[Linda K]

I feed my 11-month-old dog Zignature Zssentials. He has a history of off-and-on, come-and-go vomiting about twice a week after eating when he was younger. The breeder was feeding him (gasp!) Iams puppy! The vet said he had “a sensitive belly,” advised me to try Hills I/D for 30 days, and then slowly wean him onto another limited ingredient food. I chose Zssentials, and he has not vomited a single time in three months. The listed ingredients are turkey, turkey meal, salmon, duck meal, chickpea flour, peas, chickpeas, alfalfa meal, flaxseed, sunflower oil, salmon oil, and then a bunch of other stuff. THe protein is 32%, fat 16%, fiber 5.5%, moisture 10%, calcium 1.2%, phosphorus 1.0%, omega 6 fatty acids 4.5%, omega 3 fatty acids 2.0%. The omega 6 and 3 are not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient profiles. I don’t know if the quantity of chickpeas and peas is particularly high since they are not first on the list of ingredients. Dog Food Advisor rates Zssentials, catfish, and pork formulas 5 stars.

I do know the FDA has come out with a statment indicating they are investigating a potential connection between diet and cases of canine heart disease (DCM), and they implicate as suspect diets frequently listing potatoes or multiple legumes such as peas and lentils early in their ingredient lists. As I read the alert, the low taurine levels caused by grain-free diets is the target of their finger-pointing. However, more research must be done.

[Susan]

Hi Reese,
Have a look at “Earthborn Holistic Venture” formula’s? look at Alaska Pollock Meal & Pumkin formula the only problem with Venture formula’s they’re “very”high in fiber this fish formula is-13% fiber..
I do not feed any fish dry foods as they have been found to be higher in toxins & contaminates, so make sure you rotate with another brand that isn’t fish…
What I like about Earthborn Venture formula’s is Earthborn writes the plant protein % of all their carbs, so you can see how much pea protein %, the Pumkin protein %, Butter squash protein in all the Venture dry formula’s..
https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas/venture/alaska-pollock-meal-pumpkin
When you look at Earthborn Venture Pork Meal & Butter Squash formula you’ll see it has 35% Pea protein, so this shows us when there’s just 1 meat protein meal as 1st ingredient then a carb as 2nd ingredient, then peas-3rd ingredient, the pea% (Legumes) becomes VERY high over 20%..
Ingredients – Pork Meal, Butternut Squash, Peas, Pea Protein, Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil
https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas/venture/pork-meal-
butternut-squash

If a dry kibble has any Legumes just stay under 20% in Legumes & rotate with another brand….
Like my boy as soon as he eats any kibbles with grains he becomes real itchy 20mins after eating the grain food also he has IBD & his poo’s becomes very sloppy you can’t pick up his poo’s, he does really well on Sweet Potato & Potato kibbles & Im staying with the “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula, he’s doing well on it for his IBD, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredient then it has Potatoes 4th, then peas are 5th ingredient….
I make sure there’s at least 2-4 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd, 3rd ingredients, this way there’s less carbs, so less legumes (peas).

*Here’s Farmina Pet Foods. They look very good so they’re probably expensive.
https://www.farmina.com/us/dog-food/54-n&d-quinoa-functional-canine.html

*Here’s Farmina Grain free formula’s.
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop-dog/dog-food/10-natural-&-delicious-grain-free-canine.html

[Susan]

Hi Kayla,
It sounds like your dog has Environment allergies & no matter what he eats he is itchy scratch, red paws, etc… it could be dust mites, human danger, a plant outside, it could be heaps of reason & its not what he’s eating…
Are you seeing a Dermatologist that specializes in skin problems, to work out why is his skin is dry & itchy?
Have you added fish oil to his diet or tin sardines or salmon in spring water, add 2 spoons a day to 1 of his meals?
Have you tried a Hypoallergienic vet diet?? this would be the best diet at the moment till your vet or Dermatologist works out why your dog is itchy & has dry skin?

I also have a 9 yr old dog, he’s a English Staffordshire Terrier, thay seem to be prone to allergies & food sensitivities. He suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, Food Sensitivitivies & IBD..
as they age they get worse with their allergies NOT better, normally thru the Winter months he does really well, as long as he isnt eating any ingredients he’s sensitive too but since moving last December this Winter has been a nightmare, I think he’s allergic to the grass in back yard & the big trees in neighbour back yard that hang over into my yard & drop these little yellow flowers….
Does your dog suffer with sloppy poos, diarrhea, gas/farts, vomiting etc this is a sign of food sensitivities?
Have you done a food Elimination diet yet? best to do food elimination diet in the cooler months when allergens aren’t as high, so you dont get confussed when the dog itches & its environment & not ingredient your adding to his diet…
Baths, are you bathing twice a week or weekly in a Medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens off skin & paws & put moisture back into his skin, I use Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes the days I don’t bath Patch..I also use creams to reduce any itchy red skin..
have you tried Apoquel or Cytopoint injections?

Here’s a really good f/b group you can join..
“Dogs, Allergies, Issues & other Information Support group” https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

Here’s “Canine Skin Solutions group” run by 2 animal Dermatologist, take photo’s & post..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563654607200747/

[Susan]

Hi Lindsay,

Sometimes diarrhea may not be food related, “Food Sensititivies”
the diet you were feeding probably has caused an imbalance in his intestinal tract, causing too much bad bacteria over growth….
I have a dog with IBD, Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities, my boy does excellent eating Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes but doesn’t do well eating Lentils or Chickpeas he gets bad diarrhea from lentils & chickpeas cause bad gas & sloppy poos…

Dr Greg Aldrich PhD, Research Associate Professor at Kansas State University, Pet Food & Ingredient Technology,
found Legume Seeds carry significant quantities of FERMENTABLE OLIGSACCHARIDES, In small amounts these may be beneficicial to the animal BUT large concentrations of Legumes can become an issue & have significant impact on level of fermentable fiber in the colon, limit legume seeds, no more then 20% in a dogs diet…
I’d say this is what has happened with your boy & is still happening & diarrhea isnt clearing up, his diet has caused floral imbalance & has affected the balance between beneficial bacteria vs.harmful bacteria in his intestinal tract.
this is why your vet has put him on Purina Fortiflora, but your dog needs something stronger?

…Make sure fiber % is under 5%, his diet is not too high in fiber, a dogs digestive tract is short & they don’t need all this fiber in their diet, alot of these newer grain free dry kibbles are higher in fiber cause of all the Legumes….
…My boy will eat the same kibble & have NO problems with his IBD then all of a sudden he starts racting doing very sloppy, smelly poos or gets bad diarrhea & has bad gas (farts), its either from his environment allergies are so bad & puts his immune system into over drive his vet said causing a bad IBD flare, it always happens late March, the end of Summer (I live Australia).
My vet said she see’s us every March & showed me her computer screen & we visit her around the same date every March these last 5yrs needing medications, this is when she said to keep a diary, then over the years you’ll start to see a pattern with his Environment allergies, but sometimes when Patch has sloppy poos or has diarrhea the vet says he has too much bad bacteria… I think she knows when she asks what colour is his sloppy poos, too much bad bacteria, normally dog does yellow smelly poos its Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth, (S.I.B.O)…Big Dark cow paddy poos are normally a large bowel problem..
Patch gets put him on Metronidazole 200mg for 3 weeks, 1 x 200mg tablet twice a day, every 12 hours with a meal for 2 weeks, then the next week he just takes 1 x 200mg tablet with his Dinner for 7 days.
Metronidazole kills the bad bacteria in stomach & bowel, I change & rotate his diet but when he’s doing diarrhea from Environment allergies & his immune system has gone off the rails & is over reacting, I just feed him what he’s been eating cause his diarrhea isn’t caused by too much bad bacteria in gut…

You would have seen on the news lately about Legumes, I wouldn’t be feeding my dog a high Legume diet & Zignature is very high in Legumes, till FDA works out why Legumes are blocking Taurine in dogs diet…..

How did you work out he can’t eat Chicken, Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes?? I thought the same 4-5 yrs ago when I first rescued Patch, I thought Patch couldn’t eat Potatoes & for 1 yr I didnt know what to feed Patch, it was a nightmare until 1 lady that worked at Pet Shop told me to start adding 2 tablespoons of boiled potato to his meals or give 2 tablespoons of boiled potato for lunch as a treat daily & see does he get diarrhea?? & she was right he was not sensitive to potatoes or sweet potatoes, they firmed up his poo’s lol.. I look back now & I think it was the fish in the Eukanuba FP- Potato & Fish vet diet I started to introduce, something was off making Patch very unwell with bad diarrhea, I bought Eukanuba FP for his skin allergies, poor Patch had bad diarrhea for 1 week straight, we couldnt clear up his diarrhea, so he couldnt eat no food for 48hours, only given an electrolyte drinks, then take Metodinazole twice a day & then was put onto Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal wet can food only, its pork, corn & rice, then when course of Metonidazole tablets were finished, he was put on Protexin Probiotic powder for 6months…

Have you done a proper elimination food diet? this can take up to 6 months or you can use a Hypoallergic vet diet, then when dog is doing well, you start adding 1 new ingredient with the vet diet & he cant eat any treats nothing just the Hypoallergenic vet diet & then introduce 1 new food every 6 weeks…

I’d see your vet again & tell him his diarrhea isnt clearing up, ask can you try a 21-28 day course of “Metronidazole” to kill the bad bacteria, then when the Metronidazole course is finished start giving the Purina Pro Plan Fortifora again give without any food, best to give probiotics inbetween meals or first thing of the morning when stomach acids are low, not high, when you’re digesting your food your stomach acids are higher & kill the live probiotics…I was mixing 1 teaspoon probiotic powder with 10-15ml water, swirling water & dissolving powder in bowl & then Patch would drink it, mid morning inbeween meals he thought he was getting a treat….

What meat protein does he do well on?

I’d look for a Freeze dried or Air dried food like “Ziwi Peak” – https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

or look for a limited ingredient kibble that has just 1 single meat protein you know he does well on & make sure omega 3 & 6 is balanced properly, Omega 3% should be around 1/2 of what the Omega 6% is, this is why vet diets are good as they’re properly balanced.

I normally suggest Sweet Potatoes & Potates for diarrhea as dogs normally do firmer poos on potatoes, even vet diets have potatoes for the Skin & Stomach health, Royal Canine has their Select Protein formula’s & Hills has their D/D formula’s, but he cant eat potatoes, is this cause he’s sensitive to them & gets yeasty ears & skin or does he get diarrhea??
a dog only gets yeasty skin paws & ears when he is sensitive to an ingredient & then he reacts causing stomach or skin problems or Environment allergies can cause yeasty skin ears & paws…

Maybe ask your vet for a Intestinal Health vet diet or a Hypoallergenic vet diet to help balance gut flora for healthy gut & take the Metronidazole then after he’s doing really well after 4-6months then I’d look for a limited ingredient kibble that has healthy grains, if he cant eat sweet potatoes & potatoes…
then once you find a few different brands he does well on the start rotating between different brands, so he isnt eating the same dog food 24/7 & if something is wrong with one brand he’s eating your rotating his food every 2-3 months & not causing any health problems….Rotating foods strengthen immune system/gut aswell..

* “Wellness Simple” LID Lamb & Oats or Duck & Oats -https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/simple-dogs

* “Wellness Core”

Core Dog Products

* “Farmina” has LID or Farmina Vet Life – https://www.farmina.com/us/d-dog-food.html

* “Natural Balance” LID Lamb & Rice

[Susan]

Hi,
Doodles are known for skin allergies, are you on facebook? join this group a few Doodle owners are in the group, “Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DogAllergiesIssuesandOtherInformationSupporGroup/

The only true way to test what foods your dog is sensitive too is to do a food elimination diet & do it in the cooler months, not Spring & Summer when pollens, flowers, allergens are high…
These Blood, Salvia & Hair/Fur test give false positives. My vet told me when some of her clients push to have the blood test done even thought she has told them you’re wasting your money, my vet said she has found the foods the dog is eating at the time will come up as a positive… When your dog had his blood test was he eating any of these ingredients rice, pork, peas & potatoes etc that came back positive?? if you do the blood test again it will come back with different food allergens & not the same ones, this is why it’s not realiable…. also as the dog ages their allergies get worse, my boy suffers with Seasonal Evironment allergies (Only bad Spring & Summer )& food sensitivites, he’ll be turning 10yrs old Nov & 2017 Summer till now which is Winter in Australia has been the worst year I’ve had with him, his vet told me it will get worse & wants him on Apoquel before Summer comes in a 4months, he reacted really bad last Summer Dec 2017 & had a really bad IBD flare which attacked his Esophagus, I nilly put him too sleep in Febuary this year but his vet begged me to please wait another month for Summer to finish…..Finally in April he started to get better after I started to feed him “Wellness Core” Large Breed dry kibble…

I’d say your dog is suffering from Environment Allergies in the Summer months & has food sensitivities, keep a diary & you will start to see a pattern as the seasons & years pass, he’ll be worse thru the hotter months, he’ll do better in the cooler winter months as long as he isn’t eating anything he’s sensitive too, it’s best to change foods etc when Winter is approaching when outdoor allergens aren’t as high & won’t interfer with your food elimination trial…

Have you tried a Hypoallergenic vet diet? you can do elimination food diet with these Hypoallergenic vet diets…once your dog is doing well on 1 of the Hypoallergenic vet diets & doesn’t have any skin problems this is when you introduce 1 new ingredient to his diet & introduce 1 of the foods that came up positive in his blood test, start him on Potato or rice, boil some potatoes & add 2 spoons potatoe with his vet diet meals or give the boiled potatoe or rice as a treat & see does he start reacting, it can take from 20mins up to 6 weeks for the dog to start reacting to an ingredient when he’s sensitive, my dog reacts within 20mins after eating an ingredient he’s sensitive too.. you fed either the rice or potatoes for 6 weeks only stop feeding if he reacts to the potatoe..
Its not the starches in the food he’s sensitive too its the protein in the food he’ll react too….
I nilly forgot “BATHS” weekly baths or as soon as he is itchy, rolling rubbing on grass, carpets, licking scratching give him a bath twice a week is best thru the hot months…
Baths wash off all allergens on skin paws face etc I use ” Malaseb” medicated shampoo its relieves itchy skin & paws..

Have you looked are “Freeze Dried Raw formula’s instead of dry kibbles?

* “Ziwi Peak”
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

* “Farmina” Natural & Delicious or the other Farmina formula’s
https://www.farmina.com/us/d-dog-food.html

* “Canidae” Pure Ancestral Raw Grain Free coated formula’s..
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-fish-formula-with-salmon-mackerel-pollock-whitefish-tuna/

Just make sure any grain free kibbles you feed are under 20% in Legumes or are Legume free.. Until FDA finds out why Lemuges is blocking Taurine….

[Greg A]

First time poster here so I apologize if this is in the wrong category.

I have a goldendoodle that is a year and a half that has battled allergies his entire life. Through elimination diet (or attempting to with a 5 kid year old who cant seem to eat over his plate!) I felt confident my dog was allergic to peas and chicken… When brodie was neutered he ripped his staples out and during the surgery to clean out an infection the vet recommended we do blood work to find out for sure what his intolerances were. The results were not what I was hoping for to say the least.

Without showing his environmental allergies brodie is allergic to Pork, soybean, corn, rice (white and brown), white potato, sweet potato, and green peas. Beef and lamb are close to the positive however, the items above were way above normal range for intolerance.

One of my first questions is does anyone know of any foods that fit this profile? I believe I found only a handful. One being Earthborn Holistic Venture Pollock & Pumpkin:

Alaska Pollock Meal, Pumpkin, Tapioca, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Salt ,Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Exrtract, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Along with the Nature’s Logic line excluding the Pork flavor. The only problem i have had with this brand is loose stool.

In most foods that i find that fits the bill they include pea starch at a minimum. Does anyone have experience with whether the starch would cause an issue or am i limited to the proteins to the allergy.

The vet is kind of stumped because of potatoes and rice along with the peas. Do i have any hope?

The only other brand / flavor was FARMINA CODFISH & ORANGE ADULT MEDIUM

Fresh wild caught Cod(source of glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate), dehydrated cod (source of glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate), herring (preserved with mixed tocopherols), whole spelt, whole oats, dried beet pulp, dried carrots, sun-cured alfalfa meal, inulin, fructooligosaccharide, yeast extract (source of mannan-oligosaccharides), dehydrated sweet orange, dehydrated apple, dehydrated pomegranate, dehydrated spinach, psyllium seed husk, dehydrated blueberry, salt, brewers dried yeast, turmeric, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, choline chloride, beta-carotene, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous glycine, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, DL-methionine, taurine, L-carnitine, aloe vera gel concentrate, green tea extract, rosemary extract, mixed tocopherols (a preservative).

This one contains “spelt” which isnt a tested ingredient but is close to wheat which is not an allergy.

I am looking for any suggestions or off name brands that may be out there that are not main stream. We currently pay around 120-140 a month for dog food (we have a rescue goldendoodle and do not want to have different foods per dog). I would prefer not to keep him limited to one brand his entire life as I like have a choice should one flavor get discontinued.

Thanks.

[Lauren H]

Hello,

My dog, Tarzan, a 6 yr old 75 lbs lab mix was just diagnosed with Addison’s disease last week. I had been noticing signs of a decline in energy and overall health with him for the past year. I switched to raw 6 months ago hoping that would help. He did improve for awhile but he later declined in overall health and energy after a few months. Luckily we found the cause and he is acting like a puppy again! So happy to have my boy back.

I’d like to continue to feed him raw as I believe it does a better job keeping him properly hydrated and feel like it is the healthiest diet for him. My vet believes in a raw food diet but he thinks the food should come from a trusted dog food company that has been specifically processed for dogs to eat raw. Previously, I’ve been feeding my dogs based off of the prey model and adding about a tbsp of veggies to their meals. Sometimes, I’d even feed Tarzan whole rabbits, fur and all, which he happily ate, no problem. My vet doesn’t think this is a good idea to buy whole rabbits or to buy my food from a grocery store even though I buy high quality, organic, grass fed or pature raised meat. He’s worried that since my dog has a weakened immune system that his body might not be able to handful the potentially harmful bacteria that resides on grocery store raw meat.

I’m really not sure what to think. I want to do the best thing for my boy but there is so much conflicting information out there. Does anyone have experience feeding raw to a dog with Addison’s? Do you worry about their immune systems not being able to process all the bacteria that an average dog would have no problem with? How much veggies do you like to add?

Currently I’m buying either vital essentials or small batch prey model patties or chub and adding Sojos premix, about 2-3 tbsp per meal. He also gets turmeric, green mussel and fish oil each meal as well. This has become quite expensive and I’m not sure how long my husband will allow this to carry on….I could be spending half the amount I am now if I could go back to feeding him the whole rabbits, grocery store meat and fish.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[doginlaw]

Hey all, I’m new here and I apologize if this is a redundant question (I did some lurking and found some related topics, but I wanted to bring up some specific issues here–hope that’s OK). In the interest of full disclosure, I will note that I’ve been working at a Pet Valu (the company that makes Performatrin) for a few months, and that learning a little about pet nutrition in my job training has motivated me to learn more so that I can (hopefully) help my family’s dog and give better advice to customers, too. :3

So, background: I live with my spouse’s family and their dog, a yellow Labrador Retriever who’s about 6-7 years old. He gets really bad ear infections pretty regularly, and even when they’re not infected, he seems to be constantly itching, chewing on his paws, and just generally uncomfortable. (He’s not very vocal but he makes grumbly noises when we touch his ears.) Apparently the vet told my in-laws he has “winter allergies,” but the problems seem to occur year-round and we’re not sure what he’s allergic to. He’s also somewhat overweight and just recently (I’d say within this year) developed some hip problems where he’ll be limping on his back legs and can only be active for a little while before he starts panting and seems to be in pain. This makes exercise a bit difficult–the vet suggested swimming as we have a pool, but the water also aggravates his ear problems.

Until recently he was on the Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Light, but after some research and discussion with my co-workers, I tried switching to Zignature turkey formula (grain-free, limited ingredient). We also have been giving him an omega-3 supplement (salmon oil) and a hip and joint supplement with glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM, but I haven’t noticed much of a difference since he started taking these. Being a Lab, he’ll eat pretty much anything, so switching him to a new food hasn’t been an issue, but he has gained some weight on the Zignature and again, it doesn’t seem to be making any difference in his skin problems. He’s only been on it for about 3 weeks, though.

I spoke to our vet last week about his diet and she recommended something fish-based for his skin, plus a taurine supplement of 2000 MG per day if he stays on the grain-free diet.
I’ve been considering switching him to either Nulo Freestyle Senior Trout & Sweet Potato or one of the Performatrin Ultra varieties, but I’d very much appreciate any advice or recommendations.

Thank you (and sorry for the long-ish post)!

[Susan]

Hi Blkdoodle,

Buy tin sardines in spring water/olive oil from supermarket, check that the salt % isn’t too high, (compare with all the different sardine brands) drain out all the spring water/olive oil, put the tin sardines in a air tight glass container put in fridge, then add 1-2 spoons sardines a day to 1 of your girl meals & the Sardines will balance her diet with EPA,DHA, Vitamin, minerals, calcium, taurine etc…
I’ve been posting Steven Browns recommendations for years now, add 1-2 spoons of sardines to 1 of your dog daily meals…
Steve Brown posted for kibble feeders who were worried the Omega oils had gone rancid in kibble after it had been opened.
Steve posted
Add to 1 kibble meal a day 2 spoons of Sardines in spring water or Olive Oil, for raw feeders also add 1-2 mussels & a pinch of kelp…
for a 40lb dog add 1/4 can of sardines 1 serving a day.

Sardines contain some of the highest concentrations of EPA and DHA omega-3s of all fish, making them an excellent dietary addition, and they also contain taurine and vitamin E, another potent antioxidant.

[Susan]

Hi,
I would look for a limited ingredient single protein dry kibble, this Victor Active has 4 meats, excellent for a dog who has a healthy Intestinal tract..
My boy has IBD I had to start with a vet diet, then once we found a vet diet that agreed with him & firmed his poos & was doing 2 small firm poos a day “Eukanuba Intestinal” Low Residue formula he had to stay on Eukanuba Intestinal vet diet for 6-12months to strengthen his immune system (Gut), then after 9months, I started trying a new dry kibble but it had to have 1 single meat, limited ingredient kibble & he finally did well on Taste Of The Wild Pacific Stream, Smoked Salmon but in Australia our some of our TOTW formula’s do NOT have any Peas, Lentils Chickpeas like the America TOTW, we still get the old TOTW formula’s.. he did really well on the peas free TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon formula except he started vomiting back up the dry kibble, now I’ve learnt to stay away from any fish kibbles as they are higher in Contaminates & Toxins, I changed him over to the TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula it just has Lamb as meat protein & he did really well, no skin problems & firm poo’s, then I started introducing other foods in his diet so he’d get use to different ingredients, I even went thru a Animal Nutritionist & put him on a raw elimination diet, Kangarro & blended veggies, his poos were beautiful BUT he kept regurgitating back up water & some digested raw, then he was getting bad acid reflux & after regurgitating the raw the acid burnt esophagus so I put him back on dry food & started to cook the raw diet & feed it for Lunch & feed 4 smaller meals thru the day..

I would take baby steps, you will know once she has stopped taken all her meds…
Why does your 4-5 month old pup have UTI’s, she is so young?? also the pancreas test, you’d know if she had Pancreas problems, she’d be vomiting sometimes, eating grass & having pancreas pain & maybe sloppy poo’s, but her Pancreas would young & healthy??
I really think she is too young to be having problems with her Pancreas??..
What colour are her poos?? if her poos are yellow, smelly & sloppy look into Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth, S.I.B.O……while she was taking Metronidazole (Flagyl) were her poos better? sometimes they need to take the Metronidazole for 21-28 days to kill any bad bacteria in stomach/small bowel.. this is what Patch ended up having SIBO & Helicobacter-Pylori, it took a few years to get everything healthy aagain, now I can feed him any foods as long as he’s not sensitive to those ingredients, he does well on Chicken for stomach & bowel BUT not for his skin, he gets red yeasty paws & red skin around his mouth after he eats Chicken, Barley, Oats, Tapioca, Corn & cooked Carrots make his ears itchy…

If you can afford a vet diet that’s where I’d start, as Intestinal Vet diets have FOS, MOS, Inulin, Vitamin B, Beet Pulp, everything to help make the Intestinal Tract healthy, then once she is stable on a vet diet for at least 6 months then start her on a premium dog food that only has 1 meat protein & a few carbs..but slowly start introducing over 2 week period if you see her poos going sloppy while introducing new food, then stop new food & go back a few steps & stay on what she was doing firm poos on & keep a diary write everything down, food, ingredients, flea med, worm meds etc just in case you needs to remember certain things….I wouldnt give her any of those Flea chews yet, just use the spot on flea repellents for now till you work out her stomach bowel problem, just in case she has a very sensitive stomach/bowel, I just read a post on a Staffy f/b group, the lady gave her dog a Bravecto chew will the vet gave her dog the Bravecto chew & he’s been in vet hospital on a drip now for 1 week, dont ever vaccinate, worm & give flea chews all at the same time some vets do this on vet visits I know teh rescue vets do this & some dog can not cope always leave 1-2 weeks inbetween meds vaccination & flea repellents etc
How much does the bag of kibble say to feed her for the weight of your pup? maybe feed 3 smaller meals a day, thats what your suppose to feed a puppy 3 meals a day then they go to the 2 larger meals as they are older.. also have you tried boiled chicken or turkey breast & some boiled potato or try boil rice & see are her poos firm?? maybe for lunch over weekend try a small cooked meal, or a wet can vet diet the Royal Canine Intestinal low fiber is really good, some vet diets are formulated for growning pups your vet will know which ones Im pretty sure the Hills I/D Digestive Care wet & dry is formulataed for growing pups this way you”ll see does she do firm poos over a 2 week period? or try the single meat limited carbs next & see if poos are sloppy then try a vet diet.. Keep us informed with what happens with Zanya’s health….

[Amelia Z]

Yes, you are correct. I have a call into the sport dog company. Don’t know how a “non” sport dog will do on this food. Not sure if it is too rich.

I haven’t feed grains to my dogs. Auggie was tested for food sensitivity and he is sensitive to corn. In general I don’t think grains are good for dogs. Dogs are carnivores, so the main source of protein in their diet should be meat. Grains are inferior sources of protein. Diets with higher grain and carbohydrate content can lead to weight gain, allergies and other potential health problems. I believe grains can become moldy as well. Not to mentions they are sprayed with pesticides. The problem is pet food manufacturers need a filler in the foods, so it’s either grains or legumes. Very few kibble is free of both of these.
As far as Purina and Royal Canin. just look at the ingredients, junk! I don’t trust either of these companies, it’s all about the money. Purina who makes Beneful, shouldn’t be on the market.
Royal Canin 1st two lines of ingredients: (doesn’t sound like something I would eat)
Brown rice, chicken by-product meal, oat groats, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, wheat, chicken fat, natural flavors, powdered cellulose, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, wheat gluten, dried tomato pomace, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, calcium carbonate, potassium..
The 1st ingredient in food should be a named protein (chicken, beef, pork etc) NOT rice in my opinion. My older golden who is 7, always had yeasty ears. The past couple of months I am only giving them kibble one meal, their other meal I am giving them freeze dried-Orijen regional red. I use to clean his ears every other day. Now, no yeast in 3 weeks. Coincidence, I don’t think so. I do believe that kibble is the worse type of food to feed, so I have been researching other options. I know the big push is to go raw, but I just can’t do that yet, which is why I am giving one meal freeze dried. Although, it’s getting pretty expensive.

[Sweet Pea the Collie Mix]

We are looking into pet insurance right now and we will be getting her teeth cleaned soon hopefully. I am going to start training her with brushing her teeth as well. And fish oil sounds like a good idea!
We order some gentle oatmeal shampoo for her, but we just applied her flea tick treatment so we are waiting 48 hours for that 🙂
Thanks!

[anonymous]

Does the dog have bad teeth? If so, the first thing I would do is take her to the vet for a professional cleaning.

It doesn’t matter what food you feed her it won’t undo periodontal disease.

Hope this helps. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2013/06/dental-disease-in-dogs-and-cats-does-treatment-improve-health/ excerpt below
“Dental disease, especially periodontal disease, is very common in dogs and cats. Though affected pets rarely show obvious or severe symptoms, periodontal disease is undoubtedly a source of significant discomfort. The only accurate way to diagnose, characterize, and treat periodontal disease is with a thorough oral examination, dental x-rays, and appropriate cleaning and often extraction or endodontic treatment of infected teeth. This can only be accomplished under general anesthesia”.

Use the search engine at that site to see more articles.

Ask her vet if fish oil (approved for veterinary use only) might help the dry skin.
Try bathing with a gentle shampoo, let’s hope it’s stress related, see what the vet thinks.
Did you get pet heath insurance? You may want to consider…….
She may have allergies or some type of skin condition that will need ongoing treatment.

[Sweet Pea the Collie Mix]

I recently adopted one handful of a dog.
She is 6 years old and very underweight, she clearly has not been fed right in the past. Not only that, but she is extremely picky and has awful dry skin. She prefers wet food but Id like to get her on a kibble diet because she has tartar on her teeth. Currently she is 56 pounds and should be probably at least 65. She is getting fed mostly Victor beef meal and rice and was originally on Hills Science Diet Advanced Fitness (which she despises). I usually put a topping on her food like a bit of Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish. On top of that I usually soak her kibble in a bit of water to soften it, and incorporate a rotation of eggs, turkey, chicken, and cheese. Im gonna try giving her coconut oil for her dry skin as well. But no matter what I add, she NEVER finishes a good portion of her food. I need her to gain weight as she is not healthy at all right now, any suggestions?

Before this is asked, she does not get fed treats or table scraps except for a small dentastix and some shredded turkey deli meat so she can take her kennel cough pills. As for the kennel cough, she is no longer showung symptoms so Im sure that is not the cause.

[MJ E]

we got a foster dog (basset, clumber, cocker mix?) from a rescue that erupts in hundreds of pimples that turn into spots that are like quarter size patches of dried peanut butter that grow into huge weepy raw spots. Thousands of dollars later, no answers. His first allergy tests showed about twenty allergens including foods and environmental. Two years later a second test showed almost completely different results. A bazillion treatments later, nothing has worked to slow it down better than baths. He does not seem very itchy, and the sores do not seems to hurt. It starts at various parts of his body and does not go away until it has traveled all over his body, with the first affected areas healing spontaneously but with horrible dandruff as it goes. After it has covered his entire body, it goes away for a few months, then whammo. We keep him shaved. We have tried three vets, tried everything they recommended to no avail. No one has seen it before. No fleas. He is a happy camper, the horrible condition does not seem to phase him. 15 different foods, booties in the grass, nothing changes it, it is never worse or better. Tried vinegar, probiotics, fish oil, selsun blue. Nothing changes. When he is well he has no skin issues. Rescue tried to put him down so we adopted. Going broke, help.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by MJ E.
• This topic was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by MJ E.

[anonymous]

@ Jan I
X-rays and exams were unremarkable.
So……it may be mild arthritis.
Vet suggested I start a glucosamine supplement and daily fish oil.
Supplements are not regulated by the FDA (lots of junk out there), therefore he prefers I only use the products recommended for veterinary use and purchase through the vet clinic.

Some dog foods have some glucosamine in them, it may help? Example https://www.chewy.com/dogswell-happy-hips-chicken-oats/dp/42571

See what your vet recommends. If your dog needs surgery, then changing his diet and adding supplements may have no effect on his hip dysplasia.

Another thought, if you have pet insurance, hydrotherapy. Swimming is the best for dogs with arthritis, also good for weight management.
Again, discuss with your vet.
Best of luck

[Susan]

Hi Ryan,
if your cooking Chicken & Rice start adding some veggies, broccoli, carrot etc & start balancing 1 of his meals a day or over the week add things that will balance his diet over 1 week, in Australia we have “NAS Digestiavite Plus Powder” I had to mix thru Patches cooked or raw meal was just 1/2 a teaspoon & it didnt smell of vitamins, it smelt nice like spinach & kale its green powder & has everything to balance a dogs diet…..
Take back the Hills 1/d dry kibble, I would of gotten him the wet Hills Digestive Care I/d Chicken, Vegetables & Rice wet can food, it smells really good, its balanced & formulated for a few health problems, sounds like your dog doesn’t like dry kibble, I wouldn’t flare up his Allergies, I’ve been feeding Patch Chicken since March, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula cause the fat is low/medium, protein % is med/high & carbs are low & Kcals are 345 per cup & Patch does well on it BUT now he has red paws, red around his mouth, he cant eat too much Chicken, the chicken agrees with his IBD/Stomach but not his skin… Have you tried “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato ? I buying a bag tomorrow, my cat even likes the Wellness kibbles but she wouldnt eat te TOTW kibble also teh Wellness is palabity money back guaranteed…you have to read thru all the Wellness formula’s ingredients for no lentils, the Natural Balance Potato & Duck or Sweet Potato & Fish doesnt have lentils or chickpeas or Probiotics…
Ive read that Probiotics die by the time we get the kibble or once exposed to heat?? I dont know if this is correct..

Tin Salmon & Sardines in Spring Water or Olive Oil will help balance his diet, Sardines are very healthy, Sardines have vitamins minerals, Omega 3 are very healthy, just read salt % & buy brand with the lowest salt %, add 2 spoons to 1 of his meals a day, also crush up 1 egg shell a day & add to 1 of his cooked meal for calcium…
I often buy tin salmon in spring water, for making sandwiched the smaller cans, I drain all the spring water & add a few pieces of boiled sweet potatoes, 1/2 salmon & 1/2 boiled sweet potato & mix & give only 1/2 for a meal & the other 1/2 the next day… dogs love fresh fish..
I’d look at “Judy Morgan DVM” face book page, look at her videos & “Pancreatitis Diet” her “IBD Diet” she has easy to make cooked balanced meals, you just put everything in a Slow Cooker, then freeze meals, probably healthier then feeding dry kibbles…
Your dog is smart & he can smell the off meat in the dry kibble or he can smell the vitamins & omega oils in the vet diets something is turning him off…

[Susan]

Hi Robert,
have you tried any puppy formula’s that have 1 single meat protein & Sweet potatoes or Potatoes, also adding boiled pumkin to his meals & see does he need a higher fiber diet?add 1 spoon of boiled pumkin to his next meal & see how he goes…
Pumkin can be boiled then frozen, it freezes ok same as sweet potato..
Potatoes & Sweet Potato seem to help dogs with gastro problems..

“Natural Balance” LID Potato & Duck Puppy formula, fiber is 4%
or there’s N/B Potato & Duck Adult & fiber is lower at -3%
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/126515

or try the N/B LID Sweet Potato & Fish formula fiber is 5%, pea free, chickpea free..
You have to read all the Natural balances LID formula’s ingredients as they all vary

or try the “American Journey Limited ingredient Lamb & Sweet Potato formula, the fiber is 7%, the peas are 4th ingredient instead of being 2nd or 3rd ingredient like the other American Journey LTD formula’s are.
Here’s the American Journey LTD ALS Lamb & sweet Potato link.
https://www.chewy.com/american-journey-limited-ingredient/dp/148425

The Hills I/d prescription formula you’re feeding now is low in fiber 1.7% so maybe try a higher fiber diet……
also you need to find out WHY this happening? what does the vet say??
he’s young so he cant have IBD yet but if he continues with his diarrhea & sloppy poos he will end up with thickening of the bowel, when I got my boy he was a rescue & 4yrs old so I’d say someone just kept feeding him the cheap food that irritated his bowel & casued his IBD he has now… the Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue dry vet diet formula was to only vet diet that ended up working for my boy, its low in fiber, my boy doesnt do well on high fiber diets….

Take back the Hills I/d Digestive Care vet diet that isnt helping him, vets diets are money back guaranteed & ask vet nurse can you try either the Royal Canine Gastrointestinal Puppy formula or Gastrointestinal Fiber response the fiber is 12%
Have you tried the Purina FortiFloria probiotic?? strengthen his gut?

Also reassure him when he is stressing out, tell him it’s OK, calm down down & stroke him & calmly speak, settle him down, also he may need to start gaining confidence, he may have low confidence, I rescued a dog she had very low confidents she had to go to puppy school & learn how to met other dogs etc…also never get cranky with him if he has an accident in house etc, whoever owned my boy must of belted him as he is so paranoid about pooing, it has taken me 4 yrs & Patch now FINALLY poos on grass BUT only if he knows he’s doing a firm poo, if he knows his poos is going to be very sloppy he wont poo on grass he holds it until he finds a bush or somewhere he can hide his poo.. I’ve reassured him & told him it’s OK Patch but he still starts to panic if he’s going to have diarrhea, as soon as he does do his sloppy poo or diarraha I praise him & tell him GOOD BOOOOY, you got it out, that after he has ran & looked & looked & panic stressed himself out, Im just relieved he fianally did his diarrhea lol
Here’s Royal Canine Digestive foods see which one is different to the Hills I/d formula he’s eating now, there’s also a Gastro Intestinal Kit

https://www.royalcanin.com/products/vet/digestive-support
keep me up dated what happened?

[Mila A]

Hello everyone,

I just order Dr. Marty dog food. I read your comments -thanks for the extra info.
I have a 5 yr old 20 pound Japanese spitz and he has constant “fat growths/small lumps” on his body, he also has tear stains. I have been giving him origen kibbels (sprinkled with semi boiled chicken / beef/ wild caught fish… i alternate the meats ) . I am hoping that the cause of these growths are going to reduce or be rliminated alltogether (I have them removed every 6 months)
The vet said alot of dogs get it when they are old. My dog has had them since he is 2 or 1 1/2 yrs of age. Wish me luck with the food.

[Ryan K]

Hi Susan! Thank you for all of that info!

I am not sure that I would go raw or take him to a nutritionist. I might one day but right now I want to keep trying dry foods.

I should have mentioned before that I have been having a hard time with him and foods since I decided to take him off his old Zignature Kangaroo recipe and put him on rx Hydrolized protein by Royal Canin and Science Diet Z/D. Both of these cleared his skin up immediately but made him incredibly…OFF. He seemed very agitated and unlike himself when he was on these two prescription foods. He seemed almost restless and irritable. Someone mentioned that it might have been the super high % of Omega 3’s in those diets so I got him off of them and ever since I have been trying new foods. He has been a mess since that. I haven’t had him on one food that has worked well. I am not sure if those rx foods just really messed with his gut and now he has still not recovered or what but I need to get it sorted out. I made sure that the Prescription food by Hills has low Omega’s this time because that was a concern. I also noticed that while on the Hydrolized protein diets his poops were incredibly loose and runny. That was a big part in my taking him off the ZD and trying the Royal Canin Hydrolized. I didn’t like how soupy his poops were. He has anal gland issues so I would prefer him to have a food that gives him a more firm stool. But, at this point…I just need his stomach and appetite to normalize. That’s my priority. If I find something that he actually EATS and doesn’t seem irritated by I am sticking to it. He did well on the Kangaroo by Zignature but the lentils make him super itchy and his ears get very gooey and gross when he eats it. I had him on Orijen six fish for probably the first 2 years of his life (he’s 9 now) and he loved that but continually had ear issues…I realized it was the probiotics and stopped and they cleared up. I have had him on Acana which he likes but again…ear issues…skin issues….not fun.

I did get several cans of the prescription diet you mentioned. Oddly enough, he does not like it! It’s so weird because he normally loves canned food but he sniffs it and turns away. I am hopeful that the fact that he is still eating boiled chicken and rice that that is a good sign? If he’s not eating anything I would be very scared. I think maybe I am overthinking this and giving him too many options and messing his system up. If his triglycerides come back as normal and there is nothing to worry about I will go from there. If that is a problem…I am not sure what the next step is. I think I also need to get him more exercise. He isn’t overweight…the vet says he looks healthy…but, he is very sedentary. I have a fenced yard and he runs around from time to time but nothing very regular. I might start walking him around the neighborhood. Maybe that will work up his appetite and help regulate him a bit more.

Thank you very much for your amazing help!! 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Ryan,
do you have the money to see a animal nutritionist? & get a balanced cooked diet, join a few Facebook groups “K-9Kitchen” run by Monica Segal, Monica does balanced diets for health problems….
there’s “K-9 Nutrition” group run by Lew Olson…
also “Judy Morgan DVM” look at her videos on her F/B page she has a few home made balanced easy to make meals…

When a dog is shaking its normally PAIN related, aso having diarrhea he probably was having intestinal pain could it have been Pancreas? did vet do blood test for Pancreatitis? also your dog might have IBD, my boy has IBD & he shakes when he has his stomach pain, I thought he was having Pancreatitis attacks cause he gets all the symptoms & he was shaking really bad, but blood test have always come back all good, no pancreatitis & the vet just says its his IBD, its stomach pain….
So I have excepted he doesnt have Pancreatitis & its his IBD causing him pain after he has eaten something it has caused him bad pain, he does lift one of his front paws & wants me to rub his stomach/pancres area when he gets this pain & shakes….
What was he eating when this was happening? was it a high fiber diet??
Dogs have a short Digestive Tract, so they do better eating low fiber or no fiber at all my vet told me, how are his poos since starting the Hills I/d Digestive Care formula, are his poos firm, cause the Hills I/d Digestive Care formula’s are lower in fiber ??
Try the Hills I/d low fat digestive care wet can food, I feed the Hills I/d Chicken,Vegetables & Rice wet can formula, it has less rice, No Fish Oil & has 14.9%-fat, I have to pick out all the boiled rice but Patch loves it for lunch & the cat gets all his rice & gravy she loves it.
Hills have improve their vet diets & brought out some really nice wet can stews…

Just ask your vet if you want to try a certain vet formula you think has OK ingredients & might agree with your boy.. I’d stick with the vet diets, they are balanced properly & made for certain health problems, some vet diets will help a few different health problems if you read “Key Benefits, look at
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® w/d® Canine Vegetable & Chicken Stew it’s for a few health problems, maybe talk with your vet about trying the Hills W/d formula??
https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-wd-canine-vegetable-and-chicken-stew-canned#accordion-content-054167331-2

Have you tried “Natural Balance” LTD Potato & Duck formula the fat is low-10% & fiber-3%, but you have to remember when the protein% & fat % is lower the Carbs are higher this is when weight gain happens if they are couch potatoes & dont excercise daily, The Natural Balance limited ingredient formula’s have all different ingredients so make sure you look at the ingredient list…
I would be feeding 3 small meals a day, same time every day, I’d feed 1-2 meals cooked meal or vet diet wet can food & the other meal the dry kibble… I feed 4-5 meals a day but my dog weighs 40lbs
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets

Here’s N/B Small Breed Potato & Duck, it has no probiotics
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/36763

There’s Hills Prescription Weight Loss vet diet?? Ive heard dogs have very good results with this HIlls weight loss vet diet formula, Hills have brought out their
Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Natural Canine
https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-metabolic-natural-canine-dry

There’s Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ Metabolic + Mobility Canine formula its lower in carbs-36%, the fat is a bit higher-14.6% in fat, probably from from all the omega oils for joint health, https://www.hillspet.com.au/dog-food/pd-metabolic-canine-dry

*Metabolic + Mobility Canine has clinically proven nutrition to improve mobility in as little as 21 days AND reduce body weight by 13% in 60 days.

*Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Canine Lamb Meal & Rice Formula
https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-metabolic-canine-lamb-meal-and-rice-formula-dry#accordion-content-054167331-2

There’s Hills Prescription Diet™ Metabolic Canine Vegetable & Beef Stew or
Hill’s™ Prescription Diet™ Metabolic + Mobility Canine Vegetable & Tuna Stew
ingredients look good & no cooking, no balancing cooked diet.
Here’s all Hills Weight Loss formula’s
https://www.hillspet.com/search?_BRAND=pd&_CONDITION=weightCondition&_SPECIES=dog

BUT 1 thing all of Hills Weight Loss formula’s are high in fiber, if your dog does OK with higher fiber & doesn’t get any pain or sloppy poos eating high fiber then try feeding the wet can foods, wet food is easier to digest then hard kibble….

I have found when a dog becomes picky with its food they normally have stomach problems & food has caused them pain so they become very fussy & when a certain food has caused them pain they will refuse to eat that food, so best to stop feeding whatever it is & read ingredients, read fiber %, the Kcals per cup??
Try & work out what is causing pain ….
Good-Luck

[Susan]

Hi Jessica,
has your pup had his stool tested for Giardia & been on a course of Metronidazole for 21 days?
I’ve looked up the dry dog foods you have tried & I’ve noticed they were pea heavy…
Have you tried a kibble that has NO PEAS & less fiber?

Try the “Natural Balance” LTD Potato & Duck formula, the fiber is 3%, no peas…. see how he does with no peas & LESS fiber? if this doesn’t work, take back & try Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish 5% fiber & no peas…
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/104645

Here’s all the Natural Balance Limited ingredient formula’s, read ingredient list as they all vary..
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets

Start keeping a diary, write down all the formula’s you’ve tried, write how his poos were & how many poo’s he is doing a day, also write down the Protein % Fat % Fiber % & Kcals per cup in kibble…
I would stop adding boiled rice as rice can irritate the bowel, add boiled potato or boiled sweet potato if higher fiber is needed…if the pumkin didn’t really help then higher fiber may not be needed but it might depend what you added with the pumkin??
Have you tried feeding 1 cooked meat he hasnt eaten before with boiled potatoes for 1 week? NO treats…

If after trying the Natural Balance formula’s that are pea free & didnt help I would see your vet & try a vet diet, Vet Diets are specially formulated for Intestinal Stress, some vet diets are higher in soluble fiber or high in insoluble fiber & see does vet diet help.
You might have to try a few vet diets to find the right one then feed for a good 6-9months..
Then you look for a premium dog food & try again after he’s been doing well for 6-9months.
My boy ate a vet diet for 9 months so his bowel & stomach could heal, I knew he did well on his Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue vet diet & when I tried a new dry kibble & it didn’t work, I could go back to the vet diet he did 2 firm poos a day on & work out my next step while he was doing firm poos….
Have you tried a dog probiotic?
Try Purina Pro Plan Fortifloria probiotic? while feeding pea fee kibble..
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50029

How was he when he was eating the “Pure Vita Salmon & Peas” formula? this was high fiber 6%, very pea heavy & high in Kcals per cup, try & stay under 370Kcals per cup for kibble, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble, so harder to digest..

Keep me up-dated, what has happened & what you tried.

[Sabrina H]

There is no form of specialist at all anywhere near my area (we would have to travel well over 200 miles to get to one and my car might not make it), and having just spent a small fortune and most of my savings on my senior cat money is tight. Both pets needed to have issues at the same time apparently. I recently moved and I’m having a hard time finding a decent vet up here. Some think all food except Royal Canin and Science Diet are terrible, others don’t seem to care about the pet and only want the money, and a couple of them seem like they slept through vet school.

With Taste of the Wild, his skin was best on High Praire, his anal glands were in the best shape (until recently) on Southwest Canyon. Pine Forest caused him to be incredibly gassy and his feces were never well-formed. Pacific Stream really had no redeeming qualities.
He was eating Southwest Canyon but the last bag I bought was High Praire to see if getting rid of the boar would help any. It’s only been a couple weeks but it does seem like his neck is itching less, though he’s still itching the base of his tail.

I don’t remember quite all that I tried with 4Health. I know he started on the regular (not grain free) formula and I think I stuck mostly with the chicken option before switching to the salmon and potato in an effort to help his skin, then to the grain free ones. Grain-free does definitely help his condition.

Beneful, unsurprisingly, left him with the worst dandruff and his feces weren’t formed at all, ever. They were just…mush.

I give as few baths as possible. The frequency depends on whether or not he finds something stinky to roll in, like baby opossums passed out in the backyard or duck poop that the neighbor sprays over the fence. If he doesn’t find anything gross to roll in he gets a bath every 2 months with a moisturizing shampoo, usually with aloe/oatmeal in it. I’ve tried bathing less as well as bathing more and it doesn’t have much effect. A lack of baths for longer than 2 months does seem to make him itchier, probably because he’s dirty.

In terms of fish oil, I’ve tried a couple different kinds. One was wild Alaskan salmon oil and the other was just omega-3 and didn’t specify anything other than fish from Norway. He was on each one for a few months and neither did anything. I refuse to give up apparently so I have a third kind to try when I’m done with the omega-3, which is another brand of wild Alaskan salmon oil.

With the experience I’ve had with the vets here thus far, they’ll almost certainly tell me to put him on Science Diet to make all his problems disappear and leave it at that.

[Michiel N]

How about Earthblend? Seems like a great food. If it doesn’t meet your criteria can you tell me if it would be a good food for our Bullmastiff puppy. We’ve been feeding her Victor Hero with Chondroitin/Glucosamine but her stools are very soft. Thanks for any input.
Here’s a list of their ingredients from there website:
Earthblend Super Premium Natural Dog Food™
Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Oatmeal, Barley, Millet, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Fish Meal, Beet Pulp, Carrots, Peas, Sweet Potato, Natural Flavor, Sun Cured Alfalfa, Brewers Yeast, Dried Kelp, Flaxseed Oil, Potassium Chloride, Blueberries, Cranberries, Spinach, Pumpkin, Broccoli, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid], Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Mangenese Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide), Fennel Seed, Parsley, Garlic, Barley Grass, Thyme, Burdock Root, Red Clover, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Beta Carotene, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, Dried Bacilillus subtilis fermentation extract, and Rosemary Extract

[pitlove]

Hi Sabrina-

Despite having normal hard stool, my bully mix will sometimes need to have his anal glands expressed. My boss/his vet explained to me that some dogs just do not have correct anatomy that allow them to express their anal glands on their own. You may simply need to learn how to do it at home, or bring him on occassion to the vet to have them do it. Sounds like you know what fiber % helps and what makes it worse, so find a food that has that fiber % and keep him on it.

Our dog also gets an annual ear infection in his left ear. We treat the symptoms and they go away. It happens at the start of summer time. I have ear meds on hand at all times.

As far as the dander goes, you didn’t mention how often you were bathing him and what you were bathing him with. Too frequent bathing can cause what you are seeing. Also how long did you use the fish oil supplements for and was the source of the fish wild caught? I did not notice a difference in my dog for a little over a month when I did fish oil supplements the first time. After about a month I started to see a difference.

Also it is ok to get a second opinion from another vet. I’ve done it even though I like the vet I see.

[Sabrina H]

My dog has a few issues the vet has been overwhelmingly unhelpful in resolving. I’m hoping a food change can resolve some of it. He’s had a constant issue with impacted anal glands, which is mostly solved by keeping him on food that’s 4.5-5% fiber. 5.5% and up is too high, making his feces completely unformed and his anal glad problem worse. 4% and below gives him solid formed feces, but they aren’t large enough to clear the glands. He also has a constant problem with one ear that bothers him intermittently, and there’s no apparent pattern to when or why it happens. The vet can’t see any signs of any kind of issue in the ear at all and no treatment has worked. Finally, he has constant dandruff and has recently acquired an itchy neck. Fish oil supplements don’t help.

Switching him off Beneful and on to 4Health helped his feces consistency a little, but the itchy skin and dandruff were horrid and the ear problems were still bad. Taste of the Wild greatly improved his skin over the last couple years, and certain formulas help keep the anal gland issues at bay. With his newly itchy neck, dandruff, and ear issues showing no improvement, it’s time to try another food. I’m only a very tight budget though with very little wiggle room and I can’t spend much over $2 per pound. $2.30 per pound is beyond pushing it, so I would not even go that high if possible. I’m having issues finding food that fits everything I need. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

[Susan]

Hi Franette,

I’d stop feeding dog fish kibbles, my boy also has IBD & I feed a fish formula in the beginning. Fish seem to help him then all of a sudden he was getting bad acid reflux from the fish oils..Look at feeding white cleaner meats like Chicken, Turkey, Pork these meats are white easier to digest & dont have as much toxins as the fish dog foods have, get a kibble that’s lower in Kcals per cup kibbles under 370Kcals per cup, I stay around 340 Kcals per cup, the higher teh Kcals the more dense teh dry kibble is & harder to digest the kibble… I have found my Patch does heaps better eating a kibble that is lower in carbs lower in fiber & the fat doesnt have to be really low, its the Fiber & Carbohydrates that need to be lower..Fiber can be 4-5% & under, Carbs 36% & under, fat- 10-14% & protein 26-34%…higher teh protein & fat the lower the carbs.
Im feeding “Wellness Core” Large Breed formula at the moment, my boy isnt a large breed dog & the Wellness Core Large breed formula is high in omega fatty acid but not no fish/salmon oils, oils can upset his stomach, Vet Diets are the same they are high in fish oil causing acid reflux..he licks his paws, bed sheets, grinds his teeth & mouth licks..

Can you afford an Endoscope + Biopsies done you need the “biopsies” only 2 biospsies of his stomach & esophagus to see does he have Helicobacter-Pylori then he takes 21 day course of triple therapy meds, Metronidazole, Amoxillicin every 12 hours with meal & 20mg Losec given of a morning for 21 days then he stays on the 20mg Losec tablet to stop the Helicobactor coming back & living in his stomach wall, the Omeprazole (Losec) will stop the acid reflux, or ask vet can you just try the Triple therapy meds for 21 day & continue with 20mg x Losec after te triple therapy course has finished? if you dont have the $700 for Endoscope + biopsies, triple therapy meds will stop him feeling so hungry & wanting food all day within 5 days of starting triple therapy medications, do you have a good vet that knows about IBD?…
All dogs have Helicobacter but when a dog doesn’t have a healthy intestinal tract normally dogs with IBD get the Helicobacter over growth, it takes over the dogs stomach & lives in their stomach wall giving them acid reflux & a norring feeling in the stomach & as soon as you eat this norring feeling in stomach goes away, then the food gets digested & this norring feeling comes back, so you want to keep eating & eating to stop the stomach pain.

Start feeding him a new limited ingredient kibble the first mate fish formula ur feeding has Tomato Pomace as 4th ingredient also the fiber is 8% this is high in fiber & can make acid reflux worse.. does he need this higher fiber for his IBD? can he eat a kibble that has 4-5% fiber instead?
Try a kibble that has chicken or pork or turkey kibble, something that has a white meat, turkey, chicken, pork, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas..& has lower fiber also feed 5 smaller meals a day, instead of feeding 2 larger meals a day..
Can you get “Natural Balance”LTD Sweet Potato & Bison formula or Potato & Duck formula etc or “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula? if your dog does need the higher fiber then “Wellnesss Core” has their Reduced Fat formula.. I’d be asking your vet can you please try the 21 day course of Triple Therapy meds for Helicobactor & then can your dog continue & stay on 20mg X Omeprazole (Losec)
Then see does the floor licking & feeling hungry & wanting food 24/7 goes away or reduces…Good Luck keep us posted what you try.

[anonymous]

Chickpeas & Lentils are good! They are legumes, not exotic ingredients 🙂

I, as well as other pet owners I know, have had excellent results with Zignature kibble (as a base) Toppers are stuff like boiled chicken meat or scrambled egg. Always a splash of water or plain chicken broth.
They have several different proteins, I stay with the fish ones, whitefish, catfish, salmon and trout. We try different ones, depending on what is on sale, whitefish is our current favorite.
PS: We avoid potatoes, all types. We consider it to be a cheap starchy filler.
A little potato is okay (imo) however a lot of kibbles are loaded with it.

[Susan]

Hi Pennelope,
I use to have a Boxer her name was Angie, she was a white Boxer with a tan Patch over her left eye, she was the most beautiful dog I’ve ever owned, a real lady she was, so gentle, now I have a 9yr old English Staffy another rescue pound dog, he’s very friendly has to talk to everyone when we go out & has to tell people when he has his sore stomach, he starts whinging then he lifts his right paw up so they rub his stomach, where Angie, she kept to herself when we’d go out….
My boy has IBD-(Stomach, Acid Reflux, 20mins after eating meal food/water comes back up into mouth, his Sphincter flap in Esophagus doesn’t close), Food Sensitivies & Environment Allergies…
Last Summer I thought he had EOE (eosinophilic esophagitis) vet did Endoscope + Biopsies & said no to the EOE.

Salvia, Fur & Blood testing gives false positives, the only true way to know what foods your dog is sensitive too is to do a food elimination diet or feed a Hypoallergenic vet diet, after eating vet diet for 6-8weeks & your dog is doing well, not reacting, then you start adding 1 new food to his diet for 6 weeks to see does he react, if he reacts stop the new food, start keeping a diary & write down everything…

There’s a few Canine ME groups on facebook, you’ll met alot of pet parents who are going thru what you’re going thru everyday….

This year I started feeding my boy “Wellness Core” Large Breed, Patch seemed to be reacting to everything last Summer, Patch also takes a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) started taking 20mg Pantoprazole (PPI) in March this year after I nilly put him to sleep, 2 yrs ago he started taking Omeprazole (Losec) & he did really well, he stop burping & stopped food coming up & stopped his acid reflux, then around Xmas 2017 Patch went down hill after we moved, his vet said his allergies are really bad making his immune system go into over drive causing him to have a IBD flare, it was awful watching this once happy go lucky dog go down hill so quickly, he just gave up, his food just kept coming up he can not eat any wet wet foods, only dry kibble seems to stay down the best, I feed him 5 smaller meals a day, 7am & 9am-1/2 a cup kibble both times, 12pm – a wet vet diet Royal Canine, Gastrointestinal Low Fat, 1/3 of the can or Hills I/d Digestive Care, Chicken, Vegetables & Rice Stew a small can, I have to remove all the carrots & boiled rice, Patch can’t eat carrots he starts getting itchy ears & shakes his head & scratches his ears & the boiled rice goes thru Patch, boiled rice irritates his bowel, he gets rumbling, grumbling loud noises whe he eats boiled rice…5pm- 1/2 a cup kibble & 8pm-1/3 cup kibble..
I have found Sweet Potatoes & Boiled Potatoes are excellent with Patch also alot of dogs with ME & IBD do really well on boiled potatoes/sweet potatoes or a dry kibble that has potatoes/sweet potatoes…
I wouldn’t put all ur eggs in 1 backet with the allergy test your dog has had done, what ingredients was he he eating when he got this test??
My vet said normally the ingredients the dogs are eating at teh time of theses allergy test will come up high, when I asked for a blood test years ago, she wouldnt do it, she said, I’m not wastiing your money & said we’ll started Patch on the “Royal Canine” Tapioca & Duck vet diet its gluten free or she said, cook him lean turkey mince & boiled potatoes & start the elimination diet…
Have a look at “Natural Balance”LTD Sweet Potato & Bison or Sweet Potato & Fish” or
“Wellness Simple” Salmon & Potatoes but I think all Wellness grain free dog foods have peas??
This is where you’ll need to start a proper food elimination diet & test the ingredients that the allergy test said your dog is sensitive too.. most grainfree pet food have peas & the grain kibbles normally have rice, so the only option is to feed a vet diet, look at “Royal Canine Select Proteins” PR-Potato & Rabbit wet & dry formula’s or there’s PW, Potato & Salmon aswell, or Hills has their Z/d or Potato & Duck or Potato & Venison formula’s or look at the “Ranye Canada” vet diets http://www.raynecanada.ca/canine-diets/
Rayne has Kangaroo, Crocodile & Rabbit wet & dry formula’s but you’ll have to be careful with the fat, it needs to be low/med, carbs need to be low & protein high….
The Royal Canine Select Protein vet formula’s may be the best to start your dog on.. he doesn’t have to stay on them long term, just till you work out what foods he can & can’t eat, it can take 20mins, 1 day up to 6 weeks for a dog to show symptoms & react to a certain food ingredients.. Takes Patch 20mins after eating a food he’s sensitive too & react, his paws go red & hot,
For his environment allergies, it’s best to bath them twice a week or weekly, to wash off any allergens on skin & paws, I use “Sudocrem” cream, it’s a Anti-Fungal, Anti-Bacterial Healing thick white cream for Dermatitis, Eczema, Nappy Rash, Pressure Sores etc, it stops itchy skin, reddness, yeast, every night before bed I check Patches whole body & I apply the Sudocrem or Cortisone 1% cream when his paws are really red, this normally happens after we have had rain for a few days & he walks on wet grass or the wet morning dew on grass of a morning, Ialso use teh Huggie Baby Coconut baby wipes & wipe Patch down after we have gone for a walk or he’s been outside & I dont want to bath him after he has rolled & rub his whole body on the grass..
Once you get into a routine, routine makes life easier.. plus dogs love a routine they feel safe & stable…
If your on face book put “Megaesophagus Canine groups” in Search bar, I’ll probably see you over there..

[anonymous]

I had a corgi that lived to be a little over 9 1/2 years old. Hemangiosarcoma ended her life (it’s genetic).
Who knows, regarding beef?
I stay with a fish based kibble and add a little chopped boiled chicken, chicken broth or water, scrambled egg, tuna fish. I consider kibble to be the base.
My chicken broth recipe /forums/topic/grain-free-2/#post-109751

Boil a chicken once a month, dogs love chicken 🙂
Still give them cooked red meat once in a while, but not that often. Not sure about it, gave it up myself, decades ago.

PS: I had to walk that corgi 5 miles a day and feed measured amounts of food twice a day, no treats, to keep her weight within normal limits.
She did not tolerate heat well, panted if it was over 68 degrees.
She shedded a lot too.

[Susan]

Hi Charles,

The only way you will know 100% what foods your dog is sensitive too is to do a food elimination diet, you start by feeding 1 novel protein, a protein source he hasn’t eaten before & add 1 carb….this takes a while to do but you get results, I picked ingredients for the elimination diet that were in kibbles he had eaten & ingredients in kibbles I wanted to feed him.
Raw was the easiest way to do the elimination food diet as you dont have to cook & Patch reacted within 20mins of eating raw chicken breast, his back paw went red, swollen & hot, he was licking & licking his back paw, I had to put an ice pack on his back paw, so I knew straight away “NO more chicken”, then I started cooking his elimination diet as I didnt want to give him raw grated potato, raw carrots etc cause he has IBD & I found cooked carrots made his ears itch & he’d shake his head & scratch his ears, if you dont want to cook or feed a raw diet for the elimination diet then ask your vet about Hypoallergenic vet diets, would be your next step, once your dog has been eating the vet diet for 6 weeks & dog is not scratching, no red paws etc then you start adding 1 new ingredient for 6 week peroid or as soon as you see the dog reacting you stop adding the new ingredient, it can take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks to see a reaction to an ingredient..

Alot of people will blame an ingredient in a kibble, there’s so many ingredients so they blame the potatoes, peas, chicken etc like I did, then when yrs later I did elimination food diet & I tested cooked potato then 1 month later I added cooked sweet potatoes, my dog he didnt react at all, no itching, no red paws, no gas, no sloppy poos, so for 2 years I had avoid buying any dog foods that had potato in them, also kibbles have too many ingredients in them so its very hard to know 100% what ingredient is causing the skin, ear or paw problems…. also normal pet shop & supermarket dry kibble become cross contaminated while being made or while being cut into the kibble shape from the cutting machine, so you’ll never really work out what ingredient your dog is reacting too in a dry kibble… Vet diets are suppose to not be cross contaminated…..

If you don’t like Hills, Royal Canine or Purina vet diets then there’s “Rayne Canada” vet diets they have Novel proteins Crocodile, Kangaroo & Rabbit formula’s..
It’s sooooo hard to really know 100% what your dois reacting too cause you also have the envrionment allergies aswell that he might be reacting too that day 🙁
But with my Patch he reacts to foods within 20mins of eating them he starts scratching & gets reditchy paws & start to lick them, & his gastro problems can take anywhere from 6-8hours to 1-2 days depends, Lentils he reacted within 6 hours of eating a kibble that had lentils in it…
I found it best to do your elimination food diet in the cooler months when environment allergens aren’t as active…..also as the dog ages their allergies become worse, Patch had the worst Summer last December & this January it was awful his immune system went into over drive & made his IBD flare up, I nilly put him to sleep, I couldn’t handle watching him suffer, he couldn’t swollow his food, everything he ate was coming back up into his mouth, his vet begged me to hang in there & wait 1-2 months for Summer to be over before you put him to sleep, I’m very lucky, well Patch is very lucky to have a really good vet, he wouldnt be here now…. Make sure your dogs diet is high in Omega 3 & give Probiotics daily, one thing about the Vet diets for skin problems they are very high in omega 3, so make sure if you’re not feeding a vet diet & doing an elimination diet or feeding normal dry kibble, start adding fish/salmon or Krill Oil capsules, Krill Oil capsules are suppose to not cause stomach problems & are better for dogs who suffer with Stomach problems…
Good-Luck
Here’s the Rayne Canada site.. http://www.raynecanada.ca/canine-diets/

[Susan]

Hi Brianne,
My boy has IBD, he gets bad acid reflux & gets Pancreas/stomach pain lifts his right paw up whinges & wants me to rub around his stomach & Pancreas area, we have done the blood test & Ultra scan for Pancreatitis & everything comes back OK his Gastro vet says its his IBD, its his stomach….
If your dog isnt really interested in his Blue Bufflo kibble change it & find a kibble or low fat wet can or Freeze Dried raw kibble to feed him, I have found I need to rotate between a few foods that agree with him, they must be low/medium fat around 10%min to 14% max in fat, Protein over 25% & Carbs under 30% & fiber under 4%..
A dogs digestive tract is short & ment to digest a raw meaty diet not these processed dry kibbles, this is why I think so many dogs are having stomach & bowel problems……

My boy loves the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet can food & the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet can food I just get a paper towel & pat down & dry all the oil from the Royal Canin low fat wet food, Why I buy teh Vet Diet Wet can foods cause the fat is low where pet shop went can foods are higher in fat…
Patch gets his acid when a food has fish/salmon oils, he does well on Canola & sunflower oils…
Have you tried an ant acid reducer like Pepcid or Zantac ? you give 30mins before 2 of his main meals a day, my boy is on an ant acid blocker now he started off on Omeprazole (Prilosec) took it for 2 yrs then around December last year I moved & Patch went down hill really bad, I asked his vet can he do another Endoscope + Biopsies you must ask for the Biopsies so the vet knows what is really happening in stomach, my Patches Sphincter flap isn’t closing & the acid is coming up his esophagus into his mouth & went back down into his wind pipe this probably why he became so unwell the beginning of the year, I nilly put him to sleep he just gave up it was awful to watch, also his Helicobacter-Pylori were come back & he had Gastritis stomach…so he was put on 21 day triple therapy meds Metronidazole Amoxcillin & Prilosec given every 12 hours with a full meal, then after the 21 days I continued giving just 1 x 20 Prilosec tablet of a morning for his acid reflux & to keep his Helicotor away, it lives in their stomach walks & loves sugary carbs (kibble)
In the end I had to stop any wet foods cause they kept coming up into hois mouth causing bad acid reflux, I found Wellness Core Large Breed dry kibble & he’s doing really well now, he’s acting like a puppy, he isnt a large breed dog he’s an English Staffordshire Terrier, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is low/med Fat-13%, Protein-35%, Carbs-31% low in Kcals per cup -345Kcals per cup & is high in Omega 3 & has Glusomine & Chondroitin helping his joints & bones he’s 9ys old & it has no chickpeas or lentils…

I’d change his diet, if you can cook 1-2 of his meals a lean white meat with boiled sweet potatoes, sweet potato freezes really well & feed his other 2 meals the Wellness Core large Breed formula, try & feed 3-4 smaller meals a day, I feed him at 7am, 9am-1/2 cup kibble both times 12pm-wet can food or cooked food or his freeze dried raw food & 5pm -1/2 cup kibble & 8pm-1/3 kibble, & try an ant acid reducer first either the Pepcid (Famotidine) or Zantac (Ranitidine) 30 mins before 2 of his main meals, if they dont really help him then ask vet about trying Omeprazole (Prilosec) 20mg best given first thing of the morning just wait about 20mins then feed him but you dont really dont have to wait before feeding him as Prilosec is a Protein Pump Inhibitor (PPI) sends a msg to the brain not to make as much Hydrochloric acid in the stomach, where the Zantac & Pepcid works differently & I found didnt really help Patch… You will see results within 2-3 days after using the Omeprazole..
Sometimes I also give Patch either 5ml liquid Mylanta or 1/2 a Quick-eze chew when he has vomited up acid these line his throat & eosphagus & make him feel better…

[pitlove]

Hi Sanford-

Since Earthborn states that is a complete and balanced food, there is no reason to add this type of supplement to your pets diet.

The only type of supplement that I would encouragee you to add since it sounds like your dog is overweight is a fish oil or glucosamine supplement to help slow down arthritis.

[mojoh]

Hi folks,

First time poster here. I have 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks, 1 8 weeks old and 1 10 mos old and I am searching for an all life stages brand as I want to feed them as a group. I’m currently feeding them Precise Naturals Large & Giant breed puppy formula.

I do have a number of things I’m hoping to avoid:
1. Trace contaminates from the manufacturing process. I try to vet the dog foods here: https://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product_category/dog-food/

2. Can be grain or grain free (Rice generally has arsenic but grain free blends tend to have more contaminates just as brands with fish tend to as well) Ref: https://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food/ and https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm

3. Would like to avoid high levels of pea/pea protein/legumes as they could potentially have long term health effects on dogs: Ref: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/grain-free-equals-peas-peas-and-more-peas/

4. No canola oil. It seems to have more health risks than benefits: https://draxe.com/canola-oil-gm/

With my current feed, I cannot vet it for trace contaminates as there has not been a review. Another similar one that has been reviewed is Eagle Pack Large & Giant breed (Ref: http://www.eaglepack.com/product-dog.aspx#.WubEFtKG99A ) but it is puppy and adult formulas instead of all life stages. The Great Life brand appears to have an all life stages ones but peas are in both grain and grain free formulas: http://www.greatlifedog.com/# and am waiting on a response as to their current calcium/nutritional profile. Also, the original google linked list appears to still have valid formulas except many of them have been tested to have contaminates at various stages of either manufacturing or pre-manufacturing individual product growth.

Also, reading some of the original links and posts it appears that the recommended protein for some studies is 29 to 34% yet other studies shows that 23% protein had no statistical difference on growth. So, is there a recommended range that is statistically proven?

Any thoughts?

Regards,

John

[CockalierMom]

I think the acid reflux is probably due to the condition of his gut right now. I feed THK base mixes, and my girl will get acid reflux if there is too much fat in her food-she does not tolerate fish oil at all on THK. You may want to try a little Kindly base mix and add your own turkey and see how he does. The base mixes are not ground as fine as the complete mixes, such as Embark, and I hydrate those a lot longer, 4 to 12 hours.

I had was giving my girl probiotics for over a year and mentioned to the vet that I did not think they were helping her, and he suggested adding the kefir. I took her off the pet probiotics when I could not add 3 kibbles to her food without getting diarrhea, and then added kefir and had no problems at all transitioning to another kibble. (She does better with a few kibbles mixed into the THK).

Since the THK is bothering him right now, and he tolerates potatoes and sweet potatoes, you may want to try a little of that with the turkey. White potato has less soluble fiber than sweet potatoes and might be a good choice. I strongly suspect the squash and oatmeal are too much for his system.

Have you tried the Wellness Simple Turkey or Natural Balance Duck and Potato?

With the journey I have been through with my girl, I definitely know what it is like to feel defeated and ready to give up–every time I get a good combination that is working formulas are changed or discontinued. I don’t know that I will have any answers for you but can help get you pointed in the direction to head.

[Susan]

Hi emmygirl,
sorry my post is so long but as I’m writing I’m remember heaps of information & what I did with Patch….
You have written everything I have been thru with my IBD boy Patch who is nilly 10yrs old, I nilly put him to sleep in January, instead we did another Endoscope-Biopsies on esophagus & stomach, I thought he had stomach cancer…
Find a vet that does Endoscope + Biopsies & a vet that knows about IBD, you must get the biopsies done if you ever do Endoscope, some vets dont think to do the biopsies when looking at the stomach & small bowel, these vets are lacking experience in IBD, Patches stomach looks perfect when he had his 2 Endoscopes but his the biopsies told a different story. Biopsies tell the vet so much information what is wrong with your boy intestinal tract….Ultra scan was a waste of money, you cant really see the stomach & the vet can see the bowel but only if the bowel is thickening, vets thought Patch had thickening of the Bowel but he didnt, this happens after the dog has diarrhea for years, I wouldnt like to be a vet, 1 dogs cant talk & tell the vet were is sore what hurts etc, so vets have to do alot guessing sometimes when test come back OK.

*Food
Over the years my good vet told me to keep a yearly diary, cause you cant rememeber every single thing you’ve done & they have done.. now I look back thru Patches diaries when I need to remember what was Patch eating when he was doing so much better, write what your feeding, times, meds, what were poos like when he’s eating ?? etc
Is he doing OK when he’s eating the cooked Turkey, Squash & Oatmeal, how are his poos? one of Patches first vets told me in the beginning, to look & see when dog is pooing, does the poo come out of bum properly formed poo?, then when it hits the ground it turns to slop cow patty poo? the vet said this is OK as long as poo’s are formed when its coming out of the bum & as long as the dog is just doing his normal 1-3 poos a day & is not pooing at all thru day & night at all hours, vet said to me this might be as good as your going to get Patches poos, he was eating the Royal Canine Hypoallergeniic dry kibble… but I ended up getting Patches poos firmer when he started teh TOTW kibble & I ended up trying the Royal Canine Hypoallergenic wet can food last year it was better then the dry R/C HP kibble, then after trying all the Intestinal vet diets Hills, Royal Canine & Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue worked the best but Patch skin was yeasty itchy & smelt bad then after joining the Canine EPI f/b group dogs were doing really well on TOTW or the Kirkland Signature, Natures Domain, Turkey & Sweet potato & Salmon & Sweet potato formula’s so I started Patch on TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & the Pacific Stream Salmon but teh Pacific Stream Salmon made him vomit he does firm poos but kept vomiting up the TOTW Smoked Salmon later I seen TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon is very high in toxins & another 2 fish formula’s brands Patch kept vomiting are very high in Toxins after being tested, then 3 yrs later Patch refused to eat his TOTW Roasted Lamb kibble, something had changed with TOTW kibble it smelt different, looked different & kibble size became very small….so now it makes me wonder if these kibbles are high in contaminates & toxins making my boy IBD have a flare??? thats why its best to cook their meals or find a really good dog dehydrated dog food that uses human grade ingredients.. as Patch has gotten older his acid reflux has gotten worse so he cant eat kibbles that are over 15% in fat now..
loow for lower fat around 10-13%-fat & low carb diet higher protein

Have you tried adding scramble egg with his meal? also the egg shell dry it out & crush & add 1 egg shell 1 teaspoon egg shell to one of his meals a day for his calcium, slowly start adding the egg shell if you fed home cooked diet……..Patch cant eat any kibbles that have fish or salmon oil in them he gets bad acid reflux from the fish oil also the fiber is very low in those Farmina vet kibbles 1.10% -fiber…Patch would be doing sloppy cow patties eating the Farmine vet diets that are very low in fiber..

When I read your post about your dog can’t eat most ingredients I knew its more then just the ingredients he is reacting too, sometimes it’s not the ingredients they cant eat, it reminded me of Patch when I first rescued him, he does have food sensitivities that I worked out BUT later I worked out there’s In-soluble Fiber, Soluble Fiber, Crude Fiber & Dietary Fiber, dogs with IBD need to work out what fibers agree with them & there isnt that perfect dry kibble diet for our dogs even vet diets dont help Patch or if a vet diet did help Patches IBD he gets his itchy smelly yeasty skin paws & ears.

Have you tried Royal “Canine Gastro Intestinal Low Fat” wet can food??? I bought a 12 can pack last week I had credit from a pet store I had forgotten about & at Lunch time if I think Patch doesnt seem well I open a can of R/C Gastro low fat & I take out the meat loaf from the can as it has heap of oil in the can so I pat dry the loaf with paper towel then I cut into 1/3 & he gets 1/3 of a can & I put the rest in bowl cling wrap bowl & put in fridge Patch does firm poos on the R/C Gastro Low Fat wet can & 5 yrs ago when he ate the R/C Gastro Low Fat he had diarrhea, so sometimes you have to re try foods or wet can or kibbles again cause sometimes its not the ingredients they are reacting too… its something else wrong either their small bowel or large bowel in the beginning it was Patches small bowel S.I.B.O now its his large bowel….
I would start the B-12 weekly injection ASAP you can buy & do yourself, if you join “EPI” Canine face book group they can help & tell you which B-12 tablets to get from chemist & where to buy the B-12 liquid for injections, you can never over dose your dog with B-12′, if they’re feeling crap or have had diarrhea the B-12 can really help them feel heaps better, alot of the EPI dogs take B-12 injections or tablets, I was going to get the tablets for Patch as B-12 is good for them & us humans when we are run down & unwell…..

Try & work out does your boy do better when you cook & add pumkin a soluble fiber soluble fiber is very easy to digest & dissolves in water or does he do better eating Lentils & Chickpeas they’re Insoluble fiber & Soluble fiber food? My boy doesn’t do well on Lentils or Chickpeas he gets instead dirrahea that night if he has ate a kibble with lentils..
google foods that are soluble fiber & foods that are insoluble fibers?

Try & stay feeding the home cooked diet or try a limited ingredient Freeze Dried raw if you I’m slowly introducing a new freeze dried dehydrated raw free range diet we have in Australia called “Frontier Pets” they’re small balls & you add warm water, so many dogs that can’t eat & have IBD symptoms are doing really well on this free range, dehydrated Frontier Pets dog food, it has no lentils, no chickpeas like most of these new grain free foods have now & my Patch is doing firmer poos then what he does when he’s just eating his Wellness Kibble…
I have to feed my boy dry kibble for some of his meals cause his sphincter flap isnt closing now & his food comes back up his esophagus into his mouth causing bad acid reflux, then sometimes the acid goes into his wind pipe & he becomes so unwell, cries, whinges, its awful to watch him when he becames so unwell, I wanted to put him down in January out of his pain, these last 5-6 yrs Ive tried everything & something always seem to work, I had him on Taste Of The Wild, Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb the Australian formula, has no chickpeas or lentils like the American TOTW formula’s have…. I could always fall back onto his TOTW if he started to do cow patty poos again when I was rotating his kibbles his vet said cow paddy poos is the large bowel where yellow sloppy poos is a small bowel problem but when he stopped eating it in December I had no kibbles that I knew worked & didnt iratate his IBD, his vet said please wait 1-2 months before we put Patch to sleep, his environment allergies are real bad at the moment & have put his immune system into over drive, we had just moved as well, so I didnt put him to sleep plus I couldnt do it, I just wanted more help, I wanted a miracle but vets cant always help the dog sometimes no matter how good my vet is, she always tells me Patch is her favorite & she always thinks & wonders how is he going when she doesnt see us but she said she knows he must be doing better cause I havent come…
Have you tried Metronidazole (Flagyl) tablets when he become unwell with vomiting & diarrhea/sloppy poo’s, I have Metronidazole in the cupboard with repeat scripts so I can just go chemist & get them out if I need them saving at $60 vet visit & as soon as I see he’s becoming unwell doing sloppy poos, vomiting or when Im introducing a new food, I put him on the Metronidazole for 14-21 days it helps him, Metronidazole has an anti inflammatory & antibiotic in it, so it helps a few health problems…
With a dry kibble, I’m feeding Wellness Core Large Breed at the moment even though Patch isnt a large breed dog, he’s a senior & when I email Wellness they said yes their Large Breed formula’s are OK to feed a senior dogs, they are high Glucosamine & Chondroitin for their joints & high in DHA, Patch is small to medium English Staffy weights about 40lb -18kgs, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is high protein-34%, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, then potatoes, peas, Patch can’t eat chicken he gets red paws but I had no other kibbles left to feed him & the man at Pet Barn said, if anything happens just bring it back all dogs food are money back Guaranteed, I got the 5,4kg bag 1/2 price $40 so I tried it, Patches paws went red but his stomach became better, he had no acid reflux, poos firmed up not 100% firm in the beginning but better then when he was eating a kibble that had grains, I can pick his poos up now on our walk & not leave a poo stamp on the grass, Wellness Core Large Breed is low-med fat-13%max, low Kcals-345 per cup, carbohydrates are 31% you must read the Kcals per cup when looking for a kibble, stay under 360Kcals per cup the higher the Kcals the more dense the food & harder to digest…
also have you tried giving your boy a acid reducer? Patch was taking Losec-(Omeprazole) for 2 yrs then this year I change it to Somac (Pantoprazole) what i take & he stopped eating grass everyday so he mustnt feel sick as much now, sometimes you have to do things yourself when you know in your heart what the vet is doing & advising you isnt helping your dog, & I saw my vet & she now wrote me repeat scripts so I can get the Pantopraozole from chemist cause the vets dont have Pantoprazole in Australia, Pantoprazole is used by American vets… but know if my vet & Patches other vet that does his Endoscopes & Biopsies see a dog like PAtch & cant work out what to do with the dogs bad acid reflux they can rememeber what we did with Patch & touch wood he seems to be getting better he has some bad days but I have his acid reflux under control no & I really want him on this Dehyrated free range, grain free food..
Try the new food just for 1 of his meals, thats what I do now, I feed new food for his lunch 12pm this way Patch has his kibble from breakfast 7am in stomach & small bowel then he eats something different for lunch a small meal then he gets his dinner 5pm kibble again & it seems to work for Patch when Im introducing a new food he gets it at luch time cause you can’t mix kibble & dehydrated raw wet food with a dry kibble, it would probably upset Patches stomach & the Holistic Vet Kathy that help formulate this new Frontier Pets dehydrated raw dog food droped off Patches new food + some samples to try & she said take baby steps, it took 1 of her patient dogs Bernie 6 months to get him onto the Frontier Pets, he was doing well then when down hill but yiou just restart again she said search for “Frontier Pets” on facebook & scroll down, look for Bernies Story” Italian Greyhound story, it will give you some hope…

[Susan]

Hi Robert,

A dogs digestive tract is short, made to digest meat, raw meat, not a high carb high fiber over processed dry kibble….
Why the dogs digestive tract is short so if the dog eats rotten meat etc the meat is quickly digested & passes thru into the small bowe,l then large bowel, then he poo’s, so no bacteria can start to breed in th e stomach….

A homemade cooked or raw diet would be heaps healthier then feeding wet dog can food but wet can dog food is better then feeding dry processed kibble, so you’re getting there, when you cook your dogs food you know whats in their food & what they’re eating, also when you cook you’re not cooking their food are very high temperatures like wet & dry dog foods are cooked, killing all the good nutrience in their food, maybe baby steps, next time you’re cooking, cook some extra boiled sweet potato or potato, a bit of meat & some green veggies for your dogs meal, mix 1/2 wet can with the cooked food & slowly start feeding cooked meals..
Join Monica Segals Face Book group called “K-9 Kitchen” & Lew Olson group called “K-9 Nutrition” & follow “Judy Morgan DVM” she has really good videos you can watch & very easy to make dog recipes you just put in a Crock Pot slow cocker, Judy has a 16-17yr old dog.

People think if the kibble is grain free kibble then its healthier but some of these grain free kibbles are higher in carbs, higher in fiber, full of lentils chickpeas & peas to up the protein %, so the meat protein % isnt as high as you think it is cause your getting plant protein as well, it would be good if these dog food companies had to write the Meat Protein % the Plant Protein %….. honest dog food companies are starting to write the plant protein %, google “Earthborn Holistic” Venture formula’s they write the Pumkin protein% , the Pea protein% the meat protein %…

Back in the 50’s, 60’s, 70′ & 80’s our dogs were so much healthier then the dogs now who eat dry kibble 24/7, in the 90’s the dog food companies started telling us “DO NOT FEED YOUR DOGS HUMAN FOOD” its no good, kibble is better & we believed them, you have even even written
(Our dogs do not est human food.) why??
what makes you think dog food is better then a “balanced” cook meal, why some vets are against cooked or raw diets is people don’t balance their dogs diet properly causing health problems, this is why the vet will recommend to feed pet food for cause they know it will be balanced but after tests on cat wet can foods in Australia scientist found supermarket, pet shop cat foods Hills & Royal Canine all those little expensive cans of cat food were not balanced properly & now it says on these really small cans of cat food “not to be feed as a main meal”… this happened last year & the scientist who exposed this was sponsered by Hills & wouldnt give up the names of the expensive cat foods they had found not to be balanced properly, the reporter doing the story put 2 & 2 together & worked out which expensive cat foods werent balanced…
Rodney Habib & Steve Brown recommend you add either fish or salmon oil capsule once a day to 1 of their meals, use Krill oil capsule if dog has sensitive stomach or start adding 2 spoons of salmon or sardines in olive oil or spring water to 1 of their meals a day, just read the salt % look for lowest salt % in the can salmon or sardines… for lunch sometimes I open a small can of salmon in spring water drain teh water & add some boiled sweet potato mix & give to Patch for lunch.. I boil sweet potato & freeze small pieces sweet potato freezes really well & its healthy for them..

Google “KetoPets” for Liza & start making the Ketopets diets or cook the Ketopets diets & I bet you Liza will be here longer then 2 years….
Dr Judy Morgan talks about this subject in one of her video’s on her facebook page look at all her “Video’s”..
It works out cheaper cooking meals or feeding a raw diet then it does buying the wet can dog foods… also start looking at Freeze Dried food for your dogs instead of giving Benji the kibble with his wet can food..

[Susan]

Hi Stacey.
Raw is easier to digest then cooked, raw food has enzymes, when we cook food we kill the enzymes……
What are the ingredients, he’s eating in his raw diet?
When my boy does bad smelly farts, gets bad wind & wind pain means he’s sensitive to an ingredient he’s eating, I’d re start his diet, start feeding him an elimination raw diet, just feed 1 lean muscle meat, say turkey, kangaroo or pork, I started with Kangaroo mince for breakfast & Chicken breast for dinner + blended green veggies + 1-2 blended fruits & 20mins after eating the chicken & blended veggies, Patch got 1 red hot swollen back paw & was licking his back paw like crazy, then he started farting, doing smelly farts, so I stopped the raw chicken & just feed him the Kangaroo mince & I was blending peeled green veggies, broccoli, celery, zucchini, apple & some parsley then freeze in a ice cube tray, 1 cube in tray is about 1 spoon, then you cover ice cube tray with cling wrap freeze & take out as you need the blendedveggies & fruit……

Feeding raw is so easy, easier then cooking their meals, I slowly added 1 spoon of the veggies/fruit mix then after 1 week whenPatches poos were firm I added 2 spoons of the blended veggies & fruit mix, you add 2 spoons of the blended fruit & veggies to 1 cup of raw meat for 40lb dog.
Slowly add 1 new ingredient to his diet over 1 week, then if he starts having bad wind then you know its the new ingredient you’ve started to add…..dont add too many things to his diet at once, you will not know what is causing what if he starts having health problems, farts, sloppy poos etc..

Organ meat is very rich & can cause diarrhea. gas etc, are you adding Liver, Kidney Hearts, Tongue etc, reduce the amount of organ meat if your addding any organ meat & see does he improve, or stop adding any organ meat for a couple of days & see if he’s better, then just start adding some organ meat only 3- 4 times a week to 1 of his meals..

You have to remember this dog stomach & bowel is probably use to processed dry kibble he may have never eaten a raw diet before & it can take a up to 3 months for his stomach/bowel to get healthy & strengthen up..

I bet you he loves his raw meals, my boy does, I’m introducing dehydrated free range raw to my 9yr old boy, he has IBD & food sensitivities, so I have to take baby steps with him…the Holistic Vet who helped make this new free range dehydrated freeze dried raw said it can take up to 6 months for their stomach bowel to get use to raw & to do it slowly with Patch but that’s cause Patch has IBD…

Just make sure you balance his diet over the week, doesnt have to be daily & add either tin salmon or sardines in spring water or olive oil, it adds EPA & DHA all those good fats we get from fish, add about 2 spoons to one of his meals a day, 40lb dog, add 1/4 can of sardines 1 serving per day…

Steve Brown also recommends adding, 1 heaped tablespoon of salmon, 1-2 mussels & a pinch of kelp, this will balance his raw diet, mussels are very healthy & have manganese, Iodine, Fats, Vitamin D, other vitamins & minerals he needs, Steve said just buy the frozen mussels in the freezer section at supermarket…
also Beets contain natural anti-inflammatory agent that support heart health, vitamins & minerals, B1,B2,B12 & C, copper magnesium, potatssium, iron, phosphorus & iodine protect us against liver disease & fatty liver disease, Steve recommended
“Olew Dehydrated Red Beets” dog Food Supplement trial size 1.01lb thru Amazon

[anonymous]

Nutrisca https://www.chewy.com/nutrisca-grain-free-salmon-chickpea/dp/35033

Ingredients
Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Salmon Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil (a Source of DHA), Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Dried Eggs, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Carrots, Cranberries, Apricots, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract.
Caloric Content
3,680 Kcal/kg, 390 Kcal/cup

Zignature https://www.chewy.com/zignature-whitefish-limited/dp/118063

Ingredients
Whitefish, Whitefish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Citric Acid), Flaxseed, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Natural Flavors, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate), Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Lactic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols.
Caloric Content
420 kcal/cup

[amy r]

Hi lindsey sorry your baby isn’t feeling 100%. I have a newf who went through much of what you have described. We did all the recommended things from Id(which really is junk)to boiling chicken and rice. Remember what needs are breed for the diet they would thrive on if doing the job they were breed to do. For one of my girls it was indeed chicken causing her tummy issues. When we stopped all chicken things improved greatly. I used rice baby food it is predigesteted and her gut won’t have to work as hard to digest it. To that I added canned salmon or sardines in water it took about a week to completely resolve. I then put her on I then slowly and I mean 5 kibble at a time weaned her onto totw I am not a huge fan because it is a diamond product but as feeling sort of limited in my choices at the time. The calcium phos.% although not ideal was not horrible compared to some foods I had researched. I kept her on that for 1 year then decided as she was older and more able to try fromm again (which is what everyone else eats) I seriously added 5 kibble at a time over a period of weeks. She did great and to this day is good with fromm I use a little kibble lots of fish vit.c and fish oil I also boil a mix of different meats and freeze 30 days at a time worth with fruits and veggies added in. Newfs.are special they grow in 2 years what humans take a lifetime to reach so go easy and slow with everything. Most importantly is enjoy every second of puppy nonsense because they really do grow up much to quickly.

[Susan]

Hi,
dont do chicken & rice, its old school now, as boiled rice can irrtate the bowel more, the new carb is boiled sweet potato, I boil the orange sweet potato in pieces & then I freeze pieces in freezer & take out a few pieces as I need them, they thaw pretty quickly, get some lean turkey mince & sweet potato or lean pork mince works for my boy & just feed for 1 or 2 of his meals & kibble for the other 1-2 meals, being a pup he’d be eating 3-4 meals a day, also boiled pumkin is good to add, boil & freeze some boiled pumkin as its high in fiber like the sweet potato & your boy did good with a higher fiber diet.. he’ll probably poo less eating some cooked food.. for lunch my boy gets the changed meal either freeze dried or cooked meal that Ive cooked then frozen & I just take out in morning to thaw.

Change vet diet to Royal Canine Select Protein vet diets, there’s Potato & Rabbit select protein formula, potato & sweet potato seem to firm dogs poos up or look at “Natural Balance” Sweet Potato & Bison LTD formula or Sweet Potato & Fish or the Potato & Duck LTD formula, if you dont want to pay to see vet again it will be cheaper to buy the Natural Balance LTD kibble, but you need to read all the N/B LTD formula’s as some have Chickpeas & different ingredients. Chewy sell the N/B LTD formula & refund money if food is not agreeing with pup.

[Patricia A]

Thank’s for the link. It’s been a LONG winter in the east so walks haven’t been daily. I have three Chihuahuas’. My Hannah will be 16 in June. So not switching her Fromm with canned topper. She is still spunky and I sneak her a little more special treat of steak or fish when we have that for dinner . My Tia will be eight and is the one that’s chubby. Maybe about a 1 1/2lbs. over which makes a difference on a small dog. My problem started with my three year old who started putting her nose up at her kibble/canned topper. When I would turn my back Tia would gobble hers too. Or I would hand feed her the first bites and she would start to eat then I would come back to room with Tia eating the rest. So hence the weight gain also. So decided on the fromm with Stellas. So with calculator It said 204calories for 5lb dog . So Fromm is 408 per cup. Want to keep the kibble limited so they’ll get 1/2c for 50 calories which leaves me 150 more. The Stella’s beef patties are 75 per patty. So I think they need 2. Ten calories lower but they do get a little boiled egg in morning also. YEEEESH..I didn’t worry about my kids diet when they were young so much. I really need some grandchildren . lol

[anonymous]

dried seaweed meal, flaxseed meal, dried lemon, pineapple and other nutritious and wholesome ingredients.

Here’s the thing, seaweed meal would probably have the same adverse effects as fish oil, fish eat seaweed.

Anyway the only thing fish oil may help with is dry skin (as far as skin conditions go). That’s it.

[Charles B]

anon,

We have used fish oil capsules in the past and they seem to always trigger toe licking, so we wanted to try getting him the benefits without the fish.

[anonymous]

“We were considering going back and pursuing a request for a dermatologist, or at least restarting the Cytopoint injections”.

Sounds good. Best of luck

PS: The grass eating may be related to his environmental allergies. Environmental allergies can also play havoc with the gastrointestinal system. He is probably eating the grass in an attempt to alleviate an upset stomach, nausea and such.
Also, most supplements are a waste of money.
Regarding that solid gold supplement, did you read the ingredients?
A fish oil capsule would do the same thing (check with your vet first)

[Lenore M]

Thanks so much, Rachel :O) You’ve given me some other brands to check!

My English Bulldog is allergic to more than than she’s not — Chicken, Pork, Duck, Turkey, Fish meal, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, egg, milk, soy, corn, wheat — you name it! My Boxer, now gone :O( was also allergic to Chicken and rice! What a nightmare!

I finally found one dry dog food that they could both eat: Earthborn Holistic Meadowfeast with Lamb meal: No Chicken, no Pork, no Duck, no Turkey, no Fish meal, no white Potatoes, no Sweet Potatoes, no egg, no milk, no soy, no corn, no wheat, no brown or white rice!

Hoping this might help someone else out there with the same problem. Here are the ingredients:

Lamb Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Canola Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Protein, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Blueberries, Cranberries, Apples, Carrots, Spinach, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Beta-Carotene, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Any other ideas, I am all ears!!!

[Mohamed K]

Hey All,

I have an adorable 8 month beagle called Diva, we live in Egypt which is a problem for finding good dog food like orijen or nature’s variety, we are cursed with low level dog food the best we have is Royal canin
However after a hit and miss with two brand (Josera and Mera dog), i did some research and found out a brand called Belcando which is a german brand
I was looking for feedback on the ingredients list available online and if this food is considered acceptable or should i just head over to royal canin
Thanks for your help and if someone has any suggestions on what to do when we can’t find good dog kibble to feed

Belcando Puppy Gravy Ingredients
Fresh poultry meat (30 %); Rice (23 %); Poultry protein, low ash, dried (19 %); Maize; Fish meal from seafish (6 %); Poultry fat; Vegetable oil (palm, coconut); Egg, dried (2,5 %); Gelatine, hydrolysed (2,5 %); Brewers’ yeast, dried (2,5 %); Carob pods, dried; Dried beet pulp, desugared; Dicalcium phosphate; Poultry liver, hydrolysed; Linseed; Chia seeds; Sodium chloride; Potassium chloride
Nutritional additives: Vitamin A 15.000 IU; Vitamin D3 1.500 IU; Vitamin E 150 mg; Copper (as copper(II)sulphate, pentahydrate) 12,5 mg; Iron (as ferrous(II)sulphate, monohydrate) 200 mg; Manganese (as manganese(II)oxide) 40 mg; Zinc (as zincoxide) 150 mg; Iodine (as calciumiodate, anhydrous) 2,0 mg; Selenium (as sodiumselenite) 0,05 mg
Technological additives: Lecithin 2.400 mg; extracts of natural origin with high tocopherol content (= natural vitamin E) 48 mg

Royal Canin Medium Adult Ingredients
Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, wheat, corn gluten meal, oat groats, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, calcium carbonate, grain distillers dried yeast, vegetable oil, potassium chloride, monocalcium phosphate, salt, hydrolyzed yeast, L-lysine, choline chloride, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], trace minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate), rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

[CK C]

I took your advice and found a food without fish oil that may work for my dog. Thanks so much for your kind help!

[crazy4cats]

Have you checked out Whole Earth Farms Pork, Beef and Lamb kibble? It is Merrick’s value brand. It does not have any poultry or fish, except for salmon oil. Would this work for your pup? I have fed it to my two many times. It is fairly low in fat and primarily pork based.

Good luck, hope this helps!

[CK C]

I have a dog with IBD who is currently on a special homemade diet. We are hoping to transition him to a store-bought dog food at some point. He needs a simple ingredient food that is pork based. He is allergic to poultry and fish. Our local store recommended a new Horizon brand dog food that is pork meal based called Taiga. I can’t find reviews of it anywhere.

It’s 13% fat, which is great for my dog, who needs a lower fat diet.

I would appreciate any help with this quest! Does this look OK for food?

Here are the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS
PORK MEAL, RED LENTILS, PEAS, GARBANZO BEANS, PEA STARCH, PORK, ALFALFA MEAL, CANOLA OIL, CARROTS, APPLES, BROCCOLI, BOK CHOY, CABBAGE, BLUEBERRIES, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, YUCCA SCHIDIGERA EXTRACT, DRIED ASPERGILLUS NIGER FERMENTATION EXTRACT, PINEAPPLE, DRIED TRICHODERMA LONGIBRACHIATUM FERMENTATION EXTRACT, DRIED ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS CASEI FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED BIFIDOBACTERIUM BIFIDUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, VITAMIN A ACETATE, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, RIBOFLAVIN, NIACIN, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, BIOTIN, L-ASCORBYL-2-POLYPHOSPHATE (SOURCE OF VITAMIN C), FERROUS SULPHATE, IRON PROTEINATE, ZINC SULPHATE, ZINC PROTEINATE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, MANGANESE PROTEINATE, COPPER SULPHATE, COPPER PROTEINATE, CALCIUM IODATE, SELENIUM YEAST, MAGNESIUM OXIDE.