[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”

[klynnway@aol.com]

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 klynnway@aol.com 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).

[RhondaP]

I had my mixed Fluffy Chinese Crested breed on Science Hill wet food.. She got bored with Chicken and so we gave her beef.. I am pretty sure she was allergic to the beef, and now the chicken seems to be bugging her as well. I am at a loss for what canned good to give her. She does not like dry! She is 10 pounds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated… I will only use American manufactured brands:)

[rebeccaleaver]

Thank you both for your advice. We also have a Tractor supply store in town. When I go to town tomorrow, I will spend the day on the floor of both stores with my calculator [I’m numerically dyslexic] figuring out the dry matter equation on every food there. Whatever it takes.

[theBCnut]

You do know that a canned food with 4% fat is equivalent to a dry food that is 20% fat, right?

[A.Sandy]

Hello,
My name is Ana I am the owner of a small pet nutrition consulting business called Pupcat Nutrition Consulting I am a pet nutrition expert/advisor. Dogs with pancreatitis have very fragile immune systems, avoid high protein and high fat diets, feed small frequent meals through out the day, and less or no processed diets and avoid dry foods and rotation. The next thing PLEASE STOP feeding science diet it’s killing your dog! Here are some suggestions: lean meats,(bison,chicken,turkey) low fat treats, try senior formulas they have less fat and less protein. Here are some awesome brands that will transform your pup forever!! ok , your best bet would be dehydrated raw, I recommend Honest kitchen preference or all except thrive mix with canned for extra moisture and flavor try senior formula canned like merrick , and natural balance(try to stick with 4% fat or less) avoid grocery store pet foods. and it would be beneficial to add a probiotic/prebiotic to aid digestion, like PROZYMES is a really good one I like. and remember there is a transition period when switching foods (7-10 days) for more info on honest kitchen go to thehonestkitchen.com and for more real nutrition facts follow me on twitter @pupcatfacts and on facebook or at pupcatnutrition.com
good luck!!

-Ana

[young101]

Hi PippaY

My 10 year old weimaraner Blu also has PLE. Here in the UK we have Hills Science Plan Prescription Diet – she has a scoop of their “d/d salmon and rice” dry food for lunch. It’s listed as being hypoallergenic and for skin complaints but it’s also used for PLE (vet reccommended we use it)

Breakfast and dinner she has Chappie tinned food which is also fish based. The advice from the vet was to put her on a high protein low fat diet, protein from fish rather than red meats, for treats things like cottage cheese and eggs (I must admit I restrict the amount of eggs she has as you can imagine the side effects!)

Coconut oil is an MCT, dogs find it more palatable than the MCT liquid oil. It comes in a solid form in a jar, I add a tablespoon a day to her food, maybe a teaspoon a day for your yorkie?

Blu is also on steroids to treat the PLE but the diet definitely helped in getting her protein levels back up.

Good luck!

[Wildcat_1]

Hi all
I
have been reading this topic and the dogfoodadvisor reviews with great interest as I am about to welcome home a new GSD pup. I want to start on a higher quality food than I used in past (Blue Buffalo) and this current pup supposedly is on Eukanuba large breed puppy.

Hound Dog Mom did some great work and without her spreadsheet this would seem like an even more impossible task 🙂 I also read with interest the threads about calcium levels and was about to pull the trigger on Orijen Large Breed Puppy until I saw the potential issues there with calcium. So, with that said I narrowed it down to Annamaet as the one I want to try, specifically Salcha.

Once i looked into local availability I found a company producing something with the same nutritionalist as Annamaet and thought I might give that a try.

This particular company has a couple of products one of which is a grain inclusive puppy specific (28% protein min, 17% fat min, 3.5% fiber, 1.16% calcium dry) specific, the next is an all stages grain free (turkey, chicken, catfish) which is 29% protein, 14% fat 3.5% fiber 1.49% calcium or they have a grain free duck and bison which is 30% protein, 16% fat, 4% fiber.

The questions I have are:

1) Grain free or grain inclusive for puppies ?

2) If grain free as puppy I assume there are still grain free solutions for when they get older (needing leaner food etc) ?

3) Better to go with puppy or all stage food in general ?

Thanks so much all

WC

[sharfie]

Does any one know about the calcium levels in canned food? Would one be able to calculate using the same method as for the dry and raw? Also, is the canned food usually “all life stages” and appropriate for a puppy? Sorry if this has been asked and answered already.

[boxermum]

Can anyone suggest a better alternative to Natural Balance LID Sweet Potato & Fish dry food? My 1.5 yr old boxer has been on this food since he was a young puppy up until about a month ago when he suddenly decided he didn’t like it anymore and I stumbled across this site and saw it was only rated at a 3 anyway. I’d like to get him on a food that he both likes and is better for him, but I originally started him on it a year ago because it was the only food that wouldn’t give him diarrhea, and I’m discovering this is still an issue. I don’t know if the problem is a sensitive stomach or allergies. If it’s allergies, I haven’t been able to narrow it down to anything specific.

[Emastiff]

Question for Hound Dog Mom.

What do you think of feeding an English Mastiff puppy Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen food. We are looking to blend a kibble and a more convent pre made raw food. The dry kibble will be Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit
Would love some thoughts.

[Molzy]

Wag.com has a great offer for new customers right now, 25% off your first food purchase! Plus a lot of their foods are on sale right now, I just got a 10 lb box of Honest Kitchen Keen (normally $60) for $38! I ordered from them a few weeks ago and got the box within two days, free shipping! So I ordered again today, under my boyfriends name and address to stock up.

I also love Amazon, I’ve ordered Honest Kitchen, Merrick dry food, and Chicken Soup canned dog food from Amazon, and all were great prices and arrived undamaged and fast (I have amazon prime, so free two day shipping!).

[HannahBearsMom]

Jessie,

My 2-year-old Havanese has surgery to repair an extrahepatic liver shunt last May. He is completely asymptomatic at this time and and his most recent BAT was slightly elevated after feeding, but both my regular vet and the surgeon said his BAT may never be completely normal, but as long as he is asymptomatic I shouldn’t worry. The surgeon said he can go back to as regular diet as there is no evidence a low protein diet is beneficial postsurgically. Our regular vet said he might do okay on a regular diet, but staying on the low protein diet certainly wil not hurt him.

What food did you end up going with? I’m considering Honest Kitchen’s Keen or preference (with my own added protein). I’m also considering alternating between the two.

Laurie

[Akari_32]

I’ll get the dry Pro Plan every now and then. They send out great coupons for it, up to $5 off. And then PetCo usually has $3-5 off coupons on it as well. Combine with a sale, and you get it SUPER cheap! The trick is buying small bags, instead of bigger ones.

Reptiles really are much cheaper and a better quality at shows. I would only buy from shows, but I made a joke about a cute lizard I wanted at PetSmart (Rex) for Christmas, and my parents got him for me LOL Thus, I started into reptiles with one of the worst starter reptiles on the planet XD But I love him and don’t mind dumping all my money on his UV bulbs and crap. Two years after I got him, I got my first leopard gecko, a female Dreamsickle I named Amelia, and then this year, I got my second in my march, a male Snow named Rowen, and another male in September at the FirExpo (where I also got Amelia), a tangerine lavender, Raven. Love my “yizards” to death :3

I just tried to use one of those cricket coupons yesterday LOL I didn’t realize it had expired on the 1st. Whoops! I’ve actually started breeding my own meal worms for my guys staple, and then I’ll still by crickets, supers, roaches and waxworms as a treat. I’m spending so much on feeders that I don’t have money money left at the end of the week for, you know, bills and gas and stuff? LOL

Most companies don’t check if you’ve gotten a coupon before or not, except by tracking your ip address, so you can print multiple coupons on various computers, and then you can also email them and ask for one in the mail. Did you get that BB $5 off any bag, $1 off any can, and $0.50/$1 off any treats thing in the mail? I’ve got some of those I need to use, as they expire at the end of the year….

Because I tend to buy several months worth of dog food over a week or so period, I only print the coupons out a few times a year, 10 at a time. But I’m pretty sure they are reset monthly. Just try every couple weeks, doesn’t hurt! 🙂

[anniearies]

Hi, everyone, thanks for helping.
She been taking glucosamine+chondroitin tablets for over a year, it works for her. But then, she could take it no more. At first we thought she does not like the taste, as it’s bitter. We tried all other brand, instead of giving tablet, we brought glucosamine in powder or liquid form, and we found there is something she could not tolerate in glucosamine products. her tounge wouldn’t stop licking like getting choked,utill it went white, it happened whenever we gave glucosamine to her , either instantneously or later of the day. If we not giving her that, it does not happen at all.
To maintain her joint health, we still give that to her for quite awhile , untill our dog refused to have it anymore.
She is having dry kibble for meals, and i wonder if it’s right for us to add the herbal medicine to help her with it. I mean most herbal medicine seemed made intend to be added to whole food.Would it be in conflict with commercial dog food?

i would also like to try all the products you guys recommend.

thank you for helping without you guys, all i know i could give her is glucosamine and herbal medicine, now we got wilder choice. i believe there must be something suitable to maintain her joint health from what you guys recommend.

thank u guys !

[Akari_32]

The only reason it’s in the garage is because it’s cooler out right now. It’s usually in the pantry, but it’s full of human food ATM (for once LOL). Since I buy small bags, it’s usually fits right in the cabinet over top the human food.

Hey, another FL person! That’s good you guys get a discount! I wish we got one at Publix lol I would go with Core over BB, personally. But as I said earlier in the thread, Core is my favorite grain free food. But I like to switch it up, so I do try most everything. I’ve not used the dry BB, but I’ve used some of the cans. The dogs seem to like Pro Plan cans best, plus I get them free, so that’s what they mainly get for canned mixers, but I like to have fun with my dry food purchases.

Seems we’ve got a similar line up of pets! I’ve got the three dogs, a Mali Uromastyx, three leopard geckos, about two dozen goldfish (I have a goldfish problem… I have a 150+ gallon tank in the works for my 6 indoor fancies LOL), and several tropicals. Between the fish, I have almost 400 gallon of water worth of ponds and aquariums.

What kind of Uro do you have? Did you get yours at PetSmart or a show? We got Rex about 4 years ago at our local PetSmart. My Leos all came from breeders at various Repticon conventions :p Are you near the Pinellas County type area? I buy all my feeder inscects at White Hot Dragons, in (what I call, but may not actually be) St Pete. They are super cheap, and have better quality bugs, as well as a variety 🙂

Use those coupons, girl! Save some money! 😉 I bought $25 worth of etcetera for $8 today at PetSmart Lol

[theBCnut]

Just remember that dog food should be stored in an air tight cool dry dark place, because environmental factors affect the quality of the food. Heat, fresh air, and light in particular break down the fats in dog foods. So the best way to store it is under air conditioning/indoors in it’s original bag with the top rolled down and all the air squeezed out. In the Winter heat is not so much a factor, but over the Summer, the garage is not a good place to store dog food, and here in FL that’s 3/4 of the year.

[OhBichonPlease]

I would also suggest [when your dog has settled a bit] taking her to a smaller pet store [Petco and Petsmart might be a bit overstimulating, especially during the holiday season] and showing her several different toys. She may enjoying browsing the aisles with you and may even pick out her own toy that appeals to her. We pull things off the rack for our girl to inspect; when she tries to take it from us or looks excited, we tend to get it because we want her to play.
There is also a toy that may bring your dog some comfort – I think it was designed for weaning puppies, dogs with separation anxiety or mourning pets, but it is a plush toy with a warming pack and a “beating heart” powered by a battery. There is a popular brand available at online retailers and Amazon called SnugglePuppy from Snuggle Pet Products. It is kind of expensive [you may be able to find another brand/model for less] for an experiment, but it may comfort her and help her transition her to her new environment and to liking toys/playing.
I would also recommend wrapping a plush toy in an old tshirt or stuffing it inside a sock that has your scent on it – you’re her pack/people now and she wants to smell like you so she won’t have to be alone again. [Our girl likes to jump in our dirty laundry and thrash under our bedcovers after her bath, probably thinking we won’t recognize her. She also takes off her Doggles whenever my fiance reenters the car]. Making the toy smell like you by putting it in the dirty clothes hamper will help reinforce that this toy belongs in the household, toys are fun and playing with you is a nice thing to do. Some non-plush toys can also have food smeared on them or treats stuffed inside to help get entice her to interact with them.
Playing is a great way to bond with your dog and give her a chance to exercise and feel comfortable inside in her new surroundings. Keep trying to teach her to play – no dog is too old to learn to have fun.
The most important thing to remember is to go slow and have a really positive attitude when dealing with toys – even if your dog’s behavior is upsetting – don’t get upset! Dogs read our emotions and getting worried and stressed over her reactions might be causing more of an issue. If you feel like crying over her reactions, take a break, take her for a walk and then just try to cuddle with her and her toy quietly. Rub her and pet her with the toy if she doesn’t act scared. If she wants it in her crate, let her have it there. Maybe she wants a toy to cuddle and protect and you could get her another toy for tossing, pulling and playing with you in the living room.

[theBCnut]

I give each cat a half can of food in the morning with water added to it. And I leave dry down all night. I never mix the two.

[OhBichonPlease]

I recently adopted an older female Bichon Frise from the local shelter. She has been doing great and made the switch to a higher-quality kibble with no major issues. I recently finished her first bag of Wellness Core and now we are trying Dr Tim’s grain free. She has been getting Cloud Star’s sweet potato Buddy Biscuits crumbled for treats. We had an issue lately that prompted a trip to the vet… For a Halloween treat, I gave my girl a dehydrated rabbit foot from a local pet store. Their products come from a reputable company that sources and processes all of its ingredients in the US. After eating this rabbit foot [complete with fur], my girl stopped eating [and subsequently pooping] for a week straight. There was one incidence of some stuff moving through after the first night, but not really anything else. She wasn’t struggling and didn’t seem in pain. For the first few days she was a bit lethargic and wasn’t interested in toys, but after day 3 or so she seemed like her energy was back and she was drinking normally. I tried everything to get her to eat – moistened dry food, peanut butter, yogurt, warmed wet food, pumpkin, baby food, pedialyte, tuna, etc and she was barely even eating her favorite treats and would sometimes refuse her favorite human morsels outright. We were worried, so we went to the vet. Nothing obviously wrong during the physical and we didn’t want to spring for an xray because I doubted a blockage [and the vet seemed to want to see the rabbit’s foot even though I told him she chomped it up well]… So the vet recommended famotidine, the main ingredient in Pepcid. We were told to give a quarter every 12 hours for a week. Within an hour of her first dose she was eating kibble again [and she is not an enthusiastic eater, especially not for kibble]. We were so relieved – it appears our dog just has a problem with indigestion and/or heartburn. Her diet, eating habits and relieving are all back to normal now… but I find myself giving her a quarter of the acid controller [we bought the store brand] in the evening when she hasn’t eaten. It is pretty obvious that it works because she will start eating soon after that.
I am wondering if anyone else has this issue? Is it safe to give my dog the occasional Pepcid on a semi-regular basis? The acid controller we have at the moment includes the antacids calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide – are we over-supplementing her? Are those safe enough for dogs to have several times a month?
Are there some triggers or dietary changes that I may be able to implement to prevent my girl from developing heartburn in the future? Is her physiology responsible or perhaps the way she eats?
If anyone has any experience with doggie heartburn or some comments or suggestions, please respond. I’m so curious about this!

[crazy4cats]

Hi cdubau-
Did you happen to notice that the first ingredient in that Purina dry food is corn gluten meal? I hope you are still feeding some canned food also. Lisa Pierson, DVM, states on her website, catinfo.org, that she would rather see a cat be fed any canned food over any dry food regardless of quality. I know how crazy expensive the canned food is, but you can buy the cheaper stuff, such as Friskies, or Fancy Feast to get some moisture in her diet. When I feed my four cats, I don’t mix the canned with their dry. I keep it separate. That way I can remove the canned if they don’t eat it and the dry doesn’t get icky from getting wet. But it always all gets eaten unless I buy them a special occasion expensive canned food, then they turn up their noses. So frustrating! LoL. Good luck!

[BlueEyedGirl]

Hello –

Thank you all for the wonderfully intelligent conversations and to HDM for curating the list of LB Puppy Dry Foods. I have tried to read as much as I could, but with over 50 pages, it is quite overwhelming. I apologize in advance if my questions are redundant.

We are hoping to adopt a Boxer/ Great Dane (?) (Maybe Catahoula Cross?) mix from a local rescue this weekend. (I was hoping to be able to add her picture to my profile to show off her blue eyes, but I can’t seem to figure it out right now).

The food she is currently on is Hills Healthy Advantage Large Breed which appears to be borderline for Calcium, but it rates quite low for quality (Two Stars. oh – the irony that it is considered a vet exclusive product).

She was placed on this food as she had as her foster mom says “a wicked case of diarrea” when she came into her foster home. According to her foster mom, she seems to be doing quite well on this food and she has requested we keep her on it for the next couple of months.

After reading all of the information here, I am wanting to transition her to a higher quality food for the remainder of her puppyhood. (She is currently 38.3 pounds and leggy with pretty marled markings at just four months, thus I am leaning to the Great Dane mix).

I have a few questions –

1) I am considering the Wellness Core Puppy as the beginning food to transition her to. Although we transitioned our previous dogs with foods for interest, is there another medical reason to switch out the foods? Is a 3-4 food rotation sufficient?

2) If it turns out that she is NOT a large breed mix (maybe Catahoula), is there any danger or adverse results from feeding a medium calcium food?

3) Are there any training treats that are recommended for large breeds that follow suit with the calcium content?

Thank you so much for your help. There is so much to collect in time for her arrival on Saturday! I want to be prepared. Any advice you can offer is appreciated!

D

[cdubau]

Hey thanks so much for the reply! I think I have figured out a food for her! Here her story. Oreo doesn’t have UTI’s but had bladder stones maybe two years ago? If feels like it was forever ago but I felt so bad. I had one of those automatic kitty litter boxes so I didn’t notice she wasn’t pee’ing a lot in one go. Anyway I took her in and finally got a pee sample and it looked like straight blood 🙁 Its been so long I can’t remember if they did an ultra sound. I want to say no. They has me switch her food and give her meds and try the pet fountain (didn’t work).
Food wise she always gets dry food with wet food mixed, water added to make it gravy like. She was on science diet c/d but it seemed to make her sick sometimes. If i mixed to much water with the dry food she would vomit. Plus the watered down dry food would smell rancid in a very short time. So I called wellness and got their mineral counts one day and their weight loss formula was within the range that was listed on the C/d. So I switched to that and she hated it. She would lick the wet food off the dry food and leave the dry food in the bowl!! Low and behold I saw a lady in the store with the Purina Urinary tract health and asked her about it. She said her vet told her to switch her cats to that. Oreo will eat it….which is a lot coming from her. She will eat it plain too. She is picky about it being fresh though. But I’m glad I found a food she will eat, won’t break the bank and is a U/T food.
I still need to find a way to get her more fluids though. Going all canned I just can’t afford. Its not in the budge so any other creative ways besides a fountain I’m up to trying.

[Eldee]

My homemade recipe:
One large slow cooker
Only buy marked down items or on sale items remember they are dogs not children
Stewing beef and skinless boneless chicken breasts
chicken giblets
turkey giblets
beef liver
low fat low sodium chicken broth ( 1 box )
Green beans
carrots
sweet potato
frozen blueberries, apple pieces, garlic powder, ground flax seed,
cubed squash
throw it all into the slow cooker and cook all day add more water later on if it appears dry
Remind husband not to touch it, it is for the dog.
I buy those dollar store plastic containers ( probably full of Chinese lead paint ) I think they are 6 for two dollars.
I fill them up and keep them in the freezer and add my stew to their kibble.
Which by the way is Back to Basics and Orijen.

[ShelterGirl]

Just so you know wet dog food is very bad for your dogs teeth and I would not recommend it as a daily diet. It should be used more as a treat or as a source for hiding pills. It increases the amount plaque build up on there teeth which will increase the rate of decay, especially for small dogs who are already known for having bad teeth. Not to mention it also could lead to obesity. Certain kinds of dry dog foods can be very nutritious and keep your dog healthy you just have to look at the ingredients.

[voxleo]

Sadly, Natural Balance going over to the Dark Side of the Force with Del Monte has completely buggered my trust in the brand after my boys were doing so well on their Ultra and/or Synergy formulas. Ever since I learned of the merger, I have been hypervigilant about any signs of food sensitive issues with both dogs (some kind of shepherd with long hair mix-mutt and our runt-y most likely pitbull/staffordshire we think).

As of the last bag of food, the Natural Balance Ultra, I noticed that our Pit has had more than one issue of vomiting and notable signs of apparent nausea (lots of lip licking, less than energetic), and the Shepherd mutt has had some issues with stool that starts okay and then becomes runny, but not quite full blown diarrhea. If it had been just once, I would have just assumed it was them eating something out of the trash or garden that they oughtn’t have, but twice or more, and it starts to become a THING. Add that to the fact that they seem notably less interested in the food (they are free feeding dry kibble, and they don’t eat with enthusiasm but more like obligation) and that the mutt has been acting like HE has a tummy ache when its usually the Pit with the sensitive stomach, and now I have enough reason to switch from the NB line, because I don’t trust Del Monte to maintain the standards with it.

What dry kibble can I get that will approximate the ingredients that were in the Synergy? I think that was best since it really seemed to cut down on the number and size of the poops, which were always firm and never gooey like the second half of them are now. and the Pit didn’t spend all day itching and licking paws and shaking his head the way he does whenever he eats cheap food. He has had an increase in ear itchiness lately, and lots of butt licking and even the mutt seems to be chewing on himself more nowadays, but the last two bags have been Ultra, not Synergy, so that may have something to do with it.

Still I would prefer to stay away from anything that is mass produced by a corp that spent millions to oppose GMO labeling along with Monsanto, and now the Natural Balance is on that list, so Synergy is out too. Looking for a replacement kibble from a brand that is at least popular enough to be carried in Petco or a feed supply chain that isn’t going to have boutique hours only, and one that is sold in LARGE bags of at least more than 25 pounds, preferably more. I figure similar makeup will have similar results with the boys and I’d like to have similar effects as the Synergy, which did nice things for their coat and their apparent digestive tract tolerance, resulting in smaller neater and fewer stools, and gave them lots of energy and they didn’t have to eat a ton of it. I don’t mind if it has rice, as that seems to suit them well enough without issue.

Anyone got a good replacement suggestion that doesn’t cost 85 bucks a bag? I am exhausted from the researching and have no idea where to begin now. It doesn’t need to be ultra premium, but should be at least a 3 star choice. It would be easier to pick something to replace it with if I understood what was good about the Synergy in the first place beyond the effects, but I just have no idea why it worked, it just did.

Curse them for selling out!

(After reading more articles on that acquisition, I am even more nervous about the direction that the NB brand may be headed. There was one article that had some scary wording in it concerning the awareness that people would pay more for foods that APPEARED TO BE better for their animals. It almost seemed to be a deliberate avoidance of what it actually WAS as opposed to how it LOOKED to be. The emphasis was all on how they wanted to capture a bigger share of the market and were interested in the premium lines because of what consumers would be willing to spend, with no focus at all on providing quality that would sustain that. I think it was a money grab, and that means that they will maximise it by cutting costs wherever possible too. And I’ve noticed in the reviews on their foods over the last two months, there are a lot of dogs with similar vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy that had been feeding NB for years without that happening. I can’t risk it.)

[Naturella]

Healthy Doggie Pizza Treats

Ingredients:

1/2 Best Bully Sticks Chicken Sausage
1/2 Best Bully Sticks Bacon Sausage
1 Best Bully Sticks Beef Sausage
1 Dried Fish Skin (optional)
3 strips Duck Jerky (optional)
1 medium carrot
1 radish
2 celery stalks
1 egg
2/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used Colby Jack)
1 small low sodium beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup tomato paste or tomato puree (made of tomatoes and water only, no sugar or other added ingredients)
1 teaspoon olive oil or bacon fat
2/3 cup unbleached flour (whole wheat or brown rice flour would work too)
1 tablespoon dry parsley leaves
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1 tablespoon turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor or blender, grind up beef, bacon, and chicken sausages as well as the duck jerky and fish skin to fine powder/tiny crumbs. Fish skin and jerky may remain a bit stringy, but that is okay.

3. Pour dry meat flour mix in a mixing bowl.

4. In a food processor or blender grind until finely chopped the carrot, radish, and celery.

5. Pour in the mixing bowl with the meat crumbs.

6. Add all remaining ingredients.

7. Using a spatula or your hands, mix until a homogenous wet mix forms.

8. Pour mix on a cookie sheet or pizza pan lined with parchment paper and even out until about 1/4 inch thick.

9. Bake for 30 minutes.

10. Take out, let cool down just a bit then cut up in desired treat sizes.

11. Serve to beloved pooch(es).

P.S. This is where I got my dry sausages for the “meat flour” from: http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/search?keywords=sausage&submit.x=-959&submit.y=-93

[hamish]

Hey all

Been lurking for quite some time with great results in my dog food rotation. Over the past 2 years I’ve fed my Sheltie and Cocker; Orijen 6 fish, Fromm Surf and Turf/ Salmon a la Veg, Brothers Fish, Go! Fit, Annamaet Lean, and Annamaet Aqualuk. As you can see I have an affinity for fish based foods due to my Shelties sensitive skin and I love the coat it produces. The Annamaet, for me, has by far been the best. However, I’m only using Aqualuk and Fromm right now and in an effort to keep a good rotation I want to branch out into new foods. More specifically, I’m interested in dry with some sort of raw mixed in. I was about to buy a bag of Great Life grain free wild salmon until I saw the catastrophe with the recall but it wasn’t a recall ;). I’ve come across Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Lamb and Salmon. Before I buy a bag I wanted to know if you guys knew of any other options that include freeze dried with dry kibble. I don’t want to get too complicated so please just keep it to all in ones.

Thanks in advance!

[doggydelight]

We have a 11 month old (11 pound) puppy who is quite healthy. We feed her with a combination of dry and wet food, using one of your 5 star rated foods. Given the nourishment that organ meats provide we are wondering if it is advisable to add a little bit of cooked beef liver to our puppy’s food intake.

[cherikeeusa]

I will be getting my large-breed puppy in about a month. My pup is a Goldendoodle, a Golden Retriever/Standard Poodle mix; they are well known to have a propensity toward grain allergies. I would like to provide a rotational diet for him, adding homemade meals (Sojo balanced) as well as grain-free, white potato-free dry foods topped with canned foods, sardines, etc. Can anybody help me with what sort of time-table for changing up his meals should be? Also, I’ve seen someplace that pork is a definite no-no, and chicken has a fairly high risk of allergy. True? Or…? In addition, any suggestions you might have for which brands I should start with would be very helpful. A full dietary plan would rock since I know next to nothing! LOL! I know…newbies suck right?!