[OhBichonPlease]

I would also suggest [when your dog has settled a bit] taking her to a smaller pet store [Petco and Petsmart might be a bit overstimulating, especially during the holiday season] and showing her several different toys. She may enjoying browsing the aisles with you and may even pick out her own toy that appeals to her. We pull things off the rack for our girl to inspect; when she tries to take it from us or looks excited, we tend to get it because we want her to play.
There is also a toy that may bring your dog some comfort – I think it was designed for weaning puppies, dogs with separation anxiety or mourning pets, but it is a plush toy with a warming pack and a “beating heart” powered by a battery. There is a popular brand available at online retailers and Amazon called SnugglePuppy from Snuggle Pet Products. It is kind of expensive [you may be able to find another brand/model for less] for an experiment, but it may comfort her and help her transition her to her new environment and to liking toys/playing.
I would also recommend wrapping a plush toy in an old tshirt or stuffing it inside a sock that has your scent on it – you’re her pack/people now and she wants to smell like you so she won’t have to be alone again. [Our girl likes to jump in our dirty laundry and thrash under our bedcovers after her bath, probably thinking we won’t recognize her. She also takes off her Doggles whenever my fiance reenters the car]. Making the toy smell like you by putting it in the dirty clothes hamper will help reinforce that this toy belongs in the household, toys are fun and playing with you is a nice thing to do. Some non-plush toys can also have food smeared on them or treats stuffed inside to help get entice her to interact with them.
Playing is a great way to bond with your dog and give her a chance to exercise and feel comfortable inside in her new surroundings. Keep trying to teach her to play – no dog is too old to learn to have fun.
The most important thing to remember is to go slow and have a really positive attitude when dealing with toys – even if your dog’s behavior is upsetting – don’t get upset! Dogs read our emotions and getting worried and stressed over her reactions might be causing more of an issue. If you feel like crying over her reactions, take a break, take her for a walk and then just try to cuddle with her and her toy quietly. Rub her and pet her with the toy if she doesn’t act scared. If she wants it in her crate, let her have it there. Maybe she wants a toy to cuddle and protect and you could get her another toy for tossing, pulling and playing with you in the living room.

[OhBichonPlease]

I recently adopted an older female Bichon Frise from the local shelter. She has been doing great and made the switch to a higher-quality kibble with no major issues. I recently finished her first bag of Wellness Core and now we are trying Dr Tim’s grain free. She has been getting Cloud Star’s sweet potato Buddy Biscuits crumbled for treats. We had an issue lately that prompted a trip to the vet… For a Halloween treat, I gave my girl a dehydrated rabbit foot from a local pet store. Their products come from a reputable company that sources and processes all of its ingredients in the US. After eating this rabbit foot [complete with fur], my girl stopped eating [and subsequently pooping] for a week straight. There was one incidence of some stuff moving through after the first night, but not really anything else. She wasn’t struggling and didn’t seem in pain. For the first few days she was a bit lethargic and wasn’t interested in toys, but after day 3 or so she seemed like her energy was back and she was drinking normally. I tried everything to get her to eat – moistened dry food, peanut butter, yogurt, warmed wet food, pumpkin, baby food, pedialyte, tuna, etc and she was barely even eating her favorite treats and would sometimes refuse her favorite human morsels outright. We were worried, so we went to the vet. Nothing obviously wrong during the physical and we didn’t want to spring for an xray because I doubted a blockage [and the vet seemed to want to see the rabbit’s foot even though I told him she chomped it up well]… So the vet recommended famotidine, the main ingredient in Pepcid. We were told to give a quarter every 12 hours for a week. Within an hour of her first dose she was eating kibble again [and she is not an enthusiastic eater, especially not for kibble]. We were so relieved – it appears our dog just has a problem with indigestion and/or heartburn. Her diet, eating habits and relieving are all back to normal now… but I find myself giving her a quarter of the acid controller [we bought the store brand] in the evening when she hasn’t eaten. It is pretty obvious that it works because she will start eating soon after that.
I am wondering if anyone else has this issue? Is it safe to give my dog the occasional Pepcid on a semi-regular basis? The acid controller we have at the moment includes the antacids calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide – are we over-supplementing her? Are those safe enough for dogs to have several times a month?
Are there some triggers or dietary changes that I may be able to implement to prevent my girl from developing heartburn in the future? Is her physiology responsible or perhaps the way she eats?
If anyone has any experience with doggie heartburn or some comments or suggestions, please respond. I’m so curious about this!

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi BlueEyedGirl-

First, if you want to upload a picture as your avatar you need to go to gravatar.com. You can also add a picture to a post using photobucket. Copy and paste the image link into your post and it should show up.

Now onto the food…Wellness Core Puppy is a great food, but it is a BIG step up from Hill’s. To play it safe, you might want to gradually step up the quality food. You could start with Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy. Nutrisource has a reputation of being an easy food to switch to. Then you could transition to Wellness Core. 3-4 foods in a rotation is good. That would be my minimum. If your dog doesn’t have intolerances or allergies then you could find many foods to keep switching through.

Because you don’t know if she is a large breed or not, I would play it safe and feed large breed puppy appropriate food. Feeding lower calcium won’t hurt a small/medium breed dog. In my opinion, it’d be better to err on the side of caution.

I think that the amount of calcium that they get from treats is pretty negligible. However, if you are very concerned, I think dehydrated/freeze-dried tripe would be a good choice. Tripe has balanced Ca/P and I believe it is lower in calcium than some other treats. Freeze-dried liver may also be good.

There are more knowledgeable members on here that can give you more feedback and correct me if I’m wrong. I hope this was helpful to you. Have fun getting ready for your pup. It’s so exciting getting ready to bring a new dog home. 🙂

[BlueEyedGirl]

Hello –

Thank you all for the wonderfully intelligent conversations and to HDM for curating the list of LB Puppy Dry Foods. I have tried to read as much as I could, but with over 50 pages, it is quite overwhelming. I apologize in advance if my questions are redundant.

We are hoping to adopt a Boxer/ Great Dane (?) (Maybe Catahoula Cross?) mix from a local rescue this weekend. (I was hoping to be able to add her picture to my profile to show off her blue eyes, but I can’t seem to figure it out right now).

The food she is currently on is Hills Healthy Advantage Large Breed which appears to be borderline for Calcium, but it rates quite low for quality (Two Stars. oh – the irony that it is considered a vet exclusive product).

She was placed on this food as she had as her foster mom says “a wicked case of diarrea” when she came into her foster home. According to her foster mom, she seems to be doing quite well on this food and she has requested we keep her on it for the next couple of months.

After reading all of the information here, I am wanting to transition her to a higher quality food for the remainder of her puppyhood. (She is currently 38.3 pounds and leggy with pretty marled markings at just four months, thus I am leaning to the Great Dane mix).

I have a few questions –

1) I am considering the Wellness Core Puppy as the beginning food to transition her to. Although we transitioned our previous dogs with foods for interest, is there another medical reason to switch out the foods? Is a 3-4 food rotation sufficient?

2) If it turns out that she is NOT a large breed mix (maybe Catahoula), is there any danger or adverse results from feeding a medium calcium food?

3) Are there any training treats that are recommended for large breeds that follow suit with the calcium content?

Thank you so much for your help. There is so much to collect in time for her arrival on Saturday! I want to be prepared. Any advice you can offer is appreciated!

D

[OhBichonPlease]

You don’t have to give grain-free treats unless there is a food intolerance or other reason. I feed my dog grain-free kibble, but don’t mind giving her grain-inclusive treats sometimes – they are treats, after all, and should only be given in small quantities for good behaviour, etc.
That being said, I know Cloud Star makes grain-free treats in both crunchy and chewy varieties and this is a brand that can be found at both Petco and Petsmart and in many small, independent stores. This is a nice, ethical company that uses some human-grade ingredients [I know the grain-inclusive sweet potato Buddy Biscuits are safe for human consumption]. Zuke’s is another wonderful company with good business practices and high standards. They also have several varieties of grain-free treats.
I am sure some one will suggest at some point small, cooked pieces of chicken or even fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables!

[OhBichonPlease]

My doggie LOVES “salmon pops” that I make with a can of Wellness 95% salmon mixed with a can of organic pumpkin. It’s a pretty easy consistency for spooning into ice cube trays and they pop out smoothly for rebagging after a minute on the counter. I give her one or two a most days for the benefits to both skin & coat and digestion. She dances all the way from the kitchen to her special mat that she has to eat them on because a] they smell pretty bad on the fingers [so don’t want it on my carpet] and b] because they could be messy [if they lasted long enough to thaw]. I honestly don’t know how she doesn’t get a brain freeze from holding and chewing a whole cube down to nothing in less than a minute. They get an amazing response from my generally picky eater. It would probably be pretty easy to hide supplements or liquid meds in them as well. I think they may even help her teeth a bit since she chomps and gnaws with her back teeth more than she licks at them.
I have also thrown a few to the neighborhood cats who are starting to look a bit skinny this autumn. They definitely lick at it, but it is usually gone within a few minutes.

[Naturella]

Dog Oatmeal Cookies

This is my very first endeavor at homemade dog treats, so the measurements may not be totally exact…

Ingredients:
1/2 – 2/3 cup cooked (baked/boiled/microwaved) sweet potato (with or without skin)
1 medium carrot (or 3-4 baby carrots), raw – shredded
1/2 cup chunky “raw” peanut butter (ground up plain roasted peanuts. If you can’t find any, peanut butter with no or little added salt/sugar will do)
3/4 cup unbleached flour (or whole wheat one, or brown rice one)
1/2 cup plain oatmeal
1 medium/large egg
1 tsp brown sugar
dash of honey
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until a homogenous mixture forms (if mixture is too wet, add some more flour or oatmeal gradually until mixture is sticky but not at all runny)
3. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
4. Using a small ice-cream scoop, scoop balls from the mixture and place about 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. You can press them down and shape up in whatever shape you like
5. Bake for about 20-30 min, or until golden brown-ish.
6. Let cool down and feed to beloved pooches.

These can also be refrigerated for about a week or frozen for 4-5 months.

[Naturella]

Healthy Doggie Pizza Treats

Ingredients:

1/2 Best Bully Sticks Chicken Sausage
1/2 Best Bully Sticks Bacon Sausage
1 Best Bully Sticks Beef Sausage
1 Dried Fish Skin (optional)
3 strips Duck Jerky (optional)
1 medium carrot
1 radish
2 celery stalks
1 egg
2/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used Colby Jack)
1 small low sodium beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup tomato paste or tomato puree (made of tomatoes and water only, no sugar or other added ingredients)
1 teaspoon olive oil or bacon fat
2/3 cup unbleached flour (whole wheat or brown rice flour would work too)
1 tablespoon dry parsley leaves
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1 tablespoon turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor or blender, grind up beef, bacon, and chicken sausages as well as the duck jerky and fish skin to fine powder/tiny crumbs. Fish skin and jerky may remain a bit stringy, but that is okay.

3. Pour dry meat flour mix in a mixing bowl.

4. In a food processor or blender grind until finely chopped the carrot, radish, and celery.

5. Pour in the mixing bowl with the meat crumbs.

6. Add all remaining ingredients.

7. Using a spatula or your hands, mix until a homogenous wet mix forms.

8. Pour mix on a cookie sheet or pizza pan lined with parchment paper and even out until about 1/4 inch thick.

9. Bake for 30 minutes.

10. Take out, let cool down just a bit then cut up in desired treat sizes.

11. Serve to beloved pooch(es).

P.S. This is where I got my dry sausages for the “meat flour” from: http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/search?keywords=sausage&submit.x=-959&submit.y=-93

[Naturella]

Hello, guys! I have made homemade doggie treats a couple of times, so I decided to share my recipes in case anyone wants to try them on their pets!

Most recent, “Fall’s Abundance” frozen treats:
1 small fuji apple, without the seeds and stem
1/2 – 2/3 cup cooked (baked/boiled/microwaved) sweet potato (with or without skin)
1/2 – 2/3 cup cooked (baked/boiled/microwaved) butternut squash
1 medium carrot (or 3-4 baby carrots), cooked (boiled/roasted/grilled) or raw.
1/2 cup plain pumpkin (baked/boiled/microwaved/from a can)
1/2 cup plain/greek yoghurt
1/2 cup chunky “raw” peanut butter (ground up plain roasted peanuts. If you can’t find any, peanut butter with no or little added salt/sugar will do)
2 Tbs tahini (ground sesame seed paste/liquid)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Place all ingredients in a large food processor or blender (or do it batches), and process until smooth or partially chunky. Place in freezer bag and cut corner off. On a piece of foil placed on a flat surface in the freezer, pipe little morsel shapes close to each other. Let them freeze for about 30min or so. Peel off of the foil and put in a plastic container (or another freezer bag) and store in freezer. My Bruno and his “roommate” (our roommate’s dog Casey) loved them!

P.S. I think that if oat/brown rice/whole wheat/any flour is added (and/or oatmeal), these could be baked into cookie treats, in which case I would recommend refrigerating them for up to a week tops, and freeze the excess to be used when desired in up to 4-5 months.

I will post my other 2 recipes soon!

[theBCnut]

I don’t have a recommendation for treats, but I’m boosting this up where others will see it. I make treats from meats at home or I use Vital Essentials freeze dried dog food for treats. You might find a freeze dried dog food in a small bag that would work for your dog at Petco.

[RescueDaneMom]

I have a Great Dane and my mom is taking care of my brother’s rottie. We used to have both of them on Dasuquin with MSM for large breed dogs made by Nutramax. http://www.nutramaxlabs.com/dog/dog-joint-bone-health/dasuquin-for-dogs It worked very well but was very pricey. Last time I bought it on Amazon it was $80 for the 150ct bottle. They come in beef flavored chewable tablets which makes it easy to give. The rottie ate them like treats but my Dane was picky and I had to crush them up in his food. Now, I buy the same components (glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, and ASU) from swansonsvitamins.com and give them to my dog crushed in his food. It costs me about $25/month now instead of $64 (I was giving 4 tabs per day so the 150ct lasted about 5 weeks).

[pugmomsandy]

It’s healthier to have a varied diet and to not become dependent on just one food. Recipes change and then dogs have trouble adjusting to the new formulation when only given one food long term. After your dog has been switching often, he shouldn’t have a problem with it. Give him probiotics with each meal. Why would you want him to only eat one food every day of his life? Different meats have different amino acid profiles to offer. I can’t leave food out at my house because a have pet vacuum cleaners. It sounds like he is not interested in his dry food or his treats. Time for a change. Mine LOVE to eat! Any food, any form, any time.

http://urbanpawsmagazine.com/archives/59

[Mahaghaith]

Thanks for that advice…

One question though I keep reading that it’s important to switch food types around and not have a consistent diet. Is that true? I always thought consistency was better for dogs digestion/stomach issues.

Also my dog is a very picky eater, even with treats he only eats his favorites when teased. So I keep his food/kibbles out all day and he barely goes through a small bowl in a day or two even.

Would you suggest I don’t keep food out? Should I change between dry and canned food? He’s got a sensitive tummy, the times I feed him cooked meat or chicken, he might get diarrhea the next day.

Sorry for my endless questions.

If money was no issue what would you say is my best bet to experiment.
Thanks a bunch.

[Mahaghaith]

Hi, I am at the stage where am obsessing about the health and longevity of my dog.
He’s a short haired Russian Toy Terrier. Almost 8 years old. Not neutered. He has always been healthy with very few issues. The occasional constipation/diarrhea followed by anal gland infections when he’s fed fatty fresh chicken. However recently I’ve noticed his skin/ coat changing. He has more bald spots and white hairs and has finer hair especially around his ears, neck and feet. He doesn’t itch nor seem bothered by them. His energy levels are great and his weight has always been stable(5.5 lbs). He’s been eating Royal Canine for chihuahuas and the occasional greenies and Macs&buddy treats. Not taking any supplements.

Now I’m wondering if I’m doing enough for his health. Was thinking of switching his food to Life’s abundance. Any advice/recommendations?

This is my first forum convo. All advice would be much appreciated especially since it’s from others who love their pets as their children like I do.

Thanks a bunch.

[Naturella]

I don’t know too much about this issue, but here is some info that may help:
http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/page_45_6/benefits_of_glucosamine_and_chondroitin_for_dogs.html

And here are links of where you can get your girl nice affordable treats that naturally contain glucosamine and chondroitin:
http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/search?keywords=trachea&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/search?keywords=stuffed+gullet&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

This way you can see how your dog does with good diet, good exercise, much love, and a bit of those yummy treats/chews for a little glucosamine and chondroitin boost – shouldn’t hurt, I don’t think… 🙂

[Timmy1963]

Hello- I have a 6 year old Doberman. A little over a week ago he started throwing up for unknown reasons. I put him on chicken and rice only. I have always feed him IAMS. For treats he gets human turkey dogs (not a lot). I kept him on rice and chicken for a week or so (we got comfortable!). I wanted to give him a healthy diet, I research raw food diet. I just can’t do that. So I got him Taste of the Wild. Saturday night I mixed just a little of the kibble in with his chicken and rice. He only eats once a day. He was fine. Sunday night I doubled the amount of kibble in his chicken and rice. The amount was double, but it still wasn’t a large amount. He woke me up at 5am with diaherra. He has had it several times today and he threw up once. Yellowish bile stuff. When he goes outside he acts fine but inside he is a little lazier than usual. He is a big baby when he is sick he wants me to stay right by his side. Any ideas? Did I increase food too fast? Should I take him to the vet?
A few things to mention- my Llasa eats the same thing the Doberman does and he is fine. My Dobie is big. He is tall and weighs 113 lbs. My son has two pit puppies. They visit every weekend. One or both of them had diaherra this weekend. But I think it is because they gave them a different kind of food. The puppies have been dewormed and had had the first of two series of the puppy shots (5 in one). The last series of 3 is this weekend. Thank you in advance for your help.

[kritterkuts]

Safe Pet Treats…..
Look at this site:
Kritter Kuts all natural pet jerky treats
http://www.kritterkutswyo.com

[DogsAreMyLife]

Hi, I was wondering about other peoples opinion on this product. I emailed Best Bully Stick, and they said the Beef Trachea treats are sourced from their grass fed Brazilian cattle. I prefer to only give my dogs food and treats sourced and made in the USA. Thank you for any input.

[InkedMarie]

I can only tell you that I am as careful with my dogs treats as I am with their food.

For the most part, they only get The Honest Kitchen treats & chews.

[kaylee1989]

I know there are a couple questions already about Red Barn products, but I am looking for more answers. I have been giving my dachshund their products on occasion. Yesterday, I just bought about 4 of their products, because his birthday is Friday. I wanted to surpise him, since he LOVES chewing on bones and things like that. Well the place I bought them from had a sign saying “Made in USA” but he told me that they had chicken treats from China. Kind of gave me a red flag. So I call them, they discontinued those chicken treats (they weren’t associated with the recent recall). They do however have treats made in USA, Paraguay, and Canada. A big question I forgot to ask is if they have any ingredients sourced from China or another country. I also decided to throw away the product from Paraguay although my dog has had it once in the past :/.

Does anyone else give their dogs these products? Is there anything good or bad anyone has to say about them? (I currently have peanut butter barn bagel, barky bark, knuckle bones, pig ear, and have given him femur bones etc in the past.) It really stinks that it’s so scary to even treat your dog anymore. Also if anyone has any suggestions for anything else I could buy him to chew on..please let me know. I also bought some bone like treats made out of bull hide or something? I know rawhide is not the best, but this guy told me if it’s made from bulls it’s better..I don’t know if he’s pulling my leg?)

I also have antlers, kong at my house for him to chew on. I’ve tried nylabones, but not impressed. He LOVES to chew though and loves new things to chew on especially and I feel like I can’t take that joy away from him. That’s why I decided to buy the Red Barn products. If it was a bad decision though, I will not give them to him.

Thanks for your help.

[Naturella]

My Bruno is probably more like your Haley and Dweezle. He is like a vacuum cleaner and would eat anything. He likes fishy food actually (has had canned as well as fish skins as chews), as well as red meat treats/chews (bully sticks), and his chicken-based kibble. This actually makes me happy so far that he has liked anything and has not been picky toward food/meat type.

[InkedMarie]

Plavoie,
Go to the dog food ingredients forum here, on top, you’ll see a stickie with grain and white potato free foods. That might be a good place to start. Keep in mind, you’ll need to watch everything your dog eats, including treats & supplements. With one of mine, I have to be very careful….he gets one type of salmon oil because most others have preservatives that I don’t know if its soy based (he can’t have soy).

Also, you mentioned not wanting to go to the vets because they’ll put him on steroids. You are the dog owner, you can say NO.

[cara]

I’m ashamed to admit that I still shop at Walmart (I’m trying to break the habit, I swear) — but they’ve recently DRASTICALLY increased the number of dog treats that they sell that are “made in the usa.” Now, I know that doesn’t mean the ingredients COME from the USA, so I emailed the company that makes the chicken jerky that I just bought there (Betsy Farms, out of Idaho) and was told that they source their ingredients from the US, as well.

I felt good about that, but still uneasy, given the fact that Bailey’s Choice is located about 5 miles from my house, and they’re finding salmonella in their chicken jerky.

I decided to research “Betsy Farms” a little further, and am disappointed to find that they’re part of a bigger company: True Science (truescience.com), but they say their products are USA sourced and made, as well.

Anyone know anything I should be aware of, about this company? Or are we okay (fingers crossed) ?

Thanks

[theBCnut]

I don’t want to imply that I won’t suggest foods, but my dogs are doing best on foods that are in no way budget friendly, so I don’t have a lot of budget friendly foods that I am good with.

That being said, yes, feeding different kinds of food is better than feeding one kind. The more different variety, the better. Raw is best, but your dogs can get some of the benefits of raw by getting a little raw in their diets, a turkey, duck, or chicken neck each week or a can of sardines. Dehydrated foods are great but very expensive. I use them and freeze dried foods as treats. Homemade is great too, but you have to do it right or your dog will end up sick from not getting certain nutrients. Kibbles are actually the most processed dog food, but there are some great kibbles at a good price. I don’t think they are as inexpensive as Pure Balance, but they are better quality. I like NutriSource and Earthborn.

I hope someone else will post some more ideas for you. What I usually tell people is to print up the list of 4 and 5 star foods and take it with them to all the different place around that have dog food. Take notes about where you find what and for how much. When you are on a budget, but want better for your dog, you can try adding some of a better quality food to whatever your base kibble is, or adding fresh foods like eggs, yogurt, lean meats, etc.

[BijouMama05]

Rahat – These treats are not strips, but are small chunks (for lack of a better word) of freeze dried chicken breast ranging in size from only barely larger than a crumble to around 2 inches in length. The treats you are talking about sound more like the jerky type treats, which quite frankly with all the recalls I wouldn’t suggest anyone feed to their pets regardless of where they are made, what brand they are, or what ingredients they are made from (just to be safe). Anyway, the Full Moon Freeze Dried Chicken Treats contain only two ingredients: Chicken & Rosemary Extract. The amount suggested for a dog the size of a toy poodle (according to the package directions) is 1/2 a piece per day. (This is because rosemary extract is irritating to the digestive tracts of animals when consumed in large amounts, so dosage must be restricted to prevent vomiting & diarrhea!). So, this treat would NOT be suitable to feed as a meal replacement for a toy or teacup breed (or any breed for that matter.) As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t suggest that any pet owner feed commercial treats as a replacement to any meal, when there are so many other safer & much more nutritious things you can give them (raw carrots, pumpkin, apples, boiled chicken, green beans, etc.).

[Rahat]

The Dehydrated chicken strips that are ideal for anytime healthy snack there non greasy and easy to break. Is not a meal replacement although it is recommended for small and teacup breeds as one of the several meals a day required for them as they are prone to have low blood sugar. It’s perfect for a between meal snack. For larger breeds it’s a perfect healthy treat for anytime! Its important to supervise your dog while eating any dehydrated treats.

[DogManDan]

i know how you feel pugsmomandy, there’s this one time back in college where cash isn’t an easy access, some of my friends would share some of their doggy treats to feed my dog and me eating a canned tuna which is way cheaper than the treats that they are receiving from donor friends LOL.

yes patty that counts 🙂 before i always cook extra just like as a family in a house of mom dad and for the babies ( i mean dogs)

okay melissaandcrew, luckily i stumbled upon this while was browsing the net, i only listened to my vet but unfortunately his 2 hours from me so i’m educating myself on what not to feed my dogs 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

Tip #5 tells you how you can make your own jerky strips. You can also make them in a dehydrator. Petflow has jerky treats for sale also sometimes. Last week Etta Says Duck jerky was on sale. My dogs also love the fish jerky (Rawsome Pets and The Honest Kitchen). Frankly I haven’t given my dogs any kind of chicken/duck jerky for over a year or two. Now I give them Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/16/chicken-jerky-treat-casualties.aspx

[Zaggynut]

After finding out about the recall, I became slightly nervous considering my dogs love these treats. This made me look for a remedy to this problem, which is I made my own jerky for the boys. Surprisingly they enjoy my homemade treats much better then the store bought one, plus I know exactly what is in them.

[pugmomsandy]

I like using Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets and Dr Becker Bites for treats. The VE is actually food, not just empty calories. For small dogs, some really small kibbles are Nature’s Logic, Amicus, Nutrisource small/medium breed puppy and Nutrisource grain free Lamb and Nature’s Select Hi-Pro and Nature’s Select Grain Free. Some other good brands that I haven’t used in a while are Merrick Classic and Merrick Grain Free and Merrick Whole Earth Farms and Fromms. I don’t know the kibble size of these. Annamaet grain free looks good too but haven’t tried it yet. Need to use up a couple bags before buying some more!

[pugmomsandy]

I ended up mixing foods because I couldn’t decide what food I wanted to use since there’s a million kinds out there! So after 3 years of trying things out, my staples are Nutrisource (grain free and small/med breed puppy), Nature’s Select (local) only the grain free or Hi-Pro formulas, Brothers Complete, Merrick (local), occasionally Nutrisca (some issues with their chicken from China and possible farmed salmon) so I just get their Lamb food, Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets and I’ve thought about Victor because they are local too (made in Texas). For cans, I use Merrick, Wellness Stews, Weruva, Nature’s Logic, Hound and Gatos and sometimes Nutrisca lamb. Dehydrated foods I use are The Honest Kitchen, Addiction (with Big Dog Natural), Sojo’s (with Big Dog Natural) and I make my own raw food with duck, goat, tripe and organs and supplements and they eat whole raw sardines and sometimes RMB (raw meaty bones) like necks, pork ribs and chicken legs. All foods have their pros and cons and not all dogs do well on certain foods. For me, these work. I am thinking of boycotting Dogswell though. Too many issues with their treats and they use chinese chicken. Actually, I think I’ll scratch them totally off my list now… and Sojo’s uses some dried veggies from China so that’s going to have to go too when my bag is gone. It is frustrating sometimes trying to find good foods with good ingredients. I’ve probably used about 20 different kibbles in the past 3 or 4 years (my dog is 6 now). He’s such an inspiration for me to make homemade!! I lub him so much!! He has his own freezer full of goodies!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[theBCnut]

I used to use them all the time. They used to be one of the best biscuit type treats out there. But I haven’t really checked them out in many years, so I don’t know how they compare anymore.

[beagleowner]

Has anyone heard of or tried Old MotherHubbard P-Nutteroven baked dog biscuits. They are stamped Made in Canada. Bought them at Tractor Supply. They are located in Tewksbury. MA and connected to the Wellpet Foundation. They sound good but wanted to make sure before feeding them to Henry Beagle.

[Naturella]

Sandy,

Thanks for the info! Good to know that the dehydrated chews are still good and useful. I plan on alternating with RMBs (for the teeth cleaning) and try to give low-calorie chews such as Himalayan Dog Chews and antlers for chewing entertainment when feeding RMBs.

[Naturella]

So, I made asked this question under another topic, but I feel like it deserves its own.

Here it is:

What is your stance on natural chews, such as bully sticks, dehydrated meaty bits (gullet strips, tripe and tendon pieces, etc.), antlers, Himalayan Dog Chews, and so on, versus raw meaty bones (RMBs)? Which is better? I know which is less messy, but still, I want to know which is better for a dog, and the one that is worse, how much worse it is? Or (ideally), are they sort of close/equal in the purposes they server (chewing entertainment and nutritional value)?

[ahhorner]

Hey guys, so my dog, copper, can’t have a lot of things, but mostly can’t have grains and white potatoes, and the only protein he can have is fish or rabbit and I am unable to find any jerky or soft treats that feature salmon or rabbit, but don’t have grains or white potatoes. Wanted to see if anyone out there knew while I try to hunt something down online. Thanks.

[Naturella]

Akari,

I see, thanks! And yes, I will only scout really good deals on those items myself, and only use them as treats/spare delights. If you have a blender or food processor, you can mix and grind up some organ meats and mix in their kibble (what I plan on doing). I want to give him organ meat at breakfast daily, or at least every other day or something, provided I find good deals on it. I have found international markets to have an exceptional variety of meats and organ meats at delightful prices, I just need to find the time to get to my “local” one 30 min away from where I live.

But, live in Georgia, and we have both Kroger and Publix all over the place, in fact, there is one of each on the same street parallel to my street, so they are 3-4 minutes away each. Is any of there stores region-specific? (Forgive my lack of knowledge, I am not a US native.)

And thanks regarding where to find instructions on the profile picture change. 🙂

[Naturella]

Akari_32 (and everyone),

I am in the same boat – I am operating on a SUPER limited college student with no student loans (due to being an international student, I can only legally work only on campus, and only 20 hours/week, and I have them filled with my Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA), which pays $730.00/month) budget, but I want to feed my Rat Terrier-Jack Russell-Chihuahua mix pup only 4-5 star dog food. So far so good – we scout deals on petflow.com, chewy.com, and amazon.com, as well as pet stores, and we have fed him Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy (1 small bag), Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy (1 small bag), Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy 11 lbs bag mixed with Vet’s Choice Holistic Health Extensions Original 4 lbs bag (got it for free at PetLand). When my boyfriend and I got him, he was about 4 months and 6 lbs, on Purina something (yuck), but we got him on Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy, which was recommended to us by the PetSmart associate in case of allergies in puppies, and then we put him on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy. Toward the end of that first bag, we noticed that his coat had gotten shiny. We kept him on it, and then I discovered this amazing website, and learned about dog food rotation, so we have purchased his next food – Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain Free 11 lbs, and Nutrisca Chicken and Chickpea 4 lbs, which we will mix and feed to him. Now he is about 7.5, almost 8 months, and he is about 11 lbs. Other foods I have on my list are Acana Regionals Grain Free (so expensive!), Back to Basics (so expensive, to use mixed with more affordable food), Victor, Taste of the Wild, Orijen (so expensive!), Wellness Core, EVO (so expensive!), Innova Prime Grain Free, Earthborn Holistic Grain Free, Wysong Epigen 60 and Wysong Epigen 90 (so expensive, to use mixed with more affordable food), and Timberwolf (so expensive, to use mixed with more affordable food), as well as any of the Grain Free 4- and 5-star foods on this website. I also feed him all-natural chews and treats, such as bully sticks, ears, tracheas, gullet strips, fish skins, Himalayan Dog Chews, and homemade treats of berries, pumpkin, peanut butter, and yoghurt. These, I think, also contribute to his beautiful coat and good health. He also gets an average of 1 dental treat/week.

So, the bottom line is, I want to monitor this thread for more ideas on good places (online or offline) to buy affordable high-quality dog food 🙂 .

Also, since I got him, I have been putting in hours/week researching this website and others, and educating myself on dog food nutrition. I was wondering if anyone knows of any dog/pet nutrition classes in GA, USA. I would love to be certified in this area and maybe own my pet food store (that would sell good pet food) one day.

Also, another question – we have our pup on Trifexis, for 5-10 lbs dogs, and recently (this past week) he started itching and scratching a lot. His skin looks good, but I don’t know if he is developing an allergy to something, or it is because his Trifexis effect is wearing off faster now that he is about/over 11 lbs, and they only gave him the 5-10 lbs pill last time at the vet. I have also used the FURminator tool (borrowed from a friend, they are soo expensive) on him twice, once a week for about 10 min, and I bathe him (Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap – Almond, and oatmeal puppy conditioner) once every 2 weeks.

Thank you, all!

[Hganurs]

Hound dog mom… Please advise.
We have a 13 week multi generation labradoodle ( this is our 4th one, and our last 2 lived to be 15 years old till this year). We are mixing ( transitioning ) some leftover Life’s abundance puppy kibble given by breeder, and changing over to Kirklands puppy kibble ( we had never had an issue with our 2 that ate kirkland for 15 years). But naturally, we took him to puppy class at Petco and the mgr saw him licking his paw and said ‘ he has food allergies…, here you need to switch him to Merrick … Try the lamb…’ She was very knowledgable about staying away from foods that cause allergies ( corn, chicken , wheat). So we paid $50 for a 30lb bag of kibble !!!! We have not opened it because I’m JUST not convinced that we need to change food. He has a vet appt in a week and his treats for training adont have corn in them either. Side note is we are getting another doodle puppy in April so we need to keep the food the same since they will be eating together.
Thank you

[theBCnut]

Paprika, garlic, and salt don’t bother me in the least, but I don’t have a need for my dogs to get vegetable glycerin in their treats. It is for texture, but I personally don’t think it improves the texture at all. Personally, until they figure out what the issue with all the jerky treats is, I’m staying away from them unless they are homemade.

[crawdad]

I am very skeptical when it comes to pet treats and some of the ingredients in the true chews draws questions like vegetable glycerin, paprika extract, garlic extract, salt and other ingredients I think are known to be very harmful to dogs.

Please let me know if this is a good product to use for my dog

Sincerely
Dog owner

[weezerweeks]

I give my dog Dr. Harvey’s sweet potato chews. I called them she said the potatoes are U.S. farm grown and nothing comes from anywhere but the USA. I use to get foster-smiths chews but they are from China.I hope these are safe. They also get grandma Lucy’s baked pumpkin treats that’s it. Am I safe?

[Mom2Cavs]

I’ve gone through this kind of thing with Laverne, one of my Cavaliers. She had diarrhea/loose stools and rumbling stomach and inappetance, along with anal gland problems, tearing, licking forearms and scratching her sides. What helped was definitely adding probiotics/enzymes to her meals and also taking her off all poultry. She is much better now. I also went through various foods to find one that did the “trick”. It took awhile. I know the food I’m currently feeding is not recommended by people on this site due to it being a Diamond food, but it has seriously worked for Laverne, and the other dogs are doing great on it, too. I’ve been using TOTW Pacific Stream and I’m also now mixing in their Sierra Mountain flavor. I do add canned food as a topper (a couple tblsp.) with each meal, plus probiotics/enzymes. The cans I use most are TOTW (poultry free) and Wellness stews/Simple line (poultry free). I’ve also started adding some coconut oil…no real reason, except I had some on hand and just wanted to use it up….and it can’t hurt. The dogs poop twice a day and there is no licking, itching, coats are good and soft, no anal gland problems, tear staining, etc. Their energy is fine and they love the kibble, even eat it as treats. I will keep feeding this food as long as it works. I am aware of Diamond and will be vigilant. Sorry, I went on too long, lol! Anyway, the point is that you should probably try a different food, preferably one without at least chicken, start adding probiotics/enzymes and go from there. While I love Fromm, and I used to feed it quite a lot, I think it has too many ingredients, at least for my dogs. They never did all that great on it, come to think about it…..stool quality was never the way it should’ve been. They also liked it but never loved it. Great company, though! Another thing I would like to mention….when my dog started having a rumbling stomach in the morning it helped to give a snack right before bedtime. I used to use a biscuit treat of some kind, but now I just give about a tblsp. of their kibble. I don’t think I need to do this anymore, but they are used to getting it and no harm done, lol.

[pacer1978]

I’m sorry if these questions were already asked. There are so many posts, that I feel it may just be faster to ask instead of reading through every topic on the forum. I am mostly a kibble type since that is convenient and fast, though I do feed my dogs premium kibble: NV, NP, Earthborn Holistic, and Fromm for instance.

Here are my questions. If I do incorporate raw into their diet, how do I go about doing that? Where do you purchase this from? Is there a butcher you go through? How much does it cost typically? I have stayed away from raw thinking it would be unsanitary and very expensive. Plus, I try not to give my dogs bones since they inhale their food and seem to cough and gag a lot after eating one. My thought is that it gets stuck in their throat. Not to mention, I will come home to a pile of bile with sharp bones in the mix and that freaks me out. I’m afraid the sharp bones will do damage to them. Sometimes I will purchase the NV raw patties and freeze dried food and sprinkle or chop that up into their food, but probably don’t do it often for it to make any difference. I’m sure that their raw food is not the same anyway since it is probably still processed in some way.
I know many of you here believe 100% in the raw diet, but I remember when I first investigated it, I had read articles that didn’t support it. One lady explained how she switched to raw and her dog ended up extremely sick with contamination. Any ideas on that? I feel right now with supplements, treats, and premium kibble I am spending so much on their food as it is. I want the best for my dogs, however. I feel you shouldn’t take them on if you can’t provide for them the best you can. Who knows…maybe the raw is cheaper than what I’m spending right now. On the other hand, I’m the main person that handles the feedings in my house. I doubt on the nights I’m at school my husband will have the patients or agreeableness to feed and deal with raw food. Anyway, just looking for your thoughts on some of these questions. I always thought raw was too difficult to feed since there really isn’t a place for me to purchase this other than my grocery store. For some reason, I figured most people purchased it another way. Thanks for anyone reading!

[hwhalen]

I’ve been giving my 4lb, 2 year old, healthy Maltese Royal Canin Xsmall Adult” dry food as the breeder recommended that brand since he was a puppy. I’ve tried others including Merrick (which he would not eat at all). I’ve been very leery of all foods given all the recent issues. Recently I was introduced to Evangers Grain-Free dry food via a boutique dog shop. He loved the sample he tried and the treats. I’m just wondering a) should I move away from Royal Canin since it had under 3 stars rating; b) would Evangers be something suitable for this breed and size; c) which of the grain free dry is best? I’m very nervous about trying new foods and of course like everyone wants to give my dog what’s best. Thank you.

[beagleowner]

new mom, so glad to hear you are trying the marrow bones for treats. My beagle won’t eat green beans.. I even tried to hide them in his homemade food but he could distinguish them. I see your dog had a neck injury, well Henry fell and tore his ACL. Surgery is not an option because of his age. He is on pain pills and limps around. He does sleep a lot and I put his meds in very small pieces of braunschweiger and works like a charm. Wetting is a problem. I read that the meds he is taking can cause incontinence. So we got pads for hi,. Sometimes successful, sometimes not. I did find a chew at Tractor Supply called RedBarn Naturals Joint Firmula Bully Slices. Thry last a long time and Henry had strong jaws. My Vet looked and studied them and approved them for Henry. You may want to consider these if you can find them. They are made in the USA. Website is http://www.redbarninc.com

[newmom]

I’m learning a lot here. Charlie is loving marrow bones. I fill a 4-5″ bone with crunchy peanut butter or liverwurst once a week or so, he loves both. Oxtails are great but really expensive at my chain. While lying aroung and coping with an infection on his neck, he gained weight. Friends told me to add green beans to his diet reducing the dry food each day. WOW! He looks forward to the beans and is eating less and becoming sleek in body. I put his antibiotic capsule in the food and he gobbles all down without hestiation. The empty marrow bones are great for gnawing when empty. His look like intricate scrimshaw. Is it safe to give the neckbones from poultry and not have choking issues. The bones seem so tiny. Charlie is a med. to large dog but I worry about choking. All of you are so helpful and I thank you for sharing.

[koti]

homemade dog treats

[Cyndi]

When I clicked on this thread, I thought there were actually dog treats named “Pig Fat Dog Treats”. LOL! Glad to know there isn’t! Lol!

[theBCnut]

You could probably get away with feeding some of it, but you will have to be careful not to overdo it. I feed a high fat diet, but I don’t feed more fat than protein. I’m not sure how you can know how much fat you are feeding every day on completely homemade raw. You can make sure that you are only adding some of the pork fat on days that you are feeding lean meats like chicken and turkey, or wild game, but I would probably not add it on days that you feed pork or beef.