[Spy Car]

Anita, chicken thigh bones are great for 60 lb dogs, but not for ones who are 14 lbs. Try small portions of chicken breast ribs or smaller bones from Cornish game hens.

Bill

[Bobby dog]

“Rawhide free,” it’s catching on:
https://www.milkbone.com/products/gnawbones

[Alice B]

Oh dear, Anita how is your little guy doing, is he ok?

I tried my 2 Yorkie boys on chicken wings & every time they would vomit 30 – 60 minutes after, No more bones for them
I use to worry about the bones in their throat & belly!

[Anonymous]

My little dog should be able to eat 300 calories a day and lose weight. He doesn’t even lose weight on 200 calories a day. At another website I calculated the amount of raw food (meat, organs, bones) my dog should eat if he was his ideal weight (which would be about 14 lbs). It came to 4.48 ounces of raw food (meat) daily. That means 2.24 ounces twice a day. You know how tiny an amount of food that is? My dog would go insane from hunger. I don’t know how to shrink his stomach down or what to do. I have been giving him vegetables to fill him up while decreasing his calorie intake but it is not helping. I am at my wits end. He needs to lose a whopping 4 lbs.

[anonymous]

My Dog Ate Chicken Bones – Expert Veterinary Advice

[anonymous]

I would contact a veterinarian asap as how to proceed

PS: Grinding bones does not make it safer, they can still get an obstruction.

[Anonymous]

I tried feeding my little dog raw chicken bones for a while but stopped because I worried so much about him swallowing too long of pieces or jagged edged pieces and had read that some owners dogs died from eating raw bones. Today I was reading about it again and decided to give it another go. I gave him a raw chicken thigh bone tonight and saw that he got tired of trying to chew the middle long section which had got split in half and just decided to swallow it. It worries me terrible that a 2 inch long section of cracked bone is now working its way through his intestines. Especially since he isn’t behaving like he usually does. I just hate the worry. I don’t think I will ever do it again. I wish I had a grinder for raw bones.

[Heather M]

Hi Liz,
Our 6 year old Borzoi had surgery a week ago for bloat. He had a Gastroplexy, and they removed his spleen as several nodules were found. He still has a hollow cough which we worry about. But the vet says he is O.K. He is on various mediations. He was fed a raw diet, with meaty bones and added sardines and eggs, with a little greens. We are now feeding him a mixture of minced beef with a little veg. and add sardines and eggs as necessary. We put a small amount of natural yoghurt on top. We feed him three or four times a day and, if he does not want to drink, syringe a little water into his mouth at intervals. We are still concerned about the cough, though. Has your dog got a cough?

[Christie B]

Susan,

I went to Judy Morgan’s youtube channel/. Walking around the supermarket today, I noticed that bonesless chicken thighs and trimmed cubed steak were on sale, so I decided to try her stew receipe. Couldn’t fit EVERYTHING she puts in it into my Insta Pot/Slow Cooker. But since hers is balanced as a meal and I’m using it as a topper that it should be okay as it.
I used: The chicken thighs, cubed steak and some chicken livers (I was looking for gizzards and hearts, but they were out of stock). Red Cabbage, Butternut Squash, Zucchini, Pears, Blueberries, Lemon, Parsley, Broccoli Florets, Red Bell Pepper- She basically says to use all colors of the rainbow. I did buy the Kale she used in hers, but it didn’t fit in the pot.

I have it set for 4 hours on the slow cooker setting, to give some time to take a portion out to let it cool before dinner. I used 5 cups of water so hopefully I’ll get a good amount of broth to freeze. I’ll have to remove the meat and shred it all then mix it back with the fruits and veggies and hopefully the moisture will soften the kibble and make it more palatable.

Since the kibble is nutritionally balanced, I don’t have to worry about missing anything. I’ll have to see if it’s more economical than canned food as a topper. If 1 can = 2-3 meals between the two dogs, then I’d need 5-7 cans per week. That’s roughly $15-21 on a decent brand canned food @ $3 a can.

[anonymous]

Dogs love chicken, just add a little to his kibble with a splash of water

I boil a small chicken once a month in a huge pot, nothing added, then let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
Let it cool for a couple of hours. You may have to put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken and debone, be very careful and throw out small pieces and such as tiny bones could be in there. When in doubt, throw out.
Put the pot of broth in the fridg on cold temp for 24 hours, the fat will rise to the top so that you can easily remove it.
Separate the broth in individual containers or freezer baggies (3 or 4 day supply each) store in freezer.
Do the same for the chicken meat.
Its a bit of work and messy, but cost effective, and you know for sure that there are no added ingredients.
The store bought has preservatives and salt. The more expensive brand in the organic section might be a little better.

[. .]

I had been feeding my three dogs Hill’s Science Diet Canine “i/d” dry, and then mix of dry and canned (also i/d)…I have been feeding my animals (cats & dogs) only Hill’s Science Diet (i/d, m/d). No table scraps no snack…very strict and consistent diet.

I don’t believe in giving my animals food items that are not meant for good health. Yet, all have developed diabetes, and/or cancer, and/or kidney disease and/or urinary dysfunction at much earlier ages than what would be expected. So here’s what…I no longer trust Hill’s Science diet — particularly the dry food.

I first eliminated the dry for my cat, out of desperation after months of heavy, I mean HEAVY, urination — replacing the cat litter every 48 hours because of major urination, complete litter saturation. One evening I only served the wet food, and to my hope, prayers, and pleasant surprise…starting the VERY NEXT DAY, the heavy urination STOPPED!

That was about 2 months ago, and he’s been fine ever since. He still has diabetes, though (4 units insulin/day). For now. But I am working on changing his diet further — getting as far away from any Hill’s Science Diet as possible, or any conventional pet food. Wet or dry.

Same with my dogs, I now have them completely off Hill’s. I switched to Just Food for Dogs (formerly known as True Food for Dogs). It’s too late for one of my dogs whom I just had down about 3 weeks ago — cancer. But I have my two others and they are doing well. But…

One of my dogs, having sever symptoms of kidney disease, urinary dysfunction (constant thirst lots of urination), and an insatiable appetite…all seemed like signs of diabetes and/or kidney disease — but, his blood work indicated all was fine. So what could it be? Well, it turns out his calcium, sodium, phosphorus, and of course his electrolytes, and many other things in his blood work results reported dangerously low. “The lowest I’ve ever seen in my career,” stated our 17 year veteran of veterinary medicine stated.” (Oh, BTW my dog had lost a lot of weight over a short period of time, where I could see his ribs and hip bones very prominently.

Then vet concluded from the above indications that it must to be Diabetes Insipidus, “a condition that results from insufficient production of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), a hormone that helps the kidneys and body conserve the correct amount of water. Normally, the antidiuretic hormone controls the kidneys’ output of urine.” But we needed further examination to confirm.

So we got on schedule to take my dog in to get an ultrasound procedure ($350-$500). It was a couple of weeks away before I could afford the additional cost for confirming or knowing the true problem. If the ultrasound did not reveal anything…a CT scan would be required to check for brain tumor. (I know. Very serious.)

Meanwhile, I went to Just Food for Dogs (JFFD) and had several long talks with them as I’m a very inquisitive and discerning consumer. Once I was satisfied with their answers about the product, how it works and why, I picked up my first batch of the fresh ready-made food as well as the supplement powder and the recipe so I that could start making the food myself at home — and save money.

Just under two weeks later, I asked the vet to take another blood panel — just like the previous one to compare if he was getting worse or improving. When she received the results, our vet called me and stated, “It’s like a miracle, all his levels are up to very healthy normal indicators…what did you do?” I told her we’d changed our dogs’ diet to the JFFD, and she said, “Keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t change a thing!” (BTW, he’s filling out, I look forward to weighing him again in a couple of weeks.)

Do you like to cook? I do. (I’m a bit of a foodie.) If you are a person who appreciates quality ingredients (Did I mention, this simple and particular recipe for my dogs’ age, calls for fresh ground lamb, cauliflower, carrots, blueberries, brown rice, yum! Of course, adding the powdered supplements to make my dogs’ meals whole and complete)…if you care about your animal’s comfort and well being, I highly recommend you consider making your dog’s food yourself with the proper, professional, guidance, and supplemental ingredients (powder).

I’m also going to look further into Nutra Thrive as a possible additional supplement. It looks very interesting. But I plan to be careful to not overdo. Will seek the proper guidance.

In summary, I am getting as far away from Hill’s as I can, and will be switching to the Feline version from JFFD very soon, hoping I can get my sweet little cat (actually, he’s a big tabby with the heart of a kitten) on the healthier food source, too.

One thought I’d also like to share: Just one thing I don’t agree with from the video and the veterinarian who created Nutra Thrive… I think his statement was in the effort to be encouraging, make it sound easy — to simply NOT change from whatever junky food (be it grocery store, pet store, or vet office source) dog owners are currently feeding their animals. I just DON’T agree with that at all. Why? It pretty common sense to me.

Just by what the vet in the video says regarding how pet foods are processed (super high temperatures, no nutrients left, for example), and just by my reading the ingredients, and how the vet in the video states conventional food makes dogs look, feel, act, or eliminate poorly are but a few key reasons for me to stay clear of anything I feed my pets that I don’t have control over — hence, cooking it myself, with proper ingredients and guidance.

[anonymous]

Thanks for posting this warning.

The same thing can happen with bones, any hard object really.
Bowel obstruction.

[anonymous]

@ Christie B

Check out Fromm Classic Adult https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-classic-adult-dog-food
as a base, most veterinarians approve.
Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach is good too.

PS: Forget about raw, forget about supplements, listen to your vet

Suggestions for a topper:
I boil a small chicken once a month in a huge pot, nothing added, then let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
Let it cool for a couple of hours.
When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken and debone, be very careful and throw out small pieces and such as tiny bones could be in there. When in doubt, throw out.
Put the pot of broth in the fridg on cold temp for 24 hours, the fat will rise to the top so that you can easily remove it.
Separate the broth in individual containers or freezer baggies (3 or 4 day supply each) store in freezer.
Do the same for the chicken meat.
Its a bit of work and messy, but cost effective, and you know for sure that there are no added ingredients.
The store bought has preservatives and salt. The more expensive brand in the organic section might be a little better.

[Bernice L]

Your dog’s’ symptoms are identical to what my Freddy went through for a number of years, culminating last year in over $5000 worth of vet bills, long-term hospital stays and near-death at one point. Finally was referred to a gastro specialist and he was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and bilious vomiting syndrome. After working with some meds and food changes it has now been 3 months with virtually no symptoms. I switched Freddy to raw food (from our local butcher who makes a blend of chicken, beef liver, veggies, brown rice and ground bone for calcium) and within days noticed a huge difference. Despite all the controversy about raw food for him this was the answer. He is still on Metonia as part of the issue with his diagnosis is his difficulty digesting food properly, any food. He also is on Pepcid and 1 tsp of Metamucil a day (although I buy a natural fibre the pharmacist said was better, and cheaper). It sounds like a lot, but not only is Freddy healthier, no bouts of drooling, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea since November, but the food is 1/3 of the cost of his prescription food he had been on, he poops only once or twice a day, nice solid poops, his coat is fabulously soft, he has way less gas (he’s a Frenchton so I thought farting a lot was normal… not!). The Metonia is not expensive, $17/month, dog food now around $80, compared to $255, Pepcid & Fibre combined $10, a far cry from the expenses from before. In addition, it is important to keep their stomachs full so his meals are broken up into 4 a day and ABSOLUTLEY NO KIBBLE, NO BONES, and only low fat treats — I buy dried sweet potatoes and fruit, fresh fruit like blueberries and apples (NO skin as there is a lot of fat in apple skins, who knew?). It may sound strange to say “low fat” when he is on raw food, but it works. The specialist I worked with did not recommend the raw food, that was my desperation, but he did not discourage it either. You can google him, Dr. Gelens in Kelowna BC Canada. Good luck with your dog, I hope this helps.

[joanne l]

It is probably the new can food and the filled bones.

[Christie B]

When my dog has an upset stomach, he’ll start licking his chops, licks his paws, and then drools. Like a river flowing out of his mouth. It’s happened in the past due to changes in food. Vet told me that whenever it happens to hive him Pepcid and make sure he drinks a lot of water to rehydrate after the drooling.

So it’s been months since the last incident. And tonight he ate his newish food (he transitioned to it fully last week with no issues) and we added a new stew type canned food as a topper (I had tried it the other day and neither dog was really interested). Since I had originally bought 5 cans of that type, I opened another one to see if they liked it (before I go and donate the rest). Both of my dogs ate it right up. Completely different outcome than the other night where I wasted cups of kibble that was mixed in.

Only it’s been about 3 hours since they ate that I noticed Sir-Drools-A-Lot licking his chops and sure enough I’m ushering him off the couch and onto the floor because he’s been laying in a puddle of drool.

I don’t think it’s the kibble that he transitioned to because I haven’t had any noticeable issues in the past few weeks since he’s been eating it. It could be the stew canned food that he ate 3 hours ago. But between eating his food and now, he had been eating one of those filled bones.
https://www.chewy.com/redbarn-small-peanut-butter-filled/dp/45891

BTW…I was given the bones as a gift. I just checked the ingredients and see the first one is corn syrup. So I don’t think I’ll be giving those to my dogs every again.

[Susan]

Hi Christie,

Tin salmon has been cooked, just make sure you read the Sodium/Salt% look for the
lowest %…. Some can Salmon still has the bone & skin still on the Salmon, remove the skin
& crush the bones they’re healthy aswell…
adding 2 spoon of Salmon a day to dog meals is very healthy…I often mix 1/2 boiled sweet potato feed as meal…

When Salmon is raw it has parasites & needs to be frozen for 3 weeks

[Loretta C]

Hi All,

I’m new here and really need some advice from everyone. My dog a corgi, has done a biopsy and been diagnosed with IBD and PLE. She has been on Pred for 4 weeks now and her protein level is still not going up. She is still getting bloated and it just seems the Pred isn’t working. The internal medicine doctor wants her to go on a chemo drug but I really don’t want her to do that. Has anyone found any success. I’ve tried the hills diet hypoallergenic but it didn’t work. I’m now doing home cooking w/ probiotics and also digestive enzyme, she still skin and bones. Please any advice would be much appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi Lyly,

When I put my IBD boy onto a homemade raw diet his Naturopath Vet said to just start feeding the raw the next morning & just stop feeding his dry kibble, I had to add a Probiotic powder & Digestive enzymes to the raw meal but that was cause Patch has IBD…
You can start him on Kelfir or Goats Milk aswell..
He’ll LOVE raw food & do smaller & less poo’s, just make sure its balanced if making own homemade raw…I feed dehydrated free range organic raw now.. “Frontier Pets” just for lunch & PAtch eats his dry kibble for Breakfast & Dinner..

In Australia alot of people feed both raw & kibble, the dog gets his dry kibble & raw mince & 1-2 spoons tin sardines added on top of the kibble…& raw meaty bones twice a week for breakfast…
My dog who has IBD can eat raw & kibble together, the kibble helps keep down the digested raw food as he regurgitates all wet foods now 🙁

Join a few raw feeding F/B groups, here’s 2

“Raw Feeding 101-Learn To Feed Raw”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rawfeeding101learntofeedraw/

“Raw Feeding Advice & Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/451782265003776/

[Susan]

Hi
I prefer to feed diet for age of my dog, a pup eats puppy formula, an adult 1-7 eats an adult formula & a senior dog eats a senior food, senior food have all the supplements for aging dogs joint, bones etc & have lower fat, higher protein, well it depends which brand you feed, I like “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior formula, its high in Omega 3 fatty acid, has Glucosamine but its not as high as the Wellness Core Large breed Adult formula, Ive found the the Large Breed formula’s are higher in Glucosamine & Chondroitin then most senior foods.. I was going to try Wellness Core Senior but it has Lentils Patch gets diarrhea from lentils & bad wind pain, gas farts..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

I dont know if your 10 year old American Bulldog Pit mix has Arthritis, he probably does??
Have you tried “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult Grain Free dry kibble?
it’s low Kcals-346kcals per cup, high Protein-34%min, low/med fat -13%max
Carbs-30% scroll down to “Nutrient Profiles”
then click on the “GET THE PDF” link it will give you all the max “Dry Matter Basis %”
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed

My boy 10yr old Staffy – 40lbs suffers with IBD, Food & Environment Allergies & he has this 3-4cm bone thing growing out of his left hip bone, vets said they have never seen anything like it, the vet said he was probably born with it…
anyway around age 9 he started running on 3 legs, letting his left back leg to hang while running, then last year in December – January he went down hill with his IBD then in March he was really sick with his stomach he had bad acid reflux, I started introducing Wellness Core Large Breed adult formula, it had the right fat%, Low Kcals, low carbs & high protein % also was high in Glucosamine was not less than 750 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate was not less than 250 mg/kg…
After 3weeks of eating the Wellness Core everythng got better his stomach his acid reflux stopped 🙂 his back leg, he stop running on 3 legs, he ran on all 4 legs & started acting like a young pup again… His vet, the Pet Shop man, everyone couldnt believe what a big difference after eating the Wellness Core Large Breed Adult formula had made.

Now I rotate his dry foods, between Canidae Pure Meadow Senior, Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula & an Australian made brand Frontier Pets Freeze Dried for lunch,
cause Patch became so unwell in Dec -2017-Jan-2018 after eating TOTW & Nutro, I’ve kept feeding Patch his Wellness Core Large breed formula for 8-9 months never rotated with any other dry kibbles except at lunch time he gets a small wet meal, then Summer came & so did Patches environment allergies bad so I thought I’ll rotate & change his dry food to Wellness Simple Turkey & potato formula cause he did so well on the Wellness Core also the Wellness Simple is formulated for Skin problems & is high in Omega 3 fatty acids…
About 2-3 weeks after I stopped feeding his Wellness Core Large Breed formula & was feeding him just the Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula, his IBD = firm poos & his Skin & coat was beautiful & shinney, he stopped alot of his scratching & being itchy from allergies, I also bath him twice a week or weekly depends on how itchy he gets, baths wash off all the allergens off his skin & paws, BUT he started running on 3 legs again 🙁

The Wellness Core Large Breed is higher Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate it must of really helped with his arthritis in his lower back pain….So I bought the Glucosamine Chrondroitin, Vitamin C & Maganese Powder to add to his dry meal, I couldnt workout teh dose as it wasnt like the tablets dose + it taste AWFUL yuk I couldnt drink it, it says to add to fruit juice, its yuk no way Patch will take it.. so I quickly put him back to 1/2 Wellness Core Large Breed kibble & Wellness Simple kibble, now he’s getting “Cartrophen Vet Injections” he gets 1 weekly injection for 1 month then you stop, today was his last injection, Cartrophen Vet has really helped his lower back pain the thing is he’s a nut & he jumps up to say hello to visitors & this is when he hurts his lower back more..

You need a diet HIGH in Omega 3 fatty acid not high in Omega 6 fatty acid, Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory & tooo much Omega 6 is no good for inflammatory problems, Omega 6 is an inflammatory….
The body needs a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Excess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals.

When a dog diet is not balanced properly & is too low in Omega 3 & way to high in Omega 6 alot of dry/wet can foods aren’t balanced properly, this can cause skin problems with dogs…. Omega 3 should be nilly 1/2 of what the Omega 6% says..
Wellness Simple is excellent for dogs who have Skin/Stomach problems
Omega 3 Fatty Acids-1.13%, the Omega 6 Fatty Acids-2.30% max %.
Click on the PDF page
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Instead of adding 2 tble spoons of wet can food start adding some Tin Salmon in spring water, drain the spring water, put salmon in small air tight container put in fridge..
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, sardines, eggs, almonds, and other anti-inflammatory foods. Add 1-2 spoons of tin Salmon or Sardines to each meal..
Sardines can be a bit rich for some dogs I have to feed the Salmon + swet potat instead with Patch..

What I do when changing to a new dry formula same formula, first I check is it the same Use By Date, same Batch?? then I put 1/2 new kibble & 1/2 old kibble in an air tight container & mix thru, my boy use to be very sensitive but now since rotating between a few different brands he does really well, his immune system has become heaps stronger..

Boil Sweet Potato pieces & freeze them in those clip lock sandwich bags, Sweet Potato freezes & thaws really well, I put 1 frozen piece Sweet Potato in the micro wave 15-25sec etc then I mash teh Sweeet potato piece on a plate & let Patch lick it off..
Sweet Potato & Potato firm poo up & is excellent when dog has upset stomach/bowel, start adding 2 spoons of Sweet Potato & Salmon with dry kibble, its healthier & cheaper then wet can foods..

[Ana C]

I used SMartbones and Himalaya Cheese sticks.

[Corinne J]

Steve’s Real Raw dog food uses dicalcium phosphate in their beef formula. I reached out to ask them why they use it, since beef is high in phosphate, and ground bones should provide enough calcium. Two emails and a phone call was ignored. I stopped feeding my dog their raw food because they apparently don’t care about their clients, and they are certainly NOT transparent about their dog food ingredients. I will also add that the product was very inconsistent from batch to batch.
Oh, and Steve no longer owns the company. Perhaps this is when it all went south.

[Pablo H]

I have a dog that had problems after spaying her, the stitches opened and a part of her intestines had to be taken out, I give her meat with rice or just raw meat, organs and meaty bones, she is underweight but perfectly healthy, dog food is a no go because of worsening of diarrhea (5 times a day and she loses weight, with meat and rice it’s just twice a day)

[sara h]

I have a 1 year old husky who is a picky eater with a sensitive stomach. He barely eats his pro plan focus puppy (yesterday he ate maybe a few bites of dog food and today maybe a cup). i can feel his ribs and hip bones pretty easily. i tried changing it to eukanuba LB puppy and it upset his stomach (and he didn’t seem to like it much). fromm also cause vomiting in about 12 hours. i’ve tried mixing in my other dog’s adult food (crave, victor) and he just picks at it. i add vegetable oil and broth to his food but that doesn’t help either. what’s odd is for the first 1-2 months i had him, he ate his food super quick.

is there a large breed puppy wet food i could try mixing in? any recommendations on other brands of food to try?

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by sara h.

[Susan]

Hi Justin,
Feed a large Breed Puppy formula as they are formulated for growing large breed puppies bones, you dont want their bones growing too quickly..

“Dog Food Advisor” has a section on Large Breed Puppies..
whats best to feed, a good read.. /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

I like “Wellness” dog foods
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-puppy-large-breed-puppy

& “Canidae” dog foods.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey-meal-brown-rice-dry-formula

Wellness has been around over 100yrs so I’d say they’d know what they are doing when it comes to dogs & cats..
Make sure you add fresh meaty bone & fresh ingredients aswell to his meal so he gets a variety of foods & use to eating a few different foods….. this is when dogs end up with food sensitivities cause when they were pups they only ate the 1 dry food & never had a variety of foods, this strengthens their immune system (Stomach) & gets them use to different ingredients….

[Susan]

Hi Sanne,
I would give “Farmina Ancestral Grain” a try it’s made in Italy, it looks like a very good quality dog food, then I’d try “Victor Select” I think the Victor Select Chicken looked really good when I was looking.
I also feed “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior formula it has all the supplements for aging dogs joints/bones, skin & coat, it’s high Omega 3 fatty acids & Glucosamine..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

Rotate between a few different brands thats what I do, so if something is wrong with 1 brand then my dog isnt eating it for too long to have any bad side effects..
Your English is good

[Dawn H]

Hi all,
I have a 9 year old dachshund mix (looks like a dachshund with longer legs and shorter ears, 15lbs) who had pancreatitis 2 years ago. Switched his food from royal canin dachshund (he ate this his whole life, just the puppy formula when he was a puppy) to hills i/d canned to get his spec cpl test back to normal. His amylase and lipase were never elevated. He never had vomiting despite his test being over 1000. He had stomach pain, inappetence, lethargy and just wasn’t himself. I also gave him boiled chicken and white rice. He’s not keen on the canned i/d. Probably one of the few dogs that doesn’t like canned food. Texture issue, maybe. His current food is wellness core grain free reduced fat kibble. I also add half a multivitamin with digestive enzymes at each meal. No idea if it helps any, but I don’t want to change anything since he’s doing well. He only gets charlee bear liver treats and old mother Hubbard classic crunchy natural puppy treats-mini dog biscuits. Both are low in fat. I use to give him dingo bones rawhide chews but those cause stomach issues now. I’ve tried the easier to digest bones that look like the dingo bones brand but those don’t agree with him either.
He gets no other dog treats because even one snausages mini milk bone biscuit from a neighbor causes stomach issues. No people food except green beans, raw spinach and an occasional baby carrot.
If you’d like an alternative to the RC, try the wellness core low fat. No prescription needed.

[Susan]

Hi Ana,
At the moment I’m rotating & feeding “Canidae Pure Meadow” formula, the fat is
10.80%max high in omega oils for skin, coat & bones. I got this bag for free from Canidae, I had brought their All Life Stages Platinum kibble about 1 month ago, years ago Patch did OK on Canidae ALS Platinum dry grain formula but not this time his poos were awful, when I contacted the online pet store to change they wanted me to send back the 13kg bag of kibble, it would have cost me an arm & a leg to send it back to the online store also it was in another state, postage is dear in Australia, so I contacted Canidae I told the lady what had happened & Canidae replaced with something else (Pure Meadow) that I knew agreed with Patch, Canidae are pretty good… & I donated the big bag of Platinum kibble to local rescue group, some lucky dog would be happy, better then eating supermarket dry food..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

I always contact the pet food companies to get the max fat %..
To my knowledge I’ve never seen any of Canidae formula’s on the 1 star heavy metal/toxins & contaminates section, in the beginning when the toxin/heavy metal study first came out Canidae had a few 5 star formula’s, Patch seems to do really well on the Canidae kibbles, their CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Petite® Small Breed Chicken With Real Chicken Dry Raw Coated Formula & the Salmon formula both are 12%min fat, you’d have to email Canidae for max fat % when I’ve emailed Canidae for max fat% its never much more when its white meat formula’s…
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-petite-raw-coated-dry-formula-with-real-chicken

[Susan]

Hi Rebecca,

if you want to feed a healthy diet look at Raw, Cooked or Freeze dried Raw, Air Dried raw.
Freeze Dried Raw looks like kibble & is quick & easy to give but Freeze dried & Air Dried hasn’t been cooked at high temps like kibble is cooked, all the good nutrition is still intact with freeze dried & Air Dried….

Here’s “Canidae”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/

Here’s “Wellness Core”

Core Dog Products

Here’s “Ziwi Peak” Air Dried Raw your dogs will love Ziwi Peak.
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

Kibble is the least healthy to feed a dog, if you feed a dry kibble start adding healthy ingredients to dogs diet, eggs, tin salmon, sweet potato, broccoli, beets, mussels, sardines in spring water, foods high in omega 3 for bones. skin, coat, brain,
Shih tzu’s are prone to Pancreatitis so becareful with high fat diets..

If you’re on Face Book follow

* Judy Morgan DVM – Click on Judy video’s, heaps of good info, cooking recipes,
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/

* K-9 Kitchen- Monica Segal
https://www.facebook.com/groups/K9Kitchen/

* K-9 Nutrition Lew Olson
https://www.facebook.com/groups/371592139642185/

* Rodney Habib is excellent.
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Also DO NOT over vaccinate follow – John Robbs
https://www.facebook.com/john.robb.7982?lst=100000463318984%3A100004886320823%3A1542235370

Flea Products – stay away from the new flea chews, they can cause neurological problems, do your research..
The only flea product that doesn’t go into the dogs blood system is “Frontline Plus” Spot On & the “Frontline Spray” it only penetrates 2 layers of the dogs skin..

Less toxins you put into your dogs system the healthier they will be,
looks like they have landed on all 4 paws & ended up in a good home..

[Susan]

Hi Kyle,

Send Farmina an email & ask Farmina all your questions they would have vet nutritionist who would know which formula is best for your dog growing bones….
I think your better off sticking with the Medium Maxi formula’s for Large Breed, click on Puppy & see which medium maxi formula’s come up in the different Farmina range.

This Farmina Chicken & Pomegranate Puppy Maxi Large Breed Formula looks good
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-grain-free-canine/92-chicken-&-pomegranate-puppy-maxi.html

The complexity is illustrated by the fact that not all of the grain free diet DCM dogs reported, are taurine deficient,
it’s only been a few grain free foods that were diet related “Zignature & Acana” it seems to be the Grain Free foods that are high legumes that are blocking Taurine for ‘Some Dogs’ NOT all dogs??

Vet diets have been using Potatoes for many years & very high amounts of potato, more potato then meat proteins in their vet diets & there hasnt been any dogs suffering with diet related heart problems who are eating these Grain Free Potato Vet Diets??

[adriana b]

We have a Shorkie 11 yrs old. On insulin twice a day 4cc each time. Practically skin and bones but very happy dog. Should she be this thin. Eats like a horse but doesn’t gain weight. Does not vomit if eating alot. When is too thin too thin. Dr says keep checking glucose and regulate as needed. I’m concerned about the extreme weight loss. What to do?

[haleycookie]

So are you trying to do a raw diet or a home cooked diet?
For raw you follow a simple plan 80% muscle meat (muscle meat, heart), 10% bones(you want no weight bearing bones, chicken wings or legs are good options. Same with other types of birds. For red meat animals it’s typically ribs, tails) then 5% liver, and 5% excretory organs (kidneys, lungs, skin). Some stick to this other add other things like fruits and veggies high in vitamins (blue berries, kale, turmeric, etc). I’ve also seen bone broth used and raw goats milk.

As far as cooked diets with no bones. Those can be more complicated. Many on this site will suggest balance it, a website where you can buy supplements and recipes for cooked diets.

[Susan]

Hi Jennifer,

great what you’re doing….has she been wormed? If she’s coming thru rescue they may have wormed her already?? this would be the first thing I’d be doing, make sure you give all wormer with her Dinner (a meal), Dinner is best time to give tablet then she goes to sleep..
puppies should be wormed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age, and then every 4months for life with an all-wormer” or you can have poo tested for worms by vet…

I would avoid these new flea/tick chews – “Nexgard & Bravecto” as they are Neurotoxins, attack the fleas nervous systems also causing side effects to the poor dog.
Do your research first…especially if she is malnourished..

Frontline Plus Spot On & Frontline Spray is the only flea/tick product that only penetrates the first 2 layers of the dogs skin & doesnt go into their blood, so less side effect for the dog…

I’d say her mum was also very malnourished, she’ll be right you’ve adopted her at a good age & the rescue people know the age of these rescue dogs that’s their job..
if rescue has said she’s 4months old, then she is 4months old..
I rescued a 18mth old Boxer she was a skeleton, it took a while for her to gain some weight, we had to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day, she had NO health problems except arthritis when she was older…

Look for a large breed puppy formula, then after she is fully grown start rotating her foods so she isnt eating the same brand of dry food…
start feeding raw meaty bones as a treat…

also make sure you start puppy classes & socialize her
The first 2 years are very important for socializing a puppy..
I’d join a GSP f/b group….

[Lobo H]

There’s a couple of things you can look into regarding diet, something called the BARF diet
Or getting your husky pup on a raw diet. Search Ian Bilinghirst, and Dr Karen Becker have excellent iinformation.

I feed my husky raw lamb, rice, frozen veggies, sometimes I throw him a carrot to chew on, he likes butternut squash – raw – frozen peas, egg shells, and sometimes kefir for a probiotic.

These are just some suggestions, I give him lamb marrow bones, he can chew the marrow.

Tbh, sounds like your pup is starving. He’s eating and his body is refuting the food by passing through him too quickly for the nutrients to sustain, 50 lbs sounds light for a husky, perhaps at 1 year though he can gain another 10 pounds and be healthy at 2 yrs.

Hope this helps.

[InkedMarie]

Late to the thread but when my youngest dog came home at 9 weeks, he went directly to ground raw with bones for dental health.

[Susan]

Hi Patty,

why they say dont feed puppies a raw diet is like Tyrionthebiscuit said, it’s hard to balance a growing dog diet, especially large breed puppy, their bones can grow too quickly & cause osteo problems later when the pup is a fully grown adult, so they say to put the large breed pup on a large breed puppy formula till the dog is 18-24months, then when dog is fully grown then start feeding the large dog a raw diet…
You have a small breed pup you should be right, there’s heaps of balanced premade raw diets & freeze dried dehydrated raw on the market…..
299 most popular dry dog foods are tested every 3 months for heavy metals & contaminates, these 3 brands came 1st, 2nd & 3rd they got 5 stars when tested for toxins, heavy metals & contaminates..

* “Buckley Liberty” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food the Beef, Lamb & chicken formula’s
* “CaniSource Grand Cru” All Life Stages Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food their Turkey, Lamb & Meat formula’s
* “BIXBI Rawbble” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog foods, their LAmb, Duck Chicken & Salmon formula’s
another good brand I hear people saying is really good is “Answers” fermented raw..

Join a few raw feeding f/b groups there’s Lew Olsons “K-9 Nurition” Lews book is excellent for starting home made raw.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/371592139642185/
Monica Segal “K-9 Kitchen” https://www.facebook.com/groups/K9Kitchen/
also has a few books that are good aswell..
Why alot a vet are against raw feeding is cause they have seen the bad when a raw diet isn’t balance properly like Rickets, Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus.
Good luck you’re on the right track feeding a raw diet…

[LINDA F]

To Patty,
I am a novice at this. From what I understand, a lot of people are feeding their puppies on a raw diet, However a puppy’s dietary needs are different from adult dogs and the ratio of meat to bone to organ meats is different. I have an old pit bull and she had almost stopped eating her kibble and any wet food that I used to entice her to eat. I tried some raw chicken drumsticks with bones, raw chicken wings with bones, raw chicken thighs with bones and an occasional raw chicken liver and she perked up immediately. However, I was told that I was feeding her way too much bone and enough meat or organ meats. I was not feeding the proper ratio but Spy Car’s post really helped me understand how to do it correctly. By the time I memorize all the ratios and I get the hang of feeding the proper ratio to my old girl, my Morkie puppy will have reached her first birthday. If my old girl is still thriving on the raw diet, I may introduce the Morkie to the raw diet and see if she does as well. However, and this is strictly my own opinion and I am in no way qualified to give you professional advice, but I am going to wait for my Morkie reach one year before I begin introducing her to the raw diet. Just be aware that feeding a raw diet is more trouble than just pouring some kibble in a bowl or opening a can of dog food. Good luck!
Linda

[Kerry M]

Hello all, I apologize in advance, this is going to be a long story. My boy Sam is a 12 year old beagle. He had been on Wellness Core for a couple of years when I decided to put him on a raw diet (not a commercial one – gave him chicken and turkey necks, pork necks, beef, etc, with the recommended ratio of organs, bones, and meat). I started that in June of last year. In March, he started coughing and had trouble breathing, so we rushed him to the pet ER where they diagnosed him with congestive heart failure. The day after we brought him home he was unable to urinate, and we took him back to the vet and he had a bladder stone blocking his urethra. They were able to flush it back into his bladder and put him on Royal Canin SO to dissolve it. At the time they said his white blood cells were elevated, and tested him for a bladder infection, which came up positive. For the last six months he has been on different antibiotics trying to clear up the infection, and we have been seeing an internal medicine specialist for about a month now. They did an ultrasound and he still had the bladder stone, and put him on Hill’s S/D, despite the high sodium content that would put a strain on his heart. He had a urine culture again last week that again came up positive. The specialist called me today and said the bacteria is now resistant to all medication and she feels that he needs surgery to remove the stone. Naturally I am terrified to let him go under anesthesia with his heart condition, but I know if the infection continues it can lead to kidney issues. If anyone can weigh in with experience with resistance to antibiotics and/or pets having surgery with CHF, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

[LINDA F]

Hi Bill!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! I was afraid the bones might be a problem but every time I tried to get a straight answer, they would start talking about calcium and phosphorus and what % to what % of meat and then adjust that to the dog’s weight plus adding a certain % of green veggies and fruits, and my eyes would roll back in my head! Just teasing but as you read in my posts, I am an old lady and unfortunately I also have macular degeneration so trying to get a scale with numbers large enough for me to read but still capable of weighing things less than 10 lbs is near impossible. Also one of the posts I read on this site stated her dog was doing fine on a raw diet until she gave it a beef heart and now the dog is critically ill! I’m already as skittish as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs about feeding her the raw diet so I certainly do not want to add something that could be dangerous to her! Could I just substitute deboned chicken thighs instead of the legs and thighs with bones? Would just one chicken wing with bones and two deboned chicken thigh with a couple of gizzards/hearts and a quarter cup of beef or chicken liver every day be okay for the once a day raw feeding while she is still eating 14 oz of wet food and approximately 1-2 cups of kibble where she will still get some of the minerals etc she needs to flourish? Was the guy who said feeding liver everyday incorrect and not dangerous after all as long as I do not feed her too much liver every day? I am simply incapable of weighing her raw food every day and adding more measured items at the right % of each. I have always been very independent so I hate to keep harping on my age and the limits on my abilities but I order my groceries from Walmart and once a week my son will come over and drive me to the pick up dept to pick up my ordered groceries before he has to be at his work. He often works 6 days a week. There are not many butcher shops in the small town where I live. He does not have time to drive me around to meat markets to buy the things that Walmart does not stock. They do not carry beef hearts but they do carry beef liver! I have shied away from buying roasts or large cuts of meat due to having to cut them up and weigh them to get the right proportions. I could easily cut up the beef liver and feed her a quarter cup or half cup, whatever would not be dangerous for her. Using a measuring cup is no problem since I have individual measuring cups and can tell which is which. Measuring by weight is another matter altogether. I really do appreciate your post and it has confirmed my gut feeling that perhaps I was including too much bone. But, lordy me, does that dog love to crunch up those bones! She is okay with the thighs and drumsticks but does not relish them as much as she does those chicken wings! Surely one wing with bones is not too much bone in her every day diet? She weighs about 65-70 lbs. If I cut out the kibble and wet dog food, she would not get enough food to satisfy her hunger and I simply cannot measure all those items in the proper percents to put her on a completely raw diet. She was pretty close to giving up until I added the (to me) small amount of raw food to her regular diet. Before adding the raw diet, she sometimes would not really eat much for several days at a time. Now she is eating almost all the wet food and almost all the kibble and every bite of the raw chicken every day! I truly apologize for being such a pain but I honestly appreciate what you have suggested. I forgot to mention that she is also on thyroid medication which she gets twice a day. Sincerely, Linda

[LINDA F]

Hi! Okay, here is my story and do not take this as informed or a professional opinion. I have kept 3 dogs in my home for most of my adult life and I am now 75! All dogs are seen by my vet several times a year including a full “WELLNESS” check up once a year. I currently have a 12 year old rescued pit bill that is so sweet and a joy to have around. On her last check up, her liver values were very high. So my trusted vet of 20 yrs told me it could be a mass in her belly, Cushings Disease or liver disease. I asked what can I do. His first recommendation was to do a liver ultra scan which did not show anything out of the normal except it looked that it might have “sludge”. His next step was to advise a liver biopsy which due to her age and need for anesthesia, could be fatal, plus it is costly. Or we could do a stomach exploration but the same warnings were in effect and again very costly. So I asked a simple question, what treatment would be employed should it be a stomach mass or Cushings? He said he would not really change what he was already we were already doing. I then told him that since the tests were so expensive, I did not need to know the name of the exact malady that was killing her if it would not treated differently. I then asked him would he do if it were his dog? His reply was due to her advanced age and the very large risk anesthetic posed to her, that if it were his dog, he would not chance it. Twelve years is a respectful old age for a dog and he would just try to make her comfortable and happy for her remaining time with us. Now she did not appear to be in any discomfort but of course with a dog, you cannot always tell that. It’s not like they can tell you “My tummy hurts”. However I did notice that her energy levels and appetite were dropping and she began to lose weight and muscle mass. I have a friend who is a certified dog trainer. I was whining to him about feeling useless to help my dear old companion and he suggested that I try a raw diet. I told him at 75, I am really not up to weighing meat to combine with a list of dog supplements that have to be purchased and are sometimes hard to find, then measure all those to mix with steamed vegetables to go along with the raw chicken parts. So I just made this diet up. I feed her one can of a premium wet food for breakfast around 6am. She sometimes eats all of it and sometimes just nibbles at it. Around noon, I feed her one raw drumstick, one raw thigh, and one raw chicken wing, all with bones. I buy the same chicken as I feed my family so I am hoping they are safe for her! I also buy a package of hearts and gizzards and a package of raw chicken livers. I add to the raw chicken a couple of gizzards and hearts. I read from a raw diet blog that you should not feed raw livers every day but 2-3 times a week. I can manage that! She eats every scrap left in the bowl and then licks it to make sure she got every morsel! Then at night I give her a cup or two of Zignature kibble. Again sometimes her bowl is licked clean in the morning, sometimes it is just nibbled on but over all, she mostly eats everything I put in her bowl! Wonders of wonders! She has put back the weight she had lost and is building muscle mass! No, she is no where near gaining enough weight to make her fat but her energy levels are up, her coat is shiny and she once again seems to be really enjoying her life. I figured if all these premium diets touted that they have all the proper amount of supplements a dog needs and she usually eats almost everythingl, that perhaps I don’t have to kill my own old silly self trying to keep her alive and happy! Just to make sure you do not misunderstand me, if she were my one and only dog, I would probably be able to do all the searching for supplements and weighing etc but I also have a year old Morkie and an 8 month old Rottweiler that I feed twice a day. I do not feed the other two dogs a raw diet. As a treat once or twice a week, I will feed the Morkie a chicken liver or a heart or a gizzard but since the Rotty is a large breed dog and still growing, she does not get any raw chicken parts. The other two dogs have no problems eating wet dog/kibble each day and are thriving so no reason to rock the boat for them by changing their diet! I don’t know if I am doing the right thing with my old pit bull. All I know is that for the last two months, since I began the diet above, my old pit bull seems eager to eat. She looks forward to her early morning walks once more, is alert and even goes out to play with the two young pups. Now, she does not chase them as she would have when she was younger, but she seems to enjoy trotting a few yards as they streak by her while she is wagging her tail and barking! I may be doing all the wrong things and hastening her death but my conscious is clear since she appears to be enjoying her life now and before she just looked and acted old and feeble. Again, this is just my own solution and it has NOT been approved by any professional. Please no hate mail but I would welcome any comments or suggestions that do not require a large amount of my own decreasing energy levels. Oh yeah, at first I tried adding the freeze dried raw food by Stella (?) to their Zignature kibble but none of my dogs really cared for it.
Thanks for reading this long email but I think it’s an old age thing! LOL!!!
Sincerely,
Linda

[haleycookie]

If yours dogs won’t let you brush their teeth I’d go with raw turkey necks. Maybe once or twice a week. Then attempt to brush the other days if you can. Softer treats like bully sticks, trachea, etc aren’t really hard or long lasting enough to make a difference. I also like whimzees and nylabones for dental chewing as well.

[JoAnn B]

They are 30 lb cockers, 11 yrs old and I give them 6 inch ones. I did stop and no more grass eating. I don’t know what to give them to chew for their teeth. I won’t give them rawhide or beef bones etc. Any ideas? I did buy greenies and they are OK with them but they are gone in 5 minutes.

[Dennis C]

hello everyone!
I have 1 dog and 1 cat.
both were adopted. the dog came first, given by a neighbour.
the cat was a stray kitten that my brother picked up and nursed to health.

we adore them and give them as much love as we can afford
Mixing dry food with raw food diet. this is because my dogs and cats have different preferences occasionally.

the cat is a lot more picky than the dog.

kiekie (my dog) loves raw bones and raw organ meat (chicken liver, chicken hearts, pig kidney etc)

[Susan]

Hi Harry,

Listen to your brother, a raw diet is the best diet you can feed a dog or a cat..
Dogs & cats have a short digestive tract, it’s made to digest a raw diet, their intestinal tract was not made to digest a high carb, high fiber dry dog food…

Over time watch & you’ll see the difference in both your dogs as they age if your dog continues eating a dry diet, your brothers dog will have a shinner coat, more energy, less pooh, he’ll be leaner & not over weight & look healthier…

Your pup is a large breed dog, his bones are still growing till he’s 18-24months, might be better to feed him his balance “Large breed puppy” dry food until he’s 18months, still give him raw meaty bones as a treat, unless you contact a animal nutritionist who can formulate a raw diet for a growing pup…
Sky Car knows heaps about raw feeding, he can give some advice…

Are you on facebook join a few Canine Raw feeding groups,
also follow “Rodney Habib” & his “Planet Paws” page look at his Video’s https://www.facebook.com/pg/PlanetPaws.ca/videos/?ref=page_internal
Also Follow “Steve Brown” when you follow Rodney you will get to know everyone.

Have you seen all the Toxins Contaminates & Heavy Metals in dry pet foods?
Google Toxins in dogs foods, a site will come up they test the most popular dry wet treats

[Patricia A]

You say that his ribs and bones are showing and vet refuses to do spaying because he is so underweight. You’ve listed all the many foods you’ve tried and still he doesn’t eat or gain weight. You’re vet suggested an ultrasound to find the true cause and you stated your husband said no. I believe this dog is suffering and at such a young age a cause of starving needs to be found. Maybe in leu of gifts for birthdays, xmas etc can help in raising money for cost of ultrasound ?

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.

[Susan]

Anon
Your post DOES NOT mention 1 thing about Scaning Intestinal Tract (Stomach & Small Bowel) not 1 thing, what this post is all about…

Ultra Scan is excellent for Pancreas, Kidney, Urinary Crystals, Heart, Lungs, blockages in “Large Bowel”, Bones etc but when it comes to the stomach & small bowel Ultra scan is NO good, the vet can’t see around corners, vet cant see thru the Pancreas to see into stomach or small bowel, Ultra Scan can see the large bowel pretty good but that’s about it…the dog stomach area is shaved, not allowed to eat & dog is mildly sedated the dog isnt awake..

Ultra Scanning on Stomach & Small Bowel is a waste of money, this money can go towards 2 bisopies thru Endoscope & the vet “WILL” see down thru the Esophagus into stomach & if sphincter flap to small bowel is open the vet can get 1 biopsie from small bowel where I think this dog has all his problems, then vet “Will” get “answers” what is wrong with this dog…
I’ve been thru all this, I think I’d know more about test for Intestinal problems, then some one who always googles all their info….

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
sorry about the long post i started it around 10am then kept adding to it then finally posted it 2pm lol
“Holistic Select” has change all their formula’s & have added lentils chickpeas, these Legumes up the protein % so the pet food companies add less meat proteins in their food, that’s why I always make sure there’s 2-3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredient, so my boy is getting meat proteins & not a heap of plant proteins, Legumes also up the fiber % in a dry kibble, make sure if you feed a dry dog kibble there isn’t anymore then 20% in Legumes, No Lentils/Chickpeas in the first 5 ingredients..
These are the first 5 ingredients of Holistic Select® large & giant breed dry kibble..
Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peas, Chicken Fat,
when Patch eats Lentils he gets instant diarrhea & chickpeas cause bad wind/farts for 1 week then he’s OK. He does best on Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes kibbles & chickpeas have to be 5-6 ingredient… The Wellness Core Large Puppy formula has Potatoes, it has Lentils as 6th ingredient, your boy might be OK with Lentils?
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-puppy-large-breed-puppy
you could always try it then take it back to Pet Barn if he gets diarrhea they have a money back guarantee & say he won’t eat it now cause he had diarrhea & get the Wellness Complete Health Large breed Puppy formula, it’s Monday so Wellness is on special $109 at the moment till Wednesday midnight, you click on “Click & Collect” & pick up from a Pet Barn closest to you.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-core-large-breed-dog-food
Or Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Puppy Food – 13.6kg – $99.00
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-large-breed-puppy-food-13-6kg,

I’ve been thinking of getting te Wellness Complete Health Adult formula next, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredient then Oatmeal then peas so there’s less then 20% in Legumes…Pet Barn also has offers, when you join their “Friends For Life” Loyalty program, I just got a $20 free voucher free & a free bath & a free nail clip.. so I got a 2.5kg bag of dry kibble for $2..

I just looked up Holistic Select Australia as some US pet brands ingredient list are changed to come into our country, so when you look up an American brand kibble look up their brand name & put Australia after the brand name, so your getting the Australian Ingredient list…. also when you look at pet foods online pet store some of their ingredients list are the old ingredient list & the new ingredients haven’t been updated yet…

The FDA in America has put out an warning as few large breed dogs in the US that were eating high legume dry kibble diet have ended up with DCM – heart disease..
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm613355.htm

Some dogs have died, they were very young 1-2 yrs old, they have noticed the dry diets were high in Legumes, Legumes are blocking the Taurine & the dogs aren’t absorbing any Taurine, they still dont know 100% what has gone wrong, a healthy 30 month old Rotti just died 8th August, an 1-2yr GSH has died he was given 6-8months to live & that was 2015….Maybe your better off feeding healthy grain formula until the FDA works out what went wrong, or a grain free formula that doesn’t have no more then 20% Legumes (peas), dogs didnt have these heart problems when grain free diets first came out & had Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes & Peas……
You’ll have to do research & make your own decision….
We haven’t been warned about DCM in dogs in Australia. But then again we’ve had toxic pet foods dogs have died & we still dont have any recalls, so I dont know what to think anymore.. I’ve msg our Pet Food Review man on his f/b page & he doesnt seem to think there’s a problems until we get more info, my vet said the same thing….
Golden Retrievers & Labrodors are known to get DMC not rottweilers & German Shepherd & the other large breed who are on the list… there’s a f/b page called “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” look in their “files” for “2018-09-07 Copy of Diet and Taurine.pdf” it has the list of foods & dogs that became sick & died….. The cases that are in a light Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related, dogs heart problems were diet related, where the cases in yellow aren’t diet related taht they know off??We dont have these brands dry formula’s in Australia that were involved.

Here’s the proper ingredient list to the “Eagle Pack” Giant/breed puppy formula, Phosphorus 1.00%min, Calcium 1.50%min,
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=82#.W58JIPZuI5t

Here’s “Wellness Complete” Health Large Breed Puppy link,
Phosphorus is 0.90% so it’s under 100%, Calcium Not Less Than 1.30%min
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/complete-health-large-breed-puppy

“Stay Loyal” Large Breed Puppy
Phosphorus is 0.70-0.90% Calcium 1.10-1.30%
https://stayloyal.com.au/large-breed-puppy-grain-free-dog-food.html

To meet the more rigid safety guidelines for large breed puppies, a dog food must contain

1.2 to 1.8% calcium

1.0 to 1.6% phosphorus

Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio 1:1 to 1.8:1

Here’s the DFA Link info above & a list of Large Breed Puppy Brands DFA recommend Eagle Pack, Wellness Core, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Iams & Holistic Select Giant breed formula but this list was written before the DMC scare.. Maybe the Holistic Select giant pup breed is OK or NOT OK cause the formula has been changed now, I dont know
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

They recomend to feed a large growing puppy a balanced dry large/giant breed puppy kibble till he is fully grown 18-24mnths then if you want to feed raw then start him on a raw balanced diet but there must be people who fed their large/giant breed pups a raw balanced diet, I know most Australian either feed a raw diet or they feed both raw meat, raw meaty bones & a dry kibble..

Stay Loyal is Australian if you join they send out monthly emails, they recommend to fed raw meat + raw meaty bones with their dry kibble & to fast dog 1 day a week Sunday, as it re sets the immune system, Robert & David are up to speed raising healthy large breed pups, I’ve emailed Robert Belobrajdic about Patch & his IBD & Robert emailed me back within 12hrs, Robert breeds South African Boerboels, Boerboels are very large dogs. Im pretty saw they’re raw feed aswell as their Large Breed Puppy dry food……..

[Susan]

Hi,
you have a very smart dog, he knows what foods cause pain, nausea etc & now will not eat, my boxer was the same with dry kibbles & raw Kangaroo, if it smelt weird & caused any stomach/bowel problems she wouldnt eat it ever again, where Patch he keeps eating & eating foods that cause gas/farts, nausea, sloppy poos etc, I have to be a mind reader & work out what is causing his pain his acid reflux etc but when I first rescued him he didnt want any thing to do with dry kibble, when I offered it to him he’d just walk off, he liked cooked food, loaf rolls, raw meaty bones & wet can foods….

Slipery Elm has to be made into a slurry/paste, pull up into a syringe about 5ml =1 teaspoon & you give 20mins before a meal not with the meal…

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Deficiency, has your dog B-12 been tested?
When Vitamin B12 is injected, the vitamin is readily absorbed by the blood and can get to work immediately. If your dog doesn’t have any problems with cobalamin malabsorption or there is no vitamin B12 deficiency, you can give oral supplements available in 100-, 250-, 500-, 1000-, and 5000-microgram tablets.
Ask your vet about him not having any apetite & can you do the weekly B-12 injection for 1 minth & see if there’s an improvement in his appetite a lot of ogs who have IBD EPI who have low appetites are givenB-12 weekly injections to make them want to eat….

Have you tried wet can foods or those good premium loaf rolls?? I know vet diets are expensive but next time you see vet get 1 can of Hills I/d Digestive Care Chicken & Vegetable stew. I have the I/d cans in the cupboard & the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet cans in the cupboard. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-id-canine-chicken-and-vegetable-stew-canned
I rotate foods, I dont feed the same food for all of Patches 5 meals a day..
Are you feeding more then 2 meals a day? I know he isnt much of a eater but smaller meals of a few different foods thru the day he might want to eat them? a dry dog biscuit offered a few times a day, break biscuit in 1/2, we have a cat & as soon as Patch hear’s Indy getting something to eat he comes running to see if he can have some aswell & normaly he cant thats why the cat is getting the food cause Patch cant eat it.. she/cat is my garbage disposel bin..

I feed the Wellness Core Large Breed Adult dry for breakfast, Patch finally gained weight eating the Wellness Core & the cat keeps stealing Patches Wellness kibbles so they must taste good as she doesnt pinch any of Patches other dry kibbles, for lunch Patch use to get a small can of the Hills I/D chicken Rice & Vegetables wet food or 1/3 of the can of the Royal Canine Intestinal wet food but he kept getting his acid reflux on & off after eating the wet can vet diets & they’re low in fat so Id say its all the Omega oils, they are very high in Omega Oils so now Patch gets 2 big Dog Biscuits, My Boxer use to just look at food & gain weight she where Patch has problems keeping on his weight, I remember Angies vet asking me, what is she eating she’s over weight, she needed to lose 4kgs, she use to eat 1/2 of what Patch eats, she was bigger & he is smaller, I told vet she eats cooked meal, what we eat, & sometimes she eats some dry kibble but not much & she gets a dry dog biscuit maybe twice a day, the vet said do you know 1 of those dry dog biscuits is = to 1 Hamburger for a dog, I said what a Hamburger he said YES start halving her biscuit, so she is just getting 1 dog biscuit a day or completely stop these dru dog biscuits as they are high in fat, so now Im giving Patch 2 big dog biscuits for lunch everyday he loves them, I either feed the Purina Lucky Dog Biscuit Bones, Canidae dry Biscuits or you can get Hills Ideal balance Treats they’re smaller or Hills Vet Diet Hypoallergenic Biscuit treats.. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/ib-soft-baked-naturals-with-chicken-and-carrots-dog-treats..
If you dont want to feed a wet can vet diet then look at Hills “Ideal Balance” Chicken & Zucchini slow cooked wet can food.. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/ib-slow-cooked-chicken-and-zucchini-stew-adult-dog-food-canned#accordion-content-054167331-2
or look at Costcos Kirklands Signature Turkey & Pea Stew wet can food its very popular. Just make sure any wet can foods are 4% in fat not any higher, wet can foods fat protein fiber % havent been converted to dry matter yet so when you convert say 5% fat thats around 20%min to 26% max fat, so 4% min is around 12% fat min best to emal the pet food companies & ask them for max fat concerted to dry matter, they will give the exact max % you dont want to feed him foods that cause pain in stomach or wind pain in bowel then he will become more fussy….lean limited ingredient foods..
http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand

All Hills Science Diet wet & dry formula’s are very palatable if your dog refuses to eat then return to pet shop for a refund if you have bought a carton of wet can food, rotate, 1 day feed the Hills Ideal Balance for Dinner then the next day for Dinner he eats a different wet can food or try FreshPet Roll, Stew, Cooked Roasted meals?
https://freshpet.com/dog/freshpet-select

Still feed his Farmina dry food, Farmina is a good food, are you feeding him the LAMB DIGESTION N&D Quinoa Functional Canine formula & the N&D Quinoa Skin & Coat Venison formula
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-quinoa-functional-canine/429-digestion-lamb.html
its isnt rich or too dense like the other Farmina formula’s, my Patch gets his stomach pain as soon as a dry food is over 370Kcals per cup he whinges & wants me to rub his stomach/pancreas area…

What vet diet did he eat? maybe put him back on the vet diet & feed the matching wet can food rotate in his diet so he gains some weight & feed 4-5 smaller meals a day & give a few dry dog biscuits thru the day aswell as treats or as a dry dog bisciut as a snack before bed, eating then going to sleep gains weight…

I always ask Patch “Which One (kibble) do you want to eat” & I show him 2 different dry kibble brands in their air tight containers with their lids off, he sniffs the containers then he licks the side of the container that he wants to eat or I get out 1 kibble from 1 container & another kibble from the other container, I have 1 kibble in one hand & the another kibble in my other hand & I let him sniff them & ask him “which One”& he takes teh kibble he wants to eat, thru the day he eats about 3 different brands of foods… If I just feed him the same dry kibble day in day out he starts to react & gets his IBD stomach pain & starts whinging & lifts his right paw & wants me to rub his stomach area I thought he had Pancreatitis when I first rescued him, he has all the symptoms but now 5 yrs later Patches vets says he has Stomach pain its cause of his IBD…

If you join the “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” F/B group, go to their “Files” scroll down 11th pdf & click on “Digestive Sensitivity and Dog Size.pdf”
it’s research done on small breed dogs & large Breed dogs, what happens when these dogs eats the same dry kibble, how both breeds digest the same kibble different, now I know why Patch does heaps better with his IBD when he eats a Large Breed dry kibble the Large Breed kibbles have fibers formulated for large breed Intestinal tract so the dog doesn’t get bloat, the Large Breed dry formula’s seem to agree with Patch the best…..

[2doodlemom]

Hi:
I just too my 22 month old doodle to be spayed, and after doing a physical, they said he was too underweight and weak to have sugery. He is 32 lbs and his ribs and other bones do show. He has never been a good eater, eats very little. He did vomit and have diarrhea quite a bit when he was 6 months and will did some testing, but nothing was wrong. Currently he eats Farmina Puppy food with lamb, has a fortiflora probiotic every morning and I also supplement with cooked chicken. But may issue is not interested in food and doesn’t want to eat. Other then having vomiting and diarrhea every 5-7 days for 1 day, he seems to be fine.
Any suggestions on what to do at the Vet for further checking and how to get him to eat more or eat better? Thsnks.

[Glanton]

Hello peeps,

I have my dog on a home prepared raw det and am interested in opinions. I don’t want to overcomplicate yet don’t want anything missing either.

So her core diet is made of about 60% meat. She gets fish (typically pollock or basa due to economy four to five days and lean beef two to three days.

Every day for the other 40% she gets about and even split between beef organ meat made up of liver, lung, heart, and green tripe, and beef rib bones.

Every other day she gets a raw egg mixed in, and on opposite days she gets a few whole sardines (frozen, thawed) I also mix a bit of cooked sweet potato each day – no t much, but just to provide a bit of fibre.

She is allergic to both chicken and pork.

Any feedback and opinions are appreciated, thank you so much!