[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, 1 month 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.

[Melody G]

I have a Siberian Husky. She is almost 2yrs old. She seems to have a sensitive stomach. Currently she is on a lamb dry food. She was on chicken but we switched to lamb to see if it helped her, and it has not. After doing some research, I want to try a Limited Ingredient food for sensitive stomachs, but am undecided if I should stick with lamb, or try fish? I see a lot of Salmon and sweet potato. Does it matter? Or have you seen better results in the digestion when feeding your dog a specific protein in their food?
I have been looking on Chewy dot com and have a few brands that interested me. Just not sure which one to pick? Merrick (which she ate when we first picked her up as a pup, just not a LID one, she got bored with it after a while), Natural Balance, Wellness, Chicken soup for the soul dog food, Canidae..SO MANY OPTIONS!

• This topic was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Melody G. Reason: added

[Susan]

Hi Poodaddy,
Welcome to DFA, I really enjoyed your story, the same thing happened with my cat Jeremy he was 10yrs old & his breath was awful, his teeth were full of tarter from eating wet tin food & dry kibble & a cooked food (what I ate) Jeremy loved his food & made daily visits to a few neigbours places, same time everyday for 14 yrs, he was a Main Coon, a beautiful big cat, he was the same height as my English Staffy Patch, his vet said we can clean his teeth & it will cost $460 & if any teeth need removing it will be an extra $50 per tooth, plus he will need a blood test before we can give him any anaesthetic cause he’s 10yrs old or you can start giving him chicken necks, vet said I’ve seen really good results giving cats chicken necks, so naturally I pick the safe & natural way to clean his teeth & I started giving him meaty chicken necks & chciken wings he loved them & the tarter started to come off his teeth & no more smelly breath, I just wish I fed him a raw diet earlier, poor Jeremy passed away age 14, then Patch became real sick again with his IBD vet didn’t know what was wrong, his diet hadn’t changed but he was having a bad IBD flare, STRESS he was really depressed since Jeremy had been PTS, so the best thing to do was adopt a new cat so off we went to the RSPCA, they knew we were coming & had a few cats waiting to met Patch, Patch picked this scrawny, skinny 5 month old street kitten with a bent tail, a bent ear & had had bad ear mites & was still being treated for really bad ear infection caused by the ear mites infestation, I said to Patch look there’s a beautiful looking ginger boy he’s friendly he’s a kitten he’s NOT SICK, but Patch really liked this little scrawny kitten & she really took to Patch, they both really liked each other straight away… As the days passed Patch got better & was like a young pup playing, running, giving his balls to this kitten, the kitten “Indy” washes him at night before bed & now she thinks she is a dog not a cat cause she has been brought up by a dog, Indy is feed a raw diet she eats everything & loves her freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels every day…..

….”Steve Brown” when asked if you had to pick just 1 food to add to your dog bowl of fresh food to make it better, what would it be, Steve said Mussels… they’re cheap, they have Iodine, Manganese, Omega 3, DHA, EPA, Vitamin-D, alot of raw foods are short of Iodine, fats & Vitamin-D so add 1-2 mussels a day, also add 1 tablespoon of Salmon & a pinch of Kelp…Follow “Rodney Habib” on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Rodney & Ty Bollinger interview medical professionals & cancer scientists to find the truth about PET CANCER & their new documentry “The Truth About Pet Cancer” is finally being released 17th October 2017….. Best thing you’ve done is put your dogs on a raw diet.. when I move into my house 1-2 months I’m re trying Patch on a raw diet again this time no enzymes or probiotics & I’ll see if it works out this time, I hate feeding him dry processed kibble & he see’s Indy getting raw meal, it breaks my heart…

[Susan]

Hi Dana,
what is he eating?? how high is the fiber % ?
Look for low fiber under 4%, lower carb under 38% diets, oils can make acid reflux/nausea worse just be careful, I’d try & cook one of his meals, use easy to digest meats like turkey & chicken, get some chicken breast cut up into small pieces, just bring to the boil do not over cook as the chicken pieces. they will be like hard leather pieces & boiled some sweet potatoes or plain white potatoes, mix 1/2 chicken & 1/2 potato & some boil pumkin about 1 spoon of pumkin, I freeze boiled pumkin pieces in the freezer in those ice cube trays & take out as I need some pumkin, the pumkin thaws very quickly, pumkin soothes the stomach, you watch he’ll be better after eating a lean low fat, low fiber cooked meal then when he eats the dry kibble….
Sometimes the dog ends up needing an acid reducer, i’d be trying an acid reducer like liquid “Mylanta” its a white powdery liquid that relieves nausea & acid reflux, I keep a small bottle in the fridge, when its cold it soothe the throat, esophagus & stomach, you give 1 teaspoon, 5mls when needed, when he’s gulping grass, my boy use to wait near the fridge for his Mylanta when he felt real sick, Mylanta was the only medication he let me give him so it must of done something to help also Slippery Elm made into a sloppy paste & kept in the fridge helps, go to health food store & get some slippery elm powder, you boil the jug & add boiled water to about under 1 teaspoon slippery elm powder & make a sloppy paste so you can pull up into a those big 20ml syringes or put on 1 teaspoon or open his mouth & put on his tongue….
I wouldnt be giving any oils, you need to work out what is causing the problem, why is he’s getting nausea??
the only test that will give vet some answers is to have an Endoscope & Biopies done the biopies will tell the vet whats going on, my boy had Helicobacter-Pylori this makes them feel real sick & have bad acid reflux, I’ve had Helicobacter its awful & takes a while to get rid off, but first try changing his diet, then you watch him after he eats, does he seem uncomfortable when he kibble is he better after he eats his cooked meals……..

Have you tried “4Health” Special Care Sensitive Stomach dry formula?? its Egg & Potato very easy to digest ingreients, is low in fiber-3%, low in fat-13% & carbs-40%, also has probiotics & prebiotics in it…. give it a go & see if there’s an improvement with his stomach… I’ve heard alot of really good results with the “4health” Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin formula’s..

[anne c]

Please help. I can’t take the breath with the salmon based food my dogs have been on, and the stool being soft. They have been on it for years, health Brittany’s, average exercise amounts. Spay female a little chubby (but that’s my husband’s doing:)
Thinking Acana Appalachian
I only use dry.
Suggestions please

[Susan]

Hi Panya,
I can’t stop laughting, Patch does the same his farts scare him when he’s sleeping & he farts he jumps up & runs off my bed lol when his farts are loud, he’s the same he doesn’t fart now he’s eating the right diet….
Go on Face Book & in the “Search” bar put “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” join then look on your left & click on “Files” then click on first link “Low Fat Foods” you’ll see all low fat dry & wet tin foods, scroll down look at the wet canned low fat foods, I would be feeding a low fat wet tin food instead of dry kibble or feed low fat wet tin for 1 meal & dry low fat kibble for other meal…. Wet canned or cooked diet is heaps better for dogs who have suffered with Pancreatitis as kibble is harder to digest & is higher in carbs, the fat% has been converted in all these wet tin formula’s, the fat % is to your right, the fat % in raw & wet canned food hasn’t been converted to dry matter (Kibble)….Hills convert their fat % in all their vet diets but the other vet diets brands are not converted, so stay around 1-3% fat in wet tin foods when looking to buy any…
If you still want to feed a dry kibble look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior, it’s low in Fat at 10.80% max, very easy to digest & has all the supplements for an aging dog…
always email the pet food companies & get the accurate max fat % & protein % in wet & dry food your thinking of feeding. I’ve already emailed Canidae & got the fat % in the Pure Meadow Senior, it’s a really good kibble it has No Prebiotic “Chicory Root” you will see a big improvement in your dogs skin coat & health while eating te Canidae Pure Meadow Senior formula there’s also Pure Resolve weight management but teh Senior has all te supplements to a senior dog & te fat % is the same..
Here’s Canidae’s site scroll down a bit & click on “VIEW ALL” on your left, click on page 3 has the Pure Meadow Senior & Page 5 has the Canidae All Life Stages Platinum Less Active kibble its low fat easying to digest & good for dogs with Pancreatitis. https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Dr. Jessica G]

Ive been feeding my dog Halo for his entire life, but also stumbled across this Whole Paws Dry Chicken food when shopping on Amazon Fresh. Id like to ensure its made with the same quality ingredients he is used to – because he sure does love this particular brand!

[Susan]

Hi Dina,
I live Australia & alot of foods that are NOT American made will not be on DFA review site…
DFA is an American pet food site….
Google “UK Pet Food Reviews” & the UK pet food site comes up, I just put in “Unipaws in the “UK Pet Food Review” site & nothing comes up, so a UK pet food company must just make the Unipaws specially for dogs in Indonesia & it’s not sold in the UK or its sold under a different name…
Can you get any Australian or American pets foods in Indonesia?
can you get American brands “Acana” “Merrick” “Canidae” or here’s a few Australian & New Zealand made brands “Meals For Mutts” “A La Carte” “Ivory Coat” ” Ziwi Peak” K-9 Natural” “Barf Dr B’s” that are sold overseas…

A good dry kibble will have 2-4 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th ingredients followed be a carb, the meat protein should be followed by a meal, cause when they write the ingredient list the ingredients are raw & after these ingredients are cooked they shrink & move up the ingredient list & are not 1st or 2nd no more…..

Here’s an example of a 5 star kibble…
“Canidae” Pure Sky” formula, Duck, Duck Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Chicken Fat, Potatoes, Suncured Alfalfa, natural falvours, minerals & vitamins,
Protein-32%, Fat-16%, Fiber-4%, Carbs-30%
What are the first 5 ingredients in the Unipaws formula your feeding?

[Virginia D]

I have an almost 2 yr. old lab who bloats and farts daily. Sometimes the farts stink bad, sometimes they don’t at all. I have tried different foods; sometimes they work for a day, then we’re back to square one. He is now eating California Naturals Limited Ingredient dry dog food, and his treats are SportMix Grain Free dog biscuits. He takes Beano before every meal, per my vet; my vet is not a nutritionist & has run out of basic ideas for us. Pal is a rather timid guy & sensitive emotionally, we feel; our household is busy & that’s got to be part of it, we think (adult children complain about his farts & slobberiness, which is understandable). Would a probiotic help? I’ve heard, ‘they work/they don’t work.’ Any ideas or suggestions are much appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi Rea,
How you work out the Carbohydrates in dry kibble?
you add the Protein% + the Fat% + the Fiber% + the Moisture% + the Ash%, a good honest kibble company will put the ash % on kibble bag or their pet food site but they normally don’t want you to know the ash %….
a good kibble should have low ash % around 5% & under for ash %, if the Ash isn’t written on the kibble bag or on the pet food site then just add 8% for the ash %, once you have added up protein, fat, fiber, moisture & ash % now take away the score from 100 & you’ll have your carb % or you can email the pet food company & ask them & they will give you the correct Carb %… I feed kibbles that are under 40% in Carbs…

[scottNY]

I love this forum and have used it to find good 5-star foods for my dog since I got him over four years ago. It’s a great resource.

My 84 lb. pit mix gets plenty of exercise, but as he approaches five, he needs to lose a pound or two, and I don’t know what foods to try. He usually gets 2.5 – 3 cups a day of Earthborn Holistic Primitive Grain-Free Natural Dry food. I have cut it back closer to 2 cups, but the fact that he always eats it all, which he often didn’t do before, makes me think he’s still hungry.

Any ideas for 5-star grain-free, dry food that might be lower-calorie so I can give him a little more, while he slowly loses weight? I don’t want him to be hungry, but I don’t want him to get fat.

As a side note, my baby is fighting lymphoma [a year and thank God his nodes have shrunk so we’re not treating, just doing regular follow-ups] and I want to make sure he continues to be healthy. I give him a VetriScience Multivitamin and probiotic, along with Sardine-Anchovy oil daily, if that helps.

Thanks, in advance!

[poodaddy]

Michael B,

For about 5 months now, I have been developing an integrated system using Excel as a complete nutrition model specifically targeted at total visibility of all elements/variables for raw dog food preparation. This initiative is not for commercial sale, is for my use to control every aspect of planning, designing, shopping, manufacturing, and feeding my dogs. The system has two items remaining to be complete before I am comfortable starting to share my knowledge, and the software development: (1) industry recognized source of canine MDR (wet) or MDR (dry with conversion methodology to wet) for all micro-nutrients and vitamins and (2) sources for concluding my research into supplements to finish the balancing.

So,… if you want to start a dialog on this, let me know.

[Michael R]

A little confused. You have rated Nutro Dry Dog Food Limited Ingredients 4-4.5 stars in your reviews but yet it is not on your recommended list in Editor’s Choice? If there’s something wrong with what I’m feeding my Golden I need to know. He is full of allergies with a sensitive stomach and it has worked well. I’m specifically talking about Salmon and Lentiles formula. My guy did great on Venison and Sweet Potato but the situation in New Zealand made it impossible to get so I’m struggling. He doesn’t seem to like the lamb, and is allergic to chicken, which makes me wonder why so many of your reviews are with chicken because it’s one of the leading allergens in dogs!

[Susan]

Hi Darlene,
He sounds like he has a lot of life left in him & has a exciting little life, going on daily walks, chasing squirrels, I’d say the Wellness Core Small Breed isn’t agreeing with him anymore it’s way to rich now for an older dog….Wellness Core Small breed is higher in fat & protein, probably causing bad wind pain like my boy gets when he eats a kibble that doesnt agree with him, he wakes up & is up & down thru the night & just walks around the common garden area then he comes back inside, I’d say he’s farting then feels better then my boy comes back inside goes to bed then he’s up again wanting to go out again, see how he goes after eating the Hills I/d wet tin food see if he settle down, cause he’s normal thru the day isn’t he??

I’d feed the Hills I/d low fat Restore wet canned food & also a Senior kibble like “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior if he still wants a few dry kibble bisuits to chew & crunch on, Canidae Pure Meadow Senior formula is GF very easy to chew & digest, only has 10.80%max fat & has all the supplements older dogs need for their joints, skin, brain, heart etc, I’d start feeding smaller meals thru the day/night, I feed 4-5 meals a day 7am, 9am, 12pm, 5pm, 8pm….easier to digest smaller meals then 2 bigger meals.
You could feed 1-2 meals a dry kibble like the “Canidae” Senior kibble & the rest of his meals he gets the I/D Restore wet tin food & see if he gets better thru the night. Ask vet about “Gabapentin” capsules, it helps them sleep at night, helps any joint or nerve pain & doesn’t cause any stomach/bowel problems, if your on facebook, put “Canine Pancreatitis Support” group in the “search” bar, join then on ur left is their “Files” click & then click on the first link “Low Fat Foods” then scroll down a bit till you get to all the wet tin foods, the fat has been converted to dry matter (DM) fat (Kibble) on your right, then he can have a few different flavours & see which one he really likes best..
Here’s Canidae’s site to look at the dry formula’s but the wet tin foods haven’t been converted & probably will be too high in fat for him, when you see say 5%min fat on a wet tin food after it’s converted to dry matter 5%min fat is around 20%min -25%max fat that’s way too high…
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Michele L]

Thanks Callie! What lamb dog food are you using? Is it dry?

[Michele L]

Thanks both for your feedback. I will try both ‘Solid Gold White Heart Quail’ and pulling food after 15 minutes.

Any other dry suggestions are welcome!!

[zcRiley]

Solid Gold Wild Heart Quail, Chickpeas & Pumpkin Recipe Grain-Free Adult Dry Dog Food

[Michele L]

Help! I just subscribed today to Editor’s Choice, because we are at our wits end selecting dry dog food for this sporty/sleek bird loving canine Lulu the ‘Llewellin English Setter’. Almost 3 yo, 39 lbs. She will try new brands for a little while which encourages us, then gets bored and turns away. I was hoping Editor’s Choice would narrow the selection but did not. I need something that feeds (well balanced) her furnace and that smells and tastes good. She will walk away at first smell if it does not appeal to her. Any ideas from the bird dog hunting community? She is a family dog (in the house and truck) but bird hunts w hubby. She would rather follow his every move than eat. Any pearls of wisdom or experience are appreciated!
Signed -Lulu’s Mom

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
I would feed the Natural Balance Fish & Potato for 4-6 months to let his Gi tract settle & heal or start him on the the brand that is cheaper, the Kirklands Natures Domain Turkey Sweet Potato formula this way you have some of the Natural Balance Fish & Potato formula to introduce with the kibble & just feed that kibble for 4-6months then once he seems stable rotate between a few different brands with a different protein source… & make sure they do not have Chickpeas & Lentils..

He’s probably growing it’s called “growth spurt” it happens between 8-12months old, google Growth Spurts in dogs….
You could give him a meaty raw bone, no cooked bones, this way he chewing & keeping busy & he’s eating something & you could feed him 3 smaller meals a day instead of just 2 larger kibble meals a day, that will keep him feeling fuller.
I follow “Rodney Habib” on his face Book page watch his videos, his vidoe’s are quick & to teh point & really good, he recommends blueberries, apple, healthy whole foods added as a topped to kibble fed dogs I give the toppers as a treat instead, if your dog likes cooked food instead then feed him cooked meals & try & feed less kibble he’ll be healthier….

The only problem I have with fish kibble they are higher in toxins & contamintes.
Have a look at Clean Label Project 2nd test study on kibbles, wet foods & treats, alot of the expensive brands some of their formula’s came back very high in Toxins & Acrylamides & BPA & BPS… Kirkland had a few formula’s, so did TOTW & I think Nature Balance had a few brands high in toxins, you’ll have to look thru & see which formula’s only got 1-2 stars
here’s the link below click on it, read thru then scroll back up & look to your left & click on “Dry Dog Foods” you’ll see all the 5 star foods then go to pages 11 thru to 16 is teh start to all the bad 1 star brands & the formula’s that tested very high in toxins. Just stay away from these formula’s if you can…..
The last 2 Summers I’ve been rotatating Patches kibbles to a fish kibble cause he has skin allergies in Spring & Summmer months & fish formula’s are higher in Omega 3, my vet & I couldn’t work out why poor Patch was doing really well thru the Winter months then after I started feeding him new fish formula’s that didnt have any ingredients he is sensitive too “Wellness” Complete Health, White Fish & Sweet Potato, he got sloppy poos & was unwell, so I put him back on his TOTW Roasted Lamb formula he was good again then I introduuced & tried “Earthborn Holistic” Ocean Fusion after 1-2 months later he became ill again, same with “Holistic Select” Salmon it took 3 months he became sick & wouldnt touch his food if ever your dog wont eat a kibble dont make him, take the food back, I keep all my recipts, then I tried the TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon formula which is the Kirkland Nutures Domain Salmon & Sweet Potato formula, he kept vomiting up the TOTW Salmon, then last April CLP released their first ever pet food testing & I was shocked there were 3 of the foods I feed Patch in the top 10 worse pet kibbles all these formula’s tested very high in toxins, now CLP has just relesed their 2nd test 1 week ago join & get their emails click on link below also on your left click on “Brand Report Cards”
Some people say CLP is this & that, all they want is money, yes they need donation to test pet & baby foods that’s how we get it for free.
My dog & other people dogs have been very sick after eating these 4 & 5 star brands that DFA gives & they have tested very high in toxins, when you go & look at these brands up in the DFA “Reviews” section, read all people’s post, my dog is sick, my dog died, my dog has diarrhea, I know some dogs may have health problems but there’s some foods like TOTW’s High Prairie formula where a heap of dogs became very sick all of a sudden after eating the TOTW High Prairie & Pacific Stream formula’s these formula’s both tested very high in toxins in CLP 2nd testing…
I’d rather be safe then sorry & when you have a dog with a sensitive stomach & bowel these’s are the dogs that become very sick first, Purina rated good with some of their formula’s but some of Purina’s formula’s didnt rate good at all, like Purina’s Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach formula it rated 3rd worse formula with the higest amount of Toxins.. there’s more information on different pet foods on Clean Label Project F/B page…
Im staying away from fish pet foods, I buy human tin salmon in spring water give that as a small meal with sweet potato for Patch
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food-study-2-0/

[CockalierMom]

Hi Atlas,
With your boy’s gut already irritated and inflamed from something in the Instinct, the rice irritated it more. Neither one of my girls can tolerate rice in kibble or when it is double cooked in water and time. As Susan mentioned before, once his gut gets healed he may or may not be able to tolerate rice. When it comes to food issues, it really is a matter of experimenting to see what they can tolerate.

My girls actually do good with the LID Natural Balance foods because of the low fiber, but I knew you did not want the expense so the Nature’s Domain looks like a good option. (If I had a Costco close to me, it is a food I would try). My girl with just the grain intolerance actually eats half Wellness Simple Turkey and half NB Duck and Potato–the fiber in Wellness is a little too high so I cut it with NB.

As far as the Sentinel, I used it all the time 10 years ago with my previous girls and then it was discontinued. When they brought it back 4 years ago, I decided to try it again instead of Heartguard, but after the first dose, their fur became very dull and dry (they are both black cockers). Our vet mentioned how bad their coats looked and wanted to know what I had changed and it turned out to be due to the Sentinel. I found this out when I took them off of it for the winter, and the shine returned to their coats. I did try giving another dose a few months later, and the same thing happened so it obviously did not agree with either one. I know there are a lot of people who use it without any problems at all. My best advise is if you want to try it just watch for reactions like you have done with the Revolution. After what I have been through with these girls with food problems, I limit as much exposure to heartworm and flea products as possible–I do not use any more than what is necessary. I keep my yard sprayed with Wondercide so they are not exposed to a lot of fleas, ticks, and mosquitos. You just need to use your judgement as to what is necessary in your environment. When you are dealing with a food issue, it is easier when you do not have other sources that may be contributing factors.

Keep us updated if you get a chance.

[Jaclyn B]

Hi DogFoodAdvisor,

Clean Label Project is a national non-profit with the mission to bring truth and transparency to consumer product labeling. We do this by using data and science to reveal true product quality and purity and empower consumer to make their own choices. Through the resulting shifting economics, we aim to serve as the catalyst to change the definition of food and consumer product safety in America.

Given the humanization of pet food over the past several years coupled with the scandals and recalls, we were especially interested in what was truly behind all these “Feed them like Family”, “Natural”, “Human-grade”, etc. claims. For us, it was about seeing past the comfort and security that pet food brands marketing departments sell, and get right to the data and science about the true ingredient quality. This impartiality only comes through testing. When we began this pet food study, we assumed that these companies were regularly screening for environmental toxins alongside more conventional foodborne contaminants (like salmonella). Our results clearly indicate otherwise. We believe consumers have a right to know what’s in the products they buy.

When we initially started this project, we utilized Nielson reports to pull the products that made up 90% of the overall retail sales of pet foods. From there, we visited specialty pet food stores and spoke with consumers and team members to ask what people were buying. Our approach to the sampling was simple and why Clean Label Project is unique is clear- we simulate the consumer shopping experience. We went to grocery stores, pet food stores, and online retailers and purchased products just like any consumer would. We tested over 1000 of America’s best-selling dry and wet dog foods, cat foods, and treats for over 130 environmental and industrial contaminants and toxins like heavy metals, pesticide residues, antibiotic residues, plasticizers, melamine, acrylamide, and mycotoxins. We amassed over 130,000 data points, benchmarked them, and put the findings on our website in the form of a 5-star rating system. The products that we personally purchased and tested are literally the exact same products that are in pantries across America. For us, we don’t trust label claims, we trust analytical chemistry because gas chromatography and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry doesn’t lie.

We agree that sampling error is a risk in any scientific study, and you have correctly pointed out that random sampling of sufficient size is essential to minimizing the risk of sampling error leading to a false positive or false negative result (so-called “Type I” and “Type II” errors). However, there are two important distinctions here that we would like to stress as to why we chose the sampling strategy that we did.

First, at the product level – while you make a valid point that sampling repeatedly from different batches for an individual product would result in a more accurate representation of the “true” contaminant level of a single product this, in our opinion, misses important quality and supplier assurance implications of our results. If these companies, as many of them have repeatedly assured us, are conducting rigorous supplier assurance and quality assurance programs, single “fluke” high values should be exceedingly rare. While sample variability does occur, a robust quality program should severely limit the variability (and the levels of these contaminants). This is particularly important given that there is no maximum tolerance level for these contaminants in the pet food space. As a side note, the argument that “the product is only loaded with known carcinogens occasionally” doesn’t reassure us very much. Consider the analogy of food borne pathogens like salmonella, e.coli, or listeria – certainly there is variability as to how much of these bacteria are present in raw ingredients, but rigorous quality assurance programs or kill steps bring the variability in finished products to almost zero. This is why the presence of these bacteria cause headlines when they occur in finished foods – we have systems in place that should prevent them. This is not the case for the contaminants we measure in the pet food space—but it should be. All brands, regardless of their score, should be vigilant regarding these contaminants and should take proactive steps to improve the status of the industry.

Second, at the brand level: It is important to note that decisions about a brand (for example, the brand report cards released September 18, 2017) are not based off single product ratings, instead they are based on the average performance of multiple products within a brand. When data is aggregated across a group, the “true” value being estimated is that of the brand, not the product. As such, when we give the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to a brand, this is based on the weight of evidence from multiple products. This means that our brand ratings, and the conclusions we draw about the performance of brands, are arguably the least likely to be impacted by sampling error.

For us at Clean Label Project, we refer to ourselves as the environmental and industrial contaminant and toxin people. That’s who we are, the mission we hold, and the conversation we are looking to have with consumers. To us, so often we hear about food safety issues happening at burrito restaurants and cruise ships (e.coli, listeria, salmonella, etc.), but what people don’t talk about is the long term adverse health effects associated with chronic exposure to industrial and environmental toxins and contaminants with links to diseases like cancer- for ALL living things. To us, first, it’s do no harm, start with high quality – not harmful ingredients – and then dive into how to formulate the most nutritious foods. This should not be a novel concept.

To us at Clean Label Project, there is no such thing as healthy poison. You can read more information about our position here. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/white-paper/

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
the 6 month mark is time to let his bowel heal & get healthy again from having diarrhea & a irritated bowel from having food intolerance, the Metronidazole helps heal the bowel, Metronidazole is an antibiotic & an anti inflammatory excellent when the stomach & bowel is inflammed. Once you find a kibble you want to feed just feed that for 4-6months, my vet recommends 9-12 months, that was after Patch had diarrhea blood…. I dont think his food intolerance/sensitivities will go away, Patches haven’t, I ended up doing an Elimination food diet to work out what Patch can eat, he has a few food sensititivies…
Hopefully your boy will get better now you, just read labels what is in treat biscuits as well & use the dry kibble as treats for training…
Oh there’s 1 thing the Natural balance Fish & Sweet Potato he’s eating at the moment has NO peas or probiotics, so when you try Kirklands Nature Domain Turkey & Sweet Potato formula, his poos may go a bit soft then maybe they won’t, just introduce over new kibble over 10 days he might be OK with peas my boy is & there’s probiotics in Natures Domain to keep their gut healthy, if his poos start going a bit soft just add less new kibble & more of the old kibble & stay on that amount of new kibble a few days longer & add more of his old kibble…..
Good-Luck

[pugmomsandy]

If you look through the 5 star foods, there should be other low carb options. For instance, Wysong Epigen, Solid Gold Barking at the Moon, Earthborn Holistic Great Plains Feast, Wellness Core (some recipes), Nature’s Variety Instinct (some recipes), Stella and Chewy’s Raw Blend (dry food), Farmina N&D Grain Free, Weruva Caloric Harmony.

Kibble is a bakery product and needs starch to keep its shape. Canned foods can be lower in carbs since they don’t require a starchy binder and they’re probably not as expensive as raw foods.

[aimee]

Hi Lori J
Keep in mind grain allergies are rare and that carbohydrates in the diet do not feed yeast on the skin. So sad that people that should know better write articles and post videos saying that you need a low carbohydrate diet to conquer yeast infections…. you don’t. The fact is that the type of yeast on dog’s skin is a fat loving yeast. Give some of these guys all the carbohydrate they want and you know what happens…. they die because they need fat to live. But even if they were carbohydrate loving yeast. How would the carbohydrate get from inside the digestive track to outside the body which is where the yeast are? Hmmm see where that falls apart?

Point is you don’t need a low carb food…. you need a controlled sodium food. I took a look at the MedVet list.. lots of choices there including grain free options like Cal Natural kangaroo and lentils.

Have you looked at Nature Variety Instinct dry line? You might find something there, for example they are reporting their limited ingredient Duck as 0.3% Na =74mg/100kcals, limited ingredient turkey is 0.4 %=97mg/100 kcals Ultimate protein Duck 0.4% =89/100kcals. If you think one of the Natures Variety products would work check with the company to make sure the website info is accurate and check with your vet.

[Atlas T]

Hi everyone,

This is a long story, but I’ll try to be concise: we adopted our 7mo old lab mix puppy 1 month ago. Before that, he was fostered by my brother, so we know his history. He has had very soft stools for a long time (I’d say slightly more firm than emoji poop), that vary from slightly softer/harder, but never truly hard, and he was pooping about 5 times/day. There tend not to be any pieces of unprocessed food in them. All of this was on Instinct Large Breed Puppy food, provided by the rescue.

With help from the rescue, we put him on several different dewormers, several probiotics, and finally an antibiotic (metro), but nothing helped the poop. The vet took a fecal sample and found no problems. About 3 weeks ago, he actually started having diarrhea, so I put him on a bland diet (pumpkin, rice, chicken) and it got BAD: became explosive diarrhea. I completely limited his diet (no treats, no peanut butter for pills, nothing else) and it was still bad, even when it was chicken and rice (no pumpkin). After about 4 bad days like this, I decided to try a different bland diet – just chicken and potatoes, and once or twice, egg + potato. This firmed things right up (conclusion = he may be intolerant to rice, but does great with chicken and potato). Within a day, his poop was actually formed and semi firm. He stayed on this diet for about 4 days. Then I decided to try to transition him to dry kibble – Nature’s Domain Puppy (I decide to try this one because it doesn’t have rice). I’ve done this transition veeeery slowly (we are on Day 5 now) and his poop is gradually getting worse again.

The rescue has suggested that while he is not intolerant to chicken (as proven by the chicken and potato bland diet success), he may be intolerant to whatever preservatives are used in chicken kibble. They suggested trying Nature’s Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato. This will be my next attempt, but I’m feeling a bit hopeless. And while I’m hoping this is the answer, I wonder if something else could be going on? The vet has not been helpful, so I’m hoping folks here can provide some suggestions of what to do! And I do want to note that cost and affordability are a definite consideration, so I’d rather not go to expensive limited ingredient foods unless absolutely necessary.

Also, he has not had gas, vomiting, itchyness, lethargy or any other symptoms as far as I can tell – just the soft stool. One more thing to note – diarrhea has somewhat coincided with when he was given topical Revolution, but I’m not sure there is causation there.

[Robert S]

Thanks for the comments. I have looked at a lot of dog foods on Dig Food Advisor and was going to use EVO dry morning EVO 95% Evening. I just learned that EVO is or has stopped manufacturing the canned dog food.Of course you can purchase until supplies run out.

I ordered a case of Dave’s 95% beef and will see how my dogs like. I am going to try Wysong Epigen starch free. I will mix with EVO until all. 1/4 cup dry mornings and 1/4 cup wet evenings. It is pretty much high fat, high protein, low carb diet. during the day we give treats like Earthborn Holistic grain free.

I don’t know how this will work out but I am going to try. I have another miniature smooth coated dachshund, 13, that has mass on or near spleen. I am trying to feed both the same.

like I said we will see.

Blessings,
bob

[Mary G]

I am so sorry you are going through this with your beagle. I also have a beagle with health issues. It could be your doggie is allergic to some of the ingredients of the food. If you can, find a vet that also knows about homeopathy and natural diets. I was feeding mine dry kibble but he had two health scares with his heart and high glucose. I went to a homeopathic veterinarian and nutritionist and am now giving him natural foods (with recipes provided by the vet) and of course following his instructions as far as supplementing him with powdered bone and multivitamin. He is doing wonderfully well. Of course it is more work because you need to cook the ingredients and then mix it daily but I am happy to do it if it means he is healthier and is getting less preservatives. Sometimes the dry kibbble is not for most dogs and something in them makes them sick. That would be another option where you control what you give him and they prefer natural food anyway. Try taking him to another vet and ask about that. On a side note, Royal Canin and Proplan have recipes for doggies with digestive issues but you must first determine what he might be allergic to. Hope this helps!

[Susan]

Hi Lori, I just posted a post about “Clean Label Project” click on link & look at all the 5 Star foods, Canidae & Under the Sun, Nutro, Purina, I & love & You all got 5 stars, & Acana, Wellness & Orijen got 1 star they are very high in Toxins. Wellness has a lawsuit at the moment for false advertisement saying their dry kibble is high quaility but Clean Label Test tested a few of Wellness formula’s & they tested very high for toxins…..
If you can cook then freeze meals, home cooking is heaps better then feeding a dry processed kibble, Ted will probably start to feel & get better especially at age 10 Ted would probably love a nice cooked meal, I buy tin salmon in spring water & tin Sardines in spring water & add a few sardines to one of the cooked meal or some Salmon to 1 of the meals a day, Salmon & Sardines will help balance the meal with Omega 3, Vitamins for his joints, bones, heart, brain, skin & coat,.. I buy tin Salmon & Tuna slices in Spring water & drain all teh water & I boil some sweet potatoes & mix 1/2 & 1/2 & make a meal, it’s healthy & probably wont have any toxins like the dry kibbles have.
If your not happy feeding a Chickpeas & Peas diet then take the food back & say your dog won’t eat it, most pet foods are money back guaranteed for palability…

[Susan]

Finally Clean label project has released their 2nd study on dog & cat foods & have also added a few more brands…..
These brands below got 1- 2 stars for being high in Toxic Metals & Acrylamides & BPA/BPS. but it’s only certain formula’s that got 1 star not all their formula’s got 1 star, some brands did have a few of their formula’s with 1 star, this might explain why some pets were really sick this year, look & see did the brand/formula you were feeding your dog get 1-2 star?…
click on link below
read then scroll back up, look to your left & click on “Dry Dog Food” to find out which formula’s got 5 stars & less.
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food-study-2-0/

Brands that got 5 Stars- I & Love & You, Nutro, Canidae, Canidae’s cheaper brand “Under The Sun”, Purina, Trudog, Simply Nourish, Eagle Pack…

Brands with 1 & 2 stars are on pages 11 to 16, you can also click on “Brand Report Cards” link down the bottom …..
I was VERY surprised “Fromm” had 4 formula’s with 1 star & the rest of Fromm formula’s only got 2 & 3 stars, People are always posting how good their dogs are doing on Fromm but I wonder how good their dogs will be doing after just eating Fromm for 2-4 years?…. This is why it’s best to rotate between a few different brands so your dog isn’t eating the same food 24/7…

*Brand formula’s that got 1 Star.
TOTW, Merrick, Acana, Orijen, bbf, Timberwolf, Earthborn Holistic, Fromm, Greenies, Holistic Select, American Journey, Kirkland, High Tek, Natures Variety, Blue. Only Natural Pet, Natures lodic, Special Kitty, Lotus, Wet Nose, Primal, Old Mother Hubbard, Castor & Pollux, Open farm, Milk Bone, Halo, Natural Balance, Nutri-Source, Solid Gold, Diamond, Petcurean, Racheal Ray-Nutrish, Meow Mix, Trudog, Pup-Peroni, Nature’s Planet-Organics, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Dog for Dog, Milos Kitchen, Dogswell Nutrisca.
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/brand-report-cards/

[Susan]

Hi Susana,
Stop feeding the Acana, Acana is probably too rich for a dog with intestinal stress, it has organ meats, Acana is excellent for a healthy dog that doesn’t have intestinal problems.

Sounds like your boy has a few food intolerances & there’s an ingredients in the Hills I/d formula & Acana formula he’s sensitive too, this happened with my Patch when I rescued & adopted him 5yrs ago, he had rumbling, grumbling LOUD bowel noises, I’d hear him in another room, these loud noises are gases rumbling thru the bowel & can be painful, Patch would do the same eat & eat grass, then his vet said only let him eat about 2 mintues worth of grass then stop him eating grass, the long pieces of grass can tangle together & cause a blockage or the grass can cause diarrhea…
I have found a dry bit of white toasted bread is best to give when these noises are happening, dry toast seems to settle the stomach also liquid Mylanta, 1 teaspoon 5mls seems to settle the stomach & bowel aswell & stops the loud rumbling bowel noises..
Once you work out what foods he is sensitive too these rumbling bowel noises will stop…
Patch also had streaks of blood thru his poos some days, this was cause he was eating an ingredient that he was sensitive too & I didnt know it was irratating his bowel then 1 night he had diarrhea that turned into blood water, I rushed him to the vet 8am his vet said looks like he has IBD cause I had been there a few times before with stomach/bowel problems. Patch was put on a Hydrolzed vet diet Royal Canine HP & Metronidazole for 21 days the bowel needs to heal & rest but he cont digest the Royal Canine HP vet diet ended up causing other problems….
Patch hasn’t had no more problems as long as Patch doesn’t eat Chickpeas, Lentils, Barley, Oats, Beet Pulp for his bowel & Chicken Tapioca & Carrots cause itchy smelly yeasty paws ears & skin problems… Food Sensitivities/Intolerances can cause gas/wind, farts, sloppy poo, diarrhea, smelly yeasty ears, paws, skin, itchy skin, bum rubbing on ground, just depends on the dog….

Both of the vet you saw have given the Metronidazole which was good to heal his bowel but the vets should of prescribed him a limited ingredient kibble that was chicken & grain free either the Hills D/D Potato & Venison or the Potato & Duck limited ingredient formulas or the Royal Canine Select proteins, Potato & Rabbit etc…

Go to “Tractor Supply Co & look for the “4Health” Sensitive Stomach it has Egg & Potato very easy to digest limited ingredients & will help his blowel rest & heal…

Don’t feed any more kibbles that are higher then 27%-protein or high in Kcals per cup no higher then 380 Kcals per cup & don’t have too many ingredients cause there will be more chance that he’s sensitive to an ingredient the more ingredients there is & he’ll react…

then when he’s doing really well try the “4Health Sensitive Skin” it has limited ingredients & has Hydrolyzed Salmon & Pea flour very easy to digest ingredients, the Acana might have been too high in protein & very rich high in Kcals per cup, when a kibble is high in Kcals over 400 the kibble is more dense & harder to digest & when a dog has a sensitive stomach bowel it’s too hard to break down….
His smelly breath sounds like his stomach bowel is not working properly the Metronidazole will fix ths problem, my vet writes out a few repeat scripts of teh Metronidazole & I just take teh scripts to a chemist & get out, my boy still takes Metronidazole on & off if he starts getting his smelly fermenting breath, acid reflux or if I see he’s starting to do sloppy poos for more then 2 days I re start him on the Metronidazole 1 x 200mg tablet every 12 hours with food for 10-14 days then the next 10 days just give him 1x 200mg tablet with his dinner that’s for a 40lb +18kg dog but since he’s been eating the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb he’s been doing really well, I do rotate & feed other brands but this has taken me nilly 4 yrs to get Patch gut healthy again & if Im feeding him another brand kibble & he starts getting stomach/bowel symptoms I put him back on her TOTW Roasted Lamb kibble & he goes good again….finally after 2 yrs of trying all the vet diets I had joined a few face book groups for Canines with IBD, EPI & dogs were doing really well on ” 4Health” formula’s & “Taste Of The Wild’ Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb formula, TOTW Lamb has limited ingredients only has 1 meat protein Lamb, Sweet potato. potato, peas, egg, very easy to digest….

Always read the ingredient list before buying a new kibble, read what ingredients are in the Acana & the I/d formula & try & aviod these proteins & ingredients for now.. Continue with the Metronidazole stop the Acana take it back for a refund, only feed a very bland diet like the 4Health Sensitive Stomach or Sensitive Skin formula’s for now… or try the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb these formula’s do not have Chickpeas or lentils as these ingredient are harder to digest when te dogs stomach & bowel isnt working properly…
Good-luck keep me up dated with what is happening, hopefully he’ll be doing firm poos in a few days..