[Debra D]

Not really sure what the best food for dogs is – raw, homemade, commercial?? Nutrition is a very tricky science – for humans and animals. But, I do know what is cost prohibitive – Dr Marty. Seriously – $30-50 for a 16oz bag. That doesn’t even feed my dog for a day, according to his weight. So that’s a minimum of $45 a day to feed my guy this food.
How can Dr Marty possibly suggest that this is an affordable way to feed your dog? That is what is agrivating to me – don’t market a product as affordable when it clearly is not.
I want the best for my dog, but I’ll stick with the mixture that I’ve been using – commercial dry (won’t mention names, but has seemingly decent ingredients) mixed with some raw meat (grass fed) or egg , some veggies and omega supplement. He also loves fruit. We buy organic for ourselves (fortunate to be able to afford that, but doesn’t come close to $45 a day) so, that’s what he gets too.

[Tom S]

My dog is on long-term doxycycline, and we were advised by our vet to look for dog food without iron supplements as they can react with his medication. But all the foods we’ve looked at either contain an iron supplement (iron proteinate, iron amino acids, etc) or multiple different liver components.

The dog is a 2 year old male white lab, 100 lbs.

[Yazmin A]

Hi,

We’ll be getting an 8 week olde English bulldog in April, he’s currently on dry food and I would like to feed him on a raw food diet. How would I go about introducing this without upsetting his stomach? And which foods are the best to start with?

Thanks everyone

[Pam E]

Does anyone know anything about the Earthborn Holistic Unrefined dry dog food that I seen advertised.?. It sounds very interesting. I wonder if Dog Food Advisor knows anything about it and has anyone been using it? Thanks

[Marisa J]

I would try goat’s milk since it has tons of probiotics in it and helps rebalance the gut. It will make sure your puppy is has more good gut bacteria than bad gut bacteria. It will help with the loose stool along with hydrating your puppy as well. As far as a diet, I would try something that is complete and balanced like a dry food (without corn, wheat, soy, by-products, and grains), dehydrated (without grains), freeze dried, or raw. Ideally raw food is the best diet for dogs and kibble is the least freshest food.

[pugmomsandy]

@alberta H

Nature’s Logic canned dog foods

Dog Products

@SANDY P

Nature’s Logic grain free dry

https://www.chewy.com/brands/dry-food-10165?rh=c%3A3312%2Cc%3A7091%2Cc%3A10163%2C

[alberta H]

Oh geesh wish someone would do this for the canned dog food… i am desperate. have a dog allergic to beef, fish, lamb, corn, POTATO….. getting seriously frustrated.l (and she cannot eat chunk or dry dog food) so must be canned.

[Huskymalamutepup]

My 4 months old puppy has had diarrhea for two weeks, sometimes it gets a bit firmer, other times it’s soupy, but the last few nights he had completely liquid, orange, foul smelling, explosive diarrhea. We are currently waiting for the fecal test results but those won’t be back in before next week and I’m getting worried. He seems fine otherwise, doesn’t vomit, and I haven’t noticed any blood in stool. He keeps gaining weight every week, eats and drinks just fine. He’s been on a bland diet of chicken with rice, potatoes or oatmeal, sometimes also beef. He is also quite gassy and gets hiccups a lot. The vet said we should put him back on puppy food as the bland diet isn’t nutritious enough, so he’s had some dry food the past couple of days as well. His poop is generally quite orangey and when it gets explosive, he strains to take the last few drops out and there’s a lot of mucus. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Devin G]

I also mixed one of his small blue buffalo wilderness wet food containers in with it since he only had a tablespoon of it today mixed with his dry food. Excuse any typos I am using my cell phone! 🙂

[Devin G]

Hi everybody, this is my first post and I hope you cam give me helpful advice from your experience/knowledge. Please take it easy on me as I know how forums can be and how judgemental some users are. I am not experienced with this site so I apologize if this does not apply to you guys and gals! I just want my dog to be healthy and live as long as possible!

I have a question about homemade dog food. I have read books and researched the web to come up with a homemade diet for my dog. He is an Australian Terrier/Chihuahua mix that is approx 5 years old.

These are the ingredients I used tonight for his food tonight and please give any tips and knowledge you have about these. I wont go into too much detail and exact amounts used to save time but here is what I put together:

Lean ground turkey (lightly cooked with coconut oil)
Broccoli heads (lightly cooked in bone broth with the carrots)
Carrot (minced and lightly cooked in bone broth)
Anchovies (very lightly cooked then chopped)
1 egg (scrambled and cooked until just a little runny)
2 egg shells powdered (added and mixed at the end)
Little coconut oil
Little vegetable oil
Little bone broth
1 small sweet potato microwaved and skin removed
Little ground ginger

These are the ingredients and unwould appreciate any feedback. I used amounts close to what I found in books and from a Vet recommendation. I would really appreciate any experience with these ingredients you have regarding a dogs health. My dog weighs around 12lbs so I would also appreciate how much you would feed this weight daily. I mixed some with his blue buffalo dry food tonight as to not upset his tummy. I know broccoli can cause gas and has an ingredient not good in large amounts so I went light on it and only used the green tips.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

[Diane H]

Thank you very much for your reply, Jeanne E. I’m so sorry about the loss of your sweet girl. All of our furbabies are precious to us, and the longer we have them with us, the harder it is to lose them. My guy is 11 years old and has had a sensitive stomach since the age of 8 (his age when I adopted him). I learned from experience to avoid feeding him eggs, and I rarely depended on canned food to add to his kibble, but the pancreatitis showed up twice within the past few months. I had changed his dry food to one that I thought would work (and that he would eat) but when I asked my vet, the fat content pf the dry food he was eating was 12%, 2% higher than the max for a dog with pancreatitis should have. Our vet suggested the prescription food he is on now, and thankfully he seems to love it. I’ve been looking for a dental chew that’s safe for him, and will need to ask the vet because I always check the ingredients and fat content and sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s actually in it. Treats now are apple slices and sometimes blueberries and we’ll be going all natural as much as we can. I really like the KONG idea!

[jeanne e]

My dog had pancreatits for about 1+ years. I had to cook ( boil) white chicken breasts, only egg whites, etc. Homemade diet. Nothing fried. Eventually towards her end she so badly wanted her normal dry dog food . She started losing weight and with the winter here in NYS I chose to put her down ( 2015 ) as I felt with the snow, bad weather she would have a more difficult time with strength to get around. I had 3 dogs & a doggie door so all 3 of my dogs were used to going out as needed. Anyway, I was afraid she might go out on her own & collaspe & die. She was 15 years old, rescue, mixed breed and I know the end would happen with her weight loss. I did not want her to suffer.
A Pancreatitis attack is very painful. Pancreatitis with prescription medicine is controlable.
As for the chews or any type of treat ask your Vet, but I would have NOT given any to my dog as any type of food or treat that is harder for the dog to digest puts more stress on the digestive system. Hope this info helps.

[Teagsmom]

The study and my vet who is well known in her field feel otherwise. It’s not worth taking a risk. She has no problem with the Primal. She recommended going with a food that has a veterinarian on staff and has a history of trials. I have decided to switch to Go! Sensitive Duck w grains. It’s the same LID food I feed now but has no peas, legumes, chicken, turkey etc. I will continue to add Vital Essentials freeze dried duck nibs to her dry food and feed Primal in the evening.

I was hoping to find more options but for now this will work. Companies are coming out with varieties that contain grain minus the peas and legumes but I feel more comfortable going with a company that has been around with a good track record. Thank you!

[Elena S]

Hi there,
My pug Higgins has had protein losing entropathy this past year and he had made huge gains with Vegetarian Royal Canin and prednisone. Every other novel animal protein caused bad reactions. Now he is fully of prednisone but I’m starting to see some symptoms of dry skin, more shedding and odourless flatulence. I am a little worried that he’s not absorbing the protein from the vegan food. However, I wanted to see if anyone has similar experiences on vegan food and has used vegan food with supplements to help? If so which supplements? I really do not want him to be on steroids again….

Thanks!

[James P]

I live in Indonesia where I see Nurture-Pro Nourish Life foods for sale. Its ingredients look excellent and it does have a website: http://www.nurture-pro.com but its foods are not listed at dogfoodadvisor.com although it is made in the USA. I am wondering if it is sold in the US or is it only for export? Does anyone have experience feeding it to their dogs?

[Michelle D]

After researching, I have narrowed it down to 2 foods:

CANIDAE All Life Stages Less Active Formula Dry Dog Food or Fromm weight management Gold. I

tend to over research and have found positive and negative/scary reviews on both. Has anyone here had success with either of these foods?

Thank you!

[Mikkel J]

Hi

Looking to change from Hill’s J/D joint care, to a grain free product. My dog was very ill for a month probably do to lyme borreliosis . We’re of the meds (antibiotics and adrenocortical hormone) and recovered, however with stiff joints especially in hear rear legs after laying down, and not quite the same motivation to play and run with her son (7y), and inability to jump as before.
However things are doing somewhat better than just after the recovery, we’re doing an hour walk/run in her pace only on soft soil like in the forest. We supplement Hills with joint supplement powder containing (Glycosaminoglycans, Proteoglycans, Organic sulfur, Green-lipped mussel, Collagen II), turmeric with bioperine, Omega 3 (EPA/DHA) and the popular CBD oil 30 mg pr. day, dogs weight 30 kg/66 lbs.

I’m not certain that I’m on the right path her, and looking at first to find another base food instead of hills full of grain.
I’ve found Wolfsblut as the best substitute and like another pair of eyes on it.

https://www.wolfsblut.com/vetline/trockenfutter-hunde/vetline-joint-care/

Fresh wild poultry meat 41% (partridge, pigeon, wild duck, ostrich), sweet potato (17%), potato, banana, ostrich oil (5%), pumpkin, alfalfa, salmon oil, Jerusalem artichoke, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, black currants, parsley , Spinach, minerals, carrot, chickpeas, green-lipped mussel, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, glucosamine (3,900 mg / kg), methylsulfonylmethane (3,900 mg / kg), chondroitin sulfate (2,750 mg / kg), cetyl myristoleate (500 mg / kg ), Ginger, licorice, garlic, turmeric

Vitamins: vitamin A (as retinyl acetate) 14,400 IU, vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) 2,000 IU, vitamin E (as alpha tocopherol acetate) 100 IU; Trace elements: iodine (as anhydrous calcium iodate) 0.96 mg, iron (as ferrous sulfate) 48 mg, zinc (as zinc sulfate) 48 mg, manganese (as manganese sulfate) 33 mg, copper (as copper sulfate) 14 mg, selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.29 mg

Crude protein 20%
Crude fat 13%
Crude fiber 3.5%
Crude ash 9.5%
Humidity 8%
Omega-6 2.98%
Omega-3 0.75%

What are your thoughts about this product?
Also, i’d like some advice on the following
– The need if any, to supplement this kind of food with additionally or other nutrition.
– Exercise, I know shorter and more frequent walk is advisable, however she is responding rather well on 1 hour long walk a day.
– If you know about another joint care dry food or any other advice, whom you have good experience with, I’m all ears, however needs to be sold in Europe.

Thanks for your time
Mikkel

[anonymous]

Regarding allergies, your best bet is to go to a board certified Veterinary Dermatologist (asap) for exam/diagnosis/treatment.

Continue to work closely with your General Practice Vet regarding GI issues.
It’s not the chicken (just my opinion based on my experience with a allergy dog)

This is a good weight management food, run it by your vet https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-weight-management-gold-food-for-dogs

Add water to all dry food, and use wet/canned food when possible.

PS: They (dogs) all act like they are starving, no matter how much you feed them. They are scavengers. Don’t be fooled 🙂

[Cesar Q]

Hello
My boy is 14 years old he is a miniature schnauzer I’ve been feeding him with royal canin hepatic dry food because three years ago he was diagnosed with liver disease thanks to a tick (that’s what the vet told us) so the vet indicated us to feed him only with that food, the first time I gave him those kibbles I noted something that worried me, my dog left a few on the ground and I noticed that they left my floor stained they are very oily and when I put my hand inside the bag it leaves my hand very greasy I asked my vet and told me that it was normal
so today my dog wasn’t feeling good he looked weak and wasn’t responding I took him fast to the vet, vet took blood and urine tests and gave me bad news my dog has high cholesterol high triglycerides and he told me to expect the worst
the vet told me he is going to wait for that time so he can sleep my dog meanwhile I can’t do nothing
I can’t believe what he told me I don’t know if i need to go to another vet!
how can I save my dog?
are the kibbles guilty too?
Can I help him If I give him homemade food?
Please help me I don’t know what to do
I found this forum because I was searching for the kibbles brand, they look extremely unhealthy I don’t know where to seek help.

[m3ntat]

1 to 1.3 cups per the Pro Plan puppy guideline for 6mo old who will be up to 50lb at maturity. Up to 2c at 8mo. Compared to Hill’s 4c/day for 6-9mo old, very large volume for 37lb pup to try to ingest, lots of poop waste of nonabsorbed content. Pro Plan Pup https://www.purina.com/pro-plan/dogs/dry-dog-food/focus-puppy-chicken-rice

[m3ntat]

Prescription Royal Canin SO diet can help dissolve struvite uroliths specifically, and prevent formation of struvite and oxolate uroliths. RC also makes multiple diets with the SO index, including a behavior modifying diet, Calm. Stress is primary contributor to urinary disease, including bacterial infections, sterile inflammation, uroliths in the bladder (cystolith) or kidneys (nephrolith), as unsure which your vet has diagnosed. Moderating stress with diet, supplements, environment, and exercise, can help reduce stress induced disease and inflammation. Feliway (cat) and Dog Appeasing pheremone products are very helpful. Over the counter products by veterinary companies, such as Composure (Vetriscience), Zylkene (Vetoquinol), and Calming Care (Purina) are the most utilized amongst vet professionals. Long-term use of the rx urinary diet is recommended in repeat urethral obstruction or urolith affected pets. Obstruction by crystals blood/bladder cells, and stones is emergent, as blood cannot flow through the kidneys to filter toxins into urine, and toxins accumulate in the blood, leading to electrolyte imbalance, azotemia, dehydration, hypotension, and shock left untreated. Since he is older onset, ensuring water intake and more elimination opportunities on walks/yard visits will help decrease risk for concentrated urine accumulating crystals, which can form uroliths that gain size the longer crystals are present. Dilution decreases urine crystal formation. Inquire as to the serum kidney values, to ensure underlying kidney changes are not the contributors to the bacteria and crystals sited in his urine. Ultrasound is the best way to diagnose urinary tract changes, inflammation, and foreign material; limited abdominal U/S can find early kidney changes, prior to any abnormality in serum/blood work. Hope your boy continues to improve, as he already sounds 100% turnaround. Link to SO index Calm diet https://www.royalcanin.com/us/dogs/products/vet-products/canine-calm-dry-dog-food

[Tania D]

Hello! The rescue dog I want to adopt has been using the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein Dry Food. I have been searching and searching for an alternative. Is there anything other than the Hydrolyzed Soy that makes it special for this type of diet? I am waiting for a call back from the Rescue to explain a little more as to what brought him to this point. (whether it was skin / fur related or digestive) That will help me decide if he needs a strictly SOY PROTEIN diet – or if the other brand I’ve found (the WholeHearted Grain Free – thanks to this site!) would work as well. If it strictly a SOY ONLY diet – what are my options as to making my own food? Is there a Hydrolyzed Soy Protein I can buy? Any ideas are much appreciated! Looking to cut down the cost of the prescription food and feed him more naturally. Thank You!

• This topic was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[dogsforever123]

Have you considered a raw diet? Dogs tend to love it and you can incorporate raw foods quite easily…I don’t have any specific dog food brands I would recommend so I suggest you try a few different types of dry and wet food and see what your puppy likes.

[Tania D]

Hello! The rescue dog I want to adopt has been using the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein Dry Food. I have been searching and searching for an alternative. Is there anything other than the Hydrolyzed Soy that makes it special for this type of diet? I am waiting for a call back from the Rescue to explain a little more as to what brought him to this point. (whether it was skin / fur related or digestive) That will help me decide if he needs a strictly SOY PROTEIN diet – or if the other brand I’ve found (the WholeHearted Grain Free – thanks to this site!) would work as well. If it strictly a SOY ONLY diet – what are my options as to making my own food? Is there a Hydrolyzed Soy Protein I can buy? Any ideas are much appreciated! Looking to cut down the cost of the prescription food and feed him more naturally. Thank You!

[pugmomsandy]

It’s included in the review here Solid Gold Grain Free Dry.

It received 4.5 stars.

[evi R]

thanks for the info Diane. I completely forgot i signed up for this forum to see responses. i ended up not getting the dog food, etc. wasn’t sure exactly where it came from which i think they wouldn’t tell me. i use Bil-Jac dry dog food and have have been for quite awhile. i free feed my 2 shih-tzus though and not everyone does. they seem good on it. i get the adult chicken flavor.

[pugmomsandy]

You can feed a food to all 3 dogs that has a nutritional adequacy statement for “all life stages (A)” or for “adult maintenance (M)” which you are feeding now. All the recipes listed in the review have a life stage designation next to them if that info was available on the company’s website.

There are some suggestions here:

/best-dog-foods/best-small-breed-dog-food/

and here:

/best-dog-foods/best-dry-dog-foods/

[Ronald B]

Wendy – Sorry your pup isn’t responding to the Hills Science Diet. We had similar results early on with our Miniature Schnauzer but it was more related to the fact that she just didn’t like/wouldn’t eat the prescription Hills. After 3 surgeries to remove bladder stones, she’s been having great results with prescription Royal Canin Urinary SO (dry, wet and treats) and Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet UR Urinary Ox/St Canned. We were fortunate to get samples from out Vet before having to commit to a full order from Chewy.com where the smallest order size is 12 or 24 cans at a time. Also, I did see the Royal Canin prescription dry food in Petco the other day. You can read other comments I have made above. Good luck, we know how hard it is to treat this condition which is more common in some breeds than others.

[Wendy B]

My 4yrs old Staffy has just had surgery to remove dozens of cystine bladder stones 2 of which were lodged in his urethra. Was advised to feed him Hills UD wet food or the dry soaked in extra water. He is tolera ting this slow introduction. However his pee stream is still a bit slow 4 weeks on. May need to return for further imaging soon. Anyone offer advice on this prescription diet or alternatives. Told good chance of reoccuring! Any info on helping me to reduce reoccurrence would be grrat

[Jack or Carolyn B]

We have a seven pound Maltese mix and two almost 15 month old Chiweenies, 13 & 14 pounds. I’m having great difficulty trying to find healthiest, safest foods for them. We are currently feeding all three Click to open expanded view
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food By Blue Buffalo but I don’t think they should all be eating the same thing. What do you advise? It’s very difficult trying to figure it out on your web site. Thanks

[Ronald B]

Lauren – I wish I could help you make this decision. I don’t think that I have an opinion on the quality of Royal Canin or Purina. Prior to prescription foods recommended by my Vet, we never used either. Both have non-prescription dry/wet foods, that I probably wouldn’t feed to my pet(s) if it wasn’t prescription. I’m sure others will have opinions about the companies and source of the ingredients but all i can do at this point is trust in my Vet of 20 years. At her age, I’m trying to ensure she has a good/great quality of life without having to endure any more surgeries. So far, it has prevented any new crystal formation, her weight and energy has been great and she actually likes to eat both of them. Something that I can’t say about Science Diet prescription food, which she wouldn’t touch. I guess what I’m saying is that we decided to stay with what is working for her, regardless of how I feel about the companies that produce the food.

P.S. I should also say that during the past year, my puppy has also been undergoing treatment for Melanoma (cancer) at the University of Florida Veterinary School. They were fully involved with my Vet concerning treatment of the crystals and signed off on her current diet.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by Ronald B.

[Kayla R]

My 4 year old Goldendoodle has been having seizures once or twice a month since the end of August 2019. They’d last about 2 minutes and he would violently shake (and “paddle” as our vet called it), trembling jaw, foaming at the mouth, release his bowels, and bark. We’ve been tracking every seizure (date and time) and I’ve been looking into his food to see if it could be the cause of them. When we took him to the vet they said his bloodwork history and current work was all in perfect health so he figured it was epilepsy/idiopathic seizures.
He was previously on the Nutrience Sub Zero (freeze dried raw + kibble) which I was told was one of the best foods out there. I started him on the food at the beginning of August.
I put him on CBD oil In October (500mg once a day) because I heard the benefits of it and wanted to prevent putting him on medication as much as I could, but he was still having seizures. I decided to up his dosage in December (600mg twice a day on some chicken which is his favourite treat), but I also changed his food at the same time to “Only Natural Pet” Power Fusion Adult Dog Food which costs about $20 more per bag but apparently was better than the Nutrience? (This was told to me by a worker at PetSmart who said his dogs eat this food and it’s helped them a lot). I also occasionally give him some FreshPet fresh chicken and veggies mixed in with his kibble for some added nutrients (and he loves the fresh stuff!) but for $80 dry food and $45 fresh food, it adds up fast. Since his CBD going up and his new food he hasn’t had a seizure in almost 2 months! I wish I had only switched one thing at a time to see what would help first so now I’m not too sure if it’s only the cbd working or only the food (or both?), but I was so worried about him I just quickly wanted to do everything I could to stop his seizures.
If he has another one then I’ll have to take him to the vet again and discuss putting him on medication, but for now he’s doing a lot better. it’s so heartbreaking seeing your pup go through them and not being able to do anything as it’s happening. I hope you can figure out what’s causing your dogs seizures soon!

[pugmomsandy]

Puppies have a higher fat/energy requirement. Some will say 50% FPR is ideal for adults. If you look at the GA on some dry foods for puppies (growth), you will notice they have a higher fat content.

[crazy4cats]

The FDA actually recommends talking to your vet about your dogs diet with any questions who may consult with a board certified veterinary nutritionist. Howard’s vet recommends steering clear of grain free foods!

There have been no new numbers released since July 2019. So who knows how many new cases there have been?

I am playing it safe and only feeding foods that have been through feeding trials and are formulated by a team of experts. For me, it is either Iams or Purina dry and wet for our dogs and Royal Canin or Purina for our cats.

Check out this site for more information: https://taurinedcm.org/

They are also associated with a very informative FB group, if interested.

[Moon L]

I noticed that after reading Rachel Rays Nutrish which my cat loves the food is made in Thailand. and I AM NOT BUYING AND GIVING HER ANYTHING MADE IN THAILAND.. the fish can be bad and she is losing weight.. its good she is but she does not eat too much moist. I give her only Urinary food which she loves and eats 1 time a day plus dry. The other picky cat is on only Urinary since she was born.. so they are both 13 yrs old and in good shape. I only give them 2 bowls of water each one likes her special bowl which is white insides.. did you know that cats can only see White and Grey.. so fancy colors they do not see for the water too?

[Amy D]

Transitioned my dog to RR Nutrish, about a month ago, 2 wks ago she started vomiting & having diarrhea, turned to blood in both. Took her to Emergency Vet, they ran many tests & told me all her levels were within range so she must have snagged something bad on a walk. She was on bland food from vet & I made her chicken & rice and she was back to normal. I started putting some of her dry food kernels in the chicken mixture to get her back to her regular food and within a day she had diarrhea again! I found this forum & extremely glad I did! I will be tossing the bag of RR Dry food in the dumpster for sure after reading all these stories!

[Susan]

Hi,
My boy was put on Royal Canine Urinary S/O wet can & dry Kibble, Dry kibble for Breakfast & Wet Can food for Dinner , the vet said he has to just eat the R/C/ S/O for 6 weeks, no treats nothing else, then come back & have another Xray to see if crystals had dissolved, they had, then vet said put him back on a normal diet.

[ljfoote]

Can you please evaluate the new Merrick formula for Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Chicken + Brown Rice Recipe with Ancient Grains Adult Dry Dog Food. They have taken the peas and pea fiber out of the formula and replaced with some ancient grains.

[Ronald B]

Lauren – As a long time, Miniature Schnauzer owner, I will say that the breed is prone to Bladder Stones. That said, we tried Science Diet prescription food but our last two wouldn’t touch the wet food. We finally gave up and went with a low protein, mainly human grade food which seemed to work for a while. Our current puppy (12 years old) has had 3 surgeries in her lifetime. After the last one, about 6 months ago, together with our Vet, we researched and contacted other Vets and the UF Veterinary College. That research provided Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary SO (dry and wet) and Purina PRo Plan Veterinary Diet UR Urinary Ox/St Canned. Our puppy loves both of the brands and we feed her them all at the same times, rotating the wet foods every other day for variety, without any problems. Last lab results showed no crystals for the first time in years. Your results may be different but we extremely happy with both brands.

[Lauren S]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, we are really holding our breath here. My dog is the most anxious dog out there, you can’t even pet the poor little guy. We’ve tried to medicate him to no avail, we just work around his fears as best we can. As a result, getting him to the vet for testing is nearly impossible. We don’t know if he has actual stones. The vet is encouraged that the infection went away on the antibiotics and is hoping that the crystals are not a result of a stone. That’s why he said let’s do the dog food change for a few weeks to see if things clear up.
I’m going to feed the recommended food. I’ve been adding extra water to his dry food and I am constantly letting him out, even if he isn’t lingering by the door. Fingers and paws are crossed that this does the trick. Thank you again 🙂

[anonymous]

I would feed the food that your vet recommends. Was an ultrasound done to rule out bladder stones? Ask your vet…because often dogs can have more than one type of stones along with crystals.
Food does not dissolve all types of stones, sometimes surgery is needed.

had a dog with calcium oxalate bladder stones, struvite crystals and urinary tract infections. It was serious, emergency surgery and all.
From what I could tell, the main culprits were genetic predisposition and inadequate water intake, not the food.
A lot of pet owners serve kibble dry. Put down a bowl of water and assume their dogs are drinking enough….this is often not the case.
Also, expecting these dogs to hold their urine for 10 hours a day is conducive to stagnant conditions in the bladder, perfect environment for crystals and bladder stones to form.
Keep the bladder flushed, offer bathroom breaks at the minimum, every 4 hours (every 2 hours is ideal). Exercise, long walks, keep the weight down. Feed twice a day, measured amounts.

[Lauren S]

Hi friends,
Hoping some of you may be able to offer some suggestions. My pup (10 yrs old) has recently been diagnosed with crystals and of course I want to do everything to help him and quickly. He’s been on a high-quality dry food for his whole life so the thought of putting him on wet food has me a bit hesitant. It looks like the quickest way to dissolve the stones is to do a wet food, the vet suggests Royal Canin SO, we will start with dinner tonight. Through my research, I learned that Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Venison is good at helping to dissolve stones as well. I’d like to mix the SO and Natural Balance, does anyone know if this is not a good idea? I called Royal Canin and they did not suggest it but they also were trying to sell me on their dry food. Not sure what to do. Would love to hear any and all suggestions you may have. Thanks for listening – be well 🙂

[Walter P]

When it comes to flea treatments, Some people prefer effective topical solutions, while others prefer natural ones. With that been said, please keep in mind that both ways can be equally effective if applied correctly.

If your dog is suffering from a flea infestation, chances are you home and yard are also infested, so make sure to treat your house and yard also to prevent flea re-infestation.

Here are some of the best ways to get rid of fleas:

DRYNESS
Fleas hate very dry areas (so install a dehumidifier and a fan).

CARPET
Keep carpeted areas to a minimum. Most flea larvae coil themselves around carpet fibers and are not easily removed. Carpet is the perfect flea environment! If you do have carpeting, vacuum frequently.

CLEANING
Wash wood or stone floors frequently. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae are attracted to cracks and joints in floors and will die when they are hit by simple soap and water or steam.

BAKING SODA AND SALT
Sprinkle baking soda and/or salt all over your floor and furniture. Work it into the fabric with a stiff brush or broom. Leave it for several hours. Keep your pets out of the room(s) while treating for fleas.

BATHING
Bathe your pet in salt water or plain old soap and water. Fleas can’t live in salt water, so periodic dips in the ocean (or a salt water rinse) can also help keep fleas under control.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in places where fleas seem most prevalent: a light dusting on the pet’s bedding and the carpet or couch, under the baseboard heater, refrigerator and stove, near the sink, garbage or wherever you suspect fleas.

Vacuum
Vacuuming removes up to 30 percent of the larvae and up to 60 percent of flea eggs from a carpet, as well as the larvae’s food supply of dried blood. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week.

Source: The Complete Guide to Flea Treatment For Dogs In 2020

[Andrea V]

My husky puppy is now 17 weeks old and has been diarrhea free for the first time since I took her home at 8 weeks. We tried all kinds of puppy chow, soft and kibble, tested over and over for parasites. I was up at night and all day trying to take care of her needs and she was clearly uncomfortable. Finally read about some homemade dog food, and discovered a simple recipe I have been feeding her and she has now been producing excellent, normal BMs. I buy a rotisserie chicken, take the skin, bones, gristle out and shred it/chop it up finely, cook 2 sweet potatoes (medium size) in the microwave on the potato setting, cool and mash it with a fork, and cook 1/2 cup of Cream of Rice cereal with 2 cups of water, adding salt to the water, and a tablespoon of butter to the cooked cereal. Let it all cool, mix it up, and divide it into three or four portions. My dog eats a lot, maybe because she is still underweight. She has been diarrhea free for 10 days. This has helped her enormously, although it is very time consuming to put together these meals. I can now supplement (last 3 or 4 days) with the Pedigree dry kibble my 8 year old Lab eats, and plain (not flavored or food colored) Milk Bones in the Small size. I have been working closely with our vets during this time. It is just so bewildering to see a little puppy so overcome with diarrhea. Hope this helps someone.

[Shelby L]

So my dog began having these issues after his lipase levels spiked (causing severe vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite) when he was about 1.5 years old. The vet said he was close to having pancreatitis and he was immediately put on low fat food. Then a few months later, the acid reflux arrived. Major gulping episodes where he just swallows frantically and runs to me for comfort would begin, and all he would want to do was be let outside to eat grass. The vet told me to let him eat the grass but not too much or it could cause a blockage. After a year of battling this, he’s a dry food that has 6% fat (currently Solid Gold Holistic food for seniors, but I am switching him to Diamond Care Weight Management), soaked in warm water, with 2 probiotics and some Hills Prescription I/D wet food mixed in. I usually only feed twice a day but I’m thinking I’ll start doing 3 as he is still having episodes once a week or so. I also always have Pepcid and omerprazole on hand (Pepcid 10mg with dinner if I think an episode might happen at night, omerprazole if an episode happens in the morning because it’s 24 hour and stronger. Goodluck everyone, it’s such a tricky condition and from my experience, vets always think it’s something else. I’ve had to do all the research and trial and error on my own.

[Dewper]

I came home from work the other day and my 7yo boxer beagle had what looked like lumpy fur. Later it spread and both of his sides were covered in it. I didn’t recognize it as “bumps” until then because his fur just looked weird like he got into something. I assumed it was some sort of allergic reaction and took him to the after hours vet. He responded to the Benadryl and they sent him home. They said there’s no way to know what it was from.

No new food or treats. No new chemicals or detergents in the house. It’s winter here and the ground was frozen solid, and he’s outside in our grass and woods several times a day every day of his life! So I’m having a tough time just writing this whole thing off and not worrying about it.

Any ideas what may have caused this would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Edith M]

My dog is getting better. It turned out that his lip licking, gulping, and vomiting foamy saliva was caused by constricture of his esophagus. When food get stucked in his esophagus, he would start the symptoms, until he successfully regurgitated the the food that was stucked in his esophagus. We now feex him with soft food(pre-soaked dry food) and use a slow feeding dog bowl. He is on OMEPRAZOLE to control stomach acid that can cause irritation of his esophagus which causes scarring and constriction of the esophagus. SUCRALFATE to protect the lining of his esophagus for further irritation. METOCLOPRAMIDE, for motility of his digestive system, to help movement of foods. He was misdiagnosed for megaesophagus buy some vets, and instructed me to feed him soft dog food made into small meatball that can easily passed through his esophagus, which end up filing up in his esophagus each day and unable to regurgitate. For one week he was suffering from nausea and vomiting, heaving , and swallowing air(causing dilation of stomach that pushed his other internal organ)that his small intestine position was moved from normal position (by the abdominal wall), into the abnormal position(against his back). The xray of his digestive system showed foods(meatballs, liquid, and air are stucked in the esophagus going down to his stomach. The abnormal position of his GI, slowed down the motility. He had to have a surgery to reposition his digestive system back to it’s normal position. He is doing well now 1 month post surgery. I continue to give him his meds and closely watch him eating g and feed him soft foods. When I see signs that he is having difficulty swallowing I immediately give water through a syringe and keep his head up. I would then start seeing him getting relief, then he would go back and finish his food.

[Nadia K]

Hi Patricia. Yes I am now feeding raw frozen patties and my pup Lacey loves them. I did a lot of research and came across a site by Susan Thixton. https://truthaboutpetfood.com/

She puts a list out every year of pet foods she recommends. After reading the reviews and researching the companies, I went with Raw Bistro. https://rawbistro.com/collections/raw-food

Dog Food Advisor review: /dog-food-reviews/raw-bistro-dog-food/

This is a small business in Minnesota. Their food is also recommended by Dr Becker who’s opinion I value. I bought it directly on their website. They shipped it very quickly in a foam cooler with dry ice.

I started Lacey on their turkey patties and transitioned her very slowly over about two weeks. She had no upsets from the food whatsoever. Perfect poop every time. Right before the transition she was eating the Primal freeze dried turkey/ sardine. I would put the Primal on one side of her bowl and the Raw Bistro on the other side. I would intentionally turn the bowl in different directions and she would always eat the Raw Bistro first. She likes the Primal but much prefers the Raw Bistro.

The only down side to the raw frozen patties is that you have to remember to take out the patties the night before so they have a chance to thaw in the refrigerator. We actually just bought a new standing freezer which is wonderful. No more bending over and looking for stuff that has fallen underneath and gotten lost. Raw Bistro does a dehydrated raw as well so I did purchase a bag in the event I forget to get the patties out of the freezer.

[Bee W]

i started feeding my dog (a mini schnauzer) raw food because i thought its the best for him. the reason i started doing so is because he doesn’t do well on dry food, and stars to have serious stomach ache after a month or so with the dry food (we tried a few companies/ brands). after feeding him a month or so with raw i started seeing blood in his urine so i rush to the vet and the vet tells me that i have been feeding him with a diet that contains too much protein. during that month i saw great changes: he was more energetic and less hungry, stopped looking for food when we walk outside. The vet recommended me to give him more complicated carbs like sweet potato, brown rice and etc. then i talked to a pet nutritionist and she told me it’s better to cook the meat because of different bacterias. she told me what should be the proportion between the meat, organs , carbs and vegetables and to add cooked eggs, sardines, fish oil and coco oil every day. i did what she told me and now his protein levels are okay. So i kept on going. two mounts later he acts as if he’s hungry all the time, always digging in our trash, trash outside and looking for random food. i don’t think it’s a behavior problem but maybe more nutritional. maybe i should give him raw meat again but with carbs and vegetables. please share your experience with. what do you think i need to do?

[GSDsForever]

Re-Post (Disappeared – System Glitch)

Comparing the 2 foods, the Farmina Light seems to fit all of your requirements and parameters much better.

Hill’s W/D Dry, Actual/Typical Analysis
Meat: Chicken Meal
Grain-Inclusive: Whole Wheat, Cornmeal, & Oats + Corn Gluten, Cracked Pearled Barley
+Cellulose, Beet Pulp for Fiber
Protein: 20.7%
Fat: 13%
Fiber: 16%
Carbs NFE: 45.1%
Heart Health: Adds Taurine, L-Carnitine
255 cal/C
https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-wd-canine-dry

Hill’s also helpfully provides this formula’s total dietary fiber and a breakdown of type: 27.6% total, most of which is insoluble at 25.5% (soluble: 1.9%).

Farmina Light Chicken & Pomegranate w/Ancestral Grains, GA Analysis
Meat/Animal Protein: Chicken & Herring (both fresh & dehydrated) + Whole Eggs
Grain-Inclusive: Whole Spelt & Oats
+Beet Pulp, Psyllium Seed Husks for Fiber
Protein: 37.4%
Fat: 12%
Fiber: 7% (Max)*
Carbs NFE: 30.9%
Heart Health: Adds Taurine, L-Carnitine, DL-Methionine (precursor)
338 cal/C
https://www.farmina.com/us/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/113-chicken-&-pomegranate-light-medium-&-maxi.html

*Veterinary standard of care for diets for EPI dogs is low fiber, low insoluble fiber. Usually when looking bag GAs for comparison, you are looking for <4% Crude Fiber. Here it is 6.4% Max, still higher than ideal for EPI, but much lower than Hill’s W/D. (For the actual/typical fiber & fat, you would need to ask Farmina.)

*Adding a bit of fresh, homemade should bring down that fiber.