[crazy4cats]

Hi-
I also have two lab mix dogs. Both about 80lbs. They are brothers. My favorite budget friendly kibble for them so far is Victor grain free joint health formula. I cannot get it quite as cheap as some. But I found a store that I can order a 50lb bag for $75. However, it’s two main protein sources are beef and chicken. They do have a lamb and rice formula as well, but I have not tried it. I then rotate with something I can find on sale. Right now it is California Natural Pork and Sweet Potato. It was 30% off on PetFlow a few weeks ago.
Like Naturella said, if you start registering on websites, you will get many promotional deals! Most of my emails anymore are from somebody wanting me to buy pet food. Lol! I also have 4 cats.
I always mix in (top) something canned, fresh, dehydrated or freeze dried in their kibble every meal as I don’t think kibble is all that great on its own regardless of the brand or quality.
Neither one of my dogs have allergy symptoms, but have had some digestive issues. So if you need to keep feeding what you already are, maybe you could add some toppers to their meals to bump up the nutritional value such as eggs, sardines, and beef heart.
Good luck!

[Pam P]

I know this isn’t food related, but it seems your dog has some serious issues and it might not be all due to food. Pet healthcare is a lot like traditional healthcare or sickness care (as I call it)….it’s big business. Dogs are way over vaccinated, and traditional vaccines have mercury, formaldehyde and other toxic substances that can affect a dog’s health over time. Metal toxicity is a serious issue as they aren’t eliminated from the body. They are stored in the organs and joints. The core vaccines are usually good for life. A titer test can determine the antibody levels. A holistic vet uses vaccines that have no mercury or heavy metals. My holistic vet detoxifies the dog immediately after giving a vaccination. If a dog does need the 3 core vaccines, he does them in 2-3 week intervals so the dog isn’t overloaded all at once. That’s why it’s not a bad idea to do the kefir diet for 30 days or more to detoxify the dog and get all the junk out of their system, and then gradually get them back on a very clean, healthy food. I still give our Mastiff all the oils I mentioned previously; just no kibble or meat. I also give her a tsp of organic turmeric at each feeding. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and there is obviously some serious inflammation going on with your dog. I mix it with the kefir and she downs it. I start with a small amount and build to a tsp each meal. Just like with humans, a detox diet can make them feel worse before they get better; as all the toxins are being released and coming out of the body, the dog can appear worse for a while. I detoxified the Mastiff gradually starting with Nature’s Logic, then raw, then kefir. She’s a senior dog so didn’t want to overload her system. The kidneys and liver are the detoxifying organs so didn’t want to take a chance to overload them. Just some more suggestions.

[Akari_32]

She’s not got a very strong urge to chew, so I don’t think she would eat a trachea, much less be able to actually chew it. I bought her some Halo dental chews and she can’t eat them very well because they are so hard (they last her days, and that’s with Bentley stealing them every chance he gets). She can chew the small/toy sized Denta Sticks, and I’m just at a point where if anything will help her mouth (like her joints and stomach), I give it to her. I’m at that “if it broke…” Sort of point with her… LOL

[crazy4cats]

Hi 10Vx3-
There are so many options! Like Naturella said, you just have to experiment. I regularly feed Victor grain free joint health to my dogs. I have two big guys. It is basically the same as the grain free ALS Victor with extra glucosamine added. Right now, I’m feeding California Natural grain free Pork kibble and the dogs are doing great with it. I also add a topper and water to every meal. I started out just adding canned. Then after coming to this site, I learned about adding eggs and sardines. Now I even add dehydrated, freeze dried and raw to their meals. It all happened fairly gradually. And unfortunately got,more expensive! I tend to stick to more basic budget friendly kibble so I can afford the extras to boost up the nutritional value. I just don’t think that over processed kibble can be all that healthy by itself. I feed both with and without grain kibble. I also buy kibble that is a little lower in fat as most of the toppers are a little higher in fat. Good luck!

[Akari_32]

Hey guys! I guess it’s been a while since I’ve updated this thread!

All in all, Ginger continues to do well on her new diet and with life in general. She’s been in much better spirits, and appears to be in less pain and is able to get around better.

I’ve also noticed, since starting her new diet, that she’s been learning things, particularly, she’s figuring out that the faster she gets to her cage (or some times Bentleys cage if hers isn’t around LOL in which case, I have to lure her out and into her bed), the faster she gets to eat. She’s also learning that when Bentley gets his harness on, we are going for a walk and that gets her all excited and she runs to door as fast as she can and scratches at it and rings the bell. These are just two examples. All that fish oil is good for the brain, I suppose lol

Today, however, she has been in a down right nasty mood. Not sure what her problem is. I was talking to mom on the phone on my way home from work, and she had both of them in her bed and she kept complaining that ginger was growling at her every time mom moved or tried to touch her or move her. Mom also said she was staring off into space, and had a hard time better her “back.” Then, a little bit ago, I went to get her out of moms bed to take her out and put her in her cage, and when I took the covers off her, she lunged at me tried to bite me. I had to scoop her up using my whole arm to support her body while holding her scruff as tightly as I could to keep her from turning around and biting me until she calmed down enough for me to release her onto the floor and put her leash on.

So, on one hand, Ginger is happy and doing great, and is associating walks and dinner time with certain routines, but at the same time, she’s showing some sever symptoms of dementia, and they’re quite sudden and dramatic. Walks are definitely keeping her in a better mood over all, and her food is helping with cognitive function to a certain degree, as well as helping her joints and pain, but I’m still fighting a losing battle with dementia. I really hope these bad mood swings do not lead to a safety issue with the other animals in the house, not to mention the effect they could lead to with her over all quality of life. We all know where both of those lead, and thays a one way ticket….

For now, they’re just short phases. I’m not going to get myself down about it just yet. She’s a happy little dog 95% of the time, so long as that keeps up, I’m happy for her enough to make up that 5%, then some 🙂 Not a day goes by that I see her running at the end of her leash and think “How could anyone give up on this dog? How could anyone not want her?”

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hi mountainhound,
While I am not usually in favor of feeding prescription foods, I completely support Akari’s decision to do so. Since Ginger was on low-quality food for most of her life, tolerating a high-quality food was extremely hard for her, and gave her frequent bouts of loose stools. The prescription food, while better than many prescription foods, she is able to tolerate. It has also helped her joints tremendously, though I know this is not the case for all dogs. While raw food can be a great thing for some dogs, it is not the right thing for all dogs in all situations.

[mountainhound]

I would never feed any prescription food to a dog with joint issues, the bulk of those ingredients are highly inflammatory and will cause more harm than good. Feed a good quality raw diet (even premade raw will probably be cheaper than Hills), raw food contains natural sources of glucosamine/chondroitin from ground up cartilage. Lack of carbs will help with inflammation and pain reduction. You can also give her treats like tracheas and duck feet since those are good sources of glucosamine. I’ve had good results with a supplement called Liquid Health, its tasteless and easy to mix with ground raw food.

[Naturella]

@Oleanderz, I will answer a couple of the questions you had to Dori, if both of you don’t mind – dogs can eat plain yoghurt, plain Greek yoghurt, and plain kefir. None of the fruity stuff – just too much sugar and other additives. Pumpkin doesn’t necessarily help with digestion per se, but it provides a lot of fiber, which helps calm the tummy, balance the stool and the bowel movements, and is overall a pretty good tummy additive when switching foods if problems occur. We tend to use canned plain pumpkin from the grocery store as it is already conveniently cooked and pureed in a can, but if you want to go through the trouble of peeling pumpkin, boiling/baking it, and pureeing/mushing it up, you also can. At the grocery store make sure you get plain (100%) pumpkin (and not pumpkin pie filling) cans.

Ok, now to my questions, lol:
When my roommate’s dog had her spaying surgery, he also lived in an apartment and his dog (Casey) was already pretty big, but for the day of the surgery he carried her up and down 3 floors for her to go potty. He didn’t want her stretching and pulling stitches and what not. I don’t know how feasible that will be with Lucille… Or if it’s even necessary, that’s just what he did. You may want to talk to the vet about that and see if she can stay overnight at least for the first day so that she doesn’t have to go up and down steps so much. We also carried Bruno on his surgery day, but he was small (still is), and by the next day he just ran out the door, perky and happy like he didn’t just lose his balls, lol. But talk to the vet about that, or maybe some of the pros will be able to answer. When she is healed, you can exercise her as normal, but not while healing.

Hm, I will look at chewy.com for small Dr. Tim’s – I have fed Kinesis GF, but I really wanted to try Momentum, Pursuit, and RPM… Haven’t seen them in small bags though.

Lucille is a German Shepherd, right? I would probably rotate her every large (not medium) bag for now, just to let her tummy get used to switching slowly, i.e. – you do the rotation, then she has a good amount of time to get used to the new food, then you rotate again, time of “rest” from the switch. If in a few bags all rotations go well, just rotate as you prefer – you can start rotating every medium bag, or just keep it at every large bag. It really is up to you how often you want to rotate, and how she’s taking it. I like to switch up every month or so, and luckily, a small bag lasts us just the right amount of time for that. I have, however, used larger bags even for Bruno (yes, that’s him in the picture, my cutie patootie) – 15 lb Dr. Tim’s Kinesis GF and 3 14-lb bags of Earthborn Holistic GF (Coastal Catch, Great Plains Feast, Primitive Natural), but after Coastal Catch, which lasted like 3 months, I decided to half them and put a different food in between them, as you can see from Bruno’s menu list, lol. Your rotation plan sounds good, I would also switch up the protein with every bag, for example:

EB CC – Dr. Tim’s Momentum – Nulo FS Lamb – Victor High Pro GF –
EB PN – Dr. Tim’s RPM GF – Nulo FS Turkey – Victor Yukon Salmon GF –
EB GPF – Dr. Tim’s Pursuit – Nulo FS Trim Cod – Victor Joint Health –
EB MF – Dr. Tim’s Kinesis GF – Nulo FS Salmon – Victor Ultra Pro – repeat!

*** EDIT *** – Don’t forget that Dr. Tim’s formulas Momentum and Pursuit are not GF! Everything else is. So you can switch between RPM and Kinesis GF to keep it all GF. Does Lucille have a grain allergy, or do you just like the idea of a food being GF? I used to think GF was better until I learned that dogs/wolves in the wild do consume a bit of the stomach content of the prey they kill, which is, often times, grains, fruits, vegetables, and greens, hence those foods contain those ingredients as well. But it is the meat content that matters most, so I still think that Dr. Tim’s grain-inclusive foods are a really good choice. The grain-inclusive Kinesis is the the only one rated 4 stars, all the rest are 5 stars. But you can use the GF Kinesis instead of the GI one. 🙂

This schedule provides diverse recipes and protein sources and if you choose to use bags that last Lucille about a month each, she will be set for about 16 months before a single recipe is repeated! Or 12 months, if you don’t use Victor. Feel free to use the above “meal plan” if you want, I hope it helps in giving you an idea of meal rotation and protein diversification. Or, you can switch the list up, or not use it at all, whatever works for your dog. 🙂

As for my lists, lol, thank you! Feel free to use them as templates anytime, lol, they are NOT proprietary information, lol! I made them for hubby’s ease in feeding Bru when/if I’m gone. And it did take me about an hour to look at all my foods, their expiration dates, and sort them out by dates and also by protein variety, which warranted the freezing of some foods and refrigeration of others… I did scrap some papers in the process, lol, but eventually made it work! So yeah. The toppers were easier to figure out as I only put a bit of each, and they are things I normally have around the house, except for the THK stuff – I mean, I do have it in the house, but it’s not like people-food. Eggs, yoghurt, coconut oil, sardines, and RMBs are though, so yeah.

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

[Naturella]

@Oleanderz, you are on the right track and in good hands with the pros of this forum! 🙂

So, about exercising – obviously not while she’s recovering from the surgery, but anytime she’s well, appropriate exercise depending on health conditions (joint and bone health, any other underlying conditions, etc.) – usually good long walks/jogs/runs, depending on what Lucille can physically do/endure will be good. Fetch sessions, swims, etc. are other ways to exercise that seem like a game.

Yes, Dr. Tim’s does have big bags! Unfortunately, only big bags… I really wish he packaged in 4-5 lb bags cause I have fed 15-lb bag of his Kinesis GF, but it lasts a while, and I like to rotate more often. One day when we get another dog in addition to Bruno, I will so get 15-lb bags and be cool with it! 🙂 Victor has 30-lb bags of the GF formulas and 40-lb bags of the grain-inclusive formulas.

I am very happy with using THK as a topper and would continue to use it! It makes it so easy to make my dog flavorful, nutritious, extra-hydrating “soups”. I probably would do one topper at a time, so either EB’s tub, or some THK, etc. Treats are still ok to be given, but I’ll get to that in a second. I usually still add a tiny bit of water even when I add canned. IDK about the EB tubs’ consistency, but I like pate style canned, so when I add water, it becomes nice and mushy with the kibble. But that’s just me. Like Dori said, you don’t have to ALWAYS add water, I just choose to do so and Bruno doesn’t seem to mind at all. And he still drinks his water from the water bowl too. Also, once you get Lucille accustomed to rotation, you can totally mix brands, for example using Victor or Annamaet kibble with Earthborn tubs, or Nulo canned, etc. Nulo is also pretty good, and if you email/Facebook the company, they will send you coupons for it. Annamaet sent me samples, and so did Dr. Tim’s. At sportdogfood.com you used to be able to purchase Victor samples for 33 cents/piece, and get up to 3 samples per recipe. So you can totally try them out first before buying, but I really think that all of these are high-quality foods.

Now, I second Dori on everything – free feeding is not a great practice, nor is treat “overloading” while trying to establish good eating habits. So do as she recommends, if you want – cut treats out, pick up food after 20min if not eaten. Try again at the next meal time. I have a feeling though, that once you start rotating and adding toppers, she will be pretty excited to eat her varying meals.

Also, like Dori said – most fruits and veggies are just fine, EXCEPT for onions, grapes, and raisins. I feed Bruno the same things Dori listed, and more, and he’s doing fine. Again, no seeds or pits cause they may be toxic. If you read the ingredient lists of many of those foods, they include a wide array of fruits and veggies that are safe for doggies to eat. So don’t stress it TOO much, but if you ever decide to add broth instead of water to Lucille’s meals, just make sure it has no onions in it.

Ok, so below you will find Bruno’s meal setup for the year – food lineup and toppers per meal. I am now out of the Sojo’s for the weekend toppers, but have a few cans laying around, so that will be the topper/meal instead of Sojo’s. We are currently on the second food in the food list – Wysong.

[Oleanderz]

@Naturella- Thank you!! ( ; w;) I’m trying to be, I’ll do my best!
Right, so absolutely wait until recovery time is up. That’ll give me a bit more time to think about it, but I think I have some sort of idea.
Alright exercise at all times! Of course no food is perfect, that would make things too easy. (T w T )
That’s the same method I used when I transfered her from Beneful when she was a puppy. Ok good to know a change in flavors matter in diversifying her pallet. I was exicted when I saw that Dr. Tim’s has even larger bags of food than Earthborn on Chewy. The 44-lb bag will last her a while if I keep it stored in the vault! Pumpkin helps with digestion? I never would’ve known. Is that why it’s in all of her fruitables??
I was just looking up reviews on THK’s GF dehydrated food itself, I was contemplating on adding it to a future rotation, not sure yet, but it looks like it’s produced by a fine company! I’ll pick up some THK perfect form before I start with the rotating process.
If I mix it with kibble and wet food, would I still have to add water? Dori said that is weight loss becomes a problem I can just mix her Earthborn tubs with the EB:GF.
She’s used to snacking on Stella & Chewy’s salmon or beef dehydrated bits, it won’t be too much on her belly if I put in the EB:GF, EB tubs, THK:pf and the topper? Maybe I’d have to add in water then. Oh yeah, I’m definitely familiar with fruit scares; one time when she was s puppy, I was playing MK6 with friends and eating a banana. It was like the 2nd lap when she nibbled a chunk off of it. We shared everything she was allowed to eat back then, except bacon. My mom never let her have any. Anyway, she bites my banana and I freak out and throw my controller and try to stop her from swallowing it. I took her up to my room and cried like a baby, but she wasn’t the slightest bit concerned for her well being she just ate EVERYTHING when she was little.
Thanks for more suggestions! I’m certain I’ll keep Earthborn in her future rotation, but for now I’m considering Dr. Tim’s, Nulo Freestyle(<–I’ve been looking up retainers and reviews all evening) and Victor’s Yukon River or Joint health! I really need to figure something out and how many I can incorporate into a rotation and which ones would be best for my pup. Do you think it would be alright to stick with the Earthborn tubs and continue to mix the food as she transitions or should I stick with the same brands when tranisitioning? Thank you so much for all of your input!!

[Akari_32]

This really is the only vet diet I would ever consider feeding to any animal. The protein levels are decent, the fat and carbs are lower than most other foods, and its got all that good joint stuff in it. I just wish it had slightly better filler-type ingredients. But its Purina, what are you gunna do? Corn is their thing…

Girl, I’d take mud over sand spurs any day! Those suckers get into the inside of your pant legs and shoes and hide there until the most inopportune times! And Ginger is not a happy dog when she’s in pain! It took about a minute to get her pinned down enough to where I could safely remove the sand spur from her toes with out losing a finger LOL I’m just glad that the blinds weren’t open at the house that we stopped in front of. They’d’ve probably thought I was killing her XD

[Barbara]

naturella sorry i just reread my post that i had posted in the middle of the night when i was in pain and could not sleep…i did not mean to sound like you or anyone else who collects coupons are wasting their time. i just can’t believe that you had to go through that hassle the clerks gave you! i forget that not everyone has big dogs like i have and orders 2 30# bags every 3 weeks! i just find it easier to order on chewy.com where for the last 2 months i have been ordering 30# bags of castor and pollux grain free ultramix duck for only 49.99 and their grain and poultry free ultramix salmon for 47.99. compared to other on-line sites and dog food stores like petco and petsmart these prices are very good because i need to get the large bags and i don’t have to carry 30# bags to my car all the time! i do rotate their dry kibble and have ordered other brands from chewy that have good ratings on dfa and are grain free…i think i have been ordering from chewy now for at least 3 years… i also occasionally drive a ways to a county feed store to get victor dog food especially their grain free joint health which has beef in it so they do get a variety of kibble along with lightly cooked meats and veggies. my 14 yr old border collie/flat coat mix also gets kirkland’s natures domain canned turkey and peas from costco rated 5 star and only 20 dollars for 24 cans! i do realize that coupons are good when you have the time to search for them and need smaller size bags then i do…so do take care and happy coupon hunting and thanks for sharing them with others! 🙂

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

[crazy4cats]

Hi Amanda-Love J-
Congrats on the new pups. Wow! Do you have your hands full or what? I’m glad that you are excited about switching foods. Here is a link with information about feeding large breed puppies: /best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
The most important factor when choosing a food for a Large Breed Pup is the calcium levels. Also important is to not over feed. There is a chart of recommended foods with appropriate calcium on this thread on about page 35 or 36. Also if you join the Editor’s Choice club, there are a few very highly recommended foods for your puppies on that list. I’ve heard Nutrisource large breed puppy and Wellness Core puppy food come up a few times from others as being good choices. After your pups are close to being full grown and their joints are done forming, you can switch to any high quality food.

Your other dogs can eat puppy or all life stages food as well, but you may have to adjust the amount fed as they are often higher in calories and fat.

Have fun with your zoo!

[CircaRigel]

My 10-week-old Shiloh Shepherd, Galen, is now on Holistic Select Large and Giant Breed Puppy Health Lamb and Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food. He loves the food, and his stool consistency is great! His growth hasn’t been as fast as some of his siblings, but I see that as a good thing, for the vet says he’s a perfect weight for his frame and in great health. This looks to be taking excellent care of his joints. After all, when it comes to growth, it’s not a matter of how quickly one grows, and in large dogs it’s better that it be slow and steady (but he still grew 20% in 10 days- 20 to 24 lbs). The genes will dictate the final size.

It’s important that I look after Galen’s joints properly, for he’s training to be a service dog, to help with my PTSD and spine injuries. I was fortunate enough to find an organization that is quite happy to help train owner raised dogs, for after the Shiloh Shepherd I rescued 20 years ago (I didn’t even know he was a Shiloh at the time), I knew the breed has what is perfect for my needs.

[Akari_32]

If this is your first dachshund, you’re in for a treat! They are quite something. Mines a diva and a drama queen to say the least. Two things to keep in mind with them: for one, pay extremely close attention to their oral health. Dachshunds have a bit a different mouth structure than other other dogs do, and are prone to dental problems. I’m fighting with terrible teeth issues with my 14 year old rescue. Make sure, especially if you go with canned food, to get your little guy used to regular teeth brushing and keep a container supply of chews and chew toys in the house, and get dental check ups regularly, and cleanings as needed. The second thing to keep in mind is they cannot take as much strain on their back and joints as other dogs can, so be sure to have doggy steps leading up to any piece of furniture he will be allowed up on. It’ll save you vet bills later 😉

You’ve got some great food suggestions, so I’ll just add a couple more. Nutro Natural Choice and Nutro Ultra are good sort of in between foods when you start to work your puppy up to higher rated brands. I also use Natural Choice in rotation when I can get it for a decent price. I’m also a huge fan of Wellness, and use a lot of it. They have a little bit of everything for everyone, and it’s not too bad of a price, either.

Good luck with your little, and post some pictures! I love the wire haired ones 🙂

[Jo B]

Hi! I’ve read a ton on this website and learned a lot. I looked around for a search box to specifically search this thread, but didn’t see one, so I apologize if this has (which I’m sure) been addressed.

How long should a large breed puppy (Golden Retriever) be on an appropriately balanced puppy food? 12mo? 18mo? 24mo?

And a somewhat related question…
I did have a litter of Golden pups. One male in particular has been big from the start. I didn’t see any particular teat hogging. Since they’ve been on solids the whole litter gets the same amount but these this guy is huge. They are 8 weeks today and he weighs 16ish# He has a big head and big, thick legs, and big feet. Much bigger than the rest. He’s probably just a big boy but, I’m now suddenly panicked that I’ve fed too much (Wellness CORE puppy) and he’s grown too quickly and put undue stress on his joints.

Any advice or reassurance?? Thanks

[InkedMarie]

Gemma was our 12 ish year old sheltie who we have had just two years. She wasn’t in the best of health when we got her, not horrible but could have been better. She came to us with no teeth which is probably good because when she put her mouth on you, her jaws were like a vice grip!
Like a typical sheltie, she loved to eat. She had joint problems so walking wasn’t something she enjoyed. She loved the snow, loved my grandaughter that I babysit.
She got sick this past weekend & had advanced chronic kidney disease. t’s been a hard week & we sent her over the bridge this morning.

Goodbye, my sweet Gemma, I will miss you more than you know. Run free & look for Jasper, Molly, Emma, Tucker and Katie; I know they’re waiting for you.

[Caroline H]

Hi – Hounddog mom!

I have been using mercola’s sups and as you note they are very expensive. I have started using their joint sup but with a 96 lb golden retriever (no not overweight but tall, muscular and big boned 🙂 it is just cost prohibitive. Also there is a new similar product on the market although more expensive I believe but it has significantly more of the active ingredients, called EHP Myristin. My golden is not showing any signs of arthritis with exception of being a bit slower getting up but that may just be old age. They Cetyl Myristoleate Complex per chewable in this product is 500mg compared to the 130mg in the Mercola product so it would actually be cheaper based on how many tabs I would have to give my boy daily. Any thoughts are you familiar with this product or do you know a similar product – human one – that would work equally as well? Also wondering what else I should give him to support his older body now. He gets daily omega 3s from Northwest Naturals and coconut oil (2tsps a day is that enough without adding too many extra calories?) and I feed him small batch raw dog food with some added cruciferous veggies. He also has Mast Cell Tumor cancer (Grade II stage II) but we believe we have removed it all surgically (they don’t ever say they are in remission). The raw dog food says “complete” re other nutrients and it has bone and organ meat but I always wonder if he could use a basic minimum multivitamin. Also how much omega threes should I be giving him? Thanks so much. Sorry for so many questions. I research a lot but there is so much overwhelming info these days. My go to has been Mercola, I like Becker’s approach and trust their USA made formulas but I also have dog insurance for my boy that goes up every year and trying to manage the dog budget is ridiculous 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hmmm…, Anthony, after seeing your Avatar, I wonder where she gets her energy from? Lol! Do you think that your pup is close to full grown yet? I’m just wondering if you or others think that she still needs to be on a food with a limited amount of calcium still or that most of her growing is done and your selection of foods can increase? I believe that either Pet Smart or Petco carries Nature’s Variety. They are also a highly rated dog food. Their food is a little high for my budget. But, I would feed it if I didn’t have a zoo and college kids to pay for! You can open a lot more options if you would consider ordering food online as well. I was skeptical at first, but now do it regularly. I feed my lab mix dogs Victor grain free joint health kibble with a variety of toppers with success. But, it is sold mostly at feed stores and smaller pet boutique type stores. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Most of us that post regularly on this site lean towards feeding grain free. But that is not to say that all grain free foods are superiior. Many are full of starchy peas and potatoes. It just depends on the food and your dogs. I feed both. It’s best to try to maximize protein and minimize carbs. In the case of large breed pups, I think feeding a reputable brand with the appropriate calcium levels is the most important. You will want them to stay on a puppy or all life stages food until they are at least a year old to give your dogs the best shot at avoiding joint issues. Like mentioned above, there is a list of recommended foods on the large breed puppy thread on this forum on page 35 or 36. Also, the editor’s choice section has some listed as well. It’s best to keep the calcium percentage between .9 and 1.35 max. Good luck!

[Laura L]

Thanks Susan, I have signed up for the dog pancreatitis group so hopefully will be able to access the site soon. I had my girl on a low fat food in an effort to lose weight and she did not get into anything she should not have prior to this attack so I am kind of perplexed on the trigger. The vet thought we could reevaluate in a week regarding diet but I don’t want to go back on previous food which was not a good food anyway (prescription weight loss). I hated to put her on it in the first place but weight loss was a priority at the time. We walk daily but with the below zero temps we have been having that has been difficult to do consistently in recent weeks. She has one speed and it is slow, never had an interest in any toys and would just look at me if I threw a ball as if to say “why did you do that”. The thing she has loved best is doing therapy work and I just retired her in December secondary to her joint issues. Has anyone had success feeding the Fromm weight management formula (gold line) or Wellness complete healthy weight. I am not sure of the balance of fat, protein and fiber I am looking for as I am in the research phase.

[crazy4cats]

Andi G-
I have two 80 pounders. I feel your pain. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t found this site. It’s costing me too much money! Lol! Anyway, I mostly feed my guys Victor grain free joint health kibble. It isn’t exactly cheap, but it is the best I have found that I can afford. I buy a 50lb bag for $75. For a topper, I use either Pure Balance (Walmart), Nature’s Domain (Costco) or 4Health (Del’s or Tractor Supply) canned foods. They are all $1 or less per can. I give them each a couple of Tbs. The can lasts for two meals each. In the evening I add in eggs and/or sardines a few days a week. Last night, they got left over chicken with their dinner. Victor also has a few formulas with grain that are also popular and are a little less expensive. Good luck!

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

[theBCnut]

Sometimes, I make my own wet food by putting heart, liver, and kidney in the crockpot and then putting it through the blender.

Consider feeding raw chicken or turkey necks for a joint supplement. They have tons of cartilage in them.

[RescueDaneMom]

I have a Great Dane and 100% agree with theBCnut. Large Breed foods may advertise added joint support but it’s not enough to be therapeutic.

[theBCnut]

Go to the Diet and Health Issues forum and read the first few pages in the Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition thread for info on why you should be very careful with LBP nutrition. But you really don’t have to stick with large breed food once they are adults, though you might want to make sure you give joint supplements.

[Akari_32]

I’ve got a dog that hates fish oil. He gets coconut oil instead and he loves it.

Random question, this isn’t the only dog you have, it is?? She doesn’t need any larger than maybe a 12-15 lb bag of food for herself…. Lol

That said, I’ve been testing out Purina Veterinary Diet Joint Mobility on my 14 year old Dachshund. She’s only been on it a couple weeks and I already see a difference. A 6lb bag runs something $25, a 15(?) lb bag is $40-ish, and the 30-whatever lb bag is around $60. I pay half price working in the veterinary field, so I don’t recall the exact numbers, but i do recall the large bag being comparably priced to most other foods. I was skeptical at first, but having tried many other things, and with fish oil causing her terrible stomach problems, I was ready to try just about anything. Your case may be a point in where you might want to try this food. Just a side note, I’ve looked at other vet diets (for joint health and otherwise) and this is the only one I would ever consider feeding, as it has a good amount of animal protein in it. If you have other dogs, a big bag wouldn’t hurt anything at all, provided there are no allergies to any of its ingredients.

[Kristy C]

I have an 8 year 3 month old mix rescue dog (Pekingese, Poodle, Pomeranian, and they believe there is also another small breed but long body mixed) approx. 12lbs. She has never been a jumper because of her very short legs, and I use to describe her running and playing as a cat/dog. She would leap and pounce across the yard unlike most dogs that run. She’d leap off of her back legs, land on her front and so on and so forth. She suddenly stopped walking, running, playing, etc. She now scoots her back end and curls it to the side so her feet are facing up and shes dragging her very lower back. The only time she will get up and hobble is to potty and its only a few feet at a time. My vet recommended buying the fish oil capsules and mixing 2 a day with some wet dog food as well as half of a DOSEQUIN DS Joint Health Supplement, Maximum Strength Plus MSM daily. This worked AMAZING for the first 2 weeks, she was walking and moving around 75% more than she was. However she is a female and she became disgusted with the taste of popping the fish oil liquid pills and mixing it with her food, so she has quit eating the food and after 5 days of her only eating tablespoon or two of it she is back to barely moving. What is a good food/ supplements that I can give her (that don’t make her skin smell like fish oil and that she will EAT!)?!?!?! PLEASE! I will do the work if its having to make her food, but I will not pay $127 for a SMALL (32lb) bag of food! I AM SINCERELY THANKFUL FOR ANY AND ALLLLLL RECOMMENDATIONS. She still has her sight and full mind and is loving and wants to be playful, I’m just trying to get her body to agree with her mind and spirit!!

[theBCnut]

If it is a supplement that gives loading dose info, you can certainly double it safely, probably almost all, if not all, joint supplements can be doubled. Some dogs do get upset stomach from getting that high a dose long term, but not many. If Lily does, then you can start backing off to see what her comfort level is, like a double dose every other day and normal dose in between.

[Dori]

Her symptoms and the fact that she does better after being up and moving around would lead me to believe that it is an arthritic condition and, not a luxating patella. Having toy breeds for so many years I know the symptoms of luxating patellas. They do not do better after walking and moving around. That’s more symptomatic of arthritis. With that said, I would agree with BC. I’d like to know for sure. But, again with that said, if she has a bad enough luxating patella that needs surgery for correction you would know that. There is no confusing it with arthritis. Yes, I’d like to know if it’s arthritis because if it is, you can give supplements and possible different types of meds or herbals if you think she’s in pain to give her some relief. Pain meds don’t help with severe luxating patellas. With a luxating patella it’s similar to being double jointed where your limb snaps out at a joint. If it’s not severe enough you can snap it back in to place yourself, if you and your orthopedic can’t then you need surgery. With a luxating patella the “knee” will snap out of position. Mild cases it will just snap back into place, mild to medium you or your vet (mostly you because it happens continually) will snap it back in place. Severe means that neither the knee, your dog or you can snap it back in place. That needs surgery. Katie had surgery for a level 4 luxating patella before she was a year old. (have I mentioned often enough on all posts that she was the runt of the litter????) Luxating Patella and arthritis are not the same thing. To know how to treat or at least help either you have to know what it is.

[aquariangt]

amazon and sportdogfood both have it, and it seems to be the same price. The only 3 bags that are under 30 lbs that I can find are the Yukon, The Joint Supplement one, and the Hi Pro-all in 5 lb bags. No 15 lb that I can find either

[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.

[InkedMarie]

The best food would be a higher protein grainfree food. Grains are inflammatory. Is she on supplements for her joints? There are many out there. Ones I use are Liquid Health K9 glucosamine, organic tumeric (the Whole Dog Journal just had an article on this), Dog Gone Pain and Traumeel.

[Autumn E]

Hello,
I was wondering what a good food would be to feed a 6 year old cocker who was just diagnosed with joint problems? She is leaving the animal hospital today with a swollen disk in her neck and arthritis in her hip. I was wondering what food is best to help protect her joints and hopefully keep her from futher pain. Thanks so much!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 11 months ago by Autumn E.

[kelsey s]

Susan, he doesn’t use his wheelchair at home, as he mostly stay is in our room. She has never seen him in it. She was a stray, and she is close to due date–a week or two most likely. She loves our guy friends. But the wierdest part is we have had her almost two months and she was just fine until these episodes. And he has arthrogryposis, basically, his joints are fixed in position, he can’t walk or use his hands/arms, which is why an aggressive dog is extremely dangerous in our home.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Bryana,

I also have a Golden who started out much the same way as yours. I believe the vaccinations may have contributed to some of his early issues. It was my intention to spread vaccines out and I recall once the vet acted like, “Oops, I actually got a combo vaccine ready.” Of course, I let it go. I wish that I had insisted and that I hadn’t gotten unnecessary vaccines. My Golden had an infection in each ear at just a few months old and was at the vet sick with lethargy and diarrhea. I suspected vaccinosis. Yes, the vet put him on the I/D garbage as well. Since I can’t change that now, I only vaccinate for rabies and I titer for immunity to core vaccines.

As for food, my Golden had digestive issues as a young pup also. It seemed everything gave him diarrhea. Plain canned pumpkin can help firm up loose stool. Goldens are known for having sensitive stomachs and food intolerance / allergy issues. I’ve determined that my Golden has food intolerance issues. He cannot have fish, flax, tomato, chickpeas or lentils. He does better with moderate protein, fat and carbs and a bit lower fiber. I’m not suggesting your Golden has these same intolerance / allergy issues, but it’s my guess he’s intolerant of something and what you’re saying is the end product. You have to figure out what they are, which is the tricky part and it takes a lot of time. Can you compare any ingredients in the food he was eating too see if there are common ingredient that could be the culprit?

Also, your Golden is a large breed puppy that has unique nutritional requirements. You must feed him a controlled level of Calcium. You should also avoid over-exercising him to avoid stressing growing joints and you should also keep him lean while he’s growing.

Here’s a link to another thread in the forum that explains this in more detail, read the first few pages at least: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

On page 36, there is a Google document with a list of foods with appropriate Calcium levels for large and giant breed puppies. It was posted on 10/22/2013, at 4:22 PM by Hound Dog Mom. You should choose a food from this list: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/page/36

One food in particular that I might suggest is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey.

[Akari_32]

We took a mile and a half walk yesterday and Ginger had the greatest time! It also seems to have helped with her stiffness, I think. I know activity is good for arthritis and joint pain, and she does love going for walks, but I’m worried that she will not let me know when she is done, so I try not to make them too long. I worry about her over doing it and making herself worse lol Her new food is here and I will start her on it tomorrow. I’m really hoping it works well for her!

[Akari_32]

Ugh, this dog!

So tonight, Ginger was being a restless pain like she always is at night (she likes to snuggle up and go to bed, but my cousin is hear and she doesn’t know what to do with the change in scenery, which makes her even more restless), and she climbed up the arm of the couch and on to the end table, and stood there for a second. The next thing I know, she’s gone, there’s a thud as she hits the floor, she cries, and I have to save her from between the table and the couch. At first she appeared to be fine, and I gave a quick pat down to make sure she was ok (my first fear being that she hurt her back or head, not seeing how she fell) and she later climbed back up on the couch to lay down, looking just a little sore and sulking because she scared herself. A couple hours later, after she was still for most of that time, I can tell her back leg is pretty ouchy. She’s still putting her weight on it, but she’s somewhere between a mild limp and a hobble when she walks. I’ll watch her for the next couple days and see if it improves any. I’m pretty sure she’s just sore from being a tard and going where she shouldn’t have gone in the first place. Her new Joint Mobility food should be here tomorrow. I may start her on it early to help with whatever she’s done to her leg. It’s supposed to help with inflammation. I wish Bentley had any more Previcox or I’d give her some 🙁 She wasn’t too thrilled when I picked her up off the couch to put her to bed a few minutes ago, so I hope she doesn’t hurt too much.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Sarah-
I’d definitely play it safe and feed your pup as if it is a large breed. There is a good chance she will be if she is 3/4 golden. She is going to be beautiful! Right now, I’d worry more about her joints than cancer. You can always supplement with fish oil or sardines/salmon if you can’t find an appropriate fish based food at this time. I have two three year-old 3/4 lab, 1/4 golden mixes and I give them each one tin of sardines per week and then a krill oil pill each on another day. I also feed them eggs, beef hearts a few times per week with their kibble as well. Good luck and have fun with your pup!

[Akari_32]

Oh boy, this’ll be fun lol

Haley and Dweezle: Natural Balance Ultra Small Breed. Only got it because it was $1 a pound after coupons– I’m not very happy with, so after the two bags I have are gone, I’ll not buy it again. However, they like it. But they like anything, regardless of how eatable it is lol They also each get a salmon oil pill in their food. Next will be Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Senior and Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Adult, mixed 2:1. These dogs are 60 and 130 lbs, btw LOL after that will probably be Ideal Balance puppy, then Wellness Core Puppy and Small Breed mixed, then who knows. I have a good sized stash to chose from. I try to keep it interesting.

Bentley: SSLL mix, with coconut oil (won’t eat the mix plain, the little brat!) and a nice de-boned raw turkey leg. He gets a random pick of turkey or chicken (bought whole and cut up and separated into white meat, dark meat, and bone-in meat), ground pork, or beef or chicken hearts every day.

Ginger: half Wellness Small Breed Simple Salmon and Potato, and half Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health Healthy Weight. She’ll be moving to Purina Veterinary Diet Joint Mobility when I have the money in my account to order it, her Wellness Simple was running out, so I’ll put it off a bit longer, so she’s not switching arounf too much. Her stomach just can’t handle it. Nothing Purina is my first choice except for a very select few of the canned cat foods due to cost, but I’m at my wits end at what I can do to help her poor old joints, and not break the bank (not that there’s much of a bank to break at this point…). I can get it less than what the same size bag of Wellness is, so it’s worth a shot. Her treats today was a half of an Amoxicillin pill in the morning and tonight. She eats it like it’s the most delicious thing she’s ever tasted, so I just let her think that LOL

Usually they all get some form of Zukes or Pet Botanics treats, but no one got any of those today, except the cat, who did high-fives, shakes, and up’s for his G-Zees treats :p He also got 3oz Wild Kitty raw cat food mix (made with chicken) for breakfast, and a 5.5 oz can of Friskies Ocean Whitefish as a very special treat. I don’t do fish or any other Friskies other than two flavors of Special Diet for him very often, but I’ll grab something fish based every now and then for something that isn’t turkey, chicken or beef. Gotta have something different when your crazy mommy limits you to very specific flavors from very specific brands lol I’ve also been giving Bentley a few pieces of Natures Variety Instinct Raw as a treat a few times a day. He loves to eat the little pieces still frozen. I think he likes the texture, and the fact that it’s red meat, something I can’t afford for his rotation very often. Innova Prime Red Meat used to be his favorite kibble before we realized he had carb allergies and before Innova got bought out.

Just a side note on the Wellness Toy Breed Complete Health forumlas: I’m extremely happy with all of them. Typically, even in the rest of the Wellness line, senior and diet foods are just complete crap, but these are comparable to other puppy and adult grain inclusive foods. They have good protein (close to 30%), and low fat (which is what my three old farts need), and are still high calorie (high 400’s!). Would definitely recommend either of these to anyone with a dog that needs a low fat diet, or to any owner who likes to feed lower fat diet food, small or large breed. It’s pretty decently priced, too, especially if you have coupons 😉

[crazy4cats]

Hi Guys-
Honestly, you never really HAVE to switch. Food labeled as puppy and/or all life stages are OK to feed forever. Food labeled as Adult or Maintenance should only be fed when the pup is full grown. Large breeds between 1 and 2 years. Small breeds between 6 months to a year. Just make sure that the large breed pups stay lean and grow at a slow steady pace to avoid joint issues.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, I have fed it a couple of times. It’s just too expensive for me to feed regularly. Grain free joint health Victor is one of my main Kibbles. I tend to use less expensive kibble so that I can add quality toppers. I’m one of those rebels that mixes raw with kibble. Lol! Take care.

[Akari_32]

That doesn’t quite look like what it is, Patty. It does look like what we thought was a wart on my grandmas dog, though lol

Cheryl, I honestly would not doubt that she had some form of cancer. Sometimes she’ll just sit in one spot and shake miserably, like she’s in pain. She also flips out if you don’t pick her up just right (no hands on her tummy– she’ll bite you for that!). I have to get down next to her with one knee on the floor, pull her against my leg, hand under the chest, and elbow pressed against her hips. It took a long time to get her let me give her tummy rubs, and even still she’s wary about it. Her stomach and shoulders (really bad joints, too) are a big problem for her. So, I wouldn’t doubt if some of her apprehension about having her stomach touched had something to do an internal tumor or something.

Mom doesn’t think we need to see the vet Tuesday, but I’m just worried that it’ll countinue to sit there and fester, at the very least. And if it’s something worse than that, I want to get it removed if she is a candidate for the anesthesia. If there is a way to do it with out anesthesia, I would also like to talk about that with him.

[theBCnut]

The dose I use for Joint Armor is kind of silly. I use a fingernail full. It’s probably about 1/16 of a teaspoon or less.

[Akari_32]

Alright! Back from the vet. Since this thread is for joint stuff, I’ll just stick with that. We talked some about what could be done for her joints, and talked about what I was doing now for her and how she was doing on that, but that I thought she could be doing better, and he said he wouldn’t mind seeing her on a prescription joint diet. He tried to get me to do Hill’s (what he stocks), but I told him I had a membership with P4P and that it would be much cheaper to do Purina. I refrained from telling him the Hill’s looks absolutely disgusting lol anyways, we have a prescription for the JM, and we will order some soon. Hopefully it helps. I did, however, neglect to see if I needed a new prescription for every order… Oh well, I’m going to order two bags each time anyways lol

Thanks guys for all your help! I will let you know how this stuff works. If it doesn’t work as well as I’d like, it gives me time to price shop for those supliments while it gets used up. But with money and schedule both tight and unpredictable, I hope this does the trick. The easier the better, for sure.

[LabsRawesome]

Hi Dori, after the first week Trinity had noticeable improvement. After week two she was back to running. 😀 That made me sooo happy!! 😀 Try it for Hannah, I’m sure it will help her joints too. I give it to Trinity in the morning right before I feed her. Let me know if you do try it.

[Sadie’s Mom]

I will! Thanks so much for all the helpful advice 🙂 I am so glad to have found this site and all the helpful people that are one it! I am planning on getting the GNC joint supplement today and starting it tonight.

[LabsRawesome]

Yes they can be opened and mixed with food. They are the type of capsules that you can open and the contents are powder. They really helped my dog, The difference in her joints is dramatic. She is back to taking long walks in the woods. 😀

[LabsRawesome]

Hi Sadie’s Mom, Hydraplenish really helped my Labs joint problems. She went from hobbling around to running again. Here’s a site with free shipping. https://www.pureformulas.com/hydraplenish-60-vegetarian-capsules-by-natures-way.html Trinity takes them with no problem, but if your dog doesn’t like taking pills you can open and mix the powder in with canned. Another option is pill pockets, you can buy them at Walmart. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re treats with a hollow center, that hold pills.

[Akari_32]

Vet appointment at 1:30 today! I have a list of things to go over with him. Mouth, ears (she’s been bothering them lately), and joints.

On a slightly related note, the vet I got Ginger from and that I was interning for will be back in business soon! Yay! I just wish these problems could have waited for him lol It’s so much easier to keep a dog at a vet that they know. A fresh mind is always good though.

[theBCnut]

I use the liquid for Cortaflex and a powder called Joint Armor, one or the other not both at the same time. The Cortaflex might taste better.