[Patti S]

Hi Chad, and “Anonymously”,

The prescription low sodium food you can get from your vet is great, if your dog will eat it. Also, there are different degrees of sodium allowable for the canine cardio patient. Some just need reduced or moderate levels of sodium, while others need a food with drastically lower levels. Dogs need some sodium in their diets. So you should find out from your vet what kind of sodium restrictions your dog needs, especially if your dog has other health issues, such as kidney or liver disease.

These are all on a dry matter basis:
Mild Sodium restriction is 0.3 -0.4%
Moderate Sodium restriction is 0.2 -0.3%
Marked Sodium restriction is 0.15-0.2%
Extreme Sodium restriction is 0.75-0.15%

My personal problem with the Hill’s Prescription Heart Care canned food is, the fat content is at 29.0%, and the protein content is 17.3%. Dogs with a heart problem need higher and high quality protein in their diets, and lower fat. It also contains corn (not a problem unless your dog has a corn intolerance), but I know it’s a cheap filler and it’s listed as the third ingredient!
With the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Early Cardiac diet, the first ingredient is rice followed by chicken fat. Powdered cellulose (saw dust) is amongst the first six ingredients. I just know I can feed my dog a whole lot better than this.

It’s been determined that inadequate protein intake, or deficiencies of specific amino acids, can actually cause serious heart disease and the Cardiology Subspecialty of the ACVIM has recommended avoidance of protein restricted diets (specifically for dogs with old-age heart valve disease). Also, it’s extremely important for cardiac patients to maintain a normal body weight. Excessive weight, in the form of body fat, places additional stress on the heart and in more than one way. Besides the additional work of the heart that’s required for normal ambulation and exercise, excess fat causes an “oxidative stress”. Oxidative stress disrupts normal metabolism in many ways and impairs the ability of blood vessels to expand and deliver nutrients in a normal way.

I’ve persisted and found these additional low sodium dog foods, that are very high in quality:

• Evanger’s Beef with Spinach and Kale Canned dog food – 0.1136% sodium on a dry matter basis

• Solid Gold Howling at the Stars turkey, Ocean whitefish, and Sweet Potato Recipe (canned) 0.23% sodium

• Solid Gold Hund-N-Flocken With Lamb (dry) – 0.23% sodium

Here is where you can see charts in both allowable sodium in milligrams per kcal per 100, and also by percentages of dry matter. With this information you can contact dog food manufacturers and get the sodium content. If you scroll down further (at the link below) it has a list of some over the counter dog foods that are low sodium.
I’ll say it again…. it’s SO wrong that sodium levels aren’t published on the dog food packages, but I’m willing to jump through hoops to get my dog the food he needs!

http://www.vermontveterinarycardiology.com/index.php/for-clients/feeding-the-cardiac-patient

[Laura D]

Having quite the week with our pup. She’ll be 4 next week and is a shih tzu. We have 2 problems going on, pancreatitis as well as some back issues. I’ve ended up at our regular vet and then a 24 hour one for the back problems. Between the 2 different vets and my research on foods they’re suggesting I am drowning in thoughts/questions and not sure the directions to go.

She’s been on a bland diet and given her dx’s is feeling pretty good. Pancreatitis was under control pretty quickly, but is the 2nd incidence of it (she had same symptoms but no blood taken, end of November so we’re assuming 2nd incidence.) Bland diet is going well and it’s time to put her on regular food. Main problem – she has a CHICKEN ALLERGY so it’s limiting our options.

ER vet gave me a couple of can samples of Royal Canin gastrointestinal low fat. We feed just kibble and for whatever reason it just never occurred to me to give her canned food. Not sure why.

Regular vet gave me Hills Prescription Diet Digestive Care i/d sensitive dry. This food has 13% fat and I know she needs a “low fat” diet. This concerns my somewhat because she was eating taste of the wild and it has 15% fat which isn’t that different to me. I’ve also read here that going too low fat can compromise the quality.

We aren’t sure what caused the pancreatitis. I was giving her a pill in a small amount of cheese prior to the recent one so i’m not sure that isn’t it?!

Anyway I guess i’m wondering if anyone has any great chicken-free recommendations? And do you feed can or dry? Are there advantages/disadvantages to either? Like I said, I have no idea why I settled on dry. With the 2 dogs feeding them eating together has been an issue, one which if they were fed canned they’d be more likely to eat on a better schedule I think. Any advice on getting things put back together and avoid pancreatitis?

[anonymously]

I would go with a prescription food recommended by your veterinarian.

http://www.hillspet.com/products/pd-canine-hd-canine-cardiac-health-canned.html (sodium 0.07% per 13 oz can)

http://www.vetstreet.com/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-canine-early-cardiac-ec-22-dry#overview (sodium 0.5% per 1000 kcal)
If you soak the kibble in water in the fridg overnight it has the consistency of wet food.

PS: Wysong also makes a cardiac prescription food you may like.

You need to consider the serving size indicated when trying to evaluate the correct sodium amounts and such. For example: On a box of crackers it will state the sodium amount per serving. In tiny print it will say a serving size is 5 crackers!

[Pitlove]

Hi Sarah- I too have a dog who enjoys my kitties canned food. Usually I can catch him in time and if I make a loud noise he’ll stop. He isn’t interested in her dry food though. I agree with Crazy4cats that a small amount of cat food will not harm them, but eating cat food in larger amounts over time could.

My dog did at one point like the cats poop, however one thing that helped was changing the style of litter box to a storage tub with a hole cut in it. If that ever becomes an issue for you that could be something to try! Cats also really enjoy roomy litter boxes.

[Carol W]

Hi all,
My sweet Yorkie, Nellie, is almost 13 and is in kidney failure. The vet has her on Azodyl and an appetite stimulant, but I can’t get her to eat. She’s been on Science Diet KD (dry) most of her life due to a liver shunt when she was about 3. She stopped eating that a few months ago, and he switched her to canned, but she only ate that a few weeks before turning her nose up at it. For the last few weeks, I haven’t been able to get her to eat hardly anything. The vet said give her whatever she wants, just to get her to eat, but she doesn’t seem to want anything. I’ve tried various dog foods, plus all different “people” food – chicken, beef, eggs, rice, peanut butter, bread, veggies (some of which she used to love), but she won’t eat any of them. She might eat chicken, for example, one day, but then won’t touch it again. She’s down to 9 lbs (from 12), and I don’t know how to get her to eat! Other than the eating issue, she seems pretty ok for her age – still loves her long walks, barking at everyone out the window, and snuggling with me. She’s all I have – no family – and I want to keep her around as long as possible. But I’m afraid she’s wasting away and I just want to get her eating again. All she’s had in the last 24 hours is 2 pill pockets with her meds. Any suggestions on getting her to eat again?

[Candance B]

I have two Labs, 5 and 7 yrs. old. One is on Hills Science diet for sensitive stomachs and the other is on Purina Pro Natural duck and rice. Both are doing well on these foods. I would like to give them a better quality food from the Editors choice’s but for sensitive stomachs. Do I lean towards grain free or not, and I would like to feed dry food.

[JeffreyT]

Hi Daniel,

After a lot of trial and error, we found our very picky maltese prefer freeze dried and dehydrated, to which water is added. It’s pricier than kibble or canned but much more palatable, and also healthier since it’s not highly processed.

Freeze dried ours will eat:
Primal
Stella and Chewys
Stewarts
Orijen
Nutrisca
Northwest Naturals
Tru Dog
Vital Essentials
Most available from Chewy
http://www.chewy.com/dog/freeze-dried-food-336

They also love Only Natural Niblets Venison and Liver but they’ll eat all the flavors. There’s an excellent sale on the chicken now.
Only Natural Pet RawNibs Freeze Dried Chicken & Liver Meal Topper for Dogs

We buy the smallest bags possible, including sample bags, because the variety keep them interested in meals, plus it’s healthier. We also add probiotics and enzymes to the food to maximize nutrient absorption, strengthen immune system and minimize stomach issues.

Dehydrated foods:
Chewy sells these small sample bags of Dr. Harveys to try:
http://www.chewy.com/dog/freeze-dried-food-336/dr-harveys

Honest Kitchen sells sample bags of their dehydrated food. My pups like this less than Dr. Harveys but some pups really love it.
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=samples

We give Real Meat Food Co. when we’re in a hurry. It’s an air dried food made from grass fed, free range meats…..much less processed than dry and much more palatable. They love it. We buy the sample packs so it’s easy to rotate. Wellness Core has also has an air dried that’s very palatable but not as high quality as Real Meat Food Co.
http://shop.realmeatpet.com/Introduction-Dog-Cat-Food-Trial-3-Pack-FD3PACK.htm

Sometimes we do homemade for variety and add a premix.

Lastly, we always put toppers on food to entice eating….they can include their favorite treats like freeze dried Orijen, Stella and Chewy, Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon or lean meats, egg yolk, a sprinkle of parmesan, goat cheese, etc.
Chewy has a nice variety of healthy treats. Mine love the freeze dried type.
http://www.chewy.com/dog/treats-335/freeze-dried-food

[Daniel H]

Last year on January 26th me and my wife were fortunate enough to adopt an 8 week old Cavachon puppy. When we got him the rescue group had him on diamond naturals puppy food which we continued to use until he was a year old this November. He did very well on the diamond naturals and seemed to like it although he has never been a scheduled meal eater he has been more of a grazer. A few months before he turned a year old he started getting finicky about eating the diamond naturals. We left on a vacation for a few days and he stayed with my parents. My mom was worried because he really wasn’t eating so she gave him a little of the 4health canned food that she feeds her dogs and he ate his whole bowl. When we got back I wasn’t really to happy that she started him on wet food but I know it is good for them to have some variety and my mom has always fed wet and dry food so I wasn’t going to get to bent out of shape. Ever since then we have been searching for a food that he will eat consistently. He quickly started to turn his nose up to the 4health and diamond naturals so we started searching for solutions. I went online and ordered some samples of different dry foods. I ordered fromm samples, redpaw samples, evangers samples, nutrisource samples, and solid gold samples. He turned up to every single one except the solid gold barking at the moon. So I immediately went out and picked up a 4 pound bag. He seemed to really like it he was eating it with and without wet food (nutro tubs we found he liked them). That lasted about 2 months and then he would no longer eat the barking at the moon. I figured maybe he wants a variety so I contacted solid gold. They were fantastic to deal with and were very nice they sent me some samples of other formulas that they have as well as a coupon for one free 4lb bag of whatever flavor I wanted. So we ended up going away from the barking at the moon to the sunday sunrise lamb and cold waters salmon. We paired the lamb with beef nutro wet food and salmon with chicken nutro wet food. We would also put the chicken with the lamb but he would not eat the beef with the salmon. He has been doing well for months and now we are getting back into the mode where he is turning his nose up to almost any of the combonations that we put down. I don’t want to keep switching his food, I am ok with a rotational diet and think it is good for him to get a variety of food but I kind of am at the point where I don’t really know what to do should I stick with the same stuff and he will come back around to eating it should I try to switch? I contacted Diamond pet foods and they are sending some samples I figure maybe try the diamond naturals again but I hate to buy all these bags of food and have them go bad. If I could donate them after they were open that would be fine but our local humane society wont take them if they have been open which I guess is understandable. I have also tried the Solid gold wee bits bison and there chicken formula and he will not eat either no matter what wet food we use. I did buy there duck formula but haven’t opened it yet because I don’t want to waste it. Luckily our local pet supplies store has the 4 pound bags on sale for $10 and solid gold has a coupon on their website for $7.50 off a bag if I was buying it at $16 a bag I wouldn’t be very happy right now. I am just looking for some advice I really don’t know what else to do if anyone has any options I would appreciate any help or guidance. Thank you in advance.

[anonymously]

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.
Did you check the search engine here /forums/search/bladder+stones/
Read my posts, you may find some helpful tips
Some info at this site you may find helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bladder+stones

[Jamie08]

My small dog recently had surgery to remove a very large mass that turned out to be malignant ( 🙁 ) and was attached to her intestines. She had lost a significant amount of weight and was having some digestive problems. She’s doing well with her recovery, of course we don’t know if/when it will come back, but in the mean time I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what type of food may be best for her. For the days immediately after surgery I went ahead and used the canned i/d, they wanted her on a “bland” diet and she ate it fine with her pills, but now I’m anxious to get her off of that! In the past I switched between mostly Merrick and Canidae grain free dry foods with her, different flavors. Do I need to find something more easily digestible, does it matter, does anyone have any experiences? Thanks for any input!

[Pitlove]

http://www.chewy.com/dog/nutrisource-large-breed-puppy/dp/38141- $1.56 per/lb

http://www.chewy.com/dog/taste-wild-high-prairie-puppy/dp/34836- $1.19 per/lb

http://www.chewy.com/dog/whole-earth-farms-puppy-recipe-dry/dp/101864- $1.19 per/lb

These three foods are safe for large breed puppies and could fit within your budget. Chewy.com has great customer service and they ship fast. Many of us have used this site frequently.

[Debbie K]

I have a 9 year old beagle diagnosed with and currently being treated for hypothyrionism. He has also been suffering from allergies. We’ve tried allergy shot that no longer work and tried changing to different kinds of dry dog food. Now we’re trying the raw diet. He loves it, however I’m unsure of what protein and or grains he should be eating. He is miserable and I’m trying everything I can think of. I appreciate any help.

[JeffreyT]

Hi Craig,
DogFoodie gave you some great suggestions.
We have two very picky maltese, one with a sensitive stomach.
After a lot of trial and error with many types of foods, we found the freeze dried is the most palatable, easily digested and tolerated by our pups. I suggest starting with freeze dried that is pathogen-free (HPP process removes bacteria, salmonella, parasites, etc). Add filtered water and let soak in a few minutes. Rotating foods keeps them excited about mealtime, and is healthier than eating only one type of food. The following are some of the pathogen-free freeze dried mine will eat.
Stella and Chewy
Primal
Northwest Naturals (pretty sure it’s HPP)
Stewarts
Nutrisca
Dogs for the Earth (it’s already lightly cooked using all organic ingredients).

Honest Kitchen makes a great food. I wish mine liked it. You can order sample packs online.

I always add probiotics and enzymes to food which helps strengthen gut, digestion, immune system and vitality….we alternate between Dr. Peter Tobias, Mercola and Animal Essentials….all source non-GMO, pure ingredients. We keep Perfect Form by Honest Kitchen on hand in case of loose stools, but we rarely need to use anymore. I always start any supplement at a much lower dose than suggested and slowly build up.

When your pup gets stronger you may consider adding freeze dried foods that do not go through the HPP process since it’s less processed, like Orijen. Ours are crazy for the crunchy freeze dried like Tru Dog, which uses grass fed, free range meats, Only Natural Niblets and Vital Essentials. The only dry type food we give is an air dried, grass fed, minimally processed food from Real Meat Food Co. We buy the 3 pack sample bags for our rotation. They love this it and it’s easy to serve when in a hurry.

FYI, we use toppers on meals to entice our picky eaters. When feeding cooked food like Dogs for the Earth we add a cooked topper such as Dogs for the Earth liver and parsley treat, egg yolk, a sprinkle of parmesan, some lean meat or Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon Treats, etc. When feeding the raw freeze dried we top it with a few freeze dried treats (Stella and Chewys or Orijen). I try to add cooked toppers to cooked food and raw toppers to raw food to make it easier on digestion.

[doxygal]

I have a 10yro doxy she’s been paryllized from waist down
for 6yrs she has urinary tract infections constantly
I feed her canned food with extra water added to it and put some dry food in it also put cranberry capsules in it what else can I do she still has infection do I need different food

[Margaret C]

My dog had Giardia and Coccidia when she was a puppy but any vet’s fecal test should find those. Coccidia isn’t always treated as it’s fairly common but my vet treated it as it was only found after three cycles of treatment for Giardia so she felt it best to treat since she was a small puppy.

Considering all you’ve tried and the fact that chicken and rice doesn’t help which is a tried and true solution usually, I would suggest switching out your water. It could be that your tap water has excessive fluoride or other treatments that are disagreeing with your pup. My parents had to switch to bottled water (they just buy the generic at the grocery store in large containers) when their cat wasn’t tolerating a normal diet and had constant urinary issues as well as diarrhea regardless of food.

I also can suggest from personal experience that if you buy high quality no-grain food (you’ve already invested in so much so I don’t think you’d mind. 😉 ) you will typically find your pet’s bowel movements to be smaller and solid as they digest more of the food and don’t have filler waste. I use Wellness Core for both my cat and dog. Each receives a quarter can of wet each day to ensure additional water volume and no constipation. The rest of the day is dry. Wellness Core doesn’t have any grain in it which grains tend to be more prevalent in allergies and inflammation.

Hope some of that helps. 🙂

[C4D]

Hi Cindy T,

What I’m about to say is completely my opinion, but I’m not a big fan of Royal Canin as I find it to be overpriced with subpar ingredients that has a vitamin pack added to it to make it nutritionally balanced. It may have some science to back it’s formulas, but in truth, everyone and every living thing on this planet really was meant to eat real food as opposed to a nutritionally complete processed food. Whatever your dog is, I really don’t feel that there is enough difference between and Maltese and a Shi Tzu to need to feed a specific breed formula. I foster dogs from Kill Shelters that are of unknown origin (aka Heinz 57) as well as have several dogs small and large, some mixed and some purebred. I feed them all pretty much the same food and they all end up looking great and are very healthy. There are differences in feeding large breed puppies as opposed to small breed puppies, but overall, if you feed a quality food with some fresh food mixed in to an adult dog, there isn’t a great deal of difference. Small Breed formulas tend to be higher in protein and fat as opposed to Large Breed formulas in general. Many dog food formulas have all life stages.

I’m not opposed to grains, if they work for the dog, but I have a dog that reacts to grains so it’s easier for me to feed all the animals grain freee. I always add fresh food to all of my dogs meals. No living thing should be eating dry processed food for their entire life. I add canned food when feeding a kibble meal and make a fresh cooked or raw meal with a balanced premix for the other meal. My “senior” dogs are lively and playful and walk a mile or so daily. They have minimal health problems, and only due to torn ccls (that’s a whole other discussion).

I’m not personally a fan of skept vet either, but ultimately, the choice is yours.

[anonymously]

Newman’s Own Organics canned turkey (95%) is a decent topper, imo.
I use Nutrisca salmon and chickpea dry food as a base, it seems to agree the best for my dog with allergies and a sensitive stomach (she is 1/2 shih-tzu), the others like it too.
I also use Nutrisca canned foods, 4 years now, no problems.
Check out chewy.com for prices and delivery.

Homemade and tips, see general guidelines http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

[anonymously]

I no longer use a lot of supplements. I do add a fish oil capsule once a day to meals, I add water to the food, especially a senior male small breed, as they are vulnerable to developing bladder stones, UTIs, take out frequently to urinate….at least every 4 hours.
Exercise/long walks as tolerated.
If you are feeding a decent diet, they don’t need multi-vits….unless your vet has recommended such. The liver has to detoxify all this stuff.
I’m just sharing what I have learned over the years.
BTW: shih-tzu’s have lousy teeth, if the vet that examines your dog recommends a cleaning and extractions, I would get it done. Then daily brushings (see YouTube for how to videos) may help to prevent any more professional cleanings being needed.
My dogs do well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea (canned and dry) as a base. I often add a tablespoon of cooked chicken or lean meat or scrambled egg…you get the idea.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=supplements

[Jenn H]

I just switched my 6 month old GSD from Wellness Grain Free Core Large Breed Puppy to Solid Gold Wolf Cub.
I chose Wellness because of its calcium content not being more than 1.5%
It took a while to find another brand to put in his rotation that doesn’t exceed the recommended maximum calcium amount for large breed pups.
He’s done well on both so far. I think I like the Solid Gold more. I feed him half the amount and it’s not grain free.
It’s difficult to find LBP food that doesn’t exceed 1.5% calcium. You may have to do the leg work and email companies asking for the maximum amount on a dry matter basis as fed. Annoyingly they often just put min amounts.

[anonymously]

What does your vet recommend? I would keep her diet simple. My senior does well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea (canned and dry) 3-4 small meals a day with water added, kibble soaked overnight.

Homemade diet recipe and tips: http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

PS: I would not give a dog with the issues you describe, raw food, in any way, shape or form. Especially not a senior.

[Susan]

Hi Donnie, maybe see a vet, the vet will probably put him on Metronidazole a antibiotic for the bowel/stomach for 14-21 days…to clear up any bacteria over growth that he may have & you start his new diet…
Can you cook up some chicken breast & potatoes? I cut the fat off the breast then cut the chicken breast into chunks & just before it boils, I take pot off stove, I drain all the water, I boil the jug & put the boiled jug water over the cooked chicken too rinse off the fat from the chicken pieces, I cut thru a chunk of chicken to see if its cooked thru, then I rinse in cold water to stop them cooking & to rinse off any white fat, the chicken chunks don’t take long to cook about 10mins depends how small you have cut your pieces…. if you cook the chicken too long the chicken breast pieces go like leather, at the same time, boil 1 big potato that has been peeled & cut up into small pieces, I prefer the brown potatoes they don’t seem to be waxy & aren’t as starchy as the white or red potatoes, then I put the cooked chicken pieces in 1 cup to measure & put in freezer seal bags, the potatoes I boil fresh every second day same with the other veggies, I add about 4-5 small pieces of the potatoes to 1 cup of cooked chicken then I put thru the blender & blend for a few seconds or you can cut up the chicken chunks & cut or mash the potatoes, see if his poos firm up…..

I don’t feed wet tin food the fat is too high, especially supermarket or crappy wet tin food..
The fat % in Wet tin food isn’t the same % as in Kibble, when a kibble says 10% fat then its 10% per cup normally, if it says 5% fat in the wet tin food, when fat% is converted to dry matter (Kibble) then that’s around 23%-25%-fat, that’s why some dogs get diarrhea when they eat dog tin food, the fat is high…… if your looking for a wet tin food then look for tins around 4% min fat & under, it will say min% fat so the max fat % you need to add another 1-5% fat on top, depends on the company, I was emailing the companies & asking what is the max% fat %……… read ingredients, the cheap supermarket wet tin foods normally says Chicken, Lamb & Beef by products or poultry byproducts then Whole wheat, cereal by products or corn gluten meal, corn etc….. the gluten meal can make them scratch, have you ever soaked kibble in warm water, then when kibble is soft I was draining the water then cuffing the kibble in the bowl in my palm of my hand & squeezing out any excess water, then I put the soft drained kibble in the blender & blend only a few seconds & it comes out lite & fluffy, if I didn’t drain out the water properly, the wet kibble would be like a ball of goo, good kibbles soften within 50 mins of soaking them in warm water, so I stick with easy to digest kibbles…I ask for samples & test the sample kibbles & soak a few kibbles in warm water & see how long they take to soften…. I feed Patch his cooked meal for Breakfast & Dinner then he gets 1/2 cup kibble at lunch time & another late dinner 8pm another 1/2 cup kibble, Fish & Rice only kibble to keep his weight on & the fish is good for his skin, coat & stomach…… he weights about 17kg=38lbs…..

The vets have their vet diets, Royal Canine Intestinal wet tin, the fat is only 1.7%max or there’s Hills I/D Low Fat GI Restore wet tin 8.5% fat, Hills has already converted all their wet tin foods….. but for the price of 4 tins of the vet diet wet tin foods, you can buy 1kg chicken breast & a bag of potatoes & make about 5 days of cooked meals, 2 meals a day…..you will need to balance the diet later if his poos firm up….cooked meals are OK un balanced for about 1 month, my vet said while your working out what your dog is sensitive too etc….”The Honest Kitchen” has their Base Diets where you add the protein & their normal diets, have you tried the “Zeal” grain free ? you just add water…. You can buy their samples for $2 I think…
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal

If poos do firm up eating the cooked chicken & potato then slowly start adding 1 new ingredient every 5-7 days, like some tin salmon in spring water or sardines in spring water, drain the spring water, I add 1/2 a small tin salmon with the 1 cup of chicken breast pieces & 1/4 -1/2 cup of potatoes, 1/4 cup broccoli & 1/2 a zucchini for breakfast meal & put the other 1/2 tin of salmon in fridge for the next morning, salmon & sardines are good for their skin & coat, they need their omega fatty acid in their diet, he’s probably not getting enough omega 3 in the wet tin food he’s eating now, if his poos firm up on the cooked chicken & potato then add some cooked broccoli or zucchini, be careful with pumkin as pumkin is high in fiber so only add about 1 teaspoon to see how poos go, also sweet potatoes is higher in fiber then white potatoes…… I boil 1/2 a butternut pumkin & freeze little cut up pieces & take out when needed, also carrot I froze a heap but later I found when I was adding the carrots he was scratching his ears & shaking his head, that’s why it’s good to only add 1 new ingredient at a time, that way you will know if it causes any problems……

If Russell poos do not firm up on the cooked Chicken & potato or another protein & potato, then see vet….also have you wormed Russell?? when Patch starts getting tapeworms, his poos start going soft, then sloppy……..

[Marc D]

Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula with Bison and Roasted Venison Dry Dog Food

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kristin S-
I have absolutely nothing to do with rating the dog food on this site. I for one, still continue to feed Whole Earth Farms/Merrick foods. I have not noticed any difference in the food so far since the purchase agreement with Nestle Purina Company. I’m hoping that they continue to operate as an independent business. Merrick has their own manufacturing facilities for both dry and canned food. I’m looking forward to them using Nestle Purina’s money to become an even better company.

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/news-center/news-releases/merrick-pet-care-announces-purchase-agreement-by-nestle-purina-petcare-company

Purina already has a lot of grocery store type foods, why would they lower the quality of Merrick just to compete with the foods they already sell?

[Susan]

Hi Kim, when I rescued my boy 3 years ago he was weeing blood, he needed to be desexed within 1-5 days of receiving him, so when the rescue vet desexed him they did an ultra scan & the vet seen crystals, he was put on antibiotics & Royal Canine Vet Diet S/O Urinary wet tin food & dry Kibble for 6 weeks, he had to only eat the Royal Canine S/O wet & kibble for 6 weeks, so his crystal would dissolve, he had an ultra scan after 6 weeks & all the crystals had dissolved, then the vet said put him back on his normal diet, cause I had just rescued him I didn’t know what to feed him so I ended up contacting an Animal Naturopath cause he had other health problems…. Here’s her diets, it’s raw but I cooked the diet, minus any bones, if you scroll down click on the health diets he needs…. Diabetes diet & a weight reduction diet, work out the common foods between both diets & try feeding some cook meals for him, he will lose weight when he starts eating either a raw or cooked diet & the weight loss will help with his arthritis…Kibble isn’t good for bladder problems, wet foods are the better…… http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html

[Crow M]

Congratulations on your new family member!

I went through the same ordeal last year with a very elderly and underweight rescue; how to put on weight safely, finding the balance between feeding him enough but not too much, so that his weight gain wasn’t too quick and his system wasn’t overwhelmed with too many fats.

I second the advice above – if at all possible, feed him 3 or 4 small meals a day instead of 1 or 2 big ones. I fed a good-quality puppy food mixed with a good-quality adult food* starting with a 3:1 ratio. As he came close to his target weight, I gradually changed the ratio to 2:2, then 1:3, and then finally all adult food.

Supplements: don’t over-do it. I’d give him probiotics and maybe a joint med, but really, good food is going to wonders all by itself.

*Earthborn Holistics Puppy Vantage, Earthborn Holistics Great Plains Feast, Earthborn Holistics Large Breed (all dry); Wellness Complete/Core Puppy, Wellness Complete Senior and Canidae Large Breed (all canned). I mix up what I feed my dogs; variety is a good thing.

[anonymously]

I would be more worried about the dog surviving the heartworm treatment, that is a priority.
Otherwise I would go by your vet’s suggestion, maybe a high quality puppy food (canned and dry). I might add a tablespoon of chopped cooked chicken or chopped cooked chicken liver, add a little water to meals. I might feed 3-4 small meals per day instead of 2 regular ones. I would not add any supplements unless your vet advises so, just more junk for the liver to deal with. I would not give raw food to an old sick dog.
You don’t want rapid weight gain, too stressful, just a gradual increase.
Also, see what your vet advises regarding the flea allergy, frequent baths? Be careful about vaccinations and pesticides with a senior dog like this….
Walks/activity as tolerated, keep him moving.

[Mom T]

I was given a 10+ yr. old, very neglected, St. Bernard/Husky mix male dog for Christmas! He is so sweet and fits well in our family. After a couple of vet visits he is overall healthy with a few issues being heartworms, severe flea allergy and mild hip dysplasia. He also roughly half his weight at 65 lbs.

The more I read, the more I am confused on how to best put weight on him. The vet recommended puppy food. With his age I am concerned about pancreas issues feeding him a high fat diet. What would you recommend for…
Wet and dry foods?
Additives to food such as raw eggs, oils?
Vitamins…Pettabs?

Thanks for your help!

[Babi S]

Our Lhasa poo has allergies. What food is best for her. Wet and dry.
Any advise is greatly appreciated!
Thank you!!

[Katie K]

Whatever shampoo you do end up uskng, make sure oatmeal isn’t one of the ingredients. Most people think of it as soothing (and it is to us humans), but it is not good for dogs. Oatmeal is a grain, and just like grain in food, It will make yeast spread. I use Vital-ketodine shampoo on my westie. It has chlorhexidine and ketoconazole in it. And if you’re using the right shampoo, it won’t dry out your dogs skin. People used to say that back when everyone bathed their dogs with human shampoo. Out pH levels are different than dogs so they shouldn’t use the same shampoo we do. When Finn is having a flare-up, we bathe him between once and twice a week. One reason why I really wanted to respond to this though…

You mentioned goats milk. I give my dogs goats milk every day too. I recently heard that goats milk soap works miracles on dogs skin! A customer of mine was selling it and another customer of mine bought it to try on her dog who had been scratching like crazy. After just one bath, the dogs skin cleared up. I heard the same thing from someone else a couple days later. I can’t wait to try it. Btw.. I don’t think the whole human/dog pH level thing would be a problem with something so natural.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 12 months ago by Katie K.

[Brad N]

We have two small dogs, a Pom/Shih zue and a Yorkie/Chee WahWah. We have been feeding them home made dried pork treats for almost two years. We slice up pork roast as thin as we can and dry it in a dehydrator. We do the same with chicken. They like the pork better than the chicken by far.

The dehydrator heats the meat up to 170F. We dry it for around 8 hours till it is almost the consistency of potato chips.

We also make our own dog food from ground chicken, but that’s fodder for a different discussion. We’ve been making the dog food for about 4 years, with praises from our vet on their health.

[Gwen J]

I’m new here so not sure if this is the forum I need but thought I would start here. Over the last 11 years I have read everything I could find about what is the best food for my dogs. It is so overwhelming.

I have a friend that has raised dogs (purebred and mixed) for 20 years. Currently she has five dogs of various ages. All of her dogs are healthy, have beautiful coats, bright eyes, great dispositions and live to be 12 to 15 years old. She also is heavily involved with rescuing which means she sometimes brings dogs into her home that aren’t always healthy. Rarely do her dogs have any health issues.

Because of financial constraints she has always fed what is considered ‘below average’ dry kibble (and very little people food). My question is: if what she feeds is so bad, why have her dogs always been so healthy and lived so long? I would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

[sascha k]

Thanks for writing. I’ll explain my thinking below.

I tend to be skeptical of vast global conspiracies myself but there is something to be said there. While financial ties are natural in any business, why is it the top contributors are the ones being most heavily (and often exclusively) being pushed? They want me to believe out of the hundreds of products available on the market, only 2 pass muster?

I’ve compared the ingredients of Hill’s Science diet and Nutrience Sub zero and while I’m no doctor, nor biologist I can tell the difference between grain filler and meat.

Just compare the ingredients below:
http://www.nutrience.ca/dog-food/nutrience-sub-zero/dry-food/canadian-pacific/
http://www.hillspet.ca/en-ca/products/ib-canine-mature-adult-chicken-and-rice-dry.html

I am not shopping for a vet that will confirm my biases but I’m looking for one that will discuss the differences in ingredients, the mass recall deaths, the research and the financial ties with me without shutting me down.

I understand a vet is a medical doctor who doesn’t have time to cater to every dumb question by an internet “genius”, but my personal feeling is that when someone doesn’t want you to ask questions there’s a problem.

I trust absolutely no one. I want the vet to distill the research to me in layman’s terms on why he/she is making the dietary recommendations. And yes this includes vets recommending the diet I prefer. Right now all I’ve got to go on is authority. It could well be that Hill’s and Royal Canin is the only commercial dog food anyone should feed their dog, but given all the available information detailed above I want an explanation for my objections.

As for the new vet I’m talking to he wasn’t implying there is a vast conspiracy of vets twirling the mustaches in the darkness. Only that there is verifiable evidence of strong financial ties and that some vets perhaps push these 2 diets a little harder than the quality of ingredients warrants.

My source isn’t some naturalnews hippy woo, but the Wall Street Journal:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB878509979865406000

[Diane W]

Well I’m glad my kitties don’t care for fish, and I’m also glad there’s not a lot of “beef” choices out there; I’ll stop getting them. There are way too many fishy varieties, though. I’m sure learning a lot by following along and from reading catinfo.org. I’m even taking a print-out of the “short version” to my vet’s office on Monday when I take my Boxers in for a bath. They’re great and don’t pretend to “know everything”, and told me they’d be genuinely interested in reading the info.
Unfortunately I’ve not done anything about un-addicting Skeetoria (Skeeter) from dry food. There has been a lot of tragedy (suicide, other death, & cancer diagnoses) in my family lately, but I don’t want more in Skeetie’s case, so I need to get on it. She’s very strong willed, but I will persevere. I’m thankful that she does drink a lot of water on her own and asks us to turn on the faucet for her so she can have fresh to her heart’s content.

[Stanley E]

Our 10 year old Rottweiler whose organs were all sound based on ultra sounds a year ago, suddenly developed a fist sized cancerous tumor on his spleen. Removed the spleen, but he died passed away 6 weeks later. Was on Acana Duck dry food plus yogurt, pumpkin, twinlabs liquid collagen, and apple cider vinegar for over five years. Does anyone connect any of these to carcinoma?

[Howard J]

She does not take Metronidazole. We gave her Royal Canine low fat wet food a few hours ago, the ingredients are horrendous but she seems to be doing better. Probably will never give it to her again. Still looks like she is losing weight though.

Her breath does not smell good. Smells like putrid throw up, although it has gotten better. Her butthole seems to be inflamed too. I’ll try the mashed potatoes.

I’ll refrain from giving her a raw based diet, also I mine as well buy the Honest Kitchen food looks great! My only question is the Fromm wet food I have been feeding her has 44.63% Protein on a dry matter basis of 100 grams and 10.24% Fat on a dray matter basis of 100 grams. I can only imagine the fat content of Natural Instinct’s Venison Raw.

For Honest Kitchen the Zeal Dog food profile says Protein is 38.40% on a Dry matter basis and Fat is 9.25%, which is less than the Fromm wet food. However, it does not say the amount of grams, which would be my only concern. If its 100grams then she would likely do better on this food, in part because of the low protein and fat content and the better ingredients. The Fiber is much lower than Fromm’s wet food however the carbs are higher, not sure if that is good or bad for pancreatitis.

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/media/wysiwyg/AAFCO/ZEAL-nutrient-profile-1.pdf
http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/can/shredded-chicken/technical-analysis/

Also, the As-Is Basis of fat per 100 grams of the Fromm is 2.10, which is lower than the As Received (8.5%) as well as the As Served Hydrated (4.25%). Yet, Fromms dry matter basis of 100g, the fat % is higher than all the categories in the Zeal Dog Food Nutrient Profile.

Really confusing!

[Flowers]

Hello

My Dachshund is a year old now and has been on Acana Puppy and Junior dry food. He has always been skinny But if I feed him slightly extra it upsets his tummy. Lately thought he has had very runny stools. Usually his first one of the day is normal but the ones that follow are not, I can’t even pick them up. (Sorry for those who are eating whilst reading this!!!)

I chose Acana because it was rated as a five star food but I don’t think that it is agreeing with my dog. I do wonder if it may be too high in protein. Where I live there is not a huge choice in the pet shop of dog foods so I don’t know what to change to. The choices are Blackwood dog food, Taste of the Wild, Nutri Source or one called Holistic Pro Series.

Has anyone experience of any of the above foods or suggestions as to what I can do?

Thanks

[Howard J]

Seven months ago the vet discovered that my 11 year old cairn terrier had multiple nodules on her pancreas. They said that it was either a tumor, benign or malignant or hyperplasia of the pancreas, which is common in old dogs. A month ago she was acting lethargic, depressed and had a seizure like episode. They prescribed her doxycycline after she tested light positive for anaplasmosis and from here on she got much worse. She threw up yellow, foamy bile every night. She’s always had GI PROBLEMS but the doxy made her feel very sick, she refused to eat anything, and lost 2.5lbs in the process.

We brought her back in and they took her off the doxy, they gave her an anti-nausea injection and prescribed various medications to treat her stomach and pancreas. A few weeks later her blood test seemed to have improved, her ALKP at the time of the crisis was over 6000!! However, it went down to less than 2000 with all other liver enzymes in the reference range. Everything else was normal, including the blood count, except for slightly high calcium and BUN levels.

Any who, they compared her pancreas photos from seven months ago and the nodules have not changed at all. They said they are ruling out cancer, and it is most likely something that shouldn’t be worried about. However, they are saying her liver enzymes are still high and they want to do a liver biopsy to figure out what is the problem, in order to give us a better diagnosis and to implement a treatment plan. We refused and instead opted to give monthly urine samples, as well as administrating milk thistle into her diet.

MY QUESTION: What should her diet consist of? After the supposed pancreatitis episode we introduced her to chicken and rice, which she seemed to do okay on. We then introduced her to Fromm grain free, shredded chicken and Natural Instincts frozen raw venison. She absolutely loved it, and seemed to be doing great. We fed her a small amount of the medallions. I know raw diet, especially natural instinct has high fat content, so maybe it isn’t good? She is back to Fromm with some boiled chicken and rice and her symptoms of pancreatitis seem to be coming BACK!

Her stools are muscusy, yellow, greasy diarrhea, which are signs of pancreatitis and/or too much fat in her diet. She has also been dry heaving occasionally. These symptoms have developed after we stopped giving her Natural Instinct. Today we fed her just chicken but her stools are the same. Pungent, yellow diarrhea.

Should we give her ENZYMES and/or probiotics, it seems that she isn’t digesting her food properly and the vets aren’t really helping diet wise. Is it wise to give dogs with pancreatitis raw diets and if so which brand is the best for this condition. If not, what food is appropriate for her condition?

I would greatly appreciate the input!

John

[InkedMarie]

April,
It is a myth that dry food cleans teeth. That would be like granola cleaning ours; it doesn’t. I believe a wet food is better for dogs with stones but I am not positive.

Regarding the surgery, you can apply for Care Credit through your vet. You can also sell anything that would bring in money. Other than that, you could start a Go Fund Me page but don’t be surprised if you don’t get many donations from strangers. Beside it being Christmas & a hard economy, some feel that pet owners are supposed to have something already in place for emergencies, myself included.

I wish you luck.

[anonymously]

Per the search engine at this site, a lot of information here. I think you will find answers to your questions.
/forums/search/bladder+stones/

Most veterinary clinics have payment plans/credit arrangements you can apply for. If she needs surgery she must be uncomfortable, stones are painful. I wouldn’t postpone. I would get that done first, per recommendation of the vet.

Oh, and dry food doesn’t really do anything for the teeth. Brush the teeth every evening, I use a medium adult brush and Petrodex tooth paste, see YouTube for how to videos.
I have found daily brushing takes about 5 minutes and is very effective, scrub the sides and back and try to get the inside areas where the tartar and plaque tend to build up.

Post surgery: As you can see by using the search engine (bladder stones) and checking the various posts and threads at this site. The most important thing you can do is increase water intake, add water to all meals, 3 or 4 small meals per day instead of 1 or 2.
Offer frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate, observe for normal flow/amount/stream. Keep the bladder flushed to avoid stagnant conditions conductive to stone formation.
Otherwise I would defer to your vet regarding diet and supplement choices, at least till the dog has been stable for a while….then discuss changes with the vet.
Some types of bladder stones tend to recur, there is a genetic component to consider.

PS: Wysong has a prescription food, ask your vet if it would be appropriate….if you like the ingredients better http://www.wysong.net/veterinarian/

[K C]

My 30 lb mixed breed dog, turning 14 next month, otherwise very healthy until her annual exam’s lab work led to a Dx w/kidney insufficiency (also called renal failure, kidney disease, renal insufficiency) and put on Hill’s Prescription Diet R/D. She was eating it mixed with a small amt of canned R/D because she didn’t seem to like the kibble by itself, but otherwise seemed to be doing okay. Until she wasn’t. She began to reject the dry kibble and eat only the wet food from it, licking it off the dry food, which she put on the floor outside her bowl. And then she stopped eating the canned food. And then the vomiting started. A trip to the vet and lab work showed she got pancreatitis from the high fat level in Rx kidney diet. The labs also showed her kidneys values, of course still showing kidney disease, had improved a little because of the diet, which was great news. She has lost weight because of the not eating much because of the pancreatitis.

She was sent home with fluids for us to inject under her skin and a medication to inject for nausea. She is currently only eating boiled chicken breast and rejecting rice, canned food, kibble, and egg whites, but she likes the Pill Pocket I put her Pepcid in. We were instructed to feed her a lowfat diet, whether it is a prescription diet (Hills or Royal Canin) or a mass market brand.

In preparation for when she is eating normally again, I have been researching the dog foods low in fat. The problem I am finding is that all of the low fat foods are high in protein. That means that in adjusting her diet to prevent a relapse of pancreatitis, as directed by her vet, I will be burdening her kidneys with higher protein, thereby assuring a faster decline. It is the worst catch-22 to be caught between two diseases like this!

Does anyone know of any dog food or diet or anything at all that would be a happy medium of low fat AND low protein, that I could present to my vet? And, be able to provide a dog all the nutrients it needs? I feel so helpless and I love my girl so much!

I thank you in advance for your help!

[April F]

My 12 year old lab mix has just been diagnosed with bladder stones and she needs surgery. The vet put her on royal canin urinary SO but I’m having a bit of trouble. First off the food is very expensive I’ve had her on a grain free fish based diet until now which I would prefer her to stay on a grain free diet she also needs to lose weight she is 66lbs and should be 45-50lbs. I’ve been reading different things about putting her on wet food and that she doesn’t necessarily need to be on a urinary food specifically. Could I mix dry and wet food? I like the dry food because it’s good for her teeth but if she needs the extra water from the wet food…. This is all rather confusing for me. If anyone can give me any help I would really appreciate it. Also a bit off topic I’ve been trying to raise money for the surgery does anyone know a place I can advertise? I’ve sent it out to family and I don’t have many friends. My brother donated what he could and we are very grateful but I can’t seem to find a way to get it out to more people. Thank you again for any help and happy holidays.

[Francis F]

Hi Mal W,

I believe that if your dog is showing stomach problems when eating these treats, you should stop immediately.

I own a toy poodle 4.5 lbs., now 14 years old, who LOVES the Canine Carry Outs beef flavor, and a blessing that he’s never had a problem with these.

Now, I only give him 1/2 of a nugget mixed with the ProPlan dry tidbits & a teaspoon of the Cesar wet food. If I am going out for a few hours, I give him the other 1/2 cut into pieces.
I actually take the time to chop each nugget 3x lengthwise & 3x wide….innocent little pooch, he loves them & is so satisfied with the small treats.

But I did notice once when I bought the bacon & the patties that he vomited, so I stopped on the second episode & threw them away.

I just checked the bag & mine says in a big front seal: MADE IN THE USA and no where in the package nor ingredients does it mention China.

Perhaps the amount given makes a difference, along with the type of food he eats, expensive but worth it. ProPlan dry for small breeds since he was born has protected his digestive system.

Good luck & may this input help dog-loving owners.

[Fade R]

There’s a relatively new kid on the block: Platinum (http://www.platinum.co.uk/dry-dog-food/platinum-dry-food.html)

A guy at my local store recommended it, the spec seemed legit so I’ve tried it. Nala (my german shepherd, 1.7 years old), seems to like this food the most of anything we’ve tried before. Unfortunately it only comes in 5kg packs, so it’s relatively expensive.

But I’d love to hear of your insight on it.

Cheers.
Fade.

[Jeffrey D]

I believe my first post was a little misleading. I am giving my puppy the antibiotics, I am completely in favor of that. I was just wondering if there was anything else that would help him feel better faster. It seems like antibiotics and a lot of water are the best methods. I have also been adding wet food and warm water to his dry food. Hopefully he clears up soon because a prescription diet is not an option for him given his age.

[anonymously]

What are you feeding your dog now? My dogs do well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea as a base, I have been using it (canned and dry) for my dogs, for 3 years now, no episodes of diarrhea. I know, it is made by Dogswell.

Was the Hills Science food one of the prescription diets? Maybe there were other factors involved in the cat’s demise.

Perhaps you will find this site helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[MAUREEN W]

The dog had surgery 2 weeks ago to remove the stones so she is doing wonderful now. The dog was on poor cheap dry food only & locked outside for several hours at a time all summer so Im pretty sure poor diet & likely not enough water was the main cause for this. Of course I want to avoid it at all again & why i am looking for help but I dont believe for a minute prescription dog food is the answer, (have you read the label on that stuff), nothing of nutritional value in it at all in my opinion. The cost of the food is not a concern, grain free & healthy diet are what i look at for my pets. She is drinking water all day & pees alot too so just want to do whats best.
I take one of my dogs to get acupuncture & last thing she says to do is Royal Canine or the rest of the prescription foods. Im not one to take meds myself unless its vitamins& supplements & want to avoid that in dogs too. I am only used to giant breed dogs & having 3 Saint Bernards & 2 lived to almost 12 & 13 & one i have still is 11. I feel I have done something right in their health & well being to live that long. I like to research everything & glad i came across this form. I appreciate all the help & concerns. I have only her best interest at heart. I plan on getting her regular xrays to make sure shes not getting stones again. but hoped to be able to do something daily to help prevent. Maybe someone reading this had the same problem & found a good answer. Ive been told by several people whos dog had stones, to feed wet food mainly in which I have done since rescued her. Thanks

[Brenda T]

All these different brands of dogfood sound wonderful but checking out the prices, I cannot afford any of them, especially if trial and error is involved. What if I cooked beef liver or chicken thighs…. perhaps throw in green beans or broccoli? I’ve been mixing in plain yogurt with his regular food (I mix canned Alpo sliced beef with either Alpo dry or Pedigree dry). It’s pretty obvious that store brand are not the best but it’s what I can afford for my yeasty dog. Antifugal shampoo is the best? I know oatmeal only feeds the yeast so I won’t use that. I need to find a new vet as the one I am using has not been very helpful.

[Thaylia S]

Good evening, Mike!

Please consider adding Nature’s Logic to your list of Editor’s Choice foods. I have a 12-year-old female Samoyed who has had problems with food allergies for the past several years, and when I changed her food to Nature’s Logic at the suggestion of the good folks at our local holistic pet food store, Brookside Barkery and Bath, in Kansas City, MO, her skin has cleared up beautifully!

I feed both the canned and dry formulas to my two babies, and they love it! It is a little pricy, but so worth it in my opinion. As I tell my friends who say they would NEVER pay more than $XX for a bag of dog food, I would rather pay up front for the best nutrition I can find for my critters than pay later at the vet!

Thank you for your consideration of my suggestion for your list. 🙂

[anonymously]

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 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.
Did you check the search engine here /forums/search/bladder+stones/
I don’t necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed.
Some info at this site you may find helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bladder+stones

[Z B]

Up until a few months ago HEB carried a grain free canned store brand called DaLeash, rated 5 star here on DFA:
/dog-food-reviews/daleash-dog-food/

DaLeash Chicken & Veggies CANNED:
Ingredients: Chicken, beef broth, chicken broth, liver, beef, dried egg whites, dried egg product, potatoes, potato starch, carrots, peas, natural flavor, flaxseed meal, dried beet pulp, salt, guar gum, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, sodium carbonate, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide), choline chloride

When DaLeash was discontinued, Heritage Ranch showed up on the shelves at HEB. Seems pretty much the same recipe:

Heritage Ranch Chicken and Veggies CANNED
Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Broth, Beef Broth, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Whites, Potato Starch, Dried Egg Product, Carrots, Peas, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Salt, Guar Gum, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Carbonate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, D‑Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide), Choline Chloride.

I used DaLeash regularly in my rotation until it was discontinued, now using Heritage Ranch. Canned versions only, so I can’t comment on the dry. The price is good at $1 a can, less if you buy the 12 pack. No complaints here. I feed a combo of homemade and rotate affordable canned foods like this one, Pure Balance and 4Health.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Z B.