[Susan]

Hi Heather,
Daisy needs a diet high in Omega 3, have you tried a salmon/fish diet yet? you write you give her Omega 3 but what brand are you using, is it a New Zealand brand? in America they tested a heap different brands of un opened fish oils supplements off the shop shelves & 70% of them were no good, a waste of money, then they tested the fish oil supplements from New Zealand & their fish oil capsule were of better quality, the whether is cooler in NZ, so there’s no damage while being made.. Oxidation occurs when unsaturated fats such as omega -3 fatty acids EPA & DHA are exposed to heat, light or oxygen…how you’ll know if capsules are rancid/oxidized the smell is awful, smells real fishy smell & the gel capsules may have discoloration… store any fish oil in fridge…
same as oils in a kibble as soon as you open bag of kibble & the oxygen hits the kibble the oils start to oxidize, they say you have 2 weeks life on a kibble, so make sure its put in an air tight container & stored in a very cool place in the house, alot of people put their dog food in the garage or hot shed…
Cause you don’t know if the fish oil capsules are good or bad, best to buy tin sardines in spring water or olive oil, take sardines out of the tin & put in a glass air tight small container, store in fridge & give Daisy 2-3 sardines a day either as a treat or as a topper on her dry food….
I would start looking for a Salmon dry formula but not Orijen or Acana, Orijen & Acana tested high for toxins & contaminates….
Have a look at “Canidae” Pure Sea formula, alot of dogs with skin problems do really well on the Canidae Pure Sea formula, ingredients are good, its high in omega 3, feed for 2-3 months then rotate & feed the Canidae Pure Sky it has turkey meal & duck meal, turkey & chicken are cleaner meats, or rotate with the Canidae Pure Elements also the wet tin foods are really good to use as a topper, read thru the ingredient list see which formula you prefer but make sure you rotate with the Pure Sea especially when Spring & Summer is coming start back on the Canidae Pure Sea, https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

or try a vet diet try Hills new “Derma Defense” wet & dry, it’s a vet diet for Environment allergies, skin problems, with high levels of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acid, the Omega 3 is high at 1.80% the Omega 6-3.96%, the Omega 3 should be around 1/2 of what the Omega 6% is, alot of pet foods aren’t balanced properly & are very low in Omega 3 & very high in Omega 6, they’re not balanced properly & cause skin problems….
Hills Derm Defense helps strengthen skin barrier, formulated to help soothe & nourish skin & coat, helps skin recover naturally, supporting a healthy immune system, works with proprietary complex of bioactives & phytonutrients, antioxidants, including vitamin E, high levels of Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids….
I know I lot of people don’t like the ingredients in vet diets, but they’re formulated for certain health problems, you could give the Derm Defense a try for just 3 months & see does her fur start to grow back, you’ve got nothing to lose also Hills is guaranteed to work or money back, contact Hills speak with one of their Vet Nutritionist & see what formula they recommend… I rotate & feed the Hills D/D Venison & Potato Skin health & Stomach, my boy has IBD & Skin Allergies or try the Canidae Pure Sea & Pure Sky formula’s first & see how Daisy goes…. Canidae will be cheaper then the vet diet… Canidae gets 5 stars on American consumer affairs site, Canidae grow all their own vegetables, Canidae is a family run business…. what your feeding at the moment isn’t helping, so you have nothing to lose..
also shampoo what are you bathing Daisy in to moisturize & nourish her skin?
Start bathing Daisy weekly with Malaseb medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens on her skin…

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
sounds like she has stomach or panreatitis problems & the cesars food probably doesn’t upset her stomach any cause any pain or whatever she is having, I would NOT start any treatment for her heartworm yet, it will kill her, vet needs to work out what’s wrong with her stomach first & why she is hesitant to eat, something is wrong, Golden Labradors LOVE their food….
I got a rescue 5yrs ago & he was the same in very bad condition, but he was the opposite & ate everything in site, even cat poo, after vomiting weekly, doing bloody diarrhea, sloppy poo’s, acid reflux, up thru the night with rumbling, grumbling bowel noises, in the end I asked the vet can we do Endoscope + Biopsies, vet put camera down his throat into the stomach & did 2 Biopsies, you need the biopsies cause when the vet looked into Patches stomach everything looked excellent, there was no stomach ulcers like we thought, but what I thought he had, he had, waiting & waiting for biopsy results Patch had the Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD, he was put on triple therapy meds for 21 days, Metronidazole, Amoxiccilin to kill the bad bacteria that lives in the stomach walls & Prilosec for the acid reflux the Helicobacter causes, Patch did real well while taken the triple therapy meds then once the 21 day course finished it all came back again within 1 week of stopping the meds, it was a nightmare in the end now Patch takes 20mg Prilosec every morning & only takes the Metronidazole 200mg for 10-14 days when needed, if he’s doing sloppy poos or diarrhea, starts feeling sick everyday & whinging for me to rub his stomach/pancreas area & is eating & eating grass…

Can you ask the rescue group do they have some money in their budget for her to see a Gastro specialist or a vet that knows about stomach/bowel problems, in Australia the rescue groups post picture of the very sick dog & asks for help on their face book page & raise some money so dog can be treated by vet & do the Endoscope + Biopsies need to shop around cause there’s cheaper vets around that do Endoscope & Biopsies, people will help with donations…..
I wanted to do the same give Patch back to rescue group so he got another foster carer, he broke my heart, I couldn’t give him back cause I thought will the new foster carer care for him like I do or will he just be thrown out the back yard again & suffer & the rescue group puts dog up for adoption & someone else gets stuck with the problem hoping they will pay all the vet bills, Patch was weeing blood the day I got him from teh pound, the rescue group had to paid $1,500 for 2x ultrascan, desexing, vacination, vet diet wet & dry food the dissolve his crystals, medications, at that stage he just had Urinary crystal, the rescue vet said he must of gotten infection from being used to breed, I thought everything was done all fixed, he’s all healthy now & I adopted him but it was just the beginning of my sleepless nights the vet office I ended up staying with felt sorry for Patch & me for adopting a sick 4yr old Staffy + all the vet nurses were Staffy lovers & my bet did alot of discount rates & now my vet writes out repeats for his prescriptions so I can get his meds from a chemist it was costing $120 for 1 month of Prilosec, now all I pay is $8 & the Metronidazole only cost $7 when I need it I keep spare in cupboard….

I would be only feeding low fat wet food, nothing over 3% in fat, the fat & protein & isnt like it is in a dry kibble, wet raw & cooked hasnt been converted to dry matter (Kibble) yet, Do NOT feed any more dry kibble, it must make whatever she has, worse, like my boy the kibble made him worse with his IBD (Stomach) in the beginning till we worked out what was wrong & I found a kibble that works for him.
Read what is the fat % in the Cesars wet food??? also start boiling potato or boil sweet potato whatever firms her poos up best & start adding say 2-3 cesars foil tin & the same amount boiled mash potato do not add any butter or mil to the mashed potato & mix potato all thru with the Cesars food, maybe start off with only 1/2 mashed potato with her food cause she may not trust the potato yet, whatever she has got, has cause her alot of pain & she doesn’t trust food no more… I have to go the Pet Shop it’s closing, I have to pick up something, look what are the ingredients & fat % in these Cesars foods she etas & post, stop trying all type of foods for now, I’ll try & find a similair food to the Cesars same ingredients once you post, that is in a bigger tin size & low in fat, maybe someone else knows of a lower fat wet tin food similair to Cesars food….
Do you shop at “Costco” ?? Costco has their “Kirklands Signature” Nature Domain wet tin & its cheap & looks pretty good, click on “Reviews” look for Kirkland, Signature Nature Domain canned foods & click on link & scroll down a bit & there’s a photo of Turkey & Pea stew looks good & you can mash with boiled Potato this will work out cheaper till vet works out whats wrong, also ask the vet can you try a 21 day course of Metronidazole?? take back the vet diet food she won’t eat for refund & ask can you try 2 tins of the Hills I/d Canine Chicken & Vegetables Stew, Digestive Care wet tin food, do not get the Hills I/d Low Fat, Rice, Vegetables Chicken stew Restore, they look similair, the I/d Low fat Restore wet tin is full of rice & fish oil, the I/d canine Chicken & vegetable Stew Digestive Care has less ingredients & has more chucks of meat no fish oil, fish oil can make them feel sick, see if after being taking the 21 day course of Metronidazole if she starts to get better after 4-5th day, it has to be taken with a meal every 12 hours…
What is her name??

[amy r]

Keep in mind that a Newfoundland primary diet is normally fish based they need the oils to have healthy coats and skin. Make sure you not only use a fish oil everyday but add in fish as well to the kibble I use salmon or sardines only In water also several times a week I add in 1200mg of fish oil daily. We had crappy skin with litte sores for awhile tried several different foods finally ended up on fromm gold lb and the above plus I use raw veggies as snacks no dog cookies at all and her skin is great and her coat is soft and shiney. Becareful not to over bath her newfs are waterdogs who have a natural oil in their coat which will dry out if over bathed with shampoos

[Brianna C]

-Amy R
I give Albert gets two capsules of fish oil a day and I supplement his meals with a couple Primal nuggets as well. His fur and skin are so silky since I started with the fish oil. He gets raw pumpkin and all sorts of other fruits and veggies. He is pretty spoiled!

[amy r]

Hi my newf also eats fromm lb gold I add in 1200 mg of fish oil everyday and she also gets either sardines or salmon as an add In 2 or 3 times a week the rest of the time I rotate her add ins and usually add in raw green beans carrot or sweet potato and her coat and skin couldn’t look better.

[anonymous]

Zignature is a quality food. I have a poodle mix with environmental allergies (she receives treatment from a veterinary dermatologist) and a sensitive stomach.
She did well on Nutrisca Salmon for years, but due to recent changes within that company, I decided to switch to Zignature Whitefish or Catfish kibble as a base about 2-3 months ago, excellent results. I have heard good things about their canned food also.
Often I just cook up a bit of protein something to add to it along with a splash/1/4 cup of water.
My other dog likes it too 🙂
Ps: In my opinion, you are overthinking the whole catfish thing. Look at what humans pay to eat lobster, lol, are they not bottom feeders? What about krill oil? Fish oil? Don’t we take these supplements ourselves and add them to our dogs diets?

[Tyla M]

Hey Tabitha,

Welcome to my life about 2-3 weeks ago. My puppy just turned 4 months and has been scratching and biting since I got her at 9 weeks. It definitely isn’t fleas so vet gave me fish oil incase it’s dry skin. Hasn’t helped, so I also felt like it was a chicken or dairy issue. I was using Fromm’s large breed puppy food but it has eggs and chicken so I did tons of research to find a food low in calcium with no chicken. My vet also wanted me to try grain free, so that made this process even more difficult. I personally would stay away from corn… I’m trying zignature zssentials… it has no chicken or dairy and calcium isn’t horrible. When I looked it up online it had said minimum 1.0% so I figured the max couldn’t be too high (Don’t want over 1.5%). However, the bag says the min. Is 1.2% so I’m assuming the max. Is 1.5%. I’m waiting to hear back the exact max. Or average because I emailed the company. I couldn’t wait longer though so I am currently weaning her off fromm’s to the Zignature. I also bought Weruva’s Hot Dayum canned food which has no chicken, and I use it as a topper. There is just so much info. Out there though and it’s hard to find a food that hits everything you want, especially for a large breed pup. I’ve spent way too many hours trying to research it all and now I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this food works. Fortunately, my pup, Luna, hasn’t scratched or bit until she was raw or losing hair…not yet anyway. Best of luck!!

[Susan]

Hi Dewper,
if you live America then there’s a cream similiar to the Sudocrem sold at supermarket but I can’t remember the name, a lady posted it on the “Dog, issues, allergies and other information support” f/b group, it has the same ingredients, (I think) as the Sudocrem has.
I live Australia & the Sudocrem is sold supermarkets & chemist in the baby section with the coconut oil & aloe & cucumber baby wipes are, I’ve read people who live America buy Sudocrem from Amazon or read ingredient list & look for a baby cream sold at supermarket with similiar ingredients…..
When your boy wasnt licking his paws real bad was he eating the same food he’s eating now or a different food? it’s so hard to work out allergies cause dogs normally will have both food & envrionment alergies, I was thinking is he may be a compulsive licker?? my Patch was when I first rescued him, paw licking sets off their endorphins, especially when they lick & lick themselves to sleep…my Patch all of a sudden dissappears & I find him in my room or the spare room licking his paw, then there’s the big wet patch on the bed aaaaaarrrrhhhhh it’s always just one of his paws he’s licking not both paws, he has white paws, I have a quick look at his paw & paw will be red up & sometimes in between his toes, so if he’s due for his weekly bath in a couple of days I bath him earlier & I bath him in the Malaseb shampoo also sold on Amazon & you leave the shampoo on his paws 5-10 mins if you can, the Malaseb is excellent for Allergies, itchy skin & yeasty skin….after his bath his paws look heaps better & aren’t itchy no more, so something in the Malaseb reduces the reddness & itch, then that night I apply the Hydrocortisone cream in between the tows & everywhere that’s red by morning all reddness is all gone, when I get a bit lazy I dont keep up with his daily routine applying creams his red paws happens….
It’s Winter in Australia & this is the worst Winter Patch has had so far, he normally does real well thru the colder Winter months as long as I’m not feeding him any ingredients he’s sensitive too, but this Winter has been heaps warmer & plants are flowering so I’d say the pollen count is higher…. another thing check what the Omega 3 % is in the kibble your feeding him some kibbles arent balanced properly & are higher in Omega 6 & real low in Omega 3, the omega 3% should be around 1/2 of what the omega 6% is…..as soon as you open your bag of kibble all the oils start to go rancid from the air/oxygen, so your omega 3% becomes less, they say a kibble only last about 2 weeks once you’ve opened it google ” How long does a kibble stay fresh once it’s opened”
The best thing to do is add a few small sardines to his diet a day, start buying the tin Sardines in spring water or olive oil, Aldi’s sell cheap good sardines & salmon in spring water, just add a few sardines or spoons of the salmon to 1 of his meals or give as a treat, I make salmon cakes just boil some potato or sweet potatoes & cool then mix with the drained tin of salmon or start giving him a fish capsule if he has sensitive stomach/bowel then get the Krill Oil capsules they’re suppose to be better for senstive stomach, my boy can’t have fish/salmon oil it gives him acid reflux, he does better when he eats foods high in Omega 3, almonds are excellent I give about 3 Almonds some days but make sure he chews them or they will come back out whole, I don’t know but a lady said her dog got into the bag of almonds & it wasnt nice, I bite 1/2 an almond & give the other 1/2 of the almond to patch & say chew, even have a look at the K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels freeze dried treats Chewy sell them & other brands as well, I give my cat & Patch a couple mussels a day as treats… You just need to keep in a daily routine, 1 lady from f/b group I mentioned above said she has a water tray near the front door & her dog walks thru it to wash off any allergens on his paws but I’d rather put him in a empty bath, wet his paws & wash & leave soaking in the Malaseb shampoo this works really well then rinse & dry. another thing in the beginning after I applied cream if you know he’s going to lay down to sleep & lick, then I put on a baby socks or a cut up elastic bandage with the bandage tape around the top, this stops the paw licking & gets him out of the compulsive licking.. this is what I had to do with Patch in the beginning..
When your boy is licking his paw do you look at the paw to see if it’s red, swollon etc ?

[anonymous]

What do you mean by “whole foods” ?

I mix a bit of cooked ground turkey, scrambled egg, stir fried shaved steak, broiled chicken liver, chopped cooked chicken breast to a quality kibble (2/3 of meal) with about 1/4 cup of water, measured amounts twice a day, a raw 1/2 carrot for a snack.
Whatever is in the reduced price section of my local supermarket.
As a pescatarian I don’t eat much animal products (fish only), but this regimen is working for my dogs.
Zignature whitefish or catfish are my current favorite kibbles.

Ps: I lean toward a fish based kibble due to my dog with allergies, seems to work best.
But without the treatment by a veterinary dermatologist, the food changes made NO difference at all. But, the right diet in conjunction with other treatments helps, in my experience.
Same thing with shampoos, the right ones work in conjunction with other treatments prescribed by a specialist.
Alone, pffft, a waste of money.

[Jocelyn L]

Nort Paws
North PawTM Adult is designed to be delicious and easily digestible, which makes mealtime a happy time for your companion. This nutrient-dense formula means your dog gets great nutrition from smaller portions. A very high ratio of quality protein, along with fibre, pre-biotics, omega 3s and anti-oxidants help promote a healthy, active life for your dog. Grain-free and full of goodness, for all the love they have to give.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:

Crude Protein (min.) 38.00%
Crude Fat (min.) 21.00%
Crude Fibre (max.) 4.50%
Moisture (max.) 10.00%

CALORIE CONTENT:

Metabolizable Energy (ME*)
= 3805kcal/kg
= 476kcal/cup

INGREDIENTS: Chicken Meal, Fishmeal (Herring), Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Form of Vitamin E), Green Peas, Chickpeas, Sweet Potato, Egg Powder, Apples, Fishoil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Form of Vitamin E), Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Limestone, Chicken Liver, Kelp Meal, DL-Methionine, Kale, Chicory Root, Calcium Propionate, Flaxseed, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Choline Chloride, l-Lysine Hydrochloride, Inactivated Yeast, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, l-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Taurine, Vitamin E Supplements, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Zinc Methionine, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Selenite, Manganese Methionine, Copper Lysine, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Sulfate, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Blueberries, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Spinach, Ginger, Peppermint, Chamomile, Turmeric, Celery Seed, Dried Rosemary.

[Tyla M]

I appreciate it and so does my wallet! I currently use Fromm gold holistic large breed puppy food. I may wait to see if the fish oil the vet gave me will help with the itching before I decide if it could be the food. I’m sure once I switch to adult food I’ll be Looking for help again! If I do decide to switch her, what are other good options for large breed that meet all the criteria? I remember looking at the fromm heartland one but I think it was the grain free one and it had 17% fat. I may supplement with some wet food, too.

[Susan]

Hi Ginger,
Sorry its a long post but it’s hard to explain everything in 1-2 paragraphs hopefully some of this information will help your girls itchy skin…
Your girl sounds like my boy who will be 9 yrs old in November, he suffers with IBD, Pancreatitis, environment skin allergies & food sensitivities causing itchy smelly skin,paws, ears, gas & diarrhea, we thought he had diabetes a few months ago cause he was drinking & drinking water but blood test were all fine thank-god, I couldn’t handle another health problem, I feel so sorry for sick animals. 🙁
I wouldn’t try the Cytopoint injections with your dog yet, has your vet explained how Cytopoint works? My vet looked into the Cytopoint injections, she explained once you’ve given the injection it stays in the dogs system up to 6-8 weeks, so if it makes them ill there’s nothing that can be done to reverse any side effects cause Patch reacts to certain medications & it’s a newer drug we don’t have any real research results yet, after a couple of years vets will know more how dogs react that have certain health problems like our dogs have, when the dog is younger & heathier yes I think CADI is the best thing for itchy dogs better the Apoquel, now Apoquel has been out over a few years vets see all the side effects so in a few years when vets have used Cytopoint, they’ll know & can report any bad side effects if there are any?…

My vet said Apopuel doesn’t help when a dog has itchy skin from secondary Malassezia (Yeast) Dermatitis, Apoquel cannot resolve inflammation or treat yeast, she said Apoquel
has helped a few of her dog patients that have IBD but I was to scared to try Apoquel with Patch cause one of the side effects with Apoquel is nausea & vomiting, my vet did have a few dogs that become very sick while taking the Apoquel, so I changed his diet, bathed him weekly to wash off any allergens on his paws & body to relieve his itchy skin paws & I use creams. As they get older the allergies get worse..

They are finding Cytopoint works better then Apoquel for environment allergies & itchy skin, CADI blocks the receptors completely, where Apoquel blocks the reaction from the allergens receptors, there’s a good face book group to join “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” with really good information about CADI & Apoquel.. a lady called Petra that runs the group can explain things better…

I would be changing her diet first, when my Patch was eating the Hills I/d wet & dry formula’s & other foods that had the ingredients he was sensitive too he got his red paws, smelly yeasty itchy skin & that’s only cause he’s a sensitive to the chicken, oats, barley tapioca, corn gluten meal in the I/d vet diet & other foods he was eating, once I remove these allergens he is OK thru the cooler Winter months then when Summer comes he gets his environment allergies so I bath more, I use hydrocortisone 1% cream to relieve the itch & feed treats that are high in omega 3 fatty acid like K-9 Natural freeze dried Green Lipped Mussels, ask your vet can your try the Royal Canine HP wet tin food the fat is 2.5% you’ll have to email or ring Royal Canine & ask them what is the max fat % when converted to dry mater?? it’s probably around 7-8% fat when converted to dry matter (Kibble fat), Hills have already converted all their wet tin foods on their internet site, I wish other pet food companies did the same cause people don’t no this & read 5%-fat on a wet tin foods or raw foods & think the fat % is low when 5% fat is around 20% fat when converted to dry matter, the Australian R/C HP is 3.5% in the wet tin food, when converted it was 13% fat, it has the omega 3 oils & everything needed for skin problems, or I’d say look at the R/C selected proteins formula’s PR-Rabbit & Potato or PD-Duck & Potato or PV-Venison & Potato but the R/C in the wet tin wet tin foods the fat is too high for Pancreatitis 4-5% when converted to dry matter is around 15-20% fat but the dry R/C select proteins kibbles are lower in fat at 10%max but your feed wet tin..

Have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis Support ” Face Book group,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/
join & look in their “Files” there’s 2 links “Low Fat Food” click on the first link & scroll down, all the low fat wet tin foods come up, on your right there’s the converted fat %, it’s been converted to dry matter fat % also read the ingredients in the Hills Wet tin food she is eating at the moment, try & avoid those some of those ingredients if you can, she is probably sensitive to a few ingredients in the I/d wet tin formula’s, that’s why I recommended the Royal Canine vet diet HP wet tin it’s a Hypoallergenic formula, your dog shouldn’t react & itch to any of the ingredients but Patch got acid reflux from the fish oil & his poos were soft but he always does softer poos when he eats wet tin foods, that’s why I feed 5 small meals a day 2 meals are cooked meal or a wet tin food & the other 3 meals are a kibble & his poos stay firm…
“Canidae” makes a really good small easy to digest grain free kibble, that’s low in fat 10.80%max called Canidae,Pure Meadow Senior grain free page 3 & Canidae Life Stages Platinum less active has grains page 4, https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products….
It can take anywhere from 1 day up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to an ingredient & start scratching get yeasty smell paws. ears, skin gas & sloppy poos….Patch only reacts 15-20mins after he eats chicken he starts itching & scratching, gets red paws but with some ingredients in a kibble he takes about 5-14 days to start reacting with smelly yeasty skin paws & ears, carrots cause itchy smell ears.
Look for proteins like Rabbit, Venison, Pork, Duck & kangaroo in wet grain free tin foods, kangaroo is a lean novel protein & your dog probably hasn’t eaten much of the Kangaroo before. Can your girl eat a kibble even if you only feed 1 of her meals kibble then the rest of her meals wet tin food.

[amy r]

I use sardines (a whole can ) 3 times a week the other days I will use salmon or a chicken duck or lamb protein I also add 1 fish oil capsule daily. I am currently using fromm large breed. Her coat looks amazing before the fish was added in it was very dull looking.

[Susan]

Hi
I don’t understand the problem why cause Chewy has been sold & PetSmart has bought Chewy out why is this a bad thing?? if Chewy’s customer service stays the same & is still good & they have foods that move quickly & are stored properly who cares??

I like pet stores that move their pet foods quickly, I live Australia & feed American kibbles only cause the American brands seems to works the best with my boys IBD, I’d prefer to feed Australian made pet foods with fresh Australian & New Zealand ingredients but the Australian kibbles do not add the probiotics & they add fish & salmon oils, for some reason Patch doesn’t do well with his IBD, so Patch eats American made…
I as soon as Patches delivery comes which is going to be this morning, Patch opens the box gets out his treats or toy I have bought for him & I read the use by date on the bag of kibble, a good use by date should be around 18 months, this means it has just come off the ship & hasn’t had any time to sit in a hot warehouse somewhere it’s fresher then a kibble sitting in a pet warehouse that only has a 6 month use by date, go with a pet food company that moves their foods the quickest, if you know of a local pet shop in your area that has your dog food look at the use by dates & how quick the food is moving & support a small local business first as all small business are being taken over by big companies.. Is Pet Smart a big company??..

[Amanda D]

I am so sorry I haven’t replied to everyone’s posts. We have had a bit of a crisis with our Bailey that didn’t turn out the way we hoped. If anyone is interested in the long story that it is I’ll post my Facebook post.

As far as food, I think I have settled rotating Fromm and Nutro Ultra Puppy kibbles. I’ll mix in defrosted frozen Peas and Carrots, in every meal, add an egg to breakfast and maybe mix in a little wet Nutro Ultra Puppy.

My question now, how should I prepare the egg? I was planning on scrambling one in my microwave in my Nordic Ware microwave egg cooker. Or is it better raw? I don’t think I’LL do tof many treats as we’ll be working on training with boiled Chicken throughout the day. Maybe some chopped Raw baby carrots.

Should I wean puppy onto people foods? I also want to use fruits for occasional treats like strawberries, blueberries, bananas and apples (unsure of what variety of apple is best … a sugary red delicious/Washington or a tarter baking type apple like granny smiths kinds.

I’mean intrested in fish oil or Canned sardines as well. But is that a daily or weekly supplement?

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
yes Canidae’s cheaper brand “Under The Sun” is very chickpea heavy, I tried UTS formula with Lamb & rice but I think they’re discontinued now ….
Chickpeas & Lentils are the new filler’s in grain free foods & Barley in grain formula’s, Chickpeas & Lentils are harder to digest & can cause gas/wind if your dog has sensitive stomach/bowel, if there’s a grain free formula that has chickpeas as 5-6th ingredients then there’ll be less chickpeas, Patch seems OK with the Canidae grain free formula’s, no bad farts or wind pain…. but when chickpeas are 2nd, 3rd ingredient then there’s more chickpeas in those formula’s…..that’s why I like “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it has sweet potatoes & NO chickpeas but I’m pretty sure the TOTW made for American customers has Salmon Oil 🙁
I posted the Canidae link in my first post, go on page 2, look at the Canidae Pure Land formula, Patch did real well then go on page 3- Canidae Pure Wild Boar & then the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior has very good ingredients 3 proteins as 1st-Chicken, 2nd-Chicken Meal & 3rd-Turkey Meal then 4th ingredient is Sweet Potatoes then chickpeas are the 5th ingredient & my boy did really well the only problem with the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior it has Chicken & Chicken Meal & my boy gets red paws & gets a bit itchy when he eats chicken so I rotate & only give him the chicken formula for a few meals a week, if you go on page 4 look at the Turkey Meal & Brown rice large breed formula, I email Canidae & asked can a small to medium breed & a senior dog eat any of their large breed formula’s & the lady said yes… the Duck meal, Brown Rice & Lentils large breed is also good on page 5…the Lentils are further down the ingredient list….If I find a large breed kibble with ingredients Patch can eat, I feed a large breed kibble in my rotation & try it out, the only problem with some large breed brands, some brands make a bigger size kibble but Canidae doesn’t…I like small size kibbles, my boy gulps his food & when the kibbles are smaller then they digest easier when they’re swallowed whole…

I just came across another kibble called “Performatrin Ultra” look at the Ultra formula’s with grains, the grain free formula’s are chickpea & lentil heavy… http://www.performatrin.com/products-selector/
also Hills “Ideal Balance” formula’s don’t have fish or fish oils..

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,
yes you are right, it’s so hard to find a 3-5 star kibble with no fish or fish/salmon oils…
My boy cant have salmon oil or fish oil he gets bad acid reflux….. I live Australia & most imported American kibbles change their formula’s to come here & don’t have any fish oils (they go rancid quicker) the “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb we get & Europe gets doesn’t have the Salmon oil it has the Canola oil instead….

Have a look at “Canidae” & “Under The Sun” formula’s, here’s their link https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
I know Under the Sun formula’s don’t have any fish meats or oils unless it’s a fish formula & I know the Canidae Pure Wild Boar & Pure Meadow Senior formula doesn’t have any fish either Canidae has their Pure grain free formula’s & their All Life Stages formula have grains…look thru all their formulas…

Look at “Wellness” also “Holistic Select” & “Eagle Pack” all made my Well Pet..
Wellness- https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food
Eagle Pack- http://www.eaglepack.com/

also “EarthBorn Holistic”- https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas
“Pro Pac Ultimates” – https://www.propacultimates.com/
“Wholesomes Sportmix- https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/
the Chicken & Rice & the grain free formula’s have no fish, all made by Midwestern Pet foods…

[Ashley S]

Hi, we have a dog who seems to be sensitive to fish ingredients of all kinds. At the moment we feed him a 3.5 star lamb and rice food ($65/40lbs — $1.62/lb), but it’s a local company and we may be moving, so we need to find something that’s generally available in stores/online.

We’re trying to find a 3.5 star or higher quality food in a similar price range that has NO FISH ingredients whatsoever. No fish meat, no fish oils, no fish byproducts, etc. You’d be surprised how hard that seems to be without going way over in price! Fish oil is usually so healthy for dogs, and there are so many different kinds of fish used in dog food.

Does anyone have any recommendations? We’d prefer something 3.5 stars or higher, preferably $2/lb or less, but we may have to suck it up and pay more.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by Ashley S.

[crazy4cats]

My vet just recommended that we start giving our large dogs a joint supplement as well. They are turning six yrs old next week. She suggested glucosamine/chondroitin along with fish oil.
I just ordered a product from Chewy called Grizzly Joint Aid liquid that contains all of the above. I’m going to give it a shot. Has anyone else tried it?

https://www.chewy.com/grizzly-joint-aid-hip-joint-support/dp/116638

[a c]

After 6 days of Science Diet I/D can food, her poos are back to soft but firm. Thank goodness. I have been adding some water and small amount of either pumpkin, zucchini, or blue berries with the food. Now is the hard part. What kibble or wet food should I transition her to? She is never a big eater. But I am not very thrill about Science Diet I/D can for long term usage.

I have offered her some low fat cottage cheese and yogurt for snack before last week. I don’t know if it has anything to do with the diarrhea. Should I continue? I also have been adding a pump of fish oil into her food. That has also been stop due to the greasy stool. I like to restart on that because fish oils are good fat. I also try to offer her some apple yesterday. No luck.

I feed her three times a day. 730pm, 1pm, and 7pm. We do our daily walk at 8am and 8pm. It’s funny that she will be waiting at the door around that time. We do have a big fenced yard that she has free access through the doggy door. It seems like she does enjoy the walk though.

[Patterson C]

Thanks so much for all your info! It helps so that I can mention some ideas to my vet. He does not specialize in anything but I’m going to see what he can do and if my dog gets any worse then I’ll take further measures by finding another vet or something to do the testing.

I am going to consider the Malaseb shampoo, I’ve heard great things about it.
He takes a fish oil supplement but I am going to check to see that it has Omega 6.
I kind of think the bath is what helped soothe his skin. I used a hurts bees shampoo, I’m not sure how good that is but it seemed gentle.

[Susan]

Hi
Oh I thought he was doing much better after going back to his Iams, it sounds like environment allergies, my boy has seasonal environment allergies & food intolerances, he’s fine thru the cold Winter months when all the pollens aren’t around & as long as he doesn’t eat any foods that he’s sensitive too, then as soon as Summer comes that’s it he’s one itchy mess…..
Best thing to do to relieve his itchy skin is BATHS, I give weekly baths or bath twice a week when Patch is one big itchy mess, I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo, it can be used daily, when you bath you wash off the allergens on the skin & I use creams Sudocrem & Hydrocortisone 1% cream, at night I check his paws, head etc where ever looks red & sore I apply the cream to relieve his itchy skin or red paws, when he wakes up in morning he has clear skin, his red paws have all gone away, then we go on our walks & he starts getting his hive like lumps, red paws again, this is why it’s best to keep a diary you’ll start to see a pattern, as the years go by, what you used what worked best what foods he seemed better on etc…. normally fish kibbles are best cause they’re higher in Omega 3 fatty acids…..Costco has their Kirkland Signature Domain Smoked Salmon & Sweet Potatoes its the TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon but cheaper…
You need to feed a diet that’s high in Omega 3…..I wonder if the Iams isn’t balanced properly & too low in Omega 3 & too high in Omega 6 fatty acids??
I’d say Dinovite has ingredients higher in omega 3 that reduce inflammation & why Dinovite probably helps some dogs health wise….
When they did research they found some dog kibbles are lower in omega 3 & higher in Omega 6 causing skin problems, omega 3 is anti-inflammatory & omega 6 is pro-inflammatory, if you don’t want to change from the Iams to a higher omega 3 kibble then start adding 1 fish oil capsule a day to diet or buy the tin sardines in spring water & add about 2 small sardines to one of his meals a day, Aldi’s sell good cheap sardines in spring water..

Do you have a good vet that’s up to speed with new drugs & pretty good with dogs with skin problems?? some vets will specialize more in certain fields Patches vet specializes more in IBD & Skin problems sometimes you don’t have to see a Dermatologist & pay double the price certain vets can do skin scraps, tests & have all the new drugs that have come out…Vets are seeing more & more dogs with skin problems, my vet said she saw double the amount last Summer, we had a bad Summer that’s why Patches immune system went into over drive & had a IBD flare, reacting to the environment allergies.
Hills has a new vet diet that’s high in Omega 3, the Omega 3% should be 1/2 of what the omega 6 % is, it’s called, “Derm Defense” for Environment Allergies..

There’s a new drug called CADI – Cytopoint injections, same markers of Apoquel have brought out Cytopoint injections (CADI) is a new miracle drug for dogs with environment allergies these dog are finally getting some relief after years & years of having itchy skin, hopefully we’ll be getting it this Summer my vet said….& it has minimal side effects..

How CADI Injection works & is different from all the other drugs for skin problems it blocks the receptors completely, where Apoquel blocks the reaction from the allergen receptors, so many dogs are doing really well since having a monthly shot of CADI it can last from 4-6 weeks depends on your dog & they are finding it builds up in their system, as you get more injections you need less & less…….
Find out does your vets office hold this new drug just shop around in your area & find a vet that has the Cytopoint, that vet will be up to speed with skin problems, if your vets office doesn’t have the Cytopoint, then don’t waste your money seeing him he’ll just do the old fashion Prednisone injection & prednisone tablets that cause more health problems further down the line…
a really good Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” join the group & read people response since trying the Cytopoint injections they have their old dog back itchy free & happy..
https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/cytopoint/efficacy_itchrelief.aspx

[S P]

Svan,

A sincere thanks for posting the information pertaining to contamination, however, one “caveat” needs to be mentioned: The majority of the report’s top rated brands are some of the worst foods that you can possibly feed to a dog! What a dilemma….

As a side-note, if interested in a fish diet for your pooch, I have been satisfied with a Canadian brand called ‘Holistic Blend/My Healthy Pet/Marine Fish 5 Fish/Grain Free’ (I “ditched” Champion/ACANA/Orijen months ago). This exact brand wasn’t included in the ‘Clean Label’ review, but I have been very satisfied with the results achieved so far (white Pitbull 70lbs – easy weight maintenance, small stool, no skin allergies or itching, no oily residue, and the food doesn’t smell bad, which is usually the case with other fish-based diets. Chewy is one of the few retailers. Try the 7.5lb. bag. -SP

[Susan]

Hi Melody D,
the Canidae link isn’t working I forgot to add /. Canidae also have their Life Stages
“Platinum” low fat-8% low protein 20% dry kibble & Platinum wet tin food just email Canidae asking for the max fat % in dry matter in the Platinum Wet Tin if your thinking of feeding it, it says 4.50%-fat but hasn’t been converted to dry matter fat (Kibble) the wet tin foods in the files on the Canine Diabetes Support face book group are lower in fat, a wet tin food needs to be under 3% in fat, when 3% fat in wet tin food gets converted to dry matter (Kibble) 3% is around 11% fat…….
The Canidae Platinum worked real well when Patch had his Pancreatitis & couldn’t eat the low fat Vet Diets cause they have Beet Pulp & fish oil….
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Susan]

Hi sorry to hear about your girl, my boy has IBD & gets Pancreatitis pain he had it yesterday & today again, real whingy I’m lucky he grinds his teeth when he has his acid reflux & licks mouth like he’s suckling, so I know he’s unwell liquid Mylanta is good too keep a small bottle in fridge & give 5mls & being kept in the fridge soothes the stomach more….
When they yarn & pant, they have pain my vet said, even paw licking can be pain & they set off endorphins from the licking & Patch does a big burp sometimes, I burp him like a baby sometimes when he has his pancreas pain, I rub his back & stomach area (right side rib cage) it makes him feel better, my vet wanted Patch on Prednisone small dose 5mg, actually 3 vets wanted him on Steroids I kept saying NO the Prednisone will give him more acid reflux in the end I have him 2.5mg with breakfast & 2.5mg with dinner & only gave for 3-4 days & stopped the Prednisone did take away his Pancreas pain BUT he felts real sick vomited a few times & got diarrhea, whe I told his vet she said yes some dogs cant take steroids now she said just start him on the Metronidazole low dose 200mg at night Metronidazole has a steroid anti inflammatory type drug & antibiotic, it does help but takes longer about 4-5 days the Prednisone worked within 1 day & Patch takes Losec (Omeprazole) 8.30am every day now, it doesn’t have to be given before they eat like other acid reducers, its a blocker, I thought the same with the Losec when Patch started taking it vet didn’t want him on a Pump Proton Inhibitor (PPI) long term & said just give it to him when needed for 3-4 days then stop but I found he was doing better when taking the Losec, I started just giving 1/2 the 20mg tablet, I buy his Losec from chemist $7.99, his vet writes me 6 repeat scripts, it’s cheaper then buying from vets-$100 & the chemist orders in the Losec that can be cut in 1/2 “Omeprazole Sandoz” I thought the same when Patch first started to take the Losec, that the Losec was causing sloppy poo’s but it was an ingredient in the R/C Low Fat Intestinal vet diet wet tin food, either the Corn gluten meal, whole corn or the wheat then I realized it was the boiled rice, he cant eat boiled rice, it irritates his bowel, he eats the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable stew, it has the least rice & no beet pulp, I take out the rice & carrots give to my cat she loves it but the fat is 14.9% sometimes Patch gets acid reflux, but not his pancreas pain, so I tried the Royal Canine HP wet tin but it has oil all on the bottom of can & fish oils cause Patch to have acid reflux & his pain so I was using a can opener that takes off the top of the can & sliding out the whole meat loaf & patting it with a paper towel to absorb all the oil & cutting the loaf in 3rds & putting the rest on a plate & cover with cling wrap put in fridge, I found he preferred the Hills I/d Chicken Vegetable stew, are you on facebook?? join this group “Canine Diabetes Support and Information? group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CanineDiabetesSupportandInformation/files/
on your left is the “Files” click on files & 2nd link- “2017.3.26 – CDSI Diabetes dog food options” click on this & all low fat foods will come up, just scroll down for the wet tin foods the lady has converted the wet tin foods to DM (Dry Matter) DM is the fat% if it were a kibble…or email the wet tin company & ask about the formula’s your interested in, can they email back fat% after being converted to dry matter, the lady has done it with the wet tin foods on the link, I ended up cooking lean pork mince or 99% fat free Turkey mince & Kangaroo mince all human grade minces, Patch did real well on the lean beef
I added 1 whisked egg some finally chopped parsley, peeled & grated 1 carrot & a few chopped up broccoli heads mix all together & make 1 cup size rissole balls or 1/2 cup size balls & bake in oven on baking tray lined with foil just take them out after 15mins & turn over the rissoles & remove any water & fat, I also boil sweet potatoes & add 1/2 a cup to 1 cup rissole ball, all mashed & cut up so it’s easy to eat, the sweet potato & rissoles can be frozen take out the day before put in fridge to thaw….
I also feed Canidae kibble have a look at the Canidae Pure Meadow Senior the fat is 10.8% max, or Canidae Life Stages Platinum fat is 8.5% min you”ll need to email Canidae for max fat % there’s also a wet tin Platinum fat say 4% but it hasn’t been converted to Dry Matter so it will be around 16 to 20% fat so its a must to email the pet food companies,
I feed 5 meals a day 7am 9am 5am is kibble & 12pm & 8pm is wet food.. I live Australia & our Royal Canine comes from France not America our ingredient list is a bit better, I would start looking for other wet tin foods to feed, have you read the ingredient list in the Purina EN? Purina uses by product meats….. I like the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew but we can only get the small 156g cans now so I was going to make my rissoles sweet potato & add the I/d Stew…. ask vet can you try low dose of Prednisone for her pain, 5mg my vet said steroids taken in morning is best same with the Losec best to take of a morning…

It’s awful watching them in pain, Patch is a real talker & whinger, he tells me when something is wrong, he lifts his front paw up, at first I thought he wanted me to shake his paw, (he’s a rescue) but he kept pulling his paw away when I went to shake his paw, then lifting up his paw again, I realised he wants me to rub his stomach & pancreas area….
Have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis support group” on F/B I hope this very long post something will help your girl…. she will probably also feel sick some days, the Losec will helped with the nausea, I would be making her comfortable, the Losec starts working in 12 -24hrs so when you do stop the Losec its still in their system for 12-24hrs, even if you give the Losec every 2nd day & see how she goes but in the end I give it every morning now… Patch is nilly 9yrs old weights 17-18kg =40lbs… I just remember if you want to stay with Vet Diets look at the Royal Canine PR Potato & Rabbit but I think the fat is too high in the wet tins, one of the Potato formula’s is lower I think its the PV-Venison but R/C has stopped making the PV you’ll have to contact Royal Canine..

[Christine S]

My 12 year old golden was hospitalized for pancreatitis in January. Blood tests and ultrasound also showed an infected gall bladder; it was twice its normal size. She was treated with Enroflaxacin, Metronidazole and Ursodiol with 20 mg Famotidine 2 x a day and put on a strict GI diet. I’ve been giving her Purina EN Gastroenteric and Hills ID GI Chicken and Vegetable Stew, 4 meals per day. The vet said we should just keep her on that to ensure pancreatitis doesn’t return. Ultrasound and blood tests since then show she has recovered and indicate that she’s got no other issues, except we can’t see the stomach. The thing is, I noticed that between a half-hour to 2 hours after eating, she starts panting and yawns. She also bow stretches several times throughout the day. I can tell she’s uncomfortable but she doesn’t vocalize and she always looks forward to eating. She’s also gotten pretty sluggish on our walks. Until the pancreatitis she would always trot and I could barely keep up with her, and I walk fast. Now she’ll trot some then slow down to a crawl and walk with her mouth open, I can hear her huffing so I think she’s uncomfortable. We’ve tried several times to treat with omeprazole including liquid Carafate, but she got diarrhea so we stopped it. This last time we got her on 8 days of the omeprazole before the diarrhea hit. The vet now thinks the diarrhea is a food intolerance to something in her diet. So it would have to be one or both the GI foods, or the boiled chicken we were giving as treats. I’ve since eliminated the chicken, so she’s not getting any treats. I should also add that she’s getting canned food, not kibble because she would pant heavily after the kibble, even when moistened. Anyway, the vet recommended Royal Canin Hydrolized Protein (RCHP). I transitioned her on that over a period of 5 days based on vet’s recommendation. On her 3rd solid day of only RCHP, we opened a can at lunch and noticed it had a fishy smell. Piper started to eat it then suddenly stopped and wouldn’t finish it. Nothing except the severe pancreatitis attack stops her from eating. She always looks forward to eating. I offered some EN and she gladly ate that, so there was something wrong with the RCHP. I opened another can and I thought it smelled ok but my fiancé said it didn’t and wouldn’t let me give her anymore. So I had to get her back on the EN. The thing is it seemed as though it was helping. It seemed like she wasn’t panting as much, and she wasn’t scratching her ears as much or at all which is something I hadn’t really paid much attention to with all the other symptoms. She hasn’t had ear infections and other than biting at her hind ankles occasionally, she doesn’t show signs of allergies. (She doesn’t have fleas.) I read through a ton of responses to other posts and thought I would try Natural Balance LID Duck and Potato, because it wasn’t $5 a can and it had low fat, or so I thought. I didn’t realize that the fat content wasn’t converted like it was for the GI foods, which I learned after reading many of Susan’s posts. I only gave her about 1/4 cup and she really looked uncomfortable after that, I’m guessing due to the fat content. She also had really bad gas. So she’s back on strictly EN until I figure out what to do next. Honestly I’m afraid to try anything else but I really don’t like the ingredients in the vet prescription diets and she’s been on them since January. I don’t see us cooking her food and I have some reservations about going back to raw given the possibility of inviting bad bacteria into the mix. My other concern is should I give her antacids or not? A dog that doesn’t make enough stomach acid can have the same symptoms as one with too much stomach acid. The vet said it would be rare for her not to have enough stomach acid and thinks we should try the omeprazole again. I’d like to know she needs it before giving it to her because it seemed like it would make her more lethargic. Is there a test without having to scope her? I thought about trying a novel protein but would have to go with goat or kangaroo as she’s eaten just about everything else, in every form, due to our other dog being an extremely picky eater (a Hovawart.) I would love to hear your suggestions, or any ideas you have based on her symptoms. Treating GI issues really is difficult, especially when you’re the only one in the house that thinks her panting and yawning are signs of discomfort!!

[anonymous]

How about 4 or 5 small meals several times a day instead of 1 or 2 big meals. Same amount of food, just divided up.
I would presoak the kibble overnight (fridg). I would stick with the prescription food till she’s stable or as your vet recommends.
When you go to commercial dog food, I would look for a kibble with no potato, such as Zignature Whitefish. Some dogs with sensitive stomachs find potato and sweet potato hard to digest.
Make sure she is drinking water, if not, add a splash to the presoaked kibble.
Continue to work with your vet, and I wouldn’t dispense over the counter meds unless okayed by the vet. Good luck
Ps: ask your vet if it would be okay to add a bite of boiled chopped chicken breast or homemade plain chicken broth (no onion) to her kibble?

[Rachel K]

Hello I was wondering on people’s opinion of this RC variety of food.

I’m from Australia and I’ve noticed that the “Endurance 4800” sold here appears to be different to the ones I’ve seen sold overseas. I don’t feed RC (the dry food I feed is a grain free brand called Ivory Coat; lamb/kangaroo 36% min protein 18% min fat; highest protein kibble I’ve seen in Australia) but this variety intrigues me because its one of the higher protein kibbles’ available in aus and definitely the highest fat.

This is what the composition is listed as on the Australian website:

COMPOSITION: dehydrated poultry protein, animal fats, rice, vegetable protein isolate*, hydrolysed animal proteins, beet pulp, vegetable fibres, fish oil, minerals, soya oil, psyllium husks and seeds (1%), marigold extract (source of lutein), hydrolysed yeast (source of manno-oligo-saccharides (0.2%)), hydrolysed crustaceans (source of glucosamine), hydrolysed cartilage (source of chondroitin). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 22300 IU, Vitamin D3: 1000 IU, Vitamin E: 700mg, E1 (Iron): 48 mg, E2 (Iodine): 4.8 mg, E4 (Copper): 15 mg, E5 (Manganese): 62 mg, E6 (Zinc): 187 mg, E8 (Selenium): 0.09 mg – Technological additives: Clinoptilolite of sedimentary origin: 10g – Preservatives – Antioxidants. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 32%, Fat content: 30%, Crude ash: 8.1% *L.I.P.: Protein selected for its very high assimilation.

Thoughts are appreciated 🙂

I hope this post is allowed

[anonymous]

I just transfer it to the fridg a few hours prior to serving. Be careful, some kibbles that have a lot of fish oils and such don’t freeze well, I remember Orijen was one of them. Nothing bad happened, but they say freezing is not necessary and it changes something.
Usually just storing the kibble in a closed container in the fridg is good enough, for about a month (in my experience)
Ps: Those empty plastic coffee containers are good for storing kibble. Or, some people like to use those large plastic freezer bags.

[anonymous]

A little high in the calorie department, so you may want to keep an eye on his/her weight
Nutritional Info (per Chewy’s site) Also, add a splash of water, maybe presoak? See what your vet advises.
Ingredients
Salmon, Canola Meal, Brewers Rice, Barley, Oat Meal, Fish Meal (Source of Glucosamine), Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Salmon Meal, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Inulin, Fish Oil, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite.
Caloric Content
3,905 kcal/kg, 447 kcal/cup

[Susan]

Hi Jessica, my boy has IBD Skin Allergies, Food Intolerances & Pancreatitis….he needs a diet high in Omega 3…When I have feed any vet diets for his IBD & Skin problems that had fish, oil, soybean oil, coconut oil he got bad acid reflux, same with premium kibbles, if they had fish or salmon oil, he’d get acid reflux, he grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux….. I’m the same I cant take any fish oil supplements, I get acid reflux…

The other day I won $100 to spend at the Chemist, I asked the lady pharmacist what can I take for my arthritis, I need Omega 3 but every time I’ve taken fish Oil capsules I keep burping up the fish taste & get acid reflux, same as my dog, she told me Krill Oil capsules are more milder & are easier on the stomach, good for people with digestive issues like yourself, so that’s something to remember..

I follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page & I’ve learnt a lot about healthy foods
to add to Patches diet, I’ve also be adding them to my diet as well lol
Almonds are very high in Omega 3 fatty acid, a dog can have 3 Almonds a day but I bite 1/2 of the almond & I give Patch the other 1/2 of the almond this way it’s the size as a small kibble & I tell him to chew it, I started with just giving him 1 almond a day then after 5 days, I gave him 2 x 1/2 almonds a day, till we got too 3 almonds a day….
K-9 Natural, freezed Dried Green Lipped Mussels are very healthy & not greezy….
Sardines, Salmon & Tuna in spring water or Olive Oil, not brine, I give Patch small tin salmon, all water drained, I add some boiled sweet potato & broccoli as a small meal…. Patch has a beautiful shinny coat but I do feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble for a few of his meals, I rotate between a few different things & have made his gut healthier & stronger, when I rescued him he couldn’t eat anything without having sloppy, bloody poos or up 2am having diarrhea it was awful, now 4 yrs on & he can eat pretty much anything as long as it isn’t any food’s he’s sensitive too….
I’ve read a few dogs haven’t done well on the Honest Kitchen formula’s, I think it’s the freeze dried pieces of veggies & meat, they stay small, hard & don’t reconstitute back to bigger, softer veggies & can’t be digested properly causing intestinal problems……
Dogs can’t chew their foods like we do & don’t have salivary amylase (digestive enzymes in their salvia) so they can’t break down the Cellulase walls in the vegetable, fruit or grass,
Cellulase digests plant matter, that’s why when you feed a raw diet you have to blend & break down the veggies, fruit & make them into a pulp liquid…Same when a dog eats grass it either comes back up vomit or comes out in their poo undigested, the Chlorophyll in the grass settles their stomach…. I let Patch eat a little bit of grass no longer then 1 minute, it can cause diarrhea, it cleans him out…
*Foods High in Omega 3 fatty acids are
Spinach
Chia Seeds
Flax Seed Oil cold pressed
Canola Oil Patch does best when the kibble has Canola oil, Flax Seed Oil (No Acid Reflux)
Almonds
Walnuts
Green Lipped Mussels
Sardines, Mackerel, Salmon, Tuna
Soybeans
Tofu

[Soph M]

Hi Jessica W,

I do use a little bit of fish oil with my dog, but also coconut oil. The coconut oil is really good for their coat and skin.

[Ann F]

I believe the RC LF-20 is the most fat restricted diet on the market. Maybe the ultra low-fat works really well for her. Since Pork and Chicken was a trigger for us, the only other option for an ultra low-fat diet was the formulated one with Fish. If this is working your vet is wise.

http://web.archive.org/web/20100727135638/http://www.royalcanin.us/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=134,293,12,1,Documents&MediaID=5953&Filename=Canine+Gastrointestinal+Low+Fat+LF.pdf

We had a diagnosis of Helicobacter, and gastritis when we did the scoping. His stomach was noticeably raw with lesions. Back then we did the amoxicillin and metronidazole, and it went away. Because the gastritis was part of the auto-immune, eosinophilic problem finding the right novel protein diet was important for us.
Later he had tested for a tick disease, and needed to be on Doxycycline. This was before he was stabilized on the diet. To get him through the harsh antibiotic we used Sulcrafate, and an acid-reducer. I had to time things very closely, and feed a slurry of some broth and boiled potato every hour to keep his stomach full. I think it was Pepcid, then 1/2 hour later Sulcrafate. He got a cup of the potato slurry, then the Doxycycline an hour after the Sulcrafate. Something like that I repeated three times a day. It is possible if you can get your vet to make up a schedule, and you have lots of timers to set:-)
It looks like the RC low-fat has corn grits as a carb. Maybe you can use small amounts of grits to keep his stomach full between regular feedings. That’s a question for your treating vet to answer about adding stuff. Do you have somebody at home to help? It is great if you can get out.

[Donna B]

I NEED HELP! My sweet boy was identified with allergies a few years ago. We found a food and he was doing well. Now he is breaking out and has to be on Apoquel. He has been on it for several months. Wanting to get him off it, I did a fur and saliva test for sensitivities. Between the two lists, I cannot find food. I even tried to make food and it was a no-go. Perhaps someone here knows of a food. Here is his list:
ALLERGIES: Pork
Soy
Oats
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Yeast
Peanut
Kelp
SENSITIVITIES:
Grains inc; rices(wht & br), corn, barley, quinoa,rye, wheat, millet,
buckwheat, spelt
Potato
Kangaroo
Lamb
Fish Oil, Fish Meal, Salmon and Trout
Green Beans
Dairy except Goat and Sheep milk
Apricots
Cucumber
Turnip
Honey
Mint
and a few other spices
Your help and suggestions are welcome!!!!!

[Donna B]

Thank you for trying to help us….

I NEED HELP! My sweet boy was identified with allergies a few years ago. We found a food and he was doing well. Now he is breaking out and has to be on Appoquel. He has been on it for several months. Wanting to get him off it, I did a fur and saliva test for sensitivities. Between the two lists, I cannot find food. I even tried to make food and it was a no-go. Perhaps someone here knows of a food. Here is his list:

ALLERGIES: Pork
Soy
Oats
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Yeast
Peanut
Kelp
Sensitivities:
Grains inc; rices(wht & br), corn, barley, quinoa,rye, wheat, millet,
buckwheat, spelt
Potato
Kangaroo
Lamb
Fish Oil, Fish Meal, Salmon and Trout
Green Beans
Dairy except Goat and Sheep milk
Apricots
Cucumber
Turnip
Honey
Mint
and a few other spices

Your help and suggestions are welcome!!!!!

[Erika I]

The key to raw food (in my experience) is “take your time with it!” What I mean is, introduce new ingredients slowly and start slowly. I started my 4-year-old pug on raw food with just ground beef and ground up cooked eggs(shell and all) along with fish oil and a vitamin powder. the first week she started with a 1/2 cup of food the first day and I slowly increased the amount of food till she was at 1 cup a day. She was on this diet for about 3 months before I changed her to a more complex diet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P85BMCCboI). From my experience, raw food has its ups and downs in the beginning but once you find what works well for your puppy it is the best! Bella (my pug) at first threw up the food had lots of bad diarrhea. and even months into the new diet she had bouts of throwing up and diarrhea when I introduced new ingredients too quickly. So that is why I suggest taking your time with it. Now Bella loves it and her coat is super shiny and thick and her seasonal allergies are even better!
– I had Bella on goats milk to try and help with her allergies and it is great it helps with all kinds of things – but I found it to be unnecessary now that I have her on a balanced raw diet.

As far a spaying, I waited till Bella was about 1 year old before she had the operation. Sometimes young pups don’t do so well with the operation and Bella was so little that we felt more comfortable waiting. She went through one cycle which wasn’t bad at all…just be sure to have diapers on hand!

Hope this helps!
All the best,
Erika

[Susan]

HoundMusic,

I think it’s ridiculous you feed a sick dog a high fat, low quality mince especially when the dog is vomiting & has diarrhea, say that dog has Pancreatitis??..
When was the last time you went to see a vet specialist for a dog with Intestinal problems IBS, IBD, Pancreatitis?
Your talking about feeding litter Puppies, introducing puppies to food….Read original post I’m talking about dogs with intestinal STRESS, sloppy poo’s with mucus & then diarrhea, not 4-6 week old puppies being weaned onto food, even then I still wouldn’t feed a sick puppy any cooked hamburger mince or boiled rice…. When you have a SICK dog with Intestinal Stress feeding greasy hamburger mince with boiled rice, rice has pointed corners that can irritate the bowel…..who’s not to say the dogs in this post aren’t sensitive to chicken like my boy is?? one of the poster’s dog became a bit better after being put on a vet diet while the other dog got diarrhea after eating the Hills wet tin food, like my boy did after eating one of the Hills Intestinal health vet diets, this sounds like food sensitivities to me, food sensitivities/intolerance can take anywhere from 1 day up to 6 weeks to react & show symptoms….Food sensitivities normally start when the dog is around 6-8 months old….
I’m pretty sure when Rich took his dogs to see vet, the vet didn’t suggest to go home & feed some boiled hamburger mince with boiled some rice, if he did I would be changing vets & seeing a younger vet who’s up to date with more modern methods, it sounds like Rich vet knew what he/she was doing & did all the proper tests needed to rule out parasites, parvo, infection etc & placed the dogs on a antibiotic (Flagyl/Metronidazole) & a vet diet till Rich works out what to feed them both….if the dogs were placed on a Hydrolyzed diet or a single novel protein, single carb vet diet I do not know, probably not cause one dog had liquid diarrhea after eating the vet diet…..

I’ll stick with what my Specialist vet recommended to feed, 1 lean novel protein + 1 gluten free carb (Sweet Potato or Potato) he suggested to cook white boneless fish or lean turkey breast + boiled sweet potato, if I didn’t want to cook he recommended feeding a vet diet “Royal Canine” Hydrolyzed wet tin food, Sensitivity Control, Duck & Tapioca dry, PV-Potato & Venison, PR-Potato & Rabbit or PD-Potato & Duck & then when dog is stable & doing firm poo’s start an elimination diet & add 1 cooked ingredient for 6 weeks with their vet diet food….these vet diets are 100% balanced with the right vitamins, minerals, enzymes & you’ll get to the root of the problem by doing an elimination diet like I have done in the past with my IBD boy, when you look at the ingredients in these vet diets you will not find any hamburger mince, chicken, rice….. Sweet Potato + 1 lean novel protein seems to work best for Intestinal health problems especially when you think the dog has food intolerances….
You have your opinion & I have mine…..

[C C]

Right, so is rancid fish oil, soggy shipping bags, very sick dogs, and more…You can’t fix a problem until you’re at least out of denial and all you get from them is excuses. They will never be able to justify how they are affecting pets and it appears until more die they are continuing to accept the unacceptable, as are many other dog food companies who even justify using road kill and expired meat, wrapping and all!

[Susan]

Hi Rich, click on this link, Clean Label Project,
http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/ scroll down & read the kibbles & wet foods that had the most toxic chemicals, arsenic, lead & cadmium, most were pet foods that had fish as the main protein, last yea I started feeding Patch the “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy, Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines made by Well Pet who make’s Wellness another kibble Patch did well on then went down hill after 2-3months, his stomach & bowel seems to know when a kibble isn’t right & something is wrong, now I know why after reading the Clean Label Project… all last year Patch was doing really well eating TOTW Roasted Lamb + different cooked foods that I add to his diet for dinner, then Spring come around, cause Patch suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, I start to feed a fish based kibble thru the Spring & Summer months the year before I feed an Australian made kibble “Meals For Mutts” but this year I started to feed the Holistic Select G/F fish kibble instead the man at the pet shop recommended the Holistic Select he feeds it to his 2 Staffys that also have allergies then after 2-3 months Patch went down hill after eating the Holistic Select, he stopped eating it, he was doing sloppy cow pattie poos, up all hours of the night pooing, bad wind pain, whinging, I saw his vet, she put him back on the Metronidazole & I put him back on his TOTW Lamb kibble, his poo’s firmed up within 2 days.. then 1 month ago I see Holistic Select kibble on the Clean Label Project it’s 10th, contains the highest amount of harmful environment and industrial contaminants & toxins.. I nilly died & Holistic Select is a 5 star kibble on the DFA….
This is why over time it’s best to find a couple of different brands of pet food with a different protein that agree with your dogs & you rotate between the 2 or 3 brands so if 1 brand isn’t being made any more or has something wrong like toxins or lacking vitamins, not enough omega 3 etc your dogs are not on the one food long enough, eating the same food 24/7 for years & years & suffering long term health problems…..

What kibble works for one dog may not work for another dog, if your dogs were doing sloppy poo’s with jelly mucus on them it’s normally food intolerances, or the protein may be too high, after doing a food elimination diet with my boy, it was chicken, corn, corn gluten meal, barley, boiled rice he can not eat, his IBD vet specialist said when I’m looking for any kibbles or wet tin foods make sure it has 1 single protein with limited ingredients so there’s less chance he will react to an ingredient, she said if after 9-12 months he’s doing really well on the same kibble, its best to introduce new foods into his diet, sometimes a dog will start to react to an ingredient in the food you’ve been feeding for years, so I rotate kibbles now & I add different foods to his diet for dinner or as treats but I didn’t do all this straight away it has taken over 3-4 yrs to get to this point where Patch can eat anything now as long as it’s not any foods he’s sensitive too…also sometimes a 5 star food won’t be the best food for your dog, if it’s a 3 stars food & agrees with your dog & the ingredients all look good then that’s OK, Dog Food Advisor gives less stars sometimes cause the protein is under 25%, there’s nothing wrong with the kibble, but the lower the protein the more carbohydrates that kibble will have….

[anonymous]

I like Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea as a base.
https://www.chewy.com/nutrisca-grain-free-salmon-chickpea/dp/35033
Or:
Newman’s Organics https://www.chewy.com/newmans-own-organics-advanced/dp/33521

Add a splash of water and a bite of something, scrambled egg (in water), chopped up cooked lean chicken, beef, tuna….something.
Check out chewys auto ship plan. You could order a large bag every 2 or 3 months. Divide it up and store in air tight containers or bags in the fridg or freezer if you have room.
I wouldn’t go too cheap, you may regret it.
Also, you need to set aside money for an an annual checkup and lab work with a veterinarian.
Heartworm checks, flea and tick preventives. About $1000 a year (maybe less) and that’s not counting food.
Ps: Don’t waste your money on supplements, unless a vet that has examined the dog advises you to do so. Most of them are scams. I do add one fish oil capsule to their food once a day, not sure if it actually does anything 🙂

[anonymous]

Natural Balance for Fat Dogs, check it out, only 250 calories a cup and the ingredients don’t look bad at all. I give a 1/2 raw carrot as a treat (not baby carrots/choking hazard)
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/fat-dogs/original

I would feed this to a senior. I might add a little lean ground cooked turkey or a bite of scrambled with water egg to it. Plus a splash of water to the kibble (a lot of dogs don’t drink enough water)
I never give yogurt or any dairy products to dogs. The only supplement I add is one fish oil capsule a day.

Increase walks, activity. Any way you can take him swimming? One minute of swimming is equal to 4 minutes of running! And easy on the joints.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by anonymous.

[Lazaro B]

Thanks anon and everyone who replied. I used to give him fish oil liquid from Grizzly or Grizzly bear. I guess I’ll have to buy some more. Thanks.

[anonymous]

Sounds good, I would go by what your vet recommends, for now.
It probably wouldn’t hurt to add a fish oil capsule. No matter how good the dog food, a lot of the fish oil stuff dissipates as soon as you open the bag 🙁

Ps: Make sure he is drinking water, these old guys, especially small breeds, are vulnerable to develop bladder stones. I would add a splash to his food.

[Acroyali]

One of my elderly dogs developed a murmur that got worse in 6 months time. We did use CoQ10 and a few other supplements (fish oil at my vets recommendation) his murmur actually improved after another 6 months. His vet was incredibly pleased and said that (in their experiences) murmurs in older dogs don’t usually get better, they usually progress. Who knows if it was a fluke or if the CoQ10 was responsible, but for his situation, I believe it certainly didn’t hurt.
He went on much longer than expected before going into full blown heart failure, and by this time he WAS on several prescription medications that helped to extend his life. (While I do think intelligent supplementation can be extremely helpful, heart disease is something I don’t attempt to work with on my own.)
Your dog, your decision when it comes to supplementation.

[anonymous]

No, your vet is right. A lot of supplements are scams and some can even cause harm.
My last small breed had a heart murmur since the age of 5, no symptoms , lived till age 16 and died of unrelated causes.
I have had other small breeds that developed murmurs as they got older, no treatment required.
Of course if he begins to have symptoms I would talk to your vet, there are probably prescription meds that would help. And you could even take him to a veterinary cardiologist for further testing and evaluation.
The reverse sneeze thing may be unrelated. Does he hack up white foamy stuff? My old guy did that occasionally, not often.
Ps: The only supplement I give these days is one fish oil capsule with the morning meal.

[heather s]

i saw the rating system as well and really have to wonder how these foods got 5 stars. i noticed the same as you foods with fish were lower rated. my thoughts are that fish oil and fish have a lot of mercury even humans should eat no more then 3 cans of tuna per month. the foods with the most real meats or fish(no meals) and no fillers such as oats barley rice etc had the most metal contamination they say turkey is least contaminated the foods they said had 5 stars was eagle pack their first ingredients are chicken meal pork meal ground brown rice rice barley oatmeal so perhaps as i said the foods packed with real meat and fish may naturally contain more heavy metals then the foods that meat meals and alot grains? i have wonder if rendering doesnt reduce the some of the contaminants in meat meals? or maybe the cuts they use to render into meat meals , beaks feet feathers hooves etc dont contain as many heavy metals as the actual flesh of the animal?

[heather s]

i purchased a 25 pound bag of orijen original from chewys last month after reading about heavy metal contamination i then discovered posts about hair in the food. today i closely examined the food and found at least 15 hairs baked in and loose in a 1/2 c scoo.p i called orijen they claim the hair is part of a biologically appropriate diet, but that they have contacted the supplier to stop leaving so much hair and hide in the product they deliver. when asked about heavy metal contamination they claim they test their foods and they meet nrc regulations which tie in according to the woman with fda standards and the fda does not have standards for heavy metals in dog food they do for animal feed but not dog food, fda only gets concerned if heavy metal contamination is from additions to the food ie adulterants not heavy metals contained in meats and vegetables used in the dog food. from what i can tell fish oil is not good high in mercury and turkey is the lowest for heavy metal contamination i think im going to try canidae turkey canned food has anyone tried that?

[Jasmine T]

Hi, i rotate my dogs meat every week. Cooked to slightly cooked, Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, goat , little fish. He gets a raw egg coconut oil, colostrum ,eggshell powder, liver, beef kidney, hearts and gizzards are all part of his diet. A raw veggie mix. Some canned peas or something for more of a filler cus too much veggi mix gives him gas. Oh, probiotic yougurt sometimes,and always a quarter cup OVERCOOKED brown rice. 50% protien, rice and veggies, 10% organ meat(i am looking for spleen and other things in my area)
Hoof soup ice cubes, for the natural glucosamine. Usually two or 3 a day. He is almost 12 and arthritic with torn acl.
I add dehydrated chicken feet. As a treat.
I cook meat in oven, i trim all the fat but its still greasy. I drain the juice during cooking at least once and the the rest after.
I boil my hearts and gizzards ,kidney, lightly cook liver in coconut oil in pan.
Will these things cause pancreatitis? The grease ftom the meat?

[Joelle V]

You may also want to investigate Petcurean go sensitive dry or canned food. For a dog I had with similar allergies, I also made my own food, with rice, a single protein, some veggies, and vitamins and fish oil. It helped, it did not cure the allergies, as grass was also an allergen.

[anonymous]

I used to stick a pin in the fish oil capsule and it would squirt on the wall and end up in my hair, lol.
Have been giving the fish oil capsule whole for a few years now, the capsule is usually made of a gelatin substance that is easily digestable.
Check with you vet, I could be wrong.

I wouldn’t give egg shells or any other raw foods, due to the risk of salmonella and such, just my opinion.