[charisse]

Also wanted to mention “Carna4″ which got good marks for quality human grade dry dog food on her 2018 list of best foods from author of The Truth about Pet Food” blog/website.

I’ve decided to give this brand to my ShihTzu Bella, along with “Meal Toppers” from Honest Kitchen.

[Chris s]

The diet information is often conflicting…and requires a lot of time to read and cross check. I lost a dog from hemangiosarcoma 6 years back. My oldest dog now had a mast cell tumor in the last year. Some of the information on Dr. Dressler’s website may be helpful–however, I have found the general diet suggestions are not favorable for a dog with a history of mast cell tumor. The dietary goal with that cancer is low histamine foods–which conflicts with some of the foods listed on Dr. Dressler’s canine cancer diet. I would highly recommend looking into I’M Unity– it is a type of mushroom supplement which has been and continues to be studied by UPenn Vet Hospital for cancer treatment. It may be a useful alternative to chemo…without the side effects. It is worth a try. NOT doing chemo was the hardest decision I ever made for my guy who had hemangiosarcoma. I went to 3 top oncologists and contacted the NIH division of translational medicine looking for treatment options– but there had not been any advances in decades. He had severe separation anxiety as well. I decided on quality of life and followed the diet in Dr. Dressler’s book, but got very little time given the nature of his cancer. I hope you find good options for you and your poodle. Wishing you peace at this hard time. Follow your heart.

[The guy who throws the ball]

I just posted this on another thread and figured I’d post it here too.

I thought I would share our experience. My dog Widgit started having seizures around age 3. The Vet said there was no particular cause and it is just epilepsy. We delt with the seizures for about three years. They were getting worse and we were on the verge of putting her on medication based on the vets recommendation. Then we noticed a pattern with certain treats we were giving the dogs. We had tried different foods over the years , and Widgit was a picky eater. We decided to get the best food we could and switched again. It has been over a year without a single seizure! I’m not saying that diet is a cure or that it will work in all situations, but I can say for a fact that dog food and treats were a trigger and maybe a cause for my dogs seizures, and better food and no processed and flavored treats have changed her life. The funny part was once we fed her her current food she loved it and gobbled it down. So her pickyness was probably just her not wanting to eat because it made her feel bad. A high quality diet without junk made all the difference for us, and I recommend changing your dogs diet for the better if they are affected by seizures, and to look for patterns associated with changes. Keep a seizure log, we did for three years and it was helpful. Like I said, once we switched food after seeing the pattern, Widgit’s seizures immediately stopped and she hasn’t had one. Good luck

[The guy who throws the ball]

I thought I would share our experience. My dog Widgit started having seizures around age 3. The Vet said there was no particular cause and it is just epilepsy. We delt with the seizures for about three years. They were getting worse and we were on the verge of putting her on medication based on the vets recommendation. Then we noticed a pattern with certain treats we were giving the dogs. We had tried different foods over the years , and Widgit was a picky eater. We decided to get the best food we could and switched again. It has been over a year without a single seizure! I’m not saying that diet is a cure or that it will work in all situations, but I can say for a fact that dog food and treats were a trigger and maybe a cause for my dogs seizures, and better food and no processed and flavored treats have changed her life. The funny part was once we fed her her current food she loved it and gobbled it down. So her pickyness was probably just her not wanting to eat because it made her feel bad. A high quality diet without junk made all the difference for us, and I recommend changing your dogs diet for the better if they are affected by seizures, and to look for patterns associated with changes. Keep a seizure log, we did for three years and it was helpful. Like I said, once we switched food after seeing the pattern, Widgit’s seizures immediately stopped and she hasn’t had one. Good luck

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by The guy who throws the ball.

[Mackenzie S]

Hi there, I have an 8 month old golden retriever and need to figure out what adult food to switch her to. She is on Hills Science Diet Large Breed Puppy lamb meal and loves it. Based on the embarrassingly amount of hours i’ve spent researching dog foods i’m still stumped. I noticed that majority of the top editors foods are “grain free,” however i’ve read numerous studies regarding grain free foods being a common factor in golden’s who have died at an early age from DCM because of low taurine levels.

If grain free foods can be the cause of this then why are they the tops picks? Are there grain free foods with an adequate amount of taurine needed for these dogs?
What should I switch her to? I do want to have her on a high quality food, but can’t figure out what direction to go

help!

• This topic was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Mackenzie S.
• This topic was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Mackenzie S.

[Kathleen S]

Although this is an old thread, I saw “small kibble” and had to comment. Not only is the food we feed our canine companions important, but the vehicle is also. My English Bulldog spent his 10 years heartily scarfing down his top-quality kibble and it showed in his good health. Right up until this past week when he inhaled a piece of it. Pneumonia quickly developed. He was in intensive care for 36 hours before I had to euthanize him. It happened that fast. Now I am kicking myself…if only I had changed his diet to a wet food…obviously the metal “slow down” ball in his bowl wasn’t enough…what if I had gotten him to the hospital faster?…? So now, I am no longer feeding kibble to my younger dog, despite my veterinarian’s advice. Something to consider as we pour over the nutritional breakdown of what we feed! How do we feed it?

[Karen G]

Hello Everyone, It has been almost 2 weeks since I have posted about Abby and I thought I would give an update. According to the clinical nutritionist at the Veterinary College here in Ontario, Abby is doing quite well. She and her supervisor were not really concerned with any of the slight abnormalities in Abby’s bloodwork, with the exception of a low B!2, something we all knew would be an issue for Abby as she lost her ileum (the section of the small bowel that absorbs B!2). Therefore we have restarted B12 injections every 2 weeks.
Abby’s appetite has picked up now that we are almost exclusively feeding her small meals of Hills z/d kibble (both canine and feline mixed ~75%/25%). we “flavour” the meals with ~ 5-8gm of a slurry of boiled lean ground beef (I boil 1 lb of ground beef in ~300-400 mL of water, after it is cooked and cooled in the fridge I remove as much fat as I can and then pulverize the whole pot of water and beef into a rather thick beefy broth. I freeze it in small containers and then measure it out per meal) We heat the slurry in the microwave for 5 seconds so it is warmed and thinned and then we coat the measured dry kibble with it before setting it down for her to eat. She loves it. I suppose it sounds like a lot of work but really boiling a pound of ground beef, separating the fat, blending it then freezing it is really pretty easy.
We have decreased the daily Fortiflora doses as I was concerned that it could be contributing to Abby’s diarrhea. The envelope that contains the daily dose is the same amount for a Great Dane as it is for Abby who is only about 6.35kg (14lbs) and I thought she might be getting too much. However there was really no difference in her number of poops after I stopped the Fortiflora so now I give her a bit on her morning feed every 2nd day or so just to give her a little healthy bacteria top up and that seems to be fine. Her weight loss has levelled off and we have seen a slight increase in the last 2 weeks.
I spoke to our clinical nutrition resident about soluble vs insoluble fibre (Thank you Susan) and since we had such bad luck with soluble fibre (metmucil) her suggestion was to just try what we can from natural sources (veg, fruit etc) but to always maintain a rule of 90% daily nutritional content from her kibble, and no more than 10% nutritional content from other things (ground beef and/or fruit veg etc). Now that she is getting the ground beef we no longer give Abby any canned z/d. We also discussed other hydrolysed dog foods and alternative protein source dog foods (again, thank you both pitlove & Susan) and the CN is going to modify Abby’s original diet report with alternate options, all under the supervision of the assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the OVC. We are pretty lucky to live so close to such a high level of care for our pup.
Abby continues to poop 4-6x a day, thickest in the morning, most watery at night. Our CN reminded us that because Abby has lost so much of her small bowel she will always have diarrhea and our goals should be to see a decrease in frequency, to maybe only 3x a day and hopefully one day poops that are consistently only a score of 5 on the Purina fecal scoring system chart. Currently Abby’s poops are usually a score of 6-7 with an occasional 5. http://www.epi4dogs.com/poopchart.htm
Just this past week we passed the 3month anniversary of Abby’s torsion and surgery. This date was a real milestone for me as everything I read online re:veterinary studies of dogs that had bowel resections and a loss of a large section of small bowel, would show that a dog that survived the first 3 months generally lasted until they were no longer being followed by the authors (i.e. a couple of years). Because Abby lost 70% of her small bowel, she is on the borderline of good vs bad outcomes. So three cheers for our wee Abby…she has survived the acute recovery period and now we are transitioning to chronic mode.
I have to admit this has all become quite an obsession for me this last 3 months but I am feeling pretty good right now. Abby is a happy active little dog, her quality of life is very good. Other good news is that the CN at the OVC also reviewed Abby’s BCS and gave her a 4/9 instead of a 3/9 as our family vet’s practice partner did. (I shouldn’t have even asked for it that day, she was a vet that didn’t know Abby and a BCS can be quite subjective) The CN told us that family vets often underestimate Body Conditioning Scores because they are so used to seeing dogs that are overweight. So a 4/9 is pretty perfect and I’ll take it!
The next steps are the modified diet plan, and Abby will be discussed at internal medicine rounds this week at the OVC re: would she benefit from another round of metronidazole and/or would she benefit from a low daily dose of an antidiarrheal. I know those seem like simple actions that any vet might do, but the opportunity to discuss it with a number of professors and vets at a university teaching hospital may have far reaching results…who knows, Abby may be the subject of a journal article some day.
Once again, thank you pitlove, Susan, & Tyrionthebiscuit for reading and offering your supportive comments and knowledge. It has been very helpful for me. I realize this is a rather long winded post but I am hopeful that if ever anyone else has to go through a similar experience with their dog, they will find this post and know that there are people out there willing to share their knowledge and experiences to help that family have a positive outcome. As our CN said, a lot of this is trial and error because many dogs don’t survive post surgery or their owners can’t afford the surgery so there isn’t a huge amount of information out there. I will continue to post updates about Abby’s progress, thanks all….Cheers for now

[Jamie S]

Amy,

I joined this site for the exact same reason as you. My dogs have been in Merrick for a while now and just began having major GI issues. I have been making homemade and their symptoms stopped. I can’t make their food longterm, and like you are looking for a high quality food. I am overwhelmed with the choices. My dogs are indoor dogs with low to moderate activity.

Any other suggestions for lower activity Dogs?

[zcRiley]

You dog is still a puppy so any ailments is a cause for concern. Food transitions take a week maximum, not a month. Purina bought Merrick in 2015, so by now per reviews, it isn’t the same quality anymore. Excessive poop means zero digestion, she’s not getting any nutrients from the food. She shouldn’t be vomiting at all, and if the raisins aren’t in the vomit, stop the kibble immediately & take her to the vet. Both causes severe dehydration. Run fecal tests if you can. Feed Zignature Zssentials until you know what’s going on with her GI tract.

[anonymous]

I prefer dog food kibble that contains no potatoes, for a variety of reasons.
I guess it depends on the dog. I have noticed that some kibbles appear to be loaded with potato. I think legumes are better 🙂

From the comment section of this article http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/
Use the search engine there to look up specific topics.

skeptvet says:
August 8, 2016 at 11:04 am
The problem is that definitive conclusions about “good” vs “bad” diets, or about the optimal diet for any individual pet, simply aren’t justified by the available evidence. Just because we want to be able to make firm, reliable conclusions about what to feed doesn’t mean we always can. Uncertainty is frustrating but sometimes it is a reality.
I would say the best advice will come from board-certified nutrition specialists, but this level of input is probably only needed for animals with specific health issues related to nutrition. Otherwise, the basic principles would be something like:
1. Don’t overfeed. Overweight body conditions is the most significant nutritional risk factor for disease known, and reasonable caloric restriction has been consistently shown to have health benefits.
2. Feed a commercial diet that meets basic adequacy standards or a homemade cooked diet formulated by a nutritionist.
3. Monitor body weight, lean body mass, stool and coat quality, and other measures of well-being and if they do not seem to be optimal, feel free to do some trial and error changing of brands or diets, accepting that the results are of limited value for generalizing about the feeding of other pets.
4. Don’t get rigid and dogmatic about specific ingredients, brands, etc. The label really tells us almost nothing of value about the health implications of a particular food.
5. If it sounds revolutionary or too good to be true and isn’t supported by extensive, consistent clinical research, it’s probably just opinion and not very reliable advice.

[Samantha S]

We were feeding Acana Lamb and Okanagan Apple. Originally, it was an excellent quality food, but over time I saw a significant decline in condition and temperament. Specifically, my dogs were fence fighting constantly, my girls either stopped cycle or were unable to get pregnant, loss of muscle tone and dull dry coats. Finally, I looked at the food label: Acana added a load of phytoestrogens: whole green peas, red lentils, pinto beans, chickpeas, green lentils, whole yellow peas, lentil fiber, and more.

I switched food some one phytoestrogen-free, and we are back to our beautiful, sweet, large litter size kennel that we once were.

[Cara H]

I’ve been feeding TruDog to my 4 Shih Tzu,
My dogs eat it and especially enjoy when I top it with the Boost Me product of the same brand.
Can anyone suggest same quality as a more wallet friendly cost??
I love my dogs, I truly do, but their food is putting me in the poor house!!
Any suggestions??

[GSDsForever]

Wow, lot of sharply divergent information, strong opinions, values, and emotions in this thread!

I really feel for you Deborah. I can tell 100% that you love your dog very much, have been through and still are going through a lot, want and try to to the right thing — and wish to be respectful of your vet and others here & elsewhere.

If I met you in person, I’d really love to sit down and just talk it through supportively.

There’s so much in this thread to comment on. I’m going to presume, benefit of the doubt, that even where we disagree, that all here intend to be respectful and are motivated by sincere belief that they are giving you the best advice for your dog to be well. I wish to do the same.

1)I don’t like/believe in/recommend Dynovite. I just don’t think it’s this amazing product or expenditure to accomplish what you/others want. I think it’s a gimmicky & an overhyped, overpriced product that is very trendy, convenient, readily available, & well-marketed to take advantage of people and their pets.

I would eliminate it and start from scratch with a quality food. Supplement as needed.

2)Royal Canin Ultamino — aka the hydrolyzed bird feathers food

I 100% hear you & support you, agree with not wanting to feed this food. That SHOULD be okay. Honestly. Why? Because there absolutely are alternatives to it and the science/feeding strategy behind it is NOT unique on the market.

Here’s the thing: a diet of hydrolyzed protein + very limited other ingredients, starch (no protein allergen), pure fats IS hypoallergenic, meaning LESS likely to trigger allergic food responses and/or food intolerance reactions. So that *type* of diet recommendation from a vet is a valid one.

That said, THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL OR NECESSARY OR BENEFICIAL about feeding specifically bird feathers or “poultry byproducts aggregate” as the protein source. It’s the hydrolyzed aspect of the protein ingredient that is key to hypoallergenic status. If your vet did not explain it well to you, food allergens are proteins, and a hydrolyzed ingredient has the protein (the allergen) broken down into much smaller components that are less likely to trigger the body’s recognition of the ingredient and allergic response.

Other hydrolyzed diets, besides this one, may be fed. Other equally good options for feeding allergic dogs include limited protein, limited ingredient diets that exclude what your dog is allergic to if that is known or strongly suspected.

Sometimes this is rather simple. In a dog that has eaten the same diet of chicken its whole life, for example, merely switching to a fish based food can work. When a variety of foods have been fed, with no relief/allergies continued, a novel protein limited ingredient diet is fed. “Novel” here simply means whatever YOUR dog has not had before, not anyone else’s. It is critical here that the diet you select has pristine quality control, takes rigorous steps in manufacturing or home preparation, to avoid cross-contaminating the diet with ingredients not listed on the label. Especially when it is not known what all your dog has been exposed to and may be allergic to, it may be best to to avoid the current known top allergens for dogs: chicken, beef, eggs, dairy, soy, wheat, corn — and now also fish, lamb (after these have become no longer “alternative” foods but commonplace to feed). For dogs that have been exposed to everything under the sun, a really unusual protein can be used (e.g. kangaroo, if elk/venison has been fed).

A word of caution regarding OTC kibbles, cans, dehydrated/etc. products: In an OTC product vs alternatives of vet prescription commercial diets or homemade, you need to do your homework — research the food and ask pointed questions of the manufacturer and consider the actual plant that makes the food. Most people don’t do this, aren’t aware of the problem (trust the label too much) and many OTC commercial foods, including so-called limited ingredient diets, fail such cross-contamination quality control and therefore fail to provide relief (because the allergen is still being fed but not listed on the label). For a severely and genuinely allergic dog, this can be a nightmare — as tiny amounts can trigger the allergic response.

I do find it odd — and perhaps I am missing something here — that your vet is proposing and insisting (as you say) upon this one food. That doesn’t make sense to me — not on any scientific, research & evidence, best practices basis — purely from what you’ve said here.

What if this food stopped being manufactured tomorrow? What if it were recalled and therefore could not be recommended (temporarily)? What if your dog hated it and refused to eat it?

Surely there are other foods you could purchase to accomplish the medical goals here. Surely you could also feed an appropriate homemade/home prepared diet. This leads me to my next part . . . .

3)Vet-Client Relationship and Recommendations

A good veterinarian-client relationship is one of mutual respect and two-way dialogue. That dialogue includes both sides considering and addressing what the other is saying. Both sides may raise valid points that are worthy of consideration, understanding, discussion.

This means mutually asking and answering questions as necessary and respectfully, patiently making decisions TOGETHER in the best interest of the dog. Basing decisions upon careful consideration of facts and evidence, where things are explained and understood, still involves two way discussion. Some respect for the *values* of the pet owner, should be accorded by one’s vet, not to mention any actual fact based knowledge that a pet owner may have.

As an example, I have expressed to my vet(s) that, aside from concerns about ingredient/formulation quality, I am not comfortable on ethical grounds (including documented animal cruelty discovered in feeding trials) in supporting a particular major dog food manufacturer. Both vets (over the years) I expressed this to were very respectful and open to alternatives selected together. One vet shared that she did not know about the issue and asked me further about it because it disturbed her too. (Vets are busy and, like all people, don’t hear about/read everything and miss things.)

Similarly, my vet and I *discussed*, *considered* Apoquel (which you said you use) and Atopica for severe, unrelenting allergies and I ultimately rejected both after researching them. He was fully respectful of that. He never was pushy about either or any other course of action proposed. Later, when Cytopoint was recommended, I did choose to use this (again based on my research and discussion with the vet/vet staff) and have had great results.

I appreciate that you like your vet otherwise, find her to be “nice.” But it sounds like more two-way discussion should be happening and alternatives considered.

Conversely, as with human doctors, I strongly believe it is important that people see a vet that they trust — and then proceed to trust in what they say. By this I mean not that clients simply blindly and without discussion automatically do every single thing that their vet suggests or recommends, but that they seriously consider and respectfully attend to their recommendations, ask questions, try to understand, and reach good decisions TOGETHER. It’s a better course of action to propose major changes to one’s vet first, consider what she has to say & discuss, then take action than the other way around.

If a client cannot trust her vet (or human doctor) or cannot have full, open discussion with them, then why would that client see that vet (or human doctor). And yet I know many people who do exactly this — and it is probably a frustrating experience for both sides.

I see this come up, with dog owners I talk to, with vaccination schedules, heartworm prevention, and diet (including especially raw or homemade diets). And yet all of those topics are important and ones I expect to be able to discuss openly with my vet in full — and I do. If I can do it, you can do it.

Without being there, since you like your vet, it sounds to me *possibly* that either more time needs to be spent with you on this topic or you might need to be more assertive, vocal yourself and ask questions — ask why just this food, what are alternatives, what about this or that food (why or why not), what about a trial on a different one, what about a homemade vet supervised diet (using a consult service w/veterinary nutritionist if necessary), and be just as persistent as she has been. Get the answers you need to make the best decision for your pet, based on multiple options and good information.

***IF*** you’re just going to your vet because she’s close by, out of habit/length of time seeing her with your pet and hesitant/uncomfortable leaving her for a new one, because she’s “nice” (even caring), but are NOT ultimately getting what you need from her medically — are not able to have a full & open discussion with her, have all your questions & concerns addressed, receive alternatives and options — then I would see a different vet.

4)If your dog has more food intolerances, GI reactions to overall formulations, like too rich, etc., a sensitive digestive system more so than actual allergies, then there are foods very good for that that I would explore. These differ somewhat from strict allergy diets. Was your dog diagnosed with allergies or just sensitive tummy/touchy digestive system or food intolerances? Was a specialist consulted by your vet?

Some foods appropriate to sensitive digestive systems are just bland and very moderate, conservative in overall nutrition profile/guaranteed analysis, and low residue (meaning highly digested and low poop).

I’ve known people to switch from diets marketed explicitly for this purpose, prescribed even, to Fromm’s (and Fromm is a great company, with an excellent longterm record of quality control) Whitefish formula and it’s been exceptionally well tolerated by their dogs. It’s bland, not rich, and has quality ingredients. That’s just one example. There are other choices. Wellness Simple and Nutrisource come to mind, also Go! Sensitivity and Shine.

5)Homemade diets

If this interests you, your vet should be helping you and supportive, as it can be done.

Your vet should be able to provide a free, published balanced diet appropriate to your dog’s needs/condition, minimally consult (sometimes this is free) with a specialist colleague, OR full blown consult (for a fee) or outright refer you to go see a specialist in nutrition who will design you a diet or multiple meals you can safely feed.

Similarly, regarding that itchy skin/allergies, your vet can consult and discuss a case — often for free — with a veterinary dermatologist (specialist) or outright refer you to see one. Has your vet done this? If not, why not? If you have reached the point that you are trying so many diets, things, experienced such a range of symptoms over time, dog taking Apoquel, your vet insisting upon RC Ultamino now, consulting/referral would conform to best practices.

If money is really tight and you don’t have dog insurance (or coverage), there are both free board certified veterinary nutritionist/other credentialed authored single diets available on the web as well as one entire book of therapeutic veterinary diets (from UC Davis) now freely available on the web.

Personally, if you want to go the route of an actual veterinary nutritionist helping your dog, I would recommend (for many reasons) a long distance consult with board certified veterinary nutritionist Susan Wynn (unless you are in Atlanta, in which case you can see her in person). It’s about $300. She will consult with generalist vets long distance, which not all veterinary nutritionists will do.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by GSDsForever.

[poodaddy]

Weston Pro Series #22 – for us this was the right balance of price for performance. We make 60 days of food for two dogs at one time, i.e., bones and all. Also important is the food processor for the non-meat portions of the menu.

Did my own comparative analysis of meat grinder specifications, price, company longevity, number of units in circulation, performance, risk, warranty, reviews, and then made the decision based on best value for us. For about a month prior, we used lesser capacity, lesser capable food processor devices when starting to mess with raw food augmentation of dry food, then when we were comfortable with raw food preparation in its entirety, and we committed, the decision was made. After 6-7 months of complete raw food preparation, we are convinced we made the right choice. The only reason we did not step up to the #32 was our volume did not call for it, otherwise if I were making raw food for friends or commercially, the decision would be for a more robust unit. As far as Weston, we love its sturdiness, and I really like its engineering/design. Anyone going 100% raw food preparation, which in our case includes the entire chicken or and bone-in red meat products (pork chops etc), a grinder that handles the bone, gristle, etc with ease is the key. Getting in the middle of a 10-hour production process the size we now do once every two months, and having a grinder break, is not a good thought. My wife cannot lift the Weston #22 from the pantry where we store it and onto the kitchen counter-top so be forewarned, good quality grinders (designed to handle bone, are heavy units).

[Ann S]

We adopted a rescue dog 4 months, he was on heartland chicken and rice and our vet wanted him moved to a better quality food. So we gradually moved over to Taste of the Wild pacific stream canine formula. He has been having issues the last 6 weeks with getting sick, itiching like crazy. He has a spot his back that won’t heal. Vets are at a loss for what is going on. He’s been on steroids, and antibiotics and still not healed and he won’t stop itching. We are giving benedryal and it provides some relief. I found some comments that others are experiencing similar issues with Tast of the wild. We fed this to our previous lab, but fed bison an venison formula and never had any of these issues.

[Noelle M]

This is a hot topic for me lol
I have a dog with struvite stones and chronic utis.
Of course when we were given this diagnosis we were recommended a prescription diet from our vet. I immediately cringed at the ingredient list that was majority corn. There was no way I was going to feed my dog what was essentially corn meal with chicken fat half way down the list for the rest of his life. So I began my very long, very draining journey into finding a decent food that wouldn’t cause a flare up.
First I had to figure out WHY the prescription diets worked. Right on the Hill’s website they explain that the food contains controlled levels of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium to manage the development of stones.
So I took the calcium, phosphorus and magnesium levels from the prescription food and started comparing them to other foods. SO many foods. Many of which I had to email the company directly because they didn’t have those levels available online.
Essentially I looked for food with calcium and phosphorus levels below 1%, the lower the better. There are actually quite a few to choose from!
My boy has been on Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior for the past number of months, his meals are floated in water and I add a cranberry supplement. His condition has been kept 100% under control and he is doing wonderfully overall on this food.
Generally I have found that senior or large breed formulas are more likely to have sub 1% calcium and phosphorus.

Some of the brands I have found that could work are:
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior
Nutram Sound Senior and Large Breed
Diamond Naturals Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato

I give bonus points to foods that contain cranberry already, though I continue to supplement it.

Bottom line is the prescription foods WILL work to treat a specific condition, but I personally could not bring myself to feed it long term based on the ingredient lists. There ARE decent quality foods out there that match or come close to matching the analysis of the prescription diets that should manage the dog’s symptoms and are generally much healthier overall. Look for subzero levels of calcium and phosphorus, float the food in water and consider a cranberry supplement.

Obviously I cannot gaurentee that any of these foods will work, but it is definitely worth a shot imo and has worked beautifully for my dog who had pretty severe and chronic symptoms.

Good luck!

[Susan H]

Thanks, Lew.

I just left the local holistic pet food store. They sell Orijen, and other top quality foods. She said all their line is 5 star rated by Dog Food Advisor. I was happy to hear that.

She told me that out of all the dog food manufactured in the USA, that Orijen has the highest standards. That was good to know.

She recommended that I keep the pup on what she was on for at least 2 weeks until she is settled in with us. Also, the vet gave her a worm pill yesterday that was likely too strong, and she’s been throwing up since last evening. I purchased some raw goat’s milk to help settle her tummy. I may decide to change to a holistic vet that is farther away, but maybe more up to date on natural alternatives as well as conventional.

I’m sort of leaning toward Stella and Chewy’s raw, and am going to search in the forum for experiences with that.

[poodaddy]

Ahhh … what a juicy topic and it seems full of emotion – perhaps a story of multiple parts which will eventually be relevant to chewing bones will help others – gotta love real life stories. Context – Not a Vet or a Licensed Dog whatever but have been training dogs from basic obedience to field trials (for about 40+ years of studying mostly working with many breeds in dog training clubs – some of the best times in my life – some of the most diverse professionals who were in those clubs – try it if you don’t do it). Was finished with years of shelties and open jumping and wanted a gun dog and to be active in a gun club in upstate PA. So studied up on it, and got an awesome yellow lab, bred for hunting, waited a year for him from a professional duck hunter, and was soooo excited when the day came for me to drive 10 hours to pick him up at 7 weeks old (1995 in Pennsylvania). Carefully trained the puppy to six months in puppy obedience (of course) with the understanding this was going to be a gun dog and of course our favorite home companion too! This big strong consistent smart yeller was amazing in the field under the tutelage of a retiring yellow lab female for upland game and an unreal black for water dog training. Yes, …. for those who do not know, gun dogs in high end clubs mostly learn from retiring master gun dogs and the owners learn from the professional handlers. That dog grew up able to chew, crush, devour anything with jaws and teeth that were bred to handle it (and snapping the neck of a really big furious goose when needed). Teeth were shiny white, never came close to breaking a tooth that I could see, no periodontal disease, healthy male lab, as loving as could be around children/people, but was a focused working dog in the field with an unbelievable level of hearing, great sight and instincts that made me a better person, hunter and handler. Fast forward, many years later, we were suffering from the loss of this companion and we get two pups (14 lb at maturity) cockapoos because I am done with hair in the house and I want a canine companion in my office with me in my 12-15 hour days as a business owner. After the poo male’s first broken adult tooth from meaty bone chewing and the female’s bowel issues from eating “stuff” not even close to bone fragments, and a couple vet visits, gone was bone chewing other than VERY careful observed knawing on some softer meaty bones that are more trouble than they are worth due to the messiness – but the poos love them nonetheless. We were driven to address the anal gland secretion issues, the normal onset of periodontal disease at the 4 year mark and scale build up, bad breath, …

* We learned something REMARKABLE after our vet informed us we must make an appointment for two dogs to be anesthetized and get their teeth cleaned (expensive situation that carried some risk). Early in this year 2017, for different reasons, I embarked on a journey of raw food self-education primarily for anal gland issues and my growing nervousness of kibble, my reading about how commercial dog food is prepared, and my ignorance of what is in it (we were feeding them Blue Buffalo Company products) which may be high quality but I did not trust any kibble and the dogs were finicky with any kibble diet. Since March 2017, their diet (100% raw) has apparently changed their body chemistry so dramatically that the scale on their teeth started “slowly dissolving” after about 6 weeks. Their breath changed in about a week or two for the better. I could rake the scale off with the slightest pressure from a fingernail after a month. The follow on vet visit since then resulted in “anal gland secretion problem resolved” – saved $60/visit/60 days gone due to firm stools from ground bone in the raw diet, “periodontal disease problem – $1600/both dogs resolved” due to (1) the change in digestive chemistry according to our vet with my research concluding the same, (2) and combined with once a week brushing to keep removing the scale, “all digestive issues of periodic loose stools or strange eating habits – resolved as they love the raw food diet we manufacture. So, what is the relevance? The risks of raw meaty bones with a dog directly correlate to the breed, size, and situation. At least this is the conclusion from our real life experience, backed up by concurrence with our vet, and it is consistent with our friends’ experiences who have smaller poo-hybrids versus those with labs. Who is learning? The human for certain … and both the human and dog are benefiting. Booya for education, trial and error, doing things for the love of the dog, and persistence!

[Panya V]

Our Jackaranian will be turning seven this month and he just had his first bout of pancreatitis. He had been slightly overweight at 18 pounds before his illness, but is now back to his ideal 16 pounds. I’ve read that pancreatitis can reoccur, and that it requires a low-fat food. He’s had Halo Spot’s Stew Wholesome Chicken Recipe ever since we rescued him at six weeks of age, and the adult formula had 16% fat [min.; 18% DMB]. We had been thinking we could simply continue to feed him a lesser amount of this kibble and supplement with whole foods [he loves fruits and vegetables] to reduce the amount of fat in his diet; on the advice of his vet, this is what we did to get his weight down when he was overweight a few years ago. FYI, he also gets a bit of flax oil almost every day [he and our cat think it’s as a treat]. But now Halo has reformulated most of their foods and we can’t buy it any longer due to new allergies; we can’t have anything with fish, seafood, pork, and preferably no chicory. That is making it extremely difficult to find a kibble of good quality which isn’t too expensive for our budget [Halo was already at the top]. He’s always done so well on the Halo — regular, solid, drier BMs, no gas [only when he’s had too much fruit, and then the farts scare him because it happens so rarely! lol], shiny coat, lots of energy, etc. — the weight gain was usually due to my husband inadvertently over-feeding by rounding over the measuring cup. 😛 I’m positive we wouldn’t have to worry about the mental side of a food switch, since he’ll eat just about anything if we let him, though I am worried about how his gut will react to a different food, especially since we’re quickly running out of his supply of Halo. This very site helped us research foods when we had our first dog [whom we had to put down a few years ago due to a brain tumor] — so we’re hoping that we can find some help again.

[anonymous]

Per the search engine: /forums/search/bladder+stones/
See my posts
Also regarding prescription food:

More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets

I have used Royal Canin SO for a dog for a dog with bladder stones with good results.
Zignature is a quality food, copy the ingredient list from Chewy and show your vet, maybe the dog could have that? Or, 1/2 and 1/2 with the prescription food? Check with your vet.
Whatever you feed, add water and maybe soft food, presoak kibble and add water.

Dogs that get bladder stones often have a genetic predisposition (struvite and calcium oxalate are the most common), not enough water is another contributing factor.
Has she had an x-ray/ultrasound to rule out bladder stones? Because, they can have more than one type of stones. This also. can result in recurrent urinary tract infections.
Add water to the kibble, and you can also presoak the kibble in water overnight in the fridge prior to serving.
Offer frequent bathroom breaks/opportunities to urinate, keep the bladder flushed. Stagnant conditions in the bladder are conductive to stone formation.
Don’t free feed, 2 or 3 small meals a day is better and always have fresh water available. Maybe add a little plain chicken broth (no onion) to the kibble.
A blocked urethra is a medical emergency and can result in surgery to save the dog’s life.
Did the vet talk to you about prescription meds for stubborn cases? Don’t confuse supplements with medication.
Work with your vet, prescription food and all, when the dog has been stable for 6 months to 1 year you can discuss diet changes.
Use the search engine here to see more threads on this topic.
This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.
Ps: You may find some helpful information here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=urinary+tract+infection

[haleycookie]

Higher protein can help develop lean muscle tone when exercised properly. High protein foods also tends to be higher in fat so it’s important if you’re going with a higher protein foods that the pup is exercised daily. Also watch out for things like pea proteins, it’s in a lot of new high protein foods. You want a food that has meat as the protein. So a food that has the first three ingredients as meat then maybe peas as the carb but pea protein specifically should be much further down if it’s in the ingredients. I really like merrick grain free. Their foods are meat based and top out at 38% protein. I also really like natures variety Instinct raw boost and ultimate protein, those foods are also meat based and are around 35-42% protein. Both brands are excellent quality. Some dogs have protein sensitivities so watch out for that as well when you start feeding a high protein food. As far as merrick goes their lamb formula is wonderful. It’s only about 32% protein and lamb is easy to digest so it’s a good alternative to say 38% protein that might be a bit too rich for a dog. Just make sure you pick a puppy food for the next few months. Both companies I mentioned have a puppy formula that’s high in protein.

[Susan]

Hi Heather,
Daisy needs a diet high in Omega 3, have you tried a salmon/fish diet yet? you write you give her Omega 3 but what brand are you using, is it a New Zealand brand? in America they tested a heap different brands of un opened fish oils supplements off the shop shelves & 70% of them were no good, a waste of money, then they tested the fish oil supplements from New Zealand & their fish oil capsule were of better quality, the whether is cooler in NZ, so there’s no damage while being made.. Oxidation occurs when unsaturated fats such as omega -3 fatty acids EPA & DHA are exposed to heat, light or oxygen…how you’ll know if capsules are rancid/oxidized the smell is awful, smells real fishy smell & the gel capsules may have discoloration… store any fish oil in fridge…
same as oils in a kibble as soon as you open bag of kibble & the oxygen hits the kibble the oils start to oxidize, they say you have 2 weeks life on a kibble, so make sure its put in an air tight container & stored in a very cool place in the house, alot of people put their dog food in the garage or hot shed…
Cause you don’t know if the fish oil capsules are good or bad, best to buy tin sardines in spring water or olive oil, take sardines out of the tin & put in a glass air tight small container, store in fridge & give Daisy 2-3 sardines a day either as a treat or as a topper on her dry food….
I would start looking for a Salmon dry formula but not Orijen or Acana, Orijen & Acana tested high for toxins & contaminates….
Have a look at “Canidae” Pure Sea formula, alot of dogs with skin problems do really well on the Canidae Pure Sea formula, ingredients are good, its high in omega 3, feed for 2-3 months then rotate & feed the Canidae Pure Sky it has turkey meal & duck meal, turkey & chicken are cleaner meats, or rotate with the Canidae Pure Elements also the wet tin foods are really good to use as a topper, read thru the ingredient list see which formula you prefer but make sure you rotate with the Pure Sea especially when Spring & Summer is coming start back on the Canidae Pure Sea, https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

or try a vet diet try Hills new “Derma Defense” wet & dry, it’s a vet diet for Environment allergies, skin problems, with high levels of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acid, the Omega 3 is high at 1.80% the Omega 6-3.96%, the Omega 3 should be around 1/2 of what the Omega 6% is, alot of pet foods aren’t balanced properly & are very low in Omega 3 & very high in Omega 6, they’re not balanced properly & cause skin problems….
Hills Derm Defense helps strengthen skin barrier, formulated to help soothe & nourish skin & coat, helps skin recover naturally, supporting a healthy immune system, works with proprietary complex of bioactives & phytonutrients, antioxidants, including vitamin E, high levels of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids….
I know I lot of people don’t like the ingredients in vet diets, but they’re formulated for certain health problems, you could give the Derm Defense a try for just 3 months & see does her fur start to grow back, you’ve got nothing to lose also Hills is guaranteed to work or money back, contact Hills speak with one of their Vet Nutritionist & see what formula they recommend… I rotate & feed the Hills D/D Venison & Potato Skin health & Stomach, my boy has IBD & Skin Allergies or try the Canidae Pure Sea & Pure Sky formula’s first & see how Daisy goes…. Canidae will be cheaper then the vet diet… Canidae gets 5 stars on American consumer affairs site, Canidae grow all their own vegetables, Canidae is a family run business…. what your feeding at the moment isn’t helping, so you have nothing to lose..
also shampoo what are you bathing Daisy in to moisturize & nourish her skin?
Start bathing Daisy weekly with Malaseb medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens on her skin…

[anonymous]

Communicate with your vet that the antibiotic is making her nauseous (from what you can tell).
On more than one occasion I have had the vet change the antibiotic to a different one, problem solved. There are other broad spectrum antibiotics that may be able to be used.
Something to keep in mind, have the vet note on her record that this antibiotic does not agree with her.

Stop worrying about the quality of ingredients in this food and that food, you can worry about that later, if and when she is stable.

I told you, dogs LOVE Mighty Dog and they have gravy formulas. I have owned dogs for over 30 years, I think I know a thing or two.

Another trick, supermarket rotisserie chicken meat (no bones, of course). I have NEVER seen a dog refuse it, mix it with the prescription food and a splash of water and watch her eat!
Try it and let us know.

Oh, and take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt 🙂
For science based veterinary medicine go here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by anonymous.

[Therese M]

We got our 3 yo golden mix from a rescue 3 weeks ago. They got her from shelter a week before we got her so no real history. She’s heartworm positive and almost done with her 30 days of antibiotics. She was 5 lbs underweight when we got her and has lost another 1 lb since then. She’ll start heartworm treatment soon and I understand she’ll likely be very ill and lose weight from that so we’re very concerned.

Pretty much from the beginning she refused food. We fed her what they gave her (Muenster dry, pro plan chicken and rice wet). Wouldn’t touch it. Tried each separately, no go. Tried tuna, chicken toppers, nothing. We’ve rotated through at least 10 dry foods and 20 canned foods. We took her back to the rescue and they tried a bunch of stuff on her. Of 7 dry and 6 wet, the only thing she ate for them, and has consistently eaten for us is Cesars trays. I’ve been trying desperately to get her to eat anything better than that but nothing else will work. I’ve tried everything form Fromms to Weruva to Bil Jac picky eater. Nothing works. I’ve mixed in pumpkin (plain and fruitables), raw goats milk, broth, nothing works. Homemade chicken and rice, ground beef, oats, green beans, eggs, cottage cheese. We took her to the vet earlier this week for vomiting and diarrhea. The vet gave us some prescription food, which she refused to eat, and some antinausea pills which stopped the puking but hasn’t helped her appetite. Said otherwise shes great. My husband is starting to wonder if we’re capable of dealing with her, and I’m not far behind him. We throw out $6-8 of food every day bc she just wont touch it. Is there anything left to try? We’re trying to stay on the high quality foods but at this point I could care less what it is if itll get her to eat. For her weight she should be eating 16 trays of Cesars a day- she eats at most 2. She eats less than 1/3 what she should every single day, on the days she eats at all. We will do literally anything at this point, so all suggestions are welcome. We live in Dallas so we have access to pretty much everything, we just need to track it down. Thanks for any help you can provide. If you need any more details please be specific- this is our first dog and we’re doing our best but I’m not up on lingo just yet, or what might be important that I’m leaving out.

[Susan]

Hi Dave,
do your researched pick a few brands you like, then start introducing 1 of those brands see how our dog does in a 2-4 week period, then start rotating between a few of the brands you like but make sure they have a different meat protein, don’t ever just feed a kibble that is fish based, dogs need to eat different meat sources, fish is the highest meat to have toxins. Pet food companies would be buying the cheapest fish off cuts, they wouldn’t be buying premium quality salmon, tuna, sardines etc, these fish kibble formula’s wouldn’t be the best & higher in toxins, your better off buying human grade tin salmon & sardines in spring water & add some as a topper to your dogs kibble, I stay away from any fish kibbles now & chickpeas & lentils, chickpeas lentils can cause gas, wind pain, intestinal problems & are hard to digest they also up the protein %, we need to start asking these pet food companies to write how much is the meat protein % & the plant protein % on their pet foods, I bet there’s alot of kibbles out there that are very high in plant proteins…
Do you follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page? he’s been exposing pet food companies & telling the public about all their little tricks these Pet food companies use to see their pet foods, how they up the protein %, false advertising on their kibble bags, he has really good videos on all this…..Rodney is a raw feeder now after his 14 yr old Golden Retriver Sammy was diagnosed with cancer 2014, he makes his own raw for his dogs & Sammy is cancer free now, he has a video that shows just adding 1-2 spoons of fresh whole healthy food as a topper to your dogs kibble meal can prevent them from getting cancer, even after you have cooked dinner if you have some left overs keep in fridge & give to your dog instead feeding 1 of her/his kibble meal or add as a topper….this is what our parents did & the dogs were living longer back them then the dogs are living now, dogs are dying much younger now & most are feed dry processed kibble…

[anonymous]

Hope this helps:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service
Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.
Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.
Top pet dermatological issues
Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:
•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.
All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.
Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.
Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).
IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.
The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.
ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.
This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.
When it’s time to see the vet
Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:
•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin
Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

Dermatology – Common Issues

[Yx]

Is this the formulation you are referring to? – https://www.proplan.com/dogs/products/focus-puppy-large-breed-chicken-rice-formula#ingredientsandguaranteedanalysis –
Within the first 11 ingredients there are 4 grains and 3 generic meat ingredients (4 if you count fish meal) which, as we know are very low quality. -/choosing-dog-food/dog-food-meat-content The Pro Plan seems to be Purina’s top tier food as the formulations go down hill from there. This formulation for Purina’s Dog Chow Large Dog is even worse and includes artificial colors – https://dogchow.com/en/dog-food/large-breed
It certainly makes me wonder if the reason for conducting those feeding trials is to ascertain how low they can go in quality while not creating immediate health problems for the unfortunate animals in the trials?

[anonymous]

Please do not apply anything to the skin or give over the counter meds intended for humans or give supplements unless instructed to do so by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.
You could make things much worse and increase the risk of infection.
Hope this helps:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service
Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.
Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.
Top pet dermatological issues
Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:
•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.
All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.
Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.
Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).
IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.
The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.
ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.
This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.
When it’s time to see the vet
Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:
•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin
Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

Dermatology – Common Issues

[Theresa G]

Good morning! Like many we have one hungry puppy. I have found http://www.njpetsupply.com for anyone looking to stick with their fromm or orijen dog food (among many other brands). They offer the lowest price fromm allows to be sold at and free shipping to the tri state area as well. They ship to the entire US. They are independently owned for over 25 years. I spoke to them and they are gladly welcoming any new customers who have been displaced by the chewy and petsmart merger. Fromm, orijen and other top name dog foods truly do care about us, and I am thankful to have a high quality dog food still avail at the lowest price!

http://Www.njpetsupply.com is where we will be ordering from goijg forward!

[C C]

Hello everyone…I pretty much started this topic after losing our precious Sheltie most likely from toxic Acana Pacifica dog food and I’m going to attach a link from the Clean Label Project research. Although this doesn’t evaluate nutritional quality, for which we have Dog Food Advisor, it does shed tremendous light on toxic elements found in today’s dog food, the worst in many years for lead, arsenic, and BPA. I received this notice from petmd.com and the Clean Label Project. Check out the ratings especially for Acana and Orijen being the worst at a 1 star out of 5, probably since the switch in manufacturing was made from Canada to the plant in Kentucky. Very eye opening at best and can be discouraging as well. However, keeping ourselves educated can lead to wisdom decisions and best health for our pets. I hope this will be helpful, so just cut and paste into your web browser.

http://www.petmd.com/news/view/your-pets-food-safe-36136?roi=echo3-45455985558-43354653-32a69d60886230debd6ada66a0ae6813&utm_source=BlogSubscribers&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=072017blog&utm_campaign=Blog

[a c]

Susan,

Thank you for your reply. He is a 12 weeks old miniature schnauzer. He has no problem with Orijen puppy kibble. His stool is like toosie roll, solid but soft. 5 times a day. He is also getting Freshpet select chicken and turkey roll and little vegetable as topper. I just want to rotate him with some other quality puppy food.

Both Holistic Select g/f puppy kibble and Eagle Pack kibble have Carbs at 47-48% in dry matter. Wellness Core puppy has Protein at 40% in dry matter. I am looking for kibbles that’s not too much on one component.

Besides Freshpet select roll, I have not introduced any raw or can diet for him. I know most of the raw diet have pretty high fat. I have learned my lesson from my senior dog with pancreatitis history.

[Susan]

Hi Heather,
it’s best to email the pet food companies & the Vet diet companies when you need any information about their formula’s they will ring or email you back with crude fiber % soluble fiber % insoluble fiber % & dietary fiber % in their formula’s, a good pet food company like TOTW their a Vet Nutritionists will ring or email you back but I didn’t read anywhere that your dog needs more soluble fiber in his diet, it will depend on your dog like your vet has told you, it’s trial & error, if it was my dog, I’d be trying the wet tin vet diet first, all vet diets are money back guaranteed & you just bring back any un opened tins or the rest of the kibble back if poo’s don’t firm up within 2-5 days & the vet changes over to another vet diet till you find one that works, you don’t have to pay to see the vet again the vet nurse normally goes in & speaks with the vet then the vet either comes out to speak with you or the vet nurse recommends another vet diet for you to try… try the Hills Canine I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet tin food first & use the Hills I/d Digestive Care kibble as treats only give 1/4 a cup kibble thru the day & see how his poos go next 2 days if they are OK then increase the I/D kibble.. that’s how I started with new kibbles with my boy years ago when I rescued him.
My boy did the best on the Hills D/D Venison & Potatoes vet diet, it has 1 single intact meat protein with limited ingredients, improves digestion & stool quality, it’s soy protein free, gluten & grain free, the protein % is low-18% the Hills I/d Digestive Care replaces nutrients your dog has lost & has B vitamins & electrolytes your dog needs at the moment…. my boy gets bad overgrowth bacteria in the gut & small bowel, vomiting, nausea & pain… I tried the Hills I/d Digestive care kibble, he seem to be doing really well the first 5-6 days, it did what it says on the front of the kibble bag “it will firm stools within 3 days” BUT after 6 days my boy started to react to the poor ingredients & started doing yellow sloppy poo’s, all the fermentable grains made his bad bacteria breed & take over his stomach & bowel again, I took the Hills I/d bag of kibble back & got a refund, I bought a bag of the “Taste Of the Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb what was recommended to me on a EPI group & IBD dogs face book groups & my boy has been doing firm perfect poos now for over 1 yr, a lot of dogs with EPI, S.I.B.O, IBD, Diarrhea do really well on the TOTW formula, there’s also a wet tin in the Sierra Mountain, I don’t know if it’s the probiotics or the purified water they use but something in the TOTW formula helps dogs that have Intestinal stress, I know a lot of people don’t like Diamond & knock Diamond but every new batch of TOTW gets tested after being packed in the kibble bags & tins before it leaves the plant, my boy has never gotten diarrhea or sick while he’s been on the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula…
Please make sure the course of antibiotics your dog is taking is for 14-21 days give the antibiotics every 12 hours with a meal do not stop the course till it’s finished….

Zignature is best for dog with food intolerances/sensitivities to certain ingredients, I’ve never seen Zignature on any of the IBD or EPI groups I belong too being feed for intestinal problems, Zignature is very pea heavy, chick pea heavy these ingredients can cause bad wind & gas in the bowel… go back to your vets office & ask the vet nurse to try at wet tin & dry Vet Diet before you try the Zignature, then once your dog has been on a vet diet for 6-9 months & the bowel has healed then maybe start slowly introducing a single low protein, limited ingredient formula & make sure you give a probiotic after he has finishes the antibiotics or give probiotic 3 hours before or after giving the antibiotics or give Kefir… you need to take baby steps with dogs who have intestinal problems.

[Susan]

Heather
if you need fiber % it’s best to email the pet food companies & the Vet diet companies & they will email you the crude fiber %, the soluble fiber % the insoluble fiber %, the dietary fiber% & in their foods, but I have never read anywhere that your dog needs more soluble fiber in his diet, it will depend on your dog like your vet has told you, it’s trial & error, if it was my dog, I’d be trying the wet tin vet diet first, all vet diets are money back guaranteed & you just bring back any un opened tins or the rest of the kibble back if poo’s don’t firm up within 2-5 days & the vet changes over to another vet diet till you find one that works, you don’t have to pay to see the vet again the vet nurse normally goes in & speaks with the vet then the vet either comes out to speak with you or the vet nurse recommends another vet diet for you to try… try the Hills Canine I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet tin food first & use the Hills I/d Digestive Care kibble as treats only give 1/4 a cup kibble thru the day & see how his poos go next 2 days if they are OK then increase the I/D kibble.. that’s how I started with new kibbles with my boy years ago when I rescued him.
My boy did the best on the Hills D/D Venison & Potatoes vet diet, it has 1 single intact meat protein with limited ingredients, improves digestion & stool quality, it’s soy protein free, gluten & grain free, the protein % is low-18% the Hills I/d Digestive Care replaces nutrients your dog has lost & has B vitamins & electrolytes your dog needs at the moment…. my boy gets bad overgrowth bacteria in the gut & small bowel, vomiting, nausea & pain… I tried the Hills I/d Digestive care kibble, he seem to be doing really well the first 5-6 days, it did what it says on the front of the kibble bag “it will firm stools within 3 days” BUT after 6 days my boy started to react to the poor ingredients & started doing yellow sloppy poo’s, all the fermentable grains made his bad bacteria breed & take over his stomach & bowel again, I took the Hills I/d bag of kibble back & got a refund, I bought a bag of the “Taste Of the Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb what was recommended to me on a EPI group & IBD dogs face book groups & my boy has been doing firm perfect poos now for over 1 yr, a lot of dogs with EPI, S.I.B.O, IBD, Diarrhea do really well on the TOTW formula, there’s also a wet tin in the Sierra Mountain, I don’t know if it’s the probiotics or the purified water they use but something in the TOTW formula helps dogs that have Intestinal stress, I know a lot of people don’t like Diamond & knock Diamond but every new batch of TOTW gets tested after being packed in the kibble bags & tins before it leaves the plant, my boy has never gotten diarrhea or sick while he’s been on the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula…
Please make sure the course of antibiotics your dog is taking is for 14-21 days give the antibiotics every 12 hours with a meal do not stop the course till it’s finished….

Zignature is best for dog with food intolerances/sensitivities to certain ingredients, I’ve never seen Zignature on any of the IBD or EPI groups I belong too being feed for intestinal problems, Zignature is very pea heavy, chick pea heavy these ingredients can cause bad wind & gas in the bowel… go back to your vets office & ask the vet nurse to try at wet tin & dry Vet Diet before you try the Zignature, then once your dog has been on a vet diet for 6-9 months & the bowel has healed then maybe start slowly introducing a single low protein, limited ingredient formula & make sure you give a probiotic after he has finishes the antibiotics or give probiotic 3 hours before or after giving the antibiotics or give Kefir… you need to take baby steps with dogs who have intestinal problems.

[Linda C]

Hi everyone, so let me give you as short a background as I can….

Hagen is an 11 1/2 year old dog who has been generally healthy until he was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor in 08/16. He had 3 grand mal seizures in a 12 hour period which led to the scan which discovered the tumor. He was only given a few weeks to live, we opted for surgery, and it was successful. He does however have resulting left side neurological deficiencies and is on medication for the rest of his life. He is generally happy and healthy all things considered and isn’t in pain or anything like that.

He has generally always eaten Merrick Grain Free dry food, with occasional mixed-in items such as cooked chicken. A couple of weeks ago he had 4-5 days of diarrhea, it would get better, then start up again… he stopped eating and literally ate *nothing* for 3 1/2 days. He actually lost 20% of his body weight in about 7 days. He wouldn’t even drink water and we had to feed him and give him water with a syringe.

The morning that we took him to the vet he actually ate a few bites of food and drank water on his own and so we felt like he was already on the road to recovery. The vet prescribed metronidazole and FortiFlora… and recommended Science Diet Oral Care DRY food and Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d digestive care WET food. She basically said they tasted really good and would entice him to start eating again, which they did… I started giving him the dry food mixed with a spoon or so of the wet food and the FortiFlora (once a day) and he started eating again the same day….

So it has now been about 10 days, the problem is, he is eating like a beast… I tried feeding him the same quantity of this new food as I fed the Merrick and he acts like he is dying from hunger and begs for more, he paces and paws and starts whining etc… also he has started pushing the other dogs away from their food and taking it, so now I’ve had to start feeding him separately. You know how if you have a dog who loves cat food and they accidently get at the cat food and they start gobbling it down like their life depended on it because they know you are going to catch them? THAT is how he is eating.

Also, his poop is a LOT more… like, he’s eating more, but I feel like he is pooping a LOT more than what he is eating, I don’t even know if thats possible. Also, its like he is pooping all day long. Where he used to go usually twice a day like clockwork, now he goes every time he goes out. Which would be fine except………

He is now eating his poop. He never did this before. He acts like its super candy. I always pick it up, but sometimes I like to let them run around in the yard while I’m cooking etc (I can watch them from the window which overlooks the yard) so sometimes I can’t get there fast enough…

I discontinued the FortiFlora several days ago, also discontinued the metronidazole several days ago… I also stopped giving him the wet food, and now he is ONLY having the Science Diet Oral Care DRY food… I did some research on it and honestly it looks like a pretty crappy dog food… I’m not comfortable feeding him that long term… Again, he never had this crazy appetite before, and he never ate his poop before…

So, what I’m wondering is, is this related to the quality of the dry food? His poop used to be small and compact and more solid, this poop is huge and moist and just a lot more volume (sorry LOL)….

I’m going to switch him back to the Merrick Grain Free and I’m HOPING this will put things back to normal again………… Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi Steve,
the only way to know how these animals died & how the pet food is being made is buy free range organic ethically farmed meat & veggies & make your own pet meals….
If you lived in Australia we have a new ethically farmed pet food called “Frontier Pets”, the pigs, chickens & beef all run free & are feed a healthy diet, they live a pretty good life…Here’s “Frontier Pet Food” web page https://frontierpets.com.au/pages/our-purpose
There must be a few companies like our Frontier pets but in America… send Frontier Pets a email the lady will email you back & answer all your questions, ask does she know of another pet food company like her Frontier Pets but in America or Canada, she has just started & would of done a heap of research, so she may have come across another ethically farmed pet food company in America….

There’s “Ziwi Peak” an New Zealand pet food company who make high quality pet foods your dogs will love their air dried pet food & their wet tin foods, https://www.ziwipets.com/
there’s also “K-9 Natural” another NZ made pet food you add water I buy their Green Lipped Mussels. https://www.k9natural.co.nz/
Ziwi Peak & K-9 Naturals are both sold in America.
There’s “Honest Kitchen” you can use their base formula’s & add your own organic meat or buy the HK formula’s where you just add water….
There’s “Just Food For Dogs” they make pet food for dogs with certain health problems they may make an small breed all life stages formula, send them an email.. https://www.justfoodfordogs.com/vet-support-diets

Do you realise when you read the fat% & protein% on wet raw foods it hasn’t been converted to dry matter basis (kibble) yet, here’s a calculator, save this link so you can convert & know how high the fat % is in wet tin, raw food your feeding…. 5% min-fat when converted to dry matter is around 20-25%max-fat. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

Once you have found a few pet foods introduce them & make sure you rotate between 2-3 different brands so your dogs are getting a variety of different pet foods so if one of these pet foods isn’t balanced properly or has toxins etc your dogs aren’t eating the same pet food 24/7 here’s “Clean Label Project” site, this is the first year CLP has tested pet foods for toxin’s, CLP tested the most popular pet foods for lead, arsenic, pesticides, mercury, cadmium, BPA you can see which wet pet foods made the good list & the worst list…..click on “Product Ratings” up the top..
I and Love and You, Dog for Dog, Wellness, SmallBatch Pets & Stella & Chewy got 5 stars in the wet tin foods section…the fish formula’s seem to be worse & turkey & chicken formula’s rate the best. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

[Lazaro B]

This is an email I got from chewy.com regarding Fromm dog food which I feed to my dog. If you order from chewy.com, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE contact Fromm and tell them not to cut ties with chewy.com when it comes to selling and delivering our pet foods. Their email and phone number are at the end of the email. Thanks.

I’m sorry to let you know that Fromm Family Foods will no longer be available at Chewy and will only be available while supplies last. Fromm has decided to limit their distribution and will no longer service Chewy customers.
I am very disappointed by Fromm’s decision to end their retail partnership with us because it greatly impacts you, our customer. Their business decision to limit distribution was clearly not in the best interest of customers like you, who have come to rely on Chewy to feed your furry family.
When I founded our company my mission was simple, deliver the highest quality products at the best prices and provide an unmatched customer experience. We have always put our customers and their pets at the center of everything we do. That’s why we have the most knowledgeable customer service representatives in the industry dedicated to providing best-in-class customer service and adding personal touches to online shopping with handwritten cards and hand-painted portraits of your pets.
It’s particularly upsetting that despite all of my company’s efforts and personal relationships throughout the years, Fromm has decided that they will no longer service our customers.
I urge all customers who are affected by this to personally contact Fromm directly to let them know you rely on the convenience of delivery and value the personalized service you receive from Chewy. Unfortunately, for many of you this decision will result in your inability to get these products in a convenient way. Please encourage Fromm to put their customers and their pets first.
Call
800-325-6331
Email
[email protected]
Post
https://www.facebook.com/frommfamily/
I know how important it is to choose the right food for your pet and our Customer Service Team is available 24/7/365 to answer any of your questions or to help you select from over 500 brands of top-rated natural, high-protein and grain-free foods.
Sincerely,
Ryan Cohen
Founder & CEO
Call us 24/7 at 1-800-672-4399
Customer Service Free Shipping
Satisfaction Guaranteed Hassle-Free Returns
Free shipping on all orders over $49. 1-2 day shipping on most orders. Visit Chewy.com for details.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved.

This email was sent by: Chewy.com

1855 Griffin Road Suite #B-328, Dania Beach, FL 33004, United States
Chewy.com
Click here to Unsubscribe | View in Browser

[C C]

Svan and Caroline, First I’m so sorry to hear about your dog’s ill health, but unfortunately not surprised. And I’m very happy to hear that Acana is not going to be sold by Chewy any longer. Hopefully others will also stop selling this toxic food as they learn the reality of what is happening to dogs. And that goes for all poor quality dog foods and even ones vets recommend. We must do our own research to make a wisdom decision for our beloved fur babies!

[Caroline C]

Looks like Chewy.com has finally decided to drop ACANA and Orijen foods. Thank goodness. My dog is in kidney failure due to ACANA’s Wild Atlantic dry kibble. Their fish based dog foods should all be recalled. I contacted Chewy.com in early June imploring them to do testing on their own of a specific lot, 3002505-62212. This is an email I received this morning from Chewy.com. The spin on it indicates that Champion Pet Foods is actually the one pulling the food from Chewy.com. Either way, it is a good thing for pets. ACANA and Orijen is poisoning our pets.
————————————————————————————————————————-

I’m sorry to let you know that Champion Pet Foods, makers of Orijen and ACANA, will no longer be available at Chewy and will only be available while supplies last. Champion has decided to limit their distribution and will no longer service Chewy customers.
I am very disappointed by Champion’s decision to end their retail partnership with us because it greatly impacts you, our customer. Their business decision to limit distribution was clearly not in the best interest of customers like you, who have come to rely on Chewy to feed your furry family.
When I founded our company my mission was simple, deliver the highest quality products at the best prices and provide an unmatched customer experience. We have always put our customers and their pets at the center of everything we do. That’s why we have the most knowledgeable customer service representatives in the industry dedicated to providing best-in-class customer service and adding personal touches to online shopping with handwritten cards and hand-painted portraits of your pets.
It’s particularly upsetting that despite all of my company’s efforts and personal relationships throughout the years, Champion has decided that they will no longer service our customers.
I urge all customers who are affected by this to personally contact Champion directly to let them know you rely on the convenience of delivery and value the personalized service you receive from Chewy. Unfortunately, for many of you this decision will result in your inability to get these products in a convenient way. Please encourage Champion not to put their corporate interests above the interests of their customers and their pets.
Call
877-939-0006
Email
[email protected]
Post
https://www.facebook.com/ChampionPetfoods/
I know how important it is to choose the right food for your pet and our Customer Service Team is available 24/7/365 to answer any of your questions or to help you select from over 500 brands of top-rated natural, high-protein and grain-free foods.
Sincerely,
Ryan Cohen
Founder & CEO

[Jenn H]

Purina (higher end line like Pro Plan) and Science Diet are not as horrible as many think. I was once one of those people. Then I really learned about all the studies they do, the advancements in nutrition that have been made because of these companies and the work they do.
While my experiences are anecdotal, the dogs that I have had to feed Science Diet to have done far better than they did on the 5 star brands. It is because of the science and continued research they do.
They also treat the animals they use in trials very well. Hills keeps the animals for the entirety of their lives and tracks their health and nutrition through all stages. I don’t think there is a company that is so thorough in their research.
My youngest dog is only 2. He’s been on the most expensive foods and always had some sort of issue. Mostly mild when fed really good quality food. He did fantastic on Acana until they started making food in KY. Then his food intolerances were the worst they have ever been. He & his brother do great on Science Diet. (I also feed him The Honest Kitchen too.) His mother is fed Pro Plan. She’s thriving. She has terrible allergies too.
Hills prescription food has kept my girl from having flare ups. It’s no more expensive than the top of the line foods. She is also on FortiFlora which is made by Purina

It’s so important to do your homework. You can’t just go by the label, DFA, documentaries, blogs, etc. Nothing is that simple or black & white. We’re talking about animals. They are not so simple when it comes to their individual needs and differences.

As for Science Diet & Purina paying vet schools. They may pay to hold a seminar, but they are not influencing the course of study. (Much like a comedian or band paying a college to perform.) Students’ attendance is strictly volunteer. They are not credited or penalized.

[Paulah C]

I have a dog that gains weight quickly despite his 3 hour daily walks & his evening off leash trail or dog play. I am trying to find a good quality weight lose dog food that is Completely Chicken Free. He was on IAMS kangaroo & doing well. Unfortunately IAMS stopped manufacturing the kangaroo dog food which had Pork as its Fat Ingredient. My Vet. had me start him on Royal Canin Kangaroo having been told it’s ingredients where identical to IAMS. Well less than a week into the switch my boy was scratching non stop… Took a good look at the ingredients and to my surprise Royal Canin Fat Ingredient is CHICKEN stopped it immediately. He is on food he loves, but has started putting on more weight again. Despite him being active & feeding him the amount for an inactive dog and for a lower weight. He is also now constantly looking for more food in his bowl or peoples pockets on the walks 🙁 ).
I have tried Frozen Raw, but he refuses to eat it even if it is the only thing I put out for him that day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Karen B]

We fed our lab Orijen Six Fish for at least six years. She had never been sick at all except for once a year having to have her anal glands expressed. The last order of Orijen we got had some bags that were vacuumed packed and others that were not. All of a sudden her white platelets plummeted way down and the blood vessels popped in her eyes and her gums bled.
The emergency vet ruled out everything and finally said that sometimes the immune crashes with no reason. Well, I don’t believe an immune system crashes for NO reason. It is just that the reason it happens wasn’t discovered. After heavy doses of Prednisone, Birdie was miserable and aggressively hungry all the time. She had a huge amount of fluid in her belly. As the Prednisone was tapered off (this whole process took WEEKS), the fluid went down and she started perking up. She was on her way back to health then suddenly started vomiting uncontrollably one evening. That was stopped by the emergency vet and we were sent home. She couldn’t get comfortable at home so we started back for the emergency vet again. She died on the way. I didn’t want an autopsy done but the vet had seen plenty of Birdie’s ultrasounds over the past few weeks. Her liver and pancreas were horribly inflamed. We believe the Orijen killed her. It was just all of a sudden that she stopped wanting to eat it. Symptoms that she had corresponded with other reports we have seen on the internet. I think it was the bags that were not vacuumed packed and from Kentucky that were the killers. I think some dogs are just more vulnerable to poor quality dog foods.

[M N]

Hello, I have a 16 month old German Wirehaired Pointer. I am currently feeding him free-choice TOTW Wetlands formula. I started him on TOTW High Prairie Puppy at 7 weeks and switched to the adult Wetlands formula at around 9 months as we were struggling to keep weight on him. Currently on the Wetlands formula he will swing between a 3 and 5 on the 9 point scale, depending on how active we are that week. Overall I have been very happy with TOTW.

Lately (since about March-April) I have been hearing a lot about dogs getting sick on TOTW. Naturall,y this concerns me. Also, with summer upon us and the increased training and exercise that comes with it, it has been a little harder to keep weight on him. As summer progresses and we start conditioning for hunting season I suspect it will get even harder. This combines to have me again looking to change foods.

Initially when I was looking at switching I was looking at the Black Gold Salmon and White Potato because it was available locally and looked good on paper. We tried a bag this spring and he seemed to do okay on it, but we never fully transitioned as my local feed store stopped carrying it. I also considered Victor Nutra-Pro, but again there was no local supplier for it. When I mentioned this to the owner of the feed store he told me that if I wanted him to he would order either of them for me on their regular shipments, he just needed 1 week notice and would have it in for me.
I also looked at the Sportdog formulas this spring, but they didn’t ship directly to my area and the cost through Amazon was more than I was willing to pay. Now I see that Amazon has 50lb bags in the Large Breed and Active formulas, both of which are at a price that I find reasonable.

I understand that there are alot of quality foods out there, I am looking at these foods specifically due to quality, availability, and cost (under $1.50 a pound). Another reason I am looking to switch is I have another puppy coming this fall, and I feel TOTW has a higher calcium content than I would like to see for a large breed puppy. The 4 formulas I am looking at seem to be a better all around fit for me, with the exception of the large breed which the kibble may be a bit big for a puppy. The Victor may be higher protein than I want/need, and is not a grain free, but does advertise a higher percentage of protein from meat than Sportdog (90% vs 76%). The Sportdog Large Breed has a lower fat than content than the others (14% vs 18%) which leads me to believe it may not alleviate my weight maintenance struggle. 30/20 protein/fat seems to be the “standard” for active sporting dogs. I would prefer a grain free food, but obviously I am not dead set on it, otherwise I wouldn’t consider the Victor.

I am leaning heavily towards the Sportdog Active, assuming I can actually get it in 50lb bags. Which would you recommend and why?

$45/40lb – https://victorpetfood.com/product-items/nutra-pro/?portfolioCats=133%2C135%2C134%2C153%2C159%2C160%2C162

$35/30lb – http://blackgolddogfood.com/natural_grain_free_salmon_dog_food.htm

$72/50lb – https://www.sportdogfood.com/elite-grain-free-active-dog-puppy-30-18/

$67/50lb – https://www.sportdogfood.com/elite-grain-free-large-breed-30-14/

[anonymous]

This topic comes up so frequently that I thought I would post this article from LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, it stresses the importance of an accurate diagnosis being the first step in treatment.
“This is the reason that we encourage diagnosis of the underlying cause of the allergy and more specific or less potentially harmful treatments”.

Introduction
Coping with an itchy pet can be an extremely frustrating experience for you, the pet owner and can truly test the limits of the human-animal bond.  Persistent scratching and chewing by the pet can also result in self-excoriation and open wounds.  The following information is intended to provide the pet owner with a basic understanding of the most common underlying causes of itching and allergies in the small animal.
 
The Most Common Causes of Chronic Itching
The common causes fall into two groups: external parasites and allergies.  External parasites that most commonly cause chronic itching dermatitis include fleas and sarcoptic mange.  We often recommend therapeutic trials for sarcoptic mange in chronically and severely itchy dogs.  We always recommend stepped-up flea control and monitoring for fleas, as flea infestation can really make allergy worse!
 
What are allergies?
Allergy is a state of hypersensitivity in which exposure to a harmless substance known as an allergen induces the body’s immune system to “overreact”.  The incidence of allergies is increasing in both humans and their pets.  People with allergies usually have “Hay Fever” ( watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing) or asthma. While dogs can rarely also have respiratory allergies, more commonly they experience the effects of allergic hypersensitivities as skin problems.  Though there are a variety of presentations, this can often be seen as redness and itching, recurring skin or ear infections, and hair loss.  This is sometimes called ‘eczema’ or atopic dermatitis.  

What are the Major Types of Allergies in Dogs?
Flea Allergy
Flea allergic dermatitis is the most common skin disease in dogs and cats.  For the flea allergic patient, 100% flea control is essential for the pet to remain symptom-free.  “But doctor, I never see fleas on my pet.”
 
You may not see them, but that does not mean they are not there.  The allergy is caused by the flea’s saliva, and it only takes a few bites to induce the problem.  Also, the itchy pet often scratches so much that adult fleas are removed, making them hard to find.  “If fleas are the problem, why is my pet still itchy in the winter.” – In warm climates like we have Louisiana, fleas may survive in low numbers year-round.  Because flea allergy is so common, we recommend that complete flea control be instituted before proceeding with diagnostics for other allergies and that year-round flea control be maintained for all allergy patients.

Food Allergy
Some pets develop specific hypersensitivities to components of their diets.  The allergen usually is a major protein or carbohydrate ingredient such as beef, chicken, pork, corn, wheat, or soy.  Minor ingredients such as preservatives or dyes are also potential allergens.  The diagnosis of food allergy requires that we test your pet by feeding special strict diets that contain only ingredients that he has never eaten before. This is often achieved by feeding a prescription diet for a period of 10 – 16 weeks.  If the signs resolve, a challenge is performed by feeding the former diet and watching for a return of the itching.  If this occurs, a diagnosis of food allergy is confirmed.  

Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inherited predisposition to develop skin problems from exposure to variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances including the pollens of weeds, grasses and trees, as well as house dust mites and mold spores.  Diagnosis of AD is made based on the results of intradermal skin testing or by in vitro blood testing.  Skin testing is the preferred method; small injections of many different allergens are made in the skin on the pet’s side, under light sedation.  Observation of the reactions helps us compile a list of allergens for a “vaccine” that is made to decrease the pet’s sensitivity.  Sometimes multiple skin and/or blood tests are necessary to accurately assess the patient’s allergies.

Secondary Infections
Allergies are often the underlying cause of recurring skin and/or ear.  Bacterial and yeast infections, though secondary to the allergy, can cause an increase in your pet’s level of itching. Long term treatment with antibiotics and anti-yeast medications is commonly required, along with medicated bathing programs.

Can allergies be cured?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for allergy and it is usually a life-long problem. We seek to control allergy and improve the quality of life for both you and your pet.  We will formulate the best program of management that suits all involved with your pet’s care.  

Can I have the itching treated without the expense of diagnostic testing?
Symptomatic drug therapy can help to reduce itching.  Steroids, such as prednisone tablets, in particular, are often employed to stop the itch.  However, without addressing the underlying cause, the itching will return.  Long term use of steroids can result in many health problems.  This is the reason that we encourage diagnosis of the underlying cause of the allergy and more specific or less potentially harmful treatments.
– See more at: http://www.lsu.edu/vetmed/veterinary_hospital/services/dermatology/patient_information/allergies_in_dogs.php#sthash.tAEI8WbV.dpuf

[Susan]

Hi Patterson, Iams don’t have the best ingredients, read ingredient list in the Iams Lamb & Rice, Lamb should be the only protein but there could be other proteins they often advertise 1 protein on the front of kibble bag & there’ll be chicken as well, then look for a better quality kibble minus the corn & other un healthy ingredients in the Iams formula..
My boy does real well on Lamb also he does well on “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, it just has Lamb & limited ingredients, there’s “California Natural” Lamb meal & Rice it just has 3 ingredients, you could rotate with a couple of kibbles once you have introduce them & he doesn’t react to them this way he’s not just eating Iams 24/7 also read the ingredient list to the Nutro Max G/F Salmon formula, he’s definitely sensitive to an ingredient in the Nutro Max formula…
Blood & Salvia food testing can give false positives the only true way is by doing an food elimination diet, once he’s doing really well on his Iams formula start adding 1 new food with his Iams kibble, add tin salmon in spring water, drain the water, cause salmon was in the Nutro max Salmon formula, see does he itch & scratch again?? if not then stop the salmon & add another ingredient that’s in the Nutro Max formula, this way you will get some answers & know what foods he reacts too….

“Canidae Pure” formula’s are pretty good, they have limited ingredients for dogs with skin allergies & food sensitivities, or look at “Canidae Life Stages” formula’s, there’s Canidae Life Stages Lamb Meal & Rice formula http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

I rotate & feed the Canidae Pure Wild Boar, TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & I’m trying the Hills D/D Venison & Potatoes vet diet, my boy has IBD & Skin allergies the Hills D/D Venison & Potato has just come to Australia, the D/D is for skin & food sensitivities, D/D has limited ingredients with single intact animal protein, grain free, gluten free, soy protein free, no beet pulp & is high in omega 3 what’s needed for skin allergies & IBD….
I want a vet diet where I know if Patch gets real bad with his IBD I can fall back on it, his environment allergies when get that bad by the end of Summer & put his immune system into over drive & starts attacking his intestinal tract, every March the end of Summer we are at the vets with Patch having an IBD flare, so when Summer comes back around this year I’ll start him on the Hills D/D Venison & Potato with the extra Omega 3 & ingredients to strengthen his immune system so by the end of Summer hope fully we will not be at the vets again in March with a IBD flare… keep a diary write down foods etc that cause a reaction, Food Sensitivities can take 1 day to react up to 6 weeks so best to test 1 new food for 6 weeks to see if there’s a skin reaction or intestinal stress….
For his inner hide leg put some Hydrocortine 1% cream on before bad at night or Sudocrem is excellent as well its for eczema, dermatitis & nappy rash or look for a baby cream with the same ingredients as the Sudocrem has, a lady found a baby nappy rash cream with same ingredients in America but I didn’t write down the creams name or she said you can buy the Sudocrem on Amazon, its excellent it acts as a barrier & relieves any itchy skin, red paws, itchy bum etc…

[anonymous]

“He didn’t have any problems with it but he wasn’t super interested in the food unless we doctored it up with toppings etc”.

I always add at least a tablespoon of cooked protein and a splash of water or plain chicken broth (no onion) to kibble. Minimal snacks, 2 meals per day.
I consider kibble the base (1/2 to 2/3 of the meal).
Kibble, even the so called best ones, look so dry and boring otherwise.
Right or wrong, my dogs are thriving on this regimen.

I have been pleased with the quality of Zignature Whitefish (check Chewy dot com for prices)
For something more reasonable I would consider Purina Pro Plan Focus Salmon.
I agree with pitluv, not to make too many changes right now.
Good luck with your pup 🙂

Ps: I avoid potato and sweet potato, in my experience some dogs with sensitive stomachs don’t do well, a lot of kibbles use too much potato (cheap filler) imo

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[Susan]

Hi Randy thank-you for rescuing a Staffy, Staffys are one of the most miss label breeds in the world, Staffy’s are LOVING, very smart, easy to train & love their humans, known as the Nanny Dog early 1900’s in the UK….
My boy Patch is a English Staffordshire Bull Terrier also a rescue, the most friendly dog I’ve ever own, he has to stop & say hello to everyone when on our walks & loooovvvees kids…. When I got him he was in real poor condition, weeing blood, pooing blood, skin problems & now suffers with IBD, skin allergies & food intolerances, some staffys have an iron stomach, while other staffys have sensitive stomach & sensitive skin, like most breeds, so just keep an eye out if your girl does start to itch & scratch, could be she’s sensitive to a food or can be flea or environment allergies…Diet is the key to a healthy pet..
I have feed the “Pro Pac Ultimates” Bayside Whitefish & Meadow Prime Lamb grain free kibbles, Patch did well on both formula’s & had a very shinny coat, kibble was easy to digest & poo’s were nice & firm…. The maker’s Midwestern Pet Foods make “Earthborn Holistic”, “Pro Pac Ultimates” & “Sportmix, Wholesomes ” formula’s

My boy also does real well on “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it’s a single protein Lamb Meal with limited ingredients, excellent for sensitive stomach & skin, TOTW has their High Prairie with Roasted Bison & Venison, Canine grain free formula, it’s higher in protein 32%min & fat 18%min, only has 29% carbohydrates… TOTW also has their matching wet tin foods… https://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

“Costco” sell Kirkland Signature, Nature Domain, Salmon & Sweet Potato is made by TOTW & is the same as the TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula & cheaper…. 39lb for $39.49 http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand

There’s also “Canidae” Pure formula’s Pure Wild Boar is really good. http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/ products

I would start with a formula that’s not too high in fat & protein, the TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, has 1 protein Lamb meal & limited ingredients & the fat-15% & protein-25% is moderate, not too low or high, or Kirkland Signature “Nature Domain” formula’s or Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside Whitefish, just incase she was feed a low quality kibble that was low in fat & protein, this way she shouldn’t have any Intestinal Stress while being introduce to a better quality formula’s…. Slow & steady is best & then start rotating between a few different brands with different proteins, this will strengthen her immune system…
also follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page, he has really good info on Pet Nutrition, how to read dog food when reading the ingredient list video, he does easy to follow videos, there’s 1 video Rodney has, showing just by adding 2 spoons of fresh whole foods to your dogs bowl of kibble reduces the risk of her getting cancer & other health problems later in life, tin Sardines, Salmon, Tuna in spring water, give fresh meaty bones twice a week for her teeth, chicken bones are nice & soft & easy to digest…. Save the Rodney Habib “DIY health tips” link I posted above, it’s has really helpful information & all his videos he has made….. https://www.planetpaws.ca/category/diy-pet-health-tips/

Please post some photos of your new girl & her name….take a photo when you get her then after you’ve had her for 6months see the different after being feed a healthy diet…

[Susan]

Hi, I don’t think a raw diet is a good idea at the moment especially if her immune system is compromised, tripe made my boy feel real sick & vomit, tripe is very strong & rich, if you do feed raw, only feed fresh human meats, no pet meats, pre made raw & no bone, the bone is very hard to digest & premade pet raw has bone in it unless you get the cat pre made raw, cat pre made raw seems to be of better quality of all the pet meats, cats are very fussy…..Patches Naturopath advised not to feed any pet shop pre made raw meats, it’s bad quality especially if you have a sick dog…. I used a supplement to replace the bone & organ meats… “Natural Animal Solution” Digestavite Plus Powder it balances the diet, strengthens the immune system & fixes the gut, you only need to add to 1 of the meals added once a day, but it’s Australian made by Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan she does export her NAS products but not to America, she helped me get Patch onto a raw diet here’s her link click on the “Maintenance Diet.. http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/maintenance-dog-diet/
you pick 2-3 veggies & 1-2 fruits, I pick broccoli, celery, carrot & apple, peel & de seed, chop up & put thru a blender & blend to a pulp then I froze in 4 spoon sections, what I needed for 1 day meals & I froze the Kangaroo mince & chicken breast all cut up in 1 cup sections, I had to add 1 cup raw meat & 1-2 spoons of the veggie/fruit mix.. but your dog will lose more weight on the raw diet, she needs to fix her stomach first make it healthy again, she’d be better eating a cooked diet, feed at least 3 meals a day, feed her the amount of kibble she needs in smaller meals, then a cooked meal for another meal & see which meal she keeps down & digests best.. I like the Canidae Pure Meadow you don’t need to feed as much, all Patch needs is 1 & 1/2 cups a day & with the TOTW it’s 2 cups a day so not much to digest when you break the meals up…
Jacqueline made me add a digestive enzyme & probiotic to the raw meals but I think the Digestive Enzyme digested the meal too quickly in Patches stomach cause 20mins after eating the raw meal, 1 cup kangaroo mince mixed with 2 spoons of the blended veggie/fruit mix Patch would burp & all digested raw bits of meat & water would come up into Patches mouth & onto the floor, I thought his sphincter flap wasn’t closing properly from his stomach to his esophagus & foods was coming back up but I think the digestive enzymes made the raw meal digest way too quickly & when he burped the raw was still in his stomach & it came flying back up & out of his mouth, raw didn’t work for Patch, he kept regurgitating it back up & got bad acid reflux, back then I didn’t think it was the digestive enzymes causing the problem but now when I look back it was the digestive enzymes, I should of stopped adding them to the raw, but I think his stomach wasn’t healthy enough to cope with a raw diet at the time, I started to cook his raw food made into rissole balls baked in the oven & boiled sweet potato & mixed it all together, he did heaps better on a cooked diet then a raw diet, I’d cook once a week every Sunday & freeze it all but I still feed kibble TOTW 7am & 5pm feeds & the cooked meals for 12pm & 8pm feeds the kibble seems to work the best for him once I found a kibble that digest easily…It’s hard to keep the weight on so more smaller meals are needed thru the day this way the stomach & pancreas don’t have to work over time digesting 1 big meal of food, you can buy those feeding machines you put the kibble in & set the timer so she gets a small meal while your at work, you need to work out how much to feed her & feed her an extra 1/2 a cup that’s when I feed the cooked or wet tin foods as extra meals to keep the weight on… Patch should be 18kg +40lbs…
If a dog eats 4 or 5 times a day they don’t poo 4 to 5 poo’s a day, my boy just does 2 firm brown poo’s a day & he eats 5 smaller meals….
Have a look at her poo’s, what colour are her poo’s, yellow, green/black, are they soft, cow patties or firm? I’m just wondering if she is doing yellow sloppy poo’s or a greenie black poo’s ?

[Ann S]

My Rottie refuses to eat the American made version of Orijen. As soon as the switch was made to the Kentucky plant, she stopped eating her food. Orijen is way too expensive not to have your dog eat it. So, after an extensive search for a new food with near equivalent protein levels and high quality ingredients, we chose Natures Variety Instinct. She loves it and we have left Orijen for good.

[aimee]

Hi Honey Bar,

I pick a food based on the company. In my opinion there are two types of companies. Those that have a vested interest in canine health and those that just market dog food. Companies that have a vested interest in health feed the foods they make to animals in their care and follow their health, contribute to the understanding of canine nutrition through research and often reach out in times of needed disaster relief, community shelters etc. Marketing companies in comparison focus on getting the consumer to buy the food and the health of the animal may take a back seat to that goal. I’ve found some marketing companies to be woefully inadequate in regards to quality control, nutritional knowledge and food formulation, others are adequate.

Companies that are vested in canine health and nutrition are generally the larger companies: Hill’s, Royal Canin, and Purina. They invest their money back into research. The bulk of my dog’s diets consist of products from these companies.

Raw diet generally may have a slightly higher digestibility then commercial diets but that is of little practical significance. Of the raw food providers I think Natures Variety makes the best products.

In regard to Hill’s products I utilize them and they are one of the companies that Dr. Susan Wynn, who I think is one of country’s top ,if not the top, holisitc/integrative vet, veterinary nutritionist, and past president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association feeds her own pets. I think you and your vet did fine by choosing these products. That said I do mix it up a bit and feed foods from several companies and add fresh foods as well.

[Susan]

Hi Honey Bear,
yes your young & have realized pet food companies like Hills prefer to spend all their money on advertising & colourful packaging instead of making better quality dogs foods for our pets…you have taken the first steps to make your dogs healthier & live longer..
are you on Face Book, follow “Rodney Habib” he has over 1 million followers not like Skeptvet with only 1100 followers…
Dr Karen Becker & Susan Thixton were one of the first to reveal all these pet food companies & DFA he set up this DFA site all cause of his little dog called Penny
Dr Mikes story is under “ABOUT” up the top left..same as Rodney Habib he started exposing all these dog food companies like Hills, Royal Canin, Purina etc & all their false advertising saying that their food does this & that when they don’t, it all started 2 yrs ago when Rodney found out his 14 year old Golden Retriever (Sammy) had cancer he was like most of us, we didn’t know to turn the kibble bag around & read the ingredient list instead reading the bull on the front of the kibble bag…same as vets when I went to my vets the other day there’s a new light up big Hills stand all along the wall, with all their colourful packaging etc… Rodney’s said his brain went into over drive day & night doing so much research trying to find a way to reverse his dog Sammy cancer & cure for his cancer & Raw Diets kept coming up over & over again, natural whole foods, healthy foods us humans eat are the best to feed our pet, not a dry processed kibble, they found by just adding 2 tablespoons of fresh whole foods to your dogs bowl of kibble reduces the chances of your dog getting cancer, Rodney has heaps of video’s to watch, the best video is “Maggie the oldest dog in the World” you have to watch Maggies story, she pasted away last year age 30 years old, after watching her story you’ll understand why she lived so long….
Rodney Habib found “KetoPet this group of researcher takes dying dogs out of pounds around America that have cancer & were dumped there by their owners after these dogs were put on a KetoPet raw diet these dogs cancer was reversed, these dogs became cancer FREE & then needed to find new homes, its an excellent video showing these once sick dogs acting like young puppies same as Rodney Habibs boy Sammy he’s cancer free now all cause he was feed a healthy homemade balanced raw diet Rodney posted he takes 70mins a day to make his dogs raw meals for the day….

Firstly are your dogs on vet prescription diets, if yes what for? or did your vet just recommend to feed the normal Hills pet kibbles you buy at Pet shops or online pet stores?
Some vets are old school & have been Hills brain washed lol if they’re old school they will say no to a raw diet.. I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet, my vet had recommended I see a vet nutritionist for Patches health problems..
I rescued Patch age 4 yrs old he was in a bad way vets all said the same thing he was feed a poor quality diet probably Aldis or supermarket food, it took me a few years to get his gut healthy again….You need to do it slowly change 1 of the dogs meals say breakfast feed the new cooked diet or raw diet & for dinner still feed the Hills kibble or feed the same Hills kibble & start adding the new cooked or raw food to the meals & take away about 1/4 cup of kibble out of their bowl then the following week increase the new food & take out more of the Hills Kibble till you no longer feed the Hills kibble or just feed the kibble sometimes, have a look at Canidae Pure Meadow Senior grain free kibble http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products Canidae is a small family run business.
… My boy was just put straight onto a homemade balanced raw diet the next day made by the Naturopath with no bone & no organ meat to start with cause he has IBD he did really well except he would regurgitate up digested water & raw food back up into his mouth about 20-30mins after eating it, cause his esophagus had been damage thru old owner using a choke chain on him, he did the same on wet tin food & cooked foods but now 4 yrs later he doesn’t regurgitate wet food no more….
Keep us informed with what you start to do even by adding some cooked left overs from dinner & take away some of the Hills Kibble is healthy….