[GSDsForever]

Oops! I sooooo did not catch in my skim read through the thread that “anon101” explicitly recommended “Fat Dogs.” My apologies. Therefore, let me SECOND the recommendation — with good multi-vet support and client results to back it.

Honestly, with people using it for their dogs, I’ve/they’ve not encountered any side effects from this food in those pets like diarrhea/bowel problems. Just excellent, speedy weight loss and full, satisfied dogs.

I’d give it a shot if what you’ve tried thus far hasn’t netted results.

(Hate that title, btw, but I guess it quickly gets the point across! lol. But imagine the uproar if a food for human children was marketed by that name!!!)

p.s. Susan also mentioned green beans. I was surprised to find, after vet recommendation, that my dog just loves them, raw (crispy, crunchy) even, esp. when I buy the bags of thin fresh ones from farmer’s market/produce grocery.

Another idea for you, re the foraging (which, like you, I would let her do): sprinkle some green beans around your grounds maybe?

Subtract an estimated calorie count from treats/foraging outside from her total calories allowed per day when determining cups of food. That will help a lot.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by GSDsForever.

[GSDsForever]

I feed Zignature and agree w/both anon & haley, see the same recommended range amount for a 30 lb dog on my bag.

I would also encourage you to feed for ideal body condition scoring (and, if still a puppy, slow, controlled growth) in your individual dog, considering all the calories you provide (treats, supplements included). If you are not practiced in evaluating this (9 pt or 5 pt scale), ask your vet to assess/score your dog.

Don’t just go by food manufacturer general recommendations on a bag.

[GSDsForever]

“Vet says he’s too young for allergy.”

I have had multiple dogs with allergies, food and otherwise, been advised by specialists and excellent experienced general practice vets, as well as done my own judicious research and I have NEVER heard that from any source. I would question that.

While my current dog has had the most challenging to figure out and overcome allergies I have personally encountered, she is now doing exceptionally well. We (my vet & I) have used a multi-pronged approach for this dog that has both food and environmental allergies.

I agree w/anon — see a different vet, get a second opinion and get an accurate diagnosis based on good, solid veterinary knowledge and experience, a specialist as needed. Ask for a referral to the specialist if necessary. A good generalist vet should be happy to refer.

Pitlove also makes a good point. Fleas aren’t a big challenge where I live, but I do know that flea bite allergies (even from a single flea when you don’t see fleas, flea dirt) are a major cause of allergies/itching for many dogs.

This is the protocol for my dog, some or all of which may be helpful to your dog if you haven’t tried something (or the combined approach):

1)DIET
Novel Protein (10-12 weeks to see results) Limited Ingredient Diet — homemade or from a company with very strict allergen/cross-contamination AND NOT ONE DEMONSTRATED IN VET JOURNALS TO BE CROSS-CONTAMINATED ALREADY (Royal Canin, Natural Balance, Nature’s Variety/Instinct, et. al.)

— and ABSOLUTELY NO treats, supplements, “real”/”people” food, medicines (i.e. heartworm preventatives), or even chew/dental toys (i.e. Nylabone) that contain the established top food ingredient allergens for dogs (beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, corn). I treat w/her actual food or low allergen potential real food (i.e. blueberries, green beans, watermelon)

***Because I feed kangaroo — having needed a more unusual, rare protein source — I feed Zignature Kangaroo LID (GF) dry & canned food.

I also supplement, per vet prescription, Omega 3 EPA & DHA at a high, therapeutic/condition treating dose daily for anti-inflammatory effects, plus skin, coat, brain benefits — and I use Grizzly’s Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil in pump bottle.

2)ENVIRONMENT:

a)Frequent thorough bathing w/very hypoallergenic and gentle shampoo & skin soothing, skin repairing/barrier protective, etc. ingredients

b)frequent washing of dog’s bedding, etc. in hypoallergenic laundry detergent

c)frequent vaccuuming (pollen, dust/particulates, etc.)

d)hypoallergenic wet wipes wipe down of whole dog, especially paws (or dunking/rinsing paws off), after all walks & trips outside (pollen, dust/particulates, etc.)

Finally — consider & don’t overlook your own personal care/cleaning products that may cause allergic responses in your dog.

3)Cytopoint (aka CADI) injections, every 4-8 weeks as needed, seasonally or otherwise

I researched, considered, and rejected two other rx allergy/itch meds, Apoquel and Atopica.

I also researched and considered trials of 4 (recommended #) OTC antihistamines (e.g. benadryl, zyrtec/cetirizine).

I tried the above all in that order, before adding the next step.

We also tried once, but didn’t receive good relief and diagnostic results from a steroid injection — to see if she had seasonal environmental only allergies vs. food/combination.

[organic n]

Hi all, I’ve been researching a lot about what to do with my dog with kidney problems. He had acute kidney failure 2 years ago, and has since been doing well but often has episodes where he is not hungry and throws up. Usually clears itself up within the day, however. He also gets pancreatic problems when exposed to things high in fat (learned that the hard way).

I don’t have his bloodwork levels with me (I was actually going to see if i could get a copy from his vet in the next few days for my own records) but I do remember his BUN being higher than normal but the vet never said anything about it in terms of lowering it, but I feel like my vet doesn’t really see it as a problem despite him having high values.

Anyway, he is a few months shy of being 16 years old, and he is a 6-7lbs dog. We stopped feeding him dry kibble for many many reasons (around a year ago), and now we make his food at home. I don’t do raw meat (I don’t feel like trying out the raw meat thing at his age and conditions is worth it), his meals consist of:

Lean ground turkey cooked with white rice, carrots, peas, and green beans. I use a vitamin supplement (Only Natural Pet® Senior Ultimate Daily Vitamin Powder). After reading however, I will make some changes to his food by swapping out the peas (heard they are high in phosphorous) for some other veggies. And maybe switching out the turkey for ground beef 10% fat. He does get treats too – and if he is willing fruit as well particularly apples.

Also, I would like to start my dog on some more supplements – particularly green food supplements (have heard kelp is high in sodium though and the ones i’ve looked at contain many types of kelp..hmm), switching out the vitamin powder to VetriScience Renal Essentials Kidney Health Support Dog, adding salmon oil, and adding pre/probiotics to my dog’s diet.

Is the salmon oil necessary if I use the VetriScience kidney support tabs?

Can someone who is knowledgeable with kidney disease in dogs advise on the supplements I would like to add to my dog’s diet? I know the best thing is to consult my vet, but perhaps someone on here who has gone something similar can advise.

[Bailey S]

So I rescued a new dog a few days ago. He’s five years old and an alaskan malamute/german shepard mix. The people at the shelter didn’t know much about his life prior, but he did have issues with his lungs so he’s on doxy100 (a type of antibiotic i think).

In short he isn’t eating very well if at all. I can kinda coax him into eating out of my hand then setting it on the floor. But he has a tendency to run off with his food and eat it out of site. He will not eat out of a bowl at all, even with treats. I don’t know if its an issue because of his medication or choice of food. I tried soft food and a mixture but he puked that up pretty quickly so its a no go on that. Anyone have any advice? I just want the poor boy to feel comfortable and able to eat.

[Susan]

Hi Lyndsay,
have a look at “K-9 Natural Freeze Dried, Green Lipped Mussels, they are healthy crunchy & easy to digest but no more then 2-3 mussels a day so not really great if you want to use as training treats, sometimes a small bag of a dry kibbles is best that’s potato free if you want to do training there’s “Canidae” All Life Stages Bakery snacks, they’re a crunchy biscuit that you can break in 1/2 if needed, I was buying Canidae Grain Free Bison & Butter Squash snacks but these biscuits have potatoes but Canidae’s All Life Stages biscuits are Potato free,
here’s the link, click on https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products then scroll down a little bit looking to your right & you’ll see “View All” click on page 11 & you’ll see the ALS Turkey Quinoa, Butternut Squash snack biscuits 32.9 Kcals per biscuit & the ALS Wild Boar & Kale Snacks, 25 Kcals per biscuit, you can see picture of the size of biscuit…

There’s some real easy to make dog biscuits online you can also eat them & they are healthy, that’s why I like the Green lipped Mussels they’re very healthy, if you go onto “Rodney Habib” face Book page or his “Planet Paws” f/b page look for his video’s & he has some really easy to make healthy treats you can make & then put in freezer, I’ve just found his Video’s they’re on Rodney’s Planet Paws f/b page. here’s the link, https://www.facebook.com/pg/PlanetPaws.ca/videos/?ref=page_internal
scroll down a bit look for second row they’re called “Brain Booster treats” next to them is “DIY Meat Berry Pupsicals” then there’s “Honey, Ginger & Chicken Treats” you can change a few ingredients around if your boy can’t eat those ingredients….
When you make your own treats yourself you know what’s in them also if you have kids/grandkids it’s a fun thing to do & you can also eat some of them as it’s all human grade ingredients.. there’s even a video “How to make your own pet tooth paste”..

[Susan]

Hi Ginger.
here’s the Honestly Bare link https://www.honestlybare.com/about-us/
I looked at the Honestly Bare, Slow cooked tenders formula’s, here’s the Chicken, Peas Carrots formula ingredients, {Chicken, dried peas, dried carrots, “beef glycerin”, salt, “natural hickory smoke flavor”, potassium chloride, preserved with mixed-tocopherols, choline chloride}, also the Chicken Apple & Sweet Potato formula also has the “Beef Glycerine” & the “natural hickory smoke flavor” powder, these are not good or natural ingredients…”hickory smoke flavor” is a powder type flavoring to make the food more appealing & the Glycerin is a binder & a sweetener…
Some dog treats also use the Glycerine, I avoid those treats, your dog probably likes & eats this cause of the salty hickory flavoring…
The Honestly Bare slow cooked tenders formula’s are not freeze dried, it’s made to appear like the natural freeze dried formula’s, the Honestly Bare “Wholesome Topper” formula’s are freezed dried, you’re better of adding the Honestly Bare Wholesome topper to his kibble, you add water & then add to his Acana kibble as a topper the Wholesome topper don’t have the Hictory smoked powder or glycerine & the ingredients look natural but it’s just a topper not a proper balance meal…
When you read the “Wholesome Topper” it does say freeze dried chicken & 100% natural when you read the “Slow Cooked” doesn’t say 100% Natural & says 75% chicken…

When I’m on the other side of DFA the “Comment” section a few people who have very Fussy dogs have been posting that their dogs are doing really well & love “Fresh Pet” pet foods there’s, Freshpet Select, Vital & Nature’s Fresh, here’s the Freshpet link
https://freshpet.com/our-foods/our-brands/
there’s their Fresh Baked grain free formula’s & their Loaf style rolls that you can cut in sections & freeze…
Another really good Air dried food is “Ziwi Peak” https://www.ziwipets.com/
send “Ziwi Peak” an email & ask for some samples, give your address etc so they can send you the samples, Ziwi Peak is air dried & propely balanced so can be feed as main meal, your dog will probably like their NZ Tripe & Lamb it’s for Picky eaters & the Mackeral & Lamb, Ziwi Peak also do their raw wet canned foods, I bet your dog will love Ziwi Peak then just roatae between the different meat proteins, my cat goes nuts when I feed her the Ziwi Peak wet & dry food, she inhales it & doesn’t chew, the wet canned food can be a bit expensive so best to buy when on special….

[Gloria K]

I usually make my dog’s treats so I know exactly what he’s getting. There are so many wonderful recipes for dog treats that don’t contain potato… You might want to take a look. You can make five or six dozen at a time and they only take a few minutes to make because there’s just a few ingredients.

[Lyndsay D]

Good afternoon!
I have a big but little lab/pointer mix puppy on natures variety raw and he has a potato allergy (And a few other allergies) . Finding a no potato crunchy treat is almost impossible.
Does anyone have any ideas where I may be able to find some? or recipes that can be crunchy and satisfying for this pup?
Thank you!

[Susan]

Hi Weezerweeks,
I wouldn’t be stressing out to much, sounds like your vet has given the best drugs in this situation, Metronidadazole & Clavamox…it will take a good 5-14 days to start seeing some good results.
Pepcid (Famotidine) is an old ant acid drug 1979, we do not use Famotidine anymore in Australia, there’s better ant acid drugs now…Zantac (Ranitidine) replaced Famotidine & might work better or ask vet about giving a stronger ant acid medication like Omerpazole (Losec)…1/2 the dose 10mg once a day, the Pepcid might not be reducing the acid in stomach, it would of been good if vet arranged an Endoscope & Biopsies to see what’s happening in his stomach & bowel….
I’d stop the boiled rice it could be irratating an inflammed bowel?
I boiled sweet potato + some boiled pumkin, only add about 1 teaspoon of the boiled Pumkin you can freeze cooked pumkin in ice cube trays & take out when needed.
Another very easy to digest food is egg, whisk 1 egg & put in microwave & lightly cook scramble egg…
also when this all started what did he eat that whole day & the days before?
does he eat the same diet 24/7 or do you rotate & change his food around?
Im very curious if you’re feeding a pet food & which one ??

Pooing blood & having mucus poos can be from food sensititivies/intolerances, sometimes after a dog eats the same food 24/7 they can all of a sudden start reacting to an ingredient in their diet, he might of had light red streaks of blood thru his earlier poos & you never noticed the blood streaks & still feeding the same ingredient that he’s become intolerant too making things worse, he might be eating treats something isnt agreeing with him??

When it comes to stomach & bowel problems the best thing to have done is Endoscope or Colon Scoped + BIOPIES, Biospies are a must & the vet will have more answers, the Metronidazole will start clear this all up & will reduce any inflammation, it just needs time..

Do you follow Dr Judy Morgan? go onto her Facebook page look to your left & click on “Video’s” & look for her “Pancreatitis Diet” & her “IBD IBS Diet” & start feeding a cooked diet, if you’re feeding any dog foods/treats etc, always keep a diary write all this down & see is there a pattern when he eats whatever he eats, does it happen again, also does he go on walks could he have picked up something, someone given him a little treat?

[Roger D]

Hi, I’m a new member with a question about a rescue dog I have. She was rescued from a hoarding situation. She’s 6 yrs old. She won’t let me feed her and runs from me when I present kibble in a bowl. She reluctantly takes treats. The vet examined her, and pronounced her healthy. She’s at her ideal weight at present. Should I just wait for her to get hungry? Other than this, she seems to be doing fine. Any suggestions? Thanks. RJ

[Jon K]

I went to a conference about a month ago in San Francisco and a company was handing out samples of their food and treats, along with a discount code. Signed my lab up with them not too long after and pretty impressed! The food looks decent, and the jerky treats are ridiculous. I’ve literally never seen my dog go so crazy for any treat before. They deliver to your door too, which is nice for those big bags.

The code they were handing out was HOTDOGGIE and it gives you a $20 credit, but the first bag is always $1 anyway. http://www.yadoggie.com

[Dan M]

Peter,
It started with him not wanting to eat although i knew he was hungry. He would go to his dish sniff a little back away and repeat that several times before he would actually eat. My vet said that it was the changes in the food supply, or something to that effect that was not agreeing with his stomach and digestive system. After he was on meds and the boiled chicken, sweet potato and pumpkin diet for a few weeks i started to reintroduce the acana food back to him very slowly. At that point i was not aware nor was my vet of the acana relocation deal. Once he was fully back on the dry food and nothing else, not even treats, cookies or anything that it started again. If he is only eating one thing in his diet and the problems come back its a very easy conclusion. Lets see, on acana from a pup till 5 years old no problems, they change and so does my dogs quality of life. Around the same time my vets own dogs started to experience issues. We put him back on the “special” diet for another few weeks along with the meds and slowly transitioned him to Merrick limited ingredients chicken diet which he absolutely loves and is having absolutely no issues with. I put it in his bowl and he cant wait to eat it, unlike acana. Two of my local retailers that sold acana have pulled all champion products from their shelves. I have not seen any hairs in the food like i have heard or and other foreign objects, so i can only say that it is my opinion that their quality control in this new plant is inferior to the past. If they say they are using local sources for their food there has to be some kind of dramatic difference for people to post so many complaints about their furry family members health problems, coincidence i doubt it. I have placed a call to Champion customer service weeks ago and have heard nothing yet and i believe i never will. Wish there was some sort of class action lawsuit against champion foods, trust me my name would be on it. Please feel free to keep me and the rest of us posted on if they contact you back or not.

[Susan]

Hi,
with the Kefir you mighten be seeing any results but it’s working, same happened with Patch he was on a dog probitic “Protexin” yellow label Soluble + the same kibble Eukanuba Intestinal Vet diet for 9 month before I started introducing any new kibbles then I slowley started new kibble 9-12months later & went back & forth with the Eukanuba Intestinal till I found the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble that worked, then once I found the TOTW I looked for other kibble with similair ingredients to the TOTW, it was always 2 steps forward 1 step backwards with Patch, then we did Endoscope + Biopsies & Patch had the Helicobater-Pylori & IBD. He probably got the IBD from old owners not stopping what was irritating his gut & bowel & kept feeding it, I rescued him age 4yr old.

You can also cut up small peeled apple pieces & Water melon for treats & when Patches gut isnt working properly the apple & water melon pieces come back out un digested in his poo & I know his stomach isn’t working & stop the Apple & Water Melon treats. Summer is coming soon & i’ll re-try the water & rock melon pieces again another good treat is Green Lipped Mussles they’re freeze dried & seem to crumble easy & are very easy to digest & healthy…. Patch is the same he can NOT have Jerky type treats he gets his pain, all the foods he eats must swell in water quickly, I’m always testing foods, treats, kibble to see which foods swell up in warm water quickly within 30mins…
Ajax will get there he’s probably had a bad start to life his mum might have been under nourised & she didn’t have enough milk to feed the whole litter, we see this alot in rescue the poor pups are born so skinny then all dumped with the mum at the pound in a box so Ajax never would got any colostrum from the beginning of mums milk what is needed for a healthy gut & strong immune.. Something has happened cause he’s a young pup…
Google info on Colotrum powder for dogs & google L-Glutamine leaky Gut..

[Susan]

Hi,
yes I knew the vet wouldn’t be able to tell you much more especially when you have done all the poo tests & ruled out parasites etc…..
How did he go after adding the Kefir, has the Kefir helped or made things worse?
He’s eating the fish NB fish formula, the fish LID is the only LID formula without pea protein the rest of the NB LID formula’s have pea protein except the Potato & Duck it doesn’t have Pea Protein BUT it doesnt have Sweet Potatoes either it just has potatoes, all the NB LID formula’s differ in ingredients, did you end up trying the NB Puppy Potato & Duck formula? it is heap higher in Omega oils that may have contribute to sloppy poo’s if you did try teh NB Puppy Potato & Duck formula…
Have you tried a different NB formula like Venison or Bison the NB formula’s that have Sweet Potatoes like the Fish NB formula has…You could start using another NB formula that has different meat protein for treats for 1-2 weeks, this way you’re slowly introducing & another meat protein to his diet but all the other NB LID formula’s have Pea Protein, (that’s if he can’t eat peas??) When he’s been stable & been doing firm poos for 2-3months start doing an elimination diet so you can work out what foods he can & can’t eat, start adding under 1/4 cup frozen peas that you have cooked to his NB Sweet Potato & Fish meal then you can rule out peas being teh problem..
For treats you could buy tin samon in “spring water” drained all the water & add 1/2 boiled sweet potato make small flat balls & bake in oven on foil lined baking tray or read what Hills does for dogs on strict vet diets, Hills recommend you buy the matching wet loaf style canned food that matches the vet diet that your dog is eating, so you look at the NB LID wet canned foods & he eat Chicken & Sweet Potatoes or there’s the matching Sweet Potatoes & Fish canned food but it has to be a loaf style wet food it can’t be the chunky broth style wet can food, you’ll have to email Natural Balance & ask them are their LID canned Fish formula a loaf style or broth & chucky style?
You open can loaf food slide out the loaf then you cut the loaf in thin slices then you put on a foil linned baking tray & slowly bake in the oven & make treats. I’ll try & find Hills treat recipe online this is what Patches vet recommend I do in the beginning when Patch couldn’t eat anything except his Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue kibble or Hills sell their Hypo-Treats but the Natural Balance LID treats look heaps better & are cheaper & have less ingredients then the Hills Hypo-Treats have…..
Here’s Chewy site link, they seem to be cheapest & are pretty good with refunding money well so I’ve read, when a dog can’t eat a certain food.. this is Natural Balance LID formula’s & matching LID treats, pretty cheap around $5 https://www.chewy.com/s?page=1&rh=brand_facet%3ANatural+Balance

You’re lucky Atlas can eat the NB LID Sweet Potato Fish Formula & he isnt on a vet diet as vet diets are expensive almost double the price as the NB formula’s. I’ll keep a look out for another brand that has Salmon & Sweet Potato or another protein & sweet potato & has around the same amount fat, protein & fiber % that he’s doing well on. I know Merrick LID uses Sweet Potatoes & has similiar ingredients as the Natural Balance has but its the same price & dogs with GI problems do really well on Merrick LID formula’s also there’s “4health” is another really good kibble for dogs with Gi problems & it’s cheaper…. but next year after you’ve done an elimination diet I’d be trying a new kibble..

[Kristin F]

She has trained you to feed her something different. Put the food down twice a day, if she doesn’t eat it in 10 minutes, take it away. Feed nothing till next meal time. She may hold out for 3 days, but she will eventually start eating when she is hungry AND realizes you won’t give in. I want my dogs to eat what I give them immediately. So I teach them that there is no alternative. I have no problems with adding scraps or giving treats, as long as my dog will eat what I put down. This way, if my dog doesn’t eat her food in the normal 60 seconds, I know she is sick and is going to the vet immediately. If you let your dog be picky you may never know when she is really sick.
The way I explain it is, if you put oatmeal in front of me, I will only eat it if I’m really hungry. I am not that fond of oatmeal. If you put ice cream in front of me, I will find room for it no matter how full I am.
I find that most people are feeding their dogs way too much food. Then if the dog doesn’t finish because they are full, the people panic and add something to get them to eat. Creates a monster. The dogs know that you worry if they don’t eat and they play games and hold out for something better.
If your dog always eats immediately, and then suddenly doesn’t, then yes, go to the vet.

[Susan]

Hi Kevin,
I’ve been feeding “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb now 2 yrs with great results, my boy has IBD, Skin Allergies & Food Intolerances to chicken & other ingreients, I’ve tried all the Vet Diets & other foods on the market for 2 long years & finally TOTW was the only food that helped Patches IBD (Sloppy Poos) + his Skin allergies (itchy, smelly paws & skin from food sensitivities chicken), even on facebook groups where dogs are sick Diamond kibbles seem to work the best for these dogs, maybe Diamond as been around longer & understands a dogs needs especially when they are suffering with food sensititivies, diarrhea, itchy skin etc, I don’t know but I read alot of really good results on these F/B groups….. “4Health” is another really good food made by Diamond where I’m reading very good results especially 4Health Special Care range Senstive Stomach Egg & Potatoes has no Chicken…also I’ve had really good results with “Canidae” Pure Formula’s.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products scroll down a bit look to your right & click on “View All” & pages 3 onwards have the start of the Canidae Pure range, grain free limited Ingredients kibbles, have to read each formula as they all vary.

It will all depend on your dog but alot of these really high meat protein & higher fat kibbles which have alot of different meat/organ proteins & ingredients are not agreeing with dogs who have allergies & food intolerances, some of these dogs can’t seems to handle too many different ingredients all at once I have found, so stick with kibbles that don’t have too many different ingredients but have really good ingredients, TOTW Sierra Mountain just has Lamb as the only meat protein, the only other thing I need to warn if you don’t already know is STAY away from fish kibbles as some of these American fish kibbles are 10 times higher in Toxins & Contaminates, if you want to add fish to your dogs diet buy human grade fish that you would eat like tin sardines in spring water, tin salmon in spring water, Freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels are excellent to give as daily treats, don’t feed a kibble that’s has fish in it, these pet food companies wouldn’t be sourcing premium cuts of salmon or whitefish etc they would be buying the cheapest off cuts of fish they can find to use for pet foods & it’s sad, laws need to change so this stops happening & pet food compaines need to start testing all their pet foods & make sure they pass & aren’t 10 times higher in toxins & contaminates & a stamp then needs to be put on the front of the kibble & wet tin foods saying this food has been tested, it will happen 1 day but probably not in our life time ….
another thing once you do pick a kibble pick 2 different brands you’re happy with slowly introduce 1 of them & then start rotating between 2 different brands so your dog doesn’t start reacting to another ingredient in his/her food & he’s not eating the same ingredients 24/7 he has a few different ingredients in his diet, it doesnt have to be too many ingredients as long as he’s not just eating 1 meat protein & say Lentils & Chickpeas in his diet 24/7 for teh rest of his/her life….

[Bobby dog]

Hello Atlas:
My pup was on an Rx food for a month for digestive issues. I transitioned her back to her regular diet with no issues.

I have used Rx diets for my cats as well. I made the mistake of taking one of them off early. His health issue returned not to mention he had to endure more visits to the Vet.

For training maybe single ingredient freeze dried treats would be an option. Some I feed are Nature’s Variety, Stella & Chewie, Grandma Lucy, Vital Essentials, Primal, and Stewarts.

If food is an issue you can never know for sure if an OTC food is free from a protein your dog might react to. OTC foods, even LID or sensitive recipes, might be similar in ingredients to Rx foods, however they are not guaranteed to be free of proteins not listed on the bag as Rx foods are. Completely breaking down the equipment and sanitizing after each batch of food to prevent cross contamination is costly and time consuming. This along with other procedures adds to the price of Rx foods. Here’s an article on the subject:
https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/150515a.aspx

If an elimination diet is ever recommended for your pup keep in mind you can also go the homemade route; your Vet would be able to advise you on a recipe. Some articles explaining elimination diets, food intolerances, and allergies:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499

You can find these articles on “DVM360” the links won’t post just copy and paste the titles in their search:
“The finer points of food elimination trials: A veterinary nutritionist’s take”
“Choosing the right elimination diet for food allergic cases”

I suggest keeping an open mind. I found this site several years ago because my dog had terrible skin and coat issues. I assumed it was his diet, not the case. He’s all healed up and the only maintenance he needs is weekly baths (monthly in the winter) with a shampoo that has specific ingredients, nothing else, just baths. I did move onto other food choices, however I feed him everything under the sun with no issues. Kibble, canned, commercial raw, balanced homemade, grains, grain free, fruits, veggies, common meat proteins, I don’t even transition to new foods. Good luck! 😉

[Susan]

Hi,
I posted a post the other day but it’s not here now??.. Yes go back to just feeding the Natural Balance kibble, what meat protein is in the NB formula he’s eating??
When I rescued Patch he had just turned 4yrs old, I didn’t know what he could eat & what he couldn’t eat & in the end that’s why his 4th vet put him on another vet diet that finally worked & firmed up poos but caused itchy smelly yeasty paws & skin, cause he cant eat Chicken his stomach & bowel is OK eating chicken but he gest Yeasty itchy paw & skin & carrots cause yeasty, itchy, smelly ears, you know Atlas does well on the Natural Balance formula & you know he can eat Chicken & Potatoes so that’s a pretty good start, so he Defently has food intolerances, if his gut was un healthy then he’d be like Patch was when I first rescued him, no matter what he ate he do OK poo’s then he was doing poos with jelly on them or like a condom over the poo (Food Sensitivities), then he was doing sloppy yellow poos (S.I.B.O) that smelt awful, that’s how a “GOOD” vet knows if the dog has either S.I.B.O, IBD, EPI, Food Intolerances…..when their poos are yellow it’s their small bowel that’s not working properly…Patches new vet said lets try the vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue formula it wasthe only vet diet Patchhadn’t tried & finally he was doing smaller firm poo’s & only 2 or 3 poos a day then his vet wanted him to stay on the Eukanuba Intestinal vet diet for 9-12months to let his stomach & bowel heal as he probably has been doing sloppy awful poos most of his life, that’s why he ended up at a pound I’d say, his owner just didnt care, probably when Patch was Atlas age his owner didnt bother trying to work out what was wrong with him & just kept feeding him ingredients he was sensitive too & that has now caused IBD one of Patches vet said…..

I would just feed the Natural Balance for 1 month NO Kefir as this could have caused the
in-balance in his stomach & bowel, S.I.B.O, this is why you only add 1 new food or supplement at 1 time maybe every 1-2 weeks then you know 100% it’s the new food or supplement you’ve added to diet causing sloppy/diarrhea poo’s…
Look at the ingredient list in the “Kirkland Nature’s Domain” I would start doing an Elimination Food Diet start adding peas to his cooked meal start off slowly under 1/4 of a cup for 2 days then increase the amount of peas if he doesn’t have sloppy poos diarrhea in the 2 weeks chances are he can eat peas, then I would stop the peas & start adding boiled peeled Sweet Potato also for treats start making jerky treats, you know he can eat chicken so make Chicken Jerky, if he can eat sweet potato make sweet potato jerky as well or I was making Pork & beef rissoles, I was buying very lean grounded pork mince or beef mince adding 1 whisked egg & 1 teaspoon chopped parsley mixing all together & making small Pork rissoles balls or making separate beef rissoles, I’d foil lined a baking tray & bake them in the oven, they only took about 10 mins on 1 side then half way I would drain any fat & water & turn the rissoles over then cook another 10mins after you cool the rissoles I freeze, then break up a few rissoles & give as treats or I mashed a few rissole balls with some boiled sweet potato for lunch….
It does take time doing an elimination food diet but in the end you will know 100% what he can & cant eat…

The only other thing you can do is if you see a vet ask the vet can he write you a repeat script for some “Metronidazole” a few months worth to keep at home so if Atlas becomes unwell again or when you start introducing a new kibble you put Atlas on the Metronidazole tablets for 2 weeks while intoducing the new kibble, a few dogs in the Canine IBD group see IBD Specialist & this is what their vet specialist has told them to do, same as Patch in the end I had to so I could change his vet diet, I couldn’t handle him smelly & scratching from the chicken in the vet diet, I’d start him on a new kibble he’d be doing really well, good poos then around 2 & 1/2 months later his poos went yuk & soft again, the vet didn’t know what was wrong was his gut bacteria going out of balance too much bad bacteria again?? vet couldnt work out what was happening was it food sensitivities/intolerances as they can take anywhere from 1 day to react up to 6 weeks to start reacting, but this was 2 months later, this is why your better off starting an elimination food trial & start with adding the ingredients in the Kirkland Turkey & Sweet Potato formula or a kibble you want to feed, I’d start with adding boiled Peas, then Sweet Potatoes, blueberries as treats add to his cooked meal & see how he goes, it will be 3 steps forward 2 steps backwards in the beginning, so make sure you keep a diary, I always look back on Patches diarys when I need to rememeber something……
Patch was doing really really well most of 2016 while eating the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble & having a cooked meal Pork Rissoles & sweet potatoes he was drinking heaps of water maybe 2-3 times a week, vet did all these test they showed nothing was wrong, so vet said it could be pain related so I had introduced “Canidae Pure Wild Boar” then he started whinging after 2months of introducing the Canidae, his poos were bigger & softer on the Canidae in the beginning but got better as the weeks went by plus he was eating TOTW for his bigger meals breakfast & 1st dinner, Canidae was givin for Lunch & a second dinner the Canidae were smaller meals, he was geeting his pain right side Stomach/Pancreas area I thought the Canidae was too high in Kcals it was over 400 Kcals per cup this has happened before with another kibble so I started to introduced a new kibble Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Digestion Lamb then his poos went real sloppy again & smelly he had been eating the same kibbles all Spring & Summer TOTW Canidae no poo problems until the I added the Purina Digestion, Sensitive Stomach cause Patches pain right side, Patches American vet Sue had recommendd I try Purina months before so this is why I tried the Purina, the vet Sue blammed environment allergies & said his immune system has gone into over drive from his allergies & he’s reacting but I think it was more from when I started to add Purina Sensitive Stomach kibble to his diet it had Barley in it, I dont think he does well when the kibble has barley in it or he had an imbalance in the bowel S.I.B.O & they get abnormal amounts bacterica accumulate in the small bowel making their poos go yuk again, something he was eating put his gut/bowel floria out of wack again & causes too much bad bacteria then he starts doing very sloppy poos again, that’s what happens with Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth (S.I.B.O) it happens in young dogs, they can’t put on any weight they stop growing, maybe Atlas has a few Intestinal problems, he has his Food Sensitivities & he might get SIBO as well & the Kefir set off the SIBO again, Metronidazole gets rid of the S.I.B.O & then the gut/bowel is balanced again…..

It’s very hard working out your dog what agrees with him & what doesn’t, I’ve learnt more thru people in canine IBD groups who have been thru all this, there’s a good small F/B group called ” Irritable Bowel Disease & G.I Related Diseases In Dogs UK” group on Face Book, the Amercan Canine IBD group the lady who runs it just pops in & tells everyone to go & see your vet & the poor people have been & seen their vets & they still have no answers what’s wrong with their por dog, I’m noticing over the years there’s a few bad vets in America, I dont think a vet in America has to study as long as an Australian or UK vet does?? cause Patches vet Sue is American & she said when she came to Australia in the late 80’s she had to do another 2 years study to work as a vet in Australia & also in Australia vets have to follow up with yearly courses… Patches really good 2nd vet Simon he did Patches Endoscope & Biopsies, he’s very busy & very hard to see he’s always operating etc he knows heaps about the stomach/bowel, he’s the vet that isnt really into giving dogs PRObiotics to dogs, he said there’s no real scientific proof about PRObiotic work in dogs, but if you think your seeing an improvement he said then give Patch the Probiotics but make sure it’s a dog probiotic that are stored in the fridge, “Protexin Soluble”, I said Probiotics seem to make Patch feel sick, he starts his mouth licking & swollowing but only some days this would happen, then Simon said when it comes to PREbiotics he said yes he has found Prebiotics did help & work on some of the dogs he’s treated… I never saw any real improvement with Patch but I did when he was on “NAS, Digestavite Plus” Powder, its a dog prebiotic with vitamins that balances raw or cooked meals he was eating, I went thru a Naturopath with Patchto put him on a raw diet in te end before I found the TOTW & Canidae kibbles, his vet referred Patch to a Holistic Vet but shewas very expensive $180 a hour, so I saw a Animal Naturopath Nutritionist instead, she cost $60 a hour, she makes the “Natural Animal Solutions” products, the Digestavite Plus Powder has Glutimine, Inulin, Spinach leaf powder, Parsley leaf, Beetroot powder, Broccoli, Green Tea, Grapeseed extract, Ginger, Slipperly Elm, Stem Bark, Milk Thistle, Acacia Powder, then Vitamin B1, B2 B3, B5 B12,D3, Patches poos were beautiful & firm when he has the Digestavite Plus Pawder over his cooked & raw meals….
You can ask the vet about weekly Vitamin B12 injections, the B12 really helps dogs that keep having diarrhea slopping poos..
Just see how Atlas goes just eating the Natural Balance for 1 month then introduce 1 new food to his diet nothing else. Good-Luck he’s your special boy.. I’m rescueing another dog soon, Patch is turning 9yrs old, 20th November…I’m going to make sure she does NOT have any Allergies or Stomach/Bowel problems. sorry about the long posts but there’s too much information to leave out..

[Susan]

Hi Sade.
Your dog might have Seasonal Environment Allergies & Food sensitivities the 2 normally come together & as the dog ages the allergies get worse not better…

Have a look at “Canidae”Pure Petite, Small Breed formula’s or there’s Pure Sea, Pure Wild, Pure Land formula’s, Canidae kibble size is nice, small & easy to digest you will see a big improvemnet with the skin, most of the Pure formula’s are chicken FREE
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products. I’ve read that chicken fat has no protein in it, & the protein is what the dog reacts too… but when they have both Food & Environment allergies it’s hard to work out what is causing what? So Elimination Food Diet is best to do in teh colder months not Spring Summer or Autunm too many allergens..

Baths the best to do, are you bathing twice a week too wash off the allergen’s on paws & skin? I have found “Malaseb: medicated shampoo to be very good, it kills any bacteria & yeast that’s on the paws & skin, puts moisture back into the skin & makes skin nice & soft, I also use Hydrocortisone 1% cream when paws are red & itchy at night you check all over dogs body & paws look for any red irritated paws & skin look inbetween toes & pad lightly apply some hydrocotisone 1% cream, by morning paws will be all clear again, then I use “Sudocrem” before Patch goes outside for walks etc, Sudocrem is for Dermtitis, Eczema, Nappy Rash & acts as a barrier & protects the skin & paws, really good thick cream, Amazon or Ebay sell Sudocrem & the Malaseb medicated shampoo..
Start keeping a diary & write everything down, as te years pass you well start to see a patten & can work out if it is Seasonal Allrgies, another really good food to add to diet is Green Lipped Mussels chwy sells teh “K-9 Natural”Green Lipped freeze Dried Mussels give 1-2 mussels a day as treats, Mussels are high in Omega 3, EPA & DHA

You need to keep on top of things & with the weekly baths or bath as soon as he starts licking & chewing paws with the Malaseb Shampoo to relieve his itchy paws & skin, diet high in Omega 3 faty acid, applying creams & using baby wipes to wipe skin, fur & paws down after ghe comes back instide & when you dont want to bath you’ll start controling the problem, but allergies don’t get better…
A really good Face Book group to join is “Dog Issues, Allergies & Other Information Support Group” there’s a Dermatologist in the group Karen Helton Rhodes she also has her own site called “Canine Skin Solutions inc”

[Atlas T]

Thanks, all, for chiming in and for your support and optimism.

As of yesterday, I put him back on the Sweet Potato and Fish LID food exclusively. Hopefully that will work well for him for the time being. I’ve also stopped the kefir for now. Once his poo is good for 3-5 days, I’ll start adding kefir in to see how he does. I only want to add one new thing at a time so as to understand what is causing him issues.

It sounds like most of you are suggesting that once his gut heals and gets more good bacteria, he should be able to process other foods. I’m just curious…what makes you think that later on he will be able to transition? Versus there just being things in the other foods that he is permanently sensitive to?

Bobby dog – how long did your pups have to be on the Rx diet before they could transition back to regular food?

And Joyce B – I just don’t think there is another food that has as few ingredients as that LID one and that is cheaper. If you have any suggestions though on how to find it, that’d be great.

And yes to everyone who mentioned getting more vet opinions – I will take him again next week.

My other challenge is that since he is young, we are trying to do lots of training. And to do training, you need to use VERY TASTY treats. And because of his tummy issues, I’ve had to just use the LID kibble as treats, but it’s not very enticing. I’m not sure what else to do!

[Susan]

Hi Dana,
Scroll up to the 2013 posts, read “Hound Dog Mom” post, she recommends cheaper joint meds that are good..
Go on Chewy site & get some “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels 50g, they’re freeze dried excellent given as treats 1-2 mussels a day, the shell in the mussel has Glucosamine & Chondroitin, the mussel meat is high in Omega 3, low fat & wont cause any stomach pain/acid reflux like alot of these joint meds can cause… If you ask vet or vet nurse they may know of a human grade supplement that has same ingredients as Dasuquin Advance, read ingredient list to the Dasuquin Advance write it down then take to a few Pharmacist/Chemist & ask the Pharmacist is there a joint supplement that has these ingredients….. Green Lipped Mussel are excellent to give especially when your dog has Panreatitis IBD stomach problems….

[Dana B]

I love that you are so willing to help. I see your comments from WAY back. I wonder if you have your answers on a .doc so you can copy and paste, and save yourself some typing time… HAHAHA But, THANK YOU so much for your help. I hope your doggies are well.

I am looking for specific answers of Dasuquin ADVANCED (not the kind I can order online)… and a less expensive alternative in human form… like the actual product. My girl is almost 14, a pit/lab/pointer mix, best we can tell. Started with joint pain a year ago mainly in winter. Dasuquin Advanced helps, but it is so expensive. I will pay it, but if there is an equivalent, less expensive… it only makes good sense.

We also have a 9 year old Yorkie who gets pancreatitis abut twice a year. Since I have put him on strict RX ProPlan diet, he is better and less than 4% fat treats… But, he is a little spoiled and would like a variety of at least treats. Any suggestions?

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Dana B.

[Cherie G]

My dog Bischon/poodle is a rescue and is now @ 4 1/2 yrs old. I have had her for about 1 1/2 year. She had a bladder stone the size of an egg (REALLY!) and had to have surgery to have it removed. The vet said she “thought” she had a Struvite bladder stone. The Vet put her on Royal Canine SO by prescription. She has been on this about 1 yr. Now reading about the ingredients from this site, I am very worried about the food ingredients which start out with Brewers rice, corn, chicken by product meal, chicken fat and more. She is a dog that is starving at all times. I give her 1/2 C in morning and 1/2 C in evening. Make her own dog treats. Does ANYONE have experience with the bladder stones and possibly recommend a dog food that is better??? I’ve been buying it at Chewy and is less expensive than the Vet……but…….?……..now am confused.
Thank you so much……..Cherie (the human)…..Sophie (the dog)….

[Virginia D]

I have an almost 2 yr. old lab who bloats and farts daily. Sometimes the farts stink bad, sometimes they don’t at all. I have tried different foods; sometimes they work for a day, then we’re back to square one. He is now eating California Naturals Limited Ingredient dry dog food, and his treats are SportMix Grain Free dog biscuits. He takes Beano before every meal, per my vet; my vet is not a nutritionist & has run out of basic ideas for us. Pal is a rather timid guy & sensitive emotionally, we feel; our household is busy & that’s got to be part of it, we think (adult children complain about his farts & slobberiness, which is understandable). Would a probiotic help? I’ve heard, ‘they work/they don’t work.’ Any ideas or suggestions are much appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
slow & steady in the beginning with Patch, I used the new kibble as treats for 2 days then on the 3rd day I only added under 1/4 of a cup for 3 days to 1 cup old kibble then if poos looked good then I started to add 1/4 of a cup, I gave 1/4 cup with each meal for 3 days, the I added 1 heaped 1/4 of a cup for 2 days & just kept look at his poos making sure poos were good, then I stay on 1/2 new kibble & 1/2 old kibble for 1 week before I introduce any more of the new kibble… 3-4 years ago 1 year after I rescued Patch he was having skin problems from the vet diet kibble he was eating for his IBD his poos were firm but it wasnt grain free & he must of been sensitive to an ingredient causing itchy yeasty smelly paws & skin so I tried a vet diet Eukanuba FP Fish & Potato, all I added was under 1/4 of a cup for 2 days to his other kibble then 2nd night Patch was up all thru the night with really BAD diarrhea every 2 hours the vet & I thought he cant eat potatoes & for 2 yrs I couldn’t try any kibbles that had Potato, then one day I was at a pet shop & the lady at the pet shop said why can’t he eat potato, I’ve never heard a dog getting diarrhea from potatoes, I’m a breeder I breed Border Collies & show them, I had a dog with IBD & potato firmed up his poo’s, she was a very pushing lady lol then I told her what had happened & she said it could have been the fish or a supplement in the Eukanuba FP kibble you dont really know, she said start adding a little cooked boiled potato with Patches meal cause he might be able to eat potato & he was fine, so I went back to the pet shop & tried the TOTW & Patch did really good firm poos the first time in 2 yrs his poos stayed firm & didnt go soft some days, like they were doing on teh vet diet the vet wanted him on & now after seeing Clean Label Testing I think it could have been the fish, it was probably high in toxins or something else was wrong with the Eukanuba FP kibble, I have never seen Patch that bad since he had pooed blood all night & vet said stop all food for for 24-36hrs & let his stomach bowel rest, then he was put on another vet diet with Metronidazole for 21 days that made his skin itch & smell.. Sometimes some vets don’t have a clue & just put the dog on vet diets & meds (steriods) I didnt have a clue & thought they’re a vet they’d know more then me about diarrhea, now finally Patch has 2 really good vets one the lady vet is more a holistic vet & the other vet he specializes in the stomach/bowel & does Endoscopes biopsies & few other things..

My vet told be it’s OK if their poos are softer some days as long as they don’t stay sloppy/diarrhea… If Patch is eating the same brand kibble & I’m not introducing a new kibble & he’s was doing well on his old kibble then all of a sudden his poos startéd to go sloppy I wait 2 days & see if poos go good again & if on 3rd day Patches poos still look sloppy smelly awful I put him back on the Metronidazole tablets for 14-21 days, something has put his good bacteria out of wack & he has more bad bacteria then good bacteria….

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
I would feed the Natural Balance Fish & Potato for 4-6 months to let his Gi tract settle & heal or start him on the the brand that is cheaper, the Kirklands Natures Domain Turkey Sweet Potato formula this way you have some of the Natural Balance Fish & Potato formula to introduce with the kibble & just feed that kibble for 4-6months then once he seems stable rotate between a few different brands with a different protein source… & make sure they do not have Chickpeas & Lentils..

He’s probably growing it’s called “growth spurt” it happens between 8-12months old, google Growth Spurts in dogs….
You could give him a meaty raw bone, no cooked bones, this way he chewing & keeping busy & he’s eating something & you could feed him 3 smaller meals a day instead of just 2 larger kibble meals a day, that will keep him feeling fuller.
I follow “Rodney Habib” on his face Book page watch his videos, his vidoe’s are quick & to teh point & really good, he recommends blueberries, apple, healthy whole foods added as a topped to kibble fed dogs I give the toppers as a treat instead, if your dog likes cooked food instead then feed him cooked meals & try & feed less kibble he’ll be healthier….

The only problem I have with fish kibble they are higher in toxins & contamintes.
Have a look at Clean Label Project 2nd test study on kibbles, wet foods & treats, alot of the expensive brands some of their formula’s came back very high in Toxins & Acrylamides & BPA & BPS… Kirkland had a few formula’s, so did TOTW & I think Nature Balance had a few brands high in toxins, you’ll have to look thru & see which formula’s only got 1-2 stars
here’s the link below click on it, read thru then scroll back up & look to your left & click on “Dry Dog Foods” you’ll see all the 5 star foods then go to pages 11 thru to 16 is teh start to all the bad 1 star brands & the formula’s that tested very high in toxins. Just stay away from these formula’s if you can…..
The last 2 Summers I’ve been rotatating Patches kibbles to a fish kibble cause he has skin allergies in Spring & Summmer months & fish formula’s are higher in Omega 3, my vet & I couldn’t work out why poor Patch was doing really well thru the Winter months then after I started feeding him new fish formula’s that didnt have any ingredients he is sensitive too “Wellness” Complete Health, White Fish & Sweet Potato, he got sloppy poos & was unwell, so I put him back on his TOTW Roasted Lamb formula he was good again then I introduuced & tried “Earthborn Holistic” Ocean Fusion after 1-2 months later he became ill again, same with “Holistic Select” Salmon it took 3 months he became sick & wouldnt touch his food if ever your dog wont eat a kibble dont make him, take the food back, I keep all my recipts, then I tried the TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon formula which is the Kirkland Nutures Domain Salmon & Sweet Potato formula, he kept vomiting up the TOTW Salmon, then last April CLP released their first ever pet food testing & I was shocked there were 3 of the foods I feed Patch in the top 10 worse pet kibbles all these formula’s tested very high in toxins, now CLP has just relesed their 2nd test 1 week ago join & get their emails click on link below also on your left click on “Brand Report Cards”
Some people say CLP is this & that, all they want is money, yes they need donation to test pet & baby foods that’s how we get it for free.
My dog & other people dogs have been very sick after eating these 4 & 5 star brands that DFA gives & they have tested very high in toxins, when you go & look at these brands up in the DFA “Reviews” section, read all people’s post, my dog is sick, my dog died, my dog has diarrhea, I know some dogs may have health problems but there’s some foods like TOTW’s High Prairie formula where a heap of dogs became very sick all of a sudden after eating the TOTW High Prairie & Pacific Stream formula’s these formula’s both tested very high in toxins in CLP 2nd testing…
I’d rather be safe then sorry & when you have a dog with a sensitive stomach & bowel these’s are the dogs that become very sick first, Purina rated good with some of their formula’s but some of Purina’s formula’s didnt rate good at all, like Purina’s Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach formula it rated 3rd worse formula with the higest amount of Toxins.. there’s more information on different pet foods on Clean Label Project F/B page…
Im staying away from fish pet foods, I buy human tin salmon in spring water give that as a small meal with sweet potato for Patch
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food-study-2-0/

[Jaclyn B]

Hi DogFoodAdvisor,

Clean Label Project is a national non-profit with the mission to bring truth and transparency to consumer product labeling. We do this by using data and science to reveal true product quality and purity and empower consumer to make their own choices. Through the resulting shifting economics, we aim to serve as the catalyst to change the definition of food and consumer product safety in America.

Given the humanization of pet food over the past several years coupled with the scandals and recalls, we were especially interested in what was truly behind all these “Feed them like Family”, “Natural”, “Human-grade”, etc. claims. For us, it was about seeing past the comfort and security that pet food brands marketing departments sell, and get right to the data and science about the true ingredient quality. This impartiality only comes through testing. When we began this pet food study, we assumed that these companies were regularly screening for environmental toxins alongside more conventional foodborne contaminants (like salmonella). Our results clearly indicate otherwise. We believe consumers have a right to know what’s in the products they buy.

When we initially started this project, we utilized Nielson reports to pull the products that made up 90% of the overall retail sales of pet foods. From there, we visited specialty pet food stores and spoke with consumers and team members to ask what people were buying. Our approach to the sampling was simple and why Clean Label Project is unique is clear- we simulate the consumer shopping experience. We went to grocery stores, pet food stores, and online retailers and purchased products just like any consumer would. We tested over 1000 of America’s best-selling dry and wet dog foods, cat foods, and treats for over 130 environmental and industrial contaminants and toxins like heavy metals, pesticide residues, antibiotic residues, plasticizers, melamine, acrylamide, and mycotoxins. We amassed over 130,000 data points, benchmarked them, and put the findings on our website in the form of a 5-star rating system. The products that we personally purchased and tested are literally the exact same products that are in pantries across America. For us, we don’t trust label claims, we trust analytical chemistry because gas chromatography and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry doesn’t lie.

We agree that sampling error is a risk in any scientific study, and you have correctly pointed out that random sampling of sufficient size is essential to minimizing the risk of sampling error leading to a false positive or false negative result (so-called “Type I” and “Type II” errors). However, there are two important distinctions here that we would like to stress as to why we chose the sampling strategy that we did.

First, at the product level – while you make a valid point that sampling repeatedly from different batches for an individual product would result in a more accurate representation of the “true” contaminant level of a single product this, in our opinion, misses important quality and supplier assurance implications of our results. If these companies, as many of them have repeatedly assured us, are conducting rigorous supplier assurance and quality assurance programs, single “fluke” high values should be exceedingly rare. While sample variability does occur, a robust quality program should severely limit the variability (and the levels of these contaminants). This is particularly important given that there is no maximum tolerance level for these contaminants in the pet food space. As a side note, the argument that “the product is only loaded with known carcinogens occasionally” doesn’t reassure us very much. Consider the analogy of food borne pathogens like salmonella, e.coli, or listeria – certainly there is variability as to how much of these bacteria are present in raw ingredients, but rigorous quality assurance programs or kill steps bring the variability in finished products to almost zero. This is why the presence of these bacteria cause headlines when they occur in finished foods – we have systems in place that should prevent them. This is not the case for the contaminants we measure in the pet food space—but it should be. All brands, regardless of their score, should be vigilant regarding these contaminants and should take proactive steps to improve the status of the industry.

Second, at the brand level: It is important to note that decisions about a brand (for example, the brand report cards released September 18, 2017) are not based off single product ratings, instead they are based on the average performance of multiple products within a brand. When data is aggregated across a group, the “true” value being estimated is that of the brand, not the product. As such, when we give the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to a brand, this is based on the weight of evidence from multiple products. This means that our brand ratings, and the conclusions we draw about the performance of brands, are arguably the least likely to be impacted by sampling error.

For us at Clean Label Project, we refer to ourselves as the environmental and industrial contaminant and toxin people. That’s who we are, the mission we hold, and the conversation we are looking to have with consumers. To us, so often we hear about food safety issues happening at burrito restaurants and cruise ships (e.coli, listeria, salmonella, etc.), but what people don’t talk about is the long term adverse health effects associated with chronic exposure to industrial and environmental toxins and contaminants with links to diseases like cancer- for ALL living things. To us, first, it’s do no harm, start with high quality – not harmful ingredients – and then dive into how to formulate the most nutritious foods. This should not be a novel concept.

To us at Clean Label Project, there is no such thing as healthy poison. You can read more information about our position here. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/white-paper/

[anonymous]

Below is an excerpt from http://animaldentalspecialist.com/safe-and-appropriate-chew-toys-for-dogs/
Click on link for full article. Hope this helps.

Fractured pet teeth are one of the more common dental problems encountered by veterinary dentists. Broken teeth, more often than not, have exposed pulp tissues that subsequently become infected.  Just like for humans, apical infection (apical periodontitis, dental “abscesses”) will occur in a matter of time. They are painful and cause exposure of the body to chronic bacteria infusion and inflammation. In most cases, the problem is caused by dogs being allowed to chew on objects that are just too hard for their teeth. These objects may actually be harder than the teeth.  It is important to remember the evolutionary function of carnivores…they are meat eaters. The function of carnivore oral behavior is to grasp, pull and hold prey. This is followed by cutting and tearing meat before crushing and gulping. Carnivore teeth are not designed to chew bones or other objects harder than the teeth.  Starving wild animals often have only bones to eat, however, they also break their teeth, which places them at a survival disadvantage (survival of the fittest). Wild carnivores that do eat bones are usually doing so from freshly killed prey.  Fresh bones are softer, however, they still can lead to traumatized and fracture teeth. Dental treats and chew objects should be considered as only part of preventative dental health care (please refer to information on dental diets, chews and antiseptics).  In conjunction with daily tooth brushing, dental diets and regular professional cleanings, toys and treats can play an important part of oral health care maintenance.
Strictly avoid bones (cooked or uncooked), cow hoofs, pig ears, hard & thick rawhides, plastic or nylon bones, and large ice cubes. Tennis balls and other objects with abrasive surfaces should also be avoided as these have a sandpaper-like effect on tooth structure that damages and may expose the pulp. The flatter, softer rawhide chews have been shown to be safe and effective in reducing the rate of plaque accumulation. C.E.T. Hextra rawhide chews contain Chlorhexidine which enhances their effectiveness.
When trying to select safe chew objects for your pet, there are two good approaches:
General rules of thumb.
Use products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC)
A. Rules of Thumb
You want to be able to indent the surface with your finger nail.  Surface has some “give” to it.
“Knee Cap Rule”: If you hit your self in the knee with the object and it hurts, it’s probably too hard/heavy for your dog.
“Hammer Rule”: If you can drive a nail with the product, don’t allow your dog to chew on it.
Also avoid objects with abrasive surfaces like Tennis Balls and Frisbees.
If you cannot flex or break the product with your bare hands, it’s probably best to avoid it.
Please take note: you should always monitor your pet when they are chewing on anything.  Verify they’re not gagging, trying to ingest too much at one time or attempting to eat an inedible product.
B. VOHC approved products
Although not all safe products have VOHC approval, using products with the VOHC seal of acceptance is recommended as these products have successfully met pre-set requirements for veterinary dental efficacy and safety.  A complete list of VOHC approved products can be accessed at http://www.vohc.org.

[Robert S]

Thanks for the comments. I have looked at a lot of dog foods on Dig Food Advisor and was going to use EVO dry morning EVO 95% Evening. I just learned that EVO is or has stopped manufacturing the canned dog food.Of course you can purchase until supplies run out.

I ordered a case of Dave’s 95% beef and will see how my dogs like. I am going to try Wysong Epigen starch free. I will mix with EVO until all. 1/4 cup dry mornings and 1/4 cup wet evenings. It is pretty much high fat, high protein, low carb diet. during the day we give treats like Earthborn Holistic grain free.

I don’t know how this will work out but I am going to try. I have another miniature smooth coated dachshund, 13, that has mass on or near spleen. I am trying to feed both the same.

like I said we will see.

Blessings,
bob

[haleycookie]

There are thousands and thousands of dog treats out on the market. Unfortunately the maker of this site just doesn’t have the time to review all of them. But home cooked treats are the best. You have control over what goes in them and you can pick the ingredients your dogs like. There are many online recipes you can find for meaty treats or buiscuit treats.

[Kelli S]

I see that dog treats are added to the forum. Only, it would be very helpful it treats were reviewed as the food is. Going through the forums can be helpful, but need a place to look for the best treats reviewed and rated. Thank you for your consideration.

[Susan]

Hi Meghann,
Stop feeding the Wellness Core, cause he has had Giardia his bowel would still be inflammed & needs to heal & rest & he needs a very easy to digest kibble, did the vet recommended feeding him “Hills I/d Digestive Care” dry kibble? it has everything he needs B-12 to heal his bowel & is very easy to digest, my boy had to stay on a Intestinal low fiber vet diet for 9-12months as soon as the 9 months was up & Patch had done firm poos every day, I started to introduce a new kibble that wasn’t too high in protein & not too high in fiber or fat around 25%-protein, 15%-fat & under 4% for fiber, & under 370 Kcals per cup, he needs to stay on the Metronidazole (Flagyl) for 21-28 days, the first 14 days he has to take Metronidazole twice a day every 12 hours with a meal then reduce to just one tablet a day at night with a meal for 10-14 days…..

Take back the Wellness Core it’s too rich, very dense kibble, high protein & probably high in fiber, no good for dogs when their stomach & bowel isn’t working properly & is inflammed, get refund & buy either “Taste Of The Wild”, Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb or look at “4Health” Duck Meal & Potato, Pork Meal & Potato or the Turkey Meal & Potato read ingredient list & get the kibble with the least ingredients, I think the Pork formula has the least ingredients like the TOTW Lamb formula & has only 332Kcals per cup, look for kibbles with Sweet Potato & Potato, if you can get the TOTW Roasted Lamb formula try this formula first, within 2 days poos will be firm again… 4Health is sold at Tractor Supply

I don’t know if it’s the lower fiber, low Kcals per cup, or the probiotics they use or cause they use purified water ?? maybe all these things put together is what makes TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb really work & help dogs with EPI, IBD, IBS, Diarrhea, after you change his food & he’s finished the course of the Metronidazole & he’s been doing really well for a while then all of a sudden you see him doing sloppy poos for 2 days straight put him back on the Metronidazole for 10-14 days give Metro twice a day every 12 hours with a meal then reduce to 1 Metronidazole at night with his dinner for another 10 days, my vet writes me a few repeat scripts & I can get out at the Chemist when I need it….but since feeding the TOTW I haven’t needed to give the Metroniazole only when I have rotated a kibble that didn’t agree with him & put his stomach/bowel bacteria out of wack again or he starts getting his bad acid reflux (Helicobacter-Pylori) he gets put back on the Metronidazole…
Then once your boy is doing really well for 9-12mths start rotating & change brand & look for a different protein source with a few different ingredients & slowly introduce the new kibble with his regular kibble over 1 month peroid, this way he’ll have 2 different brands that agree with him with a different protein source, I rotate between Lamb, Pork & Turkey, rotating between a few different brands is good to do just incase the brand your feeding has toxins or is not balanced properly your changing his kibble & he’s not eating the same brand formula 24/7 year after year… but you only start Rotating his kibbles when you get his bowel healthy again, I rotate between 3 different brands, I always feed TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula Patch always has very firm poos on his TOTW Lamb & I rotate with a Australian brand MfM Turkey & I just started to try Hills pork meal formula cause I was given a Hills Voucher…
Rotating will strengthen his gut/bowel, just make sure when you pick a new kible you stay around the same fat, protein & fiber % & Kcals per cup as the brand of kibble he does really well on…
Wellness Core could be too rich & the protein % is probably way too high for him at this stage, “Wellness Core”, Ocean fish & “Wellness Complete Health” White Fish were both on the “Clean Label Project” bad list for kibble with high contaminates & toxins.. Which wellness Core formula are you feeding?
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

My boy is a rescue & has IBD & Environment Allergies & every Spring Summer Patch gets bad itchy skin so the beginning of Spring his vet said try & feed him a fish kibble that’s salmon higher in Omega 3, so spring 2015 came & I rotated with a fish kibble I feed an Australian made MfM Salmon kibble Patch was fine no diarrhea no waking me up 1am 4am with diarrhea etc, the next year in Spring I feed a new fish kibble Earthborn Holistic Ocean Fussion then around 2 months later he got his diarrhea back same with the next fish brand Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & sweet potato, then I tried Holistic Select Salmon & Potato poos were excellent he was doing good then 2-3 month later he became very ill his vet kept shaking her head & couldn’t work out what was wrong, he was fine eating the Australian made Salmon MfM kibble & he had no diarrhea, we couldn’t work out why my boy was doing really well, no diarrhea no vomiting then he ate the different American fish brands & he was really unwell, then I saw Clean Label Project in May/June & the brands I was feeding him were on the worse contaminates & toxins list, “Earthborn Holistic” Ocean Fusion Whitefish-7th, “Holistic Select” Salmon -10th & “Wellness” Whitefish I don’t know where teh WellnessComplete HealthWhitefish came but Wellpet who makes Wellness has a lawsuit against them now cause of the finding from the Clean Label Project testings..
It’s best to stay away from any kibbles that have fish in them especially when they have a sensitive stomach/bowel. I rather add fresh human tin salmon as a topper & give the K-9 Natural freeze dried Mussels as treats now to up his Omega 3 in his diet for his skin…

Your boy will get better but it just takes time, even if you have to put him on a vet diet, the Hills I/D Digestive Care dry for 6 months it can be given to puppies, then rotate & feed a limited ingredient kibble, my vet said it takes a good 9-12 months for their bowel to heal & recover, Probiotics are best given inbetween meal when their Hydrochloric acids are low in the stomach & the live cutures in the probiotics make it past the stomach into the small bowel & make sure you change his water twice a day, as soon as Patch drinks out of his water bowl I change it, I see bits of food down the bottom of his water bowl..
keeps us up dated with what worked..

[Kathy B]

What a horrible experience for you. We adopted a rescue in January and although her stools weren’t as loose as what you are describing they were pretty bad and every time she went! A member on here mentioned NutriSource dog food (dry) and we switched her a couple of months ago… end of problem. We believe it was just because of a sensitive stomach…. we are cautious about what we give her as treats, absolutely no rawhides….. I know you don’t want to keep switching foods because that is rough on them as well but it’s my only suggestion/experience. I assume you already tried cottage cheese/rice mixture and/or boiled chicken? Hope he gets feeling better!

[Jeri H]

Susan – Thank-you for replying. After comparing the ingredients in all of the foods we have tried with Axel, we noticed common ingredients that you mention (beet root, dried peas, etc). Therefore, I have started to transition (75%, 25%; then 50%,50%) Axel’s food from Rachael Ray Nutrish to the 4Health grain free Duck&Potato and he began to have firmer stool for about a week then diarrhea again. The diarrhea lasted for about 3 days so I added one antibiotic to his food mix for 3 days, which had brought him back to solid poop. I now have him on only 4Health brand food and I have stopped with the antibiotic. So, for the past 2 days Axel has not had any diarrhea. Another possibility to the recent bout with diarrhea could be the water…we recently moved from the city water to well water and I am not sure if this could be a contributing factor; but, anything is possible…
I also add 3oz of boiled boneless skinless chicken breast to my dog’s food as a “treat” (they do not get any other treats) so this is the next variable which I will change if the 4Health food seems to not work.
Thanks again for your help!

@pitlove – Thanks for the reply. Axel is not a purebred, he is a husky/terrier mix and he does have border terrier in his lines (I have had a DNA test done). I do not claim to be a vet; but, the vet did not witness the episodes nor is there a blood test to determine the syndrome; therefore, my gut tells me to “guess” on how to prevent further episodes from occurring. Since changing Axel’s diet to grain-free I have not witnessed an episode. I have been trying foods to no avail for over a year now (ONLY since chef michaels was discontinued). I am keeping my fingers crossed that the 4Health brand food will do the trick!

[Susan]

Hi Croeber,
I think it is really important to rotate between diiferent brands & feed a diffferent meat protein source & different ingredients, a rotational diet allows a beter chance of providing a more complete & balanced diet, while most dog food sold has been balanced to meet nutritional guidelines there’s always a chance that one brand might be a little deficient in a nutrient compared to another brand, by rotating a variety of foods your pet is less likely to suffer any deficiencies & rotating helps strengthen the dogs immune system & may reduce the risk off allergies or sypmtoms developing later on as teh y age this is very important for young animals…
You know your girl does well on Merrick so now look for another brand with a different protein source & different ingrdients but stay around the same protein % & fat % it doesnt have to be exactly the same fat & protein 1-3% higher or lower… some people rotate with the same brand that’s not a good idea, say that brand has toxins or high contaminates in their fish formula then the other formulas may also have the fish meal or whatever is in that brands meats etc so best to look for another brand it doesn’t have to be real expessive to be really good, look at “Clean Label Project” pet food testings some of the very expensive brands had the highest toxins & Purina got 4-5 stars ause of the lean meats tehy buy, Turkey & Chicken are suppose to be very clean meats….

I can’t be too fussy with what I feed my boy, I have to feed him what agrees with him, he was a rescue I rescued at age 4, he suffers with IBD, Skin Allergies & food intolerances, vets & his nutritionist said he probably was feed the same cheap Aldis dog food & when he was reacting with diarrhea & vomiting the owner didn’t bother changing his food or the owner changed & feed another poor quality brand that had the ingredients he was sensitive too & was reacting too, he is a prime example of a dog feed a very poor diet & was never introduced to a lot of different foods…probably why he ended up at the pound cause of his IBD, when I got him he was pooing blood & weeing blood, vet said the weeing blood would have been from being used for breeding..
I’m feed “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb grain free with Lamb meal, sweet potato, potato, peas, egg, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, formula, TOTW Roasted Lamb is Patches go to kibble that he does the best on so far…
I’ve just finished introducing Hills Science Diet, Sensitive Skin formula it’s a grain formula with rice, corn, pork meal & egg formula, I’m trying this in my rotation cause it has Pork Meal & Hills gave me a free voucher-$140, my IBD boy does really well on his cooked Pork rissoles & Sweet potato, so when I saw Hills had a Pork meal formula I had to try it & see how he does on it & he’s doing really wll he gets bad acid reflux so its very hard finding foods that agrees with his stomach & he doesn’t grind his teeth & doesn’t swollow & swollow & lick his lips, I was rotating & feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar & I tried the Pure Meadow Senior, “Canidae has some really good grain free & grain kibbles….
I have to give treats instead of adding foods to his kibble, he gets 1-2 freeze dried, “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels, the mussel shell is high in Glucosamine & Chondroitin for his joints & bones.
“Love Em” Mini Cookies Chicken Liver & Cranberry with DHA for immune support biscuits an Australian Brand, I’ve just started these, he was getting peeled apple pieces, he gets his Yakult probiotic drink, he gets about 1/4 of the Yakult probiotic drink in between feeds when his stomach acids are low so they dont kill the live bacteria in te probiotic & I drink the rest of te Yakult drink, he gets his yogurt ice cream only about 1 teaspoon after his dinner & if I’m running late or on the computer he tells me about his ice cream yogurt he whinges & barks at me till I get it out of the freezer. I can’t remember what else he gets at teh moment, I’ve had him 5 yrs this November & he has tried heaps & different brand kibbles & foods the Australian kibble brands are really good but some are way to high in protein & fat for him, no vet diets have worked for Patch, TOTW has been the best dry kibble so far that covers all his health problems, I’ve strengthen his gut (immune system) heaps since I got him 5 yrs ago he was always very sick before, but now he has a beautiful shinny coat, he is very healthy runs, jumps acts like a puppy doesnt seem to have any arthritis yet, (fingers X) he’ll be 9 years old on the 20th Novemeber & it’s the same day I rescued him 5 years ago his “Got You Day” he was being Put To Sleep on his birthday..

Steve Brown was asked if you had to pick 1 food to add to your dogs diet to make it healthier what would you add & Steve said, “Mussels” you can buy them in the freezer section or buy freeze dried mussels, Mussels are very healthy they have Manganese, Iodine, Fats, Vitamin D he said alot of raw diets are short of Manganese, Iodine fats & Vitamin D so add about 1-2 mussels a day + 1 tablespoon salmon & a pinch of Kelp to your dogs diet….

Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face Book page, you’ll learn heaps about adding really good healthy fresh whole foods to your dogs diet…
Sounds like your doing a pretty good job already….

[Susan]

Hi gee you’ve been thru a lot so has your poor boy, the vets would be stumped they rely on test result, they probably haven’t see anything like this before, so go with your gut if they recommend to try news drugs if it doesn’t feel right don’t give the drugs cause your dog is being a guinea pig for them to learn on, try to contact other dog owners that have been thru the same thing.
I looked & there isnt any face book groups “yet” but you could start a “Dog or Canine with IMPT group” & just wait & see if a few dog owners join & talk about what they have been thru, especially if they live in another country (Australia) they may treat with different medicines, I read that there’s been no studies done on Canines with IMTP vets only know what owners have been thru & it has been documented…

Did the meds they prescribe for IMTP make him worse & sick?? he’s probably better off with no drugs if he seems OK…..I found this site it was written by Cold Coast Verterinary Services Australia, I wonder if you contact email other pet owners who have dealt with IMTP ?? you learn so much from other pet owners what they did, what worked, what didn’t work.
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/imt.htm

The Royal Canne Low Fat Gastro he’s eating has Pork as the only protein, it has rice flour instead of the boiled rice & corn, if he’s doing OK on the R/C Low Fat Gastro then that means he does OK with pork, rice & corn, the fat in the R/C low fat Gastro is 2.5%max when it’s converted to dry matter (kibble) it’s 10.45% max fat.., so if you want to cook something you can add some fresh lean cooked pork meat, you can buy some lean pork & mince thru the mincer yourself that’s what my vet does & told me to do the same for Patch, then you know what he’s eating, I was buying the human lean 5 star pork mince but Patch started to get pancreatitis symptoms, vomiting bad pancreas pain, I had bought the pork mince from a different supermarket & the fat said 5% but it must of been higher & had more fat then the other lean pork mince I was buying & Patch became real sick…

“Canidae” make their “Pure Wild Boar” dry kibble.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

there’s “Walk About” made in New Zealand & Australia they import to California, they only make Jerky & freeze dried treats & wet tin foods-Wild Boar, Wild Kangaroo & Goat, fat is 2%min when fat is converted it’s around 15%max fat.
http://walkaboutpetproducts.com/

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
TOTW does not make their wet tin foods, TOTW & Kirkland Signature wet tin foods are made by Evangers, so if your dog was eating & enjoying his TOTW wet tin foods its not a diamond product…..
I bought the 1 x TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb about 1 month ago & on the TOTW site it said the fat is 4%min but when the tin food arrived it said 4.5%min fat on the can, so I converted the 4.5% fat to dry matter & it was 25% fat, a bit high for Patch but I did give him 2 tablespoons for lunch & he ended up with his acid reflux afterwards so the cat ended up eating the rest of the TOTW Roasted Lamb wet tin food & she loved it…it’s a bit expensive at $4.99 a tin in Australia…
If you live near Costco’s try “Kirklands Signature, Nature’s Domain canned food, if you click on the “Reviews” up the top of your post then scroll down & look for “Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain (canned)” click on link then scroll down & there’s a photo of the Turkey & pea Stew, its looks pretty good…

There’s “Walkabout” Walkabout treats & wet canned food is made in New Zealand & Australia, there’s Wild Kangaroo, Wild Boar, Goat all are low in fat 2% when fat is converted to dry matter they are around 14-15%max fat & there’s Bushtail Possum & Duck, it’s higher in fat 5%, when converted to dry mater is 22.27% max fat… good for dogs with food sensitivities..

Here’s the link calculator so you can save & convert the wet tin foods so you know how high the fat is, I never normally buy a wet tin food that’s over 4% in fat cause I know the fat % will be high over 20% in fat when it’s converted to dry matter (Kibble). http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator/php

There’s also “4Health” wet tin food sold at Tractor Supply very good price around $1.19,
I don’t know if Evangers also make 4Health wet tin foods, someone else might know but it’s not hard to email the pet food companies & ask do they make their own canned foods or who does makes them… they need a cannery on site to make the canned foods..

[Susan]

There is no miracle cure when a dog has skin allergies unless your dog never had envrionment allergies to begin with cause environment allergies don’t get better with time, allergies get worse as the dog ages, you can use medications, weekly baths in a medicated shampoo to wash off the allergens on the dogs skin & paws will relieve the dogs itchy skin, paws & apply creams, there’s a new drug called “Cytopoint” injections seems to work really well but you can never eliminate & fix envrionment allergies…
If the dog has food sensitivities/intolerances the owner can do an food elimination trial & work out what foods are causing itchy, yeasty paws, skin & ears gas/wind, sloppy poo’s etc once foods are removed that the dog is sensitive too then you can eliminate food intolerances, like my vet has told me, food sensitivities & environment allergies normally come together the dog normally has both & it becomes a vicious cycle, you remove all the foods your dog can’t eat & the dog is better thru colder months (Winter) then Spring comes around & the dog start to itch & reacts again from environment allergies…. as the years pass the weather is becoming warmer, some days we have 4 seasons in 1 day, more & more dogs & cats are suffering with allergies now….

There’s allergy shots or oral drops known as immunotherapy, the injections seem to take longer to work & need to be given every 3-6 months, the oral drops are given every 1-3 months & seems to work quicker then the injections, immunotherapy only reduces symptoms, immunotherapy can not eliminate symptoms… Immunotherapy is very expensive, first you need to work out what in the environment your dog is allergic too by having an Intradermal Skin test then the Hyposensitization treatment is done, so best to get pet insurance before you visit your vet to get a referal to see a Dermatologist, it’s time consuming & expensive……

I choose to use NO drugs on my boy, I have found baths given twice a week or weekly baths have relieved my boy itchy skin & paws, I had to work out what foods he was sensitive too by doing a food elimination diet & work out what was causing his yeasty itchy ears, itchy paws & smelly skin, I use creams, apply “Sudocrem” before leaving home of a morning, I apply on his paws & where his skin is itchy or red, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects his paws, pink skin on head & body, then of a night I check out his whole body, I wipe him down with those baby wipes, I buy the Huggie Coconut Oil baby wipes, I wipe his body then get new wipe & wipe each paw with a new baby wipe, then a new wipe & wipe his head etc down, I do this the days I haven’t bathed him, then I use “Hydrocortisone 1%” cream where the skin is red & itchy… Once you work out what works best for your dog stick with the routine & make your dog comforable….also feed a diet high in omega 3 fatty acids, give 1-2 mussels a day I buy the “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels freeze dried treats, buy tin Sardines in olive oil or spring water, add a couple sardines to 1 of your dogs meal a day or 4 times a week or Tin Salmon add 1 spoon to 1 of your dogs meal a day… you will see a big difference in your dogs skin after doing the things I’ve have written above…..

[joanne l]

I make treats for my dog, I use 2 cups of oatflour (you can use any flour you want) and I use beef baby food (infant ones) it only has beef and broth for ingredients, and 1 teaspoon oil and 4 ounces of water., mix the tough and roll and cut with bone cookie cutter. bake at 325 for 30 minutes and lower to 300 bake for 30 more minutes.

[Taek K]

I have changed my dogs diet since my last post but the foundation is the same. No kibbles. Do your best to stay away from processed foods. Feed your baby real food.

Just to give you an idea, my dog is 45lbs and hes not too active anymore. He’ll go on a 5 mile hike with me once a week and hes done for the week. When I did feed him fish, I would give him about half a can of salmon (wild caught), handful of veggies, dynovite, organ meat, and during the winter, some berries. The berries were only after a few years of no sugar/starchy foods. The organ meat of choice was liver. Full of goodies. His treats were and still are jerky or liver. If you cant read the ingredients, dont give it to your dog. If its made in China dont give it to the dog.

The most important thing you have to assess is the dogs protein intake. Monitor her energy level and weight. If shes active, add more protein. Veggies are just healthy fillers. It takes a lot of work, but I promise you, it works. My dog is not 100% but hes closer to 100 than ever before. Bath regularly during heavy allergy season. Use gentle organic hypoallerengic shampoo. Cool baths are life savers. Let me how she turns out. Good luck!!

[carol w p]

Generations of our Rhodesian Ridgebacks have been given “regular’ size Greenies as a special treat all their lives. Our vet has been ok with it as long they’re supervised, and never given to a dog that tends to gulp or swallow things whole. The regular size isn’t very big for a large breed, but it’s enough to lodge in the trachea if not chewed into pieces before dispatch.

The Veterinary Oral Health Council website has lists of approved dental chews and treats: http://www.vohc.org/index.html

[Susan]

Hi a c,
I buy the “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels” freeze dried treats, I also give 1 to my cat as well she loves mussels but sometimes I think Patch gets his acid reflux after he has eaten a couple of the Mussels, he does his mouth thing & starts grinding his teeth, he’s nilly 9 yrs old & not showing any signs of arthritis or slowing down not yet, but his vet did an X ray a couple of months ago cause she thought he had a blockage (urinary crystal) but instead she found this weird looking bone with all nerve endings, it was coming out of the top of his left back leg towards his spine, she said she has never seen anything like it in the 35 yrs she’s been a vet, she showed me & it was weird, she did say she has seen something similiar before but it was growing out of dogs top of front paw into his shoulder bone, she went & showed the X ray to the Osteo vet & asked him what he thought it was, he asked was Patch slowing down, can he jump up onto the bed, up into the car etc & is he’s fine walking up & down stairs, Patches vet said, he seems fine & not showing any pain in his back end, then the Osteo vet said he may have been born with this defect & it’s not bothering him at all, at first my vet thought it might be what has been causing Patches pain he gets sometimes when he whinges & whinges, drinks & drinks water but I said no that pain is more around the stomach & pancreatitis area the pain is further up near his rib cage, then she said but nerve pain can travel & be thrown in a different area & go further up the spine, then she wrote him a script to try “Gabapentin” for nerve pain + his IBD pain, we had talked about it before on his last visit to be given twice a day with his meals, vet said it doesnt affect the stomach like NSAID & other pain meds can do & she has a few older dogs on the Gabapentin who have IBD & they can’t take NSAID for their Arthritis pain & they are doing really well on the Gabapentin it also reduces stress & stops anxieties, yeh cause they’re drug up I thought, I’ve only ever given him the Gabapentin 100mg capsule twice now, when he’s been whinging & whinging all day & I don’t know what’s wrong with him & it makes him OK, he’s not drug up like I thought he’d be, he just settles down & stops the whinging the Gabapentin relaxes him & he has a good night sleep, it does stops what ever was wrong with him but I don’t give every single day with his meals cause some days he’s fine there’s no whinging, no drinking & drinking his water…

[Vito M]

My dog loves Shep sausage treats. Ingredients sound fine. Would like some
feedback as to thoughts, here is description:
Made with real chicken, turkey & pork.
No artificial colors or flavors.
Guaranteed analysis: crude protein min 28%, crude fat min 22%, crude fiber max 4%,
moisture max 32%
Ingredients: turkey, pork, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium sorbate (a preservative)
sodium hexametaphosphate, garlic extract, rosemary extract.
I’m a fairly new dog owner and would like thoughts.

[Susan]

Hi Jeri,
out of all the grain free formula’s you have tried what are the common ingredients in all these brands you have been feeding when he has had diarrhea?? is there always tapioca, chicken, peas, beet pulp, potato, chickpeas, fish?? do you feed teh same protein source? go thru all the brands & formula’s you have feed & write down the first 12 ingredients…. do you give any treats, is he eating anything else outside, are you using a flea product, did you change anything the times he’s had diarrhea??
Start keeping a diary & write down every single thing that goes in his mouth & on his skin if the flea meds are spot on’s, when he has diarrhea or starts doing sloppy poo’s…..I have a diary & it sits on loungeroom table & I write down what Patch ate, times, what his pos were like on walks, firm, soft, sloppy, yellow, condom over poo etc when he eats any treats, he’s eating the Hills Vet Diet treats at the moment & doing really well, so if he does get diarrhea I can look back thru his diary & see what has happened or it might be his IBD & he needs his Metronidazole tablets for 14-21 days again….

When you buy a new bag of kibble always read the “Use By Date” & I try & keep getting the same Use By Date Batches, this is what I do when Patch is doing really well, stick with the same Use By Date bags of kibble they always have 12-18 months on the bags of kibbles…..When the diarrhea has happened did you start a new bag of kibble?
also do you store kibble in a cool place, in air tight container?

My boy has IBD & this happens with Patch I’ve given him a food or started introducing him to a new kibble when he gets the rumbles (diarrhea sloppy poos) & I’ve just found out this year he can’t have barley tapioca & chickpeas, or he’s having an IBD flare too much bad bacteria….
Patch does the best on “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb grain free gluten free formula, it just has 1 meat protein Lamb meal, sweet potato, potato, peas, egg, blueberries, raspberries, Costco sells Kirkland Signature, Nature’s Domain, made by TOTW but cheaper….Kirkland Signature Salmon & Sweet Potato is the same as the TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula, or there’s the Turkey & Sweet Potatoes aswell, the Beef formula has garbanzo beans, you want a kibble with the least ingredients…
Have you tried “4Health” sold thru Tractor Supply, I’ve read alot of dogs with stomach sensitivities do really well on “4Health” grain free limited ingredient formula’s…look at “4Health, Duck & Potato”, it has the less ingredients, it has no beet pulp, no tapioca, no chicken, or there’s
4Health, Special care Sensitive Stomach or Special Care Sensitive Skin, sometimes in certain brands the Sensitive Skin is better then the Sensitive Stomach formula’s, read ingredient list to both formula’s, I think the 4health Sensitive skin is better it has Hydrolyzed Salmon, potato free (he might be sensitive to potato??) & it has less ingredients & it’s higher in Omega 3 what you want for his Skin, Joints, Stomach, Brain, Heart. you can always try both & see which one works best, rotate between the 2, they both might be good…Google “4Health” Tractor Supply also have the wet tin food $1.19c a 13 oz. can
When you rotate foods it helps with food sensitivites & strengthens their immune system..

If after trying either the Kirkland Signature, Natures Domain, Turkey or the Salmon + sweet potatoes formula’s or the 4Health Duck Meal & Potato or Sensitive Skin formula & the same thing happens you might have to ty a limited ingredient grain formula & see does it happen as well?? if it does happen then he might have small intestinal bowel overgrowth S.I.B.O, stop feeding kibbles with Beet Pulp, is poo yellow, is it just a one off diarrhea? or do you need Metronidazole (Flagyl) from the vet to stop the diarrhea & get rid of the bad bacteria in stomach & bowel ??
I had to use the Metronidazole (Antibiotic) maybe three times a year to fix Patches bacteria & kill the bad bacteria cause it takes over the stomach & small bowel when he was eating kibble with Beet Pulp… S.I.B.O…..
Pick a new kibble with different ingredients to what he’s eating at the moment..
Good Luck keep me posted..

[Jill T]

Hi! Just wondering if they have checked the dog for pancreatitis and have done any bloodwork? Also has anyone checked the dog for intestinal parasites? Since we are positive for heartworm, which is a very expensive, and long, drawn out treatment, it would not surprise me if we are positive for giardia, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworm, or any other intestinal parasite. Bland diet is the best choice for her right now, such as boiled, skinless, boneless chicken and white rice. If she has pancreatitis it my take a couple days for her to want to eat. The pancreas needs to rest, and if she does have it Caesar’s and Mighty dog are high in fat, which is the worst thing you can give your dog with pancreatitis. I’ve worked with animals for 15 years and have a dog prone to pancreatitis. She will always have to be on a low fat diet for the rest of her life. Her only treats she is able to have with no issues is pieces of her regular diet or it sends her into a bout of pancreatitis. Good luck with your dog and I really hope she recovers from this. If she is this nauseous from the antibiotics, I would sincerely hope the veterinarian would recommend changing it to something else. Hope this helps a little.

[Therese M]

No, she wasn’t. When I took her back they tried the standard stuff they’d been feeding her and she wouldn’t touch it. They said keep trying something until you find something she likes. Sigh. It’s almost definitely the antibiotics causing this. She only has 3 days left, but that’s still 3 days. I just got some dog probiotics tonight and put it on her food so now of course she won’t eat the food. She likes pepperoni and peanut butter. We can only get her to take her meds with that, but I’m guessing there’s no dog food that tastes like that by any chance??? She also doesn’t like most treats. Some weird looking marrow ones from target and some yogurt ones basically made of sugar. I have 3 kinds of zukes that she wont touch plus other random stuff. A bone here and there. At first she loved bully sticks but now she doesn’t care much about them.

[Mark M]

A couple of months ago the Nature Valley Raw Instinct dog food line. I’m on my 3rd bag since the transition and probably on my 3rd week of my dog having regular diarrhea. This has started about 3 weeks ago with inconsistency. He would have just softer than normal bowel movements when he was at home but daycare was telling me that he would have regular explosive diarrhea when he was there. I figured that it may have been other treats or the excitement of daycare, but now after several weeks and removal of the other treats until only the kibble is all that he is regularly eating for several days now, he has been having liquid diarrhea for the last few days. Is anyone else that uses this brand experiencing this?

I have put him on a bland diet to see if he normalizes, but I am concerned about resuming this brand of food if others may be having the same issue.

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
My boy didn’t do well on the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Digestion, read the ingredients in the Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy, I bet you there’s a ingredient or a few ingredients that’s she is very sensitive or intolerant too & can not eat, also write down the ingrediets & the protein, fat & fiber % in the Purina Pro Plan Large Breed formula, the ingredients are not the best in the American Purina Pro Plan formula’s…
Keep a diary just in case you need it later to look back on if this keeps happening…

Can you afford to buy the Hills I/d Digestive Care dry kibble formula the matching formula to the I/d wet tin your feeding at the moment? it comes in a dry kibble as well you could buy a cartoon of the I/d wet tins & a medium size bag I/d Digestive Care dry kibble, enough to last 1 month so you can start introducing the new kibble as well that you want her on?
My boy does real well on the Hills I/d Digestive Care wet & dry formula I use this or the “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb kibble when Patch has diarrhea & his poo’s will not firm back up, both formula’s fix his stomach, bowel & get him back on track again, the Hill’s I/d Digestive care has vitamin B’s, electrolytes & antioxidents what’s needed for diarrhea, to make their Intestinal tract healthy again….
Your better off sticking with the food she is eating at the moment & doing well on, then after 2-4 weeks when she is doingreal well, then start introducing a limited ingredient large breed puppy formula with around the same protein% & fat% & fiber % as the vet diet kibble she’s been eating, but if your feeding wet tin food then your not going to really know what percentage she does best on when eating a dry kibble?? just stay around the 25 % in protein nothing over 27-28% in protein & not too many meat proteins, stick with just 1 meat protein in the new kibble, less is best..

“Canidae” has a few Large Breed Puppy formula’s with grains like the vet diet she is eating at the moment has, I would be taking back the Purina Pro Plan Large Puppy & getting a refund or exchanging with something else, then you have to slowley introduce the new kibble over 10 day period, I start with under 1/4 of a cup new kibble added to under 1 cup old kibble feed this for 2 days & use old kibble for treats for training the first 4 days, do not buy any other brand treats that have different ingredients cause the more different foods you feed then if she has diarrhea again you will not know which food has caused the diarrhea…. then you feed 1/3 of a cup new kibble added to her old kibble, you take away 1/3 of the old kibble to make 1 cup, feed for the next 2 days, if poo start to go sloppy then you go back to 1/4 a cup or what ever she was eating & doing firm poo’s on…
Here’s “Canidae” life stages, large breed puppy, Turkey meal & Brown Rice puppy formula
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey- meal-brown-rice
Another good kibble to start with is “California Nutural” Chicken & Rice or Lamb & Rice Puppy both these formula’s only has 4 ingredients…. the Californiia Natural puppy would have been good to feed when the diarrhea first started…. http://www.californianaturalpets.com/brands/california-natural

[pugmomsandy]

I haven’t given my dogs any fancy cheeses, just American slices, Swiss and Monterrey Jack and cheddar. They haven’t had any issues. I use cheese to give them pills or as treats.