[Lisa D]

I am new to the editor’s choice and I wonder why some of the dry and wet dog foods that are listed with a rating of 5 are not on the editor’s list. ex. My dogs love Taste of the Wild dry and wet foods and some of them are listed with a rating of 5 when you look them up by name. I am feeding all three of my dogs Taste of the Wild Wetlands Formula both wet and dry which are rated 5, but again, are not on the Editor’s Choice List. Am I missing something? Maybe with the company that makes the food? Or, have they just not been nominated?

[Betty R]

Royal Canin Adult dry food

[C4D]

Shawna is absolutely correct! Dry food is the worst thing to feed a dog in renal failure! She’s had a good deal of experience in the subject.
You do need to work with your vet for lab tests & results. There are several websites and a FB page I found helpful when my dog was diagnosed CRF.

balanceit.com provides recipes and foods based on your dog’s condition.

dogaware.com has a wonderfully helpful kidney page: http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidneydiet.html

There’s a Facebook group that has a lot of information called CRF Dogs.

Good luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by C4D.

[Shawna]

PS — dry food is the worst thing you can feed a dog with kidney disease — due to the dehydration it can cause as well as the lower bioavailability of the protein.

[Delilah S]

Hello! I am new to this site. I have looked at ratings, etc. before, but this is my first post.

I have a 4 year old English Bulldog. Jan 2014 she got a UTI. She had since had issues with recurring UTI’s…she had one in Jan, Feb, May, Oct, Nov, Jan & a trace of blood in her follow up Urine Analysis in Feb. She had done different antibiotics, we tried to supplement her with d-mannose, etc. etc. She has had x-rays & ultrasounds…all clear. Urine analysis(es) showed struvite crystals and a pH around 8-8.5. At a loss, our vet recommended Hills c/d in Feb to see if he headed off the infection. Sure enough, it did. She’s been UTI free since Feb.

Her skin has been mess…her face swollen, ears yeasty, she’s never been stinky & she smelled terrible, irritated face folds, the works (& that was on 2 benadryl twice a day). At the last trip to the vet he gave her steroids, but was pretty adamant about not switching her off of the c/d…talking long term allergy management treatment instead.

We sought a second opinion from another well respected, touted to be “more holistic,” vet in our area a few weeks ago. We were feeding Earthborn holistic meadow feast before the c/d and had not tried any other commercial foods. Based on the allergies, the new vet agreed that it was worth trying another food & ran a blood panel to check thyroid which came back ok. She wants to see a UA in 4 weeks on the new food.

After a lot of research we decided to switch her to The Honest Kitchen Keen because it’s supposed to be good for dogs with urinary issues. I have been monitoring her urine pH at home and it was a 6 when starting the transition from c/d. After one week it remained a 6. I checked it today and it was a 7. Today was the first day she was fully on the Honest Kitchen food.

I know 7 is still considered neutral. But, I am SO anxious now!! I was SO hopeful this would work for us to balance the allergies and urinary issues both. Our vet said 6-8 weeks on the new food to see what would happen with the allergies, but I could tell a big difference after about a week. She’s still not perfect, but there is a definite improvement in her looks & smell and I can’t tell that she’s feeling better.

I guess….are we on the right track?? Does anyone know of anything supplement wise I should talk to our vet about? She is currently on an omega 3 and probiotic as well (both of those are new within the last 3-4 weeks. Any other ideas or suggestions? I am going to keep an eye on it at home every few days vs. once a week and see if it continues to climb.

Thanks!

[Stephanie W]

Looking for a highly digestive protein dry for Senior Westie with Renal disease.

[Stephanie W]

Suggestions for dry foods with the highest digestible protein for my renal senior Westie.

[Anonymous]

I have a 1 year old frenchie and I want to take him of from any kind of dog food brands and give him made at home food because he has problems from dry and wet dog food what do you recomand

[Blkdoodle]

Where could one find charts or suggestions as to how much protein, carbs, fat, etc. we should be feeding our 65 lb Doodle who is 17 months old. Would like to get her on a better grade of food. Have been using Ideal Balance adult dry, with abt. 1/3 can of Blue Buffalo grillers. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Anonymous]

I have a 15 year old small breed dog that is constantly hungry too. I took him to the vet for a senior workup and his blood work came back better than mine.
Anyhow, I suspect he has a little dementia going on, he sometimes gets up at night and goes to the kitchen, barks at the fridge.
The vet told me these small dogs often have some spinal degeneration issues which can cause them pain/discomfort. He does have these episodes of agitation…..but often he just needs to go out. The vet prescribed something for his discomfort that he gets twice a day and this has helped. He is calmer now.

I feed him 4 small meals per day, a mix of wet food, kibble soaked overnight in water in the fridge doubles in size so he thinks he’s getting more, maybe a bite of cooked chicken.
I add a little water too, as I rarely see him go to his water dish.
He did well on Wysong Senior, but is getting Nutrisca now (wet and dry)

The other thing I give him is a combination low dose of a supplement and otc med at bedtime (approved by his vet).
I am reluctant to tell you what I use, I would prefer that you talk to your vet and have him prescribe something that will help keep your dog comfortable. Your dog just had a physical that ruled out medical, so it shouldn’t be a big deal if you leave a message for your vet to call you back to discuss options.

Some dogs tend to get confused and agitated as they age.

[Susan]

Hi my boy suffers from acid reflux, two years I’ve been battling with new diets, ant acid meds etc & this is what I have found..
You are better of leaving him on the Pepcid instead of stopping & re starting it again, the burning acid can burn their throat, esophagus & even cause ulcers if he hasn’t already got an ulcer..the Pepcid will relieve his discomfort…
Slipperly Elm Powder is suppose to be good google how to make a slurry paste..Slippery Elm coats the throat, stomach & stops nausea, you can add about 1/4 teaspoon slippery elm powder to their meals…I’ve never tried adding with meals, I was going to try if this new diet doesn’t work.. I’ve ordered the Royal Canine Intestinal low fat kibble as much as I hate vet diets, I’ve run out of kibbles & wet tin foods.. I live Australia & low fat diets are very hard to find the weight loss diets are low in fat & are higher in fiber & you need to avoid high fiber diets I’ve read..
I add about 1/2 teaspoon of the Slippery Elm Powder in a glass & add boiling water & stir till I have a thick paste but not too thick, I put about 3mls in a syringe when it cooled…this seem to help Patch but I hate giving him any meds, herbs, supplements..
I had him on Zantac as the Zantac doesn’t interfere with the bowel like other ant acids do.. now I give liquid Mylanta 3mls in a syringe, I make about 2 syringes up & leave in the fridge, the cool Mylanta soothes the throat & stomach…
I give 3mls Mylanta at 6am 1/2-1 hour before breakfast then if I see Patch unwell or feeling sick thru the day I give another 3ml Mylanta…it taste yuk but he lets me give it to him, so it must make him feel better normally he runs when he has to take tablets & see the syringe with water but with the Mylanta he doesn’t run away..I have found the Mylanta relieves Patches acid instantly..

You need to book your boy in for an Endoscope & Biopsies to see what is happening…blood test will not show if there’s anything wrong with his stomach only his pancreas, has he had the blood test for his Pancreas? All Patches blood test came back good & he had all the symptoms of Pancreatitis again..so Patch had Endoscope & Biopsies last December his stomach looked good the vet said, no ulcers or any scaring from old ulcers, lucky he had the biopsies as well, they found the Helicobacter-Pylori infection, he was given the triple therapy antibiotics & Zantac for 3 weeks but as soon as the course was finished he had his real bad acid reflux again, so vet said keep him on the Zantac twice a day every 12 hours which I did for about 1 month then I stopped his Zantac to see if his acid reflux came back, I changed his diet again to a lower protein.. & was just giving the 1/3 Zantac 150mg tablet every morning 6 am 30mins-1 hour before food & I stopped the night Zantac & he seemed OK & if he did wake thru the night licking lips, I give Mylanta..

I cant find a real low fat wet tin food only the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat or the Hills I/d Low Fat GI Restore they have boiled rice & Patch can’t eat boiled rice it gives him diarrhea, he can have grounded rice in kibbles, so I soak Patches kibble & drain all the water real well when the kibble is swollen then put thru a blender & its like wet tin food but has the low fat & low protein 8%-fat & 22%-protein.. I also cook Extra lean beef ground mince made into little rissoles balls, I also buy kangaroo mince for a change & blend a carrot broccoli & celery & add with the mince & bake in the oven & hardly any fat comes out of the extra lean beef or Kangaroo mince..

I would cook then freeze little meals, a low fat meat with blended green veggies, broccoli, celery, beans, kale etc or another wet tin food where the fat is 2% & under….The Wellness Stews are 4%-fat so when converted to dry matter (Kibble) its 16.2% fat, that’s pretty high in fat… & put him back on the Pepcid if it works for him, some of the Wellness Stews have potatoes or sweet potatoes, I was looking for another recipe last night for acid reflux & it said stay away from starchy veggies, Potatoes, Legumes & sweet Potatoes & give Pumkin, Squash, Rutabaga Turnip instead.. here’s the link… http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/acid-reflex-gerd-in-dogs-cats-natural.html
I’ve read Kale is good, it has Chlorophyll what is found in grass, it settles their stomach & digestive upsets.. so I’m going to try adding some blended kale to his rissoles as well..

[Barbara P]

Hi All,
I need you help please. My 13 year old pappy-poo, Sophie, was recently diagnosed with kidney concerns after a recent blood test. My vet said this will be what will cause her demise. He recommended KD dog food but she really doesn’t care for it, the wet or the dry. I have been mixing it with a few Pedigree dog food chunks (with chicken added) that says it has 8.5% “minimum” protein. She now has begun going without eating for a 24 hours at least one day a week. I have offered her many other treats (biscuits, cheese, heating it, covering it with a crushed dog biscuit, etc.) to entice her to eat during this time but she just turns and walks away. (She does drink water though.) Following the day of fasting, she will begin to eat again and will continue for several days and then this begins again. I am asking for your help and guidance in finding another food that is considered “low protein” but will hopefully keep her eating. I have searched in the grocery stores but the cans say “minimum” protein percentage so I don’t know what it really is. I have been advised to keep it at 14% or less.
Grateful for your help,
Barb P.
barbwp1054@gmail.com

[Christie]

I know that feeding labels on dog food are just suggestions based on weight and estimation of caloric intake, but my dogs eat nowhere near the amounts on the food.

I’ve been transitioning my two dogs (6 year old american bulldog mix – 110 pounds, 6 month old Mega Mutt™- 20 pounds) from Organix to Whole Earth Farms and the Feeding Guidelines says that the larger dog should eat 5 3/4 cups per day and the puppy 2- 4.5 cups per day (at the bottom of the guideline is says that puppies can eat 2x -3x of the listed “adult recommendation”)

It’s harder now since I’m transitioning between the old food and the new food so they won’t have digestive upset. But even before this, the dogs didn’t consume as much as Organix recommended (2¾ – 3¼ cups for the large dog, 2 ½ – 4 cups for the puppy).

From their official websites:
Organix
(Adult Food) “Calorie Content (calculated): 3,570 kcal ME/kg, 394.0 kcal ME/cup”
(Puppy Food) “Calorie Content (calculated): 3,628 kcal ME/kg, 400.0 kcal ME/cup”

Whole Earth Farms
(All Life Stage Food) “3500 kcal/kg – 1 cup (100 grams) provides 350 kcal of metabolizable energy, calculated value.”

The dogs are supposed to consume X amount of calories to maintain good weight (adult) and grow (puppy), but if they’re not eating the recommended (smaller) amount of the Organix, how am I going to get them to eat even more of the WEF?

I mix in a couple of spoonfuls (about 1/4 can for both dogs) of the canned WEF in each meal or else they’re not very interested. And I know you’re not supposed to leave dry food that’s mixed with wet out for very long, so I’ve wound up wasted all this extra food that they won’t eat.

When I first rescued the puppy (two months ago), I discovered last month that she had tapeworms. She seemed petite (my vet’s words) for her size (her DNA results came out so mixed that there’s nothing to really compare her to) and she was very hungry all the time. We’ve attributed that to the worms. Now, after treatment, she has definitely grown in size and weight and I’ve stopped free eating dry kibble and now feed both dogs two meals a day. She’s not as voraciously hungry as before (she would eat her puppy food and then eat the adult food in my other dog’s bowl…the primary reason that I’m switching to a food that is good for both of them to eat).

Both dogs probably eat about half of what is recommended daily. Is this problematic? Both are fairly active. I try not to give too many treats, and only after meal time. I figure that as long as they seems healthy and aren’t losing weight that they’re eating enough.

Can the guidelines be that far off the mark?

[Leslie F]

I have been using fresh fetch for a few years now and am very pleased with the product. My dog is healthy and looks great. The product is real meat, fish and poultry with real vegetables and fruit. The problem I’ve encountered is getting it! For example, the pet stores I used to get it at no longer carry it. So I have to order it online. Problem is, the online store is closed these past few days and I am getting low on food. And they do not permit you to pick up the food at their location so it has to be shipped to your home. It comes cold, packed in dry ice, some of it may be frozen upon delivery, which I like, but some is soft and cold. You have to be able to get it in the freezer after delivery because it is a fresh product that requires refrigeration/ freezing. I have had conversations via email with the company and they are adamant that their product arrives at a safe temperature. So far, so good for me. So you have to plan ahead and order before you run out and allow time to order and for delivery, which usually takes a day or two. It stores well in the freezer. Sometimes the packaging is not tight against the food and ice crystals form on the food in the freezer. But I have still used it without problem. I think the company has an excellent product. I wish I could just go buy it at the store but I have not been able to find a store near my home that carries it. I have even driven an hour to a store that told me they carry it only to arrive and find out they don’t, confusing Fresh Fetch with Fresh Pet. I used to cook my dogs food food which requires time and knowing what to food combinations and other food minerals to add to keep it nutritionally balanced. Dr. Beckers Real Food for Heathy Dogs and Cats is a great book to guide you if you want to prepare your dog and cats food. Fresh Fetch takes care of that task of preparing real food for your dog. You just have to buy it, if you can find it or are ok with online ordering. It is not inexpensive, but nowadays, the cost of the ingredients is not inexpensive either. I do believe it is a quality food and has been good for my dog.

[Andy B]

Lindsay,
I have 2 brother maltese/pekingese mix that will be 14 in Dec. They are both on Royal Canin LP Modified Renal dry. This was from a vet’s recommendation and it has only been about 3 months. It cuts back their protein intake, although I mix a tablespoon of cooked chicken breast in with their meal as well as about 2 tablespoons of water. Also, I am still mixing Blue Buffalo Grain Free Wilderness Chicken recipe with it. I am going to switch to Orajen to mix with the RC instead of BB. (didn’t realize BB isn’t as good as I thought it was) Also, I have a 12 year old Italian Greyhound. She has an enlarged heart and the vet recommended RC Early Cardiac dry. She has been on that for almost a year. Doesn’t like the taste too well, but does finally eat it. Same program as the brothers with the chicken and water, but no BB. Both RC foods are vet prescription required. All dogs get a multi vitamin once a day and a cosequin joint supplement once a day. The Greyhound takes a cardiac pill called Cardial. She gets 1/4 of the tablet twice a day. They are all very active and no weight problem.

[Barbara S]

I have used 4Health dry food and like the price and ingredients listed. The problem is that my dog’s stools are not firm when he eats this. This would not be a problem because we know that stools (of animals and humans) vary in texture, but I pick up after he does his business and can’t always retrieve all of a softer stool. It’s a weird reason to eliminate a food, just mentioning it. Otherwise, dog is fine on this food. Also, I know his food is what makes the stool less firm because I often bring him to doggy day care, where he is fed Science Diet. I have my own concerns about S.D. ingredients, but the stool is more firm after he eats this brand.

[DogFoodie]

My Cavalier can eat virtually anything. She loves raw and does very well on a high protein, moderate fat diet with a bit higher fiber. That’s my toy breed though – yours could very well be different. When she eats kibble, I try to choose those that are smaller pieces. Although she eats Orijen, which is one of the biggest, with no problem. You can always give dry food a whirl in a coffee grinder if you want to make it smaller. The great thing is, it’s a bit easier to feed them higher quality foods because they eat such small portions. Just be careful, because it’s very easy to overfeed a small dog. There’s much less room for error when you’re only eating 300-some calories per day.

[Christine M]

Hi all! I work with a pug rescue and we recently pulled a bonded pair from a shelter. Its a pug and his side-kick, a 4-lb senior yorkie that has no teeth and a huge tongue! They are both sweet and adorable. I foster a lot and mainly have dogs with medical issues so at any given time in my home I have many many foods going from home-made to super restricted diets, etc.

This dog is by far the smallest that I have ever fostered. We just did his first meal and I soaked and mashed dry food in water and he was able to eat it alright. But, I think there might be some easier alternatives out there. I was thinking maybe Grandma Lucy’s rehydrated food but the chunks might be too large. Just wondering for anyone with experience with a teeny, tiny dog, what specific brand/type of food you might recommend? I don’t want to try too many things and upset his stomach.

Thanks in advance!

[Susan]

Hi Michelle, I’ve been going through the same thing for about 1 year now, finally had a Endoscope & Biopsies done, I thought Patch had an ulcer but thru biopsies they found Helicobacter-Pylori infection & IBD (Food Intolerances).. Patch was treated with antibiotics Metronidazole Amoxicillin & Zantac for 3 weeks, The Helicobacter is very hard to get rid of & Patch suffers bad acid reflux when the Helicobacter come back. I’m picking up a script today for Losec (omeprazole) cause the Zantac isn’t working anymore…

Low fat diet makes a big difference…You need to find a low fat foods….Fat makes the acid reflux worse, if you can feed a cooked diet is best…try & stay away from kibbles, I found kibbles can make the acid reflux worse so what I do cause I can’t find a real low fat wet tin food with 2% fat & under, I soak his limited ingredient low fat-10% kibble in water then when the kibble is swollen, I drain the water very well then I put thru a blender mini processor & the kibble comes like wet tin food & I have the low 10% fat & I’ve been cooking, I buy Extra lean beef ground mince & add blended broccoli, celery, carrot with the mince then bake in the oven, I make mini meat loaves or rissoles..you get to know the good low fat grounded mince hardly any fat will come out while the meat loaf or rissoles are baking..
About 2 months ago I went thru a animal Naturopath & she said Patch needs to heal his stomach & get the stomach pH back at 1%… Patch was put on a low fat raw Kangaroo mince & blended broccoli celery, carrot & apple, 2 spoons to 1 cup of the kangaroo mince + Digestive Enzymes + Probiotic, the raw worked excellent then he started regurgitating the raw, water kept coming up into his mouth causing real sore throat from the acid coming up into his mouth… he also regurgitates the cooked meat if its real dry sometimes.. soaked kibble seems to work the best for Patch….also I give liquid Mylanta 3mls when I see him swallowing & uncomfortable with his acid reflux the Mylanta helps straight away…

Good-Luck, I hope lowing the fat works for your boy, my boy is a rescue & I’d say he was left untreated for tooo long, I got him at the age of 4..

Have a looked at the “Canine Caviar Special Needs” the fat is 9%min the protein is low but you can add your own meat toppers if the kibble works.. another good one is the “California Natural Lamb & Rice” it has just 4 ingredients fat is about 11%..you may know another low fat limited ingredient kibble but less ingredients are best, less food to cause the acid reflux… with Patch we are finding he has food sensitivities as well that irritate the stomach then the bowel…The Taste of wild wet & dry is too high in fat % the lowest I found was 15%min fat so max % would be around 17%.. I always email the kibble company & asked what is the max% with the fat & they normally email me back….

Try a new lower fat diet first & ant acid meds then if new diet and ant acid meds don’t work, have the endoscope & biopsies done, that’s what I did…

[Anonymous]

Ps: If you have a dog that has made it to age 20 and is in good shape, I wouldn’t alter whatever you have been doing (diet wise) too much!

What dry food have you been feeding him?

[Robert W]

I have 20 year old miniature dachshund that has lived a very full and happy life; now he has lost all but one tooth and can’t eat dry food, so I have switched to canned food. My question is what is the best “wet” food that I can give him? he still is very active and run’s around the house like a 4 year old, but, does like to sleep a little more time now. Any advice would be very helpful. Thank you!

[Pitlove]

I’ll also mention that he is on this food atm: http://precisepet.com/dog-formulas/precise-holistic-complete/dry/wild-at-heart-flight-line/

It is the first grain inclusive food he has ever been on, but this formula has potatoes. I feel that I need to keep him off grain free foods and only feed him foods with brown rice as the main carb source to stop the yeast. Thoughts on staying away from grain free foods as well?

[Christie]

She vomited 6 times within the course of about 45 minutes or so– then was set for the rest of the night. She drank some water this morning (not too much) and nibbled on a bit of her regular dry food. And she was playful and rolling around with my other dog outside this morning.

I only put about 20% of the new food in her dish last night. But it must have upset her stomach because I noticed some grass in the vomit. And she was whiny and attention seeking earlier in the night before she became sick.

I know that transitioning can sometimes be a difficult process, and some dogs go through it with no issue and some dogs don’t tolerate any change well.

I’m not going to give up on transitioning, but I might put it on hold until after the weekend as I am going to be puppy sitting and I really don’t want to worry about possible vomit on top of worrying about my 110 pound giant eating this 10 pound pup.

I hope she’s not allergic or intolerant of any of the WEF ingredients. I did notice that she was rubbing her face and pawing at her ears last night. And I did check this morning and her ears, while a bit dirty inside (my dogs love play fighting on the one area of my backyard that’s all topsoil), they weren’t red or inflamed or anything suggesting sickness. And she was trying (unsuccessfully) to bite at her tail. All symptoms that I read this morning of possible food allergies. I thought the Turkey and Duck recipe was the safest bet.

I have been transitioning both dogs from free eating dry kibble with a canned treat each night to two meals/day. And I did only start to mix the canned with the dry kibble and both dogs finished their meals rather quickly. Definitely a change over how they normally eat. So maybe it’s a combo of the food itself and how quickly they eat it.

Hopefully it was just a one off and she’ll transition to WEF without any other issues.

Thanks again for all the help!

[Christie]

She vomited 6 times within the course of about 45 minutes or so– then was set for the rest of the night. She drank some water this morning (not too much) and nibbled on a bit of her regular dry food. And she was playful and rolling around with my other dog outside this morning.

I only put about 20% of the new food in her dish last night. But it must have upset her stomach because I noticed some grass in the vomit. And she was whiny and attention seeking earlier in the night before she became sick.

I know that transitioning can sometimes be a difficult process, and some dogs go through it with no issue and some dogs don’t tolerate any change well.

I’m not going to give up on transitioning, but I might put it on hold until after the weekend as I am going to be puppy sitting and I really don’t want to worry about possible vomit on top of worrying about my 110 pound giant eating this 10 pound pup.

I hope she’s not allergic or intolerant of any of the WEF ingredients. I did notice that she was rubbing her face and pawing at her ears last night. And I did check this morning and her ears, while a bit dirty inside (my dogs love play fighting on the one area of my backyard that’s all topsoil), they weren’t red or inflamed or anything suggesting sickness. And she was trying (unsuccessfully) to bite at her tail. All symptoms that I read this morning of possible food allergies. I thought the Turkey and Duck recipe was the safest bet.

I have been transitioning both dogs from free eating dry kibble with a canned treat each night to two meals/day. And I did only start to mix the canned with the dry kibble and both dogs finished their meals rather quickly. Definitely a chance over how they normally eat. So maybe it’s a combo of the food itself and how quickly they eat it.

Hopefully it was just a one off and she’ll transition to WEF without any other issues.

Thanks again for all the help!

[Ysabella J]

We have fed a variety of high quality canned food, kibble, and premade raw to our Golden Retriever for her entire life. I’ve recently done research and am just trying to get some more opinions/options. So, in your opinion what is the best canned food out there? Personally, I think Orijen/Acana are top notch when it comes to dry, Stella & Chewy’s or Primal for raw, but haven’t found a personal favorite for canned food.

Which also brings me to.. Does anyone know a high quality canned food that uses chemical free packaging? I wish the brands I listed above had canned foods as well.. Lol. Thanks in advance you guys!

[Pitlove]

Christie- I’ve worked at a store that carried both products (Petco) and so I made a point to look into both brands for when customers had questions about them. Merrick GF has 12% more protein than WEF. WEF is 26%(29 dry matter) and Merrick is 38%(43 dry matter). Therefore WEF will be a little higher in carbs than Merrick. WEF is also lower in fat than Merrick, which helps. However, for it’s price I believe that WEF is one of the best foods in that price point. It’s very close to Purina products price wise and we would often recommend it at my old job for customers who were looking to transistion to natural foods. The price wasn’t as scary, but they are still feeding a far better food than Purina or the like. One thing I’d like to point out (as I’m currently going through this with my pitbull) that Bulldog’s are prone to yeast and yeast loves starchy carbs like potatoes. Since Merrick does a lot with potatoes and sweet potatoes make sure you are cleaning his folds (if he has some) and his ears very regularly. If you start to smell a yeasty smell consider a food without potatoes and other starchy carbs like peas.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Pitlove.

[crazy4cats]

Which dry and canned foods have you already tried?

[Jerry C]

My 10 month old Morky weight 5 pounds will not eat neither dry nor canned dog foods. I’ve tried most of the highly rated commercial dog foods available and she just refuses all offers. She will readily eat boiled chicken, turkey and ham. She also frequently eats her feces. I would really like to find a nutritious dry food for her that she likes and is eager to eat. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations. My vet hasn’t been any help either. Thanks for any help you might provide.

[Christie]

Hi everyone.

I have a 6 year old American Bulldog Mix and a 6 month old Catahoula mix. I’ve been going back and forth trying to find a quality food brand to feed them. Right now they eat Castor & Pollux Organix Adult and Organix Puppy. And they share a can of Castor & Pollux wet food once a day.

Both Petco and Petsmart have essentially rid themselves of the brand. And while I can buy online, I’m essentially looking for a food that I can feed them both.

Both Merrick Grain Free (rated on here at 5 stars) and Whole Earth Farms (rated here at 4 stars) offer dry and wet All Life Stages foods. I know Merrick owns WEF. Is there a big difference in quality between the two? There’s an approximate $15 difference in price between them and I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth it. Or it WEF is a decent brand.

My dogs aren’t happy with the C&P food. Before that they were on Ideal Balance dry (which they also didn’t want to eat). I’ve spent a lot of time transitioning from one brand to the next and I’m hoping that Merrick (or WEF) will be a quality food they will look forward to eating. I know that big brands fill their foods with ingredients dogs love to eat and sometimes it’s harder to get a dog to adapt to a higher grade food.

My mother recently adopted a puppy and the shelter gave her a bag of Purina Smart One Puppy. She gobbles it up and won’t eat anything else. I’ve already schooled her on their questionable ingredients. I fed a small amount to my very picky eating puppy and I was not surprised to find the bowl empty 1 minute later and that she was literally licking it clean. It would be easy to feed her that (my vet recommends Purina Pro Plan and says he feeds his dogs that). But I know what’s in the bag and I’ve already attempted to feed my large dog their Pro Plan Large Breed dry a year ago on the vet’s suggestion, only to find nasty meal worms crawling around inside the storage container I had the food in and my dog’s food bowl (I know this has more to do with packaging/shipping than production, but still. I’ve since read up on the brand and am not impressed.

Merrick seems to be a decent brand of food. And on paper WEF seems just as good. Both are readily available at my local Petco and online. But it Merrick brand worth the extra $15/bag over WEF?

• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Christie.

[Pitlove]

This is the GA for the Hill’s Metabolic and Mobility:

Average Nutrient and Caloric Content
Dry 3210 kcal/kg (291 kcal/cup†)

Nutrient
Dry Matter1
%
Protein 28.0
Fat 14.6
Carbohydrate (NFE) 36.2
Crude Fiber 14.9
Calcium 0.95
Phosphorus 0.7
Sodium 0.37
Potassium 0.88
Magnesium 0.159
Carnitine 400 ppm
Vitamin C 324 mg/kg
Vitamin E 741 IU/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate 1174 mg/kg (ppm)
Glucosamine 738 mg/kg (ppm

The protein is highER than most of their formulas and the carbs are low which is why it is meant to help your dog lose weight. I agree that the ingredients are sub-par. Prehaps look for a food with better ingredients but very very close %’s on the GA. This food also contains Chondroitin and Glucosamine for the joints. I’m not sure if a senior formula would contain those ingredients but be high enough protein and low enough carbs to help your girl lose weight. If you switch to something that is better quality and the same %’s on the GA make sure you add a joint supplement.
I have heard really good things about this product: http://www.naturvet.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&product_id=39&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=4

Edit: Remember a “weight loss” food does not work if they are taking in more calories than they are burning. If your senior dog is less active make sure to decrease the amount they are eating as well to aid in weight loss. Also senior dogs have a increased need for quality animal protein, not a decrease. Perhaps consider looking into a raw diet for her?

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Sharon- While I can’t give you a ton of advice on raw (others here can and Im sure will chim in) I do know that raw meaty bones help clean their teeth really well and are quite healthy for them.

I’ve also heard from a few people that they don’t feel that puppies in general should eat grain free however that is probably more towards dry food and not raw since raw is the ideal diet and contains no grains or carbs. Dr. Karen Becker interviewed a doctor who breeds Newfies and has all the pups on a raw diet. One of his Dam’s lived to 17 years old on raw.

Perhaps check out Darwins Pet Foods, they do raw and its already complete and balanced. Hare Today is grinds so you have to add your own vitamins etc. I’m sure others who do feed raw can give you some other sites or suppliers to look into. If your Newfie pup is still under 8 months you will need to make sure he’s getting proper calcium and phosphorus levels and make sure hes not being overfed. That will also aid in preventing skeletal disorders and overgrowth.

[Terrie S]

I have a 7 year old Llewellin setter that began furiously chewing his paws about a month ago. He also scratches and chews other places. I tried Benedryl, then antibiotics but am stumped. His feet are sore and his litter mate is running circles around him. I have ordered some grain free food to try. Any ideas? Thanks, tstoller, new member.

[sharon b]

I have one 80 pound husky and a 80 pound Newfoundland puppy that I am considering switching to raw food. I have been adding raw to their dry food mostly as we have been training and this makes the puppy eat his food and makes his bowel movements predictable and training now finally is established. They both seem to love the commercial raw I have been buying but I just can’t seem to find a good food for a decent price that suits them both. Grain free products gave the puppy diarrhea, and I refuse to give him anything with rice that has arsenic in it. I read several other post’s, one that there was a NH dealer that deliver’s a good raw for a $10 fee, need to research that further, also one that said that feeding raw requires less overall food and even better less overall waste (poops). Let me tell you this puppy is going to be about 165 pounds, and right now eats about 8-9 cups of dry and poops are giant. So any info on what is best to give them, neither is huge on activity, although the puppy will do some swimming but typically Newf’s are laid back, and the husky is 8, and her activity is fighting back the puppy. I am disabled with neck and shoulder issues so mixing this stuff myself is not what I want to do, but I can handle a little of that if needed. Any info is great.

[Susan]

Hi have you looked at “Lupo Sensitive 24/10” or “Lupo Natural Swiss Chicken” I don’t know if he can have potato flour, Lupo uses potato flour, normally when a dog has a allergy to a food its the protein in say the potatos or meat that they are allergic or intolerant too… here’s Zooplus site just put the “Lupo Natural Swiss Chicken” in the Search bar if you want to have a look at the Natural Swiss Chicken….here’s the link too Lupo Sensitive 24/10 http://www.zooplus.com/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/luposan/lupo_sensitive/304149
Another kibble is “California Natural Lamb & Rice” large bites it has just 4 ingredients you can always add a topper some sardines etc http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

[Pitlove]

Hi Meg-

I wanted to suggest Precise actually, however I found peas in the large/giant breed puppy and adult formulas for the Holistic Complete line. Their GF lines also use peas as the carbohydrate source. I’m assuming you are talking about the Naturals line then. I like Holistic Complete more but that is out of the question for your boy. However, it seems to me that you will have to trade off feeding grain free for grain inclusive.

/dog-food-reviews/natures-variety-ultimate-protein/ -Didn’t find any of those ingredients in this one unless I’m missing something.

/dog-food-reviews/grandma-maes-country-naturals-dry/

I didn’t look super hard but these are the 4 and 5 star foods I found without those ingredients. You weren’t kidding about how hard it is to find foods without them!

[Pitlove]

So if I as a human get GI upset or food poisoning does that mean I stop eating different foods and eat nothing but chicken and rice for the rest of my life? No. I dont know about everyone else, but I buy medium size bags that last a couple months and switch when I’m done with that bag. I don’t feed different dry foods every meal, so I would be able to tell if my dog was getting an upset stomach from the food I was feeding.

[Samantha F]

Hi- just found this board while looking for something to help with my 5 yr old Bella who is a blue brindle full APBT. First, we know she has chicken allergies. The first year we had her we battled with bumps. She was on and off antibiotics because the vet thought that was what would help since nothing else they tested her for showed up. She would have bumps, runny/mucousy stool, gas and an always rumbling tummy. After a lot of reading I decided to cut chicken out of her diet as I read that it was a fairly common food allergen. I changed her food to Orijen 6 Fish (we tried Orijen Regional Red and that affected her also) and I also started her on probiotic/digestive enzymes because of being on antibiotics so much. She was completely normal within 1-2 weeks. We rarely have issues unless she gets a treat with chicken meal or something. I am very careful what we or any visitors feed her. I check all treats that I buy for any kind of chicken products. I recently gave her a Bully stick and a different type of dry cookie. I’m not sure if it’s one of those or something else, but my poor baby has tons of hive looking bumps on her head, ears, underarms, etc. (one of her worst reactions yet). She rarely gets itchy when she gets them, but it looks horrible and Benadryl doesn’t seem to be helping. The only other thing we’ve added to her food is Answers Raw Goats milk, but she has been getting that for about 2+ months – so I doubt it’s that. Any ideas on how to bring down these hives would be greatly appreciated. 🙂

[Terrina L]

Hi Heather
I am going through the same thing 🙁 My little girl is on her last round of chemo. I too spent hours scowering the internet for any information. I’m sure that you have read on many sites that a low carb diet is essential for fighting cancer. I switched my dog to Evo. It has the least amount of carbs for the dry and the canned food has zero carbs. Also check into a supplement called Miatake DMG by VeriScience. My vet recommend that. I hope all is going well with your fur baby.

[tal g]

hi…
my name is Tal, sorry abount my english ahead!
i raise a sweet pomeranian and he is 6 month old, i wannt to buy the best food for him.
there are recommendetions?!

[Dog_Obsessed]

I’m currently looking at the Rayne Diagnostic (LID) diets. They are all super limited ingredient, which is great. I don’t think they work for long-term feeding however, which I may need to keep in mind for a longer elimination diet. The kangaroo wet food looks amazing nutritionally, but is not all sustainably financially ($40 a week). The dry food is much more practical, at something like $40 a month for Lily. http://www.raynenutrition.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VC201D-2kg
It’s not great protein-wise, with 17% as-fed protein and Sweet Potato Flour as the first ingredient, but I might have to just let that slide for the elimination diet.
Still keeping in mind the Balance It Catfish and Beans, though this might be my first choice because there are so few ingredients.

Edit: The Rayne diet I linked to is also currently out of stock, which could be an issue.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Okay, thanks for clearing that up. The other thing is the Balance It Catfish and Beans Vet dry food: https://secure.balanceit.com/marketplace2.2/details.php?i=44&cc=
It is expensive for an LID, but Lily’s never had beans as a carb before as far as I know, and she hasn’t had much Catfish either, so it could be an option.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[aquariangt]

I’m pretty much always a bag ahead on Dry-as soon as I open a bag, I order or pick up the next bag so im not scrambling at the last minute. For their toppers-I usually keep about 2 weeks worth of canned on hand for breakfast, and a 4lb box of THK (usually, Grandma Lucy’s is in there) which is the dinner topper, and I do the same as the dry food for that, when I open a box, I get the next one. More out of I don’t like suddenly being out of food and have to get one immediately than for preparedness, but that’s a nice side benefit I suppose.

[Anonymous]

I store the dry food in airtight containers in the freezer. That should keep it good for a long time…a year, maybe.

If the power goes out for a week, all bets are off.

[Connie T]

Hi there, I am currently cooking for my dogs and seriously considering switching to raw. I do still feed a small amount of their dry food and always want to keep it on hand in case of a situation where running to the store is not an option (power outages etc.) So if I did switch to raw I would still give them a small amount of dry food and always keep plenty of it in air tight containers. In a worse case scenario, dry would be better than nothing. Is anyone else into preparedness and have you considered your pets and how you would feed them say if the power went out for a week?

[Bobby dog]

Hi Caitlin R:
Maybe leaving your pup on Hill’s for a few weeks or more will help give her system a rest if it’s working for her.

Check out Weruva Human Style & Dogs in the Kitchen or Tiki Dog chicken or sardine recipes. Weruva Human Style and Tiki Dog are not pate’s, the meat is shredded, but they might be options to look into. I feed both of these brands and the meat is very tender. Each site has pictures of the food. Weruva’s Dogs in the Kitchen are more of a pate, but the meat is still recognizable and tender as well. Weruva’s site also breaks down each Human Style recipe into calories and metabolizable energy (ME), as fed, dry matter basis, and mineral content per 100 kcal if there is a specific requirement you need to address; just click the nutrition chart link on each recipes page.
http://www.weruva.com/dog-cuisine.php
http://www.petropics.com/tiki-dog/

[Jack B]

The Vet suggested Royal Canin Allegenic Hydrolized Chicken Diet and that did nothing but make him strain more to go. The Vet doesn’t seem to know what to do with him. What exactly is an “elimination diet”? We actually went to a Vet clinic that specialized in Allergies. We are not “letting this go”…we are trying different things but you have to give each diet change at least a month to see what’s happening.

Just to add to my first post, the allergy/saliva test showed sensitivities to whitefish, turkey, soy and wheat. The rabbit food we were giving him was Natural Instinct Limited Ingredients Rabbit Formula. Recently we tried taking him off his normal dry food and feeding him canned chicken, with some plain yogurt, canned pumpkin and rice. We were hoping this would firm up his stool, but it’s not working too good. Should we keep him on this chicken, rice, pumkin, yogurt mix for a while?

[zcRiley]

Vet did the same to me. Never went past the 1st bowl of prescription food, it was disgusting. 5 star Zignature Zssentials has no chicken, potato or egg and the results were immediate, the quality & smell is just like Orijen Adult. I also switched to chemical free Aroma Paws jasmine honeysuckle shampoo. It continues to work even after towel drying from a million swims in the chlorinated pool, dandruff is a thing of the past.

[Anita S]

My dog Kia is exercised two/three times a day ( running for ball) but has flakes throughout her coat. There are time when she is continuously biting, scratching, gnawing herself. Ending up with several hot spots. Mostly on her back hip area. I’ve tried vet recommendation of Prescription Hill diet for nearly two months ( very expensive), but she still kept up with the scratching, gnawing, and hot spots still developed. I do give her one tablet of Mega Red for the Omega benefit at least every other day. Seems to help some, but the scratching, gnawing, biting still happening and hot spots are still present. When one heals, there is another somewhere else on her body. Not sure if its her food ( Blue wild grain free both dry and can) or allergies from something else or maybe anxiety( but from what? She is a well adjusted female dog who is loved) Please help. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration to this matter.

[Linda P]

I’d like to nominate Halo’s Spots Stew wholesome lamb or chicken dry food.

[theBCnut]

If you could take some to the vet and get Revolution for all of them, that would probably be best and easiest, not easy, just easiest. Otherwise, I would probably try mixing strongid into canned food and hope that they eat enough, about 2 cc per kitty. Strongid is OTC and found at most feed stores. You can give it directly into the mouth, if they won’t claw you up. Of all the oral wormers, it’s the only one that doesn’t taste foul(guess how I know). It won’t kill everything, but it would be a starting place. Getting a fresh fecal would be best, so you know what you are trying to kill.

If you already feed some canned food, do you add diatomatious earth to their canned food? That would be a good idea going forward.

My cats always get thinner in this heat, so you also want to evaluate hair quality. Do they seem dry and patchy, or thin coated? Are they dull?