[anonymous]

The 4 Best Fruits and Vegetables for Dogs
If altering your pet’s diet, there are a number of benefits to fruits and vegetables for dogs. Dogs are omnivores rather than carnivores, meaning they can enjoy a mixed combination of fruits, vegetables and meat and all of the benefits that they have to offer.
Here are the top 4 fruits and vegetables to take into consideration:
1. Bananas
Bananas are a fun addition to your dog’s meals, as well as for a special treat, especially because of the variety of ways in which it can be prepared. Banana biscuits, muffins, frozen, baked, or even simply mashed up, will likely be devoured by your eager pet. Bananas are high in soluble carbohydrates, so they’re an excellent source of energy. The antioxidants they contain are helpful to a dog’s fur and skin. Bananas are also rich in Vitamin C, are low in sodium, and rich with potassium. All these things are a great addition to your pet’s diet.
2. Carrots
Carrots have the benefit of being not only one of the tastier vegetables to dogs, but also one of the healthiest. Carrots are high in every vitamin from A, B, C, D, E and K. Not to mention that they’re packed with potassium, calcium and iron, while being low in calories at the same time. Carrots can be given raw, or baked or cooked.
3. Green Beans
Green beans are another tastier vegetable on the list that can replace those high-calorie treats from the store. In addition to being used in raw or home-cooked diets, it’s becoming more common to replace 1/3 to 1/2 of kibble with green beans to promote weight loss in obese dogs. Unless you have a very large dog, they won’t go through an entire can a day, so simply store the excess in the fridge for tomorrow’s meals.
4. Strawberries
Strawberries are known for containing an enzyme that helps to whiten teeth, which can be helpful for you pet on top of the vitamins they pack. However, while your dog will happily scarf down an entire bowl of these, keep in mind they’re high in sugar and should be given in moderation. Think of them as a dessert-treat.
As with any diet for your pet, balance and moderation is the key; don’t replace more than 20% of their meal with fruits and vegetables. Also keep in mind that while a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are healthy for your pet, always check with your veterinarian before making any big dietary changes. Some fruits/vegetables can be harmful or even fatal, such as onions, garlic, avocados, grapes, raisins or any citrus fruits (as the acid will upset their stomach). Always start your dog out on small amounts of fruits and vegetables if they’re unaccustomed to eating them so their digestive system has a chance to adapt.
(Excerpt from) https://www.vetinfo.com/the-4-best-fruits-vegetables-for-dogs.html

[Addy J]

I have a 5 month Presa Canario pup. She was diagnosed with Giardia at 11 weeks. We were told by the vet to put her on panacur c for 6-7 days. We were also told that the only way to get it was via contaminated water or fecal matter contaminated by it. I asked about our older dog drinking out of our pups water bowl and was assured that our older god would be fine. I was also never told about washing toys, disinfecting or bathing my pup after her treatment. She is now on her 3rd treatment because she is coming up positive for giardia yet again. After reading all of this I have now lost faith in my vet. I’m shocked that these preventative measures weren’t discussed with us. The good news is she continues to gain weight. She went from 36lbs to 49.6 in 4 weeks. She is on a steady diet of earthborn holistic and had crazy energy. I don’t want this pup having further issues down the road with this parasite. I have ordered Kocci free and probiotics as well as added garlic and carrots to her food. I will treat her with panacur for 5 days then try retreating her after 10 days rest from treatment. Any other suggestions are welcome.
Question has anyone tried using grapefruit seed oil in their dogs food to help combat this nasty parasite?

[Marie P]

Salmon dinner for dogs, Woof food!
Salmon Dinner for dogs
Glad you have her on a good supplement; TRY this recipe:

3-4 bs. Wild caught salmon ( frozen is fine if you can’t get fresh) – COOK the Salmon,
5 cups brown rice cooked to mushy texture
1/2 chopped garlic clove – fresh
2 cups fresh cabbage – steamed / or Fry
1 1/2 cups of zucchini ~~ steamed / or Fry
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Daily multi-vitamin
( NUVET PLUS, (1) per dog, daily … NOT sold in stores
MUST be added in order to balance the meal. To order NuVET Plus see here http://www.nuvet.com/81098 ( green bottle)
( order Discount code 81098 or call 1-800-474-7044 Tell them Pet Nurse Marie sent you

( never home cook without out some way to balance your recipes.. vitamins and often bone meal are needed;

1. Fry salmon, vegetables and chopped garlic clove in olive oil until salmon is tender.
Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

– GARLIC is totally safe in small amounts and cooked.. buy fresh garlic. it’s actually a natural antibiotic

FEEDING a 50 to 60-pound dog this amount: ( PLEASE adjust to your dog’s Weight )

FEED him / her 2 1/2 cups in the am and only 1 1 /2 to 2 cups in the PM of the salmon meal —
PLEASE NOTE : this is a higher protein diet so do not give this to pets with PANCREAS issues

[anonymous]

Excerpt from Chewy, only one review so far, I would ignore it 🙂
https://www.chewy.com/purina-beneful-grain-free-real-farm/dp/143869

Chicken, Pea Starch, Cassava Root Flour, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Germ Meal, Soybean Meal, Canola Meal, Beef Tallow Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Dried Beet Pulp, Poultry and Pork Digest, Mono and Dicalcium Phosphate, Soybean Oil, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Blueberries, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Spinach, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], 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)], Choline Chloride, Iron Oxide (Color), Garlic Oil. A-4096.
Caloric Content
3522 kcal/kg, 349 kcal/cup
Crude Protein
24.0% min
Crude Fat
13.0% min
Crude Fiber
5.0% max
Moisture
12.0% max
Linoleic Acid
1.2% min
Calcium
1.0% min
Vitamin A
10,000 IU/kg
Vitamin E
100 IU/kg

[Susan]

Hi Peter, I live Australia & Garlic is in a lot of our Australian made dogs foods… Garlic is very healthy for dogs, it repeals worms, fleas & diseases….. When you read the ingredient list to the treats the garlic should be near the end of the ingredient list, the further down the ingredient list an ingredient is then there isn’t much of it….
When your bored Google “The Oldest Dog in the World” & watch the video made by Rodney Habib, Rodney Habib is good to follow on face book if your on Face book…

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=garlic
Hope this helps.

Ps: I don’t buy “powder” anything, it means other stuff is added to it, such as salt, msg.
Salt doesn’t help anything, I have been avoiding it for decades, with good results 🙂

Believe what you want. Tons of salt are added to most processed foods anyway.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by anonymous.

[anonymous]

Garlic for Pets- What’s it Good for?

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

Hope this helps.

[Peter H]

There is a huge difference between garlic powder and garlic salt.

Zuke’s beef Hip Action has 43 mg of salt per unit….. and their Chicken Hip Action has 30 mg. per unit. This seems to help bad knee and displasia.

Did not ask about salt in their Jerky Turkey (#12 in ingredients list)….. or in Z-Fillets Beef (#5 in ingredients list).

Have not seen anything definitive about salt for a 60 lb. dog. I have seen 200 mg/day to 2000 mg/day. What are others saying ?

[anonymous]

Regarding the treats mentioned, I don’t see the sodium content?
Whenever you see “powder” such as garlic powder, celery powder etc…..I question the amount of salt mixed in.
At least I do with stuff I buy for my own consumption. I stopped buying chili powder for my vegetarian chili for that reason.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by anonymous.

[anonymous]

“Raw garlic is probably a no-no……what about powdered garlic ?”

It depends on who you ask.
Homeopathic veterinary folks will tell you garlic is okay and even beneficial.
Science based veterinary medicine says garlic is toxic to dogs and to be avoided (big time).

[InkedMarie]

Raw garlic, in moderation, is actually fine. You’d have to use heads of garlic for toxicity. I’ve been using Bug off Garlic for years.

[Peter H]

Switching treats from Puperoni to Zuke’s…..which has garlic powder listed as the 4th ingredient listed. Vet says “not to worry”…..Fritz at Zukes says “OK”.

Raw garlic is probably a no-no……what about powdered garlic ?

Thanks

[Peter H]

Greetings….new member. I was concerned about garlic/garlic powder in dog food/treats…and Zukes.

Put both in Search Box and a lot showed up. A lot of replies are lengthy and I stopped reading after just a few….trying to pick out “Zukes” and ‘garlic” in the same black script was a bit much for impatient me.

Is it possible to highlight the Search word/term in red for old fuddy-duddys, like me ?

Thanks

[InkedMarie]

I use more natural methods: Bug Off garlic sprinkled in their food. They wear natural flea/tick collars from HoliticFamilyandPets dot com. I use Wondercide on the lawn & spray it on them if we go to areas where ticks will be. I’ve had great luck with this. Others claim natural methods don’t work but since they work for us, that is all that is important to me. Good luck!

[Acroyali]

Also–we’ve used Bug Off Garlic for our horses, and the fly problem was drastically reduced. The fly spray works for about 5 minutes, B.O.G seemed to work 24 hours a day which resulted in much happier horses. Happy horses are much more relaxed, and relaxed horses are much easier to work.

[Acroyali]

The only MDR1 dog we ever had was mutant/normal and he never got any form of conventional flea control. The MDR-1 gene seemed to exceed the norm, many “regular” medications made him act off so we opted to test several times a year for HW and (thankfully) he was always negative.
As far as garlic, etc. goes, we’ve had excellent results with this.
Last year we used nothing. No EO’s, no garlic, no lawn sprays or anything and didn’t have a flea problem. We’d find the occasional dead flea in the water bowl but the dogs never had fleas or flea dirt, the bathwater was always 100% flea-free, and the cats got flea combed as a precaution with no issues. Maybe we were just lucky.
We’ve had some nasty experiences with topicals in the past, when we would use them, but a few of our breeds over the years have seemed to have extra sensitivies to chemicals, which was enough to convince me that there has to be another way.

[anonymous]

Home Remedies That Will Not Get Rid of Fleas and Ticks — and May Hurt Your Pet
By Laura Cross | July 18, 2016
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.
Bad Idea: Dipping Pet in Motor Oil, Bleach, Vinegar or Turpentine
Bathing your dog or cat in motor oil, bleach or turpentine is dangerous way to attempt to get rid of fleas or ticks. Depending on the substance, it could cause serious health problems, chemical burns, even death. Vinegar, while it may seem like the safer bet, also has its problems. According to the ASPCA Poison Control Center, ingesting undiluted vinegar can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, mouth irritation and pain.
Bad Idea: Burning a Tick off with Lit Match
Holding a lit match next to fur to remove a tiny parasite should set off alarm bells in your head. If anything, this tick-removal technique could set your poor pet on fire. You should also avoid freezing off a tick with an aerosol-based freezing gel, as you’re more likely to hurt your pet than help him.
Bad Idea: Using Undiluted Essential Oils Directly on Your Pet
Some essential oils, like citronella, may help repel parasites, but that doesn’t mean you should use them on your dog or cat. Essential oils can be toxic to pets at certain concentrations, and these substances can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin or licked by your pet. Some natural flea and tick pet shampoos may contain essential oils, but because the oils are diluted with other ingredients, they are more likely to be safe if used according to label directions.
Bad Idea: Using Nail Polish and Petroleum Jelly to Kill Ticks
It’s an old wives’ tale that nail polish is an effective way to remove ticks. Many people think painting over a tick with varnish or smothering it in petroleum jelly will drown and kill the tick. But it could cause the tick to salivate or regurgitate into the bite wound, increasing the risk of infection. So keep nail polish on fingernails — not on your dog or cat.
The Best Ways to Prevent Parasites
Want to know what will work for you dog or cat? Talk with your veterinarian who can recommend safe parasite-control products that are effective for the parasites in your area. Then make sure you use them as directed.
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/home-remedies-that-will-not-get-rid-of-fleas-and-ticks-and-may-hurt-your-pet

[anonymous]

Not just opinion, a scientific fact. Natural flea/tick remedies do not work.

Ps: Wondercide stinks! I’ve used it in the past and found it to be ineffective, same with the brewers yeast and garlic supplements.

Believe what you want.

[InkedMarie]

“Natural flea/tick remedies do not work”. In your opinion but not mine! I’ve used Bug Off Garlic for years and added in flea/tick collars from Holistic Family and Pets last year after a tick was found in the yard, on my grandaughter. We Wondercide the yard which kills grubs too.

There are many people who swear by natural methods.

[Anna B]

Hi all,

I recently emailed Grandma Lucy’s to get some more information about the vitamin and minerals in the Pureformance premix. The ingredients listed in this forumula are: USDA Chickpeas, Flax, Carrots, Celery, Apples, Bananas, Blueberries, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Papaya, Spinach, Garlic, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Potassium, Manganese, Chloride, Copper, Magnesium,Pyridoxine, Cyanocobalamin.”

This was the first response I received: “Hello, Thank you for reaching out. Our vitamin and mineral supplements are supplied from a human-grade facility where we receive the chemical name and the type of source such as animal and vegetable. They are added to the food as vitamin packs.”

I asked for more specific information and their response was “I cannot disclose proprietary information. Is there something specific you need to know about a vitamin or mineral included?”

Do you think this is a pretty standard reply or kind of sketchy? I was hoping for more information about the source of each vitamin/mineral since the ones listed are incredibly vague ex. copper sulfate vs. copper proteinate. What do you think?

[aimee]

Hi Marie,

This recipe even with nu vet supplement looks to be very deficient.

For example for the entire recipe using the usda nutrient database for nutrient information and Wild caught Atlantic Salmon and medium grain brown rice I calculated out it contains 363 mg calcium. The nu vet supplement reports 100 mg Ca

NRC recommended requirements for a 50 lb dog are 1300 mg Ca/day Even if the 50 lb dog ate the entire recipe in one day plus the supplement the total Ca intake would be 463 mg Ca, falling far short of the required 1300mg.

Looking at another nutrient Vit A. The recipe contains 1100 IU and the supplement 1000 IU. NRA recommended amount ~1716 IU/day for 50 lb dog. If the dog ate the entire recipe along with the supplement the need would be met. But from feeding guidelines it appear that eating 1/3 of the recipe /day is more likely which doesn’t meet the requirement. To meet requirement the dog has to eat about 3/4 of the total recipe/day.

I don’t consider Nu vet to be an appropriate supplement for home cooking. When I tried to get a full nutrient profile for the supplement I was told it was proprietary and only the nutrients they post are available. This makes it impossible to use as a supplement for a home prepared diet.

Note: I had to make some assumptions when making the recipe so different values can be calculated. I used cups measured fresh not cooked and I didn’t add in the garlic.

[InkedMarie]

I do heartworm preventive but we do it every 45 days from March/April til October/November.

For fleas & ticks, I use Bug Off Garlic daily and spray with Wondercide. We also Wondercide the lawn.

[Susie]

I feed this too. We have Embark and the base mix Kindly. Could your doggie just love it so much more than his old food that he wants more? How’s his weight? Sometimes I top the Embark off with boiled turkey. Are you following the directions to feed more for high energy dogs? Jacks definitely are high energy. Their gudielines for feeding are just guidelines. Maybe you can sneak in a Kong filled with food for more calories and energy. Since it is high in fiber I have to be careful with over feeding. I will give them sweet potatoes on the side or more meat. I don’t know which foods are highest in calories but that’s something to look into. Mine have more gas on this sometimes and they haven’t in the last on other foods! And I don’t like the garlic in some of the mixes even though I’ve been assured they are fine in small doses I have one that is 5lbs so I worry. My girl begs for those treats they make called Pecks. It’s really bad and borderline annoying.

[Ginger B]

I am looking for a complete premix for my 8 pound chihuahua. I ordered a ton of samples from grandma Lucy’s and she didn’t like any of them. I think the garlic was overbearing in the mixes. I was looking for one that I could add my own meat to so that I can rotate the protein sources. See spot live longer looks like it is no longer made. There is a grain free from thk that I am going to try but with my dog being so picky it would be nice to have a back up plan. I would love to do my own home cooking but it seems so overwhelming with trying to get the vitamins and minerals all balanced out. I was looking into the dr dobias holistic products to add but someone told me that even with those there wasn’t enough calcium. If I would make my own home made can anyone recommend an all in one vitamin source or doesn’t that even exist? Ty!

[Jean R]

I have the same story as Kelly: 6 lb Parti Pom with collapsing trachea (taking Lomotil), hypothyroid (.1mg bid), seizures (Keppra 0.6 TID), knee issues, hair issues and she is diabetic getting 0.5U of N TID. She is on raw diet of meat, I mix in blender: 2 eggs with crushed shell, 1 can of green beans, 1 can pumpkin, 1 can of spinach, 1 banana, 10 blueberries, 1 tsp concentrated OJ, 1/2 Quinoa (Just added for fiber/protein). Garlic And anything else I have like broccoli/low cal high fiber, little or no sugar foods. Once a smoothe, she eats anything mixed in her meat. Her Frutosamines have been low and she went from 2U N to 0.5u but she still went into DKA with over 10000.00 ICU bill. We are not looking at frutosamine any more. I check her urine daily and if she has ketones, I add o.5u to her regimen. She is on it now after high ketone and high glucose reads last week. Her curve was done and she was in the 300s dropping to below 200 at noon and then back up to almost 400 at 5p. Her norm goal is to be under 250. We started her on the extra 0.5u and she is now maintaining 250-500 glucose and no ketones. I am told that she will always have 250 glucose but I get her to negative a lot. The good thing is that we avoided the ICU, the bad thing is that she has lost from 6lbs to 5.2lbs. I try and keep her just under 6lbs. Today she is 5.5lbs. She had been in the 8-9lb area when I started looking at her reasons and found all the above. (her seizures are from a fall down 22 steps, running out the door when a friend opened it to leave). I now feed her 1/4 raw (duck, rabbit, venison, quail-she is allergic to beef) at 6-7 am with insulin (her choice, definitely not mine), either goat milk (a tablespoon) or cottage cheese (a dab) with insulin at 1-2pm since she falls low then and again at 6-7 1/4 cup raw and at 9pm another snack and 0.5U of insulin…so today she is 250 glucose and no ketone urine dip. and has been relatively there for 3 days. I came here to see if there is anything else I can do for this little angel of 10.5 years. I think I will give her pumpkin for snacks, she is on a probiotic, 1/2 canine health and 1/4 tsp mangosteen as well as a small amount of milk thistle. She gets no rabies and her titer is high coverage (that is a total vet racket and kills off their internal organs and give seizures) and no other shots. I have pet protector which seems like voodoo but no one has had fleas the last 3 years so it works, I stopped fostering because she has become so protective of me, I can not work with the dogs in a healthy manner, she has a yorkie sibling that is on thyroid meds and stopped seizures after I fostered him and stopped all the shots/flea stuff. Any suggestions you have for weight gain (and anything else) I would be thankful,

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

[Rusty T]

Krista:

I tend to feed kibble in the morning, and kibble with a Topper at night. (I use I and Love and You Nude for the kibble and Holistic Selects Grain Free Canned Food.) I generally also sub out sometimes with left over veggies, or fresh meat. Last Saturday they got kibble mixed with beef tripe that I picked up for them. Monday, I threw in a can of sardines with the kibble. I have a bag of raw turkey necks in the freezer that I hand out from time to time. I generally boil a couple of extra eggs every week, and toss them in for the evening meal. I roast a chicken generally once a week and cut out the backbone before I roast the chicken, and feed the raw backbone to them. (My chicken cooks faster and more evenly if I butterfly it.) We keep a container in the fridge where we throw left over veggies from dinner that are big enough portions for a meal to toss in their kibble. But nothing with garlic in it.

[weezerweeks]

I haven’t tried this one but I use preference by THK and veg to bowl by Dr. Harveys.my yorkie did not like kindly by THK. I think he could smell the garlic.I will check u stew out

[crazy4cats]

Hi Natalie-
Are you mincing the garlic yourself? It is the allicin being released when you cut or crush the clove that is what kills the parasites. I would cut it and let it sit for about five or 10 minutes b4 adding it to their food. If you buy it minced, it might not be as effective. It sounds like you are being careful with it. That’s good. I along with many others on this site have not had an issue with it.

Also, in all my research, I’ve never come across Vit C being used to rid the parasite and agree with anon that adding excess vitamins to an already balanced diet is not a good idea unless directed by your vet.

[Natalie C]

Wow, thanks for all your help Crazy4cats!!! I’ve actually read about the garlic and was a little hesitant at first with it, but she now gets the absolute TINIEST amount minced, mixed in with her homemade food and kibble. I’m not sure if it’s doing anything but I thought it would be worth a shot and it’s being introduced to her ever so slowly.

I took your advice on the fiber in your earlier post and ran out to get some sweet potatoes and carrots for them! Any other food suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🙂 I’m planning on going to the pet store tomorrow to look for a probiotic for her, but for now do you think Kefir will be okay to eat after she takes her medication? She seems to enjoy it a lot too without any problems.

My vet didn’t prescribe Metronidazole, so I also ordered a second round of Panacur to give them 10 days after. But i’m probably gonna give intervet a call to figure out the correct dosages for her. And I think i’m going to put the Kochi Free on hold for now until after our next check up with the vet.

For the poop clean up, I try my best to clean it up asap with a we Lysol wipe and clean her pads 1-2x a day.

Both dogs are doing great. Eating all their food. No diarrhea, no constipation, solid poops. We’ve decided not to let P out during our nightly potty runs with Charlie. And everyone gets wiped down after every bowel movement, and after every walk.

If there are any other suggestions that would be greatly appreciated! Hoping to get this annoying bug OUT of my dogs!!!!!!!!!!!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Natalie-
I used Kocci Free on my dogs. Honestly, I tried everything and I’m not sure what actually cleared the darn critters finally. I hesitate suggesting alternative remedies because I do not want to cause something bad to happen to someone’s dog because they are controversial. Especially yours being so small. But, here I go: I also fed fresh garlic three times per week, high fiber foods (such as shredded carrots), DE, fermented vegetables and probiotics heavy on the Enterococcus faecium, and digestive enzymes on an empty stomach! Wheeew!!!

Here is a link for the digestive enzymes treatment: http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/giardia-natural-treatment-protocol/

Of course, I did not do them all at once. Haha! I do think that two rounds of Panacur five days each about 10 to 14 days apart is the most important thing to do. I’ve also heard that Drontal Plus may work on the buggers if the Panacur does not work. Make sure to use very very hot water and bleach to clean up where she goes potty.

They are finding that Metronidazole is not as effective as it used to be at getting rid of them, but in conjunction with Panacur it works better. It also helps the diarrhea. Giardia is intermittent and it’s not unusual that she is not having any symptoms right not. That is why it often goes undetected because people think their dogs just got into garbage or something. It is a cyclical parasite. I’m glad she is still doing well because it can cause some dogs to get extremely sick and do damage to their intestines if left untreated for a long time.

Once your pup has a healthy gut, they are less likely to get Giardia. I’m in the Pacific NW and it runs rampant here due to our mild wet climate. It’s in our dirt, unfortunately. Best of luck to you!

[InkedMarie]

I used to use Reel Raw. With grinds, it was cheaper for me to buy from Hare Today even with RR’s free shipping to me.

What supplements were you using that had to be ground? I use salmon oil (just throw the pill in), Bug Off Garlic, condition specific (my senior gets a joint supp, my girl gets a urinary supp).

[Susan]

Hi, do you follow Rodney Habib, Pet Nutrition Blogger on his Face Book page? he had a post about Rickets the begin of the year, he recommends adding tin sardines in spring water or oil to Raw/Cooked diet… https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib/?pnref=story
Sardines are suppose to be excellent & have vitamin D, B-6, A, C, B, Calcium, Omega 3 for skin, Magnesium, Iron…. & they’re cheap 69c a tin…Garlic is excellent to get rid of fleas, add some to diet, I live Australia & Garlic is added to most of our kibbles….. I hope Toby is feeling better soon…

[crazy4cats]

Hi Diana-

Yes, it I think it would be fine to make your dog a simple bland homemade diet for now to help heal his tummy. Such as boiled chicken or Turkey and sweet potato or pumpkin. However, I would not start adding a bunch of supplements to it all at once. You will not know what is helping or hindering your dog’s condition.

How I understand it is, the Giardia is causing the yucky stools. And trust me, I know exactly how yucky they can be. I have two big dogs and they both have had it at the same time on a couple of occasions. You need to concentrate on getting rid of the parasite at this time. Both Panacur and Drontal Plus are dewormers that have been fairly successful at ridding it. Also a probiotic with large amounts of enterococcus faecium have proved to be helpful also. I also am a believer in high fiber and garlic as a dewormer as well. But, you can clear that with your vet.

I’ve also read not to give them any diarrhea remedies per say as their bodies need to get rid of the parasites, not keep them trapped in their tummies.

And definitely follow the advice above on keeping everything clean. Pour very hot water and bleach on the spots where he goes potty. Giardia thrives in colder temps, not hot.

I hope skept vet answers your questions. I’ll be curious as to what he has to say.

Good luck!

Edit: BTW, have you had him re-tested yet?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Diana L]

Hi Susan,

Thank you so much for your response. AS for the fat % in the vet food, it says “Crude Fat Min. 13.0%”.

This is my thinking… his gut is one big swamp due to the effects of parvo (I assume he must have something similar to SIBO as he shows many of the signs). Now, in this swamp he has nasty parasites (giardia) eating away at his already vulnerable gut. This being said, after much research this is what I was thinking of going, but am nervous as none of these remedies are FDA approved for dogs (i of course will check with his vet but i find that many times hearing other pet owner’s experience is much more beneficial as every dog is different).

PLAN OF ACTION:

-take him off the vet food. Cook him organic, no antibiotic/hormones, vegetarian fed (aka the best of the best) chicken + sweet potato + carrots (i heard carrots help with a dogs digestive system).

-now for the basic supplements any puppy or dog would need in his food, I would mix in: seaweed plant based calcium powder ( https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Essentials-JX0001-Seaweed-Calcium/dp/B0002AAO2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472224097&sr=8-1&keywords=seaweed+calcium+pet ), and Multi-vitamin – this vitamin contains small bits of garlic and yucca which could help his intestinal problems ( https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Essentials-Herbal-Multi-Vitamin-Dogs/dp/B010F36XRK/ref=pd_sim_468_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7T75QBGRD5NZPA4GD5AJ )

-now for fighting off the giardia, building his immune system, and dealing with the aftermath of the parvo, I would add the following to his homemade food: goldenseal, echinacea, grapefruit seed extract, and slippery elm. (here is the article I read that suggested these items: http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/04/diarrhea-in-dogs-puppies-cats-kittens.html )

Once again, these are all things I will consult his vet with, but as i mentioned many times vets are VERY quick to prescribed whatever drug/prescription food they are “encouraged” to push just as doctors do with FDA approved drugs 🙂 I simply like to keep a balance is all.

Any input!? Thanks again for all your wonderful help!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Diana-
I would do another round of panacur as well. Giardia is becoming resistant to Metronidazole these days. If my dogs get it, I give them five days of panacur followed by another five days 10 days later. Is the Rx food high in fiber? Fiber along with a very healthy gut helps the cause also. I’d keep him on it. Garlic is a controversial remedy, but I feel the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to Giardia.

That poor pup. He’s a survivor though and he’ll beat this. Please report back on how the little guy is doing. Best wishes!

[Christine W]

Kathleen,these are the ingredients:Starch, hydrolyzed soy protein isolate, vegetable oil, dicalcium phosphate, oat fiber, powdered cellulose, partially hydrogenated canola oil preserved with TBHQ, potassium chloride, guar gum, lecithin, corn oil, choline chloride, magnesium oxide, DL-Methionine, salt, taurine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, niacin, ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, garlic oil, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.

I usually stay away from Canola oil.

[Jasmine C]

Yes she does, and also I forgot to wright ,she also eats raw cow liver, just a couple of pieces, for some reason she doesn’t like chicken liver, hart, and gizzard, but she also eats chicken wings, and necks. People said, she will have worms, but she didn’t. I give her every day carrots, pumpkin seeds- this is keep worms out. Also I would like to start Bentonite clay . I do not used any chemical spray for flees. I make my own natural spray, and it is work perfect Plus I give her raw garlic too, which also keep worms flees away. We don’t go to the vet. She is healthy doggy.

[Maniza D]

Sorry .. I did not read that your dog maybe allergic to fish. My research revealed that dogs with digestive issues are best treated with having a higher protein than fats and carbs. Dogs do not have the intestines needed for digesting complex carbs … hence diarreahh, stinky stools, big stools etc. There is a PHD pet nutritionist in Canada who has a cookbook for dogs as wells totally balanced vitamin supplement. Her name is Hilary Watson and her website is http://www.hilarywatson.com/. I spoke with her today. She was very helpful. She is the one who suggested to me that my Toby may not have an allergies to food but food intolerances. Her recommendation was to feed him food with lower fat content than I had been. The recipe I created above certainly provides less fat than what he was accustomed to with Acana. I also think the addition of slippery elm, the small amount of garlic, ginger and some greens has helped tremendously. Dr. Watson suggested that once his digestive system has settled down, I might want to reintroduce him to other low fat proteins such as turkey, venison, bison and goat. But please note that almost every kibble has higher fat percentage than protein. The fat is added back in to make the food palatable to dogs. Natural Balance is a good food per my breeder .. but it’s nutrient values are (for fish and sweet potatoe .. limited ingredients) Protein 22%, Fat 20% and the remainder is carbs.

[Maniza D]

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD FOR DIGESTIVE AND SKIN ISSUES
My 13 month old Tibetan Terrier has been sick on and off since I got him at 14 weeks old. After spending thousands of dollars, I decided to cook for him. After doing a lot of research, I discovered that the Acana Pacifica he was on was too rich for him. Acana, like most dog foods does not have a balanced protein to fat ratio (1:1). It is a very fatty kibble. Also it has quite a few sources of carbs lentils ( which are also a source of protein) etc. Lentils are hard to digest, even for humans .. see Indian cooking where Hing is added to aid digestion of these pulses. The Acana ingredients may work well for other dogs but not mine. I decided to switch to homemade meals and the recipe below cured him of stomach ailments overnight!

I was able to create this recipe using BalanceIt website. Couple of important things to note : I added in one capsule of Slippery Elm, great supplement for digestive issues, rosemary, one teaspoon of fresh garlic-ginger paste, parsley, a half teaspoon of bonemeal, and substituted out a portion of the corn oil (causes inflammation) for 1/2 tsp of high quality fish oil. I also adjusted the ingredient quantity to cook for 14 meals ( 2 per day). I cooked the base consisting of the cod, salmon, sweet potatoes and pumpkin and froze the portions. The fresh veggies in the recipe are par-boiled and pureed in the water they were boiled in, and added on a daily basis, along with the above ingredients and a VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT. Very important to add the vitamins and bonemeal (for calcium) to create a nutritionally balanced meal. I add in the bonemeal because the calcium to phosphorus ratio is off in the BalanceIt Vitamin powder.

The following homemade recipe was specially created for a 28 lb healthy adult dog who requires 659 Calories per day. The following recipe provides 692 Calories, enough for 1 day.

TOBY’S HOMEMADE PET FOOD RECIPE
Ingredients Grams Amount
(1) Sweetpotato, baked in skin, without salt (BalanceIT.com; flesh fed only) 200.0 g 1 cup
(2) Fish, cod, Pacific, baked 159.5 g 5 5/8 oz
(3) Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, baked 74.4 g 2 5/8 oz – *I used canned
(4) Pumpkin, canned, without salt 61.2 g 1/4 of a cup
(5) Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 56.2 g 3/8 of a cup, diced
(6) Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 45.0 g-1/4 cup
(7) Squash, summer, crookneck and straightneck, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed without salt 45.0 g 1/4 of a cup, sliced
(8) Apples, raw, with skin 40.9 g 3/8 of a cup slices
(9) Oil, corn, industrial and retail, all purpose salad or cooking 18.7 g 1 3/8 tbsp – *I use only 1.5 tsp.

You MUST also add the following supplement(s) to prevent essential nutrient deficiencies:
2 3/8 teaspoons (4.75 gram) of Balance IT® Canine – I give Toby half the dose.

Per Above Recipe: 692 Calories; 33% protein calories (228 Calories); 34% fat calories (238 Calories); 33% carbohydrate calories (226 Calories).

[InkedMarie]

Diane P: you would need an enormous amount of garlic to harm a dog. Many of us use some form of garlic for fleas/ticks.

[Diane P]

PLEASE!!!!!
DO NOT USE GARLIC OR ONIONS IN HOMEMADE FOOD. THEY ARE POISONOUS TO DOGS AND CATS. I’LL POST A LIST OF INGREDIENTS THAT ARE NOT GOOD FOR DOGS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE – BUT YOU CAN GOOGLE A LIST OF FOOD THAT ARE POISON TO DOGS.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Mary A-
I also had a tough time getting rid of my dogs’ Giardia infections. It is really frustrating. Sometimes the antigens from the parasite stay in the dog’s system for a while. You may want to wait a few more weeks before doing another fecal test. It may finally be gone.

Normally, I try to listen to a traditional vet. But, unfortunately, when it comes to Giardia, I also came to this site and got some great holistic advice to finally rid of it. I’m at work right now, and my notebook is at home with all the different remedies that I tried.

A couple of things that I do remember using though is using a medicinal dosage of probiotics that contain a high percentage of enterococcus faecium: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19298607

I’ve also had read that added fiber is good. So, I added shredded carrots to their meals. In addition, I added fresh cut garlic cloves for its antibacterial properties. Make sure to let it sit for about 10 minutes before you feed it as the allicin needs to release before it is beneficial. http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-friend-or-foe/

I also used the Kochi Free tincture, DE added to their food, some fermented veggies. and digestive enzymes on an empty stomach!!! LOL Here is Little Big Cat’s giardia protocol: http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/giardia-natural-treatment-protocol/

I didn’t add them all at once, thank goodness. Poor dogs!!! But, it finally did go away and I’ve been using Panacur still every six to 12 months because I’m so scared it may come back.

Here is Great Dane lady’s recommendations for Giardia: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/giardia_protozoa_diarrhea_vomiting_weight-loss..htm

You do need to get rid of it as soon as possible due to it possibly causing some damage to your pup’s gut. Sounds like you are trying to do just that. Use hot bleach water to dump on the spots where he poops too. Best of luck to you! I’ll write back if I can think of anything else.

[Sandy C]

Hi there,

I would like to follow up..

We have a 13wks pup, HoKi. She was diagnosed carrying giardia (>30) when she was 11wks old. Vet gave her Panacur (1gram) for 3 days, went tested, came back positive (3-10), back on Panacur (1gram) for 5 days, test came back still positive (>30) again..

We use pin-sol + bleach to clean out balcony where she pre and pooped; washed her bedding with hot water and in dryer in hot for 1.5 hours..

Day before yesterday we started to add 1/4 clove chopped and heated garlic into her food.

We want to know what else can we do to get rid off giardia?

Thank you
Sandy

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Sandy C.

[Michelle B]

GRAPES ARE BAD FOR DOGS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOXIC!!! THEY COULD CAUSE KIDNEY FAILURE!!! IT IS NOT AN “ALLERGY”!!!

Even if your dog ate grapes before and was “fine,” that doesn’t mean that they’re somehow immune. It is possible to have kidney damage without symptoms. The effect is accumulative. So if you keep feeding them grapes, eventually the damage to your dog’s kidneys would be great enough to cause renal failure.

It is the actual flesh of the grape that is toxic to dogs, not the seed, as some people think. Grapeseed extract is safe for dogs, so that tells you that it is not the seed that is bad for dogs. Grapes (all varieties, seedless or not), raisins, grape jelly/jam, grape juice are toxic to dogs (and cats). It is difficult to say how much could cause a dog to become seriously ill, or even kill them, so it is safest to call your vet ASAP (or take them to an emergency clinic after hours).

Garlic is okay in small amounts (some dog foods & treats contain garlic). But unless you know the safe dose for your dog’s weight, do not feed them homemade foods or treats with garlic!

Onions are also toxic to dogs, but again, are okay in small doses (but don’t feed to your dogs if you don’t know how much is safe!).

A dog would have to eat a lot (relative to their weight) of MILK CHOCOLATE (for example, my 60 lb dog would have to eat 1kg of milk chocolate to become seriously ill). If it is dark chocolate, baker’s chocolate, or cocoa powder however, a very small amount (1 tbsp for my dog) could kill them! Here is a great calculator to help you decide whether you should take your dog to the vet or not: http://www.petmd.com/dog/chocolate-toxicity

From what I’ve read, avocados are not actually toxic to dogs or cats (they ARE toxic to birds & other animals though). The risk is that your dog may swallow that giant avocado seed in the center. They could choke on it, or it could block their digestion system, which would require surgery.

As for meat bones, it’s an evaluation of risk and reward that every dog guardian needs to make their own choice about. Large, weight-bearing bones (such as large leg bones from cattle or pigs) are more likely to chip or break a tooth. Chicken or turkey bones are less likely to cause injury to teeth. I like to give my dogs chicken wings or turkey vertebrae to chew on. NEVER give your dogs cooked bones!!! Raw bones are safer b/c they will not splinter like cooked bones would! But raw bones could be risky if you have a young child, elderly person, or anyone with immunity issues in the home, or in contact with the dog. Antlers are a possible alternative for dogs with allergies (but again, chipping or breaking a tooth is possible).

[ishita k]

From what I know is that some dogs are allergic to veg foods like avocados,grapes,garlic and butter etc. Not all human food is bad for dogs, but foods like chocolate, garlic,and raisins are bad for them.Some dogs face issues with meat bones as well. Many vets and dog owners reported problems like nausea ,digestion problems after feeding them bones.There are many organic food products which promise 100% veg food for dogs,I personally use Dogsee chew products for my dog and have not faced any serious situations so far! Touch wood.I feel it solely depends on the built up of the dog.So,I guess the consulting a vet to find out about the food the dog is allergic is a good option.

[DogFoodie]

Do you add a small amount of salt and garlic to your jerky?

[InkedMarie]

I have used a Vetri Science spray, Wondercide spray and also Bug Off Garlic to repel.

[Becca]

I’ve used only natural products on my dogs and cat for the past five years. you name it ive tried it there is nothing out there naturally that i haven’t gave it my all to get them to work, diatamacous earth, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lemon, every spray they have ever made, beside all the homemade spray i’ve made, as well as the amber collars, and those tags, flea trap lights, etc, the list goes on. i’ve dealt with the fleas for 5 straight years with no relief, the new vet i go to wants my dogs on bravecto, it makes me sick to my stomach just to think about giving it to them. so its sitting in the package. it is too new to the market, although they say its safe for pregnant and nursing dogs then why have i read about horrible reactions, even death. in the past i’ve tried spot on flea treatments which always made my dogs not right for 3 day or so and my cat was frothing at the mouth does anyone know which product out there is the safest, with the least side effects and no pyethrins or any others in that family of pesticides

[Suzanne W]

Aimee, anonymously, pitlove, eldoctor, Anna c, and forum readers, thank you so much for all the advise and thoughtfulness! I really feel that you care about my Maltese, Sophie. She has been fine except for being a little more tired the past couple days, then vomited a small amount this morning, but is eating, drinking, and urinating fine. She has had no other symptoms and I truly believe that with great food and good care, she will make her new red blood cells and be perfectly fine. I have read veterinary journals i.e. Experiments which are horrible to the lab dogs, but I digress. I learned that day five is frequently when problems are SEEN, though if the dog ate a bunch it may have vomiting and diarrhea very soon. The blood work is abnormal the very next day, but they may appear fine till day five which in one study was sorta level then started slowly dropping on day seven. They replace approximately one percent of their red blood cells daily, so it takes awhile. Red blood cells have a life of 120 days. Vomiting should be induced immediately and then take to emergency vet because they might give activated charcoal or other care which may keep your dog from any serious problems. If you didn’t induce vomiting in the first two hours, then just take your dog in anyway. If your dog develops signs and symptoms of panting, fast heart rate, fast breathing, restlessness, lethargy, portwine coloured urine, pale gums, not eating or drinking, weakness, dark colored skin, bruising, finally collapse, obviously you needed to get dog in at beginning of all this. There isn’t a cure, but the treatment is supportive i.e. I’ve fluids, possible corticosteroids, antibiotics though I didn’t get why, and possibly a blood transfusion with oxygen as the red blood cells are how the oxygen travels through system. If you take pet in, then they have an excellent prognosis, but if you try to deal with this at home, your pet may die or suffer organ failure, heart problems, and may even need surgery. Now it’s time for a healthy diet to hel make red blood cells. An iron rich(think liver). Diet will help. They recommend meat, eggs, fish, folic acid(found in enriched cereals and fortified products) and vitamin c. That’s all I can remember off hand. Sorry so long, but i want to help anyone who goes through the same thing. Btw the studies were on onions and garlic, allium family. Thanks again to all of your support it meant so much to me, you have no idea. I’ll update after this is completed! And to Pitlove, that pit charged but only wanted to sniff. My precious Ida freaked out and that’s what started the problem. Neither dog was at all viscous. God bless!!!

[Suzanne W]

Strange… I bought some aloe Vera juice the other day for my gsd for skin issues which I’m trying to decide how to get her to take it because my dogs do not take a syringe against their wills. My Maltese, Sophie bites, and my gsd , well when she refuses, you can hang it up. I wil try to figure something out. So far so good on Sophie’s garlic episode, need to wait a couple more days. Dealing with skin issues seems like nonstop with my shepherd, now. she’s on so many supplements, but not the aloe Vera juice… Yet. Thanks so much Anna c! And to pitlove, I kid you not… After our mention of pits and German shepherds… My husband was walking Ida today and some guy opened his garage and his pit charged Ida, but apparently didn’t want to fight thank God, but Ida was so freaked out she was yelping so loudly and there was a huge ruckus people coming out of their houses and my husband trying to separate these two! Pit owner was right behind his dog, poor guy fell he was running so fast., Ida made it out with one small wound which will be healed in a few days with silversol silver, and the pit was unharmed, so I would say that a pit and German shepherd met on bad terms today and one scrape was it! They didn’t want to fight, Ida just got scared and it freaked them both out! Ironic since we just spoke of this kind of thing! Ok to deal with those skin issues, but I’m on the wrong forum… Figures!