[Antonio A]

Hi Aimee
i have similar issue for my 9 years old JRT. she was rushed to the vet as she was feeling very ill, the pancreas levels were very high and the kidney levels too (CRE and BUM) first we started giving low fat diet and the pancreas seems to be ok now, but now the kidneys are not good, CRE level is 3.8 and BUM is 78. i have been Hills K/d and Hills K/d dry food mixed together for a week now and just also saw that this is high in fats that might damange the pancreas again!!
Please help in recommending best diet for the dog for both the kidneys and the pancreas and thank you very much

[Donald M]

Nature’s Recipe Adult Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe will help your best friend thrive. This delicious dry dog food helps your dog maintain lean muscle mass with high quality protein from the #1 ingredient, premium chicken meal. Wholesome rice provides a lean source of carbohydrates that helps support your pet’s energy levels while barley and oatmeal round out the flavor and supply fiber for optimal digestion. Best of all, this recipe is free of corn and wheat, two ingredients that are commonly associated with food sensitivities.

Dog benefit…
Real chicken is the first ingredient, containing high-quality protein that helps support muscle development.
Rice provides a lean source of carbohydrates for sustained energy.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Donald M.

[Debra D]

Not really sure what the best food for dogs is – raw, homemade, commercial?? Nutrition is a very tricky science – for humans and animals. But, I do know what is cost prohibitive – Dr Marty. Seriously – $30-50 for a 16oz bag. That doesn’t even feed my dog for a day, according to his weight. So that’s a minimum of $45 a day to feed my guy this food.
How can Dr Marty possibly suggest that this is an affordable way to feed your dog? That is what is agrivating to me – don’t market a product as affordable when it clearly is not.
I want the best for my dog, but I’ll stick with the mixture that I’ve been using – commercial dry (won’t mention names, but has seemingly decent ingredients) mixed with some raw meat (grass fed) or egg , some veggies and omega supplement. He also loves fruit. We buy organic for ourselves (fortunate to be able to afford that, but doesn’t come close to $45 a day) so, that’s what he gets too.

[Yazmin A]

Hi,

We’ll be getting an 8 week olde English bulldog in April, he’s currently on dry food and I would like to feed him on a raw food diet. How would I go about introducing this without upsetting his stomach? And which foods are the best to start with?

Thanks everyone

[Marisa J]

I would try goat’s milk since it has tons of probiotics in it and helps rebalance the gut. It will make sure your puppy is has more good gut bacteria than bad gut bacteria. It will help with the loose stool along with hydrating your puppy as well. As far as a diet, I would try something that is complete and balanced like a dry food (without corn, wheat, soy, by-products, and grains), dehydrated (without grains), freeze dried, or raw. Ideally raw food is the best diet for dogs and kibble is the least freshest food.

[Robbie M]

My dog is approximately 10.5 years of age (rescued from southern Cali in 2012 wasn’t sure of age brought him to Canada) he’s a boxer cross either staffordshire or pitbull likely pitbull. His hips have never really been in their sockets per se they are just held in place by muscle which he had lots of but now as he ages I worry. Also don’t want him to be sore or stiff or inflamed. Anyways I put him on Orijen Senior and he has shown good results, we also feed him a scoop or 2 of pumpkin every day, and his food is given 3 time’s a day with 2 scoops am 1/2 scoop afternoon and 2 in evening which equals to about 2.25 or 2.5 cups per day. Pumpkin usually goes in the AM and the afternoon he gets a tiny bit of tuna sometimes as well as a cracker with a bit of peanut butter n a couple small pieces of apple. And at night we top it with a bit diced apple/cucumber/carrot with an emphasis on the cucumber. His snacks are the orijen Six fish which he gets about 1-3 pieces a day. Oops and finally he gets CBD which I generally squirt 10mg onto a mini wheat and that’s twice a day. So with all this taken into account i bought him a bottle of grizzly joint aid with these ingredients:

Active Ingredients, per ounce
Glucosamine Sulfate (crustacean source) 1500 mg
Chondroitin Sulfate (porcine source) 1250 mg
Methyl Sulfonyl Methane (MSM) 1250 mg
Krill Oil 560 mg
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) 10 mg
Inactive Ingredients
Water, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid. Each pump is 0.12 ounces and he gets 4 pumps per day.
He seemed to do well on it but I wanted to make sure it was good.

I’m considering switching it for alpha omega sinew which has:

Ingredients (per 1 scoop [5 g]):

Vitamins:
beta-Carotene………………………………………………………………… 600 mcg (1000 IU)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine hydrochloride)……………………………………….. 2 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)…………………………………………………………. 2 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)…………………………………………………….. 20 mg
Vitamin B5 (D-Pantothenic acid)…………………………………………….. 5 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine hydrochloride)…………………………………….. 2 mg
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)…………………………………………………………. 200 mcg
Vitamin B9 (L-Methylfolate)………………………………………………. 300 mcg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)…………………………………………… 100 mcg
Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic acid)…………………………………………………. 100 mg
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)……………………………………………… 12.5 mcg (500 IU)
Vitamin E (d-alpha Tocopheryl acetate)………………………………… 16.8 mg AT (25 IU)
Vitamin K2 (Menaquinones)………………………………………………. 10 mcg
Choline (Choline bitartrate)…………………………………………………. 10 mg
Inositol (Myo-inositol)…………………………………………………………. 10 mg
Rutin………………………………………………………………………………. 10 mg

Minerals:
Boron (Sodium borate)……………………………………………………. 250 mcg
Calcium (Calcium citrate)…………………………………………………… 50 mg
Chromium (Chromium polynicotinate)……………………………….. 100 mcg
Copper (Cupric gluconate)……………………………………………… 1000 mcg
Magnesium (Magnesium citrate)………………………………………… 50 mg
Manganese (Manganese sulphate)……………………………………….. 2 mg
Molybdenum (Sodium molybdate)…………………………………….. 100 mcg
Selenium (L-Selenomethionine)…………………………………………. 10 mcg

Silicon (Sodium metasilicate)……………………………………………….. 1 mg
Zinc (Zinc citrate)……………………………………………………………… 1 mg
Minerals are in elemental quantities.

Phytonutrients:
Boswellia serrata (Frankincence Resin)…………………………………… 25 mg
Curcuma longa (Turmeric Rhizome)………………………………………. 15 mg

Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil’s Claw Root)……………………. 20 mg

Accessory nutrients:
Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorella Broken Cell)……………………………….. 100 mg
D-Chondroitin sulphate……………………………………………………… 500 mg
D-Glucosamine sulphate………………………………………………….. 1000 mg
Hyaluronic acid……………………………………………………………….. 50 mg
Hydrolyzed collagen……………………………………………………….. 1000 mg
L-Glutamine…………………………………………………………………… 50 mg
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)……………………………………………. 400 mg

Enzymes**:

alpha-Amylase……………………………………………………….. 15 mg (330 FCC DU)
Cellulase………………………………………………………………… 10 mg (35 FCC CU)
Lipase……………………………………………………………………… 35 mg (42 FCC LU)
Protease…………………………………………………………………… 40 mg (720 FCC HUT)

**Enzymatic Units
FCC (Food Chemicals Codex)
FCC CU (Cellulase Units)
FCC DU (alpha-Amylase Dextrinizing Units)
FCC HUT (Hemoglobin Unit on a Tyrosine Basis)
FCC LU (Lipase Units)

Additional ingredients:
Apple fibre, Citrus bioflavonoids, Spirulina.

The only issue with the sinew is I don’t feed him wet food but that actually leads to another question. Would it be a bad idea to say lower his dry food content a bit and use the Orijen Freeze Dried pucks as a topper instead of other stuff? Or is that too much for an old boy. I’m just trying my hardest to keep him as healthy and mobile as I can to keep his muscles as strong as possible around the hips. He’s always been fairly slow but never overweight I walk him about 2-3km a day at a relatively lax pace he likes to sniff a lot. We often break it up into two walks about 0.6 km early afternoon and about 2-3km at night. Hoping even with the slow pace this will keep his muscles from deteriorating too much. Really considering a water treadmill as I’ve been told that’s a good way to keep muscles without much strain. Sorry. I know that’s a lot to unpack and everything but I truly appreciate the feedback as I’ve been given very sound advice from this website before. Thanks again again my apologies I just love my guy so much he’s been like my best friend and helped me through some serious trauma and the ensuing insomnia and ptsd that goes with it.

[Mikkel J]

Hi

Looking to change from Hill’s J/D joint care, to a grain free product. My dog was very ill for a month probably do to lyme borreliosis . We’re of the meds (antibiotics and adrenocortical hormone) and recovered, however with stiff joints especially in hear rear legs after laying down, and not quite the same motivation to play and run with her son (7y), and inability to jump as before.
However things are doing somewhat better than just after the recovery, we’re doing an hour walk/run in her pace only on soft soil like in the forest. We supplement Hills with joint supplement powder containing (Glycosaminoglycans, Proteoglycans, Organic sulfur, Green-lipped mussel, Collagen II), turmeric with bioperine, Omega 3 (EPA/DHA) and the popular CBD oil 30 mg pr. day, dogs weight 30 kg/66 lbs.

I’m not certain that I’m on the right path her, and looking at first to find another base food instead of hills full of grain.
I’ve found Wolfsblut as the best substitute and like another pair of eyes on it.

https://www.wolfsblut.com/vetline/trockenfutter-hunde/vetline-joint-care/

Fresh wild poultry meat 41% (partridge, pigeon, wild duck, ostrich), sweet potato (17%), potato, banana, ostrich oil (5%), pumpkin, alfalfa, salmon oil, Jerusalem artichoke, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, black currants, parsley , Spinach, minerals, carrot, chickpeas, green-lipped mussel, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, glucosamine (3,900 mg / kg), methylsulfonylmethane (3,900 mg / kg), chondroitin sulfate (2,750 mg / kg), cetyl myristoleate (500 mg / kg ), Ginger, licorice, garlic, turmeric

Vitamins: vitamin A (as retinyl acetate) 14,400 IU, vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) 2,000 IU, vitamin E (as alpha tocopherol acetate) 100 IU; Trace elements: iodine (as anhydrous calcium iodate) 0.96 mg, iron (as ferrous sulfate) 48 mg, zinc (as zinc sulfate) 48 mg, manganese (as manganese sulfate) 33 mg, copper (as copper sulfate) 14 mg, selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.29 mg

Crude protein 20%
Crude fat 13%
Crude fiber 3.5%
Crude ash 9.5%
Humidity 8%
Omega-6 2.98%
Omega-3 0.75%

What are your thoughts about this product?
Also, i’d like some advice on the following
– The need if any, to supplement this kind of food with additionally or other nutrition.
– Exercise, I know shorter and more frequent walk is advisable, however she is responding rather well on 1 hour long walk a day.
– If you know about another joint care dry food or any other advice, whom you have good experience with, I’m all ears, however needs to be sold in Europe.

Thanks for your time
Mikkel

[anonymous]

Regarding allergies, your best bet is to go to a board certified Veterinary Dermatologist (asap) for exam/diagnosis/treatment.

Continue to work closely with your General Practice Vet regarding GI issues.
It’s not the chicken (just my opinion based on my experience with a allergy dog)

This is a good weight management food, run it by your vet https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-weight-management-gold-food-for-dogs

Add water to all dry food, and use wet/canned food when possible.

PS: They (dogs) all act like they are starving, no matter how much you feed them. They are scavengers. Don’t be fooled 🙂

[m3ntat]

Prescription Royal Canin SO diet can help dissolve struvite uroliths specifically, and prevent formation of struvite and oxolate uroliths. RC also makes multiple diets with the SO index, including a behavior modifying diet, Calm. Stress is primary contributor to urinary disease, including bacterial infections, sterile inflammation, uroliths in the bladder (cystolith) or kidneys (nephrolith), as unsure which your vet has diagnosed. Moderating stress with diet, supplements, environment, and exercise, can help reduce stress induced disease and inflammation. Feliway (cat) and Dog Appeasing pheremone products are very helpful. Over the counter products by veterinary companies, such as Composure (Vetriscience), Zylkene (Vetoquinol), and Calming Care (Purina) are the most utilized amongst vet professionals. Long-term use of the rx urinary diet is recommended in repeat urethral obstruction or urolith affected pets. Obstruction by crystals blood/bladder cells, and stones is emergent, as blood cannot flow through the kidneys to filter toxins into urine, and toxins accumulate in the blood, leading to electrolyte imbalance, azotemia, dehydration, hypotension, and shock left untreated. Since he is older onset, ensuring water intake and more elimination opportunities on walks/yard visits will help decrease risk for concentrated urine accumulating crystals, which can form uroliths that gain size the longer crystals are present. Dilution decreases urine crystal formation. Inquire as to the serum kidney values, to ensure underlying kidney changes are not the contributors to the bacteria and crystals sited in his urine. Ultrasound is the best way to diagnose urinary tract changes, inflammation, and foreign material; limited abdominal U/S can find early kidney changes, prior to any abnormality in serum/blood work. Hope your boy continues to improve, as he already sounds 100% turnaround. Link to SO index Calm diet https://www.royalcanin.com/us/dogs/products/vet-products/canine-calm-dry-dog-food

[pugmomsandy]

You can feed a food to all 3 dogs that has a nutritional adequacy statement for “all life stages (A)” or for “adult maintenance (M)” which you are feeding now. All the recipes listed in the review have a life stage designation next to them if that info was available on the company’s website.

There are some suggestions here:

/best-dog-foods/best-small-breed-dog-food/

and here:

/best-dog-foods/best-dry-dog-foods/

[Jack or Carolyn B]

We have a seven pound Maltese mix and two almost 15 month old Chiweenies, 13 & 14 pounds. I’m having great difficulty trying to find healthiest, safest foods for them. We are currently feeding all three Click to open expanded view
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food By Blue Buffalo but I don’t think they should all be eating the same thing. What do you advise? It’s very difficult trying to figure it out on your web site. Thanks

[Kayla R]

My 4 year old Goldendoodle has been having seizures once or twice a month since the end of August 2019. They’d last about 2 minutes and he would violently shake (and “paddle” as our vet called it), trembling jaw, foaming at the mouth, release his bowels, and bark. We’ve been tracking every seizure (date and time) and I’ve been looking into his food to see if it could be the cause of them. When we took him to the vet they said his bloodwork history and current work was all in perfect health so he figured it was epilepsy/idiopathic seizures.
He was previously on the Nutrience Sub Zero (freeze dried raw + kibble) which I was told was one of the best foods out there. I started him on the food at the beginning of August.
I put him on CBD oil In October (500mg once a day) because I heard the benefits of it and wanted to prevent putting him on medication as much as I could, but he was still having seizures. I decided to up his dosage in December (600mg twice a day on some chicken which is his favourite treat), but I also changed his food at the same time to “Only Natural Pet” Power Fusion Adult Dog Food which costs about $20 more per bag but apparently was better than the Nutrience? (This was told to me by a worker at PetSmart who said his dogs eat this food and it’s helped them a lot). I also occasionally give him some FreshPet fresh chicken and veggies mixed in with his kibble for some added nutrients (and he loves the fresh stuff!) but for $80 dry food and $45 fresh food, it adds up fast. Since his CBD going up and his new food he hasn’t had a seizure in almost 2 months! I wish I had only switched one thing at a time to see what would help first so now I’m not too sure if it’s only the cbd working or only the food (or both?), but I was so worried about him I just quickly wanted to do everything I could to stop his seizures.
If he has another one then I’ll have to take him to the vet again and discuss putting him on medication, but for now he’s doing a lot better. it’s so heartbreaking seeing your pup go through them and not being able to do anything as it’s happening. I hope you can figure out what’s causing your dogs seizures soon!

[Lauren S]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, we are really holding our breath here. My dog is the most anxious dog out there, you can’t even pet the poor little guy. We’ve tried to medicate him to no avail, we just work around his fears as best we can. As a result, getting him to the vet for testing is nearly impossible. We don’t know if he has actual stones. The vet is encouraged that the infection went away on the antibiotics and is hoping that the crystals are not a result of a stone. That’s why he said let’s do the dog food change for a few weeks to see if things clear up.
I’m going to feed the recommended food. I’ve been adding extra water to his dry food and I am constantly letting him out, even if he isn’t lingering by the door. Fingers and paws are crossed that this does the trick. Thank you again 🙂

[Walter P]

When it comes to flea treatments, Some people prefer effective topical solutions, while others prefer natural ones. With that been said, please keep in mind that both ways can be equally effective if applied correctly.

If your dog is suffering from a flea infestation, chances are you home and yard are also infested, so make sure to treat your house and yard also to prevent flea re-infestation.

Here are some of the best ways to get rid of fleas:

DRYNESS
Fleas hate very dry areas (so install a dehumidifier and a fan).

CARPET
Keep carpeted areas to a minimum. Most flea larvae coil themselves around carpet fibers and are not easily removed. Carpet is the perfect flea environment! If you do have carpeting, vacuum frequently.

CLEANING
Wash wood or stone floors frequently. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae are attracted to cracks and joints in floors and will die when they are hit by simple soap and water or steam.

BAKING SODA AND SALT
Sprinkle baking soda and/or salt all over your floor and furniture. Work it into the fabric with a stiff brush or broom. Leave it for several hours. Keep your pets out of the room(s) while treating for fleas.

BATHING
Bathe your pet in salt water or plain old soap and water. Fleas can’t live in salt water, so periodic dips in the ocean (or a salt water rinse) can also help keep fleas under control.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in places where fleas seem most prevalent: a light dusting on the pet’s bedding and the carpet or couch, under the baseboard heater, refrigerator and stove, near the sink, garbage or wherever you suspect fleas.

Vacuum
Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week.

Source: The Complete Guide to Flea Treatment For Dogs In 2020

[Bee W]

i started feeding my dog (a mini schnauzer) raw food because i thought its the best for him. the reason i started doing so is because he doesn’t do well on dry food, and stars to have serious stomach ache after a month or so with the dry food (we tried a few companies/ brands). after feeding him a month or so with raw i started seeing blood in his urine so i rush to the vet and the vet tells me that i have been feeding him with a diet that contains too much protein. during that month i saw great changes: he was more energetic and less hungry, stopped looking for food when we walk outside. The vet recommended me to give him more complicated carbs like sweet potato, brown rice and etc. then i talked to a pet nutritionist and she told me it’s better to cook the meat because of different bacterias. she told me what should be the proportion between the meat, organs , carbs and vegetables and to add cooked eggs, sardines, fish oil and coco oil every day. i did what she told me and now his protein levels are okay. So i kept on going. two mounts later he acts as if he’s hungry all the time, always digging in our trash, trash outside and looking for random food. i don’t think it’s a behavior problem but maybe more nutritional. maybe i should give him raw meat again but with carbs and vegetables. please share your experience with. what do you think i need to do?

[william M]

Dont want to seem indifferent, but this is the problem with the whole pet food and pet products industry. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out what your dog would find downright irresistible to eat. The problem is packaging and long term usage issues. If you lived on a farm, that trach would have been not only fresh but extremely pliable. And puppy wouldnt have been choking on it, but instead waking you up and bugging you for more goodies. Your best bet is to identify the “BODY PART” your dog is getting and see if its something thats usually very pliable or something thats naturally harder i.e. sinew and bone etc.

Awful (thats internal organ meats) generally have to be processed so they can be wrapped and put on a dry shelf. Keep that in mind as well as the fact they may even have to add preservatives to keep it from molding, and these may not be of any long term benefit. Good to read labels.

When I was growing up, you couldnt get out of a grocery store without being accosted by some kid giving away pups or kittens. Now theres re-homing fees and all manner of fees associated with pets. Food and treats are as big a business as it gets….nearly 117 billion last year alone. Due diligence and common sense rules the day here. Scientific Diets and treats arent worth much since the FDA doesnt regulate pet food. It’s always up to you to educate and understand whats going into their mouths since they arent in the wild anymore and dont learn from instinct. Hope your pup recovers soon, and if it likes this kind of treat, consider Safeway or your local supermarket and get some beef liver or chicken gizzards etc. etc. and wait till they are in the managers reduced section. A quick boil for 5 min. makes the most astounding treat and someone will be bugging you everytime you walk to the stove, hoping for more of that good stuff!

[william M]

The controversy isnt one. Kind of like my 78 year old vet. He’s convinced raw is terrible, chicken bones deadly and most other bones and basic meats a waste of money and time , and would love to see my hounds on some science diet scam. I’ll pose to all for you the same question I do to him….When have you found a dead coyote or wolf with a chicken bone in their throat? Same goes for every other wild carnivore eating my chickens from skunk and coons to weasels and fishers. Time to pull the collective head out of our dark holes and realize, your DOG is a canis Lupus. That means wolf from the get go, or wild dog. they do well with raw as well as cooked meats. They love the awful (body cavity parts especially liver, kidney, lungs, heart etc.) and all the connective sinew on the bones and joints. Does their teeth and general oral health immense good.
All this said, let me just qualify my “EXPERT STATUS” as it were. I have raised and managed over 1200 head of beef cattle for several years for market, Had ranches and farms with EVERYTHING from waterfowl to ginnies. I am 55 and have had various breeds of dog from cockapoo’s to almost every breed and crossbreed of hound from germans to pointer to my latest and likely most clearly bred WALKER coon. All have been working hounds i.e. hunting or herding. I have always maintained one large crockpot for my dogs. I will say I have found one minor issue with my dogs and raw meats, and it’s the same for all wild critters….they get a taste for the raw meat of whatever they are eating. So if your raising chickens, best not to give too much raw chicken unless your discipline style with your dogs far exceeds their need to eat chicken. Just saying. Natural law dictates your dogs DNA drive to hunt, kill or just the desire to sniff and retrieve. Play up those traits based on the breed you got and they will be happy, healthy and live (in some cases) longer than you may think. End note… I have had dogs I would use to move cattle for miles with, or hunt for days with, but they were the worse house pets! And every one of them thought they were a lap dog when in the house! Hopes this helps a few on the fence about raw or cooked or processed foods. We use taste of the wild dry kibble as their 24/7 go to if they are peckish. They get a meat and some potatoe or squash mixed “wet or real food” once a day. I make my own with the crock pot and it varies from week to week from chicken to rabbit to beef and pork…..with the occasional venison or elk thrown in as a treat with livers, kidneys and heart and gizzard thrown in. Always good to check with the local stores to pick up all these items when they are close to pull dates and you can get them for up to 50% off. Wallmart carries 10lb frozen leg quarters fo 5.95 per bag. Thats .59 cents per pound for dark meat chicken….my dogs love it and between the two it serves them for a week. Hope all this helps.

[Sandy S]

My neighbor told me about this “”study”” , that was published in our local paper, back in July 2019.

Almost all the dog food brands in this “”study”” . Almost all. Are of excellent quality.

Specifically, Champion Brands. Origin and Acana.. Are high quality dog food. Available in Italy.

Look at the bio availability of any of the ingredients. Meat/grain/legumes..

You will see that your dog is eating a better bio available ration. Then you are..

Thats why a vast majority of the dogs, that eat these high quality ration’s, thrive. The vast majority.

High Quality = (Protein) Meat.Meat & more meat. Macro & micro minerals. Vitamin’s. Fat & fibre.
Low or no grain (carbohydrates) / peas / bean’s lentil’s..

Most dogs do better on meat. Cause A Dog. IS mostly a Carnivore.

You don’t trust the considerable science that went into your dogs ration? Your dog is one of the few, that responds poorly to a high quality, bio available ration?

Concerned about what meat (protein) your dog digest, & thrives on ? And or what carbohydrates (legumes/grain), your dog digest,best?

Feed 1 protein at a time..Feed 1 carbohydrate at a time One. Example: 75gm’s Lamb (as is) with 25gm’s boiled Brown Rice..Total 100gms.

WaLa! You’ve just made a good , bland, digestible,limited ingredient dog food. Try Whatever protein’s (meat). You want to.

Your dog is one of the minority of dogs, that is having problem’s on a commercial dog food?

If need be? Figuring out which basic ingredients, your dog does best on.. Will allow you to, see results from your own hands making your dog’s ration. Going in and going out..

Then go match what you learned, with a commercial dog food..

Dogs do best on meat.. You can add meat. For less cost then commercial dog food.

You can easily add carbohydrates ( brown rice). For much less cost then dog food..

The number one problem with all dog feed is > People feed their dogs way too much..

That “”study””. Does not seem to be able to take into account market share of a dog breed (popularity). Nor the market share of the dog food brands.. Nor nothing specific about the ingredients? Something vague about the amount or digestibility of legumes? WTF? Just that some breeds seem to be more prone to heart problems..

Then is not that whole FDA “”investigation””. Just bunk science? An “investigation” as a reaction to dog owner hysteria?

What did i miss ?

My dog is 8 years young & 33lbs of solid muscle.

I feed 100 gram’s of dry dog food, like Origin or Keto ….. Not the manufactures recommended “200 grams” .

NOT. 200 .. 100 gram’s ..of high quality meat, commercial dry dog food.

Then I add 100 gram’s of “raw” meat & carbs. More Or less. I like to use 2/3 horse meat and 1/3 brown rice.. Your choice . Depending on what work’s best for your dog and your wallet.

The cost of the above mixture , works out to about $1.50 per day ..

Depending on how much I am running her. More when she work’s long and hard. Less when she is less active ..

My dog (33lbs) requires at least 200 gram’s of dry dog food OR it’s equivalent per day ..

6kg per month ..

Many of these high quality dog feeds cost more then $1.50 + per gram !

Thats a lot of coin for dog food . A whole lot !

If need be. Figure out what meat your dog thrives on.. Then match up a commercial dog food…

One protein . One carbohydrate.. Work it out from there..

[Mona S]

I noticed that in the Best of for Puppies, that only wet and dry foods were listed. Stella and Chewy has a raw freeze dried food for puppies, but otherwise most raw foods seem to be formulated for all life stages. Does Dog Food Advisor have a position on feeding raw to puppies?

My vet is strongly against it as she believes their microbiomes are not developed enough to handle it. But she also recommended Purina Pro Plan as the best food, so nutrition is obviously not her strong point.

Thanks,
Mona
p.s. my particular puppy is a mini aussie, so don’t need to take large breed feeding into consideration.

[Raymond L]

Hello, I would like some advice. I purchased 40 bags of wellness core senior dog food off an Amazon auction website. The best by date is Nov. 9th 2019. I went and checked the bags before bidding, all were sealed and in good condition. Upon getting them home and opening the bag after bag, I found bugs in them. Being an auction site all sales are final and a no return policy is enforced. So I emailed Wellness Core and explained the situation to them and got a reply that was more then discouraging. I was basically told that it was not their problem and that after it leaves their warehouse they have no control over the bags. I just asked if they might replace them seeing how it’s way before the best by date, and silence. Here is what the reply was (

 Dear Raymond,

Thank you for taking the time to write WellPet regarding Wellness® CORE® Senior Formula Dry Dog Food.  At WellPet we are committed to providing the highest quality pet foods and treats available.  Our expert staff of engineers is continuously improving our products to ensure that they are tasty and nutritious for your pet.  We regret that the product you received did not meet our high standards.

Our manufacturing facilities follow a very strict insect and pest control program that is constantly monitored. However, if pet food, treats and snacks are not stored properly at the distributor or retailer level, insects can be a problem. They can travel inside the packaging and can be seen in multiple stages including eggs, larvae, webbing, moths etc. Insect infestation can come from many places along the distribution channel and occurs prior to the consumer purchasing the product. While these insects are a nuisance and pet food industry does its best to store its food properly, they are non-toxic and non-parasitic.  

In order to better address your concerns we would like to get some additional information about the product for our Quality Assurance Department. If possible, please provide us with the flavor and package size of the product in question, as well as the Best if Used By/Please Enjoy By date and any additional manufacturing information stamped on the package.

We do recommend working with the Amazon auction vendor for a refund.

Sincerely)

Had they not had good dates I would understand. So basically I am out? Thank you for listening. Raymond

[Susan]

Hi Genevieve,

Oh poor Ollie, video was hard to watch,
I called this the Gulps.
yes this is BAD acid reflux coming up into the throat/mouth, please give either liquid Mylanta or Slippery Elm – 4mls so it soothes Ollies esophagus & pushes the acid down, or I give a dry biscuit “Jatz” wafer biscuit.
I wonder if Ollie has LES??
Have you done Endoscope & Biopsies??
My Patch suffers with IBD – Helicobacter, LES, Environment Allergies, Food Sensitivities.

Same as you we tried most things…
Vet Diets – didn’t help cause of the high Omega Oils, Beet Pulp & Pre-biotics Patches acid reflux seem to get worse.
Carafate made him feel sick, he’d gulped grass after taken Carafate.
Zantac, – taken 18months it worked then it didn’t work like it wasn’t strong enough.
Slippery Elm Slurry 4ml works & helps soothe the esophagus & settle stomach..
Buy Slippery Elm powder, put 1/2 a teaspoon in a cup, boil jug & slowly add boiling water & quickly stir till you have a slurry, not too thick or too thin so you can pull up 4ml into a syringe, make sure its not hot when you give to Ollie, it cools quickly.
Omeprazole-20ml for 1 yr the Omeprazole helped then it didn’t some days.
Patch went down hill November 2017 after we moved, I nilly put him to sleep but before I put him to sleep I woke up 1 morning & thought i’ll do another Endoscope & Biopsies to see if he has stomach cancer?? His other vet quickly admitted him for the next day 10am, he had gingivitis back molars from the acid coming up esophagus into his mouth he eats kibble 🙁 wet foods makes his LES worse, he gulps up wet digest food, wwhere dry kibble stays down better & when it digest it moves onto his small bowel instead of being burped back up, he doesn’t have Megaesophagus.
His Endoscope showed he had red inflamed esophagus & red wind pipe this is what made him really ill & not his happy go lucky self, when I heard his vet say he has red inflamed throat & wind pipe, it broke my heart, he was suffering like this & Staffys are bad for telling you they are in pain, they hold a lot of pain my vet said 🙁
I thought the Omeprazole was reducing his Hydrochloric acid?? his Helicobacter had come back mildly not bad like it was 6 yrs before when I had rescued him, the vet said the Omeprazole must of kept it at bay, then the vet said he thinks his Lower Esophageal Sphincter Flap in between his stomach & esophagus isn’t closing properly & the acid is washing back up into mouth causing Gulps, red esophagus etc
I suffer with GORDS, LES & Barrets Esophagus & I take Pantoprazole twice a day, my Gastro Specialist said Pantoprazole seem to work best for people who suffer with LES & GORDS so I told Patches vet Simon can we PLEASE try Pantoprazole instead of the Omeprazole, Patch has 2 vets his easy going lady vet who has a more Holistic approach & then Patch has Simon who does Patches Endoscopes, Biopsies & removes Patches lumps, he’s very very good vet educated all over the world but he agrues with you & says all PPI – acid blockers are ALL the same BUT they’re NOT I agreed back lol we argued for 1 hour, Omeprazole didn’t agree with me, neither did Parriot & Pantoprazole worked straight away so all PPI must work in different ways, even my Gastro specialist said people all react different with PPI – acid blockers but Simon said its just a way the big drug companies make more money.. Oh well I have proven him wrong cause
my Patch started to get better & hasn’t vomited in 20 months since taking Pantoprazole, he started on 20mg taken in morning, morning is best to take a PPI my Gastro special told me, a PPI doesn’t have to be before breakfast but it is better, so as soon as Patch wakes up around 6.30am I give his 20mg-Pantoprazole with a syringe with water so the tablet goes down his esophagus then he eats 10-15mins later.
End of Summer every March cause of Patches Allergies all thru Spring & Summer Patches Immune System is over worked & then it crashes & he has a IBD Flare EVERY March (I live Australia) causing bad acid reflux again so I had to increase his Pantoprazole last Summer so now he has 20mg-Pantoprazole every 12 hours

He’s a new dog, no more vomiting, no waking up early hours of morning wanting to gulp grass, no more Helicobacter..
I feed 5 smaller meals, Kibble 7am-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am-1/2 a cup kibble, 5pm-1/2 a cup & 7pm-1/3 a cup kibble & at 12pm lunch he gets wet food but not much 1/3 of a can at the moment he loves his Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet can food but I get Paper towel & soak up all the oils when I get out the loaf from the can, as omega oils can cause acid reflux & Dr Judy Morgans old dog who has just passed age 18 yrs old kept having Pancreatitis Flare & it was the fish oils she was adding to his diet..

You will find Vets cant diagnose & wont be able to really help when it comes to the Stomach problems, my vet tells me Susan you know there’s no tests or blood test to know what’s happening with Patches stomach unless you have Endoscope & Biopsies, Biopsies will give us answers to what’s wrong with stomach/small bowel, this is probably way no vets have any answer & have to guess what’s happening with Ollie 🙁
Have you ever done the Triple Therapy meds?
Metronidazole, Amoxicillin every 12 hours with a meal & a PPI once a day in morning taken for 3 weeks.
Keep diet low in fiber, low in carbs, low/med fat & med protein & feed small meals & ask vet about LES a lot of aging dogs suffer with LES but we think Patch had LES when I rescued him age 4yrs old..

[Sara M]

Farmina is the best dry food on the market! Instead of meat meals (the inedible part of the animal ultra-heated) they use dehydrated meats, for their meat concentrates. They don’t use any cheap filler protein boosters likes peas, chickpeas or lentils. It is low glycemic, free range and non-gmo. For dry food, there is none better than Farmina

[Tracy H]

I have two English Cream Golden Retrievers who are almost pure white in color. After reading the Best Dry Dog Foods of 2019 that the dog food advisor published, I changed their food to one listed. I am giving them VICTOR Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food and they love it! We are now going on 3 months eating this food and they are turning pink. I googled why my dogs are turning pink and I found one article saying it could be from yeast in the dogs food. Hi-Pro Plus add Selenium Yeast to their food…. Could this be the culprit? Just wondering if anyone else out there is having similar issues? Thank you.

[GSDsForever]

Hi Jordan.

Some additional options for grain inclusive, with NO chicken formulas include these brands:

Dr. Gary’s Best Breed, First Mate, Eagle Pack’s Holistic Select Line (see e.g. Adult Radiant Sardine, Anchovy, & Salmon), Sport Dog (e.g. Buffalo formulas), Inception, Purina Pro Plan (e.g. Salmon & Rice Sensitive Stomach & Skin), Petcurean Go!, Farmina, Annamaet, Canine Caviar, Verus, Instinct by Nature’s Variety Be Natural Salmon (includes peas #7), Nutrisource (e.g. Trout & Rice — not the large breed one), and (soon) Open Farm’s new grain inclusive line. One of the moderators here, PugMom Sandy, noted a sardine formula from Nature’s Logic also.

Purina, Hills, & Royal Canin have veterinary therapeutic formulas/prescription diets that exclude chicken as well.

The above is not an exhaustive list or a recommendation for any listed. And those are just U.S. available foods.

Your choices will depend upon what you are looking for preferentially in a formula and brand, things that you personally believe to be indicative of “high quality.”

From experience, I have known many dogs to do well on the Fromm Whitefish grain inclusive formula recommended by another poster above, especially dogs with sensitive digestive systems and needs for low residue, highly digestible. It has a nice mix of whole grains, sweet potatoes, and bland, highly digestible simple carbs.

I am currently feeding Annamaet’s Option formula (purple bag: Salmon based, w/lamb) and am very pleased with the company and the formula. To it, I daily add canned wild Alaskan salmon with bone, to bring the protein up from ~26-27% protein (dry matter, actual typical) to 30%+ (adjusted for our needs). Last month I added canned sardines.

Good luck! If you are interested in one of the above formulas/brands, I’d be happy to give you my thoughts on it.

[Micky]

While trying to find a dry dog food, and consulting the list of “best of” for one of my dogs with chronic digestive problems, I decided to give “wellness” a try. I had fed it years ago and was always happy with it.
Now – this may be an odd coincidence- but I found tiny small black bugs and white worms in the bag – to be more precise, they were attracted to and congregated inside the small metal scoop I use (which gets washed daily)
Besides returning the bag of food plus the “bug evidence” to the store, who should I notify? The manufacturer?? And??

[Norine C]

I have just sent an email to Wildology.
I was told it was made in CO. The marketing and Branding is topnotch. I found out it is a company in MN. Based on my experience, MN is heavily connected to China. I am concerned.

My emai;
Hello,
I have switched my two year old black lab to Wildology. We started with Fetch and now Swim. She had been eating Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream. She definitely asks to eat and poops more on Wildology but she loves it.

There have been many articles and perhaps rumors flying around about dog food safety and quality.

I was told that Wildology was made in Colorado but on your website, http://wildology.com/, Midco Distributing in MN. This was the first red flag. Now I see on /forums/topic/wildology-feed/ that other people are also concerned about Wildology.

Please confirm the source of the ingredients and the location of the production. If any ingredient is from China or any China trade partners we can only assume it is toxic. Since human foods are traded and falsified, it is safe to assume the same for dog food.

Also, I do not buy any products or even dog toys made in China because of toxic levels of chemicals and toxic production practices.

I am hoping all of this is incorrect and there is a better explanation. The marketing of the bag looks wonderful, I hope it is accurate.

NOTE: I have noticed my dogs soft coat has become more brittle / dry itchy and she is more hungry.
I want the best for her, Please advise!

I will post their reply.

[D]

Commercial or Homemade- I do a bit of both. There are a few pet stores that offer a rewards program. For instance, if you buy ‘X’ amount of frozen dinners you get one free. I find going raw is not all that expensive. Also, remember you will save money in the long run from not needing to go to the Vet from issues concerning dry kibble. Such as allergy meds, reactions, cancer, etc…
Ordering food tends to be more costly, you may be better off going to a local butcher or a local grocery store and find meat there, i have a great success finding offal in grocery stores, very inexpensive too. Make sure you wash any meat you buy from the grocery store thoroughly and freeze meat no less than 3 days in order to kill any bacteria that may have contaminated the meat.
Make sure you clean up after your dog eats. I will brush my dogs teeth after eating if i plan on letting him lick me or my guests to ensure no spreading of bacteria. (Vet’s Best Dog Toothbrush and Enzymatic Toothpaste Set | Teeth Cleaning and Fresh Breath Kit with Dental Care Guide| Vet Formulated is a great toothbrush and toothpaste) I’ve been feeding my puppy raw for a year now and noticed tremendous results. I will never revert to kibble again.
My vet strongly advised me not to go raw and at the same time tried to push Royal Canon on me. The same dog food that nearly killed my last dog.
One of my friends is a vet and she told me that they do not spend much time in school learning about raw. And whatever they did cover was all negative. I have yet to hear of a dog or puppy getting seriously ill from going raw.
I wouldn’t try to convince your vet otherwise, save your breathe. Just keep doing research and you will be fine and learn so much!
There are great website out there that give you a great breakdown on meat, fat, bone, and offal percentages you should be feeding your dog.

i wish you the best of luck!
P.s. I’ve worked in feed kitchens before and seen what goes into dog kibble, its quite alarming.

[Connie I]

I have had giant breed Saint Bernards for 46 years and in four months will be adding a Caucasian Mountain Dog. They range from 180 to 204 lb . I have tried all different kinds of dog food and the best I have found and have used for a very long time is Fromm gold for large breed dogs. We don’t ever feed Saint Bernards puppy food when they’re little because it makes them grow too fast and it can cause issues in there joints later on in life. I do not have any throwing up of bile, we have no diarrhea, and they love it. We also feed Raw on top of the dry. My Saint Bernards live to be 12 and 13 years old and don’t really have any joint issues until there about 10. For anyone I would highly suggest Fromm gold large breed dog food. All you can do is try it for every individual dog by a small bag and go from there.

[Shanna J]

So my dog vomits if he eats any food or treats that contain chicken.
It’s hard to find because most treats have chicken of some sort and you can buy a beef dry dog food but they still have chicken in them if you look at ingredients. I have fed him Castor & Pollux organic grain free salmon and the Costco brand of beef grain free food.
I’m looking for recommendations for the best dry and/or wet dog food that completely chicken/poultry free. I don’t necessarily want a grain free food after the studies I’ve read lately.
I have a Pomeranian who is about 13lbs and 8 years old.
Suggestions please!

[Hanna G]

Recently My baby facing some dry skin and digestion problem. In this situation, I search on Google best dog food for dry itchy skin then I found an article where they mentioned Purina Pro Plan, Hill science etc is the best dog food for dry itchy skin. I picked the Purina Pro Plan and now my baby is feeling good and no issue. The article is attached here http://dogsensitiveskin.com/best-dog-food-for-dry-itchy-skin/

[Hanna G]

Yes. Purina Pro Plan is a great food to keep Sensitive stomach and Skin. So I am feeding Best dog food for dry itchy skin (Purina Pro Plan) to keep the sensitive stomach and skin healthy.

[snowtigga]

Thanks, everyone!

We don’t free freed. However, if we don’t remember to pick up their bowls when they’re done (3 areas, 3 separate bowls), *someone* who shall remain nameless but is formally called Reggie, will occasionally go over and finish it for them.

I put these foods in my cart at chewy as possibilities. Didn’t Wellness have recalls?
I’m taking into consideration that because it’s labeled “senior” doesn’t mean it’s the best choice. I’m trying to keep with a 23%/11%/5% guideline that DFA (or somewhere) deemed as being good for a senior ratio.

I’ve also got my little dog to consider, too, and I’d rather not buy her different food than the boys if I can help it.

Health Extension Lite Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
VICTOR Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Wellness Complete Health Senior Deboned Chicken & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Royal Canin Golden Retriever Adult Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Holistic Select Adult Health Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
American Natural Premium Original Recipe Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Holistic Senior Reduced Calorie Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag

I think for today we’re going to get a small bag of the Health Extension (Vet’s Choice). I like that they don’t have any recalls and that they’re a small family business. There’s not a lot of fruit/veggies but I’ve got to compromise on something since I don’t think there’s a dog food out there that has it all.

I also appreciate the personal recommendations as that goes a long way over the impersonal articles.

[joanne l]

Patricia that is what I do, I feed raw red meat and dry food. So I do give less dry food b/c it is not the only thing he eats. He is a GSD so I can’t do just homemade. I also cook chicken and I rotate with tuna. So I kind of do both fresh food and dry food. But as far as grains go it is still not high in protein like legumes and peas. I feel like a broken record myself. LOL I stress so much how grain free is nothing but a boost of pea protein. I looked up protein in legumes and peas and chickpeas vereses barley, wheat, corn, rice, oatmeal. And the finding was that legumes, peas and chickpeas have higher protein content. This is not just an opinion it is a fact. It is not that hard to figure out why the protein in grain free is higher. I know you know this when you seen the ingredients on the foods you mentioned. So I think some good fresh meat and a good grain in dry food is a good choice. But if people can feed just fresh of course that is the best way to go.

[Candice F]

I am maintaining a list of dry dog foods without peas, legumes, potatoes, corn, wheat or byproducts. If you know any that should be added to the list, let me know. https://www.seviernewsmessenger.com/2019/07/14/best-dog-food-without-peas-legumes-potatoes/

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
sounds like he had bad acid reflux, what he had eaten for breakfast was still in stomach not digested properly & it would of smelt awful so imagine the taste when he brought it up, you should of let him eat some grass not much about 1 mins worth or gave 1 piece of very brown dry toast. .. or give ant acid med Zantac/Pepcid, or 5ml liquid Mylanta would of relieved discomfort straight away…
Why Magnus wanted to eat & eat was to take away the acid taste in his throat & the bad taste after vomiting acid & undigested food that came up his esophagus, bad acid reflux can cause stomach ulcers, burn throat/esophagus & wind pipe when bad..
Next time this happens do you have liquid Mylanta, get small bottle keep in the fridge give him 5mls in a 20ml syringe this helps straight away, then after 20-30mins give him a few plain dry biscuits, or white breed made into toast cut in pieces, or buy Slippery Elm Powder make into a slurry..
Put 1/2 a teaspoon slippery Elm powder in a cup, boil the jug, then slowly add boiling water & stir quickly till you make a slurry, don’t make it too thick cause you need to pull up into a syringe.. you make it thin but not too thin or thick, you don’t make a paste…
Give Slippery Elm Slurry when dog has nausea, has just vomited to line his esophagus & stomach, when he’s mouth licking, swallowing, has upset stomach or diarrhea..

With kibble you don’t want Protein % too low under 25% as the carb % goes up when protein & fat is low low.. High carbs can cause acid reflux as well.. I feed 25% + Protein, 13% max -Fat & Fiber-5% max, Carbs -30% & under.

Have a look at “Wellness Core Large Breed Adult” Patch does really well on Wellness Core L/B & Canidae Pure Wild formula’s for his Acid reflux…
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed
Wellness have their “Wellness Simple” formula’s, Patch did well on the Simple Turkey & Potato kibble, I have found Patch does best on Potato Grain Free diets for his acid reflux you just have to work out what agrees best with your dog
Also be careful with Omega Oils, Fish Oil, Salmon, Oil, Coconut Oil, Linseed Oil these oils can cause acid reflux, same with high fiber diets, some of the low fat weight management kibbles are high in fiber low in fat.. make sure you check the fiber stay under 6%
also High Kcals kibbles are very dense & harder to digest, so stay under 370Kcals per cup

also feed 3-4 smaller meals a day, so his stomach isn’t empty too long
I feed 7am, 12pm, 5pm & a very small meal 7-8pm-1/4 a cup kibble..

Here’s the Wellness range, its often on special this is when I buy it, when I have my 25% off voucher.

For Dogs

Here’s the” Acid Reflux in dogs” F/B group, Acid Reflux is very common in dogs, my vet said she see at least 1-2 cases a week, owners don’t know what wrong or happening with their dog.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635198406751056/

[Susan]

Hi Sandy,
Here’s Dog Food Adviser 20 Best Dry Dog Foods list, he emailed to all DFA people who have subscribe to get mail, I got this last week after FDA release the 16 brands that “MIGHT” be associated with DCM..
/best-dog-foods/best-dry-dog-foods/?fbclid=IwAR1wJpUuDSSibm42V_A9GMalYW4_z1E91NFy1q01NAzf_GItd81nZBTwB1Q

Have a look at “Canidae Pure Formula’s” the Pure formula’s have limited ingredients & DFA has the Canidae Pure Sea on his best 20 foods list…… I rotate & feed Pure Meadow Senior & Pure Wild Pork when on special, Canidae has jumped in price in Australia..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Dean S]

Dogs are not vegans. That said, having green beans, pumpkin, peas (all soft and cooked people not raw from garden) are a safe FILLER.

Dogs need meat and fish. Lentils? Legumes of any kind? Even humans do not consume these well.

That being said, the FDA “hit list” does not have one brand by the BIG BOYS such as Purina, Iams, Science Diet (Purina I believe) and let’s all remember, just like our food supply, the big grocers and major global companies are doing their best to control and lord over our food supply. They do the same with pet food.

Also if you feed your dog 100% dry kibble, grain free or otherwise and they are NOT ACTIVE, that kibble sits in gut half digested. Just like someone drinking Gatorade and eating bread all day, sitting on the couch and no working out, you get FAT.

We have 4 dogs, I walk them every day at least 1 mile, and they have Only Natural Pet Power Fusion kibble as 1/4 their meal rest I make.

Many have purchased “designer dogs’ have them in a tiny apartment, walk perhaps a few times a week tops, leave them home alone while they are at work, and feed them the latest and greatest fashionable dog food. Dogs need to RUN and play every day and they are carnivores.

It’s really that simple.

[Owen J]

The optimum nutrient balance for the animal is achieved only by a combination of dry and wet food. The owner needs to ensure that the pet has the opportunity every day to have both kinds of rations.
https://herepup.com/best-dog-beds-for-older-dogs/

[Owen J]

Each type of food, both dry and wet, has its advantages and benefits the pet. However, only their combination gives the animal all the elements necessary for a full life, so the owner needs to be able to properly combine these diets.
https://herepup.com/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

[joanne l]

Pinky, did you noticed this started with the Ultra chicken formula? When you started the meds did you still give the dry food? Don’t give any dry food until you see a solid stool. Give the homemade I mentioned. When you see a solid stool for a few days than give the new dry slowly, which ever one you choose. The system needs a rest from dry food for a few days. Mucus sometimes means a food intolerance or an irritation. I would stay away from the Ultra chicken formula you were using. I feel bad for you and the dog, I am trying my best to give you the best advice I know. I hope your dog gets better. Please let me know how it turns out.

[Karen G]

My young chiweenie Jake has IBD and has been on Royal Canin hydrolyzed dry and wet food since he was diagnosed. It’s a major struggle getting him to eat this stuff! To me the canned food looks like plastic, and it all stinks. I can’t blame Jake for turning up his nose! I can’t imagine hydrolyzed food only being made by one company. I’m not concerned about whether or not it’s prescription. I’d just like to buy something that Jake doesn’t sniff and walk away from. It’s sad because he used to twirl ’round and ’round when it was time to eat. Now he stays in another room and must be coerced into eating this stuff (by adding pumpkin, sweet potato or banana, and those don’t work all that well either). I’m not familiar with the “Wholehearted” brand . Is that the best alternative?

[christine v]

I really like this write up re; DCM, it’s a bit more balanced thn the scaremongering articles i often see bandies about.

“There has recently been a rising controversy regarding the effect of Taurine on dogs. Unfortunately, some veterinarians and manufacturers are incorrectly applying the concern to all breeds of dogs and using “grain-free” foods as a scapegoat in order to push their own product agenda. The recommendations from these individuals are unfortunately setting us up for much greater problems in the near future.

The facts:
• Unlike cats, dogs are able to synthesize taurine in their bodies

• Some dog breeds may suffer from taurine deficiency in relation to certain diseases and may need to have taurine added to their diets

• American Cocker Spaniels and certain giant breed dogs (produce taurine in their bodies at a slower rate) appear to be more prone to taurine deficiency

• There are no symptoms directly related to taurine deficiency, but instead symptoms are usually related to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) which can be caused by taurine deficiency

• Grain-free pet foods are not the cause of taurine deficiency; however, potatoes and some legumes MAY affect taurine absorption if in large enough quantities (this is still unclear and only speculation at this point) and can be found in many “grain-free” as well as “grained” pet foods

Most importantly:
• The proportion of plant to animal protein sources may be a contributing factor (the lower the animal protein and the higher the plant protein, the more likely the food is to create low blood taurine levels)

• Many of the sick dogs from the original study had normal blood taurine levels and many of the dogs with low blood taurine levels did not respond to taurine supplementation

Conclusion:
Studies like this can be very good for the industry and our pets so long as they are interpreted correctly and organizations do not use the findings to further their agenda. Bottomline, grain-free foods are not the villain. It is irresponsible to claim that it is the problem given the actual true facts.

Genetics, disease, and large amounts of low-nutrient dense, high glycemic carbohydrates paired with minimal animal protein appears to be the problem, and would be even more specific than just blaming grain-free foods. There are grain-free foods to avoid, just as there are “grain-in” foods to avoid. Grains are certainly not an important, needed part of a dog or cat’s diet. But neither are carbs like potatoes, or peas which are mostly found in grain-free foods. They are merely replacements for grains like rice, corn, oatmeal, and others. Unfortunately dry kibble dog food (which is the only form of dog food this should even be associated with), MUST have those types of carbs in them to make the kibble hold together. It’s almost like the “glue” to keep it in kibble form.
We KNOW for a fact that corn and wheat do not do dogs any favors when it comes to their health! Rice is normally fine for most dogs but some will suffer from itchiness and other symptoms due to it being a high-starch carb. Obviously it would be best to avoid rice for an “itchy dog”. This is why grain-free foods exist. They would normally have a higher quality source of carbs binding them and without the toxins and allergens found in cheap cereal grains. It comes down to picking the lesser of evils on the carb source and figuring out what works best for your particular dog.
At EarthWise Pet, we have a comprehensive Certified Pet Dietitian program that trains individuals through over 500 hours of pet nutrition courses and material. Our expertise allows us to assess ingredients, manufacturing, and sourcing of all of our recommended foods. Because of this certification and vetting process, we offer a variety of grain-friendly and grain-free diets with low-carbohydrate content, minimal processing and high animal-based protein levels to ensure biologically appropriate, quality nutrition for your pets with sufficient levels of Taurine. If you have concern that your breed may be predisposed to taurine deficiency, ask your EarthWise Pet associate for recommendations and to see what food is right for your furry family member. We guarantee we have one that will fit your pet’s needs and give you confidence in the ingredients, sourcing and manufacturing processes of the food you feed.

I will add that I personally know thousands of dogs. I have not yet known of one to suffer from DCM, but I have known many that have been afflicted with Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity, and general poor health. In almost all cases, the dogs were fed low-quality dry dog food for most of their lives and that would usually consist of foods loaded with grains. Why would we want to go back to those kinds of diets, grains or no grains?!”

https://www.facebook.com/EarthWisePetHarpersPoint/posts/2349799205080076?__tn__=K-R

[Ana C]

My dogs have pancreatitis history; therefore, they need low fat dog food. Of 9 best low fat dry food recommended by DFA, 7 are grain free. That leaves 2 brands with very high carbs. They are not from big 4.

[Christie B]

On the topic of “the big 4”, I think it’s important to go beyond the parent company and look at the ingredients on the bag to determine what food you should buy. Some product lines within a company are better than others. I don’t think you can rank Dog Chow the same as Pro Plan or Pedigree the same as Nutro.

Ingredients are important. 3 Chicken Formula Dry Food Ingredients Lists:

GROUND WHOLE GRAIN CORN, POULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEAL (SOURCE OF GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN SULFATE), CORN GLUTEN MEAL, ANIMAL FAT (SOURCE OF OMEGA 6 FATTY ACIDS [PRESERVED WITH BHA & CITRIC ACID]), MEAT AND BONE MEAL (SOURCE OF CALCIUM), SOYBEAN MEAL, GROUND WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, BREWERS RICE, NATURAL FLAVOR, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, DRIED PLAIN BEET PULP, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, DRIED PEAS, ZINC SULFATE, DL-METHIONINE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, NIACIN [VITAMIN B3], BIOTIN, DRIED CARROTS, L-TRYPTOPHAN, BHA & CITRIC ACID (A PRESERVATIVE), BLUE 2, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, d-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE [SOURCE OF VITAMIN B5], RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT [VITAMIN B2], RED 40, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], COPPER SULFATE, SODIUM SELENITE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, FOLIC ACID

Chicken, brewers rice, poultry by-product meal (source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, whole grain corn, oat meal, medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil, pea fiber, dried egg product, natural flavor, fish oil, barley, fish meal (source of glucosamine), L-Arginine, mono and dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, Vitamin E supplement, potassium citrate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, choline chloride, and sodium selenite

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, White Rice, Oatmeal, Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Flaxseed, Dried Whole Egg, Cheese, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Monocalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins, Minerals, Probiotics.

So the first one is a mess of “poor quality” ingredients and artificial colors. I would give that food a hard pass every day. In fact, I know someone with a Lab who has fed this food for the dog’s entire life. This 10 year old has a lot of joint and mobility issues.

The second one has the dreaded by-product label (at least it’s poultry and not ‘meat’ ) and lots of grains. Fish meal can be found a ways down the list for a boost of glucosamine.

The third has chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, a plus for sure… and then Barley, rice, more rice and oatmeal follow…not ideal.

Are any of these GREAT food choices?

Every single time I go to the pet store, I wander the aisles reading ingredients lists. All I see are legumes and potatoes. Are they causing DCM? There’s no concrete evidence one way or the other yet. Was the my dog doing fine on Chicken and Rice for the first few years of his life before I found this website and gasped at the low rating his food received? Absolutely. Did I switch the grain free after reading through these forums? Sure did. Has he done ok with switch, all these years later? Nope. He’s developed allergies and sensitivities. But is it because of grain free formulas? I haven’t found concrete evidence proving that x and y caused the issues.

It’s a learning process to find what works best for your dog. Some can’t have grains, some can. My vet suggests feeding him boiled chicken and white rice when he’s not feeling well. Is my vet stupid or just telling me what he knows from his 30+ years of experience might help my dog. Has he called grain free food evil? No, but he cautions against it only because the inclusion of legumes and potatoes are ‘relatively’ new to animal nutrition and there isn’t enough research and studies done to prove that they are safe in the long term.

He told me that he’s always given his dogs Pro Plan but have never pushed me to purchase any of the big 4 brands. In fact, he said the best thing I can do is read the ingredients list myself. And to transition food properly. And if my dog has issues after eating 1-2 bags of a food, to look at the current ingredients and find a food that’s different.

[joanne l]

Hi I am sorry to hear about your dog, mine too does that. You are right it has something to do with his diet. My dog had a eye infection and the vet gave him antibiotics. When I stopped the med’s it returned. I knew I had to find the cause. So I switched his food and in a couple of days the eye infection went away and did not return. There is a dry food called Holistic Select, you can get it on chewy. It has a lot of probiotics in it, this food is designed for that. Read the reviews on chewy they have lamb, chicken, fish, duck, turkey flavors. I been through a lot with my other dog as well, and sometimes the vets don’t know all the exacted causes. I am not saying don’t ask a vet, but you feed the dog and observe what the outcome is. In my situation with his eyes I observed and thank God I found the cure. Just try this food and do it gradually, mixing with his old food for a 10 to 12 day period. example: if you feed 3 cups a day, than in a container mix 2 1/2 cups old and 1/2 cup new do that for 2 days. If stools are good than continue by mixing more of the new and less of the old, in 1/2 cups. example: 2 cups old and 1 cup new you get the idea. Hope it works, let me know. Believe me diet has a lot to do with it!! I think it is better to start on diet before you go to the vet a load up on meds. Certainly if diet correction does not work than go to a vet. Hope the best for you.
I forgot to mention, is he still having problems even with Crave? Well anyway if you use Holistic Select you will not need to buy probiotics. This is loaded with it. Sorry for all the edits but I knew a friend that his dog had skin problems and the vet gave him meds after meds, and finally the vet said lets change his diet and bingo his skin cleared. The owner was relieved b/c the dog was on meds for 2 years. which was not good.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by joanne l.

[Susan]

Hi Denis,

Look into feeding Freeze Dried raw..

“Buckley Liberty” formula’s came 1st, 2nd 3rd & 4th when 299 best selling dog foods were tested for Heavy Metals, Contaminates & Toxins, these dog foods are tested every 3-4 months & Buckley has stayed on top..
https://buckleypet.com/collections/all/products/liberty-fresh-dry-food-for-dogs

Also look at “Stella & Chewy”
https://www.stellaandchewys.com/raw-feeding/what-is-right-for-you/

Start rotating between a few good brands, never just feed the same brand of dog food, this is when the dog can start to react to an ingredient.

[Susan]

Hi Jane,
I rescued a English Staffy 6yrs ago who suffers with IBD, Patch was gulping his dry food, at first I was told add warm water & soften Patches kibble, but once kibbles are soft YOU MUST drain all the water out, so your left with the soft kibble, I was cuffing my hand in the bowl around the wet kibbles & pushing out excess water so there was no water & the kibbles weren’t really wet, but when Patch ate the wet kibble he started getting bad acid reflux + swallowing & swallowing about 20mins after he ate the wet kibble, then his new vet said stop soaking his kibble in water, feed 3-4 smaller meals thru the day instead of feeding him 2 large meals of kibble.. he eats between 2 or 3 cups kibble a day depending on the brand, instead of giving him 1 cup kibble at 7am, I give 1/2 a cup 7am & the other 1/2 the cup at 9am I put his bowl on a small stool, level with the dog mouth, when he’s standing, his mouth needs to be inline with stomach when eating, you can buy those raised stainless steel bowls & they go into a wooden thing or there’s stainless legs holding the bowl.. or buy those slow feeding bowls & I put his bowl on his little kids potty plastic stool….
I feed his wet food in a slow feeder bowl & his kibble goes in his stainless steel raised bowl, I noticed he was gulping heaps of air when the kibble was in those slow feeding bowls, he was licking & licking up the kibbles, then he couldn’t get the kibble, then after eating he was burping very loud burps, so no more slow feeder bowls for his kibble meal, I like small kibbles they are easier to digest if he doesn’t chew them….
I feed Patch 7am-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am -1/2 a cup, 12pm – 1/3 cup wet meal, 5pm – 1/2 a heap cup kibble & 7.30pm-1/4 a cup kibble, at lunch he eats either Freeze Dried Raw I add a little bit of water so the freeze dried comes to life & reconstitutes or Sweet potato & tin Salmon, he gets something healthy for lunch…
I try & reduce the amount of kibble I feed & replace with healthy foods, tin Salmon, Egg, Green Veggies, Sweet Potato, Blueberries, Mussels, Yogurt, Almonds as Kibble isn’t the healthiest thing to fed our pets..

Follow “Rodney Habib” on face Book, he’s always testing something, you’ll be surprise what he found when they did blind testing on Purina Pro Plan Healthy Minds, it tested positive to Glyphosate (Round Up)
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

After soaking his kibble I noticed some kibbles went soft within 20mins then there were kibbles (Vet Diets, Science Diet, Royal Canine, Purina) that would take hours to go soft, Patch never did well on these harder kibbles that took forever to go soft in warm water, so I started looking for kibbles that digested quickly & move thru stomach small bowel quicker instead of sitting in his stomach causing pain, he’d whinge & cry after eating, something was wrong…
when I did my kibble test the small kibbles went soft quickest within 20mins were – , Canidae, Wellness, Eagle Pack, Earthborn Holistic, Pro Pac Ultimates these brand kibble soften very quickly…

Get a cup of warm water drop 2 kibbles in cup of water, a good kibble will float to the top of the water not sink, a good easy to digest kibble goes soft within 20-30mins, also feed large breed kibbles, they are made for large breed dogs bowel to prevent bloat, Large breed kibbles are lower in Kcals so they’re not a dense kibble, dense kibbles are harder to digest more work on stomach & pancreas, Patch does best when the kibble is under 360Kcals per cup also the fat isn’t as high in large breed kibbles, the man at Pet Shop told me to feed Patch a large Breed kibble it will help with his IBD, so last year I tried Wellness Core Large Breed Adult kibble & it helped Patch with his IBD, I think the low Kcals -330per cup, lower fat-13%max & the potato in the Wellness Core L/B Adult helped with his IBD also Potato firms up poos..
I nilly put him to sleep last year he went down hill after Summer, everything he ate he was reacting too.

I’ll try & find a link I have, its a study that was done on small breed dogs bowel & a large breed dog bowel… it explains how small breeds don’t seem to suffer from bowel problems like large breed dogs do..

[Susan]

Hi Jamie,
My boy suffers with IBD, I feed kibbles that have Potato & Sweet Potato works best for him, as soon as he eats Hills, Purina or Royal Canine we end up at the vets needing a course of Metronidazole, he doesn’t do well on grains..
Your best off doing an elimination diet to work out if she has food sensitivities??…
Get a kibble that has just 1 meat protein & 1-2 carbs like “Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato” kibble then once your dog is stable & doing really well start adding 1 new ingredient over a 4-6 week period & see do the poos get sloppy & keep a diary.. Does she mouth lick & swallow, gulp (Acid Reflux) when she vomits is it yellow??
I’m wondering does she have the Helicobacter?? It’s a bad bacteria that lives in the stomach walls, does she act like she is starving all the time?? this is 1 of the symptoms you have when you suffer with Helicobacter + vomiting & acid reflux this is what Patch suffers with, Best to do Endoscope + Biopsies if it vomiting continues..
or ask vet can prescribe the Triple Therapy meds to kill the Helicobacter, meds are – Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Omeprazole taken for 21 days given every 12 hours with a meal the 20mg x Omeprazole is just given of a morning once a day…

When Patch was eating a kibble that was Lamb or Fish he was vomiting, so I don’t know were these kibbles higher in contaminates, heavy metals & toxins?? cause since he’s been eating Wellness, Canidae the vomiting has all stopped now he does take an Acid blocker called “Pantoprazole” 20mg of a morning now Vets normally prescribe 20mg- Omeprazole.. when they have acid reflux – gulping, mouth licking, swallowing, grinding teeth, vomiting early hours of the morning yellow acid vomits..
also are you feeding 4 smaller meals a day, don’t feed 2 large meals a day, its too much work on the pancreas & stomach.
I feed at 7am-1 cup, 12pm-1/3 a cup, 5pm-1cup & 7.30pm-1/4 a cup some lunch days Patch doesn’t eat kibble he eats cooked meal boiled sweet potato, no rice as rice ferments in the gut or freeze dried “Frontier Pets” has human grade ingredients.

These foods Patch does really well on

Wellness Core Large Breed Adult Chicken & Turkey
Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato
Wellness Complete Health Grain Free Chicken
Canidae Pure Wild Boar
Canidae Pure Meadow Senior Chicken & Turkey
Nutragold Turkey & Sweet Potato

I rotate his Grain Free kibbles as soon as the kibble bag is running out, I buy another brand that has Sweet Potato or Potato lean white meats are best to stay away from fish as main protein as fish is higher in toxins & contaminates.
Then I rotate old kibble & mix in the new brand kibble over 1 week, then do the same as the new kibble starts ending make sure you have enough kibble for 10days to introduce a kibble she was doing well on or another brand you want to try.. best to have at least 3 different brands you know she does OK on..
My boy starts to react if he eats the same dry kibble month after month also rotating foods strengthen their gut & immune system, you should start her on a good probiotic so her gut gets healthy… Wellness & Canidae have the Probiotics sprayed on the kibbles to strengthen gut.

A really good product called “Adored Breast Healthy Gut”
If you want to try something natural Adored Beast is getting great reviews from people who have a dogs suffering with IBD & IBD..
Have a look at “Adored Beast Gut Soothe” & “Adored Beast Love Bugs”

“Adored Breast Healthy Gut”
https://www.adoredbeast.com/collections/all

Julie Anne Lee – “Adored Beast Love Bugs” – Probiotics & Prebiotics

Have you joined the “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder IBD” on facebook
it’s a really good group when you need help…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/11164787803/

Also after she vomits or 20mins before she eats have you tried Slippery Elm powder made into a Slurry it soothes the esophagus, stomach & bowel..

I use the Slippery Elm Powder made into a slurry, go to health food store buy slippery elm powder not the capsules. Health food store sell the Slippery Elm powder..
add 1/2 a teaspoon into a cup, boil the jug & slowly add the boiling water & stir quickly till you get a thin paste/slurry you pull up into a syringe 4ml & give 20mins before a meal.. I cover the cup with foil put in fridge & take out when needed again, it turns into a jelly then boil the jug & slowly add boiling water & stir till you have a slurry again & use then I throw out & make a new batch the next day..
Slippery Elm powder soothe the esophagus, stomach & bowel, good for nausea, acid reflux, rumbling grumbling gasses going thru the bowel – loud noises.. also helps firm poos..

[anonymous]

Please consult a veterinarian that has examined your dog and knows it’s history.
There is no blanket rule as to what is right or wrong for any dog.
I always add water to dry kibble, that being said it may not be right for your dog, depending on breed, age, etc.
Some dogs do best on canned food only.

[Joan D]

I would think that a dog eating and having a stomach full of dry hard kibble to digest would be harder on the digestive track than adding liquid and letting the dry food soften up before serving. I thought Less stress on the kidneys to hydrate the food for digestion. But, I read some information saying that moistened dry food could lead to Bloat! How can that be? That frightens me as I lost a dog from bloat and only want to do the best thing I can to not cause this horrible illness.

Please tell me what to do? my lab likes the dry food moistened over the hard kibble.