[Marty M]

Thank you for this topic. I had three bags of this poison in my pantry, and after seeing “propylene glycol” mentioned as an ingredient by another poster, ran incredulously to confirm. Not only is it an ingredient, it is the 8th listed. What the heck is anti-freeze doing in something for pets?!?!?

If not for this topic thread I could be amongst the other posters who have lost their beloved pets. My heart goes out to them. I have been reading these forums to better educate myself about the nutrition in pet foods, as one of my five dogs went from 17 up to 24 pounds in one year. Obviously to my husband and I, “we” are completely to blame as the Beagles, while as smart as whips, cannot reach the pantry door or figure another way in to the food (thank goodness, or we would be doomed). They, and I, thank you for the recommendation of beef trachea treats, as an alternative to the fattening Greenies.

May this thread warn other pet parents, and I for one will be reading all ingredient lists with a very careful eye.

[sophia s]

I read dogfoodadvisor’s review of Blue Wilderness food rolls–2.5 stars because of “modest” amount of meat and presence of not only molasses and vegetable glycerin but also sugar.

I like it because it is grain-free, potato free except for potato starch, soy free, carrageenan free, and corn free. AND my very picky eater really likes it.

I want to use this product exclusively as a training treat instead of using Zuke’s Tiny Naturals because I would save quite a bit of money by switching.

Here are the ingredients for for Zuke’s Tiny Naturals Peanut Butter Flavor:
Peanut Butter, Chickpeas, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Glycerin, Pea Protein, Agave Syrup, Gelatin, Coconut Oil, Flaxseed, Salt, Flax Meal, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Succinic Acid, Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Zinc Proteinate.

Here is the link for Dogfoodadvisor’s review of Blue Wilderness Food Rolls:
/dog-food-reviews/blue-buffalo-wilderness-wild-rolls/

Questions:
As a training treat, is one of these options better than the other?
Is the food roll a suitable option as a training treat?
If neither is suitable or recommended as a training treat, what moist training treats would be a good option?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

[Sara B]

I have a new Shorkie puppy, 10 weeks old & 5 lbs. I would like suggestions for a dry Ned wet food for him. Our other dogs have had allergies and I am crying Norene’s about that also. And what kind of chew treats do you recommend?

• This topic was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Sara B.

[Michael F]

Hi, My last two dogs lived to be 16 and 17 years old, they developed arthritis and we used
Duralactin and all natural anti-inflammatory, you can read more about it her https://www.vetinfo.com/duralactin-canine-side-effects.html it doesn’t have the side affects of Rimadyl, I’m not to saying you should stop her rimadly, I’m not sure how bad her arthritis is and it is a choice your and your vet would make. With the Duralactin we also gave our dogs Cosequin, or I guess now they make Dasaquin, we gave our dogs both the Duralactin and the Cosequin and they did quite well, I also found that four short walks a day, made it easier for them to get up and down and move around. For your weight loss, I would keep her on her diet food that works for her, and feed her the amount of it she is suppose to have for her required weight, as a topper for a treat, you might try a little boiled fat free ground turkey and or boiled skinless boneless chicken breasts, those will be much lower fat options and should still feel like a treat to her. To make it easy you can cook it up ahead of time and freeze small amounts in freezer bags, and then you’ll have a pre-made topper for her food. It’s not easy getting a dog with arthritis extra exercise, but if you stick to the amount of food she is suppose to eat for the weight you want her to be at and avoid extra fatty food additives and other people food and give her the low fat kibble as treat, rather than a fatty dog treat, she’ll eventually take weight off, you don’t want to under-feed her, because then she get malnourished, she needs a certain amount of food each day to get her needed vitamins. Give it some time and you’ll see results! A cute story about the need to feed your dog too many special treats….My parents had a toy poodle named pete, they only fed him buddig lunchmeat, they said he would not eat dog food, at age six, he looked awful, instead of being chocolate brown he was grey and going bald, his eyes looked sickly and he limped on his hind leg at time, unfortunately my parents passed away at that time, anyway, pete came to live with me and my other two dogs, and guess what, I fed him dog food, not lunchmeat, in a few months time, his coat was nice and chocolate brown again, his eyes looked great, he got daily walks with the other two dogs, and he lived to be almost 18 years old! So that is my story about table scraps versus dog food! That doesn’t mean I’m knocking a raw diet for dogs or home cooking for dogs, they are preferred to dog food by many vets and many of us dog owners, however, they have to be a balanced diet, not just luchmeat and table scraps.

[zcRiley]

I have tried all bones of all kinds and some are just downright dangerous, one snag in the tract and it’s over. Surgery won’t even save your dog. I only now trust Barkworthies Odor-Free Joint & Mobility 6″ Bully Sticks Dog Treats and Zuke’s Dental Bones in berry crisp formula.

I do not give it daily either, chewing things do not clean away plaque and bacteria. I use Virbac’s C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste in vanilla-mint flavor. My boys don’t like brushes so I scrub with a thin cotton towel wrapped around my finger. I only brush the stubborn stains on the back tooth.

[InkedMarie]

I have no experience in those foods but my research has led me to believe that a grainfree weight loss food is best. Grains are inflammatory so a grainfree may help there. A number of years back, we adopted a dog who should have weighed about 25lb but weighed 43.7!

I used Wellness Core’s reduced fat with great success; I suggest trying that or Annamaet Lean. Feed a little less than what the bag recommends. Be very mindful of anything else she eats.Skip treats and try a couple baby carrots as a treat if you need to use treats.

[Lori D]

I read here a few older reviews non favorable and outside here 5 star treats. Well after a few different varieties of their products the peanut butter seems to be the devil of gastrointestinal of 5 star rating. My two chihuahuas are ok but my Yorkie is done. The ingredients may look ok but not for my little ones. ( Kelp for dogs?, seriously? ) Only good is the rawhide free but it’s not worth it. I need a long use chewy for little dogs. It so settles them at night like a pacifier. Suggestions please.

[Kathleen C]

This isn’t the right place for this question, but looked all over and couldn’t find better. I picked up some treats at the vet this morning. Purina Pro Plan Vet Diets: Gentle Snackers. I didn’t see the ingredient list first or I wouldn’t have gotten it. However, can you tell me if anything hydrogenated is OK to give a dog or any animal? I know it’s not good for me, can we feed dogs this? The mere name Purina should have warned me I know, but it’s just a treat.

[Kristy O]

I’ve been reading (through online research sites and here) good things about the Fromm weight loss dog food (Gold, Gold Coast, and Four Star Weight Management) but I haven’t yet tried one of them…I’m leaning toward one of the 2 Gold choices right now. I have a female, spayed German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP), about 9 years old who is tremendously overweight. I volunteer for the Illinois Shorthair Rescues and she came to us as a foster dog from a kill shelter. She was with us for one day and became ours forever. 🙂 She’s so sweet, but I’m thinking she was likely a puppy mill dog – at the very least a backyard breeder/breeder dog. It’s obvious she has had several litters of pups. She should weigh between 50-60 pounds and definitely not over 70, but she’s over 80 lbs. 🙁 In all fairness, she came to us overweight, with heartworm and multiple other problems, so it’s been difficult to work too much on her weight loss; however, she’s now heartworm free and we’re working diligently to get the weight off. We run her every morning on a nearby farm (as far as she can tolerate – also has hip problems) and have cut back on her food to approx. 2 cups/day and a couple treats in between. We currently feed Exclusive, which works well for our other GSP (she has Addison’s Disease). As a matter of fact, I believe that food really helped to save her life when she was diagnosed years ago. I digress. Sorry. I’m thinking about trying the Fromm for both of them now. Has anybody else tried their products? Would be happy to hear if you have. The weight management products ARE on the list of Editor’s Choice at 4 Stars, so it must be pretty good. Please let me know what you all think. Thanks!

[Kristy O]

I’ve been reading (through online research sites and hear) good things about the Fromm weight loss dog food (Gold, Gold Coast, and Four Star Weight Management) but I haven’t yet tried one of them…I’m leaning toward one of the 2 Gold choices right now. I have a female, spayed German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP), about 9 years old who is tremendously overweight. I volunteer for the Illinois Shorthair Rescues and she came to us as a foster dog from a kill shelter. She was with us for one day and became ours forever. 🙂 She’s so sweet, but I’m thinking she was likely a puppy mill dog – at the very least a backyard breeder/breeder dog. It’s obvious she has had several litters of pups. She should weigh between 50-60 pounds and definitely not over 70, but she’s over 80 lbs. 🙁 In all fairness, she came to us overweight, with heartworm and multiple other problems, so it’s been difficult to work too much on her weight loss; however, she’s now heartworm free and we’re working diligently to get the weight off. We run her every morning on a nearby farm (as far as she can tolerate – also has hip problems) and have cut back on her food to approx. 2 cups/day and a couple treats in between. We currently feed Exclusive, which works well for our other GSP (she has Addison’s Disease). As a matter of fact, I believe that food really helped to save her life when she was diagnosed years ago. I digress. Sorry. I’m thinking about trying the Fromm for both of them now. Has anybody else tried their products? Would be happy to hear if you have. The weight management products ARE on the list of Editor’s Choice at 4 Stars, so it must be pretty good. Please let me know what you all think. Thanks!

[Kellye P]

Linda,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I held the little paw print that came with Duffy’s ashes and cried a bit. 😢

The one thing I did that made the biggest positive impact was finding the Chi Institute herbalist. It’s a real shame that Duffy was so allergic to cinnamon because the formula for diabetics gets rave reviews but it’s full of various forms of cinnamon. However, the Chi Institute vet had other herbal formulas that helped a lot with keeping him content in other ways. Duffy was drug free except for insulin and he never had any problems with stiffness or liver or bladder or anything except the dad-blasted glucose!!!
I highly recommend finding a local Chi Institute herbalist because Kismet can probably handle cinnamon just fine and the formula will help.

http://www.tcvm.com/Resources/FindaTCVMPractitioner.aspx

The Solid Gold food isn’t necessarily for diabetics but since Duffy would eat it, he got it every day and he thrived on it. My vet wanted him to get at least 300 calories a day, which meant over half a can. With any other food, that would have been impossible, but I could get 1/3 cup in Duffy twice a day and then little bonus bits as baked treats. The food is very thick so I could slice it and bake it as crunchy treats as well as feed it straight from the can.
Also, a trick I thought of that seemed to work —
I took Acana duck kibble (“cool” for diabetes), put it in the food processor, and chopped it to a fine powder. I added 1/8 cup of the powder to the canned food for added calories.
It didn’t add much bulk and Duffy didn’t notice the extra food.

He was so hard to keep alive. Even as a puppy, he refused to eat. He never saw food as a reward. He never begged for treats. I always had to force him to eat but it wasn’t a big deal until he became diabetic. That when he HAD to eat twice a day, and had to eat the same amount of food.

What breed is Kismet? Do you use the super short needle syringes? I had my pharmacy special order them. Duffy was like a baby bird so he needed everything very small. I ordered the glucose/ketone test strips from Amazon. They had the two test pads on each strip. I used an electrolyte supplement in his water. It was an unsweetened brand made for dogs. It’s also sold on Amazon.
Let me know how things go for Kismet. Best wishes!!

[Caitlin H]

Thanks so much for all the info! We didn’t stick with the pure balance because it was sold in Walmart and I don’t shop there. She did fine on it. My mother in law gave us a couple servings of signature brand, and she did well again. We figured she was a dog that could eat anything and the vet said she could have any of the major labels.. so we tried pedigree. No illness but larger stinky poops.. so then we went to weld harvest, simply because the first ingredients looked alight (but I admit I am not an expert!). We Fed her that for a bit and then when we ran out my husband grabbed trader Joe’s. That’s where the tummy issues started. She’s in obedience so she is getting lots of treats as well and this started on fourth of July weekend and she is scared of fireworks… so honestly It could have been anything to set off. I told my vet all this and that is why I am not too happy they jumped right to a life time of prescription dog food.

Wild Harvest has a ton of ingredients, but the first few were deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, rice flour, and chicken fat… Which is why I picked it. Since the last bout, we have stopped all treats, got rid of the trader Joe’s food and only doing the wild harvest and she is doing good so far. I am going to look into these other suggestions though as like you said, I have heard from lots of people it is good to switch the protein from time to time. I really hope we just did a little too much and little fast… we are going to slow it down and be a little more thoughtful with what we feed her

I have heard so much about TOTW, we might give that a go next. We don’t have a Costco membership unfortunately.

Thanks again! Glad that your pup found a diet that worked

[pitlove]

Hi Tonya

Welcome to the forums!

Tripett is a canned variety of green beef tripe that is a great topper for kibble because it has a perfect 1:1 ca/phos ratio.

Basically as I’m sure you have learned, excessive calcium and excess weight gain are the two major causes of bone growth disorders in growing large breeds. Some of these diseases don’t manifest until later in life, some manifest early on and then clear up. Either way it is important to feed a food appropriate for a growing large breed. The calcium to phos ratio should not exceed 1:5:1 and the calcium to calorie ratio should not exceed 3g/1000kcals.

Here is the issue….some foods make the claim “All Life Stages” which does mean it can be fed to a puppy or an adult. However, that does not always mean a LBP. Natural Balance makes the claim “All Stages, All Breeds” however that may or may not be true depending on what their nutritional philosophy regarding LBP’s is. Some companies are running on the old tired myth that protein is the main cause of bone growth disorders, dispite this theory being debunked some 20 years ago. They put so much emphasis on low protein that they ignore the calcium content.

Some companies list their “nutrient analysis” right there on their website, which I love! Some do not and you have to email the company and ask for it. Reason this is important is because there is a great tool on DFA here in that thread we orginally were talking on that lets you put in the MAX calcium, MAX phos and the calories/kg of the food and it tells you the calcium/phos ratio and the calcium/calorie ratio. However, you can not use the MIN numbers found on the bag. It does not tell you the true amount of calcium contained in the food. When using the MIN numbers, just about every food on the market would look LBP safe lol.

When it comes to feeding guidelines on the bag, they are simply a guideline. NB is a lower calorie food, so in order to meet the dogs daily caloric requirements, more food needs to be fed. Higher calorie foods would require less. One issue with feeding SO much less than the guidelines is the dog becoming nutrient deficient over time.

A lot of factors come in to play in keeping a dog lean. Being spayed/neutered will decrease metabolism, being less active, consuming too many calories in ratio to what is being burned. Personally, I would reward with something like green beans instead of the Zuke’s treats you are using if you are doing a lot of training with her and she is getting a lot of treats. We don’t use a lot of treats in my house because I’m very careful with my dogs weight. I have 3 kinds of treats right now, each with different kcals/treat and I use them based on how much excersize I feel they have done that day. Many days they don’t get a treat at all because I’m also incorporating raw into their kibble, so that takes up the calories of the treats. Praise is also a good training reward vs a treat.

[Kathleen C]

OK, I neither have a large and giant breed dog nor is he a puppy, but at my local pet store they sell Old Mother Hubbard treats. I didn’t look to see if they contain green tea, but after reading this I certainly will not buy any for my Boston Terrier. Glad I checked here first.

[Kathleen C]

If my dog, who should weigh between 18 and 19 pounds and is now close to 20, ate almost a cup a day he would weigh 50 pounds. He gets 1/4 cup twice a day with some low cal treats like green beans, carrots, some very low fat treats from my local pet store that I can trust. If I can get him back to 19 pounds I plan on giving him 1/3 cup twice a day, but I have to have some results first.

[C4D]

I’m including the DFA link for the feeding calculator. According to the numbers I put in:
Ideal weight: 19 lbs/20 lbs
Activity Level: overweight
Calories per cup: 360
Your should be feeding .98/1.02 cups per day depending on which weight you want. This total would be including ALL treat calories, so you have to add them in, or reduce the food. Treats should never account for more than 10% of their daily food intake. If you overtreat and underfeed, you would be undernourishing the dog. Since the calories of the food are 360 and she should be getting 10% max in treats, those high calorie treats would put her over on just 2 treats! If she seems hungry, wetting her food with warm water will make her feel fuller. Also, adding cooked frozen green beans is another trick that often works. I almost forgot this. Make sure you are using a real measuring cup that has all of the increments. Many private dog stores have them for free. Good Luck!

Link:

/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

[C4D]

Are you feeding your dog’s per the feeding guidelines based on what the dog’s ideal weight should be? Also (like people) dogs really don’t need and shouldn’t have treats all day long. I only use them for training or working with a new foster.

Christine W, 19 calories per treat is a high calorie treat, even for my 80 lb labs.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by C4D.

[Francis F]

Hi Alice R,

I’m sorry to hear about your Rottweiler’s vomiting. I have asked this question over and over in these forums and no one replies:

Question: how many of the canine Carry Outs did you give your Rottweiler? I own a toy poodle, 4.5 lbs., 14 years old. He’s been eating these treats since he was born; however,
I only give him a little piece like 3/4″ with each meal, that means twice a day. Every once in a while, to reward him about something, I may give him 1/4 of a nugget.

I’ve indicated before that these are TREATS, not food, and that is why I’ve asked everyone how much they give. Be careful though, you don’t want your dear dog to get real sick or worse. Good luck, Francis3

[Jen T]

Hi everyone, I have a Westie who is 9 years old and this summer has been the worst for her. We moved from the East Coast to the West Coast over 5 years ago. In May 2013, she had her first ear infection in her left ear, which turned out to be an inner ear infection. This summer (starting in May) she has been having mild bacteria/yeast infections in her left ear which my vet says are a secondary infection from environmental allergies (theorized, never went to a dermatologist).

Last Saturday, her left ear was inflammed (narrow canal, thick skin, yellow golden flakes, smelly). Thursday, my vet prescribed Apoquel (3.6mg pills) and suggested to lightly apply a cortisone cream for 5 days. She has never tried using Claritin or any antihistimine for this. Today we started the Apoquel because I wanted to read more about it. I’m planning to only do 10 days (1/2 pill twice a day) instead of the full 30 days (asked the vet if it was okay and they said yes). Her left ear at this moment is no longer red but still has yellow golden flakes and is a bit smelly.

I’m hoping someone can help me since my vet (and others) only believes in steroids, antibiotics, and Apoquel for long term use. When my Westie’s flare up calms down, what can I do to minimize the use of Apoquel and steroid creams? Right now, I am bathing her once a week with Malaseb and rinsing with apple cider vinegar (will do twice a week now), wiping her down with a wet paper towel (sometimes apple cider vinegar), doing foot soaks at the end of the night with warm water, and I’m currently trying an 8 week diet of only Acana Pork & Squash with no treats. I have noticed that her poop from Acana (since Thursday) is fairly soft versus when I had half Acana and half homecooked food plus Ark Naturals Probiotic added. Should I add a probiotic to help with the soft poop as well as the suppressing of the immune system due to Apoqeul? I greatly appreciate any help since this is my first dog and the vets near me don’t seem to know anything outside of steroids and antibiotics. Thank you.

[Susan]

Hi have you seen a Dermatologist?? a Dermatologist is the best place to start google one in your area they are a bit dearer then a vet but in the long run you will save money cause all vets do is relieve the itch with drugs & don’t find the cause of the problem…

With my boy it’s Food sensitivities & seasonal environment allergies….I don’t give any steroids as they suppress the immune system or antibiotics as they kill all the good bacteria in the gut & they need a healthy gut to have a strong immune system…. It sounds like you have been going around in circle….
With food did you try elimination diet ? 1 novel protein, 1 carb & feed for 2 months & add dog Omega 3, 6 & 9 Oil, with kibbles it’s too hard, unless you feed a kibble that just has 2-3 ingredients like “California Natural” Lamb & Rice, a few people use this kibble instead of feeding the vet diets….. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

With the shampoo which one did you use ? you have to make sure your using the right shampoo for the skin problem your dealing with….. Baths are the best for skin problems, you wash away any allergens & pollens on their skin & fur & if they have yeasty smelly skin, shampoos like Malaseb kill the bacteria & relieve any itch & redness they may have.
I use Malaseb medicated shampoo twice a week in the Spring/Summer months & once maybe twice a month give baths in the Winter months…..It depends if he’s starting to smell & itch at the moment it’s Winter & Patch has no yeasty smell & isn’t itchy, so I must have his diet right finally as soon as he eats a kibble with Barley & chicken he starts scratching & starts to smell yeasty, gets red paws, red under his mouth/chin & sometimes hive like lumps all over the white fur section of his body…when it’s food sensitivities some dogs have sloppy poos, bad farts/gas etc, it starts to do your head in…..
I take Patch for a walk & he’s fine, no itch, nothing, we go for a walk & Patch might walk under a tree or smell a bush that he’s sensitive too, then in 1/2 to 1 hour later he’ll get his hive like lumps all over the white fur on his body & start to itch, sometimes he doesn’t itch when he has his hive lumps… also when you change diet, add new supplements, bath in a new shampoo etc, you have to do 1 thing at a time, if you try a new supplement or add a new ingredient to the diet, it must be done with nothing else new added to diet or put on their skin that day or week, even treats you can not give a little treat cause it may have something he’s sensitive too…..Keep a diary….my vet said you’ll start to see a pattern & I did, I was at the vets the same times every year March/April & November/December that’s when vet said he’s got Seasonal Environment Allergies… & with food sensitivities it can take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks to show any symptoms…Patch was eating Wellness Simple he was doing really well then on the 4-5 week his poos started to get real smelly, yellow & soft, so I emailed Wellness & the lady said he’s probably sensitive to an ingredient, it happened on the Wellness Complete health kibbles as well.. so I rotate his kibbles now find, a few limited ingredient kibbles he does good on & rotate before the month is up.. I also cook his dinner, Pork & Sweet Potato & add DigestaVite Plus powder & Dog Omega 3, 6 & 9 Oil, so the meal is balanced…
It’s best to see a Dermatologist….. I’ve joined a Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” http://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
the admins that run the group are very helpful so are the ladies in the group, they have links of Dermatologist in your area, prices & cost for blood test, some of the ladies do injections once a week, once the Dermatologist finds out what your dog my be sensitive too, then the Dermatologist de sensitises your dog from that allergen…has your dog been tested for mites?? also are you feeding chicken a lot of the Bull breeds Staffys /Pit Bulls are sensitive to chicken & have skin problems….

[DogFoodie]

Hi Oceans11,

I feed my dogs a base of kibble and vary the toppers. The extras I mentioned are the toppers. Sorry I didn’t make that clear! 🙂 I buy small bags of dry food that will be used up within two or three weeks. I rotate foods with each new bag. Neither of my dogs requires a transition. My Cavalier would love to eat raw at every meal, but my Golden turns his nose up at it and walks away. I feed them similarly for my sanity. I can’t feed them the same dry food because my Golden has lots of food sensitivities. They both love raw tripe though. I use tripe as a topper or occasionally a full meal. It stinks to high heaven. I order mine from My Pet Carnivore. I’m on their local home-delivery route. You could also order from Hare Today. I prefer frozen raw over canned.

ALS foods are all life stages. They meet the AAFCO profile for growth. Growth foods are called “puppy” foods by some manufacturers, but some might also refer to growth foods as ALS foods. The other profile is adult maintenance. I prefer not to use maintenance foods. Some foods labelled puppy just might be higher in calories, so it’s a good idea to pay attention to calories (usually listed as kcals per cup) all of the time. Feeding guidelines on bags and cans of food tend to be high. Determine for sure how many calories your pup needs daily and measure it out. Be sure to include calories from all sources… kibble, canned, treats, etc. With a small dog, you might need to weigh food using a digital kitchen scale to ensure accuracy. There’s less room for error when you’re talking about a small number of calories to begin with. Keep an eye on their body condition and use that as your guide for portion control.

If they’re truly hungry at mealtime they’ll eat eagerly!

[anonymously]

Why are you feeding him puppy kibble at 2 years old? It sounds like you may be overfeeding him. What breed of dog is he?
Is he getting enough exercise? A 1 hour walk a day?
How many bowel movements a day is he having? More than 2 per day could be an indication that he is consuming more food than he needs.

Also, Orijen is a wonderful food, however it is higher in calories than Nutrisca which works for my small breed. If the dog is not active……maybe you should consider a less rich food.

I don’t use freeze dried foods or fattening treats so I can’t offer an opinion. Just use a little of the kibble or a bite of lean cooked chicken breast or something if I offer a treat.

[pitlove]

Hi Elizabeth-

Regarding the weight issue…26lbs to around 15 is a pretty big jump. I would start slow like you said and feed for 20lbs, then re-weigh him to see the progress. Once he hits 20lbs feed for 15. After that you simply would feed to maintain 15 lbs.

Also I would suggest using this tool, as it takes activity level into account: /dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

I find it to be much more accurate than the bag, though both are still just a guideline.

Yes, 3 calories is very low for a treat, however it makes a difference how many he’s getting daily. It is easy to assume that you can overfeed a 3 calorie treat and it won’t make much of a difference, but over time it does. Is there any particular reason they need treats? If not, I would eliminate them and reward with pets and praise. Both work just as well as a treat.

[Elizabeth A]

Oh and we’re not free feeding. He eats all his food rather quickly and would eat and eat and eat if we left a bowl out all the time. He definitely eats his food within 10 minutes. Every. Last. Crumb. 🙂 We’ve also been giving him Zuke’s treats (they’re about 3 to 3.5 cals per treat). I know with his medicine he was on he got more treats like chicken and cheese, but that’s done now. He needed those so we could hide the medicine in it.

Are Zuke’s 3 Calorie treat a low amount of calories for a treat? They’re about the only one I’ve seen who puts their Calories on the bag. If not, could you recommend some good, low-calorie treats? I bought some carrots for him, but I’m also asking for my other dogs, one of which is overweight and hates carrots

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by Elizabeth A.

[Debra E]

Standard Process makes a Cardiac Support Supplement that a seasoned, top notch dog rescuer had recommended to me when one of my Maltese was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Blood work also showed he and his “brother” needed Denamarin (now available generically as Sylben, a Milk Thistle Extract plus hepatic support (liver). Bambi’s heart murmur was never a problem and both the 15 yr. old and 11 yr. old (who were seemingly on their last legs) found new life and energy here in Florida with my 90 yr. old dad and I had them on Blue Buffalo (before the recalls, as they assured us they only used human grade ingredients). Even their treats were only Blue. Their bloodwork 6 mo. later was NORMAL and except for old age, they both lived to be 14 (when Bambi’s trachea suddenly collapsed and we had to put him down) and then Beebop (17) died of a broken heart in my arms the 2nd night after his passing. I now have the last of the 3 Maltketeers, Thumper (nearly 16) and am trying to cope with is severe arthritis — which is going amazingly well with a combination of Western and Holistic DVM care (accupuncture, supplements, Adequan shots, Rimadyl, Tramadol for pain, etc.) Hope that helps. They can live a long healthy life even with a heart murmur. Just keep an eye on your Chi and look for panting, easy exhaustion and do regular checkups. Hugs, MalteseMom

[CircaRigel]

It’s been a while, and I thought I’d provide an update on Galen, now 19 months old, technically an adolescent for a giant breed (Shiloh Shepherd), but no longer a puppy. However, I did go through a number of adjustments to his diet as he grew up, and thought I’d discuss them. I’ll first discuss kibbles, since that is generally the area where improper calcium and phosphorus content causes problems. Brands discussed include Eukanuba, Holistic Select (and other WellPet brands), Canidae, Taste of the Wild, Fromms, Tripett, and my absolute favorite and the most impressive, nutritionally… Darwin’s Natural Selections. I will also briefly touch on treats. Every choice I’ve made for Galen has come about via extensive research, wanting only the very best for Galen’s growth and health, for he is training as my service dog. My first responsibility is to him, even before looking after myself, for it is his responsibility to always be looking after me. Besides… I consider him family on equal par to my most beloved family members. I have linked the Dog Food Advisor pages for Galen’s finalized diet at the bottom of this post.

Galen’s breeder weaned her litter on Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy diet. After his adoption, I transitioned him to Fromm’s, which is what his breeder now weans her puppies on, but his stools were often quite soft. There was a brief period when I tried Holistic Select Large breed puppy, but rapidly transitioned away from it when Galen became ill. As it happens, ALL kibble foods made by WellPet (Wellness, Holistic Select, Old Mother Hubbard, Eagle Pack) contain green tea extract. While the very small amounts are probably not harmful to most dogs, particularly since it’s being taken with food, I found a number of studies that were halted because of dogs dying after being given green tea extract on an empty stomach. There is no way I can know for certain, but I suspect Galen is somehow particularly susceptible to toxic effects from it, even in small doses. So I began researching foods, and I liked the nutrition profile for some of the Canidae varieties, and while they were not specifically puppy or large breed diets, I contacted Canidae to make sure I chose a variety with the proper calcium and phosphorus ratios for proper bone growth (Canidae has recently been shifting their manufacturing away from Diamond pet foods, with a new processing plant in California). He did well on this, but didn’t like it much. Since he’s rather thin (but not so much as to be unhealthy, according to his vets at Alameda East, the same hospital where Animal Planet’s “Emergency Vets” was filmed, as it’s closest to where I live), I decided to change things up again when he was about a year old. Since he now was at an age where his calcium metabolism was properly established (generally puppies older than 8 months old can properly metabolize calcium, without the need to limit it so much), it broadened the choices of available foods for him. So, I made a list of grain free foods on Dog Food Advisor with 4+ ratings, focusing especially on 5 star rated foods, and ordered a bunch of sample packs for him to try from K9Cuisine. Of all of the foods he tried, he preferred the 5 star rated varieties of Taste of the Wild best. While I’m not fond of the record of Diamond pet foods, I trust the ratings of Dog Food Advisor (except the high ratings of kibbles by WellPet brands, for the previously mentioned Green Tea toxicity risk). Anyway, to keep things interesting for his palate, I now transition between the three 5 star rated varieties of TOTW for dry food.

Canned foods: From very early on, I had Galen eating Tripett green beef tripe as his wet food. I chose this because green tripe contains the nutrients of what the cow ate as well as the nutritional value and digestive enzymes that are naturally inherent to tripe. I have tried other varieties of canned foods, but Galen usually turns his nose up at them after a few days, when the novelty wears off. There has been a single exception, though, which I also supplement his diet with. That is Darwin’s Natural Selections raw foods. Back when I was letting Galen choose from among the samples I got for him, I also got the $15 introductory sample of the Darwin’s food (10 lbs variety pack), which included free shipping on dry ice. Their foods are raw, made from free-range, organic animal sources and organic vegetables. They come in easy to open plastic packets. Dog Food Advisor not only rates it 5 stars, but enthusiastically recommends the foods. They have never had a recall. I was quite surprised to find that the food was packaged and frozen just a few days before it shipped to me. Now, Once you have had the trial and go to their subscription plan, the cost is far higher, plus shipping on dry ice. It’s too high for me to feed to Galen exclusively or even as half his diet, so I subscribe to it as a supplement to his regular diet, feeding him 2 lbs a week. I get him all varieties, which include chicken, turkey, duck, beef, and bison. Of all of the foods I’ve ever fed a dog, This has been by far of the highest quality I’ve encountered.

Galen is incredibly picky even with treats, generally preferring single-ingredient, meat based treats. These have included Simply Lamb (freeze dried lamb), PureBites freeze dried chicken breast, PureBites freeze dried duck liver, and Primal freeze dried Nuggets (lamb), although the nuggets I use more as an occasional supplement rather than a treat. Galen turns his nose up at most other treats, even jerky treats. That’s fine by me. I rather like seeing only one ingredient listed, which leaves me zero doubts of there being anything in it that is unnecessary to his health (i.e. preservatives).

On a final note, around holidays I like to make a turkey stock from the leftovers and carcass (bones removed, of course, after cooking so that nutrients specific to the bones leach into the stock, like the marrow). That turkey stock is for Galen, as a special treat supplementing his food.

So… Galen’s final adult diet:
Taste of the Wild (wetlands, High Prairie, and Canyon varieties)
Tripett Green Beef Tripe
Darwin’s Natural Selections raw (beef, bison, chicken, turkey, and duck)

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by CircaRigel.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by CircaRigel.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by CircaRigel.

[Dot A]

Ok last week I purchased these treats in steak flavor…I went out for the weekend and let others feed him…I am sick now while I watch our older dog cough and gag and throw up. He is going to the Vet tomortow… I came across this older forum about these treats… why are they still producing this garbage. He will not eat another one and I am taking the rest back to walmart and insist they take them off their shelf…everyone else should do the same. Walmart can return them to the company and they will correct the ingredients or lose tons of money in walmart business. Everyone reading this should call local stores and return any you still have.pray it isnt too late for Mobley!

[eddiedog]

Hi Melicha,

I had a similar story. My Yorkie had seizures and was on medication until I realized her seizures coincided with her eating food made with rosemary extract. Luckily, the neurologist had read about this and didn’t think I was crazy. I became a fiend about reading ingredients both for dog food, bird food, since out bird would throw his food and the dog would get it, and also people food. Once we eliminated rosemary extract from our life, Sadie stopped having seizures. I controlled her treats from the groomer or kennel where she’d board as much as I could. Her seizures went from 5-10 clusters that could last for up to half an hour a month to 1-3 per year that lasted under five minutes.

There has been research done on the neurological effects rosemary oil and extract has on small children, but as far as I know there hasn’t been anything definitive done on dogs.
You can do a Google search and find anecdotal articles.

Rosemary extract started being used as a natural preservative in dog food after dogs died in 2007 from dog food made in China.

I hope this helps.

[Joe W]

Ok, this thread has obviously deteriorated into a childish playground argument (thanks for that janus), let’s stay on topic and stop arguing like crazy biatc#s with PMT.

Anyone not intelligent enough to research opinions on a forum and come to a balanced decision based on opinion and fact (which I may add HAS to be linked and referenced otherwise only a retard would blindly belive it), is not responsible, intelligent or mature enough to be responsibly owning a dog in the first place.

Just look in the ingredients, it’s the best way to tell….. anything that lists cereals or animal derivatives at the top of it’s contents is in my opinion AND supported by a huge ammount of fact (research it yourself as I’m not doing it for you lazy asses) not good for your pet and will only lead to a bad coat and other annoying issues.

The only dry food I trust is from an independent local supplier who is passionate about going against the big brand’s horrible ingredients and makes his dry food from vegetables and only natural antioxidants, it’s ingredients starting ‘CHICKEN MEAL, MAIZE, RICE, OATS, CHICKEN FAT, PRAIRIE MEAL, CHICKEN LIVER, BEETROOT PULP, SALMON OIL….. you get the picture.

If you’re wondering what to treat your dog with that’s not harmful? Then stop shopping in a business and make your own, frozen chicken liver chunks, or just cook a whole chicken (they are mega cheap) and shred up the meat, freeze it and use as treats. Remember that research suggests (yes anus, sorry ‘janus’ damn my typos) that smaller treats are better for training than larger ones, so just a taste will do.

The only manufactured treat I trust and use are natures menu ones, my golden retriever Nico LOVES them so much that his teeth chatter as you train him with them! He can’t get enough, and they are 95% meat so they are most and each small treat easily breaks into 6 or more smaller rewards, he loves the chicken best but other flavours are avaliable.

My experience? I have owned dogs, only ever had pedigree dogs from show dog families so the breeders have been crazy into health and coat care, nutrition ect. and have given me a wealth of knowledge….. this plus conversing regularly with a very good vet when I have a question I can’t find the answer to myself (yes janus, by researching different opinions of other dog owners which I VALUE and RESPECT more than, well more than you), has given me what I think a balanced view on what is best for myself and my dog…… But hey, that’s just my opinion right?…. Oh wait sorry, that was ‘In My Honest Opinion’

If any of my spelling was off there, I apologise, I’m using my phone and this forum isn’t too mobile friendly with it’s format.

Joe
Retired British Army Infantry Sniper….. Hence why any haters or immature children that want to reply with something idiotic will be ignored, I don’t have time to waste on keyboard warriors with arrogant ‘black or white’ ‘my way or I cry like a child’ opinions…… Life is one big grey area, engage your brain, adapt, overcome, and deal with it.

[aimee]

Hi Andrea,

For my dog with GI issues it was a combination of evaluation by the internist and trial and error food trials.

Between the tests at the regular vet and the ultrasound by the internist many causes were ruled out. Intestinal disease was suspected as the root cause based on the ultrasound findings but there were some pancreas changes as well.

The internist at this point recommended food trials over biopsy, at first eliminating all treats and using limited ingredient OTC foods. I did a trial with California Naturals chicken and rice and later lamb and rice. I kept a journal of symptoms as GI symptoms can wax and wane and we wanted to track in a more objective manner. I don’t remember how long I had him on each diet before changing I think about 6 weeks. The first two changes, no difference was found. Next we went to a vet therapeutic limited ingredient food and signs then resolved.

If I were to do it again I probably would approach a trial like I would for food “allergy” meaning taking an inventory of everything he had been exposed to and then taking in consideration common cross reactions choose a veterinary therapeutic diet for the trial.

I’m not a fan of using a hydrolyzed version of an ingredient the dog has been exposed to but I know of several dogs now with G problems that have done very well on hydrolyzed diets of an ingredient novel to them.

[Andrea B]

Can anyone confidently speak to a good probiotic &/or digestive enzyme for a dog with chronic acid reflux? My almost 10 year old Corgi has had issues with acid reflux for years. He has always been a heavy water drinker and constant licker – floors, pillows, couches, anything in front of him… which I’m now learning may be a symptom. About 3 years ago he started vomiting yellow foam/bile each morning. We went through several treatments with the vet until finally we started feeding him 4x a day and put him on 1 Prolisec every evening a few hours before his last meal. That stopped the vomiting, but he still constantly licks (not the worst thing, but concerned it’s a symptom). He is still on the feeding schedule (Kirklands signature mature – 4x a day) & Prilosec, and I’m not sure if the Prilosec is something that could harm him long-term. As recently as a few months ago we were giving all our dogs baby carrots for treats every few days and he would sometimes throw up whole baby carrots days after! We stopped giving him the carrots, but I’ve read that could be an indication of lacking digestive enzymes. I’ve read a lot about probiotics versus digestive enzymes and I’m confused. I want to help my boy feel better, but I just don’t know what to try and what products might work best. I don’t want to put him through anymore discomfort than I have to.
Does anyone have any information that could help?

• This topic was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Andrea B.

[Elinor M]

Only need to give Coconut oil (about 1/2-1 tsp per feeding) and maybe the addition of fiber (oat bran, about 1 tsp per feeding). No need to brush teeth if giving raw chicken wings (cut in half depending on size of dog). I raw feed and mix with kibble (3/4 cup kibble and remainder raw ground meat or ground turkey and also oftentimes add some sardines [omegas], mashed unadulterated sweet potatoes [about 1 lg soup spoon] and plain low fat yogurt [Fage brand is the best there is] and sometimes blueberries [about 1/2 cup per feeding once/wk] and sometimes 1/2 banana cut into chunks, other times steamed green beans, or steamed frozen peas, they like carrots too but must be cooked to soft stage, sometimes steamed cauliflower or chopped spinach and try to remember to top whatever I fix with Cilantro [detox]. My dogs are 6 mo old, eat 3 meals per day (until they’re 1 yr old). Sometimes I only give them couple chicken wings for mid-day meal and they seem to do real well. I also add to their meals twice/day Transfer Factor Canine Formula for all the nutrients I’m not able to provide by raw/kibble feeding. It’s expensive but lasts a really really long time between my 2 dogs which are: A Red Haired Golden Retriever and a German Shorthaired Pointer who are both very very active and healthy and have soft coats and clear eyes and very very white teeth (from the bones which contain calcium). Sometimes I also put a raw egg into their food which they love (using only some of the egg shell for the calcium which I sort of hand pulverize). Golden Retriever has been spayed and recovered completely in 2 days. German Shorthair Pointer will be spayed tomorrow 6/6/16 so am believing she’ll recover as quickly. In closing, if anyone’s dog gets diarrhea, give the dog 1 T Organic Canned Pumpkin or the supplement called Slippery Elm (1 cap for med size dog and 1/2 cap for smaller size [1 cap = 1/2 tsp….dump it out of capsule onto a largish piece of cheese and roll the whole thing up and feed that to the dog), Also might mention I fix all my own dog treats which is easy to do and they simply love them.

[Lori H]

I have the same problem with a picky eater, but alas, he is a single dog. The only thing that encourages him to eat are if one of the cats walks near his food (and that is not good for the peace of the household, so I do not want to use that for training purposes) OR a food with a liver ingredient. When I can’t find a food with a liver ingredient, I purchase the Stewart Freeze Dried Liver Treats. They are nothing but 100% freeze dried liver. They crumble very easily and he can’t resist the smell or taste. So I crumble one or two over his food and that gets him started and seems to “prime the pump” so to speak. Once he gets started eating then he tends to finish. I hope that helps you. I am currently feeding The Natures Variety Instinct Ultimate Protein Chicken which is the first food I have ever not had to add these treats to in order to get him to eat it. Alas though, at about $73 for a 20 lb bag I really need to find a more budget friendly alternative. I love that this food has no meal whatsoever – love, love, love the food…..its just not going to be realistic for my big boy and my pocket book…….. (my cats love the cat version too, but again looking for budget friendly alternatives that aren’t too terrible for them)

[Francis F]

To Donna M. and To Helene K. : I am very sad for your losses. I know how much we love our loyal dogs and if the Canine Carry Outs are causing these mishaps, it should definitely be removed from the shelves.

My little dog is 14 years old and has always loved these treats, as I stated back in 2015. I have been giving him these treats (beef) since he was about 2 years old. Now, to me, these are TREATS only and are not to be fed as regular food. I have read the bags ‘Made in USA’ and don’t find where it indicates products from China. Prior to the complaints on the forums and the several deaths, I used to give him no more than 1/2 of a nugget in a.m. and 1/2 nugget in p.m. / Since reading all the forums, I became very skeptical and only give him like 1/4 of an inch crumbled up. I even stopped for a while and bought these other $6 treats at PetSupermarket, but when he eats more than 2, he throws up.

Now, so that all of us who have given our pooches these treats, and have been fortunate that they are still alive: can you indicate on the forum how many of these treats were you giving your dogs and for how long had you purchased them. Can someone post the link or a photo of bag where it indicates ingredients are from China? How about the FDA
indication of removal?

Thank you and again, I am really sad for your losses.

[Susan]

Hi, from another Australian, I was taking Blooms Green Lipped Mussel capsules & I got bad indigestion, acid reflux, I also took the capsules with a meal…. then I google side effects Green Lipped Mussel & it said Nausea & indigestion…So I have stopped taking the Green Lipped Mussel capsules, I was going to give Patch 1 green Lipped Mussel Capsule with a meal & see how he goes…..

Ivory Coat’s Ocean Fish & Salmon is new, I got some samples the kibbles felt very greezy & has fish oil, Patch gets acid reflux when he eats any kibbles with Fish or salmon oil… Ivory Coat kibbles are hard to digest I found & the kibbles are too big, so the dog needs to really chew the kibbles… Probably the Sasha’s Blend & the Ivory coat kibble has either made Rusty feel sick or given him indigestion (Acid Reflux) irritated his stomach. .
I’m waiting for Pet Circle online pet shop to get in more “Holistic Select” Chicken Meal Senior, it’s a 5 star kibble, ingredient’s are healthy & the kibbles are smaller & easy to digest & its high in Glucosamine….Patch is 7yrs old, he’ll be 8 in November, his joints seem OK at the moment but I want to prevent any joint problems, I have Arthritis & its very painful & I can’t take NSAID pain relief irritates my stomach…
http://holisticselect.com.au/senior-dry-dog-food-chicken-meal-and-rice

I also feed Patch K-9 natural Green Lipped Mussel Snacks, Patch loves them, he gets 2 treats a day, they’re high in omega 3 fatty acids excellent for brain, joints & skin
http://www.k9natural.com/dog-food#catpage=2

This way I’m not giving Patch any supplements but I’m feeding him foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids. I have found Patch doesn’t do well on any Fish or Salmon oils when in foods or as supplements…
also next time you try another supplement give with a meal, so you line Rusty stomach with food, sounds like he has a sensitive stomach, you don’t mention what breed your dogs are?
I’d still give Anja the Sasha’s blend cause it’s expensive & feed Rusty a senior kibble like Holistic Select Senior that’s high in Glucosamine… ask vet or look online what’s doesn’t cause stomach upsets supplements for dogs joints….
if you want to feed a Grainfree kibble have a look at Artemis Osopure there’s Salmon or Bison or Duck I sent Artemis a stamped address envelope & got samples of all the Osopure formulas, they’re small kibble, easy to digest & Patch loves them…
http://www.artemispetfood.com.au/products/osopure-dog-products/

How you test a kibble is get a cup of very warm water & put a couple of kibbles in cup, look at the time & see how long the kibble takes to go soft….Ivory coat kibbles sank (No good) & took over 2 hours to soften, a good easy to digest kibble only takes about 20mins to 50mins & it’s soft….
I also rotate Patches kibbles I feed a grain free Taste Of The Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb at the moment but will be buying the Artemis Osopure Bison, second ingredient is salmon meal & Patch will be getting his fish & the Holistic Select Chicken meal Senior has Anchovy & Sardine Meal & Pork meal, I feed 1 kibble for breakfast & the other for dinner or sometimes ask Patch which one does he want & he licks the open container & says this one…

[Helene K]

Our sweet dog, Ginger, passed yesterday…kidney failure. She was an 8 year old Pom. In hind sight, I believe it was the Canine carry outs that were a contributing factor. We have 2 poms, both experienced foul smelling and abnormal BM’s, lethargy, uncontrolled urination, loss of appetite, dehydration, vomiting. We stopped giving these treats to them. Apparently, there is an FDA WARNING on these treats dated May 4th, but the parent company has not issued a recall on them. Negligence on their part….absolutely! They took the best dog we’ve ever had away from us. And left a whole, more so for my daughter who was Ginger’s pet human, in our family. It was too late for Ginger, but our younger Pom seems to be much better now. I will be having him seen and those treats tested by the vet. For proof of FDA warning, see Canine Carry Outs facebook. There is a vet that posted the letter from FDA on there.
Our sweet Ginger was a rescue. She was 6 years old when we got her. Dental issues, but otherwise in good health. We got her on 2/10/15. We (a month later) discovered she was deaf, but she could follow hand signal commands. Point is, we only had 15 months with her. A very short time, but there was never a better, smarter dog in my opinion. She was ours and we were hers. And then that bond was severed needlessly. I will Pursue this! Canine carry outs negligently failed to issue a warning despite an issued FDA warning and numerous deaths linked to their product. They didn’t just have a roll to play in our dog’s death, they took the equivalent of a child from us…they severed a bond so strong that you rarely if ever find…one in a million! And most of all, it hurts me to see my daughter so miserable. That dog and her were absolutely, 200% bonded. Her heart was ripped out of her chest emotionally yesterday!

[Johna A]

Does anyone have a recommendation for chicken jerky treats? I have two small breed dogs.I just purchased ‘Dingo Market Cuts Chicken Jerky’ but have not opened yet. The packaging says ingredients are chicken tenders, vegetable glycerin and potassium sorbate. Made in USA with NO artificial flavors, colors and no chicken by products. Opinions welcome. Thanks, Johna

[anonymously]

From the same site you consider to be a reputable source: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/frozen-carrots-as-a-doggie-chew-treat/
Excerpt below, click on link above to see full article:
“Did you know that large frozen carrots make excellent, edible dog chew treats? As do semi-frozen sweet potatoes or many other large, frozen vegetables. The trick is to make them large enough to prevent choking (don’t use baby carrots), and be sure to wash them before freezing. These healthy, edible goodies are a safe choice compared to Thanksgiving poultry bones which can splinter and cause serious damage if ingested”.

“Also at risk are your dog’s teeth. Angell Dentistry’s Dr. Bill Rosenblad warns against bones, “Bones can easily fracture a dog’s tooth, and when they do, it’s usually the most important chewing teeth (upper 4th pre-molar). I’ve had to pull many fractured teeth as a result of these.” Dr. Rosenblad goes on to say, “Dogs don’t show signs of having a fractured tooth or abscess in the way that humans do, and this can lead to tooth loss and more serious infections impacting the whole body.” Make sure your veterinarian gives your dog a good oral exam during annual check ups to check for fractured teeth or abscesses”.
About the author
Dr. Rosenblad :https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/meet-the-dentistry-team/
Another good article by him: https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/tooth-fractures/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by anonymously.

[Coonhound Mama]

Lauri G:

We’ve added lamb trachea to our rotation of whole prey treats- about one per week so as not to overdo (moderation for all things!) She doesn’t seem to have a problem with them so far. I’m not one for plugging links and businesses very often, but I thought I’d take the time to share this raw fed dog equivalent to the Bark Box subscription box! We’ve been getting one box a month of air dried species appropriate treats and they’re all human grade meats. Definitely worth a look if you’re interested in a variety of proteins to give as treats. Currently we’re doing lamb trachea, beef kidney, chicken feet, dehydrated pork loin and dried whole sardines 🙂

https://realpetfood.com/

[Marie P]

HI Karen , it my be the food change and her body is getting accustomed to the new protein .. You can try brushing her teeth with your finger and a little dog tooth paste.. I like this brand — pretty easy to do http://www.keepdoggiesafe.com/pro-dental-finger-brush.html

Also, many of my little dog clients take this daily powder supplement mixed into their food.. Most of my toy dog clients only get 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per day mixed into their food.. It’s liver flavor and helps to keep the body healthy and the teeth in good shape. Holistic and not sold in stores , SEE here http://www.nuvet.com/81098 ( Most of my pals call in to get the 15% off deal with coupon code 81098 ) YOU want the green bottle of powder called NuVET Plus. Tell them that Pet Nurse Marie sent you 1-800-474-7044

Also, you can allow your dog to use some of the homemade treats mentioned on the post above by Alexis ..

HOPE this helps..
If you need me stop by my site http://www.dogfoodconsultant.com

Marie Peppers LPNMA ( Ask the Pet Nurse )

[alexis w]

Here is a link to my blog with recipes that I made for my fur baby Callie. They are all grain free and meat based with a good mix of veggies and a link to a recommended supplement. I also have an article I wrote about dehydrated dog treats. Please check it out and comment so I know what I am lacking and what I’m doing right, even with all of my research I know there is always room for improvement! http://www.calliefoodrecipes.wordpress.com
thanks so much in advance and congrats to everyone who is so brave and awesome to make their fur babies homemade food!

[alexis w]

anchovies, salmon, mackerel, trout and herring are all high in omega 3 and low in mercury
on my blog calliefoodrecipes.wordpress.com there is an article for dehydrated dog treats with a recipe for dehydrated salmon treats you might like

[Susan]

Hi, change vets & see a vet that’s knows about IBD SIBO EPI etc has she been tested for SIBO? have a look at the fat % & fiber % in the food she is doing well on…. ring Royal Canine & find out what % is the Soluble fiber, Insoluble Fiber & Crude fiber % in the wet tin food, did you try the matching kibble to the wet tin food she’s doing good on?? …. Have you tried limited ingredient kibbles & cooked meals? Have you tried boiled chicken breast, not boil till chicken pieces are like leather, get 1 chicken breast & cut up into small bit size pieces & just before it boils the pieces are normally cooked, take off stove drain water, boil the jug & rinse the chicken pieces with boiled water, the fat & white froth comes off then I put chicken pieces in cold water to stop the cooking process, also boil 1 potato & 1 sweet potato… same cut into bit size pieces… I freeze the Sweet Potato pieces in meal sections, same with the chicken pieces, I freeze in 1/2 cup sections & 1 cup sections…You cant freeze the potato it goes yuk I have found so I cook enough boiled potato for 2-3 days & keep in the fridge, I add 1 cup chicken pieces, a couple pieces of potato & a couple of pieces of sweet potato about 1/4 cup each to 1 cup chicken, put the chicken & potato & sweet potato in the blender & blend for a few seconds, stop when everything is all blended, put 1/2 in the fridge & warm the other 1/2 in micro wave if you have taken out of fridge for about 10-15 sec make sure it isn’t hot, now add 1/2 a can of her wet tin food she does well on & see when you add the chicken pieces, sweet potato & potato if she still does firm poos….maybe start with just the potato first no sweet potato just in case later if poos are firm then try adding some sweet potato… every thing you do has to be limited ingredients & only 1 thing at a time or you wont know what is causing the diarrhea…

My dog gets real sloppy yellow poos from the vet diet Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal cause it has Maize & boiled rice in it, boiled rice can irritate the bowel causing diarrhea…
Have you tried “California Natural” Lamb Meal & Brown Rice?? it has just 4 ingredients but cause you have a puppy you should have your dog on a puppy large breed Lamb & Rice kibble…. here’s the California Natural web site… a few dogs with IBD do really well on the limited ingredient California Natural, I’m pretty sure its money back guaranteed if it doesn’t agree with your dog….

I really think you should be seeing a specialist that deals in IBD in dogs, she may need to be put on Tylan Powder or Metronidazole or a steroid…. Tylan Powder is excellent & firms poos over night but you need to put the Tylan Powder in empty capsule cause its very bitter & dogs can stop eating cause of the taste it leave a metal taste in their mouth, it’s online how to get a shoe box & put small holes in the top of the empty shoe box, so you can put the Tylan Powder into the empty capsules, you add about 1/8th -1/4 teaspoon into capsule & must be given with a meal once a day if once a day doesn’t firm poo, then give twice a day breakfast meal & dinner meal but I only gave at Dinner meal..

When you try any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure they have limited ingredients…. just 1 protein & 1 carb, another kibble & wet tin food brand you can try is “Natural Balance” Dick Van Patten limited ingredient but look thru all the formulas as some have peas only pick a formula that just has Potato & 1 single protein, that’s why the California Natural Lamb & Rice is the best it has no peas its just Lamb & grounded brown & white rice, feed for breakfast 1/2 cup kibble then wait 5-10mins & then feed 1/2 can of the Royal Canine that she can eat, what ever you try always add her wet tin food but I don’t like feeding wet tin or cooked with dry kibble together, my boy gets pain when I’ve added the wet tin & a kibble dry 2 together your girl might be Ok…. For breakfast I feed cooked chicken sweet potato, then I feed the 1/2 cup kibble for lunch, so you’d feed her wet tin for breakfast, then lunch try just 1/2 cup limited ingredient kibble for lunch, then for dinner her wet tin food do not give anything else that day, no treats nothing, just her wet tin food & the new kibble or the cooked meal……That would cost a bit buying the vet diet wet tin foods being a pup, they eat a bit, that’s why if you can, its cheaper to cook & fresher…..do 1/2 wet tin food & 1/2 cooked chicken/sweet potato also if sweet potato give sloppy poo, then try just the boiled potato, if it does work you will need to balance the cooked meal, I use DigestaVite Plus powder
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

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[DieselJunki]

I wouldn’t feed them either. Matter of fact when others ask if they can give my dog a treat I always ask ‘What is it?’ and if it even looks like a milk-bone I nicely decline and just say he’s got allergies, which isn’t totally a lie.

What InkedMarie said, take as much time in choosing treats for your dog as you do choosing the food.

[Shelley S]

I use Acana Grasslands for my dog. I have done a LOT of research into dog foods and their ingredients and this is the one I use for my dog. I feel it is important to have a product whose ingredients are sourced in the US and Canada rather than elsewhere. Chicken allergies appear to be rather common and Danes do tend towards sensitive skin. Here are the ingredients of Grasslands… Deboned lamb, lamb meal, duck meal, whitefish meal*, whole peas, red lentils, field beans, deboned duck, whole eggs, deboned walleye, duck fat, herring oil, lamb liver, herring meal, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach, cranberries, blueberries, …
When you want to talk about healthy treats let me know lol 🙂

[Shelley S]

Here are the ingredients in Milk Bones… Wheat Flour, Meat and Bone Meal, Wheat Bran, Milk, Beef Fat (preserved with BHA), Salt, Natural Flavor, Dicalcium Phosphate, Wheat Germ, Calcium Carbonate, Brewer’s Dried Yeast, Malted Barley Flour, Sodium Metabisulfite (used as a preservative), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, … If you look up these ingredients individually, you will find out a lot about them and be able to make your own informed decision. I am a dog trainer by trade and am always changing the treats that my clients use to healthier alternatives. I personally have joined in a new treat company because the woman that created it approached me at a pet expo. I was unimpressed about being asked to become involved with them until I looked at the ingredients. Once I saw those, I joined the company and these are the treats my dog gets. It is now my desire to let everyone know about the treats but at the same time don’t want to spam. If you want to know more look up wonderdog superfoods, you can contact me from there. No matter what treats you use, please, do your research, they should not be an impulse buy. Ingredients are important, where they are sourced is important and where they are prepared is important. You can help to extend your dog’s life by doing your research and providing the best nutrition you can. With that, you can probably guess my feelings about milk bones/z lol

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Shelley S.

[InkedMarie]

I wouldn’t feed them. I take as much time in choosing treats as I do dog food.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Randy O-
I buy Costco’s Kirkland Signature Dog Biscuits: http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/kirkland-brand-pet-food

I don’t get quite as fancy as some others on this site. My dogs do just fine with these. They each get half a biscuit every morning when we put them in their kennels before we go to work. So far no issues. I’m not sure how close the ingredients are to Milk Bones.

They are pretty calorie dense so I wouldn’t give too many. Plus treats shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your dog’s total calories. Best of luck!

[Pitlove]

Hi Jodi-

Treats are just that, a treat. They are meant to be a high value reward for training, not part of their daily diet IMO. That is why they should only make up 10% or less of your dogs daily caloric intake so as to not imbalance their already balanced diet. If you are asking about treats for the purpose of training, the higher value the better.

[Jane E]

The treat I give around here and have for many years now are Fruitables (crunchy ones) because they are low fat and a great size…they seem to address all the needs (older dogs with pancreatitis,younger dogs you are training and you don’t went to increase calories and last but not least can be carried in your pocket without making it greasy)…just all around great IMO…they aren’t cheap but I ONLY give them when a certain behavior is accomplished…around here they are always given one when they go in the crate …no treats just because so they aren’t used freely…As I was potty training dogs I used these smaller pelletized treats from BilJac and they are the perfect size and they just gobble them up and really don’t have to chew because they are softer…I’d probably use those again if I were to be potty training a dog….then they would only be used for that…the moment a dog *goes* outside I click to mark the behavior and give a treat and celebrate by clapping my hands and doing some sort of celebration jig!!! Have fun with the new pup