[Susan]

HI Jan,
since being on the TOTW are his poos the best they have been since they were good when eating the raw?? I would keep him on the TOTW for a bit longer 2-3months, if you don’t want to try a vet diet, let his bowel heal & adjust to eating a kibble, remember his stomach & bowel was use to eating a raw diet & they do less poos & nice small poos…..he’s only been on the TOTW kibble 1 week also have you tried stopping the enzyme just for 2 days & see are the poos smaller & better, does it make a difference?…..
My Patch was put on a vet diet for 9-12 months, I didn’t want him on a vet diet, also Patches vet is into feeding more natural diets not kibbles, she explained we need the stomach & bowel to rest & heal & not work hard digesting his food, I said OK how long do I feed this vet diet look it has corn grits, she said just for 1 yr to let the stomach & bowel heal….I nillly had a heart attack, 1 yr but she was right in the end, 9 months later I started looking at other kibbles but I still knew I had the vet diet to fall back on just in case the new kibble wasn’t working out….
We tried Royal Canin Gastrointestinal but Patch started to itch, scratch & smell real yeasty, he has food sensitivities & in the end the vet Diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” a low residue kibble worked & there’s also “Intestinal Plus” it has more fiber, he was doing just 2 small poos a day at the same time everyday but sometimes his poos were very soft to pick up & yellow but vet said as long as when the poo is coming out it’s formed, its OK, I look back & I think the Eukanuba Intestinal may have been too low in fiber for Patch, it was 1.7% crude fiber…

Iams also has their Intestinal Plus Low Residue Puppy, Iams KO Oats & Kangaroo & beet pulp, its for Skin & Coat has better ingredients, there’s no corn, no gluten corn meal in the Iams KO & it does have the Beet pulp, Beet pulp makes poos smaller & firmer, a lot of cheap kibbles & vet diets use beet pulp cause people judge a dog food by the way a dog poos & when poos are small & firm they think the food is good but its just the added beet pulp…

Also look at the Hills Vet Diet, Hills I/d Digestive Care, remember all the vet diets are guaranteed money back so until you find one that works you don’t pay for all this kibble that doesn’t work for the dog…
http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/products/pd-canine-id-dry,
the Hills I/d kibble has the digestive enzymes, electrolytes, vitamin B what is needed to gain weight, omega 3-6 fatty acids, prebiotic fiber (Beet Pulp) everything needed to heal the stomach & bowel, I know vet diets have awful ingredients for dogs with intestinal problems like corn, maize, gluten corn meal but they seem to help their stomach & gut heal, I don’t know why but when you find the right vet diet they do work…
Just remember in the back of your head this is temporary it’s just for 6-9 months …

In Australia we have better ingredients in our vet diets or they are not allowed in Australia, I don’t know why Hills & Royal Canin don’t make the ingredient list the same for the American pets as well….probably where they make more money….

Here’s the Iams site to compare ingredients with the Hills & Royal Canin vet diets, Iams KO has just Oat Flour & Kangaroo & has the Beet pulp…. the “Eukanuba Intestinal” also has a puppy formula made for puppies, puppies need more fat in their diet….
http://www.iams.com/dog-food/veterinary-formula
It’s just a thought if nothing is working after a couple of months..
I really hope he starts to improve then when he’s older & better he can go back to a raw diet & a nice raw meaty bone..

[SHARON O]

I want no chicken products for my girl with chicken allergy, in a kibble.

[Libby B]

Hi, I have a nearly 14 yo labradoodle who started having seizures 18 months ago. He had had random dizzy spells where he lost balance for a year before that. At first the vet told us it was vestibular disease, then later a brain tumor.
He is on Pexion for the fits and Valium to help between doses.
I have had a major break through in the last two weeks, realising first of all that chicken would bring on a seizure within twelve hours. We stopped feeding him chicken. We bought expensive dry dog food and it helped slightly. He would have bad and better days but never without ‘twitching’ as we call it.
The other day I gave him the leftover pasta noodles that had a tiny coating of bolognese sauce on them. He wolfed it down ……that night and next day NO Twitching AT ALL! Gave him BBQ beef next day and back to twitching.
We are now giving him high carb diet thinking the proteins are not being metabolised easily and it has made an incredible difference. I am wondering if I can get rid of the Pexion and will ask the vet next visit.
I have arrived at these conclusions myself by watching his reactions to these foods and only googled it this morning to find that food allergies can cause seizures. Would have loved the vet to perhaps explored this option, and am wondering what all the money and information I had given him was for!

[anonymous]

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.
Have you tried the search engine here? This subject comes up frequently.
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 staying with that, talk to your vet.

[Cheryl M]

Hello
I’m looking for help/advice, as I am sure others must have been in the situation I am in.

I have a 10 year old staffy and for the past 4 years or so she been awful with her skin and ears. A couple of years ago she was diagnosed as food intolerant, but I’m in the U.K. and my vet said there was no test to show what foods are safe/unsafe for her. So upon their advise I did an elimination diet….chicken, beef, turkey, fish, kangaroo, buffalo, bison, home cooked meats, raw meats, etc nothing seemed to make a difference. Finally I found a dry food which although very boring for her did calm her down a little. It was grain free and hypoallergenic etc. She came off the steroids and went onto apoquel. She will have the odd scratch and scoot but on the whole it was bearable for her.

In December she had a big flare up – and still is – she is back on steroids as well as the apoquel, and has ear drops from the vets for her ears; she has been scratching them until they bleed then crying in pain. She is always worse in a morning.

At the moment I’m not working so can be with her, but I can’t leave the house for fear of returning to bloodied ears.

I’ve tried anti fungal/bacterial sprays, shampoos, powder enzymes for her food. I’ve tried the lot.

I’m guessing she’s built an intolerance up to the dry food. The vet gave her a strong injection of steroids yesterday she was so bad.

I am just at a loss what to do. I am so stressed out at her suffering. I wish there was a test so we could find what she can eat.

Any advice please?

[Allie]

I think he may have a sensitive stomach, which is why we switched to a simple food diet. When it comes to free feeding, I think that is where I am stuck because he does not have a “set schedule” of when he eats, he pretty much does when he is hungry..I wish I would have made him have a set schedule when he was a puppy but I always left food down for past dogs and it was never a problem. I do want to try the smaller meals 2-3 times a day but don’t know where to start (don’t know when to put food down). Any suggestions for that? I was thinking about going back to the prescription food but wanted to see how this dry food worked, I could always ask the vet and see what he thinks.

He only has one rope like toy..but he doesn’t play with it as much as the others.

[Allie]

Hi all,

I am desperate for some answers. I have a 1 year old shih-poo (shih tzu/poodle) named Teddy. About 2 months ago he started throwing up once everyday..mostly in the morning early hours and sometimes at night. After he threw up 2 days in a row I immediately tried to put him on a bland chicken and rice diet. He was unable to keep that down so I decided it was time to contact the vet. The vet took x-rays to check for blockages, did blood test and gave me some antibiotics as well as special RX food. His x-rays looked good no blockages however his blood test came back with a high white blood cell count and a high liver count (which was what the antibiotics were for because the vet concluded he had some type of infection.) While on the medicine and food Teddy didn’t throw up once..he was on the food for about 2 weeks. Unfortunately after I went back to his normal food the throw up continued. I called the vet and he told me to switch his food to a simple dry food..so we chose to feed him the “Wellness Simple” salmon & potato formula. This has seemed to help, Teddy went almost 2 weeks without throwing up and now more recently almost 1 week without throwing up. We had more blood test done just last week to see if everything was back to normal and the vet just called and informed me that all his blood work is normal however not even 2 minutes after I got off the phone he threw up (first time since last Tuesday, today is Monday.) My fear is that he will slowly go back to throwing up daily. I have read articles about IBD which I know cannot be detected through blood work but through a scope. I’m not sure what else to do or if I should wait it out and see if he doesn’t throw up again since the first time he threw up if was yellowish bile which I believe was because he did not eat the night before. I would just hate to wait and something terribly be wrong. He does not act weird, he is still playful and eats like normal.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[Susan]

Hi Paul,
as we get older we don’t make as much hydrochloric acid to digest our food & its harder to digest food so the food sits in our stomach, Google “Hypochlorhydria” is low stomach acid
it may just be a coincidence the glucosamine has cause this, I prefer to give my 8yrs old Omega 3 supplements or feed foods high in omega 3 fatty acid for his joints, skin etc, I’ve been very lucky with Patch he doesn’t have any joint problems yet, he is walked 3 times a day cause I live in a unit & he’s kept lean…but my boy does have IBD mainly stomach problems & skin allergies & was vomiting undigested food a year ago, I had to make his gut strong & healthy. Dog probiotic like Purina Fortiflora is good, they tested 10 dog probiotics & found only 3 of them had live cultures & Purina Fortiflora was voted number 1, I give Yukalt it’s a probiotic drink in the fridge section at supermarket, I drink 1/2 & Patch gets the other 1/2 there’s 5 small pink drinks, he has stoped his vomiting & eating grass every morning, so the Yakult drinks have probably fixed his bacteria in his gut & bowel & made it healthy again..
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50000
I feed lean white meats, I buy lean pork grounded mince 1kg (2lb), add 1 whisk egg, a few chopped up small broccoli heads broken off the broccoli, 1 teaspoon chopped up parsley, some kale chopped up just 1 leaf, or you can use 1 spinach leaf or another veggie, I was grating 1 small carrot, I suppose start with less is best then the next batch of rissoles add another finally chopped up veggie….. mix all together & make 1 cup size rissole, (it makes about 8-9 x 1 cup size rissoles) & bake in oven on a foiled covered baking tray, when they’re 1/2 cooked take out tray of rissole & drain any excess water & fat there’s normally hardly any fat, then turn over the rissoles & bake, don’t over cook the rissoles as soon as there’s no blood they’re ready, I also peel & cut up sweet potato & boil, I do not boil rice, rice ferments in the stomach, it’s no good, the new thing is to cook either potato or sweet potato…. Hamburger mince is very high in fat it’s not recommended anymore…. I also boil some pumkin & freeze you can also freeze the rissoles, I only add about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of sweet potatoes or potatoes & a small piece of pumkin to 1 rissole, mix altogether & cut up rissole finally so it’s easier to digest…
Do not give a raw feed dog any dry kibble, kibble is harder to digest even when water is added, vet hasn’t prescribe any kibble, fed a wet tin food if vet advises a vet prescription diet…but a cooked diet is heaps better then any vet diets….cook foods that are easy to digest & white lean meats for now, beef is a stronger more rich meat like Kangaroo, I didn’t know this lol poor Patch he loved his beef & kangaroo rissole but his stomach didn’t it came back up undigested…
also cook some home made healthy doggy treat biscuits there’s a few recipes online… I have a few if needed.. he may need a 10 day course of Metronidazole it’s an antibiotic for stomach & bowel.. also feed 3-4 smaller meals a day.

[Mary N]

What is your opinion on this subject? I heard many of my pet owners friends are not pleased with the ingredients found in what they call “So-called Veterinarian approved dog food”, while on another hand I know many of them who swear in their Vets recommended dog food.

A friend of mine went far with me today on this subject that it got me thinking and I started researching this. Many sources claim that it is just another dog food myth and that these recommended dog food brands are not so healthy for our four legged companions.
http://mysweetpuppy.net/dog-food-myths/
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/holistic-healthcare-library/food-diet—general/147/top-10-myths-about-pet-food-and-nutrition.aspx
They, for example, claim that veterinarians are recommending dog food which is filled with bad ingredients.
OnlyNaturalPet states in their article:
“While large brands sold in veterinarian’s offices may be marketed as premium, top of the line foods, one look at the ingredients tells a different story.”

But lets not just look at dog related websites. Here is a really heartbreaking story I read today while researching this problem and it is featured on dailymail a media news website who is powerful enough not to have any reason to publish this but they did. I am pretty sure they got nothing for writing a piece about how the vets recommended food killed a beloved cat named Jaggers 🙁

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1244595/Is-food-youre-feeding-pet-killing–making-vet-rich.html

The article dailymail wrote is really long but I advise you to read it, they went with some stone hard facts as to why this problem persist. And they weren’t just talking about that one cat, that’s just the intro of the article.

Still, I can’t map my mind about all of this. I am writing this topic to fill you in on what I know so that you could give me your opinion. How do you go about this? Do you or do you not trust your vets recommended food brand?

After all of this, I don’t know who or what to trust anymore. I have two dogs, I love them both. I feed them home made and dry kibble dog food, most of the time it is the one my veterinarian recommends. Please give me your opinion on this.

[David H]

Yes, organic cold pressed has numerous heath benefits. High purine foods, and dry foods are what is hardest on your dogs kidneys. Fat gives them extra calories that do not work the kidneys. A side note. Feed your dog the moistest food as possible. The problem with kidney disease is they can not drink enough fluids to keep the kidneys flushed. I had a golden that had kidney disease from age 10 on. She lived to be over 15 yrs. I gave her coconut oil for as long as she would eat it. Good luck!

[David F]

Thanks. Just switching to giving her some moist, soft food with her dry food. The dry food is okay but there are times when she just avoids it. I am feeding some soft in the morning and now in the evening.

[Fran C]

Hi Michelle, I have a Shepherd mix with skin problems, and 2 other dogs who are not affected with allergies. My dog started having her skin problems at 2-years old. Two weeks ago I didn’t make it on time to Petco before it closed to buy my dogs’ their dry kibble so I was forced to go to Target and pick out what I thought would suffice until the next day. I was not surprised to find that some of the lower rated dry dog foods were actually “catching up” with the highly rated dog food brands with their farm fresh natural ingredients, grain free (not for my dogs though), etc. and Made in the USA! It was a toss up between Purina’s Beyond and Rachel Ray’s Nutrish dog food… I chose Rachel. The ingredients were good and the majority of her dog food has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Target’s website alone. The best part is two of my “picky” dog eaters (Shih Tzu and Beagle) are now willing to eat without wet food mixed into their kibble. I have always fed my dog’s 5-star dog foods and have tried practically every brand throughout the years… hoping Rachel Ray Nutrish is a keeper. You may also want to consider taking your dog to your vet for an exam and if necessary, a skin scrape test and/or a blood test for fungal/bacterial infection. It could be as simple as the flea control you’re using or it could be environmental. There are low cost veterinary clinics that will not up sell you. My shepherd unfortunately suffers from serious skin allergies in the Spring and Fall so we have to pay a visit to the vet twice a year to try and stay on top of her allergies to control her skin from getting worse. The vet prescribed Simplicef (generic brand is Cephalexin) and she has to have frequent baths with medicated shampoo (about $11 from the vet). I hope your dog’s allergies are not as serious as my dog’s and wish you the best of luck.

[Laura B]

I’m sorry, I had put this in the wrong place, previously!

Hello, I just joined.
My lab/pit has just turned 7. I have ALWAYS made his wet food (turkey, eggs/shells, fish oil, oatmeal) mixed with a grain-free dry (call of the wild).
He battles with seasonal allergies, which in turn gives him trouble with yeast, due to compromised immune system. I have since stopped the oatmeal, his daily bone replaced with dehydrated chicken.
I’m now looking to reformulate his food. I would also like to start phasing out the dry (even though it’s considered a decent brand, I don’t fully trust it).
My dog has never liked a vegetable!! I need to start sneaking some in if I’m going to phase out the dry (which actually includes a fair amount of fruits and veggies).
I’m looking for some suggestions, I had read that legumes might be ok, but also read that they may also feed yeast. Puréed kale might be undetectable!!
Thank you,
Laura

[Jeannine M]

I was looking to change from Fromm LBP gold as my dog has light rashy ears and the vet said possible allergy and sometimes his stools have mucous. Had his stools checked several times and no worms, parasites or anything else. Can’t say I care for the ingredients in a lot of the dog foods put I did like the Nulo. A little high on the protein side but thought I’d give it a try. I wrote them and asked about LBP and the requirements-calcium, phos. and ratios and was wondering what others think, is this too much for my puppy? He just turned five months old this week and he is half mastiff half Rottweiler. This was her reply-
Hi Jeannine,

Thanks for reaching out, and for your interest in our products for your Mastiff/Rottweiler puppy!

We don’t offer a formula that’s exclusively for Large Breed puppies, however our FreeStyle and MedalSeries recipes for puppies are formulated to contain nutrient levels that are intended for puppies of ALL breed sizes. This means that the calcium and phosphorus levels within the range for the development of large breed bones and joints. For your review, I’ve listed the calories, calcium and phosphorus levels for our recipes for puppies:

FreeStyle Salmon & Peas Recipe for Puppies:
Calories: 3,627 kcals/kg; 428 kcal/cup
Calcium: 1.48%
Phosphorus: 1.04%
Ca:P Ratio: 1.4:1

FreeStyle Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe for Puppies:
Calories: 3.742 kcals/kg; 441 kcals/cup
Calcium: 1.49%
Phosphorus: 1.06%
Ca:P Ratio: 1.4:1

MedalSeries Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe for Puppies:
Calories: 3,652 kcals/kg; 431 kcals/cup
Calcium: 1.43%
Phosphorus: 0.93%
Ca:P Ratio: 1.54:1

Both our FreeStyle and MedalSeries lines are designed to meet the same nutritional standard for healthy pets, are grain-free, and contain our patented probiotics. The key difference between the FreeStyle and MedalSeries puppy formulas is the variety of recipes within each line, and where you can purchase them. All FreeStyle dry food recipes are exclusively sold through independent retailers and are formulated without chicken, which may be a benefit for your puppy’s allergy symptoms. These include our FreeStyle Salmon & Peas and our FreeStyle Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipes for puppies. Our MedalSeries recipes are exclusively sold through PetSmart, and do feature chicken as a primary protein source; this includes our MedalSeries Chicken & Sweet Potato recipe for puppies.

If you have any additional questions as you consider our products, please reach out to me and I’d be glad to help. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Heather Acuff, M.S.
Nulo Customer Care Manager
512.476.6856 Ext. 111
Description: Macintosh HD:Users:heather.acuff:Desktop:Customer Care:Nulo Logos:nulo_logo_healthier_rbg.jpg

On 1/5/17, 2:19 PM, “Jeannine Moore” <jeanninemoore123@icloud.com> wrote:

I am trying to find a food for my mastiff/Rottweiler puppy. He is on Fromms LBP gold right now but inside his ears are light pink and the vet said he might have some allergy issues. I’m super paranoid about food as my 8 year old love of my love mastiff/Rottweiler recently passed from osteosarcoma. I got him back in 2008 when they just started recommending not to feed large breed dogs puppy food and to feed them low protein adult food. At 2 he had tplo surgery and like I said he later developed osteosarcoma when he was 7 1/2 years old and was dead 7 months later. I need a dog food that has the right calcium/phos. ratio along with the calcium ratio to calorie. I don’t know how to factor in the ash and everything else as it’s all too overwhelming! I read you have a vet nutritional specialist develop your food and on staff so I am asking you. Please give me your recommendations on all your dry food that is within the requirements that I have listed so I can start tracking down the food.
Thanks so much,
Jeannine Moore
McMinnville, Oregon

Sent from my iPad

[Susan]

Hi why is your dog on the Hills W/d? the fat is low for a wet tin food at 12.7% & the crude fiber is very high at 12.4% .. Need to know dogs health problem??
When you look for a wet tin foods they haven’t been converted to dry matter (Kibble) like the Hills vet diets have already been converted, so when looking for a wet tin food you’ll need to look for a wet tin food around 2-3% in fat…. need to know why your dog was put on the W/d in the first place. A lot of weight management foods are lower in fat & higher in crude fiber then the normal formulas…
Wellness make their Wellness Weight Management Core formula, it’s grain free, fat is 3.50%min you need to email Wellness & ask what is the max fat% & fiber % & when converted to dry matter & how high is the fat % in the Weight Management Core formula..
http://brands.wellnesspetfood.com/core/dogs/wet-weight-management

[Susan W]

Krista,
I fed dry only for YEARS to various dogs of all sizes. There’s nothing at all wrong with it. One thing you might want to try is feeding a food that has probiotics AND Omega-3 built in. VeRus dog food has a cold-water fish formula AND an opticoat formula which are both fish-based foods. They are high in Omega-3s because the fish they use is a wild-caught, Atlantic fish called Menhaden. Wild-caught fish are higher in Omega-3s than farm-raised. VeRus also has a technique for freeze-drying LIVE probiotics so they have a longer shelf life and are more effective for your dog’s digestion.
I had a dog with a very dry, itchy coat – complicated by her love of the pool. I fed her the Opticoat formula for about 9 months & her itchiness.coat problems cleared up. I’m feeding a different VeRus formula now, but will switch back to the Opticoat when the weather warms up.
The seriously great thing about trying VeRUS is that they’ll send you free samples. For a small dog, the free samples are enough for a couple of days so you get a really good try out. Just go to their website – veruspetfoods.com – and fill out the contact form. This food is not any more expensive (and may actually be less expensive) than those you named.

[Mary N]

Hi Krista,

There are many dogs who are fed like that and they do just fine. But what you will want is to make regular vet visits because in case of any health complication that model of simple dry dog food nutrition just might not work. And it is important to know your dog’ health at all times if you are just feeding dry dog food.

I would recommend you to feed your dog with at least some home made food from time to time, it will help your dog to stay healthier and happier.

Here are some simple homemade dog food recipes:

DIY Homemade Dog Food

[crazy4cats]

Hi Krista-
There are probably millions of dogs that are fed dry only and are doing just fine. However, I prefer to feed a budget friendly kibble so I can afford to add meal mixers or toppers to it. I’m not sure if it will make them live longer, but it makes me feel better. Lol! Costco, Tractor Supply, and Walmart all carry inexpensive five star canned food that I add a 1/4 can to their kibble in the mornings. Eggs, sardines and leftovers are also fairly cheap to add.

I personally don’t think those extremely expensive kibbles are a good value unless it is being fed due to a health condition. They’re still kibble.

Also, I know supplements can be very expensive as well. Are you sure they are needed? I know how feeding our furries can be so overwhelming! I think you are doing great. Just do what you can do. If feeding them dry only works for you and her, then so be it. Make sure she has plenty of water available. Your dog is in good hands. Best wishes to you!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Krista B]

Hi,

I was like the idea of a rotational diet for dogs and favor feeding different forms such as kib ble, canned, and freeze dried. But due to budget issues I can really only afford plain dry food. I can afford any type of dry food such as Orijen and Acana because my dog is small and doesn’t eat a lot of dry food. But canned and freeze dried is more expensive and she eats more of canned because it’s less calories. So is it ok that she just gets dry kibble with no other additions? Is this healthy? She does get a fish oil, probiotics and a joint supplement.

Thanks,

Krista

[Jodi L]

I’m really glad I found this topic. My 7 mo old Rotti has been chewing and kicking his rear for what seems like forever! Fleas? Nope, not a one and he’s treated monthly for them. His anal sacs are full? Nope, they seem to be as empty as empty can get. Dry skin, somewhat but not really. Allergies, doesn’t seem to be an issue since it’s the only place on his body that he licks and chew excessively. Yvan became very sick over the Thanksgiving holiday. We were nearly on our way out the door to Michigan state ( A large Veteinary School University) when he made a complete turnaround. He had violent diarrhea, some vomiting and had become lethargic. He went or side and expelled from both ends….came inside and viola! Different dog. Unfortunately about a week later it happened again so we visited the vet this time. Everything checked out fine and since he’d been turning his nose up at his food for a few weeks….but had been trying to eat my others dog food (they are on a different food) we came to the conclusion that the food was not agreeing with him. He was eating at the time Wellness Large Breed Puppy Chicken and whitefish. Immediately took that food away and put him on Royal Canin Gastrointesial food for just about a month with a round of probiotics and not problems with the violent diarrhea or vomiting or lethargy since. I had also noticed that he had stopped the chewing of his rear the week or so that he had the probiotics. So he is now on VertiScience Mega Probiotic. I’ve also began feeding two candy of sardines packed in water and no salt added every week to help with his coat. I’m feeding Fiamond Naturals, No grain Salmon and sweet potato. He’s only been eating it for about 4 days and unless I’m delusional I believe the chewing is diminishing. He’s always had softer stool so I’m hoping that between the food and probiotics that it begins to get better. I couldnt figure out what was going on. Between the metallic breath, lose stool, chewing and biting..I was going insane trying to figure out what was going on with Yvan. I’m firmly convinced that all these symptoms are an anal gland issue caused hopefully by diet. Now that he’s on a Slamon and Sweet potato diet and the probiotics I’m crossing my fingers that when I go out to scoop poop that I’m scooping frozen poopcicles (frozen poop during a Michigan winter) versus frozen cow patties!

[Roberta A]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a gravy or sauce. I have a 16 year old Yorkie who has become very picky. She is on a raw diet, has been since she was 5. Anything that is dry and crumbled she will pick it out of her food and leave the food so must be a something that coats her food. My criteria is: It must be human grade, must be made in USA, and not full of chemicals, dies or the unexplainable bad stuff companies use in pet food.
I have been making my own broth but it is quite labor intensive for only 2 tablespoons over her food when in 2 or 3 days she’s over it and I’m forced to find something different. Currently I’m using human gravy from a jar it comes in several favors but the sodium isn’t great but she eats. She will go days without eating and that makes me more nervous than the sodium.
She is on Standard Process renal support 1/8 tsp Am and Pm in her food and she absolutely hates it this is what has caused her to become picky, but she has to have it her kidneys are showing signs of kidney disease Standard Process is making a difference. Can you suggest something?

[Cannoli]

Hi Liz,
Regarding your question:

‘if anyone had an easy way to incorporate more variation in my dogs’ diets’

This is tough for us to answer as we don’t know your dogs nor do we know how well they handle different foods or if they have any allergies. My guess is that if your dogs have been fed grain free dry food most of their lives a very slow transition might be needed with different food sources so that they don’t poop their brains out

If your dogs can easily handle different foods without massive amounts of loose stool or any known allergies than your only your imagination is holding you back.

Simple things as canned mackerel or sardines are rich and loaded with Omega 3s that you can add to your dogs kibble during the cold winter months to help them with their coats.

Obviously the concern is too feed toppers or food that is not lethal to dogs….Basically go down to your grocery store with a list of foods that are toxic to dogs and don’t buy those.

[Susan]

Hi Robert,
Why he tolerates the Hills W/D is it’s very high in Insoluble Fiber & Crude Fiber.
Crude Fiber-16.8%
Insoluble Fiber-28.8%
Soluble Fiber-1.5%
Protein is low at 18.9%
Fat is low at 9.1%
Carbs are 50.7%,
there is NO WAY you will find any dog dry kibble sold online or at a pet shop with those high fiber percentages, pet shop kibbles are for healthy dogs without any health problems……
Start looking at other vet diets like Purina contact or email Purina & other prescription vet diet companies & ask do they make a formula like the Hills W/D for diabetes/weight loss & write all the Insoluble, soluble & crude fiber percentages down, they normally ring you back to talk to you & you get free vet nutrition advice, then later look up their formulas online & see if ingredients are a bit better & see if it’s a bit cheaper..
If your vet ask why do you want to try another vet diet kibble (cause you need a prescription in America, we don’t need script in Australia, we can buy all vet diets on line) just say he’s getting sick of eating the Hills W/d & it’s getting too expensive for a large breed & I’d like to try such & such kibble it’s cheaper something like that, the Purina vet diets are very similar to the Hills vet diets & Purina is cheaper, also the protein % may be higher then the Hills W/D formula is.. then you introduce the new vet diet if he does well then start rotating between the vet diets making your boys gut stronger, 70% of our immune system is in the intestinal tract also are you giving the Purina FortiFlora Probiotic?? I know Purina has a bad name but their FortiFlora was tested with 10 other dog probiotics & Purina was one of the best of 3 that had active good bacteria the rest of probiotics were a waste of money.. I know you want cheaper kibble but all next year 2017 your going to make your boys gut healthy & strong again & the only way to do this is slowly introduce healthy whole foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins etc veggies high in insoluble fibers & introduce a new vet diet & look at introducing a weight management kibbles, I’ve written about weight management kibbles the 2nd last paragraph.
My boy has IBD & skin allergies, all I’ve done is research, join IBD groups trying to make him better & fix his stomach & bowel, looking for kibbles that work, introducing healthy foods in his diet that are high in Omega 3 very slowly, you start off just giving say 2-3 small pieces of peeled apple as a treat & some almonds, I bite 1/2 the almond & make Patch chew the other 1/2 of the almond he loves them & his coat has become so shinny but they can only have about 3 whole almonds a day, almonds can cause sloppy poos when given too many, when you introduce a fresh healthy food, do it same time every day, this way you know when he poos what poos are firm or a bit sloppy was that when he ate the new fresh foods ??

I started feeding a small cooked meal it was just turkey mince made into little balls baked in oven & I added some sweet potatoes, a very small meal for breakfast 7am & he still ate his vet diet at 8-9am, if your boy is thin then don’t take away any of the vet kibble if he is prefect weight then take away about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the vet diet when adding fresh foods..

Google, vegetables that are high in Insoluble fiber & lower in soluble fiber, soluble fiber veggies ferment in the stomach, Insoluble fiber bulks up the stool, 1 serving of Sweet Potato contains 2.2 grams of insoluble fiber, I just got that online when I googled “Is Sweet Potatoes a soluble fiber” it takes time but in 1-2yrs I bet you’ll have a list of foods he can eat & be added to his kibble to make it more healthy..

Weight management kibbles are high in fiber look for weight management kibbles that are the highest in the crude fiber, you’ll find only crude fiber % on kibble bag or their internet site, you won’t find a kibble with 16% crude fiber but maybe you’ll find 10-12% crude fiber then contact that kibble company & I always send an email & write, something like, My boy has IBD & I want to try your name of kibble, my boy needs a high insoluble & low soluble diet can I please have the percentages to the soluble, insoluble & crude fiber please, get a book & start writing this all down cause later on as he gets better & older what didn’t work a few yrs ago might work later & you try again & I always go to pet shops so I can take back the kibbles when they’re money back guaranteed if they cause diarrhea…
Have you tried the Diamond Naturals Light kibble? its a weight management kibble over the yrs I’ve read a few people who have dogs with diarrhea problems do really well on the Diamond Naturals Light, I know its made by Diamond & they have a bad name but after paying triple price for a Hills vet diet what could be worse? if you find a kibble that you could even mix 1/2 vet diet & 1/2 normal kibble & poos are good who cares what brand name it is, like Taste Of The Wild, people on this site say this & that about TOTW kibbles but when I see my boy doing nice firm poos & he’s happy that’s all that matters, Contact Diamond & ask for the insoluble fiber % & the Soluble fiber % it may be close to the Hills W/d formula & this way your adding another protein to his diet which is lamb meal & this will strengthen the stomach & bowel, my boy needs a lower fiber diet he gets bad acid reflux & stomach problems when fiber is high…

Start google & find out which grains & veggies have more insoluble fiber with less soluble fiber.. Lentils are higher in insoluble fibers so look for weight management kibbles highest in the crude fibers then email the companies if he doesn’t do well on the Diamond Natural Light kibble.
It takes time but when you do find that kibble that works its like winning the lottery & when you get them OFF a vet diet its feels excellent but you still know that that vet diet will fix any diarrhea problems just for a while until you find that right kibble.

Look at Purina EN Gastroenteric Fiber Balance Canine Formula
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.com/products/#for-dogs

Here’s the Diamond Light Naturals
http://www.diamondpet.com/our-brands/diamond-naturals/light-adult-dog/

List of high fiber foods soluble & insoluble
http://www.healthhype.com/list-of-high-fiber-foods-soluble-and-insoluble-fiber-chart.htmlesn

[Susan]

Hi Tides, gee your a good mum, it’s really good to see people feeding their dogs what their digestive tract is meant to digest & feed a Raw healthy diet even if 1 meal is raw & the other meal a dry kibble your still on the right track..
If your on Face Book join & follow “Rodney Habib” F/B page, he posted a video a couple of months ago “How to make your own balanced dog food in 3 easy steps” link posted below…Rodney has heaps of good information about feeding a healthy diet also what’s in our kibbles, how to work out the carbohydrate % & the little tricks these kibble companies do to trick us into buying their kibble & how to read the ingredient list & work out what brand kibbles are better..
If your girl cant eat chicken & turkey just be careful adding egg shell & slowly introduce just in case…
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-make-your-own-balanced-dog-food-in-3-easy-steps.html

[Maureen A M]

Hi,
I seem to have a problem making dogs fat. Suzie needs to drop 15-20 pounds (boy was she difficult to pick up and weigh–49#) and the mother dog and one of her adolescent ‘children’ both need to drop some unhealthy fat. I have never been really clear about what amount I should feed my diet dogs. For the 50# one to I use the ‘lose weight’ for 50# or do I use the ‘lose weight’ for what she should weigh?

I have had all my dogs on Nutro Weight Mgt since my normal weight dogs decided they would rather eat the diet food than Fromms??? Very odd. I put down four bowls, one with Ultra and that’s the only one they ate, also my Ty with the skin problem seems to be cured.

I have a problem walking them because of a disability and the poor homeless dogs in my neighborhood whose attitude is unknown. I realize this is my fault because of the TREATS! I will try to find the amount of calories in the treats and add it to the recommended number of calories I calculated. (and subtract it from their food or skip the treats).

I feel very bad about my idiocy in fattening these poor sweet dogs and I am going to fix it. My fattest dog can eat her dry food out of a ‘maze’ bowl just as fast as she did with a regular bowl and she is becoming very aggressive over any food she finds, and she was always such a gentle dog and very active. Sigh. I can’t afford to take her to the vet to have her thyroid checked, but if dogs are like humans whose nails don’t grow very fast when the thyroid is underactive, then she is hypothyroid ($78 for the test) as I rarely have to trim her nails, they just don’t grow..

Thank you for this great site. I just joined because I had $17 in my checking account. Thanks for the discount;-)

Sincerely
Maureen Martinek

[Kathy]

My german shepherd has thrived on Acana Regionals (Grasslands and Wild Prairie) and Orijen dry foods until they changed to their Kentucky plant. She got really sick on the Meadowlands, which has replaced Wild Prairie. Compared to the Wild Prairie it smelled rancid. I am so mad that they moved their plant and changed what food they source. So now I’m trying to find a new grain free food that is similar to Acana/Orijen. I tried Fromms game bird dry formula but she seems to get itchy on it. If you recently and successfully changed from Acana or Orijen to something else, what food are you feeding? My local pet store gave me samples of First Mate’s specialty dry foods (chicken meal with blueberries and australian lamb meal), Zignature lamb, Zignature duck, Kasiks free run chicken meal formula as well as their lamb formula, and Carna4 green free duck and also their chicken. I’ve also considered trying the Kirkland brand (Costco-Diamond) as I’ve had some friends have good luck with it. I am aware they had a recall back in 2012. Most importantly I’m trying to find a high quality food for a sensitive eater with sufficient protein for a working dog (she’s my guide dog). Thanks for the feedback!

[Susan]

Hi, Brady, we learn as we go along & your doing your best, have a look at “Wellness” & “Holistic Select” range, the Wellness has their Small breed formulas & Toy breed formulas wet & dry…. Holistic Select also has the small breed formulas wet & dry well…
Wellness- http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx
Holistic Select- http://www.holisticselect.com/

[crazy4cats]

Yeah, I just mix it in my dogs food. But, I always add a little water and usually some canned or other type of topper that makes it easier to mix in their food. Start with about half of the recommended amount or less. It has a pretty strong smell that your pup might not like at first. I have two lab mixes and they will eat pretty much anything! I could see making it into a gel if you only feed dry food in order for it to mix in and stick to the kibble better.

Best of luck. I really hope it works for you.

[Brady G]

Hello, DFA.
Long time creeper, first time poster.
My husband and I have 3 Pomeranians. Two of them just turned 1 and the other is about 5 months old.

Recently I decided to buy some “expensive” dog food and I chose Blue buffalo red meat for small breeds. They loved it and all was going well until our smallest (Boo) started having dry poop in his bottom EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It didn’t register with us that it was the food until our other Pomeranian had poop sticking out of his bottom as well (Bear).

Anywho, I was curious if you could give me other dog foods that you think would give them the ability to poop without it getting stuck because all they do all day is drag their a$$es and I can’t handle it anymore.

We free feed because we aren’t home often and each dog likes to eat at separate times but I am attributing the hard poop to the amount of protein in the food.. they were on kibbles and bits (I know, gross, don’t shoot) just because I was being cheap but would like to stick with the healthiest option now..

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi Nancy, you need to try a food with the same fat, protein & fiber % & similar ingredients to the vet diet, minus the crappy ingredients also has the food she doing well on have Beet pulp?? what vet food were you feeding her that she does great on?? Was the Merrick a wet tin food??
Food sensitivities take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks to show any symptoms, I rescued my boy & this happened with him, 4 yrs later finally over the years I worked out what he can eat & can’t eat, also you need to strengthen her gut, order some Purina Forti Flora probiotic & start her on 1/2 the recommend dose for 1 week then slowly go to proper dose by 2 weeks….you need to start an elimination diet, so you start with a vet diet that agrees with her for 2 months, no treats, no other foods to make sure she is still doing firm poos, maybe try the vet formula in a kibble, kibble works out cheaper then the vet diet wet tin foods but the ingredients very, wet diets have better ingredient to their kibbles, I had Patch on the Hills I/d Digestive kibble for 1 week everything was great 2nd week he was doing sloppy yellow poos that stunk, so I took back the Hills vet diet & got a refund, she needs to be on the vet diet for around 4 months to make sure everything is going great, then you add 1 new cooked ingredient, say boil chicken for 1 month no reaction then add boiled sweet potatoes for 1 month & still the chicken, every month add 1 new ingredient while still feeding the vet diet minus some of the vet diet replaced with ur cooked food, it takes time but in the end you will know what foods she is sensitive to….
Keep a diary, what foods wet & kibble you have tried, so you can look back if needed..
“Holistic Select” formulas kibbles they are for digestive health, & have single proteins formulas with rice & beet pulp like vet diets, Patch is eating the Holistic Select Adult/puppy, Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines Grain Free kibble it just has potatoes & peas, there’s no lentils, no chick peas at the moment poos are great & only 2 poos a day but back in the beginning he ate the Holistic Select Adult Duck meal & Rice formula kibble it has beet pulp & rice like the vet diets have, the Holistic Select wet tin foods are too high in fat around 6% when converted to dry matter (Kibble) 6%-fat is about 30% fat if it was a kibble, vet diets fat % is lower in wet tin formulas then some of the normal brand wet diet formulas sold in pet shops, if your feeding a wet tin vet diet then you need to try wet tin foods, not kibbles or try the vet diet in a kibble & see does she have the same problems??
Have you tried the vet diet in the kibble formula??
It’s stressful & it takes time, like I said 4yrs, I’ve had Patch & I needed to find a brand food (kibble) he did well on & keep him on that food for 6 months then so slowly add 1 new food to his diet…also vet diets have higher or lower soluble & insoluble fibers, where pet shop foods are all made the same for dogs with a normal bowel with no health problems also most vet diets aren’t grain free, so you need to look at foods like “Canidae” Life Stages “Platinum” it has brown & white rice & turkey, similar to the ingredients to the Hills I/d formulas also Canidae make a wet tin food called life stages Platinum, the fat is low, the protein is low like the vet diet tin food, so is the fiber. another thing normally rescue dogs are feed supermarket crappy diets, then when feed a good quality higher fat & high protein foods they have diarrhea cause they are not use to eating so much fat & protein, that’s why they do well on the vet diets cause they have the gluten corn meal & crappy ingredients as well.. look at the kibbles with rice not the grain free formulas for now..
Holistic select site http://holisticselect.com.au/recipes.aspx?pet=dog
Canidae site http://www.canidae.com.au/dog-food/ scroll down for the Life Stages formulas
It takes time & slow & steady when adding new foods, add 1 thing at a time over 1 week so you know what caused the problem if you have a problem like diarrhea or sloppy poos..

[evelyn c]

I have a small dog that according to the vet seems to be having some food allergies…to merrick dry dog food..not sure though..she has a bold spot on her thigh and is biting her paws…tested for ringworm but it came out negative…need help…need food advice

[anonymous]

From what you describe, it sounds environmental. 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.

[Mary B]

We have a GSD that is a picky eater and won’t eat dry food by itself. She is a rescue and during her first year, eating or I should say “not getting to eat” was a problem. She is eating a Merrick dog food now that she loves, but it is causing her to gain weight, even though we feed her a reduced portion size. The Vet is on us, telling us she will break down in her senior years if she doesn’t get 10-20 lbs. off, but she is getting less than the daily recommendation as it is now. She doesn’t like people food, won’t eat dog treats, so she truely is getting only what her daily feed is. We are at a loss as to what to feed her. Any ideas are welcome!
Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi I don’t know about a vet check my boy has IBD & Acid Reflux when he had a vet check vet said he’s fine all bloods came back good, it wasn’t until I said I want an Endoscope & Biopsies done on his stomach that we got results & same when vet looked in his stomach everything look great until I got the results from the biopsies…
Do you cook for yourself?? then just peel an extra potato or sweet potato add some extra veggies & with the protein I bake rissoles buy a lean ground human mince & add 1 whisked egg & some cut up parsley & make small balls & bake on baking tray, have a look at “Balance It” https://secure.balanceit.com/ Balance It will balance his meal very easy…

He may not like dry kibble or like my boy the kibble might make him feel sick & bloated after eating it or it may have been to high in fat, high in protein & gives him acid reflux, if we ate a dry high fat biscuit I know I would get acid reflux & feel like crap so I’d do the same & as soon as I smelt the dry kibble I’d feel sick…

He’s 9yrs old as we age we don’t make as much hydrochloric acid in our stomachs no more so the food especially a dry kibble would just sit in the stomach & take a while to digest.. google Hypochlorhydria, its lack of sufficient stomach acid..

I’d try & feed a cooked or wet tin food but the money you pay for 1 wet tin you can buy
some nice fresh mince & make small meals & freeze them, I bet his eyes will lite up when he here’s the micro wave warming his meal for dinner up, my cat & dog come running when they hear the micro wave going..

[Kevin C]

What is the best choice for a small dog (yorkie) dry food. I have been feeding solid gold wee bits and I want to know if there is something healthier.

[Chris S]

I have a 9 yr. old Cavalier. I can’t seem to find any dog food that he likes. I’ve tried most of the 5 star dry foods & he walks away from all of them. I’ve tried some hand packed can foods. He seem to take a liking to a couple of those, but that didn’t last long. I really prefer not to make any food myself as I wouldn’t know what to put into it.

I was hoping someone here had dealt with the same problem & was wondering if they found a solution.

Thanks!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Liz-
I learned about rotating foods and adding variety on this site as well. Many of us think it’s a healthy way to go if your pups do not have any medical conditions that would be aggravated by it.

Toppers are simply foods that you add to their kibble meals. They can also be described as meal mixers by some companies. You can start off slow by just trying out one, such as canned food to see how they do. Just remember that you need to feed less kibble to make up for the extra calories. Most canned and kibble have the calories listed on the containers they come in. Also, most canned food is complete and balanced so you won’t have to worry about feeding unbalanced meals as long as the can does not say for supplemental feeding only. My dogs get canned food in their morning meals. For their afternoon meals, they get either an egg, tripe, sardines or commercial raw mixed in their kibble. I have to keep in mind that these are not complete and balanced add-ins so I need to keep them under 15% of their total diet. I have big dogs so it isn’t as difficult.

There is a $2.95 download on dogwise.com called “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way” that gives info and a helpful chart with ideas on what to add to kibble meals to get some less processed foods in their diets.

I rotate between three or four brands of kibble. I sometimes stick with one for a few flavors before switching and sometimes not. It really depends on sales at our feed store and Petco. I’d start out slow as not to cause any digestive upset. Otherwise you may get frustrated and give it all up. I don’t think it is totally necessary to feed this way, but we feel good about it and I think the dogs enjoy variety. Just be careful, now if we try to feed them plain old dry food because we are on a day trip, we get the stink eye at meal time. Lol!

Hope this helps!

[Liz H]

I have a pitbull and chihuahua and I feed them grain free dry dog food. I’ve seen people talk about toppers, rotations, and raw food. I know a little about all of that but I was wondering if anyone had an easy way to incorporate more variation in my dogs’ diets like that. Ideas/creativity welcome.

[Susan]

Hi Andrew, animals are very smart & know when to rest their stomach/pancreas, so they stop eating, as long as she is drinking water she will be OK but I don’t know about giving medications without food??, I wouldn’t give no meds unless she has eaten then push the pill down her throat, empty stomach & meds will make her feel more ill….Have you tried some BBQ chicken buy 1/4 chicken from shop, get the breast section, not the leg section don’t give any chicken skin, just the white chicken breast….
My boy has IBD & gets bad pain in stomach & Pancreas, he stops eating & rests his stomach & pancreas for 1-2 days, vet said its OK but I do not give any medications & he gets put on electrolytes in his water to get him thru the 2 days without any food…..
My boy was also on the Royal Canine S/O wet & dry food, wet tin for dinner & dry kibble for breakfast when I first rescued him but he was only on the R/C S/O for 6 weeks to dissolve his crystals, then after ultra scan was done all the crystals were dissolved & vet said now put him back on his regular diet & stop the R/C S/O he doesn’t need to R/C S/O no more.. the fat is high in the R/C S/O…
I’d be contacting animal nutritionist to give you a few balanced recipes for your girls health problems, vets are not great when it comes to diets & what to feed your dog, most vets just recommend to feed the crappy vet diets that have awful ingredients in them especially the Intestinal vet diets, when ill dogs need a diet that’s easy to break down, the Intestinal vet diets are the worst for their ingredients with whole corn, maize gluten meal, & chicken by-product meat, I didn’t know this in the beginning, when my boy was diagnosed with IBD & he got worse, now I home cook for my boy just 1-2 of his meals, he has 4 small meals a day…..
Go & buy some lean turkey mince, we have 99% fat free in Australia, whisk 1 egg & mix in with the grounded turkey mince & make little bite size balls (rissoles) & get a baking tray line with foil & bake the turkey balls in the oven, also boil some sweet potato cut into small pieces, cool the sweet potato pieces when cooked & cool the turkey balls & freeze them, just make sure you line in between the sweet potato pieces with cling wrap in the container so the sweet potato pieces & turkey balls don’t stick. Mash a 1-2 pieces of sweet potato & a few turkey balls together & she’ll eat, make sure after thawing balls from freezer to warm in micro wave..
also look for a low fat wet tin food the fat has to be 3% max. I wouldn’t be feeding your girl any dry kibble…

[Melanie G]

Need advice and just joined the forum. My 2 yr old is very active and I’ve noticed a lot of itching. To the point where after numerous oatmeal baths etc, I took her to the vet who of course prescibed steroids and Benadryl. Any suggestions on trying a new food? She’s been fed science diet since she was a pup.

[mary s]

pitluv, I guess I actually did read the article

From the article:
“Important: Calcium, phosphorus and calorie values may be reported as “dry matter” or “as fed”. Either type will work, so long as all 3 are entered using the same type”

pitluv

“Hi mary-

If you actually read the article attatched to the calcium calculator Dr.Mike says the calculator does not work off of as fed or dry matter”

So pitluv, for me anyway, what started out as a great idea has gotten very confusing. I am happy with Fromm thank goodness. This website has other good information too, so I will continue to review – but whew, this thread/LBP food info has got my head swimming. So, as you were 🙂

[mary s]

pitluv, Holy cow, now I am confused. What does the calculator work off of, if not as fed, or dry matter??? I understand getting the max numbers, but they are given as either “as fed max, or dry matter max”, at least that is my experience in checking with the companies. And, I am sure I remember reading somewhere in this thread that it doesn’t matter which one you use (as fed or dry matter) as long as you are consistent with the Ca and P measurements.

Anyway, Raido, I am having good results with Fromm LBP food, the Heartland Gold. I have an Irish Setter, and at least for the setters, the Orijen must be too rich…..they get loose poop from that food.

Best of luck,

[valerie b]

Acana “Free run Poultry dry food” …just noticed it contains chicken meal.
What is chicken meal?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jodie S-
Sorry to her about your pup. It sounds stressful. I’m curious, how did she do on the Royal Canin/Duck & Potato food? Did you only feed the canned to her or the dry also?

[Rusty T]

Mine aren’t working dogs, but they are incredibly active. They run like crazy on a fenced seven acre private dog park, go hiking with me, and are constantly wrestling around in the backyard. I look for food with no grain, high in protein, real meats, no artificial colors, etc. We feed them dry kibble in the morning, and kibble mixed with a high quality wet food in the evening. On Fridays the evening meal is replaced with fresh fish. Once a week they are fed raw food for the evening meal.

Both dogs are two years old and both are high energy with soft shiny coats. It’s the same diet I had my lab on, and until he got bone marrow cancer, he never had a single health issue. I figure for what I spend on food, I save on vet bills. I don’t skimp on my family’s food and the dogs are a part of our family.

[Carolyn K]

I have a year and a half old 68 pound Goldendoodle/Bernese Mtn Dog mix and I have to bring him in to get his anal glands expressed every month. He constantly has issues; licking, redness, skidding his butt on floor, etc. I began feeding him pumpkin at each meal and this seemed to help for a few months but it is no longer helping. He has been on CANIDAE® ALL LIFE STAGES DOG FOOD WITH CHICKEN, TURKEY, LAMB & FISH MEALS for about a year and Canidae large breed puppy before that. Info for current dog food ——-> http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-dry-formula/

I am looking into maybe putting some Psyllium into his food instead of the pumpkin but I am unsure of how much. I also want to maybe switch his food to see if that helps. Can someone recommend a good kibble for dogs with this issue?

Thank you all SO much!

[Ryan K]

I have no information at all about the mass this vet felt other then her telling me it doesn’t appear to be related to the anal glands. She said anal glands can abscess and get cancerous but this seems to be along the rectal wall above or around that general area. She didn’t say anything was an emergency or that I should rush to get an x Ray or treatment ASAP. She just said that when I bring him in for his next anal gland expresssing that she will feel it to see if it has gotten larger. She said to watch for irritation and if he shows signs of struggling to defecate or continues to scoot his butt then I should possibly run him in sooner for the biopsy which would involve putting him under and prolapsing the anus to use a needle and aspirate the mass for a sample. I am wondering if this could be a hernia? His diet has been massively changed since his slipped disc issue as well. He’s had a life of strict grain free- high quality dog food but since he has been on tramadol, Prevacox and gabapentin his appetite is pretty much destroyed. He’s been living off peanut butter (I hide his pills in it), canned chicken and tuna fish and some raw hide chews which he only eats the coating off of and leaves the actual rawhide. So, I don’t know if this is dietary related? I ordered some Glandex to see if that helps his anal glands in the meantime. I doubt he will eat them though. He’s seriously so uninterested in dry kibble or even most scraps. Should I just stop giving him tuna, bones and treats and force him to only eat kibble? This is so frustrating. This whole experience has truly shown me that I don’t think I can handle another dog again. It’s so much emotional and financial stress and trauma. I love my dog though so I’m trying my best for him.

[Susan]

Hi, are you 100% sure its not Environment allergies as well??
My boy has both, he has seasonal allergies worse in the summer months, fine in the winter months as long as he doesn’t eat any foods he’s sensitive too, then he starts to smell real yeasty & itches… When they’re sensitive to certain food they start to itch & smell real yeasty…
Summer is about to start in Australia & I always rotate Patches kibbles Winter he eats limited ingredient kibble, Lamb as the protein & Summer a Fish kibble you, need too increase the Omega 3 in his diet & always read the Omega 3 & 6 on kibble packet or look on their internet page or email the kibble company & ask what is the omega 3 & 6 % Please.
There’s a lot of kibbles that are tooo high in omega 6 & too low in omega 3 causing skin problems, omega 3 should be around 1/2 of what the omega 6 says..
I’m starting to introduce “Holistic Select” Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Adult/Puppy grain free formula, it’s only 32% carbs or look at “Earthborn Holistic” Coastal Catch it’s 29% carbs & the omega 3 & 6 is balanced properly in both these kibbles.
Raw is the best as it has no carbs, I feed Patch 1 meal cooked, lean pork mince made into rissoles & add sweet potato, this way he’s not eating heaps of dry kibble.
Baths, make sure your bathing weekly too wash off any allergens & pollens & yeast on the skin Malaseb relieves their itch making them heaps more comfortable…

Have you seen a Dermatologist ? & tested to see if ur dog isn’t allergic to dust mites or other allergens around the house.??

[marilyn s]

As I wrote above: After the last one, we tried the Royal Canin prescription canned food, and she hated it. She is not much of a meat eater. So the vet recommended Hill’s prescription diet c/d Urinary Care, dry dog food. I switched to that about 3 months ago. But I just noticed the Hill’s prescription diet c/d Urinary Care, dry dog food is not recommmended on this site. And it didn’t seem to prevent her from getting the stones again. The antibiotics seem to work the best and I think keeping her genitals clean will help. I didn’t know that Royal Canin had a dry food for this problem…I will try to see if it has a better rating than the Hill’s prescription diet c/d Urinary Care, dry dog food.

[J S]

My dogs have only thrown up yellow bile when they didn’t have enough food on their stomachs, and they were/are the nervous-ninny types.

The blood in the urine is a red (no pun!) flag that you have a serious infection and need antibiotics. Frequent urination can also be an indicator, but I noticed that the new formulation of Royal Canin dry food has added salt for the very reason to make the dogs pee more, to keep the bladder and kidneys flushing. We have to give our girl extra trips outside and give her more than one chance to squat before coming back inside.

After our last round of antibiotics, she’s on dry RCanin, floating in water/broth, with no-grain wet food and part of a Vit C capsule sprinkled on top, along with a mini scoop of Cranberry Relief. So far no “pee-crawling” for over a month!