[aimee]

Hi Brenda,

The homemade diet you are proposing is very unbalanced. Also diet is very rarely involved in the causation or treatment of yeast infection of the skin so a diet change is very often not needed. Unfortunately there is a common misunderstanding regarding diet and yeast. Lower carb diets have been recommended to control symptoms of Candida yeast overgrowth in the intestine of people. This information has been misapplied to the treatment of a dog’s yeast infection, but the yeast infection of the dog’s skin is completely different problem. The yeast itself is different. Yeast in the human intestines is usually, Candida a carbohydrate loving yeast. The yeast on a dog’s skin is nearly always Malassezia which is a fat loving yeast. An oatmeal shampoo won’t specifically address yeast but it won’t feed them either.

Here is an article that addresses treatment of yeast infections in dogs http://www.itchnot.com/images/Malassezia_Dermatitis.pdf

[corinne]

symptoms are every 2 to 3 days extreme She has extremely foul smelling diarhea, some bloody muscous jelly at the finish. Some vomiting clear frothy.Same foul smelling gas.The vet has given me to 2 meds to try, also had ultra sound, which showed nothing wrong.She weighs 5lbs. Got to do something for her. The same symptoms every few days. Can anyone recommend a food that is whole food, high fiber, low simple carbohydrates,low fat diet.Thankyou.

[Susan]

Hi Raquel, my boy has IBD & suffers with the Helicobacter-Pylori on & off, we found this all out thru Endoscope & Biopsies 1 year ago, the only why to diagnosed Helicobacter in dogs is thru Endoscope & Biopsies….. he was put on triple therapy meds Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Zantac for 3 weeks…. the vet that did the Endoscope & biopsies recommended prebiotics when the antibiotics were finished, he doesn’t believe in probiotics for dogs but Patches other vet does…..I have found diet plays a big part when too much bad bacteria takes over….
My problem is probiotics & prebiotics seem to make Patch worse, he feels sick, nausea, wants grass etc after having his probiotic, it’s like the probiotics has a party with Patches bad bacteria & make everything worse, then I joined a group on Face Book called “Fast Tract Diet” run by Dr Norm Robillard, then I read about the die off period when you take probiotic & how you can feel real sick also Norm Robillard say’s you should take probiotics on empty stomach when your stomach acids are low, so either first thing in the morning or night before bed all by themselves, not with food, when we are eating our stomach acids are real strong & kill the live probiotics….
Do you know anything about the die off period, Patch was taking a real good animal probiotic called “Protexin” a live probiotic that’s kept in fridge….in the Fast Tract Diet group Dr Norm Rollibard has a book & what foods to eat & not to eat starchy Carbs as they are the worst especially potatoes most dog grain free food have Potatoes, I haven’t bought his books yet, but Patch gets worse after eating potatoes he gets his bad fermenting breath back, he starts his whinging his stomach hurts, so I put him on the Metronidazole for 2 weeks & he’s all good again…I’ve been trying to work out his diet, I know raw is the best but he burps & some of the raw food comes up & then he get acid reflux, the Raw seems to digest real quick & then he regurgitates the raw… Do you have any research that probiotics are working & helping dogs?? cause I know a few other ladies from a IBD group & their dogs can not take probiotics either their dogs get sick with vomiting & the probiotics seem to make everything worse…..I know antibiotics are being over prescribe & are bad, here’s a link “Antibiotic Over Use” that was on the Fast Tract Diet Group site… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240113/

[Kelly S]

Both my dogs are producing an over abundance of yeast…I’ve looked everywhere for a good that is low in carbs and fat for them and am just overwhelmed. Any suggestions on what brand to get?

[InkedMarie]

I believe Wysong has a low carb food. If I had a dog with cancer, however, I’d be working with a holistic vet on the best diet.

[Robert L]

Anybody found commercial dog foods that meet all 3 of these group’s guidelines and has Steve Brown ancestral diet caloric percentages for protein/fat/carbs? To me, that would seem like the holy grail of dog food.

After reading the below article it made me curious if there are any US companies that make a food like this.

http://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/3518-which-petfood-nutrient-values-should-you-follow
“In my opinion, though, it appears most prudent for products to meet all three sets of values simultaneously; i.e., to be formulated to meet the highest minimum value (and lowest maximum value where one exists) among the three for each nutrient.”

[Susan]

Hi Allison, the black spots are yeast, a lot of people think grain free kibbles are the best, but they’re not, most of these grain free kibbles are higher in starchy ingredients like Potatoes, peas, tapioca, chick peas, lentils, etc… I’ve found that kibbles with Sweet Potato & Barley with no peas or Sweet Potatoes & Quinoa with no peas or another grain works better then these grain free kibbles with starchy potatoes, starchy peas, starchy tapioca, chick peas etc….

It’s very rare for dogs to be allergic to a protein…..Grains, Starchy veggies yes they’ll get itchy, smelly skin, red paws, itchy smelly ears, etc, you wrote “we tried different kibbles in the past” were they all grain free?? with starchy veggies ?? you changed the protein but did you change the ingredients?

Wash dog in Malaseb medicated shampoo weekly until the scratching goes & the black spot start to go away..Malaseb is an anti-bacteria shampoo….a dog probiotic will also heap strengthen the good bacteria in the gut & make the immune stronger to fight off any yeast over growth..
Try & feed something else besides kibble, “The Honest Kitchen” Zeal is low in carbs…. or the Honest Kitchen has their Base Mixes & you add your own meat… http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal
K-9Natural Freeze Dried is also very low in carbs… Ziwi Peak another excellent Wet tin or air dried food your dogs will love Ziwi Peak its expensive but worth it.. http://www.ziwipeak.com/
there’s a heap of really good foods around instead of kibbles…. Kibbles need the carbs to bind the kibble….

[renee d]

I would like to know if there is a food out there that has no carbs or very low carbs. I’m cooking for her now (meats and veggies) and also considering Primal, but curious if anyone has other suggestions for a cancer diet that meets nutritional needs of a dog.

[Susan]

Hi, yes the starchy carbs Potatoes & peas would be causing the yeasty skin problems, I use Cortic-Ds 1% cream (Hydrocortisone acetate 10mg/g cream) from chemist & every night before Patch goes to sleep, that’s if he has red paws & red under chin & around bottom of his mouth…. I look at his paws & if they’re red I get cotton tip & put the Cortic-Ds 1% cream in between his toes & up his paw very lightly, then if Paws are still bad thru the day I bath in Malaseb medicated shampoo…. Malaseb is excellent kills the bacteria on the skin I try & leave the Malaseb on Patches paws I put a face washer on the bath edge & lift his 2 front paws up on the bath edge & then massage his body in the Malaseb shampoo as long as I can, it says leave on for 10mins but 5 mins does the job if you have a dog that hates baths….I’ve been bathing every 5-7 days again now spring is here..

I’ve been cooking for Patch for Breakfast & Dinner, I’m looking at starting K-9Natural Freeze dried, you just add water or they have the Frozen raw, I’ve been giving the K-9 Natural “Green Lipped Mussel” snacks..
Can you feed a raw diet cause that’s the best, as soon as I started Patch on a raw diet all his skin problems went away in 3 days but Patch kept regurgitating the raw into mouth then swallowing it then he was having acid reflux from burping up the raw…I’m making Sauerkraut tomorrow, its a natural probiotic they need a healthy gut once they have more healthy stomach bacteria they wont have these yeasty skin problems as bad…. or Kefir if you can get some kefir for his stomach & get the healthy bacteria to take over….

[Madelon H]

Hi have a 1 1/2 year old GSD diagnosed with EPI in May. He has been having yeast and bacterial skin issues ever since. I’m looking for a recommendation for a dry dog food that is grain free with fiber of around 3% and LOW carbohydrate – does anyone have any suggestions?

[Shawna]

Hi Bev A,

I don’t come on DFA, and especially the forums, that much any more so didn’t see your post. Betsy alerted me that you had asked me a question. Thanks Betsy!!

Probiotics and certain prebiotics do help lower BUN – even the Merck Vet Manual agrees “feeding moderately fermentable fiber can facilitate enteric dialysis and provide a nonrenal route of urea excretion.” Unfortunately it seems most vets don’t know this yet. 🙁 http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/management_and_nutrition/nutrition_small_animals/nutrition_in_disease_management_in_small_animals.html

How high is your baby girl’s creatinine? Creatinine is more indicative of how the kidneys are doing. BUN can be elevated for additional reasons besides the kidneys. Example — feeding kibble (even KD prescription kibble), while simultaneously not getting enough water, can increase BUN. Does she have unlimited access to water and does she drink often? If you are feeding KD kibble, I would HIGHLY recommend switching to Science Diet’s KD canned foods — they have three of them (one is egg based, one is chicken based and one is beef based). Mixing up the canned food could keep her eating better based on her history. IF her creatinin is on the low side of high AND you can get the BUN down by feeding canned food and giving probiotics/prebiotics, you can also consider adding some higher protein, lower phosphorus toppers to her food and see how she does. The Merck Vet Manual has some info on this too. “In addition, research in dogs is also showing that higher protein levels than what are typically used in most therapeutic renal diets is beneficial as long as the diets are phosphorus restricted. Energy should be supplied primarily via feeding relatively more digestible fat and carbohydrates.” As stated, most of the “energy” in the diet should be fats and appropriate carbs but adding the right kinds of protein can help as well as being more appealing. For now, while the BUN is high, don’t mess with adding anything with protein, including treats, to the diet. If she likes organic, extra virgin coconut oil you can add small amounts of that to each meal and blend it in well so she doesn’t pick it out. It won’t add to the BUN. Oh, and I do like raw goats milk.

Changing from a kibbled diet to a canned KD diet should help reduce BUN. Adding a GOOD quality probiotic (I like Primal Defense by Garden Of Life or the product at Mercola Healthy Pets website) and the right prebiotic can help further reduce BUN. Adding the wrong prebiotic (fermentable fiber is another term) can make things worse as they ferment in the wrong part of the digestive tract apparently. The product I found the most beneficial for my KD girl is called acacia fiber. NOW brand makes one. http://www.nowfoods.com/Acacia-Fiber-Organic-Powder-12oz.htm

If she’s never been on probiotics and prebiotics before then I would introduce them slowly over several weeks period. My Audrey was 9 pounds and I gave her 1/2 of a Primal Defense and 1/8 tsp of acacia fiber in her food as needed (when I noticed she seemed off). To start out I would give maybe 1/8 of the probiotic for a few days. Then continue that dose but add a pinch of the fiber for a few more days. Then increase the probiotic to 1/4 but leave fiber at 1/8 for a few more days. If you don’t see any symptoms you might be able to go a little quicker. If you do see symptoms you might want to decrease the amounts being given a bit. Given to quickly to dogs not used to them, probiotics can often have diarrhea as a symptom as an example.

Let me know if you have any more questions for me and let us know how things are going.

Good luck to you and your baby!!!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Shawna.

[Jenn H]

Everything I have learned about diet for dogs w/ cancer is high protein, low carbs. Not the easiest foods to find and/or afford (if on a tight budget).
Whenever I’ve had dogs with cancer I head right to the integrated vet. He’s great at mixing & matching treatments, diets, supplements, etc using holistic (not necessarily homeopathic) and convential medicine. If you can find a good vet like that it’s worth a try.
Some vet hospitals also have nutritionists that do consults. For a fee of course.
I’m really into raw goat milk. Check out the Primal or Answers site for info on its benefits.
Good luck & good health to your dogs. I hope they all stay healthy & have long wonderful lives. I feel for you.

[C4D]

Hi Ruth Anne G,

You could try a different protein source other than chicken, there are many. At this point, before the vet check, anything that he will eat and stop the diarrhea is fine. He might have a chicken intolerance, but until the parasite check comes out clean, you just won’t know. Make sure that the vet sends it out to a lab, vs an inhouse fecal float. That’s the best way (and it still has it’s flaws) to find possible parasite infection. I’ve been through those before and it’s not pretty.

Caesar’s puppy is really not a great deal, there are many others that are priced the same or better with far better ingredients. Susan is absolutely right about the ingredients. Here are the ingredients I found on Caesar’s website. It actually contains an unidentified meat by product, chicken, and unidentified animal liver before the lamb, so it might be more stress diarrhea than chicken issue:

Ingredients: MEAT BY-PRODUCT, SUFFICIENT WATER FOR PROCESSING, CHICKEN, ANIMAL LIVER, LAMB, RICE, CHICKEN BY-PRODUCTS, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSHPHATE, FISH OIL, CARRAGEENAN, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, DRIED YAM, ADDED COLOR, XANTHAN GUM, MAGNESIUM PROTEINATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, ERYTHORBIC ACID, DL-METHIONINE, GUAR GUM, SUGAR, ZINC SULFATE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, BIOTIN, POTASSIUM IODIDE, COPPER SULFATE, YELLOW #6, SODIUM NITRITE (FOR COLOR RETENTION), D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, YELLOW #5, MANGANESE SULFATE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT

Let us know how he does at the vet and we will be more than happy to help. I agree with Anonymously on possibly holding off on the vaccines until the diarrhea is contolled, but your vet can decide. I would personally give it a few days, but that’s IMO! 🙂

Red, kibble soaked in water is just kibble soaked in water. The only thing that’s similar with wet food is there is more water in it than dry kibble. It is still a highly processed product, even more processed than canned. The water is better than dry, but canned or fresh is still less processed and better than kibble.

[Susan]

Hi Jo, don’t keep him on any kibble if they have cancer or had cancer, too many carbs in a kibble, he needs a well balanced high fat, high protein diet, low in carbs under 25% carbs..
With Bandit Struvite Crystals did he have an Ultra Scan to see that they have all dissolved & gone? My boy also a rescue was put on Royal Canine S/O Urinary wet tin & kibble, kibble for breakfast & wet in for dinner, just for 6 weeks to dissolve the crystal then he had Ultra Scan & all his crystal were gone, vet said stop feeding the Royal Canine S/O & feed a healthy diet..

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Scott,

I created the fat-to-protein ratio a few years ago to help get a better idea about the quality of the meat that was used to make a dog food.

The average range for FPR data is between 50% and 80%. In the right proportions, fat isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, unlike carbs, fat and protein are essential nutrients.

However, when the FPR begins to approach the extremes of that range (say 40% on the low end and over 80% on the upper end), my warning lights begin to flash.

Ultra low FPR can suggest a low meat content.

Higher FPR numbers (say greater than 80%) begin to suggest a food’s been made with fatty trimmings and slaughterhouse waste.

Hope that makes sense.

[Ken Y]

Hello Everyone,

As the title reads, I am currently having a diarrhea with bright colored blood, which has been on and off twice now for about 2weeks. This is my first post and I read a few other posts on here about my dog’s current condition, but didn’t find exactly what I was looking for.

I have a 5yo Male Boston Terrier named ‘Hammond’ who was brought up on Taste of The Wild (Fowl Mix) dry kibble. He is my dog, but my father has grown quite fond of him and takes him during the work week and I get him on the weekends. He has been allergy tested due to an ongoing itchy skin condition since he was 1yo and tested positive to an abundance of substances. The main allergens consist of beef, venison, milk, dust mites and certain grass. I recently read an article that seemed to indicate that his skin condition may be a result of a yeast infection and have since switched his diet to a carb free raw diet.

He has been on a raw organic, no additive, low sodium chicken drumstick and thigh diet for about 4-5months now. He was about 28lbs before the raw diet and has since slimmed down to about 25lbs. His calculated serving size totals to be about 1.25lbs a day. I have found a prefered brand I like at a local grocery store and my father has been feeding him an organic brand from Costco with similar listings. He was perfectly fine with the switch with only one or two incidents, which involved bile throw up since the switch until recently. He has had about 2 separate incidents this past 2 weeks involving diarrhea and bright red blood spots. I took the appropriate steps and fasted him for a full day and gave him some rice and boiled chicken to see if symptoms improved and then went back to the drumsticks and thighs. Everything seemed fine for a few days, with the exception of softer stool than usual, but just yesterday, my father told me the diarrhea and blood was back.

We are taking him to the vet this Sat, but I’m more than positive that the Dr. is going to tell us to switch back to a reg dry kibble dog food as most vets don’t approve of raw diets.

Both diarrhea incidents happened when my father had him, feeding him the Costco organic chicken. Is it possible that maybe he got a bad batch of chicken? I have ordered a supply of the ‘Premeasured service’, chicken necks and green tripe from Reel Raw as recommended from this site and it will be arriving today. I made sure to list his allergens in the ground mix.

Should I stop with the raw?..

Thank you for the long read and any advise is appreciated.

[Thor J]

The soy is one of the greatest myths out there that its raises estrogen levels in men OMG.The reality and the science is that ISOFLAVONES when they first isolated them the scientists they discovered that these molecules are look like the estrogen estradiol.BUT their effect on humans are HIGHLY BENEFICIAL and they act like SERMS (SELECTIVE ESTROGEN RECEPTOR MODULATORS) like the well known drug tamoxifen for example BUT without the sides of the drug.We all have the alph and beta estrogenic receptors in our body,usually the alpha are linked with some hormone related cancers and the beta they have only favourable effects for us.The alpha they are mainly in breast tissue ovaries,liver,testicles the beta in lungs,prostate,blood cells,bladder thymus,bones.Now how do the isoflavoes work.They BIND to the ALPH receptors (the bad receptors) when you have EXCESSIVE amount of MAMMALIAN ESTROGENS (the REAL ESTROGENS) in your blood for example in adolescence or when a woman is pregnant or when you are drinking for example too much COWS MILK or you are eating cheeses red meat etc then the isoflavones they BIND with the alpha because IF THE MAMMLIAN ESTROGENS (your own or the estrogens from tha milk or animals that you are eating or medications that many women are taking) they will stimulate on the long run SOME POSSIBLE HORMONE RELATED CANCERS.The isoflavones protect you that way and tou pee the extra estrogen through the urine.On the other hand when either a man or a woman tou have VERY LOW ESTROGEN (and even for us men SOME percentage or estrogen we MUST have in order to have health cardiovascular system bones etc) the isoflavones they go and bind the beta receptors and they excert ONLY FAVOURABLE EFFECTS ON YOUR BODY and they continue to excert their effect even after the levels of estrogen have decreased.Plus isoflavones are powerfull antioxidants and they have shown promising activity in combination with some other interesting molecules like sulforaphane for example in cancer fighting.Similar things like the soys ANTIESTROGENIC activity if you have high estrogens in your blood they excert all the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli,kale,brussels sprouts etc the 3-indole-carbinol and the diindolymethane DIM.Soy is PERFECTLY fine food high in COMPLETE protein minerals and many other beneficial phytochemicals just beware of GMO soy.In reality more that 95% of the GMO soy is feed for the livestock among with GMO corn and oats.Organic soy is perfectly fine.The only animal (food) that its perfect from any aspect is the egg especially the egg WHITE caus ethe yolk has too much ARA and it acts as and proinflammatory marker.Egg white is only protein water sodium and selenium go for it.I’m on a whole food plant based diet (dont like the word vegan) with the exception of egg whites (always free range from a friends farm,real farm) and the gains are better than ever.Dont stay in the medieval times STEREOTYPES ARE THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM.

[Susan]

Hi Crystal, my Patch had the gulping, vomiting & he grinded his teeth… its acid reflux coming up into his throat, change diet, lower the fat & try not to feed kibble, home cooked is best for this even if 1 meal is cooked & the other meal is wet tin food, a low fat tin food… over the 2 years, I have found kibble makes it worse & treats especially if the treats are high in fat….. fat in a kibble should be around 10%, fat in wet tin food 3% fat & under… I’ve been cooking, lean white meats, chicken, pork & fish & I add sweet potatoes, Oh I don’t feed all these meats at once, separate meals…. 3 small meals a day..

I would be seeing a vet, ASAP, it only cost about $60 for a vet visit & some answers & a script for medications, some vets will write you a script that you take to a chemist & its cheaper, after trying natural remedies & nothing worked for Patch, Patch had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, make sure the vet does the biopsies, when the vet looked at Patches stomach everything looked fine BUT the biopsies results showed Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD The Helicobacter-Pylori makes the acid reflux worse & ant acids don’t work & medications are needed, Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Zantac & change of diet, Gluten free & no sugar carbs……in the mean time give him some Pepto or Mylanta about 3-4mls to relieve this 20mins before his meals, its not nice to have, he may also have ulcers depends how long he has had this problem, the acid burns the stomach & you get stomach ulcers that can bleed, vet will give ant acid medication like {Famotidine- Pepcid} or {Ranitidine-Zantac} or {Prilosec- Omeprazole} to relieve his symptoms…

[C4D]

Hi Bethany C,

Wonderful luck for your pup to find a caring owner like you!

The others have given you some very good information. I do foster very underweight dogs and dogs with various parasites as they come from very rural areas. The giardia or coccidia that Bobby dog could be a very real possibility. I’ve had foster dogs that tested negative the first time and it was found on a more thorough or subsequent testing.

The best way to see if the dog has an issue of parasites is to put it on a very simple boiled chicken or boiled hamburger (strain the grease) and plain white rice diet for a few days. This should get the tummy back on track as it is a very bland diet. You could add a spoon of pure pumpkin to the mix also. If you don’t see an improvement on the diarrhea within a few days on this diet, you should have the dog’s stool tested again for parasites, including hookworm, giardia and coccidia. I’ve found hese particular parasites seem to cause the most problems with weight loss and loose stools. Tapeworm is also a very real possibility that isn’t caught in a normal stool sample, almost a guarantee if the dog had fleas, but it doesn’t usually cause diarrhea. The tests are not very expensive. Unfortunately, if it’s a parasite issue, no amount of dog food, no matter what the quality, will help until the parasites are gone.

If the dog does well on the bland diet, you can slowly introduce a nutritious food. We all want our really thin dogs to gain some weight, but you have to do it slowly as their system isn’t used to being well fed. I find that by slowly increasing my foster’s portion, they will put the weight on, but it takes time. Too much food too fast just overwhelms their system and cause more diarrhea. Many rescues advise adding a bit of extra carbohydrates like rice, oatmeal and/or sweet potatoes, along with their regular dog food, to help increase weight. Canned food also can help, but again, it must be added slowly to prevent GI upset. Satin Balls are another rescue trick that might work, once you have the diarrhea under control.

Here’s a link to the recipe:

http://www.gpalouisville.org/Recipes.htm

Some other budget friendly dog foods are Pure Balance (Walmart, made by Ainsworth pet food company), Sportmix Wholesomes or ProPac Ultimates (Midwestern pet food company). These foods aren’t as cheap as Puppy Chow, but their are so much healthier. You feed less of these formulas, so they aren’t as expensive as they seem. C4C and BD are correct. Bad breath is a symptom of poor dental health or some other issue.

Good luck with your rescue and keep us posted!

[Shawna]

Hi sheila23,

Yes, don’t lose hope. Your boy is young and in early stages. There’s lots of reason for hope.

Absolutely, the mineral waters will be just as beneficial for your other dogs as well. I was at a lecture once and they discussed ionizable calcium (calcium bicarbonate) which is found in good quality mineral waters. Calcium bicarbonate is found in the blood (about 1% of the total body calcium) and helps the immune system to fight invaders like bacteria. The calcium traps the bacteria etc (referred to as the calcium wave) until the immune systems white blood cells can get there to eat the bacteria (called phagocytosis). In fact, the medical professionals that I follow suggest fevers are actually beneficial as the muscle heats up to pull ionizable calcium from the bones when needed to fight an infection. That’s why you shouldn’t treat a fever unless it gets too high. By consuming ionizable calcium your body (and that of your dogs) is better able to fight off the infection without needing to generate a fever. More info than you asked for, hope it is useful info. 🙂

[Shawna]

Hi Jan f,

I think the issue for most opposing these foods is the, what we perceive to be, lower quality ingredients. It is not necessarily the food however that is helping but rather in changing the food you have eliminated something the dog was reacting to in the old food. My Pom gets ulcerative colitis from chicken. ANY food that has chicken muscle protein in it will set her off. She would actually do poorly on the W/D because of the “chicken meal” in it. Other dogs, like yours, will improve on it. Doesn’t mean it is the only, and certainly not the best, food for a dog with colitis though.

Marvistavet says this about colitis and foods
“Elimination Diet: Colitis can result from a food intolerance (an example would be lactose intolerance from which numerous people suffer). Intolerances can result from dyes, preservatives, contaminants or even natural proteins in the food. Similarly, colitis can result from an actual food allergy. The solution for these intolerances is the feeding a “pure” diet, ideally a home cooked food made with carbohydrates and proteins that are novel or new to the patient. An 8-10 week diet course is typically needed and no other chews or treats can be offered during the time of the trial. Food allergy cannot be diagnosed by blood test or skin test. At this time, response to elimination diet is the only test for food allergy or intolerance. Most people are not in a position to home cook an appropriate food for the pet. Fortunately, several novel protein diets and hydrolyzed protein diets have been developed. For more details on using an elimination diet, please visit our food allergy page.” http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_colitis.html

A “home cooked diet” is going to provide, pending it is balanced, much better nutrition than a food with an ingredient list that starts “Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Sorghum, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken Liver Flavor, Pork Fat, Soybean Oil” (personal opinion of course).

Edit — I don’t believe that these foods are necessarily harmful, at face value at least, but they do not supply the same nutrients from more species appropriate ingredients/foods.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Shawna.

[Pitlove]

Jenn- I agree 100% with your statement about grains. I see no reason to completely avoid a whole carbohydrate source (since they don’t require carbs anyway) because someone told me my dog is probably allergic to grain. I used to be very gung-ho about grain-free diets and felt that it was the worst thing in the world to feed grain based foods and I’ve then since realized that I had fallen into the trap of a lot of the marketing for grain-free foods. Even at work (small pet store) I always share my feelings about grains and I always make sure to add that its just my opinion and they are still free to feed whatever makes them comfortable.

I was told by someone who at one point I thought had a lot of knowledge about dog food (my old boss), that I should completely avoid chicken because its a common allergen for dogs. I tried to cut all chicken out of his diet and ended up feeding him more beef instead. Turns out hes fine with chicken and has an intolerance to beef! haha. I guess I’ve just learned to take certain things with a grain of salt and allow myself to use my judgement and my knowledge of my dog to make the best decisions for him. As I said, hes eating a grain based food right now and I’m beyond happy with the results.

And it sounds like your lab is in great shape too. Especially for 11! Thats great hear. I’ve seen a lot of overweight labs and dogs in general and it really really annoys me that people think that they are “fat and happy”.

[C4D]

HAHA on your Lab! Yep, I’ve used slow feeders on my older girl too. My Labs try to convince me that I didn’t feed them, fortunately they’ve been trained to never touch anything that falls to the floor. I don’t feed grained food because my almost 11 yo girl gets ear infections with any grains! I’m curious why you think grain free has more carbs than a grained food. When you subtract the protein and fat away from the food, the balance would be carbohydrates (minus moisture and ash).

I do agree with Aquariangt, I used to love The Great Dane Lady but her information seems a bit outdated.

[Jenn H]

Pitlove, thanks for the input.
GSDs (in my experience) are food motivated when it comes to training. On the other hand they can be equally happy being rewarded with a favorite toy (as is often the case in K-9s).
The Lab is soooo different. Stereotypes exist for a reason. I don’t think she has ever tasted anything she’s ever eaten. I soak & drown her food in the slowest feeder I can find. I’m very careful about her feeding. I see Labs with lumps and they are fat, etc. Lillie is a lean and muscular 60 lbs! No lumps & bumps or excess fat (except a couple lbs in winter or she gets cold)! She acts like a puppy! She’ll be 11 next month.
The dog food is literally locked up in the bathroom in an airtight bin because she’ll think nothing of opening doors and eating til she explodes. I can’t stand the behavior, but haven’t been able to fix it. The thing with the pup is I don’t know if he’s as hungry as he acts or if he’s mimicking her behavior. If he’s so hungry, then I want to find him something to satisfy him. If he’s just picking up bad habits, then I can & am dealing with that.

It’s good to see someone else not fanatical about grain free. Like you I’m not against them. I just think they should be given to dogs who truly need them. I prefer to expose my animals to everything and see what they can tolerate rather than completely avoid something because they might have an issue.
I’ve had a dog that needed to avoid pretty much all grains and some meats. And a dog that could tolerate small amts of grain here & there.
My only real issue with grain free is that they are so high in carbs. Which is ironic. I think that because I don’t feed the girls grain free may be partly why Lillie doesn’t have the lumps. She’s not over loaded w/ carbs.

I’ll probably just end up switching my little guy’s food completely. I do that every few months and it’s been a great thing for my dogs. It’s good for the good bacteria in the gut to have something new.

Thanks again for the help. I’ll check out the Lab lady’s posts. I might learn something.

[Jenn H]

Does anyone feed their dogs a diet of kibble and canned/raw/dehydrated?
I have large breed dogs that I like to supplement their dry when the weather gets cold to keep their weight up.
My real.concern is my puppy. He’s 4 months old. GSD. Approx 30 lbs. I know I have to keep his calcium at 1.5% max. Because of that I am having a problem finding the right food.
He acts like he’s starving to death even though he gets 3 3/4 cups fed over 4 meals. Right now he’s on Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy.

I’m looking for either a food that will satisfy his appetite or something I can supplement/replace some of his kibble with that will allow me to stay within the calcium guidelines.
While I am not opposed to canned, raw or dehydrated, I cannot feed strictly those types of foods.
I would also prefer a NON grain free food. Unless a dog has allergies I know they actually need some grains. Plus it seems that grain free has far more carbs than non grain free.

I appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you.

[Pitlove]

Hi Kevin- You’re right there is a lot of debate about whether or not yeast feeds off of carb heavy foods. I don’t think there is a concise answer out there as far as I know. I know that low glycemic foods are recommended for diabetic dogs, which obviously need to avoid carbs. IMO it is not going to hurt your dog to try to feed a low glycemic food to see if it controls yeast better.

Also regular bathing with an antifungal shampoo is what has made a noteable difference for my dog with some yeast problems.

[Pitlove]

My tips for weight loss are: feed for ideal weight, not current weight. Watch calories from all sources including treats. Also cutting back on treats if you give them often helps. No free feeding. Feed 2 meals a day (I feed 2 meals a day 12 hours apart). High protein and low carb/calorie helps as well, however my dog has been his ideal weight on foods I consider low protein (23%).

Edit: I should add that it doesn’t take a weight loss food to help a dog lose weight, but I’ve heard it can be beneficial to make sure the dogs nutritional needs are still being met.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Pitlove.

[stacey m]

Hi,
I am a dog groomer and have had a few clients with the noticeable ‘corn chip’ scent along with itching, licking, moist armpits and what looks like red angry feet, ear infections.
These dogs were always chewing and licking. Under the vets care they were given steroids and as soon as the dose was over the issue would come back.
I’d like to share what worked for these dogs with yeast issues.
The food has been changed to Nutrisca, which is a very low carb food.
No extra treats and every week they are bathed with GNC Medicated anti-bacterial/anti-fungal shampoo (left on for 10 minutes) and followed up with a moisturizing conditioner.
The dogs are also on one fish oil daily (which is anti-inflammatory) and daily benadryl (adjusted to dogs weight). The dogs ears were treated for the infection by the vet, the rest was the above mentioned protocol. The dogs who followed this are now about 95% better. Love to say 100% but every now and then one will lick but the smell, angry red inflamed skin is gone! Important to follow through with weekly baths and continue protocol for the comfort of the dog even after symptoms have disappeared.
Both Nutrisca food and the GNC shampoo can easily be bought online.

I am not a vet, I am just passing along some info that worked for some of my clients :o)

[Pitlove]

It is possible that she has become intolerant to something in the food. My suggestion is switching to another brand that makes limited ingredient diets with a single protein and carb source. Since she has been eating a grain inclusive food try something grain free and without any chicken. I would also add a probiotic to her new food 1) to help tranistion over to it and 2) to help calm her stomach down and add some healthy bacteria to it

Zignature Lamb Limited Ingredient could be a good one if shes never had lamb before:
http://www.chewy.com/dog/zignature-lamb-limited-ingredient/dp/36736

See if there is any improvement on the new LID food. Tranisition her over slow, maybe even longer than 7-10 days. If after she’s eating the new food and she is still throwing up, I would take her to a vet. Could be something besides the food.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

Hi Brie- Always nice to meet a fellow pitbull owner and first let me just thank you for taking one in with some behavioral issues. They are often euthanized for being aggressive etc.

My male pitbull has some skin issues as well, his mimic seborrhea. He gets patches of oily flakey skin and when the skin falls off it takes his hair with it and the end result is a sore that heals and the cycle is repeated. My vet firmly believes that his skin problems are environment related with possibly a minor food component.

So far I’ve tried a lot of different foods and I’ve used different supplements etc. I haven’t gotten around to going to the dermatologist like my vet recommended, but I’ve seen a vast improvement in his skin condition with the addition of salmon oil to his food. A lot of his hair has grown back and the flakey patches have reduced in number. He eats Fromm Gold Large Breed Adult which is mainly duck and chicken based. He is intolerant to beef, but it seems hes just fine on chicken.

My suggestion is to find a food with a protein and a carb he has never had before (there is no reason not to use grains if he is not intolerant to them. I view all carbs as fillers, but thats just my opinion) and see if there is any improvement. True elimination diets are not always easy or fesiable to do for a lot of people and it also takes getting everyone that comes in contact with the dog on board and monitoring them like a hawk. They can not have ANYTHING but that food.

Pitbulls are more prone to skin issues and I see that your girl is mostly white, which is also a contributing factor. My pit comes from a very bad breeder, who bred these skin problems into the litter. I didn’t know any better about backyard breeders when we got him, but now I feel as if I did rescue him even though most would say I didn’t.

Getting different opinions from different vets is also a good idea. 3 out of 3 vets I saw confirmed my boy was reacting to something in the environment. It might be helpful to talk to more than one vet and see if there is a consensus about the food intolerance.

Best of luck, keep us updated!

[Deby G]

I have a 7 year old chipoo rescue that can only eat wet food because she is missing many teeth. I am trying to get her off of Hills ID low fat which she has been on for about a year. She was put on it after gastro bleeding. She seems to be doing well on it but I am worried about long term use and of course Hills food. Lately I’ve been mixing in Wellness core beef and lamb. Half wellness half hills. I am so confused when checking percentages of ingredients that I’m making myself crazy. Also, Marley won’t eat pate, but does eat the stews. I have cured her severe anal gland problem (every 2 weeks at the vet) with 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin a day. Haven’t been to the vet in 2 months. What a sweet victory. Will really appreciate your input. Thanks.

[cori R]

Good day everyone,

I have a Yorkie/Poodle mix dog , who will be 6 year old in January 2016.
About 16 months ago, he suffered an Acute Pancreatitis attack and was in the hospital for 3 days.
Ever since them, it has been a struggle to find the perfect food for him, as he needs to be in a very low fat diet and he will not eat any of the recommended by the vet.
Because of that my only choice was to cook for him and did a saliva test by Dr. Jean Dodds and the results were not good news at all. He is sensitive to most carbs (Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes, sweet potatoes), all fish, chicken, beef, Duck, Venison.
The only protein Koby can eat is Lamb. So, with recommendations of a holistic Vet. I have been feeding Koby, Boiled/smash cassava root with carrots and boiled lamb (with all fat removed), I also add vitamins and L-Glutamine to the food and give him probiotic…Koby has been in that diet for over a year now, the thing I have been noticing on his poo is that he always have mucus, some days more than others and at times very soft stool with traces of blood. On Aug 19, 2015. I have to rush him and my other dog (Teddy) to the emergency as both of them have diarrhea and drops of blood. Just to make something clear Teddy is my other dog (Minni-Poodle mix, who is 2 ½ years old) and both are in the same diet) Teddy diarrhea was very bloody and lots of mucus. The vet did stool analicys and couldn’t find any parasites and they were put in antibiotics for 7 days…Koby still has diarrhea and for the last couple days , I see traces of blood and lots of mucus. Teddy is also having issues with gas and stomach noises. I’m beyond frustrated, as I don’t know what to do anymore for the little ones.
Do you think that is the cassava roots making them sick now?
Should I go back to kibble? Is so, any recommendations for dogs that are highly sensitive?
I have an appt with the Holistic vet tomorrow afternoon, Is there anything I should ask for him to check?
I appreciated your help…Thank you 

[cori R]

Good day everyone,

I have a Yorkie/Poodle mix dog , who will be 6 year old in January 2016.
About 16 months ago, he suffered an Acute Pancreatitis attack and was in the hospital for 3 days.
Ever since them, it has been a struggle to find the perfect food for him, as he needs to be in a very low fat diet and he will not eat any of the recommended by the vet.
Because of that my only choice was to cook for him and did a saliva test by Dr. Jean Dodds and the results were not good news at all. He is sensitive to most carbs (Rice, Oatmeal, Potatoes, sweet potatoes), all fish, chicken, beef, Duck, Venison.
The only protein Koby can eat is Lamb. So, with recommendations of a holistic Vet. I have been feeding Koby, Boiled/smash cassava root with carrots and boiled lamb (with all fat removed), I also add vitamins and L-Glutamine to the food and give him probiotic…Koby has been in that diet for over a year now, the thing I have been noticing on his poo is that he always have mucus, some days more than others and at times very soft stool with traces of blood. On Aug 19, 2015. I have to rush him and my other dog (Teddy) to the emergency as both of them have diarrhea and drops of blood. Just to make something clear Teddy is my other dog (Minni-Poodle mix, who is 2 ½ years old) and both are in the same diet) Teddy diarrhea was very bloody and lots of mucus. The vet did stool analicys and couldn’t find any parasites and they were put in antibiotics for 7 days…Koby still has diarrhea and for the last couple days , I see traces of blood and lots of mucus. Teddy is also having issues with gas and stomach noises. I’m beyond frustrated, as I don’t know what to do anymore for the little ones.
Do you think that is the cassava roots making them sick now?
Should I go back to kibble? Is so, any recommendations for dogs that are highly sensitive?
I have an appt with the Holistic vet tomorrow afternoon, Is there anything I should ask for him to check?
I appreciated your help…Thank you 

[Bobby dog]

Hi Ashley:
My dog is six, can eat anything, and has no health issues other than a tendency to gain weight during hot weather months. For canned foods I only take brands, ingredients, calories, proteins, and GA’s into consideration. I feed whatever recipe fits the bill regardless of what is on the label, puppy, small/large breed, Sr., etc. I try to feed foods with a fat to protein ratio of 50% or less; equal calories coming from fat and protein or more from protein than fat. For example, a recipe that is 4% fat and 8% protein would be ideal for him, 7% fat – 8% protein not so much. Some of the f-p ratios I feed can be up to 70% which is okay at this time since I rotate foods.

My budget foods are Tractor Supply Company 4Health – Turkey & Sweet Potato, Beef & Veg stews, or Sr. Chicken & Rice recipes, Triumph Puppy or Turkey recipes, BJ’s Earth’s Pride Chicken & Rice, and Wal-Mart Pure Balance Stews.

Here are some brands to check out that I currently feed or have fed:
Blue Buffalo Home-style, by Nature (no 95% recipes), California Natural, Canidae Pure Sky or Foundations, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Eagle Pack, Halo Spot’s Stew or Spot’s Choice recipes, Holistic Select, Hill’s Ideal Balance stews, Lotus, Nature’s Recipe canned or tubs, Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed recipes, Precise, Purina Pro Plan Natural recipes, Purina Beyond, Red Barn stews, Tiki Dog, Wellness – Core, Simple, Complete Health, or Stew recipes, and Weruva Human Style or Dogs in the Kitchen recipes only (Kobe/Kurobuta recipes are canned by Evanger’s).

Low fat recipes; most are available at my local stores. I order Life’s Abundance from their website. Generally I find stews to be higher in protein and lower in fat, but not always. These are between 12-20% fat and below 25% carbs on a dry matter basis using their label info:
Fromm’s Shredded Beef
I and Love and You Stews
Life’s Abundance Turkey & Shrimp or Chic & Crab stews
Nature’s Recipe Pure Essentials LID GF Chic/Broth or GF Lamb/Broth
Nature’s Recipe Pure Essentials tubs LID Duck or LID Venison
Nature’s Recipe tubs GF Chic & Duck in broth or GF Chic & Venison in broth
Nature’s Recipe tubs Chicken in broth or Chic & Turkey in broth
Nature’s Recipe GF Chic & Turkey stew or Chic & Venison Stew
Purina Beyond GF stews
Red Barn Beef Stew
Tiki Dog – Kauai Luau, Lahaina Luau, Maui Luau, or Tonga Luau recipes
Weruva – Marbella Paella, Bed & Breakfast, or Paw Lickin’ Chicken recipes
Wellness Core Weight Management

These are 22-25% fat and below 25% carbs DMB:
Halo Sr. Beef
Merrick Golden Years Medley
Nutro Natural Choice LID Sr.
Precise Holistic Pork w/veg in gravy
Red Barn Chic, Turkey, or Steak & Egg stews
Wal-Mart Pure Balance stews
Wellness Stews

Here are some freeze dried/frozen commercial raw and dehydrated foods I feed. I use the same guidelines for these foods:
I and Love and You dehydrated Turkey (I also want to try the Beef and Chicken)
Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Beef, Lamb, and Venison
Primal FD Turkey & Sardine, Frozen Venison, and frozen Turkey & Sardine
Stella & Chewy’s FD Chicken

Here is some info you might find helpful:
/choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/
/dog-feeding-tips/how-much-dog-food/
/canine-nutrition/low-fat-dog-food/
/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/
/choosing-dog-food/raw-dog-food-fat/
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html
Carb calculator:
http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html

[Susan]

Hi, some kibble companies will write the Carb % on their website …. you add the protein % the fat% the fiber % the Moisture % & the ash % if the ash % isn’t on the bag or their site just add about 6-8% then take away from 100 & you’ll get a ruff estimate of the carbs….

Earthborn Holistics has the carb % written on the guaranteed analysis, I’m introducing the Natural “Ocean Fusion” it has 12%min fat the least ingredients, no peas, tomato pomace or probiotics… The lower the carbs the better, when dogs eat a raw diet some dogs don’t eat carbs, Patch was eating about 5% carbs when feed a raw diet but that was cause he was a bit under weight, all his yeasty smelly ears paws & skin went away….
http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/

[Kevin R]

Hi all, I have another question regarding changing my dog’s food. I mentioned changing to a lower glycemic food due to yeast issues. The yeast issue is not major at this time, however, I figured this couldn’t hurt anything. Is there a typical carb percentage I should look for when choosing a food? I know it may vary from dog to dog, but just how low should the carb count be in order to maybe make a difference in this situation? Reason I ask is because I tried her on Orijen a few years ago, but it went right through her. I don’t know if it was the higher protein or the fat percentage, but I know I’ll probably need something a little less “rich.” I thought about Acana Grasslands since it’s a little lower protein, but the fat is about the same I believe. Feel to give any other food suggestions as well. Thanks for your time.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Kevin R.

[Susan]

Hi, could be IBD (Colitis) she may have a food intolerance/sensitivity, my boy was pooing blood & mucus, mucus & blood is from something irritating the bowel (Colitis). My boy cant eat boiled rice or boiled oats in cooked meals or wet tin foods, boiled rice & oats irritate his bowel causing blood, mucus poos…he also cant have any gluten & most vet diet have gluten, corn & boiled rice, so he cant eat most vet diets plus vet diets use chicken or hydrolyzed chicken….so if your dog has a sensitivity to chicken then vet diets won’t help…..

Have you tried to feed a cooked limited ingredient meals, just 1 protein & 1 carb, a protein she hasn’t eaten before, a protein low in fat is best & try adding some boiled potatoes, or sweet potatoes if you want more fiber… My boy does real well on beef, pork, lamb or fish, I have found….Elimination diets are best to feed when this is happening, then when she is stable (firm poos) then only add 1 new ingredient each week…… in the beginning less is best cause you will not know what is causing the diarrhea, if she is eating too many things or too many supplements are given… & keep a diary…I’ve been cooking this morning, to lightly boil some meat & boil some sweet potatoes doesn’t take long, I make 1/2 cup size meals. I put thru the blender it helps with digestion if you dogs gulps food, then I freeze small meals..
You may need a new vet, a vet that knows more about IBD…..

[Susan]

Hi have you thought of feeding raw or a cooked diet & stop feeding kibble?? A dog digestive tract has been made to digest meat not peas, garbanzo beans, lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes these are all high in Lectins & can cause leaky gut.

My boy suffers with IBD & skin allergies from certain foods & he doesn’t do well on grain free kibbles, (bad gas, sloppy poo, rumbling bowel noises, nausea) … Over the last 2 years I’ve tried heaps of kibbles & in the end I found the kibble with just rice & 1 protein like fish was the best a limited ingredient kibble then I add fresh chicken or beef or fish on top….I try not to feed kibble & feed a wet tin food or cooked meals with ingredients that I know my boy can eat, some kibbles have tooo many ingredients & it just takes 1 ingredient & your dog is scratching, sore ears or has gas diarrhea etc…

If you don’t want to feed a raw or cooked diet have you looked at “The Honest Kitchen Zeal” its low in carbs, gluten free high in protein – http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/zeal

ZiwiPeak – http://www.ziwipeak.com/air-dried-dog-food-ziwipeak-daily-dog-air-dried-cuisine/

K9 Natural – https://www.k9natural.com/

[Madelon H]

Susan – thanks once again for the helpful information. I have read that article and several others – lol!! When I looked back at my EPI log I had noted each time he was given the Droncit (always with his supper) he would wake in the middle of the night shaking his head horribly and scratching his ears and they would be red and gooey – then he’d vomit bile – it would be over in about 24 hours – which according to the vet is how long the Droncit stays in their system. He never had a problem until the Droncit but then again he was given Droncit after his EPI diagnosis and at the same time switching foods. Interesting about Tylan having the same effectiveness no matter the dose. I just want to start all over – like I said get him off of everything and then do one thing at a time. The worms came back as two types of fly larvae – a plant based fly and botfly- the vet wasn’t able to talk to the Parasitology department as they were closed but said from talking to them before she thinks they are passing through him alive because of his compromised system whereas in a healthy dog they would likely die before being passed. I have a fenced in yard – plenty of room to run but I can see everything and since he was diagnosed and I began looking at every poop he now won’t go outside unless your with him – hoping he gets over that before winter – I hate cold weather!! As for the “leave it”. I have used that command for many years with my dogs – doc knows it but doesn’t always follow it – lol!! He’s so smart – he knows when I’m gloved up with bag and shovel after he’s pooped that I’m scooping and he will then find me piles of bunny poop – its hard to find bunny poop but I’m getting pretty good at it – scooped five piles this am :). So as far as diet with the yeast – before EPI he was on RC GSD puppy – hydrolysed yeast and rice – ingredients appear to be on the low carb/low sugar side of things – the TOTW I put him on after diagnosis was definitely not – potatoes, sweet potatoes. What I was recently trying to switch him to Natures Logic is very low carb low natural sugar – it had millet and some dried fruits and veggies but all appeared to be on the low sugar side and at that time was when we got the infection diagnosis. SO I’m not sending the bags back (two aren’t opened) because I want to use the rx food for a few months get some normal poop going again let his system get over everything and rebalance itself and then see where we are at. I didn’t do the shots of B12 – the vet didn’t believe in it – his B12 was at 406 so I ordered the Trinfac-b from wonderlab – he gets 3 capsules a day. I haven’t re-tested the levels yet as we are going to have the entire EPI panel run again because the breeder doesn’t believe he’s EPI because at 3mos when he was tested it was normal – I’m writing a 6 page letter to send when we have him re-tested because I want her to inform the other litter mates that there’s a possibility of this happening to them at some point and not to mate the two dogs again – they were mated earlier this year prior to me notifying her. I tried to join the Facebook page yesterday it kept saying pending – I’ll have to check again to see if I was accepted. I would like to get him neutered this winter – have you heard of any problems with that after being diagnosed EPI?

[Susan]

Hi Kim, it looks like the new food may be the problem with his skin & dirrhea, I know within 1-2 days if a kibble isn’t right for my boy, he starts to have red itchy paws, itchy ears, skin & sloppy poos….. With the Earthborn kibble which flavour are you feeding, the grain free kibble or their natural kibble?? also the Earthborn grain free kibbles have higher protein % & fat% this could be causing the Diarrhea or your boy is sensitive to an ingredient in the Earthborn kibble causing the itchy skin & diarrhea….

I would look for another kibble with limited ingredients with similar ingredients, same protein & around the same fat % & protein % that’s in the Diamond Natural kibble you were feeding also rice look for a kibble with rice, my boy does best on kibbles with rice, I’m introducing Earthborn Ocean Fusion very slowly at the moment, the Ocean Fusion has the least ingredients out of all their flavours but it has sweet potatoes & potatoes second & third ingredient, something I’m very worried about potatoes being a starchy carb, my boy gets bad yeasty skin, paws & ears from certain high sugar carbs in kibbles, but the Earthborn Ocean Fusion doesn’t have any peas or tomato pomace which is hard to find a kibble that doesn’t have peas….
“California Natural” has their Lamb & Rice it has just 4 ingredients or their Chicken & Rice has just 5 ingredients… I few people I know their dogs have skin & bowel problems & their dogs are doing really well on the California Natural kibble, they add some sardines or boiled chicken to beef up the kibble a bit, even if you just feed the C/N Lamb & Rice till his skin is better again then start adding a new ingredient every 2 weeks to see if he starts itching again then you will know what foods he’s sensitive too..also get some antifungal shampoo like Malaseb medicated shampoo & bath every 5-7 days my vet said as soon as I saw Patch starting to scratch bad bath him in the Malaseb shampoo… keep us updated on how he’s going….
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1181

[Madelon H]

Hey Susan – well I have been on a roller coaster ride with Doc for sure!! After all of your information and my own researching I reached out to Nature’s Logic – I really liked that the founder of the company immediately emailed me himself and without me going into detail about EPI and SIBO he said Doc needed a diet low carb/low natural sugar diet which their food is. The bags say 5% fiber but Dog Food Advisor put it at 4% and the company says it’s between 3-5% but the bag has to have the “max”. So I tried the chicken – he did okay, then i tried sardine (noticed a lot of acid reflux) and we are trying the rabbit now. My vet said to give a food 2 full weeks before deciding if it works or not – I haven’t been doing that 🙁 During this time I was finally able to take a poop sample in with the “worm” – the other vet at the practice who i like much better said she finally saw it and it’s DEFINITELY not tapeworm – which is great but unfortunately Doc had been given 4 doses of Droncit and I believe he’s allergic to Droncit – immediately after getting it his ears flare up and he becomes really itchy and vomits bile. SO of course I feel horrible – she said it looks like fly larvae – we are stumped about him passing live fly larvae – we sent it out for testing and are awaiting the results. What i’ve read online I believe it’s called pseudomyiasis – I think he’s getting it from eating rabbit poop or grass where flies have deposited their eggs and the eggs have hatched and Doc eats it – he LOVES rabbit poop. Anyway, I realized he was passing live larvae I took him in for a full rectal exam and through once over – I asked her to check his ear (I had been asking the other vet but he never did) – came back positive 4 out of 4 for yeast, bacteria and rod in the left ear and 1 out of 4 for yeast in the right ear and he has a yeast infection between his toes. We are not sure if this is from the Droncit or the Tylan that he’s been on or if he could be allergic to yeast altogether. After his first bout of SIBO as a puppy he was put on Royal Canin LF Gastro kibble and did fine then switched to Royal Canin Large Breed Puppy Developmental (rx) then switched to Royal Canin GSD Puppy – he did GREAT. SO, I’m thinking the yeast infections he currently has is from the Droncit. We’ve given him a bath with medicated shampoo for his yeasty paws but he is still itchy on his body – his ears are doing much better and his paws but still itchy on the body – not sure if that’s food related or environmental. SO I decided to go back to what worked last time and I bought the RC Gastro kibble and am going to mix that with the rabbit food and get him completely on the RC Gastro and wean off the Tylan (he’s been on it for 60 days). Then I’m going to keep him on the RC Gastro for with a probiotic (doesn’t appear there is any in the kibble) for a month or two and let his insides settle down then I’m thinking about trying the RC GSD Adult (when I read the description it talks about low fermentable foods, etc – it actually sounds like a good food – fiber is a bit high but if it works it works) – I’ve spent hundreds in dog foods that I have sitting half eaten or unopen altogether at this point and am tired of dealing with it and feeling badly for poor Doc.

[Susan]

Hi Kevin, You need to change her diet, kibbles aren’t really good for yeasty dogs as they are very high in carbs, you need to cut out the sugar carbs Potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes etc yeasty dogs need a low Gi diet, raw, wet tin, home cooked diets are the best, most vet diets are high in carbs…. if you have to feed a kibble try “Earthborn Holistic’ their grainfree flavours the carbs are only 17.5% -29% the “Great Plains” & “Meadow Feast” are potato free….their natural kibbles are a bit higher in carbs… http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/
I feed wet tin food for breakfast & I have just started the Earthborn Ocean Fusion natural kibble for dinner, my boy needs a lower fat diet & the grainfree diets are too high in fat for Patch…he has IBD… also read what the carb % is in the kibble, if it isn’t written on the kibble bag or their web site you add the protein% + fat % + moisture + ash % & then you take what you have away from 100% & you get the carb %….Earthborn has it written on their site under Guaranteed Analysis…

Glacier Pecks Holistic does Salvia & Hair testing & test for 100+ Environment triggers & 200+ food items for $85….
http://www.glacierpeakholistics.com/More-Than-an-Allergy-Test_p_80.html

[Deborah F]

I have a yellow lab that has textbook yeast problems – itchy, smelly feet, raw skin on her tummy. I have been looking for the best dog food to feed her without contributing carbohydrates or yeast ingredients. Any suggestions?

[Robert R]

Both EVO small bites and Performatrin Ultra small bites are grain-free and rated 5 Paws on Petsumer Report (subscription site). I feed my 12-year old toy poodle a mixture of the two and she likes them and is quite healthy. They’re both relatively high protein and low carb.

[aquariangt]

While certain grains have some useful nutrition if you have to stay grain inclusive, as Marie said, they have no real need for them. Dogs derive the most energy and benefit from meat protein.

That said:

Dani eats grain free because I prefer to have as high of protein content as possible. I’d feed raw if my life allowed for it, but atm, it doesn’t. When she starts competing I will adjust my life and go raw. She also gets about 25-40% of her daily intake via dehydrated or canned, both of which tend towards much higher protein to carb ratios

Liesl however eats grain inclusive because she has some food allergy/intolerance whatever you feel like calling it that comes from grain free (legumes, mainly) so she eats 50-60% of her diet as canned and dehydrated. Grain inclusive is almost always lower protein than grain free

[Dixie W]

I have been reading a lot of good comments on Onijen dog food. My Boston Terrier has Cushing’s and I have been trying to find a food that will give him the protein he needs for his legs strength but low in carbs. He is a senior dog( 12 years) and not a puppy but you can check out Chewy.com and maybe get helpful info. I also got great information from the U of TN vet school on food and supplements. I have 3 other boston’s so they will never get any more “junk” dog food either! I’m making home cooked meals now and using supplements for the proper vitamins etc that they need. I grind up everything in the food processor to make it easier for him to chew. Good luck with you r new baby.

[Susan]

Hi, yes they say that EPI dogs can have a high fat diet, what I’m noticing on the F/B EPI group, a lot of dogs are suffering from Acid reflux & need ant acid meds, high fat diets are no good if your dog suffers with acid reflux or if you dog doesn’t suffer with acid reflux they can get acid reflux from eating a high fat diet kibble or wet tin foods..
I wouldn’t go too low with the fat, I stick around 8%-12% max fat cause of Patch skin problems.. also sardines in spring water are good to add as a topper on their kibble for their skin….
When your dog was eating Taste Of Wild did he start his scratching & itchiness or when he was on a vet diet did he get his S.B.I.O?
You need to start limiting certain carbohydrates like, Lactose, Fructose, Resistant Starches like potato, peas, lentils, beans, legumes, banana etc you need a diet where the carbs don’t ferment in the gut & bowel causing the S.I.B.O…
Patch has had SIBO twice now & both times his skin & paws were yeasty & smelly as well….I keep a dairy but I didn’t write what foods he was eating at the time, so now I’m writing what he is eating so if it happens again I’ll know what kibbles & foods to avoid. I’ve stopped giving a little bit of banana as a treat in the morning..

The Honest Kitchen Zeal is suppose to be really good, its low in carbs, low in fat, gluten free high protein, but I think its expensive to feed a big dog, I feed 2 different meals wet tin for breakfast, kibble for lunch & dinner & a late small feed of wet tin food that I feed for breakfast..Patch can’t eat 2 large meals a day he gets pain either stomach or pancreas pain, so I divide all the meals into 4 smaller meals..

With wet tin foods the fat % is different to the fat % in kibbles..it isn’t lower in wet tin foods….. if the wet tin says 5% fat when converted to dry matter (Kibble) 5% fat is around 22% fat, so I feed wet tin foods where the fat is 3% & under so that’s around 7-12% fat when converted to dry matter (kibble).

This link is for humans with S.I.B.O it explains about foods that ferment & are no good..

SIBO Diets and Digestive Health – It’s about Fermentable Carbohydrates

I have found kibbles with just rice seem to be better then the grain free high starch kibbles… Here’s California Natural Lamb & Rice limited ingredients it has just 4 ingredients & the crude fiber is 2.5% or there’s their Chicken & Rice with 5 ingredients & the fiber % is the same as the Lamb & Rice, a few people I know have dogs with IBD & feed their dogs on the California Natural limited ingredient chicken or lamb kibble….
you will need to email California natural & find out what the soluble & insoluble fiber % is in the Lamb & rice or chicken & rice…
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1181

[jcholl9]

Hi,

I joined this forum awhile back looking for a good dog food, for my Mom’s dog Sammy.

Sammy has had a history of bladder stones and just recently we took her into the vet June 30th for second bladder stone checkup. Her first checkup we tried a vet diet can dog food that didn’t do much good, she lost a lot of weight because of it.

So when we took her back in on June 30th the ex-ray showed the stones were still there.

So I gave the go ahead for Sammy’s bladder stone surgery to have them removed! Sammy is 10 years old an active dog but still it was scary. Not something I want her to face again.

Thankfully she made it through her surgery and was able to go home the next day.

Long story short we gotten her bladder stone test results back today.

What the stones were made of:
1. Magnesium Ammonium Phospate
2. Struvite
3.Calcium
4. Phospahate Carbonate

I’m now trying to find a dog food low in, Protein ( less than 5 grams), Phosphorus (less than 170mg) and Calcium (less than 140 mg)

Sammy is a good dog who loves to play for her age and just have fun. Anyone’s advice would be appreciated.

[Pitlove]

Hi I don’t have greyhounds, though my bosses do. They eat anything and everything. Since one is diabetic, I’m assuming you are looking for a low-carb food? Look into Wysong Epigen 90. On a dry matter basis it is 4% carbs, lowest carb dry food on the market and completely starch free. A vet, Dr. Wysong is the maker of this food, though it’s not a prescription.

[Pitlove]

Maria- My dog is not very active because of the summer heat down here in the south and he maintains an ideal weight with foods high in protein (above 30%),moderate to low in fat(low being under 10%, moderate probably being 10-20% just in my opinion) and low in carbs (something 30% or under on a dry matter basis). Also, your dogs will not loose weight without cutting back on how much they are eating as well. You need to feed them based on the weight you want to see them at, not the weight they are. Also, they can not be free-fed.

Leora- Same info applies to you as well. Not sure exactly what your budget is because everyone’s is different.