[MARCIA H]

Please do not feed your dog anything that comes from India, China, Thailand, etc., treats or food.

I get my Andi the only treats she’s allowed to eat from deedogdelectables.com — homemade, organic, limited ingredients, and you can get either jerky treats or cookies/biscuits or both. My dog likes the beef jerky best, but she doesn’t turn down a treat! You can break the jerky up into little pieces for things like potty training, which you know you’ll be handing out often during the day. Well, we hope you will, LOL!

If you’re shopping for chewy toys, Petsmart, Walmart, grocery store, discount store, big box store — Just say NO! And beware of deceptive packaging – the front will proudly say “MADE IN THE USA” but the back says “with ingredients from China.”

No food or treats you can buy at ANY discount store, big box store, chain pet store, or grocery store are fit for your dog to eat. I’ve seen too many dogs die or get very, very sick from eating mostly Purina, Hills, and Royal Canin, which are all nothing but garbage. This is my opinion, of course, based on my personal experiences, and I stand by it.

If you have any trouble going to shop at deedogdelectables.com – please let me know. Thanks!
p.s. No, that’s not my business, but my dog has eaten treats from there for three years or more.

[McLovins P]

This is normal if you are a new pet parent. It is only sensible to take things slowly, and everything else will fall into place. Treats are technically necessary for the home, especially when training a puppy.

There are various online pet foods company that provides pets treats but McLovins pet is one of the best online shops for treats. You can select freeze-dried dog treats for your puppy.
You can visit here:- https://mclovinspet.com/

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by McLovins P.

[Patricia A]

Treats for my dogs are freeze dried nuggets. Bixbi Rawbble is reviewed by DFA as 5* . My dogs love them and don’t know that their “treat” is packed with nutrition.

[Megan M]

I gave my 7 month old Bernese mountain dog the fruitables pumpkin and blueberry hard treats for the first time as well as some new duck flavored treats. That night she woke up every single half hour for ten hours to go outside. She had explosive stool which eventually had blood in it. Called the dr and they said it was due to a new food not agreeing with her so I assumed it was the duck treats! I fed her boiled chicken and rice and she was back to normal. Couple days later I fed her the fruitables treats again after she had fully recovered. I was thinking there’s no way she got sick from them the ingredients are amazing! Wrong. We are now going through the exact same thing as a couple days ago. It’s 4am and she’s already woken up 8 times to go outside. My poor puppy.

[YorkiLover4]

I usually buy from Chewy but recently found a really good deal for very high quality food. I buy directly from Vital Essentials. I give my dog their treats and their rabbit mini-nibs raw freeze-dried. This brand is very expensive normally but they send me promotions and I am kind of shocked because if you buy a certain number of bags, they give you a discount up to 30%. I thought it was a gimmic but then I compared the price on Chewy and saw it was the same. My dog had a mast cell tumor that was removed and I try to feed him the best food–raw frozen and raw freeze-dried. Also, my vet told me about this cancer multi-vitamin OncoPet https://www.askariel.com/OncoPet-Cancer-Vitamin-p/135.htm that seems to give him energy and he hasn’t had a recurrence. My dog has a sensitive tummy and I am so glad he can take this one without any problems. This website AskAriel has a lot of information about pet food and supplements.

[Pat C]

The recipe should have number of calories per batch or per ounce or cup. From there you’ll need one of the online calculators to put in your dogs current weight or ideal weight and it will tell you how many calories per day.

I also make homemade and my 6 year old, 15 lb Cavalier needs about 365 calories (plus treats)per day to maintain ideal weight. No matter what the calc says you’ll need to watch their weight to make sure it’s right for them as activity level makes a big difference.

If for some reason they did not include calorie info, I just found an invaluable site for homemade food wwww.nutritionvalue.org. It’s for humans but I put my ingredients and it tabulates calories per batch as well as shows how much of each nutrient…the pain is looking up minimum NRC or AAFCO requirements.
My Cavalier has just been diagnosed with MitralValveDisease so I’m watching sodium levels and making sure she has enough Vitamins, C,D,E and Omega3.

[Laura C]

Has anyone else had any issues with these treats. My dog and my sisters dog both experienced vomiting and diarrhea staring at the same time and lasting in excess of five days, requiring veterinary treatment. It was not determined if these treats were the problem but it was the only thing we could identify that they had both had together. I purchased them at TJMax and read the labels carefully and thought they would be ok.

[Mary J]

Have you tried vegetarian dog snacks? There are really healthy and have a lot of advantages for dogs. I use the https://teddys-treats.com/en/ ones and there are great. My little boy loves them!

[Kelsey R]

My 12 year old dog had a seizure and face tremors recently. We are linking it to the Milkbone – mini’s – please be aware!! These dog treats/dog food companies do not care about the health of the dog. My dad feeds our dog approx 5-10 milkbones every night. I’ve been noticing it’s having an effect on her attention and cognition. She almost seems dazed and stares in an area in the room for an extended period of time. I’m so glad I have found this thread as i searched for milk bone dog treats + seizures on google tonight. This only happens at night after she has digested the treats. Something does not seem right…..

[Kate L]

Hi! I know this topic has been covered endlessly, but I wanted to share my experiences with allergies and maybe gain some insight on different kinds of food for my 7 year old staffy, Gumbo.

We adopted Gumbo when he was 2. He was missing hair, his coat was dull and rough, belly and paws were red and irritated, and he was constantly scratching. The only allergy we were informed of was chicken. He was immediately started on a prescription diet of Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein. It helped slightly, but still itchy and red.

After not seeing much of a difference with the prescription diet, I tried a few store bought foods. Zignature Kangaroo, Taste of the Wild (with fish) and Instinct (can not remember which we tried.) Nothing really helped and we put him back on the prescription diet, this time Royal Canin Ultamino. We do not feed any treats-just carrots and cucumbers.

Monthly cytopoint shots started two years after we got him which I would say brought him the most relief. He also got groomed monthly and bathed with oatmeal bath. Still not 100% but the best he had been. His nails were still red, raw and yeasty. I almost feel he has more of an environmental allergy at this point-different times of the year he seems better or worse.

Over the past few months I have noticed the cytopoint injections are not helping at all. I know it is dry in December where we reside, but his itch became unbearable. His breath was rotten. Coat looked terrible. Vet put him on antibiotics for a “skin infection.” The stink and extreme itch went away, but he was still uncomfortable.

Out of desperation I found an article online that said dehydrated beets had helped their dog considerably.
I immediately ordered and I can not even begin to explain the difference I’ve noticed in Gumbo this month. His nails are growing in completely white (which I have never seen before-they are always brown/red/streaky) his coat is gleaming and his energy is great. He is barely scratching himself. If anything he is still licking his paws, but we are trying to be diligent about wiping them down when wet and using medicated wipes and cream. Then we wrap him like a burrito so he can’t lick the cream off.

I know I shouldn’t mess with something that seems to be working-but I am also tempted to try another type of food with limited ingredients. At $100/month and our first baby on the way it would be great to find him a more cost-effective food and I just don’t love the idea of a kibble that is made in a lab. I’ve considered making his food-I just haven’t done enough research and want to make sure he’s getting the correct ratio of protein, vitamins and nutrients.

I just received a sample from Verus. I spoke with the operations manager and she recommended the menhaden fish formula. Gumbo loved it but it immediately gave him terrible gas..
“We truly believe that VeRUS could be the perfect fit for your furbaby. In addition to offering chelated and proteinated vitamins and minerals (where the body can absorb more efficiently than standard vitamins and minerals), we utilize wholesome ingredients without the use of synthetic chemical preservatives, fillers, or by products. Our cooking methods and standards of manufacturing are of the highest possible being that we are manufactured in an EU certified (European Union) facility. This mandates that each ingredient must be fit for human consumption with an increased level of testing to confirm only the best ingredients are trusted and safe to be used in our formulas. Reliability and transparency are the principles of VeRUS with dedication to nutrition being the guiding force.”

So I’m leaning towards trying a full bag of this food but wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions on what has worked for their pup. I always feel for anyone going through allergy troubles because it has been something we have been dealing with for years. We really do everything we can for our furbabies! Thank you for reading my novel and any insight you may have.

[Jane R]

UPDATE to my post from 3/3/21: My dog’s licking, gulping episodes. hacking, along with tummy noises have pretty much completely stopped. Over the last 5 months, she has had a couple of episodes that lasted a couple of minutes. At that point I would let her go outside as it’s better to let her eat grass than what she can find indoors. Otherwise she’s been doing great!

So along with trial and error, and results from GI/barium study…The KEY things that has helped her are: 1. feeding her 3 small meals a day (versus 2 larger ones before); 2. no more essential oils, scented candles, scented laundry detergent, etc. 3. strict diet of her dog food (Fromm’s dry Duck mixed with a spoon or two of Purina ONE SmartBlend Tender Cuts in Gravy Chicken & Brown Rice or Purina ONE SmartBlend Tender Cuts in Gravy Lamb & Brown Rice as they are low in fat content), plain cooked chicken breast, Old Mother Hubbard dog biscuits treats, or dry dog biscuit for treats.

I had a barium/GI study done on her at the vet’s and was able to rule out any issues with how her food traveled from mouth through her GI tract…everything was normal. So that’s when I tried the three things listed above and it has been key to stopping the licking, gulping, etc, episodes.

What I’ve learned that can trigger her episodes are numerous things: eating too much at once, eating too fast, any food with higher fat content including all oil related supplements (fish oil, coconut oil, etc), fragrances. I’m also leery of any supplements for her at this point.

Bland is BEST; LESS is more. It took alot of trial and error, online research, vet visits, trying acid reflux medications, and reading all the helpful posts here too. When she has to take antibiotics from the vet, they can upset her tummy so he puts her on a pre-biotic he has at his office along with the antibiotic and it works great!

[Patricia A]

I looked at the Glandex reviews. I always start with the negative ones. So some dogs had adverse reactions to the supplement. But doesn’t hurt to try.
I find there is sometimes no rhyme or reason to why some of my dogs over the years had the scooting and others never had to have the expression of the glands.
Had a Doxie when kids were little and probably not on the best diet with all the table scraps and not knowing back then about kibble quality etc. But he never had soft stool, or anal problems. Lived a long life of over 17 for our Pookie. Had Chloe our first Chihuahua and even though stool was never loose, had the scooting and always needed expression.
My mom came to live with us and hence we also have added to our already two Chihuahuas’. I know my mom was giving her table scraps and even found her dog bowl filled with Pepperidge Farm gold fish due to start of dementia.
So now living with us, she has lost a few needed pounds and on and loose stool has totally stopped with diet I give our other two. So living with my mom she was getting too much fat in diet which also causes my two to have Diarrhea.
I feed a combination of freeze dried in Primal and Stella Chewy’s. Their treat is one Bixbi Rawbble nugget. They get a little Stella Chewy’s Raw coated chicken kibble to stretch the freeze dried since now it’s getting expensive with having three.
I always go by the DFA reviews and only get the 5* proteins because I believe less fat.
Treats are high fiber raw baby carrots and string beans being canned low salt or raw.
I went REALLY, REALLY, REALLY slow when introducing these different brands and proteins. This way I can tell which doesn’t agree and also it takes a few days for digestion to get used to. Maybe stick switch SLOWLY with a few Stella’s kibble. See how she does. Then if want and all good add a little freeze dried in one brand and protein. Stella’s also comes with the freeze dried in the kibble.
Hope this helps her but sometimes it isn’t even the diet .

[dendad]

Thank you Patricia. Are Stella and Chewy’s treats or dog food? The pumpkin supplement I mentioned in my post are Glandex treats. For their weight, I’m supposed to only give a half treat. Maybe a whole one? They’re expensive, but if they’d work I wouldn’t mind. The expressions at the Vet are killing me. Anywhere from $35 to $40 each time. Dog groomers usually don’t charge for that, but we don’t take them to groomers.

[Aide B]

Normally Purina is one of the most controlled and backed up brands on the market. The worst for me it is a brand owned by Nestlé.

You can ask your vet about royal Canin or hills.

For treats you can use vegetables and fruits or just kibble.

We use half the kibble for training.

/best-dog-foods/ friday night funkin weight-loss-dog-foods/

[Patricia J]

Hi Nina,

Thanks for joining in:) Without having researched the specifics of what you said, I’ll say that it sounds sensible to me. However, what prompted my original questions was the fact that Sammy’s vet has prescribed a diet of ONLY Purina Pro Plan NF food; no additions, not even treats marketed as kidney-issue friendly. She maintains that dogs with kidney problems who are fed this diet exclusively live 2-3 years longer than those fed otherwise. Since I have been quite satisfied seeing this vet for over 20 years, through 2 dogs, I am following her advice. I simply came here seeking more understanding of the value of this diet to a dog’s overall nutrition. If you haven’t already, see comments by Aimee, above, which go some way towards that goal.

[MashaT22]

Hi all! Hoping someone out there can help me out.

My service dog has had extreme food and environmental allergies since 2017. Back then, the vet felt he could eat a non-prescription diet as long as we avoided the proteins that he was allergic to. For anyone that has done allergy tests at the vet, they’ll know a 300 for each allergen is severe. My boys tested anywhere from 300 to 2000+, mostly on the upper end of that scale. However, there were still enough types of food that he was not allergic to thankfully which meant I could just avoid what we knew he was allergic to and feed what we knew he wasn’t allergic to. I just had to carefully read labels if I gave him new treats and we kept to the same food formula.

I recently noticed changes in his symptoms to the environmental allergies during/after he was going outside, so we redid his allergy tests again since it’s been a long time. To my surprise (because I don’t see any obvious symptoms after I feed him any food/treats), we learned that he’s now allergic to so many types of food and environmental allergens that he’s practically allergic to himself! Some allergens go as high as 2800 — it’s dairy, some plant based foods/oils, and all proteins they can test for (they can’t test every type of food out there obviously), Amazingly, there are no issues with wheat, corn, etc.

Anyway, the vet initially suggested Ultamino from Royal Canin. Problem number one is that I’m bothered by the main protein is chicken by-product (aka junk) rather than chicken or chicken meal. This is a service dog that needs the best possible nutrition, and the service dog organization told us to stay away from anything listing byproducts on the label. It’s a bit shocking that a prescription diet could theoretically contain who knows what in it. I am also concerned why corn starch is listed as the first ingredient — and I see a similar trend of some weird ingredients being listed as the first ingredient when I looked at some other hydrolyzed brands like Science Diet. Doesn’t seem very nutritious to have weird things like corn starch as the first ingredient.

The second problem is the price. There’s no way I can afford these prescription options. My boy has been eating Science Diet Chicken and Barley formula for a very long time now. A 35 lbs bag is usually $55-$60 and lasts and 6-8 weeks. Ultamino, as an example, is only sold in 19 lbs for $99 each. That means I’d have to spend WAY more on Ultamino for the equivalent amount of pounds (ie, two 19 lbs bags for $200) than what I’m spending now on SD. I don’t mean to put a price on my priceless boy, but I sadly just don’t have that kind of money given my financial circumstances.

That being said, I’m looking for alternatives that may cost less and have the maximum nutrition value possible. The vet told me that any brand/formula I feel is suitable (he knows I’m knowledgeable about canine nutrition and labels) so long as it’s a hydrolyzed formula. I’d prefer a non-prescription option because I have more of a chance of being able to catch sales, apply coupon codes, and not have to constantly request refills — however, I am also open to less costly prescription options that are healthier without byproducts and weird ingredients than Ultamino. It also must be kibble to abide by rules set by the service dog school due to the way they are trained. He cannot eat wet food.

I would also like to understand why the diets I’ve looked at have weird ingredients as the first ingredient. I’m guess it has something to do with the hydrolyzing process, but why would the amount exceed the amount of protein and most of the actual food in the ingredients? It’s concerning to me, and I’d love more information about this if anyone has it.

There is an old topic that is closed to posts where a someone there recommended a specific formula from WholeHearted that is hydrolyzed and sold without a prescription. /forums/topic/nonprescription-hydrolyzed-protein-dog-food/

I am hoping there might be more options being that the above post is from 2018. This WholeHearted formula is a pea-based, grain-free formula that can lead to DCM in dogs. Being that my boy isn’t allergic to grains, I’d prefer a food option “with” grains that so I won’t have to start supplementing taurine and monitoring him for potential DCM issues.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and respond! I’m very passionate about my boy’s health and well-being. He’s perfectly healthy thankfully other than the allergies he developed shortly after I brought him home from service dog school at age 2.5. Any input would be deeply appreciated.

[Anna B]

We’ve been feeding our lab TOTW’s Pacific Stream Canine Recipe for just over a year now. He’s done well with it and never had any issues until now. We just bought a new bag yesterday (Sunday) and fed him dinner. Today (Monday) he ate breakfast and threw up mid/late afternoon. He ate dinner and has thrown up twice since.

I’m convinced it’s the food. He’s not had any treats since starting this new bag of TOTW, and he’s not been boarded or anywhere unsupervised where he could’ve gotten into something. And he’s not been around other dogs to have caught something.

We’ve been told recently by our vet that TOTW is one of the worst foods you can feed your pet, but we just brushed it off and thought “there’s always going to be something wrong with whatever you decide on”. I’ve done some reading about the whole grain-free thing and how TOTW was included in the list of 16 dog foods that were the worst “offenders” of myocarditis. Maybe it’s God’s timing that the vet mentioned what they did and our poor dog is responding the way he is with this new bag of food. Now I’m on the hunt for new dog food that’s made by a trustworthy company…

[Nadia K]

Thank you for your suggestions ladies. Treats are definitely an issue and I need to monitor that closely for sure. And hubby feeding her from the table has definitely made the problem worse. Patricia I am sorry to hear of your dad’s passing. Taking in your mom and her dog must be a big job and I commend you for it.

I tried something different today just to see what would happen. My vet is not a fan of raw and recommended that I at least sear her patties before feeding her. So that is what I did this morning. I also mixed in some left over veggies from last nights dinner. Well the little stinker ate the entire bowl.

So now I really am not sure how to proceed forward. She may eat it like this for a while and then look her nose up at it. I am also considering trying something like the base mix by Honest Kitchen and adding fresh meat to it.

[jeanne e]

Honestly as hard as it is to do, try keeping the treats away from her completely. Those bully sticks, rawhide chews, ( < they swell up in tummy ) any goodies, are filling. If her health is fine, then when she gets hungry, she will eat. Being tiny the treats are yummier and might be why she is not eating completely.
I’ve had rescue dogs for 50 years and have learned quite a bit and still learning. I had to cut out dog treats because my dog was putting on weight and tore her cruciate. $4,000 for ACL surgery. Her weight was causing damage and she went from 60# to 42#s and felt a lot healthier.
Just a thought, but try filling a KONG up with low fat yogurt, oatmeal, some organic honey, organic peanut butter and mix in some kibble. Freeze overnight, put a towel on doggie bed and let her go at it. My dogs loved them. Having 3 dogs at once I used to make up about 5 days worth and freeze them. You can slowly add more and more kibble and less yogurt. Just work out the consistancy so the food stays in.

[Nadia K]

Hello everyone. I have a 15 pound bichon that will be 3 in September. From the time we got her at 11 weeks of age, she has been a picky eater. I used to feed her kibble but she never seemed all that interested in it. I tried many brands. She would eat them for a few days and then turn her nose up at them.

When she turned a year old I decided to try raw with her. Initially I gave her the Stella and Chewy freeze dried patties and she loved them. I then switched her over to the raw frozen patties as it was less expensive than the freeze dried. I also bought her patties made by other companies and rotated brands. For the most part she seemed to enjoy eating them.

Then in March we went to Florida for two months and my dog pretty much refused to eat. The only thing we could get her to eat was roast beef from the deli. I took her to the vet who told me she was perfectly healthy and if anything could stand to lose a pound. (I thank my hubby for that as he is always giving her bits of his dinner which she loves and too many treats.) The vet offered to give her something to induce her appetite but I was not crazy about that idea.

Well we have now been back home for 2 weeks and the problem continues. On some days she may eat a little of the beef patty but will not touch the turkey patty. My hubby keeps adding pieces of human food just to get her to eat and even then she might eat the human food and leave the raw.

Otherwise she seems totally healthy. Full of energy running around the house and barking at every person that goes by. She sleeps through the night with no issues as well. She loves her treats and bully sticks but getting her to eat her dog food is so frustrating. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks so much.

[aimee]

Hi J B,

This is an interesting question and I’ll give you my thoughts. When two complete and balanced foods are mixed the resulting mixture is complete and balanced. However, feeding for weight loss is a special situation, a complete and balanced food, when fed to achieve weight loss, may not meet nutrient needs.

This is because nutrient levels in foods are tied to an assumed average intake. Because a caloric deficit is needed to achieve weight loss, weight loss foods need to be fortified with nutrients so that when feeding fewer calories a dogs nutrient needs are met.

In this situation you are asking if feeding a presumed fortified with a non fortified food will meet the dogs needs. To answer that you’d need to know the nutrient levels of each food to calculate the levels in the resulting mix, factor in the amount being fed and then compare to needs.

To add to the puzzle is that the nutrients in the vitality formula to support senior health will be being fed at a lower level which may or may not affect outcome.

You said your dog weighs 83 lbs. How much of the vitality formula is she eating a day? What other calorie sources are consumed? Treats, Supplements, dental chews etc. In my experience, Hill’s feeding guidelines are well calculated and so if currently she is consuming an amount at the higher end of the feeding recommendations I’d simply cut back to the lower range and trim other sources. If however she is already consuming at the lower end of the Vitality feeding range, and you would need to feed less than the recommended amount of that diet to achieve weight loss I’d consider switching completely over to a weight loss formula

Finally, Hill’s has a vet support service and you can ask your vet to contact Hill’s, discuss your particular dog, and get customized feeding advice.

[Yvonne H]

Here is an update on Wanda and her NO-HIDE chew.
Having a sick dog while away from home (and our family vet), in itself, is very stressful.

Our $5 NO-CHEW has now gone over $300 with vet bills.
The vet did a test for Giardia. None found.
The vet put Wanda on a second round of metronidazole and added Purina’s probiotics.
Things are better but not resolved.

Because of this experience, I bought a food processor and a dehydrator.
From here on out, my dogs are getting nothing that I would not eat myself.
I have decided to cook (not raw) for my dogs. I will be making their dog food and treats using human grade products.

As a matter of fact, the slices of dehydrated chicken breast is so good, I have to make extra for the dogs (smile) because I eat it too.

As a side note: Earth Animal representatives, in their emails, appeared to be very concerned about the welfare of my dog UNTIL I let them know I was aware of the class action lawsuit. Since then I have not heard another word from them.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Yvonne H.

[Lyle G]

My dog Bandit is a mix part pointer/  Coon hound seven years old. He started having seizures about a month ago. He had one minor seizure and two big ones.  I took him to the vet  where they did blood work.  Everything tested good. The vet wanted to put him on seizure meds. I started thinking about any recent changes in his eating habits.  The one change was his treats. I changed to milk bones  multi color which has Red dye-40 as well as other dyes in it.  He was given 4 or 5 treats a day for approximately 2 months.  Before putting him on anti seizure meds, I decided to change his treats to a healthy treat. It’s been eleven days so far with no signs of seizure.  My sister owns a blond Labrador, who is eight years old. He is currently being treated for seizures for the past 4 years.  I just found out she has been giving her dog milk bones multi colered forever. I am no sure if there is a relation between my dogs seizure and the milk bones multi colored but time will tell. I will post a follow up message in a month.

[KathyA P]

Google Zukes recall. Purina bought out the company a few years ago and I won’t feed anything Purina. They just had a recall for mold in their treats. There’s a group on Facebook called Purina is Still Killing or Sickening Dogs and Cats.

[runi K]

You should never give your dog human vitamins, or even over-the-counter dog vitamins or supplements. Be sure to follow your vet’s directions on how much and how often to give the pills, treats or capsules prescribed to you.

[Viv R]

Medication and probiotics didn’t work for us and we tried that for about a month, but here’s what did work for our pit-husky mix:
1. Feed 3-4 small meals a day, and no fatty or rich foods or table foods. We started with 4 per day, and by day 4 we went to 3 a day.
2. Feed a lower fat lower protein dog food that is Not grain free. I have slowly stopped trusting dog food manufacturers who don’t publish the origin of their ingredients and feed Nature’s logic, Open Farm, and Honest kitchen, so I didn’t think I could improve here. But she is our picky dog, and we were adding chicken breasts or thighs with skin (ugh) to her food. Without the addition of chicken, she didn’t want to eat. The pet food store suggested Dr. Harvey’s canine health mix as an alternative to Honest kitchen’s mix. This is a mix that requires you to add muscle meat, organ meat (for taurine), and a healthy oil- I use olive oil or krill oil. For protein, I add skinless chicken breast (and a small portion of ground turkey liver, hearts and gizzards). I follow their recipe for low protein, which amounts to about 1.5 grams of protein for each pound that my dog weighs, which doesn’t sound low protein to me. She LOVES it, but most of all, her GERD, acid reflux, gulping, and burping up water is under control. I buy frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts at Costco ($1.77 per pound), and do a big meal prep once a week, freezing half. It’s expensive, but cheaper than the vet.
It’s been about 6 months, and we’ve been able to slowly go back to 2 meals a day, but 3 is probably better. She had an episode a few days ago after I fed her too many Ziwi peak treats, but other than that, she’s good!

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Are they jerky type treats? Are they made in China? Ever since the big jerky treat issue a few years back, I will not feed them to my dogs.
You should probably quit feeding them and see if your dog improves. If not, a vet visit is probably in order.
Good luck! I hope our pup gets better. It’s so hard when you don’t know what is wrong with them. 🙂

[Debbi S]

I make homemade dog treats and sell them at local festivals. I am looking for a natural preservative that will extend the freshness of my dog treats without having to refridgerator or freeze them. I want to sell them in some local stores in sealed bags but I am afraid they will mold too quickly. Any suggestions. Also I can not figure out how to post on this site. Thanks

• This reply was modified 4 years, 7 months ago by Debbi S.

[Closed Acct]

Dogs often take destructive action to relieve stress, and loneliness. To reduce the damage to the sofa, shoes, books, and other things, you can give them some toys. This treat-dispensing ball is made of Non-Toxic soft security plastic product, which is easy on developing teeth and gums. Side slots and a hollow center allow you to put their favorite snacks or other small treats. Dog Food Treat Dispensing Training Ball

[Closed Acct]

Dogs often take destructive action to relieve stress, and loneliness. To reduce the damage to the sofa, shoes, books, and other things, you can give them some toys. This treat-dispensing ball is made of Non-Toxic soft security plastic product, which is easy on developing teeth and gums. Side slots and a hollow center allow you to put their favorite snacks or other small treats. Dog Food Treat Dispensing Training Ball

[jeanne e]

Usually ingredients are listed but NOT the toxic chemicals used in the processing of the treat or food.
I did not base my research on 1 article. I found the toxic ingredients on many professional & non-professional websites.
Hopefully people really check out what they are feeding their pets.
40 years of having dogs I assumed all were tested and safe. Most treats are not. I found my research also pertained to some pigs ears, some bully sticks and other treats. Speaking for myself, I wish I had researched and not just assumed everything is safe. Also check out the country from which the item comes from. Sometimes the item is ONLY packaged in the USA, but actually made in another country.
Hope this info can be of help to all.

[Closed Acct]

This treat-dispensing ball is made of Non-Toxic soft security plastic product, which is easy on developing teeth and gums. Side slots and a hollow center allow you to put their favorite snacks or other small treats.
Dog Food Treat Dispensing Training Ball

[jeanne e]

RAWHIDE STICKS, BONES, CHEWS & other processed chew treats.

My dog is very sick. BW showed liver level of 950. Normal is about 130 ish. Doing research on the above chew sticks that he loves I came across these toxic ingredients. High liver enzymes can be caused by anything ingested that is toxic. The above, on many different websites showed the following results.
When tested: Lead, Arsenic, Mercury, Chromium salts, Formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals have been detected in rawhides. So it’s safe to say that any sort of glues can be used as well!
3-5 days to digest, so whatever given amount, the rawhide with the toxic chemicals sit in their organs and do damage.
The piece of rawhide may be flexible enough and get broke down by the intestinal tract enough to pass (it can take 3-5 days)

[Jenny Rellick]

When shopping for senior food, I noticed that, among the highest quality brands, the only difference in ingredients in their senior food is that it contains glucosamine and chondroitin to help with arthritis. Other healthy aspects of senior foods are that they contain 1. probiotics (to aid digestion and boost the immune system) and 2. omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids (for heart health, joint lubrication, and skin health.) However, high-quality brands typically include probiotics and omegas 3 and 6 in all of their foods. You can give your dog glucosamine and chondroitin in treats such as Zuke’s Hip Action, which can be broken into small pieces, instead of searching for a grain-inclusive senior food with those ingredients. The CANIDAE All Life Stages Formula Dry Dog Food line may be what you’re looking for. It has 4.5 stars. The label specifically says it’s appropriate for all dog sizes. They only make a specific small-breed size for their grain-free food because the standard kibble size for their grain-free food is larger. Also, even the grain-free senior food that I buy has much smaller than average kibble, which is a good sign the All Life Stages really is okay. If you buy it locally and it’s not appropriate for your dog, you should be able to return it or call Canidae for a refund because it says ALL sizes on the label. By the way, don’t buy this brand on Amazon because multiple recent reviews say it’s counterfeit.

[Alam W]

Appreciate you chiming in from the recipient’s point of view. you can try Bravecto for dogs an effective flea and tick treatment for dogs that treats Lyme Disease to know more visit: budgetpetcare.com

[Reine S]

My six-year old beagle is on the Purina Hydrolzed (Chicken) diet. In the past I’ve been giving him popcorn as a treat and nonfat Greek yogurt in his Kong, as sucking the yogurt out calms him. I realize now that I shouldn’t have been doing this so aside from the dog food he only the Purina Hydrolzed Gentle Snackers.

This is day one of not giving him those treats and he’s not happy with me (to be expected). I used his dog food in his Orbitz roller this morning and the Gentle Snackers as a treat after he pees. That said, are there other things I can give him besides the Gentle Snackers that will add some variety to the. day?

Thank you.

[Patricia A]

Jude with the 19 year old I could relate not eating. My 17 year old Chihuahua who was put to rest had Mitral Valve disease . Was active and fine the year before and enjoyed her food. This being only Uhh Fromm kibble. My journey of her not eating that anymore led me to several different canned food. No luck with that either for her. I started to cook everything for her. One day she would eat boiled chicken and the next not. Shredded steak then would walk away. I was virtually at her all day just getting some nutrition in her. Oatmeal, eggs, salmon etc. Also would have to hide her heart pill in food. She would taste pill and spit out. Got to the point I thought I found the trick with a ltttle ice cream with pill smashed up in it. That didn’t last either. So many reasons I’m sure your 19 year old is not eating as she did.
My journey with Hannah opened my mind to nutrition for my other two dogs. That led me to freeze dried. Wasn’t ready to give up kibble so switched to Stella chewy’s which I trust to be very good for a kibble. But researched the best freeze dried along with a small portion of kibble and also home cooked.
With your 3 year old what was she eating before you fed fresh frozen? Maybe just not appealing to her. Does she even try to taste it and then turn away. If she doesn’t even do that then leave out a bit and refrigerate and try again later. If healthy she’ll eat eventually.
I feed my 11 year old Chihuahua ( she lover all food) and my 5 year old freeze dried. Doesn’t break the bank since they are small. Also home cooked that we eat when appropriate. They always get pieces of boiled egg in morning for breakfast. I also stretch the freeze dried with Stella chewys raw coated chicken kibble grain free. Most picky dogs LOVE their food. So I rated with Primal freeze dried. Only 5* ratings for the lower fat. Also Stella chewys freeze dried patties 5* proteins/flavor also. They also love Bixbi Rawwble and Open farm freeze dried. I give this as treats.
So all of these were introduced VERY, VERY, VERY slowly. They both gobble up their freeze dried soaked in a little warm water to hydrate and a little Stella’s kibble.
My trick with my pickle 5 year old was to put down and take away. She knew I meant business and ate her much better quality food then just kibble. Now she drools before I put bowl down.As I said kibble is a VERY small portion of their diet but they just love the Stella’s so I still give a little mixed in. I like variety. All healthy blood work also. Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Patricia A.

[Chipy]

Hi Diane,

Sorry to hear you are going through this with your beloved Havanese boy and I hope to provide you with some information that might be helpful.

Dr. Dobias has written an article about liver disease in which he discusses elevated enzymes and his protocol. He has seen excellent results from the bi-annual liver cleanse protocol, both proactively and for dogs dealing with existing liver issues and enzyme elevation.

Treating & Preventing Liver Disease Naturally:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014997-treating-and-preventing-liver-disease-naturally

LiverTune is an herbal supplement recommended for high liver enzymes and liver conditions:
LiverTune®

It’s great that you feed him raw food, but please be careful with liver treats. Dehydrated treats can be harmless in small amounts but toxic when it is frequently given – like dehydrated liver treats.

The reasons why liver treats, especially the dehydrated ones, put our dogs in danger of hypervitaminosis A are that they are greatly reduced in volume during dehydration, and they contain ten times or more vitamin A than the raw liver or cooked liver.

Liver treat toxicity in dogs:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/liver-treat-toxicity-in-dogs

12 things you must know about dog treats:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014081-12-things-you-must-know-about-dog-treats

I hope this helps. Wishing you and your pup all the best in happiness and good health 🙂
Chipy

[Susan]

Hi Ryan,
I feed Patch – “Canidae Pure Senior” its has 10.80%max- fat, high protein-30% & low/med carbs around 30%carbs, also the lower the fat% & lower the protein% kibbles are higher the carbs, same with HIGH fiber diets can also cause Acid reflux, too much Omega oils, NSAID, steriod medications, joint, Arthritis, skin supplements, can also cause acid reflux…

Look at Canidae Pure Weight Management kibble its 9%-fat, has same or very similar ingredients to the Canidae Pure Senior kibble & the fiber is 5% alot of Weight Management kibbles are low fat but high in fiber.
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-pure-grain-free-weight-management-dry-dog-food-chicken/

I try & stick with around 10-13%max- Fat, 30%-Protein & 30%-Carbs, fiber-5% & under & the kibble has to have Potato or Sweet Potato or both.
People don’t realise the dog also needs low/med carbs & try & avoid fermentable grains as they ferment in the gut causing acid reflux – wheat, barley, oats and rye, most vet diets contain these grains Patches acid reflux seems to get worse when eating grain Gastrointestinal vet diets .
What I’ve found over the years, dogs who suffer with Acid reflux seem to do better on a Grain Free Potato diets, when the dog is having a acid reflux attack- I boil Sweet potato in small pieces & I freeze – take out 1 piece sweet potato, put on plate in Microwave to thaw then I mash the sweet potato give to dog, the potato settles dog or human esophagus, throat & stomach…
For Lunch I buy Tin- Yellow Fin Tuna, Tuna is the lowest in fat & low in omega oils, Sardines & Salmon are too strong for Patch, he mouth licks, I add boiled mashed White & Sweet Potato also add the white of a boiled egg sometimes, the yellow egg yoke is high in fat.
For his Arthritis he’s 12yrs old now, I’ve been doing Physiotherapy twice a day as he cant take NSAID drugs, his vet said Physio will extend his life as alot of dogs get Put To Sleep cause they become so stiff & cant walk in the end, he takes Panadol Children Chewable 3+years 120mg when in pain, 10mg per kg..
I do the Sausage Roll Massage as your massaging & rolling dog skin you’ll feel dogs skin flinching stop & hold the twitching roll/skin for 5-10sec it will be a bit uncomfortable at first so offer the dog treats or his kibble after 1 week its not as painful & Patch rolls have stop twitching.

Have you joined F/B group called “Acid Reflux in Dogs” I cant believe how many poor dogs are suffering with Acid Reflux.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635198406751056

[Patricia A]

Sound like a good starter plan Subby. With any luck it was only the treats that were disagreeing with her. So stools firm up and none of those treats. Then slowly introducing the kibble back maybe even starting with just two on top of her chicken/rice. Then four etc. No reason even to stop the chicken at times even if the kibble is agreeing with her. I often feed pieces of hard boiled egg to mine also. Don’t think that would disagree with most dogs and the white of the egg is another source of good protein. Just first make sure introducing the egg when no diarrhea for awhile so it’s easy to tell the foods that doesn’t work with her.
Maybe, with time you can introduce another treat. I use freeze dried in open Farm or Bixbi. Their just little nuggets in different protein. Also had luck with feeding these even to my one that tends toward sensitive stomach. Just one though to see how she does. Even a string bean could be a nutritious treat as an answer to a question below. .
(Yes, your dog can eat green beans. Plain, unseasoned green beans can be a healthy addition to supplement your dog’s diet. Just remember: all dogs react differently to each and every food. Moderation is key here to avoid gas or diarrhea.) I myself give canned. My one doesn’t digest the raw . The other like raw carrots though.
UHHH I!! know how she feels. Just figured out that I can continue eating Japanese food. It wasn’t the rolls but the the salad dressing they used that was doing me in. lol Keep me updated and fingers crossed no more tummy trouble.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Maria P]

We just adopted an 8 month old shepherd/lab mix that tested positive for distemper. She’s on antibiotics and we do understand that depending on how it progresses, she may not make it. But we are hopeful due to her age, the fact that she did have some immunity since she had one vaccine already, the fact that she’s had it for 4 weeks with no neurological issues, etc. okay- now on to the food part. She’s also extremely picky. She will only pick here and there. I’ve bought everything under the sun (raw, dehydrated, kibble, canned) and she probably eats 1 tablespoon of anything at a time. So I’ve resorted to giving her small things here are there- 2 apple slices, a little cooked egg, some string cheese, a little chicken, a handful of good quality kibble (Stella & chewy’s), lamb lung treats (her favorite). Do you think this is okay while she’s ill? She’s very underweight due to her illness and the fact that she won’t eat. Any suggestions? I feel like I’ve tried it all. (Broth, goat milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc)

[jeanne e]

I use the HILLS PRESCRIPTION. RD . My dog went from 60# to a
Normal weight of 42#. Also in losing weight Vet told me not 2 gi e big dog treats. Break it up. Dogs don’t know the difference in
Size. As for digestion, in switching foods blend at 1st with current food. My dog had no digestive issues. HTHs 🐾

[Diane S]

Hi, I hope someone can help out our 1 1/2 year old Havanese. From 6 months of age from routine blood work we noticed elevated ALT levels. Over the past year it has predominantly been between 600-800. All other tests are normal. Ultrasound was normal. He acts like a very healthy and energetic dog and has a great appetite. He currently eats Stella and chewys raw beef (beef suggested by vet) and only eats liver treats as snacks. We have tried milk thistle and aventi but it only seemed to work for couple weeks then ALT went up again. We tried antibiotics but no results so we don’t think it’s an infection but rather some type of inflammation. Can anyone help to give ideas or suggestions what else we can do to lower our dog’s ALT. He is a very happy boy, right now, and we want to keep it like that for a very long time!!

[Lucey B]

One of my dogs had Cushings disease she was probably about 12/13 when she was diagnosed with it and lived to over 16 years and when I did lose her it wasn’t anything to do with the cushings. Cushings cant be cured but it can be managed so that they don’t get any symptoms with the medication usually vetoryl. The body both dogs and us needs cortisol without it of too little we cannot function, having too much is bad too and that can make you feel ill.
With cushings you produce too much cortisol which leads to symptoms like excessive drinking, excessive urination, they often seem to always be hungry, pant a lot, decreased exercise intolerance, they tend to pant a lot, weight gain, have a big stomach often called a pot bellied appearance, the coat and skin usually suffers too and they can get a thinning coat and hair loss., the skin can thin too and come out it little lumps called calcinosis cutis.

My dog had most of the above symptoms and once on the medication they all disappeared, the cushings had aged her so much, and once she had the medication not only did the symptoms disappear she looked and acted so much younger and happier again.

My dog had the ACTH test too, and also something called a low dose dexamethasone test after, these are the main tests to diagnose cushings. Whilst it is true that if you give them too much medication it can reduce the cortisol levels too much which can cause issues, she should be very closely monitored.
After starting the medication if the ACTH test confirms she has cushings, they will do another ACTH test to check her levels usually at 10 days after starting medication, then they do another 4 weeks later, and then another 12 weeks later. After that you usually have an ACTH test done every 3 months to monitor the levels of cortisol. You give her medication in the morning as usual on the day of the tests, and then usually have to tell the vets what time you gave it or they may even tell you what time to give it to her in the morning on the day of the test. The ACTH test as well as for diagnosis is usually the test used to monitor. There is however now also now research being done on a pre pill single cortisol test together with the monitoring of the dogs condition and response to the vetoryl. The test recommended at the moment as far as I’m aware though is the ACTH for monitoring.

I found that I could tell when my dogs levels had been supressed too much with the vetoryl, she never did get to the vomiting and diarrhoea stage, with her I used to notice that she would leave some food or wasn’t so interested in eating, so loss of her usual healthy appetite, she would also stumble a bit here and there and not be so sure footed. I found that if I stopped the vetoryl for a few days then she was fine again, and then I gave it too her as usual once these symptoms disappeared again. It didn’t happen very often just very occasionally with https://www.caninefinds.com/food-and-treats/ . Obviously the vets will instruct you what to look for as regards to symptoms if the levels should start to become too low, you will as said also have regular monitoring blood tests too.

My dog was cushings and on the medication for the last almost 4 years of her life, and it did make a huge difference too her, I never really had any problems and she was much better for taking the vetroyl.

If you have any more questions or I can be of any more help just ask.

[Adam W]

Hi all,

We’ve recently adopted our second rescue dog as they’re settling in well together. We’ve had our first for a year. The new boy will eat kibble, but only a little, although otherwise loves treats and drinks well. Yesterday morning I poured a little chicken stock into the kibble and let it soak for ten minutes, and tried him on it. The whole meal was finished in a couple of minutes, bowl licked clean! same result in the evening and today too. I think the softer kibble with a more appealing taste and smell did the trick. Fingers crossed it continues…

Adam

[Rob D]

The general comments seem to refer to treats which are not totally organic and are(were) likely to contain additives that would have had at least some effect upon the dog’s health. Without any malice i wonder if some of these treats might also have originated in China which is notorious for providing foods for both animals and humans which can contribute to serious health issues.
As my wife and I are awaiting the arrival of a new Yorkie puppy to our home we are of course doing our best to establish some practical info on a variety off things for the new dog and one of those things on the list is effective and healthy treats to be used as well in training. Our basic research suggests that things such as bacon bits, frozen blueberries and raspberries would be effective and for us, eliminating commercial products would be a positive start.
Any reviews of healthy treats for pups and adult dogs would be greatly appreciated.

[YorkiLover4]

Watching our dog have a seizure is one of the most traumatic things I have ever experienced. It’s very hard for anyone who has never seen a seizure to understand. Those few seconds–seem like a lifetime and you just never know if they are going to come out of it. Our pup was doing ok for awhile but then started having the seizures more frequently. We found a holistic veterinarian nearby. Surprising, but he told us that food allergies and stress can be a big trigger. Riley always had allergies and ear infections so we worked with our vet to change his diet. He is on Primal raw venison and we use a variety of freeze-dried treats such as Stella and Chewy’s and Vital Essentials. We also give Riley CBD oil, fish oil and digestive enzymes along with Keppra. He has not had a seizure in over a year. I found the information on this website helpful https://www.askariel.com/holistic-canine-epilepsy-treatment-s/1833.htm and use their Happy Paws Hemp oil and Amazing Omegas. Hope this helps someone with their dog. Seizures are so tough but we did find help for our Riley.

[Lace K]

Hi, let me start by saying how much I really appreciate and utilize this website. My dogs are my children and the information that I get from you guys is priceless.
That being said, I really wish you guys would start doing some kind of reviews and rating system on dog treats… Those are something I’m really not sure about and I want to make sure I get the best for them.
Please consider starting reviewing and rating dog treats please!
Thank you,
Lace

[lisa F]

is pro plan weight management turkey and gravy wet dog food is it low sodium…any ideas for wet dog food and low sodium treats..my dog has heart diease

[Patti S]

It can be really difficult to find the sodium content of pet foods without scouring the brand’s website or emailing them directly. Once you have a list of potential foods, you should run those foods (and the sodium content they contain) past your vet for his or her approval.

Generally speaking, most veterinarians use the following categories when discussing low-sodium diets (it usually easier to use the amount of sodium provided for each 100k calories as your unit of measure when comparing foods). Ask your vet which level of sodium restriction your dog requires::

• Dogs who require mild sodium restriction should be offered foods with between 0.35% and 0.5% sodium content (80 to 100mg/100kCal)
• Dogs who require moderate sodium restriction should only receive foods with between 0.1% and 0.35% sodium content (50 to 80mg/100kCal)
• Dogs who require severe sodium restriction should be offered food with less than 0.1% sodium content (<50mg/100kCal)

The following websites have a lot of info on many brands of dog food, and the sodium levels they contain:

https://vetmed.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/reduced_sodium_diet_for_dogs.pdf

https://www.vermontveterinarycardiology.com/Medvet%20–%20Cincinnati%20%20Heart%20Friendly%20Low%20Sodium%20Dog%20Diets.pdf

https://heartsmart.vet.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/low-sodium-treats-and-med-administration-8-10-2020.pdf

One way that you can restrict the sodium levels in your pal’s diet is by making his food at home. Whether you use homemade ingredients exclusively or add items to a commercial brand to balance out the nutrients, talk with your veterinarian about your plans.
Here is a couple of websites with low sodium dog food recipes:

Low-sodium Dog Food Recipes You’ll Want to Try Right Now

Recipe: Homemade Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure

https://caninehearthealth.com/diet.html

Lastly, ask your vet about using an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement. The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA may help to stabilize heart muscle cells. Your veterinarian can help you to choose an omega-3 fatty acids supplement with good bioavailability, meaning that it is easily absorbed by the body, and tell you the correct dose to use.

Best of luck to you and your dog!