[micah g]

Purevita is this a great dry dog food? I have a Cavalier King Charles and a mix breed large dog, I am looking for a great food, price is really not an issue. My cavalier has a small murmur but she is 12 and un symptomatic and the other dog just joint stiffness. My holistic Pet store owner suggested Purevita or Fromm. I just want the best food for her cardiac support and his joint stiffness. Thank you.

[Cindy S]

I’m on my 3rd golden retriever. Never heard of acid reflux in them but I give her 1tsp of apple cider vinegar (raw, organic-with the “mother”) morning and night in her dry food that has added canned food or chicken or scrambled eggs or sardines plus some greens from the garden, and some kefir or yogurt (probiotics great for digestive system), then add cold water (she isn’t picky) or bone broth to the mix. The vinegar seems to keep her flea free, good for skin, helps her ears, etc.

[Kim L]

My 2 year old black lab started itching year round at a year old. We had him tested for allergies and the results came back that he’s allergic to chicken, turkey, pork and beets.
The test also showed borderline allergies to beef, corn, fish and shellfish mixes, lamb, rabbit, salmon, soy beans and wheat. Venison was ok so he’s been on Californial Natural Limited Ingredients Venison with green lentils for almost 2 months and the itching is the same. He’s biting his paws patches of hair are gone on his ears constant licking it’s awful. I’m thinking of switching to Natural Balance LID Sweet potato and venison. I’m really at my wits end trying to find something to help him. Thanks for any info. He doesn’t get any other food or treats..we use his dry food as a reward/treat. No other food (he’s a young so he does get into stuff usually napkins is a favorite for him to grab and shred..we police him pretty good)

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Kim L.

[Marionne H]

Have you tried the Merrick canned foods? My last dog seemed to think they were the bomb, they were like stews. Different recipes, so she won’t get bored. You might also want to look at Weruva. Expensive, but it has a “brothy” consistency she might like and there are a number of varieties. Once you find a wet food she likes you can mix in the dry.

[Ann-Christin S]

I live in Norway and have a hard time finding good food for my dogs.
What do you think about this food ? :

Hypoallergenic LAMB & RICE Formula for Senior Dogs of All Breeds.

Composition:

lamb meat meal (35%), rice (35%), dried apples, chicken fat (preserved with tocopherols), dried beet pulp, natural flavors, salmon oil (2%), brewer’s yeast, hydrolyzed crustacean shells (a source of glucosamine, 260 mg/kg), cartilage extract (a source of chondroitin, 160 mg/kg), mannanoligosaccharides (150 mg/kg), herbs and fruits (rosemary, cloves, citrus, curcuma, 150 mg/kg), fructooligosaccharides (100 mg/kg), yucca schidigera (100 mg/kg), inulin (90 mg/kg), milk thistle (75 mg/kg).

Analytical constituents: protein 25 %, fat 12 %, moisture 10 %, crude ash 7 %, fibre 4,2 %, calcium 1,5 %, phosphorus 1,2 %, metabolizable energy 3 550 kcal/kg,

Nutritional additives: vitamin A 20 000 IU, vitamin D3 1 500 IU, vitamin E (alfatocopherol) 500 mg, E6 zinc 80 mg, E1 iron 70 mg, E5 manganese 35 mg, E2 iodine 0,65 mg, E4 copper 15 mg, E8 selenium 0,25 mg, Biotin 0,6 mg, Choline-Chloride 600 mg, Folic Acid 0,5 mg, Calcium Pantothenate 10 mg, vitamin B1 1 mg, vitamin B12 0,04 mg, vitamin B2 4 mg, vitamin B6 1 mg,

[Garry D]

Our golden boy Connor went to the vet this week for coughing/gagging and hard swallowing symptoms. They did an abdominal ultrasound and found nothing scary. They also performed a fluoroscopy (esophagram) and found that he had some esophageal dysmotility with dry kibble. They feel that the acid reflux is what caused the dysmotility. So he’s on Prilosec for the reflux, canned food so that his esophagus has time to heal and FortiFlora probiotic to help with diarrhea and stomach issues. We were given cans of Science Diet i/d to help with digestion. Science Diet i/d is quite expensive and I’m wondering if anyone here can recommend a good canned food that isn’t so expensive? Also, are there other home remedies or supplements that we can try to help with the acid reflux? The Prilosec seems to work but I think it’s also the reason he has diarrhea. Thanks in advance.

[Bonnie Y]

Suzanne… We inherited my parents Cavalier King Charles female spaniel after my parents passed away who had the same concerns your puppy has. She always drank alot of water. They had fed her Hills Science Diet dry puppy food mixed with all types of leftover chicken, beef, & vegetables, etc. leftover from from their care facility meals where they had lived. Just prior to my last parent passing, she started having pee accidents mixed with blood unexpectedly, although had seemed energetic & healthy. At the time. Their vet confirmed “crystals” in her bladder, some as large as a “caper” which then followed with open bladder surgery to remove the 9 crystals at a cost of just over $1,000. OUCH !!! No infection was found. Since she has been in our care fulltime now, she is now on a dry kibble Rx food recommended by the vet – “Hills Science Rx Diet C/D” which is for urinary care which is very pricey at $55+/bag. We have since changed vets, who has also recommended & written an Rx for “Royal Canin Vet Diet Urinary SO” dry or canned, which is also expensive. We may try that in the future. You should research both Rx brand formulas for urinary concerns, as we were told this condition tends to be genetic and the Rx diet, we are told, is “key” in hopefully preventing a reoccurrence. Good luck… Hopefully you can avoid the cost of surgery that we experienced a few years ago. She still drinks a lot of water, but at almost age 9, she is continuing to be healthy & energetic.

[Kristen L]

Because of the recent recalls (I have 10 unused tubs) and the fact that I’m now reading all kinds of people saying how bad it is, I’m trying to switch my dog from Baneful prepared meals/chopped blends in the tub. My problem is she is a SUPER picky eater. For months she barely ate anything as I tried all sorts of wet food to find something she likes. There are even some benefuls that she refuses to eat. She will also eat Ceasars, which again I know isn’t not great for her, but only if it the home blends. She will only eat food that is watery it seems. I do mix her wet food with dry food, but that is the only way she eats dry. I am asking if anyone can recommend a wet food that will taste or be similar to these foods. I tried Rachel Rays Nutrish because it looked so similar, but she sniffed it and wouldn’t go near it. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Justin A]

I have an Irish Wolfhound pup as well (he’ll be 13 months on the 11th) and have been looking for a dry food that would give him firmer stool as well. My guy generally has “soft serve” like stool as you describe.

When I got him he had been on Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog Food, Focus, Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Rice Formula with the breeder and for a bit with me. This is probably when his stool was the firmest.

I wanted to get a better food for him and went with Whole Earth Farms Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food. I tried that for about 4 30lb bags worth but his stool stayed soft the entire time.

I then tried Fromm Gold Holistic Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food, roughly through 3 bags (33lbs I think) but didn’t see a change.

I am now on my 4th bag of Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food (30lbs) and I really haven’t seen an improvement.

I am almost now thinking it may be something else, like the various treats I give him or maybe the soft stool isn’t an issue (other than clean up!).

[judy o]

WE recently rescued a puppy – approx 4 months old. She definely has some German Short haired pointer in her and something else (she is weighs all of 12 lbs) I used this site to find decent dry puppy food – Merrick back country raw infused puppy recipe. i give her about 2/3 cup in morning – barely eats it unless i put some treats in. Diner time she gobbles down 1 cup. She is very active. Should i find a food she likes better or is it normal for small puppies not to eat in the morning?

• This topic was modified 10 years ago by judy o.

[Stephanie B]

From my research, if it has to be Grain Free I think you may have a hard time finding a food that low in calories. I’m in a similar predicament, my 8 yr old chocolate lab is 84 lbs and the vet recommends 78 lbs as her ideal weight. Dr. Tim’s does make a 5 star food that is only 286 kcal/cup but it does contain grain (it’s called Metabolite). In my opinion, for grain free it’s better to go with a good quality/higher protein food which is slightly higher in calories (say 350-380) and feed a little less. Or cut down the dry kibble and mix in wet food which is much less calorie dense (ie. a whole can of wet food generally has the same number of calories as only one cup of dry kibble.) This is what I’m doing for my Heidie and she’s down 2lbs in the last month or so. I like the Wellness Core reduced fat mentioned above mixed with any variety of 5 star canned products (one of my favorites is the Weruva human style ones.)

Just my 2 cents…Good luck! 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Wellness Core has 360 calories per cup: http://brands.wellnesspetfood.com/core/dogs/dry-formula-reduced-fat.

Annamaet Lean has 350 calories per cup: http://annamaet.com/products/Lean_Formula.

They both are well respected foods. I believe that many of the 4 star grain free foods may not be labeled as “diet” foods, but are even lower in calories. Best of luck to you.

[Teresa B]

Would anyone have suggestions for a low calorie grain free, good quality dry dog food? 4 year old 60lb (she is only 2 ft tall at shoulders) lab is slightly overweight, per my vet. She suggested 300 calories (per cup)or less.

[Eric H]

First of all, if your pet is sick, the way to know what is causing it is to take her to the vet, and not just assume it’s the food. Many things can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy, that have nothing to do with food. If your pet is sick and you do NOT take her to the vet, then you can’t speak with any authority or certainty that the cause was food, and that’s on top of being a lousy pet parent.

That all having been said, I’ve been feeding numerous dogs Natures Domain for YEARS without any food-related health issues. They get both wet and dry. When my dogs have gotten sick, I have taken them to the vet, and not once was the food I fed them the cause. Usually it’s because they got into something, or dug up something and ate it, or caught a bug from a dog at the dog park, or allergies, or injuries, or whatever else happens to normal, active dogs.

PS. The Turkey and Pea stew smells do darn good I am sometimes tempted to dig in. You can see whole pieces of carrot, pea, and meat in there. And that gravy…

[anonymously]

Try malaseb shampoo, or any gentle shampoo (only) for now, twice a week if you notice it helps. Don’t put anything else on the skin as it may cause irritation and make it worse and don’t make diet changes until you see the vet and he approves.
Her symptoms may have nothing to do with the food.
Food sensitivies (food allergies are rare) usually result in GI disturbances such as vomiting and diarrhea, not pruritus (itching) and rashes.

I have a dog with environmental allergies she responded to treatment from a dermatologist and is stable now, she can eat anything but does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry a base.
She receives Allergen Specific Immunotherapy. It’s the only thing that helped.

So work with your vet, he may have prescribe meds to get things under control, if you don’t see improvement within a month or two and the dog appears to be suffering, consider seeing a specialist for skin testing. The vet can do blood testing, but the skin testing is the most accurate for environmental allergies.

Don’t be fooled by mail-in saliva and hair tests, they are not accurate. People complain that their dogs test positive for everything!

Do not give any over the counter medication…or any medication unless it is prescribed by a veterinarian.

Also, you can use the search engine here: “allergies” and “anal glands”

[Keith H]

Please consider the “Zignature” Brand Dog Food (Dry) for your Editor’s Choice. Thanks.

[Kelly K]

I came here to post that one of the changes to Merrick Classic Dry is that they’ve downsized the bag to 25lbs. I get the food delivered from PetFlow, got an email from them today to say it changed. The price per pound from them went from $1.76 to $1.92.

I had no idea of these other issues though. I’ve fed Solid Gold in the past to my previous pups, looks like I’ll be going back to that and start looking for something else for my cats too.

[anonymously]

I have 3 small breed dogs, two are seniors, one has allergies. They all do well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry as a base, I add a topper (1/3rd of the meal) such as cooked chopped chicken or scrambled egg, meat…canned food when I’m desperate.
All 3 (annual checkups) have had lab work within normal limits recently, so I hesitate to try anything new. Although, Orijen and Fromm look good. I may try them at some point.

PS: Add a splash of water, a lot of dogs don’t drink enough water, for seniors soak the kibble in water overnight before serving. Check Chewy.com for prices.
Also, if you pour a tablespoon of homemade chicken broth (no chemicals) over the kibble (any kibble)….they will eat it, unless they are sick.
Kibble all by itself is boring. You have to add at least a spoonful of something. Just my opinion.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by anonymously.

[melissa p]

Need some guidance.

Short version of my issues.

Since my dog was about 6 months he has had problems where he would randomly have mushy stool. *side note* he did have surgery on his stomach ay that age though to remove a Frisby he ate. Not sure if that plays any part with issues now. My dog Bandit is now 3 ans I have changed foods multiple times. He has been to the vet for infections whete he was puking and pooping blood once the vet had no idea why but antibiotics cleared it up. Most recently he had a staph infection on his belly from licking from food allergies and has got spots between his toes ocaasionally. My issue is now after this last round of meds the vet said not to change his good until he was done with them. He was on probiotics and kangaroo and lentil Cali. Natural. He was doing well his poop wad firm but almost seemed a little dry but was solid for the full 4 weeks while on probittics. I ran out after his meds and 2 days after he was pooping small amounts of blood but is lethargic.

To recap my vet claims he has food allergies and colitis. My issue is he refuses to recommend a good beside D/D hills. But Bandit for some reason does fine on his calif. Natural ans I was mixing I/d (he’s allergic to) only less than a teaspoon and he goes randomly well on that but I take away the i.d and he has mushy poop. But if I give to much he had hot spots. Then this recent he did amazing! With probiotics that I just added.

How is this possible? ?? My vet won’t help just push the food they sell

What’s a good hypoallergenic dog food for ibd/collitis dogs??

Also what do you feed a sick dog that doesn’t tolerate rice, i/d. Hills, beef, chicken, corn.. I bought a can of venison hills d.d just to try because I don’t want to make his bloody stool worse by giving his normal food right away

*sorry for my clusterf*ck long post I’m very scattered and need some help and can’t seem to get it. Bandit has a weird stomach and allergies and can’t seem to get any real help

Thanks

[anonymously]

The best thing that you can do for a dog that has a tendency to have impacted anal glands is to learn how to express them yourself. Check YouTube for how to videos.
Have your vet tech/vet go over how often this needs to be done for your dog (once a week?)
With the right diet, exercise and routine care, you may find the condition will clear up quite a bit and you may not have to express the anal glands as often…if at all after a while.
Make sure she is drinking adequate water, maybe add a splash to her meals.

Find a food that will give her firm stools, rather than mushy (less likely to get clogged in the anal glands).
Also, some dogs have better stools on canned food, others do better on kibble. Buy small amounts of the recommended foods and see what works, sometimes it takes a week or two to see a difference.
Plus, feed only once or twice a day, don’t leave food down.

PS: My 15 year old small breed who needs help to have 2 bowel movements a day does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry as a base soaked in water overnight with a tablespoon of a topper canned or chopped up chicken, meat or scrambled egg. Three small meals a day and a bite at bedtime.

[Jenn H]

I have figured out the reason for his sudden lack of weight gain. He should be getting about 2500 calories/day. Feeding the suggested amount he’s only getting 1550.
Any suggestions on high calorie puppy food that doesn’t exceed 1.5% calcium on dry matter basis?

[Alexis Y]

Wow! You guys are amazing in your knowledge! I have just added my first Irish Wolfhound puppy to our family 2 days ago. I originally started reading this forum because I want to ensure she receives the best food I can provide. Her breeders started her on wellness just for puppies canned food at the time of weaning. They suggested Wilderness puppy for dry food, but after reading the previous posts, that won’t be happening. Can anyone give me a good suggestion on what to feed her. Her stool is soft serve like and I’d love to remedy that if possible. She seems happy with the wet food, but, is there a benefit to wet vs dry? I’d prefer to feed dry food as I’ve always had better experience with dry with previous pups(none have been as large as she will be).
I live in a very small town and I’m not sure how experienced our vet is with this breed. Though she has always been great with my other babies, this little girl is a bit less common and a lot bigger(eventually) than my other babes have been.
I want to give this little girl the best beginning to ensure a long, happy healthy life.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[anonymously]

Nutrisca dry as a base works best for my 15 year old small breed. I thought canned food would be better, as he only has a few teeth left….but, no, smelly gunky stuff all over his face and constipation.

Back to Nutrisca kibble soaked in water overnight with a spoonful of topper mixed in, 3 small meals per day. Perfect.
I guess the seniors do need a little bit more fiber. Make sure you brush their teeth once a day so that tartar doesn’t build up and lead to infection.

[anonymously]

Try malaseb shampoo, or any gentle shampoo (only) for now, twice a week if you notice it helps. Don’t put anything else on the skin as it may cause irritation and make it worse and don’t make diet changes until you see the vet and he approves.
Her symptoms may have nothing to do with the food.
Food sensitivies (food allergies are rare) usually result in GI disturbances such as vomiting and diarrhea, not pruritus (itching) and rashes.

I have a dog with environmental allergies she responded to treatment from a dermatologist and is stable now, she can eat anything but does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry a base.
She receives Allergen Specific Immunotherapy. It’s the only thing that helped.

So work with your vet, he may have prescribe meds to get things under control, if you don’t see improvement within a month or two and the dog appears to be suffering, consider seeing a specialist for skin testing. The vet can do blood testing, but the skin testing is the most accurate for environmental allergies.

Don’t be fooled by mail-in saliva and hair tests, they are not accurate. People complain that their dogs test positive for everything!

Do not give any over the counter medication…or any medication unless it is prescribed by a veterinarian.

Also, you can use the search engine here: “allergies”

[Joe K]

Hello my 1 yr old pit bull boxer mix broke out in a skin rash/hives today and I’ve given her 2 soaks in cold water with oatmeal and aloe shampoo and given her benadryl a few times. She is on authority puppy food and I put a cap full of plain vinegar in her water. I’ve had her about a month and a half and she was on Kirkland special adult food when I got her. And can’t get any info from previous owners. Im trying to wait until Monday to go to the vet. Any and all help is welcome. Please help.

[Lois Z]

My small dogs get Wellness dry food. We switch between the Toy Breed, Core, and Small Breed. They offer coupons, too. A 4 or 6 lb. bag is well under $20. For a canned food, Whole Earth Farms is 5* and very economical.

[Sarah B]

I also have a blue nose Pitt bull we are also going through some crazy irritations, allergies, ear infections, scratching constantly. I have been for the past four months solid trying new things researching nightly constantly trying to help my best friend! I have found my pittty is ellergic to fluoride in the water, so I boil his water daily refrigerate it I do not bath him in tap water! He is also allergic to wheats, grains, by-products the works! I’m telling u my poor baby boy he can’t even eat or dink out of plastic! OK so I have figured out to help sooth the itchy irritating skin I am using ready for this?? Sudocream diaper rash cream for babies! Works instant! Ingredients: purified water, liquid paraffin wax, paraffin wax, lanolin, beeswax, benzyl benzoate, sodiumbenzoate, and so on! Then treats: raw carrots , apples NOT the seeds!!! Clean his ears as often as u wash ur own. Do not use q-tip use a cotton swab and a gentle formula douce ear cleaner. I use Wahl pet ear cleaner it’s specially formulated with baking soda and mild cleanser compounds to clean away wax build up and debris. If the skin is so bad I like to put pure coconut oil on his skin it helps with the dry skin and also if your dog licks it off well even better 😉 ….dog food: I mix his daily portion with one cup WHITE RICE and two cups his perferd dog food. Ol Roy NO NO NO!! IAMS! NOPE! I won’t lie I’m still working on that! But he did have an almost full recovery on natural nutrition grain free but then I tried ol Roy n with in half a bowl were back to square one N with in half a day. It’s extremelyexhusting but if he is healthier happier it’s all worth it! Hope this helps u? Good luck IL be checking in to see if u reply with good news. I truly hope I am of some helpful ideas.

[aimee]

Hi C4D,

In regards to Dave’s restricted diet the as fed percentage of .17% phos is equivalent to 1478mg/1000 kcals which is above AAFCO min Phos level. They report Phos dry matter as .81% which calculates out to 1753 mg/1000kcals. If you use their guaranteed max phos level of .22% the level is 1913mg/1000kcals. All of these levels are above AAFCO and would not be suitable for a renal patient needing restriction.

To be in line with other renal diets the company’s food would have to be at the low end of their min/max GA but their average as fed and dry matter levels are not that low. It isn’t a diet I’d use for a dog needing restriction.

A

[debbie k]

I have an approx. 5 1/2 yr old Lab which I rescued and have suffered right along side of him since day one with allergies, it kills me to see my baby so miserable! I have tried every food known for “sensitive stomach” “allergies” ” gluten free” etc I have taken him to the vet and begged them to do an allergy test multiple times only to have my vet tell me it’s a waste of money and not accurate he was on 2 benadryl a day and it didn’t help. Anyway I will spare you EVERYTHING we tried and get to the point… I had wonderful people open a store called pawtopia across the road from where I lived in Oklahoma and I decided to drop in to check them out one day, I got to talking to the husband and wife that ran it and told them of all my problems with rocky and they said have you tried kangaroo? I looked at them like they were nuts and said no, they talked me into trying “Zignature kangaroo formula” food and some whole 100% pumpkin (2 tbs a week) and within a week my rocky was improving, no more hair falling out when I pet him, no more digging at his butt (eww gross I know) no more bright red snout, no more gas, no more itching, red watery eyes!!! My baby was starting to feel great and it showed more and more everyday. I’m still to this day not sure what all he’s allergic to but I have determined he cannot do chicken, turkey, gluten, salmon etc but I found something that he can have and decided to leave well enough alone. I hope this helps someone somewhere out there because I know I was going out of my mind trying to find something for my lab son whom I love dearly and hated seeing him so miserable, I tried every expensive dog food you can name and even tried making everything homemade and nothing has worked like the zignature kangaroo formula along with pumpkin for little treats. Good luck and hope this helps someone!

[james c]

Hi,
Choosing the best, affordable cheap dog food can be a real challenge. How do you know where to begin? Well first, for the most thrifty options you will likely consider dry cheap dog food.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by james c.

[C4D]

Hi Kevin K,

Are you feeding a balanced commercial raw diet? If not, unless you are very knowledgable on feeding a balanced raw diet and are following a recipe that has been put together by a vet nutritionist, or at the very least, by a qualified professional, you need to rethink feeding raw. Too much liver, which is very rich and nutrient dense, can cause loose stools. Too much bone, which is very high in calcium, and lack of correct fiber can cause a very small dry stool.

Raw food can be fed to a healthy animal, as long as there has been the proper adjustment period and that the diet is correctly formulated and nutritionally balanced. I do feed raw in my rotation of foods, but I use commercial raw food that’s complete and balanced. When feeding fresh cooked food, I use a commercial premix added to the meat. I have no problems with stools or any health issues with my dogs.

You might want to either put him back on a traditional diet to see if that corrects the issues and transition to the correct raw diet gradually. If the sypmtoms persist or worsen, you do need to see a vet soon.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by C4D.

[C4D]

Hi Dr. Mike,

Pedigree’s “Targeted Nutrition” and “Complete Nutrition” would be good examples of what you’re talking about. It shows a lot of pictures of fresh meat and vegetables on the front of the packages. The steak and vegetables formula shows a fresh grilled steak and vegetables on the front, when the ingredients are poultry by-product meal, meat and bone meal along with corn as the first ingredient. The dried (not fresh) peas come in the middle of the vitamin pack and the dried (not fresh) carrots come in after the vitamin pack, before the artificial colors and BHA.

Here’s the link to the whole line:

http://www.pedigree.com/really-good-food/dry/

[Stephanie B]

I am interested in an analysis of the new Weruva dry foods…specifically Caloric Harmony but a comparison to the Caloric Melody would also be helpful. I love their human style canned food and am considering switching to their dry as well.

[crazy4cats]

How about Chef Michael’s Grilled Sirloin dry dog food?

[Em R]

Hi all!

My much loved 3 year old mini schnauzer had a bad seizure about 2 months ago. Blood tests etc came back normal, but he has since had two more seizures within the past 2 weeks.

Of course we will look to get him on the medication recommended for epilepsy, but we also want to improve his diet dramatically, as it seems very coincidental that his seizures started within a week or two of putting him on Royal Canin dry food.

Transitioning to a raw diet seems very overwhelming, and I don’t want to accidentally deprive him of any ingredients or overfeed him either (he is maybe a kilo or two overweight). I see petstock have the vets all natural complete mix which is to be mixed with cooked/raw meat… Does anyone know what this is like? I was thinking this with maybe one or two raw bones per week.

Sorry about the long post!

[Mike Sagman]

Beneful is an example of an attractive dog food package that could be potentially misleading to consumers. The product only gets 1-star at DFA.

https://www.beneful.com/products/dry-dog-food/

[Steven H]

Anyone having any issues with this food lately, chicken and lamb. My Aussies digestive track went for a spin these past couple weeks. When this problem first started I had returned a bag for another, thinking bad batch. Tried a lamb instead of chicken when the returned bag gave me the same issues. I have both dry and wet, my guys are turning there noses up at it now.
A few vet visits later with them going on Science Diet i/d for a while got me thinking about this food. Ended up picking up a bag of Blue Buff Healthy Weight (use to give them) and they ate it out of my hand, the other they would not…..
Going to call them tomorrow and let them know what happened to me, just giving everyone else a heads up….

[anonymously]

You might want to stay away from dry food, kibble expands in the stomach. Or, you could soak the kibble in the fridg in water overnight, feed one or two or three small meals per day. I would not free feed.

[Thomas Carroll]

I am looking for a recommendation on a specific dry dog food that will help prevent bloat for my 10 year old, 90lb labrador. I’ve read that the following can increase the chances of bloat:

-A food with fat or oil (vegetable or animal) listed in the first four ingredients.
-Grains
-Citric Acid

[Paula C]

I recently adopted a 10 1/2 year old senior shih-tzu and after 3 weeks she stopped eating. She lost 2 of her 14#.
She became severely dehydrated, requiring hospitalization. Her liver panel numbers were more than doubled — except ALT (not to be over 240) came in at 4300. Medication for her liver helped slightly but not too well for her appetite. She’s had 5 additional blood panels run and her 4300 went down to 3700, then 2400, then 2000, then 800, and now at 329. We are headed in the right direction — WITH the EXCEPTION of her eating. I have tried premium dog foods, dry and wet — home cook a recipe the vet gave me — none of these have any appeal for her. I finally gave her Cesar tubs which she will occasionally eat. I found Shep tubs (turkey) at Aldi’s and she LOVES it — I found Shep dry food rating online which was extremely poor — but I can’t find any nutritional information online for the wet dog food. Can you help me? I’ve had her for 2 months and my vet bills are out of sight. This little sweetheart needs any helpful information you can provide. I should also mention that between her 3rd to 5 week, she would go into “trances” and was totally out of touch. She would stand stock still and stare at the wall for 10-15 minutes at a time, not responding to me at all. Thankfully, that has subsided.

[Susan]

Hi, Holistic Select Senior digest easy the protein-26% fat-10% fiber-3.5% & has 3 proteins… as dogs get older sometimes high fat & high protein diets can cause problems like pancreatitis, acid reflux so keep that in mind…..Holistic Select Guaranteed money back
http://holisticselect.com.au/senior-dry-dog-food-chicken-meal-and-rice#ingredients

[John H]

Looking for dry food that others have had good results with for senior dogs. No major health issues, etc. just looking to be able to offer my senior Vizslas–age 10 and 11, a different food that may tickle their taste buds. Thanks.
John Heycock

[Sarah H]

My 4 month old shih-tzu puppy has been eating Wellness Puppy (wet and dry) but I think she is getting tired of it. Instead of switching to another canned food, I was thinking of trying Fresh Pet. It seems to have good reviews. I see they make a Fresh Pet Select Puppy food that is sold in supermarkets (have to check to make sure they actually have it in mine) but that Petsmart where we usually buy our food only has one called Vital which says it is an adult dog food (although the instructions say you can give to puppies too). Any feedback on these?

[Bobby dog]

Hi haleycookie:
Here’s a few articles about DMB and a DMB calculator to help you out. On Dr. Wynn’s site look under “Nutrition Basics” and select “Dry Matter Conversions.”

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/
http://www.susanwynn.com/Literature.php
http://fnae.org/dmb.html?inputboxm=75&inputboxi=10&button.x=87&button.y=13

[Jenn H]

That’s great news! Maybe his belly can only handle digesting small amounts at a time.
I would leave the water though. Understandable that you would think that could be a cause/worsen diarrhea. Actually they need it more than normal when they have the runs. They can be dehydrated. Pups and smaller dogs especially. Also water flushes out the system.
In fact I would go so far as to adding a little warm water to kibble. Rarely do I feed that dry. Any dry food will absorb fluid in the body. If the dog doesn’t drink enough that’s not good.

[theBCnut]

The canned food is not converted to dry matter. Your cat may have to eat a greater volume of food when it eats raw or canned because of the water content, but it’s actually getting more protein.

[jeanne e]

My 4 yr old 60# rescue has just been dianosed with a Lipoma. Does any1 know if Grain free, Taste Of The Wild Dry Dog Food would be good to avoid the lipoma from getting bigger? Or any suggestions? Thanks.

• This topic was modified 10 years ago by jeanne e. Reason: idea's needed

[crazy4cats]

Hi Haley-
I put warm water in two of my cats’ food dishes before I plop their canned food on it. They also lap it right up along with their food. Their dishes are always dry before I give them a little kibble for dessert. The water is great for their urinary health. I think your cats will be fine. 🐱

[Courtney H]

I found Tender & True at Whole Foods Market about a year ago, we have a 9 year old Lab/mix and a 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier. I used to have to take Sam (the lab) to the vet about once every 3 months during the spring/summer for a cortisone shot because he always had dry itchy skin, no matter what kind of shampoo I was using. As I started paying more attention to my own health, I didn’t like Sam getting cortisone injections so my vet recommended switching to a grain-free food. I tried a few random brands and then found the Tender & True grain free organic recipe around this time last year. He really loved it! He started jumping up and down where we keep the food when it was time to eat, it was so funny to see. Both my pups have been on the food over the last year and Sam didn’t have to get any shots last summer and he has a lot more energy than he used to, he even started begging me to play ball again. He just seems like his old self again. It’s great! Every once in a while I give him a can of their canned food as a treat, he loves that too. Our little JRT Rocky is still pretty much a pup, he’s always pretty active and loves to run when they’re out in the yard. He’s always stealing Sam’s toys and playing the “try to get me” game. They both love the food. He’s a beautiful dog with probably one of the best coats of fur on a JRT that I’ve seen. I tell all of my friends about Tender & True, my sister switched her two cats Tender & True awhile back and she says she’ll never switch their food again as they have always been picky eaters, she feeds them the grain free ocean whitefish recipe and says they seem to shed less and their coat is just a lot smoother since she’s switched. We both love this brand and will continue purchasing Tender & True.

[linda m]

The balanced diet at the top, does this mean I don’t need to give my maltese vitamins etc. My dog has IBS and I’m new at making her own food. I knew about the cooking the bones, because I saw a video on it. My chicken is cooking and then I will cook down the bones with cider vinegar. Should I put some boiled eggs in her food for the shells? I read I was supposed to put fruit in her food. My dog was a puppy mill dog I rescued 3 years ago and she just recently got IBS , her vet started her on royal canin dry food. she ate it at first and now wont eat it at all, he also started her on steroids, which scares me. She has allergies, she chews and bites her paws. I have so many sprays . ointments for this. She lived in a cage most of her life and I don’t know if its a habit from being in a cage. I have 2 more maltese and they eat blue buffalo. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.