[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, 3 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, 4 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, 4 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

[ShepherdMom]

I have a german shepherd x Belgian shepherd. He is allergic to:
Potatoes (very)
Chicken
Fish
Rice
Peas
Barley
Anyone have a suggestion for a dry food? Right now we are feeding Natures Instinct but would like other options.

[losul]

Hy Cyndi!

By now you have maybe already looked it up. I don’t see any serious problem with what you did. In fact I sometimes do the same with small quantitities to be used fairly quickly. Sometimes it’s just not very feasible to do any other way. I guess I mostly just used the opportunity to plug Steve’s book again, lol. While I don’t consider it to be the absolute gospel, I do think he gives a solid foundation to start, so I highly reccomend to folks thinking about starting a raw and/or fresh diet, balancing foods, and/or improving a dogs processed food diet with minimum effort, along with other good tips and advice, and interesting tidbits like gross inaccuracies of professional laboratory analysis testing.

The only thing he hypothesizes about about mixing in vegetables with ground meats before freezing, is that it can further degrade nutrients in the meats and shortens the shelf life because of additional ice crystal formation further damaging the cell walls and making even more exposed to oxidizing agents. It could be a consideration if prepping and freezing for longer periods, or for commercial raw foods that already contain veggies. He says to insist on knowing the production date and then determine yourself the quality shelf life, not just on some of the manufacturers proclaimed 12 month expiration date.

Other things about frozen storage;

for frozen at constant 0 degress, ground meats and whole poultry giblets, USDA only determines to be considered quality that they are used in 3 to 4 months. Whole meats, roasts, poultry, etc., up to 1 year.

Once frozen, and especially ground meats and fish, or especially those with delicate polyunsturated fats, oxidation, degradation, enzyme activity, etc continues, albeit at a slower pace. Ice crystals also grow steadily, increasing damage to cell walls.

I’ve tried to get one friend interested in feeding her (health problems)dogs better, and I had left the book for her to read. She will still have nothing to do with raw, but I thought I had some of it sinking in until visiting recently I saw she again had a large bag of kibble standing wide open in her too warm laundry room. I scolded her carefully(again), closed the bag and brought it in, went and got my book and insisted She read right then and there the section on kibble storage.

I’m convinced that many of todays illnesses are caused by rancidity, nutrient degradation, molds and mycotoxins, and infestatations, from kibble stored too long or under inadequate conditions, especially with the move away from toxic, but more effective, chemical preservatives, and the move towards more delicate fats, and presumably much less toxic, but also much less efficient natural preservatives. I currently feed only about 25% kibble, majority raw, and the rest canned. Probably in the near future I will go to 100% or near, home prepped raw.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi soccermom7 –

Do not add Preference to a balanced kibble. Preference is designed for the addition of boneless meat. Meat is high in phosphorus but has negligible amounts of calcium (dogs need calcium and phosphorus in between a 1:1 and 2:1 ratio) therefore pre-mixes such as Preference are very high in calcium to compensation for the addition of meat, kibble already has a balanced C:P ratio so adding Preference would potentially throw it off. Additionally, if anything you should be adding more meat to kibble not fruits and vegetables – kibble is too high in plant matter as it is.

As far as a kibble replacement for THK – there is not kibble replacement. The Honest Kitchen is a minimally processed food and about as close to a raw natural or home cooked diet as you can get with feeding commercial food. THK even has some enzymes still intact. Kibble is highly processed. I can understand wanting to cut costs because THK is pricey (I used to feed it) but, unfortunately, going to kibble is going to be a huge decrease in quality.

My recommendations would be to consider a homemade diet (raw or cooked, whatever you’re more comfortable with). There are many books available with balanced recipes. Homemade diets can be done very cheaply. When I was feeding two of my bloodhounds THK I was spending over $500 per month. I’m now feeding them a homemade raw diet, which is even healthier than THK, and spending just under $200 per month. You may want to check out Grandma Lucy’s – it’s another dehydrated type food similar to THK and is a bit more reasonably priced. Another option would be to feed kibble for one meal and THK for the other or to “top” the kibble with some rehydrated THK. You could also look into canned foods – many canned foods are expensive however there are some really reasonably priced quality canned foods available. Pure Balance (available at Walmart) it is rated 5 stars and costs between $1 and $1.25 per can. Costco sells Kirkland Cuts in Gravy which is rated 5 stars for $0.79 per can. 4Health which is rated 4.5 stars is available at Tractor Supply for $0.99 per can. If you added an enzyme supplement to one of these foods it would be nearly as good as THK and much better than kibble. If you do find that you need to go with an entirely kibble diet, I’d pick a 5 star kibble, rotate brands often for variety and add some fresh foods whenever possible (leftover meat, eggs, yogurt, tinned sardines, etc.).

[soccermom7]

My first time on this forum, thanks for any input. My large Bouvier is doing fantastic on The Honest Kitchen ‘Embark’ after we almost lost her to an auto-immune disease. For obvious reasons, we don’t want to switch her away from this superior food but it is expensive!! She is going through 10Lb ($90) boxes every 2+ weeks. Is there a superior dry food that closely resembles Embark? There are just too many for me to go through every one. My thought was to give her dry food and add Honest Kitchen ‘Preference’ for added vegetable and holistic nutrition. Thoughts or suggestions?

[Cyndi]

Hi losul, I do have that book, on my generic iPad. (I bought it when I first came onto this site and HDM recommended it) Not sure which edition I have, but I’ll look that up. I do remember reading the info on the storing dry foods, which I never knew, but I no longer feed dry dog food, but I did pass along that info to people I know.

I’ll look up the info you mentioned on the frozen storage though, thanks! Now that I already froze Bailey’s food, with the premix added, that book is probably going to tell me not to do that, right? Lol!

Thanks for the info! 🙂

[losul]

Hi Cyndi.

Do you by chance have the book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet”? If you do, pages 90 and 91 (2010 edition) gives very good info on frozen storage and quality concerns. The rest of chapter 7 “Storing Foods to Retain Quality” gives excellent info for storing dry foods

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Kobe –

Based on the information provided to me by the Earthborn rep when I spoke to him on the phone, the grain-inclusive Puppy Vantage is not appropriate for large or giant breed puppies. Most veterinary nutritionists recommend large or giant breed puppies consume no more than 3.5 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. I was told by the rep that the max calcium level in the Puppy Vantage is 1.61% – this equates to 4.19 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. which is too high.

I can’t guarantee that switching to a grain-free kibble will or will not cause digestive upset as all dogs are different. What I would suggest is doing a gradual transition – 25% new/75% old for 3 – 4 days, 50% new/50% old for 3 – 4 days, 75% new/25% old for 3 – 4 days until you’re up to 100% new. I would also recommend adding a tablespoon on plain canned pumpkin and a probiotic supplement to each meal during the transition period. The fiber in the pumpkin and probiotics should help to minimize digestive upset.

A wet food is not more likely to cause digestive upset than a dry food, it just depends on the individual dog and whether or not the dog handles new foods. Trying new foods will be a good way to determine whether or not your dog has a healthy gut. Dogs that don’t have healthy guts (the balance of microflora in their gut is off) do not tolerate changes in food, I truly healthy dog can switch from food to food with no transition and not experience digestive upset. Rotating foods helps to strengthen the gut.

The wet food can be from the same company as the dry but it doesn’t have to be. A general rule of thumb is that 1 large can of wet food (usually around 13 oz.) is roughly the caloric equivalent of 1 C. of kibble. So adjust your dog’s kibble intake based on how much wet food you want to feed. For example, if he’s eating 3 C. kibble per day and you wanted to start giving him 1 large can per day you would give 2 C. dry + 1 can. If you do decide to go with Earthborn’s wet foods, keep in mind they come in smaller tubs (9 oz.) versus the traditional 13 oz. cans so I’d say one of their tubs would be the equivalent of about 3/4 C. kibble.

[kobe]

to HDM,
thanks so much-i will take you up on your offer for follow-up

first, on friday -i called the nutrition person on staff at EARTHBORN–he told me that their grain puppy kibble was suitable for a large breed puppy-can you briefly let me know what this kibble is lacking for my large-70 pond 5 month old bernese puppy?
second,will i have gi issues meaning diarrhea– with my puppy if i switch him to a grain free kibble–since i have had him -he has only received grain containing kibble?
third,are wet STEWS such as EARTHBORN makes-more likely to cause gi symptoms than more solid type of wet foods?
fourth,should the add-on wet food be from the same company as the dry kibble being used?
LAST BUT NOT LEAST–can you recommend YOUR prefeerred wet foods to add-on to dry kibble and how much to add to what he gets now-1 cup of kibble 3x/day until he is 6 months of age?

again,HDM,i really appreciate your info. as a am quite a novice who needs help[ doing the best i can for Kobe!!

sincerely,
Kobe’Ss dad

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Kobe –

Earthborn’s grain-inclusive puppy formula isn’t appropriate for large breed puppies. Nature’s Variety has two grain-inclusive puppy foods that are appropriate for large breed puppies – Prairie Puppy and Prairie Large Breed Puppy. A food doesn’t have to be labeled for large breed puppies in order to be suitable – in fact, many foods that are labeled for large breed puppies are too high in calcium. Any food labeled for growth or all life stages with appropriate levels of calcium can be used. For the grain-free formulas, Earthborn’s Coastal Catch and Meadow Feast are both appropriate for large breed puppies and Nature’s Variety Instinct’s Rabbit and Limited Ingredient Turkey formulas are okay for large breed puppies. I personally prefer Nature’s Variety products to Earthborn products, but both have great foods – why not rotate between the two brands? There’s no reason to stick to only one brand, in fact it’s better if you don’t. Wet food is much healthier than dry food due to its higher moisture content and higher protein content – for this reason I would highly recommend mixing wet food with the dry. Wet food does not cause diarrhea. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions!

[SandyandMila]

So I purchased the Nature’s Logic All-Food Fortifier yesterday and fed it to Mila with her Bravo blend burger for dinner yesterday. My cat didn’t like it so much, she could tell right away something was up with her food. lol Anyways, the directions say to add it to dry or wet food. I predominantly feed raw (whether Primal complete formulas, or the Bravo turkey blend bugers, and grinds and RMBs when I have them) but do still feed dry and canned food if I have to about once or twice a week. Should I still add the Nature’s Logic to the dry and canned as well or would a green superfood supplement, as recommended above, be better?

[harp31]

Thank you for the suggestions, I am looking at some samples (some free and some minimally priced) from K9cuisine. I value your opinion (based on what I have seen on this forum) so I will forgo the TOTW. The rotational diet makes sense, too. I am getting samples of Orijin, Acana, Amicus, Fromm, Solid Gold, The Honest Kitchen and some freeze-dried grain-free chicken and beef from Dr. Harvey’s. Hopefully, they will like the freeze-dried. I have tried the pure canned pumpkin a couple of times but I don’t want to add it to every meal, since they eat 3 meals a day and I’m afraid that may be a bit too much pumpkin. My last 2 Boston’s were picky eaters, too and they ate mostly canned food but it seems like I tried every brand there was available and they were never really fond of any of them. I ended up cooking for them a lot (beef/chicken and brown rice with vegies, etc.) I was feeding them a small amount of Canidae dry with the home cooked mixed in with it. I was hoping to find a good quality food so I don’t have to spend so much time preparing a home cooked diet (but I will if I have to). Thanks again, this dog food selection always seems like a daunting task for me … sigh. Mary

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Mary –

Of the foods you mentioned I believe Orijen is the best choice. I would never feed TOTW as it’s manufactured by Diamond. Fromm is a great company but the food is really overpriced for the quality and not worth the expense (imo). I wouldn’t stick with one food though. Rotating foods often will keep your dogs interested and will also strengthen their digestive system. If they prefer canned and you can afford to feed only canned this is actually preferable to feeding dry food – canned food is more species-appropriate than dry food due to the fact that it’s less processed, high in moisture and higher in protein. Most dogs also find dehdyrated or freeze-dried (both of which you rehydrate prior to feeding) and raw foods more palatable than dry food – these options are healthier than dry food as well. For the loose stools try adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin and a probiotic supplement to their meals, this may help.

[harp31]

I have 2 Boston’s, one is 11 mos old and one is 11 weeks old. They have been eating Wellness Core dry (adult small breed formula for the 11 mo old and puppy formula for the 11 week old, since they don’t offer a small breed in the puppy formula) with a little (1 tsp or so) Wellness Just For Puppy canned mixed in. They are not too interested in the dry alone and are both losing interest in the canned as well. They both have loose stools with this food and I am currently looking for something to provide good nutrition as well as a firmer stool for them. I am considering Orijen or Taste of the Wild or Fromm’s. Most of these would have to be ordered via the internet, due to no availability in my local Petsmart. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Mary

[chartoll]

Hi, anybody knowing anything about dry-food AUTARKY?
And if it’s so healthy as they say….?

Do sound very good; my dogs likes it and my male has no more problems with his anal glands.
I’m very thankfull for all answers!

[chartoll]

Hi, Don’t know where to post a new question, seem to be on the wrong place whereever I try to ask… , but I would like to hear what people are thinking about dry-food AUTARKY.
And if it’s so healthy as they say….
I’m very thankfull for all answers and very sorry that I put my question on the reply Kirkland v Diamond.

[chartoll]

Hi, Don’t know where to post this, but I would like to hear what people are thinking about dry-food AUTARKY.
And if it’s so healthy as they say….

I’m very thankfull for all answers!

[dalaimo]

Let me ask it another way: Is the Diamond dry dog food and the Kirkland store brand Diamond makes for Costco basically the same?

[DogFoodie]

Hi guys!

I feel like Sandy would recommend Nutri Source Small & Medium Breed Puppy at 513 kcals/cup. I haven’t personally used it, but I know she’s mentioned before that the kibble size is very tiny. Since I haven’t used it, I can’t speak for the kibble size personally, but I trust Sandy’s advice. It’s not grain free, but it’s well tolerated and I trust the brand and I know Sandy and Patty do as well. Nutri Source is also a very budget friendly food. They always offer coupons (text “source” to 55678 for a chance to win a free bag and a $2.00 coupon if you’re not a winner) and have a loyalty program (buy 12, get one free on dry and cans).

Nature’s Logic and Amicus are very small and when I last used Canine Caviar, that seemed small as well if memory serves. Orijen Puppy is the only Orijen formula I haven’t used, but all of the Orijens that I have used are some of the largest kibbles I’ve used. Abady granular would be easy for her to eat and is very nutrient dense (over 800 kcal/cup) ~ it’s grainy like brown sugar and the philosophy behind the food takes some getting used to. Abady isn’t rated here and gets a bad rap from lots of folks, but I tried it and had no issues with it whatsoever. My Cavalier is currently eating Castor & Pollux Ultramix right now and she loves it ~ they’re small kibbles and they’re really cute…, if that matters! They’re little hearts. : )

Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit is tiny, but is one of their products that’s made by Diamond, so I wouldn’t recommend it for that reason. I’ve used Wellness Small Breed, which is tiny, but my pup wasn’t thrilled with it, same with Artemis Fresh Mix.

What about giving her kibble a whirl in the blender, coffee grinder or hand held food chopper?

I still need to start the card file I keep saying I’m going to start and take pictures of all my kibbles when I open something different. : )~

[Puppygirlsmom]

Good idea, Patty Vaughn, to blend the chicken livers in the blender and making them into a gravy to freeze. I will try that. She may get more of it that way. She has such a tiny little mouth and tiny tiny teeth, we can see her struggling to eat the TOTW kibble. So we do think that she needs a kibble that is smaller. So my search is on for a grain free Puppy kibble that is tiny. If anyone knows of one for sure, please, let me know. Even though Orijen has been recommended, I do not know the size of the Puppy Kibble. I would hate to have to buy too many bags of food in order to find a small Puppy Kibble. We adore Ellie, but we also live on a pretty strict budget and cannot afford to do that.
So anyone out there…do you know of a grain free puppy kibble that is high in fat that is also a tiny dry kibble for our 2.5 lb. Yorkie, Ellie??????????????????????????????????????????
She needs to gain some weight and get healthy again.
Thanks!

[theBCnut]

Thanks little pea, that’s sweet of you to say.

[dalaimo]

Are there any significant differences between the dry dog food Diamond makes for Costco under the Kirkland brand and the food it sells under its own brand? Can the two be fed interchangeably without problems. Thanks.

[little pea]

Thanks Freeholdhound.

After days of sorting through many things. Nature’s logic was on my list of choices.
So much confusion out there.

We came to play, we came to work, we came to be the best and in trying, we shared our love for pets.