[Dog_Obsessed]

I wouldn’t recommend the Purina food or the Milk Bone treats. Both are quite low-quality. Look around the site for some 4-5 star foods, pick one available close to you, and start there. You can add some “extras” such as eggs, sardines, or 4-5 star canned food to make the food more palatable. Make sure you transition to any new food slowly and that unbalanced toppers don’t make up more than 20% of the diet. I’m sure other users will have suggestions on more toppers you could add. Good luck!

Edit: I forgot, a good thing is to feed variety. Change kibble or canned food from time to time, and mix up the toppers. Again, make sure you never transition faster than your dogs can handle, usually about a week is good but some dogs require more time to avoid stomach upset.

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

[Dog_Obsessed]

If you are talking about the DreamBone chew treats, I would definitely not recommend them. Here is the ingredients list for the chicken treats:

Corn, Chicken, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Fructose, Pork Gelatin, Barley Malt Syrup, Maltodextrin, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Carrots, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Ferrous Sulfate, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Sulfate, Artificial Flavor, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Sodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Propionate (preservative), Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Vitamin E, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, FD&C Red 40.

You don’t want to feed treats with Corn, or Fructose, or artificial sweeteners, or coloring. The Pure Balance treats (the freeze-dried ones anyway) are great though. Head over to the “most recommended dog treats” thread (stickied at the top of the page) to get some more treat ideas.

[Kayla]

Has anyone used this brand of treats before? Any opinions on it? I usually get Pure Balance treats since my Dog is doing really well on it and also really loves the Pure Balance food. However, I am looking to get him new treats for Christmas.

[Justin I]

H&P Dog Treats by Henry and Penny are fun and delicious breakfast themed treats. They are grain free, healthy treats made with the finest ingredients available right here in the USA. Check them out and compare the ingredients for yourself!

They offer free shipping when you get the Breakfast Buffet trio, and you can customize your order to your liking!

[crazy4cats]

Akari- I got that one today too!

B-dog- I’ll let you know how the Eagle Pack kibble goes. I think it ended up being about $30 for 30lbs, after the discount. A Pet Flow email “sucked” me in! I think it will make a good simple kibble to add our ABC toppers to. I picked up frozen beef heart treats last week at the feed store. Yum!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Dori]

Hi Jake. I keep my dogs on HW (Sentinel Spectrum) year round because I live in Atlanta, Georgia. Weather is unpredictable in what is supposedly the cooler (winter) months. Last week we had a couple of days below freezing, bird baths frozen, all the winter stuff. Last few days has been in the upper 60’s and a couple of days in the low 70’s. To keep my girls safe I keep them on HW meds all year every 30 days. We’ve been in Georgia for the passed 13 years. Before that we lived in the Northeast (NJ, NY, Conn. and Cape Cod). Because the winters were completely predictable and freezing all winter long I did last HW October and nothing again until May. I think you would have to judge what your weather is. If you really have consistent old time winter weather then I guess you could keep him off for the winter months which I would do just to keep some of these chemicals out of his system and give his system a bit of a break. HW test is just the one time of year. Take some really really choice treats with you to the vet that he absolutely would do anything for. Before they come in to take blood work and while they are chit chatting with you you could just get his attention with the pieces of chicken, liver, whatever you want (no actual store bought treats or kibble….that’s not special enough) and just give him little tiny pieces as the entire process goes on. Eventually he should think of it as a good experience as opposed to the nightmarish type experience he had in the Spring. It’s worth the one time experience to keep him off HW for a few months. Just my opinion.

Let me also add that I take my dogs to the vet for a yearly physical and yearly blood work anyway. I’ve done that with every dog (there have been many…I’m 66 years old). If something is going on with them I want to know sooner rather than later. Trying to catch anything serious that may not be outwardly visible and keep track of all their levels and if anything has changed since the year before so they are accustomed to having the bloodwork draw anyway. Through the years I have found that things were going on that I would never have been aware of if not for the blood work. I was then able to start working with nutrition and supplements more geared to the issue.

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

[Rich]

COSTCO/KIRTLAND killing pets: Well I’ll share with you what NOT TO BUY. Stay away from Costco, they CLAIM to have products from the USA but I don’t believe it, maybe the mailing address for the profiteers is in the USA but their ‘treats’ are pure JUNK !! We bought their chicken jerky’s that were ‘USA” advertised, when we opened the package we almost got chemical burns in our noses !!!! Took it back and they treated my wife like there was something wrong with HER ! Found this about Costco foods KILLING PETS. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/kirkland_pet_food.html

BTW, I now taste everything new I feed my dog, we almost lost Bear, our Sheppard Mix due to bad food and I won’t allow it again. TASTE THOSE DOG TREATS, some have so many chemicals in them it will literally burn your tongue BUT YOUR DOG WILL STILL EAT THEM.

This is why I joined this site, there needs to be REAL consumer protection with animal foods.

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

[Naturella]

Dori, I sent you the letter! Sorry, I was finishing up Paper 2! Now on to the poster presentation for it, and tomorrow and the rest of the week are Paper 3 (due Friday) and presentation for Paper 3, which will be done Monday! Then polishing up Paper 1, and then a final! And doooooneee! 🙂

@Dog_Obsessed, wish you also lived in GA! We do have another GA person on the forum, weezerweeks. But she lives far from us…

And nice, those are the types of stores I like myself! Do they have a sales rack? My favorite local store has an amazing sales rack with great prices on soon-to-expire dry and canned foods and treats and what not, it’s awesome! 🙂

[Terry P]

Pure Balance Apple and cranberries dog treats gluten free no soy wheat of food coloring all natural

[Mom2Cavs]

Petbrosia does have 2 base formulas. They cannot add or remove ingredients from them. The only way they “customize” is to increase or decrease the amount of said ingredients. For instance, Laverne, had the Salmon grain free with 25 % protein and Rupert and Hazel had the Salmon grain free with 30% protein. Some of the other percentages were different between them, too. Laverne is 2 years older than Rupert and Hazel. The ingredients for all three bags of food were exactly the same and in the same order. Hope that helps. Imho, it isn’t really that customizable. I think the formulation is okay but with too many lentils and beans for my taste. My dogs seemed to like the sample bags fine, however, I only used some of the food as treats. I would also like to see some limited ingredient base formulas.

[Susan]

Hi Ellen, Sheperds are known to suffer from Colitis/IBD, My boy can eat boiled rice, it irratates his bowel causing very very sloppy poos, but he can eat the rice in kibbles….. Have you tried adding a little bit of boiled Pumkin only about 1 spoon to a meal..Patch does good on small amounts of boiled pumkin & boiled chicken breast, but if I add boiled rice, I’m up at 2am-5am with his bowel grumbling, rumbling & gurgling, the noises, I can hear him from another room…just from boiled rice…..

With the treats what I do is I just give his vet diet kibble or make my own treats, oh I’ve been giving him some Watermelon as its been hot but not too much just about 5 little pieces after his walks he loves it….alot of treats from shops are high in fat% & I found can cause problems, (sloppy poos) have you joined the Yahoo group called “IBDogs”….or the Face Book group called “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder” its good to talk to people that are also going thru the same thing…
You could try what BC has said but is there any meats he does better on like chicken or turkey…. buy a breast then cut up thin slices & make jerky but only give him a few little pieces to begin with for about 2-3 days & give his kibble aswell as treats & see if his poos are still going good..then increase them if everything is good….. My boy cant have the Liver jerkey treats he has real bad diarrhea with blood….. I use to make “Oatmeal-Apple Cookies” treats…Patch did good on the Oatmeal & Apple. I have the recipe if you want…they’re very very easy to make & you know what you have put in them…..

[Kayla]

I am a college student so I understand about money haha

I am using Pure Balance, and I got a 30 pound bag for 30 to 32 dollars at Walmart! It is good quality and you can look at the reviews on here! They also have wet food and also treats. My Aussie Dog loves them! They also have different flavors so you can rotate. They also have grain free I believe too. The prices vary but I think the most is 40 dollars for a 30 pound bag. So far, I am on my second 30 pound bag and no issues with my Dog. He is happy, healthy and very active. His coat actually looks better too 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Vicki, you have a beautiful girl, I have a English Staffordshire Terrier, he’s also short & real stocky, he too suffers from the stinky yeasty skin, paws, ears, mostly his paws now…

Everyone will tell you, put her on a grainfree diet. WRONG… Grainfree doesn’t work for yeasty itchy dogs… they have replaced grains with Starchy Potatos, Peas, Topioca, Sweet Potato, (a bit lower in starch) Legumes etc…
I had to do an elimination diet to find out which foods were causing Patches problems, I found Potatos, Sweet potatos, Peas, Wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats, Banana all made Patch itch even causing diarrhea (pototes) anything that was high in STARCH & Gluten, so now I try to keep Patch on a Gluten & Starch free diet….

You seem to be doing everything right, Maybe try the Antiseptic rinses with Betadine (Iodine) this really helps Patches red itchy stinky paws, it kills the bacteria..I use Detol Antiseptic lotion instead in a shallow bath, it works out cheaper then the Betadine you need the water to look like ice tea with the Betadine, you end up needing a whole bottle, where with the Detol antiseptic lotion, I only need a couple of caps to a shallow bath..

Now you need to start on the inside with her Diet…..

Kibble is NO GOOD, to make kibble they need binders to bind the kibble together Peas, Potato, Sweet Potatos, Rice, Oats, legumes etc these all are high starchy carbs causing yeast problems in dogs, the best way is no kibble… feed either a cooked diet or a freeze dry diet or both… no kibble….. 1 for breakfast the other 1 for dinner, I boiled chicken breast & add little boiled Pumkin for breakfast…

Have you looked at freeze dried foods like “K-9 Natural” instead of kibble, it has NO GRAINS, NO POTATOS, GLUTEN FREE, NO HIGH STARCHY CARBS…alot of people swear by K9 Natural, once you get ur girl off kibble the nightmare will start to end for both of you….. K9 Natural also makes treats, they do freeze dried & raw ….click on the product you want to have a look at & all the ingredients will come up……the chicken or the venison has the least amount of fat %…..even find another freeze dried brand with the same ingredients that K9 Natural uses if you can not find K9 Natural in pet shops…
here’s their link its worth a try…
http://www.k9naturalusa.com/

Good Luck with Gracie Mae

[Akari_32]

Here’s my Black Friday haul!

From left to right:

2x 35 lb Tidy Cat Litter Pails ($7.99 each)
24x Wellness Divine Dou’s (4x @ $1.59 each, 12x @ $1.34 each, 8x @ $1.30 each– 12 not pictured)
3x Nature’s Variety Instinct Pride ($1.15 each– not on sale, used as filler)
6x Halo Impulse Cat Food ($1.99 each)
1x Hill’s Science Diet Soft and Chewy Dog Training Treats (Free for getting to PetSmart at ungodly hours this morning)
48x Friskies Special Diet ($0.39 cents each)
1x Hill’s Ideal Balance Cat Treats (Free with the Hill’s dog treats)
2x Wellness CORE Puppy Food 4lb ($14.99– not on sale)
2x Nature’s Recipe Whitefish and Potato Dog Food 4.5 lb ($9.99 each)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/A729F6D9-874C-433A-A016-17B9FAB54F23_zps7y7blsco.jpg

Not Pictured:

1x PetMate Jumbo Litter Box
3x Zukes Dog Treats ($2.74 each)
3x Wellness CORE Cat Food 2lb ($8.99 each)
1x Natural Balance Ultra Cat Food Can ($1.69)
1X Blue Buffalo Naturally Fresh Cat Litter ($4.25)

All for a grand total of $58.38! The Wellness dry cat food, Natural Balance can, Blue Buffalo Litter, and 3 cans of Friskies were all donated to the local shelter. I should also note that I got the Duo’s at three different stores lol

The coupons I used:

3x $10 off $25 purchase (three separate orders)
1x $4 off $20 purchase
5x B2G2 Wellness Divine Dou’s
6x $1 off any Halo product
5x $7 off any Wellness dry dog or cat food
2x $5 off Nature’s Recipe dog food
7x $5 off any natural or specialized dog or cat food
4x $1 off any Wellness can (used on the Duo’s)
$2 off any Blue Buffalo Naturally Fresh cat litter

I did so many transactions and shopped at three different stores that I don’t even want to lay everything out for you guys– sorry lol But I left with $100 this morning that my uncle gave me and I didn’t even spend it all!

I took a couple pictures of my stash after I tunred the spare room into the stash-room for all the dry food and random pet stuff :p The bests parts are:

78 lb of dog food
190 lb of cat litter
5 bottles of dog shampoos
3 bags of cat treats
5 bags of dog treats
150 cans of cat food
28 cans of dog food

*edit* sorry, the computer decided it didn’t want to live any more. Thankfully it still lets me edit on my phone lol Here’s the pics!

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF3_zps26cc4d6b.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF4_zps23ec278d.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF5_zpsae3aa912.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF6_zps05853349.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF_zpsc7a61da8.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DF2_zps226c4e0b.jpg

• This reply was modified 11 years, 4 months ago by Akari_32.

[Ben H]

Hi all…new to the forum. This thread is awesome but a little overwhelming to search through 79 pages of replies…LOL. We are going to be welcoming home to Lab pups at 8-9 weeks coming up soon and want to be sure to get them started out well. I am compiling all the new puppy stuff, a trainer to help with the hurdle of bringing two dogs home, and all the other fun stuff. 2 Questions. I have checked out HDM’s list (awesome btw) but was hoping for someone to point me in the right direction. I need something that is good, while being somewhat budget conscious. Our local pet store carries Best Breed and highly recommended it. I’ve attached the link. http://www.bestbreed.com/puppy-diet.html Also, can someone give me a good idea for training dog treats? I went to the store and walked out thoroughly overwhelmed. I’ve raised pups before but it has been awhile. LOL Thanks

[Kayla]

He just lost a few pounds and so far just stayed there~ No sign of sickness, he is still happy and active… His stool is fine and no vomiting. I did give him a little bit more food for dinner since…He is getting bigger and very active. I will weigh him this weekend, and keep watching him. Perhaps, since he is a big dog…he needs more food and 3 cups isn’t enough. Idk. I will try 3 1/2 including dry and some wet food and some treats here and there.

Lately, since he has gotten cooler…He is more active. Every time I take him out, he wants to run… no joke! lol

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

[Kayla]

Weird question!!

My Dog is an Aussie and he is around 1 years old…He will be 2 years old in August. I have been feeding him Pure Balance dry food and sometimes a little bit of Pure balance wet food as well has treats. I feed him 3 cups of food and some treats…He is also 50 pounds. However, lately.. My dog looks like he is a little Skinner? Why is this? Do I need to feed him more? or what?

Dexter is not sick, no puking and also his stool is normal and hard. He goes twice a day. Morning and night… sometimes 3 times total but very rarely.

[Akari_32]

Thanks for all the help guys. I was thinking about giving her pumpkin, but she’s so sensitive to food that I don’t want to risk making it worse by introducing something else into her diet. I do have some though, and may try it. We’ll be making pumpkin pies here soon, so I’ll just nab a couple spoon fills out of the can before mom busts out the spices.

She used to be on Royal Canin Dachshund formula. And given what I’ve seen of her previous owner, she probably was on it for most, if not all, of her life. She wouldn’t eat it when I got her, and actually hadn’t eaten dog food in several months because her mouth was so infected that she wouldn’t eat any dry food. I only had a small amount of her old food, and ended throwing most of it away because I tried various ways to get her to eat it (water, broth, some left overs) and she just wouldn’t touch it until I offered canned with it. At that point she was almost completely on Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Healthy Weight (lower protein and fat), so she had very little transition time. She didn’t do any better on that than she does on CORE Small Breed.

I don’t really think chicken is her problem, given she was on Royal Canin before I got her. However, I do have a bag of Salmon and Potato Wellness Simple and have a bunch of Beef and Lamb Purina One cans. I should have enough of those cans to get her through a bag of dry. It would at least be a starting point, I suppose.

I yell at my mom and grandma all the time for giving them too many treats. My grandparents are the worst. They come over and give Ginger and Bentley a good half cup of treats each. What’s worse is they’ll come over with some nasty cheap crap like Beggin Strips or some soft dollar store brand treats and give them a bunch of those!! My favorite is when they SEE me making the dogs dinners and they give them a bunch of a treats anyways. Pisses me off to no end. You don’t even understand. It’s to the point now that I hide the dog treats when I know they’re coming over.

[Susan]

Hi Akari, what diet was she on before you got her & was she having poo problems before you got her?? I’d say her diet is too rich now, probably to good….i’d be lowering her fat% no kibbles with the fat% over 10% thats max 10% also protein, lower her protein around 23% or under…have you tried boiled chicken breast with 1 spoon of boiled pumkin or boiled rice, she eats this only ….no treats nothing else for 2-4 weeks & see how she goes also treats are high in fat, Patch cant eat treats or wet tin food, unless you can find a wet tin food with 1% fat…….. I’m finding alot of rescue dogs suffer with diarrhea, their old diet was probably cheaper foods & lower in protein & fat, then new owners put them on better diets higher in fat & protein & grainfree diets, they are not use to it, a normal healthy dog can eat these diets…. Poor Ginger is probably getting the rumbles then has to go quickly & if she is in a crate she’ll have an accident..I live in a unit with a little court garden Patch was having accidents, I’d go to get dressed in the morning to take him for his walk & go in the loungeroom & he would of poo’d he couldnt hold it, at first I thought he’s being naughty then later I found he has IBD & was put on his Eukanuba Intestinal low residue kibble, low fat 10% no more accidents but Ive tried him on the Wellness Simple no good, Holistic Select no good, (Black Hawk, Meals For Mutts Austraian brands) other brands all no good, we end back up on his Intestinal & boiled chicken breast & pumkin & he does 1 poo 7.30am & another poo 5pm both perfect, give him some rice or potato he has diarreha give him treats he has diarrhea, I had to have him on just his Intestinal for 6months….Now I give him a little bit of mashed banana, watermelon things that dont have any fat or high in fat, If you can contact Gingers old owner & see what she was feed….just try a stricked diet for about 1 month & see how she does….

[Dori]

Hi Akari. I swear by Perfect Form but from what I’m reading if this is an ongoing issue you would have to give Ginger the correct dose of Perfect Form with every meal. She’s small so it wouldn’t be much. Personally I think she’s having a food intolerance issue. I tried researching some of the foods you’re feeding her and most, if not all, contain some type of poultry in the ingredient list. It could be that she does well for a little while but with the addition of a canned as a topper that has more of whatever ingredient she is having an issue with which may or may not be in her kibble, it’s more than her gut can tolerate. If I were you I would attempt to find a food (dry and canned) that does not contain any poultry whatsoever and no white potatoes. White potatoes and tomatoes are high inflammatory foods and are probably also causing issues with her old age arthritic symptoms. That’s the reason Hannah gets no foods with white potatoes, rice and tomato. Also, there are dogs that cannot tolerate white potatoes yet do fine with sweet potatoes. I wish I could be of more help but I really do believe that the diarrhea has to do with her foods. As I said, find a kibble with NO poultry of any sort and a canned with no poultry of any sort. Feed her only those foods for a couple of weeks without rotating anything else into her diet and see how she does. Also, what treats if any is she getting from you or any other person that thinks she’s just too cute and needs a treat?

[Bobby dog]

Talia B:
I don’t know of any treats that would be soft enough not to crumble when inserting a pill into it.

If you are up to making something you could buy some lean ground meat from the grocery store and make small meatballs. I make them for my dog as treats and freeze them. I pull a few out at a time and keep in the fridge for treats. I use about 2 lbs of lean ground meat and add an egg or two, roll them to about an inch in size and cook them at 400 degrees for about 5 or 6 mins. You can also add other ingredients if you have them (and they are appropriate for your dog) like finely chopped dog appropriate vegetables, turmeric, parsley etc.

I have also seen people suggest cooking canned food for treats. I have never tried it, but I imagine it would be easy to make a soft treat out of canned food.

[Talia B]

Hello,

I have a golden with a bunch of allergies and to keep them in check she gets a pill. She is allergic to peanut butter and shouldn’t have cheese bc of chronic yeast ears (We are x plowing different food options also). The treats that we have used are not that nutritious and dry out over time even if sealed correctly or they crumble when your pushing in a treat. So has anyone found the perfect dog treat or does anyone have a recipe. We use to use cream cheese (before we knew it was contributing and would love w similar consistency 🙂

[Naturella]

@cdubau, THK Perfect Form is a supplement, I can find it at my local pet boutique/specialty store, it is given in small amounts and here it sells for $1.59/pack. Lasts my 15-ish lb terrier mix about a week when given as directed twice a day. Really works miracles in the guts.

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

Sells for $1.25 on the website, but I would probably go for the box of 16, just to have handy. Together your dogs will probably go through about 5 teaspoons/day or so, so close to a pack/day. The box of 16 will be enough for 2 weeks, to see how they do.

I try to keep about 2-3 packs at all times for just in case.

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

[Susan]

Hi Alina, how long has he been on the wet & dry Natures Variety?? You know Rottweilers are prone to IBD, Like Dog Obbessed said put him on boiled Chicken, rice & a little bit of boiled pumkin for 1-2 weeks, rest his stomach/bowel, no treats, no wet tin, nothing else, if he’s still doing very sloppy poos or diarrhea after 2-3 days on the chicken & rice, I’d see a vet…

[arwyru24]

It’s always really bothered me that it would even possibly be worth it to ship chickens halfway across the world and then sent back. It’s crazy and super shady. I also do not buy anything jerky regardless of the brand. Before I was better educated I bought my last dog jerky treats ..blue buffalo brand and also happy hips. He lived to be 15 when he died and I don’t think he suffered any ill effects but it’s hard to say He got epithelial lymphoma at about 14 and the tumor was removed but who can really say what causes some of the cancers. It really hurt his quality of life in his final year. He didn’t tolerate chemo well and developed pancreatitis as a result and it was just a hard last year. I don’t make my own food or feed raw but I try to do all that I can to feed healthy foods and not take undue risks but I am always questioning myself. I have a vet I trust implicitly now but unfortunately didn’t find him until the dog was 13 and cat was 15. He would have saved both of those animals a lot of pain and suffering. The dog had two surgeries to remove crystals the second time he was 12 and was blocked completely. The other vets just had him on c/d dry his whole life. This was the first vet to tell us water is very important and took him off the rx food and had us feed high quality canned with lots of water added in. They don’t push science diet there they give a list of brands they suggest which are all good choices (taste of the wild is the only one I can think of that’s debatable) It’s such a shame that it’s so hard to know who and what to trust to take good care of our pets. I agree with BC nut completely. … this shouldn’t be so hard.

[theBCnut]

I use Vital Essentials freeze dried dog food for treats. Also Pure Bites freeze dried duck liver.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks! There are some freeze-dried treats I give her, they are called Trail Buddy treats and they are made by a company called Cycle Dog. For some reason, the only place they are available around her is REI. There are some other freeze dried treats at the pet store that I might try. In terms of freeze dried food, is dehydrated/freeze-dried the same as raw?

[Karen J]

Okay, so she’s not getting a lot of treats because I’m so busy I haven’t been training her much. She only gets the supplements once a day.

But, what small kibble, grain free options do you think might be worth a try? You sound very much against BB, they are tiny bites and grain free. But she’s not eating them all of a sudden.

Now I’ve heard dogs do self fast. I’ve tried Orijen dry no go and too big and Merrick wet, wouldn’t touch it.

I haven’t found any pee puddles lately, that’s the good news 🙂

[theBCnut]

Are you maybe giving too many treats? She looks like a very small dog. If she is still pooping, she is still eating. Try cutting out the treats for a couple days. And try cutting back on the amount of supplements, in case they are decreasing her appetite. If her eating doesn’t pick up then, changing foods again may be what you need to do. My dogs didn’t like BB when I tried it, but that was years ago. Personally, I’ve heard too many stories of dogs getting bladder stones on it for me to want to feed it to a dog with crystals.

[Karen J]

Trixie, the dog that had crystal in her urine and having a puddle in the house occasionally is now taking d-monnase & vit c using cream cheese as a delivery vehicle – nothing else hides it.

no grain, she was eating Blue Buffalo Basics, grain free, small breed “lamb& potato with Stella & Chewy chicken dinner patties crushed -sprinkled on top.

stopped eating kibble and stella just started a few days ago. Poops though. She gets Good Lovin Lamb & Kiwi blend freeze dried treats, grain free treats, Natural balance dental chews and bully sticks, so she’s not getting that much of it. Occasionally a pure bites chicken breast treat freeze dried.

She’s active and healthy and as far as I can tell pees and poops outside on the patio thru the dog door and when we go on walks.

last few days won’t eat the kibble and stella & chewy mixture at all.

What gives – do I change her food again?

don’t know if she still has the crystals, supposedly no infection or stones prevailed.

[theBCnut]

They do not know what the Chinese chicken breeders did to the chickens or what the processors did to the chicken to make it lethal. I read all 82 pages of the FDA report. They tested the jerky for everything they have a test for and even created new tests to test the jerky, but they never found anything that should have caused those problems. There are still things they suspect, but they have no way to test for. It could be something that the chickens were fed or something that was added afterward. Nobody this side of the ocean knows, and nobody that side of the ocean is saying either. No, there is nothing about jerky treats that makes them harder to process.

I really think the problem is that they come from a country that does not value life, so they don’t care what they do to treats for dogs, and especially American dogs. Frankly, if I lived somewhere where dogs got more expensive treats than what I got paid, I probably wouldn’t care either.

[Dog_Obsessed]

So I seem to be on a role tonight when it comes to creating topics so I might as well create this one:

I know it is a horrible idea to feed any dog food, but especially jerky, that’s from China, but is it safe to feed jerky made in the US such as the jerky treats made by Wellness and Fruitables? I have heard conflicting things online. Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

I use a lot of different treats, but lately I’ve been using freeze-dried raw. I’ve got the Stella & Chewy’s medallions now which are pretty large and perfect for my big girls but they could be easily broken into small pieces. Some other freeze-dried raw I like to use is Nature’s Variety, Wysong, Vital Essentials and Primal. I try to go with the complete and balanced foods so I don’t have to worry about how many i give them. Most dogs seem to really like freeze-dried stuff.

[pugmomsandy]

Zukes makes small soft treats and I think a Wellness has a new line of semi soft treats. I’m using ZiwiPeak dog food as treats. The pieces are small flat and about half an inch square and the texture is like soft jerky.

[Naturella]

Melissa, if shopping online is an option for you, websites such as http://www.petflow.com , http://www.chewy.com , http://www.wag.com often have great sales on food, especially on Petflow you can find stuff for about $1.00/lb, which is a great deal. Just check those sites about once/week or so and type in the word “trial” for Petflow and it will give you deals with “trial” sizes (usually smallest size bags – 4-5lbs, but for $1/lb). They have other great deals too, on food and treats and supplies. 🙂

But I second DogFoodie on her suggestions for budget-friendly foods – I have used Dr. Tim’s, Earthborn Holistic, and some of Victor (and a few friends have used it too) with great success and no issues, plus, they are quite affordable. One other option, if you must, you can also use Pure Balance from Walmart – it is not half bad for the price it is.

[crazy4cats]

Julie-
I’m glad you got some good suggestions from Jenny. My previous dog was overweight and I wish I knew then what I know now. With my current dogs, I go mostly by calories, not the feeding recommendations on the bag. I never realized how much difference there could be in calories between different Kibbles. I try to use kibble that is 400 calories or less a cup so I can add different toppers to their meals and still be able to give them a decent amount of kibble to satisfy them. I used the dog food calculator on this site to find a starting point. I subtract calories to account for the “treats” they are fed throughout the day. I have two male labs that are right around 80 lbs. One is a tiny bit thick and the other is very lean at this weight. I feed mostly Victor grain free joint health kibble and add a different protein rich topper to every meal. I wish you luck. I know it is tough to keep our labbies lean. They are eating machines!

[Akari_32]

That is so funny about your aunt Patty LOL

We used to have some sort of very small black hawk with a bright yellow beak that would watch our chickens. I think the only reason it never went after them was because it was small than the rooster was, who was smaller than the silki hen LOL

DogFoodie, thank you. I couldn’t leave her there when all she needed was a change handling. She’s still a snotty little turd most of the time, but it’s worth it see her running to the end of her 16ft leash, and having such a great time, and having her snuggling with me on the couch or in bed.

Lol Jakes mom, they were the cheapest ones we could find, so that’s what came home with us! I can’t believe how expensive doggy stairs are!!

Naturella, they’ll come around eventually I’m sure 🙂 and I wish I had that many goodies stashed away! I hardly ever find deals on treats and chews, so end up having to pay full price for them unless I find something in th clearance bin.

[Naturella]

How cute Ginger and Bailey are! 🙂 And I second Bobby Dog regarding the BCnut and her aunt – age is just a number – fabulousness is forever! 🙂

On my end, things are meh, but I am getting used to it. I think that even though I had been “preparing” myself for this for a loooooong time, I was a bit numb myself when it actually happened. I hadn’t fully thought out the aftermath. I forgot to consider the possibility of my family (mom) not REALLY hearing my message and just retaining her shock factors and not the explanations for them or the reiteration of love for my family and desire for us all to love and accept each other and be open and honest with each other. BUT, I am adjusting, as is she, and we will play it by ear and see if time plus constant/consistent demonstration of care and love on my part will help. Hope is still in me. 🙂

Also on another note, I went through Bruno’s “treat box”, which is overflowing actually, and I pulled out a few things to give to the dog of the family I babysit for. An early Christmas present if you will, lol. After I pulled out a can of Weruva, a dental bone, a sweet potato chew, a bully stick, a lamb ear, a pig snout, a cow ear, a beef trachea, a fish skin, a stingray tail, a tripe swirly chew, a pack of salmon treats, and a few buffalo liver treats, I still have an overflowing box of some of the above treats left for Bruno, plus a Himalayan dog chew, a pig foot (I will probably let Bruno share it with the roommate’s dog), and a ton of food samples! I use them as treats, but I may need to up my usage and just give him meal varieties, i.e. give him his regular food and additive for breakfast; a sample (his normal serving of it, not the whole sample) with THK for dinner. Probably 2-3 meal replacements/week will take care of one sample. And if I do this every other week, I should be good until my kibble supply runs down. And then we start over with collecting food and samples. I really think I won’t hoard like that anymore though… I don’t want to keep more than 6 months’ worth of food at a time in the house… I want more variety, freshness, and deals too, so I will stock up when deals come every 6 months or so, and try to include more fresh/natural additives like freeze-dried/dehydrated/frozen commercial raw. But for now, he’s doing well it seems, and I should be transitioning him to Back to Basics in about 2 weeks. Hope he does well and not like the NVI disaster! LoL.

(P.S. I just realized that my post is halfway entirely related to dog food, but I didn’t know where else to put that second half, so sorry guys – it s here!)

[Jenny Rellick]

InkedMarie–You are very right that dog obesity is a human-mad problem, not a dog problem. Humans with overweight dogs may project their own feelings about weight loss and portion control to their dogs, and the consequences can be serious. Dogs will almost always have room for any treat or larger serving of food a human offers, and dogs quickly learn who and how to ask for treats and table food, not because they are hungry, but because that is what dogs have done since ancient times. However, I think there is such a thing as a dog who is fed correctly but is still hungry. Here’s why:
My Leo lived in a no-kill shelter for 21 months and was fed a 1 star dog food the whole time. Because it was not nutrient-dense, he got 4 cups per day of food per the manufacturer’s guidelines. When I transitioned him to 1 and 1/3 cups per day on a 5-star food, split into 2 meals, my dog inhaled his 2/3 cup serving of kibble in literally 6 seconds. Immediately afterwards, he would put his paws on the sealed dog food bag and–I swear this is true– he would cry, swat the dog food bag with his paws, try in vain to open the bag, and cry some more. I ignored him and told myself, “In 30 minutes he will know he’s full.” Alas, Leo would camp out next to his bowl, and if you walked by the room, he would bark once, wait for you to look at him, and then lick the empty food bowl and look at you again. Even after obedience school, when we established that he was not the boss of humans, he still continued these behaviors. I didn’t give in, but other humans in the home must have because he got fat and I ran out of food too soon. It was embarrassing to be told to feed Leo less at the vet, only to find that he had gained weight at every subsequent visit. I was also concerned that he was at risk for bloat–a medical emergency typically striking barrel-chested dogs– from eating in 6 seconds. Even though he isn’t barrel chested, my vet was alarmed by a video of Leo “Hoovering” his food. I got a sectional flat-bottom bowl designed to slow him down, and I added warm water to further slow him down per a customer suggestion in a review of the bowl. He was not only much slower, he also reduced his antics. I have been in Weight Watchers, and I was told it was important to drink plenty of water to feel full with meals and to metabolize fat. Maybe the water helped Leo’s hunger.
At Weight Watchers, I also learned to load up on very low calorie, high fiber foods before a restaurant meal or party to prevent over-indulging. By adding green beans to Leo’s “soup,” his antics completely stopped. When the antics stopped, the human conspirators stopped cheating, and Leo lost 12 pounds. He is now a muscular dog with a physique that makes my vet very happy. I share this success story because the solution was very simple, cost-effective and safe. Even if dog hunger is only a human projection, the water and green beans make the owner feel like they are feeding a more satisfying meal to their furchild, and they will be less often taken in by those sad brown eyes.

[InkedMarie]

I really think you’re making your dog out to be a human. They don’t need dessert, they don’t even need snacks. I’ve almost always had three dogs and I throw away more treats because they’ve gone stale than I use. I’ve never been in the habit of using a lot of treats.

I’ve never had anyone say you must feed dogs enough to be full. How the heck would you know if they’re full? A lot of dogs will eat everything you put in front of them. This is one cause for overweight dogs. The same for humans. I’m overweight but it’s not from eating til I’m full. You should be satiated, not full. How do you know a dog is hungry? Seriously, people say that and I don’t get it. They can’t talk, you don’t know, it’s an assumption.

[InkedMarie]

Dogs eat poop for so many reasons, you may never know. The best way to curb this behavior is to pick up the poop. That may mean taking him out on leash. That may mean using a small kennel for pottying.

Dogs don’t need dessert. If you must feed a snack, Milkbones are not a good choice. Look for high quality low calorie foods. I don’t use many treats but I do have some SoJo’s that are low cal.

[Jenny Rellick]

My dog, Leo, was like yours–begging for more food. He went from 62 lbs. down to 50 lbs.over the course of a year on a grain-free dry food. Here are my 4 tips for dog weight loss:

1. Feed the calories for your dog’s ideal weight, not her current weight: Leo gets 725 calories per day, including treats, and has gotten that amount since he hit 62 lbs.. Use The Dog Food Calculator on this site’s home page to figure out you dog’s caloric needs, entering an estimated ideal weight in pounds from your vet or from a time before your dog was overweight, and for activity level, select “overweight.” Leo’s food is 500 calories per cup, and I feed him 1 and 1/3 cups per day, for 650 calories from a high protein dog food. I leave 75 calories for other food, and because the grain-free food I use is so nutritious, I am confident he is well-nourished with the small quantity. Leo gets 2 meals of 2/3 cups, measured with a measuring cup (never eye-ball the quantity.)

2. Pump up the volume with warm water: Use a big, flat-bottom bowl to spread the kibble out, and add enough warm water to just cover the kibble, letting it steep on the counter for a minute or two.. Some kibble swells to make it more filling, and even if your part kibble doesn’t swell much, you are making a tasty broth to drink without adding calories. The water makes the meal take longer to eat, and tricks Leo into drinking extra water, which is necessary for weight loss. My dog goes crazy fpr the aroma while it steeps. Many vets recommend canned dog food for weight loss for exactly these benefits I provide by adding warm water to dry food. My way is much less expensive.

3. Feed green beans liberally with every meal. You can use frozen or salt-free canned (never give salted canned vegetables to a dog.) Of all the vegetables, green beans have an extremely low caloric density but, when cooked (canned green beans are pre-cooked and can be fed directly,) they are appealing to dogs. My dog won’t eat cabbage, lettuce, or celery, but he loves green beans. He gets 1/2 cup at each meal, stirred into the steeped kibble. This adds about 20 calories per meal, but he feels very satisfied with each meal, gets plenty of fiber for bowel regularity, and thinks I am preparing something special for him at each meal. He watches each step, and if I leave the kitchen while the kibble is steeping, he barks and cries as if to say, “you are forgetting to finish cooking my dinner!” If he starts begging before I put the green beans in, I show him the bowl and say, “Don’t you want green beans?” He barks and cries until I add the green beans! If I run out of green beans, he looks so disappointed. When I get back from the store, he goes to his bowl and waits just to get his half cup of green beans by itself.

4. Give very small treats. Except for 2 regular Greenies per week (90 calories each,) Leo gets tiny treats for going potty the right way or listening well. They are about 1/2 the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Most dogs will enjoy one treat three times more than they enjoy three treats all at once. Liver biscotti treats are Leo’s favorite tiny treat. Zuke’s mini naturals are also a convenient size. You could chop up human cold cuts or pepperoni and keep them as treats in the refrigerator. If your dog loves to chew for a long time, antlers are great because only a small amount is ingested or digested at a time, and your dog will burn calories by chewing. Elk antlers seem to be a good size and wear down just fast enough for Leo to get flavor and satisfaction from his efforts. Marrow bones from cattle are similarly good chews for dogs, but bully sticks, pig’s ears, raw hide, and the like present a choking hazard, can cause bowel blockages, have empty calories, and often contain chemicals. By the way, my dog loves his Greenies so much that they serve as his emergency recall reward. For the emergency recall reward, don’t worry about calories!

[Sheena G]

I’ve been really happy with Dogswell Happy Hips Jerky Strips dog treats. I have a golden retriever who’s a big time foodie (I think all goldies are!), so I was happy to find a grain-free treat with vitamins added for joint health. I tried the chicken one first, but then found out my cat (who is allergic to poultry) loves these treats too, so I started getting the lamb option… made in the US, human-grade ingredients, not too pricey at Ralph’s, & they keep my kiddos happy! 🙂

[DogFoodie]

I just opened up a package of Wellness Superfood treats. Here’s a link: http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/m/categories.aspx?pet=dog&pt=3&pl=18&ct=2. Click on dog treats if it doesn’t take you right there. I’d also be interested in other suggestion for something less processed.

[Zach M]

Thanks guys for all the input. Dogfoodie, I was about to order some VE beef treats, the beef and beef tripe and lung etc. treats. I think I will order them, and thanks for the other suggestions guys. BC, any good ideas for Super food supplements?

[DogFoodie]

I like BC’s suggestions.

I’ll also add that my dogs bedtime snacks of choice are Vital Essentials freeze dried tripe treats. VE makes lots of treats I like.

[Kellye P]

Ha!! Glad to know there are so many crazy pet parents out there. I must have a bit of hoarder DNA because I get nervous if I don’t have at least one extra of everything medical — eyedrops and pill prescriptions — and lots of extra food and treats.
If we are stuck here for a month, the dogs will be fine. Hubby and I will starve, but the dogs will be fine. 🙂

[Karen J]

A lot of you have been a big help – I finally found a food she will eat (for now) Freshpet by Vital – beef and bison.

I’ve been giving her d-monnase and vit c either in soft cheese or cottage cheese and no grain treats when we train or boiled chicken.

It’s been about a week but twice there have been big puddles of urine, tonight by the front door when I got home. When I take her out her pee are little tiny ones usually, she has a doggie door.

The question: Am I being over anxious and give it some time, could some of it be behavioral, or should I get a second opinion from a different vet?

I’ve tried to not create separation anxiety, it’s not hard to leave without fanfare but almost impossible to ignore her when I get home.

[Julia R]

I have been feeding my dogs “Natural Balance small breed bites” for about 3 years now…I would love to know your opinion on it. I also give my dogs treats by “Blue” and “Zukes”
would also love your opinion on that.
Thank you

[Akari_32]

I don’t know if they’ve ever been recalled, but for the kicks I have a few of Purina’s pages on my Facebook, and Waggin’ Train comes in freaquently as a suggested page. So many people complain that the treats have made their dogs sick, and Purina honestly seems to not care. I’m fairly certain no recalls have ever been made, but the reviews are not good. If you want to offer jerky treats, it’s probably best to just make your own.