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  • #185286

    Topic: Anxiety?

    in forum Diet and Health
    dendad
    Participant

    One of my Chihuahuas has developed some sort of anxiety or nervousness every morning at the same time. It lasts for about an hour or so. She eats breakfast at 5:00 a.m. and the attacks start at about 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. There no consoling her. She shakes and can’t seem to get comfortable. She walks around and around acting like something is scaring her.

    She eats Freshpet Vital, chicken recipe for breakfast and again for dinner. She doesn’t have this problem in the evening, so I’m thinking it’s not the Freshpet. The Freshpet ingredients are Chicken, Chicken Liver, Chicken Broth, Peas, Carrots, Eggs, Brown Rice, Rice Bran, Carrageenan, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Inulin, Celery Powder, Salt, Spinach.

    The only other thing she eats is a half chew of Glandex for her anal glands. It’s ingredients are pumpkin seed powder, granulated pumpkin seed, apple pectin cellulose powder, Quercetin Dihydrate, L. acidophilus, D-Alpha Tocopherol, Bromelain, Ascorbic Acid, canola oil, desiccated pork liver powder, flaxseed oil, glycerin, potato starch, rice bran, sorbic acid, sucrose, sunflower lecithin and water. I give this to her and her sister (another Chihuahua) with their breakfast. The other Chihuahua has no anxiety issues at all.

    I have given her a Hemp calming treat, but it doesn’t help.

    Any help would be appreciated.

    #179487
    dendad
    Participant

    We have two Chihuahuas. One of them is constantly having to have her anal glands expressed. We feed them Freshpet Chicken in the evening and Freshpet Beef and bison in the morning. They also get a pumpkin supplement in the morning. I’m thinking the beef and bison food might be the cause. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

    #176152
    Glenn G
    Participant

    Hello,

    I have a 7-year-old female Bichon Frise and a 10-year-old male Bichon Frise who are both on Rachael Ray Dish hard dog food and Freshpet soft food. I started both foods around 3 months ago. They both took to it without a problem and are still eating it, but a couple of months ago Abby started chewing on her tail, which I thought was the groomer cutting her too short there, but last night Toby chewed his tail badly, almost down to the bone, and I am not sure it is the food or if he got bit by something or what is going on. Again, this time it was a couple of weeks from the groomer, but she did not cut them short this time, so I am not sure what is going on or what I should do. I did give Toby a Benadryl, which totally knocked him out. I would appreciate any suggestions.

    #168879
    Yvonne H
    Participant

    My white dog used to have these awful gunky eyes and stains until I switched to FreshPet dog food.

    After two weeks of being on his fresh, refrigerated food all stains and gunky eyes are gone.

    We are never going back to dry kibble again.

    #164397
    Lacey S
    Participant

    Yumwoof Perfect Kibble is what you want to try. They make a soft and chewy kibble.

    Freshpet needs to be refrigerated, whereas Yumwoof does not. My husband and I switched our dog to Yumwoof when he started getting old. He absolutely loves it!

    The ingredients are really good, which is why we bought it. Only 14 ingredients, grain free, soy free…nothing bad. The first ingredient is fresh chicken, and it has lots of coconut oil which is really good for older dogs too.

    We bought it on http://www.yumwoof.com. Hope that helps!

    #160903
    Sheila V
    Participant

    No, she hasn’t always been on Freshpet. I have tried other dog foods, even the weight-loss ones but she seems to do the best on Freshpet….when she was on other foods (especially the dry food) she drank lots of water and was pooping 2-3 times every day, a couple of times she pooped in the house. On Freshpet she has one healthy bowel movement a day, usually on her morning walk.

    #160845
    Sheila V
    Participant

    Thank you for your input, aimee. Far as I know, Freshpet doesn’t have a weight loss food. I do have a kitchen scale, if I plan on feeding 1.14 cups a day would that be 5 or 6 ounces at each serving?

    • This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Sheila V.
    #157528
    pugmomsandy
    Participant

    You might take a look at Freshpet in a loaf that is not mushy wet but is solid enough to slice up.

    https://freshpet.com/dog/freshpet-select/small-dog-chicken-turkey-recipe-with-cranberries-spinach/

    Kathleen H
    Participant

    Patricia thank you for the response. Yes, lipomas do grow, fortunately, they do not turn cancerous. I trust my vet completely though and she knows that I question her with the vaccines and generally does not push anything on me. As stated I just wanted to make sure with the distemper because we were going to be in the RV as much as possible and there are at times other dogs around. Rabies..well that’s a no brainer I have seen Einstein race and get halfway up a tree after a chipmunk before I had a chance to process it! Being outside bats and rodents are an issue..I do not think I will get the 3 yr rabies anymore as it does take a few days for them both to recover from it. One year rabies from here on out! and no more distemper. I guess as long as he is healthy and happy, he is too, he is a good boy. He is not crazy like I have seen other JRTS. He is the boss of his little (40lb)bro..lol. Panda will come crying to me if Einstein puts him in his place. I hate to take the Freshpet away because they get it twice a day and they both love it..only chicken or turkey they have never liked beef dog food. The high-fat content is worrisome but they are both at a healthy weight and get plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. I will, however, take your suggestion and try freeze-dried when I am out of the Freshpet I just purchased again yesterday, Thank you for the suggestion. I also at My mealtime give a few veggies and meat b4 its seasoned and put in a separate area with their food to cut down on the begging eyes when I am eating. I also give them plain yogurt when my Unneutered BC mix starts having issues with a full stream. I also have been giving spring water for the last 5 years. When Panda had his skin irritations I started eliminating things one at a time. City water and water conditioned water. It’s hard to pinpoint but you have to start someplace ( he was a rescue and my vet will not neuter at his age and said if I am trying to get rid of the behaviors it won’t work anyway. I do the best I can but it’s my belief that there is always room for improvemen> I have been curious about freeze-dried but haven’t tried it yet. Thank you for your feedback and it sounds like you truly care about your pets too! I’m 55 and I don’t understand why when I was growing up we had maybe 5 choices of dog food and most often the family dog was given table scraps and lived to be a good old age! It’s the chemicals that come with technological advancements IMO!

    Kathleen H
    Participant

    If you think Freshpet is Junk..what would you recommend? I am a firm believer in DogFood advisor ratings and that is what I go by! There is NEVER going to be a perfect dog food but I like to get as close to 5*s as possible!

    brit
    Participant

    sadly Freshpet is junk and has carrageenan in it which can cause serious tummy troubles 🙁

    Kathleen H
    Participant

    My 12 yr old JRt has had a fatty tumor for about 4 years now. His vet measures it every year and it seems as though the last year that I have switched to Freshpet either Chicken or Chicken and Turkey refrigerated roll dog food his tumor has tripled in size. He has a wellness exam coming up but I am 800 miles away presently and am just very anxious about this right now. Has anyone had a similar experience?

    #152665
    Kayla R
    Participant

    My 4 year old Goldendoodle has been having seizures once or twice a month since the end of August 2019. They’d last about 2 minutes and he would violently shake (and “paddle” as our vet called it), trembling jaw, foaming at the mouth, release his bowels, and bark. We’ve been tracking every seizure (date and time) and I’ve been looking into his food to see if it could be the cause of them. When we took him to the vet they said his bloodwork history and current work was all in perfect health so he figured it was epilepsy/idiopathic seizures.
    He was previously on the Nutrience Sub Zero (freeze dried raw + kibble) which I was told was one of the best foods out there. I started him on the food at the beginning of August.
    I put him on CBD oil In October (500mg once a day) because I heard the benefits of it and wanted to prevent putting him on medication as much as I could, but he was still having seizures. I decided to up his dosage in December (600mg twice a day on some chicken which is his favourite treat), but I also changed his food at the same time to “Only Natural Pet” Power Fusion Adult Dog Food which costs about $20 more per bag but apparently was better than the Nutrience? (This was told to me by a worker at PetSmart who said his dogs eat this food and it’s helped them a lot). I also occasionally give him some FreshPet fresh chicken and veggies mixed in with his kibble for some added nutrients (and he loves the fresh stuff!) but for $80 dry food and $45 fresh food, it adds up fast. Since his CBD going up and his new food he hasn’t had a seizure in almost 2 months! I wish I had only switched one thing at a time to see what would help first so now I’m not too sure if it’s only the cbd working or only the food (or both?), but I was so worried about him I just quickly wanted to do everything I could to stop his seizures.
    If he has another one then I’ll have to take him to the vet again and discuss putting him on medication, but for now he’s doing a lot better. it’s so heartbreaking seeing your pup go through them and not being able to do anything as it’s happening. I hope you can figure out what’s causing your dogs seizures soon!

    #152572
    dendad
    Participant

    Hello. We’re currently feeding our Chihuahuas FreshPet Vital Beef/Buffalo and Chicken. We thought by buying expensive dog food, we could forget about worrying that we were feeding stuff that would hurt them. However, we recently heard that there’s a problem with mold in FreshPet. We’ve thrown out some because it just didn’t smell right.

    So we want to start making our own dog food. The recipe I found has Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sweet Potatoes, Baby Spinach, Coconut Oil and rice. I might add other healthy vegetables later on. It’s cooked in an Instant Pot (my favorite appliance of all time).

    We would appreciate any comments on those ingredients being bad or good for my dogs.

    #139141
    Lee M
    Member

    Just got off the phone with Freshpet ( Dog Food company ) and they said not to microwave due to the minerals and vitamins being nuked is not a good idea.

    So while people love to give advise it’s not always a good idea to get any kind of important information off even good trusted professional forum’s like this.

    Bummer, but my dog comes first over me saving a few minutes time having to warm refrigerated food up for her.

    Stirring food occasionally in Stainless steel bowl in hot water for 10 minutes does the trick.

    #134029
    Elaine V
    Member

    Please see your vet. My Pug had same symptoms & within a few weeks she lost several pounds. My vet did x-rays & tests & found a mass wrapped around her intestine. He cut a section of her intestine out . He had never seen anything like it before. She is now 14 years old & although she has not been able to regain all of her weight, she’s healthy & loving Freshpet.

    • This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Elaine V.
    #133668
    Beth C
    Member

    Any new ideas? I have an senior 8 pound dog who had all his teeth removed. I’m trying cooked ground turkey which I then grate mixed with The Honest Kitchen fruit and vegetables based mix. I also grate the THK base mix so there will be no chunks. He doesn’t really like the base mix that much but eats some blended with the turkey. He is not getting enough base mix yet. I haven’t tried the FreshPet refrigerated food that someone mentioned above. I think I might give that a try. The canned dog foods all seem to be the wrong texture for my toothless doggy. He spends so much time trying to eat without his teeth. It is a very slow and hard process for him., no matter what I try. But canned dog foods seem to have no appeal and their textures all seem difficult for him and he just walks away from them.

    #133500

    Topic: Bad teeth

    in forum Diet and Health
    dendad
    Participant

    I feel like a horrible Dad. I have fed my two Chihuahuas expensive wet dog food (Freshpet) for six years. I tried dry but they wouldn’t eat it. I just came back from the Vet and they had a total of 9 teeth pulled. I’m $1,500 poorer but that’s not the issue. Can someone recommend a good kibble for my girls? Merrick?

    #132212
    dawne
    Participant

    Hi! This may sound so simple but it helped for me. I have a small dog. 11 lbs. Years ago he was diagnosed with a sensitive stomach. Whatever the heck that is. He presented with similar issues. Vomiting, diarrhea etc. He is a very, very picky eater too. Anyway, about 5 years ago ( he’s 10 now) I started him on probiotics. He’s been awesome ever since. He moves his bowels 2 times a day and it’s beautiful!!! He’s still a picky eater. He eats Freshpet roll food and Nutro wet food trays. ( he doesn’t love hard food) They have varieties for larger dogs too. Both of these foods are given a decent rating here. I hope you figure out whats good for the both of you.

    #132211
    haleycookie
    Member

    So he only gets 3 of the small ceasers a day? For a 21 lbs dog they recommned 5 a day. Are you sure there are no extra calories you’re giving him? Is he not very active?
    Also the food is 100% balanced food so no worries he’s not getting all he needs. It is a lower quality food however. Lots of unnamed meats and fillers like flour, corn starch, and pea fiber.
    You may look into a higher quality canned food. Or try freshpet dog food. It’s pretty good and has fresh veggies in it. I know several small dogs who love the stuff and for a smaller dog it’s not too outrageously priced to feed.
    As far as weight I would just continue to cut back and maybe ask the vet? If he’s seriously gaining weight on 300 calories a day I’d be concerned. Most dogs need 30 caps per pound of weight, small dogs should be ok at 40 cats per pound if they’re energetic. So definitely something wrong.

    #130053
    Patti S
    Participant

    I’ve been reading more on this topic.
    Apparently, grain-free diets can leave a dog with a taurine deficiency which can lead to Dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM.

    Currently, I’m feeding my dog Merrick Limited Ingredient Turkey, which is grain-free.
    I’m going to follow the recommendation of Tuft’s Veterinary Hospital, and reconsider my dog’s diet. They say: “If you’re feeding a boutique, grain-free, or exotic ingredient diets, I would reassess whether you could change to a diet with more typical ingredients made by a company with a long track record of producing good quality diets.”
    I think I’m going to switch to FreshPet Select Tender Chicken With Vegetables and Brown Rice.

    If you’d like to read it, here’s the article from Tufts:
    http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2018/06/a-broken-heart-risk-of-heart-disease-in-boutique-or-grain-free-diets-and-exotic-ingredients/

    #129888

    In reply to: dog food questions

    Susan
    Participant

    In Australia we have the dog rolls in the fridge section at Supermaket & Pet Shops, the pet shops are probably better quality, Patch loved them but the fat is too high for him, they’re 7% to 8% fat, when you convert to dry matter that’s around 35-45% fat, he gets his acid reflux..
    I’d rather feed the rolls then dry kibble..or I fed the chopped up roll for dinner & feed the dry kibble for breakfast….

    I’ve read good things about Fresh Pet Rolls especially when the dog has Stomach/bowel problems.
    The Fresh Pet Vital look better have more variety then the Fresh Pet Select rolls..
    Just make sure you smell the roll before using after opening the roll as they can go off quickly when no preservitives are added but thats good it shows ingredients are fresh like human foods..
    https://freshpet.com/dog/vital/

    #129809

    In reply to: dog food questions

    Sanne
    Member

    I fed those Freshpet logs while on a trip. I wanted something easy on the stomach since my dogs were getting quite a sudden switch. I picked one of the chicken and brown rice rolls. My dogs LOVED that stuff and poeps were small and firm. Never any digestive upset and one of mine tends to be very sensitive.

    I really like the idea behind it, a fresh less processed food and price was not ridiculous for what you get. The ingredients were nice and simple too – meat, some organ, egg, rice and veggies. That was what drew me to it, I like simple for my dogs. I honestly can’t think of anything that would steer me away from it if it were available here.

    #129720
    dendad
    Participant

    I’m still at a loss as to what food to buy for my dogs. Lately, they’ve been turning their nose up to FreshPet, so this would be a good time to switch to something that won’t kill them. I was hoping for a recommendation, maybe even a specific brand to buy. Is this possible? I hope so.

    #128094
    Ana C
    Member

    Hi Susan,

    Thank you for the reply.

    Yes. I have tried to give my dogs Ziwi Peak Raw. The young one is not interested. The older ones like it; however, they had pancreatitis in the past so I really need to watch for the fat content.

    I have ordered K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussells in the past per your recommendation. Thank you! 🙂 They do like it but the supplier often ran out of stock. I have tried Honest Ktchen Green and Blue Lipped Mussells as the alternative until I found that has a really high heavy metal rating. I found New Zealand Green Lipped Mussells in grocery store frozen seafood section. I have been given them that and they also like it. Maybe human grade food is a little safer?

    For the young one, I currently rotate between Horizon Legacy and Go! Fit and Free(both Made in Canada) kibbles as the base. I add whatever meat, fish, eggs, and vegetable that we are eating to the kibbles with some warm homemade broth. I tried to use organic meat when is possible. I also use FreshPet and sardines as the topper just to add some smell.

    Have you try I and Love and You brand?

    It’s just frustrating that we don’t know which food will be recalled next. We wake up in the morning, see the news, and said thank God that’s not the food that I am feeding my dogs. Life go on as usual until the next recall. That’s not the way it should be. Isn’t it?

    #123321

    In reply to: The Farmer's Dog meals

    Patricia A
    Participant

    I found these reviews regarding mold in FreshPet. /forums/topic/mold-in-freshpet-food-2/
    Also not crazy about these ingredients in the chicken recipe pea fiber, pea protein, carrots, natural flavors, spinach, vinegar, salt, carrageenan
    I also have chihuahuas’. They are doing well on Primal freeze dried duck and Turkey/sardine. I also rotate with Stella Chewy’s venison and rabbit. Bixbi Rawbbles has great ingredients. Even my VERY picky 16 year old loves the freeze dried Salmon/chicken recipe. Dog food advisor rates all these proteins 5 stars.

    • This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Patricia A.
    #123320
    Alyson W
    Member

    Has anyone tried this service? The food looks very fresh and well prepared.
    I currently feed my chihuahua FreshPet for small dogs. It’s ok, but would be willing to pay the premium to get a good quality fresh food.

    I haven’t been able to find any reviews from DFA yet – so want to make sure I am making the right choice.

    #121767
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi,
    The only way to know 100% what foods your dog is sensitive too is to do a food elimination diet..
    Feed just 1 meat protein & 1 carb for 6 weeks & see does Sophie react” if Sophie doesnt react to the meat protein & carb your feeding then you can add another new ingredient into her diet but you can NOT feed any treats etc, it can take anywhere from 20mins for a reaction to show or take up to 6 weeks to see reactions but my boy reacts within 20mins raw chicken makes his back paw red hot & swell up but if I fed him chicken in a dry kibble he itches, red paws & smells less but he doesnt get the red hot swollen back paws, probably cause dry kibble meats have been broken down & cooked till there’s no real chicken protein left so he doesnt react to the chicken in a kibble as bad…

    If you dont want to do raw or cooked elimination diet then best to use a Hypoallergenic vet diet this way you know 100% these vet diets haven’t been cross contaminated….

    Baths – make sure you bath weekly or twice a week or as soon as Sophies starts to itch bad, baths wash off any allergens on skin, paws head etc also baths relieve the red itchy skin, I use “Malaseb”medicated shampoo weekly with Patch & I use baby wipes, Cucumber & Aloe wipes & I wipe him down after his walks or after being out the back yard, I use creams like “Bepanthen” Antiseptic Soothing cream for his red itchy rash on stomach & around his doodle from the grass & I use “Sudocrem” on his red paws & inbetween his toes at night is best to apply cream just before bed check out sophies whole body & head he a few baby wipes & wipes her down then apply a cream to any red itchy areas, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects his skin & paws so best to re apply before she goes outside you will start to see a big difference & relieve her itchy skin… its all about routine, wash cream etc & you can get a control on her itchy skin this all helps her a bit & if Winter is coming this is when you start the Elimination diet …
    Do you have any roll/loaf kept in the fridge section, that has limited ingredients like FreshPet Vital & try this & give Sophie bath twice a week or weekly, use the creams & baby wipes days she hasnt had a bath & see is she better but the roll loaf must only have 1 meat protein & a few carbs as you wont know what she is reacting too..

    Dogs who suffer with food sensitivities normally have Enviroment Allergies aswell, so its not just the food making Sophie skin itch, she could be sensitive to a certain grass, a tree in your yard or neigbours yard, pollens, dust mites, flea salvia, this makes it very hard working out what is making the dog itch, Keep a Diary write every down at night, then look back thru the diary as the years pass & you will start to see a pattern, she might be more itchy thru the Spring & Summer months & in the cooler months she is better ?? this is seasonal environment allergies, with food sensitivities the dog gets bad wind, farts, sloppy poo’s, diarrhea, vomiting,& yeasty smelly ears, paws, skin,….
    Its best to see a Dermatologist or a vet that knows about skin & food senitivities..
    Best to do food elimination diet in the cooler months when allergens aren’t as high, this way its easier to work out what Sophie is reacting too…

    Just becareful with Zignature its very high in Legumes especially the Kangaroo formula..
    Join this f/b group “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy”
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859/
    then go into their “files” click on
    “2018-09-07 Copy of Diet and Taurine.pdf”
    you will see all the dry food brands these dogs were eating when they got DCM Heart problems, the cases marked in light orange, “Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related” are diet related & the Zignature kangaroo is has 2 Orange cases, 2 GSH, Id say 1 has passed away by know as he was given 6-8months to live & that was 2015….
    Years ago Zignature Kangaroo formula was really good it had more meat proteins then plant proteins then Zignature changed their Kangaroo formula & added less kangaroo meat & more Lentils & now dogs are ending up with heart problems & some have died, they cant absorb the Taurine…
    They don’t know if it’s the Legumes blocking the Taurine, they dont know whats happening yet till they do more research, so until then best to fed a dry dog food thats less then 20% in Legumes maybe try a grain limited ingredient formula??
    “Wellness Simple” has their Lamb & Oatmeal, Duck & Oatmeal, or Turkey & Potatoes Salmon & Potatoes formula’s these formula’s have very limited ingredients, just feed the same food for 2 months, no treats, no cooked foods, nothing then if she start getting better & she’s not reacting, then after 2 months add 1 new ingredient thats cooked or raw o her diet, no wet can foods as these have cross contamination ingredients..

    #121617
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi,
    you have a very smart dog, he knows what foods cause pain, nausea etc & now will not eat, my boxer was the same with dry kibbles & raw Kangaroo, if it smelt weird & caused any stomach/bowel problems she wouldnt eat it ever again, where Patch he keeps eating & eating foods that cause gas/farts, nausea, sloppy poos etc, I have to be a mind reader & work out what is causing his pain his acid reflux etc but when I first rescued him he didnt want any thing to do with dry kibble, when I offered it to him he’d just walk off, he liked cooked food, loaf rolls, raw meaty bones & wet can foods….

    Slipery Elm has to be made into a slurry/paste, pull up into a syringe about 5ml =1 teaspoon & you give 20mins before a meal not with the meal…

    Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Deficiency, has your dog B-12 been tested?
    When Vitamin B12 is injected, the vitamin is readily absorbed by the blood and can get to work immediately. If your dog doesn’t have any problems with cobalamin malabsorption or there is no vitamin B12 deficiency, you can give oral supplements available in 100-, 250-, 500-, 1000-, and 5000-microgram tablets.
    Ask your vet about him not having any apetite & can you do the weekly B-12 injection for 1 minth & see if there’s an improvement in his appetite a lot of ogs who have IBD EPI who have low appetites are givenB-12 weekly injections to make them want to eat….

    Have you tried wet can foods or those good premium loaf rolls?? I know vet diets are expensive but next time you see vet get 1 can of Hills I/d Digestive Care Chicken & Vegetable stew. I have the I/d cans in the cupboard & the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet cans in the cupboard. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-id-canine-chicken-and-vegetable-stew-canned
    I rotate foods, I dont feed the same food for all of Patches 5 meals a day..
    Are you feeding more then 2 meals a day? I know he isnt much of a eater but smaller meals of a few different foods thru the day he might want to eat them? a dry dog biscuit offered a few times a day, break biscuit in 1/2, we have a cat & as soon as Patch hear’s Indy getting something to eat he comes running to see if he can have some aswell & normaly he cant thats why the cat is getting the food cause Patch cant eat it.. she/cat is my garbage disposel bin..

    I feed the Wellness Core Large Breed Adult dry for breakfast, Patch finally gained weight eating the Wellness Core & the cat keeps stealing Patches Wellness kibbles so they must taste good as she doesnt pinch any of Patches other dry kibbles, for lunch Patch use to get a small can of the Hills I/D chicken Rice & Vegetables wet food or 1/3 of the can of the Royal Canine Intestinal wet food but he kept getting his acid reflux on & off after eating the wet can vet diets & they’re low in fat so Id say its all the Omega oils, they are very high in Omega Oils so now Patch gets 2 big Dog Biscuits, My Boxer use to just look at food & gain weight she where Patch has problems keeping on his weight, I remember Angies vet asking me, what is she eating she’s over weight, she needed to lose 4kgs, she use to eat 1/2 of what Patch eats, she was bigger & he is smaller, I told vet she eats cooked meal, what we eat, & sometimes she eats some dry kibble but not much & she gets a dry dog biscuit maybe twice a day, the vet said do you know 1 of those dry dog biscuits is = to 1 Hamburger for a dog, I said what a Hamburger he said YES start halving her biscuit, so she is just getting 1 dog biscuit a day or completely stop these dru dog biscuits as they are high in fat, so now Im giving Patch 2 big dog biscuits for lunch everyday he loves them, I either feed the Purina Lucky Dog Biscuit Bones, Canidae dry Biscuits or you can get Hills Ideal balance Treats they’re smaller or Hills Vet Diet Hypoallergenic Biscuit treats.. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/ib-soft-baked-naturals-with-chicken-and-carrots-dog-treats..
    If you dont want to feed a wet can vet diet then look at Hills “Ideal Balance” Chicken & Zucchini slow cooked wet can food.. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/ib-slow-cooked-chicken-and-zucchini-stew-adult-dog-food-canned#accordion-content-054167331-2
    or look at Costcos Kirklands Signature Turkey & Pea Stew wet can food its very popular. Just make sure any wet can foods are 4% in fat not any higher, wet can foods fat protein fiber % havent been converted to dry matter yet so when you convert say 5% fat thats around 20%min to 26% max fat, so 4% min is around 12% fat min best to emal the pet food companies & ask them for max fat concerted to dry matter, they will give the exact max % you dont want to feed him foods that cause pain in stomach or wind pain in bowel then he will become more fussy….lean limited ingredient foods..
    http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand

    All Hills Science Diet wet & dry formula’s are very palatable if your dog refuses to eat then return to pet shop for a refund if you have bought a carton of wet can food, rotate, 1 day feed the Hills Ideal Balance for Dinner then the next day for Dinner he eats a different wet can food or try FreshPet Roll, Stew, Cooked Roasted meals?
    https://freshpet.com/dog/freshpet-select

    Still feed his Farmina dry food, Farmina is a good food, are you feeding him the LAMB DIGESTION N&D Quinoa Functional Canine formula & the N&D Quinoa Skin & Coat Venison formula
    https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-quinoa-functional-canine/429-digestion-lamb.html
    its isnt rich or too dense like the other Farmina formula’s, my Patch gets his stomach pain as soon as a dry food is over 370Kcals per cup he whinges & wants me to rub his stomach/pancreas area…

    What vet diet did he eat? maybe put him back on the vet diet & feed the matching wet can food rotate in his diet so he gains some weight & feed 4-5 smaller meals a day & give a few dry dog biscuits thru the day aswell as treats or as a dry dog bisciut as a snack before bed, eating then going to sleep gains weight…

    I always ask Patch “Which One (kibble) do you want to eat” & I show him 2 different dry kibble brands in their air tight containers with their lids off, he sniffs the containers then he licks the side of the container that he wants to eat or I get out 1 kibble from 1 container & another kibble from the other container, I have 1 kibble in one hand & the another kibble in my other hand & I let him sniff them & ask him “which One”& he takes teh kibble he wants to eat, thru the day he eats about 3 different brands of foods… If I just feed him the same dry kibble day in day out he starts to react & gets his IBD stomach pain & starts whinging & lifts his right paw & wants me to rub his stomach area I thought he had Pancreatitis when I first rescued him, he has all the symptoms but now 5 yrs later Patches vets says he has Stomach pain its cause of his IBD…

    If you join the “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” F/B group, go to their “Files” scroll down 11th pdf & click on “Digestive Sensitivity and Dog Size.pdf”
    it’s research done on small breed dogs & large Breed dogs, what happens when these dogs eats the same dry kibble, how both breeds digest the same kibble different, now I know why Patch does heaps better with his IBD when he eats a Large Breed dry kibble the Large Breed kibbles have fibers formulated for large breed Intestinal tract so the dog doesn’t get bloat, the Large Breed dry formula’s seem to agree with Patch the best…..

    #121364
    Bobby dog
    Member

    Hello Sandy B:
    I like the marshmallow suggestion too! UC Davis lists marshmallows on a weight management treat list, never thought to use one to hide a pill. 😉

    Freshpet is a good idea too.

    A few months ago I tried Wal-Mart’s Pure Balance dog food roll. I was looking for something to use as a treat I could cut into various sizes. It has a consistency similar to Play-Doh, just a little firmer, that could easily be molded around a pill.

    Last month I needed something to wrap pills in for my cat, I was going to give the roll a try for him, but they were out of stock. Not sure if it’s a new or discontinued item, but it’s still on their site just listed as “out of stock.” I hope they stock them again because it was perfect for what I needed it for.

    Since this is long term for you another idea would be to try baking some pate’ style canned food into a consistency that could be molded. That’s if you are into experimental baking of course.

    #121360

    I think the Pill Buddy brand is lower in calorie than the Greenies pill pockets. There is also a pill masking paste that may be lower in calorie since you can only use as much as needed.

    Maybe look at the Freshpet refrigerated food. There’s a variety that’s tiny pieces and those are very soft

    #121350
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Dendad,
    What I noticed in the Taurine Test Result document that is in the Files of the “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” f/b group, all the dogs ate the same dog food 6months, some 1yr, their owners NEVER rotated their diet & feed them different brands….some owners added toppers like sardines, raw meats, eggs can food etc these foods didn’t seem to help some dogs, where some dogs who had toppers added to their dry diet their test results came back normal ??….

    I recommend change your dog dry foods with the Seasons, so Spring has just sprung in Australia, if in American Autumn has begun, time to change your dogs food also your dog will love something new, something different, slowley introduce new food over 7-10 days with their old food…
    If your dog has just been eating Freshpet more them 3-6months then look for another food if you’re looking for a dry foods make sure they have has at least 3 meat proteins, meat meals (Chicken meal, Chicken, Turkey, Turkey Meal, Lamb, Lamb Meal etc) as 1st 2nd 3rd ingredient, no high protein starchy carbs like Legumes in the first 5 ingredients…

    It’s not only grain free foods that have caused heart problems, Lamb & Rice, Chicken Meal & Rice formula’s have come up in a study that was done when reversible taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy occurred in five related golden retrievers, they ate
    Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Formula;
    Eukanuba Natural Lamb & Rice Formula;
    Eukanuba Adult Maintenance Formula Chicken;
    Hill’s Science Diet Canine Senior Chicken;
    Eukanuba Natural Lamb & Rice Formula;
    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zpqq66i3w2twy7e/AADcuRPcpOOBkewPtXf7SAdSa?dl=0&preview=GoldenRetriever_Taurine_DCM.pdf

    When you rotate with a Grain free & grain formula’s make sure there’s more meat proteins then starchy plant proteins…these pet companies have gotten gready & have replace the meat proteins with more starchy plant proteins to up the protein % & more money for the pet food companies…

    Don’t feed a grain formula that has ingredients like this
    Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, then “Chicken Meal”.
    The Chicken meal is the 6th ingredient, this Hills dry formula has more starchy carbs, then meat proteins, I wonder if the Chicken meal was either 1st or 2nd ingredients followed by chicken ingredient, would this dry grain formula still have cause Left ventricular function at low end of normal, with a 2 yr old Golden Retriever & a 4yr old Golden Retriever?? again these 2 dogs were feed same food or 6-12mths owner never rotated their foods….

    This is everything I am observing..

    #121322
    dendad
    Participant

    I was convinced through articles on this site that I should feed my dogs expensive, refridgerated grain free food. They’ve been eating Freshpet for years and love it. Recently, a friend lost her dog and the Vet said grain free food (She fed it Freshpet too) caused her dog heart problems. I’ve since read articles confirming my fears. Will grain free food cause an enlarged heart?

    #118297
    Jeanine H
    Member

    He’s on Hills Science KD.
    He previously was on regular grain free FreshPet (chicken). I was just thinking that raw might be better. It looks like it’s not. Thank you so much!

    Jeanine H
    Member

    I have a 15 year old, 8 lb chihuahua named Joey. He’s basically been pretty healthy most of his life, very few problems. He does have bad teeth now, his last dental was over seven years ago because I’ve been able to keep it under control with brushing, but it now really needs to be done. He had a UTI in January that was found on routine exam, he had minimal to no symptoms. He was put on a course of antibiotics, and supposedly cleared, but I noticed no behavior change at all-he was active, good appetite and urinating and drinking normally. In February, I was a little suspicious, only because he was urinating a slight bit more often, but is 15, and it was barely perceptible difference. That test came back positive, and he had another round of antibiotics. Still no behavior change. Nothing that would tell me that he was any better, but he had no symptoms, so he was just his usual active happy self . Pre dental check of urine a few weeks ago showed UTI (still? Or again, who knows), and he was given a different antibiotic, which really showed results-my happy energetic senior because more active, more playful and running around all over! So then he was planning to be getting a dental this week, but it got postponed Wednesday because his blood values indicated that his kidney function wasn’t great. Creatinine 1.8 , BUN 51, phosphorus 7.7. He was put on KD diet, canned. He hates it, but ate it when I added scrambled egg whites. Also aluminum hydroxide twice daily-he hates that too. Question: prior to this, he was eating FreshPet grain free chicken, small dog bites. He absolutely loved it. I’ve read that raw may be beneficial with KD so would FreshPet raw instincts be a viable option for a food if he won’t eat the KD food?

    Ralph S
    Member

    I have found some excellent reviews for FreshPet wet dog food, but I have not found any reviews for FreshPet dry…especially grain free dry. Is there a review for the dry dog food?

    #115486
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Jennifer,
    I know this is long but something in this post may help your little girl…..

    I would go back to see a vet & get another course of the Metronidazole for 21-28 days.
    I know the antibiotics don’t seem like they’re working but they are fixing whatever is wrong with your girl intestinal tract. When my boy takes Metronidazole 200mg twice a day every 12 hours with a meal, his poos become very sloppy, he takes the Metronidazole for his stomach to kill that bad bacteria when bacteria starts to take over his stomach again & causes bad acid reflux (Helicobacter-Pylori)….

    The Metronidazole should fix her Intestinal tract & I know some of the vet diets don’t have the best ingredients but the vet diets are specially formulated for certain bowel /stomach problems, 1 Gastrointestinal formula has more soluble fiber, (Hills I/d Digestive Care Restore), then other Gastro vet diet (Hills Z/d Ultra) has more insoluble fiber & less soluble fiber, Royal Canine has their Hypoallergenic formula its very low in fiber 1%, this way you work out is it her small bowel or her large bowel that has the problem, her vet should be trying to work this out….You could go back to the same vet practice but see a different vet if there’s a few vets working there, that’s what I did with my boy..

    Have you tried adding 1 tablespoon of boiled pumkin with her meals, boiled pumkin freezes really good, cut pumkin up into 1-2 spoon size pieces boil, then freeze them, you can get the ice cube trays & after you have boile the pumkin, mash it all up, then spoon into the ice cube tray, cover with cling warp then freeze & take out the frozen cubed pumkin when you need it….. 1 ice cube thing is = to about 1 spoon, then start adding the pumkin with her meals or just add to 1 of her meals & see are her poos better or worse?? if poos are better & less poo’s then she needs more Soluble fiber in her diet,
    Soluble fiber is found in grains like barley, oatmeal, rice, and corn meal and seeds like chia, flax, potatoes, carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, turnips, beets, squash, pumpkins, avocados, bananas, applesauce and mangos.
    if her poos become more sloppy after trying the pumkin then she might need a diet with less soluble fiber & more Insoluble fiber, Lentils, Beans, Peas, Legumes, Pinto Beans, Turnips, brown rice, etc but it can become confusing cause these vegetables have both soluble & insoluble fibers in them they’ll just have more of one of the fibers..

    Vet diets for intestinal health also have prebiotics to heal the stomach & bowel, have you started giving her a dog probiotic like “Purina Forti Floria” Probiotic yet? give inbetween meals on empty stomach it’s best to take a probiotic, first thing of a morning, inbetween meals or before bed at night when stomach acids are low, I was adding probiotic powder with 10-15mls of water in a bowl, you swirl water around to mix the probiotic powder then let her drink it..

    You could ask the vet can you try the “Royal Canine” Select Protein PR-Potato & Rabbit formula or the Royal Canine PV – Potato & Venison formula & get the same matching wet cans as well as the dry formula, or just try the R/C PR or PV wet can food & see how she does on wet can food?? Maybe she can’t handle the dry kibble??
    To be so young & to have Intestinal problems it mighten be food related she might have something wrong with her small or her large bowel??
    if her poos are sloppy & yellow then it’s her small bowel & if her poos are dark brown look like a cow pattie poo then its her large bowel, a good vet will know where the problem lays, at first Patch had small bowel problems S.I.B.O then after he took the Metronidazole & ate a vet diet for 9 months his small bowel healed & became better then a few years later he had problems with his large bowel…
    You could feed the dry kibble R/C PR for breakfast & dinner & the wet can food for lunch cause she is a pup you’d feed 3-4 meals day, with vet diets they are guaranteed money back or exchange for another vet diet & you keep trying the vet diet till you find 1 that agrees with your girl, then you leave her on the same vet diet that seems to be agreeing with her for a good 6 months…Patch was doing really well on the “Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue” dry kibble, its very low in fiber & worked, we finally found a vet diet that helped him & he was only doing 2 poos, somedays 3 small poos a day, his vet wanted him on the Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue for 1yr so his intestinal tract could heal properly, then after 9 months he was scratching & his skin smelt real yeasty he was sensitive to the chicken, his poos were good but his skin wasn’t, then I started trying limited ingredient dry pet shop kibbles & if 1 grain free kibble didnt work, I always went back to his Eukanuba Intestinal Vet Diet, I think it’s called IAMS in America, I know ingredients aren’t the best but its a start to make her bowel healthy, I think the Iams have the Kangaroo & Oats, or look at “Rayne Canada” they have Kangaroo, Rabbit & Crocodile wet & dry formula’s
    http://www.raynecanada.ca/canine-diets/

    Have you tried the Loaf style meats “FreshPets” rolls. I read on DFA a few people have had success with the Fresh Pets rolls..
    Just remember when you try something new just do 1 thing at 1 time over 1 week period other wise you will not know what is causing what if she has diarrhea & blood… Bloody poo’s is Colitis.. but she is so young to have these problems, you need a really good vet to work out whats wrong, I have found lady vets seem to be more sympathetic then the men vets…

    #113970

    I agree with the Susan Wynn site. It’s very helpful to calculate real levels of protein. I use that for my dog all the time when comparing pet foods.

    For my cat, I feed Freshpet because there are just so many preservatives in pet foods and Freshpet seems the best.

    #113526
    a c
    Member

    Kim,

    I have two 11 years old miniature schnauzers. While they are not overweight, one did have one episode of pancreatitis last year. I has switched them both to a low fat kibbles. Both miniature schnauzer and yorkie are prone to pancreatitis.

    I am using Annemaet grain free lean low fat kibbles as the base at the moment and add warm water, some fresh vegetables, some fresh meat from our meal/can sardines in spring water/freshpet as topper. Annemaet is a 5* food according to DFA.

    I am also looking for another kibbles to rotate.

    #113425
    a c
    Member

    Hi Nancy,

    My senior schnauzers are on Annemaet grain free lean low fat kibbles for about 8 months now. I am thinking about rotate them with Wellness Core reduced fat. Annemaet is good, but it has a very strong smell of green tea/herbs? I have to use wet food to cover up some of the smell. I also use Freshpet, can sardines in water, can from Costco, and other fresh meat on our menu as topper for them, and add some warm water to the mix to create a grave like meal.

    Do you give yours digestive enzyme or probiotics?

    There are so much information out there. I got overwhelmed sometimes. Let me know what you find out.

    #112820

    In reply to: Fromm vs Wellness Core

    Bazuhi
    Member

    My small breeds are on the Wellness core original (Yorkie mixes and a poodle) (5 dogs)
    They have also eaten the low fat variety because back then I had a large breed that was very overweight and he was put on a diet using the low fat with great success..
    (That was when I found the Dogfood Advisor BTW)
    I do have to grind up the kibble for my one dog in my bullet since he has trachea issues and the kibble is slightly large for him (He didn’t have issues in the past he is now 6yrs old) I top mine off with 5 star grain free canned which currently Natures Domain grain free from Costco and I decided to now try Freshpet (the non grain free since it is rated better then the grain free) I have also done Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance as a topper too but I have called them several times and they can not give me the sodium levels in their food so I use it from time to time.
    Mine are doing great but I also rotate to different grain free foods on occasions. I am now switching to Natures Variety and they have been that on the past and have done well but I like the smaller kibble too.
    The weight issue of you one dog… you need to measure the dogs food based on the calories he should get.. It took me forever to figure it out since I am not a math wiz but 3 of my dogs get 2.5 table spoons of dry kibble and 2 heaping tablespoons of the topper and the other 2 dogs get 3.5 tbsp of the dry and the 2 heapings of the topper.
    I do feed my dogs 2x a day I feel it’s better (They did eat 3x but they decided it was too much)
    I do feed treats too so that is why my food is slightly less probable then it should be
    But this is just what I do I am no guru that’s for sure

    #110996
    a c
    Member

    Oh. Ok. Thanks. This is first time I bought from Costco other than one bag of Freshpet. I may give it a try.

    I remembered that huge Diamond dog food poisions a few years ago. I am definitely stay away from Diamond. Envenger is also not very trust worthy. Champion is getting mix reviews. I don’t get anything from the grocery stores, and I don’t like what I read about those brands from big pet stores.

    I like to feed kibbles mix with either some can food or homemade food. I am currently using kibbles manufactured from Canada. Those food are getting 5 stars from DFA. I don’t know if Canada has better dog food. At lease those brands were not recalled.

    #110616
    AmCa
    Member

    Hi Jordan
    Simply nourish certainly seems to be a quality food and I have absolutely no problem feeding it to my dogs. At same time I’m reluctant to say any one food is the “best,” as there are many good foods out there and what works for one dog might not work for another. If this is the one you choose for your dogs I hope they do well on it!
    If not, there are always other quality foods to choose from. Victor, Holistic Blend, Go! , and Freshpet rolls are some that I feed regularly that my dogs do well on.

    #109987
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Christain,
    I would try “Natural Balance” LID Sweet Potato & Bison look at all the N/B ingredients, a lady told me the Sweet Potato & Venison has gone up in price so maybe pick the Sweet Potato & Bison or Potato & Duck instead read ingredient list & see which will be best…
    the fat is low 10%min in the N/B & teh protein is law as well…
    Why I dont recommend the fish formula’s no more as its higher in omega fatty acids this is excellent for dogs BUT Patch deosn’t do well with his acid reflux when he eats any fish kibbles….
    Do you live at home with mum, it would be good if she cooed & froze the meals?? what breed is your girl?
    It’s best feeding 3-4 smaller meals a day & cooked meals would be better then dry kibble, lean low fat cooked meals, also look for the “FreshPet” loaf in the fridge section look for one with the lowest fat% & try the Freshpet loaf or another brand that has good ingredients & the fat isnt real high best to stay under 6% fat, when you convert 5% fat to dry matter fat (Kibble) for wet tin food, the dog loaves, raw dog food, 5%min fat is around 20%min to 26%max in fat…So best to feed lower fat for Acid reflux kibble is higher in carbs so this can make teh acid bad as well but once you do find a kibble that agrees you’ll be OK but what I found I need to rotato foods with Patch breakfast he gets kibble lunch he wetsa cooked meal the dinner 5pm 1/3 cup kibble then another small meal 8pm sometimes a cooked meal what I ate for dinner as long as it has no onion & isnt a hot curry/spicey meal or he gets 1/3 cup kibble, it all depends if he seems unwell then he gets the cooked meal I freeze small meals,
    Do you have more then 2 vets in your area? what about if you drive to the next suburb I’d ring around all the vets in your areas who are within 40 mins drive & id’ask do they have the Endoscope machine ? if they say yes ask whats the vets name that does the Endoscope + Biopsies ?? write his name down he should know alot about the stomach small bowel etc…
    Patch just had another Endoscope + Biopsies, he had Endoscope + Biopsies done 4-5 yrs ago vet just found teh Helicobacter was bad he was treated with Triple therepy meds & later put on Losec (Ranitidine) 5yrs later this time I thought he’s has stomach cancer as he went down hill so quickly, he had very sore throat, Simon (vet) is Patches second vet he specializes in the IBD & other health problems, when Simon looked down Patches esophagus he saw his wipe pipe was very red & inflammed the acid had come up his throat, our brain sends a msg to close the esophageal spincter (Flap) to the wind pipe but Patches brain isnt doing this & the acid was soo bad & coming up his throat then going back down into his wind pipe, I still havent picked up his biopsies results, after when the bisopies result came back Patch also had mild Helicobacter, Im wondering does your our have the Helicobactor cause you say she has gotten worse this is what happened with Patch just after Xmas, all dogs have the Helicobacter Simon said but its healthy, but Patches helicobacter has taken over & is living him his stomach walls, this is way he’s always hungry, first sign of helicobacter they have a big appetite, acid reflux, eating grass, vomiting acid up this is when their throat gets burnt from te acid best to give liquid Mylanta 4 mls in a syringe I dont know if you have Mylanta its á white liquid & coats the esophagus, their aci is often bad first thing of a morning, best to let them eat some grass not too much about 1min then vet said stop PAtch they will vomit from eating just 2-3 picses of grass Simon said a dog can make himself spew they dont even need grass to speI didnt know that I wish Patch would spew the acid up its better out then in, we do not use Pepcid (Famotidine) in Australia no more, its an old drug the chemist lady said, you can get the liquid “Pepto-Bismol” its pink this helps kill the Helicobacter my vet said but it seems to make Patch symptoms worse & I havent given him the Pepto-Bismol again since I bought it 1-2 yrs ago, I keep it in the fridge same with the liquid Mylanta so when it goes down their throat it cold & soothing, the vet put Patch on the Triple Therapy meds again 1 week ago, Metronidazole-200mg, Amoxcillian- 400mg & Prolosec-20mg, taken every 12 hours with a meal for 3 weeks, the Losec is only given in the morning once a day but cause your dog is so young you do not want her on prilosec yet full time like Patch is on & after 1 yr it doesnt seem to be helping him no more, he’s just turned 9yrs old so its OK giving him a PPI but being young únder 4yrs old there’s other ant acid meds, Losec is a Protein Pump Inhibitor (PPI) once you start taking a PPI for more then 3 weeks you can not just stop taken it very bad side effects, while taking the PPI the brain stops you making stomach acid or not making as much then if you just stop taking the PPI Losec your brain releases the stomach acid & from what the vet said its too much stomach acid until it gets back to normal again so you need to slowly stop the PPI-Losec.. I tried all the ant acid meds then Patch stayed on Zantac (Ranitidine) 1/3 of a 150mg tablet 30mins before food for a while then the Zantac didnt seem to work no more, so vet wrote Patch out a script for 20mg Omeprazole-Losec heaps cheaper from a chemist then a vets, I started giving Patch the Losec for 3 days when he was bad then i’d stop Simon said yes thats what he does takes the Losec for 2-4 days then he stops then I found while Patch was on the Losec he was HEAPS better, no eating grass as soon as he woke up, no vomiting, no whinging all the time, he was sleeping thru the night not getting up 5am wanting grass..so I put him on the Losec full time around May 2016, now I want to try another PPI Somac (Pantoprazole) 20mg what I take for my GORDs.. cause why has Patch gotten so bad where now, his acid has inflammed his wind pipe? the losec isnt helping him no more he needs to try another PPI, Ive changed his food to a lower fat 9%min & Im cooking for lunch & second dinner 8pm meal & kibble for his other meals..5 meals a day…
    You’re lucky you can get the Natural Balance heaps of dogs with IBS, IBD, Pancreatitis, are all doing really well on the Natural Balance formula & some of the dog owners cook meals as aswell so their dog isnt just eating a dry processed kibble..
    Another thing make sure you read what the Kcals per cup are & stay UNDER 370 Kcals per cup best to stay under 350Kcls per cup, the higher teh Kcals per cup the harder teh stomach has to work digesting the kibble…

    I would change your girl food, do live at home with mum? cause cooked meals would be heaps better then dry processed kibble, or have a look at those “Pet Fresh” loaf in pet fridge section at pet shops or supmarkets, look for a loaf that has the lowest amount of fat % around 3-5%-fat & start feeding her 4 smaller meals a day breakfast lunch & 2 dinners I do 5pm-kibble & 8pm-kibble or cooked meal, if your not home get one of these kibble machines that will give her 1/3 to 1/2 a cup for lunch & dnner….. Do you belong to any face book groups “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” Canine IBD group? I wonder if you ask does anyone have a kibble machine they dont use any more & if you could set a up a donation account once you find a good vet then you give the new vets account details & people can start donating money so your girl can get an Endoscope & Biopsies done, no point in doing an Ultra Scan it cannot see the stomach properly or do teh biopsies there’s another test the dog drinks a solution Barium meal test but you need bipsies done once you get biopsies your vet will get some answers, even if she has ulcers teh endoscope will see teh ulcer of if she has scarring form old old ulcers, this is if only after changing her diet & you have tried Zantac (Ranutdine) twice a day before feeding main meals even thought your feeding 4 smaller meals 2 of the meals are just a bit bigger thats why I asked what breed is your girl??? is she small or a bigger dog, theres so much’info I probably have forgotten, so keep CockerlierMom & me posted please…
    Have you tried the “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach, its Potato & Egg kibble Potato & Egg is really good to cook as well, I always make Patch a scramble egg when he’s unwell dont add any butter or milk you just scramble the egg & use a non stick frying pan or do in the micro wave but if you cook too long in micro wave you can get rubber scramble egg.. also boil soom potatoes leave in air tight container & add to some chicken I often buy the reduced BBQ chicken I eat the fatty part of teh chiken & give to the cat & I give Patch the breast section & freeze any left overs for next time, also tin tuna in spring water with boiled potato is also another good easy tomake meal for your girl instead of feeding her the kibble also look for wet can foods but tehfat has to be #% & under best to email teh pet food company & ask what is the fat% when converted to dry matter the max fat % you’ll be shoked sometimes you see 55-fat after you contact the pet food comany they tell you its 26% fat so be careful with wet can foods,
    With Probiotics they seem to make PAtches acid reflux worse I do not know why?? neither does teh vet also stay with loer fiber lower carb kibbles as teh higher fiber 7 higher carbs make teh acid worse, I just hoping it’s just teh brand of kibble your feing & thats the problem an ingredient or the kibble has fish/salmon oil that is causing the aid reflux with your girl cause after eating a cook meal she is better so maybe she s better off eating a balanced cooked meals but dont wory yet about balancing het dietyet she is OK for 2 month with out her diet being balanced just work out this problem first & how can you raise money to get Endoscope & biopsies if it all continues.. finger X it doesnt… she is young hopefully she’s just eating the wrong food..

    #109500
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Cheryl,
    I have a stressful Staffy I rescued 5 yrs ago, he was dignosed with Colitis & anixietys then 1 yr later he had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, cause I wanted to know what is causing his problems, the only way the vet can really know what is happening in your dog stomach & bowel is the biopsies, biopsies results tell a vet so much information plus they look around the dogs stomach etc, Patch has gotten heaps better these last 2-3 yrs he’s in a strict routine, feed same time every day & feed 4 smaller meals instead of 2 large meals a day, I try & not change too much in his life, (BUT we have just moved)
    Patch no longer shakes & trembles when there’s a thunder storm, we had bad thunder storm last night & what I do now is Patch the cat & I all get into bed, I turn on my TV a bit loader then usual & when it thunders I look to the ceiling or out the window I point & say go away naughty thunder, go away also the thunder doesn’t seem to bother my cat & I tell Patch look Indy isnt scared, he looks at the cat & see’s her nice & calm, what happens after he has his stress attack (Anxiety) this is when his IBD starts to play up, I’ve been in Hospital the last few days & Patch had to stay at my daughters place & his routine was put out he was whinging & crying waiting for me at her front door, I told my daughter just get him into his routine as much as you can, I came home yesterday afternoon from hospital & today Patch is eating grass & not his happy self, so he must of really stress while staying at my daughters place & since I moved here 1 month ago Patch has been getting up thru the night, tippy toeing thru the house it’s a wierd thing he has done since I got him 5 yrs ago, he tippy toes some night he gets up he walks so slow on his toes so he doesnt wake anyone up, I’d say he has some discomfort & can’t sleep & changes beds, he reminds me of Goldielocks & the 3 bears, as soon as Patch seen me packing boxes to move he became unwell & anxious all over again the tippy toe thru the house re started his Poos are fine nice & firm he has started having his stomach pain again his acid reflux is going good, it depends what I feed him with his acid reflux playing up he’s on 20mg Losec every morning for his acid reflux which has really helped him, wet canned foods all seem to give him acid reflux so I cook & freeze small meals, its ends up being cheaper then buying the vet diet wet canned foods, sweet potato & pumkin is very good for stomach & bowel, I boil sweet potato & some pumkin first I peel & cut in small pieces boil then cool then I freeze them, Sweet Potato & Pumkin stay OK when frozen & you take a piece out & it thaws pretty quickly, I also make rissole balls lean turkey mince or lean beef mince add 1 whisked egg & some chopped parsley mix all together & make 1/2 size rissole balls & bake on a foil lined baking tray in oven turn over 1/2 way & drain any fat water that comes from the rissoles at the moment he’s eating “Nutro Essentails” Lamb & Rice Weight management kibble cause the fat is 9%min & he does good on Lamb, Nutro Australia has reformulated their formula’s the Nutro is on Special & 1/2 price cause its new so I thought I’ll give it a go, the Nutro has sought of constipated Patch, cause he eats 4 meals a day Im feeding 2 of the larger meals the Nutro Kibble & the other 2 meals are smaller & I’m feeding him his cooked meals Rissoles with the Pumkin & Sweet potato all mashed together & this has fixed things up in the poo department, he’s doing 1 poo morning & another poo in the afternoon, I never thought Patch would ever get constiped, normally he has the opposite problem Diarrhea, before I moved I was feeding him a kibbles with the fat 15% & under, but since moving he has started doing his mouth suckling noises & I do not know why he makes this sound & what is wong with him?? in the past he has done real WELL on “Canidae” All Life Stages Platinum, Canidae Pure Wild Boar & the Pure Meadow Senior formula is pretty good aswell, the max fat is 10.80% in the Pure Meadow Senior dry formula & it has everything an aging dog needs, I emailed Canidae & they give you max % on fat protein etc….all ingredients are source from local farmers & Canidae grow their own veggies, here’s Canidae’s site scroll down a bit look to your eight & you’ll see the pages the Platinum is on page 5, there’s also their “Canidae Pure Petite” Small Breed formula it has low fat low protein & only 5 ingredients..
    https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
    Patches vet has put Patch on “Gabapentin” 100mg last year for his IBD & Anxieties, I open the Gabapentin capsule & tip out 1/2 the Gabapentin powder as it seems to drug Patch up a bit so I make it 50mg instead of 100mg capsule, the vet said Gabapentenin is good for Anxieties, IBD, IBS & other health contions & this drug does not irratate the stomah or bowel like other medications can do, she said this is why is very good for dogs with IBD you could ask your vet about the Gabapentin 50mg & do what I do open capsule & tip some powder out into a empty capsules you buy empty capsules at te chemist, it makes Patch sleep thru the whole night & he doesnt move & doesnt get up & change beds through the night but the next day he seems very washed out & I dont like seeing him lik that so I dont give hime what the vet recommended 2 times a day poor dog would be too drug up need to get my scales out & weight the capsule & give him only 20-30mgs only when he really needs some pain relief & your girl is very small so she’d need a lower dose then Patch weights 18kgs around 40lbs….

    I’ve looked at the new Hills I/d Stress wet & dry formula’s when it first came out & I do not know how these ingredients would reduce stress in a dog???, it would make the dog do firm poos but that doesnt mean you have reduced the stress in the dog? Has the I/d Stress made your girl any better Stress wise since she has started eating the I/d Stress?? is she eating the wet or dry kibble I/d Stress formula?? When I looked at these are the ingredients below in the I/d Stress formula the “Beet Pulp” helps firm poo’s up, the Ginger for Nausea, the Vitamin B12, the B-2 in the Riboflavin & B-7 in the Biotin is good for skin & nails… B vitamins, and specifically biotin, help keep your skin, hair, eyes, liver, and nervous system healthy, so its probably the B vitamins reducing the Stress ….
    You can give your dog vitamin B yourself, there’s the B-12 liquid you inject weekly or you get the Vitamin B capsules, if you go onto Face Book, put “EPI Dogs” in the search bar & there’s only 1 EPI group it should come up, if not I’ll give you the link, the ladies are all very helpful & know which brand to get, which brand is the cheapest & where to get it from….
    I/d Stress ingredients
    Brewers Rice, Corn Starch, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Pork Flavor, Lactic Acid, Ginger, Soybean Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Pork Fat, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Hydrolyzed Casein, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene.

    I think with a dog who is very stressed out she needs a quiet environment, a strict routine, walked & I use to go to the dog Patch & sit on a seat & let Patch watch teh dogs all playing from afar we also would sit at te beach as he was scarred of the waves in the beging now I cant let him off his lead he’s a nut & loves teh ocean & just runs & runs along the sand & I cant catch him so we stop goingto the beach I ended up having anxieties I’d try the Vitamin B ask your vet & try one of the Canidae formulas, another brand I see people saying their dog who has stomach/bowel problems doing really well is the “Purina One” formulas.. I think you buy from supermarket… also there’s teh “Rescue Remedy”drops you put 1 drop on her tongue morning & night & 20mins before she is going to do something that will stress her out a lady that use to come & bath Patch said her 10yr old dog has really bad anxieties & the Rescue Remedy drops really works for her dog, she just feeds her dog supermarket dry kibble & raw meat…also have you tried teh “Freshpet” rolls & dry food? Ive also red people saying their dogs is doing well on the Freshpet roll..

    #109436
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Liz,
    I have found when a dog becomes picky it can be stomach problems, the dog is smart & has learnt what foods upset his stomach, have you taken him to vet? even if you do take him to see a vet the vet can’t tell you anything by just looking at him the vet needs to see inside stomach/bowel he needs an Endoscope & Biopsies done or blood tests done for his Pancreas & liver, I did Endoscope & Biopsies in the end with my boy, he has IBD, nausea & certain foods (Wet canned high fat & Kibble) gives him bad acid reflux, when I first rescued him 5 years ago I didnt have a clue why he was grinding his teeth, lip smacking, whinging at 11pm, he’d look at the food in his bowl (kibble) & look back up at me with this look “whats this crap” & then he’d walked away, cause he was a rescue I didnt know what he was feed I know he wouldn’t touch kibble the first week I got him then he was weeing blood he was put on a Vet diet wet can & dry kibble & he seem to like the Royal Canin vet Kibble & wet canned food but that was only to be feed for 6 weeks then once his crystals were dissolved vet said feed him what he was eating before (I didnt know) so I started feeding him what I ate & wet canned food then he was pooing blood (IBD)

    Kibble is harder to digest & higher in carboydrates, the higher the protein & fat in kibble can be making things worse, normally the fancy foods are high fat/protein so he wont eat them now, have you tried wet canned food? but make sure the fat is under 4% in fat in wet canned foods as they havn’t been converted to dry matter (kibble) fat, 5%min-fat written on the can of wet food when converted to DM is around 20%min to 26% max fat same with raw pre-made & the pet rolls etc
    Have you tried those Pet Rolls alot of people say good things about “Freshpet rolls sold at Costco, Pet Smart & Walmart also have you tried home cooking what your cooking for dinner make some extra for him like boiled potato, veggies & add some type of meat, I buy the human extra lean beef mince or the Lean Turkey mince & whisk an egg & add some chopped parsley & make 1/2 cup size rissole balls & bake in the oven on foil linned oven tray & all the fat & water comes out drain turn them over & bake till ready then I cool & freeze the rissoles then you get a fork & mash them up with some sweet potato, veggies etc?? cooked food will be healthier then a dry kibble, also start feeding 4 smaller meals a day this helps gain weight & if he does have stomach problems there’s not as much to digest when he eats 4-5 smaller meals, when you feed 2 larger meals of dry kibble there’s heaps more to digest, the bowl of kibble you put on the floor doubles in size, now this would cause anyone stomach pain when you think about it, you eat this small dry kibble then this kibble all start to swell up in your stomach & you’d start to feel uncomfortable, I know I would, I feed Patch 7am-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am-1/2 a cup same kibble, 12pm-scrambled egg with gluten free pasta or can tuna in spring water drained water add boiled mashed potato, 5pm 1/2 cup kibble or I do Tuna/Salmon & boiled potato & 8pm-cooked meal or 1/3 cup kibble at the moment he likes eating “Nutro Essential” Lamb & Rice, 2 weeks ago he stopped eating his “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Lamb this was his go to kibble when he was un well & had diarrhea/acid reflux, the TOTW fixed up his IBD but he doesnt want anything to do with, after seeing all the ******************* (Google “******************”) the company will come up then have a look at the 2 & 1 star dry dog foods, Kirkland & TOTW have a few bad 1 star dry foods, so I’m listening to Patch & not feeding his TOTW for now…I also buy a grain free Super market good quaility kibble, I buy the smaller bags look for specials online pet store kibbles that have ingredients he can eat then I rotate his kibbles I ask him “which one do you want” I put 1 brand kibble inbetween right fingers & another brand kibble in between left hand fingers & ask him to smell them he smells both kibbles then I let him take the kibble he wants to eat thats been working out really well, you’d get sick of eating the same meal everyday so I never feed the same kibble more then 1-2 week or he starts reacting he has IBD food sensitivies & he has problems keeping on his weight & FINALLY I have him at 18kg he would always stay around 16-17kg vet said he looks good but I dont like seeing his bottom rib, I like Staffys that are little solid nuggets, all muscle, not muscle & bones like he use to be…

    #108705
    haleycookie
    Member

    Gonna have to argue with you on that anon. Dogs may contribute from some of the heathier more bioavailability grains but cats do not. Cats are obligate carnivores and only need a balanced diet in meat , bones, and organs to live a healthy life. Grains and any plant matter is completely useless for them. I’m tired of brands like science diet saying corn is a healthy source of protein to cats and dogs. Especially cats when it is not. Kidney disease is on the rise in cats by an astronomical amount. With more cats dying from kidney failure then any other type of illness. That is because of this garbage kibble people are told to buy. Science diet does nothing but mask problems and create more problems down the road.
    I do however second a dental exam. If he just prefers softer foods though canned or rolls (Freshpet) would be good options as well. Most grain free foods will have a smaller more dense shape so you might have a hard time finding something suitable.

    #108051
    Matthew D
    Member

    I have been dealing with 50% of the FreshPet rolls smelling awful for over a year now. I thought it was just my local stores but it now seems to be FreshPet or spoiling during delivery. I have learned that if a roll smells every other roll (at all of my 3 local stores) with the same expiration date will also smell no matter if the date is three months away. It has been very frustrating and very expensive because my dog will only eat that specific FreshPet when it’s actually fresh. I throw away a majority of the rolls I buy.

    #105721
    Susan
    Participant

    Hi Ginger.
    here’s the Honestly Bare link https://www.honestlybare.com/about-us/
    I looked at the Honestly Bare, Slow cooked tenders formula’s, here’s the Chicken, Peas Carrots formula ingredients, {Chicken, dried peas, dried carrots, “beef glycerin”, salt, “natural hickory smoke flavor”, potassium chloride, preserved with mixed-tocopherols, choline chloride}, also the Chicken Apple & Sweet Potato formula also has the “Beef Glycerine” & the “natural hickory smoke flavor” powder, these are not good or natural ingredients…”hickory smoke flavor” is a powder type flavoring to make the food more appealing & the Glycerin is a binder & a sweetener…
    Some dog treats also use the Glycerine, I avoid those treats, your dog probably likes & eats this cause of the salty hickory flavoring…
    The Honestly Bare slow cooked tenders formula’s are not freeze dried, it’s made to appear like the natural freeze dried formula’s, the Honestly Bare “Wholesome Topper” formula’s are freezed dried, you’re better of adding the Honestly Bare Wholesome topper to his kibble, you add water & then add to his Acana kibble as a topper the Wholesome topper don’t have the Hictory smoked powder or glycerine & the ingredients look natural but it’s just a topper not a proper balance meal…
    When you read the “Wholesome Topper” it does say freeze dried chicken & 100% natural when you read the “Slow Cooked” doesn’t say 100% Natural & says 75% chicken…

    When I’m on the other side of DFA the “Comment” section a few people who have very Fussy dogs have been posting that their dogs are doing really well & love “Fresh Pet” pet foods there’s, Freshpet Select, Vital & Nature’s Fresh, here’s the Freshpet link
    https://freshpet.com/our-foods/our-brands/
    there’s their Fresh Baked grain free formula’s & their Loaf style rolls that you can cut in sections & freeze…
    Another really good Air dried food is “Ziwi Peak” https://www.ziwipets.com/
    send “Ziwi Peak” an email & ask for some samples, give your address etc so they can send you the samples, Ziwi Peak is air dried & propely balanced so can be feed as main meal, your dog will probably like their NZ Tripe & Lamb it’s for Picky eaters & the Mackeral & Lamb, Ziwi Peak also do their raw wet canned foods, I bet your dog will love Ziwi Peak then just roatae between the different meat proteins, my cat goes nuts when I feed her the Ziwi Peak wet & dry food, she inhales it & doesn’t chew, the wet canned food can be a bit expensive so best to buy when on special….

    #103084
    a c
    Member

    Susan,

    Thank you for your reply. He is a 12 weeks old miniature schnauzer. He has no problem with Orijen puppy kibble. His stool is like toosie roll, solid but soft. 5 times a day. He is also getting Freshpet select chicken and turkey roll and little vegetable as topper. I just want to rotate him with some other quality puppy food.

    Both Holistic Select g/f puppy kibble and Eagle Pack kibble have Carbs at 47-48% in dry matter. Wellness Core puppy has Protein at 40% in dry matter. I am looking for kibbles that’s not too much on one component.

    Besides Freshpet select roll, I have not introduced any raw or can diet for him. I know most of the raw diet have pretty high fat. I have learned my lesson from my senior dog with pancreatitis history.

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