[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Dane –

First off, if he’s drinking large amounts of water, urinating frequently and he won’t gain weight you need to get him to the vet to have some diagnostic tests performed. These are potential symptoms of kidney disease or diabetes. A dog that’s fed a raw diet shouldn’t drink much water at all – my two (large) dogs don’t even drink one bowl of water per day between the two of them. I’m not trying to scare you but if something is going on the sooner you catch it the better the prognosis will be.

Second, are you adding anything to the Blue Ridge Beef grinds? Unless they’ve recently come out with a new complete and balanced product that I’m not aware of, I thought they just make meat/organ/bone grinds? Meat/organ/bone “grinds” (as they’re referred to) are not a balanced diet. They’re meant to serve as as the base of a meal and they make things simpler by already having the muscle meat, organ and bone in the correct proportions. Supplements still must be added to make the diet complete. While it’s possible to balance a homemade diet using whole foods only, for simplicity’s sake and to get him on a balanced diet as soon as possible, I’d recommend adding a multivitamin (look for one with <10% DV calcium – one I frequently recommend is Twinlab Daily One Caps). I’d also add 1/2 C. of cooked and pureed vegetables (baby food veggies are fine if you don’t want to cook and puree them yourself) and feed a tin of sardines or salmon once or twice a week OR add a capsule or two of fish oil daily. These additions will provide him with the vitamins and minerals he needs, a little fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[cindy q]

Thanks theBCnut! I feed the orijen with fish oil in the morning and then they get a little pumpkin at night they get go and a few times a week I give them a little yogurt. After reading what you feed I feel like I might not be doing enough.

[theBCnut]

Oh boy did you just open a can of worms…

I give digestive enzymes, probiotics, coconut oil, fish oil(or some other omega 3), raw ACV, super greens, bee pollen, garlic, and some high antioxidant fruits and veggies. And that doesn’t include the eggs, oily fish, oysters, etc. I may have forgotten something, but I don’t know what.

[losul]

Jerry was just reading on the global span site – So i Guess even though coco oil is very easily digested and takes very little enzymatic action to do so, it might still be advisable to incubate first;

“Incubating supplements.
Some supplements should be incubated, because they require digestion
Example: Kelp, fish oils, coconut oils
Some supplements should not be incubated, or they will be destroyed
Example: Probiotics (such as acidophilus)
For some supplements, it doesn’t seem to matter
Example: L-Glutamine
Whether or not a supplement should be incubated can be confusing. A general rule of thumb is that if it’s a food-like substance which likely contains carbohydrates, fats, or proteins, it should be incubated. Some supplements may contain fillers or extra ingredients that require incubation, so read labels closely. Good advice on this topic is available from the K9-EPIGLOBAL Yahoo Group.”

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by losul.

[zcRiley]

Thanks, guys. Sorry I wasn’t more specific. I have two 1 yr 2 mo old AmStaff mixes. They’ve been great on Orijen Dry Puppy Food (adding NutraMax Lab’s Cosequin DS for glucosamine much later). I used to mix in Horizon, Merricks or Acana for some zing; that was until I started doing major research on ingredients/hi end fillers, recalls etc. The Giardia & Campi was diagnosed with only 1 of my pups (the one that always had a digestive issue). At that point, I started mixing in Orijen 6 Fish with a crumble of Dr Foster & Smith’s Omega 3 chews. After the Giardia was taken care of, his behavior went down the tubes, I cried during that time thinking was it me, was it his brother, is he dying of something? After $600 doing the full bloodwork panel, fecal float, fecal ELISA & the fecal culture, it was the culture that found the Campi bacteria. 2 shots later & a slew of antibiotics per dog, it was time to add some “help” to their tummies. I got the Purina Veterinary Diets FortiFlora (not knowing that animal digest & Enteroccoccus faecium was bad) & Nzymes (which has soy sprouts). I stopped immediately after four days of small doses/horrifying results, thus initiating the deeper ingredient research I should have done before. I’m now waiting for my new order of Nusentia’s Probiotic Miracle & Enzyme Miracle. During this wait, the pups are switched to Nature’s Balance Synergy Dry Dog Food (has prebiotic & more fiber). AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE ADDED & no treats. The rice & boiled chicken routine doesn’t sit well with them either. I DO add tons of kisses & hugs as to how sorry I am for making them worse.

[ladyquixote]

Hi all, first want to thank ya’ll for all the great info you supply here. Have been gathering nutrition info for about a year now and have some major budgeting concerns regarding planning cooked meals for my two dogs. Background: Eldest dog, Gracie is 12 y.o./55# (she is much bigger than standard Aussie) and has major yeast and anxiety problems. Found an alt vet last March who prescribed a variety of chinese herb powders which have significantly helped both problems but still a work in progress. Second dog, Tonto is about 3-1/2 (turned up at my front door emaciated last year and ended up part of our family). He weighs about 60 and is experiencing airborne allergies, due for vet check tomorrow for further input. Both are Aussie mixes.

Foodwise, they were on a mix of the 5-star dry no-grain dog foods since beginning of last year, then began adding the usual recommended toppers plus supplements and then transitioned to all-cooked meals over the last three months. It’s quickly begun taking a lot of my time to prepare meals, so this evening I sat down to figure out my monthly cost. Until now I would go out and buy enough food for a week so the cost bite wasn’t so noticeable.

I knew it was getting too costly but the final tally ended up being $15/day for two dogs! Way, way too much. In addition to the food, there are the supplemental herbs and now monthly visits to the alt vet to check progress which should end once both dogs level off with their itchies.

I’ve removed cottage cheese, carrots and rice which make great fillers because both dogs’ itchies worsened. So more meat takes the place.

My question to you is this, if I switch back to at least level 4-star dry dog food and toppers what would you suggest would be the right ratio between the both?

Gracie’s daily calorie target: 1037, Tonto’s daily calorie target: 1280
Here is a sample 1-day meal divided into two meals for Gracie:
— Chicken Liver pate, (chicken liver smothered then pureed): 2 TBSP 47 Cal
— Chicken Hearts, (lightly smothered then chopped fine): 1-1/2C 402 Cal
— Turkey, Ground; 93% Lean: 1-1/4C 425 Cal
— Mixed Veggies, 1 Cup Cooked then pureed: 40 Cal
— Pumpkin, Canned; 2 TBSP: 13 Cal
— Berries, 1/2 C: 36 Cal
— Alternate Every Day: Either 1-Egg or 1/2 tin Sardines in Water: 65-72 Cal
— Supplements include, Probiotics, 1/2 tsp finely ground eggshells, 1-multi, fish oil or coconut oil.

I’d be interested in your input as well as hearing what your average cost per day is for two medium sized dogs! Thanks so much.

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
Maybe consider giving Bentley some coco oil too. It has antiseptic properties that may help him and also will help moisturize him from the inside out. He would only need about a teaspoon/day.

Now that Bobby is all healed up I only supplement coco oil 2x/wk. I will up it if he needs it, but so far that seems to be enough. He also gets fish oil 2x/wk and Vit E 1x/wk (the water soluable variety) too. It was the added fish oil and coco oil that helped him though because I just started the Vit E recently. If you would like some info on it, let me know, you know I love to post links! lol

[Akari_32]

Looks interesting! I like the short ingredient list. Could use the two land-critter gravy grain free ones every now and then. The Pate non-fish one ended up having fish, so oh well. This isn’t too high on my list anyways as he would need 4 cans a day. But if the price is ever right, I wouldn’t mind it.

Also an update: I fed him Sheba the last couple days so that I could give him small meals and he could still get the amount of calories he needed. I started back on his normal routine today, and gave him Wellness, and he ate about a 1/3 of his breakfast and then left it, and Bentley ate the rest of it. This is after he didn’t eat all day yesterday, except a couple bites in the evening of the food (Sheba) I put out in the morning, but I accidentally put a bunch of coconut oil in there, so he didn’t really want it. Being the mean mommy I am, I gave him the “too bad, you eat what I give you” treatment lol I gave him the second can of Wellness tonight for dinner, and he’s been picking at it (and also trying to bury it) for a good hour. Not sure if he finally finished it off or not yet, but he did sit and eat for a while not too long ago. The lights off and I don’t feel like getting up out of bed to go see lol So anyways, he’s being a picky butt. Too bad for him, mommy don’t play that game LOL He does appear to be back to pooping, though, and is back to his crazy antics. I went into the bathroom with out him (God forbid the humans should pee alone! They might fall in or something!) and he was scratching on the door so hard the bottom was pushing in a good two inches away from the frame LOL Poor unloved kitty XD

[Shasta220]

What other brands have you tried? Have you tried supplementing with fiber (canned pumpkin or cooked sweet potato), digestive supplements (like probiotics), or extra oils (like fish or olive)? The reason why SD makes him poop so much is because of all the worthless fillers in there.

I went from a 1 star to a 4star food with my dog way back years ago. He went from making 7-10 BIG piles daily to only 3-5…

[Cyndi]

Akari, with the dog being so small, doing commercial raw wouldn’t cost all that much just for him. Then you wouldn’t really need to add any supplements, except maybe some fish oil, tinned sardines are great and coconut oil. Even raw eggs as a topper would be good. It would probably be pretty cheap to feed a small dog like that a raw diet. Good luck!

[Akari_32]

Hey guys! Good news: we have poops! Found some this morning. It wasn’t a lot, but it was some, which is better than nothing 🙂 he only ate like 6 oz of food yesterday, anyways, so I wouldn’t expect him to make much poop with that as it is lol I didn’t see anything not-poop in there, but I will continue to give him a little coconut oil with each meal since that’s helping. I also gave him a little raw honey this morning, since that an anti-inflammatory, and I’m sure his tummy is not too happy with all this lol

He is feeling much better today, though, and him and Bentley were tearing through the house like a bunch of lunatics this morning before I left lol He’s getting more vocal again, as well.

Oh, and here’s how much he likes coconut oil: yesterday I was cleaning fish tanks and making his food at the same time while the bucket filled up in the sink. The bucket started to overflow after I got some oil in his bowl and the can of food open, so I left it to go turn the water off and haul the thing into my room to dump into the tank. I hear clinking and noises in the kitchen while I’m filling the tank, and figured he was getting into the can of food. I bring the bucket back in to refill, and what’s he doing? Licking the coconut oil out of his bowl! Never mind the open can of food, let’s go for this liquid plant stuff! LOL Good thing I closed the jar up or he probably would have gone for that as well :p

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
That’s really good to read!!! Poor little guy. It is so nerve wracking when your fur baby is sick especially when you don’t really know the cause.

I suggest checking in with the Vet; it wouldn’t hurt to keep them up to date. They might give you some more instructions/suggestions to try no matter if he is the same or better. That way, if there is a need to take him in they know more about how he has been doing.

That’s great he likes coco oil. Mine don’t particularily care for it all the time. Archie eats it okay, the others sometimes. When they don’t eat it I just rub it on their fur. I am sure I have written this before, but any cats I get in the future will like and eat (with no issues, lol) pumpkin puree’, coco oil, never eat dry food, and never know the taste of fish. Pumpkin puree’ would be good for my kitty with hariball issues, but he smells it a mile away and would probably starve himself for a week rather than eat it. He is doing well with coco oil and daily brushings though, no hairballs since I began this routine. Oh well, like Jakes mom wrote, “when you know better, you do better.”

[ab1028]

I do rotate foods. Right now he is eating Orijen adult, and he has also eaten Acana Pacific, Wild Prairie, Grasslands, and Now! Fresh. I am wondering if it is seasonal allergies as well. There is also a strong possibility that he is getting bitten from mosquitoes. During the winter, we were supplementing his food with fish oil and he was definitely not as itchy. Not perfect, but not bad either.

Thank you so much for the links!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Akari:
Glad he’s showing some improvement. Since he is not well I would check with my Vet before administering or supplementing him with anything.

If you do decide to supplement with fish oil you need to find out the EPA & DHA %’s. If it isn’t on the label, check out their website or call them. The PDF link in my post from yesterday has the %’s for cats. I am not sure how often you would want to give it to him. Google it or you could also check out different sites that sell fish oil specifically for cats and read the directions they have posted.

Fingers crossed you find something in the litter box tonight! 🙂

[Akari_32]

Hey guys. He’s doing much better today. He was his usual self this morning , just a little less feisty. I called the vet, told them how he was, and they said they didn’t need to see him, but to watch him, and feed him in very small amounts. I mixed a sugar spoon full of olive oil into his days worth of food (just one can– left over from yesterday’s rations), and he’s eaten two or three times for me (I’m not sure if he ate one of the meals, or if Bentley did). I went ahead with the olive oil because I looked around online and a lot of people say it’s good for passing hair balls. I’m at work now, but I did buy a small thing of coconut oil to try him on.

I had my mom call the neighbor (moms out of town) to go over and check on him, and she said that he’s sleepy looking, but still alert to sounds. I also had her check his gums, and she said they were kind of pinkish, but she’s going to stay with him until get home.

I also left him a dish of water, and he drank it all since I left him about 4.5 hours. Considering this cat doesn’t drink water, you know he must not be feeling good, poor guy. If he’s still like this in the morning, I’ll call the vet and see what have to say.

So all in all, he’s better than he was last night, but still not feeling well.

Also, I have some fish oil pills, but it doesn’t say anything about how much is in them. Just says, for humans, one pill three times a day. I give Haley (65 lb) one a day, and Dweezle (130 lb) two a day. So maybe one every few days for him?

[Bobby dog]

Hey Akari:
I don’t know about olive or vegetable oils, maybe someone else will have some info for you.

I use coco oil for hairballs and because it has other benefits too. My older cat (not the hyperthyroid kitty) had a terrible hairball issue. It was my fault though because I did not brush him enough. He coughed one up that was the size of a mouse one day. From that day forward I give him daily brushings and coco oil 2x/wk. Most of the time the brushing is only a couple of minutes, but brushing has made the most difference.

I also supplement all my cats with fish oil; it can help with hairballs too. Since they still get some fish in their diet, I don’t supplement anymore than once a week. I use CVS 1000 mg capsules. It’s purified to remove mercury and made without dairy or soy products. The EPA & DHA percentages are the same as other pet products for example Dr.’s Foster and Smith Premium Plus® Omega-3 Gel Caps. I poke a hole in the capsule and squeeze the oil over their food.

I used this PDF from Tuft’s Vet school for dosage amount/lbs, ingredient %, and brand information. The information in it pertains to heart disease so I do not follow the daily dosage instructions. I researched how often and how much to dose the cats from other sources.

http://www.google.com/url?url=http://vet.tufts.edu/heartsmart/resources/omega-3_supplementation.pdf&rct=j&frm=1&q=&esrc=s&sa=U&ei=apyOU7TcBNSxsQSvsIA4&ved=0CBcQFjAA&sig2=0_LYv32HiEiInKcfDfNOvQ&usg=AFQjCNHTgzeaTJ04dtmqZQ9Uenp1rqGVCQ

Here’s some information on hairballs:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/01/16/chronic-hairball.aspx

[Akari_32]

After his visit to the litter box, he’s perked up much more. I threw a toy in with him and he’s been chasing the thing almost non-stop. He went in the litter box again not too long ago, but I’m in bed and don’t feel like getting up to investigate lol He’s getting more active, and I suspect it’s only a matter of time before he starts crying that he’s locked up lol Do you guys think I could give him a little olive or vegetable oil in his food a few times a week to keep something like this from happening again (I also have fish oil *pills* I give to the dogs)? I really do feel like it’s hair stuck in there. You should see how obsessively he grooms himself…. Lol He’s been pretty bad with hair balls lately too. He’s puked up a couple of them, and he’s been hacking and coughing away for a few days trying to get one out (which I haven’t found. I bet I know where it is…. <.< …..)

[Jess S]

Wow Sue that does all ring very true! Bella hates the wet grass so much she won’t go to the toilet on it and messes on the patio! And I actually bought the holistic select on sunday and started her on that 🙂 I have the 1% cream gor myself also so will try that and the soak and look into the demotic with my vet 🙂 I also rub coconut oil in her ears and fish oil tablets which she gobbles up like lollies which I find has helped when she is super itch too! What type of antihistamines should I use Sara? She is 15kg

[ab1028]

I have been considering adding coconut oil to my poodle’s food. He has a tendency to get itchy (tried to figure out what it is by limiting his food, but he just seems to be an itchy dog). I was wondering what the specific benefits of coconut oil were. I have heard it helps with the skin and coat, but does it help itchiness as well? He had fish oil added to his food for a while and didn’t seem to mind that and helped his skin throughout the winter. Also, how much coconut oil would I add to his food? He is about 13.8 pounds.
Thanks!

[Kate B]

Hey guys! This is my first time posting. I have a 15 pound schnoodle that I adopted almost three years ago. I’m not entirely sure how old Wilson is as his surrender paperwork had a few different ages on it but I think (as does his vet) he is between 6 and 8 and in good health.

He’s always, always, always been a picky eater. He’s my first dog and I honestly didn’t know anything about feeding a dog beyond kibble and canned at first. I fed him Vet’s Choice Health Extension for a while and then Acana but they took inordinate amounts of coaxing or soaking in water or additional treats (i.e. cottage cheese or some eggs, etc.) to get him to eat. Meal time would become sometimes a 15-30 minute exercise in who was going to be more stubborn. He would also occasionally throw the kibble back up (anywhere from 30 minutes to hours after he ate). Clearly, this didn’t seem like the best possible diet for him anymore.

I had considered transitioning him to raw, using a commercial raw diet like Stella and Chewy’s or Primal. Well, we tried for about a month and he really struggled with it. A) he hated the Primal with a passion and B) had trouble keeping both of the diets down. I instead decided to try home-cooked and use Grandma Lucy’s as a pre-mix. We’ve been doing this for about three weeks and it has been super successful so far which is a huge relief to me. I want him to have the healthiest life possible! I’ve been rotating him through several kinds of protein (chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, eggs, salmon, tuna) and it all seems easy enough to combine with the pre-mix. I give him 4 oz of the pre-mix and 6 oz of protein (I’m using Primal’s recommendation to give protein between 2-3% of a dog’s weight) split across two daily meals. I haven’t been following Grandma Lucy’s pre-mix recommendation (they recommend 1-1.5 cups per day for dogs between 10-20 lbs) because that seems really, really high to me in contrast to the protein. Any thoughts there?

Here’s my question: do I need to add any additional supplements? Like I said, this isn’t raw meat and it’s making me nervous that I might be screwing something up with the calcium and/or phosphorus. I’m assuming I should also add some sort of fish/krill/flax oil as well and would love some advice! So far, I had looked at Wysong’s Call of the Wild as a possibility but wasn’t sure if that was overkill (Grandma Lucy’s pre-mix has 1% calcium). Any advice would be much appreciated!

[Jim H]

Hello everyone,
I’m new here and I need some advice. I want a food that has between 25-30% protein. My dogs are not herding sheep all day and do not need a grain-free, hi-protein food. I also want something easily digestible with little waste. I do not want corn or soy and I would like it be a lamb based food with whole eggs, fish oil, vitamins and chelated minerals. I used Canidae for years, but they changed the formula, so they’re out. I next found Dog Lovers Gold. It was a great food, but they changed their formula too and now they’re out. I searched the internet thoroughly and found Dr. Tim’s. My girls ( Great Pyrenees, Golden Retriever & Shih Tzu ) are doing great on Dr. Tim’s, shiny coats, firm low-odor stools, nice breath. It has everything I want except it’s chicken based instead of lamb. I can get Dr. Tim’s delivered for $1.52/ lb and this is the best “good food at a good price” that I have found. Does anyone have any suggestions for something similar, only with lamb?
Thanks
Jim

[Susan]

Hi, when I first rescued my boy he would have the gurgling Bowel, I took Patch to the vets & vet said it was Colitis & to put him on a low fat diet, so vet put Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal this kibble has stopped the gurgling bowel & rumbling, its a low residue kibble that breaks up easily & the fat% is 10%..I also could hear his bowel from another room & he too would not eat when this was happening of a morning he’d only eat grass also I would make him a piece of dry toast with either honey thinly spread or a fish paste very thinly spread as soon as he’d have his toast the gurgling would stop..Try a kibble with a low fat% 10% or under also watch what you feed at night… I dont give Patch no treats, nothing at night after his Eukanuba Intestinal kibble, this has also helped him….Have you tried the Wellness Simple range Limited ingredients they have the Duck & oatmeal & fat is min-11% u’d have to email Wellpet & ask what the max fat% is, they have the Simple Healthy weight at 8% fat its Salmon & Peas formula Im not sure about the peas thats why I havent tried as peas would give more wind pain..Ive been introducing Patch to the Holistic Select Senior also made by Wellpet cause the fat is min-10% I emailed Holistic Select & they said that the max fat is 11.98%.this kibble is a Hydrolized kibble & breaks up real easy.. I found when Patch ate real hard kibble he’d get the noisey tummy/bowel, so what I do know if I try a new kibble I boil the jug I put about 2 kibbles in a class of boiled water, I count to 40 sec then I get 2 small teaspoons & I place 1 of the kibbles that was in the boiling water on one spoon then I get the other spoon & push down, a good kibble should crush easily, a hard kibble wont crush & sometimes flings away..thats why I put 2 kibbles in the water just in case this happens but the Holistic Select Senoir or any of the Holistic Select kibbles are nice & soft after being in water after 40sec as the protein is hydrolized better on their digestion, Ive been trying to work out Patches health now for 1 year & we have it just right at the moment with the Eukanuba Intestinal & the Holistic Select senior Chicken meal & rice I only mix the Holistic Select & Intestinal for his lunch meal at the moment, But he was just on the Holistic Select for about 7months before I found the Holistic Select Senior, I did try a few other brand kibbles but they were too hard to digest.. Good-Luck also watch the fat if you give any treats or meats I do boiled chicken breast & boiled pumkin for breakfast as the rice irritates Patches bowel I have also tried the Eukanuba FP as Patch has itchy skin & the fat% was 15% too high gave him the rumbling tummy/bowel then diarrhea, the Eukanuba Intestinal is for their tummy/bowel & for skin problems it cleared all his itchy skin up but at the end of summer he gets seasonal allergies from pollens & grasses & there’s nothing you can really do for that except put him in a plastic bubble & keep him looked up all summer Lol

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi zolicylus –

Supplementing a raw diet with items such as those suggested above – RMBs, sardines, oils – will not result in the components “digesting at different rates.” Why would a chicken neck digest at a different rate than ground chicken?

In fact, it’s very beneficial to supplement any diet with healthy fats such as coconut oil and sardines, as Sandy mentioned. Coconut oil offers many benefits – it has natural antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties and may help improve skin and coat health. More info here.

Darwin’s does not add a source of available omega 3’s (DHA/EPA) to their foods so it would actually be advisable to feed sardines (or another fatty fish on a regular basis). The only source of omega 3’s in the Darwin’s recipes is flax. plant based omega 3’s (with the exception of algal oil) contain omega 3’s in the form of ALA. ALA is a a short-chain fatty acid that is, essentially, a pre-cursor to long chain omega 3’s DHA and EPA. It is DHA and EPA that the body utilizes and because ALA is poorly converted (in most cases less than 10% actually gets converted) it’s necessary to feed foods naturally rich in long chain omega 3’s (EPA/DHA) such as fatty fish, algal oil or cage-free eggs.

Feeding RMBs in conjunction with a balanced ground raw diet (such as Darwin’s) will provide the dog with the dental benefits they miss out on when eating ground food.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[mogavero1955]

I had replied under shiatsu then read advice on how to post. I am desperate. My vet said science diet for sensitive stomachs but it is junk I’m told…..One of my beagles has beef allergy. The last two years, I have been testing and searching for a dry kibble that won’t make his stomach so loud and gassy in the morning where he wants grass and will vomit. He will eat boiled chicken but I need a limited ingredient, sensitive stomach food. He’s been on Eukanoba Response FP (just disliked after ten years), TOW venison, Acana fish, Fromms fish, Blue Wilderness salmon, Earthborn lamb, Blue Wilderness Chicken SENIOR. He likes chicken and lamb. Problem is the gurgling and he won’t eat in the morning. He throws a few times a week. I hear his tummy across the room. Blood test good, stool test good. HELP!! ,

[mogavero1955]

One of my beagles has beef allergy. The last two years, I have been testing and searching for a dry kibble that won’t make his stomach so loud and gassy in the morning where he wants grass and will vomit. He will eat boiled chicken but I need a limited ingredient, sensitive stomach food. He’s been on Eukanoba Response FP (just disliked after ten years), TOW venison, Acana fish, Fromms fish, Blue Wilderness salmon, Earthborn lamb, Blue Wilderness Chicken SENIOR. He likes chicken and lamb. Problem is the gurgling and he won’t eat in the morning. He throws a few times a week. I hear his tummy across the room. Blood test good, stool test good. HELP!! ,

[pugmomsandy]

You can give them about a tablespoon of oil – olive, fish, coconut, etc, would be easy. Or maybe give them a couple whole raw sardines or a couple of eggs a week.

[Bobby dog]

Archie update: His fur is really growing in nicely. Still a little sparse in places and his skin is still dry. However, the dry patches are past the point of scabbing over and it is more like a bad case of dandruff in those areas. Still giving him probiotics, coco oil 2x/wk, fish oil 3/x week & MSM in his morning food. The most improvement in his skin/fur came with the addition of probiotics.

Akari:
Can’t wait to see the videos, I love watching cat tricks!

Here’s my coupon questions:
What is the original price/can of the Sheba?
Is it on sale? If it is, what is the sale price/can?
Are you using the $3.00 off/24 cans coupon?

Jakes mom & C4c:
Okay, I have fallen behind a little on my ABC diet, but I did take out some beef liver that I froze the other week and will be adding it to Bobby’s dinner this evening. Although I gave him a few raw pieces as I was preparing to freeze it, which he seemed to like, I decided I would lightly cook it.

Since the few raw choices I have made so far have not gone over well, I thought I might need to take a different approach with him. I will lightly cook, then serve. In the future I will try cooking a little meat and serve it with a little raw and see how that goes. He did end up eating the chicken gizzards and hearts I first tried after I lightly cooked them.

[Naturella]

Hello, DFAers!

So, for a couple days Bruno has been throwing up once a day, once on my roommate’s shirt and another at a friend’s house. The only “new” thing in his diet is frozen canned pumpkin that was thawed to use in frozen treat mixture, and then re-frozen as treats again. Could that have caused it?

I haven’t seen the color or consistency of the vomit to be able to tell if that’s what he’s vomiting mostly, but all other things and add-ins in his diet he’s had before and has had no issue with them (coconut oil, raw egg, plain yoghurt, RMBs, raw fish, THK is what he’s been having this week). Plus the treats that contain several fats (coconut oil and butter, peanut butter, tahini (sesame seed paste), turmeric, shredded coconut and almond flour, flax seed meal, honey, a pinch of cinnamon, yoghurt) and the pumpkin – the latter being the “new” thing although he’s had it before with no issue. But he’s had those treats since the day before yesterday and he’s thrown up yesterday and today, so unless he’s gotten into something (which is entirely possible), it might have to be the pumpkin I guess…

What do you think?

[Naturella]

I will have to look into that too as my supply is going down… I just made the richest, most amazing chewy chocolate chip cookies with part coconut flour, almond flour, (regular flour), coconut oil, coconut butter, and regular butter. Um, I’m cookie-drunk! LoL. But nom!

Anyway, Akari, I bet fish oil does awesome things for Dweezle and Haley – coconut oil should too. Haven’t really tried fish oil on Bruno yet, but coconut oil made him super soft and shiny! 🙂

[Akari_32]

I’ve yet to find decently priced coconut oil around here. I have tons of fish oil though, that I get with (what else??) coupons. Three a day between Haley and Dweezle means they go fast. I usually get paid for them though, so that’s ok :p Some day I’ll try them on coconut oil!

[Susan]

Hi, the Royal Canin gastro is a low fiber kibble at -1.7% & dietary fiber- 8.6% & low fat-7% as my boy suffers from IBD & Pancreatitis, I could either pick the R/C gastro or the Eukanuba Intestinal.. I picked the Eukanuba as there’s was no by-products & the kibble breaks up real easy (low residue), the Eukanuba cleared his diarrhea up within 2 days.. the vets first tried a higher fiber kibble the Intestinal Plus at 4% fiber which made him worst…my vet wanted Patch on the Eukanuba Intestinal for 1 year to heal the bowel, dont rush these things as you can have a set back & ur girl may get her diarrhea back again, I know the vet prescription food has ingredients that no one likes but it has helped her, the vet prescription diets are made for a reason, Im not a fan but I too got all excited when Patch was pooing beautiful & I could go on a walk & pick it up, so I did the same thing after 3 months I went looking for a better kibble last Nov-Dec, 1 week into slowly changing Patches kibble he got his diarrhea real bad again as soon as he’d eat he’d run to the front door to have to go poo, it was water no blood thank god. I had to put him back on his Eukanuba Intestinal & then 2 days later he was all good again.. Im in the middle of changing is kibble again thats after Patch being on the Eukanuba for 9months now to the Holistic Select Senior he’s only 5years old Patch but the Holistic Select Kibbles are all Low Residue kibbles & they break up real easy… I do my hot water test.. I put a couple of kibbles in boiling hot water, I count to 40 then I pull out 1 kibble, I put the kibble inbetween 2 small teaspoon & crush if it crushes real easy after 40 sec without much pressure I know its a good kibble that will break up easy in his tummy, I’ve tried the Nutro Natural Choice Chicken & rice as this kibble is guaranteed that your dog will do firm poos, Patch did firm poos but he got stomach reflux from the kibble so I tried the lower fat Nutro kibble Lamb & rice he still got his acid reflux, when I did the hot water test the Nutro was a hard kibble it didnt crush easy very hard, so back to the Eukanuba Intestinal, now we are trying the Holistic Select as there’s a good range of flavours & the fiber is low 3.50%…Just take it so slow & its not that bad that she’s on a vet prescription just for now & Ive being soooo slowly changing Patches kibble, Ive been doing it for 1 month now just mixing about 1/4 of a cup to his Intestinal, I also give boiled 1/2 shreaded boiled chicken breast & 2 tablespoon of pumkin mashed together for breakfast his poo is a bit soft eating the chicken & pumkin, I know cause he does 2 poos a day the morning poo is brown/orange (pumkin) & a little softer then his lunch poo which is nice & firm that must be his kibble poo… Lol if you change find a kibble with the same % fat & fiber at first, but Im pretty sure the R/C gastro is a low fiber diet so is the Eukanuba Intestinal at 1.7% fiber..Good-Luck..also you can email the kibble companies for more info as some will say min fiber 3% or min fat% 10% I email them asking for maximum fiber % & fat %, Wellpet is very good they respond within 1 day, Holistic Select is ‘Well Pet’ so is Wellness range & Eagle Pack another low fat & low fiber kibble but I havnt done the test to see if the Eagle Pack breaks up easy..I know the Wellness complete health & Core kibbles are very hard that’s the one that gave Patch the runs again the White Fish & Sweet potato complete health kibble…

[Shasta220]

I’ve only skimmed through the posts, so I’m sorry if I’m butting in lol!

Our lab used to be on Dog Chow as well. She always suffered mildly from otitis (skin and ear infections). It eventually got so far out of hand. The poor girl was covered in gross raw patches. We put a sweater on her and a cone, but that was just preventing her from scratching, and not helping her feel better. Took her to the vet and they gave us tons of medications (they were really very little help. They just said “well, she has an allergy to food, environment, or fleas. It’s your job to find out which one, not mine!”)

I knew as soon as we ran out of those meds, then she’d be back in itchville. So I found DFA and then got her on a food without corn, wheat, or soy. In all her 12 years, I have never seen her NOT shake her head constantly and rub the ears after I clean them out. She stopped stinking, her fur grew back, she never scratched again, and now her ears are soft and she lets us pet them! Before, her ears were waxy and gross, and if we even touched them, it’d send her into an itching spree…

She also gets a raw egg, fish oil, and coconut oil daily (she gets a bit under 1tbsp, she’s 70lb. She was getting a bit over a tbsp, but then she refused to eat the oil. I dropped it for a few days, then offered her less, and she ate it all). I’m trying a grain free food with her right now, just to see if it’ll help with her dandruff. It’s very mild dandruff, so if the GF doesn’t help, I’m not worried at all.

So that’s my success story of a very similar situation 🙂

she’s pretty rotational with the kibbles. Let’s see, she’s successfully been on Dog Lovers Gold, Pure Balance GF, Diamond Naturals, Wenaewe, Paramount GF, and one or two others, can’t remember off the top. Right now she’s on the pure balance GF – I’ll probably move to NutriSource GF when this bag is empty. I tried her on NutriSource grain-inclusive…I don’t know if it was coincidence or what, but she broke out horribly (I might try it again in the future, as she’s been on worse foods without a problem)

[Nicole V]

Thank you HDMom! I appreciate the feedback. Yes, I wish the transition was easier, but I’m glad that she seems to be okay with, and enjoying, the freeze-dried food. I’m also happy that she’s finally eating her kibble with gusto. When I first adopted her, she was underweight, and never finished her meals…even with the fish oil. The Fromm’s seems to be very enticing to her, and although I’m sure it’s a healthy kibble, I prefer to also offer her the benefits of the raw as well. 🙂
Thanks again!

[InkedMarie]

Well, after a few hours online, I have all I could find:

Addiction: Perfect summer brush tail 20% protein, 10% fat
Kangaroo Feast: 21% protein, 10% fat
Steakhouse beef & zucchini: 19% protein, 10% fat
Figalicious: 19% protein, 10% fat

Natural Balance limited ingredient diet sweet potato & venison: 20% protein, 10% fat

That is all I found. You weren’t specific so I looked at nothing with chicken, duck or turkey. I also looked at nothing that has any type of fish oil.

Not many options with the max protein & fat you’re looking for.

[Naturella]

Christina, I would say probably give it a few days (2-3-ish) before you add a new ingredient just so you know if he would react for sure. As for tomatoes, I guess you could put them in a blender or food processor for a few seconds until they are pretty much mush, then try them. Make sure the whole elimination diet does not last too too long, as it is not a balanced way to feed a dog, so hopefully within 10-14 days you will know if he reacts to a particular ingredient. If he doesn’t react to any of the ones listed above, I would go with a grain-free diet, or a rice-and-maybe-oatmeal-or-millet-or-barley-as-the-only-grains diet. But grain-free is generally safer for an allergy-prone dog.

One of my classmates and friends told me that her dog was extremely itchy eating Pedigree and Beneful, so I told her what I know, and she got him on a grain-free diet – said the itch has been considerably reduced to just an occasional “normal” scratch here and there. She didn’t do an elimination diet, just straight up eliminated the grains, and she was lucky her dog did not react to anything else. So that is also another way you can approach it – just try a good quality fish-based kibble and add the THK Beams as treats and coconut oil, and see how that goes. I would probably still do an elimination though, just to be sure for myself. But, it may work out that he just needs good-quality grain-free kibble.

In case you want to just try the kibble round, some good grain-free kibbles (I will just list them for your ease, in no particular order) are:
Wellness Core – I want to feed in the future
Holistic Select
Orijen – I want to feed in the future
Acana Grain Free – I want to feed in the future
Victor Grain Free – I feed now
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free – I feed now
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain Free – I have fed, no issues
Holistic Health Extension Grain Free – I have fed with no issues and I feed one of their grain-inclusive formulas now
Now! Fresh – I have fed a small bag (less than 1lb) with no issues
Nutrisca – I have fed, no issues
Nature’s Variety Instinct – I will feed (have a bag lined up under the sink, lol), and I have fed samples with no issues
Back to Basics Grain Free – I will feed the grain-inclusive one (have a bag lined up under the sink also)
NutriSource Grain Free – I have fed samples with no issue but it is severely overpriced in my area so I’m not sure I would buy a bag to feed it
Taste of the Wild – some don’t like it as it is produced by Diamond and that company had a huge recall issue in 2012 that they handled poorly, but 3 friends feed/have fed it with no issues
Blue Buffalo Wilderness – I have fed with no issues but some owners report tummy and stool issues with their dogs when on Blue food. However, 2 other friends have fed/still feed Blue with no issues.

I am sure others can pitch in with more recommendations, plus, if you can afford it/want to, it really is better to feed canned/dehydrated/homemade/raw. Or you can mix them up – I feed kibble and canned/THK food/fridge add-ins (like eggs, yoghurt, raw bones, etc.). But yeah, just start off with determining what works for Chance, you can always add new things once he is at least on better food. 🙂

[Naturella]

Christina – if you want to try the fish kibble, you should – what Sue recommends are good foods, also Victor Yukon Salmon and Earthborn Coastal Catch (what I currently feed) are good. Others are Wellness Core Ocean-something and Nutrisca Salmon – also pretty good. Just make sure the food is meat-rich with fish and fish meals.

But definitely try an elimination diet so that you know what to avoid because otherwise you may find yourself constantly switching between fish kibbles because one or another ingredient may cause him to flare up. The THK beams should help though, and hopefully he won’t be allergic to fish. Definitely start him on good raw UNREFINED coconut oil at 1 tsp/day and work up to 1 tbs. daily.

Good luck, keep us posted! 🙂

[Susan]

Hi, what foods do you feed Chance, I put Patch on an elimination diet about 2 months ago cause of his itchy skin & red sore paws inbetween his toes & itchy ears… Patch has seasonal allergies around Summer & Autumn at his worst, when I started doing Patches elimination diet he was doing good then as soon as I added sweet potato with his boiled chicken breast 2 days later his ears started to itch & I had to use his Dermotic ear drops, excellent product clears his ears up straight away, so I stopped the sweet potato & he stop ripping at his ears.. Ive read you need to choose foods with low Gi carbs for itchy skin problems helps to keep the sugar levels constant…stay away from kibbles with potatos, sweet potatos, peas found in a few grain free kibbles…Have you tried a good fish based kibble…Holistic Select has Anchovy Sardines & Salmon meal, this kibble helped my friend Staffy, he had terrible red itchy skin when he was 9months old, she tried vet pescription diet kibble, then she tried the Wellness complete health the whitefish with sweet potato recipe & it didnt help, then she tried the Holistic Select Anchovy,Sardines & Salmon meal & now Bronson has beautiful itch free skin, she also mixes a couple of tin sardines in spring water with his kibble..but not all dogs are the same, you can only try & see if you see any change… look for a low carb diet with fish as the protein & see if things improve…

[Christina K]

I might have to try that elimination diet. He’s just on Dog Chow right now, because he was living with my parents and their 3 other dogs. I really want to get him on a healthier diet. I started pouring a multivitamin on top of this food the other day. I thought he was going to take off my hands to get more of it.

I also got Chance some fruit based treats, but I’ll definitely be picking up those Honest Kitchen’s Beams. I saw the worst case of fleas on him too. He was far more affected by the fleas than the other 3 dogs. Hopefully the fish and coconut oils will help rid him of his remaining wounds.

Thank you so much for the advice. At least now I can narrow down to fish-based foods. I think that will help him a lot. My goal now is to get him out of that cone.

[Naturella]

The best thing for you to do is to see what you feed him now (maybe let us know), and then do an elimination diet – I think it’s something like cooking a basic homemade chicken and rice diet and slowly adding other ingredients from the food he is currently on to see if he reacts to one or more of them. But some of the pros on here could maybe able to better explain how to do an elimination diet.

Some more common allergens are various grains, corn, sometimes chicken or another protein, sometimes peas or tomatoes (or tomato pomace), sometimes yeast. So doing an elimination will help you know what to avoid in a food and it will make it easier for us to know what to recommend.

As for skin/coat issues, fish oil and coconut oil do some miracles. Also fish-based foods and treats. For my dog who had the worst case the vet has seen of fleas and wounds and hair falling out when he was found and taken to a vet, The Honest Kitchen’s Beams (dried fish skins to be given as chews/treats) did some miracles and then a teaspoon of coconut oil every other day continually enhances this miracle and his skin is nice and healthy and his coat is as soft and shiny as ever, I love it. No trace of wounds or missing hair – he is double-coated and his coat is very thick, soft, shiny on top and healthy. 🙂 He is also on mostly a fish-based food now so that probably helps too.

But as for pet dander – sometimes the above measures may help, sometimes not – the dog may just be genetically predisposed to extra dander. But it’s worth a shot to see if you can help it some too.

[DogFoodie]

I didn’t know they were discontinuing the Mulligan Stew chicken. I have a big bag I’d give you if you were near me. I feed one of my dogs the lamb variety in his rotation and once ordered the chicken for something different. The chicken contains fish oil, which is one of my dog’s food intolerances.

I agree, I think that MS is a great product. It has a very unique ingredient panel.

Have you ever looked at Nature’s Logic? NL is a whole food ingredient kibbled diet with no added synthetic vitamins or minerals and nothing from China. In just looking at the ingredients in the chicken, it doesn’t contain barley; but, I didn’t check the other varieties.

[Naturella]

All of the above are great responses, but one think I recently learned about are “satin balls” – you can look it up on Google but here is the recipe:

“Ingredients:

10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf.
Divide into 10 quart freezer bags and freeze.
Thaw as needed and feed raw!”

It is supposed to help with skin/coat and keep weight up and on really well. Also, you can use the Joint Gelatin or another oil (preferably flax seed and/or fish oil (but if fish oil mix it with another oil I would think) – they are more beneficial for their Omega fats content).

Good luck!

[Mike M]

Things apparently going well with the diet so far, if poop status, etc. is any indicator.

Wally is a 17 pound 15 year old Chihuahua mix.

So far, daily, using 93% lean ground turkey mixed with Urban Wolf, 1 sardine packed in water, no salt added (Trader Joe’s), a little canned Alaskan pink salmon (TJ’s, no salt, no oil), Alaskan salmon fish oil and 1 probiotic capsule. Several pet vitamins per day; Puritan’s Pride … they have some calcium/phosphorous in the right balance but not a lot of other vitamins and minerals, which I know the Urban Wolf has … the pet vitamins are more of a crunchy treat.

Several times per week – 1/2 boiled egg, a small dollop of cooked yam (wondering if that is too much sugar though), 1 200 IU Vitamin E twice oer week (guesstimating) which I have read may need to be boosted because of the fish oil consumed. Thinking of adding the occasional well cooked/processed broccoli …..

Resisting adding other meats like beef and pork because of my own vegetarian leanings and the reasons for that but remain open to it. Understand the nutritional benefits of some of the animal organs like heart and liver but am not using those. Always researching …..

Always looking for input – thanks.

[Naturella]

I second Sandy’s advice – Bruno’s add-ins (various canned such as Merrick, Wellness, Nutro Ultra, etc.; THK Love, Embark, Force, Keen; yoghurt/kefir, cottage cheese, coconut oil, raw eggs, pumpkin, flaxseed meal on occasion, canned sardines on occasion, RMBs (pork necks and chicken backs at the moment), and raw spelts (small fish), and natural dehydrated chews – bully sticks, ears, snouts, chicken feet and necks, tracheas, etc.) constitute about 1/4 (25%) of his daily intake. However, THK and canned are also considered balanced foods (right?), so I think I am at below 20% with unbalanced additives. I just use his body condition as a guide, and will start keeping track of his weight (IDK if I will measure him though) – he is very active and runs a lot, and appears to be in tip top shape.

Also, I will give you Bruno’s weekly sample menu. He is an about 13lb, 1 year old, active Rat Terrier mix.
Kibble mix is: Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch:Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension Original:Victor Yukon Salmon in 3:1:1/3 ratio.

Treats: above kibble mix or NutriSource Seafood Select or Castor and Pollux Organix Adult (the last 2 are from samples). Also available are Nutro and Old Mother Hubbard biscuits for special occasions. Also for special occasions (or to keep him busy when I’m busy too) I make him ice-cream with yoghurt, peanut butter, coconut oil and coconut butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and turmeric, and I fill anything I can – his Kong, marrow bone, hoof, other toys with holes – and freeze. Rarely I give raw veggies/fruits like carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, apple, pineapple core, mango, raw coconut, etc. (safe stuff).

Monday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK chicken and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Tuesday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons yoghurt/kefir and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy

Wednesday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with raw egg (no shell) with a sprinkle of flaxseed meal
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK beef and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Thursday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy

Friday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons cottage cheese and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons raw organ meat (whatever I have) or raw meat/fish (whatever I have) or 2 teaspoons of canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK chicken and water to make it soupy

Saturday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Sunday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons pumpkin with a sprinkle of cinnamon and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK beef and water to make it soupy
RMB to cap it out

On days when Bruno runs a lot (i.e. Dog Park days) I may switch his next meal’s add-in with raw egg or raw meat/organ meats/fish (or canned sardine) for added natural protein “post WOD”. Or give him a dehydrated natural chew like a bully stick, a cow/lamb/pig ear, or tripe stick, or you know – “richer” stuff to make up for the calories burned and supply some lean meat for his muscles. I really just kind of gage his body condition and appetite for stuff as far as additives go. And sometimes, if I’m out of canned, I put his plain dry kibble in a dispensing toy and let him play with it and eat it as is. I also do some training daily and reward with about 20 kibble bits, and, if I want to stress on something – an Old Mother Hubbard or Nutro biscuit. Oh, and I almost always add water (as you can see) for added hydration. But yeah… So far so good with this method of mine. Hope I’m doing it right too, lol.

But I’m sure you will figure out how to balance it for Jake. 🙂

[weezerweeks]

I noticed when I bathed my yorkie today he was shedding a lot of hair.I noticed this last week but I thought it was because it was the first bath after he was groomed.The only thing different is I have added another canned food to his rotation that he’s never had before. It is Go Fit chicken,turkey and trout stew. He has never had trout before. I also started springtime joint supplements for a switch from mercola’s’ which I love.This is so unusual because he never has this much hair in the sink. I also give him Nordic natural fish oil every other night and krill oil the nights I don’t give fish oil. Any ideas what could be causing this. He’s not scratching at all. Thanks

[Naturella]

Hm, that’s odd – that he got dry skin on fish-based food when usually fish-based foods help with skin issues (or at least fish oil does). Bruno is as soft and shiny as ever (then again, he also gets coconut oil at breakfast every other day as well and that helps with skin and coat too).

I have not gotten the lamb yet, I have the poultry one and the bison one lined up to feed Bruno.

Anyway, hope they respond soon!

[Mike M]

I could put this in one of several forums but chose this one since it has more posts.

Our dog – Wally, almost 15, small mixed breed, about 17 pounds, working towards 15.

Health issues – “sore joints” (we have set up a system of pillows where he jumps down from the couch or bed and in fact, I am considering having a trampoline floor installed though it could interfere with our getting around and cause some queasiness and vacuuming issues), collapsing trachea with an extra cough chaser that seems to have gone way down, after a course of antibiotics and changes in his diet and the addition of salmon fish oil.

I am brand new to making my own dog food, spurred on by Wally’s health issues and a change to the formula of Wally’s canned food (Wellness Chicken/Sweet potato) where they seem to be adding more “chicken broth”, effectively a price increase and it changed his poops. Anyway …. good that I’m doing this.

Have been researching and so far, am relying on (because they have the ring of truth):

Hound Dog Mom and others here
“Unlocking The Canine Ancestral Diet.”
Dogaware.com

Will be starting with the Urban Wolf mix and other supplements to add to my meats.

There is a lot to digest re supplements, fat balancing, meats, etc and I will have questions and comments as I go along. Appreciate any input – thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

If I’m not mistaken (it’s been awhile since I’ve used Urban Wolf) I think the recipe on the package calls for the addition of fish oil or canned fish so I’m sure that’s factored in. You can also use the canned salmon that includes bones. Either way, you usually have the leeway to add up to 20% unbalanced extras without throwing off the balance of an already balanced meal. Another option to consider for omega 3’s that a lot of us here use are tinned sardines packed in water. I personally rotate between canned salmon and tinned sardines for my dogs.

[Mike M]

At the risk of being a nube posting redundant questions that have been answered (I did do a search and didn’t find specifically what I needed), I am trying to find out if there is something — vitamins, minerals, protein — in liver that my dog needs that cannot be gotten from other sources because …. I do not want to feed my dog liver if I don’t “have to.”

I’ve done my research and will be making my own dog food with cooked ground turkey and canned unsalted Alaskan salmon as the main meats, with the occasional eggs and packed in water unsalted sardines, some added fish oil, a bit of calcium, yam/carrot/garbonzo beans, the occasional cooked/processed veggies, nutritional yeast, etc. Lucky dog.

I will be using the Urban Wolf mix and it recommends adding the liver powder to that, along with the meat but I haven’t been able to find out why I need the liver and/or if there is something else I use or can use that will provide what the liver does.

Thanks – Mike

[USA]

Hi Leslie

Would you consider making your Jack a homemade diet? If he has no food allergies or intolerances a homemade diet using chicken, beef, turkey, fish, pork and other meats would be beneficial for your pup. You would use lean meats, 10% fat or less. Lightly cook the meats. Add about 20% non-starchy pureed veggies and fruits. Occasionally add some organs and sardines.

Supplement with Omega 3 oils, digestive enzymes, probiotics and a vitamin mineral mix like Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mixes and you have the basics of an economical, highly nutritious, species appropriate low carb diet that would help your precious pup do the best he can!! Turmeric is an excellent supplement for dogs with cancer. Slight adjustments to the diet with fiber would depend on the needs of your dog.

This is not that hard to learn and there are plenty of people here to help you along the way! I wish you and your pup the BEST!!!

[Bobby dog]

Marie: For ticks you use it like a flea powder

Akari:
I used to buy Shoo Flea by the Natural Vet, really liked it but just didn’t fit into the budget anymore. The main ingredient in Shoo Flea is food grade DE and it is scented with a capsule of herbs and essential oils. I began using plain food grade DE several years ago as a flea powder and for treating pet beds, floors etc with good results. Keep in mind it does not kill them immediately.

I have seen warnings about DE clogging vacuums, it has never happened to me. I just make sure I take their bedding outside to shake them out then throw them in the washer. I have only had to use DE on the floors in my basement so I swept the floor well before vacuuming.

Be careful not to inhale the dust or let your pets inhale the dust.

I have never fed it to my cats or dogs.

The one drawback I found using it as a flea powder is that it can dry their skin. I always use organic unrefined coco oil as a food supplement when using it. Fish oil would probably be a good choice also. I use CVS 1000 mg fish oil capsules for Bobby and the cats. The good thing about coco oil is it can be applied externally. As a flea deterrent I had the best luck using coco oil applied directly to the skin, but it can be messy for your furniture. Coco oil does very well at soothing skin irritations like flea bites. I apply DE first, then coco oil if needed in certain areas. I used coco oil daily on Bobby last summer. Hopefully I won’t have to treat flea bites this year because his yeasty smell is gone and his skin is healthy since I have improved his diet. So far so good!

Good thing I checked the links I saved on DE, some of them no longer existed.

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/benefits-diatomaceous-earth/
http://www.vetinfo.com/using-diatomaceous-earth-to-worm-pets.html
http://www.diatomaceousearth.com/?gclid=CJ2Dt8S5p74CFaQF7Aod5g4AcA
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/a/Diatomaceous-Earth-For-Flea-Control.htm
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html&sa=U&ei=9l5xU7PaKPLHsATEvYCQCA&ved=0CB0QFjAA&sig2=DCYxeQKLHzMoXm6BYZtcxw&usg=AFQjCNHLDmVU6sLMs22UbzqWxC0OnCzAVw