[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, kat@DrMartyPets.com, 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 kat@DrMartyPets.com. 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 8 years 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 8 years 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 8 years 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

[anonymous]

Excellent! Thanks for the update.

PS: If you are just feeding dry food, I would add a little water to meals.

[anonymous]

Before switching food (I have never used Instinct but if it is one of those raw foods, I wouldn’t recommend) Small breeds are notorious for not doing well on raw foods. Not worth the risk for any dog (imo)
I would take her in for a veterinarian visit, senior workup complete with dental check, labs and whatever else your vet recommends (if you have not done so already).
I doubt if her symptoms have anything to do with “dry air”.

If she has had a recent vet check then I would put a call in to your vet and see what he thinks.
There are many things that could cause the symptoms you describe, it’s impossible for anyone over the internet to guess, nor should they try.

[GAby R]

Hi there, I have a almost 9 year old Maltese/yorke. she has been swallowing and licking a bit, not much, I am wondering if it could be due to dry air in the bedroom. She is currently on Instinct, just wondering if maybe the food is not good for her, she has been on that for months, I have thought maybe of switching her food, but with so many choices there, not sure which once would be the best for her. thank you

[Anonymous]

To Ron and others who may be interested:
In my prior postings, I expressed concern regarding whether or not the Dr. Marty Dogfood Company would honor their 90-day refund policy. Although it was difficult to obtain a return authorization number, once that was accomplished, the refund came quickly. I sent my food back on March 6th; the tracking confirmed they received the food on March 9th, and the refund occurred on March 12th.
Meanwhile, I found another dog food my pups seem to really enjoy: Wellness Core Tender Bites Gently Air-Dried Meal or Mixer (from Chewy.com). It has 70% raw protein ingredients and is grain free (no grain, corn, soy, wheat gluten, animal meals , artificial preservatives, colors or flavors). The other ingredients consist of many vegetables and fruits, along with vitamins and minerals. It comes in 2 flavors: Original Turkey and Chicken (which I bought), and an Ocean Flavor. My older dogs (age 11+) are enjoying the softer, rubbery morsels and I appreciate that it doesn’t require mixing with water or any other ambitious preparation. I have only found it in 2lb bags, and the cost is just under $29/bag. Even though my dogs are small, I realize I’m going to probably use about a bag a week, unless I start mixing it with other food. So far, after four days, my pups seem to be digesting it nicely with no changes in their stool. It is made in the USA. My only concern is the rather high fat content: not less than 21%. My other dry foods are in the 13% to 15% fat range. It remains to be seen if there will be weight increases feeding the amount the instructions indicate. Will report any long-term problems.

[Susan]

Hi Jean,
are you on facebook? start following Rodney Habib, Dr Peter Dobias, Planet Paws, Dr Karen Becker, Steve Brown….
Rodney Habib has quick easy to follow video’s educating pet owners about pet foods, dogs diet over vaccinating etc,
Start looking for Freeze Dried Raw, Air Dried raw -“Ziwi Peak” make really good wet & dry dog food, send them an email for samples- https://www.ziwipets.com/ when you send email ask them any questions you may have or there’s Dehydrated raw foods “Honest Kitchen”
Try & avoid dry processed kibbles if you can, also start feeding either home made raw or cooked meals as well..

[Suzanne S]

Hi,
I have a large breed 16-week old puppy (Beauceron) who came from the breeder on a low-quality food. I migrated him over to Acana Pork & Sweet Potato, grain-free. He had loose stool for several weeks, despite a slow transition, so I did some research and decided to try Orijen. He’s been on Orijen Puppy for almost two weeks and is still having very loose stool, and he’s recently become quite itchy. I’d like to find a high quality dry food that has some grain and does not contain chicken.

I get that grain-free is nice, but it would be good to have choices, too. There are recent studies that indicate too many legumes and other “fillers” that are taking the place of grains are not necessarily beneficial either. Can’t seem to find a good balance of non-poultry protein, healthy grain, and 4.5 or 5 star quality.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks so much for your input!

[Jean O]

Still can’t decide. Vita Life for a bichonpoo?

[Lorianne R]

I agree Zen – Dr. Marty’s Premium Freeze Dried Raw dog food is WAY too expensive for a tiny 16 oz. bag, ridiculous price. If you want to try a less expensive (still not cheap) but very high quality raw dog food – I pay $64.99 for a large 30 oz. bag of Bixbi Freeze Dried “RAWBBLE”. You mix with a little water to rehydrate and serve, although it can be fed dry as well. Bixbi “Rawbble” is highly rated on this site’s food “Reviews”. Has high quality raw meat ingredients including organ meat. My 20 lb Maltese mix does very well on it. I notice she never has bad breath and it doesn’t give her gas. She’s calm, healthy, a happy, well-behaved soon-to-turn 7 year old. Another great find is Earth Animal “No Hide Chicken Stix” chew sticks (they also have beef & other flavors). They’re totally digestible, contain no rawhide, no bleach or chemicals, are coated with a savory olive oil/organic egg mixture my dog goes crazy for – amazing quality, so much healthier than rawhide.

[InkedMarie]

Click “reviews” in the red line above. Click “dry dog food reviews” then “5 star”. There are many five star foods at good price points. Victor comes to mind.

[a c]

Try Annamaet Lean reduced fat dry dog food. Many dogs with pancreatitis history are using this. It also received 5 stars review from this site. It may also come in cans. I am not sure.

I also add some vegetables, salmon oil, digestive enzyme, warm water, and little meat/fish from my meal for the day to the kibbles for my 11 years old dogs.

[czah z]

Sad that Purina One(what I used to give my dogs, no more) is nearly the same cost as the ones you mentioned. After looking through some deciding between:

Under the Sun Grain-Free Adult Whitefish Recipe Dry Dog Food
CANIDAE All Life Stages Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food
Whole Earth Farms Grain-Free Pork, Beef & Lamb Recipe Dry Dog Food

[james M]

I am trying to find a low fat dry dog food that i can use as a basis for feeding my nine year old yellow lab who has had two Pancreatitis events over the past two years. We have reviewed her meds and removed the joint med that could cause issues with her pancreas. We are using Prescription Diet/Digestive Care ID /Low Fat but would like to reduce the cost! In her pm meal along with 1 cup dry, 1 cup can,1 cup water, we add organic sea cucumber (joint), 1/8 cup gmo & BPA free can or frozen fresh pumpkin, 1/8 cup green beans & tbs organic extra virgin olive oil (dry skin). What can we use to replace the Prescription Can & Dry Low fat dog food? Is Blue Buffalo / Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Healthy Weight can / dry a good replacement?

Thanks in advance for the suggestions,

Jamie Marquis, Belgrade, Maine

[Lisa F]

I need some recommendations on a good dry food for dogs with allergies. Have tried several but my dogs still have problems with tear stains and hot spots.

[Carrie H]

I’m not talking about kibble/dry food. I’m talking about raw dog foods only. Most have more fat than protein, unless I’m misunderstanding the charts of percentages.

[Anonymous]

current pet supplies plus employee here, there is not a ton of info out on redford unfortunately (even i want to know more!) of course since it is a pet supplies plus brand, we’re supposed to promote it and recommend it (when appropriate, of course, i’m not gonna force someone feeding raw to buy it!)
redford has both dog and cat food, and by the end of march all stores should carry canned dog and cat food too! i will admit, it’s not the absolute BEST food you could feed your pet. it was meant to compete with blue and taste of the wild mainly, defintely not top notch dry foods we carry like zignature or orijen! after all, it’s a 50 dollar bag of dog food, not $100. that being said, it’s VERY comprable to blue and taste of the wild in terms of ingredients. where they source them and who manufactures it is still unknown, but i imagine i can’t be worse than their competitors. the big selling points are having the limited ingredient line (grain free, single protein, single carb) and that all of them have the extra omega 3&6s in them to help with skin and coat.
i’ve only been able to get my hands on the canned dog food, but there’s a loaf and stew version. personally, i would go for the stew over the loaf (your typical paté) if your dog is able to eat/chew it. i found the stews to be very similar to merrick’s wilderness blend at a first glance, but i believe they’re a tad cheaper. the ingredients, again, are pretty comprable to blue or taste of the wild.
overall, my 3 pups and 3 cats have been loving it and it’s been easy on their bellies to rotate the proteins. they were all on taste of the wild before, and we had no problems, but seeing that redford price tag was pretty appealing and i’ve seen their coats get much softer and shinier (especially in my cats!)
i’m excited to see how the cat cans turn out, but that’s a whole other topic 🙂
if you’re thinking about switching, give it a shot! you can always return it (for a full refund) if your pet doesn’t like it or it doesn’t quite agree with them.

(and for the user talking about the life source bits in blue, sometimes it’s better to pick a kibble that is uniform because you can never get the exact ratio of normal kibble to life source bits that they base the nutrition off of. one day it might be, say 50 life source, the next it could be 15. even small variances can mess with some pups so generally speaking, a uniform kibble could help with that!)