Search Results for 'big dog natural'

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  • #50325

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    crazy4cats
    Participant

    Awesome! I bet vacations are very few and far between. Thank you for sharing. I think the Big Dog Natural food actually looks pretty good. I might check it out as a topper as well. The Honest Kitchen is not going well at my house.

    #50245

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    Cyndi
    Member

    Here it is:
    /forums/topic/big-dog-natural-dehydrated-food/

    #50244

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    Cyndi
    Member

    Dori, Dr. Mike replied to Nancy about Big Dog Naturals, but I can’t remember where. She asked about them somewhere else too. I’ll see if I can find it and post it here for you. It seemed like they were a shady company, if I’m not mistaken…

    #50243

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    Dori
    Member

    I too would like to know if anyone has any thoughts on Big Dog Natural Dog Food. It’s not on the review section but maybe someone has some experience feeding this food. I’m always on the look out for raw foods to add to the rotation. As always, thanks to all.

    #49812
    Naturella
    Member

    Liz S, I also think adding canned will do much, much good! When I use canned, I prefer the pate-style ones, and I add a bit of water with the canned and kibble (I mix dry and canned usually), and make it mushy/porridge-like/soupy, and this way I try to counter the dryness of the kibble.

    My dog is small too (Jack Russell-mini Rat Terrier mix (we think, as he was found in the bushes), 13.5 lbs), but I never really fed him a small-breed specific food except for his very first one when we adopted him. Foods I have tried that he did good on (and could eat the kibble with no problems) are: Blue Buffalo Wilderness, Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension, Dr. Tim’s (slightly bigger kibble, but oh well, he managed it just fine), Nutrisca, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free, Victor Grain Free (lots of samples), Nature’s Variety Instinct (samples), Now! Fresh (sample), NutriSource Grain Free (samples), Annamaet (samples), Wysong (samples), and I have a lot lined up – Back to Basics, Canidae Pure, Dogswell LiveFree, Wysong, NVI, more Victor Grain Free (which, in my case (heads up to LabsRawesome), told me I could PURCHASE the samples at $0.33/baggie, but wouldn’t send me free ones, AND I had to pay the shipping… But I stocked up at 5 samples/food, lol).

    All the kibbles aside from Dr. Tim’s were small enough and just fine to manage. For canned I have fed Wellness Core, Nutro Natural Source and Nutro Ultra, and now I feed The Honest Kitchen (THK) dehydrated with water instead of canned. I also add a raw egg once a week, coconut oil with some lukewarm water every other day, and yoghurt/kefir every other day, as well as a canned sardine and its fish juice from the can once a week too. So you can use some of these for variety and to cut the costs of canned.

    Sallynova
    Participant

    I forgot to mention if your dog suffers from allergies – make sure you do not use a kibble as the process of making kibble can cause allergies to get worse. Use a natural food and organic without any processing. So frozen or dehydrated is best and you’ll see a big difference. We use Dogs For The Earth dehydrated food – it solved all our problems in a week!

    #49103
    Naturella
    Member

    Amen, Kritterlady! This is basically what happened to us when we got Bruno. He was dropped off with no food, so we loaded him in the car and rushed to PetSmart where we looked around a bit (our roommate was feeding Science Diet at the time, thank goodness he finally switched to Nulo Medal Series), and we were pondering upon also feeding SD, but we spoke to a store associate and she recommended Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy (4.5 stars on DFA, but I didn’t know this at the time) – she talked about the unique shape of the kibbles and how they are meant to strengthen puppy jaws but are small enough for our little guy. We got a small bag of that, Bruno loved it, it was all good. But then I kept seeing Blue Wilderness commercials, so in a month we got him a small bag of that. He also loved it and I noticed increased shine on his coat. We bought a bigger bag and for the next 3-4 months he was on Blue, but when researching it I found DFA, and began learning tons and tons about dog nutrition. I am so happy I steered clear of SD and now Bruno is on a rotational dry diet (4-5 stars only) with canned or THK as a topper, and additives like yoghurt/kefir, coconut oil, canned sardines, flax seed meal and pumpkin every once in a while, and RMBs and raw egg once a week each. He looks fantastic, coat feels great, and I really believe that had it not been for Blue Buffalo Wilderness and me researching it, I may not have found this amazing website and learned so much. I plan to use it again in the future as Bruno seemed to have no problems on it, but it will be a while – so many other foods to try before that! 🙂

    #48987
    Nancy C
    Member

    Deborah – I heard back from him late last night. I was mostly interested in the prices per day bec I have a GSD AND a Golden Retriever– two big dogs. He said that the AMOUNT to mix with water is on the back of the bag/ box. I did the figuring and it’s at about $8 a day IF the amount is accurate for my dog. An 8 lb bag makes 32 pounds of food and will last about 2 to 3 weeks he said. That fits my calculations.
    It could easily take more than they recommend. One never knows for sure. And I have a second dog… So I am looking at other producers, checking prices. Darwins, (Not dehydrated) for ex is Organic which also means GMO Free and it is $6 a day for Turkey, $6.75 for beef and $5.25 for chicken. I do not know if k9Naturals is GMO Free or Organic, but there is no mention on the website of it.
    Today I am pouring over DFA Raw to see what else is recommended by some of the old timers. I also do not want anything HPP. (I don’t know if k9 is HPP and need to find out). As one of the old timers said, the pickings get mighty slim.
    This is a time consuming process. I learned so much from the posters this morning at the Nature’s Variety discussions. Wow. So much to learn about Raw. Thank you again too. I am so grateful to the kind helpful people there, just like you! I talked to Jaqualine, one of the owners of ANSWERS raw food, yesterday. Wow she was so helpful and knowledgable. She also has a GSD and was able to give me first hand advice.
    Have a good day! Many thanks to you!

    #48895
    Nancy C
    Member

    Thank you, Dr. Mike. This information sheds light. DFA is wonderful and I join others who have expressed appreciation for your tenacity in digging for the Truth, making it possible for us to be as informed as possible. It is tedious work, just as explained above regarding Big Dog Natural and your efforts there. Details matter and your maneuvering through them enables us to feed our pets safely and healthfully. I think this is what’s behind the community’s curiosity about why certain foods are removed from a list. As a vigilant group we want to be sure that some new discovery about a particular food doesn’t affect its safety, especially if we use that food. People worry until they know the reason. Thank you for creating this great site!

    In Gratitude to you, Sandy and HDM,
    Nancy Calloway

    #48869

    Hi Nancy C,

    My removal of our review for Big Dog Natural had nothing to do with the quality of the product. The article was removed simply because there were some inconsistencies between the information I had retrieved from the brand’s website and private communications I had had with the company’s owner — as well as blog discussions between the brand and some of our readers

    Because I believed my review (that had been based upon the company’s posted label data) could be misleading to readers, I made the editorial decision to withdraw the article from our website.

    As of this writing, I have no plans to review it again any time in the near future. Hope this helps.

    #48802
    Bobby dog
    Member

    Hi jakes mom:
    Haven’t talked to you in a while, how are the fur babies (dog and cat variety)?

    Yes, Dr. Pierson of catinfo.org and I would like to add my own personal Vet advocates feeding canned or other moisture rich food regardless of the quality rather than dry food; regardless of the quality of the dry food! There are many other Vets that advocate this as well like the Vet from little big cat.

    I do not feel guilty in the least for feeding Purina and neither should anyone else. When a cat goes on a hunger strike it is not good a good thing. I will gladly feed them Purina to keep them healthy. However, I will write due to the inclusion of some ingredients and the carb values of some of Purina’s recipes the choices are limited as to which varieties I feed; this rules out pretty much anything with gravy or sauce.

    My cats are very healthy now after almost a year on their new diet of mostly canned and very little dry food. A big thank you goes to my Vet for bringing to my attention the unnatural diet of mostly kibble that I was feeding them.

    C4c, I think we are probably about the same age. Although I am a college student, I am not a typical aged college student. Maybe that’s why I love school so much; I am living vicariously through some of my classmates wishing I could turn back time…sometimes! Lol

    Bobby is going nuts because three deer are meandering up my driveway.

    #48668
    DogFoodie
    Member

    I recall a conversation with someone from the company quite some time ago on the review side. The conversation took a strange sort of turn if I recall correctly, but that was a long time ago and I don’t recall the details. I do know that we were asking some questions about the NA and the answers we were getting didn’t add up.

    /forums/search/big+dog+natural/

    #48666
    Cyndi
    Member

    There is a thread here in the forum about this already. There used to be a review on this food, but Dr. Mike removed it. Not sure if that is revealed why in this thread or not…

    /forums/topic/big-dog-naturals/

    #48646
    Dori
    Member

    Nancy C. mentioned Big Dog Natural dog food. I’m wondering if anyone has heard of it or has an experience with this food.

    I would also like Mike and the others to put it on their list of foods to review. I know your list of to do’s is long but if you could add this one I’d appreciate it. As always, thanks guys for all you do for us. Their web site is bigdognatural.com

    #48615
    Nancy C
    Member

    I’m curious about this brand. Dr. Mike, can we have an update? What’s the deal here?
    Thank you!
    Nancy Calloway

    #48614
    Nancy C
    Member

    I saw this food discussed on DFA but then the discussion was closed. Something was said re Dr. Mike doing an investigation on something in the food and that is why the brand was pulled from the site. Any comments or answers to update this? Has the brand fallen off the DFA site totally? Appreciate whatever can be said.
    Nancy Calloway

    #48516
    Erin T
    Member

    I currently feed my four dogs (20 lbs – 60 lbs) Earthborn Holistic’s Primitive Natural formula, which I’ve been very happy with and receives Dog Food Advisor’s five star rating. I’m having some concern about tartar build up, and have always been interested in feeding raw. I’m concerned about the correct balance of nutrients, so I’m thinking I would like to start with 50/50 kibble/raw.

    My question is, speaking purely of meat, what is an average price per pound, and what cuts/protein sources are you feeding? Cost is a big issue for me! I get my kibble at cost, so I spend about $80/month on it. Based on the needs of my crew, raw meat would have to be $.50/pound to match the price of kibble (of course, I could spend a bit more). I’m going to go down to the butcher shop in a day or two and inquire about different prices and cuts, but right now just trying to figure out if it’s feasible to do this.

    I’m a raw NOVICE, by the way, so any advice is appreciated!

    #47103
    Naturella
    Member

    Victor has teeny kibbles, Holistic Health Extension Small/Toy Breed has teeny kibbles too. My dog was 5lbs or so when we adopted him, he was very small, but was able to eat Blue Buffalo Wilderness with no problem. I haven’t ever fed him small breed anything since the first food he was on – Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy. Since then he’s been on:
    Blue Buffalo Wilderness
    Nutrisca
    Dr. Tim’s (largest kibble he’s ever had)
    Holistic Health Extension
    Earthborn Holistic
    Now! Fresh
    Victor (smallest kibble he’s ever had)
    Nature’s Variety Instinct
    Annamaet samples (good size, close to Victor)
    NutriSource samples (close to HHE)
    TOTW samples (close to HHE/BBW)
    Nulo sample (a bit bigger than BBW)

    Overall Bruno has managed to deal with all kibble sizes just fine. But you can check out Victor and other small breed varieties of good 5-star foods. 🙂

    #46853
    Debbie L
    Member

    No, feeding Beneful does not mean that I gave up, and product rating does matter to me. Why would I have bought 4Health and Diamond Naturals if rating meant nothing to me? Your remark there is uncalled for. I didn’t say I’d feed Beneful forevermore, just for now.

    Perhaps 4Health and Diamond Naturals have earned their ratings, but what good is a so-called healthy dog food if the dogs won’t eat it? These foods may work for someone else, just didn’t for us and I won’t buy them again. A worker at Tractor Supply told me her dog did not like the 4Health too much either, so perhaps it’s not just an issue with my dogs.

    When I noticed some things going on while feeding the dogs the foods from Tractor Supply I got concerned and went to a health store for advice. A gentleman there told me those foods didn’t have enough oil in them, so I began adding a little coconut oil and where the bigger dog had lost hair the hair grew back.

    As I said in my original post, my concern is to feed a food that is both nutritious and that the dogs like and will eat. I will no longer buy a food that the dogs sniff and go on their way, and that’s what happened with 4Health and Diamond Naturals.

    So Betsy, you take care of your dog and I’ll take care of mine. I’ve had dogs in the past that lived long, healthy lives and were fed good food but not the so-called 5-star foods. Dog food performance is more important than a label.

    #46520

    In reply to: Mosquitos

    DogFoodie
    Member

    Unfortunately, my dog with food intolerance issues reacted to Springtime’s Big Off Garlic or if be using that. I tried it and both of my ate it right up just thrown into their food. I used the granules. It’s know to help deter fleas, flies, mosquitoes, etc. Here’s a link to the product: http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/bug-off-garlic-dogs/All-Natural-Dog-Supplements

    I had planned to use BOG with Mercola Natural Flea and Tick Defense: http://products.mercola.com/healthypets/natural-flea-and-tick-control/

    Unfortunately, since BOG didn’t work for us, I resorted to more toxic methods and ended up with Sentinel, which does nothing to deter mosquitoes. I also have the Halo Herbal Dip that Sandy recommended to me last summer. Her little cutie s wear a few drops on a bandana.

    #46444
    Dfwgolden
    Participant

    Hi everyone!

    Ok so I have serious question for xx large breed dog owners.
    I have a 12 week old male Great Dane puppy.
    When we got him he was on Diamond Puppy formula and doing iffy.
    We feed ourdogs a grain free rotational diet.
    And they have done awesome. However Bane has seemed to decline since we got him.

    He’s growing normally and everything however he has had soft stool since day one.
    And these past two weeks it’s literally been water/patte.
    Two days ago He had to go CONSTANTLY. And just explodes I kid you not it’s like an explosion.
    A norm poop just falls even if it’s diarrhea however his blows like a gun. Splashing everywhere.
    Including in our new car… Three times within two hours.
    And it’s not just a little it’s A LOT.

    He’s been on-
    Diamond Puppy
    Whole Earth Farms
    And recently Diamond Naturals Large Breed chicken and rice.
    This last food is when he hit his worst.

    After two weeks of this I took him off the food sunday afternoon. And only gave him canned pumpkin salt, plain crackers, plain yogurt (live culture) and some probiotic human capsules.

    Last night I finly have him some solid food:
    Wellness Simple Salmon formula.
    This morning he finally pooped and it was solid! But very orange defiantly could tell it was from the pumpkin! Haha!

    He has since pooped three more times all of which have been mostly solid but could be better.
    Shaped but mushy.

    I’m wondering if it’s poultry and the Petco guy recommended it as a way to start into a LID and see if that helps. (The simple)
    He had his ears cropped about 3-4 weeks ago and was on antibiotics which could possibly play a roll? And he is down on his probiotics?
    He was only on them for a week though and this didn’t start up to water until recently.

    He is on dewormer and flea/tick. Sintenal. And has received his last round of puppy shots. No rabies yet.
    My dad brought up the possibility of Giardia and Coccidia. Had a fu work up done today he he’s clean as a whistle on his fecal Giardia and blood.
    Our vet is a dane breeder herself

    Bane is eating and drinking normally and has shown no signs of “illness” he’s just his goofy self as always!

    My biggest
    Concern however is the fact that if he does do good on wellness simple that we won’t be able to keep him on it.
    It’s $68 for 27lbs.
    And with him already eating 6 cups a day and is having 4 other dogs.
    You get the gist.
    I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Texas area and believe it or not my food choices although broad are limited to either $&!+ or high dollar.

    We’ve done 4Health and Diamond and Proplan and purina one (which believe it or
    Not the weight loss formula did fantastic for out over weight senior golden)

    The vet said it’s possible he has a grain and poultry allergy.
    Which limits my choices even more as even “duck and oatmeal” formulas contain chicken fat.

    I leave for a month long Vacation with Bane to Poplar Bluff Missouri on the 15th white it being so Rural that lowers my availability even more.
    Meaning I don’t have time to try a raw diet for him.

    I need something that’s no more than $45-$50 a bag that can basically “hold him over” until I get back In 4 weeks.

    I’m in need her Hound Dog mom! Lol.

    #46325
    Regina D
    Member

    I wrote here a few weeks ago. Alf, 5 yo rescue standard poodle/Intermittent diarrhea/terrible stomach gurgling, & wouldn’t eat on those days. Vet did stool tests (negative) and gave Flagyl & probiotics on the chance they might help. They didn’t. Got some good suggestions here — Thank you! I continued my search on the internet and even wrote to Dr. Tim (as someone here recommended). He suggested I cut out everything but one food. I tried his dry food first, but that didn’t help. However, upon his advice, added to that of my research, I concluded Alf might have a food intolerance. I decided to try LID Lamb. Alf has been on NB LID Lamb (and absolutely nothing else) for 8 days. He eats 3 cans a day (in 3 feedings). He has not had one day of the above symptoms. Such a relief! This problem has been so troubling. We still hold our breaths every potty break, hoping there will be no diarrhea – so far, so good! I am not that happy with NB’s review (3+) on Dog Food Reviews, but it has solved a big problem for us. Does anyone have other brand suggestions? I hate to change when NB is working, but we might consider something else after another month or so.

    #45935
    Nancy C
    Member

    I have been throwing one in the food bowl at breakfast and then sometimes at supper (during high season — summer). I’m in NC. Looking at this bottle it is WF 365 Odorless Garlic 500mg and is PINK on the label. My vet nicely chewed me out late last fall for NOT giving the Sentinel year long. I had ONLY been giving it in the warm months (May-Sept) which is what my breeder told me 25 years ago when I got my first golden. THat golden lived over 15 years! She got heart worm meds during those warm months ONLY. With this second Golden ( 10 yrs old and GREAT HEALTH) I did the same until the vet realized it last fall and told me I was PUTTING HER AT SERIOUS RISK. SHE COULD GET HEART WORMS EVEN IN JANUARY! I am not sure I believe that, however, this is an excellent vet so I started the sentinel. I HATE IT. Now that I do the Sentinel there is no reason to continue the garlic.
    I have learned about a product that is NON TOXIC which works also as heartworm prevention. I know someone who I consider “very informed” and connected in high places maybe I should say — has two extraordinary dogs to whom he is devoted and he uses this non toxic stuff. The company does not advertise it for heartworms, nonetheless this individual says that it covers them and many people use it for heartworms. Here is the website: http://www.firstchoicenaturals.com/resourcearticles/parasitesbegonefrommypet.php
    This individual knows such information and would NEVER trust a company unless he KNEW. His dogs are big in his life. So go and see.
    I will add this: The same vet who got me BACK on the Sentinel Wagon full time also in June initiated a conversation about LEPTO VIRUS, recommending that I get the shots for both my dogs. I have been researching LEPTO VIRUS and so far as I can tell there are too many strains of it for the vaccine to cover AND there are risks in taking the vaccine. The vaccine is expensive and you start with TWO SHOTS. Also you must keep up with it annually. This is a MONEY MAKER FOR THE VETS. Lepto is not new. It was “discovered” back in the late 1800’s and my suspicion is that the vets and researchers AND BIG PHARMA have created this hype about YOU NEED THIS VACCINE!! A neighbor’s dog supposedly died from it in March but her other 2 dogs did not catch it. And I am even wondering if the diagnosis was correct. I read that sometimes it is MISdiagnosed. Bottom line: This is a subject that warrants more research and WAKEFUL OWNERS. I am interested in any other opinions.
    Good luck with the Garlic. OH – my dog would just eat it up in the food. The capsule is so small that unless you have a picky eater it will disappear. Otherwise you could wrap it with cheese softened in your hand and the dog will hopefully swallow it.

    LabsRawesome
    Member

    Okay, well in my other reply to you, I was answering your previous question- “How do I know if my dog has lifetime immunity? And where can I find that info? That’s why I posted info on vaccinations. You can find the info on immunity there. “Here’s some info on titering. I personally think titering is a waste of time, and money. Falling Titers: Oh-oh or No Big Deal? http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/titer-testing-dog/

    Testing yearly will eventually show titers that fall off. Does that mean immunity is gone and you’ve got to head in for a “topping up” of the immunity reservoir?

    No!

    (And stop thinking that a “reservoir” even exists. I actually hesitated writing this word, as I don’t want you to think this is in any way reality).

    It only means the antibody levels are waning. And why wouldn’t they? It’s a waste to keep making more antibodies when there’s no exposure to more virus. In its wisdom, the vital force deems its work is done in this area, and stops pumping more antibodies into the blood.

    But, the good news is this: cellular memory is still very likely present to the bad guy you vaccinated against and, should your buddy ever be exposed to this virus again, BOOM, the antibody production factory fires up and the titer rises once again, and rather quickly at that.

    So, it’d be a mistake to equate a titer that’s fallen with a lack of protection, and a greater one to think you need more vaccinations to re-establish protection. Immunity is still there, quietly, watchfully alert.

    [In the older guys, I like to add a nice immune boost in the form of transfer factors, just to be sure their immune systems are acting out of the greatest responsive intelligence. And perhaps that’s a subject for another post.]

    Have you used titers? Does this info help? Maybe you’ve even seen this: your animal’s titers kept on increasing for years after you stopped vaccinating! That’s what happened to my colleague’s dog on testing rabies titers. Let us know in the comments.

    • This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by LabsRawesome.
    • This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by LabsRawesome.
    #45486

    In reply to: Coupons!

    Akari_32
    Participant

    Good job! I wish I’d have gotten to go over to PetCo while they were doing their big clearance event 🙁 Oh well, I’m pretty happy with my deals right now 🙂

    Now heres a super awesome deal for you guys!

    I used my $5 Natural/Specialty Foods PetSmart coupons at Pet Supermarket tonight. I got 4 more bags of Nutro (I should now be getting a coupon for a free bag in the mail here in a month or so for buying 10 bags in less than a year!) for $2.65 each, but I also got 4x 2lb bags of Wellness Toy Complete Health for a whole whopping $0.50!!!!!!!!! Awwwww yeah! And I technically got them all for -$0.04, but since this store adds tax to the total after coupons, and you can’t have tax on a negative transaction, I had to get a little $0.50 treat to bring my total up out of the negative. So it was $0.46 cents, and then $0.04 tax, for all four bags. You can bet I’ll be doing that again 😉

    Heres the break down of that:

    4x Wellness Complete Health Toy 2lb bag: on sale for $5.99 a bag (regular price $8.99)
    4x $5 off any size bag of Natural or Specialty Food (Specific brands listed) PetSmart Coupon
    1x $4 off $20 purchase Pet Supermarket coupon
    1x $0.50 bakery style gourmet doggie treat
    Total Before tax and coupons: $24.46
    Total after tax and coupons: $0.50
    Total Savings: $36.00!!!!!

    [URL=http://s765.photobucket.com/user/Akari53/media/0C60E2B0-47F9-4E49-887B-416DB2C6901D_zpsrbuuepct.jpg.html][IMG]http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/0C60E2B0-47F9-4E49-887B-416DB2C6901D_zpsrbuuepct.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    I need to pick up four more bags tomorrow, and then I’ll be getting a coupon in the mail for a free bag of that, as well 🙂

    Somebody’s gotta top me on that lol

    #44593
    Amy B
    Member

    Hi everyone,
    I’m finding this thread quite interesting. My 2.5 year old Maltese x Pomeranian has been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. He is allergic to fleas, dust mites and has food allergies. We still haven’t gotten the food part down pat yet and are a bit unsure what to do.
    When he was younger he used to be on kangaroo mince and veggies, or beef and veggies. He seemed to be allergic to these so the vet suggested we put him on a novel protein of goat and sweet potato. He was doing well on this diet until the goat was costing us $80 per 3 weeks!
    Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we should put him on?
    Lisa D I also heard from a pet store employee that fish is good for them. Could you explain to me more how long your dog has been on this diet for? And also why you spray him with white vinegar?
    I was told to purchase fish mince from BARF dog Big Dog pet food range (all natural) but I saw it contained fine chicken bones (only after I purchased it) but I wanted to see how he would go on dry food as well. Has anyone had any positive experiences with sensitive skin dry food products?
    PS. I’m from Australia

    Thanks in advance! 🙂

    #44169

    Hi Bonnie,

    Some other foods that are known to be high quality, yet budget friendly are Victor, Dr. Tim’s, and Earthborn Holistic. You can get grain-inclusive Dr. Tim’s on Chewy.com for $1.85/lb (Momentum) and $1.46/lb (Pursuit). The grain-free kinesis is $1.80/lb. Earthborn has 4 grain-free varieties that are $47.99 for a 28lb bag ($1.71/lb), on Chewy.com also. Victor is a little harder to find. Amazon and sportdogfood.com carry it. It’s around $1.80/lb.

    I’m not familiar with American Natural. I’m not a big fan of Fromm and the only Wellness formula I would consider feeding is the Core. Compared to what you are currently feeding (a 5 star grain-free food) you’d be downgrading by feeding any of those because none of them are 5 star foods and they are all very carb heavy. All of the Dr. Tim’s varieties I mentioned are 5 stars, as is the Victor Grain-Free. Earthborn is 4.5 stars but the Primitive Natural variety is 5 stars.

    That’s my 2 cents. I hope it’s somewhat helpful for you.

    Hi all,

    I noticed Acana is changing their Singles line very soon to include legumes over oats and through some research it seems that this is a very controversial change. On top of that, it seems people are very unhappy with Champion overall.

    A few years ago, when I worked at an independent dog food shop, I had the opportunity to learn about how they made their food, how they ensure freshness, etc and I was really impressed. On top of that, they were a Canadian company and I really wanted to support a local food, especially given some of their proteins were sourced from literally neighbouring towns from me. I basically intended to feed Champion to my future pup.

    Fast forward a few years, I have an Aussie pup name Indie, who came to me on TOTW Wetlands but I switched him off due to the calcium/phos levels and didn’t feel it was fitting for a growing pup. Thought “Why don’t I try Acana?” I was familiar with their practices and they are local so I switched him to Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear at about 3 months old, and he has been on it since. He’s 9 months now, for reference.

    He’s done well on the Acana, albeit a bit of a finicky eater and could have slightly better stools (usually when he isn’t eating full meals), and we’ve recently started a rotational diet. He’s actually almost done his first bag of Acana Chicken and Potato, which is when I discovered the Acana formula changes in researching what food to put in the rotation next. Obviously there are still people out there who support Champion, but I read about many who are very against them, and those people have gotten to me. I’m a natural worry wart when it comes to Indie. I mean, what’s the consensus? Is Champion really just going downhill? I’ve never been opposed to other companies but now I’m feeling driven to find an alternative in case they aren’t the company they used to be.

    I feel like a fish out of water, like I’m starting fresh in the food world again. I just feel like I am unsure where to go from here. My pup has been on both GF and grain-inclusive and I haven’t developed a preference. Since he’s not a big eater and is on the skinny side, I am inclined to keep him with a grain-inclusive food but I feel like I just don’t know anymore haha. He has no aversion to any protein so the world is essentially my oyster and it’s stressing me out.

    I don’t know what advice I’m looking for but if any one has any insight at all. Let me know!

    #42184
    T
    Participant

    I agree with InkedMarie. Extra moisture is a big help in preventing crystals/stones. Another factor to consider is the amount of carbohydrates in the dog food. Foods with a lot of plant-derived ingredients (high in carbs) tend to support the formation of urine with a higher pH. Struvite crystals are most likely to form in urine with a pH above 7.0. Yet another reason to move toward a diet closer to the so-called ancestral diet of dogs which had very little carbohydrate.

    Another thing to consider is traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. It can clear up bladder inflammation in ways that antibiotics sometimes cannot. I have an article about bladder inflammation on my blog if you’re interested: http://naturalalternativesvet.com/bladder-inflammation-cats-dogs/

    Tabitha

    #40969
    Donna K
    Member

    Anyone have experience with this company and/or their food? https://bigdognatural.com/

    Thanks!

    #40226
    arwyru24
    Member

    Hey all, I am new here, have been lurking around this site for a little while for dog food because my parents just added a new puppy, but feeding cats on a budget happens to be my specialty. I have 2 pretty big guys (12 and almost 14lbs) The 12lb guy has a really sensitive system, but his body condition is ideal, and the 14lber tends towards the tubby side and so I have to really pay attention to his weight (they are both indoor only). I have tried most of the higher end foods on the market at one time or another. I subscribe to the idea that cats need the moisture in their diet and ideally should be on all wet food, however I supplement with dry to help meet my budget.
    I primarily feed wellness grain free canned food, the 12.5oz cans are really cost effective, I primarily feed the turkey and salmon (purple can) it seems to be their favorite and the one they eat the most consistently without turning their noses up to it. I also rotate in the chicken (orange can), turkey (green), and chicken and herring (royal blue) and the minced turkey, chicken, and turkey salmon. I like wellness for a number of reasons and they have done really well on it. I rotate in a number of other brands: Evo (again those big cans save money), california’s natural salmon and sweet pea, (I am a little wary of Natura but I havent had any bad experiences) natural balance LID can’s, HALO pate, Instinct all work and are tolerated well.
    The cat that loves crunchies isn’t picky at all really. He never met a kibble he didn’t like….. that is until I bought a 6lb bag of what I am feeding now: Wellness Core Indoor formula. I just bought a trial size bag of Orijen yesterday for $3.99 and am mixing it in with the Wellness. Its the first I have tried Orijen, because it is so expensive, but with the Orijen mixed in I am feeding less than 1/2 a cup of kibble a day total so it is affordable. Dry food lasts me forever it is the canned that really breaks the bank.
    Sorry to chime in uninvited to this forum but am glad to have a place to share my experience 🙂

    #39299
    Ryan K
    Member

    So, I have two dogs. My female is a 12 year old Old English Sheepdog and my male is a 4 year old Dachshund/Terrier mix. I have noticed that my OES has been pretty picky with what she eats lately. She was normally on anything with Lamb and I wasn’t really paying too much attention to whether or not her food was grain free despite her constant itching and chewing of her paws throughout the years. She was constantly getting yeast infections in her ears but my vet never told me to change her diet. I recently decided to switch up her diet on my own to various reactions. I tried Zignature’s Lamb formula and she seemed to like it but wouldn’t touch it after a month of eating it. Then I moved her onto Earthborne Holistic Meadow Feast, which she had a HORRIBLE allergic reaction to. I am not sure what in that mix caused the reaction (eye swelling, lethargy, fever, vomiting, etc) but I wondered if it might have been the Tapioca? I am not sure though. Since that experience I put her on California Natural’s Kangaroo formula but she would only eat it if I put about 1/4th cup of warm water in it…this is something I had never done before but thought I would try after reading that someone else did that with their dog’s food…this caused ANOTHER problem with my dog…she didn’t chew the food with it being watered down but instead decided to just slurp it up and then wound up with food stuck in her esophagus. This ended my watering down of the food.

    Since THAT I have put her on Acana Duck & Bartlett Pear and at first she seemed to go CRAZY for it but her love for it has cooled and now I have started mixing canned food with her dry food which she goes nuts for. However, I am not sure how much to give her? I normally let my dogs have a full bowl every day since I have grazers but the canned food has become scheduled at night. Before that, she will not touch the dry food. Should I be concerned about this? She has the dry food out to eat but she isn’t eating it unless the canned is mixed it. Buying both grain free canned and such an expensive grain free dry for her is a little much for my budget. Should I try a new less expensive grain-free? I was thinking of moving over to Fromm’s to see if she would like their Beef recipe or maybe the pork? I don’t know if those are ok for senior dogs though? Someone I know mentioned that I should watch the form of protein she is getting since she is older now but they didn’t say WHAT protein to go for. Is there truth in that??

    Of course, my main concern is that she is getting enough food. Is it ok that she is just eating one big meal a day but not touching her dry food the rest of the day??

    Nancy C
    Member

    A few thoughts, as I am studying this topic as well. FYI I have given my 10 yr old golden retriever the little round garlic capsules from Whole Foods-pinkish label. One in AM and one in PM. I drop it in her food bowl. We live on a wooded lot in NC and I have NEVER seen a flea on her! I studied for 6 years for a PhD and my chair was the founding president of the American Holistic Medical Assoc, a former Harvard Neurosurgeon, BUT VERY BIG ON avoiding chemicals and pharmaceuticals whenever possible (which can be most of the time actually). He is very informed on holistic remedies, incl homeopathic, and says HE uses a product called CEDARCIDE on his several dogs for ticks and fleas. Says it’s great and it works! He lives in Missouri also in the country/ woods. It’s sold at Amazon by the quart but you can get a better deal by ordering a gallon. My container arrived yesterday and I have already sprayed it on the dogs. It has a cedar-ish fresh smell. Dr. S told me he just sprays and rubs it into the fur a couple times a week. Reviewers swear by this stuff. It’s called “BEST YET” by Cedarcide. And it is super – SAFE! My doc advisor does not put the chemicals in his dogs either. I have not asked him about heartworms but I will. Someone ELSE Who has several dogs and who I respect told me there is a product called PBG-51. The link to the site is http://www.firstchoicenaturals.com/resourcearticles/parasitesbegonefrom mypet.php. I am told that this product is not advertised for heartworms for legal reasons BUT it protects against them. I am studying that now as would like to get OFF Sentinel. I used to give my golden Sentinel only half the year. Two yrs ago my vet sat me down and nicely chewed me out saying the dog is vulnerable in NC all year around. So I promised I would keep her on it. Last thing – I am the one who has the GSD who was 18 mos in jan and wandered into big digestive troubles trying to transition him to Origen then to ACADA — several of you have helped me so much. I have discovered in this awful experience with all his loose stools and diarrhea that a flea/tick collar I bought at the vet (Solesto – made by Bayer) is probably one of the culprits for my Shepherd’s digestive disorder. The DAY after the vet’s secretary fitted Axel with the collar he had diarrhea IN the house and IN the yard. Everywhere he went the entire weekend diarrhea was falling out of him. I was going crazy. Two weeks later I realized that it was NOT the HILLS nasty WD Rx dry food he was on that caused this sudden diarrhea– geeze that stuff is like eating HAY and no way could he have the squirts on it. I had just started giving him a little Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. BUT I bought that collar as I went out the door at the vet. It HAD to be the collar. I looked on line and found that among all the LOVERS of the collar there are some detractors as well whose dogs also had bad diarrhea. So watch out about that collar!
    That’s all I know for now. PS: Cedarcide gets rid of all insects, including BED BUGS!!
    Nancy C

    #38470

    In reply to: I did it!!

    Akari_32
    Participant

    It’s here!!! I have about 60 pounds of food to go through yet before I can try the dogs on this (provided the expiration date is that far off. I should check that…. lol), but I’m super excited 😀 The bag isn’t as big as I thought it would be, though LOL I was imagining like one of those beastly bags of like Ol’ Roy or something. Nope! It’s not any bigger than a 30 pound bag of food (but it sure does weigh more!!) lol

    The dogs are both eating lamb right now, so they’ll be getting a good rotation going lol Well, technically Haley is still on chicken (Wellness CORE), but she’s got just enough left that I can add in the Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Lamb and Rice under it, and then she’ll be on lamb. They’re basically just going back and forth between chicken and lamb right now, though I did nab 15 pounds of salmon Pet Botanics last weekend. I do have plans to try them on either the bison Pure Balance, or the bison (or maybe fish??) Nutrisource next. I guess it just depends on how much money I have in the dog food fund when their food gets low. I just spent it all ($30) on 30 pounds of Pet Botanics dog food, 50 pounds of cat liter, and a few cans of cat food and a bag of cat treats (let me just say, the Blue Buffalo cat treats: kitty crack! LOL). Not bad, though! Woulda cost me close to $150 other wise, so I’d say I did good lol Wasn’t expecting to spend my dog food fund so soon (just replaced it after all that cat food I bought!), but the dogs gotta eat and I got a SUPER awesome deal on that Pet Botanics, and I hate having less than two months worth of food put away.

    #37789

    In reply to: Pet Botanics

    Shasta220
    Member

    I’m sorry about that situation :/ man, it’s gotta be tough, for sure. It definitely sounds like you’re doing the best you can, at least! If you were to find a little pet boutique store nearby (not out of your mom’s accessible driving range), would there be any chance you could talk her into one of the foods available there? I used to be the same way with my parents. We had to buy whatever was available at Walmart or Fred Meyer (a similar drugstore) at a cheap price. Poor baby pooches used to be on Dog Chow and Ol Roy! I finally found a 3 star food for only 25$/40# that we bought for a year or two. I saved up and would buy our senior’s dog food at a feed store (after parents paid big vet bill for medications to heal disgusting hot spots…..those things were almost unbearable to look at! They were so bad that the new vet we took her to thought that she had been burned!). Eventually, I got my parents up to Diamond Naturals at 30$/40#, and the store we buy from is just a couple minutes away from Walmart luckily.

    #37090

    MastiffLove ~

    First, I hope more people will chime in here with helpful advice. Now, to get to your questions as best I can.

    It looks like your family is adding a lot of new members to the family. How great for all of them to be able to grow up and play together – and be fed raw. Looks like you’ll have your own little support group!

    1. From all my reading on forums and Facebook, finding green tripe can be tricky. Some places ban the sale of it directly to consumers while others seem to be able to get it locally. I’m currently getting mine from MyPetCarnivore.com. I’m hoping that when I find someone who will sell direct, that they’ll also be able to provide the tripe. You’ll just have to ask and if they can’t, perhaps they’ll know where to get it.

    2. Sure, you can grind necks. They aren’t terribly meaty, but they’ll grind easily enough. You should be able to start giving them whole when your pup gets a bit older. Chicken necks are tiny and I give them whole to my seven month old cat. I’ve been giving whole duck and turkey necks to Mystery since I started raw, he was 10 months at the time – he’s getting a turkey neck as part of his dinner tonight.

    Different nutritionists/homeopathic vets will have various opinions on what, when, how and why to feed certain ingredients. I tend to lean toward Kymythy’s advice at the moment. She raises Newfies and feeds them raw as early as four weeks. The proof is in the health of her pups and adults.

    3. I’m still not feeding veggies or “super” greens. Not a “purist” or anything but I wanted to first be sure I was feeding correctly the balance of meat/bone/organs and then get a blood panel or hair sample analysis – I’ll be scheduling that next week. Mystery’s only issues are a skin flaking problem – solved with coconut oil, and motion sickness – I’m still working on that and hoping he’ll grow out of it. So, until I get an analysis that says he needs more of this or that, I’m holding off on supplementing. I do give Mystery garlic for natural pest control and I also supplement with curcumen and vitamin C because Goldens have a high cancer mortality rate. I know a lot of people use “super” this and that as well as create their own veggie mashes. I would lean toward making my own purees since I believe nutrition from the source is best.

    4. Most fruits have a lot of sugar in them. I would avoid most or feed them judiciously. I’ll share a banana with Mystery from time to time as well as give him apple slices, but not as a regular part of his diet. Here’s a basic chart that lists not only veggies and fruits that are toxic to pets but also plants as well as symptoms to watch for: http://www.acreaturecomfort.com/toxic.htm. And of course, you’ll find other sites that list fewer or additional foods.

    5. Ah, SWEET potatoes. I haven’t read anything that shows a good reason to add most starches. That includes potatoes, peas, some beans. Many of these veggies convert starches to sugar when cooked. I used to give a tablespoon of pumpkin when our Sunset would have loose stools, but Mystery has had no problems there – and especially not since going raw.

    6. I must defer to Kymythy on adding anything at all to an eight week old puppy’s diet. If you’re balancing 80/10/10 your calcium/phosphorus ratio is in perfect sync. Adding anything may not only increase the amount of calcium but may throw off that balance. Mess with that ratio and excess calcium can be deposited on the outside of the bones causing a number of issues. We had no idea that there was an issue with LBPs and calcium when we got Sunset 11 years ago. Before she was two, she required double-hip surgery. We got her from a backyard breeder (another ignorant move on our part), didn’t know much about hip scores and fed her what surely is on the one- or two-star lists here at DFA. I’ve been ultra focused on calcium since before I got Mystery.

    An excerpt from Kymythy’s book, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats:
    By the time the young are ready to go to their new homes, they should be eating whole necks and regular meals with all the extras, and you may discontinue the enzymes and probiotics (although they may help counteract the digestive stress a youngster endures when going to a new home). Youngsters may be fed three times per day from eight weeks until four to six months old, then twice daily from four to six months old until one year of age, and once daily after one year of age. Giant breeds of dogs may need to be fed twice daily occasionally during growth spurts from one to three years of age. Either feed two complete meals or one complete and one of meaty bones (bones with ample meat) only. Observe your pet and adjust amounts accordingly. Do not feed so much that the stomach becomes overly extended. Do not let your pet become obese. A very thin layer of fat over the ribs is healthy, but too much weight puts extra stress on growing bones, joints, and hearts. A healthy wild animal is a lean animal. If your pet needs to lose weight, reduce its food intake. If it needs to gain weight, increase its food. Keep in mind that growing youngsters will eat more per pound of body weight than adult animals.

    Schultze, Kymythy (1999-10-01). Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats (p. 67). Hay House. Kindle Edition.

    Note the information on probiotics and enzymes is directed toward breeders who feed and wean pups to raw. If your puppy has been weaned to kibble, you might want to add some kefir to his diet for a time.

    7. See #6, but I will take a look at the three products you mentioned for future use. I am not trying to discourage the use of any supplementation, just use caution and be sure you’re feeding only what is essential and beneficial.

    8. I’m assuming you’re referring to the products in question 6 and maybe 7, not 8. LOL! I couldn’t find a guaranteed analysis of the Urban Wolf Balancer so I would be very wary of adding it. They do provide a recipe that uses their products with an analysis and it looks good. If you feel a strong need to supplement… Questions regarding their recipe ingredients might include, where do they get their fish oil from; is it guaranteed not to contain any toxins; if you use “canned” fish, do the cans contain BPA; if natural ingredients are better, why so many dried/powdered ingredients in their mixes? This is the hard part for me – giving my money to companies that sell premixes and toppers when I can just hit the market for fresh ingredients.

    9. When you’re deciding on recipes, remember that your eight week old puppy is capable of handling chunks of raw meats, organs and bones. Even if he’s been weaned onto kibble before you get him, there should be no need to transition him as he hasn’t developed an addiction to the sugars and starches yet. I’d been feeding my kitten a kibble diet for about five months when I decided to transition the cats. Since he’d been stealing raw food from the dog, I went straight to raw with him and he jumped all over it, including chicken necks and other appropriately sized bones. I feed grinds only when the weather’s so bad that I can’t even put Mystery on the screened deck, usually when it’s too cold. The cats get fed in the tiled bathroom since they don’t feel the need to drag food all over the place – yet!

    Any time you freeze or cook food, you’re going to lose a bit of nutritional value. Most of us have large freezers because we buy in bulk so frozen it is. Be sure you thaw foods and try to bring them to room temp before feeding. As Alpha in my house, I pull food from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter until I’ve finished my coffee – then they get to eat. I know some people feed frozen foods but I wouldn’t do that to a puppy. Ever get brain freeze from drinking a shake too fast? Imagine a puppy’s digestive system trying to warm up frozen meat. There may be other opinions out there on this, but I would definitely feed three times a day for the first six months and then move to twice a day until he’s at least a year old. You should be feeding him 10% of his current weight until that exceeds 2-3% of his target weight.

    I love Mercola. There is a chart floating around that shows who is fighting GMO labeling and who is supporting it in WA. I use it when I go shopping and yes, some of the products I’ve purchased in the past come from companies fighting WA. Let me know if you can’t find it. I get that having to label a product 50 different ways could put a hardship on business so I would support a federal label that is nothing less than FULL disclosure. That said, I don’t trust the FDA or any other governmental agency to have my best interest at heart. I’m a big fan of personal responsibility. The government assumes I’m ignorant…, I believe it’s a choice. (Whoops, gone political.)

    I’m glad you were able to find a farm so quickly to meet your raw needs. Don’t forget to pick up chicken feet, green tripe, testicles, heart, kidneys… Go for goat and rabbit as well as chicken, turkey and beef. Something that I would have gotten wrong is differentiating between what are considered organs and what is not.

    Organs: Liver (5% of the diet), kidneys, spleen, brain, thymus gland, panaceas and testicles (the other 5%)

    Not organs: Heart, Gizzard, Tongue, lung, trachea, green tripe (all considered as part of the 80%).

    Another site for learning more about feeding raw is here: https://www.mypetcarnivore.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=116. It’s a culling of articles from a variety of sources.

    I better turn my attention to the vacuum and washer now or I’m going to be overrun by tumblefurs. I look forward to seeing you on Facebook soon.

    #36349
    Haywood U
    Member

    I had really good luck with these liver treats – they are nice and small, about the size of those soup & oyster crackers.

    http://www.petco.com/product/107245/Charlee-Bear-Dog-Treats-with-Liver.aspx

    I’ve also used these – found both at Big Lots for under $3 a bag. Both are small sized treats – probably about the size of :

    http://www.wag.com/dog/p/nutro-natural-choice-crunchy-treats-with-berries-10-oz-116742

    and these, although the ones I used were peanut butter flavored, and not the new alligator or crawfish:

    http://www.biglots.com/p/c/dogs/bayou-bites-natural-dog-cookies

    #36347
    Haywood U
    Member

    Just wondering if anybody has tried these treats.

    http://www.biglots.com/p/c/dogs/bayou-bites-natural-dog-cookies

    They are made by Delca Corporation. They also sell under the think! dog brand:

    http://www.petco.com/product/123697/Think-Dog-Natural-Louisiana-Jerky-Dog-Treats.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

    Are there any potential issues with dog treats made from alligator, crawfish, shrimp or crab?

    I used to give my dogs the Grandpaw’s P’Nut Butter cookies (found during a random stop at Big Lots) and they loved them. The smaller size is perfect for use during training. I stopped by again to pick up some more and they didn’t have them, only these new Bayou Bites – same size and design, just different ingredients.

    #36340
    Naturella
    Member

    You all are too funny! 🙂 I love it!

    As for me, let’s see… Obviously, DFA is one of my major hobbies at the moment, as well as overall research on pet nutrition. I also like helping others feed better food without being intrusive, or obnoxious – I think I have a way to gage if a person would respond well to advice or not, and once given a small bit of advice, I don’t give more unless they ask follow-up questions, etc. I really think I need to get into obedience and training more. Bruno is great with quickly learning tricks, but still pulls on his leash, which I need to fix. And oh, did I mention that I love scouting deals on dog food and stocking up for less? Yeah… I love that too! But once my Petco coupons are exhausted, I need to put breaks on this hobby too… Bruno will be set for more than a year and a half, and I need to make sure the foods won’t expire on him.

    Other big hobbies for me include cooking and eating (I love experimenting with food and recipes, but it’s so hard to tell people how I made something because I rarely, if ever, measure). I haven’t gotten into the art of food presentation, I go more for interesting combinations and good taste, lol.

    I am also becoming interested in transitioning from store-bought cosmetics (read soap, shampoo, lotion, face or body scrubs, etc.) to making my own with natural ingredients and essential oils.

    I also LOVE reading for pleasure, but school and the DFA have gotten over a lot of my reading time… I am currently reading 3 books though, all human psychology-related.

    I also like being involved at my University, so I often attend events – speakers, events for fun, etc. When I was in Undergrad, even if they had a sneezing contest, I would be there. Nowadays being a full-time grad student, caring for a family (furry child only, but still), plus working for a professor have made me re-prioritize my involvement… Sigh… But I still love it!

    I am a sucker for learning new things, I also want to get a PhD one day (in something that has nothing “direct” to do with my previous degrees), but it has been a dream for a while. I am super interested in human psychology, so I want a PhD in that. But we’ll see when…

    Other than that, no special talents here… My man is a ceramist and an artist, so he compensates for my pure lack of any talents, lol.

    #36136
    Shasta220
    Member

    Greenies around here aren’t liked too much, I’ll admit. And I will agree with everyone else – they stink, have gross ingredients, and really don’t clean as well as they say.

    Try getting on a routine of brushing daily (or at least weekly if you have a difficult pooch), and you can use raw bones as well as other natural chews. I also went to the extremes of a water additive for my oldest girl, but I don’t think that’s nessicary.

    I do, however, love Zuke’s Z-ridge bones. The textur is similar to greenies, but they are made of better ingredients like potatoes, fruits, and natural breath help from plants. Plus they seemed to actually work. I broke a big one in half and gave a piece to two of my dogs – by the time they were done, they have /really/ good breath. Greenies? Not so much. I’m not sure how good they are ever since Purina bought them though :/ all I know is the packaging has already changed (I miss the old packages) and prices have skyrocketed… Ugh!

    #34184
    Akari_32
    Participant

    Hey guys!

    I had a little bit of time to kill (yay for 3 am…?), so I went through and refined my list to 25% protein and above, and 450 calories per cup and above. There are also three that were close and cheap enough for me to maybe one day consider, which are separated at the end. This really helps me narrow down my food choices! There were so many I really didn’t even know where to begin, other than with Nutrisource because it’s available locally now. Anyways, heres my list!

    Dr. Tim’s Pursuit Active
    Merrick Classic Puppy Real Chicken, Brown Rice and Green Apple
    Healthwise Chicken Meal and Oatmeal
    Nutrisource Performance
    Nutrisource Super Performance
    Nutrisource Small and Medium Breed Puppy Chicken and Rice
    Nutrisource Grain Free Chicken
    Nutrisource Grain Free Lamb

    Precise Endurance Formula
    Precise Small and Medium Breed Puppy
    Eagle Pack Power

    Also on my mental list is Diamond Naturals and Grain Free (BIG maybe. That one will depend on finances, really), Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Toy, and Wellness Small Breed Complete Health Puppy. I plan on going to the local pet store tomorrow and seeing what of these they can order, and how much they would be. I also have to go to Pet Supermarket and confirm that they have the two Wellness foods, and their prices for the small bags (which I will only purchase with coupons, given the price), because their website SUCKS.

    Why is it that small breed foods always look better than large breed ones? Dog food should be dog food, I’m just sayin’!

    #34177
    Shasta220
    Member

    I feed my dogs Diamond Naturals, solely because it’s the most affordable 4-star food we have around here. I really hope your dogs do well on it. My younger ones are doing great on it, the older lab is starting to get a bit of extra grease again. She did better on other foods, but we just can’t afford them anymore.

    If you have a Costco nearby (assuming you’re able to get the bigger bags), and your dogs do well on Diamond Naturals, then try looking into their Kirkland food. It’s made by Diamond, and the ingredients are very similar. About 25-30$ for a 40lb bag, and DN for me is about 33-40$ for a 40lb bag – very affordable 🙂

    Ah good, I’m glad dchassett agrees with me that toy breeds do NOT need the breed specific food.

    Come to think of it, DN foods are 4-star, then Extreme Athlete and Small Breed Puppy were 5-star (I haven’t looked at the ingredients to compare with other varieties yet). I wouldn’t see what would be wrong with feeding the puppy formula to other dogs, even larger adult dogs – if all the ingredients are quality and the nutrition is balanced.

    #34167
    Sheltie_Pom
    Member

    Thanks for the advice. I am considering just going all natural and making the food for him, but I guess my thinking is what if I get hurt or we go on a trip and he can’t come? I doubt my family would want to go through all that trouble just for him. Especially since none of the are big cooks, in fact they hate to cook.

    I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses (I know I sound like it), but I need to do what is best for my dog and budget. Money is kind of tight especially since my last $500+ dog bill.

    #34133
    Shasta220
    Member

    I will deeeefinitely say a HUGE no no to Science Diet. It is not much better than Purina dog chow, despite the high price. Blue Buffalo is alright, but it’s more expensive than the quality is worth. The link given for Victor foods was good, too. I’m on a big-time budget with my 3 pigs (oops! I meant dogs!) I buy 40lb bags of Diamond Naturals (some dogs do great on it, others do terrible…luckily my dogs are fine) for about $35

    That being said, I’d imagine it’ll be harder to find something around $1/lb for a small dog, as small bags tend to be more expensive per pound, and I honestly don’t know how well a large bag of kibble would last. Possibly going for a 12-15lb bag? Really though, the bigger the bag, the cheaper the food will be per pound.

    Hopefully you can find something that works! Oh, and try to make sure it’s a 4-5 star food on this site 🙂

    #33795

    In reply to: Flea & tick prevention

    USA
    Member

    Hi Jason

    I’m happy to see that you are looking for safer alternatives for flea, tick and mosquito control!

    Products like Frontline, Advantix, etc can buildup in the organs of dogs over time so even though you don’t see immediate side effects they are still dangerous. They are also neurotoxins and I am just glad you looking for alternatives!

    Indoors
    Wash their bedding at least once a week and add Borax (boric acid) to the wash.

    Boric acid can also be rubbed into any fabric couches or chairs. Vacuum the cushions and rub the Boric acid into the fabric beneath the cushions.

    Outdoors
    Beneficial nematodes are effective for flea control. If your dog roams the whole nine acres that is a lot of nematodes you will need (like a billion!). I would do the area around your house no matter what. I prefer to use nematodes in vermiculite (scanmask) rather than nematodes on a sponge. The ones in vermiculite have a shelf life of 2 years, the ones on a sponge are probably dead or dying by the time they are purchased (shelf life of about 4 to 8 weeks).

    Keep any vegetation as short as possible if you can. Ticks are usually in vegetation above 2 inches or so.

    I don’t know how big your creek is or if there are fish in it but that would be the only place I might look into commercial mosquito control. The chemicals would not be on your dog as long as he doesn’t swim in it.

    On your dog.
    Bathe at least once a week for flea control. Use a flea shampoo that has essential oils in it. Natural doesn’t mean safe so try a small amount first and see how your pooch does. Just bathing with any shampoo will kill fleas as they will drown.

    Essential oils
    There are many that will kill and repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. I would say that they do not work as well as poisons such as frontline but they will not kill your dog along with the fleas!

    Repel Mosquitoes and they smell lemony or floral,
    Citronella
    Citral
    Lemongrass
    Geranium oil or Geraniol

    Kill fleas and the have a very strong smell. The ones that have a P contain Phenols which are very powerful and carry risks of their own
    Clove P
    Cinnamon P
    Thyme P
    Cedar
    Peppermint
    Rosemary
    D limonene and orange oil (also have risks)

    Ticks are hard to repel or kill naturally. Inspection is key to natural tick control.

    It is best to spray your dog daily with a mixture of oils as applying like frontline requires spreading agents to be used.

    Patty – I had to look up “vermifuges”

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by USA.
    #33381

    In reply to: First venture into raw

    USA
    Member

    Hi Molzy

    There will always be a risk in feeding a dog raw meaty bones. No one can guarantee you that a bone will never cause harm to your dog. Raw feeders want to feed their dog a similar diet to what wolves eat in the wild, believing it is the most natural and species appropriate.

    One thing that I think is often overlooked is that when wolves consume bones they also consume the fur of the animal they are eating. The bone usually comes out the other end of the wolf wrapped in fur. The fur protects the inside of the wolf from being damaged as the bone makes its way through its digestive system.

    For the gulping you could try feeding a large piece of frozen meat. The piece should be bigger than your dog’s head. This makes it almost impossible for your dog to just gulp down. Being frozen also makes it difficult to just swallow and could encourage your dog to chew. As long as you are able to take the piece away from your dog before it becomes small enough to swallow or when your dog has eaten enough, a frozen piece of meat larger than your dog’s head is an option.

    Another option is raw boneless meat. This method has no danger of your dog being injured from bones. In this method you would have to add a calcium supplement to replace the calcium in the bones.

    Reading a book like See Spot Live Longer (more geared to the beginner) or Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet (a little more advanced) both by Steve Brown will help you in preparing nutritionally balanced home prepared raw or cooked meals for your dogs.

    I am not a fan of using a metal vice grips or a metal tube to stop your dog from gulping. I am worried that your dog might injure himself by chomping down on them or by trying to swallow the vice grips.

    Good Luck with Quincy and LoJack!!!!

    #33163

    Sue’s Zoo ~

    I am a nanobyte of information away from going raw. I spent two months researching the best kibble to buy for my Golden puppy and now I’ve spent another eight months researching the best way to feed my growing boy and have come to the conclusion that raw is the way to go. Unfortunately, I am also concerned about balancing not only calcium and phosphorus but everything else, protein, veggies, supplements.

    Being at a similar point in the raw decision as you (everyone makes it out to be no big deal but it is intimidating nevertheless), the best I can offer is to share a few things I’ve learned along the way and hope it’s helpful.

    Having had a Golden that required double-hip surgery before she was two, proper bone growth was a huge concern for me. If you’ve been to the LBP nutrition forum (/forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/#post-33156), you’ve probably already read some of the suggestions that Hound Dog Mom posted at the beginning of the thread. If you haven’t, do – It would’ve saved me a lot of research time if I’d found the forum ten months ago. Although I waded through the technical jargon in many of the articles, I found the article by Baker most useful and objective. Now that Mystery is 10 months old, I’m allowing more calcium in his diet than Baker’s recommended .8%. I’ve changed his kibble to one with a higher calcium content (from Innova to Orijen), and have started giving him an occasional RMB and raw egg (yeah, puppy steps).

    I can’t speak to whether a puppy should eat raw bones until their adult teeth are in except to say that when I asked my breeder about food choices, I was told he starts giving his puppies chicken backs at six months.

    As far as balanced nutrition goes, I’ve considered “balanced” frozen raw brands but they really are expensive and there’s much debate as to whether they’re safe. I’ve read so much conflicting, contradictory and even argumentative information that I have to take a few days off research just to clear my head. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get my Mystery off kibble.

    That said, I did find an Internet conference (what will they think of next), on feeding raw that is hosted by Dogs Naturally Magazine. You can find more information here: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-roundup/. It isn’t until the end of the month but I’ve already registered and am hopeful to glean that last nanobyte of information so that Mystery will be eating only raw in March.

    #33064
    Akari_32
    Participant

    So the grain free Nutrisource is cheaper (by a few cents) at the LPS, and the Super Performance is $60 for the 40 lb bag, which is $5 MORE than PetFlow…. Hmmm…. I may order that one online every now and then, and stick with the grain free for when I buy in store. I did some math and its only a few cents cheaper per meal, going by how much they’re eating now, for the Super Performance compared to the grain free ones.

    On that note, I’m also seriously considering trying Diamond Naturals, the two that get 5 stars on here. Provided Pet Supermarket caries them, that is. I know they have a few flavors, but I’ve never fully investigated. I’m kind of weirded out by Diamond products, but I’ve used Kirkland and TOTW a few times with no problems, and my grandma used Kirkland for a while as well (but the bags were too big for her two small dogs lol). At the same time, its still Diamond, and we all know how they are. Yet people use all their foods every day for years with no problems. It would greatly reduce my feed bills, and I’d check for recalls before I bought any. Thoughts?

    Side note: went to Publix today and scored on three pounds of turkey gizzards for 59 cents a pound! Dogs will have some yummies for a few days. Whoop whoop! 😀

    #32764
    theBCnut
    Member

    First of all, did you read the first few pages of this thread? Did you check out the links? The idea that protein causes problems was bad science and ignorance, so don’t worry about that.
    Here is Hound Dog Mom’s latest list of foods that have the appropriate amount of calcium for large breed dogs.
    https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v
    You have to sign up to view it, but it’s very worthwhile. Take the list with you to the pet boutiques around where you live and see what is available. DO NOT marry any one food, rotate foods. Do a search on the review side on diet rotation to learn more.

    Keep your puppy thin, not just not fat, but thin. Less weight is less stress on joints.

    Find a joint supplement with hyaluronic acid in it. That’s what the body needs to make repairs to joints. And consider feeding him a raw turkey neck once or twice a week, they naturally have good stuff for joints in them, since them have a lot of cartilage in them.

    If you have bare floors, consider using throw or area rugs at least until he is grown. They think slip and falls can be a big factor in joint damage for puppies. And finally, no stairs for as long as possible. When he has to do stairs, make sure he does them at a walk.

    #32755
    Badboris27
    Member

    :o) To be honest, when we heard about giving honey to the dogs, it made complete sense if you believe that allergies are the root cause. We were so desperate that we would have tried almost anything!

    The impact of “something in this combination or the entire combination”, whether it be the honey, yogurt, non-poultry grain-free food and-or the vitamin, did have a very dramatic effect on our dogs. The sores that were so bad that they used to BLEED went away completely and their coats started “regenerating” for lack of a better word. The hair got thicker and a LOT softer. Prior to that, the ONLY progress we ever saw was when they were on antibiotics and steroids. When those medications were done, the problem always came back. Not anymore.

    I’ve scoured the internet for information about giving honey & bee pollen to dogs since then and everything I’ve found has been very positive.

    To your question – Yes, we will absolutely keep giving the honey because of the “micro-climate” area we live in (So Cal wine country, 25 miles inland of the coast and just at the edge of the desert – lot’s of variety in that). On top of that, a drought or a wet season can cause certain plant species to flourish while others don’t do as well. The local beekeepers must have a Co-Op of some sort because all of the raw, local wildflower honey in our stores is all packaged the same but some weeks it is darker, lighter, thicker or thinner. I suppose that depends on where that batch came from. My wife gets the honey at the smaller, natural stores and not the big name chains. Farmer’s market’s also have the local honey around here – and again, all packaged the same.

    Lastly, the more I read the more that I keyed on the allergens getting into the feet. We walk our dogs 2x a day no matter what. Often, we’re out in nature on grass, in the weeds, in the dirt, in shrubs, bushes, whatever. Our vet taught me how to scrub their feet using 1 gallon Ziploc bags and I do that a few times a weeks (the theory here being that dogs walk and “spin” in all of that flora which puts everything deep in those pads…then, they lick them and lick their fur, etc.). Take two Ziplocs, fill each one about 1/4th of the way up w/ warm water. Squirt some shampoo in one of the bags for the “wash” cycle and leave the other one as-is for the rinse. Stick your dog’s foot in the wash bag and from the outside of the bag, use your fingers to work the shampoo in between the toes and up inside the pads. Rinse the same way and dry with a towel. My “dog kids” are used to it now and they actually LIKE it, I think!

    I’m not a vet and I’m no expert at any of this. All I can attest to is that this worked for us. Like anyone else going through a canine allergy problem, I was ready to be fitted for a straight-jacket!

    If ANYONE has any other questions or observations, I’d love to hear them or help if I can.

    One other note, our dogs also used to be on Soloxine for a thyroid condition and we’ve been able to get off of that, too.

    Best to you,

    Jeff

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