[Tyrionthebiscuit]

You linked the wrong one.

Plus she posted the ingredients

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/wholehearted-grain-free-skin-and-coat-care-pea-and-salmon-recipe-dry-dog-food

[Susan]

Hi emmygirl,
sorry my post is so long but as I’m writing I’m remember heaps of information & what I did with Patch….
You have written everything I have been thru with my IBD boy Patch who is nilly 10yrs old, I nilly put him to sleep in January, instead we did another Endoscope-Biopsies on esophagus & stomach, I thought he had stomach cancer…
Find a vet that does Endoscope + Biopsies & a vet that knows about IBD, you must get the biopsies done if you ever do Endoscope, some vets dont think to do the biopsies when looking at the stomach & small bowel, these vets are lacking experience in IBD, Patches stomach looks perfect when he had his 2 Endoscopes but his the biopsies told a different story. Biopsies tell the vet so much information what is wrong with your boy intestinal tract….Ultra scan was a waste of money, you cant really see the stomach & the vet can see the bowel but only if the bowel is thickening, vets thought Patch had thickening of the Bowel but he didnt, this happens after the dog has diarrhea for years, I wouldnt like to be a vet, 1 dogs cant talk & tell the vet were is sore what hurts etc, so vets have to do alot guessing sometimes when test come back OK.

*Food
Over the years my good vet told me to keep a yearly diary, cause you cant rememeber every single thing you’ve done & they have done.. now I look back thru Patches diaries when I need to remember what was Patch eating when he was doing so much better, write what your feeding, times, meds, what were poos like when he’s eating ?? etc
Is he doing OK when he’s eating the cooked Turkey, Squash & Oatmeal, how are his poos? one of Patches first vets told me in the beginning, to look & see when dog is pooing, does the poo come out of bum properly formed poo?, then when it hits the ground it turns to slop cow patty poo? the vet said this is OK as long as poo’s are formed when its coming out of the bum & as long as the dog is just doing his normal 1-3 poos a day & is not pooing at all thru day & night at all hours, vet said to me this might be as good as your going to get Patches poos, he was eating the Royal Canine Hypoallergeniic dry kibble… but I ended up getting Patches poos firmer when he started teh TOTW kibble & I ended up trying the Royal Canine Hypoallergenic wet can food last year it was better then the dry R/C HP kibble, then after trying all the Intestinal vet diets Hills, Royal Canine & Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue worked the best but Patch skin was yeasty itchy & smelt bad then after joining the Canine EPI f/b group dogs were doing really well on TOTW or the Kirkland Signature, Natures Domain, Turkey & Sweet potato & Salmon & Sweet potato formula’s so I started Patch on TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & the Pacific Stream Salmon but teh Pacific Stream Salmon made him vomit he does firm poos but kept vomiting up the TOTW Smoked Salmon later I seen TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon is very high in toxins & another 2 fish formula’s brands Patch kept vomiting are very high in Toxins after being tested, then 3 yrs later Patch refused to eat his TOTW Roasted Lamb kibble, something had changed with TOTW kibble it smelt different, looked different & kibble size became very small….so now it makes me wonder if these kibbles are high in contaminates & toxins making my boy IBD have a flare??? thats why its best to cook their meals or find a really good dog dehydrated dog food that uses human grade ingredients.. as Patch has gotten older his acid reflux has gotten worse so he cant eat kibbles that are over 15% in fat now..
loow for lower fat around 10-13%-fat & low carb diet higher protein

Have you tried adding scramble egg with his meal? also the egg shell dry it out & crush & add 1 egg shell 1 teaspoon egg shell to one of his meals a day for his calcium, slowly start adding the egg shell if you fed home cooked diet……..Patch cant eat any kibbles that have fish or salmon oil in them he gets bad acid reflux from the fish oil also the fiber is very low in those Farmina vet kibbles 1.10% -fiber…Patch would be doing sloppy cow patties eating the Farmine vet diets that are very low in fiber..

When I read your post about your dog can’t eat most ingredients I knew its more then just the ingredients he is reacting too, sometimes it’s not the ingredients they cant eat, it reminded me of Patch when I first rescued him, he does have food sensitivities that I worked out BUT later I worked out there’s In-soluble Fiber, Soluble Fiber, Crude Fiber & Dietary Fiber, dogs with IBD need to work out what fibers agree with them & there isnt that perfect dry kibble diet for our dogs even vet diets dont help Patch or if a vet diet did help Patches IBD he gets his itchy smelly yeasty skin paws & ears.

Have you tried Royal “Canine Gastro Intestinal Low Fat” wet can food??? I bought a 12 can pack last week I had credit from a pet store I had forgotten about & at Lunch time if I think Patch doesnt seem well I open a can of R/C Gastro low fat & I take out the meat loaf from the can as it has heap of oil in the can so I pat dry the loaf with paper towel then I cut into 1/3 & he gets 1/3 of a can & I put the rest in bowl cling wrap bowl & put in fridge Patch does firm poos on the R/C Gastro Low Fat wet can & 5 yrs ago when he ate the R/C Gastro Low Fat he had diarrhea, so sometimes you have to re try foods or wet can or kibbles again cause sometimes its not the ingredients they are reacting too… its something else wrong either their small bowel or large bowel in the beginning it was Patches small bowel S.I.B.O now its his large bowel….
I would start the B-12 weekly injection ASAP you can buy & do yourself, if you join “EPI” Canine face book group they can help & tell you which B-12 tablets to get from chemist & where to buy the B-12 liquid for injections, you can never over dose your dog with B-12′, if they’re feeling crap or have had diarrhea the B-12 can really help them feel heaps better, alot of the EPI dogs take B-12 injections or tablets, I was going to get the tablets for Patch as B-12 is good for them & us humans when we are run down & unwell…..

Try & work out does your boy do better when you cook & add pumkin a soluble fiber soluble fiber is very easy to digest & dissolves in water or does he do better eating Lentils & Chickpeas they’re Insoluble fiber & Soluble fiber food? My boy doesn’t do well on Lentils or Chickpeas he gets instead dirrahea that night if he has ate a kibble with lentils..
google foods that are soluble fiber & foods that are insoluble fibers?

Try & stay feeding the home cooked diet or try a limited ingredient Freeze Dried raw if you I’m slowly introducing a new freeze dried dehydrated raw free range diet we have in Australia called “Frontier Pets” they’re small balls & you add warm water, so many dogs that can’t eat & have IBD symptoms are doing really well on this free range, dehydrated Frontier Pets dog food, it has no lentils, no chickpeas like most of these new grain free foods have now & my Patch is doing firmer poos then what he does when he’s just eating his Wellness Kibble…
I have to feed my boy dry kibble for some of his meals cause his sphincter flap isnt closing now & his food comes back up his esophagus into his mouth causing bad acid reflux, then sometimes the acid goes into his wind pipe & he becomes so unwell, cries, whinges, its awful to watch him when he becames so unwell, I wanted to put him down in January out of his pain, these last 5-6 yrs Ive tried everything & something always seem to work, I had him on Taste Of The Wild, Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb the Australian formula, has no chickpeas or lentils like the American TOTW formula’s have…. I could always fall back onto his TOTW if he started to do cow patty poos again when I was rotating his kibbles his vet said cow paddy poos is the large bowel where yellow sloppy poos is a small bowel problem but when he stopped eating it in December I had no kibbles that I knew worked & didnt iratate his IBD, his vet said please wait 1-2 months before we put Patch to sleep, his environment allergies are real bad at the moment & have put his immune system into over drive, we had just moved as well, so I didnt put him to sleep plus I couldnt do it, I just wanted more help, I wanted a miracle but vets cant always help the dog sometimes no matter how good my vet is, she always tells me Patch is her favorite & she always thinks & wonders how is he going when she doesnt see us but she said she knows he must be doing better cause I havent come…
Have you tried Metronidazole (Flagyl) tablets when he become unwell with vomiting & diarrhea/sloppy poo’s, I have Metronidazole in the cupboard with repeat scripts so I can just go chemist & get them out if I need them saving at $60 vet visit & as soon as I see he’s becoming unwell doing sloppy poos, vomiting or when Im introducing a new food, I put him on the Metronidazole for 14-21 days it helps him, Metronidazole has an anti inflammatory & antibiotic in it, so it helps a few health problems…
With a dry kibble, I’m feeding Wellness Core Large Breed at the moment even though Patch isnt a large breed dog, he’s a senior & when I email Wellness they said yes their Large Breed formula’s are OK to feed a senior dogs, they are high Glucosamine & Chondroitin for their joints & high in DHA, Patch is small to medium English Staffy weights about 40lb -18kgs, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is high protein-34%, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, then potatoes, peas, Patch can’t eat chicken he gets red paws but I had no other kibbles left to feed him & the man at Pet Barn said, if anything happens just bring it back all dogs food are money back Guaranteed, I got the 5,4kg bag 1/2 price $40 so I tried it, Patches paws went red but his stomach became better, he had no acid reflux, poos firmed up not 100% firm in the beginning but better then when he was eating a kibble that had grains, I can pick his poos up now on our walk & not leave a poo stamp on the grass, Wellness Core Large Breed is low-med fat-13%max, low Kcals-345 per cup, carbohydrates are 31% you must read the Kcals per cup when looking for a kibble, stay under 360Kcals per cup the higher the Kcals the more dense the food & harder to digest…
also have you tried giving your boy a acid reducer? Patch was taking Losec-(Omeprazole) for 2 yrs then this year I change it to Somac (Pantoprazole) what i take & he stopped eating grass everyday so he mustnt feel sick as much now, sometimes you have to do things yourself when you know in your heart what the vet is doing & advising you isnt helping your dog, & I saw my vet & she now wrote me repeat scripts so I can get the Pantopraozole from chemist cause the vets dont have Pantoprazole in Australia, Pantoprazole is used by American vets… but know if my vet & Patches other vet that does his Endoscopes & Biopsies see a dog like PAtch & cant work out what to do with the dogs bad acid reflux they can rememeber what we did with Patch & touch wood he seems to be getting better he has some bad days but I have his acid reflux under control no & I really want him on this Dehyrated free range, grain free food..
Try the new food just for 1 of his meals, thats what I do now, I feed new food for his lunch 12pm this way Patch has his kibble from breakfast 7am in stomach & small bowel then he eats something different for lunch a small meal then he gets his dinner 5pm kibble again & it seems to work for Patch when Im introducing a new food he gets it at luch time cause you can’t mix kibble & dehydrated raw wet food with a dry kibble, it would probably upset Patches stomach & the Holistic Vet Kathy that help formulate this new Frontier Pets dehydrated raw dog food droped off Patches new food + some samples to try & she said take baby steps, it took 1 of her patient dogs Bernie 6 months to get him onto the Frontier Pets, he was doing well then when down hill but yiou just restart again she said search for “Frontier Pets” on facebook & scroll down, look for Bernies Story” Italian Greyhound story, it will give you some hope…

[Jill N]

Hey Everyone,
I have a 6 year old GS and lately he has been very picking about his dry dog Food. My other dogs are fine with it. I use Victor Grain Free Hero Canine. I have tried the other Victor Grain free products and non Grain free. I even tried putting some beef stock in with is food and for awhile he would eat it. So now I’m thinking of switching to another brand that might appeal to him taste wise. Any suggestions? Thank you~

[Susan]

Hi Robert,

A dogs digestive tract is short, made to digest meat, raw meat, not a high carb high fiber over processed dry kibble….
Why the dogs digestive tract is short so if the dog eats rotten meat etc the meat is quickly digested & passes thru into the small bowe,l then large bowel, then he poo’s, so no bacteria can start to breed in th e stomach….

A homemade cooked or raw diet would be heaps healthier then feeding wet dog can food but wet can dog food is better then feeding dry processed kibble, so you’re getting there, when you cook your dogs food you know whats in their food & what they’re eating, also when you cook you’re not cooking their food are very high temperatures like wet & dry dog foods are cooked, killing all the good nutrience in their food, maybe baby steps, next time you’re cooking, cook some extra boiled sweet potato or potato, a bit of meat & some green veggies for your dogs meal, mix 1/2 wet can with the cooked food & slowly start feeding cooked meals..
Join Monica Segals Face Book group called “K-9 Kitchen” & Lew Olson group called “K-9 Nutrition” & follow “Judy Morgan DVM” she has really good videos you can watch & very easy to make dog recipes you just put in a Crock Pot slow cocker, Judy has a 16-17yr old dog.

People think if the kibble is grain free kibble then its healthier but some of these grain free kibbles are higher in carbs, higher in fiber, full of lentils chickpeas & peas to up the protein %, so the meat protein % isnt as high as you think it is cause your getting plant protein as well, it would be good if these dog food companies had to write the Meat Protein % the Plant Protein %….. honest dog food companies are starting to write the plant protein %, google “Earthborn Holistic” Venture formula’s they write the Pumkin protein% , the Pea protein% the meat protein %…

Back in the 50’s, 60’s, 70′ & 80’s our dogs were so much healthier then the dogs now who eat dry kibble 24/7, in the 90’s the dog food companies started telling us “DO NOT FEED YOUR DOGS HUMAN FOOD” its no good, kibble is better & we believed them, you have even even written
(Our dogs do not est human food.) why??
what makes you think dog food is better then a “balanced” cook meal, why some vets are against cooked or raw diets is people don’t balance their dogs diet properly causing health problems, this is why the vet will recommend to feed pet food for cause they know it will be balanced but after tests on cat wet can foods in Australia scientist found supermarket, pet shop cat foods Hills & Royal Canine all those little expensive cans of cat food were not balanced properly & now it says on these really small cans of cat food “not to be feed as a main meal”… this happened last year & the scientist who exposed this was sponsered by Hills & wouldnt give up the names of the expensive cat foods they had found not to be balanced properly, the reporter doing the story put 2 & 2 together & worked out which expensive cat foods werent balanced…
Rodney Habib & Steve Brown recommend you add either fish or salmon oil capsule once a day to 1 of their meals, use Krill oil capsule if dog has sensitive stomach or start adding 2 spoons of salmon or sardines in olive oil or spring water to 1 of their meals a day, just read the salt % look for lowest salt % in the can salmon or sardines… for lunch sometimes I open a small can of salmon in spring water drain teh water & add some boiled sweet potato mix & give to Patch for lunch.. I boil sweet potato & freeze small pieces sweet potato freezes really well & its healthy for them..

Google “KetoPets” for Liza & start making the Ketopets diets or cook the Ketopets diets & I bet you Liza will be here longer then 2 years….
Dr Judy Morgan talks about this subject in one of her video’s on her facebook page look at all her “Video’s”..
It works out cheaper cooking meals or feeding a raw diet then it does buying the wet can dog foods… also start looking at Freeze Dried food for your dogs instead of giving Benji the kibble with his wet can food..

[Ryan K]

I’m not an expert but have you tried Tuscan naturals basic lamb or chicken dry food? They are super simple recipes that my dog did well on when he was sick with stomach problems. I wound up getting him onto Nutro Lamb and he does better now but I know that the basic Chicken and lamb recipes are literally just rice, protein and flaxseed. Just figured I would mention those options since they are so simple and filler free. Good luck. I hope your pup feels better soon!

[emmygirl01]

I am hoping someone may have some advice or even just a word of kindness.
My dog is going to be 10 years old in May. He had parvo as a pup. It messed up his intestines and now he is sensitive to foods. We have literally tried almost every kind of food on every shelf, in every pet store. I have done home cooking, I have ordered Balance-it, I have tried alternative/medicine, I have tried probiotics, enzymes, chinese herbs, I have tried hypo-allergenic Royal Canin and Science Diet.
He has been on beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, venison–grain free, you name it.
He has been on steroids, antibiotics, Tylan powder. I have B-12 shots that I am supposed to start this week.
The only thing I have not tried is RAW or BARF diet.
Most recently, he has had diarrhea for 4 months. He has vomited a hand full of times.
I have been to 4 vets, he has had his poop tested, blood work, ultra-sound (april 2017)-YOU NAME IT, we have done it. Test results: clear, no real problems.
Currently: Until this morning, I was feeding 3x a day 1/3 cup of home cooked turkey, 2 TBS of acorn squash and 1 Tbs. Oatmeal. 2 TBS FARMINA Digestion
I was trying to transition from home cooked to Farmina.
I thought we were doing well until last week when his stool started to become soft, then turned to liquid and this morning he barfed.
SO–no more of that.
He was starving a few hours after he barfed, so I gave him a few tablespoons of The Honest Kitchen Embark and 1 TBS of canned goat.
He tolerated that all day and I gave him more at 7 pm. Diarrhea at 9:00pm.
He is not taking any medications or probiotics or enzymes at this time.
I really have no idea what to feed him to get him back to normal. Home cooking does NO better than canned or dry.
These are my questions:
1. I would like some feedback on Sport Elite ( no peas) dog food
2. I would like to know how I approach my vet–3 out of the 4 won’t call me back after I leave a message at the front desk–they say, “i will have her call you back today'” I never hear from them—
Does anyone have any words of encouragement or any help?
I know my experience is not your experience, and I am following my vet’s advise to the best of my ability. But when she puts my dog on Royal Canin Hypoallergenic food and he barfs and has massive diarrhea, tummy gurgling and looking like death–this is NOT the answer. Just because a food is “healthy” or “hypoallergenic” does not mean it is tolerated.
He has a great appetite, always appreciative of food and eats anything, but I continue to look for the combination that will keep him healthy, happy and no diarrhea.
I literally don’t know what to do!

Thank you in advance for listening.

[Robert S]

I am sharing info that I wish I had know 10 years ago.

What I am going to tell you will be hard to believe, however read my story, and consider the possible outcome.

Benji, wirehair mini dachshund is 10 this year. Ever since we got him at 2 months old he has had what the vet called a sensitive stomach. Maybe a couple times a month he would eat his kibbles, Nature’s Recipe grain free, and then be shaking like he had a fever. We would take temperature and never was it above normal. He normally threw up twice and by early afternoon he was good to go. At the vet’s suggestion, we changed food and we choose Natures Recipe, Sensitive stomach. That seemed to help for a while, but since his spells were sporadic it was hard to tell. For 8 years we dealt with it and tried to fugure it out. Changing things didn’t make any difference. We take him to vet yearly or when sick. Blood work all fine. Stool sample fine always. We give heartguard and Frontline regularly. He gets normal shots per vet.

In June 2017 he had a seizure and my research indicated that he nay be carrier or has Lafora, no blood test completed. He has never father any pups and the only thing that might help is reducing starch from his diet. Which we are doing.

As things would have it our now 14 year old female smooth coated mini was diagnosed, thru an xray, that she has a mass in her abdomen. Vet feels sure it is cancer. The only way to find out is an ultra sound, at additional cost and at a different vet. We are not operating and are presuming that it is a slow growing tumor. One can feel the mass but it is not visible. She was diagnosed in June 2017.

Ever since we had Liza she has had loose stools and urinated frequently. Often in the house, which is unusual as other dachshunds have not had either problems. The vet suggested steroids, which we did off and on. Also we gave her pumpkin to firm them and fed her the same kibbles that Benji ate. (Our dogs do not est human food.)

I had booked mark Dog Food Advisors website and used it to find Natures Recipe, grain free. So I started researching again. Thru the research I found that dogs with cancer do best on high fat high protein food. So I looked for “canned food” with carbohydrates of less than 20% and little starch. Rice, white potatoes etc.

After feeding this type food Benji is no longer sick in mornings. Liza no longer has soft stools and urinates less often and has never urinated in our home since. To our knowledge Benji has not had another seizure, but we dont expect food to cure him, just reduce seizures.

I now realize that dogs, especially hounds for sure need a diet of meat, vegetables, some fruit and very limited ceral type filler. (IMHO).

I have and are using the following foods. You can use dog food advisor and do research. I am just sharing for what it is worth.

I do mix kibbles with stew for Benji. He has most teeth and no problem eating. The gravey makes kibbles look more apealing.

Liza gets all wet food due to health and she has lost some teeth. I figure she won’t be with us for more than 2 years so we will feed her the best we can.

Dry: Has been discontinued still have some food to use:
/dog-food-reviews/evo-dog-food-dry/

/dog-food-reviews/evo-dog-food-dry/

/dog-food-reviews/canidae-dog-food-grain-free-canned/

/dog-food-reviews/castor-pollux-butcher-bushel/

/dog-food-reviews/whole-earth-farms-dog-food-canned/

I do not work for any food companies, Vetenary, or Dog food advisor.

If you told me this I would not believe you but I am here to tell you this is what happened to me and my dachshunds. Yes wet is more expensive, but for me, I see it as pay now for food or pay at the vets later. I now have happy dogs.

Maybe this will help someone.
Bob

[Susan]

Hi Stacey.
Raw is easier to digest then cooked, raw food has enzymes, when we cook food we kill the enzymes……
What are the ingredients, he’s eating in his raw diet?
When my boy does bad smelly farts, gets bad wind & wind pain means he’s sensitive to an ingredient he’s eating, I’d re start his diet, start feeding him an elimination raw diet, just feed 1 lean muscle meat, say turkey, kangaroo or pork, I started with Kangaroo mince for breakfast & Chicken breast for dinner + blended green veggies + 1-2 blended fruits & 20mins after eating the chicken & blended veggies, Patch got 1 red hot swollen back paw & was licking his back paw like crazy, then he started farting, doing smelly farts, so I stopped the raw chicken & just feed him the Kangaroo mince & I was blending peeled green veggies, broccoli, celery, zucchini, apple & some parsley then freeze in a ice cube tray, 1 cube in tray is about 1 spoon, then you cover ice cube tray with cling wrap freeze & take out as you need the blendedveggies & fruit……

Feeding raw is so easy, easier then cooking their meals, I slowly added 1 spoon of the veggies/fruit mix then after 1 week whenPatches poos were firm I added 2 spoons of the blended veggies & fruit mix, you add 2 spoons of the blended fruit & veggies to 1 cup of raw meat for 40lb dog.
Slowly add 1 new ingredient to his diet over 1 week, then if he starts having bad wind then you know its the new ingredient you’ve started to add…..dont add too many things to his diet at once, you will not know what is causing what if he starts having health problems, farts, sloppy poos etc..

Organ meat is very rich & can cause diarrhea. gas etc, are you adding Liver, Kidney Hearts, Tongue etc, reduce the amount of organ meat if your addding any organ meat & see does he improve, or stop adding any organ meat for a couple of days & see if he’s better, then just start adding some organ meat only 3- 4 times a week to 1 of his meals..

You have to remember this dog stomach & bowel is probably use to processed dry kibble he may have never eaten a raw diet before & it can take a up to 3 months for his stomach/bowel to get healthy & strengthen up..

I bet you he loves his raw meals, my boy does, I’m introducing dehydrated free range raw to my 9yr old boy, he has IBD & food sensitivities, so I have to take baby steps with him…the Holistic Vet who helped make this new free range dehydrated freeze dried raw said it can take up to 6 months for their stomach bowel to get use to raw & to do it slowly with Patch but that’s cause Patch has IBD…

Just make sure you balance his diet over the week, doesnt have to be daily & add either tin salmon or sardines in spring water or olive oil, it adds EPA & DHA all those good fats we get from fish, add about 2 spoons to one of his meals a day, 40lb dog, add 1/4 can of sardines 1 serving per day…

Steve Brown also recommends adding, 1 heaped tablespoon of salmon, 1-2 mussels & a pinch of kelp, this will balance his raw diet, mussels are very healthy & have manganese, Iodine, Fats, Vitamin D, other vitamins & minerals he needs, Steve said just buy the frozen mussels in the freezer section at supermarket…
also Beets contain natural anti-inflammatory agent that support heart health, vitamins & minerals, B1,B2,B12 & C, copper magnesium, potatssium, iron, phosphorus & iodine protect us against liver disease & fatty liver disease, Steve recommended
“Olew Dehydrated Red Beets” dog Food Supplement trial size 1.01lb thru Amazon

[Angie W]

My 19yo’s collie puppy (16 months old) got the Rimadyl that my German Shepherd was taking off the counter and ate the entire bottle. It was two week’s worth of Rimadyl and my GSD had only been taking it for two days (had just had surgery).

We didn’t find out that it had been eaten until about 12 hours afterward. I left for work and my oldest daughter found the chewed up bottle about 30 minutes later, but thought it had been an empty bottle from the recycle bin (she’d been on Rimadyl before the surgery too), so she didn’t say anything or think anything of it. I found out when I went to give my GSD her pain medication after work and found the chewed up bottle.

We took all the dogs (also have a Golden Rottie mix) to the emergency vet and they were on IV fluids for 5 days. At that point their BUN and creatinine were normal. They never had any symptoms during this time and still have not shown any symptoms.

At this point, the collie puppy has creatinine 1.8 and is starting to spill protein. This is after one week off of IV fluids. We are going to do a full panel in four weeks to check everything.

The vet said that at this point we do not want to restrict her protein or phosphorus and is worried about blood pressure possibly becoming an issue as well. She said to keep her on her regular kibble, but add water to it. If our golden rottie mix (6yo) has an increase in creatinine, then she said she will recommend switching her over to a senior food for lower protein but not putting her on a prescription diet yet unless her creatinine goes up much higher. Right now the collie puppy’s creatinine is 1.8 and the golden rottie’s creatinine is 1.9.

What I have been feeding her is Kirkland Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables Formula. The local Tomlinson owner is very knowledgeable about dog foods and recommended using Lotus Dog Food. I do like that they list the actual values in their food rather than minimums and maximums.

Any specific recommendations? The collie puppy does not like canned food and never has. She likes crunchy dry food, so I don’t know how she’s going to react to having water added to it. We are going to start adding it in a little at a time and hopefully she just goes along with it. She’s a picky eater

[Susan]

Hi Sandra,

Have you look at different diets, cooked, raw, wet can, freeze dried, air dried, what are their symptoms?
Have you done a food elimination diet?
until you work out what both your dogs can & can’t eat, you’ll be going around in circles & getting no where, or work out if they need more fiber or less fiber?? that’s easy, start adding boiled pumkin 1-2 spoons to one of their meals & not to the other meal & see if poo is firmer from the added pumkin meal. Poo will be a bit more orange..

I did the same with my boy, he didnt seem to do well on no kibbles when I first rescued him, turned out to have IBD, food sensitivities & environment allergies finally after 5yrs I’ve worked out his kibble needs to be higher in protein, low in fat & low in fiber %, less carbs & more meat & the Wellness Core Large Breed seem to agree with him maybe your dogs are the same…need more meat proteins & less carbs, I also feed dehydrated raw for 1 of his meals, I’m trying to get him off kibble he has too many stomach problems on dry kibble.

Have you tried “Wellness Core” Large breed kibble, its money back guaranteed if it doesnt agree with your dogs, that’s why I tried it + I had run out of dry kibbles to try on Patch, it does have potato but its very high in meat protein, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients then a carb as 4th ingredient.
low in fat & fiber & only 30% carbs & only 346Kcals per cup so easier to digest, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble, so kibble is harder to digest.

It may not be the ingredients they are reacting too? maybe the fiber, fat & protein percentages may not be agreeing with them in the kibbles you’ve tried?…

*Wellness Core Large Breed formula,
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Tomato Pomace, Dried Ground Potatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Pea Fiber, Potassium Chloride, Spinach, Broccoli, Vitamin E Supplement, Carrots, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Zinc Proteinate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
This is a naturally preserved product.
low in fat & fiber & only 30% carbs 346Kcals per cup,
it may not be the ingredients they are reacting too?? the fiber %, fat % & protein percentages may not be agreeing with them…

PROXIMATES:
MOISTURE
PROTEIN 34.17
FAT 12.88
CARBOHYDRATES 30.66
FIBER 4.89
ASH 7.56
AMINO ACIDS:
ARGININE 2.64
HISTIDINE 0.77
ISOLEUCINE 1.34
LEUCINE 2.20
LYSINE 1.98
MET + CYS 0.94
METHIONINE 0.57
PHE + TYR 2.40
PHENYLALANINE 1.37
THREONINE 1.31
TRYPTOPHAN 0.40
VALINE 1.53
FATTY ACIDS:
LINOLEIC ACID 2.19
ARACHIDONIC ACID 0.08
MINERALS:
CALCIUM 1.61
PHOSPHORUS 1.12
POTASSIUM 0.96
SODIUM 0.22
CHLORIDE 0.40
MAGNESIUM 0.17
IRON 254.27
COPPER 2.35
MANGANESE 2.82
ZINC 20.17
IODINE 0.29
SELENIUM 0.05
VITAMINS & OTHERS:
VITAMIN A 1,144.24 VITAMIN D3 84.63 VITAMIN E 62.67
VITAMIN K N/A THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1) 0.33 RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2) 0.76 PANTOTHENIC ACID 2.40
NIACIN 7.50
PYRIDOXINE 0.49
FOLIC ACID 23.44
BIOTIN 0.58 VITAMIN B12 7.96 CHOLINE 152.33
TAURINE 0.01
1 cup (g) 98
kcal/kg ME 3,540
kcal/cup 346
kcalories Total %
kcal- Protein 1,220 35.6%
kcal- Fat 1,117 32.5%
kcal- Carbohydrates 1,095 31.9%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 1.00%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 3.25%
Other Total per cup
Glucosamine Hydrochloride 750 mg/kg 73.3 mg
Chondroitin Sulfate 250 mg/kg 24.4 mg

[TranceSends]

When I type “toy breed” (no quotes) in the search engine on the main website (not the forum), no reviews for toy breed dog food are returned. However, there are actually reviews that reference toy breed dog food on dogfoodadvisor.com, such as “Nutro Ultra Toy Breed Adult”. The search function just doesn’t find it. Even worse, a search on the word “toy” returns zero results — no match at all!

Here’s what is actually returned when I type “Toy Breed”; note that “Nutro Ultra” is not included in any form:
_______________________
Search results for: toy breed

Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition (Canned)
How to Choose the Best Large Breed Puppy Food and Lower Your Dog’s Risk of Hip Dysplasia
Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Grain Free (Dry)
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Puppy (Dry)
Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Dog Food (Dry)
Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Adult (Dry)
Eukanuba Breed Specific Formulas (Dry)

The only way to find reviews for Toy Breed dry dog food on this website is to use Google, which is itself hit-and-miss, a needle in a haystack method.

[Susan]

Hi Lindsey,
Try “Royal Canine” Gastro Intestinal Vet diet wet & dry if after 2 weeks poos are still sloppy while eating Hills I/d vet diet. My boy does sloppy poo’s when he eats Hills I/D formula’s
also get the Purina “Forti Floria” Probiotic, make up recommended dose with 10-15ml water & give this way, not with food, it’s best to give probiotics in between feeds or first thing of a morning on empty stomach when stomach acids are low..
He needs to get a healthy gut & the vet diets do this as the have Prebiotics but you need to feed vet diet for a good 6-9 months for best results then slowly introduce new diet over 2-3 weeks & try a freeze/air dried diet, not kibble…
Maybe ask vet can you put him on the Metronidazole for 21-28 days, 200mg every 12 hours with a proper meal, he might of needed to be on the Anitibiotic (Metronidazole) longer..

[Elisha Z]

I have two fairly young adult dogs, one a Poodle mix, the other a Papillon. They are fairly picky eaters and so far dry foods have not been their choice. Currently I feed them Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Market Meal Blends Dog Food – Grain Free, Freeze Dried, Chicken and they “sometimes” eat it. I also alternate by feeding them Natural Balance chicken or Duck (and I add fresh carrots, etc.). My problem is there are days they will not eat no matter what I do. I am aware that dogs are led by their nose to some extent so if it smells good they usually will eat it however I want to ensure it is healthy. Noticing they will not eat dry food, has anyone had any experience feeding dry food that their dogs actually enjoy? Usually there is no smell to them and so I already know my dogs won’t eat it. Since I prefer a dry food, any recommendations?

[dianne o]

this dog weighs about 70 lbs, since this is a large breed dog, do I need to feed her a dry food low in protein. if so, which dry dog foods are available?
do

[Ann B]

Our 2 yr rescued Lab mix has a similar background with GI issues. Issues are “come and go”. Vet prescribed Hills ID.
Issues resolved for now. Not happy with the ingredients.
Just joined this website and started feeding Zignature both dry and wet. She loves it and so far so good. BTW A man in the pet food store shared his experiences with the brand with his three dogs…he claims Zignature is a superior food and no matter the type..changes ingredient type about every week without any dietary issues. Good luck!

[Linda K]

My 7-month-old whoodle (wheaten terrier/poodle mix) has had GI issues — occasional very soft stools, occasional vomiting undigested food — off and on since we got him from the breeder. The vet is making noises about a 30-day trial on a sensitive diet after his neuter this week, to see if his belly issues will resolve. Of course, he is pushing Hills and Royal Canin for sensitive stomachs, because those are the brands he carries in his office. However, I am unable with my limited tech capabilities to find any specific information on this site about sensitive belly dry dog foods, and neither Hills nor Royal Canin gets particularly good reviews here. Any suggestions, thoughts, experience, etc., will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[crazy4cats]

You’re very welcome! Hope it works out. Btw, I feed one of my cats a prescription Royal Canin dry food. He’s done very well on it.

Limiting treats is hard! Our pets can be so darn convincing.

Best wishes to you!

[Tyler S]

Thank you, but I was hoping someone from dog food advisor could comment specifically on this dog food. It is actually the reason I signed up for this. This food has been given 4 stars – the same grade as some of the editor’s picks and other well thought of and most expensive foods on the market – despite the fact that the second and third ingredients are ground corn and wheat flour. What is it about this dog food that makes it a good dog food despite these things? I really think that this dog food should’ve been reviewed instead of the diamond maintenance, which caused diamond dry dog food to be given an overall rating of 3.5 when the majority of the products are four stars. I am interested in understanding why this is, because when taking into consideration how much of this particular food costs, one could come to the conclusion that this is the best dog food FOR THE MONEY on the market.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa,
start looking for freeze dried or air dried raw diets, try & reduce all dry process kibbles.
There are NO better quality kibbles out there.. Kibbles are made from rotten meats & fly blown veggies, then kibbles are cooked at such high temperatures all the nutrience is killed, best to feed fresh whole foods, healthy foods you eat, your dog is very small, it wouldnt cost much to feed your girl a homemade cooked or raw diet, she’ll live longer & be healthier through out her life…
or look for human grade freeze or air dried food & rotate between different brands….

Look at Instinct freeze dried raw, Ziwi Peak air dried, Buckley Liberty freeze dried & Canisource Grand CRU dehydrated raw food instead of a dry process kibble.

[MaryLou M]

Just following up on this topic. Similar experience to Andy M. We have been feeding our two labradoodles (8 and 10 yrs old) Kirkland Signature dry dog food for years. We have tried a variety of the flavors over the years and overall have been happy. We prefer the mature dog food version but our local Costco (Camillus, NY) doesn’t carry it so we have been feeding the Kirkland’s Signature Adult Dog Chicken Rice, and Vegetables formula (dry, red bag) for the past year and a half. We purchased a new bag last week and suddenly we are having issues. When we gave them their first bowls from the new bag, they took one whiff and walked away; they wouldn’t eat it. The older dog (that is ALWAYS hungry) caved sooner and eventually ate it. The younger dog could not bring herself to eat it, hours later looking at me wanting something else. This has gone on for a few days now. I have been “doctoring” it up with a little canned cat food (a favorite treat of theirs that they are well accustomed to and does not cause them problems.) She eventually eats it but does appear to be not too happy about it. She now has diarrhea and is leaving small cow plops everywhere. She is also acting a bit lethargic. I would not be so quick to think it is the food if it had clearly not smelled right to them from the beginning of the bag. I sure hope we are not seeing another issue like a few years ago. Is anyone else having similar problems? I too don’t know what to do.

[Andy M]

Just following up on this topic. I’ve been feeding my 20 month old English Mastiff (about 190 lbs) Kirkland’s Adult Dog Chicken, Rice, and Vegetable (not grain free) dry kibble since we moved off the Diamond Naturals Large Breed puppy food and he’s been fine until this past week, he seems to not be eating as much and today didn’t eat breakfast at all. I dont know if he’s sick on something else or if the food is making him sick. I dont know what to do.

[Susan]

Hi
There’s Vet Diet “Royal Canine” Select Protein, Potato & Rabbit dry kibble & Wet can food
also look at “Ziwi Peak” has a Rabbit air dried formula & Rabbit wet tin raw food. https://www.ziwipets.com/
there’s also “Rayne” Clinical USA, Kangaroo, Rabbit or Crocodile formula’s..
It’s best you do your own raw elimination diet, that’s what I did with my boy 4yrs ago…

These salvia, blood or fur testing are not accurate, they give false positives, the only way 100% is to do a food elimination diet, normally dogs have food sensitivities, food allergies are very rare & the dog normally has IBD symptoms when he has food allergies….

[Kayla B]

I was also curious about Ketona dry dog food. andrea g, did you find any more information about it?

[pitlove]

Hi Rick-

No, supposed quality of a food has nothing to do with how much you feed. It is revolved entirely around the amount of kcals per cup.

Just as an example. Orijen is considered still by a lot of people to be one of the best dry dog foods. The Orijen “Original” is 449 kcals/cup. My dog for his weight would eat 2cups a day according to their website. Now when I look up Purina Dog Chow, considered one of the WORST dog foods by many, it is 419 kcals/cup. According to their feeding guidelines for my dog, he would eat roughly 2 cups a day as well.

[Susan]

Hi,
your girl probably vomited her raw food as it might have been too cold, my cat vomits up her raw mince sometimes if its too cold, so now after I take the raw meat from fridge I put in microwave for a few sec to take off the chill, she hasnt vomited her raw meal again……
Raw diet is the easiest for a dog & cat to digest, raw diet is easier then digesting a cooked meal & dry kibble, raw food has enzymes making it easier to digest but as soon as you cook food you kill enzymes vitamins etc, a dogs digestive tract is short, made to quickly digest raw meat then move from stomach to small bowel then large bowel so no bad bacteria starts breeding, the dogs short digestive tract is not made to digest all these dry processed kibbles, this is why so many dogs are having so many health problems now…
if you dont know how to balance a raw or cooked home made diet its very easy as you learn you could look at feeding dehydrated freeze dried raw diets, there’s a few freeze dried diets on the market now, look at “Ziwi Peak” air dried & their can foods, here’s link send them email & ask for samples… https://www.ziwipets.com/
also start buying tin sardines & tin salmon in spring water, drain the spring water out put in a small air tight container in fridge & add 2 spoons to one of her meals or as a small meal a day for her omega oils for her skin, coat, heart, brain, joints, bones etc also add 1 crushed egg shell to 1 of her meals a day….
It’s very easy feeding a raw diet once you start raw is easier to make then cooking meals & your feeding your dog what she is ment to eat a raw diet…
Dogs are healthier & live longer when feed a raw diet, then dogs who are feed processed dry kibble, quoted by “Dr Peter Dobias”….
Do you follow “Rodney Habib”on his face book page & his “Planet Paws”page? has always post really good info, also follow “Steve Brown” & “Dr Peter Dobias” ….

[Lenore M]

Thanks so much, Rachel :O) You’ve given me some other brands to check!

My English Bulldog is allergic to more than than she’s not — Chicken, Pork, Duck, Turkey, Fish meal, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, egg, milk, soy, corn, wheat — you name it! My Boxer, now gone :O( was also allergic to Chicken and rice! What a nightmare!

I finally found one dry dog food that they could both eat: Earthborn Holistic Meadowfeast with Lamb meal: No Chicken, no Pork, no Duck, no Turkey, no Fish meal, no white Potatoes, no Sweet Potatoes, no egg, no milk, no soy, no corn, no wheat, no brown or white rice!

Hoping this might help someone else out there with the same problem. Here are the ingredients:

Lamb Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Protein, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Carrots, Spinach, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Beta-Carotene, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Any other ideas, I am all ears!!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lauren-
Congratulations on your new adorable puppy! Looks like he found a great home.
I do like to rotate foods a bit also. I usually feed one brand for four or five months, rotating through their different flavors paying particular attention to calories and fat. I like to feed them food that is around the same amount of calories. It just keeps it simpler for knowing how much for everyone in our house to feed them and to keep their weight fairly stable. I add a couple of spoonfuls of canned food, sardines or eggs to their meals. I used to feed some commercial raw as a topper as well, but NO more after all the recalls of late!

I pretty much feed my cats the same dry food and switch up their canned food for some variety in their diet.

Good luck with your new pup. Keep it simple! I’m learning that feeding them different foods is probably as much or more for our own enjoyment as it is theirs! LOL! Best Wishes.

[Tamra S]

I have a 4 year old male Dalmation who had a urinary stone problem at age 1. After doing a lot of research on this topic over the 20 years we’ve owned male Dals, 3 years ago I settled on Blue Buffalo BASICS (Grain Free) Salmon and Sweet Potato dry kibble for him. He has not had a stone issue since. The past two years I have been VERY disappointed in this product, but I have been too afraid to make a change. I WILL NOT put him on Hills Science Diet or the like “tailored” for dogs with this issue because they are absolutely out of my price range. I feed my other dogs premium dog food (Merrick Grain Free) so I have no problem with a 25lb bag costing $50 – $55.

My Dal has suffered digestive issues several times over the course of his BB diet, always within a day of having opened a new bag. His coat is dry and dull. He and his Basenji sister have dry, dull coats and both have taken to eating poop whenever they are outside. I want to get them both off of BB as I read that they do not have a “Fixed Formula” and I have certainly seen the effects in all my dogs due to ingredient variances.

Does anybody have any experience with transitioning a male Dal with a history of stone formation to another brand of dog food and, if so, what do you recommend?

Tamra S.

[Susan]

Hi Hronn,
like CockerlierMon has posted just feed the Hills Z/d nothing else & see does he start getting better?? Vet diets are high in Omega 3 so skin should start to improve, the only way to find out what foods your dog can eat is to do a food elimination diet, he eats 1 meat protein & 1 carb for 6-8 weeks if he has no reaction diarrhea, sloppy poos, wind, farts, itchy smelly yeasty skin, itchy ears, shaking head/ears, red itchy paws, etc then you introduce another new ingredient for 6 weeks see how he goes, does he react?
You can do food elimination diet with the Hills Z/d formula wet or dry formula’s or there’s Hills D/D formula you can try if the Hills Z/d doesn’t work for him, it takes time doing food elimination diet but you will know 100% what ingredients he can & can’t eat..
See how he does on the Hills Z/D, the Z/d didn’t work for my boy, it has Corn Starch & my boy reacts to corn he gets red paws & his skin started to smell yeasty & he became real itchy, Hills is money back guaranteed so if your boy starts having diarrhea, yeasty itchy skin, or gets worse like my boy did then you can take back for refund or try another vet diet like “Royal Canine” Hypoallergenic HP…My dog was put on the Z/d for his IBD & then he started having his yeasty smelly paws & skin…
What symptoms is your dog having? Intestinal problems, skin problems or both?
are you bathing weekly in a medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens on skin, paws etc, baths are really good & relieves itchy skin & paws, I also use creams on paws & around mouth anywhere thats red & itchy I apply cream to stop the itch & reduce the reddness, I use Cortisone 1% cream at night before bed & of a morning before our walk I use “Sudocrem” Sudocrem is a anti bacterial, anti fungul thick healing cream for Dermatitis, Eczema, Nappy Rash, protects the skin & paws…
If you boy can handle Lentils, Chickpeas & Peas (Diarrhea/sloppy poos, wind/farts) then the dry kibble Nutram looks very good, but it has alot of ingredients, he needs a dry kibble that has limited ingredients, 1 meat protein & 1-2 carbs so there’s less ingredients for him to react too….
Can you feed a raw diet or cooked diet? this would be best, if the Hills Z/d makes him better then after 8 weeks just eating the Hills Z/d then start introducing 1 new ingredient with the Z/d food or for lunch feed this new 1 cooked ingredient for 6 weeks then after 6 weeks if he doesnt react then add another new ingredient then you can cook 1 meal with these ingredients he can eat & didnt react & feed the Hills Z/d for his other meal.
Baby steps, do it slowley & keep a diary, write down what your doing, he might have both food sensitivities & environment allergies, if he’s having Intestinal problems & itchy smelly skin, paws…

[a c]

I believed most of the raw and freeze dried are high in fat. I feed my 10 years old Stella and Chewys and Primal raw and freeze dried last year, and she end up with pancreatitis.

To lose weight, You probably want to use the tool from this site to narrow down a 5 star weight management dog food. Also, you need to calculate the fat in dry matter to get the actual fat %. Wellness Core has a weight management formula.

Good luck!

[Kat J]

Hi everyone! My name is Kat and I work at Dr. Marty Pets. I would like to thank you all for leaving such valuable feedback about your experiences with our product, “Nature’s Blend”. I would like to touch on some of the points you all made to clear up any confusion and assist you with any outstanding issues.

First, I would like to thank you all for giving “Nature’s Blend” a try! We truly appreciate you all trusting us with nourishing your furry friends! As you can see from our ingredients list, “Nature’s Blend” is made up of nothing but the highest quality of ingredients like ranch-raised beef, wild game, and carefully sourced fruits and vegetables. There are never any cereals, grains, or fillers. The cost of “Nature’s Blend” reflects the impeccable ingredients that make up the food. Secondly, we do wholeheartedly stand by our 90-Day Money Back Guarantee. If you or your pup is even slightly unsatisfied with our product, we can issue you a refund right away. If any of you have not received your refund yet, or are experiencing any issues at all, just e-mail me at my direct e-mail, [email protected], and I can look into it right away. In addition, if you find that the food comes out too watery, I would suggest putting in just a little less water the next time around. This will help the texture if it was too watery at first!

I would also like to note that Dr. Gundry is not voicing the informational presentation. Dr. Gundry is in no way affiliated with Dr. Marty Pets. I hope this clears up any confusion.

If any of you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. Again, thank you for taking the time to leave us your feedback. I look forward to assisting you all with anything you might need! Take care!

[Michael S]

I’ll ad my two cents worth. I rescued my dog 3 years ago. He was 9 1/2 months old. Acana is the only dry food I have ever fed him (every other evening I’ll add some canned food to his meal). I rotate him between several of Acana’s recipes. At our yearly exams my vet (each of the doctors I see at the office) always raves about the excellent condition my dog is in. He maintains a perfect weight (he was vastly underweight when I adopted him). He has had no health issues. Acana is his staple food.

When The Clean Label Project reared it’s dubious head, red flags were immediately raised by experts and regular people with common sense. People need to be very cautious when buying into the con job they’re selling…and people need to be very cautious believing Truth About Petfood. That blog has turned fear mongering into a cottage industry, and I was not in least surprised when they allowed Clean Label Project to solicit consumer information from their site.

If you aren’t familiar with The Clean Label Project here are a couple of links that might give you food for thought.

https://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2017/06/20/why-wont-clean-label-project-listen-to-concerned-pet-owners/

http://www.chadhayesmd.com/the-clean-label-project-is-playing-dirty/

[Patricia A]

Thank you for replying with your feeding choices Cathy. The more I read the more confused I get. I always went with the Fromm kibble and rotated proteins. Just was disappointed to see that advisor gave them the 4 stars . Also been reading that kibble is the most processed going in the order of healthier would be dry worst, canned next freeze dried then raw. I don’t want to go raw but I would like to step up at least for my two younger ones with a 5 star canned topper and rotating with a 5 star kibble . So far only the little fatty7 year old Tia(Chihuahua) eats the freeze dried stella chewys topper. It’s my three year old Lola(Chihuahua) that is pickly I put the food down and turn around and the little fatty Tia is has gobbled hers already and is eating Lola’s. Hence I’m sure the weight gain also. I’ve tried feeding Lola much later but in the end I have to hand feed her or end up throwing away the bowl because kibble is mixed with the canned or freeze dried soaked topper. Then I try again later and she eventually eats it. I just tried topper with kibble of the Core Hearty Wellness canned. She seemed to at least show interest and eventually ate it with some coaxing. . She tends to wait until But I worry its like a stew and too fattening for the chubby one. Like I said my 16 year old is doing wonderful on the fromm/canned topper. Just would like to get the younger two on the same food and then concentrate on Tia giving her a consistent smaller amount for weight loss.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by Patricia A.

[Bazuhi]

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

[Susan]

Hi SD H
Take the bags back & get a refund, listen to your dogs they are smart & can probably smell whatever is wrong, if you cant get a refund contact the pet food company that makes Mossy Oak & ask for a refund, this happened to me with another brand they had an offer buy 1 bag get 1 free, I should of clicked there might be something wrong with the kibble, my boy wouldn’t eat it, then 6 months later I seen the same dry kibble, it was on the bad list for dry kibbles high in toxins & contaminates….

[Mary J]

Looking for something equal or better than farmina ND grain free dry food!

[penny m]

The dog already had the struvite stones removed—I am trying to find recipes for homemade food that would minimize the chances of them reoccurring. The dog is a female miniature dachshund weighing about 10lbs

I have been researching brands of dry dog food but they are incredibly expensive and I prefer to make homemade if I can get some good recipes.

[Alex D]

We just took home our 10 week old Vizsla puppy and were sent home with some of the Pro Pac Ultimates food she’d received since being weened, along with some TruDog Boost as a topper for the dry food (1 tablespoon per meal).

I’d not heard of Pro Pac before and checked the review here and discovered that he puppy formula appears to receive 5 stars. That said, we’d given our old girl, who recently went to the Rainbow Bridge, grain free food (Blue Wilderness Senior among others over her life) and she seemed to perk up when we moved her to grain free. I also am not able to get Pro Pac Ultimates locally whatsoever–I’d be relegated to online ordering only which isn’t a problem (I’d always ordered from Amazon/Chewy/etc. in the past) but it’s nice to have the option to pick up locally in an emergency.

Accordingly, before we picked up our new little girl, I’d looked at the potential dog foods from the Editor’s Choice list and was contemplating Wellness Core (puppy) given it’s high rating, relative availability both locally and online, and the fact that I’d have a better idea about where they source their ingredients.

Pro Pac Ultimates is certainly cheaper than Wellness Core, and is likewise cheaper than the Blue Wilderness we’d fed our old girl, but my wife and I are willing to spend more for a better product if needed (and within reason).

Curious for input on whether Pro Pac Ultimates is a quality natural dog food (especially for puppies and with/without the TruDog Boost) or if I should consider transitioning to Wellness Core or another grain-free brand. Alternatively, would it be best to keep her on the Pro Pac until about a year old when we’d move her to a non-puppy formula anyway and try a different brand at that point?

Any input is greatly appreciated.

[Candis S]

I don’t know how the advisor chooses which foods to review. I would like a review on Nulo, and if there is one, where is it? I shop at an independent small store that carries only upscale brands. Nulo is the newest brand. But almost none of the brands carried in this store are carried at PetSmart or at Petco.

[Karin L]

My Cocker Spaniel had very itchy skin when we adopted her. Our vet recommended Canidae Grain Free dry food, no foul. Our dog loves their Bison and Lamb formulas limited ingredients and it has helped with the frequent scratching. I do not see that brand under your Editor’s Choice List, is there a reason for that?
Thank you for your anticipated reply,
Karin L.

[Daniel G]

I was scanning you list of Dry dog foods and did not see Azmira anywhere. Have you reviewed their products? I used the classic for many years with our last Dog. I would be interested in your review of their foods.

[Pam D]

My 2 pugs have been on this brand for months (dry). They love it. I do not give them treats. About 2-3 weeks ago my female got really bad, runny diarrhea. She spent 2 days at the vet and they put her on the Science Diet Prescription-D. A couple days later my male got it too. After the Science Diet, meds and then Nature’s Menu canned food they were well. Transitioned them back to the dry and after 3 days my female has diarrhea again. I am hoping my male doesn’t get sick before I can get something else tomorrow. No more of the dry for them. By the way my female has lost 2-3 pounds and she is small to start with.

[Dan W]

My sheltie is 7 years old, she’s allergic to chicken, turkey, eggs and white potatoes. Everything I find has chicken bi-products or egg products. She’s 40 pounds and should be 25 – 30, and has skin irritation and rash. The Merrick dog food looked pretty good but someone mentioned that Purina bought them out and changed the ingredients, I’m feeding her Taste of the Wild ( bison and vinison) but the ingredients have chicken and egg products. Help !

[Richard H]

I have been away for a while and had a friend recommend a new “better” dog food. I re-joined the website to check it out,however, much to my chagrin it has changed. It used to be a great “independent” place to go to compare values. Apparently they have moved to the “we only test and evaluate the really expensive dog food” review. I have to assume that there is compensation of some type or another to blame. Testing only the 20 -30 highest cost foods is of no value to me. When I joined we were feeding Royal Canin, the site tested it against Kirkland Small Breed Dry (Costco) and we were able to reduce our food costs and increase the quality but alas, i’m sure Costco wasn’t cutting any checks to The Dog Food Advisor for this advertising. Sorry I rejoined, I will not be recommending this site to any of my puppy parents as I had in the past.

[Susan]

Hi Patty,
are you walking her daily, throwing a ball in the yard or park for 20mins X 3 times a day? Excerise will help her lose weight, get her into a routine with her excerising, eat meals the same time, feed 3 small meals a day, if she is hungry then start adding beans with her raw food or as a treat, buy the frozen beans, make sure she goes on daily walks, same time everyday…
A raw diet does make the dog lose weight, cause they are not eating all those carbs that’s in dry processsed kibbles, they are eating what their bodies have been build to eat, raw food, a dog has a short digestive tract made to quickly digest raw meat & move quickly into the small bowel before any bacteria starts to breed, the raw meat moves thru the stomach quickly into the small bowel then large bowel then poo…
A raw diet is healthier, higher in protein & higher fat what a dog needs….
I’ve just started my 9yr boy on Dehydrated Raw Diet. “Frontier Pets” due to declining health, I have to try everything before I put him to sleep, I just wish I started him on this dehydrated raw diet earlier when it came out… I know in the past my boy lost weight when he was eating a home made raw diet, I didnt want him to lose weight, I had to increase his raw diet to keep his weight on, the home made raw diet stopped his yeasty smelly skin, stopped his red paws, then I started a raw elimination diet & found he can not eat chicken, it was the chicken causing his red paws & itchy smelly skin, he also suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies as well Spring & Summer & baths are best for environment allergies, you wash off the allergens that’s on their skin & paws……
Are you bathing her weekly or twice a week? or as soon as you see her really scratching, rolling around on carpet grass scratching herself give her a bath in a medicated shampoo, it will reduce her itchy skin & paws. I use “Malaseb” Medicated Shampoo for Patch, the Malaseb kills any bacteria or yeast on his skin & paws, relieves his itchy skin & red paws, puts moisture back into his skin & leaves him feeling so soft & silky.. Buy some Malaseb shampoo & start bathing weekly or every 5 days especially now Spring is here….
Look for a raw wet diet or dry air dried raw diet or dehydrated raw diet & stop the Wellness Core dry kibble, if you have 1/4 to 1/2 a bag of the Core then take it back to pet shop & buy her some more raw food, just feed her the raw diet for 1 month & you will see a difference, have you looked at Ziwi Peak air dried & wet can food raw? Ziwi Peak has limited ingredients & good for dogs who have food sensitivities & environment allergies, You don’t need to feed as much as you do with the dry kibble, the 1/2 a cup comes in the Ziwi Peak bag, here’s their site https://www.ziwipets.com/ contact Ziwi Peak if you have any questions.

[Mike Sagman]

I agree. Your observation about a larger dog’s inefficiency in eating smaller kibbles is correct. I’ve seen this myself.

However, since this thread is entitled “Editor’s Choice List Not Helpful”, I decided it would be more appropriate to answer this question from the perspective I used.

No website has the financial or human resources to actually visit multiple stores over a large geographic area, buy a package of every one of the kibbles available and then measure the size of the pellets.

What’s more, kibble size is one of the most inconsistent variables of each batch of dry dog food.

Bottom line… If a pellet falls out of a dog’s mouth while eating, the puppy can always pick it back up and try again. No big deal.

However, if a dog owner chooses a large (pellet size) kibble that contains excessive calcium, a genetically predisposed animal has a significantly greater risk of developing a crippling form of hip dysplasia.

Hope this makes sense.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Mike Sagman]

Kibble size affects palatability only. Nothing else. Kibble size has zero effect on the nutritional value of any food.

Calcium, phosphorus and calorie ratios are critical for a large or giant breed puppy and should take precedence over the size of the kibble.

My recommendation: Use the Custom Search link and select the Type 2 – LG Br Pup option and check the “Dry” feature. This will remove canned and raw foods from the list. I found 43 individual recipes that would be suitable for your Saint Bernard puppy.

And there are many more if you’ll select a recommended brand or sub-brand you like and choose one that meets AAFCO profiles for either Growth or All Life Stages AND contains the words “includes the growth of large size dogs”.

Another suggestion: Avoid switching to an Adult Maintenance food until your puppy reaches 24 months.

Hope this helps.

[Susan]

Hi Gaby,
Please don’t go Gaby, I know to end up here on DFA, your desperate to help your dog… that’s how I got here 5yrs ago…
XXX TEXT REMOVED XXX
I hate seeing dogs suffer, Ive been thru heaps with Patches IBD & like to help other dogs get on the right track & get better, its sad having a sick dog epecially when some vets do NOT know what’s wrong with these dogs…

This sounds like what my Patch gets, very hungry, stomach pain, eats food then feel better for a couple of hours, then it all starts over again, he gets Helicobacter-Pylori Spirals”, all dogs have Helicobacter BUT the Helicobacter takes over some dogs stomach & lives in their stomach wall cause they don’t have a healthy stomach….
Ask your vet can you do “Endoscope + Biopsies” or ask vet can ur dog start the Triple Therapy meds “Metronidazole” taken every 12 hours with a meal. “Amoxicillin” also taken every 12 hours with a meal & 20mg “Prilosec” (Ant Acid Blocker) taken in morning 30mins before breakfast & then other meds taken with breakfast, these 3 drugs are taken for 3 weeks….
The first time Patch took the Triple Therapy meds, he became better within 5days I had a normal dog, he finshed all the triple therapy meds but within 2-3 months Patch was hungry again, whinging again the Helicobacter returned, so we re did the 3 week triple therapy meds & when the triple therpy meds finished, I continued the Losec every morning, so the Helicobacter has no stomach acid to live in…I read a study that had been done where taken when a PPI is taken (Prilosec) it stopps the Helicobacter from returning, Patches Helicobacter did NOT return for 4-5 yrs, then last December Patch went dont hill & stopped eating, so I started feeing him dry kibble with grains & Beet Pulp, kibbles he he’d eat, he still continued to go down hill so I asked his vet can we do another the Endoscope & Biopsies, I thought he had Stomach Cancer but Patches Helicobacter Spiral were mild & returning, so back on the triple therapy meds & we increased & changed his PPI (acid blocker) which is Pantoprazole now, but I think the Losec was working better??

Look for low fiber, gluten free, grain free diet…. if you can feed cooked meal or feed freeze dried raw thats heaps better then a dry kibble… Feed 4-5 smaller meals a day, dont just feed 2 larger meals a day, need to keep the acid reflux down…
Patches lower esophageal Spincter flap isnt closing now & kibble is the only thing that stays down in his stomach, wet cooked canned foods come back up… Patch is 9yrs old…

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Text removed by moderator

[patty S]

I have a havanese 3 year old female that needs to lose some weight. I had her on Wellness Core weight management dry food but she still kept gaining. I now am giving her a frozen raw pork pattie (1/2/ a day) and it seems to be maintaining the same weight for several months, but still not losing. She seems to be doing better with her scratching, and she has energy . But I wonder if raw food is really all everyone says it is. What do you all think? Is it really worth the price or is it just hype?

[zcRiley]

EVO Grain Free Red Meat Formula Large Bites Dry Dog Food