Search Results for 'big dog natural'

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  • #23764

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I still use it – mostly as a topper. I’ll mix it half and half with the low protein sojos’s or with kibble for my 14 yr old. I try to mainly give him wet food. Except when I’m not home, dad gives them all kibble.

    #23757

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    sandy, are you still using this food? How did your dogs do with it? I’m thinking of ordering some to use as a topper or alone for Lucy, my dog with bladder cancer.

    #22875
    BluesMom
    Participant

    I have been confused on this for a while. My dog is on Acana Lamb and Apple. He is 45 pounds and I have been giving him 1 1/2 cups a day. The bag says feed 2 cups a day for an active dog, which I consider him active, but he was having diarrhea. With the feeding reduction he is doing much better.

    However, now he will have small, solid stool and then at the end there will be like a big drop of diarrhea. After this bag of food I will probably switch to Nutrisource, but as for now, I am wondering.. what causes this? The big drop is not bloody and does not have mucus and other than that he seems fine… good appetite, water intake…

    What would be the cause of this? Anything other than the food? He never did well on Acana Grain-Frees so I thought this might be better with less protein and ingredients. He does well on Nutro Vension LID and Natural Balance LID but I want to feed him better than those.

    Also, I have been reading a lot that Acana and Origen are “too rich for my dog”. What exactly does that mean? I don’t understand how a good quality food can be too rich… will the dog eventually adjust? I would just love to keep my dog on these brands but he always seems to have some sort of poop issue….

    Hopefully this all makes sense. I seem to get more and more confused the more I read.. haha
    Oh, and he is also on a probiotic, up to date on shots, and never gets people food…
    Thanks to whoever attempts this answer!

    #21989
    theBCnut
    Member

    I think you are mixing a few different posts together. There isn’t an alternative heartworm prevention like that at all. DE was mentioned as a possible for intestinal parasites. It could come in a big jar and everyone was talking about what else it is good for i.e. hair and nails.

    I think the holistic approach is more towards using natural mosquito repelling sprays and keeping your dog in during bad mosquito times. And making sure his immune system is as healthy as possible.

    #21355
    Michelle
    Participant

    I think this is what I’m going to feed for now…I may try making homemade raw for them again in the future…just need to figure out all the nutrients (I have the NRC numbers) and sometimes it just makes my head hurt. So, Hound Dog Mom…do I need to supplement at all do you think?
    Sun: 2.5 cups Acana Pacifica 11 oz Pork
    Mon: 2.5 cups Acana Pacifica 12 oz Pollock
    Tues: 35 oz Turkey thigh, 1 apple, 3 oz green beans, the ‘balanced recipe’ also includes some lentils, sweet potatoes, rice or barley and green peas
    Wed: Premade Raw
    Thurs: 35 oz Turkey thigh and the veggie mix again
    Fri: Big Dog Natural dehydrated – the tripe mixture
    Sat: 2.5 cups Acana Pacifica 11 oz Beef
    Also per week 9 eggs, 3 cans sardines, 3 oz canned salmon, 1.5 oz liver, 2.6 oz heart, 4.6 oz kidney and 400 iu of vit e.

    #21348
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    It’s great that you’re considering adding some variety – eating only one protein source isn’t healthy. I don’t see why you couldn’t just rotate the protein in your “balanced” recipe? Ideally you should be feeding an even mix of poultry and red meat. If you’re worried about balance you could also purchase a pre-mix (i.e. See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix, The Honest Kitchen’s Preference, Urban Wolf, etc.) and just add your meat of choice. I haven’t used OC Raw or Big Dog Naturals (I believe Sandy has?), I did try Darwin’s once. I wouldn’t use Darwin’s again because their customer service was horrible (the food was good though) – but many of the regulars here use it and really like it.

    #21327
    Michelle
    Participant

    Hello, just need some opinions. I have 2 Saint Bernards – Summer and Norton (both 4 yrs old) I was doing homemade raw for both – for about 5 months. Summer didn’t do so good on it, Norton did ok, but not the best either. I decided to work with someone to balance out their diets which they have been doing great on for the last few months. My issue is that the main meat is Turkey and I want to change proteins. So, I was thinking do to my balanced diet 3-4 days of the week and then use a pre-made raw the other days to switch up the meats. I was thinking of using OC Raw Dog, Darwins and there is a dehydrated food Big Dog Naturals that sounds halfway decent…Thoughts anyone? Thanks!!

    #20876
    KarenC
    Participant

    Oooohhh Working dog in training! I like it! Maybe I need to find some sort of vest… I know I steer clear of dogs wearing “working dog” or “assistance dog” vests, unless I’m in a position to ask for permission to greet them. And thank you for understanding. By nature, she greets strangers with skepticism. She sits politely, but will give you the “side eye” when you approach. She still has relaxed posture, but she’s aware. That’s part of what I love about her, and the breed in general. Her ears and tail are all natural so people assume she’s a bouncy friendly lab (I think that’s actually what her tiny bit of a mix is). But no, she isn’t. Couple all of that with the fact that Dobermans aren’t all too common where I’m at. It is very much my responsibility to protect her, and also myself, from liability, so I am hyper aware and careful in public. She’s always at heel and under my control. What really grinds my gears is if she HAD reacted, because she’s a big dog, everything would have automatically been her fault. I don’t have a problem with little dogs, I love all dogs big and small. I do have a HUGE problem with irresponsible people. In the media, and in the public eye, when a big dog bites it must immediately be put down and banned and rallied against. When a little dog bites the reaction is “GASP! What did YOU do wrong?!”. I’m sure as the owner of a large breed dog, and of one that comes with its own misconceptions, you can relate. (BTW, never met a Rottie that I didn’t like. I love their big ol’ noggins!) Oh, and the joggers! Lol! I had a GSD mix growing up that tried to herd the neighborhood kids on their bikes. Made her crazy to watch from the house or fence. She didn’t want to “get” them, but oh boy did she want to herd them into a circle.

    #20772

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    Gobbled it up with gusto! I don’t think I’ve come across anything they don’t like yet. Most pugs (99%) are food vacuums.

    #20766

    In reply to: Big Dog Natural

    theBCnut
    Member

    That looks yummy! How did your crew like it?

    #20748
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    I’m trying out Big Dog Natural tonight and used it as a topper. It’s a granola consistency dry but when rehydrated, it’s like cooked ground beef. The photos are the beef product.

    http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/bdndrybeef2_zps877bb1cb.jpg

    http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/bdnwetbeef1_zpsa0b84618.jpg

    http://bigdognatural.com/

    DogFoodie
    Member

    Yes, ITA with Patty about Nature’s Logic! I’ve been using both the canned and kibble and have had great results with both. The protein is right where you want it; you can check here on their site: http://www.natureslogic.com/products/dp.html. I think it’s surprisingly affordable for a product of its quality. Nature’s Logic has earned my respect ~ they’re a very ethical company.

    I’ve heard a lot of people say they had good results with Victor. I had a question about the product and was exchanging emails with someone there. They didn’t answer my question and when I emailed back specifically asking them to identify a particular ingredient, I never heard from them again. I was asking about the specific type of yeast extract that they use ~ thinking it could be MSG. I was disappointed, but crossed it off my list. I probably still would’ve been OK with the ingredients if it was MSG (I feed quite a few different foods so one questionable ingredient for a bags worth of food wasn’t a big issue), but it was the fact that the guy totally blew me off after I asked that got me wondering about them as a company.

    Another product that’s budget friendly and that my crew loves is Dr. Tim’s Grain Free Kinesis. Dr. Tim Hunt makes himself very available to answer questions to as well.

    I’m fine with Wellness. I’ve used it, but my dogs haven’t loved any of the varieties I’ve tried. I wouldn’t use TOTW, since it’s made by Diamond.

    I love Orijen, but the new formula isn’t working for one of my dogs (both really). One gets a lot of gas and abundance of stool and the other gets a bit constipated. I think it’s the chickpeas and lentils that have cause some gastro issues. I was happy to get my hands on a couple bags of the “old” formula, but won’t be able to use the new formulas any longer. My two never cared for Acana and after several weeks developed loose stools (from both Grasslands and Ranchlands). So, I don’t use Acana in my rotation either.

    Nutrisca is a great budget friendly food, that I actually have in my dog food stash, but after the Orijen chickpea fiasco, I’m afraid to use it.

    Of course I think Nutri Source is great and the Super Performance would meet your criteria although it’s not grain free. Earthborn is great too, Primitive Natural would be your best bet there.

    And then there’s Shep…, naw, just kidding.

    #20388

    In reply to: Safe Dog Treats

    DogFoodie
    Member

    Hey guys,

    I just wanted to share these treats that I just picked up from Costco. I bought mine online at Costco.com: http://www.costco.com/Wildsky%E2%84%A2-Salmon-Jerky-Treats-for-Dogs-Two-24-ounce-Bags.product.11616688.html.

    For $39.99 you get two 24 ounce bags (shipping is included). Each bag has four individually packaged bags of treats inside. Only the big bag is resealable ~ I put the opened package in a Ziploc bag and stuck it back down in the big bag. These salmon treats contain wild caught Alaskan salmon and are 100% human grade and produced in a USDA inspected facility in Alaska and are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. I also like that the company that produces them, works in partnership with small local fishing communities.

    One thing I couldn’t believe was how good they smelled! I was so tempted to try one! They also are nice consistently sized meaty pieces. As I’m sitting here typing and looking at the bag, I’ve got both dogs practically climbing all over me because they think they’re getting one!

    Here are the ingredients: Ingredients:
    Alaska Wild Salmon, Brown Rice Flour (Organic), Cultured Dextrose, Sea Salt, Sodium Lactate (From Beets) Mixed Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Natural Hardwood Smoke.

    The only thing that didn’t thrill me was the liquid smoke ~ ’cause if I’m not mistaken, that could be MSG, right? OK, so I’m pretty excited about these and so far, both pups are crazy about them.

    Just wanted to share!

    #20358
    theBCnut
    Member

    Each review is updated at least every 18 months, more often if someone reports that they have had major fomula changes. The reviews are grouped together though, so more than one Natural Balance formula will be on the page. Look for Natural Balance (dry) as a for instance, and you will find a list of what flavors that review covers near the top, just above the big yellow box. Then in the box, Dr Mike has selected one that he feels is representative of all the formulas in that review to break down and go over in detail.

    Are you aware that Natural Balance was just sold to Mars, the candy bar makers?

    ETA: Whoops! Sandy was faster than I was.
    Also ETA:I don’t know where I left my brain today. Should be sold to Del Monte, the fruit cup people. I guess I can’t keep track of all the different big businesses that have no business making dog food anymore.

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by theBCnut.
    • This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by theBCnut.
    #19732
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi cinner00 –

    You’re definitely not bugging me, I don’t mind questions. 🙂

    1) If he’s not on a grain-free food I would definitely go that route as grains are inflammatory – something you really want to avoid with arthritic dogs.

    2) It will be very important to keep his weight down – being a healthy weight is probably one of the most important things for arthritic dogs. Any extra pounds are just extra stress on the joints. So I would definitely focus on getting him to a healthy weight (on the thin side is best). Unfortunately, like people, there’s really no easy way to get the pounds off. It’s calories in and calories out – the dog needs to burn more calories than it’s eating in order to lose weight. A deficit of about 3,500 kcal. equates to one pound. If he’s inactive it will be important to get him moving – this will not only help him to burn calories but it will also help to lubricate the joints and make him feel better. Start small and keep the activity low impact (i.e. leashed walking, swimming, etc.). Frequent activities of short duration are better than longer activities. I’m not sure exactly how active he his but something like 3 short (10-15) minute walks per day would probably make a big difference.

    3) Glucosamine is great to help slow deterioration of the joint cartilage. However if he’s already arthritic he may benefit from some anti-inflammatory supplements as well. Some good options are turmeric (or curcumin), yucca, boswellia, bromelain or tart cherry. High doses of omega 3’s (up to 300 mg. per 10 lbs. of body weight) have an anti-inflammatory affect as well. I’ve also heard great things about esterified fatty acids (such as cetyl myristoleate). I recently started my senior on NOW Foods Celadrin & MSM which contains an esterified fatty acid complex with added MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane is a natural source of biologically active sulfur that helps maintain the structure of connective tissue).

    4) You may also want to check out what are called “PROM (Passive Range of Motion) Exercises.” There are some great videos on You Tube demonstrating how to do PROM exercises with dogs. They help to maintain flexibility in the joints.

    Good luck!

    #19719
    gsdmommy89
    Member

    Hello Hound Dog Mom!

    I recently posted a question in the Orijen dog food review. One of the persons that replied to my questions recommended this forum. I will be getting a German Shepherd puppy in the next few weeks and I was interested in the Orijen Large Breed puppy formula. I went on their website and the Calcium content for this formula was min/max 1.2%/1.5%. I also liked the Earthborn Holistic Primitive Naturals formula but their website states that the Calcium content for this formula was not less than 1.5% and also, the calorie content for this formula was 717 kilo-calories per cup. That’s a very high number, I think. I’ve also taken a look at Nature’s Variety Instinct in the Duck Meal and Turkey Meal formula, but the Calcium content for that was not less than 1.92%. I looked at the Wellness Core Puppy and their website states a Calcium content of no more than 1.5%. I saw in one of your responses that you fed Nutrisca. I didn’t find the Calcium content on their website, but what did you think about this food for your dogs? The las one I wanted to mention that I’ve been looking up is Merrick Grain Free in either Duck, Pork, or Beef. Merrick did not have their Calcium content on the website either but I did email them. Haven’t gotten a response yet.

    I’d like to know what you would recommend for a German Shepherd puppy? I know it will all depend on his energy level, how big he is, etc. But something to start out with, what would you recommend. I’m really interested in the Orijen, and I’d like to stay away from plant protein boosted kibble if possible. Out of the foods I mentioned above, which would you think would be better for me to try? I’m sorry if it’s alot of questions. I just want to make sure I do things right, and make the right decision. Thank you so much for your time. Also, if you’d like to recommend something else besides the kibble mentioned above, I’m all ears

    #19718
    gsdmommy89
    Member

    Hello Hound Dog Mom!

    I recently posted a question in the Orijen dog food review. One of the persons that replied to my questions recommended this forum. I will be getting a German Shepherd puppy in the next few weeks and I was interested in the Orijen Large Breed puppy formula. I went on their website and the Calcium content for this formula was min/max 1.2%/1.5%. I also liked the Earthborn Holistic Primitive Naturals formula but their website states that the Calcium content for this formula was not less than 1.5% and also, the calorie content for this formula was 717 kilo-calories per cup. That’s a very high number, I think. I’ve also taken a look at Nature’s Variety Instinct in the Duck Meal and Turkey Meal formula, but the Calcium content for that was not less than 1.92%. I looked at the Wellness Core Puppy and their website states a Calcium content of no more than 1.5%. I saw in one of your responses that you fed Nutrisca. I didn’t find the Calcium content on their website, but what did you think about this food for your dogs? The las one I wanted to mention that I’ve been looking up is Merrick Grain Free in either Duck, Pork, or Beef. Merrick did not have their Calcium content on the website either but I did email them. Haven’t gotten a response yet.

    I’d like to know what you would recommend for a German Shepherd puppy? I know it will all depend on his energy level, how big he is, etc. But something to start out with, what would you recommend. I’m really interested in the Orijen, and I’d like to stay away from plant protein boosted kibble if possible. Out of the foods I mentioned above, which would you think would be better for me to try? I’m sorry if it’s alot of questions. I just want to make sure I do things right, and make the right decision. Thank you so much for your time. Also, if you’d like to recommend something else besides the kibble mentiones above, Im all ears

    #19706
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Sully’s Mom –

    No, I’m not a vet but I am currently in school working toward it – so hopefully in a few years.

    I don’t believe there is a thread on the forums dedicated to the arsenic and rice issue but you could certainly start a thread if you want input from other posters. I really haven’t researched the issue much as neither myself or my dogs eat much rice aside from germinated rice a few times a month. However, I feel that as long as you’re rotating rice-inclusive foods with rice-free foods it probably wouldn’t be a big issue. Dr. Mike does have an article about arsenic in rice over on the review site.

    I’ve fed both Nature’s Variety Instinct and Nutrisca and feel they’re both good foods. When I used to feed kibble Instinct was a staple in my dog’s rotation – it’s a great food.

    NaturalK9Supplies.com and K9Cuisine.com usually have a big selection of trial-sized bags and free samples. Also, companies will often mail you samples if you ask. As stated previously, I don’t feed kibble for meals any longer, I do still order samples frequently though. I like to try products with my own dogs so I can make better recommendations. I usually layer kibble and canned pumpkin and freeze it to give to my dogs as a treat.

    My assumption as to why Dr. Tim would recommend Pursuit over GF Kinesis is the calcium levels – the calcium in the GF Kinesis is a bit high for a large breed puppy.

    Hope that helps! 🙂

    #19702
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Good Morning Sully’s Mom –

    No, I’m not a vet – but I’m back in school working towards it so hopefully in a few years!

    Dr. Mike has an article about the arsenic issue with rice: dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-news/arsenic-discovered-in-rice/ . Feel free to start your own thread if you would like to get others’ opinions. I really haven’t researched the issue too much as I don’t eat much rice myself and my dogs rarely get rice (or any grains) aside from germinated rice a few times a month.

    I’m a big Nature’s Variety Instinct fan. When I used to feed kibble to my oldest dog it was frequently in rotation. I’ve used Nutrisca as well and feel it’s a good food. My dogs eat raw as their main diet (as mentioned) however I do frequently order samples and trial-sized bags of kibble. Even though I don’t feed kibble for meals I like to keep in the know about the best brands so I can make good recommendations. For my dogs, they usually get kibble in a kong for an after dinner treat (I layer kibble and canned pumpkin and pop it in the freezer). Naturalk9supplies.com and k9cuisine.com usually offer a wide variety of free samples and sell small trial-sized bags. Also, most companies will send you samples if you call or email them and ask.

    It’s possible that Dr. Tim could be recommending Pursuit over the Grain-Free Kinesis due to calcium levels. The calcium levels in the Grain-Free Kinesis formula are a bit high for a large breed puppy. Honestly, if you’re rotating through a variety of foods that do and do not contain rice I wouldn’t be overly concerned about the arsenic. I just wouldn’t feed a food with rice long term. I also feel Dr. Tim’s is a very trustworthy company so if they’re saying that their rice tests negative for high levels of arsenic I would tend to believe them (although I would still rotate brands).

    #19504
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Idarlin –

    I feel that the ideal diet is grain-free/starch free, high in animal-based protein and low in carbohydrates. This is why I personally feed my dogs a raw diet with free of grains and starches (potatoes, legumes, etc.). When it comes to kibble, a starch in some form or another (be it grains, potato, legumes, tapioca, etc.) is necessary to act as a binder. There are many that feel grain-free foods are superior to grain-inclusive foods because grains aren’t a natural part of the canine diet. However, neither are the starches used in grain-free foods – potato, legumes, tapioca, etc. Due to the fact that starch is a necessary evil when it comes to kibble I think the most important thing is to look for a food high in protein with a relatively large percentage of the protein being derived from animal sources. I think people get too caught up in grain-inclusive vs. grain-free and the industry is really playing into this – there are many new grain-free foods hitting the market that are horrible (low protein, loaded with vegetable based protein, etc. etc.) and people are paying big bucks for these foods just because the bag has the new buzzword “grain-free”. There are great grain-free foods and horrible grain-free foods and there are great grain-inclusive foods and horrible grain-inclusive foods. Concerning Innova Large Breed Puppy, it’s not a bad food by any means but it’s lower in protein than anything I’d use or recommend. It has only 24% protein, I wouldn’t use or recommend a kibble with less than 30% protein. I personally feed my crew protein levels in the 45% – 55% range.

    If she’s chewing herself it could definitely be a food intolerance, but it could also be something environmental. Grains and common proteins such as chicken and beef are common causes of intolerances so you could certainly try a grain-free food with a more novel protein and see if things clear up.

    #19208
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Marty –

    Calcium and phosphorus levels are really only a concern for joint health during the growth phase. Once large/giant breed dogs reach two years of age their joints are fully developed and at this point they’re either dysplastic or not dysplastic. Calcium and phosphorus levels obviously need to be in balance with each other (between a 1:1 and 2:1 ratio of C:P) but this is true for all dogs, not just large/giant breeds, and isn’t a concern as long as you’re feeding a balanced commercial food (where balancing C:P ratios come into play are with homemade diets). I personally feel that a diet high in protein, moderate in fat and low in carbohydrates is healthiest and most species-appropriate for healthy dogs. My three bloodhounds eat between 45% and 55% protein, 30% and 40% fat and <15% carbohydrates at each meal. If feeding a dry food, I would search for one with no less than 30% protein. I also would not limit yourself to only one brand – variety is important. I no longer feed dry dog food, but when I did I switched brands and protein sources at the end of every bag and I added different canned and/or fresh food toppers daily. I would recommend finding a minimum of three foods your dogs can eat (preferably different brands with different protein sources). Patty had a wonderful suggestion with online ordering if selection is limited where you live – some other sites that have a big selection and offer free shipping in addition to the two she posted are Wag.com, Doggiefood.com and NaturalK9Supplies.com. There are several supplements you can give your dogs that help to promote joint health and/or have anti-inflammatory properties. If your dogs don’t have any orthopedic conditions or arthritis a basic glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM supplement would be fine to start off with. Some other supplements good for joint maintenance are hyaluronic acid and esterfied fatty acids (like cetyl myristoleate). Some whole food supplements that are beneficial for the joints are eggshell membrane, velvet elk antler, sea cucumber, green lipped mussel and shark cartilage. Raw meaty bones (especially those high in cartilage such as trachea, chicken feet and gullets) are very rich in naturally occurring chondroitin. For dogs experiencing pain/arthritis some natural anti-inflammatories include high doses of omega 3 fatty acids (up to 300 mg. per 10 lbs.), turmeric, boswellia, tart cherry, yucca, bromelian and white willow. Generally human supplements are cheaper and higher quality than supplements marketed to dogs, adjust the dosage accordingly (a good rule of thumb is a 25 lb. dog would get about 1/4 of the recommended human dose, 1/2 the human dose for a 50 lb. dog, 3/4 the human dose for a 75 lb. dog and full human dose for dogs >100 lbs.). Also – as you may already know – the most important factor to maintaining healthy joints and staving off arthritis in large and giant breed dogs is maintaining a healthy body weight, it’s very important that large/giant breeds don’t become overweight as this adds a lot of stress to the joints.

    #18663
    Saireah
    Member

    Thank you SO much, HDM and Marie.

    I actually contacted Dr. Tim’s last night through e-mail and already have a response. We briefly talked around Christmas, too. I agree — fantastic (and, more importantly, personable) customer service. What appeals to me the most is the price, too. He mentioned that Kinesis Grain Free would be fine for both of my dogs, as well. He’s sending me a 5lb sample of the grain-free at half price (which was very kind of him to offer to cut the price in half).

    Earthborn grain-free is really intriguing, too! A better price than Fromm’s and it looks like there’s different grain-free flavors that I could switch between every other bag to spice up their meal a bit. Side-note: I LOVE that Earthborn plants a tree if you send in the UPC.

    EARTHBORN GRAIN-FREE:
    Primitive Naturals: 38% protein / Calcium: not listed on GA on official site? I sent them an e-mail.
    Great Plains: 34% protein / Calcium: 1.50%
    Coastal Catch: 32% protein / Calcium: 1.30%
    Meadow Feast: 26% protein / Calcium: 1.20%
    * Would likely not feed Meadow Feast due to protein level and rotate between Primitive Naturals, Great Plains, and Coastal Catch.

    DR. TIM’S KINESIS GRAIN-FREE:
    32% protein / Calcium: 1.51%
    * If I were to feed Dr. Tim’s, I’d probably feel better about use wet food every now and again from my Pawalla box on top of it to add a bit of extra flavors whereas, with Earthborn, they’d be getting a different flavor rotation to keep things interesting.

    Thanks for putting my mind at ease. You’re right about recalls, too — a primary factor is whether or not they were precautionary or if they sat on it until they had reports of dogs being ill. Big difference.

    I’m so happy I posted here. The cost per feeding for us makes these two brands at the top of the list for me. My babies are worth all the money in the world to me, but it’s nice to use part of that money to pamper them with my subscription boxes and still feed a great quality food at a reasonable price. I like that brands such as these recognize that $65+ for a bag of food that’s less than 30lb is just… unreasonable for people with multiple pets in the household. I’d certainly be OK with that if I just had one dog… and not a dog that’s practically a horse. 😉

    #18660
    Cyndi
    Member

    Wow!! That’s awesome! From that picture of you that you had just posted, I so wouldn’t take you as having that many, lol! I want to get my dog Moose, who passed away, done, but I am so scared that it won’t come out looking like him. Other tattoos are different, because it doesn’t have to be exact, but the ones of loved ones and our pets, they have to look like them, and I would be totally devastated if I went thru getting a big tattoo like that and it didn’t look like him, you know?

    The rest of mine, except for the memorial ones, are just random stuff. My favorite is my tribal lion head (I’m a leo). I think it came out perfect. Tattoos are definitely addictive! 🙂 Thanks for responding! 😉

    #18658
    InkedMarie
    Member

    Cyndi: I have 30+ tattoos. Upper left arm is a crappy St. Francis with three dogs. Too big to cover. Right above the crook in that arm is my two grandaughters footprints/names/birth flowers. Lower left arm is my “catholic arm”: Mary, Jesus, two doves, two cherubs that are coverups. Right upper arm is my favorite: portrait of my two sons when they were little. Rest of that arm is a mis mash: two fairies, one christmas elf (for a friend of mine), a Guatamelan man with samuri sword (memorial for someone). butterfly and my grandsons name. Back has two dragonflies, one dove, one celestial, one cardinal and lower back is some lillies my son grew. I have a big whole in the middle of my back but any time I think about filling it in, I get sick.

    Right thigh has three portraits of dogs. Lower right leg has a cross with our names & wedding date and an old school heart with my sons names.

    Left thigh has one of my parrots. Lower left leg is an ocean scene I’m working on. The fish/animals came out great but almost 5 weeks ago he did part of the water and it’s horrible. I’m very disappointed. I don’t want him to finish it but I have no choice, no one else has said yes. I went to see him on Saturday but he had the day off.

    in a nutshell, thats bout it.

    #18500
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    Like HDM said, Tractor Supply’s 4Health is a fantastic bargain! The regular size cans are .99, and even the biggest cans are only 1.59! I’ve started to use it to top my dogs’ food and they like it and are having no repercussions. I buy Simply Nourish sometimes, but imho it’s not all that budget friendly. On sale it’s 2.00 a can, but it’s a smaller can (only 10 oz., compared to 13.2 oz.)….it is similar to Weruva and definitely cheaper than that lol. TOTW is a little cheaper than alot of the other canned foods, too. I can usually find it for 1.99 a can. Fromm, at least where I live, is not all that cheap…the Gold cans run around 2.99 a can and the 4Star are almost 4.00 a can! I’ve decided to try and stick with 4Health, for the most part. Fyi…it does come in pate and stew styles. I believe the stews are better because they don’t contain carageenan. Also, look at the ingredients and calorie content (and the style of food your dog prefers) when making your choice. I have also recently been looking for a replacement for Natural Balance LID Fish (merger with Del Monte) and looked at Wellness Simple (transition did not go well…Laverne can’t/won’t eat the kibble due to the shape/size). It also has tomato pomace and carrots which I believe makes her allergies flare up. Bought a small bag of Simply Nourish Salmon LID, but again…tomato pomace and/or carrots….stool still not very good. I do know how to transition and can tell pretty quickly if a food is gonna be bad for the long haul. Anyway, I’m supposed to be getting some coupons from Hol. Select, but I’m not confident it will work for Laverne. So…they’re still eating the NB I have, but I did buy a small bag of 4Health grain free Whitefish yesterday. It is not a small kibble, but Laverne seems to be able to eat it better than the Wellness shape. I’m starting to use it as treats and I’ll be mixing it into their NB soon. It is kinda limited in its ingredients and doesn’t contain tom. pomace or carrots (or Rosemary). It does have beet pulp, so we’ll see. Darn merger!

    • This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
    #18497
    harpersmom
    Participant

    Can anyone suggest great supplements for a 4.5 year old, Otherwise Very Healthy ,Female Akita who just had TPLO surgery, and will go back in in 8 weeks for the other leg? She’s no dummy, naturally cutting back her own calories when free feeding kibble- due to the reduction in energies spent. I feed Wellness kibble along with a Multitude of Fresh proteins & whole foods. I rotate, advocating variety: chicken, buffalo, salmon, mackerel, fresh caught river trout , a bit of seaweed for iodine, raw farm fresh eggs, some cooked whole grains (everything from barley to quinoa to oatmeal, i rotate), some greens, some fruit & veggies (avocado yesterday). I give a Fish Sourced Omega Oil supplement w/dha (extra now, for inflammation), glucosamine/chondroitin MSM, I’m making fresh chicken broth to give her collagen, and mixing the broth with gelatin for chicken blox treats. Extra protein right now for healing skin, ligaments, muscle. Normal supplements include daily and rotated treats, too: brewer’s yeast, marrow bones, cultured dairy (she LOVES my homemade creme fraiche and yoghurt), probiotics (daily, especially since she’s on antibiotics right now…wellness kibble has prebiotics in it, too), seasonally: fresh raw local honey w/pollen for allergies. Perhaps i’m leaving some basic vit/min supplements off this list, but are there any supplements that will specifically aid in healing, recover, address inflammation, or help reduce pain that i’m missing? The vet has her on Rimadyl, antibiotics, tramadol. Thank you… And if you’ve personally gone through a TPLO with a Big, Young, Active dog, i’d LOVE to ask you some very specific questions, if anyone has the time… I appreciate your help.

    #18334
    mydogisme
    Participant

    She is there finally with all of her other doggie friends. Look at my baby girl! She went by other names as well like Mommy’s Honey Bunny, Funny Face, Miss Feeties, Miss Picky Pouch. I cry still every day for her and sometimes I can almost still feel her on my bed as I have her coats and sweaters and dresses and her purple puppy, hound doggy with me as well as her very first baby bear she was given on the way home from the shelter. When I layed her to rest, she has her own small Bible with a letter I wrote to her. She has her angle bunny that says the lords prayer, and big bag of Natural Balance Cookies, to share with and her squeaky balls, and most of her play animals like the squirrels, chip monks, raccoons, and her long loofa pink doggy. She wore her black sparkly dress with pink velvet trim and pink bow’s. She is laying on 1 of the 2 feather and down pillows that she would lay on when she first got in bed at night, then she would allow me to take the other pillow to use. She has her pink baby blanket so she can share keeping other fur babies warm. She was only a little terrier, born and not knowing who was going to love her and look after her. She was my little terrier and I love her dearly.

    #18203
    GSDsForever
    Participant

    Crespuscular,

    Hi there . . . if you’re still around or checking in on occasion.

    Thank you for adopting — I will never stop loving hearing about anyone adopting a shelter or rescue pet, taking in a stray, providing a second (and forever!) home to a dog.

    Of the 4 brands you mention, I would look beyond the ingredients to the company that makes the food and their history. The ingredients, percentages don’t matter if you can’t trust what’s in the bag, highest quality ingredient commitment and sourcing, and manufacturing with strict quality controls and testing.

    Innova Prime — owned by Proctor & Gamble
    Kirkland Nature’s Domain — owned & manufactured by Diamond
    Wellness Core — owned by Berwing, and until recently manufactured by Diamond
    Nutrisource — owned & manufactured by Nutrisource

    While Innova Prime and Wellness Core are often viewed as “higher end” foods with alluring ingredients & percentages, big name & trendy, glossy marketing . . . I’d regard Nutrisource the most trustworthy manufacturer. Long history, small family privately owned, no recalls in their history, makers of 2 other health oriented dog foods (Natural Planet Organics & Pure Vita).

    Innova Prime (along with California Natural, Evo, Mother Nature, and Karma) is a Proctor & Gamble product. P&G bought out Natura — formerly a small family owned company, maker of quality health foods for dogs & no recall in 21 yrs — and has had with multiple mass recalls since the fairly recent takeover, affecting all their dog food brands. P&G, maker of Iams & numerous household/personal products and foods, has an extensive history of extreme animal cruelty in commercial animal testing (among other ethical issues) and has been one of the most, if not the most, notorious offenders and most defiant about it. Many people boycott them and all their household products for this reason.

    Nature’s Domain at Costco is manufactured by Diamond. Diamond, like Menu Foods, makes a huge number of foods and has a very poor history of not only many mass recalls, but deadly ones, and with a history of poorly responding to consumers whose pets have fallen seriously ill. Many customers & businesses will no longer do business with them as a result. Personally, I think it very risky buying products manufactured by Diamond.

    I think this particular product can also be very deceptive, a bait & switch, particularly the salmon — in pretty packaging, alluring marketing description, and tempting price point. Mainly I think that it’s a starchy carb based food, with very little actual meat/fish, and devoid of healthy fat or Omega 3. It uses farmed salmon & fish, which tend to be diseased and contaminated with dangerous toxins like PCBs.

    Wellness was founded by Old Mother Hubbard (now merged with Eagle Pack), became WellPet, and was bought out by Berwing. Berwing is a large multi-billion dollar company, privately held, which made its money in coal and now makes numerous products including Elmer’s glue. Wellness was manufactured by Diamond (and suffered recalls under Diamond). Despite severing ties with Diamond (per Wellness) less than a year ago, Wellness is still having recalls and most recently has had alarming pictures surface on the web of extremely moldy food.

    Have you considered Fromm? This is another small, longtime family owned company (100 yrs), no recalls, that makes an array of all natural quality foods at every price point — as low as just over $1 a bag for Fromm Classics Adult Dog Food ($33.99/33 lbs with auto ship at PetFoodDirect, 15% off; full price of one time ship, $39.99/33 lbs). This company takes a lot of care with ingredient sourcing, ingredient grade, formulation, and excluding what it believes to be harmful ingredients and including specific ingredients thought to be health promoting (like cartilage for glucosamine).

    At that higher price point you are considering for Innova Prime or Wellness Core, I’d redirect to to the lower priced and, in my opinion, higher quality & nutrient dense Timberwolf Organics. I have more trust and confidence in the (very small) company and owner. And I have fed their foods for many years with great results. They make a Platinum line (grain & white potato free, low carb/high protein) and Classic line (whole grains & sweet potatoes, more moderate protein). Prices range from about $45/24 lbs Classic line with advance ordering, directly online from Timberwolf to about $50-55/24 lbs Platinum line with advance ordering. Regular prices for immediate shipment, arrival within 3-5 days, are $55 and $64. Shipping is free for $60+ orders, or flat $5. http://www.timberwolforganics.com/

    #18149
    GSDsForever
    Participant

    Does anyone have any good leads on deals buying in bulk the following:

    1)Canned Sardines?

    I would be especially interested in BPA-free cans, and any of the following will do: in water, in oil (best if olive), in tomato sauce (if not w/added sugar, bad stuff).

    The best I’ve found locally has been cheaper 15 ounce oval tins at Smart & Final, otherwise the dollar store or occasional dollar sales at the regular grocery store on 3.75 ounce tins.

    2)Organic Eggs, free range/humanely treated & vegetarian/natural fed — Omega 3

    I buy either from a local farm (expensive, but very fresh & chickens are well treated and fed) or Costco’s 24 pack of organic free range.

    3)Organic Natural Plain Yogurt with live cultures

    I’m not doing too well with this deal-wise, as I just buy from Trader Joe’s, and have not found a particular “good” brand, named or Trader Joe’s rebranded.

    My favorite (not at Trader Joe’s) in every way, save that it’s not organic (boo!), is Mountain High with the cream on top and several active live cultures.

    4)Cottage Cheese

    Best price I know is large size at Costco . . . though it’s not really THAT big for using with large dogs, and it’s not organic which would be better. I don’t know that it’s even that good of a price, considering usually one of the regular grocery stores is running a sale for the same price per ounce.

    Thanks for any ideas anyone might have! 🙂

    #18091

    In reply to: Dr Harveys

    satobrinn
    Participant

    While dogs with specific medical issues may be affected by too much protein, by and large recent research suggests that the notion of having too much protein is a myth both for senior dogs as well as for puppies. Dogs thrive on quality protein and it should makes up at least half of your dog’s diet, the remaining ingredients falling into place at various ratios. One of the most important aspects of a dog’s diet is variety. Healthy humans typically follow the same basic idea, and we benefit from rotating the sources of our nutrients by having different meals every day. By following general guidelines about fat intake and activity level we can stay lean and healthy while getting the nutrients we need. I think the biggest mistake we make when feeding our dogs is getting stuck in a pattern of feeding the same foods repeatedly. Vets don’t always have a great handle on nutrition, but speaking to your vet about your dog’s overall health and lifestyle is a good place to start if you’re really concerned about too much protein. Providing all the minerals and vitamins is more of a challenge in home cooking than determining the protein amount, and then you have to decide if you want to use synthetic sources or natural sources. Find a pyramid that makes sense for your dog and switch it up.

    #16688
    kimc
    Participant

    I need some help! I have 2 mini schnauzers, and they are such picky eaters! I know, I know…I created this mess. However, it does not help the issue. Currently they are eating “Stella and Chewys raw for dinner. They like to graze on kibble during the day, but I cannot find one they will eat. (unless it is not good for them….they started eating Bill Jax, which I wasn’t happy about, but they were eating it…then the itching started so I am back to square one) I have tried them all. I need a 5 star, no chicken, grain free “small kibble”. My dogs are 6 and 8 lbs…very small. Anyone have any suggestions? I really thought Natural Instincts would work…but the kibble is big and very hard…they can’t break it! HELP!!

    spoonyspork
    Participant

    Thanks for the quick reply Patty 🙂

    I can very well imagine the dry food could have caused the infection, but I doubt it on the vesibular disease — only because he had the first of the fresh bag after the first signs of the later (the bloody problems started about 24 hours after his first meal from the fresh bag, about 36 hours after he fell the first time — the other dog started having loose stools about 48 hours after her first meal from the fresh bag, but it hasn’t gotten worse than that)

    I’ve actually been considering switching away from TOTW since the big scare a while back, but my other dog does *not* react well to any other food we’ve tried. We ended up using it originally because it was the only thing she would keep down after an emergency trip to the vet (neighbors – who are no longer neighbors thankfully – poisoned her — she’d had to get her stomach pumped, went blind for a while, etc). Prior to that we were feeding California Natural (which as I understand it is now less good than it was before, while also having gone up a LOT in price?). She doesn’t even react well to switching *flavors* — only the one with the duck will do XD

    #16531
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi Cyndi,

    I’m glad you have made this decision. It will make a big difference–especially with dental health. All the raw feeders on here are giving great advice. 🙂

    Here’s a little advice I will give from observing my own dogs. When they got ALL raw, which normally consisted of a boneless meal and a bone-in meal (a leg quarter, a leg, a thigh, wing) each day, and even 2 bony meals per day, they were fine. When I started experimenting w/using dog food for one meal, and a piece of bone-in chicken for the next, I would notice their poops were getting too hard/dry at times. I know dog foods include ingredients to help firm up stools. SO…since chicken backs are SO bony, I don’t think I would feed those every single day if I were you. They are GREAT to start with, but I really think once your dog gets used to them that first week, I personally would just buy leg quarters. My one dog is 50+ pounds and I still feed him drumsticks quite a bit. If you buy a package of quarters, you can just cut the legs off each quarter too. Sometimes THAT becomes my dogs’ entire meal for the day—the drumstick becomes the breakfast, the other part becomes the dinner. I feed whole leg quarters at times too–those are great for cleaning the teeth. I just prefer feeding 2x per day, so sometimes if that’s all I have thawed, it works best to split it up into 2 meals. Plus, I have to pay close attention to portion control for my dogs.

    Just keep an eye on things when you start. If stools get too firm, lay off the chicken backs for a day or two. Don’t let this scare you, as once you get going with it, it becomes very natural. I would stick with feeding only chicken for a couple weeks. People on the forum can help you along when the time comes. It’s all about how YOUR individual dog responds to this diet. Two of my dogs have NO problem with more frequent bone-in meals or even a couple days of just boneless meals. My other dog gets looser stools easily, and does better with more bone in his diet.

    Good luck! 🙂

    #16131
    tonwol
    Participant

    I am considering switching my 15 year old lab/shepherd mix’s dog food. I am currently feeding Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Selected Protein Large Breed Adult PW prescription diet. It is a potato (white potato) and white fish (herring) limited ingredient diet. The reason that I am looking to switch is due to cost. The price has been increasing on and off for the last 3 years and the last time I picked up a bag from my vet it was nearly $106.00 for a 26.4 lb bag, one month ago it was $98.00. She has been on a prescription diet since she was only 5 years old and has had many health problems so I have reservations about switching. She has inflammatory bowel disease and heart disease. Specifically she has an enlarged heart, leaking mitral valve and leaking tricuspid valve. She also had pancreatitis three times in her earlier years. She is on an ACE inhibitor and diuretic for her heart (Enalapril and Furosemide). The prescription diet is for her IBD and not her heart.

    What I am looking for is a food with a fish based protein source. I would like to keep her on herring but I am not finding many OTC foods that have herring and after reading about the California Natural recall that one no longer a choice for us.

    I have some questions about the fish and potato sources.
    How big of a difference would it be to switch her from herring to a different fish like salmon? Would it make a big difference if the potato source is sweet potato vs. white potato?
    Would it make a big difference if she has been eating a food with only one fish source and I switch her to a food that contains many different fish sources like Orijen’s 6 Fish formula?
    Lastly, her current food does not have any Omega 3 or 6 added and my vet has advised against giving her Omega 3 supplements due to her IBD and pancreatitis in the past, therefor would it pose problems if I switch her to a food that has added Omega’s in addition to the fish source?

    The brands I am currently researching are Evo, Orijen, Wellness, Canine Caviar, Innova Prime, Fromm, Diamond Naturals or Earthborn Holistic. Do any of these brands stand out in a nutritional aspect more than others? Are there any other brands with a fish formula that I am missing that may be an option for her?

    I am sorry this is so long. Any help at all would be so very much appreciated!

    Thank You,
    Tonya

    #15896

    In reply to: Feeding Advice/Help

    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Bigcoco –

    1) 30% bone is way too much. As Patty said, bone should comprise 10% of the diet. The calcium to phosphorus ratio needs to be between 1:1 and 2:1 (ideally around 1.2 – 1.3:1). When the diet is 10% bone, 10% organ meat and 80% muscle meat the calcium to phosphorus ratio is right within that optimal range. A diet of 30% bone will be throwing that ratio of balance.

    2) I checked out the product website and I can’t see where organs are included in the mixes? All I see is where they state 70% meat and 30% bone. If organ meat is not included in adequate quantities in the 70% “meat” you’ll need to feed organ meat. Organ meat should comprise 10% of the diet – 5% being liver and 5% being other organs (kidneys, lungs, spleen, pancreas, brain, etc.). Organ meat provides crucial vitamins and minerals that aren’t provided by muscle meat.

    3) I can’t find where the level of vitamin e in the Bravo salmon oil is stated on their website and often the amounts added to fish oils are too low. I checked out the Pet Naturals of Vermont Daily Best supplement and there is little vitamin e in that either. Small dogs should get 50 – 100 IU per day, medium dogs 100 – 200 IU per day and large dogs 200 – 400 IU per day. Vitamin e requirements increase when fish oil (omega 3’s) is being supplemented, if adequate quantities are not received with omega 3 fatty acid supplementation the dog will eventually develop a vitamin e deficiency.

    4) It’s also possible your dog could be deficient in certain trace nutrients – it’s hard telling without a nutrient analysis but because the Pet Naturals supplement is designed to be fed with a complete and balanced commercial food the amounts of vitamins and minerals are very low (as they are with most pet supplements). To ensure your dog is getting all the trace nutrients he needs I’d recommend either supplementing with a human multivitamin – base the dosage off a 100 lb. person (i.e. 25 lb. dog gets 1/4 human dosage, 50 lb. dog gets 1/2 human dosage, 75 lb. dog gets 3/4 human dosage, 100 lbs.+ gets human dosage) – or adding whole food supplements. I prefer to avoid synthetic supplements for my dogs so I feed a variety of nutrient-dense whole food supplements like kelp, alfalfa, bee pollen, spirulina, wheatgrass, glandulars, sprouted nuts & seeds, etc.

    “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown is a fantastic resource for raw feeding. It’s a really great book for beginners – short and easy to understand and includes AAFCO compliant recipes. You may want to checkout this book. It was a constant resource for me when I first started feeding homemade raw.

    #15345
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi BakersMom –

    Unfortunately, if he has hip dysplasia there’s no reversing it. At 11 months old he’s already been through his critical growth phase and reducing calcium levels won’t help. Not feeding a puppy formula wouldn’t have caused this – but all of Taste of the Wild’s formulas are technically “puppy” formulas anyways (they’ve all met the AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages). A variety of factors are involved in the development of hip dysplasia – genetics (probably the biggest factor), over feeding, calcium intake during the critical growth phase (about the first 6 months), activity level (high impact activity during growth can cause hip dysplasia) and probably numerous other factors we aren’t yet aware of. If you do find out your pup has hip dysplasia it’s not the end of the world, there are several actions you can take to help him live a long and comfortable life. If the dysplasia is severe, your vet may recommend surgery – most orthopedic surgeries have a high success rate. Surgery is expensive, but if the dysplasia is severe it will be cheaper to get surgery rather than pay for expensive supplements and medications for the rest of his life. If the dysplasia is more mild, often the deterioration of the joint can be slowed by supplementing with GAGs and pain and inflammation can be controlled with natural supplements such as boswellia, turmeric, omega 3’s, white willow, yucca, tart cherry, etc. It will also be important to keep him active so the muscles around his hip stay strong, making the hip less likely to luxate. Low impact activities like walking and swimming are great for dogs with joint problems. Human supplements are generally cheaper than pet-specific supplements – I would recommend going for something with glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM and also supplementing with an anti-inflammatory such as turmeric or boswellia. Adjust the human dose depending on his weight – for example give a 25 lb. dog 1/4 the recommended human dose, a 50 lb. dog 1/2 the recommended human dose, etc. Give twice the recommended dose for the first two weeks and if you see improvement reduce the dose to half and discontinue the supplement for two consecutive days each week to help keep him from building a tolerance to the ingredients.

    #15230
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi Janet –

    If you’re sure the “scooting” is not due to anal gland issues I would bring a stool sample to the vet to check for parasites just in case (certain worms – such as tapeworms – can cause “scooting”).

    To help with the stools and the transition to a new food I would add a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin to each meal and supplement with probiotics and digestive enzymes (there’s no need to buy a “pet” supplement, something from the health section for at the grocery store with suffice and likely be cheaper). You can continue the pumpkin and supplements permanently if need be.

    Grain-free foods are, unfortunately, pricier than grain-inclusive foods. Earthborn is probably one of the most budget-friendly grain-free foods available. Some other options would be Nutrisource, Taste of the Wild, The Source, Victor, Authority and 4Health (note: Taste of the Wild and 4Health are manufactured by Diamond). NutriSource, Taste of the Wild and Source run about the same price as Earthborn while Victor, Authority and 4Health are slightly cheaper. Authority Grain-Free is available exclusively at Petsmart. The Source and 4Health are available exclusively at Tractor Supply. Earthborn, Taste of the Wild and Nutrisource can be found at most high end pet specialty stores and online. Victor will likely be the most difficult food to locate – I haven’t been able to find an online retailer and it’s not sold in my area but if you can find it, it looks like a fantastic food and it a great bargain.

    You’re correct that dry food doesn’t really clean teeth, that’s a myth. I wish it wasn’t though – I’d eat potato chips and cookies all day and use the excuse that it’s for my dental health lol. 🙂 Canned food is actually healthier and more species appropriate (higher moisture content and higher protein levels) so if you can afford to occasionally buy some quality canned food (4Health has some grain-free varieties that are a bargain at only $0.99 per can) that would be great for your dog. Healthy “people food” is good to add to kibble too – eggs, tinned sardines, leftover lean meat, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, low glycemic veggies, etc.

    I think raw bones are best for dental health. My dogs eat a raw diet and get raw bones daily – beef ribs, pork necks, turkey necks, chicken backs, etc. If you’re going to buy something from the store I’d go for “natural” chews (make sure they’re made in the US) such as dried tracheas, bully sticks and pig ears – these are species-appropriate (high protein, grain-free) and great for dental health. As far as “treats,” I’d go with high protein meaty treats such as jerky (made in the US of course), grain-free biscuits or freeze-dried raw foods. I’m a big fan of Nature’s Variety Instinct dog biscuits, EVO biscuits and Darford Zero-G biscuits (although I’m not sure if the Darford biscuits are being made anymore 🙁 ). I also feed freeze-dried raw (such as NV Instinct and Stella & Chewy’s) as treats.

    #15131
    patvl246
    Participant

    DogMom, My 210 lb English Mastiff has been eating Darwins since he was 12 weeks old. He’s 20 months now and still runs to his bowl for Darwins. I do mix in a cup of Natures Variety Instinct Raw Boost Venison and Lamb (Kibble), some green tripe and chicken from Big Dog Natural in Brick, N.J. (Dehydrated) and even some Bravo Complete. Switching things around so he doesn’t get bored. He also loves raw beef liver and raw chicken necks and backs.

    #15051
    theBCnut
    Member

    Since the body can process small amounts of arsenic, it’s more of a be aware sort of thing. However, since most dogs eat the same thing day in and day out, unlike a single meal with rice in it, it is even more of a be aware thing. And for those who feed a food heavy in rice day in and day out, it’s a big be aware thing.

    #14499
    Mom2Cavs
    Member

    I agree with HDM….but, even though I sometimes use human supplements most of the time I use those made for dogs. Like HDM I also mix into their food for both meals. Lucy is taking a urinary supplement atm, though, that is a soft chew so I don’t have to mix that in. And definitely check all ingredients for dog safety. Another note, when I buy dog supplements I usually do so at a pet specialty store (generally big box stores don’t have the brands I want) or I order them online. http://www.onlynaturalpet.com is a good site for supplements. Most of the dog supplements I buy have the NASC seal on them but not all. Hope this helps some more. 🙂

    #14447
    Shihtzumom20
    Member

    Hi Hound Dog Mom,
    So here is the chicken dinner ingredients:
    Big Country Chicken Dinner
    Ingredients
    Ground chicken with bone, beef liver, fruit and vegetable puree. Garlic and kelp.
    A complete and balanced meal choice. Protein-max 16%. Fat-min 12%. Moisture-62%. Fibre-2.6%
    The chicken dinner has the highest fat, the rest are not over 10%. Of course I don’t really know how to convert it to dry matter basis, I did see how on here but I think my calculation was way off, lol!
    Other than the fish I don’t see any fish oil added, would you say to add in the krill oil? I think they want you to feed the fish dinner every now and again, but they use cod, haddock or sole.
    I guess I will hold off the joint supplement, do rmb’s help supply glucosamine and chrondroitin? He is getting his first chicken wing for his evening meal! I am so excited, I showed it to him and he wanted to take it so I think he will like the true raw diet! But he is still young with no issues so far, so since he is getting it naturally I think he will be good for now!
    Thanks for all your help HDM! He is at me right now for his chicken wing!
    And I like your schedule for vaccinating, I think I personally would feel better if he got his one year shots, and then I might titer him at 2 and go from there.

    #13789
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    DoggieDoc22 –

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

    #13357
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    IMO – Wag.com is hands down the best online site to order from. Big selection of food and non-food items and free 2 day shipping on orders of $49 and I’ve found that as long as my order is placed before noon, oftentimes I’ll get my order the next day. My other go to sites for online shopping are naturalk9supplies.com (free shipping), doggiefood.com (free shipping), petflow.com (free shipping), pethealthandnutritioncenter.com (flat rate shipping), thedogmaonline.com (frozen raw items), mypetcarnivore.com (frozen raw items), hare-today.com (frozen raw items).

    #12182

    In reply to: low waste/residue food

    sisu
    Participant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    I hope some of this helps.

    #12151
    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    Hi mbigdogs –

    I feel your pain! I have three bloodhounds – my male is 110 lbs., my adult female is 70 lbs. and my 6 1/2 month old female puppy is pushing 60 lbs and they eat like horses. I feed a homemade raw diet, I order all my food in bulk 300 lb. shipments from a wholesaler that supplies restaurants and grocery stores – I save a significant amount of money this way. Pre-made raw, dehydrated foods and canned foods would pretty much be out of the question – way too cost prohibitive with multiple large dogs. If you want to go the kibble route, some quality cost effective choices would be Merrick’s Whole Earth Farms (4 stars), Pure Balance (3 1/2 stars), Eagle Pack (4 stars), NutriSource (4 stars), Fromm’s Classics Line (3 1/2 stars), Hi-Tek Naturals (3 1/2 stars), Victor (4 stars) and Healthwise (4 stars). All of these foods are in the $35-$40 range for a large bag (usually 30-40 lbs.).

    #11308

    In reply to: Heart worm prevention

    Toxed2loss
    Participant

    Here’s another vet’s take.. He practiced & lived in Santa Cruz, where there was a prevalence,
    “Heartworms

    This parasite is a source of great anxiety among dog caretakers. (I don’t believe that one “owns” a dog.) Thanks in large part to the scare tactics of many veterinarians in promoting preventive drugs, many people believe that contracting heartworms is the equivalent of a death sentence for their dogs. This is not true.
    I practiced for seven years in the Santa Cruz, California area, and treated many dogs with heartworms. The only dogs that developed symptoms of heart failure were those that were being vaccinated yearly, eating commercial dog food, and getting suppressive drug treatment for other symptoms, such as skin problems. My treatment, at that time, consisted of switching to a natural (that is, homemade) diet, stopping drug treatment whenever possible, and eliminating any chemical exposure, such as flea and tick poisons. I would usually prescribe hawthorn tincture as well. None of these dogs ever developed any symptoms of heart failure.
    I concluded from this that it was not the heartworms that caused disease, but the other factors that damaged the dogs’ health to the point that they could no longer compensate for an otherwise tolerable parasite load. It is not really that different from the common intestinal roundworms, in that most dogs do not show any symptoms. Only a dog whose health is compromised is unable to tolerate a few worms. Furthermore, a truly healthy dog would not be susceptible to either type of worm in the first place.

    It seems to me that the real problem is that allopathic attitudes have instilled in many of us a fear of disease, fear of pathogens and parasites, fear of rabies, as if these are evil and malicious entities just waiting to lay waste to a naive and unprotected public.

    Disease is not caused by viruses or by bacteria or by heartworm-bearing mosquitoes. Disease comes from within, and one aspect of disease can be the susceptibility to various pathogens. So the best thing to do is to address those susceptibilities on the deepest possible level, so that the pathogens will no longer be a threat. Most importantly, don’t buy into the fear.

    That having been said, there are practical considerations of risk versus benefit in considering heartworm prevention. The risk of a dog contracting heartworms is directly related to geographic location. In heavily infested areas the risk is higher, and the prospect of using a preventive drug more justifiable. Whatever you choose to do, a yearly blood test for heartworm microfilaria is important.

    There are basically three choices with regard to heartworm prevention: drugs, nosodes, or nothing.

    There are currently a variety of heartworm preventive drugs, most of which are given monthly. I don’t like any of them due to their toxicity, the frequency of side effects, and their tendency to antidote homeopathic remedies. Incidentally, the once-a-month preventives should be given only every 6 weeks.

    The next option is the heartworm nosode. It has the advantage of at least not being a toxic drug. It has been in use it for over 10 years now, and I am reasonably confident that it is effective. It is certainly very safe. The biggest problem with the nosode is integrating it with homeopathic treatment. But at least it’s less of a problem than with the drugs.

    The last option, and in my opinion the best, is to do nothing. That is to say, do nothing to specifically prevent heartworm, but rather to minimize the chances of infestation by helping your dog to be healthier, and thereby less susceptible. This means avoiding those things that are detrimental to health, feeding a high quality homemade diet, regular exercise, a healthy emotional environment, and, most of all, constitutional homeopathic treatment. Of course, this will not guarantee that your dog will not get heartworms, but, under these conditions, even the worst-case scenario isn’t so terrible. If your dog were to get heartworms, s/he shouldn’t develop any symptoms as a result.

    For what it’s worth, I never gave my dog any type of heartworm preventive, even when we lived in the Santa Cruz area where heartworms were very prevalent. I tested him yearly, and he never had a problem.” Dr. Jeffery Levy DVM PCH http://www.homeovet.net/content/lifestyle/section4.html

    #11244

    In reply to: Transitioning to raw

    Hound Dog Mom
    Participant

    weimlove –

    I would say that if you shop smart, homemade is without a doubt the cheapest route to go. I actually invested in some freezers – I bought one new and got two used off craig’s list – and order in bulk 300 lb. shipments. I get all my meat from a supplier that supplies grocery stores and restaurants, they’ll supply dog kennels too but have a 300 lb. minimum. For me it was worth it, my dog’s are large and eat a lot anyways so it really only takes me about 8 weeks to go through my 300 lb. order and the prices are so much cheaper than what I’d have to pay at the grocery store. If raw is something you really want to get into and continue it may be worth considering something like this – since you only have one dog you could even see if there’s someone else in your area interested in raw and you could go in on orders together to reach the minimum order quantity. I’m sure it’d be possible to find a wholesale distributor like this in most areas. Butchers are great too, if you can find an independently owned butcher (rather than a big chain grocery store) they’d probably be more willing to cater to your needs for certain cuts of meat as well – meaning you could probably get them to save things like kidneys, lungs, etc. etc. that usually get thrown out. Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore are two other great places to get supplies (they have very reasonable prices and shipping prices) – they sell whole ground animals and also hard to find items like certain organs and green tripe. In generally boneless meat costs a lot more than bone-in meat, which is what I think makes the pre-mixes pricey – you have to use all boneless meat then pay for the pre-mix on top of it. A final suggestion for keeping costs low would be that when you’re feeding boneless meat (you’ll have to feed some of course to balance out the phosphorus in the RMBs) go with things like gizzards, hearts and green tripe – I know these things sound a lot less desirable to a person but they’re quality protein for dogs and supply a lot more nutrients than things like boneless skinless chicken breast and extra lean ground beef and they’re way cheaper.

    As for supplements to add, assuming you’re feeding a balanced mixture of 80% muscle meat, 10% organ meat and 10% bone I’d recommend adding vitamin e (200 i.u. or so a day or 400 i.u. every few days should be plenty for a dog the size of yours), greens (some variety of kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, etc. rotate if you want). I like to give cod liver oil every other day to ensure my dogs are getting enough vitamin d – use this sparingly though as most varieties have excessive levels of vitamin a, I use Carlson brand because it has the lowest amount of vitamin a and I give a sardine/anchovy oil blend on the opposite days that I give cod liver oil. Dairy is optional, I do find that it stretches out the food a bit though and cuts the cost and I like giving kefir a few times a week for probiotics. I think it’s beneficial to give ground nuts or seeds once or twice a week – every once in a while I just throw some pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pecans in the coffee grinder and give each dog about a tsp.

    Concerning vegetables, many don’t feel that they’re necessary. Vegetables aren’t part of a dog’s natural diet and I do agree that as long as everything else I described above is provided that they probably aren’t necessary, but I do strongly feel that when they’re provided in small quantities they can be a beneficial addition to the dog’s diet. They provide a lot of antioxidants and with all the chemicals our dogs are exposed to in this day and age antioxidants can help the immune system a great deal. The important thing is that they need to be lightly cooked and pureed – dogs don’t produce the enzyme necessary to break down the cellulose in the cell walls of the plant matter, so cooking and pureeing in a sense “pre-digests” the veggies so that the dog can obtain the nutrients. I’d avoid any starchy vegetables (like potatoes and peas) and onion (toxic to dogs). Some of my favorites to use are are spinach, celery, carrots, kale, broccoli, collard greens, mustard greens, squash, pumpkin, etc. Fruit isn’t necessary either, but I think a small amount of berries or apple once or twice a week is healthy.

    #10554

    In reply to: Greenies

    janus69
    Participant

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

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

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