[Anonymous]

Hello
I am soon to be a weimaraner owner. Like every owner I with for my puppy to eat very best I plan to cook dog food when I can, but i need also dry food from time to time. Reviews on this site are very helpful but there is not many european brands. For reviewed food my choice is Acana Large breed. But there is few more brands for which I wish to hear opinion from experts. I listed links only to puppy food.

Cibau – Recomended by breader
(http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/node/100)

Brit – Recomended by breader and vet
(http://www.brit-petfood.com/products/dogs3/premium8/dry7/junior-l1111/)

Sams field – My choice because it contains 65% of meat and 30% cheaper than Acana
(http://www.samsfield.com/junior-large)

Looks promising and affordable:
Nutrivet – 80% meat grain free (http://www.new-instinct.com/dog-food/nutrivet/instinct/growth-nutrients)

Optima nova – 65% of meat (http://www.optimanova.eu/en/products/view/puppy-large-chicken-rice)

mac’s soft – 65% meat herman only (http://www.macs-tiernahrung.de/Macs-Soft/Huenchen/MACs_Soft_Puppy/MACs-Soft-Puppy-Huhn-15kg)

Simpsons – 80% of meat (http://www.simpsonspremium.com/puppy-dog-food?product_id=95)

Lower quality brands :
Meradog – (http://www.meradog.com/en/products/high-premium-puppy/sort-overview/junior2.html)

Josera – (http://www.josera-dog.com/premium/junior/)

[Pitlove]

Personally Im not really against meal simply because in a dry extruded form whole meats tend to only make up about 20% of the food as they are 80% water and the water is lost in the cooking process. Definitely still want to give this line a try though!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Carrie-
So, they must be struvite crystals then. The Hill’s s/d diet does dissolve crystals and I wouldn’t mess around with them. I feel that you should follow the vet’s advice. The s/d is to be fed only until the crystals are gone. It is not a long term food. The Hill’s c/d can be fed long term. I would assume that your vet would recommend to use that after the stones are gone. Definitely try to use as much of the canned s/d as you can afford and that she will eat rather than the dry. Also continue to make sure she gets as much water and potty breaks as possible. There are other brands of urinary vet food that you may want to look in to such as, Purina, Iams, Wysong and Royal Canin that may look better to you. But, for now, I would feed the s/d until dissolved.

After the stones are gone, maybe with the help of a holistic vet or a canine nutrition expert, you can transition to a non vet food. Another thing that is helpful in keeping pH levels more consistent is to feed smaller frequent meals and very little kibble. Good luck to you!

[Pitlove]

i know right! lucky for me EVERY food is kitty crack to her. Since eating the fancy feast she has not refused any other food thank god. She had a can of Merrick Turkey pate today and went just as nuts for it as always. i really got lucky with her. no dry food addiction and she will eat anything i put in front of her. I am the exact same way with trying to balance the quality of the foods both my cat and dog eat. I’m doing the Iams purrfect delights, max cat, WEF and FF as my budget foods, but I still always cant help but get her a few cans of regular Merrick, Nature’s Variety etc as a way to still have a higher quality food in her diet. name with my dog too. plus with the budget foods it allows me to a feed a higher quality kibble to my dog since unfortunely i do have to feed kibble.

ya i totally understand. we dont have much wildlife like that here but i would hate for her to run off. I bring her outside on her harness sometimes but she hates it lol!

[Pitlove]

I love Orijen personally. My dog has just finished two bags of it (the Regional Red and the Adult Dog) and now we are on a bag of EVO. My dog used to be quite picky as well, lately what I’ve done is wet food on the bottom of the bowl topped with the dry food and I change the dry food he eats every bag, whether it be a different protein or different brand. Gives him a variety and he has been eating great since I started doing that. Before when I was just feeding the same boring dry food all the time with no wet he would sniff the bowl and walk away. Now when I’m making his food he sits right next to me and stares at me waiting for his food and devours it when I put it down. Feeding canned food can be very expensive, and because I have a tight budget I try to go for the more budget friendly wet foods like Walmarts brand Pure Balance (5 star rated on here) and Tractor Supplies 4Health (rated 4 stars on here), Merricks Whole Earth Farms line which is about 1$ more than those so I don’t get as many and then he gets special treat wet foods like Wellness CORE, Nature’s Variety and Merrick Classic. But since those are more expensive I only do like 1 or 2 cans of each. It allows me to feed a higher quality dry food, which is where you really don’t want to skimp if possible. Canned food is far closer to a species appropriate diet for them and most holistic vets will say that they would rather see a dog eating the most dumpy terrible canned food than to see them eat dry kibble.

Glad Orijen is working for you! If she gets bored of that brand switch the brand! Just like a human being, a healthy dog can change his diet constantly with no digestive upset. You can add yogurt or kefir to the food as a probiotic and canned pumpkin for the fiber in case of diaherra. The healthy bacteria in the yogurt and kefir will help make your dogs stomach healthy enough to withstand the change in diet

[Anonymous]

I agree with Marie. However, if you must use dry food, soak it in a generous amount of water overnight, before serving.

[InkedMarie]

I recommend you stop feeding a dry food…dogs with these issues need moisture. Canned, raw or dehydrated are your best bet.

[bigthree]

I have a 2 and a half year old chocolate lab how has lately been very picky about eating her dry food. I give her Nutro Natural chicken and rice recipe and lately the only way I can get her to eat it is to mix it in with the wet food and even that is difficult. Does anyone else use this brand and if so have they had any problems with it? I would like to change the dry that I use any suggestions would be very helpful.

[Catherine M]

Thank you, crazy4cats. You’re a doll for answering my post!
Yeah, with my husband sudden passing, my sons and I had a lot on our plates to figure out and take care of, so we just did the easiest thing. That meant whatever was sold at Sam’s Club, such as Pedigree. Since then, things have settled down, and I am back to being my “what’s best” instead of “what’s easiest” -self.
In looking over the list here in this site, I decided to try all four dogs on Nature’s Recipe dry dog food. We chose the grain-free chicken, sweet potato, and pumpkin, because I know all four dogs like those foods, and chicken is easier on the liver. So far, the last day or so, since we started them on it, it has been easy to feed, and they are getting the nutrition they need.
We have two dachshunds and two papillons. One of the dachshunds is pure white deaf and blind, and he is so picky that we have been adding some of the canned Nature’s Recipe as a topper to help him eat better and gain a little weight. The dachshund with the liver problems seems to love the Nature’s Recipe, and I hope it will be kinder to her liver than anything else she’s eaten.
Anyone else who has experience with dogs and liver problems, please feel free to comment! Many thanks in advance!
Cathy

[Steven K]

I have a boxer rottweiller mix and he’s around 4 years old. He has had off and on allergies throughout the years and the vet has always told me just to give him some benadryl. The allergies seem to be consistent now and the benadryl doesn’t help so i’m thinking it might be in his food. I feed him purina one doge food, My other dog who is a 9 year old yellow lab doesn’t seem to have any problem with the food. I am looking into the Acana dry food, any other ideas are very much appreciated!

Symptoms: excessive itching on body and ears
– scratching of nose
– licking lips
– runny eyes

[Mike Sagman]

Merrick Whole Earth Farms (both dry and canned) has been on our Editor’s Choice Budget Friendly list since March 2014. You are probably looking at our “Other Budget Friendly Dog Foods List” found just below the Editor’s Choice section.

Hope this helps.

[Valerie K]

Life’s Abundance Large Breed Puppy Food – Dry

[Pitlove]

Grain free is typically best Jamie. HOWEVER, grain free doesn’t always mean carb free. So be very careful about just trusting a bag of food to be species appropriate because it doesnt have grains in it. Dr. Mike has the dry matter basis carbs on each of the reviews on this site which is very helpful for selecting one that is low in carbs. usually when the protein goes up the carbs go down, but again making sure that the first three ingredients are whole meats or meat meals. That will mean that the majority of the protein is coming from animal protein and not plant protein.

jakes mom- thanks! i think im gonna try out the Winn Dixie near me today and see if they have it. I’d love to get my dog and kitten started on it

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

[Catherine M]

Hi everyone!
I have an 8 year old long-haired mini-doxie named Sweet-Pea. She was recently diagnosed with fatty liver disease when tested at a visit for glaucoma. I am feeding raw meats (various kinds) mixed with rice and sweet potato. She had been off of the raw diet for several months, eating dry pedigree food since I had lost my husband and just taking care of things was overwhelming to me. But I went back to the raw after he diagnosis, and also am giving supplement of milk thistle for her liver. She has voracious hunger and thirst, and pees an ocean, sometimes not making it outside. I know this water drinking and peeing are related to the liver disease.

So what do you recommend to feed her? Red meat is not the best for her, although I feed other meats when I can, and doing the raw diet seems to be too much work for my 4 dogs, including her. I’m looking for something easy to digest, easy on the liver (low ammonia-producing), and easy on the budget and to feed.

Thanks for any suggestions you have!
Cathy

[Naturella]

I can’t help but wonder if maybe they get a lot of food during the day (dry and canned mixed, AND treats)? I know that some dogs become less motivated to switch back to kibble if they get a lot of food, or the kind of food they are used to (wet vs. just dry). And while I am a huge proponent of feeding moist food all the time, while implementing some of the great advice above, maybe you can think of whether you could find interesting ways to feed just kibble by putting it in a treat-dispensing toy such as a Kong (Wobbler), a Barnacle, or some sort of interactive toy/puzzle for dogs. For my dog, I do this once or twice a week, and sometimes, I just scatter his portion of kibble all over the floor and let him go all over the place to eat it. Lucky for me, he is very food motivated, and would eat just dry from his bowl at feeding time if I served that (I’ve tried). So you can try to introduce some interest by putting kibble in some toys and seeing if it works.

Also, if/when you do training, you can use kibble as treats and feed them their portion, or some of it, during training time. That works for me too.

But do try to stick with wet kibble (even with just water or chicken broth), it is much better for the dogs for the reasons other stated above. 🙂

[Bobby dog]

Hi Jamie F:
I can understand a busy life with family obligations! Making sure your dogs are eating properly can certainly add to the already stressful routine of taking care of your family. However, I also hope you re-consider eliminating canned foods. Here is a post with information about the benefits of canned foods:
/choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/

It’s possible the canned food does not agree with them or maybe you are over-feeding a little. When you add canned or fresh foods reduce the amount of kibble to compensate for the added calories. You could even alternate between fresh foods and canned. If you still decide to eliminate the canned I suggest you continue to add boiled chicken or other dog appropriate meat to their diet. Fresh foods are a healthy addition to a kibble based diet. To keep your dogs’ diet balanced when feeding unbalanced foods, such as boiled chicken, be sure to keep the amount to no more than 10% of their daily caloric intake. Here’s info on adding fresh foods to a kibble diet:
http://dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html
You can find info on food calories here:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/

As pitlove has already mentioned, consider feeding a rotational diet for variety. Look for several kibbles with different protein and carb sources. Check out the four and five star rated foods on DFA. If you buy from pet stores take the lists with you to help narrow down your choices.
/dog-food-reviews/dry/4-star/
/dog-food-reviews/dry/5-star/
Here’s some info on rotational feeding:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

L M’s suggestion for soaking the kibble and adding broth would be another option if you decide to stop feeding canned.

The Honest Kitchen Perfect Form is a supplement that contains ingredients to help with digestive upsets and firm loose stools, however it’s not a probiotic. Canned plain pumpkin helps with both loose stools or constipation.
3.2 oz Perfect Form Herbal Digestive Supplement
http://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/nutrition/3-health-benefits-pumpkin-dogs

Probiotics contain helpful live bacteria that may help with digestion. Adding a probiotic to their diet may also help with their gas and with transitioning to new foods. You could try something as simple as plain yogurt that contains live cultures or plain kefir; be sure they contain no artificial sweeteners. Here’s some info on feeding yogurt & kefir:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html
Here’s some info on probiotics:
http://www.dogaware.com/articles/suppsdigestive.html#probiotics

I have used yogurt, kefir, and Swanson’s Ultra Soil Based Organisms when my dog had skin and fur issues in the past. He is doing well now so I don’t supplement with any at this time. I currently feed Actipet Ultra Probiotic to my cat for his skin and digestion issues. It has helped him a great deal. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Pitlove]

Hi jamie f- I’ve got a dog with a sensitive stomach that i am also using Origen Adult Dog for and wet food from a variety of different brands. Hes a picky dog and doesn’t like only dry kibble. One reason I would stay with the wet is because of the moisture content it puts back into your dogs diet that they lack with only dry kibble, which can lead to organ damage from minor dehydration. I completely understand the budget, I don’t have a fancy job and make just a little over minimum wage so I’m always looking for quality wet food thats lower in cost. Ive found that walmart carries a 5 star quality wet food called Pure Balance and Tractor Supply carries a 4 star brand called 4Health. I’ve had great success with both and they are cheap. The vomiting could be almost anything. and given that its not after every single meal with wet food i doubt that is the culprit.

However, if you are dead set on an only kibble diet try doing a rotational diet where you change their protein source and brand often to give them variety and add a probiotic like the Honest Kitchens Perfect Form or some canned pumpkin to help build up the healthy bacteria in their gut to be able to handle the food change. Eating one brand of food their whole life can be very unhealthy and just plain boring for dogs. just like a human dogs would probably tell us if they could that they want some variety in their life!

[Pitlove]

I have a year old pitbull featured in my avatar picture. he was for a long time the pickiest dog. i tried all sorts of different foods and combinations of dry and wet and i felt like all hope was lost for finding him something that he WOULD get excited about. i’ve always fed the same amount, that hasnt changed, but lately after i changed the way i prepare his food (using the kibble as a topper instead of wet food and using the wet food as the main source) he is excited to eat, hes licking the bowl clean and looking for more. i think your dog is going through the same thing. labs are food lovers, i don’t think shes hungry i think she loves her food! and is excited about meal time. our kitten does the same thing. meowing all the time acting like we don’t feed her, so i tested her one night. i fed her her normal 3oz can and then gave her another and she barely touched it. i had to throw out 90% of the can. so i know shes not hungry she just loves to eat just like some dogs! she gets the same way as your lab. very excited about meal time.

i dont think your dog is hungry. i think she loves food. as for her weight, if you get her on a high animal protein, moderate fat and low carb diet and cut back on how much she is eating she will lose weight. i suggest the Wellness CORE.

[maxcori2002]

My 8 year old lab is low energy and is always a few pounds overweight. She is also always hungry! I have her on the Wellness Senior. I’d like to switch her because she just seems too hungry and it is giving her terrible gas. She is also eating her own feces. Yuck. Nothing seems to be wrong health wise. She has done this off and on in her life. I have tried most additives and correctives. Just seems worse on this particular dog food. Any suggestions on a food that would leave her more satisfied and less gassy would be great. Thanks!
Cori

[idunnowhat2callmyself]

Okay, I’m just going to throw this out here because I’ve found this to be a remarkably useful website, and if there’s anyplace I might productively ask my question, it’d be here. I apologize in advance for the length of it.

My family’s got four dogs currently: One small, one medium, one medium-large, and one large. It’s a nice range. I try to order higher-quality kibble brands to offset the lower-quality ones sometimes brought home by other people. A month or two ago, I had a two-hour phone conversation with my aunt, who’s got one small dog on a raw diet (with wet canned stuff in the mornings.) I’d hoped to simply be able to follow her precise regimen, adjusted for our pack…and got a half-page worth of notes during that convo in Microsoft Word. I should’ve figured it wouldn’t be simple, and I suppose I could start ordering some whole rabbits or tripe or turkey necks and supplements or any of the other various things I jotted down from the site she mentioned…but the whole thing still seems so overly, excessively complicated and worrisome. She said that she hadn’t even told her vet about the switch, but had been at it for about a year now.

A few benefits stood out: Cleaner teeth naturally, because no matter how much toothpaste or how many correct-ingredient-inclusive wipes I use, nothing removes the ‘icky’ stuff (which is worst on the oldest dog.) My aunt also noted that cleaning up after them is much easier thanks to the raw–and since that job typically falls to me, I’d really appreciate that. AND potential weight loss/healthy-weight management, as well…I almost always opt for the low-fat variety of everything to be on the safe side. Fortunately the hefty Brittany did recently move down to a smaller dosage of heartworm med, and can suddenly fit behind the sofa again–so I guess it finally paid off.

I’ve given the pooches everything from the raw-coated kibbles to Stella & Chewy patties to Fresh Pet to Honest Kitchen “green slop” (we’ve had that huge box for over a year now), to dozens of kibble brands that all seem essentially identical–and so on and so forth. When I try to look up which kibble or commercial raw food to try (assuming that cans would disappear far too quickly to be worthwhile), I am instantly overwhelmed and confused–I see loads and loads of brand names and packaging and shapes, but all of the food and flavors appear to be the same. I have no idea how to even tell which to buy. The sizes and portions and pricing baffle me–how am I to tell what will feed multiple dogs of various sizes and breeds for more than a couple days? We usually get a new big kibble bag about twice a month. I simply cannot tell what the raw equivalent would be…and even for dry food, I’m now kinda stumped. Every time I’m asked to order another bag, I freeze. How to choose?!?! My list’s grown so long, and we’ve tried so many…now I usually go with whichever has the best price per pound at the time, and a decent rating/reviews. I wish I could just find the perfect brand to consistently turn to, and continuously rotate through their flavors and treats. (Deciding which treat to pick up becomes a whole other can of worms, and I’m just like, “Gods, why, why, why must this be so bamboozling?! Why the hundreds of redundant choices? The dogs don’t even care, they just want our stuff!”)

Only one of the four dogs eats neatly (my Saluki, who has a snood. 😉 The other three are slobs, knocking the bowls around and splashing before they even touch the floor. The little Beagle frequently flat-out refuses to eat from a bowl, insisting that the food be spilled onto the floor for him. Also, my mom’s a clean freak–and I’m a bit of one myself at times. For these reasons, I knew that any attempt to transition would be tough and drawn-out, if not impossible. I knew I’d have to discover the cleanest, neatest, easiest, least odiferous method.

Now, before I got older and started performing more research into these areas, my parents…well all right, let me just put it this way. The two Beagles we had at the time I was born ate cheap supermarket kibble and human leftovers, lived in the backyard, never once to my knowledge had their teeth brushed (the one had green teeth and rancid breath) or nails trimmed or even saw the vet…yet both lived happily & health-problem-free for 16-18+ years (we can’t be exactly certain because they were adopted from a shelter.) Thus it can be very difficult for me to convince these guys, no matter how many times I reiterate what the healthy-food brochures say, to go out of their way for “special frou-frou dog food” or anything they’re unused to.

WHEW. Ever so sorry to unload all that frustration here. Any advice, recommendations, or assistance that anybody ever feels like dropping would, of course, be most appreciated.

[dendad]

Thanks to this site, I found a great dog food for my two Chihuahuas. It’s Freshpet Vital Balanced Nutrition (Rolled). We’ve used it for a couple years now and until recently have been very happy with it. Then, the food started looking funny. It was dry and crumbly. I suspected that it had been frozen. I called the Fresh Pet company and they confirmed that this is what happens when their dog food is frozen. The lady says it doesn’t hurt it at all and agreed to send us a coupon to make up for the inconvenience. My question is this. If it doesn’t hurt the food to freeze it, then why is there a warning on the package that says to protect it from freezing? Anyway, I don’t think it’s the store’s fault. I’m thinking it was frozen somewhere between the factory and the delivery to the store. I hope I don’t have to research a new dog food again. Has anyone had this problem? Thanks.

[Valerie K]

I would like to nominate Life’s Abundance dry dog food – both the adult and large breed puppy. Available online http://www.lifesabundance.com

[Codex]

She said it would be easier for him to digest because dry food is more processed. That just doesn’t make sense to me.

[Codex]

Thanks for you suggestions. I was leaning towards wet food but I was just curious why the vet would tell me and her that dry food would be easier to digest.

[Lisa O]

Hi. Just wondering if anyone has figured out which brands of good dry dog food have the best price tag? I use Acana, but wondering if there are comparible foods at a better price? Thanks

[Codex]

My sister’s dog recently had more than a foot removed from his small intestine due to a blockage. However, I don’t know what part of the small intestine was taken out.

It’s been about two weeks since his surgery and the vet said we thinks he’s ready to be transitioned from Hill’s I/D to a dry food. For some reason the vet recommends dry over wet because dry will be more easily digested.

(Based on Hound Dog Mom’s suggestion on a similar post I’m going to have her give the dog pumpkin, kefir or another probiotic. Still looking for food recommendations)

[William M]

This is a private label dry dog food offered by H.E.B (a Texas only major grocer). Does anybody know who makes it and how it rates? The ingredients are almost identical to Taste of he wild. SOMEONE makes it for HEB, just wondering who? Anyone know? Thanks!

[Lois S]

How do you know which size/type dry dog food to purchase. Small medium or large breed. I have a hybrid a bernedoodle/ Mother a Bernese Mountain Dog at 125 pds. the Father a miniature labradoodle at 15 pounds. Puppy is 7 months, 25 pounds with ultimate weight 40 pounds.

[jella]

Dear LT, Champion did get back with me right away about the alfalfa percentage. It is a very small amount 3 %. So I agree with you about they are probably careful (hopefully) about cleaning it out if it has been sprayed with pesticides. They have been really helpful and answered all the emails. The KiwiPeak company hasn’t even bothered to answer a question I wrote days ago. So I am going to try the 6 fish formula that the company rep suggested to try first. It was a lot cheaper than the freeze dried and my dog probably eats like your dog. I will try to look see what they suggest for his weight. Just ordered it from Chewy.com. So thank you for copying everything for me and getting right back to me so fast. I hope they ship fast, he is getting used to these fried hamburgers and special foods given to him each night. LOL Oh the vet said he wasn’t allergic to virgin coconut oil so maybe I can supplement this with his dry food. At least 1 Tbl. spoon full for his hair to grow back. I read where Virgin Coconut oil kills viruses, bacteria, and fungus infections in humans I am assuming it works the same way for dogs.

[Pitlove]

Hi codexstark- C4C did a great job answering you. I also will give you some input as well. From the research I’ve done UTI’s are mainly caused by the build up of struvite crystals that will block the urethra. I have had a male cat in the past that ended up having a UTI. He ended up on a prescription food, however through my recent research I’ve discovered that a leading cause is a lack of moisture in their diet (i.e all dry food diet). Cats by nature don’t drink enough water. Dr. Pierson, who is the vet who started catinfo.org which C4C mentioned says on her site that she would rather see a cat eating a wet food full of by-products like Friskies than to ever see a cat eating dry food. I personally have never heard anything about litter causing UTI’s, so that is new info to me. Can you give a source for that info? Was it your vet or someone else or something you had read on the internet? I’m very interested for more info on that topic.

My kitten has been doing well with that litter, however she has peed outside the litter box about 4 times now. It hasn’t happened in a few days though. (fingers crossed)
C4C had a good idea about transitioning to different cat litter, however I personally have never done that. I never even thought about it like that. Ive always just put the new litter down and I have yet to have a cat that wont take to the new litter instantly.

I’m using the Dr.Esley’s Precious Cat which is a clay litter with very little dust. Its amazing at clumping all the urine which was not true of the Blue Buffalo walnut litter I had her on before. Dr. Pierson suggests the Dr. Esleys because of the clumping power of it. It’s also unscented which encourages litter box use. Be sure to clean the litter box at least 2 times a day and spot clean if needed.

I should have made my own litter box honestly. I ended up with a large one from my work (petco). its been working fine but I like the idea of the storage tub litter box a little more.

I hope me and C4C have been some help. Keep us updated!

[Susan]

Hi Kris, I just posted a post about Candida yeast & what foods to avoid… join this Face Book group “Dog Allergy International Group” & look in the files for “Raw Elimination Diet for Candida-Yeast & itchy dog” also look for “Foods for dogs with Food Allergies/Intolerances, IBS, IBD” there’s a heap of limited ingredient kibbles & wet foods, also Michele Dixson from Petcurean (Go Sensitivity LID Venison) can help with any questions..
also what are you bathing her in? I use Malaseb medicated shampoo, it kills any bacteria on the skin & does not dry out their skin leaving them so soft, weekly baths are needed & a complete diet change….
I just went thru this with my boy he was put on a Prednisone for 2 weeks then when he finished he started to smell like a stinky yeasty dog, so on Friday I started a raw diet with the help of a Naturopath cause Patch has IBD as well… his skin cleared up within 2-3 days no more red paws, no more scratching, no more smelly dog… its all in the “Raw Elimination diet Candida-Yeast”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogallergyinternationalgroup/

[L T]

Sheryl,

I would ask them about pesticides if you are worried. Given the caliber of food, not outsourced and human grade, I suspect they are pretty careful on all their ingredients. As I said, I feed Declan the Orijen Regional Red or Acana Ranchlands dry dog food. I have not used the freeze dried, but may give it a try at some point. To date, I have been very pleased with the food. Lisa

[Drew D]

Yikes! DogFoodie, that is kinda scary. Back to the drawing board AGAIN. Also, I know canned is better, but I will have to feed three dogs the same thing, so I really need to find a descent dry. As the canned premiums are way out of my budget.The other two are overweight as well so a low carb will benefit them also. So being that I have to feed three, a premium kibble will be better for my budget. Feeding three dogs Hills W/D is too expensive for me. W/D is 23.00 for a 8.5 pound bag. Is it even possible to find something better that I will get more bang for my buck?

[James S]

Hello All. My still active, not over weight, 10 and a half year old Pit/Boxer, Nefertiti, is going through some changes & I am Hoping to get some advice on what to feed her. She was on Wellness Lamb & Barley until I discovered DFA, & I have since changed her to Wellness Core Original because of it having a Five Star Rating, however, she doesn’t seem to like it as much/that much, & I would like to change it. I thought that maybe she wasn’t eating as much/as often because she was getting more nutrients from the Core, but I think that we can find a food that she enjoys & can get all the needed nutrition as well. Decisions. . . Decisions.
Recent Happenings. . .Upon taking Nef to the vet, we fear that the swollen lymph nodes under both sides of her chin, & her hind legs may be lymphoma. She had a biopsy on Friday, May 8th & we are expecting the results soon-Possibly today.
Now, I have no basis, proof, or reason to believe (really) that the swelling (whatever it may be) is a result of switching her to the Wellness Core, but in the thread of what I interpret DFA to be at it’s core, I am mentioning that the swelling occurred only AFTER doing so. Again, I don’t want to sound like I am blaming it on Wellness, I am merely stating the timeline in which these events happened.
After a lot of research, I am leaning toward a kibble that is HIGH IN PROTEINS (that are easily bio-available), but is also LOW IN CARBS, possibly supplemented by some Home prepared meals. Orijen is my first choice, but faced with the daunting reality that costly treatments (such as chemotherapy) may be in the future, I am Hoping to find something that doesn’t exceed the price range of Wellness, but will also achieve a balance of her Health & Happiness.
These are some foods that I am considering & I would Appreciate & Value any insight into this uncharted ground of mine & Nefertiti’s continuing Journey>>>
Thank You For Your Time,
-James
-Evo Grain Free Senior
-Merrick Grain Free
-Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix Grain Free

[triggersmom]

Hi Drew

I’ve been taking care of diabetic dogs for 20 years now and my husband is an endocrinologist for people with type 2 diabetes. I’ve tried just about every type of diet and the only diet that has worked is low carb. I know you are looking for a kibble but I have to tell you that kibbles are the one type of diet I would never feed a diabetic dog.

Kibbles are low in moisture and high in carbs. Dry foods can make the kidneys work harder and you want to protect the kidneys of a diabetic dog. High carb diets make it very difficult to impossible to control your dog’s blood sugar.

I strongly suggest you look for a canned food that is low carb. Most low carb canned foods are high in fat which could be a problem if your dog has pancreatitis, otherwise it’s not the fat that will harm your dog it’s the carbs.

Low carb also enables you to use less insulin which is good. High doses of insulin along with high amounts of carbs cause wide swings in blood sugars. Sugars can go from very high to very low on high carb diets.

With low carb diets you’re able to keep blood sugars in a much tighter range. I’m able to keep my dogs blood sugars between 125 and 150 mg/dl. I was never able to do this on a high carb diet.

High blood sugars are responsible for all diabetic complications.

Hope this helps.

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

[G C]

Have you checked ACANA Pacifica Regional Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food? It does not have the ingredients you’re trying to avoid. I had a golden with diet and skin issues. After switching to Origin and Arcana her problems resolved and her coat became thicker and longer.

[jella]

Hoss says thanks to everyone so far. I was hoping that he wouldn’t have to start on those allergy shots because he isn’t out all the time. Mainly stays in the house except to play, when we are outside and potty. So the vet hoping the food test might stop his having to take shots. Does anyone have to give their dogs benedryl? She said I could give him 25mg. only twice a day because he is a big dog. She said they can take benedry every day of their life. But so far only in the evening I give it because I am trying to find out with his food. I hope nobody thinks bad of me but I started giving him a few of my French fries when I had them because I knew he loved them. He would shake for more fries but I am glad I finally found out it was the white potato as one of his foods not to eat.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Wysong senior? http://www.chewy.com/dog/wysong-senior-dry-dog-food-5-lb-bag/dp/50242?utm_source=bing-pla&utm_medium=cse&utm_content=Wysong&utm_campaign=f

or Nutrisca lamb and chickpea http://www.chewy.com/dog/dogswell-nutrisca-grain-free-lamb/dp/35037

Regarding environmental allergies: /forums/topic/nutriscan-results-suggestions/
Frequent bathing with Malaseb might help…a lot of allergens are airborne.

[jella]

Finally had my 4 1/2 year old chocolate lab blood allergy tested. He just started having allergies the last two years of his life. I have been frying him hamburger until I can find a dry and canned dog food that doesn’t contain any of his food items. Food items are: Pork, milk, cheese, corn, rice, flax seed, barley, white potatoes. I just had purchased Annamaet Salmon but read it has white potatoes on the bag also. So now I have to give it to another dogs. I would like to have him eat gluten free so no wheat also because he is a larger lab. 105 pounds. I also am gluten intolerant so we try not to eat anything with gluten either. I prefer dry for each day but will add a can every now and then. I am new to this site and love it but so far cannot find anything that doesn’t contain either a white potato or rice. Maybe this is used to get it harder texture either rice or white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are fine. Everyone’s help will really be appreciated!!! Thanks from Sheryl and Big Hoss. I think he is tired of 3 eggs a day, hamburger and sweet potatoes. I know he is missing out on other vitamins. P.S. I can’t get him to eat fresh blueberries. I crush them put them in with his food or try to hand feed him. He just spits them out or gets them and spits them out with his food also. I will also take the names of the dog foods even if they have wheat, but can you let me know if they have wheat. But would like wheat barley rye free because of gluten. ###big Hoss wants some new foods to eat!

[Wanda B]

Rescued Bichon mix, have had problems with her eating since I got her Oct 10 She is 1.3 years old. Owned by an old man and crated most of the time. Have no idea her eating pattern but was on Kibbles and Bits. Have tried Natural Balance, Purina Beyond and Purina One Select (most recent). She just doesn’t seem interested and I don’t want to feed her crap. I’m used to using Avoderm with my pack, they all crossed the bridge over the fall and winter. But it is getting hard to find here. Am open to any and all ideas. Do not want to make the situation worse by changing foods but am afraid I already have. Have also used Kirkland dry but won’t buy 40lbs for a 12lb dog.
Thank you in advance….this is my first puppy in like 30 years…have always rescued older dogs.

[Peter S]

Life’s Abundance Grain Free Dog and Cat Food, Dry and Wet

[Pitlove]

Hi jake’s mom-

I don’t have any older animals (dog is 1 yr old on Monday, kitten is 7mo), but I do give them the Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form for their digestion and also because I want to get my dog’s stomach healthy enough to transition dry foods without blending.

I was highly considering giving him Dogwell’s Healthy Hip treats with Glucosamine or some type of supplement for it because of my fear of him getting hip dysplasia. He comes from a bad breeder and I know I wasn’t feeding him food with proper calcium levels and he is a large breed dog. I don’t feel like preventitives can hurt, but thats just my opinion. I’m still fairly new to proper animal care. When I was younger we always had cats but neither my mom nor I really knew anything about animal needs health wise. Now that I’ve got animals that I am soley responsible for I’m trying to do the right thing by them.

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

[Anonymous]

It depends on the specific problems of the individual dog. Remember supplements and food are not medication, so at best, it’s hit or miss. They don’t have to be regulated by the FDA

I like to add fish oil and glucosamine to my old guy’s water soaked kibble because he shows signs of arthritis and has dry skin, potassium citrate, because he has a history of bladder stones.

To get specific advice and dose recommendations, I would consult a homeopathic vet.
Otherwise, it’s just a guessing game, or see a veterinarian that specializes in geriatric issues, there may be prescription medication that can keep your seniors comfortable.

PS: I have never given milk thistle to my pets, I took it myself once years ago, I forget why…but I think it made me sick…

[jakes mom]

Thanks, guys. I was pretty pleased with his results. Considering all that could be wrong with a 20yo cat he’s doing pretty well. I always worry about his kidneys and give him as much liquid as I can. I make his FD Primal with more water that the instructions say, he likes it that way, drinks up all his juice then eats the food. I don’t know of any ways to increase his weight other than feeding as much as possible and extra high calorie stuff like coconut oil. He loves that and it’s about 120 calories per tablespoon.
I saw Muse at Petsmart tonite. Didn’t look too closely, but the 3oz. cans are $1.09, currently on sale for $1. I just ran in quickly for litter, might check it out another day. One of the cats had a reaction (yucky ear) when she ate some Beyond dry so I’m not sure if I want to try the Muse.

[Pitlove]

There is literally nothing breed specific or species appropriate about any Royal Canin food. Most people who know me know that I believe that Royal Canin are the MASTERMINDS of marketing. Since pet parents often rely far too much on the front of the bag to tell them what food is best for their dog, be it that it has their breed of dog on the cover, has “real meat” and “veggies” on the cover, says small breed, large breed, adult, large breed adult, etc they often miss the ingredients which is where all the important stuff is. Oh and the GA (guarenteed anyalsis). I took the time to compare all the RC breed specific lines and found that aside from very slight protein and fat differences all the food was exactly the same, rotating the same first species innapropriate ingredients (whole ground corn, by-product meal, brewers rice, brown rice, corn gluten meal).

I would absolutely get her on a 5 star food. High in ANIMAL not plant protein moderate in fat and low in carbs. I’ve seen far too many overweight dachshunds and I know how easy it is for them to gain weight. As long as you know that she is healthy and has no known medical needs at this time this diet is fit for every breed of dog. Also PLEASE do not get hung up on the front of a bag. Worrying about if something says small breed or not or puppy or adult. As long as the nutrient profile is correct those things are not of much value. I have been feeding both my cat and dog adult and they are still a puppy and kitten and they havent had any issues. Also the small breed formulas are just smaller kibble sizes so you can go that route if u find that she is having trouble eating a larger kibble, just wanted to make you aware that small breed doesn’t mean its formulated differently for a small dog its just small kibble pieces. I also add a probiotic to their food to help with maintaining healthy bacteria in their gut to process the food better. I use Perfect Form made by the Honest Kitchen.

One thing the breeder did right was the suggestion of adding wet food to the diet. When on an all dry kibble diet dogs can live in a state of constant minor dehydration and later in life can face organ damage. So restoring some of the moisture to their diet is always a good thing. Soaking the kibble like you have been doing works too. We did that for our American Staffordshire Terrier when he was young. Seemed to help him be motivated to eat as well as digest the food. I believe there is a couple people on this site who use Kirklands wet food and seem to have no issues with it. Personally I do Whole Earth Farms stews, Wellness Core and I’ve tried 4health and will be trying other brands as well.

Another good thing to do is to find several brands that will work for her and rotate between them giving your dog variety and also different protein sources as to avoid building an allergy to one as dogs are not born with allergies, they get them through overexposure.

I wish you luck with your new baby! Feel free to ask questions here. There are tons of knowledgeable people that frequent these forums who have years of experience with dog nutrition and managing their dogs diets including fosters. And they are more than happy to offer help and answer questions.

[Lisa H]

We just adopted a 7 week old mini dachshund puppy. She is our second mini dachshund. We lost our 13 year old mini doxie this past December to pancreatitis. We were heartbroken and finally decided we were ready to love another. So we are a little nervous and maybe a little overprotective right now. The breeder sent her home with a bag of Purina Dry Puppy Chow and a can of Retriever brand canned puppy food. We knew we wanted to switch her to a higher quality dry puppy food. The sales clerk at PetSmart recommended Royal Canin Dry Puppy food for Dachshunds. I see on here it is only rated 3 stars. She is still so tiny and only eating a very little amount at a time. We are transitioning her from the Purina to the Royal Canin by mixing a little of the new with the old, a little more each feeding. She is not drinking water yet out of a bowl so we are soaking her dry food in water to soften it and to get water in her. I just want to feed her the best we can. Should I switch to a 5 star rated food and should we stick with the a breed specific food? She is the runt of the litter and a still a little wobbly on her feet. The breeder said to keep food available to her at all times right now which we are doing. We try to get her to eat every time she wakes up from a nap and she does most of the time eat a little each time. Any recommendations or advice would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried a fish oil supplement once a day? Might help with the dry skin. Is she drinking enough water? Maybe add a little to her kibble.
As far as the dog urine goes, that’s how it is, urine burns the grass.
It usually grows back, kind of. You can’t have a perfect yard if your dog voids on it 🙂
And I don’t trust those supplements that are supposed to save your lawn, chemical junk, imo

Check Wysong for food, my dog with food sensitivities does best on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea with a little lean meat or cooked chicken added.

[Susan]

Hi Lila, I noticed your vet put ur boy on Hills Restore Low Fat, the fat in the Restore is only 8.5%-fat when u change diet make sure the fat % the Fiber % is around the same as the vet diet Hills also why not feed wet tin food your dog is telling you something when he doesn’t want to eat his kibble, its crap & probably has a harder time digesting the kibble….maybe use the kibble as treats & stop the treats as a lot of treats are high in fat%
When you buy a limited ingredient wet tin food look at the fat % the fat % needs to be around 2% & under when wet is converted to dry matter (kibble) that’s around 8% fat… here’s a face Book group to join “Dog Allergy International Group” sounds like your boy has food sensitivities, look in the files & there’s heaps of limited ingredient kibble/wet food with their links, so you can look at ingredients & fat% also & salvia & hair testing kits to find out what foods ur boy is sensitive tooo… https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogallergyinternationalgroup/

[Lila S]

We’re going through some food issues with our rat terrier. He’s 1 year old and 11 lbs. I’ve tried a few different dry foods, most recently Natural Balance Ultra and Merrick Grain Free. He’s done okay on them, though he’d always have some inconsistency with his poops, which I attributed to a variety of treats for training or other treats (no more Greenies for him).

Recently he had some pretty bad GI troubles, and right now he’s on an antibiotic, a probiotic/stool firmer, and the Science Diet Low Fat GI Restore food. He’s doing fine, but I’m going to be transitioning him back to the Merrick Grain Free soon, but I’m not sure if that’s what I want to stick with.

Problem is that he’s picky and sometimes he just won’t eat his kibble. If I add some wet food he’ll eat, but often leave the kibble. Mixing Stella & Chewy’s in with water has worked the best. But I’m worried about the S&C’s fat content, because his GI problems were mostly attributed to too much fat. And apparently he does have a pretty sensitive system, so changing things up too much will keep causing problems.

On top of all this, in a month or so we’re taking in another dog from a family member who is moving and can’t take her: a 6 year old min pin, also about 11 lbs. She’s currently eating Iams, and I’d like to transition her to something better, and also ideally feed both dogs the same thing. I definitely don’t want her diet to be too high in fat because she’s getting less active.

Any recommendations for a good small breed (or small kibble-size) food that would be suitable for both of them with their different ages and energy levels? Also topper options to keep them interested without being disruptive to their systems?

[Bobby dog]

pitlove:
You have to do what you feel comfortable with, they are your pets and in your care.

As I wrote in a previous post, “My cats have passed all wellness visits (blood work included) over the last several years and the couple that were chubby have lost the extra weight. Paying attention to the recipes regardless of the quality of the brand has made a significant difference in their health.” I can’t say that was the case before I started providing a better diet.

I have a cat that has been diagnosed with a hyper thyroid about five years ago. I believe the terrible food I fed him helped contribute to his condition. In order to renew his Rx each year blood work is required. Over the last year he gained a pound which he needed and his coat has filled in beautifully. He had bald spots due to dry skin and he used to be almost bald due to scratching his face so much, it was terrible. He still has some dry spots on his back, but nothing like he had two or even one year ago.

I contact companies all the time. I only do so in writing; my professional experience has taught me to get things in writing. I don’t know what the legalities are for any company for any product in regards to honesty when responding to consumer questions. I have found from professional and personal experience that most people are not willing to put things in writing that can come back and haunt them.

I have no issue with by-products, homemade raw diets contain them. I would rather have named meat sources too; as I wrote, they all contain ingredients I don’t like. But, it is what it is for me and my kitties.

Edit: Last year was the first year I did not have to use any sort of flea or tick protection for them. I live in an area that is humid in the summer. They are outdoor cats and are brushed daily to check for parasites. I hope to do the same this year, no topicals. Hopefully, their immune system is as healthy as it was last summer.