[Susan]

Hi LISA P,
this post is long, it’s too hard explaining everything in just 1-2 paragraph post, start feeding a diet that has just 1 protein & limited ingredients, less ingredients are best while you work out what foods are causing the bad gas & bloating, sounds like your boy might have IBS or IBD being 7 yrs old it’s probably IBD, you need to see a vet that specializes in IBD, the only true way to diagnosed IBD is biopsies either thru Endoscope or cut him open, I will not let Patches knife happy vet cut my Patch open, 2014 vet did Endoscope thru the throat
& biopsies, if the pyloric sphincter flap from the stomach to the small bowel is open they can go thru into the small bowel & get a biopsies as well, you need the biopsies cause Patches stomach looked excellent then the biopsies results came back he has Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD but I don’t know what type of IBD the results said he need further investigation, even if I knew what type of IBD I asked my vet, would you do anything different in medications? she said no we’ll just have a name of the type of IBD he has…
Patch was getting the rumbling & grumbling bowel noises early hours of a morning when I first rescued him, we found out he has food intolerances to certain foods, this is what your boy probably has too food sensitivities, most vet diets for Intestinal stress have the foods Patch can’t eat, I have found kibbles & cooked meals that have sweet potato, egg, potato & a little bit of peas work the best for Intestinal stress, stay away from fermentable carbohydrates, ingredients that ferment in the stomach & bowel like rice, barley, oats, beet pulp, soybeans, legumes, no ingredients that are hard to digest like Chick Peas, lentils they can cause wind/gas…
The Ziwi Peak he ate was it the wet or air dry Ziwi Peak cause Ziwi Peak have changed their formula’s & have added chickpeas to the wet tin formula’s.

The vet would have prescribed your boy Metronidazole, was he better while taking the Metronidazole?? sometimes dogs are kept on a low dose of Metronidazole it stops the bad bacteria from taking over stomach bowel & has anti inflammatory properties that helps with any inflammation of the stomach & bowel, Patches vet writes out a repeat script of the Metronidazole I can take to a chemist & take out & when I noticed Patch doing smelly farts, whinging & wanting me to rub stomach & Pancreas area & or starts doing sloppy poos for 2 days straight & start him on the Metronidazole for 10-14 days straight away before he has a IBD flare & gets real bad….

Have you looked at cooking his meals or I feed kibble for some of his meals & cooked meals for the other meals, Patch eats 5 smaller meals a day this has helped heaps when his stomach & Pancreas isn’t working properly its easier to digest smaller meals then to digest 2 bigger meals….Patch was the same pain in the Pancreas stomach area blood test say Pancreas was OK even ultra scan said the pancreas looks good, so his vet said it’s his IBD & I put him back on the Metronidazole again & it seems to help him & I feed his TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble & don’t give anything else cause I know the TOTW kibble is very easy to digest…

Have a look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior the fat is low at 10.8% max, I’ve emailed Canidae to find out the max fat %, the protein is 28%, it has limited ingredients, but cause it has chicken Patch gets his red paws then starts getting itchy cause he’s sensitive to chicken but he did really well when on the Canidae just wish they didn’t use the chicken & I feed “Taste Of the Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb kibble it just has 1 protein Lamb & has limited ingredients, sweet potatoes, egg, potato & peas & I was feeding the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew but then I realized the new formula has beet pulp & Patch didn’t really want to eat it no more, he had his red, I was taken out the rice & carrots, he can’t eat boiled rice it irritates his bowel causing sloppy poo’s….
I have found when Patch gets a rumbling grumbling bowel I give him 1 teaspoon – 5ml of liquid Mylanta that I keep in the fridge, when the Mylanta is cold it soothes the throat & stomach & it stops the gas rumbling thru the bowel also dry toast only use white bread the toast helps relieve the grumbling bowel & Patch finally goes to sleep, but since I’ve worked out what foods he’s sensitive too he hasn’t had his rumbling bowel…
Your best to do a cooked elimination diet, add 1 new ingredient every 6 weeks & see does he react to that ingredient & get bad wind pain & bloat up, it can take 1 day to 6 weeks to react to an ingredient in a kibble or wet tin cooked food or feed a vet diet like the Hills D/D Venison & Potatoes as long as you know your boy is OK with venison & potato, the D/D has just potato & venison, it has no beet pulp, no peas, no soy protein, it’s grain free, gluten free & high in omega 3 fatty acids what’s needed for the stomach & bowel to heal, Patch does OK when he eats the D/D Venison formula, I rotate between the TOTW Lamb breakfast & the D/D Venison for lunch then TOTW for his 2 dinners, When a dog eats the same diet for years & years then sometimes they start to react to 1 or 2 ingredients this is why I always tell people to rotate between different brand kibbles with different proteins & add cooked fresh ingredients to your dogs diet…Vet diets are good to get the dog stable then you start to work out a new diet for your dog……
Is he doing real well on the Vet diet he’s eating at the moment which formula is it?? Patch hasn’t done well on any of the Hills I/d vet diets, he did Ok on the I/d Digestive Care kibble & the I’d Chicken & vegetable stew wet tin but after 1 week eating the I/d kibble his poos when sloppy & he started getting gas & bad farts then he started to itch, the Hills D/D Venison + potato is the first vet diet he’s doing OK on & it helps with his skin allergies no red paws & also helps with his IBD, it’s also lower in protein-19% the fat is 16% its does cause some acid reflux sometimes so I feed the TOTW for all the other meals for that day & only a small meal of the D/D venison for lunch he really likes it….

Here’s “Balance It” site, https://secure.balanceit.com/ there are recipes on this site & then you add the Balance it powder to balance the meals also have you tried giving a probiotic? Purina Forti Floria is suppose to be a good dog probiotic & when it was tested it had live bacteria & made it on the best 10 dogs probiotic list, I give Patch some of my Yakult probiotic drink, also only change or add 1 thing at a time in a week in his diet so if he gets pain, gas bloating diarrhea you know what caused the problem if you start a few things at once & he reacts you wont know what caused what….

Your boy is only 7 yrs old, he’ll bounce back, start to read the signs & rub his stomach & bowel area & help push out any of the wind he might have my boy is very vocal & tells me straight away when something is wrong, his vet said she has never seen a dog that can understand everything we are saying & talks back…. Hopefully in 1 yr you’ll have his diet all worked out & know what he can & can’t eat & he’ll be doing real well once you work out his diet also be careful with treats, Canidae make healthy biscuit treats limited ingredients, the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior kibble is on page 3 ….just remember when introducing any new formula’s do it very slowly over 12-15 days so he doesn’t get any gas wind pain…
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Susan]

Hi Natalie,
I think no matter how many different foods you try your going to need a course of Metronidazole (Flagyl)….also I think poor Charlie needs to see a different vet, not the vet he’s been seeing in the past that said he’s healthy, did this vet test Charlie for giardia, he may have a parasite living in the bowel, vet should of tested 2 separate poos to see if he has Giardia or he may have Small Bowel Intestinal Overgrowth (S.B.I.O) sloppy poos will be baby yellow in colour, SIBO needs Metronidazole for 28 days sometimes vet only gives a 14 day course of the Metro & don’t give enough of the Metro & the SIBO comes back again in a few months or Charlie may have food sensitivities but if he has gotten better while eating the same food & you haven’t change his food & he gets diarrhea again then it’s not the food, you can try & try different foods but you need to get to the root of the problem & do tests if after doing test & vet has no answers then ask to test for EPI… also he may need weekly vitamin B-12 injections he may be low in vitamin B-12 this can cause problems with the digestive system…
The Hills I/d Digestive Care has electrolytes & B vitamins to help him get better + give the Metronidazole, the Metronidazole is an antibiotic & has anti inflammatory properties that heal the bowel, some dogs & cats have to take a low dose & stay on the Metronidazole long term I prefer to give the Metronidazole on & off, Patch starts having side effects & starts acting paranoid & scared of his own shadow…..
The foods you have tried have they been a single novel protein, limited ingredient, low protein, low fat, low Kcal per cup kibble or wet tin food?? “Taste Of the Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb is really good for dogs with Intestinal stress or “Natural Balance” limited ingredient Sweet Potato Bison kibble these kibbles don’t have any chickpeas or lentils & are not real high in protein or fat, but a vet diet will be the best to start off with & let his stomach & bowel rest & heal, Patch stayed on Eukanuba Intestinal low residue vet diet for 9-12months while his bowel healed then I started introducing a new kibble that was low fat, low protein with limited ingredients introducing slowly over 15-30 days then if poos went sloppy I’d put him straight back onto the vet diet, my vet writes me out a repeat script of Metronidazole 200mg x 21 tablets that I can get from a chemist this works out cheaper when Patch starts doing sloppy poos, I wait 2 days & if poos don’t get firm again & are still sloppy, if poo is yellow it’s the small bowel if real dark brown/black cow pattie poo’s it’s the large Bowel, he gets put straight on the Metronidazole for 14 days every 12 hours with a meal before he gets worse & has a IBD flare then it’s not as easy to fix his sloppy poo’s they can go for months…. boiled rice irritates Patches bowel & gives him sloppy poo’s, took the vet a while to click that the cooked rice in a vet diet wet tin food was causing Patches poo’s to stay real sloppy…. best to cook a lean meat + boiled potato is better then boiled rice..
or can you ask a vet can he put him straight on the Metronidazole (Flagyl) a 21 day course & get a bag of the Hills I/d Digestive Care dry vet diet & see if diarrhea stops & he does firm poos & stay on the Hills I/d Digestive Care vet diet over 6 months, it might work out a bit cheaper without any test, around $100 that’s what first vet did with my Patch put him on Royal Canine Intestinal low fat vet diet & a course of Metronidazole & Electrolytes the problem was Patch has bad bacteria in the stomach & bowel + food intolerances.
When you say he puts his bum in the air this could be Pancreatitis pain or whatever he has eaten is causing wind/gas pain in the bowel… Keep a diary & write everything down, meds he’s taken, foods he ate & what happened…. I also live in a unit & I have Patch in a routine, we go on 3 daily walks for poo’s same time everyday 7.30am, 10am & 5pm & in between Patch goes down stairs & does his wee’s in the common garden area….it’s hard but you’ll work it out in the end..

[Susan]

Hi Linda,
is Hagen a small breed? I looked up the Hills t/d Dental Health, it’s low in protein 17.2% & fat is 16.7% & is very high in crude fiber at 10.4%, the high fiber might be making him poo more, his normally diet probably isn’t as high in fiber, I stay around 4-5%max for crude fiber, Hagen normal diet is probably higher protein diet with higher Kcals per cup then the Hills vet diet is…..or he may need to be on the Metronidazole a bit longer, 21 day course is normally the best when they have had a bout of diarrhea & a bit older… has Hagens poo’s stayed firm since stopping the Metronidazole?
I’d still be giving him a probiotic, you can give kefir instead, I give Patch the Human “Yakult” probiotic drinks, I have 1 everyday & Patch gets some as well..
Your vet should have put your boy on the Hills I/d Digestive Care dry kibble, the dry I/d Digestive formula is high in electrolytes & vitamin B, has ingredients that are suppose to improve digestion & should make Hagen’s poos smaller & less pooing times, I found the Hills I/d Digestive Care Chicken & Vegetable stew was the better out of all the I/d formula’s, there’s a few different I/d formula’s, the normal I/d Digestive Care wet tin loaf formula made Patches IBD worse, some of these vet diets don’t work for some dogs Gi problems, the Vet diets never seem to help Patches IBD, his skin problems became worse…make sure you write down the vet formula’s Hagen was put on so you remember next time if vet prescribes them again….that’s why I asked is Hagen a small breed with teeth problems for his vet to put him on the Hills T/d formula??

The Hills Metabolic & Mobility dry & wet formula would have been another good vet diet for Hagen to eat being 11 & 1/2 yrs old, the Hills Metabolic & Mobility dry & wet tin food is higher in protein & has better ingredients then the Hills T/d Dental Health formula.

Have you looked at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior, the protein is around 28% & fat is 10.80%max, Canidae Pure formula’s are excellent for dogs with Gi problems, the Pure Meadow Senior is on page 3….
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

If you Hagen keeps having Intestinal stress on & off then the “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb formula is excellent for Gi problems, it has only 1 protein Lamb & has limited ingredients sweet potatoes, egg & potato, it has the matching wet tin food as well, Patch does excellent size poo’s & poo’s on time everyday when eating the TOTW & Canidae formula’s….

[Christine C]

My dog has a history of getting crystals in her urine and our vet has always just given us antibiotics. She is currently on the the hills C/D urinary dry + canned food and this has helped her urine problem; however, the cost has been a big burden. I was shocked to see the ingredients in it and wouldn’t making homemade obviously be healthier? I would like to start making my own dog food, but I’m not sure if this would be the best option. I do not want to rely on the vet because they obviously would go against it and are money hungry. I have been reading other forums and many dog owners seem to feed their pets cranberry supplements? What are your thoughts on this and getting off of the prescription diet? Also how do I get my dog to drink more water?

[Linda C]

Hi everyone, so let me give you as short a background as I can….

Hagen is an 11 1/2 year old dog who has been generally healthy until he was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor in 08/16. He had 3 grand mal seizures in a 12 hour period which led to the scan which discovered the tumor. He was only given a few weeks to live, we opted for surgery, and it was successful. He does however have resulting left side neurological deficiencies and is on medication for the rest of his life. He is generally happy and healthy all things considered and isn’t in pain or anything like that.

He has generally always eaten Merrick Grain Free dry food, with occasional mixed-in items such as cooked chicken. A couple of weeks ago he had 4-5 days of diarrhea, it would get better, then start up again… he stopped eating and literally ate *nothing* for 3 1/2 days. He actually lost 20% of his body weight in about 7 days. He wouldn’t even drink water and we had to feed him and give him water with a syringe.

The morning that we took him to the vet he actually ate a few bites of food and drank water on his own and so we felt like he was already on the road to recovery. The vet prescribed metronidazole and FortiFlora… and recommended Science Diet Oral Care DRY food and Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d digestive care WET food. She basically said they tasted really good and would entice him to start eating again, which they did… I started giving him the dry food mixed with a spoon or so of the wet food and the FortiFlora (once a day) and he started eating again the same day….

So it has now been about 10 days, the problem is, he is eating like a beast… I tried feeding him the same quantity of this new food as I fed the Merrick and he acts like he is dying from hunger and begs for more, he paces and paws and starts whining etc… also he has started pushing the other dogs away from their food and taking it, so now I’ve had to start feeding him separately. You know how if you have a dog who loves cat food and they accidently get at the cat food and they start gobbling it down like their life depended on it because they know you are going to catch them? THAT is how he is eating.

Also, his poop is a LOT more… like, he’s eating more, but I feel like he is pooping a LOT more than what he is eating, I don’t even know if thats possible. Also, its like he is pooping all day long. Where he used to go usually twice a day like clockwork, now he goes every time he goes out. Which would be fine except………

He is now eating his poop. He never did this before. He acts like its super candy. I always pick it up, but sometimes I like to let them run around in the yard while I’m cooking etc (I can watch them from the window which overlooks the yard) so sometimes I can’t get there fast enough…

I discontinued the FortiFlora several days ago, also discontinued the metronidazole several days ago… I also stopped giving him the wet food, and now he is ONLY having the Science Diet Oral Care DRY food… I did some research on it and honestly it looks like a pretty crappy dog food… I’m not comfortable feeding him that long term… Again, he never had this crazy appetite before, and he never ate his poop before…

So, what I’m wondering is, is this related to the quality of the dry food? His poop used to be small and compact and more solid, this poop is huge and moist and just a lot more volume (sorry LOL)….

I’m going to switch him back to the Merrick Grain Free and I’m HOPING this will put things back to normal again………… Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Christine C]

My dog has a history of getting urinary infections/crystals found in her urine. She is on the Hills C/D urinary dry and canned food but we want to get her off of it because of the cost and she does not enjoy her food. Is it safe to do this as long as shes getting the proper nutrients? I am also thinking of starting to feed her cranberry supplements

[Christine C]

My dog has a history of getting crystals in her urine and our vet has always just given us antibiotics. We feed her the hills C/D urinary dry + canned food and this has helped her urine problem but we want to get her off of it. This has been a huge burden on our family due to the expensive cost and I really want to start making my own dog food because it really seems to be the most healthy. I do not want to rely on the vet because they seem to just want to make money off of us. I have been reading other forums and many dog owners seem to feed their pets cranberry supplements? What are your thoughts on this and getting off of the prescription diet? Thank you!!

• This topic was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Christine C.

[Susan]

Hi Steve,
the only way to know how these animals died & how the pet food is being made is buy free range organic ethically farmed meat & veggies & make your own pet meals….
If you lived in Australia we have a new ethically farmed pet food called “Frontier Pets”, the pigs, chickens & beef all run free & are feed a healthy diet, they live a pretty good life…Here’s “Frontier Pet Food” web page https://frontierpets.com.au/pages/our-purpose
There must be a few companies like our Frontier pets but in America… send Frontier Pets a email the lady will email you back & answer all your questions, ask does she know of another pet food company like her Frontier Pets but in America or Canada, she has just started & would of done a heap of research, so she may have come across another ethically farmed pet food company in America….

There’s “Ziwi Peak” an New Zealand pet food company who make high quality pet foods your dogs will love their air dried pet food & their wet tin foods, https://www.ziwipets.com/
there’s also “K-9 Natural” another NZ made pet food you add water I buy their Green Lipped Mussels. https://www.k9natural.co.nz/
Ziwi Peak & K-9 Naturals are both sold in America.
There’s “Honest Kitchen” you can use their base formula’s & add your own organic meat or buy the HK formula’s where you just add water….
There’s “Just Food For Dogs” they make pet food for dogs with certain health problems they may make an small breed all life stages formula, send them an email.. https://www.justfoodfordogs.com/vet-support-diets

Do you realise when you read the fat% & protein% on wet raw foods it hasn’t been converted to dry matter basis (kibble) yet, here’s a calculator, save this link so you can convert & know how high the fat % is in wet tin, raw food your feeding…. 5% min-fat when converted to dry matter is around 20-25%max-fat. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

Once you have found a few pet foods introduce them & make sure you rotate between 2-3 different brands so your dogs are getting a variety of different pet foods so if one of these pet foods isn’t balanced properly or has toxins etc your dogs aren’t eating the same pet food 24/7 here’s “Clean Label Project” site, this is the first year CLP has tested pet foods for toxin’s, CLP tested the most popular pet foods for lead, arsenic, pesticides, mercury, cadmium, BPA you can see which wet pet foods made the good list & the worst list…..click on “Product Ratings” up the top..
I and Love and You, Dog for Dog, Wellness, SmallBatch Pets & Stella & Chewy got 5 stars in the wet tin foods section…the fish formula’s seem to be worse & turkey & chicken formula’s rate the best. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

[Caroline C]

Looks like Chewy.com has finally decided to drop ACANA and Orijen foods. Thank goodness. My dog is in kidney failure due to ACANA’s Wild Atlantic dry kibble. Their fish based dog foods should all be recalled. I contacted Chewy.com in early June imploring them to do testing on their own of a specific lot, 3002505-62212. This is an email I received this morning from Chewy.com. The spin on it indicates that Champion Pet Foods is actually the one pulling the food from Chewy.com. Either way, it is a good thing for pets. ACANA and Orijen is poisoning our pets.
————————————————————————————————————————-

I’m sorry to let you know that Champion Pet Foods, makers of Orijen and ACANA, will no longer be available at Chewy and will only be available while supplies last. Champion has decided to limit their distribution and will no longer service Chewy customers.
I am very disappointed by Champion’s decision to end their retail partnership with us because it greatly impacts you, our customer. Their business decision to limit distribution was clearly not in the best interest of customers like you, who have come to rely on Chewy to feed your furry family.
When I founded our company my mission was simple, deliver the highest quality products at the best prices and provide an unmatched customer experience. We have always put our customers and their pets at the center of everything we do. That’s why we have the most knowledgeable customer service representatives in the industry dedicated to providing best-in-class customer service and adding personal touches to online shopping with handwritten cards and hand-painted portraits of your pets.
It’s particularly upsetting that despite all of my company’s efforts and personal relationships throughout the years, Champion has decided that they will no longer service our customers.
I urge all customers who are affected by this to personally contact Champion directly to let them know you rely on the convenience of delivery and value the personalized service you receive from Chewy. Unfortunately, for many of you this decision will result in your inability to get these products in a convenient way. Please encourage Champion not to put their corporate interests above the interests of their customers and their pets.
Call
877-939-0006
Email
[email protected]
Post
https://www.facebook.com/ChampionPetfoods/
I know how important it is to choose the right food for your pet and our Customer Service Team is available 24/7/365 to answer any of your questions or to help you select from over 500 brands of top-rated natural, high-protein and grain-free foods.
Sincerely,
Ryan Cohen
Founder & CEO

[Susan]

Hi Christie,
I understand your frustration, this is why I always stick with the same vet that I like the best, this way the vet gets to know your dog & forms a bond, stick with the vet that listened to you & goes out of their way to help with diets & orders in other vet diet brands if needed…..
Normally the dog is put on antibiotics 14 days & put on a vet diet either the Royal Canine S/O Urinary or the Hills C/d Multicare dry & wet for just 6 weeks, feed no other foods or treats in this time, the crystals normally dissolve & go away by the 6 week period & then the vet does another Ultra scan to confirm that the crystals have all dissolved, that’s what happened with my boy… The Hills C/D Multicare wet & dry formula has the best ingredients when you look at all the vet diets…..after the crystals have dissolved there’s the Hills W/d wet tin Vet Diet, it’s low in fat & low protein, excellent for keeping off the weight & promotes healthy Urinary tract health.. but it does have grains, just keep it in mind….Hills have been improving most of their vet diets & regular pet foods, probably cause sales dropped so they hoped on the better ingredient wagon….

I would join the “Canine Kidney Disease Support” Facebook group & ask people what did they feed their dogs after the crystals were dissolved, to prevent them re occurring, you can make appointment with a nutritionist, she can make a special diet for your mums dog that she can cook….
There’s Dave’s Restricted Low Protein & Low Phosphorus grain free wet tin diet food, I don’t know if this formula will dissolved the crystals or it’s for dogs that need a lower protein phosphorus diet to prevent crystals coming back & ok to feed after the crystals have all dissolved, you’ll have to email Dave’s Pet Food & ask, that’s what I do, I email whoever makes the pet food & ask 100 questions… you can also email Hills & Royal Canine & a Vet Nutritionist will ring you back & give advise, you could ask what foods can be added to the vet diet to encourage your mums dog eat the vet diet….
Just make sure when your mums dog is weeing, wee is coming out, you don’t want a blockage… http://davespetfood.com/product/%ef%bb%bfrestricted-diet-protein-phosphorus-chicken-dinner-dogs-13-oz-can/

[Susan]

Hi Christie,
I understand your frustration, this is why I always stick with the same vet that I like the best, this way the vet gets to know your dog & forms a bond, stick with the vet that listened to you & goes out of their way to help with diets & orders in other vet diet brands if needed…..
Normally the dog is put on antibiotics 14 days & put on a vet diet either the Royal Canine S/O Urinary or the Hills C/d Multicare dry & wet for just 6 weeks, feed no other foods or treats in this time, the crystals normally dissolve & go away by the 6 week period & then the vet does another Ultra scan to confirm that the crystals have all dissolved, that’s what happened with my boy… The Hills C/D Multicare wet & dry formula has the best ingredients when you look at all the vet diets…..after the crystals have dissolved there’s the Hills W/d wet tin Vet Diet, it’s low in fat & low protein, excellent for keeping off the weight & promotes healthy Urinary tract health.. but it does have grains, just keep it in mind….Hills have been improving most of their vet diets & regular pet foods, probably cause sales dropped so they hoped on the better ingredient wagon….

I would join the “Canine Kidney Disease Support” Facebook group & ask people what did they feed their dogs after the crystals were dissolved, to prevent them re occurring, you can make appointment with a nutritionist, she can make a special diet for your mums dog….
There’s Dave’s Restricted Low Protein & Low Phosphorus grain free wet tin diet food, I don’t know if this formula will dissolved the crystals or it’s for dogs that need a lower protein phosphorus diet to prevent crystals coming back & ok to feed after the crystals have all dissolved, you’ll have to email Dave’s Pet Food & ask, that’s what I do, I email whoever makes the pet food & ask 100 questions… you can also email Hills & Royal Canine & a Vet Nutritionist will ring you back & give advise, you could ask what foods can be added to the vet diet to encourage your mums dog eat the vet diet….
Just make sure when your mums dog is weeing, wee is coming out, you don’t want a blockage… http://davespetfood.com/product/%ef%bb%bfrestricted-diet-protein-phosphorus-chicken-dinner-dogs-13-oz-can/

[pitlove]

Hi Michael-

The protein % on raw or fresh cooked foods is not converted to dry matter. Once converted the 12% protein is much much higher.

Here is a good article on here about how to convert to dry matter and what it means

/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/

[Susan]

Hi Michael,
These home made raw diets are the rage in Australia, the smaller pet shops have their own home made raw diets, where the bigger Pet food companies sell the commercial raw diets like Barf & Big Dog.. I’d stay away from the bigger raw companies the meat is lower grade…. is the Farmer Dog diet a cooked or raw diet?? wet tin & raw diets have not been converted to dry matter (Kibble) ….. Email the pet food companies & ask what is the fat % & protein % after being converted to dry matter, the protein is going to be around 40% & more being 12%-raw…. Just be careful with higher fat as dogs get older especially if your dog is prone to Pancreatitis….My boy is 8yrs old with IBD/Pancreatitis & I stay around 15% & under for fat when eating a kibble & it’s hard finding a pre made raw diet around 3-4% raw fat = 12-15%dry, unless I make it myself, it depends on the brand, Kangaroo & turkey formula’s are around 3-4%-fat raw, converted to dry matter (Kibble) that’s around 11-16%-fat…. your dog may be OK with fat around 5%-raw = 20-25% converted to dry matter, look what the fat % is in the dry kibble he eats, it’s probably around 12-15% in fat, so now you need a raw diet where the fat says 3-4% & then slowly increase to a higher fat %, first see if he’s OK eating the new raw diet, I started feeding my boy freshly home made raw for breakfast & I was still feeding him his kibble for dinner, the kibble keeps them feeling fuller longer & when they start eating a raw diet they get hungry quicker, your boy may lose a little weight when he starts the raw diet, but that’s a good thing, then you just increase the raw if he losses too much weight, your going to have a healthier dog being feed raw…..
It’s best to join a few raw feeding face book groups like “K9 Nutrition” – Lew Olson’s group & “K9 Kitchen” – Monica Segal’s group they have fresh home made raw & cooked diets & you’ll learn how balance & make your own home made diets with fresh human grade ingredients also follow Rodney Habib…

[Christie]

Ok sorry for the delay in responding. My mother’s dog had her follow up appointment with the vet on Wednesday.

To answer some of the questions: yes, the vet put her on prescribed antibiotics. However, the vet she saw this time around was a different person than the one two weeks ago. This vet said that the dog should have been put on antibiotics for two weeks instead of one week than the other vet prescribed. He also said that the other vet should have given the prescription food at the same time as the antibiotics to help dissolve the struvite crystals, while the antibiotics worked against the infection. So that was strike two.

He prescribed another week’s worth of antibiotics and gave my mother a week’s worth of Hills canned S/D food.

The dog won’t touch it. My mother asked if she could mix it with some of her old food (Fromm’s Weight management dry) or with plain boiled chicken and the vet said no.

So the dog hasn’t eaten and she vomited up her meds yesterday (probably because of the empty stomach). So I did some research online and apparently Hills S/D is nasty and not well liked/tolerated by dogs. The ingredients are horrible: Water, Corn Starch, Chicken Fat, Pork Liver, Sugar, Egg Product, Powdered Cellulose, Iodized Salt… and the texture is nasty (white chunks that my mother had to add water to just to break it up some (what kind of canned food has a consistency like that?) So my research led to a few forums where people were able to get their dogs to eat Royal Canin SO formula (which is basically the same. The ingredients are slightly better: water, chicken liver, corn grits, pork by-product, chicken, chicknen by-product…).

My mother called up the vet today and asked about changing the food to Royal Canin. He said that their food is terrible. He said that he would allow her to return the unopened Hills cans and wants to try Hills C/D formula. But I’ve read plenty of reviews from people who have the same issue with their dogs not wanting to touch that one either.

I read over the urinalysis taken two weeks ago ans the dog’s pH was high at 7.5 and the protein level was high. WBC and RBC were both high, but that was due to the infection and blood in the urine. It showed 11-20 struvite crystals.

The vet thinks that since it’s the first time that this has happened (she’s two years old) that the crystals could have been attributed to diet rather than genetics. She was on Fromm’s Weight Management dry formula because she’s about 5-10 pounds overweight. Prior to that, she was eating Purina One dry.

The vet seems fixated on using Hills (which is what they sell at their office), and if the dogs eats it, fine. It can help dissolve any remaining crystals. But it doesn’t look like its a complete, well balanced food and not meant to be used for long periods of time.

My vet used to sell Hills for the longest time before changing to Royal Canin.

I don’t think either is very good quality.

Are there any diet (low protein), grain free canned foods that are tolerable? Or supplements to help lower her urine pH?

[Susan]

Hi Jude,
You may need to see vet & get an X Ray, so the vet can see what’s happening, there’s an monthly injection the vet can give to bring relief….I don’t know the name..
Also apply a heat pack for 20mins, this will bring relief to your dog….

Why don’t you buy the human grade Glucosamine & Chondroitin capsules? they are cheaper & work the best for joint inflammation, anything sold as a dog supplement like Sasha Blend etc the price is doubled……

Just be careful when giving any of these joint supplements as they can cause Acid Reflux & upset the stomach….they MUST be taken with a meal…Krill Oil capsules are the best for people & animals that suffer from stomach problems…

Have a look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior dry, it’s excellent for aging dogs, my neighbours dog eats the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior dry Kibble & acts like he’s a young dog again, his owner also feeds tin Sardines in Spring water, he gives him a few sardines as treat daily…. https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
I give the freeze dried Green Lipped Mussels daily, he gets about 2-3 mussels a day…

[Susan]

Hi Nataya,
I don’t think you’ll get many raw feeders on DFA, a lot feed kibble, there might be the odd poster that may help……are you going to make your own raw diet or buy the pre-made raw diets? homemade is the best this way you know what they are eating where the meat is coming from….
Start doing research & follow people like “Rodney Habib, Dr Karen Becker & Steve Brown, Dr Karen Becker is bringing out another new book with simple easy to make raw meals, her old books have all sold out & people on Amazon are asking ridiculous prices for her old books…. look at Steve Brown book called “Unlocking The Canine Ancestral Diet” your local library can order in books, I borrow books from the library or they order in books I’m interested in then after I have read them & like them I buy the book…
Here’s Rodney Habib’s link, once you follow Rodney you’ll get in the loop…
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Join some raw feeding groups on face book, just make sure these diets are balanced properly, vets are normally against raw feeding only because a lot of people don’t balance the diet properly & the vets see all the health problems that can occur from a dog or a cat not eating a proper balanced raw diet, I live Australia & a lot of Australian’s feed raw & dry kibble + raw meaty bones at lease twice a week…. a lot of our Australian made kibbles advise to add raw meat, raw meaty bones with their kibbles….
I went thru an Animal Nutritionist Jacqueline Rudan the maker of Natural Animal Solutions(NAS) products, this is her Maintenance Diet I followed minus any bone or organ meats cause my Staffy Patch has IBD, food intolerances & skin allergies…
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/maintenance-dog-diet/
I added her Digestavite plus powder to balance the diet, Patch was very hungry when we first started feeding the raw diet I was feeding 3 smaller raw home made meals a day, Jacqueline said, he has to get use too eating a raw diet after being feed a high carb process kibble, they stay fuller longer when they eat kibble..

Your making the best decision for your dogs health, with the Great Dane pup I would see what the breeder is feeding him & make sure you find an Great Dane breeder that raw feeds her dogs & pups, this breeder will be able to help you with preparing a raw diet
for a large breed pup…. sometimes its better to feed large breed pup a good quality large breed puppy kibble + raw until they’re 1-18mths then put them onto a full raw diet once they have finished growing, you have to be careful with large breed pups that their bones don’t grow too quickly the breeder will explain things a bit better then me….

There’s a lot of raw feeders on Lew Olsons F/B group called “K-9 Nutrition”
or Monica Segal F/B group called “K-9 Kitchen”
Make sure you take before & after photos of your Pit Bulls, you’ll see a big improvement with skin coat & all over health once they’re eating a raw diet…
Good-Luck

[crazy4cats]

$10.00 OFF
Wellness
any large bag of Wellness dry dog food (18 lb – 30 lb Wellness dry dog bags)

https://www.coupons.com/coupons/pet-care-coupons-102/?pid=17121&nid=10&zid=gd85

[Susan]

Hi Carla, sounds like Acid Reflux, after eating grass & some food this has pushed the acid back down into the stomach & she has settled, sometimes the poos will look green in color from the excess acid being made…. I have found giving white bread dry toast is good if they wake up thru the night, it normally happens around 3am, if this happens again have some cold liquid Mylanta in the fridge, I don’t know if you have Mylanta in America, give about 5mls, 1 teaspoon, the cold Mylanta soothes the throat & stomach & pushes the acid back down, it’s best to let the dog bring it up & vomit it get rid of it…..
It’s very hard for vets to diagnose cause there’s no real test for this unless your dogs ends up with stomach ulcer then a Endoscope & Biopsies are done, the vet gets a better idea, I found changing diets, till you find a diet that works & rotating between 2 diets works as well I have found, also if you can feed 1 cook lean meal, boiled sweet potatoes are really good with a lean meat also pumkin is good to add to a dogs meal…..

[Susan]

Hi Tammy, Sweetie is nilly the same age my boy, he’s turning 9 in November they both will be turning 63yrs old….I’m going thru something similar at the moment with my boy who has IBD, skin allergies & food intolerances…The Hills & Royal Canine vet diets for Kidney Care & dissolving crystals are too high in fat for my boy & have ingredients that Patch can’t eat, he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & ears when he eats, chicken, corn starch, wheat, corn gluten meal, barley & carrots…
Are you feeding the wet tin c/d or the dry c/d kibble? I’ve noticed the Wet tin vet diets have better ingredients & may not have the ingredients Sweetie is sensitive too, go on face book there’s 2 groups “Canine Kidney Disease” & Canine Kidney Disease Support group” a few people are feeding “Dave’s” pet food, Restricted diet protein low Phosphorus farmland blend in sauce wet tin, Honest Kitchen Keen, some are feeding raw or cooked diets &
a few people have been recommending Dr Harvey, he’s a Nutritionist that must do special diets for dogs with a few health problems, I haven’t had time to check out his site yet, join the f/b groups & read thru the post, you’ll probably get more info from people going thru the same health problems with their dogs…a lot are feeding the Hills K/D or C/d Multicare wet tin food..
I’m still waiting on test results from sterile urine that was taken the other day, I feel so sorry for my boy, he never seems to get a break, he starts doing really well then we have another health problem…. Good-Luck working out the best diet….. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422252261408967/

[Susan]

H Barbara, sounds like he has a food intolerance to an ingredient in the Hills Metabolic + Mobility dry vet formula your feeding, my boy is the same the vet diet fixes one health problem his IBD but then my boy gets his red paws & smelly itchy yeasty skin from a few ingredients in the vet formula…. with my boy it’s the chicken, barley, corn gluten meal, corn starch, carrots & whole corn that causes his yeasty smelly skin & ears, some dogs are fine & don’t have food sensitivities to these ingredients…
Just feed the Metabolic + Mobility Vegetable Tuna Stew, it doesn’t have the chicken meal, wheat, or whole corn, but it has the corn starch….The wet tin food vet diets always have better ingredients then the matching dry formula, there’s also a vegetable & beef stew, if you take back the bag of Hills kibble they will give your money back & just feed the Beef & Tuna wet tin foods….see how he goes, now you need a shampoo for his itchy yeasty skin, I use the “Malaseb” medicated shampoo, it can be used daily & relieves the itch & kills any yeast & bacteria on the skin….
A few people say the “Wellness” Core Reduced Fat is pretty good for losing weight, it has the matching wet food as well, Wellness make a few different formulas here’s their link..
There’s even weight management formula’s in their Simple & Complete Health range

For Dogs

[Susan]

H Rebeca, sounds like your dog needs to see a vet & be prescribe medication, has he had a course of Metronidazole (Flagyl) for 21-28 days?? also has he been tested for EPI, S.I.B.O?
You need to slowly introduce a new kibble to a dog especially when they have Intestinal stress, it took me 2 weeks to put Patch on a new kibble….they say 10 days.. The TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb will probably work but not yet… unless he has an intolerance to Lamb or an ingredient in the TOTW formula…
I think at this stage no matter what he eats he’s going to get worse, until the problem is fixed…..He needs tests or ask vet for a round of the Metronidazole enough for 28 days, some dogs need to stay on a very low dose of the Metronidazole, I’ve been struggling with my boy IBD coming up 5 years now, black poo is blood, it doesn’t mean the food has caused it, it means whatever the health problem is, it’s getting worse cause its not being treated….The TOTW probably will work but he needs medications as well, I would see vet get meds & if a vet diet did work & helped then get more & leave him on that vet diet for a good 6-9months & don’t feed no other kibbles yet, it took my boy 2yrs to get better….TOTW was the only formula that worked but if I had feed the TOTW in the beginning when I first rescued him it probably wouldn’t have worked cause he needed meds & the stomach & bowel had rest to heal… I went from vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue kibble & would try a new kibble taking 2-3 weeks to slowly introduce, if it didn’t work then I’d go back to the Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal, then finally after 2 yrs of trying a heap of different brands I read about TOTW…. I always had a vet diet as my safety food + the Metronidazole when things got bad now the TOTW is his go to food if he starts having a IBD flare & 10 days on the Metronidazole….if poos look yuk for 2 days straight I quickly start course of Metronidazole, my vet gives me script so I can take to my chemist & get out saves paying to see her just for some Metronidazole…
Your poor boy may need a wet tin vet diet instead of a dry kibble, he sounds like my boy he couldn’t digest any kibble when I first got him & wouldn’t eat a kibble either, sounds like his stomach & Pancreas aren’t working properly… keep us updated..

[anonymous]

The pruritus may be unrelated to the food. It may be caused by environmental allergies, the pollen count is high where I am.
Wipe off his paws with plain water and towel dry when he comes in from outside, especially after walking in grass wet with morning dew.
Bathe once a week in a gentle shampoo such as Sergeant’s fur so fresh puppy.
If it continues, I would go by what your vet suggests.

[Barbara C]

Took him to the vet & he is now on Hills Metabolic + Mobility wet tin food & Hills Metabolic + Mobility dry food. I give him half wet & half dry. He has lost a pound, but Hills must have a lot of grains in the food. He is now scratching & itching constantly. Called the vet but he has not returned my call yet. Has anyone had the same problem with this dog food? Don’t know what other dog food would grain free & help in loosing weight. Any suggestions?

[Susan]

Hi Linda,
I’m waiting on my boy test results at the moment, I went & looked up the Royal Canine & Hills vet diets for kidneys & they both have awful ingredients….I think the Hills C/d Multicare dry & C/d Multicare wet stew had the best ingredients chicken meal being 2nd ingredient in the dry kibble…..the C/d Multicare Chicken & vegetable stew looks OK..

Go & join Face Book group Canine Kidney support group there’s 2 groups, I’m still waiting to join the support group the other kidney group is a public group, A few people are recommending Dave’s low protein low phosphorus wet tin food, it has good ingredients & the dogs like it, a lot of the dogs aren’t eating these vet diets…..
I live Australia & I’m looking at feeding a premium pet food called “Meals For Mutts” MfM have just brought out a Hypoallergenic CN Vital Health formula that’s low protein low phosphorus with really good ingredients turkey meat first ingredient then broccoli, zucchini, bok choi, peas, grounded brown rice, quinoa, beans, spinach, sweet potatoes, parsley, natural fats & oils derived from turkey, omega 3,6 9 coconut oil… there has to be an American pet food company like Dave’s & has also brought out a premium dog & cat wet & dry with healthier ingredients for Kidney disease, they must know these dog aren’t wanting to eat the vet diets….

[Jenny S]

We adopted our Border Collie-Chow mix in 2006. At the shelter they fed Science Diet and we continued that for a couple years. Since then we’ve switched to better dog food (dry and wet); Earthborn and Taste of the Wild (current). Fast-forward to present time and our vet is still pushing just what you mentioned… SD / RC / Purina. I am a better researcher and critical thinker in terms of medical research (due to my own health issues) and now I’ve begun doing the same for our dog. Anyway – our vet keeps justifying those 3 brands, recently I point-blank asked Hill’s where all of their ingredients are sourced and they responded two of the amino acids (Taurine and forgot the other one…) are from China. Then came the spiel justifying why they do so. I had thought they were improving on their formulas (ingredient sourcing and whatnot) apparently they still stand by ingredients from China. Curious how my vet will justify that. -_-

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Jenny S. Reason: Typos
• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Jenny S.

[Susan]

Hi,
I bet your dog is feeling heaps healthier & probably is looking healthier from eating a raw diet…..Yes feed 2 meals a day even 3 meals a day if she seems real hungry, just take a bit from the morning meal & dinner & feed as another small meal, space the feed times out, say 7am 1pm 6pm, so her body gets into a routine & feed the same time everyday, the brain learns, hey she’s going to eat same time & the body does not store any fat when we eat the same time daily, this is why people gain weight so easily, they don’t eat the same time everyday & their body stores fat… also eating more smaller meals thru the day is better then eating 2 larger meals….

When I put my boy on a raw diet he was also very hungry & wanted more, after eating a dry kibble diet all his life that is full of fillers & carbs makes them feel fuller for longer, a raw diet digests easier & quicker & doesn’t sit in the stomach like a kibble does…….
It’s sounds like your girl loves her new diet & she wants more…lol her body will get use to eating a raw diet, you could add some blended pulped veggies to her meals to make her feel fuller ….
I made my own raw balanced diet & blended, peeled carrot, broccoli, celery & apple, I added 2 spoons of the blended veggie mix to 1 cup of grounded kangaroo mince, (my boy has food sensitivities) you can freeze the blended veggie mix in an ice cube tray cover with cling wrap & freeze, just take out of freezer 15mins before feeding time, it thaws very quickly also sweet potatoes you peel then thinly slice the sweet potatoes & bake in the oven…. google natural healthy dog treats, you might find another recipe to make natural healthy treats a lot of people buy a dehydrator & dehydrates their own meat, veggies & make fresh jerky treats for their dogs…. you can do in the oven but oven needs to on very low heat & takes a while….

When a dog is doing smelly farts this can be a food sensitivities/food intolerances, when a dog is sensitive to an ingredient it causes toxic gasses in the bowel, a dog should fart but it shouldn’t smell bad & clear a room. You’ll need to stop all the different proteins & start again, just feed 1 protein for 4-6weeks & see if she’s still doing smelly farts, it can take from 1 day up to 6 weeks to react to certain ingredients, my boy reacts pretty much straight away, he gets red paws, itchy ears, itchy smelly yeasty skin & farts real bad, when he eats something he’s sensitive too… once I worked out what he can’t eat (chicken, barley, wheat, corn & carrots, carrots made his ear smell & itch 20mins after eating a meal with carrots) & removed these ingredients he was good, no smelly farts no more, just watch your girl after she eats what she ate when the farts start, start feeding 1 novel protein if you can get kangaroo that’s a lean novel protein & just feed the Kangaroo & 2-4 blended fruit & veggies & add meaty raw kangaroo bone 3 times a week….
Are you feeding pre-made raw? look for a pre-made raw diet with limited ingredients that have novel proteins, like kangaroo, rabbit, venison, goat proteins she hasn’t really eaten before, also start reading the ingredient list & see is there a common ingredient when she doing bad smelly farts, her gut would of had time to a just to the raw diet she’s been eating a raw diet 3 months now, she’s probably eating ingredient she’s sensitive too….

[Claudia N]

Did you find out what was the problem ?
I have a rescued Maltese yorkie and he doesn’t want to eat dry food.

[Laura E]

3 Boston terriers ages 9, 12, 13. Looking for a healthy dry food for these smaller, senior dogs. I’ve tried a few but not happy with them. Nutro Ultra seems to make them poop more and messy. Any suggestions appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi Ann,
yes start adding 1 spoon of the Pumkin with each meal, Pumkin makes my boy go to the toilet but sometimes boiled pumkin can firm a dog poos, it all depends on the dog…
The Hills I/D vet diet may be constipating her as it has beet Pulp & ingredients to firm up poo’s…One of my posts above I have posted premium wet tin foods at the bottom of my post that are low in fat & not a vet diet…When they eat wet food they get moisture/water heaps more then when eating a dry kibble….
Start a routine with walks same time everyday, it’s best to walk after she eats a meal, dogs normally poos after they eat, so you can see her poos & see are they too hard or too soft…. also running is good it moves the bowel, does she like to chase a ball?
If the pumkin doesn’t work & she still hasn’t done a poo, I’d stop the Hills I/d wet & feed something else that’s low in fat that she has eaten before & you know she does go to toilet….but I wouldn’t fed a dry kibble yet it may constipate her more….

[Christie]

Two days ago my mother noticed her 2 year old dog straining to pee and when she did pee it was just a weak dribble. She called the vet because it looked like a clear sign of a UTI/Bladder infection. When she took a sample (what little that there was) it was bloody. The vet did a whole workup including Xrays (due to the intestinal blockage the dog had last year from eating a throw rug) to make sure that it wasn’t anything more than an infection. Yesterday, the vet called to confirm that she had a “raging” Bladder infection, which I thought was a bit strange since the dog wasn’t having any issues urinating days before. The vet went on to say that crystals had formed in her urine and there was e Coli and other microbes in her urine and she said that the dog should be fed with the prescription diet that the vet’s office sells.

Now I know that some dogs and cats do have issues where the urine can form crystals and cause kidney stones and blockages. But I’ve also read that an infection, when left untreated for some time, could also cause crystals to form from the build up of urine that isn’t being released.

My cat almost died a few years ago because I didn’t understand the signs of a UTI (he’d stay in the litter box a long time with no success (I thought he was having issues defecating) and he developed a blockage that thankfully passed without surgery. While the initial urine had shown crystals, subsequent tests once he was at the vet’s for the week with IV meds didn’t show crystals. The vet said that he didn’t need “prescription food” as long as I switched him to wet food to up his moisture intake to encourage more frequent urination.

Considering that this is the first time that this dog has ever had a UTI, should we immediately jump to getting the prescription food that the vet is trying to sell us? I kind of feel like she was pressuring my mother by trying to scare her by telling her that there was e Coli in the urine. Because I know that e Coli is a frequent cause of UTIs in animals and that it’s often found in urine (but is usually harmless).

Are there any foods out there that promote good Kidney/UTI function that we should try first? Right now, she’s overweight. She’s about 40 pounds and could do with losing about 5-10 to be considered healthy. She’s currently eating Fromm’s Weight Management dry.

[Susan]

Hi Ann C,
yes sounds like the pet shop owner knows her foods, “Canidae’ is EXCELLENT, have a look at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior grain free, I’ve contacted Canidae about this new formula, Pure Meadow Senior the max fat % is 10.80%max fat, that’s pretty good & low in fat & the Canidae Life Stages Platinum is also good has grains, very low in protein at 20%. I found the Platinum formula kibble breaks down real easy, all crumbs are all down the bottom of kibble bag or container too much crumbs…
all Canidae formula’s are very easy to digest, very good for dogs with skin, stomach, bowel Pancreatitis……
I have fed all the formulas you have mentioned above except the weight management formula vet advised against feeding Patch any weight management formula’s the fat may be low but the fiber is very high…..stay around 5% & under for fiber…. 4% is best…
Holistic Select Chicken & Rice senior has a few ingredients & has Beet Pulp, Beet Pulp is also in vet diets & gives my boy acid reflux….Beet Pulp is a fermentable fiber it suppose to help promote healthy Gi tract but it can do the opposite as it does with my boy, makes his breath smell bad like food is fermenting in his stomach & gives him bad acid reflux so I avoid any wet or dry foods with Beet Pulp….
Here’s the Canidae link… http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

I’m glad your getting help with lower fat diets, here’s some wet tin foods that are from F/B “Canine Diabetes Support & Information” group in the “Files” the fat has been converted to dry matter (Kibble)…
Weruva – Cirque de La Mer- fat-9.8%
Weruva – Bed & Breakfast-fat-12.4%
Weruva – Grandma Chix Soup-fat-12.5%
Natures Recipe – G/F Chicken Recipe in broth fat-11.11%
Natures Recipe – Chicken, Wild Salmon Recipe in broth fat-11.11%
Pure Essentials G/F – Salmon Recipe in broth fat-11.76%
Simply Nourish G/F – Chicken & Beef Stew fat-11.76% Sold only at Pet Smart
Simply Nourish G/F – Chicken & Venison fat-11.76%

[Susan]

Hi Ann
I understand your frustration, but I would stop feeding the raw food or whatever has caused her poo to become greasy, the greasy look is NO good, I have a dog with IBD & you don’t want yellow sloppy poo, blood thru poo & greasy poo’s is a sign of too much fat in diet & can trigger Pancreatitis….
When you read the fat % on raw or wet tin it hasn’t been converted to dry matter fat (Kibble) yet, here’s an eg: 5% min fat in raw or wet tin is about 20min-25%max fat, now that’s very high for a dog who is prone to Pancreatitis, always stick with 3%max & under for fat in raw or wet tin food…..Hills wet tin vet diet’s have already been converted their fat to dry matter in their vet diet wet tin foods, Royal Canine & Purina Pro Plan vet diet haven’t converted the fat to DM yet but if you send any pet food company an email ask can you please convert the fat for ???? formula to dry matter % ..
always tell Pet Shop staff, my dog has Pancreatitis, then ask do you know much about Pancreatitis? & normally they will say oh my dog has Pancreatitis & I feed him ??? or they say they don’t know much about Pancreatitis..

Join this face book group, “Canine Pancreatitis Support” group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/
The lady that runs this group feeds a raw diet she can help you with what raw diets are best & there’s other people in the group that feed home made raw, cooked or wet/dry premium foods that are not vet diets..
also join this face book group, “Canine Diabetes Support & Information” group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanineDiabetesSupportandInformation/
on the left you’ll see “Files” click on the Files & click on 3rd link “2017.3.26 CDSI Diabetes food options” scroll down a bit & you’ll see dry formula’s & wet tin foods you can buy in the pet shops & the lady has converted the fat% to DMB…..
Keep your girl on bland low fat diet for 1-2 weeks & feed more smaller meals to rest the Pancreas, she will go poo the rice has probably bound her up a bit, I don’t feed boiled rice it ferments in the stomach, your better off adding boiled potato or sweet potatoes, if she can’t poo then boil some sweet potato or boil pumkin & add about 1 spoon to her meals you can freeze the boil pumkin squares & take out as you need them… if you have the time to cook & freeze meals, cooked meals are best for Pancreatitis, look up “Balance It” it has recipes & Balance It powder to balance the meals https://secure.balanceit.com/
I was feeding cooked meal for 2 meals & dry kibble for the other 2 meals, my boy eats 4-5 small meals a day he cant digest big amounts of food, too much work & stress on his Pancreas….

[kim w]

I’ve searched high and low but can’t find a review or any info on a new dog food brand I’ve found at Dollar General. I havent seen it anywhere else and the website looks to be under construction. They offer dry food, wet food, and treats. I’ve listed the ingredients below and would like to see how it fairs. Anybody have an opinion or could a review be done on this? Thank you.

Mossy Oak Nature’s Menu Super Premium Dog Food
Real Beef & Brown Rice Recipe
Ingredients: Beef, chicken meal, ground rice, soybean meal, whole grain corn, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), brown rice, corn gluten meal, dried beet pulp, natural chicken flavor, calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, dehydrated alfalfa, zinc sulfate, iron oxide (color), titanium dioxode, dried peas, dried carrots, choline chloride, vitamine E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin c), minerals (ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide), vitamins (vitamin a supplement, vitamin d-3 supplement, vitamin e supplement, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin b12 supplement, folic acid).

[Susan]

Hi Donna when I had to soften Patches food, I added warm water NOT hot water, to the kibble in bowl, when kibble was soft all the way thru, then I would drain out the excess water in bowl, I’d make sure my hands were clean & squeezed out all the excess water from the kibbles, you just cuff your hand with 1/2 the amount of the kibble & cuff your hand against the tilted bowl & the water drains out of the kibble, just make sure you drain the water out, dog isn’t licking & lapping up water quickly & swollen kibble same time it can cause stomach problems, even may cause bloat, so make sure you drain any water out, also the dog will wee more or not drink much of his water cause the kibbles have absorbed the water….
When the kibble is a really good & easy to digest, the kibbles will soften within 20-50mins, Taste Of The Wild & Canidae kibbles only take about 20mins & the kibbles are nice & soft all the way thru, stick 1/4 of the wet swollen kibbles in another bowl give them to him then when he’s finished, add some more of the swollen kibbles in his bowl, this way your slowing him down & teaching him to eat slowly or the other thing I did was I sat down next to Patch & only added about 10 dry kibbles in his bowl & I would say slowly, slow down, eat slowly then after he’d finished the 10 kibbles in the bowl, I’d add some more kibbles in his bowl, it would take about 5 mins to slowly feed him…it all depends if you have the time in the morning & at dinner time…
also you can buy those balls with a hole that release food when they roll them or kong’s & stuff a few big kong’s with a mix of kibble, cooked mashed veggies, yogurt stuff in the kongs & then freeze, excellent in the hot Summer months & if you work just before go to work hide a few kongs & that will keep her busy, there’d be a few Kong recipes on line, feed 1/2 the amount of his kibble & give him the rest of his kibble made up in a few kongs, I bought the maize toys that teaches them to lift the lid with their nose to get some kibble or they put their paw on the button & 1 kibble rolls down, I have a toy you put kibble in the rubber ball & he has to get the ball out of the T-shaped maize, it has 4 exits for ball to roll out or you can block them off & only have 1 or 2 exits, but he’s very smart & he’s learnt if I get my paw & shake the T-shape maize the ball rolls around & the kibbles fall out onto the carpet & then he gets his nose & pushes the T-shape maize & eats the kibbles on the carpet it’s slows down his eating, he’s busy playing & having fun, my cat even learnt how to get his kibbles out of the maize or when the kibble flew out, she’d eat them.. it’s good your dog loves his food, he’ll be very easy to train…
or buy a 12 whole muffin tray & add a few kibbles in each 12 cup muffin hole & he has to lick out the kibbles but I found the muffin tray moved around too much or throw the kibble out on the grass area & he walks around sniffing & eating his kibble, I like where I sit next to him, watch TV & just add a few kibbles in his elevated bowl at a time & he sits, eats slowly, he has learnt to be a very patient…

[DONNA K]

I have a 5 month lab. She doesnt chew her dry food. She inhales it. How is the best way to soften her dry food

[HoundMusic]

I fed Purina for years, without a single issue. Started with a rescued GSD in 2003 who was so thin and malnourished, her body could no longer even handle food. I went with Purina ONE because a.) I was desperate b.) the Vet had recommended a lamb & rice diet just to get her system back into order c.) it was higher fat, protein, calories than most lamb based foods.

That dog went from eating 8 cups of ultra expensive designer food to about 4-5 cups, gained weight to boot, and I fed Purina, from Dog Chow to Pro Plan, on/off for several years, until a formula change in the Dog Chow. I used it on rabbit dogs being run 2-3x weekly, in whelp and nursing bitches, and later, conformation show dogs, all without a hitch. One of my bitches had her milk dry up within a few days of whelping on Merrick – after one meal of Purina ONE, she started producing it again. Her puppies mysterious skin condition also cleared up. So which, in that instance, was the inferior food?

I recently tried Dog Chow again and it wasn’t half bad. My dogs just do better on another feed. That is what it really comes down to. What food does *your* dog do well on? Listen to your dog, and not scare tactic sites on the internet.

@ Bobby Dog
Is that the rear end of a bluetick Beagle I spy in your avatar? 😀

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by HoundMusic.

[Bobby dog]

Hello Patterson C:
Asking questions on a forum intended for just that purpose? No apologies necessary IMO, ask away! 😉

Nice to read he is more comfortable now since he had a bath and a dose of Benadryl.

You sound like a caring dog owner that is reaching out to others for information. That’s how most of us found DFA. The next step is to sort through it all as you wrote above, “It helps so that I can mention some ideas to my vet.”

I bathe my dog with Malaseb shampoo, along with other brands with key ingredients, for his skin issues. Most times it is not used in conjunction with anything else, but it is a very important part of maintenance for him. If I fall behind I am reminded by him…he begins his frequent scratching and licking. During the winter/spring I bathe him about two times a month. During the summer/fall I bathe once sometimes twice a week; rinsing him off daily goes a long way most times.

I also give him Benadryl during his allergy season.

One thought, in your original post you wrote your dog “thrived” on Purina. I would switch back to what he did well eating as a starting point.

Here’s a site run by two boarded Vet Dermatogists. I like their library (under resources tab) and blog. They will also answer questions on their FB page:
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/

Here’s the U.S. directory for ACVD Diplomats:
https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist

Good luck, maybe it is as simple as switching back to the food he thrived on!

Hello Randy D,
I agree it’s a good place to start. Although, I would feed the food that he did best on Purina.

[Patterson C]

I switched him back to his old food on Monday night, it’s now Thursday night. I wonder how long it would take for the situation to resolve if it was the food causing a problem? He’s also had a bath and one dose of benadryl yesterday. He is better than he was a few days ago for sure. Still moderately itchy.

[Susan]

Hi SP
what I don’t understand hair burns with any heat & it smells AWFUL stinks real bad, when the meat is being cooked their wouldn’t be any hair left, when the butcher gets a pig or side of a cow it has been skinned & is furless, I see the animals coming into the Butcher up the road & the animals have no hair, it doesn’t make sense unless Acana is just throwing in road kill the whole body but like I said all the animals fur would burn, wouldn’t it??
Gee what are you feeding now, hopefully not Acana…

Hi Cathy P
ring Chewy & organize a return of the Acana,
Acana Regionals, Wild Atlantic New England fresh Greens came 3rd & Acana Singles Mackerel & Greens formula came 8th on the “Clean Label Project” top 10 pet food with the most Environmental & Industrial, Contaminates & Toxins….Acana Heritage meats dry formula got 1 star & is on the 13th page. click on link below, read then go to top & click on “Dog Ratings” then on your left click on “Dry Dog Foods” this way just dog foods come up not dog & cat foods…
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

[Susan]

Hi, what are you feeding your dog with Colitis ? so your looking for a dry food that can maybe cater for both dogs health problems….later on when both dogs are doing better give the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb a try, it’s a single protein Lamb meal, limited ingredient kibble….
When I first rescued Patch he was diagnosed with Colitis from food intolerances & has Environment skin allergies as well, double whammy, poor dog, I had to do the elimination diet to find out what foods were irritating his bowel & skin, it was time consuming but worth it in the end, “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb was the first kibble after 2 yrs of trying vet diets & premium kibbles that helped my boy with his IBD & skin problems as well, it was like winning the lottery, I finally found a dry food that didn’t irritate his stomach & bowel & make his skin itch, even Patch was soo happy & started to gain some weight, IBD is an awful disease….. Patches vet rung me a bit worried cause we had not seen her in a while, we were at the vets monthly & she’d ring me weekly instead of me having to pay to see her at the vets office, Patch is very lucky we finally found a good vet & she has IBD as well, which is good cause she understands what poor Patch is going thru, she a very good vet, she’s originally from America & came to Australia…she explained how Colitis IBD can be painful, cause Patch sometimes starts being real clingy & whinges & follows me around the house, he drives me nuts some days, there’s been a few times I have asked her about putting him to sleep, I understand when you say this is the first night he hasn’t licked himself to sleep…..So he definitely has food sensitivities if you’ve change his food back & he’s back to normal after 5 days….like I said there’s no magic test for food sensitivities except food elimination diet….
I’m pretty sure TOTW cost the same price as Iams…..”Costco” does their “Kirkland Signature” Domain, they’re the same as TOTW formula’s, later when both dogs are doing really well, if ever you need to change kibbles, Costco do a Lamb & Rice formula, I don’t live near a Costco’s, I’ve heard Costco pet foods are good & cheaper…..

[Patterson C]

Got my lab 2.5 months ago. He was on Purina and thriving. We switched him to Iams because that’s the only thing my other dog does well on. He was on Iams lamb and rice for over a month, but I wanted something better for him. I switched him to Nutro max grain free salmon flavor. He immediately started licking and biting and now his inner hind leg hair is pretty scarce. He was only on that for a week before I switched him back to the Iams. He’s been back on Iams for 3 days now.. I’ve bathed him with soothing shampoo and gave him Benadryl. Think it’s helping for now. I want a permanent solution so I’m looking for opinions. Keep him on Iams if he starts doing better? Or do an allergy test at the vet and start trying new foods again? My family says if it’s not broken don’t fix it, but I don’t know.

Thanks for your help.

[Susan]

Hi Christine S,
Hills I/d Restore Low Fat dry & wet tin food has digestive enzymes, a lot of dogs with Pancreatitis are put on the Hills I/d formula’s or Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet or dry but you have to read ingredient list in the wet & dry matching formula’s as they differ…. Patch was eating the Hills I/d Vegetables & Chicken stew wet….
Sound’s like she is having pain, yarning panting are all signs of pain after eating from Pancreatitis… Patch is the same when I feed home cooked some days he seemed OK but then he wasn’t OK & had his pancreas pain after eating his lean pork & sweet potatoes so I stopped feeding the cooked meals & went back feeding a kibble that is easy to digest & the Hills I/d wet tins, I feed 5 meals a day, so his pancreas doesn’t have as much work & he doesn’t have a full stomach & have to much to digest a heap of food all at once, smaller meals seems to work best for him… I never mix dry with wet food he had BAD pain…

[pat c]

Hello. I’ve read these forums with interest and would sincerely appreciate a recommendation from those more knowledgeable than I.

We adopted our first dog about a year ago. She’s a 30 pound total mutt (some american staffy). She’s in good health with no major issues. Some eye gunk that mostly cleared up with better food and some dandruff and maybe light allergies (nothing diagnosed). She’s gotten very fussy with her dry food and I’d love some good recommendations on what to try next. I’ve read a lot but I’m not an expert and it seems like every time I see positive review on something, I find negative ones as well so I’m pretty confused and would rather seek guidance from those who know, than keep trying to guess! 🙂

After switching her off the crap they were feeding her in the shelter, we’ve cycled through
– Nutro,
– Orijen Adult Grain Free (which she was on for a while and she seemed to like but we stopped when we saw the negative reviews and new location/forumla),
– Taste of the Wild High Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food (she didn’t seem to like it that much and he stools were much softer)
– Wellness CORE Grain Free Original Turkey & Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food (liked it more than TOTW but still iffy), and now
– Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food, Wild Game Duck, Turkey, Boar & Rabbit (likes it a touch more than the previous blend, but doesn’t love it).

Throughout this time we’ve also mixed in Stella & Chewy’s dinner patties which she LOVES. They just seem too expensive to offer as her entire diet.

Lately, she has a lot less interest in all of the foods above and will sometimes even refuse to begin eating, or not finish, unless we mix something else in. Now I am crumbling in one Stella & Chewy’s pattie with her dry food to get her to eat.

I’d like to try a couple of new options but am overwhelmed but the amount of information on the different types of foods, flavors, acceptable ingredients, and different types of diets and 5 star reviews out there.

Based on the above, I’d sincerely appreciate a couple of other good recommendations for a picky eater. While the Stella & Chewy’s feels a bit expensive as a primary meal, assume cost isn’t really a factor here.

Thank you SO MUCH in advance for any advice!

[Susan]

Hi Christine S,
have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis Support group” on Face Book?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/
the lady that runs the group Lisa Hogan has posted 2 of Dr Judy Morgan DVM recipes for Pancreatitis.
It’s hard to know what’s going on, especially with the Lungs & Heart, checking a dog lungs thru Xrays & Ultra Scan might not show up much sometimes, I was having problems breathing, I’m breathless when weather is real humid hot & real cold, I had X Ray & Ultra Scan test came back everything was all good but I knew something wasn’t right then by accident while I was having an MRI for another health problem Gallbladder & Liver they found I have Fibrosis in lungs….
Has your vet prescribe Metronidazole (Flagyl) this will help with the sloppy poos/diarrhea & if there’s any Stomach or Pancreas inflammation, my boy was taking 1x 200mg Metronidazole twice a day for 2 weeks now he’s taking 1 x 200mg Metronidazole with his dinner, vet wants him to stay on a low dose of Metronidazole & see how he goes…
The Royal Canin food which food is she having the wet HP tin food or the dry HP kibble?

[Susan]

Hi Noello,
Bluey is officially the oldest dog in the world age 29yrs 5months old he was PTS 1939 & still holds the tittle Guinness book of records….
Brambles the vegan dog from UK, first I read Brambles was 25yrs old when she passed away, then I read she was 27 yr old ?????….
Brambles did not eat any processed dry vegan kibble, she ate a bowl of FRESH organic vegetables rice & lentils, a fresh vegan diet….there’s a big difference to feeding a dry processed kibble & feeding fresh whole foods, the other 2 Oldest dogs in the World Maggie & Bluey ate fresh foods & exercised & worked…….
Rodney Habib looked into why these dogs lived so long, the common link was they all worked & exercised every day & only ate once a day & all 3 dogs were feed fresh foods, not processed dry kibbles…..

[Krista B]

Hello,

Does anyone know the recommended amount of sodium (on a dry matter bais) and the safe upper limit of sodium? Im in the process of contacting several vets regarding this information but I’m wondering if anyone happens to know this. I’ve read and been told by one vet that the recommended range is between 0.3-0.5% dry matter basis. But I’ve also had a vet tell me as high as 1.21% was ok. I’m currently feeding Natural Balance limited ingredient diets and the chicken formula has a sodium level of 1.21%. This seems rather high to me I’m wondering what anyone else thinks of this? I’m looking into a few other brands at the moment. What’s hard is that a prefer a limited ingredient diet because my dog seems to do best on those. My preference is also less than 400 calories per cup and moderate protein and fat. This makes it rather hard to find a suitable dog food. I’m willing to make exceptions if necessary. Right now I’m looking into merrick limited ingredient diets and canidae limited ingredient small breed formulas. I’m also considering sticking to natural balance and using their lower sodium formulas. But what makes me hesitant is that they wouldn’t necessarily be shy about upping the other formulas sodium levels. Does anyone have any suggestions of good brands or know anything about sodium levels? Thanks so much!

[Svan D]

As other reviews state, Acana moved its manufacturing plant from Canada to KY. That’s not all they changed. The Pacifica product was made from higher quality salmon in cleaner waters to what is now lower quality herring and redfish that live in more contaminated waters. I’m a toxicologist and noticed the change immediately when first opening the new bag. My dog, who is such an avid eater that he has a ‘slow feed’ bowl, obviously noticed too and was hesitant to eat it. So researching a new dog food, I read DogFoodAdvisor and Clean Label Project (nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of vets and MDs http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/ ). I was horrified to see that this product is rated in the “Bottom Ten: Out of 299 dry dog foods tested, the bottom ten, on average, contain the highest amount of harmful environmental and industrial contaminants and toxins.” Orijen isn’t any better.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Svan D. Reason: typo

[Susan]

Hi Melody D,
the Canidae link isn’t working I forgot to add /. Canidae also have their Life Stages
“Platinum” low fat-8% low protein 20% dry kibble & Platinum wet tin food just email Canidae asking for the max fat % in dry matter in the Platinum Wet Tin if your thinking of feeding it, it says 4.50%-fat but hasn’t been converted to dry matter fat (Kibble) the wet tin foods in the files on the Canine Diabetes Support face book group are lower in fat, a wet tin food needs to be under 3% in fat, when 3% fat in wet tin food gets converted to dry matter (Kibble) 3% is around 11% fat…….
The Canidae Platinum worked real well when Patch had his Pancreatitis & couldn’t eat the low fat Vet Diets cause they have Beet Pulp & fish oil….
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Susan]

Hi Melody D,
yes it is definitely the Royal Canine Low Fat food, are you feeding the dry kibble or wet tin food, with Pancreatitis your better off feeding a wet diet instead of a dry kibble..
are you on Face Book ? join this group, “Canine Diabetes Support and Information Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanineDiabetesSupportandInformation/ go to the “Files” & 2nd link click on “2017.3.26 – CDSI Diabetes dog food options” all wet & dry low fat diabetic food will come up scroll down to the wet tin foods & the fat has been converted to dry matter….I would also change your vet…take the R/C Low Fat food back to vets & get a refund its Guaranteed money back & email R/C & tell them what’s happening a Vet Nutritionist will ring you back if you tick the box to be called back they will recommend another one of their foods but it’s always good to complain cause your dog may not be the only dog drinking water & R/C will change whatever is in the Low Fat diet that’s making dogs drink water…..
My boy does the same on another brand of dry kibble, he drinks & drinks water, I had to take him off the dry food…. Have a look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior kibble easy to digest, the fat is 10.08%max http:/www.canidae.com/dog-food/products it’s on the 3rd page..

[Melody D]

I have a 6 year old Yorkshire Terrier that was diagnosed with diabetes in December 2016. He shortly developed pancreatitis about a month later. We spent over $850 in one month for diagnosis/treatment. I fed him Eukanuba Yorkshire Terrier Breed Specific dry kibble until his bout with pancreatitis. After 2 weeks of being off of Eukanuba and feeding him rice, boiled chicken, egg whites, and pumpkin, we put him on Royal Canine Gastrointestinal Low Fat. He hasn’t had a flare up of pancreatitis since (Knock on Wood). As for the frequent urination, since starting my dog on the Royal Canine diet, he drinks an entire bowl of water after he eats and urinates more frequently, also having accidents in the house. I took him off of it for two weeks and went back to the bland homemade diet, and the thirst and frequent urination stopped. After the two weeks, I went back to the Royal Canine and the thirst and frequent started again. I even had to buy a second water bowl. My vet upped his insulin for the thirst/urination and now I know that the diabetes wasn’t the cause of the thirst and urination. I’m curious to see after reading this thread if any of you have been successful with an alternative food. Thank you in advance for any insight.😊