[InkedMarie]

If you go back to the dog food advisor, go to the suggested low fat foods.

It’s important, regarding crystals, to insure your dog gets enough liquid. You can add water to dry foods or better, feed canned alone or with dry (if adding canned to dry, still add water) or feed a dehydrated food and/or raw.

Make sure your dog has ample opportunity to urinate

[GYaccino]

On the advice of our breeder, we are feeding adult food (she used Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach-we used our other dog’s brand, Blue Wilderness Salmon) to our 6 month old pup. He developed diarrhea two weeks ago and we switched to the rice and boiled chicken diet until things got better and attempted to gradually reintroduce the kibble. When we hit 1/4 cup of dry, the diarrhea started again. Back to the rice and chicken until clear two days, and then tried a new kibble, this time Core Wellness. Same thing-after we hit the 1/4 dry, back to the diarrhea. He has checked out negative for parasites and finished an antibiotic for some bacteria in his stool sample the first time. Can anybody suggest a dry food that is easier on the digestive system? This boy needs to fill out!

[maureen.wilson123@hotmail.com]

Loss of income is forcing us to consider a cheaper dog food for our two small dogs. Our dogs have been fed a BLUE”S brand dry dog food for the last year or so. Any suggestions of a brand that is more affordable, but yet healthy for small bread dogs.

[theBCnut]

If you want easy, Darwin’s, Aunt Jenny’s, and Answers for complete frozen raw foods foods. Or you can get The Honest Kitchen Preference or Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer dinner mixes and add your own fresh meat to them. This is a really easy way to get started feeding raw. Or if you want to do the work of learning about what to add to balance your dogs meals, you can order several different meats from Hare Today.

[murphy625]

Great….one last question…I think I’ll try the kibble of Pure Balance, a small bag…and a can (the cans are so large..), then find a decent raw, or dehydrated food, to alternate…any suggestions? I guess I’ll get bones at the butcher..I love this site!
J

[Hound Dog Mom]

What is your budget? Unfortunately – while healthier, as Patty pointed out – most dry food alternatives (dehydrated, freeze-dried, canned and raw) are much more expensive than dry dog food. If it’s not possible to feed an entirely raw, dehydrated, freeze-dried or canned diet you can “top” the kibble with these foods or alternate (i.e. raw for breakfast and dry for dinner). Healthy leftovers like lean meat, steamed veggies, eggs or plain yogurt are also a cheap way to dress up kibble and boost the species-appropriateness – just keep the addition of unbalanced toppers to 20% or less of the meal. Unfortunately dehydrated, freeze-dried and commercial raw foods would probably be off the table for someone on a budget but there are some quality budget friendly canned foods. Walmart sells a food called Pure Balance which is rated 5 stars and costs $1 per can, Tractor Supply sells a food called 4Health which is rated 4.5 stars and costs $0.99 per can and Costco sells a canned food called Kirkland Cuts & Gravy which costs $0.79 per can. Home cooked and homemade raw can be done fairly cheaply – but homemade diets do take some research. I agree with Patty about the lack of dental benefits with dry food as well – it’s just a myth that dry food cleans the teeth. The only way to assure dental health is to brush your dog’s teeth regularly or have regular dental cleanings at your vet. Raw bones can aid in dental health to a certain degree, but they’re no substitution for teeth brushing.

[theBCnut]

I’m sure you have noticed that dry doesn’t really keep teeth clean, so if that’s the only reason for feeding it then take a pass. Balanced raw is best. It has fresh specie appropriate food sources. After that, freeze dried, then dehydrated, because they are less processed and are usually a good source of meat proteins. Next would be canned, it is heat damaged but it has appropriate moisture and it is less processed than kibble and less starch than kibble. Last is kibble which is high in carbs and very processed.

For dental health, try brushing and raw meaty bones.

[murphy625]

Hi everyone,
I’ve had dogs all my life and fed nothing but dry dog food. After reading all the posts on this site..my head is swirling around. I am getting a bichon/Shitzu mix, 5 lb puppy, 9 wks old. I always thought wet food was bad for the teeth.. I have budget constraints as well. Can I have your opinions on what is best and what dog food would be good. I just bought nutro ultra dry. Thanks for you input…
Jami

[Mommadog]

You can always order online, there is petflow.com, wag.com, chewy.com and some others. Amazon sells the senior for 52.00 with free shipping. Merrick is priced well and is a very good brand. High protein, lower fat. They do have a senior and grain free. I feed my 7 dogs the same food, just less for my 10 year old who is a bit overweight. I am feeding my bunch Holistic select Duck formula right now.

I was feeding precise sensicare )lamb and rice) but even after several months we were having to many poops and loose stool. We are over half way through the Holistic select right now and they are doing so much better on it. But I want to give them something with more protein so I am going to try the Merrick Texas beef and sweet potato and the Pork (all grain free formula’s). My dogs range in age from 4 months up to 10 years.

I personally do not want to feed senior or eight loss formula’s, I am not impressed by any of them. Feeding a high quality higher protein (over 30% from meat) with fat less than 15% and then just give the overweight dogs a bit less is better I think.

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/consumer/products/product.jsp?id=147&page=2&view=list&sort=category_3&order=asc&name=Grain_Free_Real_Texas_Beef_&_Sweet_Potato_Recipe&categories=Dog-Grain%20Free-Dry&age=All_Life_Stages

Karla (AKA Disqus user name Zombie Chick)

• This reply was modified 12 years, 6 months ago by Mommadog.

[BlackandBlue]

Good for you for adopting a pit and a handicapped one at that! I’d like to suggest trying PetSmart’s brand of Simply Nourish. Specifically the Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Sweet Potato and Salmon dry dog food. And the canned Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Diet Fish & Potato Stew is excellent for allergies too. My scratching and licking allergy dog stopped that behavior cold turkey when on this food. The only issue she had on it was her eyes got goopey. I think she has mild reaction to potato. This food is on sale often and there’s coupons sometimes too so it’s a very affordable dog food. PetSmart just emailed me a $3.00 off coupon for any Simply Nourish purchase! I know right away if a food causes scratching to my dog. Return it to PetSmart if it doesn’t work out. Good luck with your pitty!

[Larissamichelle513]

I also feed my dog (60lb black lab/hound mix) Earth’s Pride Pet dry dog food and she is doing GREAT on it! I do also add a nupro supplement to insure she gets all her vitamins but from the research I put into finding her a quality, not to highly priced adult food it looks like the canned equivalent is a good choice. What you want to see in a dog food is meats listed first, thus the chicken, chicken broth and chicken liver would make up the highest percentage of ingredients in that canned food. You dont want to see anything like corn or corn syrup listed in the first few ingredients. This canned food also seems to have a lot of fruits and vegetables which is a good sign, and brown rice is an easily digestible carb for most dogs (again much better to see than corn). In my opinion I would say this is an above average quality canned food for your dog. I think it’s on par with a lot of the higher priced wet foods you find at pet stores. Dog Food Advisor does have a review for the Bj’s dry dog food if you wanted to take a look… /dog-food-reviews/berkley-jensen/

[doggydelight]

While my 8 month, small 9lb puppy seems to be healthy eating canned and dry food, alternately, twice daily. Respecting which I add a very small amount of cooked chicken breast. I am wondering whether to add a bit of raw garlic to her dish, plus alternating the cooked chicken with some canned albacore tuna. There is also talk of occasionally adding a teaspoon of cooked squash to puppy food. Any merit in this – or am I going overboard on nutritional needs.

[Byfuzzerabbit]

I have a 4 month Westie who had vomited several times in one day about 3 weeks ago and the vet recommend we give her some chicken and rice to give her a stomach a rest for a few days. I followed her directions I did mix some on her dry food which was Natures Recipe we switched it to Wellness thinking maybe she just didn’t like her food at first a week after stopping the chicken and rice diet. It’s been about 2 and a half weeks since we gave her chicken. She was eating her food but you could kind of tell she would look at you and be like what is this garbage. In the past 2 days she has become super stubborn about her food. She will eat maybe 1/8 cup then walk away from it .

I don’t think she’s sick b/c she’ll eat her treats like a champ also we got her Wellness wet puppy food today and she has no problems eating that. I have tried mixing the wet and dry food and she has no interest in it.

So I guess is this like a stand off w/ my dog until she eats her dog food again? I would rather keep her on the dry food.

[scottNY]

That is absolutely the truth. I should have specified I was referring to high-quality grain-free, for example only those that get 4 or 5 stars from DFA. I just switched from TOTW, which is 4-star, to Instinct Grain-Free Rabbit Meal Dry Dog Food based on what I read here. Since my puppy will be at least 75-80 lbs before he is done growing, I followed HDM’s advice from her spreadsheet for large-breed dogs.

[doggydelight]

We recently ‘rescued’ a 6 month old maltese/shitzu cross. She is now 8 months and doing well. We feed her twice daily. Every morning she is fed a cup of Nature’s Variety Instant Raw Boost (grain free) dry food(Crude protein 40%; crude fat 20%; fibre 4%;). And in the evening she gets a cup of Wet food, namely Innova Puppy Food(12% protein; 8% crude fat; fibre 1% etc.,). In addition, to each of the aforesaid cup of food I add a tablespoon of chicken breast(Kirkland’s premium cooked chicken breast which comes in a can – specifically for humans – and is very good). It has a 22% protein content, plus a 2% fat content. I always rinse the dog’s portion off under the tap to dispose of any sodium,etc.,
While our puppy thoroughly enjoys her meals I am wondering whether she is getting her full nutritional needs. She certainly gets her protein allowance, but is it too much. Further, while she is 8 months how much longer should we feed her puppy food. I should point out that she defecates and pees regularly. The poohs are invariably firm, while the pees are medium yellow toned.

[R Corsol]

I’ve been asking for a review of the new Earth’s Pride item at BJ’s as well but haven’t seen one yet.

I am currently using the Earth’s Pride Pet Foods and really really really love them! I had moved off of the Costco brand to Blue Buffalo which I was paying a fortune for because my dog’s didn’t do well on Kirkland despite the good ingredient deck. When the BJ’s dry foods came out I was skeptical because the disparity I saw between Kirkland and Blue Buffalo.

Because of that I wanted to asked questions about the food and was told by BJ’s that their food is made by a company called GlobalOne pet. They provided me this e-mail address cutsomerservice@gloablonepet.com to contact them. Upon my asking they told me they peroxide value test their meats, they don’t buy farm raised fish, they said they did all the little things that I guess made a difference in the more expensive foods vs. Kirkland. We currently use the Grain Free Duck but have used the Chicken and Lamb as well for the dry and my dogs are doing great and LOVE IT! We use the wet as well as a treat sometimes and man they are doing great on it as well. Best part it’s a terrific value still, (although not as cheap as Kirkland).

Hope this helps!

[CharlieNYC]

Hello everyone,

I’m a total newbie here and I hope to learn as much as I can. With little planning and even less preparation, we just got a 4-month old Standard Poodle puppy 2 days ago. He’s really gentle with our kids and has a peaceful disposition with everyone so we’re feeling very lucky. He weighs about 20-25 pounds, has an Apricot-color coat and seems to be in great health (we’re taking him to the vet tomorrow.)

The person we got him from recommended Purina One Healthy Blend Large Puppy Formula in red bags. After a little digging, I realized that it isn’t a highly rated food at all. I was hoping to get your recommendations for the top couple of foods for our new puppy. Some friends have recommended freeze-dried beef or chicken patties, and some swear by dry foods to help the teeth and gums. At this point, we’re little confused so we would appreciate any help you can give us.

Thanks in advance!

[katrina0275]

Hello –

I am looking to change the diet of my german shepard. He has very bad yeast issues on his skin and in his ears. I am looking for a dry and wet dog food that have no sugars, whatsoever – this means no honey, no high fructose corn syrup, no white or sweet potato, no corn, no wheat, and no rice. Can anyone help me??? I am desperate!

Thanks!

[jpjhooper]

Any word on this food? I keep seeing posts about dogs getting sick within the last 6 months. We feed him the Life Protection Formula with the Life Source bits as a secondary food source. Main food source is Grandma Lucys freeze dried chicken. We mostly use the dry kibble as “treats” for training as we thought it might be lower calorie then actual treats. Also if we happen to run out of GL then we supplement with BB until we can get to the store.

[Mavis]

Hi! This was requested by some people I was chatting with so here goes nothing! 🙂 So if you have not been in on the chat on the review of the Grain Free Merrick Dog Food here is the link I am of course Mavis: /dog-food-reviews/before-grain-dog-food-dry/
Any way here is some info on my dog Hogan. He is a male German Shephard/ Labrador mix. He weighs around 90-95 lbs. meaning he is around 15- 20 lbs overweight. He is almost 8 years old. This started when I was looking to buy him a better food. I had originally fed him Pedigree. After reading the ingredients and how bad they were I am now on the hunt for a better food. So I need you pet owners to help me come up with a couple weight loss methods and I’ll be very happy to try them out. Just to let you know try and be creative and please no walks/ bike riding, my dog has anxiety and refuses to go too far from the house. Lastly any suggestions on ways to ease his anxiety and help him go a little farther from the house, with him he will not walk if he can’t see the house anymore. Thank you so much!!!
-Mavis

[BlackandBlue]

My dog has a lot of food intolerances and I sometimes forget what they are. Here’s the list: Poultry, eggs, sardines, rice, oatmeal, and slightly white potatoes. Here’s the reactions: Paw licking, face scratching, belly rash, ear infection, gooey eyes, butt scooting, diarrhea, rust colored stained fur around her mouth and anus, and flakey skin on her ears. Here’s the dry dog food that she can eat with good results: Merrick Grain Free Texas Beef + Sweet Potatoes Recipe. (I haven’t found any others after trying TONS of different food. I’m still working on finding other brands to rotate.) The canned food: Born Free Salmon Recipe.
List your dogs’ results here too!

[kdpetadvocate]

I have been feeding my dogs the grainfree from G’day (a pet food delivery service and more) for years. I’ve read the label. It appears to be good. Has their food (white bag, no label, but manufactured by Ohio Pet Foods, Inc) been analyzed?

[beaglemom]

Hi everyone… one of my pups has fallen into the “late summer itchies” stage and I’m at a complete loss for what to do for her because nothing works. Her only symptom is paw licking/chewing – intermittently. She’ll go for hours seemingly fine and then have a serious itchy paw attack, primarily the front paws. Her ears seem fine, and though she occasionally scratches at them I’d say it’s 10% or less of the time. She’s been getting us up in the morning… will sleep until ~4-5 am and then it’s up chewing the paws.

What does this sound like? She eats an incredibly varied diet, primarily raw so food allergy is last on my list of suspicions… but I can’t rule it out I guess. Stools have been perfect though. We’ve tried rinsing off her feet every time she comes in from outside in either water/baking soda, water/iodine, and recently I picked up some Epsom salt but I’m not even sure it’s worth trying. The foot rinsing does not seem to have an effect, though. I’ve also been giving her half a Benedryl (12.5 mg) OR half of a Zyrtec (5 mg) with meals but neither seems to offer her any relief.

Any input or suggestions are greatly appreciated. It may come down to allergy/blood tests at the vet but they’re my last resort just because of the money… however, I hate to see her suffer like this. If it is a seasonal thing, we’re still at least a month away from first frost. Thanks in advance.

[gidget406]

I recently switched my 6 year old bulldog to natural balance (limited ingredient diet) sweet potato and chicken. It’s been a few months and since then his facial fold has gotten infected, his ears are bothering him, he’s constantly licking his feet and I just noticed that his chin is getting irritated and red. He’s also been eating grass every night consistently for the past week and not throwing up. His poops are regular but it seems like he’s drinking much more water. He just seems like a giant itchy ball of infection and I feel so bad for him. I need advice on what dry food has worked for sensitive dogs with allergies. What brands work? What ingredients should I be looking for? Does he need supplements?

[Saireah]

Thanks! Yes, it is the only Dr. Tim’s food that I’ve tried. I didn’t try the grain-inclusive formula. That’s an idea. They have similar first ingredients and the grain-inclusive Kinesis is 2% higher protein than Fromm’s Adult Gold.

My only concern with Fromm’s Puppy Gold is that the calcium level is higher — 1.37% as-is and 1.47% dry-matter (vs. 1.16% and 1.24% respectively with the Adult).

I do normally try and feed a wet food topper, as well.

I’ve just never been able to get my 2 year old on a food that settled well with her — she’s been on Nature’s Recipe (ugh, I know) and that worked great but was low quality, Taste of the Wild, Acana, and then Fromm’s.

Perhaps I’ll try the grain-inclusive Kinesis and see how it goes? I do like how their stools are with Dr. Tim’s.

[bkagel]

Hi all. I have been using dog food advisor for quite some time. Here’s the deal. I have an 8 year old pap and I think she has ibs. She’s sensitive when it comes to grains and overly processed foods. The last dry food she was on was Merrick’s grain free buffalo. She was doing okay on that kibble but she get’s seasonal allergies. She was one yeasty dog! I slowly took her off the Merrick and put her back on her raw food diet. With a lot of baths, and her adjustment to her old raw food diet I thought we were good to go. Unfortunately she started having serious diarrhea, so she just ate cooked chicken with pro- biotics from Nature’s Farmacy. I cooked her a low residue food and then I started adding 1 tablespoon of acana per meal thinking I could switch her to acana. No way. I thought I was going to pass out from her second poop. Talk about foul smelling!!

She does well with a protein ratio of 28-32% and a carb ratio the same or lower level. I really liked brother’s complete, but realistically, I can’t afford it. I have two fur babies and while they are small I don’t know if I could afford them. At least with a 50 lb bag of Acana, I would be set for a good 4-5 months.

This is what I’ve tried over the years that hasn’t worked or I didn’t like:
back to basics-diarrhea city too much protein
Evo, Innova, California Naturals-she didn’t do so well on those as a puppy. Ibs flare ups etc.

Having written all of that, is there some grain free, potato free (or at least low potato) food I can get my dogs that I can get a sample packet(s) I can afford. It used to be that the stores would give you a sample packet. Pet people charged me $10.00 for a sample packet.

I live in Columbus Ohio. I usually go to Petco or Pet People because they tend to have the better foods in stock.
Please tell me there is help for this situation. She’s on the prescribed low resolution and she’s taking “their” probiotics. It’s only a matter of time 2-3 days until she’ll be back to normal. I have NO clue what to give her that I can afford for both of them.

[theBCnut]

It has 24% protein, which is pretty low. It has brown rice, oatmeal, pearled barley, and rice hulls, too many grains, too much starch. And a long list of added vitamins that I would rather see from the inclusion of real foods since they are better utilized that way.

[erinfosler]

I could not find a review on this dog food, Simply Wild Chicken Dry Dog Food, not sure how new it is. But I wanted to know what it was all about, and your blog breaks it down nice and easy and understandable, instead of trying to understand what they write. Thanks. http://www.entirelypets.com/simplywilddogfood26lbs.html

[Hound Dog Mom]

Weight loss is based on calories in and calories out – your dog has to create an energy deficit in order to lose weight (in other words, the dog needs to burn more calories than it’s consuming). Weight loss can be achieved on any food as long as the portion size is controlled appropriately – although it’s definitely easier on foods that are less calorically-dense. Personally, if I had a dog with weight issues I would definitely avoid kibble. Kibble is very low in moisture and for this reason much more calorically dense than higher moisture foods (raw, canned, dehydrated). To give you an idea – a large can of food (~13 oz.) will contain roughly the same number of calories as an 8 oz. cup of dry kibble. Dehydrated foods contain roughly the same amount of calories per cup as a quality kibble (sometimes slightly more), but they are re-hydrated with – usually – 1 part food to 1.5 parts water which results in about 2 1/2 C. of food for roughly the same amount of calories as 1 C. of kibble. A raw diet formulated with lean meat will be very low in calories – generally only 250 – 300 per cup of food. If you do decide to go with a kibble, my recommendations would be Annamaet Lean, Wellness CORE Reduced Fat or Acana Light & Fit. Be sure to reduce portion sizes accordingly.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Crepuscular]

Best bang for the buck? We have a 45 lb multigeneration mixed breed dog. She is very active (particularly with our twin 7 year old boys). We are of modest means. I’ve been considering Innova Prime Grain Free (Dry), Wellness Core Dog Food (Dry), and NutriSource Grain Free, or Taste of the Wild. There are so many great foods on the site and we want to give “Mitzi” the best food we can afford. Any recommendations for the best possible food that is still reasonably priced??

[Crepuscular]

Best bang for the buck? We have a 45 lb multigeneration mixed breed dog. She is very active (particularly with our twin 7 year old boys). We are of modest means. I’ve been considering Innova Prime Grain Free (Dry), Wellness Core Dog Food (Dry), and NutriSource Grain Free, or Taste of the Wild. There are so many great foods on the site and we want to give “Mitzi” the best food we can afford. Any recommendations for the best possible food that is still reasonably priced??

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi dendad –

Pedigree is a extremely poor quality food – one of the worst out there. If you head over to the review section and search for Pedigree you’ll see that all their foods have been reviewed – the dry foods are rated 1 star and the wet foods are rated 1.5 stars (out of 5). Switching foods is very healthy and dogs should get accustomed to switching foods as early as possible – it helps to strengthen the gut by supporting a healthy and diverse population of microflora in the digestive tract. I would recommend switching her off Pedigree as soon as possible (do a gradual switch over the course of a week by starting with predominantly Pedigree and only a small amount of the new food until you are transitioned entirely to the new food). I’d also recommend adding a tsp. of plain canned pumpkin to her meals (the fiber will may help firm things up) and starting her on a high quality, multi-strain probiotic supplement to get get gut stabilized. Are you on a specific budget or are there certain stores you shop at? I could give you some suggestions for foods to check out base on cost and where you’re shopping. If you don’t have a preference, any of the foods on Dr. Mike’s lists of best puppy foods over on the review site would be worth a try. Good luck!

[gmcbogger38]

Low fat food that I know is good for pancreatitis is Wellness Core Reduced Fat. It is grain free. It also contains 33% protein. They have a dry and canned version. Maybe it will help with the issue you are facing, too.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by gmcbogger38.

[pattonsm]

I had my boxer mix puppy/adult (just turned 1) on Blue Buffalo Wilderness. We’ve only had her for 2 months. She was on Purina One Puppy when we got her, vet recommended Science Diet. She was doing OK on that (was eating twice daily), but that’s when I found this website and wanted to put her on something better. Settled on BB. Well, I’m not sure she likes it. she’s only been eating once a day. I got a couple of cans of wet food and mixed in about 1/3 can with the dry. The next day she didn’t eat and had diahhrea all day, then the next day every time she drank water she would throw it up. I figured that maybe it was too rich for her. Took her to the vet – they gave her fluid injections, and an anti-nausea shot. She’s been on chicken and rice since, but I’m looking for some kind of food that would be good for a dog that may have a sensitive stomach or some GI problems. Does anyone have ay sunggestions for me or know how i would figure that out? On a side note, she LOVES the chicken and rice. Would it be bad just to keep her on that and maybe mix in some fruits and vegetables?

Thanks for your help!

[somebodysme]

Well darn, it was a chart of the most popular dry dog foods and it listed the calories, I think it may have also listed some other things too. I think that who posted the chart said that the higher the calories also meant the higher the meat protein was. My memory is pretty lame these menopausal years…HA!

[pugmomsandy]

Digestive enzymes? Depending on the dose, your dog can just take the whole capsule or you can open it and mix it with his food wet or dry, each feed. This will help with food digestion. When you give enzymes in between meals, then they help the body systemically by aiding cellular function, health and repair.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/8_10/features/15752-1.html

Or do you mean probiotics?

[weezerweeks]

I was adding raw fruits and veggies when he was in dry but his PH was8.5 with crystals so I switched to canned and the vet told me not to add to this. His PH is still 8.5 but no crystals.should I try whole food supplements? I want his PH to get lower!

[poconnell]

We have a Westie and a Cairn Terrior, they both have allergies to Wheat (as I do)! We feed them dry dog food that we buy from our local Pet store and we mix chicken thigh meat in with it and they will not eat the food without it. We feed them once a day, I leave the dry dog food in their dish as they basically just eat the chicken, but they do get the dry food as well. Is one time a day not enough, this has always been a concern of mine. Oh, and they do get treats, maybe too much. Thanks for any help you can give.

[KatB]

Hi Hound Dog Mom,

Thanks for the reply and the suggestion. I will definitely look into that.

They’ve been on Wilderness for about 3-4 weeks now. I had hoped to see a lessening of the itchiness, but am not. I have also read that many people rotate foods on a fairly regular basis. Was thinking of buying either the salmon or duck formula (still Wilderness) next purchase and see if there is any change. Some folks have said that chicken can be a fairly common allergen.

Many moons ago, we also purchased wet food (canned – I think it was Kirkland from Costco) to supplement the dry food. My yellow boy would vomit, so we only do the dry food now. But then again, we did not try a different wet food. So they only get the dry kibble, which we add either a little chicken broth or warm water to. Sometimes we also supplement with low fat vanilla yogurt or cottage cheese to add some moisture.

I also read about NB being manufactured in Diamond plants, which was also a major concern to me. Prior to the sale though, their reviews seemed to be pretty good. I think this site even rated them 4 star, but I could be wrong as I’ve been reading about so many brands lately! Not to argue the point at all, but it is surprising to me that my friend landed on that brand after all her research.

Thanks for the links and the advice! Very much appreciated. Will look into the enzymes asap. And if you have any thoughts about rotating food and dry vs. wet, would love to hear!

Thanks,
KatB

[InkedMarie]

Mrs Nix, I forgot to say that dr Karen Becker, on Mercola Healthy Pets, has an article on what types of foods are best; dry is least favorable. Glad EHubbman chimed in about gut health.

E: I honestly have no rhyme or reason. I don’t feed raw daily but when I do, I feed it for breakfast and dinner is about ten hours later. We haven’t had any problems doing so.

[Kazimber]

Thank you Pattyvaugn for your answer! My Dachshund Homer is actually eating rice, soya protein, hydrolized poultry liver…he seems to be doing really well on this, his skin is shiny and he is not licking, itching that much as before. But I would like to try a food rated higher than Royal Canin. Here is a copy paste of the ingredients in Royal Canin Hypoallergenic DR-21 Veterinarian formula:

COMPOSITION: rice, hydrolysed soya protein isolate, animal fats, minerals, hydrolysed poultry liver, beet pulp, soya oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, fish oil, borage oil, marigold extract (source of lutein). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 24800 IU, Vitamin D3: 800 IU, E1 (Iron): 40 mg, E2 (Iodine): 3 mg, E4 (Copper): 11 mg, E5 (Manganese): 53 mg, E6 (Zinc): 202 mg – Preservatives – Antioxidants. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 21% – Fat content: 19% – Crude ash: 8.4% – Crude fibres: 1% – Per kg: EPA/DHA: 3.4 g – Essential fatty acids: 47 g.

I have tried giving him the TOTW grain free Pacific Stream which is salmon and potato the past month and his skin got really bad, tons of shedding and itching and kind of little dry pimples all over. I had to put him back on Royal Canin. So definitely salmon is not for him. I think maybe chicken and rice would be ok with him. Any suggestions?

I also have my puppy Bulldog on TOTW Pacific Stream and he is doing good but also wanted a second choice since I’ve heard about their recalls and to have some also. Suggestions for him would be appreciated!

[KatB]

Hi!
So, have been reading a lot about dog foods and various kinds, as well as dietary supplements for my two fur babies. I am looking for some help and suggestions from others who may be experiencing similar issues. So a little background first…..

I have two labs, a male yellow that is 6 going on 7, and a female black who is 4 going on 5. They are pretty healthy I am happy to say! My boy the yellow though, has sensitive skin and has been an itchy boy for most of his life. This past year, he was bitten by something in the back yard that gave him hives and an allergic reaction, treated by benedryl. He has also developed a skin infection on the underside of his chin twice this year. Baby girl the black does not have the skin problems he seems to have, however she got a a bacterial infection on her tummy twice this year. They have been on Kumpi, and have always loved it. Due to the skin issues and infections that they both suffered this year, and also due to the high caloric count that Kumpi has, I decided to try something else.

So we switched to Blue Wilderness, the chicken formula. We are on the 2nd bag now. They love the taste and eat it just fine. After reading about the high protein diet, and taking into consideration the skin issues, I also just started adding probiotics (Probiotic Miracle) and Celavin Omega 3 Oil. Am starting with smaller doses…..today is the 2nd day they have gotten a full 1/4 tsp. of the probiotic, and they also got a 1/4 tsp. of the oil. So far haven’t noticed anything different, but also no ill effects.

What I am noticing in the yard though…..loose and very fragrant (and not in a good way!) stools. I am hoping that the probiotics will start to kick in and help with that, but am wondering if there is an average time frame to start noticing a difference? They also seemed a tad gassy for awhile, that seems to have subsided, but probably still a bit too early to tell. Their stools are also not consistently loose…..some look pretty good, but not as firm as I would like to see. I would also like to find a food that might reduce the amount of stools that I am seeing. I read somewhere recently, may have been here, that a lady had her dog on a food and routine that has resulted in one stool per day…..wow! While I don’t necessarily expect that kind of result, it does seem like they are pooping a lot.

This whole subject of best food(s) to feed is mind boggling to me….so many variables. A dear friend who is very health conscious, both for herself and her dogs, feeds hers Natural Balance (Dick Patten). But since they have now been sold to Del Monte, I have some real concerns that the good reputation they have built for their foods will soon go the way of many foods that have been bought out by large corporations. I am not necessarily ready to give up on Blue Wilderness, but am also reading that perhaps a potato free food may be a better choice. Sweet potato would be ok I think, from what I have read, but “regular” white potatoes can be an allergent.

So looking for some good advice on what to do here…..hang in and see if the probiotics start to kick in and do their job, or keep looking for a food that I can be confident is safe for them, and might help my itchy boy be more comfortable. The probiotic jar is such a small amount for the price…..I am willing to spend on my babies, that’s for sure! But it would be nice to find a food where I could potentially limit the supplements. That may be the ideal world. Would love suggestions on more cost effective probiotics and if I’m on the right track!

Any and all comments and suggestions welcome! I know that there are a lot of you who have done tons of research more than I have, and am hoping to get some shared knowledge that might help.

Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing your comments! It is very much appreciated.

KatB….dog mom!

[somebodysme]

I do have the vetericyn but it just seems like any time I use it, it irritates her skin even worse. It’s so hard with her because she has such sensitive skin. The only spray I’ve used that doesn’t seem to irritate is made my Excel Medicated antiseptic spray. Everything else I have used on this poor dog is an irritant. UGH! It could have been that her feet were wet because I rinse them off after each walk, I towel dry them but still they could have been damp and maybe I put her in her crate with wet paws? May have even been something on someone’s grass? I guess it’s hard to say but all I know is I switched her back to NV and her paws are healing up nicely…sheeeew!

I appreciate being able to talk this over with you…it helps iron things out and I’m new to all this dog allergies and yeast stuff. My last dog ate grocery store food and was fine…of course at the time I never heard of DFA! HAHA!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Kobe’s Dad –

The calcium percentages listed on the website/package are lower than what I stated because websites an packaging typically (as is the case with Earthborn) state the guanteed minimum level of calcium (this is why it says “min”) – not the actual level of calcium or maximum which is what is important. The actual level is often quite a bit higher than the minimum. For all the foods on my list I contacted the companies directly to obtain the actual amount of calcium (from lab analysis).

It’s not necessary for a canned (or dry food) to be labeled for large breed puppies – it just needs to have appropriate calcium levels and be approved for growth/als. If you’re just using the canned food as a topper (20% or less of the diet) I wouldn’t worry about calcium levels.

Weruva is a great, high quality food. I believe their dog formulas are approved for adult maintenance only – this is fine if you’re just using the canned as a topper but it wouldn’t be appropriate as a sole diet for a puppy.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi ebk –

None of Wellness’ products are manufactured by Diamond. Some of Wellness’ 95% meat and Complete Health canned foods are manufactured by American Nutrition in Ogden, UT. The Simple Stews and the other 95% meat varieties are manufactured by Simmons in their Toronto, ON and Pannsauken, NJ facilities. The majority of their ingredients are sourced from the US however they do source things like lamb/venison etc. from New Zealand and some of their vitamins/amino acids are sourced from China (this is pretty common).

• This reply was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[dog34747]

I have an 8 year old male, retired racing greyhound with a very sensitive stomach and allergies. He’s had severe ear infections, nasal congestion, compulsive licking and digestive problems. He is also hyper allergic to flea bites, with them even turning in to mini staph infections at each bite. Over the past 3 1/2 years I have tried nearly every brand on the market from Purina on up to Orijen. If it’s sold anywhere between the specialty boutique shops and PetsMart, I have probably tried it. I’ve tried grain-in, grain-free, corn-free, soy-free, gluten-free, chicken-free… etc. etc. I have tried chicken, turkey, fish, lamb, beef, bison, and I think one even had ostrich or something. Basically I’ve tried everything. I have even tried the high-end frozen raw diet food, he just simply won’t touch it. He does not appear to be allergic to chicken specifically, I’ve tried poultry based foods and foods with absolutely no poultry of any kind and the result is the same.

Every single grain-free food causes, horrendous breath, loose stool and severe gas. No amount of pumpkin, yogurt, supplement pro-biotics or pre-biotics seems to fix it, sometimes those relieve things for a day or two but never permanently. It seems directly linked to the percent of protein, above a certain point and these issues start. He seems ok around 22% but usually anything in that range is not grain-free.

The grain-in foods (and treats) increase his nasal congestion (like a kid sucking the snot in vs. blowing his nose, not the same as a reverse sneeze) and the obsessive licking, and they also exacerbates the ear infections. He has had the ear infections recurring, or perhaps even continually but low level, since I got him. He was on a grain-in food when I got him and I immediately switched to grain-free but the ear never fully cleared up even on grain-free. The ear is finally cleared up (for now) after lots of meds though I’m worried his diet will bring it back.

I have tried some raw foods and veggies but they seem to pass through him without even being digested at all.

Any kind of food with potato as a major ingredient seems to act as an immediate diuretic, causing him to be constantly thirsty, panting and drinking and therefore needing to go out 7+ per day every few hours and even having accidents in the house which otherwise he has never had before. This includes all those limited ingredient foods because they all seems to be potato based.

The only time I have had any luck with a food is with Iams Sensitive Naturals Ocean Fish. Yes, I know it doesn’t rank highly and many people here are against it, but it was literally the only food that stopped the breath/stool/gas problems in their tracks, nearly overnight. I’ve heard others say they had similar good luck with Iams and attribute it to the beet pulp, not sure if that’s really true but I can say it worked for my dog. He went about eating it with no digestive issues for 9 months or so but the silent ear infection got worse and worse and the nasal issues got worse. Then we tried Eukanuba Wild Salmon/Rice and the ear/nasal continued to get worse and the licking started. The only benefit to the Eukanuba was his coat was suddenly full, fluffy and soft and the traditional greyhound bald spots were even filling in. I was bothered by the increase in allergies so I’ve gone back to looking for something else.

So I’ve since re-tried several other grain-free foods and the Biljac Sensitive formula, all produce the same old problems. Re-tried a limited potato food, same problem.

I’d like to note he has been tested repeatedly for worms, giardia, heartworms, etc. and all negative. He has had bloodwork taken regularly and it is all absolutely perfect, including thyroid. His teeth have been cleaned by the vet recently and are good. He has absolutely no medical issues outside of the allergies and stomach sensitivities. Also, several vets and others suggested giving him claritan or benedryl to relieve the nasal and skin related reactions but it seems to do nothing for him.

I’m sorry this post is so long, thanks for reading all of it, I was trying to give the full background so folks know what I’ve already tried on this great food adventure. I’m looking for any suggestions, advice, testimonials, whatever on food and treats. I’m willing to try any food to get him to be comfortable, as long as it doesn’t require a second mortgage to pay for it. Thanks in advance!

[SandyandMila]

That’s what you had mentioned before, just making sure because it says to add to wet or dry food. Thanks!

[Mom2Cavs]

ebk…I’m interested in this, too, as I use Wellness 95% cans. I do know that unless a company has their own cannery (Merrick does, I believe) then they must outsource their manufacturing. I won’t use Evanger’s made products due to their untrustworthiness.

[sophieandcowboysmom]

I originally searched for change to Chicken Soup Senior and came upon this site! Chicken Soup Senior has changed their formula no longer do I see carrots or peas but square chunks of potato and the dog food is now so watered down and has a grainy texture. After 5 years of using this brand I no longer believe in it. What’s the best SENIOR canned food on the market? Primarily used to hide my 12 y/o Pointers meds and mix up with the dry for my 10 y/0 finicky eater. Thank you!

[ebk]

Hound Dog Mom,

Do you have any info on Wellness Pets canned dog food? I use their grain free Beef and Lamb. I sent a message to them a few weeks ago asking about sourcing and if they still outsource their production and, if so, to whom. I read somewhere that they said they no longer outsource to Diamon. The dogs seem to enjoy it and it smells good. BTW, you and InkedMarie were spot on re Evangers. I opened one of the cans and YUCK!

Thanks,

ebk