[GSDsForever]

I’ve had good success crumbling Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried raw medallions over the food, just about a quarter to half of a medallion, crumbled fine enough that the dog cannot pick it out and just eat the S&C. I honestly think of it as like doggie crack (lol).

Some dogs have also been attracted to virgin coconut oil mixed into the food.

Turkey/chicken/beef broth warmed & poured over the food is another winner.

Other ideas: parmesan cheese or garlic powder* (or a minced clove*) sprinkled over

*NB: Although this is considered a controversial item by some, I’ve always used it in medium to large breed dogs without problems. I regard it as safe and beneficial to health. The dogs seem to like it. And my vet approved it.

[Nancy K]

I am so thankful that Rudy is still with us. Hopefully soon we can get together enough people to have the courts take this off the market. What is really strange is we had been using Frontline Plus for about 5 years before and nothing ever happened (that we know of) One morning a month before when he had Frontline, our other dog started barking and wouldn’t stop so my husband got up and Rudy tried biting him. We should have realized something was wrong. Then the next month when we gave him to FP he had the seizure. Keep using the natural sprays but be careful as too much garlic is not good either. Thanks for replying.

[InkedMarie]

Sorry Rudy had such a bad reaction to Frontline. I used it once then felt horribly guilty. I use Bug Off garlic wih some natural sprays.

[Jennifer H]

What do you mean “before you knew better”? At the shelter I intern at that was the product recommended to me, but I still have several months of advantage multi so I wasn’t looking to switch, plus my sisters dog was on it and it made him sick constantly. I didn’t know there was anything bad about it besides it made some dogs sick?

I still see fleas occasionally on Toby even with the Multi. I think it may have to do with the sandy area we live in, or maybe the amount of dogs around. I’m not sure. 2 years ago we had a massive infestation even with everyone on flea products, not sure we could ever do without….

I really do hate the spot-on, but I just don’t know what to do. I’ll try the ACV and garlic and see if perhaps that makes a difference.

I was thinking of switching to Sentinel and just using herbal flea sprays on Toby for the adult fleas. I worry though that if the Sentinel doesn’t kill adult fleas, the fleas could just lay eggs in the carpeting and then boom, infestation.

[theBCnut]

I don’t do much for fleas. I think what I feed helps me to not have a very big flea issue. I do use some essential oils in a water spray to repel fleas when the dogs go out off our property, and for a couple months over summer, I have to bathe them more frequently. If I have a year where the weather has made the fleas really bad, I’ll use just about anything to knock them down then frequent baths to keep them down. As far as what I feed, raw meat, garlic, apple cider vinegar.

I’ve used Sentinel, which has something that makes flea eggs not hatch out in it. I’ve used Interceptor and Comfortis, but not at the same time. I used Trifexis, before I knew better. My dog really had problems with it, in fact I eventually lost him because of it, but he had epilepsy and a few other issues that also affected his life expectancy.

Currently, I use Heartgard or sheep ivomec.

[Nancy C]

Here’s what I did. I was very nervous because my GSD had had terrible digestion problems and the vet was pouring down HILLS WD formula (which is sawdust) in him which made me cringe.

I ordered an air dehydrated dogfood called BIG DOG NATURAL. You can Google it. My homeopathic vet recommended it and Darwin’s to me and HE suggested that I start out with Big Dog because it has fermented vegetables in it and that is outstanding for the digestive track. One morning I started cold turkey on it. They LOVED IT. I have an 11 yr old Golden and a 2 yr old GSD. They licked the bowl for almost a minute! I was amazed. So that fast they were on RAW FOOD. I took it carefully for two or three weeks – they had NO PROBLEM with that food, and it is air dehydrated RAW! Then one day I just gave them chicken. Raw. I followed the guidelines and gave the golden 17 oz and the GSD I had to end up giving him 2 1/4 pounds per day. I got the butcher to quarter the chickens (Whole Foods $7.99 and I would pick through the chickens and get a 5 pound one). He would quarter it for me. NOW I do all that myself. I get chickens at Costco that are non chemical/ no hormones. $1.09 a POUND! You have to have a set of scales to weigh out the proportions. And I cut the nub off the chicken drum sticks. Put the piece(s) in a bowl and voila. You need to give 10% organs and 1/2 of that must be liver. I also give them Mercola’s probiotics, a fish oil cap and garlic caps. Happy Dogs.
Good Luck.

[Nancy C]

Okay — I’ve been gone for a while…. trying to get this Raw Food under my belt…
My first golden lived 15 yrs, never had commercial flea control, I gave her garlic as the breeder said. Never a flea problem. Second golden, same. she is 11 yrs old now and I have NEVER seen a flea on her. Garlic. I give her 2 a day (She’s 58 lbs) – I use the little round ones from Whole Foods, 500 mg. That is ALL I have ever used with her. No Fleas!

My chair when I got my Phd, Dr. Norman Shealy, former Harvard Neurosurgery prof and founding president of the American Holistic Medical Assoc, uses BEST YET by CEDARCIDE on his dogs. He lives on a farm way down a mile or two gravel road in Missouri on the Mo River where it is damp and fleas love it there. He swears by it. Recommended to me. I spray that on my dogs now too for safe measure, now that I have the GSD too. He is 73 lbs and I give him 3 of those garlic caps and spray him once a week. Best Yet is Organic. There is a competing similar brand, but Best Yet was apparently there first. I think the other brand is WonderCide. They put a fragrance in theirs. Best Yet smells like cedar. Fleas HATE CEDAR!! Hope this helps.
NOW the Q is: WHAT TO DO FOR TICKS??? Season will be here soon.

[Shawna]

It’s important to give doxy whether doing the slow kill or the immitricide as it kills the wolbachia which is what causes havoc at die off. LOTS of vets and others are successfully using methods other than immitricide. For those that feel comfortable using it, do so. But for those that don’t, like myself, it is good to know that there are options. Here’s some of them.

Dr. Karen Becker – “As it turns out, low-dose ivermectin therapy in dogs with no sensitivity to the drug, in combination with the antibiotic doxycycline, can be an extremely effective, inexpensive option for treating heartworm infection.

The cost was about 50-75 percent cheaper than Immiticide and all four cases of infection cleared beautifully.

The only time I’ll consider using Immiticide in the future (once it becomes available), is when I have an ivermectin-sensitive patient.” http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/11/22/cheaper-safer-therapy-for-heartworm.aspx

Dr. Marty Goldstein (vet to the rich and famous) uses herbs and food to clear heartworm. He also feels monthly heartworm preventatives are a leading cause of cancer in our pets. He discusses it in his book “The Nature of Animal Healing”.

Dr. Melissa Shelton is treating her heartworm infected rescued dog with Young Living essential oils.

Additionally, Dr. Shelton discusses a person she personally spoke with who cleared a SEVERE case of heartworm in her rescue senior pup using alternatives.. “She had taken the dog to the University to have an echocardiogram performed. The heartworm infection was so severe, that they recommended endoscopic removal of the worms from the heart — they gave the dog a very guarded prognosis, even with that procedure. No matter which treatment they chose – it was a very grim outlook for this little dog.

She decided to try a natural approach. What did she have to lose?…….

Not only did the little dog not die, but all of the heartworm died without major side effects. The dog is still alive today, and doing well.” This case was cured using essential oils. http://www.crowriveranimalhospital.com/pdf/15-2010%20Heartworm%20%28Dogs%29.pdf

Research has shown that garlic and ginger alcohol extract both kill heartworms. My guess is that garlic also kills the wolbachia bacteria.

I would never tell anyone to not use immitricide if they were more comfortable with that route. I am intelligent (at least I think I am) :), I’ve researched this topic thoroughly and I personally, without even a moments reservation, would use the slow kill method with my fur kids.

The heart is a muscle. IF a few heartworms did in fact do some damage to the heart, it is quite capable of repairing itself. But, to help things along, I would certain give Standard Process Cardiac Support while doing the slow kill method.

PS — remember Dave’s Hounds? He used the slow kill method with his senior rescue hound dog successfully.. I know quite a few people (including REALLY ill pets) that have recovered using slow kill method.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 10 months ago by Shawna.

[JetJacqui]

In my case, the best way to get rid of fleas is the combination of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast. the daily dosage of apple cider vinegar is 1 tablespoon for 60 lbs body weight in drinking water. too much apple cider vinegar (2 tblspoon / 60 lbs) will cause diarrhea; Springtime fresh factor contains nutritional yeast. The dosage is 2 tablet for 60 lbs.

I’ve tried springtime bug off garlic tablet and powder on my yorkie, chihuahua and collie. the garlic tablet is better than the powder because it contains nutritional yeast. i don’t use bug off garlic anymore because their gums and inner ears turned pale after few months. After 1 month without bug off garlic, their gums and inner ear turned back to healthy pink/reddish color.

I’ve tried wondercide repel with citronella and geranium. it didn’t help at all. I bathe my dogs once a month and they’re free from ticks and fleas.

[DogFoodie]

OK, so the stool is still formed, but mucusy, right?

I would think that it could be a food intolerance. Whether to the rice, lamb, or some other ingredient. I would eliminate the new food you were beginning to introduce and see if things clear up on their own. Compare the ingredients in what he’s been eating to what you were beginning to introduce.

I’m still working on an elimination diet of sorts with my Golden with food intolerance issues. Any time he has a reaction to something, I eliminate the new food/supplement and go back to the base diet so things can resolve. Only then, do I know for sure what the offending ingredients were. Problem ingredients can be obvious like, lamb or rice, or more obscure, like flax or garlic. So compare every ingredient. Sometimes a reaction takes a little while and sometimes, it’s immediate. So almost anything he’s eating could be suspect. Because my dog has so many intolerances and I’m a rotator, it’s important to me to have several foods that I know he’s good with to use as a barometer.

[Naturella]

On a side note… I love, love, love me some (people) tripe soup!!! We make ours with lots of oil, paprika, tripe (of course), onion and garlic, and sour cream or milk and egg, and when served, you add a heaping spoonful (if you dare) of a mix of minced garlic in vinegar and red pepper flakes galore. It is a miracle hangover cure (as is sourkraut juice spiced with paprika btw 😉 ) and a great warm-up on a cold night. If you’re Bulgarian or a bread-lover, you’d also need an average-sized sourdough boule to accompany a bowl of said soup. 🙂

[Heather L]

Thank you all for your suggestions.
Prior to this ordeal he was eating dry food with a bit of warm water. Unfortunatly at his last teeth cleaning 2 yrs ago he had to have a bunch of extrations that ended him with 5 teeth left. He totally adapted well to that and has had no isues with eating pretty much anything. This past week i have been giving him a special food from the vet that is high in nutrients via syringe and stage 2 baby food (no onion or garlic). I am finding that now that he is attempting to eat the chicken, it is best if its cut in longer strips. He seems to be able to get it in his mouth easier. I thought little boiled meat balls would be good but they seem to just roll out. I am also still doing food by the syringe due to me not feeling hes getting enough with just chicken. I know its going to take time for him to adapt. As of right now my husband and i are just excited he has come this far with all of this. Hes one strong PUP!! To answer your question Dori were thinking he may have had a seisure that cut off the blood supply due to his jaw clamping down on that area. The line that was on his tongue from good tissue to bad was identical to his upper jaw gum line. He has had seisures in the past but never enough for the vet to put him on meds. They are far and few between. He may have had one when we were not home and we didnt even relize. We do have two other dogs another mini poodle and bichon frise so to say if a Pee accident occured which is a sign of a seisure we wouldnt have known it came from our oldest. 🙁
Thank you all again for your help and comments

[Dog_Obsessed]

I am so sorry you had to go through this! Wet food will probably be easier to eat then dry food, so you could look around at some 4 and 5 star wet options and chose one to start with. I agree with DogFoodie about the baby food, just make sure that it does not contain onion or large amounts of garlic.

[DogFoodie]

I’d suggesting trying a limited ingredient food other than what the vet is offering first. The products you’re feeding now aren’t single sources of protein and have lots of potential allergens. Food intolerances are tricky. Sometimes you have to dig deeper in the list of ingredients to figure out what is the actual problem. It’s taken a long time for me to figure out that my dog cannot only not have any form of fish, but he also cannot have garlic, tomato, flax, chickpeas, lentil and I’ve just added barley to the list.

The only way to figure out what those intolerances are is to do a true elimination diet. Allergy tests are notoriously unreliable and give both false positives and false negatives.

The limited ingredient diet that I’ve had the best luck with, by far, is Nature’s Variety Instinct LID. Choose a protein that your dog hasn’t eaten before. As long as he can handle that, peas, tapioca and canola oil, you should be good. Wellness Simple has too many problem ingredients in it (fish) that my dog doesn’t tolerate, so I was never able to use it. It’s a good product though, and worth a shot. I’d prefer it over Royal Canin and Science Diet any day.

[DogFoodie]

I make bone broth, but it’s such a pain. Last time, I ended up with only about 12 ounces, but it was beautiful gelatinous stuff. I let it set and sliced it. It’s very concentrated so I mix a piece in with some hot water to pour over their food. The dogs love it. I used a big bag of chicken necks that I ordered from MPC. They were frozen together and had some freezer burn. Bone broth has tons of glucosamine and other healthy stuff.

Personally, I wouldn’t use the onion at all. My good friend’s Bichon died a slow, painful death from liver failure in October after eating a small amount of raw onions. Onion is more toxic than garlic. I’d save the onion for your soup. It’s not safe for your dog.

[debra r]

Hi Inked Marie,

For The homemade muffins I use a Hypoallergenic gluten free formula. I have cut and past directly from the website

http://www.theskyesthelimit.com/product%20listing.htm#Gluten%20free

Pre-Mix ingredients: Organic milled whole brown rice, whole chick peas, whole oats, calcium, carob, 100% pure alfalfa, Acadian sea kelp, oregano, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, ginger, garlic.

I then add my own ingredients changing the protien source sometimes to change it up as well as the type of vegetables. A batch normally makes me about 25-30 muffins and i freeze them and thaw a few in the fridge at a time.

I add a protein source (normally beef, veal or prok) a green vegetable (green beans), an orange vegetable (carrots), red apple, Blueberries, oil (I use Cold pressed Safflower Oil), and water. I also add in 1 Egg.

Also i was looking into the Wellness Simple brand, Do you think i should switch brands completely? Maybe its an additive in the Wellness that is bothering him?

Thanks

Debra

[Cait Y]

Ok so I have lurked here for a little over a year, and recently started making my own raw cat food via Lisa A. Pierson, DVM because one of my boys almost died after getting into the Dry food AGAIN and his whole GI system blocked up because he cannot handle the lack of fluids in dry food. He is such a picky eater that I had put off the raw diet dreading that he would turn his nose up at it like he did the other high quality raw/semi cooked food I tried buying him. He LOVED the home made food, he even batted off his BFF to eat his food too!
HoundDogMom, other raw feeders please bear with me I know that the whole shebang I know as of now it is 6 pages long. I am trying to paint the whole picture with the dogs, their special needs and what is causing me confusion with the Raw feeding books I have read. There is so much going on right now in my personal life that I am having a very hard time understanding this and if anyone could help point me in the right direction or even a book or website or from experience I would be so very very grateful.
The biggest reservation I have about feeding Raw to the dogs (who LOVED the scoop of homemade cat food I gave them as a test) are the bones and sadly the limited ingredients I can use for my Special Needs Hound.
I have a 14 yr old Walker hound (Forest) who has like no teeth left and was just diagnosed with cushing’s disease but has some pretty abnormal liver tests because of the damage that was done while he went undiagnosed. His liver is so enlarged it displaces his stomach sideways and upwards which makes EASILY digestible food a must. He cannot have food high in phosphorus, copper or ammonia which means little to no red meat and lots of poultry, eggs and pork. He also has problems with chronic Constipation so I would have to be VERY careful about the amount of bone I add to his diet but I also want enough in there to give him the nutrients he needs. Since he is older he also burns a LOT of calories, He is on Vital Fresh pet Turkey or Chicken and gets 1.5 lbs a day. I don’t know what is causing him to burn so many calories except for old age or maybe his body is trying to repair itself – all he does is lounge in the lawn and do his hound dance for food – people or animal whichever he can mac on at the moment lol
My 3 yr old yellow lab (Nova) is also a high calorie burner but she is super active, we do scent tracking, retrieving, and lots of walking/running on the grass. She will go until she drops which I have never seen before, so now I watch her very closely for signs she is over heated. She eats up to 2 lbs of the above dog food a day but is still losing weight on occasion when her activity jumps up again. She has always had double the amount of Eosinophils in her blood that she should at a “normal” rate. She has been checked for parasites so the best I can come up with is that she might have GI issues going on intermittently – she doesn’t transition food gracefully and really doesn’t tolerate even high quality kibble (after research it’s not such a mystery anymore) which is in part what turned me onto Freshpets Vital.
To top it all off I have a Four month old female lab puppy (Ellie) that is still growing. I have her on 2 lbs of Freshpets vital but I am worried that she is not getting something in her diet as well. She has three white lines running across her nails – each nail on every paw. In my experience when the horses have white lines or even indents it means either they were very very sick or have a mineral/vitamin deficiency of some sort. I know when Ellie came to us she had a severe infection of hook and round worms. Her infection was so severe at 8 weeks old that the vet said she would have died untreated – thank you OCD and taking her to the Vet the same day she was brought home lol. They were resistant to the normal worming meds and for 2 months we battled with getting them under control and gone. If Dogs are like horses that would cause the lines because of how sick she was during this (Great going Lemon law Florida) yet I also worry because I know parasites in small animals or even large can cause a huge system imbalance with nutrients which hinders growth.
OK Limited ingredients – because of Forest I have to stick to Chicken, Turkey, and Eggs as a main protein source due to his liver problems and because Rabbit in completely unviable to me unless I want to raise them myself. I have no local butcher – the closest one is three hours away so Chicken and Turkey liver will have to do for organ meat – sometimes I can get chicken hearts once in a blue moon. For Fats I have to choose VERY easily digestible fats from an animal protein because with Forests Liver problems his biliary system can be overloaded very easily and that would be disastrous. Maybe I can add some duck occasionally to his diet?

Copper Issues:
If ammonia restriction is required, feed less red meats and organs since they produce the most ammonia. You may not want to eliminate them entirely though, as they have important nutrients that help with liver function.
Instead, cut back. Feed more poultry, fish, eggs, and pork. If feeding red meat, even in small quantities, buy the absolute best quality you can afford. Preferably grass fed, antibiotic, and hormone free.

Meats generally low in copper are:
• Beef (muscle meat, not organs)
• Eggs
• Turkey (white meat)
• Chicken (white meat)
• Rabbit
• Fish
Meats generally high in copper are:
• Lamb
• Pork
• Pheasant or Quail
• Duck
• Goose
• Salmon
• Organ Meats
When feeding organs for copper issues, some animal livers contain more copper than others. Beef liver is higher in copper than chicken or pork livers. Regardless, the zinc and b vitamins in liver help to reduce the risk of copper toxicity. Though if your dog has an issue with copper, opt for chicken or pork liver. (http://primalpooch.com/raw-feeding-guidelines-dogs-liver-disease/)

I have read Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet and Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Health of Dogs and Cats. I have some major issues with either of the books, UtCaD is so absolute – if you feed this protein then you need this oil. First of all Canola Oil? Corn Oil? Soybean Oil? Walnut oil? Flax and hemp seed oil? I own horses and I would NEVER give them Corn oil with the GMO crap going around I don’t trust Corn or Canola at all. If I am not comfortable feeding to my strict Herbivores I am definitely not OK feeding it to the other animals. By the way the 2,000 lbs animals have had major GI upset from Canola, Corn, Soybean and Flax seed oil. I’ve given it to them in small amounts – 3 tablespoons a day and I have seen a massive systemic effect that made me take them off of it immediately. It was supposed to give them the right ratio of Omega’s 3 and 6 plus help my older guys move and keep weight on since it was winter. The recommended Ratio of 6 to 3 fats are 10:1 to 5:1 for dogs – I have read that small fish or Krill are the best to supplement dogs with because of the low contamination rate and it should not carry Salmon Sickness. Soybean oil is also something I would never give my dogs or humans or anything because of the way it can mimic hormones and interrupt the function of the Thyroid. Also Kelp is recommended a lot, but there are so many negatives that came out during the feeding kelp to horse’s fad that I will not touch the stuff. If it can affect the horses with the amount of iodine to the point horses became toxic I don’t trust the manufactures. It was not that kelp was being fed in large amounts there was absolutely no regulation on what type they harvested or what it contained. Missing link for dogs is a product I am familiar with and they do make it for dogs with trace minerals but it is flax based. Won’t this completely mess up the balancing? Does anyone here feed this instead of kelp?
The Missing Link Ultimate Skin & Coat:
Active Ingredients (per tbsp)
Flaxseed Dried Kelp
Glucosamine Hydrochloride (Vegetarian) Zinc Monomethionine
Freeze Dried Beef Liver Lecithin
Blackstrap Molasses Chromium Yeast
Rice Bran Selenium Yeast
Primary Dried Yeast Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6)
Sunflower Seed Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Dehydrated Alfalfa Garlic Powder
Dried Carrot Yucca Schidigera Extract
Shark Cartilage Powder* Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Freeze Dried Fish Protein Powder Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1)
Freeze Dried Oyster Powder Folic Acid
Barley Grass Leaves Powder Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Guaranteed Analysis Amount
Crude Protein (not less than) 18%
Crude Fat (not less than) 28%
Crude Fiber (not more than) 15%
Moisture (not more than) 10%
Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) 450 mg
**Linolenic Acid (Omega 3) 1000 mg
**Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Cat/Dog food nutrient profiles.

Also if everything is so precise that does not leave room for error such as what if the chickens were raised on Florida soil which is heavy in limestone and deficient in other areas – rather than let’s say somewhere in the bread bowl what about if they were fed a corn based feed and another batch was fed free range? If the meat analysis is different it throws everything off and we all know that meat from south Fl is very different than meat from MI or IN – same principle goes with growing vegetables even organic. How much of a God Factor is there for the abundance of some micronutrients and lack of others? UTCAD also has an abundance of some nutrients way over the NRC guidelines – are dogs different in the fact that they can rid themselves of excess things very easily? I know in humans and horses Vit E and Selenium can be deadly because it builds up in fat and the body doesn’t flush it out like the water-soluble vitamins?
Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Health has a lot of oat meal, rice, beans?! Half and Half milk, whole milk, whole wheat bread corn? That sounds not so great for dogs and especially not for cats like it says it can be. What about kidney beans? With feeding my dogs I have learned they do OK on rice occasionally when they have an upset GI but if they are on a diet with rice too long they get backed up. Also the beans – the dogs seem to have issues with digesting them like people sometimes do – why are there so many carbohydrates? Why cannot I do sprouted microgreens or carrots or even baked potatoes because I know the dogs tolerate those vegetables very well. Also Brewer’s Yeast? Isn’t yeast as a whole bad? It’s in everything and I know Nova already is prone to yeast infections in her ears and when she gets a UTI – Also can Brewer’s yeast cause or attribute to bloat? Milk – isn’t milk products bad if they are in large amounts such as 2 cups milk plus 2 cups rolled oats and 2 eggs and calcium powder? Everything to me seems so skewed.
Also RMB are out of the question – Forest cannot eat them and Nova and Ellie are gulpers – they came from a large litter and it would be just my luck to end up in emergency surgery with one of them. I have a grinder to which I can grind the bone up with the meat and I know the purpose of the bone was for dental health but if I make Meat Jerky and other goodies can I replicate that without worrying about emergency surgery or broken teeth?
Since I own a grinder already for cat food why cannot I grind bones to supplement their food with? So far in my research the basic recipe and consensus I have come across is as follows:
16% Organ meat
10% – 25% Bone
The rest of the food would be muscle meat and muscle meat
Meat is very high in phos and the bone is high in Cal which means the Cal to Phos ratio should be 1.2 to 1.5:1 although 1:1 to 2.5:1 is ok as well. I just need to make sure the dogs consume more Cal than Phos but the question is do I need to add bone meal or can I grind my own bones to supplement?
Here is what the Article analysis the bone content to be in prey animals:
Bone Content In Raw Foods
When sourcing bones for your dog’s diet, it’s a good idea to know the approximate amount of bone in commonly sourced foods. Here is a quick guide to help you keep your dog’s bone content in the right range; between 10% and 25%.
Chicken Whole chicken (not including the head and feet): 25% bone/Leg quarter: 30%/Split breast: 20%/Thigh: 15%/Drumstick: 30%/Wing: 45%/Neck: 36%/Back: 45%/Turkey/Whole turkey: 21%/Thigh: 21%/Drumstick: 20%/Wing: 37%/Neck: 42%/Back: 41%
Pork Feet: 30%/Tails: 30%/Ribs: 30%
Beef Ribs: 52%
Rabbit Whole rabbit (fur and all): 10% Whole (dressed): 25-30%

From this can I remove the proper amount of bones or add more bones in to balance or would you suggest a bone meal powder? Also I have yet to factor in the percentage of vegetable/fruit/microgreens in the recipe – I am just so lost so if HoundDogMom could help or someone else could chime in I would be so grateful. I am trying very hard to learn as much as I can but between the animals and two sick family members and special needs animals by the time I have a moment to sit down I am out like a light for the night or my brain is so frazzled everything looks like it was written in French. Am I over thinking this? I just don’t want to screw Ellie up – she has already had such a bad start with the worm infection – and Forest needs nutrients to rebuild his liver correctly and I wanted to see if this change in diet would help Nova’s Eosinophils come to a normal level. Also has anyone ever seen white lines on every toenail that grows parallel with the skin? Any help would be so appreciated there is just not a lot of room for error with Forest right now with his liver Alt levels 4 times what they are supposed to be. They cannot stay on the Freshpet much longer because to feed the dogs its 19 dollars a day and that’s not a very good long term solution.
Thanks so much everyone~!~ I Hope everyone had a great New Year and wonderful Holiday
`RedMare

[crazy4cats]

Yes, that is true that it does not survive in dry heat. We had a pretty good stretch of very warm weather this past summer. I hope that it killed it at our house. However, I live in the Pacific NW and giardia loves our mild wet climate.

I highly recommend adding pre and probiotics along with the fiber. I also think that the garlic was very beneficial to getting rid of it also, but I know not all are comfortable feeding it. Another thing that I did that isn’t controversial, is I gave the dogs digestive enzymes on an empty stomach. I think I actually learned about that on: http://www.littlebigcat.com/?s=giardia. I did not use their whole protocol, but did give the enzmes.

My fingers are crossed for you and remember that it can go in cycles so the stools might be fine one day and not the next. Also it is recommended to get the stool checked a couple of times after it has cleared up as it is sometimes hard to detect in every sample. I’m sure glad you caught it early. I struggled with changing foods because I thought that was the cause. I had never heard of giardia before.

Like I said before, lets hope this works and do not have to resort to some of the witch’s brew I used to rid of it. Good luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by crazy4cats.

[crazy4cats]

Here I am!
Hi David-
Unfortunately, I have more experience with that darn parasite than I’d like to mention! First of all, I’m ecstatic that your vet is recommending the panacur for 5 days instead of the typical 3 days for worms. Also really happy that they are suggesting to repeat it You might have better luck than me with ridding of it that way. My vet only said three days of it and 10 days of Metronidazole. I ended up giving them Metronidazole 4 or 5 times without success. Only ruining their digestive systems.
I have a ton of holistic remedies, but I’d hold off on too many of them until you get another fecal test to see if the traditional method works. But.. with that being said, I would highly recommend to feed fresh crushed or chopped garlic 3 times per week if you are comfortable using it. Also, bump up the fiber and add pre and probiotics. Just start with that while you are treating. Then if needed…The top remedies that the Alternative Medicine Review suggest are: Probiotics, Fiber, Prebiotics, Wheat Germ, Sauerkraut
and Berberine-containing herbs. The CAPC recommends Drontal Plus if the Panacur doesn’t work. http://www.capcvet.org/capc-recommendations/giardia. And the NCBI Pub Med suggests Enteroccoccus Faecium. There are some cleanses and tinctures that I used that contain some of these, but again, we’ll talk later if your first set of treatments do not work. I used them all :-/

Remember that it is highly contagious and can be transmitted to humans as well as other pets. Make sure to clean up their poop ASAP and douse the spot with hot bleach water if you can. Keep their bedding clean and take off your shoes before coming in. It can actually live in the soil and could get on your shoes.

Also, you can find Panacur OTC so much cheaper at http://www.healthypets.com, Amazon.com, Entirely Pets.com and even at Fred Meyer (Kroger) or Costco.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

[InkedMarie]

I use ground raw. Boone gets about 3.5 oz bony and 1 oz boneless. The bony has meat, bone, tripe & organs. I do have some that has no tripe so I add that. He gets eggs and salmon oil a few times a week. He gets rib bones to gnaw on and I skip the boneless at that meal. Thats it.

Edit: he does get a joint supplement, apple cider vinegar & Bug Off Garlic as well.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by InkedMarie.

[DogFoodie]

Unfortunately, my dog with food intolerances reacts to the garlic in Canine Caviar. I feed it to him several times before he reacted. If it weren’t for that, it would be a regular part of my rotation. I’ve always liked it and feel it’s a great product.

[stephanie b]

My Bostons are allergic to sweet potato, green peas, barley and soy. Finding a good quality dry kibble is very difficult. Has anyone tried Canine Caviar? It is a holistic dry kibble with limited ingredients however it has garlic in it. Isn’t garlic dangerous to dogs?

[stephanie b]

I’m having same problems with finding a dry kibble being sweet potato, pea, and barley free for my Bostons as well. I’ve looked into Canine Caviar however garlic is a big ingredient….. If I’m not mistaken isn’t garlic dangerous to dogs?

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks Dori. I agree that the HW treatment is much worse than the prevention. That’s scary though, about Heartguard not releasing the inactive ingredients. Sounds like it might be six of one, half a dozen of the other when it comes to choosing preventatives. There will always be advantages and disadvantages. I guess I might as well go ahead with the Sentinel Spectrum, at least they’re honest about the ingredients. I know some people use garlic, but that is also controversial and potentially risky.

[InkedMarie]

Thanks for the info Judy! I get the Bug Off Garlic from SpringtimeInc.com.

[Judy M]

all the f[rodducts at Wondercide have neem oil They also have a great bathing bar soap for flea prevention called “Repel” holding a bar of soap to bathe is easier than having to squeeze a bottle when u need 2 hands for bathing. ‘They have a whole line of flea prevention products t that all include neem oil they are quality products recommended (I even list them for sale on my own poet supply website and have them dropshipped, and use them myself, but having to spray repeatedly periodically isnt as easy as giving a Capostar pill or other like Comfortis,m but I won;t give comfortis anymore, now that the holistic vet told me that spinosad (however it is spelled) is toxic, so don’t want to harm my pet, but she chews herself to death in summer if she getsfleas, so I have to be sure and prevent them ans her sensitive pick skin gets all raw with hot spots once she gets a flea and starts chewing at the bite, so its hard to balance. Where to you get the Bug Of Garlic? is there a way to makeit with health food store garlic, I do think the holistic vet said something about garlic being potentially toxic (probably if wrong dose)?? hate those darn fleasl no easy solution…thankfully now that it is cooler, they seem to not be a problem at the moment, and Im in So CAl

[InkedMarie]

Saturday, we dropped off all three dogs at the groomers. Six hours of freedom!!!…..til they called, asking if we knew they had fleas. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather. We had no idea. The groomer said this fall has been bad for fleas up here. They all hot a flea bath.

So much for our day being dog free. We drove the hour plus home, washed all the bedding, blankets etc. No carpets, thankfully but we vacuumed the entire house, sprayed with an all natural spray, dusted the beds & crates with DE, dusted the kennel with it, too. I’m giving the dogs DE in their food as well.

I’ve used Bug Off Garlic for years, the only time we had fleas were just a few on Ginger after a pet expo a few years ago. I don’t want to use topicals so what else should I be doing beside the BOG & DE?

[Lori]

Looking for someone who could evaluate this recipe and tell me what I would need to add to be complete. (recipe came from Cockers Forever page) Thank you!

1 whole chicken (I also chop up the heart etc. and put that in) OR 10 chicken thighs. If using thighs, add a few chicken livers
3/4 head of garlic (not one clove but a head)–( use 1 TBS. minced garlic)
1 handful of broccoli (cut up)–or 1/2 package frozen
4 carrots (cut up)–or 1/2 bag frozen, sliced
2 whole zucchini (cut up with skin on)
1 whole yellow squash (large, cut up with skin on)
handful of green beans, fresh,(OR 1/2 bag frozen)
3 stalks of celery (chopped)
1 handful of peas (or canned or frozen)
1 tablespoon of parsley
2 cups of oatmeal (put in the last 1/2 hour cooking time)

In a 10 qt stock pot (stainless steel ONLY) put 2-3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil, heat and add the chicken, bones, skin and all. Fill pot with water to cover chicken. Add veggies and more water to cover. Cook over low to low-med heat for 2 hours. Add oats at the end or they tend to stick. After the stew has finished cooking (carrots are soft), take the chicken out of the mix and let cool…when cool debone it and mix it back into the stew.
I then use an electric mixer thing to mush all of it together.

Freeze what you don’t need immediately after it has cooled. (One batch makes about 30-34 cups of stew)

[L P]

I have always wanted to raw feed but don’t have the time or resources to do it myself. However lately a frozen raw food brand has been available here in Spain, it is the only one, and I want to feed it to my dog and my cat (who currently eat Orijen kibble).

I need opinion on if this food is appropriate and complete for my pets: I would be adding taurin powder for my cat, as well as completing with raw bones from time to time.

Here is a link to the catalogue (see pages 3 and 4 for food pictures): http://www.dietayum.com/img/cms/catalogo-dieta-yum.pdf

Since it is in spanish, here is a translation of all their menus (I have asked, and the grinded meat includes bones and organs, and all the meat is human grade):

Chicken & cow menu: 60% chicken, 19% cow, 9.9% carrot, 5% beet, 5% turnip, 1% olive oil, 0.001% garlic.

Beef menu: 79% beef, 9.9% carrot, 5% beet, 5% turnip, 1% egg shells, 1% salmon oil, 0.001% garlic.

Salmon menu: 20% salmon, 59% cow, 8.9% carrot, 5% beet, 5% turnip, 1% egg shells, 1% salmon oil, 0.001% garlic.

Turkey menu: 60% turkey, 20% lamb tripe, 9.5% pumpkin, 9.4% apple, 1% olive oil, 0.001% garlic.

Lamb menu: 19% lamb, 60% chicken, 9.9% carrot, 5% beet, 5% turnip, 1% olive oil, 0.001% garlic.

Puppy menu: 40% chicken, 20% green tripe, 15% cow, 5% salmon, 5% beet, 5% carrot, 3.9% sardines, 3% turnip, 1% egg shells, 1% seaweed (spirulina), 1% olive oil, 0.001% garlic.

Thanks in advance for your opinion and help!

[Dog_Obsessed]

You should take your dog to the vet ASAP to get checked out. If a dog has more than one seizure in a 24 hour period, it is known a seizure cluster and warrants an immediate vet trip. It is very unlikely this is actually life-thretentaning if the seizures are so short and he is fine afterward, but it is good to get him checked out. It is totally possible that the flea preventive could have caused it, though it is hard to know for sure. I would recommend switching him back to frontline, or talking to your vet about alternative preventions. Do not use any alternative preventions, such as garlic, without checking with your vet first. Garlic has the potential to cause problems if given in large amounts.

The vet will probably do blood work to check the Kidney(or liver, I forget) functions, and if those come back normal they may prescribe a medication like Phenobarbital. These meds often take several weeks to have full effect.

I once had a foster dog with Epilepsy, but he had Focal seizures instead of grand mal ones.

[DogFoodie]

I second the Nut’s food recommendations.

I would also agree that anal gland issues can be related to food intolerance.

I have a two year old Golden with food intolerance issues. Flax is one of his problems. Recently I have him some treats, maybe one or two per day, just to see how much flax he could tolerate. After several days, I started to get the faint whiff of small gland and knew he had his fill.

Was the protein in your old food chicken? What about the new food? If you’re not feeding chicken now, try eliminating the chicken & rice that you prepare and see if that helps. Food intolerances are tricky to figure out. Mine can’t have fish in any form including fish oil, chickpeas, lentils, beans, garlic or flax. Any of those things could cause him to have strong smelling anal glands. So while the primary animal protein/s could be the problem, it could be something seemingly far more innocuous.

[Rachel M]

Thank you for the suggestion, garlic will definitely be going on the list. We’re fiddling with the system to make it a lot easier for me to add and update foods, hopefully we’ll have the revision done in a week or so.

[DogFoodie]

Another one just occurred to me, Rachel.

I tried to use Springtime Naturals Bug Off Garlic this past spring with my sensitive pup and he reacted very strongly. So, I now also avoid garlic for him. I don’t think I saw that as a choice on your list.

I think garlic would be nice to include as lots of folks tend to avoid garlic because they don’t feel it’s safe to begin with.

[Elsa R]

Hi Peter S! It’s a good idea to start feeding your dog with a mix of greens and veggies, but I recommend you to chop all the ingredients. On average, a slim 60-pound dog should get about 800 calories.
You can offer your dogs some of these veggies:
Carrots (1/8 cup slices which means 7 calories)
Broccoli (1/4 cup chopped, 7 calories)
Cucumber (1/2 cup slices, 8 calories)
Asparagus (3 spears, 10 calories)

Beware of toxic food, such as grapes, raisins, garlic, onion, avocado and chocolate.

If you want to learn more about this topic, you can check this article: http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/the_best_vegetables_for_dogs_and_cats

Good luck!

[jakes mom]

C4C, yes, my guys drink clam juice on occasion. Not the best for them I’m sure but sometimes anything is better than nothing if they’re not feeling well and won’t eat/drink. I’ve also used meaty baby food (check ingred. for garlic/onions) watered down to a slurry.
Do you have a water fountain? I bought one last year and I’m glad I did. I’m sure my guys drink more than they used to.

[aimee]

When adding supplements to a dog’s diet they shouldn’t make up more then 10% of the caloric intake. I use fresh foods whole foods as supplements: veggies, fruits ( no grapes raisins, currents, onions, garlic ) DHA,EPA ( fish oils).

I’m not sure what you mean by rotating boiled chicken and rice with Fromm. Boiled chicken and rice is missing many nutrients and as such is not a suitable to use as a meal on an ongoing basis. If using boiled chicken and rice it should not make up more than 10% of the calories fed that day unless you are balancing your homemade food.

[JeffreyT]

Our very picky little dogs love all the freeze dried they’ve tried so far…Stella and Chewys, Primal, Orijen, Big Dog Natural, Healthy Pet Products (both the freeze dried and frozen, it’s the only frozen food they gobble up..but since it has garlic we limit to a few times a week). They like Addiction, which is crumbly like Big Dog Natural, but Big Dog Natural is way more palatable.

They go crazy for Vital Essentials but it needs to be soaked overnight in fridge. We soak it in water along with some pumpkin, pureed veggies, Animal Essentials Green Alternative or Dogzymes Cornucopia fruit/veggie mix for added fiber and nutrition since this food has no fruits or vegetables. In the morning each piece is cut in half or thirds then put back in water where the rest is quickly absorbed. Once reconstituted it becomes chewy-like which gives it a novel texture and won’t turn to mush. We make a few days worth and take the chill off by placing stainless steel bowl with food in a hot pan with some water for a few minutes.

Even though their favorite is freeze dried and the bulk of their diet, they also eat Ziwi Peak, non-gmo small breed kibble and dehydrated. They will only eat Grandma Lucys or Honest kitchen if we add some cooked meat along with other enticing toppers like cheese, egg yolk or crumbled Origen or Stella and Chewy treats. We buy sample packs so it’s easier to augment with these foods.

NRG has quality ingredients but they wouldn’t eat it…reminded me of Sojos which they wouldn’t eat either.

Good to know you pup likes Stewarts b/c we’re trying that next. Dogs for the Earth looks good as well…it’s organic dehydrated patties but I believe meat is cooked first. We were also going to try Smack when it’s available again in US.

[aimee]

I have used Grandma Lucy’s. I’d equate the consistency with oatmeal. Grandma Lucy’s is the company who has illegal labeling and is being sold illegally in my state/the state feed control official.

The company will not disclose nutritional information about their food. I asked for a phosphorus level and was promised it over and over and over again but never got it. The phos level on the label is below AAFCO minimum for maintenance, yet the food is labeled as all life stages.

I purchased the food because I wanted the packaging. In my opinion it has a very strong garlic odor so I only feed it very occasionally as a topper .

[Naturella]

Dfwgolden,

So, a few days ago my boy also got serious diarrhea, and I tried a few things myself – yoghurt, bread, pumpkin, boiled chicken and brown rice… Individually nothing helped, and my guy was also vomiting on top of it all… But, I had two packs of The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form, and DO I SWEAR by it now! This stuff is amazing! My Bruno stopped vomiting, got his appetite back (I was feeding boiled chicken with brown rice, tossed in the blender with some of the chicken water, and blended until mushy, with a tablespoon of canned plain pumpkin and 3/4 teaspoon of THK Perfect Form per meal (a bit more of the recommended dose)). I then added canned dog food with only 3 ingredients – chicken, chicken broth, and garlic. Now he’s on that canned mushed up with brown rice and still with the pumpkin and Perfect Form. Tomorrow I will introduce a canned version of normal dog food that I plan to feed the kibble of and see how he does. But THK firmed up his stool from watery mucus/jelly to formed, almost normally-firm stools today! I am ecstatic, and will run to grab him a few more packs from the store down the street from me. If you can, try it out for a few days, maybe with the same or similar mush as me if you think that your guy will benefit from it, but whatever you put it in… That stuff should work! 🙂

BCnut, I was going to ask how long to give THK for, but you answered my question before I posed it. Lucky for me, 1 packet lasts him about a week, maybe more when I go down to his recommended dose (1/2 teaspoon/meal).

[Bobby dog]

The supplements the Vet suggested should help with her anemia, poor thing.

I have a healthy, younger pup and supplement with MSM daily, kefir for probiotics, garlic 3x/wk, fish oil capsules 3x/wk when I don’t feed sardines, coconut oil 3x/wk, and vit E 1x/wk. For fresh foods I feed some vegies, fruit, lightly cooked fresh meats (he does not have a taste for raw), and a 1 minute poached egg 1-2x/week which helps keep his skin and coat beautiful. I know their are some wonderful commercial supplements out there that would help with healing her immune system, but I don’t have any suggestions for a dog with her health issues. I do recommend looking into digestive enzymes and probiotics for starters. Some probiotics recommended by regular posters are Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms (I believe this might also contain digestive enzymes, not sure), and Mercola complete. Here is a link to Dogaware for a starting point that might help you find info on supplements for her and some other topics as well.
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html

Info on kefir and coco oil:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

I will throw this out to you which may or may not interest/help you to improve her kibble diet if that is what you are going to continue to feed her. I follow Steve Brown’s “ABC Diet.” It is an easy menu plan that helps you improve any quality of kibble following a simple menu and according to the dog’s weight with fresh foods (raw or lightly cooked meat) you can buy at the grocery store.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

[InkedMarie]

Find a new vet! I only use Bug Off a Garlic for fleas & ticks.

[Naturella]

Hey, T. I second Sue on not giving leftovers. When you first said “human food”, I thought you meant things like raw/cooked lean meats and veggies (no seasonings or only such that are dog-friendly, like cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, a little bit of garlic). Yoghurt is ok, but only if it is plain – not the sweet-ish, fruity-ish stuff a lot of us eat. Noodles are sometimes okay if that’s all they are – one noodle (he really doesn’t NEED it though), and not covered in pasta sauce and seasonings. Cheetos are not very good for humans or pets (they contain formaldehyde and burn like they’re made of pure petrol if you set them on fire).
Bottom line – anything on your plate for dinner is PROBABLY not good for your doggie, especially cooked bones of any kind, because they could splinter and cause all kinds of internal disasters if he/she doesn’t choke on them first.

Good news though! What you CAN give to your dog are raw or lightly cooked lean meats (no bone) and veggies/fruits, eggs (probably just 1 egg/week for a teeny dog like a yorkie), canned sardines in water with no salt added (their spinal bone is okay to give), plain yoghurt/kefir, and safe seasonings like the ones mentioned above (a pinch of cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic are totally fine). Also coconut oil and canned pumpkin (the plain one, not the pie-filling cans) – the latter can help your dog’s tummy when introducing new foods. You can add a teaspoon of canned pumpkin with every meal at which new food is present, and watch the stool. If it is still bad, back off the new food, and give just pumpkin or just his BB kibble until the stool is normal. Sometimes probiotics and digestive enzymes may help strengthen his/her gut too.

It is really good to supplement a dry kibble with canned or otherwise wetter food, or any of the fresh foods mentioned above. So maybe try that for your pup, and good luck!

[theBCnut]

Hi C4C

You should go to Springtimes website and read about their garlic. They have information about the studies done with garlic telling how much garlic a dog would have to eat to be affected and they have the info about how their garlic is even safer than regular garlic. Horses have the same issues as dogs with garlic and being outside 24/7, they have biting fly issues. I use Springtime’s garlic for my horses and boy!, does it make a difference. I wouldn’t have any issues with using the full amount that they recommend for my dogs.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Ktistin-
I started giving my dogs fresh garlic three times a week to help get rid of giardia along with a few other holistic remedies. They had no side effects and I believe it was detrimental in finally ridding them of parasites. Since then, I’ve learned that it can help with repelling fleas. So, in June I started giving them the Springtime Bug Off garlic granules. Fleas have been bad this year and I’ve not found one on either of my dogs and they are outside all day. I did however give them each a smaller than recommended dose of Advantage as well in July and September. My neoghbor’s dogs have been covered even with using the spot on flea meds. I’m a believer, but I only give about half the recommended dosage of the Bug Off because I’m still cautious of some of the worries others have. Welcome to DFA and have a great day!

[DogFoodie]

Hey Kristin,

While I tend to agree that garlic is safe (despite having a dog who is intolerant of garlic), there are some others here who disagree; take a look at this thread: /forums/topic/garlic-onions-leeks/

Also, you can try typing in keywords in the search box at the top of the page when you first click on the forum tab for more conversations about garlic, or any other specific topic for that matter. : )

[Bobby dog]

Hi Kristen D:
I believe several regular posters on DFA feed Petkind Tripe and it is rated well:
/dog-food-reviews/tripett-dog-food/

Here’s a link to a discussion on garlic that covers both points of view:
/forums/topic/garlic-onions-leeks/

I feed my dog fresh garlic 3x/wk and also fed it to my previous dog without issues. Always keep in mind every dog’s threshold level varies whether it’s food, fat or protein %’s, medication, herbs, or spices etc; what is intolerable for one dog is tolerable for another.

[InkedMarie]

You would would have to feed an huge amount of garlic to be toxic.

[Kristin D]

I got all natural dog food that only has four ingredients; Green Beef Tripe, Water, Garlic, and Carrageenan Gum. I’ve heard mixed things about garlic. Some say it’s good for dogs some say it’s bad. So is it good or bad for dogs??? This food is by PetKind. Let me know about the other ingredients too!!! I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions!!!:) Thanks!!!

[Angela H]

I make a homemade dog food, but I don’t really have a recipe, I use what ever ground meat, veggies and fruits are on sale, but here is what I do;
Use;
70% meat/mixed with organ meat
20% Veggies
10% Fruit

Ingredients;
2lbs lean ground beef
1lb ground chicken
1lb ground turkey
1/2lb beef liver, chicken livers, or chicken giblets
Brown all meat in coconut oil, let cool
Steam the following veggies, fresh is best if you have them on hand, or you can use
frozen veggies (just make sure there is no corn, onions or mushrooms in the frozen blend)
Broccoli
Spinach
Kale
Peas
Sliced Carrots (they don’t have to be peeled)
Red Bell Peppers -chopped
Swiss Chard
Add the steamed veggies to the cooled meat
Then add to the meat mixture;
1 Apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 Banana, chopped
1/2 Raspberries
1/2 Blueberries
2 raw eggs, shell and all
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp Coconut oil
1 Tbsp Vitamin fatty acid supplement, such as Dr. Maggie
Using a potato masher, mash all the ingredients together as much as
possible. Then transfer to a food processor to blend, or if you have
a hand emulsifier blender you can mix it together
Make sure to blend evenly leaving no big chunks
Put approx. 11-12 oz into Ziploc freezer bags and freeze
I take out only 1 bag as I need it and let defrost in the fridge

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Angela H.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Dori,

I hope I didn’t come across as rude, that was definitely not my intent!

My point was that I frequently hear, from lots of folks, that allergy / intolerance, yeast or skin issues can be helped by fish based foods. I think that for many dogs that don’t have an intolerance for fish, that may well be true. Heck, if you search limited ingredient foods on any of the pet food shopping sites, you’ll find lots of them are fish based or have fish meals or fish oils added for the omega 3’s, and its often stated that it’s for skin and coat health. I wish Sam could eat fish, because he could surely benefit from the omegas. I think fish intolerance / allergy isn’t terribly uncommon, as far as those issues go.

I’m trying to find some kibbles Sam does well on before I start adding an algae oil to his food. He is not a fan of raw and I’m having trouble with canned foods as a result of his sensitive tummy. He does like raw, green tripe, so that’s one of the few toppers I use. In addition to fish, he can’t have garlic, flax, chickpeas or lentils. He also gets fresh eggs at least a couple times per week.

He does great on Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Duck – he likes it OK. He did fine on California Natural Lamb and Rice, but he didn’t really seem to care for it. And, while I hate to even admit that I tried it, he did well on, and liked, Canidae Pure Sky; although his anal glands started smelling a little strong near the end of the bag, his ears started clear. Right now, we’re in the process of trying Go! GF Turkey, and I’m really hoping this works. In the past, he hasn’t done well on foods with lots of fruits and veggies and this food has them. And, the Go! contains lentils, but they’re pretty far down the list of ingredients and the fiber is within a good range for him; so I’ll see pretty quickly if it gives him gas. I have big bags of NVI LID Turkey and Duck on deck to use next, or in case we have to make a quick departure from the Go!

I’m constantly searching for foods for him. I get a little frustrated at the lack of options for him. I wish that limited ingredient foods contained only one animal protein.

Thanks for asking, Dori! Sorry for the hijack, Lori!