[David B]

My largish (don’t ask how she got that way – I was new to beagles) beagle mix LOVES to eat ! (no surprise there huh ?) She has lost 8 pounds (52 down to 44) in less than a year, just by feeding her slightly less than her target weight in calories (2 cups/day) of Earthborn Holistic Natural Primitive (grain free) dry food. One good walk every morning. And she is no more hungry between meals than ‘normal’ for beagles; e.g., anyone in the kitchen is her buddy-to-be. But no treats except the very occasional carrot or small piece of meat. I was surprised and gratified with the results. Good luck to you.

[haleycookie]

I need some advice. I have three cats and I feed NV instinct dry 1/4 cup per cat in the morning. I have about two weeks amount left and will start using what I feed at night in the morning and night so I don’t have to feed dry anymore. What I do at night is take a can of either wellness core, instinct, weruva, or lotus and I mix a third of a can per cat with a 3/4 a cup of instinct commercial raw and a sprinkle of fresh pet chicken and oceanfish refrigerated food. I just wanted to know if it’s ok to mix it with water. When I have the raw in a measuring cup I put hot water from the tap to help it thaw faster and warm up Cus my kitties are picky. Does this take away from the nutrients? I know heating raw up kinda defeats the purpose of feeding raw. Is the hot water ok to use?

[Olga M]

I will draw you back to my original post, “Here is a story on Care2.com
Have you heard about the veggie-eating dog who lived to the ripe age of 27? That’s 189 dog years!

The dog, Bramble, a blue merle Collie, lived in the UK and held the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living dog at the time. What’s most amazing about this story is that the dog actually lived on a vegan diet of rice, lentils and organic vegetables. She ate once a day and exercised a lot.

The owner of the dog, Anne Heritage, was a vegan herself. She just fed Bramble a big bowl of vegan dinner every evening. She explains that Bramble “is an inspiration and [he] just goes to show that if you eat the right things and keep on exercising you can extend your life”. This story shows that dogs CAN thrive on such a diet.

My own story is, our buddies who are a 140 lb Mastiff and a 70 lb Lab mix. I make for them balanced vegetarian meals and add a little kibble. Previously, I had a Shepherd who lived to age 17. I think kibble is as healthy as packaged dry food is for humans. So, I know dogs can live a healthy life eating vegetarian food. However, you have to put time into making meals for your four legged children, just as you do for yourself.

This forum is a back-and-forth, as everyone has an opinion they are defending. I’ll leave with a word from Isaac Bashevis Singer, “People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times.”

I made the choice to be vegan because I will not eat, wear (including leather, wool, angora, etc.) or use anything that has felt the pain and suffering of being in captivity and the terror of being abused and put to death. We don’t live in a survival mode, in the wild with our dogs. So as for me and my family, I choose to not eat or feed on a tortured, antibiotic and hormone laden corpse.

[Sheila H]

Hi-My dog is allergic to many kinds of fish, like cod, haddock, salmon and she even reacted to salmon oil in one food I tried. I recently found Annamaet dry food. It contains menhaden fish oil for omega-3 and so far so good. I believe elsewhere on this site they discuss menhaden oil. Good luck.

[Mary H]

I have 3 GSDs adults, i’ve tried several options, i’m now convinced the dry food Blue with life source bits in the 28lb bags is the best bang for my buck – considering NO grain and holistic. Its usually cheaper on Chewy.com than in retail – and they give 20% off for starting auto ship then 5% off each time after, so i have it auto shipped every two weeks.

[Bruce W]

Hi im bruce williams from newzealand I have a 4 and half year old pedigre boxer who gets skin problems I’ve tryed number of foods in the ukanuba range but still have a few problems I was wondering about trying nutrience fish grain free but I would like your feedback on it if you can I would be very grateful of your input

[Freddy w]

Hi Curtis
I’m going thru the sane thing with my German shepherds
There 4 months old
One thing that I found that helps is a product called DiaGel
It comes in a syringe without the needle
It’s not cheap
But it gets there system back in order
For a tine anyway.
I’ve tried every dog good under the sun to try to help
I’m having pretty good luck with taste of the wild venison dry dog food
My dogs dogs are worm free
You may want to try panacur for 3 days

Hope all is well
Keep us updated please

Freddy

[Curtis B]

I have a 9 month old chocolate lab and she has had soft stool(never diarrhea) since I brought her home. In the morning it starts firm and ends soft; soft the rest of the day. Full of energy and no other signs or symptoms of medical issues. She’s been been to the vet for 2 checkups and checked for worms and that came back clean. I’ve tried several dry foods and she has been on Orijen large puppy kibble for the past 4 months. She has also been getting organic pumpkin and a probiotic with every meal for the past 4 months. At the request of a trainer, I ordered a kit from Glacier Peak Holistics and sent in her samples…they suggested an enzyme supplement which she has also been taking for 4 months. The vet gave her a prescription for Flagyl which I’ve been giving to her daily. To date, no change. I am thinking about changing her food again and wonder if anyone has found a successful formula for a puppy with similar condition?
Thanks – Curtis

[Cindy L]

Tommy T:

I wanted to address this mainly because of the date. What you are looking at is NOT an expiration date. It’s a Julian date and reflects the production date. The numbers are this:
01 is the batch that was produced that day. 2015 is the year it was produced. 350 is the day of the year that the product was produced. So what you received was produced in our first batch on Dec. 16, 2015.

What you were told about LickOchops is absolutely correct. In fact, we just did a video addressing this because the product gets very “jelly” in cold weather and is very watery in warm or hot weather, so your concern/question is common. This is why we sell this in a bottle (easy for liquid) and in a tube (easy for the “gel” in cool weather). We don’t add any emulsifiers or artificial, unneeded ingredients to keep this from happening. The ingredients are each there for a specific nutritional reason.

We do tell folks not to worry about Dinovite expiring because, being a small company, we make small batches of products and sell them very quickly. And we encourage all customers to purchase what is needed for 90 days/3 months. So, your products won’t expire, they will get used.

We also tell folks that Dinovite for Dogs has a shelf life of about a year if kept in a cool, dry place. It’s a whole food supplement, so think about it like food. You buy it fresh and eat it. Don’t leave it laying around in heat or humidity. We don’t add any artificial preservatives, colors, flavorings, etc.

All of our products are made at our single facility in Crittenden, KY from ingredients from the USA. Our facility is inspected by the FDA and our products are tested regularly by the state of KY. We’ve been doing the same thing, the same way since 2001.

I’d be happy to address your concerns personally if you would like to contact me at customersupport@dinovite.com with ATTN: Cindy in the subject line. We value our customers and truly care about your pets.

Blessings,
Cindy Lukacevic
Owner
Dinovite Inc.
http://www.dinovite.com
859-428-1000
customersupport@dinovite.com ATTN: Cindy

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Cindy L.

[Sherrie Z]

Hi my Liam is a red nose pit and shar pei mix at the age of 5 the allergies from the sharpei side exploded. Yes I’ve always provided my animals with premium dog food now after my research with yeast infections and the ears I’ve gone completely grain-free food called 4health, Fromm, and Blue Buffalo are very good products.

To battle the yeast infection in his ears- An yes it works wonders an on contact immediate results-
Generally, cleaning your dog’s ears once a week is needed, for those with chronic ear infections or a propensity to develop ‘yeasty-type’ smells and infections, 2 drops of witch hazel to 1 tablespoon of baby oil, Apply this solution to a cotton ball and GENTLY clean out the ear. Witch hazel is also referred to as ‘nature’s Neosporin’ and this solution encourages healing on minor skin breaks. It’s a drying agent which your furbaby needs. An Here is the cream to follow that cleaning-Monistate cream- Yep antifungal cream! Added bonus- anti itch, an infection control, swelling reduced with minutes.

Trust me- or do a little research- Or ask Liam 🙂

[Katie S]

I’m wondering about the Superstore Loblaw dry dog food Nutrition First – Presidents Choice. The ingredients sound great and it has a 4 on the scale…does anyone know anything about this one as well. My dogs seem to be doing very well on it.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Katie S.

[Robert C]

Are you having any success with the weight loss for your lab on the two foods recommended by InkedMarie? I’ve been trying the Natural Balance Fat Dogs dry food which is on the Whole Dog Journal approved list. Not sure it is working yet as we just started a couple of weeks ago. Thanks.

[Aimee]

I recently got a 4-year old pure bred Brussels Griffon (11 lbs) from a breeder. The dog is in PERFECT shape for his breed! Lean and trim with plenty of energy, clear eyes and good breath, does his business regularly and eats heartily.

I work long hours Monday-Friday (typically 11-12 hour days) and I’ve been taking him to a dog sitter every day I work so he can have plenty of attention and exercise. This dog sitter also walks dogs as a business, so my dog gets to join him on a lot of those walks a few days a week, so he gets pretty great exercise. I’d say on average, he probably walks 10-16 miles a week between the sitter and myself.

I feed my dog around 1/2 a cup of very good quality (Acana) dry food in the morning and he gets a few tablespoons at night. I send him to the sitter with usually a few tablespoons of some veggie, like steamed broccoli or raw baby carrots that is his treat mid-day. He also gets usually 4 of those fresh breath chewsticks and training treats a week along with usually 1-2 bully sticks a week. Once a week I’ll give him a little peanut butter or cottage cheese too.

The sitter has his own dog that he’ll feed fruit to every day (usually melons, like honeydew) and will give my dog a few pieces usually. I don’t really like this because I want to have control over everything my dog eats… but I also know that my dog is getting a lot of exercise and it probably won’t hurt him.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think a little fruit and veggies during the day is ok? Like I said, his poops are consistent and not runny and he doesn’t seem to be gaining any weight from it.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kyle H-
A better food is in the eye of the beholder! Lol! My favorite kibble in that price range is Whole Earth Farms and Victor. If you sign up for Editor’s Choice, there is a list of recommended 4 and 5 star dry and wet budget friendly foods. Check it out!
I have fed both Taste of the Wild and Blue previously as well without issue. I now think Blue is over priced and rated.
Good luck with your pup!

[Debbie J]

My baby Penny recently had bladder stone surgery. The made me change her diet to Cd and then Royal Canian SO. Penny hatted it. Started researching. First mistake, increase water
Second mistake dry food

Now I make Penny a very healthy non grain food with fresh veggies. I grind my own hormone and antibiotic free chicken thighs and get her nice beef. Going and cook. Add wild rice, which is a grass seed. Zucchini, sweet potato, green beans, squash, pumpkin are all great to add. I keep the bulk in the freezer to keep fresh. Penny gets a cup of meat and veggies with a cup of water added. If she wants the yummy meat, she must drink water.

I will find a more holestic vet in my area.

No grains, extra water and check ph of urine.

[Deborah R]

Thank you! I printed off the info from MN. That is where they sent her stones for analysis but I don’t have the results yet. Expect them to be stuvite. I will check out the other links as well. Vet seemed ok with the cranberry (Solid Gold) supplement I told them she is on. Just told me not to give her Vit. C. She has had recurring UTI’s. This was her second. MN site recommends low protein. Yes, she is currently eating the Hills CD dry. I add a cup of water to it and let it soak 20 minutes or so. I add green beans as well. And yes I would like to add some other foods too. I am still trying to decide what to do. Thanks for your responses. Yes, I have increased her water intake at least when we are home. I work 4 days a week and she doesn’t get as much till I get home. I mean she has water out all the time of course but she doesn’t drink it. I have to take her food bowl and put a few teaspoons of chicken broth and 1 cup of water, 1 tsp of pumpkin, and about 4 kibble crunchies and then she will drink it. It’s in her food bowl so she thinks it’s food. LOL. So I try to make sure she gets at least 4 cups a day. She does drink water in the summer when we’ve been out walking. But winter, she’s really bad. Before the stones we weren’t monitoring her intake though. Now we have to.

[Jaclyn C]

Hello,

This is my first time posting so I apologize if I should have started a new thread. I have read many of these forums, but haven’t found anyone with a similiar case.

My Lhasa Apso is 13 years old. She has had 3 surgeries for bladder stones and despite following all instructions/diet from different vets her entire life, she has them for a 4th time.

The first surgery-stones were struvite and she was already on Urinary SO which wasn’t working. Six months later she had stones again even after continuing the Urinary SO and had to have another surgery. This time they were Calcium Oxalate. Vet said they never seen that happen before. The 3rd time it was Oxalate again and now I have no idea what type they will be, but I am concerned because the last surgery was really hard on her. Her liver level has always been elevated so the last time they couldn’t give her good pain meds so she was in so much pain after the surgery. I can’t stand to see her go through that again. She doesn’t have a UTI and has had the current stones for over a year. The vet said that they are extremely small, so just to keep an eye on them since my dog is acting normal with no crystals in her urine or UTI.

The Urinary SO seems to give my dog bad food allergies, but she has been on it all her life. It obviously hasn’t done anything to help her, but only make her overweight and itchy with dry skin. I have tried multiple vets, all telling me different things more like they are experimenting with her. At this point I am beyond fustrated and don’t know what to do. My dog has other health problems such as a bad cough which won’t go away as well as shaky legs with athritis. She seems happy and tries to play, but I feel like switching her food will help her lose weight which might help with the cough and strain on her legs. I have no clue what food to feed her because all the vets say the reduced calorie Urinary SO or another Urinary prescription diet to treat another type of stone. None of the vets seem to know what to do and and sometimes diagree with each other. Does anyone have any recommendations? At this point I feel like changing foods will help her more than hurt her. Thoughts?

Thank you in advance.

[Elaine W]

i had used doggiefood since 2010 but in the last year or so, they discontinued a few foods my cats like (spot’s stew in a can, not the dry, and a few others i can’t remember) so i was forced to order elsewhere to get free shipping. there were times there was a huge delay, but i always ordered in bulk, way ahead of time, because the prices were the best to be found. i didn’t feel like paying extra just for timely service.

my cats have recently developed some kind of reaction to wellness, which is disappointing since they’ve eaten it for years, but they both vomit and then don’t eat for at least 24 hours, so i am going back to Weruva and probably a couple of other things that are more expensive. i like chewy.com the best, plus prices have dropped on a few of the big ticket brands and i think the “who cares” customer service of doggiefood was what finally killed them. i wasn’t out any money because the last time i ordered was between 6-10 months ago.

[pugmomsandy]

Dry food still has between 7-20% moisture so I would calculate dry food into dry matter as well. For instance some dehydrated foods have really low moisture around 7-8%, kibble can range from 9-12% and semi moist food (dry to the touch like Core Air Dried) is around 20%.

[Laura D]

Feel like this is a stupid question, but I need to ask it. Have a dog who had pancreatitis. So the fat content is a concern in any food. She also has food sensitivities/allergies. We knew to chicken, but have learned through the prescription vet food also to pork.

I noticed while with vet that they had a binder with all the info on fat content once they calculated the dry matter, etc. I know it applies to canned and have found info on how to calculate. But is dry food…well, dry and there is no need to calculate any moisture out?

[Sue C]

I saw a few older posts on this, but just signed on as a member. Our cavalier had congestive heart failure a few weeks ago. He is 9, is on 4 meds/day and is doing very well. A salesperson at Petsmart gave me a printout of the Tufts Vet School dog foods. Hills has almost half the sodium as Royal Canin, what we’ve been using. I did switch, but also worry about too high protein content. As a puppy, we fed Spencer Blue and had to take him off it because he developed crystals in his urine. Any experience or advice on this one? Don’t want to create any more issues. Also have a 1 1/2 yr. old Cav puppy and thought to switch her also to low-sodium kibble. Thanks!

[Jaxons Mom]

Hi A K,

I know you have already made a decision but I just wanted to share a quick post with you. I got a lab mix puppy who had lots of tummy issues and switching to raw completely eliminated them, instantly! Also I have also researched many dry food before I chose raw, and I would have to agree that Orijen is definitely a top dry dog food.

Are you by any chance in Canada or are you in the United States? I ask because I know of a great company I’d like to share with you…

[Jenn H]

Wendeyzee sorry I’m just now getting a second to reply about your manufacturing question.
Let me first qualify my reasoning for feeding this brand:
*It is affordable without being full of crap.
*My puppy is satisfied after meals.
*I don’t have to feed him more than 4.5 cups/day. (As opposed to almost 7 cups of other brands.)
*It has 1.5% calcium max.
*He’s not growing too fast.
*His coat is beautiful. Not dull as w/ other foods.
*He loves it.
*They nor their sources use ethoxyquin to preserve their fish.
*I have asked a ton of probing questions and they answered promptly, honestly, with much information.
*2012 they began a “Positive Release Program” where no food is distributed until an independent third party tests a sample from the batch and results are received.
*They have their own people on site overseeing the process, etc.

Manufacturing:
•dry foods (most) are made at the Diamondd facility in MO (the recalls of the previous yrs were mainly from the SD plant)
*these dry foods are Wolf King, Wolf Cub, Hund-n-Flocken, Wee Bits, Buck Wild,
Lil Boss, Star Chaser, Sunday Sunrise
*all other dry foods are made at Crosswind Foods, KS
*canned are made by Simmons Pet Food, NJ. They bought out Menu foods in 2010. (After the major 2007 recall dibacle.)
*supplements are made by a company in CA that only makes animal supplements.

They also gave me info on treats & cat food if anyone is interested. I didn’t ask for all that as they don’t apply to me, but they shared anyway. If anyone wants that info I will post.

I understand where humans are involved there can & will be human error (and laziness and greed). Solid Gold seems to be doing their best to put out safe products at affordable prices.
For now I will keep this brand in the rotation. I haven’t yet started either of my adult girls yet. Plan on it this week.

[Carlene]

I apologize for yet another lengthy post but it’s so interesting that many of our stories read the same…

I’ve been dealing with the gulpy air licks since my pit bull was around 1.5 years old. He is 6.5 now. He will gulp, air lick, hard swallow, stare at me like “help me!”, he grinds his teeth, he will vomit hand size piles of white foamy bile, sometimes dingy yellowish bile, eat grass, eat more grass, throw that up and then being exhausted, he will sleep for hours. If I’m at work while an episode happened, he will resort to carpet, socks, wicker baskets, whatever he could get in his mouth. In the early days, this happened maybe a couple of times every six months but I wasn’t too concerned. I mean we all occasionally get sick, right? But for the first couple of years, I did casually mention it to my vet at bi-annual appts and even joked about renaming him Stan (the South Park character who pukes all the time). Something else maybe worth mentioning is sometimes I would get home from work after being gone for 10 hours or so and he would puke his kibble. It was still in perfect little round pieces, just like it went in, except it’s wet. So ZERO digestion in 10 hours for whatever that’s worth. His episodes began to increase in both frequency and severity about 3 years ago. No rhyme or reason. No patterns. Nothing I have been able to pinpoint. The episodes are almost a daily occurrence now. I mention to friends “he had a good day today” instead of a bad day because they are so frequent. You can see it in his eyes, his head is down, he’s tired, his eyes are red, he’s drooly, he stretches his neck, and he’s very, very clingy. I honestly don’t even remember what the first treatment protocols were or what order we went in. But here are some of the things we’ve tried:

-Rubbing Trachea/Throat, Singing a song, Going for a walk. Basically distractions – works sometimes.
-Canned organic pumpkin or Plain Greek Yogurt to settle the tummy during an episode – would work sometimes
-Pepcid for acid reflux – seemed to work for a while
-Probiotics
-Elevated Food Bowl
-Pepcid with Carafate Slurries each morning and evening to coat the tummy before meals – maybe worked?
-Metronidazole/Amoxicillin combo for suspected Helicobacter Pylori – tested negative
-Complete Blood Panel
-Barium swallow with Xrays to examine the esophagus and rule out Megaesophagus – all clear
-Daily Prilosec OTC 20mg – works sometimes.
-Dry Kibble Changes – all over the map but all No Corn, Soy or Wheat – settled on Nutrisource Chicken for approx. 2 years –
-Canned food – makes it worse-
-No dry kibble for 6 months – I cooked for him. Chicken, Veggies, Rice. Worked well at first, and got worse toward the end of the 6 month period.
-Animal Communicator – don’t laugh. I was very skeptical too. But this lady I do not know told me that his tummy had been sick for a really long time and that he was tired. She also told me that his body required a warm protein rather than a cool protein. I switched him from Nutrisource Chicken (cold) to Nutrisource Lamb (warm). She also told me to try essential oils. She didn’t say what kind, she said to let him smell the unopened containers and he would be interested in the one his body needed, if he needed one at all. I met with an essential oils expert, did just what she said and let him do the picking. We went vial after vial while he would sniff and turn his head over & over again. Until he sniffed…and he didn’t turn away. He sniffed again. He sniffed all around that vial like I was holding a piece of meat. He nudged my hand. More like a shove than a nudge really. I turned the vial around to see what it was expecting something food related but it wasn’t, it was something called Digize. Digize is:“a dietary supplement that provides valuable aid for digestive concerns and helps support a healthy digestive system. Benefits and Uses: eases heartburn, calms upset stomach, alleviates diarrhea, minimizes bloating, comforts sickness associated with pregnancy, reduces discomfort while travelling, overcomes constipation, improves digestive function, eases acidity in body, and rids body of parasites.” Well I’ll be darned.
-Daily Prilosec/Carafate/Reglan regimen
-And Cerenia. This stuff works beautifully and at $15 per dose, is more expensive than pure gold.

I know I’ve forgotten a few things we tried, but we have tried a lot. In December 2015 he had had several pretty rough days in a row. I’d gotten home from work one eve and knew he wasn’t feeling well. I heard something weird, looked down at him standing in the kitchen and I see his teeth chattering, his body is stiff as a board, and he has this hard stare, like no one is in there. It was the weirdest thing that only lasted maybe 30 seconds, but it definitely happened. After it was over, it took him a good while to get his bearings back. He was so wobbly and confused. I texted my vet and she replied with “He’s just had a Focal Seizure.” I wonder if that’s somehow related to his gulpy air lick? Anyhow, because December was so bad for him I finally bit the money bullet and scheduled his Endoscopy, Biopsies, and Exploratory GI Surgery January 11th 2016. First off I want to say that I’ve done a TON of research too. I was convinced he had esophageal erosion, burns from the severe acid reflux, or big angry ulcers all over the lining of his stomach. Or stomach cancer. Yeah, that. So the results of the Endoscopy? The doc gives me a rundown. The esophagus looks perfect. The stomach looks perfect. Nothing in there at all (I did kind of expect a toy or something). The pyloris spincter looks good. The duodenum looks good, and the very beginning of the small intestine looks good. He said there doesn’t seem to be bile backing up into the stomach at all. So. Inconclusive. I couldn’t decide if that was good or bad news. I do know that I REALLY need an answer though.

Since the surgery, I’ve had him on a regimen of Prilosec/Carafate/Reglan but it seems like he was sicker after the surgery than before. Like the scope irritated something, I don’t know. Results of the biopsies came back and they confirmed IBD, which we already knew. Doc says more testing is needed with the next being for something called Myasthenia Gravis, a nerve/muscle disorder. We haven’t done this test yet, but it is our next medical step. Anyway, after doing a bunch more research and with Doc’s blessing of course, last Wednesday February 10th I changed his food again to a limited ingredient novel protein, Zignature Kangaroo. I took away ALL the treats too. Treats are now Kangaroo kibble. I also went to feeding him 3 small meals a day on as consistent of a schedule as I can. If his tummy is empty, he gets gulpy licky. If his tummy is too full, he pukes. So day 1 on the Kangaroo, Wednesday, was a good day. Thursday was a good day. Friday was a good day. Saturday I discontinued the Carafate and Reglan but continuing the Prilosec. So far the good days have continued. Today is day 8 of “a good day”. I hope this lasts and I want to be positive, but I know the odds are not in our favor. Just one more theory, one more trial, grasping at more straws. I’ll definitey be looking more into the magnesium deficiency and Bilious Vomiting Syndrome that were mentioned earlier in the thread. At some point we have got to figure this out. Seems like none of us are giving up so I’d say we have a pretty good chance.

*One word of warning about the Kangaroo. It stinks. It makes his breath stink, his poops are dense and alfalfa’ish smelling, and it digests quicker than other kibbles. And did I mention it stinks? Wish us luck and thank you for all your comments, for reading, and caring…

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Carlene.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Carlene.

[anonymously]

I am glad you are taking him to the vet for a checkup, especially check his teeth, small dogs tend to have lousy teeth. In fact, I would start brushing his teeth once a day with a medium brush and some Petrodex (see chewy.com 6.2 oz tube is the most economical)
YouTube has excellent how to videos

Next, dogs do experience grief and sadness, some more than others. This may be why he has a poor appetite. He has been through a lot and may need several months to adjust to a new home.

See General Guidelines for tips: http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

Don’t free feed. Offer a mix of kibble and canned food or a topper (a spoonful of cooked chopped chicken, scrambled egg) add a splash of water. Feed measured amounts twice a day, have fresh water available, add water to his food if you don’t see him drinking.

Leave the food down for 10-15 minutes, if he doesn’t eat pick up the food and store in the fridg and offer at the next meal time. Something like 7a and 4p. If he doesn’t eat x 72 hours, consult a veterinarian.
He will eat, you have to be patient.
My small breeds do well on Nutrisca (dry and canned)
I find this site informative too http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[Jennifer P]

I’m new to this site and could use some good advice on feeding a 2.5 year old rescue that I just got a few days ago. I think he’s a poodle, terrier, Maltese mix. Not completely sure, but something close. I’ve been having a terrible time getting him to eat kibble so I’ve been mixing it with some canned food and actually sitting with him on the floor coaxing him to eat. He was picking out the kibble and dropping it on the floor so I started crushing the kibble with a kitchen mallet, then mixing in canned with a little water. He will only eat it if I hand feed it to him. I’ve tried Earthborn grain free primitive natural, GO lamb and rice, Go turkey recipe, Go salmon recipe, NOW grain free turkey,salmon,duck. He just hates the dry kibble. I tried giving him fresh chicken as a snack, which he loves but then I noticed a mucous covering on his poo. He loves canned food and I’d prefer to keep him on a mix of kibble and canned. I don’t know what he ate before I got him as his previous owner is dying (hospice care) and I can’t ask. He was turned over to a rescue group and they don’t know either. I feel like I’m torturing him by continuing to give him food he doesn’t like. I’m taking him to my vet tomorrow, to get a check up and see if he may need to be wormed. I’ve been told to put the food down, and if he gets hungry enough, he’ll eat. I just can’t do that to him, he’s already lost his owner, been bounced around with relatives of the owner, then to a rescue group. He is very energetic, loves to go for walks, and seems healthy. Should I just give up and give him a good quality canned food? I would appreciate any advice.

[anonymously]

Malaseb is the best gentle shampoo for dogs with allergies that require frequent bathing, otherwise, any gentle dog shampoo should be fine. Check chewy.com, compare prices.

Regarding food, mix dry with wet, 2/3rds dry, 1/3rd wet or a topper such as chopped up cooked chicken breast or scrambled egg (made with water), add a little water to meals.

Offer 3-4 small meals per day till about 6 months old, eventually feed 2 x per day.
I like Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea as a base.
Another important tip, if you want to avoid professional cleanings, start brushing the teeth once a day. See YouTube for how to videos. I like Petrodex and a medium adult tooth brush. It is more economical to get the 6.2 oz tube, found at chewy.com

Regarding housebreaking, take the pup outside every 2 hours during waking hours, at bedtime, first thing in the morning and after meals.
In an ideal world 🙂

I almost forgot. Puppy proof your house, they chew everything in site for at least the first 1 1/2 years! Get a puppy gate or LARGE crate for when you have to go out.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by anonymously.

[minnies-mama]

WOW!!! Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond!!!!!! I am pretty sure I will try Wellness core. I think that brand is the one I see that I like.

Do I only use dry, or wet food too? Of course I plan to speak to my vet, and our breeder. But I wanted to get some real people with dogs advice too!

I also saw A shampoo called Royal something…. can’t recall the name right now.

I just ordered my 2 crates, and a travel bag. I feel like I am nesting preparing for the arrival!

Thank you all for your advice!

[Robyn B]

Hi, just our experience to share. I’m sorry to hear your dog is so uncomfortable. My pug had allergy (allergies) that made him lick his feet frequently for probably 7 years (his skin darkened to black-ish and we were constantly needing to use malaseb skin cleanser/yeast killer to give him relief). I was told by vets that it was probably caused by the grass or something in his food but that it would be almost impossible to determine. All they had to offer were steroid meds but I wanted to solve the underlying problem. I switched his diet to grain free (dry and a can now and then for a little excitement). His constant licking stopped and his skin returned to normal for the last 6 years of his life. The foods we fed that solved his problem were Canidae grain free Pure, Wellness Core grain free and Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix grain free and poultry free Salmon. The first two greatly reduced the licking but the Castor and Pollux eliminated it.
I hope you have success in solving the problem. Bulldogs are my other favorite breed, so adorable!

[Susan]

Hi My Patch was pooing red blood in his poos not everyday maybe once a fortnight when I first rescued him, vet said Colitis & he was put on Metronidazole (Flagly) he has food sensitivities to certain foods & irritating his bowel also fat, I had to watch the fat content in some foods…. he’s been good now I know what no to feed….
Start her diet again 1 protein & 1 carb then slowly re introduce ingredients again over 1 to 2 weeks adding 1 new ingredient & make sure you check her poos…..

My other dog a boxer pooed a heap of blood just after I rescued her she had worms & needed to be wormed again the RSPCA only wormed her the once & mustn’t of gotten rid of all her worms..

If she wasn’t getting the proper nutrition like your vet said her coat would be dull, no shine, itchy dry skin is one sign of low omega 3 & I’m pretty sure they don’t start pooing blood cause the diet isn’t balanced properly…other things start to happen……have a look at “Balance IT” you add to your cooked meals there also would be other supplements that balance the diet…. I live Australia I use Natural Animal Solutions DigestaVite Plus & the Omega 3,6 & 9 oil…. http://secure.balanceit.com/

[JeffreyT]

Hi minnie-mama, congratulations! Havanese is a great breed, very much like maltese, which I have.

Here’s some good information on the importance of a rotational diet. I changed my pups’ diet a few days after they came home and used probiotics, enzymes and pumpkin to avoid stomach issues, and still use first two for good digestion and to keep their immune systems strong.
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletter gives excellent nutritional advice, and I use the Mercola enzymes, probiotics, krill oil and multi vitamin she recommends. Mercola also makes a natural flea and tick repellent that is the best smelling one I’ve used, and it works.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

I highly recommend the book Scared Poopless to help avoid cancer and other diseases later on. The author’s website is loaded with helpful advice on avoiding vaccine overdose (especially important for small dogs), and how to do heart worm meds safely.
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/

Mine get a variety of the five star freeze dried and dehydrated foods (all you have to do is add water) with some home prepared meals using Dr. Harvey’s premix and organic meat already made from Whole Foods. Their main meal consists of these foods, and at night they get a light meal of dry and a topper like lean meat, egg yolk, yogurt, cottage cheese, goat cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan, a sardine from the can or ground salad or vegetables (never feed onion). As long as you keep toppers and treats under 20% of their daily intake, the diet will stay balanced.

I always get grain-free and gmo-free foods. Their favorite dry foods are air dried like Ziwi Peak, Real Meat Food Co, Only Natural Max Air Dried and Wellness Core Air Dried. Some of the better kibble foods that my picky ones have eaten are Petcurean Go Now, Farmina, Amicus and Wellness Trufood Baked. You can call the companies to get samples, and make sure to get the small breed puppy formula. I always buy the smallest bags, and do not keep food over one month because it starts to go rancid.

The treats they go crazy for are Stella and Chewys, Orijen, Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon, Primal and Dogs for the Earth. Dogs for the Earth also makes an organic food that they love.

Make sure to avoid synthetic shampoos and other toxic products. Earthbath puppy is a good one that is non-toxic. For face, when mine were puppies, I used Castle Bath which is a non-toxic face cleaner and powder to keep faces clean and avoid tear stains….cotton baby washcloths work best with this. Baby shampoo from the healthy food store is also good for faces. Avoid drug store brands because they’re loaded with toxic chemicals.
http://www.castlebaths.com/tear-stain-remover.html

Before I got my maltese I joined an online maltese forum where I learned a lot about food, training and grooming… you may want to consider one for Havanese.

Good luck!

[Jenn H]

Jeffery T had some good advice.
My dog has also been experiencing symptoms of IBD and pancreatitis off & on for the past yr.
After much research and different gets & specialists I have it pretty under control (knock wood).
The most recent specialist was adamant about not giving her any raw meat or goat milk. She was put on a probiotic, pumpkin, bland diet, etc.
It’s been 2 months w/o relapse so I’m thinking of getting her off the prescription can food and trying something else. She gets very little kibble. Not even 1 cup/day.
She continues to get 30 mg Pepcid 2x/day and 2 Tbsp pumpkin for breakfast.

My problem with changing her diet is that low fat is recommended and she’s so active. Keeping weight on her can be tough.

I’m told to try a food with highest protein possible, low carbs and 10% fat on DRY MATTER BASIS (cans seems to be working better for her). Because she’s a GSD that’s kind of low as they really should have about 19% fat. So we’ll see.

The lower the meat protein, the more carbs there will be in the food. The source of the carbs can be difficult on the GI.

The kibble she gets now is Wysong And then
Her wet food is i/d. Usually turkey. Sometimes the stew (not her favorite) or chicken (that’s low fat).
I’m about to try Wysong Epigen cans.

Basically I have had success so far by cutting out raw animal products, probios, pumpkin and lower fat & carbs.

You may find adding enzymes to be helpful also. And maybe even try a novel protein. (If you choose fish be certain no one uses Ethoxyquin as a preservative.)

Remember to make sure the makers of your supplements aren’t sourcing anything from China.

Good luck to you.

[Donna S]

I would like to nominate Earthborn dry and canned dog food,

[Louis G]

Hello everyone,

I have a 3 year old Lab Mix named Tina. Since I got Tina at 7 months we’ve fed her a home cooked diet. Although she has a sensitive stomach, she has always been healthy until last week she had an episode of diarrhea. I noticed a few drops of blood at the end of the poop, a day later her stool was firm but had a generous amount of blood in it. We took her to the vet and had a full check up done including blood and stool tests. The results came back all clear, in fact the Vet said she was a very healthy dog, she continued to eat and drink during this time. (our thought is that she ate something while staying over at a friends house) Our vet recommended the Hill Prescription Digestive Chicken stew to try out. At first she would not eat it, but after topping it with a small amount of cooked white meat chicken she has been eating it and the results have been instantaneous. Her stools are good and firm and the diarrhea and blood went away. I would like to put her on a dry and wet dog food diet but am confused by all the contradicting information on dog food. Some praise Hills, some condemn it. Some praise Blue buffalo but they just paid millions in lawsuit for false advertising the ingredients in their kibble. I would just like a straight answer as to what dry and wet food I should feed my dog going forward. Vet recommended Hills Science Dry and Hills Balance Wet. I love my dog and if could continue to cook for her I would but I work longer hours now and my vet felt there was a possibility that she wasn’t getting the proper nutrition from the cooked food. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Jody R]

I would like to suggest Nutram Dry food for editors choice status. I see it’s listed as a 5 star product, but it does not appear under “editors choice”. Our dog had early signs of kidney issues and it was suggested that we switch to a lower phosphorous dog food. Nutram and Wellness I learned are lower in phosphorous than other dry dog foods. Since starting the new food his USG levels have improved significantly.

[Naturella]

Just as an example, my 14.5-15-lb dog Bruno “should” get 1-1.5 cups of his current food daily. He gets a little over 1/2 cup (or a bit less than 3/4 cup) of his food together with additives, so calorie-wise he probably gets around 1 cup of dry per day, but it is not all from the dry. If I wanted him to lose weight, I would reduce the amount of dry I fed him as well as the amount of additives. But for his metabolism and daily exercise, the current plan works well for him and he is in his ideal body condition. Also, make sure you go by the body condition more so than the weight itself. Here is a link you may find helpful: http://fremontanimalmedicalclinic.com/dr.-lurz-s-tid-bits/how-to-body-condition-score-your-pet.html

[RebeccaRose]

Hello all. E W, thank you for that point of view. I will definitely keep that in mind. How is it diagnosed? Good luck to you hope your pup gets better.

Well my Shih Tzu is doing much better. She has not had biopsy but the vet thinks IBD is a strong possibility. The Wellness never did work for us. After repeated episodes like in my original post, although not as severe, we moved completely away from chicken &/or turkey foods and she improved. It wasn’t easy… we went through 3 or 4 more foods before finally finding one that she loves & her poops are great & she has very minimal vomiting.

She now receives a 1/2 a 10 mg Pepcid every night very late, about midnight. Her meals are still spaced out with the last being at 10 pm. The food she is currently on is higher in fat that any of the other foods she’s been on but it has helped the most of any food she’s ever tried. We have been on it for 7 months. It is Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon.

I hesitate to even put that in my post because I know the hatred this community has for Purina… but I have learned the hard way that you feed what works. And this works for us. I am including the name so that it might help others from what I’ve been through. You can spend all the money you have on premium bags of dog food & still have sick dogs, I can speak from experience as I have tried some of the best, most expensive foods & she still was sick.

I keep a list of foods that I am going to try should we start having problems again. Maybe this list will help others if they are looking for a food that is either low in fat, good for a predominantly vomiting dog, sensitive stomachs, upper intestinal IBD, wanting/needing to stay away from chicken, or wanting a LID diet, or wanting to start a novel protein…

*Natural Balance: Potato & Rabbit, or Sweet Potato & Bison, or Potato & Duck, or Legume & Duck, or Sweet Potato & Venison. All these NB choices are around 10/11% fat & 4% fiber.

*Acana Singles (might have to order online) 15% fat 6.5% fiber.

*Zigniture Brand.

*Rayne Dog Food: Rabbit & Sweet Potato Dry (have to order online).

*First Mate.

*Fromm Gold Coast Weight Management Ocean Fish, 10% fat 7% fiber.

*Annamaet 24% Option Formula Salmon & Venison, 13% fat 4% fiber.

*Wellness Simple LID Healthy Weight Salmon & Peas, 8% fat & 6% fiber.

[Aileen R]

Solid Gold? I feed my 1.5 year old (5lb) chihuahua Solid Gold “Wee Bit” for all ages small breed. I asked a few breeder friends and they told me they had great ingredients and my lil guy has improved from dry skin and actually eats it without having to add warm water and etc. The kibble is also smaller. Any other foods with smaller kibble?
Thanks. I’m shocked it’s not up here.

[Naturella]

How about Only Natural Pet’s Canine Power Food: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Canine-PowerFood-Dry-Dog-Food/999219.aspx

two of the formulas are poultry-free.

Also, I and Love and You is pretty meaty and potato-free, at least 2 of the formulas are (I would use the Nude Food line, it is the better kibble they have).

[InkedMarie]

Did you check the review side, clicking the “best grain free dry foods” link?

[boobear27]

Thanks Pitlove!..I’m gonna try mixing the canned food in with the dry..I guess she might be associating her upset stomach with her food..She did fine eating that kibble for 4 months and now she won’t eat it..She use to eat Wellness for small breed but she was gaining alot of weight..She is also a senior dog..I gradually switched her to Wellness core reduced fat and she shed the pounds and started to be more active.

[boobear27]

My dog recently had an upset stomach and I fed her boiled chicken and rice with a little bit of canned pumpkin for a few days,,Now she seems to be doing fine, she’s her old self again:)..Now I’m starting to transition her back to her kibble gradually starting with 75% of the boiled chicken and rice and 25% of the kibble I also add water to it to soften it..The problem is she will just eat the chicken and rice but won’t eat the kibble..I feed her a high quality kibble Wellness Core reduced fat dry food..She ate it just fine before her upset stomach she would gobble it all up now she won’t eat it..Is there any other tricks to get her to eat it again?

[Marilyn G]

I have read Steve Brown’s Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet and See Spot Live Longer. I would like to begin with the ABC plan once a week. I have an 11 pound Silky Terrier and I feed him Acana Wild Prairie dry food. On the bag is says Crude Protein (min.) 31% and Crude Fat (min.) 17%. So, I’m assuming that I would feed him the ABC2 plan. Would that be correct? Also, in the table there is no column for a 10 pound dog, so I’m wondering if it is safe to assume that I would feed him 4 oz. of heart, 3/4 can of sardines, 1 egg white, 1/4 egg yolk, 2 oz. vegetables and fruit. Would that be correct? Also, is the weight of the heart before cooked or after? I want to be sure that I have the amounts correct because I don’t want to cause him any health issues and possibly shorter life. I want to do what’s best for him. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Susan]

Hi, try “California Natural” limited ingredients, Lamb & Rice it has only 4 ingredients, there’s small breed & large breed… http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
Why your dog is doing well for 1-2 weeks then reacting it takes 1 day to 6 weeks to show food sensitivities/intolerances, this is what confused me… Patch would do really well the first month then he’d start reacting to the kibble, then I started to feed a kibble that’s is just Fish & Rice no peas, no chick peas, no potatoes, no lentils, just fish & rice….. also get a good dog probiotic to build up the immune system & always make sure you read what the omega 3 & 6 % is in the kibble…. I’ve read some kibbles are higher in omega 6 & low in omega 3 & dogs making dogs itch & scratch & have dry skin….. the California Natural shows all the Nutrient Analysis… also when he comes back inside, wipe him down, I use “Huggie Baby Wipes” Aloe & Cucumber a new wipe for each section of the body… sardines in spring water are excellent to give as a treat..

[anonymously]

Check Wysong http://www.chewy.com/dog/wysong-senior-dry-dog-food-5-lb-bag/dp/50242
It is always best to add a spoonful of scrambled egg or something, make it more interesting. Think of the kibble as a base.

[Jim G]

I am really trying to like Life’s Abundance dog food but have a problem. My 4 month old lab has been on it since I picked her up from the breeder. Her stools have always been loose, and at times, she has a hard time holding it in. I switched started giving her cooked chicken and rice. Stools were perfect and no accidents. I slowly reintroduced Life’s Abundance and the loose, mucusy stools started again. I have heard that a raw diet could be the way to go, but I am on a budget. Has anyone’s dog had loose stools with Life’s Abundance and if so, were you able to find a quality dry food that worked.

I’m not knocking Life’s Abundance. I’m sure it is great for some dogs, just not mine.

Thank you.

[Freddy w]

You May want to try
http://www.chewy.com/dog/merrick-grain-free-real-texas-beef/dp/47176

Or in search type in no potato or grain dry dog food

Good luck 😊

[Lauren D]

My American Bulldog, approx 3 years old, has been dealing with horrible allergies for most of his life. He was allergy tested in April of 2015 and the food issues for him are: Egg, soybean, duck, rabbit, yeast (scored lowest possible), oat, and potato.

I switched his food over to Zignature Turkey He seemed to do well with it for the first couple of months, but I’m not convinced it is having a positive effect anymore. I did have him start allergy injections in October 2015 (focusing on some food and some environmental like human dander).

He has a pattern of doing ok for a week or so and then once I think he’s doing well he turns all red and inflamed, sometimes gets hives, his legs and stomach are raw and he sometimes scratches so hard he bleeds and scabs over, eyes are swollen and red, his hair thins out a lot, and he smells horrid. I bathe him in a medicated shampoo on a regular basis.

With his food restrictions, does anyone have recommendations on dry food brands to look in to? I can’t afford anything over $70 per 30lb bag. I have two other dogs and they switch to whatever food he is on as I don’t want any chance for cross contamination. I’ve also looked in to the addition of supplements such as coconut oil, fish oil, and digestive enzymes. Thoughts on any brands or whether or not that would be worthwhile to do very much appreciated.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Lauren D. Reason: wrong html code

[losul]

Interesting theory on the palatibilty enhancers, Dr Carol.

I don’t think this is the one that Aimee referenced, but here is a survey/study that could give insight.

http://www.associationofanimalbehaviorprofessionals.com/boze412010.pdf

At least 50% of my dogs diet is homemade raw, with limited (35%) kibble, but I have had no experience with coprophagia so couldn’t help there.

I found in the the following article in Can Vet, that seems to be relative to what you have asked.

“The dog should be fed a consistent, good quality
diet, high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrate,
with no treats or scraps. Diets high in carbohydrate
tend to enhance the drive to eat stool. The dry food
component of the diet should be reduced and replaced
with a high protein food. Although dry food is generally
a good diet, it has been shown clinically that the
above diet change will often lessen the drive to eat
stool. The addition of vegetable oil (increased slowly
over 7 days, to 15 mL/4.5 kg of body weight/day) is
also helpful. Sufficient food should be given twice
daily, on a regular schedule. Adding the fat and feeding
twice a day helps suppress the appetite for a longer
period, reducing this particular stimulus for stool
eating. Often, a diet change, maintained for 4-8 weeks,
may be all that is required to stop the behavior, in conjunction
with the decreasing strength of the drive as
the animal ages.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1680886/pdf/canvetj00575-0079.pdf

[Becky A]

Hey Richard,

Check out taste of the wild High Prairie Puppy Formula with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison (no chicken or chicken by products! :D). I absolutely love this company (as your local mom/pop pet food store if they carry samples) and have fed my pups this brand before switching them over to Orijen and Acana earlier last year. Also, If you want to add more veggies and meat to his diet try mixing in some Sojo’s or Honest Kitchen. All you need to do is add water and mix it in w/ his kibble or just give it to him as a full meal (i’d recommend mixing in w/ his dry food as Sojo’s and Honest Kitchen are a little on the pricey side)

http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/dog-formulas/high-prairie-puppy-formula-with-bison-roasted-venison/
Shop All Dog
https://www.sojos.com/products/dog-food