[PuppyMom3]

Background

Our two sweet pups are a medley of health issues. You know the concept of mutts being healthier because of the diverse genetics? Well, our dogs are the one in a million that have (what seems like) every possible issue from the many different breeds that make up their genetics. Both their regular vet and the neurologist theorized this may have been due to trauma in the womb since their mama was malnourished and living on the streets for so long.

A brief rundown of their more major issues include:

1) (Girl -& Boy?-) Severe food allergies with skin reactions and vomiting
2) (Girl) Possible megaesophagus (we have an appointment next month for diagnostics)
3) (Boy) Cerebellar hypoplasia
4) (Boy) Possible degenerative neurological disease (we have to wait and re-test in 6 months for changes)
5) (Boy) Probable mild case of laryngeal paralysis (not officially diagnosed but regular vet is pretty certain and we want to give our boy a break from invasive/sedation testing since he just had an MRI and spinal tap so we aren’t pushing for an official diagnosis at this time)

What I am Trying to Accomplish

With all of these issues going on, I want to make sure their food is as wholesome and non-damaging as possible. Especially since a good diet and exercise therapy can help slow the progression of neurological issues if our boy has a degenerative disease.

Previous Foods/Diets We’ve Used

Blue Buffalo Wilderness
Blue Buffalo Freedom
Taste of the Wild
Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain Free. This seemed to work for a while but the skin issues and vomiting have returned.
Homemade diet. This was a pain in the butt. When they were younger and had their initial digestive issues, I homemade their meals for two weeks as an experiment to see if their issues cleared up. They did really well on this diet- no digestive upset, no skin issues, no vomiting, nothing. The down side was it was really time and labor intensive and the cost was astronomical. Since they were younger and in active growth stages, we spent significant time researching their required nutrition and establishing recipes that met those needs. Especially to mitigate the chances of developing hip dysplasia down the road since they are larger dogs. On top of that, we spent nearly $100 a week because hydrated, fresh food has less concentrated nutrients/calories so the dogs needed larger portions than they had with dry food. I am hesitant to go back to this method since I was making 14 cup batches of food every other day (they get just over 7 cups a day between the two of them) and spending more on their food than ours!

Things I am Considering

1) Outlandishly expensive pre-made food. Such as The Honest Kitchen. It seems to have really good ingredients but at $100 for a 10lb bag that will last between 16-20 days for one 60lb dog (so between 8-10 days for 2 dogs) that seems prohibitively expensive. (http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/marvel)
2) Outlandishly expensive homemade food. See all the notes above about the pros/cons of this.
3) Some other less expensive option I hear about on here? Labor intensive stuff is a pain in the neck since I work full time, but it is more preferable than spending significant sums of money because my husband is currently not really thrilled with the $100/10lb bag of food option.

Your Suggestions?

I would love to hear from anyone who has used pre-made meals with quality ingredients that didn’t cost an arm and a leg, or who have made their pet’s food at home without spending a fortune. All of the websites and forums that I have found almost exclusively feature people with small dogs (under 30lbs) so their efforts are a quarter of what mine would be under the same circumstances with two 60lb dogs.

[nancy m]

i adopted an 8yo cockapoo 2 weeks ago. prior owners said they needed to rehome her, that she is allergic to chicken and that she continues to occasionally have allergy flareups after vet put her on royal canin about three months ago. I find that lucy scratches a lot and goes extended periods of the day chewing at her hiney, and licking at her paws. I took her to Petco and vet recommends prednisone and a change in food. I’m concerned about putting her on prednisone since i don’t have bloodwork for her to know if it likely is ok for her; also concerned about giving her a med because her record show she had an allergic reaction to rabies vaccine. I know that and prednisone are different but i’m new to this and don’t want to take any chances until i see an experienced vet and until i have insurance in place. Can anyone advise me on what they think i should do;
1) Give her pred/ transition diet (i think i’ll slowly incorporate Performatin Ultra Limited) or
2)Keep her on Royal Canin/ keep her off grass in case this is environmental until i can see a regular vet or
3) Do 2 above but also give her benedryl 2 doses of 25 mlg daily for no more than 4 days until i can see a real vet

Any help is greatly appreciated. I would greatly appreciat an opinion on what you would do if you were me and why. Please also tell me if you’ve owned dogs alot in your lifetime or if you are a novice like me

[Saint G]

Just because you see hoof print, don’t go looking for Zebras……They’re probably horses.

You do not have to go crazy here….Few simple things…First and foremost Great danes are skinny. It does not need to get barrel shaped like a lab.
You have a few very simple problems.
1) stop feeding him pasta…Fattens humans not dogs. Dogs can’t process the semolina flour.
2)chicken is great, use it as an additive to fatten him up.
3) Don’t buy into the “you need expensive food” Crap. Try beniful first ingredient is Chicken and its about $20 per 50lb bag. Feed him 80 oz per day.
4) How to fatten him up- add quaker oats to hi food. Feed him cheap penut butter (if you can-my dane does not like peanut butter) Throw him bread with real butter as snacks…Train him with American cheese slices. All this is great to add pounds.
5) chewing himself- dry skin, probably an issue with the pasta. Put a table spoon of Sa- Flower (not sun flower) oil or coconut oil (more expensive than sa- flower.) Too much will loosen his stool. NB-getting off the pasta and adding the oats and beniful will solid up his loose stool. Also, til the dry skin and loose stool go away, wipe his anus with baby wipes to keep him from getting soar and chewing that.
6) once he is up to weight, you can go off beniful and go to pedigree (I use it its $20 for 55 lbs at tractor supply. if he thins out, switch back. its nice to switch around anyway. OHH and if any idiot tells you to feed him cream, milk or such….do not! will lead to gas you can not stand!!! OMG

[tabia s]

hi i am sorry if the has been talked about already in advance but i have several questions. both me and my s/o received a chorkie, she is 9 month.when we got her she was already eating Purana puppy chow.we have recently noticed she has been losing weight. we have been giving her 1 full cup of her dry food per day, she has just recently received all her shots because her previous owner didnt give her any. our question is what type of foods or dog foods wet or dry will help put some weight on her,maintain it and keep her healthy. any and all advice would be of great value

• This topic was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by tabia s.

[deborah p]

Richard, I found the bad reviews at the bottom of the page for Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Dry food

Thanks Crazy4cats, that makes me feel better. Not sure if I’m posting these replies correctly. New to this site.

[elaine c]

dry dog food in general is not the best, if that is what you are looking for. WHY? because it is so cooked that there are no enzymes or other beneficial things that actually help a dog. Have you ever asked yourself, if we are told not to eat processed foods because they are not good for us, WHY would you start a puppy on processed foods and give it to them their whole life?? dry dog food is convenient for YOU that is all.

[Melodie A]

Just today, my Vet told me to buy either Purina Pro Plan or Royal Canin. What a timely topic. Neither of those brands are rated ‘recommended’ on this site. Yet when I read the disclaimer on this site and that they don’t actually do any testing, but rely solely on the manufacturer, well that doesn’t give me any confidence either.

My Vet said he’s never been keen on Fromm, which is what I have always fed my dog (she is currently on Fromm Gold dry), but I don’t think she has ever loved the food. A recent relocation has caused stress and her appetite is off, causing her to lose 2 pounds which she can ill afford to lose as she’s already on the petite side of her breed.

Would love input……..

[Stella W]

Three weeks ago I purchased Nature’s Recipe Venison and Rice dry dog food serial # 30521 51460, use by 9/1/2017 and fed it to my lab mix and golden retriever. Both dogs became extremely ill, the lab mix was violently throwing up. I took the dogs to the vet the next day where unfortunately they could not save our precious golden retriever. The lab mix stayed at the vets on IV for a day and it took her over a week to recover once she got home. It is very unlikely that both of the dogs ate something else poisonous, if it was one dog than yes, but both dogs becoming extremely ill after eating this new batch of food, I blame the serial # of this food. I have been in contact with Nature’s Recipe and they are testing it. My vet sent in a report.

Come to find out there are now three negative reviews on Amazon.com about this food, two were it directly states this serial # (disclosure one of the reviews is my own), but it seems that it is making other dogs ill.

Has anyone else run into this issue after feeding their dogs this batch # of Nature’s Recipe Venison and Rice? I just don’t want what happened to my dog happen to anyone elses!

[zcRiley]

Zignature Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Dog Food (Turkey, lamb, or duck)

Key Benefits:
Grain-free and limited ingredient formula
Gluten-free diet
No potato, chicken or eggs
Complete and balanced diet for all life stages
Made in the USA

Stay away from all grains, brewer’s yeast and oatmeal anything. Same for treats. Yeast also feeds on oatmeal based shampoo. Bath in Aroma Paws honeysuckle and jasmine formula, all natural. Order food from Chewy.com, ingredients and reviews listed on everything.

Stop all the medications, it weakens the immune system. Wipe out ears daily with a tissue, q-tip out the yeast. Get ear drops from vet and keep at it.

[Sandra W]

My 11 mo old Glen chews at her toes and scratches her ear. This is a recurring problem and has been treated with medications each time. A vet suggested changing her food/treats and I am looking for the proper dog food. She started with a standard dry food the breeder used and then I used Horizon Legacy Puppy Grain Free. I don’t remember a real problem then. After we got another puppy (Vizsla) I stopped the Horizon (I could only get it in 8 lb bags) and switched to Wellness Complete Health Puppy Deboned Chicken, Oatmeal & Salmon Meal. It was a few months before I noticed the chewing and scratching, so it may not be a food allergy, but I’m going to try changing her food. Also, the Blue Buffalo Health Bar treats (all varieties) need to be changed. Does anyone have a recommendation/suggestion?

[Karen D]

I just rescued a 10-12 year old Pomeranian. Since I don’t know what he was raised on, I’m having an extremely hard time finding a food that he’ll eat. I finally lit on Pedigree canned, beef only-none of that chicken or beef stew for him, but after 3 weeks he stopped eating. I should mention that he’s had some teeth pulled in that time period so he won’t eat dry kibble. A return visit to the vet showed that he has colitis. He’s on meds for that and the vet recommended boiled beef or chicken until his colon calms down. That was great for about a day, now he turns up his nose. I tried his original canned formula, no dice. I bought raw, no dice. He refuses any and all veggies, cooked or raw. I even tried dry cat kibble! Nope. I’m worried because he’s underweight from being on his own for an unspecified amount of time. The vet is concerned because he had gained a pound but quickly lost it when the colitis started in. I don’t know what to do, it’s like he’s on a hunger strike! I’ve had people say, “just let him go hungry, he’ll eat when he’s hungry enough.” But he’s underweight and to me that’s cruel. Maybe I’m part of the problem and I’m feeding, pun intended, into his food issues.
Help please! Any suggestions at all would be much appreciated.

[S G]

I have a new rescue for the last 4 weeks battling diarrhea.
The rescue didn’t give me any of his previous kibble and couldn’t tell me what brand it was anyway, just said it varies because they get donations. My other dog eats a super healthy canned Organic Natural Planet so I was trying to do the same for the new rescue, but it’s giving him diarrhea. I’ve borrowed some kibble (low-quality) from a neighbor to see if weaning him would help but he won’t touch it if i mix in kibble because my other dog is eating the good canned stuff next to him! I tried mixing in brown rice which helped a little bit, then I tried mixing in pumpkin which helped firm it a little more but it’s still pretty soft and has some mucus (no blood and only has 2 sloppy stools a day and he acts completely normal and happy), so i really feel it’s his body trying to transition rather than any health problems. I am also now adding probiotics but no change yet. I think this particular dog needs more fiber, can someone recommend a QUALITY kibble with good source of fiber that I can mix with his canned Organic Natural Planet to see if that will help? I would prefer a poultry to match his canned or lamb kibble but one that has a good source of fiber to help me with firming his stools. I prefer to stay with the highest quality brands, (i had a shitzu who had severe inflammatory bowel disease at the age of 4 and had to feed him RAW diet which extended his life another 8 years!, so i prefer the highest quality canned and kibble as raw was a hassle to feed and don’t want to go there again). Again, higher fiber, quality fiber but still high protein is what i’m looking for in a quality dry food to mix in with Natural Planet. Thanks again for any suggestions. Desperate to get his stools firmer!!!

[Susan W]

Mick,
If you’re still looking for an alternative, contact VeRUS pet foods for a sample of their dry dog food. My dogs do extremely well on it – no loose stools or diarrhea issues. They have a really informative website & after you’ve read about them, you can fill out a contact form. The VP will email you & ask questions, then make recommendations based on your answers, THEN they’ll send you samples (instead of coupons). THEN, when you decide you need to feed it, you can go to PetFlow & get a discount for autoship. 🙂

[Lisa H]

I have a 16 month old lab mix who seems to have sensitivity to a lot of things…legumes seem to be a problem so does chicken duck and turkey I had him on natural balance LID fish and sweet potato but then we started with yeast issues and now constant grass eating and occasional vomit. I don’t know what to do for him. I give him probiotic every day as well as benedryl. I bathe him in antifungal/antibacterial to try to help the itching but I want to actually solve his issues not mask them. Can anyone help me find and affordable food that will ease my puppy’s issues.

[zcRiley]

Dr. Tim’s Pursuit Active Dog Formula Dry Dog Food or Orijens Puppy Formula.

The standard is when the loss exceeds ten percent of normal body weight (and when it is not due to fluid loss).

ALSO CHECK FOR:
Fecal studies to look for chronic intestinal parasites
Complete blood count (CBC) to look for infection, inflammation, leukemia, anemia, and other blood disorders
A biochemical profile that will evaluate kidney, liver, and pancreas function, and the status of blood proteins, blood sugar, and electrolytes

[zcRiley]

Zignature Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Dog Food (Turkey, lamb, or duck)

Key Benefits:
Grain-free and limited ingredient formula
Gluten-free diet
No potato, chicken or eggs (hard to find!)
Complete and balanced diet for all life stages
Made in the USA

ADD ONE PER DAY for joint health:
Nutramax Dasuquin with MSM Soft Chews Joint Health Large Dog Supplement

Go to the vet for a thorough assessment of which type of arthritis he has and make sure there are no other ailments. Blood work and fecal testing, too. Keep him warm and dry, and controlled exercise is key, get him moving on fun walks. You can turn this around, good luck!

[pitlove]

Hi P G-

The calcium calculator will not give you an accurate read out if you use the dry matter or as fed calcium and phosphorus. It has to be the average or MAX calcium and phos levels.

You will either need to look for a nutrient or typical analysis on the companies website or email them for the info. If they are unwilling to provide you with that info, I would pass on using a food from that company.

[Lori A]

Is there any way to sort the list of Editor’s List dog foods? Dry food, low calorie, etc.

[Freddy w]

Ops here is the link for victor dog food that I use

https://www.chewy.com/victor-hero-grain-free-dry-dog-food/dp/120702

[Freddy w]

Hello
I sort of had the same issue with my shepherds
But I found a solution that works well for them
It’s a dry dog good made by Victor

You can find it on chewy.com

There small bites so don’t get fooled by the photo of the German Shepherd
For my dogs the other dog foods had way to much fiber
Also my dogs are real active

Bets of luck to you

[Craig T]

We use Blue Buffalo Wilderness Healthy Weight Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food for our nearly 10 year old Labrador Retriever

[Leslie P]

Hello, our boykin spaniel puppy came to us on Hill’s Science dry puppy food. After having researched this dog food we decided to upgrade his food to a higher quality product. We have now attempted to transition him FIVE times. Each and every time results with bad diarrhea that just won’t stop and this is only giving him a very small amount. So far we have tried Orijen, Fromm’s, Victor Grain Free, Taste of the Wild and Acana.

Does anyone have any suggestions? We think he may be allergic to chicken and we really prefer a grain-free diet for his breed.

[Jill B]

Hello! I’m so sorry this happened to your pups! I have 2 Lhasa Apsos- one is 14 and the other is 13. I just switched over from Fresh Pet to Merrick. Thy seem to like the Merrick Backcountry canned and the freeze dried raw nuggets mixed with it. I also cook ground beef or chicken to mix with it. I used to feed them Purina One Beyond dry food and they did fine on that too. For my dogs and their food, it’s all about how they appear. I look at their energy level, their coat and skin condition, their poop frequency and appearance of their poop. I know it’s gross, but I look for solid, well-formed logs. If it’s too soft, too watery, or too dark, it’s not right. If they are pooping more than twice a day, that’s too much. It’s good you are a member of this forum. There are a ton of high quality foods out there. You just have to find the ones that work for your dogs. Mine have been on SO many different foods-Innova, call of the wild, solid gold, natural balance, nutrisca, Newmans own…I could go on and on! Good luck to you and your pups!

[Richard K]

I have a shi-tzh and a pomeranian and about 2 months ago my shi-tzh got really sick throwing up and severe diarrhea. I took him to the vet and they did blood work and really didn’t find anything so they said it must just be a virus well 2 days later my other dog started the same thing. Well I thought It must be a virus. I took him to the vet and got him medication and they both seemed to be doing fine so I stopped giving them the medication. Well about 3 or 4 days later my shi-tzh started it again. I still had some medication left so I started him on it again and called the vet and he said to keep giving him the medication. So I did and after about 5 days he was doing fine again and I ran out of the medicine anyway but about 4 days go by and he starts it again! I called the vet and he sent home more medicine so I kept giving it to him and he again got better but again about 4 days later he starts again! I took him back to the vet and they did a test on his pancreas and gave me more medicine and said they would have results the next day. We’ll the test they did came back fine! I asked the vet what is going on I mean I’m up to 600 bucks in vet bills and still no answer! He said maybe it’s his diet! Well I used to feed them the blue buffalo until the lawsuit came out about their food having by products in it so I then changed to earthborn which they have been eating around 1 and a half years now with no problems. I always mix their dry food with wet food and they love it so now I am looking for a 5 star wet and dry food I can try them on that i can purchase somewhere near me. I see merrick is rated 5 star but I also read they were bought out by purina/nestle. I’m not sure I trust it being made by Purina? Can someone suggest a good dog food wet and dry i can try on them? Oh both my dogs are old. One is 9 years old and one is 10. The shi-tzh seems to have a more delicate stomach. Thanks

[Bullwrinkle]

Frani V.,

Hello, all. I finally registered but have sought all your great for a long time. As for Frani V’s question on Atopica, I can only tell you my personal experience and what I know of others I’ve spoken with and what I learned from my vet, that also applies to APOQUEL (I will note the similarities, and try to locate the link which I do have).

Atopica was suggested by by vet #1 to my English Bulldog. She had severe allergies, food and environmental, among other medical issues. My precious special needs baby girl. She was a spayed at 6 mos, so this was some time after. It was suggested that we start out 7x/week administering Atopica. The idea was to get it built up in her system then back off to 2 or 3x/week max as is recommended. She was ~47 lbs, she was prescribed the 100mg Atopica. Checking in every 2 weeks, since I was paying $170 a pop, I was told to keep it up for a few months. Forget that. I started to skip one day a week, then 2 days a week. Of course she had flares so idiot vet said back to everyday. I was still dealing with her other maladies during this time, plus 5 aging cats with their issues ranging from failing kidneys, asthma, hypertrophic cardiomyothapy, a tortoise with a collapsing pyramid shell, the usual, so time escaped me too quickly. I ended up finding a good vet because of a botched knee surgery from idiot’s referral. Blessing in disguise.

My baby started having seizures. It was sounds or over excited that set it off. I realized she had been on Atopica at 100mg every single day for a solid year. Seizures tend to be more prevalent in smaller dogs but they do happen and were documented. It has happened to all kinds of dogs. But, it has worked for many others as well although, I was not privy to those dogs histories. This was some, maybe 7 yrs ago now, at least. I pulled her off everything except for any allergy pills and only when she needed them. She had 4 seizures, when I stopped all meds and supplements, no more seizures. After a few weeks, I added her fish oil and joint supplement back one at a time and a month apart. No seizure. Atopica was the seizure producer. I lit up the idiot about it, told her she really needs to more careful or at least more informed. Told I would do the same as I was leaving her practice.

The good vet, as he described Atopica to me, and is similar to what I’ve found and read about Apoquel. It shuts off immune receptors. And when you have an immune compromised dog, or cat, to begin with the last thing you want to do is shut off receptors because you don’t know what else is being shut off or being compromised. Immunosuppressive have their place, don’t get me wrong, and I relied on the occasional 5mg prednisone in lieu of giving my girl a fistful of benadryl that would only work for a few hours when she was really bad. But only after I’d tried everything else. Pred was a last resort. So do I believe in their use? Yes. But ever so carefully and not on a regular basis like Atopica and Apoquel.

I can’t get the link to hyperlink but this has some interesting info. http://vitalanimal.com/apoquel-dog-1/

Sorry this was such a long post, but I get anxious when I see questions about Atopica. I had to let my baby go, it’ll be 2 yrs in Dec. She was only 8yrs 4mos. She taught me so much, she endured too much, her kidneys took it in the end. I became quite educated but even our own dogs are so different from each other. I still feel I didn’t learn fast enough for her. Please, please do your research thoroughly on Atopica and Apoquel. Apoquel is still relatively new. You know your pet best!

[Christy L]

We recently transitioned our lab from a homemade stew like recipe that included boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken livers, green beans, peas, carrots and apples and to dry kibble. The kibble brand is Pinnacle grain free turkey & potato. Since the transition our dog is peeing four times as often, and the volume and frequency of his stool has also increased four times. Thoughts on why? He’s urinated inside the house recently, and he’s NEVER done that. #helpmeunderstand #concernedlabowner

[pitlove]

Hi Erin-

Fromm is a great food and company. I like their Gold Large Breed Puppy formula. The Fromm website only lists the “as fed” and “dry matter” data in their techinical analysis for the HeartLand Large Breed Gold, which according to the article on DFA for the calcium calculator will not give an accurate read out on the ratio of Ca:P and Ca:kcals. I’d see if you can email Fromm and ask for the “average” or MAX levels of calcium and phos and then use those numbers.

Grain free vs grain inclusive is a non factor for growth. The important things are regulating calcium intake with an appropriate diet and making sure you are using a food with low energy density. Keeping your puppy lean throughout growth and life will help her better her chances at proper growth and development. It is also going to be important to work with your vet in determining if she is growing at a proper rate given her upringing at the kennel she came from.

[Molly S]

Also Cat Food.

I had a bag of Purina, from one PetSmart. It was Pro Plan for dogs. Was totally infested with meal moths and a web across the top of the bag. This was 10 years ago.

I started going to a PetSmart in a nicer part of town. It was newer and cleaner. Everything was fine until 2 months ago I purchased a bag of Purina One dry food for cats. I stored it with 2 other bags of Purina food. It was infested and it infested the 2 other bags I had it stored with.

Purina blames this problem on improper storage and accepts no fault. I think it’s cheap grains that draw these bugs/worms/maggots in, and cheap materials for the bags allow them easy access. You can google this problem online, with Purina products, and there are 100’s and 100’s of issues.

I quit going to PetSmart and I will not buy any Purina products.

I’m ordering from Chewy and buying Evolve. It’s a good food at a decent price. They have no bug or recall issues. And their bags are a great quality.

[Jenn H]

Elaine C it’s true AAFCO is a baseline. At least it’s a starting point. That’s why you have to read the labels and ask the company what the min & max guaranteed analysis is on a dry matter basis and make sure it’s the right amounts for your dog.

I don’t like or trust Purina the dog food company either as a general rule. I personally wouldn’t feed it, but I know plenty of dogs that do very well on Pro Plan and not as well on the better quality foods. It’s just what works for them right now for whatever reason.

The foods do have a lot of corn and grains, but that’s not necessarily awful. Again, my dogs don’t do well on foods that use a lot of plant-based protein, others seem to have better luck.

As far as I know Purina uses Grade 1 & 2 ingredients which is human grade. And they don’t use feather, hooves, etc as their by-products.

There is certainly much worse choices. If there’s any good about being so big is that they are being watched and they have the money to afford to do feed trials and have excellent facilities.

[Jeff M]

I currently feed my dog taste of the wild prairie and have been trying to do some research to switch to a better quality, higher protein dry food. I was almost set on going with Merrick until I read that they are now owned by Nestle/Purina. I currently pay about $48 for a 30lb bag of TOTW and could spend around $60-65 for a 25 lb bag if it’s a considerable upgrade in quality. Anyone have suggestions? Thanks

[Alissa D]

We had the full range of allergy tests done through Heska and have been working with different vets trying to find the right combo of allergy medication, steroids, and immunothetapy. She’s allergic to 37 other common things besides her food allergies. Apoquel is finally available in my area so hopefully that works better than what she’s on now.

I’ll cook for her as soon as I’m home but I’m away at college and my mom just won’t make food for her. She’s super picky and won’t eat for days at a time if she doesn’t like it. She’ll be throwing up stomach acid before she decides to eat. There are more canned foods she can eat but she won’t eat any of them. That’s why I’m looking for dry food. Hopefully the one I found works. I ordered some and had it sent to my mom’s house.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Alissa D. Reason: Spelling error

[Alissa D]

Hi!
My little yorkie is allergic to most of the common dry food ingredients. A few years ago I found two kinds she could eat but I can’t find them anymore. I’m looking for a new one, preferably one that comes in small bags since she’s allergic to storage mites as well. She’s allergic to beef, chicken, lamb, venison, milk, barley, flax, peas, and soy. She might also be allergic to fish, I can’t figure out the vet’s note on the paperwork they gave me and they didn’t remember what it meant from when they wrote it a few years ago. I’m looking for a dry food based on turkey, pork, rabbit, duck, or something else weird. The vet’s only suggestion was a kangaroo based wet food that she won’t eat. I’ve been searching but I can’t find anything. I also can’t make my own dog food right now since I’m away for college and my mom is taking care of her and doesn’t really have time for that.
Does anyone know of anything that might work?

[zcRiley]

Lotus canned formulas in beef shank or pork shoulder. However, you need to feed a lot of wet to match the nutritional value in dry food. And your dog needs fiber. I don’t think your vet drinks soup 24/7, right?

[Chandra R]

Haven’t figured it out at all. She was put on an antibiotic and ever since it has screwed up her stomach. The holistic vet she goes to does not recommend dry food bc she said the protein turns to sugar once they dry it out. Plus dry food is very hard on a dogs system–she said its like humans only eating crackers. Our dog was getting major yeast infections on dry so ever since we switched she hasn’t had one. We feed her 2-3 times a day with wet food and rice. Just trying to find a good grain free wet food. Thanks for the reply:)

[Pamela C]

Horizon Legacy with Salmon All Life Stages Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Victor Yukon River Salmon & Sweet Potato

[HoundMusic]

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good puppy food (or all life stages formula) for a four month old Beagle pup? Looking specifically for something that has moderate levels of calcium and lower levels of phosphorous.

Currently feeding one that is 1.58% calcium & 1.2% phos, and that is TOO HIGH for this pup. Intervertebral disc disease runs RAMPANT in this bloodline, and high phos/protein foods during growth, and afterwards, can be disastrous for this condition. I started him on this current brand a little over a week ago, and immediately noticed a very slight bunny hopping and rear leg “hitching” many of these hounds will develop with high protein feeds that cause super rapid growth spurts (which he just had).

I’ve had good luck growing such pups with raw when doing a higher meat:bone ratio – however, while two days of it did stop the hitching, I was noticing bouts of shivering that only stopped when switched back to dry food. I have absolutely no idea what was going on there – been feeding raw going on 15 yrs (on & off), and never saw anything like it, but I think raw is out of the question, at least for the time being.

Any suggestions welcome. I’ve had him on four different foods in 5-6 weeks and am ready to pull out my hair :/

[Debi W]

Yes, we had the endoscope done on our Baxter. His IBD is narrowed down to PLE (protein losing enteropathy). Finding the IBD was purely by accident. He broke out in a horrendous rash on his body, in his mouth, and a paw was terribly swollen. After all was said and done there seemed to be no correlation to the rash and the IBD. But he was put on strong antibiotics which eliminated the rash. He was started out on budesonide. After the protein count came up he is still on the same dose and metronidiazole (flagyl) was added. If the next labs come out with no protein loss the hope is to cut back on dosage of both. The flagyl makes him nauseated tho, even though I give it to him with food. He also lacks an appetite, so I hand feed him, or more like force feed. Currently he is on Natural Balance Duck and Potato. I offer him dry and canned, which he does really detest. He likes the Basics Duck and Potato canned, so I am going to switch the canned over to that. The doc recommended Royal Canin PV, but we have had one dog who died from the RC Ultamino, we feel this IBD with Baxter was brought on by RC HP and another got extremely ill on the RC Renal, so our specialist was very upset we wouldn’t put Baxter on RC. He does not tolerate sweet potatoes and we want to keep him on the cooling proteins (duck, whitefish) as the warming proteins seem to affect him negatively. Any suggestions from your experiences is greatly appreciated.

[Acroyali]

Just a few of my own thoughts:

When I was in the transitional stages, one of my cats choked…on kibble. He was excessively hungry, and I was removing the 24 hour a day buffet in order to get them acclimated to meal times. He was OK, but any living thing can choke on anything. Bones can be scary, and if someone isn’t comfortable feeding bones I never would suggest it dissuades them from feeding a healthier diet than they’re already feeding. Hare Today offers boneless grinds (meat only) as well as boneless chunks of meat. I believe chicken and turkey both come this way, check the product description to be sure.

I’ve used boneless chunks as “reminders” to chew. I never give an excessively hungry dog anything bone-in; bones come after the main meal, which is mostly muscle meats and organs. It works for us, hopefully it can and will work for others.

I have and do brush teeth on a few of my dogs as a precaution. The issue I have is getting more brushed than the stuff we see at first glance. Getting the gumline on the inside part of the back molars with a toothbrush is next to impossible. Your dogs’ teeth may look wonderful when you lift their lip up. But if they yawn or pant and you get a glimpse of gross stuff on the INSIDE of the teeth, chewing is their best bet to get their teeth cleaned up.

I used to be a huge fan of recreational bones until a recent tooth fracture on one of my larger dogs. Now I know why some owners call them “wreck” bones 😉

I have never had the unfortunate experiences described here by some from puncturing or choking to death, and hope I never do. I know of one person who had a boxer choke on an ox tail and the dog died on the way to the vet. I’m SUPER weird about choosing large things for my dogs to chew on for this reason; even if they don’t totally consume the whole thing at once. There’s no doubt in my mind that dogs have suffered and even died from consuming raw bones, but there’s also no doubt in my mind that dogs have suffered and even died from consuming tainted, moldy, spoiled “safe” dry food (covered in salmonella, BTW), or have suffered greatly from eating a poor choice of food *for them* and have had the symptoms suppressed with drugs.

JMO.

[Jenn H]

Don’t listen to whoever it was who told you to skip the lg breed puppy food.
Puppies have different nutritional requirements than adults. And sm & lg breeds have different needs from each other.
If you choose an adult food it must say “for all life stages”.

Hound Dog Mom’s list is a very good starting point.
I sttill always contact a company directly before committing to a food and ask: if their diets are designed by a board certified nutritionist and what is the max calcium & phosphorus on a dry matter basis.

Right now I am raising a puppy that is going to be much larger than my other GSDs. The last dog I had that was so big I adopted at 3 so I didn’t have to worry about the growth stage.
I weigh this guy every week. He gained 2 lbs/wk from birth until he was just over 1 yr. Now he gains about 1 lb. He’s 15 months. Pretty soon I will probably weigh him every 2 wks.
The reason for this is because it is most important that you control the rate at which they grow. It’s not about growing him as fast as possible. It’s about keeping him from growing too fast.

[marie d]

Hi, im trying to get some advice for taking my boy off kibble and putting him onto raw please. Im so nervous to get it wrong and cause him any harm so would really your help. A little background on him, he is a 9 1/2 year labrador that has been on kibble his whole life. I stupidly thought that as we were getting him the expensive kibble we were feeding him the best. He has been on royal canin gastro for the past 2 years due to him having gastro issues sll his life. The vet came to the conclusion he has an intolerance to fat so needs to be on the low fat diet which has worked for him as we havent had any gastro issues for 2 yr now whilst on this food. Whst he has though is cancer now twice in the past 18 months, both mast cell tumours which led us to start looking into whats in his food. We really want to get him off kibblebas strongly feel that this has contributed to him getting cancer. Ive red so much conflicting info on how to change from dry to raw and am so confused as to what will be best for him. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post 🙁

[crazy4cats]

Hi joanne l- I think it is mostly the Evanger’s cannery that is the biggest concern. Many are so worried about shady things that have happened at their cannery that they do not want to support them by buying their dry food either. Other foods made by Mid-American Pet Foods are not the concern. (at this time, anyway, LOL!)

Here is a link: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/fda-closes-warning-letter-to-evangers-pet-food/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Susan W]

Check out VeRUS canned food & dry food. Here is their chcken & brown rice:
Protein (min) 8%
Fat (min) 5%
Fiber (max) 2%
Moisture (max) 78%
Ash (max) 1.55%

1279 kcals/kg = 470 kcals/can

And their Life Virtue Dry:
Protein (min) 24% Fat (min) 15% Fiber (max) 3.5% Moisture (max) 10% Omega 3 fatty acids (min) 2.0%* Omega 6 fatty acids (min) 4.2%* Probiotic Activity (min) 3 mil CFU/gram*

If you contact them, they’ll email you back & send dry food samples (maybe canned, too, I don’t know). I use this food because it’s never been recalled AND because a real person emailed me to discuss my dog’s issues.

[joanne l]

earthborn contains too many peas. Peas = loose stools. By the way I heard a lot of people complaining about earthborn lately…Look on dog food advisors page on earthborn and you will see what I mean. I care about all animals and I am just trying to help if I can.
Try a good food with some grains and see how it goes. maybe try precise or holistic select etc. Try too avoid high fiber percentages unless your dog does better on a high fiber diet. I am feeding Holistic select lamb and he does very well on it, now some people might say “its too much grains” however, I also give him some fresh meat with his dry. That boosts my protein up and it is fresh, easier to digest. Too many grain free foods have high protein too many fiber vegetables and to me I don’t like that. High protein is better when it is in its natural form oppose to any kibble. And grains like oatmeal and rice is good for stools and stomach can’t go wrong with that.

[don h]

I AM LOOKING FOR A CANNED DOG FOOD WITH A PROTEIN % OF LESS THAN 34 THAT I CAN TOP OFF HER DRY DOG FOOD WHICH HAS A 24% PROTEIN SHE HAD PH OF 8 PLUS 2 WEEKS AGO GOT IT DOWN TO 5 PLUS NOW TO ACIDIC VET SAYS TO LEVEL AT 6 .5 SHE HAS NO CRYSTALS OR UTI PROBLEMS NOW. GOT GREAT ADVICE FROM MANY OF YOU ON THE FORUM

[Jenn H]

My pup, his mother and a littermate all began suffering from similar skin problems at the beginning of spring. Not to the severity of your dog. It appears to be environmental allergies with them.
For my puppy I would use a product I have for my horse. Eqyss Micro-Tek shampoo. “Soothes on contact”. Then I would spray the really bad areas with Eqyss Micro-Tek Equine Spray. (They do make it for dogs. It’s the same stuff, but more costly.) This stuff is amazing. I’ve used it on myself.
For his ears I use epi-otic from the vet. When I ran out I put the equine spray on a cotton ball. Make sure to dry out the ears when you clean them.
He also gets raw honey from a neighbor 2x/day. That has been the ultimate fix. As long as he gets the honey he doesn’t have any problems. After 1 wk without it he begins to get itchy and hot spots. Same with his brother.
Honey must be raw, wildflower honey that is within 50 miles from home.

Food intolerance could certainly be a factor for your dog. I would try an elimination diet if you think that’s a cause.

Tick borne diseases can go into remission and you may never have another flare up again. I have another dog that has had Ehrlichia and now Lyme. I have a bunch of horses with Lyme also. I haven’t known any of them to present with those symptoms you described.
You really need to make sure the dog has a tick borne illness before giving doxy. It’s a pretty hardcore antibiotic. You certainly don’t want to give it needlessly. It can also cause stomach issues. Maybe your dog isn’t breaking down proteins well. If they do have a tick borne illness then the immune system is already taxed. The slightest allergen can become a big problem. My girl takes a probiotic (2 hrs before or after her antibiotic when on it) to help her immune system and minimize the side effects of doxy as much as possible. Fortiflora has been working great for her. She’s on it indefinitely right now, but I continue probiotics at least 2 wks after antibiotic treatment has stopped.

[joet]

WholeHearted Adult Dog Food – Grain Free Turkey & Sweet Potato Canned Cuts in Gravy, 13.2 oz——-
has anyone seen this or tried it–
ingredients are top shelf—made by petco–
ny TeddyBear is pure bread yellow lab–he just turned 10-
he has been fed blue all his life———he is on 2 cans per day and a cup of dry—
as you know–blue is expensive and price is climbing—-$2.50 and up—-
whole hearted –has top ingred—and cost is aprox–$1.79 a can–
teddy eats 14 cans a week x’s 4 weeks—thats a minimum of $152.07–including tax—
whole heart would be a total of$108.88
the can i bought tedddy to try out–teddy loved it—-gave him half a can—then i ate the rest to see just how good it tasted–
it tasted just like turkey pot pie—
heres my question——
at his age–do you guys think i should switch—
joan–wife–says no—-
me==joe t—its not rated here yet-but it should get 4 to 5 stars—-the price will save me money–etc—–
i just cant see spending a dollar more + per can– -on food that is no better than petcos own brand—its illogical to me——thats it guys—what do you think–signed joe t & teddy.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by joet. Reason: had to add a word

[yvonne h]

my chocolate lab mix started having seizures 3 months ago, already he had 4. My vet wants to start medication for the convulsions, but I want to try something different, anybody has suggestions? I am cooking for him,making thick soup with meat,vegetables, eggs,cheese, he loves it.,I stopped buying dry food at Costco.
At night I give him 1 tsp of honey, I read somewhere that is good for his sugar level. all his seizures are around 2am and it kills me to see him on the floor shacking, it usually lasts 2 to 3 minutes, for for me is an eternity.
Holistic treatment involves I believe acupuncture, I dont think I will go that way.
I really need advise.

[Courtney R]

My comments about carbohydrates?
Well, theres this study on (working) sled dogs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4734973
That showed that despite their level of rigorous activity they actually perform better on high fat, high protein diets.

Or maybe this educational textbook:
https://www.nap.edu/catalog/10668/nutrient-requirements-of-dogs-and-cats
That states that there’s no requirement of digestible carbohydrates in dogs diets.

And there’s my vet, who explicitly told me there’s no need for dogs to eat carbs, it’s just nearly impossible to make dry kibble without them.

And I’m not decided on anything, I’ve just posted questions regarding feeding raw in a raw forum. Why would I post my questions about preparing cooked food for my dogs in a raw forum, when obviously no one in that forum cooks their food??

[Dan W]

Just wondering:

The Editor’s Choice GMO-free list includes Horizon Legacy dry dog food. I’m very interested in their salmon recipe for my friend’s guide dog, but I can’t find a GMO-free label on the packaging, or any GMO-free statements or information on Horizon’s website.

Is this food actually GMO free? I did contact Horizon just a short time ago, but I’m impatient for an answer, if anyone here knows.

Thank you! Great site!

[Jennifer M]

Could someone do a review of the wet dog food sold at Aldi? I could only find the dry on the featured list. They have 2 kinds of containera: cans and cups. My mom bought some and I think it’s what is making my little dog (Chihuahua/Shih Tzu mix) have the poops! I constantly tell her to look at the ingredients before buying and spending a little extra is worth it if it means my dog isn’t eating something that won’t agree with him!