[pugmomsandy]

Senior foods are actually not a recognized label according to AAFCO. A food can be for adult maintenance or growth and reproduction. The majority of senior foods are made to have less protein and fat and calories and may contain joint supplements. That being said, healthy seniors don’t require less protein and thus increased carbs. They actually benefit from increased quality protein and quality fats. And a serving of a food with joint supplements would not have a therapeutic dose. You’re better off giving a separate joint supplement. If your senior was doing fine on her previous food regimen, you could go back to it.

[Acroyali]

There’s been great advice on this thread so all I can do is say I’m awfully sorry about your dog, but I’m very glad it was her leg that couldn’t be saved and not her life. So scary.
We have a very small dog (we think Chihuahua mix, or long haired Chi) who broke her leg and the leg was saved. It was in a cast and all that, but due to her tiny bone structure the leg healed improperly and it’s a constant worry that it will rebreak. It seems to move around a lot more than it should. The vets that worked on her after the break said it healed well, but her age (she’s 10-11 years old) we think made it more difficult for it to heal well.

Keeping her lean helps. This particular dog has (in the vets words), “Not the greatest kneecaps”, so that’s kind of a double slam on her. As tempting as it is to carry her everywhere, she walks on her own to (hopefully) keep the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joints strong. I’d make sure she gets a moderate amount of exercise so she retains good muscle mass. If you’re really ambitious, teach her how to back up. This is great for rear muscles and could hopefully help the breakdown of her rear end while she learns to go on 3 legs vs. 4.

Hope this helps and again–very sorry for the scare!

[Susan]

Hi Ryan, sorry about your little dog losing a leg, lucky the other dog couldn’t get thru the fence all the way there may have been a different outcome….
Start looking for LOW CARB kibbles, high protein, low fat kibbles & wet tin foods….a lot of Hills, Royal Canine & Purina formulas are very high in carbs causing the dog to gain weight….
This is how you find out the carb % in a kibble, find & add the Protein% + fat% + fiber% + moisture% + ash%, if there’s no ash % just add 8% for ash, add all together now take away score from 100 & you have the carb% in that kibble, try & stay under 40% for carbs under 30% would be better…..dogs have short digestive tracts made to digest meat not high carb diets, over the years our dogs have become accustom to these higher carb diets but some dogs just don’t do to well…

Hills prescription vet diet has a new low carb-36%, weight loss & joint care kibble & wet tin food on the market, called “Hills Metabolic + Mobility Canine” for weight & joint care & in the Wet tin Metabolic + Mobility wet tin canine vegetables & Tuna stew.. http://www.hillspet.com.au/en-au/products/pd-canine-metabolic-plus-mobility-dry.html
If you want a grain free kibble & wet tin food look at the Salmon/Whitefish formulas the omega 3 will be higher so better for joints, heart, brain, skin & coat…

“Holistic Select” has a really good Senior Health kibble has everything for aging dogs, easy to digest the kibble size is nice & small & the fat & fiber % is lower then the Hills Metabolic + Mobility Care formula…you can rotate between the 2 formulas & see which gives better results.. http://www.holisticselect.com.au/recipes.aspx?pet=dog

[Michael F]

Hi So Sorry to hear of your dogs, terrible accident. One of my dogs ripped her knee out at age ten and had to have a plate put in, however even before the operation we saw a holistic vet and put both our pups on Cosequin, now the new improved version is supposedly Dasaquin ( but I have not used that) and also Duralactin, even before the surgery the Duralactin immediately helped with joint pain and swelling, both dogs stayed on Cosequin and Duralactin for the rest of their lives and lived to be seventeen and eighteen years of age. Duralactin is an all natural milk protein tablet, it can be purchased through Dr. Fosters Smith and is relatively inexpensive, expecially for your dog’s size. I think the supplements with a quality low fat diet for her to loose weight make the most sense for you.

Good Luck I hope this helps!

[Ryan B]

Hello. We don’t free feed. The dogs get two bowls a day, one morning and the other in the evening. She is going to need something for joints and have to get her weight down a little.
I had her on blue buffalo basic once, her weight went down… Currently has been on Nutro Small Breed. Again need something for joints and weight management.

[Ryan B]

Hello. Its been a terrible week. Last week my neighbors dog got it’s face through the fence (their fence broke a piece off) and got a hold of my chihuahua’s leg and ripped it to pieces.

The veterinarian tried their hardest with the leg and we were positive was all looking good until yesterday… A infection started, leg got black and cold. So we had to go the next step and the leg will be getting amputated, absolutely devastated.

I am in the process of ordering her some new things since this will be a major change for us, a household of three dogs. We feed our dogs a small breed formula. But since my chi is 9 yrs and about 8 lbs, little chubby. I want to get her weight down and get better joint health since she will only have on front leg. Any recommendations?
I came across Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Mobility Adult Dog Food – Small Bites, Chicken Meal & Rice thoughts?

[Susan]

Hi Kira M, Tonk sounds like my Patch he’s 8yrs old & thinks he’s a puppy & takes over my bed at night……are you bathing weekly or twice a week, start bathing him in Malaseb Medicated Shampoo it can be used daily if needed, the Malaseb really helps itchy dry skin, also what is he eating & does he have any fleas? normally if a dog is real itchy around the base of the tail is due to flea dermatitis, go shop & get some “Sudocrem” cream it’s a healing cream for Dermatitis, Eczema, cuts, burns, abrasions, nappy rash, as soon as Patch starts rubbing his bum on my carpet I get a Baby Wipe the Huggies Cucumber & Aloe wipe & wipe the area that’s itchy then I apply some of the Sudocrem & paint his bum white with the Sudocrem, he has a black bum, his itch stops straight away also when his paws are red & itchy I give him a bath & you have to leave the “Malaseb” shampoo on for 5-10mins then the Malaseb relieves his red paws, it must be rinsed off properly, then at night I check his whole body, he gets real red around his mouth, bottom lip chin area & in the creases of his mouth can get red, I wipe with a baby wipe then when dry I apply the Sudocrem with a cotton tip, I also use Hydrocortisone 1% cream when paws mouth & bum is itchy….. try some of the creams I’ve mentioned if they do not help his tail, I’d make appointment to see a Dermatologist that specializes in skin & she might do a skin scrap to see what she’s dealing with… It’s weird its just his tail? I would stop him licking & chewing on his tail it could be making it worse, I apply the Hydrocortisone 1% cream to Patches paws when they are bad, then I wrap a bandage around his paw & put a sock on so his paws can start to heal & Patch can’t lick his paws & make them worse…also start adding a couple of Sardines to one of his meals, I buy the Tin Sardines & tin Salmon in spring water from Aldis & he has some for lunch, Sardines are high in omega 3 fatty acids excellent for their skin, coat, joints, heart & brain… https://sudocrem.com/au/sudocrem

[Danielle B]

Hello, I am new to this forum and am hoping to find answers. We recently brought home our new puppy. The breeder was feeding Blue Buffalo fish and oatmeal “adult breed” with royal can in puppy mousse. After coming home we stuck with the exact same regimen and changed nothing. Our puppy developed horrible diarrhea for about 3 weeks. After putting him on a prescription diet, vet recommended along with a digestive supplement, cooking for him and adding pumpkin, it seems that his gut has normalized. It is now time to slowly get him off of the prescription diet however I am still overwhelmed by the choices here. I am looking for a dry kibble in the medium price range. I went into this thinking Blue Buffalo was a decent brand but after reading this website it doesn’t seem to be the best choice. Any suggestions on where to start my bulldog. Being a breed prone to health issues, skin irritations, joint issues, etc,, I would like to get a jump on feeding him properly now before things get out of control. I am looking for any and all suggestions on food, suggested supplements, additives, routines, etc… I also am not clear as to why the breeder feeds his puppies adult food instead of puppy food, any thoughts on this. Also, are english bulldogs considered large breed or medium breed on this website? Thank you for any and all help.

[InkedMarie]

I wouldn’t bother with joint supplements in food, By the time it’s cooked, the supplement is gone. I use In Clover Connectin for my senior dog. I’ve also used K9 Glucosamine but better results with the Connectin. Green Lipped mussel is also recommended.

Dr Tim’s is a great food. If you are on FB, he will answer questions on his FB page.

[David P]

I read a lot of great things about Dr Tim’s! I’ll try it. Thank you 🙂

I don’t give Dewey any supplements. I’ve asked my vet and she said to be cautious? Regretfully, I did not pursue the issue. I ‘believe’ I should be giving him a supplement for his hips & joints. Glucosamine? Is that what you would suggest? Would you advise I take note of how much of that is in the dog food (if any) when determining how much of a supplement to give him? Guess what I’m asking is, if that supplement is in his food, how do I determine how much more to give him? Sorry to sound so foolish.

[InkedMarie]

Hi David,
First, what joint supplements are you giving your dog? Second, you’d do well to eliminate grains and white potato. They can be inflammatory.

[virginia R]

Hi Stephanie – there is a good facebook group called “home cooked diets for dogs” which has a lot of information – the files are excellent and only well researched and scientifically supported data is included. I had tried with one canine nutritional specialist but her formula did not work for my dogs (exceptionally high in starches). I’m now “cheating” with The Honest Kitchen Preference Base Mix. It’s freeze dried vegetables and fruit and essential vitamins and minerals. This product requires you to add the meat/protein – so you know what your dog is eating. It’s a lot easier than making the meals completely from scratch, and might be a nice way to start the home cooking process. My dogs are both doing very well on this diet. One is youngster with pancreatitis and joint issues – we’ve almost totally transitioned her off prescription diet.

[anonymous]

Dogswell Happy Hips Chicken & Oats Recipe Dry Dog Food
Made with cage-free chickens that are raised without added growth hormones or added steroids and provide amino acids for muscle development and maintaining muscle tone. Helps Maintain Healthy Hips & Joints with Glucosamine & Chondroitin!
The chicken breasts from cage-free chickens are raised without added growth hormones or added steroids and provide amino acids for muscle development and maintaining muscle tone. Vitamin E is an antioxidant rich essential fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin E keeps the connective tissues strong and prevents skin and muscles from losing elasticity.
Key Benefits
Real chicken as the first ingredient , providing essential amino acids to support muscle development and tone
Antioxidant nutrients such as Vitamins A and E to support a healthy immune system
With Glucosamine and Chondroitin to help support proactive hip and joint healthy
Fiber from real fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, apples and sweet potatoes, help support digestion and intestinal health
No corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
(above is an excerpt from the chewy dot com site)

[anonymous]

Ask the vet when you take her in for a checkup, there are prescription meds that may help to keep her more comfortable. Does she need pain meds? Some meds have potential side effects, some don’t. So discuss the options with your vet.
Supplements don’t do much of anything, but, they will help to lighten your wallet, lol

If you have pet health insurance, ask about aquatic therapy (swimming in a heated pool), if she is overweight or has bad joints, arthritis and your vet prescribes it, it may be covered. Otherwise, it’s a little pricey. It’s really good for them, even once or twice a week for a few minutes.

[InkedMarie]

Pamela,
If you go to the Hare Today website, click on “raw food education” (it’s a picture of a cat wearing glasses) then click feeding dogs. Tracey, the owner, says if you feed a variety, all you need is salmon or anchovy oil. I feed strictly Hare and use salmon oil, joint supplements and I feed egg 2-3x weekly.
Tracey is very helpful; email her and she will answer your questions. Remember to do a review, send in pictures, ‘like” Hare on fb to earn points that give you money off future orders!

[Susan]

Hi Cheryl,
are you seeing a Dermatologist that deals in these skin/ear problems also has she had her ears scrap & tested for ear mites, yeast etc
There are better drugs on the market these days, ask vet about Apoquel you will know within a week if it’s working, it doesn’t work for dogs with yeast problems….
What food was she eating? the UK as a few limited ingredient foods have you tried the Amala or Fish4Dogs also look at the wet tin food now instead of the kibbles, stop all kibbles… I know when my Staffy gets his itchy ears it’s the food, he cant eat carrot & chicken, he starts his ear scratching & shaking his head…
also look for a Omega 3 supplement for her skin/coat, joints, brain etc
My kitten I rescued had bad ear mites then was still scratching & going mad so the vet did another ear scrap & she had ear infection from the bad mites, she was given Apex Ear Drops then had another ear scrap & her infection was gone, then once a week for 1 month I had to clean her ears with Virbac Epi-Optic ear cleaner by the 3rd week she stopped scratching her ears, when my Staffy had his ear problem he was sensitive to ingredient in his vet diet for his IBD vet gave him DERMOTIC era drops it fixed his ears straight away & his vet diet was changed…. http://www.amalapetfoods.co.uk/purchaseamala

[Susan]

Hi Paul,
as we get older we don’t make as much hydrochloric acid to digest our food & its harder to digest food so the food sits in our stomach, Google “Hypochlorhydria” is low stomach acid
it may just be a coincidence the glucosamine has cause this, I prefer to give my 8yrs old Omega 3 supplements or feed foods high in omega 3 fatty acid for his joints, skin etc, I’ve been very lucky with Patch he doesn’t have any joint problems yet, he is walked 3 times a day cause I live in a unit & he’s kept lean…but my boy does have IBD mainly stomach problems & skin allergies & was vomiting undigested food a year ago, I had to make his gut strong & healthy. Dog probiotic like Purina Fortiflora is good, they tested 10 dog probiotics & found only 3 of them had live cultures & Purina Fortiflora was voted number 1, I give Yukalt it’s a probiotic drink in the fridge section at supermarket, I drink 1/2 & Patch gets the other 1/2 there’s 5 small pink drinks, he has stoped his vomiting & eating grass every morning, so the Yakult drinks have probably fixed his bacteria in his gut & bowel & made it healthy again..
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50000
I feed lean white meats, I buy lean pork grounded mince 1kg (2lb), add 1 whisk egg, a few chopped up small broccoli heads broken off the broccoli, 1 teaspoon chopped up parsley, some kale chopped up just 1 leaf, or you can use 1 spinach leaf or another veggie, I was grating 1 small carrot, I suppose start with less is best then the next batch of rissoles add another finally chopped up veggie….. mix all together & make 1 cup size rissole, (it makes about 8-9 x 1 cup size rissoles) & bake in oven on a foiled covered baking tray, when they’re 1/2 cooked take out tray of rissole & drain any excess water & fat there’s normally hardly any fat, then turn over the rissoles & bake, don’t over cook the rissoles as soon as there’s no blood they’re ready, I also peel & cut up sweet potato & boil, I do not boil rice, rice ferments in the stomach, it’s no good, the new thing is to cook either potato or sweet potato…. Hamburger mince is very high in fat it’s not recommended anymore…. I also boil some pumkin & freeze you can also freeze the rissoles, I only add about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of sweet potatoes or potatoes & a small piece of pumkin to 1 rissole, mix altogether & cut up rissole finally so it’s easier to digest…
Do not give a raw feed dog any dry kibble, kibble is harder to digest even when water is added, vet hasn’t prescribe any kibble, fed a wet tin food if vet advises a vet prescription diet…but a cooked diet is heaps better then any vet diets….cook foods that are easy to digest & white lean meats for now, beef is a stronger more rich meat like Kangaroo, I didn’t know this lol poor Patch he loved his beef & kangaroo rissole but his stomach didn’t it came back up undigested…
also cook some home made healthy doggy treat biscuits there’s a few recipes online… I have a few if needed.. he may need a 10 day course of Metronidazole it’s an antibiotic for stomach & bowel.. also feed 3-4 smaller meals a day.

[David H]

I am a huge believer in Fromm Foods. I currently feed Whitefish and Patato to my older dogs. I do like to add some fresh raw hamburger to it also. I lost my 15+ yr old Golden in October. She had some kidney issues from age 10 on. I feel she outlived what the vets told me because of the great low phos. in the Fromm Whitefish and the addition of 80/20 hamburger. The difference I have found between senior and regular adult food it is Calories. If you watch what you feed them i would not worry about a senior food. The joint supplements if high quality can be a huge benefit.

[Jeannine M]

I was looking to change from Fromm LBP gold as my dog has light rashy ears and the vet said possible allergy and sometimes his stools have mucous. Had his stools checked several times and no worms, parasites or anything else. Can’t say I care for the ingredients in a lot of the dog foods put I did like the Nulo. A little high on the protein side but thought I’d give it a try. I wrote them and asked about LBP and the requirements-calcium, phos. and ratios and was wondering what others think, is this too much for my puppy? He just turned five months old this week and he is half mastiff half Rottweiler. This was her reply-
Hi Jeannine,

Thanks for reaching out, and for your interest in our products for your Mastiff/Rottweiler puppy!

We don’t offer a formula that’s exclusively for Large Breed puppies, however our FreeStyle and MedalSeries recipes for puppies are formulated to contain nutrient levels that are intended for puppies of ALL breed sizes. This means that the calcium and phosphorus levels within the range for the development of large breed bones and joints. For your review, I’ve listed the calories, calcium and phosphorus levels for our recipes for puppies:

FreeStyle Salmon & Peas Recipe for Puppies:
Calories: 3,627 kcals/kg; 428 kcal/cup
Calcium: 1.48%
Phosphorus: 1.04%
Ca:P Ratio: 1.4:1

FreeStyle Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipe for Puppies:
Calories: 3.742 kcals/kg; 441 kcals/cup
Calcium: 1.49%
Phosphorus: 1.06%
Ca:P Ratio: 1.4:1

MedalSeries Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe for Puppies:
Calories: 3,652 kcals/kg; 431 kcals/cup
Calcium: 1.43%
Phosphorus: 0.93%
Ca:P Ratio: 1.54:1

Both our FreeStyle and MedalSeries lines are designed to meet the same nutritional standard for healthy pets, are grain-free, and contain our patented probiotics. The key difference between the FreeStyle and MedalSeries puppy formulas is the variety of recipes within each line, and where you can purchase them. All FreeStyle dry food recipes are exclusively sold through independent retailers and are formulated without chicken, which may be a benefit for your puppy’s allergy symptoms. These include our FreeStyle Salmon & Peas and our FreeStyle Turkey & Sweet Potato Recipes for puppies. Our MedalSeries recipes are exclusively sold through PetSmart, and do feature chicken as a primary protein source; this includes our MedalSeries Chicken & Sweet Potato recipe for puppies.

If you have any additional questions as you consider our products, please reach out to me and I’d be glad to help. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Heather Acuff, M.S.
Nulo Customer Care Manager
512.476.6856 Ext. 111
Description: Macintosh HD:Users:heather.acuff:Desktop:Customer Care:Nulo Logos:nulo_logo_healthier_rbg.jpg

On 1/5/17, 2:19 PM, “Jeannine Moore” <[email protected]> wrote:

I am trying to find a food for my mastiff/Rottweiler puppy. He is on Fromms LBP gold right now but inside his ears are light pink and the vet said he might have some allergy issues. I’m super paranoid about food as my 8 year old love of my love mastiff/Rottweiler recently passed from osteosarcoma. I got him back in 2008 when they just started recommending not to feed large breed dogs puppy food and to feed them low protein adult food. At 2 he had tplo surgery and like I said he later developed osteosarcoma when he was 7 1/2 years old and was dead 7 months later. I need a dog food that has the right calcium/phos. ratio along with the calcium ratio to calorie. I don’t know how to factor in the ash and everything else as it’s all too overwhelming! I read you have a vet nutritional specialist develop your food and on staff so I am asking you. Please give me your recommendations on all your dry food that is within the requirements that I have listed so I can start tracking down the food.
Thanks so much,
Jeannine Moore
McMinnville, Oregon

Sent from my iPad

[crazy4cats]

Hey Summer-
Wondering how the transition to the Annamaet is going? Also curious about which Victor recipe/s you have fed your pup? I’ve only fed the grain free joint formula so far. I think it is called Hero now. Have you ever tried any of their recipes with grain? Hope all is well!

[Susan]

Hi, if you can cook here’s a Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan I use in Australia, here’s one of her raw diets for health problems, “Acidifying (Urinary Crystals)” You will get an idea on what foods are best to feed, I noticed for organ meats she suggests lambs fry, lamb kidney, lamb heart there’s no no beef or chicken livers, I wonder why?? Lentils, Chickpeas, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, String Beans, Cranberries, Strawberries etc, I also saw eggs, so a scrambled egg & a small rissole for breakfast make sure your adding a Omega 3 supplement or feeding sardines, salmon, so she’s getting her Omega 3 for her joints, skin, coat, brain eyes etc sardines are very healthy

I buy the lean pork grounded mince 1kg (2lbs) & add 1 whisked egg, finally cut parsley, cut up a few small broccoli heads, a kale leaf finally cut up, I add 1 teaspoon of Flax, almond bake meal, its high in omega 3 fatty acids mix all together & make small balls & bake on a baking tray in oven, they can be frozen & taken out when needed, then you can add boiled potatoes or lentils whatever else you need to add to her diet …
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/acidifying-diet-urinary-crystals/

[Krista B]

Hi,

I was like the idea of a rotational diet for dogs and favor feeding different forms such as kib ble, canned, and freeze dried. But due to budget issues I can really only afford plain dry food. I can afford any type of dry food such as Orijen and Acana because my dog is small and doesn’t eat a lot of dry food. But canned and freeze dried is more expensive and she eats more of canned because it’s less calories. So is it ok that she just gets dry kibble with no other additions? Is this healthy? She does get a fish oil, probiotics and a joint supplement.

Thanks,

Krista

[anonymous]

It’s not about finding the right food. What you are feeding sounds fine, especially if the lab work came back good. I would cut the amount of kibble you are feeding in half (1/3rd cup twice a day with a topper) if your vet approves.
Maybe try a grain-free kibble such as Nutrisca. In my experience, small breeds don’t do well with raw.
Do you have health insurance for your dog? I ask because I think from the information you have provided that your dog might benefit from aquatic therapy (swimming). If your vet prescribes it for weight loss it may be covered.
One minute of swimming is equal to four minutes of running and it’s easy on the joints, plus he will get the benefits that exercise can provide, such as weight loss, improved mood, etc.

[Shyla S]

Hi All,

I have a shichon ( Mix of Bichon and Shitzu) 4 years old weighing 23lbs. He has started developing arthiritis in the hip area.

The vet has put him on Metacam and Joint Plus glucosamine HCL liquid form and has suggested that he should lose 5 lbs to come to 18lbs.

His thyroid is fine and blood work came clean. I give him boiled chicken and 3/4th cup kibbles twice a day.

kindly suggest any raw diet which has helped in losing weight. He does not like any meat other than chicken and yes baby carrots.

[Susan]

Hi, for her weight is she being walked daily & throwing a ball in a park is good excercise, you just stand there & they do all the work running after the ball… My boy gets walked 2-3 times a day mainly cause I live in a unit/villa, he’s 8yrs old looks good, no joint problems (yet), I put it down to exercise being active & a lean diet, have you tried raw diet? dogs & cats love raw or freeze dried raw like “Ziwi Peak” when my boy was on raw he lost too much weight, probably cause he wasn’t getting all the carbs you get in kibbles….
I had a boxer before Patch & she was the same, she’d just look at food & put on weight, she ate 1/2 of what my Staffy Patch eats & he loses weight very quickly but he’s more active then my boxer was..

[Susan]

Hi Kerrin, your best to make a balance raw diet or buy the pre-made raw diets or cook.
I feed my dog a cooked meal (Dinner) & rotate between “Taste Of The Wild” “Holistic Select Adult/Puppy” Fish grain free & Canidae Life Stages the Canidae Pure grain free gave Patch his pain, it may have been the Chickpeas & higher protein % but Canidae Pure formulas would be excellent for healthy dogs, the Canidae Life Stages has the big 44lb (20kg) bags at a very good price…Canidae uses human grade ingredients, kibble size is nice & small for dogs that gulp & don’t chew, easier to digest…

My Patch just turned 8 yrs old, he has no joint pain that I can see, body & coat looks excellent, the only problem is he has IBD mainly his stomach, to look at him you wouldn’t know he has IBD & is ill some days…..I put Patch down to being so healthy & getting better from cooked meals, fresh foods, peeled apple pieces as treats, Almonds as treats, broccoli, kale, egg, spinach parsley all cut up & mixed with lean pork mince or extra lean beef mince & made into 1 cup size rissoles & baked in the oven, sweet potato boiled & added to rissoles as well after cooked, I cant think what else I feed him, I feed what ever I’m eating & I rotate between kibbles, changing the proteins mainly feed Fish & Lamb kibbles, I stay away from chicken if I can, chicken is very high in omega 6 & low in Omega 3…
Omega 6 is pro anti-inflammatory & Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory & as we know chickens are pumped with hormones to grow quickly.

A balanced raw or cooked diet is the best to feed a cat or dog, kibble is just easy for us… have a look at Ziwi Peak Air Dried, Canidae Pure or Life Stages, Victor Super Premium or Sport Dog Elite, the Sport Dog Elite is similar to the Victor but cheaper, the Sport Dog Elite link I have isn’t working but it shows the Sport Dog Elite formulas & compares them to the Victors formulas….
http://victorpetfood.com/

[Susan]

Hi Natalie, instead of feeding the Royal Canin Chihuahua, have a look for another kibble with better ingredients, Royal Canine use Beet Pulp, Beet Pulp is an stool firmer, people seem to think their dogs are healthy when their dogs are doing firm poos, so kibble companies like Royal Canine, Hills, Eukanuba all add Beet Pulp to their kibbles so poos are smaller & firm….
Have a look at “Canidae” Pure or Life Stages kibbles, Canidae uses human grade ingredients & the kibble size is very small, Canidae is also money back guaranteed, Canidae have just release their new “Petite Small Breed” formulas…. http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
“Wellness” also make their Toy breed & Small Breed range…. kibble size is small & there’s no beet pulp in both brands…
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx
Have a look into “Vitamin C powder”….My boy has IBD & Skin Allergies, I was told start adding Vitamin C powder to his diet but I haven’t brought it yet…. I can buy the “Natural Animal Solutions” Skin Pack that has Omega 3,6 & 9 Oil, + Vitamin C powder + DigestaVite Plus Powder.. or just buy the Vitamin C Powder… I’m still deciding which one to get, have a read what Vitamin C does, it’s a mega complex supplement, it strengthens the immune system, skin allergies, joints, respiratory, bowel, anti-oxidant support… http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/high-potency-vitamin-c/

[Susan]

Hi I don’t know why your vet only put your poor dog on the Metronidazole antibiotic for 7 days?? they need to be on the Metronidazole for a good 21-28 days especially for S.I.B.O Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth.
My boy Patch is also a rescue he just turned 8yrs old, he has IBD, Helicobacter pylori, nausea, vomiting sometimes, acid reflux, seasonal environment skin allergies, red itchy paws, itchy ears, food sensitivities, eating grass, yellow sloppy poos that smell bad, pain in stomach/pancreas area….. the best thing I did was have an Endoscope + biopsies done (camera down throat to stomach) sometimes they can go into the small bowel as well & do a biopsies but only if their pyloric sphincter is open, Patches wasn’t open but the 2 Biopsies told us what was wrong finally Helicobacter Pylori & IBD, when the vet looked into Patches stomach everything looked excellent, so you need to do the biopsies…
Patch starts reacting after eating the same kibble for 2-3 months, sloppy yellow poos, gets his pain, it can take from 1 day to 6 weeks to show food sensitivities, after trying so many kibbles, the only kibble that he hasn’t reacted too after being on it for 8 months is “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb. I don’t know if is cause TOTW uses Purified Water, or all the ingredients he isn’t sensitive to any of them & TOTW don’t change their suppliers?? some kibble companies buy their potatoes from whoever, that’s been a problem in the past for Patch, he was eating Earthborn Holistic, Ocean Fusion he was doing really well while on the small 2.5kg bags, so I bought the 13kg bag it’s cheaper, it was a new batch number & different use by date then Patch was farting doing sloppy smelly poos again, so I emailed earthborn told them what has happened & the lady said we use, rustic, white, red, brown potatoes whatever we can get & I think when the potatoes are green & rotten batches Patch gets his sloppy poos & bad gas problems …
Taste of the Wild has been the only kibble a few dogs with IBD, EPI, S.B.I.O & IBS don’t react too after eating it for a while…
Your best to feed a cooked balanced diet, instead of any processed kibbles, you know what they’re eating, join groups on Face Book like “Rodney Habib” “Canine Nutrition & Natural Health” run by Cat Lane, “K-9 Kitchen” run by Monica Segal, you can also book an appointment with Monica or Cat Lane or another dog nutritionist, they may be cheaper there’s also Judy Morgan DV, she also has the supplements to balance the meals & Judy has cooking videos on You Tube that are so easy to follow & she adds the Honest Kitchen Base meals & you just cooked & add the meat & veggies but I think the Honest Kitchen is dehydrated & Patch can’t seem to handle dehydrated kibbles foods…
I live Australia & I contacted Jacqueline Rudan to put Patch on a raw diet about 2 yrs ago, Jacqueline said I need to heal his stomach & bowel & balance his gut flora his pH is probably tooo high…so I give him some of my Yakult, it’s a pink probiotic drink sold in supermarkets, there’s also Kefir but start real slow when introducing any probiotics, some probiotics made Patch very nausea, Jacqueline wanted me to keep giving Patch the probiotic capsules but they made Patch ill so I stopped & now I give the Yakult drink & he does good I don’t give him much maybe 3 spoons in a bowl..
Cause they are rescue dogs we don’t know what has happen when they were pups & growing up, did they drink dirty contaminated water? were they starved & not feed proper diets, what 1 vet thinks has happened with Patch & when he came to me & I started to feed him a healthy cooked diet he couldn’t handle eating good healthy foods, I’ve had him 4 yrs now & finally in small amounts, I can give him anything to eat as long as I’ve introduced that food to him & it’s not high in fat, where before he’d wake up 2am 3am or 4am with his bowel making loud rumbling noises, it was gas/wind going thru his bowel, 1 vet said Colitis, Food Sensitivities, so I started an elimination cooked diet & worked out what he cant eat, also feed foods that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, the omega 3 helps their skin, coat, stomach, bowel, heart, joints & brain, Patch doesn’t do well eating a kibble with fish or salmon oils, he gets acid reflux, so I feed other foods high in Omega 3 like raw almonds, 3 raw almonds a day given as a treat & I have a few almonds myself, you should see his coat it’s so shinny, just feeding foods high in omega 3, tin sardines in spring water are excellent but you must start real slow, feed 1 spoon mashed sardines for 1-2 weeks watch poos if still firm then then increase to 2 spoons of sardines a day, I feed salmon or tuna instead it’s not as greasy…
My recipe I make for Patch, Rissoles + Sweet Potato, it’s so easy & you do not have to cook every day, I cook every 8 days but if I made more it would be every 16 days..
I buy Lean Pork mince or the Lean beef mince, it say 5% fat on the packet, I think in America you call it grounded meat, make sure the mince is lean, some minces have a lot of fat, Patch can’t eat turkey, he gets diarrhea also boiled rice irritates his bowel, something that took me 2 months to realise it’s the boiled rice…
I get 2 x 500gram packets lean pork that’s 1 kilo, I think just over 2 pounds, I whisk 1 egg in the bowl, I buy a small broccoli head, Patches Nutritionist said feed green veggies when it’s their skin, stomach & bowel, food sensitivities, I cut up say 1/3 cup chopped broccoli, then I grow parsley & kale & spinach, it grows forever in the veggies Patch, I finally cut up about 1 teaspoon parsley add too bowl, then I add some cut up spinach & cut up kale but only 1 small leaf, then I add the pork mince & mix all thru, I was adding 1 small grated carrot but Patch has food sensitivities & gets red paws, itchy skin & ears, then he starts to smell real yeasty, “Malaseb Medicated Shampoo” bathed weekly is the best when they have itchy paws & skin, so I’ve stopped adding the carrot to his rissoles…
I had too slowly add all these ingredients, at first it was just 1 kg pork mince with a little bit of cut up broccoli, then when I made a new batch of rissoles, I added 1 whisked egg saw how he went, if all was good I added 1 new green cut up veggie & the veggies seem to heal his stomach & bowel, you have to be careful, certain veggies ferment in the stomach so stay away from foods that ferment cause they sit in the stomach & cause gasses…. just Google “what veggies ferment in the stomach” & what veggies, grains don’t digest easy” lentils, chick peas don’t digest easy… you mix all the finally cut up greens with mince & make 1 cup size rissoles, I have scales & weight at 130-136 grams & I make the rissoles the length of my middle finger & flatten them a bit they look like a small sausage then I put on baking tray that has foil on the baking tray, I get around 8 rissoles from 1 kg mince, I bake in oven then about 15-20mins I take out baking tray drain any water/fat & turn over the rissoles & bake till cooked they don’t take long maybe 30mins don’t over cook or you’ll have a leathery rissole, I also boil sweet potatoes & I cool & freeze, same with the rissoles cool & wrap in cling wrap individually, I take out a cut piece of sweet potato & 1 rissole put on a small plate cover with cling wrap & thaw then put in fridge then for dinner I cut up the rissole & mash the sweet potato, for breakfast & lunch Patch has his “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb Kibble, I’m slowly introducing the “Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines grain free kibble so I have another kibble just in case + I rotate his kibble now we just finished trying “Canidae” Life Stages Platinum kibble, too many ingredients & the carbs are too high at 50% in the Canidae Platinum & his poos started to go sloppy & smell again, so now introducing the “Holistic Select so far all is good poos are still firm they don’t smell but its mixed with his TOTW kibble but he’s not farting like he does when I’ve introduced a new kibble that doesn’t agree with him, so hopefully the Holistic Select will be fed in the Summer months, I like to fed a fish kibble in the Summer months for his skin allergies & in the Winter months I feed a lamb kibble “Taste Of The Wild” + his rissoles & raw almonds & I forgot I also feed peeled apple pieces as treat, K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels, tuna or salmon with boiled potato rissoles….
You need to make his gut strong again, if he has a set back give the Metronidazole, I have scripts the vet gives me & I just go & get from the chemist, Patch goes back on the Metronidazole for 10days 1 x tablet 200mg at night with a meal, but your dog may need a 21 day course Metro to start with to rest & heal his bowel & a diet that’s very easy to digest & the omega 3…
Good luck, I hope something in this small book, helps

[Krista B]

About 10 different supplements that dr. Karen Becker recommend in her homemade book. I believe the didn’t necessarily need it to be balanced but I felt better adding it in. I also used (and still use) fish oil, a joint supplement and currently a multivitamin. I just purcahsed a small box of honest kitchen today. I’m excited to try it tomorrow! Looks like a wonderful food. As far as fiber I talked to the people at the store and they said it shouldn’t be a problem which is good. It’s a little more pricey then kibble but well worth it!

[InkedMarie]

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

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

[Steve S]

Hello Sharon,
The food you give your dog plays a critical role in his well-being, both on a daily basis and long-term.Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements ensure a better way to provide your dog with a daily supply of EPA and DHA.The vitamin traces and antioxidants found in these supplemental products are naturally found in salmon. It doesn’t affect your dog’s intake of vitamins that they obtain from other sources. It’s very gentle on your dog’s system as well and requires no prior conversion before the dog’s system can utilise. So in my opinion fish oils are the best supplement you can give to your dog for a promoted joint health.I personally use Daily Omega-3 Fish Oil for Dogs from Ample Nutrition. This product is value for money as it doesn’t burn holes in your pocket.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Steve S. Reason: product not updated
• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Steve S.

[Susan]

Hi Newmom, follow Rodney Habib on his Face Book page he’s a Pet Nutrition Blogger, or on “Planet Paws” F/B site, https://www.facebook.com/PlanetPaws.ca/?pnref=lhc
I’ve learnt so much about healthy feeding & Rodney has a his videos, how to make frozen Coconut oil with Berries treats & freeze also videos about kibbles being unbalanced & are very high in omega 6 & very low in omega 3, causing health problems in dogs, like skin problems, joint problems etc he has a video at the moment about chicken, “Is chicken bad for your dog” cause chicken is so cheap a lot of kibbles are chicken, the problem is chicken is high in omega 6, Pro anti-inflammatory & very low in omega 3 which is anti-inflammatory & dogs start scratching & people think my dog is sensitive to chicken, like me, every time Patch ate raw or cooked chicken, he got a red swollen back paw & started to itch & scratch his body, but when he ate a premium kibble with chicken in it, he was OK???, now I’ve realized the kibble was probably balanced with omega 3 it was 1/2 of the omega 6 what it should be & Patch didn’t get his red swollen paw & itchy skin….but when he ate raw & cooked chicken it was tooo much omega 6 causing his red hot paw & itchy skin, so now when I buy a kibble I rotate between different brands & different proteins,
I read the Omega 6% & 3 % & make sure the omega 3% is either 1/2 of the omega 6% or nilly 1/2 of the omega 6%. Rodney said if it doesn’t say on the bag of kibble or on the kibbles site then send the kibble companies an email & ask them for their omega 3% & omega 6% & tell these kibble companies what it should be & I will not be buying your crappy unbalanced kibble till you improve it… we need to stand up to these big kibble companies & show them we are not stupid & are educated about our pets diet..
I give raw almonds about 3 almonds a day for a dog a day, I eat 1/2 an Almond & give Patch the other 1/2 of Almonds I give as a treat & his coat has become real shinny, google foods that are high in omega 3, I also give some peeled apple pieces as a treat, dogs that have skin problems also need Vitamin C in their diet…. you can buy Dog Vitamin C in Australia we have Natural Animal Solutions http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/education.php
There’s a lot of good info on Jacqueline Rudans site she’s a animal Naturopath..

Go to Aldis & look for Tin Sardines in Spring Water or Olive Oil you can give 3 small sardines a day added to one of his meal, Sardines have Vitamin, A, C, D, B-12, B-6 Calcium, Iron & Magnesium, sardines are very healthy to add to your dogs food, Aldis sell tin of Sardines for 59c in Australia…I’d add Sardines to a meal instead of buying any fish oil supplements…unless they’re made in New Zealand
They did a study on Fish Oils in America & 70% were rancid they were off before the bottle was even opened, they tested a fresh just opened bottle of fish oil capsules & they were rancid off..then they tested New Zealand Fish oil supplements & the New Zealand made fish oils were fresher & hadn’t gone rancid yet….
I like giving fresh whole foods instead of supplements, also for skin problems make sure your bathing weekly baths in a good medicated shampoo I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo on my boy, the Malaseb shampoo kills any bacteria on their skin & soften their skin/fur when you bath you wash off any pollens & allergens on the dogs coat, Patch feels so soft after his bath, when Patch is real itchy cause of environment allergies I have to bath him twice a week to relieve his itchy skin & red paws…

[Susan]

Hi T.G has your girl only ever eaten just Orijen kibble have you tried any other kibbles cause of her poos are soft?
you need to try a lower protein & a lower fat kibble some dogs just do not do well on high protein high fat kibbles, I have to stay under 28% for protein & stay under 15% for fat & need a lower Kcal/per cup ME kibble, under 380 Kcals/per cup….

I would not feed a senior kibble to a large breed puppy the senior kibbles have more Glucosamine, Chondroitin & Phosphorus, supplements for older dogs joints & you have a large breed you don’t want her bones to grow too quick…maybe someone else may know more…
I’ve emailed kibble companies cause I’ve seen large breed kibbles that have ingredients that my boy can eat & the fat & protein is what Patch does well on, I’ve asked them can I feed a large breed formula to my medium size dog & they have all yes its Ok to feed my boy a large breed kibble but I don’t think it’s a good idea to feed a senior formula to a large breed growing pup…
My boy is turning 8 in a few days & I don’t feed him a senior kibble some are too high in fiber for him & all the supplements they add don’t survive or aren’t as strong as when you add your own supplement to their diet & add a healthy fresh whole food to their diet…

You have to be careful with your dog doing sloppy poos everyday that she doesn’t get thickening of the bowel as she gets older. My boy is a rescue & has IBD, his vet was very worried that Patch may have thickening of the bowel & I didn’t want Patch opened up to find out so Patch had an Ultra Scan of the bowel, pancreas, stomach etc & from what the vet could see it didn’t look like Patch had thickening of the bowel….after rotating cooked foods & different kibbles he can just be put straight onto another brand of kibble that he has eatin before I don’t have to re introduce the kibble like I use too 3 yrs ago, but I stick with kibbles that are lower in fat & lower in protein cause he just can’t handle the higher Kcal formulas.. I also fed a home cooked meal for breakfast or swap around & feed cooked meal for dinner…

I’d start rotating between different brands & proteins this way if 1 kibble isn’t balanced properly, or something else is wrong with the kibble like the omega 6 is too high & the omega 3 is real low causing health problems this way they are not eating the same kibble for too long to cause any serious health problems…
I’d start looking at other large breed formula’s where the protein fat is lower then what she’s eating at the moment also change the protein get a different protein…

There’s Earthborn Holistic, they have never had a recall, there’s “Victor” or “Sport Dog Food Elite” Sport Dog Food has similar ingredients as Victor kibble but is cheaper, there’s Ziwi Peak is air dried raw & has wet tin foods as well my cat loves Ziwi Peak…There’s Canidae there’s a few really good kibbles around, they all don’t have to be 5 stars kibble…start adding fresh whole foods to the kibble…I follow Rodney Habib on face Book he’s got a really good video this week about chicken kibbles being high in omega 6 & very low in omega 3….
Start rotating one of these brands in your rotation that is lower in fat & protein with different ingredients also look at the Kcals per cup, pick a kibble that is lower in Kcals per cup then the Orijen she is eating at the moment…I can not feed any kibbles that are over 400Kcals per cup to my IBD dog, it’s just too much for him to digest & he does sloppy big poos about 3-4 a day…
I like kibbles where he only does 2 poos a day, “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & Canidae Life Stages, All Life Stages formula, he only does 2 firm poos a day & poo’s are small….

Home Page

http://www.sportdogfood.com/grain-free-large-breed-large-bites-30-14/
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
http://ziwipeak.com/

[Sharon H]

I wonder if it would be possible to have a comparison made between Nutramax Cosequin,and Nature Vet ArthriSoothe-GOLD. I have been using the Nature Vet one, but the costs are really high, and I find I cannot afford them now. But there is the Nutramax brand, which is very much less expensive. The main three ingredients, Glucosamine, Methylsulfonymethane (MSM) and Chondroitin, are more of less equal mg’s in each brand. I would be grateful if you could give me your opinion of these two brands, and whether you think it would be harmful to my dog to switch to the cheaper brand
Thank you….Shoo

[Susan]

Hi gee 1/2 a cup of Taste Of The Wild (TOTW) isn’t much for a shepherd, she must be a small dog, I have a 40lb-18kg staffy he’s small & he gets 3 cups of Taste Of The Wild a day…but if I feed a cooked meal for breakfast or dinner, I take away 1 cup of his kibble that day cause the cooked meal has replaced his kibble meal that day then some days
forget to thaw out his rissoles, sweet potato so I just feed 3 cups TOTW kibble thru out the day instead.
I would be buying human mince or grounded meat as they say in America, or human meats, mince is very cheap, in Australia Aldis have good cheap cuts of meat, good lean chicken beef, or pork mince for just $4.49 a tray of mince, I grate 1 peeled carrot, cut up some broccoli, a bit of parsley, kale or some spinach leaves what ever is growing in the veggie patch, 1 whisk 1 egg mix all together & make 1 cup size rissoles, rissoles are like meatloaf but smaller, small balls of meat, I bake on a baking tray in oven, when cool, I wrap the rissoles individually in glad wrap, then put in plastic bag & I freeze, I put 2 cooked rissole in fridge what I need for the next 2 days breakfast, when you cut up the cooked rissole they expand & the meal becomes big, I also boil some pumkin & sweet potatoes & when cooked & cool I section the pieces then freeze as well….
For breakfast Patch gets cut up lean pork rissole or lean beef rissole with a bit of sweet potato & a little square pieces of pumkin, then for lunch & dinner he gets his kibble minus 1 cup cause of the 1 rissole & sweet potato he had for breakfast…..
You can also buy tins of tuna in spring water or olive oil fully drain the water or olive oil & mix some boiled rice, cooked sweet potatoes, cooked carrot etc & add to her TOTW kibble as well, even tin sardines are excellent for their skin, coat, heart, joints, give about 3 sardines a day as a treat or add to her kibble…..I prefer to feed a cooked meal & not mix any kibble why wreck the meal with kibble…then I feed the TOTW kibble separate for the other meals…
Do all the TOTW kibbles swell up & absorb all the Chicken broth water in bowl when you add the chicken broth to her kibbles? or do you feed the hard kibbles with the chicken broth around the hard kibbles & she has to drink chicken broth & chew the kibbles?

Do you have an Adlis in your country? they have cheap human meats, cheap tins of sardines, tuna, salmon etc & make your own dog food I also make a casserole stew in a slow cooker & then freeze in the winter months, it works out cheaper cooking then buying
wet tin dog food & you know what your dog is eating when you cook the meals…..

[Charan C]

I will go a step further than the previously confused members. On your original reviews the dog food has a lower rating or higher rating than your editor’s choice review rating. Are you keeping up with your own ratings system or do you have someone to verify updates when they happen.

Dont really care about $15, just seems a little disorganized and disjointed.

please reply to all 3 concerns since no one has to date.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Charan C.

[zcRiley]

Zignature Limited Ingredient Formula Dry Dog Food (Turkey, lamb, or duck)

Key Benefits:
Grain-free and limited ingredient formula
Gluten-free diet
No potato, chicken or eggs (hard to find!)
Complete and balanced diet for all life stages
Made in the USA

ADD ONE PER DAY for joint health:
Nutramax Dasuquin with MSM Soft Chews Joint Health Large Dog Supplement

Go to the vet for a thorough assessment of which type of arthritis he has and make sure there are no other ailments. Blood work and fecal testing, too. Keep him warm and dry, and controlled exercise is key, get him moving on fun walks. You can turn this around, good luck!

[Kristin S]

I’ve scrolled through a lot of the forum discussions looking for help picking out a new food but i didnt get far. Here is our situation –
7 year old, 125 lbs Germany Shepherd-mastiff mix. He has back and joint problems already. He needs to lose about 15lbs. He is very INACTIVE. He also has yeast problems so we can’t do potatoes.

Any suggestions?? Thanks a lot

[Susan]

Hi Nicci, can you afford a pre-made raw diet or cook her food?? I have read bad things about the Dynovite, your better off balancing the cooked meal with something else, add about 3 small sardines to one of her meals a day, you need to make sure you keep up her omega 3… Tin Sardines in Spring water are excellent for their skin, joints, brain, heart…

You could buy a bag of the Kirklands & try it & see if she has a reaction just take it back & say she wont eat it if she reacts… don’t forget she could be having environment allergies to grass, trees, plants flowers, it may not be the food….

Baths, weekly baths or bath as soon as she starts scratching real bad, bathing washes off any pollens, allergens on their skin that’s causing them to itch & scratch. Patch is bathed weekly every Thursday in Malaseb medicated shampoo & leave on for a good 5mins the bath lady massages him as long as she can & after his bath he feels so much better…. he eats “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & I feed a cooked meal for dinner…
3
Go on Rodney Habib Face book page & follow him he posted a easy to make balanced raw diet made by Dr Karen Becker, you can cook it as well everything can be bought from supermarket.. he also has so much good info

[Bullwrinkle]

Frani V.,

Hello, all. I finally registered but have sought all your great for a long time. As for Frani V’s question on Atopica, I can only tell you my personal experience and what I know of others I’ve spoken with and what I learned from my vet, that also applies to APOQUEL (I will note the similarities, and try to locate the link which I do have).

Atopica was suggested by by vet #1 to my English Bulldog. She had severe allergies, food and environmental, among other medical issues. My precious special needs baby girl. She was a spayed at 6 mos, so this was some time after. It was suggested that we start out 7x/week administering Atopica. The idea was to get it built up in her system then back off to 2 or 3x/week max as is recommended. She was ~47 lbs, she was prescribed the 100mg Atopica. Checking in every 2 weeks, since I was paying $170 a pop, I was told to keep it up for a few months. Forget that. I started to skip one day a week, then 2 days a week. Of course she had flares so idiot vet said back to everyday. I was still dealing with her other maladies during this time, plus 5 aging cats with their issues ranging from failing kidneys, asthma, hypertrophic cardiomyothapy, a tortoise with a collapsing pyramid shell, the usual, so time escaped me too quickly. I ended up finding a good vet because of a botched knee surgery from idiot’s referral. Blessing in disguise.

My baby started having seizures. It was sounds or over excited that set it off. I realized she had been on Atopica at 100mg every single day for a solid year. Seizures tend to be more prevalent in smaller dogs but they do happen and were documented. It has happened to all kinds of dogs. But, it has worked for many others as well although, I was not privy to those dogs histories. This was some, maybe 7 yrs ago now, at least. I pulled her off everything except for any allergy pills and only when she needed them. She had 4 seizures, when I stopped all meds and supplements, no more seizures. After a few weeks, I added her fish oil and joint supplement back one at a time and a month apart. No seizure. Atopica was the seizure producer. I lit up the idiot about it, told her she really needs to more careful or at least more informed. Told I would do the same as I was leaving her practice.

The good vet, as he described Atopica to me, and is similar to what I’ve found and read about Apoquel. It shuts off immune receptors. And when you have an immune compromised dog, or cat, to begin with the last thing you want to do is shut off receptors because you don’t know what else is being shut off or being compromised. Immunosuppressive have their place, don’t get me wrong, and I relied on the occasional 5mg prednisone in lieu of giving my girl a fistful of benadryl that would only work for a few hours when she was really bad. But only after I’d tried everything else. Pred was a last resort. So do I believe in their use? Yes. But ever so carefully and not on a regular basis like Atopica and Apoquel.

I can’t get the link to hyperlink but this has some interesting info. http://vitalanimal.com/apoquel-dog-1/

Sorry this was such a long post, but I get anxious when I see questions about Atopica. I had to let my baby go, it’ll be 2 yrs in Dec. She was only 8yrs 4mos. She taught me so much, she endured too much, her kidneys took it in the end. I became quite educated but even our own dogs are so different from each other. I still feel I didn’t learn fast enough for her. Please, please do your research thoroughly on Atopica and Apoquel. Apoquel is still relatively new. You know your pet best!

[anonymous]

Did your vet suggest any type of gentle exercise such as aquatic therapy? Otherwise known as swimming in a heated pool, one minute of swimming is equivalent to 4 minutes of running, easy on the joints and might lift her mood a little.
If that’s not an option, see if your vet can prescribe pain meds that come in a liquid form. It might be easier to dispense with a small syringe.

“Supplements are not medication, they are not FDA approved. They are food supplements, not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure”

Per the search engine here: /forums/search/supplements/

[joanne l]

I have read a lot and I had a GSD, and I have another GSD and too much protein is not good. First they will be hyper and it is an overload. I have a book on these breeds and 24-26 percent protein is ideal. Now high protein in natural meat is fine, but anything processed with high protein is not fine. Processed kibble weather the best or the worst is harder on the system oppose to fresh meats like we eat. So if people are feeding kibble the best percentage is 25…if you are feeding fresh meat is doesn’t matter. My first GSD ate 2lbs of cooked chicken with only 1 1/2 cups of dry that had a 26 percent protein. His protein level was boosted by my chicken. He never had problems with joints and he lived to 14 yrs old. This one I have now can’t have chicken so I buy red meat for him. I too want to try acana but I am afraid of the richness in the livers and protein concentrate.

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

[InkedMarie]

Let me throw a cheaper option: order grinds from Hare Today, Reel Raw, Raw Feeding Miami, etc. I buy grinds with meat/bone/organ/some have tripe…I add a scoop of tripe to those that don’t. It’s prey model raw in ground form. I add eggs 3x weekly, salmon oil & stuff for fleas/ticks and a joint supplement. All you need is a scale!

[Ritchy]

We’ve got two Cocker Spaniels that we would like to convert to a raw diet to address health issues – primarily skin, joint and teeth.

One is 13 and the other a rescue that we think is probably 8 now. Both are right at 34 lbs.

I don’t think I have the time/knowledge to make my own, so looking at commercial options.

I have a budget that allows me to afford $200/month, and I’ve narrowed it down to two options (I’m open to other suggestions), and wonder if I can get opinions from experienced raw feeders?

1) Go with a 50/50 mix of Nature’s Variety Instinct frozen raw and Nature’s Variety Instinct kibble.

Or

2) 100% Raw using Steve’s Real Food

I like the bite sized frozen option with both, which seems to make feeding easy.

I can find nothing but good reviews on Nature’s Variety Instinct, but just can’t afford the $400/month it would take to feed 100% raw.

Steve’s Real Food seems to get a few bad reviews here and there. Poor customer service notes, and the product seems to possibly be less consistent, and maybe doesn’t have the real bone that Instinct does. Also, it has higher than recommended fat.

Any suggestions – better to go with a 50/50 mix with good quality, or really, is Steve’s Real Food actually very good, and better to fully convert?

I’m not sure if a mix, really digests well and realizes the benefit of raw…

Any feedback/guidance is greatly appreciated!

[InkedMarie]

This is an updated list of grain & white potato free foods. I included dry food only, no wet, raw, dehydrated or freeze dried. I included no part of white potato. Some foods on the prior list have been discontinued and a couple I can’t find ingredient lists for. I used the foods websites, not a pet food sellers website.

ACANA-Meadowland Regional
Wild Atlantic Regional
Appalachian Ranch Regional
Heritage
Heritage Freshwater Fish
Lamb & apple singles
Pork & squash singles
duck & pear singles
Wild Mackerel singles
Grasslands

AMICUS-small & mini breed adult
small & mini breed senior & weight management
small & mini breed puppy

ANNAMAET-Salcha Poulet

ARTEMIS-Osopure salmon
Osopure bison

AVODERM-senior health
joint health grain free chicken
Revolving Menu-all

BACKWOOD-buffalo & field pea
chicken & field pea
salmon & field pea

BROTHERS COMPLETE-all

BY NATURE-grainfree turkey & sweet potato
grain free ocean whitefish & green peas

CALIFORNIA NATURAL-all grain frees

CANIDAE-PURE Land
Pure Wild

CANINE CAVIAR-grainfree puppy
Leaping Spirit
Open Sky
Wild Ocean

CHICKEN SOUP-grainfree beef
grain free lamb

DAVES-both grain frees

DOG FOR DOG (formerly Freehand) both grainfree’s

DOGSWELL-Live Free salmon
Live Free chicken
Live Free turkey
Live Free lamb

EARTHBORN-Great Plains Feast
Meadow Feast
Large Breed
weight control

EVANGERS-grainfree whitefish & sweet potato
grain free chicken
grain free Meat Lovers Medley

EVO-all

FROMM-4 Star lamb & lentil
4 star pork & peas

GO! Sensitivity & Shine LID Duck
Sensitivity & Sine LID salmon
Sensitivity & Shine LID venison
Sensitivity & Shine grain free turkey

GRANDMA MAE’S COUNTRY NATURALS-grainfree only

GREAT LIFE-Dr E’s LID buffalo
Dr E’s LID duck
buffalo
salmon
chicken

HALO-Vigor turkey, chicken & salmon

HEALTH EXTENSION-grainfree buffalo & whitefish
grain free venison & chickpea
grain free duck & chickpea
grainfre salmon, herring & peas

HI TEK NATURALS-lamb, sweet potato & herring
chicken & sweet potato
Alaskan fish

HOLISTIC BLEND-Marine 5

HOLISTIC SELECT-grainfree adult health

HORIZON-Pulsar: fish
chicken
turkey
Legacy: salmon
adult
puppy

I AND LOVE AND YOU-salmon & trout
Nude: Simply Sea
Poultry Palooza
Red meat medley
Naked Essentials-lamb & bison
chicken & duck

KASIKS-Wild Pacific Ocean
Free Range lamb
Free Run Chicken

LOTUS-oven baked grain free turkey

MERRICK-grainfree rabbit & chickpea
grain free venison & chickpea

MUENSTER-grainfree all life stages

NATURAL BALANCE-Wild Pursuit: Trout/Salmon/Tuna
chicken/turkey/quail
lamb/chicken/guinea fowl
LID: legume & duck
legume & Wagyu Beef

NATURAL PLANET-rabbit & salmon
duck & whitefish

NATURAL PLANET ORGANICS-all grain frees

NATURES RECIPE-grainfree chicken, sweet potato & pumpkin

NATURES VARIETY-Instinct: all

NRG-Optimum line

NULO-all

NUTRISCA-all grainfree

NUTRISOURCE-grainfree chicken & pea
grain free seafood select
grain free lamb & pea
grain free small breed chicken
grain free Prairie Select

ORIJEN-all

PET BOTANICS-Healthy Omega chicken
Healthy Omega salmon
Healthy Omega lamb

PET KIND-all

PINNACLE-grainfree trout & sweet potato
grain free duck & sweet potato
grain free chicken & sweet potato

PIONEER NATURALS-all grain free

PRECISE-both grain frees

SOLID GOLD-Mighty Mini
Lil Boss
high protein with duck

SPORT DOG FOOD-Elite Beef
Elite whitefish
Elite chicken
Elite venison

TASTE OF THE WILD-Appalachian Valley
Pine Forest
Southwest Canyon

TUSCAN NATURALS-Ocean

UNDER THE SUN-All grain frees

VICTOR-grainfree active dog & puppy
Yukon River
lamb
chicken
Ultra Pro
Hero

WELLNESS-Core Wild Game
adult chicken
Tru Food: adult salmon & turkey
adult lamb
adult chicken
puppy

WILD CALLING-Rocky Mountain Medley-all
Western Plains Stampede all
Xotic Essentials-all

WYSONG-Epigen 90

ZIGNATURE-LID trout & salmon
LID kangaroo
LID turkey
LID lamb
LID duck
LID whitefish
Essential multi protein

ZOIC-all

4 HEALTH-puppy
small breed adult

[anonymously]

Swimming is easy on the joints and burns calories, even 3X a week might make a big difference.
Have you asked your vet about rehabilitation therapy, such as: “aquatic therapy in a heated pool and underwater treadmill, therapeutic laser, massage and mobility therapy and therapeutic exercise. Similar to human rehabilitation, our services include a complete medical evaluation specifically tailored to your pet’s condition, including home care instructions and education”. (excerpt copied from the site of a local vet)

[Karolina D]

My Cane Corso/ Boxer is a 100 lb female that I adopted from a shelter at 1.5 months old. In Canada, it is a MUST to have a dog spayed as soon as they come to the shelter, regardless of age. Angel was spayed at less than 2 months old. . it makes me really sad.. she came home with a scar on her belly.
So overall her attitude is extremely shy and quiet.. she is now 2 years old and extremely lazy. She has a burst of energy sometimes during play time with the poodle.. but overall shes pretty calm.
This week I have noticed limping as soon as she got up.
I took her to the vet we checked for lyme disease, heart worm, all these different things that could cause joint issues. We could not pinpoint the issue because she is such a calm dog that she never yelps or shows any sign of discomfort in ANY situation.
She is now on a medication for 5 days that act as an inflammatory.
I really dont know how this happen.. she is 2 years old on Acana Chicken and Cobbs Green Chicken, and I want her switched.
I would like everyones opinion on what I should be feeding a dog like that.. a dog that is 100 pounds (I would like her down to 95), with low energy.. I am scared to run with her because i dont want her hurting herself again! Her joints are not happy.

She also gets glucosamine.

THANKS EVERYONE!

[zcRiley]

Its ingredients are: Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Liver Flavor. So your answer is no, do not feed this garbage.

For joint health given daily (with visible results), get Nutramax’s Dasuquin with MSM soft chews. And for dry food, Halo’s Vigor in the pork, venison and salmon formula. They use millet for grain. The kibble is very small and my pups love it. You can also finely grind it in a blender if it’s still too big.

[Kathy D]

My doctor recommended this for my mini Aussie.
What do you think of this dry food?

[Michael F]

Hi, my dog was on Nutro and he always had sloppy yellow bowel movements, but as we all know the food that works for one dog, doesn’t always work for another. You might try Nutri-Source Weight Management dry food, I’ve had good luck with some of their other foods and they are a small plant out of Minnesota and have had no recalls. Is your dog healthy enough to get out and walk, when my other dogs were elderly we did four short walks per day and it really helped them with their weight and arthritis, they had a much easier time getting up and down and moving around. It interesting how several short walks provide less stress on the joints and you still burn a lot of calories that way throughout the day. You might also just try a regular dog food and make sure to feed the amount for his required weight so that he gets a balanced diet and not the amount for the weight he is at, and between that and increasing his exercise, he should take weight off. Good Luck with everything!