[Susan]

Hi Kelly T, I belong to a yahoo group called “IBDogs”, a lady on the site uses horse meat, I too was a bit shock & thought poor horses but she said its been the only meat that has stopped the diarrhea & allergies with her boy, she uses Gabazo beans aswell, she has a balanced diet but I cant remember what it was..If I’m on the site I’ll ask her.. I remembered that she lived Perth Austraila, so it wont be too hard to find her again as we have to sign name & address at the bottom of our post…..I wanted to try a fish oil or Flaxseed oil with Patches itchy skin but I was worried about the oils giving him diarrhea again, I read when introducing a oil use an eye dropper at first & just add a couple of drops of oil with meal then after 2 days if poo is still good then slowly increase drops till you reach proper amount needed…

[losul]

Aimee, I would guess your husband has an intolerance, or even an allergy to garlic? I know some folks with those. I’m sure dogs can easily be the same.

Hehe, I admit, the first thing that came to mind was grapes, when you agreed with USA. But I wasn’t thinking whether you or your family ate them. I just thought it was ironic how you could defend a companies’ use, (who was it Hill’s or Purina?) of grape pomace in a dog food, but feel any and all garlic is unacceptable.

No, I just thought I’d ask, because virtually all mammals, including cats, dogs, rats, primates, humans, even ungulates and birds, have the same susceptibilities to the toxicities from over consumption of garlic, onions, etc. Granted humans have built more tolerance from the long history of consuming them, but they still can and do get all the side effects up to, and including oxidative stress and anemia. Yet vast numbers of people around the world still chose to consume them anyway over the ages for their medicinal properties.

Ever wonder why vampires have an intense fear of garlic? Vampires were thought to be those who have anemia, or other blood disorders- the pale skin, photosensitivity, yellow eyes, etc. They required the blood of healthy others in order to “sustain” them. A big dose of garlic would not be good news at all for the anemic vampire. Some sects and religions even weeded out the vampires amongst them, by those who would not partake.

Anyway, my stance is that dog food companies probably shouldn’t include garlic in their foods. I don’t really appreciate garlic or many other “medicinal botanicals” in many of the “higher” end foods such as sage extract, juniper berry extract. ginseng, gingko, licorice root, anjelica root, marigold, chamomile, etc. Many or all of them can cause allergic reactions for thing. They just don’t belong in dog foods, especially where someone might be feeding them 100% everyday for long periods, IMO. And one with grape pomace in it, well I would automatically reject it as completely unacceptable.

That said, I don’t take any issue with a person adding garlic to their dog’s food, as long they understand the possible allergic reactions, intolerances, or in larger quantities, toxicities, and they treat it as a controlled dosage rather than a food item. I’ve been adding potent crushed whole raw garlic to Turbo’s food at the rate of about 1 and 1/2 extra large cloves or about 6 grams/week, for probably 4 or 5 months now, and intend to keep doing so. For us, the probable benefits exceed what I perceive to be very small risk.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Tindaisy:
I love some classic Tom and Jerry! Those must be pretty persuasive cats to turn you into a cat lover and wishing for more strays. I’ll say it again, lucky kitties. You and C4c have something in common, the love of cats by a few strays stopping by your homes.

If you have a Tractor Supply Store local their brand 4Health is a very budget friendly food with decent ingredients; 46 cents/5.5 oz or 99 cents/13.2 oz, co-packed by Simmons. Only one of my cats will eat 4Health, wish they all would, what are you going to do. I have ordered from Chewy.com a few times, excellent prices and service. Many posters on DFA recommend them as well. Here are some other sites to check out; sign up for e-mail/newsletters from these sites so you can receive info on sales and free shipping offers:
http://www.amazon.com/pet-supplies-dog-cat-food-bed-toy/b?ie=UTF8&node=2619533011
http://www.petco.com/
http://www.petflow.com/
http://www.petfooddirect.com/
http://www.petsmart.com/
http://www.wag.com/

I have my Vet to thank for the journey to learn more about pet nutrition. About a year ago she sent out her monthly newsletter discussing common health issues that could have been avoided by proper nutrition and feeding species appropriate foods. She invited anyone who was interested to stop by for a list of pet food she compiled for cats and dogs. I thought to myself what I was feeding had to be fine since they were name brands that are advertised often, but I’ll stop by and see what she has to say. After I read the information she compiled I was off to the races to research more about pet nutrition. I talked further about nutrition with my Vet, read some books, magazine articles, and visited many sites. The criteria I follow regarding pet nutrition constantly changes and grows the more I learn. I like catinfo.org and DFA because of the simplicity they use to present information to their readers.

Catinfo.org is probably the most popular cat site for the regulars on this thread, but there are several others that are very helpful with current information on feline nutrition and care as well. Here’s another site: http://www.littlebigcat.com/
Both of these sites are run by Vets and I am sure others will chime in with their favorite websites as well. Here’s some links to check out regarding cat nutrition:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-dry-food-is-bad-for-cats-and-dogs/

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

On this thread we all share are trials and tribulations about getting our cats to transition to quality foods and other stuff too. Most of mine will eat a premium brand canned food a few times a week and I have a couple that will eat some commercial raw once a week, but most of mine are addicted to kitty crack. Most of my cats are 15+ and I am not going to push a drastic diet change on them at their age. They are now eating mostly canned food with a little GF kibble on the side. I can always hope for more, but I am happy to have transitioned them this far with no issues.

Fish is a concern for all of us farmed or wild caught. Although the quality of fish that is included in pet food might be questionable the same could be said about the quality of meat. So I focus on minimizing exposure to fish and try my best to get quality food in them when they will eat it. My cats’ revolt if they do not get fish a few times a week so I mix in sardines packed in water with their canned food. Sardines typically do not have as much mercury or contaminates that other fish may have. If it were up to me I would not feed fish at all.
From Dr. Pierson:
“I do not feed fish to cats for the following reasons:
• high allergy potential (manifested as skin allergies or inflammatory bowel disease, and possibly asthma)
• toxin/mercury contamination
• PBDEs (fire retardant chemicals) – PBDEs are potent thyroid disruptors
• often high in phosphorus and magnesium
• highly addictive – the cat will not eat anything else”

Thanks for sharing tips on transitioning food. The crazy thing is I thought I would have the most problem with changing their kibble. They always ate canned food with no problem so I thought that would be the easiest. The opposite occurred with mine. I rotate between several kibbles with no transition. It was the Friskies they were addicted to. lol I can’t tell you the money I have spent on quality food only to have them sniff and walk away. I have one cat that pretty much will eat anything and if all else fails Bobby dog is more than willing to clean the cats’ plates. All is good though, they are happy and healthy fur babies.

Akari started this thread and another one about coupons and sales we all share with each other if you are interested. Here’s a link to the coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/11/

Stop back and let us know how your guys are doing!

[Barbara O]

You are so welcome. Please realize that I’m not that smart…it’s called being older and learning from experience and reading…asking questions like you do…and using common horse sense when ruminating over the answers that people give you. I give a great deal of credence to people who have been around the block a few times and who spend time reading between the lines…Remember…anyone can put stuff in print on the internet…I love books that are the printed word. When Toby developed pancreatitis, between my vet and a book I have on hand, we pulled him through. I wouldn’t be without the book…It at least tells me what to do at home while I’m waiting to get an animal to the vet’s office…and some good tips after I go…I learned that we have to keep them hydrated but at the same time keep the pancreas still and not taxing itself….It was Christmas Day when Toby got sick…so we’ve come a long way and we’ve had no more problems…and it was my fault that he got sick. I had fixed a standing rib roast for Christmas and left the pan on top of the cabinet…the grease cooled and rose to the top…I had put water in the pan…I had a sick rescue Dane and hadn’t washed the pan…Toby got on top of the sink….genets can climb anywhere…and swished his tail in the pan, covering his long, long tail in the grease…these animals are fastidious..so he immediately went to cleaning it… When i finally set down after getting Mandy the dog stabilized and medicated…she had a UTI…he jumped into my lap and i felt the wet, greasy feeling tail….he had consumed all that grease…too, too much for a little 3 to 4 lb animal….The next morning he was lethargic…we saw the vet that day and he was started on meds…then we went back and they had to put 50 ccs of fluid under his skin…it took three of us to hold him down in a tube that was meant to do this…it was then i learned how to give him a teaspoon of water every hour on the hour to keep him hydrated, interspersed with a teaspoon of blended food….several times a day….My husband and I had tried to keep him hydrated with 10 ccs subcu but couldn’t hold him down….strong little cuss…first animal I haven’t been able to hold down…As I said, he can be a little Tasmanian devil….I hydrated the Dane with no problem….

Every day I learn something new…that’s why I love sites like this…It helps me tweak what I do for my own animals and it also helps me know what I’m doing right, that has worked for years and years…when something works, your animal is healthy and happy…don’t change what you’re doing…Our animals are individuals…I can’t eat wheat…developed a problem with it…causes horrible arthritis in me…I also know this hasn’t always been the case…same way with chicken…developed something called polymyalgia…docs sent me to rheumatoid clinic at our teaching hospital here…not rheumatoid arthritis so they gave it this fancy name…found out it was being caused by chicken…I was eating it almost every day…I was the one who found the connection…not the docs, just me…case in point….you know your animals better than anyone else…I told one person I won’t feed Purina…had a bad experience with it…not the quality I want for my animals…but that doesn’t mean that others have the same results…From my animal science degree, the various vet courses I’ve taken, and from working with various animals and exotic vets across the US, I have learned a great deal….All I can do is try to put together what I’ve learned to care for what the animals I’ve been blessed to have…I’m seeing too many animals with allergies…something is going on…and I’m seeing these allergies in animals on kibble, raw diets….etc…It’s so hard for me to believe this is a permanent situation….I would start questioning the surrounding environment…not something an individual may be doing but what the animal is coming in contact with that’s not food related…that’s how my allergies started…I cleaned up my environment, cleaned up my diet, starting building my immune system, and now my allergies are almost non-existent. Hopefully, this will happen to the animals out there that are suffering…

[Kelly T]

Phoebe, our 10 year old Boston Terrier has had diarrhea since last October! She has been to the Vet many times and testing has been done to rule out obvious reasons for the diarrhea, but we haven’t done allergy tests yet. We started trying hypo-allergenic dog foods with no success. The Vet recommended making her food with 1 part horse meat and 3 parts lentils.

Needless to say I was a little shocked at the horse meat but I was desperate to try anything! I live in Quebec and you can actually buy horse meat in the grocery store. Within 2 days her diarrhea was gone. The Vet told me to keep her on this diet for 12 weeks and then start introducing other foods one at a time to pin point the allergy. She could not stay on the horse meat/lentils diet forever as it is not balanced.

Does anyone have a balanced recipe for home made dog food that includes horse meat? I’m really not sure where to go from here as I worry about keeping her on this unbalanced diet for 3 months. It’s been 4 weeks and I can see her coat becoming dull and she now has dandruff from really dry skin.

[Barbara O]

Nature’s Variety is wonderful food. Their dry is great…You might feed it and then add a little of the raw…My friend’s dog is medium size and she feeds one of the large packages of raw duck a month. She crumbles up just one of the patties and mixes it in with the kibble, adding water to make it a little soupy…If the dog has no egg problems, crack a raw egg and mix it into the feed…after all, it’s the perfect protein….How many cups a day does your dog eat? The only reason I like to feed the kibble is because my dog is so big that I want to make certain he gets the vitamins….and oils she needs…If you start building the immune system, many of the allergies will subside…Also..there’s yeast and there’s yeast…

I can see the problem with lamb, chicken, and bison, as they are what is called “hot” foods..and chicken is a food I even have to curtail for myself as it can cause inflammation in the body. I am surprised with beef…Duck is not a hot food…it is more neutral…maybe you could purchase a 5 lb bag of Nature’s Variety Instinct…their dry kibble…grain free…and feed it to him…buy a very small package of the frozen and add only one small patty, this is for a little boost in protein and for flavor….I sometimes give Roger several of the genet’s Primal, thawed and mixed into his kibble….It’s not expensive this way…oh…he still gets an egg each feeding…I think Primal and Nature’s V are about the same in cost…Nature’s Variety has had sample frozen packages…you might try them as they’re cheap….Toby’s 3 lb pkg of Primal is $16.00…and it lasts about a month. He gets 2 of the little rectangles a day, along with his precious shaved, preservative free turkey meat…people lunch meat…He will eat the beef but he loves the turkey…I like the Primal because it has veggies in it along with the supplements they need…And…if you found two foods he really likes, you could mix them together….What does he eat, 2 cups per meal?

[Todd R]

Zignature- It is given 4 stars here I understand for a couple of reasons: Use of pea protein (Which I understand could be considered a filler protein, thus overstating the protein content of the food) and Beet Pulp (This is an on the fence ingredient and because of not having definitive proof as a questionable product, personally I think it should not be considered a negative or questionable ingredient) I do also know that they do not own their own manufacturing facility (which is just a chance that this could cause any problems and may never be a problem at all.) The main reason that I feel it should be an editor’s choice is the fact that it is a Grain-Free, Potato Free, Simple ingredient food. These 3 aspects have been invaluable in my choice of a dog food. I was a previous buyer of California Natural because my dog has multiple allergies and has a pretty sensitive stomach. When they had their MULTIPLE recalls. (Even if you have your own manufacturing facility it does not guarantee anything in the way of contaminated food.) While I appreciated their apparent transparency concerning the recalls, I could not bring myself to go back to that food. (My pet supply store stopped selling it as well and I am extremely loyal to my pet supply store and they are unbelievably knowledgeable on the food brands that they sell.) In any case, When the recalls happened, my pet supply store sent me a personal email as one of their customers who purchased California Natural and at that time they suggested that I come in and discuss my options going forward. It was at that time that I learned about Zignature and it seemed like a no brainer for the issues that my dog has. He has now rotated though all the single protein foods and has done better than he did on the California Natural. Stable health in every way and he is 11 years old. I can not recommend it enough. Personally I think, it should be rated at least 4.5 stars if not 5 for the added benefit it gives to people that have dogs with allergy and sensitivity issues. These are intangibles that mean so much to a dog of this type. There you have it. I hope this food might make your list in the near future. Thanks for reading my post.

[Barbara O]

Have never used anything from Mercola…Our Dane Rescue group using good ole Costco Glucosamine with MSM and chondroitin…or Sams. The first rescues I had took the pills with no problem…Roger, on the other hand spits them out faster than you can say pickle…So…I put them in a whiskey jigger…cover them with water…when they’ve dissolved, I put it in his food. I always wet kibble, never feed it dry…ever try eating crackers without any liquid…that’s how the dog feels…anyhow, he eats it down…before I got smart and did this, I bought the dog liquid….and added it to the feed…As soon as he finishes it, I’ll go back to dissolving it for him…And yes…give the adult dose to the larger dogs…My vet told me to give the danes a generic claritin a day during allergy season…really helps..I use the 24 hour…she said if in 12 hours, their eyes are still bad, to add another one…so the Danes all get allergy pills…because they are rescues they are highly stressed…She said every time we move them, the allergies and any other problems they might have will flare…and allergy pills do help…

[Barbara O]

Ok…the stuff I’m talking about is actually from Diamond V Mills, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They found that the employees that worked with the stuff were always well…This is a form of yeast and is used in horses as a probiotic…wow…Some of the employees had not had colds or flu since working there and had improvement in their allergies, etc…maybe this explains why I’ve gotten so healthy….They actually make a concentrated product for humans now, but I’ll keep taking this cheap stuff since the whole house can take it…

You want to use the Diamond V XPC…based on the yeast saccharmoyces cerevisiae. A 50 lb bag has gone up to $1.50 to $1.75 a pound…still cheap for a product your whole household can use…and if it’s good enough for this Texas Doc, it’s good enough for me…and it works….You can order it from Consumer Supply, Marion, Iowa. You can call them at 319-377-5528. Also…try your local feed store. Tell your feed store you need it for your dogs and other animals to build their immunity…don’t tell them you might use it…they’ll think you’re crazy…Have not taken the flu shot or had a cold…no cold in 20 years…no flu in 9 or 10 years…no flu shot in 7 or 8 years. No anything…Add this as your pro/prebiotic to your animal’s food…

[Barbara O]

Wow…will put on my thinking hat…She feeds Pure Vita….as long as she adds the Primal, her dog will get enough protein…I wish she would feed the one without the rice as we don’t yet know how much arsenic is too much for our animals and arsenic is found in all rices…but the lowest amount is in basmati rice and we don’t use it in dog food…I don’t eat rice, corn, wheat, soy…so I don’t feed my animals these things..all but rice is GMO…and rice is full of arsenic…My brain is not kicking in on the name of the disease her dog has, but the dog is old and happy. She spend a great deal on the meds but like she said…if you can’t afford to take care of your pet, then don’t have one…and I agree…I know that lamb is a hot food…In AZ I don’t feed lamb any time of the year….But…I’ll look this up.

The Pet Vet, who has a radio show here, says Nature’s Logic is so good for dogs with allergies…and I notice the food gets a 5…It’s just become available here….Regarding food allergies: The more simple the food, the better it is for your animal…And…allergies can change…As I’ve built my immune system, my allergies and my asthma have all but disappeared…you can do this with your animals…There is a product called sacchromycetes (sp?) that is organic and found in feed stores…I get a letter from a doc in Texas, and he recommend I order it…remember don’t tell them you’re going to use it for humans…and I ordered a 50 lb bag…still using it…divided it into containers…give a teaspoon a day to each of your critters… will build the immune system…I put it in our morning drink…Am going to start giving it to Roger…If you buy the pills, they are 39.00 for a month’s supply for one person…I’ve had mine for 4 or 5 years…most feed stores carry it…I’ll find the name…given to horses a great deal…None of my animals are ever sick and none have allergies…I’ll find out about the hot or cold…but it’s my understanding the hot or cold refers to the weather and how it makes the animal feel. If I lived in cold climate, I’d definitely feed lamb in the winter…I’ll get back with the list…I know that beef is not a hot food so I feed it here in AZ…neither is salmon…makes sense since it’s a cold water animal.

[Dori]

Hi Barbara O. What kibble is your friend feeding as well as the Primal Raw? What is the name of the disease your friends dog has? Very sad. Also what foods would be considered hot and which cool? Should a dog with multiple food allergies and intolerances be eating cool foods or the hot foods? Thank you.

[Tracy W]

I have a 3-year-old Husky named Cookie who struggles with food and environmental allergies and yeast infections in her ears. I have tried her on all sorts of different foods, and I’ve found she reacts negatively to beef, bison, lamb, and chicken. She did very well on Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Farmhouse Blend (which is pork and fish based), and she also did well on Holistic Select Duck and Holistic Select Sardine & Anchovy, and Lincoln Biotech’s Zinpro (expensive!!!!!). The problem is, she doesn’t like any of those foods very much. In fact, my mother-in-law and husband feed their dogs beneful, and Cookie LOVES it, although it doesn’t agree with her. She even likes my chinchilla’s food, but doesn’t like her own. :-/

I guess I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations of foods to try for her that won’t break the bank? I’d consider doing raw if 1) I knew how to source it affordably and 2) I knew she would still be fed raw when I go out of state.

Some of the kibbles that don’t work include:
Wellness Super5
All of the TotW
Nutro LI Venison
California Naturals, with grain
Exclusive
Precise, both chicken and lamb
Verus opticoat
Earthborn Holistic, various recipes including the potato-free ones
Merrick – she did OK on it but there was fur in the duck-based kibble. Fur? Really? They make ducks with fur now? And Merrick told me it was natural. :-/
Whole Earth Farms
Diamond Naturals
NutriSource

I was considering The Honest Kitchen’s Keen, but I’m concerned about the potatoes, and I have nowhere to get it locally. Does anyone have any suggestions?

• This topic was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Tracy W.

[Cyndi]

Thanks Dori, I’m pretty sure, so far, that is was the laundry soap. My son, when he was little, was allergic to unscented Tide of all things. He broke out in hives real bad. So I switched back to Dreft and all was fine. My vet is a moron, lol! I do really like them there, they are all so good with Bailey and stuff, but they more or less look down on me for the way I choose to feed my dog. Heck, they even had me considering going back to KIBBLE! So happy I didn’t!

I’m going to stick with what I’m doing, although the vet did suggest to start using fish oil, so, if anyone can recommend something good I’d appreciate it so I don’t have to go thru all the forum posts to find what people recommend. Dr. Dennis can kiss my ass!!!! 😀

[Dori]

Cyndi, it sounds to me like it would have been the soap. I have terrible allergies myself and can’t use any detergent that has dyes, fragrance etc. Even my friends and family know that when I’m coming to visit they keep All or Tide Free on hand and wash towels and sheets for me for my stay. I think your vet, being put off on a raw diet, is just being a nay sayer. Obviously she herself does not suffer from allergies or she would know that it probably was the detergent. Gain is really fragrance driven and was probably (hopefully–fingers, eyes, and toes crossed) the culprit. It’ll take a little bit but I bet her hair does start to grow back pretty soon. :>)

Oh! Knock on wood too!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Dori.

[Tiffany]

Sor, I guess I’m really confused as to why you fed your dog food that was making them sick for a year and a half. Another person covered this and I am as well. The poor dog might have been allergic to a single ingredient and you continued feeding them the food that was making them sick. I for one have never smelled a dog food that smelled “good”, nothing I’d want to eat at least. Your statement seems a little sales-y, honestly, and I wonder if you actually work for/are affiliated with Halo.

I have been feeding my dog Canine Caviar for years and she has made a miraculous recovery from this food. She is a Boxer that had horribly itchy skin that she would scratch until it bled, black spots, hot spots, stinky fur, etc. After feeding her for only 6 weeks, she became a success story of Canine Caviar’s and her before and after photos are international now.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Ann –

Thanks for the suggestion, however due to the fact that dogs can be allergic to any number of things it really wouldn’t be practical to make an Editor’s Choice report just for dogs with allergies.

[Ann S]

I would second the Nature’s Logic suggestion. Unlike some of the other recommended brands, it doesn’t have a lot of peas and such, and the small kibble size works for all size dogs.

It would be helpful if there was a category of editor’s choice for allergic dogs. I can’t use most of the recommended foods because they either have lots of turkey, peas, or both. There seems little benefit to my membership as a result, because I still have to do tons of wading through ingredient lists. I had hoped joining would save me some of that time and work!

[Heather D]

Hi, sorry me again. I have been onto the shop’s website and come across this food and wonder if this would be better than the Eukanuba. I have done the translation,

BREEDERS high end food for Large Breed Puppies.

Our breeders think is the only one with 100% ingredients fit for human consumption. It is a complete food for dogs 0-12 months old.

Most products are manufactured feed waste, what remains once have separated parts fit for human consumption. These ingredients have a lower quality.

Some feed ingredients, incorporate suitable for people, but Breeders is the only manufactured in Spain than it does on 100% of its composition. 100% premium ingredients . No features or use GM products.

“Breeders” is a brand sold exclusively at TiendAnimal, which offers a high-end feed at a very affordable price (up to half that of conventional brands). See for yourself our quality and you will be convinced.

Puppy food super premium quality at a super low price. This is because the direct sales allows us to avoid marketing costs, marketing and advertising that make up a large percentage of the feed costs of early brand names.

BREEDERS Cubs is a complete dry feed, in the form of extruded, balanced and very tasty dry kibble, made ​​from selected raw materials of high quality. Breeders is a food like no other approaches to what the animal would eat in your state natural.

It satisfies the needs of large breed puppies thanks to the extra size of your kibble as well as pregnant females or nursing. They think that a dog is puppy until it meets its first year of life , although in large breeds this time can be extended up to 6 months, even up to 2 years in giant breeds.

Key Benefits

Selected natural ingredients, origin certificate
High digestibility and energy efficient
Adequate protein and fat
Optimum calcium-phosphorus
High in DHA
Health skin and hair, thanks to the perfect balance of Omega 6 and Omega 3.
Promotes optimal growth, thanks to Natural chondroprotective

High digestibility. During the growth phase, the puppy’s digestive system is less developed than the adult dog. It is therefore important that the feed is especially easy to digest.

High in protein and fat. cub experiences a very rapid growth, stabilizing circa life. At that time multiplied 40 to 50 times their birth weight. To achieve this feat, you need a very rich in protein and easy energy to metabolize food.

DHA
DHA: docosahexaenoic acid
Optimal calcium-phosphorus ratio. Indispensable to form a healthy skeleton able to sustain the growing weight of the puppy.

High content of DHA. docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is important in the formation of the nervous system, particularly the brain. The brain content of DHA is related to learning ability and intelligence level of newborns and infants. It has been suggested the need to supplement with DHA the mother during the gestational period, and even before this, to ensure the supply to the normal development of the fetal brain. Evidence related to the greater learning ability of offspring from mothers previously supplemented with DHA.

High in Omega 3. Adequate ratio of Omega 3 and 6 helps maintain a healthy coat, reduces skin irritation and enhances the development of immune function.

Breeders not stored in silos , but goes directly by packaging as production. Thus contamination by mites (causing many food allergies) and quality loss are avoided.

BREEDERS is an exclusive brand of Tiendanimal.

I Breeders Cubs 2

Features

Ingredients : Dehydrated chicken meat (35%), rice, chicken fat, corn, concentradp vegetable protein, hydrolyzed and dehydrated meat chicken, apple pulp, salmon oil, dried yeast, yucca extract, potassium chloride, chloride sodium.

Additives

Vitamin A 16,000 IU / KG
Vitamin D3 1600 IU / KG
Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) 200mg/kg
Cu (copper sulfate pentahydrate) 23 mg / kg
Trace elements:

Fe (iron sulfate heptahydrate): 200 mg / Kg, I (potassium iodide): 1.5 mg / kg, Co (cobalt sulfate pentahydrate): 1 mg / kg, Mn (manganese sulfate monohydrate) 70 mg / kg, Zn (oxide Zinc): 225 mg / kg, Se (sodium selenite): 0.4 mg / kg

Preserved with EC additives (potassium sorbate). With natural antioxidants (citric acid, rosemary extract and natural tocopherols (source of vitamin E).

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude protein 30%
Crude fat 14%
Crude fiber 2.5%
Crude ash 9%
Calcium 1.2%
Phosphorus 0.8%
Moisture 10%
Glucosamine 600 mg / kg
Approx kibble: 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 0.8 cm.

Use

Serve dry food guided by the table of recommended daily allowance. It is better to split the corresponding ration in two servings a day. These amounts are only for guidance, so they must then meet the energy needs of the animal, guided by the maintenance of optimal body weight. Always leave fresh clean water available to the animal.

Recommended daily

45 kg (adult weight) 60 kg (adult weight) 70 kg (adult weight) 90 kg (adult weight) 100 kg (adult weight)
2 months (old puppy) 320 gr 410 gr 450 gr 510 gr 540 gr
3 months (old puppy) 420 gr 520 gr 590 gr 670 gr 720 gr
4 months (old puppy) 460 gr 570 gr 660 gr 740 gr 790 gr
5 months (old puppy) 550 gr 660 gr 780 gr 880 gr 960 gr
6 months (old puppy) 620 gr 750 gr 880 gr 995 gr 1080 gr
7 months (old puppy) 620 gr 750 gr 890 gr 1020 gr 1100 gr
8 months (old puppy) 610 gr 750 gr 890 gr 1020 gr 1100 gr
9 months (old puppy) 590 gr 740 gr 870 gr 1010 gr 1080 gr
10-11 months (old puppy) 580 gr 720 gr 860 gr 995 gr 1070 gr
12-13 months (old puppy) 580 gr 710 gr 840 gr 980 gr 1060 gr
14-17 months (old puppy) 580 gr 700 gr 820 gr 960 gr 1040 gr
18-23 Months (old puppy) 560 gr 690 gr 820 gr 950 gr 1030 gr
24 months (old puppy) 560 gr 690 gr 820 gr 940 gr 1030 gr

[Mom2Cavs]

I think your pups are lucky, too. 🙂 Laverne is doing fine and the spot seems to be clearing up. I think you’re right about her allergies taking a toll on her immune system. I have Fresh Factors on hand and started them a few days ago. I wanted a whole food vitamin so began them. I also have spirulina wafers and might add them in later (one thing at a time). I’m back to adding in the fiber because I feel it’s needed for her glands. Personally, I’m not sure this is food related allergy (maybe inhalant). I plan on taking her back to the vet in a few weeks for a relook. Let me know how Bella continues to do. I hope she feels better soon, too. She’s just a youngster, lol, all mine are seniors with Laverne being the oldest I have now with Lucy gone to the bridge.

[Sully’sMom]

I’m not sure if this is the right thread to ask my question, but I’ve always had lots of luck here (thank you HDM especially) so thought I’d try here first. Haven’t written is quite some time as Sully is now 2 yrs old and doing quite well. We got through the worst of his allergy problems, did some testing, dealt with the results and all in all – he’s great. However, for most of his 2 years he has had loose stool. I’ve mostly been doing a kibble rotation diet, always grain-free (because of his allergies), but the stool, although sometimes it’s worse (tried Zignature recently and stool was MUCH worse – too rich?) and sometimes its better, its never GOOD. My only go to knowledge would be to add canned pumpkin to his food. Any other good foods to try?

[Susan]

Hi Deborah, I just had a look & the first kibble Game/Millet was the best as the ingredients started with a protein the rest started with brown rice 51% then a protein… the Game/Millet had 3 proteins, thats no good if u dog has intolarences to a certain meat as u wont know what meat is causing the problem, you need a kibble with just 1 protein, like just duck or just Rabbit etc, also I couldnt find the Guaranteed Analysis (Fat % Protein% Fiber%) when trying a new kibble try & stay around the same Fat% protein% as the Hills at first & find a kibble that has Limited Ingredients so that way there’s less chances of having any reactions or diarrhea, also stay away from kibbles with potatos if he has itchy skin…3 weeks ago I started introducing Patch to “Wellness Simple” Duck & Oatmeal & he’s doing really well, better then when he was on the Vet Prescription diet, have a look at these ingredients & kibbles to the Simple range http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/categories.aspx?pet=dog&cat=3 Wellpet also makes “Holistic Select” Holistic Select has a few single protein kibbles the Duck or the Lamb & a grainfree “Turkey & Lentils” but it has more ingredients then the Wellness Simple, maybe when ur dog is doing well on a new kibble then try Holistic Select.. http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?… the Anchovys Sardines & Salmon is excellent for itchy skin problems..but after 3 months try a different kibble then the Vet prescription diet kibbles, like u said the Z/D doesnt have any proper meats, that cause ur dog could be allergic to a certain meat & chances are he isn’t, it just could be that he was getting tooo many high Carbs ( Potatos, sweet potatos etc) that were causing itchy skin allergies, my boy cant have Potatos, Sweet potatos, Chicken, Flour, Ive learnt when I started an elimantion diet back in March..Elimination diets are the best way to find out what is causing the skin Allergies, I found Patch gets a rash from grass as well…

[DogFoodie]

Thank you so much, Jan! Bella will be three on August 9th.

I really appreciate your insight.

It’s interesting that you mention Laverne’s reverse sneezing, because we’ve had a couple of episodes of that within the last few weeks as well. Bella only has done that one other time before. Bella doesn’t cough either and it sounds like her allergy symptoms are a lot like Laverne’s. I’m wondering if I’m confusing congestion with heavy breathing, her snoring has definitely been worse lately.

Interestingly to me, I stopped giving them the Springtime Fresh Factors and Spirulina wafers several weeks ago. Sam was getting so picky and I was just trying to feed him something he would eat – somehow he could always manage to leave the spirulina in the bottom of his bowl. I didn’t really think the Springtime stuff was doing anything and maybe now, I realize that it must’ve been helping Bella. I’ll start that back up right away. She’s much noisier than usual and her eyes are weepy also.

They checked her heart very thoroughly before putting her under general anesthesia, but I agree and understand that a murmur can also seem to come “out of nowhere.” Fortunately, my vet is aware of my concern about cardiac issues and I would definitely start with her if I became worried. Luckily, I have lots of vet specialists in my area so if I were to need to see a cardiologist, I know I would have access to some.

So far, I’ve just tried to feed good food with good ingredients and I’ve always looked for added taurine for Bella. Fortunately, with two young healthy dogs, I haven’t needed to add many supplements to “treat” a health condition so the normal nutritional extras have just been the regular things; ie: coconut oil; ACV, etc. A long time ago, I talked to my TCVM vet about cardiac supplements for Bella (he carries Thorne and Standard Process), but he said he wouldn’t use the big gun cardiac stuff unless it was necessary. I did ask about CoQ10 and I seemed to recall he liked that. I looked at the Mercola Ubiquinol and wanted to start that back then, but I had problems with the pump bottle that the krill oil came in that was just like it, so I shied away from ordering it. I have to hold off on ordering it until I get a big Discover bill from this month paid off first. : )~ Plus, I want to see if the Fresh Factors will help without changing anything else first.

Sorry, Laverne’s having problems! I don’t usually have issues with allergies in the summer myself, but this year I have. I’ve cleared my throat constantly for over a month now. Last week I felt so worn out, I ended up scheduling a day off this past Friday. I wonder if maybe Laverne’s allergies are taking the fight out of her immune system right now and it’s resulting in some of the other things she has going on? I wouldn’t think the Firm Up was “hurting” would you? I wonder if the apple pectin could be too high in sugars or something.

Bella has always done very well on Wellness foods. The difference that I can literally see in her eyes (there’s less tearing and the whites of her eyes become clearer) is amazing. I think I will go ahead and get some more of that for her. (There’s always an excuse to buy more food, isn’t there. ; ) I wrote to Wellness and told them last time she ate their food about her eyes, but they didn’t want to take too much credit for it. This time, I’m going to take a before and after picture for them!

Thanks for the update on your crew! They’re very lucky pups to be in your hands. : )

[Deborah F]

My bichon frise has just been put on a three month exclusion diet and has been prescribed Hills Z/D. I know there are no reviews on this site for this food but am eager to hear people’s opinions. My friend also recommended these foods for skin allergies and I’d be grateful if people could please comment on the ingredients as to me it doesn’t seem like they have a high meat content. Thanks http://www.dogsbodyni.com/healthy-paws-2/

[Deborah F]

My bichon frise has just been put on a three month exclusion diet and has been prescribed Hills Z/D. I know there are no reviews on this site for this food but am eager to hear people’s opinions. My friend also recommended these foods for skin allergies and I’d be grateful if people could please comment on the ingredients as to me it doesn’t seem like they have a high meat content. Thanks 🙂 http://www.dogsbodyni.com/healthy-paws-2/

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Betsy. It very well may be seasonal….Laverne has started with some itching and anal glands again, even though her stool is normal!? She was just at the vets this past Thurs. because I noticed a bump on one of her front legs. The vet expressed her glands and said they were bad, ugh. Vet said it’s probably staph and could even be caused by shampoo being left on and not drying properly or fully (this was said because of where the infection is located). She gave me some muricin salve to rub on the bump. But I may call and get an oral antibiotic for her, as well. Don’t usually like them but want to be sure this doesn’t turn into something even more difficult. Laverne is mine that has allergies, of course, and who snores a lot. She also does reverse sneezing at times. She has a murmur, about 3-4/6, (came on about 2 years ago) but doesn’t cough . Her nose runs sometimes (again allergies). She is eating Wellness Small Breed Simple for kibble and Wellness Stews or Weruva or Simply Nourish for canned topper. I have been giving the Firm Up, but was wondering if she has become intolerant of it? It could be lots of things. I do also give them coq10 3 times a week (30 mg). Right now I decided to not change anything in her diet except removing the Firm Up for awhile, and switching probiotics up. Hazel was checked as well and the vet could barely hear her murmur and rated it a 1/2…..she’s had a murmur since birth with no meds. She has no symptoms of anything and doesn’t snore at all. Rupert, who is on enalapril twice a day and has heart disease (MVD) and a grade 5/6 murmur is doing great. He snores occasionally but not that bad and does not cough at all. He has no other symptoms. I would say this is probably seasonal, but if I were you, I would have your vet or Cardiologist (if you have one) check things out thoroughly. I don’t want to scare you, but I think these things can come on suddenly. According to Rupert’s breeder his came on suddenly, but not really sure…maybe just wasn’t caught before now. I also decided to not really try to reduce the sodium (just making sure it’s not on the too high range). Like I said before, the only heart supplement I have been using regularly is coq10. You could also try adding other things, like fish oil, hawthorne, l-carnitine, coq10 and of course taurine, if you’re not doing so already. There are some all inclusive supplements like Bio-Cardio by Thorne, Vetri-Science Cardio Strength. Also Standard Process Cardio is one my vet likes (but they always prescribe Standard Process). I’ve used the all inclusive ones in the past, but recently have been trying to keep things as simple as I can. I’ve probably not answered your question but hope I’ve helped some.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Susan]

Hi Susan, My Patch had the stomach/bowel gurgling & rumbles, its actually gases going thru their bowels, vet said it was Colitis, He was also vomiting some early hours of the morning, yellow acid & was put on 1/3 of a Zantac or around 11am he’d vomit his breakfast which was kibble, so now I give him Tuna in spring water drained with Pumkin for breakfast now & he has stopped the vomiting & whinging of a morning, I was adding a boiled egg, but I think the egg yoke had too much fat as he’d started his whinging again & wanted me to rub his tummy around his right rib cage… Patch has to have a very low fat diet, I cant give him a kibble with the fat% over 11-12% fat…If he eats chicken of a night or tin foods he gets his rumbles early hours of the morning, so he gets his Eukanuba Intestinal low residue kibble mixed with Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal as Im slowley introducing him to the Wellness Simple kibble we are half way.. Has the vet put him on a low fat diet yet….also I found Patch cant have a high protein diet either has to be around 23% Protein or we are up early hours of the morning with his rumbles or eating grass to vomit…. Patch is also a stress head, starts to shake & vibrate if he hears firer works, thunder, neighbours yelling etc..In the end the vet said he has IBD & Pancreatitis & his Skin Allergies..

[emma s]

Hi,

I am looking to switch my 3 year old border terrier to a raw diet
However I am concerned that I will not be able to ensure that he gets all the nutrients and minerals needed. He has been tested for food allergies and has had positive reactions for:

Chicken
Beef
Salmon
Venison
Soy
Cows Milk

With the lack of variety – will I be able to ensure that he has a healthy diet? Should I supplement his diet with other minerals that he will not get from certain meat proteins for example?

Thanks very much for your time

[Scott A]

My dog is allergic to it.

[mountainhound]

Any feedback on this food? debating whether to introduce this line to the store I work at, but my concerns include;

1) It contains brewers yeast which is a byproduct of beer industry and I have a hard time recommending it for dogs with yeast issues, actually both of my dogs are allergic to it and break out in hives/get ear infections.

2) It contains chicken fat in all their formulas, even the chicken free ones. I’ve been told that when dogs have meat allergies, its to the protein and not fat, so thats why it can still be used.

3) It also has “natural turkey and chicken flavor”, no idea what its made up of, I don’t like to see any flavors in dog food.

Its also kind of high on pea protein and starches which makes it high in fiber and makes dogs poop more.

But i’d like to hear feedback from people who feed it or have had experience with it, or company.

thanks

[Harpers Mom]

Ysabella,

I can understand your frustration. I work at a Doggy Spa and Boutique and I take Harper, my English bull terrier/ border collie mix, with me to work very often. We have a cookie jar that sits on the counter full of assorted treats- mostly homemade. Harper is allergic to grains and chicken so I have to be very careful of what she gets, even treats. So many people would just toss her a treat if she was out roaming in the boutique, I got to the point where I put a sign on the cookie jar saying to ask before treating, and overall it has worked, if people want to give Harper a treat we have a little stash that are just for her, we use orijen dehydrated treats and she loves them and you can’t get much better than that.

So I would she tell everyone that she does have food allergies, and just put a sign on the jar stating that one of the dogs has allergies and to ask before treating.

Hope this helps, I know it can be hard to deal with eliminating all allergines.

~ Harper’s Mom

[erica m]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a dog being allergic to fish before…

[Brenda C]

Terri

I have French Bulldogs, too, we have 6. And yes, i’ve heard in the French community over the years that there is a higher ratio of light coloured coats (cream, fawn, pied) with skin allergies than the darker ones, such as brindle.

WHAT WORKED FOR MY FRENCHIES: bathing with Nizoral shampoo (at the drugstore), and Natural Balance Potato and Rabbit. This food has worked well – it is a single protein source food, so it really is only rabbit (many other so called single protein source foods have, chicken, turkey, beef, etc. added to it, all of which can be allergy triggers. This food is just the rabbit. They are now coming out with a sps. kangaroo kibble as well.

Best of luck! 🙂

Brenda
Force Majeure French Bulldogs

[Brenda C]

Hi Linda

I am searching for the same info, for a newly pregnant French Bulldog. She has been on Natural Balance Rabbit because of a very mild allergy (the stud has no allergies what-so-ever), but i don’t see a puppy/pregnant bitch formula in any of their range.

I swear by Acana and Orjen for all of my other dogs, but would still appreciate also hearing from other forum members for food recommendations for pregnant bitches.

Can anyone out there tell us your reproductive food faves?

Thx

[debi s]

hi just wondering about milk thistle my dog was diagnosed with liver disease when he became yellow looking, i had no idea any symptoms or signs until the jaundice according to the internet he is in fail, when giving him milk thistle he became lethargic and more yellow, i stopped a couple days now and he is far more alert and less yellow, now i’m not sure if i should continue the milk thistle or if i should not, anyone know if its a normal process to act and look more sick while on the milk thistle or perhaps he is allergic ?? i’m so confused and heart broken he is like my child i do not want to lose him but i do not want to see him suffer either, is he pretty much done for while in fail? not sure where else to turn..
thanks so much for any feed back

[Leah12345]

There are really knowledgeable folks here so I will defer to them and just just briefly share our itchy paws story experience. My Lhasa mix chewed her front paws and itched her ears nonstop. We found out she was allergic to poultry and white potatoes and I found a reasonable kibble that worked for her. When grandma or a neighbor gives her treats we get the paw problems again. A lot of people on this forum opt for raw, but it is just not an option for us. I will be watching to see what others have to say. Fingers crossed for you! Leah

[keri f]

My 4 mo.old puppy has had an eye problem about 3 wks now and today I took him to get vaccines at a non profit. The workers/volunteers said it looked like demodec but im not 100 percent sure if it’s that or allergies. The hair around his left eye is half way gone and under the eye, there’s a patch of thinning hair and there’s a small bald spot towards his left ear.
It hasn’t gotten worse and not much better. I’ve been applying eye drops with borax in it and eyebright. No improvements yet.
He’s also itchy, off and on so that’s why I’m thinking it’s allergies and I’ve been feeding him grain free food which is diamond naturals and before, natural balance.
Any helpful advice would be great especially a natural way to get rid of what ever he has.
thanks,
miko

[Barbara O]

How much quality oil is the dog getting? Most dog foods have to limit the amount of fat they put in dog foods due to danger of rancidity. My grandson’s lab began doing the same thing. They took her to the vet and she was treated for allergies. I sent them some salmon oil and recommended they add a whole raw egg to the diet. She has cleared except for one small spot. I volunteer for Great Dane rescue and we have been having the same problems with the Danes…dandruff and itching. I began feeding the one I have just adopted the salmon oil and a raw egg at both feedings. He is slicking off, the itching has all but subsided and his coat is becoming shiny. He has been on the egg for over a month and the salmon oil was started last week. Please don’t be afraid to feed the eggs. Several years ago I had several orphaned puppies that were brought to me. I lived close to a vet school and was taken courses there…I talked to one of my professors and he recommended I mix a concoction to feed the puppies…this was whole egg, canned evaporated milk and raw hamburger meat. I also added baby vitamin drops. The pups grew, were shiny and had no health problems…
Sometimes keeping the diet simple is the best. Our dogs are canines…carnivores…they aren’t meant to eat a diet of grains and too much vegetables…
I own a genet and he eats Primal frozen raw…It has some ground veggies in it…I’ve been doing rescue of one sort or another for years…dogs, cats, wild animals…almost all have been carnivores….A very old vet told me one time to feed an animal as close to his native diet as possible…this eliminates many digestive problems. So…I feed grain free food…I have to keep the feeding pans around that slow down the eating process for many of the Danes I get…they have been half starved and abused…they eat so fast food can come back up…Amazon has some wonderful stainless steel ones.

Always feed the dry food wet…not mushy….just wet. Have you ever tried to gobble down a sandwich too fast? It sticks in the throat…This happens to dogs…puppies and grown dogs need moist food…In the wild they would never eat totally dry feed…You can add a small amount of raw veggies to the dry food. My doesn’t like the veggies but the other Danes I’ve rescued love them…One ate broccoli and cauliflower as a treat…Also..someone mentioned gas….eating and gulp air causes gas…

[Cyndi]

Thanks for the reply Betsy & C4C. Betsy, why did you send the Mercola stuff back? I wondered if maybe she could be allergic to something in that, but I used it last year too and Bailey was fine. The only thing I started her on recently was the garlic pills, and she was itching and shedding real bad before I started those. The premixes and stuff I’ve been using since she’s been on raw, so I don’t think it’s any of those.

I never thought it could be health related. I think I might have to get her to the vet and have that checked. I did just have blood work done on her not too long ago (when I went to see that quack “vet”), would a thyroid issue have come up on bloodwork or is there a different way they check for that?

Thanks you guys!

[DogFoodie]

Your topical pest control sounds good. Any other potential environmental allergies? Yard applications (natural, like neem oil or otherwise)? Household products; ie: carpet or floor cleaners, detergents, air fresheners? Did you get her a new bed…

You know, I was going to use the Mercola Natural Defense that you’re using, but couldn’t. I sent it back, unopened. I never smelled it. I wonder if it could be that the essential oils in that are too stimulating. ??

Her diet sounds great. Did you add any of the pre-mixes or supplements, like the garlic, shortly before the itching began?

The only health issue that comes to mind is thyroid. Is that a possibility?

[Sarah Y]

It’s highly doubtful that its the food unless there something specific in it that causes a very rare and allergic reaction to the food. I’m thinking it’s coincidental? Most epileptic dogs have their first seizures between 6 months and 5 years…or approximately that.

The frustrating thing with idopathic seizures is there is no known cause. A neurologist might be able to pinpoint the cause of seizures though. When a cause can’t be found it’s idopathic, meaning they just don’t know what caused it and it’s your classic case of idiopathic seizures.

With that said, we don’t know what caused the seizure and as stated above if it brings you piece of mind to stop the wellness food I would certainly understand. Seizures are very scary and not having answers makes it more frustrating.

The good news is some dogs have one seizure and never have one ever again. We have a beagle who has seizures…he had his first at age 3, and second at age 4. Good luck to you! We certainly know how scary it is to you see your baby have a seizure.

[Dori]

Sorry, Debra J H. I was really talking about their original formulas. Zeal is the only one I was able to feed. One of my girls has many food allergies and intolerances. Zeal was okay for a while but then she became intolerant of alfalfa. Those original formulas still show the alfalfa in the ingredients.

[NectarMom]

Nutrisca is one of my rotation foods and we have not had any issues with it much but it is much like the other 5 star foods I have tried hoping to see improvements with intestinal allergies but never do. I bought a bag of the I Love and you venison treats and my dogs love them. I don’t normally give any treats but Brother’s Complete Biscuits but I gave I love and you treats a shot and they are a hit.

I switched jobs and I now work as a manager at a Pet store and I have had more people come in to buy 5 star foods and come back complaining that their dogs are having issues on it and most say they never had these issues when feeding Iam’s and or Purina and honestly I can also having dogs years ago that were on these types of food and I never had health issues with dogs like I do today. My Mom has always fed Iam’s and still does to this day and yet I am the one that feeds 5 star foods to my 4 dogs and I feel like I am always rushing one to the vet for something food related or allergy related which is also from the food they eat because it is always intestinal issues with food. I don’t know how much I trust this 5 star logic.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by NectarMom.

[Lorenza S]

I have been giving our dog Lotus brand grain free kibble mixed with Merrick’s canned grain free for the last year with really no difference in the amount of eye gunk. It comes and it goes…. but in the last month I have been going over to Darwin’s natural selection raw also mixed in with Lotus kibble in place of the Merrick’s grain free canned food. Our dog now has gunk almost always and now has a little hot spot between his toes. This month has been a real change for the worse and I cannot tell if it’s due to the change over to Darwin’s Raw. It seems to be illogical that Darwin’s is the reason. Could it be just that it is summer and more humid and more pollen? Also, is Darwin’s worth all the expense and trouble? And is it better than Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw patties? A lot of questions here so I’m grateful for any answers that you can give me….

[Corinne M]

Hi Jennifer,
I’m so glad to hear that the info was helpful – I remember how hard & overwhelming it was for me to learn about pancreatitis when it my dog was going through it. So it’s nice to know that someone else can make use of what I learned. I’m sorry to her about your experience with the vet – I think I just lucked out with mine. But I don’t want to leave you with the impression that your vet did anything wrong in prescribing Prednisone, because I think that it’s something that is widely used to treat specific problems, but just like any drug or herbal remedy, there are times & cases when it’s just better to avoid it – an argument could be made that giving your dog a corticosteroid so that he’s not in constant misery from the itchiness is a compassionate thing to do. The flip side is, there are risks associated with using it and if the “itchies” can be eliminated through diet & supplements maybe that’s worth trying.
I also don’t know why they are pushing Royal Canin – maybe they’ve had other dogs do well on it and think it’s the right thing for Milo. But I agree with you, if you suspect it’s triggering allergies it’s worthwhile to look at other foods.
My dog’s are doing great on what I feed them – I alternate between homecooked, home-prepare raw, and commercially prepare raw. But here’s the thing – I only started doing this about 4 years ago because one of my dogs had a blown-out immune system & I had to learn how to feed him in a way that was anti-inflammatory, avoided chemicals, avoided allergens, etc. etc. And to be honest, I have made mistakes along the way that could have done more harm than good (for example, I got the phosphorus/calcium ratio totally wrong for awhile and only discovered it after labwork came back with creatinine levels waaaaay high – I could have caused kidney failure in my dogs if that had not been caught & corrected). And I still consider myself to be learning – so I keep a close eye on them and read everything I can get my hands on and keep it simple and safe. I will do some research for you & report back what I find, but in the meantime, keep up your search for a nutritionally complete & balanced high-quality commercial food that meets the requirements for Milo’s pancreas.
I do think a simple boiled chicken & rice diet is useful when dogs are sick – fewer ingredients to upset their system. But, the recommended fat ratio for a dog with damaged pancreas is REALLY specific so I would only home cook right now if I knew for certain that the recipe I used was safe in terms of fat ratio. The recipe I used after Max had pancreatitis was formulated for me to deal with his other issues but I’ll look for info on a basic safe recipe for you.
BTW: Thanks to the other posters who found my post helpful. I learn so much from you all and from this website! I really appreciate the resources & people here!
Corinne

[Jennifer H]

Thank you, everyone for answering my post. To be honest with you, I never really researched dog foods until he ended up with Pancreatitis. We have always had poodles and none of them ever had issues until Milo. It was when the Pancreatitis happened, that I found this site and began to truly research dog foods. I agree with you magnoliasouth that Natures Recipe is not the best food. I really do not feel right feeding him something I can not eat and is not the best after educating myself on what is truly in pet foods. Truly, I do not know what caused the attack, I am just going by what the vet said, that pig ears are high in fat. Milo had only eaten his grain free dog food, grain free treats and a pig ear before his attack. My neighbors were aware of his allergies and I have again made it clear that he is to have nothing to eat. The vet said that it would be hard to determine exactly what caused the attack, they are just speculating the pig ear is the cause of it. As for the Royal Canin, i stopped it within about 2 days of purchasing the case of it from the vet. I now realize that the vet promotes that junk.

I have looked at the list of low fat/low sodium on here but I am still worried that some of them may still be too high in fat for him. My other worry is with a lot of the limited ingredient diets, there is a lot of starchy foods instead of grain, which promotes yeast. I am still working my way through the list and was not aware of the other thread with the low fat/low sodium foods, so I will look at that as well.

Corinne, your post has been so helpful to me, with lots of information. I do not feel it was preachy at all, but very very helpful. Unfortanately, I am not at all happy with my vet. There answer was and still is “royal canin”. Most of the time, I am speaking with a tech. My vet has dismissed my concerns about Milo’s food allergies and continually states that it’s “season allergies”. Not to seem more knowledgeable then the vet, but I know how Milo acts when he is having a food allergy. I am looking for another vet in the meantime. I did give Milo some Benadryl, but I did not give him the Prednisone after the attack. I honestly didn’t know it could cause Pancreatitis, and I am now wondering why the vet did not know this as well. They actually gave him Prednisone for another issue in April, so I am wondering now if that is what caused the pancreatitis.

With all my recent research, I did read about the pancreatic enzyme, which I am starting to give him. I would love to fed him a homemade diet w/ supplements. Another area I have read a lot about. Corinne, is there any pointers you can give me? Or maybe steer me in the right direction of recipes, supplements, etc. to begin dong this? Also, I have read that Chicken and Rice diet is ok to feed him, while I know it is not balanced, would it be ok to feed him this diet until I have his food situation under control?

You have given me so much direction, I am very thankful and plan on getting to work on as much as I can right away.

[Harpers Mom]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to add a new food to Harper’s rotation!
Right now she is on Fromm 4 star grain free foods (beef, lamb, pork,salmon), she absolutely loves them and is doing very well! She also gets 4health canned as toppers. In the past we have tried Earthborn, Merrick, and Simply Nourish, and TOTW . She did fairly well on Earthborn, she couldn’t handle how rich the Merrick was, she is allergic to chicken so SN is out because every recipe has chicken, and I don’t really like diamond products.

So as of now her rotation is Fromm, and Earthborn.

I want to expand this but I don’t know what foods to try next. She does well on grain free/ chicken free, with a protein around 30%.

Any recommendations will be helpful!

-Harpers Mom

[losul]

Lisa, I’ve been thinking about Chewy. Hopefully you have started to be able to keep badly needed nutrition in him now?

Some questions about his umbilical hernia, large or small? Has it gotten larger over the last several months? Is it painful to the touch for Chewy? I’m wondering if for some reason, perhaps financial, you had delayed the procedure, because in general a vet would do it by 5 or 6 months if they were pushing the time frame out to allow for spaying/neutering at the same time, otherwise probably earlier, and especially if it was causing problems or growing in size. From what I can determine Chewy is now about 9 months old. With a very small hernia, it might be only a bit of fat that pokes through the hole in the abdominal wall. With a larger hole, a loop of the intestine might drop into the sac and cause restriction which could definitely make Chewy vomit. Worse, a more severe restriction could even strangulate the intestine with much more dire consequences. Occaisonally the hole may even begin to close on it’s own by about 6 months. If the intestines are outside of the abdominal musculature structure and it begins closing……

This would be a large umbilical hernia, and no doubt the intestines have dropped into the sac. This one might be large enough not to substantially restrict or strangulate the intestines, depending on the actual size of the hole. It’s still quite dangerous.

http://www.faqs.org/photos/hernia-2773.jpg

“The symptoms associated with a hernia, like the one pictured in Figure 1 and 2 may initially relate to the inability of food to pass through this constricted section of intestine. Muscles within the wall of the intestine are responsible for moving food and water through the organ. Waves of contractions called peristalsis propel the contents along the length of the intestine. When an obstruction is encountered, like the one described, the peristaltic waves reverse direction and move the food backward through the entire digestive tract. This results in food and water being vomited.”

http://www.americananimalcare.com/pethealth/hernia_surgery_dogs_cats_umbilical_diaphragmatic_irguinal.html

I don’t know what is causing Chewy’s vomiting, but it’s really serious stuff to be vomiting everyday for many months, and a pup at that. You really must work on getting to the cause and very soon.

BTW, if Chewy’s case even has anything to do with acid production, low acid production can cause the same symptoms as too much acid production. I’d think thrice about self medicating with acid inhibitory drugs, especially at inspecific dosages, and remember he’s ONLY an 8 to 9 lb malnourished pup. 1/2 or 1/3 of an adult human dose???? Stomach acid is even more important to the dog, a carnivore. Acid is needed for proper digestion, especially protein digestion, acid is needed for the stomach to empty correctly, and failure to do so results in GERD. Stomach acid is a defense against bacterial infections and fungal infections, certain vitamins and minerals also require acid to be absorbed such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, B-12, etc. Improper digestion of foods can lead to to large of particles getting into the lower digestive tract and causing allergies, diarrhea, pathogenic bacterial fermentation, etc. Acid stimulates pepsin to be released into the stomach for digestion, and for pancreatic enzymes and bile to be released into the small intestine to further digest carbs, fats and proteins. I could keep going on and on. Proper overall health begins with proper acid production. Improperly diagnosing, and prohibiting or shutting down acid production with zantac, prilosec, etc. could be the start of a vicious circle and downward spiral of, helicobacter overgrowth/ infections leading to ulcers, other pathogenic infections, colitis, gastroenteritis, IBD, pancreatitis, allergies, diabetes, malnourishment, inability to digest all but the simplest of foods (hydrolyzed), dependence on inhibitors, evermore drugs to staunch the symptoms (like metronidazole and steroids) and mask the root cause, and ever declining health. Be very careful….. and best wishes Lisa.

I wonder why acid inhibitors are some of Pharma, Inc’s. biggest blockbusters of all time?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by losul.

[Alexa G]

I just started feeding my dog these treats and 2 out of 3 are fine. My third dog refuses to eat her food. I will not stop feeding my other 2 dogs these. I agree with ark golfer. If my dogs are happy I’m happy. If your dog isn’t having a problem with the treats then let them eat it. I believe the only reason one of my dogs did not agree with the treats is because she has allergies. There is an ingredient that involves corn which is one of the top 5 foods dogs are allergic to. Dogs only live for around 10 years Let them be happy.

[magnoliasouth]

Hello all! My daughter works for a vet and can get Royal Canin at an enormous discount. She has her dog on Satiety right now and I have to admit that she’s doing very well on it, despite the ingredients it lists. But that’s not my question. lol!

My dog has severe skin allergies. To be honest, food changes haven’t affected it in the least. I’m thinking she’s actually allergic to grass. Still, the vet wanted my dog to go on the RC Anallergenic food and until now, she had been eating Wellness Ocean Formula.

The problems are the ingredients listed in the Anallergenic food.

Corn starch, hydrolyzed poultry by-products aggregate, coconut oil, soybean oil, natural flavors, potassium phosphate, powdered cellulose, calcium carbonate, sodium silico aluminate, chicory, L-tyrosine, fructooligosaccharides, fish oil, L-lysine, choline chloride, taurine, L-tryptophan, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], DL-methionine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), histidine, trace minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), rosemary extract, preserved with natural mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

How weird is it to have corn starch as the primary ingredient? What exactly is “hydrolyzed aggregate”? I thought corn and mystery “poultry” are allergens?

Now my daughter did ask about the hydrolyzation and was told that it has something to do with processing it to remove allergens. Not sure how true that is.

The thing is that I’m a human nurse. I know full well that just because a vet’s office sells a particular product, doesn’t mean it’s the best product. It’s all in what they get out of it. Sadly a lot of people don’t know this. I swear I think it should be illegal. It’s the same thing as lobbying, which I think also should be illegal. Decisions should be based on opinions, not money. Sorry, I accidentally launched into rant mode… and I digress.

I’ve asked my daughter to speak to the RC sales rep. In fact, this is specifically what I texted her:

Subject: Questions to as your RC sales rep. 1. Why do they use meat by-products? 2. Why aren’t meat products the primary ingredient in any of their foods? 3. Why is a corn product the primary ingredient in the Anallergenic food, when corn is a primary allergen? 4. What does “hydrolyzed poultry by-product aggregate” mean and define “poultry”? If “poultry” means chicken, why is that (also a primary allergen) in the Anallergenic food too? I have more, but we’ll stop there for now. Just tell her I’m not trying to grill, I’m trying to understand and give her a chance to explain it to me.

Perhaps someone here knows the answers already or can make suggestions or whatever.

[Jennifer H]

My toy poodle, Milo, had Pancreatitis the end of May. A few years ago he was diagnosed with Wheat Allergies and our vet at the time recommended Natures Recipe Grain Free Dry Dog Food. He had been eating that food for years without any issues. He is prone to occasional ear infections. He has been seeing his current vet for less then a year. When he came home from the hospital after the pancreatitis, the vet sent him home with Royal Canin dog food and the tech at the vet said that after he was finished eating the Royal Canin they sent me home with, that he could go back to eating his regular pet food. He just need to not eat anything that was high in fat or salt. My poodle is big. He weighs about 17lbs. He is not overweight for his size, just a big poodle. A neighbor was feeding him pig ears without our knowledge so I thought perhaps this had caused the Pancreatitis. Anyway, I tried to put him back on his regular food and he refused to eat it. It was a dry kibble. I brought this to the vets attention and at that time they said they wanted him to remain on Royal Canin. I purchased a case without reading the ingredients first and I couldn’t believe I was feeding this to my pet. Milo has changed eating this food. He is constantly hungry. He begs for food, pesters you until you give him something more to eat and he has begun to scratch non-stop. He has been getting non-stop ear infections, biting and licking his paws and has very loose stool. I have left dry food down for him to eat, but he will not eat it. The symptoms he shows with the ears and biting/licking are usually signs I have seen in him in the past when he had food allergies. I returned to the vet and they did not think this was a big deal. The vet tech actually commented that it sounds like my dog likes the Royal Canin. (um, no I don’t think so either) They gave me more prednisone and told me to give him 1 Benadryl, twice a day, every day.
On the Benadryl, all Milo does is sleep. He acts spaced out. He is still scratching like crazy. I have read so much information on so many topics that my head is spinning. I feel so bad for my little guy and I am at a loss as to what to do for him. I have looked into different pet foods, but most of the high quality foods that are grain free are loaded with starch or fat. Any advice anyone could give me would be so much appreciated. I have tried diluted vinegar rinses and it seems to help for the night, but the next day he is back to scratching non stop. Is there any foods out there that are low fat, with no starch and no grains? I have tried a few brands that have quality ingredients, but I have found they have a lot of starch (potatoes, sweet potatoes, in gravy) and while he has enjoyed the food, it is not helping with the itching. I would prefer ingredients that are ok for human consumption (I don’t want to eat it, but I want him to have the best). I have tried MyPerfectPet, but it is loaded with potatoes and he has scratched even more. I have read so much that my head is spinning and I am at a loss. I just want him to be happy and healthy. Thanks again in advance.