[Heatherly C]

We are looking for an affordable meat based dry dog food. Is it reasonable to think we can find one for less than 2.00 per pound?

[chris]

Hello again,

Recently a family member of mine had decided to adopt a Old English Bulldog. Now I’ve tried helping them a ton of the matter of what he should be fed and how to keep a healthy weight amongst so many other things. However, they can’t decide on a basis dry food for him. They apparently researched online on several sites that are about and for English Bulldogs and have read that Diamond or Blue is the best and proper food for Bulldogs. I have argued this statement only because yes they might be good foods (opinions very) However that does not mean it is the proper food for any species of dog.

I gave them several of the top 5 star brands that I am sure would probably be great far as Orijen, Acana, Natures Variety, Merrick’s, Wellness Core. Though they seem to can’t afford those type of foods, so they’re looking for more of a cheaper route to go. Especially since this is not the only dog they have. They have 5 dogs total to feed.

Also for canned food they were feeding Pedigree and Gravy Train very very cheap foods that almost made me cry inside after hearing about it. I finally got them to switch to Tractor supplys brand 4 health which is still cheap but way better then most cheap canned foods.

Any help or recommendations to let them aware of would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Raquel A]

Hello everyone!

My name is Raquel Astacio and I run Doggy’s Digest along with my boyfriend, Alexis. We are a site dedicated to thoroughly covering the topic of probiotics for dogs. I originally reached out to Dog Food Advisor to see if we could contribute a post; unfortunately they do not accept any but did say we can post in the forums.

Many dog owners are not aware about canine probiotics and our mission at Doggy’s Digest is to help increase awareness. I am posting the original article that I was going to contribute to Dog Food Advisor. If this is an inconvenience or violates guidelines, please do let me know. If you find the content informative and have questions, please let me know and I will be more than happy to answer! Thank you.

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The Benefits of Canine Probiotics

For years now, we as humans have been learning the many health benefits of probiotics. Just like humans, dogs need healthy food, plenty of exercise, vitamins, and probiotics in order to be in optimum health. Probiotics are bacteria and live yeasts that improve overall health, especially in regards to our digestive systems. We usually think of all bacteria as being harmful and causing diseases. When we hear the word “bacteria” we think of antibacterial products and antibiotics that we use to destroy unhealthy bacteria.

So why would we want to willingly ingest or feed something to our dogs that has live bacteria in it? The answer is that digestive systems naturally consist of a correct balance of both “good” and “bad” bacteria. Illnesses, diet, medications, and our environment can upset this balance that is needed to stay healthy. The bacteria from probiotics is healthy bacteria. The microorganisms in probiotics are actually alive. They produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which inhibit the growth and activity of harmful bacteria. They can greatly improve a host’s gut and overall health when ingested in the proper amounts.
Probiotics are a relatively new, healthy trend in the dog and pet industry. People are realizing how essential it is to provide their pets with healthy supplements to their diet. Probiotics promote a healthy gastrointestinal system and intestinal balance in your dog. The healthy bacteria can also build up the immune system.

Veterinarians prescribe probiotics for many different conditions. They are recommended for dogs who suffer from SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), chronic diarrhea, auto-immune disorders, skin problems, irritable bowel, and intestinal infections like Giardia and Clostridia. They may even reduce allergic reactions and prevent urinary tract infections.

Once you have decided to provide your dog with probiotics, how do you choose which kind to use? It is first important to make sure that you are getting a quality product. New canine probiotics are being advertised all the time and dog food brands are adding probiotics to their foods. The challenge is that dog probiotics, like all probiotics, are live cultures that are unstable in their active states (yogurts or liquid-containing products). When exposed to extreme conditions, much of the bacteria can die off and lose their beneficial properties before reaching the intestine. This is the case for a lot of canine probiotics. This means that you need to choose a quality brand that has taken these things into account and are not just cheap probiotics added to a brand for marketing purposes.

It is first important to check the kinds and amounts of probiotic strains and amount of CFU in the probiotic. Look for 2-4 billion CFU and 8 or less strains of bacteria. Significantly less CFU may not provide any added benefits to your dog’s diet, and much higher CFU and a high number of strains may be indicators of possible harmful combinations.

Probiotics come in various forms: maintenance, intermediate, and concentrated. Maintenance probiotics are usually in powder or granule form and are used to combat everyday stress such as changes in environment or being left alone. Intermediate probiotics are usually powders and fed to your dog daily to deal with chronic stress and digestive issues. Finally, concentrated probiotics come in pastes or liquids and are temporarily used for the duration of a pet’s illness.

For everyday uses, probiotics in dry form are good options to consider. These provide a healthy and convenient option for dog owners. They contain stabilized strains of bacteria that will come back to life once they have reached the dog’s stomach. They then move to the intestines and multiply hundreds of times. Since they are not in an unstable, liquid form, they do not require refrigeration. It is simple to sprinkle these probiotics on your dog’s food.

Freeze-dried probiotics are another viable option. These probiotic microorganisms do not lose any of their potency or viability until they are mixed with water. This will happen naturally during digestion.

Whichever probiotic product you choose, you must be sure to store and use them properly. If you are using powder or granules, keep them closed and dry until feeding time. You may freeze dried forms once, but they may not be repeatedly frozen and thawed. If you choose a paste or liquid form, it must be refrigerated but cannot be frozen. Lastly, follow label instructions for proper dosage. Canine probiotics can be a wonderfully healthy addition to your dog’s diet and improve their vitality for years to come.

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Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoyed the post!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Raquel A.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Raquel A.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Raquel A.

[Pitlove]

Hi Anna- This is just my opinion and interpretation on grain free vs grain inclusive, but here it goes.

Dogs don’t have a high requirement if any for carbohydrates. They can break down carbs to be used as energy, but not as well as we do. Dogs derive energy better from animal proteins and fats. Dry kibble is always going to contain carbs because they are the binding source for the kibble. It could not retain it’s shape without a carb source. Grains have become demonized as a filler ingredient in dog food and so the pet food industry answered that with a new marketing plan; grain free dog food. It’s marketed as better for dogs with “allergies” and overall marketed as being superior to grain based foods.

My first problem with that is that resolving a dogs food allergies or more commonly their food intolerances can’t be done without knowing what they are intolerant to. If my dog is intolerant to chicken, but not rice, feeding a grain free chicken based food is not going to fix the intolerance.

Also, many people are under the impression that grain free means carb free. It does not. Grains are replaced by peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils etc in grain free foods. All of which are also things dogs can be intolerant to, but aren’t nessesarily. Same thing with rice, barley, oatmeal etc.

Grain free foods however, do have a tendency to have a higher meat content than grain based foods. That is not always the case though. Plenty of grain free foods are guilty of sacrificing meat content for carbs.

I know plenty of dogs including my own that do just as well on grain based foods, as they do on grain free. I’m currently feeding a grain based food, however I’ve fed both, mainly grain free. Some people don’t feel comforable feeding grain based foods. I don’t care because to me they are getting carbs either way, which they don’t need in their diet. I consider all carbs to be filler ingredients.

Again this is my opinion and lots of people will disagree, but I thought I’d share my perspective.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[Anna S]

Could someone explain to me the benefit of grain-free dry dog food? I see that many manufacturers offer this alternative to their regular dry food. Do some dogs do better on a grain-free diet? Thank you.

[Steve M]

Reading Dr. Mercola’s website where she says that one should not buy any pet food that is not labeled “okay for human consumption”. Does anyone know on any for dogs (dry)?

[Pitlove]

Are you against feeding grain inclusive foods? That could be a good option if you aren’t.

This is what my dog eats and its grain inclusive, but no peas or pea fiber: /dog-food-reviews/fromm-dog-food-gold-nutritionals-dry/

a lot of grain-free foods use peas as the carb source in replacement for grains.

[Brooke B]

Hi All,
I have a 7 month old Golden- about 3 months ago he randomly started having diarrhea and continues to have very soft stools. We have tried taking away all bones and treats and it had no affect, we’ve tried a few new ones as well. We also switched to a higher quality food and tried adding fiber and didn’t see much of a change either. The vet has tested for parasites (which I’ve heard can be hard to detect), worms, blockage, ect. and is now recommending a prescription bland dry dog food.

I know it sounds like many changes but it has happened over a a few months and has been a slow process.. some stools get slightly better but never completely normal..So, now I’m stuck and feel awful for him as he probably never feels 100% with an upset stomach.

Anyone else had this issue and not been able to find the cause? Any suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Howard C]

Is anyone aware of a high quality grain free dry food that does NOT contain peas or pea fiber. I have a Golden that seems to be sensitive to these ingredients.

[Pitlove]

They can’t be sold to customers or given to customers or even staff, but they can be donated. I’m guessing that a supermarket manager probably doesn’t think about donating to shelters. We’ve given past expiration canned food and dry food to shelters with no issue.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[roxanna s]

hi,
Penelope, 10 yr old Chihuahua shithzu mix, has short hair like Chihuahua, 13 lbs, has been eating acana ranchland. On her 3rd 15 lb bag. She does not have fleas but she itches and has small dry red irritated areas on chest and legs. Not real bad but noticeable.
She rolls on her back a lot to scratch her back. She even uses whatever she can push up against that will serve as a back scratcher, she seems miserable sometimes.
Could it be the food? What do you recommend for a 10 year old couch potato that’s rather finicky. I would like to know of some canned foods that could be used to mix in the kibble to make it more palatable. thanks

[Bobby dog]

Hi t.n:
Sounds like there are allot of empty bellies at the shelter and eating a food with corn would be the least of their problems IMO. Since you are not in the states the foods you mentioned likely have different ingredients than they do here anyway. A food like Acana might cause digestive upset for some depending on the food they currently feed, but it does sound like any food is better than nothing.

If the shelter is in extreme distress as you have written, I personally would want to donate more of a volume in hopes it would feed more. I would try to find something within your budget that does not have chemical preservatives (bha, propylene glycol) dyes (added colors, iron oxide, titanium dioxide), or meat and bone meal if possible. Visiting clinics to see what your options are is a good idea. Check out prices and read the labels to see what brand has the least DFA “red flagged” ingredients.

I have several Pro Plan formulas (wet and dry) in my dog’s rotation, he does very well on them, and I have had great results in the past feeding PP to my JRT.

I am sure whatever you are able to donate will be greatly appreciated by the shelter and the dogs. They are lucky to have you thinking of their well being!

[pugmomsandy]

The Editor’s Choice list can change and previously Honest Kitchen has been on it. Their Zeal formula is the one that is highest in protein currently. You might also want to check out Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance freeze dried food. It rehydrates well. There are other dehydrated foods like Only Natural Pet MaxMeat or ZiwiPeak but I don’t know how they hydrate. Stella and Chewy’s and Primal freeze dried seem to hydrate well (although I serve mine dry).

[Norene D]

We have been feeding our dogs Diamond Brand Naturals Lamb and Rice for several years. We thought we were doing the right thing by purchasing a kibble that was off the shelf…and not loaded with corn. Our border collie/german shepherd mix who is two now, recently started having some skin issues. We did a process of elimination and the only thing left was the dry dog food. We have a good veterinarian, but I am well aware of the expense of lots of testing that she would want to do. I’m also aware that skin issues can be derived from many different things. So, I did some research on our dry dog food. I learned that they recently changed their formula a little and learned that alot of people had dogs with very similar issues. So now, we have determined that we need to change their food. I’ve been on this website many times over the years, but I’m determined to wittle this down somehow and find a good dog food that isn’t terribly expensive. I belong to a Facebook group for GS/BC mix and I posed the question to them. I got some good responses, but still too many choices. I’m leaning toward a dog food that is made in Canada as opposed to the U.S. Why? Just a hunch. So I would like to pose the question here as well. Is it the Diamond Dog Food? And what should I feed my girl. I live in a rural area and our shopping choices are few. But I did get recommended to petflow.com, so I may have to do my purchasing through them.

[Richard R]

Life’s Abundance All Stage Dry Dog Food

[DogFoodie]

I recently organized a donation drive for my local shelter.

One of the items they needed most was HE laundry detergent. The other much needed item was/is cash for medical care.

Also, the shelter uses one specific brand of food that they buy from a local feed / garden type store. It’s some horrible disgusting brand of food that’s full of grain, but they keep the dogs on the same food the whole time they’re at the shelter. I don’t like it, but it’s what they use. So rather than donating bags of food to them, I collected cash donations and went to the feed store and bought a gift card. The shelter gets a discount on their purchases at the feed store and they’re tax-exempt. So, it just made more sense to be able to give them a gift card which when redeemed by them goes much further than my dollars would if I had made the purchase.

[Robin W]

My small jack russell Clairibel & medium rat terrier Buzzy are currently eating Merrick Grain Free Beef & Sweet Potato (dry), with Merrick Wing Lings (grain free, canned)– both are 5 Star. Also my grown son feeds his Golden/Newfie the same. But since Nestle Purina (who also are Koch Brothers companies) bought Merrick, we’re heartbroken. Trust issues big time with Purina, Nestle also has ethical issues (google Nestle & water), and well, google Koch Brothers, I prefer food without a big old dose of politics lol.

Deby G, I recommend Merrick canned at least until this deal takes effect, then I would as I said before, have severe trust issues. Merrick has been great, but Purina OWNS them. It’s like they married Cruella. Otherwise I would have stayed with Merrick forever. I bought a ton of the canned Thanksgiving Dinner & Wing Lings before the buyout. My son & I used to joke that if there was an apocalypse, we’d split up the canned dog food & just sprinkle some seat salt on our share. Maybe hot sauce on our Wing Lings.

I am leaning toward Orijen Adult for the switch; I’m going for the smallest amount of fish (we get our water from the Savannah River & even though I filter it for the dogs & us, at the least humans in the house may already be radioactive from showering…).

Am going to look into Life’s Abundance also, haven’t yet.

Curious about how everyone feels about Purina buying Merrick.

[Luisa P]

Wow, that baby is beautiful. Kudos to you for rescuing this baby. Now there is a wonderful dog DNA test that I did on my adopted dog. The test I did with the best reviews is the Wisdom Panel DNA, it was awesome!! As for the food, the more I read the more I read the more I don’t care for dry kibble, especially because of having a Dalmatian who has very special dietary needs. I was feeding a food high in protein to my bigger dogs since they are more active and was giving the same to my little dogs and after a few months it gave them (all the little guys) horrible breath, they literally all started to smell as if they were eating dog poop (which I know they didn’t). So, I have decided to make my own food using rice, healthy veggies, and gluten free pasta. I also make home made bone broth. I am currently using half the amount of kibble then before and the rest home made food. I also make sure my kibble is grain free, have had too many allergy problems with a previous dog and don’t care to have any of my other babies suffer like that.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Joanna,
If I were you, I’d try the Annamaet first. It’s one of my favorite dry foods. I have a 5yr old brittany!

[Anonymous]

“So what I’m wondering is what can I do to improve all my puppies health? Should I start making homemade puppy food? What supplements and flea medicines should I be giving them? They have to be on a leash outside so do you have any fun exercises I can do with them? Any other advice you want to give me, especially towards the new puppy”?

I think you should ask your vet these questions when you see him. He looks like he may be a small breed mix, dachshund? There is a dog dna test you could try when things get settled, if you must know.
Puppies do well with 3 or 4 small meals a day, soft and dry mixed with water. They sleep, play and eat…..see if he will play fetch? Carry him to the area you would like him to use as the bathroom every 2 hours so he will get the idea.

[chris]

Red has given many great suggestions towards taking steps on helping you provide better care. I have a beagle as well and you can check my thread out I had made a few months back as my beagle was abused and also has very bad stomach issues with constipation.

Suggestions I found that worked the best is definitely finding a great substance and well balanced food. I have been feeding Merrick’s Back Country for the past 4 months (basically since they came out with it) and he enjoys it. The thing that helps the most is what you give him with it. I have my beagle on a schedule of different things to help with his constipation. I also feed him about 2 cups of canned food on top of his dry food.

1 TBS Coconut Oil twice a week
1 TBS pumpkin organic, or sweet potato once a day
2 TBS Kefir, cottage cheese, plain yogurt every few days

The coconut oil will help with allergies, skin issues, and constipation.
Pumpkin and Sweet potato have several health benefits, vitamins and are high in fiber
Kefir, yogurt, both bave natural prebiotics and probiotics for the stomach

Other things I give him once in a while are:
Sardines or any fish cooked
swanson soil based organisms
Cheese cut up into bite size pieces
Canned Green Tripe

Now far as the legal issues go, I do agree with red that you might want to look into that as something could be done. Especially since the fireman himself was speeding. Hope this helps though and keep us updated on how things work out for ya!

[Joanna Y]

I’m looking for a lean dry dog food that is not chicken based.
I currently have my 2 dogs on the Annamaet Lean – which has great reviews – but I think they are allergic to chichen.

Any recommendations?

Thank you

[Sheryl P]

Has anyone used the NuVet vitamins and/or joint health supplements? I have been giving them to my almost 15 year old Aussie and my 5 year old Golden Retriever for about 3 weeks now. The Aussie’s joints seem to be not quite so stiff now. He had actually stopped swimming with my Golden about 6 months ago and has just in the last week started getting back in the water. My Golden is prone to hot spots because he practically lives in the water year round (we live on a farm surrounded by ponds and creeks) so his fur stays damp pretty much all day until I dry him off to come in at night! I can honestly say he has not had a outbreak since he started on these supplements. Just wondering if anyone else had used them and what kind of results they were having. I also have a 16 week old Aussie pup and was wondering at what point I should start joint supplements on him. He is on a premium puppy food (4.5 rated at DFA) so I’m not sure if he needs any supplements yet.

[Pitlove]

Fromm is a great food, but it is not LID. They do however have a few fished based foods.

http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/#salmon-a-la-veg

http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/#salmon-tunalini

http://frommfamily.com/products/four-star/dog/dry/#whitefish-and-potato

http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/#gold-coast-weight-management

[Chuck]

I couldn’t find a search function on this site that worked to see if this topic had been answered.

Basically I have been feeding my Brittany Darwin’s for almost her whole life (she is 2.5), however the cost has gone up astronomically since I first started using them and I know they changed their formula not too long ago and the fat content went up.

She currently gets a Darwin pack in the morning and a pack a night with a little Orijen dry mixed into the night feeding. She has consistently maintained a weight of about 34.

Aside from making the food myself (my wife would rather not) what is the best company that I can switch to for food? I was never really impressed with Bravo or Primal, but it has been years. Also saw this Big Dog Natural company, if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it.

[Dana G]

I’m happy to have found this forum because I have a big challenge I could use some help with. I have a 9 yr. old Havanese who recently had a Calcium Oxalate stone removed. She also has Gallbladder Sludge and must have a very low fat diet. The challenge is finding a low oxalate food that is also very low in fat. The vet wants to put her on Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Dry. It meets the criteria BUT it contains a lot of corn which my dog doesn’t tolerate.

So I’ve been on an exhaustive search for a commercial food that can work for her. The only possibility I’ve found is Earthborn Holistic Weight Control. It is low enough in fat, but the issue is whether it is low enough in oxalate. The concern is the fifth ingredient, Tomato Pomace, which is high oxalate. I called Earthborn to find out what percentage of the total ingredients tomato pomace is. The gentleman said he thought 5% but to be sure, he would ask the nutritionist to call me. After waiting a week I called again only to be told the man I spoke with had just retired, and no one knew anything about them having a nutritionist. The customer service rep said there was only one person who MIGHT be able to help me so I left a message for him. It’s been a week and no call. Since their website claims to be endorsed by Dog Food Advisor, I’m hoping someone on this forum knows something about this company. So my first question is, any ideas on how to get ingredient/nutrient info from Earthborn?

Second question — The only ingredient in this food with significant oxalate content is the tomato pomace. If I assume that the pomace is in fact 5% of total ingredients, does that make this food low oxalate? I’m just not sure if a small % of a very high oxalate ingredient equals a low oxalate food.

I know this is some pretty specific info I’m looking for so I will appreciate any thoughts/advice I receive. I’m out of ideas. If I can’t make this food work, I’ll have to do home cooked.

Thanks.

[Stephen K]

Try the Acana large breed puppy food (Dry). It is working very well with our 10 week old Labrador Retriever.
The breeder had him on Purina’s Pro Plan Puppy and we did not like the ingredients in it, the transition went very well, no soft stools!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Stephen K.

[Joe S]

Anyone out there feed this dry kibble? We just had a store open near us and seen this GF food!

[Debbie I]

I just switched to this food from royal canin because i could not afford the $94 a bag , NOW i just heard Purina bought Merrick, I will NOT support purina at all !!! Can you please recommend another fish limited ingredient diet dry dog food ?? i am soooo upset over this, she was doing so well with this food – ugh !! How is Natures receipe brand ?? is that related to purina at all ??? Thanks so much

[Kim D]

Any suggestions, ideas will be much appreciated!
Fostering dog for 2 weeks, he was on food from rescue Diamond Naturals, I didn’t like amount and way poop looked and he was extremely thin, but no itchies. Also he came from a mostly concrete environment to country life…aka lots of grass.
I switched to Earthborn Holistic (because I had no idea the WHOLE other premium dog food market even existed before 2 weeks ago)
He started chewing at his paws, then legs, then all over itchy.
Now hots spots on legs from chewing, massive hair loss (which I know for AKitas happens 2x/year).
Diarrhea last Friday – Sunday. Fed only rice water, rice and chicken…still itchy.
Back on Earthborn and started Vitahound introduction.
Being a rescue, I am sure his prior food was not the best quality. BUT he did NOT have these sores. Could it actually be seasonal allergies that would take 2 weeks to show up or is it change in food?
I would love any recommendations for a dry kibble that could help with skin problems and help him gain healthy weight. I just feel like there is still way too much information to digest!!!! Thank you in advance!

[Cheryl N]

The company that makes Pure Balanced dry dog food called me. They said all the ingredients are from USA, except, they get their “vitamin Pack” from China. that did not make me too happy.

[InkedMarie]

I wouldn’t feed that food. Maybe the vet wants him on it but you, as the owner, makes the choice. I would NOT feed a dry food. A dog with crystals needs moisture. It’s best that you feed a wet food (canned, raw etc) but if you must feed dry, add canned & water.

[Debbie B]

I got my babies Orijen food today, the kibble isn’t too big & it’s much softer than the other dog food brands that I’ve used. I started her out on Wellness as a puppy, they changed their kibble size & she actually got choked on it. I then put her on Blue Buffalo, she then got crystals in her urine (of course I cannot say it was the food that caused it), for the past 2 years she has been on Hi-Tek which is a 5 star food but the last bag I bought, she ate it twice & got sick & would not touch it again. Thankfully I had purchased two bags & I opened the other bag that had a different lot# & exp. date & she started eating it again. But that’s when I decided to try Orijen. Of course it’s going to take a week to get her completely on the Orijen. But I gave her 4 kibbles & she loved it. I also bought her a bag of their treats, gave her one of those & she loved it too. They aren’t really hard either. I’m surprised at how soft the food & treats are to be a dry food. No way could I break a kibble of the other dry foods but I got a Orijen kibble & put it between two fingers & pushed with my thumb & it broke, which surprised me! I did that because when she ate the kibble I didn’t hear her crunching it & didn’t know if she was just swallowing it whole. We’ll see how it goes………

[adi g]

Thank you guys. I have found a review of Natural Balance Vegetarian dray food
/dog-food-reviews/natural-balance-vegetarian-dog-food-dry/
Although it was given only 2 stars, i’m gonna give it a chance and hopefully soon the editor will discover the benefits of vegetarian/ vegan food for some dogs and give us a fair review of the options out there 🙂

[Gary L]

Hello

I just got my puppy Chihuahua from my breeder he’s 11 weeks old.
So far he will eat some Royal Canine Starter Mousse that the breeder has been giving to him and he also seems to like boiled Chicken. When I give him dry kibbles of Royal Canine or Fromm he wouldn’t touch them at all.

He doesn’t seem to be very attracted by food, he only eats it when he “has” to. Should I be worried? I ordered some Wellness CORE puppy as I really wanna move him away from Royal Canine. How long do you think I should keep him on Canned and when should I start moving him to kibbles?

He weights 1lb now and is estimated to be 3lbs once adult.

THANKS A LOT!

[Debbie B]

Thank you both for this info. I’ll give it a try since I ordered it. She usually eats her dry food so fast, she sometimes gets choked on the larger kibble. I may try soaking it in warm water if it’s to big. That keeps her from gobbling it down too fast and then drinking water to the point that the food “blows” up in her tummy and makes her sick!

[Kimberly W]

Hi all,

I have a puppy-mill Boston Terrier female named Lexie. I got her at 1 year old and she was in bad shape – demodex mange being one of the issues. We got rid of the mange, but she itches almost constantly still ….. especially mid-back and butt. Her tail has a spot where she’s rubbed all the hair off and now it’s like a callous there. I’ve tried all different proteins (even ground raw venison!) and grain-free foods, allergic injections, prednisone ….. even trying an immuno-therapy serum for common Florida allergens. She’s currently on Apoquel at $2 per DAY ….. it does help, but she still itches. I liked the idea of the Dinovite supplement + the raw diet they promote and switched her over VERY slowly. My first box of Dinovite lasted over 60 days. Lexie has a very touchy tummy and I didn’t want her to get sick. She seemed to do okay with the supplement and the diet, but we noticed that only the Apoquel made her scratch less. And by no means did the scratching stop ….. :/

So, into the 2nd box of Dinovite, Lexie started spitting up after eating. This had happened all along, but just once in awhile – now she was doing it after almost every meal. And it wasn’t RIGHT AFTER she ate, it was hours afterwards. Like we were sleeping at 3am and she’d vomit in the bed with us. And it was always GREEN. Like she was just spitting up just the Dinovite. We weaned her back onto the white fish based kibble she’d been on (that we were sure didn’t make her sick) and just put the Dinovite in that – thinking we’d eliminate the chance that it was the raw food. She STILL would vomit only green stuff.

I’m at my wits end here. I hate thinking she’s miserable. We have really tried a ton of stuff, but I think something in the Dinovite is making her sick. I’m wondering if all the time she was on the raw diet, it was moving the toxins from the crappy food she was fed (before I got her) OUT of her body and then, the grain (sorghum) in the Dinovite finally made her sick????

I wish I could post a picture – she looks SO good – hair is all grown in from where the demodex had her bald, so glossy she shines in the sun ….. everyone comments on how beautiful she is ….. but she itches. Almost all the time. Doesn’t lick her paws and her skin doesn’t smell at all, her ears are pretty pink inside ….. no yeast that I can see manifesting itself on her body anywhere. When I scratch her back where you can obviously tell it itches the MOST, there is some dandruff that comes out. She has no fleas and I’ve washed her with DermaBenss shampoo – as suggested by my vet – for the flaking skin ….. but when that didn’t work, I used a soap-free emu oil shampoo that’s FOR DRY SKIN and that didn’t help either.

This is what a meal looks like for Lexie:

1/2 cup of white fish based kibble – NO GRAINS (no corn, wheat or soy)
3 pumps of Yummy Chummies salmon oil
baked sweet potato or canned pumpkin
2 capsules of food enzymes (opened and sprinkled on the food)
Drs. Foster and Smith adult vitamin
vitamin E capsule – 400IU
***Also, before bed, I’m giving Lexie 2 capsules of bifidophilus, to help repopulate the good bacteria in her intestines.***
***We only use one kind of treats – Yummy Chummies Grain Free treats made with 95% salmon + potato and pea flour.***

The food we are using scores a 3.5 star on the food advisory list and I’m willing to buy her a 5 star food, but am not sure that food is her only issue. Does anyone have ANY suggestions for me? I’d be very grateful for any ideas that I haven’t already explored. Another supplement? A different shampoo? Anything I haven’t thought of or don’t know how to look for? I’ve even wondered if the itching is just a HABIT and maybe she doesn’t know how to stop ….. :/

Thanks for any thoughts!!!!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Kimberly W.

[Melissa S]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the information. I’m going to see what I can do about the food situation. I’ll be getting special shampoo and ear stuff to bathe and clean her with. My other dog is just fine outside. She does seem to only have the skin problems in the summer.

Just to let you know, both of our dogs have plenty of shade, two houses (with heaters in the winter), two large kiddie pools that we refill every day, a mist system, water bowls, and we usually wet down the yard for them. There is grass, dirt, cement, or carpet (or they can lie down in their house). so they have plenty to choose from. It’s not my ideal environment, but our living situation will most likely change soon (this is my parents house and they’ll be renting it to us within the next few months). So, we’ll be able to bring the dogs into the house.

I didn’t know there were dermatologists for dogs. I wonder if I can just go see one instead of a vet? They might know more than a vet would maybe?

We feed both wet and dry food, so I’ll be switching to a better kibble and wet food for now (or just supplement the dry with a homemade recipe of wet). Once my partner and I are making better money, we can look into much better food options. This site is pretty overwhelming and I’m terrified of screwing anything up if I go and try to make my own food.

ps. How should I talk to my fiance? I tried talking to him yesterday about it and he has this thing – He respects his uncle and looks up to him a lot and Purina Dog Chow is the only thing his uncle has ever fed his dogs. His dogs never had any problems on the stuff (as far as I know) and neither has my fiance’s dog. But, I’ve always known it was low quality food. I guess since I buy the food, I’ll just buy what I want! lol. 🙂

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Melissa S.

[Pitlove]

Honestly and this is just MY opinion, but I don’t feel there is a huge difference between grain free and grain inclusive. Any type of carbohydrate in a dry kibble is extra ingredients that are only there to bind the food together. AAFCO does not even recognize carbohydrates as a required nutrient for dogs because they can thrive without them. There is only one dry kibble on the market that is close to what a dog would intake carbohydrate wise if it were wild and that is Wysong Epigen 90, as it reads 4% carbs on a dry matter basis.

It really becomes a matter of personal preference. I usually end up feeding grain free because like aquariangt said, grain free foods have a tendency to be higher in protein. However, if you don’t see a whole meat or meat meal within the first three ingredients, you can almost bet your money the protein is coming mainly from plant sources. So do not be deceived by a high protein % if the foods ingredient panel reads something like this for the first few ingredients; Chicken, Peas, Sweet Potatoe, Pea Flour. You have Chicken listed first and thats great, but chicken is 80% water and that moisture is cooked out of the chicken when it becomes extrued into dog kibble. So that means the majority of the food is actually the next 3 ingredients. I’ve seen a lot of grain-free kibbles like this. Even one of my favorite companies- Fromm- is guilty of this.

[Pitlove]

Hi Aimee-

Thanks for your response. The vet we were seeing vaguely suggested an elimination diet for my boy because she believes he has not only environmental allergies, but food “allergies” as well (her words). However, she made no effort to explain how to do an elimination diet to me. She told me to pick one food (I’ve been rotating) and feed it for 3 months. Thats all she said. I should have asked more questions, but she quickly moved on to another subject. Nevertheless he has an appointment with a new vet today for a sore on his neck and I’m going to have her look at the bumps he has and the dry flakey patches where his hair is falling out.

[Sharen R]

Thanks so much Gina for writing me. Nemo doesnt eat any fatty foods..see when we got him, we were told that he is genetically prone to being obese, with Nemo, if you put an entire can of wet food in front of him he would eat the whole thing. He’s not a dog that you can leave food in the bowl and he will get it when its time to eat, he will just eat it all right there..the Wet food that he is on is ID, its for dogs with sensitive stomachs so that is what he eats..he used to be able to eat a while back a tiny piece of steak or a small amount of bread but no more, he will have nothing but wet food from now on, no dry food, maybe the dry food irritates his stomach not sure, he would be on it for three weeks(A mix of dry and wet food) and then the problem would start again so we just leave him on wet food, as long as he feels good and is hungry throughout the day and feeling good that is what matters. We also take him for a walk everyday(Today we couldnt were too busy) but the Vet said that walking is good for the body and good for the pancreas so we have been doing that everyday, he poops normally, just want him to be healthy and happy and eat his food everyday so his pancreas can heal and he can go back to eating what he used to(Three times per day)

[Joy M]

Hello to all and Thank you in advance for all your help
I have been feeding my dog Lilly a 5 1/2 year old rescue pit a lightly cooked meal with dry for going on 2 years now with no problems but for nearly a year have been trying and trying to go totally raw But she will not touch it I have done my research and tried to wait it out She now just stopped eating raw meaty bones now she just buries it under the sofa or wherever but she never goes back to get them before I went back to raw she loved them So my question is am i hurting her by lightly cooking all the food She is very healthy now by the way When we first got her she was very sickly Horrible rashes ,Diarrhea ,bad joint issues Etc Most of that is gone now
I just am so confused She has had all her vaccinations before i got her and since then I was forced to get Rabies and talked into Lyme because we go camping in the deep woods But she has had none in two years

[Sue V]

Try one of the dog foods with lower fiber. Mine can’t tolerate more than 3% fiber content. I like Taste of the Wild grain free lamb formula dry(330 kcal/cup) and Wellness Chicken Stew (wet).

[Karen L]

I have been feeding my 10 year old Golden Retriever Blue Buffalo for many years and she has done very well on it. She is currently on the BB Wilderness Chicken Receipt Healthy Weight formula (both the dry AND the canned). However, recently I have been hearing so many terrible reviews about the food- poor ingredients, mislabeling- and in particular this summer, mostly July 2015, there have been horror stories about dogs (including other dogs who have been eating BB for years) becoming violently ill immediately upon opening a new bag of BB. It is as if the manufacturing or recipes have suddenly changed. I don’t know if I should immediately switch to a new food and am worried about opening the new bag which I just bought a week ago and is sitting in the closet. Suggestions? Thoughts? Are these stories true??

[Sarah N]

My boyfriend and I have a one year old french bulldog boston terrier mix. We bought blue buffalo puppy food (lamb and oatmeal, and chicken and brown rice) for her because we thought it would provide her with the best health benefits. We fed her this from September (when we got her) up until a few days ago. About a month ago she started throwing up almost everyday. We thought it was the Nylabone, but once that was taken away the vomit continued. It got to the point where none of the food was even digesting and coming up in the vomit with clear mucus. Then things got really bad. She had constipation, then diarrhea, followed by excessive drooling (like a waterfall), started shaking, and kept trying to vomit. We took her to the vet immediately the vet insisted it was the food we were giving her. The vet said her entire body was affected- especially her major organs. We put her on a beef, quinoa, and veggie diet. Her vomiting completely stopped and her bowels are regulated again. Feeding her this diet is extremely expensive and we want to get her on a dry dog food diet again (or at least partly for one meal a day). What do we buy? We already thought we bought the best and have no idea where to turn now. Any advice would be great. We just want our little girl to be healthy and active.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Sarah N.

[Jennifer R]

I have a 1 year old blue nose “Bo” and same issues, I have tried changing foods, benedryl, Zertec, and nothing worked. There is a new drug on the market that works WONDERS called Apoquel but there is production issues with it being new th vet frequently runs out and my dog has to suffer all over again. Fish oil helps as far as what I have read in many different forums. But if you can get the Apoqeul your dog will be like a whole new dog, no bumps, no itching, and back to normal. I am praying they will straighten it out soon, he had been off it for only a month and old symptoms are right back again :(. Good luck everyone!

[Susan]

Hi, it sounds like you have to change her kibble, the fat is very high 20%min so max fat would be about 22-23% fat, she may not be able to handle the higher fat now she’s getting older…I looked at the ingredients in the Performance & there’s fish meal & dry egg maybe one of these ingredients she has become sensitive too, my boy got real bad diarrhea on the Eukanuba FP Fish & Potato, I blamed the potatoes it could of been their fish….

My boy has IBD & the only kibble that worked for him at the time was vet diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” fiber is only 1.7% & fat is 10%, the Eukanuba Intestinal is a low residue kibble so it breaks down pretty easy, so less work on the stomach & bowel….Eukanuba Intestinal has dried chicken & turkey & less fiber…… the Iams Intestinal Plus low residue has chicken by-products meal & fish meal & higher fiber, I wouldn’t try the Iams its made North America, where Eukanuba Intestinal is made Switzerland..

Sometimes when a dog eats the same kibble for years they can have an intolerance to an ingredient in that kibble…. if you don’t want to try the Eukanuba Intestinal, I would look for a limited ingredient, lower fat kibble, I always recommend the “California Natural Lamb & Rice” cause it has just 4 ingredients or there’s “California Natural Chicken & Rice” with 5 ingredients, if she does good on the Lamb & Rice then also buy the Chicken & Rice & rotate both kibbles so she’s having Chicken & also Lamb in her diet… here’s their link http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products still feed the cooked chicken & rice for breakfast or dinner & feed the kibble for the other meal, so she is having variety in her diet, not just the same food…I was cooking once a fortnight & then freezing the meals…

[Nate D]

J S, look into trying Zignature. Try the Kangaroo formula if you can get it. It’s low calorie, lower protein, grain free, potato free, chicken free, gluten free, the mineral levels aren’t high, its limited ingredient so not a lot of high alkaline vegetables, etc..
I add 250 mg of Solid Gold Berry Balance once a day to the food (vet said to give my dog 250 mg’s of cranberry so I use the berry balance) and float the food with distilled water. I also add a tablespoon of wet food.
The canned Zignature is much more expensive then the dry which is why I just use it as a topper and more moisture.
Any of the Zignature’s are worth a try, but the Kangaroo is working great for mine. Might be worth trying and see how your dog makes out.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Nate D.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Nate D.

[aaron s]

I first read the Diamond Naturals Lamb meal and rice dry dog food review, it was rated 4 stars while the Beef meal and rice only rated 2.5 stars.

Now the Lamb meal and rice review has disappeared and is replaced by the Beef meal and rice reviews which now rates it at 4 stars and the Lamb and rice rates 3.5 stars.

I’m confused, the ingredients have not changed to my knowledge, why would one go waaay up and the other go down? Why did the Lamb meal and rice review disappear and replaced by the beef meal and rice??

I’m a little more skeptical about these reviews now cause they are not dated, nor is there any explanation how one goes from 2.5 to 4 and the other goes from 4 to 3.5.

[C4D]

No problem, BD! I love pet expos! Free samples and lot’s of info. 🙂

I have used a few of the Canidae pure formulas recently and my dog’s like it, of course they are labs 😉 and no issues.

I double checked on Canidae’s website. It states on all of the pure formulas that it’s made in Brownsville, Texas. I don’t see that claim on the grain inclusive formulas, so I’m not sure where it’s made. I included a link for the wild boar, but it’s on all of the formulas at the end of the description, right before the specs (G/A, etc). I see there are several new formulas, all slightly limited ingredient and a couple of protein specific, which is what I try to feed. I’m not sure if they’re really new or the stores around me don’t carry the whole line. The wild boar is only pork. I know there has been some controversy over wild boar & I have no idea where they source it, but with the possible exception of the alfalfa, it looks like it’s a possibility for allergy/food intolerance dogs.

http://www.canidae.com/products/2015/canidae-grain-free-pure-wild-dry-formula-dog-food/