[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, 9 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, 9 months ago by CircaRigel.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by CircaRigel.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 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, 10 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, 10 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, 11 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

[Jodi O]

i just joined this website as our family will have a lab puppy in a little over a week. As I narrow down a good puppy food, it got me wondering about quality dog treats. Am I better using a piece of dog food as a treat than bones? I’m sure my lab won’t care! Mike- I wondered what your opinion is. I want to be careful to watch the weight with treats but wonder if there’s no reason to use them if the nutritional value is inferior?
Thanks Jodi

[Sheila R]

Oh goodness, good thing I found this site because my girl dog loves these treats but ever since I found the plastic strung, I check it and remove it with my mouth. Ever since I found it I thought it was just in my head but I guess not. If they know about it they should do something about it.

[DieselJunki]

I’ve never fed a weight management formula before but Dr. Tim’s seems to be a budget friendly brand that has a decent ingredient list on their weight management formula. If it was me, I would try cutting back on what you feed, and that means cutting back on scraps and treats as well or completely eliminating them!

*How many cups a day is your dog eating?
*What is your dogs ideal adult weight? (not what he weighs currently.)
*Have you looked at a dog body condition chart? Usually these charts are a better indication of whether a dog is over or under weight. I don’t ever weigh my dog, I just watch his body condition and put my hands on him to feel his ribs.

When looking at weight management brands the one thing you want to watch out for is how many carbs are in it. That’s the real killer, and like Susan K said, many weight management formulas have a lot of fillers, thus relating to a lot of carbs, and a lot of carbs = weight gain in non active dogs.

[M F]

Hi Heather, My dog was diagnosed with Pancreatitis at only two years of age and she was put on Hills WD chicken and rice, that worked good for her for a number of years but then at age 13 she was diagnosed with IBD and she could no longer tolerate the Hills WD because at that time they had made a slight change to their formula, now let me say I am not a fan of Hills they really aren’t that highly rate. I cooked for her for close to a year trying to find food she could keep down, then I discovered Royal Canine Gastrointestinal Low Fat dry dog food Chicken and Rice formula and she did great on that and lived to be seventeen years old, I also found that giving her salt free soda crackers at night before bedtime broken up with a little water on them helped to avoid an upset tummy in the morning, she could also tolerate carrots for treats which I think helped give her extra fiber, of course what works for one dog doesn’t necessarily work for another, I wish you good luck, I thought perhaps you might also try some boiled boneless skinless chicken ground up in a grinder very small and then stir a tablespoon of that in with the try, maybe it will entice him to eat.

[CLAIRE H]

I am so thankful for this information all of you have shared!!! I have a boxer, Tigra who just started this about 3 months ago. She is not a rescue and has never known any trauma or abuse yet she has some anxiety and has developed fear of loud noises and thunder drives her on to my lap. I have another boxer who is a rescue and has none of this anxiety nor does she have the reflux issue yet is on the identical diet.

I am hopeful since eliminating the Glucosamine treats and the Zukes training treats and the treats with salmon oil and all dairy, Tigra, is not showing signs of the gulping and gagging at all and it has been 2 weeks since I stopped all treats. She eats Great Life dry raw Chicken kibble with Coco Licious can food in morning and again in evening and nothing in between. I am keeping my fingers crossed. With all the environmental toxins we are all exposed to and god knows what is in dog food it is no wonder there are these mysterious conditions that vets have no idea how to treat. I am grateful for all of your experience and will continue to follow this thread and hopefully report good news down the line.

[Stephanie B]

I agree, it would be beneficial to have the paperwork or at least contact info for the vet your rescue organization used to administer the injections. I think the confusion comes in because the “standard protocol” now calls for the 3 injections vs. 2. But both are effective depending on the worm infestation level. If the dog has already been subjected to 2 injections (as confirmed by the vet who administered)…it doesn’t make sense to start over from the beginning and give 3 more! Unfortunately, it takes 6 months before you can re-test to know whether the treatment has been effective. I would also agree with your decision to switch vets to one who knows about/treats heartworm disease.

[Sarah A]

I’m really sorry you and your dog are going through that. It’s so scary and frustrating.

I second the recommendation for seeing an internal med specialist or at least getting a second opinion since your vet sounds (from your description) to not be recommending other supportive care. For example, did your vet prescribe Cerenia (an anti-nausea) or mirtazapine (an appetite stimulant)? Both of those can be extremely helpful in getting your dog to want to eat again.

It’s been almost a year since my dog (a standard poodle) had pancreatitis. It took her a long time (more than a month) to act normal. I ended up feeding her “poodle cakes” (sweet potato pancake mix (not the variety with sugar in it) made with chicken broth, non-fat cottage cheese and pumpkin with some salmon oil and a couple of freeze-dried chicken liver treats crushed and stirred in). Also “poodle noodles” (macaroni cooked in chicken broth with chicken). The pancakes were the first food she ate enthusiastically and that was after weeks of trying to tempt her with other stuff.

Best of luck with your dog!!
Sarah

[Jen S]

Thank you so much for your help! I’ve decided to start tracking her weight weekly on the calendar and visually determine health on the 9-point scale weekly as well, so hopefully we’ll find a good groove.

I ended up buying the Coastal Catch variety and setting the Primitive Naturals variety aside. On their website, Earthborn Holistics states that PN is not suitable for growth of large breed puppies but they haven’t placed that statement on the bag; that’s disappointing. I know I read the back of the bag in the store and would have appreciated that statement.

For anyone who may read this later, I ended up using this calculator which is based on research from Ohio State University. It calculates number of calories needed based on life stage of the dog. Then I took that daily caloric need value and divided by the number of calories in a cup of her food….which gave me a number of cups to feed per day. I’m going to start there because it makes the most sense to me. But every week we will re-evaluate her weight and visual condition and adjust as needed. That link is:

http://platopettreats.com/connect/dogs-daily-calorie-calculator/

[Teresa B]

Thank you all. She does get treats at about 6 calories each. They are small so at most 20 per day. Occasionally she gets a people treat (by accident), I treat her with her dog food on our runs. So total dog food intake amounts to 3.5 cups at most. She still has a definite “waistline” from the side, however top view is barely curved. I hoped when the scale said she weighed so much that it was muscle. I think I am going to try one of the ones you mentioned with a higher protein and less fat. Perhaps the natural balance is just not the right formula for her. Thank you for time and input

[theBCnut]

I have 3 dogs, one JRT and two Border Collies. I buy small bags of the highest protein kibbles that meet my standards and rotate after every bag. My dogs get half kibble and half other. One day a week, it’s raw sardines or herrings for omega 3s. One day a week, it’s green tripe for probiotics. One day a week, they get a whole carcass grind from Hare Today. It may be rabbit, quail, guinea pig, or whatever they have. This gives them the micronutrients found in brain and eye, as well as many other things never found in any other form of dog food. The other days, they may be getting a quality canned food, leftovers from my dinner, or another raw like pork, beef, turkey, lamb, goat. The beef, lamb, and goat are from my own farm. I make dehydrated treats and buy freeze dried to use as treats. I also prepare a veggie blend and a fruit blend and freeze into ice cubes so I just drop one or the other in their food bowl each day. I occasionally use another probiotic or give kefir. I give a green superfood supplement. And if my husband drops his fish oil pill I give it to the dogs. I add water and apple cider vinegar(raw with the mother) to every meal and I give coconut oil on the days that I feed a low fat protein.

[Justin A]

I have an Irish Wolfhound pup as well (he’ll be 13 months on the 11th) and have been looking for a dry food that would give him firmer stool as well. My guy generally has “soft serve” like stool as you describe.

When I got him he had been on Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food, Focus, Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Rice Formula with the breeder and for a bit with me. This is probably when his stool was the firmest.

I wanted to get a better food for him and went with Whole Earth Farms Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food. I tried that for about 4 30lb bags worth but his stool stayed soft the entire time.

I then tried Fromm Gold Holistic Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food, roughly through 3 bags (33lbs I think) but didn’t see a change.

I am now on my 4th bag of Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food (30lbs) and I really haven’t seen an improvement.

I am almost now thinking it may be something else, like the various treats I give him or maybe the soft stool isn’t an issue (other than clean up!).

[Stephanie B]

Hi Teresa B- I totally understand not wanting to return to diarrhea issues!! And it sounds like she’s getting lots of exercise, that’s great! We adopted ours as a senior and she weighed 94lbs…she’s gotten down to 84 with about 6 more pounds to go. Do you feed treats between meals? I know those can add up so if you do you should factor them in to her daily calories (there’s a calculator on this site that helps you figure out the recommended daily calories for a dog’s ideal weight and activity level.)

I’ve never used Natural Balance foods so all I can go off of is the label and lower ratings here due to the high carbohydrate content and low protein (Potato is listed as the first ingredient…ideally I’d try to find something with the protein(s) listed first.) That being said if your pup really does well on it and you can’t find an alternative that isn’t causing diarrhea, it’s only 375/cup which is not excessively high. The very high quality protein rich foods (Acana, Orijen, Wysong, etc.) are in the 450-500cal/cup range. So, you could cut back just a little on the serving size per meal of her current food (either mixing in wet food or not) and see if it aids in weight loss. As far as suggestions see below:

Ones that I’ve tried and like (or I should say Heidie liked 🙂 ) are:
Wellness Core Reduced Fat 360cal/cup
Dr. Tim’s Metabolite 268.6cal/cup
Weruva Caloric Harmony Venison & Salmon w/ Pumpkin 348cal/cup
Orijen Senior 445cal/cup (this one is higher calorie so I tend to mix 50/50 with either Wellness Core RF or Dr. Tims Metabolite to cut down the cals per meal)

Some I’ve researched (but haven’t fed yet) that could be viable options to try are:
Annamaet Grain Free Lean Low Fat 350 cal/cup
Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain Free Healthy Weight 347cal/cup
Premium Edge Healthy Weight I 347cal/cup
Nulo Freestyle Cod and Lentils 368cal/cup
Dr. Tim’s RPM Salmon & Pork Grain Free 389cal/cup

If it seems like your dog is having a lot of digestive issues with new foods it might be worth getting an allergy test done to narrow down what foods you can try based on their ingredients.

Hope this helps…all the best!

[Marjorie M]

There are 2 foods that we purchase. The moist food is ordered directly from the Robert Abady company which makes a low phosphorus/lower (but good) protein foods for both dogs and cats. For my 7 year (recently adopted) Lab with kidney disease we use Beef-based formula for maintenance & stress for adult dogs.
The kibble we use is a Blue Basic Limited Ingredient Senior which is also low phosphorus/low protein. That is not the only food he gets but the rest is a meal regimen which is all fresh food.
Yes, aside from baby carrots and lettuce, he is given 2 different dog treats which are seem to be within the acceptable range.
He is also given supplements daily as well as probiotics and occasionally digestive enzymes along with certain protein in an attempt to keep the BUN levels withing normal range. BTW, his last CBC showed everything in the normal range!

[Coonhound Mama]

Hello friends,

Just wanted to see if anyone could recommend some good whole prey style treats for raw fed large breed dogs. I currently feed dehydrated organs, meats and some dairy but would like to try something different that might take her a little longer to chew. I don’t want to add too many calories as these would just be quick treats. I’ve been looking into dehydrated rabbit’s feet and ears for starters as she is a 60 lb dog and these seem as though to be appropriate.
My apologies if this should have gone under the Raw Food forum, just figured it pertained to treats so I’d stick it here!

Thanks guys.

[Darlene R]

I recently been giving my dog these marrobones bacon and cheese flavor treats and he became very sick, had to keep him at the vets overnight . I have him home now , he’s still not 100% but at least he’s eating and drinking again, not anything pedigree though.

[Sarah B]

I also have a blue nose Pitt bull we are also going through some crazy irritations, allergies, ear infections, scratching constantly. I have been for the past four months solid trying new things researching nightly constantly trying to help my best friend! I have found my pittty is ellergic to fluoride in the water, so I boil his water daily refrigerate it I do not bath him in tap water! He is also allergic to wheats, grains, by-products the works! I’m telling u my poor baby boy he can’t even eat or dink out of plastic! OK so I have figured out to help sooth the itchy irritating skin I am using ready for this?? Sudocream diaper rash cream for babies! Works instant! Ingredients: purified water, liquid paraffin wax, paraffin wax, lanolin, beeswax, benzyl benzoate, sodiumbenzoate, and so on! Then treats: raw carrots , apples NOT the seeds!!! Clean his ears as often as u wash ur own. Do not use q-tip use a cotton swab and a gentle formula douce ear cleaner. I use Wahl pet ear cleaner it’s specially formulated with baking soda and mild cleanser compounds to clean away wax build up and debris. If the skin is so bad I like to put pure coconut oil on his skin it helps with the dry skin and also if your dog licks it off well even better 😉 ….dog food: I mix his daily portion with one cup WHITE RICE and two cups his perferd dog food. Ol Roy NO NO NO!! IAMS! NOPE! I won’t lie I’m still working on that! But he did have an almost full recovery on natural nutrition grain free but then I tried ol Roy n with in half a bowl were back to square one N with in half a day. It’s extremelyexhusting but if he is healthier happier it’s all worth it! Hope this helps u? Good luck IL be checking in to see if u reply with good news. I truly hope I am of some helpful ideas.

[Pitlove]

Hi Debbie-

Glad you found something that works for your dog. I just wanted to make a note that your vet saved you a lot of money by advising against blood testing for food allergies. It IS in fact very inreliable.

If you ever find that the Kangaroo diet is not working, the golden standard of testing for food allergies is a proper elimination diet with either a homecooked diet with a novel protein and carb (one of each only) or a presciption veterinary diet in which the protein has been hydrolyzed. Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein would be the best one to use as it outpreformed Science Diet in effectiveness when feed trialed. They can eat that food and only that food for 2-3 months, no treats, table food, nothing. It’s tough to do but so worth it! We did that for our pitbull who has food sensitivities.

Hope your lab has continued success with Zignature!