[Alex p]

Not long ago Publix recalled their chicken treats. I can’t find the ingredients of their food online, but I think it would be best to stay away from them. I recommend looking at Acana Regionals Grain-Free. Amicus is another good dog food. It’s very high quality and contains superior ingredients. I would try to stay away from any brand that has had recalls recently. Iams is a low quality food and contains poor quality ingredients such as corn meal, chicken by-product meal, dried beet pulp, brewers dried yeast and caramel. But, I wouldn’t feed Publix, if I were you.

[Leslie M]

I would stick with treats off the iheartdogs top 25 brands. You can’t go wrong with them in my opinion. All of the freeze dried from this list are great for training and most are simple ingredients, like Orijen free range bison treats ingredients are: Bison liver, Boneless bison and bison tripe.
ACANA
Addiction
Annamaet
AvoDerm
Back to Basics
By Nature
Earthborn Holistic
Fromm
Grandma Lucy’s
Hi-Tek Naturals
Horizon
K9 Natural
Lotuz
Nature’s Logic
Orijen
Pinnacle
Precise Holistic Complete
Primal
Stella & Chewy’s
Stewart
Stewart Pro-Treat
The Honest Kitchen
The Real Meat Company
Wysong
ZiwiPeak

[Natasha]

I love how helpful this site has been in helping me choose a good food for my puppy, but I think it would be great if the site had reviews for treats as well. Since I’m in the process of training my dog, treats are a notable part of my dog’s diet and I find myself wishing that there was more guidance on which are good products to choose!

[Frankie B]

My cat won’t eat wet food or even moist treats. However I have found a cat food that is much higher in animal protein. While a lot of foods tend to have 55-65% of protein coming from animals and the rest from plants, Nulo uses 80-85%animal protein. To supplement her water intake I have a cat water fountain which is more attractive than a stagnant bowl and she drinks a lot more than she did before. I use the same brand for my dog. The brand is Nulo Medal Series and it’s available at Petsmart.

[losul]

Hi again. Sorry for the tardy reply, all.

I’ve some preference for feeding a dog a majority of ruminant meats overall with a lesser amount of poultry overall in my dogs diet, provided the the beef (or other ruminant) is coming from a good, properly raised and fed source. I think the overall fats balance out better that way, and without using much vegetable fats. And as long as I can afford it!!

I wouldn’t necessarily say that beef heart is better, nothing against poultry
hearts, much depends on the source, and for just some supplemental or small batch
use, chicken hearts are handier to use than beef hearts!

I had kind of a bad experience the first time I bought beef hearts a few years ago.(from a different, conventionally raised source, feedlot) I thought never again! They were oversized and completely encased in a way overly tough and thick membrane and excessive suet.. the inside was as bad, and not at all cleaned-gristle, connective tissue,vessels, excessive suetetc., and frankly, they looked old, grayish, and tough. It took alot of effort to clean them enough to suit me, way too much effort, and ended up with alot of waste. It wasn’t worth it, and was a good while before I ever tried beef hearts again. In hindsight some of that gristle
and connective tissue, etc. , wouldn’t have hurt to include anyway!

Where I’ve been getting them the last few times, the outside only has a partial and thin membrane and little suet fat, are very fresh, and the butcher near completely cleans the insides for me, I have not much left to do except cut them up! And I get them for only $1.49/lb cleaned weight! I get good clean liver and kidneys 1.29/lb the same place. I guess not many people around here want to eat heart or organ meats! But the regular and lean cuts of beef are every bit as expensive as anywhere else! So when I make a beef batch I’ve been using the hearts for up to 1/2 of the total muscle meat amount. It equals a good savings vs using all lean human prefered cuts for all the muscle meat. In making a full balanced recipe, I can’t count the heart as organ meat, I still add the small amounts of liver and kidney, and I won’t press the heart amount any beyond 1/2 of the muscle meat count. They say too much heart can cause loose stools, never had that problem or with any any food, but the extra heart I’m using helps to keep some beef in the diet at more an affordable price for me! If one were to use all heart for the muscle meat though, there would very
likely be some deficit somewhere in the nutrition to look for and abundances of others, and I wouldn’t ever advise using overly excessive amounts. Also dogs handle cholesterol differently than humans, but heart, liver and some other organs do contain a disproportionately large amount of cholesterol, something to keep in mind. Don’t over do it!.

Faith, so your dog is about 60lbs. BTW, I believe my dog is 1/2 boston terrier and
1/2 bull terrier of some sort, probably staffy or pit, I’ve got a compact model though,
only about 40 lbs. That’s great that your feller found a loving home with you! I
would assume that his regular diet is around 1150 calories give or take? For your
purposes and for now as supplemental only, yeah I would limit the chicken hearts to
NO more than about 3 or 4 ounces. at least if and until until you are more prepared too see to it that the diet retains balance with your additions. Here, raw Chicken hearts show more calories and fat than the beef hearts, raw. (you might have to enter the serving size) but 100 grams chick hearts (about 3.5 ounces) has about 150 calories. add to that maybe a teaspoon of fish oil a day, an egg a couple times a week, and youre already pushing nearly 20% of unbalanced supplemental calories in his diet, and that then isn’t allowing for any unbalanced treats!

The more things you would add if you do so, or if you go with homemade meals, the more attention you are going to need pay to keeping nutritional balance. And you should really
balance out the extra phosphorus you are adding as it is, with calcium supplement.

If using finely ground eggshell, add 1/2 teaspoon to 2/3 t for each 1 lb of meat, organs, egg etc used. Calcium is very important in a dog’s diet, overall calcium in the diet should at least equal the amount of phosphorus, but also never going more than 2X the amount of phosphorus. a ratio of between 1:1 to 2:1. Most commercial diets I think fall between a ratio of 1.2:1 and 1.6:1, so there would likely be enough buffer already there in your commercial diet to cover your extra phosporus additions, but if me, I would still add at least a bit of calcium anyway.

raw chicken hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/664/2

raw beef hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3464/2

I hear ya on financial bias. dogaware.com is a great site with lots of useful info, some is a little outdated, as Mary Strauss is not so active anymore, but she has nothing to sell as far as I know. and has generously accumulated a ton of good info/articles there.

I prefer a pump bottle for fish oil, so I use Iceland Pure sardine/anchovy, I keep it in the fridge and get a fresh bottle every 3 months. This brand already has some mixed tocopherols in it (vit E), but I still add some additional E in my dog’s diet.

I use some veggies, fruits, and even some select grains, but never in abundance. I
don’t know if you’ve ever heard the old idiom “as fit as a butcher’s dog” I don’t
think the typical old time butcher fed his dog an abundance of starchy plant
material!!! I also still use 25% commercial kibble, haven’t ever been able to get away from it completely for various reasons.

Lastly, I might not be around here to write much anymore, but as you can see from the replies to your thread(and other threads) there are so many awesomely helpful people, good people, on site to help with questions you have, or even just support!! And even if they don’t have answers right away, they have also proven to be excellent researchers!!!

G’night everyone!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by losul.

[Sandra R]

Hello everyone!

I am currently investigating about the importance of treats for dog owners. My area of interest is Chicago, so if you live here, please help me out by answering this survey:

https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/6RCTQF7

I’d really appreciate it and you’d help me a lot with my essay about dogs & owner’s bonds.

Thank you!

[Susan]

Hi, poor thing, she probably hurt her mouth on the sharp chicken leg bone… when I first rescued my dog, I was giving him chicken wings, but Patch didn’t chew on the wing, he chewed maybe 2 chews then swallowed the whole chicken wing, so I’ve been too scared to give him any bones, different if he chewed & chewed on the bone like a normal dog but he eats like he’s starving like he has never been given all these different foods, I was giving him chicken necks & the same he just swallowed them then he got Colitis & was pooing blood & the vet said stop the chicken necks, so I haven’t given him any bones again but a few people say turkey necks are good & bigger then a chicken neck, maybe try a turkey neck, if you want calcium just keep your egg shells, wash the egg’s shell, use the egg, then dry the egg shells out, then grind the egg shell & give 1 teaspoon grinded egg shell sprinkled on her meal once a day, your suppose to get 1 teaspoon from 1 grinded egg shell… I’ve been giving Patch Green Mussel treat they’re dehydrated I give 1 a day, I buy the K-9 Natural Green Mussel treats at the moment we have an offer buy any K-9 Natural treats & get a 50g bag of Venison reward treat free…. Green Lipped Mussel is suppose to be good for arthritis & Turmeric powder Golden paste, Turmeric, pepper & coconut oil….
there’s a group called “Turmeric User Group” on face Book in the files they tell you how to make golden paste….people say its excellent for any animals & human with arthritis…
http://www.k9natural.com/product-information/dog-food-range-au.html

[Sabrina W]

Thanks guys. I’m pretty experienced with food, just in a new situation. I just got a service dog, finally, in July. He was on Merrick, but I’m getting him off that now, I just don’t trust Purina based anything. Had him on Castor and Pollock, but it’s not agreeing with him. Liberty has gained weight eating the same thing Apollo is eating. So I was trying to find something they can both eat. But I think it boils down to them being on different food.
Thoughts on Wellness Core? I’m considering putting Apollo on the regular wellness core and Liberty on the wellness core reduced fat. I need to swap to something that I can get here locally in nowhere alabama to try out before I start ordering it online where it’s less expensive. I’m careful to weigh out both of their food and the only time either gets any treats at all is when we are training, and it gets deducted from their dinner. I appreciate the suggestions. I’m going to look at the nature’s variety too because I think I can get that here too.

[Pitlove]

My tips for weight loss are: feed for ideal weight, not current weight. Watch calories from all sources including treats. Also cutting back on treats if you give them often helps. No free feeding. Feed 2 meals a day (I feed 2 meals a day 12 hours apart). High protein and low carb/calorie helps as well, however my dog has been his ideal weight on foods I consider low protein (23%).

Edit: I should add that it doesn’t take a weight loss food to help a dog lose weight, but I’ve heard it can be beneficial to make sure the dogs nutritional needs are still being met.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[stacey m]

Hi,
I am a dog groomer and have had a few clients with the noticeable ‘corn chip’ scent along with itching, licking, moist armpits and what looks like red angry feet, ear infections.
These dogs were always chewing and licking. Under the vets care they were given steroids and as soon as the dose was over the issue would come back.
I’d like to share what worked for these dogs with yeast issues.
The food has been changed to Nutrisca, which is a very low carb food.
No extra treats and every week they are bathed with GNC Medicated anti-bacterial/anti-fungal shampoo (left on for 10 minutes) and followed up with a moisturizing conditioner.
The dogs are also on one fish oil daily (which is anti-inflammatory) and daily benadryl (adjusted to dogs weight). The dogs ears were treated for the infection by the vet, the rest was the above mentioned protocol. The dogs who followed this are now about 95% better. Love to say 100% but every now and then one will lick but the smell, angry red inflamed skin is gone! Important to follow through with weekly baths and continue protocol for the comfort of the dog even after symptoms have disappeared.
Both Nutrisca food and the GNC shampoo can easily be bought online.

I am not a vet, I am just passing along some info that worked for some of my clients :o)

[aquariangt]

There are loads of other treats out there other than jerky, I don’t totally get why so many people think jerky is a must have. Anyhow, I do have a few that are pretty good and safe:

For Chewing Jerky, check out the honest kitchen beams, technically fish, but its jerky like. You could also get USA sourced and processed beef ligament

For treats: Boulder Dog Food chicken breast is easy to break up to use as a treat. Real Meat also makes some jerky treats that I like for training

[Patti S]

Using an inexpensive topical flea product that you buy at Walmart or a supermarket such as BioSpot or Zodiac Spot On would be better than not using any flea product at all!

As far as the food goes, you won’t find a hypoallergenic dog foods at the supermarket, you’d need to look at pet stores or specialty feed stores. You need to find a food with a dog food with different protein and carbohydrate source that what he’s currently eating. You should try keeping your dog on an “elimination” diet for 8-10 weeks to see if his itchy symptoms improve. In an elimination diet, the dog is fed a food that has a protein and carbohydrate source he’s never had before. There are many over the counter foods you can use, for this purpose. I’ll suggest a few further down. Your dog’s elimination diet should not contain:

• Wheat, barley, rye – ALL of them. (including bread, snack crackers, treats, wheat/gluten, etc.)
• Dairy products – ALL of them. (including milk, cheese, whey, casein, dried skim milk, etc.)
• Soy – ALL forms
• Corn- ALL forms (including corn gluten meal)
• Artificial preservatives and colors
• Beef and fish – (only if allergy symptoms are present/persist for longer than 8-10 weeks. These are “secondary” allergies.)

By eliminating the above items, you will be taking care of at least 80% of all food allergens and all three of the major sources of food intolerance (gluten in grains, casein in dairy, and soy protein.)
This diet must be strictly adhered to, it includes ALL foods, including TREATS and TABLE FOOD! Be strict! Food allergies can be very sensitive conditions and the least amount of the offending substance can trigger reactions that can last for days. Be creative in finding safe treats for your dog those that MATCH the diet rules. This will be a lot harder on you than your dog.

Giving your dog an essential fatty acid supplement can also help suppress itching. Arachidonic acid is stored in cell membranes and released when the cell is damaged, it then combines with certain enzymes causing inflammation and itching. Essential fatty acids combat this reaction because the essential fatty acids combine with the enzymes, making them less available to bind with arachidonic acid, reducing the inflammation and itching. Your dog would need to be given an essential fatty acid supplement daily for at least a month before you see it’s beneficial effects.

[Kris S]

I understand your hesitance with giving your pups treats of unknown origin. I give my huskies chicken jerky from http://www.whiskerdogbiscuits.com/ It is sourced and made in PA, and they really love it.

[Pitlove]

I use a vet prescribed shampoo that treats fungal and microbial infections. We used to soak my dogs feet in it because he would get yeast infections under his nail beds. That helped a lot.

However, the licking at the paws is usually associates with an enviromental allegry and given the fact that he is in the water so much, there is a chance that something either in the water or somewhere else in the environment is causing the reaction. I would suggest keeping him away from the water and excersizing him in another way until you can get to a dermatologist and see if it helps.

[Andy B]

Thank you for the posts. I have decided to just keep feeding my dogs (3) Jack Link’s beef jerky made for humans. It has to pass USDA specs. Plus, it’s cheaper than dog treats. I don’t like the words “USA sourced” on the package of the Dogswell chicken jerky. “USA chickens only processed in the US” would make me feel more comfortable. Companies may ship the chickens to China for processing which leaves it open to adding roadkill or other varmints like pigeons and then shipping it back to the US to package. Now you have “USA sourced” chickens, and “Made in the USA” packaging. I called Dogswell and a recording came on that said to standby or press 9 to leave a message. I waited for 20 minutes and nobody ever picked it up. No sense leaving a message if nobody is there.

[C4D]

According to their website, they are now sourced and made in the U.S.

http://www.dogswell.com/healthy-dog-treats/jerky/vitality-jerky-chicken-usarecipe-1/

I haven’t bought them in a while because the bags said China, but it appears to have changed.

[C4D]

Hi Brie,
I’ve had dogs that develop allergies to certain protein in food with similar symptoms. While checking in with your vet is a good idea, especially to take care of the ear infections, I don’t think you have to rush to a dermatologist unless there’s no improvement after doing an elimination diet and/or if you don’t see a change from the switch in food.

You need to make sure ALL treats are grain free as well and it’s best to feed everything using the same protein as the food. So you need to use fish based treats. Limited ingredient diets are good if you don’t get great improvement on the current food. I do use Kefir as a probiotic since it helps control yeast. Good luck!

[aquariangt]

Dog treats are far harder to rate. There is a thread called “Most recommended dog treats” under the dog treat forum that wil have some good information for you

[Jane K]

Yes. And vasculitis. They could spend a whole week doing tests and still not have a complete why so I asked for aggressive treatment for the PLE immediately. They were going to wait Fri – Tues and keep her stable if possible since it was a holiday wkend and not all the tests were available. She is 90% better in looks. Imagine a balloon with a teeny dog head. Now she looks like a real dog. Her legs are almost normal dog size. She’s kind of lumpy in the body but they said she had not been retaining more fluid after IV treatment and draining on Friday. I’ve been going with massive allergy problem but they said no. She has outdoor allergies. My husband likes to buy all those treats for her and her step-sib Border. Out of no where this blew up over the summer. I think it had been coming on but once summer hit we attributed some symptoms to her nutty behavior with allergy. She gets food funny, won’t step off the sidewalk, stays inside, and pretty much eats her feet without a shot and benedryl through the summer. Early Aug our vet told me she was fat and blamed us for over feeding. I kept arguing that a dog does not gain 9 pounds in 5 weeks. And I told them I thought she was breathing in a different pattern. I lost. We were sent home with a diet and exercise plan that masked even more symptoms. I still think I was stupid to not notice this.
I don’t think they checked for all types of cancers? No mention of kidney or liver problems. Her heart checked out fine. Her worm check in July was good. Clueless. She is probably one of the most annoying dogs I’ve ever in my life had which means we love her to the moon and back. As a cowdog she likes to herd squirrels. She chews on the sliding door on the way out and if your leg is in the way….well, too bad. She talks and sings and shrieks from her squirrel perch bench in the back of the house at the several dozen or so squirrels in our lot. They come up to the window and mock her. She helps with trash by attacking the bag all the way down the hall, out the door and to the can. She chews on the cat and then humps her. The cat allows this. We try not to watch. She doesn’t know a stranger. We got her to keep the old dog young so this is so, so sad. Old dog will be 14 in October. We shall see. She gets chicken tonight. I’m expecting a miracle. She deserves it!

[Natasha]

My F1B goldendoodle puppy weighs 15.5 pounds and I’m feeding her twice a day–breakfast and dinner. I also give her treats when training her and occasionally some teething bones.

Anyway I’m feeding her the Purina Pro Plan chicken and rice puppy formula. I’m only feeding her this because this is what the breeder fed her and I bought two bags of it. Once the bag I have now finishes, I’m switching my puppy over to the 5-star dry Wellness puppy formula.

I’m also mixing her dry Purina food with the wet Wellness Petite Entrees Mini Filets (4.5 stars). I feed her 1/2 cup of the Purina with one tub of the petite entrees for each meal.

I’m just wondering if it’s healthy since the petite entrees are meant for small breeds. My goldendoodle is small by goldendoodle standards, but apparently this is medium compared to most dogs. My vet says she doubts my dog will ever weigh over 25 pounds.

[Lazaro B]

This is the email I sent them yesterday

Recently you requested assistance from our Pet Parent Relations team. Below is a summary of your request and our response. If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction please let us know by replying back to this email, or reach back out to us and include your incident reference #. Thank you.
Subject
I have major concerns about your dog food formulas now the Purina has bought…

Response By Email (Twyla Waddell) (09/08/2015 01:24 PM)
Hello Lazaro,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us. Our focus remains on making the best food for the best pets ever, and that means making the high quality, nutritious and safe food and treats that all pets deserve. That doesn’t change with this news, and we will continue to operate as an independent business with no changes to our management or operations. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Have a wonderful day!

Twyla Waddell
Pet Parent Relations, Merrick Pet Care, Inc.
http://www.merrickpetcare.com | http://www.castorpolluxpet.com
Join us on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/merrickpetcare
http://www.facebook.com/castorpolluxpet
Customer By Service Web (Lazaro Borges) (09/07/2015 11:38 PM)
I have major concerns about your dog food formulas now the Purina has bought MERRICK. One of my concerns is that you may change the ingredients in your food because Purina asked you to which will result in low quality food for our dogs. Another concern is Purina buying Nerrick out right and changing all the ingredients making whole earth foods and MERRICK not good for cats and dogs to eat. I’m sure you are aware of all the lawsuits against Purina because of there food. Please tell me that MERRICK and WHOLE EARTH FOODS are going to remain the same and not end up like Purina dog foods. Again, these are some of my concerns.
Question Reference # 150907-000030
Date Created: 09/07/2015 11:38 PM
Date Last Updated: 09/08/2015 01:24 PM
[—001:001581:27904—]

[Anonymous]

Pet owners and veterinarians have reported the following illnesses in dogs that have eaten bone treats:
•Gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract)
•Choking
•Cuts and wounds in the mouth or on the tonsils
•Vomiting
•Diarrhea
•Bleeding from the rectum, and
•Death. Approximately eight dogs reportedly died after eating a bone treat.
Above is an excerpt from: “No Bones About It: Reasons Not to Give Your Dog Bones”
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm208365.htm?s_cid=w_c_PetHealth_cont_001#1

[John T]

My little guy has been off Blue Buffalo for 6 months now and he has not had any problem whatsoever with diarrhea or throwing up like he did while he was on it. It’s just amazing that we can’t stop this and I’m sure more dogs are dying because people don’t get on the internet to read this post. I’m not sure what we can do unless we alright the Food and Drug Administration and I’m not sure that will work. Anyway he gets no commercial food as my wife and I make his food and his treats he’s 9 years old and the vet said he’s healthy as an ox. Good luck

[Dori]

I use Standard Process’s Canine Whole Body Support for only one of my dogs and that is because she is 16 years old and has some health issues now. My dogs are commercial raw frozen fed, also at times freeze dried. Their treats are fruits and veggies. Nothing processed so that, in theory, the other two (6 years old) don’t need any supplements so they don’t get any. I only started adding the supplements to my old girl a couple of years ago on a regular basis. My theory with her is that at her age and health issues she could use a bit of extra help.

IMHO, Pet Tabs are one of the worst multi-vitamins on the market complete or otherwise. As I said, just my opinion.

Standard Process Canine Whole Body Support can be purchased on line or directly from Standard Process through a veterinarian. It’s a whole food supplement in powder form, comes with a scoop and for my size dog I give her 1/8 tsp. 1X daily mixed into one of her meals.

[Cat A]

Dont buy these dream bones. Run away far away.
Gave these to my dog and suffered major illnesses. He was in perfect health until he had these treats. I feel its my fault ssince i did not read the ingredients nor where they were made…China. A main ingredient is sorbitol, a super strenth laxative. It caused my dog a severe case of diarrhea, in turn he became dehydrated, issues with his pancreas and blood enzyme levels. He is currently under a vets care and could have died from this. Do not buy them……!!!!!

[aquariangt]

I actually heard some murmuring about the level of kickback zukes got possibly reversing that decision. Can’t find anything online about it, just from within the dog world and i live in colorado so there are people close to the center of the situation.

Gotta say, the sketchiest part of purina getting involved is quality. Recipe changes don’t tell us everything. Sure, when Nat Bal sold their treats got all kinds of crap added and it was obvious that things changed, but Purina will absolutely be pushing to raise profit margins, and that most likely means lowering costs.

[Susan]

Hi Xavier G, Dogs kick & dig in the ground after going to the toilet cause they are marking the spot, when I first rescued my boy, I thought what’s he doing, every time he poos he kicks & kicks the grass or leaves when he’s finished pooing…..change your dogs kibble to a limited ingredient kibble like “California Natural” Lamb & Rice it has just 4 ingredients, so less chance of your boy having a reaction to an ingredient, food sensitivity can cause sloppy poos, itchy red skin ears & paws….. feed nothing but the limited ingredient kibble & use the kibble for treats for 1 month & see if there’s a difference also bath weekly in Malaseb medicated shampoo,… What’s the antibiotic for??? give a probiotic before bed or first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, when stomach acid is low & don’t give the probiotic 3-4 hours before or after the Antibiotics …. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1211

[Pitlove]

The small family owned pet store I work at used to carry the Dogwells treats until the China jerky recall. They stopped selling after that because it came out that they were sourced from China even though they were made in the USA. We tried bringing back another Dogswell jerky treat and it didn’t sell so we got rid of it.

I’m not sure where they are sourcing from as of this moment. Best bet is emailing the company.

[Anna S]

Mike, I don’t see any recommendation for dog treats/biscuits on your web-site. Can you recommend a 5-star rated brand of biscuit for my 6 month old puppy? Thanks. Anna

[Andy B]

Anybody have any take on the “Dogswell” chicken jerky treats. I can’t seem to find whether they use American chicken or import the meat. The package clearly states “Made in USA”, but this is sometimes a misnomer. It may be made in the USA, but the product can be imported.

[d r]

My dog loves these, been giving them to her for 5 yrs. So far not one side effect. As far as made in China or Anti Freeze as an ingredient, I don’t know. If the vet tested the treats and found it to be the direct cause of your pets issues, I don’t know. I only know they haven’t done anything to my dog yet.

[Brooke B]

Hi All,
I have a 7 month old Golden- about 3 months ago he randomly started having diarrhea and continues to have very soft stools. We have tried taking away all bones and treats and it had no affect, we’ve tried a few new ones as well. We also switched to a higher quality food and tried adding fiber and didn’t see much of a change either. The vet has tested for parasites (which I’ve heard can be hard to detect), worms, blockage, ect. and is now recommending a prescription bland dry dog food.

I know it sounds like many changes but it has happened over a a few months and has been a slow process.. some stools get slightly better but never completely normal..So, now I’m stuck and feel awful for him as he probably never feels 100% with an upset stomach.

Anyone else had this issue and not been able to find the cause? Any suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Susan]

Hi, that’s a nice thing to do, where do you live?? also your are best to ring the shelter that you would like to make a donation too & ask them what is needed, sometimes it isn’t food that they need, I use to collect blankets, beds, jumpers, towels, toys, leads, collars & treats for the poundies here in Australia, in the colder months blankets, beds & dog jumpers are needed as some dogs wreck their beds & chew their blankets & they don’t have many toys too play with as they all get wrecked.. I use to put up a flyer on the notice board in the shopping centre asking for any blankets, dog toys, dog jumpers, etc & a lot of people donated their dogs stuff that wasn’t no longer used & when you gave a poundie a toy or treat they got so excited & happy also just going to the pound once a week & walking the dogs made their day just to get out of their kennels….

[Kevin R]

Hi all, I just wanted to reach out as I’m looking for a good food for my 9 year old Westie. She is a very allergic dog, but I’m not certain what all to. I believe its mostly environmental and dust, but maybe some foods. We had blood allergy tests done a few years back, but I’m not sure how accurate it was. In the past, she has been on steroids a few times and then ultimately Atopica. Also, I usually bathe her about once a week with Malaseb, but sometimes I may wait a little longer if she doesn’t appear to need a bath. Anyways, I’m trying to get her off of the Atopica completely if possible. Currently, her skin is somewhat “yeasty” and she may have a vaginal infection which I’m taking her to the vet for. Currently she is eating the Royal Canin prescription food “Venison and Potato.” I recently started giving her some supplements found in this Westie diet here – http://www.westierescueca.com/diet.htm, but I’m not certain if their ingredients would be aggravating any yeast issues she’s having. I had been giving her Greenies treats as well, but I’m looking to eliminate this as well if needed. I recently got some Orijen freeze dried duck treats since its just duck in the ingredients. I guess my question is what be a good food to try if I change her diet completely and should I look for a low glycemic food? Should I add any supplements? Thanks in advance for your help.

[Debbie B]

I got my babies Orijen food today, the kibble isn’t too big & it’s much softer than the other dog food brands that I’ve used. I started her out on Wellness as a puppy, they changed their kibble size & she actually got choked on it. I then put her on Blue Buffalo, she then got crystals in her urine (of course I cannot say it was the food that caused it), for the past 2 years she has been on Hi-Tek which is a 5 star food but the last bag I bought, she ate it twice & got sick & would not touch it again. Thankfully I had purchased two bags & I opened the other bag that had a different lot# & exp. date & she started eating it again. But that’s when I decided to try Orijen. Of course it’s going to take a week to get her completely on the Orijen. But I gave her 4 kibbles & she loved it. I also bought her a bag of their treats, gave her one of those & she loved it too. They aren’t really hard either. I’m surprised at how soft the food & treats are to be a dry food. No way could I break a kibble of the other dry foods but I got a Orijen kibble & put it between two fingers & pushed with my thumb & it broke, which surprised me! I did that because when she ate the kibble I didn’t hear her crunching it & didn’t know if she was just swallowing it whole. We’ll see how it goes………

[Pitlove]

Hi Mariah- I believe your friend is being fueled on somewhat outdated information. There is more of a correlation to weight loss with higher protein foods than weight gain. However, dogs utilize quality animal protein much better than plant proteins so that has to be factored in. Also calories must be taken into account as well. I feed foods that range from 24% protein to upwards of 40% and my dog continues to maintain an ideal weight. I am also very careful about how much I feed and I decrease the amount I feed if he goes over 67 lbs which is the max ideal weight according to the AKC for his breed (American Staffordshire Terrier). I also don’t give a lot of treats in my house. They are rare and taken into account when feeding.

Also keep the fats in the range of low/moderate. Some people have had luck with WellnessCORE reduced fat. I personally have never needed a food marketed for weight loss if my boy needs to lose a couple pounds.

[Susan]

Hi, when I rescued my boy I had the same problem but he was 4 years old, we did every test, in the end the only food that worked was the Vet Diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” low residue kibble, the fiber is only 1.7% & fat is 10% fat…Not the Iams Intestinal the fiber is higher 4% & different ingredients…You may need a vet diet just to get him stable & doing firm poos, then when bowel has healed after feeding the vet diet for about 6months & he’s stable doing firm poos everyday, then very slowly add a new limited ingredient kibble, I email the companies & ask for insoluble fiber %, soluble fiber % & dietary fiber% they only put the crude fiber on their bags…introduce the new kibble very slowly over a 2-3 week period, I start a new kibble using the new kibble as treats for a couple of days, also you feed nothing else, no treats nothing…..

There’s insoluble fiber, soluble fiber, dietary fiber & crude fiber & the pet shop foods are not formulated for dogs with stomach & bowel problems, the kibbles are formulated for healthy dogs, where vet diets are made for certain health problems, don’t get me wrong, I’m not into vet diets but sometimes the vet diets help fix the health problem, the vet diet was the only kibble that firmed up Patches poos & you get so excited when they do a firm poo lol, after just 1-2 days of eating his Eukanuba Intestinal, Patch was pooing a nice firm poo that I could pick up & not leave a big skid mark on the lawn at the park…… the Hills Z/d Ultra has more insoluble fiber, insoluble-3.7% soluble-0.1% crude fiber-2.9% the Z/d Ultra did not help my boy gave him water diarrhea, The Royal Canine HP Hypoallergenic was OK the fiber was 1% but the fat was 19% fat & Patches morning poo was firm but afternoon poo was a cow paddie…… all vet diets are money back guaranteed, if they don’t work, that’s what I liked..
The Eukanuba Intestinal has more soluble fiber & less insoluble fiber & worked for Patch after trying 3 different vet diets…..

You need to work out what works for your pup, when you fed the home cooked hamburger mince, rice & pumkin did that firm up his poos completely? cause pumkin is high in fiber & pumkin made Patches poos very sloppy also the cooked boiled rice irritated his bowel giving him diarrhea, but he can eat the grounded rice in kibbles…

The next time you cook buy some lean beef mince, not hamburger mince, hamburger mince is high in fat…..buy some potatoes, boil the potatoes & mash 1/4 potatoes thru the cooked lean mince, no pumkin & no boiled rice, see if that firms up his poos, then add some pumkin & see if poo goes sloppy again, if poo goes sloppy then he needs a lower fiber diet,

I stay away from kibbles with peas most of the grain free kibbles have peas, lentils, legumes, all high in lectins & lectins can cause leaky gut..

I started to feed a cook meal for breakfast & feed his Eukanuba Intestinal for lunch & dinner, cause I knew the Eukanuba Intestinal made his poos firm & he was only doing 1 maybe 2 poos a day on the Eukanuba Intestinal, so I started to feed the cooked meal for breakfast to see the difference in his poos & what foods worked, you’d see his sloppy orange pumkin & chicken poo, then I knew the pumkin wasn’t working, then I added boiled rice with the boiled chicken & he had diarrhea, then I change to lean beef mince, broccoli, celery with quinoa & he does firm poos now, firmer poos when he eats a cooked meal then when he eats his kibble…..

“California Natural” has their limited ingredient Puppy Chicken & Rice it has just 6 ingredients but chicken is the protein & the fat is 16%min-18% max …. I know puppies need fat but I’m wondering maybe he can’t handle too much fat & a lot of puppy kibbles/wet are higher in fat…. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1161.

It will take time but you will work out what his stomach/bowel cant handle, so keep a diary….its best to start with a vet diet first, get him stable & doing firm poos, then after 6months start looking for a new limited ingredient kibble that has around the same fat % & fiber % that’s in the vet diet that’s working for you pup…Good-Luck 🙂

[Anonymous]

Not according to the specialist that treats my dog, he said you have to let a dog be a dog, don’t stop them from rolling around in the grass! Avoidance doesn’t work, if it did, I wouldn’t have gone to the dermatologist.

I went to the dermatologist and complied with treatment for 3 years and saw the improvement. My dog can eat any foods she wants now too…..
Bathing a couple of times a week helps, among other things.
A common allergen is dander (people, dust, roaches, everything) It is in the air and on the skin of all living things.

My last post in this thread.

[C4D]

M Y,

These are just terrible treats. It doesn’t matter where they come from. They have been sold off to Smuckers now & there are various ingredient labels depending on which site you go to. I can’t even find the actual ingredients from the company that owns it. The website doesn’t even link to anything about the products. The ingredient panel on any of the sites is just awful, with all kinds of coloring and artificial additives. I think Petfooddirect might be the older formula, but they may still have it in stock. Either way, dogs don’t need BHA, sugar, 4 different artificial colors and a bunch of other preservatives in their treats!

Big Heart Brands website:
http://www.bigheartpet.com/

Bacon flavor on Petfooddirect:

Ingredients

Chicken, Corn Syrup, Soy Flour, Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Water, Propylene Glycol, Animal Fat (BHA Used As A Preservative), Animal Digest, Calcium Sulfate, Soy Protein Concentrate, Sugar, Beef, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Phosphoric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Sorbic Acid (Used As A Preservative), Red 40 Lake, Garlic Powder, Natural Smoke Flavor, Iron Oxide, BHA (Used As A Preservative), Citric Acid (Used As A Preservative).

Bacon flavor on Pet360, Target & Walmart:

Ingredients

Wheat Flour, Soybean Flour, Water, Beef. Glycerin, Whole Corn Sugar, Bacon, Corn Syrup, Natural Smoke Flavor, Bone Phosphate, Salt, Potassium Sorbate (Used As A Preservative), Phosphoric Acid, Red 40 Lake, Glyceryl Monostearate, Yellow 6 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, BHA (Used As A Preservative), Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake.

[Wifsie G]

Hello, I adopted a 2 yr old border collie/black lab mix three months ago. To keep her healthy I continued with the kibble she was fed at the shelter: Taste of the Wild with salmon. About 10 days after being with me she had an episode of hard swallowing, coughing, and looking to eat grass after I tried brushing her teeth. The vet gave her some anti acid medication and she got better (we both thought it was the toothpaste). Since then she’s been getting about an episode a week. I’m not giving her treats anymore. Kibble only. She was ok for a while and then it started again. Her vet told us to give her Prilosec but it’s made her throw up and it’s giving her diarrhea.
Her swallowing is worse at night.
Has anyone encountered such an issue with their dogs and has been able to resolve it? Any advice is welcome. Thanks.

[M Y]

Pugs carry a genetic disorder called PDE (Pug Dog Encephalitis) The main symptoms of which are seizures. It’s very common in pugs. It effects them at any age and can either come on slowly over time or instantly without any warnings. You may want to check into that as the cause of the dogs seizures and not the treats. I have not seen any recalls on canine carry outs. Mostly just people guessing thats what it may be and a lot of fake info about the treats floating around that has been proven to be incorrect but freaks everyone out after they read it. The main fake info floating around is that it has antifreeze in it (ethelene glycol) but there is none of that in it. There is however propylene glycol which is used in human food & dog foods and a ton of items we & our pets eat which is safe for consumption by us & our furry dog kids. It is not used in cat foods though. Check into PDE as the cause for the seizures.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by M Y.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by M Y.

[Shawna]

Red,

“I don’t believe blanket statements about anything are a good thing or helpful, there are always exceptions.” I couldn’t agree more. Hence my use of the word “most”. I too have had my very own experience with traditional medicine, beginning when I was just 12 years old and temporarily going completely blind. Traditional (or, more accurately, allopathic) medicine FAILED me in every single way. It wasn’t until I was referred to a M.D. that treats holistically was a cause found. Sure I could have been on this drug or that drug and then three more to combat the side effects of the first one but that way of life isn’t for me.

My dog had a “serious condition” as well – kidney disease. Again, allopathic medicine failed me in every way except for the administration and demonstration of sub q fluids at the end of her life.

Allopathic veterinary guidance for my daughter’s dog (3 pound Chihuahua) that started having grand mal seizures was do nothing and bring her in if they start happening more often and we’ll start her on drugs. Mkay….. Holistic vet gave guidance on what toxins etc to avoid in the home, increased a nutrient she was already getting and added another mineral (magnesium). Peachy never had another seizure from that point forward.

I will say however, I had a minor emergency several weeks ago and I was quite grateful for the awesome care given by allopathic practitioners at the hospital. I will never deny that there definitely is a place and time for allopathic medicine.

[CircaRigel]

Carolyn,
Congratulations on your puppy! I’ve not known a Golden Mountain Doodle, but having known some Bernese Mountain Dogs, a Newfiedoodle, and a number of golden and labradoodles, and based on my experiences with them, I think you’re in for a wonderful experience!

I would hesitate to feed Wellness right now (or Eagle Pack, Holistic Select, or Old Mother Hubbard). All of the kibbles made by Wellpet right now contain green tea extract, which a number of studies has shown can cause liver toxicity in dogs. While the amount in the foods is probably not enough to have much of a toxic effect, those studies were on grown dogs, and puppies may react differently. Prior to my discovering this, I had tried to make a slow transition to Wellness for my own puppy, and he developed diarrhea immediately, even though he only had a couple of tablespoons of the food with his first meal. I had thought it perhaps just a simple sensitivity, until I looked at other Vine reviews of it on Amazon (I occasionally review things on Amazon in their Vine program- the items are random, and from time to time they offer a quality dog food I wish to try Galen on). Approximately 10% of the dogs that tested it on Vine became ill, in two cases, extremely ill. After I did some checking, I found the research showing the toxicity (several studies were stopped early because of it), and also discovered that all of the WellPet foods have green tea extract.

I immediately switched Galen to Canidae Large and Giant breed puppy at that time (which I chose on my own, based on ingredients, calcium/phosphorus levels, and the inclusion of probiotics et. al- not something I was sent for review purposes). He also gets Tripett green beef tripe (which naturally contains digestive enzymes, which are beneficial to digestion and nutrient absorption). For treats, he gets Sojos freeze dried raw lamb and Natural Balance Potato and Kangaroo Limited Ingredient dog food (another thing I was sent a sample of, but is too expensive for me to actually use as his primary food). I also give him an occasional raw beef soup bone.

Now that he’s 8 months old, I’ve transitioned him to Canidae Grain Free Pure Sea, which also has the highest ratings on Dog Food Advisor. At this age, they can properly metabolize calcium, so it’s not as imperative to keep levels so low. There has also been some recent research among giant breed breeders and vets that suggests they may also do better being weaned directly to an adult food- but one that meets the calcium/phosphorus recommendations for large and giant breed puppies. They say that the extra calories in the puppy foods tend to be empty calories, and that the adult foods may have greater nutritional benefit, ounce for ounce.

Hope this helps!
Belinda

[Carolyn K]

Good morning all!! New here and this will be my first post.. I have been reading and researching with the help of everyone here on the forums!..

I just purchased a Golden Mountain Doodle puppy and I will be picking him up on the 15th of August. He will be 8 months old. Due to him being a large breed dog I want to do everything possible to avoid HD and other potential issues and I began with this website.

I plan on starting him with a mix of his current food and “Wellness CORE – Pupply Chicken and Turkey” as well as “Zuke’s Mini Naturals Dog Treats – Roasted Chicekn” while he is in training (basic obedience, potty training).

Is this a good start? Any other suggestions that you may find to be a better “fit” within the price range?

Thank you all so much and I hope to continue learning with you! 🙂

[David H]

I have 2 young, healthy basset hounds who love their treats. I am well versed on the best dry and canned dog foods, but could use some suggestions on the top treats when it comes to taste and healthy ingredients.

[Nate D]

Red that is not true.
Yes ph levels do fluctuate especially after dogs eat which is normal.
That is why one needs to check the first catch of the day or at least 5/6 hours after the dog has had any meal or treats and has gone to the bathroom a few times.
When a dog eats the food naturally rises urine ph levels.
I recently switched vets and the vet has a nutritionist phd. Won’t even sell the prescription foods unless absolutely necessary.
It does not take 3-4 months. You can most certainly see a a difference in ph in just a day of being 100% on a new food. I sure did.
Now if you’re giving supplements on top of it then urine needs to be checked on a regular basis just to make sure things are not going in the wrong direction. Waiting 3-4 months is to long. 3-4 months is good for checking for actual crystals if a dog comes back negative. ph checking should start right away and if a dog is prone to crystals it should never stop. I check mine weekly as long as the levels are staying steady.
So the key is to check the first catch of the day prior to feeding which will be accurate.

For those looking for ph strips amazon is the best place to get them as they are affordable for a lot of them.
Wysong also sells them.

[Gloria K]

Jake’s mom has come up with some very good ideas. If you scroll up for that you’ll see others who have posted suggestions regarding dog treats. I make all of Mickey’s treats so I know exactly what goes into them. I have a Pinterest board it’s just reserved for dog food and treats but this one has proven to be Mickey’s all-time favorite and he goes wild.

APPLE CHEDDER BACON COOKIES

2 1/2 cups flour (Mickey is allergic to wheat so I use chickpea flour or brown rice flour )
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup yogurt
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley ( optional)
2 slices smoked bacon most fat removed and very finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded peeled apple
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. olive oil or bacon drippings.

Sauté bacon till crisp then finely chop. Add to all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly . Drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheet, flatten slightly and bake at 375° for 28 minutes.
Keep some refrigerated for up to one week and freeze the rest for 3 months.
I keep about a weeks worth that would be seven biscuits in the refrigerator at one time and the rest I freeze.

[aquariangt]

As far as hot dogs go-I only bust those out (and only nitrate/nitrite/additive free) for times of big need. IE Counter conditioning a dog who has some serious fear issues. They are very high value to them. For having something around the house you usually want something a little more tame-if you read through this thread there are plenty of treat suggestions for a variety of needs. My personal list (I use an obscene variety in my treats but ill give a few things I use often)

Around the house treats: Sojos Good Dog
Lower Value Reinforcement: Cloud Star Tricky Trainers
Learning something new/one up on the value chart: Sojos Simply
High Value/Fear/anxiety: Hot dogs, fresh meats/cheeses

[Gloria K]

Jake’s mom has come up with some very good ideas. If you scroll up for that you’ll see others who have posted suggestions regarding dog treats. I make all of Mickey’s treats so I know exactly what goes into them. I have a Pinterest board it’s just reserved for dog food and treats but this one has proven to be Mickey’s all-time favorite and he goes wild.

APPLE CHEDDER BACON COOKIES

2 1/2 cups flour (Mickey is allergic to wheat so I use chickpea flour or brown rice flour )
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup yogurt
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley ( optional)
2 slices smoked bacon most fat removed and very finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded peeled apple
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. olive oil or bacon drippings.

Sauté bacon till crisp then finely chop. Add to all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly . Drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheet, flatten slightly and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Keep some refrigerated for up to one week and freeze the rest for 3 months.
I keep about a weeks worth that would be seven biscuits in the refrigerator at one time and the rest I freeze.
I use rice flour because Mickey is allergic to wheat flour but you can use any flour you want.

[jakes mom]

The easiest thing to do would be to buy treats made by a good 4 or 5 star dog food brand. If they make quality kibble I think I’d assume they’d make quality treats. Also fruits and vegies (most are ok) in small pieces. Or use a different flavor of your usual kibble as treats. If he usually eats chicken dog food, for example, buy a small bag of beef or lamb or whatever, and toss a few to him for a treat. No hot dogs, lunch meats, etc. Lots of chemicals, nitrites, in that stuff. You could also buy a small bag of cat food or treats. Cat food is very high protein and most dogs I know love to steal cat food, lol. Buying a small bag of a totally different food is an option, too. Try raw, freeze dried or dehydrated dog food. Anything new and different will be a treat as far as your dog is concerned.