[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

I assure you the information did not ome from a “kibble company which is losing money to non kibble raw brands” It is a closed group of independent shop owners and service providers. The threads there are some of the most interesting behind the scenes looks at the pet industry: moldy products, products that are frequently infested with the red legged ham beetle (apparently, it is routine for shop owners to freeze their dry natural chews upon arrival to try and kill them) products that come in with very offensive odors,

I have no reason not to believe this individual who is a staunch supporter of feeding raw foods, which IMO is why the information was posted, to inform other shop owners of this practice.

I have no desire to feed freeze dried food, just “not my jam” I do feed a wide variety of commercial foods and food types, along with home cooked. It isn’t uncommon for my dog to have products from 3 -4 different manufactures every day.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

I’m familiar with the HPP process but thank you for posting that information for others. I think that HPP is probably the most common method currently in use as a kill step, if a company is using a kill step.

I personally have had communication with three separate companies of freeze-dried products who reported that they heat the product after the freeze drying process. One company reported that they heated the product to 170 degrees and held it at that temperature for 1 hour.

I will not name the companies because their processes may or may not have changed since I talked to them, but at the time of conversation they reported that is what they did.

Microwaving was discussed in an industry forum, and it was disclosed who apparently was using this method as a kill step after the freeze-drying process. I’d consider the individual reporting on it fairly well known in the industry. They stated that they verified the claim.

I do agree kibble is a convenience food, just as are any of the commercially prepared diets, be they freeze dried, commercial raw, or canned.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia.

By writing “I agree that kibble should always have synthetic vitamins/minerals since Pet food manufacturers know their food is devoid of nutrition … so they add synthetic premixes. And pet owners know kibble isn’t as good as real food, so they add supplements.” in the post following my post, it makes it appear that you are agreeing with me.

I just want to clarify that I absolutely do not agree with the above statement. As I said, I believe such statements to be marketing spin.

It may interest you to know that in talking with multiple companies of freeze-dried products, I’ve found that some, including some of the companies you mentioned, have reported that after freeze drying the food, they heat and hold it at temps high enough to kill pathogens. Some companies shared they used conventional heat and others apparently by microwave. Yet they still market the food as “raw” which to me is odd since the times and temps they subject the food to are those used to cook food.

I do agree that the more you read the more confusing it can become. It is interesting to me to read publications put out by the pet industry. For example, food rotation is primarily recommended to guard against “out of stocks ” Shop keepers want to condition their customers to feel comfortable switching products so that if they are out of product A, they can sell you product B and keep the sale in house vs you going elsewhere for product A. Which brands they carry has to do with profit margin, availability and exclusivity. If /when a product enters new markets, making it easy for you to get it at other venues, shops will drop the line. Shops want you to have to return to them for purchase. Ditto for why some push frozen raw as “best”(it isn’t easily available online or in most larger stores). If someone else has exclusivity rights to a brand, a line within the brand or for brands that are widely available, shop owners may try to come up with reasons that sound plausible as to why they do not carry that product in an effort to try to switch you to a brand they can get. Shops offer sales contests, brands sponsor same. Get X number of people to switch to brand C (higher profit margin) and win a prize.
So yeah, it is confusing!

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee. Just confusing to me that all these studies led pet owners to believe grain free was primary causation of DCM in pets. Possibly legumes in grain free causing enzyme inhibitions and interfering with digestion causing taurine and other amino acid deficiencies .
I personally don’t trust how much protein comes from meat and how much is from pea protein on grain free. However, I also don’t trust grain inclusive. Due to below.

A recall on pet food has been expanded after 70 dogs have died and another 80 or more were sickened due to mold in a popular pet and cat food brand.
Midwestern Pet Foods is expanding an earlier recall of some of its Sportmix products to other dry dog and cat foods with an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022 that were manufactured in its Oklahoma kitchen. The recall includes all dog and cat pet food products made with corn products because they might contain elevated levels of aflatoxin, which is produce from a mold that can grow on corn and other ingredients used in pet food.

So below is the food that Science Diet grain free. Why if it’s so bad?
Ingredients in Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Grain Free Chicken & Potato Recipe dog food are peas second ingredient.

I like Stella n Chewys however they use synthetic vitamin pack. Freeze dried should be getting all necessary minerals and vitamins from natural sources. Synthetic vitamin packs are always added to highly processed dog food because nutrients are cooked out due to the high heat. My dogs do well with most of their proteins but if mistakes are made with amount in pack the results are lethal . As in below.

The FDA has become aware of reports of vitamin D toxicity in dogs that ate certain canned dog foods manufactured by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and marketed under the Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet brands. This is a developing situation, and the FDA will update this page with additional information as it becomes available.

I can only HOPE I’m making an educated choice in feeding my dogs a diet of good nutrition and food that is not slowly poisoning them. I have inherited my mom’s dog now that she is living with me after my dad passed. So I have three now. My Tia always gains weight easily even with exercise and string beans as treats. Loli gets growling stomach if given too much fat. If I have lean steak as treat one day I only give for that day. Two days in row and loose stools. Then there is my mom’s . Can’t eat the Primal Turkey n Salmon but the others do fine with it. UHHH I recently tried Small Batch turkey freeze dried. Trust company and love all the ingredients but ONE. They have garlic. Now way down on list of ingredients. Some say natural flea repellent. Great stools and none had stomach trouble. Been on the bag of the small sliders for a week. But I can’t continue not trusting that the garlic could build up to cause red blood cell destruction. They are all Chihuahuas’. Just would like to make it easy for me and get a brand I trust to be healthy and all three do well with. Guess for now I’ll stick to primal freeze dried. However, I do like to rotate between at least two brands just in case. Sorry for this being so long, Just hard to trust what’s in your dog food when I have to keep up with all the human food recalls making people sick. lol

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Patricia A.

[Sarah K]

I need help- and a lot of it!
I have a 5 year old pomeranian, 10 pounds.
I rescued him when he was about two- I don’t know anything about his history.
Right when I adopted him I noticed strange eating patterns- gulping and not chewing his food, then regurgitating or gulping and swallowing his food again after eating.
I immediately started him on several small feedings a day instead of free eating, and I restrict physical activity before and after he eats. He eats at 5am, 8am, 12pm, 5pm, and 10pm. He eats using a slow feeder and I wet his food beforehand.
I feed him Farmina N&D chicken and pomegranate dry, along with Farmina wet food. I also always mix a variety of green beans, blueberries, raspberries, sweet potato, salmon oil, and pumpkin throughout all of his feedings, and the Honest Kitchen enzyme powder once a day.
He still has the regurgitation issues though. I an beginning to worry his esophagus is going to get damaged if I don’t figure this out. Any time after eating, he throws up the food and quickly swallows it back. Sometimes he actually throws up. I tried working with my vet on this but she refuses to do an endoscopy (strange) and tells me to switch him to Science diet for gastrointestinal, but something about all of those processed ingredients doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t believe her for some reason.
Can anyone that has a smaller dog with these issues offer some advice? Do I feed him dry? Cooked? Raw? Canned? I just want to do what’s best for my baby. I also understand he should be eating less protein and fat, and I want to incorporate bone broth and kefir.
Thanks guys!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Aimee-
Good information! The fact that diet change can resolve or reverse heart abnormalities has me convinced. Only well researched dog food without the offending ingredients for my dogs and cats. Currently, my dogs are on Purina One dry food with a small amount of various wet food. Thanks for the links!

[Mutts and Cats]

I have a dog who started having seizures 2 months ago and I am making changes to his diet in hopes that will help. I’ve eliminated chicken and grains. My latest concern is Rosemary. I’ve read some older posts here on that topic that were helpful, but am hoping for a recent recommendation for foods that don’t contain Rosemary. Most of the food I had been feeding contains it. Even the canned food (Nature’s Logic) and the freeze dried (Primal) contain Rosemary. I am now feeding a combination of canned, raw frozen, freeze-dried, and dry. I have found other brands of canned and freeze dried that don’t contain Rosemary, but I can not find a dry food. Any suggestions?
Also, if anyone has had other revelations on foods/additives that might trigger seizures I would be very interested in hearing about them.

[Reginald B]

Hello, Miyako K. You can follow it to resolve the problem: /dog-food-reviews/happy wheelswellness-dog-food-super-5-mix-dry/

[crazy4cats]

My dogs have been doing great on Purina One dry and wet food. It’s a little bit less expensive than most of the recommended foods. Any of the grocery store foods made by Purina might be a little less as well.
However, all pet food seems to be shooting up in price. It’s very frustrating to those of us who have multiple pets or on a shrinking income!

[Newell Z]

I have a 9 year old mixed breed, small dog that is overweight. We take him for a walk twice a day. He is getting slower and I am afraid that he will not be able to exercise when summer gets here because of his weight. I started making his food from ground meat, carrots and cottage cheese. I don’t know if this has helped since he looks bigger than ever. Also, I am not sure if he is getting enough vitamins with homemade food. I give him l/4 cup in a.m. and 3/4 cup at night. A total of 1 cup per day.
I don’t know if I should keep feeding him the homemade diet or switch to a low fat dry food. I used Halo’s diet food and he seemed to like it, but again didn’t loose any weight.
HELP! What should I do?

[YorkiLover4]

You may want to consider a raw frozen, hypoallergenic diet. One of my dogs has had an autoimmune skin disease on his tail (ugggh!–hair loss, pimply blackened skin, etc) and we had to change his diet. We were told that diets high in carbohydrates can make it worse and he was getting a lot of ear infections too. We switched from dry food to a raw frozen diet and have seen a huge improvement. Dry dog food is not nearly the same quality as a raw frozen diet and it is very high in carbohydrates. It does cost more but maybe you can mix the raw with some canned, homemade or kibble? We use STella and Chewy’s, Vital Essentials and Small Batch–depending upon what’s available. You can get raw freeze-dried and frozen. We have also use this product called Immune Harmony https://www.askariel.com/plant-sterols-for-pets-p/122.htm Our holistic vet told us to find a supplement with plant sterols and this product has done wonders for him. It’s specially for pets with autoimmune problems and I think (?) they have a testimonial or section on their website about IMHA.

[Gladys N]

Have you done a review of costco dog’s dry food?

[Donn Childress C]

Please help:
I’ve got 3 dogs, 1 Golden 10 yr. (in the Morris Lifetime Study) and 2 Germans 1 and 8 yr. All dogs have been on Eukanuba since they were puppies.. Currently on I’ve got 3 dogs, 1 Golden 10 yr. (in the Morris Lifetime Study) and 2 Germans 1 and 8 yr. All dogs have been on Eukanuba since they were puppies.. Currently Eukanuba Adult large breed dry chicken. The last 2 -3 days they have been slow to eat the food. Real unusual for the Golden. He usually can’t wait for eat time and finishes so fast I don’t think he even chews, just swallows. Now they just walk past and don’t touch the food, all 3 of them.
What’s happened? Anyone else have this problem?
I know Eukanuba went to manufacturing it in Australia but have not had a problem until now.
Something must have changed and not for the better.
Any help would be appreciated, I’m not supposed to change the food for the Lifetime Study so they can see if any foods have an effect on the dog for their entire life.

[Stephane P]

My dog was diagnosed with Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia(IMHA) this past week, and I am looking for the best dry food dog kibble for her. Coupled with her disease that robs her of her red blood cells, she is also a tripod, so finding a food that can regulate her weight as well as immune support is also a necessity.

I have been using Victor dog food for the past year, but I found out one of the ingredients is “blood meal”, which based on research, gives me reason to go away from the brand itself, but it isn’t entirely discounted if I can’t find a proper alternative. I was recommended other products by specialists, Hill Science being one, but I noticed it was recalled in 2019. Royal Canin being another, but it was recalled due to vitamin D toxicity. Purina being the last, but I’m told it isn’t the most healthy dog food available.

This is a tough ask as I am nitpicking quite a bit, but I was wondering if you knew of dry dog food that would help her immune system, keep her weight in check, that is FDA and AAFCO approved, had no issues in the past and no controversial ingredients.

[Michelle M]

Can we bump this thread? I’d love some thoughts.

My dog has a complicated history and very special needs. She’s got megaesophagus (big esophagus that doesn’t work) and achalasia (a tightening of the stomach opening), and a sensitive intestine. This means her food has to be blended, not too voluminous, and fed upright (which has no bearing on the food but I’ll mention it anyway).

The only thing that’s worked to solve her intestinal issues is hydrolyzed food, more specifically Royal Canin Hydrolyzed wet food. And it has done a great job, her protein levels, which have always been low, are better than they’ve ever been.

Now, I’ve been doing research and just discovered this stuff has carrageenan. Not good. But I’m scared to change it since her very delicately balanced situation is doing very well.

I notice that the dry version of the same food does NOT have carrageenan, but doesn’t dry food come with its own problems? What are the ingredients to look out for? I could theoretically soak this food so it’s wet and blend it that way so she could eat it.

Can you guys please help me out and give me your opinions on carrageenan, and on dry dog food in general? I don’t know what to do. I don’t feel like vets, even the most excellent ones, don’t really pay a ton of attention to dog nutrition, and well tell you that any prescription brand is fine, when really, they have junk in them.

[Jthompsm]

My 12-year-old mixed breed rescue has suddenly developed some digestive issues. My vet suggested grain-free, chicken and beef-free formulas, with the caution that we use a dog food that does NOT have legumes (lentils, peas etc). There is confirmed research these ingredients can cause heart issues in dogs — on the increase since dog food producers have used legumes heavily in grain-free formulas. I noticed in your recent newsletter that the recommendations in “best dog food for allergies” almost all included legumes. Can you do a review article on best dog food for allergies that do NOT include legumes? Thanks.

[AK E]

We have 2 German Shepherd pups aged 7 months. Currently we are feeding Orijen Large Breed dry dog food. What would be a good food to transition them to when they are about a years old? Thank you.

[Jody S]

Large breed puppy food without chicken:
Sport Dog Food, Cub puppy
Holistic Select LBP; lamb & oatmeal
Solid Gold Wolf cub; bison
Taste of the Wild; bison & venison
Whole Hearted LBP, Beef. Petco brand
Fromm Gold Heartland LBP; beef & Pork
Null Freestyle LBP, salmon & turkey

There are a number of dry foods available that Are not specifically labeled ‘Large Breed Puppy’ but do have appropriate calcium/phosphorus ratios and calories. Good luck!

[Chandra H]

Hi! I have a 1 year 9 month old lab. She is great, super active, good weight, strong and fun. However, she has NEVER had a solid poop in her life. I know she has a chicken and egg intolerance and probably several other allergies. She constantly licks her paws, itches, etc. However, the smelling, sopping wet poops are really hard to deal with. She goes about 4-5 times a day and they are a yellow-ish brown color. She has been tested for parasites, etc. so it isn’t that.

This is not new, this has been going on since she came home. I had her on probiotics for a while but it didn’t change anything. She has been on Life Abundance, Purina Pro Sensitive Skin and Stomach, Science Hill prescription, and Open Farm. In the past 1.5 years, we have tried grains and grain free. She is currently on Open Farm Turkey (wet and dry). I really feel like there is something going on with her stomach and I just don’t know where to go from here. She did best on the prescription diet, but it wasn’t firm then either. My vet thinks she just has a lot of allergies . Does anyone have any suggestions?

Oh, and we have tried Turkey, Chicken, Beef, and Salmon proteins and the only difference is that on Chicken she does very poorly. (She looses hair, diarrhea, etc). Thanks for any ideas that may help my sweet girl.

[Caroline Z]

My Golden Retriever has allergies to eggs, salmon, peas and legumes. I don’t know if anyone above mentioned Dr. Harvey’s Specialty Diet – Allergy – Turkey or Fish Recipe. Dehydrated food. Pleased with this and my dog is doing well on this. Expensive if only using this for the amount she needs. She was underweight and would like to add some decent dry kibbles to use as well. Get tired of reading labels, labels. Any suggestions? She does best with beef and turkey. Could handle some fish, but not salmon.

[McLovins P]

You could freeze dry raw meat, but that requires expensive equipment and a lot of energy to freeze dry food. You also run the risk that, even with freeze dried food, it is technically not cooked, so when you handle it, the moisture on your fingers may be activating the bacteria and enzymes on the meat, returning you to the position where you must be cautious about what you touch.

You can visit this website at https://www.mclovinspet.com to know more about the products.

[MARCIA H]

Hi, First off, thank you for providing this forum and your recall system. That in particular is invaluable.

I have studied dog food, nutrition, and health as an admin on a popular dog food group for nine years but stepped down and away from the group in January. I’ve worked in the medical field my entire life.

I have problems with some of the foods you listed in your Top Dry Dog Foods. First up, Blue Buffalo. They have had several recalls in the past. Listed ingredients include: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oatmeal, etc. First off, I noticed several foods, including Wellness Core, which you rate highly, use brown rice as a second or third ingredient. All U.S. rice, brown, white, or organic, is naturally contaminated with arsenic in the hulls, so I refuse to feed my dog anything with rice in it. Rice is only a cheap filler anyway, so you’re losing zero nutrition when you cut it out.

Also, you have many foods in your Top Dry Dog Foods that rely heavily on grains. Look at Blue above: Brown rice (see above), barley, oatmeal, and the list goes on. Our dogs don’t need grains. They’re carnivores, not chickens. There are many dog foods who use cheaper grains like corn (that would be moldy hog corn), soy, wheat, etc. NONE of these are good for your dogs. Grain-free foods are best.

Orijen and Acana were wonderful foods when they were all made in Canada. Since they built a factory in Kentucky, the food’s quality has greatly declined and, before I left the group I referenced above, I saw many. many dogs get very sick or worse from eating Acana, Orijen, Blue Buffalo, Wellness & Wellness Core, and several more of the foods you have listed in your Top Ten.

I’m not trying to cause trouble or be picky, I’m trying to share what I’ve learned about dog foods over the past nine years. Oh, and Diamond food and anything made by Diamond (like Taste of the Wild) — awful foods. Diamond has had several recalls and lots and lots of production issues. I wouldn’t recommend TOTW, Diamond, or anything else they produce.

I could go on and on but wanted to shed some light on what I’ve already read. I hope this information will help at least one person.

[Mike D]

Hi folks,
I have a 2 yr old female German Shepherd (about 65 lbs) who I’ve had a very difficult time finding a dry dog food that she will eat. About 3-4 weeks ago I switched to Victor Hi-Pro and she loves it (finally!) However, a side-affect has been terrible constipation. I mean her poops are super hard and I can see she’s having a hard time. I started adding a lot of warm water to her food to try to make sure she’s getting enough water (she’s not a big water drinker, even though we change her water throughout the day and make sure it’s always available). But that wasn’t working, so I read about adding canned pumpkin to help. I started this 2 days ago, gradually increasing it to about a half a can. I can tell it’s helping, as even though her stools are still hard, they are slightly softer than they were. Also, she keeps biting at her tail/bum area, and it looks a bit red down there, which I imagine is due to the irritation in the anal area due to constipation, but I’m no vet.

Anyway, all that is background info to ask if anyone else has had a similar experience and if so, did you switch to another Victor formula that remedied this?

I’m hoping for a simple solution, like just switching to a different Victor formula (and not having to do the, “get these really hard to find ingredients and blend them up a special way, preparing a week ahead of time…”-type stuff).

Would love to hear from anyone who’s had a similar experience and found a solution.

Thanks!

[Nellie P]

Shelby L you can’t give omeprizole as needed, because it takes a week to start working. You also have to be really careful if you’re giving Prilosec OTC as the pills are time released, so you should try to keep your dog from chewing them if possible. One of my dogs is on it and I have to push the pill towards the back of her mouth so she swallows it instead of chews. Medications that you can give for quick relief from symptoms are Pepcid or Pepto-bismol, but if your dog is on a systemic steroid like prednisone don’t give Pepto.
My two chihuahuas (they’re related, aunt and niece) both have acid reflux issues. My youngest Nilla has been to the vet so many times for GI issues. Her symptoms have ranged from nausea to diarrhea. There really hasn’t been much of a pattern to her symptoms, except that she’s most likely to have an episode at night or after a playtime with my other chihuahua. The really upsetting thing is that when she gets one of these episodes she often paces. She’ll run back and forth the length of our apt until total exhaustion. If we try to stop her she will fight us to keep pacing. We took her to an internal medicine vet, who said it could be acid reflux or IBS. We have noticed that both dogs lick the air and blankets, and Nilla burps quite a lot. Both dogs’ also have extremely loud bowel sounds, and their abdomens feel bloated in the hours after eating. Both dogs eat Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein Dry Kibble for small breeds and occasionally get a RC HP cat treat. I probably give gas-ex every day to at least one, but usually both of them. Nilla takes Prilosec, and has been on prednisone for the last several couple months, and my other dog Minxie takes Pepcid twice a day. Nilla has had an ultrasound which showed nothing abnormal, but I’ve been hesitant to get her scoped since it requires anesthesia. Nothing seems to work long-term for either dog’s symptoms, and I think the longest either dog has been symptom free was a week, but the symptoms always come back. Both dogs are fairly young (Minxie is 2 yrs and Nilla is 1.5 yrs) and it’s horrible that they can’t even enjoy playing since they get sick afterwards. I read in several posts that wetting their food might help so I will definitely try that. I gave probiotics in the beginning and it didn’t seem to do anything, but my vet gave a different kind so I will try them. I haven’t tried them yet, because the vet told me I couldn’t give the probiotic and metronidazole together. But we haven’t given the metro in a while so I’ll give the probiotic a try. I will also give apple cider vinegar a try, but I’m not sure of the dosage since both my dogs weigh about 4.5 lbs each. Has anyone had any luck with those food bowls that are designed to make dogs eat slower? Nilla tends to try to really quickly gulp her food down, which is definitely not helping her burping and gas problems. Sorry this post is so long. If anyone has any other suggestions they think might help, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

[Miyako K]

I want to ask if anybody received the dry dog food via online pet food company which the expiration date was passed already when you received.
I already received 4 times and the online company is a famous company and reputation for good customer service. However, I was just told as Return the product and they ship the replacement . I returned and got the replacement but it was the same old expired dated food.
I contacted the online retailer and their answer was maybe print mistake by the manufacturer. It should be 03/2023 but misprinted as 03/2022. This is prime food, $33.99 + Tax for 8.8 LB bag. Anyway, I don’t know what to do with this old products.
Is anyone received those expired dated products via online company? What did you do for the products , especially, they shipped the same old products as the replacement again?
Is that safe to give my dog? I can not return again because it is really heavy to carry and get subway to go to FedEx store (We have no FedEx store near home and have to drive or take subway). The online store just allow to return via FedEx.

[Dudley S]

Weight Management, high fiber, chicken excluded, except in one (chicken fat OK – no proteins),

multiple peas means the pea total could move it way up on ingrediants list, as #1 DCM concern, as of 2/2022

Blue Buffalo Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Healthy Weight Adult Red Meat Dog Food Grain Free
355 calories Protein Min 30.0 %, Fat Min 10.0 %, Fiber Max 10.0 %, chelate. taurine
DCM – peas 3 in top 6 ingredients, grain free but taurine inclusive

Avodarm ADVANCED HEALTHY WEIGHT, GRAIN FREE TURKEY MEAL FORMULA 380 calories, 10% fat, 10% max fiber, 28% protein, cheleate, taurin
DCM – peas 2 of top 4, Grain free but taurine inclusive

Blue Basic Healthy Weight Turkey & Potato Recipe , 329 calories, 9% min fat, 10% max fiber, 20% pro, taurine chelate
DCM warning – peas 3 of first 8 but Grain and taurine inclusive

Solid Gold Fit & Fabulous Low Fat/Low Calorie with Fresh Caught Alaskan Pollock Adult Dry Dog Food
330, 10% max fiber, 8% fat, 25% pro taurine
DCM – 2 peas in top 6, but grain and taurine inclusive

NUTRO ADULT HEALTHY WEIGHT LAMB & BROWN RICE RECIPE – CHICKEN INCLUSIVE
240 calories 8.5% fat 11% fiber max, 24% pro,
DCM – peas not in top 6. grain and taurine inclusive

Diamond CARE Weight Management Formula Adult Dry Dog Food lamb, 7% fat, 304 cal, 10% max fiber, 22% min pro taurine
DCM , peas and lentils both in top 4, but grain and taurine

[binita F]

This formula by Nature’s Logic contains high-quality ingredients, such as beef meal and chicken fat. The high levels of fat and protein create a …
We recommend you feed your Pitbull a blend of wet food and dry food to achieve weight gain. There are some manufacturers that make a calorie-dense dry kibble. This can be a good solution, but you’ll need to make sure they aren’t just including additional ingredients of no nutritional value.
https://www.cps-tester.co/

[Q C]

It seems that ORIJEN just added grains dog food – any chance that you guys will review these new grains food soon? THANK YOU!

[Caterina B]

There is a Hill’s food that is Urinary and low fat. I leave the name for you to investigate. hopefully this can help you. My dog ​​has pancreatitis and The presence of a urinary calculus in the bladder.

Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare + Metabolic, Urinary + Weight Care Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food

[Joan S]

I didn’t know where to post this so I will post it here. I ‘ve been feeding my dogs Purina dry dog food for years. Wednesday evening I was scooping food from the bag that is in the pantry inside our house and in the scoop with the food was a MOUSE!!!

This is no joke, I have the pictures. I contacted Chewy – they refunded my money (I threw out all bags of food) and I contacted Purina. A “supervisor” with Purina, called me, apologized and offered me coupons or refund check. I declined both and asked questions about next steps etc. He said they will pass the information to Quality Assurance Department but that I would not receive any follow-up on what they find. I had the lot number on the bag and he couldn’t tell me in what factory it was made and wouldn’t give his last name. He basically had no information for me.

So, now I’ve chosen Hill’s Science Diet, but must continue with Purina (I had some Purina Beneful purchased at grocery store on hand) to mix in with new food. I am buying plastic containers to store food. Also, I am still completely grossed and freaked out.

[Kate L]

Hi! I know this topic has been covered endlessly, but I wanted to share my experiences with allergies and maybe gain some insight on different kinds of food for my 7 year old staffy, Gumbo.

We adopted Gumbo when he was 2. He was missing hair, his coat was dull and rough, belly and paws were red and irritated, and he was constantly scratching. The only allergy we were informed of was chicken. He was immediately started on a prescription diet of Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein. It helped slightly, but still itchy and red.

After not seeing much of a difference with the prescription diet, I tried a few store bought foods. Zignature Kangaroo, Taste of the Wild (with fish) and Instinct (can not remember which we tried.) Nothing really helped and we put him back on the prescription diet, this time Royal Canin Ultamino. We do not feed any treats-just carrots and cucumbers.

Monthly cytopoint shots started two years after we got him which I would say brought him the most relief. He also got groomed monthly and bathed with oatmeal bath. Still not 100% but the best he had been. His nails were still red, raw and yeasty. I almost feel he has more of an environmental allergy at this point-different times of the year he seems better or worse.

Over the past few months I have noticed the cytopoint injections are not helping at all. I know it is dry in December where we reside, but his itch became unbearable. His breath was rotten. Coat looked terrible. Vet put him on antibiotics for a “skin infection.” The stink and extreme itch went away, but he was still uncomfortable.

Out of desperation I found an article online that said dehydrated beets had helped their dog considerably.
I immediately ordered and I can not even begin to explain the difference I’ve noticed in Gumbo this month. His nails are growing in completely white (which I have never seen before-they are always brown/red/streaky) his coat is gleaming and his energy is great. He is barely scratching himself. If anything he is still licking his paws, but we are trying to be diligent about wiping them down when wet and using medicated wipes and cream. Then we wrap him like a burrito so he can’t lick the cream off.

I know I shouldn’t mess with something that seems to be working-but I am also tempted to try another type of food with limited ingredients. At $100/month and our first baby on the way it would be great to find him a more cost-effective food and I just don’t love the idea of a kibble that is made in a lab. I’ve considered making his food-I just haven’t done enough research and want to make sure he’s getting the correct ratio of protein, vitamins and nutrients.

I just received a sample from Verus. I spoke with the operations manager and she recommended the menhaden fish formula. Gumbo loved it but it immediately gave him terrible gas..
“We truly believe that VeRUS could be the perfect fit for your furbaby. In addition to offering chelated and proteinated vitamins and minerals (where the body can absorb more efficiently than standard vitamins and minerals), we utilize wholesome ingredients without the use of synthetic chemical preservatives, fillers, or by products. Our cooking methods and standards of manufacturing are of the highest possible being that we are manufactured in an EU certified (European Union) facility. This mandates that each ingredient must be fit for human consumption with an increased level of testing to confirm only the best ingredients are trusted and safe to be used in our formulas. Reliability and transparency are the principles of VeRUS with dedication to nutrition being the guiding force.”

So I’m leaning towards trying a full bag of this food but wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions on what has worked for their pup. I always feel for anyone going through allergy troubles because it has been something we have been dealing with for years. We really do everything we can for our furbabies! Thank you for reading my novel and any insight you may have.

[Regina A]

Hi, our dog when we first rescued him also had a horrible allergies. we didn’t know why. he would lick, chew and scratch at his skin, 24/7. We suspected after many switches it was fish product related.
The only dry dog food we found after years of searching was Dr. Pol’s Healthy balance Chicken Recipe dog food. Based on your list above, I believe the only ingredient it has is flaxseed but perhaps if it’s the only item, even if he may have a slight reaction, it may still be a dramatic improvement over what he’s been having.
If you change dog foods just make sure to slowly add it to the current dog food and gradually increase the amount over at least a couple weeks before changing it completely so you don’t also upset your dog’s tummy and have diarrhea. And remember it can take a a couple months to really see the different it might make. I feel so strongly about it because our dog was really suffering. He’s a light tan shih tzu so we could see his skin was always red and inflamed, including his gums. and where ever he licked his coat was rust colored and felt like wire. Now he has no rust colored spots and his coat is so soft. I couldn’t believe that difference it made. I hope it will at least help. Best Wishes for you and your fur baby.

[Patty W]

Kayla, this week, my 9 year-old female dog Lexi was diagnosed with SARDS and is now blind. It happened fast and the Ophthalmologist has recommended testing for Cushing’s Disease. My dog has been on Heartguard Plus for years. Also, she was recently on Neo-Poly-Dex Ophthalmic Suspension drops for 3 weeks. My dog has also been on special dog food and has been eating Hill’s Prescription Diet R/D dry and wet food. I wonder if the Heartguard Plus or the Neo/Poly/Dex drops caused this?

[Jane R]

UPDATE to my post from 3/3/21: My dog’s licking, gulping episodes. hacking, along with tummy noises have pretty much completely stopped. Over the last 5 months, she has had a couple of episodes that lasted a couple of minutes. At that point I would let her go outside as it’s better to let her eat grass than what she can find indoors. Otherwise she’s been doing great!

So along with trial and error, and results from GI/barium study…The KEY things that has helped her are: 1. feeding her 3 small meals a day (versus 2 larger ones before); 2. no more essential oils, scented candles, scented laundry detergent, etc. 3. strict diet of her dog food (Fromm’s dry Duck mixed with a spoon or two of Purina ONE SmartBlend Tender Cuts in Gravy Chicken & Brown Rice or Purina ONE SmartBlend Tender Cuts in Gravy Lamb & Brown Rice as they are low in fat content), plain cooked chicken breast, Old Mother Hubbard dog biscuits treats, or dry dog biscuit for treats.

I had a barium/GI study done on her at the vet’s and was able to rule out any issues with how her food traveled from mouth through her GI tract…everything was normal. So that’s when I tried the three things listed above and it has been key to stopping the licking, gulping, etc, episodes.

What I’ve learned that can trigger her episodes are numerous things: eating too much at once, eating too fast, any food with higher fat content including all oil related supplements (fish oil, coconut oil, etc), fragrances. I’m also leery of any supplements for her at this point.

Bland is BEST; LESS is more. It took alot of trial and error, online research, vet visits, trying acid reflux medications, and reading all the helpful posts here too. When she has to take antibiotics from the vet, they can upset her tummy so he puts her on a pre-biotic he has at his office along with the antibiotic and it works great!

[sophia A]

Did my own comparative analysis of meat grinder specifications, price, company longevity, number of units in circulation, performance, risk, warranty, reviews, and then made the decision based on best value for us. For about a month prior, we used lesser capacity, lesser capable food processor devices when starting to mess with raw food augmentation of dry food, then when we were comfortable with raw food preparation in its entirety, and we committed, the decision was made. After 6-7 months of complete raw food preparation, we are convinced we made the right choice
192.168 l 8.1.

[Thomas Carroll]

My dog currently eats the following Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, but I am going to switch to different dry dog food because he often does not eat this food:
https://www.chewy.com/taste-wild-high-prairie-grain-free/dp/181320
Can you please recommend a dry dog food that is best for preventing bloat?
Are there certain ingredients that are better for preventing bloat such as the types of meats/poultry/fish or a combination or a certain combination of them?
Are there any supplements/toppers/mix-ins that you would recommend to help prevent bloat?
I am willing to pay as much as about $150/month for the most premium dog food and any supplements to go along with it that in your opinion would be best to prevent bloat.

[Ryan K]

My dog has this issue and it’s been a combination of getting him on the right food as well as removing allergy triggers (air fresheners and wall plugins). Another huge help was getting him on prescription food. Ask your vet about Hills Low Fat ID. I tried that same Hills science diet food your dog is on for my dog and he had gulping fits on it. I think it’s too high in omega oils. If I put my dog on ANY other food he has an episode. Not sure what this food does for him but he has hardly had any episodes since getting on this dry food diet. If I give him anything high in omega oils he has a gulping fit. I have found that if he has a fit the best thing I can do is let him graze outside until he stops. This usually lasts 20-30 minutes of him just chomping grass or weeds and then he is ok. It’s better then him eating carpet and socks (he threw up multiple socks one day which was scary!) and hurting himself. This is a mystery Illness and it’s really trial and error in making them comfortable. 😕

[Anne D]

Very helpful discussion! I just heard about chick peas and lentils being a concern so am rethinking my GSD dry food. Orijen is ranked here as a top food but it contains these ingredients, albeit slightly lower down the list of ingredients. Why is this food ranked so high? Who exactly are the ‘experts’ who rank these foods? So confused rn

[Heather D]

Thanks for this feedback; much appreciated. And again, I would like to offer a suggestion in terms of the reviews for Acana dog foods (both Canada & the U.S., I believe) Acana has brought out a new dry food product line, which I expect was meant to address dog owners’ concerns about continuing to feed a grain-free diet. The new line “Healthy Grains” (four different formulations) looks to also be a superior product, and would, I think be worthy of assessment/review by DFA. (I switched one of my dogs to this line, and have been entirely pleased to note that her poops are now Very consistent–not firm one day, and sloppy the next–as they were on the Acana grain-free formulations…)

[Regina A]

My male dog also suffered terribly from allergies. when I switched to a grain free and saw improvement I thought it was the grain he was allergic to even though the vet said it’s highly unlikely that a dog would be allergic to grain. all along it ended up being all the fish oil/fish meal. Not saying it is the same for you but I thought it was the grain because I changed dog food brands and saw improvement. Please read my post on “finally a a dog food with NO Fish Ingredients” I don’t know if you would want to try the food but it’s been a game changer for my dogs. They are both on Dr Pol’s healthy balance chicken recipe dry dog food. I saw the ingredients, doesn’t look like it has any fish product(omega’s) and no potatoes. It does have brown rice and barley but like I said…..it could be the other two ingredents and not the grain. might be worth a shot. hope this helps…

[Regina A]

Just checked again and it still doesn’t. are you sure you’re looking at the ingredient list for the Dr. Pol’s healthy balance Chicken dry dog food?

[Glenn G]

Hello,

I have a 7-year-old female Bichon Frise and a 10-year-old male Bichon Frise who are both on Rachael Ray Dish hard dog food and Freshpet soft food. I started both foods around 3 months ago. They both took to it without a problem and are still eating it, but a couple of months ago Abby started chewing on her tail, which I thought was the groomer cutting her too short there, but last night Toby chewed his tail badly, almost down to the bone, and I am not sure it is the food or if he got bit by something or what is going on. Again, this time it was a couple of weeks from the groomer, but she did not cut them short this time, so I am not sure what is going on or what I should do. I did give Toby a Benadryl, which totally knocked him out. I would appreciate any suggestions.

[philip M]

Orijen dry grain free, for month of Oct. YOU gave a 5-STAR rating.. At the same time,
(Petful), reported a class action lawsuit recently against Orijen, for high amounts of Arsenic, Mercury, and Lead.. So which is it, a 5-STAR rated dog food..? Or a Dog Food company, with major legal problems..? CAN NOT be BOTH..

[rembo R]

Thanks for information, Wegmans Food Markets chose Meadville, Pennsylvania, manufacturer Dad’s Pet Care to produce its line of dry petfoods, according to reports . Wegmans‘ brands, Bruiser dry dog food and Buju and Ziggie dry cat food.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by rembo R.

[Gem F]

CORN is NO NO for.any canine, esp w chronic diarrhea! Its totally undigestable & is a CHEAP filler in ANY dog food. I have rescued wolfdogs that are more sensitive to most commercial foods as it is.
NO GRAIN – another NO NO – they use mostly subsitutes that are on the list for Dilated CardioMyopathy – As is ‘Taste of the Wild’, which is technically cheaper made food trying to pass for premium. I’ll stick with FDA’s findings (see post I replied to similar question below).

So far American Natural Pro has been on the top of my list, usually lamb or fish WITH GRAIN (never a recall & no FDA DCM warning ingredients) Others that are similar to note (& still affordable) – Eagle Pack, Victor & a VERY LIMITED few Nutro – but read all ingredients first.

————————–

JUST AS AN FYI – I would be super cautious
about grain-free foods & any ingredients in the 1st top 10 that are pea, legume (chickpeas, lentils, ‘beans’, potato (incl sweet), etc. bc of the FDA & Vet study implicating those ingredients/ types of dog foods to CANINE DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY, after a long list of reported dog deaths & severe permanent damage (also in cats) fir breeds NOT PRONE to DCM. I think they’ve updated their findings more recently as well & they do have charts providing all the names of the DOG FOOD BRANDS also implicated – and MOST of them are big, top brands – esp grain free.

I too am in the same situation w my Wolfhound mix since the day I got him… Haven’t found a food yet, that works on its own (& over his 2 years on earth) have been theu countless brands – esp with the RED FLAG INGREDIENTS in mind. American Natural Premium was close, but then 2 of my 3 started scratching endlessly – so we’re back looking for the one out there that has to exist (fingers crossed! )
As another FYI – just to give your pooch a little break at least (they’ve got to be more than a little sore having such a chronic issue) – get a bag of OLEWO Carrots! Prepare & use EXACTLY as instructed (there are some lazy ppl out there trying to make shortcuts that will not help). A little expensive but soo WORTH IT! I make weekly batches (then refridgerate) & use coconut oil, then mix in either a small can of pumpkin or pureed baby food carrots, sometimes butternut squash so they’re not as dry & mix well (I also make a batch in a gallon zip bag to mix/coat well for 3 dogs at feeding time). It is a total Godsend, though am seriously hoping to find ‘the’ food that we can some day use wout the Olewo Carrots… (& trust me, other types of carrots – pureed, grated, whatever or even just pumpkin on its own does NOT work anything like the Olewo does) Chewy & Amazon (a little cheaper/ bugger bags)

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

Look into the more recent updates at the FDA on this study that has resulted in those ingredients being responsible. ALSO, aside from how bad peas are – they are also a CHEAP way of mfg’s CHEATING in falsely boosting ‘protein content’ – as the USDA testing dog foods ‘assume’ protein present is animal based… a little loophole they’re going to have to address ASAP as welk!

In July 2018, the FDA announced that it had begun investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as “grain-free,” which contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.) as main ingredients (listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list, before vitamins and minerals). Many of these case reports included breeds of dogs not previously known to have a genetic predisposition to the disease. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), a collaboration of government and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, continue to investigate this potential association. Based on the data collected and analyzed thus far, the agency believes that the potential association between diet and DCM in dogs is a complex scientific issue that may involve multiple factors.

[Gem F]

JUST AS AN FYI – I would be super cautious
about grain-free foods & any ingredients in the 1st top 10 that are pea, legume (chickpeas, lentils, ‘beans’, potato (incl sweet), etc. bc of the FDA & Vet study implicating those ingredients/ types of dog foods to CANINE DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY, after a long list of reported dog deaths & severe permanent damage (also in cats) fir breeds NOT PRONE to DCM. I think they’ve updated their findings more recently as well & they do have charts providing all the names of the DOG FOOD BRANDS also implicated – and MOST of them are big, top brands – esp grain free.

I too am in the same situation w my Wolfhound mix since the day I got him… Haven’t found a food yet, that works on its own (& over his 2 years on earth) have been theu countless brands – esp with the RED FLAG INGREDIENTS in mind. American Natural Premium was close, but then 2 of my 3 started scratching endlessly – so we’re back looking for the one out there that has to exist (fingers crossed! )
As another FYI – just to give your pooch a little break at least (they’ve got to be more than a little sore having such a chronic issue) – get a bag of OLEWO Carrots! Prepare & use EXACTLY as instructed (there are some lazy ppl out there trying to make shortcuts that will not help). A little expensive but soo WORTH IT! I make weekly batches (then refridgerate) & use coconut oil, then mix in either a small can of pumpkin or pureed baby food carrots, sometimes butternut squash so they’re not as dry & mix well (I also make a batch in a gallon zip bag to mix/coat well for 3 dogs at feeding time). It is a total Godsend, though am seriously hoping to find ‘the’ food that we can some day use wout the Olewo Carrots… (& trust me, other types of carrots – pureed, grated, whatever or even just pumpkin on its own does NOT work anything like the Olewo does) Chewy & Amazon (a little cheaper/ bugger bags)

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

Look into the more recent updates at the FDA on this study that has resulted in those ingredients being responsible. ALSO, aside from how bad peas are – they are also a CHEAP way of mfg’s CHEATING in falsely boosting ‘protein content’ – as the USDA testing dog foods ‘assume’ protein present is animal based… a little loophole they’re going to have to address ASAP as welk!

In July 2018, the FDA announced that it had begun investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as “grain-free,” which contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.) as main ingredients (listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list, before vitamins and minerals). Many of these case reports included breeds of dogs not previously known to have a genetic predisposition to the disease. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), a collaboration of government and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, continue to investigate this potential association. Based on the data collected and analyzed thus far, the agency believes that the potential association between diet and DCM in dogs is a complex scientific issue that may involve multiple factors.

[Dawn K]

New-ish to the forums, so hello everyone!

I would like to request a review of the Acana & Orijen grain-free wet/canned dog foods that have recently shown up in my local PetCo. Both can be easily found by searching the PetCo site for “Acana wet” & “Orijen wet.” (I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to include hyperlinks here or not.)

I’ve been using them for a few weeks at the recommendation of PetCo staff (also known as my son’s girlfriend) & I know they’re a popular name in the industry, but I’d feel safer feeding them to my large-breed puppy (GSD/Hound mix; 13 months; 80+ pounds) & dog (Rottie/Pit/Boxer/Lab mix; 2 years; 70+ pounds) if this site gave them a good rating.

Our dogs are normally fed Wellness Complete dry (large breed puppy & large breed adult) with wet as a topper. I do not use the Acana/Orijen exclusively & offer my pups a select variety of wet toppers (usually Merrick, Canidae, Wellness, & WholeHearted), both with & without grain. I prefer with grain, but am sometimes at the mercy of what the store has in-stock.

We’ve tried most flavors & varieties of the Acana/Orijen canned offerings with mostly positive reviews from our canine taste-testers. I will say that my puppy was not a fan of either puppy option & generally refused to eat both.

Also, is it odd they they also seem to be exclusively available at PetCo? PetCo seems to be really pushing these two wet foods & they have always been in stock for the past month or so, even when other popular brands were unavailable.

Thank you in advance.

[Katy L]

I just adopted a chubby dog who is on a weight loss diet. The shelter had her on Science Diet, both wet and dry, which is just too expensive. I found a great alternative for the kibble, but I’m at a loss for what is a good and reasonably priced wet food. I’d be grateful for some recommendations – thanks. 🙂

[Leslie P]

I bought a large bag of Blue Buffalo Small Breed Dry Dog Food for my dog. Bought it on sale so had it for a couple of months before opening it. No rips or tears in bag and it was kept under ideal conditions. Expiry date is 2022. When I finally opened it and transferred some of the food to a smaller container, I found a huge hunk of mold. Only the one clump but it was disturbing. Contacted the retail store and the manufacturer but no one wanted to take responsibility or do anything about it. Has anyone ever encountered this problem before. I definitely am changing brands.

[Kelly S]

This was recommended as a high quality food with natural ingredients, but I’m very leery of grain free right now. Any opinions on this (both canned and dry)?