[term]

I have a small breed dog, which seems to have developed a skin condition on its back and somach after it turned three years old. After taking it to a couple of vets, they both concluded that it’s a rash most likely being caused by food, so one of the vets suggested I try to feed it with Royal Canin Selected Protein prescription wet food, along with Apoquel medicine. The dog was fine for almost three months with no outbreaks on its skin, but after the allergy meds and canned food ended, the rash returned, and the wet food seems to cause the dog to have teary eyes (which would happen with just about every other wet food I’ve tried in the past, before it developed the rash). I’ve had good results with regular Wellness dry food up until the point the dog developed the skin rash on its back.

Would it be a good idea to try Wellness Simple grain free line of food for the dog? I’d rather switch it to dry food, because up until the skin issue came up, it was doing the best health-wise when eating dry food. Royal Canin has dry food version of Selected Protein, but it has large kibbles, which my dog can’t eat, and it won’t eat them if I soften them up with water. Breaking them into small pieces is a very tedious task, especially if the dog is eating 2-3 times a day. The food is also a bit on the expensive side.

[pitlove]

Hi Leelina-

“i went seeking online and now I follow Dr. Becker” “In all my research I have learned that EVERY MEAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE BALANCED! Just work on balancing over the week.

It is interesting that you follow Karen Becker, but have adapted the balance over time theory, which is exactly what she warns against doing.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/11/08/best-to-worst-pet-food-types.aspx

“Even sale meat is ok for animals, as you know animals have different enzymes in their mouths as well as guts to combat the bacteria and parasites that we as humans cannot without cooking it first.

Mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth is what begins the digestive process in canines unlike humans.
Could you provide a credible source for your statement that animals have different enzymes in their gut and mouth that allow them to destroy pathogenic bacteria & parasites? Information from PubMed or Google Scholar will be just fine.

And lets not forget the risk involved for the humans in the home when feeding a pet raw grocery store meat.

“Dogs that get sick and /or die from bacteria already have had compromised immune systems so please don’t be turned away by nay sayers.”

Again, I’m going to have to ask for a credible source of information on this considering my boyfriends Rottweiler was very healthy before he passed away of E.Coli poisoning.

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/42/5/686/317224/Human-Health-Implications-of-Salmonella

“Fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms was evaluated in 20 dogs in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to determine whether dogs would shed the organism after consumption of homemade raw food diets [25]. Salmonella organisms were isolated from 30% of the 10 dogs that were fed homemade raw food diets, but they were isolated from none of the 10 dogs that were fed commercial dry food.”

and in another study

“In a similar study conducted in 2004, research beagles were fed commercial raw food diets identified as being contaminated with Salmonella organisms. Five of the 7 dogs that shed Salmonella organisms after consuming a raw food diet meal shed a Salmonella serotype that matched the serotype isolated from the diet that was fed [26]. This study used commercial frozen raw food diets that were naturally contaminated, and clinically healthy dogs became colonized after ingestion of a single meal.”

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide to some of these questionable statments!

[pitlove]

Hi Leelina-

“i went seeking online and now I follow Dr. Becker” “In all my research I have learned that EVERY MEAL DOES NOT NEED TO BE BALANCED! Just work on balancing over the week.

It is interesting that you follow Karen Becker, but have adapted the balance over time theory, which is exactly what she warns against doing.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/11/08/best-to-worst-pet-food-types.aspx

“Even sale meat is ok for animals, as you know animals have different enzymes in their mouths as well as guts to combat the bacteria and parasites that we as humans cannot without cooking it first.

Mechanical breakdown of food in the mouth is what begins the digestive process in canines unlike humans.
Could you provide a credible source for your statement that animals have different enzymes in their gut and mouth that allow them to destroy pathogenic bacteria & parasites? Information from PubMed or Google Scholar will be just fine.

And lets not forget the risk involved for the humans in the home when feeding a pet raw grocery store meat.

“Dogs that get sick and /or die from bacteria already have had compromised immune systems so please don’t be turned away by nay sayers.”

Again, I’m going to have to ask for a credible source of information on this considering my boyfriends Rottweiler was very healthy before he passed away of E.Coli poisoning.

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/42/5/686/317224/Human-Health-Implications-of-Salmonella

“Fecal shedding of Salmonella organisms was evaluated in 20 dogs in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to determine whether dogs would shed the organism after consumption of homemade raw food diets [25]. Salmonella organisms were isolated from 30% of the 10 dogs that were fed homemade raw food diets, but they were isolated from none of the 10 dogs that were fed commercial dry food.”

and in another study

“In a similar study conducted in 2004, research beagles were fed commercial raw food diets identified as being contaminated with Salmonella organisms. Five of the 7 dogs that shed Salmonella organisms after consuming a raw food diet meal shed a Salmonella serotype that matched the serotype isolated from the diet that was fed [26]. This study used commercial frozen raw food diets that were naturally contaminated, and clinically healthy dogs became colonized after ingestion of a single meal.”

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide to some of these questionable statments!

[Jose B]

I have a 21 months old Golden Retriever, always been fed Orijen Puppy large and Regional after ( had to move to Regional Red due to availability). About a month ago, Loki developed bad breath, started using Fresh Breath, which worked wonderfully with a previous Golden but did not get any results.
I took Loki to the vet yesterday and was told that probably the problem would go away by cleaning his teeth, but I do not see any big infection that would cause the bad breath.
I wonder if by trying different Orijen formula or a different brand of dry food would help.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
Regards

[anonymous]

Homeopathic vets don’t believe in science based medicine. You can’t have it both ways.
I would find a board certified veterinary dermatologist. Just call the nearest Veterinary School of Medicine and they will refer you.
My dog is a small breed poodle mix that started with the pruritus and ear infections at about 2 years old. Did the steroids, antibiotics. Went back and forth to the regular vet for about a year (tried 3 of them) listened to the homeopathic vets (useless). Most supplements are a scam.
So, I made an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist, she had the testing and I had the results and a treatment plan the same day.
I saw results right away. The initial testing is expensive but the maintenance isn’t that bad (I gave up cable). We see the dermatologist once a year.
She has been stable now for several years. It is very natural, the solution is now available sublingual, so you don’t have to give shots.
She no longer has food sensitivity issues, but does best on a Nutrisca salmon and chickpea kibble as a base, a bit of cooked chicken or something and a splash of water twice a day.
A raw carrot here and there.
I have owned several dogs over the years, some had mild/seasonal allergies, but this is the only one that needed the expertise of a specialist. I avoid vaccinations with this dog, talk to your vet about a rabies waiver.
They still have occasional flare ups, but nothing severe. Prn Benadryl once in a while (it doesn’t do that much anyway).
Btw: raw made her vomit and caused a bowel obstruction requiring a trip to the emergency vet.

[Marie P]

YOU can try Zignature Brand dog food, Salmon flavor; Also, you may want to try making your own dog food as a special treat. I have many friends that feed dry quality kibble such as AVODERM, Zignature or Fromm’s Brands on the weekdays and then home cook on the weekend. Here is a recipe that is chicken free, http://bulldogvitamins.blogspot.com/2017/04/salmon-dinner-for-dogs-woof-food.html

[Susan]

Hi Emmygirl,
It’s good you have found a food that works, stick with it for now…Royal Canin vet diets also has their Potato + Venison-PV, Potato + Rabbit-PR, Potato +Salmon-PS & Potato + Kangaroo wet & dry formulas, I don’t know why but my boy seems to do better on Royal Canin vet diets then the Hills vet diets, but we don’t get any of the Hills d/d novel proteins wet & dry formulas they don’t pass our strict quarantine laws to come into Australia & why we get the all the Royal Canine vet formulas is cause the Royal Canine is made in France & passes our strict quarantine laws……
Be VERY careful feeding a raw diet, raw freeze dried or raw air dried diets, Donate the Canine Caviar if kibble bag is open a kibble only stays fresh for 2 weeks google it, the oils go rancid as soon as the oxygen/air hits the kibbles…changing diets can make your dog have another flare & put him back to square one again, your dog needs time to heal his bowel/stomach & be on the Hills d/d for a good 6 months, my vet wanted Patch on a vet diet for 1yr so everything healed….
The only freeze dried raw I give Patch is the K-9Natural or Sunday Pets Green Lipped Mussel treats as a treat after his bath but I just found out as soon as you open these freeze dry foods some have to used within 10 days, they have written it on their packaging now, I didn’t know until the lady in the pet shop told me the other day, maybe that’s why Patch became ill again about 1 month ago it could from the Green Lipped Mussel treats, I was giving him once a week every Thursday….
When your dog is doing REALLY well & off meds have a look at “Zignature” formulas the Kangaroo has the lowest fat & protein % out of all the Zignature formulas, read what the Hills d/d fat, protein% & fiber% is & when your looking for another kibble/wet tin make sure it has Limited Ingredients same as the Hills d/d has & is around the same amount of fat, protein & fiber as the d/d, you can go up a bit for the protein cause you wont find too many normal formulas that low in protein & when the protein & fat is real low that means the carbs are real high….

[Barbara C]

I have a 9 year old mixed breed, small dog that is overweight. We take him for a walk twice a day. He is getting slower and I am afraid that he will not be able to exercise when summer gets here because of his weight. I started making his food from ground meat, carrots and cottage cheese. I don’t know if this has helped since he looks bigger than ever. Also, I am not sure if he is getting enough vitamins with homemade food. I give him l/4 cup in a.m. and 3/4 cup at night. A total of 1 cup per day.
I don’t know if I should keep feeding him the homemade diet or switch to a low fat dry food. I used Halo’s diet food and he seemed to like it, but again didn’t loose any weight.
HELP! What should I do?

[deanne w]

Hi, i have just come across this site. We purchased a very thin gsd 2 year old that we assumed they hadnt fed her. But after us feeding her she had constant very very runny water diarrhea with blood in it, constantly vomitting and rapid weight loss. After vet examinations and a biopsy she had ibd. Extremely sad. Looked everywhere for advice. I see many people are trying there ibd dogs on say potatoe, duck and a 3rd item. My advice is try to do 1 food at a time.
We had no idea what food she was allergic too so we put her on vet dry food bag called anallergenic in the meantime. We did try hypo-allergenic first but immediately had the runs and blood flowed from her for hours.

I now have had her on raw 4 paws dog food, i tried the turkey first (nothing else! no pills from vets or anything) Well my gs is happy healthy full of life and has gained 10kg.I am trying the roo next. What a difference. Then ill try the potatoe duck. Eventually my dog will have several different options to eat.

I know any supermarket food inflames her bowels immediately, chicken, any meat in there is bad.
Raw 4 Paws is a premium quality, natural, complete and healthy raw diet for dogs.
Raw 4 Paws is grain, yeast and dairy free – to minimize allergy tendencies. All ingredients sourced for the production of this amazing product is fit for human consumption, and contains no added preservatives, artifical colours or flavours, chemicals or fillers.
100% Australian – made, sourced and owned.
We love Raw 4 Paws, and are certain you will too.
Just google this and give it a go–im certainly glad i did.

[Laura B]

I have a 2 year old English Mastiff that suddenly developed “spots” all over his back, head and face, some scaled (just on back) and some not, dry nose (use nose butter). No itching, no crying, doesn’t seem phased by it. I originally gave him benedryl thinking he may have been bit by something. That didn’t phase the “spots.” I took him to the vet, they said allergies. He’s on prednisone and an antibiotic for an ear infection. I’m assuming it’s his food, but we feed him Fromm and have for the majority of his life. We also have 4 other dogs and we are the nasty free feeding kind (please do not judge, when we did timed feeding 3 out of the 4 gorged themselves and free feeding they don’t). My question is the vet said let him get off his pills and if the spots continue, change foods. We’ve done the grain-free and he had the runs, so swapped him. Now, he doesn’t want his food, only milkbones and peanut butter milkbones. I am in search of a recommendation on how I know if this allergy is his food or just outside allergies (pollen). He does also eat raw chicken and pork (usually chicken) on occasion.

[Susan]

Hi Luke,
I understand, the ingredients in the Hills W/D aren’t the best…. Have you joined a Face Book group for Diabetic dog?? groups are the best to join, you get support when you really need it & other people have gone down the same road & have done all the research & would know what are the better premium grain free kibbles, grain kibble & wet tin foods etc that will suit a Diabetic dog….
What I’ve just started to do for my IBD dog is use a vet diet wet tin food for 2 of his meals & a grain free premium kibble for his other meals, he eats 5 small meals a day…..or the only other thing you can do is see a Dog Nutritionist & get help making a special home made diet formulated for your dog health needs…
Here’s the F/B group called ” Canine Diabetes Support and Information” group, join group then click on the “Files” it’s up top of group just under picture & the first link is “Diabetic Dog Food Options” click on link & all these premium wet & dry foods all come up & have the link to the dog food site, someone has done all the hard work to help other Diabetic dogs. https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanineDiabetesSupportandInformation/

[Acroyali]

Millicent, I’ve had a similar experience as yours though probably not as dramatically obvious. I have a cat with feline hyperesthesia syndrome and dry food triggers violent outbursts; he self-attacked himself to the point of bleeding and removing dry food from his diet completely has dropped the episodes. Occasionally he’ll flare up; a chiropractic adjustment or acupuncture does the trick. I have no idea why he has this or what causes(d) it, but I’m just glad I’ve found a link to help keep the episodes down and keep him from being a bloody and miserable mess. Best to you and your pup.

[Millicent m]

I know this post is a few years old but I wanted to add my experience. As we all search for answers, maybe a pattern will emerge! I have an 12 year old wheaten who has had seizures for the past 18 months. We have been giving her phenobarb with moderate success. She never goes longer than a month without seizures but generally only has one every 3-4 weeks. Mostly, but as the budget allows, she now eats a commercial frozen raw brand with occasional dry as a substitute/supplement or for convenience when we travel. A month ago, I replaced her raw food with a new dry food. After two days on the new food, she had a three days full of seizures every 10-12 hours. Disclaimer-this was two days past her 4 week mark of being seizure free so ONE seizure at this time wasn’t unexpected. I quit that food immediately. But neither the vet nor I really believed it could affect her seizures so much. Fast forward three weeks of continuing on the raw frozen again and no more seizures. I hadn’t thawed out enough for this past Saturday’s complete meal so I supplemented with a SMALL portion of the dry food (yes, the previously mentioned new dry food). Six hours later, she had two seizures within 15 min of each other, then a third two hours later. At this point, I took her to the ER, fearing the speed at which this was escalating. Within four hours, she’d had two more, one of which was violent enough to scare the vet tech. After 5 seizure free hours, they gave her some food -one of the Hills prescription canned-. She had a seizure within an hour. After a few more hours, they fed her. She had a seizure within an hour. After a few more hours, they fed her……She had a seizure within an hour. And yes, this trend wasn’t noticed until the third round, even though I noted it after the First feeding. But that’s another story. So……..I am firmly convinced that yes, food can be a GIANT seizure trigger. Like another reply said, probably not a whole cause (but really, who knows?), but most definitely something that can put them over that seizure threshold. I’m trying to determine why said foods are doing that. The two foods don’t share any main ingredients. The dry food is supposedly a high quality food. However, I’m discovering that pea proteins are fast taking over the “high quality”, grain free world of dog food. And even though meat is the main ingredient, we can’t discount how much of the protein content is coming from sources other than the meat. Dogtor J has a theory on food and seizures I’m interested in. Hindsight being 20/20, I’d also like to add that a couple of months prior to her very first seizure, we’d been trying new dog foods because a)she was suddenly hungrier than she had been….after years of eating the same amount and being satisfied and b) her skin issues were no longer being held at bay. Perhaps our dog food’s formula had changed? It was a chicken/chickpea formula I settled on to aid with her skin flareups. Or maybe that formula didn’t change, but instead her body just couldn’t process it anymore. Or maybe the hunger obsession is indicative of a brain lesion/tumor, although that doesn’t explain the seizures that immediately followed certain meals. My gut tells me her seizures are related to her gut…..not necessarily as easy as eating better food (we haven’t found a magic answer there yet) but even due to some disorder or malfunction that’s keeping her body from processing correctly……but I believe her ongoing interest(read obsession) in food (she’s been known to eat her own poop during some of her hunger phases) is related to the seizure puzzle. For what it’s worth, we’ve returned home and had a few meals of her raw food with no additional seizures.

[Susan]

Hi Melodie,
you need to see a proper IBD vet, one that specializes in IBD, also have biopsies done to see WHY this is happening with your boy?? I can fully understand what your going thru, I have a IBD Staffy with skin allergies & food sensitivities.. have you joined any Canine or dog IBD groups on Face Book?? you’ll get a lot of help or there’s a UK IBD group as well…
After trying most of the vet diets that fixed the sloppy poos but caused skin problems or bad acid reflux & vomiting & bloating some vet diet kibbles just sat in his stomach & he’d vomit it back up 7 hours later & these are vet diets that don’t digest???..
I finally found “Taste Of The Wild’ Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb kibble for my boy last year thru the EPI f/b group, you need to work out does your dog do better on LESS fiber or a diet with MORE fiber, my boy does better on low fiber diet & a low carb diet, normally dogs with IBD do better with less fiber especially if they are bloating & low carb diets, get a small bag of “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy, Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Meal Grain Free kibble its low in carbs 28% fat is 13-14% & just has fish as the protein or try the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble it has the matching wet tin food as well & the TOTW Roasted Lamb kibble is a single protein kibble, it just has Lamb no other proteins, don’t feed any kibbles that have more then 1 protein or too many ingredients, wet tin food is better but watch the fat% as the fat% is different to the dry kibble fat% stay around 4% fat & under for wet tin foods, that’s around 14-16% fat if it was a dry kibble.. but only feed 1 thing at a time wet or dry till you work out if it agrees with your poor boy..
I rotate Patches kibbles now he can’t stay on the same kibble for too long, 1-2 months he starts reacting with pain & starts whinging, & now he cant eat his cooked lean pork rissoles anymore, vet said it’s his IBD & he gets put back on Metronidazole (Flagyl) for 10-21 days, so now I’m trying the Hills vet diet I/d Digestive Care wet tin food, Ijust feed it for 2 of his meals, I feed 5 small meals a day, he can NOT eat more then 1/2 a cup of kibble at 1 time he does the same & bloats & gets PAIN & whinges for me to rub his stomach pancreas area, so he gets either TOTW Lamb, Canidae Pure Wild Boar, or Holistic Select Salmon, kibble 1/2 a cup at 7am then at 9am 1/2 cup same brand kibble again then 12pm 1/2 a small tin of the Hills I/d wet food, we are trying the Hills wet tin Vet Diet & the vet just ordered today the Royal Canine Hypoallergenic wet tin food to see if he does better on the Royal Canine cause with the Hills I/d wet tin Patch gets his red paws from the chicken, corn starch & I have to take out all the carrots cause carrot makes his ears itchy but he doesn’t get his pain on the Hills I/d Digestive Care & at 5pm he gets another 1/2 cup kibble & 8pm the other 1/2 Hills I/d wet tin food heated up in micro wave, feeding 5 smaller meals a day & daily walks as well Patches pain seems heaps better, soaking his kibble in water cause bad acid reflux for Patch, then I read it’s no good soaking kibble & leaving any water in the kibble bowl, so I stopped doing it… have you tried the Vet Diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” Low Residue kibble?? its very very low in low residue fiber & the kibble breaks down real easy like the TOTW, Canidae & Holistic Select kibbles do….
I do my kibble test, get a glass of very warm water now put 2 kibbles in glass of warm water, a good kibble will float to top of water & a good kibble will only take about 15mins – 40mins to soften all the way thru do not feed any kibbles that take longer then 50mins to go soft all the way thru take the bag of kibble back & say ur dog wont eat it, most kibbles have a Palatability money back…I’m always asking for sample emailing kibble companies for sample so I can test the kibbles & see if they go soft within 40mins..
I asked one of Patches vets could he do a Endoscope & biopsies 3 yrs ago with Patch to see what was wrong, they put camera down the throat into stomach, it’s painless I just had it done yesterday & they get biopsies from stomach & sometimes the vet can go into the small bowel & get a biopsies as well if the flap isn’t shut, if you can afford this do it, biopsies tell you so much, you will get some answers what’s happening, why hasn’t your vet tried more vets diets you have just tried Hills & Purina HA which is like the Hills Z/d formula, Royal Canine has a better range of vet diets & has their Hypoallergenic wet tin & dry kibble, Hypoallergenic kibbles break down easy & the stomach doesn’t have to work as hard, You might have to do what I do by the end of the month, I have to start a new kibble formula, TOTW has been the only kibble he does real well on no itchy skin, firm poos & NO stomach pain, maybe give the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb a try, it has the least ingredients or TOTW Pacific Stream, Smoked Salmon kibble or TOTW wet tin food, but I’m pretty sure the America TOTW Pacific Stream has Garbanzo beans (Chick Peas) these can cause gas, wind & bloating, I try & stay away from Lentils, Chickpeas….. Costco has their Kirkland Signature, Salmon & Sweet Potatoes it’s made by TOTW & heaps cheaper then TOTW, you know the Purina HA works so there’s 1 kibble to rotate with when he’s going down hill again & seems unwell, you just need to find 2 more kibbles, I use the kibbles mentioned above, Spring/Summer I feed the Holistic Select Salmon/sardine kibble cause of Patches skin allergies the extra Omega 3 is good for their skin & stomach/bowel… I’m leaving the Purina HA till last it’s the only vet diet Patch hasn’t tried yet, we have just gotten the Purina HA here in Australia…
Keep us up dated, I’ll post the links to the dog IBD f/b groups tomorrow, I have to go to bed it’s late….

[Dizzy4Gizzy]

My year old pug has a chicken allergy. Does this mean I should also avoid food that has chicken meal, chicken fat, chicken bone, feather or all the chicken add ins that are commonly found in many non chicken based foods? I have tried other meat based dry food and still find chicken in many just not in top 3-5 ingredients listed. Would this still cause issues?

On a side note, how do I add a picture to my profile?

Thanks in advanced to any help!

[Joelle V]

You may also want to investigate Petcurean go sensitive dry or canned food. For a dog I had with similar allergies, I also made my own food, with rice, a single protein, some veggies, and vitamins and fish oil. It helped, it did not cure the allergies, as grass was also an allergen.

[Cheryl S]

I am feeding Bear, 10 1/2 year-old Black Lab, Rachel Rays’ ZERO GRAIN Beef, Potato and Bison dry food. He is also taking APOQUEL for allergies. I would like to try another dog food to see if I can wean him off the allergy pills. They cost $61 per month and I would rather avoid medication if possible. His allergies cause ear yeast infections and some licking, I would judge the licking at 60 out of 100 before he started Apoquel. These symptoms are usually food related according to my research. Any thoughts ? Thank you 🙂

[David K]

I feed my 3 year old, 40 pound Plott Hound a homemade mixture of boiled chicken, white rice, boiled sweet potatoes and scrambled eggs, with the shells.I give him 1/2 a cup of this mixture along with 1/2 a cup of Pure Balance brand dry food twice a day. He really likes it. My question is : Is he getting ALL his nutritional needs with this diet ? He’s been on this feeding program for about two years now and I was wondering if needed to add a supplement or any other additives or substitutions to make it more healthy ? Maybe switch up the meat and or the veggies for variety ? What do you think ? Am I on the right track or do I need to change things ? Thanks, Dave

[Jo C]

My senior gal has dry skin but she doesn’t itch but her skin is dry and hair is brittle you can say and sheds ALOT!

I have been giving her coconut oil with her food but to me I do not see any difference unless I am not giving her enough coconut oil. I also feed her good quality brand of dog food that she loves. I was maybe looking into other oils to mix with coconut oil, any suggestions?

[Susan]

Hi Linda, how I tell when a kibble smells & taste good is my cat pinches Patches kibble, next time your due to buy food buy “Canidae” one of their grainfree Pure Formulas, my cat is always pinching Patches food when I feed Patch the Canidae formula Pure Wild, Pure Land….also Canidae is money back guaranteed if your dog doesn’t eat it… Canidae has the dry kibble & the matching wet tin foods also have a look at Ziwi Peak wet & air dried food, another one my cat pinches from Patch, Ziwi Peak will send you samples to try… http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Linda S]

I have a picky little guy too that needs a low calorie food. I have been trying so hard to find a dry food that he doesnt turn his nose up at. I recently bought Halo weight management and not a chance. I can’t afford to keep jumping around from one to the other at that price. I am going to try the ones that u have mentioned. If anyone has been successful would you please let me k le? Thanks so much!!! 🐕

[Christie]

Are their any known issues with feeding sardines (approximately 2) per day. I had been splitting a can between my two dogs to mix in with their evening meal. Both seemed to enjoy it (they are not fans of dry kibble alone and canned sardines are cheaper than quality wet food to use as a topper).

About a month after starting this routine, one of the dogs developed stomach issues. Excessive drooling and licking and he wouldn’t settle down easy at night. I stopped feeding the sardines and did a 10 day Pepcid AC regimen twice a day and haven’t had any issues since.

It could be coincidence, but I wonder if the sardines were the culprit.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Christie.

[Michael M]

Can anyone recommend a really high fiber dry dog food that has amazing quality ingredients? It appears these persecution diet has the highest but not the best ingredients. Please help! Thanks
Mike

[Tracy M]

I am new here so I apologize ahead of time as I feel certain I am posting this question in the wrong place. Please let me know where/how to post it properly. I am wondering about anyone’s experience/knowledge with Nutro Wholesome Essentials (dry) for dogs? While there are quite a few Nutro types of food listed in A to Z, I am not finding this variety of Nutro anywhere on this website. Thanks

[Susan]

Hi can you buy each dog their “own” bowls, all different colours, make them all sit, call each ones name & give him/her their dinner in “their” bowl, the way your feeding them at the moment you don’t know if one dog is eating more then another dog, if one dog isn’t eating much one day & is feeling off…..I have a kitten 11months old & dog the kitten is very impatient when her food is being put into her bowl, so she is feed first up on her scratching post thing, Patch is feed in the lounge room so I can sit down on lounge & put a few kibbles in his bowl at a time, other wise he gulps all food under 1 min, he has IBD mainly stomach…..

For your old boy have a look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior kibble, it’s easy to digest & has only 7 ingredients, excellent for dogs with sensitive stomachs, I would send Canidae a email asking what is their lowest Phosphorus kibble, normally large breed puppy formulas are lower in Phosphorous & ask can is their large breed puppy formula Duck Meal Brown Rice & Lentils formula wet & dry be feed to your girl with Kidney problems, its 0.80% Phosphorous & kibble size is nice & small, all Canidae formulas have small easy to digest kibbles…
I know when I’ve emailed kibble companies asking can my 8 yr old eat their new large breed puppy formula, they have all said yes, puppy formulas normally aren’t over 30% -protein, fat isn’t high & have DHA which is excellent for skin, joints, eyes, brain, heart etc so it will also be good for a senior dog as well….
When I emailed “Taste Of The Wild” last week, 2 vets emailed me back within 24hrs asking further questions about my boy health problems, then they recommend which formula’s NOT to feed, so you could give TOTW a try & have a look at their wet tin foods for your young pup, dry kibble isn’t good for dogs with kidney problems, wet food is better…
If you email Hills or Royal Canine or Purina, ask can a vet nutritionist please contact you…

I don’t know if all your dogs can all eat the same formula??? this is Canidae’s Large Breed Puppy, all Life stages formula & it’s low in phosphorous, email Canidea & ask them, it come it wet tin as well..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-life-stages-large-breed-puppy-duck-meal-brown-rice-lentils-dry-formula

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Susan.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Krista:
I don’t read this as a repeated question. Other forum questions “So is it ok that she just gets dry kibble with no other additions? Is this healthy?”, this forum question “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?”

So, back to this forum question, “What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble?” For balanced toppers I feed canned and frozen/dehydrated raw. Most canned recipes I feed are lower in fat on a DMB than an average kibble containing a GA of 16% fat. For unbalanced toppers I feed sardines, eggs, lean meats, and I also use the download c4c wrote about for other fresh food options altering amounts suggested a bit in order to keep meals balanced.
https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

I follow the rule of adding no more than 10% of daily caloric intake of unbalanced foods to meals. I use this site to figure out calories for my unbalanced toppers:
https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/

“Treats and additional food items should not exceed 10% of the daily caloric intake. The majority (90% or greater) of the calories should come from a complete and balanced food…” ~ UC Davis Veterinary Medicine. More on this topic:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/local_resources/pdfs/Treats_guidelines.pdf

Good luck!

[Acroyali]

I don’t feed kibble, so I can’t make any good recommendations but I’m sure someone with more knowledge on the matter will chime in soon!

I wanted to ask if the vet mentioned perhaps offering her a little bit of canned food daily, as well as changing her dry? Even if you gave her a tablespoon or two and let the other dogs have a small taste as a daily treat, it wouldn’t break the bank or create the need for specified meal times, and the extra moisture probably would be of some benefit for her kidneys.

Best of luck with your pup.

[anonymous]

PS: I think you asked this question before: /forums/topic/plain-dry-food/

[Krista B]

Hi,

What toppers do you guys use to too dry kibble? Right now I’m using some canned dog food as a topper. I like that it’s complete and balanced and I don’t need to worry about unbalancing the diet. Are there any other toppers I could use that wouldn’t unbalance the diet too much? I was thinking of using some sardines a few times a week. Here’s the thing 15% of her diet is currently already compromised of treats, veggies, and supplements. If added the sardines it would bring the percentage up to 25% coming from extras other than kibble/canned. Is this ok to do.. or is this unlamced? I read 15% should be the maximum Amount you should have as extras…I like the idea of sardines thought because it already has calcium in it plus EPA and DHA.

Thanks!

[BijouMama05]

Celeste…Seriously? Have you not read my posts on
this matter? This has been tested and proven by myself, several vets, and many others. The rosemary contained in these treats causes bile dumping (rosemary is known for causing this, as it is a bile exciter). The excessive amounts of bile “dumped” because of the rosemary, causes fismy yellow vomit & extreme diarrhea (often turning hemorrhagic). Continued ingestion of rosemary frequently results in colitis, dehydration, anorexia, and liver/kidney issues that are the end product of dehydration/anorexia. If your dog is having the symptoms described and it is not eating these treats, I suggest you look at the ingredients of everything it is eating, including all dog food and any human foods (many raw chicken & turkey meats for humans contain rosemary) & the majority of canned & dry dog foods also contain it (including “high end” & grocery store brands).

[Brittany]

Hello,

I own 2 Pomeranians, Samson and Lacey. They have both gained some weight over the last year, and I’m at a loss on how to slim them down. I already tried restricting treats and cutting back on the amount of food they get, but to no avail. Samson weighs 15 lbs when the vet thinks he should weigh 10lbs. Lacey is a mix, and weighs 21 lbs when she should weigh about 17 lbs. I feed them 2x a day. Samson gets 1/8 cup of dry food with a spoonful of wet, while Lacey gets 1/4 cup dry with a spoonful of wet also. The dry food is California Natural Venison and wet is Wervua.

I try to walk them when I can. In the warmer months, I pretty much will walk them everyday. They are both seniors. Samson is 8, and Lacey 10.

If anyone has any advice, PLEASE help! The vet recommended a low protein diet, but I heard high protein is better… I just don’t know what to do anymore.

[Joleen B]

We have a boxer mastiff mix that suffered with severe allergies. Allergies to the point that she would bleed and smell horribly of yeast. We took her to a hollistic vet and had allergy tests done, only to find out that she was allergic to literally all foods. We found that Orijen Senior is the only food she can handle. She’s been on Orijen senior for a few years now and is very healthy and has put on some very healthy weight (as she was always very skinny before). We moved to the country approximately a year ago, and have noticed that she can eat horse feed and not break out. (she cleans up the food that the horses drop). So i have determined that her worst allergies are not the grains, but to the starches like peas, potatoes, etc. I am happy with the orijen Senior, but it’s $100 per bag and she goes through a bag a month, along with two other dogs and I have three teens. Can anyone advise me on a quality dry food that contains some grains, but not the starchy vegetables? Thanks!

[Karen D]

Hi, I was going through the same thing with my 15 yr. old Cocker, one Vet said food allergies, but restricting her at her old age was not in her best interest. I tried the Honest Kitchen Turkey, still runny poop, I tried the Honest Kitchen poop firmer powder which worked for a short while. I tried Orijen Senior, she didn’t like it. Then she was diagnosed with a heart murmur & while adjusting to that I bought Acana Duck & Pear, she loves it but the runny poop issue returned, back in forth to vet, prescription dog food, dry & canned, she wouldn’t eat most of it. So I started cooking whole turkey breast for her along with veggies, rice, pasta etc added to the Acana….but what really has solved the problem is….1/4 Metronidazole tab twice a day everyday…no runny poop since last Oct. It’s a bitter pill so I put it inside a gelatin capsule & wrap in turkey. Vet is happy with the regimen & when asked if it was Colitis she said “probably”. Now she can eat a variety of things without the tummy noise.

[Susan]

Hi, the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior formula has no Rosemary, it has only 9 ingredients & smells really good, has crunchy kibbles, my boy has been pinching the neighbors dog food when he visits, Canidae sells the smaller bag, maybe give it a try & see if she likes it…
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

[Christie]

Ok. The drooling is back. Noticed last night that he was drooling excessively after dinner and he didn’t want to settle in for the night. So I took him back to the vet today. He has some tartar on his canines (not terrible though) and his gums were a little red but not swollen. He has some ulcer on the outside of his lower jaw. The vet doesn’t think that the mouth is the main issue. Since I started to notice the issues after switching him to Wellness Core Reduced Fat dry kibble, he wants to eliminate the possibility that it’s food related. The vet told me to give him 20mg of Pepcid 2x day for 10 days to see if there is an improvement.

In reply to Susan, I don’t think it’s the Zignature, because he started to have the issues while eating the Wellness and I switched him to the Zignature immediately on the suggestion of someone else in the forum. But yes, Zignature has 435 Calories/Cup, where the Wellness Core only has 360. I’m transitioning him off the Zignature to Fromm Gold Weight Management which only is 341 kcal/cup.

If the pepcid doesn’t help, he’s going to do a full blood work up to check his liver and put him out to clean his teeth and do a more thorough check of his mouth, teeth and gums. And if he still has issues, then we’re going to look more closely into his food.

So what I thought was a done deal is back to being a mystery.

[Richard K]

Hey everyone. I have wanted to feed my dogs raw for a long time but I don’t think I can afford it. My dogs have always had 5 star rated wet and dry dog food mixed like now I feed them Wellness limited ingredient diet dry and Holistic select wet food mixed in and it costs me about 70 dollars a month but I know raw is much better for them plus I have tried many many kinds of 5 star rated dry and wet dog food an my dogs only eat it cause they are very hungry because they don’t really like any i have tried. I have 2 small dogs both weight about 15lbs. Can anyone tell me a raw or freeze dried food I can feed them that won’t cost me much more than what I’m paying now? Or is that totally impossible to feed them raw or freeze dried for around that same price per month. I am on disability so I have limited income an i cant afford to go much higher. Both my dogs are in pretty good health. My pomeranian is 11 years old and acts like he is 4 years old or less. My shi-tzu is 10 years old and he isnt as active as my pomeranian and he does have some medical issues but the vet says he believes that he was inbred at a puppy mill. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

[Jon C]

There are a number of 5 star dog foods listed in your editors choice that when clicked on are then 4.5 or even 4 star foods in their descriptions. I would also like to see a few filters since there are quite a few of them to read through. Filter them by stars, raw, wet, dry, performance, maintenance, senior, adult, puppy etc.

Thanks

[Lana T]

Royal Canin makes a variety called “Aging 12+” that is lower phosphorus. I buy the bag that has “Mini” on the side of it, which they say is for dogs up to 22 pounds, although any size dog could eat it. The Guaranteed Analysis on the bag says “Protein (min) 24%; Fat (min) 12%, and Phosphorus (min) 0.41%. The bag says it is “Easily rehydrated,” which is good, as our kidney dogs need lots of water. Some brands of kibble just will not soak up water. The prescription Royal Canin dry kibble, variety “A”, lists phosphorus as 0.27%. I have a vet RX for the prescription food, but I have been researching and it seems that protein does not usually need to be restricted until Stage 3 of chronic kidney. So I like that the “Aging 12” has more protein than the Rx food. I bought the “Aging 12+” at Petsmart, but if there is not one near you I’m sure you can buy it from Amazon or Chewy’s. It is very palatable; my Boston Terriers love it. Just be sure you get the “Aging 12” because there are also bags for “8” and “10” (referring to the age of dog, I think) and they are not lower phosphorus.

[pitlove]

Hi Corsomomma21-

Too many treats add unneeded calories to the diet and can result in a fat puppy. It is important to train, but not every aspect of training requires a treat. Sometimes praise and pets are the best type of reward. For the times when a treat is really needed as part of her learning an important command such as recalling to you, you can use things that are high value. Cooked or freeze dried organ meats are usually high value. Another good idea is using her food as treats if she turns out to be food driven. You can keep track of how many pieces of dry food you use as treats and subtract that from her meals so you keep the calories down.

Also congrats on the Corso puppy! Between pitbulls and Corsos those are the two breeds I’m most passionate about. I’ve already got my Corso breeder picked out for when we upgrade to a larger house.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by pitlove.

[Richard K]

Hi Elaine. I was wondering how much that answers dog food costs you per month to feed your dogs? I am on limited income. I have 2 small dogs both about 15 lbs. I spend approximately 60 bucks a month to feed my two dogs dry food with wet mixed in.

[GERALD P]

My 7 year old Westie was using Orijen for around 6 years. I’ve been rotating between adult and regional red for a couple of years without any issues. After opening a bag of the “new” original formula from Kentucky he got a terrible case of diarrhea which didn’t go away until we stopped giving him that food. He’s currently having boiled chicken, rice and some pumpkin and doing okay. Reading up on different dry foods to use. Anyone try Farmina?

[Shawn S]

Vet said that since the Benadryl worked, it should be due to environmental allergies. She said Benadryl does not help with food allergies. They recommended that I give it to him for a period of time and then stop and see what happens. Hopefully it will go away in a month or when the season changes.

[Alexander A]

I know most people turn up their noses at it, but Pedigree has worked wonders for my older dog who had so many health issues going on at the same time, one contributed to the worsening of another, until he was diagnosed with kidney disease about three months ago. He had chronic (i.e., daily) diarrhea, abdominal pain, and was urinating blood at one point. After the diagnosis of kidney disease, he was on Hill’s k/d canned and a specially tailored home made diet for renal patients. It was expensive, time consuming, and honestly, even on boiled chicken and rice he had issues with soft, frequent bowel movements 🙁

At the recommendation of our Vet, we substituted the k/d for dry Pedigree Lamb & Rice.

Moose’s problems started around December of 2015. From that point until late January of 2017, he hadn’t had a single normal bowel movement. He was going quite often, but the first day we mixed in Pedigree with some home cooked, he went the entire day without having a poo accident in the house. When he finally did go, his stool was normal, hard and formed, passed without any pain.

He’s been to the Vet since starting out on it, and his BUN & blood creatinine levels drastically improved.

The Lamb & Rice food is 21% protein/10% fat/0.8% phosphorous. I know the ingredient list isn’t fancy, but the food is made from American sources and has an excellent balance of nutrients. I’ve since switched my other dogs to it. The 10 year old with allergies and very bad problems with reverse sneezing has seen a DRASTIC reduction in breathing issues. Her tear stains are not gone but visibly lessened, and an old ear infection that never responded to antibiotics has cleared up. Needless to say, I’m very happy with the quality of this brand, even though it’s something I wouldn’t ordinarily have tried.

[Christie]

Anyone know of a 4 star or higher rated dry food that has small kibble that’s not actually suited for small breeds. My 105 pound American Bulldog mix and 45 pound Catahoula Leopard Dog mix are so particular when it comes to their food.

One day were were out visiting a friend, who on the advice of her vet, feeds her 40 pound mixed breed Purina One (she’s now overweight…I’m not surprised). My dogs zeroed in to her food bowl. Now I know the Purina isn’t good quality, and it was probably the additives that made the food taste good. But they also seem to like the smaller, irregular shapes of the kibble.

All of the kibble that I’ve run across is pretty big, not an issue for my American Bulldog, but my Catahoula isn’t as enthused with it.

[Christie]

I’ve pretty much concluded that all of the itching/licking/ear issues aren’t food based. I’ve done elimination tests. During the last bout of issues, I switched immediately to Zignature based on a suggestion in this forum. Neither dog ‘loves; the kibble and I have to add apples and sardines just to get them to eat it. The itching seems better, but I’ve also been treating my dog’s paws with OTC meds that appear to be working, so I don’t know if the food helped or not. I’ve tried a dozen different food brands, mixing up the main proteins, and there doesn’t appear to be a big difference between them. The itching/ear issues just seem to pop up at random.

My dog is American Bulldog/pit mix and I’ve read that they’re just predisposed to itching and ear issues. As long as I catch flareups early in the game, I can usually treat the symptoms.

I read that you can give a dog benedryl for environmental allergies, but I’m always wary of giving them anything made for humans. Is it really safe? My vet always just wants to prescribe general antibiotics to clear the ears but the OTC drops work just as well for a fraction of the cost.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Kylie: I have no experience in wet food for yeasty dogs so I can’t help with that. I Tried keeping my dog away from various ingredients but no luck. I tried feeding Darwins raw but no change. My holistic vet suggested a raw with no produce and that worked, for him. All dogs are different. He had one ear infection in recent ears and we think it was due to humidity. He does groom himself often and sometimes he licks a sore in between toes. He has that now.

A grain free low carb food may be worth a shot. Keep in mind, you need to give him no treats, just his food. Keep a journal.

I dont know exactly what causes my dogs issues but a change to raw worked for him. I can deal with an occasional ear infection due to humidity and paw licking is fine, unless he’s causing damage which is happening now. I *think* that is due to heat in the house causing dry skin and boredom.

[anonymous]

From a previous post:

Allergies can be broken down into inhalant, contact, or food allergy origins. Flea allergies, grass allergies, and environmental toxin induced allergies are the most common causes of skin conditions in Cairns. Allergies can be chronic or seasonal. They can be minor or severe in occurrence. They tend to become worse with age. Treatment is much better than in bygone days. Environmental controls, antihistamine treatment, and desensitization injections have made huge strides in the last few years”.
“Glucocorticoids should be used only as a last resort due to serious side effects. Diagnosis and treatment of chronic or severe cases by a Board Licensed Veterinary Dermatologist is recommended”.
(excerpt from:) http://cairnterrier.org/index.php/Static/health
This was copied from a site regarding Cairn Terriers, however, the information applies to all dogs (imo)

Example: Have you consulted a veterinary dermatologist? If the allergies are environmental, changing the diet will have very little to do with alleviating the symptoms.
Environmental allergies tend to wax and wane, without getting Intra dermal skin testing done by a specialist (veterinary dermatologist) it’s pretty much impossible to tell what the allergens are, what is working, or not.
And:
What you describe sounds like environmental allergies, food would have little impact, if any, on this condition.
I would continue to work with your veterinarian, however, for best results, I would go to a specialist, a veterinary dermatologist.

Example: /forums/topic/irritated-skin-food-allergy/
/forums/topic/dog-chewing-nails-till-they-bleed/
“Food allergies are rare. Food sensitivities tend to result in GI disturbances such as vomiting and diarrhea. Environmental allergies tend to show up as pruritus, ear infections and such”.
“You could try a limited ingredient grain free food. My dog does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea. Wipe down her feet with water and gently dry when she comes in from outdoors”.
“Bathe her using a gentle shampoo, I use Malaseb (see chewy dot com).
I tried all kinds of things times 1 year (including going back and forth to the veterinarian), but, did not get results till I took her to a dermatologist for testing. Allergen specific immunotherapy worked in her case”.
Unfortunately, steroids and such are often necessary (for brief periods) to stop the suffering and prevent infection.
Allergen specific immunotherapy is the most natural treatment.
Also, I have heard that some dogs do well on apoquel, you may want to consider talking to to your vet about that.

[shannon c]

I am new to the site and wanted some insight on dog food. I have 3 pugs 10,9, and 4 years old. My 4 year old itches constantly and I have taken her to vet 3x with no answers. I think my first step may need to change her food and I am at such a loss on where to begin. I feed them dry blue buffalo now.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Shannon

[anonymous]

“He has been to 3 different vets in my area and they all either just want him to stay on benadryl or give him steroid injections”.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents, while you are waiting for Marie to respond.

Sometimes steroids are necessary (temporarily) to stop the suffering and risk of infection until an accurate diagnosis is made. Sounds like it could be environmental allergies which are unrelated to food.

Has your vet referred you to a veterinary dermatologist? That is where I would start.

Have you checked the search engine here, example:
/forums/topic/candida-in-dogs/
/forums/search/allergies/

[Kylie M]

Hello InkedMarie
You seem very knowledgeable in the topic of dogs with yeast problems so I thought I’d ask you where to start. I have a 5 year old rat terrier who suffers from constant yeast infections in his ears. He also randomly has problems with his paws and dry itchy red skin. He has been to 3 different vets in my area and they all either just want him to stay on benadryl or give him steroid injections. I have been feeding him diamond naturals chicken and rice formula. After reading lots of different posts in here I would like to switch to a grain free low carb food. Do you think I should start with one on this list or should I try a wet dog food that contains no starches? I keep reading conflicting info about how I should use a wet dog food with no starches to help combat the yeast. Thanks for all the info.