[Elizabeht B]

My dog passed about a month ago, but fish oil is very good for their joints and I had given him that as well. I wish I had started that earlier. Make sure you get a good quality – I was buying a Norwegian brand for him. Hills is expensive but a very good quality food. My guy had some digestive issues and the I/d controlled that really well. People say bad things about purina, too, but I found the Brite mind to be a good food. He liked it too. I think unfortunately people tend to misassociate actual true data with irrelevant and coincidental data which just muddies the water – everyone is an expert any more. Good luck with your dog !!

[Fiona Z]

Thanks so much those chew things look good! For some reason I’ve always been wary of the Hills line.. Have no idea why.. Is it really expensive or had bad reviews in the 90s. Do you also do fish oil and coconut oil or just the chews and the dry food?

[Sam D]

Hi, All –
My sweet pup has been diagnosed with severe left hip dysplasia and mild right hip dysplasia. We passed on the option for a triple pelvic osteotomy as when he was diagnosed we had about 2 weeks until he was considered too old for it, and even then, they would have only done it on his right hip as the left was too far gone.

We’ve opted for rehab and medical intervention over surgical at this time, knowing that in the future, he will have to have a total hip replacement. Hopefully we can put that off for a few more years.

My question is about food. He currently gets a rotation of Instinct Raw, Acana Pacifica (salmon) and Honest Kitchen. We are giving him supplements like Welactin fish oil and Dasuquin (glucosamine chondroitin w/ MSM)

Anyone here have a dog with hip/joint issues? What have you used? What has helped?

[DogFoodie]

An excerpt from “Fats Chance,” written by Steve Brown in the December of 2012 issue of Whole Dog Journal; and what I think is one of the best articles that discusses fats, rancidity, and supplementing with Omegas:

“I think the best choice is to feed naturally preserved foods that meet freshness guidelines (described in detail below) and that do not contain fish, fish oil, or DHA; then add fresh, high-quality fish or krill oils or sardines yourself.”

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_12/features/Fats-Chance_20658-1.html

Coconut oil is neither an Omega 3 nor an Omega 6 fat, it’s a medium chain trigylceride.

[C4D]

Hi Kevin R,

I give my dogs both coconut oil and fish oil. Fish oil is the common source of Omega 3, Poultry and eggs are a common source of Omega 6 and Coconut oil is a common source of medium chain fatty acids. They all have a useful purpose in the diet. I use fish oil to supplement my arthritic dog (but the others get some too) as it’s an anti-inflammatory, along with all of the other great properties.

Here are some links to help explain all of the various Omegas:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/85285-coconut-oil-omega3/

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_9/features/Fish-Oil-Supplements-For-Dogs_20600-1.html

http://www.dogaware.com/articles/suppsoils.html

Red is correct regarding kibble. The long storage and oxydation after opening the bag are likely to destroy the EPA & DHA in the fish oil in dry dog food.

[anonymously]

Any fish oil that is in dry dog food mostly dissipates as soon as you open the bag (no matter the quality of the food). This was told to me by a dermatologist/specialist that treated my dog.

[Kevin R]

Hi all, I just wanted to follow up on this. Currently, I am feeding my dog Acana Duck and Pear and the Omega 6 and Omega 3 ratio is 2:1. I am looking to add fish oil, (Nordic Naturals specifically) to her diet. However, won’t this throw the ratio off as it may already be a little skewed? Thanks.

[Susan]

Hi, just feed the chicken & rice first & see if poo’s firm up, then when poos are firm add only 1 spoon pumkin, pumkin can either make your dogs poos firm or sloppy. Pumkin is high in fiber,
I feed sweet potatoes instead of boiled rice, rice ferments in the stomach & goes thru my boy & he gets diarrhea & pumkin makes his poos orange & very soft so I can only add about 1 teaspoon of pumkin with a meal.

Your better to only feed 1 protein the chicken & 1 carb rice or boiled potatoes, this way you will know what foods are OK & what foods he can’t eat…..just incase the pumkin gives him diarrhea…
If after feeding the chicken & rice & poos are firm then add 1 spoon pumkin & you will know from just adding 1 spoon of pumkin to each meal if he needs more fiber or less fiber, if his poo’s go sloppy then he’ll be like my boy & needs less fiber but if his poos are firmer then he needs more fiber in his diet….

Patch weights 39lbs 18kilos I feed 1 cup (95grams) boiled chicken breast & 1/4 cup (35grams) boiled Sweet potato put in a blender for about 5 sec for Breakfast & the same for Dinner, then lunch 1/2 cup kibble his Wellness Complete Health White Fish & Sweet Potatoes, then again around 7-8pm I feed another 1/2 cup Wellness Complete Health White Fish & Sweet Potatoes kibble…
Patch has problems keeping on his weight, so far he’s gained 1/2 kilo & I’ve only started feeding the Wellness under 2 weeks ago…..his poos are nice & firm, he’s doing 2 poos a day some afternoons he’s been doing the 3rd poo a day…..

[Anonymous]

I know this doesn’t answer your question, however, I thought it might help, as coconut oil is expensive. And you did mention you are on a budget. I have been using less and less supplements for my pets and myself, however I still use fish oil, and put a capsule in my dogs meals once per day.

Coconut Oil for Pets?

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=fish+oil
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

Hope this helps.

[Becky B]

I have a couple questions. How much fish oil and coconut oil do you feed your pups a day? Also can you possibly send me a link where I can look into the Carlson brand oil? I’ve Google it but I want to makeep sure I’m looking into the right one. Also what brand coconut oil do you use? I’m looking into switching my dogs to a Fromm dog food. Unfortunately I can’t afford the one I want but the less expensive one looks very well too. I have a boxer ( 9 y/o) and a German Shepard mix ( 3 y/o) rescue. Any suggestions on affordable decent foods for them too? I can’t not afford 60 dollars every few weeks since I’m in collage but, still want to feed them better!

[yjesse]

Hi everyone, would love your opinion and/or experience on this topic.

I have a 6-month old Golden Retriever. She is adorable and the joy of my life. When she was younger (2-4 months) she had chronic diarrhea. I always had to “reset” her stomach with boiled super lean ground turkey or chicken, brown rice cooked to mush, a scoop of pumpkin and a teaspoon of probiotic powder. That always did the trick. After everything returns to normal, I would introduce dry food. After many brands, I’ve found a mixture that seems to work. I am currently feeding 20% Orijen Regional Red and 80% FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish, and she’s doing quite well on it. We haven’t had a diarrhea episode yet.

What is your view on mixing food? I want to make sure she is getting the nutrition she needs, and that it is also tasty. Thank you!

[Susan]

Hi Jan, another reason your girl is doing really well on the Hills W/d, the W/d is very high in insoluble fiber-28.1% & high in crude fiber-16.4% & lower in soluble fiber-1.3%….My boy wouldn’t do well on a high insoluble & high crude fiber diet with his IBD, he does better on less fiber, kibbles with soluble fiber……once your girl is stable & doing really well around 6-9 months, start looking for a premium kibble that is high in crude fiber & you’ll have to email the kibble company & ask what is the insoluble % & soluble fiber %, you will not find a kibble as high as the W/d, that’s why its a vet diet….
I’ve read a few post on this site & their dogs were eating the Hills W/d now their dogs are doing well on Diamond Natural light Adult, the Nuturals light has the powdered Cellulose like the Hills W/d has but lamb is the protein not chicken, I don’t know if your dog can eat lamb, my boy does good on lamb & fish….the fat is 6% & the crude fiber is 9%, I don’t know the insoluble fiber %.. there is a few ingredients in this kibble… a few tooo many to start as a first kibble, I like sticking with kibbles that have limited ingredients cause it can just be 1 little ingredient in a kibble that they are sensitive too & their colitis will start playing up again….
http://www.diamondpet.com/our-brands/diamond-naturals/light-adult-dog/

also the weight management kibbles are higher in crude fiber but I don’t know if they are higher in soluble fiber or insoluble fiber, you’d have to email the company….

Or you can do what I did in the beginning, I kept Patch on his vet diet for lunch & dinner & started to feed a cooked meal for breakfast, (I cook the chicken & boil the sweet potatoes & then froze small meals)
I knew he could eat chicken cause his vet diet was chicken & turkey, so I boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin 1 spoon pumkin, he couldn’t eat too much pumkin it made his poos very soft, so now I cook sweet potatoes instead. I put the chicken in a blender & blend the chicken & add the boiled sweet potatoes sometimes I add some boiled broccoli, carrot, celery & papaya, that’s now not in the beginning..

I google foods to find out which veggies had more soluble fiber & insoluble fiber… foods that are high in insoluble fibers are rye, barley, brown rice….that way I started introducing foods back into his diet but he was still eating his vet diet, like an elimination diet..
I found out what foods he didn’t do to well on cause his breakfast poo would be sloppy soft or have a condom film over the poo or he’d do a jelly poo….his poo would be orange cause of the pumkin & sweet potatoes…

[InkedMarie]

It shouldn’t be hard to find a food without chicken, fish & lamb. There are foods that have beef, kangaroo, turkey, duck, goat, rabbit. For the dry skin, have you tried salmon oil?

[C4D]

Hi Lisa B,

InkedMarie and Pitlove gave you some good suggestions. I’m curious, what food is your dog currently eating? You don’t want to switch to something that’s too radically different if she’s been eating the same food all her life.

I have had and currently have some “senior” dogs (large breed)as well as adult large breed, but I don’t feed any senior foods ever. The only reason people might consider a senior food is if the dog is overweight, and that’s not really a good reason either. It sounds like your dog wouldn’t need it. Try to avoid the potatoes in any of the food, as InkedMarie said, as they worsen arthritis by causing inflamation. Fish oil is an anti-inflamatory, and is also helpful with arthritis, but add it slowly. I use human grade fish oil pills as they tend to be more pure than traditional dog fish oils.

Some other things you might consider feeding is some fresh and/or wet food. This would help keep your dog more hydrated and might encourage eating since they often lose their sense of smell as they age. Again, a word of caution: only change or add one thing at a time, including supplements. They can change stool consistency and you won’t know the cause. Good luck!

[Kristin C]

Hi Ella,

Read up some more on homemade raw. Is your recipe boneless? Chix breast or thighs? No gizzards or hearts? Liver ratio? How much fish oil for the weight of your dog? Vitamin E? I am not sure canola oil is necessary. Your parsley and veg ratio is probably fine with the pumpkin and yogurt.

Keep in mind that variety is key for the long term. You will need to add more proteins than chicken.

[Ella S]

After reading lots of things about the benefits of raw I finally want to switch him over.
I was thinking this would be a good recipe:
8 oz of chicken
1 oz of liver
1 fish oil capsule
2 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp dried parsley
8 oz of mixed veggies

This is the daily amounts for my dog.

[pugmomsandy]

I do feed a mixture. It can be anything – kibble, dehydrated cooked, freeze dried raw, canned food and frozen raw. I don’t have to watch calcium and phosphorus though. You can try adding some fat calories such as some type of fish oil or coconut oil. There’s also a granular food made by Abady that has rice and it has around 800 calories a cup. Raw food, especially the fattier meats added to his kibble might help keep him satisfied a little longer. There are also canned foods that are high in fat and calories. Have you looked at Core canned foods?

[Kim S]

Hello Norene, I have a 9 yo yellow lab that has skin issues and found out wheat was her problem early on. A little over a year ago she began to scratch and bite herself to the point of being bloody and raw. I started researching and this is where I found DogFoodAdvisor. I have found many other sites that have helped too. I looked an environmental issues, allergies, flea/heart worm meds and food. My vet was not able to help much and I took to the internet. I found that grains can greatly effect a dog and we knew that wheat was a problem for her, I went grain free only to find that potatoes are a big fill in for them and she ended up with a widespread yeast infection. I did try raw but she ended up being sensitive to chicken and lamb so that didn’t work. Here’s what helped and I highly recommend to anyone with skin issues. We did a Alternative Sensitivity Test by Glacier Peak Holistics, all done by mail. That gave me a wealth of information and confirmed all my suspects. She is now on Orijen 6 Fish and doing wonderful. I’ve also added a daily probiotic, digestive enzymes, coconut oil to her meals. I have nothing to do with Glacier Peak but there are other companies that perform these tests and sell the same products. I also have found very informative websites such as Dr Karen Becker, Only Natural Pet and obviously you’ve found Dogfood Advisor. Beware of the flea and heartworm products, they can cause a number of issues and there are natural remedies. House hold cleaning products, laundry soaps, fabric softners, fragrance sprays and such can effect your dog. I now have a green home as much as possible. Good luck and hope you find the cure. I can tell you that it will be up to you and not your vet and I do like my vet very much.

[Shawna]

Hi Paul R,

They now know that dogs with kidney disease actually need good amounts of protein in the diet as it helps with the blood flow (aka GFR) and therefore keeping the blood clean. The exception to that rule is when the dog has high amounts of protein in the urine as that is a sign of inflammation of the kidneys. The protein should be lowered until the reason for the inflammation has been found and addressed — possibly a bacterial infection, stones, food sensitivity (they know in humans that gluten can cause increased proteinuria – I would assume reactions to foods can be the same in dogs). Here’s some data on that “A gluten-free diet induced in 75% of the cases a parallel improvement in these abnormal immunological data. Mean proteinuria values were found to be significantly decreased after 6 months of the diet and a reduction was also observed in microscopic hematuria.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2311308

May not be the case with your pup but I think it is often overlooked as a possibility.

My dog had kidney disease from birth and lived nine years. I fed her a raw diet but once in a while I was running in and out or really sick for a few days and would give her some kibble. Each time I gave her kibble I had to deal with the consequences of doing so for several days after. I would highly advise against ANY kibble, even prescription. The new prescription Science Diets are chicken and beef based and look appealing. If you can’t home cook and don’t want to feed raw it would be something to try while you are trying to deal with the proteinuria. I would also give a high quality omega 3 fish oil as it is anti-inflammatory etc. Another to try is organic (must be organic) turmeric (the spice). Turmeric is anti-inflammatory as well as anti-fibrotic, which are both helpful for the failing kidneys. Start with a small amount and build. Most dogs do well with it but my Audrey didn’t seem to tolerate it well. 🙁

Don’t give any more flea or tick meds or heartworm preventatives. Also no more vaccines. Some states will give rabies exemptions for pets with life threatening diseases. Take advantage of that if your state does.

It also helps to give reverse osmosis filtered water. There are so many impurities in most tap water. Always have water available. I would also look at a good probiotic and prebiotic. The right ones can help clear BUN etc from the blood which will help your pup feel better. This is called “nitrogen trapping” which was apparently discovered and coined by Iams researchers. I used a probiotic called Garden of Life Primal Defense (a human product) and a prebiotic called Fiber 35 Sprinkle Fiber (also human). I’ve heard that Sprinkle Fiber is no longer made but it was simply 100% pure acacia fiber. Any source of acacia fiber will work. Not all fibers work, some make things worse. I found this out the hard way. The one product I would not do without is made by Standard Process and is called Canine Renal Support. It helps in many many ways.

I hope something I’ve wrote is helpful for you and your sweet puppy!! Let me know if I can clarify anything or answer any questions etc.

Prayers to you both!!

[Shirley M]

Can’t give her fish oil, she has a touchy pancreas.

[Anonymous]

“I do not want to give her Benadryl every day for the rest of her life. Any good natural med’s that are safe to give out there”?
@ Shirley,
If the vet that is treating your dog has recommended prn Benadryl, and the dosage is correct for the dog’s weight…it shouldn’t hurt your dog (once a day, or however your vet has prescribed it).
The thing is, Benadryl doesn’t always do much to relieve symptoms. I still use it for my dog with allergies, when she has a flare up. I think it helps a little, in conjunction with her regular treatment..

Some vets recommend a fish oil capsule once a day, may help with dry itchy skin (pruritus)

[losul]

Hi again. Sorry for the tardy reply, all.

I’ve some preference for feeding a dog a majority of ruminant meats overall with a lesser amount of poultry overall in my dogs diet, provided the the beef (or other ruminant) is coming from a good, properly raised and fed source. I think the overall fats balance out better that way, and without using much vegetable fats. And as long as I can afford it!!

I wouldn’t necessarily say that beef heart is better, nothing against poultry
hearts, much depends on the source, and for just some supplemental or small batch
use, chicken hearts are handier to use than beef hearts!

I had kind of a bad experience the first time I bought beef hearts a few years ago.(from a different, conventionally raised source, feedlot) I thought never again! They were oversized and completely encased in a way overly tough and thick membrane and excessive suet.. the inside was as bad, and not at all cleaned-gristle, connective tissue,vessels, excessive suetetc., and frankly, they looked old, grayish, and tough. It took alot of effort to clean them enough to suit me, way too much effort, and ended up with alot of waste. It wasn’t worth it, and was a good while before I ever tried beef hearts again. In hindsight some of that gristle
and connective tissue, etc. , wouldn’t have hurt to include anyway!

Where I’ve been getting them the last few times, the outside only has a partial and thin membrane and little suet fat, are very fresh, and the butcher near completely cleans the insides for me, I have not much left to do except cut them up! And I get them for only $1.49/lb cleaned weight! I get good clean liver and kidneys 1.29/lb the same place. I guess not many people around here want to eat heart or organ meats! But the regular and lean cuts of beef are every bit as expensive as anywhere else! So when I make a beef batch I’ve been using the hearts for up to 1/2 of the total muscle meat amount. It equals a good savings vs using all lean human prefered cuts for all the muscle meat. In making a full balanced recipe, I can’t count the heart as organ meat, I still add the small amounts of liver and kidney, and I won’t press the heart amount any beyond 1/2 of the muscle meat count. They say too much heart can cause loose stools, never had that problem or with any any food, but the extra heart I’m using helps to keep some beef in the diet at more an affordable price for me! If one were to use all heart for the muscle meat though, there would very
likely be some deficit somewhere in the nutrition to look for and abundances of others, and I wouldn’t ever advise using overly excessive amounts. Also dogs handle cholesterol differently than humans, but heart, liver and some other organs do contain a disproportionately large amount of cholesterol, something to keep in mind. Don’t over do it!.

Faith, so your dog is about 60lbs. BTW, I believe my dog is 1/2 boston terrier and
1/2 bull terrier of some sort, probably staffy or pit, I’ve got a compact model though,
only about 40 lbs. That’s great that your feller found a loving home with you! I
would assume that his regular diet is around 1150 calories give or take? For your
purposes and for now as supplemental only, yeah I would limit the chicken hearts to
NO more than about 3 or 4 ounces. at least if and until until you are more prepared too see to it that the diet retains balance with your additions. Here, raw Chicken hearts show more calories and fat than the beef hearts, raw. (you might have to enter the serving size) but 100 grams chick hearts (about 3.5 ounces) has about 150 calories. add to that maybe a teaspoon of fish oil a day, an egg a couple times a week, and youre already pushing nearly 20% of unbalanced supplemental calories in his diet, and that then isn’t allowing for any unbalanced treats!

The more things you would add if you do so, or if you go with homemade meals, the more attention you are going to need pay to keeping nutritional balance. And you should really
balance out the extra phosphorus you are adding as it is, with calcium supplement.

If using finely ground eggshell, add 1/2 teaspoon to 2/3 t for each 1 lb of meat, organs, egg etc used. Calcium is very important in a dog’s diet, overall calcium in the diet should at least equal the amount of phosphorus, but also never going more than 2X the amount of phosphorus. a ratio of between 1:1 to 2:1. Most commercial diets I think fall between a ratio of 1.2:1 and 1.6:1, so there would likely be enough buffer already there in your commercial diet to cover your extra phosporus additions, but if me, I would still add at least a bit of calcium anyway.

raw chicken hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/664/2

raw beef hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3464/2

I hear ya on financial bias. dogaware.com is a great site with lots of useful info, some is a little outdated, as Mary Strauss is not so active anymore, but she has nothing to sell as far as I know. and has generously accumulated a ton of good info/articles there.

I prefer a pump bottle for fish oil, so I use Iceland Pure sardine/anchovy, I keep it in the fridge and get a fresh bottle every 3 months. This brand already has some mixed tocopherols in it (vit E), but I still add some additional E in my dog’s diet.

I use some veggies, fruits, and even some select grains, but never in abundance. I
don’t know if you’ve ever heard the old idiom “as fit as a butcher’s dog” I don’t
think the typical old time butcher fed his dog an abundance of starchy plant
material!!! I also still use 25% commercial kibble, haven’t ever been able to get away from it completely for various reasons.

Lastly, I might not be around here to write much anymore, but as you can see from the replies to your thread(and other threads) there are so many awesomely helpful people, good people, on site to help with questions you have, or even just support!! And even if they don’t have answers right away, they have also proven to be excellent researchers!!!

G’night everyone!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by losul.

[losul]

Hi Faith. Count me in as another raw heart proponent, I too think it’s a great idea! Raw beef heart is a major staple in my dogs diet. I get from a rural meat market that slaughters and butchers their own locally raised, state inspected beef. It’s not 100% grass fed beef, but pastured on grass and supplemented, especially in the winter, with alfalfa, clover, lespedeza hays and minimal grain. But it’s NOT the typical mass produced feed lot beef that comes from most supermarkets. Clean and lean it only costs me $1.49/lb.

Feed heart and you wouldn’t have any need to supplement with CoQ10! Because in addition to the great source of taurine, heart is also one the very best natural sources of CoQ10! Like the taurine, if you cook it, you will also destroy some of the CoQ10. Would also lose much of most the B vitamins by cooking.

If your dog eats say 1000 calories a day, and you are feeding an otherwise balanced diet, you should be able to substitute about 130 of those calories daily with 4 ounces beef heart daily, and not worry much about throwing the entire diet out of balance without other supplementation. It would help to add some calcium though even with that little bit of addition, as heart is also very high in phosphorous. 4 ounces beef heart has about 250 mg phosphorous, and only very minimal calcium.

I also would reccomend some omega 3 fish oils in the diet, not sure why it would need be krill oil though, unless it’s for the high concentration of astaxanthin?

[Faith G]

The vet who heard the murmur isn’t a cardiac specialist, I took him to get neutered and that’s when they heard it. The doctor who is doing the echo in a week is a specialist. I am going to get a second opinion, although I have no doubt he has a murmur, he is very mucus-y sounding in his breathing every once in a while, and has a hard time taking full deep breaths. I have no issue with waiting until the echo before giving him supplements, it is only a week. I just don’t have a lot of experience with vitamins, or raw food, I am just doing some personal research to see if there is anything more I can do besides giving him heavy medication that they will probably prescribe after the echo. I have already spoke with my vet about CoQ10 and fish oils, he said I can try them, although he told me to be careful with coq10 because he didn’t know the recommended doses.

[stacey m]

Hi,
I am a dog groomer and have had a few clients with the noticeable ‘corn chip’ scent along with itching, licking, moist armpits and what looks like red angry feet, ear infections.
These dogs were always chewing and licking. Under the vets care they were given steroids and as soon as the dose was over the issue would come back.
I’d like to share what worked for these dogs with yeast issues.
The food has been changed to Nutrisca, which is a very low carb food.
No extra treats and every week they are bathed with GNC Medicated anti-bacterial/anti-fungal shampoo (left on for 10 minutes) and followed up with a moisturizing conditioner.
The dogs are also on one fish oil daily (which is anti-inflammatory) and daily benadryl (adjusted to dogs weight). The dogs ears were treated for the infection by the vet, the rest was the above mentioned protocol. The dogs who followed this are now about 95% better. Love to say 100% but every now and then one will lick but the smell, angry red inflamed skin is gone! Important to follow through with weekly baths and continue protocol for the comfort of the dog even after symptoms have disappeared.
Both Nutrisca food and the GNC shampoo can easily be bought online.

I am not a vet, I am just passing along some info that worked for some of my clients :o)

[Bronwyn L]

I have an almost 3 year old mixed breed named Kosi who has what appears to be acid reflux. his primary symptoms are discomfort (he can’t sit still) and vomiting of bile – this is particularly the case if he doesn’t eat for more than 8 hours. If I feed him meals throughout the day – particularly one at 8 or 9 pm – right before bed – he is fine. The problem is he is SO picky! he will gobble food up for 2 days or so and then completely turn his nose up at it. I have a rotation of foods I use, but nothing really tempts him.

Generally speaking he refuses to eat any and all wet (canned) foods, and will refuse his kibble if there is a single drop of water mixed into it. He also refuses any of the freeze-dried foods on the market. The kibble he eats most consistently is Taste of the Wild wetlands formula. I rotate with other TOTW formulas and used to rotate with a few other brands, but at this point he refuses all of them.

He refuses any food that has any oil or “palate enhancer” added to it. He doesn’t like cheese or most other people food (he’ll accept ham, chicken, or turkey in small quantities, he refuses all tuna or other fish), in fact the only dog treat he will eat are old fashioned milk bones (which makes my other dog happy – she gets all the fun organic jerky chews!)

I cook for my other dog (she’s 11, with different issues), and Kosi sometimes will eat her food (mix of rice, meat, veggies, etc), but the last two days has turned his nose up at it. my vet has also suggested a bland diet to use on occasion – again he’ll eat it once or twice and then turn up his nose at it for a week or more.

he has mouth issues from an injury as a tiny puppy, so sometimes he seems scared of chewing his kibble (and he chews each piece 10 times), I’ve tried small sized kibble, which he liked the first time I offered, then refused ever since. Again, he refuses wet foods or softened kibble. I’ve actually thrown out a bowl of kibble mixed with expensive Evenger’s canned rabbit (which he liked one time), and offered him a bowl of plain dry kibble, which he ate.

The problem with all of this, is that it is very difficult to keep him fed often enough to keep away the acid reflux symptoms! For example, last night he ate his evening meal, but this morning he decided he didn’t want the kibble, or the rice mixture, or anything else I offered. Several hours later, as I write this, I can tell he’s actually hungry and would likely eat his “normal” kibble, but he’s refusing to eat his food, because his stomach hurts… which just makes him cranky. He’s also built very skinny. he’s active, and his coat is shiny, but if he goes a day without food, you can see all his ribs.

I can’t leave food out for him to pick at all day, as my other dog is a corgi mix (read stomach on legs) and would gobble it all up as soon as Kosi wanders off.

I’m at my wits end!! Any suggestions?

[Wifsie G]

I will follow this because ever since coming back from the dog sitter our dog has been having a liquid end to her second poop of the day. No change in food. My question is about bland diet. I feed her a grain free diet so the vet said just feed her boiled chicken. Any thoughts?

Amelia, have you tried fish? Zignature or Fromm’s?
Good luck!

[DogFoodie]

Ugh! I just typed a long response that disappeared. Let’s try it again.

I’ll second Aquariangt’s recommendation for The Honest Kitchen.

I’ll also make a suggestion for raw. Answers. Answers is a fermented raw product. Straight Answers is meat, organ, and bone only. It’s made complete and balanced by adding Answers goat milk. Detailed Answers is complete and balanced. In addition to meat, organ, and bone, it includes veggies, eggs, Montmorillonite, decaffeinated green tea, and anchovy, and sardine oils. I estimate your 55 pound adult dog would eat about 10 ounces per day of Detailed Answers. A two pound carton sells for about $14 where I live. You’d need about 9.5 cartons per month for a total of 300 ounces monthly, which would cost you about $135 per month. My dogs eat less Answers than they do other raw foods, although both have around 60 kcals per ounce. Fermented foods are more nourishing.

For the record, my dogs are currently eating Answers, but they eat a wide variety of foods including, kibble, can, fresh whole foods and raw.

Also, I believe allergy tests are fairly unreliable and the gold standard for determining food intolerances is a well constructed elimination diet. That said, I was shocked at my saliva and hair test results from Glacier Peaks. The test was only $85, which for me was affordable. I had always thought my dog was fish intolerant, but the GP test results said otherwise. I’m happy to report that my dog just polished of a bag of Acana Pacifica, a fish based food, with zero issues whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t rush to a dermatologist either. I spent a year doing various elimination diets, trying various expensive foods, going back and forth to the regular vet and the emergency vet, prednisone, benadryl, fish oil (which I still give) blah, blah, blah. Oh, I forgot, yes, ear infections, prescription drops…
At one point I had 2 air purifiers and a dehumidifier going at the same time (both went to the Goodwill). Daily baths, special shampoos, etc.
My dog found relief after seeing the specialist. Yes, the initial testing is expensive, but the maintenance isn’t bad at all.
It is an option, and it worked for my dog.
PS: I tried raw too, it made my dog vomit uncontrollably. And the raw beef marrow bones resulted in a blockage that required emergency veterinary care.

[Nick G]

I started cooking for my dogs recently and would like to know if the recipe I came up with is suitable for my dogs’ nutritional needs.

2 pieces of wild caught cod (about 1-1.5 lbs.)
2 7.5 oz can of low sodium pink salmon
4 eggs(shells included)
1 16 oz bag of split peas
1 cup of quinoa
1 cup of brown rice
1 16 oz half bag of broccoli
1 1/2 sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cup of blueberries
2 tablespoons of flax seed
2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil
probiotics and vitamin supplements added

This feeds a 120 lb and 50 lb dog for about a day and a half.
I give my big guy human grade glucosamine.

I think my portions in the recipe may be off. If anyone spots other problems please let me know.
I’d like to alternate fish proteins only as I don’t approve of the inhumane treatment and filthy farm factory environments on which poultry, beef or pork are processed . If anything I may consider adding free range chicken as a supplemental protein along with the fish if necessary. I bought some wild caught mahi mahi for my next batch. I was unable to find information about that type of fish’s benefits or detriments in a dog’s diet.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[cori R]

Good day everyone,

I have a Yorkie/Poodle mix dog , who will be 6 year old in January 2016.
About 16 months ago, he suffered an Acute Pancreatitis attack and was in the hospital for 3 days.
Ever since them, it has been a struggle to find the perfect food for him, as he needs to be in a very low fat diet and he will not eat any of the recommended by the vet.
Because of that my only choice was to cook for him and did a saliva test by Dr. Jean Dodds and the results were not good news at all. He is sensitive to most carbs (Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes, sweet potatoes), all fish, chicken, beef, Duck, Venison.
The only protein Koby can eat is Lamb. So, with recommendations of a holistic Vet. I have been feeding Koby, Boiled/smash cassava root with carrots and boiled lamb (with all fat removed), I also add vitamins and L-Glutamine to the food and give him probiotic…Koby has been in that diet for over a year now, the thing I have been noticing on his poo is that he always have mucus, some days more than others and at times very soft stool with traces of blood. On Aug 19, 2015. I have to rush him and my other dog (Teddy) to the emergency as both of them have diarrhea and drops of blood. Just to make something clear Teddy is my other dog (Minni-Poodle mix, who is 2 ½ years old) and both are in the same diet) Teddy diarrhea was very bloody and lots of mucus. The vet did stool analicys and couldn’t find any parasites and they were put in antibiotics for 7 days…Koby still has diarrhea and for the last couple days , I see traces of blood and lots of mucus. Teddy is also having issues with gas and stomach noises. I’m beyond frustrated, as I don’t know what to do anymore for the little ones.
Do you think that is the cassava roots making them sick now?
Should I go back to kibble? Is so, any recommendations for dogs that are highly sensitive?
I have an appt with the Holistic vet tomorrow afternoon, Is there anything I should ask for him to check?
I appreciated your help…Thank you 

[cori R]

Good day everyone,

I have a Yorkie/Poodle mix dog , who will be 6 year old in January 2016.
About 16 months ago, he suffered an Acute Pancreatitis attack and was in the hospital for 3 days.
Ever since them, it has been a struggle to find the perfect food for him, as he needs to be in a very low fat diet and he will not eat any of the recommended by the vet.
Because of that my only choice was to cook for him and did a saliva test by Dr. Jean Dodds and the results were not good news at all. He is sensitive to most carbs (Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes, sweet potatoes), all fish, chicken, beef, Duck, Venison.
The only protein Koby can eat is Lamb. So, with recommendations of a holistic Vet. I have been feeding Koby, Boiled/smash cassava root with carrots and boiled lamb (with all fat removed), I also add vitamins and L-Glutamine to the food and give him probiotic…Koby has been in that diet for over a year now, the thing I have been noticing on his poo is that he always have mucus, some days more than others and at times very soft stool with traces of blood. On Aug 19, 2015. I have to rush him and my other dog (Teddy) to the emergency as both of them have diarrhea and drops of blood. Just to make something clear Teddy is my other dog (Minni-Poodle mix, who is 2 ½ years old) and both are in the same diet) Teddy diarrhea was very bloody and lots of mucus. The vet did stool analicys and couldn’t find any parasites and they were put in antibiotics for 7 days…Koby still has diarrhea and for the last couple days , I see traces of blood and lots of mucus. Teddy is also having issues with gas and stomach noises. I’m beyond frustrated, as I don’t know what to do anymore for the little ones.
Do you think that is the cassava roots making them sick now?
Should I go back to kibble? Is so, any recommendations for dogs that are highly sensitive?
I have an appt with the Holistic vet tomorrow afternoon, Is there anything I should ask for him to check?
I appreciated your help…Thank you 

[Susan]

Hi Xavier G, my boy gets the red in between his toes & red just after the big pad, he gets it when he eats kibbles with corn & maybe chicken? he was put on a vet diet for his IBD Eukanuba Intestinal, the Eukanuba Intestinal helped his IBD & he was pooing firm poos but got real red toes & paws, vet kept saying grass allergies, then I changed his kibble to a Gluten, Dairy, Sugar & Potato free, fish kibble & his paws cleared up within 2 days, so I looked at the ingredients in the Eukanuba Intestinal & it had to of been either the Gluten corn, Maize or the chicken……just before bed I was putting Cortic-DS 1% cream hydrocortisone acetate 10mg/g you buy over the counter at chemist, I was putting cream in between his toes with a cotton tip & on the fur/skin just after his big pad, then I was putting on socks, when he’d wake up in the morning his paws would be all clear, no red in between his toes or red about the big pad, then I’d feed him the Eukanuba Intestinal kibble for breakfast, then go on his morning walk come home & he’d start licking & licking his paws, I’d look & his paws would be red again, finally worked out it was his kibble, he was sensitive to an ingredient….. also I’d bath in the Malaseb Medicated shampoo when his paws were red it helped his paws ……
I’d change his kibble to a limited ingredient kibble with a different protein (Fish) & carb (Brown rice) something he hasn’t eaten before….. I find limited ingredient kibbles with brown rice work the best for Patch & bathing his paws/body in the Malsaeb shampoo, I think Walmart sell an antifungal/anti bacterial dog shampoo with the same ingredients as the Malaseb but I can’t remember the name, it started with a M cause a lady was saying how they have the same ingredients & is cheaper & helped her dogs red paws…….
The Antibiotics will not fix the red paws, not if he’s reacting to a food ingredient…also fish oil capsules or give some sardines in spring water as a treat…
if you cant afford the California Natural Lamb & Rice try the “Racheal Rays Nutrish Just 6” Lamb Meal & Brown rice sold at Walmart http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/dog/dry-food/just-6-lamb-and-brown-rice … its gluten free, corn, wheat, soy, free, no preservatives, byproducts fillers etc …

[C4D]

Hi Kevin B,

The thing is, Purina is including some of the things that more natural feeders have been using for years and calling it proprietary. MCTs, fish oil and glucosamin can be found in a lot better products than generic poultry byproduct meal, generic fish oil and manufactured MCT oil. They are also charging a fairly high price for some mediocre ingredients.

Link: https://www.proplan.com/dogs/products/bright-mind-adult-7plus-chicken-rice-formula/#ingredientsandguaranteedanalysis

I have an almost 11 year old Lab (aka old dog by your standards) with diagnosed arthritis in her 2 back knees (torn ccl’s) and she is on NO medications, walks/jogs almost 2 miles daily, runs and chases all the wildlife in the back yard, has stellar blood panels, a beautiful shiny coat, good teeth overall (she’s any aggressive chewer and had some dental work done as a result) and does act like a young dog. I feed her some good kibble and canned food mix along with a fresh meal daily. She does get supplements of Coconut oil, fish oil (human supplement sardine and anchovy) and Glucosamin/Chondroitin. You might want to try adding some really good fresh or canned food to his diet and look into supplements and you might be surprised how much more improvement you’ll see. 🙂

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by C4D. Reason: defining fish oil I use

[Allison A]

I have a 4-year-old, 65-lb English Pointer who has always had very loose, unformed stools (applesauce or unset pudding), regardless of the food or supplements I have given him. He has a clean bill of health, and no medical reason for the loose stools that the vet has been able to find. He does have formed (still soft) stools on Hills Adult Light, which has a 13% fiber content. The vet thinks he is fiber responsive since the high fiber food gives his stool some consistency. I hate feeding him Hills; all my previous dogs have done great on 5-star foods. He is an “ears and rears” dog, and both seem to bug him when he eats the Hills. Currently, he’s getting half Hills and half Orijen Regional Red with a couple Primal freeze-dried nuggets (lamb) and a hard-boiled egg on top. I think the Primal freeze-dried actually firms up his stool a bit. I can’t afford to feed him freeze-dried exclusively.

The freeze-dried contains ground bone, and I am wondering if that is what helps. It’s a minor improvement, as I’m only topping his kibble with these nuggets, but there is a slight difference (mashed banana consistency). Any thoughts on giving him supplemental bone meal? There are human grade options on Amazon, and several reviewers mention it firming up their dog’s stool.

All ideas are welcomed. Below is a list of things we have tried, and that have failed.
– Limited ingredient diets – fish-based (Merrick, Natural Balance)
– Oat bran
– Canned pumpkin
– Diggin’ Your Dog (dried pumpkin fiber powder)
– Yogurt
– Probiotics
– Ground flaxseed (Missing Link supplement)
– Psyllium (aka: Metamucil)

[Allison A]

It is an exhaustive process, for sure. There was a moment that I thought it could be the fat content of the food, but he had diarrhea with Natural Balance LID Fish and that has 10% fat. Normal-ish stool on Hills Adult light, and that has 9% fat. Obviously that 1% isn’t making that huge of a difference, so it has to be the fiber content.

We slowly titrated up to 3 TABLESPOONS of psyllium a day, which would cause major changes for a 200-lb man, and there was no improvement. All it did was give him gummy stool that he strained to get out, and it was still so mushy that his anal glands started bugging him.

Here are the Hills ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Pea Bran Meal, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, Oat Fiber, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Beta-Carotene, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors, Dried Apples, Dried Broccoli, Dried Carrots, Dried Cranberries, Dried Peas.

I’m trying to figure out which of the fibers in there is the magic bullet. If it’s the corn and wheat that helps his stool but makes him itchy, then that stinks! Beet pulp absorbs a ton of fluid (have experience with that as a component of horse feed), but I haven’t been able to find a quantity of beet pulp for purchase that’s less than 50 lbs.

I have no issue cooking a completely home-prepared diet for him, but if he’s going to need something like kangaroo protein, then a commercially available food is going to be more economical.

I am not a fan of probiotics. A two-week trial gave him explosive diarrhea; same thing with three of my previous dogs. Personally, I have an extensive GI condition, and probiotics have been the worst thing for it. I know some people and animals have great results with them, but that hasn’t been the case in my household.

[Allison A]

Hi all, I need input. I adopted a 4-year-old, 65-lb English Pointer a few months ago. He is the second Pointer I have owned. He has always had very loose, unformed stools (like Motts applesauce or unset pudding), regardless of the food or supplements I have given him. He has a clean bill of health, and no medical reason for the loose stools that the vet has been able to find. He does have formed (still soft) stools on Hills Adult Light, which has about a 13% fiber content. The vet thinks he is fiber responsive since the high fiber food give his stool some consistency. I hate feeding him Hills; all my previous dogs have done great on 5-star foods. He is an “ears and rears” dog, and both seem to bug him when he eats the Hills. At the moment, he’s getting half Hills and half Orijen Regional Red with a couple Primal freeze-dried nuggets (lamb) and a hard-boiled egg on top. I think the Primal freeze-dried actually firms up his stool a bit. I can’t afford to feed him freeze-dried exclusively.

The freeze-dried contains ground bone, and I am wondering if that’s what is helping. It’s a very minor improvement, as I’m just topping his kibble with these nuggets, but there is a slight difference (mashed banana consistency). Any thoughts on giving him supplemental bone meal? There are human grade options on Amazon, and several reviewers mention it firming up their dog’s stool.

Any and all ideas are welcomed!! Below is a list of things we have tried, and that have failed miserably.
– Limited ingredient diets – fish-based (Merrick, Natural Balance)
– Oat bran
– Canned pumpkin
– Diggin’ Your Dog (dried pumpkin fiber powder)
– Yogurt
– Probiotics
– Ground flaxseed (Missing Link supplement)
– Psyllium (aka: Metamucil)

Thank you in advance!

[Tammy H]

I wouldn’t feed Pedigree or anything Blue Buffalo. Fromm GF Surf and Turf or Orijen Six Fish would be great choices as would any of the quality raw diets available but you need to transition slowly. You can also add a small amount of quality canned or freeze dried raw. Adding fish or crill oil are great ideas. Honestly, anything you feed that is not grocery store food is going to make a big difference.

[Renee A]

Hi, our lab has terrible environmental and food allergies. She had diarrhea, itching, scratching biting, etc. We had to do an elimination diet. try one thing for x amt. of weeks and then another until she improved. Natural Balance Duck/potato she could eat but I didn’t care for the ingredients. We found she was allergic to chicken (very common), turkey, beef, eggs, etc. We had her on Canidae Lamb/rice and it was also good, but now we switched to Blue Basics Lamb/potato and that’s working also. These are expensive so if you need the middle of the line food and price tag, Taste of the Wild Lamb is good also. We also found out thru a blood test, that our dog is allergic to grasses, mulberry trees, etc. So, bec of such bad env. allergies, we have her on a prescription med. We’ve tried holistic. Also on fish oil caps.

[cherryl]

Hi all,
I have an 11 year old Maltipoo (Friday) who’s been battling Yeast infection for 3 years. I got tired of going to the vet having the same treatment over and over (they just prescribe her some medicine,Royal Canin sensitivity and medicated soap and shampoo) without any good results, she’s still stinky, itchy and miserable. I started researching and found out that possible cause of yeast is diet (vet never mentioned that to me) and it’s when i decided to try raw. I followed the yeast starvation diet on homemadedogfood: lean ground beef, boiled egg with shell. I live in Asia so Dinovite is not available so I replace it with supplement, fish oil and megaderm (alternate). Friday loved it. Her yeast is now coming out as expected. However, i observed that her bowel changed dramatically. Her normal schedule on kibble is after meal but once she changed to raw, sometimes it would take more than 24 hrs for her to poop. Her poop is also inconsistent, one day it would be very soft and wet but can still be picked up, the next day then it will be well formed but with mucus, then it will be tarry.. oh and its really smelly too..these changes on her bowel keeps me awake at night as well. Then the other night, her poop was tarry with fresh blood and some mucus, this worried me a lot so i sent her to the vet the next day. She was examined thoroughly and found everything is normal. Also, no vomiting and coughing occurred her movement is also normal.

So i researched again and most of what I read is that I’m supposed to start with chicken, so last night i bought chicken wings and chicken breast fillet. I cut the fillet in small portion and gave Friday half of the chicken wings (this is after 24hr fasting) . She DOESN’T like it. I had to give her the chicken meat by hand and most of it she spit, she ate the chicken wing but with so much pleading. This morning when i tried to give her meal, she did not eat the wings at all. I tried cutting the bones to small pieces but to no avail. (oh this is plain chicken not the yeast starvation diet)

I have another dog Bailey, (Wire Dachshund, normal size) she started on raw the same time with Friday, she’s also having the same bowel problems like Friday (but without the bloody poop (yet)), so now she’s taking chicken wings and no problem eating it at all.

Both dogs started raw about 3 going on 4 weeks now and I dont know if there’s any alternative recipe/food that I can give her. Oh like i said I live in Asia so Turkey, lamb and other kind of meat isn’t readily available here. Basic is pork, chicken and beef.
Should I stick with the yeast starvation diet but with ground chicken? How important is the bones for the dog? And what can i do to make my dog eat chicken?

Really sorry for the long read and I really hope you guys can give me some advice on this.
Thanks so much!!!

[Susan]

Hi have you tried cooking her meals low fat meals, lean white meat like chicken breast or turkey breast is best… I look at the ingredients in the prescription food & take a few of the ingredients & buy then cook, with the chicken breast remove any fat & cut into small pieces add water & bring to the boil as soon as it starts to boil remove from stove so the chicken is soft & not over cooked like hard leather pieces, there will be white froth on top, I empty all water & boil the jug & add boiling water to the chicken pieces to wash away any fat, I cool then I put thru a blender & freeze little 1/2 cup meals, the blended chicken pieces easier to digest… With the Hills I/d wet it has rice, so boil some rice or sweet potatoes & mix with the blended chicken or Turkey breast, are you feeding the Hills I/d Low Fat restore GI wet tin food this has only 8.5% fat or the I/d Gastro wet tin food has about 14.3% fat, the fat may be too high if she’s eating the I/d Gastro….. also egg, scrabble a egg, no milk just cook beaten egg in a non stick pan or cook in micro wave, some people scramble the egg whites as the yoke has the fat, also feed 4 smaller meals thru the day, Sounds like your vet has prescribed Carafate to line the stomach, if it is Carafate make sure the stomach is empty as the Carafate lines whatever is in the stomach… The vet should of put her on an ant acid med like Ranitidine (Zantac) or Famotidine (Pepcid) to stop the stomach acid burning her ulcer ask vet why he hasn’t prescribe some Zantac or Pepcid this will help more then the Carafate….
My boy was prescribed Carafate to be taken 1 hour before breakfast 6am & the Zantac to be taken 30mins before breakfast 6.30am, then 7am he ate meal, I was to give the Carafate & Zantac every 12 hours…. so he was eating 7am 12pm 5pm & 7pm, his meal 7am & 7pm was a bit bigger when he took meds….
I would be having an Endoscope done & Biopsies to see what’s wrong.. make sure she’s eating a low fat diet, high fat makes more stomach acid, then she’ll have her pain, vomiting etc no Jerky or fish skins nothing that is hard to digest, make some pumkin & oatmeal cookies there’s a heap of dog cookies recipes on line, less ingredients is best….

[Pamela S]

my question is what ingredients in ANY dog food could help a dog born without hip sockets. Here are the ingredients from their web site:

Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, DL-Methionine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Threonine, Taurine, Soy Lecithin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Chondroitin Sulfate, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

you could get the same outcome with vitamins. First ingredient is corn, how is that good for your dog. I think most vets are out to make money, they try to give unnecessary shots and scare you into buying science diet from them. Just my two sense.

[Robin W]

Debbie I, I’m switching from Merrick also, same reason you are.

Just checked Life’s Abundance, they have 5 Star Canned (no grain unless you count oat hulls, and no carrageenen–yay) AND their Grain Free is also 5 star. They are a good company. Funny thing about them, I asked about getting rid of the carrageenen & they did, also in the same post about concerns with rice having arsenic & if they had grain free. Now they do all that.

Will probably be alternating with Orijen Adult, which has the smallest amount of fish of their products according to Orijen (they answer questions in facebook posts), because my dogs are spoiled & like variety now & then.

[Susan]

Hi, could be IBD (Colitis) she may have a food intolerance/sensitivity, my boy was pooing blood & mucus, mucus & blood is from something irritating the bowel (Colitis). My boy cant eat boiled rice or boiled oats in cooked meals or wet tin foods, boiled rice & oats irritate his bowel causing blood, mucus poos…he also cant have any gluten & most vet diet have gluten, corn & boiled rice, so he cant eat most vet diets plus vet diets use chicken or hydrolyzed chicken….so if your dog has a sensitivity to chicken then vet diets won’t help…..

Have you tried to feed a cooked limited ingredient meals, just 1 protein & 1 carb, a protein she hasn’t eaten before, a protein low in fat is best & try adding some boiled potatoes, or sweet potatoes if you want more fiber… My boy does real well on beef, pork, lamb or fish, I have found….Elimination diets are best to feed when this is happening, then when she is stable (firm poos) then only add 1 new ingredient each week…… in the beginning less is best cause you will not know what is causing the diarrhea, if she is eating too many things or too many supplements are given… & keep a diary…I’ve been cooking this morning, to lightly boil some meat & boil some sweet potatoes doesn’t take long, I make 1/2 cup size meals. I put thru the blender it helps with digestion if you dogs gulps food, then I freeze small meals..
You may need a new vet, a vet that knows more about IBD…..

[C4D]

I have one dog that takes the 1200 mg double potency (720 omegas) human fish oil daily due to arthritis but I also have a foster that is allergic to fish and breaks out in a rash if she is given any fish in any form, not matter how little the portion. DogFoodie is right. It’s a great anti inflamatory, as long as the dog can take it. You also may need to supplement with an occaisonal dose of Vitamin E, if it’s not in the fish oil supplement you are using. There is a very delicate balance between fish oil and Vitamin E. Please research before giving.

[DogFoodie]

It won’t help a bit of he’s intolerant of fish.

Have you conducted an elimination diet to determine if the problem is food related?

Fish oil can help with inflammation, but too much fish oil can be unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

Why not? I give my dogs 1 fish oil capsule a day, maybe it helps.

Latest Review Finds Fish Oils Don’t Help Dementia

Read the comments, you may find some helpful information.
PS: It is a food supplement, not a medication….not sure how accurate the dosages listed would be anyway.

[catherine j]

I have a blue pit bull and i was wondering if i could feel her regular spring valley 1000 mg softgel fish oil to her to help with her skin allergies?

[chris]

Red has given many great suggestions towards taking steps on helping you provide better care. I have a beagle as well and you can check my thread out I had made a few months back as my beagle was abused and also has very bad stomach issues with constipation.

Suggestions I found that worked the best is definitely finding a great substance and well balanced food. I have been feeding Merrick’s Back Country for the past 4 months (basically since they came out with it) and he enjoys it. The thing that helps the most is what you give him with it. I have my beagle on a schedule of different things to help with his constipation. I also feed him about 2 cups of canned food on top of his dry food.

1 TBS Coconut Oil twice a week
1 TBS pumpkin organic, or sweet potato once a day
2 TBS Kefir, cottage cheese, plain yogurt every few days

The coconut oil will help with allergies, skin issues, and constipation.
Pumpkin and Sweet potato have several health benefits, vitamins and are high in fiber
Kefir, yogurt, both bave natural prebiotics and probiotics for the stomach

Other things I give him once in a while are:
Sardines or any fish cooked
swanson soil based organisms
Cheese cut up into bite size pieces
Canned Green Tripe

Now far as the legal issues go, I do agree with red that you might want to look into that as something could be done. Especially since the fireman himself was speeding. Hope this helps though and keep us updated on how things work out for ya!

[theBCnut]

I get grinds from Hare Today. If I’m feeling lazy, I feed just the grind. If I’m doing my usual routine, I add fish oil, coconut oil, a supergreen supplement, and a little of a blanched fruit/vegetable puree that I make from colorful fruits and veggies.