[Susan]

Hi Melissa have you tried raw chicken wings, chicken carcass, turkey legs etc, Chicken bone is the softest bone to digest & excellent for teeth cleaning, also it will depend how big your dog is with what type of bone you give…
Don’t give raw carrot, dogs don’t make the digestive enzymes to digest raw whole plant matter that’s why raw fruit & vegetables must be grounded into a pulp when added to a raw diet, the carrot will come back out whole in their poo also the dog will chew the carrot once twice & swallow carrot whole…
Has she broken her teeth with the Antlers?? they are very popular…. My boy loves to chew & is also an aggressive chewer but he has IBD so he just chews his balls & those toys for teeth cleaning, I don’t give any of these new air dried treats….
Have you seen these chews made by “Ziwi Peak” Deer Shank Bone, Deer Hoofer dog bone’s … https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition/oral-health-care-chews

[Connor D]

I really have to recommend Love Your Pet Bakery. Their website is http://www.loveyourpetbakery.com and they have a lot of different kinds of frozen raw foods. What I really like is that a) their stuff is all-natural so there are no preservatives or anything b) they also sell bones so your dog can get their needed calciums and c) they also sell treats that my guys really love!

[anonymous]

“Look, I am a complete novice, but it seems the common sense approach is one you have already taken-go back to the iams. If that resolves the problem, then you know it was the other food that was the cause. If not, then proceed accordingly.”

@ Randy D
Apparently, the food changes are not working.
The dermatologist (that treats my dog) told me that most of the time pruritus (itching) is caused by environmental allergies.
The OP’s last post indicates that the dog is still very uncomfortable.
“It’s been 4 days back on his previous food and he’s definitely still itching.”
If it was my dog, depending on the severity of the symptoms, I might take the dog to the vet for a shot of prednisone to stop the suffering.

This is not veterinary advise; consult your veterinarian.

[pitlove]

Hi Clare-

Most of what you are seeing is due to a few things. One is being a puppy, 2 is being an Aussie puppy which is a working breed designed to herd and 3 is lack of exercise.

None of these things require treats to work out, so you can eliminate them. Biting can be trained out of the dog by saying “Ow!!” when she bites you or is mouthy. No treats needed for that. Eating carpet can be fixed by replacing carpet (right when you see her going after it) with approperiate chew toys like Kongs and also by increasing exercise. A tired dog is a good dog. Barking may also be taken care of with more exercise. Also if you are not already, I would be kennel training her so that when you leave the house she can safely be in a kennel and there is no risk of her going after the carpet when you’re not around.

At 12 weeks they are just now beginning to understand what you expect from them. It may take a little longer to getting her potty habits under control, but once she is not getting so many treats that will help a lot. As far as growth goes, she can only grow so much for her breed, but she can become overweight which is the main problem. Google the Purina Body Condition Score and use that as a guide to keep track of her weight and make sure she is not getting heavy.

Treats should be given for really really important training like stay, recall, sit, down, leave it, not jumping. Things that you really want to reinforce, because they are important for good behavior and safety (recalling to you for example can save her life if shes running toward the road).

[Clare M]

Hi,
Our mini-Aussie (12 weeks old) goes absolutely crazy so we have to train her a lot to stop unwanted behavior (barking, eating carpet, biting us). She does have a meal time (which we use to train her). We are having to give her so many treats (use her food for a lot of it) for training. I feel like she is being fed way too much. I’m afraid of growing too much, but i’m not sure if that is really a medical issue for dogs her size or just large breeds? The vets office couldn’t answer if there is a good growth rate (about .1-.2 lbs growth every day). Also, because she is eating all of the time, we do not have a predictable potty schedule.

Questions: Should their potty schedule be very predictable at this age?
How to manage caloric intake when treating/feeding all the time to stop unwanted behavior?

Thanks for your recommendations, no talking down to people please.

[anonymous]

Below is an article copied minus pictures.

If you are able to access the link, there are 183 comments, so you may find something helpful.

A New Treatment for Dogs Scared by Thunder and Fireworks
By Jan Hoffman June 28, 2016 2:30 am
It is entirely possible that no one dreads the dog days of summer more than dogs themselves.
Sodden heat gathers itself into sudden barrages of pounding thunder, crackling lightning and pane-rattling rain. Drives dogs crazy, all that noise.
And then, on the Fourth of July: fireworks.
By some estimates, at least 40 percent of dogs experience noise anxiety, which is most pronounced in the summer. Animal shelters report that their busiest day for taking in runaway dogs is July 5.
Veterinarians tell of dogs who took refuge in hiding places so tight that they got stuck, who gnawed on door handles, who crashed through windows or raced into traffic — all desperate efforts to escape inexplicable collisions of noise and flashing light. Ernie, a wired-hair pointer, was so terrified by thunderstorms that he would vault fences at his Maryland farm and run in a straight line for miles.
“It’s very serious,” said Dr. Melissa Bain, an associate professor of clinical animal behavior at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s a true panic disorder with a complete flight response.”
Over the years, a mishmash of remedies for noise anxiety have sprung up: homeopathic blends; a calming pheromone; CDs of thunderstorms mixed with Beethoven; swaddling jackets ; even Prozac and Valium. But this month, the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for canine noise aversion (a term encompassing mild discomfort to phobia) came on the market. The drug, Sileo, inhibits norepinephrine, a brain chemical associated with anxiety and fear response.
In the coming days, the annual onslaught of calls will pour into vets: “‘The fireworks are happening and my dog will freak out, so I need something to stop that, and I need it right now!’” Dr. Bain said.
Some vets prescribe strong sedatives, but even if the immediate crisis is averted, the underlying phobia remains untreated.
Being startled by a loud noise is normal, for dogs as well as humans. But these dogs cannot settle back down. Even if most reactions are not as extreme as the dog who tears out its nails while frantically scratching a door, many dogs will cower, pace and defecate indoors.
Cats can have noise aversion, though reports are less common. Animal behavior experts say cats often seem more self-reliant and understated than dogs, so when they hide under beds during storms, owners may not read that response as unusual.
Veterinary behaviorists say that as years pass, dogs with noise aversion may associate one sensation with another: storm-phobic tremors can be set off merely by dark clouds.
And thunderstorms are complicated beasts. “There are significant pressure changes, frantic winds, massive electrical discharges, concussive sounds: Dogs can hear above and below our auditory range,” said Dr. Peter H. Eeg, a veterinarian in Poolesville, Md., who has been reporting Sileo results in patients to Zoetis, the company that distributes the drug.
Wrigley, a 10-year-old golden retriever in Naperville, Ill., started trembling three hours before a recent storm, said Allene Anderson, a foster caretaker of abandoned dogs.
“She was desperate to climb down my throat,” Ms. Anderson said. “I got down on the floor with her, and she clawed me. She couldn’t get close enough.” After the storm passed, Wrigley quaked for hours.
“If owners don’t understand what’s going through the dog’s mind,” Ms. Anderson said, “they shout and throw them in the basement. That just makes it worse.”
Countless other noises set off dogs: jackhammers, lawn mowers, coffee grinders. One vet said that even garments designed to cocoon dogs in a secured wrap can irritate some by the sound of Velcro flaps being ripped apart. A toddler’s shrieks freaked out Winnie, an Indiana bulldog; her owner, Dr. Sara L. Bennett, a veterinary behaviorist, taught Winnie to relax with yoga breaths.
During a thunderstorm two years ago, Rebecca Roach was awakened at 3 a.m. by Stella, her 6-year-old miniature Australian shepherd, clambering on her chest, panting, whining and shaking.
“My instinct was to comfort her,” said Ms. Roach, who lives in Boyds, Md. “so I held her until the storm passed.”
But behavior specialists disagree about whether owners should comfort animals. Dr. Daniel S. Mills, a veterinarian at the University of Lincoln in England who is an expert on canine noise aversion, suggests that owners “acknowledge the dog but not fuss over it. Then show that the environment is safe and not compatible with threat, by playing around and seeing if the dog wants to join you. But don’t force it. Let it make a choice.”
Other experts say that soothing a spooked animal, bred to seek safety with its human, is just fine. “You can’t reinforce anxiety by comforting a dog,” Dr. Bain said. “You won’t make the fear worse. Do what you need to do to help your dog.”
Other tips include muffling noise with quiet music and, if possible, staying with the dog in a windowless, interior room. Because a dog’s flight response is on overload, it is seeking a haven.
For years, veterinarians treated noise phobia with acepromazine, a tranquilizer. It sedates the dog but is not an anti-anxiety medication. During a thunderstorm, the dog can still see and hear everything. But like someone having a nightmare in which he or she cannot run from danger, the frightened dog can’t move to escape. So veterinary behaviorists say that acepromazine can exacerbate noise aversion.
Some dogs function better with Prozac, but as with humans, the daily medicine takes four to six weeks to become effective.
Stella was impervious to prescriptions. During thunderstorm season, she and Ms. Roach lost hours of sleep. Ms. Roach tried positive reinforcement: When Stella’s symptoms would begin, she would be given treats from the night stand.
“Then Stella started climbing on my chest at 3 a.m., whimpering, whining and looking at the night stand,” Ms. Roach said. “And no thunderstorm! That was the end of that.”
The new canine noise aversion drug, Sileo, is actually a micro-amount of a medication approved as a sedative for minor veterinary procedures —- a flavorless gel, measured in a syringe, that is squeezed between the dog’s cheek and gum and absorbed within 30 minutes.
Orion, the Finnish company that developed it, tested it on several hundred noise-averse dogs during two years of New Year’s fireworks. Three-quarters of the owners rated the dogs’ response as good to excellent; their pets remained unperturbed. The drug lasts several hours, after which another dose can be administered.
A syringe costs about $30 and holds several weight-dependent doses. Sileo’s main side effect, in 4.5 percent of dogs, is vomiting.
“I’m not naïve enough to think this is the miracle cure,” said Dr. Emily Levine, a veterinary behaviorist in Fairfield, N.J. But she considered it a worthy option.
The optimal solution, vets say, is catching the response early, and desensitizing the dog with calibrated recordings of the offending noise, and positive conditioning.
But training takes time, patience and consistency.
“And humans,” Dr. Eeg said, “are one of the most inconsistent species on the planet.”

[anonymous]

In my opinion, his behavior is not related to his diet. Many dogs suffer from anxiety, thunderstorm phobia and separation anxiety. Often there is a genetic component that determines which dogs would be more vulnerable. There are effective medications (prescribed by your vet) to treat this.
I would make an appointment with your vet to have him examined and to discuss medication options. Some dogs only need the meds for a few months or prn (as needed) in conjunction with other treatments, for example “The Thundershirt”.
Don’t be fooled by over the counter meds and supplements (waste of money).
Your dog is becoming aggressive during these episodes, youcould try putting a blanket over him, like a tent, a safe dark place. Refrain from getting “in his face” when he is upset.
Regarding food, I have heard good things about Pro Plan Focus Salmon for sensitive stomachs.

Excerpt below from https://www.vetary.com/dog/condition/thunderstorm-phobia
Diagnosis of Thunderstorm Phobia in Dogs
As this is a situational issue, your veterinarian will rely heavily on history and your observations of your dogs’ behavior during storms for a diagnosis (unless your appointment just happens to coincide with a thunderstorm). They can do some in-office tests to check the dogs’ fear response to noises and other unusual stimuli. Your veterinarian will also likely do a quick physical exam to ensure the dog has not harmed itself or experienced any physiological complications from the intense fear reaction.
Treatment of Thunderstorm Phobia in Dogs
Dogs should begin treatment as soon as this problem is recognized, as it will only get worse as they age. Your veterinarian can recommend a course of behavior modification and desensitization to lessen your dog’s anxiety during thunderstorms. Playing the sound of storms at a quiet level while giving the dog treats has been known to work in some cases. As the dog remains relaxed and has a pleasant association, the volume can be increased, and treats continued until they are no longer fearful of loud noises.
Your veterinarian may determine that your dog could benefit from anti-anxiety medications or a sedative to be used when a thunderstorm is eminent. Some owners have also had success with dog “wraps” that can comfort the dog by giving them a sense of being swaddled in a protective way. These products are available through many retail outlets and can even have the bonus of offering your dog protection from a static buildup in their fur.

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[Susan]

Hi Simon,
I really think your looking into the diet thing way too much, looks like the fireworks stressed him out big time, my boy is the same, I hate New Years Eve with all the fireworks……Sounds like your poor little dog couldn’t get a break today….. I’ve seen my boy have a few bad luck days, where he just doesn’t get a break….. When your boy is stressing out having an anxiety attack, calm him down, pick him up & pat him around his head & ears, playing softly with their ears gives them a calming feeling & relaxes them, treat him like he’s your baby, you wouldn’t put a little baby in a windowless basement if he was crying & stressing out, you may have a very nervous dog, most small dogs are nervous. I have a very nervous cat, I have to calm her down & tell her it’s OK, stop stressing out it’s OK & hold her & pat her head, then I reward her with some treats, just a few kibble biscuits she normally eats & she forgets what’s stressing her out as soon as she see’s me getting her food container.. also grab his favorite ball & play with him so he forgets about the fireworks or what ever noise has stressed him out. There’s a supplement called ”
… Sometimes when a dog feels better when eating a new food they will be more hyper & play more that’s a good thing, I love it when Patch plays & act like a nut, it means he feels good & isn’t sick with his IBD….
I feed “Canidea” Pure Wild + TOTW… Which Canidae formula are you feeding & did you take 7-10days to slowly introduce the new Canidae formula?… when poos start going sloppy when introducing a new kibble stop adding the new kibble & add more of the old kibble for a couple of days then start adding the new kibble again, if your boy has a sensitive stomach give “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb a try, it’s a single protein kibble with just Lamb Meal & has limited ingredients, single protein & limited ingredients are best to feed a dog with a sensitive stomach…My boy does real well on the TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb formula, it’s my go to food when he’s having a IBD flare & I get him all well again….
If his poo’s don’t firm up on the Canidae, the read what are the ingredients are, what fat %, Fiber % & protein % is & keep a diary…..

[Claudia D]

Get the Facts! Raw Pet Food Diets can be Dangerous to You and Your Pet

In a two-year study spanning from October 2010 through July 2012, the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) screened over 1,000 samples of pet food for bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses.1 (The illnesses are called “foodborne” because the bacteria are carried, or “borne,” in or on contaminated food.) The study showed that, compared to other types of pet food tested, raw pet food was more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.
The Pet Food Study

Raw pet food was not included in the first year of the study. In the second year, CVM expanded the study to include 196 samples of commercially available raw dog and cat food. The center bought a variety of raw pet food online from different manufacturers and had the products shipped directly to six participating laboratories.2 The raw pet food products were usually frozen in tube-like packages and made from ground meat or sausage.
The participating laboratories analyzed the raw pet food for harmful bacteria, including Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. In past projects, CVM had monitored dog and cat food for the presence of Salmonella. But before this study, the center “had not investigated the occurrence of Listeria in pet food,” said Renate Reimschuessel, a veterinarian at CVM’s Office of Research and one of the study’s principal investigators. Dr. Reimschuessel further noted that “quite a large percentage of the raw foods for pets we tested were positive for the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.” (Pathogens are disease-causing germs, like some bacteria. Not all bacteria are harmful pathogens, though. Some bacteria are helpful to people and animals, such as those that live in the intestines and contribute to a healthy gut.)

Of the 196 raw pet food samples analyzed, 15 were positive for Salmonella and 32 were positive for L. monocytogenes (see Table 1).

Table 1: Number and type of pet food samples that tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (Years 1 & 2)
Type of Pet Food Sample No. samples tested No. positive for Salmonella No. positive for L. monocytogenes
Raw pet food 196 15 32
Dry exotic pet food* 190 0 0
Jerky-type treats† 190 0 0
Semi-moist dog food‡ 120 0 0
Semi-moist cat food‡ 120 0 0
Dry dog food§ 120 0 0
Dry cat food§ 120 1 0
* Non-cat and non-dog food, such as dry pellets for hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, amphibians, and birds.
† Included chicken jerky product, pig ears, and bully stick-type products.
‡ Typically packaged in pouches for retail sale, such as (1) pouched dog and cat food; and
(2) food treats shaped like bacon, fish, pork chops, and burgers.
§ Included pellet- or kibble-type food typically packaged in bags for retail sale.
Note: CVM did not collect or test canned and wet pet food samples in this study.

Based on the study’s results, CVM is concerned about the public health risk of raw pet food diets. As Dr. Reimschuessel explained, the study “identified a potential health risk for the pets eating the raw food, and for the owners handling the product.” Owners who feed their pet a raw diet may have a higher risk of getting infected with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
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Because raw pet food is more likely than other types of pet food to contain Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, the single best thing you can do to prevent infection is to not feed your pet a raw diet

Pet Food Recalls

Both cooked and raw pet food products are recalled for various reasons, including the presence of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. For a list of recalled pet food and the reason for the recall, please see CVM’s Recalls & Withdrawals Web page.
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Resources for You

Get the Facts about Salmonella!
Get the Facts about Listeria!
Avoid the Dangers of Raw Pet Food
Pet Food
Back to the top
1 Nemser S, Reimschuessel, R. Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) disclaimer icon Microbiology Cooperative Agreement Program (MCAP), FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Special Project: Pet food testing for selected microbial organisms. Final Report 2010-2012. The study was conducted by FDA CVM’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), in collaboration with FERN MCAP laboratories. The journal citation is Nemser S, Doran T, et al. Investigation of Listeria, Salmonella, and Toxigenic Escherichia coli in Various Pet Foods. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2014;11:706-709.
2 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Michigan Department of Agriculture; Minnesota Department of Agriculture; North Carolina Department of Agriculture; Ohio Department of Agriculture; and Washington Department of Agriculture.

[Susan]

Hi Tiffany, yeasty ears can be from an ingredient your dog is sensitive too & you haven’t eliminated it from her diet yet even thought you have changed kibbles there may be any ingredient she is very sensitive too, here’s a link “Facts & Myths Yeast Dermatitis” written by 2 Dermatologist Karen Helton Rhodes, have you seen a Dermatologist yet??
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs scroll down & read the section about “CARF” Cutaneous Adverse Reaction Food

I would start a raw elimination diet this way she isn’t eating a dry kibble & isn’t eating the same ingredients that’s in most dry kibbles, my boy can NOT eat carrots he starts shaking his head, scratching his ears, ripping at his ears 20mins after eating a meal that had carrots also chicken is another ingredient my boy reacts too badly…..

I rescued a 5mth old kitten that had a real bad mite infestation the RSPCA treated her ears killed the mites but then when I adopted her she was still shacking & scratching her ears, I took her back to RSPCA vet & they did ear scrap & she had bad infection from the mites, so they gave me drops to put in her ears twice a day & I had to come back in 1 week, another ear scrap & she still had ear infection so I had to continue with the antibiotic ear drops twice a day for another week, she was eating Hills Kitten dry food at the time, the Hills Kitten kibble was given to me when I adopted her, after 6 vet visits & antibiotic ear drops & ear cleaners the infection cleared up but she still had itchy skin & would scratch whole body, so I stopped the Hills dry kibble & tried a grain free Wellness Kitten kibble she was still scratching then I started her on a pre made raw cat diet & Ziwi Peak air dried raw Mackerel & Lamb 2 weeks later NO MORE scratching & ripping at her ears & skin…. Stop feeding dry kibble, either feed a raw diet with 1 single novel protein source or try a Freeze dry raw with just 1 novel protein a protein she hasn’t eaten before Rabbit, Kangaroo, Lamb, Pork, Ziwi Peak has their air dried raw or wet tin food raw
If this doesn’t help after 2months no treats no other foods except her raw or freeze dried diet, then book to see a Dermatologist & tell the Dermatologist what you have tried….
It might be environment allergies but I doubt it, ears are normally food related…..
Good-Luck it would be very uncomfortable for her…

[John T]

Kathy, Please stay away from Blue Buffalo. Do your homework and you will see they are just BAD!! They even admitted to lying! http://iheartdogs.com/breaking-news-blue-buffalo-admits-to-lying-about-ingredients-here-is-why-you-should-care/

Eight years ago, thousands of dogs and cats died after being poisoned by tainted food. The world’s biggest pet food companies pulled more than 100 different products from store shelves. There’s still no official death toll from the Great Pet Food Recall, because the government doesn’t track animal deaths. But experts estimate at least 8,000 pets died.

For Blue , the carnage was an opportunity. In just five years, the company, which boasted of its “natural, healthy” products, had become one of the pet food industry’s most powerful players. Its rise was no small feat in a heavily concentrated industry — Mars Petcare and Nestle Purina together control about half of global sales, according to data from the trade publication Petfood Industry.

Blue Buffalo deployed a robust advertising budget to portray its products as more nutritious than those of its shoddy “big name” competitors — a term it has used frequently in commercials. As the recalls dominated headlines, Blue Buffalo ran a new ad campaign online and in newspapers, informing concerned consumers its products were a safe alternative to those that had been taken off the shelves.

For a while, the ads appeared to bolster the company’s image. But in late April — more than a month after its competitors had faced the music — Blue Buffalo acknowledged similar problems with one production run of its kitten food. A week later, the company expanded its recall to include all of its canned dog food, an entire line of canned cat food and treats it had marketed as “health bars.”

Blue Buffalo’s story is about more than one company’s advertising excess. It represents almost everything wrong with the pet food business, and just how little the industry and the government agencies that oversee it have changed since the most catastrophic pet food safety event in modern history. It’s a story with clear implications for human food safety, and serves as a warning for other sectors of the American economy where outgunned regulators are struggling to keep pace with global supply chains that grow more complex by the day.

[Christine S]

My 12 year old golden was hospitalized for pancreatitis in January. Blood tests and ultrasound also showed an infected gall bladder; it was twice its normal size. She was treated with Enroflaxacin, Metronidazole and Ursodiol with 20 mg Famotidine 2 x a day and put on a strict GI diet. I’ve been giving her Purina EN Gastroenteric and Hills ID GI Chicken and Vegetable Stew, 4 meals per day. The vet said we should just keep her on that to ensure pancreatitis doesn’t return. Ultrasound and blood tests since then show she has recovered and indicate that she’s got no other issues, except we can’t see the stomach. The thing is, I noticed that between a half-hour to 2 hours after eating, she starts panting and yawns. She also bow stretches several times throughout the day. I can tell she’s uncomfortable but she doesn’t vocalize and she always looks forward to eating. She’s also gotten pretty sluggish on our walks. Until the pancreatitis she would always trot and I could barely keep up with her, and I walk fast. Now she’ll trot some then slow down to a crawl and walk with her mouth open, I can hear her huffing so I think she’s uncomfortable. We’ve tried several times to treat with omeprazole including liquid Carafate, but she got diarrhea so we stopped it. This last time we got her on 8 days of the omeprazole before the diarrhea hit. The vet now thinks the diarrhea is a food intolerance to something in her diet. So it would have to be one or both the GI foods, or the boiled chicken we were giving as treats. I’ve since eliminated the chicken, so she’s not getting any treats. I should also add that she’s getting canned food, not kibble because she would pant heavily after the kibble, even when moistened. Anyway, the vet recommended Royal Canin Hydrolized Protein (RCHP). I transitioned her on that over a period of 5 days based on vet’s recommendation. On her 3rd solid day of only RCHP, we opened a can at lunch and noticed it had a fishy smell. Piper started to eat it then suddenly stopped and wouldn’t finish it. Nothing except the severe pancreatitis attack stops her from eating. She always looks forward to eating. I offered some EN and she gladly ate that, so there was something wrong with the RCHP. I opened another can and I thought it smelled ok but my fiancé said it didn’t and wouldn’t let me give her anymore. So I had to get her back on the EN. The thing is it seemed as though it was helping. It seemed like she wasn’t panting as much, and she wasn’t scratching her ears as much or at all which is something I hadn’t really paid much attention to with all the other symptoms. She hasn’t had ear infections and other than biting at her hind ankles occasionally, she doesn’t show signs of allergies. (She doesn’t have fleas.) I read through a ton of responses to other posts and thought I would try Natural Balance LID Duck and Potato, because it wasn’t $5 a can and it had low fat, or so I thought. I didn’t realize that the fat content wasn’t converted like it was for the GI foods, which I learned after reading many of Susan’s posts. I only gave her about 1/4 cup and she really looked uncomfortable after that, I’m guessing due to the fat content. She also had really bad gas. So she’s back on strictly EN until I figure out what to do next. Honestly I’m afraid to try anything else but I really don’t like the ingredients in the vet prescription diets and she’s been on them since January. I don’t see us cooking her food and I have some reservations about going back to raw given the possibility of inviting bad bacteria into the mix. My other concern is should I give her antacids or not? A dog that doesn’t make enough stomach acid can have the same symptoms as one with too much stomach acid. The vet said it would be rare for her not to have enough stomach acid and thinks we should try the omeprazole again. I’d like to know she needs it before giving it to her because it seemed like it would make her more lethargic. Is there a test without having to scope her? I thought about trying a novel protein but would have to go with goat or kangaroo as she’s eaten just about everything else, in every form, due to our other dog being an extremely picky eater (a Hovawart.) I would love to hear your suggestions, or any ideas you have based on her symptoms. Treating GI issues really is difficult, especially when you’re the only one in the house that thinks her panting and yawning are signs of discomfort!!

[InkedMarie]

Deborah: *you* own this dog, not the vet. That means that *you* choose the food. Lots of dogs are “all about food” but they can only eat what the humans give them.

Some foods to look at are Annamaet Lean & Wellness Core Reduced fat. You may need to order Annamaet online; Wellness is easier to find.

Watch the treats. You can use some of his food ration for treats, fresh green beans and a few carrots (very few). Lots of exercise too.

[anonymous]

Depends on the area you live in and what the veterinarian who treats your dog prefers.
Btw: It is best to buy heartworm/flea/tick preventives from your vet’s office rather than online, for a bunch of reasons.

[Soph M]

Hey guys! As some of you know, I feed only homecooked food and treats to my dog. Everything that I give her is all natural. I am hesitant to use chemical Heartworm prevention this year because I hate putting pesticides into her. In the past I have used HeartGard with no problems, but I’m really scared to give it to her after learning about what is in it. Do any of you have any recommendations? Have you guys found any natural preventatives that seem to work?

[zcRiley]

She may need more exercise to increase her appetite. Or too many treats that may taste better than her food. Or the food is starting to go stale quickly (in what you keep it, dogs can smell it before we do). For the latter, I distribute a 27 lb bag into 7 airtight containers with liners inside that I twisty tie as the food goes down. Anyway, I went through all of these situations, it’s a fine tuned balance of type of food/supplements /exercise/snacks/rest. And it changes as they age. For me, I learned it was sticking to a strict daily routine or their eating habits and weight go astray. Until you find an appropriate food your dog likes, adding things to it like toppers, broth or canned won’t resolve anything.

[Susan]

Hi Matt,
Sounds like your dog has Seasonal Environment Allergies & Food Intolerances. My boy has both, his vet said if they have food sensitivities they normally will have some type of environment allergies as well… as soon as I read your post about his hives on his legs, tail & abdomen I knew environment allergies probably from grass, tree or plants pollens, that’s what Patch gets as soon as Spring starts, my vet said, keep a dairy & as the years pass you’ll start to see a pattern & I did every spring Patch has itchy hives all over his body & face/head, red paws when he walks on wet morning grass, a yeasty smelly mess, but thru the cooler Winter months he’s pretty good, no itchy skin or red paws as long as he doesn’t walk on wet grass or eat any foods he’s sensitive too, Winter we get a break,…
Baths are the best thing you can do, bath as soon as he’s real bad with his hives & itchy skin, give him a bath, I do weekly baths now but I was bathing every 2nd 3rd day at one stage, I use a medicated shampoo “Malaseb” medicated shampoo it’s mild & can be used daily & kills any bacteria, yeast on the skin & keeps their skin nice, moist & soft, when you bath your washing off any allergens, pollens & dirt that’s on their skin, I also use creams on his paws, head around chin & around tail & bum area when he’s bum surfing on my rug, “Sudocrem” is excellent it stops his itchy bum within mins of applying it, Sudocrem is a healing cream for Nappy Rash, Eczema, Dermatitis, Pressure Sore etc, sold in the baby section at any Supermarket or Chemist, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects their skin especially their paws & where their skin is red/pink on stomach area & back of legs, I’d love to show a before & after photo’s after a lady applied the Sudocrem to her dogs red stomach, it’s posted on the Dog issues allergies F/B group link below. I also use Hydrocortisone 1% cream at night I check Patches whole body before bed & if something is still red like in between his toes, I get a cotton tip & thinly apply some Hydrocortisone 1% cream, when he wakes up in the morning all his paws are nice & pink all clear again, you can put on socks & bandage around the paws to stop any licking as licking makes things worse, best to bath the paws in Malaseb & dry them off then apply the Sudocrem,

The only way to know what foods your boy is sensitive too & can eat, is to do a “Food Elimination Diet”… you can use a vet diet like “Royal Canine” Hypoallergenic wet tin food, then once your dog is doing well & not reacting start adding 1 new ingredient to the R/C HP wet food, every 6 weeks add 1 new ingredient, no treats or any extra things are to be feed while your doing an elimination food diet, it can take a dog 1 day up to 6 weeks to react to an ingredient & show symptoms, that’s why sometimes you’ll start a new food & think your dog is doing really well then 3-4 weeks later he’ll start reacting to an ingredient in the new kibble…
Probably half the foods you think he’s sensitive too he isn’t..
I tested & added ingredients that are in the kibbles I wanted to feed… I worked out my boy reacts to chicken, he gets red paws, itchy yeasty smelly skin & itchy bum after I added raw & cooked chicken to his diet, carrots made his ears real itchy & he’d shake his head 20mins after eating the chicken & carrots he reacted, oats & barley made Patches poos very sloppy, I always thought potatoes & peas were causing Patches yeast problems cause potatoes are a high sugar starch but later I learnt a dog will only get yeasty smelly skin, paws & ears if they’re sensitive to a certain ingredient (CARF) or have environment allergies.. Read this link “Myths & Fact about yeast Dermatitis” scroll down to “Carbohydrates & Sugar in your dogs diet. http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs, Dr Karen Helton Rhodes DVM DACVD often pops into this Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” join you’ll learn a lot..
Once you have done the Elimination diet, you’ll know what foods are causing what but its best to do a elimination diet in the cooler months Winter when pollens aren’t as bad as the Spring/Summer months..
Can you cook or feed a raw diet? you’ll have better control with your dogs diet, even if you do what I’m doing, I feed a few meals “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble & the other meals are wet tin food Royal Canine HP wet tin or cooked pork rissoles with sweet potatoes. Patch eats 4-5 meals a day, he has IBD as well, if you join the Face Book group I recommended above https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
you’ll read some people post their dogs are allergic to mites & the mites are in the dog kibble, or your dog may be allergies to dust mites in your house…. dog allergies starts to get very confusing & as they get older they get worse, but once you get into a routine with weekly or twice a week baths, apply creams, using Huggie baby wipes Coconut oil wipes or Cucumber & Aloe wipes when the dog comes back inside wipe him down days you don’t feel like bathing him & work out his food intolerances.. it gets better..
Here’s a link for Canidae Pure formula’s, the omega 3 is balanced in Canidae kibbles, some brands of kibble are too high in omega 6 & too low in omega 3 causing skin problems in dogs.. http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Zignature is another food people say has helped their allergic dog….Make sure your dogs diet is high in Omega 3 it will help with their allergies, ad few sardines to 1 of your dogs meal a day.. buy tin sardines or salmon in spring water also green lipped mussels are good to give as a treat.

[Ann O]

I am trying to figure out best food for my dogs. A toy poodle who is 10 and a terrier who is 5. I have been buying from a online place. My food has started getting bad reviews. Any suggestions will be appreciated. I feed them dry food and boiled chicken breast. My dogs are both rescue dogs. Also what is best rawhide and treats for them.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Ann O.

[Ann F]

Charisma, sorry I have not been on this site for some time. I don’t know if you can PM in this group, but I wouldn’t mind helping out. You said that Turkey was the only protein suggested with the BalanceIt. I’d check again! For a formulated BalanceIt diet, they gave us a choice of Duck or Fish. Some of their diets use more exotic proteins, low-fat cottage cheese, or tofu.
We used fish which I steamed or microwaved. For an 80 lb dog I needed about a lb of fish a day (before cooking). I’m hoping you have a smaller dog:-). I was in contact with the vet who formulated the diet at least weekly. We tweeked what was not working, and kept track of the stool changes. I gave NOTHING besides his daily food. If I’d started adding slippery elm, probiotics and miscellaneous supplements my Internist would never be able to evaluation the value of the diet. Too much stuff! After this worked we did add a very tiny amount of prednisone because the IBD was eosinophilic also. This had inflamed his small intestine, and even though he did not test for SIBO, he needed a bump in the amount of BalanceIt to compensate for some absorption issues.

We used pork enzymes for a trial after some pancreatitis. Ended up he was very reactive to Pork after a month. We couldn’t give him even hydrolyzed chicken in a vet diet. He recognized it for what it was eventually. There are still preservatives in the highest quality manufactured pet food. I think we finally did well when I made a fresh diet up. I’d been scared to do this for years, wish I hadn’t waited so long to cook my own formulated. Quality of life would have been so much better for him. It was hard to cut out treats, but there are a few you can give.

[Susan]

Hi Holly
have a look at “Ziwi Peak” they have limited ingredient treats, all natural air dried, you can also use their air dried limited ingredient formula’s as treats…. just hover over “DOGS” & all Ziwi Peak treats & foods come up….
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

[InkedMarie]

I’d take a look at companies that make limited ingredient dog foods and see if they have treats as well. Raw dog food companies such as Hare Today and Raw Feeding Miami have such items as well.

[holly s]

Hello,
My dog is allergic to beef, chicken and veal. She has been tolerating rabbit. So we are now looking for limited ingredient rabbit or salmon treats for training. We would prefer a premade treat, rather than baking/freezing her dog food. Can anyone recommend rabbit or fish based dog treats that have limited ingredients?
Thanks so much for your help.
Holly

[Kristi D]

Hi Shane,
I was talking with a lady today that needed to create her own treats for her dogs’ issues. She was also pursuing turning it into a business. She has found a young start up company that was doing what she had hoped to do. This company has pet parents fill out a pet profile and indicate what issues the pet has going on. Their algorithm was developed by animal nutritionists and veterinarians and suggests food, treats and supplements if needed. I’m wondering if they could use some one with your knowledge and training and passion for helping pets with special conditions.
If that is of interest to you, I can try to connect the two of you.
Kristi

[Susan]

Hi
Food can cause yeasty smelly ears, skin & paws if the dog has food sensitivities/intolerances to certain ingredients, you need to work out what foods your dog is sensitive too, my boy can not eat chicken, barley, oats, corn, gluten corn & carrots, carrots are the worst, 20mins after eating the carrots he starts scratching his ears, shaking his head, when I didn’t know it was the carrot & kept feeding the carrots in his rissoles he’d started to get yeasty, smelly infected ears, & walked tilting his head, same as chicken he gets red smelly paws & real itchy skin & rubs bum on the floor/carpet others foods that have corn, corn gluten meal caused sloppy poo’s….
I did a food elimination diet, raw is the best to feed, or cooked or use one of the vet diets like Royal Canine, Hypoallergenic wet tin or the Royal Canine wet tin PR-Potato & Rabbit, PV-Potato & Venison, PK-Potato & Salmon, or there’s the dry kibble after eliminating all treats & just feeding raw, vet diet or your own cooked diet that has just 1 single novel protein + 1 carb when the dog ears & skin aren’t smelly & itchy anymore you start adding 1 new ingredient for 6 weeks to see if he reacts to the new ingredient, it can take food sensitivities/intolerances anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks for the dog to start reacting & showing any symptoms …..
Here’s some limited ingredient single protein kibbles & wet tin formula’s-
* “Zignature” – http://zignature.com/?page_id=333&lang=en
* “Canidae Pure” – http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
* “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb or TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon both have limited ingredients. http://www.tasteofthewild.com.au/

Join this group on face book, “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” a lot of really good info & a Dermatologist pops in every now & here’s one of her links about the “Facts & Myths about Yeast Dermatitis in dogs, scroll down to about the 7th paragraph read about food sensitivities/intolerances, http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs

[Michael M]

Hi Shane,

The most important thing to think about for any sort of start-up is using the “jobs to be done” framework. For dog treats and dried food with conditions, think about what products people use for their dogs. Talk to people who have dogs with those problems and see what they have “hired” to help out their dog.

Getting information about actual target users is the best possible place to start. Wish you the best of luck!

[Becca]

My dogs are also on a raw diet I home make and dehydrate their Chicken Treats and liver treats and I also make them homemade cookies with no grain

[pugmomsandy]

For anyone interested:

Whitebridge Acquires Dogswell
Tuesday, April 18, 2017, Whitebridge announced that it had acquired Dogswell, the maker of Dogswell and Nutrisca brands of dog and cat food. Whitebridge issued the following press release:

Whitebridge Pet Brands, LLC (“Whitebridge Pet Brands”), a leader in natural and minimally-processed pet foods, announced today it has completed the acquisition of Arthur Dogswell LLC (“Dogswell”), maker of Dogswell® and Nutrisca® treats and foods for dogs and cats. Whitebridge Pet Brands, backed by Frontenac, a private equity firm focused on investing in the lower middle market, acquired Dogswell from TSG Consumer Partners (“TSG”) and other shareholders. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Dogswell is a leading supplier of premium, innovative pet food and treats that are high-quality, delicious and provide proactive, nutritional benefits. Founded in 2004, the Los Angeles-based company was built on the belief that better nutrition leads to a longer, healthier and happier life for pets.

Whitebridge Pet Brands, led by CEO Olivier Amice, was founded in January 2015 with the merger of Cloud Star, a leading pet treat manufacturer and Petropics, maker of Tiki Cat® and Tiki Dog™.

“At Whitebridge Pet Brands, our team shares a passion for pets and the belief that natural and minimally-processed nutrition positively impacts the health and happiness of dogs and cats. We are very excited that Dogswell® and Nutrisca® brands will be joining Whitebridge Pet Brands’ portfolio as Dogswell® functional meaty treats and Nutrisca® grain & potato free foods are complementary to our other brands. Merging the two companies will allow us to leverage our combined structure to better service our distributors and retailers and accelerate our overall growth” said Amice.

“Dogswell® and Nutrisca® are well respected brands which will further bolster our product portfolio at Whitebridge,” said Joe Rondinelli, Vice President at Frontenac. “We see a tremendous opportunity to further build on the brands’ positioning and to accelerate growth by continuing to offer new and innovative products to pet parents.”

“Natural, minimally processed food and treats, for dog and cats, continues to be a growing and attractive spot in the market,” added Walter Florence, a Managing Partner at Frontenac. “We are excited to be making this acquisition, which fits well with our strategy and allows us to further invest behind a great leadership team. We could not be happier with what Olivier and the entire team at Whitebridge have already accomplished. We are confident they will continue to lead these brands to even greater future success.”
Rob Leibowitz, Operating Partner at TSG and Dogswell CEO, said, “Dogswell® has firmly established itself as a pioneer and innovator in the pet consumables space. We’ve enjoyed our productive partnership with the team and look forward to watching the Company continue to grow as part of Whitebridge Pet Brands.”

Whitebridge Pet Brands is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Dogswell’s corporate office is in Los Angeles, California and its state-of-the-art SQF3 manufacturing facility is located in Joplin, Missouri. Customers and consumers can be assured minimal disruption as the businesses are integrated.

[Jane L]

You must be joking. 20 years ago was not the dark ages and we went to the vet in the 60’s to 90’s and would know if a dog had cancer. Dogs also did not all have allergies then as so many do now.

Cancer is caused by the carcinogens in kibble, imported Chinese treats, over vaccination and toxic flea and tick products.

[Jane L]

You are wasting your breath obviously once Cameron referee to Snopes 😜 That is quite funny for some talking science!

For anyone interested Snopes have not updated their unproven statement from June 2015 on Duncan’s death in spite of being provided with his MSD cases number, letters to owner from Merck and paid vet bills on the owners surviving dog. This case was the first to hit the news and another 4000 odd cases / 900 approx. deaths have followed on. If these reported cases are just 1% as they say is the norm then obviously this is a massive issue. I think with groups now in so many Countries anybody with half a brain can see there is a big problem here. So be aware if you dog reacts there is no antidote and so far there are no clues why some are react so violently and others days after dose 3 or more and others appear fit after over two years. If you love your dog why take the risk especially as it does not even prevent tick disease and works by your dogs blood feeding parasites? Surely a deterrent to prevent the bite is preferable?

Unproven does not mean it did not happen it means there is not 100% proof of the cause. It’s the 100% conclusive scientific proof that appears impossible but if you feed you dog one of these so called ‘tasty treats’ and within minutes on many occasions it starts seizing I think you know the cause. The intelligence of someone referring to Snopes as the fountain of all knowledge is laughable 🙄😫

Anybody interested in reading facts just apply to the EMA and read the cases and see how they singled it out at the January meeting for targeted PSUR’s.

[Susan]

Hi Rich, click on this link, Clean Label Project,
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/ scroll down & read the kibbles & wet foods that had the most toxic chemicals, arsenic, lead & cadmium, most were pet foods that had fish as the main protein, last yea I started feeding Patch the “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy, Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines made by Well Pet who make’s Wellness another kibble Patch did well on then went down hill after 2-3months, his stomach & bowel seems to know when a kibble isn’t right & something is wrong, now I know why after reading the Clean Label Project… all last year Patch was doing really well eating TOTW Roasted Lamb + different cooked foods that I add to his diet for dinner, then Spring come around, cause Patch suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, I start to feed a fish based kibble thru the Spring & Summer months the year before I feed an Australian made kibble “Meals For Mutts” but this year I started to feed the Holistic Select G/F fish kibble instead the man at the pet shop recommended the Holistic Select he feeds it to his 2 Staffys that also have allergies then after 2-3 months Patch went down hill after eating the Holistic Select, he stopped eating it, he was doing sloppy cow pattie poos, up all hours of the night pooing, bad wind pain, whinging, I saw his vet, she put him back on the Metronidazole & I put him back on his TOTW Lamb kibble, his poo’s firmed up within 2 days.. then 1 month ago I see Holistic Select kibble on the Clean Label Project it’s 10th, contains the highest amount of harmful environment and industrial contaminants & toxins.. I nilly died & Holistic Select is a 5 star kibble on the DFA….
This is why over time it’s best to find a couple of different brands of pet food with a different protein that agree with your dogs & you rotate between the 2 or 3 brands so if 1 brand isn’t being made any more or has something wrong like toxins or lacking vitamins, not enough omega 3 etc your dogs are not on the one food long enough, eating the same food 24/7 for years & years & suffering long term health problems…..

What kibble works for one dog may not work for another dog, if your dogs were doing sloppy poo’s with jelly mucus on them it’s normally food intolerances, or the protein may be too high, after doing a food elimination diet with my boy, it was chicken, corn, corn gluten meal, barley, boiled rice he can not eat, his IBD vet specialist said when I’m looking for any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure it has 1 single protein with limited ingredients so there’s less chance he will react to an ingredient, she said if after 9-12 months he’s doing really well on the same kibble, its best to introduce new foods into his diet, sometimes a dog will start to react to an ingredient in the food you’ve been feeding for years, so I rotate kibbles now & I add different foods to his diet for dinner or as treats but I didn’t do all this straight away it has taken over 3-4 yrs to get to this point where Patch can eat anything now as long as it’s not any foods he’s sensitive too…also sometimes a 5 star food won’t be the best food for your dog, if it’s a 3 stars food & agrees with your dog & the ingredients all look good then that’s OK, Dog Food Advisor gives less stars sometimes cause the protein is under 25%, there’s nothing wrong with the kibble, but the lower the protein the more carbohydrates that kibble will have….

[Lora J]

Congratulations on your new dog! I have large breeds, myselfso I cannot comment on that. But I have found this dog food rating system on this website a valuable tool for finding the best food for our budget. I have found it takes some time to search through the higher rated foods, thrn shop around to price check, but worth it. Buy the highest rated food you can afford. I also supplement my dogs’ dry kibble with raw carrots and broccoli as treats for additional enzymes and antioxidents. I am sure you will get additional helpful comments here. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Peter, I live Australia & Garlic is in a lot of our Australian made dogs foods… Garlic is very healthy for dogs, it repeals worms, fleas & diseases….. When you read the ingredient list to the treats the garlic should be near the end of the ingredient list, the further down the ingredient list an ingredient is then there isn’t much of it….
When your bored Google “The Oldest Dog in the World” & watch the video made by Rodney Habib, Rodney Habib is good to follow on face book if your on Face book…

[Acroyali]

Lovelybear we must be out of the same mold. We recently dragged out an old crate for one of our dogs to eat in and she acted like she was being put in jail, and like I threw away the key! This dog hasn’t had the need to be crated (other than in the car) for quite some time, so she’s none too thrilled with our newest and brightest idea. She has no self preservation and I’m constantly worried she might get hurt. It occurred to us that if she DOES injure herself, crate rest will be in order and it might be a good idea to re-acclimate her so she doesn’t stress.

I keep the crate in a high traffic area (our kitchen is bustling) so she’s in the action (so to speak), and we started playing little crate games. I’d take a treat, have her sit and wait, and toss the treat into the crate and release her. We put a few old blankets in there one night, made a big show of burying some really high value treats IN the blankets and shut the door and released. She wanted in that crate so bad! We opened the door and she flew in, nudging the blankets aside and hunting those treats down. We left the door open so she could exit whenever, and she was so into the game that she didn’t even think about leaving the crate until she was 100% sure there wasn’t a crumb left.

Be creative! If you’re into clicker training, a clicker can come in really useful in situations like this and you can choose a word to send her into the crate. (We use “load up”, a friend of mine simply says “In you go”!) Play crate games with her. When I crate train a new dog I don’t leave the door open when I’m not actively training it, it’s like reverse psychology–the crate = games = fun = not always available. Some people have better luck leaving the door open 24 hours a day and letting the dog explore at their own pace. Assess your dog and do what you feel would be best for her. Be creative! 🙂

I’ve fed raw for a lot of years. A few dogs eat out of bowls, a few on plastic washable mats (no bowls). When it’s nice we do feed some dogs outside, but the yard isn’t treated with anything. The bowls and mats go in hot, soapy water and are easy to wash and rinse. They air dry.

It’s great that your dog is a good, slow eater and not a gulper! Crate feeding is great because it IS so easy to clean. If absolutely necessary, it might be possible to take the crate bottom pan out and let it be free-standing in the room, and use it as a place for her to eat until she’s used to the actual crate again. Once she’s happy walking in and out of the crate for a treat, maybe jackpot reward her with a few gizzards or something really high value.

Yes, there are risks concerning raw feeding, but unfortunately there are risks concerning ANY feeding, for pets or humans. The presence of penobarbitol in some “high end” brands lately have really made many people suspicious of the idea that commercial food is automatically safe and raw food is automatically dangerous.

[Peter H]

Switching treats from Puperoni to Zuke’s…..which has garlic powder listed as the 4th ingredient listed. Vet says “not to worry”…..Fritz at Zukes says “OK”.

Raw garlic is probably a no-no……what about powdered garlic ?

Thanks

[Peter H]

Greetings….new member. I was concerned about garlic/garlic powder in dog food/treats…and Zukes.

Put both in Search Box and a lot showed up. A lot of replies are lengthy and I stopped reading after just a few….trying to pick out “Zukes” and ‘garlic” in the same black script was a bit much for impatient me.

Is it possible to highlight the Search word/term in red for old fuddy-duddys, like me ?

Thanks

[Shane C]

Hi Everyone,

Apologies if this is in the wrong section!

I’m coming to the end of my degree with university and while job hunting in the industry I’d like to start off my own little business,

I’m looking at doing pet food, but specifically starting off with dog treats / dried food. I’m also taking a interest in doing condition tailored treats, take my puppy for example, poor thing has just been diagnosed with a proneness to colitis.

I’m just wondering if anyone has any general ideas or tips to help me start off?

And before concerns come into the replies, I have access to the correct facilities to produce, completely above aboard, routinely inspected, so it’s not a spontaneous idea of a stereotypical student cooking up some biscuits in a grotty flat hoping to make a quick quid!

[Michael M]

Wow, glad to know this information about Greenies – this is part of the reason why I joined this forum. I’ve gotten them for free and hadn’t paid for them, and I rarely give my dogs any types of treats besides peanut butter. I hadn’t thought too much about the ingredients. Luckily, it was only twice that I’ve given it to mine.

That being said, they definitely didn’t do a great job of cleaning their teeth. I also switched to pig ears – stuff that won’t easily get caught in their throat but provides some good chewing action.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Robin M:
I hope you don’t leave, looks like some helpful info has been posted for you to look into.

I have a dog that tends to get chubby during hot weather (inactive time for him) and have to closely monitor his calories. When I have a moment I will post some of the weight management/Sr. formulas I feed.

I feed yogurt here and there as a treat; not very large portions. I buy low-fat, no particular brand. Make sure there are no artificial sweeteners added, some are deadly for dogs. I sometimes freeze it in ice cube trays for a frozen treat. I am going to be making a few frozen treats with some fresh fruit for summertime. Maybe I’ll add some sardines for another flavor too. Very important, keep track of calories don’t over do it!!

[pitlove]

Hi Robin-

I currently have a senior Lab who needed to lose 7lbs. So far he has lost 2.

What I did that has been working was putting him on a weight control food that was both low in fat and calories. Most importantly I stopped giving him any and all treats and table food. We also increased his walks. If you want to treat your dog, pet him, play ball, fetch etc. Those are a healthy “treat” for your dog that they enjoy.

Controlling calories is extremely important for weight loss. If they are taking in more calories than they are burning they can not lose weight.

[heather s]

in looking at canidae some foods had a 5 star rating. none of the foods with 5 stars had fish in them. some of the three stars did have fish meal . the treats were all one star with no fish meal and of the actual one star canidae dog foods most if not all had menhaden meal in them

[Susan]

Hi how is your poor dog doing?? what did vet do is he on Metronidazole??
All organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea when feed too much, my boy gets diarrhea from those liver treats, Beef liver treats chicken liver treats… when I first rescued him 4-5yrs ago, I took him to the Hunter rescue second hand shop they raise money & sell worm, flea products, collars, name tag’s, toys, jackets etc everything for dogs/cats they raise money for people that don’t have the money to desex their cat & dogs, I wanted a new ID tag & a few toys for Patch & showed all the ladies my new rescue boy, the elderly ladies kept giving Patch liver treats & these were real big thick chunky black liver/beef treats, they could have been beef liver, I don’t know, anyway that night we were up all night with bad diarrhea, pain, feeling sick, I took Patch to vet next morning cause I have never had a dog get this sick, he was put on Metronidazole an antibiotic for the bowel & stomach & Royal Canine, Hydrolyzed dry vet diet just to let his bowel rest & heal, that’s when Patches new vet told me organ meats are very rich & can cause diarrhea, so since then I have never given him any liver, beef, or chicken liver treats again…
Years later I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet cause of his IBD & Skin allergies & he wasn’t given any organ meat or bone in his diet cause he has IBD, he was put on a probiotic & digestive enzymes & a supplement powder to balance the raw diet but the raw diet didn’t agree with Patch cause of his IBD, it cleared up his itchy skin & red paws cause we were just feeding Kangaroo with blended broccoli, apple, celery, we were starting an elimination raw diet but Patch kept feeling very sick & regurgitating the raw back up….Maybe stick with the cooked diet, I know raw is so much easier to do there’s no cooking just start with 1 lean white protein & a few blended veggies (2-3) like broccoli, apple, celery etc & only add 1-2 spoons of the blende veggies with 1 cup raw..

[Hav mom]

Wondering if any one has tried the new Mussel Green lipped freeze dried natural
treats for Dogs from The Honest Kitchen? Am considering it for my dog who loves treats and he will still get his Omega 3! (I now give him Dr.Mercola Krill Oil in his food, but treats
are nicer 🙂 )Also, I Just heard about a new food Human Grade Dog Food at cheweys called Tylee’s.
Anyone know anything about it??

[Nathan J]

New to this site so have no idea if I’m hitting right thing or not. But curious anyone would know what could be wrong with our dog. Vet visits are so high these days. But we have almost 8 year half blue heeler and half jack russel (mainly blue heeler. Very spoiled but medical alert dog to. She still eats treats and her daily vitiam but she won’t eat her food for almost two days now. Also she refuses to go outside which is out normal for her. Curious if anyone has any ideas what might be wrong or maybe she bored with food? Like I have read. She has had diarrhea some. One minute is normal bowl movements next it isn’t:

[Susan]

Hi Emmygirl,
It’s good you have found a food that works, stick with it for now…Royal Canin vet diets also has their Potato + Venison-PV, Potato + Rabbit-PR, Potato +Salmon-PS & Potato + Kangaroo wet & dry formulas, I don’t know why but my boy seems to do better on Royal Canin vet diets then the Hills vet diets, but we don’t get any of the Hills d/d novel proteins wet & dry formulas they don’t pass our strict quarantine laws to come into Australia & why we get the all the Royal Canine vet formulas is cause the Royal Canine is made in France & passes our strict quarantine laws……
Be VERY careful feeding a raw diet, raw freeze dried or raw air dried diets, Donate the Canine Caviar if kibble bag is open a kibble only stays fresh for 2 weeks google it, the oils go rancid as soon as the oxygen/air hits the kibbles…changing diets can make your dog have another flare & put him back to square one again, your dog needs time to heal his bowel/stomach & be on the Hills d/d for a good 6 months, my vet wanted Patch on a vet diet for 1yr so everything healed….
The only freeze dried raw I give Patch is the K-9Natural or Sunday Pets Green Lipped Mussel treats as a treat after his bath but I just found out as soon as you open these freeze dry foods some have to used within 10 days, they have written it on their packaging now, I didn’t know until the lady in the pet shop told me the other day, maybe that’s why Patch became ill again about 1 month ago it could from the Green Lipped Mussel treats, I was giving him once a week every Thursday….
When your dog is doing REALLY well & off meds have a look at “Zignature” formulas the Kangaroo has the lowest fat & protein % out of all the Zignature formulas, read what the Hills d/d fat, protein% & fiber% is & when your looking for another kibble/wet tin make sure it has Limited Ingredients same as the Hills d/d has & is around the same amount of fat, protein & fiber as the d/d, you can go up a bit for the protein cause you wont find too many normal formulas that low in protein & when the protein & fat is real low that means the carbs are real high….

[Kari P]

My friend also makes her dogs frozen peanut butter and banana treats. She just slices bananas, dabs PB on top, and freezes them on a cookie sheet.

This summer I’m going to try to make dog ice cream using dog safe ingredients like peanut butter, banana, cheese, sweet potato, carrots, and blueberries. I’m just planning on putting everything in a blender/food processor then freezing it in a muffin tin. I think it would be easy to do and less expensive than buying dog ice cream for him.

[Kari P]

I LOVE this topic. I’m looking for different recipes to make homemade treats for my dog. I’ve seen dog cakes, biscuits, and ice cream that I would love to replicate.

My boyfriend makes dog treats out of spent grain leftover from brewing homemade beer.

2 cups of spent grain
1 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter

Spread the mixture thin and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 225 and cook for another 2 hours to dry them out. The treats must be dry otherwise they will mold when you store them.

Our dog and our friends’ dogs happily gobble these treats. Obviously they are not nutritionally balanced, but the ingredients aren’t harmful and its a great way to make home brewing more sustainable.

[Susan]

Hi Robert, what is she eating & is she gulping her meals?? I sit down in lounge room on lounge, I put patches heavy glass bowl on a little stool thing, so his stomach is level with his mouth/throat when he’s standing, then I only add about 2 kibbles at 1 time, if they’re small kibbles, don’t feed any big kibbles, they’re harder to digest, Patch has to chew the kibble, as soon as he chews the kibble I add another 2 kibbles, I put a paper towel folded & folded again cause Patch gets all spit coming out of sides of mouth & makes 1 big mess & the paper towel soaks up his spit, I also get another paper towel & wipe his mouth as he’s eating, I’ve had to teach him to chew his kibbles, treats, he just swallowed any kibbles, treats, then his vet said start sectioning the 1 cup of kibble & feed slowly & now he finally chews & doesn’t gulp & swallow….. it has made a really big difference, it takes about 20mins to feed him, then we go for a 15min walk after he eats & he does farts & poo lol…also start feeding her about 4-5 smaller meals a day, sounds like she had the pain or acid reflux before she ate her food to be running out & eating grass & after eating food it has made the problem worse, kibble isn’t good for dogs with acid reflux or any stomach problems….
“Holistic Select”, “Canidae” Pure Meadow, Life Stages Platinum & “Taste Of Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble are very easy to digest kibbles….You may need a acid reducer ask vet can you trial a 1-2 week on an ant acid med & see does it make any difference also change diet, I had to put Patch on Prilosec, 1 every morning, with the change of diet & the Prilosec made a real big difference..
Have you tried cooked meal?, feed 1 very lean protein & boiled sweet potato, feed the cooked meal when she is normally the worst?

[Bobby dog]

Check out the info from the UC Davis link in my post. They have a good example of the 10% rule. You’ll have to do some math to figure out your unbalanced food/supplement calories.

The only unbalanced items in my dog’s diet are the fresh foods and treats. I don’t add any supplements. So far all yearly exams are good for my dog and his meals are balanced so I do not feel the need to add any vitamins/supplements to his diet.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Krista:
I don’t read this as a repeated question. Other forum questions “So is it ok that she just gets dry kibble with no other additions? Is this healthy?”, this forum question “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?”

So, back to this forum question, “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?” For balanced toppers I feed canned and frozen/dehydrated raw. Most canned recipes I feed are lower in fat on a DMB than an average kibble containing a GA of 16% fat. For unbalanced toppers I feed sardines, eggs, lean meats, and I also use the download c4c wrote about for other fresh food options altering amounts suggested a bit in order to keep meals balanced.
https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

I follow the rule of adding no more than 10% of daily caloric intake of unbalanced foods to meals. I use this site to figure out calories for my unbalanced toppers:
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

“Treats and additional food items should not exceed 10% of the daily caloric intake. The majority (90% or greater) of the calories should come from a complete and balanced food…” ~ UC Davis Veterinary Medicine. More on this topic:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/local_resources/pdfs/Treats_guidelines.pdf

Good luck!

[Krista B]

Hi,

What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble? Right now I’m using some canned dog food as a topper. I like that it’s complete and balanced and I don’t need to worry about unbalancing the diet. Are there any other toppers I could use that wouldn’t unbalance the diet too much? I was thinking of using some sardines a few times a week. Here’s the thing 15% of her diet is currently already compromised of treats, veggies, and supplements. If added the sardines it would bring the percentage up to 25% coming from extras other than kibble/canned. Is this ok to do.. or is this unlamced? I read 15% should be the maximum Amount you should have as extras…I like the idea of sardines thought because it already has calcium in it plus EPA and DHA.

Thanks!