[Mitdeleon]

I took her to the vet. Vets says she’s healthy but won’t eat dog food dry or wet vets say to force feed her wet food. Any advice what can I cook for her?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Caroline,

I actually recently purchased this same product myself. I liked the idea of a whole food supplement and wanted one that included Taurine. I got it for a great price on Chewy.com. it’s a powder form and easily mixes into dry food, to which I add water. I can’t speak to the results yet because I just started using it this past weekend, but I have confidence in Nature’s Logic.

[Tucker]

Hi All,

First post. Great site! Can’t believe I have had labs my entire life and never found it. I replied under large breed nutrition and wasn’t sure if I should have started another topic so I put it in both. Not sure of the protocol here yet 🙂

Apologies for the length… I wanted to get it all in 🙂

We just lost both of our labs last year in a one two punch within 2 months. Killed me 🙁 Floyd (my 11 1/2) Chocolate to prostrate cancer and KC (my girl 15 1/2) yellow to lack of mobility. That girl was bolted together more times and just kept on trucking. Pretty amazing… I was blessed. She may have cost me a fortune, but she was worth every penny and more. As close to a human as a dog can be 🙂 For anyone who has an older dog that is having trouble getting around I HIGHLY recommend trying acupuncture. I got two extra years of love out of her. 🙂 Now to the new…

A few months ago we started a new chapter in life and brought Tucker home. (I would put up a pic but I can’t figure out how to do it.. lol. Gorgeous White Male Lab. Great breeder, all of her dogs looked so healthy, great referrals. Then the unthinkable happened. We brought him home a few days before 8 weeks and on day two we were all on the bed ( I know… don’t even say it. There is a crate on there for when we sleep… Still want him on Daddy’s bed) I was at the top and my fiancé was at the bottom.. Tucker in the middle and he did a scoot and rolled of the bed… and began limping 🙁 I almost died. You all can only imagine! He favored his should for a few minutes and he was fine. Then two weeks later my finance was holding him, put him down and he favored for a minute and was fine. I was thinking maybe a bone bruise. Two weeks later it happened again!!! That was it… x-ray time. Our regular vet said there was a slight deformity in the round of the shoulder bone where it goes in the socket but it would it probably just go away and to keep him calm for a month or so. That doesn’t work for me. I’ve paid the price for listening to first opinions in the past and not investigating issues. I brought him to my Ortho who bolted my girl back together so many times and he gave me the real scoop…

OCD… I knew when he said come in my office it wasn’t a bone bruise. I’ve taken that walk before. 🙁 He’s old school and said monitor and if it gets bad we will fix it. He wasn’t showing signs of distress on manipulation. He said if it’s bad they yelp. I’ve researched everywhere and my brain feels like it is full of Bingo Balls right now.

Our breeder said she has never had a dog with OCD. I know nutrition and heredity are two factors, but in this case I have to believe that this is trauma related OCD and not from the others. With that in mind, I know slow growth, low calcium. Some say no carbs so grain free, others say not too much protein is bad which is what you get with grain free…

Bingo Balls :-/

Our breeder did not believe in puppy food and fed Kirkland Signature Salmon and Sweet Potato. I have a problem with Costco dog food. We got home and the vet said Iams puppy large breed was good. I think that is worse. Can’t believe I went there… I just wanted to do it all right. So here we are now.

I need the best dry food I can get considering his OCD condition in his left shoulder. I really don’t care what I spend on my bag of kibble. I just want to fix my puppy!!!

We got a harness instead of a collar so there is no unnecessary tugging, There are ramps everywhere so there is minimal impact on up a downs, and we try to control him as much as anyone could control a 4 month old lab. When the zoomies come you just have to go with the flow…lol.

Now I need to know the best dry kibble to feed him. Whatever will help as much as possible for this to heal and his bones to grow big and strong. 🙂

Side note … The vet did start him on a glucosamine pill that seems good. And then we talked to the lady at the holistic dog food store who says it may be bad because he is young and you don’t want it to take the place of his own body making it… seriously!!! like I didn’t have enough to worry about with the kibble….

Any help would be sooo greatly appreciated. I love my dogs more than people! I can’t change what happened and I have accepted that it was an accident, though preventable 🙁 Now I need to do everything I can to put things right!

Help me Doggie Food Forum… your my only hope! 🙂

Thank you everyone for all of your posts. They have been very helpful. This place is fabulous!

[Tucker]

Hi All,

First post. Great site! Can’t believe I have had labs my entire life and never found it.

Apologies for the length… I wanted to get it all in 🙂

We just lost both of our labs last year in a one two punch within 2 months. Killed me 🙁 Floyd (my 11 1/2) Chocolate to prostrate cancer and KC (my girl 15 1/2) yellow to lack of mobility. That girl was bolted together more times and just kept on trucking. Pretty amazing… I was blessed. She may have cost me a fortune, but she was worth every penny and more. As close to a human as a dog can be 🙂 For anyone who has an older dog that is having trouble getting around I HIGHLY recommend trying acupuncture. I got two extra years of love out of her. 🙂 Now to the new…

A few months ago we started a new chapter in life and brought Tucker home. (I would put up a pic but I can’t figure out how to do it.. lol. Gorgeous White Male Lab. Great breeder, all of her dogs looked so healthy, great referrals. Then the unthinkable happened. We brought him home a few days before 8 weeks and on day two we were all on the bed ( I know… don’t even say it. There is a crate on there for when we sleep… Still want him on Daddy’s bed) I was at the top and my fiancé was at the bottom.. Tucker in the middle and he did a scoot and rolled of the bed… and began limping 🙁 I almost died. You all can only imagine! He favored his should for a few minutes and he was fine. Then two weeks later my finance was holding him, put him down and he favored for a minute and was fine. I was thinking maybe a bone bruise. Two weeks later it happened again!!! That was it… x-ray time. Our regular vet said there was a slight deformity in the round of the shoulder bone where it goes in the socket but it would it probably just go away and to keep him calm for a month or so. That doesn’t work for me. I’ve paid the price for listening to first opinions in the past and not investigating issues. I brought him to my Ortho who bolted my girl back together so many times and he gave me the real scoop…

OCD… I knew when he said come in my office it wasn’t a bone bruise. I’ve taken that walk before. 🙁 He’s old school and said monitor and if it gets bad we will fix it. He wasn’t showing signs of distress on manipulation. He said if it’s bad they yelp. I’ve researched everywhere and my brain feels like it is full of Bingo Balls right now.

Our breeder said she has never had a dog with OCD. I know nutrition and heredity are two factors, but in this case I have to believe that this is trauma related OCD and not from the others. With that in mind, I know slow growth, low calcium. Some say no carbs so grain free, others say not too much protein is bad which is what you get with grain free…

Bingo Balls :-/

Our breeder did not believe in puppy food and fed Kirkland Signature Salmon and Sweet Potato. I have a problem with Costco dog food. We got home and the vet said Iams puppy large breed was good. I think that is worse. Can’t believe I went there… I just wanted to do it all right. So here we are now.

I need the best dry food I can get considering his OCD condition in his left shoulder. I really don’t care what I spend on my bag of kibble. I just want to fix my puppy!!!

We got a harness instead of a collar so there is no unnecessary tugging, There are ramps everywhere so there is minimal impact on up a downs, and we try to control him as much as anyone could control a 4 month old lab. When the zoomies come you just have to go with the flow…lol.

Now I need to know the best dry kibble to feed him. Whatever will help as much as possible for this to heal and his bones to grow big and strong. 🙂

Side note … The vet did start him on a glucosamine pill that seems good. And then we talked to the lady at the holistic dog food store who says it may be bad because he is young and you don’t want it to take the place of his own body making it… seriously!!! like I didn’t have enough to worry about with the kibble….

Any help would be sooo greatly appreciated. I love my dogs more than people! I can’t change what happened and I have accepted that it was an accident, though preventable 🙁 Now I need to do everything I can to put things right!

Help me Doggie Food Forum… your my only hope! 🙂

Thank you everyone for all of your posts. They have been very helpful. This place is fabulous!

[Badboris27]

:o) To be honest, when we heard about giving honey to the dogs, it made complete sense if you believe that allergies are the root cause. We were so desperate that we would have tried almost anything!

The impact of “something in this combination or the entire combination”, whether it be the honey, yogurt, non-poultry grain-free food and-or the vitamin, did have a very dramatic effect on our dogs. The sores that were so bad that they used to BLEED went away completely and their coats started “regenerating” for lack of a better word. The hair got thicker and a LOT softer. Prior to that, the ONLY progress we ever saw was when they were on antibiotics and steroids. When those medications were done, the problem always came back. Not anymore.

I’ve scoured the internet for information about giving honey & bee pollen to dogs since then and everything I’ve found has been very positive.

To your question – Yes, we will absolutely keep giving the honey because of the “micro-climate” area we live in (So Cal wine country, 25 miles inland of the coast and just at the edge of the desert – lot’s of variety in that). On top of that, a drought or a wet season can cause certain plant species to flourish while others don’t do as well. The local beekeepers must have a Co-Op of some sort because all of the raw, local wildflower honey in our stores is all packaged the same but some weeks it is darker, lighter, thicker or thinner. I suppose that depends on where that batch came from. My wife gets the honey at the smaller, natural stores and not the big name chains. Farmer’s market’s also have the local honey around here – and again, all packaged the same.

Lastly, the more I read the more that I keyed on the allergens getting into the feet. We walk our dogs 2x a day no matter what. Often, we’re out in nature on grass, in the weeds, in the dirt, in shrubs, bushes, whatever. Our vet taught me how to scrub their feet using 1 gallon Ziploc bags and I do that a few times a weeks (the theory here being that dogs walk and “spin” in all of that flora which puts everything deep in those pads…then, they lick them and lick their fur, etc.). Take two Ziplocs, fill each one about 1/4th of the way up w/ warm water. Squirt some shampoo in one of the bags for the “wash” cycle and leave the other one as-is for the rinse. Stick your dog’s foot in the wash bag and from the outside of the bag, use your fingers to work the shampoo in between the toes and up inside the pads. Rinse the same way and dry with a towel. My “dog kids” are used to it now and they actually LIKE it, I think!

I’m not a vet and I’m no expert at any of this. All I can attest to is that this worked for us. Like anyone else going through a canine allergy problem, I was ready to be fitted for a straight-jacket!

If ANYONE has any other questions or observations, I’d love to hear them or help if I can.

One other note, our dogs also used to be on Soloxine for a thyroid condition and we’ve been able to get off of that, too.

Best to you,

Jeff

[Bracha]

Hello,
I am new to this site (it was recommended by our pet shop owner). We live in Australia and thus spend a bit of time outdoors; bush and beach – lucky us. I have a very healthy German Shepard (as endorsed by my vet and every man that sees her walking the street – she has a large fan club, small town). She is de-sexed, large frame, straight back, 41Kg, 4 year 6 mnth. She has been with me since a puppy, 9 weeks. I initially fed her two different brands, but from about 2 months old she has been fed Dry Holistic Large Breed puppy than transitioned over to Holistic adult large breed. She thrives on it. Currently we are trying the Holistic Grain free large breed food and so far (2 weeks) all is well; her stools are a great shape, smell good and regular. Personally this is the only way to tell if your dog is responding to their feed in a positive way, check the pool daily!
I appreciate everyone has a budget, but am in total agreement with other members 4+ stars is the way to go.
I am currently researching the Raw diet option and will consider this diet. But the dry food is convenient. It is supplemented with 100 grams, human grade beef mince. I would be interested to hear members view on this combination of beef with dry turkey based feed; do they think it is self defeating? Enjoy reading the comments from like minded dedicated dog owners. Thanks

[JASTECH]

GizmoMom, YW. You can manually release his AG, this should be done outside. Though I have unloaded one of my Champion males on a rude competitor who had not sent me papers after being paid in full over 1year prior. The dog will use this for sent marking mostly when on walks when other doggies are smelt. When you feed freeze dried you need to add more water to his food. That is why his fecal is so dry, also too small in diameter for his AG to get used, understand?

[Akari_32]

Haha, for some extra calories. They’re all beef. She isn’t big on straight dry food (her old tummy can’t handle it anymore, hence the wet mixed in), and isn’t a big eater to begin with, so the hot dogs add 120 easy to eat, yummy calories.

[Akari_32]

Another update 🙂

I’ve introduced the Purina One Beyond to Haley’s diet, one of the small bags to the rest of her food. Totals about 15 pounds of food– it did, anyways. Its been a few days, and I *think* Dweezle got into it, because I don’t think I’ve used half of all that food since I added it! He’s not been wanting to sleep in the bed room, and I heard him snooping around in the kitchen the other night… Plus he’s looking a bit pudgy lol

I also added the last bag of the Wellness CORE Ocean Fish to the mix. Anyways, she’s doing good on the One Beyond, so I’ll add the other small bag soon, and when thats done, she’ll be on half Wellness CORE Original, and half One Beyond. I may actually do more like 60/40, CORE and One Beyond. I’m still weary about out last experience with One Beyond… I dunno yet.

I’m also back to walking her several times a week, with no extra feeding, and no problems at all. Yay! As for as weight goes, she’s keeping steady at just under (visually– I haven’t actually weighed her) an “ideal” weight. Honestly, I think I’m going to keep her there. Her hips have been giving her some troubles with this colder weather, and I don’t want to bother them more by putting more weight on them (she’s tripped a few times on uneven ground on walks, and gone down butt-first, otherwise its usually just a little stiffness after laying down for long periods). She’s a little lean, but she certainly doesn’t look or act starved, and has been super perky. She’s eating about 2.5 cups of dry food, right now, plus half a can of Pro Plan, an egg (sometimes whole, sometimes just the insides), and a hot dog almost every night. Plus her vitamins, glucosamine, and fish oil, which I’ve dropped to one every night or so, since she’s on fish-based food. She’s do for shots soon, so I’ll see what the vet says about her weight.

[InkedMarie]

I’ve had a dog have struvite crystals, not stones so I’m not that helpful. Go to dogaware.com and do a search there, pretty sure Mary Strauss. You can email her there.

I do know it’s very important to get liquid into your dog. Raw, canned, dehydrated or cook would be better than dry. Add water to her food & make sure she has ample opportunity to urinate.

[Duke The Boxer]

So a little update here.. I went ahead and purchased the B2B Open Range formula which is the red meat formula. Duke has been doing great on the food. So far his stools have been the most firm they have been since he was on nutrisource chicken and rice large breed formula. Im very happy with the ratio of 71% animal proteins and 29% fruits and plant proteins, as it is a dog food with a good amount of animal protein (not the most animal based protein but good enough). Duke absolutely loves the flavor of the dog food which i suspect has to due with all the organs in the dog food. I definitely recommend anyone looking for a high protein and low carb dry kibble to really consider B2B Open Range.
Now for the next bag of dog food?! Who knows?! So many to choose from hahaha.

[Shasta220]

I’d definitely get your dog off of Beneful ASAP. I’m stuck feeding a friend’s dogs Beneful whenever he’s away… The smell alone tells me that there isn’t much health benefit in it. Beneful is so expensive because of its appeal. They have fancy advertisements, colorful kibble, and lots of vivid pictures on the bag. That is what you’re paying for, you’re not paying for anything wholesome or nutritious.

Okay, Beneful rant over: Make sure your dog’s teeth are okay, too. My dog started slowing down on the crunchy dry food…the next day I went to brush her teeth, I saw she had a slab fracture with a bad cavity growing (tooth had to come out…).
If he is all healthy in the mouth, but still prefers that chewy texture, you could find a quality dry kibble and try adding some of the brothy/stewy canned food, so it gets that liquid all over the kibble and helps soften it a little. If you don’t really want to get into canned food, then you could probably even pour a little water or chicken broth (I’d do home made so you can avoid unnecessary sodium. Just boil some chicken backs/necks for a while), that will soften the food.

If you get into feeding soft foods though, be sure to keep up on the oral hygiene 😉 if teeth brushing is too difficult, you can keep chews around and they even make food/water additives. Regular dental cleanings would be needed too if the tartar still gets built up.

Best wishes! Hopefully you’ll be able to get your fella on something wholesome and good for him 😀

[Mom2Cavs]

Okay…I’ll go. Warning! It’s gonna be a long post LOL!

Lucy Mae – 12.5 year old adopted from a no-kill shelter 11.5 years ago. She’s a mix of Poodle/French Brittany/Chihuahua (finally did a DNA on her), is black and white and looks like a small Border Collie. She’s always weighed in at 24-25 lbs. According to the shelter she was found running in the road (by the shelter President on her way to work), was covered with dirt, oil, mud. She was only in the shelter a month when we adopted her. Didn’t know anything about dogs really and went looking for a puppy with the kids (14 and 12). My husband and I had always had cats. Anyway, we saw Lucy and decided to visit with her. I liked her looks and she was a smaller dog. She immediately put her paw on my leg in the visiting room! We also had a puppy brought in, which proceeded to jump all over Lucy, and wee in the middle of the floor LOL! Lucy was just very quiet and kept up with the paw….so the rest is history hahaha. The shelter was calling her Mae, because that was the month she came to them. They had another May…so. I didn’t especially like the name Mae for a first name (and I always give my animals middle names) so we decided on Lucy Mae. Lucy has done agility work/beginner competitions with me and rally obedience competitions (which she liked and did the best in). She has also been my demo dog when I’ve taught beginner obedience classes. Her temperament, however, has always been so-so. She didn’t know how to climb steps, or walk on carpet when we adopted her. She’s very protective of our house and tends to not like many other dogs, except her Cavvie ladies of course. I have been known to put a yellow ribbon on her leash when out and about, and at the dog club. About a year ago, Lucy developed a mass on her bladder. We decided no surgery (due to her acting very normal and her age). But, I feel it did undermine her immune system and this past Nov./Dec. she developed a very rare form of canine skin cancer called CETL (cutaneous epitheliotropic t-cell lymphoma). It only happens to old dogs (beginning around age 9 and up), no one knows what causes it, no treatments seem to help it and the prognosis is poor (6 mos. to 2 yrs. at most). Also, the dogs don’t seem to be bothered by it much and tend not to die with it per se, and usually the owner has to make the decision to put the dog down due to quality of life. We are taking Lucy Mae one day at a time now and have been blessed with her all these years!! She’s one great dog!

Hazel Louise – a 6.5 year old Black and Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I will give a back story here: When my kids got older and didn’t need me as much I took a part time, 2 day a week, job at a local pet specialty store (which is now a Petco due to a buyout). I feel God led me to the job as it “fell into my lap”, so to speak. This is also where I became knowledgeable about pet nutrition. I had always wanted to do pet therapy work but my mixed breeds (Lucy and Desi (rip)) were not suited in temperament for it. One day I met a breeder of Cavaliers who came into the store monthly to buy their food. She said she had a 5 year old retired show champion that she would love to rehome, if she found the right one…..so….after a few more meetings with her, I finally went to her kennel and met Stella Agnes, my first Cavalier (a Blenheim). Stella was wonderful and I immediately had her certified to be a therapy dog with TDI. We did this for 5 years until Stella could no longer do it and I had a back issue. Stella passed away this past January 13, 2013 at 12 years of age, rip. While Stella was about 7 or 8 the breeder called me to say she had another Cavalier…Hazel, who was 2 years at the time, who she wanted to rehome. Hazel and her brother were purchased from a breeder in England to enhance my friend’s breeding line. When they took all the dogs to Ohio State to be seen by the specialists for testing, Hazel didn’t pass. She had a mild heart murmur, which is prevalent in Cavaliers. Even though she was going to be okay the breeder could not breed her. So, they didn’t really show her either. At age 2 they decided to give her a good home as a beloved pet, so she came to me! She did some therapy visits with me and Stella and did well on them…she’s a shyer dog, though. I was going to get her certified, but when I retired Stella I decided to just wait on it. Hazel is a great dog!!! She is so loving, and she is definitely my shadow. She is my best eater and though she tends to have dry skin in the winter, she is beautiful and shiny with a fish oil supplement. She weighs 19 lbs. and I keep her a perfect weight due to her murmur issue. She is not on any meds and the murmur hasn’t changed since she was 2, thank goodness! She is now certified as a therapy dog and does better than I’d expected due to her being a shyer dog. She has really come in to her own with it. I love Hazel Louise (Hazie as I like to call her) and I hope she continues to do well healthwise….she’s a very special dog!

Laverne Marie – Vernie (my nickname for her) is an 8.5 year old Ruby Cavalier who weighs 17 lbs. She came into our household 2.5 years ago right after my mixed breed Shih-Poo, Desi, passed away. I like to say he sent her to us, as she has some of his characteristics (only the good ones, thank goodness, as he was quite the stinker, lol). Anyway, when my Desi passed my husband told me to contact the breeder to see if she had a dog I could adopt. I wasn’t too sure yet but went ahead and made the call. She had one, Laverne, but she was actually promised to a couple where the wife had M.S. to be a companion for her. I was bummed but knew that perhaps it was for the best. However, God had other plans, and about a week later the breeder called me to say that the wife did not want Laverne and the husband didn’t want to keep her either, so they were returning her! She said she should’ve just given her to me in the first place :). I took Laverne home and she fit right in!! I now had 3 Cavaliers (Stella was still with us then) and Lucy Mae. I was in heaven! I joked the only thing I needed was a Tri and then I’d have a matched set. When Stella passed away, I started feeling like I should get back into therapy dog work. I also knew that Laverne would be great at it. She is actually from the breeder’s own kennel and has quite the personality, and is still loved by them, as is Hazel. We keep in touch still. She had 2 litters before I got her and was retired from show at age 6, the March before I adopted her in Sept. She is quite the jokester and is one of the lights of our lives! Very special dog indeed. I found a TDI testor and had Laverne certified this past Feb. 2013. In March 2013 Hazel was officially certified, as well. Now we visit a local hospital, library reading program and nursing homes. It is very fulfilling. Laverne and Hazel actually have the same birthday, Aug. 16th, and they are 2 years apart. For one of Laverne’s litters she was mated to Hazel’s brother, so they are sisters and sisters-in-law hahahahaha! I will always have a Cavalier from now on. If God deems it that I have another one while Lucy’s still alive, then that’s wonderful. If not, then I will actively seek another one (or two) when Lucy goes to the bridge. Btw, Lucy does like the Cavs…..sometimes I think she thinks they’re little divas lol. She is the alpha and lets them know it, but she loves them and takes care of them, too. 🙂

Princess Di – My Princie is going on 9 years old and is a Tortoise Shell cat who thinks she’s a dog! Princess first came into my oldest daughter’s life when she decided she needed a cat for company. She lived in Lima, Ohio at the time and was teaching H.S. math there. She didn’t have family close so she was sometimes lonely. One day I visited and we went to the local cat no-kill shelter. Princess had been there for around a year and a half! We adopted Princess (her name at the shelter, too) because she was very friendly and actually wanted to just stay on Erin’s lap the entire visiting time lol. Erin thought about changing her name but kept it when she found a food bowl at the pet store with Princess written inside of it …fate you know lol. Well, eventually Erin moved back to Bowling Green, Ohio where her fiancé was. But, she was moving in with some girlfriends and they couldn’t have pets. She asked me and her dad to keep Princess for her until she could take her back. I told her fine, but she needed to know that her dad would probably not give Princess back when that time came. He is definitely a cat lover. As you guessed it, he wouldn’t give her back! Now Erin has 2 other cats (Sheldon and Penny) and the rest is history. Princie gets along fine with the dogs and comes running when it’s dinner or treat time, just like they do! Very affectionate cat and very loved by all. 🙂

Now, I know this was long-winded and thanks if you read this far. I just wanted to tell you all the whole story. Bless you all!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Mom2Cavs]

Well….I’m not sure about the texture of Beneful, but Nature’s Variety Instinct has a food called Instinct Raw Boost that he might like. Also, adding a chunky stew type canned food on top of a quality dry might help or you could just feed the chunky stew canned alone. With a small dog like yours it wouldn’t be that expensive, imo. Or you could try a freeze dried food chopped up with a little water added, like Stella & Chewy’s, Primal or Nature’s Variety. Nutrisca has one as well as Vital Essentials. Oh..and there is a food called Vital and one called Fresh Pet (both made by the same company) that come in a bag and a roll that he might also like. I think Petco carries the Vital, which is grain free, and some supermarkets carry Fresh Pet, which has grains.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 11 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Shasta220]

Hmm, skin issues can come from a variety of things. Usually it’s due to diet. Many times dogs have intolerances (usually to grains, but sometimes to chicken or various veggies). What food do you feed her?

One of my dogs would get dry skin once in a while. It was minor enough that an organic oil-based moisturizing shampoo (I can’t remember the brand. The scent is amazing, I bought it at the feed store) solved the problem right away.

I’m really not too much help, sorry, but hopefully you’ll be able to get something figured out. 😉

[houndlovr2]

Hi everyone, today I adopted a 3 year old walker hound mix from the local animal shelter. I’ve noticed she has a minor case of dry skin. From the history I got on her she turned in because her owner died. I can tell she was very important to her previous owner, she is very well trained. My question is what kind of food would be the best to help with skin issues and gain a little weight. She was 55 lbs at her last vet visit in October, but looks like she lost some weight due to shelter life. It will be a week before we go to my vet for a health check and I wanted to get a good food to get her on her way to feeling 100% after what she’s been through. Sorry so long I’ve never had a dog with skin issues so not sure what to do to help her until vet time.

[GizmoMom]

Patty, I think you’re confusing him/her with someone else.
/forums/topic/five-dogs-need-good-reasonably-priced-dry-dog-foodo/#post-32432

[Naturella]

Shasta,

When I researched foods/spices toxic to dogs, I never saw nutmeg listed, so I assumed it was ok. But you never know, and research keeps finding new stuff, such as I read somewhere that rosemary (present in many dry kibble and treat recipes, and not marked as bad by Dr. Mike), is now considered dangerous for dogs. Go figure.

In any case, I like to use spices for their benefits more so than flavor for my dog, i.e. turmeric is a natural antibiotic, cinnamon helps with weight maintenance and is good for the heart (so I have read), ginger helps with carsickness (which my pup often gets), etc. Also, aside from the Doggie Pizza Treats, the other 2 recipes are fit for human consumption, so Bruno didn’t really get TOO much of them, and definitely not too much all at once. But thank you for the input, and I will try to keep myself up to date on new findings on spices regarding dogs! 🙂

P.S. If your dog treat business takes off, please start and online “store” – I would love to give Bruno some of your treats! Or, if you live near Atlanta/Marietta/Kennesaw, GA, let me know if you take the treats to any local Farmers’ Market or some similar place where I could buy them!

[GizmoMom]

I just switched my dog over to THK Preference mixed with cooked ground bison. He’s a 15 lbs. Shih Tzu mix. I am not sure if I am feeding him enough. He sure loves his new food though.

I am feeding him according to the guideline on the box, which is 1/2 cup dry Preference mixed with 3/4 cup water, and 1/2 cup meat (ground bison). I split the mixture and feed him twice a day. Based on nutrition data for cooked ground bison, 1/2 cup is about 116 calories. Mixed with 1/2 cup of Preference, which is 116.5 calories. The total is only 282.5 calories. Based on dog food calculators on this site, he should be getting 464 calories per day. When I used to feed him kibbles or premade raw, I used to give him close to 450 calories per day.

Should I add more ground bison to his food? I’m worried if I would make the food unbalanced. Or should I keep the same proportion of the ground bison and Preference and just feed him more food per day?

[InkedMarie]

Shasta: LOL at Corona. I take mine with a lime please 🙂

[Scruffy312052]

Hello Tobacco haters of America. My guess is that I am forty to fifty years your senior. I understand your skepticism. I’ve walked paths you have yet to encounter. Do the math. ½ of an ounce of plug tobacco split between 30 servings. The odds of my pack craving a quality “Cuban” after their feeding is rather slim.

Secondly, are you willing to do some research? Round worms, hook worms, flat worms and tape worms DO NOT fare well when Nicotine is introduced into their hosts’ diet. As a matter of fact, they die while the pet fare’s well.

I did not suggest to anyone to entertain my remedy without FIRST consulting their Vet. Bark elsewhere my friends: you’ve treed no coon here.

Scruffy.

[theBCnut]

LOL!! I was wondering what beer had to do with it!

[Shasta220]

(Gah, stupid autocorrect… I meant to say CORN not corona, LOL!!!)

[boobear27]

When is it time to switch a dog to senior food? I’m having a weight problem with my dog. My Rat Terrier Pepper is about 9 years old and about 23 lbs. She’s starting to show her age now with the gray muzzle like she just ate a dozen powdered donuts:) She’s less active nowadays all she wants to do is relax on her bed or the couch, we tried to get her to run and play and she would for a little while then lose interest and go back to her bed,we also take her for walks and to the dog park to get some exercise. I’m guessing her metabolism and energy has slowed down as she’s getting older. She had lump removal surgery a couple months ago which turned out to be non cancerous, After the surgery the vet told us that Pepper is pretty healthy but she could afford to lose a few pounds which we already knew of course. We feed Pepper Wellness supermix dry food for small breed adults and gave her the feeding requirement it said on the bag which was 1.5 a day and we split it into two meals, and our vet suggested we feed her less than what the requirement says. I tried out the dog food calculator and it said to feed about one cup a day so we’ve been giving her that requirement for a couple of months and she still hasn’t lost any weight. I don’t know whether to feed her even less than what I’m giving now or switch to senior dog food. She does drink alot of water which is a good thing.

[mswrobbie]

Again, thank you all! Joet, I am appalled to hear all of this and I do thank you for directing me to the site. I at least now know that some folks pets have gotten very ill, and that many like me are learning the Beneful is at minimum a very poor food choice. My dogs were very interested in the Diamond naturals dog food bags coming into the house, and do seem to like it. Shasta, thank you on the comments on the lite types of food! maybe just this will help us save some money! Take care all!!!

[crazy4cats]

I keep my cats’ food and litter box behind a door with a Kitty door on it that the dogs can’t get through. I also bought a big tall gate with a little kitty door in it through pet smart to keep them out of the laundry room where the other little box and dirty laundry is. Good luck!

[theBCnut]

Joet, while you are on consumer affairs, read what they have to say about BB.

[leahzeigler]

My dog was diagnosed with Diabetes about 2 months ago and it has been a roller coaster. He gets 9 units of Vetsulin twice a day. My vet wants him to eat Royal Canin dry diabetic food but he totally refuses to eat it. I have been feeding him Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish Formula and he seems to really like this but I am worried that it may not be appropriate for him. I need help. What other dry foods would be appropriate for diabetes.
Thanks,

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

[joet]

TO–MSWROBBIE–

HERES A LINK TO WHY YOU SHOULLD***NEVER**
FEED YOUR PET BENNIFUL OR ANYTHING RATED LIKE THAT—CLICK AND READ AND DONT BUY–PLEASE–JOE T

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/beneful.html

[joet]

TO—
-Ana Expert/pet nutrition advisor
@pupfacts
pupcatnutrition.com–

maybe you think i need help cause i said id kill for teddy–

OTHER THAN THAT–
WHAT I WROTE—– IS PURE FACT—

AND IF YOU DONT THINK SO—YOU NEED THE HELP–
YOUR MERRICK IDEA IS GOOD–MERRICK IS A 5 STAR FOOD LITTLE OR NO RECALLS AS BLUE IS—–

PEOPLE–READ CAREFULLY PLEASE;

WHEN FEEDING AND FINDING A FOOD FOR YOUR PET–DOG–
YOU 1ST CHECK THE RATING-MUST BE NO LESS THAN 3 STARS OR YOUR KILLING YOUR DOG.
3 STAR IS CHEAP-$1.49 APROX-WET–4 SRAR–OVER $2-WET–5 STAR-$2.50 TO 3 PLUS AT SOME PLACES—-PETCO IS MOST EXPENSIVE DONT GO THERE.
2ND–GO TO RECALL SITES—
3RD–IF THERE ON THAT LIST FOR THEIR WET OR DRY DOG FOODS,AND DEPENDING ON HOW MANY TIMES AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO DOGS ON THIS FOOD OR MANUFACTURES FOOD–

THEN–YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION—
AND FOR YOUR PEST SAKE–
***IT BETTER BE THE RITE ONE**

DOES THAT SOUND LOGICAL TO YOU EXPERT!

[GRamoin]

I am trying to learn more about proper dog foods for my just turned 11 year old female yellow lab. She is about 70 lbs in really good shape and only has some joint stiffness occasionally showing. I have fed her IAM’s dry dog food forever.

2 Questions for someone to please assist if possible :
– Is it beneficial or OK to change now after using IAM’s so long ?

– What would be a great food recommendation if changing now is ok, & what is rotation strategy for and what would the rotation products recommendation be ?

Thanks so much for any input !!

[Jujubeez]

I am up at 4am with my (non champion, rescued from a craphole as a puppy) 11 year old pitty, Nemo. I was just about to write your same post! My guy is on Blue Basics and seems to be the worst he’s ever been. He was shaking his head and crying from frustration as well. I noticed his skin is shedding thick, pasty scaled. Almost like wax. That’s new, especially on his back. I’ve given him some Benadryl and leftover ativan (from the vet!!! He was mauled over the summer and his recovery was so bad he couldn’t lay on his side to sleep 🙁 )

I am here, now trolling your post looking for some new ideas.

I’ve been off my game with two sick human kids but normally I do:

Greek Yogurt
Powdered probiotics (the kind kept in the fridge) added to the yogurt
And FISH OIL FISH OIL FISH OIL!!! I just buy caplets and he eats them like treats. You can also add it liquid style to some boiled eggs or yogurt.

Yeast is triggered when the dogs natural bacteria is thrown off, leaving no “fighter” bacteria to kill off excessive fungi. This is typical after antibiotics, induction to an allergen or sometimes just a weather change and climate. Either way, you need to get that good bacteria back in your baby to regulate the yeast.

I KNOW I need to get his routine back in order but this food is just worth its weight in crap for what it costs. Other, similar minded brands sell products of a higher overall quality.

Anyway, if anyone knows how to instantly SOOTHE the rash and scaling/ear junk while the new diet/supplements take effect, let me know! I can;t stand to see him suffer while we wait for his gut to catch up to his body 🙁

Good luck with your baby and I hope maybe one of my tricks helps!!!

[Shasta220]

I completely understand your need for economical nutrition! We have about the same problem… 3 years ago we had just two dogs and 5 cats. Now? 2 Betta fish, 3 cats, 3 dogs (aka PIGS with how much they eat…), 8 chickens, 2 ducks, a miniature horse, and a 600lb puppy dog (aka Iggy the Holstein steer…he doesn’t know he’s a cow)

We obviously cannot splurge that much on buying ultra quality food (our lab has allergies though, so she can’t have foods full of wheat/corn).

The most economical and quality foods I’ve found so far are Nutra Nuggets (I ONLY get the lamb n rice formula, since lamb meal is the first ingredient instead of corona or byproduct), Diamond naturals, and Kirkland signature. Kirkland is 4star food, about 25$ for 40lb, and can be found at Costo (possibly you could find it online?). Diamond naturals is very similar to Kirkland, but it’s 40$ (I get the Large Breed 60+ since it has glucosamine and chondroitin to help their joints). Nutra nuggets is the same price as Kirkland, but only 3-star.

To make the food last a bit longer, possibly try adding your own nutritious “fillers” such as sweet potatoes (baked), carrots, apples, and meat (cooked or raw). Possibly try to find a local butcher and see if you can buy meat-scraps, or meat that’s slightly expired (just past human-consumption, but 100% safe for dogs). I know a girl who was able to buy virtually unlimited amounts of expired meat for her 5 dogs and 8 cats… It was, I think, $.50 per lb, which is a serious steal! Yep, she gives her lucky pups 100% raw, lol!

I hope you’ve found something that’s good for the dogs and your wallet. Also, try not to get “lite” foods (I don’t ever get the lite ones…not even if it’s a quality brand), you may find yourself feeding more. Switching to a food that’s even a little better than Beneful might actually be cheaper, since you may feed less.

When I owned my 90lb APBT mix, he ate 9c of Dog Chow daily (and he was super thin, too!). We switched him over to Nutra Nuggets, and he went down to about 2c daily without gaining/losing ANY weight. My biggest tip is this: even if you can’t afford much, at least make sure meat is the #1 ingredient (meal is fine, avoid by product if you can…).

[Melissaandcrew]

Scruffy-

I would never feed my dogs tobacco for any reason. With that said, I can not see how your homecooked”recipe” is anywhere near balanced. The chicken backs, liver and veggies as a meal,day in and day out, will ultimately cause nutritional issues. As well., I also do not how that could provide enough kcals for one mid size dog for day, let alone a “kennel of 30”. If you were feeding it as a “topper” I could see where it would be “ok” but you are advocating feeding it as a primary base of the meal.

I think home cooked foods are great, as long as the person attempting it has researched and consulted on what a proper ‘meal plan” is

[Mitdeleon]

http://www.eaglepropet.com/original/15-original/dry-food-for-dogs/4-eagle-pro-original-lamb-for-small-medium-breed-puppy-medium-breed-puppy

cant find a review on this
my pregnant bulldog is on this diet should i switch?

[DogFoodie]

I would never feed my dog tobacco. Home prepared is great, if it’s properly balanced. You might want to pick up Steve Brown’s book if you go that route: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1929242670/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER. Also dogaware.com has great resources for those who prepare their own meals.

As far as a commercial kibble that’s quality and affordable, my favorites would be Dr. Tim’s, Victor, Earthborn Holistics and NutriSource.

One important consideration when you’re comparing the cost of one food to another is that you need to know the number of kcals per cup so you can determine how long a bag will last you. Often, better quality foods often have greater caloric density so you can’t simply compare the cost of 30 pounds of brand A to 30 pounds of brand B.

[mswrobbie]

Again, thanks all!! We are on our way to Rural King to buy a Diamond Naturals four star food; a 40$ bag is 29.99$ and they have a large breed one for $31. something. And I am going to keep reading so that if I am using the dry dog food, I can add some healthy home made food to it. Thanks thanks and my dogs thank you too!! Hope they will eat this!! I have heard that you should slowly change the diet over and maybe give 1/2 of the old food with 1/2 of the new food for a while??? That true?? Thanks much!!!

[Scruffy312052]

Keep reading on the personal dog food creations. They are all over the web. I was paying an average of 247 per week (over 12K per year) for dry dog food with dismal results. I now spend just under 165.00 per week and I am developing ideas for diets and beneficial supplements to lower that cost even more. My goal is to reduce my intial cost by 65 to 70% while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet for my pack. The info is out there. Just keep reading. If you have a favorite Vet, It’s best to keep them in the loop.

Scruffy

[mswrobbie]

Thank you all; I am busy reading, and really appreciate the help, and the direction to the link. Scruffy, I started reading about making my own dog food last night as well, and appreciate your input. I woke up dreaming about food . . I was starving, LOL!!!

[Scruffy312052]

I need to correct an error in my remedy. I stated: 3 Pounds of chicken backs and necks. I mis read the latest label whereas, 2.94 was the price of the chicken, not the weight. At 45 cents per pound the weight is actually slightly over 6 pounds of Backs and Necks.

My Bada.

Scruffy.

[Scruffy312052]

I can’t address the type of food for large breed any more than I can for miniature breeds but I can tell you what I started doing about a year and a half ago.

I have 30 dogs. Most are American Eskimos and Long haired Dachshunds however, due to a couple of segregation errors on our part we also have several Cold Franks added to our mix. While the AKC refuses to recognize this cross as a specific breed we love them just as much as our Blue Bloods.

To address your query: I was a very strong proponent of Dry food. I’ve tried many and varied brands with a minimum rating of 3 stars. Over the years several of our pets had been plagued with a myriad of health problems: Bad Breath, loose stool, fur falling out, fleas, parasites etc… etc… before I researched K-9 Dietary needs. I started with consulting the three of our most trusted vets in our area as well as several trips to the University Of Georgia College Of Veterinary Medicine.

Oddly enough, their knowledge on the subject was nothing more than suggesting a variety of name brand foods and supplements. It was, quite frankly, a costly “hit or miss” solution with little or no improvement to the health of our pack.

I educated myself by reading hundreds of articles and forums such as this (Rudy’s). As a result, I concocted and changed their diet to a home remedy.

In less than four months there was a marked improvement. Coccidian protozoa; gone. Their breath was no longer foul smelling. No more signs of any type of worms wiggling in their stool. Their fur started growing back soft and fluffy and much to our relief, there are few if any fleas. As a bonus I cut our rather large K-9 pantry expense by 33%. I did, however, add an extra 30 minutes to my time while preparing their meal (mind you, I am feeding thirty).

NOTE: Should you consider my solution it is strongly advised that you consult your Vet First. Two of the ingredients I use may be challenged by some (but not all) authorities. *These two are: “Plug Chewing Tobacco and Garlic.”

Here is my Remedy: In a crock pot I cook 3 pounds of chicken backs and necks and one pound of chicken liver for a minimum of 8 hours on Auto. This causes the bones to break down to become malleable and easily digested. Thirty minutes before serving add 2.5 pounds of frozen or fresh mixed vegetables (make sure there is no or little corn) i.e. peas, lima beans, carrots, green beans and stir.

In a blender add two heaping tablespoons of minced garlic, 1/2 ounce of plug tobacco and one cup of broth from the crockpot. Blend on high for thirty to sixty seconds or until the tobacco is cut up into pieces that look almost granular. Add this to the crock pot and stir several times. Turn the crock pot off and let stand for thirty minutes.

Whatever type of dry food you are using reduce the serving amount by 60% and mix this on a 2 To 1 ratio of crock pot mix to dry food. Considering you have five dogs, freeze the rest of the crock pot mixture in pouches that serve five. Taking into account the size of my kennels, I obviously have no leftovers.

I have been feeding this mixture to my kennels for almost 1 ½ years and my pack has never looked or responded healthier.

* It is argued that tobacco will kill Coccidian protozoa and the Garlic will repel the fleas. I use these two ingredients only twice a month so you will need to reduce the amount to a proper ratio so as not to give your pets too much.

The benefits: less trips to the vet, more active adults, fresher breath, no more de-wormer medicine to buy (which, by the way, is not a healthy substance for your pet) less, if any flea remedies and coats full of luster. If you like, you can also drop to a one star dry food considering it is primarily used as filler.

[JASTECH]

I have fed Fromm to my yard for a long time, it does very well. You can get a better price online buying a month or two supply at a time.

[Akari_32]

I’m about to be giving Nutrisource Super Performance a try here soon. It’s about $45 for 33 pounds, and has my 130 pound dog eating just 3.5 cups (and he’ll probably eat less than that because he’s lazy), according to the calculator in the review section of the site. Or if you have a Tractor Supply, they have 4Health which is pretty cheap, and ranks well. The last one I can really think of is Walmart has Pure Balance and Purina One Beyond, both or which are 3 stars.

Hey, that’s my thread :p

[theBCnut]

If you have a Costco membership, Kirkland is about the cheapest quality food around. Find out what your local feed stores carry too. I’m not good on knowing cheap foods because my with issues seems to understand price tags and only does well on the really expensive ones, but I am boosting this up where more people will see it. Also, there is a thread somewhere here already about good deals on dog food.
Ah, here it is.
/forums/topic/budget-friendly-dog-foods/

[mswrobbie]

Hi, Just wondering if people could weigh in on a decent dog food for our five medium to large dogs. Just found out the Beneful weight management formula we’ve been giving them is a lousy choice. We have one large 100 to 110 pound mutt. Three 65 to 90 pound mutts and one that is is also a mutt, looks like a small collie/type of dog and is about 35 pounds. They are all indoor dogs but we have a very large back yard they play in and get their exercise together. One is like four years old, one is a bit younger so three years old and the others are between 8 and 11 years old. All range from a bit overweight to one being severely obese, except the small one. We simply cannot afford these 50 to 75$ bags of dry food. They go through a 30 pound bag of Beneful in five to seven days, ($26.88 at Walmart) so we find ourselves opening two large bags most weeks. I would like to get at least a 3 or four star food. We could order online. Help!!! I don’t want to keep feeding them lousy food, but I have spent two solid nights now trying to find a decent dog food that we can afford and am worn out at the effort. Seems like I am not seeing any under about 42$ . Suggestions? Ideas? Thanks in advance.

[Shasta220]

I use peanut butter usually. It’s tasty, and it does stiffen up in the freezer, but won’t completely harden like I hope it would. I even added a little corn starch, hoping it might stiffen up a bit more, still didn’t work. I will try the kibble definitely, and look into yogurt.

Normally, i wouldn’t care what How messy Loki’s chews are, but he needs something to do when he comes inside. He’s quite mischievous (to say the least). Luckily, it’s not in a bad way LOL! He is good enough to stay out of the dry cat food, but he steals the other cat’s raw chicken bones… (It’s actually nice sometimes, because he finds the little remains that the cat dragged under the table or in a corner.) Then he tries to chew up my favorite stuffed animals -_- it’s so adorable though. He trots off, finds a stuffie, then brings it over to me and looks at me like “Mama, can I pleeeeease tear this one’s head off?” I’m so glad he asks before he destroys…

Sorry about the ramble 😉 like I say, this isn’t a /huge/ issue, but thanks for the helpful tips so far.

[Jackie B]

Dr. Mike plans to come out with a Cat Food Advisor someday. Cats are easier than dogs though. They are obligate carnivores. The more meat in the diet, the better for them. And if they will eat wet food, that is preferable to dry (especially raw wet food but cooked should be OK. People say raw preserves more nutrients and I’m sure it does but cats are picky.). You should at least supplement dry cat food with the wet food several times a week to help prevent kidney issues and other problems down the line.

My friend who is a cat expert feeds Authority wet food from PetSmart. She fosters cats so she has to pick a budget friendly but still good food. If I had a cat I would likely feed a frozen raw product.

[Mom2Cavs]

I agree with all said. I also belong to Susan Thixton’s site. Like said before, if not opposed to Diamond then TOTW is a great food. I’ve fed their wet food to my cat (Rocky Mountain) and she does like it. My daughter feeds TOTW dry to her cats and they are beautiful!! You can also get it in a larger bag. I try to stay grain free with my cat, but Tractor Supply does have their private brand 4Health that is decent quality and quite a bargain. When my little black runt cat, Smokey Jo, was living (she passed at age 21 yrs!) she loved Fancy Feast….now I’m not saying to feed FF, but I had to get her to eat, you know. If you buy the gourmet pate’s…the classics, like Salmon, chicken, etc., they aren’t that bad. They don’t contain glutens or menadione, if I remember correctly, but do contain some by-products. So, these are the only ones I would buy. She would occasionally eat wellness, too, so I would try to sneak some in hahahaha. I have also read catinfo.org.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Shasta-
I also wish there was a cat food advisory site as great as this dog food one! But I agree with the others, a good dog food brand is most likely also good place to start with cats. Since you are not opposed to using Diamond brands, Kirkland Signature at Costco is very similar to the Diamond Naturals and Chicken Soup at an even more affordable price. I rotate between Wellness Core, Earthborn Primitive, and Taste of the Wild dry for mine. I also use various canned foods such as: Chicken Soup, Nutro, Friskies, and Authority. Also importantly, try to stay away from fish based kibble and canned food. It contains a lot of iodine which could later lead to hyperthyroidism. As mentioned above, catinfo dot org is a great site for cat nutrition and health issues. It does have a few charts with a lot of data on numerous brands of canned cat foods. Good luck!

[Shasta220]

I really don’t want to have to spend tons of money on chews and stuff (unless it’s gonna really last…), but basically here’s what I want: a home made filling that will either dry or freeze COMPLETELY solid (without getting crumbly or melty…).

Loki is big on chewing. He doesn’t like plastic/rubber chews much. If I give him a kong, he takes out a tiny bit of the food and then drops the sticky toy in my lap (Kongs are his favorite fetch toy…). So far hooves are the only chews that I can fill without having him tear it up or bring it to me. (Luckily he’s not a fan of chewing on the hoof itself, he only licks out whatever filling I put in it)

I tried getting long-lasting edible chews, but the “even longer lasting” formula lasted Loki about 5 minutes, and got crumbs ALL OVER the carpet. Bones are okay, but he’s really not a big fan.

So again, about the only thing that strikes his interest are the stuffed hooves (or I’m sure he’d like to lick filling out of a hollow bone)… But are there any fillings that might last a bit longer without making a mess?

(If you can’t already tell, this is for his special indoor chews, LOL! When he’s in his outdoor kennel run, he’s content with sticks, elk bones, and our other dog’s tail!)