[sisu]

I have a 14 year old who has acid reflux since she was 3. If the situation persists I encourage you to make an appointment with a gastroenterologist who can scope the dog to determine if the cause is due to a weakened sphincter muscle between the stomach and esophagus. There is a surgical procedure to correct the condition. I wish vets would have taken me seriously when I mentioned the acid reflux as it is now too late for her to have the surgery.

As a raw feeder the journey we have taken has been against my belief in a high meat protein diet. Although fed 3-4 times per day there came a point were she could not tolerate the amount of meat needed to maintain weight without the severe reflux that was damaging her throat and mouth. Natures Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Turkey did not work. After several brands and combinations I learned chicken, turkey or fish were the easiest for her to digest. Those proteins in a high calorie grain inclusive formula have proven to be the best option. She is currently doing very well on Innova Turkey and Chicken which is 548 calories per cup. The food is moistened to the point the kibble is fully expanded. It is almost mush when stirred. The food is fed 3 times per day as close to 8 hours apart as possible to avoid placing undue pressure on the weakened sphincter muscle.

I have also been adding Mercola probiotics and digestive enzymes. Neither has been added for the past 2 days and there is no difference.

Since Misty’s condition is due to the weakened sphincter muscle, not acid production, Apple Cider Vinegar did not work for her.

Before going to a primarily grain based diet as our situation requires try some of the 3 star grain free brands that would have lower protein and fat than Natures Variety Instinct. Some have 2 lb. packages which would allow you to try without investing in food that may not work. Donate any food that cannot be used to a shelter or local rescue.

[aimee]

Hi Alshasta,

The effect of food components on the pH of the urine can be complex. The sulfur amino acids cysteine and methionine are acidifying and I believe they are found more often in animal based proteins vs. plant protein which is why “meat” is considered acidifying. I’ve also read that corn protein is relatively higher in sulfur AA. However, sulfur AA are only one contribution to the resulting urine pH. Other players are calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium which are alkalinizing and phosphorus and chloride that are acidifying.

You can call the companies of the food you are interested in and ask what the average pH is of the urine of dogs on their diet. But many companies don’t track health parameters of the foods they produce. You can also predict pH based on the amounts of the previous mentioned components ( there are equations to do this). But the best information will be gotten from your own dog by measuring urine pH over various times of day while on a particular diet.

Increasing water intake to decrease urine concentration can also help decrease crystal formation. I’ve read that Apple Cider Vinegar increases urine pH because it has an “alkaline ash”. I don’t think I’d use Vit. C. I know it was tested in cats and it didn’t have an effect on urine pH but I don’t know what dose was tested.

[alshasta]

Thank you very much for your response. This helps me make a decision. I have heard about the apple cider vinegar so I will add that to his food. Thank you again.

[theBCnut]

The way I understand it is that meat protein is a natural acidifier, so look for foods that are high in meat content. What some people do is add a half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per cup of dog food, or give vit C or cranberry capsules. As long as your dog is full grown, I wouldn’t worry about large breed formula and if he isn’t full grown, you should know that a lot of large breed formulas are not actually appropriate for large breed puppies because they were not formulated according to the most up to date research.

[LeahT]

I had looked at The Honest Kitchen, but that was another one that used rosemary as a natural preservative. There might not be anything behind the connection with rosemary and seizures, but I would like to try finding something without rosemary for now.

I will definitely check out those other sites though. Thank you!

I have been reading about Darwin’s raw, and those don’t seem to have rosemary. They are also running an introductory offer for 10 pounds for $14.95, so I thought I would try that with her. She has become a bit of a picky eater since our lab passed away, so I want to try finding a smaller amount before investing $90 in something she won’t eat.

The problem is though that I live in the middle of nowhere in Kentucky, so there aren’t all that many natural dog food options offered around here. Even Feeder’s Supply, Pet Smart, etc. has a limited selection and most of that is Blue Buffalo. Chances are we will have to order whatever we feed her online.

With the cost of any store bought raw I’m still hoping to maybe feed her half raw/dehydrated and half dry. Hopefully I can narrow down the dry foods I am considering once we get an allergy test.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jazzy’s Mom –

To calculate the protein level of a food on a dry matter basis (the actual amount of protein) you want to do the following:

1) Subtract the % moisture listed on the package from 100% – this is the % dry matter.
2) Divide the as fed protein percentage found on the package by the % dry matter.
3) Multiply this number calculated in step 2 by 100% to get the actual level of protein in the food.

You’ll notice that the more moisture the food contains, the greater the actual level of protein in the food is in comparison to what’s stated on the packaging.

Adding vegetables to the food would decrease the level of protein, however, I’m not certain if you could add enough to get the protein where you need it to be without throwing off the nutritional balance of the food. No more than 20% of the diet should be unbalanced extras.

[NetG]

I currently feed my dogs purina dog chow but thanks to this site I will be mixing in a higher quality dog food, such as diamond or sportmix, with the intent of phasing out purina and phasing in the new food. With 3 large breed dogs I have been buying 40+ bags of purina for about $20, I was SUPER ecstatic when I saw that diamond is 30 pounds at around $30 at my local feed store, HEY I can afford that 🙂 But some of these were involved in recalls so now I’m a little worried 🙁

Now I would NEVER keep a bag that was recalled nor would I EVER knowingly feed contaminated food to my pups…but you never know your dog food is bad until it’s too late and the recall is out.

So here’s my question; can I heat the dry dog food in the oven (then cool) before feeding and kill any potential contamination without degrading nutrients? Would this add an extra layer of protection as I’m thinking or would it just be a waste? I’ve done this with purina just because it had been in the bin for a while. The pups seemed to appreciate the “refreshed” kibble but it never crossed my mind that I may be over-cooking and destroying nutrients. I really want to switch to the highest quality dog food I can afford to feed them but I don’t want to be counter productive. I know the risk of contamination is low but call me a worry wort. Thoughts?

[alshasta]

My giant schnauzer has crytals in his urine which can develop into serious health issues. He requires a low PH food. Right now he is on Hill Prescription Vet Formula. It is not a very good quality food and full of corn and other grains. Unfortunately PH is not addressed in the labeling of dog foods. Does anyone happen to know of a low PH, high quality large breed dry food? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you

[DieselJunki]

I too was very nervous about starting raw. It seems overwhelming at first. I’m starting mine on it next week. I asked a lot of questions and then read some more, joined a few raw food forums and Yahoo Groups. When I finally put together a menu for a month I put it on here and got lots of wonderful feedback. I adjusted my menu accordingly (well hound dog mom helped Alot with that) and put in an order.

But before, while I was researching, I’ve been feeding The Honest Kitchen. Reading about them (reviews on this site and others as well) and going to their website seeing that they only use human grade food in their food just kind of sealed the deal for me. However it is a bit pricey. Around $95 for a 10lb box. But your dog being on the smaller side it will last you much longer than it lasts me.

Some sites you can order raw food and have them ship it to you are:
My Pet Carnivore
Hare Today Gone Tomorrow
Carnivore Feed Supply (this is a yahoo group)
Or if you live close enough you can go and pick it up and save on shipping.

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

[LeahT]

I would love to switch her to a raw food diet, but I want to make sure I have done enough research before trying something like that. I want to get her some dry food for now that will hold her over until I feel comfortable with raw food.

I’ll look into the special needs formula though. Thanks! The ones reviewed on this site were a little too high in carbs, but I’ll see if I can find a breakdown for that formula specifically.

Right now I’m looking into possibly Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural, Taste of the Wild, or Evo Turkey and Chicken Formula, and possibly mixing in some frozen raw or dehydrated/freeze-dried. We’ll see what the allergy test says.

[paige-s]

canine caviar special needs ingrediants: Whole Ground Brown Rice, Dehydrated Chicken, Whole Ground Linseed, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Sun Cured Alfalfa, Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Culture, Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Culture, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Culture, Sun-Cured Kelp, FOS (prebiotic), Calcium Proteinate, Sodium Chloride, Lecithin, Choline Chloride, Parsley, Fenugreek, Peppermint, Taurine, Selenium, Whole Clove Garlic, Vitamin E, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin C, Papaya, Rose Hips, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin, Beta-Carotene, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin D3, Biotin, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, Potassium Proteinate, Folic Acid.

Special Needs

[paige-s]

Raw food would be excellent for a dog with seizures – and a fish formula would be beneficial as well. you could try canine caviar special needs formula. I have alot of customers at the store i work at with their babies and seizures and these 2 options have been working fantastic. i am not a vet or trained pet nutritionist, just telling you what i have seen work for others in similar situations.

[LeahT]

Thank you HDM! It seems to be pretty much impossible to find natural dog food without rosemary, extract, or oil, but I have found a few. Wysong seems to be one of the best as far as high in protein and low in carbs/fat, but I can’t find any without rosemary. I’m hoping the new vet we are taking her to next week will be able to do an allergy test so that I know a little more of what I’m looking for, but I do have a few in mind now.

DieselJunki – I have been looking into dehydrated food as well. It looks to be pretty expensive, but I’m perfectly willing to give it a try with her if it will help. Is there something you would recommend?

[DieselJunki]

Have you thought about a dehydrated food?

Edit: Oh, well you did say dry food didn’t you. Well it starts off dry at least 😛

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

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’ve heard mixed information regarding feeding rosemary containing foods to epileptic dogs. I’ve read sources that claim it’s a neurotoxin and can trigger seizures and I’ve also read that in the form and amount it’s used in in pet food it’s not an issue. If it were me, I’d avoid it – better safe than sorry.

A “low fat” food would be a kibble having 12% or less fat, a canned food having 15% or less fat or a raw food having 17% or less fat. Dogs foods typically don’t disclose the level of carbohydrates (although you can find estimations for certain formulas on the review section of DFA) so for this reason I find it easier to focus on the protein level of the food rather than the carb level. As far as kibble goes, foods with 30% or more protein are going to be the “lower carb” foods. If you go with canned or raw foods you can find options that are much lower in carbs/higher in protein than you could if feeding kibble (although many canned foods and raw foods are high in fat so you need to be conscious of this).

[LeahT]

Thank you for the links! I read through them and they are all very helpful.

We have been going to the same vet for years, and my parents for many years before now, but I have been wondering for a while if he is sort of out of touch with more current practices. We had taken our lab to another vet about an hour from here, but he brushed her seizures off as being something genetic. He was the one who recommended we try Neurotrophin, but didn’t seem to have any concern about her food. I will definitely be getting her thyroid levels checked as well.

From what I read in those our Jack needs a diet without carbs, low in fat, and high in protein. I would love to put her on a raw food diet, but I honestly don’t know enough about it that I would trust myself to do that. I would rather, at least until I do some additional research, find a dog food brand to try with her that suits that diet.

I have also read online somewhere (I can’t remember if it was this site or somewhere else?) that there might be some link between seizures and rosemary in dog food. Does anyone know if there is any real evidence behind that?

So, does anyone have any recommendations for low carb, low fat, and high protein dry dog food? And possibly one that falls into that criteria that does not have rosemary? I’m not even certain what is considered “low fat” and “low carb” for dog food, but I found a few through this site that seemed to fit that: Back to Basics, Dried-N-Alive Chicken Formula, Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural, EVO Turkey and Chicken Formula, Primal Freeze-Dried Beef Formula, and ZiwiPeak Dehydrated Venison. I’m not sure what would be the best, but the freeze-dried/dehydrated seemed to have the lowest carb content.

Thanks!

[theBCnut]

I have nothing to add except to say that HDM gave some EXCELLENT advice.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi LeahT –

You vet obviously knows very little about nutrition, this is expected – vets receive minimal education concerning nutrition and what they do receive is funded by the big name corporations like Nestle (Purina), Mars (Royal Canin and Pedigree), Colgate-Palmolive (Science Diet) and Proctor and Gamble (Iams and Eukanuba). Purina and Pedigree are two of the lowest quality dog foods available. Personally, if I were in the situation you are in I would find a new veterinarian.

I would recommend checking out the following articles/videos from Dr. Karen Becker. Dr. Becker is a holistic veterinarian who is very knowledgeable about species-appropriate nutrition and alternative therapies:

“Treating Seizure Disorders in Pets”

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/11/03/treating-pets-seizure-disorders.aspx

“Pet Seizures and Diet”

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/02/22/pet-seizures-and-pet-dog-cat-food-diet.aspx

“Holistic Medicine Cures Estie of her Seizures and Allergies”

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/11/holistic-medicine-saves-estie.aspx

[LeahT]

Seeing all the hype about Blue Buffalo and other natural dog foods we asked our vet about switching both of our girls over to something else, but he said that most of the research behind grains causing health problems is somehow funded by these dog food companies themselves. It makes sense to me, since it’s pretty much the same with human food products too, but I’m not all that convinced.

We recently lost our black Lab just a few months after her 13th birthday. She had had seizures for years, but we were told that with her age and being a purebred she was prone to epilepsy. She also had a surgery just a few weeks before the seizures began to remove a tumor in her neck that was dangerously close to her spinal cord, so we always assumed that something might have gone wrong with the surgery. Her seizures weren’t bad enough for Phenobarbital up until the very end, but she had been on Neurotrophin PMG (from Standard Process). It seemed to help for a while, but shortly before she passed away her seizures started getting closer together.

Now though, our Jack Russell Terrier is beginning to have seizures. She has had maybe 5 over the past 3 months, and although they are not extreme, I can see the same signs in our Jack as in the early stages of our lab. It seems to be too much of a coincidence to not somehow be related to the food they both ate. We are going to try the Neurotrophin with her as well, but we were planning to try changing her dog food as well. Our vet recommended Purina or Pedigree, and she has been on Pedigree for most of her life. Based on what I have found I definitely need to take her off Pedigree. We also have an appointment with a new vet next week, so we are trying all the options. All the research I have been doing on dog food is a little overwhelming though, so I was hoping someone could direct me toward a brand to try with her?

Thank you!
-Leah

[pugmomsandy]

Transitioning can be as slow or fast as you want but I would suggest going by how their output is. If your dog has only eaten one food for several years it might take longer to transition as they are not use to the different kinds of ingredients. I’ve even taken two months or longer on one of mine. Basically I got to 80% new/20% old for over a month but I was transitioning them to a high protein/fat diet – Instinct. I usually go with 25/75 for at least a week and if there stools look good then increase to 50/50 for another week until their stools look good, then 75/25 etc. I didn’t know about probiotics or digestive enzymes back then so those probably would have made transitioning easier. You can even feed a mix of kibbles. I usually feed 2 different kibbles together and mix them up in a 1.5 gallon container in different ratios everytime it gets empty.

Also are you feeding a grain food or grain free food? That might also factor in the transitioning. I went from 1 star food to 4 star food to 5 star food over the coarse of a year.

Of course my fosters get zero transition time. I have know idea what they ate in their previous life and what they ate at the vet. I just give them probiotics, digestive enzymes and ground psyllium and hope for the best. They might have soft stool for a few days and that’s it.

I have found that they transition well on Nutrisource grain free and even Nutrisca. Petflow (and probably other online retailers) offer free shipping when you order a certain amount. Petflow’s amount is $49 so a large bag is usually free shipping. I’d get two large bags at once. They’re packed in the box tighter than one single bag.

Once you know how to read ingredients on dog food, it should be the same for treats. I used to give Beggin Strips, Pupperoni and even cheese balls as treats. Even fed one of my fosters Moist and Meaty after jaw surgery not knowing any better. Right now I use Vital Essentials freeze dried nibblets and Dr Becker Bites and Nutrisca freeze dried for treats. For chewing treats I give dry roasted trachea and tripe chews (very stinky) and fresh chicken feet and fresh trachea.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_4047600x450_zpsf34c6610.jpg
Just remember to cut the claws off!

A whole sardine is an easy additon too.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_60801024x821_zpsad7d39eb.jpg

Duck and turkey necks are great for chewing and cleaning teeth also. I can find small turkey necks at the health food store sometimes. Chicken necks are always at the ethnic grocery store and so are chicken feet and other kinds of feet.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_3998594x640_zpsf920079d.jpg

I don’t think you even mentioned raw food so I’ll stop there!

Yes homemade jerky treats are a money saver. You can even use your oven. Set it to the lowest setting and bake for at least 3 hours thinly sliced strips of chicken or other meat/organs on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I guess the new silicone nonstick bakeware will work. Store in the frig.

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

[brianb22]

I was about to ask the same thing.lol. That’s some good info. Thanks! I was researching stores in my city that would sell any of the higher rated brands and I only found one unfortunately. Trying to avoid shipping costs if I can. The ones they have listed are: Advanced Pet Diets, AvoDerm, Blue Buffalo, Canidae, Merrick, Natural Balance, Nature’s Variety, Pinnacle, Royal Canin, Taste of the Wild, Zignature. Seems like they have some that you guys mentioned so I might try those and go from there.
You mentioned transitioning slowly at first and I’ve read that in other places. Exactly what’s the best way of doing that? I’ve switched types of food but the same brand with the small one and she has never seemed like it bothered her. The big one I’ve given the same stuff but have fed her the little one’s food some when I’ve ran out and didn’t have time to go to the store and she’s been fine as well. Would a slow transition mean doing half old, half new for awhile or something like that? I’ve been feeding them eagle pack dry food for the past few years which was given a 4 star review on here so I at least feel pretty good about that. There’s still some red flags but they seem pretty small. I’ll think about keeping that brand in the loop depending on the costs I take on with the new stuff.

[gram]

My question is an extension of the “which food is best”. If you feed a variety of 5 star rated dry foods (i.e. they meet the nutritional requirements), is it a good idea to supplement your adult dogs diet with fresh foods (e.g., tomatoes, apples, eggs, salmon oil, carrots, lean cooked meat, yogurt). All these are foods that my 50 lb. golden mix likes. I feed them to him occasionally as treats. However, should I be feeding them on a regular basis as supplements?
Thanks.
Leslie

[ramroxy]

Thank you all for your input. I am going to try the Acana dry kibble, and see how she does with that.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi brianb22 –

It’s great that you’re considering switching to a rotational diet – providing a wide variety of quality species-appropriate foods is the best thing we can do for our pets.

I currently feed a homemade raw diet with different proteins, different supplements and different fruits/vegetables at each meal. When I was feeding kibble, however, I switched to a new brand with a new protein source at the end of every bag (about every 3 weeks for my 110 lb. male bloodhound) – all the while adding a different canned food toppers daily. When you first begin a rotation diet you may find that it will be necessary to slowly transition between brands (because your dogs are used to eating the same thing daily), but once you do it for awhile and your dogs’ guts strengthen you should be able to switch brands with no transition.

Any of the 4 or 5 star foods would be good options to use in your rotation – which foods you choose will really depend on your budget. I used dry foods that were grain-free and had at least 30% protein, some of my favorites were: Orijen, Nature’s Variety Instinct and Acana. I picked canned foods that were grain-free, some of my favorites were: Nature’s Logic, Tripett, ZiwiPeak and Addiction.

I’d also recommend adding some fresh foods to your dogs’ meals occasionally. Some healthy fresh foods: plain yogurt or kefir (high in quality animal-based protein and probiotics for a healthy gut), tinned sardines or mackerel (high in protein and omega 3’s), eggs (high in quality protein and omega 3’s), lean leftover meat (high in quality protein) and steamed low glycemic veggies (high in antioxidants).

Good luck!

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

[brianb22]

I own a 4 yr old great dane(female) and a 5 yr old boston terrier/english or french bulldog mix(female). Have been feeding them eagle pack dry food and beneful wet food(periodically) for the last 3 years or so. Somehow I’ve been ignoring that little voice in the back of my head to pay attention closer to the food I’m giving them until today. Probably because I haven’t seen them have any problems but after reading only a fraction of what’s on this site and elsewhere that is irrelevant now. So even though I know these are hugely opinion based questions with a laundry list of choices and combinations I’ll ask it anyways.
1) What’s 2-3 good choices for a dry food?
2) What’s 2-3 goo choices for wet?
Not sure if it applies but if there’s pet specific ones that any of you all have found to be good obviously feel free to mention that. Otherwise just looking for some good ones so I can start getting them on a rotational diet and off this stagnate one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
For those of you who do the rotational diet I’d love to hear what your routines entail. Same brand but different types? Length of time for dry and wet? Etc..

[Srmeadow]

My mini Aussie has been diagnosed with struvite crystals. She is 9 months old. Vet prescribed Royan Canin Urinary SO dry dog food and my dog only ate it for a few days and then refused to eat it. Vet then gave me the canned dog food and she does like it much better. However, I’m struggling with the fact that she’s on canned dog food and the only alternative dry food I know of is Hills Science Diet urinary food. I’ve heard that just increasing water intake and occasionally feeding canned food is acceptable. My only worry is if she does develop stones, this will require surgery. I’m avoiding this at ALL costs even if it does mean feeding her a lower quality of food. I’m at a loss and don’t know what to believe. The vet says one thing and many internet forums say other things. I want to listen to my vet, but does my dog REALLY need to be on prescription dog food forever to avoid further bladder issues. Help! Thanks in advance.

[rypke1]

Just curious if there is any information on this dog food, ADM Proud Paws dry dog food. I didn’t see it listed among any of the products. Thank you for any information you can provide.

[anakinthedog]

Good information here; it gives me a lot to think about.
I’m currently feeding 2 cups a day of dry Royal Canin Diabetic kibble and no more than one cup a day of Merrick’s Grain Free 96% Real Chicken canned- he refuses the dry without the canned on top. Urination is becoming more frequent as well as the accidents in the house the last two days. Ketones are normal; blood sugar is close to 600. He’s 34 lbs and consuming as much water as he did before diagnosis of diabetes a month ago. I’m taking him back to the vet this week as his sugar was controlled up until these past two days.
In the interim, has anyone tried feeding their diabetic dog Simply Nourish’s canned grain and gluten free stews? Anakin loved it before he was diagnosed and it seems to be a pretty good food. Low in carbs, high in protein.
Side Note: Im trying to keep his caloric intake around 780/ day. he gets 8 units of Humilin N twice a day after breakfast and dinner. I am not giving insulin with lunch.
Thanks for any feedback you may be able to give and for the OP as well.

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve used Mercola probiotics for about 2 yrs now but have just purchased some Dr Langer’s also (for me to use too). It depends on what I’m feeding. If it’s wet food, I like to sprinkle in the probiotics, if dry kibble, I just like to give them a pill without having to wet the kibble. It’s quite time consuming sometimes to wet the kibble with canned food. This week I’m feeding 12 dogs. Maybe it’s not so much time consuming but the dogs are sooooo impatient when I pop open a can and it can get quite loud!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi DawnieStrohl –

My advice would be to stop looking for the “best food” – there is no best food. All foods have their pros and cons. Dogs, like every living creature, need variety. Feed several difference foods with different protein sources, this will help mitigate the negative aspects of each food. The less processed the food is the better – so raw foods are healthiest, followed by fresh cooked foods, dehydrated and freeze-dried foods, canned foods, then dry foods. Feeding dry food is fine (it’s convenient and budget friendly) but try topping it with some canned food or fresh food at least a few times a week. Some healthy additions to dry food are eggs, lean meat, tinned sardines, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, kefir and cooked low-glycemic vegetables.

[theBCnut]

Acid reflux meds treat the symptoms without trying to solve the problem and sometimes that makes the problem worse. Your dog should be weaned off the prilosec over the course of a few days, not stopped abruptly. My dog had to be feed small meals a often as I could for a while. The thing that seemed to help the most was 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per cup of food and soaking the food. It seems counter-intuitive to add more acid to the dogs stomach when they appear to have an acid overload problem, but really the opposite is at work. High grain diets alter the normal pH of the stomach and the sphincter muscle at the top of the stomach is acid sensitive so isn’t closing all the way. My dog was having problems with this as a 8- 10 week old pup, when we changed his diet to high protein and started adding the vinegar, he ceased to have problems with vomiting anymore, and hasn’t since. He is now 14 months old.

[thecmist]

Thanks Hound Dog! I have been feeding her 3 small meals a day and with the medication its under control. Her two week course of meds ends this week and we’re hoping the reflux will end. I just don’t want to keep her on ID gastro food, its not the best quality food and can’t switch her back to her old food.. Need other food suggestions from anyone out there with dogs who also suffer with acid reflux.

Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’ve always heard that dogs with acid reflux should eat 3 – 4 small meals per day, rather than one or two larger meals and that the food should be low in fiber. Wet foods (canned, dehydrated, raw, etc.) are preferable to dry for dogs with acid reflux – if you feed dry wet it prior to feeding. I’ve also heard that supplementation with probiotics, digestive enzymes and unfiltered apple cider vinegar can help.

[thecmist]

My dog has been having a problem with Acid Reflux and was put on Prilosec and ID dog food for 2 weeks.. I was feeding her Natures Variety Instinct Limited Ingrediant, but since the acid reflux she can’t be on it because of the Higher Protein and Fat Content.. Any suggestions are appreciated..

[aussiemom]

What is labeled as chicken meal + depending on the product salmon meal, beef meal etc. are ground items produced at rendering companies. Those rendering companies are not monitored for safety regarding types of animal parts used. They will and do toss any part of an animal into the mix. It was reported that this often includes the packaging in which the parts were shipped to them .Including the styrofoam container + plastic wrapping. All parts of the chicken are included, guts, feet, beaks etc. Once the process is completed to create this toxic mix into meal it is distributed to companies that then add it into dry dog foods. I did read that even some of the best dog food manufacturers do not check on source of meal used.
So when a product is labeled as containing chicken meal it’s not really telling you anything about what’s actually in that product. The problem for dog owners is how to avoid such products. Reading a label that states only ‘chicken meal’ doesn’t tell you from what source that chicken meal was derived.
I have in the past used hund n flocken but the dogs seemed to grow weary of it. Now using Fromm gold mixed with Canidae canned. Is this safe?? Impossible to know.

[Magnus Campbell]

New to the forum.

Just got a 3 and half month old german shepherd/rotti mix from a local animal rescue.

I’ve been reading this forum the past few days trying to find the best food to buy our little guy (trying out some Wellness Core Puppy and Avoderm Rotating Menu – Trout and Peas), but for the past two days he won’t eat any kibble.

I also got him a few cans to top of the kibble and he will eat that. It looks like he doesn’t chew his kibble when eats it and then he ends up throwing it up (I assume because its upsetting his digestive system). He seems totally normal and not sick at all, just won’t eat the kibble and when he does he doesn’t chew and usually yacks later.

So, since he eats the wet and has no problem with it, what would be the best wet food to give him while we slowly ween him onto kibble again?

I want a wet food that would meet Hound Dog Mom’s recommendations for the dry food (i.e. a good calcium/phosphorus ratio). He’s going to be a big boy, so I want to make sure he’s getting what he needs to avoid joint/growing issues.

Thanks!!!

Nick

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

[Hound Dog Mom]

My oldest dog used to eat kibble and Nature’s Variety Instinct kibble was one of the foods I used frequently in his rotation. He did really well on it and I think their kibble is one of the best dry foods available. I use the Nature’s Variety Instinct freeze-dried raw medallions once in awhile for treats. I’ve never fed their frozen raw and I personally wouldn’t because it’s HPP, but due to the fact that it’s HPP it might be a good option for a dog that’s never eaten raw before to help them ease into a less processed diet.

[soho]

Hi ashylynn

Natures Variety Instinct line of foods is what I would recommend from Natures Variety.

If you are going to feed dry food I consider Orijen and Wysong Epigen 90 to be top of the line kibbles.

You could also supplement whatever dry food you feed with up to 20% fresh, lightly cooked meats. More than 20% would unbalance the vitamins and minerals in the kibble. For the fresh meat stay within the same meat groups as the kibble you are feeding, ie: add poultry to poultry based kibble, add red meat to red meat based kibble and so on. Eggs are a great protein and you can add a little to any kibble.

Whenever you change or add something new to your dog’s food remember to start slow. It is much better to be overly cautious when introducing new things than to try to undo a bad reaction to the new food or ingredient.

[Vigilent]

My 8 year old Doberman has been eating Purina Pro Pla salmon for sensitive stomachs and her dry skin, typical in Dobes, has gotten better, however, I am considering a better quality food for her. She seems to have an allergy that could be related to the food. I’m considering the Acana brand, however, she still needs an ingredient to deal with her dry skin. Anyone out there with experience with this? Thank you!

[InkedMarie]

Raw, canned and dehydrated is better for dogs. Dry food can leave dogs chronically dehydrated.

[BarneyBo]

Hi, PLEASE, NEED ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER PET PARENTS! About 10 days ago we got a Yahoo News alert stating the FDA was re-releasing a pet food recall list with 180 companies’ pet foods on them, (including Iams, Eukanuba, Purina, Alpo, Science Diet, ETC.)
Reason given was the food (wet, dry and some treats) have toxins in them, chemicals called melamime and cyulaic acid, when combined together they can cause kidney disease in dogs and they could die from it.
Our 9-year-old Labrador/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, Barney, had passed away suddently just about a week before, on April 3, 2013, and the symptoms described for this kidn of poisoning sound a lot like what he had.
Please pass on any info you have on this. The FDA list was released in 1997, but apparently made the news again recently because of these pet foods causing new outbreaks of salmonella. How do we know that any of these pet food companies cleaned up their act since this recall in 2007? How do we know any pet food is safe?
Our Bishon Frise, Bo, who is 6, is lost without Barney. When he joined our family as a 5-month-old puppy (who is learning disabled due to being dropped on his head by his former owner), Barney was already here, and as “big brother,” he taught Bo everything he knows. Now he howls, hangs his head, looks for Barney everywhere, and will not eat. He has been showing signs of kidney disease as well, drinking a lot of water for one thing. He will be getting checked out at the vet asap.
When I called the vet about Barney, and later mentioned about the recall, he advised me to throw out the dog food and fix Bo chicken with rice, Tums, and to bring him in for a checkup.
We are scared of the long-term exposure Bo has had from the same food Barney ate, mostly small-sized crunchy type Kibbles and Bits types of dry food, and Alpo wet food.
Can anyone help us and give us some direction on this? Why would a list that was released in 2007 be re-released in 2013? Evidently at that time (2007) the govt. said this batch came from China, but who knows if any of it is safe? It appears the FDA is not too stringent on these companies or our own government’s standards. Experiencing outrage, grief and extreme concern for our surviving pet and many, many other dogs, cats, horses and their owners who have suffered needlessly. The ASCPA web site has a lot of great info on this. Thank you and God bless. -Barney and Bo’s Mom and Dad

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Shelties Mom –

My dogs get RMBs for dinner every night and I brush their teeth daily. All three have pearly whites with no visible buildup – even my 8 year old senior. As far as small breed dogs being more prone to dental issues I can’t say for sure, I’ve never owned a small dog. I can say though, my grandmother has a 1 year old yorkiepoo that had visible buildup by 8 months of age (she eats dry kibble and gets bones a few days a week). I was a little shocked seeing buildup on such a young dog that eats quality food and gets bones. I’d be curious to hear experience from other small breed owners.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi loveall –

You’re on the right track by feeding a 5 star grain-free food. My only suggestion would be to rotate foods – don’t stick with just one. There is no “best food” – this is why it is important to rotatate, it compensates for the shortcomings of each food. Pick at least two or three different brands (or more) with different protein sources and switch every so often. Rotating foods with strengthen your dog’s digestive system, provide variety and provide you with alternative choices in the event of a recall or formula change. I’d also recommend topping the dry food with a high quality canned food, raw food or healthy leftovers (lean meat, eggs, etc.). Good luck!

[loveall]

Hello…i adopted a now 6 month old…what we think is a rotti/shepherd mix…we found him abandoned under a car outside my daughters school…after battling worms/giardia….he has grown to be approx. 51 pounds…my vet estimated he will be approx. 80 pounds at maturity…i started him on nutro natural…but have switched to blue wilderness…i’am wondering if anyone could give insight to this type/brand of food…since it is confusing with all the diff. Foods…i have remained on dry kibble only…i am hoping someone could give m some advice on what food is best for my lovely mix breed…thank you all

[pugmomsandy]

Fallow,

Blue Buffalo Wilderness and Core have reduced fat/weight management recipes. Also with the higher protein foods I have always fed less than the recommended amount. There is also The Honest Kitchen Zeal formula which is high in protein and low fat and it is a dehydrated food so if you fed 1 cup of dry you would need to add at least 1 cup of water with it so you’re feeding extra volume which might help your dog feel full.

[REASMITH]

Have a 10 yr old Boxer who has a sensitive stomach and also “chews” his paws. He has been eating Iams ProActive Health mini chunks, but recently has started vomiting “little piles”. I need advice on which is the best canned food to feed him. He doesn’t chew the dry food, so therefore, canned food will be the best option. Several years ago he was diagnosed with pancreatitis and recovered and no problems until now. I have read information on several canned foods that will help with sensitive tummy and allergies, such as chewing paws. Any advice will be appreciated and I value advice from dog lovers and hands on experience.

• This topic was modified 4 years ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[cms60]

Short of feeding the all fresh meat diet (with 5 animals that could be pricey), what food do you suggest for a dog who has tested allergic to rice, barley, peas, carrots, flaxseed, alfalfa, soybean, sunflower, and peanuts? All the meats are OK, and oats, wheat, corn, canola, and cotton seed are OK.

For sake of getting a consistent feeding schedule with all my family members helping, I use dry food with table scrap flavorings/moisteners. The crunch seems to keep my dogs’ teeth in pretty good shape. I could go with canned I suppose, but then I need to figure out a way to keep the tartar off of her teeth regularly. Plus also figure out a way to not make the other animals think they are deprived if I give this one something really select.

The allergy symptoms are licking and chewing the fur off of her front paws. No GI symptoms.

Thanks for the help!

[spoonyspork]

Thanks for the quick reply Patty 🙂

I can very well imagine the dry food could have caused the infection, but I doubt it on the vesibular disease — only because he had the first of the fresh bag after the first signs of the later (the bloody problems started about 24 hours after his first meal from the fresh bag, about 36 hours after he fell the first time — the other dog started having loose stools about 48 hours after her first meal from the fresh bag, but it hasn’t gotten worse than that)

I’ve actually been considering switching away from TOTW since the big scare a while back, but my other dog does *not* react well to any other food we’ve tried. We ended up using it originally because it was the only thing she would keep down after an emergency trip to the vet (neighbors – who are no longer neighbors thankfully – poisoned her — she’d had to get her stomach pumped, went blind for a while, etc). Prior to that we were feeding California Natural (which as I understand it is now less good than it was before, while also having gone up a LOT in price?). She doesn’t even react well to switching *flavors* — only the one with the duck will do XD

[spoonyspork]

Okie, I’m sorry this is so long, but want to give as much background as possible for the best choice in foods.

I have an older dog — 14 years old, lab/plott hound mix, currently approximately 60 lbs and looks a little on the lean side to my liking.

We’ve been feeding him Taste of the Wild (can never remember the exact one as I just grab it based on color — it has ducks on the bag?) dry since adopting him 5 years ago, and he has thrived pretty good on that. When we first got him from the shelter he had bald patches all over (almost completely bald on the bottom half) caused by a severe allergy to fleas, and was also rather overweight. Within a few weeks he was lean and shiny with a much higher energy level, etc.

Well over the last year he has begun to show his age. He’s been developing benign tumors all over (each is kept checked by the vet), and his hair has again been falling out. He also constantly has a flea problem despite lots of flea treatments and keeping both inside and outside as flea free as possible (we have no carpet in the house and his bed is switched and washed weekly). In spite of this, he still has a very high energy level and good weight though he’d been starting to look a little TOO lean despite upping the amount of food.

But last week I thought sure I was about to lose him. Long story short, he was diagnosed with vestibular disease and sent home, told it usually improves on its own and the cause is usually never figured out unless it’s tumors on the nerves or an obvious ear infection, but if he improves it’s likely not tumors. He did improve, but the next day his appetite was gone and later started squirting diarrhea that was more blood than stool (hours prior it was normal stool)… so straight back to the vet where he was additionally found to have a GI infection, and put on antibiotics and a wet canned food (Hills I/D). Additionally, the vet suggested I put him on a combo flea/worm pill since topical stuff doesn’t seem to be helping him anymore. His stool sample didn’t show worms or larvae/eggs. I said no to the pill as I wanted to research it first (which I’m pretty sure will be a ‘no’ after reading the side effects! Even just the common side effects were terrible)

It’s been a week now, and he’s slooooowly gained back an appetite as well as near normal mobility (slight head-tilt as I was told would probably happen as well as random missteps or falling over if he tries to take off at a run too quickly)… and now will not *touch* his dry food beyond a couple bites. He doesn’t seem to be being picky about it (and really isn’t a picky dog at all as a rule) — he seems to have trouble actually eating it — after a few bites his head starts to tilt worse and he seems to lose focus and get dizzy, then lose interest. I do have to put his bowl somewhere off the floor as keeping his head down for the amount of time it takes to eat seems to make him dizzy again. His stools are almost normal again though he still seems very raw and sore while trying to ‘go’. I was considering getting more of the I/D from the vet as I thought surely they gave it to us based on it being something easy on his stomach… but reading the ingredients here I’m kind of surprised he didn’t get *worse* on it.

So now my actual point! He is out of the ‘food’ from the vet so this afternoon’s meal will have to be something different (don’t worry; he’ll eat *something* if I don’t get an answer for a while!). I have the looong list of ‘best wet foods’ and was thinking of just switching to taste of the wild wet formula, but I wanted to make sure that is the ‘best’ choice as far as cost-effectiveness as well as with an older dog with the background he has (fleas, skin condition, benign tumors, etc).

I will say I have tried some freeze-dried ‘raw’ diets in the past and my dogs just never seemed to do well with it, and the extra cost, mess, amount needed to feed our large dogs etc just didn’t seem worth it. I will also say I am now somewhat leery of taste of the wild in general, as I may be taking the other dog to the vet as she’s been having very loose stools the last few days too (no blood or pure liquid like his were, but we’re keeping an eye on her) and she just started being fed from the same freshly-opened bag he’d been eating from last week (she had been eating from the older bag while he’d been eating from the freshly opened bag. Trust me it makes sense — they get different amounts that are separated by meal so sometime one ends up eating from a different bag than the other for a couple days)

Okay, I think I’ve given as much info as possible, lol. Thanks for any help!

[Anonymous]

Hi Cyndi,

I’m glad you have made this decision. It will make a big difference–especially with dental health. All the raw feeders on here are giving great advice. 🙂

Here’s a little advice I will give from observing my own dogs. When they got ALL raw, which normally consisted of a boneless meal and a bone-in meal (a leg quarter, a leg, a thigh, wing) each day, and even 2 bony meals per day, they were fine. When I started experimenting w/using dog food for one meal, and a piece of bone-in chicken for the next, I would notice their poops were getting too hard/dry at times. I know dog foods include ingredients to help firm up stools. SO…since chicken backs are SO bony, I don’t think I would feed those every single day if I were you. They are GREAT to start with, but I really think once your dog gets used to them that first week, I personally would just buy leg quarters. My one dog is 50+ pounds and I still feed him drumsticks quite a bit. If you buy a package of quarters, you can just cut the legs off each quarter too. Sometimes THAT becomes my dogs’ entire meal for the day—the drumstick becomes the breakfast, the other part becomes the dinner. I feed whole leg quarters at times too–those are great for cleaning the teeth. I just prefer feeding 2x per day, so sometimes if that’s all I have thawed, it works best to split it up into 2 meals. Plus, I have to pay close attention to portion control for my dogs.

Just keep an eye on things when you start. If stools get too firm, lay off the chicken backs for a day or two. Don’t let this scare you, as once you get going with it, it becomes very natural. I would stick with feeding only chicken for a couple weeks. People on the forum can help you along when the time comes. It’s all about how YOUR individual dog responds to this diet. Two of my dogs have NO problem with more frequent bone-in meals or even a couple days of just boneless meals. My other dog gets looser stools easily, and does better with more bone in his diet.

Good luck! 🙂