[Triet S]

Hello,
Could I mix this supplement with dry food ?

[Karin S]

I’m searching for premium (5star,) dry and wet foods meeting a TCM cool/cold food therapy diet. Any suggestions?

[Triet S]

Hi Pituv,
I am very appreciate your help. I have taken her to the vet aldready. She said I fed her too much. She want me to feed her 3 times a day, all is dry dog food, follow the direction on the label of the TOTW and nothing else. But, I am very confuse because my puppy dont like to eat a lot of dry food. So, I have to change to feed raw food in morning and afternoon (mixing meat,liver,organic,vegetable,….about 150gram each time). Evening is 1cup of TOTW. After a month, she still has a curve back.
Could you tell me what should I do now ? Is my raw food diet good ?
Thanks !

[Hannah D]

I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve tried countless brands and have yet to find the ideal food for my dog. My 9 year old chihuahua has hiatal hernia and does better with lower fat. The past year or so she’s had a musty smell within days of being bathed, so there’s probably a yeast issue. I’ve had her on various grain-free Honest Kitchen recipes. She’s currently on Marvel because I wanted to avoid potatoes of any kind, but she’s gained weight on it.

K9 Naturals was recommended. I had her on the venison food, but she wasn’t nuts about it. Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried didn’t seem to satiate her and neither did Ziwipeak.

Ideally, I’d like a grain-free, starch-free, yeast-free food. I don’t want to feed her beef and I usually avoid chicken when possible. But I’m open to all suggestions, wet, dry, raw, etc. I have absolutely no experience with raw food except for the dehydrated or freeze dried kind.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Lynn P]

Thank you. I looked into that food it’s supper expensive. I will go that route if I have to, but maybe a more reasonable price food possible a dry food. I mix dry food with a freeze dry food to keep the cost down

[Lynn P]

I have my dog on hills c/d dry dog food. Due to a urinary issue. It’s to lower her PH in her system. But I think the dog food I had her on may have been the cause in the first place, and hills is not such a great dog food. So I want to know if anyone could suggest another dog food that is better in nutrition and maybe a supplement to keep her from getting urinary tract infection. She is a golden retriever and only a year old. I have had her tested for stones and all else. So now I want to help her with food I think it will work if I get the right stuff. The vet has there purpose, but they always want to use medicine and I think a lot of or animal problems are self induced. Thanks Lynn

[Wabi S]

Yes, I’m referring to this food.

https://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/large-breed-puppy-gold/technical-analysis/

[Wabi S]

Hello,

First post, but I’ve been reading here a few days.

I have a 12 week old purebred Saint Bernard puppy. She’s currently on Eagle Pack but I’d like to switch her to something else, I’m thinking either Orijen if I can afford it on a regular basis (I heard their prices went up and their bag size is going down) or Fromm Gold Holistic Large Breed Puppy. $50 or under is ideal, but I can probably budget a little more if the food is worth it. Any suggestions? Also, how long should I be feeding puppy food?

An as aside, if it helps anyone, I contacted Taste of the Wild and they got back to me today. Here’s what they said about their food:

“Below are the calcium and phosphorous levels for all of our dry formulas. The levels below are based on an as fed basis of a typical analysis of the formula.

High Prairie Canine with Roasted Venison & Roasted Bison

Calcium: 2.1%

Phosphorus: 1.4%

Pacific Stream Canine with Smoked Salmon

Calcium: 1.9%

Phosphorus: 1.1%

Wetlands Canine with Roasted Wild Fowl

Calcium: 2.1%

Phosphorus: 1.4%

Sierra Mountain Canine with Roasted Lamb

Calcium: 1.6%

Phosphorus: 1.0%

Southwest Canine with Wild Boar

Calcium: 1.9%

Phosphorus: 1.1%

Pine Forest Canine with Venison & Legumes

Calcium: 1.4%

Phosphorus: 0.9%

Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine with Venison & Garbanzo Beans

Calcium: 1.8%

Phosphorus: 1.2%

High Prairie Puppy with Roasted Venison & Roasted Bison

Calcium: 1.4%

Phosphorus: 1.0%

Pacific Stream Puppy with Smoked Salmon

Calcium: 1.3%

Phosphorus: 1.0%”

Hope this helps someone.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Wabi S.

[Lamar V]

Our 7 year old Portuguese water dog has recurring urinary tract infections. She is on Proin. Some anecdotal opinions suggest we should change her diet and have changed her dry dog food from Natural Balance to California Natural. Looked at Fromm’s but it has cheese in it and she is dairy allergic. Our vet thinks the dog food change is nonsense. Still, would like to hear what informed dog owners think.

[Tara M]

I am new to this and looking for help. I have 2 pugs.
1 male 10 years old approx 30 pounds and 1 female 4 years old approx 32 pounds. She is ver short/ lower to the ground with short legs then my male and is more over weight.
They both like Ceasers and Might Dog food but I have been hearing these are not good. They both have severe itch problems. I took them to the vet and she has to give them a shot for itch and a shot for this bacteria on skin. I have to bathe them with a dandruff shampoo to help. They get a foul smell in their ears and I am always cleaning this yucky wet wax out.
Is this because of their food? Any suggestions. They are not big on dry food . They like wet food.

[Ellen C]

Which grain free dry food is best for a 9 year old lab?

[Susan]

Hi, what does your dog eat?? make sure she eats a well balanced diet, fresh whole foods, if your on face Book follow “Rodney Habib”, he’s a Pet Nutrition Blogger & has a post at the moment.. Research shows, that dogs on a diet of dry commercial pet food if you added leafy green vegetables at least 3 times a week were 90 percent less likely to develop cancer than dogs that weren’t….And dogs that were fed yellow/orange vegetable at least three times a week were 70 percent less likely to develop cancer… also exercise, make sure she gets exercise & isn’t over weight & no stress….
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/want-your-dog-to-live-to-30-add-this-to-their-bowl-.html

[Patrice]

I really think “natural flavor” (or “natural chicken flavor”, “natural beef flavor”, etc.) should be listed in red as a controversial ingredient. I know I won’t buy food for myself that has “natural flavors” in the list because MSG is a natural flavor (it is a salt, not a pertro-chemical, so it is not “artificial”–but it is still an excito-toxin/nervous system agitator.)

From http://slimdoggy.com/what-is-natural-flavor-and-is-it-good-for-my-dog/

“For an idea of what a natural flavor is, the FDA website says:
With respect to flavors, pet foods often contain “digests,” which are materials treated with heat, enzymes and/or acids to form concentrated natural flavors. Only a small amount of a “chicken digest” is needed to produce a “Chicken Flavored Cat Food,” even though no actual chicken is added to the food. Stocks or broths are also occasionally added. Whey is often used to add a milk flavor. Often labels will bear a claim of “no artificial flavors.” Actually, artificial flavors are rarely used in pet foods.
According to current labeling rules, dog food companies are allowed to consider these natural flavors proprietary, and are not required to disclose exactly what is used to make the flavoring nor how it is actually made (i.e., via a chemical process).”
——–
Merrick recently changed the ingredient list for “Merrick Classic Real Chicken + Green Peas Recipe with Ancient Grains Adult Dry Dog Food” to read “natural flavor” instead of “natural chicken flavor”, so I called to ask why/what was in their “natural flavor”.

They said it was just flavor “derived from chicken or beef livers, or whatever the main meat ingredient of the particular food is.”

Derived how?

“Well, it comes from the livers.”

How? <I was put on hold>

“Well, it’s just boiled down livers.”

So why don’t you just say ‘chicken or beef or whatever concentrate’?

<put on hold>
“Well, it’s derived from the livers. Like when you make a gravy.”

So, it’s just ‘boiled’ livers?

“Probably.”

So why don’t you just say ‘liver concentrate’?

“Well, it’s like when you make gravy.”

When I make gravy I add seasonings for more flavor. MSG is considered a ‘natural flavor’ — do you add MSG?

“It’s derived from the livers.”

And it’s derived only by boiling?

“Well, it’s from the livers.”

And it is only liver–that’s the only ingredient?

“Well it’s the liver of whatever the main meat is.”

I told Merrick customer service that I wanted to voice my disbelief that “natural flavor” was a simple concentrate, and that I believe it is a smoke-screen for additives and chemical processes they would not want to list separately because people would know how unhealthful it is.

“OK, I’ll pass that along. Have a nice day.”

[Z B]

There are a few 4 star rated kibbled that are widely available and budget friendly. off top of my head are pure balance grain free and Rachel Ray zero grain (both available at Walmart ) and 4health sold at Tractor Supply. You can look up the reviews on them here.
Have no idea if they are better than what you are feeding or how effective they (or any other food ) would be for your dogs’ issues, just suggesting some affordable 4 star options that I know of.
You can add some eggs, water packed-no salt added sardines, raw chicken hearts or gullets, baked sweet potato, and cooked puréed greens like kale or spinach to whatever you are feeding to increase nutrition. Small amounts of turmeric daily is a really good antiflammatory.

ETA: I just looked up River Run it is rated 1.5 stars 🙁
/dog-food-reviews/river-run-dog-food/
So there easily are many affordable brands that would a much better choice, research options that are rated 3 star, or higher here:
/dog-food-reviews/dry/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Z B.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Z B.

[Julie W]

I have a new 6 month old miniature Labradoodle. The breeder introduced me to Life’s Abundance, All Stage dry food. What do you think of this Company and what do you recommend for a “wet” food to add to the dry. Our puppy won’t eat the amount recommended. He isn’t that interested in his food. Many thanks, Julie

[Brooke R]

I have a white pit she scratches her belly non stop. The vet said she has sensitive skin and allergies. I recently got her a new shampoo from EarthsBest and I’m going to give her a bath with it today to see if that will help, I also give her Benadryl.

I read it could be her food or maybe a yeast infection?! I feed her Nature select cold water press, says its grain free….Does anyopne have any suggestions or know what it may be? She is consistently scratching her belly.

[cheryl w]

I lost my dachshund after her second dose of Bravecto. She was hospitalized months after her first dose with kidney and liver failure, but after a long fight, we got her home. I administered a second dose of Bravecto at the end of February 2016. (not having made a connection with the product and her illness) Within a few days Thula started showing signs of being ill. She stopped eating and had severe diarrhea, which had blood in the stools. She was rushed to the vet. She suffered for 5 days from kidney and liver failure, severe anemia and despite attempts to save her, she died in early March. My daughter in law had read some of the adverse effects of this product after her dachshund suffered from dry itchy patches on her skin and said that many reports were showing the same adverse reactions as Thula had. It was only after her death that I found out about Bravecto.
My eldest dachshund was also treated for dry itchy patches and a rash on her tummy after her first dose. After researching the product, I examined her carefully only to find out that she had developed the same skin condition that she had experienced after her first dose. She is now fully recovered.
My ridgeback is currently in hospital. She has been seen by three different vets, all giving different diagnosis. She stopped eating suddenly and only after large doses of cortisone, would she take very small portions of soft food. MRI and CT scan, scopes and medication were administered. The scope has revealed ulcers and inflammation in her stomach, we are waiting for the biopsy taken for further information.
READ THE FACEBOOK PAGE DOES BRAVECTO KILL DOGS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

[harp31]

Thank you for the response. You are probably right about using the Rx food short term to help with healing, the ingredient list is hard for me to get past though. I was actually looking at Pure Vita today at a pet supply store (but they only had 20 lb bags and I need to start w/ 5 lbs or so in case they don’t like it) and they also recommended Dr. Gary’s Best Breed Grain Free Dry food. I may try the Pure Vita Turkey. I really appreciate the suggestions.

[harp31]

Hi, I can relate to your loose stool issues.
I have 2 Bostons, one is 11 lbs and one is 28 lbs. Both are 3 yrs old and female. I have been trying to find a low fat limited ingredient food for them. The larger one has had bouts of diarrhea (some was bloody) and some vomiting on and off for the past month. My vet had her on metronidazole for 2-3 weeks but she started to break out in hives from it so we had to discontinue the med. They had been eating Annamaet Option 24% dry food for the past year or more with some boiled chicken or ground turkey as a mix in to entice them to eat it. For some reason they don’t want to eat it anymore and are having loose stools, etc. They have been on a bland diet on and off for the last month (boiled chicken and rice or pasta) with no loose stools or vomiting but obviously are not getting the nutrition they need. Every time I start to re-introduce the dry food, the loose stools start up again. I am working with my vet to try to find a suitable food for them. They were eating Acana Ranchlands Regional previous to the Annamaet kibble. They had the same issues after eating that food for over a year also (not wanting to eat it, loose stools, etc). Anyone else experience this with their dogs? It’s so frustrating to find a food they like that they can tolerate. My vet mentioned Royal Canin Gastro. and Hill’s Prescription ID (which they sell in the office) but I am not a fan of those 2 choices. I’m also skeptical of TOTW because of Diamond manufacturing and California Natural due to previous recalls. The DFA has several low fat suggestions here, I just hate buying a whole 5 lb bag of something if they won’t eat it. I guess I will go into town and see what I can find at Petsmart or Soldan’s that is a decent food. May be that I have to find some nutritional add-ins and cook for them, they are picky.
I also had my dog’s anal glands expressed at the vet about a month ago and she does sit and spin on her butt at times, maybe she needs them done again.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by harp31.

[Scared D]

This is an older thread but Abady’s granular foods are the best ‘dry’ foods you can buy. 9/10 stores that carry these foods, the staff and owners of the store use them.

They are incredibly simple foods and not really processed at all except for mixing.

They just need to be mixed every so often and its best to keep them in a cool location.

Very few stores carry the large boxes, they need to be ordered but in my area if you call on a Monday, the food is delivered by an Abady truck by Wednesday. The food is generally only a week old when you get it.

You will notice in two weeks. Tiny stools, better coat and cleaner teeth. You will also notice how comfortable the dogs are eating the food and after they finish. The mass they eat is much less and the food is granular so it digests much more efficiently. There is no plant fiber in the food. The stools look like coyote of fox scat.

It is also the only company that will work with your vet and actually review blood work if needed. There is a Vet on staff at the company. I highly recommend the Classic version. I haven’t done the calculation but I suspect the calories from carbs is 10-12%, and just white rice.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Scared D.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Scared D.

[Joe W]

Ok, this thread has obviously deteriorated into a childish playground argument (thanks for that janus), let’s stay on topic and stop arguing like crazy biatc#s with PMT.

Anyone not intelligent enough to research opinions on a forum and come to a balanced decision based on opinion and fact (which I may add HAS to be linked and referenced otherwise only a retard would blindly belive it), is not responsible, intelligent or mature enough to be responsibly owning a dog in the first place.

Just look in the ingredients, it’s the best way to tell….. anything that lists cereals or animal derivatives at the top of it’s contents is in my opinion AND supported by a huge ammount of fact (research it yourself as I’m not doing it for you lazy asses) not good for your pet and will only lead to a bad coat and other annoying issues.

The only dry food I trust is from an independent local supplier who is passionate about going against the big brand’s horrible ingredients and makes his dry food from vegetables and only natural antioxidants, it’s ingredients starting ‘CHICKEN MEAL, MAIZE, RICE, OATS, CHICKEN FAT, PRAIRIE MEAL, CHICKEN LIVER, BEETROOT PULP, SALMON OIL….. you get the picture.

If you’re wondering what to treat your dog with that’s not harmful? Then stop shopping in a business and make your own, frozen chicken liver chunks, or just cook a whole chicken (they are mega cheap) and shred up the meat, freeze it and use as treats. Remember that research suggests (yes anus, sorry ‘janus’ damn my typos) that smaller treats are better for training than larger ones, so just a taste will do.

The only manufactured treat I trust and use are natures menu ones, my golden retriever Nico LOVES them so much that his teeth chatter as you train him with them! He can’t get enough, and they are 95% meat so they are most and each small treat easily breaks into 6 or more smaller rewards, he loves the chicken best but other flavours are avaliable.

My experience? I have owned dogs, only ever had pedigree dogs from show dog families so the breeders have been crazy into health and coat care, nutrition ect. and have given me a wealth of knowledge….. this plus conversing regularly with a very good vet when I have a question I can’t find the answer to myself (yes janus, by researching different opinions of other dog owners which I VALUE and RESPECT more than, well more than you), has given me what I think a balanced view on what is best for myself and my dog…… But hey, that’s just my opinion right?…. Oh wait sorry, that was ‘In My Honest Opinion’

If any of my spelling was off there, I apologise, I’m using my phone and this forum isn’t too mobile friendly with it’s format.

Joe
Retired British Army Infantry Sniper….. Hence why any haters or immature children that want to reply with something idiotic will be ignored, I don’t have time to waste on keyboard warriors with arrogant ‘black or white’ ‘my way or I cry like a child’ opinions…… Life is one big grey area, engage your brain, adapt, overcome, and deal with it.

[anonymously]

What foods did your vet recommend? I have two seniors that have been doing well on Nutrisca dry as a base, both recently had senior workups, lab work came back normal.
One of them (peke) will turn 16 next month.

I have recently added Orijen, more for my youngest dog, Orijen has a senior kibble but I haven’t checked it out.

[Scared D]

Virtually all dry food sold in the US is the same quality, with the same level of nutrition.

Marketing is the only thing that distinguishes dry food.

[Sheri S]

I am searching for a high quality and low protien dog food, dry and wet, for my 9 year old standard poodle. She is a rescue and upon our first visit to our vet found that she has only one kidney. He started her on a low protien dog food that they sell but now that I am educated about ingredients I’m disappointed. Any ideas?

[Bobby dog]

Hi Amy K:
If you are happy with your dry food I would continue to feed it. I would only suggest trying out a few brands to find other choices she does well on in case of a recall, formula changes, or distribution issues; you never know when you may need a back-up. I would also stick with similar protein, fat, and fiber percentages when trying a new kibble.

I feed a variety of canned foods in various price ranges. My budget friendly choices are Pure Balance stews or gravy tubs (Wal-Mart), Variety stews, Beyond grain free stews, Pro Plan Naturals, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, Triumph turkey or puppy recipes, BJ’s price club brand, and Tractor Supply stews or Sr. pate’. Costco also has a budget friendly canned, Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain. You have to buy a case which is under $20. If you don’t have a Costco membership Jet.com sells it for a little more, but still a great deal.

Other brands my dog does well on are Wellness Core, Red Barn Stews, Tiki Dog, Weruva, Eagle Pack, Fromm shredded recipes, Halo, Life’s Abundance, Holistic Select, Nature’s Recipe, Nutrisource, and Precise. I order Life’s Abundance directly from their website.

Good luck finding a new food!

[Laurie W]

When I searched the brand name, I found a 5 star review for RAWZ dry food, yet it’s not on the June Editor’s Choice List. Confusing. Please comment. Thanks!

[anonymously]

Orijen and Nutrisca for dry food are my favorites, check Chewy.com. For a reasonably priced wet food/topper, check out Newman Organics.
Your dog is a senior and therefore prone to developing bladder stones (breed) so I would soak her kibble in water prior to serving and maybe add a splash of water especially if she is not a water drinker. Make sure she gets out for frequent bathroom breaks/opportunities to urinate.
Also, check her teeth and get a cleaning and extractions if needed. Brush her teeth daily (see YouTube for how to videos)

PS: I just reread your post, if you want to feed only dry, presoak the kibble in water overnight, it will be soft, easy to chew and digest. If the food you are using agrees with her, then stick with it. You can always add a bit of scrambled egg or cooked chopped up lean meat/chicken (no bones)
Has she had a senior workup? Ask the vet that examines her what he recommends.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by anonymously.

[Amy K]

Hello all,

I have a sweet 9 year old miniature american eskimo dog that I adopted last year.

As I said in the title, I am happy with her dry food (Nature’s Select Cold Water Recipe), as it has helped to clear up problems with her nose (pemphigus or discoid lupus). That said, I am still open to suggestions.

As for her wet food, I started buying Beneful in the 3oz can – 3 packs when my refrigerator was broken. She really likes them, but I would like to switch her to something better for her, especially since she had cancer last year.

She eats a mixture of wet and dry food, and though I wish I could switch her to all dry, she only has 10 teeth left.

Does anyone have suggestions for a good wet food (or good wet and dry food) that they would recommend?

[Nancy H]

Mike,

Thank you.. I looked at the list. if you could give me your top 5 I would appreciate it.

Shar Pei’s need grain free for allergies. I had my last two on Orjens freeze dry and they had no problems until my male got kidney disease and I lost him a couple of months ago..
🙁 and my female has a sour stomach so I have to feed her Royal Canin Intestinal dog food from my vet. I also have to give her an anti acid 2 times a day and Benadryl for her allergies. I also give her 5 bites of plain yogurt that seems to help with her stomach too.

So any help would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Nancy Horkey

[Susan]

Hi, my Patch was weeing blood when I rescued him & he was put on the Royal Canine S/O Urinary, wet & dry, google Royal Canine S/O Urinary wet & dry & have a look at the ingredients, I’m pretty sure the S/O wet doesn’t have chicken, If your dog can’t eat chicken then the Hills will be no good.. Hills love using cheap byproduct chicken in all their products, Patch only had to be on the Royal Canine S/O for 6 weeks, no other foods & the R/C S/O dissolved all his crystals, he had an ultra scan & all crystals were gone…
When your boy is on the Royal Canine S/O start looking for another food that he can start eating after the 6 weeks…..your better off feeding wet foods & no kibble for urinary problems..
A lot vets don’t have a clue when it comes to food, one of Patches vet prescribe a vet diet & it had corn, wheat & chicken & he knew Patch can’t eat corn, wheat or chicken he has IBD & Skin allergies… Vets don’t even know what ingredients are in these crappy vet diets…You can take back the Hills its money back guaranteed…

[Kelly P]

Your situation sounds very similar to mine. I have a 13 yr old mini Schnauzer and had heard several bad things about the food I was feeding her. Always dry food, no table scraps, etc. I finally got that smack in the face that your dog is getting old when she started collapsing if she got wound up. Sure enough, she’s got an enlarged heart and nothing we can do other than a few meds to stave it off as long as possible. My first Schnauzer suffered from the same thing.

But, the news about the other brand, her prognosis and her age made me think it was time to switch. I went with Wellness Core small breed and she ate it at first as I was mixing it up with her old food so as to ease the transition. That was fine but once I got to 100% Wellness she would sniff it and walk away. I even pulled the Nick Nolte “Doen and Out in Beverly Hills” trick where I stuck my face in the bowl. It actually works, but I can’t do that every meal.

Eventually at some point during the day, she would eat it. I suppose she was just hungry! Kind of like when you’re on a road trip and you stop at a place you’d usually speed up to get past.

Anyway, I made my decisions based on the recommendations here, I just recently tried Orijen Senior Formula. It’s not a small breed food, so the kibble is bigger. I put the Wellness in 1/2 the bowl and Orijen on the other side. She was all over the Orijen and left an almost perfect line where the Wellness was. I also bought a little 4 lb bag of Merrick Grain Free Real Buffalo & Sweet Potato if the Orijen didn’t work.

Like you, I think she likes bigger chunks and that Wellness was pretty small. Unfortunately, I don’t have any other data or info to share. The Orijen is not cheap by a long shot, but the people on this forum aren’t here because we value savings over health and well being of our dogs.

[InkedMarie]

I would skip dry food and if you absolutely must feed dry, reduce the amount and add some canned plus water. It is important your dog get enough moisture and have ample opportunities to urinate. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi, I would STOP feeding any kibble, when I first rescued my boy, he was weeing blood & had ultra scan & he had crystals, he was then desexed & put on the Royal Canine wet tin & dry kibble S/O Urinary for just 6 weeks to dissolve his crystal, I was lucky his crystal dissolved after eating the Royal Canine S/O vet diet, the vet said his crystals would of been from being used for breeding, the vet then said, I feel real sorry for the dogs he was breed with….

I would start feeding a raw diet, no kibble or change the brands she has been eating, kibble isn’t good for dogs, wet moist foods are heaps better for dogs with bladder problems…
Here’s a raw diet just have a look at the foods that the Naturopath recommends to feed, for vegetable I read feed lentils, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, spinach & string beans…You can email Jacqueline Rudan & ask her questions she emails back & she does consults overseas on Skype…
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/acidifying-diet-urinary-crystals/

[anonymously]

Please check the search engine here for “struvite” “bladder stones” or click on my avatar and read my posts on this subject , this topic comes up about once a week.
However, I am not a veterinarian, so please check with your vet before making any changes to your dog’s treatment.
I wouldn’t mess with supplements, keep the diet simple.
There are prescription meds that your vet could subscribe after surgery if her condition is stubborn. I would ask about that.

Example: /forums/search/struvite/

There is NO magic supplement. The trick is to add water to each meal 3-4 small meals per day soaked in water, don’t measure, just fill the small bowl, the dog will lap it up to get to the food.
The dog must be taken out to void (pee) ideally every 2 hours during the day. At bedtime and first thing in the morning. Stagnant conditions in the bladder are conducive to stone formation.
There is nothing wrong with Royal Canin Urinary SO. If you get the dry, soak it in water overnight then add water too. Once the dog is stable, few months to a year, you can talk to your vet about adding something tasty to the prescription food, like cooked chopped up chicken breast or some other lean meat.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=cranberry

Excerpts from previous posts:

As your vet will confirm, dogs that have a tendency to make bladder stones have to be on a special diet the rest of their lives, this is a serious condition and it just doesn’t go away.

I would comply with the prescription food for now.
And don’t forget, water, water, and more water added to the diet. Ask the vet ….but I believe this helps big time. And frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate.

“My dog had both (struvite and calcium oxalate), no symptoms till the age of 11, started with UTIs. He has had no recurrences in 4 years since his emergency surgery.
In fact, I just took him in for a geriatric workup and his lab work was good”.

“I was afraid the vet would want to do x-rays and test his urine…..but he said as long as he is not having symptoms we are not going there (he’s too old to tolerate another surgery)”
“I do monitor his urination habits and check for normal flow, stream, amount. If I note any discomfort I will take him to the vet”.

“There is a genetic component and some breeds are more prone to bladder stones.

“Anyway, if you do nothing else, add water and take her out to urinate frequently.
I went along with the prescription diet for almost a year, since then he has been on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea kibble soaked with water +, I use the wet food too”
PS: Soak the kibble, even the prescription food in water overnight in the fridg, add more water prior to serving. Keep the bladder flushed. Maybe add a little canned prescription food as a topper.

PS: If he is overweight or inactive, start taking her for daily walks, that helps too.

[Suzanne W]

Desiree mentioned she mixes this with blue buffalo dry dog food, which I also make my own topper to mix in with blue buffalo! I like desiree’s recipe! Good job!

[Tim S]

We have been feeding our latest puppy the Farmina Natural & Delicious Chicken Grain-Free Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food for about ten months after transitioning from another highly rated food (Orijen). We are quite happy with the results, the puppy loves the food and the kibble size is relatively large (works well as a training treat).

I am not familiar with Farmina’s marketing strategy in the U.S. although I would guess that their market penetration efforts are regional in scope … beyond the existing nationwide Chewy.com distribution channel.

[Michael G]

We have two toy poodles that are 14 weeks old. I have two questions?

1) I need to find a lower calorie and lower sodium soft treat for a training treat. What does the adviser recommend?

2) Is it recommended to feed a combination of dry hard and soft wet food?

Both puppies eat well, we just want to make sure we give them the right foods for their long term health

[Amateria]

Wow Susan you go all out when you respond haha.

Rusty is about 8-9 at this point, I don’t think we have his papers and so were not 100% sure if it’s 8 or 9 but he’s definitely getting old, I have ordered and received samples of Totw, they were pretty reluctant to send them to me because of postage charges, but I don’t live anywhere near a shop that stocks their samples, so they let me have 2 samples in the end, high praire I think and coastal(should be bison one and fish one).

He has done well on black hawk fish and potato, I wanted to add some oils to his food because of what I’ve read about them, they help me with my joints and nerve so I figured it would help with his joints and coat and it did.

But it also seems that after the dry and the blend he started to have more problems, so maybe it wasn’t the best idea in the end, I’ll make sure to tell mum to feed him the kibble once a week as a treat instead.

His teeth are generally awful looking, he does need a professional anaesthesia cleaning that’s for sure, he’s impossible when it comes to brushing, I’ve tried and failed like a pro every time, he’s super strong and he scratches me up real good so I stopped trying.

I will definitely be taking him to the vet for a more thorough check up, because he means the world to my mum, as in if she looses sight of him for 5 minutes she starts to panic and I would hate to see him die from something that could of been prevented(if it’s anything bad to begin with, could just be pancreatitis pains).

He’s also a white cream chihuahua 😛 and the puppy is white with tan spots she’s so gorgeous everyone always complements the way she looks when we’re out its super cute.

And for you Susan the kibble is just a treat, we actually feed homemade cooked, he’s always been on a chicken and rice with veggies diet, he does the best on this diet and hardly ever has flare ups, when he does it’s usually my fault because I try to add some variety to his food and some extra vitamins and minerals and than he gets sick and I don’t mean to, it just happens.

I think because of how well he did with black hawk if I feel like adding anything for his joints in the future I might add that and he did really well on the k9 natural venison freeze dried and super well on ziwipeak venison, I might just buy those from time to time as I know he did well on them, he’s gone through 5 ziwipeak bags with only two flare ups, so yeah I might just stick with that and stop trying new things that clearly aren’t working in his favor.

I’ll keep an eye on Anja while she’s on the supplement and kibble, she usually eats like 3 of them, she’s not a very big eater, but I hope she continues to do well on the blend, as I’d like to cure her leg drama before it becomes permanent.

Thanks for the help though, I wanted to be 100% sure about a few things and you guys cleared that up for me so thanks a lot 😀

[Susan]

Hi, from another Australian, I was taking Blooms Green Lipped Mussel capsules & I got bad indigestion, acid reflux, I also took the capsules with a meal…. then I google side effects Green Lipped Mussel & it said Nausea & indigestion…So I have stopped taking the Green Lipped Mussel capsules, I was going to give Patch 1 green Lipped Mussel Capsule with a meal & see how he goes…..

Ivory Coat’s Ocean Fish & Salmon is new, I got some samples the kibbles felt very greezy & has fish oil, Patch gets acid reflux when he eats any kibbles with Fish or salmon oil… Ivory Coat kibbles are hard to digest I found & the kibbles are too big, so the dog needs to really chew the kibbles… Probably the Sasha’s Blend & the Ivory coat kibble has either made Rusty feel sick or given him indigestion (Acid Reflux) irritated his stomach. .
I’m waiting for Pet Circle online pet shop to get in more “Holistic Select” Chicken Meal Senior, it’s a 5 star kibble, ingredient’s are healthy & the kibbles are smaller & easy to digest & its high in Glucosamine….Patch is 7yrs old, he’ll be 8 in November, his joints seem OK at the moment but I want to prevent any joint problems, I have Arthritis & its very painful & I can’t take NSAID pain relief irritates my stomach…
http://holisticselect.com.au/senior-dry-dog-food-chicken-meal-and-rice

I also feed Patch K-9 natural Green Lipped Mussel Snacks, Patch loves them, he gets 2 treats a day, they’re high in omega 3 fatty acids excellent for brain, joints & skin
http://www.k9natural.com/dog-food#catpage=2

This way I’m not giving Patch any supplements but I’m feeding him foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids. I have found Patch doesn’t do well on any Fish or Salmon oils when in foods or as supplements…
also next time you try another supplement give with a meal, so you line Rusty stomach with food, sounds like he has a sensitive stomach, you don’t mention what breed your dogs are?
I’d still give Anja the Sasha’s blend cause it’s expensive & feed Rusty a senior kibble like Holistic Select Senior that’s high in Glucosamine… ask vet or look online what’s doesn’t cause stomach upsets supplements for dogs joints….
if you want to feed a Grainfree kibble have a look at Artemis Osopure there’s Salmon or Bison or Duck I sent Artemis a stamped address envelope & got samples of all the Osopure formulas, they’re small kibble, easy to digest & Patch loves them…
http://www.artemispetfood.com.au/products/osopure-dog-products/

How you test a kibble is get a cup of very warm water & put a couple of kibbles in cup, look at the time & see how long the kibble takes to go soft….Ivory coat kibbles sank (No good) & took over 2 hours to soften, a good easy to digest kibble only takes about 20mins to 50mins & it’s soft….
I also rotate Patches kibbles I feed a grain free Taste Of The Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb at the moment but will be buying the Artemis Osopure Bison, second ingredient is salmon meal & Patch will be getting his fish & the Holistic Select Chicken meal Senior has Anchovy & Sardine Meal & Pork meal, I feed 1 kibble for breakfast & the other for dinner or sometimes ask Patch which one does he want & he licks the open container & says this one…

[Susan]

Hi,
One thing about senior foods some are higher in fiber & lower in fat, as a dog gets older they aren’t as active, cause your dog is young will that be OK?? make sure you read the Guaranteed Analysis & make sure fat is 10% & higher & fiber is around 4%…. Holistic Select Chicken Meal Senior looks pretty good & I seen salt under Sodium Selenite in the ingredients but pass half way, so does that mean there’s less?? also salt will be in some of the ingredients, so your best to find a few kibbles you like even normal adult kibbles & email companies for the Sodium %…..
http://holisticselect.com.au/senior-dry-dog-food-chicken-meal-and-rice
Canidae Pure Formulas are also very good so email Canidae & ask for the Sodium % in a few Pure Formulas….
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[anonymously]

Orijen Adult Dry Dog Food

This protein packed dog food is formulated to best match the natural needs of your dog.

“The recipe contains well balanced meats, vegetables, and fruits—even deemed fit for human consumption. It is also grain free with limited, specially selected carbohydrates. The Omega 3 fatty acids support a sleek coat and healthy skin. The botanicals were selected by veterinarians to help support the organs, cleanse the body of toxins, and maintain a healthy metabolism. It is also a low sodium dog food with a sodium content listed at 0.3%.”

“The top listed ingredients include boneless chicken, chicken meal, chicken liver, whole herring, and boneless turkey. Some of the other fruits and vegetables include red lentils, green peas, green lentils, cranberries, and blueberries. Customers who purchase Orijen say it may be a bit expensive, but it does not make any compromises when it comes to the health of pets. Many say it is likely the best low sodium dog food out there and reflects the natural, ancestral diet of their pets”.

Above is an excerpt from: https://www.munch.zone/best-low-sodium-dog-food/

Check with your vet, he may suggest a prescription diet.

[anonymously]

I would rule out medical causes for the change in appetite, at the age of 11 a senior workup (lab work etc) may be a good idea.
If you are not brushing their teeth daily, they may very well need professional cleanings and extractions.
After medical clearance, I would consider Nutrisca dry foods as a base, my senior dog and my dog with allergies do well on this product. I recently tried Orijen and I am impressed with it for my younger dog, it may be too rich for a senior. Check Chewy.com and compare prices.
Can you take them out for a leisurely 10 or 20 minute walk twice a day? It makes a difference (in my experience).
PS: Add a splash of water to the kibble, don’t free feed, and take out for frequent bathroom breaks, every 2 hours or at least every 4 hours.

[Jane J]

I will look into it, thanks.

Edited to add:

It doesn’t look suitable. From this website:
“Near-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.”

The page is here…
/dog-food-reviews/verus-dog-food-dry/

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Jane J.

[Linda A]

Hi everyone,

We have three dogs and I would love to feed them all the same food, but only if it is truly appropriate.
We have a 5 month old Golden puppy
A 2 1/2 year old Saint Bernard
And a 8 year old Beagle/Shepard mix (35lbs)

I will continue with separate foods if it’s better, but for convince it would be great to be on just one.

Suggestion? Thank you in advance.
Linda

[boobear27]

Looking to switch my senior dog’s food..I have an 11 year old Rat terrier and I use to feed her Wellness complete health small breed dry food, but it was causing her to gain weight even when I gave less her less she just wasn’t shedding the pounds..When we took her out to the yard to play and have some exercise she will play for a little then just lose interest and not being too active like our Toy poodle is..She is kind of a couch potato too:) We switched her to Wellness core reduced fat and she loved it! She loved the bigger sized kibble she’s a small dog but a large dog chewer:) She actually crunched and munched on this formula, with the Wellness small breed tiny sized kibble she would just inhale it..This was also why we had to buy a small feeding bowl..She shed all those unwanted pounds and started being more active again:)..The problem I’m having now is that she lost interest in this formula..She is a food obsessive kind of dog everytime I use to give her her meal she will dig right in and now everytime I give her her meal she looks at it and walks away for a while then will come back and she will eat some of it then walk away again for awhile and then come back eat some more and then walk away again..It’s like she’s just forcing herself to eat it because she’s hungry and she won’t eat the whole portion I give her..The only way she gets excited about the food is when I put water or chicken broth in it and then she will dig right in and eat her full portion, but I don’t wet her food all the time I switch it up by giving it to her dry or wet..She also has a gas problem she has really stinky farts and I noticed she gets these loose or soft stools..We have to express her anal glands like twice a month. I was looking to switch her food to a different grain free food something that’s also reasonably priced..I was looking at the brands taste of wild, Victor, and 4Health, but can’t decide which would be the best choice..I’ve read some mixed reviews and they had some recalls in the past..Has anybody had any luck on these brands? Which will be the better choice for my senior dog? I’m gonna make a vet appt to get her teeth checked, but I think I’m done with the Wellness brand..My toy poodle doesn’t seem to be interested in her Wellness small breed either.

[Emily R]

My vet told me that my 2 year Great Dane has food sensitivities and prescribed us Z/D Hill’s Science Diet Prescription dog food. The dog food worked wonders, but it is $92/25 lbs which lasts 2 weeks. Has anyone had a similar issue with their dane? We have tried at least 5 other dog foods that are limited ingredient, no grain, single protein source etc. We have had no luck and the poor dog is scratching the back of his ears raw. We have also tried feeding him some coconut oil with his food and benedryl with no success. Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. thanks!

[zcRiley]

If you haven’t already, do a full panel blood test and fecal test, and abdominal/intestinal X-ray for any blockages. Check his coat for fleas/ticks. And trash that Purina like immediately. Do Orijen dry puppy food and Esbilac powder milk formula four times a day, no free feeding. And lotsa fresh water available, one inside and one outside the home, change daily. Watch the poop.

[Martin G]

So i have a 11 week old German Rottweiler and he weights 21.5 pounds. I recently took him to the vet to get his shots and the vet told me even though he is only 11 weeks old for the structure he should be a lot heavier and also he just looked “too lean”. She then asked about his feeding schedule and the brands of the food I was feeding him. I told her he was eating purina one large breed puppy food and also every time i fed him I gave him 3 tablespoons of blue wilderness wet puppy food. I was feeding at the time 3 times a day. Now he has free range of dry food and 4 times a day I give him 6 tablespoons of wet food. Its now 1.5 weeks later and he is leaner than when i took him to the vet. I asked the breeder and she agreed with the vet. I’m thinking since he has free range of our 1 acre back yard and is running all day that is why he is lean OR the brand i am feeding. price point on food isnt a big deal the only reason why he is on purina is because that is what the breeder had him on. I was thinking blue wilderness dry food since he is eating the wet food already. Please help!!!

[Martin G]

So i have a 11 week old German Rottweiler and he weights 21.5 pounds. I recently took him to the vet to get his shots and the vet told me even though he is only 11 weeks old for the structure he should be a lot heavier and also he just looked “too lean”. She then asked about his feeding schedule and the brands of the food I was feeding him. I told her he was eating purina one large breed puppy food and also every time i fed him I gave him 3 tablespoons of blue wilderness wet puppy food. I was feeding at the time 3 times a day. Now he has free range of dry food and 4 times a day I give him 6 tablespoons of wet food. Its now 1.5 weeks later and he is leaner than when i took him to the vet. I asked the breeder and she agreed with the vet. I’m thinking since he has free range of our 1 acre back yard and is running all day that is why he is lean OR the brand i am feeding. price point on food isnt a big deal the only reason why he is on purina is because that is what the breeder had him on. I was thinking blue wilderness dry food since he is eating the wet food already. Please help!!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Linda C-

Both Victor and NutriSource have senior recipes that are higher in protein than most senior foods that I have fed. But, I think the best thing you can do for your dog is to add meal mixers or toppers to your dog’s meals to increase the nutritional value of dry dog food.

Adding less processed foods such as, eggs, sardines, canned and/or fresh foods, I believe is a big boost to my dogs’ meals.

Here is a download that may be helpful:
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK
It is only $2.95 and may give you some good ideas. Here is another link that can give you some free ideas:
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html

Hope this helps. Good luck!