[Dog_Obsessed]

While I’m opposed to the idea of coloring, a little non-artificial coloring in treats I only give once and a while (I’ve actually only used them once) doesn’t bother me too much.

And about not giving your dogs food after dinner, there is actually new scientific evidence saying that could be a good idea. I heard about a study saying that rats that were fed high-fat food but only had food put out for them at night, when they were active, didn’t gain weight. However, other rats that were getting the same amount of the same food but always had access to it gained weight and developed health problems.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Dori]

About the Etta Says chews? No one minds the caramel coloring? Just wondering.

Oh by the way, the girls had THK Zeal for breakfast. Dehydrated apple was the afternoon treat and for dinner they’ll be having Primal Pronto Raw Beef. Probably some dehydrated veggie a little later on after dinner. I don’t normally give them treats too late at night because I like their digestive systems to get a rest before the next days breakfast. I know it’s not really the way one is supposed to fast their dogs but it’s my way and it seems to work okay for them.

[aquariangt]

Dani: Earthborn Primitive Natural with Lomi Lomi Tiki Dog
Liesl: Fromm Sm Breed Gold with Lomi Lomi Tiki Dog. Liesl can’t have peas so she eats grain inclusives and gets more topped than Dani does.

They both had a Sam’s Yam when I left for work. I have A bag of Simply Sojos Lamb and The Honest Kitchen Quickies that I’m using for training right now, so they got a couple on their walk, and will again on their next walk. Dani will also get 15ish minutes of some agi practice that will have some treats involved as well. I do a decent amount of training so I use low calorie treats with low fillers.

Dinner will be the same kibble but topped with The Honest Kitchen Embark.

Next bags for each: Fromm Pork and Pea for Dani, and Pork and Applesauce for Liesl

[Dog_Obsessed]

I give my dog treats. Most of the treats are store-bought mostly or all meat treats, though I sometimes make homemade treats, (recipe ideas here: /forums/topic/has-anyone-made-homemade-dog-treats/) or buy treats with more carbs that I think of as “junk food.” If I have given her a lot of treats, such as for training, then I reduce her food appropriately. I wouldn’t really recommend Milk Bones or Busy Bones (I assume you mean the Purina ones), because they are mostly grain fillers. For ideas on what to look for in a dog treat, check out this topic: /forums/topic/your-most-recommended-dog-treats/

As for treats contributing to weight gain, that could certainly be possible. From what I understand treats should not make up more than 10% of the overall diet. It can help to break treats into tiny pieces for training, or use lower calorie treats.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Peggy]

Another question… do you feed your dog(s) treats? Ours have come to expect one every time they go outside to do their business. I’m not sure how we got into this habit but I’m sure it has contributed to weight gain as well.

We usually treat them with a Milk Bone.
Also they love those Busy Bones.

[Dog_Obsessed]

We talk so much about dog food in general, and many of us rotate foods. I thought it would be cool to have a place where we just talk about what we are currently feeding our dogs, and what treats/chews they’ve had today. I got this idea from the raw food section of the Dogster forums, where there was a similar topic.

Mine: Lily is currently eating Nulo Turkey and Sweet Potato kibble, and we rotate wet food toppers. The current topper is Nulo Lamb and Chickpeas wet food. I’m happy to report that Lily is doing great with rotation. She can change toppers cold turkey with no problem, though I sometimes add a little Perfect Form just in case. We are still being careful with kibble, so we usually give her about a week to transition.

What about you? What did your dog(s) eat today?

[Dori]

Mark A. Good for you for making your own jerky for your dog. I’ve started doing this recently this year as it’s the safest way to give dogs treats. There are always so many recalls and jerky seems to head the list of recalls. You can also freeze dry meats other than poultry and fruits and veggies. You’re absolutely right in that it is so easy to make. Few things are easier than freeze drying for your dogs.

[Mark A]

I started making my own chicken jerky from boneless, skinless breasts on sale for under $2/lb in the grocery store. My dog loves it like nothing else. It’s easy to make and much less expensive than store bought treats.

[Andy B]

Thanks for your help. I called Darwins. They make a raw diet. They told me I can use everything they have except the duck, due to it having sweet potato. I’m learning a lot about dog nutrition after countless hours on the computer. I’d love to feed both my bostons a raw diet but it’s very expensive so I would need to use a 50/50 mix of raw and a good quality kibble. However my dog is extremely allergic to certain foods. I had a blood test done due to him having three seizures. I was feeding him at the time “natural balance” sweet potato and fish formula which had peas also in it. His treats were old mother hubbard peanut. That’s when he started having seizures at night. I had the vet do the allergy test and he’s exGood! I’m glad I did test. I wonder with everything we were feeding him if he was going in aniphilctic shock ( sorry don’t know spell) peas listed as the fourth or fifth ingredient. It seems I can’t find a kibble without peas, & Orijen is the only one having it toward the middle of there ingredients.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Lol yeah. It actually had a few treats in it, which I took out and then rinsed the thing. I already gave it back to her with another two treats in it, and she spent a full 20 minutes or so trying to work them out. She got one out and little nibbles of the other. Her Goodie Bone and her regular Kong are both puppy versions, left over from when I was fostering senior dogs and wanted something softer on their teeth. I think the different Kongs for different life stages is purely marketing hype, and Lily has barely made a dent in either toy, so I think this “off-label use” is okay.

[Carol W]

Hi. I’m new here, so I hope I haven’t jumped in in the wrong place, but I also have a question about healthy dog treats. I’ve fed beef Rollover as a treat for years, but every once in a while I notice a chemical smell coming from it, almost like gasoline. Obviously, this can’t be a good thing!!! Does anyone have experience with Rollover? It has a 3 star rating in the reviews section of this website, but as I said – the “gasoline” odor has to be a very bad sign!!

[aimee]

Hi C4C,

Glad to hear that your cat is doing better. What a scary incident that you sure don’t want to repeat.

I’ve come to view urinary blockages as a multi factorial problem. Sometimes blockages are composed of mucoid matrix without any crystals, so be cautious on not having tunnel vision in regards to struvite. You can find good information on OSU indoor pet site which used to be indoor cat initiative.

The old adage “the solution to pollution is dilution” applies here. Crystal formation is a factor not only of pH but concentration of components that make up the crystal. Because pH can fluctuate throughout the day I think striving for a dilute urine is as important if not more important along with watching mineral content of the diet. I’d be willing to sacrifice a bit in the pH department to get a dilute urine. Moist foods can help along with extra water mixed into the food, flavored water “treats” providing multiple water sources and knowing what your cat likes. Some cat like “staler” water and others absolutely fresh!

pH varies with dietary factors, management factors and likely individual cat factors. Evaluating what goes in is important but I think close monitoring of what comes out is even more important. Veterinary diets are formulated to hit certain pH and concentration milestones. Some of the veterinary diets rely on salt to drive thirst. But I don’t think this “guarantees” that when fed to “your” cat the appropriate pH and concentration are achieved. Investing in a pH meter and refractometer to test urine at home is a good investment.

How often the cat eats also plays a role in urine pH. After eating the urine will become basic due to what is called the “alkaline tide”. This is noted in the cat more so than in the dog. The generation of HCL in the stomach releases bicarb in the blood which alkalizes the urine. Multiple 4-6 small meals a day are preferable to 1 or 2. I can see that there could be a bit of a trade off here. With a dry diet the cat is free to and often does eat multiple small meals a day with moist diet the food can’t be left out for hours and people usually don’t feed 4-6 times a day. If this results in the cat eating a larger amount less often the alkaline tide could result in a higher urine pH for many hours during the day despite a diet that would be otherwise be acidifying.

I personally don’t think the answer to struvite and urinary blockages can be found solely in added methionine to a diet without looking at the entire picture. Methionine is metabolized in the body and the sulfur excreted as sulfuric acid hence it is acidifying to the urine. But since minerals in the diet and feeding practices also influence pH I don’t think all the eggs should be put in one basket per say. Methionine can cause GI upset, and hemolytic anemia( large doses).

If you can achieve a dilute mildly acidic urine by adding methionine to a base diet that otherwise wasn’t reaching those parameters than great but be open to finding what works in your cat.

[Kayla]

I finally made the treats….and he wasn’t to fond of them! He ate it but…didn’t really like them too much! :/ One picky dog! lol!

[nilockhart]

Susan, I would love to have the recipe for the Oatmeal Apple cookies you feed/fed Patch. We have an 11 1/2 year old English Bulldog (Memphis) with IBS for about the last year and kidney failure (diagnosed from an ultra sound and monthly blood work which has been holding pretty steady for awhile). He has also suffered with horrible skin allergies for about the last 8 years, and we’ve had several allergy tests done on him which aren’t worth the money you pay. Memphis has tried Royal Canin potato/venison for about a year, then Purina E/N (both at the suggestion of our vet) for quite some time, with Purina Gentle Snackers for treats. He did great for a while, but then he started with constant diarrhea and vomiting, and for the last 6-8 months “gagging” like he’s choking on spit, and even vomiting large amounts of thick spit, so our vet suggested 10 mg Pepcid every morning. I’ve been cooking a mixture of rice, boneless, skinless chicken breast and little mixed veggies for him for quite some time (again, at the suggestion of our vet), but he’s still having serious problems, with terrible bouts of diarrhea off and on (mainly on). We recently weened him to ground turkey breast (99% fat free) instead of the chicken because our groomer thought it could be the chicken, still no improvement. Memphis is still not doing well. He takes Metronidazole off and on when he has blood in his feces, but that has to be the worst medicine ever invented. He is lethargic and barely eats the entire 10 days he’s on it. Then, he’s only good for another 2 or so weeks again before we have another horrible bout of diarrhea. He also takes 5-7 units of Pro-Pectalin (probiotic) 2x a day when he’s sick, which does wonders for him, but we’re supposed to stop when his diarrhea stops (usually 2 days). I’m strongly considering (a) a new vet, (b) leaving him on about 5 cc’s of probiotics every day, (c) switching his food to Canine Caviar or Victor’s Ultra Pro, and (d) wondering whether he has an allergy to rice or corn. We realize he’s on the older end for an English Bulldog, but if it wasn’t for the stupid diarrhea, he is fairly healthy, even for only having one functioning kidney! We just want the diarrhea to stop; our poor little guy has to be miserable!!! Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[LabsRawesome]

Hi Sadie’s Mom, Hydraplenish really helped my Labs joint problems. She went from hobbling around to running again. Here’s a site with free shipping. https://www.pureformulas.com/hydraplenish-60-vegetarian-capsules-by-natures-way.html Trinity takes them with no problem, but if your dog doesn’t like taking pills you can open and mix the powder in with canned. Another option is pill pockets, you can buy them at Walmart. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re treats with a hollow center, that hold pills.

[Dori]

Dog Obsessed. I’ve been giving Hannah glucosamine/chondroitin for a number of years twice a day two hours after both her meals. I give her her Denamarin (both for her liver and as an anti-inflammatory) one to one and a half hours BEFORE her p.m. meal. A number of months back I started adding a glucosamine/chondroitin at bedtime since I knew she hadn’t had anything to eat in a number of hours. I don’t give any treats of any sort after 9:00 pm (I feel their guts need a little resting time instead of constantly having to digest food). She’s been doing very well with three times a day. If you’re only giving once a day then you can start on the twice a day and see how your dog does. If you’re going to add the bed time one then I would wait on that one for a while to make sure your dog isn’t getting loose stools or diarrhea. I introduce supplements very slowly and once I realize they’re doing well, then I up the supplements. And so on and so on.

[Sadie’s Mom]

@ Dog Obsessed Have you used a glucosamine supplement before? I’m looking into GNC Ultra Mega Superfood Complex Plus Joint Health Dog Formula. I like it because it’s a powder formula and relatively inexpensive. After being on steroids for so long my dog refuses to take any pills and is picky about chewables because she doesn’t do crunchy treats. I was think a powder would be easy to mix into her food, especially if I add a tablespoon of wet in with it.

[Gloria K]

My dog loves anything hard and crunchy-the harder and crunchier the more he likes them. He also loves the Zuke’s mini treats peanut butter flavor. I put four or five of those in his Kong and he plays with it for an hour getting them all out. He loves them.

[John T]

Something is going on with Blue Buffalo. They have over 852 complaints of sick dogs, just take a look > http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html?page=3
It seem a supplier company was sold, and subpar ingredients such as carrageenan being purchased from China and added to Blue Buffalo food. Please pay attention because this is starting to get big. I was feed my 7 year old Shi Tzu BB treats and had been for years. Over the last 3 months he had continued loose stools, upset stomach and not being himself. The funny thing is after reading all this I removed all BB food and he is back to normal. NO more of this crap, I am making his food!! You just can’t trust any of these dog food companies because they are more concerned about chasing the Benjamin’s!! PLEASE pay attention and get off this poison!!

[John T]

Something is going on with Blue Buffalo. They have over 852 complaints of sick dogs, just take a look > http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/blue_buffalo.html?page=3
It seem a supplier company was sold, and subpar ingredients such as carrageenan being purchased from China and added to Blue Buffalo food. Please pay attention because this is starting to get big. I was feed my 7 year old Shi Tzu BB treats and had been for years. Over the last 3 months he had continued loose stools, upset stomach and not being himself. The funny thing is after reading all this I removed all BB food and he is back to normal. NO more of this crap, I am making his food!! You just can’t trust any of these dog food companies because they are more concerned about chasing the Benjamin’s!! PLEASE pay attention and get off this poison!!

[Sadie’s Mom]

Surprisingly, the first thing I look for in a treat is the texture. My mini dachshund HATES crunchy treats. It’s the strangest thing! The only crunchy/hard things she likes are the rawhide dental chews (Dentley’s brand is the current favorite). I also have to factor in price, as I am a college student living on a tight budget. The best thing I have found are the Zuke’s Mini Naturals. They are soft and squishy, grain free, and low in calories. Sadie likes all of the flavors, but the chicken seems to be her favorite. I’ve been wanting to try the Wellness Petite Treats Soft Mini Bites, but they haven’t been on sale for a good price. The Zuke’s are a better deal because they are less per ounce and last a really long time. I give her 3 or 4 at a time as a normal treat to make her feel better since the other 3 dogs my parents own get small milkbones lol. She also likes the Milkbone Brushing Chews after her evening meal. I give her half a mini bone. I am currently on the hunt for a treat with added glucosamine that is reasonably priced. Any suggestions?

[DogFoodie]

It could be a food intolerance to many different things, Kathleen. Mine reacts the same way to fish (including fish oil), which frequently pops up down the list of ingredients in foods that are other protein based. My friend’s dog reacts the same way to tomatoes. You never know.

I’d suggest closely comparing ingredient panels to help you identify problem ingredients. It can take a while, but his problem ingredients will eventually become evident.

I’d be inclined to try a limited ingredient food for a while to see what happens. If you like NVI, maybe consider their LID’s. My dog with intolerance issues does very well on it. It’s single protein, tapioca, peas and no other fruits or veggies. I just don’t recommend the lamb formula any longer as a recent recipe change significantly reduced the protein and fat and increased the pea protein. Be sure to closely monitor portion size and keep track of treats and toppers, whether canned or fresh, whole foods.

[Kayla]

I am not sure about India either. I just tend to avoid treats that are made or from China because they have had terrible reviews and making the Dog’s sick. I found some USA made treats at Walmart but I am not sure about them. Nudges and Full moon both are made in the USA and sold at Walmart. I guess, I will look at them next time.

There wasn’t a lot of treats in the first bag, (first link)… I will probably finish the bag but I know I won’t buy anymore. I have not tried to give him any of the other one. (second link). In the first link, I do not like how they are really small so I probably won’t finish the bag. They have tiny ones in there and he has a big mouth. :/

[Dog_Obsessed]

The ingredients for these treats are good, but I’m a little worried because the first on especially it is a jerky-like treat. There have been a lot of problems with jerky treats from China, and even if it says “made in the USA” it still could have been sent to China for manufacturing. I have no idea what it is about jerky treats that makes them so much more likely to have issues, but there have been so many problems that I don’t like to risk it.

I just searched and there does not appear to have been an official recall on Denley’s treats, but some people claimed they had made their dogs sick.

[Kayla]

I forgot to go to the store this weekend to get some stuff to make homemade Dog treats for Dexter. I found these treats and wondering if anyone used them and if they are good? The ingredients on one bag just says buffalo and the other just says buffalo tendon.

http://www.petsmart.com/dog/chewy-treats/dentley-s-trade-nature-s-chew-buffalo-strip-dog-treat-zid36-18624/cat-36-catid-100051

http://www.petsmart.com/dog/chewy-treats/dentley-s-trade-nature-s-chew-prime-slice-dog-treat-zid36-18654/cat-36-catid-100051

[R-K]

Hi all, I was asked by a friend to research Welcome Home dog food, which is made by Centinela Feed on the west coast. I’m sure it’s a newer brand but after 30 minutes of looking online I am unable to find ANYTHING about it, other than mentioning it on their own website but with no link to any information. No official website, no dog food advisor, nothing. It’s not their other brand Lotus but rather Welcome Home which only used to make treats but I guess they’ve expanded into dry foods too. Can anyone provide me with any information?

[Kayla]

I noticed my Dog loves to chew but he is very picky on his bones and treats. Any ideas? He has one rope bone thing that he loves to tug and play with…and tries to chew on it but I always take it away from him because it has tiny strings on it and I don’t want him actually ingesting it.

I also tried to buy rubber ball and bone toys but he won’t mess with him. Needless to say, his favorite toy is the rope bone thing. His rope is like this one.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/BOODA-Pet-Products-Two-Knot-Rope-Bone-Dog-Toy-in-Red-White-and-Blue/15573238

[Karen J]

I think maybe this belongs in this forum sorry hope I didn’t breach protocol:
first diagnosed by another vet…precursor to crystals, not infections or stones. Fine but that changed. She started have more and more accidents in house.

I researched here in particular but over time it didn’t appear to be enough. Took her to new vet with all info, they didn’t twist my arm to do another urinalysis, I believe more in depth necessary, open to keeping her on d-Monasse, and Vit C not a bad idea to add glucosamin, they gave her an antibiotic. I let them do an X-ray, they didn’t insist, they offered choices, I’ve been through a really sick dog being mis-diagnosed so I pulled out the Credit. $300 now rather than $3000 later – hope I did right.

She was starting have more frequent accidents in the house.

Radiology to rule out stones 1 view, Urinalysis, Cysto, Culture Urine MIC, Clavamox 62.5mg, Medical Waste Free, waived office visit = not cheap. Too much?
She’s on Wellness grain free and Canidae grain free wet food, very little grain free kibble, filtered water and grain free treats.

I’m not not flush with money but would like to prevent problems before they become big. Last vet didn’t seem thorough.

[Dog_Obsessed]

By extras do you mean toppers? If so, so am I. I used some canned pumpkin in the dog treats I made the other day, and I’ve been giving her some pumpkin in her food for the last few days just because I can. She does sometimes have anal gland issues, so that’ll be my excuse. 🙂

Also, I did find out that I can either break or let Lily eat the ends off of the NB chews, and then put it in her Kong. She can get little tastes of it but can’t pull it out completely, so it keeps her busy for a long time. It doesn’t clean her teeth obviously, but I’m not really counting on that at this point.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[crazy4cats]

I got the large, but not really that large for my dogs. Yeah, they are a,little high in calories. I try to feed a little less than recommended to allow for treats. I’m a softie when it comes to extras.

[Douglas E]

I have read this entire thread as well as similar ones. Look, other than broad brush strokes, animal nutrition has been much ignored for the majority of pet-human history. Heck, the same can be said for HUMAN nutrition. Only within the past 40 years has our nutrition become the topic of serious scientific inquiry. This has been a natural development in thought from deeper insights into cellular biology, biochemistry and immunology. The science of human nutrition is quite new.

How then can we expect to understand other species’ specific nutritional needs? We hardly understand the human organism yet in that regard. If human nutritional science is in its’ infancy, canine nutrition is only embryonic. That research it further complicated by gross breed differences, historically poor food quality diets, congenital and/our genetic weaknesses from severely poor breeding, medical thought that simply treats symptoms and a new problem- canine geriatrics.

A dog in the wild would typically have a life expectancy less than half of our pets’. Nutritional deficiency plays a major part in that mortality. And no, an all raw and only carnivorous diet is not what a dog would get in the wild. While dogs are highly adapted to having a majority of the diet be animal proteins, they have a much greater variety. Even from only consuming prey animals, they will eat the contents of those animals’ intestines and stomach(s) which would include “probiotics,” yeasts (naturally occurring intestinal fauna,) and various vagetation such as primitive grains. Those grains would be partially digested, yes, so raw gains would likely be less digestible. Canines would also eat the high fat organ meats, hair, skin and bone. It is important to note that the high need of calcium, as well as other bone minerals, for dogs is well noted these days. It is necessary nutritionally for Canines to occaisionally consume vegetable, or even mineral, matter. Not only must they do so to enable gut function, they must do so for biological need. Not all needs are met by prey. This is why in the absence of adequate herbivorous prey, dogs will suplement by what pet owners would consider pica.

All that being said (now that I have presented myself in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral the Very Model of a Modern Major General, ) the answers are not simple. But the guidelines are.

1. Use common sense, canine nutrition is imperfect at best
2. Do not presume to be an expert, or that human remedy necessarily applies
3. Do not rely on diet to cure medical conditions that may really be microbial or parastic infections, disease or biological defecit aside from nutrition
4. Realize that isolating an immunological response, whether from allergic reaction or not, is a difficult and time consuming process
5. Use keen observation when using any new food source or additive, including veterinarian recommended treatments. Don’t simply go with the flow thinking that treatment course is the fix-it for sure (OK, preaching to the choir I think there…)
6. Each dog is as different biologically as we are. If it does improve health in some, it may not in others or it may actually be detrimental
7. A business, or product, that is intentionally or negligently harmful will not survive. Caveat Emptor
8. etc. etc. etc…

Here’s hoping great health to all you and all your furry families

D

[Dog_Obsessed]

I went to the human-only orientation of Lily’s reward-based dog training class on Monday, and they heavily stressed how good clicker training was. Our “homework” was to have the dog have a positive association with the clicker. About half an hour ago I was practicing clicker training, which I had done a few other times this week. Before she had mostly seemed fine with the clicker, sometimes she would get a little startled if I did it too close to her, but nothing too bad. But this time, I accidentally did the clicker a half second late, and it was pretty close to her. She backed up, scared, and then ran over to the couch and jumped on it. I called her to come back, but she didn’t. Then I went over and realized she was shaking pretty hard, and she seemed really, really scared. I petted her for a minute and then went to get her blanket, and then petted her some more. She recovered after a few minutes, and started taking treats from me, and then started taking kibble. She still seems a bit shaken up now.

At the class they suggested muffling the sound of the clicker if the dog was scared, which I didn’t initially do because Lily has never really struck me as a sensitive dog before. She sometimes barks if she hears sound outside, but she only usually gets as scared as she did tonight at the vets office. I am reluctant to try the clicker again, if the only thing it’s going to do is make her scared of the clicker, training, and me. I had previously been using the word “yes”, but it was harder to be consistent with that. Does any have any suggestions on how to re-introduce her to the clicker? Thanks!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Akari_32]

I’ve been happy with Zukes and Pet Botanics treats. My cat loves the Zukes G-Zees cat treats. Does shake, high five and sit up for them. The dogs all love the Zukes Mini Naturals and Hip Action treats, and the Pet Botanics Training Reward treats, and pester for more when they are put away, more so than most human foods they are given.

[Dog_Obsessed]

If he does okay with rice then you could also use brown rice flour. I’ve also heard oats used as binders in homemade dog treats, but that changes the consistency which some dogs don’t like.

[Kayla]

I am currently looking at those links already! 🙂 I am thinking about homemade, might be cheaper in the long run!! I just have to see and hope if my Dog will like them! He tends to be picky on food and treats.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Rotation is definitely good! Look around the 4 and 5 star reviews on this site for food ideas, for treats there are some other topics in the forums that have good ideas. You can also make your own treats, here are two topics about that:

For treats in general: /forums/topic/has-anyone-made-homemade-dog-treats/

For frozen treats: /forums/topic/recipe-for-a-frozen-dog-treat-like-frosty-paws/

A topic about things to look for in commercial treats: /forums/topic/your-most-recommended-dog-treats/

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I just made dog treats with a recipe composed of various recipes I had seen online, here it is:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

2. Combine the following ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir:

3/4 of a cup Garbanzo Bean flour
1/2 a can wet dog food (I used Nulo Turkey and Sweet Potato)
1/4 of a cup plain canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons plain peanut butter
A bit of water if needed

3. Slightly grease the baking sheet(I used Safflower oil, might not be necessary.)

4. Scoop out little balls of dough onto a baking sheet.

5. Bake for ~25 minutes, until slightly brown and a fork comes out clean when stuck in.

6. Let the treats cool for a few minutes.

7. Feed to your dog!

Makes about 20 treats.

I will store these in the fridge for a few days and the freezer for longer. Lily seems to love them!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[tecknik]

What some don’t realize is that your dog’s allergies may not be food related. That turned out to be the case for my dog. Here I was trying all different food concoctions, then the useless Dinovite and it turns out my dog has many environmental allergies including Wool, willow, dust mites, mold mites and about 20 other things.
I’ve always had her on a raw diet (Abady) which is helpful and keeps her coat nice and shiny. (less poop as well due to minimal carbs, too) I also add unrefined coconut oil for more nutrients as well as a good dog vitamin.
As for dog treats, I buy $3.99lb london broils or stew beef then grill it medium rare, then cut into bite size pieces. I will buy in bulk and freeze the remaining. It’s a little work but not that much and if you look at the ounces of a bag of good dog treats, you will find that you are paying over $10 a pound! (usually $4 to $5 for a 6oz bag of treats) It’s the best type of treat to give your dog and you know exactly what is in it.
For my dog’s treatment, we first had the allergy testing done. Yes, it is expensive and thank God I have insurance so I get reimbursed. ($500 because dog has to have anesthesia)
Second step was to remove as many of her allergens as possible from the environment. That meant giving up my two brand new wool carpets. :/ Now I clean an extra day a week as well to ensure there is no dust.
Third step was medication to cure her symptoms. She had ear infections, yeast infections and sores from all the scratching. The doctor prescribed a slew of medicines including prednisone which really stopped her scratching. Unfortunately, this can not be used long term because it can be harmful to the liver and other organs.
Fourth step (and this is where we are now) Allergy shots. It started every other day and now we are at once a week. The scratching is down to a minimal and hopefully over time her immune system will work against her allergies and she will be a happy dog for good.

[aquariangt]

I actually prefer the consistency of sojos to the honest kitchen. Not that the dogs care much, and my cat won’t eat anything dehydrated. My problem is its a bit low in protein for my liking, so I use thk and grandma Lucy’s for toppers more often, but use sojos from time to time.

However, their freeze dried training treats and good dog biscuits are awesome! Staples in my house

[Naturella]

Dog_Obsessed, please you and Lily (and the rest of your family and friends) be safe! Treats are a fun project for days in the house when you have nothing to do, but I am sure they can wait if things get bad.

[Z B]

Thanks for the input everyone ! Much appreciated!

USA dog treats – thanks for sharing the feedback from Steve. I had been doing the ABC day once or twice a week, that’s why I had the heart and liver on hand, and I thought Steve recommended that for the ABC day raw meals you could use all heart as the muscle meat ? But since I’m trying to feed raw more than once a week I’ll definitely reduce the Amount of heart and search out other muscle meats. If liver isn’t necessary with the premix I’ll prob forgo that, the dogs aren’t crazy about liver and it kinda grosses me out, too.

Also ordered his books and used some of his recipes for a few batches of Raw meals, but it was a little too much work keeping up with all the necessary ingredients and mixing it all up, etc, since I work full time. So I’ll see how the premix works out. So,far the dogs like it but I’ve been walking them before sunup and after sundown so I haven’t gotten a good inspection of how their poops are reacting.

The cats constipation emergency required a thousand dollar overnite stay at the pet ER, so I’m hesitant to put her back on the raw. I’ve found some good Canned foods that’s she’s doing well on, so will stick to that for now, but thanks for the suggestion to add fiber.

[zhiba]

Ever since my dog’s allergies became a big factor in his life, we’ve switched to freeze dried and limited ingredient treats (as well as food).

We get treats from Orijen Singles, Stella and Chewy’s Carnivore Crunch, Sojos Simply, Etta Says, Whole Life, PureBites, and Vital Essentials.

Recently I discovered the VE cat food on Chewy. It makes for excellent training treats! They are smaller nibblets than the dog food, with a few additions that I like. Comparison –

Turkey Nibblets (dog)
Ground turkey with bone, turkey heart, turkey liver, herring oil (natural source of vitamin D), mixed tocopherols (natural antioxidant), d-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E)

Turkey Nibblets (cat)
Ground turkey with bone; turkey heart; turkey liver; boneless skinless turkey breast; raw organic goat’s milk; raw organic apple cider vinegar; herring oil; mixed tocopherol; d-alpha tocopherol

[crazy4cats]

I like to buy Wet Noses dog treats when they have them at Costco. Right now they have pumpkin treats.

[InkedMarie]

I judge my dogs treats as much as I their food. Treats I like are anything from The Honest Kitchen and Sojo’s and grainfree ones from Buddy Biscuits. I don’t feed much for treats so others are probably more helpful than me. Definitely not Milk Bones!

[LabsRawesome]

Hi Kayla, I use Riley’s dog treats. They are organic and human grade. They have a store locator on their site. http://rileysorganics.com/ I buy them at Walmart. They come in small and large size biscuits. They are reasonably priced. 😀

[Kayla]

I am currently using Pure Balance treats. But, I am looking at another treats but when it comes to ingredients on what is a no no and what is safe… I have no idea!
Can someone give me an insight on this?

I found Dream bone treats and here are the ingredients.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Kayla.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Kayla.

[Bobby dog]

Esther B:
In addition to the HK treats take a look at freeze dried treats. My dog loves Stella & Chewy’s carnivore crunch treats. There are other companies that make freeze dried treats as well. Look at some of the freeze dried foods that are well reviewed on this site and visit their websites to see if they make treats if interested. I have also used freeze dried foods such as Primal for treats also.

I feed apple cider vinegar regularly to my dog with no issues, I have not fed anything containing green tea before (at least that I know of or could remember).

It is also easy to make your own jerky treats. I make chicken jerky and also dried sweet potato slices for my dog.

[BijouMama05]

These treats are NOT made nor sourced in China and are NOT jerky treats. I would NEVER feed my pet Chinese treats. Rosemary is a known bile exciter, which means it activates/encourages the production of larger amounts of bile than normal. Excess bile will cause severe vomiting (yellow & foamy), excessive diarrhea (which can turn bloody quite quickly), low glucose issues (due to the loss of fluids and inability to eat or drink caused by vomiting, diarrhea, & upset stomach/loss of appetite). All of this can (if allowed to continue) cause liver and kidney function issues and abnormalities. I have been in contact with several vets, animal dieticians, the FDA, the AAFCO and been involved in more than two years of studies, including several double blind studies. When rosemary is given on its own or as one of only two ingredients (rosemary and boiled, organic turkey) my dog, as well as many others have had SEVERE reactions to it. The numerous dog foods that have made ingredient changes that have caused pets (who had been eating this same food for years with no problems) suddenly begin to get sick with excessive bile related symptoms (yellow, foamy vomiting, extreme diarrhea that turns bloody, seizures form low blood glucose, and eventually, if left on the same food long enough, abnormal liver and kidney functions). Once this food is removed from their diet and a food that does not contain rosemary is fed, the symptoms clear up immediately. This has also been proven when the vet tells the owner to remove the food from the pet and feed a rice & boiled chicken diet until the symptoms clear up. Once the symptoms are gone and the old diet is started again, all the bad symptoms begin again. And the cycle continues until the pet dies, is put down, or is changed to a non-rosemary containing food. From all of the research and studies performed on this issue it appears that those most affected are smaller dogs and cats, puppies and kittens, pets with GI/Colon/GERD issues, older animals, or those with underlying health issues that makes them weaker or susceptible to the effects of excessive bile production. In addition to all of this, rosemary is also known to be a neuroleptic and has been known for this for more than 150 years (medical data involving humans can be found in many peer reviewed journals). The FDA allows rosemary in pet foods because it is Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) in humans (with the exception of those prone to seizures) and by default this means it is considered GRAS in pets, as well. However, no studies have been performed on pets (by the FDA) to determine the safety of rosemary in pet foods for ALL pets. This is one reason that rosemary (extract, leaf, oil, etc.) has to be listed independently on food labels (human and pet) and exactly as designated by the FDA, so those that have had reactions to it can avoid it. Otherwise it might be included in a pet food (or human one) as part of a generic ingredient listing such as herbs, seasonings, flavors, etc.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I have never heard of Rosemary extract causing stomach upset in general, I think some dogs are sensitive to it, but I wouldn’t blame it for your dogs stomach problems. Personally, I try to avoid any jerky treats because there have been HUGE problems with dogs getting sick from jerky treats made in China. Even if treats say the are USA made, the company could still source ingredients from China. I wouldn’t feed the jerky treats anymore, or any treats that upset her stomach, but I don’t think Rosemary is necessarily to blame.

[Esther B]

At 9 weeks old I started giving my 15lb pup very small bits of the full moon chicken strips, no problem. At 10 weeks and 19lb I started using Durango jerky nubs to start training her, she loves them, but all hell broke loose. She vomited, and has has persistently had the runs. My back yard looks like I gave a cow not a puppy. I unfortunately didn’t put the connection together until reading this forum. Rosemary is used in the jerky nubs! So tho she seems to love them I will not be giving her anything with rosemary ever again. I’m also fearful of giving her the chicken strips too as I’m not sure about the green tea and vinegar. Has anyone had problems with the chicken strips or foods with vinegar and green tea in them? Does anyone have any good treats for training that they are comfortable giving their dogs?