[InkedMarie]

Hi Vianca,
I’m sorry for the loss of Fluffy. I agree that most vets don’t know much about nutrition. For your dog who needs to lose weight, I had great success with Wellness Core reduced fat. I haven’t tried Annamaet Lean but others have with good luck.
For the dog with allergies, we need more information. What are the symptoms the dog has? Please post the ingredients to the dog good he eats. What other food products does he eat: treats, supplements, anything.

[Susan]

Hi Abby, he may have IBS, my boy has IBD, I resuced him about 19months ago, Patch is also a stress head, so maybe this has something to do why they get IBS, Patch also has been on the Metronidazole a couple of times in the begining & had anal gland problems, vets put Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal in the end, since being on the vet Diet Eukanuba he’s been doing real good, his anal glands dont need expressing by vet no more….when I tried to change his kibble last December I didnt realise that he cant handle too much fat, Ive found if the kibble is around 10%-12% fat he’s Ok, no diarrhea, also I have to keep him on a lower protein kibble & the Eukanaba Intestinal low residue is 23% protein 10% fat & 1.75% fiber, I think in America you have the IAMS but the ingredients are different to the Eukanuba has no by-products & lower fat & lower fiber then the Iams low residue kibble..I’d try the vet prescription, if you cant get Eukanuba Intestinal then the Royal Canin low fat is similar with fat% Protein % & fiber %.. Ive had to have Patch just on the Eukanuba for around 6 months, no treats nothing else, just his Intestinal kibble, vet said his bowel needs to rest & heal then when his poos were excellent.. I started to sooooo slowley tried now foods, also Wellness Simple is good with Limited ingredients, I’m slowley adding the Duck & Oatmeal kibble with his Intestinal the fat is 11% protein is 19% Protein is a bit low but if he doesnt get sloppy poos or diarrhea thats excellent, I also give him a small tin of tuna in spring water drained then mixed with about 2 big tablespoons of pumkin for breakfast, next week Im going to add a boiled egg to the mix as I half the mix for the next morning aswell..the Tuna & egg will boast his protein a bit more, I also use a good dog probiotic…Ive read that the prebiotics in the kibbles get damaged from heat & when transported if left in the heat or sun, so ur better off given ur own probiotic awell & a kibble with FOS.. I try not to let Patch stress & keep his routine the same everyday, I feed him the same time everyday, walk him same time, I also take him everywhere with me, well where I can, he loves meeting people..If I change something in his day, Ive noticed he’ll be real whinging & have his pain that night & next morning.
In Australia the Wellness dog kibbles are dearer then the vet prescrition diets, I dont know why, I pay $32 for 2kilos of the vet Eukanuba Intestinal & the Wellness Simple is $37 for only 1.8kilos…try to make him feel secure & in time he’ll learn to trust again, when I first got Patch he wouldn’t let me out the front door without crying & whinging, then he learnt that she just going shopping so when he sees my shopping bag he knows she’ll just be about 20min & she’ll come back & I give him his second bit of breakfast, I break Patches meals up into 5 meals a day, I found he couldnt stomach real big meals at once…its sad alot of these rescues have had it hard, not all, my last rescue was healthy wasn’t nervous but she was younger… Patch is 5 years old..in time things do get better.

[Zach M]

I was thinking about THK, but was also deciding between merrick and core. I am a fan of wellness core, as I have used some of there Canned food and treats in the past. C4C, I was talking about real food toppers that I pit on arnt over 20%. When I feed canned I give her a meal of it. Tell me about it. If my dog could talk life would be so much better! Merrick I’ve heard has had quality issues, but it seems like the ingredients and protein is right for my dog. I might make the switch to Wellness core, but I’m not sure if they use ingredients from the usa and if they use no gmos, which are important to me for certain reasons. Thanks for all the help. I will continue to pursue my goal of getting my dog to eat her food!

[Susan]

Hi Amy, its not the Frontline, frontline only penetrates the first 1-2 layers of their skin, My boy had a reaction to Advantage DO NOT USE the Advantage penetrates thru the skin to their blood, within 24hrs one side of my boys head swelled up his ear & his bottom lip swelled, & he was vomiting blood early hours of the morning, at first I didnt think the Advantage until I rung his vet. the best way to know whats happening is an elimination diet, for 1 month you just feed 1 new protein & say boiled pumkin or rice nothing else no treats nothing, thats if you think it could be foods, I used chicken in Patches elimantion diet but now I think Patch cant have chicken as the lumps on his head that look like hives got worst, Patches vet said that he has seasonal allergies & cause I just rescued him 19 months ago she said I’ll start to see a pattern, I noticed last winter Patch was good, no itch but the end of summer Patch got all his hive like lumps, itching & rubbing along the wall, this winter Patch has his hive like lumps again, so I look in Patches diary & last winter I wasnt feeding him chicken, this winter I was feeding chicken, so Ive stopped the chicken…Ive heard all these test are no good as they give false readings the best would be if you could try him on raw, Im just starting a new kibble called Wellness Simple it has limited ingredients, also watch his carbs, no potatoes, no sweet potatoes, no carrots no high carbs that turn to sugar that makes yeasty itchy skin.. If he can handle it i’d feed raw.. & google a good Raw diet for itchy skin..Ive been thinking of putting Patch on Raw but he has IBD & I have enough trouble trying to find a low fat kibble, so raw would have to much fat for Patch..also there could be a plant or grass in ur garden or on his walks that he’s allergic to, I’ve changed Patches walking route to see if that helps….Its winter here in Australia, so if Patch has enviornment allergies or seasonal allergies like his vet said, why is he getting them now being winter & he didnt last year, thats whats making me look at his food this year, I use Malaseb Medicated shampoo, & I use a cortisone cream when he gets some of the red itchy sores, I found the cortsone 1% cream is excellent Im just using my cream…just look at the ingredients in his kibble & see if there’s Potatos sweet potatos carrots, lentils any high carb foods…A friend from the dog park had a staffy that was so itchy he was red & losing his fur she tried the vet diets they didnt work then she tried the Holistic Select Adult health Anchovys sardines & salmon & her boy is looking excellent not scratching fur all grown back..so a few people from the dog park are using the Holistic Select with great results… Im also given Patch tuna & pumkin for breakfast to replace the chicken & his hives have gone. sorry for the book..Oh a good dog probiotic this will help too…good-luck

[Amy E]

Hello, I’m new here.
5 months ago I adopted Moby, a 9 year old miniature schnauzer. He was from a puppy mill and weighed 7 lbs. when I got him. He now weighs 12 lbs and the vet says he’s a good weight. He came to us with ear infections, which we treated and cleared up.

He developed some small itchy bumps on his head, neck, legs and chest, which he licked, scratched and rubbed his body along the furniture. Vet diagnosed skin infection due to stress or allergies. Rx: zeniquin & clemastine for 10 days with KetoChlor shampoo followed by Allergroom shampoo daily for 3 days, then twice weekly for 2 weeks.

At 10 day recheck: All bumps healed and went away during the 2 weeks, except for one new bump on chest so 3 more days of zeniquin prescribed and continuing clemastine until winter arrives. Also supposed to bathe with the 2 shampoos once every 2 weeks.

Well… the bumps have returned on his head and neck. They started with just one here and there and have increased daily over this week. He’s starting to itch, rub and lick more again, even though he is still taking clemastine.

I feed him Eagle Pack Holistic Salmon kibble, but he also gets various treats (chicken based) and yogurt daily along with various other things like pumpkin, fresh veggies, fruit and sardines.

He came from Oklahoma and now lives in Minnesota. It just so happened that winter ended and spring began around the time we got him…the same time he started a new diet at our house…so it’s hard to know if his allergies are environmental or food based without testing (I’m considering doing a home-based test like Immune IQ). I suspect a life of poor diet and low exercise has weakened his immune system and now he’s more susceptible to everything, causing skin reactions. Besides the bumps, he has no other issues with his skin or coat (no hair loss, raw patches, etc). He has no digestive issues either. He’s a happy little guy, always wagging his tail, eats voraciously, sleeps like a log, potties on schedule (output looks good).

Do you think I should switch to a different food with fewer ingredients? If so, what? I’m going to eliminate the yogurt. We have another [senior] dog so feeding completely raw is cost prohibitive for me.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

[Cyndi]

Thanks BCnut!!

& USA Dog treats, when BCnut is in her laboratory, mixing up her essential oils, she’s rubbing her hands together and doing that evil laugh like a mad scientist, then she cuts the arms and legs off gingerbread men! Lmao!!

[DogFoodie]

I was just throwing some more treats in my Chewy.com shopping cart and thought of something else that’s important to me. For my little dog, who gains weight easily; I love tiny, portion controlled treats. My favorites are Wellness Petite. Like I said before, quality ingredients and a quality manufacturer that I trust. These treats are like 2 or 3 calories each and there’s like 150 in a bag for about $3.99 (currently on sale at Chewy). It makes it super easy to control portions and keep track of calories.

[USA]

Annamaet’s treats are the EXACT same formula as their dog foods with the same name. So Manitok treats are exactly the same as Manitok dog food. Except Manitok treats are $8.99 for 10 oz making them $14.40 a pound while Manitok dog food is $17.99 for 5.5 lbs making it $3.27 a pound.

I know of a couple of dog food makers that came out with treats that are basically their dog foods in treat form. There is a huge per pound price increase in all the dog foods that have used the same formulas for their treats and I don’t know what would justify such a huge price increase.

These are meat-meal based treats as is the dog food. I hope meat-meal based treats because of the dubious quality of meat-meals are not included in your recommended treats list unless you can independently verify the quality of the meat-meals for yourselves.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by USA.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Judi –

Some articles on treats are in the works! Please check out this thread and give us some feedback: /forums/topic/your-most-recommended-dog-treats/page/2/#post-45793

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree Myra. My dogs love Annamaet’s new line of treats. I love the velcro closure on the packaging and the fact that the treats are the same formulation as the food so they aren’t just empty calories.

[Myra S]

I am as picky about my dogs treats as their food. Although they are pricey I love Annamaet’s treats. Just as wholesome as their foods.

[Judi S]

I would love to have star ratings for dog food treats. All I see on the website are ones that have been recalled and that scares me! With your help, I carefully chose a 5-star rated dog food and now I would like to be able to do the same for treats. Thank you!

[Bobby dog]

I have some prices from my Wal-Mart on FreshPet Select rolls for dogs, $3.16, $4.86 & $12.86. I haven’t checked out the prices recently though, not sure how accurate they are.

It is a cooked product that must be kept refrigerated, as C4c wrote t comes in a roll form and also small nugget bites, tubs, and shreds for cats now. They have their own facility for making the food. They’ve added a few different foods and treats since I have looked at the website last. They have a line that is made from anitbiotic and hormone free poultry, grain free, and limited ingredient slections.

Bobby loved the FreshPet Select. I fed it as a topper once before I came to DFA. I will feed it again it’s just that I am all stocked up on dry, kibble, and raw for Bobby right now.

I am definately going to try it out for the kitties. Hopefully it will be something to add to the rotation. They have some shredded meat & gravy recipes for kitties that are only available in California; that’s okay since my cats don’t like shreds. lol

http://freshpet.com/

[Linsey H]

Hi there, I started reading these forums back when I was first researching a puppy, and so far it has served me well, though I finally have a question. I know that there is a separate thread for large breed puppies, but I felt like my question might have been a bit too long and complicated for it.

I have a 21w, 45lb female Shiloh Shepherd and she has recently started teething. I have been restricting her calcium pretty thoroughly, though I have heard from several reliable people that I should be giving her more during her teething phase. My internet searches so far have been unhelpful and I have not found much scientific data on large breeds and teething. I am also a little concerned with her current diet ratios, so if I am doing something terrible, I am hoping that someone can call me out on it. So far my puppy has been putting on steady 2 pounds a week, with the exception of a few ~3lb/week growth spurts. She does appear to get occasional growing pains still though.

Her current diet:
She receives two meals a day which consist of kibble and toppers, and since she is a puppy she still receives a significant amount of training treats. I have been using http://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com/pdf/CalorieRequirementsForDogs.pdf as a rough guideline for calories- my puppy gets roughly 1.1-1.3k C from kibble and then 200-500C from toppers, chews and training treats. I have read that large breeds have slightly different requirements after 4mo, plus my puppy is decently active- she walks a lot, plays plenty of fetch, and then gets at least 1 hour of dog play through various outlets daily. I generally adjust how much she gets of what based on what she did that day, and she has been staying very lean and well muscled.

For kibble, her breeder had her on Earthborn Holistic: Meadow Feast, and since that was on Hound Dog Mom’s list and had the right amount of calcium I have kept her on it. The breeder also suggested using Flexicose and Missing Link Puppy as supplements- I am not sure if Missing Link is the best, but the breeder said that the calcium amounts checked out (only the min is on the package).

For toppers, she almost always gets a tablespoon of pumpkin and then either raw green tripe, a raw ground mix from our butcher, or canned PetKind. The raw mix consists of 10% green tripe, 10% organs, and 80% beef – it is bone free and has been the main thing reducing calcium in her diet. As of last month, I have started giving my puppy either a raw (irradiated) egg or a chicken wing every 2-3 days (whenever she finishes .75-1lb pound of the supplement). I had read somewhere that a chicken wing contains ~1.86g of calcium and 89g total with ~38% being bone, though my math is still somewhat guestimate-y. I also have backs and necks, but I was under the impression that they had more calcium.

For treats, she either gets soft Buddy Biscuits (grain free), dried/dehydrated meat, lamb lung, Orijen treats, or cooked chicken- she definitely prefers softer treats and no is no longer interested in kibble rewards (she spits it out in training). When I had her on only meat-based rewards, she started to get a little snobbish so I reintroduced the Buddy Biscuits, but I am not sure that they are the healthiest option. I try to limit the amount on normal days to 100C, and then for days she has class (or if I work with her on a lot of new behaviors) she gets 200-300C.

For chews, she either gets Beams (fish skin), bison trachea (dehydrated, I have not been able to find raw/frozen), or tendon- though she is not as interested in the last two since she has been teething. Pumpkin filled kongs have been another option, though she is not a big kong fan. Lamb lung, jerky, or sweet potato, are rare accompaniments to the pumpkin. She is a gentle chewer and only finishes the beams in a single session. She is no longer interested in fruit/veggie chews. For teething, I have tried frozen towels/ropes soaked in a broth solution, but she has yet to go for them. Her favorite “chew” is definitely the raw bones, but I don’t want to give her too many due to calcium levels.

Anyways, my core question is this:
Does her current diet seem too far out of balance?

With the follow-ups being these:
1) Am I giving her too many calories in unbalanced toppers and treats?
2) Is my puppy getting too much or not enough calcium?
3) Are there other raw chewing options with less calcium (unless she needs more)?
4) Are there any specific books I should read in addition to Dr. Becker and Steve Brown’s books?
5) What are some of the better online resources for buying raw? My local butcher shop is pretty great, but unfortunately they don’t carry everything.

[Trout-lily]

Thank you everyone for your advice on where to buy dog food. I’m debating about wellness, fromm, natures variety, or earth born holistic. I have issues with not knowing where the food is coming from as my parents just spent thousands of dollars from salmonella poisoning with their (our) beloved black lab. The vet hospital claimed it was sweet potato treats from china that most likely caused the issue. Luckily she is fully rehabbed but it has caused us to be cautious about where our dog products are coming from. Anyone have recommendations for a trusted puppy brand off of the ‘large breed puppy food list’ for my 14 week old Berner?

Also, do I stop watching the calcium levels after the pup is fully grown? I want to say Berners reach maturity after 2 years but that seems like an awful long time to be on puppy food.

Thank you!

[Mom2Cavs]

I use Whimzees, too, and my dogs like them and have done well with them. The treats I have been using most are Wellness Biscuits and Wellness Pure Rewards.

[Suburban Gal]

“Thanks Suburban Gal! Because so many people said they look for treats made in the USA I was actually planning on asking if there were any other countries that posters felt produced treats that were safe. 🙂 ” -Hound Dog Mom

No problem!

I’d probably trust treats from other countries like Ireland and Germany as well.

[SaintsDontCarryBrandy]

Have a new Saint puppy at 3 months old who’s apparently been raised on some serious junky food with questionable ingredients (it rates two stars on the DFA list…and I think they were being kind…). Two major questions:
(1) Can I switch him over to e.g. Victor Grain Free or another brand and potentially undo some of the dietary damage?
(2) What can I use as decent dog treats/chews? My parents raised great Saints, but they fed “whatever was cheap”, and I know the results of that path, so any suggestions would sure be appreciated. With the high rate of hip dysplasia in Saints, avoiding overfeeding or overcalcifying is a big focus.
Thoughts?

[Louis S]

Bought some thinkdog Alligator Soft Chew Snacks from Sam’s Club. They are made in USA and are wheat, corn and soy free. Ingredients are: alligator, whole ground potatoes, maple syrup, barley flour, vegetable glycerin, gelatin, canola oil, salt, natural smoke flavor, phosphoric acid, sorbic acid (preservative), citric acid, vitamin E, and rosemary extract. Texture is soft and crumbly in shape of small paw print. The word ‘jerky’ is not listed on this package but there are some thinkdog Alligator chews that do have the word on the package.

I know the FDA has warned about treats from China, especially chicken jerky, but have not found any articles or items about whether these USA made chews are good for pets or not.

Anyone have any information about these treats?

[T]

I love simple, natural and grain free treats that appeal to a wide variety of dogs. Not messy, easy to store, and not too expensive are also important criteria. Current favorite that fits the bill is Stewart’s dehydrated liver treats. About 90% of the dogs I work with love them and I even have some kitty patients that go crazy for these!

Tabitha
http://naturalalternativesvet.com

[banditsmom]

My dogs are all small and 4 of 5 are over 10. We need treats that are easy to break up, few calories and only 1 or 2 ingredients. Treats that are mostly meat go over the best.
Favorites are Dr Beckers bites the beef or bison and Just Jerky chicken, beef or pork. The only ingredients are meat.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Sue:
I have no experience feeding fresh coconut to dogs, but I have read about it and it sounds interesting, might try it in the future.

Cold pressed is what you are looking for, that is the best process of making the oil so it retains all of the healthy benefits. So you might see, cold pressed, unrefined, or virgin on a label.

As far as brands, I only use organic and I have bounced around many different brands such as Nutiva and Spectrum. I have just settled on the brand sold at BJ’s (my price club) because it is so much cheaper than Wal-Marts price. Basically look for organic and a label stating it is unrefined, virgin, or cold pressed and you should be good to go.

Anita:
A few things about the info I posted. The treat recipes I posted by Dr. Becker are fine except I would only make the whole meat treats, not the recipes with potato flakes, veggies, or fruits. Or you could probably make those recipes minus the potatoes, veggies, or fruits. For now focus on feeding protein not carbs. The same for the ABC diet; If you decide to add healthy foods to the kibble your feeding, I would skip the veggie and fruit additions for now so you don’t keep feeding the yeast.

By the way, Steve Brown, author of the ABC diet, is very popular around DFA and you may want to check out his other books along with his website. I have not fed any of his products or read anything other than info from his website and the ABC download so I cannot recommend anything other than to check him out.

I don’t know what Detol Antiseptic lotion is. If I were in your shoes I would make a pov/io foot bath for them, easy enough since you already have it! Nothing to loose if it doesn’t help.

As far as canned food goes, I highly recommend it over kibble as most do on this site, but it just isn’t in my budget to feed my dog only canned. Canned food is more species appropriate as well as provides extra moisture. If budget isn’t an issue with you I also have many other 5 star brands I have fed if you want to give it a try.

Here is a link to the GF Potato free kibble thread on DFA for some kibble ideas. I believe if you keep reading other posters have mentioned some more brands in addition to the initial list.
/forums/topic/grain-and-potato-free-dog-foods/

I add a 1/4 t of organic ACV with the mother to each meal for Bobby. I did not start this because of his skin issues, but for his acid indigestion issues; it worked wonders for it. I also use it for my acid indigestion. After researching it I also found it has benefits for the skin as well.

I also have used a vinegar rinse on Bobby to help relieve his itchy skin, he seemed fine with it and it helped. I did it once or twice in the beginning and kind of forgot about it because his health improved pretty quickly with the routine I had established.

Here’s some info I saved about ACV:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/2_6/features/5220-1.html
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=2
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=3
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html?pg=1

Come on over to the other thread us cat lovers hang out on “cat food recommendations.”
/forums/topic/cat-food-recommendations/page/36/

Akari started the cat thread too! It is a pretty big thread so you may just want to jump in and ask questions. It would take a while to read everything. Also, we all recommend catinfo.org and littlebigcat.com for cat sites. catinfo.org is my bible for cat care. You will learn alot about food on that site.

[Susan]

Hello Bobby dog, I’ve just been reading those links, Ive found a few un-refined coconut oils, but what is cold pressed mean, does it mean its not hard or is it white & hard like lard, also what’s a few good eating brands, I know Im in Australia we mite have the brands, Ive been reading how Coconut oils helps with digestion & kill bacteria..Also I’ve read about buying a proper fresh coconut & cutting it open into pieces & letting the dog chew on the coconut as the shell cleans their teeth..but I’ll just try the oil for now also buying coconut pieces & using as treats are also good, would that give a dog diarrhea. I want to stop Patches little pieces of banana of a morning & I was thinking a little piece of coconut instead of banana.

[Akari_32]

Just an update on Bentleys new routine:

His hair is growing back, and he’s very noticeably less itchy. I keep meaning to get some whatever/iodine stuff, but when I get off work, the only thing on my mind is getting the heck outta there lol But I’ve been using that shampoo from PetFlow. Says to use it a few times a week for a month, then once a week after that. Do you think it would be ok to rotate through three different types of medicated shampoo? I’ve got some ProSence Allergy and Itch Shampoo in addition to that Vets Choice and whatever that Pet Flow stuff it.

But he loves his new foods (having quality issues with the PB right now, so he’s gotten raw for the last couple nights lol). Mom keeps insisting that he’s starving, and keeps feeding him treats and junk. I’m ready to kill her. Come to find out, she’s been feeding the cat as well. Not only does that screw my rotation up, but it wastes the food because he doesn’t eat later when he’s supposed to! She may come up missing…. Anyways, Bentley just needs to adjust to his new diet before I change how much I’m feeding him. Right now he’s getting a half can a day. I do think I’m gunna have to up it to 2/3 to 3/4 after a while. He has a bunch of raw treats, so I’m gunna try to avoid upping his canned, and just fatten him up on raw treats. We’ll see lol

Also, he’s starting to get tear stains. There is nothing I hate more on a dog than tear stains. I don’t think you understand I hate them lol Hopefully it’s just a detox thing from dry to canned, but if it persists, I won’t be happy.

[zcRiley]

ANITA, all this fantastic advice & info, huh? In case you’re overwhelmed, you can also reverse your process of elimination by eliminating everything plus all treats except for the Miracle Pack (start that with tiny tiny increments). My own pooch couldn’t wait for trial & error awhile back, I stopped everything cold turkey. Stopped the shots, the meds, everything. It was cleansing time.

START WITH: Nature’s Variety Instinct Turkey Meal Formula (Dry). It has ONE protein & does NOT contain grain, gluten, potato, dairy, eggs, chicken, beef, or fish (half of which feeds yeast/allergies etc). , just add 1/4 cup of water to your portion for moisture & the correct amount of the Miracle Pack). And absolutely nothing else. No treats. Hard to do? Yes, it is. Will your dogs survive? Yes, they will. Then you graduate to Brothers Complete Advanced Allergy Care dry food. You’ll see the ingredients & know what you just “added”. Then move on to grain free treats only.

No oatmeal anything shampoo (feeds yeast). If medicated shampoos give an allergic reaction, try Aroma Paws Rosemary Tea Tree (Yeast & Bacteria Healing Formula), it’s all natural. There’s a matching spray, too.

Trifexis is the best (fleas). Comfortis is good but not for ticks.

And lots & lots of clean water to drink. Good luck with whatever method you choose!

[Bobby dog]

Hey C4c:
I hope she comes back too! I also hope some or all of this info can help your sister’s or anyone’s dog for that matter. Also, be sure to print out my previous post about DE and the post with the link for using povidone/iodine solution to clear up yeasty skin for your sister. I did not use the pov/io solution because I did not know about it, but that would have definately speeded up the process of killing off the yeast!

It was nice to resolve his issues without harse products. As I wrote, Bobby was healthy other than the flea infestation, flea dermatitis and yeasty skin. I contributed to the problem with bad diet choices. Once the food/treats changed and supplements were added the rest was a little more time consuming, but worth it! I just had to make time to use the olive oil flea dip once a week, give him a bath at least once a week, use the coco oil topically daily, use DE when needed topically, wash his bedding weekly, and vacuum daily. I started this routine last September. Using the olive oil dip wasn’t necessary past October and bathing weekly tapered off in less than a two month span and settled to about 2x/month until about February. And I am a little embarassed to say I have not bathed him since March; I do brush him weekly. He is getting a bath this afternoon because I have some visitors coming tomorrow. lol My persistance to rid him of his feas and yeasty skin paid off because I have so much time to do other things this summer, well I just don’t know what to do with myself!!!! 😉

[Dori]

Hi BRT. Sorry for the delay in my reply. I’ve been a bit under the weather the last few days but I’m coming around soon.

I have three toy dogs, a Maltese, a Yorkipoo and a Maltipoo. They’ve all been on commercial raw for approx. a year and a half. For treats I give them organic fruits and veggies. They love them and the raw food. With the raw fruits and veggies I don’t have to yet again go crazy reading ingredients to make sure that Katie (allergy girl) can tolerate them. She can’t as they all have some ingredient she is intolerant and/or allergic to.

By the way, on your vet’s comments on raw food. That’s pure ignorance speaking. Most raw feeders will tell you, and it is true, western vets know medicine. They DO NOT know nutrition. At best, maybe they had a couple of hours of schooling on nutrition when they were in school. I like my regular vet very much but she knows that the issue of what I feed my dogs is a closed issue. We have learned to agree to disagree. I take them to her for any medical reasons and their yearly blood work up and titers and that’s it. I’m not interested in what I feed MY dogs. They live with me, I know what they react to and what they don’t. I know the differences that raw has made in their lives. Do not put to much emphasis on what the vets tell you about nutrition cause they don’t know it. Just stay strong, make a decision and stick to it. Don’t let the vet put your dogs on antibiotics for staining, it will make matters worse for them and their immune system. And also, don’t let the vets talk you into feeding whatever foods they sell out of their offices that are not fit for any living breathing animal to eat. I read ingredients like crazy to make sure that if their are ingredients that I cannot pronounce, do not know what they are and I wouldn’t eat it, then I don’t feed it to my girls.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
Here are the supplements, foods, and products I used (and still do along with some new additions) to get rid of Bobby’s flea dermatitis and yeasty skin. Olive oil flea dip, Nolvasan shampoo, raw eggs, bone broth, unrefined organic coconut oil, sardines/fish oil, MSM, and DE. Not too complicated or costly! This along with a new diet plan that I began last September helped to restore his health.

Dogs with severe yeast issues more than likely need a carb free diet to starve the yeast; carbs feed yeast and bad bacteria. All kibble has carbs because they require starch to bind the food into a kibble form. Your dogs would probably benefit from a grain free and low carb food preferably with no potato. Bobby’s yeast issues were bad, but it was not necessary to eliminate kibble from his diet. I did feed kibble that had low carbs and I only feed kibble that has average to low carbs now.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

Since September I have fed DFA rated 3-5 star kibble along with DFA rated 3-5 star canned food. After a few months on the new diet, I started alternating canned with fresh foods, dehydrated/freeze dried foods, or frozen commercial raw. By continuing with the supplements, feeding quality food and treats I went into this flea season with a healthy and fresh smelling dog. Fingers crossed no fleas on Bobby and it is rainy and very humid where I live, fleas are in full force.

It is very important not to make too many changes at once; this includes new foods! Start supplements in low doses slowly working towards the desired dose. If everything is okay, add another supplement. As far as shampoos, olive oil flea dip, and applying coco oil topically I used them right away and regularly without any worries because they provided immediate relief and were important for treating the yeast.

For a flea dip I used olive oil (from the grocery store) which has no long lasting effects, just immediate relief for the skin and to kill the fleas without chemicals. I did this outside so I did not have to worry about being tidy. Start under the chin and in the collar area working your way to the back, belly, and leg areas all the way to the tail. With Bobby I would just pour it on then massage it in to be sure his skin and between his toes were coated. His fur is not too thick or long. He loved the massage that came with it not to mention he was not itchy and uncomfortable while it was on him. The fleas pretty much disintegrate. Your dogs’ coats may be heavier than Bobby’s if you decide to try this, be sure to separate the fur, pour a little, and then work it in. I always left it on for an hour letting him run around and play, but you will definitely see their lifeless bodies after a short time so an hour is not necessary. Then I shampooed it off, it is easy to shampoo out; I even use olive oil as a conditioner for my hair.

I bathed Bobby once a week using Nolvalsan shampoo mostly. I always shampooed twice leaving the first application on for at least 10 minutes. I can’t find Nolvasan on-line so they may not make it anymore. Hibiclens or the drug store equivalent has the same ingredients as Nolvalsan. Malasab shampoo is a popular choice and highly recommended by many posters on DFA. I also used EQyss Micro-Tek medicated shampoo when the condition became less severe. You can find Micro-Tek on-line and in some pet stores. With your size of dogs I would look into a large bottle of Malasab shampoo, but in a pinch you could always purchase the Hibiclens or generic equivalent at a drug store.
http://www.drugs.com/vet/malaseb-shampoo.html
http://www.eqyss.com/pet_microtek_shampoo.asp
http://www.vetstreet.com/nolvasan-shampoo

The biotin in eggs is great for the skin and hair. I fed Bobby one raw egg a week. However, he recently decided he no longer likes raw eggs so we have poached eggs on Sundays. He gets a one minute egg and I get a two minute egg. lol
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/feeding-your-dog-raw-eggs-good-or-bad/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/09/raw-eggs.aspx

I made bone broth and fed it once a week. I still feed him bone broth weekly; Bobby weighs 44 lbs and I feed him ¼ – ½ C of broth.
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/reasons-your-dog-love-bone-broth/
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/12/02/pet-bone-broth.aspx

The coconut oil must be organic and unrefined for all the benefits. I fed it 3x/wk as well as used it topically when needed as a soothing and healing salve; I tried feeding it 2x/wk after his skin healed, but found he benefits most eating it 3x/wk. Previously I bought Spectrum brand from Wal-Mart, 14 oz. for $8.99; they were cheaper than my health food store. I recently found organic unrefined coco oil at my BJ’s, 36 oz. for about $10. So if you belong to a price club, look for it there.
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_11/features/alternative-treatments-updated_20861-1.html?pg=3
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/
http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/InfusedCoconutOil/index.cfm

I started out feeding tinned sardines packed in water once a week, but I failed to keep it in my pantry on a regular basis. So I switched to a fish oil supplement. You can find many good fish oil supplements for dogs on-line and in pet stores. I used CVS 1000 mg fish oil tabs 3x/wk and I still supplement his diet with it. Tinned sardines packed in water would be the healthiest choice. I tried cutting back to 2x/week, but he developed a little dandruff so I am now back to 3x/week.
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_12/features/Fats-Chance_20658-1.html
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_9/features/Fish-Oil-Supplements-For-Dogs_20600-1.html
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/06/13/the-frequently-missing-ingredient-in-your-pet-s-diet-that-could-devastate-their-health.aspx

MSM helped to relieve and heal his itchy skin. MSM has other benefits that may be helpful for your dogs as well. I use only100% pure MSM powder with no fillers or flavorings. You can find pure MSM marketed for dogs on-line and in pet shops.
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/msm-raw-fed-dogs/
http://www.vetinfo.com/msm-for-dogs.html
http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/msm-for-dogs.html
http://essentials4all.org/100__Pure_MSM.html
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/naturvet_msm.html

I also used DE as a flea powder and for treating his environment. Some posters use garlic to repel fleas. Here’s some info:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-for-dogs-poison-or-medicine/
http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/bug-off-garlic-dogs/All-Natural-Dog-Supplements
http://www.enonvalleygarlic.com/About_Garlic.html

Homepage

I was not fully aware of the important benefits of probiotics for our pets. I now feed kefir twice a week to Bobby for the probiotics. This would have made a tremendous difference with the healing process if I had used it during his skin/flea issues; if I only knew!
Probiotic info:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/10/26/advantages-of-using-pet-probiotics.aspx
http://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics-for-pets.html
http://www.medicine4animals.com/23/Does-Your-Cat-or-Dog-Suffer-with-Digestive-Problems,-Skin-Problems-or-Poor-Immunity.html
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

ABC diet:
This is a download I highly recommend; it is $2.95 and worth every penny! I feed the ABC diet now throughout the week rather than in one meal. This is an easy way to enhance any kibble diet with fresh foods. I found this download after Bobby’s issues were cleared up, but I definitely would have followed it during that time. I believe it would have helped with the healing process.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

I recently started giving Bobby unflavored beef tendon and beef trachea chews. Here’s some healthy treat suggestions:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/02/10/easy-to-make-pet-treats.aspx

[Susan]

Hi, sound like he gets irritable bowel, my rescue boy gets the rumbles, its gases going thru their bowel very uncomfortable, when I first got my Patch, he was having the grumbles & rumbles every 10 days, I think he couldnt handle high beef proteins, one vet said Colitis with the rumbling bowel plus he’d sometimes poo light red blood which suggest the small bowel, now a new vet has said that he has Irritable Bowel & wanted to put Patch on Prednisone, I said NO as they havent done a biopsy to comfirm the IBD, He was put on the Eukanuba Intestinal vet diet last August. Ive kept him on the Intestinal, the diarrhea stopped so did the rumbling bowel, Ive so slowly been tryng new kibbles, Ive tried the Holistic Select Senior Chicken Meal & Rice but I only mixed with his Eukanuba Intestinal which was good with no rumbles or diarrhea, this week Ive bought the Wellness Simple Limited Ingredients Duck & Oatmeal as Ive read that oatmeal sooths the stomach/bowel & the Simple has less ingredients & is suppost to be for stomach problems… Wellpet state that their Simple range is formulated like vet prescription diet foods without the corn, wheat, eggs, dairy & by-products etc… I too hate the vet diet formulas but maybe start with one just to get ur boys stomach/bowel better & rested like I did with Patch, Patch was on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 5months no treats no extra foods, then this year Ive started playing with different foods but when anything goes wrong, I go straight back to his Eukanuba Intestinal & start again so slowly…maybe give the Wellness Simple a try , the Duck & oatmeal only gets 3 starts on this site I think, BUT thats cause it has a low protein, the other Simple kibbles gets 4 stars & in the end if ur dog stops his rumblins & diarrhea who cares about stars http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx scroll down to the bottom & u’ll see Simple limited ingredients…also Patch is on a good probiotic for his tummy…Good-Luck

[Akari_32]

Went to Publix today to buy some meat for Alec because he has cat food breath (at least Wellness smells good, as far as canned food goes lol), and ended up finding all kinds of fun things! I could have spent like $20 in cheap by-product type cuts and organs. Chicken feet and hearts, pigs stomachs, pig tails, beef hearts, chicken backs, turkey necks, lamb parts (looks like necks, shoulder cuts, and chops), cows feet. Oh my goodness I was in meat heaven! LOL

I ended up with four chicken backs (froze two and fed two off to the big dogs), beef heart (had them chop it up. Froze half and kept half in the fridge for treats for Alec and Bentley), and two meaty pieces of some cheap kind of pork ribs ($1.49 a pound). I ripped a few chucks off one of the ribs and gave them to Alec, and gave the rest to Bentley. Both of them loved it. Then I gave Alec a few piece of the beef heart, and he was all about that. I like he likes the texture of it. It’s soft enough to chew, but chewy enough that it gives him something to chew on. If that even makes sense. Lol

[Susan]

Hi, have you ever tried an elimination cooked diet, its very rare for a dog to be allergic to that many proteins, Id be looking at the carbs the fillers in the kibbles that you have tried & it takes a good 3 weeks to see any results, the best way & I know it takes time is the elimation diet… start with a protein say turkey or duck with some pumkin mixed thru for one straight month, no treats nothing no other foods & with the carbs watch out for wheats, potatotes sweet potato any high carbs.. Brown or white rice are Ok, good as fillers when on elimination diets… I use pumkin as Patch get the runs from rice but not grounded rice is OK with him….any carbs that convert to sugars they make yeast thats what makes them stinky & itchy….Im going thru this with my dog at the moment, he normally doesnt itch in winter but he’s itchy this winter, so now Im looking at the food, before vet said it was grasses pollens etc but its winter & there’s no pollens at the moment, Like Betsy said Im trying the Wellness Simple limited ingredients range kibbles, Ive just bought Patch the Duck & Oatmeal Formula, it has no eggs, no gluten, no dairy, no corn, no by-products, no soy or No artificial preservarties, colours or flavours, its a good start, also can ur boy eat wet tin foods they dont have all the processed stuff that kibble have..Start all over again from scratch, thats what Ive been doing this week, Ive also been using human tin Salmon to replace Patches chicken mixed with pumkin he loves it, but I still havent started the Wellness Simple Duck kibble as the vet said 1 thing at a time, if Patch can handle the Salmon with his IBD then next week Im starting the Simple Duck but Ive given him a few simple Duck kibbles & he loved them so Im just using them as a treat for this week so far there’s been no diarrhea, the Wellness simple does have a Salmon & Potato kibble but Im trying the Oatmeal instead of too many potatos try & look at all the foods he has had & see what carb ingredient was in most of them then try a kibble that doesnt have the same Carb ingredients.. thats way Im trying the Oatmeal its something Ive never tried..keep us posted, Id like to know how he went & what food you choose..but Raw is the best if you can handle it.. http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
I will sort through your questions and add some links to the over the counter remedies that I used to completely heal Bobby! Remember, all dogs are different. Bobby had no health issues other than flea dermatitis, flea infestation, bad diet (please remember, anything they eat must be quality ingredients, it really makes a difference), and yeasty skin.

It sounds like you already have been to the Vet and there are no other health issues?

Did the Vet give him a steroid shot for the itching?

I really suggest feeding canned with kibble. Moisture is really important for healthy dogs and especially important for dogs that have some health issues. I always feed kibble with canned or fresh meat lightly cooked, or dehydrated, freeze dried or frozen raw for every meal. If you are going to TSC for DE, check out the 4Health canned dog food. It’s 99 cents/can and DFA rated 4.5 stars. I feed 4Health, Pure Balance from Wal-Mart ($1/can for stews and $1.25/can for 95%), and Earth’s Pride ($8.99/6 pack) from BJ’s as my main canned rotation.

4H DFA review:
/dog-food-reviews/4health-dog-food-canned/

4H TSC link:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=&beginIndex=0&searchSource=Q&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=image&searchType=1002&autoSuggestURL=AutoSuggestView%3FcoreName%3DMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US%26serverURL%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252ftsc-prod-lb01.crossview.inc%253a3737%252fsolr%252fMC_10001_CatalogEntry_en_US&searchTerm=4health+wet+dog+food

I was wrong; you can buy 20 lbs of food grade DE for $12.99 at TSC. They carry it in the livestock feed section.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/product__10151_-1_10051_2789

Check out the Activyl site to see what they say about bathing your dog. Most products are waterproof, but you never know. The Vet Tech at my Vet’s office gave me info on it, but I never checked it out after I settled on Sentinel because it already had the flea egg killer in it and I want to use as little chemicals as possible.

For treats, stay away from carbs or anything sugary, it will only feed the yeast. I have never fed them, but posters here recommend The Honest Kitchen Beams. I haven’t fed treats from the pet store recently and find many have carbs and starches so I just make very, very small meatballs for Bobby (I freeze them) using 2 lbs of ground beef, an egg or two, fresh garlic, tumeric, and I add fresh basil, cilantro, or parsley if I have it. I also throw in any veggies I have, but if you decided to make something like this I would leave the veggies out for now. You can also slice meat as thin as you can and place the slices in the oven on the lowest temp and cook until they are like a jerky consistency.

It is not unusual for them to try and lick off the coco oil if they like it. It is a wonderful product and is good to feed and apply to skin irritations due to its antiseptic properties. Just try to supervise your pups so it can soak in, it really will make them more comfortable and the fleas don’t like the oil.

Probiotics is an important step to get their immune systems back on track too! Probiotics has helped my cat tremendously. I use plain Kefir or plain greek yogurt right now for him. He has grown hair in places that I thought would never come back! That is another story. I think you will see a tremendous improvement within a week of using probiotics with their coats and skin.

Everything that I used on Bobby you will find at Wal-Mart, drug stores, health food stores, on-line, or pet stores very easily. I will post tomorrow what I used to help Bobby and hopefully something or several things can help your guys as well.

[Elizabeth P]

You might look into chew products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). Most chew treats are too hard and are harmful to dog teeth, which are surprisingly soft.

[arwyru24]

For those of us that do not feel confident quite yet in feeding raw bones, I would like to find a safe and quality edible chew/bone type of treat. Something to occupy his time. I have been told to avoid pig ears.

Also, for training treats I have been using Ziwipeak daily dog venison and fish dry food, they are perfect little squares for training, and they’re very high interest, he loves them, we adjust his mealtime portion of his regular food to allow for these as treats and its actually a pretty cost effective way to treat I have found/

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by arwyru24.

[Anita L]

Thanks for all the info BCNut and BobbyDog!

I will definitely be going to TSC tomorrow for the DE.
Our 55 lb Aussie/Blue Heeler (Gazpacho or Spocho) mix is the one that is having the worst reaction with the fleas (hot spot and hair loss -wise). Doc said she is allergic. He put activyl on her and said don’t bathe her for the next 3 or 4 weeks. But she has no hair on her butt (baboon butt)! He also gave her a shot for the itching. That was Friday and today, Mon, she is itching horribly. So now I am realizing about the house, the yard, the bedding, etc. We do not have carpet (hate it!). Actually we have slab right now due to water damage, ugh! But we do have a rug in the den and a rug in the bedroom. The rug in the den is a shag rug! I am dreading treating it but I know I have to. Any suggestions on this?

Spocho is also 9 years old and has trouble with her hips. The DE sounds like it would help her greatly! I am thinking that I will add it to the other supplements (Miracle Pack) which I give in plain yogurt. They love it!

On the treats, I do have some milk bones, marrow bones and raw hides left. I’m thinking I need to quit being cheap and throw them out. I have done so much research on the food that I haven’t gotten to treats and don’t even know where to start. Suggestions?

On the food, my pups only get kibbles (the quality kind). Now I am wondering if I need to add a canned food (quality kind of course).??????

I will also be picking up the medicated shampoo and the p/i sounds great too. I have coconut oil that I use already (on my skin, my hair, cuts/scrapes, and the list goes on). I tried to put it on Spocho’s butt once and it def seemed to soothe her right away, but a few mins later she was licking it off….is that normal?

I’m also thinking of adding coco oil to their supplements. What would you recommend on this? How much and how often?

Sorry for so many questions. I appreciate any answers!

[Elizabeth P]

Aimee makes a good point. General treats are different from training treats, at least in my mind. Training treats need to be very small, like the tip of your little finger. And if the treat isn’t that small, it needs to be dividable. Zukes are a good size. I like training treats that are smelly and very, very special to the dog, although I draw the line at fish. Because my dogs get such small amounts, I am not fussy about ingredients and, luckily, my dogs will/can eat anything.

[InkedMarie]

Because I have two dogs who can chunk easily, I look for small treats. My faves are Buddy Biscuits Itty Bitties and THK Quickies.

For chewing treats, we use the ones from THK, Wishes & Beams. I like them because they’re just fish.

[USA]

Yes, I am pretty much going to describe the treats that I make. I am proud of them and they ARE what I consider an almost perfect dog treat. Why almost perfect? Because there are two types of dogs I would be CAUTIOUS of feeding my treats. They are dogs who have dehydration issues and dogs who have phosphorous related kidney issues. Why? because my treats are under 10% moisture and they are about 80% protein.

Don’t worry about this being spam I only supply ONE local pet store and if I made more they would take more!

The treats should be one ingredient, MEAT. There is no need for any flavorings, or ingredients needed to hold the treat together or anything like that.

QUALITY counts. Since I have been making treats I have learned a lot about the pet food industry. I would never use any pet grade ingredients and that includes marketing terms like:
Made from USDA inspected (insert meat here). Yes it was inspected but did it pass? Was it inspected on the way into the USDA facility but failed to make it through the USDA facility?

I learned that it all comes down to economics. If a piece of meat whether it be poultry, beef, fish, pork or whatever COULD be sold in the human market IT WOULD! Why, economics. If something could be sold in the human market for 1 dollar a pound it will NEVER find it’s way into the pet food market at 19 cents a pound. It’s simple economics, nothing else.

That’s why the treat I would look for would be Human-Grade and have been made every step of the way in the human food chain. In other words human edible. Almost every treat maker and dog food maker uses the terms USDA something or other.

Complete transparency. I wold never feed my dog anything I could not trace back all the way to the farm where the animals were raised. What they were fed, how they were housed and so on.

I don’t subscribe to the notion of TRADE SECRET or PROPRIETARY. I am an animal lover and I would be thrilled to know that my openness and transparency enabled YOU to make a homemade treat for your dog using MY recipe. I never believed that openness would hurt your company and I always felt that a company that made a truly high quality product would be PROUD of that product and happy to share with you the details that PROVE that it’s true and not just a marketing strategy.

Sample example of an acceptable treat
Chicken Jerky :
100% Whole chicken dehydrated at temps between 140 and 170 degrees F or freeze dried. No added ingredients other than a functional treat which could add DHA or Fish Oil or Turmeric or something like that. A properly made piece of jerky will last years without any refrigeration or preservatives.

Chicken traceable to the source. Human grade every step of the way.

Made and sourced in the USA.

A fat content below 10% for muscle meats and below 20% for organs. To show they didn’t use trimmings.

A protein content no lower than 70%. Again to show that they are using whole pieces of lean meat or Organs. Also because MOST dogs eat a diet that is low in meats and high in carbs (IMHO) so I would only want to add high protein meats to their diet.

[aquariangt]

My new favorites are the sojos simply (meat) 3 varieties, turkey, lamb, or beef. 100% meat freeze dried. You also get a ton of pieces in the bag, so they last a while. Also lower calorie than a lot of other treats since there aren’t many other ingredients which is nice because I do a lot of training

Plates eos are large but soft, without a ton of ingredients. Also stinky, so work as a high value reward. I like to use them when I teach classes because they are big enough that the big guys get more than a taste, but soft enough that the little guys can have them torn up.

Zukes are pretty good and quick, but being bought by purina I’m keeping my eye on them

We have a brand here called boulder dog food company (they don’t make food though, lol) that makes chicken bits and turkey bits, another meat item that have a lot in the bag so I can really make them stretch

[meky6ra]

Well, usually my dog’s treats are carrots, broccoli stalks, and bits of hotdog, hehe! I guess if I buy “dog treats,” they have to be made by a dog food brand that I already trust, sourced from the USA, made without chemicals, and made with whole ingredients. I don’t worry about the ingredients TOO much since she only eats them occasionally.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by meky6ra.

[DogFoodie]

Like BC said, I look for treats that are of the same high quality ingredients as the foods I feed. I too, look for limited ingredients due to food intolerance issues.

I’m different from Elizabeth in my preference for treats that are probably a bit harder, or denser. I feel like I’ve been ripped off when I buy some treats that are all crumbly and have a bunch of powder in the bottom of the package. Probably my favorite treats are Nature’s Variety Instinct. They’re small little bone shaped treats. There’s little waste in the bag. I can give my Golden one and snap another in half for my Cavalier.

I do occasional but some soft treats, but it seems like soft treats free recently have some undesirable ingredients, like vegetable glycerin, etc.

I also look for ways to add things to my dogs diets that they might not otherwise get as part of their regular meals. For example, Vital Essential tripe treats are just tripe, nothing else. They’re expensive, but a quality product. There is some waste with the crumble factor.

[theBCnut]

I want my dogs treats to be every bit as healthful as his food, so no junk ingredients, no chemicals, dyes, etc.

I also want a limited number of ingredients.

[Mike Sagman]

Fellow Dog Lovers,

In a future article, Hound Dog Mom, Sandy, Jackie and I are thinking about sharing what we believe to be some of the best qualities to look for when considering commercial dog treats. And we’d love to hear your opinion.

What features and characteristics should a concerned pet owner look for in a quality dog treat? Now, please keep in mind, we’re not yet looking for a list of recommended treats. Actually, we’re looking for your suggested guidelines when choosing a good one.

Thanks for your help. Can’t wait to hear your ideas.

[lmnordrum]

Jazz Lover: If its working and your animal is healthy and thriving, why change? I give my dog good kibble (Wellness Core and Fromm) moistened with hot water and some coconut oil, and she’ll get cooked food from our meal, like meat and some plain rice. When I have some older eggs they get boiled and put on top of the kibble in lieu of meat. Dog gets small bits of cheese for treats and has no interest in fruit, veggies, peanut butter or bread. I do not feed my dog grains and she doesn’t seem to be missing them.

I have no guilt about not doing raw because frankly I can’t deal with it in my house. Plus the thought of raw meat and bacteria just freaks me out. As a cook I get grossed out by things such as bone-in chickens and large hunks of raw anything, and forget about anything that looks like it would on the animal itself (tongue, liver, etc.) If I didn’t function so much better on a higher protein diet I would probably be vegetarian. I would cook for my dog if she didn’t do well on the kibble. We are in a rural area and I could buy a cow or hog, but this is not something I have any interest to do. My dog does well on what she’s being fed and there’s no reason for us to change it. Plus she can be boarded on a kibble mixture. I can’t send her off to the kennel when I travel with 20 pounds of meat. lol

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by lmnordrum.

[Case]

I use this recipe for Satin Balls:

1 pound of raw ground beef
8oz package of cream cheese
1 jar of all-natural peanut butter
12 egg yolks
10oz package of wheat germ
a cup of flaked oats that have been soaked in heavy cream

Mix ingredients. Form the mixture into balls and freeze. Thaw and feed as treats or food supplements as desired.

My dog LOVES them. I roll them into small balls and use them for treats.

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Cavvie lovers! I have 3 of this beautiful breed. I have Laverne, a Ruby retired show champion who weighs around 17 lbs. and tends to have mild intolerances and trouble in the past with anal glands. She is 9 yrs. and has a murmur according to my holistic vet. No meds, though. She’s lived with us for 3 years now. Hazel is my 7 year old Black and Tan who weighs around 19 lbs., all muscle. She was born with a murmur but has never had meds. She’s been with us for 5 years. She and Laverne are registered therapy dogs. My newest is Rupert, a 7 year old Blenheim retired show champion who weighs around 19 lbs. I’ve had Rupert for 3 months now. He has a grade 5 murmur and MVD, asymptomatic, however he is on enalapril twice a day. Now that his health is pretty good for him (he came to me not so healthy) I plan on making him a therapy dog, as well.

I had to try many foods due to Laverne’s intolerances, which started with loose stool, rumbly tummy, not wanting to eat at times and of course the dreaded anal gland issues. We are finally (hope I don’t jinx us, lol) doing great with Wellness totally. I’ve always used Wellness cans and biscuits/treats but their kibble size was just too big for them, especially Laverne who I needed it to work for the most. So I used others, like Acana Singles, Merrick, Instinct LIDs, Zignature, Annamaet, Dr. Tim’s, Victors and probably others I’ve forgotten about. Some worked and I’ll still feed if needed…Annamaet, Dr. Tim’s and Victor, but a lot of others didn’t. I even tried premade raw, which was fine but too hard for my household to deal with. Foods like THK didn’t go over well. However, recently Wellness came out with new Small Breed formulas…YAY! So I tried them. I now rotate through Small Breed Senior, Small Breed Whitefish and Small Breed Simple Salmon along with their canned Stews for topping kibble and Yogurt biscuits for bedtime snack. I use their Pure Bites for training. Things are great, atm!! I do add a probiotic/enzyme supplement and a fiber supplement called Firm Up with each meal. It’s simply dried pumpkin and apple pectin. They also get coq10 for their heart. This has been working for us for 2 months now and I will continue this regimen. Sometimes I will use other canned toppers, like Simply Nourish, Fromm or Weruva for variety. All 3 have such soft wonderful coats and great skin. I did shave them down a little for the first time this summer and can honestly say that I love the haircuts! I kept their ears and tails long. I will keep them cut this way. I hope some of this info. gives hope for you guys with other Cavvies, my heart breed! 🙂 <3

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

I used to love Natural Balance for my gang. I had one with intolerances/allergies and digestive issues and this food helped at that time. I also loved that they had canned and treats to “match”, making it easier to feed an intolerance prone dog. Sadly though, they have since sold to Del Monte and that makes them a no go for me anymore. If I had to use them to sort out an allergy I might….but I would search for other ways to do it first. It’s really frustrating when a food you like and trusted sells out to a large conglomerate. If I had to shop at Petco, I would use Wellness or Nature’s Variety.

[Marie]

After stopping in Petco for the first time, it was really overwhelming. People pressuring you, toys all over the place, beds of all shapes, colors and sizes, all different types of dog food and all sorts of animals and other supplies. The person who came up to me talked me into buying a brand called Natural Balance. Wide variety, all size bags, wet food to match and treats to match as well. Anybody have any suggestions? Has anyone else tried this food before?

[aquariangt]

Sojos new meat treats are pure freeze dried meat. They have proven very popular with the dogs at work, and are healthy without extra fat or carbs. I’m a fan, and they aren’t very expensive for the amount you get in that bag. Beef and Lamb are out for you? but turkey is one as well.

The brand Real Meat is good and pretty much pure meat. Cloud Star is ok, I use their tricky trainers from time to time. I like Zuke’s but gotta keep an eye on them, they were purchased by Purina, so I’m skeptical of the recipe now. Platos EOS is a nice line as well.

[Debbie S]

Where do I start? Some background – back in 2013 our home consisted of two parrots, a cat, Mandy a 13 yr. old female Sheltie, Shadow an 11 yr. old male Sheltie, Roxie a 4 yr. old Pomeranian and two parents. About Sept. 2013 I was stupidly giving the dogs Milo’s Chicken Jerky (small pieces), when Mandy became ill. She was vomiting, had diarrhea and was very lethargic. We admitted her to the Vet hospital and she was put on IV’s for a couple of days but there was no helping her at this point and it was recommended putting her to sleep. We did and I started researching and found about the chicken being from China! I felt horrible and wanted to die right along with Mandy. I had obviously been poisoning my babies and Mandy wasn’t strong enough to fight it.
Fast forward to May 2014. We had been feeding Blue Buffalo Senior Grain Free dry and Blue Buffalo Family Favorite Recipes (various chicken/turkey flavors) mixture twice a day. Every single treat that we gave was made in the U.S.A. Shadow stopped eating any treats that were hard, would eat around the kibble and started acting strange even for him. At that point we started cooking chicken breast and white rice. (Then we find out rice can be toxic also). None of the dogs ever turned down the sweet potato that I give daily to the parrots. We took him to the vet thinking he may be having teeth problems. Nothing. Maybe a slight gum infection so he was put on a mild antibiotic. He still had his slight heart murmur but nothing to worry about. Exactly a week later on May 7th he was really restless, couldn’t find a place to lay down and about 11:30 pm he came out of the bedroom panting extremely heavy and drooling, I knew immediately something was wrong, woke up my husband, and called the vets for the emergency location. We hopped in the car, with me carrying him and he was panting louder than I’ve ever heard anyone breathe. We were almost there when Shadow bucked up into my chest and flopped down. He was gone.. supposedly by heart attack and they pronounced him DOA.

Now we only have Roxie and she has been as depressed as we are. She’s normally a little pig with treats and always cleaning others bowls if they walked away. She basically stopped eating, laid around and was totally depressed. Knowing this, we gave her time because she wasn’t acting ill and since she was a little overweight it wouldn’t hurt her to not eat as much as normal. Then she started turning down hard treats, and not eating the kibble in her food just like Shadow did. We took her to the vets after a couple of weeks of this because I was so anxious after the last couple of years and losing two of our babies. The vet took X-rays and a full panel of blood work. When he laid her on her back, her tongue turned blue so he was concerned. But her blood work was perfect and the only thing showing on the X-rays was the extra fat she was carrying which is effecting her breathing and probably the cause of her blue tongue.

We changed her food because she has to lose 1.5 – 2 pounds so we tried Hill’s Ideal Balance Slim and Healthy Adult mixed with the comparable canned food which was weird for us because we had always steered away from anything of Hill’s. Now after reading about it I want to stop feeding her that even though she loves it and is eating well again.

I need advice on what to feed a large framed five year old Pomeranian currently weighing 11 1/2 lbs. who needs to weigh no more than 10 lbs. She has arthritis starting in her knees and has just recently started constantly licking her lips. In the past we have just let them run the fenced back yard using the doggy door but I’ve started taking Roxie on nightly walks to help the weight loss along.

I’m thinking of Wellness Core Reduced Fat & the canned Weight Maintenance mixed or one of the Merrick choices. Any suggestions are appreciated since this seems like a very intelligent group.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Debbie S.