[Leslie R]

Does anyone know why Performatrin Ultra got 5 stars but the Senior Grain Free only got 3? I am looking for a food with lower phosphorus & calcium for an older dog with borderline kidney issues. The senior formula seems lower than anything else I’ve found, but, the low rating concerns me. Thanks for any help.

[haleycookie]

Growing dogs need as much fat and protein as possible. So I wouldn’t restrict that until he’s around year and a half to two years depending on his activity levels as an adult. If he ends up being a house dog then I would suggest a lower calorie food perhaps or just better controlled feedings once he hits two years. If he has a job as malamutes sometimes have then a higher cal food is a must for his adult years.
Chewy is easy and you don’t have to drag the bag around they just drop it at your door and you bring it inside. They also have free shipping over 49$ which is nice. Otherwise I would just feed the wellness core puppy. Unless the store carries something else that appropriate.

Edit: email nv and see if the calcium ratios are right for a growing large breed. For some reason I think it’s been mentioned before that thier large breed puppy formula is way off.

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

[Spy Car]

The AAFCO standards allow for dead dogs and cats to be ingredients in pet food. No really. They also allow dead, dying, downed, and diseased animals to be used in pet food.

They allow condemned parts from slaughterhouses to be used in dog food and even allow pet food companies to say that these spoiled ingredients come from “USDA inspected plants” despite being condemned.

As long as spoiled parts are rendered, almost anything goes.

In short, AAFCO standards are a joke and a fig-leaf that covers the atrocious practices of the pet-food industry (which in turn controls AAFCO). AAFCO certification misleads consumers into believing the product inside bags has some stamp of approval that means a great deal. That is false.

About the only thing one can count on is that foods that claim to meet AAFCO standards will get the calcium to phosphorus mineral balance right. Other than that, the worst sort of crap can (and does) go into these “foods.”

Bill

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

[joanne l]

I am wondering if some dogs, when you change foods it can alter ph levels to cause this. I had a neighbor that had a dog and was feed iams for years. Anyway she switched his food b/c he was getting older and she wanted something better. After 10 months on new food he developed crystals. I really was trying to see what diet could of cause this. it may take 6 months or more on a food to have them form. Not all dogs have this issue with change, but some may. I really wish I could help you more b/c I know how frustrating it feels. I would try the prescription food, b/c crystals are not easy to figure out what can help get rid of them. I know you said about his water intake. I know hot dog broth in water may get him to drink, but the salt would be my concern. I would try to make him drink water, but not a lot, some way. Maybe put a toy in the water bowl? If I find anything out that may help I will let you know, but that’s all I know to do so far. I would not want to give you advice if I am not sure. I hope everything works out. Oh, I think the calcium and phosphorus need to be kept low. example: phosphorous 1% and calcium 1.2% I see that you mentioned that the vet said science diet but not RX why?? I just looked up Royal Canine s/o for urinary health and it has great reviews on dogs with crystals. Please ask for vet about this food. I don’t know why he did not suggest this food.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by joanne l.

[Lori H]

You might want to look at the following website. I have a dog that has had so many medical issues including calcium oxalate bladder stones which he had surgery for to remove. He was so unhealthy at the time. He also was in liver failure almost two years ago and my vet was preparing me for his death.

Rick helped me and Buddy is now healthier than he has ever been. If anything, read what Rick has to say on his website. It sounds like you are open to something that might not be traditional medicine through your vet. The change in Buddy’s food as well as the supplements, changed his life.

http://www.doglivershunt.com/bladder-stones.html

Good luck on your search for information and I hope you find a solution. Buddy is 11, but has a new lease on life. I can’t imagine being just under two as a dog and dealing with this.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Lori

[Laura R]

I have an 18 month old Australian Shepherd male who is reluctant to pee. Someone is home with him all day, so he goes out often enough. The vet has not prescribed any antibiotics as he sees no evidence of infection. He is convinced it is the food and recommended regular Science Diet or Iams food (not an rx formula). When I asked why he thought it was the food, he just seemed to think it was a function of his metabolism.

The best I can figure out he recommended these foods because they are low in phosphorus. My dog had previously been on Canidae All Life Stage and when that didn’t work I tried Health Extension GF venison, which still didn’t work. Most dog foods do not list their phosphorous content or do so in a vague “min” quantity when
I need a max quantity… I did find one website which listed low phosphorus commercial foods, but it was very out of date and inaccurate.

So after going through chronic kidney failure and a raw/homemade diet with a previous dog, I decided to try a balanced raw diet (see Dr. Karen Becker’s diets on YouTube). But for a 40# dog it is not cheap or easy and I have only been doing it as half his diet along with the Science Diet (because I think this is crappy food). I also added Nutramax Crananidin, additional ascorbic acid, and calcium in order to boost the calcium:phosphorus ratio closer to what other sources recommend to be 2:1. Since this dog does not drink water at all (despite having bought a purifier and all), I also put a cup of water/broth on his food both am and pm.

I just feel like I am at my wits end. In the afternoons/evenings, his urine pH runs around 7.5. This morning, I tested it and it was a lovely 5.5! Additionally, we have taken samples to the vet for analysis and we get different results on different days/times with crystals and no crystals present.

All this leaves me feeling like I don’t understand what is working and why, and a dog that is miserable! We are going to add a little broth to his water today to see if that will get him to drink during the day, but if anyone else has suggestions or insight, I would be greatly appreciative.

[Ryan K]

Thank you everyone! Such great information and HOPE for my dog and his future! It’s nice to know there is support and motivation to get him through his ups and downs from people as nice as you all are! 🙂

I’ll be looking into a new vet next week. I had a good day with him today. No incidents so that was nice. He did hack a couple times which is kind of common for him. He has been hacking for years. I truly do think he has a collapsing trachea. I would put money on it. But, even my vet said that is a rough surgery to fix and wouldn’t really recommend it unless he was in serious need of it. So, there is nothing much to do for that aside from cough suppressants which again..they wouldn’t prescribe to him unless he had a confirmed diagnosis through MRI and x-rays. Ugh! Frustrating! I truly need to find a vet that will let me try meds on him without all the expensive testing! That’s my first step now.

Also…side question…I noticed they put him on the hills I/D and I assumed it was the low fat kibble because they sell it in baggies they put together themselves but I realized it’s the regular I/D formula which has 20% protein and 10% fat. Is that fat content too high? Should I be looking into a lower fat for his acid or is it mainly the oil content (omegas) that cause that? He seemed to be doing so great on Nulo Turkey and Sweet Potato for a little bit there. He is such a picky eater that it was almost miraculous to find a kibble he enjoyed. I also dislike the idea of him being on this hills ID because of the fillers in it. It doesn’t have great ingredients. Would I be able to put him on ANY low fat kibble or is there something I have to really look for that I should be avoiding? I was thinking of going for the Nulo Trim Cod & Sweet Potato since he likes their food. This is the analysis for the recipe…

Crude Protein 30.0% min
Crude Fat 7.0% min
Crude Fat 9.0% max
Crude Fiber 6.0% max
Moisture 10.0% max
Calcium 1.0% min
Phosphorus 0.9% min
Vitamin E 300 IU/kg min
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 3.35% min
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.35% min
Ascorbic Acid 65 mg/kg min
Bacillus Coagulants 80,000,000 CFU/lb min

Would the amount of omegas be too high and cause acid? It seems like finding a low fat food is tricky with such a picky eater that ALSO has health issues. 🙁 Thoughts on that?

[Reese B]

I feel your frustration. I feel the same way! I feed some homemade meals ( not all because I don’t trust that I’m feeding a balance diet) but the supplements I use are
– Dr. Diobas green min, (I’m going to try his mulivitamin called soul food too next time)
– carna 4 sprouted seed supplement
– animal essentials seaweed calcium (I’ve also used crushed egg shells for calcium)
– feel good omega 3 supplement.

For my recipes ill cook a big batch of whatever meat is on sale, and a little liver (usually chicken because it’s the cheapest), then i add a little cooked spinach or broccoli, some squash or pumpkin, some scrambled eggs, coconut oil, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, and a little bit of fruit, then i blend it really well and freeze it in individual portions.
I defrost it as needed and then i add the supplements to it, give it a stir and serve. My dog really seems to enjoy it.
Hope you find a recipe that works for you. Please share if you do.

[Linda K]

I feed my 11-month-old dog Zignature Zssentials. He has a history of off-and-on, come-and-go vomiting about twice a week after eating when he was younger. The breeder was feeding him (gasp!) Iams puppy! The vet said he had “a sensitive belly,” advised me to try Hills I/D for 30 days, and then slowly wean him onto another limited ingredient food. I chose Zssentials, and he has not vomited a single time in three months. The listed ingredients are turkey, turkey meal, salmon, duck meal, chickpea flour, peas, chickpeas, alfalfa meal, flaxseed, sunflower oil, salmon oil, and then a bunch of other stuff. THe protein is 32%, fat 16%, fiber 5.5%, moisture 10%, calcium 1.2%, phosphorus 1.0%, omega 6 fatty acids 4.5%, omega 3 fatty acids 2.0%. The omega 6 and 3 are not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient profiles. I don’t know if the quantity of chickpeas and peas is particularly high since they are not first on the list of ingredients. Dog Food Advisor rates Zssentials, catfish, and pork formulas 5 stars.

I do know the FDA has come out with a statment indicating they are investigating a potential connection between diet and cases of canine heart disease (DCM), and they implicate as suspect diets frequently listing potatoes or multiple legumes such as peas and lentils early in their ingredient lists. As I read the alert, the low taurine levels caused by grain-free diets is the target of their finger-pointing. However, more research must be done.

[Greg A]

First time poster here so I apologize if this is in the wrong category.

I have a goldendoodle that is a year and a half that has battled allergies his entire life. Through elimination diet (or attempting to with a 5 kid year old who cant seem to eat over his plate!) I felt confident my dog was allergic to peas and chicken… When brodie was neutered he ripped his staples out and during the surgery to clean out an infection the vet recommended we do blood work to find out for sure what his intolerances were. The results were not what I was hoping for to say the least.

Without showing his environmental allergies brodie is allergic to Pork, soybean, corn, rice (white and brown), white potato, sweet potato, and green peas. Beef and lamb are close to the positive however, the items above were way above normal range for intolerance.

One of my first questions is does anyone know of any foods that fit this profile? I believe I found only a handful. One being Earthborn Holistic Venture Pollock & Pumpkin:

Alaska Pollock Meal, Pumpkin, Tapioca, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavors, Potassium Chloride, Salt ,Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Exrtract, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product.

Along with the Nature’s Logic line excluding the Pork flavor. The only problem i have had with this brand is loose stool.

In most foods that i find that fits the bill they include pea starch at a minimum. Does anyone have experience with whether the starch would cause an issue or am i limited to the proteins to the allergy.

The vet is kind of stumped because of potatoes and rice along with the peas. Do i have any hope?

The only other brand / flavor was FARMINA CODFISH & ORANGE ADULT MEDIUM

Fresh wild caught Cod(source of glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate), dehydrated cod (source of glucosamine & chondroitin sulfate), herring (preserved with mixed tocopherols), whole spelt, whole oats, dried beet pulp, dried carrots, sun-cured alfalfa meal, inulin, fructooligosaccharide, yeast extract (source of mannan-oligosaccharides), dehydrated sweet orange, dehydrated apple, dehydrated pomegranate, dehydrated spinach, psyllium seed husk, dehydrated blueberry, salt, brewers dried yeast, turmeric, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, choline chloride, beta-carotene, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, ferrous glycine, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, DL-methionine, taurine, L-carnitine, aloe vera gel concentrate, green tea extract, rosemary extract, mixed tocopherols (a preservative).

This one contains “spelt” which isnt a tested ingredient but is close to wheat which is not an allergy.

I am looking for any suggestions or off name brands that may be out there that are not main stream. We currently pay around 120-140 a month for dog food (we have a rescue goldendoodle and do not want to have different foods per dog). I would prefer not to keep him limited to one brand his entire life as I like have a choice should one flavor get discontinued.

Thanks.

[Susan]

Hi Ryan,
if your cooking Chicken & Rice start adding some veggies, broccoli, carrot etc & start balancing 1 of his meals a day or over the week add things that will balance his diet over 1 week, in Australia we have “NAS Digestiavite Plus Powder” I had to mix thru Patches cooked or raw meal was just 1/2 a teaspoon & it didnt smell of vitamins, it smelt nice like spinach & kale its green powder & has everything to balance a dogs diet…..
Take back the Hills 1/d dry kibble, I would of gotten him the wet Hills Digestive Care I/d Chicken, Vegetables & Rice wet can food, it smells really good, its balanced & formulated for a few health problems, sounds like your dog doesn’t like dry kibble, I wouldn’t flare up his Allergies, I’ve been feeding Patch Chicken since March, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula cause the fat is low/medium, protein % is med/high & carbs are low & Kcals are 345 per cup & Patch does well on it BUT now he has red paws, red around his mouth, he cant eat too much Chicken, the chicken agrees with his IBD/Stomach but not his skin… Have you tried “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato ? I buying a bag tomorrow, my cat even likes the Wellness kibbles but she wouldnt eat te TOTW kibble also teh Wellness is palabity money back guaranteed…you have to read thru all the Wellness formula’s ingredients for no lentils, the Natural Balance Potato & Duck or Sweet Potato & Fish doesnt have lentils or chickpeas or Probiotics…
Ive read that Probiotics die by the time we get the kibble or once exposed to heat?? I dont know if this is correct..

Tin Salmon & Sardines in Spring Water or Olive Oil will help balance his diet, Sardines are very healthy, Sardines have vitamins minerals, Omega 3 are very healthy, just read salt % & buy brand with the lowest salt %, add 2 spoons to 1 of his meals a day, also crush up 1 egg shell a day & add to 1 of his cooked meal for calcium…
I often buy tin salmon in spring water, for making sandwiched the smaller cans, I drain all the spring water & add a few pieces of boiled sweet potatoes, 1/2 salmon & 1/2 boiled sweet potato & mix & give only 1/2 for a meal & the other 1/2 the next day… dogs love fresh fish..
I’d look at “Judy Morgan DVM” face book page, look at her videos & “Pancreatitis Diet” her “IBD Diet” she has easy to make cooked balanced meals, you just put everything in a Slow Cooker, then freeze meals, probably healthier then feeding dry kibbles…
Your dog is smart & he can smell the off meat in the dry kibble or he can smell the vitamins & omega oils in the vet diets something is turning him off…

[Fanette R]

Hello,

I’m posting this message because I’m getting pretty confused with everything that is going on with my dog.
He has been diagnosed with IBD for almost a year now. It has been a long and hard journey but in May I started to put him on Firstmate Fish Original Formula, which has help a lot his stomach.

The only problem is that since April (so before starting Firstmate), he had started to lick the floor literally all the time. I do not know what is happening but it is getting to a point where I cannot even let him walk in my apartment at all (he won’t lick outside though). Furby is a rescued dog and I’m used to him licking because of his anxiety, but it is nothing like what he is currently doing. When he has anxiety, or even nausea, he will lay down and lick his bed for example. Here it’s totally different, he won’t lick his bed, he will lick the floor like he is looking for food and is starving, and if he sees something on the floor that looks like food he will run at it.

The thing with Firstmate also is that from what I’m seeing, you don’t have to feed a lot of it. Which doesn’t help with my dog looking starving. He is crazy about the food and literally bite my fingers out of excitement if I have it, and once he has done eating he will look for more everywhere (I have to add that my dog has never been a crazy eater, more like the opposite. The behavior started 2 months ago, and he is almost 12 years old).

Here are the feeding guideline for a senior dog :
Weight Less Active Active
5-10 lb 1/8-1/4 cup 1/4-1/3 cup
(2.3-4.5 kg) (19-39 g) (39-52 g)

10-20 lb 1/4-1/2 cup 1/3-2/3 cup
(4.5-9 kg) (39-78 g) (52-103 g)

20-30 lb 1/2-3/4 cup 2/3-1 cup
(9-13.6 kg) (78-116 g) (103-155 g)

30-50 lb 3/4-1 ½ cups 1-1 ¾ cups
(13.6-23 kg) (155-271 g)

50-70 lb 1 ½-2 cups 1 ¾-2 ¼ cups
(23-32 kg) (233-310 g) (271-349 g)

etc…

And the calories levels : ME (calculated): 3125 kcal/kg | 484 kcal/cup

There is different things that makes me confused :
– I’m from France so I don’t really use cups, more grams, but if I use a cup to measure the kibbles, I have something like 180g of kibbles for one cup, where here they say that one cup is equal to 155g. Which could make quite a difference
– Calorie levels. They tell me that for my dog who weighs 7.5kg, I should give 85g daily. If I make the calculation, it will mean that Furby will get 265 kcal daily (if I use their cup measurement, if I use mine it will get 222kcal daily). Both of those numbers seem crazy low to me, when Furby started to have IBD and was on bland diet and then homecooked food, I did all the calculation and it showed that Furby should eat something like 381kcal daily (let me know if I’m wrong).

Right now I have increased his food and he is eating 140g of food daily but still seems starving. But I don’t even know if I’m doing good by increasing the food, I don’t want to take any risk with his IBD (I’m watching the calorie levels though to make sure he doesn’t get too much of it).
Plus, he doesn’t have officially kidney disease, but his last blood work showed that his urea levels is high so my vet said that I need to watch the phosphorous level in his food (which seems fine with this brand), and the protein shouldn’t be too high. Which is worrying me because they said on the Firtmate’s website that we don’t have to feed too much of this food because there is a lot of protein. Although on the guarantee analysis there is only 23% protein.

Guarantee Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 23%
Ash (max) 7%
Crude Fat (min) 10%
Calcium (min) 1%
Crude Fibre (max) 8%
Phosphorous (min) 0.75%
Moisture (max) 10%
Glucosamine (min) 100mg/kg
Magnesium (max) 0.1%
Calcium / Phosphorous ratio 1.3:1
ME (calculated): 3125 kcal/kg | 484 kcal/cup

And they also write :
73 % PROTEIN FROM Wild Pacific Ocean Fish Meal
27 % PROTEIN FROM Vegetables
0 % FROM Grains

Sorry for that very big message but I’m very confused and do not want to do something that will hurt my dog. I’m just really helpless at the moment his licking problem has been impossible to manage

Thank you so much for reading this, hopefully some of you could give me their thoughts 🙂
Have a great day,
Fanette

[Susan]

Hi Jaskirat,
Go to pet shop & buy a Large Breed Puppy dry kibble, this way your puppy will get all the nutritents he/she needs for growing & bones while she/he’s a pup..
google “Diet for Large Breed Puppy”

* “Royal Canine” wrote-
The growth rate of a puppy is influenced by the nutrient density of the food and the amount of food fed. Regardless of whether puppies grow slow or fast, they will still reach a similar adult weight. It is critical that puppies are fed for optimal growth and bone development, rather than maximal growth to avoid skeletal abnormalities.

Three dietary components have been implicated as factors that increase the incidence of skeletal disease in large and giant breed puppies; protein, calcium and energy.

* “Hills” Wrote-
Large and giant breed dogs — Great Danes, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and the like — have different nutritional needs than smaller breeds. All puppies are born with their bones still developing, but large breed puppies are more susceptible to developmental bone and joint disease during their rapid growth phase to 1 year of age. In fact, large breeds reach 50 percent of their body weight at around 5 months of age. Smaller breeds reach 50 percent of their body weight at around 4 months of age.
The growth rates of all puppies are dependent on the food that they eat. Puppies should be fed to grow at an average, rather than a maximum, growth rate. Compared to smaller-sized puppies, large breed puppies need restricted levels of fat and calcium to moderate their rate of growth. They’ll still reach their full-grown size, just over a longer period of time, which will result in healthy development of bones and joints for these breeds.
Two key nutrients that should be decreased for large breed puppies are fat (and total calories) and calcium:
*Fat: High fat/calorie intake causes rapid weight gain, and bones/muscles aren’t developed enough to support the excessive body weight. Controlling the fat level and total calories in the food for these puppies may help reduce the risk of developmental bone and joint problems.
*Calcium: Excessive calcium intake increases the likelihood of skeletal problems. It is also recommended that calcium supplements not be fed with any commercial pet food for growth.

Kibbles to look at
“Eagle Pack” Large breed puppy dry formula for puppy
“Eagle Pack” Large Breed Adult dry formula for your adult dog
“Canidae” Large Breed, All Life Stages Turkey & Brown Rice formula can be feed to both your dogs.
“Wellness Core Large Breed Puppy…
“Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult..
“4Health” Grain Free Large Breed Puppy.
“4Health” Grain Free Large Breed Adult. Sold at Tractor Supply shop & is cheaper..

If you’re on facebook join a Canine Raw Feeding group..
“The Australian Raw Feeding Community” f/b group, is really good & help starters.
Also look at buying & adding tin sardines in spring water or Olive Oil to diet as Sardines have Vitamins, Minerals, Omega fatty oils, Calcium etc add 2 spoons sardines a day to 1 of their meals to help balance their raw diet…

*Nutrition Facts
Sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil
Amount Per 100 grams

Calories 208

Total Fat 11 g-16%
Saturated fat 1.5 g-7%
Polyunsaturated fat 5 g
Monounsaturated fat 3.9 g
Cholesterol 142 mg-47%
Sodium 505 mg-21%
Potassium 397 mg-11%
Total Carbohydrate 0 g-0%
Dietary fiber 0 g-0%
Sugar 0 g
Protein 25 g-50%
Vitamin A-2%
Vitamin C-0%
Calcium-38%
Iron-16%
Vitamin D-48%
Vitamin B-6-10%
Vitamin B-12-148%
Magnesium-9%

Just make sure you check the salt % & get the lowest salt% can of Sardines in spring water or olive Oil cans.

[Chris F]

Ah, this is great topic of conversation and quite a good bit of debate surrounding the issue.

The various studies that have been done imply that nutrition is an important aspect to a growing large breed puppy and can have signifcant impact the quality of his health later on.

The evidence (http://ivcjournal.com/feeding-large-breed-puppies/) suggests that we should not restrict protein from their diet since this play a huge role in lowering the risk of developing joint and arthritis including hip dysplasia later on in their life.

The second suggestion (http://ipupster.com/best-puppy-food-reviews/) as also purported by DFA is that excess calcium can now be linked to skeletal disease.

So the key-takeaway is to find commercial dog foods that are low in calories, are low in fats and have limited calcium.

With that mind, I think the best way to control these is to choose a raw food diet for our large breed puppies.

Dr. Becker at Mercola Pets has a great and detailed video (https://youtu.be/u9gbxLiKaJU) I also found helpful. A tad long but well worth the watch!

[Jeff F]

I need some advice about what to feed my 9 yr old Miniature Schnauzer. Five years ago he had two surgeries to remove medium – large calcium oxalate stones. At that time his vet prescribed Royal Canin Urinary S.O. dry dog food. Now, four years later, his triglyceride level is 4X what it is supposed to be. The vet was very concerned, and had us change to Royal Canin Low-fat Canned food. (The most disgusting smelling stuff ever, but the dog loves it.). His x-rays show that he again has some tiny stones that are the size of a grain of sand. Can anyone suggest a food (preferably dry) that is low fat/carb and will help with the stones. Also, he is allergic to beef. So we also have that to deal with. Thanks for any help provided.

[Jason O]

Thank you all for your replies. Our dog doesn’t have full blown kidney disease, her numbers are just elevated a bit. We had an ultrasound taken of her a few years ago and the tech said her intestines have difficulty pushing food through. That combined with her elevated numbers led the vet to suggest a K/D diet.

She just won’t eat any of the Hills K/D anymore, although we haven’t tried ALL of the different flavors. She likes the K/D kibble, but she has a tough time digesting it. When we water it down, she has no interest in it. She’s really finicky and we may end up having to cycle foods every two days or something.

She really likes nabbing our bigger dogs food, which is Natural Balance Sweet Potato Venison. I tried feeding her the wet version and she took a few bites and that was it. The numbers looked okay, although protein was a bit down.
Crude Protein 20.0% Min.
Crude Fat 10.0% Min.
Crude Fiber 5.0% Max.
Moisture 10.0% Max.
Calcium 0.8% Min.
Phosphorus 0.6% Min.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 1.5% Min.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.5% Min

My second attempt was Hill’s Adult Light With Liver. She ate a larger portion of that last night, and this morning she chowed it and wanted more.
Protein 23.9
Fat 9.0
Crude Fiber 13.0
Carbohydrate / NFE 48.4
Calcium 0.74
Phosphorous 0.61
Sodium 0.32
Potassium 0.96
Magnesium 0.141
Vitamin C 105 ppm
Vitamin E 903 IU/kg
Total Omega-3 FA 0.39
Total Omega-6 FA 3.67

We have a vet appointment either tonight or tomorrow to re-up her prescriptions and discuss the diet issues. I have a feeling the vet will say “if she’s eating, pooping, and drinking just roll with it”.

[Susan]

Hi Jason,
best to email the pet food companies to get the Phosphorus max % & any other information you need….
Did you look at Hills I/d Low Fat, Rice, Veggetable & Chicken Stew
5.5 oz (156 g) can

Nutrient
Dry Matter
%
Protein
23.7
Fat
9.5
Crude Fiber
3.3
Carbohydrate / NFE
57.7
Calcium
0.89
Phosphorous
0.61
Sodium
0.42
Potassium
1.06
Magnesium
0.091
Total Omega-3 FA
1.32

Or there’s the Hills I/d Low Fat Loaf Style bigger
13 oz (370 g) can
Nutrient
Dry Matter
%
Protein
24.5
Fat
8.3
Crude Fiber
2.7
Carbohydrate / NFE
58.9
Calcium
0.76
Phosphorous
0.53
Sodium
0.44
Potassium
0.90
Magnesium
0.081
Vitamin C
133 ppm
Vitamin E
722 IU/kg
Total Omega-3 FA
0.66

There’s the Hills K/d Chicken & Vegetable stew but the fat is higher at 24%,
the Hills I/d Low Fat Stew fat is heaps lower at 9.5%max & with your dog having gastro problems she might need a lower fat diet?

Go onto the Hills Prescription Diet site & look thru all their wet can stews or Loaf style meals, my dog & cat love the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew small can the fat is higher at 14.9% Phosphorous -0.81%

Or contact a Dog Nutritionist & have a cooked diet made up, go on Facebook look for Monica Segals f/b group called “K-9 Kitchen” join then post a post asking for a low Phosphorous diet for early stages Kidney & Gastro problems, Monica might post one of her homemade diets… also there’s “Dr Judy Morgan DVM” f/b page she answers msg.

[Susan]

Hi emmygirl,
sorry my post is so long but as I’m writing I’m remember heaps of information & what I did with Patch….
You have written everything I have been thru with my IBD boy Patch who is nilly 10yrs old, I nilly put him to sleep in January, instead we did another Endoscope-Biopsies on esophagus & stomach, I thought he had stomach cancer…
Find a vet that does Endoscope + Biopsies & a vet that knows about IBD, you must get the biopsies done if you ever do Endoscope, some vets dont think to do the biopsies when looking at the stomach & small bowel, these vets are lacking experience in IBD, Patches stomach looks perfect when he had his 2 Endoscopes but his the biopsies told a different story. Biopsies tell the vet so much information what is wrong with your boy intestinal tract….Ultra scan was a waste of money, you cant really see the stomach & the vet can see the bowel but only if the bowel is thickening, vets thought Patch had thickening of the Bowel but he didnt, this happens after the dog has diarrhea for years, I wouldnt like to be a vet, 1 dogs cant talk & tell the vet were is sore what hurts etc, so vets have to do alot guessing sometimes when test come back OK.

*Food
Over the years my good vet told me to keep a yearly diary, cause you cant rememeber every single thing you’ve done & they have done.. now I look back thru Patches diaries when I need to remember what was Patch eating when he was doing so much better, write what your feeding, times, meds, what were poos like when he’s eating ?? etc
Is he doing OK when he’s eating the cooked Turkey, Squash & Oatmeal, how are his poos? one of Patches first vets told me in the beginning, to look & see when dog is pooing, does the poo come out of bum properly formed poo?, then when it hits the ground it turns to slop cow patty poo? the vet said this is OK as long as poo’s are formed when its coming out of the bum & as long as the dog is just doing his normal 1-3 poos a day & is not pooing at all thru day & night at all hours, vet said to me this might be as good as your going to get Patches poos, he was eating the Royal Canine Hypoallergeniic dry kibble… but I ended up getting Patches poos firmer when he started teh TOTW kibble & I ended up trying the Royal Canine Hypoallergenic wet can food last year it was better then the dry R/C HP kibble, then after trying all the Intestinal vet diets Hills, Royal Canine & Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue worked the best but Patch skin was yeasty itchy & smelt bad then after joining the Canine EPI f/b group dogs were doing really well on TOTW or the Kirkland Signature, Natures Domain, Turkey & Sweet potato & Salmon & Sweet potato formula’s so I started Patch on TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & the Pacific Stream Salmon but teh Pacific Stream Salmon made him vomit he does firm poos but kept vomiting up the TOTW Smoked Salmon later I seen TOTW Pacific Stream Salmon is very high in toxins & another 2 fish formula’s brands Patch kept vomiting are very high in Toxins after being tested, then 3 yrs later Patch refused to eat his TOTW Roasted Lamb kibble, something had changed with TOTW kibble it smelt different, looked different & kibble size became very small….so now it makes me wonder if these kibbles are high in contaminates & toxins making my boy IBD have a flare??? thats why its best to cook their meals or find a really good dog dehydrated dog food that uses human grade ingredients.. as Patch has gotten older his acid reflux has gotten worse so he cant eat kibbles that are over 15% in fat now..
loow for lower fat around 10-13%-fat & low carb diet higher protein

Have you tried adding scramble egg with his meal? also the egg shell dry it out & crush & add 1 egg shell 1 teaspoon egg shell to one of his meals a day for his calcium, slowly start adding the egg shell if you fed home cooked diet……..Patch cant eat any kibbles that have fish or salmon oil in them he gets bad acid reflux from the fish oil also the fiber is very low in those Farmina vet kibbles 1.10% -fiber…Patch would be doing sloppy cow patties eating the Farmine vet diets that are very low in fiber..

When I read your post about your dog can’t eat most ingredients I knew its more then just the ingredients he is reacting too, sometimes it’s not the ingredients they cant eat, it reminded me of Patch when I first rescued him, he does have food sensitivities that I worked out BUT later I worked out there’s In-soluble Fiber, Soluble Fiber, Crude Fiber & Dietary Fiber, dogs with IBD need to work out what fibers agree with them & there isnt that perfect dry kibble diet for our dogs even vet diets dont help Patch or if a vet diet did help Patches IBD he gets his itchy smelly yeasty skin paws & ears.

Have you tried Royal “Canine Gastro Intestinal Low Fat” wet can food??? I bought a 12 can pack last week I had credit from a pet store I had forgotten about & at Lunch time if I think Patch doesnt seem well I open a can of R/C Gastro low fat & I take out the meat loaf from the can as it has heap of oil in the can so I pat dry the loaf with paper towel then I cut into 1/3 & he gets 1/3 of a can & I put the rest in bowl cling wrap bowl & put in fridge Patch does firm poos on the R/C Gastro Low Fat wet can & 5 yrs ago when he ate the R/C Gastro Low Fat he had diarrhea, so sometimes you have to re try foods or wet can or kibbles again cause sometimes its not the ingredients they are reacting too… its something else wrong either their small bowel or large bowel in the beginning it was Patches small bowel S.I.B.O now its his large bowel….
I would start the B-12 weekly injection ASAP you can buy & do yourself, if you join “EPI” Canine face book group they can help & tell you which B-12 tablets to get from chemist & where to buy the B-12 liquid for injections, you can never over dose your dog with B-12′, if they’re feeling crap or have had diarrhea the B-12 can really help them feel heaps better, alot of the EPI dogs take B-12 injections or tablets, I was going to get the tablets for Patch as B-12 is good for them & us humans when we are run down & unwell…..

Try & work out does your boy do better when you cook & add pumkin a soluble fiber soluble fiber is very easy to digest & dissolves in water or does he do better eating Lentils & Chickpeas they’re Insoluble fiber & Soluble fiber food? My boy doesn’t do well on Lentils or Chickpeas he gets instead dirrahea that night if he has ate a kibble with lentils..
google foods that are soluble fiber & foods that are insoluble fibers?

Try & stay feeding the home cooked diet or try a limited ingredient Freeze Dried raw if you I’m slowly introducing a new freeze dried dehydrated raw free range diet we have in Australia called “Frontier Pets” they’re small balls & you add warm water, so many dogs that can’t eat & have IBD symptoms are doing really well on this free range, dehydrated Frontier Pets dog food, it has no lentils, no chickpeas like most of these new grain free foods have now & my Patch is doing firmer poos then what he does when he’s just eating his Wellness Kibble…
I have to feed my boy dry kibble for some of his meals cause his sphincter flap isnt closing now & his food comes back up his esophagus into his mouth causing bad acid reflux, then sometimes the acid goes into his wind pipe & he becomes so unwell, cries, whinges, its awful to watch him when he becames so unwell, I wanted to put him down in January out of his pain, these last 5-6 yrs Ive tried everything & something always seem to work, I had him on Taste Of The Wild, Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb the Australian formula, has no chickpeas or lentils like the American TOTW formula’s have…. I could always fall back onto his TOTW if he started to do cow patty poos again when I was rotating his kibbles his vet said cow paddy poos is the large bowel where yellow sloppy poos is a small bowel problem but when he stopped eating it in December I had no kibbles that I knew worked & didnt iratate his IBD, his vet said please wait 1-2 months before we put Patch to sleep, his environment allergies are real bad at the moment & have put his immune system into over drive, we had just moved as well, so I didnt put him to sleep plus I couldnt do it, I just wanted more help, I wanted a miracle but vets cant always help the dog sometimes no matter how good my vet is, she always tells me Patch is her favorite & she always thinks & wonders how is he going when she doesnt see us but she said she knows he must be doing better cause I havent come…
Have you tried Metronidazole (Flagyl) tablets when he become unwell with vomiting & diarrhea/sloppy poo’s, I have Metronidazole in the cupboard with repeat scripts so I can just go chemist & get them out if I need them saving at $60 vet visit & as soon as I see he’s becoming unwell doing sloppy poos, vomiting or when Im introducing a new food, I put him on the Metronidazole for 14-21 days it helps him, Metronidazole has an anti inflammatory & antibiotic in it, so it helps a few health problems…
With a dry kibble, I’m feeding Wellness Core Large Breed at the moment even though Patch isnt a large breed dog, he’s a senior & when I email Wellness they said yes their Large Breed formula’s are OK to feed a senior dogs, they are high Glucosamine & Chondroitin for their joints & high in DHA, Patch is small to medium English Staffy weights about 40lb -18kgs, the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is high protein-34%, Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, then potatoes, peas, Patch can’t eat chicken he gets red paws but I had no other kibbles left to feed him & the man at Pet Barn said, if anything happens just bring it back all dogs food are money back Guaranteed, I got the 5,4kg bag 1/2 price $40 so I tried it, Patches paws went red but his stomach became better, he had no acid reflux, poos firmed up not 100% firm in the beginning but better then when he was eating a kibble that had grains, I can pick his poos up now on our walk & not leave a poo stamp on the grass, Wellness Core Large Breed is low-med fat-13%max, low Kcals-345 per cup, carbohydrates are 31% you must read the Kcals per cup when looking for a kibble, stay under 360Kcals per cup the higher the Kcals the more dense the food & harder to digest…
also have you tried giving your boy a acid reducer? Patch was taking Losec-(Omeprazole) for 2 yrs then this year I change it to Somac (Pantoprazole) what i take & he stopped eating grass everyday so he mustnt feel sick as much now, sometimes you have to do things yourself when you know in your heart what the vet is doing & advising you isnt helping your dog, & I saw my vet & she now wrote me repeat scripts so I can get the Pantopraozole from chemist cause the vets dont have Pantoprazole in Australia, Pantoprazole is used by American vets… but know if my vet & Patches other vet that does his Endoscopes & Biopsies see a dog like PAtch & cant work out what to do with the dogs bad acid reflux they can rememeber what we did with Patch & touch wood he seems to be getting better he has some bad days but I have his acid reflux under control no & I really want him on this Dehyrated free range, grain free food..
Try the new food just for 1 of his meals, thats what I do now, I feed new food for his lunch 12pm this way Patch has his kibble from breakfast 7am in stomach & small bowel then he eats something different for lunch a small meal then he gets his dinner 5pm kibble again & it seems to work for Patch when Im introducing a new food he gets it at luch time cause you can’t mix kibble & dehydrated raw wet food with a dry kibble, it would probably upset Patches stomach & the Holistic Vet Kathy that help formulate this new Frontier Pets dehydrated raw dog food droped off Patches new food + some samples to try & she said take baby steps, it took 1 of her patient dogs Bernie 6 months to get him onto the Frontier Pets, he was doing well then when down hill but yiou just restart again she said search for “Frontier Pets” on facebook & scroll down, look for Bernies Story” Italian Greyhound story, it will give you some hope…

[stacey k]

Hi,

I started my dog on raw diet about 2 weeks ago, I did the slow transition because he’s old and we just adopted him from the SPCA not long ago. So he did fine when we were transitioning, but now we are on almost 100% raw (with exception of treats), he has been passing VERY stinky gas and his poop is extremely stinky.
He did have diarrhea when he was first fully switched, so I added more bone, calcium, and pumpkin to his food. The diarrhea is much better. I’m just wondering why the stinky gas and stool? Does this mean he’s not able to digest the raw meat? Do I have to add probiotics? Any suggestion is appreciated, if you have experienced the same, please help.
Thank you.

[Susan]

Hi Sandra,

Have you look at different diets, cooked, raw, wet can, freeze dried, air dried, what are their symptoms?
Have you done a food elimination diet?
until you work out what both your dogs can & can’t eat, you’ll be going around in circles & getting no where, or work out if they need more fiber or less fiber?? that’s easy, start adding boiled pumkin 1-2 spoons to one of their meals & not to the other meal & see if poo is firmer from the added pumkin meal. Poo will be a bit more orange..

I did the same with my boy, he didnt seem to do well on no kibbles when I first rescued him, turned out to have IBD, food sensitivities & environment allergies finally after 5yrs I’ve worked out his kibble needs to be higher in protein, low in fat & low in fiber %, less carbs & more meat & the Wellness Core Large Breed seem to agree with him maybe your dogs are the same…need more meat proteins & less carbs, I also feed dehydrated raw for 1 of his meals, I’m trying to get him off kibble he has too many stomach problems on dry kibble.

Have you tried “Wellness Core” Large breed kibble, its money back guaranteed if it doesnt agree with your dogs, that’s why I tried it + I had run out of dry kibbles to try on Patch, it does have potato but its very high in meat protein, it has 3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients then a carb as 4th ingredient.
low in fat & fiber & only 30% carbs & only 346Kcals per cup so easier to digest, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble, so kibble is harder to digest.

It may not be the ingredients they are reacting too? maybe the fiber, fat & protein percentages may not be agreeing with them in the kibbles you’ve tried?…

*Wellness Core Large Breed formula,
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Tomato Pomace, Dried Ground Potatoes, Ground Flaxseed, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Pea Fiber, Potassium Chloride, Spinach, Broccoli, Vitamin E Supplement, Carrots, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Zinc Proteinate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract, Green Tea Extract, Spearmint Extract.
This is a naturally preserved product.
low in fat & fiber & only 30% carbs 346Kcals per cup,
it may not be the ingredients they are reacting too?? the fiber %, fat % & protein percentages may not be agreeing with them…

PROXIMATES:
MOISTURE
PROTEIN 34.17
FAT 12.88
CARBOHYDRATES 30.66
FIBER 4.89
ASH 7.56
AMINO ACIDS:
ARGININE 2.64
HISTIDINE 0.77
ISOLEUCINE 1.34
LEUCINE 2.20
LYSINE 1.98
MET + CYS 0.94
METHIONINE 0.57
PHE + TYR 2.40
PHENYLALANINE 1.37
THREONINE 1.31
TRYPTOPHAN 0.40
VALINE 1.53
FATTY ACIDS:
LINOLEIC ACID 2.19
ARACHIDONIC ACID 0.08
MINERALS:
CALCIUM 1.61
PHOSPHORUS 1.12
POTASSIUM 0.96
SODIUM 0.22
CHLORIDE 0.40
MAGNESIUM 0.17
IRON 254.27
COPPER 2.35
MANGANESE 2.82
ZINC 20.17
IODINE 0.29
SELENIUM 0.05
VITAMINS & OTHERS:
VITAMIN A 1,144.24 VITAMIN D3 84.63 VITAMIN E 62.67
VITAMIN K N/A THIAMINE (VITAMIN B1) 0.33 RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2) 0.76 PANTOTHENIC ACID 2.40
NIACIN 7.50
PYRIDOXINE 0.49
FOLIC ACID 23.44
BIOTIN 0.58 VITAMIN B12 7.96 CHOLINE 152.33
TAURINE 0.01
1 cup (g) 98
kcal/kg ME 3,540
kcal/cup 346
kcalories Total %
kcal- Protein 1,220 35.6%
kcal- Fat 1,117 32.5%
kcal- Carbohydrates 1,095 31.9%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids 1.00%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids 3.25%
Other Total per cup
Glucosamine Hydrochloride 750 mg/kg 73.3 mg
Chondroitin Sulfate 250 mg/kg 24.4 mg

[haleycookie]

No, protein levels have nothing to do with large breeds and their growth. Calcium and phosphorus ratios are the thing to be worried about when they are growing puppies, but your dog is also already done growing so you only need an adult dog food. Large breed adult food will only be larger in size usually. Since your dog is already done growing large breed food isn’t as important. But larger pieces of food for large mouths makes more sense to me.
Depending where you are located there are lots of different foods to try. I personally like Canidaes large breed food for all life stages. Any Canidae food is good though. Natures variety, merrick, and Canidae are good options to look at. If you want to stay With something lower priced then look at whole earth farms dog food or under the sun. They are made by merrick and Canidae but they’re value lines so a bit cheaper and still good quality.

[Denise V]

So I’m fairly new to this.. I have a XL Bully that has minor grain issues. I’m trying to find him a new food that’s healthy for him without having to add supplements. There is a local pet food company near me that makes their own slow-cooked food, I was hoping someone on this forum could review the ingredients and tell me if it sounds like a high quality food.

Brand: Pet Wants (Nashville, TN owned)
Ingredients:

Product Description
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 30.0%
Crude Fat, min – 16.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid * (min) – 2.85%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid * (min) – 0.50%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Whitefish Meal, Duck Meal, Chickpeas, Field Peas, Lentils, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tapioca Starch, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Dried Seaweed Meal, DL-Methionine, Salt, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharide, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate.

[CK C]

I have a dog with IBD who is currently on a special homemade diet. We are hoping to transition him to a store-bought dog food at some point. He needs a simple ingredient food that is pork based. He is allergic to poultry and fish. Our local store recommended a new Horizon brand dog food that is pork meal based called Taiga. I can’t find reviews of it anywhere.

It’s 13% fat, which is great for my dog, who needs a lower fat diet.

I would appreciate any help with this quest! Does this look OK for food?

Here are the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS
PORK MEAL, RED LENTILS, PEAS, GARBANZO BEANS, PEA STARCH, PORK, ALFALFA MEAL, CANOLA OIL, CARROTS, APPLES, BROCCOLI, BOK CHOY, CABBAGE, BLUEBERRIES, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, YUCCA SCHIDIGERA EXTRACT, DRIED ASPERGILLUS NIGER FERMENTATION EXTRACT, PINEAPPLE, DRIED TRICHODERMA LONGIBRACHIATUM FERMENTATION EXTRACT, DRIED ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS CASEI FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED BIFIDOBACTERIUM BIFIDUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, VITAMIN A ACETATE, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, RIBOFLAVIN, NIACIN, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, BIOTIN, L-ASCORBYL-2-POLYPHOSPHATE (SOURCE OF VITAMIN C), FERROUS SULPHATE, IRON PROTEINATE, ZINC SULPHATE, ZINC PROTEINATE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, MANGANESE PROTEINATE, COPPER SULPHATE, COPPER PROTEINATE, CALCIUM IODATE, SELENIUM YEAST, MAGNESIUM OXIDE.

[Heidi M]

I’m curious as well! I’ve been feeding my 2 Goldens Merrick chicken and sweet potato but I’m getting a new puppy in a few weeks and just learned about the whole “calcium” thing! So now I’m on a hunt for a food with less calcium and was thinking about Whole Earth Farms which is on the approved low calcium list. And at least it’s made my Merrick which has worked out well for my dogs so far. Paying attention to your thread.

[aimee]

Jennifer S,

In regards to your puppy diet follow this, “She told me calcium is calcium…… . She said I shouldn’t be feeding any meat that has ground up bones in it or giving bones to chew, at least until he is older”

NOT this, “the calcium from bones affects dogs differently and they poop out what they don’t need.”

Puppies can not regulate calcium absorption, therefore they will not just poop out what they don’t need. Calcium in excess of needs will be absorbed and can interfere with proper growth. Recommended Calcium level for growth is 3 grams/1000kcals

I’ve found that the myth that “calcium from bones affects dogs differently” is perpetuated by those making inappropriate diets and trying to pawn off their poorly crafted food onto unsuspecting owners. Bone is a cheap filler!

[Walter G]

From what I’ve been reading, dogs need calcium in their homemade food. I’ve been using a Tb. of low fat, low sodium cottage cheese next to her breakfast meal. I would like to try eggshells if its any better, but don’t know how to prepare them.

Do I wash the eggs before using them, then rinse the empty shells and save up a collection?
Kind of confused.

Would someone mind walking me thru egg shell prep? Please?

[anonymous]

“One case of UTI in 30 months doesn’t seems like a re-occuring issue”
“Do you have any specific concerns about the Firstmate?”

I am just saying keep an eye out for the urinary tract infections to return, if they do, I would have an ultrasound done.
This is based on my experience with a small breed dog that had his first uti/crystals episode at the age of 11 after a late in life neuter (necessary due to a testicular tumor)
All went well, antibiotics, prescription food……low and behold another uti 6 months later.
Took him to the emergency vet, they did an ultrasound immediately and found multiple stones, emergency surgery performed, stones sent off for analysis, dog had BOTH struvite and calcium oxalate stones.
Specific diet recommended, did the prescription food for a while (1 year)
Water added to all meals, frequent bathroom breaks provided, no further problems.
Dog lived another 5 years and passed due to unrelated causes.
PS: FirstMate sounds good, just drench it in water 🙂

[JILL N]

Fad?!! I think not. Major dry dog food companies have begun to incorporate better nutritional ingredients into their kibble meals and eliminate harmful ingredients based on the benefits of real meat and “complete” meal and whole prey diets. The “fad” has now become a healthier food trend in response to the demand of knowledgeable consumers. Case in point, please review the listed ingredients for Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula (chicken) at https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-life-protection-formula. Besides the chemical processing, the only difference in a “complete” raw meal diet (with veggies and fruit) and Blue Buffalo’s kibble are the following ingredients that a dog doesn’t require for a healthy diet anyway:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potato Stach, DL-Methionine, Caramel Color, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Garlic, Choline Chloride, Turmeric, Copper Sulfate (an naturally occurring pesticide that can be found in plants, soil, food, and water), Copper Amino Acid Chelate (chelated copper solution is a blend of two compounds. One is the copper sulfate granule, and the other is an ingredient that allows the copper granules to break down and stay in a liquid state). Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, and Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (stomach bacterium and fungi used as a probiotic in pet foods.), Oil of Rosemary.

[Jennifer S]

Hi everyone,

I am getting a puppy in a month (large breed) who is currently on a raw food/kibble diet. I am clueless about feeding anything other than kibble and I feel like I have a lot to learn in 4 weeks. Here is what the breeder has the pups on right now:
1 part Honest Kitchen freeze dried veggies
4 parts organic Menhaden fish meal
4 parts slightly cooked or raw chicken/liver/pork/turkey. (Rotating between these and what is available)
4-8 parts N&D Farmina grain free kibble from Italy. Chicken or Boar.

i would like to keep some kibble in the mix so that my newbie fears of the dog not getting all his nutrients is put to ease, but I would like to continue the basic diet that she has them on. My question is about replacing the menhaden meal. I researched it for awhile and found that it is unsustainable, is vastly overfished, and it’s use in pet food is having huge negative ripples in the ocean food chain. So I need to find something else to take the place of the fish meal. The breeder says she uses the fish to provide iodine, vit. D, and good fats. Wondering if I can use some Thorvin kelp for the iodine? How much? and some fish oil squirted on top for the fats?

What are your thoughts about what I could add to the recipe to replace the fish meal? Keep in mind that this is a large breed so I’m also trying to keep the calcium content low.

Thank you!

[Susan]

Hi again,
Yes stop all treats as they can be very high in fat & just use the dry kibble your feeding for her treats, did you take back the Simply Nourish & get a refund? i would contact Simply Nourish company & they should pay for the vet bill as well, 1 of my cats got ill after I applied Revolution I contacted Revolution & they told me to wash the Revolution off ASAP I had already done that then the lady said if he needs to see a vet they will Pay for it just tell the vet you’re seeing to contact this lady, my new cat is fine with revoluton spot on treatment but my other cat wasnt,…
What are you using to prevent fleas?? Please dont say Bravecto or Nexgard as these flea chews can cause stomach problems & other health problems
I wouldn’t make her drink water, when they eat wet food they don’t need to drink as much water, wet food, cooked & wet can food is around 70% water, its when you feed kibble they drink heaps of water… also when she hasn’t eaten all day thats OK she is resting her stomach, Pancreas, dogs are smart & know when not to eat, when to drink water etc, then when she finally does eat a meal feed her slowly & only feed 1/2 the meal then feed the other 1/2 of the meal about 30-60mins later, sometimes I feed Patch 1 spoon cooked food at a time in his bowl cause he gulps the whole cooked meal in 5sec then he gets pain & I think the pain is wind pain & he needs a to have a big burp, I ,ake Patch sit & hold his chest area & rub his back up & down like you’re burping a babythen he does a big burp & feels better, what I do with Patch & drinking water I use a small bowl & I go fill it 1/2 up & I take the water to him & I ask do you want a drink Patch if he does his head pops up & he moves to drink the water, I do this at night while I’m watching TV & he’s sleeping he gets lazy so I get his water for him but he’s 9y yrs old now & couldnt be bothered getting up om a comfy bed sometimes….
Do you live near a “Costco” or know someone that shops there? Costco have their “Kirkland Signture” Nature’s Domain dry Kibble look at their Turkey & Sweet Potato all life stages kibble, that’s if you can not afford the Natural balance LID kibble this Turkey & Sweet Potato doesnt have too many ingredients, it has probiotics for the gut, & has low Kcals Per cup336Kcals per cup so easy to digest, Patch was eating the Taste Of The Wild Sierra Moutain Roasted Lamb this last 1 & 1/2 years & he was doing very well on teh TOTW Lamb & kirkland Signature is made by the same maker as TOTW
Here’s are the ingredients.

Turkey meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, tomato pomace, flaxseed, natural flavor, salmon oil (a source of DHA), salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 24% Minimum
Crude Fat 14% Minimum
Crude Fiber 4% Maximum
Moisture 10% Maximum
Zinc 150 mg/kg Minimum
Selenium 0.35 mg/kg Minimum
Vitamin E 150 IU/kg Minimum
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* 2.4% Minimum
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% Minimum
Total Microorganisms* Not Less Than 1,000,000 CFU/lb
(Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis, Lactobacillus reuteri)

Calorie Content
3,590 kcals/kg (336 kcals/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

Does she have a fermenting smell coming from her mouth?? if yes then stop feeding the boiled rice & start buying Sweet Potatoes & peel cut up in pieces & boil them you can freeze Sweet Potato it freezes well, I freeze sweet potato pieces then if I need some I just take out of freezer leave out to thaw, also potato is also good to feed, I also buy the Gluten free pasta for Patch Aldis sells it cheap, Aldis also sells tin Tuna in Spring water cheap keep a few tins of Tuna in the Cupboard for when she becomes unwell & you dont have any chicken, I have my Sweet potato cooked in the freezer & a couple of cans of tuna just in case, scramble egg is also good to feed when unwell or as a light meal..

If you do see the vet on Tuesday ask can you try a 14 day course of “Metronidazole” (Flagyl) twice a day every 12 hours with a meal, when she was vomiting & became unwell she probably needed a course of the Metronidazole when Patch starts having any stomach bowel problems Patches vet tells me to start him on the Metronidazole for 21 days, he’s taking the Metronidazole again at the moment & seems to be getting better, I hope….
You could ask the vet can you have a few repeat script of the Metronidazole 21 tablets 200mg & you take the script to chemist, I got 2 packet of te Metronidazole today only cost me $7.21 for 21 X 200mg tablets… heaps cheaper then seeing the vet & buying from the vet just explain your at Uni Studying & the vet might understand what its like & see you’re a good dog owner & care for your girl heaps I’d say its the Pit Bull in her, some Pit Bulls, Staffy seem to suffer with stomach problems…..
Maybe if she seems OK by Monday then cancel the Tuesday vet visit unless you want to ask for the Metronidazole but if she isnt sick the vet may not prescribe any medications, it will all depend on the vet, cause there’s nothing they can really do except with do further test & the stomach is the hardest health problem to diagnose & the only good test that gives answers is the Endoscope/Biopsies as the camera looks down her throat into her stomach they take a tiny tissue sample & thats ur biopsies no pain they come home in the afternoon & eat a small cooked meal & back to normal the next day, it might be best to save your money & get another LID kibble & wait till she is unwell again, an Endoscope isnt as expensive as people think, it cost around $400-$500 best to shop around first then you pay extra for the Biopsies they cost arount $50 each Patch had 2 biopsies I think, my bill wasnt itemized this time, but I saw teeth cleaning & scaling cost me $200, I dont even get my teeth cleaned & Patch comes out with these pearly whites but he had Gingitivitas back left molar teeth vet wanted to stop any bacteria going down his throat…..
I have to get to bed very tired, Patch is waiting for me… dogs are so loyal arent they..

[Tyla M]

Ally,

Have all of the foods you’ve tried included chicken? Also, are all of those foods grain inclusive ? My nieces dog came to her with very loose stools and she was on fromms, as well. I personally love fromms because it works awesome for Luna, but not every food works for everyone. She ended up going on American Journey due to budget, and I had her give her chicken and rice for 2 days and then switch her to the kibble. I also bought her the Vetriscienxe mega probiotics from chewy. They have worked great for my pup and my niece’s pup. I suggest maybe trying a chicken free, and grain free if all the foods you have been trying have chicken and grains. Do boiled chicken and white rice for a few meals, then try to transition to a new food that you feel he will do better on. Maybe even do the chicken and rice for a few days until stools are no longer loose. Now I know I’m saying stay away from kibble with chicken, but fees him chicken and rice…Luna has no problem with cooked chicken, but itches with chicken in kibble. If you’re nervous you could do ground turkey or beef instead of chicken with the rice to help firm up the stools. For my pup, pumpkin makes her have looser stools so I only use it if she’s constipated. But again, all dogs are so different. Also, having a cane corso, you definitely want to make sure you settle on a good with low calcium. I know it’s a lot to take in. Luna is currently on fromms grain free Hasen Duckenpfeffer. It’s has meat proteins as the first 3 Ingredients and is low in calcium. Her stools are absolutely incredible right now. However, it does have different proteins so you may want to try a limited ingredient food of you’re trying to narrow it down.

[Susan]

Hi Cheryl,
I have a stressful Staffy I rescued 5 yrs ago, he was dignosed with Colitis & anixietys then 1 yr later he had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, cause I wanted to know what is causing his problems, the only way the vet can really know what is happening in your dog stomach & bowel is the biopsies, biopsies results tell a vet so much information plus they look around the dogs stomach etc, Patch has gotten heaps better these last 2-3 yrs he’s in a strict routine, feed same time every day & feed 4 smaller meals instead of 2 large meals a day, I try & not change too much in his life, (BUT we have just moved)
Patch no longer shakes & trembles when there’s a thunder storm, we had bad thunder storm last night & what I do now is Patch the cat & I all get into bed, I turn on my TV a bit loader then usual & when it thunders I look to the ceiling or out the window I point & say go away naughty thunder, go away also the thunder doesn’t seem to bother my cat & I tell Patch look Indy isnt scared, he looks at the cat & see’s her nice & calm, what happens after he has his stress attack (Anxiety) this is when his IBD starts to play up, I’ve been in Hospital the last few days & Patch had to stay at my daughters place & his routine was put out he was whinging & crying waiting for me at her front door, I told my daughter just get him into his routine as much as you can, I came home yesterday afternoon from hospital & today Patch is eating grass & not his happy self, so he must of really stress while staying at my daughters place & since I moved here 1 month ago Patch has been getting up thru the night, tippy toeing thru the house it’s a wierd thing he has done since I got him 5 yrs ago, he tippy toes some night he gets up he walks so slow on his toes so he doesnt wake anyone up, I’d say he has some discomfort & can’t sleep & changes beds, he reminds me of Goldielocks & the 3 bears, as soon as Patch seen me packing boxes to move he became unwell & anxious all over again the tippy toe thru the house re started his Poos are fine nice & firm he has started having his stomach pain again his acid reflux is going good, it depends what I feed him with his acid reflux playing up he’s on 20mg Losec every morning for his acid reflux which has really helped him, wet canned foods all seem to give him acid reflux so I cook & freeze small meals, its ends up being cheaper then buying the vet diet wet canned foods, sweet potato & pumkin is very good for stomach & bowel, I boil sweet potato & some pumkin first I peel & cut in small pieces boil then cool then I freeze them, Sweet Potato & Pumkin stay OK when frozen & you take a piece out & it thaws pretty quickly, I also make rissole balls lean turkey mince or lean beef mince add 1 whisked egg & some chopped parsley mix all together & make 1/2 size rissole balls & bake on a foil lined baking tray in oven turn over 1/2 way & drain any fat water that comes from the rissoles at the moment he’s eating “Nutro Essentails” Lamb & Rice Weight management kibble cause the fat is 9%min & he does good on Lamb, Nutro Australia has reformulated their formula’s the Nutro is on Special & 1/2 price cause its new so I thought I’ll give it a go, the Nutro has sought of constipated Patch, cause he eats 4 meals a day Im feeding 2 of the larger meals the Nutro Kibble & the other 2 meals are smaller & I’m feeding him his cooked meals Rissoles with the Pumkin & Sweet potato all mashed together & this has fixed things up in the poo department, he’s doing 1 poo morning & another poo in the afternoon, I never thought Patch would ever get constiped, normally he has the opposite problem Diarrhea, before I moved I was feeding him a kibbles with the fat 15% & under, but since moving he has started doing his mouth suckling noises & I do not know why he makes this sound & what is wong with him?? in the past he has done real WELL on “Canidae” All Life Stages Platinum, Canidae Pure Wild Boar & the Pure Meadow Senior formula is pretty good aswell, the max fat is 10.80% in the Pure Meadow Senior dry formula & it has everything an aging dog needs, I emailed Canidae & they give you max % on fat protein etc….all ingredients are source from local farmers & Canidae grow their own veggies, here’s Canidae’s site scroll down a bit look to your eight & you’ll see the pages the Platinum is on page 5, there’s also their “Canidae Pure Petite” Small Breed formula it has low fat low protein & only 5 ingredients..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Patches vet has put Patch on “Gabapentin” 100mg last year for his IBD & Anxieties, I open the Gabapentin capsule & tip out 1/2 the Gabapentin powder as it seems to drug Patch up a bit so I make it 50mg instead of 100mg capsule, the vet said Gabapentenin is good for Anxieties, IBD, IBS & other health contions & this drug does not irratate the stomah or bowel like other medications can do, she said this is why is very good for dogs with IBD you could ask your vet about the Gabapentin 50mg & do what I do open capsule & tip some powder out into a empty capsules you buy empty capsules at te chemist, it makes Patch sleep thru the whole night & he doesnt move & doesnt get up & change beds through the night but the next day he seems very washed out & I dont like seeing him lik that so I dont give hime what the vet recommended 2 times a day poor dog would be too drug up need to get my scales out & weight the capsule & give him only 20-30mgs only when he really needs some pain relief & your girl is very small so she’d need a lower dose then Patch weights 18kgs around 40lbs….

I’ve looked at the new Hills I/d Stress wet & dry formula’s when it first came out & I do not know how these ingredients would reduce stress in a dog???, it would make the dog do firm poos but that doesnt mean you have reduced the stress in the dog? Has the I/d Stress made your girl any better Stress wise since she has started eating the I/d Stress?? is she eating the wet or dry kibble I/d Stress formula?? When I looked at these are the ingredients below in the I/d Stress formula the “Beet Pulp” helps firm poo’s up, the Ginger for Nausea, the Vitamin B12, the B-2 in the Riboflavin & B-7 in the Biotin is good for skin & nails… B vitamins, and specifically biotin, help keep your skin, hair, eyes, liver, and nervous system healthy, so its probably the B vitamins reducing the Stress ….
You can give your dog vitamin B yourself, there’s the B-12 liquid you inject weekly or you get the Vitamin B capsules, if you go onto Face Book, put “EPI Dogs” in the search bar & there’s only 1 EPI group it should come up, if not I’ll give you the link, the ladies are all very helpful & know which brand to get, which brand is the cheapest & where to get it from….
I/d Stress ingredients
Brewers Rice, Corn Starch, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Pork Flavor, Lactic Acid, Ginger, Soybean Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Pork Fat, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Hydrolyzed Casein, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene.

I think with a dog who is very stressed out she needs a quiet environment, a strict routine, walked & I use to go to the dog Patch & sit on a seat & let Patch watch teh dogs all playing from afar we also would sit at te beach as he was scarred of the waves in the beging now I cant let him off his lead he’s a nut & loves teh ocean & just runs & runs along the sand & I cant catch him so we stop goingto the beach I ended up having anxieties I’d try the Vitamin B ask your vet & try one of the Canidae formulas, another brand I see people saying their dog who has stomach/bowel problems doing really well is the “Purina One” formulas.. I think you buy from supermarket… also there’s teh “Rescue Remedy”drops you put 1 drop on her tongue morning & night & 20mins before she is going to do something that will stress her out a lady that use to come & bath Patch said her 10yr old dog has really bad anxieties & the Rescue Remedy drops really works for her dog, she just feeds her dog supermarket dry kibble & raw meat…also have you tried teh “Freshpet” rolls & dry food? Ive also red people saying their dogs is doing well on the Freshpet roll..

[Rose C]

Hi Susan and Robyn,
What I don’t like about Hills or even Royal Canin SO is they have cheap filler ingredients and stuff that sound like food, but isn’t: CORN STARCH, Chicken Liver FLAVOR? And water as a 1st ingredient??? You can add water. This stuff is too expensive for what’s in it.
>>Water, Chicken, Pork Liver, Carrots, Rice, Green Peas, Corn Starch, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Oil, Potassium Alginate, Wheat Gluten, Calcium Chloride, Guar Gum, Dicalcium Phosphate, Flaxseed, <<
My toy poddle has oxalate crystals in his bladder. I’m feeding him chicken and oatbran with some canned pumkin and powdered pre/probiotics. I want to buy some powdered calcium citrate and frozen peas. And basically supplement what I give him with foods on the low oxalate group. Dogaware.com lists much of what I’m saying. http://dogaware.com/articles/wdjcalciumoxalates.html

[anonymous]

https://www.pawdiet.com/reviews/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-canine-ultamino-dry-dog-food-dry-dog-food/ (Excerpt below)
This product is manufactured by Mars Petcare Inc..
According to our data, this Royal Canin recipe provides complete & balanced nutrition for the maintenance of adult dogs. In other words, this formula is AAFCO approved.
Unlike other AAFCO approved dog foods which rely in laboratory testing to substantiate nutritional adequacy, this recipe has undergone feeding trials. In the pet food industry, feeding trials are often considered to be the superior testing method.
Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Ultamino provides complete and balanced nutrition for the maintenance of adult dogs.
Ingredient Review
We’ll begin this review of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Ultamino with a detailed discussion of the ingredients.
The first ingredient is corn starch. Corn starch is derived from the endosperm of the corn kernel. Typically, corn starch is used as a binder in kibble.
The second ingredient is hydrolyzed poultry by-products aggregate. Hydrolyzed poultry by-products aggregate is basically highly processed “feather meal.” The source is subjected to a process called hydrolysis. In this process, the protein source is broken down to the amino acid level. This is done to increase the digestibility of the protein.
The third ingredient is coconut oil. Coconut oil is an excellent source of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) which are easier to digest and believed to promote skin and coat health.
The fourth ingredient is soybean oil. Soybean oil is an omega-6 fatty acid source. Unlike other oils (flax, canola, etc), soybean oil does not provide omega-3 fatty acids; However, the balancing omega-3 fatty acids are most likely supplied by another oil or fat source in the product.
The fifth ingredient is natural flavor. Unlike artificial flavoring, natural flavoring is produced using plants and/or animal parts.
Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Ultamino are not as important as the first five ingredients.
However, collectively they still have a significant impact on the overall quality of the product. Therefore, we’ll continue discussing the remaining ingredients in this Royal Canin recipe.
Next we have potassium phosphate. Potassium phosphate is a common additive used in processed foods to control acidity and moisture.
The next ingredient is powdered cellulose. Powdered cellulose is produced from minuscule pieces of wood pulp and plant fibers. Other than its fiber content, powdered cellulose lacks any nutritional contribution.
Then we have calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring mineral supplement. Although it’s often used as a dietary calcium supplement, it can also be used as a preservative or color retainer.
The remaining ingredients in this Royal Canin Veterinary Diet recipe are unlikely to affect the overall rating of the product.

[Tyla M]

Hey everyone ! This is a random question since this is a large breed group, but I couldn’t find a small breed one. I’ve liked all the advice I’ve read on here when i was searching for the best food for my pup. However, my aunt has asked me for help since she knows I’ve researched food so much. She has 2 small breed pups. She’s had them both on Orijen. One does great, but she feels like the other is sluggish. She wants to switch her food one of them. Since calcium levels aren’t a factor, this opens up a whole new range of food, as I’ve only researched low calcium foods for my pup. If anyone has a small breed dog, or just has a specific brand they like, please share! I use fromms and love it, but she doesn’t have access to it in her area. Thanks so much!!

[poodaddy]

For anyone interested, KevinB included, made some time to do some modifications, for”other than raw food”, to the Canine Nutrition application (in development) and the below is the output. Note that since I have still been unable to get a response from the manufacturer of Prosense Vitamins (Dale) (see above), I have not included any contribution to the diet of KevinB’s menu. Here is the output. What is not included below is a comparison of the menu to a standard, such as FEDIAF Nutrient Guidelines Canines or AAFCO Nutrient Requirements for Dogs as such, the below stops short of “analysis”. Copying data from Excel into this web page is problematic. Perhaps someone can instrucvt me on how to do it so the data stays aligned and tabular. Each of you can assess the menu now based on the nutrition science data for the food groups listed. All data was taken from nutritiondata.com which uses the USDA tables as the foundation. I have not yet found an instance where nutritiondata.com foods did not align with the USDA testing/data. I have QA-checked about a hundred (80%) and so far 100% checks with USDA databases.

FOOD GROUP Weight g %
ORGAN-MARROW 226.7960 3.89%
MUSCLE MEAT 3095.5520 53.16%
VEGITABLE/FRUIT 2501.1560 42.95%
OIL (Supplement) 0.0000 0.00%
MACROMINERALS (Supplement) 0.0000 0.00%
MACRONUTRIENTS g per day % per day
Prot 73.3489 53.40%
Carb 41.8999 30.51%
Fat 22.1016 16.09%
kcal (449 calc) 650.3830
kcal (ref calc) 670.3673
MACROMINERALS mg per day % per day
Calcium 220.2701 3.78%
*Phosphorous 490.8865 8.43%
Magnesium 114.1447 1.96%
Potassium 536.6109 9.21%
Sodium 152.5461 2.62%
Chloride 0.0000 0.00%
MICROMINERALS mg per day % per day
*Zinc 17.9585 0.31%
*Copper 0.6985 0.01%
*Iron 7.6319 0.13%
*Selenium 0.0901 0.00%
Iodine 0.0000 0.00%
Manganese 1.8323 0.03%
Chromium 0.0000 0.00%
Cobalt 0.0000 0.00%
Fluorine 0.0014 0.00%
Molybdenum 0.0000 0.00%
Silicon 0.0000 0.00%
Sulfur 0.0000 0.00%
VITAMINS mg per day % per day
Vitamin A 1.4918 0.03%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 0.2384 0.00%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.6905 0.01%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 6.6424 0.11%
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 2.8011 0.05%
Vitamin B6 (piridoxine) 0.7010 0.01%
Vitamin B7 (Biotin) 0.0000 0.00%
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) 0.0328 0.00%
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) 0.0014 0.00%
Vitamin C 1.9644 0.03%
Vitamin D 0.0003 0.00%
Vitamin E 1.8694 0.03%
Vitamin K 0.0220 0.00%
Choline 243.2345 4.18%
FATS & FATTY ACIDS mg per day % per day
Polyunsaturated Fat (Omega-3) 439.6228 7.55%
Polyunsaturated Fat (Omega-6) 5010.4205 86.04%
Saturated Fat (g) 6.8897 0.12%
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 5.7914 0.10%
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 6.1491 0.11%
Cholesterol 425.9580 7.31%
DATA & METRICS
Dog weight units lb
Dog weight 27.5
MERF 1.4
RER (kcal/day/dog) 464.5593
MER (kcal/day/dog) 650.3830
kcal/batch 8130.6591
Days/dog/batch 12.5013
Weight Batch g (no bone) 5823.5040
Weight Bone g 0.0000
Batch g per day per dog 465.8303
Ca:P 0.4487
Fat:Prot 0.3013

[poodaddy]

Hi Virginia D and others. Here is our story on this specific issue of dog gas. I hope it reveals some aspects of the nutrition side. First, the advice about exercise can be 50%+ of a solution with any dog since all dogs are to some degree “athletes” that NEED exercise; exercise is not just cardiovascular but also depending on the breed can resolve many other issues that do not “seem” to be related, such as anal gland functionality. Now, I am neither a vet, nor a certified anything, but I have been a field dog handler and student of canine performance for a very long time, now using some skills to start my understanding of canine nutrition science.

Before my current two cockapoos, I had a yellow lab raised from birth as a field dog (and household pet). He lived a long healthy life and I want to share with you and others on this posting, the experimenting I did with my yellow lab AND recently (less than a year ago) with my two cockapoos. I decided to figure out in both cases (my yellow lab diet) and the two poos diets, what would happen to their digestive tract, specifically in the generation of gas, if I kept all other factors as constant as possible. What I did was figure out what percentage of their diet was protein from their kibble and then I moved them into a kibble/raw diet and stabilized the protein at 50% for a while. We raised the protein percentage in about 5% increments starting at 50% until noticeable gas started, then we leveled off to ensure it was constant. Then I increased it more until just shy of 80% and the gas creation (making sure all other things were held constant) was amazing (from a biological view). I had some old notes from my yellow lab days that I needed to convince myself of with the two poos and the results compared favorably. The nutritionist readers will have LOTS of variables that contribute to this and I would probably agree with them all, such as some combinations of foods work together to control the chemical processing in a digestive tract. For this little experiment we did, we simply wanted to know how did our dogs’ digestive tracts react to protein percentage (period) nothing more sophisticated. And we found that percentage for our specific cases that correlated for one yellow lab and two cockapoos. That result was when we reached 80% protein % from raw meat where raw boneless chicken was 60% and raw red meat was 30%+ (the remainder of protein was from other non-meat ingredients), the gas production increased rapidly.

For the testing period, and menu stablization, we used these macro goals: Protein 60%, Carbohydrate 20%, Fat 20% and then increased the protein using boneless chicken until gas started and then continued increasing it to see if there was more production and there was a correlation. By the way, body builders and most human athletes have a similar issue with protein in their diets.

So, the other comments made about overeating are on solid ground if feeding a yellow lab from kibble where the lab will eat whatever amount is placed in front of them. My reading suggests that some canines will eat low protein foods until they get the protein they need which some authors suggest that this contributes to canine obesity. The point is, some of the comments above are right on in that there may be a correlation with your lab and the amount of bulk he/she is intaking compared to feeding times and exercise.

For this post though, I wanted to share with you that for one small item in a controlled environment, we proved that changing one item (protein % using raw chicken as the variable in an otherwise balanced diet), caused the onset of gas and continued to increase as the protein % increased. Here is the makeup of the most recent raw diet our two dogs are on. These ingredients are part of an integrated nutrition model that is in development. This the first time I have shared this data but it is nearing time to engage the nutritionist forum posters. I am providing this data primarily so you know the above is not some quacked out post. This was a real experiment and perhaps the results and posts will help you (and others) where gas is an issue. All numbers are in grams weight.

Raw Chicken heart 1252
Raw Chicken liver 765
Raw Chicken gizzard 2106
Raw Chicken Marrow 315
Organ 10.8% by weight

Raw Eye Round Roast 6000
Raw Whole chicken”fryer”/deskin/grd bone 16200
Whole XL eggs 2232
Raw Bottom Round 2000
Muscle meat 64.3% by weight

Shredded Carrot 500
Raw Zucchini 484
Boiled Sweet Potato 3500
Raw NAPA Cabbage 953
Boiled Raw Edamame 800
Boiled Green Beans 1000
Raw Butternut squash 459
Raw Whole Apple 921
Raw Baby Spinach 400
Kelp Powder 100
Yellow Squash 423
Vegitable/Fruit 23.2% by weight

Coconut Oil 600
Oil Supplement 1.5% by weight

Sea Calcium 65
Macromineral Supplement 0.16% by weight

Notes:
1. The Sea Calcium is used to force the CA:P ratio to 1.2 in this menu.
2. This made 60 days of food each for two dogs, one at 13.5 LBs and one at 15.5 LBs.
3. The menu planned cost for food was $0.94 per day per dog.
4. The final results after shopping with same %s design was $1.10 per day per dog.
5. Energy analysis resulted in 306 g per day and 339 g per day for each dog.
6. Custom MER factor used as 1.4 (based on iterations over 6 months of menus).
7. 1,260 g contribution by weight due to bone.
8. 2.5% contribution on the organ side due to chicken marrow, based on my own experiments.
9. Energy required per day: 381 Cal for 13.5 LBs and 423 Cal for the 15.5 LBs poos.

Results of this menu are outstanding in all measured areas. Am in the process of peeling back “supplements and vitamins” for what they really are or aren’t. Hope this detail helps you or others. More to come from our quest for canine nutrition knowledge and practical applications.

[poodaddy]

Does anyone have more complete /consistent data for the Prosense Vitamin for dogs? It seems a bit strange to me that a portion of the nutrients are listed in a % and others listed in mg.

Here is the manufacturer’s link for nutrition data: http://www.prosensepet.com/solutions/vitamin-solutions-for-dogs.aspx. What I need is the following:

(1) What is the standard that the %s listed below are applied to? I need to derive or get the mg Protein 16%, Carborhydrate (not listed) and Fat 0.3% … and mg associated with the percents shown for Calcium 6%, Phosphorous 5%, Magnesium 0.1% , and Potassium 0.3%?

=== Prosense Vitamin Data per tablet ===
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
PER TABLET (MINIMUM VALUES UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED)
Crude Protein……………………………………………………….…16.0%
Crude Fat…………………………………………………………………0.3%
Moisture (max.)……………………………………………………….10.0%
Linoleic Acid……………………………………………………………..0.005 %
Calcium…………………………………………………………………….6.0%
Phosphorous……………………………………………………………..4.5%
Potassium………………………………………………………………….0.3%
Magnesium………………………………………………………………0.1%
Iron………………………………………………………….…………….1.5 mg
Copper……………………………………………………….…………0.03 mg
Manganese………………………………………………….………….0.07 mg
Zinc………………………………………………………………………..0.8 mg
Iodine…………………………………………………………………..0.05 mg
Vitamin A……………………………………………………………….1200 IU
Vitamin D3………………………………………………………………150 IU
Vitamin E…………………………………………………….……….…….6 IU
Thiamine (Vitamin B1)……………………………………..………0.8 mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)…………………………………………….1.5 mg
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)…………………………………..…….9.5 mg
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)…………………………………..……..0.06 mg
Vitamin B12…………………………………………………….…….2.0 mcg
Cobalt*…………………………………………………………………0.01 mg
Ascorbic Acid* (source of Vitamin C) ………………………….25 mg

*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles

Calorie Content (calculated)
2,550 ME kcal/kg  (6.9 ME kcal/tablet)
This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.

DIRECTIONS AND DOSAGE

<10 lbs……………….½ Tablet Daily
10-50 lbs………………1 Tablet Daily
>50 lbs……………….2 Tablets Daily

[Noelle M]

This is a hot topic for me lol
I have a dog with struvite stones and chronic utis.
Of course when we were given this diagnosis we were recommended a prescription diet from our vet. I immediately cringed at the ingredient list that was majority corn. There was no way I was going to feed my dog what was essentially corn meal with chicken fat half way down the list for the rest of his life. So I began my very long, very draining journey into finding a decent food that wouldn’t cause a flare up.
First I had to figure out WHY the prescription diets worked. Right on the Hill’s website they explain that the food contains controlled levels of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium to manage the development of stones.
So I took the calcium, phosphorus and magnesium levels from the prescription food and started comparing them to other foods. SO many foods. Many of which I had to email the company directly because they didn’t have those levels available online.
Essentially I looked for food with calcium and phosphorus levels below 1%, the lower the better. There are actually quite a few to choose from!
My boy has been on Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior for the past number of months, his meals are floated in water and I add a cranberry supplement. His condition has been kept 100% under control and he is doing wonderfully overall on this food.
Generally I have found that senior or large breed formulas are more likely to have sub 1% calcium and phosphorus.

Some of the brands I have found that could work are:
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior
Nutram Sound Senior and Large Breed
Diamond Naturals Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato

I give bonus points to foods that contain cranberry already, though I continue to supplement it.

Bottom line is the prescription foods WILL work to treat a specific condition, but I personally could not bring myself to feed it long term based on the ingredient lists. There ARE decent quality foods out there that match or come close to matching the analysis of the prescription diets that should manage the dog’s symptoms and are generally much healthier overall. Look for subzero levels of calcium and phosphorus, float the food in water and consider a cranberry supplement.

Obviously I cannot gaurentee that any of these foods will work, but it is definitely worth a shot imo and has worked beautifully for my dog who had pretty severe and chronic symptoms.

Good luck!

[anonymous]

Another thing, when the stone was removed, the vet usually sends it out to be analyzed.
“The vet said she “thought” she had a Struvite bladder stone”.

It is important to identify the type of stone, usually struvite or calcium oxalate, it makes a difference as to which foods should be restricted.

Also, ask your vet about prescription medication for stubborn cases, if your dog is having recurring urinary tract infections and/or bladder stones.

You may find this article helpful, excerpt below, click on link for full article and more information plus treatment recommendations
http://bichonhealth.org/HealthInfo/UrinaryStones.htm

Management of Bichons with Urinary Stones
 It has long been recognized that some Bichons Frises have a predisposition to formation of urinary stones (uroliths). This condition is known as urolithiasis. There are several types of stones that can form in the bladder, with struvite (also called magnesium triple phosphate or “infection” stones) and calcium oxalate being the most common in Bichons. The most important preventative for stone formation is free access to fresh water. For a dog predisposed to stone formation, there are other considerations as well. This article is intended to provide the pet owner with a better understanding of the prevention and treatment of urinary stones. Good veterinary treatment is the most reliable resource for the ongoing care of your dog. You may wish to copy this article for your veterinarian.
The Bichon Frise Club of America, Inc. sought input from Carl A Osborne DVM, PhD in preparing this material. Dr. Osborne, Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, is considered a leading authority on canine uroliths. We are grateful to him and to his team at the Minnesota Urolith Center for their assistance in making this information available. For more information, you and your veterinarian will be aided by the book “The ROCKet Science of Canine Uroliths”. You will find details in the article below.
And now, please carefully read the following article, prepared by Dr. Osborne and his staff. At the end of the article, there are several paragraphs about Bichon health that need to be considered as a part of the total picture in treating Bichons with bladder infections and stones.

[anonymous]

What about Pro Plan? https://www.k9ofmine.com/best-low-sodium-dog-food/ excerpt below

1. Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
About: Pro Plan Focus is a salmon-and-rice-based recipe that is designed for dogs with stomach sensitivities or food allergies. Salmon and rice are typically not allergens and most dogs are able to digest this food easily.
Price: $$
Features:
Salmon is the first listed ingredient.
Made with antioxidant-rich ingredients to help promote immune system function
Fortified with omega fatty acids to ensure joint, skin and coat health
Made without any artificial colors, artificial flavors, corn, wheat or soy

PROS: Purina Pro Plan Focus has the least sodium per calorie of any of the five foods recommended here. Most dogs appear to love the taste, and it may also provide some relief from food allergies.

CONS: Additionally, Pro Plan is made without any probiotics to help regulate intestinal function; however, it does include prebiotic ingredients, which can help support any beneficial bacteria already present in your dog’s digestive tract.
Ingredients:
Salmon, Canola Meal, Brewers Rice, Barley, Oat Meal, Fish Meal (Source of Glucosamine), Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Salmon Meal, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Inulin, Fish Oil, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite. J-4449.
Sodium Content:
50 milligrams / 100 Calories

[Norma R]

Myths about Supplements to your dogs food, including Calcium. Good info:

1. “A multivitamin added to the food will cover any gaps.”

The question here is this: Which multi, and with which diet? Any unsupplemented home-prepared diet will be low in some nutrients and adequate or high in others. But because there is no standard formulation for human multivitamins and they can vary greatly in what they include, just tossing one in the dish is not the answer.

Choosing an all-purpose multi made specifically for dogs doesn’t necessarily solve the problem either. These usually contain very low levels of nutrients because it’s assumed they will be added to commercial food, and so are unlikely to provide enough supplementation to round out a homemade diet. This is why “balanced” is not just a buzzword; it’s a valid and essential aspect of proper nutrition. Once you understand your dog’s nutritional needs, work out what her diet actually contains and then add what’s missing.

2. “I’m adding yogurt to my dog’s food daily so she’s getting enough calcium.”

Dogs require fairly high levels of calcium, and yogurt absolutely won’t cut it. Here’s a quick example: My own 75-pound dog has a daily requirement of 1,840 mgs of calcium, and since I use quite a bit of fiber in his diet in the form of brown rice, I want to offset any absorption issues and ensure that he gets about 2,000 mgs per day, or 14,000 mgs per week. His weekly diet alone—turkey, liver, sardines, brown rice, ground lamb and acorn squash—only provides 1,750 mgs. That means I need to add over 12,000 mgs of calcium; in other words, more than 40 cups of plain yogurt.

Calcium supplementation is always necessary unless you are feeding raw bones. I recommend using a commercial carbonate or citrate form of calcium, or an eggshell crushed into a fine powder—one teaspoon of this powder (about 5.5 grams) equals roughly 2,200 mgs of calcium carbonate. To use eggshells, rinse them well and then bake for about 10 minutes at 300 degrees; use a small grinder to make the powder. Bone meal can be used if there is also a need to add phosphorus, but many homemade diets supply plenty of this mineral.

[anonymous]

Kidney Failure Diet
Normal dog food can make a kidney-impaired dog even sicker. Your average food is packed with proteins, which break into amino acids, which is responsible for building and replacing tissue cells, and urea, a waste product. In healthy kidneys, urea is filtered out of the blood, but in damaged kidneys, urea builds up in the bloodstream, basically poisoning your pet.
In order to prevent the buildup of harmful products, find a kidney disease compliant dog food. Kidney disease compliant dog food focuses on replacing the nutrients your dog lacks as a result of damaged kidneys, with low percentages of protein, high bio-availability, increased calcium and vitamin D3, and lowered levels of phosphorus.

Above is an excerpt from https://www.vetinfo.com/kidney-failure-symptoms.html
Click on link for full article.

Many dogs with kidney disease remain on prescription food for the rest of their lives. Along with monitoring, medication, subq fluids (when needed) by a vet. This gives them the best chance.

[Margaret G]

Hello, I have a 12 week old Irish Wolfhound/German Shepherd mix. She was on Taste of the Wild Puppy food but we were recommended to switch to Holistic Select Puppy Food for Large and Giant breed dogs. I am concerned after reading these posts that the calcium is too high. I slowly switched her from the TOTW. Her stools are soft but formed. I was thinking I should switch to a lower calcium kibble but after reading these threads, I am wondering if I should stay where I am for a bit? She is growing fast, already 27 pounds. I want to be sure we are using a food that will keep her bones as healthy as possible. I would appreciate any suggestions! Thank you everyone.

[anonymous]

I don’t believe this negative stuff about Zignature. My two small breeds are doing very well on the whitefish (lowest in sodium) kibble, and the catfish.
If you go to the Zignature website they answer your questions and disclose sodium levels on all their products.
I had a dog with calcium oxalate bladder stones, struvite crystals and urinary tract infections. It was serious, emergency surgery and all.
From what I could tell, the main culprits were genetic predisposition and inadequate water intake, not the food.
A lot of pet owners serve kibble dry. Put down a bowl of water and assume their dogs are drinking enough….this is often not the case.
Also, expecting these dogs to hold their urine for 10 hours a day is conducive to stagnant conditions in the bladder, perfect environment for crystals and bladder stones to form.
Keep the bladder flushed, offer bathroom breaks at the minimum, every 4 hours (every 2 hours is ideal). Exercise, long walks, keep the weight down. Feed twice a day, measured amounts.
Sorry, if I went off on a rant 🙂
I am just sharing what worked for my dog with this problem.

[pitlove]

Hi Kathleen-

When dealing with a breed that can potentially have genetic related diseases, it is important to make sure that the breeder you are purchasing your puppy from is doing health testing on the parents and can provide you with health clearances on the parents and health stats on generations further back. Make sure you have seen OFA/PennHip scores clearing the parents of HD before committing to the puppy.

I would also say that if this breeder is still basing her feeding recommendations on an outdated myth, I might reconsider this puppy. This tells you that she has not continued to keep herself updated on current research, but instead goes with “what works”. What appears to work, does not always actually work especially if health testing is not being done.

While protein is a non-factor in the growth of large breed puppies, I still feel moderate protein levels are better tolerated by most dogs vs excesssively high. And yes, calcium and over nutrition should be the major factors being looked at when choosing a food. That being said, you will need to keep the puppy on the same food the breeder is using for 3-4 weeks and then slowly transition to the food of your choosing to prevent stress related stomach upset.

[Jennifer B]

Hello, As the owner of 2 Danes, I could resist signing up and sending a response. I truly appreciate your dilemma as it seems pet food manufacturers and veterinary research seems to think all dogs are under 130 LBS. 🙂 We too have struggled with the same challenge when trying to look for a “Dane” friendly food that is reasonably priced and tbh, I have yet to find many that fit the bill.

Before I get into brands, I thought I would give you my “rules of food thumb” which, is based on science but also personal experience so, I am definitely biased. On the other hand, when I suggest this rule of food thumb to others, it seems to do the trick.

1. In growing Giant’s no more than 1% calcium with an absolute 1.2% max. This is due to their bones and the higher potential for Pano/HOD.
2. Lower Protein is actually better for the big guys as many cannot process (find the food too rich) and end up with chronic GI upset. I generally suggest no more than 25-28% and if you are having issues, 21-22%. Seems low, but it actually has science behind it.
3. No more than a 10% difference in Protein to Fat – so if the food is 22% Protein, it should sit around 12% Fat.

Understanding some may disagree with these theories (I have heard it before) there is a fair bit of science, albeit not a lot, regarding the dietary differences required for Danes, Mastiffs, Irish Wolfhounds, Saints, Newfs etc.

I can share a couple of foods that my Dane and Mastiff owning friends use but I am Canadian so I am not sure if they are available where you live.

1. I am a huge fan of https://www.petcurean.com/ dog foods (I use the GO! LID salmon). They are available in the USA and feature locally sourced proteins etc. They do bring in minerals and some unique proteins from other countries but they were the only brand to help me with my one Dane and their nutritionists will call you personally to discuss your situation if you message them. (the Gather, Now! and Go! lines are pricey though)

2. President’s Choice dog foods (not sure if you can get that in the USA.) However they are super reasonable and many of the mastiff and dane owners I know use their Sensitive Skin and Stomach because they find the “high protein” diets like Orijin and Blue etc are too rich for their guys.

3. Diamond Naturals is one that many of our Dane breeders use and recommend as well. I do know you can get this in the USA if you live there. https://www.diamondpet.com/our-brands/diamond-naturals/large-breed-adult-dog-chicken-rice-formula/

Apologies for the lengthy post but I just wanted to share my insights. Good luck with your search and if you find something, please share! Be well,

[pitlove]

Breeding is complex and yes everyone will have their own opinion. So will people on the internet.

Breeders who’s goals are betterment of the breed are carefully selecting their breeding stock, importing new bloodlines and adding them to their program and constantly looking for dogs to add to their program without genetic ailments plaguing their breed. Those breeders are the ones that we need to help move away from the belief that pure breds are less healthy than mutts. For example Golden Retriever breeders are working to breed cancer out of their lines. Slowly they are accomplishing this. Nutrition plays a huge role in the health of any individual animal, but so does genetics.

Also as a breeder you have a responsibility to your breed to keep up with current research. That being said, the myth that “high protein” diets affect growth in large and giant breeds was debunked over 20 years ago with a set of excellent studies done on Danes. Dietary calcium and over nutrition, coupled with genetics are now recognized as the leading causes of DODs in growing large breeds. A growing puppy should never be put on a “senior” or adult maintenance diet. This was an old practice before companies developed quality foods geared towards large breed puppies. Now with all of the excellent foods available there is no excuse for having them on such an inappropriate diet.

[Elise S]

That’s one of the problems every breeding has their own opinion of what is the “Best feeding program” only based on thier experience. Some people swear by a for but when you really start to read about it’s not something I wasn’t my dog on.There doesn’t seam to be one general train of thought. Are hip/elbows getting better or worse, if better because of diet what are people feeding.

Because of this unusually giant breed with the average life spam of 7-9 yrs. Weve seen huge improvements in the overall health of the breed. With correct health testing, breeding, exercise and yes diet, we’re starting to see these guys life long healthy lives 11-13 yrs.

When I breed a bitch I monitor and control everything about her food from the day she goes into season. Giant breed puppy foods can be just as hard because of to much protein. Some breedersput puppies on senior foods for lower protein, but I don’t believe the puppies are not getting calories and calcium.

[Susan]

Hi Jude,
once a dog has had Pancreatitis then he’ll need to be feed a lower fat diet, so he doesn’t have another Pancreatitis flare, stay under 15%-fat for raw wet diet, have you tried raw kangaroo?? Cats & dogs love Kangaroo it has a strong beefy taste & it’s very lean in fat & very healthy, you can get this brand in America, its called “Gourmet Game, Marco Meats, Kangaroo mince, here’s the link, scroll down to the bottom & it’s in the middle, Gourmet Game Marco meats is the only company in Australia that makes the human grade kangaroo & export all over the world… http://gourmetgame.com.au/products/kangaroo/

You’re better off making his raw diet, instead of buying a pet food pre-made raw unless it’s a small business that makes human grade raw for dogs, but they normally add grounded bones, my dogs Naturopath said no to the grounded bone for Patch he has IBD & Pancreatitis & she also said NO to the Pre-made raw dog food she said you don’t know what your getting & the fat % is way too high for his health problems….. are you adding anything else to his beef? you can add 1 crushed egg shell a day for calcium, give him a Krill Oil capsule for his Omega 3 fatty acids & in a few weeks try adding some broccoli, carrot, celery & apple, peel & de-seed fruit & vegetables cut up then put thru a blender stop just before it’s a pulp, you add 1-2 spoons of the veggie/fruit mix to 1 cup of beef meat or I froze 1-2 spoons of the veggie mix separate in ice cube tray & cover with cling wrap & thawed when I needed the fruit/veggie mix, I also froze the meat in sections separate, this way you’ll see if he eats his beef with some added pulped veggies/fruit mix.. or just added the grounded egg shell & give 1 krill oil capsule 3 times a week & see how he goes, don’t start adding too much to his diet at once, if something causes diarrhea or vomiting you won’t know what caused what….

Join this face book group “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” Lisa who runs the group feeds her Pancreatitis dog a raw balanced diet, she may be able to help you add certain foods to balance his diet a bit better, you can buy “Balance It” they have Nutritionist vet as well & free recipes for some health problems but if the dog has too many health problems it doesn’t give any free recipes you have to contact Balance It vet nutritionist. https://secure.balanceit.com/

Even if you buy the pre-made raw dog food it has too many different ingredients & your dog will smell all the different smells & probably wont eat the pre made raw food, I don’t like the smell it didn’t smell like real raw, my cat wouldn’t touch the pre-made raw, I bought the Rabbit first then took it back & tried the Kangaroo she still would not touch it, now I just buy her the Aldis cat fresh raw mince, it’s Kangaroo mince & chicken liver & she loves it & it smells like proper raw meat should smell, I do live Australia & by-product kangaroo is in a few of our cheaper brand pet foods & she also eats her air dried raw “Ziwi Peak” air dried raw & dry kibble + I give the Green Lipped Mussel treats, try the K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels, mussels have what he needs for his joints, eyes, brain, skin & coat, Green Lipped Mussel is lean in fat & give about 2 freeze dried mussels as a daily treat, this way he’s trying different foods as a treat..so its special when given as a treat.