[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!

[debbie k]

I have an approx. 5 1/2 yr old Lab which I rescued and have suffered right along side of him since day one with allergies, it kills me to see my baby so miserable! I have tried every food known for “sensitive stomach” “allergies” ” gluten free” etc I have taken him to the vet and begged them to do an allergy test multiple times only to have my vet tell me it’s a waste of money and not accurate he was on 2 benadryl a day and it didn’t help. Anyway I will spare you EVERYTHING we tried and get to the point… I had wonderful people open a store called pawtopia across the road from where I lived in Oklahoma and I decided to drop in to check them out one day, I got to talking to the husband and wife that ran it and told them of all my problems with rocky and they said have you tried kangaroo? I looked at them like they were nuts and said no, they talked me into trying “Zignature kangaroo formula” food and some whole 100% pumpkin (2 tbs a week) and within a week my rocky was improving, no more hair falling out when I pet him, no more digging at his butt (eww gross I know) no more bright red snout, no more gas, no more itching, red watery eyes!!! My baby was starting to feel great and it showed more and more everyday. I’m still to this day not sure what all he’s allergic to but I have determined he cannot do chicken, turkey, gluten, salmon etc but I found something that he can have and decided to leave well enough alone. I hope this helps someone somewhere out there because I know I was going out of my mind trying to find something for my lab son whom I love dearly and hated seeing him so miserable, I tried every expensive dog food you can name and even tried making everything homemade and nothing has worked like the zignature kangaroo formula along with pumpkin for little treats. Good luck and hope this helps someone!

[C4D]

Hi Hailey L,

Ahhh, small dogs. My family and I’ve had many dogs over the years, mostly big, but a few small ones. They are, for sure, the nippers of the group. The only times my kids have been bitten was by small dogs.

The others have given you some good suggestions. I tend to think no records were given because there are no records. Giving the name of the vet used to verify is extremely easy and they have the records. You could go 1 of 2 routes. You can either titer to see if vaccinations were given (it is expensive, but considered a very safe route) or you could revaccinate. It’s a tough decision. I foster a lot of dogs, many with no prior history, including some of my own personal dogs. Rescues tend to vaccinate if no prior history is known. But, the choice is up to you. I’ve taken it on a case by case decision with my dogs. Rabies are required in my state, so I do 3 year rabies shot.

In regard to food, she may be missing her family and trying to adjust. The homemade broth is a good idea. Anonymously is right. Stay away from sausage since it’s loaded in nitrates and preservatives. People shouldn’t even be eating them! Putting the treats into the food isn’t a good idea, since they are not a balanced diet. You could also try adding some well rated canned food to the kibble and adding warmed water to make it more attractive. I mix them all together so everything is well coated and almost like a stew. My fosters, as well as my own dogs just love it. You might go to the pet store and see if they have samples of food so you could try before you buy. Some dogs can be picky. I have Labs and kill shelter rescues, so, fortunately, I haven’t had the problem. Good luck with your new pup!

[Hailey L]

Hi, about a week and a half ago I adopted a one-year-old chihuahua pomeranian mix. For the first few days, he wouldn’t eat and I figured it was separation anxiety from his previous owner and the other dog she had. I didn’t want to feed him the food his previous owner fed him (Pedigree Small Breed) because I didn’t want him to have anything with byproducts in it or anything like that, so I bought him a healthier food (Perfomatrin Ultra grain-free for small dogs, recommended to me when I brought him into PetValu with me). At first, I had to mix in a little bit of freeze-dried chicken breast treats to get him to try it but he ate it and he seemed to like it and two days ago I managed to get him to eat two bowls of it but now he won’t even eat that. I tried feeding him the Pedigree and he won’t even eat that, nor will he eat any wet food and if I mix treats in with his food, he just picks out the treats and eats those. He’s still drinking regularly and not vomiting or anything, going to the bathroom at regular times, etc. and he doesn’t seem sick, still has lots of energy and everything, but he hasn’t eaten for almost two days now and I’m getting worried about him. I brought him back into PetValu yesterday and was given a sample of RAW dog food (it’s basically all-natural ground-up chicken, beef, lamb, etc. and looks like ground beef and is supposed to simulate people-food so that picky dogs will eat it to get their appetite going) but he won’t eat that either, even with treats mixed in. Any suggestions?

[Bushman]

Hello
I have never purchased them, but I did take a look at their website when I saw your post.

Seems like they are trying to imply that their chews are simply dried meat.

I have a dehydrator and make beef jerky, as I make it, there are various pieces that don’t come out the way I want them too, a fat strip left behind, or inconsistent cut that makes it dehydrate unevenly, or whatever. I dehydrate them completely and give them to my dog for treats or training snacks. I have done chicken as well, the larger pieces of tough chewy meat will keep him entertained for a while. Not as long as rawhide (which I do not buy) but they last about as as long as the smoked pig ears that I buy from the local butcher.

[Anna S]

Is it okay to give raw chicken liver as a treat for dogs? I’m thinking no more than three times a week. I have three Shetland Sheepdogs and one Chihuahua who are on Blue Buffalo LPF. Also, I know this website is for dogs, but if anyone knows if this is a good treat for cats, too, that’d be helpful.

[Mary Susan S]

We have two bichons. One of them (now almost 12) has been diagnosed with allergies ever since she was two, and the baby of the family (now three) may be developing them. We want to feed them the same kibble in any case. The senior dog’s allergies got worse last year, and we started looking at a food component for the first time.

We have the joy and trouble of having a very particular veterinary allergist. She wanted originally to sell us a prescription diet, which “is not rated due to its intentional therapeutic design” here on the DFA. But the ingredient list speaks volumes: “Dried potato, venison meal, coconut oil, potato protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, natural flavors, vegetable oil, fish oil, ….” I dug my heels in. Luckily for me, they had added the hydrolyzed soy protein when my allergist’s back was turned. Supposedly, this doesn’t trigger allergies the way plain soy does, but I could claim principle. Really, I objected to feeding my dogs potatoes flavored with venison!

At that point, the doctor wanted us to cook for our dogs, which I also refused to do on the grounds that I don’t cook for us, either. However, if you are willing to do so, you will definitely know what your dog is getting. With otc kibbles, apparently, you don’t, not really. Even a high-quality company (one that actually makes their own kibble) probably makes different formulas on the same equipment, and might or might not clean thoroughly enough in-between runs. My allergist knows of a website that helps with balanced recipes for dogs, and if you like, I could find out what it is.

But we forged onward, valiantly. Our allergist likes Champion because they make their own kibble and in general maintain very high quality. So first I went for ACANA Lamb & Okanagan Apple Singles Formula. However, doc cited research at Cornell that a diet limited to lamb is linked to heart disease in dogs. Pork is a common allergen, too, so we first picked a rabbit-only kibble that did fine in terms of allergies but had our younger dog eating dirt. I wish Acana made Singles in the more unusual meats, like venison! But we then tried Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash, and fortunately, our dogs seem to be doing well enough on it. (Yes, on top of drugs — Atopica — for our senior dog.)

It’s been rough, because our babies like their treats and kongs and such. The only “limited diet” canned food I’ve been able to find that my allergist didn’t promptly dismiss out of hand is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet. (Although I have to confess, she really wants us to go with baby food. Sadly, the only single-protein baby food we could find was too runny to keep inside a kong.) At least rabbit or pork (and nothing else) treats have been findable on Chewy.com, although they’re expensive.

The key to what you’re doing is to know your kibble ingredient list, cross your fingers and hope that that is actually all that’s in the bag, and not buy anything else. No treats from the table (except for steamed or raw vegetables), that sort of thing. (Oddly, peanut butter was fine with a veterinary allergist!) Oh was there joy in this house when we got to the point of adding cheese back into the dogs’ diet!

Be especially careful with eggs, by the way, because it’s in just about all the quality foods (like the Fromm brand you’re talking about), and is apparently a very common allergen. We probably won’t ever try putting it back. You need to go at least two months with a given set of foods before adding anything, and then one at a time.

I hope this helps, especially the warning about an all-lamb diet. Unfortunately, I don’t have an actual citation for it.

[Michelle B]

GRAPES ARE BAD FOR DOGS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOXIC!!! THEY COULD CAUSE KIDNEY FAILURE!!! IT IS NOT AN “ALLERGY”!!!

Even if your dog ate grapes before and was “fine,” that doesn’t mean that they’re somehow immune. It is possible to have kidney damage without symptoms. The effect is accumulative. So if you keep feeding them grapes, eventually the damage to your dog’s kidneys would be great enough to cause renal failure.

It is the actual flesh of the grape that is toxic to dogs, not the seed, as some people think. Grapeseed extract is safe for dogs, so that tells you that it is not the seed that is bad for dogs. Grapes (all varieties, seedless or not), raisins, grape jelly/jam, grape juice are toxic to dogs (and cats). It is difficult to say how much could cause a dog to become seriously ill, or even kill them, so it is safest to call your vet ASAP (or take them to an emergency clinic after hours).

Garlic is okay in small amounts (some dog foods & treats contain garlic). But unless you know the safe dose for your dog’s weight, do not feed them homemade foods or treats with garlic!

Onions are also toxic to dogs, but again, are okay in small doses (but don’t feed to your dogs if you don’t know how much is safe!).

A dog would have to eat a lot (relative to their weight) of MILK CHOCOLATE (for example, my 60 lb dog would have to eat 1kg of milk chocolate to become seriously ill). If it is dark chocolate, baker’s chocolate, or cocoa powder however, a very small amount (1 tbsp for my dog) could kill them! Here is a great calculator to help you decide whether you should take your dog to the vet or not: http://www.petmd.com/dog/chocolate-toxicity

From what I’ve read, avocados are not actually toxic to dogs or cats (they ARE toxic to birds & other animals though). The risk is that your dog may swallow that giant avocado seed in the center. They could choke on it, or it could block their digestion system, which would require surgery.

As for meat bones, it’s an evaluation of risk and reward that every dog guardian needs to make their own choice about. Large, weight-bearing bones (such as large leg bones from cattle or pigs) are more likely to chip or break a tooth. Chicken or turkey bones are less likely to cause injury to teeth. I like to give my dogs chicken wings or turkey vertebrae to chew on. NEVER give your dogs cooked bones!!! Raw bones are safer b/c they will not splinter like cooked bones would! But raw bones could be risky if you have a young child, elderly person, or anyone with immunity issues in the home, or in contact with the dog. Antlers are a possible alternative for dogs with allergies (but again, chipping or breaking a tooth is possible).

[Bobby dog]

Hi Kathleen C:
For small crunchy treats my dog likes Primal Freeze Dried Turkey Liver Munchies, Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Kisses, Weruva Freeze Dried Treats, and Stewart’s freeze dried Pro Treats.

Some larger crunchy treats that can be cut or broken up that he likes are The Honest Kitchen Beams and Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Turkey Necks.

[Kathleen C]

I give my 19 pound Boston Terrier Himalayan Dog Chews from a local pet store that seems to be very hands on when it comes to the dog foods and treats she carries. It’s made from Yak and cow milk, salt and lime juice. He loves them and they are expensive ($10 for the under 35 pound size), but if they are natural and safe I will pay the price. I was giving him Zukes, but just found out they also sold to Purina and that scares me.

[Jenn H]

Duane P, I’m glad you didn’t just decide for your dog to be vegan/vegetarian just because you are. Be very careful about where you get info from. I haven’t found any scientific/evidence based info regarding how safe it is for dogs. If anecdotal “evidence” is enough then you’ll have no shortage of that.

theBCnut, that’s very interesting to me. It kinda changes everything. That’s a pretty important detail that doesn’t seem to get included in the story of that dog.
Having dogs running around 30 acres I know for a fact they do a lot of hunting. I’ve seen them eating birds, frogs, snakes, baby turtles, turkey eggs, chipmunks…the list is endless with what I’ve seen them munch on.
These dogs are fed very well and get more treats and carrots than the horses. There’s no way they’re missing anything. Yet they still like to do their own grocery shopping. They are dogs. They are predators. They like meat.
I guarantee the dog got its nutritional needs met on its own while roaming. While the owner may believe it adhered to a strict veg diet, I’m certain the dog would have a different story.

[Jody C]

My dog just started doing the same thing. He will normally eat everything & anything. He does get treats/table food on occasions. He’s still willing to eat those. We cut back. He’s 90lbs & eats the same times every day. I’m going to try a new food. He’s currently eating Taste of Wild

[Aimee]

I recently got a 4-year old pure bred Brussels Griffon (11 lbs) from a breeder. The dog is in PERFECT shape for his breed! Lean and trim with plenty of energy, clear eyes and good breath, does his business regularly and eats heartily.

I work long hours Monday-Friday (typically 11-12 hour days) and I’ve been taking him to a dog sitter every day I work so he can have plenty of attention and exercise. This dog sitter also walks dogs as a business, so my dog gets to join him on a lot of those walks a few days a week, so he gets pretty great exercise. I’d say on average, he probably walks 10-16 miles a week between the sitter and myself.

I feed my dog around 1/2 a cup of very good quality (Acana) dry food in the morning and he gets a few tablespoons at night. I send him to the sitter with usually a few tablespoons of some veggie, like steamed broccoli or raw baby carrots that is his treat mid-day. He also gets usually 4 of those fresh breath chewsticks and training treats a week along with usually 1-2 bully sticks a week. Once a week I’ll give him a little peanut butter or cottage cheese too.

The sitter has his own dog that he’ll feed fruit to every day (usually melons, like honeydew) and will give my dog a few pieces usually. I don’t really like this because I want to have control over everything my dog eats… but I also know that my dog is getting a lot of exercise and it probably won’t hurt him.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think a little fruit and veggies during the day is ok? Like I said, his poops are consistent and not runny and he doesn’t seem to be gaining any weight from it.

[aquariangt]

Hi Katrina,

Kudos on starting your puppy off on clicker training early! That makes me smile

As far as homemade treats, I have a few suggestions:

First, keep it varied, will keep the dog working longer. Use some commercial stuff, use kibble samples, whatever you’ve got (within reason obviously)
Lots of fresh foods-cubed up cheese, liverwurst, brawnschweiger (im sure I misspelled that), pieces of meat…
For something to make yourself-boil chicken, add a touch of honey to the water, that makes em go crazy 🙂 or “Tuna Fudge”-canned tuna (no sodium or other additives if you can) eggs, some flour (whatever kind you wish)-bake till solid but I like to keep it soft

[Katrina B]

Hi, does anyone have a great recipe for (prefer grain free but not necessarily) treats that I can make that are suitable for giving as very small clicker training treats?
Thanks so much
Katrina & Bella the 4 month bulldog 🙂

[Marina P]

My almost 3 year old French Bulldog has severe acid reflex. This past November, he just started throwing up bile and foam during the night and during the day, several times a day. He could not go more than a couple hours without eating. If he did he would vomit. Otherwise he was fine. Eating, eliminating, playing, drinking, etc.. However, one of these episodes caused him to aspirate his vomit and landed him in the ER for 4 days.

Since then, we have run blood work checking kidneys and liver values, which came back negative and within normal range, had x-rays of his abdomen, which showed a weakened esophageal sphincter, tested his stool for parasites, which was negative as well. The vet said change his diet so we did.

We have tried diet changes and medication and he still occasionally has reflex causing him to vomit. He eats five meals a day, about 4-5 hours apart. We bought him an automatic feeder so he can have food on a specific schedule. He was eating grain-free food but the vet wanted to switch him to something with lower protein and fat contents. We feed him Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet Lamb and Rice food as it is low in both. We are pretty sure he is allergic to poultry so we avoid that in both food and treats. He also takes the generic version of prilosec, once a day, 10mg. We also give a probiotic daily.

The constant feeding seemed to help, but he will still randomly vomit from time to time. Maybe twice a month at most. Is there anything else I can do? The vet said we can try a specialist gastro vet who would stick a camera down his stomach, but it’s expensive, invasive and it might very well show nothing useful.

Any advice would be great. We love our little guy and want him to feel 100%

[Lori L]

Nice to meet everyone! I have a 7 month old pup. For the first four months she couldn’t digest food. She had diarrhea from almost everything. I had to make her boiled turkey and rice for weeks to get her back on track. I now have her on a cheap limited ingredient grain free food. She poops like six or more times a day. She poops in her crate, and she doesn’t appear to be able to help it. She doesn’t pee in the house, just poop. I am thinking that I need to up the quality of food a bit. She’s eating “Pure Balance” right now. I am not able to afford a real expensive dog food, and I know that I can find one that is reasonable. I just don’t know what to do with this poor dog. I buy her only the special grain free treats, and I’m thinking to eliminate those. I want her to be getting all her nutrients and such or I would feed her the turkey and rice forever. She is about 30 lbs. so it’s not like she eats too much. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Jaxons Mom]

Hey everyone I’m brand new to raw feeding and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Like all of you, feeding my lab mix pup the healthiest, most nutritious and enjoyable food and treats possible is extremely important. I think it would be fantastic if there was a thread for anyone who would be so kind to share any recipes they may have for homemade healthy treats that compliment a raw diet! Also I will be investing in a food dehydrator, so recipes & tips for making dehydrated treats is welcome as well.

I go through a lot of treats currently as I do 1-3 sessions daily that last anywhere from 5-15 minutes. I break them up to be pea sized, and I use dehydrated liver, but it gets pricey. Looking forward to trying out some recipes!!

[Norma V]

My little ones love the Heritage Ranch salmon and chickpea recipe and the Heritage Ranch treats. My malti-poo has very very sensitive skin and throws up easily. My little Yorker isn’t AS sensitive. I saw this dog food when they were out of their more expensive name brand food and I thought I’d try it. They seem to do well on grain free and salmon foods. I’m so glad we tried this dog food. They love it and absolutely no skin problems. No unusual poop or stomach issues. Thanks HEB for making a healthy and much more affordable healthy dog food! Treats are great also.

[Susan]

Be very careful with rawhide they swell in the stomach if pieces are swallowed & those cooked bones you see in pet shops, dogs are dying the bones splitter in the stomach & bowel…. Go on Face Book look at “Rodney Habib” page, he is often posting stories about rawhide & the chemicals used to make rawhide & other bad treats….. If you scroll down on his page he has a easy to make sesame honey chicken jerky strips you can make yourself…..I just bought Kangaroo Tendons but I live Australia these Kangaroo Tendons last hours…..this is what they look like there might be something similar in America…
http://shop.petsnacks.com.au/products/kangaroo-tendon-dog-treat-1

[Pitlove]

Hi Vicki-

A lot of users have asked Dr. Mike if they will ever review treats. I believe the answer was no.

As for dental treats, I prefer those that have a VOHC seal which indicates that they have been trialed and approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council. This can provide assurance that they have been proven to remove plaque and tartar build up. However, just like with humans, the best thing you can do for your dog’s overall oral health, is to brush their teeth!

Also Natural Balance is now owned by Smuckers and according to the NB rep that is for the region I work in (I work at a small family owned pet store), the Smuckers by-out was a step in a right direction.

[Vicki O]

I just became a member of this site, and I’m absolutely loving it! But are there any sections within this site that are devoted to the health and concern of ingredients that are in the dog treats? And this includes dental treats as well. I’ve been purchasing Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance dog treats for our furry kids for a few years now, and the ingredients seem very high-quality, but I don’t see any reviews so that I can know for sure and be fully educated. And I love (and so do our furry kids) the dental treats – again, the ingredients seem to be high quality. Does anyone know for sure about this brand for treats, especially since the purchase of Natural Balance by DelMonte? I’m afraid the quality will suffer after being purchased by such a mass-market brand. Any ideas or advisement here will be very appreciated!

[Sadie’s Mom]

Thank you for all the help everyone!

I used the dog food calculator on here to calculate how much Sadie should be eating and have been feeding her accordingly ever since. She gets no treats right nowexcept for her glucosamine supplement. We do our best to get her daily walk in but with the cooler weather it isn’t always possible because her back flares up. She just isn’t losing weight like she should be. I think I will go ahead and do all the testing to make sure there isn’t an underlying problem causing the weight gain.

[JeffreyT]

Hi minnie-mama, congratulations! Havanese is a great breed, very much like maltese, which I have.

Here’s some good information on the importance of a rotational diet. I changed my pups’ diet a few days after they came home and used probiotics, enzymes and pumpkin to avoid stomach issues, and still use first two for good digestion and to keep their immune systems strong.
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletter gives excellent nutritional advice, and I use the Mercola enzymes, probiotics, krill oil and multi vitamin she recommends. Mercola also makes a natural flea and tick repellent that is the best smelling one I’ve used, and it works.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

I highly recommend the book Scared Poopless to help avoid cancer and other diseases later on. The author’s website is loaded with helpful advice on avoiding vaccine overdose (especially important for small dogs), and how to do heart worm meds safely.
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/

Mine get a variety of the five star freeze dried and dehydrated foods (all you have to do is add water) with some home prepared meals using Dr. Harvey’s premix and organic meat already made from Whole Foods. Their main meal consists of these foods, and at night they get a light meal of dry and a topper like lean meat, egg yolk, yogurt, cottage cheese, goat cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan, a sardine from the can or ground salad or vegetables (never feed onion). As long as you keep toppers and treats under 20% of their daily intake, the diet will stay balanced.

I always get grain-free and gmo-free foods. Their favorite dry foods are air dried like Ziwi Peak, Real Meat Food Co, Only Natural Max Air Dried and Wellness Core Air Dried. Some of the better kibble foods that my picky ones have eaten are Petcurean Go Now, Farmina, Amicus and Wellness Trufood Baked. You can call the companies to get samples, and make sure to get the small breed puppy formula. I always buy the smallest bags, and do not keep food over one month because it starts to go rancid.

The treats they go crazy for are Stella and Chewys, Orijen, Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon, Primal and Dogs for the Earth. Dogs for the Earth also makes an organic food that they love.

Make sure to avoid synthetic shampoos and other toxic products. Earthbath puppy is a good one that is non-toxic. For face, when mine were puppies, I used Castle Bath which is a non-toxic face cleaner and powder to keep faces clean and avoid tear stains….cotton baby washcloths work best with this. Baby shampoo from the healthy food store is also good for faces. Avoid drug store brands because they’re loaded with toxic chemicals.
http://www.castlebaths.com/tear-stain-remover.html

Before I got my maltese I joined an online maltese forum where I learned a lot about food, training and grooming… you may want to consider one for Havanese.

Good luck!

[Sadie’s Mom]

Hello!

I have a 9 year old long haired miniature dachshund named Sadie. Lately she has been eating her food quite enthusiastically for the first couple of days but after that has to be coaxed into eating. She will eventually eat her food, but she doesn’t seem to want to. She is overweight but has always been a good eater. No vomiting, no diarrhea, drinking and acting normal. She might have a tooth problem but that is going to be looked at next week. So far she has ended up refusing (or having to be coaxed into eating) Pedigree, Purina, Texas Pets, Wellness, Wellness CORE, Blue Buffalo, and now Taste of the Wild. I always do the slow introduction of a new food, and none of the food had any signs of being bad or rotten. What could be causing this? She doesn’t get human food, doesn’t get many treats, and gets a daily walk for exercise. I’m at a loss as to what to do. My other dogs eat the leftover food so it isn’t wasted but my wallet is taking a hit from the constant battle to find a food she will eat for more than 3-5 days.

[Amateria]

I’m feeding the lesser hair pieces to the puppy as treats because she loves it, but I guess since it was only $10 because of a $10 off code that maybe I should just trash it, their website is generally very interesting and they mention a lot of good things and the ingredients list looks really good but it seems their food making practises aernt up to par with what they should be, I wish I could ask some of the people buying the food if they also have hairs in it, but I can’t which is too bad.

No I’ve never tried to call them because of my general shyness over the phone but maybe I should just do the best I can and call anyways to find out from them if this is how their food is meant to look, based on a Mercola article I’m reading right now it seems hair is a bad idea to feed specially at such amounts, even if its only as a treat, because dogs tend to ingest enough hairs each day that extra could be dangerous.

[Shawna]

Yes absolutely Gina, dogs with acute KD can recover but not in every case. While in the acute phase, I misread and thought she was eventually diagnosed with chronic KD, it can be beneficial to feed lower protein. Of course follow your vet’s advice or your gut instincts if you feel it is prudent. Science Diet has two new canned products that are, from what I can tell, far superior to many other products. They are their stews. They can be fed on their own or mixed in with the green tripe if she won’t eat them alone. I definitely would continue the Standard Process Renal Support and other supplements you’ve started.

My friend’s Maltese, Buster, developed acute kidney disease from chicken jerky treats. He survived but did develop CKD. That said, he has lived quite healthfully with the disease for many years now and is still doing well. If you are on Facebook I can link you up to her if interested.

[Carol B]

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Here is what I am thinking:

I just finished reading an excellent book, called “The Dorito Effect”. Very briefly. It’s about the huge number of flavorings and palatants added to processed foods. There is a description of several studies done with farm animals, and a brief discussion of pet foods.

It started me thinking about why my very healthy dog has turned into a poop-eating fiend.
I am feeding a food with no preservatives, additives, or flavorings. Then I had an epiphany. It all started around the time I bought a bag of pepperoni for training treats. I know, I know – I am spending good money on premium dog food and treating them with crap.

Anyway……. I have eliminated everything but their regular food (Solid Gold Barking at the Moon), and I will let you all know if that makes a difference!

If this pans out, I will have a lot of very happy clients!

[Nora L]

It is difficult to ascertain the actual fat percentages of commercial foods (including treats) because producers are not required to divulge this information, and they do not do so voluntarily. Even when they do provide a percentage, it is deceptive because it is by weight, not by calorie. This is the trick that allows milk producers to put “2%” and “low fat” on their labels. They include the water in their calculations. 2% fat milk is actually 35% fat by calorie. So using the same trick, if a pet food producer says their product is 9% fat, it is more likely at least half fat by calorie. That’s not low If my dog had already had pancreatitis, I’d be making sure that I was feeding low fat and the only way to do that is to feed meats that are low fat and/or that you can cut the fat off of. When you buy commercial pet food of any kind, you give up control over the fat content of what you feed. It is also easier on all the digestive organs to feed raw.

[Julie L]

MY dog also has had Pancreatitis, in fact twice. Once they have it they will always be subject to get it again unless you get them on a low fat food. I found Anna Maet Lean and called the company to get the max fat. which is 9%. I’m very happy with this food. Ellie (dog) has to be monitored all the time. I had her boarded since I had to go out of town and gave them the strict instructions on her food. When I got back she had her 2nd bout with Pancreatitis. My dog cannot have any store treats, NONE I make all of her treats. Guess what I’m trying to say is find a very low fat food and don’t ruin it by giving your dog any store treats. Dehydrate chicken breast or boil/pressure cook chicken breast for food topper. Turkey is also a great treat.

[losul]

Interesting theory on the palatibilty enhancers, Dr Carol.

I don’t think this is the one that Aimee referenced, but here is a survey/study that could give insight.

http://www.associationofanimalbehaviorprofessionals.com/boze412010.pdf

At least 50% of my dogs diet is homemade raw, with limited (35%) kibble, but I have had no experience with coprophagia so couldn’t help there.

I found in the the following article in Can Vet, that seems to be relative to what you have asked.

“The dog should be fed a consistent, good quality
diet, high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrate,
with no treats or scraps. Diets high in carbohydrate
tend to enhance the drive to eat stool. The dry food
component of the diet should be reduced and replaced
with a high protein food. Although dry food is generally
a good diet, it has been shown clinically that the
above diet change will often lessen the drive to eat
stool. The addition of vegetable oil (increased slowly
over 7 days, to 15 mL/4.5 kg of body weight/day) is
also helpful. Sufficient food should be given twice
daily, on a regular schedule. Adding the fat and feeding
twice a day helps suppress the appetite for a longer
period, reducing this particular stimulus for stool
eating. Often, a diet change, maintained for 4-8 weeks,
may be all that is required to stop the behavior, in conjunction
with the decreasing strength of the drive as
the animal ages.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1680886/pdf/canvetj00575-0079.pdf

[Suzanne W]

Hi Aimee! Thankyou. Actually, this happened after business hours, so I gave the peroxide to induce vomiting and read up on what they would do. I have not been happy with my vet with 13 visits in 2015 and planned on finding another this year after we get caught up on finances. I am hoping you are correct as the gelcaps are obviously deodorized and tasteless(at least to me) and the label states it as well though soph obviously disagreed. If she should show any signs of hemolytic anemia(I am with her except to take my dog out as I am mostly bedridden) I of course, will take her to emergency care, but don’t want to take her in for blood testing as I read several, actually many sites where supportive care is the treatment. I was a hot mess yesterday after this happened, but feel calmer today objectively thinking that I did make her vomit a couple times. I also read where many people give garlc to dogs(though I wouldn’t) and even some nutritionists recommend this, so I feel a bit better about that. I know that I must watch her for several weeks as well. After this is all said and done I will post an update. I plan to give her additional foods which will increase her production of red blood cells and hopefully ride this out. my vet is open now, so I will call, though I doubt I will take her in unless absolutely necessary since I’ve found out they give antibiotics every time they stub their toe till they are sick from the antibiotics. As trump would say, “bad!” Ok just called vet they were pleased with the peroxide3percent one tsp two different times as she’s ten pounds, and told me signs and symptoms to watch for i.e. Lethargy, weakness, panting, decreased appetite, pale gums, redness, bruising, petechiae, any signs of generalized not feeling well, and to bring her in if she has problems. They said they could draw blood work to see, but thought watching was sufficient at this point, so yay. Liver, sardines, mandarins for Sophie today as treats with her peanut butter cookie treats. Thanks, Aimee and anonymous, I will post if any changes if nothing else to help the next little precious patient!

[Suzanne W]

I took my German shepherd Ida, outside, was gone about five minutes. I was shocked to find my Maltese, Sophie, on the couch with my vitamin supplements and prescription pills! How in the world did she get them off the coffee table and then take them to the couch. She “moved “definitely five and possibly six pills. Ok, there are definitely two possibly three missing. I believe she ate two garlic gelcaps(2000mg garlic bulb), and possibly a caprylic acid gel cap. I was in shock… And anger! It took me about twenty to twenty five minutes to finally give her hydrogen peroxide. I don’t know if it went down so I tried again. After about a total of half hour maximum forty five minutes, she vomited twice, liquid(she had not eaten yesterday before this) bile colored without any gel substance so I saw nothing. I put a garlc gel cap in my mouth and moved it around n my mouth and it was competent dissolved in less than four minutes and did not taste bad. I decided that she may or may not have vomited it up as the substance is clear, odorless to humans that is, and almost tasteless. Hemolytic anemia is a horrible thing and I will watch soph for the next week or two. I was unable to obtain activated charcoal in time and then we couldn’t get it down her. I am disabled, and my husband has been out of work for six months, but found at least part time work the day before so wasn’t home. Before you judge us for not taking her in, we spent three grand in the summer on the dogs vet bills and we’ve spent hundreds more a couple months ago on skin problems with Ida. I’ve read what to watch for, but does anybody know anything I can do to support her or minimize reprecussions of this? I thought more protein, folic acid and supplements, so I gave her a half sardine this am. She’s already on blue buffalo grain free dog food, homemade topper made with different good quality meat and vegetables and fruits appropriate for dogs, and dermis supplement in her food. She gets tiny amounts of homemade treats we make with peanut butter, oatmeal, banana, flourless cookies we and the dogs like! Any advise? Ok I believe treat the patient not the diagnosis. She is acting fine thus far as it has only been 16 hours. Thanks for any help!

[Shawna]

I’ve read research discussing illnesses associated with palatants (specifically MSG and free glutamic acid) but I’ve never heard of them associated with copraphagia. Additionally, several of the supplements given for copraphagia have MSG or a form of free glutamic acid in them. Although they don’t work for all dogs, they do seem to work for some. I’m not sure what other palatants are used in pet foods?

Although I never had copraphagia, 🙂 I did have pica for about 15 or so years. I didn’t have digestive issues of any kind but turns out I had villous atrophy from a caseine sensitivity (I react to both cow and goat dairy products, raw or pasteurized, organic makes no difference either). My blood work was normal however my iron was on the very low side of normal. I also developed slight hypothyroid symptoms but test showed no issues. Anyhoo, I was finally diagnosed at age 39 by a wonderful M.D. who is also a Certified Clinical Nutritionist. She put me on an elimination diet. The only ingredients that jump out at me in Barking at the Moon would be the lectin proteins in the pea protein and the potato. I’ve not seen either of those lectin foods associated with villous atrophy but so much about lectins is still not yet known…?? Treats might be a potential source?

I currently feed commercial raw but used to feed home prepared (my time is limited now). Three of my dogs used to make a game out of eating bunny poo. That completely stopped when I started giving digestive enzymes. I never felt they were necessary in raw fed dogs but those three showed me differently. An adult foster dog came in eating poo. She was also a little over 20 pounds overweight. We got the weight off but no matter what we’ve tried she is a poop eater. She’s been an ideal weight (12 pounds) for several years now (we adopted her) but she still to this day has a snack given the opportunity. She won’t eat all poo though, so I’m assuming my senior dogs are not thoroughly digesting the proteins despite the added enzymes.

I don’t know if any of this is relevant to your pup but thought I’d put it out there.