I’m curious. I have a 90 pound mixed breed and a young 65 pound Shepard. Based on the reviews, I’ve had my dogs on Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe for Large Breed Dogs (dry food) and Newman’s Own Organic Beef/Liver Canned Food (1/2 can per dog per day mixed with dry food in the evenings). The 90 pounder was raised on it and has done well, and the Shepard also does well on it, although we’ve only had her for six weeks. I additionally had my older lab on it, however, he passed away about 3 months ago from bone marrow cancer. He did extremely well on it. Why are these still on the 5 star listing, but not the Editors Choice?
Her symptoms may or may not be food related.
Allergies tend to get worse with age. My dog does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea (dry and canned) check Chewy . com.
Although her allergies are environmental. My dog may also have some food sensitivities.
Check the search engine here (type in allergies), you may find some tips:
Intradermal Skin Tests http://www.allergydogcentral.com/2011/06/30/dog-allergy-testing-and-allergy-shots/
“An intradermal skin test involves the injection of a small amount of antigen into your dog’s skin. This procedure is most often performed by a veterinary dermatologist or pet allergy specialist”.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2011/09/integrating-myths-and-nonsense-with-standard-advice-for-allergic-pets/ (excerpt below)
Bottom Line
Allergies are a serious medical problem that causes a great deal of suffering for pets and their owners. Causes are complex and involve both genetic, developmental, and environmental factors, and symptoms tend to come and go unpredictably, which makes evaluating the effects of any particular intervention challenging. While there are many safe and effective therapies that can help manage allergy symptoms, there is no cure. Only complete avoidance of the antigens the individual is allergic to can eliminate symptoms entirely, and this is often not possible. No treatment that has any benefit is completely without risks, and the risks and benefits must always be carefully and rationally weighed.
Wow, I went to lunch and come back to lots of great info. Yes Shawna I also believe food is medicine. I went 2 years without healthcare and have successfully treated health issues with health food and supplements (Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and ginseng).
Anonymously – The prednisone come weeks before and then tiny stones were present (small enough to pass). Then she was on the prescription food for one week and developed acute pancreatitis. That is what killed her. The prednisone I am sure didn’t help her immune system and have read it can cause stones and isn’t good for the pancreas. Just a horrible situation all the way around and especially knowing that if I didn’t take her to the vet at all and just kept treating her myself with “healthy” stuff then she would more than likely still be with me today.
My other dog is a little over weight and gains easily. She is 9 years old, has a history of crystals and UTI’s and has a short nose and has trouble breathing sometimes so I can’t exercise her like I would like to. She is still otherwise healthy and still likes to play (what time she isn’t eating or sleeping LOL!).
I am looking into
Horizon Amicus Small & Mini Breed Senior & Weight Management Grain-Free Dry Dog Food and Annamaet Grain-Free Lean Low Fat Formula Dry Dog Food.
I like the Natures Logic but it isn’t grain free and has higher fat content (except for the fish). The calories are still ok thought which I really don’t get but have moved on.
Thanks again! This has been super hard and have never had to experience anything like this with any of my dogs in the past. Also, in the same week my mother in law had a stroke. Now I just want to help get her healthy and do what I can for my other furbaby.
Thanks for the support here!
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This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by
Ptcbass.
No, I suppose a simple Google search would reveal this information.
I just know that my dog’s specialist approves of both brands and my dogs do well on them. I recently tried Newman’s Dry Adult food, in-between Chewy deliveries….I noted the difference in quality right away. Although, I would still use it as a back-up.
Hi Ptcbass- Very sorry for your loss. I can’t say whether or not the rX food caused the loss of your pet. My cat was on Royal Canin SO for a UTI, but he died 2 years after I put him on it.
Zignature is an excellent dry kibble to look at. It’s certified low glycemic and grain and potato free. Primal Freeze Dried is an organic freeze dried raw food that might also meet your needs and for a small dog, wouldn’t be too expensive to feed.
http://www.zignature.com/product_range_dog_dry.html
Goat Milk <br> Select Variety
edit: as an aside, if she needs to drop a couple pounds, just feed for her ideal (target) weight and current activity level. She needs to burn more calories than she takes in to get back to a healthy weight.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by
Pitlove.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Pitlove.
Hi anonymously:
I am on the fence with Nutrisca due to their recall history at this time. It’s sold in my grocery store, very convenient, but I still hesitate. You often recommend Wysong and Nutrisca, do you know who manufactures Nutrisca dry and canned and if Wysong still uses Evanger’s to can their foods?
I agree, different foods work for different dogs; very important to keep in mind IMO! 😉
I am beginning to think my two-year-old black lab pit mix has a potato allergy. She has one ear that gets very dirty and smelly. She has been on Back to Basics Lamb and Potato as her main dry food (I supplement with other flavors). As we all know by now B2B is going to stop producing dog food by the end of the year so I have been researching other quality, limited ingredient foods. It is nearly impossible to find a dry food that does not contain potatoes.
Additionally, I believe she has a problem with berries. When we first got her we put her on Blue Wilderness grain-free which contained berries. She had very back digestive problems so we then switched her to B2B.
Has anyone had issues with both potatoes and berries? I am not putting my dogs on a raw diet so please do not suggest this.
Thanks!
What dry dog food does anyone feed for a dog with constant yeast? Someone recommended Taste of the wild pacific salmon. Is this food considered nutritionally complete and balances?
Hi, read the protein % & the fat % when buying a kibble I have to sick with kibble with 26% & lower for protein & 13% & lower for fat % fiber 4% for my boy or his poos are slop…
I don’t know how high the fat, protein & fiber is in the Victor dog food,
You need to get his stomach & bowel use to a protein around 24%, fat around 12% & fiber 4%… then when he’s doing real well slowly introduce a higher protein kibble,
Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain Free Salmon & Sweet Potato….the protein fat & fiber are good sold at Walmart……
http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/dog/dry-food/zero-grain-salmon-and-sweet-potato
or Wellness Complete Health….I’m feeding the White Fish & Sweet Potatoes it has no peas….
http://wellnesspetfood.com.au/dog-wellness/dry-recipes/#product_listed_2
If his diarrhea doesn’t clear up you will need to see a vet to get some Metronidazole a antibiotic for the bowel….
As far as dog food my choice is Acana dry
It can be found on chewy.com
But get that diarrhea under control first please
You can also try 1 table spoon of pepto bismol
Once in the am and once at night
But try the pumpkin and boiled chicken
Remove as much skin as you can
Let’s us know how your dog is doing 👍🐾🐾🐾🐾
I do have a concern, and I’ll have to follow some of the links for transitioning dry food addicts to canned, for Skeeter. Dougal, my Burmese, can’t consume very much canned food or he vomits. I’m talking a baby spoon-and-a-half, or he’ll vomit. Right now it’s not an issue as far as me being able to feed him small amounts throughout the day, but in about a year I’m hoping to be working again. So I’ll just give him small amounts throughout the day for now and slowly increase the amount of the feedings over time to see if he can handle it. I don’t know if it’s because he eats too fast or if it’s “rich” or a combination. I think because at this point it’s more of a treat is the reason, so he eats it too fast and then goes to see if Skeeter left anything in her bowl and eats that too quickly.
I’m not upset with my vet for putting them on the Royal Canin dry; after all, he’s not a nutritionist and he can’t be an expert in every subject. Ultimately it’s my responsibility as the meowmee to research and learn how to care for my furry babies.
I appreciate your posts and response and help!
Thanks!
D.
Hi Diane-
I sure hope the first ingredient isn’t chicken toe nail. RC food is way too expensive to be including those! Lol! I believe Royal Canin is a reputable company and should have decent ingredients. I fed the RC s/o dry for a while after a urinary blockage as well. If I remember correctly, this food helps manage crystals with low mineral levels and a little added salt to increase thirst. It is so important for indoor cats to get as much moisture in their diet to help the urinary tract flowing.
I have a similar crew at my house: Two big dogs that are brothers and four cats. Take a look at those links. Come back and share or ask questions. Welcome!
I didn’t know that canned food was better for cats than dry! I have my two adults on a prescription dry food (Royal Canin SO) at the advice of my vet (whom I absolutely love) because our female had some urinary problems a year or so back. I then discovered that male Burmese are especially prone to urinary tract problems. The vet/breeder I purchased my Burmese male from advised Royal Canin, but when I looked at their canned food ingredients the other day I saw that byproduct was the first ingredient. How do I know that the byproduct isn’t chicken toenail?
I’d be very interested to learn more about cat nutrition. I’m really glad I found this site and this forum. I just learned about it today when I went to a local TailSpin store. I’ll definitely follow the links in your post.
We now have three cats: Skeeter (she adopted us as a subatomic kitten at about 6 weeks old & is now 8 years old; Dougal, a Burmese I purchased from a vet/breeder who is now 5 years old, and just recently Pumpkin joined the family, another subatomic now 7-8 week old abandoned kitten). We also have two Boxers: Molly & Omar (brother & sister) who will be 8 yrs in January.
Come to think of it, my senior dog that has occasional anal gland issues does well on Wysong senior dry food, soaked in water overnight in the fridg. I have had him on canned, but a combo works best.
Another small breed of mine who has allergies and has had a positive response to immunotherapy, does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry as a base. Prior to her allergies being treated by a dermatologist, she had occasional anal gland issues. Issues appear to be resolved at present.
So, when the dust settles, ask your vet if he thinks these foods might be worth trying 🙂
PS: check Chewy .com for price comparison
Hi Trevor V,
I’m just curious, do you only feed one formula of the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost? There are several different proteins. As DF said, it could be an intolerance to a particular protein, or possibly something in the food that is causing a soft stool, if that’s the case. Stools that are too soft and/or loose or too small and dry can cause the anal gland issue, which is why I suggested adding pumpkin. You can add any type of fiber, as long as it works. It is highly possible that NV Instinct just doesn’t work for your dog. Just an FYI, the three foods recommended by your vets are all made by the 3 most common vet formulas. Hillspet, Purina and Royal Canin. I’m not saying use or don’t use, but that’s probably why those brands were recommended by your vet(s). It’s likely that’s what they’re most familiar with. It’s up to you to decide what works for your dog.
Red,
I’m not sure why you included the skeptvet links as neither of these links have any direct articles on anal gland issues. Your link on the “oops” comment leads to a search engine for DFA anal gland discussions rather than an actual discussion.
It seems that you simply like to discredit any alternative or natural methods other than what you believe in. I’m not sure if the “Dr. Google” reference was to me, but if it was…….I have spent many years owning and fostering a lot of dogs with many different conditions, including CCL, liver and kidney disease, every type of worm and parasite, broken teeth, and a host of other medical problems, too many to list. I’ve also dealt with a lot of personal and foster dogs with social issues as well, involving a lot of time with trainers. I’ve used MANY vets, both for my dogs and whatever vets are used by the various rescues. I think there is value to both the traditional and alternative methods of treatment. I’ve used both and have found that both have flaws and both have value. I’ve had vets completely misdiagnose a dog or be spot on and I’ve had natural and/or alternative methods cure in a much less toxic way or not work. There is room for both.
Hey all,
I’m new to the forum and I need some help. We’ve been feeding our dog (Schnauzer/Powderpuff Cross) Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost (Dry) for about a year now. She has some anal gland problems and our vet has recommended we change her food and that a food that is too high in protein may not be good for her. She has recommended Hills Ideal BAlance, Purina Pro Plan, or Royal Canin. They don’t sell any of these brands, so I don’t believe she’s recommending them for financial reasons. These foods all rate MUCH lower on your site than what we’re currently feeding her.
Can anyone help me parse this out? 2 different vets have both said those 3 are all good foods and that our dog would do well on them but this site rates them all poorly. I don’t think that either this site or the vets are trying to mislead us so I’m confused as to what to do.
Hi everyone, would love your opinion and/or experience on this topic.
I have a 6-month old Golden Retriever. She is adorable and the joy of my life. When she was younger (2-4 months) she had chronic diarrhea. I always had to “reset” her stomach with boiled super lean ground turkey or chicken, brown rice cooked to mush, a scoop of pumpkin and a teaspoon of probiotic powder. That always did the trick. After everything returns to normal, I would introduce dry food. After many brands, I’ve found a mixture that seems to work. I am currently feeding 20% Orijen Regional Red and 80% FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish, and she’s doing quite well on it. We haven’t had a diarrhea episode yet.
What is your view on mixing food? I want to make sure she is getting the nutrition she needs, and that it is also tasty. Thank you!
I don’t know about anyone else, but as I begin to read the evaluation of one of the 5 star rated food, it sounds great. Then I go to the reviews, and the evaluations cover the range from great to bad.
I read through several 5 star foods, and basically found the same thing.
That’s why I’m now confused. I understand the reactions to each dog food may be different for each dog. So how do I know which would be best for my dog? It would be almost impossible to try a sample of each and every 5 star rated food. Right now I’m using a 4 star rated dry dog food – Lotis Baked Chicken, and my dog loves it. I haven’t had any noticeable issues. I have to admit I often combine it with a “stew” that I make in a slow cooker that contains beef cubes, chicken breast pieces, and occasionally pork chops. Also included is beef broth (Swanson), 2 cans of tomato soup, and a small jar of cheese type spread (I forget the actual term for it); and either broccoli or spinach and cut fresh organic carrots. I cook it approx. 6 hrs., then put one soup ladle full in freezer quart size bags. Then it goes in the freezer. I heat this up each night and combine it with the kibble. (it is not a large amt. of kibble – about 1/2 cup.) My dog loves it. For the morning feedings, I buy canned turkey, chicken, and albacore tuna (all packed in water), and rotate them to add to breakfast. I take a small amt. of the meat with a little water, heat it in micro., and add it to the kibble. He seems to love this also.
Am I doing all the wrong things? I have purchased only nutritious dog treats, and use only for training purposes. Can anyone give me their educated opinion on this? After reading all of the info. – I can’t decide whether what I am doing is good or not good for my dog. He weights about 37 lbs and is a min. pin. mix. Thanks so much for your input.
Hi, change kibble & feed breakfast/ & dinner, not just the big 1 meal a day, half the meal, have a look at Holistic Select Senior, Holistic select also has wet tin foods maybe feed 1/2 -1 tin of the wet tin food for breakfast & the dry kibble for dinner, she probably looks at her boring meal & thinks YUK same boring thing…. My boy has IBD but I still mix things up a bit & I ask him what do you want for breakfast & dinner, (he will lick the cup of kibble or cooked meal in container, I show him to pick from) & he gets excited…. Holistic Select is made by Wellpet who also makes Wellness Core…
http://www.holisticselect.com/senior-dry-dog-food-chicken-meal-and-rice
My 11 year old labradoodle is perpetually underweight. The vet has commented at every visit that she is underweight and is concerned that she is not eating adequately. She doesn’t show any other symptoms of a GI problem and has good energy levels. She weighed in yesterday at 44.1 lbs, down one pound from last year, and at her lowest weight since reaching adulthood.
For years, we fed her Wellness CORE Original Recipe and now that she is older, she eats Hill’s Ideal Balance Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Mature Adult Dog Dry Food. We offer her 3 cups once a day, and she rarely eats the full 3 cups at meal time. Frequently there is still a cup left in her bowl by her next feeding.
The doctor suggested that we are feeding her too healthily (?!) and might consider additional treats each day or a different recipe.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks
Hi Jack,
This was quite a while ago (July of 2013) and the email that I received from Hi-Tek said that, at that time, they were one of the manufacturers of Shep dry dog food. The email that I forwarded to Dr. Mike was simply a pdf of the bag label as he didn’t readily have access to the ingredients. I don’t have any information at all about their canned foods.
Sorry I don’t have more information about this for you.
My little dog has been eating Cesar wet food for a while now.Thinking it was at least above average food, Me and my wife has been feeding him one tray a day. It’s really the only dog food he eats. Then I was doing some research and I found out how that it’s below average if not worse (according to this website). I was wondering if anybody has any good recommendations on wet dog food. He really don’t like dry food.
Hello,
We have a 1 year and 3 month year old female Maltese Yorkshire Yorkshire Terrier Mix named Lennon. She is the light of our life, very smart and playful but has had a delicate tummy from day one. The breeder we got her from was feeding her Purina’s and we switched her quickly to Fromm Gold Holistic Puppy Dry Dog Food. She did well with that but eventually got disinterested and was not eating often enough so we tried most of the flavors such as the Surf & Turf, Lamb & Lentils etc. Between the switching she would often get diarrhea but no idea if it was from her food or not. We did practice switching her food gradually instead of just introducing a brand new food right away. Every so often she would get a bout of diarrhea and we would feed her chicken and rice with a little low sodium chicken broth to soothe her tummy. She has never had a problem when we make her chicken and rice but we are hoping we don’t have to feed her that every day.
About 2 weeks ago she got real sick and was throwing up, eating grass, waking up in the middle night with bad diarrhea and we took her to the vet. They suggested we switch her food again so this time around we went with Prarie Gold Adult Grain-Free: http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/#prairie-gold-adult. She has been on this for about a week and her poops are very soft often diarrhea so we are back to square 1… Sigh.
We are recent members on this site and still a bit overwhelmed with the choices if we go with a different brand a ll together. We have a Chuck and Don’s by our house and they mentioned Zignature but did not see that one included in the editors best of. I should also note we did try Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Dry but took it back after a day once we learned it was bought out by Purina. Our Lennon is very small (5 pounds)1 year and 3 month year old Morkie with a sensitive tummy and often picky. I am thinking about taking back her current Prairie Gold Adult Grain-Free (we got this because we thought the grain free limited ingredient might help) and starting over with a different brand. If anyone has any suggestions for a dry non raw food we would love to hear it!
Cheers,
Ryan & Anna Luse
Was surprised to see Kirkland pet food on your list. Isn’t Kirkland a Costco brand? After losing our chocolate dog to unknown or unforseen circumstances we are less than 10 days from picking up our newest chocolate lab puppy and want to make sure she has the absolute best dry food we can reasonably afford. We are Costco members, this would be appealing to us. Please give us the reasons why this is on your list. Many, many thanks for any help you can provide. Lynda W
I wonder what anyone’s experience with this food is. I am enticed by after reading several reviews about it. However; when I read it dog food and the ingredient list shows Salk I get a little skittish. Right now I Feed Acana which is a very good food and obviously on the ingredient list doesn’t not contain salt.? I would be interested in getting feedback on the Zignature food. Right now with the food I’m feeding I feed the single protein pork and butter not squash so the single approaching on Zignature looks close in the price is a lot more affordable so any help would be appreciated thank you
Yes, it has:
/dog-food-reviews/lifes-abundance-dog-food-dry/
Up above you can click on “member login” and then find faq about how the foods are picked for the editor’s choice recommended list.
Hope this helps!
InkedMarie is right, Shawna is very knowledgable on this situation. I’ve only had experience with CRF in an older dog. A few things I can share are that when in renal failure, a wet diet instead of dry is much more beneficial since your giving the kidneys more moisture to work with. You might want to check out Grandma Lucy’s website. I believe their food is made with low phosphorus. Tripe and egg white are low in phosphorus, while organ meats tend to be high in phosphorus so you might want to avoid foods that contain liver, etc. I also found a FB page called CRF Dogs that has a lot of helpful advice, although it isn’t as active as it was a few years ago. Good luck with Alvin!
It shouldn’t be hard to find a food without chicken, fish & lamb. There are foods that have beef, kangaroo, turkey, duck, goat, rabbit. For the dry skin, have you tried salmon oil?
Hey There! Yeah, my 11 year old female Pit, Nefertiti, has had, “The Bumps”, off & on all of her Life. After many failed remedy attempts & vet visits, I heard that it might possibly be some sort of a yeast infection, which kinda makes sense-She licks herself, then her paws, then scratches herself-Boom! Yeast infection. So, it could be something like that. Although, I’m not sure how males would get it?
Whatever the source, what I’ve found to work best, is . .
STEP 1-I give her a bath using a Human Dandruff Shampoo like Neutrogena. The brown T-Gel works as well, but smells horrible, & seems a bit harsh, while I haven’t ever tried Head & Shouders, because the article that my ex read that suggested this remedy, said that there is a certain ingredient to look for (Wish I could tell you which one), & Head & Shouders either lacked it entirely, or didn’t have as much as the others.
Anywaze…I know they get cold quick, but I’ve found the longer you leave the Dandruff Shampoo on them, the better the results. (Like 3-5 minutes tops should do the trick. I find singing to Nef helps with her desperation)
STEP 2-I rinse her off, which warms her up, & then it’s time for the Hot Spot Shampoo. Just a normal lather, maybe wait a minute before rinsing, then. . .
STEP 3-A nice, normal Dog Shampooing. Nef & I have been digging Burt’s Bees Products lately, but any Oatmeal/Lavender/Chamomile style one should work just fine. Now, I’m NOT an animal dermatologist, but I would definitely keep in mind that some of the Shampoo’s Ingredients might have an effect on Your Pup’s Coat as well. I feel keeping it as close to Organic is always best. This way there’s no need to panic…Because it’s Organic. I digest….
STEP 4-After all that, I’ll dry her off, (while she shakes off on me) then apply Hot Spot Medication (I think it’s just the Hartz one-Not Sure-Just a small bottle-The liquid is yellow in color, & can be found in purrty much any box store, or ordered online) liberally by using a Q-Tip, or by sort of pouring it onto The Bumps &/or Hotspots (depending on the severity of the outbreak) as she tends to get both at the same time.
Well, I Hope This Helps! Again-I’m not a dermatologist, but I’ve been using this method for six years now, & it works better than anything else that I’ve found in the previous five years of failed attempts at relieving my Big Lil’ Girl! when she gets The Bumps.
P.S.-I’ve found that mixing a little olive oil, or coconut oil in with Nef’s Food (about a Tablespoon per bowl tops) helps keep her coat Nice & Shiny. Good Luck!!!!!!
It’s going to be hard to find a food that has THAT few ingredients
CANINE DRY:
Potato, fish meal, animal fat, dried beet pulp (3.9%), fish digest, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, sodium hexametaphosphate, fructooligosaccharides (0.39%), potassium chloride.
There are a few companies that make LID diets that are fish and potato based.
Merrick- Salmon& Sweet Potato
Natural Balance- Fish & Sweet Potato
Zignature- Trout & Salmon
Wellness Simple- Salmon & Potato
These foods are all available on chewy.com if ordering online is something that could work for you. You can also take a look at their full list of Limited Ingredient Diets here and see if another might work better for you: http://www.chewy.com/dog/dry-food-294/limited-ingredient-diet,FoodFlavor_facet:Fish
I already filtered it to only show fish based foods. Best of luck!
Hi everyone,
I have a mix german shepherd dog – about 10 months old.
From the first day we got her she had bad skin problems (hard itchiness, and white scales falling of her). Finally after many visits to the vet, the conclusion was that the dog has an allergy to specific food types – after scanning through the main meat dry-food options (chicken, fish, lamb), we found that the only food that was good enough for her skin was “Eukanuba Dermatosis”.
Few months (and food bags) have past, and her skin became much more healthy. So we were hoping to find a cheaper alternative to this food, that will still be good enough for her. We tried several suggestions from the pet store (which according to them is considered “semi-medical”), but nothing was quite as good.
So as last resort, before we give up and accept our ^expensive^ future – I was hoping to get this forum recommendations on other dry food brands/types. The more – the merrier (since our local pet stores food variety is quite lacking…)
Thank you so much!
I have a 13 year old 90lb great pyr mix who’s a bit underweight and super arthritic. Looking for any recommendations for her.
I ordered a 12 pack of Whole Earth Farms Chicken and Turkey Recipe canned food from Amazon. The package arrived similarly to what they stock on the shelves at Petco (12 pack, cardboard bottom with plastic wrap around the top and sides). I noticed when I was pulling the cans out that some were dented. I looked up safety guidelines and tested the seals on the cans. They seem fine.
Sunday night, both of my dogs split half of a new can.
The following morning I woke up to find my 8 month old puppy had a accident (on my comforter while I was sleeping!) and she had diarrhea when I let her out in the morning. She wasn’t interested in eating and moped around all day. My 6 year old dog didn’t seem affected at all.
I chalked it up to the puppy getting into something she shouldn’t have…like the cat litterbox.
Today, I came home from work and the 6 year old had a BIG smelly, accident in the kitchen and was crying to go out the second I walked in the door. HE had diarrhea and I noticed that the puppy also had very loose stools.
Both are still playful, despite their stomach ailments…but I’m withholding the canned food (I mixed it with their dry) to see if that’s the culprit. Neither is very interested in the dry food alone and both are crying for something different. I left the dry food out (mixed with a tiny bit of water to change the consistency) but I guess if they’re really hungry they’ll eat it. But I would prefer if it they waited a bit for their stomachs to settle.
I’m wondering if it could be an issue with production since they both got sick from a can that wasn’t dented, but I didn’t see any indications that people were having issues with WEF food.
I intentionally made sure that the canned food that I fed them yesterday wasn’t dented in anyway. However, I did notice that the consistency between both cans and the ones I normally buy in the store were slightly different. The ones in the store seem firmer.
I’m sorry David T, but I do not believe this is possible. I fed Orijen for many years and this was several years ago. I can’t even remember when Orijen was $39.99 for the large bag. This seems like a scam. Pedigree is cheaper on several other sites than you’re charging. Links (because it’s me):
Pedigree:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pedigree-Adult-Complete-Nutrition-Dry-Dog-Food-50-lbs/42425073
Purina Dog Chow (UGH):
http://www.pet360.com/product/275/purina-dog-chow-complete-and-balanced-total-care-nutrition-dry-dog-food
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Purina-Dog-Chow-Dry-Dog-Food-Complete-Bonus-Size-50-lb-Bag-Dogs/38056050
I’m not going any further. All of these prices are well below yours and I think you’re only on here to promote your website, which is selling garbage at overmarket prices. You are using the good brands as an enticement, and hopefully people will be smart enough to catch on, but I posted this in case they’re not.
David M,
Diatomaceous Earth (food grade only) is pretty effective at controlling fleas. It can be messy though. It’s a flour like texture and is applied to the coat of the dog. It doesn’t prevent fleas from getting on the dog but once they do the diatoms have edges that slice the endoskeleton of the bug (flea). The flea then dehydrates and dies. You have to be careful during application that it is not inhaled as it can damage the lungs but one on works for a week or two (or until the pup is bathed). It’s inexpensive and an be applied as much as needed. It can dry out the skin if used excessively though.
Only one of my six ever has an issue with fleas (mostly at the end of the season when the weather starts to change). I use DE exclusively on her and it works every time. She’s a Pom so application is tedious to get down to the skin but she’s small so not horrible. I separate her fur, drop a large pinch on the skin and then rub in. I only put it in the areas I see / feel flea dirt versus all over.
Regarding the water content, just soak the dry food in water in the fridg overnight, maybe add something to it as a topper when served. Canned food or a bit of cooked chopped chicken or lean meat.
If you are concerned about dental, brush the teeth once a day (see youtube for how to videos).
You might find some helpful information here too http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/
I did 🙂
Dry food is low mess and well formulated, so it’s a popular option. It’s no less nutritious or less “fresh” than wet foods.
Dry food in the past was the cause of urinary tract infections in dog, but manufacturers have altered the pH level of their formulations.Dogs fed on a well-formulated dry-food diet don’t run a higher risk of urinary tract disease if they’re drinking enough water. If your dog doesn’t, it’s a good idea to feed it a canned-food diet, which has a higher water content.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by
Alex p.
Many proactive, integrative, and holistic veterinarians have long recognized the nutritional drawbacks to commercially available dry pet food.
Most popular dry formulas don’t contain clean ingredients – those approved for human consumption – and they aren’t biologically balanced for obligate carnivores (cats), and scavenging carnivores (dogs).
However, in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, we saw the production of better quality dry foods that contained more diverse ingredients. Coincidentally, during this same period, pet owners began to see the benefits of home-cooked diets because they could control the quality of the food they fed their dog or cat.
Although improvements to commercial dry pet foods addressed some of the quality control issues — and began to address the biological appropriateness of ingredients – they didn’t address one important fact. Companion animals were still consuming an entirely dead, inorganic, over-processed diet that was extruded and cooked at very high temperatures, rendering it devoid of any of the health benefits of living foods.
After doing a bunch of researching on websites regarding protein, calcium, phosphorus, and listening to people’s and vets feedback, and opinions. I have decided to narrow it down to these 4 dog foods and was wondering what we’re your experiences, if you have any when feeding these dog foods, overall good? Why bad? Or simply which one would you choose or prefer and why? (Mastiff owner or giant breed owner)
Royal canin size health nutrition Giant puppy dry dog food: (vet recommended royal canin, I disagree)
32% protein,
calcium (min) 0.82, (min) – not max
phosphorus (min) 0.67% (min) – not max
3584 kilocalories, 340 kilo calories ME per cup
1st two ingredients brewers rice, chicken by product meal
Large & Giant breed puppy – precise holistic complete.
23% protein
Calcium 1.30(min) – not max
Phosphorus 0.95 (min) – not max
3528.84 kcal, 400.10 ME per cup
1st two ingredients chicken, chicken meal,
Fromm Gold
26.58% protein
Calcium 1.01 (as-is) 1.08(dry basis)
Phosphorus 0.95 (as-is) 1.02 (basis)
1st two ingredients duck, chicken meal
-does not have fruit, only veggies
Nurti source Large breed puppy
26% protein
Calcium 1.0 (min) – not max
phosphorus 0.8 (min) – not max
3,924 kcals per kg, 400 kcals per cup
1st two ingredients chicken and chicken meal
zcRiley- thanks for the reply!
I don’t really feed my dog anything raw, on a very rare occasion i’ll give him raw pieces of chicken breast or beef cubes, but that is like maybe twice out of the year. I cook everything I give him, mostly into stews or soup like foods. I use everything as a topping for his dry kibble. For example I just had done Venison cooked and pureed with spinach, apples, sweet potato. I usually make a huge mixing bowl of it all and then put it into containers and freeze it and grab one container at a time out when needed. He gets about 2 cups a day over his dry kibble.
I have several recipes made up I’ll be making. I was just wondering about squirrel since i’m tempted on going out squirrel hunting a lot this year. I was concerned mostly because I have been told they’re super high in grease and oil contents. I appreciate the reply though, thanks a ton!
I have the same problem as you do.
I use Canine Caviar Limited Ingredient Diet Wilderness Holistic Entrée Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag and so far I ordered 3 bags from chewy. The kibble in the 1st bag was perfect in color – dark almost black. I assume it was the old formula. Poop of my dog was perfect as well. In the second bad I noticed that the kibble is different – mixture of dark and very light brown. Also the poop of my dog changed a lot. It became light in color and super firm like a rock. When I pick it up from the ground it dissolves and looks like a sand. Also my dog started to poop 3-4 times a day, which wasn’t the case with the 1st bag. I contacted chewy and they send me a 3rd bag which was also not ok. They also told me that they will contact CC and check with them.
I went to the CC site and surprise – the changed the formula replacing the oils with:
Coconut, Coconut Oil, Anise Oil, Thyme Oil.
What a screw up. I dont get why they had to ruin the only food that my dog tolerated so well.
I have a chihuahua w similar allergies that started around same age. She was on Blue Buffalo Life Source chkn/brown rice puppy formula and was doing well on it. Since she was gaining weight, Dr. advised transition to adult. BB Life Source ckn/rice:Was fine for a while, then allergies started-thought it was caused by her food. Had her tested for allergies via blood draw sample. Result: allergy to dust mites, fleas, and molds. But not the dog food. Great environmental improvements were made, along w an Rx for sublingual allergy gtt Tx.
Sx subsided. 2+ months to go. Still have to use Benadryl prn. She still has mild allergenic Sx. Which Dr. Thinks may be from Ckn sensitives causing IBS. Being managed w probiotics and Liquid salmon oil also helps both the IBS and any minor itchiness. In short, the allergenic blood test is best. Sublingual drops better than injections.
Does anyone feed their dogs a diet of kibble and canned/raw/dehydrated?
I have large breed dogs that I like to supplement their dry when the weather gets cold to keep their weight up.
My real.concern is my puppy. He’s 4 months old. GSD. Approx 30 lbs. I know I have to keep his calcium at 1.5% max. Because of that I am having a problem finding the right food.
He acts like he’s starving to death even though he gets 3 3/4 cups fed over 4 meals. Right now he’s on Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy.
I’m looking for either a food that will satisfy his appetite or something I can supplement/replace some of his kibble with that will allow me to stay within the calcium guidelines.
While I am not opposed to canned, raw or dehydrated, I cannot feed strictly those types of foods.
I would also prefer a NON grain free food. Unless a dog has allergies I know they actually need some grains. Plus it seems that grain free has far more carbs than non grain free.
I appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you.
Thanks for the link DF. My dogs don’t have the ‘normal’ environmental allergy symptoms of sinus drainage, coughing, runny eyes, etc. But the dermatologist that saw them at the vet said that the symptoms of EA’s also include dry skin, excessive itching and scratching, etc. But blood tests came back negative to EA’s, so next on the list is food sensitivities, which they’ve experienced before. My son’s dad last night mentioned that “now that I think about it” (you know how men are) – the itching seemed to begin when I introduced other can foods into their diet – Wellness, Nature’s Variety, etc. I did that because Pure Balance didn’t offer much variety in their recipes. Now that they’re producing a new LID line in addition to their original grain free recipes, I’m going to forget the other products and stick with PB. They love it, and it’s a lot more economical for me. Whew.
Pure Balance is a very good, quality food. This site rates it 4 – 4.5 stars for cans and 4+ starts for dry. My two love it.
Well ladies, when I went shopping on Friday for dog food, I was ecstatic to learn that Pure Balance has produced a LID line of their grain free can food!
Turkey & Potato, and Turkey & Sweet Potato; Salmon & Potato and Salmon & Sweet Potato.
Their Turkey & Potato LID dry has been out for about 9 months, and I’ve been rotating it with the PB Bison & Pea grain free. My dogs love these.
Friday night I fed them the Turkey & potato can with the T&P dry and they loved it.
So I think I’m going to stick with Pure Balance’s LID recipe’s, plus what I cook for them.
A side note: Their scratching has decreased dramatically since using this shampoo twice. that we got from the vet.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by
Peggy.
Hi everyone. I’m new to this forum and hoping you can help me. I’m at my wits end I could honestly cry!
My dog was diagnosed in January with a liver tumour. She’s nearly 14 (lab X collie) you wouldn’t know she had the tumour she’s still her normal energetic self!
She was put on Royal canin hepatic wet and dry food long story short after many attempts and different variations she wouldn’t eat this. The vet then said she’s old and may only have 6 months left (she’s outlived this expectation so that’s brilliant! And she’s no different to when she was diagnosed) they don’t know if the tumour is actually cancerous because we agreed a biopsy would be too much stress and could lead to blood loss that could kill her.
So anyway the vet said just feed her what she’s happy to eat as her quality of life is paramount.
She’s had burns, wainwright (pets at home), bakers (I know it’s awful but it’s what she had before so thought she’d go back to it), Royal canin, Arden grange. The list is endless. I then decided because she was picking wet food off the dry food and spitting this on the floor that she obviously didn’t want dry food. I’ve now got her on nature diet. She has 2.5 trays a day but probably eats half a tray a day. I’ve recently added chicken to it to entice her to eat but now she’s picking the chicken out and leaving the rest.
I don’t know what to do now. I keep getting told it’s tough love time because she’s purely just waiting for me to change her food yet again. She’s losing weight which is my concern though. Do I stick with it? take the chicken out? Change her food? I just don’t know 🙁
Sorry for such a long post!
Pleaseeee help haha
Thank you
Hello Norene, I have a 9 yo yellow lab that has skin issues and found out wheat was her problem early on. A little over a year ago she began to scratch and bite herself to the point of being bloody and raw. I started researching and this is where I found DogFoodAdvisor. I have found many other sites that have helped too. I looked an environmental issues, allergies, flea/heart worm meds and food. My vet was not able to help much and I took to the internet. I found that grains can greatly effect a dog and we knew that wheat was a problem for her, I went grain free only to find that potatoes are a big fill in for them and she ended up with a widespread yeast infection. I did try raw but she ended up being sensitive to chicken and lamb so that didn’t work. Here’s what helped and I highly recommend to anyone with skin issues. We did a Alternative Sensitivity Test by Glacier Peak Holistics, all done by mail. That gave me a wealth of information and confirmed all my suspects. She is now on Orijen 6 Fish and doing wonderful. I’ve also added a daily probiotic, digestive enzymes, coconut oil to her meals. I have nothing to do with Glacier Peak but there are other companies that perform these tests and sell the same products. I also have found very informative websites such as Dr Karen Becker, Only Natural Pet and obviously you’ve found Dogfood Advisor. Beware of the flea and heartworm products, they can cause a number of issues and there are natural remedies. House hold cleaning products, laundry soaps, fabric softners, fragrance sprays and such can effect your dog. I now have a green home as much as possible. Good luck and hope you find the cure. I can tell you that it will be up to you and not your vet and I do like my vet very much.
Give it at bedtime. The “holistic” stuff isn’t medication. They are considered food supplements. It will say right on the package that they are not intended to cure or treat medical conditions.
Find a vet that you trust and go by what he recommends. If you don’t have one already.
Did a vet approve the Benadryl and clarify the dosage? What is the dog’s diagnosis?
I joined the forum over a year ago for my 2 dogs Tebow (Jack Russell Terrier) and LadyBug (Shepherd/Lab mix). They were both overweight and experiencing food sensitivities.
Upon advice I upgraded their food (from Pedigree). Blue Buffalo, made them sick, so I switched them to Pure Balance on which they’ve been doing very well. Problem is, PB does not offer a large enough variety of can food, so while staying with PB grain-free dry, I’ve switched them to Wellness and Nature’s Recipe grain-free cans. They love both, especially the stews.
Now comes the problem…….. !
Tebow is again itching and scratching incessantly (NO fleas), and shedding horribly. Also chewing at his paws. I noticed a week or more ago that he’d developed a raw area on his chest.
LadyBug has a series of raw areas on her lower back, backend, and upper tail. REALLY raw.
Now, Tebow’s seems to be healing up, while Lady’s was getting worse, so I took her to the vet this morning. After skin scrapes, flea combing (no fleas or flea dirt), and 2 blood tests, the verdict is…. food allergies! UUGGHH!
The vet said that ‘perhaps’ I should decrease their beef and chicken intake and feed more duck and venison. Also decrease their twice-per-week salmon meal to just once per week because her skin seemed oily (she was dirty, as I had not bathed her in a couple of weeks).
ALL of this was preceded by “perhaps” with no real clear instruction. Soooooooooo….
I am again here asking for feeding suggestions. Additionally, both are still overweight, Tebow is 5 lbs over, and Lady is 8 or 9 lbs over.
OK – hit me with it. And thanks in advance.
2 months, 1 week ago
