[Bazuhi]

My small breeds are on the Wellness core original (Yorkie mixes and a poodle) (5 dogs)
They have also eaten the low fat variety because back then I had a large breed that was very overweight and he was put on a diet using the low fat with great success..
(That was when I found the Dogfood Advisor BTW)
I do have to grind up the kibble for my one dog in my bullet since he has trachea issues and the kibble is slightly large for him (He didn’t have issues in the past he is now 6yrs old) I top mine off with 5 star grain free canned which currently Natures Domain grain free from Costco and I decided to now try Freshpet (the non grain free since it is rated better then the grain free) I have also done Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance as a topper too but I have called them several times and they can not give me the sodium levels in their food so I use it from time to time.
Mine are doing great but I also rotate to different grain free foods on occasions. I am now switching to Natures Variety and they have been that on the past and have done well but I like the smaller kibble too.
The weight issue of you one dog… you need to measure the dogs food based on the calories he should get.. It took me forever to figure it out since I am not a math wiz but 3 of my dogs get 2.5 table spoons of dry kibble and 2 heaping tablespoons of the topper and the other 2 dogs get 3.5 tbsp of the dry and the 2 heapings of the topper.
I do feed my dogs 2x a day I feel it’s better (They did eat 3x but they decided it was too much)
I do feed treats too so that is why my food is slightly less probable then it should be
But this is just what I do I am no guru that’s for sure

[Rick W]

I stumbled across what some might consider a “hole in the wall” pet shop but inside that shop was a couple whose passion are your pets and solving riddles like what we were dealing with. When I described everything to her, she put our dog on a different food with different supplements. By the way, I forgot to mention above that he was dealing with bad eye drainage too which I didn’t know was relevant until she asked. Bottom line?? We think he is allergic to chicken and everything we were feeding him had chicken in it. We are now on a the large breed puppy food from NutriSource whose main proteins are turkey and whitefish. It’s grain-free as well. She also changed his probiotic from ProPlan version to a brand called Herbsmith. The specific probiotic is Microflora Plus. Last, we were giving him canned pumpkin and she suggested a more concentrated version (dehydrated) that we sprinkle on his food. The brand is Super Snouts and the product is called Pumpkin Latte. It’s a mixture of pumpkin and whole goat’s milk.

Soon after switching over, he was much better and he no longer has all that drainage in his eyes. Glad we found her!

All that said…we just had another bout of diarrhea over the past few days, but we also had a training session which required lots of treats so we need to evaluate what was in those treats because nothing else has changed. It’s always something…

[KIM C]

My 2 1/2 year old female Dalmatian had a preliminary diagnosis of MMM today. We are awaiting results of blood test to return in 7-10 days before starting steroids as this can cause a false result in the testing. I am searching for other owners that are going through the same thing with their pet. I am hoping to get some ideas as to what I can feed her to help her through this difficult time. She can not eat kibble and will barely eat canned food. She can barely open her mouth and basically has to squish her nose down into the bowl and that spreads her lips back far enough for her teeth to gently grab a morsel of food. It’s heartbreaking to watch. She began taking her treats very slowly about 2 weeks again or not wanting them at all. I didn’t notice a change in her eating because I own several dogs and assumed she was eating her food because the bowls were always empty. I was away on vacation for 7 days last week so I wasn’t present to see any regression in eating. I own a boarding and grooming facility, and had my kennel manager taking care of my dogs inside my home for me while away. She didn’t notice any changes either, but often fed my dogs then went back outside to the kennel facility that I have located on the property where I live.
I feel horrible that my poor Penelope may have suffered in extreme pain for almost 2 weeks with out anyone noticing her pain. I only discovered one of her symptoms late Sunday night while petting and rubbing her head, I felt extremely large knots under her cheeks. When I tried to open and look into her mouth for any foreign body or an abscessed tooth, she whined in pain and pulled away. That’s when I realized that she wasn’t able to open her mouth. I separated her from my other dogs and tried giving her some canned food. That’s when I saw her inability to hardly open her mouth and get the food inside. Normally she would gobble down soft food because she is on a hard kibble diet with only a tablespoon of canned mixed with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can feed her while awaiting results to start the prednisone? I tried wetting the soft food down to make a gruel and she won’t eat that either? PLEASE HELP me find a solution, so she doesn’t develop anorexia as well. The Vet just told me to soften her kibble, but that is NOT going to work!

[pugmomsandy]

Depending on the size of your dog, if you feed muscle meat, you can use raw meaty bones as their treat in appropriate amounts. There are also products like roasted tendons, tripe, gullet, feet and pizzles that can be fed. I often use the “bite size” freeze dried foods as treats or cheese. I have small dogs so the treat expense isn’t too much.

[Carrie H]

Hi,
My dod
My dog is now on a raw diet. Which treats or bones are compatible with this? Thanks

[anonymous]

Sounds good to me. As long as the dog is not experiencing any unpleasant side effects.
I am not aware of any supplement that could come close.

http://www.metacamfordogs.com/ excerpt below.

Metacam©​ is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Metacam works by reducing hormones that cause pain and inflammation in the body. Metacam is used to reduce pain, inflammation and stiffness as a result of acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis.

For: Dogs (over the age of 6 months)

Benefits:
Effectively treats pain and inflammation for up to 24 hours
Gives your dog more mobility
Comes with a graduated syringe, with weight measurements, that easily and accurately dispenses the correct amount of oral suspension
Can be administered directly into your dog’s mouth, or mixed in your dog’s food

[pitlove]

Hi Patty-

I think thats a really great question you are asking, but unfortunetly difficult to answer, so I will give you pros and cons.

Pros (from what I’ve heard) from a raw diet is healthy teeth, small stool, evidence of help with allergic dogs. Cons are pathogen exposure, potentially not balancing the meals correctly, possible GI obstruction from bone content.

Weight loss can be tricky. The key is to burn more calories than what is being consumed. If she is not active and is still getting extras in her diet (like the pork pattie and other treats), but isn’t getting enough exercise to burn off those calories, she will not lose weight even on a raw diet. And yes, I’ve seen overweight dogs on raw diets. Raw isn’t a cure all for weight control. You, the owner, still have to put in the work and get the dog exercising. Walks are good, fetch in the yard is good. We use something called a “flirt pole” with my dog to burn calories. The big thing is going to be no more treats! Also, you will need to make sure that everyone in your household is on board with trying to help her lose the weight. Explain to them that she can live up to 2 years longer if you help her lose weight and yall want to keep her around for as long as possible.

[Susan]

Hi Dave,
see vet that prescribe the Galliprant & ask vet for 200mg “Metronidazole” (Flagyl) Metronidazole is an antibiotic with an inflammatory drug & it helps heal the stomach & bowel, I can not take NSAID so I have NEVER given them to any of my pets they can cause bleeding ulcers…
Food to feed, boiled sweet potato or boiled pumkin & add a little tuna or salmon buy the small tins of tuna in spring water or small tin of salmon in spring water & drain out all the water & put in a air tight container, add about 1 spoon tuna/salmon & 2 spoons of the sweet potato or pumkin mix or scramble 1 egg, no milk, just whisk 1 egg & cook in non stick frying pan or microwave… these are the foods I feed when Patch when he was pooing blood water or ask the vet for Hills I/d Restore Low Fat, Rice, Chicken Veggetable Stew wet can food, make sure its the I/d stew not the I/d loaf wet can food, the stews are really nice, they smell like baby food, some people buy the baby tin foods when their dogs wont eat…
Dogs are very smart & know to rest their stomach/bowel & they dont eat, dont force her to eat any food, she will eat when she is ready, when Patch was pooing bloody water the vet made him fast for 48hrs, then started him on Metronidazole & Royal Canin Intestinal Low Fat wet can food & the matching dry kibble as well…
Make sure evey hour she is getting a 20ml syringe with electrolytes in the water the vet has the electrolytes solution packets.. you make in a jug, Patch loved drinking the solution..
DO NOT give treats as they may be high in fat & make matter worse, she needs a bland diet…. See vet

[deb s]

@ anon1
Thank you for providing the complex partial seizure info on this thread. I know it’s so hard to see this happening to our dogs. Jinny continues to have these episodes every month or so and she will eat absolutely ANYTHING she can get down her throat so it’s absolutely imperative to keep your dog from ingesting inedible objects during these episodes. Even ingesting a large amount of hair, dust, carpet fibers can cause a life threatening blockage.

My dog is on anti seizure medicine now. Phenobarbitol has been found to have the greatest success. I have also read about the bacteria in the stomach causing pain and reflux so I may look into the antibiotic that treats that, as well. The flap not closing is also a big concern because the brain will send a signal to close it. Over and over and over again. So there are a lot of loose ends and it’s SO sad our dogs are going through this. Please. Talk to a good neurologist. Also, a good high quality CBD oil enabled Jinny to go six months without an episode. I have a hard time affording it because good high quality can run you $80-$100 a month. But it’s not harmful and it’s only helpful and it made a huge difference for Jinny. I’d love to know how everyone’s dogs are doing. I am so committed to finding real answers and a real solution for this terrible condition. It’s really awful.

[Susan]

Hi,
a dog only reacts to potatoes, sugars & starchy carbs if she/he has food sensitives to those particular food/ingredients, this is another Myth spread on the internet (Dr Karen Becker) saying Potato, rice, corn, oats, grains, sugary carbs cause yeasty skin & ears this is not true, it’s only when your dog is sensitive to that food he will react…
What was he eating when his ears became yeasty?
Here’s a site written by a Dermotologist “Karen Helton Rhodes” The Myths & Facts of Yeast Dermatitis in Dogs”, Please read, she has a facebook site called “Healthy Skin 4 Dogs” & frequents another f/b group called “Dog, issues allergies & other Information Support Group” join the group heaps of really good information, your better off taking your dog off any dry kibble or cooked wet canned dog foods, whenever I feed wet can foods to my boy he starts shaking his head & scratches his ears & skin, I think the wet can foods use binders in the wet can foods & he must be sensitive too them, he’s the same when he eats a dry kibble that has tapioca, carrots, chicken, barley & oats he gets red smelly yeasty paws, itchy ears & smelly yeasty skin, he cant eat these ingredients he’s has food sensitivities to them, you need to work out what ingredients your dog has food sensitivities too??…
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs
Have a look at freeze dried foods like “Ziwi Peak” air dried, Ziwi Peak also sell wet raw can food, it looks & smells like the cooked wet can foods but it’s healthier, Ziwi Peak is for dogs & cats who have skin/ear problems food sensititivies, Ziwi Peak has Novel protein meats (Venison Rabbit) & limited ingredients, Ziwi Peak must taste really good my cat goes mad when I open a can or open her bag of air dried Ziwi Peak, here’s Ziwi Peak site send them an email telling them about your dog yeasty ears & ask can you try some of their samples of their air dried formula’s, just make sure you give your address so they can send the samples out or go & buy some of the Ziwi Peak to try, your dog will get better & love the air dried & the wet can foods … https://www.ziwipets.com/ also when you do start a new limited ingredient food do not feed any treats or anything else in her diet just the new food..
also look for “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels Freeze Dried, Mussels are high in Omega fatty acid excellent for skin & ears, give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat..
K-9 Natural also sell wet raw can food & dehydrated food you just add water, same as “Honest Kitchen” look for the Zeal, Spruce or Brave formula’s https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/grain-free

[Snowcapwarrior]

I no longer use this dog food because we switched to a grain free brand now but we never had any issues with the food. For those of you who are citing it as causing your dog’s illness have you checked out the possibility of it being perhaps the treat that they are eating ?

My huskies were sick several times after I changed the food and if you have read any articles lately you will know that the maker of both the Milk Bones and Canine Carry Outs were accused of tainted dog food .And yes it was the brands we often fed our huskies for treats .We now only feed them bones from the local butcher or fresh packaged cooked sausage we cut into small bite size pieces for them .

[gdijess]

I just said it is NOT environmental allergies. And the site you gave me said that the closest one is actually 4 and half hours away. My dog’s vet is a large animal vet because the only vet that treats dogs and cats teaches at a school and never has time to see new clients, not to mention is actively trying to push for BSL in my area. I live in a small town that’s main focus is agriculture, so most people here don’t care much about their dogs and dont want to spend anything more than like 30 bucks on the animal. Half of the people here in town have never even seen a rottweiler. I’m not going to let somebody who has zero experience anywhere near my dog, especially if they are terrified of him. (Which happens more often than not) Driving to another state to see a dermatologist is not something I can do. I work in a job where its nearly impossible to take time off. I work two different jobs, so I’m working 7 days a week. (He gets to come with me) Its also something that isn’t needed because MY DOG HAS A FOOD ALLERGY.

Thank you for commenting on my post but since you have nothing else useful to say I would request that you stop. Have a wonderful day!

[Richard P]

Homemade Dog Treats (Linda Arndt) http://www.greatdanelady.com)

1 ½ lbs liver
1 Cup oat flour (or if allergic get non gluten flour)
2 Eggs
½ Garlic Clove

Mince meat and garlic.
Mix in other ingredients and bake in a loaf pan for 30 minutes in 375 degree oven. Cut into portions. Treats can be frozen.

[Jenny Rellick]

l am sorry about your dog. Mine too. I urge you to go grain free for treats and food because of the liver disease they can cause. Please read this article to protect your pup: /dog-food-industry-exposed/grains-in-dog-food-2/

The ‘star ratings are based exclusively on an analysis of the label, with 5 stars awarded to foods with a high estimated meat content, minerals that are chelated, low fat , and only healthy ingredients. The Editor’s Choice foods, in contrast, are based on the safety practices, transparency, and integrity of the manufacturer and the food processing plant. Mike Sagman has done exhaustive telephone surveys of the major manufacturers of 4 and 5-star food lines. One reason “I and Love and You” may not be listed is if they would not discuss the recall below:

/dog-food-recall/i-love-you a-dog-treats-recall/

If they answered, their issuance of a recall or strategy to prevent contamination may not have been sufficient. If they use the Diamond processing plant, they are disqualified. You can nominate the I and Love and You food for Mike Sagman to investigate, but he might have already disqualified it.

[Bernie B]

I’m pretty good at researching and finding information about dog products, but there seems to be a scarcity of information on reliable, healthy dog treats (not regular food, but treats). I’ve found plenty of recalls on treats, but I need to know the GOOD products, not the bad products. Can anybody help me out please?
Bern B

[Denise S]

We have a Beagle that just turned 6 on 2/5. About 2 years ago, he would have an occasional seizure. They weren’t too bad. Thought maybe it could be Heartguard. Took any dog food or treats that Rosemary Extract out of his diet. BUT on 11/30/2017, he had seizures that were every hour…grand mal. Horrible thing to see your baby go through. The vet started him on Keppra. After two weeks, he had a very mild seizure. On Christmas morning at about 2am he had 3 grand mals in less than a hour and we were at vet emergency by 3am. On the way there, he had another. He stayed in ICU for a couple of days (until he was seizure free) and we brought him home. His Keppra was increased and we were given an emergency package of diazepam to administer rectally. He had a small breakthrough seizure on 1/11. The vet added Phenobarbitol. On 2/10, he started having seizures that morning every hour again. Took him to the vet and he had another at the vet. The vet added another medication of Zonisamide. This medication didn’t stop anything (it would take at least a week to get in his system to help him) but were given more diazepam to get him through this spell. We stayed up all night with him while he had grand mal seizures every hour. That morning we were back in the ER with him. He had another seizure while they were examining him and they were going to keep him in ICU. He also had another seizure while they were taking x-rays. We have him back now. His phenobarbitol has been increased and he stays on Keppra. They removed the Zonisamide. It’s hard to imagine this happy guy goes through these horrible episodes. They are so violent. I believe that if I can get him on the right diet, it will help him. I’m not really sure about ‘vet recommended’ food, since they love to push Science Diet. Since his release, I have been feeding him chicken (cooked), carrots, sweet potatoes, he’s not a fan of green beans. I am worried about him getting all the proper nutrients that he needs. I would like to try The Honest Kitchen. It looks like something that would be good for him and he would like it. We did a very very brief episode of the raw diet. But he just sniffs it, backs away, and looks at me like “yeah right. You’ve got to be kidding me…THAT’S not cooked.” He doesn’t eat store bought treats unless they are fresh. His treats are homemade. Tried Orijen. Made him extremely bloated, miserable, and he could clear a room! I am also looking at trying Fromm’s Gold. Just wondering if anyone has tried The Honest Kitchen or Fromm’s Gold…or anything that helped their furbaby. Thanks!

[Kelly C]

We have a 6 year old labradoodle. She had a seizure 2 years ago and then nothing. Four weeks ago she had another seizure and yesterday another. They were pretty mild, lasted 2-3 minutes – but they are not the violent kind where she loses control of her bladder or has clenched jaw. I read somewhere that rosemary is a trigger in terms of food, and sure enough, one of her treats had rosemary in them. I took those away after the second seizure. When we initially took her to the vet they told us there was nothing they could do, it was pretty common, as long as she wasn’t getting them all the time we shouldn’t be too concerned. They did not recommend any medication unless she was getting them all the time. Since she went so long with nothing happening, we almost forgot about it until last month. I haven’t really seen a specific dog food recommended and hoped someone could share their experience with that? Also, she almost exclusively likes chicken, which she has fresh a lot of the time. Thank you

[C P]

Just found this site. I have a large Golden Retriever who loves these home made frozen treats, though it seems he loves everything so should really knows.

1 15 oz can of pumpkin and a equal amount of vanilla yogurt ( I use a low fat)
1 banana
4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey

Blend it together. We pour it into some dog molds we got of Amazon and store overnight in the freezer

[Rebecca D]

My dog’s been eating this a month now with no issues whatsoever. She had one wierd poop in the beginning and then fine. Her output has seriously decreased so it makes me wonder how much crap is in those high end kibbles! She also has a very sensitive stomach and has been known to projectile vomit when given certain brands of food and treats. I’m pretty impressed with the quality and price. All her tubes have always smelled like very fresh red meat with a hint of tripe. I have no complaints except I don’t have a distributor close to me, so we have to drive further than I’d like to. Maybe I should consider becoming one…??

[Kenneth A]

Thanks to everyone that has responded to my posts. Many people have described labs as always being hungry and will eat almost anything. Describes my Earl perfectly and he will eat 7/8 cup of Pro Plan (three times per day) in approximately 15 seconds when fed in a standard bowl. We now feed him using a bowl full of internal rings which slows him down to approximately 1 min per feeding.

Since his surgeries Earl has been on a walking regiment of approximately 5 miles per day and we have reduced his quantity of food. His weight is down to 80 lbs. from 88 so I feel I contributed to the ruptured ligaments in his knees (totally unintentional – just did not know). The specialist that conducted the surgeries would like to see Earl down to 75 lbs and I do not want to put him on a Senior Dog Food since he is only 2 years old (Jan 6th birthdate). I should also note that prior to his surgeries Earl was being fed a lot of treats (cookies) purchased from the local Pet Store. Unfortunately, I did not think about the extra calories I was feeding him and now his treats consist of baby carrots.

So, after Earl had the TPLO Surgeries I have learned so much about the requirements of being a good and hopefully responsible pet owner. Earl’s local Vet. told me that many retrievers have or need TPLO Surgeries because of the pressure they place on their knees when they run, jump and cut. He said the TPLO Technique was developed to allow field trial dogs to be able to return to field trial work. However, being 10 lbs. or so overweight, in my mind, definitely contributed to Earl’s knee issues.

I have had discussions with my Vet. about Pro Plan Focus prior to the TPLO Surgeries. His feedback was that Pro Plan is a good food, Earl was not experiencing any food related issues and to possibly consider a different food sometime down the road. Well, here I am two surgeries and $8000 later!

Thank you again for the advice. I have two bags of Pro Plan to use (Petco double shipped me last month) and toward the end of consumption Earl will be transitioned to a new food. My goal is to find one quality kibble and stick with it unless Earl demonstrates a need for a change.

Ken

[a c]

It’s so scary and frustrating. Besides those chews, there are also almost daily recall of dry dog food, wet dog food, dog treats… and questionable dog chews. What can we safely feed our dog sons and daughters?

[a c]

I don’t know much about Farmland Tradition chicken jerky. I kind of stay away from all the jerky now. I used to feed another brand of chicken jerky that I got from Sam’s Club. I believed it also has only two ingredients. I can’t remember if it was made in USA or China. Anyway. When one of my dog passed away with lymphoma at the age of 10, I start to do more reading and research on dog food and dog treats. It amazing how little average consumers know about dog food industries. Dog food companies did a real good job in marketing their products!

I look at this way. A bag full of chicken jerky cost $20-25. How many piece of chicken jerkies are in a bag? How is that price compare to fresh raw chicken tenders? I will probably just buy fresh chicken tenders from Costco and a dehydrator to make my own chicken jerky. That just my two cents.

[Jim W]

Hello- I would like to nominate full moon dog treats. Their product seems very legitimate and our doodle loves them.

[Pam H]

I am New to Editors choice. Has anyone member found information on FARMLAND TRADITION brand chicken jerky as a safe treat for dogs ? I buy mine from Costco and just watched an alarming show production from ‘MarketPlace’. They did not mention this particular brand, majority warning to stay away from Made in China brands. Attempting to find out more and did call the company who distributes ‘HILLSIDE FARMS’. They said they have never been under a recall. All the chickens raised in U.S.A.. That theirs bought though Costco are manufactured here in the U.S.A. They do have a manufacturing plant in China. Only two ingredients as their package states. Chicken, & Vegetable Glycerin. Company person stated that as long as feeding guideline is followed these are safe. She said the problem would be overfeeding that would result in too much protein for dog. Asking if anyone else has additional information or cautions with this product. Needing reassurance Please. The wrong type of Glycerin such as Probel (sp?) Ester used by the Chinese causes kidney failure. At this time I have not researched more about the types of Glycerin. I will, and possibly submit another post later to what I find out.

[Olivia W]

A friend recently recommended Cadet brand Pop A Bull Puffed Bully Bites for my puggle because his dog really enjoys them. He gave me a few to let my dog try and he seemed to like them, but it seemed like they were especially hard for him to chew up. In a way this is good because with other softer treats or even biscuits it seems like he barely tastes them before swallowing them, presumably whole, where with these they’re big enough that he has the chew them up and with the crunch it makes him take more time. My concern, however, is that they might be too hard for him to safely chew on. I don’t know whether it’s just me being over protective and worrying too much, or if this is a valid concern. Has anyone else had a pet try these or had experience with other extra crunchy treats? I just want to make sure they’re safe and won’t damage his teeth or gums.

[JILL N]

If I’m too beat up from the gym to take our GSD out for exercise or when the weather is prohibitive (Titan hates the rain), I exercise him with some major cardio by sitting at the top of the steps and throwing the ball down the steps. All I do is sit and throw while he races up and down the steps for 15-20 minutes! Wears him out for the rest of the night! He also plays soccer by himself in our unfinished basement. I’m always there to supervise cause he loves to crash his hard 2lb ball into the foundation structures. So if your dog likes this kind of play protect exposed pipes, water tanks, and furnace equipment etc. with something reinforced. Old mattresses, garage furniture, paint cans and large pieces of plywood work well. Hide & seek is also a great game to play with your dog. This is more mental exercise but just as rewarding for your dog but it’s so much fun and utilizes their natural hunting skills. Just hide very small treats (unsalted peanuts are cheap and small enough to hide a lot of them without creating a meal out of this game) around the house in weird places that he/she is allowed to explore. Try to stifle the urge to “tell” your dog where the treats are with verbal or body hints. Just sit back and enjoy the hunt!

[pitlove]

Hi Kimberly-

Susan hit the nail right on the head with her whole post. It’s too bad they won’t give you a refund on the blood test since it’s known to be so inaccurate! The vets I work for recommend an elimination diet like Susan had mentioned. This is the golden standard for assessing food allergies.

If you would be interested in doing a food trial, I will warn you that is it challenging to do correctly and it takes a lot on the owners part. Whether you choose to use a prescription diet or homecook for the dog yourself, you can not give anything extra at all. No treats, no table scraps, no favored medications, no eating stuff outside, no food from another pet, no chews (dental etc), literally nothing but the diet. If the dog gets ahold of something that is not apart of the diet meant for the food trial, the trial is then considered void and must be redone.

[Susan]

Hi Kimberly,
the only true 100% test for food Sensitivities & food Allergies is a food elimination diet, those blood, salvia & hair tests all give false positive results, go back & have the test done again thru another company & the test results will be different to the one you have had done & chances are what he’s eaten in the last 1-2 weeks a few of those ingredients will come up as an positive allergen, this is what my vet told me when I wanted to have a blood test done on Patch 4 yrs ago, in the end I did an food elimination diet instead & now I pretty much know what he can’t eat but cause of Patches environment allergies as well this can cause confusion to a new dog owner as the dog may eat his single novel protein & 1 carb meal, then go outside then start reacting to something outside & then the owner thinks its what he just ate but its probably something from outside, as they age they get worse with their allergies, I’ve even been thinking of trying the Apoquel or the Cyto Point injection as this is the worse Summer Patch has ever had but we have just moved here… Patch he reacts 20mins after he eats something he’s sensitive too, the other day the lady at the pet shop gave him a few kibbles as a treat they had Chicken in the treats, it was too late before I said NO Patch had gulped them down aaaaaarrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh then he was really quiet while driving home I looked thru the mirrow & he was licking his back paw it was red & hot, it needed a ice pack, thats how quick he reacts, food sensitivities can take anywhere from 1 day up to 6 weeks to react,Patch reacts within 20mins of eating the food …… You’d have an idea how quick your dog reacts when he’s sensitive to an ingredient start a elimination diet & add one of the ingredients on the list he’s sensitive too ingredient & see does he react?? pick an ingredient thats in most kibbles, cause your not going to find a kibble without lamb, chicken, turkey, kanagroo, rice, potato etc.

It’s very rare to be sensitive to all those meat proteins, he’d have IBD as well, I really wouldnt believe in the blood test it will drive you mad, cause there’s no kibbles out there you are looking for unless you try a vet diet a Hydrolyzed vet diet Purina HA, Royal Canine Allergenic google & have a look at all of the Royal Canine vet diet formula’s or look at Canadian “Rayne” formula’s or a look for a premium kibble that has 1 carb & 1 meat protein diet or feed homemade raw diet thru a nutritionist…..

Have a look at Canidae’s “Under The Sun” Whitefish a few people who have dogs with bad food sensitivities feed “Under The Sun” Whitefish formula, also look at all Canidae Pure formula’s Pure Wild Boar has, Wild Boar, Pork Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Chickpeas, Canola Oil, Suncured Alfalfa …
Here’s the Canidae link just scoll down little look at the UTS formula’s then look at the pages on your right, Wild Boar is page 3
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Sheila H]

I have our third Shiba Inu with multiple allergies. I had to resort to home cooking with her but this has turned out easier than one would think and requires a simple list of ingredients and no crockpot. I got the recipe from “Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets,” by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD. He has a website: http://www.dogcathomeprepareddiet.com. Because he is a vet and has been doing this for so long I trust him implicitly.
She also has a heart valve problem and has successfully lost the required amount of weight on this diet. I am now keeping it as maintenance.
I use his “Poultry Meat and Boiled Rice Diet (low fat).” I make her food twice a week and store it in a large zip loc bag. it uses rice, ground cooked chicken and a few beneficial additives (salt substitute, bone meal powder, salt). You could easily add veggies you know your dog can handle, but I feed mine a separate bowl of frozen, slightly thawed in the microwave (50 sec), cut green beans. Our dog is on a weight loss diet and the beans in the extra bowl of food perk her up for very few calories.
I buy prepared rice which comes in 2 cups per bag, and cooks for 90 seconds in the microwave. I cook a large breast of chicken, usually larger than the 6 ounces the recipe specifies, but I increase the other ingredients accordingly. She gets fed three times a day, and also gets a pet multi-vitamin and half a Dasuquin as treats.
Her allergies are under control her coat looks good and I don’t have to read the fine print on can labels.
She is at her desired weight of 20 pounds. She receives 3/4 cup chicken-rice mixture and 1 cup of cup of green beans three times a day.
You can go crazy with every idea on the internet. Trust a vet who has devoted his life to this service.
Good luck

[JILL N]

Good heavens! What a plethora of advice (some good, some not so much), mostly just confusing. I’ll try to give just basic advice. Raw food is going to greatly benefit your fur buddy: white teeth, free of tartar and dental disease, shiny, smooth, oil-free coats, flake-free and itch-free skin, chronic allergies and infections subside and/or disappear, odorless breath and body, improved energy and vitality, decreased visits to the vet, positive changes in poop (consistency, less frequent, smell), mental stimulation from working at mealtimes. Here are the raw food basics: your dog needs raw meals that are composed of “complete” nutrition. “Complete” meals are “whole prey.” For instance, the entire chicken (muscle meat, bones, organs, head and feet). All the nutrition your dog needs is in the entire animal or whole prey. Add some raw fish (mackerel, sardines) 1-2xs week (optional) and you’ve got a good raw diet for your dog. Don’t freak out, your dog’s teeth and digestive system will make quick work of raw and raw/meaty bones. Never give your dog cooked bones. Your dog does not need veggies or fruit for complete nutrition. However, veggies and fruit are great as treats or mixed into your ground complete meals as a bonus. Here’s a great site for creating balanced raw meals for your dog:
https://keepthetailwagging.com/how-to-create-a-balanced-raw-diet-for-a-dog/
If you’re not into customizing each meal (hmmm, shall I give Spot the lamb shank with calf liver tonight or the Turkey Offal with a marrow bone?), then chk out Raw Paws Pet Food at
http://www.rawpawspetfood.com for complete meal orders with free shipping. They also have a raw food calculator based on the weight/age of your dog (type “calculator” in the search field) so you can know how much to feed. Also, review Suzie’s Doggie Delights at http://www.freshrawdogfood.com for complete meals and a la carte items. They have a $10.00 shipping fee but their prices on fresh (shipped frozen) raw meats and bones are cheaper. If you decide to order raw in bulk or per month (so much cheaper!!), you’ll need a food scale (AccuWeight Digital Kitchen scale, $9.99 at Amazon.com), and a 5.0 cu. ft. freezer chest for food storage. Congratulations on making your pet healthier!

[shadi N]

PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE FRUITABLES DOG TREATS!!!! I purchased these treats from Whole Foods, I gave my 3yr pitbull/Lab 3 or 4 of these treats, she is like our baby, the sweet Potato & Duck and she got Acute Kidney failure! She started with upset stomach, vomiting, not eating, etc. She is currently in the hospital because they are trying to save her life by flushing her kidneys 24hrs a day. Please DO NOT feed your dog these treats. They’ll get sick.

[anonymous]

The Vet Dr. John De Jong Sunday, January 28, 2018

Q Despite the colder weather, my Frenchie continues to itch. He did improve when taking a medication my vet gave him called Apoquel. While his itching is less frequent now, I am hoping you could explain why he continues to scratch. The dog is not quite 2 years old, and he is other­wise healthy. Can I keep him on this medication? His skin is also a little dry, so I have thought about giving him some supplements from the local pet store. His skin looks good otherwise.

A Apoquel is a great medication at controlling itchiness, or pruritis, in dogs, but it treats the symptoms associated with allergies and not the root cause of the problem. It is a much safer drug than the historically used steroids. Studies have shown it to be effective for a long time, with a wide margin of safety.
I would suggest that you either have a veterinary dermatologist review the case or have a good discussion about it with your veterinarian. Here are a few questions worth asking: Were skin scrapings done to rule out mange mites? Has any allergy testing been done? What about considering desensitization with allergy shots? Have you tried your dog on a novel protein diet in case the dog has allergies to certain meat proteins?
Just because the weather is cold, one cannot assume that there are no fleas around, so make sure skin parasites aren’t the cause. Are you using a flea and tick preventative? Also ask yourself if your home is dry this winter.
As for supplements, I would work with your veterinarian to use a good source of Omega 3 oils rather than buying over-the-counter products. With good diagnostics, you might be able to solve the itching. If not, the medication you were given for your dog will suffice. Good luck.

http://www.bostonherald.com/lifestyle/2018/01/getting_to_the_bottom_of_frenchie_s_itchiness?utm_campaign=bostonherald_trending_stories&utm_source=bostonherald&utm_medium=trending_stories

[Susan]

Hi again,
Yes stop all treats as they can be very high in fat & just use the dry kibble your feeding for her treats, did you take back the Simply Nourish & get a refund? i would contact Simply Nourish company & they should pay for the vet bill as well, 1 of my cats got ill after I applied Revolution I contacted Revolution & they told me to wash the Revolution off ASAP I had already done that then the lady said if he needs to see a vet they will Pay for it just tell the vet you’re seeing to contact this lady, my new cat is fine with revoluton spot on treatment but my other cat wasnt,…
What are you using to prevent fleas?? Please dont say Bravecto or Nexgard as these flea chews can cause stomach problems & other health problems
I wouldn’t make her drink water, when they eat wet food they don’t need to drink as much water, wet food, cooked & wet can food is around 70% water, its when you feed kibble they drink heaps of water… also when she hasn’t eaten all day thats OK she is resting her stomach, Pancreas, dogs are smart & know when not to eat, when to drink water etc, then when she finally does eat a meal feed her slowly & only feed 1/2 the meal then feed the other 1/2 of the meal about 30-60mins later, sometimes I feed Patch 1 spoon cooked food at a time in his bowl cause he gulps the whole cooked meal in 5sec then he gets pain & I think the pain is wind pain & he needs a to have a big burp, I ,ake Patch sit & hold his chest area & rub his back up & down like you’re burping a babythen he does a big burp & feels better, what I do with Patch & drinking water I use a small bowl & I go fill it 1/2 up & I take the water to him & I ask do you want a drink Patch if he does his head pops up & he moves to drink the water, I do this at night while I’m watching TV & he’s sleeping he gets lazy so I get his water for him but he’s 9y yrs old now & couldnt be bothered getting up om a comfy bed sometimes….
Do you live near a “Costco” or know someone that shops there? Costco have their “Kirkland Signture” Nature’s Domain dry Kibble look at their Turkey & Sweet Potato all life stages kibble, that’s if you can not afford the Natural balance LID kibble this Turkey & Sweet Potato doesnt have too many ingredients, it has probiotics for the gut, & has low Kcals Per cup336Kcals per cup so easy to digest, Patch was eating the Taste Of The Wild Sierra Moutain Roasted Lamb this last 1 & 1/2 years & he was doing very well on teh TOTW Lamb & kirkland Signature is made by the same maker as TOTW
Here’s are the ingredients.

Turkey meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, tomato pomace, flaxseed, natural flavor, salmon oil (a source of DHA), salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 24% Minimum
Crude Fat 14% Minimum
Crude Fiber 4% Maximum
Moisture 10% Maximum
Zinc 150 mg/kg Minimum
Selenium 0.35 mg/kg Minimum
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg Minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 2.4% Minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% Minimum
Total Microorganisms* Not Less Than 1,000,000 CFU/lb
(Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus reuteri)

Calorie Content
3,590 kcals/kg (336 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Does she have a fermenting smell coming from her mouth?? if yes then stop feeding the boiled rice & start buying Sweet Potatoes & peel cut up in pieces & boil them you can freeze Sweet Potato it freezes well, I freeze sweet potato pieces then if I need some I just take out of freezer leave out to thaw, also potato is also good to feed, I also buy the Gluten free pasta for Patch Aldis sells it cheap, Aldis also sells tin Tuna in Spring water cheap keep a few tins of Tuna in the Cupboard for when she becomes unwell & you dont have any chicken, I have my Sweet potato cooked in the freezer & a couple of cans of tuna just in case, scramble egg is also good to feed when unwell or as a light meal..

If you do see the vet on Tuesday ask can you try a 14 day course of “Metronidazole” (Flagyl) twice a day every 12 hours with a meal, when she was vomiting & became unwell she probably needed a course of the Metronidazole when Patch starts having any stomach bowel problems Patches vet tells me to start him on the Metronidazole for 21 days, he’s taking the Metronidazole again at the moment & seems to be getting better, I hope….
You could ask the vet can you have a few repeat script of the Metronidazole 21 tablets 200mg & you take the script to chemist, I got 2 packet of te Metronidazole today only cost me $7.21 for 21 X 200mg tablets… heaps cheaper then seeing the vet & buying from the vet just explain your at Uni Studying & the vet might understand what its like & see you’re a good dog owner & care for your girl heaps I’d say its the Pit Bull in her, some Pit Bulls, Staffy seem to suffer with stomach problems…..
Maybe if she seems OK by Monday then cancel the Tuesday vet visit unless you want to ask for the Metronidazole but if she isnt sick the vet may not prescribe any medications, it will all depend on the vet, cause there’s nothing they can really do except with do further test & the stomach is the hardest health problem to diagnose & the only good test that gives answers is the Endoscope/Biopsies as the camera looks down her throat into her stomach they take a tiny tissue sample & thats ur biopsies no pain they come home in the afternoon & eat a small cooked meal & back to normal the next day, it might be best to save your money & get another LID kibble & wait till she is unwell again, an Endoscope isnt as expensive as people think, it cost around $400-$500 best to shop around first then you pay extra for the Biopsies they cost arount $50 each Patch had 2 biopsies I think, my bill wasnt itemized this time, but I saw teeth cleaning & scaling cost me $200, I dont even get my teeth cleaned & Patch comes out with these pearly whites but he had Gingitivitas back left molar teeth vet wanted to stop any bacteria going down his throat…..
I have to get to bed very tired, Patch is waiting for me… dogs are so loyal arent they..

[Christian C]

Hi Susan, thanks for the reply. I’m sorry to hear about patch, and I hope all is well with both of you! My girl is a border collie pit/lab mix. She is my everything. and is around 50 lbs. to break it down a little more, it started around the time I switched her food for the first time, I switched her to originally Simply Norish, but after finishing about 1/3 of the bag and her not eating her food, I discovered there were bugs in her food! I was horrified. They were little flying bugs so I immediately had to switch her food. I switched her to crave and stuck with that for about 2 months, but that’s when the throwing up started happening more often, only in the morning or at night. It went from happening about once a month to happening about once a week and these past couple of weeks she has thrown up bile multiple times a week. Only yesterday was the first time anything serious happened but she wouldn’t eat all day which is a first, not even treats or rice and chicken when I first put it down but later that night she gobbled everything down that she could. Also while she was laying down she let out one random yelp of pain and I have no idea why. I’ve been feeling her stomach and it doesn’t seem to bother her, especially today. She loves eating the rice and chicken but she’s been avoiding drinking water. Idk why but it got to the point where I had to force her to drink by putting water in a baby syringe and let her drink it from there. But she went out and excersized like normal today, she has lots of energy so she was running for quite some time. she doesn’t eat grass when she’s outside or anything. I’ve noticed that her mouth sounds very loud lately. I can’t tell if it’s dry mouth or extra salivation but it’s loud, and she often smacks her lips. I’m gonna try cutting all treats out for s little while as well but that hasn’t helped yet. She seems to be doing well on the bland diet but it’s only been one day so I can’t tell

As for the endoscopy, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford one of those. I read online they were very expensive. It would be my dream to have one of those done just to know my baby is okay, but right now my options are very limited. I don’t know anyone who can loan me money and my family is pretty lower income so they wouldn’t be much help either.
I wish I had the resources or people to start a donation page but I don’t 🙁 I live in the city, so there are plenty of vets near me but I haven’t found a single one that does payment plans. It breaks my heart. Me and my mom applied for care credit but both got denied.
I scrapped every penny I have together and am going to take her to the vet again on Tuesday but it seems I’ll probably only have enough for blood work.
I certainly am going to switch her to natural balance Lid, not sure which formula yet but certainly the lowest fat and protein
formula. I’ve given her fresh pet before and she loves it, I will certainly add it to her diet now that I know how good it is. But cooking fresh food every day would be quite the challenge as I am in school and my mother baby sits most of the day.

I am praying to god it is something easily fixable that can be treated at home, if not I don’t know what to do. I’ll have to ask every vet around about payment plans. This is a very stressful
situation, I can’t find much help online for assistance with the bill and most of the places around here that I call are jerks and don’t offer help to anyone who asks. I’ve never worried about it this much in the past because she always acts so normal after but yesterday got me very scared, it seemed Pepto Bismol and Pepcid did make her situation worse and I won’t be trying them again.

What were your exact recommendations again? I’d like to have a full plan to discuss with my vet when I go. What medications? I am already feeding her 3-5 times a day depending on her activity level etc.
her breed is very enertic but some days I cannot afford to take her to the dog park where she can truly let off all her steam, she is an emotional support animal, so I take her a lot of places. Thank you Susan, you’re so kind

[pitlove]

Hi Kelly-

DFA does not rate dog treats. Their current rating system would not fit for dog treats since they are meant for supplemental feeding and not a full diet.

I personally do not use treats in my house, so I can’t help much there, but I think most of the people on here use treats from the same company of food they buy or make their own.

Personally though, I find that petting, praise, exercise and love are what they prefer to treats. And then they live longer because they aren’t overweight! Its a win win for me.

[Kelly S]

I’m new to the site. I didn’t see a section for safe dog treats or biscuits.

[Sheri K]

In November we lost one of my babies (at the age of 16.5 years old) to liver and brain cancer… he stopped eating and ended up letting them cancer just take over. Not quite 4 weeks later his liter mate (lab/chow mix) who had just started showing signs of kidney disease had 7 seizures. He had stopped eating his treats and wouldn’t chew so I stopped into the vets office and asked him to take a look. At the end of November Kody had a quarter sized lump protruding at the base of his tongue. It has been diagnosed as melanoma. My vet said there wasn’t anything he could do so I started researching ways to help Kody. I ran across cannibis and other holistic medications that could help him with his end of life journey. I have since brought him into hospice care with a holistic vet where he is taking cannibis as well as several other all natural medications. He has been doing good and only had one bad time which was when he bit his tongue chewing dry dog food and it got infected. We have taken him off the dry food and switched him to Blue Homestyle recipe and I mash up the chunks and mix beef gravy over the top so he will eat it.

Yesterday he got up and ate his breakfast without issue, which is a 1/2 can of dog food. When I got home I gave him his second feeding and he kept smelling it and walked away refusing to eat. He wouldn’t eat his 2nd helping later that night either. We know the melanoma has moved into his lungs and he did cough a lot last night. When I gave him his cannibis, another oral pain reliever and an immune system booster this morning he didn’t fight me. I again made his food (a different kind) and put it down for him and he refused to eat again. The medicine that helps control the growth rate of his tumor is in his food so him not eating is very bad. So now it has been 24 hours since his last meal. I know he is at the end of his journey. The tumor is now stage IV and is over an inch wide and almost that tall on the right side of his tongue. He has plenty of airway and honestly he is a little devil. He isn’t suffering because the natural medicines seem to relieve the pain he would be in without any side effects. I refuse to keep him here if he is uncomfortable and his hospice doctor and I agreed when it was time I would help him transition but I know it’s not time.

I do not want him to starve himself to death. Do you have any suggestions on foods I should feed him to entice him? He is still interested in food because he kept smelling and staring at me while I ate… I tried feeding him by hand and he wouldn’t take it. I just need something to spark an interest in him again…. even if I have to go buy a steak.

Any suggestions?

[The guy who throws the ball]

I just posted this on another thread and figured I’d post it here too.

I thought I would share our experience. My dog Widgit started having seizures around age 3. The Vet said there was no particular cause and it is just epilepsy. We delt with the seizures for about three years. They were getting worse and we were on the verge of putting her on medication based on the vets recommendation. Then we noticed a pattern with certain treats we were giving the dogs. We had tried different foods over the years , and Widgit was a picky eater. We decided to get the best food we could and switched again. It has been over a year without a single seizure! I’m not saying that diet is a cure or that it will work in all situations, but I can say for a fact that dog food and treats were a trigger and maybe a cause for my dogs seizures, and better food and no processed and flavored treats have changed her life. The funny part was once we fed her her current food she loved it and gobbled it down. So her pickyness was probably just her not wanting to eat because it made her feel bad. A high quality diet without junk made all the difference for us, and I recommend changing your dogs diet for the better if they are affected by seizures, and to look for patterns associated with changes. Keep a seizure log, we did for three years and it was helpful. Like I said, once we switched food after seeing the pattern, Widgit’s seizures immediately stopped and she hasn’t had one. Good luck

[The guy who throws the ball]

I thought I would share our experience. My dog Widgit started having seizures around age 3. The Vet said there was no particular cause and it is just epilepsy. We delt with the seizures for about three years. They were getting worse and we were on the verge of putting her on medication based on the vets recommendation. Then we noticed a pattern with certain treats we were giving the dogs. We had tried different foods over the years , and Widgit was a picky eater. We decided to get the best food we could and switched again. It has been over a year without a single seizure! I’m not saying that diet is a cure or that it will work in all situations, but I can say for a fact that dog food and treats were a trigger and maybe a cause for my dogs seizures, and better food and no processed and flavored treats have changed her life. The funny part was once we fed her her current food she loved it and gobbled it down. So her pickyness was probably just her not wanting to eat because it made her feel bad. A high quality diet without junk made all the difference for us, and I recommend changing your dogs diet for the better if they are affected by seizures, and to look for patterns associated with changes. Keep a seizure log, we did for three years and it was helpful. Like I said, once we switched food after seeing the pattern, Widgit’s seizures immediately stopped and she hasn’t had one. Good luck

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by The guy who throws the ball.

[Petra E]

Have you tried these delicious homemade dog treats yet? They’re so tasty and only have healthy ingredients – chicken livers, oat flakes, apples and eggs. My dog loves them.
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=xqNkRVtn_rU

• This topic was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Petra E.
• This topic was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Karen M]

I would strongly recommend Merrick Grain Free Beef kibble, and their can food also. I’ve been fostering a pure-bred German Shepherd for a year. When I took him in he was 8 months old, his owner had told me that Kingston had a very sensitive digestive track, and he had always had loose stools. After having him for two months, he had diarrhea for an entire week straight. After doing some research I came to the conclusion that it could be his food (He was on Eukanuba, German Shepherd blend). I researched, looking for the best food for him, and came up with Merrick Grain Free Beef kibble. Normally when changing food you should do it gradually, but with diarrhea for a solid week I went ahead and changed it immediately. Within a day his diarrhea stopped, his stools became firm, and have never had a problem since. I’ve learned that many dogs are allergic to poultry. I make sure to read label ingredients on every thing I buy for him to eat. Finding good treats for him wasn’t easy, as soo many Beef treats have chicken or other forms of protein.

[pitlove]

Hi Matt-

Wow a Presa! Wonderful dogs. Bet he is just lovely. Yes you are correct that giant breeds like Mastiffs can grow up to 24 months of age. 4-5 out of 9 on BCS is perfect and even if he drops down to a very conditioned (well muscled) 3 it is by far better than being even a 6 on BCS. I’d always perfer to see a dog on the thinner side than even slightly overweight.

Given that you got him from a rescue situation and do not have a ped on him its going to be more challenging to determine if he is inline with standard growth and size for Presa. Normally you could use the parents as a gauge, but not knowing his parents you can not do this.

I checked out a Mastiff forum really quick and in the Presa section most peoples opinions are that you should worry less about weight and focus on Body Score, just like you’re doing. Everyone talking on the thread had dogs the same age that had different weights. You will still need to adjust his portions as he fills out, but I would focus more on Body Condition rather than actual weight. It sounds like he is growing slowly which is what you want. Also if he is highly food motivated you should use his kibble for training basic stuff rather than treats. Only use treats when you need something high value for more demanding training like recall commands. I dont know what you intend on doing with him, but Presa are very good at working and enjoy many sports like IPO (bite work). Would definitely encourage you to get him into some sports!

Also for what its worth, having a vet that does have experience with your breed or breeds like it is important.

[Dewper]

Anon101,

I certainly wasn’t implying he doesn’t get annual checkups. I spend more time at the vet’s with 2 dogs than at the pediatrician’s, so a wild guess, with medications, is I spend about $3-4K on my dogs a year at the vet, not even counting bones, treats, food, etc. Thanks for the assumption though.

Anyway, he is 5 and has been like this for 5 years, so what I meant was (and it was actually about 8 months ago, not a year he had the tests), the tests aren’t going to suddenly pick up something “new” from an old trait he has had for 5 years.

[zcRiley]

I wouldn’t worry too much about counting calories. Right now, your dog’s telling you he’s not satisfied after a meal. High quality kibble or whatever your own formula is must have high fiber, vitamins & minerals. The wrong mix will make him beg for more fatty treats. The first five ingredients listed are very imported, good meats. Meals and treats should be at the same time everyday, no extras from other people. Google “beagle weight chart”, follow the images to see where he’s at visually in weight then adjust the amount of food per day vs amount of exercise and satisfaction. You will eventually find the correct amount visually, not by calories. Exercise is a must and playtime with a toy or bully bone keeps his mind off of scrounging.

[Anonymous]

I have a 60-pound Beagle! Yup, 60 pounds. I have him on my own version of a diet, but am confused when thinking calorie-wise. For example, my best friend has a Boxer who she feeds 1500 calories a day. Is that enough? Sounds low to me, but then I’m thinking in human terms. I figured out that I’m feeding my boy 1034 calories per day. He is ALWAYS hungry, begging, searching counters. He gets the following per meal: 4 TBSP canned food (67 cals) added to 1 cup of kibble (325 cals), and he has TWO meals per day. I estimated ten biscuits (@ 25 cals each) because I have many visitors who give him a treat when they see him each day, plus I admit to being sucked in by his begging and those EYES! I’m happy with my dog food choices, but not happy about the cookies. How many calories is okay per day for diet purposes? How many calories per day is okay cookie-wise? Should I change from cookies to, say, liver treats (i.e., “Rollover”) cut up? Any advice will be very welcome, and thank you.

[Susan]

Hi Deb,
I too live Australia & was having no problems with TOTW Lamb formula it actually seem to be the best kibble for Patches IBD when I started feeding Patch about 2 yrs ago until this last bag of TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb 6kg bag I ordered my pet food thru Pet Circle (Pet Circle is excellent & quick for delivery they dont use Australia Post they use Couriers Please) I opened the TOTW Lamb bag 1 month ago & the smell seems different now also the kibbles were really small 1/2 their normal size, I thought OK the smaller kibble will be easier to digest when he doesn’t chew his kibbles & swollows them, Patch eats 4-5 meals day cause of his IBD after he ate his cooked meal or another brand kibble he wasnt eating grass or looking ill & whinging but after eating the TOTW kibble Patch kept eating grass & seem very unwell cause I had just moved I thought he’s a bit depressed & his IBD is playing up from all the stress of moving then one morning he just refused to eat the TOTW, in the whole 5 yrs I’ve owned Patch he has only refused to eat 2 times the first year I rescued him when he became real ill with Colitis & Pancreatitis, he always eats even when unwell, I contacted Pet Circle & they are really good they refunded my $70 & said to give the remaining 5 & 1/2 kg of the TOTW to rescue/pound or a friend then at the end of our conversation the lady said maybe throw the whole bag of TOTW in the bin & she wrote everything down & was sending it off to TOTW Australia.

You are better off feeding Australian made & owned brands like “Meals For Mutts” “Ivory Coat” Ivory Coat is Australian made but has just been sold to a big Chinese company that’s still making the Ivory Coat here in Australia & taking Ivory Coat to America & all over the world, probably cause its Australian made & the Kangaroo & Lamb formula will reall sell dogs love Kangaroo its a very strong rich meat, the Ivory Coat has proper Kangaroo Meal in it the American made Kangaroo formula’s write “Wild Kangaroo” we dont eat our wild Kangaroos they are full of disease & parasites & they add Lentils to up the Protein % & add less kangaroo, the Ivory Coat will be heaps better Kangaroo pet food when does come to America, but I’d say it will be expensive unless the Chinese start cutting corners & change the ingredients & start adding Chickpeas & Lentils to up the protein% & take away some of the Kangaroo Meal & Lamb Meal, we’ll have to see what happens with Ivory Coat …
MfM is a really good kibble also sold oversea to asian countries, “Canidae” is really good, Candiae is American made & they grow their own veggies & source from local farmers like some of our Australian made pets foods do, look at their “Canidae Pure” formula’s & “Canidae All Life Stages” formula are really good & sell out by the end of the month, you can get a 20 kg bag for $99.95 of the Canidae All Life Stages formula from Pet Circle it’s on Special at the moment, here’s the link
https://www.petcircle.com.au/product/canidae-all-life-stages
also look for “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior formula for your 9yr old dog, it has all the supplements needed for aging dog, the Pure Meadow is excellent, I’ve put a few eldery dogs on it where I use to live & they went from a itchy, dull coat, sick looking, stiff old dogs to dogs that think they’re puppies again, there was very big improvements with these dogs, they were eating cheap Aldi & Supermarket cheap kibbles, My Pet Warehouse sell the “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior it’s new it came out last year there’s Pure Wild Boar & Pure Resolve weight management formula’s came out aswell….
Look at “Nutro” new grain free formula’s & their Frontier formula’s they are made in Australia they look pretty good theyre on the Pet Circle link above, I quickly had to order a another food when Patch wouldn’t eat the TOTW & the Nutro Essential was 1/2 price $18 so I got a bag it came the next day & Patch loves it & no eating grass & there’s been no following me & whinging. Im buying a bag of “Meals For Mutts” new CN Vital Health Hypoallergenic Holistic Remedy Diet Turkey & Veggies today too try, Patch was feed TOTW & I’d rotate with other brands, TOTW was his go to food if poos went sloppy etc now I need a new go to food if Patch becomes unwell with his IBD.

Canidae & TOTW & a heap of other best selling Amerian pets foods & treats were tested for Contaminates & 130 Toxins last year, Canidae did really well & so did their other brand called “Under The Sun” But TOTW did poorly with a few of their formula’s, their Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula & their High Prairie formula were very high in contaminates & toxins, I’m not allow to post their link or mention the company name on this site but if you google “Toxins in pet Foods” you’ll see the site click on it & look at the American pet foods we get over here in Australia, Holistic Select, TOTW, Wellness, Earthborn Holistic they all were very high in toxins they were on the worst top ten dry dog foods back in March 2017 testings & some of these brands formula’s were in the August testings last pages with 1 star for being very high in toxins again….

Go onto the Australian “Pet Food Review” site he reveiws all our dog foods that are sold here in Australia & he post the name of the company that tests Pet Foods & Baby foods in American, I think it’s really good its about time we know what pet foods & which treats are high in Toxins & Contaminates, he also tells us when there’s a problem with certain pet foods & writes in RED warning us when a pet food is BAD like “Baxters” kibble & treats from Woolworths is killing dogs & Woolworths wont remove it from their shelves they have only removed a few formula’s but they left the Senior & Adult Baxter formula, healthy puppies & adult dogs died within 24-48 hours of being feed a new bag of the Baxter dry dog food, he also posts information on his “Dog Food Review” Facebook page…

[haleycookie]

I have met many people that use whole earth farms weight loss food. It is pretty effective. You really don’t need an expensive rx food for weight loss. It’s all about watching calories. One of my coworkers buys the Royal Canin weight loss prescription diet. Guess what, he literally counts the pieces of kibble his dog gets in a day and the dog hasn’t lost a pound in 2 years while on it. For some reason he still feed it. I guess his vet has him convinced it’s doing some good even though it isn’t and he’s paying out the behind for a small bag of it every couple weeks.
Natures variety can be very fatty though. So watch for that. It’s a good commercial raw to go with but I’ve seen it put weight on some dogs. How much does you vet want your dog to weigh? Do you feed any kind of treats? What type of exercise does she get? You may just have to cut back. According to nv website if you’re feeding the patties a 20 lbs dog should only be getting one patty a day. If you’re feeding two and some kibble you’re probably over feeding. If you’re feeding the medallions it would be around 8 medallions a day if you were feeding nothing but that so I’m not sure where you could be going wrong if you feed the madallions b

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by haleycookie.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by haleycookie.

[pitlove]

Hi Misti-

If you are truly concerned that your dog might have a food allergy, the first place to start is with an elimination trial. This will be the best way to spend your money.

You will need to discuss this with your vet, but what you would do is get a prescription from her/him for a hydrolyzed protein theraputic diet. She can eat that food and only that food for usually about 3 months. No treats, no flavored meds, no table scraps, nothing.

These foods are extremely different from over the counter limited ingredient foods on several levels. One, the companies sterilize the machines that are processing the food before they run the hydrolyzed protein diet each and every time. This makes certain that the food is not being contaminated with other proteins. Secondly the hydrolyzation of the proteins makes it so that the immune system can not react to the food at all. This is not the same for OTC limited ingredient foods.

This is going to be the best route to take instead of purchasing LID foods from a pet store.

[anonymous]

For the little bit I need (for myself, not the dogs), I try to use this company, I use their krill oil, and another item or two. https://www.endur.com/

I believe they have some dog supplements also. Example https://www.endur.com/collections/all/products/nutri-treats-for-dogs

[Fanette R]

Yes I totally agree, loose stools/diarrhea indicate that the current diet does not agree my dog. Since I rescued Furby (almost 8 years now) he has been on dry food, and from time to time, more as treats, wet food. Because we had some struggles those past few months because of his IBD, my vet told me to keep him in that wet food for now as he seemed to do well will it. But it worked when I mixed it with dry food, not by itself. So yeah I need to go back to dry food.
Yes IBD is a lot about tests and errors, everyone needs to be aware of that.
But you’re right, I should feed him a bland diet for a few days and let my them know of course.

To go back into this prescription/no prescription diet, I’ve spent hours and hours, days and days, researching informations about IBD (and I mean researches official informations and vet studies). And in all the studies I wrote about IBD, the vets were saying that there were two options with IBD : “hydrolyzed food” (that you can find in some prescription diet) and “novel protein diet, with usually potato or even better sweet potato”, and they mention that you can find very good novel protein diet through commercial brands. None of them have said that a dog needs to go on a prescription diet. I read this very interesting studied about IBD in dogs by a very good vet from the University of California, who study IBD, that said the exact same thing.

Furby has had a sensitive stomach since I got him. I never put him on a prescription diet because most hypoallergenic formula had rice on them, or chicken and furby doesn’t do well with those two. So he was better with a very good hypoallergenic commercial brand.

All I’m saying that for me there is no “prescription diet is better” or “commercial brands are better”. It depends on the dog, that is all.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Fanette R.