[Karen Barbara L]

I am also looking for a review of dog treats, like you give for dog foods. I was giving my dog Purina Alpo Variety Snaps and I think they are making him sick. I threw them away, but he still looks for his “reward”. I am trying raw carrots and green beans, but he doesn’t seem impressed. How about Hebrew National hot dogs in little slices? Are they OK to give as rewards?

After my experience with the Variety Snaps, and now looking at the recall lists, I am afraid to give him snacks unless I know they are safe. Any suggestions on safe snacks?

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Karen Barbara L. Reason: Didn't finish before

[Lenny I]

How do you know ingredients are from China? I don’t see a mention of it at Walmart.com or anywhere else credible. Can you post a link where see it? Thanks. Although I am questioning the China-link, I’ll be clear that I never trust any dog food from there and would not buy it. But that aside, I still would not give Canine Carry Outs to my dog due to the poor choice of ingredients in it. It’s best a person learn about good ingredients and avoid bad ones when picking out food/treats. Anyway, I’d like to verify their components come from China if you could supply validation. Thanks.

[olive1015]

thank you…thank you for the great feedback. I know the Purina One isn’t so great but my neighbor gave me some when I 1st got Olive and I tried to get her to just go for the Nutrisca but she wouldn’t. Then I couldn’t find the Nutrisca at Petsmart or grocery. There’s been a recall this summer..just discovered. Have so much of both I just decided to supplement with chicken, beef and veggies on the side 🙂
Blue Buffalo was too rich and heard little doggies have sensitive tummies …so..
She loves raw carrots…so I give her as treats vs biscuits all the time. Will try the recommended shampoo…and give her bananas & blue berries. She’s a wonderful doggie. She’s now spayed and chipped and warming upto my cat. I love her so! Terriers are so entertaining I can forgive the wild temperament. I had a big lab ..chow mix that was magnificent and silky years ago but lost her to old age and Olive has filled the void. I’m childless …so she’ll be spoiled rotten like the cat when I get educated on her breed.

[Eileen S]

I religiously read ingredient lists on pet foods and treats. I’ve tried keeping up with home cooking, but really, supplementation is all I’m good for. My most recent ingredient debacle is finding stuff WITHOUT Rosemary! No oil or herbal inclusion as it can set off more seizures in a dog already suffering from seizures! More pet products are going to Rosemary as a preservative. They were using Vitamin E & Tocopherols & I’m not all that thrilled with canola oils as the fat content. But I do digress. It is hard on my vision to squint the print at the stores & see all the ingredients. Sometimes I still miss things, come home in better light only to find the suspect ingredients after buying a product I cannot use. On line, the frequency of not listing ALL ingredients is rampant. Then there is the problem of finding the parent company and the actual manufacturing location of the parent company for the products. Take for instance the Whimzees or Whimz people, Paragon Products. My dogs love the chewies. But every listing of their products has them made in Holland. They are then distributed from Wilmington, DE, the UK, Holland, or other places. Distribution: what exactly does that mean? The ingredients listed on my box look fine, none of the additives I have to currently watch for. Who is Paragon Pet Products? I stopped feeding grains when wheat was the big issue in that decision when China added melamine to make wheat cheaper by the ton. And oh by the way, kill off animals (dogs primarily) and their own people, who ate products with that in it. Then what did we do with the tainted dog food? Rumor has it we gave it to our cattle! One, cattle don’t need meat by products. Two, that puts the melamine into our food chain, doesn’t it? I could really use a filter that would work on with a search engine on food ingredients. I may be wishing for the impossible. Because, as I have experienced, same company has a range of treats for example. Depending on the flavor or consistency (hard versus soft) any will have rosemary as a preservative and several will not , as least not have it listed. So what is a pet parent to do?

[Claudia D]

I am a nutritionist and formulated a super treat for dogs after my own dog died suddenly from eating tainted treats. This also inspired me to write a book on food safety, ‘Eat Clean, Eat Safe” which is dedicated to my dog, Chubbs that perished.
I would suggest that for weight loss, you add in cooked vegetables for added bulk and satiety and less calories.
My Organic dog treats are “Organic Doggie Treats” and are made from only 2 super foods,
organic whole chicken thigh and organic sweet potatoes, manufactured here in the US, using locally sourced ingredients. I know how Mike feels.

[Claudia D]

I am a nutritionist and formulated a super treat for dogs after my own dog died suddenly from eating tainted treats. This also inspired me to write a book on food safety, ‘Eat Clean, Eat Safe” which is dedicated to my dog, Chubbs that perished.
I would suggest that for weight loss, you add in cooked vegetables for added bulk and satiety and less calories.
My Organic dog treats are “Organic Doggie T
reats” and are made from only 2 super foods,
organic whole chicken thigh and organic sweet potatoes, manufactured here in the US, using locally sourced ingredients. I know how Mike feels.

[Tyler G]

My dog is very lazy! Unfortunately it has been over 100 degrees for about a month straight here so going for a walk with her is straight miserable. Soon though! I’m feeding her about 3/4 of a cup a day of orijen adult. She seems to love it! She also gets a greenie a day. As much as I would love to train her I rescued her and she has really bad anxiety and any kind of hand movements and she ducks and runs. Maybe one day I can teach her tricks. When I do give her treats it’s the Stella and chewy treats. I think they’re like 8 calories per treat.

[Kona]

Hi all. I have been transitioning my dog (11 years old) to raw food over the past month. I have been feeding raw for breakfast and kibble at dinner, mainly because of the costs. However, she’s doing so well on the raw I’ve decided to suck it up and go completely raw (if it means I have to eat out less then that’s what I have to do). I have her on AllProvide turkey and beef. I have a couple questions and was hoping some of the more experienced raw feeders could help:

1) AllProvide packages in 16oz pouches. According to her “ideal” weight (she’s 75 lbs now but I’d like to see her down to 68-70 lbs) the food chart says she should have 22 oz per day. I’d like to keep her on one pouch per day. Any ideas on how I can supplement the additional 6 oz? I feed raw goat’s milk so there are some calories there. She also gets a few “treats” – cucumbers, sweet potato biscuits, but maybe only 100-150 calories. I bought some grass-fed beef organs – liver, kidney, heart. Should I add some of this to her food (AllProvide already includes these though in the food so I wasn’t sure if that would be too much)? Anything else I can add to reach her 22 oz?

2) She seems to digest it too quickly, which on one hand is good since i know she’s digesting it better than kibble but the problem is by late afternoon she will throw up a little bile (ever since she was a puppy this happens whenever her stomach is empty for too long). I’ve been having to put a little kibble in her kong when i leave for work to prevent this. I’d hate to keep adding kibble to her diet since I’ll be going completely raw. Anything I can add or suggestions?

Thanks!

[Naturella]

I second aquariangt. I feed my 14.5lb terrier mix about 1/2 cup of kibble/day (the high-cal kibbles) or a little more (if the kibble is below 400 kcal/cup). I use canned food at dinner time and some other additives as toppers at breakfast so he gets calories from that too, and he is at ideal body condition – lean, good muscle toning, high energy. He also gets about 3-4 treats/day, and if we do training, I use kibble for that and I just count it toward his daily kibble intake.

So for your dog, if you’re feeding just kibble, start with the recommended amount for the weight she should be at, and you can add some coconut oil as a start and see how she responds. For coconut oil, use the unrefined, extra-virgin stuff. Costco has a very affordable 52-oz jar of the good stuff for about $15-17. Haven’t found a better deal yet.

[Kristin C]

Well thanks for not slamming me pitlove, I kind of gathered it was a little more fierce weather down there:) I think giving heartworm during mosquito season is a must, which is what we do up here in CT.

From what I understand fleas and ticks are most likely to gather on a compromised host, a pet with a weakened immune system. Since our dogs eat raw liver, liver treats, and they are currently getting B-complex vitamins each night, I am finding it has worked so far and just wanted to mention it. I understand the need in the south will be more aggressive than what i do up here.

[Kevin W]

The pictures I took was just some of what they offered (I was in a hurry). They have amazing two isle area of dog treats as well. It’s quite impressive and they always have great prices and deals and never overcharge for food.

[C4D]

Let me preface this comment with the fact that I feed a variety of foods, including some kibble, canned, fresh cooked and commercial raw food. I have had no problems with my dogs or my family, including infants in the home on a regular basis. If you are an immune compromised person, I would definitely suggest a home cooked diet with a premix raw (these are only vegetables and vitamins) added as opposed to raw meat. Salmonella, listeria, and other bacterias are in many raw foods, including the ones we cook on a daily basis for our families. They can be present on the counters and sinks of our very own kitchen surfaces unless you clean and disinfect correctly. The bacteria can be present in treats, chews and dry dog food as well. Listeria is within the soil and water.

I also foster dogs and have had my share of dogs with Giardia, ringworm, demodex (not know to be infectious) and hookworms and have managed to not have any other person, child or dog infested with any of these problems. I am very proactive in testing my own dogs to ensure that they have not become infested with the various parasites that enter my home with the fosters.

There seems to be a bit of hysteria in the traditional veterinarian community. My own vet does accept the raw feeding of dogs as well as many of the more natural products, including the balanceit program, while also carrying some of the “therapeutic diets” for those that choose that route.

The problem with salmonella, is that it can also be linked to dry dog food:

CDC link:
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/dog-food-05-12/

CDC Salmonella General Info:

http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/index.html

Skeptvet, in your regard to your links, the first one was someone’s blog, which of course, everyone has an opinion. I see this as the contrary to a holistic or natural feeder/vet’s blog.

The 2nd link, was a study of 442 salmonella isolates over a 58 year period. It doesn’t even state the point of the study! So what’s the point of this link in reference to a raw diet as there is no reference to a raw diet anywhere in the link? Yes, dogs can get salmonella, but they can also get cancer, arthritis, kidney disease and a host of other things.

The 3rd link was a study of 10 dogs being fed a homemade raw diet. Really? That’s not a very large study. Certainly not one that even the study could conclude was enough to draw any real conclusions, only a suggestion that infants and immune compromised people shouldn’t feed raw and perhaps a larger study should be done.
Did you also note that even though 80% (8 of the diets) of the raw diet tested positive for salmonella before fed, only 30% (3 dogs) of the dog’s had salmonella in their stool sample? An interesting note is that one of the 3 dogs that tested positive for salmonella was NOT fed a raw diet that had salmonella. So where did he get the salmonella from? And what did the other 6 dog’s digestive system do with the salmonella?

I do believe that if you feed raw, you have to be realistic and clean effectively and take precaution if there are small children in the household. If there are immune or cleanliness issues, then a balanced, fresh cooked diet would be the next best choice.

[Susan]

Hi, Alex I feel like a broken down record cause I’m always recommending the “California Natural” limited ingredient kibble, Lamb & Rice…. Looks like you haven’t tried Lamb as a protein, the kibbles you have feed are either fish or duck with sweet potatoes & potatoes, give the “California Natural Lamb & Rice” a go…heaps better then starchy vet diets…..the California Natural Lamb & Rice has just 4 ingredients Lamb, Brown Rice, White Rice & Sunflower Oil…try a kibble with limited ingredients a novel protein & ingredients that you have not feed before…
Most grain free kibbles are more starchy with potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, tapioca, lentils, legumes etc……I found kibbles with just 1 protein & brown/white rice, work best for my itchy boy…stay away from peas, potatoes, tapioca, sweet potatoes, oats & see how he improves, its worth a go & remember less is best with itchy dogs…

also weekly baths, have you tried Malaseb Medicated Shampoo bath every 5-7 days & leave on the paws & skin for 5-10mins then rinse off… after 1 month on new food & weekly baths you will see a big improvement, use the new kibble as a treat as well no treats unless they have the same ingredients.. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1181

[Shawna]

Red, environmental allergies definitely are much more common than food “allergies” but not necessarily more common than food intolerances or sensitivities. I have had over 30 dogs in my house and only one had an environmental allergy while MANY had food sensitivities and intolerances. In fact, four of the six currently in my home have a food sensitivity.

Edit — all of those symptoms you site can also been seen with food sensitivities and intolerances. In addition to those, they know that sensitivities and intolerances to a protein called a lectin can actually cause auto immune diseases as well. I had a food sensitivity that went undiagnosed for over 20 years until I found the right doctor – She is an MD and a Certified Clinical Nutritionist and treats holistically and with alternatives. My symptoms were as diverse as white matter brain lesions, temporary but complete vision loss, itching scalp (to the point I would make it bleed while sleeping), arthritic type pains, malnutrition due to villous atrophy (which led to iodine deficiency hypothyroid, b12 anemia and iron anemia as well as all the symptoms associated with those, and other, deficiencies). DON’T underestimate a food sensitivity or intolerance.

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

[Barbara P]

Hi All,
I need you help please. My 13 year old pappy-poo, Sophie, was recently diagnosed with kidney concerns after a recent blood test. My vet said this will be what will cause her demise. He recommended KD dog food but she really doesn’t care for it, the wet or the dry. I have been mixing it with a few Pedigree dog food chunks (with chicken added) that says it has 8.5% “minimum” protein. She now has begun going without eating for a 24 hours at least one day a week. I have offered her many other treats (biscuits, cheese, heating it, covering it with a crushed dog biscuit, etc.) to entice her to eat during this time but she just turns and walks away. (She does drink water though.) Following the day of fasting, she will begin to eat again and will continue for several days and then this begins again. I am asking for your help and guidance in finding another food that is considered “low protein” but will hopefully keep her eating. I have searched in the grocery stores but the cans say “minimum” protein percentage so I don’t know what it really is. I have been advised to keep it at 14% or less.
Grateful for your help,
Barb P.
barbwp1054@gmail.com

[Christie]

I know that feeding labels on dog food are just suggestions based on weight and estimation of caloric intake, but my dogs eat nowhere near the amounts on the food.

I’ve been transitioning my two dogs (6 year old american bulldog mix – 110 pounds, 6 month old Mega Mutt™- 20 pounds) from Organix to Whole Earth Farms and the Feeding Guidelines says that the larger dog should eat 5 3/4 cups per day and the puppy 2- 4.5 cups per day (at the bottom of the guideline is says that puppies can eat 2x -3x of the listed “adult recommendation”)

It’s harder now since I’m transitioning between the old food and the new food so they won’t have digestive upset. But even before this, the dogs didn’t consume as much as Organix recommended (2¾ – 3¼ cups for the large dog, 2 ½ – 4 cups for the puppy).

From their official websites:
Organix
(Adult Food) “Calorie Content (calculated): 3,570 kcal ME/kg, 394.0 kcal ME/cup”
(Puppy Food) “Calorie Content (calculated): 3,628 kcal ME/kg, 400.0 kcal ME/cup”

Whole Earth Farms
(All Life Stage Food) “3500 kcal/kg – 1 cup (100 grams) provides 350 kcal of metabolizable energy, calculated value.”

The dogs are supposed to consume X amount of calories to maintain good weight (adult) and grow (puppy), but if they’re not eating the recommended (smaller) amount of the Organix, how am I going to get them to eat even more of the WEF?

I mix in a couple of spoonfuls (about 1/4 can for both dogs) of the canned WEF in each meal or else they’re not very interested. And I know you’re not supposed to leave dry food that’s mixed with wet out for very long, so I’ve wound up wasted all this extra food that they won’t eat.

When I first rescued the puppy (two months ago), I discovered last month that she had tapeworms. She seemed petite (my vet’s words) for her size (her DNA results came out so mixed that there’s nothing to really compare her to) and she was very hungry all the time. We’ve attributed that to the worms. Now, after treatment, she has definitely grown in size and weight and I’ve stopped free eating dry kibble and now feed both dogs two meals a day. She’s not as voraciously hungry as before (she would eat her puppy food and then eat the adult food in my other dog’s bowl…the primary reason that I’m switching to a food that is good for both of them to eat).

Both dogs probably eat about half of what is recommended daily. Is this problematic? Both are fairly active. I try not to give too many treats, and only after meal time. I figure that as long as they seems healthy and aren’t losing weight that they’re eating enough.

Can the guidelines be that far off the mark?

[Dori]

I have three toy dogs. Maltese, Maltipoo and a Yorkipoo. I have been feeding them commercial raw frozen diets for the past 4 years and are all doing phenomenally well. I feed twice a day each getting between 2.5 & 3 % of their weight broken up into two meals. I use a cheap digital kitchen scale that I bought on Amazon. For treats I give them bits of fruits and veggies. No pits or seeds in anything, please. I don’t feed any grains, soy, corn, potatoes, rice or poultry (one of my girls is intolerant of all fowl). I feed all three high protein, moderate to high quality fats and low carbs. Oh, for size comparison, Maltese weighs 7.3 lbs., Maltipoo weighs 6 lbs. and my Yorkipoo weighs 5 lbs. Keep in mind that when you feed commercial frozen raws though initially they may seem expensive, you feed less than when feeding kibble. My soon to be 16 years old Maltese acts like she’s more like 6 or 7 years old. The other two are 6 years old and think they are still 2 year olds and act like it too. Which is a good thing. Also keep in mind the savings that you get also from not being at the vet everytime you turn around with some ailment or other. My two 6 year olds go once a year for physicals and my almost 16 year old goes every 6 months for senior blood work and physicals.

[M M]

We have been using V-Dog for 10 months with amazing results in our hyper-allergic English bulldog. Only after switching to V-dog did we learn through allergy testing that she is allergic to milk and every kind of meat (tho’ we suspected at least some meats were an issue as we tried ~6 types). To the person who has never heard of a dog being allergic to meat, you’re welcome to call our vet and discuss our dog’s case. It happens. A week after we adopted her, her previous owner commented that she has “allergies” but he didn’t specify details and we had never heard of meat allergies. I had to buy a cone collar to keep her from scratching herself raw.

The first vet we saw recommended a novel protein diet so we proceeded to try salmon then various rare protein and grain/potato-free options. I didn’t notice any changes in her intense whole-body itching, skin yeast and bacterial infections, and ear infections, so I figured we had not given it enough time to show benefit as I was told it takes 3 months after switching foods to notice a change.

We switched to the V-dog a week after our pup had a severe allergic reaction with facial and airway swelling, wheezing, and hives that failed to resolve with 2 steroid injections and oral prednisolone. She gobbled up the V-dog and begged for more, which was a huge change from me having to lace the other foods we’d tried with peanut butter or moist food (which she often would just lick off and leave the kibble behind).

Within a few days of switching to V-dog we noticed a dramatic reduction in the itchy-scratchies, yeasty body smell, yeasty ears, red face after eating, and watery eyes after eating. Her hives resolved and thanks to her improved smell I was able to wait 2+ weeks between baths (vs 3x/week with medicated shampoo as previously directed by our vet). Her hives totally resolved. The bald spots in her coat filled in and now her coat is thick and shiny.

A while after switching to V-dog, I tried giving her a fresh raw meat knuckle bone which she gnawed at for 2 minutes then promptly threw up and then refused to touch it. I thought maybe she didn’t like the raw aspect, so I cooked meat and made homemade broth from bones, at which point her allergies dramatically worsened. Stopped the meat, allergies gone.

The V-dog is expensive, but we happily pay for it as our dog is now healthy and happy. She was so miserable before. When we go to the vet for routine care she and her staff all say how nice it is to see a healthy bulldog. We also supplement with coarsely ground home-cooked beans and veggies (especially kale and broccoli), which she devours. We give her plain organic PB mixed with freshly ground flaxseed for treats. For training treats we just use the V-dog kibbles since she loves them so much. She also loves and begs for raw carrot sticks and fruits like thin apple slices, mashed cherries/berries, watermelon, and banana (tho’ we heavily limit fruit to small amounts due to high sugar content and also give watermelon from near the rind to limit sugar).

I would like to find a home-cooked food option in case there is a time when we can’t get the V-dog (and also it seems that baked kibble is not really an ideal food, despite how well she does with it compared to other kibble and moist foods), but for now I am very happy to support the company. The vet told us that we should stick with V-dog as it is working so well for us.

Of note, our dog also has environmental allergies, but as long as we vacuum to keep dust/pollen at a minimum she does fine. I do limit her time outdoors during the worst of the pollen season. But even if her allergies flare from pollen they are nothing like what they were before the V-dog switch.

[Anonymous]

I have never heard of “neuter dog food”. If your dog is doing well on his current diet and getting adequate exercise, at least a 2 mile brisk walk 5 days a week. He shouldn’t need diet food.
However, some neutered dogs do tend to put on weight, so watch the amounts you are giving him. Only feed once or twice a day, take it easy on treats, no fattening treats.
Labs can have cruciate ligament injury, especially if they are overweight.

Consider homemade or a combo with grain free kibble. I like Nutrisca salmon and chickpea.
Is your dog overweight now? That would explain the vet’s concern.

See General Guidelines for tips: http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

[Bobby dog]

Hi D O:
On Dr. Wynn’s website she had a document posted on hypoallergenic treats with a link to a website that sold exotic meats. The company was located in Washington, but it looks like it closed recently. I found this site through a Google search, they are located in California:
http://www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/expetforaw.html

Did you check out this option on Balance IT?
https://secure.balanceit.com/marketplace2.2/details.php?i=17&cc=

Here’s info on individual consultations:
https://secure.balanceit.com/info/acvnecvcn.php

I am going to try out their Carnivore Blend for Bobby and the cats next month.

There’s also Just Food For Dogs custom and Rx diets. I want to give one of their DIY kits a try:
http://justfoodfordogs.com/vet-support-diets.html
http://justfoodfordogs.com/custom_prescriptive

Here are some sites I have come across and bookmarked. I haven’t really looked into them too much, but maybe one of them has some options for you:
http://www.raynenutrition.com/default.asp
https://www.petdiets.com/

[Susan]

Hi, you need to find a new vet, one that knows about IBD…. some vets are useless when it comes to SIBO, EPI & IBD, was your dog put on Metronidazole for 3 weeks?? Metronidazole is an antibiotic for the Stomach & Bowel…Or Tylan Powder get some Tylan Powder & give 1/8 teaspoon with food once a day. Tylan Powder taste awful so I put 1/8th teaspoon in those empty capsules & make Tylan capsules up, it can turn dogs off their food
when just added to their meal, it taste very bitter, Tylan Powder makes poos nice & firm..
Joined this Face Book group “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder” they will help you where to buy the Tylan powder some people give the Tylan twice a day, vet said to start with 1/8 teaspoon with breakfast or dinner once a day….find a new kibble with limited ingredients, have you tried, “California Natural” Lamb & Rice it has just 4 ingredients, Lamb, Brown Rice, White Rice, Sunflower Oil.. no peas no potatoes my boy cant eat potatoes…another thing I had too do was lower the fat% the California Natural fat is 11%min Protein is 21%min fiber is 2.5%min http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1211
Boiled rice can irritate the bowel, Pumkin can make poos sloppy as its high in fiber.
I boil Quinoa instead as its gluten free… I buy extra lean beef grounded mince for humans, I bake mini meat loaves with blended broccoli, celery & carrot not much I add 2 spoons of the blended veggies to 1 kilo (2lb) mince mix thru, no egg then I add the cooled Quinoa with the beef mince & veggie mix about 1/4 – 1/2 cup boiled quinoa…. I make little rissole as treats & mini meat loaves….add less of everything then after a week when poos are firm add more of the veggie mix make sure you blend any raw veggies in a blender or mini processor..dogs cant digest veggies especially raw veggies..

I wouldn’t feed raw at this time, until you work out what’s wrong..
I went thru a Naturopath 2 months ago to start a raw diet & I had to add Digestive Enzymes with every meal so his poos were firm & there was no jelly mucus, diarrhea or gurgling rumbling bowel noises & he didn’t feel sick…. raw can make some dogs feel sick..
I also had to add a live Probiotic to help firm up the poo Patch wasn’t allowed no bone or organ meat until we fixed his stomach & bowel…I cook the raw diet now (meat loaf) as my boy was regurgitating the raw meal 3 hours later, water kept coming up into mouth…

Start again you will either need the Metronidazole or Tylan powder & a limited ingredient diet no treats nothing except his meals….
the only way a vet or IMS will know what is wrong is to do a Endoscope & biopsies or to be cut open & biopsies taken from the small & large bowel, you can have Colonoscopy like humans have but I think they can not get to the small bowel that’s way the Endoscope is the best to have done…..a lot of people in the Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder Face Book group just do the Endoscope & Biopsies that’s what I had done…..shop around as prices very…….

[C4D]

Hi Miss Koa,

First let me say I am not a fan of skeptvet. I do feed raw but I use a commercial raw to feed my dogs. Most of them are HPP processed, especially on the poultry to reduce the possibility of salmonella. If you are feeding your own prepared Raw Diet you do need to be very careful to balance the nutrition properly. If you’re doing this I would research online to get some balance recipes. Many people are simply throwing their dogs some raw meat and calling it a raw diet but that’s nutritionally wrong. theBCnut did give you some good advice and Aimee is correct on some companies using the HPP process and that it can be and is found in kibble and treats. If you research the commercial raw websites, they generally will tell you which are/are not or if all products are HPP processed.
If you are really uncomfortable with feeding raw, you could cook fresh meat and use a premix (Grandma Lucy’s, Sojos, The Honest Kitchen, etc) to feed a fresher diet. I do this on a regular basis in my rotation as well.
I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but the dirtiest/germiest thing in your kitchen is you sponge (if you use one). I microwave my dishrag for 2 minutes every morning and sometimes during the day. I’ve never had any issues with Salmonella since raw feeding. I also have 2 sets of bowls for my dogs and they go in the dishwasher every night.

I’m including some links on homemade raw diets and salmonella from the CDC:

Whole Dog Journal:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_7/features/Home-Prepared-Dog-Food-Nutritional-Information_20568-1.html

CDC Salmonella, general info:
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/

Some cleaning tips:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/cleanliness-helps-prevent-foodborne-illness/CT_Index

http://www.livescience.com/1248-study-microwaves-kill-kitchen-germs.html

[aimee]

Hi Miss Koa,

Bacterial transference is a concern, not only from the material on her mouth and legs but also from the other end too. Salmonella can be a hardy bacteria and a simple wash down after eating is unlikely to eliminate it.

I had a reference, and may still have it, just don’t have time to look, in which the contents of the vacuum cleaner was cultured from homes with raw fed dogs in them, 10% cultured positive. However, homes without raw fed dogs cultured positive as well. It was a much smaller number but statistically there wasn’t a large enough sample to be significant. The stuff gets around. Avoiding raw altogether doesn’t eliminate risk completely as kibble occasionally tests positive and raw protein “treats” are a source as well ( dehydrated chews ie pig ears)

Salmonella is more common in poultry products so you could just avoid those. Another option would be to use a commercial high pressure pasteurized product. Both options would reduce risk. Some companies test and hold their products.

theBcnut summed it up nicely. If there are immunocompromised people in the home, children and I may even add adults on acid reducing medications the risk will be increased that transfer could happen to the individuals in your home. I decided raw wasn’t appropriate for my household. Not just for Salmonella but for other reasons as well.

For great clicker training videos see kikopup on youtube. Her website is dogmantics dot come.

[Maureen A M]

Hey aquariangt,

Did I spell that right? Can’t even spell my name today. I was flummoxed by the person who replied to my post about Blue Buffalo because their website NEVER mentions that the food is sourced or made in the USA. The person who answered my post said she/he had spoken to some one who worked for Blue Buffalo. Sure, I”d say the brand I worked for was made in the USA. ANd…..if it is why arent’ they proudly announcing it on their packaging?

Aaaaagh. One of those days when the rescue puppies peed on the couch while I was rinsing out the mop from their other ‘accidents’. I was only gone four hours and they have puppy pads. I love all the rescues (4), but I want to get back to my four old guys who are now terrified of their mother who tends to scream a lot. Like when couch cushion is pulled off the couch so it can be peed on???? Why not just pee on the damn thing while it’s still on the couch?

Oh my. IF I had a bigger house and more money (don’t we all) I”d keep them. The little rescue girl is still so afraid that if I touch her she pees. I try to pick her up and stroke her and talk quietly to her and she’ll let me get kinda close to give her treats. She has something wrong with her leg and limps a lot. I hope she finds a good home. Our ‘RICH’ persons animal rescue organization’s executive director told me to have them put down. I’ve had them three months. Guess I didn’t offer to make a donation. And, if I won the lottery I wouldn’t give them a penny. I know people who are able to turn in dogs ‘with’ a donation.

Grrrr.

Hope your day is better than mine. Your dog is cute, border collie? I have a part border collie. She is so FAT and I mean FAT. Part of it is lack of exercise since my disability I haven’t been able to walk her and she eats as is she will never be fed again. She’s lilke a vacuum. But Border Collies are so so so smart. She learned to open the back door whenshe wanted to come in and has nipped at my calves (calfs?) to make me move faster.

I am taking your advice and not buying Blue whatever anymore.

[CircaRigel]

Agreed. A lot of those Petsworld foods and treats are definitely not premium and have alot of fillers your dog doesn’t need. As for Holistic Select, while mostly premium, it contains green tea extract… Wellness, Eagle Pack, Old Mother Hubbard, and Holistic Select all began putting it in all of their foods recently… but there’s a problem. I found a fair bit of research on PubMed that shows it to cause liver toxicity in dogs. Granted, the doses are higher and its worse if given in a fasting state, which wouldn’t be the case in food products, but I still wouldn’t want to risk my dog by touching the stuff.

Galen, my 6-month-old Shiloh is now on Canidae Grain Free Pure Sea for kibble, and Trippett (Green Beef Tripe, Tripe & Venison, & Duck Salmon & Tripe) for his canned food. I decided to follow the recent research that suggests giant breed pups may do best on an adult diet that has the low calcium and phosphorus, as it doesn’t have a lot of extra empty calories. I chose the Pure Sea formula because it has few key ingredients, the first 3 are meat and meat meals (fresh smoked salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal), and is absolutely LOADED with Omega 3’s (brain food and excellent for the immune system, plus anti-inflammatory… perfect for a service dog in training like Galen, or a service dog). It also has the highest rating from Dog food Advisor, and includes probiotics and even some enzymes, like cellulase, which increases the bioavailability of polysaccharides as an energy source. The tripe in Trippett also contains digestive enzymes, which again is beneficial for digestion and increasing the bioavailability of nutrients.

Everything I feed Galen is for a reason. Even his treats, which are Sojo’s Simply Lamb… Only one ingredient- raw lamb, conveniently freeze dried.

[Bobby dog]

Here’s a few links about what is safe for dogs. As with everything, there are things you might find contradictory or questionable. Always check with your Vet when in doubt:
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control

Welcome 🙂

Here’s a recipe for making sweet potato chews:

Homemade Sweet Potato Dog Treats

[crazy4cats]

Jeanenne-
Sorry to hear about your situation. I have only experienced crystals with one of my cats and it was a frightening experience. He had a blockage and spent three days at an emergency clinic. Luckily he survived. I did feed him the Rx food afterwards and slowly weaned him off over an eight month period. I was so worried it would happen again.

Sounds like the vet is recommending the Royal Canin SO partly due to the fact that they are not sure if they are struvite, oxalate, or another type of stones yet. Royal Canin helps prevent both as it is lower in magnesium and has ingredients that promote urination. If they are struvite crystals, most often Hill’s c/d or s/d is recommended due to it’s ability to dissolve the crystals by making the pH more acidic. Oxalate type cannot be dissolved. They need to either be flushed out or surgically removed. Either way, more moisture and opportunities to urinate are very important to keep the crystals flushed out of the urinary tract.

Honestly, reading that you regularly feed Beneful, I think that the Royal Canin is a step up anyway. In my opinion, you can still give your dog the fruit and vegetable treats as long as you keep them to 20% or less of his diet. I have read a ton about crystals, but admittedly mostly the feline variety. But, one of the biggest factors that they are learning is that they are often brought on by stress or anxiety for cats. I would venture to guess that there could be some correlation in dogs as well. You mentioned that you just moved and that could have brought on some stress. Our pets don’t like too many changes in their routines. My cat had his emergency right after we got back from vacation. I don’t think my son was very good at keeping him on his routine and he had some separation anxiety.

After the stones are analyzed and you know what you are dealing with, maybe you could talk to your vet about being referred to a vet nutritionist. There is also a website called Balance IT, that helps people with pets that have health conditions formulate a specialized diet. Your vet might not know that you are willing to take on that task.

In the mean time, I would try to get your dog to eat the Royal Canin. Preferably the canned if you can. Increase the water intake and potty breaks. And, if possible, maybe you could increase to feeding three times per day. That is another change that I made that seems to be helping. Three smaller meals rather than two. That helps to keep their pH levels more consistent.

I wish you well!

[Jeaneene S]

I really wanted to put this in the “Struvite Crystals” thread – but for some reason that particular page always shows me as *not* logged in, even when I log in from within that thread.

Anyway, I could use some help. I have a 10 1/2 year old male Siberian Husky who has – his entire life – been on Beneful dry dog food and never had any health problems AT ALL. At one point I tried to change to the Blue Wilderness (thinking it might be better for them), but he and my 10 1/2 year old female Husky had the worst diarrhea I’ve ever seen, so it was back to the Beneful kibble. (I’ve always heard dry kibble is best for dental health, which is why that’s all I’ve ever used)

Now, this past February my big boy had what appeared to be an awful UTI. So the next day, I got a good urine catch (looked super cloudy, but just yellow) and took it and him to the vet. Vet found no crystals but lots of blood (at the microscopic level) in his urine, and did an xray, but didn’t find anything wrong. She put him on antibiotics and it was gone.

On May 1 we moved to a new house, and got a new vet – had all the dogs’ files brought to the new vet (I brought them myself so I knew they wouldn’t get lost). Then, on Memorial Day, I noticed he looked like he was having a hard time urinating again and to my horror it looked as if he was even peeing blood. Immediately called the new vet and explained what it *appeared* to be; she said that even though they were closed, she would call in an rx for Amoxicillin for him. No more than a few days of being off the antibiotics, and we started having problems AGAIN (thankfully not peeing blood this time). So, hubby took him to the Vet this past Monday and with a different kind of xray, she found 1 stone the size of a quarter, 3 stones the size of a nickel, and about 15 smaller ones. Needless to say my big boy went in for surgery yesterday morning (I am picking him up today).

Now the vet is telling me that I have to put him on the Royal Canin SO food (which she has already said he’s been turning his nose up at the vet’s), and the only treats he can have is if I take the Royal Canin SO canned food, cut it up in to squares and bake them into “treats”. We’re talking about a dog who is used to his mommy throwing a steak on the grill to mix in with his food (well, him and the other 3 girl dogs in the house) … getting bell peppers, apples and other fruits/veggies as treats, having watered-down applesauce popsicles, etc. Now she’s saying he can never have any of this ever again AND I have to give him this food that appears to me to be very poor quality and that he doesn’t like?! I’m having a very hard time accepting this.

I asked the vet at the Petsmart (where I am having to get the food) for a second opinion – and oddly enough – he seconded that opinion. How do I tell his regular vet that I don’t approve of this dog food, and that I’d LIKE to try a more vitamin-based/holistic approach as well as make his food for him which I feel would be better quality – not to mention cheaper – and where I can add the necessary added vitamins and minerals and would still prevent any further bladder stone issues.

Should trust both his new vet and the Banfield vet at Petsmart (his previous vet – when I called her last week also said he may have to go on a special diet for the remainder of his life too, so that makes three)? I’m willing to make his food, give him the supplements, test his urine … ANYTHING! Or am I just being unreasonable? And would it be “wrong” to go against the vet and do what I *think* is right?

• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Jeaneene S.

[Dori]

I have three spayed dogs. There has never been even the slightest disagreement amongst the three. They are each others BFF’s. They pal around together all day long and cuddle up together on the couches and insist on squeezing in on the various dog beds together even though there are several in every room of the house. They chase each other, wrestle (never ever has it turned into a fight), play tug….funny to watch all three playing tug together), chase toys always allowing who ever gets it first to keep it. They don’t steal each other’s food or treats. Two, my younger girls (6 years old next week) also have been playing their version of hide n seek since they were only weeks old. My opinion, and it’s just that, my opinion is that a lot has to do with the energy in your home to begin with. My home is calm and stress free (as much as can be anyway) and the energy has been commented on by a lot of people that come inside our home.

Also, spaying them never caused any differences in them be it metabolism, incontinence, personality or whatever. They remained the same as before the spays. Perhaps not all veterinary surgeons are the same.

Your family, human and fur, are just beautiful. Is there a possibility that you keep both a male and a female?

One more edit: The three girls, two almost 6 years old and one almost 16 years old are the the sweetest most affectionate with each other and even more so with my husband and I. Even if one of us leaves a room for a moment they follow us around. Hubby calls me the Pied Piper. As I was about to say, even if I leave the room for a moment they follow me. If I go out to get the mail or put out the garbage and come back they act like I’ve been gone for months. They’re a huggie kissie little group. Just like their human parents? The three love to snuggle up on us whether we’re sitting reading, watching t.v. or in bed.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Dori.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Dori.

[Dori]

cindy q. My three girls have been on commercial raw diets, nothing processed including treats for the past 4 years. I rotate their food with every meal. I don’t mix proteins either. I always have 3 or 4 bags started in the freezer at the same time. Different brands, different proteins.

The reason I had stopped feeding Darwin’s awhile back was they went through a change. They increased the fat, lowered the protein and raised the price. The whole idea did not sit right with me. I recently came across Darwin’s on Amazon with free shipping. Same Darwin’s and ships from Darwin’s facility also. You have to buy it in the variety packages though. You can’t specify just one protein. Since I rotate as frequently as I do and my dogs are accustomed to very high proteins, moderate to high quality fats, and low carbs there has not been an issue with Darwin’s. Actually it has less fat than a lot of the other frozen raws I have in rotation. I was just annoyed of the changes that I mentioned above. Now that I don’t have to pay for shipping it makes it easier to not be so annoyed with the company.

[Dori]

I rotate between brands and the proteins they make with the exception of any fowl as one of my dogs is intolerant of all fowl.

Primal Frozen Raw and I use their freeze dried as treats
Vital Essential Raw and I use their freeze dried tripe as treats
OC Raw Frozen
Answer’s Detailed Frozen Raw
Nature’s Logic Frozen Raw
Steve’s Frozen Raw
Darwin’s (recently put it back into rotation)

I’m sure there are others I use in rotation but can’t think of them at the moment.

[LexiDog]

Wow! Your pup is sooo lucky to have found you!! Some people on here have suggested Satin Balls. They are high calorie treats/supplement food to help dogs gain weight. You make them and I am sure you could modify the recipe so that they are grain free.

I’m so glad he ate last night!! That is progress! Are you going to try to thaw it out a little bit more each day so he will be eventually eating it thawed? That might work.

[chris]

I wanted to add I fed him some ricotta cheese today on top of his Merricks and he enjoyed that a ton. I know one of you posted a link to taking kefir and fruit and making frozen treats out of it. I was wondering what fruits are best or are allowed for that matter. I know some fruits including grapes especially dogs can’t really have. I have a garden of my own that I have strawberries and blueberries growing all naturally as I don’t use pesticides or anything. Was wondering if they would be okay to use.

I also have home made sweet potatoes growing and was going to mash them up and put them on his food once in a while. 🙂

[zcRiley]

I haven’t heard that. Your dog is lucky to have different food types per day. Can you imagine eating the same food for years and years? I feed raw dehydrated for breakfast, a 5 star kibble for lunch and another 5 star brand for dinner. As a side (not mixed in), I rotate a canned food daily. The stools are medium sized firm and I make sure the total daily amount matches their activity level for the day (lots of swimming as summer approaches!). Dasuquin Advanced as treats and deer shank bones in between. Vet visits are a thing of the past. Just watch for any allergic reactions when introducing a new food.

[Jen W]

My dogs all enjoy Nylabones, they’re a bull terrier x basenji cross and two pit bull type dogs. They are between 44 and 79lbs, respectively. They all can chew for hours and get a variety of goodies.

I have nylabones for all of them and they all use them frequently, you can sandpaper them down a little bit to get them smoothed out and not so horrible to step on.

We also use bully sticks, bully slices, pig ears, cow ears, and like – my little one doesn’t always care for them, but the two larger ones love the flavorful real treats. They also all get knuckle bones and such once in a while as well and if a small piece is broken off they’re tossed.

My little one, Kay has an antler and she enjoys that sometimes, but it isn’t her favorite treat. she is very selective, one day she loves it the next she could care less.

If antlers, and something strong is what you are after, I would steer clear of the deer and go for a larger animal. My friend’s lab mix annihilated one of Kay’s antlers within twenty minutes. It was a split shed, you could see the spongy inside and they just tore it to bits.

Acadia Antlers has moose antlers, natural sheds and they come in flavors and have other projects. for the items it really isn’t a too bad deal. I’ve had it on my mind to order from them just haven’t but their reviews seem to be great. Just have to worry about power chewers who will do it at any and all costs and will break a tooth.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Ron-
Your dog is very lucky that you saved her! Sounds like she is living the good life. 20lbs overweight is probably hard on her though. You could definitely cut back on the treats! The dog food calculator reads that she should be getting about 950 calories a day for a dog with typical activity that should weigh 40lbs. Do you know how many calories are in a cup of her kibble or the cup of wet food that you are feeding have?

Yes, think about having a full senior blood panel done at the vets on Monday. Sometimes older dogs can have thyroid issues that make it very difficult to lose weight. Let us know how the vet visit goes.

[Lisa M]

I have a poodle that I’ve been through food and skin allergies with also, so I feel your pain. I have been going through this for six plus years, and within the last month, I came upon a lady with a holistic pet food store in Boca Raton, FL who has been invaluable. I had been feeding my dog venison and I believe he has become allergic to it. He’s also allergic to all novel proteins. She recommended rabbit and a probiotic, and it appears to have taken care of not only the allergies but the reflux he was beginning to have. Her web address is holisticpetcuisine.com. After years of reading pet food labels, and having to email the parent companies to see what “liver” or “flavor” might refer to, she speaks the language fluently. Her name is Barbara. She sometimes recommends a raw diet, which I have heard mixed feedback on from both sides, but tend to cook the food. Be sure no treats from China, and no cross over ingredients in treats that have proteins your dog might be allergic to. I feel your pain. I have found that not even vets can deal with these issues very well. Email/call Barbara. She will be a new best friend.

[Naturella]

Pitlove, if I fed my RMBs in a yard, I would not be worried one bit about grass and/or soil getting on them unless I’m using some chemical or toxic pesticides. If you are not, i think grass and dirt are ok. Maybe someone else can confirm or refute that though.

As for Chris, I second Bobby Dog – adding fresh foods to kibble is pretty good. I add coconut oil (UNREFINED raw organic extra-virgin cold-pressed is ideal but as long as it’s at least unrefined it should be okay), yoghurt/kefir, raw egg, canned sardines in water, and the RMB in addition to the canned/pouches I mentioned earlier. I also use some treats and natural chews here and there.

[Naturella]

Oh, and Chris… Orijen told me they won’t send me samples as you can buy their trial sizes from a few places online or in stores that carry Orijen. So if they send you some, let me know!

But I have had luck with Annamaet (samples of the GF foods and a full-size bag of treats – which are formulated almost like the foods themselves, so they are close to complete and balanced, if not that), Wysong (many samples), Canidae (a whole small bag of Pure Sea and a full-size bag of PURE treats), Dr. Tim’s (one Sample), Brothers’ Complete (bought samples from their website, they sent me double the order), Victor (bought samples from sportdogfood.com and ordered 5 of each instead of 3 (the limit), but they still sent them to me), Dr. Tim’s (sent me one sample), and I think this is it.

[Naturella]

Chris, that sounds like a good lineup! Don’t sweat it too much, just make sure that the unbalanced additives (sauerkraut, yoghurt, kefir, frozen treats and other unbalanced treats, and unbalanced canned green tripe) altogether do not constitute more than 10% of the dog’s diet. For me, I feed about 1tsp or 1tbs (depending on how generous I feel) of unbalanced toppers, but Bruno only gets those at breakfast Monday-Saturday, for dinner he gets balanced canned as a topper so it’s fine. On Sundays he gets a balanced breakfast of kibble and canned and for dinner he has RMB, and now will be getting some AllProvide raw too! 🙂

And farm-made human and doggie ice-cream sounds great! 🙂

And I love me some free dry and canned samples! A lot of the samples I got are lower-protein – in the 20s %, or up to 31%, but that’s fine by me for sporadic surprise meals or treats, which is what I use samples for too.

[chris]

So for supplements I wrote down to try:
Sauerkraut
Plain Yogurt
Swanson’s soil-based Organisms
Canned Green Tripe
Kafir

I’m going to try each and see how it goes. I read a lot up on it earlier and heard from a good amount that I should start very slow in it to get there stomach use to it. So figured I might give 1/4 cup each time for now.

I’ll definitely be trying those frozen treats Bobby Dog! I have a dairy farm near by that started it’s own home made ice cream straight off the farm. They recently started making there own dog ice cream and I was buying him a container of that here and there the past few weeks.

Naturella- Yeah, my local pet store has boxes of free samples soon as you walk in the front door and he tells us to take as many as we want. There mostly little sample bags of natures variety, natures balance, and canidae, no canned food or treats sadly.

[Pitlove]

Thank you Naturella thats exactly what i was talking about as an idea for Chris to do! You stated it perfectly. Rather than blending the foods just feed ANY food you find interested that you’d like Sparky to try for a couple weeks or however long it lasts for then switch!

Chris- The supplement I have is made by the Honest Kitchen and its called Perfect Form

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/treats-supplements/supplements/perfect-form

i have the 5.5oz jar. I dont follow their instructions for how much to feed. i just do about one pinch on my kittens food and two or three pinches for the dog. i felt it their guildlines where far too much. maybe im wrong but idk this has been working for me. you can feed it however you want. I got the Kefir at walmart for a little over 3$. there are feeding guidelines for that on the internet too. they tell you to cut the number in half when first giving it to get their stomach used to it.

[Naturella]

Chris, hi. For my Bruno, I use quite a few things – deer or elk antlers (not the split ones as he can power through them pretty quickly), and stuffed and frozen Kongs and Kong-like toys (like C4C said, they do last a while, and you can stuff them with anything you can think of – from canned food, to wet kibble, to canned pumpkin, yoghurt/kefir, peanut butter, or any mix of the above). Right now I stuff mine with canned green tripe. I have used Himalayan chews when he was a puppy, and even more recently, but the most recent ones would splinter and not last him very long. So I may not get him any more of those, unless I buy a Medium or Large ones (he is a small dog, but the small Himalayan chews don’t put up a fight with him). So for long-lasting, digestible, and beneficial chews, I’d go with antlers.

I think hooves are my second favorites, and they are stuffable too! Bully sticks are my third favorite, as well as fish skins (for the skin and coat benefits), but they don’t last as long. However, all of the natural chews and treats seem to be easily digested by Bruno – tracheas, pig, cow, and lamb ears, tendons, etc. Chicken and duck feet work too but he’s really quick with those. They all seem to digest very well. Tripe swirls and freeze-dried chews/treats work well too.

Also, I think Halo has a pumpkin-based “dental” chew that may be easy on the tummy. Good luck!

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

[Pitlove]

Ill also note that aside from the yak chews and deer antlers the only treats in my house for my cat and dog are freeze dried raw treats. very easy to digest, made with only one ingredient and made in the USA. I use PureBites, however there are many out there. Nature’s Variety makes them for example as well and I know Blue Buffalo just came out with some but I would stay away from Blue products.

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

[c-monkey]

Hi Heather, my Buddy has Osteosarcoma (not Mast Cell). We just found out that the cancer spread to his lungs. He’s on a second round of “chemo”, and believe it or not, he’s feeling better than he was before starting the chemo (chemotherapy is very different for dogs, they seem to tolerate it far better than we do). I feed him FreshPet grain-free slice and serve on top of good dry food which I vary from month to month. I don’t worry as much about the treats (I did at first, but grain-free treats start to get expensive, and many of them he wouldn’t eat).
I strongly recommend a curcumin supplement. I use Curcuvet, found on Amazon. Buddy was given 1-3 months to live last October after his amputation surgery, and he’s still happy, jumping around and enjoying life today. I also give him “k-9 Immunity plus” treats, about 6 per day (he’s approx. 71lbs after the surgery).
I understand about being “in his face” too much, LOL! I am forever fretting if Buddy behaves in any way different than usual. Just don’t forget to relax and enjoy your time with him too (that’s what everyone tells me too, sometimes we forget when we are all bunched up with worry).

Good luck and keep us posted!

[chris]

I think this would be an excellent idea. There are tons of treats as I can understand it would take some time. But overall I believe at starting at the most commonly top rated ones would be great to leave those know what treats are excellent for there pets. For instance I actually just started a thread asking about a good treat for a dog that has stomach/bowel problems. Hopefully I can get some feedback relating to that sort of problem. So, yes I really do hope this gets added in the future as i’m sure it will help! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I might rethink the bully stick, for a dog that has a sensitive stomach….you do know what body part it comes from, right? Greasy, fatty and treated with who knows what. Just saying.

I would give no treats to a dog that was having frequent bowel movements. A healthy dog usually has one or 2 bms a day, in my experience.

I give my senior dog 4 small meals per day, he’s bored and has a little dementia going on, sometimes he goes to the fridg and barks at it? If I ignore him he goes back to his dog bed and naps till the next meal time.

[Naturella]

I also love feeding a variety of foods to my terrier mix Bruno. Since my husband and I have adopted him in 2013, he’s had, in no particular order of dry foods: Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy, Nutrisca Chicken & Chickpea, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis GF, Holistic Health Extension Original, Blue Allergix, and Lamb & Brown Rice, Earthborn Holisitic Coastal Catch, Primitive Naturals, and Great Plains Feast, Back to Basics Open Range, Wysong Nurture with Quail, Nulo Medal Series Lamb & Lentils, Castor & Pollux Ultramix Duck, Victor Salmon, and samples of Fromm, Victor, NutriSource, TOTW, Wysong, Orijen, Acana, Nature’s Variety Instinct (the Rabbit formula he was supposed to eat but it made him very sick, but other samples he did great with), Hi-Tek, Nature’s Logic, and many other foods I can’t recall ATM. Lined up we have Wellness CORE Ocean and Original, more Earthborn, Canidae Pure SEA, Castor & Pollux Organix GF, and right now he just got on Dogswell LiveFree Salmon.

For toppers we used The Honest Kitchen Embark, Force, Keen, and Love, and Big Dog Naturals Green Tripe (air-dried). I have used various canned foods too, like Weruva, Green Cow by Solid Gold, and Green Tripe from Petkind, and also some more dehydrated/air-dried like Sojo’s. Now I use some small Merrick dog cans and some cat food pouches and cans for some of the toppers along with coconut oil, yoghurt, raw egg, canned sardines, and a RMB for his Sunday dinner. I also almost always add extra water to the food when served with a topper so he eats “soup” most of the time. Sometimes I just give him plain kibble as part of a training routine or from a puzzle toy to stimulate his brain. He likes it just the same!

He gets regular treats (Fromm, Canidae, Yummy Chummies, and Think! Alligator and Crawfish Jerky, and also kibble as treats (a different brand and flavor of the main food he is on at the moment), He also has a few natural chews like cow and lamb ears, beef tracheas, bully sticks, pig snouts, fish skins, antlers, hooves, etc.

Sorry for the rant, lol, but yeah, rotations are awesome, and Bruno loves the daily variety, and I love how he looks and feels (shiny and soft). I used to take 10 days or so to transition from one food to the next at first, then about 7 days, then 3, then 0. Now he switches so quickly because he eats a constant variety of foods and treats.

And LM, I guess you can see the replies of a person, but it will be hard to follow an Editor’s Choice topic reply by reply from individual authors. And some topics are EC exclusive.

[Pitlove]

I don’t know much about Cloud Star, however I do know Zuke’s just got bought out by Purina, so they might have started adding cheaper ingredients. The only treats I feed in my house hold (if they get treats) are freeze dried raw treats you can get at places like Petco called PureBites. Its just one ingredient (i do turkey breast for the kitten and beef liver for the dog), made in the USA etc. They can be broken into smaller pieces to use for training. i used them for clicker training my kitten.

PS just realized I mentioned these treats in my above post

[Bea]

I have an 11 week old puppy and I have tried Cloud Star Chicken and Zukes training treats and they both gave him soft stools to almost diarrhea. I don’t know what to use to train him maybe just his dog kibble.