[Allison C]

I noticed that some dog food nowadays infuse th kibble content with freeze-dried raw bits (e.g.Merrick Backcountry). Petco employee says that freeze dried bits are more nutrition packed therefore better than dry kibbles (please correct me if I’m wrong). I googled it to find more info, but those were just too broad and ambiguous.

My dogs are notoriously picky and slow eaters that if they sense that something is mixed within their food, they would spit them out or eat around the “foreign”. For instance, Blue Buffalos don’t work for us because my dogs don’t eat lifesource bits. Or sometimes when my dogs refuse to eat, I mix in blue buffalo wilderness biscuits (the ones with 30% protein) in their bowl but again, my dogs would only pick those out and leave the kibbles. So if I decide to buy this, I’m unsure whether my dogs would eat around the bits or eat those exclusively. But if the raw bits are better, I don’t mind feeding my dogs 100% freeze dried raw bits.

So my questions are

1. Are freeze-dried raw bits better than high quality dry kibble? Better how?
2. Are they easily digestible for older dogs?
3. In general, do they taste better? Will the dogs like them? (has anyone tasted it? I know I taste dog food all the time…)

[Madelon H]

Hi have a 1 1/2 year old GSD diagnosed with EPI in May. He has been having yeast and bacterial skin issues ever since. I’m looking for a recommendation for a dry dog food that is grain free with fiber of around 3% and LOW carbohydrate – does anyone have any suggestions?

[martha F]

Thank you for recognizing that we certainly have different perspectives on budget friendly. In the grand scheme of things, there is a range of prices on dry kibble, it would be helpful to know in what range recommendations fall. Food that is only available at pet stores, or online, do not fall into my “budget friendly” category, as I live in a rural area where we only have co-ops and livestock feed stores to choose from, shipping would not be affordable. The tons of feed being sold locally are marketed to hunters/working dog owners, feeding large numbers of dogs; they are looking for “budget friendly” products. (< $.60/lb).

[Harley R]

hello everyone who knows anything one this-
I am sure you have said this many times but I would just like to be sure
I have a Great Dane Weimaraner cross who is only 13 days old. I have been bottle feeding him since he was 4 days. He is now drinking between 1.5 to 2 oz every 3 to 4 hours.
I do not know if that is info you need or helps in anyway but I have done lots of research as to what to feed him when he gets to eating dry food and i keep ending up with two different views on if one thing is good for them and if it is not good for him.
From what i can tell you know your stuff on dogs and I am interested to know what feed would be best for him.
We would also give him fresh meat every week and and in can food.
So with that what dry and canned food do you suggest for him.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Harley R.

[C4D]

I feed a lot of different canned foods. I think wellness has a good dry food but I don’t use their canned often because they use meals in their canned food. While I understand it being used in dry food, I don’t want it in canned food.

[anonymously]

Call your local shelter, maybe they can mix it with the cheap stuff and the dogs will be able to tolerate it.
You may be able to consider it a donation.

PS: My senior likes Newman’s Organic beef and liver canned, mixed with watered down dry food. If I give him only canned, he gets runny stools.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by anonymously.

[Karen D]

Hi all, new here so here goes, Pnut is 13 yrs 8 months old, Cocker spaniel. She has eaten Newmans Own dry & canned most of her life. After a bout with bloody diarrhea & trips to vet for Sulfa pills & Flagyl I decided to try a better dry food & after many days of searching online I decided on Honest Kitchen Keen, this was in August. I went through (2) 4 # boxes, Pnut loved it mixed in gradually with her canned Newmans Own Turkey & Rice…..so I decided since all was well to order the 10# box of Keen, everything was fine. The end of October I ordered another 10# box but before I could open it Pnut developed diarrhea again, tho no blood, after 4 days I took her to Vet who questioned her food. A few days of Metronidazole & no Honest Kitchen & she was fine again. Well after 10 days of good poops I mixed 1/4 cup HK with water & added it to a can of Newmans, 2 days later the diarrhea started again. Anyone know why? I thought HK was one of the best, now I’m stuck with 12 #s of it. TIA

[C C]

Just like human health food that is just not as tasty as “junk food”, has anyone evaluated palatability of dog “health foods”. It seems like the higher the quality of the dry food, the less my dogs like to eat it.

[Susan]

Hi Jo, was Bandit on the Royal Canine S/O since 2012 after he had the first lot of Struvite Crystals removed???
Patches Struvite Crystals all dissolved when he ate the Royal Canine S/O Urinary wet & dry for just 6 weeks…….there must be something in the Royal Canine S/O Urinary kibble & wet tin food that breaks down the crystals & they wee the broken down crystals out…. I never kept Patch on the Royal Canine S/O Urinary after his crystals were dissolved…
I would feed the Royal Canine S/O wet tin food instead of the kibble for 6 weeks & that will dissolve the crystals he has then try & find a healthier diet for Bandit…..there are
healthier diets then the Royal Canine S/O vet diet….. Have you thought of contacting an Nutritionist to prepare a diet for Bandit? normally the Oncologist refers you to a Nutritionist….

[C4D]

Hi Ruth Anne G,

You could try a different protein source other than chicken, there are many. At this point, before the vet check, anything that he will eat and stop the diarrhea is fine. He might have a chicken intolerance, but until the parasite check comes out clean, you just won’t know. Make sure that the vet sends it out to a lab, vs an inhouse fecal float. That’s the best way (and it still has it’s flaws) to find possible parasite infection. I’ve been through those before and it’s not pretty.

Caesar’s puppy is really not a great deal, there are many others that are priced the same or better with far better ingredients. Susan is absolutely right about the ingredients. Here are the ingredients I found on Caesar’s website. It actually contains an unidentified meat by product, chicken, and unidentified animal liver before the lamb, so it might be more stress diarrhea than chicken issue:

Ingredients: MEAT BY-PRODUCT, SUFFICIENT WATER FOR PROCESSING, CHICKEN, ANIMAL LIVER, LAMB, RICE, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCTS, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSHPHATE, FISH OIL, CARRAGEENAN, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, DRIED YAM, ADDED COLOR, XANTHAN GUM, MAGNESIUM PROTEINATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, ERYTHORBIC ACID, DL-METHIONINE, GUAR GUM, SUGAR, ZINC SULFATE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, BIOTIN, POTASSIUM IODIDE, COPPER SULFATE, YELLOW #6, SODIUM NITRITE (FOR COLOR RETENTION), D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, YELLOW #5, MANGANESE SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT

Let us know how he does at the vet and we will be more than happy to help. I agree with Anonymously on possibly holding off on the vaccines until the diarrhea is contolled, but your vet can decide. I would personally give it a few days, but that’s IMO! 🙂

Red, kibble soaked in water is just kibble soaked in water. The only thing that’s similar with wet food is there is more water in it than dry kibble. It is still a highly processed product, even more processed than canned. The water is better than dry, but canned or fresh is still less processed and better than kibble.

[anonymously]

Regarding food intolerances:
excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems.

Check the search engine here /forums/search/allergies/

Also, if the dog is still sick tomorrow, you may want to ask the vet about postponing vaccinations until he is medically stable.

Down the road if the allergy symptoms continue, the best choice would be to see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, if one is available near you (here is a list: http://www.acvd.org/).
Don’t be fooled by mail-in saliva and hair tests, I have heard they are unreliable.

PS: Any kibble soaked in water overnight is like wet food, especially if you mix something tasty in it. Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry and canned has no grains, no potato, no chicken or egg. See Chewy. com for price comparison.

[Ruth Anne G]

Hi have a lab and collie mix who is 3 months. We just got him on Friday. We tried dry kibble but he wouldn’t eat it. He’s had diarrhea (on meds now). We did a parvo test and it was negative. At the moment he’s been eating chicken and rice. I want to make homemade food for him. I’ve heard too many commercial dog foods getting recalled. Does anyone have any advice on what to feed my puppy?

Thanks in advance

Ruth Anne

[anonymously]

My small breed dogs do well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea (canned and dry), I soak my senior’s kibble in water overnight, plus add a splash of water. I use Newman Organics canned also, I have tried their kibble, one dog does well on it.
What foods did your vet recommend? Do your dogs have any specific problems?

[Christa P]

My vet gave me a list of recommended foods. But none of these foods show up on the best foods list! I need something with a high water content. I want to give both wet and dry food. I am so confused after reading everything. I have 3 small breed dogs. Help! Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi Saurav, when I rescued my boy, he was weeing blood, he was desexed then had an Ultra Scan & the vet saw crystals, he was put on Antibiotic & the Royal Canine Vet diet S/O Urinary wet tin & dry food for 6 weeks, he ate the S/O Dry Kibble for breakfast & the S/O wet tin for dinner…. he wasn’t allowed to eat anything except the Royal Canine S/O Urinary diet, then after 6 weeks, he had another ultra scan & all the crystals had dissolved so vet said I can stop feeding the Royal Canine S/O Urinary food & feed a normal diet….. see a vet….

[crazy4cats]

Hi Pamela-
That website has been brought up on this website previously. It’s nice to hear that someone in the field recommends it as well! I do have a hyper-t Kitty and have her blood checked every six to nine months. I’ve also switched my dry food addict to mostly canned as well. Thanks for the tips!

[JB P]

Has anyone fed this non-GMO dry dog food?
A friend and stable owner uses Equine Renew Gold and recommends it.

Thanks, JB

[Pamela D]

In response to the many cat owners who are searching for a good website that discusses feline nutrition let me make the recommendation of catinfo.org that website is excellent. Having worked at an all cat hospital for nearly 8 years, I can tell you that is the website our feline vets as well as feline veterinarians from other feline exclusive hospitals recommended to clients. When searching for a good cat food it is important to pay attention to carbohydrates most dry foods are loaded with carbs which cats are not able to process like humans and dogs and other species. The website mentioned above has two great articles one on feline nutrition: The basics, and another one which is titled the carnivore connection. Anyone who is concerned about their cats diet should read both articles thoroughly. You will learn why it is so very important to put your cat on wet food and there is an article that will help you to transition your cat to wet food. I had three dry food junkies and managed to successfully transition all three of them over to wet food it took me a few monthsbut I finally did it. Again that website is Catinfo.org let me add that your not so best can food is more than likely much better than your most expensive premium dry food. One more thing, try to stay away from fish and beef and stick with anything that has feathers as in poultry. Some cats cannot tolerate fish and beef and will vomit. Also for those of you with hyper–T cats, Make sure your vet is closely monitoring your cats renal function. Sometimes hyperthyroidism will mask renal disease, and try to find a vet that will check your cats blood pressure as well.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Pamela D.

[dan g]

Hi & welcome. Its quite a difficult balance at times, trying to do the right thing for my best friend & feeling good about what i have done. Best to study & know what might be best for your dog. This is only one man’s opinion/experience.
With the insurgence of grain free (more protein) foods also comes an increase of kidney failure at vets. So far, they still debate the cause as high protein or phospherus. Our Vito is now on a low protien diet with regular blood tests to monitor. Prescription Hills Science Diet is far from cheap. This also led to the most studied yet still least understood phenomena in the canine world of him eating his own poop. He seems to be pretty picky but……jeeze. Speculation is that he is craving protein & doesnt know where else to get it.
Our Ginger has occassional bouts of bacterial imbalance in her colon. Gives a whole new meaning to “blow it out your ………” Worse when i was making her food so we have comitted to commercial brands. I use this site regularly & stick to 4+.
For dry we use Chicken Soup as she seems to like it & of course makes us feel good. They just came out with a smaller kibble we all like. We mix half a can with dry X2 daily for main feedings. Usually canned is Merrick Classic (which is getting way too pricey lately), Nutro products, Chicken Soup & some in between. Currently shopping for & trying different brands. Remember to slowly introduce new foods to avoid digestive issues with negative or unpleasant outcomes, pun intended. Mix the last of previous dry with some of the new.
Roughly once a week we give Vito & Ginger a can of grain free with a little dry & it seems to satisfy protein cravings somewhat.
Remember what goes in comes out & must be monitored. Crappy job but someones gotta do it. Good luck & wishing longevity to your baby.
Dan g & Laura.

[anonymously]

The best choice would be to see a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, if one is available near you (here is a list: http://www.acvd.org/).

Most dermatologists will not skin test for allergies until the dog has been exhibiting symptoms for 1 year/4 seasons without any significant periods of relief. There are also other treatment options that a specialist could offer.

A summary of treatments for canine atopy:

Evidence-Based Canine Allergy Treatment

And here is a recent update:

Evidence Update- Evidence-based Canine Allergy Treatment

More info here:
http://www.2ndchance.info/allergytesting.htm
Skin tests to determine what your pet might be allergic to are considerably more accurate, on the whole, than blood tests. However, they are not 100% accurate either. To have them performed, you will need to locate a board certified veterinary dermatologist

excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems.

via search engine here: /forums/search/allergies/

Another site you may find helpful http://www.allergydogcentral.com/category/symptoms/

PS: Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea (dry and canned) is grain/potato free, check Chewy. com for price comparison.

[aimee]

Hi Dawn,

So sorry to hear that your dog recently needed surgery for stones. Were the stones really in the kidneys or were they in the bladder?

From what I’ve read preventing recurrence is difficult. The vet diets have some backing behind them regarding establishing parameters to prevent formation where as a lot of this type of information isn’t available for foods you’d purchase on your own.

If faced with this situation I’d be devoting a lot of my time on monitoring what is coming out of my dog in addition to what is going in. It seems all are in agreement that “dilution is the solution to pollution” in other words water water and more water. I’d want my dog consuming a lot of water which means moist food or if feeding dry I’d be adding a lot of water to it. But again what is most important is what is coming out. To that end I’d buy myself a refractometer so I could catch urine and monitor the concentration at home. I’d also invest in a pH meter to monitor that aspect as well. Having your vet spin down a fresh ie still “warm from the dog” sample and then looking for crystals is another piece of information.

Frequent rechecks and x ray screening can identify reformation when the stones are still small and then may be able to be recovered without surgery.

If you don’t want to use the vet food there are home cooking options through balance it dot com and you could ask your vet what to look for in a store bought food. I’d think you’d want to avoid high oxalate ingredients, and use a food whose calcium level is close to AAFCO minimum( 0.6% DM) That can be a bit tricky as companies may not monitor this closely hence the vet diets. Vit D levels should be controlled as well. Vit C is metabolized to oxalate so avoid that. Protein amount is tricky it may depend on the amino acid profile as I think certain amino acids are metabolized to oxalate. You will likely need to call the company of any food you are considering and ask what is the average urine pH the diet produces and get a nutrient profile. Larger companies are more likely to have the information and type of quality control you’d need over small companies.

Best of Luck

[Cathy F]

Hello

My son thinks nothing about spending £40-£50 on a 15kg-17kg sack top end dry food for is dogs. I have always feed my dogs pedigree chum. But since i was given one of my son’s dogs puppy’s it got me thinking about the nutrition and supplements more.

I’m feed up of reading reviews some saying the product is good only to read on another website the product is rubbish.

Budgeting between £15-£20 for a 15kg-17kg sack. What makes would fit into this area in regards getting the best quality ingredients for your buck?

Thanks

[Ken Y]

Hello Everyone,

As the title reads, I am currently having a diarrhea with bright colored blood, which has been on and off twice now for about 2weeks. This is my first post and I read a few other posts on here about my dog’s current condition, but didn’t find exactly what I was looking for.

I have a 5yo Male Boston Terrier named ‘Hammond’ who was brought up on Taste of The Wild (Fowl Mix) dry kibble. He is my dog, but my father has grown quite fond of him and takes him during the work week and I get him on the weekends. He has been allergy tested due to an ongoing itchy skin condition since he was 1yo and tested positive to an abundance of substances. The main allergens consist of beef, venison, milk, dust mites and certain grass. I recently read an article that seemed to indicate that his skin condition may be a result of a yeast infection and have since switched his diet to a carb free raw diet.

He has been on a raw organic, no additive, low sodium chicken drumstick and thigh diet for about 4-5months now. He was about 28lbs before the raw diet and has since slimmed down to about 25lbs. His calculated serving size totals to be about 1.25lbs a day. I have found a prefered brand I like at a local grocery store and my father has been feeding him an organic brand from Costco with similar listings. He was perfectly fine with the switch with only one or two incidents, which involved bile throw up since the switch until recently. He has had about 2 separate incidents this past 2 weeks involving diarrhea and bright red blood spots. I took the appropriate steps and fasted him for a full day and gave him some rice and boiled chicken to see if symptoms improved and then went back to the drumsticks and thighs. Everything seemed fine for a few days, with the exception of softer stool than usual, but just yesterday, my father told me the diarrhea and blood was back.

We are taking him to the vet this Sat, but I’m more than positive that the Dr. is going to tell us to switch back to a reg dry kibble dog food as most vets don’t approve of raw diets.

Both diarrhea incidents happened when my father had him, feeding him the Costco organic chicken. Is it possible that maybe he got a bad batch of chicken? I have ordered a supply of the ‘Premeasured service’, chicken necks and green tripe from Reel Raw as recommended from this site and it will be arriving today. I made sure to list his allergens in the ground mix.

Should I stop with the raw?..

Thank you for the long read and any advise is appreciated.

[Kaci G]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 10 month old coonhound/Rottweiler mix with a problem. Up until last week we had him on Blue Buffalo’s puppy dry food and he was eating fine. He’s very high energy and it’s hard for him to focus on anything for long so eating can be challenging but after a recent vet visit where the vet advised me that he’s underweight and needs to gain weight, he’s stopped eating his food. Now, he’s only eating his brother’s food and treats, which is an adult salmon/sweet potato dry food. Of course, this food is not what he needs to gain weight. I was thinking about maybe trying a puppy wet/dry food mix? He definitely has a sensitive stomach, he can’t eat too much or he throws up. I was wondering if anyone might have any recommendations for a good wet food, I’ve never had a dog on wet food before, let alone one with a sensitive stomach. Thank you for any suggestions!

[Pitlove]

Regarding breed specific foods- Even the nutritionists at Hill’s (Science Diet) state on their site, that breed specific foods are nothing more than clever marketing. Aside from oddly shaped kibbles, I wouldn’t say there is anything tailored to a yorkie in the RC Yorkshire Terrier formula.

I feel a mixture of canned and dry is good.

I wouldn’t worry about kidney damage from one grape. The dose makes the poison.

Allergen free is a relative term, since you aren’t sure if she is reacting to something or what it is. Some foods are marketed at “hypoallergenic”, however they are only “hypoallergenic” to your dog if they don’t contain any of the ingredients your dog reacts to. A couple foods that my dog thinks are tasty(he’s picky) are Fromm and NutriSource. I will agree with Marie about the constant switching though. I switched my dogs food every 5lb bag and it made him more picky.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Pitlove.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Michelle,
No proof just my opinion that breed specific food is just a sales pitch. All dogs are different in a specific breed. Blue Buffalo has had it’s share of problems; I wouldn’t feed it. If you do a google search for Dr. Karen Beckers video on the best food, you’ll see that she feels a high quality wet food (canned, raw, dehydrated) is better than dry. Dry food is dehydrating to dogs (according to her). If you must feed dry, at least add warm water to it and/or canned.
I doubt one grape will cause any kidney problems. Don’t bother talking dog food with your vet unless it’s a holistic vet or nutritionist. They get very little nutrition education in vet school.
Why do you think she has a skin allergy? Pick a food and stick with it. If you keep changing foods because you think she doesn’t like it, you’re going to create a picky eater. Switching foods often is a great thing to do but leave her on one food for a bag, or more, then transition to something else.

[Gracee Sunshine Alexiss]

I want to first apologize for my previous 2 posts as I think I should have posted them in a different part of the forum. Thank you for being patient and and answering my questions anyway. ok are breed specific brands such as royal canin any better than Blue Buffalo? and is a dry kibble better than wet? or should there be a combinatio? anyway I think she may have a skin allergy Im still investigating that. If you read my previous post you read that I gave my 8 week old a grape that she ate a pretty good part of and played with the rest for an hour or so to find out a month later to my absolute horror that they are quite toxic. I mention that as I am worried about kidney damage but have yet to make a move concerning that because of personal issues right now. She was also fed an adult type dog food not sure what kind I havent been able to contact my aunt as she is on vacation. I transitioned her the best I could to Wellness Tru Food she didnt seem to like it too much especially the little yellow pieces avoiding them completely but she is now coming close to the end of the bag and i want to gradually get her on a food that is allergen free and tasty. I feed her grilled chicken with her food every now and then and sometime for reward when training. She gets hiccups fequently but they subside quickly and doesnt seem to cause her any discomfort. Sooo taking all this into consideration….any suggestions and recommendations are greatly appreciated. I am going to ask about food from my vet but i would appreciate experienced suggestions as well. thank you to all who take the time to read my endless and frequent posts. you are greatly appreciated. thank you again,
Michelle and Gracee (my sunshine)

[Pitlove]

No problem. Here what chewy.com has for their selection of LID foods. This might give you some ideas

http://www.chewy.com/dog/dry-food-294/limited-ingredient-diet

[Fiona Z]

Thanks so much those chew things look good! For some reason I’ve always been wary of the Hills line.. Have no idea why.. Is it really expensive or had bad reviews in the 90s. Do you also do fish oil and coconut oil or just the chews and the dry food?

[Fiona Z]

I had my black lab on this for a month. She is 7 and in great shape. I thought it was a good idea and she was already on pro plan. I thought I noticed a difference in her energy levels and thought she was more alert. Precious lazy lab! Then after two weeks unbearable scratching and horrendous gas!two weeks of it and took her to the vet he said she was allergic to something and have her different antihistamine (I’d tried Zyrtec and Benedryl and it usually works) anyway long story shorter… She was better within the day and no gas! I went on the forum and read all about the ingredients and changed her food to a Blue brand basics. I didn’t like how we eat whole foods and I had her eating this long list! So my question for you guys is what can I add to her food myself? That would mimic the bright minds idea?
Sorry if there are typos I’m on my phone and the screen isn’t letting me edit. Thanks Fiona!

[zuponicafe]

Hi Debbie.
I have a 10 m/o medium/large mixed breed and after my initial puppy paranoia I decided to feed him a variation of different brands wet & dry.
I find great deals on some really decent food and it has helped to keep things w/in reason on food costs. Luckily he doesn’t have allergies so I’ve not had to worry there and his tolerance to switching has been fantastic.
I might add there are a lot of different pet food suppliers nearby, so I can kinda shop around which is great for finding deals.

[Ginette M]

Hi everyone, I have a 6 year old Morkipoo with lots of allergies and I’ve had a hard time finding food for her. She allergic to corn, carrots,potatoes,peas,barley and duck and that’s just the foods allergies.
Does anyone have any suggestion for a good dry dog food for her.

Thanks

[michael r]

I have a senior English mastiff (170 lbs) whose kidneys are starting to decline. Have been feeding Chicken Soup for the Dogs Soul Adult for several years. Can you recommend a dry and wet dog food that has protein 26% range and low phosphorus.

[Tom P]

My 11 year old mini dachshund has been fed Orijen for her whole life, with no problems whatsoever. A month or two ago she began having really bad diarrhea. Over the course of 3 weeks we took her to an emergency vet 3 times, and each time they gave us some antibiotics and plain wet food. Although it helped, her poop was still not back to normal. Throughout all of this my dog was acting perfectly fine, no change in energy or behavior, just diarrhea.

I was finally able to make it in to my normal vet, who explained to me that, as weird as it seemed, a dogs system can indeed change pretty radically in a short period of time, so it isn’t super unusual that a food which she had been fine with for years and years would suddenly upset her stomach. She prescribed me Hill’s dry kibble for sensitive stomachs and another round of antibiotics.

The antibiotics finished up long ago and she’s been eating Hill’s ever since. Her poop still is not back to the way it was, it’s definitely goopier and softer than it used to be, but whatever. However, I just don’t feel right going from a super high quality food like Orijen to Hill’s. Besides the nutritional content, Orijen is just more reliable in terms of not having to worry about recalls, etc.

Is there a high quality, more reliable brand that makes kibble for sensitive stomachs, prescription or otherwise? Am I worrying too much over nothing?

[Rebecca L]

Is Blue Buffalo dry or canned food any good?

Rebecca L.
Member
rebecca.lambert48@yahoo.com

[Alex p]

I think Beneful Dry Dog Food, Healthy Weight, is the closest food to Simply Nourish Canned Dog Food.

[Susan]

Hi Michelle, my vet told me, when a dog is itchy around the lower back & top of tail area it’s normally fleas, check that she doesn’t have that one flea, some dogs are allergic to the fleas salvia, one bite & they go nuts with scratching & scratching, like my boy does….
I bath him in Malasab Medicated shampoo, weekly when spring & Summer come the Malaseb relieves their itchy skin, kills any bacteria & leaves them feeling beautiful & soft then I use the Paws Nutriderm Replenishing conditioner…. its Oatmeal & Ceramides for dry itchy skin…
For fleas I use the Frontline spot on, then about 2 days later I use the frontline spray, my vet recommended the frontline spray she said she has found work the best if you don’t want to use tablets….Patch suffers with IBD & Skin Allergies & had a reaction to the Advantage spot on, spewing blood, side of face & ear swelled up, it was awful…..the Advantage goes thru to the blood where Frontline only penetrates a couple of layers of the skin, I just bought the small bottle of Frontline & you put on a glove & spray around the tail area, back legs & front legs, I have problems when walking thru the park & fleas will jump on my boys legs then he brings home 1 hitch hiker (Flea) & starts going nuts rubbing his lower back up & down the walls, rolling on the carpet…I have found the frontline spray to work really well…… http://www.frontlineplus.com.au/Howtouse/Pages/how-to-use.aspx

A few ladies at the dog park all use Comfortis tablets, I don’t use on Patch cause he has IBD & I don’t like giving him any pills but I was using the Comfortis on my cat & the cat stopped bring home the fleas, the ladies at the dog park swear by Comfortis they said they were giving the 1 monthly tablet for 3 months then they noticed they didn’t have to keep giving the monthly tablet & stopped over winter & Autumn months, the fleas stayed away, but you must know your dogs proper weight & only give 1/2 tablet with food breakfast at first & then watch your dog for 1 hour just incase they vomit the pill back up, then if your dogs is OK, then you give the other 1/2 tablet with their dinner…If your dog does vomit up the 1/2 tablet the vet told me to come back & Comfortis give you another tablet this was for my cat the first time I tried it on my cat didn’t vomit….

When Patch is trying to scratch around his tail & rubbing up & down the walls cause a flea as bitten him, if I have the time I bath him in his Malaseb shampoo so the fleas get off him, but if I haven’t the time to bath him then I use some Sudocrem to relieve his itch its for Nappy Rash, Dermatitis, Eczema, Sudocrem is excellent as a stop itch cream, even Aloe Vera cream is also good to quickly relieve the itch..

Antiseptic Healing Cream

Also once fleas bite your dog, your dog will get tapeworms again, tapeworms are from fleas… so I wait about 2 weeks then I give Patch an Allwormer, I have found Milbemax is a milder allwormer & doesn’t upset Patches stomach & bowel like the other allwormers do…..Once you control the fleas you’ll stop the itch & stop the tapeworms…

[Gracee Sunshine Alexiss]

I got my baby yorkie Gracee at 8 weeks she was on purina super cheap adult dry dog food don’t even know how she chewed it. Changed gradually to Wellness trufood. She has received 2 sets of shots and due for the 3rd tomorrow. She’s on Revolution for flea conyrol, heartworm prevention. She had tapeworms but finally got rid of those completely nasty things eeeyyyukkk ! For the last 3 weeks she is so itchy I scratch her all the time around her hiney especially I check for fecal matter and sometimes there’s a bit so I remove it of course she also seems to be itchy around her armpit area where her hair seems to be kinda thining. But when we are training she is always stopping and tending to her rear area I always check where she is tending seems to be her little nub and the backs of her little legs. Please help me find some relief for my little darling I just love her so much and it breaks my heart to see her so uncomfortable. I did try to add some coconut oil but was unsure of the amount and frequency and I had concerns of her lipids going of the charts. Thank you for obliging my super long post. I tried to find some answers before my post by I have to go to work and I’m impatient I guess. Any and all suggest are welcomed. I would also appreciate a #1 food for complete nutrition and weight control. Thanks everyone for your valuable time.
Gracee ‘ s Momma

[anonymously]

I lost a corgi to cancer too, at 9 years. I’m thinking that there may be a genetic link, like with German shepherds and golden retrievers.
Anyway, I used to feed her about 1/2 cup of Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry, but I would add a lump of chopped up chicken breast (cooked) or lean meat. Chopped up broiled chicken liver is good too. I fed her this twice a day.
You can add water to the cooked chicken and blend it with a smoothie wand, so that it is like lumpy thick gravy and put a tablespoon over her dry. You can soak the dry in the fridg overnight in water to soften.
She loved food and had a tendency to put weight on easily, but 3 to 5 mile walks daily seemed to keep her weight stable.
Brush her teeth every evening (YouTube has excellent how to videos).

PS: I get the chicken breast, lean meat at the reduced section of my local market, freeze then cook. I have been doing this for a long time and haven’t had any problems. Chicken livers are cheap, and you only add a little. Plus you can divide up and freeze.
If you weigh the dog once a week you will be able to see if she is gaining and decrease the amount. Get on the scale weigh yourself, then get back on the scale while you are holding her, then deduct your weight from the number you get 🙂 Do this before the first meal of the day.

[Katherine O]

Hi,
I lost my corgi of 5 years this summer to cancer and was ready for another dog this month and adopted a 7 year old (they think) corgi mix. He had some teeth issues that resulted in all of his upper back molars being pulled. I am currently feeding him the food the rescue fed him (Nature’s Recipe) softened, but he doesn’t seem very excited about it. He also gets ~2tbps of canned food (pedigree, which I plan on changing) at dinner.

I fed my corgi ~3/4 – 1 cup of Wellness core/day + dental stick and he maintained ~33/34 pounds (he was larger than breed standard). My current dog (26/27 pounds) was being fed 1 cup/day + 2 tbsp wet food + 1 milkbone (which I haven’t been feeding him). I am looking for suggestions on dry food that does well when softened and how much to feed with the minor addition of the wet food.

According to the calculator, my corgi should have been fed 2 cups/day. My parents dogs are fat because they feed them too much and I don’t want that to happen to my new dog.

Right now it is hard to tell if my new dog is not interested in the food due to dislike of how it tastes when it is softened or if his teeth are hurting (vet had me stop painkillers due to adverse reaction). He always gobbles up the wet food, but I have no idea how much wet food to feed and if that amount would be cost prohibitive.

[Samantha P]

Thanks anonymously – the research I have done suggests acute as this was her 1st experience with this but I am sure it won’t be her last. I will do everything in my power to help avoid another attack if we can just get her better this time. Her white blood cell count was a little high yesterday so they have now started her on antibiotics, she was put back on her fluid IV yesterday morning and they gave her some nutrical for energy and some meds to help reduce acid in her stomach. Waiting to hear from them this morning as we are getting close to another 24 hours on the IV – fingers crossed she hasn’t vomited anymore and that she is perking up a bit. It’s so hard to see her so weak and blah like she was yesterday.

Thanks for the help Susan – I just requested to join the group on Facebook, I need as much support as possible right now and that FB group seems like it would be so helpful! Thank you for that! We were feeding her boiled chicken breasts prior to Friday when we found out it was pancreatitis and she has been hospitalized since. She has always ate Taste of the Wild – the Lamb one and she loves it, she is a much bigger fan of dry dog food than wet so I thought it was possibly the issue and why she wouldn’t eat the Hills Monday night but since the vet said she chowed down the wet Hills ID the first time and her entire demeanor changed it was more than just her not liking the food 🙁

I am bringing her a diff blanket from home, one that smells like us and her brother who misses her like crazy. I truly hope she isn’t there until Saturday but if she is, we have planned to bring her brother in to help cheer her up. He has really began acting out at home so I know he is really missing her too. The vet closes around the same time I get off work, so it hasn’t given me much time to bring Rocco in but I do go see her on my lunch hour and then again right when I get off work until they close. We are also bringing her some of her normal food to see if she will start to take that down. The vet said they wouldn’t think we should switch from TOTW once she is better as the vet personally uses that for her dogs – but I am definitely open to all suggestions. I will see which Hills ID they are giving her now – I do know it doesn’t smell too great and looks pretty nasty. I was there Monday night and tried to see if she would eat while I was there with her but no interest at all. Thank you so much for your response – I am excited to get added to the group on FB, I need to hear some success stories to try and boost up my spirits so I can boost up hers!

[Pitlove]

The Primal rep that comes to my work a few Saturdays a month always throws samples of their freeze-dried at me for my cat and dog. Dog loves them, cat used to like them, but did not like the Chicken & Salmon variety I brought home recently. She won’t eat raw either. She eats around the Primal if I put it in with her canned. I am however feeding her Ziwipeak Lamb now for canned food and it’s got a lot of the organ meat and bone in it that raw has. That could be another option for you guys. Shes eating that for breakfast and Orijen dry for dinner.

[Susan]

Hi Samantha, go shops, buy some chicken breast or lean turkey breast mince lightly cook till its just cooked cause the chicken breast can go tuff if over cooked then cut up, I also add a bit of boiled sweet potatoes not much take to the vets & ask can this be feed instead of the vet diet, cause she isn’t eating…. the Hills I/D Gastro is still high in fat at 14% if its the Hills I/D Gastro the pink label there’s the Hills I/d Low Fat GI Restore & the fat is lower 8.5% find out which one she is eating… if your on Face Book join this group “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” these ladies will help you & your baby, what to ask vet, what are good low fat foods, no more kibble, as kibble is harder to digest she will need wet tin foods or cooked meals all low in fat also the fat on wet tin foods are higher then what the fat is on a bag of kibble, if the wet tin food says 5% fat on a tin, when converted to kibble fat that’s around 22% fat dry matter (Kibble)….
Hills Vet Diets convert all their Vet Diets they have already been done, but all the other vet diets aren’t convert or the pet shop foods…. so be careful & remember if you see 5% fat on a tin, its high you need 3%max fat & under in wet tin foods.. there’s the Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal she may eat that one… the fat is only 7% fat …..also visit her & take her brother, it will boost her spirits ….Good Luck

[C4D]

Hi Kevin R,

I give my dogs both coconut oil and fish oil. Fish oil is the common source of Omega 3, Poultry and eggs are a common source of Omega 6 and Coconut oil is a common source of medium chain fatty acids. They all have a useful purpose in the diet. I use fish oil to supplement my arthritic dog (but the others get some too) as it’s an anti-inflammatory, along with all of the other great properties.

Here are some links to help explain all of the various Omegas:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/85285-coconut-oil-omega3/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_9/features/Fish-Oil-Supplements-For-Dogs_20600-1.html

http://www.dogaware.com/articles/suppsoils.html

Red is correct regarding kibble. The long storage and oxydation after opening the bag are likely to destroy the EPA & DHA in the fish oil in dry dog food.

[anonymously]

Any fish oil that is in dry dog food mostly dissipates as soon as you open the bag (no matter the quality of the food). This was told to me by a dermatologist/specialist that treated my dog.

[AshDad]

Hello everyone, long time listener, first time caller.

We have a 4.5 month old GSD that may have a chicken allergy. He’s super itchy, even with the benedryl the doc put him on. I’ve been in search of and been researching to find a non-chicken large breed puppy food that looks acceptable, without much success. (Breeder had him on Royal Canin Maxi Puppy and Chicken Soup for the Dog Soul Large Breed Puppy. He has stayed on the RCMP, though we’re looking to move him off of that. He didn’t like the TOTW Puppy, just for the record)

Before I pull the rest of my hair out, I thought I’d ping the community. He’s about 52 pounds right now, with males from his parents generally being in the 115-140 range as adults. Any insight is appreciated…

AshDad

[jakes mom]

I have an 11 year old beagle mix. He did fine on the BJ’s food (dry). I’ve used it as part of his rotation diet in the past but now he gets mostly raw.

[zuponicafe]

yjessie~ I have a 10 m/o mixed breed who’s eventual adult size we were unsure of (still growing!) so I went for the foods that were w/in the limits of the large breed calcium guidelines. He’s lab/shep/husky/clown.
I have switched his foods around pretty regularly since we got him at 8 weeks, but always with an eye on the calcium & so far so good. And I swap his food around a lot. Dry & wet, different companies, different proteins.
There are occasions when he gets a squirty crap, but nothing note worthy. Like my husband says, that dog has better turds than I do.

[Christie]

My puppy and 6 year old have been on Whole Earth Farms Chicken and Turkey dry and wet for the past few months now (after switching from Ideal Balance puppy and adult dry foods). I’m not exactly thrilled at Merrick’s decision to partner up with Purina, despite the company’s saying that it won’t be changing the formula. For now. And since WEF is owned by Merrick, I really don’t want to support Purina by way of buying a Merrick product.

I’m not running out tomorrow to make a change…any change to the product will most likely take time if it happens. But I’m not fully invested in the brand and neither dog ‘loves’ the food. I’m really just biding my time until the puppy is old enough to eat adult food and I can switch both to an “Adult” quality food.

For now, I’m stuck with All Life Stages food. I saw in the ratings that Berkley & Jensen dry food is 4 stars. It’s the same price per pound as the WEF dry (BJs Chicken formula) and it has some really good reviews. Does anyone have experience with the brand? And I see that they also have a wet food line, but it isn’t rated here.

During a recent trip to the vet, the doc admonished me on choosing a ‘holistic brand’ because they typically lead to stool, hair and digestive issues. She told me that she only buys Royal Canin for her dogs and recommended that. The previous vet told me (when I was feeding my adult dog Blue Buffalo) that the BB was terrible and to feed my dog what he feeds his: Purina Pro Plan.

[Ptcbass]

My dog I just lost had horrible allergies. They were finally getting better after I switched her to Grandma Lucy’s Venison. Her face would get red and swollen, her paws red and sometimes she would break out in little bumps. During her bad break outs I would use aloe vera (natural from whole foods) and rub it on her face and all around her mouth. I would put coconut oil on the rest of her spots and sometimes I would use Vets Best Ear Relief. Unfortunately she did take benedryl every day. We tried Zyrtec but then we found out that with some when it is wearing off it can cause itching. Crazy that a allergy medicine can cause itching! Anyway best of luck with your pup. Oh and I sometimes used apple cider vinegar as a rinse after a bath.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Ptcbass.