[Flossie]

Hi,
I have a dog in the early stages of congestive heart failure, and I’d like to make sure his food has a low or at least moderate sodium content. He eats 4Health salmon & sweet potato now (canned and dry). But I can’t seem to find any info on who manufactures it so I can ask them about the sodium content. I’ve seen people mention that it’s either Diamond or Ainsworth, but I don’t see any reference to 4Health on either company’s website. I’m considering switching him to another brand that has given me their sodium content, but he really likes 4Health and has done well on it. Any ideas?

[Nir_g5]

Hello ,
I have a four years old alaskan malamute male.
The dog is generally very healthy.weighting 62 pounds.
I feed him once a day.
The dog is active.
I always tried to upgrade his food quality .
But every time, when i got to point of homemade diet
it has been failed.
I read dr.becker’s and beth’s book,so i have the
knowledge.

The story goes like this :when feeding dry grained food like
canine caviar
and the stools are fine ,but eating dry foods with no grains
causes loose stools.
On the other hand,when feeding grain free canned food
and the stools are fine.
But when i made homemade diet raw or cooked with
grains or grains free and the stools are loose .

Here is the story from the last 3 days:

On Monday evening, i fed him peal millet canine caviar with
water which soften the food .
Result :fine stools

On Tuesday evening :small amount of home made cooked diet : 230 grams of cooked chicken breast ,100 cooked chicken liver ,100 gram of green pepper ,60 grams of carrot.caloric value:660

Result:the end of the stool was
loose with black color (maybe of the liver).

On Wednesday evening:grained home made diet : 280 grams of cooked chicken breast ,100 cooked chicken liver ,100 gram of green pepper ,100 grams of carrot,150 grams of cooked whole brown rice .cloric value :880

What do you think? what is best way to feed my dog ?
What are the possible reasons for these results ?

Thanks
Nir

[PugsleyOtisMom]

I have 2 chubby pugs. The oldest is a fawn 5 year old and his weight ranges from 23lbs to 25lbs. The other is a black 1 year old and he was 19lbs at last weigh in. Believe it or not I got the big fawn guy down from his top weight which was 32lbs. These guys love to eat and eat. I am very careful with how much I feed them and I try to exercise them regularly but the weight is not coming off. I realize that by feeding them BENEFUL that may be the problem. I am also having a lot of problems with their anal glands leaking. It seems like no matter how many times I get their anal glands expressed they are still leaking(food cause as well??). Any suggestions on the best food for pugs would be great!

p.s. The pugs also have lots of trouble with allergies… Coughing, ears itching, scratching.. you name it. Normally I give them a half a Benadryl and it does the trick but I am wondering if this is also food related?

[dendad]

Thank you Mah4angel. I wished my little one liked dry food for many reasons, but she just spits it out. Even the small bites versions. My next attempt at finding a five star food she will eat is Freshpet. Wish me luck!

[mah4angel]

I think Melissaandcrew is suggesting to use Hi-Tek as your five-star dry food ^_^ I would say, though, that Hi-Tek’s grain-free formula (and I would suggest using a grain-free kibble, period) is pretty high in carbohydrates. However, it might be a good alternative to Earthborn if you can get a smaller bag of it given that Earthborn only comes in 15 lb bags.

[polyxen]

I’m about to get a 2nd Vizsla here, my first one was grown on a low quality food, full of grain, rice, meal etc etc… stools were really really really softs if not liquid… but that’s what my breeder uses so I let her on that.
I use Acana Pacifica right now for my Vizsla and wow … she’s athletic, hard dry stools once a day, eat 2cup a day .. I think it’s a really good dog food for that kind of dog.

I wanted to know if the Orijen puppy was suitable for this king of puppy, with all I’ve read on calcium, protein level etc… !

Need advice please !

Thanks !

[NicoBoxer]

Hound Dog Mom: Thank you so much for this reply. You went above and beyond with all of these ideas and recommendations. We have an appt. tomorrow with the vet to go over all of the information from Texas A&M. She did tell us we’d need to consider his fat intake – it’s a little tricky for her and for us in a way, because she knows we go to the holistic vet and they share information, but I’m not sure how comfortable she is with a lot of this. She’s trying to be open minded and that is all I can ask for. We’ve put both vets in a sticky spot, we know… But our gut has been to go with what our holistic vet recommends, because that’s in alignment with our own views on health in general. In keeping with the Chinese medicine model, she wants us to feed Nico only cooling or neutral meats, so that is why the turkey and rabbit. We tried OC Raw’s fish formula but we thought he seemed itchier on that food, so although it would seem ideal as a cooling meat, he seemed to scratch more on it. He also doesn’t take too well to a fish oil we got for him. Anyway, I’ll know more tomorrow, then we’ll have to connect with our holistic vet and see what she thinks. She is actually a big proponent of Urban Wolf, which is a dry mix to which you add meat, similar to what you are recommending. I never see it mentioned here on DFA.

The other question I have is about coconut oil. Would you guess we need to stop giving this to him? He only gets about a tablespoon or two a day but absolutely loves the stuff. I should mention that his lipase was high from the very first blood draw we did with him, so it’s not because of the raw food.

Anyway, thank you again for writing such a helpful reply!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Boxermom –

I used Merrick a few times (both their canned and dry) several years ago (back when the foods were still called Merrick Classics and Before Grain) and I always liked their food, my dog did well on it. I especially liked their canned food – so many interesting varieties to choose from. I like how they have seasonal varieties as well. I know a few months back a few of the regular posters that were feeding Merrick reported some problems with the food – around that same time a dog at the shelter I work for with severe allergies was eating the Merrick grain-free and we didn’t have any issues with the food. I personally think Acana is a better food, but if your dog isn’t doing well on the Acana the Merrick would definitely be worth a shot. Probiotics, digestive enzymes and a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin added to each meal may help with the loose stools and the transition.

[Jessica1]

Hi H.D.M,
Thank you so much for all the information, it has really helped me. It’s great to know that rotating grain & non grain is acceptable and won’t cause problems. Thank you also for the information on the teeth and kibble, what you are saying makes perfect sense. I just never thought much to question the vet.
I just took our “little” rescue, Takoda in for his 2nd DHLPP & Bord. and the vet thinks they were wrong about his age and may only be 8 – 9 weeks and is already 16lbs, he is not overweight but he is solid. This leads me to my next two questions. (which I see Londoncalling is asking too) When you use the can food as a topper I don’t want to overfeed him or underfeed, how do I determine the amount to use as the topper and the amount of dry? The package on the Organix for his age & weight reads 2 ¾ – 4 cups (which I think is a big difference) I’m not currently at this point yet as I am still transitioning him over from the Pedigree, he should be on full Organix in the next day or so. (yesterday his stool was soft, today I was at ¾ mix and he got the runs).
If you’re adding a can topper is there a good guideline to use on how much kibble and how much topper. I just don’t want to over or under do it.
Even with the guidelines on the bag, I am not quite sure what would be the correct amount for him, and his size.
He has never gulped his food and sometimes doesn’t seem very interested in it until “he” is ready to eat. When I first gave him the Organix he seemed to love it, and tried to pick out just those pieces, now I’m not sure. Now he seems to only eat it because he is hungry not because he is enjoying it. (But, he never gulped the pedigree either).
The 2nd part of my question; should I only use a grain inclusive topper when using grain inclusive foods? Rotating from grain to non grain I know you said would be okay but I wasn’t sure if actually mixing grain with non grain topper would cause a problem. My main reason for asking, Organix doesn’t have a puppy formula and I’ve heard good things about the Wellness puppy can food, but it’s a non grain, and I am not sure what would be a good “grain” large breed puppy can food.
Thanks again!

[dragonl8dy]

My two huskies reverse sneeze. My vet told me that it was allergies or very common in dogs and not to worry about it. Neither one did it when I first adopted them. Ten days ago, I stopped feeding them Kirkland green bag lamb and rice dry food and they are not reverse sneezing. Is there anyone else who is having the same problems with their dogs? My first husky didn’t start doing it until I had him about a year and my second husky didn’t start doing it either until a year after I got him.

[mah4angel]

Hi! I’d like to start out by saying to ChristyGH and dendad, I am SO SO sorry for your losses! I know it’s easy to feel bad about your choice of diet for your babies but it is absolutely NOT your fault!! We all can see how much love you had for your babies and all of us have been there! You had every reason to believe that you were doing the best for your babies and no one should ever begrudge you for it, including yourself <3

I’m on my way to feeding my Louie (a 10-pound Silky) 100% raw and had a few suggestions myself.

His previous owners had him on pretty much whatever was on sale at the grocery store/whatever they decided to pick up from Costco that day (Pedigree, Purina etc.). The one he was on when we took him home was Purina Puppy Chow (we got him four months ago and he’s three, not a puppy anymore).

I’ve personally found that it was easier to transition him from the CRAP he was eating before slowly up the ladder of great-quality foods. I would buy small batches of each new food (5-10 pounds if available) which would last him for a month or so and then move on to a higher quality kibble. Every time I’ve upgraded his food, he’s picked out the old one from his bowl! ^_^

It’s important to mention how to transition a dog. You have to transition SLOWLY, very very slowly. You’re going to keep a certain ratio of new food to old food for a week OR if her bowel movements change, wait until they turn to normal to move onto the next ratio. At first, have 25% of the new food, and 75% of the old food. Then (once everything is normal) do 50% new 50% old. Finally, 75% new, 25% old until it’s 100% new food.

My suggestion (after going through this whole process) would be to do this (remember to ALWAYS properly transition your pup between each step and add probiotics/digestive enzymes and fiber):

-Change from Science Diet to a four-star kibble (something like Nature’s Domain: http://www.naturesdomainpetfood.com/ which is sold at Costco in HUGE bags so it might not be the best for a little one like yours)

-Then from a four-star kibble to a five-star kibble (like Innova Prime: http://www.petco.com/product/118780/Innova-Prime-Grain-Free-Beef-And-Lamb-Adult-Dry-Dog-Food.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch, or Earthborn Holistic: http://www.petflow.com/product/earthborn-holistic/earthborn-holistic-primitive-natural-grain-free-dry-dog-food). I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Earthborn Holistic products, they are GREAT quality and my Louie adores the Primitive Natural kibble.

-Then start SLOWLY adding in wet food to the kibble (like the Earthborn dinners: http://www.petflow.com/product/earthborn-holistic/earthborn-holistic-duke-s-din-din-gourmet-dinner-wet-dog-food).

-Then, switch from the five-star kibble to something that has raw in it like Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost food (which has bits of freeze-dried raw in it): http://www.petflow.com/product/natures-variety/nature-s-variety-instinct-grain-free-raw-boost-venison-meal-lamb-meal-dry-dog-food. Continue to add in the wet food.

-Then go to a 100% raw kibble like DNA (air-dried raw, stands for Dried N Alive): http://www.dnapetfood.com/node/20, or something similar. At first, I would continue to add in the wet food to this, but then I would transition her to 100% DNA (or whatever food you decide to use).

-And then transition from that to a pre-made frozen raw OR you could totally cut costs and make your own (which is what I’m doing), and then you’ll have 100% control over what she’s eating 😀

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by mah4angel.

[k9cancer]

I have been feeding canned food recommended for giant breed puppies and everytime he eats a can of food he gets soft stool.
I put a teaspoon of pumpkin in it but soon after he eats the canned food like Mericks he gets soft stool and his poo stinks to high heaven.
Any advice? Should I mix it with dry food?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jessica1 –

The Organix puppy formula is 1.05% calcium and has 2.89 g. calcium per 1,000 kcal. – so yes, it’s a good choice. It would be perfectly fine to use both grain-inclusive and grain-free foods in a rotational feeding program. Many people are under the assumption that dry food is good for dental health – you’re not the only one. For the most part, this is a myth. Some dogs that thoroughly chew their kibble may may derive some benefit in comparison to a soft food however this benefit is minimal and will not be enough to prevent periodontal disease and – in my experience – most dogs don’t thoroughly chew kibble and therefore would receive no benefit. The only food that promotes dental health is a raw meaty bones diet and any dog eating commercial food, be it kibble or canned food, will need their teeth brushed on a regular basis or they will get eventually develop periodontal disease to some degree. Your vet telling you that your dog will have good dental health as long as he eats kibble would be the equivalent of your dentist telling you that you don’t need to brush your teeth as long as you eat crunchy foods – kind of silly, right? About 85% of dogs fed commercial foods over the age of 3 have some degree of periodontal disease, oftentimes it goes unnoticed by owners. Many people think “doggie breath” is normal, but it’s not. A dog’s breath should have no odor. All of the Organix canned foods appear that they’re labeled for adult maintenance, however if you’re only using the canned food as a topper and the bulk of the puppy’s diet is going to be a dry food approved for growth or all life stages this is fine. You could also top the Organix puppy kibble with a canned food labeled for growth from another brand, there’s no reason you can mix different brands of kibble and canned food. I hope that helps!

[Junebug and Mike]

Hi all!

I’m new to the forums so if this info is available somewhere on site, please just point me in the right direction.

I was wondering if there was a list of dog foods, particularly canned, that have never had a recall. Right now I feed Eagle Pack dry food topped with By Nature canned food to my two boxers. As far as I know, neither food has ever had a recall but I’m interested in exploring some different options on the wet food.

Anyway, has a list ever been compiled on non-recalled dog foods?

[Klawlis]

What kind of dry kibble will you be using? I’m getting my puppy in a couple of weeks.
Karin

[londoncalling1996]

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my questions. It’s really so helpful, I find it all a bit overwhelming. I made the trip to Los Altos today to the pet store with LOTS of good dog food options. I got 7 small sample bags of different kinds of Fromm dry kibble for Lux to try. I also got a can of Trippett, Green beef tripe, duck and salmon. (I haven’t opened it yet though, got to psych myself up for that I think! :-)) And a can each of Ziwipeak venison&fish recipe and Nature’s logic rabbit dinner. After reading your advise, I thought, “well, cost isn’t really an isssue, man, what we paid for this dog!”, but then I got to the pet store and saw the prices! If my 16 year old is going to go to college, Lux might have to eat some kibble! These three cans I got cost 15 bucks and with a berner in the house, we might be eaten out of house and home! I am looking on line at some of the on line sites you suggested. Thanks! I do like to shop local and will, but since it’s about 20 miles to the nearest pet store with good food, I can justify not using the local shop for all of our dog food needs all the time. So, now you have me thinking about wet and raw food, do I also need to worry about the calcium content in those for the first 8 or 10 months of Lux’s life? Maybe you have a list of your favorite canned foods for Large and Giant Breed puppies that have the right amount of calcium? (Fingers crossed!) Where are you located? I’m on the San Francisco peninsula, about 20 miles south of SF. Thank you for everything! Cheers, Jules

[Jessica1]

Hello H.D.M, Thank you so much for all your insight. My puppy is between 9-10 wks and a mix between GSD and Bernese Mountain Dog (they think, he is a rescue). He currently weighs 15lbs, so I know he will be a big boy. He was being feed Pedigree so I wanted to start to transition him right away to a better quality food, for health and developmental reasons. I was getting confused with all the info that is out there but finding you has been great, informative and easy to understand.
I really wanted to do the non grain. But, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to start a non grain food since the costs are high I didn’t want to switch if I couldn’t keep it up. So I put him on Organix Puppy (dry), due to the ingredients the higher standards of organics. Would this be listed on your new list as a good choice?
My second question, you state rotational feeding, would a rotation with non grain and grain inclusive be a good idea? Lastly, I was always told (by my vet) kibble was better for their teeth than canned food, but you state canned food is better for their health, so until now I never gave can food much thought. In the Organix brand I didn’t see a can puppy formula, are their big differences that I should be looking for if I want to start giving him canned? Thank you.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi londoncalling1996 –

That’s too bad your store didn’t carry any of the foods. 🙁 If you’re not opposed to online ordering there are many sites that sell a wider variety of foods than you could find in a store and they also typically have lower prices – most also offer free shipping with no weight limit when you spend a certain amount of money (usually orders over $49). I’d recommend checking out wag.com, chewy.com, petflow.com and naturalk9supplies.com. Also the new lists should give you many additional options to choose from.

I definitely feel that, if it’s financially feasible, non-dry foods should be fed as a sole diet or at least in addition to kibble. Dry food is actually the worst thing to feed a dog – however to to budget and time constraints it, understandably, comprises the bulk of most dog’s diets. I urge you to check out this article Dr. Marty Goldstein (one of my all time favorite veterinarians) posted on his blog, it ranks the different types of food from best to worst: drmarty.com/what-should-i-feed-my-pet-for-best-health/

If you add wet food you should count account for this in her daily food intake – just monitor her weight and if she’s gaining too much start feeding a little less. One of my all time favorite wet food toppers (especially for large breed puppies) is Tripett. I like Tripett for several reasons: 1) high protein/moderate fat/low carbohydrate (ideal); 2) it has a balanced calcium to phosphorus ratio but very low amounts of each, so it can effectively be used to lower the calcium to phosphorus ratio in any food fed to a large breed puppy without the risk of throwing off the balance and 3) dogs go absolutely nuts for it (people hate it – if you feed it you’ll see why – but they love it). The only thing I want to note with Tripett is that it’s not a complete and balanced food (it’s just canned green tripe) so if you do feed it make sure it doesn’t exceed 20% of the meal or you could throw off the nutritional balance. Some other more balanced canned foods that I like that could account for over 20% of the meal are: ZiwiPeak, Addiction, Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Merrick. Dr. Mike has a great compilation of high quality canned foods over on the review site as well. If you’re looking for a quality yet budget friendly canned food (canned food can be quite pricey, especially when feeding a large breed puppy) I’d recommend checking out 4Health (available at Tractor Supply, $0.99 per can), Pure Balance (available at Walmart, $1 per can), Kirkland Cuts in Gravy (available at Costco, $0.79 per can), Whole Earth Farms (available at many online retailers about $1.50 per can) – these foods are all 4 – 5 star quality. Some other toppers you could use are dehdyrated foods (i.e. The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s, etc.) – these foods are about the same consistency as a stew type canned food when rehydrated, a balanced frozen or freeze-dried commercial raw food (freeze-dried rehydrates to canned food consistency) or fresh toppers such as sardines, eggs, plain yogurt or left over lean meat or steam veggies from your dinner.

Digestive aids aren’t necessary, but many feel they’re beneficial. Many of the regulars here supplement with probiotics and enzymes. I don’t supplement with either because my dogs eat a raw diet (naturally occurring enzymes) and consume raw green tripe (rich in enzymes and probiotics) and kefir (rich in probiotics) on a regular basis. If feeding cooked food only (like kibble and canned) I do feel that enzymes and probiotics can provide benefit.

[londoncalling1996]

Hi Hound Dog Mom, I REALLY appreciate all you research and hard work compiling all the information on what to feed Large and Giant Breed Puppies, in our case, our 11 week old Bernese Mtn Dog. I printed your recommendations and took the list to our local pet and feed store. I was leaning to Fromm because it’s one of the lowest in calcium. The Fromm website listed our local pet and feed store as carrying two of their lines. Not only do they not carry Fromm, they don’t carry any of the foods on your list except Canine Caviar, which you said in a recent post that you are taking off the list. I can see this isn’t going to be so straight forward! I did call a pet store about 20 miles away and they carry Fromm, so I will go tomorrow and pick some up for LUX. Can you please tell me if feeding her just the dry food is good for her? Or should I add some protein? What about the green tripe? What about digestive aids? Should I add of of those to her diet? I do put a little wet food into the end of her kong and freeze it to give her a treat when I put her in her crate at bedtime. Should I count that as food and subtract some kibble in one of her daytime meals? Also, what do you recommend as a wet food to use in the kong and/or as a topper occasionally on her kibble? I want to do the best I can for her in her life and especially in the coming formative months! Thanks so much!!!! Cheers, Jules

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi DellUSN –

Yes – I feel that the sooner a rotational feeding program is implemented the better. There are several reasons foods should be rotated – there is no “best” or “perfect” food so switching brands will help to mitigate the shortcomings of feeding any one brand for an extended period of time, feeding a variety of foods helps to foster a strong and diverse population of microorganisms in the gut and by having several “go to” foods you’ll be able to make a quick switch in the event of a recall or formula change. Some also believe that rotating foods helps to decrease the risk of the dog developing a sensitivity to a particular ingredient later in life.

Initially, you may need to gradually transition your pup when switching brands. You would do this by feeding 25% new/75% old for a few days, then moving to 50/50 for a few days, then 75/25 for a few days, then transitioning entirely to the new food. If your pup is experiencing loose stools during the transition a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin and/or probiotics may help. My two dogs were both started on a rotational feeding plan upon coming home at 8 weeks old and neither experienced any digestive upset – but it does depend on the dog.

As far as which brands to feed, for the next four months or so I would recommend keeping him on a controlled calcium food. Any of the kibbles on my list would be comparable to Wellness CORE. I’m currently in the process of updating the list and by the end of this week or beginning of next week I should have a revised grain-free list, a grain-inclusive list and a raw list posted.

There really is no rhyme or reason to rotational feeding – everyone has their own method. I haven’t fed kibble quite a few years but for my last dog that ate kibble I got a new brand with a new protein source at the end of each bag and added a variety of canned food and/or fresh food “toppers” daily. When I got Gertie (currently two years old) I rotated between The Honest Kitchen’s (dehydrated) Love, Embark, Thrive and Zeal formulas and fed a different variety each day, I also mixed in a can of Tripett with her breakfast and gave her either a raw egg, a tin or sardines or plain yogurt at dinner. When she was 8 months old I switched her to a raw diet. Mabel (my one year old) transitioned to a raw diet as soon as she came home at 8 weeks. On their homemade raw diets my dogs get something completely different at each meal.

I would highly recommend adding “toppers” if you’re feeding kibble as the sole diet. Toppers will boost the “species-appropriateness” by adding some extra protein, moisture and providing your dog with some fresh, less processed food. Some people believe canned foods are unhealthy, however they’re actually much healthier than dry food – they’re less processed, higher in protein/lower in carbohydrates and have a high moisture content. The same applies to dehydrated foods and raw foods. If you’re adding a balanced canned, dehydrated or raw food you can top with as much as you want. “People food” is great too – any left over lean meat or veggies from your dinner, eggs, tinned sardines, plain yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese are all cheap and very healthy foods (just keep unbalanced extras such as these to 20% or less of the meal or you could risk throwing of the nutritional balance of the kibble).

Hope that helps! 🙂

[DellUSN]

Hello, Hound Dog Mom.

I’ve been searching around this site for a little while now and I’ve noticed your activity and knowledge about pet foods. I signed up so that I could attempt to contact you directly through private message, but I guess that’s not possible here. Either way, I’ve been reading a lot of your advice on here and I had a couple questions for you. I have a 4 month old Chocolate Lab (40 pounds) named Rooster who I just got a couple weeks ago. Having studied to become an Registered Vet Tech before I joined The Navy, I understood that importance of nutrition for large breed puppies, or any breed of puppy for that matter. After some research I decided to go with a 4 pound bag of Wellness CORE Puppy Formula. His transition over to the food went very smoothly and he’s been devouring it, so I bought him a 26 pound bag. I currently feed him 4 cups a day dry kibble (2 AM, 2 PM) and he’s doing well on the schedule. I read a post that you made about rotating dog’s brand of food and source of protein. I was curious if this was something that should be implemented at young age and some other brands you recommended for my pup. Also, I was very worried about my dog and people food because I’ve seen so many people just go nuts feeding there dogs junk food. He has not been exposed to any people food yet, but I’d like to get him on some raw meats and bones if possible. At what age would he be ready for that and what sorts of things would you recommend for him in that field? I really anticipate your reply and appreciate any input you offer. Thank you!

[DogEDog]

Hello Spencer’s Mom,
If you believe that your dog has a food allergy (for instance chicken), it will not make a difference if that chicken is moist, dry, freeze dried, raw or raised in rolling meadows by nuns. It’s still chicken.
The fact that you have changed the protein multiple times muddles the waters as to what he is actually allergic to, if in fact, it is the food.
You need to place him on a food elimination trial with a novel protein and a novel carbohydrate. No treats, table food or trash can diving for the next 8 to 10 weeks. If you see an improvement, then add one additional food item and wait and see if there is an allergic reaction. If he’s rolling good, then add another food element. When you see that he reacts, remove the suspected food and see if he improves. If you really want to prove it, give him that last food and watch for a reaction and that will give you your answer. And I’ll bet it’s not grain that is the issue.
After going through the food elimination trial and there is no improvement, it’s obviously not the food and you should take him to the vet because NO ONE including a veterinarian can make a diagnosis of your pet without a physical examination and a history. In fact, you should take him now if he is that miserable.
Best of luck to you and your dog.

[Mom2Cavs]

Acana is a great brand. If you need another some day, or want to rotate brands you could try Nature’s Variety Limited Ingredient Diets. They don’t contain fish. They also offer canned LID, too. I didn’t check their LID biscuits to see if they contain fish, but they probably do not.

[networe]

Thanks !

I went for Acana Duck & Bartlett Pear 🙂 I hope my puppy will love it 🙂

[GSDFreuline]

Hello everyone and thanks for reading this. I am hoping someone can provide some guidance for me. I have 3 dogs – a14year old GSD, a recently rescued 6 year old GSD and an 8 year old greyhound. Currently I am feeding all three Hills for seniors because it has glucosamine for my older boy. I also mix in canned food with their dry and feed twice daily. My newly rescued girl has an extremely sensitive stomach and any variation from her diet or even treats will cause vomiting and diarrhea. Last week she vomited so I bought some cans (can’t remember the name but got at Petsmart and it was easy to digest). Well it was so easy to digest she had diarrhea for 2 days. My greyhound also has episodes of vomiting but it is down to about once every 3 months or so. My vet of course recommends Hills for GI but I am reluctant to try it because I’m just not crazy about Hills at this point. Now I have to feed all dogs the same food because if one leaves a little another finishes it up etc. It is just easier.
I live in a large metropolitan area so availability is not a problem, nor is price. I am just lost as to what to start looking for – could it possible be a grain problem? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated
Thanks

[Jessica1]

I just adopted a puppy from a rescue, his mom and her puppies were dumped. The mom is a smaller German Shepherd and the vet thinks he has Burmese Mountain Dog. He is the cutest and sweetest “little” guy. I can guess this is going to be a big boy. Ever since I considered adopting him I started doing research on dog foods, they have changed a lot since my last dog.
I feel like I’m studying for an exam and failing. I am so confused at this point. I looked into brands like ; Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Blue Wilderness, Canine Caviar, Innova, Natures Variety, etc etc … After speaking to many people they stated that the higher end brands were to rich for their dogs and or created loose bowls. I’ve looked at the med end, but not all that happy with some of the ingredients. I loved the information on the, “Large Breed Puppy Food List” with the calcium percentages, and the food with rabbit as the main ingredient sounded to be like one of the best meats to use. But I just don’t know which might work out best for him. I was able to bring him home today and they have him on Pedigree so I want to wean him off this as soon as possible. Also, I would like to find a good food that won’t break me. I don’t mind paying a little more for better quality but some of the pricing is way out there.
I really want something that is good for him but it has to be something he enjoys. Oh and I’m looking for a dry food.
If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations for me I would greatly appreciate it.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I agree with Sandy – active dogs should have high fat/high protein foods that are calorie-dense. Just because he’s a “police K9” wouldn’t make his dietary needs significantly different than another other highly active dog. I have two extremely active bloodhounds and they eat a grain-free raw diet with protein levels ranging from 45% – 55% and fat levels ranging from 30% – 40%. We keep carbohydrate levels low. Inked Marie had a great suggestion with Dr. Tim’s (I’d recommend the Momentum formula which is 35/25). The NutriSource Super Performance mentioned by Sandy is another good option. Some other dry performance foods I’d recommend checking out: Native Performance Level 4 (35/25), Pro Pac High Performance (30/20), Artemis Pro Power (30/20), Victor Hi Pro Plus (30/20), Redpaw X-Series Perform 3 (32/20), RedPaw Poweredge 38K (38/25) and Abady Maintenance and Stress (32/29).

[pugmomsandy]

Some dry foods have more preservatives (and longer ingredient lists) as it’s suppose to have a shelf life of almost 18 months. Also kibble isn’t necessarily great for teeth as kibble breaks apart before it gets a chance to scrape the sides of the teeth. Gnawing on a beef or pork rib bone or bully stick or marrow bone or cow hoof will help keep teeth clean. You can also give him some probiotics to help his gut recovery form Moist & Meaty and get healthy for better digestion. There are several canned foods which are single ingredient products – like Merrick grain free, Hound and Gatos and probably some more. There’s also some organic canned foods like Party Animal or Newman’s Own. Kibble is hard to digest and I would give some digestive enzymes with it. Dehydrated or freeze dried foods might also be an option for him. You just add water and it serves up like wet food. Although there’s a couple 4-5 star rolled/refrigerated foods to choose from if you want to continue with those. A moist food is always better for a dog.

[Spencers Mom]

Hi everyone, I have a 2 1/2 year old, male Yorkie. We had the pleasure of becoming his pet parents a little over a year ago. We are having issues with food allergies. He gnaws/licks his feet, so much at times their raw, he’s constantly scratching. No sneezing. When we first got him he was eating Purina moist & meaty/beef & cheese. We wanted to switch him to a little healthier product and to a kibble thinking a kibble version was better for his teeth. Since then, he has had issues. Funny he wasn’t having allergy issues on the Purina. We’ve tried Nutro, Blue Buffalo, Natural Balance LID, Taste of The Wild High Prairie, even a prescription dog food from the Vet, (which made him vomit several times in just 2 weeks) and many more I can’t remember at the moment. Of those brands we’ve tried Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Salmon, Venison – which we have him on at the moment even Venison jerky treats. We’ve tried grain free, limited ingredient, etc. The Salmon made him vomit, may have been too rich for him. I’ve researched and researched, some posts I’ve read said California Natural was great for dogs with food allergies, but I’ve seen they have had several recalls lately. Little scared to try that one yet. We are at our wits end!! Hate to see our baby suffering. We are wondering now is it the meat protein (since we’ve tried so many different proteins) he’s having issues with or could it be the “dry” formula in it’s self. We left him with his Aunt for a week and she feed him Fresh Pet Select, CHICKEN. She said he didn’t scratch or gnaw any that week. So are we on to something, or just barking up the wrong tree (pun intended)??? Could there be some difference between the dry and wet formula that would cause food allergies??

[alanysrayne]

Feeding a large breed puppy canned food, is there anything that I need to watch out for? I was planning on maybe mixing the wet and dry food together. But I didnt know if there were only certain wet foods that large breeds can have or if its only the dry.

[Hound Dog Mom]

When I fed dry I didn’t keep anything longer than 4 weeks.

[cearaandtroy]

Hi all, my name is Ceara and I’m new to the forum.
We just adopted a beautiful year old husky/labrador mix from ACS, poor thing was going to be put to sleep so we just had to pick him up and bring him home. He is wonderful with our 18 month old son, and I imagine he’s going to be very active once he heals from his surgery, he was neutered 5 days ago.
I found out he was being fed science diet his whole life at the shelter! Yuck! And when we brought him home, my boyfriend thought beneful was a better option because it had vegetables on the bag, and pretty sure that food is even worse! What I’m getting at is, this little guy is family now and I want him to be as healthy and happy as possible here.

I want him to eat completely raw if possible, but we are on a bit of a budget so I may just do mostly raw and then a good quality canned and dry food to make sure he is eating enough. I have no idea where to start, and my google search came up with mostly useless information. What kind of foods would I feed him, how would I start him on a raw diet? He’s 52 lbs so about how much should he eat? Any information you have for me would help a lot!

[SheSaid]

I have just come into possession of a great dane puppy that is approximately 10 weeks old and has been starved almost to death. I have been giving it baby food and pedialight and it has begun to eat a little wet and dry pet food. It also ate some cooked chicken. I need to know now..what I need to feed this puppy to start getting it healthy. I am going to research it on my own but I have the puppy now and need advice now. It is sleeping a lot too.. is that normal. We are in a very remote area and will be getting it to the vet as soon as we can. It seems to be healthy.. hair and skin look good. Eyes look good and is eliminating ..although runny. I assume that is from being fed now. It is not diarrhea.. as it is controlled on the puppies part. Goes when it needs to not all the time.. I think it was taken away from mom too soon and someone threw it outside in a back yard with dry food and was not watching to see if it was eating..which it must not have been. It was brought to me as I have brought animals back from the brink many times…but never one so young and this breed. Please.. just give me specific info on what to feed it now.. brands of food, or raw… liver… milk.. evap milk, or goats milk.. thank you..

[Newfs]

thank you very much HDM
What do you think about diets Husse and Enova for large breed puppies?
http://www.husse.co.uk/dog-food-products/dry-food-for-dogs/?product=110
Composition:
Chicken, rice, animal fat, wheat meal, wheat, beet pulp, hydrolyzed chicken protein, linseed, dried fish meal, salmon oil, yeast, salt, dried whole eggs, fructo- oligosaccharides, lecithin, tagetes extract, sea algae, grape seed extract.
Analytical Constituents:
Protein 29.0%, fat content 18.0%, crude ash 7.5%, crude fibre 2.5%, calcium 1.2%, phosphorus 0.8%, chondroitine-glucosamine 1000 mg/kg, taurine 1000 mg/kg.

Additives: Nutritional additives:
Vitamin A 17500 IU/kg, vitamin D3 1600 IU/kg, vitamin E 500 mg/kg, E1 (Iron) 200 mg/kg, E2 (Iodine) 3 mg/kg, E4 (copper) 8mg/kg, E5 (Manganese) 60 mg/kg, E6 (Zinc) 100 mg/kg, E8 (Selenium) 0.2 mg/kg; Antioxidants: tocopherols.

http://www.enovapetfood.com/photoVideoGallery.aspx?cid=4680&mid=18452
INGREDIENTS
Dried chicken meat, rice, brown rice, poultry fat, egg powder, rice gluten, flaxseed, dried beet pulp, rice bran, protein hydrolysate, dicalciumphosphate, dried yeast, cellulose, fish oil, dried carrots, dried tomato pomace, dried seaweed, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, glucosamine, chondroitine sulfate, rosemary. Antioxidants: tocopherols, propyl gallate.

ANALYSIS
Crude protein: 27,0% – Crude fat: 16,0% – Crude fiber: 3,5% – Crude ash: 7,5% – Calcium: 1,0% – Phosphorus: 0,9% – Moisture: 10,0% – Omega 6: 2,5% – Omega 3: 0,9% – Metabolizable Energy: 16,1 MJ/kg – Glucosamine: 1.000 mg/kg – Chondroitine: 1.000 mg/kg.

ADDITIVES PER KG
Vitamin A: 15.000 IU – Vitamin D3: 1.200 IU – Vitamin E: 150 mg – Copper (as copper sulphate): 10 mg.

[DieselJunki]

I have never fed Science Diet and luckily become dog food savvy before getting sucked into the “My vet knows everything” deal. I do know the ingredients are crap, however.

Dendad, have you looked up all the 4 and 5 star foods here? I personally would stay away from Blue Buffalo and anything Diamond has had their hands in making. Here is a link to the Diamond (people who make blue buffalo among others!) recalls
/dog-food-recall/diamond-dog-food-recall-expands-again/

I know some people here feed Nature’s Variety, Orijen, Fromms, Annamaet, Brothers, just to name a few. I know some people on here are have found a decent brand at their Costco that is pretty budget friendly but I have forgotten the name. If you want to know of more 4 and 5 star foods on this website just click “Home” at the top and on the left there will be a link “Dry Dog Food.” click that and from there you have the option to click how many stars.

Remember though variety is key! Choose a couple different brands and rotate at the end of every bag, or every couple months. Change the protein source, if the source in the food you are feeding is beef, choose chicken next time, so on and so forth. And remember to rotate SLOWLY, especially if you know your dog gets an upset tummy when you switch to fast.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by DieselJunki.

[BlackAndTan]

I just switched from Orijen to Canine Caviar and am very happy with their food. The Wilderness, Open Sky, Puppy, and Buffalo recipe are fish-free. All formulas are for all life stages (though the puppy formula is targeted, I would guess).

[Newfs]

Hi,
once again would like to ask for help in choosing food for my 3.5 month Newfoundland from food available in Poland: Fromm Gold http://frommfamily.com/products/gold/dog/dry/large-breed-puppy-gold or Husse http://www.husse.co.uk/dog-food-products/dry-food-for-dogs/?product=110 or Enova http://www.enovapetfood.com/photoVideoGallery.aspx?cid=4680&mid=18452 or
Enova ADULT Breeders BAG GRAIN-FREE SIMPLE!
Complete food without cereal with fresh chicken meat. It can be administered to dogs from 2 months to 7 years old.
food without grains
addition of fresh chicken meat (min. 20%)
contains glucosamine and chondroitin supplement
Ingredients: dried chicken meat (min. 23.3%), fresh chicken meat (min. 20%), potato flour, dried green peas, chicken fat, dried beet pulp, flaxseed, dried egg protein hydrolyzate, dried yeast, fish oil, dried carrots, dried tomato puree, dried seaweed, sodium chloride, glucosamine, chondroitin.
Analytical constituents: crude protein – 31.5%, oils and fats – 19.5%, crude fiber – 3,5%, crude ash – 6,5%, calcium – 1.25%, phosphorus – 0.95% , moisture – 10.0%.
Extras: antioxidants. Dietary supplements in 1 kg of feed: Vitamin A – 15,000 IU Vitamin D3 – 1200 IU Vitamin E – 150 mg Copper (as copper sulphate pentahydrate) – 10 mg.
Analysis
protein: 31.5%
fat: 19.5%
Crude fiber 3.5%
ash 6.5%
humidity 10.0%
omega – 6 2.7%
Chondroitin 250 mg / kg
calcium 1.25%
phosphorus 1.0% – 0.95%
copper 10 mg / kg
selenium 0.2 mg / kg
iodine 2 mg / kg
Vitamin A 15,000 IU / kg
Vitamin D3 1200 IU / kg
Vitamin E 150 IU / kg
Niacin 135 mg / kg
I know that these food contain corn, but such are available in Poland as normal, not a cosmic price :/
Greetings

[pugmomsandy]

Off the top of my head – Brothers Complete Beef and Egg and Turkey and Egg formulas, Acana Singles Lamb and Apple, Acana Singles Duck and Pear. I’m sure there’s more. I’ll have to get back later. What about dehydrated foods? Or do you just want kibble?

[Ronald]

Excuse me for the tears, I am having a beer and a very hot Dearborn sausage. And it is hot..

Inkedmarie the hip is doing fine, takes a long time to completely heal. Been going on almost 5 months and the hip pain is gone in fact the hip replace never gave me any problem, just the shaft part that goes into the thigh bone.. They cut the muscle and it takes time to build it back up.. I walk with a limp because I can’t put my full weight on that leg yet..so I also use a walking cane..

I will look at NutriSource so are so many out there it’s hard the choose from. I lost eddie because of the way we fed him and of course he ate it all no matter what he got..He ended up being a bad diabetic..

Bluetic thanks, I have given Abby some can food containing lamb.. I found out she is not keen on dry food, I ot some canned food and she gobbled it up, still learning her little things, after all she had 7 years with someone else feeding her..
Her little traits are starting to show now. She like people food, but she will get none to very little, she has a excellent memory, I have been walking about four times a day and she knows the times, because she comes to me and makes little groaning noises and gets excited..Can’t put my hat on in front of her that means walk time, I opened the van door she jumped in and refused to get out stood her ground..so she loves car rides..Her traits are starting to show..and she is relaxed now with us..she knows the kids, they stop by just about every day and Sunday is like a restaurant around our place for breakfast..

Ron..

[bluetichound21]

try Innova fish or lamb exspensive but easy on the dog

[InkedMarie]

Hi Ron,
I’m sorry for the dog you lost but glad you, your wife & Eddie found each other! I think NutriSource would be a great food to try!
Not dog related but how’s your hip doing? My surgeon will replace my right one any time I want.

[jange123]

Hi,

New to the forum… Thank you in advance for your input.

I will be getting my GSP puppy in a few weeks and have been looking extensively into the food I will be feeding him. As you all know there are hundreds of makes out there. I am going with a dry kibble and from time to time will reward him with some fresh raw meat. My goal here is to get your opinion on what dry food to choose.

I have read into this site quite a bit and see how a ”meal” based food is favored over a “meat”. However I have read the opposite on other sites. The explanation on this site seems to add up but figured I’d check with you. The pet stores around where I live carry mostly 1-3 star foods and a handful of 4-5 stars. I’m not too concerned about price but also know paying a lot doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good and balanced food.

For a pup that will be very active, does any one have experience with a GSP or suggestions?

Thanks again.

Jeff

[bomashisha]

I have been feeding my lab Muenster Dry Dog Food for several years with no problem. He recently developed allergies and even though we are not sure they are caused by his diet, we decided to change to Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken Kibble. Everything was going along fine for a few days but now his elimination habits have drastically changed. He used to go to the bathroom twice a day, once after breakfast and once after dinner when I take him for his walk. For the last week, he is just about stopped going to the bathroom after breakfast. He continues to go to the bathroom during his walk for the most part, but occasionally, he doesn’t eliminate until later on in the night. Also, he has way more flatulence than previously and it has a very noticeable odor. I am not sure if just feeding the kibble is what is causing the problem since it appears there is very little fiber in it. What do you all recommend as a supplement to the kibble? Thank you.

[networe]

Hi,

I am allergic to sea food (salmon,fish etc..) and would like to find something nice for my puppy without those ingredients. Rated 4 to 5 stars.

Thanks 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Cod liver oil is lower in omega 3’s than most other oils and in order to supply enough cod liver oil to give adequate amounts of omega 3’s you probably end up with excessive levels of vitamin a and d. I give each of my dogs a 1,000 mg. capsule of Carlson brand cod liver oil daily (provides 250 IU vitamin D, 2,000 IU vitamin A and 240 mg. omega 3’s). Dogs should receive about 2.3 mg. manganese for every pound of food they eat on a dry matter basis (so for a raw food which is high in moisture this would equate to about 0.6 mg. per pound fed). Ground flax has 0.2 mg. per tbs. Some other foods rich in manganese pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and oysters. I would say that, yes, a human multivitamin should have adequate levels of vitamin e. I would make sure your dog is getting around 50 IU per 25 lbs. (the minimum dietary requirement is lower than thus but vitamin e requirements increase with omega 3 supplementation and it it has antioxidant benefits so for this reason I think it’s important to give a little more).

[dendad]

I’m so sorry about your loss. I have lost two dogs this year due to “unknown” causes. My last baby died just a week ago. The Vet ran him through all kinds of tests, but threw up her hands and said she just didn’t know what was wrong. It was related to his digestion system somehow (diarrhea and vomiting). They have both eaten Science Diet their entire lives (12 and 13 years old). Recently, Science Diet changed the formula on their dry (light) food. It was very yellow, which concerned me. I contacted Hills and got a “That’s your problem” type answer. Both my babies were fine until they changed the formula. Of course, now I feel extremely guilty for not changing food immediately, but I’ve always had trouble when I change my dog’s food, even though I’ve done it gradually. I have one more baby left. She’s two. I am so glad I found this site because I’m going to research the food topics very closely and warn as many people as I can about Science Diet. I can’t prove it, but I have a gut feeling, Science Diet killed both my dogs.

[Ronald]

Thanks for all the good comments.. I’ll be sticking around I like it here, I feel great being surrounded by all these great women, is there any guys posting..

I have a forum I am trying to build up at the same time.. http://pawsandtailsinheaven.com/index.php not only memorials but talking about animals also..Still looking for ideas to add to the board..

I guess we forgot about what we started out for dry dog food.. Doesn’t matter as long as the owner doesn’t holler at us.. I think this is a great forum and very informative Board..

Ron..

[Cyndi]

I completely agree Karen. My friend owned my previous dog’s mother and father. When the mom got pregnant, I delivered the whole litter when it came time, which included my doberman Moose. I was holding him when he took his first breath and I was holding him 11 years later when he took his last. I wish I could have had many, many more years with him, but I could never, ever imagine dumping him or abandoning him. & now I have Bailey, who was scared of everything and growled and barked at everyone because of who knows what kind of abuse. She has come so far in the almost 6 months I’ve had her and I made a promise to her that she would never, ever be hurt again.

Oh, and btw, Ron, you are a good man for what you do and for giving Abby a home. We hope you’ll stick around and keep us posted on how she is doing! 🙂

[KarenC]

If I didn’t go through bags of food so fast I’d be a hoarder too! It just so happens that my bags and cans run out right at pay day so I never have much hanging around. Just enough to start on the new while there’s still a day or two of old to mix with. I’ve never really transitioned a food. I always just add to the last of what’s there and go for it! I’ll risk a few days stomach upset, though it’s never really been an issue. Even with the fosters and the who-knows-what they’ve eaten in the last few days.

Abby is extremely lucky! And Ron is right. Too many people consider their pets throw-aways. We get several a year through the rescue just because they don’t like the new puppy. That is the most jaw dropping reason I’ve ever heard. I appreciate people who see their pets as a commitment. So few do. No matter how you acquire your pets, either via shelter, rescue, or breeder, you make a promise to them. Sure, unforseen circumstances happen, but you’ll always see a person’s true character when you watch how they care for their animals.

[DogFoodie]

That’s the truth, KarenC! I’ve learned so much here, but unfortunately I’ve also turned into a dog food hoarder as a result! LOL!

I believe, Ron’s story about Eddie and the kinds of things he says about commitment and ours being a throwaway society say a lot about the kind of people he and his wife are. Abby is lucky to have them ~ she’s found a safe, loving home with them. : )