[Brad B]

Hi, new to the forum. I have a 3.5 year old bull mastiff x boxer mix. She’s around 80 lbs. I currently feed her taste of the wild but was looking to maybe switch to something like one of the Fromm’s. I’d like to keep the cost around $50 for a big bag (35-40+ lbs). Any recommendations? Our pitbull does well on the Fromm large breed, but he is only around 50 lbs.

Also, hoping we may get lucky and this could mitigate the mastiff from eating my other dogs poo sometimes…

[Bob S]

I have cavachon puppy w dark eye stains, thick goop piles up that I have to pull off. Recently had “old” pork/beef and ground it up, adding 2 TBS to dry dog food and noticed 95% improvement (can’t hardly see tear lines on face anymore). So suspect “meat” seems to be beneficial. Only 4 days so far, but surprised at improvement. (Dog food is mix of Royal Canine & Rachel Ray)

[Sheila A]

My Bedlington Terrier has just been diagnosed with a decrease in liver function. she will be having a liver biopsy next week.

However, as much as I read the internet I have not found a good solution on what to feed her. For example how much protein and how much fat or a ration????

Until recently I had been feeding her Orjen dry kibble and Wellness Shredded chicken pouches.

And to add to that she is an extremely picky eater.

Any suggestions and/or recommendations would be appreciated.

Sheila

[andrea g]

Has anyone heard of Ketona dry dog food or have any experience with it? It is supposedly a high protein, low-carb, dry dog food. As much reading as I have been doing lately about kibble, I’m curious about this.

[Samantha S]

We were feeding Acana Lamb and Okanagan Apple. Originally, it was an excellent quality food, but over time I saw a significant decline in condition and temperament. Specifically, my dogs were fence fighting constantly, my girls either stopped cycle or were unable to get pregnant, loss of muscle tone and dull dry coats. Finally, I looked at the food label: Acana added a load of phytoestrogens: whole green peas, red lentils, pinto beans, chickpeas, green lentils, whole yellow peas, lentil fiber, and more.

I switched food some one phytoestrogen-free, and we are back to our beautiful, sweet, large litter size kennel that we once were.

[Lewis F]

Heidi,
My dog (not a worker) has been on Orijen or Acana dry foods. Both are rated high and have many different types from which you can choose

Lew

[Heidi H]

Hello All,
I have a Siberian Husky that is semi-working and, therefore, needs a higher caloric intake. Of course, he is a finicky eater, and to make matters worse he has a chicken allergy/sensitivity along with a sensitivity to most grains. I’m currently feeding him Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon. I just have a problem with Diamond’s recall history, and the pup (well he’s 6 years old now) is seeming to get tired of it and not eating as much as he should.

I’m looking for a dry food that is high-calorie, grain-free, and chicken-free. 4.5-5 star rated is preferred. Cost isn’t a factor, but I would prefer it to be easily accessible either in-store or online in the US. If it’s not, make a solid case on why I should buy it. My dogs are my babies and probably eat better than me most times.

Thank you for your time,

Heidi

[Sandra C]

Hi
I have been using Pinto Canyon Grain-Free Recipe With Sweet Potato & Salmon for Dogs for over a year now and am pretty happy with it.
I mix it with some Acana and Sojos, Honest kitchen and other stuff.

Is someone thinking about reviewing this dog food?
Regards
Sandy

[Bonnie M]

My 12 year old beagle basset hound mix is also a very picky eater and when I found this food Honestly Bare she gobbled it up just like you all have commented. As I was reading I noticed this product was made by Purina. My dog eats the Honestly Bare, Slow-cooked Tenders, the Chicken Apple & Sweet Potato formula, but it has “Beef Glycerine” & the “natural hickory smoke flavor” powder which are not good and is probably the reason why she gobbles it up.

I too have tried too many types and brands to even name including raw brands like Stella and Chewy’s, Darwin’s, etc, but she hated the raw and would refuse to eat for almost 2 days at a time. However, I was told to stay the course and when she gets hungry she will eat. I also had her on Acana and Orijen dry Foods but of course she only liked the ones that were too high in either fat or protein for her that gave her diarrhea. So I too have spent a fortune trying different types of dog food. I also tried Ziwi Peak and she liked it but it is too expensive for my budget.

I also put a request in to have this food reviewed. I just became a member about 2 hours ago and I am so excited to gain wisdom and insight about the dog foods on the market and hopefully find a food sooner than later that will be healthy for my dog as she has struggled with pancreatitis in the past years ago although she hasn’t had a problem with that now but she does have thyroid issues and is on medication twice a day for that and has recurring yeast infections in one of her ears which drives me crazy I’m not sure what to do about this so hopefully finding a food will help with all of this. I also will give her cooked chicken or beef or turkey with some of her dry food of which I cut the portion of dry food when I add the cooked meat.

Any suggestions or tips or ideas or recommendations are greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thank You, Bonnie M.

[Alex]

Hi everyone,

I have a 1y/o chihuahua mix (either terrier or Italian greyhound) and I’m always on the hunt for the best quality food I can feed her. As I’m sure you all know, it’s hard to find a really great dog food that offers our fur babies the best nutrients. I’d like to see her live until she’s around 45 (haha), so if anyone has any suggestions on diet plans for small breeds that ensures the best health and provides them with all the essentials I’d love some advice! She’s not a huge eater, only around 9lbs, but she eats well for her size. Currently, I’ve been feeding her Canidae Grain Free Pure Bison, but I’m wondering if there is something that would be better for her breed/size.

Also, if I can post a picture to the forum I’d like some input on what anyone thinks her mix could be, as it’s still a mystery!

Thanks!

[Edward Z]

I have 4 Samoyeds a female (7 yrs) a male (5 yrs.) a male 3 yrs. and female (2 yrs) old. They are presently on Purina Sport 26/16. I would like to switch them over to a 5 star dry food with guarantee minimum protein of 26% and a company NOT OWNED BY A LARGE COMPANY like Purina. Any suggestions?

• This topic was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Edward Z.

[CockalierMom]

Merrick and Castor and Pollux are definitely high protein foods. If your mom is having good results with Dr. Harvey’s, you may want to try that first, rather than Honest Kitchen. (My girl does better without flaxseed so that is why I use Honest Kitchen rather than Dr. Harvey’s.) Ask your mom how much meat and oil she adds to the mix and start there. If I remember correctly, the recommended amount of meat to add is double the amount of base mix and that would be a high protein diet.

When I first started feeding base mixes, I got on BalanceIt.com and played around with the free recipes to see approximately how much protein their mid-range recipes called for my 20 lb dog, and it worked out to be around 4 oz. Honest Kitchen recommends equal amounts of dry mix and protein for normal activity level–equal amounts turned out to be about 4 oz of protein. Depending on the protein, calories will vary so I focus on calories a day my girl needs and not the weight of the protein.

One thing I should mention about Honest Kitchen complete mixes is they are ground very fine and if you mix with the recommended amount of water, it is a soupy mix. The base mixes are a chunkier mix and not soupy.

[anonymous]

https://www.pawdiet.com/reviews/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-canine-ultamino-dry-dog-food-dry-dog-food/ (Excerpt below)
This product is manufactured by Mars Petcare Inc..
According to our data, this Royal Canin recipe provides complete & balanced nutrition for the maintenance of adult dogs. In other words, this formula is AAFCO approved.
Unlike other AAFCO approved dog foods which rely in laboratory testing to substantiate nutritional adequacy, this recipe has undergone feeding trials. In the pet food industry, feeding trials are often considered to be the superior testing method.
Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Ultamino provides complete and balanced nutrition for the maintenance of adult dogs.
Ingredient Review
We’ll begin this review of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Ultamino with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.
The first ingredient is corn starch. Corn starch is derived from the endosperm of the corn kernel. Typically, corn starch is used as a binder in kibble.
The second ingredient is hydrolyzed poultry by-products aggregate. Hydrolyzed poultry by-products aggregate is basically highly processed “feather meal.” The source is subjected to a process called hydrolysis. In this process, the protein source is broken down to the amino acid level. This is done to increase the digestibility of the protein.
The third ingredient is coconut oil. Coconut oil is an excellent source of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) which are easier to digest and believed to promote skin and coat health.
The fourth ingredient is soybean oil. Soybean oil is an omega-6 fatty acid source. Unlike other oils (flax, canola, etc), soybean oil does not provide omega-3 fatty acids; However, the balancing omega-3 fatty acids are most likely supplied by another oil or fat source in the product.
The fifth ingredient is natural flavor. Unlike artificial flavoring, natural flavoring is produced using plants and/or animal parts.
Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Ultamino are not as important as the first five ingredients.
However, collectively they still have a significant impact on the overall quality of the product. Therefore, we’ll continue discussing the remaining ingredients in this Royal Canin recipe.
Next we have potassium phosphate. Potassium phosphate is a common additive used in processed foods to control acidity and moisture.
The next ingredient is powdered cellulose. Powdered cellulose is produced from minuscule pieces of wood pulp and plant fibers. Other than its fiber content, powdered cellulose lacks any nutritional contribution.
Then we have calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring mineral supplement. Although it’s often used as a dietary calcium supplement, it can also be used as a preservative or color retainer.
The remaining ingredients in this Royal Canin Veterinary Diet recipe are unlikely to affect the overall rating of the product.

[CockalierMom]

If you are feeding a canned food that says 7% to 8% in the GA on the can, you are actually feeding closer to 40% to 45% protein which is considered high protein. You need to remove the moisture from the equation and use a dry matter basis to determine actual protein. A low protein food would be 20% and less.

Dr. Harvey’s Veg to Bowl is a little over 2% protein on a dry matter batter basis. You need to add meat and oil to this mix. Yes, you would need to look up the grams or protein in the meat you are feeding plus convert the percentages of the Veg to Bowl to grams. Dogs need at least 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight. If you do not want to do the conversion, Dr. Harvey’s has a recommended amount of meat and oil to add to their mix, and it would be comparable to the 40 to 45 percent you are currently feeding.

Honest Kitchen has base mixes that you add your own meat, or the complete mixes with meat already included. The majority of the complete mixes are going to be less protein than you are currently feeding. They are mostly in the mid range of protein-mid to upper 20’s to low 30’s.

[GSDsForever]

Chris,

I’m just seeing this. But I thought I’d throw in a few more suggestions, as they’re not mentioned above.

My vet recommends green beans as a treat or added ingredient to food — including for weight loss, satiety filling up on low calories (raw or cooked). Many people here buy the giant organic frozen bag Costco sells — such a deal!

If you are able to afford it, Zeal from Honest Kitchen is a food I’d strongly explore using, try. VERY low fat, high protein. Excellent ingredients, quality sourcing & quality control, from a great company. Caveat: Yes, higher calories — but you would just feed less of it, and add in healthy veggies/fruit (low cal, low fat, non-sugary/starchy) for desired bulk/satiety.

“Fat Dogs” by Natural Balance is a dry food some good vet practices — ones that otherwise promote & sell higher end “health food” commercial brands of dog food — prescribe to clients with overweight dogs and get compliance and excellent results quickly. Extremely low calorie (250 cal/Cup), very low fat (7.5%), pretty good to decent ingredients. Well worth considering, trying — esp. for short term, quick weight loss.

Anything you feed, remember that you will have the best results from monitoring & tightly controlling overall calories in a day, feeding (w/vet advice, supervision) UNDER what is recommended for your dog’s weight, and increased regular EXERCISING your dog with you.

[haleycookie]

Las- unfortunetly vets usually don’t have much of a clue when it comes to nutrition. When it comes to cats they are obligate carnivores. They need to get the majority of their calories from meat. Not plants. So you have the right idea going grain free. Just be sure peas or potatoes aren’t too high. Dogs can be on a grain diet easier than a cat can. Cats need meat to live and anyone that tells you different is wrong. I’ve never really heard of this food but the dry seems to be ok and the pricing is ok as well. Just try and include wet food if possible as cats have a natural low thirst drive and kibble is very low in moisture.

[GSDsForever]

Cathy,

I agree with suggestions to feed a variety of food, ingredients across a lifetime. I also believe fresh foods, homemade feeding with high quality ingredients you can select/control can provide the best diet.

The idea behind these two things is the same as striving for optimal health in a human by eating a variety of healthful foods with various health benefits — nutrients, antioxidants and anti-cancer, immune system boosting foods, etc.

The truth is we really don’t know enough about all the things that produce more long lived, optimally healthy dogs. We don’t know nearly enough — and the research is far more limited in dogs & cats than for humans — about all the things that contribute to increased cancer risks or that prevent cancer, despite the very high percentage of dogs & cats that get cancer and that die from cancer. Personally, I incorporate what I know from human information on diet for cancer preventative, immune system boosting, anti-viral, etc. foods and environmental toxins and from past experience with a veterinary cancer specialist.

As Haley noted, dogs can and do commonly develop allergies to repeat insult/exposure of foods. There is veterinary research to support that.

With my food allergy dog, I currently cautiously add hypoallergenic health-promoting wholesome fresh fruits, veggies, quality oils to my dog’s commercial LID (novel protein) dry + canned diet. I needed to get her stabilized and healthy first.

But I eventually plan to move toward feeding, under veterinary specialist supervision & direction, a rotating mix of balanced homemade meals. If that kind of thing interests you, the vet nutrition specialist (board certified) I would recommend is Susan Wynn; she can consult with your vet long distance.

As far as how quickly to switch, that really depends on the individual dog and breed (some are touchier digestively than others), whether you are switching to a much richer (much higher protein and/or fat) food or one with very different or special ingredients that might cause upset, etc.

[haleycookie]

A healthy dog should be able to easily switch between brands in my opinion. Switching brands can help avoid recalls if you’re particular brand has one so you have different options. Also helps prevent allergies further on as feeding the same protein for prolonged periods of time can cause allergies to that particular protein. I rotational feed my cats (a bit different I know) and it’s mainly because my female cat won’t eat the same food twice usually. Especially canned food. So she gets a different kind of Can everyday. As far as kibble goes I switch around mainly whole earth farms, natures variety raw boost, and performatrin. I don’t really like whole earth farms dry for cats but she likes it. Those are the only three foods she’ll eat with any kind of passion. They never have diarrhea or any other issue. I don’t feed fish really and they all have super soft plush fur. I brush their teeth as well. Kibble doesn’t clean teeth just a little fwi if you didn’t know.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.

[GSDsForever]

“Vet says he’s too young for allergy.”

I have had multiple dogs with allergies, food and otherwise, been advised by specialists and excellent experienced general practice vets, as well as done my own judicious research and I have NEVER heard that from any source. I would question that.

While my current dog has had the most challenging to figure out and overcome allergies I have personally encountered, she is now doing exceptionally well. We (my vet & I) have used a multi-pronged approach for this dog that has both food and environmental allergies.

I agree w/anon — see a different vet, get a second opinion and get an accurate diagnosis based on good, solid veterinary knowledge and experience, a specialist as needed. Ask for a referral to the specialist if necessary. A good generalist vet should be happy to refer.

Pitlove also makes a good point. Fleas aren’t a big challenge where I live, but I do know that flea bite allergies (even from a single flea when you don’t see fleas, flea dirt) are a major cause of allergies/itching for many dogs.

This is the protocol for my dog, some or all of which may be helpful to your dog if you haven’t tried something (or the combined approach):

1)DIET
Novel Protein (10-12 weeks to see results) Limited Ingredient Diet — homemade or from a company with very strict allergen/cross-contamination AND NOT ONE DEMONSTRATED IN VET JOURNALS TO BE CROSS-CONTAMINATED ALREADY (Royal Canin, Natural Balance, Nature’s Variety/Instinct, et. al.)

— and ABSOLUTELY NO treats, supplements, “real”/”people” food, medicines (i.e. heartworm preventatives), or even chew/dental toys (i.e. Nylabone) that contain the established top food ingredient allergens for dogs (beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, wheat, soy, corn). I treat w/her actual food or low allergen potential real food (i.e. blueberries, green beans, watermelon)

***Because I feed kangaroo — having needed a more unusual, rare protein source — I feed Zignature Kangaroo LID (GF) dry & canned food.

I also supplement, per vet prescription, Omega 3 EPA & DHA at a high, therapeutic/condition treating dose daily for anti-inflammatory effects, plus skin, coat, brain benefits — and I use Grizzly’s Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil in pump bottle.

2)ENVIRONMENT:

a)Frequent thorough bathing w/very hypoallergenic and gentle shampoo & skin soothing, skin repairing/barrier protective, etc. ingredients

b)frequent washing of dog’s bedding, etc. in hypoallergenic laundry detergent

c)frequent vaccuuming (pollen, dust/particulates, etc.)

d)hypoallergenic wet wipes wipe down of whole dog, especially paws (or dunking/rinsing paws off), after all walks & trips outside (pollen, dust/particulates, etc.)

Finally — consider & don’t overlook your own personal care/cleaning products that may cause allergic responses in your dog.

3)Cytopoint (aka CADI) injections, every 4-8 weeks as needed, seasonally or otherwise

I researched, considered, and rejected two other rx allergy/itch meds, Apoquel and Atopica.

I also researched and considered trials of 4 (recommended #) OTC antihistamines (e.g. benadryl, zyrtec/cetirizine).

I tried the above all in that order, before adding the next step.

We also tried once, but didn’t receive good relief and diagnostic results from a steroid injection — to see if she had seasonal environmental only allergies vs. food/combination.

[kenneth b]

Hi!

Im working in a petshop and got a riddle to solve. A distributor is looking on a new brand of food which we don’t have in Norway yet. He didn’t say the name, but I could take a guess. Clues:
Single protein
Comes in cat and dog
Comes in wet and dry
Comes in veterinary series
High meat %. Along orijen/acana
Got some kind of coating around the nibbles.

Any guesses?
My thought was Merrick, but they dont got a vet series do they?

[organic n]

Hi all, I’ve been researching a lot about what to do with my dog with kidney problems. He had acute kidney failure 2 years ago, and has since been doing well but often has episodes where he is not hungry and throws up. Usually clears itself up within the day, however. He also gets pancreatic problems when exposed to things high in fat (learned that the hard way).

I don’t have his bloodwork levels with me (I was actually going to see if i could get a copy from his vet in the next few days for my own records) but I do remember his BUN being higher than normal but the vet never said anything about it in terms of lowering it, but I feel like my vet doesn’t really see it as a problem despite him having high values.

Anyway, he is a few months shy of being 16 years old, and he is a 6-7lbs dog. We stopped feeding him dry kibble for many many reasons (around a year ago), and now we make his food at home. I don’t do raw meat (I don’t feel like trying out the raw meat thing at his age and conditions is worth it), his meals consist of:

Lean ground turkey cooked with white rice, carrots, peas, and green beans. I use a vitamin supplement (Only Natural Pet® Senior Ultimate Daily Vitamin Powder). After reading however, I will make some changes to his food by swapping out the peas (heard they are high in phosphorous) for some other veggies. And maybe switching out the turkey for ground beef 10% fat. He does get treats too – and if he is willing fruit as well particularly apples.

Also, I would like to start my dog on some more supplements – particularly green food supplements (have heard kelp is high in sodium though and the ones i’ve looked at contain many types of kelp..hmm), switching out the vitamin powder to VetriScience Renal Essentials Kidney Health Support Dog, adding salmon oil, and adding pre/probiotics to my dog’s diet.

Is the salmon oil necessary if I use the VetriScience kidney support tabs?

Can someone who is knowledgeable with kidney disease in dogs advise on the supplements I would like to add to my dog’s diet? I know the best thing is to consult my vet, but perhaps someone on here who has gone something similar can advise.

[Susan]

Anon 101,
what Bailey S is seeing it’s NOT normal, when some dogs first go into a pound/shelter environment some dogs won’t eat for the first few days that’s why I buy the reduced BBQ chickens to take with me for the new comers, some dogs & cats get really depressed, when I bring home the odd pound dog to stay over the night & wait for their early morning pick up by dog movers to drive them interstate to their new homes, these rescue dogs eat & love their food especially if it’s a cooked meal, they are sooo happy to be out of a noisey cold pound, this dog is unwell or something has happened that involves food, miss treated etc or food makes him sick….

Bailey S,
has he been too the toilet & done a poo since you’ve had him? he should of poo out his shelter food, Bailey you said he has vomited, Im just wondering if there’s a blockage just make sure he going poo, I know its hard to poo when he’s not eating much but keep an eye on him normally when they go on walks they do their business.
He would have his pound/shelter notes, I’m wondering how did he do his time while in the pound & is he skinny, under weight & what was wrong with his lungs & has he been tested for heart worm?? he probably was an outside dog being a bigger dog…
He needs to see a vet again, either the vet that put him on the antibiotics, was that the shelter vet or rescue vet that put him on the antibiotics was it for Kennel Cough? once you find what is wrong with his lungs then ask vet can he change his antibiotics or if he’s been on the antibiotics 5 days or more can the antibiotics be stopped if the course is nilly finished he may not need the antibiotics no more especially if he had Kennel Cough & his cough has stopped then once the antibiotics are stopped you might see an improvement if he starts to get his appetite back again like a dog should have, from what you have written I’m wondering if he has an under lying health problem especially vomiting back up wet food or did you mix wet food with dry kibble? some dogs can’t have dry kibble & wet food both together & being X with GSD, GSD are prone to IBD EPI….Check his poos when he goes…

[Susan]

Hi Bailey,
thank-you for rescuing a shelter/pound dog, it could be a few reasons why he’s not eating, the antibiotics he’s taking are making him feel unwell, nausea, also having no food in his stomach then taking a tablet with a little treat isnt enough to absorb the tablet then makes him feel sick, only give antibiotic after youn know he has eaten at least 1/2 cup of food that’s if you can find something he likes to eat…
Is he happy, lively, excited etc or does he seem unwell?
I’d ring shelter or your better off going back to the shelter 7-9am in morning & ask the morning carers was he eating his dry kibble? he would have been feed a dry kibble coming from a shelter, the person feeding the dogs of a morning may remember him, if they say yes he was eating his kibble ask which brand was it & it’s the antibiotics making him unwell, how much longer does he have before antibiotics are finished? ask vet can the antibiotics be stopped & see if he starts to feel better, it will take about 1-2 days for him to feel good again…
He may be very depressed & is missing his old life/owner, he needs to gain trust with you & this takes time, he will come good it just takes some time & patience, best to get him in a routine, daily walks same time everyday, meals same time, get a plate or a chopping board not a “bowl” & put food on plate/chopping board in a certain place all the time that’s his special eating spot somewhere quiet & safe & walk away DO not look at him, NO eye contact just call him “Dinner” then walk away…

What I’ve found sometimes these rescue dogs have been feed a raw diet, not kibble/wet canned food, have you tried a raw meaty turkey leg take off the skin & sharp bone that runs along leg bone, run leg under hot water to take off chill off the meat & put in his special eating spot or outside on his chopping board & walk away & try watching him from afar but don’t let him know you’re watching him also egg have you tried whisking a egg, scramble lightly cook or add some boiled sweet potato & some cut up chicken pieces mixed thru… I buy the reduced cooked BBQ chickens from supermarket…

There’s a reason he’s not be eating, try & work it out why, the best place to start would go back to the shelter & ask staff more questions the people who does the feeding & hosing out cages of a morning, there’s always a few favourite dogs, he may have been one of the favorites & one of the carers took a liking to him & got to know him, how long was he at the shelter?

[Robin B]

I just spent 4 hours and $800 at an after hours emergency veterinary clinic with my rescue mutt. He was unable to pee, straining with leg up for ages, repeat. Then he started leaking in dribbles. This appeared to come on suddenly. Examination, urinalysis, X-ray, ultrasound: struvite crystals in urethra, stones in bladder. He had a catheter flush & sent home with prescription canned Hill’s S/D. It looks disgusting but he will eat it. We’ll see our vet at our regular clinic next week to check for progress on dissolution of crystals & stones.
He had been eating quality kibble ( no grain, limited ingredients etc.) enhanced with Wellness canned food (beef, turkey, chicken, lamb in rotation. Who doesn’t like a little variety?) Good news: we might be closer to guessing his breed combo (a little schnauzer in there, they tend toward this problem) and he started peeing the morning after his procedure & the prescription diet is temporary. Unlike me, he’s not a big drinker and he seems to have a bladder that will hold forever, likely one source of the problem.
So, I think I have deduced the cause: not enough water & infrequent elimination breaks both easily remedied although he only likes to pee on his walks.
My plan is to resume his regular diet when I get the “all clear” from the vet, add water to his kibble/canned meal combo. Introduce vitamin C & cranberry supplement. Offer homemade broth in addition to water to keep him hydrated. (I’m cheating and already making & giving the broth).
My question: do I wait until he is crystal clear before adding supplements & broth to his prescription food?
Your question: I’m new to the journey but hope I’m on the right track, commercial food with quality locally sourced ingredients, combo wet & dry (quality wet alone is too rich for my budget), water or bone broth added to food, lots of water available & broth if pup won’t drink water, frequent opportunity to pee (I think that was our downfall).
Good luck & advice is welcome.

[Susan]

Hi Iva,
So sorry about Ralf, but he wants to play & is full of life this is a GOOD thing very good but start feeding him his home cooked diet again he’ll get more nutrition from a cooked diet, then the Hills Z/d, my last dog was put on the Hills Z/d she had Mast Cell Tumors 2008 & I didnt know anything about pet foods, I feed cooked & raw diets never had to feed a vet diet before, I thought cause I’m paying $140 for a vet diet this must be really good food & will help my girl she hated the Z/d dry kibble & she would cry in pain at night, her vet said she was just spoilt, unbelievable some of these vets, they have no compassion, she wasnt fed a dry kibble before so of cause her stomach hurt after she ate 2 big cups of dry kibble, probably when teh kibble swelled up in her stomach, I always think of my Angie if I only knew what I know now & we had internet sites like we have now I wouldnt have Put Her To sleep she was cancer free in the end but I couldn’t handle her crying of a night & she just didnt want to be here no more, she lost that spark in her eyes, NOW I know different my next dog I rescued he has IBD & we’ve been to hell & back the first 2 yrs, listen to Ralf if he wants cooked feed cooked or raw whatever he can eat….
I wonder if you contacted “Ketopets they do special diets for sick dogs & dogs with cancer they’re on facebook as well here’s their site http://www.ketopetsanctuary.com/ send them an email see if they have a recipe for Ralf,
Why do you keep the fat low? I did the same with Patch then the last 6months I’ve done the opposite, after looking at the Ketopet diet it’s high in fat, high in protein & very low fiber, you only add healthy green veggies for fiber, I’ve increased the fat protein in his diet, can you increase the fat in his diet & feed healthy whole foods high in omega fatty acid fats like Sardines, Salmon, Almonds, Turkey, Mussels etc, it’s taken 3-4 years & finally these last 6months my boy has gained weight finally he’s nilly 19kgs instead of being very lean 16-17kg, his vet wont believe it when she see’s him, she hasn’t had to see him since May-June….
Do you feed 4 smaller meals a day? I feed 5 smaller meals a day I might stop 1 of his meals now he’s gained weight…..
Ralf will get there, I know you will get the help Ralf needs… You are both in my prays….

[shawn b]

Our 9 month old Rottweiler is finally transitioned off of the Pro Plan her previous owner had her on, and on to Eagle Pack Large Breed Puppy dry food. The only thing is she doesn’t love it. When I add a handful of Whole Earth Farms dry food she seems to love that. Does any one think The Whole Earth Farms Puppy is just as good as the Eagle Pack LBP? These are the 2 foods I am considering because they have pretty good ratings and they are what I can afford. Any advise would be greatly appreciated and thanks so much!

[Susan H]

I didn’t leave the green beans whole. I smashed them up with my fingers and mixed them in with the dry kibble after I had moistened it with some warm water.

I started my new puppy on Stella and Chewy raw frozen. She adores it, and it has not upset her stomach at all like the dry kibble and canned food. So I’m sticking with that.

I had also fed Merrick’s Lil Plates which is small kibble, I think it’s important to feed the correct size for small breeds. But since Purina has bought them out, I decided against it.

Good luck with the Annamet lean. I hope it works for your pup.

[Monica P]

Ginger- I couldn’t agree with you and Missy C. more! I have a 6 year old Newfy/Lab mix who has a sensitive tummy and is beyond picky. When I adopted her our current dog was 15 and we were cooking chicken, rice, and everything else to keep her weight up and healthy. Long story there. However, the new baby got accustomed to having some human food in with her dry kibble. Her stomach couldn’t handle the canned food the older dog was eating either. I have her now on Royal Canin for labs, which she eats. I have NEVER found that food that makes her excited about wanting to eat. Unless it is human foods, and she is picky about that even. At Pet Supplies Plus I found canned food- Whole Earth that she appears to like and will eat mixed with her dry. That lasted about 1.5 weeks. And the GAS! OMG! horrible. Yesterday I was in the store again to pick up some Science Diet to see if she might like that and I happened upon this little bag of Honestly Bare. I read the bag, grabbed it and said.. lets try it. She ate it right out of my hand like it was a treat! Actually LOVED it! My other dog too. NEVER has this happened! So, I also pushed my luck and tried the Science Diet kibble and she at that too. So, for dinner she had her Royal Canin and I topped it with the Honestly Bare and she gobbled it up! This morning, same thing but I added in the Science Diet. I think even though she is large dog, she prefers the smaller kibble science diet is offering. And she is 40 pounds overweight so I need her to be on something to help with that. So! I naturally came here for a review.. nothing listed. Hopefully they will review soon. It is made by a branch of Purina which she and my other dogs ate for years! My first dog lived to be 18 on Purina! Anyhow, I am crossing my fingers this is the fix. No more canned or TRYING to find a happy medium to get her to eat DOG FOOD! I look forward to any other reviews out there and hopefully Advisor will do one too.

[Jeffery L]

I will suggest that a dog keeper should keep a stock of dry foods for your dog. as it stays best for 14 days without any hesitation. Dry foods dogs love the most if given in wet season like Snow winter or either in Monsoon Rainy season.

[Susan]

Hi Lyndsay,
have a look at “K-9 Natural Freeze Dried, Green Lipped Mussels, they are healthy crunchy & easy to digest but no more then 2-3 mussels a day so not really great if you want to use as training treats, sometimes a small bag of a dry kibbles is best that’s potato free if you want to do training there’s “Canidae” All Life Stages Bakery snacks, they’re a crunchy biscuit that you can break in 1/2 if needed, I was buying Canidae Grain Free Bison & Butter Squash snacks but these biscuits have potatoes but Canidae’s All Life Stages biscuits are Potato free,
here’s the link, click on https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products then scroll down a little bit looking to your right & you’ll see “View All” click on page 11 & you’ll see the ALS Turkey Quinoa, Butternut Squash snack biscuits 32.9 Kcals per biscuit & the ALS Wild Boar & Kale Snacks, 25 Kcals per biscuit, you can see picture of the size of biscuit…

There’s some real easy to make dog biscuits online you can also eat them & they are healthy, that’s why I like the Green lipped Mussels they’re very healthy, if you go onto “Rodney Habib” face Book page or his “Planet Paws” f/b page look for his video’s & he has some really easy to make healthy treats you can make & then put in freezer, I’ve just found his Video’s they’re on Rodney’s Planet Paws f/b page. here’s the link, https://www.facebook.com/pg/PlanetPaws.ca/videos/?ref=page_internal
scroll down a bit look for second row they’re called “Brain Booster treats” next to them is “DIY Meat Berry Pupsicals” then there’s “Honey, Ginger & Chicken Treats” you can change a few ingredients around if your boy can’t eat those ingredients….
When you make your own treats yourself you know what’s in them also if you have kids/grandkids it’s a fun thing to do & you can also eat some of them as it’s all human grade ingredients.. there’s even a video “How to make your own pet tooth paste”..

[Susan]

Hi Ginger.
here’s the Honestly Bare link https://www.honestlybare.com/about-us/
I looked at the Honestly Bare, Slow cooked tenders formula’s, here’s the Chicken, Peas Carrots formula ingredients, {Chicken, dried peas, dried carrots, “beef glycerin”, salt, “natural hickory smoke flavor”, potassium chloride, preserved with mixed-tocopherols, choline chloride}, also the Chicken Apple & Sweet Potato formula also has the “Beef Glycerine” & the “natural hickory smoke flavor” powder, these are not good or natural ingredients…”hickory smoke flavor” is a powder type flavoring to make the food more appealing & the Glycerin is a binder & a sweetener…
Some dog treats also use the Glycerine, I avoid those treats, your dog probably likes & eats this cause of the salty hickory flavoring…
The Honestly Bare slow cooked tenders formula’s are not freeze dried, it’s made to appear like the natural freeze dried formula’s, the Honestly Bare “Wholesome Topper” formula’s are freezed dried, you’re better of adding the Honestly Bare Wholesome topper to his kibble, you add water & then add to his Acana kibble as a topper the Wholesome topper don’t have the Hictory smoked powder or glycerine & the ingredients look natural but it’s just a topper not a proper balance meal…
When you read the “Wholesome Topper” it does say freeze dried chicken & 100% natural when you read the “Slow Cooked” doesn’t say 100% Natural & says 75% chicken…

When I’m on the other side of DFA the “Comment” section a few people who have very Fussy dogs have been posting that their dogs are doing really well & love “Fresh Pet” pet foods there’s, Freshpet Select, Vital & Nature’s Fresh, here’s the Freshpet link
https://freshpet.com/our-foods/our-brands/
there’s their Fresh Baked grain free formula’s & their Loaf style rolls that you can cut in sections & freeze…
Another really good Air dried food is “Ziwi Peak” https://www.ziwipets.com/
send “Ziwi Peak” an email & ask for some samples, give your address etc so they can send you the samples, Ziwi Peak is air dried & propely balanced so can be feed as main meal, your dog will probably like their NZ Tripe & Lamb it’s for Picky eaters & the Mackeral & Lamb, Ziwi Peak also do their raw wet canned foods, I bet your dog will love Ziwi Peak then just roatae between the different meat proteins, my cat goes nuts when I feed her the Ziwi Peak wet & dry food, she inhales it & doesn’t chew, the wet canned food can be a bit expensive so best to buy when on special….

[Ron D]

We have a nine month old lab and we have been feeding her Wellness Complete Health Large Bread Puppy dry dog food for the past five months. In most cases her stools are extremely soft. Can anyone suggest something?

Thanks.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Ron D.

[anonymous]

Natural Balance Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Formula Low Calorie Dry Dog Food
250 calories per cup
High fiber, be forewarned, some dogs may develop loose stools, however if your dog can eat stuff off the ground and not get diarrhea, you probably don’t have to worry 🙂
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-fat-dogs-chicken/dp/46804
PS: I always add a little water to dry food.

[Chris C]

Thanks Susan! I actually ordered the TotW Sierra last night to give a try. I used to feed all of the dogs their fish based dry food but switched some time ago. I always liked it and never had issue with the brand which gets good reviews so I felt comfortable with it. I will give it a few months and see what her weight does. If it isn’t enough of a calorie deficit I will move to the 4Health line. The green beans are a good idea as filler so I will start sharing ours with her. Now that our nest is empty we usually have some veggies and fruit go bad before we eat all of it if buying at Costco or bulk bags anyway.

[Chris C]

I have a senior APBT with thyroid dysfunction so she is on meds. She is overweight by about 8 lbs for her frame at 68lbs. We have used “Premium Edge Healthy Weight I” that got a 5 star rating here. After a year of using it Diamond discontinued the line. She is outside most of the time which is good for exercise, but she also forages grass, fruits, saw palmetto berries. basically whatever she can find. Doing so she has maintained her overweight status despite changing to the diet formulation. We were feeding 2.5 cups per day which was probably not enough nutrients but she would put weight on with her foraging if we gave her more.

What is currently on the market that has quality ingredients? Personally, I do not mind a moderate level of fillers since I would rather her feeling full from food ingredients we moderate than whatever she scavenges on the property.

[Susan]

HI
PLEASE see a vet, when a dog is being picky with food this is a sign the dog may have digestive problems…. Yorki’s are prone to Pancreatitis & need a lower fat diet, feeding a higher protein, higher Kcals diet nornally has higher fat as well & may cause more problems.. I’d be seeing a vet to do blood test to see why your dog is losing weight……Have you tried cooking some chickem Breast & Sweet Potato & freeze small meals? “Dr Judy Morgan” has some really good easy recipes you can make & freeze…

Have a look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior, it has supplements for aging dogs, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Omega 3 & its low in fat-10.80%, Protein is 28% & the Kcals are 409, she will gain weight on this formula, if she doesnt have any health problems & she wont be getting the higher fat in her diet another really good dry food “Annamaet” Lean dogs do really well on but if she is fussy I’d be joining this group on face Book “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” then look in the “Files” click on 2nd link “Low Fat Food” scroll down a bit & look at all the wet tin foods & the fat has been converted to Dry Matter (DM) heaps of good low-normal fat wet foods…..

[Lisa R]

I have a Chi, 10 yrs old who was diagnosed with Cushings in May. On Vetoryl. Symptoms of excessive water drinking and peeing continued, as well as a large appetite. I read that dry food is the worst food for Cushings dogs so I switched to a raw food which was highly recommended. He wouldn’t eat it raw, so I cooked it. He loved it for months and I saw his symptoms subside – he can sleep through the night and not have to go out to pee – most nights. Unfortunately, now won’t touch the cooked raw. So I’m looking for the next best thing. I’m going to look at Dr Judy’s site – thanks Susan. And I’m excited to see there’s a Cushing’s FB group! I need help.

[Pat G]

I personally feed my four shelties Acana dog food which I consider to be one of the best foods. I dogsit a fair amount and two shelties I cared for recently were overweight with a small amount of dog food with dry coats and and very dry almost crumbly poop. They drank and had access to plenty of water. I didn’t know what they were getting until they left because the owners brought premeasured meals in ziplock bags. I am trying to get them to feed a better food and they are going to ask their vet first who is probably selling them that crappy Science Diet weight management food. Well I hope I can convince them to upgrade to a better food.

[Dan M]

Peter,
It started with him not wanting to eat although i knew he was hungry. He would go to his dish sniff a little back away and repeat that several times before he would actually eat. My vet said that it was the changes in the food supply, or something to that effect that was not agreeing with his stomach and digestive system. After he was on meds and the boiled chicken, sweet potato and pumpkin diet for a few weeks i started to reintroduce the acana food back to him very slowly. At that point i was not aware nor was my vet of the acana relocation deal. Once he was fully back on the dry food and nothing else, not even treats, cookies or anything that it started again. If he is only eating one thing in his diet and the problems come back its a very easy conclusion. Lets see, on acana from a pup till 5 years old no problems, they change and so does my dogs quality of life. Around the same time my vets own dogs started to experience issues. We put him back on the “special” diet for another few weeks along with the meds and slowly transitioned him to Merrick limited ingredients chicken diet which he absolutely loves and is having absolutely no issues with. I put it in his bowl and he cant wait to eat it, unlike acana. Two of my local retailers that sold acana have pulled all champion products from their shelves. I have not seen any hairs in the food like i have heard or and other foreign objects, so i can only say that it is my opinion that their quality control in this new plant is inferior to the past. If they say they are using local sources for their food there has to be some kind of dramatic difference for people to post so many complaints about their furry family members health problems, coincidence i doubt it. I have placed a call to Champion customer service weeks ago and have heard nothing yet and i believe i never will. Wish there was some sort of class action lawsuit against champion foods, trust me my name would be on it. Please feel free to keep me and the rest of us posted on if they contact you back or not.

[Susan]

Hi Cody,
start doing your own research so your puppy has a good start to her life, follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib & watch his new free 5 part video’s “The Truth About Pet Cancer” scroll down Rodney’s F/B page & find Episode 2 & 3 & WATCH these episoes PLEASE so your pup has the best start to her life, also feed 4 smaller meals a day “Canidae” has their All Life Stages, Large Breed Puppy Duck Meal formula, or Turkey Meal Brown rice Wet & Dry formula’s.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products scroll down a bit look to your right for
“View All” then click on Pages 5 & 9 for Large Breed Puppy Forumla’s & later when your pup is 6 months old start adding fresh healthy foods to her diet & rotate between different kibble brands so she isnt eating the same food 24/7, Pitbulls Staffys are prone to food sensitivities & skin allergies so get her use to a variety of foods & this strengthen her Immune System, just make sure if she is going to be fed a dry kibble her whole life you rotate kibbles but after watching Rodney Habib video’s Im pretty sure you’ll be looking for healthier food instead of feeding dry processed kibble, I only feed dry Kibble cause my boy didn’t have the best start in his life & now has IBD & cant eat a raw/cooked diet..

[Susan]

Hi
Atlas & Cockalier Mom as well,

I follow “Rodney Habib” https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib on his face book page, Dr Karen Becker & Rodney have been traveling all over the world speaking & interviewing Dr’s Vets, Scientists etc like Dr Steve Marsden, Dr Marty Goldstein, Dr Jean Dobbs, Dr Richard Patton, Dr John Robb, Dr Ian Billinghurst, Dr Gregory Ogilive, DR Karen Becker, Dr Erin Bannink, Dr Joseph Mercola, Dr Tim Spector & many more & Rodney & Ty Bollinger have put together a 5 part video’s free so we all can learn how to have a healthy dog the way nature intended them to be, click on Rodneys link above then scroll down his page & look for “The Truth About Pet Cancer” Episode 2, “Hidden Hazards & Causes” get a cuppa sit back & watch, then watch Episode 3 Raw Diet vs Kibble, Episode 4 “Heal & Repair” has just been put on Rodneys F/B page.
“Steve Brown” is also good to follow when it comes to healthy feeding & what to add to your dogs diet, when Steve Brown was asked, if he had to add just 1 ingredient what would he add to balance the diet & he said “Mussels” they’re cheap & very healthy, Mussels have Manganese, Iodine, Fats, Vitamin D, EPA, DHA, Glucosamine, Chondrotoitin get some Freezed Dried Green Lipped Mussels I buy “K-9 Natural” New Zealand Brand, Patch gets 2 Mussels a day around 11am, yes he does do a few smelly farts after he eats te Mussels but so far pooo’s have stayed the same firm & I know Mussels are very healthy for his skin, coat & his joints, he’s nilly 9yrs old in Novemeber, Steve also said to add 1 spoon of Salmon & a pinch of kelp to their diets….
Dr John Robb & Jean Dobbs are really good Dr’s watch their interviews about Vaccinations in “The Truth About Cancer” Episode 2, we all want answers why are our pets dying so young from cancer & other diseases, back 20-30 yrs ago this wasn’t happening cause we weren’t putting all these flea tick poisons on or in their bodies or feeding dry processed kibble, we feed table scaps what we ate, we didn’t over vaccinate, I only remember my mum going to the old drunk vet up the road when the cats needed desexing or putting down, she’s carried them in small round leather bag & bring them back & burry them in the back yard.
When watching these video’s get a writing pad to jot things down quickly, in Episode 3 when Ty Bollinger who is also doing these Episode with Rodney Ty talks about what he uses for Flea products, after watching this section of the video you will think twice before using any poison flea products, Ty said he gets “Orange Oil”, “Lemon Oil” & “Grapefruit Oil” he gets a little 99c spray bottle adds a few squirts of all 3 oils then add some water shakes & spray Atlas for Fleas & Ticks instead of giving him any poison flea products, Mike Adams said he uses “Cedar Oil” for fleas & Ticks especially if your dogs swims, the Cedar Oil doesn’t wash off, Dr Eward Group uses “Diatomaseous Earth” for worms & heartworm adds once a week to 1 of the meals “do NOT give him any of these new Flea Chews or tablets” they change the dogs blood, so think about it a tick has just bitten your dog & the Tick dies straight away, this poison is in their blood running & pumping thru their body going thru our dogs organs now that wouldn’t be healthy for the dogs. Bravecto should be taken off the shelves its the worst flean product & cause its new we dont have any real research yet about long term side effects, the Poisons in Bravecto stays in a dogs body heaps longer then the 3 months it states on Bravecto, vets have taken blood tests from very sick dog after they had been given Barvecto Chew & became very ill & 9mths later these sick dogs still had the poisons that are in Bravecto still in their system…
There’s not much research when it comes to our dogs & cats especially food & diet, most of the research is done by the big companies like Hills but in Australia our vets & some of our pet food companies tell us pet owners if you feed kibble also add raw meaty bones to the dogs or cats diet at least once or twice a week, we have one brand kibble called “Stay Loyal” made by brothers & they tells their customers to fast your dog 1 day a week Sunday & feed raw meathy bones instead of a kibble meal thru the week, this is what all pet food companies should be doing being honest with pet owners but it wont happen in America…
I hope you both enjoy watching Rodney & Ty Bollingers video’s there’s a lot to sink in so maybe watch the video’s a few times, the sad part is we have sick pets & cant do alot of the things like feed the Raw Diet but we still can add healthy foods to their diets, in 1 yr time when Atlas is an Adult & gut has healed, Atlas might be able to chew on a nice raw meaty bone & have no problems at all later on, he’s lucky he has you helping heal & fix his intestinal problem now in the beginning while he’s still a pup, so chances are his intestinal tract will slowly heal & then just avoid the foods he’s sensitive too, where Patches old owners we think he had a few owners cause of his name “Patch” he didnt know or answer to Patch when I get him thru rescue & he was micro chipped at 3months old all details DOB were on his M/C paper work, patches first owner must of given him up to someone else cause he would of answered to Patch, his owners mustnt of bothered when he had diarrhea or did real sloppy poo’s & just kept feeding him them same diet that was causing all his intestinal problems ..When I move I’m re introducing Patch onto raw again, I’m trying 1 last time, he’s getting a Crocodile meaty bone for his 9th birthday, he always pulls me to the fridge section & looks at the raw Crocodile & Kangaroo meaty bones….
We can stop using the flea tick products, I don’t use any flea/tick, allwormers or no Heartworm products, Patch always became real ill after I’d use any flea/tick products & his vet said NO to all the new flea/tick chews & tablets, the Fleas dont seem to jump on him, he doesnt seem to get any fleas only 1 Summer the fleas at the Park were bad we had had heaps of rain & a few fleas would jump up on his legs but he’d tell me straight away, he’d stop walking & look to where the flea was on his body & I’d squeeze inbetween nails & kill them, I dont use allwormers or Heart wormers either I dont live in a bad Heartworm area ask your vet he’ll know if your living in a high heartworm area, the only flea product Patches vet said to use & doesn’t go thru to the dogs blood is “Frontline Plus” Spot On & Frontline Spray, the rest all go into the dogs blood, that’s another thing try & find a GOOD vet, there’s some bodgee vets around & some really good vets like Rodney’s video’s they do heaps more studying after they have become vets & learn heap more about diet, nutrition, poisons, vaccines etc did you know a vet isnt taught how to prevent your dog from getting sick or cancer the vet is just taught how to treat the dying dog who already has cancer or is already sick, that’s sad I think…..
I’ve seen a lot of different vets over the years thru rescue, you have vets that love giving the dogs drugs & dont bother working out why this is happening with teh dog etc but lately the vets I’m seeing thru the pounds that are younger & learning now have an different approach then the more older cranky vets, so I hoping thats going to be a good thing for the future of our pets….

[shawn b]

I do think I will try that, and yes her stools are o.k. on the pro plan ,but I really want something better. I will go to the 1/4 cup Eagle Pack, 2 1/4 cups Pro Plan and see how that goes. I found a good priced dry food from Merrick, whole earth farms puppy. I will stay with this though for now, maybe I was just rushing the transition.Thanks so much.

[Sean H]

So I have two chihuahuas about a year old now who are extremely picky eaters. I have tried everything. All different foods from wet to dry, toppers, etc.. Sometimes a new food will work for 2 days and then they lose interest. Another problem is if they go about 12hrs without eating they’ll throw up. But we also don’t want to develop bad habits. So any help or tips would be much appreciated.

[jella]

FOR AN ADULT LAB,
Please give suggestions for all dog foods as we need dry mostly but use the canned formula to give allergy medications. Allergic to: BARLEY, RICE, CORN, WHITE POTATO, DUCK, FLAX, or commonly listed as (FLAXSEEDS) on the ingredient list, MILK, PORK. Please suggest all dog foods. He was eating “Wild Pursuit” chicken, and salmon types but Natural Balance has discontinued producing these types. He can’t eat their new Limited Ingredient Diet types either because they have put FLAXSEEDS in it.

[Mike M]

Anyone have an opinion on this food? Good reviews on Chewy. Need to get my Bouvier off of the blue wilderness….makes his poop too soft.

[shawn b]

We just adopted a 9 month old Rottweiler. The people who owned her had her on Pedigree, then they switched her to Pro Plan. Now I have her. I am on a very strict budget, yet want her to get a really good dry large breed Puppy food. Very hard combination to find! I bought her Eagle Pack Large Breed Puppy Dry food for now, while I am searching for something even better. It is $39.99 for 30 lbs. and that is what I can afford. Please help me, I really need every ones input and thank-you so much in advance!

[zcRiley]

Blue Buffalo supplier was charged with 8 criminal counts awhile ago. Use of chicken feathers and lead were reported,as well.

Anyway, if your dog itches for more than 3 days, always immediately stop whatever food you’re giving since steroids & Benadryl are very bad for any animal. Your dog is simply intolerant to (or becomes allergic to) an ingredient you’re giving him, whether it’s in the kibble or a treat or human food.

In the meantime, feed Zignature kibble until you do an allergy panel test on your dog. Then you’ll know which ingredients he can eat with no adverse effects. My boys are allergic to everything so they’ve thrived on Zignature.

[Amanda D]

It’s not reviewed, just wondering people thought on it.

Dog

[poodaddy]

Weston Pro Series #22 – for us this was the right balance of price for performance. We make 60 days of food for two dogs at one time, i.e., bones and all. Also important is the food processor for the non-meat portions of the menu.

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. The only reason we did not step up to the #32 was our volume did not call for it, otherwise if I were making raw food for friends or commercially, the decision would be for a more robust unit. As far as Weston, we love its sturdiness, and I really like its engineering/design. Anyone going 100% raw food preparation, which in our case includes the entire chicken or and bone-in red meat products (pork chops etc), a grinder that handles the bone, gristle, etc with ease is the key. Getting in the middle of a 10-hour production process the size we now do once every two months, and having a grinder break, is not a good thought. My wife cannot lift the Weston #22 from the pantry where we store it and onto the kitchen counter-top so be forewarned, good quality grinders (designed to handle bone, are heavy units).

[Ann S]

We adopted a rescue dog 4 months, he was on heartland chicken and rice and our vet wanted him moved to a better quality food. So we gradually moved over to Taste of the Wild pacific stream canine formula. He has been having issues the last 6 weeks with getting sick, itiching like crazy. He has a spot his back that won’t heal. Vets are at a loss for what is going on. He’s been on steroids, and antibiotics and still not healed and he won’t stop itching. We are giving benedryal and it provides some relief. I found some comments that others are experiencing similar issues with Tast of the wild. We fed this to our previous lab, but fed bison an venison formula and never had any of these issues.