[Shasta220]

I’ve not dealt with weight problems much, but the only logical thing I could think of is to get some extra fat and protein in there. Possibly adding coconut/fish oils and raw meats? Abady sounds like a good additive as well.

[Susan]

Ive read that dogs can digest animals fats, chicken fat etc, & they dont digest oils as well sunflower, canola, vegetable etc. this is saying the opposite that dogs digest vegetable & fish oils better then animal fats, which one is it, are animals fats better or are oils better for digestion when in a kibble, I’ve read when its a animal fat it must say the animal, chicken fat etc but not just say animal fat as u dont know what animal its from & could be diseased etc.. I thought chicken fat etc would be better then canola, sunflower oils etc..
Did anyone read about liver, it can become toxic to the body, my boy cant eat liver treats as he gets diarrhea…

[Shasta220]

I would probably agree with smaller, more consistent amounts of Omegas. My lab used to get the same problem – greasy skin AND dandruff. I figured “oh she’s just a lab, the grease is normal.” So I increased her fish oil intake. It somewhat helped with the dandruff, but then she has really nasty skin. Now she’s on a good routine and almost never gets the dandruff or grease.

[Naturella]

Sue66b, thank you for the advice! I can definitely increase the sardine intake and the coconut oil too, I can maybe alternate 1 day sardine, 1 day coconut oil? And I use Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap – Almond on him, it is supposed to be oil-based and not dry up his skin… And I use oatmeal conditioner after, but I can switch to doggie oatmeal shampoo to try it out. I was trying not to use shampoo every week when I wash the dog park dirt off so that I don’t dry his skin up too much… But I can if needed. I can also start brushing him daily, it will help with his shedding too.

I am also going to begin switching him to a fish-based food (Earthborn Coastal Catch) in a few days/week, so there will be even more Omegas and oils in his daily intake.

Thank you again, Sue, and any other advice will be also much appreciated! 🙂

[Susan]

Change the food, or change the flavour with a few different ingredients & see if it still happening, there’s an ingredient thats either giving her stomach acid or making her feel un-well, something that wasnt in the Merrick, this has just happened with my boy, the poos a great but after eating he wants his grass, so I looked at the ingredients again & realized it has fish oil & rosemary extract in the kibble, so its either the fish oil or the Rosemary, I keep smelling fish on his breath after he’d burp.. I google side effects to fish oil & rosemary in dog & it said both can give acid reflux, direhhea etc, now I have look for a new kibble again, the thing is you’d think they wouldnt eat it after they feel off…

[Naturella]

Hey, guys! I need to vent… sorry to burden you all, but it’s happening…

So today I was grooming Bruno (with the Furminator – that dog sheds like an avalanche!), and my roommate saw me so he came to offer precious advice. He did help me finish Bruno up cause it was a bit of a struggle – he doesn’t like being groomed and I wasn’t doing it quite right – he was in my lap when he should have been in front of me. Either way, it all went ok, until my roommate was almost done with Bruno and noticed his doggie dander.

And then…

He began lecturing me on how I feed my dog “a bunch of random crap” (referring to the additives I have been giving him to help with his hard-ass stools, and just for general health supplementation, such as yoghurt, pumpkin, flax seed meal, coconut oil, canned sardines, raw egg, RMBs, etc.)!!! He then continued on saying how his brother’s dog (a rottie) lived to 14.5 years old (“when the average lifespan of rottweilers is 10 years”), and how he thrived on ONE food for his WHOLE life, and it was… Can you guess? THE SCIENCE DIET!!!

His next advice was that I need to not mess with my dog’s GI tract by giving him my random crap, because:
a. I will spoil him and he won’t ever eat just dry kibble again.
b. I will mess his digestion up
c. I will mess his skin and coat by adding the stuff I add.
He then went on to brag about his dog, who has only been on Science Diet as well, and how she has no pet dander and how she is the “epitome of health” according to his vet and how whatever he’s doing, he shouldn’t change ever (and he plans to do exactly that); how she never has tummy troubles because he has found one food that she likes and does her so much good and he will never change it… And how I SHOULD DO THE SAME, how I need to choose between Nutro, Blue Buffalo, or Science Diet, and find something Bruno likes, and keep him on it forever!!! GAH!

In between some of his tirade I managed to sneak in a word or 2, such as: “The random crap I feed him is to help with his stools, and is carefully researched and selected to fit my dog’s dietary needs” – response “Yeah, but you give him too much of it, plus, hard kibble is designed to be balanced and give the dogs all they need, so they don’t really need any other crap, additives, or soft food, for the a, b, and c reasons above.”
Me – “I am about to put Bruno on a fish-based food soon” (referring to his pet dander).
Him – “Why?”
Me – “Because fish is really good for dogs’ skin and coat, and has Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, just like flax seed (minus the Omega 6) and coconut oil.”
Him – “… Yeah, but lamb is better. Casey (his dog) has been on brown rice and lamb and her coat is so shiny and soft (not nearly as much as my dog’s, I promise), and she has no pet dander, and she loves the food, and you really shouldn’t switch his food so much.”

Maybe he is right, maybe lamb is indeed better, but can someone please explain how it could be better than fish, in regards to Omega 3 and 6, and skin and coat benefits?

As for the rest, the convo ended with him saying that he doesn’t usually like to tell us (my husband and I, which he NEVER tells him – he only speaks to me about the dog) how to take care of the dog, cause he feels like “we” (read “I”) get pissed off, but he wants us to do what’s best for Bruno…. I don’t know how I didn’t lose it and yell at him that I already am, and that all I do and feed is because I do daily research on it, and educate myself on what is good for Bruno… I just thanked him for helping me with the grooming and went to wash my dog…

Sigh, annoyed… The other problem/reason why I didn’t pour some emotions and knowledge down his head, is because:
a. he clearly won’t take it
b. he is helping us financially with the place a lot, i.e. paying more than us
c. I’m a chicken (or, how I like to think of it, I pick my battles).

SO, this is it… I just really needed to vent… Sigh, I will go walk my “messed-with” dog… Poor guy, having all kinds of variety with his food… I should be ashamed of my dog parenting skills… LoL,.. Sigh….

[Shasta220]

I don’t know too much about fish, but whenever we go fishing, we cook the whole fish in tin foil and give our dogs the remainders. Usually we gut the fish and throw the remainders away, but I’m sure if you cooked it then it’d be fine.

I honestly would never feed my dogs raw fish, as my lab has come within a few hours of death from eating a raw fish, and my dad once had a Dalmatian that died from eating a live fish.

Sorry for adding a question – but can anyone explain to me how/when/why raw fish can kill dogs, and if it’s ever safe to give a raw fish to a dog? The vet explained it when we took our dog in, but that was almost 10yrs ago, so I honestly can’t remember a thing he said.

[Bobby dog]

Hi, congrats and he is gorgeous! As far as how much to feed your kitty, if you are going to feed wet and dry food I would suggest you check out the feeding guide on the dry food you are feeding him. For example, Wellness has a guide on their bag suggesting how much to feed your cats if you are feeding only dry or a combo of wet and dry according to your cat’s weight. When you decide on an amount just observe your cat’s body condition and adjust your food amounts accordingly.
I have had cats ever since I can remember and still have lots to learn. I have two 15 yrs, one 14 yrs, one 11 yrs, and one 6 yrs, all stray cats. I wish I never fed them wheat, corn, soy, fish, or dry food. I lost two that were 15 years old about four years ago to illnesses that bad nutrition surely contributed to; digestion problems, obesity, and the male had urinary tract issues throughout his life. I have one cat that was diagnosed about five years ago with a hyperthyroid; he requires daily meds now. I have slowly changed their diets over the past five months, but at their ages change is difficult so they still need their fish and dry food fixes. Most importantly I have weaned them off of Friskies. I might not ever be able to completely ween them off of fish or dry food. If I paid more attention to their diets I truly believe I would not have had the vet bills I had over the years. About four years ago an emergency room visit in the middle of the night for my male cat’s urinary tract infection cost me about $2,000 to get him well.
My advice is to feed them the best wet diet that fits your budget. Avoid soy, wheat, corn, and fish. Stick to poultry, lamb, rabbit or beef if possible. If you are going to feed dry find a good quality GF dry.
I am with Crazy4cats, my go to website is catinfo.org. My other favorite is the naturalcatcareblog.com. They have a great list of dry and dehydrated foods and the reason they recommend them. I feed wet three times a day (totalling about 3-5 oz./cat) and give them a small scoop of dry once a day. I am on a very tight budget as well so I only buy food that I either have coupons for, on sale, or on the 50% off shelf. I feed Natures Variety raw (when they e-mail coupons), 4Health from Tractor Supply, Merrick, Wellness, Tiki Cat, Weruva, Soulistic (chic only, K3 is in the other varieties), Blue Buffalo, and Evo. I am always trying new canned foods using the information I learned about food from catinfo as a guide. I also feed them boiled chicken two or three days a week as one of their meals to help keep costs down. For dry I have been feeding Wellness GF Turkey & Duck meal (bought with the $5 coupon from their site of course) because there is no fish meal in the recipe. I just bought a bag of Merrick GF chic on sale which they seem to like.
Sorry for the long post, maybe something I have written will be helpful for you. Good luck, he’s one lucky kitty!

[Dori]

I like Mercola supplements. I use Mercolas complete Probiotics for Pets and Mercolas Digestive Enzymes. I trust both Dr. Mercola and Dr. Karen Becker. I also supple with Nature’s Logic Sardine Oil two or three times a week. If I give my girls whole canned sardines in water than I don’t add the Sardine Oil. I do supplement with Coconut Oil every day. Coconut oil does not, it is my understanding, interfere with their diets or any other oil. Coconut Oil is more of a antioxidant. Works differently than fish oil. I prefer sardine oil to other oils and my girls do well on these supplements. One of my girls gets glucosamine/chondritoin daily and supplements from Ark Naturals (Grey Muzzle) for heart and cognitive function (that’s my 14 year old girl). Oh, my 14 year old Maltese gets Nzymes antioxidant daily. Hope any of this helps. It’s what I do for my girls. Works for them anyway.

[pugmomsandy]

Do don’t have to supplement every meal since the canned food is complete. Try NL and the joint supp for one meal, prob/enz in the second meal. Fish oil two or three times a week, especially if you’re using a human dose, he’ll get more than enough.

[pfeiner]

Hi All –
I have been feeding Primal to my two Labs for a while now. When I read the menus on the advisor, I have to admit I get somewhat overwhelmed. I am looking for alternatives to Primal only because it is so expensive. I have heard that Darwin’s is a good product and less expensive than Darwin – any thoughts?

Am I correct in that if I choose to make my own, I can purchase a mix such as the one HDM suggests – “See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix” and just add my organic foul or beef? Some of the posts suggest adding fish oil in addition to the mix. Do you all agree? Should I be adding anything else?

Thanks in advance for your help –

[Mom2Cavs]

What you are giving him sounds like a good plan. The Nature’s Logic fortifier is a whole food supplement and I believe should not be “too much”. I really don’t know if you mean you might overdose him on something or if it’s too rich. But, either way, it should be a healthy supplement to add if he tolerates it. All the rest are fine, too. The doses for all these supplements for such a small dog should be small, as well. If you are worried about changing the taste of his food and him not eating, then you could use something else to help deliver the supplement, like yogurt, cottage cheese, etc…. to put some of the supplements in and give as a treat. As for the joint supplement, you could always get one that is packaged like a treat and give it that way, so it doesn’t have to be mixed into his food. The coconut oil would probably be licked right off your finger as a treat, and if the fish oil is a gel cap you could wrap it in something, like cheese, or use cream cheese and cover it and give as a treat, as well. The probiotics and enzymes shouldn’t change the taste of the food. And as far as him being healthier without all the supplementation….sometimes supplements can cause issues, like allergic ones, or loose stool, etc., so it is a choice you have to make, whether or not to give, and if you do want to give supplements to try to find those that the dog can accept either in his food or as a treat. I should know all this because I have smaller dogs who don’t eat that much food and I do like to give supplements. Lucy, my Mixed Breed, has a rare type of skin cancer (I believe she’s in remission, atm, yay!) and she takes a liquid maitake mushroom supplement in her canned/dry food every morning. I was very worried she might not take it in her food and I’d have to get creative, but she has with no problems…very good, lol. I also give Standard Process supplements, which are powders, and sometimes they will give a little loose stool, so I back off a little. If I feel I’m overloading them with supplements I tend to break it all up between morning and evening or give as a treat during the day. Sometimes I don’t give a supplement every day, but every other. I also evaluate their supplements at times to determine if I still need to give something or if I can stop for awhile. I also like to rotate supplements, too. I will give Wholistic Pet for awhile and them I’ll switch and give Nature’s Farmacy stuff, or Springtime, Inc. I’ve used cream cheese to give pill type supplements to Lucy because she’s picky. The Cavaliers tend to just eat anything I give them lol. These methods have worked with my dogs and I hope some of the suggestion help.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[weezerweeks]

I have my little yorkie on canned food. He only gets 1/3cup a day divided by 2 so each meal is not very much. I want to give him the correct supplements but it’s hard because it changes the taste of his food. I give him natures logic fortifier, mercola’s digestive enzyme and probiotic, coconut oil once a week, Nordic natural fish oil every day.I’m also starting him on joint supplement because of his luxating petalla.since he’s only on canned food how would you supplement him each day. The natures logic has so many things in it I’m afraid it’s too much.should I give it every day along with the enzyme and probiotic and what other super food should I use instead of this or to rotate. I am trying so hard but I’m getting so confused because their are soo many supplements. Sometimes it seems he was healthier just eating kibble with no supplements except fish oil.

[Susan]

I was at Pet Stock yesterday & I was looking at the EarthBorn Ocean Fusion, then I met a Nutro Natural Choice rep, I told her how Patch has IBD & Colitis & how he’s on Eukanuba Intestinal & I want to put him on something better..I also told her that Patch cant have a high fat or fiber or Protein diet, she explained that “Nutro” isnt the same company as the “Nutro” in America & the Chicken & ingredients all comes from Australia all home grown & made…Chicken is from Country Tamworth, Lamb is from New Zealand & fish is from Tasmania then she gave me samples of the Adult Chicken & rice Formula.. I need help with these ingredients here they are…… Chicken, Ground Rice, Rice Flour, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavours, Sunflower Oil, Iodised salt Essential Minerals (including potassium chioride,zinc sulphate, iron sulphate copper sulfate Potassium iodide selenium) Natural Antioidants then the list goes on with vitamins & Marigold Meal.. the fiber on this kibble is 5% fat-13% & Protein-22%..dont forget Patch has a sensitive tummy so I need the low Protein. & this kibble seems as close to his Eukanuba Intestinal minus the corn grites & other junk.. Im worried about the Dried Beet Pulp being the 4th ingredient its in his Intestinal but its 6th ingredient, Im just worried this is a fiber being 4th will there be alot.. Im ringing Nutro tommorrow to get the % on the Chicken, Dried beet pulp, what else should I ask Nutro???…He loves the kibble as Ive been giving some just as a treat, poor thing being on a limited diet, he’d eat anything.. I cant get alot of the American kibbles that are Limited ingredient ones, so its either Nutro, Canidae or Earthborn but the Earthborn has flaxseed & Potatoes something I dont want..

[DogFoodie]

Hi traceearsena,

Are you kidding? The best part about all of this snow is that it covers up the poop! I figure it’ll be there when the snow melts. Tell your hubby to have some hot chocolate and chill. ; )

I tend to agree with Sandy, maybe it’s just that the food doesn’t agree with him. If I were you, I think I’d try a different brand altogether. While there are obvious differences from one Earthborn variety to another, there are still a lot of similarities. And, I’ll second the Victor recommendation Melissa made. I have a Golden with a sensitive system and a fish / fish oil intolerance. He needs just the right amount of fiber or he ends up with loose stools. Right now, he’s eating Victor Grain Free ALS (the one in the red bag) and its doing great on it. It’s fish and fish oil free, the fiber is right and it contains montmorillonite, a natural stool hardener.

My Sam was having a reaction to his previous food, so I made a quick switch to the Victor and his stool has been perfect. Plus the upside, it’s very budget friendly.

[hamptonmeadow]

-Pig ears, bully sticks are sourced from China. I would never touch them. The same with cat fish skins. hdm suggestion of traecheas and chicken RAW bones etc are as usual good advice.

Never parboil bones, cooked bones splinter. I would not feed marrow bones because some dogs get their mouths stuck in the center. But the marrow is awesome.

Vets are really no nutritionists and don’t know a lot about much beside what they sell.
But, you can listen to the knowledgeable people here. You can also make treats if you don’t use sugar and use seseme seeds, chia seeds and fruits and green leafy veggies and cruiciferous veggies (pureed).

[Akari_32]

I didn’t see anything that popped out at me at Pet Supermarket (that was a good 8 months ago, though). I’ll probably have to go to PetSmart or PetCo for anything good. I also do a lot of online shopping for fish and reptile stuff, so I’ll look next time to need something. What sort of ingredients would you recommend?

It’s only that one Bayer’s shampoo that makes him oily. It’s pretty weird. I’ve used it on Haley with no issues (other than it doesn’t clean worth a crap). He doesn’t have any confirmed food allergies, but we think chicken and grains are a no go, as are fleas, and grass. So, basically everything a dog comes in contact with, he’s allergic to.

[aquariangt]

thanks Marie. Any opinion on hip and joint supplements? I’m pretty green in the world of supplementing. I just bought some Fish Oil, and am getting some Probiotics, but don’t know much about the hip and joint ones

[Mom2Cavs]

Ooohh….Cavaliers! I have 2 right now, older girls. Congratulations on your new baby. If it were me and I had another puppy I would probably feed Fromm Gold Puppy, or Wellness Small Breed Puppy. I also like all-life-stage foods like Annamaet, Fromm 4Star, Dr. Tim’s. I also top my dogs’ food with canned food for more variety and moisture. A good probiotic/enzyme supplement, a whole food vitamin/mineral, and omega 3’s in the form of fish oil are some things to consider in the future, as well. I also admit I used to feed Greenies and Dentastix but discovered the ingredients aren’t that great and they can be a choking hazard, as well. Now, I like to use The Honest Kitchen Beams. They are dried fish skins. I’m sure others will have recommendations for you soon. 🙂

[Fatcakes]

This is great, thank you all so much. My house smells like an aquarium now but totally worth it. We have gotten rid of all treats, etc that have chicken, and also are switching the cats to Orijin. Origin and THK treats, with some egg, pumpkin, sardines, and coconut oil rotated in here and there as well (not all of this has been implemented yet for the sake of his digestive tract and my carpet). I don’t think he has a fish allergy as the only improvement I saw was after starting the fish oil supplement. Love the spreadsheet idea, too! He loves his Beam treats and new food. I can’t wait to see if this fixes the dandruff. I swear his fur is already getting softer…

[DogFoodie]

I would agree with Patty. It may be chicken issue. I recently discovered my dog has a fish issue. I switched to a fish-free food, but it still contained fish oil, which in theory should’ve been OK (fat and oils are clarified and should have the offending protein removed); but he still reacted. Now I only feed foods that are completely fish free. For your dog, I would try a chicken free food. If that food contains chicken fat, see how he does. If he reacts, move to a chicken free food, one without chicken or chicken fat.

The best advice I can give you is what helped me the most. Start now and keep detailed notes about each food you use. I started a spreadsheet and keep detailed notes about each food I’ve used. Detail the ingredients (keep the label from the bag ~ ingredients change and what you find online in six months may be different that what your dog are and reacted to. I note the date I start the food, when I observe reactions, nutrient analysis, etc. My only regret is not having started my spreadsheet sooner. Some foods that my pup once did well on, aren’t working any longer so even when I’ve found several that do work, I’ll continue to keep notes and look for other foods. I once had an idea that I loved certain foods / brand, but I’ve had to think outside of my original box, but never outside of my comfort zone; ie: I pay I never have to try a Diamond food. I know my sensitive dog will always be a sensitive dog and his current reaction may evoke into other reactions.

Good luck!

[Newfs]

Hello,
I recall to my question.
Very counting on your answers.
Regards
Newfs
” Hi,
mine near 11 monthly Newfoundland is fed Fromm Family Gold and very nicely grows on her (the last bag is Fromm Gold Adult Dog) . Unfortunately the fodder ends, and it is not known when will be the delivery 🙁 . On this period to the fly to change him the fodder. I know that these which to the pre-pond have a content of cereals, but these which are in Poland and do not have cereals, and have a suitable quantity of the limestone {calcium} are in cosmic prices. Please for the prompt which from fodders would be for him best:
– Enova ADULT Breeders BAG GRAIN-FREE SIMPLE!
Complete food without cereal with fresh chicken meat. It can be administered to dogs from 2 months to 7 years old.
food without grains
addition of fresh chicken meat (min. 20%)
contains glucosamine and chondroitin supplement
Ingredients: dried chicken meat (min. 23.3%), fresh chicken meat (min. 20%), potato flour, dried green peas, chicken fat, dried beet pulp, flaxseed, dried egg protein hydrolyzate, dried yeast, fish oil, dried carrots, dried tomato puree, dried seaweed, sodium chloride, glucosamine, chondroitin.
Analytical constituents: crude protein – 31.5%, oils and fats – 19.5%, crude fiber – 3,5%, crude ash – 6,5%, calcium – 1.25%, phosphorus – 0.95% , moisture – 10.0%.
Extras: antioxidants. Dietary supplements in 1 kg of feed: Vitamin A – 15,000 IU Vitamin D3 – 1200 IU Vitamin E – 150 mg Copper (as copper sulphate pentahydrate) – 10 mg.
Analysis
protein: 31.5%
fat: 19.5%
Crude fiber 3.5%
ash 6.5%
humidity 10.0%
omega – 6 2.7%
Chondroitin 250 mg / kg
calcium 1.25%
phosphorus 1.0% – 0.95%
copper 10 mg / kg
selenium 0.2 mg / kg
iodine 2 mg / kg
Vitamin A 15,000 IU / kg
Vitamin D3 1200 IU / kg
Vitamin E 150 IU / kg
Niacin 135 mg / kg
– http://www.enovapetfood.com/photoVideoGallery.aspx?cid=4685&mid=18465
– http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/content/product/chicken-pomegranade
– http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/content/product/nd-ancestral-dog-codfish-orange-31
– http://www.samsfield.com/adult-large
– http://www.samsfield.com/adult-salmon
– http://eshop.fitmin.cz/en/Products/Detail/FITMIN-11210921/Fitmin-dog-Solution-RabbitandRice-13kg
– http://eshop.fitmin.cz/en/Products/Detail/FITMIN-11210921/Fitmin-dog-Solution-SalmonandPotato-13kg
What do you feel about above-fodders ? “

[Naturella]

Fatcakes,

Hope we helped! I second everything Shasta said, from the pumpkin addition, to testing for food allergies, to the raw egg – Bruno will be getting one/week starting next Thursday! Also, I swear by coconut oil (make sure it is UNREFINED too though – extra virgin, cold-pressed, UNREFINED – it is the REAL deal) – miracle worker. 🙂 But the food you got sounds great, hope your boy likes it! And yay for fish, just hope he’s not allergic to it or something. Orijen is a great brand from what I read though! 🙂

I rotate Bruno’s food once his mix ends, which is about every 4 months or so. And I go through a few flavors/proteins of the same brand before I switch brands. Now he has enough food to last throughout March for sure, maybe even April. Next batch is Earthborn Holistic GF Coastal Catch (fish) mixed with Vets Choice HHE Original (chicken mostly, but other meals in there. Some grains too. Meh, I got it for free and it is 4-stars, so I’m good with it.), then Earthborn Holistic GF Great Plains Feast (bison and some lamb) mixed with Vets Choice HHE Lamb and Rice (I know. Rice. Not grain free. Oh well. There’s lamb in it too.), and then Earthborn Holistic GF Primitive Natural (chicken) mixed with Vets Choice HHE GF (chicken). THEN I have Victor Ultra Professional GF mixed with Back to Basics lined up, and then the Victor Yukon Salmon GF mixed with probably Back to Basics again. THEN I want to try Wellness Core. I think I have Bruno’s meal plan set for like 2 years to come, lol.

As for THK Beams – if you have any local boutiques that sell all-natural dehydrated chews (which is what the fish skins are), see if they have them in bulk – my closest pet boutique store sells them in a jar by the skin, and the big ones are just $1, and I can cut them in like 8 Bruno-sized skins! Bruno is a Jack Russel – (miniature?) Rat Terrier mix, @ around 1 year. I will claim April 1st as his Birthday. We are not 100% sure, he was found in some bushes… But was changing puppy teeth throughout August-September of last year… Any guesses on approximate Birthday? Anyone?

[Shasta220]

And with the fish – I know many people give their dogs oily fish 1-3x per week. I think it’s usually sardines.

About anything good and oily is good though. Sardine, salmon, krill, algae, coconut, and my dogs get flax oil as well (although they don’t absorb it as well as with fish oils). Just be a little careful not to go too overboard, as it could produce a greasy coat after a while. I know someone who gives her 50lb dogs 4 capsules of fish oil daily AND 2-4tbsp olive oil. They’re in tip-top shape and don’t stink, but leave a bit of a film after you pet them a while.

I, personally, also swear by raw eggs. My lab, who’s suffered a dull drab coat and awful skin conditions all her life, gets a whole raw egg daily. She is looking much much better.

[Shasta220]

Sounds like you’ve already got some ideas for foods to try – I don’t know that many brands personally, so I usually say it’s safe to go with 4-5 star brands.

As for the skin. I wouldn’t expect a bath to help much, as soaps tend to strip the coat even more, unless they’re medicated and designed for dry skin (when my dog is super dry, I use an oil-based organic shampoo. Sometimes it’s almost too much though, and my dog doesn’t feel clean at all).

Some things to look into: possibly tests for food allergies? As almost all skin problems have something to do with food, sadly. It could be chicken, grains, tomatoes, fish, the list goes on. I’d try getting him on coconut oil – organic extra virgin cold pressed, about 1tbsp per 30lbs. That stuff has been known as a miracle worker around these parts! Salmon oil is very good, too. Keep that up, 🙂

Fiber additions – most people add a big spoonful of pumpkin (canned is fine) to their dogs food. If there’s no improvement in his morning routine, then possibly try some probiotic supplements as well.

[Fatcakes]

Thank you so much! How often do you rotate your boy’s food? I just got back from the pet store(s) and have a bag of Orijen Six Fish. I’m blending that with the Innova Prime to switch him over and will continue the fish oil supplement and research. I would like him to have more than 18% fat but we’ll see how he does after getting off the Innova first. I’m very interested in the Victor as well. I hadn’t heard of the Honest Kitchen until just now, and it looks like Beams are sold at the same store I just got the Orijen. haha fish-averse hubby is about to rue the day I found this website. 😀
Thanks again!

[Naturella]

Fatcakes,

Fish oil is great – I would keep him on it for a while. You could also try a fish-based food for the sake of rotation and varying the protein intake. Lamb is good for skin and coat too, I hear.

As far as fiber, my pup is currently on a mix of Dr. Tim’s Grain Free (4.5% fiber), Nutrisca Chicken and Chickpea (7% fiber), and Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension Grain Free (5% fiber). He, however, suffers from hard stools, as high in fiber as his diet is, so kind people in this forum have recommended pumpkin and flax for him, and maybe even yoghurt – they are all good additives, and the latter REALLY seems to help him. All the foods he is on currently are 5-star rated (except for the Vets Choice – that is 4.5 stars I think) and grain free.

I am switching him to Earthborn Holistic Grain Free mixed with Vets Choice, and Victor Ultra Professional Grain Free mixed with Back to Basics after. All of that will have even less fiber than he has in his food now, but I will be adding the pumpkin, flax, and yoghurt daily, I don’t mind. I really like Victor and can’t wait to get Bruno on it, and they also have a salmon-based grain-free recipe. It is also very affordable and 5-star-rated.

That is for the fiber. As for the dandruffy-ness of your guy, I can just share my experience, and it is that my pup, when found, was so flea-infested, the vet had said she hasn’t seen a case this bad. He has had skin sores and wounds all over. With much TLC, grain-free food and daily fish skins (I used Beams by The Honest Kitchen), his skin healed up completely and coat is super soft and shiny. So this is why I may consider more fish in his diet, plus, I am sure more knowledgeable people in the forum will chip in with more advice.

[Naturella]

robertdee,

Thanks for the link! I will definitely look into this product!

So, I looked up the guaranteed analyses of the current mix of food I feed Bruno (Dr. Tim’s, Nutrisca Chicken, and Vets Choice HHE GF), and their fiber contents are 4.5%, 7%, and 5% max respectively. So the mix is actually kind of good on fiber.

I have been adding all kinds of stuff to his kibble though, such as plain yoghurt, pumpkin, ground flax seeds, the usual coconut oil and once-a-week RMB, his first marrow bone (raw, and the bone is still around for gnawing and chewing on), cottage cheese, raw egg, and canned sardines, as well as the occasional dehydrated natural chews (ears, bully sticks, fish skins, chicken necks, lamb tendons, etc.). I am going to develop a schedule for adding all these in his weekly meals so that the additional calories, fat, fiber, and protein are somewhat evenly distributed in his diet. I am also cutting down his kibble to 3/4 cup from 1 cup because of the additives, but I will make sure the calorie intake stays about the same.

So far his poops have overall improved, and I have a feeling it is the additional moisture, and the yoghurt. I always keep plain yoghurt at home (love the stuff), so Bruno will have access to it too, just have to figure out how often. But yes, I feel like we are on track with fixing his stool and/or any digestion problems he may have had. 🙂

[DogFoodie]

Hi Harper’s Mom,

I’ve never tried Merrick, bought some once and returned it after hearing about others who had problems with loose stool from the product. Sometimes when I first try a food, it’ll seem to be working fine for a while and then the symptoms slowly begin to develop over time. I tell you, the thing that helped me the most was this, having cataloged all of the foods in my stash by best buy date, I use them one at a time and take detailed notes of how things are going. I keep it all in a spreadsheet and it helped me identify my dog’s intolerances. Your pup may, or may not have an intolerance, but there’s no better time to begin keeping notes and saving the ingredient panel from the bag of food you were feeding (ingredients change so don’t rely on the being able to find the recipe online). You may find that suddenly a common ingredient pops up like how fish and fish oils are added to so many foods, even those that aren’t “fish-based,” but they also happen to be my dog’s intolerance.

I would look to switch your pup to a protein other than beef or duck and, like you mentioned, choose another brand for this round of your rotation.

Also, one other thing I just thought is this, I’ve never had luck with duck for either of my two dogs. Both of them developed loose stools after a period of time. I was using Back to Basics duck which contains a lot of organ meat and I wasn’t certain if the reaction was to the duck or the organ meat. I believe I tried duck again sometime later, but wasn’t keeping notes then or I could tell you for sure!

[Fatcakes]

Hi all. In December I got a healthy, active, 9 yr old male German Shepherd. he was eating Pro Plan Sport, the 30/20 kind. He had terrible gas so I switched him slowly to Innova Prime Chicken and Turkey. He has developed dry, flaky skin along his back and sides. Bathing actually aggravated his skin terribly. He is now also supplemented with fish oil (for people), 1200-2400 mg per day. I’ve seen improvement from that, but he’s still really dandruffy along his back. I’m brand loyal to Innova as that’s what we fed during the first China food disaster; my in-laws pets sickened and died on vet-prescribed food, but our pets were fine.
What should I try next? He is extremely active and lean; he doesn’t need any calorie reduction. He could use more fiber in his diet, I think, as sometimes it takes him a long time to finish his morning constitutional. I’m open to trying a different brand of food, although I have a hard time believing he’s not getting what he needs from the Innova Prime. I’m also open to mixing different foods if that would help. What do you think?

[Shasta220]

I’ve never done home made diets, so I’m terribly sorry – I’m not much help. I completely understand though, I have a cat who is ultra picky. She will not touch ANY type of commercial food (we’ve tried dry, canned, flaked, pouched, refrigerated, you name it, she’s turned her nose up at.). We tried offering her nothing but cat food for a week straight, and she probably would have completely starved herself, she would NOT touch it.

She’s picky about her food now even, so she doesn’t get the nutrition she needs, and it’s showing sadly… I’m jumping on this thread to see what some suggestions might be.

The only way I could think of hiding extra nutrition into their food is by grinding it. I know organ meats and raw bones are important in a balanced diet. Maybe buying a supplemental powder (just general vitamins probably) and try adding that, maybe start with just 1/2 day’s worth, as many animals can detect the smell of it and refuse. Omegas are always one of my favorite additions. My dogs get it with fish oils (salmon, sardine, krill, I think even algae would work), and raw eggs – your dogs may prefer the taste of cooked.

Just play around with how much you can get in there without it being too detected. Possibly try coconut oil as well, it has tons of benefits. Try offering them a teaspoon of organic extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil. It’s great for their skin, fur, teeth, digestion, and pretty much everything else! Most dogs like it, too.

Hopefully you’ll be able to figure out something that works out perfectly. Have you tried commercial dehydrated, refridgorated, or raw foods? They already have balanced nutrients, so you wouldn’t need to worry about many supplements.

And yes, dog nutrition is very very confusing. Research and reading forums seems to make it worse, as everyone has their own opinions and experiences… Plus, every dog is different, so what works miracles for my dog might do absolutely nothing for yours. Just keep trying to gain information though, I’m sure you’ll slowly start figuring it out. (I’m new to nutrition myself, but the more I’m on here, the more I learn!)

[Sharon Buchanan]

I just posted this on another thread as part of a larger response. Thought I’d add it to the discussion here.

I’ve been giving Mystery garlic (pest control), and a vitamin C complex (gum health, immune support, antioxidant), from Springtime from the day I brought him home, that hasn’t changed now that he’s on raw. He’s also getting two 825mg capsules of curcumen (variety of cancers, inflammation, among many others), sprinkled on his food and about a tablespoon of coconut oil which I started him on for a skin condition that cleared up in a matter of weeks and continue to give him for a myriad of benefits. I may be adding krill oil to his list of supplements as well.

Patty ~ what’s a supergreen? 3? Is it important to find a bee pollen that is local the way one could get relief from seasonal allergies by eating local honey, or is any bee pollen good for the immune system? Since Mystery is on a full raw diet now, would whole herring, anchovies and sardines be better than the oils (note, I am considering krill oil but only if I can’t find a good source of raw fish)?

[Newfs]

Hi,
mine near 11 monthly Newfoundland is fed Fromm Family Gold and very nicely grows on her (the last bag is Fromm Gold Adult Dog) . Unfortunately the fodder ends, and it is not known when will be the delivery 🙁 . On this period to the fly to change him the fodder. I know that these which to the pre-pond have a content of cereals, but these which are in Poland and do not have cereals, and have a suitable quantity of the limestone {calcium} are in cosmic prices. Please for the prompt which from fodders would be for him best:
– Enova ADULT Breeders BAG GRAIN-FREE SIMPLE!
Complete food without cereal with fresh chicken meat. It can be administered to dogs from 2 months to 7 years old.
food without grains
addition of fresh chicken meat (min. 20%)
contains glucosamine and chondroitin supplement
Ingredients: dried chicken meat (min. 23.3%), fresh chicken meat (min. 20%), potato flour, dried green peas, chicken fat, dried beet pulp, flaxseed, dried egg protein hydrolyzate, dried yeast, fish oil, dried carrots, dried tomato puree, dried seaweed, sodium chloride, glucosamine, chondroitin.
Analytical constituents: crude protein – 31.5%, oils and fats – 19.5%, crude fiber – 3,5%, crude ash – 6,5%, calcium – 1.25%, phosphorus – 0.95% , moisture – 10.0%.
Extras: antioxidants. Dietary supplements in 1 kg of feed: Vitamin A – 15,000 IU Vitamin D3 – 1200 IU Vitamin E – 150 mg Copper (as copper sulphate pentahydrate) – 10 mg.
Analysis
protein: 31.5%
fat: 19.5%
Crude fiber 3.5%
ash 6.5%
humidity 10.0%
omega – 6 2.7%
Chondroitin 250 mg / kg
calcium 1.25%
phosphorus 1.0% – 0.95%
copper 10 mg / kg
selenium 0.2 mg / kg
iodine 2 mg / kg
Vitamin A 15,000 IU / kg
Vitamin D3 1200 IU / kg
Vitamin E 150 IU / kg
Niacin 135 mg / kg
– http://www.enovapetfood.com/photoVideoGallery.aspx?cid=4685&mid=18465
– http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/content/product/chicken-pomegranade
– http://www.farmina.com/?q=en/content/product/nd-ancestral-dog-codfish-orange-31
– http://www.samsfield.com/adult-large
– http://www.samsfield.com/adult-salmon
– http://eshop.fitmin.cz/en/Products/Detail/FITMIN-11210921/Fitmin-dog-Solution-RabbitandRice-13kg
– http://eshop.fitmin.cz/en/Products/Detail/FITMIN-11210921/Fitmin-dog-Solution-SalmonandPotato-13kg
What do you feel about above-fodders ?

[theBCnut]

Coconut oil for its antibacterial, antifungal, gut health, coat health, and a few other properties. I generally stay away from salmon oil and use herring, sardine, or anchovy oil instead because of the heavy metal contamination worry with larger fish. I always feed a supergreen or 3, but I rotate through a few different ones. I always give bee pollen for immune health. And I regularly give a vit E supplement that has all 8 types of vit E. I make my own veggie supplement and I always rotate veggies for it as well as throw in a handful of some kind of berries for antioxidants.

[USA]

Hi Jason

I’m happy to see that you are looking for safer alternatives for flea, tick and mosquito control!

Products like Frontline, Advantix, etc can buildup in the organs of dogs over time so even though you don’t see immediate side effects they are still dangerous. They are also neurotoxins and I am just glad you looking for alternatives!

Indoors
Wash their bedding at least once a week and add Borax (boric acid) to the wash.

Boric acid can also be rubbed into any fabric couches or chairs. Vacuum the cushions and rub the Boric acid into the fabric beneath the cushions.

Outdoors
Beneficial nematodes are effective for flea control. If your dog roams the whole nine acres that is a lot of nematodes you will need (like a billion!). I would do the area around your house no matter what. I prefer to use nematodes in vermiculite (scanmask) rather than nematodes on a sponge. The ones in vermiculite have a shelf life of 2 years, the ones on a sponge are probably dead or dying by the time they are purchased (shelf life of about 4 to 8 weeks).

Keep any vegetation as short as possible if you can. Ticks are usually in vegetation above 2 inches or so.

I don’t know how big your creek is or if there are fish in it but that would be the only place I might look into commercial mosquito control. The chemicals would not be on your dog as long as he doesn’t swim in it.

On your dog.
Bathe at least once a week for flea control. Use a flea shampoo that has essential oils in it. Natural doesn’t mean safe so try a small amount first and see how your pooch does. Just bathing with any shampoo will kill fleas as they will drown.

Essential oils
There are many that will kill and repel fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. I would say that they do not work as well as poisons such as frontline but they will not kill your dog along with the fleas!

Repel Mosquitoes and they smell lemony or floral,
Citronella
Citral
Lemongrass
Geranium oil or Geraniol

Kill fleas and the have a very strong smell. The ones that have a P contain Phenols which are very powerful and carry risks of their own
Clove P
Cinnamon P
Thyme P
Cedar
Peppermint
Rosemary
D limonene and orange oil (also have risks)

Ticks are hard to repel or kill naturally. Inspection is key to natural tick control.

It is best to spray your dog daily with a mixture of oils as applying like frontline requires spreading agents to be used.

Patty – I had to look up “vermifuges”

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by USA.

[theBCnut]

For fish oil, give her a meal of sardines once a week. And see if you can find a multivitamin that you can give her a piece of a couple times a week. You need to make sure sure she gets enough calcium. Bones are usually the way dogs get calcium, but egg shells work great and eggs are healthy for dogs too. Do an internet search for homemade dog food and you will be able to find some recipes that will give you a good idea of what dogs need. Dogaware dot com is a good place to start. Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” is an ebook, if you can get those.

[dachshundmom]

Hello all,

I’m new to the forum, and really excited about all the information I’ve found already. But I have a bit of a unique problem, I think. I have an 8-year old dachshund named Ethel, who spent most of her life on brands that are well-ranked on this site. Last year we (me, Ethel, and her “dad”) to Southeast Asia, for work. We’re living in a big city with a fair amount of foreign goods available, but there are only two imported dog foods: Pedigree and Royal Canin, neither of which are ranked well here. Royal Canin is the better of the two (2.5 stars) but it was the first food that has ever upset her stomach, and the vet asked us to switch off it (to the Pedigree) when blood started appearing in her poop.

I’d like to make my own, and can access all sorts of chicken, beef, pork, fish parts. I can’t, however, buy much in the way of supplements. So…I’ve been using brown rice and leaner meat, mixed with kale or spinach, sweet potato, peas, carrots and other random veggies (Ethel LOVES vegetables, always has). She eats a few sliced apples or mangos a week, instead of dog treats. Her weight has stayed the same (she’s fit) and her coat looks good, and all her tests come back with good results. But I’m winging it. And the “mom” in me is worried that without fish oil pills or glucosamine, I’m doing her major damage. But it’s got to be better than the Pedigree, right?

Does anyone have things I should add in, beyond the stuff mentioned above? If you have weird animal body parts (kidneys? hearts?) that you know of that provide the same things as the supplements people in the US seem to be using, I’d GREATLY appreciate some advice.

Thank you!
Cristina (and Ethel)

[theBCnut]

I finish the bottle first. I use sardine, anchovy, krill, and have recently found algae, and calamari. One of my dogs only gets a meal a week of oily fish, another gets a meal a week of oily fish plus some omega oil 3 days a week, and the third gets a meal a week of oily fish and omega oil every other day(he seems to require more).

[theBCnut]

Oil from small fish is supposed to have less environmental contamination, not just from mercury. I like sardine and anchovy oils. I have definitely jumped on the rotation bandwagon, I rotate my omega 3 sources as regularly as I rotate everything else.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by theBCnut.

[RescueDaneMom]

Jazz lover,

The general concensus is that it is safe to switch over to a food with higher calcium level at 10 months old. Orijen is a really good food. You could try the Orijen Adult when your pup is 10 months old. I also like Acana Regionals (Grain-free), Annamaet Grain-free, and Petcurean Go! Fit & Free Adult.

I give tumeric and omega 3s (fish or krill oil) daily. I buy my tumeric from Swanson’s Vitamins. You can get organic bulk tumeric by Starwest Naturals on their website. See my previous post to Lablubber for the article on Tumeric and dosage. You can give toppers with every meal. I would limit the fish to twice a week. You can also give eggs (cooked or raw) as a topper. You want to exchange the toppers with his food based on calories. Figure out how many calories the topper has and give him that much less food. Say the topper is 100 cal. Figure out how much food you need to remove based on the kcal/cup provided on the bag or website for your kibble. Ex- you would give 1/4 cup less food if your kibble is 400 kcal/cup. I hope I explained that well enough.

As far as what to look for in a food for your dog at 10 months and after is really up to you. I prefer to feed a high protein (30% or higher), grain-free (though not opposed to grain-inclusive if not fed all the time and high quality grains or pseudo-grains like oats, quinoa, or millet), and china-free ingredients (need to contact the manufacturer). I have fed my Great Dane Orijen, Acana, Annamaet, Earthborn Holistic, and Go! Fit & Free with no problems. Others that I would try if I still fed kibble (I feed raw and dehydrated now) are: Dr. Tim’s Kinesis grain-free, Victor GF Ultra Pro, and Timberwolf.

I hope that helps. 🙂

[Jazz Lover]

Sharon, we to have a 9mo (apr 2013) old lab & I’ve been struggling as to which food to switch to from (Euk LBP). He is now in recovery, post Dysplasia/FCP and this is what got me reading. Although, our initial recommend for Euk is from a reputable guide dog trainer, therefore I assumed I must use it! When I began to actually read the ingredients and noticed corn as one of the top, I felt terribly. As I don’t even eat corn.

Jazz is 75/80lbs. He was neutered at time of surgery. He is not a lean as he was pre-surgery (FCP & neuter). He has been on rest for the past 4wks since surgery – no excercise. Very difficult, as he’s a puppy!

You say you switched to Orijen LBP (puppy? correct?) What info do you have as to how long Mystery should stay on puppy, and at what age should one transition to adult (Orijen Adult).

I would prefer to have 2 variety’s of dry and supp w/ topper such as canned, dehydrated, Stella & Chewy’s & sardine’s a few times ea wk. Since 8mo I’ve been using Grizzly Salmon oil. Because he’s still under 2, I don’t feel comfortable adding all kinds of supps, etc. I’d like to identify a good turmeric… although, I’m confused as when to use toppers & fish oil, turmeric & the amount, given I would be combining w/ his regular food. (For example: If he has 4cups of dry, what amt do you reduce when you include a topper (dehydrated, sardines or canned)?

I feel like I’ve just about narrowed my food search to a few brands to further look into, however there’s still confusion as to what I should look for in a food for my Lg Breed from age 9mo after. If there are other food recommends then the LBP that I should venture to please lmk?

[RescueDaneMom]

Lablubber-

I just wanted to say that I didn’t intentionally ignore your post. I tend not to respond unless I feel 100% sure in the advice I can offer. I personally didn’t go through the LBP phase. I adopted my Great Dane when he was 2. I feed a combination of raw and dehydrated but I know that not everyone is comfortable in feeding raw. I fed my boy kibble for 5 years before I started learning about raw.

I think that coconut oil, flax, and fish oil are great supplements to be adding right now. I don’t think it’s wise to give a ton of supplements to puppies right off the bat. Those 3 though are great. The only other thing you might want to consider is digestive enzymes and probiotics if you notice your pup needs a little extra digestive support. I give them to my dog because he’s older. You can also give a little bit of kefir. You can find it in the grocery store. It has 10 strains of probiotics. It’s much better than yogurt. You’d have to feed way more yogurt to get the same probiotic benefit as kefir. Also, I too switch off fish oil with krill oil. I would definitely continue to do that. They don’t need as much krill oil as fish oil because it is more bioavailable so you’ll want to watch your dosage. Here is info on krill oil from Dr. Becker: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/krill-oil-for-pets.aspx

Here is an article from Dr. Becker on using Tumeric: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/12/turmeric.aspx She provides dosage at the bottom. “Small to medium-sized dogs can be given 250 milligrams twice a day, and large to giant breeds should get 500 milligrams two to three times a day.” Here is an article on coconut oil if you haven’t seen it already: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/

If I were feeding kibble from HDM’s list, my top picks would be Earthborn Holistic and Annamaet. I have fed both to my dog and he did really well on them. I haven’t used it but I like the look of Dr. Tim’s. I also used The Honest Kitchen. I’ve been using for almost 6 years now. It’s a dehydrated food that you rehydrate with water before serving. It’s not raw because it has been heated during the dehydration process, though at a lot lower temperature than what kibble is exposed to when being extruded. You can use it as a topper if you want. The Thrive and Love varieties are complete and balanced with the correct Ca/P ratio for a LBP.

[Lablubber]

Hi it’s me again..

I have almost completely finished transitioning over from the food my breeder had my pup on to Blue Chicken and Rice Large Breed Puppy Food with nothing but good results. I have taken a little over a month and 4 days to accomplish that in and his stool are solid and no stomach issues…. Right now I am at 80 % transition 80% BLue/20% Purina Puppy Chow Lg. Breed Food. Right now I am also adding a teaspoon of coconut oil, a teaspoon of ground flaxseed and some fish oil, about 1000mg.

I am not using any toppers except at night for his supper meal and that is canned Blue Puupy Food about a 1/5th to 1/4th of a can. And his coat is shiny and he seems to be doing very well on it…

But for me where my problem arises is from me reading and listening to all of you guys….I almost feel like if I am not alternating out a bunch of different foods and using different kinds of toppers and adding numerous supplements to his food, then it makes me feel like I am shortchanging my dog???

And please believe me….. I have not spared any expense on my part that I know of concerning him and I really do not want to do the raw diet because I have had too many people I know who have had their dogs, get serious bacterial infections from it and some have even died from sluffing off their intestinal lining and dying of anemia before they could be saved by IV feeding and a harsh round of antibiotics.

So for me….This particular dog is just way too valuable for me to ever chance that and believe me I am not here to make any enemies by saying that but I just want you know my logic behind what I am doing with him so far. But then I also have to say this as well and something that I have found out in life myself and some wise words of wisdom and that is this…. Just because someone does something different or feels differently about another idea or approach to your particular way of doing things….Doesn’t neccessarily make them wrong….It just makes them different…! There i said it…My sermon for the day….

So anyway I took painstakingly long with my Labrador Retriever pup after listening to all of you guys and even forsaking what my vet said and changed over to a food that I read about and researched over for many hours and also a food that I had access to, to buy very readily, that I didn’t have to worry about ever running out of even where some of the online food stood the chance of having weather related delays in shipping, that it would not be running. And so I chose a food that I have seen proven to do well with my friend’s large breed dogs. And then I made a just a very few additions to the food, just to make me feel better.

I did as all of you said ion here and I cut out the milk replacer that I had always feed my pups for the first six months of their lives and longer is I saw the need to do so and I did thatimmediately. So anyway…He appears to be doing extremely well. Although he had to have several surgeries yesterday because he had a slight hernia that had to be repaired from a overzealous Lab mother licking him over and over all the time and never letting his navel ever truly heal up right. The he also had a dewclaw removed that either regrew or was missed by the breeder’s vet originally and he also had a place on his leg that had been cut while he was young at the breeder’s kennel that did not grow back right and so my vet did a little cosmetic repair there as well while he was out at no charge and she also micro-chipped him as well while he was out due to the fact that she hates to stick such a big needles in pups at that age if she can help it and so she prefers to have them out at the time of insertion and so she did that procedure as well..

So needless to say, my little fellow was exceptionally glad to see me when he I cam to pick him up….. He came home though like the walking wounded with a front leg dewclaw removed, a back leg, scar tissue repair, a hernia repair and a microchip inserted just at his shoulders along with an antibotic shot just above it, wearing an Elizabethen (sp.) collar to boot, so he was not a very happy puppy last night…. And today he is wired to a tee at work with me here today, needless to say.

So now for the advice part part….. Is the extra stuff I add to his food….The tsp. of coconut oil, the fish oil (which will be changed over to Krill oil when it gets here) and a teaspoon of ground flaxseed meal added to his food twice a day… Does all of that sound good to the ones in the know on here to be adding to his food or is that an over-kill???

Then on the medical part or at least the vaccination part of his regime…. He has had 3 series of shots so far… And I plan on having one more done just to be on the safe side, although my vet. says the 3 completes his regime. Plus he still has his Rabies shot coming up as well…. So does that suffice for his puppy shots being complete or is there anything more I need to be checking into???

I have read quite a few vets who did not reccomend them getting coronavirus or leptospirosis shots anymore(As well as my own vet feels the same way). But for me…Jess will be competing in AKC and UKC Hunter Retriever Trials and therefore he will be around a whole lot of other dogs in close proximity, so I just want to make sure that I have all of my bases covered with him as far as shots, intranasal and any other immunizations that he might need.

I am going to look into get his Lyme and Botedella vaccinations as well, but what is you guys thoughts on a working retriever and his vaccination requirements???

So that is about it today and I know i write very long but I figure if I don’t know, I never will without asking… So thank you for your patience…

Lablubber

[Shasta220]

What you’re doing sounds pretty good. The others have definitely given helpful advice – adding various veggies might help give her a boost of nutrients. I give my dogs raw eggs – straight from our hens, coconut oil, ground flax in their treats, fish oil, and multi-vitamins.

[Akari_32]

I have some good coupons for a few brand of human vitamins, and decided while I was on lunch today, I’d head over to the vitamin section and take a look. I was in the market for fish oil, but came across Nature’s Bounty brand acidophilus and was wondering if you guys had ever used it for your dogs. A google search brings up pretty mixed results– yes it’s good, no it’s not enough– so I was hoping to hear what you guys thought, as well as some good priced alternatives.

[Kmsharp]

I’ve had shih tzus for 30 years and have tried all diets (we eat organic ourselves). Watch out for yeast if problems with dry skin or itching, may be also related to stomach issues. It looks like you can find lots of foods with high ratings here. We sometimes cook for our dogs – ground turkey, oatmeal, some veggies, olive oil. Make a large batch & freeze some – we do this to use all organic products. My dogs also do fine on a high quality dry food & wet food mix. I mix it up, add a bit of eggs when we eat them. One dog was allergic to beef. With a small dog like a shih tzu it’s easy to give them bits of healthy (fish, meat, sweet potato, cheese) leftovers too as a supplement (though some people never spoil their dogs like this!)

Good luck – these are fabulous, loyal, loving dogs!

[pugmomsandy]

I haven’t looked at the recipes you mentioned above, but there are premixes that contain vits/minerals that you can add your own meat/organs and oil to, and they make a complete/balanced meal. Some of these are Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen, Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer. One site’s recipes (homemadedogfood.com) uses DinoVite and a fish oil to make a meal complete. Dr Karen Becker’s recipe book contains a recipe for a vitamin mix. You’d have to buy some vitamins and grind them up and this can be done in bulk every couple months depending on how much food you make.

[FreeholdHound]

Ps) Harry can’t have Salmon or White Fish but he does fine with Sardine/Anchovy oil, sardines, & Coconut oil. I don’t use every day. And I started out SLOWLY or it would go right thru him.

[Walt]

Hello,

I’m a new member and wanted to ask your opinions on dog food for our wire hair Terrier Mix (25 lbs – Smooch). He was on Orijen adult and did well for quite awhile and then started having stomach issues; stomach making noises, gassy, lethargic., runny/soft stools. Smooch has been known to eat anything on the ground, rabbit poop, acorns, etc. This might have been an isolated incident, we are not sure. Vet put him on antibiotics and prescription food and he finally got better (took awhile though). Put him NV chicken raw boost dry and he started scratching more often, I then had a saliva test for food sensitivities by Dr. Dodd and it came back with Smooch being sensitive to most foods. According to this test, the only meat proteins that Smooch can tolerate are Beef/Lamb and white fish. The NV contained chicken and turkey, not good according to test. Put him on NV limited ingredient Lamb and he is doing good, but he poops more often and his poop consist of several small/harder pieces (is this good?). He is still scratching. I started giving him fish oil (sardines/anchovies) daily hoping this will help his scratching but not sure if this is good since test revealed sensitivity to Salmon.. In your opinion, are these type tests accurate? Like everyone on this site, we just want to make good decisions for our dog. Any advice on food for Smooch would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Walt

[theBCnut]

Not all fish oils have too much vit A, cod liver oil is known for that. Vit E is used to stablize many fish oils so you should check yours first, especially tubes and pumps.

The dosage for vit E is
<25lbs 50-100IU/day
25-50lbs 100-200IU/day
50-75lbs 200-300IU/day
75-100lbs 300-400IU/day
>100lbs 400IU/day

Older fish oils will have used up the Vit E used to stabilize it, so that’s why using capsules is usually recommended, but either way always make sure your fish oil is fresh.

The other thing to keep in mind is that there are actually 8 different vit Es, most supplements only have the 4 tocopherols. NOW Foods has a Gamma E complex that actually has all 8 Es in it.