[Tina]

Anyone own a Golden Retriever? If so what do you feed yours? My Golden Retriever Angel is 8 years old and has these problems;
*dry skin
*itchy skin
*red skin
*weak hip and joints (she is on cohesion for this)
*sometimes over weight
*eats very fast
She is on Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior along with other small bags of stuff mixed in. She has only had chicken her entire life and as a younger puppy/adult was on;
*Eukanuba Puppy
*Purina Pro Plan Puppy
*Purina One Adult
*Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Adult
*Royal Canine Golden Retriever
*Blue Buffalo Large Breed Senior
*Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Senior
None of these I was happy with and none of them did the trick except for Royal Canine (kinda). What can you suggest? I’m open to ANY suggestions, including all life stages dog food. My only thing is that I need it to be inexpensive, not cheap but not like $80 for a 24lb bag.

[Bobby dog]

Hi ab1028:
I give unrefined organic coconut oil internally and also use it externally for both my dog and cats. Initially I used it to help alleviate and improve some skin conditions both had. Now I use it for maintenance to keep their skin and coat healthy and moisturized; I really like the results. I feed it a few times a week and apply externally to one cat that has dry skin patches.

The most improvement in their skin and coats came from changing and improving their diets. You wrote that you tried to limit food. One suggestion I have for you is to try dog foods with different proteins (and starches if you feed kibble) to see if it may be a protein (meat or plant source) that does not agree with your dog. Keep the ingredient lists of each food and compare them if you observe a reaction to determine if they contain common ingredients that may be the culprit.

Another thing to consider is maybe your pup has seasonal allergies. I have never had a pet that suffered from this, but there are several posters on DFA that do. If allergies were an issue I would consider feeding local bee pollen or local honey to my pet. Here’s a link to a DFA forum on the subject and also a few articles about bee pollen and honey:

/forums/topic/bee-pollen/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/10_9/features/Bee-Honey-Products-Help-Canines_15967-1.html

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.ca/2014/01/honey-good-for-dogs-cats-honey-is.html

Here’s some links to articles about coco oil you may find helpful, good luck!

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_11/features/alternative-treatments-updated_20861-1.html?pg=3

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

[RescueDaneMom]

You can add the coconut oil to her food as well. Check out Nzymes.com. My Dane has been on Nzymes for six years. He had really dry, flaky skin when I got him. I think this product along with the right food really helped him.

[tracy b]

hello every one I am a new member here and love that there is a discussion on large/giant breed food. I have 2 great dane males who are little mate brothers. they are 1 and 1/2 years old now. we have always fed them Royal Canine giant breed stages right now they are on the giant junior and will soon be transitioning over to adult food. I just had them to the vet yesterday to get their rabies shots and heath exam in preparation for neutering. my vet also owns a great dane so I feel lucky that my vet knows specifically about the breed and their potential heath problems. I always thought I had made good choices in their food and yesterdays appointment had them scoring perfectly on coat, growth, teeth, heart, etc. I feel a bit dismayed about some of the negative reports on the brand of food I have chosen its score of 2.5 stars and the comments on the ingredients leave me wondering if I have made a poor choice. we did try to switch twice once at 4 months and again at 8 months to other brands (blue and arcana) each time we tried they were not happy seemed to not like the flavor had bad gas and diarrhea although not too bad with the blue brand and I did switch very slow mixing the existing brand with the new gradually. it cost me $86.00 every 6 days to feed the boys a bag of dry food plus $9.00 in toppers. I just need to know I have made the right decision
thank you

[Lance & Nikki]

We have a 16 month old Great Dane and a 7 month old St Bernard and we feed them Merrick dry food (the Dane gets the grain free and the Saint is on the classic puppy) and every 3rd day we mix in a can of Merrick for each into their afternoon feeding. I like to spread it out so that they don’t get spoiled on the wet food and that it’s still like a treat for them. But on the evenings when it’s canned food night, they devour their meals.

[Happy Dog]

Yes the vet gave some anti-histamine pills. When its really bad, I give the dog 1 pill and he’s fine (& very sleepy). But once he’s off it, its scratchy-scratch.

I feel the same about the oatmeal shampoo. It worked great with my previous Chi (passed last year at 14yr), made her all fluffy and soft feeling, smells great!
On Happy (the JRT-CHI mix), it seems to have the opposite effect – makes his fur dry and smells more ‘dog’ after 1-2 days of the bath.

Just wondering:

Canned vs Kibble. Canned is better (thanks for the Mercola link to Dr Karen Becker). Would canned food be less likely to cause allergies although it may have a similar ingredient make up as the kibble? I have been feeding grain free kibble with the exception of the Acana & Lamb. Could it be possible that the way kibble is processed just isn’t very good on the whole for dog with allergies, regardless if it is grain free or grain inclusive?

And would an allergy to a certain protein mean the dog would be predisposed to be allergic to similar proteins for example:
Chicken -> Duck, Turkey (all birds?)
Beef -> Bison, Kangaroo, Lamb (all red meats?)

I ordered the Mercola Probiotics. Hopefully some probiotics would help.

[Constance D]

I am new to this board, and looking for good senior food for the 9 year old foxhound mix that I have inherited. It appears to me, after cruising the website this evening, that all the senior foods (wet and dry) receive only a 3 or 3.5 rating, no matter how well the product line is reviewed overall. Why is this? Please help me know why this is, so I can make an informed choice. Thanks, Connie

[Eric Q]

well its been a few days and the merrick grain free roasted duck and sweet potato kibble with wingaling or southern comfort wet mixed in seems to do the trick. she still doesn’t eat all I give her or sometimes eats around the dry food. but at least she is eating something. im still going to try other foods. someone also suggested zignature (that is not a typo its spelled signature with a z) thanks for everyones advice. ill keep updating

[Shasta220]

I feel so horrible for her. I think I will wait a few weeks and then ask the owner to try a 4-5 star food, and if his dogs don’t improve in a month or so, then he can go back to the crappy stuff….. He gives Kibbles n bits canned as well now (used to be Alpo and Pedigree). It has flavors like Burger Dinner and Pasta Dinner. UGH (they look and smell like, well, canned ravioli or something!)

But I don’t get as offended about the canned as I do the dry, honestly… I would be a billion times happier to see them on that junk canned food, but at least have a quality kibble…

I’ll keep y’all posted when/if I give him that suggestion. Poor babies…

[Tina]

Merrick Adult All Breeds
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Real Chicken Brown Rice + Green Pea Recipe Adult Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Merrick Puppy All Breeds
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Real Chicken Brown Rice + Green Pea Recipe Puppy Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Merrick Senior All Breeds
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Real Chicken Brown Rice + Green Pea Recipe Senior Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Merrick Grain Free All Life Stages
AAFCO Dog Food Nutritional Facts
Merrick Grain Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established
by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Halo Adult
HALO, Purely For Pets® Spot’s Stew® Adult Dog Formula Wholesome Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Taste of the Wild Puppy
AAFCO Statement
Taste of the Wild® High Prairie Puppy® Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.

These are just some examples from the company Merrick, Halo, Taste of the Wild,. Why do the bags say adult, puppy or senior but the AAFCO label says All Life Stages?

[Chris K]

I have two questions. First some background, I have a 9 month old German Shepherd female that is at 52 pounds and hasn’t grown much in the last month. I suspect she may be the runt of the litter so am not worried about the diminuitive size. But she looks kind of skinney.

We buy dry diamond puppy food for her. She does not eat unless we are there with her or she’s really hungry. I bought a couple of cans of wet food and she ate pretty well yesterday. First question, is canned dog food bad for them and how do I know if its good dog food?

This morning she went outside to do her buisness before she ate. I noticed she ate some grass as if her tummy was upset then hacked up a little something. Second question, if I give her some food she likes in the A.M., like a bit of canned dog food do you think maybe her stomache will not be upset and she won’t go outside and eat grass?

Thanks,

Chris

[AUDREY G]

Looking for Rabbit or Kangaroo based protein grain free dry food. I joined editor’s choice but it’s very time consuming to search through every recommended brand looking at the ingredients. I would like to search for primary protein source to narrow down the choices.
Any advise?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Camano-
Welcome to the cat food thread. Most of us on this thread often mention catinfo.org as one of our favorite sites for cat food information. Lisa Pierson is a vet and author of the site. She highly recommends feeding species appropriate wet food to cats. This tends to help prevent urinary tract problems and blockages especially in male cats. She suggests not using any dry at all. That being said, it is expensive to feed my four cats all canned, dehydrated or raw. So, I feed about 3/4 canned and 1/4 dry. My big male cats are the ones that eat more dry. I tend to believe that most of the high quality dog food makers also make high quality cat food. My cats are indoor only, so I lean to lower calorie kibble. Right now, I am feeding Wellness Core kibble with budget friendly canned such as Authority, Chicken Soup, Nutro Max, Soulistic and even some Friskies and Fancy Feast to keep the costs down. I have also fed Taste of the Wild, Earthborn, and Premium Edge dry foods. I’m sure a couple of the other regulars will pop in and give their recommendations as well. Oh, yes, I try to stay away from fish as my 15 year old cat has hyperthyroidism. Again, welcome!

[Dori]

Summit Dry Dog Food? Seriously? How did that make the EC list. Very low protein, low fat, and sky high carbs. I’m really confused. HDM or Mike can you comment please.

[Dori]

Hi Serena. One of my dogs has a lot of food intolerances as well as environmental allergies. Definitely going grain free will help. Also try to avoid foods with corn, soy, white potatoes and too many peas. As far as the shampoo is concerned, notwithstanding the fact that oatmeal shampoos are typically recommended for itchy dry skin, my girl does much worse when shampooed with an oatmeal shampoo. I’ve tested this out with her. I use dog shampoos for sensitive dogs, usually soap free are more gentle.

[Jackie B]

There are a few things you can do.

A hypoallergenic food can help.

An otic cleanser like Zymox or an ear powder like Thornit (have to special-order from the UK, a poodle rescuer friend says this is the best) are also good things to try.

You also have the physical attributes of the ear to consider. Dogs have a vertical ear canal, unlike humans, so moisture will fall down into the ear canal after swimming or bathing and is difficult to remove. Keep the ear canal well-plucked, use cotton balls in her ear during bathing to keep out water, and consider shaving her ears. If you can’t bear to shave her whole ears, shave about a 1.5 inch wide strip. A friend of mine with a Standard male does this, and while it looks different it does have kind of a cute pig-tailed look– and the lack of hair helps the ear canal dry out and become less hospitable for bacteria.

Good luck!

[arwyru24]

So I am no Akari when it comes to scoring great deals but I do like to keep my eye out for deals I just can’t pass up, and I do like to donate food to rescues/shelters whenever possible.
So yesterday I went to Petco and got one 3.5lb bag of Purina One sensitive systems dry cat food, Six 5.5oz cans of Iams Pate (2 lamb and 4 turkey and giblets), one 5.5oz can of Halo Shredded Turkey, and two 5.5oz cans of Canidae lifestages indoor cat food and my total was just under $8 (I threw away my receipt and can’t remember exactly not that it really matters) I thought that was pretty decent.

My local TNR group uses the small bags of dry food to give out to their colony feeders (the feeders have to take the food to the feeding stations so it has to be easy to transport and they try to be as invisible as possible) and one of the local supermarkets I think pretty regularly donates cases of the 3lb bags of their store brand so I think that is a good place for the dry food. Or, the local shelters I think usually use most of their dry food donations like that for their pet food pantry so that is another option. And I have a friend that is currently feeding a lot of cats, she is always rescuing and helping out animals in need so I have a big 13lb bag of Purina Cat Chow naturals that I got for free to bring up to her and I have also been collecting cat food cans for her over the last few months so I will add the Iams and Canidae to that collection since the Canidae has rice. And my cats will get the shreds. I am really pretty broke but I try to help when I can.

[cindy q]

regardless of price which brand of dry dog food do you feel is the best.

[mogavero1955]

I had replied under shiatsu then read advice on how to post. I am desperate. My vet said science diet for sensitive stomachs but it is junk I’m told…..One of my beagles has beef allergy. The last two years, I have been testing and searching for a dry kibble that won’t make his stomach so loud and gassy in the morning where he wants grass and will vomit. He will eat boiled chicken but I need a limited ingredient, sensitive stomach food. He’s been on Eukanoba Response FP (just disliked after ten years), TOW venison, Acana fish, Fromms fish, Blue Wilderness salmon, Earthborn lamb, Blue Wilderness Chicken SENIOR. He likes chicken and lamb. Problem is the gurgling and he won’t eat in the morning. He throws a few times a week. I hear his tummy across the room. Blood test good, stool test good. HELP!! ,

[mogavero1955]

One of my beagles has beef allergy. The last two years, I have been testing and searching for a dry kibble that won’t make his stomach so loud and gassy in the morning where he wants grass and will vomit. He will eat boiled chicken but I need a limited ingredient, sensitive stomach food. He’s been on Eukanoba Response FP (just disliked after ten years), TOW venison, Acana fish, Fromms fish, Blue Wilderness salmon, Earthborn lamb, Blue Wilderness Chicken SENIOR. He likes chicken and lamb. Problem is the gurgling and he won’t eat in the morning. He throws a few times a week. I hear his tummy across the room. Blood test good, stool test good. HELP!! ,

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Nat R –

Just so you know, no studies exist demonstrating that protein has negative effects on giant breed puppies or adults – anything you read about this is myth and nothing more. There is, however, a lot of research proving the protein is not harmful.

Feeding Large Breed Puppies by Susan Winn DVM (Featured in IVC Journal)

“A common misconception found in many internet articles is the claim that dietary protein should be controlled in large breed puppies to prevent skeletal abnormalities. This theory was disproved some years ago (Nap, 1991). Most commercial puppy foods contain more protein than is thought necessary, but studies have shown that protein contents of 23% to 31% (dry matter) do not have a deleterious effect on growth.”

“Decades ago, we considered some adult diets appropriate for puppies. However, a calorie-calcium mismatch is probably common. Adult maintenance foods are often less calorically dense than puppy foods. Additionally, these diets may have calcium and phosphorus levels that are higher in relation to energy density than a large breed puppy diet. If a rapidly growing puppy has to eat more food to obtain enough calories for growth, a calcium overdose is possible.”

“Most nutritionists recommend that large, fast growing puppies eat diets containing AT LEAST 30% protein and 9% fat (dry matter basis).”

The Effect of Breed Size on Nutritional Considerations for Growing Puppies

“Excessive intake of dietary protein has been suggested as a contributing factor to skeletal developmental problems, such as osteochondrosis, in large breed dogs. This hypothesis was tested by feeding Great Dane puppies either 15%, 23% or 32% dietary protein (13%, 21% or 29% of energy). While the low protein diet reduced growth, no detrimental effects from the higher protein diets were observed.”

This is a FANTASTIC article (one of my favorites) on large breed nutrition written by Susan Lauten PhD – I would HIGHLY recommend reading it in its entirety, however here are some of the highlights:

Nutritional Risks to Large-Breed Dogs: From Weaning to the Geriatric Years

“Currently, no evidence exists to suggest that high-protein intake contributes to the development of orthopedic disease in growing large-breed puppies. Previous studies suggesting a risk for high protein and DOD were confounded by higher energy intake in high-protein foods. In general, large-breed puppy diets are formulated to contain approximately 30% protein (DMB) similar to other puppy foods.”

“…feeding adult foods to large-breed puppies before 1 year of age is not recommended because the calcium-to-energy ratio is generally lower in adult foods compared with large-breed puppy food. Feeding an adult food can actually result in greater intake of calcium than feeding puppy foods. Because the puppy must consume a larger portion of adult food to meet energy needs for growth, total calcium intake may actually be higher than with a properly formulated large-breed puppy formula.”

Here is the link to a study done on Great Dane pups that was featured in the Journal of Nutrition. The study concluded: “the differences in protein intake per se did not affect the occurrence of disturbed skeletal development in young Great Danes.”

Do You Know What to Feed Your Large Breed Dog? By Karen Becker DVM

“Studies have repeatedly concluded dietary protein levels have no effect on the development of skeletal problems in large and giant breed dogs. But still today, many breeders of large dogs, owners and even some veterinarians will tell you protein is the problem, even though there is no evidence to prove it. Protein excess is not the problem. In fact, it’s often a dietary protein deficiency that contributes to skeletal problems.”

You may find this of interest as well. Here Dr. Becker interviews a Newfie breeder (not Great Danes I know – however Newfies are generally considered to be a giant breed). This breeder feeds his dogs HIGH protein raw and his dogs don’t experience many of the health problems typical to giant breed dogs and his dogs live much longer than most giant breeds (he had a dog live to be 17 – the typical life span of a giant breed is about 8).

Sorry to bombard you with reading, but large breed nutrition is one of my favorite subjects and I like to make sure people have the facts. 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[zcRiley]

Two myths. A food is “too protein rich” & loose stools is directly related to a food. Your dog will urinate out the extra protein he doesn’t need. Either feed canned or dry, different types of food digest at different rates causing imbalance in his tract. Check for Giardia. And do not leave any kibble “out at all times”. I’m sure you wouldn’t leave your breakfast cereal “out at all times”.

[InkedMarie]

I can’t answer your food question except to say that a dry food is the worst food you can feed a dog with uti’s. Moisture is of the utmost importance. You’re much better off to feed canned, dehydrated or raw. If you must feed dry, add some canned to it along with water. She also needs ample opportunities to urinate.

[Bobby dog]

Archie update: His fur is really growing in nicely. Still a little sparse in places and his skin is still dry. However, the dry patches are past the point of scabbing over and it is more like a bad case of dandruff in those areas. Still giving him probiotics, coco oil 2x/wk, fish oil 3/x week & MSM in his morning food. The most improvement in his skin/fur came with the addition of probiotics.

Akari:
Can’t wait to see the videos, I love watching cat tricks!

Here’s my coupon questions:
What is the original price/can of the Sheba?
Is it on sale? If it is, what is the sale price/can?
Are you using the $3.00 off/24 cans coupon?

Jakes mom & C4c:
Okay, I have fallen behind a little on my ABC diet, but I did take out some beef liver that I froze the other week and will be adding it to Bobby’s dinner this evening. Although I gave him a few raw pieces as I was preparing to freeze it, which he seemed to like, I decided I would lightly cook it.

Since the few raw choices I have made so far have not gone over well, I thought I might need to take a different approach with him. I will lightly cook, then serve. In the future I will try cooking a little meat and serve it with a little raw and see how that goes. He did end up eating the chicken gizzards and hearts I first tried after I lightly cooked them.

[Happy Dog]

Glad to have found this site, it’s a wealth of information.

Needing some advice for my dog I adopted from the local shelter last August.
He came with the itches, pink/red patch on his belly, under his chin, face, around the eyes etc. Fur was really coarse yet greasy to touch. Chews his paws till it bleeds.

The fosterer recommended that we put him on a fish kibble. They weren’t sure what he was allergic to but it may have been chicken. So we put him on Wellness Simple –Salmon & Potato. Since then he has gone through:

Wellness Simple
Wellness Core Ocean
Acana Pacifica
THK Zeal
Orijen 6Fish

Topper: Fish 4 Dogs Salmon or Trout Mousse. Cooked salmon or any other fish once a week.

He was on Orjen 6 Fish till recently. We had him on through 3 bags, and he gets 1/3 cup + 1 /4 pack of Fish4Dogs Fish Mousse per meal. Twice a day.
He actually did quite well on it, less itchy, and started putting on weight. Still chews his paws though, I think he may have some allergies to grass. He was also getting quite chunky.

I thought I should started rotating him on different protein so he can eventually get some variety in his diet and went for Acana Lamb and Apple.
Before I committed to the Acana Lamb & Apple, I mixed a can of lamb and tripe to his kibble and he ate fine.

He’s been on it for 2 weeks. I mix the Acana Lamb & Apple (1/4 cup) with the Orijen 6Fish (1/4 cup). I had the kibble serving reduced as he was putting on weight.
I also switched to an oatmeal shampoo.

He seems to be worse now. Scratches more, the dry coarse fur is coming back, pink around the eyes, nose and under his arms, paws. One ear seems to be red inside, the other is fine (is it normal to have 1 inflamed ear instead of both?). Smells more ‘dog’.

So should I ditch the kibble? Or could it be the shampoo?

I was hoping he could eat more than just fish based food. I’d like to have him on a mix of kibble, canned food and homecooked meals 2x to 3x a week. Raw – I can get Primal, Addiction and some THK.

He didn’t do too well on THK zeal though. Went through 2 packs of the Zeal. He was pooping 4x a day (poop had stalks and bits of stuff that.. doesn’t seem digested), ate lots of grass (grazing like a cow), and was losing weight that’s why I put him on 6Fish. I though he needed more protein.

Any suggestions? I could go back to 6Fish, or I could go with another fish kibble like Core Ocean?

[Hound Dog Mom]

If you by “too rich” you’re suggesting that the food has too much protein and/or fat – Orijen has less protein and fat than WEF canned. So if your dog does well on WEF canned Orijen wouldn’t be “too rich” for your dog. There are a variety of reasons why your dog may be experiencing loose stools after consuming Orijen. It could be the result of an ingredient sensitivity, it could be that your dog doesn’t tolerate dry kibble well (as opposed to the moist canned) or the dog could just be adjusting to the new food. All dogs are different and some just don’t do well on certain foods. There have been quite a few reports of dogs not doing well on the new Orijen formulas (they removed the white potato and added legumes). You can try giving the dog more time and supplementing the diet with probiotics and a little canned pumpkin, sometimes this can help with loose stools.

[Bobby dog]

C4c:
I feel bad for you and your pups. Maybe Costco will hear from many, many customers why they shouldn’t discontinue the food.

I have never tried to feed Bobby dry kibble other than for a reward, I bet he wouldn’t like it much either. Tell your husband to stop picking on the dogs! lol

Do you have a Del’s Feed & Supply near you? They sell 4Health pet food. They are affiliated with TSC somehow. Maybe they are TSC’s wild, wild west chain? IDK

http://www.delsfarmsupply.com/store_locator.php

Looks like TSC moved the Whitefish GF from Ainsworth to Diamond. Reportedly the Beef & Turkey GF are still made by Ainsworth; don’t know about the cat food. That was one of my budget kibbles. It was also helpful for when I couldn’t find anything on sale, the ol’ stand-by.

I have been eyeing Infinia at a pet boutique by my house. It is about $1.00 more per bag. That might end up being my stand-by brand if TSC phases out Ainsworth. This boutiqe is normally a few dollars more on most things, but I guess since their business consists of a lumber supply/feed store, two other large animal feed stores, and this boutique they must order PMI products in bulk passing the savings on to their customers. Betsy Greer suggested this food a while ago in one of her posts to someone so I started looking into PMI. I like the recipes & ingredients so I need to pick up a bag sometime in the next couple of months to see if Bobby likes it. If you read this, thanks Betsy!!!!! 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Bobby dog-
I went and bought 4 cases today of the KCIG since it is being deleted. When that is gone, I’ll have to get some more budget friendly canned dog food advice from you. I didn’t think my dogs were picky about their food. But, I found out different yesterday. We went to the ocean and I just took some dry food to feed them their dinner on the road. They haven’t had just plain dry for a long time. One of my dogs just looked at me like, “this is it?” He actually wouldn’t eat it until I picked some up and he ate it out of my hand. But, very hesitantly. My husband, of course thinks that they are spoiled. I’m sure after he was hungry enough, he’d eat it. Of course, he will eat poop, wood and cardboard though. So, anyway, I guess I’m stuck using toppers for them.

[Akari_32]

The canned pedigree isn’t too bad. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a very good food, but It could be worse. LOL Not really much different than some of the Pro Plan, though. Since Haley can’t do just dry all the time, I just get what I can, and use the lower quality ones in moderation. My canned dog food collection would probably give you guys a heart attack LOL Since high quality dry food makes up the bulk of their diets, I tend to not worry about their canned. They’ve had much worse, believe me!

Mom calls him Gary or Kitty. I call him Kitty, but every night I’m “ok, tomorrow I’ll start calling him Alec!” Hasn’t happened yet…. LOL

[cutedeedle]

Heh, I think many of us have this problem! My finicky Standard Schnauzer loves any canned food but we’ve found that mixing most of the kinds of Tiki Dog canned food with some dry kibble of the Pure Vita Grain Free has done the trick for us. Too bad canned food is sooooo expensive, especially if you have more than one dog, or a very large dog or two. I agree with “aquariangt” about getting small cans and/or bags of food — lots of places offer samples of kibble — and see what your dog likes on a consistent basis. Another trick we use — crush up some freeze-dried liver (we use the Bravo Bonus Bites Chicken Liver) and sprinkle it in and on top of the food. I know, this is truly maddening. And our finicky Schnauzer doesn’t like pumpkin but my little Schnauzer 1 y/o loves it. Go figure. Grrrrrr!

[jane c]

11/2 yr old Standard Poodle has ongoing ear problems. The vet has run out of ideas and says she may have this all her life. I have been feeding a raw mix for over a month but now she won’t eat it and ears have not improved . Using Zimcocker’s ear wash but she screams in pain and I can’t go on like this. Thyroid test was done. I believe that a high quality dry food would not affect her ears but my raw-feeding friends tell me it would. Please help

[Akari_32]

The only thing I worry about for the dogs canned is the expiration date. They only get one can split between them every week or so because my supply is running low and I’ve not seen any good deals on canned dog food lately. I do have some decent ones lined up for Pedigree and Purina One (yeah, yeah, I know. But it’s not a large part of their diet and Haley doesn’t like just dry– it’s too hard on her tummy) if I could ever get out to PetSmart to get them.

I don’t mind having a bathroom buddy lol He just freaks out if he can’t be in the same room with me. I dog sat over the weekend and stayed at the peoples house , and the neighbor said he was looking for me all weekend. He doesn’t like to be away from his mommy lol He just laid on my chest for like 15 minutes getting snuggles and scratches because he was playing with a hair tie when I went into my room to get my PJs on and he didn’t come in when I called him, so he had to make sure his mommy have him all her love before she locked him out of the room for the night lol he’s such a baby lol

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
My feeding schedule is whatever food they’ll eat that day. lol Very nice and organized!

On the Purina One Beyond review side a poster commented Target had the new bags of POB. I think they tried the regular Purina One and their dog didn’t do well so they returned it and bought their usual POB Lamb. They commented if they had purchased their usual POB in the first place it would have been in the old yellow bag for $6.99. When they exchanged the food for POB lamb the next day they had already stocked the new bags and the new price was $9.99. That’s the kind of stuff that happens to me. Don’t know if they had any of the new dry recipes. I don’t think they changed the original dry dog food recipes, just added three new flavors. Anyway, I am going to be on the lookout for the new POB GF canned cat foods. Purina still doesn’t have the new recipe info on it’s website.

[KD]

I was considering moving my dog to freshpet vitals. She is a very picky eater. Tried multiple dry and canned foods, as well as freeze dried like Grandma Lucy’s. Some things she’ll eat for awhile, although only small amounts, and eventually turns her nose at them. Others not at all. I’m desperate for a high quality food that she will eat consistently. This looked great until I saw the use of carrageenan. It is a controversial food additive used in a variety of both human and pet foods that acts as an emulsifier and thickening agent. It has been linked to serious illnesses in some research, often attributed to its inflammatory properties. It’s a hotly contested topic, and I don’t know enough to say whether it is safe or not. Does anyone have any opinion on this? It’s looks like a great product and certainly more appetizing for my pup, so I’d love to use it if safe.

[Eric Q]

im having the same problem. I got my puppy last September from north shore animal league. I was feeding her what they were giving her (just some super market brand puppy chow) I immediately started swiching her to the better food (wellness just for puppy) she would maybe 2 times a week finish her food. I tried many brands from call of the wiled, wellness, nutro, and others. I tried mixing wet with dry , only dry , only wet and nothing seems to interest her. She is now 11 months old and im at my wits end. I took her to the vet several times they say she looks good she is not under weight. but I know she is hungry. I do not as a rule give her any people food. Im the only one in my house so I know someone is not giving her stuff behind my back. I do sometimes give her a milk bone or a small carrot as a treat but nothing more and she devours the milk bone or carrot and looks for more but when it comes to meal time she will eat a little and walk away. I now get dried liver training treats from the pet store and grind them down and sprinkle it over the food. sometimes it helps sometimes it doesn’t. Does anyone have any advice? Please help!!!

[Akari_32]

He eats it anyways, but he doesn’t like to work too hard for his food lol He could eat and eat if we let him, but I guess this stuff mixed with his dry food is just too hard to get out of the corners of the bowl, and he gets lazy LOL The cat has no problems coming over and finishing it off for him *rolls eyes* at least they both know to eat what you get or you don’t eat lol

[Oceans11]

Jjennilee – I have a picky eater, too. He is a nine month old Cotton de Tulear. He is point on point with everything you described with your Shelties, right down to liking ice cubes. I can’t tell you how much money we have thrown away in expensive highly rated canned and dry dog food. He does like just about everything we eat. I just purchased 2 Fresh Pet Select in the cooler section (is this the same as you referenced although you called it Pet Fresh?) it is bite size chunks of chicken and one of beef. I have fed him one of each type and he won’t eat it. I did notice Fresh Pet has a tube of something – since you had luck with that perhaps I will try it. I couldn’t figure out who and where it is made which is a huge concern. Also, I have been thinking about making his food. It would be a whole lot easier if I could find something he likes and switch that up with kibble that he does eat from time to time. Who knew feeding a dog could be so involved!

[Shasta220]

I’ve posted at least a topic or two about my little girl, Maddy. She gets free choice chicken soup dry, and I give her about 1/2 can (that’s all she eats at a time) of either Felidae, CS, or Natural Balance canned.

I am just curious what canned foods you guys love for your cats. Maddy seems to like rotational the most (I bought a 13oz can of Felidae once since it was only .10$ more than the 5oz can… She ate a scoop of it daily for a few days, then refused it since she wanted a different taste lol.)

She does fine on these ones, but I’m always open to trying new brands since that’s what she likes. So far anything with poultry first is a winner. Salmon first is a no-way for her lol. Haven’t tried tuna/whitefish…

[Scott C]

Like Jayne V, above, I would be interested to know the specific rationale for not including the Orijen puppy food on the list. We have had our huge Samoyed on Orijen for the last three years (we rescued him when he was one) so have no personal experience with the Orijen puppy product, but have nothing but glowing praise for the Adult Dry. My mother-in-law will be getting a 6-month German shepherd puppy soon, however, and we hesitate to recommend Orijen puppy based on its absence from the list here.

Would sincerely appreciate any additional thoughts that can be shared on this point.

[[email protected]]

I am looking for a single protein dry and wet dogfood other than chicken, fish or lamb that is suitable for a senior dog. I am looking for a brand that does not have grains, potatoes, rice (her glucose has gone up). R.C Prescrition Pot/Venison begain also putting soy in their formula and that ended that food. I am looking at Zignatures duck and turkey L/I formula but am unsure of the protein levels. I read that the duck was possibly more diggestiable than the turkey which I am now trying with Wild Calling canned food. I would appreciate any comments for my elder girl She began acid refdlux we feel due to the 8mos of potatoes! Also, how much protein is too much protein. Possibly +fiber is okay but that remains unknown also.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nona-
I agree with the other two posters. I don’t think you necessarily need to switch foods due to your dog being a senior. I think you need to find another food because it is healthy to rotate and add variety. And also to have another food to use in case you can’t get the current food. Like Marie said, seniors don’t necessarily need less protein like many senior foods have. They actually could use more high quality protein. Since your dog has been on the same food for so long, when you switch, you will have to transition very slowly. I’d also try to find something with similar fat and protein levels. I also really think that adding healthy toppers to dry food is a must. I use either canned, dehydrated, raw, eggs, cottage cheese, or sardines to every meal. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi again, have you gone to the “Reveiws” at the top of post o ur left u’ll see n the “SearchResults” type in low fat low protein & high fiber…. I just did & about 20 different brand foods have come up, dry, wet & 1 freeze Dried by Stella and Chewys….Just remember to do the spoon test/hot water with the new kibble to see if it breaks up easy..

[Tina]

My GSD mix has become very finicky over the past few weeks. In both the mornings and afternoons he will either turn his nose up or take a bite and then walk away. I’ve tried adding fresh chicken and chicken broth but he eats the chicken right out of it. Other techniques I’ve tried include, changing flavors of wet food, changing brands of wet food, changing both brands and flavors of wet food, changing textures of wet food and last changing dry food. He’s tried Hill’s Science Diet (Wet and Dry), Blue Buffalo (Wet), Wellness (Wet), Nutro (Wet and Dry) and Hill’s Ideal Balance (Wet and Dry). He’s had chicken as his protein since he was a puppy. What dog food is good for finicky eating dogs both wet and dry? What should I do?

[LabTX]

Hound Dog Mom, I’ve been reading a lot of your posts on the Large Breed Puppies topic and was wondering if you had some insight for a large breed adult puppy. I have a 7.5 yr old, 65lb, chocolate lab who has been on a RAW diet for the last 2-3 years. She has been through BARF, Tuckers, and most recently OC RAW. My wife thought it would be easier if we switched her back to dry food. The savings would be nice, but I’m worried about her health more than anything. Are there any decent dry food replacements that are going to do as well as the RAW? I will say, I have never seen a dog so excited to eat in my life. Sometimes I wonder if she’s constantly hungry on the RAW because of the way she acts, but she maintains a healthy 65lb weight.

[Brenda P]

To everyone else thanks for your positive replies. With regard to Mulligan Stew, they are only discontinuing their dry kibble. They are keeping their canned products and according to the company they are increasing that line. I did look at Nature’s logic, but I think it had some grains in it that I didn’t want my dog to have–can’t remember–I’ve researched so many. Right now, I’m considering Orijen and Acana. Orijen was recommended to me by Mulligan Stew and Acana was recommended by Dog Food Advisor. My only concern for both of them is the high level of protein. Mulligan Stew was 28; Acana will be 32 and Orijen is 38. I did look on the ASCPA site re protein requirements for older dogs–my dog will be 10 in October–and it said dogs need more protein as they get older and that high protein does not lead to renal failure–which is completely different than what I was told when I got my dog almost 10 years ago.

[Judy V]

I am looking for a budget friendly low fat dog food for my 11 yr. old Corgi and Schnoodle. They tend to be a little overweight. They love Merricks Turducken but it’s a little expensive for me. I’m also using Taste Of The Wild Prairie dry dog food to mix it with. What are the best budget low fat dog foods?

[Nicole V]

Hi mah4angel! Ugh, I can totally relate to the flea frustration…I live in Orange County and I also have to battle fleas naturally. My terrier mix is very sensitive to chemicals and would get pretty sick when I applied spot-on flea treatments. Once I read how dangerous they can be, I decided to take a different approach. Here’s some of the products I use for flea control, with web addys to purchase them. The following is cut & pasted from an email that I sent to a friend earlier this month…hope it helps you!

Diatomaceous earth (food grade) – I make a dry shampoo with this stuff (2 parts DE to 1 part corn starch stored in a glass jar) and rub it into the fur around the base of Cookie’s tail and around her neck and ears after her bath. From my own experience, DE is very effective against existing fleas.

Cedar spray – This can be sprayed onto a slicker brush and combed into a dog’s fur, if your dog is not sensitive to strong smells. Cookie is sensitive to everything, and was “depressed” after I applied this to her. She also acts “depressed” when the groomer sprays dog cologne on her, so it’s just her being a weirdo, and not an issue with the product. We sprayed some on the beagle and he was fine. It helps repel and even kill fleas and mosquitoes. It also can be sprayed around the home. I spray it on my screens and on the front door threshold. It smells like a campfire, so that’s the only downside.
CedarCide Original Pest Repellent Spray

Herbal collar – I got this for Cookie to wear outdoors only…it can be stored in a Ziploc to maintain potency. It’s pretty much just an extra repellent and it actually smells pretty nice.
Natural Research People Herbal Collar with Cedar

Neem spray – This is just to help relieve any general itchiness, and also works as a mild repellent. I may spray this on her legs and tummy before a hike or visit to the dog park. She doesn’t get “depressed” when I put this on her. Mostly I just got this to use on myself. 🙂
DERMagic Organic Shampoo Bars for Dogs

Apple cider vinegar – This is the method my students’ families use for their pets, and they swear by it! They mix it with water (50/50 ratio) and spray it on their dogs to kill and repel fleas. I haven’t tried this yet because I’m sure Cookie will hate it.

Vacuum and washer/dryer – This is my most hated method, but I have a strong feeling that it’s helping a lot. I vacuum at least 1-2 per week, and wash all bedding and blankets every week. Boo…it sucks.

[T]

Don’t forget to support gut healing (probiotics, digestive enzymes, L-glutamine, bone broth, etc.) while you are working on finding a diet that works for your guy.

For red, hot, itchy ears (with or without exudate), steer away from “hot” proteins like venison, lamb and chicken. Steer toward rabbit, turkey, white fish. Canned food, homemade cooked, or raw food are all “cooler” than dry kibble. Adding healthy fats like sardines and eggs can be very beneficial, too.

Green veggies can help cool things down, too. Just make sure you puree them or lightly cook or the dog may not derive full benefit of the veggies.

Also, I like Zymox or Zymox HC ear drops as an alternative to the strong meds most vets prescribe.

Tabitha
http://naturalalternativesvet.com

[Christina K]

I ordered the Holistic Select in the anchovy, salmon flavor. Until then, I’ll be feeding him chicken so that I don’t have to give him any more of the Dog Chow. Hopefully the transition goes well, I really don’t want to get anything too close to Dog Chow since it is so terrible. I also think I saw that the Holistic Select comes in a canned food, so I might do a mixture of dry and canned. I’m sure that he would enjoy it.

I also managed to fined the THK Beams on Amazon, so I got those too. Until then, I have some fruit based treats that the Pet Smart employees recommended. He seems to like them, and they certainly haven’t made anything worse.

I’m going grocery shopping tonight, so I’ll look for the Coconut Oil. I’m assuming that I’ll be able to find it in the organic section.

[InkedMarie]

The first thing I would do is stop the dry food. I’d use canned, dehydrated, raw (core made or your own). If you must feed dry, I’d add water to your dogs food. It’s very important that a dog with crystals get a lot of moisture & have ample opportunity to urinate.

Good luck!