[pugmomsandy]

Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats has recipes that include bone meal if you are just going to grind meat without bones. It also has a vitamin recipe and veggie mash recipe. There are also a couple powder premixes like Urban Wolf and CarnivoRaw that you just add muscle meat and fish oil.

[Susan]

Hi Sarah, if you feeding boiled rice why don’t you add a meat instead of feeding the kibble…. kibbles are why tooo hard for a dog with food sensitivities not to have a reactions…. I have just started “Taste Of The Wild” Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon, its just Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Canolia Oil, Salmon Meal, Smoked Salmon, Potato Fiber etc no other food ingredients, TOTW is the only kibble with least ingredients, I can get in Australia without Beet Pulp, garbanzo beans & peas… Patches acid reflux went away, he was doing really well stomach wise, 2 weeks down the track, every time after eating TOTW about 30min-60mins his back paw is going red & he started licking them, AAAaaaaaaaararrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhh….it does your head in… I also feed chicken breast & sweet potato put thru a blender for dinner, but my boy regurgitates raw & cook foods sometimes & does better holding down kibble…. If he stopped regurgitating the raw i’d be feeding a raw diet, no kibble….. I use the Sudocrem for his bum & the white part about his eye & his paws when its raining…. have you tried “Monetasone Furoate 0.1% Ointment, it works better then then the Hydrocortisone 1% cream cause its an ointment, stays on the skin/fur longer & fixes any red rashes & stops the itch, so if you find the Sudocrem isn’t helping some areas you can buy the Monetasone Furoate 0.1% ointment over the counter at chemist…also what you thought your dog was allergic or sensitive too after about 1 year when he’s doing real well re introduce 1 of those food slowly that you thought he was sensitive too, you’ll be surprised he may have no reaction this time….

[C4D]

I don’t think supplementing with vitamins, especially if you are feeding a food that’s complete and balanced, is a good idea. If you must supplement for a specific condition, that would be different. An example is, in a dog with arthritis, fish oils may be beneficial to reduce inflammation. Here’s a link which shows that several studies have found that humans taking multivitamins has actually caused a shortened lifespan and some medical issues in others:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/07/the-vitamin-myth-why-we-think-we-need-supplements/277947/

[Coonhound Mama]

Hi Andrew-

She’s taking a multivitamin capsule, a spirulina capsule (with added Vitamin E) and a whole food vitamin/mineral supplement by Dr. Harvey’s once per day along with flax seed, chia seed, and alternating vegetables/herbs. She gets a scoop of yogurt or full fat cottage cheese once per day and oysters once a week. I try to stick to balancing with whole foods but the multivitamin capsule is in there just to cover any bases I may be missing. We don’t do any other added fish oils as she eats sardines several times per week. Thanks again for the advice and followup!

🙂

[Mary Susan S]

We have two bichons. One of them (now almost 12) has been diagnosed with allergies ever since she was two, and the baby of the family (now three) may be developing them. We want to feed them the same kibble in any case. The senior dog’s allergies got worse last year, and we started looking at a food component for the first time.

We have the joy and trouble of having a very particular veterinary allergist. She wanted originally to sell us a prescription diet, which “is not rated due to its intentional therapeutic design” here on the DFA. But the ingredient list speaks volumes: “Dried potato, venison meal, coconut oil, potato protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, natural flavors, vegetable oil, fish oil, ….” I dug my heels in. Luckily for me, they had added the hydrolyzed soy protein when my allergist’s back was turned. Supposedly, this doesn’t trigger allergies the way plain soy does, but I could claim principle. Really, I objected to feeding my dogs potatoes flavored with venison!

At that point, the doctor wanted us to cook for our dogs, which I also refused to do on the grounds that I don’t cook for us, either. However, if you are willing to do so, you will definitely know what your dog is getting. With otc kibbles, apparently, you don’t, not really. Even a high-quality company (one that actually makes their own kibble) probably makes different formulas on the same equipment, and might or might not clean thoroughly enough in-between runs. My allergist knows of a website that helps with balanced recipes for dogs, and if you like, I could find out what it is.

But we forged onward, valiantly. Our allergist likes Champion because they make their own kibble and in general maintain very high quality. So first I went for ACANA Lamb & Okanagan Apple Singles Formula. However, doc cited research at Cornell that a diet limited to lamb is linked to heart disease in dogs. Pork is a common allergen, too, so we first picked a rabbit-only kibble that did fine in terms of allergies but had our younger dog eating dirt. I wish Acana made Singles in the more unusual meats, like venison! But we then tried Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash, and fortunately, our dogs seem to be doing well enough on it. (Yes, on top of drugs — Atopica — for our senior dog.)

It’s been rough, because our babies like their treats and kongs and such. The only “limited diet” canned food I’ve been able to find that my allergist didn’t promptly dismiss out of hand is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet. (Although I have to confess, she really wants us to go with baby food. Sadly, the only single-protein baby food we could find was too runny to keep inside a kong.) At least rabbit or pork (and nothing else) treats have been findable on Chewy.com, although they’re expensive.

The key to what you’re doing is to know your kibble ingredient list, cross your fingers and hope that that is actually all that’s in the bag, and not buy anything else. No treats from the table (except for steamed or raw vegetables), that sort of thing. (Oddly, peanut butter was fine with a veterinary allergist!) Oh was there joy in this house when we got to the point of adding cheese back into the dogs’ diet!

Be especially careful with eggs, by the way, because it’s in just about all the quality foods (like the Fromm brand you’re talking about), and is apparently a very common allergen. We probably won’t ever try putting it back. You need to go at least two months with a given set of foods before adding anything, and then one at a time.

I hope this helps, especially the warning about an all-lamb diet. Unfortunately, I don’t have an actual citation for it.

[anonymously]

Check out Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea at Chewy.com
My dog has a history of struvite and calcium oxalate stones and does well on it, no reoccurrence in bladder stones in almost 5 years now. I add water and offer frequent bathroom breaks/opportunities to urinate. Keep the bladder flushed.
I have also used prescription food recommended by the vet with good results.

Ingredients
Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Salmon Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil (a source of DHA), Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Dried Eggs, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Carrots, Cranberries, Apricots, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract

[Susan]

Hi, yes the Wellness Chicken & Oatmeal does use White fish as an ingredient, it’s the 9th ingredient, so I’d say that’s where the fish smell is coming from. When Patch was eating the Wellness Complete health kibble, I noticed that Wellness Complete Health kibble stunk of fish real bad so did Patch he stop eating the Wellness White fish & Sweet potatoes….

I feed the “Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal” & there’s no fish in this kibble they use canola oil for the omega’s, also there’s no fish or fish smell at all in the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal, Duck & Oatmeal & Turkey & Potato all have no fish oil or fish meal in their kibbles also the Wellness Simple is guaranteed so if your dog has any problems you can take it back.

[Sheila H]

Hi again-
I was interrupted and lost my train of thought on my first post. Menhaden oil is used in human fish oil pills and humans don’t like to have fish breath.
Also, this company has this posted on its website:
“New to Annamaet, our products now contain algae! Algae is a stable and totally sustainable source of Omega-3 fatty acids.” I assume algae smells better than fish.

I also have never smelled a fishy odor on our dog.

[Duane P]

I have to agree with the suggestion posted earlier about using fish oil supplement. I believe the Omega 3 and Omega 6 benefits of fish oil are good not just for joints and coats but also for the heart. I’d like to share this article which has helped my babies a lot:

http://bncpet.com/blogs/news/34302657-everything-you-need-to-know-about-fish-oil-for-dogs

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Duane P. Reason: removed html tags

[anonymously]

A lot of small breed dogs develop a heart murmur as they age, often the condition is benign.
Unless your vet recommends medication or a specific supplement, I wouldn’t add anything.
Maybe a fish oil supplement once a day.
Remember supplements are not medication, and sometimes they can cause harm.
Google SkeptVet and check out his blog on supplements.

[Susan]

Hi, My boy has IBD & when he was eating the Hills I/d Low Fat Restore & then the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat he was so skinny & couldn’t keep the weight on…. When he ate Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal its a Low Residue he only needed 3 cups of the kibble a day & started to look good, he finally put weight on & it stayed on & poos were smaller cause its a low residue kibble, there’s the Intestinal then there’s the Intestinal Plus, the Intestinal Plus has more fiber at 4% the Intestinal has less Fiber at 1.7%… you’ll find the Hills I/d also has only has 1.7% fiber so does the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat, the Eukanuba Intestinal had better ingredients & was higher in omega 3 & 6 & the fat was just 2 % more…. I think that’s why he gained weight & he didn’t need as much kibble….also once Patch was stable on the Eukanuba Intestinal (he was also on a dog probiotic at the time) I started feeding a cooked meal for breakfast & Dinner….. I boiled cut up chicken breast just brought to the boil then take off stove & rinse off any fat from the chicken & boiled some Potatoes, I would freeze 1 cup of the cooked chicken pieces in sections thaw add under 1/2 cup boiled potatoes all put in a blender & blend for a few seconds so it was partly digested, I would 1/2 & give 1/2 for breakfast the put the rest in fridge & then 8pm at night give the other 1/2 & he had the kibble lunch time & first dinner 5pm…. Patch eats 7am 12pm 5pm & 8pm…finally he’s 19kgs…. maybe that’s the problem the fiber is tooo low at 1.7% he may need more fiber, when I added 1 spoon pumkin to Patches cooked meal Patches poos were sloppier….. Try 1 spoon pumkin then you will know if he needs more fiber or less fiber, also try a new kibble with a few % more fat around 10% fat & a few % more fiber about 4% in fiber & see does his poo’s improve?…. the protein in the I/d Low Fat is 25.9% so maybe look for a kibble that has a bit lower protein, the Eukanuba Intestinal is
23%-protein, 10%-fat & 1.7%-fiber or the Intestinal Plus has 4%-fiber….

For 1-2 years Patch was on vet diets & didn’t really improve then finally I started cooking & started feeding premium kibbles that had limited ingredients like Fish & just rice or Lamb & rice & oatmeal what he’s eating now & Patch has improved & gain weight finally….take the leap & see….

[Sheila H]

Hi-My dog is allergic to many kinds of fish, like cod, haddock, salmon and she even reacted to salmon oil in one food I tried. I recently found Annamaet dry food. It contains menhaden fish oil for omega-3 and so far so good. I believe elsewhere on this site they discuss menhaden oil. Good luck.

[Allison S]

I have a 3 year old bulldog that I introduced to a raw diet a few months ago. So far success, but maybe you guys can provide some insight on tweaks.

Inkedmarie: what do you add to your dogs food to include fiber in the diet? Do you use a suppliment? Ive done alot of research on raw diets, and lets just say, like anything else, everyone has their own opinion, so it’s hard to figure things out, but I just try and use the common denominators I find, and trial and error. I’m basically feeding a large portion of ground turkey, or pork, and a small portion of ground beef, and any other muscle meat I find at the store for variety. I add in small portions of organ meat such as heart or tripe, and small portions of veggies. (thoughts on the organ meat? most research suggests adding it for certain nutrients, but I just watched some videos about a vet speaking highly of raw diets, but said no organs!) It varies, but I mostly use carrots, spinach, and pumpkin. However, my dog has developed yeast. I used to give her raw chicken legs as a snack (which I monitored, and she was successful at eating those properly) but i’ve read bulldogs dont’ usually tolerate chicken well, so I cut that out of her diet completely. I’ve been able to obtain other meat bones to substitute. The yeast has gotten better, but it’s not gone. Another source told me carrots aren’t good because they digest into sugar that feeds the yeast, and suggested only green vegetables. I’m really trying to tweak the diet as much as possible, and give as little suppliments as possible. Mostly cause i’m broke, haha, but also i just like the idea of doing things naturally. I do have her on a probiotic, and fish oil. And i’ve also started giving her coconut oil and yogurt…just a spoonful as a treat each day. Go figure, i probably have the only dog in the world that will eat spoonfuls of coconut oil, but hates peanut butter.

Thoughts?

[C4D]

Hi September D,

I’ve owned a lot of dogs over the years. I’ve never fed a senior dog food to them. Senior dog food is really just a marketing ploy. My large breed dogs live well over their expiration date. The most important thing is to watch that they don’t gain too much weight, get exercise on a daily basis, and address any health issues they might have as they age or due to injuries they have sustained. I also get yearly checkups and do blood panels on a regular basis. That let’s you know if there are any issues that might need addressing. My vet once said to walk my dogs for as long as they could walk. I’ve always done that. I’m not saying this is a miracle cure, but dogs need exercise and they need a job. That’s their job and they love it. I have a senior right now, 11 yo Lab along with other older adult dogs, but if you didn’t know her age, you wouldn’t think she was that old. She has bad knees too, but she walks briskly almost 2 miles daily and runs the yard after everything she sees. She does get supplements (fish oil, joint care) and I am very careful about her diet to keep her lean. I also feed her a combination of kibble, canned and fresh/raw food daily. So, I’ll get off my soap box now. Best of luck with your pup!

[Lauren D]

My American Bulldog, approx 3 years old, has been dealing with horrible allergies for most of his life. He was allergy tested in April of 2015 and the food issues for him are: Egg, soybean, duck, rabbit, yeast (scored lowest possible), oat, and potato.

I switched his food over to Zignature Turkey He seemed to do well with it for the first couple of months, but I’m not convinced it is having a positive effect anymore. I did have him start allergy injections in October 2015 (focusing on some food and some environmental like human dander).

He has a pattern of doing ok for a week or so and then once I think he’s doing well he turns all red and inflamed, sometimes gets hives, his legs and stomach are raw and he sometimes scratches so hard he bleeds and scabs over, eyes are swollen and red, his hair thins out a lot, and he smells horrid. I bathe him in a medicated shampoo on a regular basis.

With his food restrictions, does anyone have recommendations on dry food brands to look in to? I can’t afford anything over $70 per 30lb bag. I have two other dogs and they switch to whatever food he is on as I don’t want any chance for cross contamination. I’ve also looked in to the addition of supplements such as coconut oil, fish oil, and digestive enzymes. Thoughts on any brands or whether or not that would be worthwhile to do very much appreciated.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Lauren D. Reason: wrong html code

[anonymously]

Corgis tend to put on weight easily, they are herding dogs and need to be active. I had to walk the one I had for 3 to 5 miles a day to keep her trim.
Feed measured amounts twice a day, I would not free feed. See tips in General Guidelines http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

Make sure he is drinking adequate water, maybe add a splash to her food. I like Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea dry food as a base, but there are other good brands. Check Chewy.com for prices and delivery.
If they have an adequate diet, they don’t need supplements, unless your vet advises differently. I do add a fish oil capsule for dry skin.

I have found this site to be informative. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[El]

Hi Kelly P

I would recommend these 2 books as part of your research into feeding a properly balanced raw diet to your pup.

“Ok I have not yet gotten my puppy I have about 4 weeks still. She will grow up to be around 100lbs, so I’ll probably feed her about 2lbs a day.”

Here are the feeding guidelines from Primal, I think they are pretty accurate. Puppies need more than 2% of their body weight daily.

Feeding Percentages
1.5% Weight Loss
2.0% Non-Active
2.5% Maintain Weight **
3.0% Slight Weight Gain
3.5% Significant Weight Gain
4.0% Kittens/Puppies (8 weeks-1 year)
4.5-8.0% Kittens/Puppies (4-8 weeks)
4.0-8.0% Pregnant/Lactating

“We will be training too with treats so I need to be sure they level each other out. I have done a lot of research as I’ve been preparing for the past 1-2 years. What I found so far is the following.
Feeding anti-oxidants or some sort of cooked veggies is a good idea.”

I would puree the veggies. Cauliflower, broccoli, spinach in moderation, green beans, peas in moderation…

“Feeding organic eggs, shell and all, is good at least once a week. Egg shells provide a lot of calcium.”

I would suggest free-range organic eggs. I know that people feed finely ground egg shells as a calcium source, but I don’t know about feeding whole egg shells. I would do a little more research specifically on the calcium requirements of large breed puppies if I were you. She will be getting calcium from bones, egg shells, spinach and ?

Feeding a whole fish once a week is good because of the oil it provides, be sure not to feed tuna because of the high mercury levels. Cooked Tripe is great and so is a some coconut oil. I figure I can saute the veggies in coconut oil.

In general, I would feed small fish, they usually have softer bones and less toxic buildup. I would not cook the tripe. One of the benefits of feeding “Raw Green Tripe” are the enzymes, and any processing or cooking will destroy those enzymes.

“As far as percentages I have read a few different things but my research has come up with the below.
Version 1
75% Muscle/skin (i.e chicken breast)
10% Edible Bone
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies
Version 2
50% Meaty Bones
35% Muscle/Skin (i.e chicken breast)
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies”

I feed my dogs a homemade lightly cooked diet. Version one looks pretty good. Since I lightly cook my guys food I would replace the 10% edible bone with 5% more pureed veggies and 5% supplements to balance out the diet.

“My main questions are about bones.”

This is good because I see bones as the riskiest part of your diet plan and I would carefully consider both sides of the argument so that you can make the most informed choice possible. Also, regarding Wolves and bones, research has shown that larger pieces of bones are excreted from wolves wrapped in the fur of the animal they ate, maybe as a way of protecting their insides from the bone fragments.

Good Luck with the new addition to your family 😉

[Kelly P]

Ok I have not yet gotten my puppy I have about 4 weeks still. She will grow up to be around 100lbs, so I’ll probably feed her about 2lbs a day. We will be training too with treats so I need to be sure they level each other out. I have done a lot of research as I’ve been preparing for the past 1-2 years. What I found so far is the following.

Feeding anti-oxidants or some sort of cooked veggies is a good idea. Feeding organic eggs, shell and all, is good at least once a week. Egg shells provide a lot of calcium. Feeding a whole fish once a week is good because of the oil it provides, be sure not to feed tuna because of the high mercury levels. Cooked Tripe is great and so is a some coconut oil. I figure I can saute the veggies in coconut oil.

As far as percentages I have read a few different things but my research has come up with the below.

Version 1
75% Muscle/skin (i.e chicken breast)
10% Edible Bone
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies

Version 2
50% Meaty Bones
35% Muscle/Skin (i.e chicken breast)
5% Liver
5% Non liver organs
5% Anti-oxidants/Veggies

My main questions are about bones. I know you can’t just let the dog eat bones they have to get used to them so they actually chew them, else I’ll have to grind them up. But I’d prefer not to. Wolves don’t grind their bones up prior to eating.

I also am not entirely sure of what are good meaty bones, I know almost all bones in small animals are fine. Neck/tail bones of larger animals for the most part are fine. To stay away from basically legs as they’re denser. And an Edible bone should be something that is easily consumable.

What would be the best way to get my puppy acclimated to bones properly? Hand feeding is one I’ve found, but will I be able to trust my dog as she gets older and bigger? I don’t plan to leave her food out or anything but let’s say I put the food down and something comes that needs my attention for a bit. I’d like to think she’d be fine. I’m paranoid and want to do this right.

Also could I possibly be missing something at all?

Resources used
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijP_CVZUa5g&list=LLcG0oHG3mpprbGFFglrzVyg&index=2
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-feeding-primer/
http://rawfeddogs.org/rawguide.html
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/01/raw-food-diet-part-1.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/01/raw-food-diet-part-2.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/01/raw-food-diet-part-3.aspx
http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/697247/1
And various other user forums and sites.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Kelly P.

[anonymously]

Smaller bags, empty plastic coffee containers, in the freezer or fridg if you have room.
Divide the dry dog food up, use a 1 week supply at a time.

Yes, fish oil can go bad, keep in a cool dry place, but do not freeze. I just use a fish oil capsule per day for each dog, I nip the capsule with scissors and add it to the meal. I take the same stuff myself.

I don’t go near coconut oil, too fatty (imo). You might find some helpful information here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/04/coconut-oil-for-pets/

[El]

Hi EmilyAnn

Congratulations on slimming down your little cutie pie 😉

It’s safe to give your pup pumpkin every day. If you’re looking for a variety of healthy snacks, you could try broccoli, apples, carrots, bananas, homemade jerky, kefir, eggs, ???

The key is moderation, so even things like carrots, apples, bananas, and any other non low glycemic fruits or veggies can be enjoyed for variety, antioxidants, and just because he likes them. Eggs are the “perfect protein” and my dogs like them, plain kefir is a good probiotic, but it is dairy, homemade jerky is high protein and very yummy.

Variety is good, try a lot of things, make sure the total of ALL his treats are not more than 10 to 15% of his diet, so you don’t unbalance what I hope is his balanced commercial raw. When you try new things give very little so if it doesn’t agree with him it’s only minor.

One of mine ONLY eats homemade chicken jerky, no turkey, no fish, no beef, no bullies, no veggies, nothing but chicken jerky, for treats anyway. You think he’s spoiled? 😉

Congratulations again on his successful weight loss! I know he must have acted like you were starving him.

[EmilyAnn]

Hi All!

We FINALLY successfully got all the weight off our dachshund mix (it was TORTURE). Our vet suggested we supplement the dog food with pumpkin (or green beans, but he hates green beans) while he’s losing weight, so he has been getting a rotational raw frozen commercial diet with roughly 1-1 1/2 tbsp pumpkin at every meal. I would like to diversify his diet with some other vegetables, and here are my questions:

1. What are the best Low Glycemic Vegetables to feed a dog on a daily basis?
2. Is it safe to continue to give him pumpkin every day?

He also get fish oil every day and coconut oil every other day.

Thanks for your time!
Emily

[EmilyAnn]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 5 year old Dachshund mix who has horrible breath. We do rotational raw frozen (commercial diet) with fish oil 1 time/day and coconut oil every other day. A friend of mine also feeds raw and told me that her dog’s breath is only better when she uses ProDen Plaque Off, which I had tried in the past but discontinued when I ran out because I wasn’t sure if it was doing anything for my dog’s plaque. But it’s got me thinking again about sea kelp and wondering if anyone else uses a sea kelp product? Does it help? Looking into this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G4V0KP4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=A1ROM4OZCLTYDD

Thanks!
Emily

[Susan]

Hi, I use “Natural Animal Solutions” Omega 3,6 & 9 oil, here’s the link, you’ll find the Vitamin E comes natural in the 3, 6 &9 Oil, click on ingredients & its say’s natural vitamin E… http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/omega36&9-oil-for-dogs-horses.html

Check out Rodney Habib Face Book page about Vitamin D, Rodney Habib the Pet Nutrition blogger spends 45mins a day preparing his 3 dogs raw diet, they are feed organic grass feed meats, he thought their fish oil capsule was supply their vitamin D, he started to look into Vitamin D deficiency & went to his vets had bloods taken from his dogs & they were low in vitamin D, he was in shock couldn’t believe it…… join his Face Book Page he really opens your eyes to so many things, I love the bloke…

[Cory C]

Hi I just joined and saw your post. I’m not sure about all of those supplements. I have four little Yorkies that have been on a raw a diet and doing exceptionally well for about four years now. The only supplements that I give them other than the correct amount of raw they should be on is Alaskan Fish Oil and Cranimals for their teeth and other health benefits. I have tried so many other products for their teeth but this is the best by far.

I truly think that a raw diet is so beneficial for their overall health and immune system.

I’m sorry I don’t know about the other supplements you mentioned but have seen many of Dr. Becker’s videos on Youtube and think she’s so knowledgeable.

Take care and I hope others respond to your thread as well

[Coonhound Mama]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to ask some advice of you knowledgeable people! Over the course of 5 months we have successfully made the switch to an entirely raw, homemade diet. With the exception of some confusion with Vitamin E and Fish Oil supplementation, I feel pretty good about her diet being balanced! Thanks for all the advice you all have offered so far. In conjunction with Dr. Karen Becker’s book, I feel confident she’s getting the nutrition she needs.

Anyhow-

I am confused. In place of krill oil or fish oil my 60 lb active dog has been getting one large raw whole sardine per day at the evening meal, which makes 7 full sardines a week. These are from Hare Today Gone Tomorrow. Is that too many?

Second question is- how much Vitamin E do I supplement her with? Do I need to fiddle some more with my amounts in order to get the ratio of fish oil to Vitamin E properly in order?

I have already placed an order for Mercola’s Spirugreen Superfood and Dr. Harvey’s Herbal Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement. Would the Vitamin E be included in the Vitamin Supplement?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Keira L]

Hi Shawna,
Thank you so much for your reply! Your story is honestly what keeps me from breaking down after any vet visit! So thank you for sharing!
Like I said this is all very over whelming so I’m so appreciative of your response .

Creatinine 5.6
protein 71 mg/L
BUN 9.60mmol/L

She drinks a lot of water, but we live in a hot climate and I watch what she drinks and her energy compared to my other boxer and there’s not a lot of difference between them. She has a big drink before and during sleep so that’s why I think she has little accidents I try to get up in the night and take her out for a wee.
She has a BIG appetite! Never feels like she has eaten enough, I had started given her 3 meals rather 2, they’re small to medium in portion because she just seems to want to eat all the time! Even tries to eat my other dog , Muddys food 😂

I read what you said about Audrey , “you would never know she had kidney failure apart from her levels” That’s Lola too! I was sure they had made a mistake?!
We have been feeding her sweet potatoe boiled, carrots ,celery, and lean raw mince- only just started her on egg yolk ( our 4th day)
still giving her HILLS wet food in the morning for breakfast as we re weening her off it.
I bought standard process canine support because of you! 😀 Starting her on that, this week😀
I have enzymes , and a mix pre and pro biotic powder- would love advice on how much to give her with these enzymes and pre and pro? I also heard parsley was good but it’s also a diuretic?
She gets a 150mg Q10 ,
she gets an osteo pill for bone strength ( vet recommendation)
fish oil ( was giving everyday but just 3 times a week now- as I didn’t want to give too much, still researching and tweaking amounts)
Also vitamin b complex
We give her little pieces of watermelon through the day sometimes for a treat

Would you recommend vitamin c as well since she isn’t getting enough in her food then?
I was giving human vitamins as I heard they’re better quality (fish oil, vitaminB )
Thanks again Shawna, and sorry to hear about Audrey, what a lucky girl she was to have you as her mum and a great life she would have had ❤️
Keira :))

[Charmaine T]

My dog has allergies as well. Unfortunately, when you try to find a single protein/carb diet, the highest rated foods will add something stupid like eggs or chicken fat, which are red flags to an allergy dog. Or they mix several proteins, which makes the feed no longer useable. I can’t feed my dog fish oils and have to give him omega 3’s via Flax Oil. My dog can’t tolerate raw. I may have to go to cooking to get around the issues with bagged food.

According to my dog’s dermatologist, the proteins to avoid are poultry (chicken and turkey) and lamb, since they have been overused in dog food. Duck, Rabbit, Kangaroo and Bison are considered “exotic” since they are not included in mainstream dog food. I’ve seen some brands offer water buffalo (Southeast Asia, India and China). Some of these manufacturers have got to learn that less is more. I will not feed Hills or Iams special diets from the vets. I keep hoping I can search this site to find a food that will meet my needs. Good luck to us all.

[Nicole R]

Hi…my dog is 6 years old..a Jack Russell..we just had his teeth cleaned (so that is not the issue)…he has horrible FISHY breath..and I think it is his wellness dry dog food. He has been on wellness for about 4 years…and does fine..however his breath is fishy…someone told us that it could be because the Omega 3’s they use are sourced from fish…they do not say they are from fish on the label…however…they must be. The flavor food he eats is Chicken and Oatmeal. This is the food:

https://www.chewy.com/dog/wellness-complete-health-adult/dp/34360?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=Wellness&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KEQiAq920BRC8-efn57XrotYBEiQAlVlMQ8MlETUZjD_0Us8U0rGTso7fsNNiO9G-IVPVTDDdaIkaAhCj8P8HAQ

so if anyone knows of a food that does not have fish or Omega’s from fish oil please let me know..OH I do not want BLUE BUFFALO…
thanks

Nicole

[Keira L]

Hey there, I have boxer called Lola, she was diagnosed with congenital renal failure 2 months ago, she is at stage 4, she turns 2 in feb so she is a bubba ❤️
She is not sick, still energetic, very very hungry , we just noticed her weeing in the night and it got progressively worse, to where she was weeing every night. Since a diet change she is a lot better, maybe has a little accident 2-3 times a week at the most.
Our vets gave us hills KD and pretty much just said there’s nothing you can do just give her a happy life for what she has left?? They gave her 1 yr or more , prob won’t make it to 5.
No supplements, no advice or any other information, we asked a million questions and did our research and asked them about raw and supplements etc which they didn’t really like I don’t think. We were really sad about the lack of help, as help or advice/information, as we have loved our vets to date.
Our second vet visit after upping her food a bit she put on weight which I though was great, 2kg I thought. But I still feel our vets feel like there is no hope, am I crazy for thinking that there is?? And that there are some positives surrounding her at the moment.
-energy-appetite-weight gain

I have been researching endlessly, it s very overwhelming, I have decided to go onto a raw /vegetable diet with supplements, again very overwhelming as there are a lot of options and conflicting information.
I wanted to know some advice on good veggies for her? We were adding sweet potatoe, carrots green beans- egg yolk and lean hamburger mince to her diet. I opted for lean meat as she had pancreatitis as a very young pup and heard that they shouldn’t have high fat after suffering from that.
Raw chicken breast good option?
Anyway I love my girl so much I would love some ideas on food to give her? Any advice for stage 4 renal failure??
She is now getting renal support, fish oil, coq10, pro and prebiotic – and was looking get her on a gentle fibre as I was researching nitrogen trapping. Does that conflict with pre and probiotics??
Sorry I’m typing fast hope this makes sense haha
Any positive stories or advice would be amazing!
Thank you so much :)))
Keira 😀😀😀

[Susan]

Hi Janet, sounds like acid reflux, my boy also a rescue that I rescued 3 years ago, started doing the licking & swallowing around 11pm at night, he was on Royal Canine vet diet Hypoallergenic for his skin, he came to me in very bad condition, the fat was too high at 19%, so vet changed his kibble too a lower fat kibble 10% this did heap but it was a vet diet with corn etc no good, he still would have these licking & swallowing episodes, lick my sheets, lick & lick his front paw, the vet said when they lick & lick they can be in pain & the licking sets off their Endorphins, he’d eat grass, feel sick, vomit, he’d grind his teeth, in the end I had an Endoscope & Biopsies done & he had the Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD, he’s also a stress head & causes his acid reflux sometimes. We went away for Xmas a 2 hour drive, I had started him on a new kibble a month before just Fish & Rice, no other ingredients & the fat % is 12%, he was doing real well, no acid reflux, I cook as well, then I brought out my suit case a week before we were going away & I started putting things in so I didn’t forget them, I even got him his own bag & put it next to mine & put his toys, an old bowl he doesn’t use no more, then he started following me everywhere in the house, he became my shadow again like when I first rescued him, he wouldn’t let me out of his sight, then he started getting his acid reflux again, he grinds his teeth & swallows, so out came the liquid Mylanta, I keep in the fridge, keeps it cool, so when I give it to him, it soothes his throat, the acid comes up into his throat, sometimes he has had a real sore throat, I give 4 mls in a syringe of the liquid Mylanta & it works the best with him, Zantac works OK but the liquid Mylanta settles the acid straight away, vet did not want him on a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Prilosec-Omeprazole, Somac-Pantoprazole etc you can’t not just stop taken a PPI after you’ve taken it for 15 days need to be reduce…..

Can you buy chicken breast or lean Turkey breast mince & just bring to the boil & take off stove as soon as its cooked, with the chicken breast, I cut up into chunks & remove any fat & as soon as it’s about to boil, I remove from stove & empty out all the water, all the white frothy fat comes to the top, I boil the jug & rinse the chicken breast pieces with the boiled water, let it cool or run cold water over chicken pieces, then I make up 1 cup sections in freezer bags & freeze I put 2 bags in the fridge, I also boil, 1 potato, 1 zucchini, some broccoli, sometimes a bit of pumkin, I put in container in fridge, then I put in a blender a 4-5 pieces of boiled potato, some of the broccoli & 1/2 a cooked zucchini….
The fat in the wet tin foods is high if it says 5%-fat when you converted to dry matter (Kibble) 5%fat is around 22%-25% fat if it was a kibble, so you need to look for wet tin foods that are around 1-3 % fat only & limited ingredients no corn, no wheat, no by-products etc…… when you cook, you know what they’re eating, you can control the fat & it works out cheaper then wet tin foods also the kibble made Patches acid reflux worse, so I started to I feed just the cooked chicken & potatoes etc for 1-2 months & let the stomach rest. I do add cooked kangaroo rissole sometimes that I bake or 1/2 tin of salmon in spring water & drain all the spring water, I also add 1/2 teaspoon DigestaVite plus-100 powder it’s vitamins/minerals, prebiotics for the stomach skin etc but at first I only feed Chicken Breast & some sweet potatoes then I slowly started adding 1 new ingredient each week & watched it didn’t give his acid reflux, find a limited ingredient kibble that’s just Fish & Rice no peas, no lentils, nothing that can upset her stomach, or Fish & Potatoes but the grain free kibbles normally have peas tapioca, lentils etc change her diet to a lower fat diet 10-12% fat, I also feed 4 small meals a day, 7am, 12pm, 5pm & 8pm…at 7am & 5pm is the cooked meal & 12pm & 8pm is his 1/2 cup kibble… you will find what works for your girl, if you do have the Endoscope make sure you get the Biopsies as well, when the vet looked down Patches throat into his stomach everything look excellent, I was waiting to pick Patch up & I can still hear 1 of Patches vet saying, everything looked good, see I told you, we need to cut him open & look at his small bowel, I said we still have to wait for the results from the biopsies & I kept saying it’s Helicobacter cause I’ve had the Helicobacter twice when I was younger & it makes you feel awful & you have stomach pain, bad acid reflux, it’s awful…. I feed kibble that have prebiotics, no Probiotics, Probiotics made Patch worse I don’t know why…. vet said prebiotics are better for the stomach & small bowel….

[anonymously]

I have been using this product (dry and canned) for 4 years now for 3 dogs (2 with issues)
with good results.

Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea http://www.chewy.com/dog/dogswell-nutrisca-grain-free-salmon/dp/35033

Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Salmon Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil (a source of DHA), Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Dried Eggs, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Carrots, Cranberries, Apricots, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract

PS: It looks like chewy carries the dog food you mentioned http://www.chewy.com/dog/victor-yukon-river-salmon-sweet/dp/120706

[Emily G]

Hello,

I wanted to share my experiences with pancreatitis. Years ago my german shepard had an acute case and we almost lost her. She would not touch the prescription food the vet gave us so we make her food ourselves. We found that she did well on the leanest beef, and as all white meat chicken and turkey (we bought the breast only.) We cooked the meat as she was picky eater and seemed to prefer the food cooked when at her sickest. We rinsed the cooked meat after it cooked to rinse off any extra fat that she did not need. We added preferance by the honest kitchen or used our own blend of crushed vegetables and added pumpkin or sweet potatoe. If we feed the vegetable blend, we will add calcium from eggshells. She did well. After a time she handled the meat raw but raw bones she never did though bones have more fat. It would make her act like she did not feel well so we kept this up with this recipe for a long time, and gradually found she could have most kinds of meat just as long as it was lean (lamb and duck were no, and she ate fish and eggs very occasionally once she was healthy.)
I will agree with the bone broth. We didn’t make it first but once started it seemed to help heal her digestive from the irritation caused of vomiting. For treats use bites of meat and she cannot have cheese or dairy (too much fat.) Also give coconut oil if tolerated. We use no grains. Keep stress low and water bowl clean and lots of sunshine. Feed more meals instead of one or two. A day of fast can help. I hope I can help and am sorry English is not my first language. I hope you can understand my writing.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Emily G.

[Susan]

Hi Jamie, I would be feeding a wet tin food or home cooked meals now, wet will be easier for her to digest then a kibble……. I cook chicken breast cut up into small pieces & brought to the boil then the chicken is normally ready, don’t boil the chicken pieces they will be like leather, I rinse any fat off the chicken pieces with boiled jug water, I cool, then I make 1/2 cup & 1 cup cooked chicken in plastic seal bags then put 2-3 in the fridge & the rest in freezer, I boil one cut up potato in small pieces that last 2-3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, some boiled broccoli, some boiled zucchini, carrots & I boil half a butter nut pumkin & freeze small pieces of the pumkin, the frozen pumkin thaws quickly, all these foods can be cooked then frozen & taken out the night before for the next day meals…..I put chicken & veggies all in a blender & blend for a few seconds then warm blended in micro wave then add any vitamin powder etc

See how she does when she comes home on the cooked bland diet first, then if poos are firm & she isn’t having any wind pain while digesting the cooked meal then you can add 1/2 a small tin of salmon in spring water, drain spring water, I add the salmon with the breakfast chicken meal, I also add 1/2 teaspoon DigestaVite Plus 100 powder, its Vitamins & minerals to balance the meal, also omega 3,6 & 9 oil is good, add a squirt to meal, its good for skin coat & stomach…I didn’t add no vitamins etc when I first started the cooked diet cause Patch has IBD & I needed to know if any of the ingredients I was adding would give him diarrhea, pain, acid reflux etc….Vet said he’ll be fine eating an un balanced diet for 1 month till I work out what he can eat & can’t eat…….

Having a small dog you wouldn’t need to cook much, over time you can slowly start adding some foods you are cooking for yourself as long as dogs can eat them…. white meats are easier to digest, Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Rabbit….
Canidae make wet tin foods, also Dave’s Pet Food is suppose to be good…..
http://davespetfood.com/catalog/for-dogs/can/

[DogFoodie]

Hi Craig,

Have you been giving your dog some sort of multi-vitamin supplement since you acquired him?

I have to say, the diet you posted in your other thread concerns me quite a bit, but I’ll post my thoughts there.

If you’re feeding a complete and balanced diet, you don’t really need a multi-vitamin. Some folks like to add whole foods as supplements such as: lean, unseasoned meats from your dinner; pureed dark leafy greens; eggs, either raw or lightly cooked; some cottage cheese; kefir; etc. These are mostly considered toppers. You could also add a fish oil supplement, preferable salmon or krill.

[anonymously]

I no longer use a lot of supplements. I do add a fish oil capsule once a day to meals, I add water to the food, especially a senior male small breed, as they are vulnerable to developing bladder stones, UTIs, take out frequently to urinate….at least every 4 hours.
Exercise/long walks as tolerated.
If you are feeding a decent diet, they don’t need multi-vits….unless your vet has recommended such. The liver has to detoxify all this stuff.
I’m just sharing what I have learned over the years.
BTW: shih-tzu’s have lousy teeth, if the vet that examines your dog recommends a cleaning and extractions, I would get it done. Then daily brushings (see YouTube for how to videos) may help to prevent any more professional cleanings being needed.
My dogs do well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea (canned and dry) as a base. I often add a tablespoon of cooked chicken or lean meat or scrambled egg…you get the idea.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=supplements

[Susan]

Hi Donnie, maybe see a vet, the vet will probably put him on Metronidazole a antibiotic for the bowel/stomach for 14-21 days…to clear up any bacteria over growth that he may have & you start his new diet…
Can you cook up some chicken breast & potatoes? I cut the fat off the breast then cut the chicken breast into chunks & just before it boils, I take pot off stove, I drain all the water, I boil the jug & put the boiled jug water over the cooked chicken too rinse off the fat from the chicken pieces, I cut thru a chunk of chicken to see if its cooked thru, then I rinse in cold water to stop them cooking & to rinse off any white fat, the chicken chunks don’t take long to cook about 10mins depends how small you have cut your pieces…. if you cook the chicken too long the chicken breast pieces go like leather, at the same time, boil 1 big potato that has been peeled & cut up into small pieces, I prefer the brown potatoes they don’t seem to be waxy & aren’t as starchy as the white or red potatoes, then I put the cooked chicken pieces in 1 cup to measure & put in freezer seal bags, the potatoes I boil fresh every second day same with the other veggies, I add about 4-5 small pieces of the potatoes to 1 cup of cooked chicken then I put thru the blender & blend for a few seconds or you can cut up the chicken chunks & cut or mash the potatoes, see if his poos firm up…..

I don’t feed wet tin food the fat is too high, especially supermarket or crappy wet tin food..
The fat % in Wet tin food isn’t the same % as in Kibble, when a kibble says 10% fat then its 10% per cup normally, if it says 5% fat in the wet tin food, when fat% is converted to dry matter (Kibble) then that’s around 23%-25%-fat, that’s why some dogs get diarrhea when they eat dog tin food, the fat is high…… if your looking for a wet tin food then look for tins around 4% min fat & under, it will say min% fat so the max fat % you need to add another 1-5% fat on top, depends on the company, I was emailing the companies & asking what is the max% fat %……… read ingredients, the cheap supermarket wet tin foods normally says Chicken, Lamb & Beef by products or poultry byproducts then Whole wheat, cereal by products or corn gluten meal, corn etc….. the gluten meal can make them scratch, have you ever soaked kibble in warm water, then when kibble is soft I was draining the water then cuffing the kibble in the bowl in my palm of my hand & squeezing out any excess water, then I put the soft drained kibble in the blender & blend only a few seconds & it comes out lite & fluffy, if I didn’t drain out the water properly, the wet kibble would be like a ball of goo, good kibbles soften within 50 mins of soaking them in warm water, so I stick with easy to digest kibbles…I ask for samples & test the sample kibbles & soak a few kibbles in warm water & see how long they take to soften…. I feed Patch his cooked meal for Breakfast & Dinner then he gets 1/2 cup kibble at lunch time & another late dinner 8pm another 1/2 cup kibble, Fish & Rice only kibble to keep his weight on & the fish is good for his skin, coat & stomach…… he weights about 17kg=38lbs…..

The vets have their vet diets, Royal Canine Intestinal wet tin, the fat is only 1.7%max or there’s Hills I/D Low Fat GI Restore wet tin 8.5% fat, Hills has already converted all their wet tin foods….. but for the price of 4 tins of the vet diet wet tin foods, you can buy 1kg chicken breast & a bag of potatoes & make about 5 days of cooked meals, 2 meals a day…..you will need to balance the diet later if his poos firm up….cooked meals are OK un balanced for about 1 month, my vet said while your working out what your dog is sensitive too etc….”The Honest Kitchen” has their Base Diets where you add the protein & their normal diets, have you tried the “Zeal” grain free ? you just add water…. You can buy their samples for $2 I think…
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal

If poos do firm up eating the cooked chicken & potato then slowly start adding 1 new ingredient every 5-7 days, like some tin salmon in spring water or sardines in spring water, drain the spring water, I add 1/2 a small tin salmon with the 1 cup of chicken breast pieces & 1/4 -1/2 cup of potatoes, 1/4 cup broccoli & 1/2 a zucchini for breakfast meal & put the other 1/2 tin of salmon in fridge for the next morning, salmon & sardines are good for their skin & coat, they need their omega fatty acid in their diet, he’s probably not getting enough omega 3 in the wet tin food he’s eating now, if his poos firm up on the cooked chicken & potato then add some cooked broccoli or zucchini, be careful with pumkin as pumkin is high in fiber so only add about 1 teaspoon to see how poos go, also sweet potatoes is higher in fiber then white potatoes…… I boil 1/2 a butternut pumkin & freeze little cut up pieces & take out when needed, also carrot I froze a heap but later I found when I was adding the carrots he was scratching his ears & shaking his head, that’s why it’s good to only add 1 new ingredient at a time, that way you will know if it causes any problems……

If Russell poos do not firm up on the cooked Chicken & potato or another protein & potato, then see vet….also have you wormed Russell?? when Patch starts getting tapeworms, his poos start going soft, then sloppy……..

[Susan]

Hi Elena, if the Metronidazole helped then ask vet about Tylan Powder, it has less side effect & is suppose to have no side effects like Metronidazole has, Patches vet wanted Patch on low dose of Metronidazole for 6 months but he started acting weird & real paranoid after takin the Metronidazole for 1 month, so I tried the Tylan Powder 1/4 teaspoon once a day, you put 1/4 teaspoon in empty capsules & give with Dinner every night once a day, the Tylan Powder taste awful, so make sure you put in empty capsule, can turn them off meal… In America you once could buy the Tylan Powder over the counter from Pet Shops but I’ve read you now need a script from vet…
Join this Face Book group called “Dogs With Inflammatory Bowel Disorder”
someone on that site may know where to buy the Tylan Powder online, I live Australia & we need a script….also there’s a few dogs with Food Allergies & Food Intolerances….Have a look at IAMS Vet Formula Skin & Coat Plus Response KO, it’s just Kangaroo & Oat flour & Beet Pulp that makes poos firm, fat is 12% & no other ingredients to irritate the bowel…. https://www.iams.com/dog-food/veterinary-formula-dog-food-skin-coat-health-ko

I feed boiled chicken breast & boiled potatoes, broccoli & zucchini & add a small tin of salmon or make a big batch & buy the big tins of Salmon…. I don’t mix any kibble with the cooked meals, I feed 4 small meals a day, I give cooked for breakfast & dinner & kibble for lunch & a late dinner this way its not expensive feeding the cooked meals & the weight stays on… I feed a Fish & Rice kibble with no other ingredients…..

Boiled rice can irritate the bowel, my boy can not eat boiled rice, but he can eat kibbles with rice that’s been grounded up….

Can you find a kibble that is just turkey & rice or chicken & rice or lamb & rice where the fat is around 10-12% no higher?? fat can cause diarrhea….
Have you tried the “California Natural” Lamb & Rice it has just 4 ingredients, Lamb, brown rice, rice & sunflower oil, I don’t know if C/N is money back guaranteed, if it doesn’t work you can get money back, some kibbles are only guaranteed if the dog doesn’t eat the kibble, so Patch has not liked a few kibbles lol, the Pet Shops know Patch and are very good when we have returned kibbles, they didn’t mind….it becomes expensive when they cant eat a kibble….
A few dogs with IBD & Food Sensitivities are doing really well on the California Natural kibble, stay away from kibbles that have peas, barley, chick peas, lentils, too many ingredients, only limited ingredients with just 1 protein & 1 carb like the California Natural has… http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1181

You may need to see a specialist that specialises in IBD/food intolerances, my boy had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, then was put on Vet Diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” low Residue kibble, its just Chicken, rice & corn, that was the only vet diet that worked for him, he had to stay on the Eukanuba for 6-12 months to let his bowel heal, (he was a rescue) then the next 1-2 years I tried every kibble & found the only kibbles that work were kibbles with just 1 protein & 1 carb, no peas, gave bad wind pain & farts, kibbles with potatoes/sweet potatoes gave him diarrhea but he can eat cooked fresh potatoes & fresh sweet potatoes, so the potatoes in the kibbles mustn’t be fresh & green or rotten potatoes,thats why I like rice….
You will work it out hopefully but try & not let Penny have diarrhea too much, it will cause thickening of the bowel lining as she gets older…..ask vet about the Tylan Powder or try & buy it online, poos are firm the next day….as long as she isn’t eating something she is sensitive too..

[jennifer h]

Since it has come to my attention via several sources that report on food safety (whistleblower type documentaries like on the ThoughtMaybe site, Arnie Gunderson- stuff on Fukashima’s contamination, contamination via oil spills, dispersants, and the general unhealthiness of farmed fish esp. salmon) my family doesn’t eat ANY seafood anymore. The most obvious of any food that should not be touched is anything from Japan as Hillary Clinton publically announced we will still accept their imported food (note: we do not test it even for radiation). Due to the fact the gulf, which is where a huge portion of our seafood comes from, is totally contaminated by oil as well as dispersants, I do not feel it is safe. I do not feel any salmon is safe and nothing that comes from the Pacific ocean is safe due to the still active Fukashima spilling nuclear waste daily. I’m just wondering if I’m the only one on this website who stays away from dog food that contains any seafood?

[Susan]

Hi Mom T, nice thing you have done taken in an old boy….. I have a 7 yr old with IBD & Skin problems & he has problems keeping on his weight, so I feed 4 smaller meals thru the day & more then what it says on the kibble bag. Patches kibble says 2 & a 1/2 cups kibble per day but I cook as well so I give 1 heaped cup kibble a day…
I would not feed any puppy food, it’s made for high energy puppies, like you said the puppy food would be too high in fat, find a good kibble & I feed 4 meals a day…Holistic Select has their Senior kibble chicken meal & rice that’s easy to digest… http://www.holisticselect.com/recipes.aspx?pet=dog#category5
I cook then freeze the cooked chicken or beef in 1 cup sections & I freeze small kangaroo mince balls, like a rissole that I bake, I add 1 egg, some parsley, some people add Turmeric powder & coconut oil for arthritis, you can bake small balls of beef, chicken or turkey mince rissoles & give as a treat or mix thru the meal…. Patch gets cooked meal for breakfast & dinner, I feed cooked chicken breast, tin Salmon, boiled potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, some times, beef, Kangaroo, sweet potatoes a bit of pumkin, boiled egg etc make sure you add the fish (tin Sardines or Salmon in spring water drained) for his omega’s for his skin… I prefer to add Patches omegas naturally thru food not the fish tablets….. Fish oil tablets made Patch feel sick, you have to remember these dogs were not looked after probably most of their lives & when we rescue them & start adding all this healthy new stuff etc some dogs stomachs/bowels can’t cope…. then I give 1/2 cup kibble for lunch & another 1/2 cup kibble for late dinner….that’s for a 39lb dog……. Kibble keeps & puts the weight on, I have found…. look at the Kcals on the kibbles web page for the Kcal/per cup the higher the Kcal per cup the better around 380-400Kcal/per cup…..Once you start feeding 3-4 meals a day his weight will slowly start to come back, nice & slow, it may take about 4 months but it will be healthy weight not a diet full of fat..

Here’s a calculator to see how many Calories he should be eating a day, it gives you a ruff idea, just enter the weight he should be & he’s a senior dog..
http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Naturella]

Hey, all! It’s been a while! I’ve been in and out every once in a while, but mostly been busy with work and being offline while not at work.

Well, all is good, except the day has come that I believe my non-picky, will-eat-anything, didn’t-used-to-be-allergic-to-anything dog may have developed some allergies.

Over the course of 6+(ish) months I have noticed that he has been extremely itchy while on the following foods:

Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural
Wellness Core Original
Castor and Pollux Organix GF

Somewhat itchy on:
Solid Gold Winged Tiger Quail and Pumpkin Cat Food

And had 2 days of diarrhea after consuming 1/2 of a cherry tomato.

Common denominators:
chicken/poultry
potatoes
tomato pomace (in 2 of the foods)

Naturally, I believe Bruno has developed some sort of an allergy to the above 3 items, so after I had had enough of watching him scratch himself hairless, I ran into my favorite store and explained the situation, and left with a bag of Zignature Trout and Salmon to try and heal my pup.

Now, I am somewhat familiar with elimination, and I have never noticed excessive itchiness when I have given Bruno raw or dehydrated chicken bits, so I am not even sure it is the chicken/poultry that is the problem and I may need to just give him a break and feed the plain fish Zignature for a bit to see if the itching clears up (I also plan to equip him with Dr. Wysong’s sensitive skin shampoo), but I would love to be able to feed my usual toppers to kibble, which include raw egg, various canned foods which some do have chicken or other poultry, coconut oil, yoghurt, and other dehydrated additives (whatever’s on sale really). I was told to eliminate all additives (besides lukewarm water and limited coconut oil) for 2 weeks to see if there is an improvement. I will do it and see how it goes, and hppefully I will be able to return to the usual or somewhat modified toppers, and if any of you has an idea or a suggestion, I am very open to hearing it. 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Howard, did she take Metronidazole (Flagyl)? its an antibiotic for the stomach & bowel, also smell her breath does it smell & what of?? that’s how I know what’s happening with my boy when I smell his breath, when my boy starts doing the yellow mushy poos I have a few scripts of Metronidazole the vet has given me & I put Patch on the Metronidazole with food for 10 days & change diet, also I cook potatoes instead of rice, boiled rice can irritate the bowel…. Australian vets are using boiled potatoes now instead or the old fashion boiled rice..
When Patch has had the gurgling pinning bowel noises it was either from the boiled rice or an ingredient he was sensitive too, then over the years I found he has food sensitives…. He has had Pancreatitis when I first rescued him, vet put him on a vet diet for his skin allergies & the fat was toooo high at 19%…..now I cook chicken breast, potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potatoes, it depends some days I add Kangaroo rissoles some days or I add salmon in spring water drained, I put it all thru a blender for a few seconds….
I cant get The Honest Kitchen in Australia if I could I’d be feeding Patch the “Zeal” the fat is only 8.50% its low in carbs & limited ingredients & fish as protein so easy to digest, for the days I’m lazy…..http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal

I wouldn’t be feeding a raw diet with those symptoms, or if you do want to feed a raw diet, I went thru a Naturopath cause Patch was diagnosed with IBD & needs low fat diet & has Skin Allergies the raw worked for his skin but not his stomach (IBD) he kept regurgitating & burping up the raw Kangaroo & blended raw veggies but when I bake the kangaroo into rissoles & boil the same veggies, he’s OK, so I cook instead now & freeze meals…..

Sounds like you just haven’t found the right diet yet or she may do what happens with Patch, he needs his foods changed every month when I feed kibbles or he starts reacting to an ingredient, I posted a link about this I’ll try & find it, he cant stay on the same kibble too long he starts doing yellow sloppy poos….
Go supermarket get a couple brown potatoes, 1 small sweet potatoes, 1 zucchini & a small broccoli head, peel boil & put in containers in the fridge also maybe change the chicken to turkey or try the chicken & potato & see if there’s any gurgling pinning bowel noises & yellow mushy poo, if its still making loud noises change the protein, no chicken…maybe at first just do the chicken & potato & see if there’s improvement in stools, if there is then add some zucchini wait 2 days look at poos if poos are firm then add broccoli or whatever you want to add, then after a couple of weeks start adding some tin salmon in spring water drained to get all the healthy omegas & vitamins from the salmon, I add 1/2 a small tin per meal but you could make a few meals for a couple of days having a smaller dog… if you do see vet ask for a script for some Metronidazole its good have in cupboard when this happens, she may have too much bad bacteria in the stomach/bowel (S.I.B.O) & needs the metronidazole to fix everything up again….

[MAUREEN W]

I just rescued a little 8lb Shih tzu Bichon who is 6 years old. She was having so many problems & I needed to get her help & surgery right away. tests shown she had several bladder stones & some much larger than others so surgery was her only option after meds not helping. She is now a VERY HAPPY fun little girl & loving live after getting the care needed.
However results just came back from the stones being Struvite & vet wants to put her on Royal Canine SO.!! Im not going to do that, Ive seen so many clients dogs on this crap & there is noting good in it. I feed all my dogs good quality food & believe doing that will help her more than anything.
Ive been giving her canned food since I rescued her & some boiled chicken with the broth & even veg & I do add a probiotic powder to her food. What are the best veg for her & what do i stay away from. I also bought a powder called Methionine by Dogzymes where i buy my pet probiotics from along with joint supplements. It says regulates the formation of amonia & creates amonia free urine which reduces bladder irritation. I also add fish oil to dogs diet each day. Should I add a cranberry supplement too & what is best kind. I want to do what is best for the little girl but I know that is not Royal Canine food. Any help would be great. Im also going to order PH strips too. I have water supply in every room for her & even bought her a fountain to help her drink more. I have 2 giant dogs so used to them drinking gallons of water, this tiny girl, I dont know what amount she should drink & what to to to make her drink more. She gets Plenty of potty breaks & I put her potty pads down if i need to be gone so she knows it ok to go on them & not hold it. (she uses them too) 🙂
Any help would be greatful, I dont want this little girl to suffer again the way she was when I took her in to get her surgery & help she needed.
Thanks so much. Mo

[Susan]

Hi Brenda,
There has to be another cheap dog food with better ingredients then Pedigree & Purina brands, I have a yeasty dog, so I’ve been feeding less kibble… I find the Grain free kibbles make him smell more, probably the potatoes & peas, your dog might be different & be OK eating potatoes & peas all dogs are different & react to different foods, like carrots as soon as I put carrots in his meals he starts scratching his ears after 2 days from just adding carrots.. Patch does best on a fish & rice kibbles, I feed cooked meal for breakfast & kibble for dinner, some days he gets chicken, kangaroo, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potatoes, pumkin then when the cooked kangaroo is finished in 2 days, I feed Chicken, Salmon, broccoli, zucchini, etc whatever I have left over I add to meal… buy some tin sardines in spring water, add a couple sardines with the beef & veggies even try adding some rice instead of the kibble, my boy has IBD & the cooked rice irritates his bowel but the grounded rice in a kibble is OK….sardines are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, Coenzyme (CoQ10) & vitamins excellent for the skin & heart….
Do you have a Costco near by they sell 6 tins Sardines in spring water for $10 or the supermarkets have their brand sardines real cheap, make sure they’re in spring water not tomato sauce or oil also Costco’s Grain Free dog food “Kirkland Signature” Nature Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato 35lb bag is made by Taste Of The Wild & cheaper…or Sportmix Wholesome Fish meal & Rice chewy sells 40lbs for $30 these kibbles may be a bit dearer but it will last longer & need less per meal then the Pedigree/Purina kibbles & your dog will be healthier in the long run…also bath weekly in an anti fungal anti bacterial dog shampoo…I use Malaseb medicated shampoo, I’ve seen a cheaper antibacterial shampoo at Walmart for around $7…. so maybe just changing to a better food & bathing weekly his skin will improve & still add some cooked food with the kibble once he’s doing good again…

[Susan]

Hi Erin,
I’d be worming her with an allwormer, I use Milbemax, its mild & does the job she may need to be wormed again after 2 weeks, she could be full of worms, I rescued a cat & when I’d lifted him up, poo was just coming out of his bum, I took him to vets he was riddled with worms he had to be put in hospital for 3-4 days he was that infested & the thing was I didn’t see any worms in his poos…
Start taking her outside & say toilet go wee wee & if she does wee or poo make a big fuss Yeh GOOD GIRL & have a little liver treat in ur pocket & give her a treat or a kibble from her food……I’d be feeding a real bland diet for now chicken & boiled potatoes, more chicken then potatoes & see if poos firm up, if you feed a kibble get 1 that’s just Fish & Rice or Lamb & Rice, no peas, no lentils, no extra ingredients until you work out what’s happening she may need some Metronidazole, its an antibiotic for the bowel & stomach….

[Sherri P]

Hi, God Bless Everyone,

My Lab Tank Drake, likes these bones. He is a very sensitive doggy & everything seems to upset his tummy. The vet recommended this, so My husband & I started buying him Grain Free dog food by Rachel Ray which has helped him tremendously & this DreamBone which is rawhide free, cause our boy tank cannot eat rawhide either, without vomiting all over the place. I have read a lot of your comments & I am posting what the ingredients are in this: which I am copying right off the bag. DreamBone- (Dino chews) Grain Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Helps maintain healthy teeth & gums, natural added vitamins…. Sweet potato, flour, pea flour, chicken, vegetable glycerin oil, dried brewers yeast, calcium carbonate, peanut butter, fish oil, dried kelp source of chlorophyll, dried tomato, calcium ascorbate source of vitamin c, vitamin e supplement, rosemary extract. Plus no GMO’s. All I can say Tank hasn’t vomited up by eating them. Which makes Dad & Mom Happy & Doggy Happy too 🙂

[Susan]

Hi have you had an Endoscope & Biopsies done?? my Patch is also a rescue & he regurgitates water when he eats raw, cooked & wet tin foods, I have found if the food is real fine water like paste or the meat is minced, Patch would regurgitate, burp water & little bits of the food into his mouth…
I cook for him now & he has kibble as well, he eats 4 small meals a day, the food stays down better, when there’s less food in his stomach, I’ve been cooking Chicken breast, Potatoes, Broccoli, Zucchini, pumkin, 1 cup cooked chicken cut up into chunks, 1 big spoon cooked Zucchini slices, 1/2 a small boiled potato cut up, 1 spoon pumkin, & about 4 little pieces of cooked broccoli & I put all into a blender but I only blend it a few pulses so the chicken is still chunky & sticks to all the veggies….Kibble he holds down the best but some kibbles gives him stomach pain, I think when the fat is higher over 14% fat & if the protein is higher then 25%…..

This time last year Patch had Endoscope & Biopsies done & they found he had the Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD, he was treated with Amoxicillin, Metronidazole & Zantac for 3 weeks, but as soon as the meds were finished all Patches symptoms all came back… I’ve found probiotics made him feel sick… have you tried any dog probiotic for the gut they may help your boy stomach get more healthy & good bacteria into his stomach, you start with 1/2 the recommended dose…
My boy can hold down his drinking water now, when I first rescued him he wouldn’t drink any water but I make sure he doesn’t drink heaps of water at once, I change his water as soon as he drinks from his bowl & I give him fresh water every morning, I feed him 1 spoon cooked food at a time or wet tin food when he was eating wet tin food its cheaper to cook & freeze little meals & I raise his food bowl, I bought 1 of those children plastic stool, kids can step up to the toilet with one of these plastic stool I think? then after he eats, I make sure he does NO running around or playing, we go for a slow walk & he sniffs, he eats 7am cooked meal, 12pm 1/2 cup Fish & Rice kibble, 5pm cooked meal, 1 spoon at a time, 8pm 1/2 cup kibble Fish & Rice, 1 kibble at a time, I sit in front of TV & just drop 1 kibble in his bowl & make sure he chews the kibble, I’ve taught him to chew kibble he’s a gulper….

Maybe make a few changes, feed 4 small meals thru the day, make the food more chucker pieces or buy wet tin foods that have chuncky pieces, I wasn’t feeding any of the gravy cause Patch was bringing it back up then he was getting acid reflux from regurgitating his meal, look at the fat% no more then 4% in fat, try kibble again 10%-12% fat, don’t feed with the wet food with the kibble, feed separate times…& introduce a dog probiotic best to give probiotic when stomach acids are low, so first thing of a morning but no food can be giving for 1 hour or at night is best just before bed around 9-10pm I was mixing 1 teaspoon probiotic powder with 10-15mls water in a bowl & Patch just drank it……

[Carrie K]

My soon to be 6 month old GSD puppy has been on Orijen and while my adult male handles it fine she is just having pudding poo, I think it might be too rich for her.. she’s currently 42lbs and I’m feeding her 2 cups a day so I don’t think it’s that I’m overfeeding her. I’m trying her on a lower protein kibble now, pine forest TOTW.. I swear I’d never feed a diamond food but I’m not as much as a food snob as I used to be I guess lol. I’d prefer to feed raw but with some recent health issues I’ve had to move to a kibble/raw blend.. they get mostly kibble but with some raw added in for teeth cleaning along with raw eggs a few times a week, fish oil and probiotics/digestive enzymes.

I really like the taste of the wild lineup being able to rotate differing proteins along with the price point. Helps me be able to add more raw in! I know their reputation isn’t great though.. Is there a similar food? I’m on the editor’s choice list and don’t understand many of the foods on there as most of them I haven’t and wouldn’t chose to feed. I’m at a loss and so confused!

I like Acana and really like the look of their new products coming in 2016, it’s just so pricey.. I have 5 dogs! I’ve tried Victor and just didn’t like the results I got with that, both my GSD’s got really nasty dirty ears on that food even the fish and sweet potato one… their coats also weren’t as nice. So what I’m considering right now is TOTW, Fromm and Earthborn. My big issue is my male is allergic to a lot and seems to get most itchy on chicken and pork. He looks absolutely amazing on Orijen six fish but at almost $100 a bag it’s hard to justify long term. So just looking for foods similar to TOTW but with a better reputation and ingredient sourcing, I also have zero issues with grain inclusive foods as I don’t think they are any better than all the potatoes and lentils in grain free foods.

TIA!

[Bobby dog]

Hi weezerweeks:
I was feeding Dr. Harvey’s Canine Health Miracle Dog Food. My dog absolutely loved it. I didn’t feel comfortable feeding it for every meal. Even though it recommends rotating proteins the amount of mix never changed so it concerned me that feeding it daily long term may lead to imbalances in his diet.

He also likes Dr. Harvey’s Oracle and a few of my cats really like it as well.

My dog didn’t like THK dehydrated either so I never tried their premixes. I think C4c had the same experience with both their dehydrated and premix.

I have been using Balance-IT Carnivore Blend for a few months now. I don’t feed it daily just a few times a week. It has been very convenient for me and Bobby really likes it. I make a few versions of a very simple recipe with meat, fish, oil, and Carnivore Blend. I sometimes use a few other recipes I made up depending on what I have on hand; for those times I don’t get to the grocery store! Since he liked Dr. Harvey’s so much I also made a recipe that is similar to the Miracle Dog Food mix. I also concocted a few stew recipes, but haven’t got around to making them yet.

On another note, how are those kitties? The Carnivore Blend is for both dogs and cats. I have made a few recipes for my cats, but they don’t seem to care too much for my cooking. I am still searching for that recipe they will like. In the meantime Bobby is enjoying what they won’t eat.

[Rebecca W]

thanks for replying.He is a 3 yr old german shepherd who develpoped this at about the age of 1.Vets dont seem to know much more than i have researched myself really.He has a strict diet of boiled chicken rice or white fish boiled and royal canin gastro intestinal food advised by the vet.He has no treats or chews and is not a dog that eats things he shouldnt he doesnt scavenge.I am desperate to get it right for him to give him the best life i can he is a gorgeous and gentle dog.The medications he has are Metranidazole,medrum and he has pro biotic powders on his food twice a day.i just worry about how very lethargic he gets and would love to know if someone else can identify with this to put my mind at rest.he has had bloods,xrays we are sure it is collitis but it breaks our heart to think he is so depressed when he gets a bad bout.Thankyou for listening Rebecca

[C4D]

Hi Ruth Anne G,

You could try a different protein source other than chicken, there are many. At this point, before the vet check, anything that he will eat and stop the diarrhea is fine. He might have a chicken intolerance, but until the parasite check comes out clean, you just won’t know. Make sure that the vet sends it out to a lab, vs an inhouse fecal float. That’s the best way (and it still has it’s flaws) to find possible parasite infection. I’ve been through those before and it’s not pretty.

Caesar’s puppy is really not a great deal, there are many others that are priced the same or better with far better ingredients. Susan is absolutely right about the ingredients. Here are the ingredients I found on Caesar’s website. It actually contains an unidentified meat by product, chicken, and unidentified animal liver before the lamb, so it might be more stress diarrhea than chicken issue:

Ingredients: MEAT BY-PRODUCT, SUFFICIENT WATER FOR PROCESSING, CHICKEN, ANIMAL LIVER, LAMB, RICE, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCTS, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSHPHATE, FISH OIL, CARRAGEENAN, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, DRIED YAM, ADDED COLOR, XANTHAN GUM, MAGNESIUM PROTEINATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, ERYTHORBIC ACID, DL-METHIONINE, GUAR GUM, SUGAR, ZINC SULFATE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, BIOTIN, POTASSIUM IODIDE, COPPER SULFATE, YELLOW #6, SODIUM NITRITE (FOR COLOR RETENTION), D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, YELLOW #5, MANGANESE SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT

Let us know how he does at the vet and we will be more than happy to help. I agree with Anonymously on possibly holding off on the vaccines until the diarrhea is contolled, but your vet can decide. I would personally give it a few days, but that’s IMO! 🙂

Red, kibble soaked in water is just kibble soaked in water. The only thing that’s similar with wet food is there is more water in it than dry kibble. It is still a highly processed product, even more processed than canned. The water is better than dry, but canned or fresh is still less processed and better than kibble.