[haleycookie]

First is the 4health food you have her on a puppy formula? Second, at 40 lbs at only 4 months she sounds like she’s going to be a large breed dog so a large breed puppy food would be best. I always recommend wellness core puppy or wellness complete health large breed puppy. If she’s just big for her age instinct raw boost puppy is good for medium dog breeds.
As for the cooking chicken and rice, I wouldn’t do that. At least don’t make it anymore than a treat. Chicken and rice isn’t a balanced meal and shouldn’t make up more than 10% of the puppies diet. A canned food like Merrick, instinct, wellness core would be acceptable and good quality and properly balanced for a dog. If you plan to make the canned more than 10% of the diet then a puppy canned food would be necessary for proper nutrition.

[Susan]

Hi,
How many pounds should Minnie be when she is fully grown, what breed is she??
My boy is an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier he is 18kgs = 40lbs, I only feed him around 2 & 1/2 cups when its his “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula – 346Kcals per cup kibble a day + cooked lunch + 1-2 Freeze dried Mussels or when he eats “Canidae Pure Wild” 454Kcals per cup I feed 1 & 1/2 cups kibble a day + cooked lunch or “Canidae Pure Meadow” – 409Kcals per cup, he gets around 1 & 1/2 – 2 cups kibble a day + something different for lunch + Green Lipped Mussels 1-2 a day.

Read the Kcals per cupthe kibble formula you’re feeding it’s probably on bag of kibble or online on the 4Health site or email 4Health for any information & work out how many Kcals a day she should be eating & add cooked food on top, I know Patch should be eating around 1000Kcals a day but I feed a bit under now cause he’s a senior & yes add fresh ingredents to her kibble or separate as a meal, this will help put on weight..
kibble swells up in the stomach makes you feel fuller so best to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day 7am, 12pm, 5pm 8pm so if you have a large breed dog best to feed a large breed kibble, they are formulated for large breed puppy or Adult large dog intestinal tract, (Bloat)
My dog has IBD & does really well on a large breed kibble, the Kcals are lower 346kcals, the higher the Kcals the more dense is the kibble & they dont need to eat as much kibble…

So maybe look for a higher Kcal per cup kibble? “Canidae” is higher in Kcals over 400Kcals so she only needs about 3-4 cups a day depending on formula?.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

The “Canidae All Life Stages Multi-protein” Formula is 468Kcals per cup your dog would only need 2-4 cups a day when a Puppy then when she’s a Adult she’s needs less around 2 cups per day depending on her breed??
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-dry-formula/

Cook – boiled potato or boil sweet potato pieces cool then freeze Sweet Potato freezes really well & thaws good & quickly or I put in micro wave 15sec to thaw, today for lunch I feed Patch 2 pieces of Sweet Potato mixed/mashed with cooked 2 scrambled eggs, I cooked egg in a non stick frying pan, I buy tin Salmon in spring water drain the water & add sweet potato, I feed 4-5 smaller meals a day you can buy a kibble machine that lets out the kibble amount you want thru the day, I give 1/2 a cup at certain times thru the day…
Raw meaty bone would be excellent & gives her something to do all day chewing on a meaty bone from a butcher…
Here’s 2 different Canine Calculator links it gives you a ruff idea how much dry kibble you should be feeding..

https://petsci.co.uk/canine-calorie-calculator/ or

http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Susan]

Hi Jane,
I feed “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult to my English Staffy its very high in Glucosamine,
he is 10yrs old & has a square left hip socket & was running on 3 legs & he’d lift his back left leg up while he ran, but after eating the Wellness Core L/B for 1 month he has stopped running on 3 legs, he isnt as stiff in the morning like he use to be, like a young pup again & the Wellness has helped with his IBD aswell, Wellness also make a Wellness Core Small Breed, Wellness Core Senior but I dont think the Glucosamine is as high as the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is – 750 mg/kg & Chondroitin Sulfate- 250 mg/kg.. Wellness have their PDF under “Nutrient Profiles” it tells you everything, percentage etc in their kibbles, if a formula doesn’t have the PDF just send email to Wellness & ask them your question, I think the Small Breed Formula doesnt have the PDF I’ve emailed Wellness & told them they said it was getting added…
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed
I know you can buy the human grade Glucosamine & Chonroitin & add to their meals, I use to give my boxer years ago, also give 1 x Krill Oil capsule daily with 1 of there meals or buy the tin sardines in spring water & add 1/4 of a can daily to 1 of their meals..
Green Lipped Mussels, I buy the Freeze Dried, Green Lipped Mussels & give Patch 1-2 mussels a day as a treat, depends how big they’re, the cat loves them aswell

When Patch had Xray last year the vet sugested he gets “Cartrohen Vet” weekly injection they get the injection for 4 weeks, its cheap $20-$25 per injection & the vet nurse does it cause Patch has IBD he cant take alot of medications cause of his stomach & NSAID drugs can cause stomach ulcers, my neighbour was getting the Cartrophen Vet injections for his 17yr old Jack Russel & gee what a differences it made..

Cartrophen Vet is given by injection to treat degenerative joint disease or arthritis in dogs. It has been found that it provides relief from pain, stiffness and lameness as effectively as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine.

Follow “Steve Brown” & “Rodney Habib” on their facebook pages & “Planet Paws”
also
Join this f/b group it’s new, run by Dr Karen Becker, Rodney Habib & Susan Garrett
they have some really good healthy balance raw recipes, Golden Paste, frozen Coconut Oil treats etc, just becareful with Coconut Oil & Tumeric or Curcumin can cause upset stomach add small amounts at first.
I like foods high in Omega 3, Salmon- add 1-2 spoons to meal, Sardines-1/4 tin daily, Almonds-3 a day, Green lipped mussels-2mussels.. Google foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
Here’s their Group
“Life with Dogs and Cats – Health, Training & Research”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=direct

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jill B-
I’m glad you are taking the advice to avoid grain free foods. Golden Retrievers seem to be more prone to heart issues. You don’t have to be a scientist. You just need to trust brands that are formulated by scientists with degrees in veterinary nutrition. Believe it or not, most aren’t. I switched my dogs to a Purina ProPlan large breed recipe. Other brands that fit this category are: Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Iams, and Hills. The cardiologist from UCDavis that is leading a research team feeds his Golden Royal Canin. It’s a bit expensive for me as I have multiple pets. Best wishes!

[Susan]

Hi,

How’s his bum?? did you apply a cold press, lay him on his side & relax him, apply & hold a few cold baby wipes on his bum for a few mins, then apply some Bepanthen soothing baby cream..
or get some Betadine & soak a few tissues in Antiseptic Betadine solution & hold on his bum for a few mintues & watch he doesnt lick, the Betadine will relieve his itch & reddness..

The food has to agree with your boy, what you like & think is good, these ingredients may not work aswell for your boy, or what might work for 1 person dog may not work for your boy & when a food doesn’t agree with someones dog they normally post bad things about that brand of food & its not the brand of food that’s bad, 90% of the time it’s the person dog who’s sensitive to an ingredient lol..

He seems to be having problems with Purina, time to move onto another brand, you normally know within 1 month if a food is going to work for the dog…

“Victor” has their Select Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
alot of people say good things about Victor, the “Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice” formula has the best ingredients out of all the Select formula’s & it has no Oatmeal or Barley, look for LID formula’s that have no Oats or Barley, no ingredients that are in his Purina formula..Maybe no Lamb aswell??
Can he eat Beef, Pork, Chicken?

I’d try the Victor Select Chicken Meal & Brown Rice it has Lamb Meal in it aswell. Chicken formula’s seem to have more meat & better ingredients.
https://victorpetfood.com/products/chicken-meal-brown-rice-formula

“Nutro Wholesome Essentials” Large Breed Adult Farm Raised Chicken
The LID Lamb & Rice formula worked for Patch, years ago, he was doing small firm poos only 1 or 2 poos a day. It only haa about 3-4 ingredients

“Farmina” Lamb & Blueberry Adult Medium
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/120-lamb-&-blueberry-adult-medium.html

“Eagle Pack” Large/Giant breed Adult.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=85#.XAH-hvZuI5s

“Pro Pac Ultimates” Lamb Meal & Rice.
Made by Earthborn Holistic
https://www.propacultimates.com/dog-food/lamb-meal-brown-rice-formula/

“Sportmix Wholesome” Large Breed Adult.
Made By Earthborn Holistic
alot of people have good results if their dog has sensitive stomach/blowel..
https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/wholesomes-large-breed-chicken-meal-rice-formula/

“Holistic Select” Lamb Meal & Rice
but I think Holistic Select has way too many ingredients & probiotics, too many ingredients is opening the door for more reactions your boy might have & you wont know which ingredient it is..

You can always return the kibble or you might “find” a formula that agrees with him??
You wont know until you try, maybe look at a Chicken Formula, I wonder if he’s reacting to the lamb but there’s not much lamb in the Purina formula he’s eating, its seems to have more Oatmeal & Barley then Lamb, this is probably the problem??
His bum would be painful & sore so they lick & the more they lick & lick the same spot their tongue strips their skin..
I had a cat years ago, he had a small sore, probably was a Hot Spot, he licked it that much I had to take him to the vet to be stitched up, he made the sore triple the size..

I came home from shopping last week & Mr Patch had licked & licked his back paw inbetween his toes, he could not walk for 2 days limping on 3 legs & had to wear a shoe on his sore paw, the nut gave himself a red ulcer from licking in the same spot for 1 hour… Grass Allergies

[crazy4cats]

You’re welcome. I also originally switched to Fromm, but now have made the switch to Purina ProPlan. I have recently learned that Fromm does not meet WSAVA guidelines and falls more under the Boutique category. Having large golden retriever/lab mix dogs, I am not taking any chances at all. Their breed seems to be more at risk.

The brands that I know of that meet the guidelines are: Royal Canin, Purina, Hills, and Eukanuba. Also, have learned that you absolutely cannot judge a food by its ingredient label.

[Susan]

Hi Kyle,
I’ll bump up yor post.

What did you end up feeding your pup?
I just had a looked at the Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Canine, Lamb & Blueberry Puppy medium & maxi formula, the Calcium -1.30%; Phosphorus-0.90%…
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/401-lamb-&-blueberry-puppy-medium-&-maxi.html

The N&D Pumpkin Grain-Free Canine Lamb & Blueberry Puppy Medium & Maxi formula you post about has had the guaranteed analysis for Calcium & Phosphorus taken down, I cant find it… Maybe your right the calcium is too high.
Pit love knows more about growing large breed puppies..

[Kyle D]

I contacted Farmina and or their Pumpkin Puppy dog food that are stating calcium of 1.8% and phosphorus of 1.4% at maximum. This seems awfully out of line for a large breed puppy. Which they said this meets guidelines and is suitable for a large breed. Can I get some more insight into this? Im concerned about the calcium.

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,

I’d aviod all dry foods that have any type of fish, chances are your not getting the fish stated on your bag/formula.. also toxins, heavy metals & contaminates seem to be higher in fish formula’s.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s latest study: Limited Ingredient/Allergy Diets🐶🐱 may not work for your pet because of this problem!
Scroll dow to the results.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.125?fbclid=IwAR3JAeJouOK1TEOHlEKTRONZPp7FghmqdBaR561HJbc71J6fKucG5ncT9d8

Go onto Rodney Habibs f/b page – https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
scroll down a bit & look for “The False Hope of Limited Ingredient & Allergy diets” video they tested Natural Balance LID Bison & Sweet Potato formula & it had Beef, Pork, Horse, Goat, Lamb in it & no Bison?

I have a dog who has IBD, food sensitivities & environment allergies, I have found he does really well on “Wellness Core”, “Wellness Simple”- Turkey & Potato & “Canidae Pure”- Wild Pork & “Canidae” – Pure Meadow Senior, if you have a large breed look at Wellness Core Large breed adult or Wellness Core Small Breed formula’s are high protein, med -fat & low carbs..

[Susan]

Hi Kyle,

Send Farmina an email & ask Farmina all your questions they would have vet nutritionist who would know which formula is best for your dog growing bones….
I think your better off sticking with the Medium Maxi formula’s for Large Breed, click on Puppy & see which medium maxi formula’s come up in the different Farmina range.

This Farmina Chicken & Pomegranate Puppy Maxi Large Breed Formula looks good
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-grain-free-canine/92-chicken-&-pomegranate-puppy-maxi.html

The complexity is illustrated by the fact that not all of the grain free diet DCM dogs reported, are taurine deficient,
it’s only been a few grain free foods that were diet related “Zignature & Acana” it seems to be the Grain Free foods that are high legumes that are blocking Taurine for ‘Some Dogs’ NOT all dogs??

Vet diets have been using Potatoes for many years & very high amounts of potato, more potato then meat proteins in their vet diets & there hasnt been any dogs suffering with diet related heart problems who are eating these Grain Free Potato Vet Diets??

[Susan]

Hi,

“Wellpet” makes
Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack.

Have a looked at “Eagle Pack Large Breed/Giant breed Adult or the “Lamb Meal & Brown Rice” Adult, these formula’s are always sold out here in Australia.. especially the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-dog.aspx#.W-ohMfZuI5s

“Wellness Core Large Breed” Adult saved Patches life back in March when he became very unwell, very thin, bad acid reflux, I nilly put him to sleep …

Wellness Core Large Breed was the only dry food that agreed with him at the time, I had given up, I tried every dry food that “I thought would agree with him” grain formula’s caused diarrhea no acid reflux 🙁
he couldn’t eat low fat wet can vet diets made his acid worse same with home cooked food, he’d regurgate making his acid reflux worse…

When Patch is sick sad etc I always take him for a drive to make him feel better & forget he’s unwell, wind in his face, he loves shopping at Pet Shops or human shops, meeting people & their dogs, this day we went to the closest Pet Barn store, the manager came up to Patch to say hello & I told him I dont know what to do anymore, his IBD vet can’t help him, his Sphincter Flap isnt closing properly & there’s nothing the vet can do no more, the Pet Barn manager said, have I tried raw diet, I said he cant hold down no wet foods, then he said, he has had good results with Wellness Core dry foods, I said, but isn’t Wellness Core formula’s high in protein & fat? Patch cant eat over 30% protein, (I dont know why I thought this?? I probably read somewhere he needs a lower protein diet)
then the man said yes thats what he needs a higher meat protein & lower carb diet & he said give the Wellness Core Large Breed formula a try, it isnt high in fat, its high in meat protein, so I read the Wellness Core L/B kibble bag & it said 12%min-fat, 34% -protein, he said this is probably Patches problem he’s eating low fat & low protein = high carbs causing more acid reflux…
I said, how do you know about acid reflux, he wasnt old maybe in his 30’s, he turn around & said I suffer with GERD & Hiatus Hernia, I’ve just come out of hospital, I normally don’t work at this store, I work Central Coast store, when I’m better I’ll be back at my regular store..
I believe in Angels & there’s human angels that guide us thru life when we need help, showing us the way & Patch has had few Angels along the way that have help him, the man gave Patch the 6kg bag for 1/2 the recommended price & said if I have “any” problems bring it straight back & we’ll try something else or give you a refund, as I was walking out to my car to open the back section so he could put the bag of kibble in car, I thought to myself we’ll be coming back next week you watch, but we didn’t, Patch got better, he started playing, he was his happy self again saying hello to everyone, wanted to go on his walks, I couldnt believe it, I had my old Patch back. His vets couldnt believe it either..
He just had 5 weird looking wort like lumps removed from the sides of his back right & left legs, stomach & ear & they were all benign…He’s a lucky boy..

Depends which Wellness Formula your dog was eating at the time, was he unwell, this could be why he didnt want to eat it or it was making him unwell so he wasnt keen on eating it?
Purina, Hills & Royal Canine spray their dry foods with flavouring, Wellness kibbles are sprayed with Probiotics, so some dogs mighten like the smell they might be use to the flavouring spray.

Years ago Patch didn’t do well on the Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato Barley formula, he cant eat barley causes yellow smelly sloppy poos then diarrhea.
He didnt do well on the Wellness Simple, Duck Meal & Oatmeal & the Lamb Meal & Oatmeal formula’s caused yellow sloppy smelly poos..

Wellness have brought out a new cheaper grain formula called “Wellness Healthy Balance” dry but it isnt on the Wellness site yet.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/by/brand/wellness-healthy-balance/

Take back the Old Mother Hubbard Biscuits exchange them.
https://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/about-us.aspx

[Susan]

Hi,

“Wellpet” makes
Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack.

Have a looked at “Eagle Pack Large Breed/Giant breed Adult or the “Lamb Meal & Brown Rice” Adult, these formula’s are always sold out here in Australia.. especially the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-dog.aspx#.W-ohMfZuI5s

“Wellness Core Large Breed” Adult saved Patches life back in March when he became very unwell, very thin, bad acid reflux, I nilly put him to sleep …

Wellness Core Large Breed was the only dry food that agreed with him at the time, I had given up, I tried every dry food that “I thought would agree with him” grain formula’s caused diarrhea no acid reflux 🙁
he couldn’t eat low fat wet can vet diets made his acid worse same with home cooked food, he’d regurgate making his acid reflux worse…

When Patch is sick sad etc I always take him for a drive to make him feel better & forget he’s unwell, wind in his face, he loves shopping at Pet Shops or human shops, meeting people & their dogs, this day we went to the closest Pet Barn store, the manager came up to Patch to say hello & I told him I dont know what to do anymore, his IBD vet can’t help him, his Sphincter Flap isnt closing properly & there’s nothing the vet can do no more, the Pet Barn manager said, have I tried raw diet, I said he cant hold down no wet foods, then he said, he has had good results with Wellness Core dry foods, I said, but isn’t Wellness Core formula’s high in protein & fat? Patch cant eat over 30% protein, (I dont know why I thought this?? probably read he needs to feed lower protein diet)
then the man said yes thats what he needs a higher meat protein & lower carb diet & he said give the Wellness Core Large Breed formula a try, it isnt high in fat, its high in meat protein, so I read the Wellness Core L/B kibble bag & it said 12%min-fat, 34% -protein, he said this is probably Patches problem he’s eating low fat & low protein = high carbs causing more acid reflux…
I said, how do you know about acid reflux, he wasnt old maybe in his 30’s, he turn around & said I suffer with GERD & Hiatus Hernia, I’ve just come out of hospital, I normally don’t work at this store, I work Central Coast store, when I’m better I’ll be back at my regular store..
I believe in Angels & there’s human angels that guide us thru life when we need help, showing us the way & Patch has had few Angels along the way that have help him, the man gave Patch the 6kg bag for 1/2 the recommended price & said if I have “any” problems bring it straight back & we’ll try something else or give you a refund, as I was walking out to my car to open the back section so he could put the bag of kibble in car, I thought to myself we’ll be coming back next week you watch, but we didn’t, Patch got better, he started playing, he was his happy self again saying hello to everyone, wanted to go on his walks, I couldnt believe it, I had my old Patch back. His vets couldnt believe it either..
He just had 5 weird looking wort like lumps removed from the sides of his back right & left legs, stomach & ear & they were all benign…He’s a lucky boy..

Depends which Wellness Formula your dog was eating at the time, was he unwell, this could be why he didnt want to eat it or it was making him unwell so he wasnt keen on eating it?
Purina, Hills & Royal Canine spray their dry foods with flavouring, Wellness kibbles are sprayed with Probiotics, so some dogs mighten like the smell they might be use to the flavouring spray.

Years ago Patch didn’t do well on the Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato Barley formula, he cant eat barley causes yellow smelly sloppy poos then diarrhea.
He didnt do well on the Wellness Simple, Duck Meal & Oatmeal & the Lamb Meal & Oatmeal formula’s caused yellow sloppy smelly poos..

Wellness have brought out a new cheaper grain formula called “Wellness Healthy Balance” dry but it isnt on the Wellness site yet.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/by/brand/wellness-healthy-balance/

Take back the Old Mother Hubbard Biscuits.
https://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/about-us.aspx

[Kyle D]

I have a 6 month Alaskan malamute and I’m looking at the Farmina n and d pumpkin food And whether it’s maxi or mini or medium and maxi it seems the calcium content all seems to be adequate for large breed puppy. Would I be ok to go with any of these? More specifically I was looking and cod fish and pumpkin medium and maxi and lamb pumpkin and blueberry medium and maxi. Thoughts? Seems like a very high quality product my local pet store started to sell it here in the USA

[crazy4cats]

Good luck, Lisa. I switched to Purina ProPlan large breed weight management and my dogs are doing just fine.

I noticed the salmon recipe is quite a bit higher in calories than my dogs are used to. I’m not sure how it compares to what you’ve been feeding though. You may have to feed a little less.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa,
you want the meat protein to be a meal, not just the single meat “Lamb”, you want to feed more “meat proteins” less plant proteins….
When ingredient list are written they’re raw not cooked, so after you cook the salmon it shrinks 70% is water & is no longer 1st ingredient no more, its about 4th ingredient & the next ingredient is first ingredient so you probably have a carb as first ingredient instead of a meat, you want a dry kibble that has at least 2-3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredient then the carb eg, Pork, then Pork Meal, Bison Meal then the carb, sweet potato, rice, peas, etc..or Lamb, Lamb Meal, brown rice, oats, peas

Patch has IBD & finally he is doing really well & its cause he is finally eating more meat & less carbs…I rotate his foods & he’s eating Wellness Core Large Breed Adult formula, Large Breed formula’s are made for a large Breed bowel, this is when he started to do really well cause he was eating more meat less carbs. 70% meat proteins & 30% carbs…
When you have a sensitive dog you want more meat in their diet, dogs have a short digestive tract its made to digest raw meat, meat is easier to digest then a heap of carbs… Your dog can react to carbs aswell meat proteins..
When you just feed 1 meat protein year after year & do not rotate & change meat proteins this is when the dog can start to react to the single meat protein he’s been eating year after year..this is why its best to change & rotate your dogs food so this doesnt happen…
Find 2-3 brands with a different meat proteins your dog can eat & does well on & change dry food proteins with the Seasons, I use to feed Whitefish/Salmon in the hotter months – Spring & Summer then Lamb & Pork in the cooler months – Winter.

Here’s “Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato dry,
it has “Whitefish” first ingredient & its not a meal what you’re looking for.
When you see a fish you want the fish name, not a fish meal, you do not know what type of fish it is with fish meal?? it should say Sardines, Salmon meal, or Salmon, Sardine meal, Whitefish, Menhaden fish meal,

Here’s the ingredients, there’s NO chicken..
Whitefish, Ground Barley, Peas, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Natural Fish Flavor, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols Added to Preserve Freshness, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium.
https://www.chewy.com/wellness-complete-health-adult/dp/34375

Wellness is a good dog food & have been around over 100yrs… this formula will agree with your dog….if you like another brand of dry food put it on your list so you have about 2-3 different dry food you can introduce over 10 days & then rotate them every 3-4 months..

Here’s DFA explaining Meat & Meal Meals, in the review section on a dry chicken & menhaden fish meal dog food..

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is menhaden fish “meal”. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Give the “Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Rice Large Breed” a go & see how he goes, then have a few other dry foods on your list so you can try later on so you know if you can’t get the food he’s eating or something happens you know he can also eat another dry food that has a different meat protein & is OK & has no diarrhea….

[Lisa A]

Hi Crazy4cats,

Thanks for the info. I will ask the vet about ProPlan Sensitive Stomach Salmon recipe, she typically likes a single source protein and this has fish meal too, not sure how she will feel about it. I do like that the first ingredient is Salmon and not some type of meal. She suggested we go to L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets® Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Large Breed Bites® Dry Dog Formula but others have told me lamb is a low taurine food and I also don’t like that the first ingredient is lamb meal. I’ve spent days reading ingredient list and because he is allergic to chicken and we need a single source protein I’m going crazy. Just want the very best for our pup he is 3 and hope he lives a long life.

[Kyle D]

My Alaskan malamute is 6 months old and my vet wants him off chicken. Now I was looking at this list and some of the products they state except for large breed puppy. An example annamet aqualuk. Is this a concern I should be worried about for my large breed puppy?

[mo a]

How much calcium is too much in dog foods? In 2007, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) convened a panel of experts from academia and industry to, in part, make recommendations for revision of the AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles. These profiles, which were last revised in 1995, serve as one means by which the nutritional adequacy of dog and cat foods can be substantiated in the US.

Now, seven years later, the recommendations of the panel have yet to be put into place. There is agreement as to recommended levels of nutrients with one major exception; that is, the maximum calcium concentration that should be allowed in dog foods for different life stages and breeds.

The charge to the expert panel when it was formed was to consider the newly released (at the time) publication Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (2006) by the National Research Council (NRC), as well as other scientific information available since the last revision of the AAFCO Profiles. The safe upper limit as recommended by NRC for dog foods intended for growth is 1.8% dry matter (at 4000 kcal ME/kg).

There is no differentiation as to breed of dog in the NRC tables; i.e., it applies to all dog foods intended for puppies. However, in looking at the supportive text, NRC notes, “Thus, excess dietary calcium has been shown to cause clinically recognizable bone abnormalities in growing dogs, but these effects appear restricted to puppies of large breeds.”

The AAFCO expert panel did make a breed-based distinction in its tables when they were first released, though. It recommended a maximum 1.8% Ca DM for foods intended for large/giant-breed growth, but the status quo (i.e., 2.5% Ca DM, as in the current AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles) for smaller breeds of puppies and for adult dogs (maintenance and gestation/lactation) regardless of breed.

For more details :
https://dogfoodreviewz.com/index.php/category/news

[Susan]

Hi Erin,

Have you tried dry foods that have Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes??
Potato is easy to digest & smooth on the stomach & bowel
Look at
“Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato formula or the Salmon & Potato or their Simple Duck Meal & Oats or Lamb Meal & Oats formula’s??

Blood, Salvia & Fur testing is a waste of money, they can give false Positives.
Best is to do either a raw or cooked elimination food diet & add 1 new ingredient every 6 weeks & see how she goes..
Patch did really well on the raw elimination diet, he didn’t do well on the cooked elimination diet but I think it was cause I used Oats for the carb, he doesnt do well on grains.. I didnt know about boil Potatoes & Boil Sweet Potatoes being really good for IBD, IBS & Pancreatitis back then…
Boiled Sweet Potato pieces freeze very well after they’re thawed is just like the sweet potates are cooked, White Potatoes don’t freeze too well you have to boil them fresh as needed….

Here’s Wellness Simple formula link
I’m feeding the Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula at the moment to my IBD boy, I was feeding the “Wellness Core” Large Breed adult g/f but it wasn’t on special last week so I got a big bag of the Wellness Simple it was $40 cheaper & Patch loves it, so I’ll rotate between the 2 foods + I have a bag of “Canidae Pure Meadow” his poos are excellent on..
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Also have you looked at “Earthborn Holistic Venture” formula’s some formula’s have more fiber then other formula’s, so make sure you read the fiber %,
Does she do better on a lower fiber % or higher fiber % diet??
Buy food from a pet shop so you can take back if it doesn’t agree with her, just say she wont eat, Pet foods are a Guaranteed for Palability money back or exchange..
https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas

[aimee]

Hi Dinamul D,

To your post I’d add that the AAFCO has set the upper limit at 1.8 % calcium for growing large breeds, which they define as above 75 lbs mature weight, and that for both the AAFCO and NRC calcium percentages the energy density of the diet is defined as 4000 kcals/kg DM. Adjustments based on energy density should be made for diets that vary from this.

In regards to NRC levels, the min. calcium for growing pups is 0.8%, the recommended level is reported as 1.2% and the safe upper limit is set at 1.8 %

[Susan]

Hi Jennifer,

great what you’re doing….has she been wormed? If she’s coming thru rescue they may have wormed her already?? this would be the first thing I’d be doing, make sure you give all wormer with her Dinner (a meal), Dinner is best time to give tablet then she goes to sleep..
puppies should be wormed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age, and then every 4months for life with an all-wormer” or you can have poo tested for worms by vet…

I would avoid these new flea/tick chews – “Nexgard & Bravecto” as they are Neurotoxins, attack the fleas nervous systems also causing side effects to the poor dog.
Do your research first…especially if she is malnourished..

Frontline Plus Spot On & Frontline Spray is the only flea/tick product that only penetrates the first 2 layers of the dogs skin & doesnt go into their blood, so less side effect for the dog…

I’d say her mum was also very malnourished, she’ll be right you’ve adopted her at a good age & the rescue people know the age of these rescue dogs that’s their job..
if rescue has said she’s 4months old, then she is 4months old..
I rescued a 18mth old Boxer she was a skeleton, it took a while for her to gain some weight, we had to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day, she had NO health problems except arthritis when she was older…

Look for a large breed puppy formula, then after she is fully grown start rotating her foods so she isnt eating the same brand of dry food…
start feeding raw meaty bones as a treat…

also make sure you start puppy classes & socialize her
The first 2 years are very important for socializing a puppy..
I’d join a GSP f/b group….

[anonymous]

@ Jennifer N

You may find this site helpful
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=large+breed+puppy+food

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

Nothing is being sold at that site, no membership fees, nothing.

Good luck with your puppy!

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for making the decision to adopt this deserving dog. Please keep in mind, a 4-month old German Shepherd is considered a large breed puppy. To decrease her risk of hip dysplasia, she should be fed as a puppy (no adult dog foods) until she reaches adulthood (12 to 18 months).

Please visit our Best Large Breed Puppy Foods article for a list of our favorite large breed puppy foods.

Hope this helps.

[Jennifer N]

Hi all,

I am very excited that I am about to become the Mom of a fun 4 month old GSP. She is a rescue from TN…who unfortunately is severely undernourished (you can see her ribs and hip joints). So she needs to get her nutrition squared away ASAP so as not to cause life long issues.

I’ve been reading up on this site…but my question is, any food specific recommendations to help support a safe weight gain (along with the needs of a normal large breed pup)? Of course, this will be a topic of discussion for the first vet visit, but I want to make sure I get her off on the right foot from day 1. I live in a big city and I don’t mind spending good $$ to make sure she’s well taken care of.

Thanks!

• This topic was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Jennifer N.

[Susan]

@ Atlas
You make up your own mind up whats best for Atlas.. you have enough advice from DFA posters….
all I know is when I kept mentioning the low taurine in dogs after they ate these newer grain free food brands when I asked Australian vets, Patches American vet, our Australian Dog Food Advisor (Pet Food Reviews- Australia) he would NOT post the FDA link, I asked him why are you not warning people about feeding these high legumes g/f diets on his f/b site, when I spoke with pet food companies, I spoke with Hills vet nutritionist & R/C vet nutritionist whoever I could discuss taurine being blocked & get some answers, some people told me, there is NOT enough proof, some people wanted me to show a link with evidence that Legume & Potatoes are blocking the taurine & causing heart problems, I couldnt find any research as it hasnt been done yet, all I found was 1 vet an older vet, said do not feed no more then 20% legumes in a dog diet…
This is when I thought to myself hey I’m the only Nut that seems to think there’s a problem here & if Patches both vets are telling me to continue feeding him his Grain Free Wellness Core Large Breed food that has Potatoes in it then I’m listening to them, they’d know more then me, it wasnt one person I’ve had these disscussions with..

Just remember Atlas has Intestinal problems but Atlas probably isn’t as bad as Patch yet, Patch was a rescue who I rescued on his 4th birthday, the damage was already done with Patch, I thought I could fix Patches IBD but it was too late for him he was probably feed a diet that keep making his poos sloppy/diarrhea….

Atlas may not do great on a grain diet unless you can find a dry food that has grains & potatoes or sweet potatoes further down the ingredient list maybe that will work for Atlas?..
I tried this with Patch, “Canidae All Life Stages Platinum” formula & Patch was doing BIG sloppy yellow cow patties, I tried Purina Pro Plan OptiDerma formula, it helped his itchy skin but made IBD worse…. Canidae & Purina both refunded money or offered to give a voucher…

When you do find a cheaper medium priced dry food that agrees with Atlas then you’ll have another dry food you can rotate with..
Try to not irritate Atlas bowel, you do not want your dog diagnosed with IBD when he’s around 4yrs old…. IBD isnt a nice disease, once the damage is done there’s no going back..
Thickening of the bowel, the cause – the dog continues doing sloppy poos & owner continues to feed food that is irritating the stomach/bowel..
You can not reverse thickening of the bowel with a probiotic, pumkin or other supplements..
Atlas is young & hopefully his bowel has healed & he still has a healthy bowel, i’d feed him dry foods he has done best on…& see a good vet yearly….

[crazy4cats]

Hi Atlas-
In my opinion, your instincts are correct. You should be avoiding legumes and potatoes at least until the research is over. Here is the FDA’s second bulletin:
https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm616279.htm

The link that Susan provided is not by a veterinarian nutritionist and is also the founder of a bogus $300 allergy test. I wouldn’t pay attention to it.

Join the Taurine-Deficient Cardiomyopathy FB group for more information. It is supported by 4 or 5 vets, including Joshua Stern. He is the UCDavis cardiologist who is leading the investigation.

They are recommending to feed food from a large company who employs full time veterinary nutritionists, who regularly tests their food, does research and feeding trials. Some of the companies that fit most of the criteria that Ive found so far are: Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Iams, Purina, Hills, Annamaet, and Farmina.

I have switched my dogs to Purina Pro Plan. Their stools were soft at first, but are getting better and better. I’d rather have soft stools than an enlarged heart. However, my dogs are Golden and Lab mix, two breeds that seem to be more affected by this issue. But, other breeds are starting to show up too.

There are supplements that you can buy that may help with the anal gland issue. They usually contain probiotics and fiber. You may want to talk to your vet about using one until your dog’s system gets used to the different type of fiber in food with grain. We use Forti Flora probiotic. It is awesome! Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi,
Unfortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unwittingly prompted these articles to be written when it recently gave a warning about a possible connection. Since then, the FDA has “elucidated its initial warning” and stated, “At this time, we are not advising dietary changes based solely on the information we have gathered so far. If you have questions or concerns about your dog’s health or its diet, we suggest that you consult your veterinarian for individualized advice that takes into account your dog’s specific needs and medical history.”
here’s the link-

https://www.tumblr.com/drjeandoddspethealthresource/179049849051/canine-heart-disease

Atlas has sensitive stomach/bowel, I would first try & find a dry diet that agrees with Atlas & take it from there, I still feed Patch his “Wellness Core” large breed Adult dry g/f & I rotate with “NutraGold” Turkey & Sweet Potatoes g/f & next bag of Kibble I’m buying his Canidae Pure Meadow Senior g/f, I know he does well on these 3 dry formula’s…

In Australia vets were not concerned when FDA released warning about Low Taurine grain free dry foods, when I asked Patches vet she said, until we get more research just leave Patch on his grain free potato formula’s that he’s doing well on, We dont want him having a IBD flare.. he doesnt do well on grain dry foods 🙁

Check & google CLP when they test products & screened over 130 toxins including heavy metals, BPA, … Out of 299 dry dog foods tested, the bottom five, on average, contain the highest …
Purina Focus Sensitive Stomach and Skin formula gets only 1 star & has been on the 1 star high heavy metals & toxins list every 3 months when CLP test these popular dog foods, if you look at 5 star foods
Purina One Smart Blend True Instinct Turkey and Venison Dry Dog Food..
Purina Beyond Salmon & Egg formula..do really well when tested & get 5 stars, so you might be better off trying a different Purina formula & willprobably be a little cheaper with cleaner ingredients.
“Eagle Pack” Large/giant breed Natural Dry formula does very well when tested & is also a good price.
But will grain formula’s agree with Atlas or does he do better on a grain free potato dry food?..

[Susan]

Hi Debi,

Yes if you think she has acid reflux start her ASAP before she gets stomach ulcers or inflammed esophagus, we did Endoscope & Biospsies January 2018 my poor boy ended up with a red inflammed esophagus & his wind pipe was red where the acid went back down into his wind pipe from bad acid reflux… 🙁

My boy was taking Omeprazole 20mg, best to take of a morning before or after food it doesn’t matter cause Omeprazole is an PPI an acid blocker, not a acid reducer like pepcid or Zantac is, you will see a BIG difference, it takes about 12-24hours to starting working in beginning, also liquid Mylanta 4-5ml will help stop the gulping & swollowing, put in a syringe, I use Quickeze 1/2 a chew aswell some days for Patch when I see he’s swolling hard or he grinds his teeth some the taste, I worry his esophagus will become inflammed again, you girl will start to improve as weeks pass if her throat/esophagus is sore..

After Patch took Omeprazole for 2 yrs Patch he went down hill again he has IBD, mainly stomach & small bowel & he gets bad Helicobacter spirals, I think this is why the Omeprazole didnt work aswell anymore + his Sphincter flap from stomach to esophagus doesn’t close properly now, I suffer with GORDS & have Barrets Esophagus & my sphincter flap doesn’t close either & my Gastrologist put me on Pantoprazole he said Pantoprazole works better for some people, when they have GORD & some people do better on Omeprazole, so Dr changed my PPI to Pantoprazole & yes a big improvement with my burping & acid, so I did the same with Patch, Patches IBD vet wanted him to stay on 20mg Omperazole & he said all PPI are all the same, then I explained to him what my Gastrologist Dr had told me how different brand PPI’s can work differently for some people & then Patches vet said OK then, we’ll try 20mg Pantoprazole (Somac), we can buy Pantoprazole from chemist but its cheaper getting a script from a Dr take to chemist..

Patches specialist vet said we’ll give Patch 1 month & see if there’s any improvement & I also changed his dry food from “Nutro Natural”, Choice Lamb & Rice it was very high in Carbs & Patch wasnt real keen to eat it somedays, I changed his food too “Wellness Core” Large Breed dry kibble, Patch isnt a large breed dog but the “Wellness Core” has all the ingredients that agree with Patch & it’s low in Kcals-340Kcals, you need under 360Kcals if she’s eating a dry kibble, low fat around 13%max & Patch does well on high protein 30-34% & carbs around 30% & under..
When the protein & fat is low in a dry kibble the carbs are high & high carbs can make acid reflux worse, if your girl can eat a cooked meal, then make her boiled sweet potato & cook a lean white meat like turkey breast or chicken breast or lean pork, & green veggies, my boy can NOT eat wet can foods, this is when he went down hill, the fat in wet can food is higher then in a dry kibble 5%min fat in a wet can food when converted to dry matter (kibble) is around 20%min fat to 26%max fat, so be careful if she is eating a wet can food…as dogs ages their digestion slows down like us..
I also fed 4 smaller meals a day.

What is your girl eating.

[Susan]

Hi Atlas,
Sorry another long post I keep thinking of stuff to write lol,
It’s good you have FINALLY found a dry food that’s working for your Lab, the Natural Balance Potato & Duck formula is low fiber 3%max & the N/B fish formula is 5%max fiber, both formula’s have “NO peas” & both formula’s have “NO probiotics”, both have VERY Limited Ingredients, just 1 single meat protein & potatoes or sweet potatoes as the carb…
Make sure you look for LID, fiber under 5% & it has to have Potatoes or sweet potatoes, not too many ingredients..

Go onto the Natural Balance LID site & look at the Duck formula & Fish formula ingredients that your dog does well on, then try & find a cheaper food with similar ingredients, write down the foods you have tried & he did sloppy poos & obsessively licking his butt, rubbing bum on ground & licking bum can also be from food sensitivities, my boy does it when he’s sensitive to an ingredient in a dry grain kibble…

If you want to give your dog probiotics, your better off buying a probiotic powder or Kefir, add 10-15ml water to the probiotic powder in a small bowl swirl & mix probiotic powder then let your dog drink it as a treat, best to give probiotic inbetween meals on an empty stomach when stomach acids are low not with food, the probiotic works better, give same time every day..

Did you ever try
“4Health”Sensitive stomach” formula, sold Tractor Supply, it is Potato & Egg, No Peas, the fiber is low 3%max & has similar ingredients to the Natural Balance Potato & Duck & the Sweet potato & fish formula’s, if its cheaper maybe you can add with the N/B formula to make the N/B kibble last longer.. also adding fresh ingredients, left overs after you have cooked, feed some to dog & dont add 1 cup of kibble, feed 1/2 cooked food say Potato & a meat & 1/2 his N/B kibble he does well on..
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-special-care-sensitive-stomach-formula-for-adult-dogs-25-lb-bag?cm_vc=-10011

I feed “Wellness Core” Large Breed, its Chicken, Turkey, Potato & Peas I buy when on special or has 25% off the online pet food shops always send out emails with 25%-30% off.
I have just finished feeding “Nutra Gold” Turkey & Sweet Potato formula & it had Garbanzo beans, Patch normally farts when he eats Garbanzo beans but not with this Nutra Gold grain free formula, Patches poos were smaller & firmer then when he eats the Wellness Core formula & the Nutra Gold is cheaper then the Wellness Core. Here’s teh Whitefish & Sweet Potato formula, I’d give it a go just buy a small bag.
https://nutragold.com/products/dogs/whitefish-sweet-potato/

Also about the Bravecto chews, can you sell them singley to someone who uses Bravecto, I’d ring the the place your bought the Bravecto chews from or ring/email Bravecto company & I’d say my dog became very unwell & vomited bits of teh chew back up after he ate the Bravecto chew & you “do not” want to use the rest of the 5 x Bravecto chews again as you’re very worried your dog will become unwell again & die & you just bought a 6 pack & have only used 1 chew & I just want a refund….
also thru the Winter months do not give any Bravecto chews, I remember reading 1 dog that became very ill having seizure had his blood tested 9 months later he still had the Bravecto nerve drug in his system, so if you can not get a refund then just give 1 x Bravecto chew in Spring before the flea season starts & that 1 Bravecto chew should last thru Spring/Summer/Autumn months, Bravecto might give you a refund they’d get alot of complaints..
Do you live in a high flea/tick area? I do not use any toxins on Patch he reacts to everything….

[Susan]

Hi,

Acana is full of “Legumes” & is higher in fiber then Purina HA is.
Vet diets have ingredients to make poo smaller..

Acana Duck & Pear Ingredients
Deboned duck, duck meal, “whole lentils”, “whole peas” duck liver, duck fat, “lentil fiber” pears, pollock oil, “pea starch” natural duck flavor, duck cartilage, pumpkin, salt,

My boy does 2-3 small poos a day when eating “Canidae Pure Wild” “Nutra Gold Turkey or “Wellness Core” Large Breed..
When he was on a vet diet (IBD) he only did 1 maybe 2 small poos a day…

I wouldn’t be feeding a high legume diet, they are doing research at the moment, Legumes seems to be blocking the dog from absorbing Taurine & causing heart problems DCM.. Golden Retrievers & other large breed dogs seem to be affected…
Here’s the F/B group..look in “Files” click on “2018-10-05 COPY of Diet and Taurine TABLE”…. look at the Brands (Acana Duck & Pear) mark in light Orange that are Diet related for blocking Taurine.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859/

How’s he doing eating a high fat diet now? the Acana Duck & Pear is 17% min – Fat, so max fat can be around 19-20% -fat.
Purina HA is 8%max – Fat, he’s a senior I wouldn’t go over 14-15%max for fat.

[Susan]

Hi Patty,

why they say dont feed puppies a raw diet is like Tyrionthebiscuit said, it’s hard to balance a growing dog diet, especially large breed puppy, their bones can grow too quickly & cause osteo problems later when the pup is a fully grown adult, so they say to put the large breed pup on a large breed puppy formula till the dog is 18-24months, then when dog is fully grown then start feeding the large dog a raw diet…
You have a small breed pup you should be right, there’s heaps of balanced premade raw diets & freeze dried dehydrated raw on the market…..
299 most popular dry dog foods are tested every 3 months for heavy metals & contaminates, these 3 brands came 1st, 2nd & 3rd they got 5 stars when tested for toxins, heavy metals & contaminates..

* “Buckley Liberty” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food the Beef, Lamb & chicken formula’s
* “CaniSource Grand Cru” All Life Stages Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food their Turkey, Lamb & Meat formula’s
* “BIXBI Rawbble” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog foods, their LAmb, Duck Chicken & Salmon formula’s
another good brand I hear people saying is really good is “Answers” fermented raw..

Join a few raw feeding f/b groups there’s Lew Olsons “K-9 Nurition” Lews book is excellent for starting home made raw.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/371592139642185/
Monica Segal “K-9 Kitchen” https://www.facebook.com/groups/K9Kitchen/
also has a few books that are good aswell..
Why alot a vet are against raw feeding is cause they have seen the bad when a raw diet isn’t balance properly like Rickets, Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus.
Good luck you’re on the right track feeding a raw diet…

[Susan]

Hi Linda,

Was your girl eating the Zignature dry food when her liver test came back high??
Sometimes when a kibble is very high in toxins, heavy metals & contaminates this can cause high liver results, Fish is one of the worse proteins to feed in an dog food…
The cleanest meats used in dog foods are Chicken & Turkey.
I’d stop feeding her the Zignature & try another dry food a different “brand” …
When “Eagle Pack” Giant/Large breed Adult dry was tested for toxins & heavy metals it came back 5 stars really good results, same with “Canidae” dry formula’s…
if you google you will find this site that does studies on 299 best selling dog foods that are tested & are high in heavy metals & contaminates.

[LINDA F]

Hi! Okay, here is my story and do not take this as informed or a professional opinion. I have kept 3 dogs in my home for most of my adult life and I am now 75! All dogs are seen by my vet several times a year including a full “WELLNESS” check up once a year. I currently have a 12 year old rescued pit bill that is so sweet and a joy to have around. On her last check up, her liver values were very high. So my trusted vet of 20 yrs told me it could be a mass in her belly, Cushings Disease or liver disease. I asked what can I do. His first recommendation was to do a liver ultra scan which did not show anything out of the normal except it looked that it might have “sludge”. His next step was to advise a liver biopsy which due to her age and need for anesthesia, could be fatal, plus it is costly. Or we could do a stomach exploration but the same warnings were in effect and again very costly. So I asked a simple question, what treatment would be employed should it be a stomach mass or Cushings? He said he would not really change what he was already we were already doing. I then told him that since the tests were so expensive, I did not need to know the name of the exact malady that was killing her if it would not treated differently. I then asked him would he do if it were his dog? His reply was due to her advanced age and the very large risk anesthetic posed to her, that if it were his dog, he would not chance it. Twelve years is a respectful old age for a dog and he would just try to make her comfortable and happy for her remaining time with us. Now she did not appear to be in any discomfort but of course with a dog, you cannot always tell that. It’s not like they can tell you “My tummy hurts”. However I did notice that her energy levels and appetite were dropping and she began to lose weight and muscle mass. I have a friend who is a certified dog trainer. I was whining to him about feeling useless to help my dear old companion and he suggested that I try a raw diet. I told him at 75, I am really not up to weighing meat to combine with a list of dog supplements that have to be purchased and are sometimes hard to find, then measure all those to mix with steamed vegetables to go along with the raw chicken parts. So I just made this diet up. I feed her one can of a premium wet food for breakfast around 6am. She sometimes eats all of it and sometimes just nibbles at it. Around noon, I feed her one raw drumstick, one raw thigh, and one raw chicken wing, all with bones. I buy the same chicken as I feed my family so I am hoping they are safe for her! I also buy a package of hearts and gizzards and a package of raw chicken livers. I add to the raw chicken a couple of gizzards and hearts. I read from a raw diet blog that you should not feed raw livers every day but 2-3 times a week. I can manage that! She eats every scrap left in the bowl and then licks it to make sure she got every morsel! Then at night I give her a cup or two of Zignature kibble. Again sometimes her bowl is licked clean in the morning, sometimes it is just nibbled on but over all, she mostly eats everything I put in her bowl! Wonders of wonders! She has put back the weight she had lost and is building muscle mass! No, she is no where near gaining enough weight to make her fat but her energy levels are up, her coat is shiny and she once again seems to be really enjoying her life. I figured if all these premium diets touted that they have all the proper amount of supplements a dog needs and she usually eats almost everythingl, that perhaps I don’t have to kill my own old silly self trying to keep her alive and happy! Just to make sure you do not misunderstand me, if she were my one and only dog, I would probably be able to do all the searching for supplements and weighing etc but I also have a year old Morkie and an 8 month old Rottweiler that I feed twice a day. I do not feed the other two dogs a raw diet. As a treat once or twice a week, I will feed the Morkie a chicken liver or a heart or a gizzard but since the Rotty is a large breed dog and still growing, she does not get any raw chicken parts. The other two dogs have no problems eating wet dog/kibble each day and are thriving so no reason to rock the boat for them by changing their diet! I don’t know if I am doing the right thing with my old pit bull. All I know is that for the last two months, since I began the diet above, my old pit bull seems eager to eat. She looks forward to her early morning walks once more, is alert and even goes out to play with the two young pups. Now, she does not chase them as she would have when she was younger, but she seems to enjoy trotting a few yards as they streak by her while she is wagging her tail and barking! I may be doing all the wrong things and hastening her death but my conscious is clear since she appears to be enjoying her life now and before she just looked and acted old and feeble. Again, this is just my own solution and it has NOT been approved by any professional. Please no hate mail but I would welcome any comments or suggestions that do not require a large amount of my own decreasing energy levels. Oh yeah, at first I tried adding the freeze dried raw food by Stella (?) to their Zignature kibble but none of my dogs really cared for it.
Thanks for reading this long email but I think it’s an old age thing! LOL!!!
Sincerely,
Linda

[Susan]

Hi,

“I am thinking of changing his food, but I don’t want to upset his stomach”,

his intestinal tract is already upset, if he was doing really well on this Purina Pro Plan Sensitive stomach formula, his poos would be nice & firm, he wouldn’t be drinking & drinking water & he wouldnt be licking his bum…

DRINKING heaps of water- if his poos are soft/sloppy & not firm then he might be dehydrated, something in this formula might be dehydrating him like too many soluble fibers…your dog mighten have problems digesting his foods, your dog might be OK & can digest foods, he might digest his food too quickly like Patch does, so he doesnt need these type of ingredients that are high in soluble fibers that digest in teh small bowel, this could be the reason for drinking excess water??

Licking bum area or rubbing bum on ground/grass could be food sensitivities, something in this Pro Plan formula he’s sensitive too….
or his anal glands are full & need emptying, his poos mighten be firm enough & his anal glands are not naturally emptying now, this happens with Patch when he eats a grain kibble that’s higher in soluble fibers, maize/corn gluten meal, barley, oats, rice, & his poos aren’t firm enough to empty his anal glands…

Have you seen the Purina Poo chart??
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PPPVD-Fecal-Scoring-Chart-EN-FINAL.pdf

I really think alot of his Intestinal problems is to do with FIBER, Soluble fiber & Insoluble fiber & he cant handle too much soluble fiber ingredients as they digest too quickly in the small bowel & he might be like Patch & digests his food quickly anyway, so when they eat foods that are higher in soluble fibers this is when their poos are sloppy & are not firm.
He needs a dry food that has more insoluble fiber & less soluble fiber & alot of grain free formulas have more insoluble fiber ingredients & less soluble fiber ingredients..

Potatoes- Fiber from potatoes comes in both forms, soluble and insoluble, the “insoluble content is higher”. This is probably why dogs with IBS or IBD do really well when they eat a kibble that has potato in it…

He’d probably do better on a Large Breed grain free kibble that has potato?? or a grain kibble that has potato in it…

Make sure the next kibble you try has at least 2-3 meat protein meals as 1st & 2nd ingredients, so there’s less fiber in his diet & more meat but not too much meat 25%-34%, the Purina Pro plan Lamb & Oatmeal Sensitive Stomach doesnt have much meat protein in it, it has more plant proteins which = higher soluble fiber ingredients….

Have a look at Victor, a few people say their dogs are doing really well eating Victor dog food..
Look at the Victor Select formula’s, Victor uses the Montmorillonite clay.
Chicken Meal & Brown Rice with Lamb meal.
https://victorpetfood.com/products/chicken-meal-brown-rice-formula

or look at “Whole Earth Farms” Adult, it’s made by Purina if you like Purina but I really would look at a different brand for now.
https://www.feedgoodness.com/products/recipe?title=Adult-Recipe&id=6
or
“Whole Earth Farm” Grain Free Recipe with Pork, Beef & Lamb (Poultry-Free)
For All Breeds & Life Stages
https://www.feedgoodness.com/products/recipe?title=Whole-Earth-Farms-Grain-Free-Recipe-with-Pork%2C-Beef-&-Lamb-(Poultry-Free)&id=8

[Susan]

Hi Harry,

Listen to your brother, a raw diet is the best diet you can feed a dog or a cat..
Dogs & cats have a short digestive tract, it’s made to digest a raw diet, their intestinal tract was not made to digest a high carb, high fiber dry dog food…

Over time watch & you’ll see the difference in both your dogs as they age if your dog continues eating a dry diet, your brothers dog will have a shinner coat, more energy, less pooh, he’ll be leaner & not over weight & look healthier…

Your pup is a large breed dog, his bones are still growing till he’s 18-24months, might be better to feed him his balance “Large breed puppy” dry food until he’s 18months, still give him raw meaty bones as a treat, unless you contact a animal nutritionist who can formulate a raw diet for a growing pup…
Sky Car knows heaps about raw feeding, he can give some advice…

Are you on facebook join a few Canine Raw feeding groups,
also follow “Rodney Habib” & his “Planet Paws” page look at his Video’s https://www.facebook.com/pg/PlanetPaws.ca/videos/?ref=page_internal
Also Follow “Steve Brown” when you follow Rodney you will get to know everyone.

Have you seen all the Toxins Contaminates & Heavy Metals in dry pet foods?
Google Toxins in dogs foods, a site will come up they test the most popular dry wet treats

[pitlove]

Rose B-

Breeders are not doctors or researchers and only can do what they believe works for them. A regular puppy formula is not meant for a giant breed puppy. This is probably what was being fed to the dog with H/D. Or it was genetic. 30-40 years ago (when your breeder started breeding) there were no appropriate puppy foods designed for large and giant breeds like Mastiffs. Now there are more than enough. Even my teacher (who graduated vet school over 30 years ago) used to tell her clients to feed adult food to giant breed pups. Now she said, she absolutely does not. Too much research to prove the harm in doing so and with all the great large and giant breed puppy foods on the market, she does not agree with that anymore.

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
sorry about the long post i started it around 10am then kept adding to it then finally posted it 2pm lol
“Holistic Select” has change all their formula’s & have added lentils chickpeas, these Legumes up the protein % so the pet food companies add less meat proteins in their food, that’s why I always make sure there’s 2-3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredient, so my boy is getting meat proteins & not a heap of plant proteins, Legumes also up the fiber % in a dry kibble, make sure if you feed a dry dog kibble there isn’t anymore then 20% in Legumes, No Lentils/Chickpeas in the first 5 ingredients..
These are the first 5 ingredients of Holistic Select® large & giant breed dry kibble..
Lamb Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peas, Chicken Fat,
when Patch eats Lentils he gets instant diarrhea & chickpeas cause bad wind/farts for 1 week then he’s OK. He does best on Sweet Potatoes & Potatoes kibbles & chickpeas have to be 5-6 ingredient… The Wellness Core Large Puppy formula has Potatoes, it has Lentils as 6th ingredient, your boy might be OK with Lentils?
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-puppy-large-breed-puppy
you could always try it then take it back to Pet Barn if he gets diarrhea they have a money back guarantee & say he won’t eat it now cause he had diarrhea & get the Wellness Complete Health Large breed Puppy formula, it’s Monday so Wellness is on special $109 at the moment till Wednesday midnight, you click on “Click & Collect” & pick up from a Pet Barn closest to you.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-core-large-breed-dog-food
Or Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Puppy Food – 13.6kg – $99.00
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/wellness-large-breed-puppy-food-13-6kg,

I’ve been thinking of getting te Wellness Complete Health Adult formula next, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredient then Oatmeal then peas so there’s less then 20% in Legumes…Pet Barn also has offers, when you join their “Friends For Life” Loyalty program, I just got a $20 free voucher free & a free bath & a free nail clip.. so I got a 2.5kg bag of dry kibble for $2..

I just looked up Holistic Select Australia as some US pet brands ingredient list are changed to come into our country, so when you look up an American brand kibble look up their brand name & put Australia after the brand name, so your getting the Australian Ingredient list…. also when you look at pet foods online pet store some of their ingredients list are the old ingredient list & the new ingredients haven’t been updated yet…

The FDA in America has put out an warning as few large breed dogs in the US that were eating high legume dry kibble diet have ended up with DCM – heart disease..
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm613355.htm

Some dogs have died, they were very young 1-2 yrs old, they have noticed the dry diets were high in Legumes, Legumes are blocking the Taurine & the dogs aren’t absorbing any Taurine, they still dont know 100% what has gone wrong, a healthy 30 month old Rotti just died 8th August, an 1-2yr GSH has died he was given 6-8months to live & that was 2015….Maybe your better off feeding healthy grain formula until the FDA works out what went wrong, or a grain free formula that doesn’t have no more then 20% Legumes (peas), dogs didnt have these heart problems when grain free diets first came out & had Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes & Peas……
You’ll have to do research & make your own decision….
We haven’t been warned about DCM in dogs in Australia. But then again we’ve had toxic pet foods dogs have died & we still dont have any recalls, so I dont know what to think anymore.. I’ve msg our Pet Food Review man on his f/b page & he doesnt seem to think there’s a problems until we get more info, my vet said the same thing….
Golden Retrievers & Labrodors are known to get DMC not rottweilers & German Shepherd & the other large breed who are on the list… there’s a f/b page called “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” look in their “files” for “2018-09-07 Copy of Diet and Taurine.pdf” it has the list of foods & dogs that became sick & died….. The cases that are in a light Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related, dogs heart problems were diet related, where the cases in yellow aren’t diet related taht they know off??We dont have these brands dry formula’s in Australia that were involved.

Here’s the proper ingredient list to the “Eagle Pack” Giant/breed puppy formula, Phosphorus 1.00%min, Calcium 1.50%min,
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-orignal-dog.aspx?product=82#.W58JIPZuI5t

Here’s “Wellness Complete” Health Large Breed Puppy link,
Phosphorus is 0.90% so it’s under 100%, Calcium Not Less Than 1.30%min
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/complete-health-large-breed-puppy

“Stay Loyal” Large Breed Puppy
Phosphorus is 0.70-0.90% Calcium 1.10-1.30%
https://stayloyal.com.au/large-breed-puppy-grain-free-dog-food.html

To meet the more rigid safety guidelines for large breed puppies, a dog food must contain

1.2 to 1.8% calcium

1.0 to 1.6% phosphorus

Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio 1:1 to 1.8:1

Here’s the DFA Link info above & a list of Large Breed Puppy Brands DFA recommend Eagle Pack, Wellness Core, Science Diet, Eukanuba, Iams & Holistic Select Giant breed formula but this list was written before the DMC scare.. Maybe the Holistic Select giant pup breed is OK or NOT OK cause the formula has been changed now, I dont know
/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

They recomend to feed a large growing puppy a balanced dry large/giant breed puppy kibble till he is fully grown 18-24mnths then if you want to feed raw then start him on a raw balanced diet but there must be people who fed their large/giant breed pups a raw balanced diet, I know most Australian either feed a raw diet or they feed both raw meat, raw meaty bones & a dry kibble..

Stay Loyal is Australian if you join they send out monthly emails, they recommend to fed raw meat + raw meaty bones with their dry kibble & to fast dog 1 day a week Sunday, as it re sets the immune system, Robert & David are up to speed raising healthy large breed pups, I’ve emailed Robert Belobrajdic about Patch & his IBD & Robert emailed me back within 12hrs, Robert breeds South African Boerboels, Boerboels are very large dogs. Im pretty saw they’re raw feed aswell as their Large Breed Puppy dry food……..

[Susan]

Hi,
you have a very smart dog, he knows what foods cause pain, nausea etc & now will not eat, my boxer was the same with dry kibbles & raw Kangaroo, if it smelt weird & caused any stomach/bowel problems she wouldnt eat it ever again, where Patch he keeps eating & eating foods that cause gas/farts, nausea, sloppy poos etc, I have to be a mind reader & work out what is causing his pain his acid reflux etc but when I first rescued him he didnt want any thing to do with dry kibble, when I offered it to him he’d just walk off, he liked cooked food, loaf rolls, raw meaty bones & wet can foods….

Slipery Elm has to be made into a slurry/paste, pull up into a syringe about 5ml =1 teaspoon & you give 20mins before a meal not with the meal…

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Deficiency, has your dog B-12 been tested?
When Vitamin B12 is injected, the vitamin is readily absorbed by the blood and can get to work immediately. If your dog doesn’t have any problems with cobalamin malabsorption or there is no vitamin B12 deficiency, you can give oral supplements available in 100-, 250-, 500-, 1000-, and 5000-microgram tablets.
Ask your vet about him not having any apetite & can you do the weekly B-12 injection for 1 minth & see if there’s an improvement in his appetite a lot of ogs who have IBD EPI who have low appetites are givenB-12 weekly injections to make them want to eat….

Have you tried wet can foods or those good premium loaf rolls?? I know vet diets are expensive but next time you see vet get 1 can of Hills I/d Digestive Care Chicken & Vegetable stew. I have the I/d cans in the cupboard & the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat wet cans in the cupboard. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-id-canine-chicken-and-vegetable-stew-canned
I rotate foods, I dont feed the same food for all of Patches 5 meals a day..
Are you feeding more then 2 meals a day? I know he isnt much of a eater but smaller meals of a few different foods thru the day he might want to eat them? a dry dog biscuit offered a few times a day, break biscuit in 1/2, we have a cat & as soon as Patch hear’s Indy getting something to eat he comes running to see if he can have some aswell & normaly he cant thats why the cat is getting the food cause Patch cant eat it.. she/cat is my garbage disposel bin..

I feed the Wellness Core Large Breed Adult dry for breakfast, Patch finally gained weight eating the Wellness Core & the cat keeps stealing Patches Wellness kibbles so they must taste good as she doesnt pinch any of Patches other dry kibbles, for lunch Patch use to get a small can of the Hills I/D chicken Rice & Vegetables wet food or 1/3 of the can of the Royal Canine Intestinal wet food but he kept getting his acid reflux on & off after eating the wet can vet diets & they’re low in fat so Id say its all the Omega oils, they are very high in Omega Oils so now Patch gets 2 big Dog Biscuits, My Boxer use to just look at food & gain weight she where Patch has problems keeping on his weight, I remember Angies vet asking me, what is she eating she’s over weight, she needed to lose 4kgs, she use to eat 1/2 of what Patch eats, she was bigger & he is smaller, I told vet she eats cooked meal, what we eat, & sometimes she eats some dry kibble but not much & she gets a dry dog biscuit maybe twice a day, the vet said do you know 1 of those dry dog biscuits is = to 1 Hamburger for a dog, I said what a Hamburger he said YES start halving her biscuit, so she is just getting 1 dog biscuit a day or completely stop these dru dog biscuits as they are high in fat, so now Im giving Patch 2 big dog biscuits for lunch everyday he loves them, I either feed the Purina Lucky Dog Biscuit Bones, Canidae dry Biscuits or you can get Hills Ideal balance Treats they’re smaller or Hills Vet Diet Hypoallergenic Biscuit treats.. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/ib-soft-baked-naturals-with-chicken-and-carrots-dog-treats..
If you dont want to feed a wet can vet diet then look at Hills “Ideal Balance” Chicken & Zucchini slow cooked wet can food.. https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/ib-slow-cooked-chicken-and-zucchini-stew-adult-dog-food-canned#accordion-content-054167331-2
or look at Costcos Kirklands Signature Turkey & Pea Stew wet can food its very popular. Just make sure any wet can foods are 4% in fat not any higher, wet can foods fat protein fiber % havent been converted to dry matter yet so when you convert say 5% fat thats around 20%min to 26% max fat, so 4% min is around 12% fat min best to emal the pet food companies & ask them for max fat concerted to dry matter, they will give the exact max % you dont want to feed him foods that cause pain in stomach or wind pain in bowel then he will become more fussy….lean limited ingredient foods..
http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand

All Hills Science Diet wet & dry formula’s are very palatable if your dog refuses to eat then return to pet shop for a refund if you have bought a carton of wet can food, rotate, 1 day feed the Hills Ideal Balance for Dinner then the next day for Dinner he eats a different wet can food or try FreshPet Roll, Stew, Cooked Roasted meals?
https://freshpet.com/dog/freshpet-select

Still feed his Farmina dry food, Farmina is a good food, are you feeding him the LAMB DIGESTION N&D Quinoa Functional Canine formula & the N&D Quinoa Skin & Coat Venison formula
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop/dog-food/n&d-quinoa-functional-canine/429-digestion-lamb.html
its isnt rich or too dense like the other Farmina formula’s, my Patch gets his stomach pain as soon as a dry food is over 370Kcals per cup he whinges & wants me to rub his stomach/pancreas area…

What vet diet did he eat? maybe put him back on the vet diet & feed the matching wet can food rotate in his diet so he gains some weight & feed 4-5 smaller meals a day & give a few dry dog biscuits thru the day aswell as treats or as a dry dog bisciut as a snack before bed, eating then going to sleep gains weight…

I always ask Patch “Which One (kibble) do you want to eat” & I show him 2 different dry kibble brands in their air tight containers with their lids off, he sniffs the containers then he licks the side of the container that he wants to eat or I get out 1 kibble from 1 container & another kibble from the other container, I have 1 kibble in one hand & the another kibble in my other hand & I let him sniff them & ask him “which One”& he takes teh kibble he wants to eat, thru the day he eats about 3 different brands of foods… If I just feed him the same dry kibble day in day out he starts to react & gets his IBD stomach pain & starts whinging & lifts his right paw & wants me to rub his stomach area I thought he had Pancreatitis when I first rescued him, he has all the symptoms but now 5 yrs later Patches vets says he has Stomach pain its cause of his IBD…

If you join the “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” F/B group, go to their “Files” scroll down 11th pdf & click on “Digestive Sensitivity and Dog Size.pdf”
it’s research done on small breed dogs & large Breed dogs, what happens when these dogs eats the same dry kibble, how both breeds digest the same kibble different, now I know why Patch does heaps better with his IBD when he eats a Large Breed dry kibble the Large Breed kibbles have fibers formulated for large breed Intestinal tract so the dog doesn’t get bloat, the Large Breed dry formula’s seem to agree with Patch the best…..

[Susan]

Hi Rose,

If you want to continue feeding an Australian made pet food, then have a look at

“Stay Loyal”
Formulated For Slow… Steady… Optimal Growth, Not Maximal Growth!
https://stayloyal.com.au/large-breed-puppy-grain-free-dog-food.html

“Meals For Mutts”
https://www.mealsformutts.com.au/products/

“LifeWise”

Kangaroo

“Vetalogia”
Vetalogica Naturals Grain Free Dog Food

“Frontier Pets” Freeze Dried, Free Range, Organic, human grade dehydrated raw.
https://frontierpets.com.au/

“Proudi”
http://www.proudi.com/

[2doodlemom]

I am afraid I agree with others that you should definately try others food and definatelt use a giant breed puppy food as it’s so important for their growth, there are a lot of info on this forum about that.

My giant breed puppy has the same soft stools problems from 6 months to 10 months old. We did a stool test and did not find anything abnormal. So the Vet put him on the Hill Hills Science Diet ID prescription diet. His stools formed up right away. But I did not want to stay on this food forever.so we tried others food, and yes his stools got soft again. But slowly he is better now at 11 months old. He did not do well on Fromm Gold Large Puppy. But did ok with zholistic Select and Nulo, and Nutro with less ingredients. He also gets a probiotic, fortuflora each morning.

Hope this helps.

[chris g]

I have been looking at pro plan and Taste of the wild as they both have a puppy blend for large breeds, even found a solid review on the two, https://thewaterfowlhunter.com/best-puppy-food-for-labs/ However, my concern is if the grain-free diet would be better to start them on when we start our new lab on it as soon as he comes home.

[pitlove]

You keep saying “antibiotic on his food”. I think you mean probiotic. A probiotic is perfectly safe for long term use.

Also why are you so against using a large breed puppy food?

“– Would a diet change help (he eats BlackHawk lamb and rice ‘adult’) now no matter what anyone says im not feeding him any puppy food of any kind ‘giant/large breed’ or not.”

^This is a poor attitude to have and will only cause problems for your dog in the future.

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
you in Australia hello,

I would NOT FEED “Black Hawk” change it ASAP,
Black Hawk has been sold 4 times now & is no longer a family owned business it owned by Marster Pet Food in NZ & its made at the Dubbo Plant where “The Real Pet Food Company” makes all their bad cheap pet foods, The Real Pet food Company makes Baxters Woolworths generic brand, Baxter has been killing dogs since 2017 – 2018 last sick dog was 3 weeks ago Baxter wet can food go onto “The Australian Pet Reviews” site & his Face Book page, follow him & he tells us when Pet Food companies are getting heaps of complaints dying & sick dogs, look up Black Hawk on the “Australian Pet Food Reviews” site read all the people complaints, even Ivory Coat was sold Chinese bought 2017 Ivory Coat no longer family owned & its also made at the Dubbo Plant now…
Change his food this vet should of put your pup either on a vet diet or another brand dog food that’s the first thing you do when a dog keeps having diarrhea…

He shouldnt be on antibiotic for too long, have you tried “Protexin” yellow label probiotic Powder or I buy the “Yakult” pink Probiotic drink sold at Coles or Woolworths you get a 5 pack they’re in the fridge section, give your dog 1/2 a Yakult a day inbeween feeds, as he grows give him 1 yakult daily inbetween meals..
Probiotics are best taken on empty stomach..

Have a look at the Prime SKD rolls sold at Pet Barn in fridge section, there’s Crocodile & Tapioca, Kangaroo & Pumkin or Kangaroo & Potato..
Have you tried a raw or cooked diet & use “NAS Digestavite Plus Powder” to balance the dogs diet? instead of dry dog food?
https://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/digestavite-plus/

I DO NOT buy any Australian made pet foods NO more our Pet Food Companies are self regulated so anyone in Australia can make a pet food & do what they want, NO Recalls nothing, but when a pet food comes from Overseas, USA these Pet Food company MUST obey really strict laws, they have to prove where their meats are being sourced from etc to come into our country..but when a pet food is made in Australia these Australian Pet Food Companies do not need to do anything 🙁
We are trying to change our laws after over 100 dogs died after eating Advance Dermocare Nov 2017 – April 2018, there’s an senate inquiry about Australian pet foods at the moment..
Here’s a video, Plastic and other bits of rubbish put into pet food, insider reveals
after we had blue red pink plastic thru Applaws dog & cat food…. after you watch this you wont want to feed any dry pet foods..
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/plastic-and-other-bits-of-rubbish-put-into-pet/9887958

Look at “Wellness Core Large Breed Adult” Grain Free has potato Potato & Sweet potato firms the poo or “Wellness Complete Health Large Breed Adult” has grains only sold Pet Barn store or Pet Barn Online store, shop online its cheaper & press Click & Collect & pick up from your nearest Pet Barn store, its cheaper to shop Pet Barns online store then buy Wellness from the pet barn store, these always sales online, join Pet Barns “Friends for Life” & get $10 off first order, free bath, free vet visit etc

If you want to fed a grain dry kibble then look at
“Eagle Pack” Large/Gaint Breed formula Eagle Pack is sold online Bomarang Pet Foods http://www.boomerangpetfood.com.au/eagle-pack-large-and-giant-breed-puppy-13-6kg/

Wellness Core Large Breed Adult, is formulated for large breed “stomach & bowel”, not to cause bloat, it has easy to digest ingredients, it’s high in Protein-34%, Low/med fat-13%, low kcals 345 per cup…
Wellness also has Probiotics to help stop diarrhea then reduce antibiotics after he is eating the Wellness Core Large Breed formula for 2 weeks.

[Rose B]

Hi there!
My puppy Caesar is a English Mastiff.
He’s currently 37lbs really fit for a puppy
He’s got show dog lineage, and a healthy background.
I brought him home at 10 weeks, but he has been experiencing soft stools to diarrhoea
And He did have blood/mucus in it once (gone thankgod)

Anyways so at 10 weeks (he’s now 12)
he’s symptoms began, brought him to the vets 3 times, since then.
every single time, vitals are all good, no lethargy or temperament issues.
he acts like a completely normal healthy pup.
The vets didn’t want me changing his diet, because that might make the issue worse.
But they prescribed antibiotics; for me to sprinkle on his food.
low and behold (stools harden) soft to hard.
But the second I lower the dosage of antibiotics in his food, the runnier/softer his stools get.
But i really don’t want him staying on antibiotics because I’ve been hearing that it can further trash the dogs immune system. no thanks

– I never changed his diet (eating the same food his breeder was feeding him)
– He’s vitals are all swell
– Only thing is he was wormed, a week late; but when i went to the vet, (11 weeks) he’s stools did harden for a day or two. (Thats when the blood disappeared)
so i’m assuming its worms/or some bacteria in his gut…
– He has no other symptoms besides diarrhoea and soft stools.
– Btw we have a backyard and Ive caught him eating more sticks then I’d like to admit.

So my questions are:
– He’s being treated for worms, how long until they’d actually leave his system.
– Would a diet change help (he eats BlackHawk lamb and rice ‘adult’) now no matter what anyone says im not feeding him any puppy food of any kind ‘giant/large breed’ or not.
– whats a possible replacement for antibiotics/ and or how long should I continue on it.
– Anyone experience similar experience; please calm my anxiety.
All in All he’s a puppy, and he’s putting everything in his mouth, whether I like it on not.
I’ll keep updating my vet, and praying for it stop!

[Susan]

Hi Doodlemom,
Sounds like your doodle is suffering from Stomach/Bowel problems = IBS….
later on as he ages may turn into IBD if he isnt treated when he is young…
When you were at the vets did the vet recommend to feed one of their Digestive Health vet diet??
I have a rescued dog who I rescued age 4yrs old he suffers with IBD now, I’d say when he was a pup he suffered with similar health problems like your Doodle has, then as he aged it turned to IBD….If you have the money I’d see a vet who specializes in IBD, there’s a good f/b group called “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/
I would change his diet, the Farmina Puppy food with lamb diet might be too rich for him or an ingredient isnt agreeing with him??
Have a look at “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult, very easy to digest, high protein-34% low/med fat-13%, low in Kcals-345per cup, formulated for large breeds digestive tract, my boy has “FINALLY” gain weight, after years of struggling to keep his weight on, he does firm poos every day, stopped his vomiting…. It’s worth a try then if your Doodle doesn’t gain weight I’d see a vet that knows alot about Intestinal problems & take it from there..
Im wondering does he suffer with food sensitivities?? My boy does this is when the Hypoallergenic vet diets are really good to work out what your dog might be sensitive too & do a food elimintion diet…
Patch did a vet diet elimination diet, then we did a raw diet elimination diet a few years later when Patch saw a Nutritionist 2015….
Patch ended up having Endoscope + Biopsies 2013 & again Jan 2018 to work out what was wrong again?? the Biopsies tell the vet so much information that cant been seen thru Ultra Scan, Xrays & blood test..

[crazy4cats]

Then go with your gut and find a different food. You’ll be mad at yourself if your dog has any joint issues. My dogs are 7 years old. I didn’t know about this issues when they were pups. Luckily, their joints are fine so far.

I’d stay away from grain free and buy a well known brand that has been fed successfully to a lot of large breed pups. Hope you find one you are more comfortable with.

[Susan]

Hi Doodlemom,
Sounds like your doodle is suffering from Stomach/Bowel problems = IBS….
later on as he ages may turn into IBD if he isnt treated when he is young…
When you were at the vets did the vet recommend to feed one of their Digestive Health vet diet??
I have a rescued dog who I rescued age 4yrs old he suffers with IBD now, I’d say when he was a pup he suffered with similar health problems like your Doodle has, then as he aged it turned to IBD….If you have the money I’d see a vet who specializes in IBD, theer’s a good f/b group called “Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

I would change his diet, the Farmina Puppy food with lamb diet might be too rich for him or an ingredient isnt agreeing with him??
Have a look at “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult, very easy to digest, high protein-34% low/med fat-13%, low in Kcals-345per cup, formulated for large breeds digestive tract, my boy has “FINALLY” gain weight, after years of struggling to keep his weight on, he does firm poos every day, stopped his vomiting…. It’s worth a try then if your Doodle doesn’t gain weight I’d see a vet that knows alot about Intestinal problems & take it from there..
Im wondering does he suffer with food sensitivities?? My boy does this is when the Hypoallergenic vet diets are really good to work out what your dog might be sensitive too & do a food elimintion diet…
Patch did a vet diet elimination diet, then we did a raw diet elimination diet a few years later when Patch saw a Nutritionist 2015….
Patch ended up having Endoscope + Biopsies 2013 & again Jan 2018 to work out what was wrong again?? the Biopsies tell the vet so much information that cant been seen thru Ultra Scan, Xrays & blood test..
Something is wrong with your boy..

[Linda K]

Yay Kodi! You ROCK, Buddy! Your mom knew you were fine. Amelia, I’m breathing a huge sigh of relief now, but I just KNEW he was fine. Huge happy HIGH FIVES to you and your boys!

I called the vet’s office today and asked if I could please get a whole blood taurine test. The vet tech LAUGHED and asked why I wanted that. I said there is a vet in California who is doing a study on taurine levels in golden retrievers, and he suggests that the whole blood be done. She laughed uproariously and said, “May I remind you that you don’t have a golden retriever?” I told her that wouldn’t be necessary because I am well aware of my dog’s breed. Then I asked if I could please either be in the room when he has his echo, or wait in the waiting room to get an immediate opinion from the cardiologist about my boy’s heart size. She said she “doesn’t know how that would be possible,” that he brings his own techs, and my vet’s techs are only in the room occasionally to “help hold them down.” (!) I told her I would like her to ask him if he could just tell me if his heart is enlarged or not. She responded that she would not ask him that because she “knew the answer.” I told her I thought the time between the initial blood draw (August 15) and the time I finally get any info on my dog’s condition (September 21) is inhumane. She just kinda reprimanded me for “being so impatient,” and said my vet would answer all my questions when he calls me with the report. I have decided to call the university tomorrow to see if I have to have a referral from my vet to see the cardiologist there. If not, I plan to see how soon my boy can see him there. It’s only about an hour’s drive from my home, and if I can get in and out before 9/21, it’s worth it. Meanwhile, I am on a hunt for a new vet….

My dog does indeed love the new food. I’m introducing it very very slowly. He weighs 45 pounds, and I’m so OCD that I actually count the pieces of food I mix with his Zignature Zssentials with each meal. I have a written schedule of when the quantity of new food increases every four days. I live in terror that he’ll start throwing it up, but I really don’t think he will. This is good stuff! Thank you again so very much!

Thank you for the update on Kodi! I thought about him all afternoon, and I was eager to hear. Great, great news!

[crazy4cats]

Have you seen these articles on the review side?,

/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/

/calcium-content-analyzer/

[Kyle D]

Im making sure it has the AFFCO statement for the growth of large breeds on the dog food, but my concern is even with the statement if the ratio is too high typically I see 1.2:1 ratio as the most recommended and if that’s the case 1.6:1 seems like a big difference