[Luna Bear]

So I have been dog sitting for Luna for a couple of weeks. When her regular food ran out, I did not know what it was so I went to Pet Smart and got Blue Buffalo for older dogs. She is a hearty eater and usually will eat anything she can find…and she ate the BB food for about a week and then started getting sluggish and then stopped eating. She is old so I was worried she might be on her last legs. Then she ate a little and started throwing it all up. She laid in bed for two days hardly eating a thing and having diarrhea. I stopped putting it in her bowl and fed her some chicken broth and chicken meat for a couple of days and she started looking much better. In the four days since I stopped feeding it to her, she has completely turned around and is back to her old self. Who can say…but I am going back to get my money back and will never feed another dog this food again. I am no scientific expert but this just seems way too coincidental. Good news is that she has her energy back and definitely her interest in food!

[theBCnut]

Usually they are made out of ingredients that you would recognize as food ingredients rather than things that you have to look up to know what you are feeding. The term is not regulated though, so anyone can claim it.

[jcosler]

what the heck is a “holistic food???”

[mellowmutt]

I got Amiga at 8 weeks old, back on June 1st. Her breeder recommended Nutro LBP Lamb & Rice, so that’s what I fed her at first. I wasn’t happy with her gas or her stools, so I did some research and decided to mix Orijen LBP and NV Prairie LBP with the Nutro. Did some more research and discovered that I was feeding her way too much calcium. So I added two other foods to the mix in mid-July, NV Instinct Rabbit and CC Open Sky, had to set up a spreadsheet to keep CA, CA:K, calories & protein in order. I did the calculations based on the max-CA values, not averages or the tested values of a specific batch, to be on the safe side.

Ran out of this mix a month ago, at 8 months apparently she can regulate her CA herself, so I quit worrying about it. Now I have her on a mix of Orijen Regional Red, NV Instinct Rabbit, and NV Prairie Venison & Barley. It seems reasonable to me to feed her a red-meat diet in winter, and switch to a fish-and-fowl diet come summer (ancestral-wolf feeding pattern). In a few months the mix will be Orijen Six Fish, NV Instinct Rabbit LID, and NV Prairie Duck & Oatmeal. Both supplemented with the occasional topper of Orijen Tundra freeze-dried. LID Rabbit doesn’t have turkey, which is in the Duck & Oatmeal formula, so Turkey’s on the menu all year, too. Protein content of these blends is 33%.

The Prairie kibble’s mixed in to lower my cost from $3/lb to $2.75/lb, which adds up with a large breed. Rabbit is in the mix year-round, because I read some research (I’ll post the links if I find them again) about how wild/feral canines/felines primarily eat bunnies. The missing “meat group” in the prepared foods is rodent, so I’ll also occasionally feed raw beaver meat as a topper. I’d like to add a third brand into the mix instead of the Prairie, unfortunately I haven’t found anything that doesn’t have either the “wrong” grains or is loaded with potato (a no-no for malamutes as white potato is known to trigger bloat in this breed), or is too expensive to serve the purpose.

I set up another spreadsheet for amino acids and did yet more research; I believe she’s getting the full spectrum in sufficient quantities from all the different protein sources (also gets Orijen Tundra freeze-dried treats, used these to teach her to swim ‘cuz they float without getting soggy) such that she doesn’t need the glucosamine/chondroitin/taurine supplements typically found in large-breed-specific formulas — her body ought to be able to produce as much of these as she needs provided the proper building blocks (amino acids & cartilage). Her stools, on the “winter blend” anyway, are firm and dry, and not too voluminous or frequent and she seems to be thriving; my Vet is pleased with her physical condition and says her growth rate is right on target.

Many thanks to this site and all who contribute for helping me navigate the dog-food waters, it’s enough to make one’s head explode, but it’s also nice to have so many quality options in dry kibble. It’s been several years since I’ve had a dog (Amiga’s my 4th), Iams and even Purina just aren’t what they once were so I didn’t even consider those despite two of my dogs living to 15 (Keeshond on Eukanuba and Golden Retriever on Hi-Pro). My last malamute got Iams Lamb & Rice, but was shot (with cause) by a sheep rancher at 3 1/2 back in ’94 so I have no long-term report, there.

What got me to not trust dogfood manufacturers and do this research, leading me here, was how horrific the first month was feeding Amiga just the Nutro. Glossy, semi-soft, mucousy stools (if not diarrhea) and lotsa smelly farts — just like my friends’ dogs being fed Nutro. Enzymes, pre- and pro- biotics didn’t help, de-worming only cleared up the worms. No surprise given the ridiculously-high Zinc content in Nutro formulas, apparently since Mars bought them out — these are symptoms of Zinc toxicity, not poor digestive-tract health; no band-aid for that. Wish I’d figured that out sooner, and the calcium-level thing.

If I had the puppy-food phase to do over again, I wouldn’t touch Nutro with a 10-foot pole. These problems lessened when blended with the other kibbles, and disappeared entirely (OK, occasional fart still, probably the grains) this month after discontinuing the Nutro. I would do the four-kibble mix again, going with just the Rabbit and Duck would be lower calcium, but would also lack the glucosamine/chondroitin/taurine supplements the two LBP kibbles contain, as well as the cartilage and broad spectrum of amino acids which make these supplements unnecessary.

I did rush her to the vet after-hours back in September for bloat, but I didn’t alter her diet because of it. Sometimes she eats stuff that isn’t “on the menu” so to speak, mostly I blame my kitties because they love hunting and killing — just not eating their kills, which they leave for the alley cats. And for Amiga, sometimes she finds these before I do and accounts for occasional fur/feathers in her stools (Amiga’s also killed a mourning dove, robin, grackle, and a magpie). At least they’ve learned not to bring them in the house! I’m following all the best-practice guidelines for avoiding bloat, so hopefully this was a one-time thing, scary for both of us…

[BlackandBlue]

My dog is currently eating half Back 2 Basics Pork and half Natural Balance LID GF Legume & Duck Meal. She is doing better than ever on this combo. A little background on my dog: she has bad reactions to chicken, fish, venison, lamb, soy, kelp, alfalfa, rice that include yeasty feet and ears. For the last couple of months I’ve been keeping a strict watch on her and nailed down her irritants. (I’ve made good use of all of the NB LID foods to test on her.) The NB LID Duck is so low in protein that I decided on the B2B Pork to add in. Amazing results. My dog is just a regular happy, calm dog now, not a scratching, licking and whimpering mess. I’m deciding on whether to phase out the NB Duck or not.

[theBCnut]

LOL!! You should see my own emails. I’ll sign off and hit send and then realize that it autocorrected, so my own emails make fun of my name!

RDM, I’ve been wanting to try Timberwolf. There are several of their formulas that my dog can’t have, but they look intriguing. Please let us know how it goes.

[RescueDaneMom]

I have no experience with B2B. My local independent pet store carries Timberwolf Platinum now. I bought a small bag for our pit bull to try and he seemed to like it. We’ll probably buy a big bag of the Black Forest variety in the next couple weeks. I’ll let you know how he does on it.

[nationalguard88]

I’ve been using Wellness “just for puppies” so far and he loves them. As well as they’re easy to tear into even smaller pieces for training purposes. No bad reactions digestive or otherwise. Also peanut butter in a Kong keeps him busy and happy. Definitely will try the frozen stuffed Kong. He loves home made venison, dehydrated or not. He’s about 11 weeks so I don’t dry out to much. Dobermans inhale their food like no other I’ve seen, so I like to keep softer at this point, to avoid a chocking hazard. Afraid to give him a lot of different treats, so young. Upset his digestion. He really loves Dr. Tims Pursuit dog food. Nice firm stools, no diarrhea. Healthy looking eyes and coat. It’s hard to beat for the money, and I don’t feel worried about feeding it to him most of all. Trying to find good quality kibble without breaking the bank can be extremely stressful. Especially when there’s none locally. Finding this website was a huge help ingredient wise, but the loving owners reviews were the biggest help of all. Thanks everybody!

[Duke The Boxer]

Hahaha sorry Patty my phone autocorrects it haha. But thank you for the response. B2B looks interesting tho. I like the ingredients and how they include a lot of organs from animals. I’m trying to look for more foods with high % of animal protein. That’s why farmina, timberwolf Platinum, and B2B all look really good. Idk which to choose next!

[MinPinMom]

Redrock302, I understand what you are going through. I have a 9 year old Min Min (Taz) diagnosed with Diabetes July 31, 2013. levels started at 560. But now his levels bounce from 150-199, 200-292, to 199-236. I can’t get 3 weeks in a row with a level under 200. This is one of the worst battles for a fur baby. Overweight at 27 pounds, but down now to 24 which I am glad to see, but trying to get him to his ideal weight of 18. No Hills diet because he has been grain free since prior to his Diabetes due to skin problems. I try cooking for him chicken, eggs with cheese, or even turkey burgers even buying 95% meat wet foods as a topper. He will eat one day, but not the next. I lay with him coaching him to eat so he can take his insulin. He is on 10 units 2x per day. I can’t find a dry and wet food that he will go crazy over so I won’t have these battles. We fight numerous ear problems. Meds at least once per month. Just when you think he is in the clear he starts with the ears again. I can’t stand to watch him not eat because he needs his insulin as I am afraid his levels will never stabilize and the Vet will only increase his insulin. But what is the use if he won’t eat. Any help out there would be a blessing.

[theBCnut]

B2B is on my short list to try. Betsy tried it when her’s were still pups and she said that after a while on it they both developed soft stools. It might be that it was a bit much for them at that point in their lives, rotationally speaking, or that there is something about it that they couldn’t handle. It has none of Micah’s no no ingredients and there aren’t that many foods that I can say that about, so I’ll try it sometime this Spring. If you try it sooner, let us know.

And if you’re going to call me Party Just, at least capitalize it, LOL!!!

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

[Duke The Boxer]

Hey party just and Great Dane mom just checking back in. Duke is doing great. 🙂 but I recently came across the brand Back to Basics and it looked like a very good brand. Their high protein line has a min of 38% protein and they are rated 5 stars from Mike. Have you guys tried this line? That question goes to anyone who had tried Back to Basics.

[theBCnut]

Try adding digestive enzymes and try NutriSource dog food. Good luck!

[sherrie]

I have a 11 month old pit bull/rottweiler mix,
I have been feeding him Blue Life Protection Large Breed dry puppy food for about 6 months. I had to change his food 3 times (Purina Focus, Bill Jack & Blue) due to excessive, horrible gas. I have also agreed Forti Flora to his food to no avail. Friends have told me to put him on Purina. Knowing all of the horrible “stuff” in some foods I am hesitant and do not want to put my baby on something bad. He has a beautiful coat and id like to keep it that way. Good dog food
for an extremely gassy dog?

[Susan]

I have been looking at the ingredients in dog kibble trying to find a common demoniator in foods that don’t work for my dogs, besides grains and chicken/turkey. All have had chicken fat and,or tomato pumice. Started using Earthborn that has a couple flavors that has neither of these ingredients. After just a couple of weeks both dogs are really doing great. Made a fast transition using pumpkin and all went well so far. They had been eating some of the Earthborn in tubs as topper, so that might have been reason for ease into dry.
Interesting some of the ingredients down on the list can cause big problems as well as the main ingredients.
Merry Christmas!

[mojo]

Hi everyone Im not sure if i have overseen the topic of porkbut i need desperate advice, i decided to do something good for my dog and move away from commercial dry food and i decided to make him a meat loaf with rice, eggs, carrotts and minced meat. after all that work and shoving it in the oven i realised that the minced meat i had was a mixture of beef and pork… now i have heard that pork is dangerous for dogs… now im not sure if i can feed him it or not. the loaf backed for 1hour 20 min im sure any bacteria would be dead now… and is pork generally bad for dogs…. would be very grateful for any advice on the topic

[mojo]

Hi everyone Im not sure if i have overseen the topic of porkbut i need desperate advice, i decided to do something good for my dog and move away from commercial dry food and i decided to make him a meat loaf with rice, carrotts and minced meat. after all that work and shoving it in the oven i realised that the minced meat i had was a mixture of beef and pork… now i have heard that pork is dangerous for dogs… now im not sure if i can feed him it or not. the loaf backed for 1hour 20 min im sure any bacteria would be dead now… and is pork generally bad for dogs…. sorry if this is the wrong thread to have posted this.. but would be very grateful for any advice

[RescueDaneMom]

My picks would be:
Orijen Adult (38% protein)
Acana regionals (31-33% protein)
Go! Fit and Free Adult (38% protein)
Annamaet Grain Free (30% protein)
Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural (38% protein)
Horizon Legacy Adult (34% protein)
Pinnacle Peak Protein (42% protein)
Timberwolf Platinum (36% protein)

Our pit bull is currently eating the Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural with some Timberwolf (Black Forest formula with elk) mixed in. He’s doing really well on it. We bought a small bag of Timberwolf to try in case he didn’t like it. He seems to like it so we’ll buy a big bag next time.

[Duke The Boxer]

Yeah I run on the last part of the walk. And I run and play fetch with him in my yard often. I have siblings who also play with him outside. I really want to try brothers complete!

[theBCnut]

Probably! Does he get to run on your walk? Does he play fetch?

[Duke The Boxer]

Thank you very much patty. I was looking into natures logic since the brothers conplete is out of my price range. So if I walk my dog a mile or two everyday he should be ae to handle the higher fat?

[theBCnut]

I wouldn’t worry about dry matter. As long as everyone realizes that these are Guaranteed Analysis numbers, they will know what they are looking at.

Yes, I’ve heard of Farmina. It looks like it’s a really good food.

Look at the protein%. Say it’s 42%, 50% of that would be a fat level of 21%. That would have the number of calories from fat close to the same as the number of calories from protein. Personally, I feed higher fat than than, active dogs can handle it. Couch potatos may need less.

[Duke The Boxer]

Patty have you heard of farmina? I know their formula is not suitable for lbp but i like the protein % but I need your help to get the ratios of fat to protein.
http://usa.farmina.com/?q=content/product/grain-free-chicken-recipe-0

[Duke The Boxer]

I’m sorry patty I knew that I wasn’t very educated on the subject and would get corrected. Can you tell me how to get the dry matter protein. And 50% fat to protein ratio? Or how does that work. Again sorry for being such a noob.

[polkadott]

HELP! I have a 14 yr old Jack Russell that cannot eat gluten(wheat), but is also having re-occuring UTI’s. My vet told me to find a high protein food without oxalates, much veggies or dairy. She was on Blue-Grain-free. Vet said it’s bad stuff, (and actually, I had a bad experience with consistency-My dog became ill after starting a new bag…Had to return it.) Then I tried Hill’s Grain Free Ideal Balance…Turkey flavor, and she’s also tried the salmon, but I’m not sure if it will be just as bad as the turkey reoccurring Urinary Tract Infections. Anyone tried Royal Canin Vet SO Dry food? It does have corn gluten in it. Any suggestions as my vet seems clueless. 🙁

[A.Sandy]

I feed Victor, I like it a lot. But Acana, Orijen puppy,and Taste of the wild high prairie puppy are also excellent, a bit higher in carbs but high quality feed.

Ana
pet nutrition expert/advisor
pupcatnutrition.com
@pupcatfacts

[theBCnut]

I’m guessing that your numbers are not dry matter, since they don’t add up the way dry matter figures should. I like Nature’s Variety Instinct, Brother’s Complete, and Nature’s Logic. I’m interested in Timberwolf Platinum too, though I haven’t tried it yet. I just started Canidae Pure Sky, so it’s too soon to tell how I’ll like it. BTW, none of these would be considered low fat since moderate fat is 50% of the protein level.

[InkedMarie]

Why not order it?

[Duke The Boxer]

Please share any food you have heard of or have had good results with. The more people share their experience the more everyone can benefit. 😀 so so far though duke is doing amazing on the coastal catch which also has 32% protein and i forgot to add to the list.

[Duke The Boxer]

Hey dfa family, i wanted to create a list of potential dry dog foods that you have used or have heard good things about. I tried to look and see if there was a post like this already but i couldnt find one. Seeing as Duke is turning 9 months in a couple days i should start preparing a list of all different types of proteins and brands with high protein and low fat since ive seen many overweight boxers. I do walk him almost everyday and i run around with him around my large land every day so he gets a lot of energy.

So i guess some standards have to be set for the foods on the list. Im thinking of at least 32% protein , less than 25% fat and under 20% carbs. Also im new tothis so if you have foods that doesnt necessarily meet the numbers still is a very good food list it.

So far i have found

Victor Premium GF Ultra Pro 42% protein , 22% fat, 17% carbs
http://www.midamericapetfood.com/victordogfood/ultra.html

Earthborn Primitive Natural 38% protein, 20% fat, 17.5% carbs
http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/primitive_natural/guaranteed_analysis.php

Pet Pantry Holistic Choice Salmon & Sweet Potato GF 32% protein, 14% fat, and im still trying to find the carb %
http://www.feedyourpets.com/product/TPP008.html

[keion]

Hi,

I have 2 bulldogs, their digest systems are very sensitive. Therefore, I had chosen the TIMBERWOLF for them, and they do not have any problem. But, I can’t find any TIMBERWOLF ‘s dry food in my living region currently, therefore, I want to know WHICH BRAND is appropriate to substitute of TIMBERWOLF ?

ED

[Naples_vidiot]

First time here and thanks for having me. Purchased (dry pellets) Blue Buffalo several months ago and noticed that my Sheltie was getting sick once or twice a week in the morning then not eating till early afternoon. She’d drool first then vomit stomach fluids and sometimes the actual Blue Buffalo. This went on for months. Thought of all reasons why she was getting sick from low sugar levels to alergies. Tried feeding her treats at night to keep her belly full but that failed. The BB never crossed are minds as being the culprit because of its reputation. Just recently, my dog was getting sick every morning for a week straight…we finally took action. After feeding her the dry pellets from Blue Buffalo for months, we changed to a canned wet food. Miraculously she stopped getting sick. It has been 72 hours now. Wife googled Blue Buffalo and a whole page of articles populated about BB making dogs sick. She informed me and then I called the store that sold us this product then the BB headquarters. They did not pick up their phone in any department. The store that I spoke with claimed they knew nothing about the articles….you’d think they’d be aware because the multiple articles were from last March 2013. Were they protecting BB? All I know is, if I was selling food that was potentially getting pets sick, the product would be pulled immediately. We use a store swipe card everytime we buy product so maybe the seller would have looked up what we / everyone were buying and notified us about possible tainted food from BB? Waiting on BB to email us back so will check back later. Love my dog and it killed me seeing her vomotting every morning. Take her to a vet you say? Who can afford a vet these days? Or am I being obtuse. Happy Holidays!

[PetClubEmployee]

Let me rephrase that. Several of the dog foods by natural balance fit what you’re looking for. Apologize for the technicality.

[InkedMarie]

PetClubEmployee: no, out of the many NB foods, only two or three are 20% protein. Two are 18, the two or three at 20, the rest are more.

[PetClubEmployee]

All the natural balance line dog foods have 20% protein and is good to alternate with other foods that match your needs as it’s grain free lines are fairly inexpensive. It’s considered a 2.5 star food on here however

[theBCnut]

I ordered from Wag the other day and got the most beat up box that I have ever seen. I realize that the beating happened while it was in the posession of UPS, but when you package a 25# bag of dry food in a box big enough for 50# and don’t put much of any packing material in the box, the bag is going to shift, causing the poor UPS guy to drop it several times. The second box packed the exact same way, on the exact same day, was just fine, but both bags of food could have fit in the same box. Fortunately, all the dropping didn’t rip the bag.

[RedsRock302]

Did you have any luck with this? I also have a diabetic dog and we are having problems regulating her blood sugar. We found out she was diabetic a year ago and the vet put her on the Science Diet Prescription W/D canned food ( I am not a fan of this food, but thought I would try it). Recently we are noticing that her blood sugar is still in the 400’s at around 3pm. I feed our other dog the 4health dry food, which has great reviews on this site. I need something low on fat, lower on carbs, and a decent level of protein as she is losing some weight. I am in the same boat as you in trying to decide on the best food for her.

[Harpers Mom]

I’ve been doing research and going through ingredients on the Best grain free dry dog foods and came across Best Breed grain free, in the ingredients it it lists natural chicken flavor, would this be a concern to my Bully’s chicken allergy? or does the flavor itself not contain the chicken protein?

We are looking to try Earthborn next to see how she handles it.

Since we will be switching foods, would probiotics be recommended just to boost her digestive system?

[BlackandBlue]

Update on my certain ingredient intolerant dog. After a 2 month veterinary diet food trial that ended badly with a UTI and skin infection, I really was fed up. I’m a stay at home mom and all my kids are in school. It’s just me and my pets during the day so I’ve been REALLY observing my dog for the last month. You know what sets her off besides chicken, lamb, fish, white & brown rice, soy? GREEN STUFF! Sea meal, seaweed meal, kelp, alfalfa meal, green tea -all bad for my dog. I’ve learned Natural Balance LID’s are excellent for dogs that can’t have green stuff (among other things). If you suspect your dog has the same issue, buy a bunch of different NB LID cans and bags and try them out one at a time and really observe your dog. With my dog I can tell within an hour of feeding her something if it causes excessive licking and scratching and it’s not going to work out.

Unfortunately so many of the better (4 & 5 star) dog foods have too many “extra” ingredients for my dog. Right now I switch my dog daily on the NB LID duck & legumes dry and bison & sweet potatoes dry and she’s just fine. I’m worried though that she’ll start developing intolerances to these current proteins so I’m always on the lookout for something else to add to her rotation.

[Akari_32]

Tonight she got half wellness and half etc dog food (totaling about 4-4.5 cups), some canned pro plan, her vitamins, and a hot dog. The hot dog only adds 140 calories, but it’s something, and it’s easier for her to eat than more dry food is. She pretty much inhaled it! Lol I’ve got some canned pumpkin I might aught to add tomorrow or she’ll belly-aching and grumbling at me.

I spent about 20 minutes pulling that rotisserie chicken off the bone the other night. It’s not a fun job at all!

She loves turkey backs, but I haven’t seen any lately. Any raw treats they’ve gotten in the last two months has been liver or gizzards because there are no necks and backs floating around! What are some other cheap cuts of meat I give them?

[PetClubEmployee]

Hello a little late I know.
Both foods you feed are good grain free foods however what formulas were you feeding?
Paw licking can be a sign of an allergy however it can be an OCD trait as well where was the licking? And chewing on the nails? Etc
Also most dogs with floppy ears will be probe to infection especially dogs that like water. There is a couple of great products out there to keep the ears clean and dry
Sounds like a lucky pup to have such a caring parent

[BlueEyedGirl]

Ok – I am not understanding something here Patty (Math was never my strong suit).

The numbers she gave do not in fact match what is on their website (the data on their website is dated July 29, 2011.)

According to the PDF on their site, Calcium is 374.723 per 100kcal while the Phosphorous is 227.364 per 100 kcal.

With the ratios she provided, I understood that to be 3.34/1000kcal but I see now that I misinterpreted that.

What I am puzzled by is why if the Calcium and Phosphorous ratios play such an integral role in feeding these large breeds, is the Now LBP Dry Kibble formula given five stars on the Dog Food review page on this site?

(from the Petcurean NOW Fresh page Food Summary Review on this site)

Now Fresh – Four Stars
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

Now Fresh Puppy
Now Fresh Adult
Now Fresh Senior
Now Fresh Large Breed Adult
Now Fresh Large Breed Senior
Now Fresh Small Breed All Ages
Now Fresh Large Breed Puppy (5 stars)

Now Fresh Small Breed All Ages was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

[BlueEyedGirl]

Hi – In case anyone else was curious about any of the Petcurean Large Breed Puppy dry kibble, here is the breakdown for Calcium & Phosphorous per 1000 kcal.

Calcium: 334.908 per 100 kcal

Phosphorus: 235.542 per 100 kcal

I will be adding it to our rotation here! (they unfortunately do not have a large breed puppy formula in their Go! foods)

She also offered directions on how to access the breakdowns per 1000 kcal for all of their formulations on their website.

from their email:
Here is a quick instructional on how to find the nutritional breakdown for each of our recipes on our website:

http://www.petcurean.com > click either “for cats” or “for dogs” > select recipe you would like to view and then click “view recipes” > Select food which you would like to view and then click “more info” > scroll down to the bottom of the page > Click “Guaranteed Analysis” > Click “Download Nutritional Profile”

I hope this helps! Take care and Happy Holidays!

[Akari_32]

I’m having trouble keeping weight on Haley, my 11 year old lab/retriever mix. Ever since I switched from Wellness Core to RR (Zero Grain and Just 6 mix), she’s been droppig weight like crazy. She’s currently on about 1/4 RR and 3/4 Purina One, and that’s helping tons now. I had the dogs on all RR, then got a really awesome deal on the Purina One, and I’m just about out of the RR now, I have maybe 15 pounds left.

Unfortunately, we’re at a financial point were if we buy it, we use it. Throwing out or giving it away won’t do us any good. Since I’ve got lots of the Purina and few other random small bags of food, I’ve just been giving a small amount of the RR. I always mix in canned food (Haley can’t do straight dry food in meal size quantities, as her stomach can’t handle it and it makes her miserable), and usually a raw egg. I’ve stopped walking her almost completely, and upped her food to 6-9 cups a day, depending on if we walk or not. This has helped a lot, but she’s not a big eater to begin with.

My plan is to get at least her back on Wellness ASAP (I have about 15 pounds of that that I bought recently with coupons, and will get more as soon as I have the funds and time), as well as buy some good, all beef hot dogs to add some extra calories and protein to her diet (I have 10 free packs lined up as soon as they get in stock). She’s currently on vitamins, glucosamine, and fish oil as well. The fish oil has helped her put some weight on, too.

I’m positive the switch from the Wellness Core foods to the lesser RR, and then even lesser Purina One has got her system all in a fit, but it’s been months since she’s been off Wellness. RR is only 313 calories per cup, which I only found out recently, and that’s when I started feeding more, realizing it was partly not enough calories. Other than that, I don’t think she digests food very well, which is why I always wet her food– makes it easier on her tummy. She did great on Wellness and I only fed her 2.5-3 cups. My Rott mix has not needed an increase in food since the switch, and neither really has moms terrier (only on days he’s particularly hyper).

I also plan to buy some Nutri Source Super Preformance off PetFlow, but I’d like to get her back on Wellness and get weight back up first, and see if any certain ingredients have anything to do her weight loss, and see how she does grain free vs grain inclusive. The dogs were all on corn based foods until I took over the dog food buying a few years ago, and I’ve more or less kept them on grain free, and anything that wasn’t, they weren’t on for any length of time. Then when I started with the RR Zero Grain as the bulk of their diet a few months ago, it’s been an uphill battle >.<

Any changes to my plan, at all? Anything to add, or take away? Any other ideas, period? Budget is extremely tight, so don’t get too crazy on my, but I need to get some weight on my girl that doesn’t involve shoving food down her throat.

[Marylou]

Thanks pug mom sandy I have a lab pit mix that has developed allergy’s at age 9 to Peas,Sweet Potato’s, Chicken Meal ext…… How it started he would not eat first thing in the morning he would want to go outside and eat grass and vomit. So after some testing at the vets, we put him on d/d Potato & Venison Formula which he is doing excellent on this food. However the quality is not good. So I have been adding different foods in with the dry food to see what he has an allergy to plus adding a little dry food to the food to see if he has a reaction or not. To say the least I have not found a dry food yet that agrees with him. I just feel awful for him. My poor baby.

[FreeholdHound]

This was posted a a Greyhound forum in regards to BDN (not my post)

My inquiry:
“Thank you. I found the product analysis, but need the nutrient profile, ie how much protein, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, niacin, folic acid, iodine, pantothenic acid, iodine, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin A, D & E, etc, etc, etc………………..you get the idea. It’s usually broken down into three different groups: “As Received”, “Dry Matter Basis” “As Served (Hydrated)”.
This analysis is crucial for dogs with kidney or liver disease as an example. I have a dog with kidney disease and it is vital to know the calcium/phosphorous ratio.”

Their reply:
“According to our latest analysis, the ca/ph ratio of the beef is 1.1:1. The Tripe Supreme has a ca/ph ratio of 1.78:1.
The ratio of the chicken is 1.56:1. All the calcium in our products is from natural origin. You can’t compare this with the studies out there based on products where calcium is added as a supplement.
We have our analysis split up in “As received” and “Dry matter”. I really don’t understand the “As Served” part. This all depends how much water is added by the customer. Some dogs like it a bit dryer, some a bit more moist.

We are looking for the highest bio-availability possible. Most artificial supplements that you see used in all kind of different dog foods simply don’t do the job. They are not readily available. This is also the reason we ferment the vegetables. The fermented vegetables make the calcium, vitamins, and the ingredients in general, highly bio-available.
We hear excellent testimonials from our customers on a daily basis. Older dogs that start playing again, dogs that get better muscle tone, long time ear infections that disappear, etc… the list is endless. Dogs that went from one vet to another for years, and get better after being on Big Dog Natural. This keeps us going and tells us that we’re doing the correct thing.

I know what your saying but I raised and owned Mastiffs for over 30 years. We have an old school approach of dog food. Use high quality ingredients and you’re good. I never raised my kids by over analyzing their foods but they were fed well and healthy. I really don’t believe there is a need for deep analysis when the ingredients are top quality. You only need supplements and additives when crap is used. We use the analysis as a guideline to formulate the product, not as a marketing tool. We just want a healthy dog food for healthier dogs.

Hope this help

Carl Van Bael
The Big Dog Natural Team”

[[email protected]]

Hi,
I continue to question Jasmine’s diet. I have ordered Evangers canned vegetarian to add to a dry food which I thought would be Canine Cavier. She did well on C.C. for 3 days but her stools are soft today and she is straining to go – my husband calls it dancing – althought it isn’t funny at all. I thought I should now mix it with the R.C. Gastro. I am now officially going crazy, this is going on a few months and I also am going in circles.
Maybe the Veg Evangers will firm up her soft stoold.

I was wonderiing if Dave spoke to his holistic friend, please let me know at [email protected] as I have had trouble getting in the discuss groups and logging in.
I thought I should take her to a holistic vet in Mass if this doesn’t improve. Remember she is on a low dose of metrodonizole. Is that just maybe needed and no diet may help this completely and a condition low dose metro.is needed.

Thanks all. Karen

Please helpif you have any suggestions. There are some great ones above – maybe honest kitchen or a low fat option would be best.

Thanks,
Karen

[kekel1123]

Does anyone tried Whole Paws dog food (dry and wet) from Wholefoods? I saw them the other day, they have quite a wide variety of selections. They have Grain Free too. I ask Mike to review it and hope soon! The price is very competitive too.Thanks for replies.

[BernerdAd]

Hi sorting through all the good information — I’ve come up with a few questions
1) why did Grain Free Canine Caviar Open Sky make the list but Grain Free Canine Caviar Puppy did not?
2) None of the Blue Buffalo dry products made the list at all – why is that.

Ive created some spread sheets and in particular looked at calcium and there are not major differences? At what point do small percentage points — i.e. the difference between 1.2% and !.5% make a difference – I mean statistically what is the variance in these numbers when a food doesn’t make the list by only a few tenths of a %?

3) While numerical data is great isn’t there any sage wisdom out there for specific large breeds? I have Berners (bernese mountain dogs) – on the main website it says ”

“Bernese Mountain Dog owners feed a range of food from raw diet, homemade diets to commercially prepared kibble. No matter what type of feed, Berner owners seem to agree to feed a high quality food with relatively low protein level, approximately 18 -26% and a moderate fat content, under 16%. High protein/fat feeds (> 28%, >16%) can be ‘too much’ for many Bernese, especially those that are not very active working/performance dogs. Feeding a diet that is too ‘heavy’ in protein has been known to precipitate hotspot outbreaks in some Berners. A diet too high in fat adds unwanted pounds and in some cases causes diarrhea.”

So did one study on large breed puppies looking at critical variables protein levels, calcium etc debunk all the sage wisdom from breeders – some of which specifically notice concerns with high levels of protein over 30%

[Melissaandcrew]

ASandy-

If a dog has pancreatitis that is chronic, there is no such thing as its “okay in moderation” when its a high fat food. Typically vets recc under 12percent fat for the dry products, and one should convert canned into a dry matter basis in order to properly assess how much fat is in that particular canned brand, If its 20 percent, its 20 percent fat whether you feed a teaspoon or tablespoon. In dogs with low tolerance a teaspoon of a high fat food could send them into over load.

Also, please state for reference where you garnered the information that dogs with pancreatitis should be on a restricted protein diet? Owning pancreatitis prone breeds for over 20 yrs, I have yet to see such information, and have yet to restrict protein in a dog based on pancreatitis(which is typically brought on by fat, not protein).