[Talia B]

Hello,

I have a golden with a bunch of allergies and to keep them in check she gets a pill. She is allergic to peanut butter and shouldn’t have cheese bc of chronic yeast ears (We are x plowing different food options also). The treats that we have used are not that nutritious and dry out over time even if sealed correctly or they crumble when your pushing in a treat. So has anyone found the perfect dog treat or does anyone have a recipe. We use to use cream cheese (before we knew it was contributing and would love w similar consistency 🙂

[Pluto.the.St.Bernard]

Hi, all this information is so helpful, but just a tad overwhelming for me (so many opinions). I am curious about your opinion on a few things, I have a male st. benard pupp just about 20wks, been feeding him Natures Variety Instinct Dry($$$), and honestly looking to switch to something with less of a price tag, but without loosing quality as I want him in the best shape inside/out. His weight is good, looking/feeling healthy. I noticed the other saint owner was inquiring about Wellness Core Puppy, I am also curious about this brand of food –>> “Orijen product line includes six dry dog foods, five claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and one (Senior) for adult maintenance”. Noticed it wasn’t on your list of approved large/giant breed foods, would you recommend (I’ve read pretty good things)? One last question what toppings would you suggest if not homemade food recipe ?
Hope none of this confuses you, thanks.

[Melissa OBryan]

Life’s Abundance dry Dog & Puppy formulas and canned dog food. Veterinarian formulated and never recalled. They ship direct to the customer so it’s super fresh and they know exactly where their products are if there ever were an issue. Thank you for your consideration! ~Melissa O’Bryan – Independent Field Rep of Life’s Abundance since 2001.

[theBCnut]

I can’t answer all your questions, but I’ll try to answer some. First, there is no guarantee that your cat will eat raw. They can be kind of peculiar about switching types of food, so the first thing to try is to switch the cat to canned food. Pick up dry food and allow the cat to get hungry, not starving, just hungry, and then offer canned food. If kitty eats it, great!! If not, after an hour, offer the dry food for 20 minutes, then pick it up. Next meal time, offer canned food first again. You may have to offer quite a number of times before she will eat it, or you may be one of the lucky ones. Once you have your cat on all canned food, start the process over again switching to raw.

There are many people that do not give any supplements, but they are the ones that need to be really careful to feed whole prey raw. Your dog might not eat kale, but if they eat an herbivore, they will be getting predigested greens that the food animal ate. You can predigest your own choice of veggies but blanching and pureeing.

You can also feed turkey and fish, so beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and fish are plenty of different proteins, and maybe a few times a year you can find lamb.

I use premixes +-3 days a week and no premix the rest of the time. I want to be sure to cover my bases.

Soup bones are not RMBs. RMBs are bones that are soft and can be completely eaten at meal time. Ribs from lamb, pork, or calves are good RMBs. So are neck bones from those same animals. All parts of chicken and turkey have good bones in them too. You should be able to get heart and liver and maybe kidney for organs. Maybe you can occasionally get some whole prey, even whole prey grinds, from Hare Today or My Pet Carnivore, to make up for not feeding other organs.

You can feed grinds to your cat, if you make sure they have heart in them, or add a taurine supplement. It her meats are frozen, you need to make sure the water that separates out as it defrosts is mixed back in, because that is where a lot of taurine is lost. I get whole carcass grinds from Hare Today for my cats, both rabbit and quail.

[Michael H]

Hi everyone!

We have 2 dogs:

Bernie, 9y M allergic-to-life Basset Hound
Zuli, 3y F Lab Mix

and our cat:
Sophie, 8y F Mackeral Tabby, borderline diabetic

Due to both Bernie and Sophie’s above issues, it seems like my best option at this point would be to try raw feeding. The dogs both enjoy the occasional chicken wing or turkey neck, but I have not yet tried feeding it as a whole diet. The cat, who was originally an outdoor stray who did hunt for her sustenance, does accept things like turkey and pepperoni, but for most of her life has been on dry food…which is probably why she had the October diagnosis for diabetes. She is near impossible to catch (the yearly vet visit can take us anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to capture her-we’ve blocked off hiding spaces as we find them over the years, though once she actually broke INTO the wall to hide) and has a lack of scruff, and at this point I’m really fearing the ability to be able to administer insulin consistently. So, it seems that a diet change may be my only help with this. For Bernie, I can control what goes into the food, and avoid his allergens altogether.

I work from home, so cooking and preparing isn’t a big deal. I handle raw meat for my own consumption so that doesn’t bother me, and I’m very versed in the realm of preventing cross contamination.

My access to pastured/organic items is limited to either very far drives or possible home delivery (have to order a LOT at a time to make the shipping be affordable). For the delivery [ReelRaw] they do have a lot of variety, which is nice, but seems the most expensive option that I’ve come across ($300/mo for all pets, around 50lb of items, still cheaper than whole foods). I do have a butcher shop somewhat nearby, but the only organs they carry or process is beef heart, and the variety of RMB’s I can get aren’t much, as well as they do not carry any pastured/organic meats.

Upon my research, I’m finding a lot of conflicting information. It seems that on one side everyone is pro supplements to add to the meals, which I’m hesitant to do so, as I’m of the perspective to not take any synthetic or multivitamins myself since I feel I’m literally peeing the money away, and rather get what I need from whole foods. I know dogs cant digest fruit/veg well, as anytime I’ve given a piece I find it the next day pretty much intact in their waste. We do own a masticating juicer, so that is an option. I’ve come across some freeze dried foods (Big Dog Natural) that say they ferment the veg to make them bioavailable, which is interesting, though I’m unsure if it’s still too high-carb for Bernie. It could all be a bunch of hogwash as well. I do agree with adding omega 3/sardines at meal time, as I feel that the fats are too delicate for any processing procedure.

Then there’s all the premixes available with vitamins, minerals, kale, sweet potatoes, etc. (Urban Wolf, THK, SSLL Dinner Mix). It’s hard to find a premix without one of Bernie’s proposed allergens in it, and to be honest I’d rather keep the carb count for him down as much as possible, as Bassets are already yeast factories, and Sophie needs as little carb as possible-I don’t think I’ve come across mixes for cats anyways. What dog eats kale in the wild anyways? I have a hard time getting it down myself…lol.

On the other side, I’ve come across a few companies that don’t use added vitamins/minerals (Answers, ReelRaw), stating it’s complete/balanced as is, or with Answers, their own products they (conveniently) suggest to add, which is goat’s milk yogurt, or buy their combination product with veg, clay, cultured things, etc. Bernie is borderline allergic to cow dairy, so I’m unsure if he can even have that anyways. I’ve tried kefir with him before, but the yeast didn’t get any better, and would occasionally have putrid gas as well.

Bernie is currently on Orijen, which he does seem more energetic and less itchy, however the gas has been atrocious, and even though he’s not been really red and itchy on it, still is having a yeast issue (underarms, ears, back of legs). This is a dog that sleeps 14 hours a day on those areas, so not much air is circulating. The gas has gotten better by feeding him less of it, but it can still clear a room. I think it’s due to the lentils/chickpeas-while he’s not allergic to them, doesn’t mean he can digest them well.

So to end my novella for how, I’ll boil it down to some questions:

-Do you feel that the supplements are needed if I use the cheaper conventional meat from the butcher? Or would possibly they be getting enough if I splurge for the pastured meats/organs/rmb? It’s doubtful I can afford both the pastured and supplements.

-Do you feel premixes are worth it, and would make the conventional meat balanced? (again, may not be able to do both pastured + mixes)

-How important do you feel variety in meats is? If I shop locally, I only really have access to beef, chicken, and pork, which I myself am even tired of, haha. Most any recreational or RMB’s I can find in the area are meant for soups and have very little meat left on them. With delivery I can get many more options, but I pay out the wazoo for it.

-Would maybe just doing the freeze dried route be the best idea? Between the issues above and our cat, I’m also leaning towards this route. I’ve also heard that cats don’t dig cool meat very much, and as its the winter now I don’t want Sophie to lose any weight form refusing food. The 2 dogs will eat anything so I’m not worried there. I know I have to avoid giving Sophie all ground meat due to taurine loss. My wife also would rather rip off her eyebrows than touch raw meat, so if it comes a time when I cannot feed them, I’d have to have an alternative on hand anyways.

Thanks for any input!

[Yonatan L]

Hi Guys,

I used to feed my dog with Earthbornd grain free. However, a lot of friends suggest me to move to Nutra Gold
http://www.nutragold.com/products/dogs/dry_food/turkey_and_sweet_potato/grain-free/

Is there any review that will come in closest future? 🙂 I want to be sure that my husky getting the best food:)

[Jess L]

We feed raw, fresh food. We also feed dry in the evenings and wanted a reliable, high quality dry food. I have long researched and looked for a reliable dry food and now have found it. It is Orijens, grain-free and whole prey. They are family owned from Alberta, Canada, but sold select retailers in the US. You can go to their website and see where it is available, near you. Good luck.

[Beth J]

Hi all, I have an update if it is at all helpful… I think I get the dog food before it hits most stores. (I get it from a pet food distributor my brother works for). Since the bad batch of TOTW High prairie formula in July, I have tried 3 other grain free dry dog kibbles. Since then, my dog has developed an allergy to chicken leading me back to TOTW, now Pacific Stream (Salmon, no Chicken in it). The kibble looks normal, (no crumbs in the bag to be found), no explosive diarrhea and my GSD is happy. I have been mixing 100% pumpkin in with her food to make all transitions easier on her stomach and no issues (about 1-2 tbsp per feeding). I wonder if they had a contamination in the plant and did a clean up? But hang in there. I think it will be back to normal soon.

[theBCnut]

It’s nothing to worry about. Bruno might not be getting everything from his food, but he isn’t missing much. I had the same issue with THK unless I let it rehydrate for hours. I assume that digestive enzymes and probiotics aren’t getting into the inside of a dry piece. The things that dogs don’t digest on their own are worked on by those probiotics. If it hasn’t been digested, he either didn’t have the right probiotics, didn’t have enough of them, or they couldn’t get to the pieces of food If you cook the food, you’ll only destroy more nutrients.

[Geraldine C]

Thanks everyone. I think I am going to change dog foods both dry and canned. No more TOTW.

[Alina S]

Hi!

I have a Rottweiler x Corgi mix, who weighs about 30 pounds. I feed him Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain Free duck and turkey dry food, and he gets a 1/4 can of the NV wet food each feeding. I buy it in a variety of proteins. And at night, he gets NuPro joint supplement.

Three days ago, he had pretty bad diarrhea as I was walking him. I stopped his NuPro supplement that night. The next day, he also had really bad diarrhea on our walk. On the same walk, even though he had already gone #2, he stopped two more times, except the only thing that came out was a little bit of brown liquid. I didn’t feed him at all yesterday.

Today, before his breakfast, I took him on a walk and he had a little bit of diarrhea again! It was just a small amount, as he had not eaten the day before. I gave him some dry food when we got home today.

He isn’t having any accidents in the house, it is only when we walk outside. He’s playful, bright eyes, cold and wet nose, and otherwise seems to be okay.

What could the problem be?

[InkedMarie]

Imo a fog with crystals should be fed a wet food, not dry. Adding water is fine but it’s not enough.

[arwyru24]

It’s always really bothered me that it would even possibly be worth it to ship chickens halfway across the world and then sent back. It’s crazy and super shady. I also do not buy anything jerky regardless of the brand. Before I was better educated I bought my last dog jerky treats ..blue buffalo brand and also happy hips. He lived to be 15 when he died and I don’t think he suffered any ill effects but it’s hard to say He got epithelial lymphoma at about 14 and the tumor was removed but who can really say what causes some of the cancers. It really hurt his quality of life in his final year. He didn’t tolerate chemo well and developed pancreatitis as a result and it was just a hard last year. I don’t make my own food or feed raw but I try to do all that I can to feed healthy foods and not take undue risks but I am always questioning myself. I have a vet I trust implicitly now but unfortunately didn’t find him until the dog was 13 and cat was 15. He would have saved both of those animals a lot of pain and suffering. The dog had two surgeries to remove crystals the second time he was 12 and was blocked completely. The other vets just had him on c/d dry his whole life. This was the first vet to tell us water is very important and took him off the rx food and had us feed high quality canned with lots of water added in. They don’t push science diet there they give a list of brands they suggest which are all good choices (taste of the wild is the only one I can think of that’s debatable) It’s such a shame that it’s so hard to know who and what to trust to take good care of our pets. I agree with BC nut completely. … this shouldn’t be so hard.

[theBCnut]

I change dry foods weekly and wet foods every meal.

[Bobby dog]

Did the Vet mention anything about adding more fiber to your kitty’s diet?

I rotate (constantly due to finicky kitties) commercial raw, canned, and some dry. Not sure of bone content, but I feed NV Instinct frozen, Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried, and Primal freeze dried with no issues. None of my cats will eat the same food two days in a row.

[jcmccallum]

Thank you for the quick responses everyone! The breeder is currently feeding the pups Nature’s Domain Grain Free Turkey Meal and Sweet Potato (3.5 stars). I will do some research on rotational feeding and start to figure out how to best introduce new foods into his diet once he’s settled. From personal experience, how often do you rotate your dry kibble? Anyone have any recommended canned food you and your dogs are particularly fond of?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by jcmccallum.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by jcmccallum.

[pugmomsandy]

Dehydrated and freeze dried can be either cooked or raw. Grandma Lucy’s actually lightly cooks their food products before freeze drying so they may also do that with their treats.

[Susan]

Hi Karen have you tried Wellness Small Breed? they’re have wet & dry….here’s a link to have alook at the Whole Wellness range… also have you tried feeding wet tin foods instead of kibbles, wet is better when they have had crystals…
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete

[jcmccallum]

Hi there! I am both new to the puppy/dog world and new to Dog Food Advisor. I am in the middle of researching the best puppy foods for my future pup (I pick him up December 7th!), and have (probably) settled on feeding him Fromm Gold or Horizon Complete kibble. I am not entirely sure, however, whether I should also be feeding him a wet topper. What are the benefits? Are there any disadvantages? Should I not feed wet food until he’s older?

Jenny

[Dog_Obsessed]

From what I’ve seen it is really important for a dog to have water, and if a dog doesn’t drink much that is a reason to add water to their food. Lily drinks quite a bit, so I’m not as worried about that. As for bloat, from what I’ve heard and dog CAN bloat, it is just that it is extremely uncommon for smaller dogs. I think it would be unlikely for a 27 pound dog to bloat, though not impossible. I’ve heard that mixing with wet food can help prevent bloat.

EDIT: Just saw BCnut’s reply, thanks! I freaked out about bloat for one of my fosters, she was “dry vomiting” because of kennel cough, and that is one of the main symptoms of bloat. She was 12 pounds though, so bloat seemed unlikely. Once she was diagnosed with kennel cough I relaxed. Oh yeah, and there was that whole “ice water causes bloat!” thing on the internet. Luckily by the time I saw it it had been disproven.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dog_Obsessed.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dog_Obsessed.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Susan]

Hi Cathy what are you feeding him at the moment?
Try a limited ingredient food with low fat%, has the vet put him on Hills ID
low fat GI restore wet tin food the fat% is only 8.5% fat dry matter so if it was a kibble the fat is only 8.5% cause it has already been converted…
commercial wet tin foods are higher in fat that can cause sloppy poos unless u can find one
thats around 1-2% fat in wet food.. Have a look at the Wellness Simple limited ingredients
kibbles, I tried the Simple Lamb & Oatmeal & Duck & Oatmeal kibbles, Simple does have grainfree kibbles aswell…Simple also have wet tin food but the fat% is high around 7-8% fat if they were a kibble the fat % would be around 38% fat.. the one with the lowest fat% is the Wellness Petite Entrees mini fillets 2% fat in wet
here’s the Wellness range
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog&ft=1#Complete

[Dog_Obsessed]

I have seen several places and heard form some people that it is a good idea to mix water with Lily’s food, especially since Bichons are prone to bladder crystals. However, I have also heard that mixing water with dry food can be a risk factor for GDV/Bloat, especially if the food contains citric acid. Small dogs do not usually get bloat, so do you think this is safe to do? Thanks!

[Renate W]

Acana Light and Fit, is a very good dry food for dogs with weight issues. Why is it not available in the USA like all the other Acana formulas?
From: Renate, Cleveland Ohio

[Kersi B]

Hello everybody!

I am new here and tried to find some informations on my own, but I am lost…

I move from Germany to California this January and take my 6-year-old Chihuahua (3kg or 6,6p weight) with me.
He already has a light cardiac insufficiency, but the doc said that he doesn’t need any medicine yet.
Here in Germany I feed him with wet (in the late afternoon), dry (he has a extra bowl with some in case he is hungry) and own-cooked food (as often as I can instead of wet food). His treats are 100% dry meat only. And I give him Vitamin K1 and homeopathic Crataegus supplements to his food to strengthen his heart.
But none of the brands I am feeding him right now are available in the US.
So could you please help me to find the brands with the highest quality but affordable for a student? Thank you so much! <3 :*

• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Kersi B.

[Cathy A]

Hi all first post here. Hoping you can help.

Our 14 year old lab has become not only very picky about his food. (He likes flavor) but seems to be having a few more accidents and a bit of the runs.

I was looking to change his food to Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain-Free Formula Dry Dog Food

Any other recommendations?

[iggymom]

I’ve been researching dog foods for about two weeks now and I just can’t decide on what I think is best for him. He’s 4 months and about 7 pounds, and IG’s typically need a high protein high fat diet but I can’t help but be cautionary of very high protein foods (Orijen?) because he’s so tiny. I’ve been looking at Canine Caviar, Acana, Orijen, the Petcurean Now!/Go! line, etc…. Thoughts?

Please help! 🙂

[jcmccallum]

HDM,

Thank you so much for compiling this list- it looks like it took an amazing effort!!! I will be a first time puppy owner in December of a wonderful bernedoodle (bernese/poodle cross) that should grow to be about 60-70 lbs. Until I pick him up he will be fed Nature’s Domain Turkey and Sweet Potato. I am thinking about transitioning him over to By Nature, however, was hoping you could clarify which By Nature product had the .80% calcium. The only By Nature Organic food I see on their website is cans. They have a “Natural” and a “Grain-Free” line that includes dry food. Where you referring to the By Nature puppy formula? Any clarity you would be willing to be provide would be greatly appreciated.

[Cindy S]

I am transitioning my two greyhounds from Natural Balance to NOW Fresh dog food (dry). They get bored so easily, so I feed them that in the evenings, and I usually mix in some cooked ground beef and a little cheese, or some cooked chicken to make it more enticing/interesting. In the mornings, I now feed them K9 Natural – Chicken Feast raw frozen food, which they really like; the challenge with that is that I live in northern CT and it is hard to find a store that carries it consistently, so I’ve had to order it online (and pay a $30 frozen food surcharge, which I’m happy to do if it means my dogs will eat!). I have been looking for a dogfoodadvisor.com rating for the K9 Natural raw frozen foods, but only see the K9 Natural Freeze Dried Raw (Freeze-Dried); the raw freeze dried chicken feast has a 5-star rating, but not sure if that applies to the raw frozen chicken feast, does anyone know? Thanks so much!

[Katherine R]

You gave such a positive review of The Real Meat Company’s dry dog food that I don’t understand why it didn’t make your Editor’s Choice list.

[Merry G]

I don’t understand how a dog’s BUN numbers can be elevated either by dehydration or a sign of kidney problems. You’d think that they wouldn’t even mention dehydration! He did tell me that she can live with it for quite some time before it worsens but didn’t say how quickly it can progress or what to watch for. She doesn’t really like the KD Science Diet and I found some dog food online that has low protein and I ordered a case hoping she’ll be happy eating it. I don’t mind making my own food for her. I’ve been boiling and crock potting chicken for her for more than a year because she decided regular dog food was beneath her “diva dignity.” I mix it with brown rice sometimes and she gets the broth and carrots too.
I like to squirt a bit of fish oil in her bowl but that dog can sniff it out and then she will not eat it!
I would have no problem cooking her whatever kind of food would be good for her I’m pretty much used to it now.

I read a paper written by a Vet about putting a dog on low protein food in the early stages of renal failure. His name is Kenneth Bovee, DVM, MmedSc, (Dept of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.) It reads kind of dry and technical but I did my best to understand it. It seems that there’s quite a controversy about if a low protein diet actually helps but Vets have been told it works so they’ve been recommending it for a long time.
I’ve read about herbal supplements that can help the kidneys function better, or “cure” renal failure but I don’t believe there’s a cure!

I appreciate all your feedback and I hope that I can help Sage live the rest of her time with us in a painless, quality way. I still marvel at what a dog can add to one’s life and how completely smitten we can become over them! I’ve had 4 boxers in my life and I’ve loved every one of them equally and my life was enriched by their love.

http://www.dogfoodscoop.com/support-files/bovee_protein_renal.pdf

[USA]

I took a look at their dehydrated dog food products:
http://www.shop.dogsfortheearth.com/100-Organic-Dehydrated-Dog-Food_c2.htm

ALL of the dehydrated foods have the EXACT same GA. The numbers add up to 100% when converted to Dry Matter. Here’s the PROBLEM, the numbers for ALL their dehydrated formulas are:

Dry Matter Analysis (Done by me):
Protein 72%
Fat 16.8%
Fiber 11.2%
= 100%

Problem 1) Where are the carbs? They list fiber, but the ingredients show that there has to be a larger amount of carbs than fiber. There are 15 ingredients that contain carbs in EACH formula and the carbs are not 100% fiber so their fiber % is off.

Problem 2) The protein % is too high! In order for there to be 72% protein (DM) in ALL their formulas there would have to be very little carbs. Yet they list 15 ingredients with carbs in EACH formula. If this and all their other dehydrated products were 100% lean meat the protein % would be about 80%. 15 ingredients with carbs would bring the protein % LOWER than 72%.

Problem 3) They leave no room for ASH. There are minerals in the meat, vegetables and other ingredients in these foods, yet they leave no room for them in their GA which adds up to exactly 100% without them.

Problem 4) Can ALL of their dehydrated foods really have the exact same GA using different meat sources?

Problem 5) They list the GA wrong. AAFCO says the GA should be listed like this:

“guarantees are required for minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture”

It looks like they list an AS FED analysis and not an AAFCO compliant GA.

Lovin’ The LAMB Dehydrated –
Guaranteed Analysis(on their website)
Rehydrated Moisture 75%,
Protein 18%,
Fat 4.2%,
Fiber 2.8%

Ingredients:
Lamb with Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver and Lamb Kidney
Spinach or Kale
Pumpkin
Green Beans
Broccoli
Carrots
Squash
Apples
Cranberries or Blueberries
Bananas
Papaya
Celery
Ground Flax
Alfalfa Powder
Kelp Powder
Parsley.
Seasonable vegetables & herbs may change – but NOT nutritional value..

[DogFoodie]

Hi Melissa,

TOTW is one of Diamond’s house brand’s of food. If you aren’t familiar with Diamond, they’re a sketchy company with a reputation for cutting corners and recalls. I don’t believe we’ll ever see any Diamond products on the Editor’s Choice list.

It could be that the probiotic formula change is the cause; but like Marie, I would tend to think it unlikely that you got a hold of product that has just been manufactured.

Ruling out environmental allergies is tricky. It could be something like laundry detergent, Febreze or new flooring, but could also be something seasonal like ragweed or leaf mould. Steroids are just a bandaid and mask symptoms, and can cause plenty of problems themselves. I’d definitely avoid further steroids use if at all possible.

Even if the problem isn’t food related, three years is an awfully long time to be on the same food. I rotate every bag of kibble I feed. I buy different brands with different proteins and binders. Subtle ingredient changes don’t generally affect my dogs because they’re used to switching. One of my dogs has food intolerance issues, so it’s hard to find things he can eat, but I’ve found a few that are good quality, that he likes and does well on.

So while it may or may not solve their immediate problem, a food change could prove beneficial to their overall health.

[melissa m]

Hello! I am new to this forum and am seeking some help. 3 years ago we switched our bulldogs to Taste to the Wild to help with skin/allergy issues, and have had nothing but great success. We have raised a number of foster puppies on TOTW, encouraged friends to switch, and bragged on the product. However, at the end of this summer 2 of our dogs developed horrible allergies resulting in itchy raw skin and hives. We have tried everything from switching laundry detergents to cortisone shots and prednisone — and nothing seems to help. Yesterday when I was at my local pet store the owner told me that he had been receiving a lot of complaints about TOTW because they had changed their formula, now using fewer quality ingredients and more “filler” or low-quality items. He said the change occurred in late July, which coincides almost exactly to when my dogs allergies began to escalate.

However, I haven’t been able to find any reference online to anything other than a change in the probiotic they use that would suggest a big different in allergens control.

Before I spend the time and money on switching my dogs off of a food I had loved for years to another I would like to know if you have found any differences in TOTW recently. I was a little surprised not to see it on your list of favorites as I thought it was a top food. Now I’m really concerned. Thanks!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Amy H:
That is such a wonderful adoption story!!! I don’t have any experience with this so I am bumping up your post.

Here’s a link to a DFA thread listing some low sodium/fat foods that might give you some places to look; check out the second post down from Gina. I also suggest you personally contact any and all pet food manufacturers to find out specifics about any food if your pup has certain requirements.

/forums/topic/dry-dog-food-with-low-salt-and-low-fat/#post-46587

Good luck and enjoy your new puppy!!! 😉

[Susan]

Hi Amber, can you do home cooked or raw as it would be the best as you will know exactly what she is eating & can start an elimination diet.. also with the raw or home made cooked meals you can see what foods are causing these problems with the elimination diet……or if you get a freeze dried or dehydrated diets, get ones that has limited ingredients, so there’s less chance of food intolarances….I found my boy can’t have Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, peas, wheat or boiled rice so far…..has she stopped her sratching on the Back to basic kibble?? if you can, get her off the dry kibble its over processedm its only good for us humans, as it is quick & easy……

[Lisa S]

Any suggestions on high fiber dry foods? Preferably grain free. We are trying to get our guy to lose weight and at the same time get firm stools.

[Amber M]

I have a 4 year old lab that has allergies (scratching jaw, itchy body, sore/irritated paws that she chews, licks, and bites) and I have been looking at alternative diets to kibble. From researching and speaking with many dog food companies, I have found that even high quality kibble is not the best option for dogs.

I have looked into freeze dried diets, dehydrated diets, raw diets, and spoke with many different companies for each type of diet. I am still very unsure of what to do and would like to get input from people other than the dog food companies.

I have mainly been looking at Sojos, Grandma Lucys, The Honest Kitchen, BarfWorld, Vital Essentials, and Nature’s Variety. I am currently feeding Back to Basics dog food, which is a dry kibble. I am planning on giving a probiotic and fish oil, but cannot decide what to feed. Or if I should just keep her on dry kibble.

[Melissa G]

Would like food recommendations. We have a 13 year old lab/chow mix and a 3 year old great dane/lab mix. We recently switched from Blue Buffalo to Purina One as the new vet recommended. She did not like Blue Buffalo. I am concerned that the Purina One is a lesser quality food and my babies are not getting the nutrients they need. They both seem to be doing fine on the new food. Only issues we have are the dane/lab mix has a lot of annal gland issues which she has always had regardless of the food we feed her. They both eat dry and wet food in addition I prepare chicken and rice twice a week to give them something different.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Linda J-
Welcome to DFA. My labs’ favorite dry food is grain free Victor Joint Health. I feed other kibble now and then also, but usually end up back with this again. I mix something in with every meal, such as canned, dehydrated, raw or fresh foods. Once a week, I try to feed them a kibble free meal with the See Spot Live Longer dinner mix. I stick to mostly the budget friendly list for both kibble and canned.
Also, most pet stores will take back a bag of food if your dogs don’t like it, or it doesn’t agree with them. Who knew that feeding your pets could be so complicated? LOL!
What do your dogs eat now? I’m sure you will get some more opinions. Good luck!

[Dee J]

HELP! I adopted my 6 year old Puggle from a family that had her since she was a puppy. They were kind enough to give us a big bag of her dog food – BENEFUL. There’s no way I’d feed a dog Beneful. I fed it to her for a week or two while trying to figure out the best food for her. I have another dog who has food allergies and I feed him Wellness Simple Canned Duck & Oatmeal formula. That keeps his skin from getting red and itchy and keeps his ear infections to a minimum.

I started her on a dry Wellness Simple. She didn’t like it – literally spit it out. So I tried Taste of the Wild. That made her sick – vomiting and diarrhea. Then I tried Natural Balance. We came home to poop in the living room. I let someone talk me into Sprout, the Fleet Farm brand. She was fine for a few weeks and now she has diarrhea again.

I always transition her slowly from one food to another, so I know that’s not the problem. She eats a lot of grass which may be an issue. I’m wondering if too much protein upsets her tummy. The weird thing is, she’s usually fine for a few days (even a few weeks) and then boom – poop everywhere. The only dog food she hasn’t had any issue with is freakin’ Beneful. Any suggestions?

[Susan]

The problem with grainfree is they have peas, chick peas, lentils, these all can irratate the bowel causing problems…I tried the “Wellness Simple” Duck & Oatmeal & Lamb & Oatmeal as their fat % was the lowest 11%min-12.6%max-Duck & 12%min-13.6%max-lamb & there’s no potaotes in those kibbles, also they digested easily, the kibbles went soft when I left them in water for 1 min the Lamb went softer quicker then the Duck….I always do my kibble test, I found kibbles with potatos are harder kibbles & dont digest easily .. I soak a couple of kibbles in water then after 1 min, I put 1 kibble inbetween 2 teaspoons & crush, a good kibble will crush a hard kibble flings off the spoon & you cant crush them…….Patch went real good on the Wellness Simple with the Oats the first month, farting a little on the Lamb, the Duck he didnt fart as much, must of had less peas, but into the second month his afternoon poo became sloppy, I’d say from the peas, I was feeding the Simple for breakfast & his vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner, if I try other foods for dinner we are up some nights with his bowel grumbling & rumbling, so I always give his vet diet at nights only…

Ive given up on trying commerical kibbles for now…..I was speaking to Patches vet yesterday & he told me to just stick with the Vet diet, as they are formulated especially for health problems & commerical diets aren’t.. I didnt listen to him last year & have been trying other kibbles, it just brings on flares, diarrhea, gas & sometimes vomiting, due to something irratating his stomach & bowel…..
A few ladies from the IBDogs yahoo group are feeding “Rayne” diet invented by vets in Canada, I dont know if you can get “Raynes” in America, the K9-Sensitive-GI & the K9-Low fat/Novel Protein is especially made for Gastrointestinal & Pancreatitis health….the K9-Sensitive kibble looked good & the K9-Low Fat wet food looked good & the fat was only 9.6% fat % dry matter in the wet food….I dont think you can get a wet food with the fat that low 9.6%…. I can’t get Raynes here in Australia…. I’d give it a try, just to have another food I can fall back on & I also like to give something different for breakfast & his vet diet for dinner, I give tuna in spring water drained & about 1 tablespoon of boiled pumkin for breakfast & then some of his vet diet kibble 1/2 hour later ….

I think when they have IBD/Colitis Gastro problems its very hard finding a commerical, if ur girl did good on the Nutro stick with a kibble with around the same amount of protein% & Fat%, thats when I found Patch does better, when Ive tried kibbles with protein over 25% & fats 12-14%& over Patch doesnt do too well, I just wish these vet diets they’d improve their ingredients, I found that Eukanuba is the only one that doesnt use By-product meats & doesnt have wheat, rye, like Royal Canin use.. Good-luck..

[Susan]

Hi Elyse, I few ladies with dogs with Pancreatitis & Coilts feed vet diet Royal Canin low fat gastro fat is 7%, …I feed the vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue kibble fat-10%..
if you dont want to try vet diets look for a premium low fat diet thats under 10% Fat with limited ingredients ….you dont say if the I/d is wet or dry…I didnt have any luck with wet foods made it worse…
“Natural Balance” the Potatoes & Kangaroo or Rabbit & Potatos a few ladies use this kibble aswell with great results…also is ur dog just eating the Hills I/d & no other foods?..
here’s a link to the Natural Balance
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/product.aspx?ProductID=191&product=L.I.D.+Limited+Ingredient+Diets%c2%ae+Potato+%26+Kangaroo&#8230;

[Bobby dog]

Victoria:
Sign up for e-mails from Swanson’s website so you are notified of sales; they often have B1G1 free sales.

Cottage cheese and yogurt are great toppers. I don’t think there is any mention of feeding dairy products in the PDF. My dog loves kefir and apparently the strains of probiotics in it are enough to benefit him. I will switch to something else if I ever find it no longer works for him. Here’s some info on kefir and yogurt:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

One other use for coconut oil is to apply it topically to dry and irritated skin. If the dog is anything like Bobby you’ll have to supervise her to keep her from licking it off. I always applied it right before we went outside so he would forget about it. It was really helpful in healing his skin.

Since Bobby had a yeasty skin relapse, I refreshed my memory about yeast issues in dogs to make sure I had all bases covered. I came across a recommendation for an anti-yeast shampoo in the Whole Dog Journal for Selsun Blue (dandruff shampoo for people). The active ingredient in it is 1% selenium sulfide. I bought the store brand version and it worked well for Bobby. The reason I asked the condition of her skin was because I wouldn’t use it on my dog if he had open sores. My preference would be to use a shampoo that contained an anti-microbial ingredient if that were the case.

Good article to read, look under the Malassezia heading, 6th paragraph for shampoo:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_5/features/Dog_Skin_Problem_15932-1.html

Look under the shampoo heading:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=466&S=0&EVetID=3001644

[Bobby dog]

You are very welcome!

Not sure if the fish you bought is cooked or not, but do not feed raw salmon or trout to the dogs because they may contain bacteria that causes death in dogs. Good idea to puree it if you are uncertain about the bones, better safe than sorry.

You will really find that PDF useful. On top of it being packed with great info, it’s an easy read and written so that you can reference info easily. Your questions about food and portions should be answered in there. I don’t feed the ABC diet in one day, I feed all the extras throughout the week as toppers. Please ask if you can’t find what you are looking for; someone here should be able to help.

It does sound like a yeasty skin issue. Dandruff is much better than open sores so the Malesab must have helped. How do you stand budget wise with purchasing more shampoo? I found another budget friendly option for shampoo if you are interested.

My dog had a bad yeast infection last year. It took 8 months of consistent care and tweaking his diet to rid him of it. Changing his diet was integral in the healing process. If at all possible getting them off Ol’ Roy will be the most help. I know it’s not up to you, but if your uncle could at least switch to a food without chemicals, dyes, and meat & bone meal it would be a step in the right direction. With the added fresh foods you are improving their diets regardless, however by eliminating the chemicals etc. I believe you would see their health continue to improve. You might have a fighting chance to prove your point because more than likely some of the issues the dog had a few months ago will show up again after a few weeks back on Ol’ Roy.

I was feeding Bobby a canned food along the lines of Ol’ Roy that contained chemical preservatives and dyes, the kibble I fed was not bad. He had a skin infection so I took him to the Vet. During the visit my Vet discussed the importance of a healthy diet and suggested I stop feeding that canned food and choose another. When I eliminated it from his diet I saw an improvement in his skin within two weeks. That gave me the incentive to find out what else I could do for him.

I can’t answer your questions about enzymes, I don’t use them. Having no teeth would not necessarily be a reason to add enzymes. There was a very interesting conversation on the review side about using enzymes and whether or not they even survive the stomach. This did not pertain to enzymes used for pancreatic issues. Maybe someone else will be able to answer your questions.

I love the results I get from probiotics; wish I started using them long ago. I feed my cat kefir 3x/wk and my dog daily. I upped Bobby’s dose of probiotics when he had a yeasty skin relapse a month ago. When I feel he’s back on track I probably will feed it every other day. I think your choice of probiotics is a good one. Even though I am feeding kefir, it is more out of convenience for me since Bobby and the cats are doing well and like it. Kefir is very affordable, but I think your choice is more economical in the long run and you get more strains of probiotics. Write back with the weights of the dogs who will be getting them, I have info on dosage for human probiotics.

Canned food is much easier for dogs to digest since it is not as processed as dry food. There are several budget friendly canned foods out there. Depending on if they have teeth pulled mixing kibble with canned is an option too. At this point I am guessing it depends on what your Uncle decides to feed them. At the very least, you can add enough water to kibble prior to feeding them to make it a canned consistency if necessary.

I am not sure about specific exercises for arthritis & hip dysplasia. Keeping arthritic animals slim and fit is extremely important. The fish you are adding to their food is really good for arthritic pets! Try searching the forum for this topic and hopefully someone with experience on this subject will stop by.

[Robin B]

i know that Nulo Grain Free is still relatively new, but what a great food. I tried many of Advisor’s 5 star dry foods, before successfully finding and loving Nulo. Nulo has to be a future consideration for Editor’s Choice!!!!

[Jenny Rellick]

My dog, Leo, was like yours–begging for more food. He went from 62 lbs. down to 50 lbs.over the course of a year on a grain-free dry food. Here are my 4 tips for dog weight loss:

1. Feed the calories for your dog’s ideal weight, not her current weight: Leo gets 725 calories per day, including treats, and has gotten that amount since he hit 62 lbs.. Use The Dog Food Calculator on this site’s home page to figure out you dog’s caloric needs, entering an estimated ideal weight in pounds from your vet or from a time before your dog was overweight, and for activity level, select “overweight.” Leo’s food is 500 calories per cup, and I feed him 1 and 1/3 cups per day, for 650 calories from a high protein dog food. I leave 75 calories for other food, and because the grain-free food I use is so nutritious, I am confident he is well-nourished with the small quantity. Leo gets 2 meals of 2/3 cups, measured with a measuring cup (never eye-ball the quantity.)

2. Pump up the volume with warm water: Use a big, flat-bottom bowl to spread the kibble out, and add enough warm water to just cover the kibble, letting it steep on the counter for a minute or two.. Some kibble swells to make it more filling, and even if your part kibble doesn’t swell much, you are making a tasty broth to drink without adding calories. The water makes the meal take longer to eat, and tricks Leo into drinking extra water, which is necessary for weight loss. My dog goes crazy fpr the aroma while it steeps. Many vets recommend canned dog food for weight loss for exactly these benefits I provide by adding warm water to dry food. My way is much less expensive.

3. Feed green beans liberally with every meal. You can use frozen or salt-free canned (never give salted canned vegetables to a dog.) Of all the vegetables, green beans have an extremely low caloric density but, when cooked (canned green beans are pre-cooked and can be fed directly,) they are appealing to dogs. My dog won’t eat cabbage, lettuce, or celery, but he loves green beans. He gets 1/2 cup at each meal, stirred into the steeped kibble. This adds about 20 calories per meal, but he feels very satisfied with each meal, gets plenty of fiber for bowel regularity, and thinks I am preparing something special for him at each meal. He watches each step, and if I leave the kitchen while the kibble is steeping, he barks and cries as if to say, “you are forgetting to finish cooking my dinner!” If he starts begging before I put the green beans in, I show him the bowl and say, “Don’t you want green beans?” He barks and cries until I add the green beans! If I run out of green beans, he looks so disappointed. When I get back from the store, he goes to his bowl and waits just to get his half cup of green beans by itself.

4. Give very small treats. Except for 2 regular Greenies per week (90 calories each,) Leo gets tiny treats for going potty the right way or listening well. They are about 1/2 the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Most dogs will enjoy one treat three times more than they enjoy three treats all at once. Liver biscotti treats are Leo’s favorite tiny treat. Zuke’s mini naturals are also a convenient size. You could chop up human cold cuts or pepperoni and keep them as treats in the refrigerator. If your dog loves to chew for a long time, antlers are great because only a small amount is ingested or digested at a time, and your dog will burn calories by chewing. Elk antlers seem to be a good size and wear down just fast enough for Leo to get flavor and satisfaction from his efforts. Marrow bones from cattle are similarly good chews for dogs, but bully sticks, pig’s ears, raw hide, and the like present a choking hazard, can cause bowel blockages, have empty calories, and often contain chemicals. By the way, my dog loves his Greenies so much that they serve as his emergency recall reward. For the emergency recall reward, don’t worry about calories!

[Cyndi]

Lavender scented Gain laundry detergent! Ha ha! No food items yet, that I know of.

[Jane E]

I am looking for a grain free dry food without lentils/peas or alfalfa. I have senior Boxers with a history of IBS/colitis and one with some reoccurring yeasty skin issues. I would like to have a food that I could feed all 3 if possible (to date I have not accomplished that). I currently raw feed one,another is on Honest Kitchen Zeal with occasional Thrive or Force and the other is on Orijen Senior (and I think that may just be too much of a good thing for her now) her stools are soft. She’s been on this for about a year and is in beautiful condition otherwise.
So I am interested in anyones input. It’ll be greatly appreciated
Jane

[crazy4cats]

Hi Tiffany-
I am all about budget friendly! The best valued can food, IMO, is Costco’s Natures Domain Turkey and Pea Stew, Walmart’s Pure Balance, and Tractor Supply’s 4health canned. They are mostly all rated 5 stars. I also use eggs and sardines a few times a week as well. The best prices for sardines are at Winco or Walmart. Walmart also sells a brand of canned called Variety that is a little more expensive, but cheaper than most.
If you have Victor dry food in your area, it is more budget friendly than Wellness. Those are lucky dogs you are taking care of. Thank you!

[aquariangt]

I would recommend InkedMarie’s sticky post at the top of this page as a starting point. It has a list of grain and potato free foods, then you just have to hunt through a few more ingredients.

My forewarning is that those tests are pretty shifty, and if you took it again, you could get different results. Use it as a guide for trying out some foods, but still keep every ingredient panel and keep a close eye on him, as he could still be reacting to something in the food.

Canned foods tend to have less in them, and dry food cleaning teeth is a myth, so if you’re willing to feed all canned, that’s better anyway