[theBCnut]

Dogs don’t have the enzyme to break down plant cell walls, so pureeing is best.

If the multi has enough E then it will do. E is a fat soluable vitamin, so it should be in a capsule, like fish oil. A LOT of fish oils are preserved with E.

There aren’t too many organ meats available at the store, but kidney is one of them. I order in bulk from Hare Today and they have a nice organ grind and several whole animal grinds. You may want to look into getting a glandular supplement instead. I believe Swanson’s has one.

[theBCnut]

Why is calcium an issue? The reason I ask is this diet looks to be calcium deficient. Do you also feed the egg shell? It’s also high in liver and needs another organ meat. Personally, I like more meat and less veg, but many dogs do just fine with that amount of veg. Do you puree the veg? Why are you planning on getting rid of the E, or is your fish oil vit E stabilized? Have you looked into Dr Karen Becker’s book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats?” I think you are on the right path with a few tweaks.

[young101]

Hi PippaY

My 10 year old weimaraner Blu also has PLE. Here in the UK we have Hills Science Plan Prescription Diet – she has a scoop of their “d/d salmon and rice” dry food for lunch. It’s listed as being hypoallergenic and for skin complaints but it’s also used for PLE (vet reccommended we use it)

Breakfast and dinner she has Chappie tinned food which is also fish based. The advice from the vet was to put her on a high protein low fat diet, protein from fish rather than red meats, for treats things like cottage cheese and eggs (I must admit I restrict the amount of eggs she has as you can imagine the side effects!)

Coconut oil is an MCT, dogs find it more palatable than the MCT liquid oil. It comes in a solid form in a jar, I add a tablespoon a day to her food, maybe a teaspoon a day for your yorkie?

Blu is also on steroids to treat the PLE but the diet definitely helped in getting her protein levels back up.

Good luck!

[Akari_32]

Oh cool, I’ll have to see how much it is here. Still haven’t gotten it yet, as she seems to be doin good on vitamins, fish oil and probiotics. Don’t want to do too much to her at once as she tends to have tummy troubles. And I just remembered, she sometimes has problems with dairy… Maybe kefir isn’t the best idea for her?

[Akari_32]

So I figured out why Haley is loosing weight after switching off the Wellness. The RR Zero Grain is only 313 calories per cup. Wholy cow!! I can’t possibly shove any more food down this poor dogs throat, she just can’t eat that much. The fish oil, doggy vitamins, and probiotic (expired in July, but I figure they can’t hurt) mix seems to be helping though. At least the Purina One and Pedigree are in the mid to high 400’s calorie per cup. Maybe I should get over myself and get a higher concentration of them into that RR. They’ve been on much worse when my parents were in charge of their food…

Side note, 4 pound bags of Vets Choice on sale on PetFlow for 3.99 right now! I was tempted, but I’d rather make a large order and get the free shipping. I’m in a financially tight spot at the moment– food and gas only! No play money :/ As much as I love jumping on deals, I don’t need dog food. And mom would probably murder me if I ordered crap tons of dog food online right now anyways LOL

[theBCnut]

BTW, canola oil is now a red flag ingredient and here is how Dr Mike describes it

Much of the objection regarding canola oil appears to be related to the use of genetically modified rapeseed as its source material.

Yet others find the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.1

In any case, plant-based oils like canola are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.

That certainly does not sound like he promotes the use of canola oil to me.

[pugmomsandy]

Beside feeding my senior an all-life-stage food(s), I give him Actiflex 4000, fish oil, Jarrow True CMO (cetyl-myristoleate) and liver/kidney support, probiotics and some Springtime Longevity or Fresh Factors.

Anyhow, I like using Nutrisource grain free Lamb Meal and Nature’s Logic Lamb Dinner and Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance Lamb or Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Lamb, Canidae Pure Elements or Canidae Pure Land.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[bkagel]

Hi all. I looked over and over again for a food that was friendly for my Gracie. I found Nutri Source and bought a honkin’ big bag of buffalo. She’s scratching like crazy and I don’t have a lot of $$ to go out and get a bag of the fish formula. She seemed to be less itchy on that. I also brushed her out because she’s got a double coat. That helped. Should I try adding coconut oil in her food or just get a smaller bag of the fish formula, cross my fingers??

[PippaY]

Hi all,

My 18lb Welsh Terrier has a mild-moderate case of Protein Losing Enteropathy.

Our Vet specialist has recommended a Purina HA diet that’s made of “hydrolyzed protein”. Unfortunately I’m wary of anything made by Purina and hydrolyzed protein sounds horribly processed. So I’m looking for suggestions.

I’ve read that MCT oil (for humans) can help. Not sure how much to give her..

What about kibble and/or raw food? Brands and types would be appreciated if you’ve had success with any.

I switched her from Purina Pro Plan sensitive stomach (salmon) variety to Orijen’s Fish formula and “Primal”‘s raw lamb wet food. Her spirits are good. She’s eating well and she doesn’t seem to be losing weight around the middle..though I suspect that she might be losing muscle mass.

Other things to note:
She’s allergic to chicken and starts to itch just looking at it. Not sure about turkey or duck.

Thank you!!

[GizmoMom]

Thanks everyone!

[theBCnut]

Since it isn’t over by much, I would probably give it 2 days out of 3, or something like that.

[pugmomsandy]

If I’m giving a capsule that is a higher dose, I will give the whole capsule but then only give it a two or three times a week. I’ll buy human fish oil capsules to use on me and the dogs. Once in a while, they get a whole raw sardine too.

[GizmoMom]

Thanks Pattyvaughn!

Should I give him the whole get or puncture it and try to give the dose based on his weight?

Should I be worried of overdosing my 15 lbs dog if I give him the whole gel dose for 20 lbs dog?

[theBCnut]

The dosage for softgels is smaller because they are assuming less degradation. The liquid goes bad faster. Go with the softgels for fish oil.

[GizmoMom]

I’m confused about fish oil dosage. My vet recommended adding Nordic Naturals to my dog’s diet.

My dog is about 15 lbs. I’m not sure which product to buy. Do small dogs need more Omega-3 than large dogs?

The dosage for soft gel for 20 lbs dog is:
Omega-3: 310 mg
EPA: 150 mg
DHA: 90 mg
http://www.nordicnaturals.com/petVet/nnpet_prodO3.php

The dosage for liquid type for 10 – 19 lbs dog is:
Omega-3: 460 mg
EPA: 147 mg
DHA: 202 mg
http://www.nordicnaturals.com/petVet/nnpet_prodCLO_2oz.php

I am confused to why the dosage for smaller dog is higher than 20 lbs dog.

I am also open to recommendations of other brands.

I have some Kirkland fish oil at home. Can I use it instead of the ones above?

Thanks in advance for your help.

• This topic was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by GizmoMom.
• This topic was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by GizmoMom. Reason: Added more questions

[Naturella]

Healthy Doggie Pizza Treats

Ingredients:

1/2 Best Bully Sticks Chicken Sausage
1/2 Best Bully Sticks Bacon Sausage
1 Best Bully Sticks Beef Sausage
1 Dried Fish Skin (optional)
3 strips Duck Jerky (optional)
1 medium carrot
1 radish
2 celery stalks
1 egg
2/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used Colby Jack)
1 small low sodium beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup tomato paste or tomato puree (made of tomatoes and water only, no sugar or other added ingredients)
1 teaspoon olive oil or bacon fat
2/3 cup unbleached flour (whole wheat or brown rice flour would work too)
1 tablespoon dry parsley leaves
1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1 tablespoon turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a food processor or blender, grind up beef, bacon, and chicken sausages as well as the duck jerky and fish skin to fine powder/tiny crumbs. Fish skin and jerky may remain a bit stringy, but that is okay.

3. Pour dry meat flour mix in a mixing bowl.

4. In a food processor or blender grind until finely chopped the carrot, radish, and celery.

5. Pour in the mixing bowl with the meat crumbs.

6. Add all remaining ingredients.

7. Using a spatula or your hands, mix until a homogenous wet mix forms.

8. Pour mix on a cookie sheet or pizza pan lined with parchment paper and even out until about 1/4 inch thick.

9. Bake for 30 minutes.

10. Take out, let cool down just a bit then cut up in desired treat sizes.

11. Serve to beloved pooch(es).

P.S. This is where I got my dry sausages for the “meat flour” from: http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/search?keywords=sausage&submit.x=-959&submit.y=-93

[KatB]

Hello!

My kids seem to really love the Castor & Pollax Ultramix, and at first it also seemed to be helping with the itching of my yellow. As time has gone by, he has returned to his itchy self. although mostly in the mornings and he doesn’t seem too uncomfortable or stressed by it.

Some friends have an adopted golden who started itching a few months back. They changed food a couple of times, and then their vet recommended something called atopica. It seemed to work ok, certainly not miraculous but the itching was somewhat lessened, but then some side effects started. In doing research about this drug, turns out it is very controversial and not something I would put my guys on. Bottom line, they went back to the vet, who agreed, and she is now on a prescription diet food that is made by Royal Canin. It’s quite expensive, but will be interesting to see how she does on it and if that takes care of the problem.

I’m not quite ready to go that route yet, as I hate to keep switching their food, and especially since they love it so much. Yet another friend lives in Hawaii (I am in a mountain state so it’s quite dry) with a tropical climate, and still has an itchy dog. They are feeding natural, local dog food and supplementing with flaxseed oil. They also use noni oil specifically made for pets and mix it with coconut oil which they rub on his tummy every so often….it seems to help. I may give that a try……

I also had to take my female, the black lab, off of the pro-biotics and enzymes, as she suddenly started vomiting every time I gave it to her. This started a month or so after I started them on it. But her stools are nice and solid now, and she seems to be fine without the additions. Itchy boy I still have on them plus Omega fish oil, but a small amount. His stools can get runny with too much oil. My female still eats grass and is sometimes a little gassy, but it’s minimal.

I’ll be interested on any updates on what might be working, and I’ll let you know how my friends’ dog does on the Royal Canin.

Kat

[Akari_32]

A little update…

The last few days I’ve been sooo busy! I haven’t mixed their food in several days (just been giving them straight dry), and a few times I’ve even forgotten to give Haley her doggy vitamins >.<

BUT! We’re back on track, and I’ve started Haley on the fish oil pills. The bottle says 3 daily (one with each meal), but this for an adult human, so I figured I’d start with two a day and see how it goes. Thoughts?

I’ve also opted to use just the fish oil at this point in time. I with the holidays coming up, I don’t have the time to screw around with the doses and balancing them out with other vitamins and whatever. So I kept the zink and C for my self and sent the rest to my grandpa. He can use them. I do still have proper apple cider vinegar on my list, I just have to rememeber to get it after work. You’d think working in a grocery store would help with that, but really I just want to clock out and run when i get off LOL

[Akari_32]

Haha, I’ve had that happen a few times lol It’s ok 🙂

I have noticed since adding fish oil to Bentley’s food I’ve been able to feed him less. You may recall this little 8 pound freak eats a whole cup @.@ I was adding it daily, when his fur was really bad, but since its almost back to full length now, I’ve only been doing it a few times a week. I’ve been giving him 1/2 to 1 cup now, usually closer to 3/4 to 1. I wonder if I should apply this theory to Haley? She needs the meat on her bones, not Bentley! lol

Also related to this… I was going to pick up some apple cider vinegar for Haley yesterday, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right kind! I read somewhere about unfiltered and something else, but I couldn’t find anything like that on the bottle, so I opted not to get it yet, since we seem to be on a pretty good track with those ProSence doggy vitamins. I also considered keifer, but forgot to pick it up LOL I just want unflavored, plain, correct? And how much of each of these should I give her?

Where can I get kelp and spirulina? There aren’t really any near by health food food stores, so I’m limited to Publix, WinnDixie (yuck!) and WalMart (more yuck!), and maybe Target. And again, how much do I give?

[Akari_32]

The magnesium I figured would be good for the bone health of both older dogs. The fish oil was picked for the dogs as well, for it’s skin uses. The vitamin c is for me, but if the dogs could use it, why not! Vitamin C keeps the dr away LOL

[Akari_32]

I bought some vitamins (got paid $3 for $60 worth a vitamins, whoop whoop! Making money and buyin’ good stuff! :D) and I was wondering if any of these (besides the fish oil, obviously) would be beneficial for the dogs. Here they are:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/359C7140-088D-4093-A747-4E3BEB5377C9-157-000000AC6B1E1E90_zpscefb10e1.jpg

Mainly Haley I’m more concerned about things like vitamins with. She’s old and doesn’t keep weight on, but is otherwise healthy and active. I just have to feed her as much as 130 pound Dweezle gets. Her ideal weight would be about 65 pounds, and I guess her to weigh 60-ish. I can get an exact weight if you want me to. She’s not that bad, but she is a little thin. She’ll be 11 in January. She’s got a slight limp in after vigorous activity or after up after being down for an extended period (goes bewteen all four legs). I’ve had her on ProSence vitamins and so far they seen to be helping her get her weight back up and she seems a little more peppy.

Dweezle is good weight and healthy, just old, pretty old for his size actually. He’s 10 in march. Not at all active, just a big furry lump :p Family history of hip problems, but he so far seems to have avoided that, thankfully. His sister has hip dysplasia, and they had to do something like cutting the tendons in both legs…? I dunno.

Bentley is our young little maniac. Just turned 1 in August. Super active, drives us all nuts. Grass allergies cause him to chew his feet and hind legs, but otherwise healthy. He’s been on ProSence fish oil for several months and getting the hair on his backs legs back. Being so small, grass gets him all over, poor dude lol

[kms]

Hi – I’m new here. I was using DFA to problem-solve and evaluate diets for my 5 mo male Weim (Augie) and ended up on this thread. WOW – what a great source of info! I’ve learned a lot and want to thank HDM and all the others who contributed. Here’s my story and my problem. Any advice would really be appreciated… especially would like input from HDM..…

We brought Augie home at 9 wks and he had soft/runny stool. Vet found roundworms and treated them. After the “all clear”, I thought his stool would get better – but it didn’t. Vet checked his stool again and found very high levels of “Clostridium” and a few other bacteria commonly found in dirt (Augie is a compulsive dirt/mud/rock eater – we’re working on it). Vet put him on Metronidozol and Pro-Pectalin for 20 days (2 rounds) – it did not resolve. Then he put him on SMZ (another antibiotic) and a bland diet for 16 days. During that time, his stool got bright yellow and was still runny all the time. He also stopped gaining weight and lost several lbs (was supposed to be 38-42 lbs, but dropped to 27 lbs). I asked about using a Probiotic and canned pumpkin, but vet didn’t want to introduce anything new to his GI tract. We tested his stool again – and finally all the bacteria levels were normal and no worms. BUT his stool was still soft/runny. He also had developed colitis from the constant diarrhea/soft stool. I started giving him 1 heaping tsp canned pumpkin with each meal and slowly (over 12 days) I transitioned him from Eukanuba Puppy Growth (the breeders kibble) to Orijen Large Breed Puppy. He has now been on 100% Orijen for 11 days and I’m still giving him the pumpkin. His stool has gotten a little better – it’s formed about 75% of the time and soft about 25%. But the last couple days it has had a slick greasy coating on the outside. What does that mean?

Based on what I learned here, I have a new plan (I think). Much of this is new to me (have never used probiotics or enzymes and have never rotated foods). Also, I’m very interested in going raw (commercially made), but I don’t feel confident enough to pull the trigger yet – especially since his bowels have been so messed up for the last 3 months. What do you think of this plan:

1) Get him off Orijen – calcium is too high – did not know that till I saw HDM’s list.
2) Choose 3-4 high protein kibbles from HDM list and plan to rotate at the end of each bag.
3) Make the next food in the rotation a non-chicken, since the Euk and Orijen were both chicken based.
4) Choose a variety of toppers to be used as 20% of each meal. Use a different topper at each meal.
5) Start giving a probiotic and digestive enzymes with every meal
6) Continue 1 heaping tsp canned pumpkin with each meal
7) Learn more about going raw – would like to start with commercially made and go from there. Maybe start by using a commercial raw (THK, Primal, Darwin’s) as the topper? or is that too hard for a dog to digest (mixing raw with non-raw)?

Do I give a Probiotic and Dig Enzymes at each meal indefinitely – or just during transitions from 1 food to the next?
Do I continue the pumpkin indefinitely?
Should I add fish oil and how much?
He’s up to 32.5 lbs, but still can see hips and ribs a little. What can I do to safely get some weight on him?

I really appreciate what I have learned here and look forward to advice. Thanks!

[RescueDaneMom]

Acana Pacifica is also grain-free, chicken/egg-free, yeast-free, and flaxseed-free.

INGREDIENTS: Boneless salmon (natural source of EPA, DHA), salmon meal, herring meal, russet potato, peas, whitefish meal, sweet potatoes, salmon oil (preserved with vitamin E), sun-cured alfalfa, boneless herring, boneless flounder, natural fish flavors, pumpkin, turnip greens, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, apples, organic kelp, cranberries, blueberries, juniper berries, black currants, chicory root, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, zinc proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, iron proteinate, vitamin B6, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, selenium, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

[RescueDaneMom]

Just to clarify a few things first:
No chicken- does this include eggs too?
No brewer’s yeast- what about “yeast culture,” “hydrolyzed yeast,” or other yeast products?

Acana Ranchlands is grain-free, chicken/egg-free, yeast-free, and flaxseed-free.
INGREDIENTS:
Deboned beef, beef meal, green peas, deboned lamb, lamb meal, whitefish meal*, herring oil, field beans, red lentils, whole potato, salmon meal, deboned bison, beef liver, lamb liver, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, sweet potato, whole pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach greens, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.
* ACANA’s whitefish meal contains wild-caught flounder, halibut and cod.

I know Ranchlands is pretty pricey. This is all I could think of off the top of my head. I’ll keep looking. It would help if you could clarify the ingredients. Hope this helps!

[RescueDaneMom]

Ok, so you are looking for a food that is free of fish, peas, and potatoes that is acceptable for a large breed puppy, right?

You could try the Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast. There is no fish or potatoes (white or sweet) in it. If there is no improvement, then it could be the peas.

If you don’t mind grains, Nature’s Variety Large Breed Puppy has no peas or potatoes but it does have salmon oil. Pinnacle Chicken & Oatmeal has no fish or peas but does have potatoes. The Victor Select Chicken Meal or Lamb Meal are both free of peas, fish, and potatoes. They are budget-friendly too. On Amazon the 40lb bag of Chicken Meal & Rice formula is $55.

You might have to go through the list of appropriate foods for large breed puppies and look at the ingredients in each one. Then you can determine if the price is right and if you can get your hands on it. I wish you the best of luck!

[Heartsong7]

We started using Dinovite for our 14 yr old Chihuahua who was scratching excessively and developed bald patches on his skin. He also had moderate arthritis. After using the supplements, his symptoms got worse. I noticed his stool was very runny the first two weeks of use. I contacted a rep at the company and was told to try cutting back on the fish oil. I did. It helped his stool a little, however, his overall health progressively got worse. He has developed red bumps on the inside of his hind legs, and he recently started as his front paw is in pain. The bald spots still remain with no change. Took him to the vet last week and he said he has a staff infection, his arthritis has worsen, and he has warts. Lately, he’s not wanting to eat his food. Our little man has always had a very healthy appetite with a fair amount of energy. We have given these supplements a chance to work and it seems that our dogs overall health since using this product has decreased. Something is not adding up here. I think we should take him off the supplements for about a week or so and see if there is any positive change. Our little guy needs help.

[DogManDan]

alright cool thanks on that pugs, im trying to make some switches between homemade cooked food and raw. thinking it would be good for them to make their stomach resilient to any food 🙂

[chocolabowner]

Hello Grover,

I have used DINOVITE to boost my labs/spaniel mix’s immune system and it work great.

Our Coco had severe ear infections for four years before she came to us. I mean they were elephant skin in the entire ear.

so what we did was two things. we found dinovite and i can tell you what we used their 90day supply and the fish oils. coco’s immune system came up and her coat looked great.

but we noticed that the ear infections were greatly reduced they were still there. Then we found a product called Zymox (got it on amazon). the zymox we used had 1% hydrocortozone in it. we did a 14 day treatment and then used the zymox maintenance cleaner.

The vet jumped for joy, after a year of antibiotics and ointments that did not work her ears were clear!!!! I highly recommend both products.

her immune system counts went from 2.8 to 7.5 ( i want to say that it was the white blood cell count, but i dont remember now. the numbers i do because it was such an improvement)

YES! dinovite works! so does zymox.

with zymox there will be dead skin shedding in the ear, have a groomer trim all the hair out the ears and then you can wipe away the dead as it peals.

[pugmomsandy]

Yes you can feed them canned/packaged tuna for people. Just try to avoid “salt added”.

[DogManDan]

oh thanks a lot pugsmomandy, much appreciated. I see coconut oil on your list as alternatives that we have around. question though you mentioned tuna, is it alright to feed them with canned tuna flakes thats rich with fish oil but was made for human consumption. I plan on mixing them with some rice. so more like rice tuna flakes 🙂 I’m guilty at times of feeding them table scraps.

[CJohnson]

Abady has had a serious recall not so long ago, as well with the fact that there isn’t a review on them here so I’m going to pass on that.

My dogs all get a fish oil sup added to their food. I have 4 dogs. Just the little ones are having the issues.

The nearest Timberwolf retailer is over 250 miles away and my pet food delivery service doesn’t distribute it.

Grandma Lucy’s isn’t high enough in calories in one serving.

These dogs have tiny tiny stomachs. Putting a ton of food in them to up their caloric intake will just make them sick.

Some guy on the FB page suggested I feed them hot dogs because that’s what he feeds his pit bull and then went on a rant on well behaved his pit bull. I told him he was crazy for feeding his dog hot dogs. HOt dogs aren’t even really made for human consumption. lol

[pugmomsandy]

Abady granular food has nearly 800 calories per cup, about 100 calories in 2 tablespoons and would seem to be easy to add in with their current food. You can also add calories by adding oils like fish oil, coconut oil, etc. I think Timberwolf Platinum also has over 500 calories per cup. It used to say on their website but not currently. Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance has almost 600 calories per cup.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

Are you asking for non-fish oils or asking for other fish-variety oils other than generic “fish” – as in Krill oil, Salmon oil, Sardine Oil, Anchovy oil. Some people used coconut oil, emu oil, and even a blend of plant oils with success as far as skin and coat like Udo’s Oil (plant) and Ultra Oil (plant with fish). I’m just guessing, but when he weans off of mom, you can start giving it. These oils are in other forms of food already like kibble and canned foods, etc, and if he weans to raw food then he would get it naturally from raw fish and other meat/fat. Mine get a little bit from fresh avocado meat and raw sardines and I have Nature’s Logic Sardine oil, Udo’s, krill, coconut and emu oils on hand. I haven’t used anything but krill/sardine oils and raw sardines and avocado and what’s in their commercial food on my guys and they are super soft and have no smell or dandruff and my black one is real shiny. He used to not be when he was a pup.

[pugmomsandy]

Yes, I give my dogs table scraps. And it does vary from “good” to “bad”! Because frankly, my dogs eat better than I do. Their pantry is full of 4-5 star foods and my pantry happens to be full of the equivalent of 1 star products, unless I’m making steak and veggies or fish and veggies! They get pizza crust and chinese take-out. They usually get a bite or two of what I’m eating. I also make their homemade raw but of course with appropriate “dog” ingredients (meat/bone/organs/oil/supplements). There is actually a Paleo cookbook for dogs! LOL! Tonight will be a meat & veggie dinner to share.

[DogManDan]

hi guys, I’m curious if there are other alternatives besides fish oil to make the skin and hair of my pups shine 🙂 also wanted to know how young the pup can start having some of those alternatives. for example the pup is around about 2 weeks old 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

There’s a homemade cooked recipe at homemadedogfood.com (chicken and rice). It uses DinoVite and a fish oil supplement to make a complete diet. You might use quinoa or millet as a substitute for rice and of course decrease the fat content. There are some canned foods listed in the Low Fat Foods list. The Honest Kitchen Zeal formula is also low fat.

[Dolly]

Hi, I need help with my 13 year old dog with pancreaitis history. I saw some similar posts on here, but maybe not exactly what I was looking for. My dog has a very sensitive stomach, the only thing I could find that seemed to work was the Science Diet sensitive stomach, which I don’t want to feed. For now she’s eating about half wellness wet dog food, and half boiled chicken and rice, which seems to agree with her stomach well, but I’m sure is lacking in nutrients, and I’d like to get her away from rice due to the arsenic levels. I’d prefer to go grain free if possible, although that isn’t my primary objective. I would also love to be able to cook one food that is safe for both the dog and the cat, or something I could slightly modify for the cat, again though, that isn’t my main concern. Any suggestions/recipes would be helpful, as I don’t really know where to start. I don’t want to do raw. Also, she is on diuretics due to slight heart congestion, so anything heart healthy is great (we aready do fish oil pills). Lastly, I am terrible at cooking, so the simpler/less ingriedeints the better. Thanks!

[RescueDaneMom]

My mom has a 7 year old neutered male rottweiler (Dozer) with lymphoma. He has been undergoing chemo treatments and is doing well. He was diagnosed in February and here we are 8 months later. He has been eating The Honest Kitchen Embark and Thrive. I’ve been making homemade food for a topper so he doesn’t get bored on the two formulas. His last chemo treatment was a little rougher than the others and he didn’t want to eat his THK. I found the cancer diet by Dr. Dressler and made that for him. He loved it! We’ve been feeding him that for the past two weeks because he had one treatment that only lasted for a week and then needed another treatment that will least 3 weeks before he needs to go back to the vet. He’s doing much better now so I’m thinking about reintroducing THK to see if he’ll eat it again.

The vet put him on a multivitamin that they make to make sure he was getting enough iron. My question is: Is the multivitamin from the vet adequate for making the homemade food complete and balanced?

The Cancer Diet Recipe:
2.5-3 lbs lean meat, simmered with water on low heat
1-2 lbs cooked brown rice or oatmeal
0.5-0.75 lbs veggies cooked and pureed
0.5-0.67 lbs chopped, cooked liver
1-1.5 cups cottage cheese
2 skinless chicken necks, chopped and boiled (I used gizzards because I had them on hand)
0.75 tsp salt substitute
4-5 grams oyster shell calcium (I’ve been using calcium acetate at 800-1000mg Ca/lb of meat)
16,000-18,000mg EFAs (krill or fish oil)*

*Note: he hasn’t been getting any additional EFAs. My mom gets flustered having to add so many things to his food but I’ve convinced her he needs them. I ordered Carlson’s Salmon Oil Complete from Swanson’s per HDM’s recommendation. How much should he be getting per day? I’ve read differing opinions. He weighs 110lbs. I also just started giving him canned sardines in spring water with no salt added (New Brunswick brand). How many times per week do you think I should give them to him? I mixed in a 3.75oz can with his dinner last night and he loved it!

I’ve also been adding 1 tsp of flax oil per pound of meat because all Dozer will eat is chicken or turkey. He doesn’t tolerate beef well. He throws up if he eats too much of it.

He is also getting 2 capsules of Dr. Langer’s probiotics daily because he is getting 2000mg of cephalexin (2-500mg capsules 2x day). He has been on antibiotics for the last two weeks and will be on them until we see the vet again in two more weeks.

Analysis of the Multivitamin: per 1 soft chew. Dozer gets 2 per day.
iron (amino acid chelate): 3mg
copper (copper acetate): 0.1mg
manganese (manganese sulfate): 0.25mg
zin (zinc oxide): 1.4mg
vitamin D3: 150 iu
vitamin A (as acetate): 1500 iu
vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopherol): 15 iu
vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate): 0.24mg
vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 0.65mg
pantothenic acid (calcium d-pantothenate): 0.68mg
niacin (niacinamide): 3.4mg
vitamin B6 (pyroxidine): 0.24mg
folic acid: 50mcg
vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin): 7mcg
choline (choline chloride):40mg
biotin: 15mcg
vitamin C (ascorbic acid): 3mg
vitamin K1 (phytonadione): 4mcg

I think I should be giving him more vitamin E right? Anything else I should add supplement wise? He shouldn’t need anything else if I start feeding this with THK again, right?

Thank you in advance for the feedback. I appreciate it.

-Caroline

[theBCnut]

What size dog is he? I just want to let you know that your dog is really smart. Just like how it is healthier for people to eat a varied diet, it is healthier for dogs to eat a varied diet too. So plan for switching up his food and you may find that your picky dog disappears. Mine did. I switch kibbles every few days and always mix something different in with it, plus water, fish oil, and coconut oil. He never misses a meal and has only had one very brief bout of loose stools in over a year.

[theBCnut]

Even when I’m doing 20% I want the calcium/phosphorus at least close to balanced and I still add a vit E stabilized fish oil or oily fish.

For a dog that is entrenched in the habit of gulping it’s food, I would not feed whole bones, unless it was in something that was too big for the dog to swallow it. I would use grinds or premixes and boneless meats. That being said, I believe a dog can be trained to eat properly, but you have to be willing to take the time.

[RescueDaneMom]

Soprano1-

I am by no means an expert. I would suggest checking out the dogaware website at dogaware.com/health/kidney.html. I haven’t figured out how to post links yet so bear with me.

According to my research on dogaware, dogs with early stage kidney disease only need slight diet modifications. The following text is copied from the website:
“Early Renal Insufficiency: In general, creatinine values up to about 2.0 (177 µmol/L) are indicative of mild, or early stage, kidney disease (or early renal insufficiency, as my vet terms it). In cases like these, it may still help to make dietary modifications to reduce phosphorus if blood phosphorus level is above 4.5, but these reductions do not need to be as drastic as when the values are higher, and it is probably not necessary to do other treatments at this stage, such as sub-q fluids (unless your dog is drinking so much that she is having trouble staying hydrated, such as getting up during the night to drink). Adding calcium to each meal if you are feeding a home made diet (to act as a phosphorus binder) would be advisable, and possibly antacids, particularly if your dog is showing any signs of inappetence or gastric problems. I would also give fish oil supplements (body oil, NOT liver oil), at the rate of 1,000 mg (300 mg combined DHA and EPA) per 10 lbs of body weight, along with Vitamin E (50, 100 or 200 IU for small, medium and large dogs), and discontinue any Vitamin A and D supplements (including cod liver oil) added to commercial foods. Additional recommended supplements include a B-complex vitamin and CoQ10, which may be beneficial for dogs with kidney disease.”

There is a table on the website for commercial foods with phosphorous amounts listed. There is only one blue buffalo food on there and it has too much phosphorous. See dogaware.com/health/kidneynonprescription.html

I looked up your previous food (Purina NF) on the same site. It says that food is for Late Stage Kidney Disease. The protein content is 15.9% on a dry matter basis. There are prescription diets that are better suited to Early Stage Kidney Disease. I don’t know why your vet wouldn’t have put your dog on one of those. I think Patty was right and the food was doing more harm than good in your case.

You report that your dog is doing well on Blue right now and you have a recheck in November. If it were me, I would continue to feed Blue and see what her values are at the recheck. If her creatinine and BUN are slightly elevated, I would consider switching to one of the foods on the list of non-prescription foods. My choice would be the Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Chicken Recipe and/or Wellness Complete Health Super5Mix Whitefish & Sweet Potato.

I hope this is helpful. Again, I would really recommend checking out the dogaware site. There is so much information available. I would read through it before going to your recheck in November so you can be prepared.

[Katie]

Thanks for all the advice y’all. I appreciate all the feedback.

As far as the chewing goes – I have been trying to distract him whenever I catch him chewing his nails or licking/chewing his legs, hips, or butt with chew toys, rawhides, bones. Bauer doesn’t really care for toys – but man on man he absolutely loves bones and antlers. If I am holding it for him, he would chew and chew on them for hours. He gives up faster if he’s having to hold them between his paws on his own. They have really helped clean his teeth a bunch too. His teeth were HORRIBLE when I first got him. I have been trying to brush them, but nothing has worked as well as the antlers have in cleaning those back teeth up. The plaque/tartar build up was disgusting and black when I first got him. It’s so much better now. As far as the bones/antlers go – the redirect seems to work whenever I catch him in the act of licking/chewing to switch out for the bone or antler. But it’s when I am not home during the day and can’t reprimand and redirect – that’s when it’s the worst. I come home and he’s got a new raw spot, or the one he had is now even worse. I try to not let him be home alone for more than 4 hours at a time, but I do believe that some of it is just boredom. I take him on a long walk in the morning to try and wear out some of his energy too. I think I am going to have to diaper him if he doesn’t leave his back legs and butt alone.

As far as his weight issues go, I have another vet appointment on Tuesday so I am going to ask her to do a lab work up on him. It worries me that he hasn’t gained weight. I am definitely going to be switching to a grain free dog food (I know Sor recommended Halo) and I am going to the meat store in a bit to pick up ingredients for Satin balls. I have been giving Bauer fish oil supplements as well as glucosamine/chondroitin pills just bc my goldens always needed it for hip/joint issues and I figure that even though he’s severely underweight and still young right now – hopefully he will eventually gain weight and he won’t always be young – so preventative measures are always best.

Katie

[clr]

My GSD, five years old, has had lifelong skin issues. Allergy shots for three years did not work. He has no fleas. He is currently on cyclosporine and ketoconazole which was effective at first but less and less. He’s back to biting bloody holes in himself. He eats raw and Primal and Origen, bolstered by lots of exercise and attention—alot of attention. He cannot be left alone or he bites. I’m now trying herbal calming tincture, nordic fish oil, and coconut oil—still biting. Here’s my question for the forum: I would like to try iodine but how much? Maybe he has a thyroid condition. He has a beautiful coat, weighs 106 and other than bite mutilation, perfectly healthy. Any input from the savvy, informed, and experienced will be appreciated.

[clr]

My GSD, five years old, has had lifelong skin issues. Allergy shots for three years did not work. He has no fleas. He is currently on cyclosporine and ketoconazole which was effective at first but less and less. He’s back to biting bloody holes in himself. He eats raw and Primal and Origen, bolstered by lots of exercise and attention—alot of attention. He cannot be left alone or he bites. I’m now trying herbal calming tincture, nordic fish oil, and coconut oil—still biting. Here’s my question for the forum: I would like to try iodine but how much? Maybe he has a thyroid condition. He has a beautiful coat, weighs 106 and other than bite mutilation, perfectly healthy. Any input from the savvy, informed, and experienced will be appreciated.

[Akari_32]

I found a great $2 off any Prosense pet product, so I decided to try the fish oil for Bentley’s suspected grass allergies (it’s not chicken, it’s not grains, so maybe grass?) and the senior vitamins for Haley’s weight (we can’t possibly shove anymore food down this dogs throat, as she just can’t physically eat much more than 5 cups).

Bentley’s been on the fish oil for a few months, and it does actually seem to help him some. We’ve also been wiping his paws and tummy off after being outdoors with a baby wipe, and trying to give him a weekly bath. And, which I haven’t tried yet, I found hot spot shampoo of the same brand on clearence for $3 (use the coupon and it’s only a buck :D).

Haley, at just 65 pounds of ideal weight, eats 4-5 cups a day. She’s maybe 2-3 pounds underweight, healthy otherwise. The vet had her on vitamins last year durring some medical treatment, but she’s since been off them. Pretty much boils down to her being old at this point, and not being able to metabolize food as efficiently. Shes been on these Prosense Senior vitamins for a few days and I do already see her gaining energy, at least.

Regular feeding, for all three of the dogs, consists of 8-9 cups of dry food mixed with a 13 oz can of wet food, and usually an egg thrown in, as well. This is obviously divided up in appropriate amounts for each dog. The whole feeding routine has been made up specifically for Haley, as straight dry food really upsets her stomach, in an indigestible sort of way. Even if it’s just moistened with some water, it helps her tremendously. Poor girls got tummy troubles lol

I was wondering about these senior vitamins: they seem really high in calcium, which I’ve heard mixed things about for older dogs. I’ll get exact numbers in the morning, as I’m in bed now, but it’s several times higher than the adult formula. I want to say its 4-5% though.

This brand is only available at WalMart (locally, at least) from what I’ve seen. Not that I really have much problem with that. I don’t particularly like WalMart, but I’ll do what I have to.

Also, side note while were here, and I feel it’ll be brought up at some point– you guys know those powder Centrum probiotics for people? Would something like that he beneficial in Haley’s case? Doesn’t have to be that brand or kind, either. Anything along those lines. Just know I’m not made of money 😉

[pugmomsandy]

You can add calories to her diet by adding some oils (fish, coconut, Udo’s, etc), you can also add fattier cuts of meat, and you can add Abady granular food (around 100 calories per 2 TB) to what she’s eating now. There are also recipes for Satin Balls on-line that you could try and adjust it to your liking. Feed these as treats throughout the day. Are you using Sojo’s Complete or Sojo’s mix?

[dogspotindia]

you can try Drools Skin and Coat Supplement i think its fulfill your requirement.

[pugmomsandy]

Well, chicken/rice and dinovite and fish oil can be a complete and balanced meal. LOL! And he’s so little, you could make a big batch to last a whole month. Who cares about “dog food”!! Oh, you’ll need to add eggs.

This site says 1/2 cup daily, but you know how that goes:

http://homemadedogfood.com/chicken-and-rice-dog-food-recipe/

There was a reason I didn’t say rice. I can’t remember what it is. It was a Shawna recommendation. Also, I guess I wouldn’t feed rice everyday either since there is some arsenic in it. I know lots of foods have arsenic in them…but daily, long term rice I would avoid.

[Dr. Vickie]

Skin is a reflection of what is going on inside of his gut, except his guts look and feel worse!
Feed him wild caught pacific bone in canned pink salmon from your supermarket, organic egg whites, no grains, no starch (carrots and peas are starches folks) or sugar for that matter (my guess is that he is not preparing to race the Iditarod, at least not soon 😉 ) If he is playful and active and not overweight you can add some organic canned plain pumpkin for energy. Cooked organic green beans, all other kinds of organic greens are great too and very important, plain greek yogurt. Sprinkle a high end holistic dry food or wet along with for added nutritional support that uses wild salmon only as a protein base and no grains. To give him some variety if he needs or wants it, you can try grass fed beef/bison/buffalo but I would keep it to salmon until you are sure he is stable before I would add these food items. Some starch in the formula is “ok” but less is more. One fish oil capsule one-two times per day for at least three months then cut back. There is such a thing as too much omega 3 over time. (Note, flax is far to weak of an omega 3 source for him right now. It is helpful once the omega 3:6 ratio has been fixed and that takes up to one year in my experience).
Treats? SOME banana, cut apples, berries of all kinds. Frozen or cooked green beans are safe too and nothing ever got fat off of green beans. EVENTUALLY, other grass fed animal protein choices will be back on his plate but for now, no!
His WORST food choices will be lamb even if it slept in the lap of Jesus it will cause issues; grass fed corn fed it does not matter. Corn fed critters, mainstream beef, CHICKEN and all parts. Even your buddies 6 point buck he shot yesterday is suspect for your dog ( been baited for months with corn feeders ).
It’s note easy, or cheap but it will work I promise.
Give him a pat for me!

[Dr. Vickie]

The inherent problem with allergies is that the body allows it in the first place. Food, pollen, carpet cleaner, the baby as a source, in my experience, is a red herring. The GI is inflamed and that inflammation is what can allow the gut to over react to, well, you name it. Get rid of the pro-imflammatories in the diet and environment, as best you can, and they should be able to handle benign substance exposures. How to? I tell my clients to start, avoid processed oils (corn oil, canola, vegetable, low grade olive…) and animal protein sources that are fed grain, especially corn fed diets themselves aka “corn fed critters”; Cornfed beef, chickens, lamb, duck, fish (yes salmon too)…. The reduction in omega 6’s alone will improve most allergy issues. Add a wild caught source of omega 3’s to the reduction of omega 6’s and anywhere from 3 days to three weeks your allergy issues will be greatly reduced if not mostly gone.
I recently sold my successful holistic practice and I only prescribed antibiotics or steroids once for skin allergies (dog had maggots living under over 40% of its skin HELLO!!!) and only for a short time.
This is a great site! Cudos for it and all of you who are pursuing answers for your pet!
p.s. it applies to your health too! 😉