[Dog H]

As PetsPaa, I understand your concerns about your 3-year-old male pointer’s sensitive digestion and history of severe starvation. It’s important to consider his unique dietary needs, especially after undergoing surgery to remove half of his intestines.

Given that commercial feeds have not worked well for him in the past, and considering his history of success with homemade cooked food, it may be worth considering a homemade diet again. However, it’s crucial to ensure that his diet is balanced and intestine-friendly to support his health and well-being.

Here are some general guidelines for feeding a homemade diet for your dog with reduced intestinal capacity:

High-quality protein: Choose easily digestible sources of protein such as boiled lean meats (e.g., chicken, turkey, or beef), eggs, and cottage cheese. These provide essential amino acids for muscle health and tissue repair.

Low-fiber carbohydrates: Opt for easily digestible carbohydrates such as well-cooked white rice, boiled potatoes, or pasta. Avoid high-fiber foods like legumes, as they can be difficult to digest and may cause gastrointestinal issues.

Healthy fats: Include a source of healthy fats in the diet, such as cooked and cooled boiled eggs, fish oil, or olive oil, to provide energy and support nutrient absorption.

Vitamins and minerals: Add a vitamin and mineral supplement or a complete and balanced canine multivitamin to ensure your dog gets all the necessary nutrients.

Avoidance of harmful ingredients: Avoid feeding your dog foods that are toxic to dogs, such as chocolate, onions, garlic, grapes, and raisins, as they can cause severe health issues.

Feeding schedule: Consider dividing your dog’s meals into smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day to ease the workload on his reduced intestine.

Monitoring and consultation: Regularly monitor your Dog Health Care
viz. weight, body condition, and overall health, and consult with your veterinarian for ongoing guidance and adjustments to the diet as needed.

It’s important to work closely with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist to create a balanced and intestine-friendly homemade diet that meets your dog’s specific needs. They can help you determine the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats for your dog’s condition and monitor his progress over time.

Remember, it’s crucial to introduce any dietary changes slowly to allow your dog’s digestive system to adjust, and to closely monitor his response to the new diet. If you notice any signs of digestive upset, weight loss, or other health concerns, consult with your veterinarian promptly for further evaluation and guidance.

[Patricia A]

Hi M&C,
OH, the dreaded leptospirosis shot. My first dog was a tough little Doxie. Got him when my youngest was four. He would happily sit with my son riding his power wheels in the back yard. Had a pizza party for my daughter with friends. He had short little legs but managed to keep stretching out his neck and grabbed whole pie from picnic table. lol He was a character. My mom would make a lamb and we would give him the leg which had garlic all over it. Never mind the bone splinters from chewing. Now this is going back some 32 years ago. Didn’t know that garlic was toxic. Didn’t think about the splinters from the bone etc. Well the only health issue we ever had with him was that leptospirosis shot. Rushed him into emergency vet in evening after shot with his whole face swelling. We put him to rest past 17 years old after a brief time of kidney failure.
I never feed beef except when I buy 90% lean and even then after cooking and draining any fat I pat down well to get it as fat free as possible. Then just a little ontop of kibble. They never did well with red meat anything. So I stick to just one protein in the kibble which is chicken. The wild Red has several. I always choice turkey or turkey/sardine in the freeze dried. They all do well with that with no digestion upset for the one more prone. I have to research those copper levels in the Stella’s with the Wholesome grains in chicken. Yes, VERY concerned now about going down hill.
Just wanted to add M&C to be careful about plug ins with that oil of perfume. Heard it could trigger seizures. Also saw a ton of complaints regarding Hartz Oatmeal shampoo causing all kind of problems including seizures from a chemical they added??
I have my hands full with my mom . She’ll be 94 and had a bad night last night. So have to give a break with my hobbyturned obsession lol of the “perfect” dog food. Which I know now doesn’t exist. Heads up ..got an email that Dr. Mike has retired and handed over sight to two others who will continue what he started. So maybe will start to see more activity in the way of food rating. Take care M&C .

[Patricia A]

Hi M&C,
I’m laughing because we both share such similar concerns but wrote “better not digress”. EXACTLY my thinking. I keep opening up never ending worm holes .
” geek who designed the website accidentally manipulated facts from the company employees who actually understand dog nutrition, and then they just haven’t gotten around to correcting it.”That’s what I want to believe also.
Now what happens if the Small Batch assembly line didn’t mix up the garlic good and I ended up with a bag of the small Turkey freeze dried discs with and overload in it? I just have to just STOP. lol
All I can say is I’m glad my kids’ are grown because with the internet I’d be one nervous mom. “That analysis found 95% of store-bought baby food contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium and 32% contained mercury. One-fourth of the foods tested that year contained all four heavy metals.” UHHH
Thank you for posting M&C. We are the best dog/cat mom ever. Because good moms’ always drive themselves nuts with anxiety when it comes to caring for their “fur babies”. lol

their “fur babies”. lol

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Mutts and Cats]

Patricia A – I have read in articles from sources I consider reputable that garlic is beneficial to dogs in small amounts, as Small Batch explained to you. It does seem to me that the Small Batch customer service is quite good, in that they took the time to give you a detailed reply. I actually didn’t realize that Small Batch made freeze dried. I thought they only made frozen and the local store that carries frozen only carries their Base Blends, not the Meals.
I just now hopped on the Small Batch website and their dog meals won’t work for me because of allergy ingredients (and the garlic, but I’m softening on that), but the cat meals would work. I also notice that the cat meals don’t contain garlic. So maybe those would be nice treats for your Chihuahuas – if you aren’t already. I’m going to request the vitamin/mineral data for the cat meals and see how that looks. I’m surprised they don’t have it online. Or maybe they do and I missed it.
I like to feed a variety of brands. I feel like it reduces the risk just in case one of the brands is not as good as it seems. I’ve become pretty untrusting of dog food manufacturers, but I just can’t quite take the leap to making my own.

I hope Steve’s works for you. I don’t think I mentioned previously that I also feed the Steve’s Cat (Quest) freeze dried as treats. My dogs REALLY like that. The Cat nuggets are smaller than than the Dog, and crunchier, so might be perfect for your Chihuahua pack. To me the Quest looks fine for a dog (vitamin/minerals) if it is not the only thing they eat. The Niacin is considerably higher than a dog’s requirements, but I haven’t done any reading yet on how much Niacin is too much.

I’ll let you know if I decide to try the Small Batch Cat.
Nice having you to chat with.

[Patricia A]

Hi M&C,
I’m glad I still frequent this board even though not as active in the past. So glad I singed in today to learn about Steve’s. Will look into that brand because I always like to rotate the freeze dried with others. Glad to hear you had good experience with customer service also.
I wish Small Batch didn’t put the garlic in. I have the three Chihuahuas’ so hard for all three to well with. But they love the Turkey Small Batch and never digestive issues. So I have a small bag available and feed infrequently still. For what it’s worth this is what they wrote me back.
All of our diets are formulated in partnership with veterinary professionals to ensure safety of ingredients and ratios for nutrients – including garlic. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding this ingredient, which in small doses is actually highly beneficial for our pets. We use just 1lb of raw, organic garlic in every 1,500lb batch of food, and have been successfully incorporating this ingredient in our recipe for 17 years. Like many things, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, and garlic falls into this category, which is why there is so much controversy out in the world when it comes to feeding it to our canine family members. Rest assured that the amounts we use are extremely minimal and safe, and just enough to lend nutritional benefits to our formulation for the dogs eating our diets.
Yes, I give Bixbi as treats. I’ll write with my experience with Steve’s.

[Mutts and Cats]

Hi Patricia A. Sorry for the delayed reply. I continue to have trouble knowing that there has been a reply to my posts.
Since I first posted I have definitely decided to give up on Vital Essentials. The Customer Rep I was communicating with won’t even reply to my emails anymore. I kind of softened the extent of my concerns about their online data for my posts here. The more I think about what I found, plus the lack of replies now, I don’t feel good about the company at all.

But, some positive news, I tried Steve’s and both of my dogs like it and seem to be doing well with it. I was concerned that the Goat’s Milk wouldn’t agree with them, but they seem to be ok with it. I’m feeling pretty good about Steve’s online information and their customer service too. Their online vitamin/mineral information looks professional and reasonable, and it appears that they keep it current with updates. I think there are some companies out there who do an analysis one time and just keep that info online forever.
I also like that I can order both frozen and freeze dried Steve’s from rawpetfood.com. The shipping is free if you subscribe to auto renew. The customer service there has been really good too.

You mentioned Small Batch. A local store sells the frozen Small Batch Base Blends, which is just meat, organs, and bone. I bought some of that a couple months ago and one of my dogs loved it and the other would have nothing to do with it. I too would be hesitant to feed a food with garlic. But there seem to be differing opinions out there on whether it is a good thing for dog food or not. I had one of my dogs tested for food allergies recently and he is not allergic to any meats, but is allergic (IgE reaction) to every vegetable they tested for (which unfortunately was only 5). So I assume he is allergic to many more vegetables and that makes it pretty limiting for choosing foods for him. Garlic would make me particularly nervous as I am allergic to it (IgE, from a blood test) and eating it really does cause trouble for me – much more so than my other IgE positive foods.

A couple freeze dried brands that I am feeding mostly as treats are: K9 Natural and Bixbi Rawbbles. Both of my dogs really like them. For the Bixbi, they have both dog and cat, but I feed the cat turkey recipe because the ingredients are better for the dog with allergies, plus no phosphate additives. From the online vitamin/mineral info the cat recipes appear to me to be ok for a dog – especially in small quantities. For the K9 Natural, I limit how much I feed because the Vitamin A and Iodine contents are higher than I like.

Another ingredient that I am steering clear of for now are phosphate additives (dicalcium, trisodium, etc). I’ve read that the artificial forms of phosphate are absorbed MUCH more readily than phosphate from meat, so can interfere with the dog’s Calcium to Phosphate ratio. May or may not be true, but for now it is a worry of mine – it’s always something 🙂 So all of the foods that I mentioned do not include any of those.

Well, sorry this got so long. I will do better at checking for replies in case you do.

[Patricia A]

Thank you for sharing your interactions with the company. I understand your lose of confidence when such a big discrepancy is not acknowledged by the company.
My three little dogs’ do well with Primal in certain proteins. I stay away from the higher in fat to protein ones since causes diarrhea in one. I just really wanted one other freeze dried for rotation with one just comprised of meat and organs vs. Primal with the added veggies.
I loves the ingredients in Small Batch and was on the Susan Thixton list of transparency if you’re familiar with her work.. However, just VERY nervous about the added garlic. If some of the reasoning for adding is builds up in coat for flea protection, then worried with my very small dogs will also build up to cause damage to red blood cells. Don’t want to take the chance.
Funny you mention Steve’s. Thixton has that one this year on her list also. So was looking into that company also for rotation List is a starter for me at least, although don’t NOT feed a brand necessary because it’s not recommended by her. However, when looking at reviews on this site DFA someone just recently wrote about contaminated food (bugs?) and very poor customer service. UHHH always something that turns me off. lol
Yes, this forum is not very active as it once was. If you look under my posts there is a lady AIMEE who has been VERY helpful and informative and is active on this forum . Maybe she will read and chime in here with her take on Vital Essentials. I’ve been waiting patiently for her to say “Patricia these are the two freeze dried foods to rotate with.” “Their customer service is excellent, they are transparent, their analysis lines up what’s on the bag and online for each recipe, they have the perfect nutritional levels with no risky or inferior ingredients AND it’s affordable.” lol Is that too much to ask??? All I get is which one is the lesser of two evils. lol
Have a Happy New Year.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Can you please share what led you to not trust feeding Vital Essentials freeze dried. I am on a rotation between them Primal and at times Small Batch. A little nervous feeding Small Batch consistently with the added garlic for my small dogs’.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee,
I looked at bag I have for “All life stages” does disclose under their Nutrient profile the exception for feeding for growth of large breed 70lbs. or more. I did write to them regarding their statement under facts/questions on website of reasoning for not feeding but no reply.

I wrote to Small Batch, and although a very detailed quick response regarding safety and benefits of garlic added, albeit very far down on ingredient list, .I have a worry about feeding frequently in my rotation. I appreciate your inquiry and would love to hear their reply regarding nutritional analysis of their food. My three did well with their very small pucks broken up on top of kibble in their turkey protein/flavor. So wouldn’t be opposite to feeding at times. That is if discrepancy is cleared up by their reply.

Uhhh..so many brands and so many pet owners on so many forums with their reasoning of why one is crappy and one is superior. Just overwhelming . lol

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Aimee I have to admit my brain cells are trying hard to understand your calculations . You’re a wiz at this, however what I CAN take away from this is I was right in questioning their feeding guidelines at the very least.
I so wanted to trust this company since they enjoy the food as a topper. But as you said now my concern is the quality control also if they fall short on their own understanding of nutrients and calories in their food. I also don’t like that I called three times a few days apart only to get recorded message of how important us pet owners are to them and that they will call back ASAP. Never one call back after leaving messages.
This is what is on DFA under best freeze dried. Also why I chose in rotation .
Vital Essentials is one of only a few commercial diets that meets AAFCO nutrient profiles by conducting actual feeding trials on live animals. A real gem and a rare find. Enthusiastically recommended.
So even added on top of kibble you would not recommend at all?? What do you think of Small Batch. I was upset that they add garlic. I feel like your my personal dog nutritionalist here. lol Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions .

[Patricia A]

Aimee I just don’t get it. Why doesn’t Nestlé Purina PetCare own brands such as Alpo? Shouldn’t they stand by the best nutrition across the board? I don’t think I like these ingredients to much.

Ingredients: Ground yellow corn, corn germ meal, beef and bone meal, soybean meal, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, pork and bone meal, egg and chicken flavor, natural flavor, corn gluten meal, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate], sodium selenite, natural grill flavor, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), folic acid (vitamin B-9), biotin (vitamin B-7), ], dl-methionine, l-lysine monohydrochloride, l-tryptophan, red 40, yellow 5, calcium carbonate, blue 2, yellow 6, garlic oil

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

In regard to AAFCO .. is it perfect? Heck No!

The AAFCO profile is based on NRC nutrient recommendations which were established through research. In general, an AAFCO profile requires higher nutrient amounts than NRC to account for variable bioavailability. NRC cautions, when using their tables, if vitamins in the diet are coming from food ingredients and not a premix the numbers must be modified “because the natural forms of some vitamins have low bioavailabilites” In my mind it is a good thing that AAFCO is not identical to NRC.

My concern when a company reports that their diet meets AAFCO, and it does not, based on the information they provide, is not so much that the diet will cause immediate nutritional harm. The concern I have is with the company’s honesty, integrity, overall nutritional knowledge and understanding of food production.

I’ve seen this so many times with so many companies and how they respond can be a deal breaker for me. I don’t expect every batch of food to hit every level every time. There will be variability in ingredients, processing errors etc. BUT when a company sends me an analysis and appears to state that every number in that analysis, they sent to me meets or exceeds AAFCO min and it clearly does not, that to me is a BIG problem. Rightly or wrongly, I think if a company cannot see that the number 2 is less than the number 3 how can I expect them to understand the more complex intricacies of food production… I can’t!

In my experience, this is typically how these conversations go. I thank them for sending the information and ask them to clarify because it appears to me that what they sent does not meet AAFCO. The company often then replies that all of their nutrient levels meet AAFCO min. I may then ask if this is the most accurate up to date information they have or if anything needs updating or could they check the value for nutrient X to make sure there is not a “typo”. And they say everything is accurate and up to date. Then I may say I’m looking at your reported nutrient level for X , you report A, which you verified with me is not a typo and is the most updated and accurate nutritional information you have. The number given is below AAFCO min. which is B. Please explain. Then the company often replies they are in the middle of updating and the information sent doesn’t reflect their current analysis or some such variation of the above. In some cases, within minutes, the company changes the nutritional information on their website to reflect the number I just gave them, or they take down the webpage or remove the sentence I question. If I didn’t take screenshots you wouldn’t believe it. Sometimes the error is obvious, the number reported is less than AAFCO number, other times it is a matter of the company apparently not understanding that they have to correct their diet for energy density before comparing to the AAFCO profile.

Purina did a 14 year long life study using a food that contains garlic oil. I have no concern with the amount of garlic oil in the Purina products I use, I’ve had concerns with the amounts other companies seem to use. I once purchased a product because I wanted their illegal label. I opened it to dump the food and the garlic smell was overwhelming! At min, you could ask if the company put their food through a feeding trial and if so were there any changes in the blood parameters. It is a small number of dogs but something….

I feed a variety of kibble, canned and home cook prepared foods using Balance it. Since DCM, I primarily feed Purina Pro Plan as kibble base. I used to sometimes use a bit of Wellness Core or Annemaet or Iams/ Eukanuba kibble. For moist foods I’ve been using Purina, Hill’s, Eukanuba/Iams and Fresh Pet morsels as a C and B training “treat”. To this I add whatever fresh veggies or a bit of meat, sweet potato pasta/rice etc we have from our dinner.

I have noted coat changes when I rotated off Purina , increased shedding and flakes which she never had before and resolved when I returned to Pro Plan. No stool problems except for when I fed Honest Kitchen and had voluminous stools. I posted pics on that thread that showed the ingredients coming out appearing to me to be the same way as they went in.

Whenever someone says their dog has newfound energy after eating a raw diet what comes to mind was a dog’s thyroid level was something like 5 times normal after being on raw diet. The raw food company swore they were not using any neck trim, but the levels returned to normal after taking the dog off of the raw diet.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee,
I believe we two are the only ones who frequents forum anymore. Remember few years ago when very active? I for one appreciate feedback when it comes to questions on dog nutrition.
I’m afraid I don’t put much credence in AFFCO standards as much as I used to.
“Many holistic vets, pet owners and smaller manufacturers do not place great priority on AAFCO standards because their nutritional profiles are different from those established by the NRC (National Research Council) and do not reflect the newest research on the nutritional needs of pets.

Many pet owners and smaller pet product companies are dubious of AAFCO because it is partly made up of major manufacturers within the industry who have an incredibly large influence on how the regulations for their own industry are established, and in determining the feed ingredient definitions that allow by-products, 4-D meats (dead, diseased, decaying and disabled) and other non edible ingredients to be used in pet food.”

Just wondering if there have ever been studies over long period of time if even small amounts of garlic in food can have a potential to cause red blood cell destruction over time I’m sure answer is no. I mean garlic is added in the belief it is a natural flea/tick repellant. “garlic in your dog builds up over the course of a few weeks and seeps into the oil of his coat)” So THAT is what concerns me of the “build up”. Is there a dog food around for decades which used garlic with no problems. Otherwise I would use Small Batch in rotation as topper.

What dog breed do you have Aimee? What do you feed? Do you switch around and notice any differences in dogs well let’s say poo, coat, energy or blood work/health?

I could attest that since they have been on the Vital Essentials for few weeks now, my Loli has a lot more energy. Not in imagination. Walk the track she would start lagging and now her little legs go like crazy. I have a bag of Primal Turkey/sardine freeze dried. So after done with the Vital Essentials will start again with the Primal and be aware if switch truly did make a difference.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

I have no concerns with sodium selenite being used as a source of selenium.

You asked “..why Open Farm and Rawbbles use Selenium yeast if causes allergies”
The key word is “if”. Does Selenium yeast cause allergies? Is it a ” high allergy trigger”?

There is nothing in the literature to suggest this, nor is there support for the statement that “yeast in any form can be a high allergy trigger for many pets”

IMO this is marketing nonsense used for the purpose of a gaining sale. I think it could be that the company is ignorant of the role yeast (Malassezia) plays in allergic skin disease or they know and choose to use that information to spin a false narrative that may increase their sales. Personally, neither for me is a good look.

And if the company has a commitment to avoid including any common allergy triggers in the food they make, it IMO begs the question why they make so many diets with beef, which is reported to be the most frequent allergen in dogs?

In regard to garlic, it is my understanding that the FDA has given it GRAS status when used as a flavoring agent. You can aways ask the company what testing they have done to verify that the level in their food causes no harm.

Personally, after looking at Small Batch’s website, it is a company whose products I wouldn’t choose.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee,
I tried sample of Small Batch after overlooking the garlic in ingredient list. Small dogs so just don’t want to take a chance. However, I do like to rotate between at least two freeze dried toppers. They did well on Primal and I trusted the company. I only use the turkey/sardine, venison and rabbit. The latter two being lean and lower in fat. I use especially when they don’t get their walks in in winter.
Now I can’t afford to transition to complete freeze dried. Have the three and maybe I’m imagining but I think they enjoy the crunch. I also have everything worked out with how much to feed when base is their kibble.
Now I’m questioning again another ingredient in their Stella n Chewy’s kibble. As far as kibble goes I felt comfortable with the brand and trusted ingredients. I also added Vital Essentials turkey to rotation with primal. They love it and no tummy trouble . So being that I feel their primary nutrition is coming from their raw didn’t worry about a little kibble with their meals.
This was my answer from Stella n chewys regarding ingredient I’m concerned about.

Good morning Pat,

“Thank you for your email. Please know that selenium is a required nutrient, and specific levels are necessary per AAFCO guidelines. I understand your concern regarding the sodium selenite, specifically. In most of our products, we have chosen to avoid selenium yeast due to the fact that yeast in any form can be a high allergy trigger for many pets. Sodium selenite, when used in appropriate amounts, is safe and widely used in the pet food industry. We’ve included it in our food minimally – just to ensure we’re reaching proper selenium levels. We are well below any dangerous limits for this ingredient.”

So wondering why Open Farm and Rawbbles use Selenium yeast if causes allergies. I use both for a treat.

What to believe and who to believe is always the questions. Wondering your opinion on this .
I think I’ve decided to just stick to this kibble and my toppers since it’s working. You really could go nuts . I think their diet is better then mine anyway. lol

[Patricia A]

Aimee I subscribe to her “list” every year. I trust that she does a thorough job in Making sure the companies are transparent n where ingredients are sourced, transparent in inspection of facilities, humanely sourced etc. etc. I just wish she would also explain why a company was taken off her list as trusted. As in Primal. Always made her list and then not. What changed? She does work with nutrionalists however I wasn’t comfortable with Small Batch which made her list. Garlic way down in ingredients but never found reliable source one way or the other to say if it’s safe. So I have a starting point at least with foods/companies she recommends and then I maybe will alternate with one checks boxes for me.
DCM is still a mystery I feel that still has not been solved. I would however be much more concerned if my dogs fell into the breed MOST susceptible.
If you find any website you came across that explains why Primal was taken off her list and share with me I’d appreciate it. A lot of those who feed where asking same question since it’s a very popular brand.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee. Just confusing to me that all these studies led pet owners to believe grain free was primary causation of DCM in pets. Possibly legumes in grain free causing enzyme inhibitions and interfering with digestion causing taurine and other amino acid deficiencies .
I personally don’t trust how much protein comes from meat and how much is from pea protein on grain free. However, I also don’t trust grain inclusive. Due to below.

A recall on pet food has been expanded after 70 dogs have died and another 80 or more were sickened due to mold in a popular pet and cat food brand.
Midwestern Pet Foods is expanding an earlier recall of some of its Sportmix products to other dry dog and cat foods with an expiration date on or before July 9, 2022 that were manufactured in its Oklahoma kitchen. The recall includes all dog and cat pet food products made with corn products because they might contain elevated levels of aflatoxin, which is produce from a mold that can grow on corn and other ingredients used in pet food.

So below is the food that Science Diet grain free. Why if it’s so bad?
Ingredients in Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Grain Free Chicken & Potato Recipe dog food are peas second ingredient.

I like Stella n Chewys however they use synthetic vitamin pack. Freeze dried should be getting all necessary minerals and vitamins from natural sources. Synthetic vitamin packs are always added to highly processed dog food because nutrients are cooked out due to the high heat. My dogs do well with most of their proteins but if mistakes are made with amount in pack the results are lethal . As in below.

The FDA has become aware of reports of vitamin D toxicity in dogs that ate certain canned dog foods manufactured by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and marketed under the Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet brands. This is a developing situation, and the FDA will update this page with additional information as it becomes available.

I can only HOPE I’m making an educated choice in feeding my dogs a diet of good nutrition and food that is not slowly poisoning them. I have inherited my mom’s dog now that she is living with me after my dad passed. So I have three now. My Tia always gains weight easily even with exercise and string beans as treats. Loli gets growling stomach if given too much fat. If I have lean steak as treat one day I only give for that day. Two days in row and loose stools. Then there is my mom’s . Can’t eat the Primal Turkey n Salmon but the others do fine with it. UHHH I recently tried Small Batch turkey freeze dried. Trust company and love all the ingredients but ONE. They have garlic. Now way down on list of ingredients. Some say natural flea repellent. Great stools and none had stomach trouble. Been on the bag of the small sliders for a week. But I can’t continue not trusting that the garlic could build up to cause red blood cell destruction. They are all Chihuahuas’. Just would like to make it easy for me and get a brand I trust to be healthy and all three do well with. Guess for now I’ll stick to primal freeze dried. However, I do like to rotate between at least two brands just in case. Sorry for this being so long, Just hard to trust what’s in your dog food when I have to keep up with all the human food recalls making people sick. lol

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

Wondering if anyone feeds Small Batch? Would like to put in my rotation of freeze dried however concerned about the garlic.

[Tracey Q]

I see reviews for 3 lines of Grandma Lucy’s, all of which contain garlic. I do not see a review of the Macanna line, which does NOT contain garlic. Will this be reviewed in the near future?

[Mikkel J]

Hi

Looking to change from Hill’s J/D joint care, to a grain free product. My dog was very ill for a month probably do to lyme borreliosis . We’re of the meds (antibiotics and adrenocortical hormone) and recovered, however with stiff joints especially in hear rear legs after laying down, and not quite the same motivation to play and run with her son (7y), and inability to jump as before.
However things are doing somewhat better than just after the recovery, we’re doing an hour walk/run in her pace only on soft soil like in the forest. We supplement Hills with joint supplement powder containing (Glycosaminoglycans, Proteoglycans, Organic sulfur, Green-lipped mussel, Collagen II), turmeric with bioperine, Omega 3 (EPA/DHA) and the popular CBD oil 30 mg pr. day, dogs weight 30 kg/66 lbs.

I’m not certain that I’m on the right path her, and looking at first to find another base food instead of hills full of grain.
I’ve found Wolfsblut as the best substitute and like another pair of eyes on it.

https://www.wolfsblut.com/vetline/trockenfutter-hunde/vetline-joint-care/

Fresh wild poultry meat 41% (partridge, pigeon, wild duck, ostrich), sweet potato (17%), potato, banana, ostrich oil (5%), pumpkin, alfalfa, salmon oil, Jerusalem artichoke, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, black currants, parsley , Spinach, minerals, carrot, chickpeas, green-lipped mussel, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, glucosamine (3,900 mg / kg), methylsulfonylmethane (3,900 mg / kg), chondroitin sulfate (2,750 mg / kg), cetyl myristoleate (500 mg / kg ), Ginger, licorice, garlic, turmeric

Vitamins: vitamin A (as retinyl acetate) 14,400 IU, vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) 2,000 IU, vitamin E (as alpha tocopherol acetate) 100 IU; Trace elements: iodine (as anhydrous calcium iodate) 0.96 mg, iron (as ferrous sulfate) 48 mg, zinc (as zinc sulfate) 48 mg, manganese (as manganese sulfate) 33 mg, copper (as copper sulfate) 14 mg, selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.29 mg

Crude protein 20%
Crude fat 13%
Crude fiber 3.5%
Crude ash 9.5%
Humidity 8%
Omega-6 2.98%
Omega-3 0.75%

What are your thoughts about this product?
Also, i’d like some advice on the following
– The need if any, to supplement this kind of food with additionally or other nutrition.
– Exercise, I know shorter and more frequent walk is advisable, however she is responding rather well on 1 hour long walk a day.
– If you know about another joint care dry food or any other advice, whom you have good experience with, I’m all ears, however needs to be sold in Europe.

Thanks for your time
Mikkel

[jenny B]

Hi nationalguard88,

Every year the threat of disease-ridden ticks and fleas becomes more ominous. My dog, Tiny, loves to roam our surroundings, but he’s brought unwelcome pests into our home. So I searched for preventative measures to rid Tiny of his (and our family’s) ongoing pest problem.

Here are some natural flea and tick prevention methods:

#1. Garlic
#2. Citrus Juice
#3. Apple Cider Vinegar
#4. Herbs
#5. Brewer’s Yeast

You can also take a look at the the website for more information about Natural Flea and Tick Prevention for Your Pet: https://naturesrevolution.com/2018/02/07/natural-flea-and-tick-prevention-for-your-pet/

Check this link as well guys, a video for natural flea and tick prevention for our pets. I found it really helpful 🙂

Of course If you want to protect your best friend against fleas and ticks without worrying about chemical formulations or unwanted side effects, you can try to read some articles in this website to see what’s the best flea and tick spray for your fur babies! https://www.thesprucepets.com/best-flea-and-tick-prevention-products-4167611

Hope this would help someone in this forum. 🙂

Thanks,
PetloverJenny

[Tra R]

I recommend you feed your dog two antihistamines per day. This will help your dog deal with histomine release in its body. This release can happen when your dog has an injury, the body releases histomine to repair the wound, however with histomine intolent dogs, too much histomine can be released and lead to a mass cell tumour being created. In histomine intolent dogs every lump should be biosped and removed, if it is cancer.
There are foods that an owner should try to keep her dog clear of, processed human food (bacon, sausages, tomatoes, salami), spices, salt, citrus fruit, wheat, glutton, dairy products, cherry’s, apricots, fish products, fermented products etc. You can also get natural antihistamines like garlic (limit to one tablet a day), vets do not recommend garlic as it is a bulb but there is no evidence that garlic hurts dogs. Also
Fresh food is the ideal food for your dog, human fresh raw mince meat (not pork) with its dry dog food is good, meat is good for the blood. I personally recommend Pets at Home AVA dry dog food (not fish as fish makes histomine). The antihistamines will help ur pets body deal with any problem histomine ur dog eats. I have a golden retriever (age five) she has had two mass cell tumours, feeding her two antihistamines each day has halted the creation of tumours for a year, so far.

[Jaimie K]

Patricia A – I was very confused too. I was a veterinary technician for many years but the vet I was seeing for this issue didn’t know that. I questioned the antibiotic when the results were negative and they kind of blew me off with a generic answer. I do have a better vet now, but we haven’t started tackling the GI issues since for the moment we’re ok.

I’m inclined to agree it was the kibble causing the issues. However the original incident came a day after she ate garlicky pizza crust, pasta, hot dogs, salami, and who knows what other human food, plus tons of dog treats, bones/chews, and a raw dog food she had never had before – all while staying with my dad and step-mom while I was out of town. I wondered if that bad weekend didn’t cause some pancreatitis.

She has been on the prescription diet (Hills i/d) for at least 4 months and we have not had any other issues. I’m not a fan of the prescription diets AT ALL, and don’t want her on it long term, but have resigned to leave her on this diet for 6 months as a “reset”. I have tried to wean her off a few times with no luck. I will definitely look into the Stella & Chewy’s – I’ve heard all positive things.

[dogGirl]

We love this product as a training treat. Very disappointed that we can’t get anymore… it was only sold at Pet Supplies Plus and they don’t carry it any more. The manager told me it was because of “distribution issues” since the company was “folding”.

Learned today that this is a Purina product. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Sketchy.

Fresh Pet is highly palatable but reeks of a garlicky smell, although no garlic is listed in the ingredients. Hmmm again.

[Christie B]

On the topic of “the big 4”, I think it’s important to go beyond the parent company and look at the ingredients on the bag to determine what food you should buy. Some product lines within a company are better than others. I don’t think you can rank Dog Chow the same as Pro Plan or Pedigree the same as Nutro.

Ingredients are important. 3 Chicken Formula Dry Food Ingredients Lists:

GROUND WHOLE GRAIN CORN, POULTRY BY-PRODUCT MEAL (SOURCE OF GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN SULFATE), CORN GLUTEN MEAL, ANIMAL FAT (SOURCE OF OMEGA 6 FATTY ACIDS [PRESERVED WITH BHA & CITRIC ACID]), MEAT AND BONE MEAL (SOURCE OF CALCIUM), SOYBEAN MEAL, GROUND WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, BREWERS RICE, NATURAL FLAVOR, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL, DRIED PLAIN BEET PULP, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, DRIED PEAS, ZINC SULFATE, DL-METHIONINE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, NIACIN [VITAMIN B3], BIOTIN, DRIED CARROTS, L-TRYPTOPHAN, BHA & CITRIC ACID (A PRESERVATIVE), BLUE 2, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, d-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE [SOURCE OF VITAMIN B5], RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT [VITAMIN B2], RED 40, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], COPPER SULFATE, SODIUM SELENITE, POTASSIUM IODIDE, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, FOLIC ACID

Chicken, brewers rice, poultry by-product meal (source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, whole grain corn, oat meal, medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil, pea fiber, dried egg product, natural flavor, fish oil, barley, fish meal (source of glucosamine), L-Arginine, mono and dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, Vitamin E supplement, potassium citrate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, choline chloride, and sodium selenite

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, White Rice, Oatmeal, Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Flaxseed, Dried Whole Egg, Cheese, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Monocalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins, Minerals, Probiotics.

So the first one is a mess of “poor quality” ingredients and artificial colors. I would give that food a hard pass every day. In fact, I know someone with a Lab who has fed this food for the dog’s entire life. This 10 year old has a lot of joint and mobility issues.

The second one has the dreaded by-product label (at least it’s poultry and not ‘meat’ ) and lots of grains. Fish meal can be found a ways down the list for a boost of glucosamine.

The third has chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, a plus for sure… and then Barley, rice, more rice and oatmeal follow…not ideal.

Are any of these GREAT food choices?

Every single time I go to the pet store, I wander the aisles reading ingredients lists. All I see are legumes and potatoes. Are they causing DCM? There’s no concrete evidence one way or the other yet. Was the my dog doing fine on Chicken and Rice for the first few years of his life before I found this website and gasped at the low rating his food received? Absolutely. Did I switch the grain free after reading through these forums? Sure did. Has he done ok with switch, all these years later? Nope. He’s developed allergies and sensitivities. But is it because of grain free formulas? I haven’t found concrete evidence proving that x and y caused the issues.

It’s a learning process to find what works best for your dog. Some can’t have grains, some can. My vet suggests feeding him boiled chicken and white rice when he’s not feeling well. Is my vet stupid or just telling me what he knows from his 30+ years of experience might help my dog. Has he called grain free food evil? No, but he cautions against it only because the inclusion of legumes and potatoes are ‘relatively’ new to animal nutrition and there isn’t enough research and studies done to prove that they are safe in the long term.

He told me that he’s always given his dogs Pro Plan but have never pushed me to purchase any of the big 4 brands. In fact, he said the best thing I can do is read the ingredients list myself. And to transition food properly. And if my dog has issues after eating 1-2 bags of a food, to look at the current ingredients and find a food that’s different.

[anonymous]

By Dr. John De Jong | Ask the Vet
April 28, 2019 at 12:22 am
Our 10-year-old cat started vomiting after eating some chives that we had cut from our garden.
Our vet told us to get him into an emergency hospital right away. We were informed he could have suffered a serious blood issue and even died.
Why are chives so bad for cats? What other herbs in our garden do we need to watch out for? Do we need to lock up our greenhouse to keep out our cats?
Luckily, everything turned out well and this one is OK.

While it is not likely that serious harm would have come to your cat unless he ingested an extraordinary amount of chives, you took the right precaution by taking him in.
Chives are mildly toxic to cats, and to some dogs as well. The herb belongs to the same family as garlic and onions. High doses of any of these can cause something known as hemolytic anemia in which the red blood cells rupture and the animal becomes weak or worse.
The first symptoms include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal discomfort. This can then lead to pale gums, weakness, rapid breathing and an increased heart rate. The initial signs may be seen immediately, but those attributed to the anemia may take a few days to appear so serial blood tests may be done to ensure that anemia does not develop.
I doubt that you need to lock up your garden, but do keep an eye on things. There are many sources out there that can teach you about toxic herbs and plants, and you can talk to your veterinarian about what you are growing.
I hope your cats, properly fed, won’t get too much more curious about what to chew on.

Cat gets no kick from chives

[haleycookie]

Giant breed puppies have no protein requirements. Dogs are mostly carnivorous. Find a good high meat large breed puppy food and don’t worry about anything else. There is no conclusive info on the legume/dcm issue. If you stick with a high meat diet you shouldn’t have to worry about anything. A good food to look into is wellness core large breed puppy, and large breed puppy nature’s variety instinct raw boost. Those are two good options. There are others out there. Take a look at chewy and use the terms large breed puppy. Look for foods that have 3+ more proteins in the top 5 ingredients. And if you want to be extra safe you can e-mail the company and ask where their protein levels are coming from (plant or meat) you can also ask if the calcium ratios are correct for large breed puppies. Some puppy foods are safe but aren’t labeled for large breeds. While some that say all breeds and life stages may not be safe for large breed puppies. So it’s helpful to emails the companies.
It also sounds like you’re using toppers which is a good thing. Trying bone broths and freeze dried raw mixers too. They are both great for natural sources of taurine. I would cut out the processed meats tho. Whatever you use for toppers should be plain, no seasoning, no garlic or onion.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by haleycookie.

[William T]

Well, as you said that your wife is pregnant, so it is better that you should go for natural remedies. There are many things that really do work naturally like using of health food store, neem oil, add some garlic to their food which will help to kill the fleas.
Another method is Borax, if you have carpet in your home, you can sprinkle them and after 24 hours you can become up.
But, if these methods does not work, then you can go for pest control services, as they will have an extensive experience in flea control.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by William T.

[Christie B]

Yeah, I put the majority of the recipe topper in the freezer. Maybe I’ll be able to use it for my other dog in the future. As for my big guy, he was mopey this morning and gulping, coughing and shaking his head and rubbing his face and sure enough when I checked his ears…yeast infection.

It doesn’t seem to matter what food I put him on. I try different proteins, grains, grain free, limited ingredients….it makes my head spin. I try a new food…seems great. A few weeks later back to the drawing board. It seems to get worse with age.

Do I really go back and try the low quality brand he ate years ago with no issues? Do some dogs just not do well on good quality food?

These are the ingredients for the vet recommended food:

Chicken, brewers rice, poultry by-product meal (source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, whole grain corn, oat meal, medium-chain triglyceride vegetable oil, pea fiber, dried egg product, natural flavor, fish oil, barley, fish meal (source of glucosamine), L-Arginine, mono and dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, Vitamin E supplement, potassium citrate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, choline chloride, and sodium selenite

I hate to try it, but I hate how the Benedryl my vet recommends for the symptoms knocks him out. He sleeps during the day while I’m at work, I don’t want him conked out when I’m home to play with him. And he absolutely hates when I have to clean out his ears. The more I try to make the healthier choice, the more it backfires.

Is it bad to try and see?

[Susan]

Hi Anthony,

Gee I hope & pray she is OK but cause these flea chews/tablets stay in the body for 1-9 months it’s just a waiting game, my Staffy has IBD & my vet said NO to all the oral flea/tick chews tablets, she said the only flea/tick product that doesn’t go into the dogs system blood stomach & only penitrates 2 layers of their skin is “Frontline Plus” Spot On & the Frontline Spray, she said, only use Frontline “IF YOU HAVE TOO” Fleas dont seem to bother my dog or I just dont have any fleas?? vacuum daily that gets ride of fleas in house…Look up “Natural ways to get rid of fleas” I live Australia & most of all our dog foods have Garlic in them…

Don’t give her anymore oral flea/tick meds, they’re poison, your putting poison into your dogs system to kill fleas & ticks…Very Toxic..

Make sure your mum report the to FDA here’ link..Maybe when they see enough deaths & sickness these flea chews will get pull off shelves or formula changed….
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm182403.htm

Here’s a facebook page called “Does Bravecto Kill Dogs” https://www.facebook.com/groups/411371212394679/
You’ll get some support & read what other people are doing for their poor sick dogs……

[anonymous]

Regarding the author of that “Dogs Naturally” article (link in an above post) Dr. Deva Khalsa, a popular alternative veterinarian

Garlic for Pets- What’s it Good for?

8. Garlic is an effective flea control method.
Doubtful. There are, of course, plenty of anecdotes from people saying that garlic drove the fleas away from their pets like magic. There are just as many that say garlic didn’t help at all. There is absolutely no research evidence showing garlic supplements to be an effective form of flea control. It is often given with Brewer’s yeast, which has been shown to be ineffective as a flea repellant. So for all the confidence with which this claim is made, it is simply made up.

More here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/09/naet-a-cure-for-allergies-not/

[Kelly S]

Firstly, rosemary, oregano, fennel and sage are neurotoxins for dogs. Most or all of these herbs are found in virtually all store bought broths, as is onions and garlic. DNM specifically says in another more responsible article that garlic should ONLY be organic and freshly crushed and in specific amounts per body weight. My dogs vets have always said absolutely NO to garlic period. Small amounts accumulate over time and anything that is a known neurotoxin for dogs should be avoided regardless of whether or not you happen to “see” any reactions. What reactions would you even recognize until it’s possibly too late?

As for Dogs Naturally Magazine, they are a fine resource for general education HOWEVER it is still not the same as individualized treatment for a vet. All this info online is very generalized and there are always other things to consider. For example, many dogs are having seizures these days and any of these ingredients are an absolute NO for them. Therefore, bone broth must be homemade and frankly, in hindsight I wish I’d never fed these ingredients to my dog to begin with!

Lastly, these forums are dangerous for the very reason that everyone is speculating and not an expert and really don’t KNOW what their talking about.

[Nate D]

I have 2 Dachsunds. Both have had pancreas issues in the past. One has cushings and may have cancer. I have been feeding both of them Hills I/D Low Fat Natural dry food, but want them off of the kibble.
I have tried The Honest Kitchen Fish, but dont care for the garlic in it. It also seems to be to high in protein for them causing gas and upset stomach even with small amounts. I was hoping to use it because people rant and rave about it for their dogs who have had pancreatitis and/or cancer.

I have been looking for something else. Either dehydrated, frozen, patties, fresh, etc.. and am having a hard time finding anything low in fat.
Anyone know of any?

I know I can do homemade, but have no idea what complete supplements I need. I would however prefer already made.

[InkedMarie]

Caitlin, you need to do research. The amount of garlic that makes it toxic to dogs is so huge; no one would feed that much to their pets.

[Caitlin H]

Please do not list o @crazy4cats GARLIC CAN KILL YOUR DOG!!!!!! jesus christ at least look these kinds of things up before you give it to your animal

[Michiel N]

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

[Christopher E]

Madison et al… I started this thread when I myself was eating a vegan diet. Although I still believe that eating vegan is the healthiest choice for both myself and my dog, I didn’t have the conviction necessary to stay away from meat and dairy, which I love. But my dog, on the other hand, has to eat what I give her. Clearly she would prefer a steak over a carrot… as would most any human; but I have decided what I believe to be the healthiest diet for her… which is a diet low in carcinogens and, more importantly cancer growing fuel… cancer is, after all, the number one killer among K9s.

Madison, I understand that you feel a need to defer to what your vet tells you, but there is a flaw in your logic… doctors, by and large, do not know anything about nutrition. Medical schools have only recently begun offering basic introductory courses on nutrition… it is just not what they are trained for.

99%+ of doctors (human) who would actually be willing to discuss diet with you would tell you that eating a 100% vegan diet is not healthy… but you still do it.

I am not pushing my ideals/morality/etc onto my dog as many other posters have stated or alluded to. Even when I was eating vegan I was doing it solely for health reasons. Don’t get me wrong, I was also happy that I was creating less of a negative impact on the environment and that animals were not being mistreated because of my diet… but those were just added benefits.

I feed my dog nature’s balance vegan dry kibble, along with a plethora of supplements (see below), simply because I want for her to live another 10 years and remain as energetic, lucid and healthy as she always has been.

(Vitamins: A,D,E,C,K,B-1,2,6,12,Panthothenic Acid, Folic Acid, Paba, Choline, Inositol, Rutin,Biotin; Minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, Cooper, manganese, iodine, sulphuric, silica, molybdenum, boron, selenium, iron; Protein: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, cystine, cystiene, glycine, glutamic acid, histidine, hydroxyproline, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methsonine, valine, ornithine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, glutamine, tyrosine, taurine; Enzymes: amlase, trypsin, papain, lipase, protease, protease, bromelain, pepsin, ditase, pectase; Essential Farty Acids: arachidonic acid, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid (Norwegian Kelp, ground Flaxseed, nutritional yeast, garlic, calcium citrate, lecithin, borage seed, lactobacillus, acidophilus + amino acids and enzymes))

[anonymous]

Have you read the ingredients?
Ingredients: Chicken Liver Dried, Wheat Bran, Wheat Germ, Brewer’s Yeast Dried,Calcium Carbonate, Dried Apple, Calcium Phosphate,
Cod Liver Oil, Parsley, Apple Cider Vinegar, Alfalfa, Dried Kelp, Dandelion Root, Garlic, Calcium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Ginger, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid, Rosemary Extract.

The price
1 pound – $20.00 plus S/H
5 pound – $90.00 plus S/H

“ENDURANCE is a unique supplement formulated for dogs and cats that are fed commercial kibble or canned food. Both can experience allergies, skin problems, constant shedding, bad breath, chronic ear discharges and digestive upsets”.

Wow! Sounds like a miracle supplement, lol! 😉

I see nothing unique about the ingredients. Most of the better kibbles have these ingredients included anyway.

CAVEAT EMPTOR

[Gary W]

I am a strong believer that cats cannot have any grain in their diet, as it is just an open door to health problems. You may be paying a lot upfront, but your wallet will thank you when your kitty doesn’t get loads of health problems. Onto food!

Below are some recommended brands for Dry and canned foods:

Purina Fancy Feast canned food
Rachael Ray Nutrish both Dry/canned
Natural Balance
Wellness(I would feed it if they take out the garlic)
California Natural
Hills Science Dry Cat food
Blue Wilderness
Nutro(Natural Choice or Max Cat) (some people think it’s terrific and others might disagree)

Here you can find some top canned and Dry cat foods https://www.criticthoughts.com/pet/best-cat-food/

Of course, the more canned the better. To paraphrase our cat specialist vet’s recommendation, it’s best to feed a grain-free, low-carb wet-only diet. My suggestion for “best” foods would be canned foods with as much meat as possible and minimal (or, better, no) carby stuff like grains of any sort, peas, potato, and tapioca.

[Carrie H]

Ok. I am pretty new to the raw food thing. Everthing I read says protein should be the highest percentage, then fat, then carbs being the lowest. So if I look at all the 5 star raw foods listed on this site, only 4 of them meet that criteria! And of those 4, one has garlic in it. Am i missing something? Help!

[Richard P]

Homemade Dog Treats (Linda Arndt) http://www.greatdanelady.com)

1 ½ lbs liver
1 Cup oat flour (or if allergic get non gluten flour)
2 Eggs
½ Garlic Clove

Mince meat and garlic.
Mix in other ingredients and bake in a loaf pan for 30 minutes in 375 degree oven. Cut into portions. Treats can be frozen.

[JILL N]

Fad?!! I think not. Major dry dog food companies have begun to incorporate better nutritional ingredients into their kibble meals and eliminate harmful ingredients based on the benefits of real meat and “complete” meal and whole prey diets. The “fad” has now become a healthier food trend in response to the demand of knowledgeable consumers. Case in point, please review the listed ingredients for Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula (chicken) at https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-life-protection-formula. Besides the chemical processing, the only difference in a “complete” raw meal diet (with veggies and fruit) and Blue Buffalo’s kibble are the following ingredients that a dog doesn’t require for a healthy diet anyway:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potato Stach, DL-Methionine, Caramel Color, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Garlic, Choline Chloride, Turmeric, Copper Sulfate (an naturally occurring pesticide that can be found in plants, soil, food, and water), Copper Amino Acid Chelate (chelated copper solution is a blend of two compounds. One is the copper sulfate granule, and the other is an ingredient that allows the copper granules to break down and stay in a liquid state). Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, and Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (stomach bacterium and fungi used as a probiotic in pet foods.), Oil of Rosemary.

[Bill K]

I make my own chicken stock just leave out garlic and onions. I roast the chicken bones, carrots, and celery. I then throw them in a pot of boiling water and let it simmer for 4-5 hours. I do add one small pinch of kosher salt. Soon as it’s reduced down to a nice rich broth I let it cool down. As soon as it cools down I pour the stock along with the carrots clery and aome of the chicken meat into a blender & puree.Then i pour into ice cube trays and then freeze them. Soon as they are frozen I take them out and put them in a big gallon Ziploc bag. Each meal I melt a couple of cubes in the microwaves and pour over his kibble and he loves it. Each big pot of stock makes a couple months worth of cubes.

[Susan]

Hi Karen H,
stay away from any oral chews for fleas etc especailly Bravecto it stays in the dogs system more then 3 months & if the dog starts to react & gets sick there’s no treatment to reverse the Bravecto…

Do you live in a high flea, high heartworm area?? ask vet when was the last time he had a heartworm patient in your area ask a few vets in the area normallly the vet staff at the front desk know?? Where I live vets haven’t seen any heartworm cases in 30yrs now.
Less chemicals you put in his body the better off he’ll be….
I have a very sensitive boy who has IBD & I do not use any flea chews, we don’t have fleas where I live but when I first rescued Patch nilly 5 yrs ago when we were walking thru the park before all these flea chews came out (Bravecto & Nexgard) there were fleas in the dog park after it rained thru the Summer months & Patch would tell me as soon as a flea jumped up on his leg, he’s allergic to flea bites, just 1 bite & he itches for days, Patches vet said the best product to use is “Frontline Plus Spot on” or the Frontline Flea spray, they both only penitrate 2 layers of the dogs skin, where other flea proucts like Advantage spot on penitrate thru to their blood, Patch was spewing blood after I applied Advantage spot on when I first rescued him, I dont know if it was a coincidence this happened but it was awful he woke up 2am vomiting & there were clots of blood in his vomit, I took his vomit to the vet that morning but the blood clots had mixed thru, this is how I’ve learnt all this info about flea products, the Frontline spray is expensive but it last a few Summers, I was just spraying his legs then put on a glove & spraying the glove then rubbing onto Patch fur.. but these last 2 Summers he hasn’t had no fleas at all I’d say everyone in the area are using all the new toxic chews for fleas, so my Patch is flea free when he comes home from his walks & he doesnt need any chemicals in his body..
Join a few “Natural Canine groups” & ask what they’re using for fleas, I know in Australia, Australian made pet foods have Garlic in them, at the end of the ingredient list, so there’s not much garlic in the dog foods, google what foods in a dogs diet stops fleas, you don’t add heaps of Garlic only very small amounts there’s other foods as well like Brewers Yeast…
I know Lavendar & Rosemary plants planted around the the yard are good to keep away Mozzies as Mosquitos hate Lavender & Rosemary, you can make up lavender, pepermint, eucalyptus in a spray bottle & spray the dogs coat, bedding, kennel etc to keep fleas away, I’m moving into a house in a few months & I’m worring about fleas as the last owner had a dog & a cat so there will be flea eggs in the dirt grass etc there’s no carpet inside house so hopefully the house will be flea free, but fleas dont seem to like Patch, Patches vet said she see a few dogs that are the same the fleas jump on them, then the flea jumps back off them, could be their diet….

[Susan]

Hi,
I was wondering how Atlas was going, I’ve never tried Kefir before I drink “Yakult” probiotic drink & give Patch about 1/4 of the Yakult drink that only about 4 tablespoon in a bowl, if I remember, the Kefir will help make Atlas digestive tract healthy & make his immune more stronger it just takes time 1-2 weeks to work….
I think you’ve answered your own question lol maybe stop giving the Kefir for now, then once you have introduced the new Natures Domain Turkey kibble then start giving some Kefir again, do you have the Yakult probiotic small drinks in America? they’re in the dairy section at supermarket you get 5 small pink drinks? or another really good dog probiotic is Purina Fortifloria powder, they tested about 10 dog probiotics products that are being sold on the market & out of the 10 dog probiotics only 3 dog probiotics came back with live cultures the rest were a waste of money, the Purina Forti Floria was one of the good probiotics with live cultures….Patch was put on Protexin Soluble yellow label probiotic when I first got him but I dont think you have Protexin in America, it’s expensive around $60 for 1-2 months & has to be kept in the fridge that’s how you know a good probiotic they need to be stored in the fridge…Probiotics make Patch feel sick when he takes them, it’s called the “Die Off Period” it can take about 1-2 weeks to feel good & feel the probiotic working, probiotics do firm up Patches poo’s but he starts doing his mouth licking & swollowing sometimes so he only gets some of my Yakult some days if I remember, if it didn’t make him feel sick he’d be waiting for me to give him some but he doesnt with my Yakults, no more so I gave up given him probiotics….Patch has 2 vets for his IBD his regular vet Sue, she is all for taking probiotics & then there’s Simon his other vet that does his Endoscope & biopsies he prefers PRE-biotics, chicory root, beet pulp, garlic are Prebiotics, I think Nature’s Domain kibble has Chicory root in the ingredients. I know TOTW has dried Chicory Root….
Patches vet said as long as the poo is coming out formed then it’s OK to be a bit soft… give it time it can take anywhere from 1 day up to 1 month when introducing a new kibble for the dog to get use to the new food & his poos to firm up, if you do see poos looking really sloppy like a cow patties on the ground then stop adding more of the new kibble slow right down & go back to adding what he was eating when poos were good….

How you’ll know something is wrong & new food isn’t going well & he’s sensitive to an ingredient, you’ll get woken up by Atlas 12am, 3am or 5am & Atlas will be really stressed wanting to go outside urgently, that’s how you’ll know something is wrong but so far everything sounds good.
I’m just wondering if you stopped the cooked chicken & cooked potatoes for now will he po less? & just feed & slowly introduce the Kirkland Natures Domain Turkey & Potato kibble with the Natural Balance kibble & see if poos firm up…..
I always hear Patches vet in my head saying, Susan remember only try 1 new thing at a time & add it slowly, then when poos are nice & firm then you can start adding another new thing otherwise we won’t know what is causing the sloppy poos or diarhea….

[Vito M]

My dog loves Shep sausage treats. Ingredients sound fine. Would like some
feedback as to thoughts, here is description:
Made with real chicken, turkey & pork.
No artificial colors or flavors.
Guaranteed analysis: crude protein min 28%, crude fat min 22%, crude fiber max 4%,
moisture max 32%
Ingredients: turkey, pork, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium sorbate (a preservative)
sodium hexametaphosphate, garlic extract, rosemary extract.
I’m a fairly new dog owner and would like thoughts.

[Yx]

Hello pitluv – While it it true that we cannot tell the quality of the meats used by simply reading an ingredient label, we do know that there are companies that never use generic by-products, animal digests, meat and bone meals, artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, ingredients sourced from China, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, toxic preservatives such as BHA, BHT, TBHQ and Ethoxyquin,, and those that do.
For example, these are the ingredients in Purina’s Alpo brand Prime Cuts Savory Beef Flavor – Ground Yellow Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Soybean Meal, Beef Tallow Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Corn Gluten Meal, Egg and Chicken Flavor, Poultry and Pork Digest, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Red 40, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Yellow 5, Manganese Sulfate, Blue 2, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Garlic Oil, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite. I-5020.

It would stand to reason that a company that avoids the above low-quality ingredients would likely be using higher quality meats in their formulations, in fact, there are brands such as ORIJEN that use “human grade ingredients” – “The fresh meats, meat meals and fat ingredients we use are produced exclusively from animals that have been deemed as fit for human consumption, and are produced in category 3 facilities (human grade facilities, no flushing, and no 4-D animal parts permitted on premises). All fruits and vegetables used in ORIJEN foods are also passed as fit for human consumption.” -https://www.orijen.ca/faq/#fresh_regional_ingredients

In any case, I am glad to read that all your animals are doing well.

[Jude N]

My dog is the same way. I’ve tried him on the following kibbles:

– Blue Buffalo
– Merrick
– Taste of the Wild
– Zignature
– Nature’s Varity Instinct
– Orijen
– Acana
– Legacy
– Wellness
– Fromm
– Nulo
– Earthborn
– ZiwiPeak
– PetKind
– Wysong
– Halo

I have tried numerous wet foods; the only kind he’ll eat is Merrick, which makes him gassy, and is expensive. He has tried Stella & Chewy dehydrated raw, Grandma Lucy’s, and Primal. He likes them all for about a week, and will then start going days without eating, to the point that he will vomit bile from being without food for too long.

He ate Nature’s Variety Instinct beef patties very well for several months; I made the mistake of trying to switch to Stella & Chewy’s venison raw patties, and he detests those. He now will only willingly eat actual ground, whole prey beef mixes from My Pet Carnivore, and beef tripe. I switched him to pork and he has eaten his dinner only twice since last Wednesday, because he’s refusing it.

So basically what I’m saying is that I feel for you, LOL.

Are you wanting kibble or wet food recommendations?

Something that you might try: sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder onto his food. My vet recommended this trick to me, and it’s worked a few times. Now I just make his meals into what can only be called “tripe sandwiches”, trying to not waste the pork meat by layering it between tripe. Sigh.

[anonymous]

Most shelters have an arrangement with a local veterinary clinic to get discount prices for services and products as a courtesy. That is the route I would pursue, as you will need a prescription for heartworm preventives.

Regarding garlic pills:
Do a quick Internet search on natural ways to prevent fleas and ticks and you’ll come up with thousands of links. You could spend all day researching these home remedies. The problem: As much as we love using natural solutions when they work, many simply aren’t effective at controlling parasites. In some cases these ‘remedies’ can cause more harm than good for your pet.
So before you add chopped up garlic to your animal’s food or bathe her in essential oils, check out our quick list of home remedies to avoid.
Parasite Prevention and Removal Remedies That Don’t Work
Bad Idea: Putting Garlic in Pet Food
Even though a lot of people think this a safe and effective way to prevent fleas, there’s no scientific evidence that garlic — whether it’s fresh from the bulb, powdered or in a supplement — can keep the parasites at bay. Even worse, garlic can be toxic to pets. Garlic contains substances that damage red blood cells in dogs in cats, potentially leading to life-threatening anemia if ingested in large quantities. (excerpt from:)http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/home-remedies-that-will-not-get-rid-of-fleas-and-ticks-and-may-hurt-your-pet

[Michael M]

It’s hard to find a relatively heartworm medication these days. Bravecto, Trifexis, and NExguard have all caused major problems among their test subjects as well as just normal owners. I’ve even read they cause seizures. On the other hand, I’ve read that Sentinel is decent, and there are also these garlic pills you can buy. Might want to try that out as a cheaper option.

I’ve heard good things about Happy Pet Labs. Glad to know they’ve worked for you as well.