[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, 9 months ago by Jenny S. Reason: Typos
• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 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, 9 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, 9 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.😊

[anonymous]

“He didn’t have any problems with it but he wasn’t super interested in the food unless we doctored it up with toppings etc”.

I always add at least a tablespoon of cooked protein and a splash of water or plain chicken broth (no onion) to kibble. Minimal snacks, 2 meals per day.
I consider kibble the base (1/2 to 2/3 of the meal).
Kibble, even the so called best ones, look so dry and boring otherwise.
Right or wrong, my dogs are thriving on this regimen.

I have been pleased with the quality of Zignature Whitefish (check Chewy dot com for prices)
For something more reasonable I would consider Purina Pro Plan Focus Salmon.
I agree with pitluv, not to make too many changes right now.
Good luck with your pup 🙂

Ps: I avoid potato and sweet potato, in my experience some dogs with sensitive stomachs don’t do well, a lot of kibbles use too much potato (cheap filler) imo

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[Susan]

Hi Melissa,
sounds like you have a puppy with a very sensitive stomach/bowel, he may suffer with skin allergies as he get’s older, there’s a few Goldendoodles with sensitive stomach & skin on a Face Book group I belong too….
Food sensitivities/intolerances can take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks to react to a certain ingredient & have Intestinal stress… sounds like there’s an ingredient in the Fromm he’s sensitive too..
My boy has skin allergies & food intolerances & can’t eat high fat meals, tapioca, beet pulp, liver, barley & high fiber kibbles & too many proteins & ingredients he gets stomach up sets, acid reflux, sloppy poos/diarrhea & he wakes up 2am, 4am or 5am crying at the front door to be let out to have diarrhea, sometimes you can hear loud grumbling noises coming from his bowel (Wind)….
You’ll have to start working out what agrees with him & what doesn’t, keep a diary & write down foods, kibbles etc that don’t agree with him & try & work out if there’s an common ingredient, I ended up doing a elimination food diet..

I’ve had great success with “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it is a single protein formula with just lamb meal & has limited ingredients, grain free & is a all life stages formula, has the matching wet tin food…… https://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

When a dog knows a food/kibble causes pain, upset stomach, wind, nausea they’re hesitate to eat it or don’t eat it at all, listen to your dog when he doesn’t want to eat something, he’s telling you, mum this makes me sick, offer to feed something else, he might prefer a wet tin food, cooked, raw or rotate between 2 brands of kibbles that’s what I do, so he doesn’t get sick of eating the same kibble formula, Patch gets Canidae Pure for breakfast & TOTW for lunch & dinner…but you have pup I don’t know how it works rotating Puppy formula’s if it’s Ok….ask & email the kibble company, they would know….
TOTW have vet nutritionist that email back & give advise…

Canidae is another food I feed the Canidae Pure Wild Boar, all the Pure formula’s have limited ingredients.
Canidae have a 3 large breed puppy formula’s, 2 in their “Life Stages” formula’s dry & wet tin, Canidae have a new Large breed puppy Turkey & Brown Rice that has only 1 protein Turkey Meal that’s not too high in protein or fat & can be feed all stages of life Puppy, Adult & Senior large breed…
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey-meal-brown-rice-dry-formula
or Canidae Life Stages Large breed Puppy Duck Meal & Lentils wet & dry
or Canidae’s “Under The Sun” Large Breed Puppy Chicken dry

Maybe try a kibble that has limited ingredient & only 1 protein & see how he goes, no more then 8 ingredients so there’s less ingredients to cause any problems .. Read the ingredients, fiber, fat & protein % in the Nutrisource Puppy formula & the Fromm Heartland Puppy & see is there heaps of ingredients? how many different proteins? is the Fat, Fiber & Protein on the higher end?
Best to buy from a Pet Shop this way you can take it back for a refund & try another food if he doesn’t really want to eat it…..

[Fiona S]

@Cameron B .. yes I converted the as fed analysis to Dry Matter Basis .. which takes the water content out of the various types of foods which lets you compare them side by side.
As noted by someone else the fruits and vegetables do not appear to have been cooked and in reading books it does say that dogs can’t easily break down the cell walls of plants. I am happy for it just to pass through as fiber but I don’t tend to see any chunks in his poop although he only gets one cup of this along with close to 2lbs of raw meat and bones
The first bag I opened sealed up just fine with the ziploc, the second one ripped on opening which wasn’t as great. Small issue but figured I’d mention it.
I did call to ask Chewy aboiut the fat content and was told someone would contact me but so far they haven’t.
From what I can see you can still buy one get one free of this food which definitely makes it more affordable, and that was my second purchase of it.

[Susan]

Hi, pea flour & pea starch isn’t as bad as pea protein, Hills Vet Nutritionist explained to me it’s the protein in foods that the dog is sensitive or allergic too….
I would avoid eating peas if your 100% sure he can’t eat peas……
Have you tried a vet diet & done a proper food elimination diet? either using a vet diet or a raw diet?
this is the only true why to find out what foods your dog has intolerances too…. also another way is thru the winter months your dog will do better then as soon as spring & summer come your dog gets worse then it’s seasonal environment allergies what my boy suffers with as long as I feed him foods he’s OK with we have a good winter until spring & summer come around ….. it’s so hard to work out what is causing what….best to feed a raw limited ingredient diet then start the CADI injections…It’s too hard to do food elimination diet while feeding a dry kibble too many allergens to deal with in a kibble…

Join this face Book Group, “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” there’s a new injection that has just come out made by the same makers of Apoquel called “Cytopoint” CADI injections, the way CADI injection works is it blocks the receptors completely & stops the itch where Apoquel blocks the reaction from the allergen receptors, so many dogs in America are enjoying an itch free Summer since having the CADI injections, it last 4-6 weeks, apparently the more CADI injection your dog has the injection seem to last longer & longer till he needs the CADI injection, find a vet or Dermatologist in your area & ask what they think of this new drug… my vet said results looks excellent….

More info in this group from parents & their happy dogs, CADI isn’t in Australia yet but hopefully we’ll get it this spring/summer, we had an awful Summer so good luck, make sure you give baths to wash off the pollens, dirt. grass etc the days your dog isn’t doing well..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

[Susan]

Hi Zabryna,
another very lucky dog who has landed on her feet & been rescued now found a good home……
Has she been wormed with an “All Wormer, desexed & vaccinated?
She may prefer eating wet tin food & cooked food instead of a dry kibble also start feeding 3-4 smaller meals a day, instead of the 2 larger meals a day to help gain her weight, get her in a routine & feed meals same times every day, start feeding the amount it says to feed on the kibble bag, read the weight you want her to be or what she should weigh, divided the amount it says on bag into 2 meals, feed kibble for Breakfast 7am & more kibble for Dinner 5pm then lunch 12pm feed wet tin or cooked food (left overs are good) and a second dinner 8pm wet tin food or left overs from dinner, so she is eating every 5 hours, she should start to gain weight within 1 month, if she hasn’t gained any weight & is eating more then the recommended amount in 2 months, see a vet, normally rescued dogs are covered for any health problems when you buy a dog or cat through a rescue group or RSPCA, my cat had 14 days warranty & if there’s a health problem then it’s free until the health problem is fixed… Is she small dog or a big dog? if she is small then only buy the small bags of kibble as kibble goes rancid, stale after it’s opened, so make sure it’s kept in a air tight container in a cool dark place…..
Good foods at a good price in America.
“Costco” sell a brand “Kirkland Signature”, Natures Domain, look at the Salmon & Sweet Potatoes, it is “Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream, Smoked Salmon formula & cheaper-
http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand

“Pro Pac Ultimates” Bayside Whitefish & Prime Meadow Lamb kibble
is made by the makers who make Earthborn Holistic,

4 Health wet tin & dry kibble sold at Tractor Supply Co-https://www.tractorsupply.com/landing-pages_brands_4health

There’s probably more brands of kibble you’d have to post a post asking for “Good Price 3-5 star wet & dry foods”

[Susan]

Hi, another very lucky dog who has landed on her feet, been rescued & has found a good home……
Has she been wormed with an “All Wormer, desexed & vaccinated? she may prefer eating wet tin food & cooked food instead of a dry kibble also start feeding 3-4 smaller meals a day, instead of the 2 larger meals a day to help gain her weight, get her in a routine & feed meals same times every day, start feeding the amount it says to feed on the kibble bag, read the weight you want her to be or what she should weigh, divided the amount it says on bag into 2 meals, feed kibble for Breakfast 7am & more kibble for Dinner 5pm then lunch 12pm feed wet tin or cooked food (left overs are good) and a second dinner 8pm wet tin food or left overs from dinner, so she is eating every 5 hours, she should start to gain weight within 1 month, if she hasn’t gained any weight & is eating more then the recommended amount in 2 months, see a vet, normally rescued dogs are covered for any health problems when you buy a dog or cat through a rescue group or RSPCA, my cat had 14 days warranty & if there’s a health problem then it’s free until the health problem is fixed… Is she small dog or a big dog? if she is small then only buy the small bags of kibble as kibble goes rancid, stale after it’s opened, so make sure it’s kept in a air tight container in a cool dark place…..
Good foods at a good price in America.
“Costco” sell a brand “Kirkland Signature”, Natures Domain, look at the Salmon & Sweet Potatoes, it is “Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream, Smoked Salmon formula & cheaper-
http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand

“Pro Pac Ultimates” Bayside Whitefish & Prime Meadow Lamb kibble
is made by the makers who make Earthborn Holistic,

4 Health wet tin & dry kibble sold at Tractor Supply Co-https://www.tractorsupply.com/landing-pages_brands_4health

There’s probably more brands of kibble you’d have to post a post asking for “Good Price 3-5 star wet & dry foods”

[Claudia D]

Get the Facts! Raw Pet Food Diets can be Dangerous to You and Your Pet

In a two-year study spanning from October 2010 through July 2012, the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) screened over 1,000 samples of pet food for bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses.1 (The illnesses are called “foodborne” because the bacteria are carried, or “borne,” in or on contaminated food.) The study showed that, compared to other types of pet food tested, raw pet food was more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.
The Pet Food Study

Raw pet food was not included in the first year of the study. In the second year, CVM expanded the study to include 196 samples of commercially available raw dog and cat food. The center bought a variety of raw pet food online from different manufacturers and had the products shipped directly to six participating laboratories.2 The raw pet food products were usually frozen in tube-like packages and made from ground meat or sausage.
The participating laboratories analyzed the raw pet food for harmful bacteria, including Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. In past projects, CVM had monitored dog and cat food for the presence of Salmonella. But before this study, the center “had not investigated the occurrence of Listeria in pet food,” said Renate Reimschuessel, a veterinarian at CVM’s Office of Research and one of the study’s principal investigators. Dr. Reimschuessel further noted that “quite a large percentage of the raw foods for pets we tested were positive for the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.” (Pathogens are disease-causing germs, like some bacteria. Not all bacteria are harmful pathogens, though. Some bacteria are helpful to people and animals, such as those that live in the intestines and contribute to a healthy gut.)

Of the 196 raw pet food samples analyzed, 15 were positive for Salmonella and 32 were positive for L. monocytogenes (see Table 1).

Table 1: Number and type of pet food samples that tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes (Years 1 & 2)
Type of Pet Food Sample No. samples tested No. positive for Salmonella No. positive for L. monocytogenes
Raw pet food 196 15 32
Dry exotic pet food* 190 0 0
Jerky-type treats† 190 0 0
Semi-moist dog food‡ 120 0 0
Semi-moist cat food‡ 120 0 0
Dry dog food§ 120 0 0
Dry cat food§ 120 1 0
* Non-cat and non-dog food, such as dry pellets for hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, amphibians, and birds.
† Included chicken jerky product, pig ears, and bully stick-type products.
‡ Typically packaged in pouches for retail sale, such as (1) pouched dog and cat food; and
(2) food treats shaped like bacon, fish, pork chops, and burgers.
§ Included pellet- or kibble-type food typically packaged in bags for retail sale.
Note: CVM did not collect or test canned and wet pet food samples in this study.

Based on the study’s results, CVM is concerned about the public health risk of raw pet food diets. As Dr. Reimschuessel explained, the study “identified a potential health risk for the pets eating the raw food, and for the owners handling the product.” Owners who feed their pet a raw diet may have a higher risk of getting infected with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
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Because raw pet food is more likely than other types of pet food to contain Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, the single best thing you can do to prevent infection is to not feed your pet a raw diet

Pet Food Recalls

Both cooked and raw pet food products are recalled for various reasons, including the presence of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. For a list of recalled pet food and the reason for the recall, please see CVM’s Recalls & Withdrawals Web page.
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Resources for You

Get the Facts about Salmonella!
Get the Facts about Listeria!
Avoid the Dangers of Raw Pet Food
Pet Food
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1 Nemser S, Reimschuessel, R. Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) disclaimer icon Microbiology Cooperative Agreement Program (MCAP), FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Special Project: Pet food testing for selected microbial organisms. Final Report 2010-2012. The study was conducted by FDA CVM’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), in collaboration with FERN MCAP laboratories. The journal citation is Nemser S, Doran T, et al. Investigation of Listeria, Salmonella, and Toxigenic Escherichia coli in Various Pet Foods. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2014;11:706-709.
2 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Michigan Department of Agriculture; Minnesota Department of Agriculture; North Carolina Department of Agriculture; Ohio Department of Agriculture; and Washington Department of Agriculture.

[Susan]

Hi Christie, Fromm weight management Gold Formula has a few different proteins & a lot of different ingredients, most weight management kibbles are higher in fiber to keep the dog feeling fuller longer, read the fiber % it’s high at 7% fiber, if your looking for a lower fat diet formula have look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior, adult dogs can also eat the Pure Meadow senior formula, the protein is good at 28%min & the Fat is 10.80% max… it has 2 proteins, Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal, ingredient list- 1st-Chicken, 2nd-Chicken Meal & 3rd-Turkey Meal so the 28%min protein is mainly meat proteins & not 1/2 plant proteins & 1/2 meat proteins, then 4th- Sweet Potatoes, 5th-Chickpeas, 6th-peas, Pure Meadow has only 9 ingredients….
I know some dogs like to graze, but both dogs?? maybe just change the kibble brand to another brand with lower fiber-4-5%max, limited ingredient kibble & see if it makes a difference & see if they aren’t eating as much grass….My boy only eats grass when he’s unwell & feels sick or has a bit of acid reflux, he doesn’t do well on higher fiber kibbles, no dog really would, dogs have a short digestive tract build to digest meat proteins, not high fiber, high carbohydrate diet….. Canidae is money back if your pets aren’t happy, Canidae have other formula’s….. I like their Pure Wild Boar so does my dog & cat, the cat is always trying to pinch Patches kibbles that’s how I know when a kibble taste good Indy (cat)wants to get the dogs kibble….
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

[Susan]

Hi Michelle P,
the only thing that will give you answers is a Endoscope + Biopsies…..X-rays will be a waste of money, X-rays do not show what’s happening in the stomach…
Sounds like what happens with my boy, I was back at the vets Tuesday doing full blood test that were a waste of money, they showed nothing, blood test came back all good….
It very hard to work out what’s happening when its the Intestinal tract, the only why to know what’s wrong is thru biopsies, so either do an Endoscope + Biopsies which is the easiest way or cut open & do Biopsies, I said NO again on Tuesday cause you still treat with the same medications & just have a name for what type of IBD it is….I asked to put my boy back on the Triple Therapy medications, Metronidazole, Clarithromycin & Omeprazole (Losec) for 14 -21 days to kill the Helicobacter again, your boy may have the Helicobacter-Pylori why didn’t the vet put him on Omeprazole (Losec) instead of the Nexium?? they’re the same type of drug an acid blocker, PPI, it takes 12-24hrs for a Pump Protein Inhibitor (PPI) Nexium, Losec, Somac, start to work if the diarrhea doesn’t stop ask vet can he put him on Omeprazole instead of the Nexium, Omeprazole firmed Patches poos up & Zantac didn’t help Patch…when he’s gulping give some liquid Mylanta I keep a small bottle in the fridge it keep it cold it soothes the esophagus & stomach & stops the gulping straight away & they can sleep…Omeprazole is a blocker & sends a msg to the brain to stop making the excess hydrochloric acid in the stomach where Zantac is just like taking liquid Mylanta it just covers the acid reflux but it doesn’t stop it, once you stabilize him he will get better, feed a low fat, low carb, low fiber diet, it’s best to cook meals, boiled sweet potato is good when they don’t want to eat, sooths the stomach same as boiled pumkin, not much about 2 spoons mixed thru the chicken or turkey…
Maybe look for a low fat wet tin food make sure you email the pet food company to get the fat % as it isn’t converted to dry matter (Kibble) yet, so 4%min fat is around 16 to 20%max fat when converted to dry matter (Kibble), I was feeding the Hills I/D Chicken & Vegetables stew but they have changed the ingredients & it has Beet Pulp now, beet Pulp seems to make my boy acid reflux worse, do not mix kibble & wet tin food, feed one or the other or make sure you feed at least 6 hrs apart….Sometimes a dog needs to stay on a low dose of Metronidazole just take once a day, once the dog has finished the 21-28 day course, try & stay with the same vet so pick the vet you thought was better & helped more, find out the vets working hours, Patches vet only works Tuesday & Thursday..

Join this Face Book group- “Canine Diabetes Support & Information Group” & look in the “Files” 2nd post- 2017- C.D.S.I foods, scroll down for the wet tin foods they have all been converted to dry matter fat & they don’t have Beet Pulp a fermentable fiber, that most vet diets have for bowel problems….
*Weruva can/tin –
Cirque de la Mer -fat 9.8%
Bed & Breakfast -fat-12.4%
Grandma Chix Soup-fat-12.5%

*Natures Recipe
G/F Chicken recipe in broth-fat-11.11%
G/F Chicken Wild Salmon recipe in broth-fat-11.11%

* Simply Nourish
G/F Chicken & Beef Stew-fat-11.76%
G/F Chicken & Venison-fat-11.76%

*Pure Essentials
G/F Salmon Recipe in broth-fat-11.76%

[Kristen L]

Just an idea – Everything I read tells you that yeast is caused by sugar and starch turns into sugar. And what foods are high in starch? Potatoes! Try taking her off starchy foods. They have to put some starch/carbs in dry food to keep it together, but potatoes are high starch. Sweet potatoes are better than white, but still high. Take her off potatoes for starters, and Google the glycemic index for dogs foods. The chart will list from high to low. Peas are low as is tapioca. Raw, of course, is best. You can eliminate all sugar that way. Also, if you haven’t tried it already (I’ve read that vets prescribe it), order some T8 keto solution on Amazon. It worked amazing for my boy and his chronic yeast infections. It dries it all up and goes all the way down inside. His ears have been good for months. NO POTATOES.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Kristen L.

[Susan]

Hi Tiffany, yeasty ears can be from an ingredient your dog is sensitive too & you haven’t eliminated it from her diet yet even thought you have changed kibbles there may be any ingredient she is very sensitive too, here’s a link “Facts & Myths Yeast Dermatitis” written by 2 Dermatologist Karen Helton Rhodes, have you seen a Dermatologist yet??
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs scroll down & read the section about “CARF” Cutaneous Adverse Reaction Food

I would start a raw elimination diet this way she isn’t eating a dry kibble & isn’t eating the same ingredients that’s in most dry kibbles, my boy can NOT eat carrots he starts shaking his head, scratching his ears, ripping at his ears 20mins after eating a meal that had carrots also chicken is another ingredient my boy reacts too badly…..

I rescued a 5mth old kitten that had a real bad mite infestation the RSPCA treated her ears killed the mites but then when I adopted her she was still shacking & scratching her ears, I took her back to RSPCA vet & they did ear scrap & she had bad infection from the mites, so they gave me drops to put in her ears twice a day & I had to come back in 1 week, another ear scrap & she still had ear infection so I had to continue with the antibiotic ear drops twice a day for another week, she was eating Hills Kitten dry food at the time, the Hills Kitten kibble was given to me when I adopted her, after 6 vet visits & antibiotic ear drops & ear cleaners the infection cleared up but she still had itchy skin & would scratch whole body, so I stopped the Hills dry kibble & tried a grain free Wellness Kitten kibble she was still scratching then I started her on a pre made raw cat diet & Ziwi Peak air dried raw Mackerel & Lamb 2 weeks later NO MORE scratching & ripping at her ears & skin…. Stop feeding dry kibble, either feed a raw diet with 1 single novel protein source or try a Freeze dry raw with just 1 novel protein a protein she hasn’t eaten before Rabbit, Kangaroo, Lamb, Pork, Ziwi Peak has their air dried raw or wet tin food raw
If this doesn’t help after 2months no treats no other foods except her raw or freeze dried diet, then book to see a Dermatologist & tell the Dermatologist what you have tried….
It might be environment allergies but I doubt it, ears are normally food related…..
Good-Luck it would be very uncomfortable for her…

[Mary G]

Hello!!

My 11 year-old beagle just got diagnosed with moderate heart disease. He shows no symptoms but we found out about his enlarged heart because he had a respiratory infection which got taken care of. He is doing great now but the vet suggested we put him on a low sodium diet. We live in Mexico for the moment and there are quite a few brands not available here.

What would you recommend we try? I cannot buy Akana, EVO or even Wellness. We currently have him on Royal Canin Mature Consult. What would other suggestions be? We have a Petco here but we do have a limited amount of brands to choose from. I checked out Tufts suggestions via their website but I am reluctant to try any of the Hills products. Please help, I need guidance. Thanks!!!!

[christine d]

When looking at Dog Food Advisor’s list of recommended dog foods, there is a section that states the nutrition content. Should I be looking at the “Dry Matter Basis” or the “Calorie Weighted Basis” to know what ratio of protein/fat/carbs my dog is getting? So confused!

[Alexandra S]

Yes, please review Whole Paws! Specifically, the Salmon and Sweet Potato dry food.

[crazy4cats]

Mickey T-
I feed my cats a variety of canned foods and follow it up with a little kibble. I try to avoid canned food that contains fish. It has been possibly linked to hyperthyroidism and also according to the Clean Label Project findings that Susan mentioned above, often contain more contaminants than other flavors.
I have fed several different dry foods and don’t believe it is as evil as some do. But, I do think getting moisture in their diets is very important. Especially if they are indoor only cats like mine. Due to urinary tract issues with one of my cats, I feed a couple of different Royal Canin Rx dry recipes that have a S/O index. My cats are doing very well on this regimen so far.
Hope this helps!

[Susan]

Hi
When you have nothing to do go on this site “Clean Label Project” kibbles & wet tin foods with the most toxins & contaminates mainly have fish as the main protein, you’ll be surprised when you see the worse dog & cat brands….
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

The best food to feed a cat is a Raw diet, kibble isn’t good to feed cats, cats have a short digestive tract, cats don’t do real well eating high carb, grains, chick peas lentils etc long term, some cats end up with kidney problems teeth problems from eating dry kibble….
Look for a premade raw diet, I get the Raw sachets from Aldi’s in fridge section, it works out the same price feeding a raw diet as feeding the expensive dry kibble diet..
I live Australia so our Aldi’s would have different raw formula’s then the American Aldi’s, I also buy chicken wings, freeze the chicken wings all separate….feed a chicken for breakfast every second day for her teeth.. buy those gloves for food prep if you don’t like handling any raw food & buy the Antiseptic hand cleaner to have on kitchen bench.
Bad teeth are another problem cats suffer from eating dry & wet process cat foods, look at a cat teeth that are feed wet tin & dry kibbles over the age of 3 yrs old, their teeth are yellow & full of tartar now look at a raw feed cat teeth still nice, white & no tartar…

Join these f/b groups
* Cat Crap
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CatCrap/
* Cat Chat
https://www.facebook.com/groups/618876468214507/
* Rodney Habib
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Ziwi Pets is a really good air dried raw food wet & dry
my cat goes nuts when she smells the Ziwi Pets Mackerel & Lamb
send Ziwi Pets an email asking any questions you may have & ask for cat samples…
https://www.ziwipets.com/

[Susan]

Hi sorry to hear about your girl, my boy has IBD & gets Pancreatitis pain he had it yesterday & today again, real whingy I’m lucky he grinds his teeth when he has his acid reflux & licks mouth like he’s suckling, so I know he’s unwell liquid Mylanta is good too keep a small bottle in fridge & give 5mls & being kept in the fridge soothes the stomach more….
When they yarn & pant, they have pain my vet said, even paw licking can be pain & they set off endorphins from the licking & Patch does a big burp sometimes, I burp him like a baby sometimes when he has his pancreas pain, I rub his back & stomach area (right side rib cage) it makes him feel better, my vet wanted Patch on Prednisone small dose 5mg, actually 3 vets wanted him on Steroids I kept saying NO the Prednisone will give him more acid reflux in the end I have him 2.5mg with breakfast & 2.5mg with dinner & only gave for 3-4 days & stopped the Prednisone did take away his Pancreas pain BUT he felts real sick vomited a few times & got diarrhea, whe I told his vet she said yes some dogs cant take steroids now she said just start him on the Metronidazole low dose 200mg at night Metronidazole has a steroid anti inflammatory type drug & antibiotic, it does help but takes longer about 4-5 days the Prednisone worked within 1 day & Patch takes Losec (Omeprazole) 8.30am every day now, it doesn’t have to be given before they eat like other acid reducers, its a blocker, I thought the same with the Losec when Patch started taking it vet didn’t want him on a Pump Proton Inhibitor (PPI) long term & said just give it to him when needed for 3-4 days then stop but I found he was doing better when taking the Losec, I started just giving 1/2 the 20mg tablet, I buy his Losec from chemist $7.99, his vet writes me 6 repeat scripts, it’s cheaper then buying from vets-$100 & the chemist orders in the Losec that can be cut in 1/2 “Omeprazole Sandoz” I thought the same when Patch first started to take the Losec, that the Losec was causing sloppy poo’s but it was an ingredient in the R/C Low Fat Intestinal vet diet wet tin food, either the Corn gluten meal, whole corn or the wheat then I realized it was the boiled rice, he cant eat boiled rice, it irritates his bowel, he eats the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable stew, it has the least rice & no beet pulp, I take out the rice & carrots give to my cat she loves it but the fat is 14.9% sometimes Patch gets acid reflux, but not his pancreas pain, so I tried the Royal Canine HP wet tin but it has oil all on the bottom of can & fish oils cause Patch to have acid reflux & his pain so I was using a can opener that takes off the top of the can & sliding out the whole meat loaf & patting it with a paper towel to absorb all the oil & cutting the loaf in 3rds & putting the rest on a plate & cover with cling wrap put in fridge, I found he preferred the Hills I/d Chicken Vegetable stew, are you on facebook?? join this group “Canine Diabetes Support and Information? group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanineDiabetesSupportandInformation/files/
on your left is the “Files” click on files & 2nd link- “2017.3.26 – CDSI Diabetes dog food options” click on this & all low fat foods will come up, just scroll down for the wet tin foods the lady has converted the wet tin foods to DM (Dry Matter) DM is the fat% if it were a kibble…or email the wet tin company & ask about the formula’s your interested in, can they email back fat% after being converted to dry matter, the lady has done it with the wet tin foods on the link, I ended up cooking lean pork mince or 99% fat free Turkey mince & Kangaroo mince all human grade minces, Patch did real well on the lean beef
I added 1 whisked egg some finally chopped parsley, peeled & grated 1 carrot & a few chopped up broccoli heads mix all together & make 1 cup size rissole balls or 1/2 cup size balls & bake in oven on baking tray lined with foil just take them out after 15mins & turn over the rissoles & remove any water & fat, I also boil sweet potatoes & add 1/2 a cup to 1 cup rissole ball, all mashed & cut up so it’s easy to eat, the sweet potato & rissoles can be frozen take out the day before put in fridge to thaw….
I also feed Canidae kibble have a look at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior the fat is 10.8% max, or Canidae Life Stages Platinum fat is 8.5% min you”ll need to email Canidae for max fat % there’s also a wet tin Platinum fat say 4% but it hasn’t been converted to Dry Matter so it will be around 16 to 20% fat so its a must to email the pet food companies,
I feed 5 meals a day 7am 9am 5am is kibble & 12pm & 8pm is wet food.. I live Australia & our Royal Canine comes from France not America our ingredient list is a bit better, I would start looking for other wet tin foods to feed, have you read the ingredient list in the Purina EN? Purina uses by product meats….. I like the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew but we can only get the small 156g cans now so I was going to make my rissoles sweet potato & add the I/d Stew…. ask vet can you try low dose of Prednisone for her pain, 5mg my vet said steroids taken in morning is best same with the Losec best to take of a morning…

It’s awful watching them in pain, Patch is a real talker & whinger, he tells me when something is wrong, he lifts his front paw up, at first I thought he wanted me to shake his paw, (he’s a rescue) but he kept pulling his paw away when I went to shake his paw, then lifting up his paw again, I realised he wants me to rub his stomach & pancreas area….
Have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis support group” on F/B I hope this very long post something will help your girl…. she will probably also feel sick some days, the Losec will helped with the nausea, I would be making her comfortable, the Losec starts working in 12 -24hrs so when you do stop the Losec its still in their system for 12-24hrs, even if you give the Losec every 2nd day & see how she goes but in the end I give it every morning now… Patch is nilly 9yrs old weights 17-18kg =40lbs… I just remember if you want to stay with Vet Diets look at the Royal Canine PR Potato & Rabbit but I think the fat is too high in the wet tins, one of the Potato formula’s is lower I think its the PV-Venison but R/C has stopped making the PV you’ll have to contact Royal Canine..

[Susan J]

There’s a formula to figure dry matter fat content. It’s here on dogfoodadvisor.com Or you can use this online calculator, aimed at cats, but I assume it would be the same for any pet food.

http://fnae.org/dmb.html

I figured the Tylee chicken at about 34% fat. Maybe this isn’t a fair comparison, but the bag of Canidae dry I just bought is 13% fat using the dry matter calculation. I top kibble with a couple tablespoons homemade chicken or whatever I cook for the pup to increase palatability. The Tylee could be used in the same way, limiting fat but making for a tasty meal when topping kibble. Or maybe that amount of fat is appropriate for working dogs.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Susan J.

[anonymous]

What is the big deal about adding a spoonful of real food (chopped cooked chicken breast, lean cooked hamburger, a bite of scrambled egg) mixed in with the kibble. Feed twice a day, measured amounts, pick up after 10 minutes and store in fridg offer at the next meal time.
Let him skip meals, as long as he is drinking water, if he doesn’t eat times 3 days (he will) consult your vet.
Always have fresh water available, in fact add a little to the kibble and or presoak kibble, especially for seniors.
All kibble is like cereal, no matter how much you pay for it, dry and boring.
How would you like to eat nothing but cheerios for the rest of your life? You might be inclined to skip a meal or two, lol
Ps: If you boil a chicken breast in a little water you will have a pseudo broth (3 day supply) that you can pour over the kibble along with a bite of chicken
Zignature is a quality dry food, maybe he would prefer that? My small breeds vomited when I fed them Orijen, also, the product has changed.

[Muttjunky]

I rescued Freddie one year ago, he is about 8 years old. We also have two other rescued buddies. Freddie ate the dry orijens for about eight months, then turned away. Went for a complete physical and all is great. No issues. Good teeth and gums. Great blood work. He acts healthy and happy and playful ..until mealtime. I made the mistake of thinking in the beginning, when he turned his nose up at the orijens, that maybe he didn’t feel good, so I made boiled chicken and rice, and by doing so, I created a monster. He’s even starting to push the rice away and demand more chicken, which he wolves down. While I don’t mind cooking for a sick dog at all, it’s now obvious that he is just as stubborn as the day is long, and I don’t want to continue cooking constantly for him. It’s like a standoff by his bowl, who will crack first. I’ve never had a more stubborn dude and I’ve had many fuzzys. He needs dog food with all the nutrients, I’m thinking something that maybe resembles chunks of chicken? Wet food that has chunks? Also, I can’t leave it down till he cracks, due to my other two. I’ve already tried a few, but he only wants chicken breast at this point. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I’d like a wet food that is chunky, looks like chicken? Has good palatability….Help!

[HoundMusic]

Honey Bar; please, don’t take that propaganda movie to heart. I don’t doubt the producers honestly believe much of what that video contains, and mean well, but take it from someone who first came across those scare-mongering websites & videos about commercial dog foods around 2001 – the old adage that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions has never been more accurate then when it comes to the controversy surrounding certain dog food brands/ingredients.

The first thing you should know is that Science Diet is not harming your dog. Tumors are mainly genetic. I even have one older dog who developed a fatty lump in the exact same spot that his mother did. I have also had Beagles with cancer eating different brands of canned, dry foods and the raw diet.

Another thing you have to realize is that movies like the one you watched are propaganda films produced by people who have an ulterior motive. That means, they deliberately tell you half truths and play on your emotions, while hiding the fact that the main reason they are against certain companies is because they are large corporations making more profit than those people deem acceptable. They’re called anti-corporation. And some of the big dog food manufacturers, like Iams and Science Diet, feed the formula to dogs and take blood tests periodically to test the results before it is put on the market. Often, this is confused with animal vivisection, and so you will find people who don’t care if the food is good or bad, it’s just that they don’t like the company’s practices.

There are people who would rather your dog fell apart on a “holistic” food (these are all marketing gimmicks) with no such testing behind it, than something sold by one of the larger corporations. I call them Dog Food Social Justice Warriors, because science and facts go out the window, while emotional appeals and propaganda are all they have to offer. They bash ingredients known to be used in certain brands, and hope people will blindly believe that if they say corn will make your dog have allergies, it magically will, or that Ingredient X will cause cancer, then it will, with no scientific proof whatsoever.

I don’t doubt dogs do well on all different kinds of foods, from raw to grocery store to home cooked to high dollar “holistic”, but none of these methods are wrong if your dog is doing well. It sounds like your dog is VERY well taken care of. Twelve years old is great for a Lab, and if I were in your shoes, knowing today what I didn’t know in 2001, I would leave the dog on the food he’s been eating, and maybe add some small amounts of home cooking or replace a meal here and there with a home cooked substitute if you’re worried. Because switching foods for older animals can definitely do more harm than good. High protein diets like raw can also place a strain on the kidneys, liver and affect the immune system of an older dog in a very bad way 🙁 The raw fed sister of one of my show champion dogs also developed a chronic ear/eye infection which was not treated with conventional medicine, and eventually, after about two years, caused infective endocarditis. basically, the infection traveled to her heart and caused a murmur. So yes, even raw has its risks.

I have lost dogs to cancer on several types of diets, RAW INCLUDED, but one thing they all had in common, from canned to dry to raw, was that they were high meat/high protein diets. Older dogs may need *slightly* more protein than adults, but we tend to feed adult dogs far too much protein as it is, and keep in mind that most of the small company owned holistic diets have no research behind them and have dangerously high mineral levels due to the high protein content. When I said that the road to Hell was paved with good intentions was that by switching a dog doing well on one feed for so long, you might wake up a problem that was lying dormant or cause problems feeding a diet geared more towards marketing trends than what your dog actually needs. Good luck with your dog, and maybe take a look at other sites like the Science Dog Blog or SkeptVet to hear the other side of the story.

https://thesciencedog.wordpress.com/

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by HoundMusic.

[Susan]

Hi, so sad I also rescued a bully bread (Staffy) & Patch was vomiting up undigested kibble 8hrs later also, they have a very un healthy gut….who said she needs soft pallet surgery?? this isn’t the case, her food isn’t being digested, so the body rejects the un digested food & vomits, kibble is the hardest food to digest, no matter what the vet diet dry kibbles say on the front of the bag, raw/cooked & wet tin food digest quicker & are easier to digest then a high carb dry kibble….
if you can borrow the money find a good vet who can do or organize a Endoscope + Biopsies of the stomach, you need to do the biopsies to see what’s wrong in her
stomach & why she isn’t making enough Hydrochloric acid, my boy had the Helicobacter-Pylori + IBD…or ask a vet can he give you the triple therapy meds for Helicobacter-Pylori infection, the meds are: Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Omeprazole, these meds will fix the stomach & kill any bad bacteria in the gut, but the Helicobacter will come back, Ive been fighting Patches for 3 yrs until he was left on Omeprazole ant acid med this finally helped Patch & a low carb diet
….cause she isn’t digestion her kibble it’s best to change both kibbles especially the Vet Diet they’re crap TRUST ME they do not go soft within 50mins the Hills vet diet kibbles & Royal Canin kibbles take 1-2 hours to go soft but not all the way through, so the kibbles just sit in her stomach so she vomits the undigested kibble back up cause her stomach isn’t working properly,
its called “Hypochlorhydria” low stomach acid where the Helicobacter breeds & lives, she needs meds the ones I mentioned above triple therapy to kill the Helicobacter infection & a diet low in carbs preferably gluten free & more meat then carbs so kibble isn’t good to feed.
… a lot of rescue dogs have Helicobacter cause of their poor diet while growing up also she could of left her mum way to early & never got all the proper nutrients from her mums milk that’s needed for a healthy stomach, now you need to make her gut healthy you do this once her triple therapy meds are finished…
If you want to feed a vet diet feed the wet tin foods like Hills vet diet I/d Chicken & Vegetable stew but Hills have stopped making the big cans of I/d Chicken & Vegetables Stew in Australia & now only make a small 156g can instead.. Patch needs 8 cans a day, you cant afford 8 small tins a day, so he gets 2 cans a day & gets his Canidae or Taste Of The Wild lamb kibble… or buy some chicken breast & sweet potatoes & cook & freeze meals
“Canidae” make very easy to digest kibbles like Canidae Life Stages, Chicken Meal & Rice, “Canidae Pure Meadow” it’s a senior kibble but it won’t matter she’ll get extra Omega 3 & DHA fatty acids & glucosamine in her diet for her bones & it has higher protein & less carbs what is needed for easy digestion & it’s Chicken, Chicken meal & Turkey Meal & Sweet Potato same ingredients as she is eating at the moment BUT will be easier to digest cause the protein is higher…
Start testing her kibbles, get a glass of very warm water, not boiling water just very warm water, add about 2-3 kibbles to the glass of water, does the kibbles float? a good kibble should float & how long does it take for the kibbles to go soft all the way thru?? a good easy to digest kibble should only take about 15-40mins to go soft all the way thru… another very easy to digest kibble is “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, its a single protein limited ingredient kibble & grain free as well, after Patch tried all the crappy vet diets that didn’t digest easy like they say they do, finally 3 yrs later I tried TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & finally Patch started to get better, gain weight & he did the triple therapy meds 3 times as its very hard to kill this Helicobacter-Pylori, he still takes the Metronidazole a low dose 200mg with food on & off when I see he’s going down hill & getting his acid reflux bad again, he takes the Omeprazole (Losec) 8.30am every day now, it’s a ant acid medication cause they don’t make enough stomach acid, the helicobacter breeds & takes over their stomach & lives in the stomach walls & keeps breeding they get bad acid reflux, vomit, eat grass, feel sick, loss weight & cant digest their food properly, she probably gets bad acid reflux as well this is why she is thin & under weight, she needs a IBD Specialist vet….her vet doesn’t seen to be working out why she is thin & why she isn’t digesting her food & vomiting ?? she’s young her gut should be healthy so something has happened in her past her mum may have past on the Helicobacter infection, Ive had it & its awful you feel so hungry all the time & your stomach gets a norring feeling, you need a vet that will listen & knows about IBD..
yes don’t desex her yet she she’s too sick, my poor boy was desexed, vaccinated, wormed, flea, all on the same day that’s what happens here in Australia when a rescue dog is rescued from a pound before going to their career, its straight from the pound to the vets then career…Patch was too sick to be adopted & I fell in love with him & adopted him…..
Your girl needs 4-5 meals a day not 2 big meals, Patch gets 5 meals a day 7am, 9am 5pm he gets 1/2 cup kibble one of the kibbles I mentioned above & at 12pm & 8pm he gets the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet tin food…he was getting a cooked meals but last March he started to vomit up the cooked lean pork mince & sweet potato again so he got put back on the Metronidazole & was already taking the Omeprazole ant acid meds & I asked vet can I try the Hills I’d Chicken & Vegetable stew can it has digestive enzymes in it..
Watch her does she lick lips/mouth & swallow, burp? my boy grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux, when I first got Patch he was licking & licking his paws continually of a night when he was at his worst, his vet said the licking paws sets off his endorphins then
he would burp….

[Jennifer D]

I have adopted a two year old bully that has some vomiting issues. She was not spayed when I got her, and when I took her in for her appt, the vet said she needed to gain some weight before they would do the surgery. 4 days later she went into heat. Ugh. The problem is that I have a hard time getting her to hold down enough food for her to actually put on weight. She was throwing up a lot (A LOT) while she was in heat, and it seemed to have calmed down for a few days after her heat was over. Now she is vomiting about 8 – 10 hours after she eats a meal, undigested kibble – I have been feeding her the Natural Balance Chicken & Sweet Potato Dry Dog Formula, watered down to soften up the kibble a bit, mixed with the Prescription ID formula for digestion issues. I am not sure why she isnt digesting the food, but I am hesitant to change her food as it seems to be so hard with her sensitive system. Does it mean anything – the fact that it sits in her system for so long undigested? Also, I am thinking she needs the soft pallet surgery and might wait to get her fixed till I can afford to do both surgeries at once so she only has be be put under once. She basically has sleep apnea and has a hard time breathing at night. Any suggestions are welcome!