[grover]

A feedback to my post. Several weeks into using Dinovite I see paw licking has ceased and ear infections have been on hold too. I’ll be convinced though if this continues though the summer. Grains or no grains the product claims to improve nutritional support. I have had my dogs on grain free dog foods but I know they get grains from good natured people handing out treats.

[Hound Dog Mom]

My oldest dog used to eat kibble and Nature’s Variety Instinct kibble was one of the foods I used frequently in his rotation. He did really well on it and I think their kibble is one of the best dry foods available. I use the Nature’s Variety Instinct freeze-dried raw medallions once in awhile for treats. I’ve never fed their frozen raw and I personally wouldn’t because it’s HPP, but due to the fact that it’s HPP it might be a good option for a dog that’s never eaten raw before to help them ease into a less processed diet.

[theBCnut]

I make large batches and store in the freezer.

[pugmomsandy]

Thinly slice your meats and place on lightly greased pan on lowest oven temperature for at least 3 hours.

“Tip #5: Prepare Homemade Treats for your Pet

If your dog happens to be wild for dehydrated chicken strips (chicken jerky), you can make your own quite easily.

Just buy some boneless chicken breasts, clean them, and slice into long, thin strips – the thinner the better. Place the strips on a greased or non-stick cookie sheet and bake them for at least three hours at 180 degrees. The low temp dries the chicken out slowly and the strips wind up nice and chewy.

Let the strips cool, and then store them in plastic bags or another airtight container. You can also freeze them.

If you buy commercial canned food for your dog or cat, you can ‘repurpose’ a can for use as a supply of healthy treats.

Open a can of your pet’s favorite brand, preferably something with a strong aroma, and spoon out little treat sized amounts onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Put the baking sheet into the freezer until the bite sized bits of food are frozen. Then move them to an airtight container and back into the freezer they go until you’re ready to treat your pet to a treat! (Most dogs will enjoy the treats frozen, but you’ll need to thaw them to a chewy consistency for kitties.)”

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/02/10/easy-to-make-pet-treats.aspx

I don’t take the time to make treats anymore. I buy freeze dried foods or organs like Vital Essentials and Fresh is Best.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[jazzyems]

Really? I didn’t know that, for how long? Can I store in zip lock bags or Tupper Ware containers? Do I keep refrigerated?…Thank you so much Pattyvaughn for the fabulous info.

[theBCnut]

You can also dehydrate meats in your oven by setting the temp to it’s lowest.

[BarneyBo]

Hi, PLEASE, NEED ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER PET PARENTS! About 10 days ago we got a Yahoo News alert stating the FDA was re-releasing a pet food recall list with 180 companies’ pet foods on them, (including Iams, Eukanuba, Purina, Alpo, Science Diet, ETC.)
Reason given was the food (wet, dry and some treats) have toxins in them, chemicals called melamime and cyulaic acid, when combined together they can cause kidney disease in dogs and they could die from it.
Our 9-year-old Labrador/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, Barney, had passed away suddently just about a week before, on April 3, 2013, and the symptoms described for this kidn of poisoning sound a lot like what he had.
Please pass on any info you have on this. The FDA list was released in 1997, but apparently made the news again recently because of these pet foods causing new outbreaks of salmonella. How do we know that any of these pet food companies cleaned up their act since this recall in 2007? How do we know any pet food is safe?
Our Bishon Frise, Bo, who is 6, is lost without Barney. When he joined our family as a 5-month-old puppy (who is learning disabled due to being dropped on his head by his former owner), Barney was already here, and as “big brother,” he taught Bo everything he knows. Now he howls, hangs his head, looks for Barney everywhere, and will not eat. He has been showing signs of kidney disease as well, drinking a lot of water for one thing. He will be getting checked out at the vet asap.
When I called the vet about Barney, and later mentioned about the recall, he advised me to throw out the dog food and fix Bo chicken with rice, Tums, and to bring him in for a checkup.
We are scared of the long-term exposure Bo has had from the same food Barney ate, mostly small-sized crunchy type Kibbles and Bits types of dry food, and Alpo wet food.
Can anyone help us and give us some direction on this? Why would a list that was released in 2007 be re-released in 2013? Evidently at that time (2007) the govt. said this batch came from China, but who knows if any of it is safe? It appears the FDA is not too stringent on these companies or our own government’s standards. Experiencing outrage, grief and extreme concern for our surviving pet and many, many other dogs, cats, horses and their owners who have suffered needlessly. The ASCPA web site has a lot of great info on this. Thank you and God bless. -Barney and Bo’s Mom and Dad

[jazzyems]

I did see that name Ojan in treats come up several times Boxermom and noticed it was a bit pricey. There is just so much info out there it can be overwhelming. Thanks for your input.

[jazzyems]

Fantastic idea Pattyvaughn! I was thinking about that, will have to look into a dehydrator. Thanks for the info.

[theBCnut]

Brothers Complete has grain and potato free biscuits, but I just dehydrate any meat for mine.

[Boxermom]

http://www.orijen.ca/dog-food/freeze-dried-dog-treats/

Orijen have grain free treats… But I think it’s expensive (never tried it though).

[jazzyems]

Thank you so much Pugmomsandy for the recipe…Hope to make these real soon.

[pugmomsandy]

http://www.all-natural-dog-treat.com/pumpkindogtreatrecipes.html

Grain free pumpkin dog treats. You can also substitute coconut/garbanzo/fava flours for grain flours in other recipes.

[jazzyems]

Recent struggles with my Boxer/American Bulldog has lead me to a grain free diet along with a Probiotic enzyme supplement for her digestive issues. I can finally breath a sigh of relief as her stool is firm and she’s gaining weight. I was wondering about treats. Does anyone have a great grain free treat that won’t upset her digestive system? Or a recipe for some homemade treats?…Please share.

[theBCnut]

Hi Swissy Mix

Ignore your husband or slap his hand away from the food and dog treats, whichever applies. It is vital to keep giant breeds on the light side while they are still growing. You absolutely do not want him growing fast or having big growth spurts. I wish I could tell you a particular number of calories, but it varies breed to breed and dog to dog. Feed him enough that he is keeping muscle tone on the backs of his thighs, but so that he stays thin, thin enough that you can easily feel his ribs with your finger tips, until he is two years old.

[Boxermom]

Thank you dogspot, I’ll have a look!

[Fallow]

Dogspot- That’s not the case at all. The only time she gets treats is when we’re training on walks, and they’re small ‘My Little Wolf’ treats that are less than 3 calories a piece, which are then torn in to smaller pieces. And there’s no way I’m going near Science Diet, the quality is crap! It’s ridiculous how much they charge for lower quality food. She only eats when she’s hungry, and it’s in small amounts. We feed her less than what her activity level suggests and she still has food left in her bowl.
Pugmomsandy- I’ve been looking at foods like Wilderness because it has such a high protein content which I know is so important for weight loss. However, I know that some of those have such high calorie content and Wellness seems to be flirting with a lot of food recalls. I’m trying to contact some customer service people of different brands and get some more insight.
NectarMom- That’s exactly what I’m planning on doing. I looked at the review again and saw Science Diet just got 2.5 stars. My dog could probably just eat something like Alpo and still be act as lively and still look healthy (she has an iron stomach and is so hardy), but there’s no way I’m going to settle for something lower.

[weimlove]

Hi everyone, for the past couple of days, Shadow has barely ate any of his meals. Uusually, he devoures the whole meal and never leaves a crumb, but lately he has been taking a couple bites and just leaving the rest. On Saturday evening, I gave him a whole chicken. He ate about 1 amd 1/2 pounds of it, then I picked it up and put it in the fridge for breakfast. When I gave it to him for breakfast, he wouldnt touch it. He also didnt eat any of his dinner which consisted of beef and chicken. I thought maybe it was the chicken so I offered him turkey and veggies and he wouldnt touch that either. He dosent act sick at all, and stil has all his energy. His gums look healthy, and he is drinking water and going potty. Shadow was taken to the vet on thursday because in the summer months he gets raised bumps. I take Shadow to a holistic vet & she gave him a holistic oral remedy to help with the bumps. I was thinking that it may have some affect on his appetite. But this didnt begin until yesterday morning. A few minutes ago I offered him fish, veggies, beef heart, and eggs. He ate a little peice of fish but left the rest. He is even putting his nose up at treats. Any ideas???? Thanks! I am very worried because Shadow always has a great appeteite and is never finicky.

[Boxermom]

Well, turns out it’s Hi Tek and not High Tech 🙂
So I found them on google.
Thanks!!!

[Boxermom]

It’s nothing special, just little biscuits looks like a bone… I get them as a gift when I buy the dog food, but it comes in the shop’s bag and not the original treats bag (I guess so they could give smaller amount 🙂 ), so I just wondered what the ingredients are. The sell’s man said no salt, sugar, colorants or artificial flavor… But I wanted to check for myself to be sure…

[theBCnut]

I haven’t heard of it. What kind of treats is it supposed to be?

[Boxermom]

As I understood it’s made in the U.S.A.
However I didn’t find it on google…
Thanks.

[Mom2Cavs]

I’m sorry your dog is going through this. There are a few foods that might help. Wellness has a Simple line that is hypoallegenic. I don’t know if your dog has had all the proteins they include in their line, or not, but you could look into those. There is a mail order food called Brothers that has a good allergy food, but it comes in only one flavor (turkey, I believe). You might look into that, as well. And, even though I don’t agree that Natural Balance uses Diamond as one of their manufacturers in this case I’m going to recommend them for your dog. They are limited ingredient, grain free, and have some novel proteins like duck, venison, rabbit. Nature’s Variety is another company with limited ingredient diets. They come in Turkey, Duck and Lamb. California Natural, by Natura, can be a good allergy food, however, they are going through a recall for salmonella (I think) at the moment so I wouldn’t consider them at this time. Most of the foods I’ve mentioned also have “matching” treats and canned food to facilitate use. I’m sure there are other good foods and I’m also sure other posters will let you know soon. But, these are some that came to my mind. I hope this helps some.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Sandy,

This is probably a dumb question, but are the meats, bones & things you’d buy at an ethnic market safe? There’s a Chinese market and a Mexican market both within walking distance of my house. I wondered in particular, if the stuff at the Chinese market would be safe considering all of the Chinese chicken issues ~ I had been contemplating going in to look around, but I know if I went in to look, I’d come out with something I’d bought. I feel ignorant assuming that there could potentially be any issues at all, but honestly, I really have no idea.

I bought a bunch of bones at the butcher last Saturday and asked the cashier about other doggie treats and she wasn’t sure, but the place was packed so I’ll ask one of the butchers on another day when they’re not so busy.

[Mountain Man]

Thank you all so much for your generous contributions. I think we will try out Earthborn Holistic Select Grain Free Coastal Catch (along with the non-potato, bison-meal Great Plains Feast for treats and/or in case Mountie refuses the Coastal Catch (highly doubtful!)). To several points above, I agree that nothing mandates wedding to any brand or formula, as every dog is unique — and if the kibble is disagreeable, then we now certainly have many good, advice-reinforced options from which to select an alternative!

As an OCD attorney, I love this site — and as founder of MountainDogChews.com, a brand of premium elk antler chews, I certainly appreciate everyone’s focus on quality of product. I’m likely preaching to the choir; however, the general public generally hasn’t a clue re: the harmful (or at least, subprime) ingredients in, or chain-of-supply of, most well-marketed pet brands. Ergo, quite thankful for the folks on this site! -Corey

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi bigcoco-

If you check out the recommended raw menus thread you’ll see some of my menus. My most recent menu (located near the end of the thread) had a full nutrient analysis done and it exceeds the AAFCO nutrient standards for all life stages. You can check out what types of things I’m adding to supply trace nutrients. I make my own whole food supplement my mixing equal parts kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, wheatgrass and bee pollen – they come in powder form that I order from Swanson. I also add things like sprouted nuts and seeds, dairy, oysters, sardines, cod liver oil, etc.

I find that the cheapest way to add muscle meat is gizzards, hearts and green tripe. Although not very appealing to people, these are all quality sources of nutritious and cheap protein for dogs. I have three large dogs that, combined, consume over 6 lbs. of meat per day. About 90% of their meals are raw meaty bones, organs and things like gizzards/heart/tripe – I’d never be able to afford feeding them if they were getting things like boneless skinless chicken breast and lean ground beef as the main component of their meals on a daily basis.

Assuming you are talking about the Happy Hips jerky made by Dogswell, they do not contain 100 IU vitamin E per strip – they contain 100 IU vitamin E per kilogram. Meaning your dog would have to eat over 2 lbs. of treats to get 100 IU vitamin E. Also – just a warning – while I haven’t heard of any issues with the Dogswell brand specifically, a lot of dogs are getting very sick by eating jerky treats made in China and the Dogswell treats are made in China. Just be careful. I personally give my dogs a human vitamin e supplement. My dogs are all large (ranging in size from 68 lbs. to 110 lbs.) – I divide 2-400 IU capsules between their daily breakfast mix so each dog gets about 267 IU per day. I would say you could give your dog a 200 IU capsule daily or a 400 IU capsule every other day.

[theBCnut]

If you are trying to determine what your dog is allergic to then it is absolutely essential that treats are of the same protein and carb source as the food you are trying and that everything is limited to as few different ingredients as possible or you will never be able to figure out what your dog is reacting to.

[bigcoco]

So my 8 year old dog is currently getting the following for every meal (fed twice a day):

8oz patties (sliced from 5 lb. Armillenos K9 raw tube.. either beef, chicken, duck, or turkey.. and contains 70% meat, 30% bone)
Probiotic
Salmon Oil (by Bravo that supposedly has vitamin E in it)
Multi vitamin from Pet Naturals
Chondrotin treats X2 from Pet Naturals
+ A little bit of veggies mixed in.

He is doing fine on this, but I feel I am missing something. His energy level is lower (meaning he doesn’t like to run a lot, but can do long walks with out a problem).. He seems to need to urinate on everything, even if nothing comes out…His coat is OK (maybe I need to add more salmon oil..?)..

Any suggestions?

[CrystalGray804]

I need some help and advice. My dog Titus, a 12 year old Pit Bull, has terrible allergies. Well after one vet is now denying service because I am not satisfied with them after a $211 visit, one vet who I found is pretty decent I am at a stand still. His blood work is great, his lungs and heart clear, not really overweight it has been determined “ALLERGIES” We cannot afford to see a dermatologist or get the spots biopsied, can anyone, lol? So we were told change the food. She has recommended Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D Canine Ultra Allergen-Free, I cannot afford this. Does anyone have any recommendations to an alternative? He will not eat dry unless I mix it with canned. He gets 1/2 can + same amount of dry mixed 2 times a day, vet is fine with this. She said change treats or do not give him any… does anyone want to tell him he cannot have a treat, lol? Please give me your ideas, thank you.

[jlake88]

Hi everyone,

I have a yellow lab, 8 years old, who currently weighs 100 lbs. I know he’s overweight and he’s been developing arthritis, so I’ve been trying since October to get him down to at least 85 lbs.

I had been giving him 3 cups a day of food which, with treats, totaled about 1100 calories. He wasn’t losing weight. Then, I found out that my neighbor had been giving him 2 packs of peanut butter crackers every day, and I never even knew, which stopped 2 weeks ago. This was why he wasn’t losing weight. Also, he was mostly sedentary before, but now I walk him most days during the week.

I met with my vet this week and she said to cut him back to 2.5 cups of food and 3 treats a day, which comes out to about 900 calories. I also put green beans on his food. However, we also recently cut him off from all the food from the neighbors. I am wondering, is this change in the amount of food too drastic? Should it decreased at intervals over several weeks? I want to be sure that he’s on a healthy diet, but also that he’s not miserable. Is this calorie amount too low?

I believe I can trust my vet, but I want a second opinion just to be sure.

I’m grateful for any advice. Thanks in advance!

[texasniteowl]

Thank you both Patty and Hound Dog Mom for your input. I recognize that RAW may be best but it seems intimidating and/or time consuming and/or expensive…and prepackaged/prepared *is* expensive. (Wilson weighs a little over his target weight of 62lbs…we’re currently at 66lb and going down slowly.)

So we do need to stick to dry kibble…at least for now.

I guess I’m leaning towards sticking with the bag of Earthborn Great Plains…at least to finish it…don’t know that I will buy it again. I do have some pumpkin I can add to his meals so I hope that will help with the alternate straining/soft movements. (Also, for what it’s worth, the Great Plains has a guaranteed protein of 34%…lower than the primitive at 38% yes, but much higher than the Fromm’s he was on (27% iirc).)

I will start looking at the options again to try to figure out which to try next. Also, I *am* open to using a topper…either freeze dried or canned. I suppose I just need to account for the calories, right? The rough calorie spot for Wilson’s kibble is 950-975 calories/day. He’s not extremely active…we do around a 1 mile walk daily and he doesn’t get all that many treats. On the Fromm’s, this target had him losing very slowly so I could cut it slightly a bit more, but I’m OK with the extra 5-6 lbs coming off slow.

I have been planning to add fish oil…or Omega 3…supplements. Am confused on amount…do I worry about the amount of epa/dha individually or combined? Example, one product I am looking at has a serving of 2 capsules. That serving contains 360 epa and 250 dha (with the two combined being 610). Is that enough for a dog his size or should I be looking to double that?

I had also been starting to look into Probiotics…HDM I see you listed several human probiotics…no problems with these? I had been looking at Nusentia’s Probiotic Miracle or NWC Naturals Total-biotics but the Swanson for example would be much less expensive.

sigh…apparently I can write novel like responses as well as original posts ;>

[brooklynp221]

I use to coat Brooklyn’s pills in peanut butter before I gave them to her. The kids also use to give her a spoonful of it for 20 minutes of entertainment, but I just read an article about how bad it can be for your dog and can cause allergies. There are also a lot of treats out there that are peanut butter so I would be careful of those too. I haven’t heard this before and just thought some of you might be as interested as me. Here is a link to the article:

http://www.askariel.com/Articles.asp?ID=267

[Becky]

I foster a pug who was surrendered because of her severe allergies. She’d been through all the allergy tests and basically was found to be allergic to everything. They’d had her on meds, steroids, baths, dips–you name it, they did it. They took her to the vet to be put down because she was so miserable and they couldn’t afford it any more. Thankfully, she was rescued. She’s now on a med called Atopica which is unfortunately pretty expensive, but has been a miracle worker for her. When I got her, her skin was raw and bleeding and now she has a beautiful coat. She eats Nutro Grain Free Lamb and Potato. We found 2 things she’s really allergic to are wheat and sweet potatoes and this food seems to be working for her. (knock on wood) And she’s learned to like baby carrots for treats! 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Janet –

If you’re sure the “scooting” is not due to anal gland issues I would bring a stool sample to the vet to check for parasites just in case (certain worms – such as tapeworms – can cause “scooting”).

To help with the stools and the transition to a new food I would add a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin to each meal and supplement with probiotics and digestive enzymes (there’s no need to buy a “pet” supplement, something from the health section for at the grocery store with suffice and likely be cheaper). You can continue the pumpkin and supplements permanently if need be.

Grain-free foods are, unfortunately, pricier than grain-inclusive foods. Earthborn is probably one of the most budget-friendly grain-free foods available. Some other options would be Nutrisource, Taste of the Wild, The Source, Victor, Authority and 4Health (note: Taste of the Wild and 4Health are manufactured by Diamond). NutriSource, Taste of the Wild and Source run about the same price as Earthborn while Victor, Authority and 4Health are slightly cheaper. Authority Grain-Free is available exclusively at Petsmart. The Source and 4Health are available exclusively at Tractor Supply. Earthborn, Taste of the Wild and Nutrisource can be found at most high end pet specialty stores and online. Victor will likely be the most difficult food to locate – I haven’t been able to find an online retailer and it’s not sold in my area but if you can find it, it looks like a fantastic food and it a great bargain.

You’re correct that dry food doesn’t really clean teeth, that’s a myth. I wish it wasn’t though – I’d eat potato chips and cookies all day and use the excuse that it’s for my dental health lol. 🙂 Canned food is actually healthier and more species appropriate (higher moisture content and higher protein levels) so if you can afford to occasionally buy some quality canned food (4Health has some grain-free varieties that are a bargain at only $0.99 per can) that would be great for your dog. Healthy “people food” is good to add to kibble too – eggs, tinned sardines, leftover lean meat, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, low glycemic veggies, etc.

I think raw bones are best for dental health. My dogs eat a raw diet and get raw bones daily – beef ribs, pork necks, turkey necks, chicken backs, etc. If you’re going to buy something from the store I’d go for “natural” chews (make sure they’re made in the US) such as dried tracheas, bully sticks and pig ears – these are species-appropriate (high protein, grain-free) and great for dental health. As far as “treats,” I’d go with high protein meaty treats such as jerky (made in the US of course), grain-free biscuits or freeze-dried raw foods. I’m a big fan of Nature’s Variety Instinct dog biscuits, EVO biscuits and Darford Zero-G biscuits (although I’m not sure if the Darford biscuits are being made anymore 🙁 ). I also feed freeze-dried raw (such as NV Instinct and Stella & Chewy’s) as treats.

[janet5130]

Hi there. I’m new to this site. I rescued a beagle/terrier/mix (maybe Jack Russel in her but must also be something bigger because she’s taller than a beagle and has a greyhound build) a few weeks ago named Sydney. Her foster was feeding her Purina Pro Plan Selects dry food and mixing in a tablespoon or so of wet Alpo canned food so I continued with this. I’ve noticed she scoots alot on the carpet and I see her licking her private area and butt and chews her paws sometimes. Her anal glands were expressed right before I adopted her so I don’t believe that is the issue. I also notice that when she does poo, it’s much more runnier than any dog I’ve had prior. I wouldn’t say it’s diarrhea but it’s mushy and you can’t really “pick it up” when she does it while I’m walking her.

I had a beagle prior to this dog and fed her Iams Healthy Weight dry dog food which I now see on this site is not good. She developed bladder stones later in life. I had to put her down a few months ago as she had cancer. :o( I’ve heard that feeding all dry dog food can cause bladder stones but I’m not sure that is true. I’ve also heard that feeding a dog dry dog food helps keep their teeth clean but I find that hard to believe also, since nobody brushes their teeth with a cookie. ha!

Anyway, sorry to go on and on…… My question is, bearing in mind that I’m not rich but I’m not exactly poor either, what would you all recommend I feed Sydney? I’m thinking of trying a grain-free food but there’s so much information on here I’m confused. I was thinking about Earthborn Holistic grain free but it is quite pricey. And then, I’m wondering, should I mix in some wet food also?

Also, what about better quality treats and bones? My hubby keeps telling me to stop buying the Dingo bones because they are made in China and probably horrible but what else is there?

Please educate me!

Thanks,
Janet

[bobinsf]

User
Dogs

Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 1

Plato treat and MOLD
I hate that my fist post is so negative.
I purchased Plato’s chicken pet treats last week. I opened it and found many of the pieces covered in mold. I call Pluto in California and spoke with Garth. He told me to email him a picture and I did. 3 days later I have not heard back from him.
I did give my dog a piece or two before noticing many of the pieces did have mold. He did get sick. Only positive thing is he is young, and I am sure no long term harm was done. I am sure more harm would have been done if my dog was older, or sick.

From googleing I know others have found mold on Plato’s treats. All I am looking for is for them to inform their customers, or just call me back. The package said it had a 4/2014 expiration date.

[Jackie B]

While switching to quality food was all my poodle needed, I came across some things relevant to your issue.

Water in the ears encourages ear infections, so if she’s swimming a lot that could be an issue.
Zymox shampoos and ear cleansers are highly helpful for skin conditions.
Watch your treats also– many dog treats are total garbage.

[Hound Dog Mom]

The same kibble day in and day out with no treats, canned food or fresh food – I guess that is tough love!

I’m a firm believer that feeding the same food daily – no matter how high quality it is – and denying a dog fresh food (healthy “scraps”) is the worst thing anyone can do for their dog nutritionally.

You ask – “I was lead to believe that dogs do not need variety like we do so please enlighten me where it is stated that dogs need a variety in their diet?” Well, let’s think about this – what living thing, if left to their own devices, would eat the same food every day (especially dry pellets)? Do you honestly think there is one food that can provide every single nutrient a living thing needs to thrive (note I said thrive, not survive)? Different proteins have different amino acid profiles, different proteins have different balances of fatty acids, different trace nutrients, etc. etc. Rotating foods allows you to mitigate the shortcomings of any one food – and every food has shortcomings. It is pet food companies themselves that create the “dogs don’t need variety myth.” They do this to create brand loyalty – don’t be fooled. If you went to your doctor and he handed you a meal replacement bar and said “Look, this processed meal replacement is all you need to eat for the rest of your life. It it 100% complete and balanced and if you try to eat other foods you’ll cause digestive upset.” What would you do? I know I’d laugh and find a new doctor. I hope you understand how ridiculous the idea of feeding one food for life and denying a dog fresh food is.

[NectarMom]

I think it can depend on your dogs system and what they can handle. For my dogs we cannot rotate due to I have one with intestinal allergies and one that will litterally chew her fur off. I am not sure how people can rotate or switch when they’re dogs are going through a detox period. I would honestly be afaid to keep switching and or feed 2,3 or more foods at a time because if an issue with your dog arrises then how would you know which food was the culprit? I am of the mind set that over the years even when I mixed a couple of different brands of kibble that I cannot be certain which one caused the damage so in order to cure my dogs issues I had to drop both foods and start over.

From speaking to a Canine Nutritionalist I was lead to believe that dogs do not need Variety like we do so please enlighten me where it is stated that dogs need a variety in their diet? My dogs completely hate the diet they are on and some days turn their noses up to it and it bothers me but I do not give in and give them just anything they want because of the issues certain foods will cause them in the long run. When they get hungry they will eat. Its called Tough Love. My dogs get no treats, no can food and no table food. All they get is their Allergy kibble and that is it.

[Mom2Cavs]

While Natural Balance does use Diamond for one of their manufacturers (and I won’t feed a Diamond food), they might have a food that fits your bill in their LID food, Potato and Duck. They have it in dry and canned form and even biscuit treats. And since you’re already using Blue, have you considered trying their Turkey and Potato grain free Basics food? I also want to mention that I’m using Acana Duck currently and it seems to be working with my sensitive stomach dogs. It does contain potato and while it has your normal vitamins included it doesn’t have many ingredients and is considered hypoallergenic. Pinnacle is another brand that has a Turkey and Potato food that might be worth checking out. Wellness also has Simple Solutions, which is their hypoallergenic food and I believe it may have a Duck formula. I hope this helps some.

[DogFoodie]

I’m not sure yet! She was planning to go shopping over the weekend, so I’ll find out tomorrow what she decided on. Dr. Tim’s made the short list.

You know, I tried the Dr. Tim’s grain free Kinesis and must say we had excellent results with it. Both of mine really liked it, tolerated it well and had perfect stool. The only challenging part of it was that the kibble seemed fairly hard. Bella, my Cav, managed to crunch it up, but it looked like it took some work.

I’ve already talked with my friend about rotation, so maybe she’ll turn into a dog food junkie like us! : ) In fact, I “had” to check out a new boutique pet food / grooming place that just opened near my house and I walked out with a huge bag of food and treats and, of course, we didn’t need anything at all!

[ptoe]

I have a very picky 15 mo CH Cardigan Corgi.
He will go days without eating.
Turns up his nose at Purina Pro-Plan, Artemis, Taste of the Wild.
He loves 4Health dog biscuits.
Tough love started yesterday. No treats, just kibble.
Didn’t eat last night, so sick in the night.
Today around noon he chose some (very small amount) Nutro Max over Artemis and Pro-Plan.

Any suggestions on irresistible kibble?
He is just a bad about canned food.

I’d love it if you would include a palatability rating on the dry foods as well.

[aimee]

Hi James Bailey,

To put this in perspective, when you were investigating potential chicken meal suppliers for use in the production of your dog treats, what other companies did you contact and what prices are other suppliers charging?

[Mom2Cavs]

Well….no, I have no problem with it. In fact, I’ve used it before. I must say that I didn’t see a change in my dogs either way (better or worse condition using it), but my dogs didn’t have any issues to address to begin with so maybe that was it. I was using it to assure they were getting enough nutrition at the time. I’ve done lots of different things over the years lol. I think it’s similar to missing link but I do think it might have some enzymes or probiotics in it, where as missing link doesn’t (one formula now does, I found out…Wellness formula). The company is not that far from where I live. It’s located in Kentucky, right over the river from me, so I could actually pick up the product if I wanted. The owners really seem to know their stuff. I’ve met the woman (half of the married owners) and she’s really nice. Their customer service, in my experience, has been great. They advocate a more species appropriate diet, as well, and give you a “recipe” for making one with ground beef and adding their product on their site. They have various products for sell, not just Dinovite. They have omegas, natural flea products, natural shampoos, treats, and products for cats. Bottom line, I don’t think it’d hurt to try their stuff. Btw, they do recommend trying it for 90 days at minimum to see the difference. And I will admit that I probably didn’t use it that long before I stopped. Some people think it’s rather expensive, as well, but I think it’s on par with lots of other things like it. I hope this helps some.

[soho]

Hi Everyone,

Late last year when I was developing my Jerky Treats I also looked into making a high quality, high protein cookie type of treat for dogs. Chicken Meal came to mind as an ingredient worth looking into. It is a concentrated protein and I wanted my product to be at least 60% protein. I want to thank Richard Darlington from Brother’s pet foods for having the courage to disclose that Tyson Animal Nutrition is the source for the Chicken Meal that Brother’s uses!

In October, 2012 I contacted Tyson Animal Nutrition to get information on their Chicken Meal. Here is what I found out:

It takes approximately 4 pounds of Chicken to make 1 pound of Chicken Meal.

Chicken meal ingredients:
Chicken Meal = legs, frames, backs, necks and skin.

Quality:
Human grade, USDA inspected chicken.

Processing:
Ground, cooked, fat and solids separated, most of the fat removed, dried, pressed to remove even more fat and preserved with Naturox.

Cost:
44 cents a pound per ton.

My conclusion:
I was shocked. 44 cents a pound for a product that contains 4 pounds of fresh chicken, plus it is ground, cooked, separated, pressed and preserved and it only costs 44 cents a pound.

The cost of the chicken and the processing used to make this product:
I took the 44 cents per pound and divided it in half. I figured about 22 cents a pound for processing and 22 cents a pound for the cost of the chicken.

Since it takes 4 pounds of chicken to make 1 pound of chicken meal this means that each pound of fresh chicken used to make this meal cost under 6 cents a pound for the chicken and under 6 cents a pound to process that chicken.

I will NOT be using Tyson’s Chicken Meal in any of my products.

[soho]

Hi Bernice,

I make jerky treats for dogs and cats and they have less than 100 milligrams of salt per ounce. Please check them out if you’d like.

/forums/topic/homemade-chicken-and-fish-jerky/

[DieselJunki]

My brothers dog chipped her tooth on a nylabone. I wouldn’t give them to my dog ever. But like HDM says they can choke on anything.

I give bully sticks, pigs ears, and the Mercola dental sticks for puppies and senior dogs (makes his breath smell good and it isn’t made of plastic like those nylabones are or whatever junk material they are made of, sorry but I really do dislike them). However my dog is a gulper and hardly chews anything once it’s small enough to fit in his mouth so he must be supervised at all times with his chews. When they get to small I take them and toss them away.

My puppy gets bored with his chews so I try to change it up and find new things to feed. When I first gave him the Mercola dental sticks he chewed until it was time to take it away. But his interest in them faded as time went on. Same with the bully stick, he chewed on the ends of it for awhile then got bored with it. Pigs ears got boring too because he’ll chew for a bit then leave it be.

[BeachBumBernice]

My dog’s latest checkup showed her sodium levels were elevated which the vet said could lead to kidney problems. We currently feed her Origen. Does anyone know of a high quality low sodium dog food and/or treats?

[theBCnut]

I gave my GSDs the biggest ones because they can chew apart anything, but the one he choked on was probably defective because he used to have a thing about throwing it in the air and dropping it. I think it cracked and that was the only reason he could get a big enough piece off. It was a pretty frightning experience, fortunately by the time that happenedI had already been working emergencies at my vet hosp. for years, so I didn’t panic, I just did what I had to do.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear about that Pattyvaughn. I feed mine the tiniest ones they offer.