[USA]

Hi GizmoMom,

The reason fish have Omega 3’s is because they eat algae that is high in Omega 3’s. There are now Omega 3 supplements made from Algae. Search online for omega 3 algae oil and go from there. It is the same forms of Omega 3 (EPA and DHA) as the different fish oils so it will be well absorbed and it is not from fish!

Coconut oil is good for it’s antifungal qualities and dogs usually like the taste of it. I think that EPA and DHA Omega 3’s are the best supplement for a dogs skin, coat and brain as well as having anti-inflammatory and anti-depressant effects. Coconut oi is a great supplement for a dog with yeasty fungally skin.

Omega 6’s like Olive and other Vegetable oils are usually plentiful in a dog’s diet, so as long as you rotate Meats, Fish, Poultry, Veggies and Fruits you should be fine in the Omega 6 category.

Good Luck!!!

[theBCnut]

I would definitely use it. I don’t think I would make it my dogs exclusive diet, but I would definitely use it. Add fish oil or some other source of quality omega 3s.

[GizmoMom]

Thanks Pugmomsandy. The first fish oil I tried on him contains anchovy and sardine. His eyes got really red and he was scratching at them. Same thing happened with the salmon oil. I guess no more fish oil for him.

I am giving him coconut oil. Do I need to add olive oil?

[pugmomsandy]

Nature’s Logic has a sardine oil and I think you can buy anchovy oil as well. But if fish oil is out of the question, then my next oil would be to use olive oil and coconut oil, rotate with Udo’s oil (or similar).

[GizmoMom]

Just got my order of See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix in the mail. What kind of oil can I add to the mix other than fish oil/salmon oil? My dog is allergic to fish oil and salmon oil. I think he’s also allergic/intolerant to fish.

Do I need to gradually switch the food? He’s been on THK Preference with cooked ground bison for about 3 weeks. Before this he was on K9 Natural freeze dried lamb, K9 Natural freeze dried venison and Wysong Epigen 90. And before this he was on many brands of premade raw. I’ve also tried PMR, but can’t keep up with it due to freezer space.

[Shasta220]

Sorry, it’s not about my dog.

I’m wondering what the key ingredients are in a cat food that make them worthy of being called “hairball” or “indoor” formula. I’ve always been skeptical of the indoor foods, assuming they’d be full of more fillers and fewer fats/proteins/calories. Then I took a can of Natural Balance indoor and compared it to a different variety – calorie count seemed to be the same…

Our Maddy suffers from hair balls regularly (maybe 2-4 times monthly?), but I don’t want to invest in a hairball formula until #1. What ingredients qualify it as “hairball” #2. Will it really work?

Right now, Maddy is on Cat Lovers Gold dry and she gets 1-3tbsp (as much as I can get her to eat.) Natural Balance canned daily.

Should I try adding some fish oil into her canned and see if she accepts it? Right now, she gets a little brewers yeast tablet daily.

[Shasta220]

Did the dandruff happen right after the bath? My lab gets dandruff after her baths too (the only shampoos that don’t cause dandruff are WAY too mellow….they get zero cleaning accomplished). Since I only bathe her once every 1-2mo, the dandruff doesn’t cause any redness/irritation/itching, and it goes away in a day or two.
If it’s not bathing, maybe adding some fish and/or coconut oil into his diet? I do that for my dogs if their coat seems to be getting dry or flaky. Like whenever I know I’m going to bathe Cassy, I give her an extra dose of oil for about a week before and after the bath, just to make sure her skin keeps producing her balancing oils.

[scottNY]

Late response, sorry, but thanks Losul and others. Before I buy the Iceland Pure, which would be my next option, I want to get your opinion and direction on what I am doing now. I personally take NaureMade Fish Oil. I chose that brand after reading reviews, seeing that they are USP/GMP approved and are a very economical choice. Each 2 capsules provide:

Omega-3 EPA – 360 mg
Omega-3 DPA – 240 mg
Omega-3 Other – 120 mg

I take 3 a day, but have been giving my 70 lb, 1 yr old Pit mix 1 capsule a day. I mix it in with some wet food [I rotate between 5 Star canned foods from the HDM food list] and he just swallows the pill right down.

So:

1 – is this a good option?
2 – if so, is this the right dosage?
3 – is the Iceland Pure a much better option? He is a very picky eater so I am concerned that it could turn out to be another waste of money.

Thanks!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by scottNY.

[Susan]

When we are pregnant some of us feel sick, she may be feeling sick after eating the Acana Pacifica, try changing the flavour instead of the fish, Is there Duck, something not fishy maybe after she gives birth try the fish again..Make her a meal boil chicken breast & boiled rice or potatoes or some sweet potatoes, Dont add the Acana kibble as if this is making her sick then mixing it will still make her feel sick still.

[Shasta220]

It more than likely is related to food, possibly environment. TotW is okay food, but I usually have found better quality food at the same price, if not, cheaper. Not always is grain-free food /the/ best, dogs often have intolerances to potatoes, other fruits/veggies, chicken, and occasionally even fish. I’d try some of the above suggestions for food, and maybe try adding plenty of fish oil to his diet (assuming he has no problems w fish…There are many vegetarian oils that work almost as well. Coconut and flax are two of my favorites for the dogs, they also get raw eggs regularly).

I wouldn’t recommend using the borax/peroxide, that might make him even worse, as Borax often causes “burning” to sensitive skin. If his problem is mange, and I doubt it is, the vet would sponge him down all over w medicine.

If there’s any possibility, I’d try doing the BARF diet (bones and raw food) for a while, that way you would know /exactly/ what’s going into his system, and you could customize it to give him optimal results! It’s a bit tricky and overwhelming to start the BARF diet, but the raw diet forums on here would probably get you to a great head start.
The raw diet might not nessicarily work though – I know a sensitive pooch who would get all red and inflamed whenever he was on raw.

I’m really sorry you have to deal with these problems, I’ve gone through skin issues a few times (it was with my lab, Otitis is the name.), it is definitely one of my LEAST favorite health issues to deal with – hands down!

Hopefully you’ll figure out the problem and get him back in good shape soon!

[GizmoMom]

JASTECH, Thanks. I know I can release his AG manually. I prefer not to do it though. I usually take him to the groomer to get it done when needed.

RescueDaneMom, Thanks. I contacted THK and they said I can double the meat if I wanted to. As long as the meat stay within the recommended ratio (min. 1:1, max. 2:1), the balance will still be there.

Another question I have is the meat I add too lean? The bison I’m using is 10% fat. His coat has been drier than usual. Should I use meat with more fat? Maybe 15% or 20%.

I just started adding coconut oil to his food to see if it helps.

I think Gizmo is allergic to fish oil and salmon oil. When I gave him fish oil, his eyes would turn red and he tries to scratch them. Same with salmon oil.

I haven’t try flax oil. Not sure if he’s allergic.

[Akari_32]

Another update 🙂

I’ve introduced the Purina One Beyond to Haley’s diet, one of the small bags to the rest of her food. Totals about 15 pounds of food– it did, anyways. Its been a few days, and I *think* Dweezle got into it, because I don’t think I’ve used half of all that food since I added it! He’s not been wanting to sleep in the bed room, and I heard him snooping around in the kitchen the other night… Plus he’s looking a bit pudgy lol

I also added the last bag of the Wellness CORE Ocean Fish to the mix. Anyways, she’s doing good on the One Beyond, so I’ll add the other small bag soon, and when thats done, she’ll be on half Wellness CORE Original, and half One Beyond. I may actually do more like 60/40, CORE and One Beyond. I’m still weary about out last experience with One Beyond… I dunno yet.

I’m also back to walking her several times a week, with no extra feeding, and no problems at all. Yay! As for as weight goes, she’s keeping steady at just under (visually– I haven’t actually weighed her) an “ideal” weight. Honestly, I think I’m going to keep her there. Her hips have been giving her some troubles with this colder weather, and I don’t want to bother them more by putting more weight on them (she’s tripped a few times on uneven ground on walks, and gone down butt-first, otherwise its usually just a little stiffness after laying down for long periods). She’s a little lean, but she certainly doesn’t look or act starved, and has been super perky. She’s eating about 2.5 cups of dry food, right now, plus half a can of Pro Plan, an egg (sometimes whole, sometimes just the insides), and a hot dog almost every night. Plus her vitamins, glucosamine, and fish oil, which I’ve dropped to one every night or so, since she’s on fish-based food. She’s do for shots soon, so I’ll see what the vet says about her weight.

[Mom2Cavs]

Okay…I’ll go. Warning! It’s gonna be a long post LOL!

Lucy Mae – 12.5 year old adopted from a no-kill shelter 11.5 years ago. She’s a mix of Poodle/French Brittany/Chihuahua (finally did a DNA on her), is black and white and looks like a small Border Collie. She’s always weighed in at 24-25 lbs. According to the shelter she was found running in the road (by the shelter President on her way to work), was covered with dirt, oil, mud. She was only in the shelter a month when we adopted her. Didn’t know anything about dogs really and went looking for a puppy with the kids (14 and 12). My husband and I had always had cats. Anyway, we saw Lucy and decided to visit with her. I liked her looks and she was a smaller dog. She immediately put her paw on my leg in the visiting room! We also had a puppy brought in, which proceeded to jump all over Lucy, and wee in the middle of the floor LOL! Lucy was just very quiet and kept up with the paw….so the rest is history hahaha. The shelter was calling her Mae, because that was the month she came to them. They had another May…so. I didn’t especially like the name Mae for a first name (and I always give my animals middle names) so we decided on Lucy Mae. Lucy has done agility work/beginner competitions with me and rally obedience competitions (which she liked and did the best in). She has also been my demo dog when I’ve taught beginner obedience classes. Her temperament, however, has always been so-so. She didn’t know how to climb steps, or walk on carpet when we adopted her. She’s very protective of our house and tends to not like many other dogs, except her Cavvie ladies of course. I have been known to put a yellow ribbon on her leash when out and about, and at the dog club. About a year ago, Lucy developed a mass on her bladder. We decided no surgery (due to her acting very normal and her age). But, I feel it did undermine her immune system and this past Nov./Dec. she developed a very rare form of canine skin cancer called CETL (cutaneous epitheliotropic t-cell lymphoma). It only happens to old dogs (beginning around age 9 and up), no one knows what causes it, no treatments seem to help it and the prognosis is poor (6 mos. to 2 yrs. at most). Also, the dogs don’t seem to be bothered by it much and tend not to die with it per se, and usually the owner has to make the decision to put the dog down due to quality of life. We are taking Lucy Mae one day at a time now and have been blessed with her all these years!! She’s one great dog!

Hazel Louise – a 6.5 year old Black and Tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I will give a back story here: When my kids got older and didn’t need me as much I took a part time, 2 day a week, job at a local pet specialty store (which is now a Petco due to a buyout). I feel God led me to the job as it “fell into my lap”, so to speak. This is also where I became knowledgeable about pet nutrition. I had always wanted to do pet therapy work but my mixed breeds (Lucy and Desi (rip)) were not suited in temperament for it. One day I met a breeder of Cavaliers who came into the store monthly to buy their food. She said she had a 5 year old retired show champion that she would love to rehome, if she found the right one…..so….after a few more meetings with her, I finally went to her kennel and met Stella Agnes, my first Cavalier (a Blenheim). Stella was wonderful and I immediately had her certified to be a therapy dog with TDI. We did this for 5 years until Stella could no longer do it and I had a back issue. Stella passed away this past January 13, 2013 at 12 years of age, rip. While Stella was about 7 or 8 the breeder called me to say she had another Cavalier…Hazel, who was 2 years at the time, who she wanted to rehome. Hazel and her brother were purchased from a breeder in England to enhance my friend’s breeding line. When they took all the dogs to Ohio State to be seen by the specialists for testing, Hazel didn’t pass. She had a mild heart murmur, which is prevalent in Cavaliers. Even though she was going to be okay the breeder could not breed her. So, they didn’t really show her either. At age 2 they decided to give her a good home as a beloved pet, so she came to me! She did some therapy visits with me and Stella and did well on them…she’s a shyer dog, though. I was going to get her certified, but when I retired Stella I decided to just wait on it. Hazel is a great dog!!! She is so loving, and she is definitely my shadow. She is my best eater and though she tends to have dry skin in the winter, she is beautiful and shiny with a fish oil supplement. She weighs 19 lbs. and I keep her a perfect weight due to her murmur issue. She is not on any meds and the murmur hasn’t changed since she was 2, thank goodness! She is now certified as a therapy dog and does better than I’d expected due to her being a shyer dog. She has really come in to her own with it. I love Hazel Louise (Hazie as I like to call her) and I hope she continues to do well healthwise….she’s a very special dog!

Laverne Marie – Vernie (my nickname for her) is an 8.5 year old Ruby Cavalier who weighs 17 lbs. She came into our household 2.5 years ago right after my mixed breed Shih-Poo, Desi, passed away. I like to say he sent her to us, as she has some of his characteristics (only the good ones, thank goodness, as he was quite the stinker, lol). Anyway, when my Desi passed my husband told me to contact the breeder to see if she had a dog I could adopt. I wasn’t too sure yet but went ahead and made the call. She had one, Laverne, but she was actually promised to a couple where the wife had M.S. to be a companion for her. I was bummed but knew that perhaps it was for the best. However, God had other plans, and about a week later the breeder called me to say that the wife did not want Laverne and the husband didn’t want to keep her either, so they were returning her! She said she should’ve just given her to me in the first place :). I took Laverne home and she fit right in!! I now had 3 Cavaliers (Stella was still with us then) and Lucy Mae. I was in heaven! I joked the only thing I needed was a Tri and then I’d have a matched set. When Stella passed away, I started feeling like I should get back into therapy dog work. I also knew that Laverne would be great at it. She is actually from the breeder’s own kennel and has quite the personality, and is still loved by them, as is Hazel. We keep in touch still. She had 2 litters before I got her and was retired from show at age 6, the March before I adopted her in Sept. She is quite the jokester and is one of the lights of our lives! Very special dog indeed. I found a TDI testor and had Laverne certified this past Feb. 2013. In March 2013 Hazel was officially certified, as well. Now we visit a local hospital, library reading program and nursing homes. It is very fulfilling. Laverne and Hazel actually have the same birthday, Aug. 16th, and they are 2 years apart. For one of Laverne’s litters she was mated to Hazel’s brother, so they are sisters and sisters-in-law hahahahaha! I will always have a Cavalier from now on. If God deems it that I have another one while Lucy’s still alive, then that’s wonderful. If not, then I will actively seek another one (or two) when Lucy goes to the bridge. Btw, Lucy does like the Cavs…..sometimes I think she thinks they’re little divas lol. She is the alpha and lets them know it, but she loves them and takes care of them, too. 🙂

Princess Di – My Princie is going on 9 years old and is a Tortoise Shell cat who thinks she’s a dog! Princess first came into my oldest daughter’s life when she decided she needed a cat for company. She lived in Lima, Ohio at the time and was teaching H.S. math there. She didn’t have family close so she was sometimes lonely. One day I visited and we went to the local cat no-kill shelter. Princess had been there for around a year and a half! We adopted Princess (her name at the shelter, too) because she was very friendly and actually wanted to just stay on Erin’s lap the entire visiting time lol. Erin thought about changing her name but kept it when she found a food bowl at the pet store with Princess written inside of it …fate you know lol. Well, eventually Erin moved back to Bowling Green, Ohio where her fiancé was. But, she was moving in with some girlfriends and they couldn’t have pets. She asked me and her dad to keep Princess for her until she could take her back. I told her fine, but she needed to know that her dad would probably not give Princess back when that time came. He is definitely a cat lover. As you guessed it, he wouldn’t give her back! Now Erin has 2 other cats (Sheldon and Penny) and the rest is history. Princie gets along fine with the dogs and comes running when it’s dinner or treat time, just like they do! Very affectionate cat and very loved by all. 🙂

Now, I know this was long-winded and thanks if you read this far. I just wanted to tell you all the whole story. Bless you all!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[theBCnut]

Try giving her a dose of fish oil daily for a while and see if that helps. If she still needs more then add coconut oil too.

[staxgrl]

Hey gang! I’ve been a reader for several months, but I’m just now ready to start making up my boys’ diets from scratch. I have 2 st. bernard/pyrenees mixes who are about 95 lbs each and a mutt who is about 45lbs. Big boys are 16 months-ish, little guy is around 9 months. Right now the big ones eat about 1600 calories a day and the little one eats around 750. I am happy with everyone’s weight, everybody has a nice tummy tuck and I can feel ribs under my fingers 🙂
Here are my planned menus, I am going to try and rotate in pork hearts and pork necks as well since those are readily available in bulk from my butcher. For now, I am out of room in my garage freezer 🙂 That said, I so appreciate/value your feedback on this. I know how much time and energy it takes to read through all the opinions/information on homemade raw diets, and your expertise is honestly priceless. I am so grateful for this forum. Here goes:

Hagrid/Ludo (95lb dogs)
1 large chicken quarter, bone-in (~1lb)
½ lb (8oz) gizzards
½ lb (8oz) heart
1oz liver
1oz kidney
2 eggs
¼ cup greek yogurt
2 cubes veggie blend
2 crushed multivitamins (one a day)
2 fish oil capsules (1200mg each)
200IU vitamin E (or 400IU every other day)

Debian (45lb dog)
1 small chicken quarter/drumstick (~1/2 lb)
¼ lb gizzards (4oz)
¼ lb heart (4oz)
½ oz liver
½ oz kidney
1 egg
1/8 cup greek yogurt
1 cube veggie blend
1 crushed multivitamin (one a day)
1 fish oil capsule (1200mg)
100IU vitamin E (or 200IU every other day)

veggie blend (steamed/blended and divided into ice cube trays):
2 bunches kale
1/2 lb carrots
1 apple
1 banana
1 sweet potato
4oz alfalfa sprouts

The menu is for a total day, it would be split up into 2 meals. I know that’s a kind of high percentage of heart, so I wanted to know if there were any opinions on that? And what about the veggie blend? This is a really simple recipe so I’m adding multivitamins to hopefully take care of any deficiencies. Thanks!

[theBCnut]

One of my dogs does great with a dose of flax in his food, it still counts as extra oil, I just also add fish oil.

[Shasta220]

Gosh I really didn’t know that about flax! I’ll still give it to the dogs in their home made treats, but I’ll be sure to keep a drizzle of fish oil in their daily food! Thanks, Patty. =)

[theBCnut]

Just google vitamin A toxicosis and vitamin D toxicosis. Both affect how the body uses calcium and can cause severe problems.

[Naturella]

Patty,

Oh, I didn’t know that! I will certainly watch how much I give Bruno. He hasn’t had any for over a month now. Do you know what the vitamin A and/or D surplus can cause and what symptoms of it I need to watch for?

Thanks!

[theBCnut]

You have to be careful with cod liver oil. It can cause excesses of fat soluable vitamins like A and D.

[Naturella]

For about a month I was giving my 12-ish lb Jack-Rat Terrier a tsp of mushed up canned cod liver in fish oil every other day with his breakfast. He LOVED it! On the days of no fish liver and oil he got a mix of cooked and raw beef liver. He looked and felt amazing, and nowadays he is on raw, unrefined coconut butter (ground up coconut flesh and oils) every other day with breakfast. He loves that too, and people keep commenting on how soft he is.

His coat has been very shiny since I switched him to Blue Buffalo Wilderness Puppy a month after my boyfriend and I got him, but I am not sure if it was that food or the fish skins he got in combination with it. So if fish oil worries you, you can always try the Beams or Wishes by THK (I think?). I need to get Bruno some more, and more cod liver, and alternate them and the coconut butter every few days. 🙂

[theBCnut]

Dogs don’t convert the ALA in flax to the DHA that they need very well, only about 15%.

[Shasta220]

You can buy expensive, special-formulated supplements (I’m sure the vet could help out), but I’m always on a tight budget. If fish oil doesn’t work out for a dog, then I use either flax oil or ground flax. Flax oil is about the same price as fish, and has pretty much the same amount of nutrients. I’m not sure how much ground flax would match up to say a tsp of fish oil, but it certainly is cheap. You can buy bags of flax for 1-3$ and grind it yourself.

I hope you can get onto something that works out for your dog! Don’t go overboard, either… I know a dog owner who takes WONDERFUL care of her girls, who are 12 and 13y.o. But they still go for daily runs, and they get NutriSource GF. She makes only one mistake with them: I always notice they’re virtually odor-free when I pet them – a sign of a good diet – but they tend to feel a bit oily. The reason for that is they get 1tbsp olive oil daily AND 4 fish oil pills…(her dogs are average size too. Collie and lab/b.collie) I’d never feed more than 2 fish oils to my dogs daily.

[JASTECH]

Codex, in order to dial it in per say, what breed, age, ect is your dog? You are feeding grain free Fromm S&T, let us know the information on doggie to better assist you.

[theBCnut]

The price of the food doesn’t matter if it is a food intolerance, the particular ingredient does. It is definitely not a case of overwashing, you could even wash weekly. It’s called seborrhea, and is often associated with allergies and other skin irritations. It is an overproduction of body oils. Try comparing ingredient lists of the foods that you know he did well on with those that you know made him stink. My dog reacts to chicken and many grains, those were easy to figure out, but he’s also reactive to tomato, that was a bit harder to figure out. Others have had dogs thay react to chick peas, peas, fish, potatoes, you name it. Some of the ingredients are found in better foods, but rare in the cheap ones, go figure.

[Blue8091]

I wanted to follow up – after reading and making my head swim, I read my own post. That old adage – if it’s not broken, don’t fix it came to mind. Loki threw up again after eating this morning (within minutes). I took all of the unopened Bravo frozen product back to the store and came home with more Urban Wolf – currently have the stove going!! I have to acknowledge that at 8.5 yrs old and getting a perfect health score for his annual exam, I will just grin and bear the labor intensive cooking/bagging once every six weeks, because I love my dog more than I hate the time I spend making his food!!! I don’t serve completely raw – I cook everything (except beef livers 2 mins/each side in water just barely covering) to about 50%. The only modification I’ve made in the last 2 years was to cut the sunflower oil by 50%. I calculated the price out to about $66 per month, everything included. I don’t add fish oils, I add canned salmon. This time I purchased the giant bag for $125.00 and it should last me 6 months. I no longer have to give him allergy medication so it’s all good! I guess this thread turned into a recommendation for Urban Wolf, which we are now heading into our 3rd year using. I can’t ask for anything more than having a healthy dog!!

[Shasta220]

Shasta is about 6y.o. He never used to smell bad (other than an average “doggie” scent, of course!)… But the past few months, he’s had a constant odor. Bathing helps a little (I usually use Dawn mixed with some organic rosemary-mint shampoo, then follow w a conditioner so his fur doesn’t get flaky), but even if I let the shampoo sit for 5-10min, I can smell faint amounts of the foul smell. I also doubt it’s anything to do with his food, he was on dog chow back when he didn’t stink at all…now he’s on Diamond naturals and still stinks.

Are there any supplements that help with odor? We tried Brewers yeast, Fish oil, and raw eggs. None helped any.

I also can’t afford much to be honest, I already have 3 dogs, cats, a cow, a pony, chickens, and ducks to feed…not much wiggle room in the budget.

[Blue8091]

Hi PugsMomSandy!
I realize I should have posted in the raw category. Thanks so much for your suggestions. I am especially drawn to See Spot Live Longer dinner mixes. It’s strikingly similar to Urban Wolf but much simpler. If I didn’t use the sardines – exactly how would I add the fish oils? Would canned pink salmon work? I had a system going – make one large batch (80-88 servings) which I would divide 14 servings into a 1 gallon freezer bag. I’d withdraw 2 from the freezer daily (ready for the next day). I was never exactly sure how long until fish (salmon or chub) would go bad in fridge. I add a small bit of beef broth and pop in the microwave for about 15 secs to take the chill off. The price point is excellent – just need to figure out how many lbs of beef! Does your lil pug eat SSLL?

[Jujubeez]

I am up at 4am with my (non champion, rescued from a craphole as a puppy) 11 year old pitty, Nemo. I was just about to write your same post! My guy is on Blue Basics and seems to be the worst he’s ever been. He was shaking his head and crying from frustration as well. I noticed his skin is shedding thick, pasty scaled. Almost like wax. That’s new, especially on his back. I’ve given him some Benadryl and leftover ativan (from the vet!!! He was mauled over the summer and his recovery was so bad he couldn’t lay on his side to sleep 🙁 )

I am here, now trolling your post looking for some new ideas.

I’ve been off my game with two sick human kids but normally I do:

Greek Yogurt
Powdered probiotics (the kind kept in the fridge) added to the yogurt
And FISH OIL FISH OIL FISH OIL!!! I just buy caplets and he eats them like treats. You can also add it liquid style to some boiled eggs or yogurt.

Yeast is triggered when the dogs natural bacteria is thrown off, leaving no “fighter” bacteria to kill off excessive fungi. This is typical after antibiotics, induction to an allergen or sometimes just a weather change and climate. Either way, you need to get that good bacteria back in your baby to regulate the yeast.

I KNOW I need to get his routine back in order but this food is just worth its weight in crap for what it costs. Other, similar minded brands sell products of a higher overall quality.

Anyway, if anyone knows how to instantly SOOTHE the rash and scaling/ear junk while the new diet/supplements take effect, let me know! I can;t stand to see him suffer while we wait for his gut to catch up to his body 🙁

Good luck with your baby and I hope maybe one of my tricks helps!!!

[JASTECH]

I too agree, stay far away from Hills and Eek, Aims and the like. I rotate variety within the main feed of my yard of 15+. They have been on Fromm a long time. I still feed raw a day or more a week as a good change and add fish oil and milk thistle to it.

[ScottsMomma]

Thank you all for the replies-as of right now, I’m doing a homecooked diet for him-which he loves. Still doing the fish oil. He is still itchy, shakes his body. Energy wise-he is one crazy dog-loves to play fetch, flies thru the house, etc. I’ve run my hands thru his fur and do not see anything alarming, no red spots, no bumps, no critters-just some dandruff. I’ve read that terriers can be prone to skin issues. Really hoping that a better diet and the continued use of oils will help with the dryness.

[kate]

I’m at my wits end trying to combat dermatitis in a foster English setter. She is greatly improved since Oct. when she came to me, but still itchy. Medicated shampoos, antibiotics, antifungals, and 2 steroid shots helped but still has skin issues. She is on Natural Balance LID fish and potato (grain free). Should I be avoiding potato? Would peas be better? I’ve read that sugars AND starches can feed yeast. Also, someone suggested adding apple cider vinegar and coconut oil to her food. Has anyone had success using natural remedies? And what bagged foods would you suggest? I’ve always fed grain free, chicken free. I’d hoped that Van Pattens would do the trick, but it hasn’t so far.

[Shihtzumom20]

Hi ScottsMomma! Thanks for rescuing a dog, he will be thanking you to! Seeing as you mentioned raw I would say that would be a great way to go! Raw should really help with any allergies and you can really customize the meal plan, anything that doesnt seem to sit well with him, you can simply move on to another protein. My shih tzu loves raw, its amazing how he took to it, and I am sure your terrier will love it too. While you are researching how to balance, Hound Dog Mom is the best for explaining that!, you can start with a pre-made raw or do a pre-mix in which you add your own meat to it. There is a great section for pre-made raw dog food here to help you choose the best, but I think a lot of people use Primal and Stella & Chewys I would to if I could get it! I have used Nature`s Variety and think its ok, Dawson loves it and he does well on it, but I like making my own then you know exactly what you put into it. But when I get busy I still use it.
For pre-mixes I know of a few, Urban Wolf, Honest Kitchen The Preference, Grandma Lucys makes one, Sojos I believe makes one, and one I think its called Steves Real Food, or something like that. I havent used them as Dawson doesnt really do so well on high potatoes, and urban wolf is the only one I can find here.
Check out the raw dog food forum, lots and lots of great help and questions that have already been answered. Here is a link /forums/forum/raw-dog-food-forum/
Oh and for the skin and dandruff, You can use coconut oil and a fish oil, I like to use krill oil, Here is an article from the whole dog journal on dosage:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_9/features/Fish-Oil-Supplements-For-Dogs_20600-1.html
But now I five Dawson sardines instead of the krill oil, its cheaper and a whole food source he loves sardines!
And then coconut oil is half a teaspoon per ten pounds. I give Dawson his sardine requirements once weekly, so thursday, and then coconut oil every day, but you can do it however works best. I believe some people do every other day.
I hope this helps some! It is overwhelming when you first start, but its so much better for your dog than any kibble or canned food. I know more people with more knowledge than me will chime in!

[ScottsMomma]

We recently adopted a terrier mix from our local Humane Society. He is my first dog-knew nothing about food so we just picked up the standard Kibbles & Bits for him which he ate just fine. Noticed on his second day with us, how much he was scratching; neck area, face, biting along his legs & paws. Took him in for a visit, was told he had dry skin, to try fish oil, also started reading up on dog food and picked up Earth’s Pride Grain free Duck & Vegetable. He is eating that just fine, no issues with messy stool (does have some gas) not bringing anything up. Took him back today since he has also been shaking his head along with the scratching, doc looked in his ears, said they were clear-just looked irritated. Said it is most likely allergies-which is what I suspect-but allergies to what? We live in Maryland so pollen is not an issue right now-possibly dust? Or food-how do you tell? His fur is nice & soft, but skin is dry and he has some dandruff. No major sneezing or coughing. I’m at a loss as to what to do. Doc gave me a med. called Prednistabs and a drop for his ears. I don’t know weather to try a different food with less ingredients, try Raw (does a raw diet help with both food & inhalant allergies)

[theBCnut]

Abady isn’t rated here but they do have high calorie foods. Victor Ultra Pro and Nature’s Variety Instinct are lower but still high. You can get some fish oil and add a dose and coconut oil too.

[wallyworld]

Hi,
I’m worrying myself to death and don’t know where to turn. I have a 70lb. Goldendoodle that will be 1 yr this month. I have been very careful about the food I feed, watching calcium, calories etc. I am aware of HDM’s LBP food list. Since he was a few months old he has clicking sounds from either his hips or knees and his feet make a popping sound sometimes when walking on carpet. Taken him to 2 diff vets and both say he seems fine, don’t worry unless he shows serious problems and X-rays can’t be ‘verified’ until 2 years of age. I worry about everything with him and notice the slightest changes whether they are anything or not. I will be starting a joint supplement and fish/coconut oil. I don’t have the money to get comprehensive testing done or to keep taking him to vets that tell me the same thing. He seems to walk fine but today I thought I noticed he was laying on one side more than the other and I thought I noticed him walking with a straighter left rear leg. I may be worrying over nothing but I’m not sure. I lost my little dog last year suddenly to syringomyelia and was traumatized by the whole event. I just need some reassurance or advice!

[theBCnut]

The oils in fish based foods are not fresh, so that would not make me cut out the added fresh oils. But I might cut back on the amount.

[Akari_32]

Just curious, since I have Haley on a fish based food right now, should I maybe cut back on giving her fish oil? The mix is maybe 1/3 CORE Ocean Fish. I usually give her 2 fish oil pills a day (can’t find the dose on the bottle for the life of me! The directions say, for an adult human, three daily, one with each meal). Some times I don’t ive her any vitamins because I don’t want to deal with it, but she gets all her vitamins at least 3 times a week. She doing really good with her weight, so I don’t worry too much with the vitamins any more.

But I did walk her the other day since she’s been doing so well, the first time in a month or so. It wasn’t a fast walk or anything (not fast for me, anyways, but the dogs had a good trot going most of the time), but it was pretty long, 20-30 minutes, which is our usual length. I fed her how much food she’s been getting, which has been keeping her weight steady, just to what would happen, and she did loose some weight after that. In fact, I noticed a difference before and after our walk. I’ll try about like 1/2 cup more next time and see what happens. But any thoughts on that?

[Melissaandcrew]

I used to feed my liver dog Wellness whitefish and potato alternating with Fromm whitefish. He did really well on it and seemed to hold his weight as well as have his condition under control. When he would get picky, I would add boiled whitefish or chicken(on occasion) to encourage him to eat.

[theBCnut]

You can add fish oil and coconut oil to the foods to increase calories. Abady has a food that is 800 calories per cup and Victor Ultra Pro has 600 calories per cup, but I don’t know if you will be able to find them where you are. Can you get Nature’s Variety Instinct or Orijen, they are higher calorie too, though not as high as Abady or Victor.

[Susan]

To me the tomato pomace would be an acid, like the fruit. (As you can tell I have a lot to learn about dog food ingredients.) One of my dogs will get a gurgling sound in his stomach which makes him feel bad. I thought it was from the fruit, but now could be tomato pomace. Also, I think the fish meal/oil in dog food is a good ingredient, but they can also get an imbalance of these ingredients also causing upset stomachs. The type and origin of ingredients is also important. With my little dogs, one dauchshund mix in particular, I have to watch the fiber or she will have anal gland issues. So far organic pumpkin does the trick. Having small dogs has really been an eye opener for me as to dog nutrition.
Bottom line- I am a believer in food rotation to keep the balance. Thanks for everyone’s help!
Demon really does fit!

[theBCnut]

DinOvite is a supplement that only needs ground meat, whole eggs, and fish oil added to it. You can also add rice if you want to.

You can get Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” for help on how the balance a dogs diet. There is also Dr Karen Becker’s book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats.”

[ECSGuy]

We switched our two ECS boys over to raw back in May/June of 2013. Since most all of the Kibble the we had tried was recalled for one thing or another, and we noted changes in the frozen variety of BilJac we had fed for years.

We are now feeding raw and rotating Duck with bone, Venison with bone, Beef, Beef with bone. I also supplement with SoJo dehydrated Vegitables 1 or 2 tablespoons/meal, fish oil for Omega 3-6 and coconut oil for their skin and coat (mornings coconut oil and evenings fish oil).

If you are going to continue to feed a raw or homemade diet, I’d suggest a book by Lew Olsen PhD titled Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs; available on Amazon. Lot’s of good information on why to feed dogs raw, why they are able to eat raw and how to supplement (you can over do the supplements if your not careful).

In my opinion, in today’s market, the worst thing to feed your dog or cat is a commercial dog food, kibble, etc. While I’m sure they try, the bottom line is keeping production cost down. I’ve been told that many buy meat meals in bulk, and really don’t know where or how the meats were sourced and or processed. Dealers are buying the meat meals and redistributing them to manufactures.

Hope something here helps, Good luck!

[ECSGuy]

I’ve fed Blue Ridge Beef products to my two English Cockers since June of 2013. I switched to a raw diet because of all the recalls and junk they put in commercial foods. I’ve seen no problem with the products, and my boys are thriving on it. I am also using SoJo dehydrated Veggies, fish oil and coconut oil as supplements.
If I were to recommend one thing, it would be to buy Lew Olsen’s book on Raw and Natural diets for dogs. I’ve was using a vitamin and mineral supplement early on that had far to many minerals that the dogs really did not need.
As far as the charcoal in the food is concerned, my dealer has checked on this. It is a law that any raw meat products sold as pet food must contain some charcoal to differentiate it from human food. Otherwise, due to the lower cost, unscrupulous people would buy it to serve in restaurants.
I’ve seen major changes in my dogs health, including my older male who, even on high quality commercial food, would vomit at least once a week and had diarrhea off and on constantly. That is “all” resolved on a raw diet. My younger fellow runs agility and while he is a high energy dog, he lost his “rather odd” skunky smell that he had on commercial foods and his eyes no longer run constantly.
Also, emailing Steve in North Carolina at Blue Ridge has always gotten me prompt and courteous responses. So not sure what Dog girl is taking about.

[theBCnut]

Coconut oil is fine. If you can get raw virgin coconut oil, then it’s great! The fat from your ground beef is good too, but not so much of it. It’s better to give a little of it every day than a lot at once. Start by adding a teaspoon extra and every few days increase by another teaspoon. I would give 3 teaspoons(1 tablespoon) a day for a while and see if that’s enough before increasing any more than that. You can probably go as high as 2 tablespoons without any problems, but I would hesitate to go any higher than that. I’ve got a number of different oils that I use, olive, walnut, hemp, coconut, flax, salmon, fish, anchovy, etc. Cold pressed oils are better for your dog, but most of them are great for just adding calories.

[Akari_32]

I’m having trouble keeping weight on Haley, my 11 year old lab/retriever mix. Ever since I switched from Wellness Core to RR (Zero Grain and Just 6 mix), she’s been droppig weight like crazy. She’s currently on about 1/4 RR and 3/4 Purina One, and that’s helping tons now. I had the dogs on all RR, then got a really awesome deal on the Purina One, and I’m just about out of the RR now, I have maybe 15 pounds left.

Unfortunately, we’re at a financial point were if we buy it, we use it. Throwing out or giving it away won’t do us any good. Since I’ve got lots of the Purina and few other random small bags of food, I’ve just been giving a small amount of the RR. I always mix in canned food (Haley can’t do straight dry food in meal size quantities, as her stomach can’t handle it and it makes her miserable), and usually a raw egg. I’ve stopped walking her almost completely, and upped her food to 6-9 cups a day, depending on if we walk or not. This has helped a lot, but she’s not a big eater to begin with.

My plan is to get at least her back on Wellness ASAP (I have about 15 pounds of that that I bought recently with coupons, and will get more as soon as I have the funds and time), as well as buy some good, all beef hot dogs to add some extra calories and protein to her diet (I have 10 free packs lined up as soon as they get in stock). She’s currently on vitamins, glucosamine, and fish oil as well. The fish oil has helped her put some weight on, too.

I’m positive the switch from the Wellness Core foods to the lesser RR, and then even lesser Purina One has got her system all in a fit, but it’s been months since she’s been off Wellness. RR is only 313 calories per cup, which I only found out recently, and that’s when I started feeding more, realizing it was partly not enough calories. Other than that, I don’t think she digests food very well, which is why I always wet her food– makes it easier on her tummy. She did great on Wellness and I only fed her 2.5-3 cups. My Rott mix has not needed an increase in food since the switch, and neither really has moms terrier (only on days he’s particularly hyper).

I also plan to buy some Nutri Source Super Preformance off PetFlow, but I’d like to get her back on Wellness and get weight back up first, and see if any certain ingredients have anything to do her weight loss, and see how she does grain free vs grain inclusive. The dogs were all on corn based foods until I took over the dog food buying a few years ago, and I’ve more or less kept them on grain free, and anything that wasn’t, they weren’t on for any length of time. Then when I started with the RR Zero Grain as the bulk of their diet a few months ago, it’s been an uphill battle >.<

Any changes to my plan, at all? Anything to add, or take away? Any other ideas, period? Budget is extremely tight, so don’t get too crazy on my, but I need to get some weight on my girl that doesn’t involve shoving food down her throat.

[theBCnut]

Is that 10-15 cups each? or both together? Because if it’s each, there is definitely something wrong. My dogs(not nearly as large as yours) eat less on grain free than on grain inclusive, a lot less. You could try adding some fish oil and some virgin coconut oil to add more calories. How are their stools? Are you sure they are acting hungry versus acting like they really like the food?

[A.Sandy]

Hi,
My name is Ana, I am the owner of a small pet canine and feline nutrition consultation business called Pupcat Nutrition Consulting. I am a pet nutrition expert/advisor and also a dog handler/caretaker and professional bather. I fully understand what you are saying, Blue buffalo is not exactly my favorite brand they are expensive and since they are a big company who knows what they put inside their food. And of course vets will tell you anything to make an extra buck. Ok, so absolute good choice on choosing merrick my dog loves this stuff!! So what’s going on is they are not used to the richness that merrick has since it’s grain free it’s more protein dense so that means you feed less so be careful how much you feed so you’re doing ok, 1 cup should be enough. But them begging for food after doesn’t mean they are hungry, the only time that you would increase food amount is if they are extremely active. Don’t be afraid to add some canned merrick fish proteins or beef (just 1 tbsp or less) just as a topper it also adds extra moisture. Or try adding salmon oil on top of food so they can get their omegas and sooth their skin and helps their coat. And for now try to stay away from chicken and rotate proteins. for more help and info on other topics follow us on twitter @pupcatfacts and on facebook and pupcatnutrition.com
Good luck!

-Ana

[theBCnut]

You need to be adding calcium to this. Chewing on femur bones will not get enough calcium into their diets to make up for what this lacks. You also shouldn’t add the fish oil until you are ready to serve it. Fish oil will go bad pretty quickly. Sounds very yummy!

[Moonskimom]

Been making this for my dogs for years, slight variations of what is on sale in the veggie dept. Vet fine with it b/c they are super healthy!:
BIG POT (I freeze 1/2)
3 lbs ground chicken or turkey or ground pork (or mix)
2 lbs ground beef (total amount 5 lbs of meat)
Organic: dried lentils, split peas, brown rice, barley, apples, squash, spinach, kale.
No salt V-8 juice, tomato paste, organic flaxseed meal, organic virgin coconut oil, cranberries, frozen mixed vegetables, water added as needed but goal is nice thick stew; often add oatmeal if not quite thick enough.When cooling I add a few fish oil pills to pot (same as I take). Served with plain organic yogurt & add powder in caps of pro & prebiotics. Heaviest on the proteins, veggies, & fruits. 2 cups/ 2x’s daily with water added too. CHEAPER than Orijen but use that occasionally- they don’t like it as much. Glucosamine/chondroitin a couple x’s a week, not sure if helpful, mm.
Both dogs rescue lab/hound etc =pure-bred mutts, both approx 55lb. Both 6yo Therapy dogs & both get TONS of exercise in woods & parks. Raw femur bones a couple of x’s a week & I make my own treats too for when they are working. LOVE MY DOGS!