[konamisan]

Hi ALL,
I’m new to your forum and truly new some advice! My JRT is 6 yrs old. 2 1/2 years ago, she woke me up at 3am in the morning whining. I turned on the lights to see what was wrong. To my shock and amazement, you could see how red her body was through her white fur. Her body had small lumps and her face had literally changed and looked like a pug! She was scratching, runnining round the house, jumping in & out the tub it was totally frightening and horrible for her. I rushed her to the ER pet hospital. Where she was given a cortiszone injection and Benadryl. I, half bent over the metal cold table coddling her as the lumps, redness,scratching and whining subsided and a whopping bill. It was ok to take her home a 8am in the morning and told to give her the Benadryl 2 times a day for 7 days. 6 months after that episode, she started scratching her ear and body, shaking her head excessively, her shedding, I could have made another dog with the fur that was falling off her although she wan’t balding. So I took her to the vet and he too gave her meds and irrigated her ears. It wasn’t ear mites. She scartched her ear so bad that it bled and she had to wear an e collar in total about 4 months. This went on and off for another 6 months. Her vet never tested her for what could be the problem. He said it may be allergies. Maybe is not the answer I wanted to hear and my JRT & I were both miserable not to mention the bills which was exhausting my finances. I love my Xena and could not stand to see her suffer any more! So I started doing some on line research of what could be the problem? I learned that putting her on a “Raw Food Diet” might be the answer. So I set out to find which one would be helpful.
I stopped feeding her chicken, anything that had potatoes in it and any other grains & cut out the dry kibble. I started her on Steve’s. After about a month, I started seeing that the scratching had subsided the shedding had not. I kept her on it for another half month then introduced her to others like Bravo, Primal, Darwin’s Instinct & Stella and Chewy’s. I even tried shampoos with out success making sure there was no oatmeal in it. For sure that made her scratch & ear cleaning products. I also founf Dr. Karen Becker’s site and bought the “Probiotics, Krill Oil & Ubiquinol” The last 3 products I ran out of. When I can afford it, I’m thinking of purchasing Dr. Becker’s product the “Detox” bites.
Her coat is soft and shiny, but the scratching has come back, she is licking her paws now and her privates & the shedding continues which I serioulsy vaccum 3 times a week. Don’t wear black to my house 🙁 lol although not really funny. Please someone HELP!!!!!!!!!
Konamisan
Well here I am again and the scratching has crept up on us both.

[BennyB143]

Going to try and make this post brief..
Recently got a puppy – 3.5 months old , yellow lab mixed with Shar Pei
When we got him he was eating diamond (I think) brand food and we never fed him it and just got a new type right away , the new type was IAMS Premium Protection Puppy or something similar to that. Well he ran out and I couldn’t find the same food type because the store ran out, so I had to get him IAMS ProActive Health for puppies. Both are dry food obviously.
My question is that, what are the negative effects of this, my roommate seems to think our little pup is soon to be dead or something because he is being really outlandish about this whole thing how I had to get a slightly different type. The pup ate it up just fine; though being a man of logic, I’m assuming the worst possible outcome would be a little upset tummy? We had no time to ease him into the new food type, just poured him a bowl and he ate it up. Any information is greatly appreciated.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi crazy4cats –

The subject of bloat and what factors increase or decrease the risk is very controversial. These are my tips on avoiding bloat based on what my breeders have told me and my personal experience owning large dogs:

1) While a dog can bloat on any type of food, a dog fed a moist diet (raw, canned, etc.) is much less likely to bloat. When feeding kibble you should soak the kibble in water until it expands – this will decrease the risk of bloat and also add moisture to the diet.

2) Don’t allow your dogs to exercise for an hour after eating.

3) Don’t allow your dogs to inhale their food – for some dogs this may mean investing in a portion pacer or a slow feed bowl.

4) Don’t let your dogs drink large volumes of water immediately following a meal.

5) Make sure the dog is getting probiotics and enzymes (unless you’re feeding raw these will likely have to be supplemented). Dr. Maniet, a holistic veterinarian, states “Probiotics and enzymes can help reduce gas, do I’d expect that they also will help reduce bloat.” (Whole Dog Journal)

I’ve had breeders tell me that large dogs should be fed on raised feeders to decrease their risk of bloating and I’ve read the opposite – that raised feeders increase the risk of bloating. I feed my dogs on raised feeders and haven’t had a problem. The raised feeder factor is one of the most controversial.

Some believe that if a food contains citric acid or a dry food with a fat source in the first four ingredients it will be more likely to cause bloat – I wouldn’t hold too much stock in this theory (jmo).

Stress plays a role as well, stressed/nervous dogs are more likely to bloat.

[crazy4cats]

Hi-

I have been trying to find out a little bit about bloat. Unfortunately a co-worker lost her Great Dane to this awful condition. I had never heard of it. Anyway, I have read on a few sites that adding some water to dry food helps reduce risk and I’ve read on others that adding water increases risk. Any advise or words of wisdom as I have large dogs.

[Anonymous]

Need some help here…I have a 8 month old great dane (have had danes all of my adult life). For the last 6 weeks, his stools have been runny..but no discoloration. I had fed him Nutro Max (large breed) from 2 months to 6.5 months. Then problems started…first eating his stools and daily runny stools. The vet has done extensive blood work and found nothing wrong. I changed his dry food to Natural Choice with chicken, brown rice and oatmeal mixture. He has been on different remedies for the loose stools (no-poop pills from the vet, pouring hot sauce on poop and now recommended alfalpha pellets). Also, different vet recommendations for loose stools (pepto bismo, slippery elm, metronidazole and immodium). This is a vicious circle. Can somebody please lead me in the right direction.

[Hound Dog Mom]

abby13 –

All oil has the same amount of fat and all is high in fat – oil is pure fat. 1 tsp. of krill oil has the same amount of fat as 1 tsp. salmon oil. I’m not sure what the fat levels are in the foods you’re feeding but if you’re keeping fat levels low this could be a big reason why she has dry skin. Fat is necessary for healthy skin and coat (in addition to many other things). If she has dry skin I would keep her on a food with at least 15% fat. Supplementing with fish or krill oil would be a good idea too – I’m not sure how big she is, but I posted a dosage chart above. Coconut oil is another fat that is known to help improve skin and coat quality. Remember, dogs have no dietary requirement for carbohydrates and can thrive on protein and fat alone – dogs utilize fat for energy and can tolerate much higher fat levels than people. I’m not sure if you bathe her, but if she has dry skin I’d also watch the number of baths you give. If you bathe her too frequently that can dry the skin. When you do bathe her, make sure to use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. Daily brushing can also help to distribute the oils in the fur and help moisturize the skin.

[abby13]

I have a dog that has super dry skin. I have her on a rotational diet and its the same with all of the food she has tried. I’ve considered trying Salmon oil but it’s so high in fat. How long has the krill last with your dogs?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi tracyx –

You should rotate foods and you should add fresh or canned toppers to dry food. Feeding the same food day after day is very unhealthy, all living things need variety. Switching will strengthen your dog’s digestive system. Another benefit of switching foods frequently is that if there is an issue with a food like an ingredient change and it doesn’t work for your dog, you’ll have lots of other go to options and if there is an issue such as recall due to contamination, your dog will be less likely to be affected if you don’t keep him on any one food for an extended period of time (often times the contaminants are in trace amounts and take months of feeding to build up to a toxic level). Dry food is the worst thing a dog can be fed, it’s not species-appropriate (it’s low in moisture and higher in carbs and protein than fresh meat based foods and canned foods). For this reason it’s a good idea to always top dry food with some quality canned food, a commercial frozen or freeze-dried raw food (rehydrated) or fresh cooked or raw meat. My three dogs eat a homemade raw diet and get something different at each meal. Prior to feeding raw I rotate kibble brands at the end of each bag (about every three weeks) and rotated canned toppers daily (I also added things like raw eggs, tinned sardines, plain yogurt, healthy table scraps, etc.). I know rotating hasn’t made my dogs picky, they’d gladly eat the same food day after day but I would never allow that. I do have hounds though – if you have a more picky dog topping with fresh or canned could make them picky towards just dry. I wouldn’t let the possibility of your dog being “picky,” however, deter you from feeding a healthier more species-appropriate diet. I personally feel that feeding a dog only dry food and feeding the same food continuously is one of the most unhealthy things an owner can do for their animal.

[Mom2Cavs]

Yes, it is your decision and your dog. You are doing what you feel best and I’ll refrain from commenting anymore. We all do what we feel is best for our pets because we love them.

[Anonymous]

I have done what I thought was best thru all of his years and fed him all the natural foods, but always had problems from bloody stools and/or vomiting. Finally, I’m listening to my Vet and feeding him this brand. I’m sure you all are going to argue about how Vet’s don’t get the nutrimental education and etc. But I go to the best Vet in the city and fly in from all over the USA to have them care for their pets since they care for more than dogs, cats & birds~!

[Mom2Cavs]

veggienut, I understand your frustration and I’m usually a firm believer in using what works, but I do have parameters and corn cannot be in my dogs’ food, so I would be looking for a new food still, if it were my dog. Alas, it’s not my dog, so….

Btw, I posted on the Acana Intolerance thread, as well.

[theBCnut]

Then instead of arguing about why the food is “good” just admit you feel safe feeding garbage. Now is not too soon to start researching what you want to switch to if he starts not doing so good.

Oh sorry, that didn’t come out quite like I meant it to. I guess I have strong feelings about these companies that are deceiving people.

[Anonymous]

He’s eating it without issues, and I’ve switched so much due to him having bloody stools from various foods or not liking the food. So if this is working, I’m not switching~!

[Anonymous]

Whoops, I just missed it~! I just checked the bag again, and it’s the 5th ingredient.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Yes, it does contain corn.

Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier 28 Formula

Ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Brewers Rice, Brown Rice, Chicken Fat, Chicken, Corn Gluten Meal, Dried Egg Powder, Barley, Natural Chicken Flavor, Cellulose, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Anchovy Oil, Dried Brewers Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Soya Oil, Fructo-oligosaccharides, Salmon Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Choline Chloride, Dried Brewers Yeast Extract (source of Mannan-oligosaccharides) , Taurine*, Vitamins [DL-Alpha Tocopherol (source of Vitamin E), Inositol, Niacin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C*), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement], Magnesium Oxide, Borage Oil, Trace Minerals [Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate], Glucosamine Hydrochloride*, L-Carnitine*, DL-Methionine, Marigold Extract (Calendula officinalis L.), Tea (Green Tea Extract), Chondroitin Sulfate*, preserved with Natural Tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), Citric Acid and Rosemary Extract

Brewer’s Rice: Leftover debris from human-food production, no nutritional value.

Corn Gluten Meal: 85% of corn in the US is genetically modified, according to the NCAP corn gluten meal is “a by-product of processing corn to make corn starch and corn syrup.”; gluten is cheap and of low bioavailability and used to falsely boost the protein content of a food; corn is also highly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination.

Natural Chicken Flavor: Source of MSG

Dried Beet Pulp: 95% of sugar beets grown in the US are Monsanto’s genetically-modified variety.

Dried Brewer’s Yeast: Potential source of MSG.

Soya Oil: 93% of soy is genetically modified.

And look at that huge long list of synthetic vitamins and minerals at the end – they need to add all those because the main ingredients are of little to no nutritional value.

If you can afford this, you can afford much better for your dog. You’re paying a premium price for a mediocre food.

[BryanV21]

4th ingredient

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4006848

BTW, if you get a higher quality food you don’t have to feed as much. Therefore, over the course of say a year, the cost difference is negligible.

[Anonymous]

I just checked the bag of Royal Canine, and it doesn’t have any corn in it….and I can afford to pay for it~!

[Hound Dog Mom]

doggiedog –

No single food meets all of a living thing’s needs and whole food derived nutrients are far superior to synthetically added vitamins and minerals. I “supplement” my dogs’ food – but not with synthetic vitamins and minerals. They get super foods such as spirulina, chlorella, bee pollen; healthy fats such as fish oil, coconut oil, etc.; foods rich in enzymes and probiotics; healthy herbs like turmeric and garlic; etc. What I feed my dogs is so naturally rich in vitamins and minerals that I don’t need to add anything synthetic. I don’t trust a dog food company to add everything needed to keep my dogs’ immune systems in peak condition – because there is no dog food that does this. Chemically synthesized vitamins and minerals are more likely to be tainted, pose a greater risk for overdose and aren’t utilized as efficiently by the body – in whole foods, nutrients work synergistically with hundreds of other compounds and many of these compounds have different forms in nature and can only be found in whole foods. Synthetic supplements have been linked to increased risk of cancer and increases in lifestyle diseases in people – why wouldn’t it be the same for our pets? Many medical organizations advise against the consumption of synthetic vitamins and minerals for humans. This is why foods should be rotated so a dog isn’t overexposed to anything. Your statement that different breeds need different foods isn’t accurate – or at least shouldn’t be accurate if a dog is eating an appropriate food. “a bulldog, which is prone to digestion issue, excessive gas, and weight gain” – probiotics and enzymes address digestive issues and gas, if a dog were eating a fresh species-appropriate diet rich in natural enzymes and probiotics this wouldn’t be an issue; dogs that are overweight don’t need a special food, they need their portion size (calories) reduced, weight loss is based on calories in and calories out not fat content or caloric-density of a food. “Poodle, which is prone to cataracts, dementia, and has a fully curly coat” – again, if eating a high quality species-appropriate foods the chances of any of these “tendencies” causing an issue would be greatly reduced. High quality foods have balanced ratios of quality omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for the coat health and whole food antioxidants help with health issues such as cataracts and dementia. Low-grade foods like RC, SD, Purina, etc. have to add supplements because their base ingredients are so low quality and nutritionally devoid. Luckily for these companies there are tons of people out there like you and veggienut that actually believe synthetically supplemented corn puffs with a picture of your breed on your bag are the best thing to feed.

[InkedMarie]

Veggienut: any time you have a dog with issues, you need to keep tract of what you’ve fed along with the ingredient listings.

[theBCnut]

If you really are a DoggieDoc, you should read the commenting policy for this website. Then you should read up on what nutrition experts have learned in the last several years. Processing food destroys many of the nutrients in said food and just adding them back will never be as good as eating whole non processed or minimally processed foods. Getting a majority of your calories from starch, otherwise known as empty calories, is bad. No dog food is perfect, just like humans need a varied diet, dogs do too, for optimal health. Tell me how healthy you would be if you ate cereal bars for every meal, day in and day out. Garbage in, Garbage out goes for our pets too.

[BryanV21]

What if a dog DOESN’T need a supplement that’s already been added to a food? What then? You can’t take it out of the food, let alone be able to purchase said food cheaper. And speaking of money, RC is a rip-off. Why in the World would you want a food that’s mainly corn? Whether that be for a human or a dog. Corn is a filler, and a poor one at that, so it’s insane that a food whose main ingredient is that should cost that much.

[BryanV21]

Acana is a good dog food. Hell, it’s MUCH… MUCH… MUCH better than Royal Canin. In fact, I could literally name a couple dozen other brands I’d feed my dog, or recommend to others, before Royal Canin. So right off the bat there’s a problem.

With that said, even if somebody fed Acana or almost any other food but RC, their dog may need a supplement(s) of some kind. Take larger dogs that are prone to hip and joint issues… you may want to add a chondroiton/glucosamine supplement to their food. Or say you have a dog prone to UTIs… add a cranberry supplement to their food.

As for your last eye roll inducing paragraph… just like not all different breeds have the same dietary needs, neither do two dogs that ARE the same breed.

I really shouldn’t need to explain this to somebody with “doc” in their name, but alas…

[DoggieDoc22]

“Breed specific foods is a marketing ploy… plain and simple.”

That is another pretty silly and baseless comment. So you are going to tell me that a Poodle, which is prone to cataracts, dementia, and has a fully curly coat has the same nutritional needs as a bulldog, which is prone to digestion issue, excessive gas, and weight gain?

What’s next, you are going to tell me that all humans have the exact same needs too and a professional athlete and a plumber don’t have differences in what they require from what they are eating?

[DoggieDoc22]

“It’s better to buy a good adult food and then add supplements to that. Most dry dog food makers add supplements to their food before cooking, and the food is cooked at such a high temperature that the supplements are all but gone.

Besides, wouldn’t you and/or your vet rather control the amount of supplements in a dog’s food, rather than having somebody else do it for you?”

Or you could feed your dog a complete and balanced diet so that there would be no need for supplementing. By supplementing the food that you give to your dog basically what you are saying is that the food you have chosen to feed them isnt providing all of the nutrients that they need so you are then going to go out and spend MORE money to buy a supplement, rather than just feeding them something that met all of their needs in the first place.

[BryanV21]

It’s better to buy a good adult food and then add supplements to that. Most dry dog food makers add supplements to their food before cooking, and the food is cooked at such a high temperature that the supplements are all but gone.

Besides, wouldn’t you and/or your vet rather control the amount of supplements in a dog’s food, rather than having somebody else do it for you?

[Anonymous]

In my opinion, I believe specific dog breeds need certain ingredients in their diet and a regular adult dog food would not have the specific ingredients of nutrient and vitamins for a Yorkshire Terrier.

[BryanV21]

Breed specific foods is a marketing ploy… plain and simple.

[Anonymous]

I was told by my Vet that “Acana is too rich for my Yorkie & I need to switch him again. I hate to admit that he’s been on over 10+ foods that I can’t keep track. But after I think he’s doing fine on the food, he doesn’t like it and literally has gone 3 days without eating. Recently for a week he only ate once a day and not the whole amount. But we’re sticking to the same food (RC) and just not heating it up anymore.

[Hound Dog Mom]

“These are special dogs and can’t tolerate the natural no grain type of foods, such as Acana.”

Huh. I know a few people with Yorkies who feed high protein grain-free foods and their dogs do great. My grandmother has a Yorkie/Poodle mix that eats a rotation of high protein grain-free foods and Acana is in the rotation, the dog is very healthy…

[Anonymous]

I also have a Yorkie. I’ve had so many issues of him eating as well. He’s been on Pro-Plan as well as numerous of others to name. These are special dogs and can’t tolerate the natural no grain type of foods, such as Acana. I found this out when he had bloody stools right from the start of eating this brand. He’s back on Royal Canine for Yorkshire Terriers (again). At first he was eating this, now he’s not unless I add something. Then he went for it, then he didn’t. Heated it up and then he went for it for a while and now I’m back to just giving him dry. At times or should I say most times, he has to play before he’ll eat. Never a dull moment with the little guy. I’m sure you have experienced this and these little guys will hold out for the good stuff, but don’t worry in time they will eat. You need to stick to one food especially made for Yorkshire Terriers.

[Mom2Cavs]

Hi, jnconner. I supplement with canned food or freeze dried w/water added for moisture and variety and taste. Lots of people feed just dry, but I recommend adding something to the kibble, at least every now and then, for moisture or freshness, taste and variety. You can do lots of different things. Some people add veggies, fresh meat, sardines, egg, canned food, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Also, Nature’s Variety is not sold at Petsmart, but is sold at Petco. Hope this helps.

[jnconner]

@suztzu @Mom2Cavs
All, thanks so much for the information. I did find the statement from the PetSmart associate hard to believe and I’m glad I was able to get some feedback here. I purchased the ‘Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Puppies’ yesterday afternoon and the kibbles are very small. However, having read your post last night, I’m wondering if I should take the Blue Buffalo back and get the ‘Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy Formula’ since the crude protein content is 36%. You also mentioned supplementing with can to up the protein. Is there a reason you do both dry and can dog food outside of providing the additional protein? I’m wondering if this is something I should consider as well.
Does anyone know if the Natures Variety Instinct brand is sold at PetSmart I would like to stick with a 5 Star that I can purchase locally if possible.

[Mom2Cavs]

@Marie….yes, that’s me LOL!

@Betsy….Thanks! I also knew that Susan Thixton likes it. I think I’m gonna rotate it in next (I also change foods alot because I, too, get bored hahaha!). My dog owner friends laugh at me all the time because I’m constantly trying something different with the girls. Hazel (my Black & Tan) sometimes gets dry and flaky, so this might help her…worth a shot. I also found it at Chewy.com. I know who carries it locally, but they will have to special order it for me and sometimes their special ordering isn’t the greatest, so I’ll just order it online.

[DogFoodie]

I’ve used Nature’s Logic kibble for a couple of months, Jan. I started over the summer with their canned foods, which are also excellent. Both of my dogs really like both the canned and the kibble. Bella, my Cavalier was looking a little dry and flaky (when she was on the Canine Caviar rotation before starting Nature’s Logic) and she looks like my shiny, pretty little girl again.

In the canned, I’ve used the lamb and in the the kibbled formulas, I’ve used vension, beef and chicken ~ all with great results. It’s tolerated well… no gas, good stool quality and nice coats.

I’ve ordered it from both wag.com and petflow.com. I was also suprised when I used the store locator on the Nature’s Logic website because they happen to carry it locally at several natural food stores and pet boutiques near me. Try this, you never know: http://www.natureslogic.com/locations/. It’s really pretty affordable also. On petflow.com for example, it starts at about $2.20 per pound for a 26.4 pound bag. I buy the small bags only because “I” get bored quickly and change food on these guys A LOT!

Also, I discovered that Nature’s Logic is one of Susan Thixton’s favorite foods ~ which also meant a lot to me. : )

[PJsmama]

I have a chihuahua, female, about 2 1/2 years old. She weighs only 2lbs, 12 oz. I have trouble finding a dry food with small enough kibble that she can eat easily. Puppy food is not an option, although the kibble is small, she has a tendency to gain weight too easily on puppy food (her mother and a sister from a previous litter also have this problem). Anyone have any suggestions? She is not the only dog in the family but is the smallest by far. Everyone else is eating Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. By the way, “junk food” suggestions will not be considered. Thank you in advance

[crazy4cats]

Hi- I like http://www.catinfo.org. She does not rate dry food, but has a canned food chart that includes fat, protein, carbs and phosphorus levels in several different brands. I feel there is a lot of valuable information on this site. Good luck!

[weimlove]

All of the brands you’ve been feeding are very low quality. The best diet for your dog is a raw diet. If you don’t want to go the raw route, try to find a kibble where atlesdt the first three ingredients are meat and that is grain free. Some quality brands are orijen, acana, taste of the wild, natures variety, and blue wilderness. Another great option is freeze dried food which all you do is add water and it re hydrates. A great one is the honest kitchen. When transitioning dry dog foods, gradually mix in the new food and then add more new food and less of your old brand over a one or two week period. If you are switching from a low quality to high quality, you may experience some loose stool at first, but you will be very happy because you don’t have to feed as much because there are more nutrients in higher quality foods. Hope that helps!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Cate –

I agree, some supplements are harmful in excess. However, glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid are very safe supplements. They can be consumed at many times the daily dose with no ill effects. The amounts in food are very low with most having only around 400 mg. glucosamine per kilogram of food – this equates to a mere 30 or so mg. per cup (just to give you an idea – a 50 lb. dog would have to eat over 30 cups of dog food a day just to get a maintenance dose of glucosamine). Dogs that are eating a natural diet rich in bones, cartilage and sinew would naturally be consuming these nutrients in very high levels (higher than anything in dry dog food). I’ve never heard of a dog “overdosing” on GAG’s.

[Shihtzumom20]

Thanks Hound Dog Mom,
I feel so much better feeding this to Dawson now that you have checked it out! I was very surprised at the price as well!
Would you recommend I give Dawson your vitamin/mineral supplement? I know I saw a couple variations on the raw food menu thread. If you recommend that how much would I give him? One of my good friends has organic cage free eggs, so I could get him some eggs for vitamin D, he would get just under 2 pounds of food a week. (2 pounds in eight days) I already have his Krill oil picked out, so I need vitamin e and then a vitamin d source, is that correct? I saw in one of your menus, you gave vitamin A reduced cod liver oil, would that be suitable?
And thank you for explaining how to convert to % dry matter, it makes a lot more sense now!
Thank you for your time and all your help Hound Dog Mom!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Oh and you can determine dry matter protein and fat as follows:

100% – % Moisture = % dry matter
[% protein (or % fat, whichever you’re trying to determine)/% dry matter] X 100%

So for example, the food you posted states 16% protein, 12 % fat and 62% moisture.

100% – 62% = 38% dry matter

[16% protein/38% dry matter] X 100% = 42% protein
[12% fat/38% dry matter] X 100% = 32% fat

[Anonymous]

I am by no means a canine nutritionist, merely someone who has put a bit of thought into what I feed mine. My knowledge is not specific to the medical condition and sensitivity of your dog. The guidelines that I found with a superficial online search for cardiac diet were:
– Provide your pet a high-quality natural meat-based diet with at least 25-30% protein (DM basis)
– Make sure your pet LIKES the food so that (s)he consumes enough calories to maintain BMI
– Mild to moderate sodium restriction (severe restriction in advanced cases)
– Supplements: omega 3 fatty acids, taurine, carnitine, B vitamins and Magnesium.
http://www.1800petmeds.com/education/diet-tips-pet-heart-disease-32.htm

I am going to assume that you are looking for a dry kibble based on your previous food choice. I feel that the top of the line dry kibble RIGHT NOW is Orijen. However, it does retail for $80/35lb. As I feed about 400 lb of dog, the budgetary compromise at my house is Merrick Grain Free at roughly $50/35lb.

Prior to Merrick Grain Free, I was feeding Taste of the Wild, but have decided that I prefer Merrick for not entirely nutrition-based reasons. While the protein content is slightly higher and the starch from sweet potato (rather than white), they are reasonably equivalent foods (in nutrition and price). However, Merrick uses all US-sourced ingredients (nothing from China). This is a political issue and safety concern of mine. The larger scale pet recall in 2007 due to melamine contamination was traced to Chinese product, and the more recent Petco recall of stainless steel bowls manufactured with radioactive Cobalt-60 scrap was most likely (while never publicly disclosed) of Chinese origin. Merrick also happens to be manufactured in Texas, where I live. Those variables may not factor into your decision at all, but are important to me.

I could not find a cardiac specific diet offered by Hill’s in their Science Diet or Prescription Diet lines and based my quick comparison on the Adult Advanced Fitness formula. The Advanced Mobility contained more Omega 3’s and Magnesium, but was lower in protein and higher in sodium. Orijen appears to be the best choice, but may not be an option for you dependent on your personal budget. Merrick Grain Free is my compromise, but is based on a few tertiary considerations that may not matter to you. I will be interested to hear what other posters have to contribute. (The following information was retrieved from those companies’ official website product pages and is as vague or detailed as they provided.) The summary comparison is this:

Hill’s Merrick Orijen
Protein 24.2 38 38
Fat 16.4 17 17
Carbohydrate 51.5 ? 25
Sodium 0.32 ? 0.4
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.67 0.4 1.1
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 3.33 4.8 3.0
Taurine (yes) ? 0.35
Carnitine ? ? ?
B Vitamins
B1 – Thiamine (yes) (yes) 0.9 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg?
B2 – Riboflavin ? (yes) 45 mg/kg
B3 – Niacin (yes) (yes) 450 mg/kg
B5 – Pantothenic Acid ? (yes) 50 mg/kg
B6 – Pyridoxine ? (yes) 38 mg/kg
B7 – Biotin ? (yes) 1 mg/kg
B9 – Folic Acid (yes) (yes) 5.2 mg/kg
B12 – Cobalamins (yes) (yes) 50 mg/kg
Magnesium 0.099 ? 0.1

Since the foods that I mentioned are simply those that I am familiar with and not anything that I originally researched with cardiac issues in mind, I would recommend that you use this as a springboard for your own research. Maybe there is a better option in Innova EVO, Artemis, etc. Finish out a chart similar to that above on each of the brands that this website lists as top-tier choices. Feel free to call companies like Merrick or Hill’s to ask about specific quantities of items on their ingredients list, but not in their analysis (like B vitamins).

You might also want to consult with a veterinarian that specializes in cardiac issues regarding dietary recommendations and possible supplements. Maybe it is more cost-effective or bioavailable to top-dress your pets dinner with certain vitamins (L-carnitine perhaps). As wonderful as your veterinarian my be, my experience is that the time constraints of their day-to-day rigamarole does not allow time for general practitioners to be current and thorough on more specific issues. Reading journal articles falls to the wayside. Specialist consultation and personal research are important any time you have a specific veterinary/medical diagnosis of concern. Your vet has to have a working knowledge of EVERYTHING. You can concentrate on the single issue that is of prominent importance for your pet.

Good Luck

[Hound Dog Mom]

I wouldn’t feed anything with less than 30% protein. To my knowledge, all of the dry Wellness foods are now being produced at the Wellpet manufacturing plant (Wellpet is the parent company which owns Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack and Old Mother Hubbard).

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’m not sure of any dry foods that are low fat and have not had any recalls (probably THK and Grandma Lucy’s). Personally, I wouldn’t rule a company out simply because they’ve had a recall. Recalls can happen to any company, the important thing to me is frequency of recalls and how the company handles the recalls. I wouldn’t feed a Diamond product because it seems like there’s a new recall every week and Diamond doesn’t handle the recalls well. I believe the Solid Gold formulas that are manufactured at Diamond are WolfCub, WolfKing, Just a Wee Bit and Hund-n-Flocken.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi sp464 –

I would check out Earthborn – it’s similar in price and rating to TOTW and Canidae but it’s not made by Diamond.

suztzu had a great suggestion with the canned food. Tripett is one food in particular that dogs love – I’ve never heard of a dog that turned their nose up to green tripe. Tripett is just plain canned green tripe so it’s to be used as a topper only, not a complete food. You can take some and mash it up with warm water to make a gravy and completely coat the kibble.

There’s also the option of feeding only canned or a fresh cooked food (such as Freshpet or use a Premix – such as THK’s Preference or Sojo’s) and adding your own fresh meat – dogs seem to prefer these types of foods to dry food, however it could get costly with a larger dog like a great dane.

Are you giving her anything for her joint stiffness? Wysong makes a great supplement called “Arthegic” that has boswellia, sea cucumber, turmeric, ginger, devil’s claw, yucca, red pepper and cetyl myristoleate – all powerful natural anti-inflammatories. I use it occasionally for my senior after he’s had some heavy exercise. You may also want to give her some fish oil daily, the omega 3’s act as a natural inflammatory and seniors can benefit from additional DHA in the diet.

[kmarron]

I am following Dr. Becker’s Real Food recipe for my dog’s raw diet. She says to add dry vitamin D 400 IU as a supplement. Which type of vitamin D is best? Thanks for your input!

[BeagleLover]

Hello,
We adopted our beagle when he was six-months old. At the time, he had ear issues-itching, excess wax, bad smell, etc. After the traditional vet treated him several times for the same symptoms, I figured it was related to his food. Back then I didn’t know about grain-free dog foods and simply searched online for allergy free dog foods.

I found the Holistic Select Brand-Duck & Oatmeal and he was on that diet for about three years. In November, my dog started developing stomach symptoms similar to colitis/IBD. Just last week I had him tested for food allergies using the saliva test-Nutriscan but won’t have the results back for a couple of weeks.

In December, I had switched his dog food again, just to get him off of the grains. The holistic vet I took him to said to feed him a limited dry dog food until his stomach issues are resolved. He recommended Acana Grasslands and my dog has been on that diet close to eight weeks. While his symptoms have not disappeared, they are much better than before. My only concern is that the Grasslands formula has duck in it too. Doesn’t this seem like an unlikely choice?

[thesamster]

Thx, did not know that. How about the other one?
Maybe I asked the wrong question first…
What brand of dry dog food low fat has not had any recalls?

[sp464]

I have an 8 old Great Dane who refuses to eat unless there’s lots of special treats in it – chicken breast, peanut butter, treats, etc. She’s on the skinnier side of healthy, getting too close to underweight for my taste and her refusal to eat is not helping! We use a glucosamine joint powder that mixes with water, so if she doesn’t eat her food within 20 minutes, it becomes soggy cereal. I’ve tried giving her dry kibble and using the joint powder separately and she still won’t eat the kibble unless she’s starving. She never says no to treats and will walk around sniffing things like she’s hungry but really waits for desperation to set in before she goes for the bowl.

I had her on Canidae, as that’s what she was fed in foster care (I’ve only had her 4 months) and she was fine, though never food motivated. She was also fine staying with my sister for a few weeks. In both places, she had another dog who would gladly eat her food if she left it so I think competition played a big role there.

I recently switched her to Taste of the Wild, as I thought the different flavors might be enticing and I’ve tried two different TOTW flavors but she’s had the same reaction as with Canidae.

Any suggestions of other foods in a similar price range to try? Apart from joint stiffness, she’s got no health issues or allergies that I’m aware of. I’m going crazy trying to please this stubborn old lady!

[Beachin]

Hi, I have absolutely had it with the Petsmart Store in my city. They are lazy, over priced and rude. I swore when I left there today to never shop there again. An item that was 9$ at Walmart was $19.00 there and it was “on sale”!!! I left the the item at Walmart because I looked it up on my cell phone and saw it on the first page of a sale advertisement… Checking out at Walmart takes for ever not to mention just parking and walking the length of the store. So, to have to go back in there on my day off AGAIN, just wasn’t gonna happen…. So, here is my question, I am unable to find the canned Simply Nourish Dog food anywhere to purchase on the internet. What food is similar in looks, natural Looking fresh looking chicken, fish etc… And that the dogs will eat. I was mixing this with their dry food…. Please help me on this. I have tried a lot of other food… This one has really worked…

[thesamster]

I have a 9 year old lab mix who had pancreatitis in the past.
The vet suggested low fat high fiber diet.
We have him on Hills Science diet large breed light dry but want something with better ingredients.
Open to suggestions-
thanks