find, mix them all together and feed them to your dog. If they don’t meet your pets nutritional requirements then you just fed them a crap food.

I think a lot of you would benefit greatly from listening to someone other than the Blue Buffalo or Orijen rep at your local pet store and look at the science. Some companies actually spend money researching what is best for your pet and conducting feeding trials to make sure the animals they are intending to feed thrive on their diets. Believe it or not, you can find some actual research based information on the internet, rather than the usual baseless spin put out there by manufacturers. For your own benefit, here is a good place to start: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/nutrition/faq/general_pet_nutrition.html

You might find this section in particular quite enlightening:

“Is the ingredient list a good way to determine the quality of a pet food?

Although ingredient lists are commonly used by lay people to determine the quality of pet foods, this approach has many pitfalls and is very subjective to intentional manipulation by the food manufacturers. Ingredients are listed on labels in order of weight, including water, so ingredients with high water content (like fresh meats and vegetables) are going to be listed higher than similar amounts of dry ingredients even though they may contribute fewer nutrients to the overall diet. Additionally, ingredients from the same source (such as chicken meat, chicken fat, chicken by-product meal) can be split into component parts, further complicating assessment.

Pets require nutrients, not ingredients; a diet full of great sounding ingredients can be less nutritious than a diet containing less appealing (to people) ingredients.”

[pugmomsandy]

Amicus (by Horizon), Epigen (by Wysong), Brothers Complete, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Great Life Grain Free, and Merrick Grain Free are ones I’ve used and consider tiny to small. For grain food Nutrisource small/med breed puppy’s kibble is tiny triangles. Blue Buffalo Wilderness now comes in small breed.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/nutrisourcepupandgflamb_zpse9d9aadf.jpg

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/kibbles2_zps62503aae.jpg

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi crazy4cats –

The glucosamine and chondroitin advertised in the Blue Buffalo foods is just marketing (a lot of brands do this), there’s not enough in there to provide your dogs with any benefits. There are 8 cups of food per kilogram and the bag states 400 mg. glucosamine per kg.. This equates to 50 mg. glucosamine per cup. The serving size for an 80 lb. dog is about 3 cups – this equals 150 mg. glucosamine. An 80 lb. dog would need about 1,000 mg. glucosamine for any therapeutic effect (this means the dog would need to eat 20 cups of food a day to get any benefits). Glucosamine is something that should always be supplemented separately if it’s something the dog needs.

[crazy4cats]

Hi HDM-
That is the answer I was hoping for. Thank you. I really wish I would have thought of that before. I would just have kept them on puppy food. I’ve learned so much. I had never even read a nutrition label up until about a year ago. I feel bad I didn’t know as much with our previous pets. The Whole Earth Farms puppy looks just about as good as the Blue Buffalo Life Protection I’m feeding them currently at about half the price. I notice it doesn’t have the glucosamine in it. But, I can always supplement I suppose. Don’t really think they need it yet, do they?

With six pets, a son in college and another son starting in the fall, I really need to cut some costs.
Thank you for your suggestions.

[DoggieDoc22]

The thing that you have to keep in mind is that you should only be using these reviews as a guide, not as gospel. Basically all of the reviews are based upon reading the information that can be found on the packaging, and writing review about that. All of that information can be drastically skewed by dog food manufacturers. For example, ingredients are listed on the ingredient deck in order of weight, including water. So an ingredient such as whole chicken (which contains a lot of water weight), is going to show up higher on an ingredient deck than chicken meal, even though there may be a larger volume of chicken meal in the diet. Also, some manufacturers will use several different types of carbohydrates in their diets, rather than using just one to alter the ingredient deck. This can be done intentionally to prevent any individual source of carbs from appearing high on the ingredient deck.

One other important aspect to keep in mind is whether a company manufactures their own foods, conducts feeding trials, or researches the diets they come out with. Blue Buffalo is a huge culprit of this. They have a 5 star rating on DFA because their diets are high in protein and grain free (traits which DFA seems to value highly). However, what you don’t see is that all of their diets are produced at copacking facilities which can lead to inconsistency in quality, the inability to control the quality of the ingredients that are actually used to manufacture the food, and exposure to contaminants (ie the Diamond recall early last year). Also, DFA doesn’t mention that Blue Buffalo does not conduct feeding trials, or do any type of research on their diets. These facts should lead to a lower rating for a food like Blue Buffalo, but are simply overlooked by dogfoodadvisor.

One last thing, don’t buy into the marketing machine and get all hung up on ingredients. Your dog needs nutrients, not ingredients. Its protein, fat, and carbohydrate levels that are important, not corn, soy, potato, etc.

[Jackie B]

DFA site says a 3-star food is average. So a 3-star food isn’t bad. I have my rescue poodle on a rotation diet of 4 or 5 star foods. Sometimes I will buy an expensive new food and he will NOT eat it. Blue Buffalo Wilderness have him terrible diarrhea (he usually has no issues there). So quality ingredients don’t necessarily translate into easily digestible for all dogs.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi PennyLanesMom-

Yes, yes and yes. : ) I have mini schnauzers who are genetically predisposed to pancreatitis. Most of them can eat a food with a fat content up to 15 or 16 percent now, but I did have one that could not go over 10 or 12 percent. Unfortunately, each dog’s limitations for fat is different. My girl did well on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Healthy weight-its grain free and if I recall, about 10 percent fat. She could also indulge in the occasional serving of Grandma Lucy’s pureformance chicken(dehydrated food) as well as lower fat canned as a topper. She was a severe case and if she so much as got a few nuggets of a food she should not have, she would start with symptoms within 24 hrs.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m gonna suggest some foods that my Cavaliers like, but your dogs still may not. So…it’ll have to be a trial and error process, I’m afraid. Some pet food stores will have samples of certain foods, so you might ask your local pet store about that. Also, some foods have a money back guarantee and will allow you to take opened bags back to the store (I always save my receipts, just in case) for exchange or refund. Now….my small dogs like Merrick very much! Merrick has grain free and a small breed formula that does have a small amount of whole grains. I have used both with great success. It’s what mine are eating now. Fromm is another food that picky eaters might like. They also have grain inclusive and grain free formulas. Nature’s Variety is another food that I would recommend to try with picky eaters. They have grain inclusive and grain free versions. Merrick and Nature’s Variety are available at Petco, while Fromm is sometime harder to find and only available at independent pet stores. Of course, there’s also Blue Buffalo and Wellness, and also Innova that are popular foods. Earthborn Holistic is one I’ve heard people like, as well. I hope this helped some. 🙂

[mom2goldens]

I’ve had this question pop up from clients from time to time, and now have a friend asking my advice on how to control gas in her French Bulldog puppy (I believe it’s about 3 months old or so). Are there some foods that are better than others for this problem? I believe she has the dog on Blue Buffalo Lamb and Rice.

[HuskyMom9710]

I was feeding 4 health from tractor supply for 2years but I just switched to blue buffalo because my other dog was not doing great on the 4 health. I was and still am thinking about switching them to a grain free food, I have been going threw a lot of reviews on different brands but it is just making me more confused on what one to go for. They are pretty lazy dogs so would that high of a protein level be good for them?

Okay thank you I will look up some of those supplements. And I am sorry I originally worded it wrong, I knew that they just don’t all of a sudden develop hip dysplasia. I did contact her breeder when she was a year old and she informed me that her parents where not OFA certified. which I feel like they should have told me that while purchasing her.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Amy. I will also look at people that are dealing with cushings for their dogs because I was told the cushings is what caused the diabetes to appear in the first place. He actually has quite a bit of issues besides the cushings and diabetes but those are the things that we are trying to get under control first. I do appreciate everyone’s advice. I don’t believe there is anything that is perfect but I hope I will find something that will work for my dog. Today I actually changed his diet because of all the research I’ve done and everyone’s experience that they’ve shared with science diet. I have not received his new food or any of the diets I wanted him on yet so a little bit frustrated with that but I decided to cut half of his science diet food and change half of it to blue buffalo since it appears that is more highly recommended. I’m extremely excited because his glucose read 233 today at 3:00pm! It’s the best reading I’ve had in a while. I still have a ways to go and I will continue to look at other options but I really wanted to do something since it was over 400 yesterday.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi vas4511 –

Here is Dr. Mike’s review for Blue Buffalo Life Protection:

/dog-food-reviews/blue-buffalo-dog-food-longevity/

It’s not a bad food, but it’s definitely not one of the top foods. I personally think Blue Buffalo is overrated and overpriced – you could get a better quality food for the same price or an equal quality food for less.

[vas4511]

I want to feed my puppy chihuahua (almost 9 months old) a variety of meats and veggies. Not only does this particular one have whole potatoes, whole sweet potatoes and other ingredients but it has several vitamins and chelates in it. I don’t see this one listed as top rated though. Is this a high quality product?

Thanks.

[Mom2Cavs]

Yes, I subscribe as well. They have lots of good info. and articles to read. Their dry food reviews are done in Feb. I believe, but I can’t remember when they do their canned and raw food reviews. It’s not the only thing I use when deciding canine things, though. I use other sites/publications, too, but I believe it’s well worth it.

[Labman]

Thank you based on your reply and the info I decided it was worth subscribing to The Whole Dog Journal.

[Mom2Cavs]

According to the Whole Dog Journal’s 2012 dry dog food list Blue Buffalo is made by a number of different manufacturers. They list CJ Foods, Ainsworth, ProPet, Triple T Foods, Tuffy’s, ANI/Vita-Line. Diamond does not make Blue Buffalo. Hope this helps.

[Labman]

On going debate I have heard it is made and 3 different processing plants. I have heard C.J. Foods I’ve heard Blue Diamond and I’ve heard Diamond. Can somebody confirm which is correct. Also if somebody knows what other brands are produced at that plant.

[jnite]

Hi all, I would just like your opinions. I own a pet store and am bringing in some new foods. Currently I carry Acana, Orijen and Lifetime. I am most probably bringing in a few Blue Buffalo skus as well. I am probably going to bring in 1 or 2 more lines. I am leaning towards taste of the wild for one. For the other I am really not sure, I would like a food that is 4-5 stars, but hopefully around the 40-50 dollar range. Soooo with that info what do you think would be a good choice?

[Rambo and Fancy]

HDM, thanks for the advice. I’m in the process of transitioning my 15 w/o chinese cresteds from the Royal Canin they were on when I got them to Blue Buffalo Wilderness. They seem to have no issues with the switch, I did just 1/4 of the new for only one day then switched to 50/50. I guess so long as I stay with a high end grain free we should be OK.

[Rambo and Fancy]

Our poop stinks. I’m in the process of switching my 15 week old chinese cresteds over to grain free, so hopefully that will help. What do ya’ll think? The poop hasn’t always smelled I guess for the last month or so. Is that a puppy thing? I haven’t had an indoor puppy in a long time. About a week ago we started adding the blue buffalo wilderness to the royal canin. They are both good eaters (twice a day, schedule they were on when we got them) and good poopers 3 or 4 times a day.

Will the only grain free make it better or worse?

Thanks

[sisu]

I have a 7 year old who is a spinal walking paraplegic. He has no feeling from the waist down. He can walk due to muscle memory which 10-15% of dogs maintain. There is limited bladder and bowel control. Although the conditions are different our goals in waste management may be the same.

Grain inclusive foods result in big fluffy poop. Grain free with the highest meat content and lowest carbs give the best results when feeding kibble. With a balanced raw diet there is barely any waste. Therefore, the poop is very small, ring finger to little finger size. If Prey Model Raw (PMR) is not an option consider premade raw with the highest meat content. After 5 years of trial and error I have found that EVO Herring and Salmon kibble works very well. As almost a contradiction to my high meat, low carb, low fiber rule Blue Buffalo Wilderness Salmon also results in small size poop. I suspect it may be due to the digestibility of the menhaden fish meal. Of the two brands EVO poop is smaller. Some companies will send free samples. Use the contact link on their websites to make the request.

I feed as close to 6 am and 6 pm as possible. There are very few treats given. Rewards are enthusiastic chin scratches and lots of happy, verbal praise. By restricting the frequency of food going in I can predict that poop will happen an hour to and hour and a half after each meal. Exercise will cause him to poop sooner rather than later. Anal stimulation either by lightly touching around the outside of the anus or using a KY jelly lubricated thermometer inserted into the rectum with some slight movement will cause him to poop a couple of hours sooner than expected. Although I have rarely used either of these methods they are useful for getting things back on schedule. If used frequently poop on demand becomes the schedule rather than allowing his natural digestion to establish a schedule.

Below is a list of meat protein in various brands of kibble that I have collected from the ‘net. I have not fed these brands. Although I trust the sources of the information I cannot guarantee it.

Dr. Tim’s Momentum 35/25, 96%
Native Level 4, 35/25, 93%
Diamond Extreme Athlete, 93%
Inukshuk 32/32, 95%
Annamet should be 90+%. Specific amt. is not known.
Orijen 82%
Horizon Legacy 80%
Instinct 70%.
Merrick grain free 70%

I am unsure if the constant leg movement your boy has are muscle spasms. If so, daily muscle massage of the legs and along the spine similar to Tellington Touch, gentle repetitive bicycle movement, and flexing the leg joints and toes may help. All is done slowly. Stop if there is a spasm. Resume when the muscles relax. After 2 years of daily massage/flexing therapy Connor has no spasms.

If your dog is being treated by a general vet I would suggest a visit to a veterinary neurologist or neurosurgeon. Not for surgery but to evaluate and treat the current condition. For example, there is medication that can help with muscle spasms. Also, if it is in the budget, professional physical therapy can help with lingering issues. If the carts were not professionally fitted a neurologist or physical therapist may be able to resolve the current problems.

If interested in raw feeding:
http://preymodelraw.com/how-to-get-started/
http://puppybutt.weebly.com/uploads/7/6/9/2/7692088/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.4.1.pdf

The Paralysis: Neurological and IVDD forum is very helpful and informative.
http://www.handicappedpet.net/helppets/

I hope some of this helps.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Naya –

If you read through the comments on the Blue Buffalo threads and checkout the complaints about Blue Buffalo on consumer affairs, you’ll see that many people’s dogs are getting diarrhea on Blue. A friend of mine actually started her new puppy on Blue this past summer and she had horrible diarrhea for a month, she then switched the food and it cleared up within a day. I’d recommend just picking any 5 star food and add a few spoonfuls on plain canned pumpkin to boost the fiber rather than specifically looking for food based on fiber content (that would greatly limit your choices). You may also want to consider getting a high quality digestive supplement with pro-biotics and enzymes to get your dog’s digestive system back on track. This is a really good one: http://total-zymes.com/total-biotics.html . Good luck!

[naya]

I also have an active 6 year old black Lab and he’s been having chronic diarrhea and occasional vomiting. Lots of tests at the vet and nothing comes up. He’s been on Blue Buffalo Turkey and Potato, which I see on this site doesn’t have a five star rating…but I took him off it a month ago and substituted it with rice and boiled chicken and — at the vet’s recommendation — added W/D canned (1/4th can each feeding) which seemed to help. I’ve been weening him back onto the Blue but it seems like it’s not working–he’s getting loose again. Clearly, he’s reacting to that formula. But why suddenly? I added fiber to his diet before — frozen green beans or peas as a treat…
Please help me: Which five star food is high in fiber (so I can get rid of the W/D!) and protein? I can’t seem to isolate the fiber search in the database of top foods. Thanks!

[sophia]

She’s has never taken any interest in actual bones, I think they’re to hard for her.

I’ve heard that the Blue Buffalo brand, although a good brand, can just be too rich for some dogs, and I just have a feeling my dog would be one of them. The Nutrisca actually looks very good except I think a fat content of 16% may be too high (?). I have looked for Grandma Lucys before but have not been able to find it around here! The Honest Kitchen looks like something she will do very well on though, I plan to try and find a smaller bag to test it out this weekend, thanks everyone!!

[Anonymous]

I have read many reviews and done research about brothers complete, and its two brothers just trying to sell their way in the dog industry. I’m going to try blue buffalo again or go to acana.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Sophia-

Try Blue Buffalo Wilderness Weight management(something to that effect, lol ) The fat content, if I recall is 10% and even our most fat sensitive dog could eat it just fine-Another food to try is Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance-chicken-its dehydrated and 8% or so fat. We use it as a topper several times a week.

[Ramona72]

It’s so frustrating, isn’t it? You just keep trying all sorts of things, and none of them works! Glad to read that the grain-free food did the trick for your poodle. Sadie is still on grain-free — every kibble I’ve given her is grain-free. I’m wondering now if it’s her treats. I rotate Sojos lamb, Blue Buffalo duck/potato, & Natural Instinct rabbit. When her stools get mushy, I almost go into PTSD! That’s the first symptom I saw with my other dog who had IBD, but it wasn’t diagnosed… She does get real (cooked) chicken, turkey, ground beef, and ground bison, too. The stains are really bad now, but we are beginning our cedar season down here which is brutal for anything that breathes. That explains some of the staining, but not what has been going on before the cedar hit. I just can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.

I didn’t know that about Angel Eyes, but I instinctively did not want to use it. To keep Sadie’s eyes from being stinky, I dilute a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in some water and apply it with a Q-Tip or a baby toothbrush. She seems very grateful when I do this. Doesn’t do a lot for the stains, though…

BTW, thanks to everyone who has posted their thoughts about this topic. Every little bit of information is helpful.

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve also had success with weight loss just by increasing the protein and decreasing the carbs of a grain-inclusive food by mixing it with a higher protein grain free food, ie Merrick Wilderness or Turducken (discontinued formulas) cut with Blue Buffalo Wilderness. For me, at any age, the increased protein and decreased carbs helped the dogs with weight loss. There are some high protein grain-inclusive foods as well, such as Merrick Classic and Acana Classic, and foods designed for puppies generally have a higher protein content as well (but not always) like Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy. I would chose the Nutrisource Performance formula over the large breed puppy formula for weight loss and yes for your senior. It is rated for all lifes stages. You would of course be able to feed a lesser amount.

[janus69]

We should also consider that if recall is grounds not to buy a brand then we would prob be out of luck all together and unable to buy any. Here is the recall list of brands having been recalled:

ALPO
Americas Choice, Preferred Pet
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Blue Buffalo (RICE GLUTEN)
Bruiser
Cadillac
Canine Caviar Pet Foods (RICE GLUTEN)
Champion Breed Lg Biscuit
Champion Breed Peanut Butter Biscuits
Co-Op Gold
Companion
Companion’s Best Multi-Flavor Biscuit
Compliments
Costco/Kirkland Signature (RICE GLUTEN)
Demoulas Market Basket
Diamond Pet Food
Diamond Pet Food (RICE GLUTEN)
Doctors Foster & Smith
Doctors Foster & Smith (RICE GLUTEN)
Dollar General
Eukanuba Can Dog Chunks in Gravy
Eukanuba Pouch Dog Bites in Gravy
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Gravy Train
Grreat Choice
Hannaford
Happy Tails
Harmony Farms (RICE GLUTEN)
Harmony Farms Treats (RICE GLUTEN)
Health Diet Gourmet Cuisine
Hill Country Fare
Hy Vee
Hy-Vee
Iams Can Chunky Formula
Iams Can Small Bites Formula
Iams Dog Select Bites
Jerky Treats Beef Flavored Dog Snacks
La Griffe
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Master Choice
Meijer’s Main Choice
Mighty Dog
Mixables
Mulligan Stew Pet Food (RICE GLUTEN)
Natural Balance (RICE GLUTEN)
Natural Life
Natural Way
Nu Pet
Nutriplan
Nutro
Nutro – Ultra
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nuture
Ol’ Roy
Ol’ Roy 4-Flavor Lg Biscuits
Ol’ Roy Canada
Ol’ Roy Peanut Butter Biscuits
Ol’ Roy Puppy
Ol’Roy US
Paws
Perfect Pals Large Biscuits
Performatrin Ultra
Pet Essentials
Pet Life
Pet Pride / Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority Canada
Priority US
Publix
Roche Brothers
Royal Canin (RICE GLUTEN)
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet (RICE GLUTEN)
Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels
Schnuck’s
Schnucks
Shep
Shep Dog
Shop Rite
SmartPak (RICE GLUTEN)
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Stater Brothers Large Biscuits
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Triumph
Truly
Weis Total Pet
Western Family Canada
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

[xfileluv]

/dog-food-reviews/canyon-creek-ranch-dog-food/

I picked up a bag of Canyon Creek (fish-based) b/c I was not near Tractor Supply (we typically use 4Health salmon) and we needed food. It was free of all the bad stuff so I figured it would at least be decent. When I checked DFA, I found out it is a 3-star food. Not something I would typically endorse. However, it’s the first food we’ve tried that gives our pit firm stools. We tend to have trouble with him being sensitive to food (even on Blue Buffalo Basics and other grain-free foods).

So we are on the fence. All other foods to date (4Health, Blue Buffalo, etc.) bother our pit’s sensitive system, and we have bought two more bags of Canyon and he continues to do well on it (no constipation, no diarrhea, but firm stools). The Canyon Creek seems to be good in regard to his stomach–I’m just not thrilled with the overall rating. Does anyone have any input on this?

If it matters, we use 4Health because it is the highest rated food we can get at the best price (4-star rating, around $30). We also have a beagle (stomach of iron) and have a foster dog at all times (usually another pit), so we go through a big bag of food fairly fast at our house, especially since we are usually trying to put weight on foster dogs that are coming out of terrible conditions.