[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, 5 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. : )

[KarenC]

That’s such a sweet story about your Eddie! He knew he would be safe with you (and have a full tummy!). Dogs always know when they are rescued, don’t they? I hope Abby fills what you’re missing from Eddie.

Someone said above to stick around here and you’ll learn a lot…They aren’t kidding! I’ve always been a kibble feeder (due to budgets and lifestyle constraints), and have always gone for the best I could afford at the moment. Believe me that there were some days when me and all the dogs were sharing a bologna sandwich and can of soup. But reading here and the review comments has taught me so much. Things that now make perfect sense, but I never really thought of before. Rotating being one of them. My dogs never ate one single food for years and years because I tried to improve as I could, but now I know that rotation more often is even better! They’ve also gotten cooked or canned toppers as often as I could, but I never would have considered sardines or other canned fish! There hasn’t been a single question I couldn’t get answered by some of the experienced posters here. Stick around and you’ll learn a ton!

[DogFoodie]

Hey KarenC,

Ron shared the sweetest story about how his first dog, Eddie, came into his life on a thread that he started called “Best Dry Dog Foods.” : )

[Ronald]

Thanks…. I believe in commitment. If you take any kind of animal, dog or cat, that is a commitment for the life of that animal..

To many people believe in the throwaway society, easy come, easy go..

Animals are born into our society with no rights, and depend on one of us to care for them..

Ron..

[DogFoodie]

Aww, Ron, that’s a very bittersweet story about Eddie.

It sounds like he found the home he needed with you and your wife. Most people would’ve never had the kindness or the patience Eddie deserved.

That explains your avatar, too. : )

I hope that Abby fills that empty space that Eddie left in your heart a bit.

[Ronald]

I never had a dog except when I was a kid living with my mom and dad, many, many moons ago..

10 yars ago our outdoor floodlights kept coming on for maybe three or more nights..so I got up one night to check and seen this little red dog outside in the bitter freezing cold..
Went outside to see him, he wanted nothing to do with me, tried a few times to nip my ankle, no way was this guy going to do this..

I made a box for him with blankets, even opened the side door to the garage for him to go inside out of the weather..Nope didn’t want that..

Next morning I asked the wife to make me a small bowl of warm oatmeal..That did it, he ate so fast I gave him a little more plus a nice drink of water..

I still couldn’t get near him, then a day or two he came up to the door and I opened it and in he came..He stayed inside where is was warm and cosy and he got fed very well.. I took him to the vet and had him checked out all the shots..

Kept him in a create for maybe a month, always left the door open so he could come and go..This is when he bonded to me and just tolerated the wife, even though she fed him his daily food..He was a one person dog, and that was me..

He was so protective of the wife and I, no one got near us until they got through him first.. But he had problems, very mad little guy, didn’t tolerated people or other dogs. Once a person was accepted by eddie they were OK with him they could come in the house..

He was like a shadow, where I went he went, good thing I was retired, because he’d never let me out of his site..He was a Vizsla mix, all red, red nose and red eyes, no tail..He also fit the Vizsla, he was a home dog..
He may have had problems, but to the wife and I he was our little guy, and always will be..He is waiting in the Rainbow Bridge..
Sorry I am getting choked up. See you later.

Ron…

[DogFoodie]

I know what you mean… I still will never forget the day I had to put down my black lab, Hannah. It was 03/03/2003, and I swear every time I talk about it, it makes my heart ache. It always feels like it was just yesterday. Hannah was the best dog ever (well, one of them).

It wasn’t until 04/29/2011, that I could bring myself to get another dog. That’s when my sunshine, Bella my Cavalier, came into our lives.

[theBCnut]

Vets have to know about medical problems in a whole host of different species, so they don’t spend much time on what nutrition looks like in a healthy animal.

[Ronald]

Thanks for the heads up on the Vet. You’d think they would know about diets, oh well as bad as family Doctors..

Thanks for the kind words on eddie.. I still miss the little guy, and it still brings tears even after this long..He was my sidekick for 10 years, I couldn’t even get out of the front door alone..

I have a friend in the UK who lost his Cavalier about a week later..

So I have a Hosting program, so I opened a web forum for Memorials and just talk about our animals..
Ron..

[theBCnut]

Hi Ronald

I’m sorry to hear about Eddie. It’s so hard when we lose them.

[DogFoodie]

Aww, Ron, I’m sorry about Eddie. : (

A lot of us here aren’t crazy about the foods our vets recommend. Vets get very little education in nutrition and what they do get is usually sponsored by the very same brands they usually sell in their clinics and recommend to their patients. I see an integrative vet and love that both she and the vet I see for my pup’s chiropractic care, prefer raw ~ but, they’re both far from the norm in their philosophies. All the vets at the practice where I see my integrative vet are Purdue vets (which, being a Purdue alum myself, I love), but for the most part, it’s traditional veterinary medicine.

Keep asking your questions here and stick around, you’ll learn more than you ever thought imaginable about dog food!

[Ronald]

When it comes to our pets, do we ever stick to a budget..

I just got out of having a total hip replacement, the day I came home my other dog I had for 10 years passed away the night before..Replacement was March 1st. Eddie passed away March 3rd..

He had been sick so we took him to the Vets, found out he had very high sugar put him on the needle. But he was also ill in the upper GI, had medications to help, but he still passed away.
We spent just under $4000. trying to keep him alive..
So I don’t think we follow budgets very good..

I just thought maybe NutriSource might be a good selection, since it is a well known brand..
I am going to take Abby to the Vet’s and will see what he recommends..

[DogFoodie]

Hi Ron,

Congrats on the new pup! That’s awesome you’ve adopted a more “mature” pet! Labs are so great, aren’t they.

I will totally second Patty’s recommendation for NutriSource. It does seem that it’s very easily transitioned to and I know that they carry it at PSP, that’s where I buy mine. By the way, NutriSource also has a loyalty program ~ ask them about it at PSP. Also, you can get coupons all the time from NutriSource by texting the word “Source” to 55678 ~ at the store where I shop, there’s also a really sweet NutriSource rep there frequently and she readily hands out coupons ~ even leaves them sticking out between the various stacks of their product at the store when she leaves.

OK, so I don’t work for Nutri Source and there are definitely other foods I like as well. Do you need to try to stick to a particular budget?

[pugmomsandy]

She might also have tummy troubles from switching from her previous food to shelter food then to Pedigree in a short amount of time.

[Ronald]

Got my little avatar, thanks for the help..

[Ronald]

I talked to the girl that has the shelter, she told me Abby was like that when she got her, so she mixed some wet food with the dry food..
I went and got a can of wet food, mixed some with her dry and away she went, just gobbled it down..

But I will switch her to a more healthier diet. PSP has like two or four rows of dog food dry, all different brands and types.. I will also check out TS.. I will check out NutriSource..

Thanks for the help..

[theBCnut]

You have to go to Gravatar dot com to add an avatar. Melissa suggested some really good foods and I really don’t want to add to that list, but I do want to let you know that NutriSource tends to be a food that is easy for dogs to switch to. Also I wanted to reinforce what Melissa said about picking a few different foods and rotating between them. It really is much healthier for your dog, and while you may have to switch slowly the first few times, as your dogs gut gets healthier, there will be less and less need to transition from food to food until one day you can just switch cold turkey to whatever you want. That is a healthy gut.

[Mom2Cavs]

I think you can add an Avatar anytime, but I can’t remember how I did it LOL! Somehow through Disqus, if I remember correctly. Sorry I’m not anymore help than that. I did it awhile ago and just don’t remember how. Again, I’m sure some of the other regulars will post and help you out My Avatar is of Laverne. I have another Cavalier, Hazel and a Mixed Breed, Lucy. Pet Suppies Plus has some decent foods. I haven’t been in one for years but I remember they carried some good ones back then. Again, TSC has 4Health grain free, which is around 30.00-35.00 for 30 lbs. of food! It comes in 3 flavors, too. Their canned 4Health (I buy the grain free stews) are .99 a can….fantastic considering other foods go for around 2.70-5.00 a can!! Btw, remember when looking for dog supplies, like collars, leashes, beds, bowls, etc. don’t forget to check out places like Big Lots, TJ Maxx, Dollar Stores, etc. I don’t recommend buying food or treats from there but I’ve gotten some great buys for supplies from those kind of places. The fun is just beginning!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Ronald]

Thanks for the reply. I have a Pets Supplies Plus store near by, I also have a animal supply near by and two Tractor Supply Stores near by..

My last dog loved the Pedigree so I bought it again.. But Abby doesn’t like it, so I’ll have to try another..

My last dog passed away after 10 years, and we gave all the doggie stuff to a rescue home, never thinking we’d have another dog..

I’ll mark these foods down and look them up..

Thanks Ron..

PS how many postings do I need before I can add a Avatar..

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, Ron! It is so exciting for you and your new doggie friend to have found each other. As for food recommendations, I would suggest starting with this site and looking at the 4-5 star foods. If you find one (or a few, to rotate with) that you would like to try with your dog then I would see if you can get them locally. Some of us also order foods we can’t get locally from online stores (many have free shipping). I like to buy locally because I like to look at the expiration dates myself before I buy them, but I have bought online, too. Also check out any local feed stores that might be in your area. Tractor Supply has a wonderful, inexpensive house brand, for instance. Also, Costco has some foods people love. Some of the brands I will recommend are (in no particular oder):
Merrick, 4Health grain free, Nature’s Variety, Fromm, Earthborn, Wellness, Holistic Select, Acana, Nutrisource. These are just a few, there are many more. I hope this helps some. I’m sure HDM, InkedMarie, Pattyvaughn, etc. will also have some good suggestions. 🙂

[Ronald]

I have just adopted a abandon Lab. she is 7 years old, very settled and very gentle, seems to have taken to the wife and I, we have had her for one week now..
Trouble is she ate good the first day, now she just nibbles.
I always thought that Pedigree dry feed was good, but upon reading more I see it is loaded with corn filler..
Can I ask what is a good dry food I can give her..
Another thing she doesn’t eat and veggies or fruit..

My passed dog ate all kinds of veggies and fruit he loved these food products, and I guessed all dogs did, but I’m afraid not so..

Thanks
Ron..

[Hound Dog Mom]

I use portion pacer balls.