[Susan]

Hi Christie,

Wet can foods are expensive & crap, look what’s happening with Hills Vet Diet wet can & Hills Science Diet wet can foods at the moment, a big recall..
“Signs of excessive vitamin D intake can include vomiting, appetite loss, weight loss, increased thirst and urination, and excessive drooling. Serious health issues, including renal dysfunction, may occur.”
https://www.hillspet.com.au/productlist?fbclid=IwAR1tvOLb3PcBCvinwlXNrKgSb_MdI-9lT4H46_OpHzsf7zx9E9e58J2rxls

It’s cheaper & healthier buying human grade meats & veggies, put all ingredients in a crock pot or bake in oven & make your own toppers/meals & freeze them in those sandwich sealed plastic bags take out the day before put in fridge for the next day meals..

I was making Rissoles, I changed Judy Morgans Pup Loaf recipe & baked rissoles instead this way the fat comes out & drains…
Buy lean beef mince or turkey mince, some organ meats etc
2kgs =4lbs lean mince add 2 eggs, chopped parsley, chopped broccolli, 2 x grated peeled carrots, spinach leaves, mix then make into 1/2 cup size rissole balls, I flatten the balls a bit put on a foiled lined baking tray & bake in oven for 15mins take out drain any water & fat, turn them over & cooked for another 15mins till rissoles are cooked thru..
Don’t over cook, you’ll have hard dry rissoles….
Cool & freeze, the rissoles break up very easy, I also boil sweet potato pieces & freeze then add sweet potato mashed with the rissoles…..Healthy & you can eat them aswell works out cheaper & your dogs + cats will eat..
Here’s Judy Morgan DVM “Puppy Loaf” video if you want to bake in cake baking trays or muffin trays…

[Sanne]

Regardless of dry or tinned, you should go by calories. However many calories your dog maintains on with a dry food is going to be around what they need from a tinned food. There is no difference or benefit nutrition wise to dry food. So long as the tinned food you are feeding is labeled as “complete and balanced” you could feed all tinned if you like. The added moisture actually makes it a bit better than dry IMO

I imagine most large dog owners feed primarily dry food unless they have the proper funds for it, which is of course possible for some.

I personally feed my bigger dog 3/4 dry food and 1/4 “human food” like sardines, eggs, meat

[Christie B]

Are there advantages, other than price, in feeding dry kibble over wet food? I’m not trying to debate commercial feeding vs. raw. More like Brand A kibble formula vs Brand A wet food.

If I understand correctly, on average, wet/canned food has more protein, more fat and less carbs than its kibble counterpart. /choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/

I know a lot of people, myself included, mix a small amount of wet food in with kibble to make it palatable for picky eaters. And I’m going over my current pet food shopping list: adult kibble for 1 dog, senior or large breed adult for my other dog, canned food as a topper for both, wet food for adult cat w/ history of urinary blockage, and dry food for cat 2 who flat out refuses to eat wet food. I also use shredded chicken thighs, canned salmon and sardines as toppers.

The worst is the days when I mix in a topper (could be the same can that I used the meal before that the dogs loved) and the dogs are now not interested and I’m left with half eaten mixed kibble that has to be tossed. Or even better, when my smaller dog licks the topper off of the kibble, eats a few pieces of kibble once the bowl is cleaned of the topper and then abandons the bowl.

The average kibble feeding guideline for my 120 lb. dog is 5-6 cups of kibble a day. And I know those values are high and my vet even told me to aim for about half of that if I add some wet food as a topper. My dog seems happy with 1.5 cups twice daily.

But looking at the same brand’s wet food product, it says” Feed ½ to 1 can for every 10 lbs. of body weight per day. That’s 6-12 cans of food! And since wet food is higher in fat, isn’t that even more unhealthy?

The price alone is crazy. How do people with 100+ lb. dogs feed wet without going broke? Or do you just feed kibble?

• This topic was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Christie B.

[madima]

Hello! I have a 7-8 year old Golden mix (he could be older, but they said he was 3 or 4 when we got him) who is around 75lbs, but needs to lose some weight. I also recently adopted a Great Pyrenees/hound or pointer mix large breed puppy. He is 3 1/2 months old and 35lbs.
I have been feeding my older dog Taste of The Wild for a year or two now, and recently found out the things going on with the brand. I also currently have the puppy on the puppy formula, though I’m looking to change them both to something else.
I’m sort of looking for full suggestions about feeding both of them, whether that be brands, supplements or toppers. I’m willing to top with natural things (vegetables, fruit, some meat, oil, etc.) or canned food, which I top my older dog’s food with for dinner. I have a feeling he has so orthopedic issues, which we’re going to the vet for tomorrow.
I know the puppy needs a certain amount of calcium; not too much, not too little. I’m also aware my senior needs extra protein. I’m planning on asking about his diet when I go to the vet, but I wanted some advice on some dry food, wet food and toppers/supplements for both dogs. I’m not very educated when it comes to dog nutrition. I would appreciate any suggestions or advice. Thanks in advance! 🙂

[Patti S]

Thanks for your feedback.
I too have had dogs who didn’t do as well with a 5 star food. Every dog is an individual, and what’s terrific for one dog, may not be as great for another.

I’m about half way through the transition from Merrick Grain Free Turkey (canned) to Canidae All Life Stages Chicken (also canned), with no adverse reactions.
I supplement with PetKind Green Tripe & Red Meat dry food. It contains lentils, chick pea, peas & pea starch, and sweet potato, but they are way down in the ingredient list, so they aren’t the main component of the diet.
Anyone know of a decent dry food that’s completely free of those suspect ingredients?

• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Patti S.

[Peggy M]

I have been feeding my pure bred Cavalier King Charles “Natural Balance” Duck and Potato formula for several years at the recommendation of her Vet due to previous food allergies. Ever since, we have been completely successful; no allergies, no antibiotics. I have beed feeding her Natural Balance exclusively for at least the past 6 years. My Cav is now 11 years old and when I recently went in to routinely buy her bag of food, the store owner steered me away from it saying that Natural Balance had been purchased by the Smucker’s Company and “most likely the formula would change because Smuckers is a big company”. So, she talked me into buying “Tuscan Natural-Simply Pure Lamb” Dry Food. Saying it was a simple-ingredient food. I eased and transitioned my dog into the new food. Everything was fine in the beginning. But once my Cav was solely on the the new food…OMG!!! My poor dog couldn’t stop pooping. She would wake up whining and whimpering during the night because she had to poop so bad! I’d take her out in the middle of the night and she would poop super soft poo, the same color as the food! She would poop 2-3 times during the day, as well! This went on for 3-4 days and nights until I decided to go back to her original food; “Natural Balance”. Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but I would be very careful transitioning over to “Tuscan Natural”. IT DID NOT AGREE WITH MY DOG, AT ALL!!! As soon as I began feeding the her the original food, she immediately was fine. Stools were normal, she slept through the night, and has never had anymore soft stool issues! Just thought I’d let you all know.

[Cameron M]

Hi,
perhaps read my post to Patti. You mention the fish kibble seems to work best..maybe it is the protein? I assume the others you tried had protein other than fish – such as the chicken you mention or beef which is common?

My gal seems to do equally well on either grain free or regular salmon based food. beef seems the worst for her. Due to the concerns regarding “grain free” I am trying the regular salmon based food.

Also – I have learned that only a small percentage of dog allergies are food based with the majority being caused by environmental triggers just like humans. Grasses, pollen and even dust triggers reactions in effected dogs.

I hope your issue is easily resolved and hey a 3.5 star food isn’t necessarily bad. The reviewers tend to place emphasis on protein content etc…and frankly I try to have a lower but high quality protein percentage so as to avoid kidney issues later in life.

Solid Gold has a great Salmon based dry kibble but since the protein is only 21% it has a lower rating. Just food for thought. ( and btw I am not pushing a certain brand…I used to stand by Solid Gold but haven’t checked…they may be sold out to some super large corp now? And I do realize marketing image is always in play)

Cameron

[E. R]

Is there a preferred dry dog food packaging ? i.e. … does the packing need to be air tight or have micro-perforations or have a degassing valve ?

I can’t seem to find any good info on this. Does it even make a difference ?

Thanks !

[Christie B]

Chewing paws could point to an allergy or sensitivity to something in her food. After years of trial and error with sampling foods, I realized that my dog Chance would do well on any food…for a while. But after a while (usually on my 2nd or 3rd bag of the same food), he would start chewing on his feet, shaking his head, licking his legs, drooling excessively. My vet said allergies and told me to give him Benedryl.

I found out that if I switched his food to a different animal protein after 2 bags, or whenever I saw him start to chew his paws, (always transitioning properly) the chewing would stop.

[Patti S]

When all this news on taurine broke the other day, I wrote to Merrick, the manufacturer of the current dog food I’ve been using. They just got back to me, here is their response to my question of whether or not their canned dog food (Grain-free Turkey) has appropriate levels of taurine:

“Thank you for reaching out to us with your concern. We will be happy to tell you that all of our diets contain appropriate levels of cysteine and methionine, the amino acids that dogs use to make their own taurine. As the FDA continues to explore a possible link between diet and taurine deficiency, which is one potential cause of DCM, we have started supplementing taurine in all of our dry dog food recipes. The safety and quality of our pet food is our #1 priority, and we commit to working with the industry and FDA to help understand this potential issue. If you have any other questions please let us know.”

Good to know!

[Katie G]

I keep my miniature poodle (he’s 15 lbs) on a weight management food, Nature’s Variety Instinct Healthy weight chicken.

I always look for high quality food (5*). I am looking for a weight management (10% fat or below, preferably around 8%) and kcals below 400 (preferably lower 300 kcals). He doesn’t need to lose weight, but I keep him on this diet because he has stomach troubles, possible pancreatitis/ibs? and we want him to stay a healthy weight so his stomach doesn’t hurt as much from obesity. When he’s in a flare up, we put him on hills prescription food weight management/stomach, but I don’t want to have to pay for that for forever. So I wouldn’t mind switching foods once we run out of this hills bag.

Any recommendations on 5* weight management dry food with grain?

[Susan]

Hi Pat,
Sorry for what has happened 🙁
if you can afford it I’d cook meals or feed 1 cooked meal & the other meal feed a freeze dried dog food that has human grade ingredients, I’d stay away from dry kibbles & wet can dog foods…
Take back the 3 bags of TOTW food & get your money back..if pet shop wont refund then contact TOTW..
also here’s link for FDA to report a problem.
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm

Ask vet to do full blood test see if liver is OK ??

My Patch was doing really well on TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb from 2015-2017 then 2017-Nov he started to go down hill & refused to eat his TOTW Lamb kibble, Patch NEVER refuses food, thats when I knew something was wrong.
I blammed the TOTW Lamb kibble he was eating had made him very ill being a Diamond product he didnt get better after I stopped teh TOTW kibble so in January 2018 he had endoscope & biopsies done & he has LES – his Lower Esophageal Sphincter flap doesnt close properly this was causing bad acid reflux washing back up & was burning his wind pipe & esophagus were both red & inflammmed but I still think TOTW made him ill aswell, his liver results weren’t good, I’d say a few things were happening cause he does have IBD & Skin Allergies but we are what we eat & he was eating the same dry food I wasnt rotating & feeding any other foods like I normally do….

Never feed the same brand of pet food month after month, year after year, this is when health problems can start to happen…
Now I rotate his foods again, I change between 3 different brands now & try & add as much fresh food as possible in his diet.. When I started feeding him “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult dry & “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato he started to get better, he hasnt become ill again..but it took a while for him to get well again

There’s a company that test/studies for toxins, heavy metals & contaminates they test
the best selling Pet Foods in America, these dog foods are tested in an accredited analytical chemistry laboratory for 130 harmful environmental and industrial contaminants and toxins. Results are published as Product Ratings.
I cant post the link as DFA, DFA doesn’t believe in this testing & blocks the link, different batches of Dog/Cat wet, dry & treats get tested every 3-4 months these are all “new different batches” that are being tested everytime, certain brands of pet foods keep coming back time & time again very high in toxins, heavy metals & contaminates &

TOTW High Prairie adult formula & TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon have been on the 1 star – high toxins, heavy metals & contaminate list for nilly 2yrs now cause they have poison ingredients in them… 🙁

Google, heavy metals, toxins in dry dog foods,
so you can see all the 5 -1 star foods –

Here’s C L P first 13 x 5 star dry dog foods that tested very well, if you cant find the dry food site C L P I’m talking about.
Thats if you want to continue feeding a dog food..

* Buckley Liberty Freeze-Dried Beef Recipe Dry Dog Food
* Buckley Grain Free Liberty With Lamb Dry Dog Food
* Buckley Liberty Freeze-Dried Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food
* Buckley Liberty Grain Free with Chicken Dry Dog Food
* Canisource Grand Cru All Life Stages Turkey Formula Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food
* CaniSource Grand Cru All Life Stages Pork and Lamb Formula Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food
* CaniSource Grand Cru All Life Stages Red Meat Formula Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food
* BIXBI Rawbble Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food Duck Recipe
* BIXBI Rawbble Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food Chicken Recipe
* BIXBI Rawbble Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food Salmon & Chicken Recipe
* BIXBI Rawbble Dry Dog Food Lamb Recipe
* I and Love and You Grain Free Naked Essentials With Lamb + Bison Dry Dog Foo
* I and Love and You Grain Free Naked Essentials With Chicken + Duck Dry Dog Food

[Reina S]

I wrote an article regarding Wildology about a month ago. We had weaned our Standard Poodle and Rescue, both under 2 years old onto this dry food. In this amount of time, our babies coats became dull and dry, they began to scratch terribly, and our rescue (Yorkie Poo mix) actually started to gain a significant amount of weight and began to look almost depressed. We immediately changed their diet back, and actually have vet visits scheduled. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS FOOD FOR ANYTHING!!!

[Susan]

Hi Lyly,

When I put my IBD boy onto a homemade raw diet his Naturopath Vet said to just start feeding the raw the next morning & just stop feeding his dry kibble, I had to add a Probiotic powder & Digestive enzymes to the raw meal but that was cause Patch has IBD…
You can start him on Kelfir or Goats Milk aswell..
He’ll LOVE raw food & do smaller & less poo’s, just make sure its balanced if making own homemade raw…I feed dehydrated free range organic raw now.. “Frontier Pets” just for lunch & PAtch eats his dry kibble for Breakfast & Dinner..

In Australia alot of people feed both raw & kibble, the dog gets his dry kibble & raw mince & 1-2 spoons tin sardines added on top of the kibble…& raw meaty bones twice a week for breakfast…
My dog who has IBD can eat raw & kibble together, the kibble helps keep down the digested raw food as he regurgitates all wet foods now 🙁

Join a few raw feeding F/B groups, here’s 2

“Raw Feeding 101-Learn To Feed Raw”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rawfeeding101learntofeedraw/

“Raw Feeding Advice & Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/451782265003776/

[Susan]

Hi
I prefer to feed diet for age of my dog, a pup eats puppy formula, an adult 1-7 eats an adult formula & a senior dog eats a senior food, senior food have all the supplements for aging dogs joint, bones etc & have lower fat, higher protein, well it depends which brand you feed, I like “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior formula, its high in Omega 3 fatty acid, has Glucosamine but its not as high as the Wellness Core Large breed Adult formula, Ive found the the Large Breed formula’s are higher in Glucosamine & Chondroitin then most senior foods.. I was going to try Wellness Core Senior but it has Lentils Patch gets diarrhea from lentils & bad wind pain, gas farts..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

I dont know if your 10 year old American Bulldog Pit mix has Arthritis, he probably does??
Have you tried “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult Grain Free dry kibble?
it’s low Kcals-346kcals per cup, high Protein-34%min, low/med fat -13%max
Carbs-30% scroll down to “Nutrient Profiles”
then click on the “GET THE PDF” link it will give you all the max “Dry Matter Basis %”
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed

My boy 10yr old Staffy – 40lbs suffers with IBD, Food & Environment Allergies & he has this 3-4cm bone thing growing out of his left hip bone, vets said they have never seen anything like it, the vet said he was probably born with it…
anyway around age 9 he started running on 3 legs, letting his left back leg to hang while running, then last year in December – January he went down hill with his IBD then in March he was really sick with his stomach he had bad acid reflux, I started introducing Wellness Core Large Breed adult formula, it had the right fat%, Low Kcals, low carbs & high protein % also was high in Glucosamine was not less than 750 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate was not less than 250 mg/kg…
After 3weeks of eating the Wellness Core everythng got better his stomach his acid reflux stopped 🙂 his back leg, he stop running on 3 legs, he ran on all 4 legs & started acting like a young pup again… His vet, the Pet Shop man, everyone couldnt believe what a big difference after eating the Wellness Core Large Breed Adult formula had made.

Now I rotate his dry foods, between Canidae Pure Meadow Senior, Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula & an Australian made brand Frontier Pets Freeze Dried for lunch,
cause Patch became so unwell in Dec -2017-Jan-2018 after eating TOTW & Nutro, I’ve kept feeding Patch his Wellness Core Large breed formula for 8-9 months never rotated with any other dry kibbles except at lunch time he gets a small wet meal, then Summer came & so did Patches environment allergies bad so I thought I’ll rotate & change his dry food to Wellness Simple Turkey & potato formula cause he did so well on the Wellness Core also the Wellness Simple is formulated for Skin problems & is high in Omega 3 fatty acids…
About 2-3 weeks after I stopped feeding his Wellness Core Large Breed formula & was feeding him just the Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula, his IBD = firm poos & his Skin & coat was beautiful & shinney, he stopped alot of his scratching & being itchy from allergies, I also bath him twice a week or weekly depends on how itchy he gets, baths wash off all the allergens off his skin & paws, BUT he started running on 3 legs again 🙁

The Wellness Core Large Breed is higher Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate it must of really helped with his arthritis in his lower back pain….So I bought the Glucosamine Chrondroitin, Vitamin C & Maganese Powder to add to his dry meal, I couldnt workout teh dose as it wasnt like the tablets dose + it taste AWFUL yuk I couldnt drink it, it says to add to fruit juice, its yuk no way Patch will take it.. so I quickly put him back to 1/2 Wellness Core Large Breed kibble & Wellness Simple kibble, now he’s getting “Cartrophen Vet Injections” he gets 1 weekly injection for 1 month then you stop, today was his last injection, Cartrophen Vet has really helped his lower back pain the thing is he’s a nut & he jumps up to say hello to visitors & this is when he hurts his lower back more..

You need a diet HIGH in Omega 3 fatty acid not high in Omega 6 fatty acid, Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory & tooo much Omega 6 is no good for inflammatory problems, Omega 6 is an inflammatory….
The body needs a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Excess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals.

When a dog diet is not balanced properly & is too low in Omega 3 & way to high in Omega 6 alot of dry/wet can foods aren’t balanced properly, this can cause skin problems with dogs…. Omega 3 should be nilly 1/2 of what the Omega 6% says..
Wellness Simple is excellent for dogs who have Skin/Stomach problems
Omega 3 Fatty Acids-1.13%, the Omega 6 Fatty Acids-2.30% max %.
Click on the PDF page
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Instead of adding 2 tble spoons of wet can food start adding some Tin Salmon in spring water, drain the spring water, put salmon in small air tight container put in fridge..
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, sardines, eggs, almonds, and other anti-inflammatory foods. Add 1-2 spoons of tin Salmon or Sardines to each meal..
Sardines can be a bit rich for some dogs I have to feed the Salmon + swet potat instead with Patch..

What I do when changing to a new dry formula same formula, first I check is it the same Use By Date, same Batch?? then I put 1/2 new kibble & 1/2 old kibble in an air tight container & mix thru, my boy use to be very sensitive but now since rotating between a few different brands he does really well, his immune system has become heaps stronger..

Boil Sweet Potato pieces & freeze them in those clip lock sandwich bags, Sweet Potato freezes & thaws really well, I put 1 frozen piece Sweet Potato in the micro wave 15-25sec etc then I mash teh Sweeet potato piece on a plate & let Patch lick it off..
Sweet Potato & Potato firm poo up & is excellent when dog has upset stomach/bowel, start adding 2 spoons of Sweet Potato & Salmon with dry kibble, its healthier & cheaper then wet can foods..

[joanne l]

Susan, I called the company about Holistic Select concerning the smell. They were very helpful they mailed me something to put some of the kibble in so they can test it. Well anyway they got back to me and said you are right it did smell off. They told me air could have gotten in the back so it started to oxidize. She said it would not harm the dog, but told me to get another bag and gave me a 10 off coupon. So I did get another bag and it smelled fine. However, my dog been eating it and he seems to being doing okay but he just don’t like it. In the meantime I want a food back up and I was looking at Victor, which I know you mentioned before and or health extensions, that also looks good. I would like to know if anyone had experience with Victor dog food? It is reasonable, price wise, hope it is good quality.
P.S. Thanks for responding about Pet Fresh, I would give him that with the dry food.

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

[Susan]

In Australia we have the dog rolls in the fridge section at Supermaket & Pet Shops, the pet shops are probably better quality, Patch loved them but the fat is too high for him, they’re 7% to 8% fat, when you convert to dry matter that’s around 35-45% fat, he gets his acid reflux..
I’d rather feed the rolls then dry kibble..or I fed the chopped up roll for dinner & feed the dry kibble for breakfast….

I’ve read good things about Fresh Pet Rolls especially when the dog has Stomach/bowel problems.
The Fresh Pet Vital look better have more variety then the Fresh Pet Select rolls..
Just make sure you smell the roll before using after opening the roll as they can go off quickly when no preservitives are added but thats good it shows ingredients are fresh like human foods..
https://freshpet.com/dog/vital/

[Kim P]

(cont)

Presently, I’m feeding my dog a combination of these foods…

For Dry – Natural Balance has a new product out that contains NO potatoes, tomato, apples, carrots, etc etc etc… it DOES have flaxseed, though, which is on the “no no” list:

** L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® High Protein Beef Formula Dry Dog Food **

Beef, Pea Protein, Beef Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Starch, Natural Flavor, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Salt, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Menhaden Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.

**************************************************************************

For his canned food (to provide extra moisture to keep his kidneys/bladder flushed and keep him well hydrated) – it DOES contain Wheat Starch & Corn Starch, though:

** Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Morsels in Gravy Canned Dog Food **

Water Sufficient for Processing, Pork By-Products, Chicken, Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Powdered Cellulose, Natural Flavors, Calcium Sulfate, Sodium Carboxymethyl-Cellulose, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Taurine, Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Source of Vitamin E), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Biotin, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Choline Chloride, Trace Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Marigold Extract (Tagetes Erecta L.).

***********************************************************************

Until I can find something better – this will have to do. I’ve searched EVERY dog food label known to mankind at this point, and there really isn’t anything that is 100% free of ingredients that contain silica.

[Christie B]

I have two dogs, a 10 year old American Bulldog Pit mix (115 lbs.) and a 4 year old Catahoula mix (40 lbs).

Both dogs are currently eating Blue Buffalo Adult dry, mixed with approx 2 tablespoons of BB wet, twice a day.

No matter what brand I buy or which protein formula I choose, if I run out of a large bag and buy another of the same formula, one of the dogs (usually the big one) starts to either have digestive issues or skin issues.

It was suggested to try to rotate the protein formula, which is what I intend to do once the current bag is almost done.

My question though is more about Mature vs Adult. I ran into a Blue Buffalo rep at the store last week and he asked the ages and sizes of my dogs. He recommended the regular Adult formula for my Catahoula, but said my American Bulldog mix should be on Mature Large Breed formula.

My dogs have a habit of eating from each others’ bowls when I feed them. If it was that important, I could watch them and discourage them from doing it.

But was the rep giving me sound advice or trying to get me to buy twice as much food?

[Susan]

Hi Pat,
It sounds like acid reflux, what was he eating?? its either too high in fat, high carbs or high in oils or tooo high in Kcals per cup??
Take it back to pet shop & say he wont eat it, get refund or change for something else..
Is it dry or wet can food when the licking gulping happens ??
If it’s dry have a look at “Wellness Simple”
I feed the Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula, Patch get bad acid reflux when he eats a fish kibble, Id say the omega oils are too high.
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Boil Sweet Potato pieces instead of the boiled rice, sweet potato is excellent for stomach & bowel problems, boil rice ferments in stomach..Sweet potato freezes & thaws really good..
Start adding 1-2 spoons of tin Salmon in spring water to his cook meals, so he’s getting his omega 3 for skin, coat, brain, heart & joints..
Salmon isnt as greezy as sardines..
Baths twice a week to wash off Allergens off skin & paws..
When this happens give an acid reducer – Zantac or Pepcid google dose
or make some Slippery Elm Slurry..
Buy Slippery Elm Powder add 1/2 a teaspoon power to a cup, boil the jug, slowly add the boiling water & stir quickly till you have a thick slurry but not too thick it needs to be able to be pulled up into a syringe when cool give 4ml put syringe side of his back teeth so he swollows it, this will soothe his esophagus & stomach helps with nausea & acid reflux & sloppy poo diarrhea..

[Stephanie S]

Pat W. –

TOTW Puppy formula is one of the three formulas that tested positive for heavy metals, pesticides, acrylamide and BPA…along with Pacific Stream and High Prairie.

It ended up taking over four months for my dogs to recover after eating TOTW’s poison. Once they were able to go back to dry dog food, their Vet highly recommended putting them on Royal Canin’s Selected Protein Adult PW Moderate Calorie formula, which I did and they’ve been doing extremely well since then!

[Jennifer K]

Hoping to keep this thread alive and would like to do a quick check in on limited ingredient alternative recommendations to Acana singles.

Since my last post mid December- Bentley my Coton de Tulear, has been on bland homemade food to combat weekly bouts of vomiting and diarrhea (with blood on several occasions). He has been doing a lot better tolerating this food and am ready to add in a new dry dog food, but still at a loss for which one. I heard Zignature was a quality brand (from their threads here) but it appears to be available at Walmart which tells me otherwise (maybe not a good basis, but still concerns me).

Has anyone has succes on transitioning from Acana to something else?

I

[joanne l]

Hi everyone I know this is old news, but I was reading the lawsuit about it today and the toxins that were found claim to be harmful to cardiovascular health, kidneys and brain function. I wonder if these toxins have something to do with DCM? I say this because a lot of dogs that were diagnosed with DCM ate Orjien and Acana. Of course there are other grain free dry foods that dogs were eating that also had DCM. But it makes me wonder that it could be the legumes PLUS toxins.

[Amanda D]

My Mini Aussie has been kind of itchy. Not always, but she does, she tends to chew her toes. She is fed Fromm Hasen Duckenpfeffer, whatever higher quality canned food I can find at my local discount let store. I always check DFA before buying and don’t but anything lower than 4 stars, but try to stay at 4.5-5 stars. This last time it was Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix Indulgent Mix All-Beef Sausage and Sweet Potato (5*), which she really liked. My mom however likes to give Luna table food, which I’m okay with roast meats, fruits and veggies. But a couple weeks who I found out she gave Loon an entire taco… Complete with seasoned ground beef 😒. I have told her not to give Luna that crap. Luna has been known to starve herself to hold out for table food. She’ll go an entire day ignoring her kibble to hold out for my mom to give her crap. Loon has never been a ravenous eater, Even when she was a puppy, she never gobbled or inhaled her food… I think it would be easier to deal with that than a picky dog.

I would like to try Luna on a Skin and Coat supplement before putting her on 100% Grain Free diet. I’ve been seeing articles lol up that dogs on GF diets have been linked to heart disease in older dogs. Now I know this isn’t dogma, but I would rather not set Luna up for that possible future. I would rather up her animal protein, because personally, I think it’s a lack of adequate amounts of animal protein, and not necessarily the added protein rich grains.

I also would like to add a fish oil to her food, but she won’t touch anything fishy. Of all the deal she likes; seafood, Green beans, peanut butter and bananas are things she won’t touch. Although she will sit with me and share dry roasted unsalted peanuts ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I was thinking maybe these Vetcrafted Omega Max soft chews.
https://www.allivet.com/mobile/p-6614-vetcrafted-omega-max-soft-chews-for-dogs-and-cats.aspx

Is there anything else I should look into?

[joanne l]

Dogs can have an allergic reaction to many things. It may not be the protein or carbs in the dry food, but it could be other ingredients. Example: certain preservatives, added coloring and flavoring, minerals, and such. Also, not to mention hidden chemicals in the food. So it is complicated.

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

[joanne l]

If you don’t like science diet ask your vet about Royal Canine. Also cook some chicken breast for her. Boil it and cut it up and store it in a container and give her some with the dry food. That is good quality protein. Like others have said Rx diet is best because with this condition you need to be careful. But I feel fresh cooked chicken is best to give with the dry food. Since the vet said she needs more protein. If you do give her fresh chicken cut a little back on the dry food. Also, tell your vet what you are doing so they know. Best of luck to you. I hope she will be okay. Oh one more thing when you boil the chicken put a carrot in there and boil together and mash the carrot into the chicken, It can store in the refrigerator for 4 days. Fresh is always best.

[Susan]

Hi Morgan,

are you on facebook?? join this group, post a post & ask people your question, you’ll probably get a better response..
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

Also follow “Rodney Habib” Diet plays a big part in keeping your sick dog healthy..
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

I dont know how your going to go with low fat diet?? as you need fat (Omega fats)for allergies..

My boy cant have high fat diet, causes Acid reflux, he’s OK up to 13% max fat, I feed 13% max -fat & he does well…
Allergies can be confusing, sometimes we think its an ingredient or protein causing the dogs itchy skin, ears & paws etc, 80% of the time its from environment allergens..
Normally if a dog has food sensitivities they will also have environment allergies aswell..
Routine-Baths are the best to do with allergies, you wash off the Allergens off paws, skin etc, bath weekly or twice a week in the Spring & Summer.. I also use baby wipes & I wipe him down after we have gone for walks or he’s been out the back yard in Spring & Summer months when trees & plants are flowering.

My boy hs IBD Food sensitivities & seasonal environment allergies, fat has to be around 13%max as he suffers bad acid reflux,
I feed him “Wellness Simple” Wellness Core” Canidae Pure Wild Boar”

Why do you want to stay away from white potatoes??
Yeasty, smelly, itchy skin isnt caused by starchy carbs, a dog will only react to potatoes if he is sensitivite to potato, which is rare I’ve been told by a vet nutritionist, vet diets use Potato cause it’s a low allergen..

Have a look at First Mate, Chicken & Blueberries its Grain, Gluten & Pea Free, Single Meat Protein, Limited Ingredient Formula, Available in Small Bites

Limited Ingredient Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula

I would look into feeding tin salmon in spring water + sweet potato,
just make sure you read sodium/salt % get the lowest %,
feed foods that are high in omega fatty acids, this way the skin is kept healthy & diet is low in hard fats…. Sardines can be very rich but are VERY healthy..
This is what I try to do with Patch, he eats 5 small meals a day, cause of his IBD, he eats his dry kibble 7am, 9am, 5pm & 7pm then for lunch -12pm he gets his wet healthy meal Salmon & Sweet potato, Frontier Pets – dehydrated free range raw made Australia, freeze dried green lipped Mussels, Almond 3 almonds a day for dogs , Follow Rodney, he is always posting healthy foods. I try to rotate as many healthy foods into his diet over 7 days..

If I were you i’d try & stay away from kibbles, pet foods are VERY high in toxins contamnates & heavy metals, you dont want to put more stress on his liver if you can..
Google heavy metals toxinz & contaminates in pet foods.. Chicken & Turkey are the cleanest meats in pet foods..
Good Luck

[Patricia A]

Yes..they do have feeding trials. They can’t put for All Life Stages on their label without feeding trials. Unfortunately feeding trials are also flawed.
How do you reconcile that feeding trials are the best way, imperfect as they are, to determine if a food is nutritionally sound, with the fact that hardly anyone (or their foods) does AAFCO feeding trials? My favorite dog food companies (aka the ones I learned about through your yearly reviews, like Merrick) don’t seem to have any AAFCO feeding trials under their belt.

I’m not trying to question your knowledge or recommendations (because I love both), more just hoping I’m not the only one out there thinking about this stuff so much.

Thanks for your question! I’ve discussed feeding trials in a lot of different articles over the years, and I’m happy there are others “thinking about this stuff” as avidly as I am.

It’s true that in the article you mentioned in your note, I said that the “nutrient levels” method for establishing the nutritional adequacy of a food was flawed:

“Feeding trials are considered by most veterinary nutrition experts [emphasis added] to be the ‘gold standard’ for proving nutritional adequacy claims – superior to the ‘nutrient levels’ method of proof. That’s because it’s quite possible for a laboratory analysis to confirm that a food contains the amounts of various nutrients judged to be necessary for maintaining a dog, but for the product, in practice, to fail at that very job.

This is possible because not all nutrients may be in a digestible (‘bioavailable’) form. Most nutritionists agree that feeding trials offer the most reliable confirmation of a food’s ability to deliver nutrients in a form that will benefit the target species.”

However, as I’ve mentioned in many of my other articles on commercial diets, the feeding trial method of establishing nutritional adequacy is flawed, too.

The above-referenced article didn’t assert that feeding trials are the best way to prove the nutritional adequacy of a food. Its purpose was to clarify what feeding trials are, and describe conditions for dogs used in the studies.

In that article, I did call feeding trials “important” – and I still think they are. It absolutely is important to know whether a food that may well be fed to a dog every day for years on end is, in actuality, capable of sustaining dogs over time, without causing gross deficits leading to illness, weight loss, or abnormal blood chemistry.

I’m not going to go so far as to regard them as requisite, however, because they aren’t perfect. For one thing, they really aren’t long enough. Just because a diet can sustain a dog in a laboratory environment for about six months without causing illness or abnormal blood values doesn’t mean it will perform the same way for dogs who may lead a much more active and stressful life, and for years on end.

Also, as I explained in my 2007 dry food review (/issues/10_2/features/Dry-Dog-Food-Review_15897-1.html), foods that acquire the right to use a nutritional adequacy claim based on feeding trials need not be formulated to meet the other standard for nutritional adequacy: the “nutrient levels” criteria. Here is an excerpt from the 2007 article – but I’m going to boldface and correct a big mistake I made there:

“Foods that pass feeding trials are not required to contain minimum or maximum levels of any particular nutrients. Therefore, it’s possible for a food to sustain dogs long enough to ‘pass’ the trial, but fail to demonstrate an ability (in real-world, long-term use) to promote optimum health. As one example, mineral excesses may take a year or more to cause noticeable health problems, but a food that claims to provide complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs (a ‘maintenance’ claim) may have passed only a 26-week test.

“There is also an AAFCO feeding trial (at least 13 weeks long) for products intended for dogs during gestation and lactation and another that tests puppy diets (10 weeks). To earn the right to claim nutritional adequacy for dogs of ‘all life stages,’ a food must undergo all three trials sequentially, for a total of 49 (or more) weeks. [Actually, to earn the ‘all life stages’ claim, the food must pass the ‘gestation and lactation’ and then the ‘growth’ (puppy) trials, sequentially, for a total of about 23 weeks. The ‘maintenance’ trial is not actually included.] If it passes, its label can state, ‘Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (name of product) provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.’

“Many experts regard the ‘all life stages’ feeding trial as the best proof we have of a food’s ability to perform. But again: Even a year-long [nope, only six-month!] feeding trial may fail to reveal faults that can cause serious health problems if fed as a sole diet for a long period.”

However, as I said in the 2007 article, the “nutrient levels” claim is flawed, too:

“Foods that meet the ‘AAFCO nutritional profiles’ qualification can lack palatability and/or digestibility. If dogs don’t like the smell or taste of the food, they won’t eat enough of it to gain its nutritional benefits. Also, the nutrients contained in a product may not be present in a form that the dog can digest. The AAFCO nutrient profiles themselves contain a problem: Not many lay people are aware that the profiles allow for a wide range of values. Far from being some sort of industry ‘standard,’ or offering suggestions for optimum nutrition, they actually offer only broad guidance.”

The fact is, both methods that a company can use to “prove” the nutritional adequacy of a product are flawed. Here’s an excerpt from a 2012 article I wrote about the research conducted by pet food companies (/issues/15_6/features/Pet-Food-Company-Research_20546-1.html):

“Many people consider AAFCO feeding trials as the ‘gold standard’ for confirming the nutritional adequacy of a canine or feline diet. However, because the products that met the ‘feeding trial’ test of nutritional adequacy do not have to meet the ‘nutrient levels’ criteria, there is the possibility that these products may contain excessive, deficient, or unbalanced nutrient levels that may contribute to the development of health problems if fed as a sole diet for periods that are in excess of the testing period. An ideal test would encompass both a feeding trial and meeting the AAFCO nutrient profiles, but no such standard currently exists [emphasis added].”

Veterinarians are taught in vet school (with texts underwritten by pet food companies) that only foods qualified by feeding trials should be fed, ever. And the vast majority of veterinarians believe this. Maybe it’s because of all the blood tests a dog in a feeding trial is subjected to . . . But six months! It’s not enough to base a lifetime of feeding on, in my opinion.

That’s why I don’t say in our pet food reviews that one ought to use the type of nutritional adequacy claim as a selection criteria. I do think, however, that this information is worth knowing –that dog owners should always keep in mind which test was used to prove the adequacy of their dogs’ food as they monitor their dogs’ health and condition closely. If it’s a “feeding trial” product – ask the maker (or better yet, look for yourself) to find out if it DOES meet the “nutrient levels” standards, or do some nutrient values deviate from the AAFCO Canine Nutrient Profiles? If it’s a “nutrient levels” product, ask the maker what sort of informal feeding trials they use, how long the diet is fed to its test dogs, and what sort of tools are used to monitor or evaluate the dogs used in the trials. Some companies use their employees’ dogs or the dogs in a shelter close to the company headquarters as informal test dogs, but don’t follow up with any sort of health tests. These informal tests really only give the company information about the palatability and digestibility of the product; they don’t address long-term health consequences. But then, neither do the AAFCO-protocol feeding trials, unless you consider six months to be “long term.”

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

[anonymous]

The food your veterinarian recommended is a prescription food and appears to be the best option for your dog.
I notice that it comes in canned, maybe she would do better with soft food.
https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/ha-puppy-dry

Lot’s of misinformation out there. I would continue work closely with your vet for the best possible outcome.
Science based information here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[patrocle]

I have a 4 year / 3 months old Siberian Husky and he started to gain little weight and he slowed down as he does not have energy anymore, plus he started to get few hot spots. So i went to the Vet and done some blood work on him. Tests came good , but the Thyroid test the Vet say is way to low and that’s why he has the spots, getting weight and probably all this causing from allergies.
So the Vet put him on three different medications, witch he is done with two of them and just left with one ,for another week and then will have to do the blood test for Thyroid again to see the levels.
I also asked if the food maybe a problem too, in what i was giving him. At that time witch was till some where half way in Dec 2018 , i had the kirkland brand from costco “Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Beef Meal & Sweet Potato” and before that , about 1.5 month ago i was giving him “Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Dog Food”
So the Vet told me to give him dry food “with Grains” , so today i was looking for some dry food with grains at a local store witch the owner was the dog trainer & food for 25,30 with Law Enforcement , and he owns the store now, i told him my story about my dog health and what the vet recommended and he said , he will go with dry food like:
Orijen Six Fish or the FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish Meal – Original Formula
Also he mention to give him 2 cups a day for now.

So i need some clarification what to buy and what to choose between “with grains or grain free” ? Done a lot of reading and looks like i am more confuse than to know exactly what to buy,

Any advice will appreciate!
P.

[joanne l]

You make a good point, however since these recent cases were seen in dogs with the grain free diets and the FDA is on this we have to wait and see. If people want to avoid all “fillers” than you can’t feed dry dog food. Which in some cases that is not feasible for some people. These cases were found in a University Hospital so we have to trust what they are observing. Since their observation was found in dogs being feed grain free we have to trust what they are seeing. We can assume a lot of things but observation is key.
Now I do agree that you need to feed a high quality food that you trust, without cheap ingredients, I feel a good wholesome grain in diet with a trusted brand is fine. With their findings I think I would still prefer grain in for now. On the other hand you can choose a brand that has grain in and grain out and rotate so the dog is not getting grain free all the time. What I do believe is that dogs should not consume legumes on a daily basis because of the Phytic acid that legumes contain. Plus they are so far out of a canines diet!! More far out than grains.
Furthermore, some of the dogs that were feed grain free and had DCM, when they switched their diet back to grain in their results improved. And those results were from the University Hospital. So I would suggest not to be ignorant to what they are finding, they are doing their best to help these dogs. Again we have to wait and see before we assume anything. To me when the FDA gets involved it is a sign of concern.

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

[Ana C]

One of my dog had an episode of pancreatitis almost two years ago. Yellow mucus stool probably means irrigate GI and too much fat.

Since then, I learned how to read the labels closely. You have to calculate fat content in dry matters in order to be to be accurate. DFA also did some calculations for you. You can do a search on DFA and you will get a list of recommend low fat dog food. My dog has been on Annamaet Lean and I am still looking for another brand to rotate.

If you have time, mix in some boil chicken and fresh vegetables to the kibbles. Fresh whole food are the best. I also keep a few Hills science diet prescription can food on hand as go-to food.

[Susan]

Hi Carol,

When the fat % is too high poos are yellow, Mr Whippy poos, was the Purina Smartblend Tender Cuts in Gravy a wet can food?? What was the Purina Smarblend Ground Chicken ?? wet can or a dry kibble?? you have to stay 2% fat & under & 78% for moisture when its a wet can food.. this will be around 7-10% fat

Did you know the fat % in raw foods & wet can foods havn’t been converted to dry matter fat % like a kibble is, so when you convert say 5%min-fat in a wet can food the 5%min fat is around 20%min fat to 26%max fat %, it will all depend what the moisture % is in the wet or raw food? when moisture is over 80% you’ll fine the fat % will be higher…

You’re better off ither cooking chicken & boiled Sweet Potato or feeding Hills I/d Digestive Care low fat wet can foods or Royal Canine Gastrointestinal Low Fat wet can food,
If her diarrhea sloppy yellow poos doesnt clear up you’ll need some Metronidazole tablets…

Are you on Face Book join the “Canine Pancreatis Suport group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/
look in their “Files” scroll down to “Pancreas Low Fat dog foods.pdf” click on this PDF & all the pet shop foods come up that you can feed & are LOW fat..

Here’s is a Dog Food Guaranteed Analysis Calculator, save it..

Guaranteed Analysis Calculator

[Susan]

Hi Hill,
the best diet for cats is a raw diet. Cats & dogs have short digestive tracts, made to digest a raw diet quickly…Cats who are feed a dry kibble normally end up with kidney problems…

You can buy Pre-made raw in freezer section or my cat loves Air Dried & Freeze Dried raw, I add water to the freeze dried balls & she loves it, once a week she gets 1/2 a raw chicken wing to help clean her teeth…
If your cats are feed a dry kibble & wet can food then the Freeze Dried or air Dried raw would be the best as some cats refuse to eat raw meat if brought up on a dry kibble, they will love eating the freeze dried raw or air dried raw, it’s similiar to kibble but freeze & air dried raw isnt over cooked at high temps or over processed like a dry kibble is…

Look at “Ziwi Peak” email Ziwi Peak & ask for Air Dried samples & if they have the raw wet can food samples aswell??
My cat inhales “Ziwi Peak”.
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-cat-nutrition

* Stella & Chewy
https://www.stellaandchewys.com/cat-food/freeze-dried-raw-dinners

“Raw feeding advice and support” face book group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/451782265003776/

[Dean R]

I’m new to this great website/forum and I must admit I have only skimmed all the posts related to DCM as there are a lot of them. So rather than jump in and make a fool out of myself, I am going to give mine and my dog’s experience with this rather complex issue.
Pepper is my almost 14-year-old, female Miniature Schnauzer, who was diagnosed with DCM this summer on a trip to California on a Saturday night, of course. We took her to an ER Vet for a problem with back leg weakness. They took radiographs of her hips and found the cardiomegaly and hepatomegaly. A heart murmur was also found. She did not have one a year before. Nothing was learned about her back legs, but we suddenly had a sick dog on our hands who needs lifelong medication. No cause was given and other than meds no solution was either. Her back legs got better after we got her some booties when we realized she was slipping on the smooth floor of the rental house.
About 2 weeks later I read about the low grain diet controversy on an animal wellness website. Yes, Pepper was on a low grain diet. The article made the point that the problem wasn’t the low grain, but what it was replaced with, such as legumes(peas, beans, chickpeas) and nightshade plants (potatoes). It might have sounded like just another diet controversy, but I knew all about this from my own health issues. I had developed a heart issue and had been following Dr Steven Gundry’s Anti-Lectin diet. Lectins are plant proteins that protect the plant progeny from predators. Some of the more famous ones are gluten(grains)and ricin(castor beans). Legumes and nightshades have high levels of lectins. These lectins cause the body to attack its own tissues and organs. I had never seen anything about this in dogs, but it explained the etiology of Pepper’s problems. I got her off the low grain food and on to a 99% animal protein sourced one. It was really had to find and I have yet to find a dry dog food for her. She has stopped panting, has more energy, plays with the cat and loves her walks again. I also started to give her a taurine supplement and a vitamin supplement for dogs, which is designed to replace nutrients cooked out of dog food. I hope this sheds some light on this issue and urge you to investigate dietary lectins.

[joanne l]

Hi Lynne. another one is Health Extensions Venison grain free look it up on chewy. Looks like a great food I might try it later on. Good Luck! Please read about yogurt for gas. The weight loss is from feeding just fish and potatoe. Fish as you know can make us loose weight if eating on daily basis. Keep up the beef and rice until you find something and when you do, please do it slowly, because if you don’t any dog can get gas or upset tummy. So when trying a new food, give her the homemade beef and rice then a tablespoon or 2 of dry food mixed in for a couple of days, then increase it to 1/4 of cup and hold it there for a few days and so on. Be patient because slow and steady wins the race.

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

[Christine A]

An update to my other post.. I still don’t have great answers

I’ve been attempting to do my research on seizures in dogs for some time now. The vet will cost a fortune to run tests, so I’m just out here looking for similar situations.

My dog, Zeus, is a ~75lb pit mix (possibly with hound/boxer) at (approx.) 3 years old. He has now had 5 observed grand mal seizures this year between May and Dec. with a 12 week break after his first 2. All lasting about 2-4 minutes from the time it was caught.

I was determined it was the Interceptor heart worm prevention since the first 2 this year happened exactly 1 week after the dose was given. After I switched the heart worm preventative to ProHeart6 in July, we had about a 12 week period without a seizure. He then had 1 in Oct. and then one 7 weeks later in Nov. and then 4 weeks in Dec.

I then was convinced him eating his brothers poo was the cause. After doing MORE research, some hounds just eat poo (and he definitely has some in him).. and sometimes it is due to lack of enzyme & probiotic nutrition.
So what I did was order NaturVet Enzyme plus probiotic. In the meantime, we were very strict about watching him outside and picking up after every load. We also started a high protein diet by adding 1/2 – 1 cup meat to a 1/2 cup of dry kibble.. What I noticed during this time, he appeared to not have the acid-reflux symptoms (throwing up unexpectedly, mouth swallowing, etc.), no throwing up at all, overall more energy & perky, and not a strong beagle skin smell. What happened after the second dose of enzyme replacement was the acid-reflux symptoms reappeared (unexpected vomit & lots of swallowing) while still using CBD oil and high protein.

I proceeded to purchase a high quality/rated CBD oil for pets after the seizure in Nov. I did not order the second bottle soon enough and ran out. As I began to put him back on it slowly on day 2 of 1x/day he had his 5th seizure Dec. 24. We gave him a dose as he was beginning the seizure and did not appear to shorten or help.

Some things I have observed about him and these seizures:
– The first 2 (May & June) seizures occurred while eating Pure Balance wild & free grain-free salmon & pea (walmart) after wanting more convenience and switching to Chewy.com, I switched to Taste of the Wild grain-free bison & venison, July-Sept. I then made a personal decision to switch back to a grain food, Purina pro plan Focus sensitive skin & stomach salmon & rice in Sept. His 3rd seizure happened in Oct. and 4th in Nov.
– The 3 times that I have witnessed the episode, after he has relaxed for a few minutes, he immediately begins eating his food. He’s not a big eater and will eat about once a day on dry food only if no added meat.
-During the seizures, he expels his stomach bile (not sure if that is normal)
– He does eat his dog brother’s feces (and we have tried nearly every additive to the food to prevent this – now were down to frequent clean up/muzzle). We found him as a stray at approximately 1 year.
– The first 3 occurred while he was outside (which also made me believe that he was getting into a weed or poisonous fungus/plant). The 4th one occurred while he was sleeping and 5th inside.
– The 4th & 5th one were the only seizures I have seen from beginning to end as it happened when waking up in the AM. He began to try to vomit and then began running round, stopped, peed and grand mal for 2-4 minutes. During the seizure his stomach bile expels
– The 4th one also occurred while on doxycycline & vetprofen for a infected hair. He’s been on antibiotics before for a surgical ingrown hair removal
– Common demonstrators: Salmon flavor (possibly other similar ingredients)

Questions I have for myself: Is he eating it because his body needs something in the feces? Is it the Salmon/brand? Is his stomach bile doing something with the enzymes ingested?

If another one occurs, I will probably have to get a prescription for seizures. I feel there is a pattern and there is a healthier solution than medication.

[anonymous]

Regarding:
“Second, do this test for allergic triggers in food and environment”: (glacierpeakholistics)
/forums/search/glacier+peaks/

Glacier Peak Holistics Pet Wellness Life Scan Stress Test or How Much BS Can Fit on One Web Page?

Hair and Saliva Test for Allergies are Worthless Pseudoscience

Regarding:
“Look into the Zignature line of dry, limited ingredient kibble”.

Ask your vet, most vets are recommending feeding a grain-inclusive food at least till the results of the investigation are in.

It’s Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy

[Susan]

Lynne

Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes help firm a dog poos & soothe their stomach & bowel, excellent for upset tummy, a dog only reacts to potato when the dog is sensitive to potato which is rare…
Vet diets use potato for this this reason, dogs don’t normally react to potato or sweet potatoes, dogs who suffer with Intestinal stress & food sensitivities do really well on a potato or sweet potato when added to their diet, vet diets have been studied & researched….

Lentils, Chickpeas, high legume diets can cause bad intestinal stress, bad wind, diarrhea etc so just be careful, if the dry/wet food is high in legumes, also they think Legumes are blocking the dog from absorbing Taurine causing heart problems with some dogs at the moment…
When my boy ate a dry kibble that had lentils he got bad gas/wind then bad diarrhea for 1 week it was awful & when he eats chickpeas they have to be further down the ingredient around 5th 6th ingredient list, he’ll have a bit of wind/farts for 1 weeks then he’s OK….
Alot of dogs who have IBS, IBD Bloat can’t handle a high legume diet so just becareful..

[Susan]

Hi Lynne,
My boy has IBD I feed him,
“Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato” formula, there’s a “Wellness Simple Salmon & Potato formula”.

Look at
* – Wellness Simple – https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-salmon-potato-recipe

* – Canidae Pure Wild Boar- https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-wild-dry-formula

My boy does really well on the “Canidae Pure Boar” dry kibble aswell, it’s pork, a lean white meat, Pork is really good for dogs who suffer with food sensitivities, dog foods dont normally have pork in them, as its not a cheap meat, they mainly add Chicken meat, chicken is a cheaper meat, chicken is also a cleaner meat, so chicken is used more in dog foods, Pork is worth a try she probably hasnt eaten pork before so chances she wont react..

It’s not always the meat protein the dog is reacting too, meat doesn’t have fiber they normally are reacting to the protein in the grain, veggies, lentils, legumes etc another ingredients in the dog food..

Best to do a food elimination diet this way you’ll know 100% what your girl is sensitive too..

My boy gets BAD wind & sloppy Mr Whippy poo when he eats Barley, Tapioca, Corn Gluten Meal, Lentils, its not the meats…
Just make sure when you do get a new kibble, slowly introduce over 10 to 14 days, at first my boy has wind when I introduce a new kibble but after 1-2 weeks it goe away…

You need to check the Kcals per cup when a dog needs to lose weight they always recommend feeding under 350kcals per cup kibble, what were the Kcals per cup she was eating when she lost weight? Also what meds is she taking, this could be why she is losing weight??
Wellness Simple is over 400 kcals per cup same as the Canidae Pure Boar it’s over 400Kcals per cup, always read the feeding amounts all kibbles variey some kibble formula’s you dont need to feed as much….

I was watching Ellen today, she feeds her dogs “Gentle Giants” dog food..

* Here’s Natural Gentle Giants World Class Canine Nutrition Salmon Feast Dog Food – 18lbs
Salmon Feast – https://shop.gentlegiantsdogfood.com/natural-gentle-giants-world-class-canine-nutrition-salmon-feast-dog-food—18lbs-p3.aspx

* Here’s Natural Gentle Giant wet can 90% Salmon wet food, the fat is only 1% fat, so when you convert the wet can food fat that’s only 4-5%-fat.. thats pretty good for a wet can food they’re normally very high in fat unless you buy a vet diet low fat wet can formula..
https://shop.gentlegiantsdogfood.com/natural-gentle-giants-world-class-canine-nutrition-canned-dog-food—90-salmon—case-of-12-cans-p10.aspx

Just be careful if you feed a wet can food, the fat%, protein%, fiber% hasn’t been converted to dry matter (Kibble) yet, so if a wet can says fat-5%min, when you convert 5%min fat that’s around 20%min to 26%max fat%…

Good Luck with your girl, it gets scary when they get sick especially when they get Bloat..

[zcRiley]

For the weight loss, please go to your vet for a full blood panel test as reduced nutrients could lead to other issues.

Second, do this test for allergic triggers in food and environment: https://glacierpeakholistics.com/collections/frontpage/products/pet-wellness-life-stress-scan-1?variant=38717885892

Third, no more potatoes, of any kind, any color, in any thing. Very bad ingredient used by many as a filler in dog foods. Causes harmful gas and bloat.

Look into the Zignature line of dry, limited ingredient kibble. Many to choose from. Over feed. Rather your pet eat enough and leave some in the bowl, then underfed since you don’t know which meats his allergic to.

[joanne l]

I hope everything is okay, the only suggestion I can think of is adding pro and prebiotics to her food I hope some one here will help with a food suggestion. If I see any I will let you know. I found on chewy, Nutro Limited Ingredient diet lamb and sweet potatoe. Protein is 22% and fat is 12% and fiber is I think 3.5%. What brand was he eating? If the brand you use doesn’t cause gas I would stick with that and add some fresh beef *boil it and drain the fat) and give with dry food for weight gain.

Ask your vet about fiber content in dry food, I think too much fiber is not good but it depends on the dog. I would think too much fiber can cause gas. I know yogurt will help too. Give a tablespoon with meals.

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

[Patricia A]

When I tried to edit my subscription it said they are revamping and adding features. Suggested putting my email address to be notified when it’s back to resubscribe.
Funny about Acana and Orijen. My dogs were on Fromm for years. My pet supply store had brands arranged that most expensive were all in one aisle. Fromm was known as a superior kibble. Never had a recall at that time. Orijan and Acana had a reputation of the best of the best kibble you can feed, Tried it once with no success . Just didn’t eat it. There also is a lawsuit . Testing showed Champion kibble having higher levels of BPA in their kibble. Less then canned food but a chemical not associated with dry pet foods.

[Carmen N]

I had three dogs, one the mom she is about 88 lbs and she is 16 years old..her kids are about 150lbs and are 12 years old…Brandy start loosing weight, her kids start having skin problems…well, I decided to start cooking for them…Brandy start gain a little more weight and her kids skin problem goes away….I cook celery, yellow squash, pumpkin, bok choy, carrots and breast chicken without any fat or skin….I blended all vegetables with the same broth from the veggies and chicken…I add one cup of puree and one cup of dry food (Beneful), I also give them 1500ml of glucosamine, Brandy have rheumatic and osteoporosis in her hip, and one of her kids had a knee surgery (sorry my English ), also I put 5 pumps of salmon oil and a multivitamin…the skin problems, itching and hip and knee pain just go away…I have been read about overdose on vitamins and minerals and confuse me, do you think I am giving to much of all this?, ..Thank you

[Susan]

Hi Christine,
Which Orijen formula’s are coming here & who will be selling Orijen??
I’m looking for grain free, limited ingredients, has Pork & Sweet Potato or Potatoes…..
My Patch has IBD & I’ve been told “Wellness Simple” mighten be sold soon cause its not selling, it’s cause Pet Barn only sell the Wellness Simple thru Pet Barn online store & Pet Barn shops dont have the Wellness Simple in their shops so people dont see it, so no wonder it’s not selling + the price $130 for 11.8kg bag, its cheaper then a vet diet & has better ingredients then vet diet..,
if you buy Wellness Simple online at the moment its $89 -12kg bag, I think they’re getting rid al the Wellness Simple & are selling it cheaper at the moment BUT delivery from Pet Barn goes by weight it cost $15 for a 12kg order to be posted, other online pet store have free delivery, orders over $29-Pet Circle – free, My Pet Warehouse- orders over $49 – free delivery..
Are you sure 100% we are getting Origen?? cause Canidae was bringing out their new Ancestral raw coat Kibbles, they didnt come…they looked good.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/
The people importing Earthborn Holistic said they were bringing out “Venture LID kibble” it didn’t come either.
When it comes to filling out all the importation forms etc Ive been told its very very hard to bring in pet foods thats why I like the imported pet foods cause I know they have to pass very strict laws, where their meats come from etc, where the Australian made pet food is not regulated anyone can make a dog or cat food if you live in Australia..
A heap of people are trying to change our pet laws, so no one can just make a dog or cat food they must do recalls straight away & tell pet owners there’s a problems if dogs are getting sick/dying, then when these Pet foods take off & get a good name they sell them too big pet food companies for $$$$$$$$, look at Black Hawk it was a really good dog food back 2008 a family run business then they sold it, then dogs got really sick the new owners were cutting corners buying cheaper meats/ingredients then the new owners sold it again, then again it was sold to Master Pet Food NZ owns Black Hawk now & the Original formula’s were reformulated & they made a new grain free line & had a quick & quiet recall 2-3months ago with the Black Hawk G/F Salmon formula, Master Pet Food released a statement & said they went thru a different Salmon supplier (Yeah a cheaper salmon supplier) least Black Hawk did a quick recall & made a Statement more then Advance did 1 year ago when dogs were dropping like flies after eating Advance Dermcare dry formula…
Black Hawk & Ivory Coat are made at the Dubbo plant…..
Ivory Coat was sold to Chinese is also made by the Real Pet Food Company, the Real Pet Food Company made Baxters Woolworths generic brand that was poisoning dogs 2017 & 2018..
https://realpetfoodco.com.au/our-company

I stay away from all Australian made pet foods now unless it’s an honest small business like “Frontier Pets” she shows everything she does where her meat comes from, where the organically grown veggies & fresh farm eggs come from & Patch doesnt get sick..

[Susan]

Hi Margie,
Did you try the Hills I/d Low Fat Rice, Vegetable, Chicken Stew, wet small can food?? the ingredients are OK & are easy digestable ingredients…. the dry Hills I/d Low Fat kibble wasnt the best…
There’s also “Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal” Wet Can no chicken, its pork & smells pretty good but the omega oils are very high, my boy gets acid reflux from vet diet wet can foods.
https://www.hillspet.com.au/dog-food/pd-id-low-fat-canine-rice-vegetable-and-chicken-stew-canned

I feed Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato to my boy who has IBD, Wellness is a pretty good brand, Patch normally reacts to dry foods after he eats same food for 2-3 months, he hasnt reacted to Wellness Core Large Breed or Wellness Simple Turkey,
also “Canidae Pure Meadow Senior” is very good, has everything for aging dogs, its 10.80% max fat…
There’s “Artemis Fresh Mix” Weight Management/Senior its 6%- fat, 3-4% fiber but it has grains, my boy was doing sloppy Mr whippy poos on Artemis, I’m pretty sure he cant eat barley, it causes sloppy yellow poos…
There’s also “Annamaet Lean” kibble alot of dogs who have Pancreatitis do well on Annamaet Lean…
Have you joined “Canine Pancreatitis Support group” look in their “Files” Pancreas Low Fat dog foods pdf.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/

[Susan]

Hi Joanne,
is this the Holistic Select Lamb Meal & Rice formula he’s eating?
https://www.holisticselect.com.au/dog/adult-health-lamb-meal-recipe
its the only Holistic Select formula that has Lamb…
Holistic Select have changed all their formula’s, they have stopped making a few of their grain formula’s & made them grain free now, but they’re high in Legumes…

Purina, Hills & Royal Canine spray their dry foods right at the end of being made, this makes the kibble more tasty & smell delicious so the dog eats them, where Holitic Select spray their probiotics & Vonn probably not use to this smell, in time he’s get use to the weird smell…
I’d buy either tin tuna or tin Salmon in spring water, I drain the spring water out then I put fish in container, I mix in some boil sweet potato pieces mash & mix & feed for lunch, I have to mix in Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM joint powder now with Patches meal for his hip.. 🙁
I bet he’ll love the Holistic Select Lamb kibbles or another dry food that he won’t eat, after you add the tuna or salmom, the tuna or salmon is very small so after you mash he fish it sticks to the kibbles, so when he goes to lick the fish up he licks up the whole kibbles….

There’s the Holistic Select Large/Giant Breed Adult formula, I like it cause it has Pork Meal in it, alot of dry dog foods are adding Fish Meal further down te ingredient list, I prefer Pork Meal + Patch does really well on Pork…
These are the Ingredients in Holitsic Select Large/Giant Breed Formula no Barley.
Chicken Meal, Rice, Oatmeal, Oats, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Pork Meal, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Flaxseed, Pumpkin, Cranberries, Apples, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Papayas, Choline Chloride, Blueberries, Pomegranates, Vitamin E
https://www.holisticselect.com.au/dog/large-giant-breed-adult-health.

Wellness have a new “grain” dry kibble called Wellness “Healthy Balance”
I bought a small bag of the “Healthy Balance Adult Chicken” formula cause it has Pork Meal 2nd ingredient..
Chicken Meal, Pork Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley, Rice, Peas, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Brewers Dried Yeast, Ground Flaxseed, Dried Tomato Pomace, Salmon Oil,
I didn’t see the word “BARLEY” aaaarrrrrrrhhhhhh, I just saw “NEW”, Pork Meal & Cheap lol
Patch loves it, I have to add 1/3 cup new & mix with 3/4 cup Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula to keep his poos firm & to stop him scratching himself after he eats the Wellness Healthy balance kibble, he’s definitely sensitive to Barley, he started his bum surfing on the carpet again, lucky I only got the small bag..

Scroll down the “Healthy Balance” is down the bottom
https://wellnesspetfood.com.au/dog-wellness/dry-recipes/
these are the only Wellness products we get now, Wellness is only sold thru Pet Barn no one else sells Wellness so Pet Barn must have some deal with Wellness..

Have you tried any new Chicken formula’s again?
there’s so many dry foods that have Chicken that would probably agree with him, there’s “Eagle Pack” Large/Giant Breed formula & Lamb Meal & Brown Rice looks good but Eagle Pack uses barley…
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=83#.XCgzC_ZuI5s

I would try a chicken formula again it was probably something wrong with the Purina Pro Plan or an ingredient didn’t agree with him or he might have just been unwell at that time & had problems with the chicken Pro Plan formula?..

[christine v]

I plan on feeding my 13mth old small Jack Russell Orijen puppy food (smaller kibble) when it finally becomes available here in Australia next month. I emailed Orijen and they said the puppy dry food is fine for Adults and is an ALS food. I compared the ingredients and GA to the Adult formula and i can barely see any differences.

[margie m]

My silky terrier ate “something” at the park and stirred up the pancreatitis. My vet has her on ground turkey and rice and meds to get it quiet but told me I needed a dog food that is 8 % fat. The ten percent recommended above is too much for her. She is also allergic to a few things so its been hard to find a suitable commercial kibble that will do.

I have ordered Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient HEALTHY WEIGHT, Salmon and pea. The bag says no less than 8% fat so I contacted the maker and they said it has 9.39 % in fed amount of fats. So I am going to mix up some ground turkey or ground beef, add some cooked squash, sweet potato. I can add a small amount of that mixture each day to her dry kibble that I soak in some broth. The extra that I add will lower the overall fat content and should make it more appealing.

She will not eat the prescription dog foods and I was not impressed by Hill’s low fat I.D. contents anyway.

[Susan]

Hi,
is this the same Holistic Select Lamb formula you bought about 1-2 weeks ago & he didnt really want to eat it??
I would take it back, or email Holistic Select & ask them why does it have a paint smell?? they might send you out a voucher or something??
I’ve feed Patch “Holistic Select Salmon, Anchovy, Sardine Meal Puppy/Adult grain free” & “Holistic Select Chicken Meal & Rice Senior” old formula years ago they never smelt of paint, they smelt like a dry dog food, even their Salmon, Sardine & Anchovy Meal kibble didn’t smell of fish which I liked as some kibbles stick bad of fish, if he doesnt want to eat it listen to him..
I know Holistic Select add alot of Pro & Pre -biotics but they don’t smell like paint..

The other day 1pm I got Patches Wellness Simple Turkey Meal & Potato 11.8kg bag thru postage, Pet Barn shop doesnt have the Wellness Simple bigger bags you have to buy online, when the post van pulled up I went outside it was a very HOT day, when the mail man handed me the Wellness bag it was hot like it had been sitting in the sun, I said to the mail man isnt your van Air con, he said yes but Im opening the back door all the time, I thought this kibble oils will go rancid, so I rung up Pet barn & asked will this bag of Wellness Simple be off, it came in a very hot plastic bag, they put me on hold then came back the lady said I can take it to a Pet Barn store & get another 1, I said Pet Barn stores don’t sell the bigger Wellness Simple bags, she said it will be OK…I didnt open it till this morning, its smelt OK like the other Wellness 2kg bags I tried, Patch ate it but Patch eats everything the nut.. I gave the cat 2 kibbles she ate them & she is fussy so I thought OK its alright I hope its OK..
Then we wonder why are our dogs are sick for no reason??..We dont know what happens to the bags of kibble or wet can foods after they leave the Pet Food company after they are made??