[anonymous]

Maybe a combo of canned food and dry? Check the brands I mentioned. I believe they have grain free, chicken free.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Diane S-
Sorry to hear about your pup! As you probably know, the s/d food can only be used short term due to it not being complete and balanced. The c/d food can be fed long term. That being said, they both are formulated to dissolve and prevent struvite stones. Neither work to dissolve the oxalate ones. They cannot be dissolved, only passed or removed.
Are you using the dry or canned prescription food? If not using canned, I’d give it a try. It would add more moisture to the diet which in addition to dissolving helps flush both types of crystals/stones.
Also, Royal Canin has an Rx food for bladder and urinary crystals as well. It has an S/O index which is supposed to help prevent both types of crystals. Maybe your vet would approve of one of their urinary formulas. That is what I feed to my cat with this issue. I also add plenty of canned food to his diet. I know that canned food is expensive, but as we both know, the surgery with an overnight stay cost a lot more!!!
I’m curious, has your dog had urinary tract infections too? If yes, have they been treated with antibiotics?
As was mentioned to you above, try to get as much water and plenty of bathroom breaks as possible to help your pup’s pee diluted. I wish you the best!

[JILL N]

Nicole, our vet recommended adding a combination of probiotics (dry, sprinkled on food) and organic pumpkin. This worked well for our GSD.

[Walter G]

Hi all. I have a 10 yr. old beagle mix. She will not eat dry dog food. Only canned and moist. We are just about out of her canned and it seems all the local stores are out of stock. So I’m starting to panic.

I’ve looked on-line for various ideas and recipes and am getting confused as to “safe” ingredients. One web site says “no corn”, so I find a recipe using corn. Another says “no salt” so I find a recipe using beef bullion cubes. Another says “no potato skins, so I find a recipe that says “cut up a whole potato, including skins.” And on and on.

I will go with the safe instructions. But my question is…is there a web site that I can trust for correct/safe ingredients I can use? I don’t plan on making homemade food permanently, just ’til I can get her regular food.

I made a hamburger stew and she loved it.
Fried ground beef..fat drained and rinsed.
shredded white potato, peeled.
shredded carrot, peeled.
diced butternut squash.
green beans, chopped.
quinoa.
Water.
Cooked in a crockpot ’til soft and mushy.

P.S. Anyone know anything about black beans. I read to use dry not canned. I’m planning on adding some to some different stew I’d like to try.

Thanks for any help.

[JILL N]

Fad?!! I think not. Major dry dog food companies have begun to incorporate better nutritional ingredients into their kibble meals and eliminate harmful ingredients based on the benefits of real meat and “complete” meal and whole prey diets. The “fad” has now become a healthier food trend in response to the demand of knowledgeable consumers. Case in point, please review the listed ingredients for Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula (chicken) at https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-life-protection-formula. Besides the chemical processing, the only difference in a “complete” raw meal diet (with veggies and fruit) and Blue Buffalo’s kibble are the following ingredients that a dog doesn’t require for a healthy diet anyway:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potato Stach, DL-Methionine, Caramel Color, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Garlic, Choline Chloride, Turmeric, Copper Sulfate (an naturally occurring pesticide that can be found in plants, soil, food, and water), Copper Amino Acid Chelate (chelated copper solution is a blend of two compounds. One is the copper sulfate granule, and the other is an ingredient that allows the copper granules to break down and stay in a liquid state). Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, and Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (stomach bacterium and fungi used as a probiotic in pet foods.), Oil of Rosemary.

[Karen G]

Hi Stefanie, I agree with anon101. Maui’s body has been through a lot of change and suffering and it would be very good if you could keep close contact with the veterinary nutritionist. Is the surgeon still available to you for Maui’s post operative care? I have found with Abby that we have to be very careful about making changes because her body reacts quickly when she is fed something new, and the reaction is usually more diarrhea, which we all want to avoid. Also, Maui isn’t even a month since all the surgeries started. He is still acutely recovering from surgery and should be getting lots of rest. For the first few weeks after Abby’s surgery we were hand feeding her very small amounts 6-8 times a day. also, I would watch to make sure she was getting enough water because she was losing so much through her bowels. The first food Abby was eating was Royal Canin gastrointestinal both canine and feline both wet and dry(dogs can eat cat food but cats can’t eat dog food- the cat food has a higher protein content) and we also tried to give her more of the dry food because we hoped it would absorb some of the water in her bowels. When we started to see the clinical nutritionist at the veterinary college here in Ontario (Canada). Abby was switched to a hydrolysed protein diet. Originally we gave her Hills z/d – both dog and cat but she didn’t like it very much. Now she is eating Purina H.A. and she likes it a lot. But she has to eat almost 3 times the amount recommended for a dog her size. We carefully measure and record every meal she eats and we never give her more than 40gms per meal. She still eats 6-8 times a day. You will have to monitor Maui’s weight as well, it sounds like he lost a lot. To answer your questions we did not have a lot of luck with the metamucil Abby continued to poop like crazy with it. Also, we were giving Abby Fortiflora but the internal medicine service at the vet college has suggested we try Visbiome instead. I have just ordered it so I can’t tell you how good it is yet but it looks like it is very well regulated and produced. Again, I would check with your vet about switching foods and go slow if you do. Maui may never have formed stool. Abby rarely does. It’s a big job you have ahead of you but hopefully Maui will recover enough to enjoy his life. That is our priority with Abby. I hope this is helpful. I am happy to share our experiences with you but I think the best thing you can do is follow your vet nutritionist’s instructions, monitor ins and outs carefully and keep records of them for the nutritionist, and enjoy every minute you have with Maui….Cheers for now, Karen

[STEFANIE]

Hello everyone! My name is Stefanie, and I am from Brazil, so for starters, let me apologize for my not-so-good English, but I’ll try my best! My dog, Maui, a 7th month old Border Collie, just went through three surgeries (yeah! amazing survivor!). On Jan 4th, 2018, he ate a HDMI cable and had it removed by undergoing a 3 and 1/2 hour surgery which ended up removing about 9cm of his jejunum. One week later, his internal stitches from the anastomosis had problems, and he ended up with about 800ml of fecal liquid on his stomach cava. With this severe peritonitis diagnosed and confirmed with an ultra, he had his 2nd surgery, which then removed about 10cm of the jejunum again. Less than 72hrs later, the same problems occurred with the internal stitches, and Maui had to undergo his third surgery. On the last surgery, the vets are not sure of the length they removed from his jejunum, and unfortunately, they had to remove his iliac valve. His duodenume and colom are still 100% intact! It has now been 20 days since his last surgery, and he has been home for the last 8 days (blessed!). As predicted by all vets, we are really struggling to help him out since he now has all the signs of SBS. He started all this nightmare with 15.200kgs, and now weights only 10.700kgs. He is currently on a restricted diet, which includes, only 600ml of water a day, served in small portions of 100ml, and now eats 4x times a day the following meal: 2 spoons of mashed potatoes (home cooked) + 2 spoons of a high-caloric meal (canned), which includes turkey, carrots, beet, olive oil, pumpkin and some other ingredients. 3x times a day, I give 1/2 smashed banana with a scoop of whey protein (for dogs, in Brazil named Caninus Protein). With all his 4 main meals, I give him a teaspoon of Pancreatin (mix and wait 15minutes before serving). And 2x a day I give him Omega 3 (1000ml), L-Glutamine (1 teasp), Taurina, a probiotic (in Brazil named Lactofos), and a medicine to help him hold his stool (in Brazil named Duspatalin).
By now I havent really seen any major improvement with his diarrhea, and my MAIN concern is that it is obvious that he cant really digest the food. We can observe the pieces of his meal on his stools. On the poop chart (http://www.epi4dogs.com/poopchart.htm) he has never scored more than 6! and often has an 7.. He varies from 5-9 diarrheas a day.
We have a nutritionist and exchange facts and info on a daily basis! Next week I am considering changing his meals for dry nibble ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY GASTRO INTESTIONAL FIBRE RESPONSE, since the canned options are very wet and it is clear that whenever he drinks water his stools get worst, since the canned meals include 70-80% of water, I am really considering giving him PROCESSED dry nibble and only adding some small spoons of water (so I can control the amount of water taken).
I would really appreciate ANY ideas, suggestions, feedbacks, information on this subject! I am reading a lot about SBS, and am totally committed on helping him as much as I can. Maui is an amazing dog and deserves to live for as long as he wants – and it seems he wants to outlive us all!  He is a little FIGHTER and I love him with all my heart.
For now, I would really like to know how all of you guys managed to help them better DIGEST the food, and also what helped with the stool problems. Did you guys give them Metamucil (Psyllium)? If so, how much? Any feedbacks about the ROYAL CANIN VETERINARY GASTRO INTESTIONAL FIBRE RESPONSE? What seemed to work best as a probiotic?
Thank you all for the help and attention! Its very warm to know that there are so many people out there willing to help.
Best Regards, Stef and Maui

[kimberley w]

I have a 70-75 lbs boxer mix. He is 7-8 years old. He has been allergy tested and this are the results, in order of sensitivity (separated)

protein: milk, beef, liver, lamb, venison, kangaroo, fish mix, turkey, pork, duck, chicken, rabbit

other: potato, rice,soybean, corn, barley, pinto beans, wheat

What do I feed this guy? Is buffalo/bison the same as beef? Is elk the same as venison? Is pheasant the same as turkey/duck/chicken? Is goat the same as lamb? Is boar the same as pork?

[melissa e]

Hi i am switching my 2 year old french bulldog to a better dog food he has no issues. I am so confused , I know it should be grain free, however I’m torn between salmon or meat based poultry . Reason is a trainer said chicken and turkey is bad for him. I am between Acana, then there is Wellness i am really stumped and have gotten such mixed information. I am not doing raw I know that is probably best but I need a dry kibble. Please any advice would be so appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi RollTide10,

some vets + Anon 101 who aren’t up to speed with what a Dermatologist recommend to do for itchy dogs with allergies, yeast dermatitis, food sensitivities & other skin problems, will say bath less, this is old school now, “if you wash a dog you’ll dry out his skin, you’ll wash away their natural oils” this is not true, if your dog is eating a healthy balanced diet & the shampoo you’re using is a shampoo that moisturizes the skin, paws etc & agree’s with the dog skin, baths are the best thing to do for itchy skin & paws, the dog will be better off & can be bath daily if needed, we humans feel heaps better after a bath/shower especially if we have itchy skin, once you’re using a medicated shampoo like “Malaseb” medicated shampoo you can bath the dog daily if needed, Malaseb has ingredients to keep the dogs skin moisturized soft & beautiful, after I bath Patch in his Malaseb shampoo he feels so soft, silky & stops his scratching & it relieves his itchy paws & skin… I bath Patch as soon as I see him starting to scratch & he’s itchy, it’s Summer here in Australia & Patch has Seasonal Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities so he also gets yeasty smelly paws, ears & skin if he eats ingredients he’s sensitive too, I’ve finally worked out his food sensitivies but with environment allergies it can be so many things he’s sensivtive too & I cant put him in a bubble…so baths is the next best thing.

Join this face book group called “Dog Issues Allergies & other information support group” a Dermatologist, Karen Helton Rhodes from “Healthy Skin 4 Dogs” frequents the f/b group she highly recommends bathing…

Why the Royal Canin kibble was helping your dogs skin the Omega oils were probably balanced properly, start looking for a few new kibbles that have better ingredients & make sure the Omega 3 & 6 are balanced properly, also add either the tin sardines/salmon daily or fish/salmon oil capsule daily or Krill Oil capsule daily if dog has stomach problems & make sure you keep your fish oil capsules in the fridge out of the heat.

Start joining/following groups, sites that support natural healthy dog health, “Rodney Habib” has a few really good post at the moment on his f/b page…. https//www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

[Susan]

Hi RollTide10,

If you want more info on a dog kibble its best to send the dog food company an email & ask what the Omega 3 % is & what is the Omega 6% is, the Omega 3% should be around 1/2 or a bit under 1/2 of what the Omega 6% is, “Rodney Habib” is really good to follow on his FaceBook page….Last year Rodney sent away a few popular dry kibbles & results found most of the kibbles that they tested were unbalanced & the Omega 3 was very low & the omega 6 was very high, this can cause skin problems in a dog, so it’s best to buy tin Sardines & tin Salmon in spring water & add about 2 spoons of the sardines or salmon to 1 of his meals a day, Omega 3 is Neutral-anti inflammatory & Omega 6 is Pro-inflammartory…. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and some omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. … Most omega-6 fatty acids in the diet come from vegetable oils, such as linoleic acid (LA), not to be confused with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is an omega-3 fatty acid.
If you want to continue feeding dry processed kibble to your dog then make sure you start rotating between a few different brands & meat proteins, eg: 1 month feed salmon kibble then next month change to another brand & feed lamb, the next month feed Turkey dont just feed the same brand & formula of kibble 24/7 this is when health problems can occur especially if the kibble is unbalanced or very high in toxins…

Have a look at “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato the Omega 3%-1.00% the Omega 6% is 2.80% it also states on the Wellness Simple kibble bag,”Skin health & for dogs with food sensitivities” there’s also the Wellness Simple” Salmon & Potato formula, Omega-3%- 1.00% Omega-6% 2.75% so you can rotate between them but not straight after each other feed another brand inbetween “Canidae” Pure Sky, Pure Wild & Pure Sea are really good for dogs who have skin problems…

another thing google “How long does kibble last once opened” Steve Brown wrote a really good article, after you open a bag of kibble it has a life of 14 days the air gets to all the oils & the oils start going rancid, so make sure you keep some kibble in a air tight container that you use daily & the rest of the kibble bag close & seal air tight as good as you can then put in the coolest place in the house, I leave in the air con room & put the kibble bag in another plastic bag seal with sticky tape then put in one of those storage containers…
another good reason why its best to add 2 spoons of salmon or sardines daily to your dogs diet, adding fresh whole foods to your dogs diet daily or 4 times a week is very healthy & better then feeding a dog just dry kibble 24/7, also meals you cook for yourself any left overs that a dog can eat add to his kibble, take out some kibble & add some of the home cooked meal, if you follow Rodney Habib look thru all his video’s he also has another f/b page called “Planet Paws”
Baths make sure you’re bathing weekly Baths wash off any allergens that may be on teh fur/skin Environment allergies cause problems as well, I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo it’s excellent for itchy skin, yeasty skin, dry skin, most skin problems, Malaseb puts the moisture back into the skin & kills any bacteria yeast that may be on skin & paws….

Good-luck with your new rescue & feed a healthy diet that’s rotated with different foods dry kibble, freeze dried, cooked meals & raw meaty bones for teeth health….

[joanne l]

does anyone know is Wellness dry dog food is still good??

[Gary W]

As a rule, veterinarians consider a diet with less than 10 percent fat on a dry matter basis (less than 17 percent of calories from fat) to be low fat, while diets with 10 to 15 percent fat (17 to 23 percent of calories) are considered to contain a moderate amount of fat. Foods with more than 20 percent fat are considered high-fat. A few dogs may need a very low-fat diet, especially if they have hyperlipidemia, or if they react to foods with higher levels of fat.

To make a low-fat homemade diet, feed about half carbohydrates, and half low-fat meat, eggs, and dairy. The percentage of carbs can be decreased, and the amount of meat increased, if you use very low-fat cuts, or boil them to remove most of the fat.

The majority of the carbohydrates should be starchy foods, such as rice, oatmeal, barley, quinoa, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squashes (e.g., acorn and butternut), to supply low-fat calories. Other types of vegetables, such as broccoli, summer squash, and leafy greens can be included, but they supply fewer calories so they can’t replace the starchy carbs. You can also use a low-fat pre-mix designed to balance out a homemade diet, such as Preference from The Honest Kitchen.

The other half of the diet should be mostly low-fat meats, or meats cooked to remove much of their fat. Skinless chicken breast is very low in fat, but other parts can be used as long as you remove the skin and visible fat. Turkey, venison, goat, buffalo, and rabbit are low in fat, while lamb and pork are generally high in fat. Ground beef comes in varying levels of fat.

Whole eggs are relatively high in fat but are highly nutritious, so they should be included in the diet in limited amounts. A large egg has about 5 grams of fat, which is not a lot for a very large dog, but too much for smaller dogs. You can hard boil eggs and then feed just a portion each day, or split them between multiple dogs. Almost all of the fat and calories are in the yolks, so the whites alone can be added to increase protein without increasing fat, if needed. When feeding just egg whites, they should either be cooked or a B vitamin supplement should be added, as raw egg whites can deplete biotin over time when fed without the yolks.

Low-fat or nonfat dairy products are also good to include in the diet. Cottage cheese, plain yogurt, and kefir (a cultured milk product that is easy to make at home using low-fat or nonfat milk) are all good choices. Avoid other cheeses; even low-fat ones are high in fat (nonfat is okay).

Homemade diets should include organ meat, and most organs are low in fat. Liver and kidney should be fed in small amounts only, no more than 5 to 10 percent of the total diet (around 1 to 1.5 ounces organ meat per pound of food). Beef heart is quite low in fat and is nutritionally more of a muscle meat, so it can be fed in larger quantities, as long as your dog does well with it.

Fruits such as apple, banana, melon, papaya, and blueberries are fine to include in the diet in small amounts. Avoid avocados, which are high in fat.

[Gary W]

Simply dry the shells out and grind them in a clean coffee grinder until they are powdered and sprinkle the powder on your dog’s food.

[anonymous]

For best results I would make an appointment with a board certified veterinary dermatologist for accurate testing, diagnosis and treatment.

Environmental allergies? Has mange been ruled out? Atopic dermatitis? Medical condition? Has lab work and skin testing been done?
Treatment is often a multifaceted approach. It’s not just about finding the right food, or the right shampoo, or the right supplement.
In fact the food may have nothing to do with his symptoms.

Do you have pet health insurance? You may want to consider getting it before he is officially diagnosed. Treatment can be a little expensive.
If it is environmental allergies, there is no cure. There is effective treatment, however it is lifelong, allergies tend to wax and wane so you may get lucky, they could be mild or seasonal (if that’s what he has). He could very well have some other skin disorder or medical condition that is causing these issues.

Bathing with a very gentle puppy shampoo at least once a week may help, but not if the skin is red, bleeding or irritated, in that case I would defer to the vet.
Talk to your vet, if you want to rule out food sensitivities ask about a prescription/therapeutic diet, that might be a good place to start, it depends on how severe his symptoms are and how uncomfortable the dog is.

I would go directly to the specialist if it was my dog, my dog sees a veterinary dermatologist once a year and has had a positive response to treatment.
She did well on Nutrisca salmon for years but is now on Zignature whitefish or catfish.
You could add fish oil (approved for veterinary use) once a day to his food, it’s supposed to help with dry skin. I add a little water and a topper, like a bit of scrambled egg (2 meals per day)

[Jude B]

My new puppy is 2 pounds, 10 week old tiny poodle and I don’t know a good food to feed him. Dry? Grain free? Any suggestions will be so appreciated! Thank you.
Judy

[Tyla M]

Sheryl,

I had a similar situation with my lab puppy. I had her on Fromms large breed puppy but she was constantly itching. I used Welactin on her food for dry coat. It helped a little but she was still itchy so I changed her to a different Fromm’s line ans LOVE it. I am now using the Hasen duckenpfeffer because it is grain free, chicken free, and first 3 ingredients are meats. I believe it was the chicken. But if you lile fromm’s, look at their other foods. This one is all stages and low calcium and phos. Still. But they have many options.

[Susan]

Hi Ravae,
Sorry for your loss, I hope your new rescue is doing much better now…..
Do you know why a dog gets liver failure from a kibble, the kibble is high in contaminates & toxins.. google “Toxins In Pet Foods” you’ll see a company that completed a study of 1,084 pet products 80 brands, 5 stars brands that did really well when tested were,
I & Love & You grain free naked esssentials lamb & bison, I Love & You naked essentials Duck & chicken formula’s were best formula’s 1st & 2nd 5 star dog foods, Canidae Pure formulas, Under The Sun, all of Artemis Fresh Mix formula’s, a few of the Nutro Natural Chioce grain free formula’s, a few Purina one, Purina Beyond Simply 9 formula’s got 5 stars… those brands were very good & then there’s was some brands of kibbles that were very high in contaminates & toxins, Racheal Ray had 3 bad formula’s that got 1 star & a few Racheal Ray formula’s got 3 stars.
If you can its best to feed cooked meals & maybe 1 of the meals feed a dry kibble..

[pitlove]

Hi Sharyl-

Depending on where you live, the change in weather could be causing the dry skin/dander, or he is not getting proper amounts of fatty acids in his diet. You can likely continue him on Fromm Gold and add a fatty acid supplement like Grizzly Salmon Oil to his food and within a month or so will see an improvement.

Unless he is an extremely poorly bred dog with parents that showed similar symptoms at such a young age and later were diagnosed as a food allergy by elimination diet, its unlikely that he has already developed a food allergy.

Do not make the same mistake I made when my boy was a puppy and switch his foods all around. It turned out he was in fact food sensitive and by changing his food so frequently, I could not keep it under control. I also had no clue what was causing the problem. Now he can not eat a grain free diet and peas, kangaroo, duck and red meat are his worst triggers.

[Susan]

Hi again,
Yes stop all treats as they can be very high in fat & just use the dry kibble your feeding for her treats, did you take back the Simply Nourish & get a refund? i would contact Simply Nourish company & they should pay for the vet bill as well, 1 of my cats got ill after I applied Revolution I contacted Revolution & they told me to wash the Revolution off ASAP I had already done that then the lady said if he needs to see a vet they will Pay for it just tell the vet you’re seeing to contact this lady, my new cat is fine with revoluton spot on treatment but my other cat wasnt,…
What are you using to prevent fleas?? Please dont say Bravecto or Nexgard as these flea chews can cause stomach problems & other health problems
I wouldn’t make her drink water, when they eat wet food they don’t need to drink as much water, wet food, cooked & wet can food is around 70% water, its when you feed kibble they drink heaps of water… also when she hasn’t eaten all day thats OK she is resting her stomach, Pancreas, dogs are smart & know when not to eat, when to drink water etc, then when she finally does eat a meal feed her slowly & only feed 1/2 the meal then feed the other 1/2 of the meal about 30-60mins later, sometimes I feed Patch 1 spoon cooked food at a time in his bowl cause he gulps the whole cooked meal in 5sec then he gets pain & I think the pain is wind pain & he needs a to have a big burp, I ,ake Patch sit & hold his chest area & rub his back up & down like you’re burping a babythen he does a big burp & feels better, what I do with Patch & drinking water I use a small bowl & I go fill it 1/2 up & I take the water to him & I ask do you want a drink Patch if he does his head pops up & he moves to drink the water, I do this at night while I’m watching TV & he’s sleeping he gets lazy so I get his water for him but he’s 9y yrs old now & couldnt be bothered getting up om a comfy bed sometimes….
Do you live near a “Costco” or know someone that shops there? Costco have their “Kirkland Signture” Nature’s Domain dry Kibble look at their Turkey & Sweet Potato all life stages kibble, that’s if you can not afford the Natural balance LID kibble this Turkey & Sweet Potato doesnt have too many ingredients, it has probiotics for the gut, & has low Kcals Per cup336Kcals per cup so easy to digest, Patch was eating the Taste Of The Wild Sierra Moutain Roasted Lamb this last 1 & 1/2 years & he was doing very well on teh TOTW Lamb & kirkland Signature is made by the same maker as TOTW
Here’s are the ingredients.

Turkey meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, tomato pomace, flaxseed, natural flavor, salmon oil (a source of DHA), salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 24% Minimum
Crude Fat 14% Minimum
Crude Fiber 4% Maximum
Moisture 10% Maximum
Zinc 150 mg/kg Minimum
Selenium 0.35 mg/kg Minimum
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg Minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 2.4% Minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% Minimum
Total Microorganisms* Not Less Than 1,000,000 CFU/lb
(Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus reuteri)

Calorie Content
3,590 kcals/kg (336 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Does she have a fermenting smell coming from her mouth?? if yes then stop feeding the boiled rice & start buying Sweet Potatoes & peel cut up in pieces & boil them you can freeze Sweet Potato it freezes well, I freeze sweet potato pieces then if I need some I just take out of freezer leave out to thaw, also potato is also good to feed, I also buy the Gluten free pasta for Patch Aldis sells it cheap, Aldis also sells tin Tuna in Spring water cheap keep a few tins of Tuna in the Cupboard for when she becomes unwell & you dont have any chicken, I have my Sweet potato cooked in the freezer & a couple of cans of tuna just in case, scramble egg is also good to feed when unwell or as a light meal..

If you do see the vet on Tuesday ask can you try a 14 day course of “Metronidazole” (Flagyl) twice a day every 12 hours with a meal, when she was vomiting & became unwell she probably needed a course of the Metronidazole when Patch starts having any stomach bowel problems Patches vet tells me to start him on the Metronidazole for 21 days, he’s taking the Metronidazole again at the moment & seems to be getting better, I hope….
You could ask the vet can you have a few repeat script of the Metronidazole 21 tablets 200mg & you take the script to chemist, I got 2 packet of te Metronidazole today only cost me $7.21 for 21 X 200mg tablets… heaps cheaper then seeing the vet & buying from the vet just explain your at Uni Studying & the vet might understand what its like & see you’re a good dog owner & care for your girl heaps I’d say its the Pit Bull in her, some Pit Bulls, Staffy seem to suffer with stomach problems…..
Maybe if she seems OK by Monday then cancel the Tuesday vet visit unless you want to ask for the Metronidazole but if she isnt sick the vet may not prescribe any medications, it will all depend on the vet, cause there’s nothing they can really do except with do further test & the stomach is the hardest health problem to diagnose & the only good test that gives answers is the Endoscope/Biopsies as the camera looks down her throat into her stomach they take a tiny tissue sample & thats ur biopsies no pain they come home in the afternoon & eat a small cooked meal & back to normal the next day, it might be best to save your money & get another LID kibble & wait till she is unwell again, an Endoscope isnt as expensive as people think, it cost around $400-$500 best to shop around first then you pay extra for the Biopsies they cost arount $50 each Patch had 2 biopsies I think, my bill wasnt itemized this time, but I saw teeth cleaning & scaling cost me $200, I dont even get my teeth cleaned & Patch comes out with these pearly whites but he had Gingitivitas back left molar teeth vet wanted to stop any bacteria going down his throat…..
I have to get to bed very tired, Patch is waiting for me… dogs are so loyal arent they..

[Christian C]

Hi Susan, thanks for the reply. I’m sorry to hear about patch, and I hope all is well with both of you! My girl is a border collie pit/lab mix. She is my everything. and is around 50 lbs. to break it down a little more, it started around the time I switched her food for the first time, I switched her to originally Simply Norish, but after finishing about 1/3 of the bag and her not eating her food, I discovered there were bugs in her food! I was horrified. They were little flying bugs so I immediately had to switch her food. I switched her to crave and stuck with that for about 2 months, but that’s when the throwing up started happening more often, only in the morning or at night. It went from happening about once a month to happening about once a week and these past couple of weeks she has thrown up bile multiple times a week. Only yesterday was the first time anything serious happened but she wouldn’t eat all day which is a first, not even treats or rice and chicken when I first put it down but later that night she gobbled everything down that she could. Also while she was laying down she let out one random yelp of pain and I have no idea why. I’ve been feeling her stomach and it doesn’t seem to bother her, especially today. She loves eating the rice and chicken but she’s been avoiding drinking water. Idk why but it got to the point where I had to force her to drink by putting water in a baby syringe and let her drink it from there. But she went out and excersized like normal today, she has lots of energy so she was running for quite some time. she doesn’t eat grass when she’s outside or anything. I’ve noticed that her mouth sounds very loud lately. I can’t tell if it’s dry mouth or extra salivation but it’s loud, and she often smacks her lips. I’m gonna try cutting all treats out for s little while as well but that hasn’t helped yet. She seems to be doing well on the bland diet but it’s only been one day so I can’t tell

As for the endoscopy, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford one of those. I read online they were very expensive. It would be my dream to have one of those done just to know my baby is okay, but right now my options are very limited. I don’t know anyone who can loan me money and my family is pretty lower income so they wouldn’t be much help either.
I wish I had the resources or people to start a donation page but I don’t 🙁 I live in the city, so there are plenty of vets near me but I haven’t found a single one that does payment plans. It breaks my heart. Me and my mom applied for care credit but both got denied.
I scrapped every penny I have together and am going to take her to the vet again on Tuesday but it seems I’ll probably only have enough for blood work.
I certainly am going to switch her to natural balance Lid, not sure which formula yet but certainly the lowest fat and protein
formula. I’ve given her fresh pet before and she loves it, I will certainly add it to her diet now that I know how good it is. But cooking fresh food every day would be quite the challenge as I am in school and my mother baby sits most of the day.

I am praying to god it is something easily fixable that can be treated at home, if not I don’t know what to do. I’ll have to ask every vet around about payment plans. This is a very stressful
situation, I can’t find much help online for assistance with the bill and most of the places around here that I call are jerks and don’t offer help to anyone who asks. I’ve never worried about it this much in the past because she always acts so normal after but yesterday got me very scared, it seemed Pepto Bismol and Pepcid did make her situation worse and I won’t be trying them again.

What were your exact recommendations again? I’d like to have a full plan to discuss with my vet when I go. What medications? I am already feeding her 3-5 times a day depending on her activity level etc.
her breed is very enertic but some days I cannot afford to take her to the dog park where she can truly let off all her steam, she is an emotional support animal, so I take her a lot of places. Thank you Susan, you’re so kind

[Susan]

Hi Christain,
I would try “Natural Balance” LID Sweet Potato & Bison look at all the N/B ingredients, a lady told me the Sweet Potato & Venison has gone up in price so maybe pick the Sweet Potato & Bison or Potato & Duck instead read ingredient list & see which will be best…
the fat is low 10%min in the N/B & teh protein is law as well…
Why I dont recommend the fish formula’s no more as its higher in omega fatty acids this is excellent for dogs BUT Patch deosn’t do well with his acid reflux when he eats any fish kibbles….
Do you live at home with mum, it would be good if she cooed & froze the meals?? what breed is your girl?
It’s best feeding 3-4 smaller meals a day & cooked meals would be better then dry kibble, lean low fat cooked meals, also look for the “FreshPet” loaf in the fridge section look for one with the lowest fat% & try the Freshpet loaf or another brand that has good ingredients & the fat isnt real high best to stay under 6% fat, when you convert 5% fat to dry matter fat (Kibble) for wet tin food, the dog loaves, raw dog food, 5%min fat is around 20%min to 26%max in fat…So best to feed lower fat for Acid reflux kibble is higher in carbs so this can make teh acid bad as well but once you do find a kibble that agrees you’ll be OK but what I found I need to rotato foods with Patch breakfast he gets kibble lunch he wetsa cooked meal the dinner 5pm 1/3 cup kibble then another small meal 8pm sometimes a cooked meal what I ate for dinner as long as it has no onion & isnt a hot curry/spicey meal or he gets 1/3 cup kibble, it all depends if he seems unwell then he gets the cooked meal I freeze small meals,
Do you have more then 2 vets in your area? what about if you drive to the next suburb I’d ring around all the vets in your areas who are within 40 mins drive & id’ask do they have the Endoscope machine ? if they say yes ask whats the vets name that does the Endoscope + Biopsies ?? write his name down he should know alot about the stomach small bowel etc…
Patch just had another Endoscope + Biopsies, he had Endoscope + Biopsies done 4-5 yrs ago vet just found teh Helicobacter was bad he was treated with Triple therepy meds & later put on Losec (Ranitidine) 5yrs later this time I thought he’s has stomach cancer as he went down hill so quickly, he had very sore throat, Simon (vet) is Patches second vet he specializes in the IBD & other health problems, when Simon looked down Patches esophagus he saw his wipe pipe was very red & inflammed the acid had come up his throat, our brain sends a msg to close the esophageal spincter (Flap) to the wind pipe but Patches brain isnt doing this & the acid was soo bad & coming up his throat then going back down into his wind pipe, I still havent picked up his biopsies results, after when the bisopies result came back Patch also had mild Helicobacter, Im wondering does your our have the Helicobactor cause you say she has gotten worse this is what happened with Patch just after Xmas, all dogs have the Helicobacter Simon said but its healthy, but Patches helicobacter has taken over & is living him his stomach walls, this is way he’s always hungry, first sign of helicobacter they have a big appetite, acid reflux, eating grass, vomiting acid up this is when their throat gets burnt from te acid best to give liquid Mylanta 4 mls in a syringe I dont know if you have Mylanta its á white liquid & coats the esophagus, their aci is often bad first thing of a morning, best to let them eat some grass not too much about 1min then vet said stop PAtch they will vomit from eating just 2-3 picses of grass Simon said a dog can make himself spew they dont even need grass to speI didnt know that I wish Patch would spew the acid up its better out then in, we do not use Pepcid (Famotidine) in Australia no more, its an old drug the chemist lady said, you can get the liquid “Pepto-Bismol” its pink this helps kill the Helicobacter my vet said but it seems to make Patch symptoms worse & I havent given him the Pepto-Bismol again since I bought it 1-2 yrs ago, I keep it in the fridge same with the liquid Mylanta so when it goes down their throat it cold & soothing, the vet put Patch on the Triple Therapy meds again 1 week ago, Metronidazole-200mg, Amoxcillian- 400mg & Prolosec-20mg, taken every 12 hours with a meal for 3 weeks, the Losec is only given in the morning once a day but cause your dog is so young you do not want her on prilosec yet full time like Patch is on & after 1 yr it doesnt seem to be helping him no more, he’s just turned 9yrs old so its OK giving him a PPI but being young únder 4yrs old there’s other ant acid meds, Losec is a Protein Pump Inhibitor (PPI) once you start taking a PPI for more then 3 weeks you can not just stop taken it very bad side effects, while taking the PPI the brain stops you making stomach acid or not making as much then if you just stop taking the PPI Losec your brain releases the stomach acid & from what the vet said its too much stomach acid until it gets back to normal again so you need to slowly stop the PPI-Losec.. I tried all the ant acid meds then Patch stayed on Zantac (Ranitidine) 1/3 of a 150mg tablet 30mins before food for a while then the Zantac didnt seem to work no more, so vet wrote Patch out a script for 20mg Omeprazole-Losec heaps cheaper from a chemist then a vets, I started giving Patch the Losec for 3 days when he was bad then i’d stop Simon said yes thats what he does takes the Losec for 2-4 days then he stops then I found while Patch was on the Losec he was HEAPS better, no eating grass as soon as he woke up, no vomiting, no whinging all the time, he was sleeping thru the night not getting up 5am wanting grass..so I put him on the Losec full time around May 2016, now I want to try another PPI Somac (Pantoprazole) 20mg what I take for my GORDs.. cause why has Patch gotten so bad where now, his acid has inflammed his wind pipe? the losec isnt helping him no more he needs to try another PPI, Ive changed his food to a lower fat 9%min & Im cooking for lunch & second dinner 8pm meal & kibble for his other meals..5 meals a day…
You’re lucky you can get the Natural Balance heaps of dogs with IBS, IBD, Pancreatitis, are all doing really well on the Natural Balance formula & some of the dog owners cook meals as aswell so their dog isnt just eating a dry processed kibble..
Another thing make sure you read what the Kcals per cup are & stay UNDER 370 Kcals per cup best to stay under 350Kcls per cup, the higher teh Kcals per cup the harder teh stomach has to work digesting the kibble…

I would change your girl food, do live at home with mum? cause cooked meals would be heaps better then dry processed kibble, or have a look at those “Pet Fresh” loaf in pet fridge section at pet shops or supmarkets, look for a loaf that has the lowest amount of fat % around 3-5%-fat & start feeding her 4 smaller meals a day breakfast lunch & 2 dinners I do 5pm-kibble & 8pm-kibble or cooked meal, if your not home get one of these kibble machines that will give her 1/3 to 1/2 a cup for lunch & dnner….. Do you belong to any face book groups “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” Canine IBD group? I wonder if you ask does anyone have a kibble machine they dont use any more & if you could set a up a donation account once you find a good vet then you give the new vets account details & people can start donating money so your girl can get an Endoscope & Biopsies done, no point in doing an Ultra Scan it cannot see the stomach properly or do teh biopsies there’s another test the dog drinks a solution Barium meal test but you need bipsies done once you get biopsies your vet will get some answers, even if she has ulcers teh endoscope will see teh ulcer of if she has scarring form old old ulcers, this is if only after changing her diet & you have tried Zantac (Ranutdine) twice a day before feeding main meals even thought your feeding 4 smaller meals 2 of the meals are just a bit bigger thats why I asked what breed is your girl??? is she small or a bigger dog, theres so much’info I probably have forgotten, so keep CockerlierMom & me posted please…
Have you tried the “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach, its Potato & Egg kibble Potato & Egg is really good to cook as well, I always make Patch a scramble egg when he’s unwell dont add any butter or milk you just scramble the egg & use a non stick frying pan or do in the micro wave but if you cook too long in micro wave you can get rubber scramble egg.. also boil soom potatoes leave in air tight container & add to some chicken I often buy the reduced BBQ chicken I eat the fatty part of teh chiken & give to the cat & I give Patch the breast section & freeze any left overs for next time, also tin tuna in spring water with boiled potato is also another good easy tomake meal for your girl instead of feeding her the kibble also look for wet can foods but tehfat has to be #% & under best to email teh pet food company & ask what is the fat% when converted to dry matter the max fat % you’ll be shoked sometimes you see 55-fat after you contact the pet food comany they tell you its 26% fat so be careful with wet can foods,
With Probiotics they seem to make PAtches acid reflux worse I do not know why?? neither does teh vet also stay with loer fiber lower carb kibbles as teh higher fiber 7 higher carbs make teh acid worse, I just hoping it’s just teh brand of kibble your feing & thats the problem an ingredient or the kibble has fish/salmon oil that is causing the aid reflux with your girl cause after eating a cook meal she is better so maybe she s better off eating a balanced cooked meals but dont wory yet about balancing het dietyet she is OK for 2 month with out her diet being balanced just work out this problem first & how can you raise money to get Endoscope & biopsies if it all continues.. finger X it doesnt… she is young hopefully she’s just eating the wrong food..

[j w]

Thanks for the replies, too bad I will avoid the EVO then. What about trying him on this dog food?

/dog-food-reviews/natures-variety-instinct-dog-food-dry/

It seems like a healthy option and pretty low on carbs.

[anonymous]

You have not provided much information on your dog. Age? Prior history?

Vomiting is not normal, especially if it is not acute.
You imply in your post that it has been going on for a while.
So I would consider it chronic.

Have you tried a dome bowl designed to slow down the eating, in case the dog is eating too fast?
Are you feeding small meals 3 or 4 times a day instead of 2 large ones?
Don’t free feed, leave food out all day. I would add a little water to dry kibble.
These are things I would try.
I would return to the clinic and ask for a diagnosis. If that involves doing some tests such as lab work or x-rays, so be it.

It could be nothing, but it could be something that will respond to treatment.

No one can diagnose your pet over the internet nor should they try. Please do not give over the counter meds and supplements unless advised to do so by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.
What worked for someone else’s dog might cause harm to yours.

[j w]

My dog had urinary crystals, vet put him on Royal Canin Urinary S/O. Like many other people, I am worried about this not being nutritious enough despite resolving the crystal issue. Now that six months have passed with the crystals being gone, my vet said it is okay for him to go on a different diet and be rechecked in a month for possible reappearing crystals.

There seems to be a decent chance my dog originally developed these crystals from not drinking enough water. The 12 months prior to forming the crystals, he was hardly drinking any water. Now, I pour water in with his kibble, and he happily sips it all up before eating.

I desperately do not want to the crystals to return. But, a raw diet does not seem affordable, and would only be a last resort. I would like to try mostly kibble mixed with canned food and water. From what I am reading when choosing a kibble, it should be a high protein – low-carb – grain free / potato free kibble.

I am leaning towards trying this brand, EVO, which seems to be very low carb yet high quality / high rated food. /dog-food-reviews/evo-dog-food-dry/

Would anyone recommend against this?

[Susan]

Hi LC,
Do you rotate between kibbles, raw, wet can food, cooked etc in the same day?? I feed one brand kibble for breakfast then for lunch & dinner he gets something else never eats the same thing that day, I ask Patch which 1 (kibble) & I put 1 brand kibble in one hand in between my fingers then I’d get another brand kibble that has a different meat protein & put that kibble inbetween my fingers & I ask Patch, “sniff” let him sniff both kibbles, then I ask Patch which one do you want to eat & he’d takes the kibble he wants to eat for that meal, (Patch suffers with IBD & stomach pain & I normally ask him “which one do you want to eat that doesnt give you sore stomach & make you sick” this is how this all started with him picking a kibble) also I cook & make small meals & freeze them & I buy wet tin food, do you know dogs aren’t ment to eat the same dry proccess food (Kibble) every single day 24/7, the pet food companies brain washed us back in the 90’s in believing a dog has to eat their food 24/7 or they will get stomach upsets sobest to stay with the same food their food, I admit some dogs do get sloppy poo/diarrhea when quickly changing foods but once your dog has a healthy gut this shouldn’t happen. Rotating foods is very healthy for a dog if one brand kibble isnt balanced properly then your dog isnt eating this kibble or wet can food 24/7 cause you’re rotating with something else…
I have a question, is your dog a grass eater?? especially when he wont eat?

Start buying wet can healthy dog foods, tin sardines in spring water, tin salmon, tuna in spring water, boil some potato or sweet potato drain the tin tuna or salmon & mix more tuna then boiled potato & see does he like this meal make it small about 1/2 a cup, with the tin sardines add 1-2 sardines to one of his kibble meal mash 1-2 sardine pieces thru his kibble, sardines/salmon are VERY healthy & have everything he needs especially when he’s not eating, put the rest of the sardines in an air tight container & put in the fridge, next day ask him does he want a sardine see does he lick it or turn away, this way he’s getting his omega fatty acids for his skin, coat, brain etc have you tried freeze/air dried foods like “Ziwi Peak Air Dried & their raw wet can foods? email Ziwi Peak & ask them can they please send you some samples of all their air dried formulas & explain to Ziwi Peak whats happening, my cat inhales Ziwi peak the air dried & the wet tin foods https://www.ziwipetscom/
When you have cooked a meal that is not hot spicey have onions etc give him some of the left overs, this is what dogs ate back in the 50’s, 60’s,70’s,80’s & they lived longer & were healthier back then, now our dogs are dying from cancer & other diseases, what happen? Dry Kibble that what happened, toxins in the dry dog food…
I cook more if Im cooking potato or sweet potato & if Im cooking steak I cook Patch some aswell but I bake Patches in the oven in a small casserole dish, I thinly slice potato, carrot & sweet potato & thinly slice the beef rump steak, I put the steak on the bottom of dish, then add thinley sliced carrots & sweet potato then the potatoes, I chop some fresh parsley & add about 1 teaspoon parsley mix in with the boiled water & pure water onto everything in dish just till it overs the potatoes on the top & bake in oven till ready, as its cooking the house smells of food & tell your boy, look what Im cooking for you, my Patch waits then sleeps, comes checks the oven like a kid, is it ready yet mum, I say no it has another hour Patch go back to sleep.. I involve him with the whole process from when I bring home the meat veggies as soon as I bring in the shopping bags he looks thru my shopping bags, I show him what is his, this all started when I rescued him he couldnt eat anything except vet diet food cause of his IBD, I felt so bad for him so I’d bring him home toy, squeaky ball etc & he’d look thru the bag for his toy I bought him, now he looks for food & whats his, when I start to cooking I show him look what your getting for dinner…then any left overs I section & put in those clip lock plastic sandwich bags & freeze dont bring that meal out again till the end of the week put in fridge to thaw for the next day & show him do you want this or get some dry kibble or do you want his & Patch licks what he wants…
Honest Kitchen has base formula’s you just add your own cooked meat….
Start making him excited with foods different healthy whole foods, do you have another pet, a cat etc that comes in the same time to be feed? maybe the competition with a rescue cat eating at the same time might make him want to eat…
Dogs normally love their food, thats why I’ve asked is he a grass eat?? first thing of the morning after eating he eats grass?

[Blkdoodle]

Will look at it again. It’s the kind of vegetables that are sometimes added that she shouldn’t have that’s the kicker. She has had ToTW before, but will look at it again. Whole Dog Journal has TOTW on their list of acceptable dry foods. Thanks for your response.

[2doodlemom]

I have a 14 month old almost 32 lb doodle that’s a very picky eater or just refuses to eat. Have check out everything at Vet and no issues. I have tried many different dry kibbles, some raw and cooked food, but everything he eats for a day or two and quits. I would like advice if anyone else has a similar dog and what helped? He weight does fluctuates a bit when he doesn’t eat, he should be about 35-40 lbs. But vet says over all health is good. Are their any supplements that would help his appetite? I have done a lot of research but have not come up with anything solid. Thanks for any help in advance, much appreciated.

[Blkdoodle]

After finding a Venison dry dog food (Sport Elite series Venison) that my Callie can eat, I started ordering directly from the manufacture. This week it was time for my second “Automatic reorder”. I then get an email that they have STOPPED making this blend. They would send me their last bag free and a bag of their beef blend. I declined, went to their web sight to see if there was another blend maybe with lamb without potatoes, legumes, etc. They have discontinued their two beef blends. Now I am back to square one researching and trying to find a decent kibble. Grrrrrr!!!

[Blkdoodle]

After finding a Venison dry dog food that my Callie can eat, I started ordering directly from the manufacture. This week it was time for my second “Automatic reorder”. I then get an email that they have STOPPED making this blend. They would send me their last bag free and a bag of their beef blend. I declined, went to their web sight to see if there was another blend maybe with lamb without potatoes, legumes, etc. They have discontinued their two beef blends. Now I am back to square one researching and trying to find a decent kibble. Grrrrrr!!!

[Christi G]

I just wanted to share with you my experience with using supplements and coconut oil in my sister’s dog – Maya. 3 years ago she was diagnosed with PLE after this last round of steroids (last one taken on 12/2) my sister decided to let maya die peacefully. She took her off of all her chemo drugs (for PLE) on 12/10 and we knew the end would come soon… but I had a different plan. So, I used what I know about about supplements and did a ton of research!

For a month and a 1/2 now, I’ve been feeding her coconut oil, CLA, A ginger enzyme and half of a one of my probiotics – now I use the GNC product (see below). I also started feeding her homemade food and giving her a good breakfast and dinner and 2 small meals in between. Her diet is made up of white rice (I melt the coconut oil in the white rice and add a spoon full of cream of chicken soup to disguise the taste and I add the ginger enzyme – good for disgestion and cardiovascular health, a probiotic and cla (helps breakdown fat and build protein) to her breakfast), either sweet peas & carrots or green beans, and I mix up her proteins with boiled chicken, canned salmon (MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BONELESS!!) or tuna fish in water. I give her about a half a breast of chicken. Also, she gets GNC’s Superfood complex with joint support. Dogs love the taste and it is packed with good stuff – probiotics, joint supplement, tons of vitamins and supplements!

My sister was checked into the hospital on the 16th and I will admit I got lazy with Maya’s meals because of work and going back and forth to the hospital. After 4 days without her supplements and oil, I sat down on Sunday a week ago and it was like she dropped 2 lbs in less than a week. So, I went back to my routine with the oil and supplemnts. In just a 3 days she was looking beef again and as of yesterday she had gained almost 2 lbs since her last weigh in back in December. The vet said “well, I guess we have her on the right meds” and I was like “she’s off her meds… since mid-December.” The vet was shocked! I didn’t tell her my secret as my sister thinks cocconut oil is too fatty for her… well, it’s doing wonders. Maya has an ear infection and a check up in 10 days… I can’t wait to see her weigh-in in 10 days!!

All I can say is that she is off all drugs and the supplements and oil are working great….Don’t look for overnight results. Give it a week or 2 to really start working.

I hope this helps with your babies!

Maya – weigh in after off drugs in December 55
Maya – weigh in yesterday (no drugs for over a month) 57.9 lbs
Protein levels have increased, she is happy and energetic and her skin and coat have improved b/c the drugs aren’t drying her out. She is eating and drinking normally. she used to slurp down half the bowl when on her meds.

[Susan]

Hi amber,
Has the vet put her on a 2-3week course of Metronidazole yet? the Metronidazole will help with the bad breath, her stomach & her bowel, also is she on an ant acid reducer like Pepcid or Prolosec? especially while having the Dex injections & the steriods pills, steriods will upset her stomach & the vet should put her on a ant acid medication…
I’d change her food to “Natural Balance” Limited Ingredient Potato & Bison, Potato & Duck or the Potato & Fish LID formula’s, these formula’s have teh least ingredients, have you tried the Natural Balance LID formula’s?
Ask your vet can you put her on Metronidazole for 2-3 weeks & an ant acid like Losec, my 9yr old IBD boy is on 3 week course of the Metronidazole a low dose, I give my 18kg (40lb) staffy 200mg Metronidazole every 12 hours with a meal also are you feeding 4 smaller meals a day instead of the 2 large meals, have you tried a cooked meals instead of the dry kibble?
As we get older our stomach doesn’t work like it use to, she may not be digesting her food properly causing the bad breath have you tried any Gastro vet diets? look at Royal Canin Intestinal Gastro Low fat wet canned food for a wet canned food…. I feed some meals cooked & the other meals a low fat kibble & my boy is heap better when he eats the cooked meal.. Try & keep her calm with her stress & when dogs shake can mean she has pain, maybe see a different vet, sounds like she has Coltis (IBD)… what breed is she?

[Katherine L]

Hi, I have an update. My dog was diagnosed with IBD, Irritable Bowl disease, which is more serious and more permanent that IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The vet said he thinks that the change in food merely triggered this but is not the direct cause. Whatever that means! We had to use Hills Science Diet percri[ption i/d for a long time. They are about $2.75 per can!!!!!!!!!! We then switched to me boiling chicken and venison and rice. I had knee surgery and could not cook for her anymore so after doing a lot of research (on this Dog Food Advisor website) I settled on Abound which is at Kroger. I wanted something int he $150 per can price range. In that range, there were Abound and also Rachel Ray. Right now we are using RR dry and Abound wet. Mina is no longer having diarrhea, which is wonderful and has regained her weight and is doing great!

[Sheri K]

In November we lost one of my babies (at the age of 16.5 years old) to liver and brain cancer… he stopped eating and ended up letting them cancer just take over. Not quite 4 weeks later his liter mate (lab/chow mix) who had just started showing signs of kidney disease had 7 seizures. He had stopped eating his treats and wouldn’t chew so I stopped into the vets office and asked him to take a look. At the end of November Kody had a quarter sized lump protruding at the base of his tongue. It has been diagnosed as melanoma. My vet said there wasn’t anything he could do so I started researching ways to help Kody. I ran across cannibis and other holistic medications that could help him with his end of life journey. I have since brought him into hospice care with a holistic vet where he is taking cannibis as well as several other all natural medications. He has been doing good and only had one bad time which was when he bit his tongue chewing dry dog food and it got infected. We have taken him off the dry food and switched him to Blue Homestyle recipe and I mash up the chunks and mix beef gravy over the top so he will eat it.

Yesterday he got up and ate his breakfast without issue, which is a 1/2 can of dog food. When I got home I gave him his second feeding and he kept smelling it and walked away refusing to eat. He wouldn’t eat his 2nd helping later that night either. We know the melanoma has moved into his lungs and he did cough a lot last night. When I gave him his cannibis, another oral pain reliever and an immune system booster this morning he didn’t fight me. I again made his food (a different kind) and put it down for him and he refused to eat again. The medicine that helps control the growth rate of his tumor is in his food so him not eating is very bad. So now it has been 24 hours since his last meal. I know he is at the end of his journey. The tumor is now stage IV and is over an inch wide and almost that tall on the right side of his tongue. He has plenty of airway and honestly he is a little devil. He isn’t suffering because the natural medicines seem to relieve the pain he would be in without any side effects. I refuse to keep him here if he is uncomfortable and his hospice doctor and I agreed when it was time I would help him transition but I know it’s not time.

I do not want him to starve himself to death. Do you have any suggestions on foods I should feed him to entice him? He is still interested in food because he kept smelling and staring at me while I ate… I tried feeding him by hand and he wouldn’t take it. I just need something to spark an interest in him again…. even if I have to go buy a steak.

Any suggestions?

[Meghan K]

Hi. My Golden is currently on medicine for his allergies. I know the best is to go grain free as far as food but I need help deciding what is the best brand to try. He also is very overweight and needs to probably be on a rather healthier type of dry food preferably. I doubt I can find a 2 for 1 (helping allergies and weight) but any recommendations for a good brand on either issue would be so appreciated! Thank you in advance!

[crazy4cats]

Have you ever ordered from PetFlow? I have a few times with good results.

https://www.petflow.com/product/fromm/fromm-four-star-nutritionals-chicken-la-veg-formula-dry-dog-food

I prefer Chewy, but I’m guessing that is the online distributor that is no longer selling it that you are referring to. But, PetFlow would be my second choice. It’s tough finding foods with out any type of legumes these days. Good luck!

[Ryan K]

I recently started my dog on a prescription diet (Hills ZD) for itching/chewing from allergies. He actually loves the food BUT I am noticing that he’s pooping an almost insane amount and the poop is pretty “soft and mushy” looking. He’s been on this food for a month and I am still noticing this. His anal glands have also been bothering him a lot since starting this. He’s constantly scooting despite getting them expressed. I feel like the food just isn’t really impressing me enough to want to keep paying such a pricey amount for it. My question is this…is there a better dry food that I could get him on that will help his glands release naturally while firming his stool up and that will also alleviate his itching? I had him on California Naturals Kangaroo but it’s really become quite hard to find and it didn’t seem to help that much with his symptoms. Any thoughts?

• This topic was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Ryan K.

[Marilu R]

Are there ever considerations in the future to do analysis on vegan dog food brands amongst each other? The market for that type of dog food is getting bigger so it would be nice as a consumer to see reviews and options. My dog is allergic to meat proteins so I give him V-dog which is an excellent vegan dog food but I am always open to hearing what other brands of dry vegan dog food are on the market and how they compare to each other.

[Susan]

Hi Marie,
Some dry food agree with some dogs while the same foods can make other dogs poo double the amount, get bad wind pain & have bad farts, when you say your dog is on the “Natural Balance is that the NB limited ingredient Chicken formula? the Earthborn Primitive formula is probably too high in Fat, Protein & Kcals per cup for your boy & he can’t handle it, compare & have a look at Natural Balance Fat, Protein% & how high the Kcals per cup are that he was doing well on, then look at the Earthborn Holistic Primitive & it is way higher….
Earthborn Holistic make another cheaper brand called “Pro Pac Ultimates” look at Pro Pac Grain Free range which I’ve tried & Patch did nice firm poos & he was pooing the same amount when he ate the Pro Pac Meadow Prime Lamb formula, the fat & protein % is lower then Earthborn grain free kibbles…..
If you want a quaility diet for your dog then start adding some cooked ingredients, wet can, freeze dried or raw to his diet, I feed my boy what I eat, I make extra & freeze in sections or I buy lean 5 star beef or lean pork mince, I add 1 whisked egg, some chopped up fresh parsley about 1 teaspoon, I grow my own parsley, I add some chopped broccoili, I peel & grate 1 carrot, I don’t add 1 carrot no more cause my dog has food sensitivities & carrot makes his ears itch & he shakes his head 20mins after eating carrot but its excellent to add finally grated carrot it spreads the mince & makes it go further, add a few chopped kale leaves & mix thru the 2 pound (1kg) of lean mince & I make into 1/2 cup size rissole balls & I bake in the oven on a foiled linned baking tray then 1/2 way when the rissoles are cooking take them out drain any fat & water & turn then all over the rissole balls dont take long to bake about 20-30mins depends how big the rissole balls are, I also boil some sweet potato & then I cool & I freeze the sweet potato pieces & the rissole balls in sections cause the sweet potato will stick together, when I need the rissoles & sweet potato pieces I take out the day before & put in the fridge..
Start following “Rodney Habib” on his Rodney Habib facebook page or his “Planet Paws” f/b page he often puts up healthy simple recipes or foods to add with your kibble, also follow “Judy Morgan on her f/b page look at her video’s she has simple easy resipes to cook I change the recipes a bit, her recipes are easy & ends up working out cheaper if you cook big meals & freeze about 1 months worth, look for meats etc when they get reduced also Chicken is very cheap so you could buy chicken pieces cook then add veggies in a crock pot & it does all the cooking for you, you just remove all the chicken bones & put in containers cool & freeze.. also tin Sardines & Salmon in Spring water or Oil is very healthy, just add 2 spoons to one of his meals per day, Sardines & Salmon have lots of Vitamins minerals & Omega fatty acid
No matter what kibble you buy they’re all over processed dry kibble, Google “Toxins In Pet Foods” I cant write the companies name on DFA but they completed a study in March & August 2017 tested 1,084 pet food products from 80 brands. Products were screened for over 130 toxins including heavy metals, BPA, pesticides and other contaminants with links to cancer and other health conditions in both humans and animals. Orijen & Earthborn had some formula’s that did very poorly in the study, have a look at “Canidae” & their other brand called “Under the Sun” Canidae grow all their own vegetables & fruit, Canidae source ingredients form local farmers & their kibbles are made in smaller batches, so they’re fresher, Canidae did very well when tested for toxins last year.. https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products…
My boy has IBD & he does really well on Canidae’s All Life Stages formula’s & Canidae’s Pure Wild Boar, Pure Land Bison formula’s the Kcals are a bit high they’re over 400 kcals per cup so I rotate & feed another kibble on the same day he eats 5 small meals a day, so he’ll get the other brand kibble for breakfast then he gets cooked or wet canned meal for lunch then I give him the Canidae for dinner he’s eating the Canidae all Life Stages Platinum at the moment cause the fat is low at 10.50% max & he’s been eating the Nutro Essentials Lamb & Rice weight management cause the fat is low at 9-11% max fat, I add as much fresh healthy foods to his diet as possilbe & try to feed less dry proccessed kibble…. after you look at the Toxins in pet foods you’ll see the better brands & probably think what?? but these brands are buying better quaility ingredients, you’re right just cause it”s expensive doesn’t mean it’s good these better pet food companies fall under the rader cause they have heaps of customers & they start buying cheaper ingredients that arent as good, they take a risk all so they can make more money…
Find a few different brands of kibble that your dog does really well on & then start rotate between the different brands, this way if 1 brand has something wrong with it your dog isn’t eating this brand 24/7 cause your rotating brands & he’s having another 2 different brands of kibble in his diet & start adding fresh ingredients & use the kibble as a base.. also when you see a brand of kibble you know he does well on if its on special then you change kibble when the kibble isnilly finished & rotate with another different brand, I buy the smaller bags of kibble….

[pitlove]

I worked at an independently owned pet store for 2 and a half years and at least at my store, we would always get comments about how much lower our prices were than Petco and Petsmart. Also they will usually price match for you, unless its a sale item or online price. Independent stores can not usually compete with online pricing, but they try their best.

I’m not sure about Authority or Simply Nourish, but I know with Purina I can call them and they will tell me exactly how much fiber is in the formula I’m asking about. The Pro Plan formula I use reports 3% MAX fiber, but when I called and asked how much the actual true value was it was much lower (dry matter fiber was 1.6%). It is possible that she may need a little more fiber in her diet yes. However, if you chose to go with a food that reports the MAX fiber high like 6% I would not also add pumpkin as it could cause too loose of stool.

Also I would highly encourage you to contact Purina Pro Plan directly. Their customer service is beyond wonderful and I think they will help put your mind at ease.

[Kimberly S]

Hi all,
I have a 4 yr old German Shepherd, and she’s allergic to Chicken,. She needs to loose 10 pounds. As anyone who has GSD’s knows it’s so important to maintain a healthy weight. I don’t care the cost of the food. I just need a high quality, grain-free, diet food, WITH OUT chicken and that seems to be an impossible find. I would prefer to stay with a dry, but don’t mind mixing. I don’t want her on a strictly wet diet due to my own preference.
Please, please I really need help here. She really isn’t a picky eater but starving her isn’t the answer either. And before anyone asks, I’ve had a full blood work up done on her because I thought the weight gain might have been due to an underlying issue and it is not.
I thank you in advance for any advice you can provide.

[Kimberly S]

I have a German Shepherd that I been struggling to get her weight down. She desperately needs to loose 10 pounds. I need a grain-free non chicken food. My Angel has an allergy to chicken and something else I am not sure since she was a pup. She has a very sensitive stomach so I need a grain free food. As you know keeping her slim is very important due to her hips. So, any advice on a great diet food that’s grain free that does NOT have chicken in it and is dry would be great.
Thank you
Kim

[Susan]

Hi Julia,
you’re going around in circles & not getting no where, I did the same….
now you have added more infomation this has made things more clearer, go back to your vet, a vet you liked & will listen to you & knows a bit about IBD, ask your vet can you start a 21 day course of the “Metronidazole” (Flagyl) twice a day given every 12 hours with a meal, sounds like your pup has Bacteria overgrowth of the small bowel (S.I.B.O) the Metronidazole will kill the bacteria in his small bowel.. also ask vet can you try either the Hills I/d Digestive Care vet diet kibble or try the Royal Canine Hypoallergenic HP formula or the R/C Gastro Intestinal Low Fat dry kibble this is for bacteria overgrowth & it’s LOW in FIBER not the R/C formula that’s high in fiber, in American you have a few R/C Intestinal formula’s, in Australia we only have the R/C Gastro Intestinal Low Fat wet & dry formula & this is really good for stopping the bacteria overgrowth, I’ve just bought Patch a can of the R/C Gastro Intestinal Low Fat Wet tin food, ingredients are not great but if it helps thats all that matters but cause you have a pup he might need more fat in his diet but your just feeding this vet diet for about 2 months then you’ll introduce something else…I really think your dog may have bacteria owergrowth & this is what happens they start to do well on a new kibble then go back down hill after 2-3 weeks Patch did the same, I really would only feed a kibble or wet tin food that has just 1 protein & 1 carb for a good 3 months when he’s doing well firm poos, you need to work out does he need a higher fiber diet or a lower fiber diet as well how I did this is I bought some pumkin peeled it boiled small pieces about 1 sppon in size, I frooze the cooked pumkin, it thaws very quickly when you take out of freezer, you add 1 sppon of teh pumkin to his meals & you’ll see the orange colour in his poos then start adding 2 spoon/pieces of the pumkin & does his poos firm up & go sloppy? Patch can only have about 1 big spoon of pumkin then his poos start to go very soft..
I would also start him on a “Dog” Probiotic, Purina Forti Floria is suppose to be very good when they tested a few dog probiotics out of 10 probiotic that they tested only 3 dog probiotics came back with active live bacteria in them & the Purina Forti Floria was number one…When you give a dog probiotic & the dog is taken antibiotics you give the Probiotic either 3 hours before or 3 hours after he has eaten & taken his antibiotic & its best to give a probiotic on an empty stomach, so first thing of a morning when stomach acid are low or I gave probiotic to Patch to drink, I did this around lunch time cause everything in his stomach would have been digested by then & it was 4 hours since he had his antibiotic & food…
When the probiotic is a powder I put the recommended dose in a bowl & add about 15ml water then I swirled the water & probiotic around to dissolve then I let Patch drink it, he loved it he thought he was getting something special, Im learning after 4-5 yrs if he loves something thats a medication/supplment then it must be helping his stomach & makes him feel better….. It can take 1 day for a dog to react up to 6 weeks for a dog to have a food sensitivities, so when you’re doing a food elimination trial it takes time that’s why the vet diets are good to use once your dog is doing really well after 2 months on the vet diet this is when you start adding 1 new ingredient add for 6weeks & see are his poos going soft stop adding the new ingredient if he had diarrhea but over the years I have retry ingredients I thought Patch was sensitive too & this time he wasnt sensitive to them…
Google S.I.B.O also has your boy been tested for Giardia?? I say your vet was giving you the wrong vet diets & she isnt giving you the vet diets that are higher in soluble fiber & lower in in-soluble fiber the Royal Canine Gastro Intestinal Low fat is low in fiber, its a low residue kibble…Talk to your vet about low fiber diets… google & look on the Hills & Royal Canine vet diet web page & see all the info or like I posted before email them & ask to speak with a vet nutrionist that knows about IBD & to ring you back on give you phone number..

[Adriana R]

How long can dry dog food (kibble) last after the expiration date?
I know it might be a little different from brand to brand and maybe even type but what’s the general “rule”

[Susan]

Hi,
Change food to another brand there’s heaps of Chicken & rice, Lamb & Rice brands that have similiar ingredients to what is is in the Pure Balance, then you’ll see is the Pure Balance the problem & higher in Sodium?? also have you tried a LID grain free kibble but different brand ??
Just slowly introduce new kibble over 10 days if poos go sloppy go back adding more old kibble….
Have a look at “Pro Pac Ultimates” made by Earthborn Holistics it has similair ingredients to the Pure Balance grain formula’s, have look at the “Pro Pac Ulitmates” grain free formula’s good for dogs with sensitive stomach/bowel with limited ingredients. Totally change from a grain formula to a LID grain free formula & see is there a difference , is he still drinking & weeing??
Chewy has the Pro Pac Ulitimates 28lb bag-Chicken Meal & Brown rice for $27.99 I’d try the “Pro Pac Ultimates Heartland” Chicken Meal & Potato grain free or their “Meadow Prime” Lamb & Potato grain free formula for $32.99-28lbs…
It will be cheaper then seeing the vet again & you’ll know it is or it’s not the Pure Balance dry kibble he’s eating….
You should always rotate between a few different “brands” so if something is wrong with 1 brand your dog isnt eating it 24/7 causing health problems…

[Steven K]

i have a 14 month GSD his name is TiTan i am feeding real chicken beef livers and his dry food is American Journey sweet potatoes your thoughts please god bless

[charisse]

Dr. Karen Becker mentions the best dry food to be “human grade dog food”.
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/11/08/best-to-worst-pet-food-types.aspx

Dr.Karen Becker has a great blog that I subscribe to.

…But human grade dog food may be going through some changes now see this article:

Concerning Change for Human Grade Pet Food

[Susan S]

Hi, I have a 2 1/2 year old Great Pyr/Golden Retriever/Beagle Mix (95 lb) and an 8 year old Black Lab/Great Dane mix (100 lb). They both have problems with chicken and some skin allergies so I trying to find a dry dog food for both of them. I am using Nutrish Just 6 Lamb and Rice, but they still seem to poop to much on that too. I am trying not to buy two different kinds of food, but I’m not sure what to do. Buy senior food for him and adult for her, but cannot have chicken or other poultry in it. Any suggestions. Thanks

[Thomas M]

Hi Mike; I am new to the site. I just bought a 10 week old Chesapeake Bay Retriever from an AKC accredited breeder. Looking at all these puppy food choices, and the absence of many big names, I am trying to come up with a reasonably priced quality dry food. The breeder owner is a nurse and former veterinary tech, she told me that she uses Costco’s Kirkland dry dog food. Now, she has two large adult females and they probably have healthy appetites, so I can understand there is a cost factor, but she has had Chesapeakes for over ten years and they have had no hip dysplasia or other problems.

So I am not nominating the Kirkland Dry, but wonder what you think. You did give a good rating to the Kirkland wet. Any thoughts? I looked at the Orijen, but on Amazon it is over $90 for a 25 pound supply of their puppy brand, that is just way out of my budget range?

Thanks for this website, I am learning a lot, but also surprised to see so many well known brands not on the site, even the high end brands.

[charisse]

Best dry dog food: “Human Grade Dog food”.

Best Human Grade Dog food according the munch zone:
Canidae…https://www.munch.zone/human-grade-dog-food/

So I nominate Canidae #1 and Honest Kitchen for #2 best Human Grade Dry dog food

….and what is Human Grade Dog Food:

The Only true Pet FOOD, Human Grade