[Susan]

Hello Tabitha, Patch was dignosed with Lymphocytic Gastritis, Helicobacter infection & also suffers from skin allergies from food & environment, When I googled Lymphocytic Gastritis the helicobacter infection & Celiac disease comes up, you can only find L/G for humans & its suppose to be rare, I’m putting Patch on a Gluten free & grainfree diet, I found a vet diet Royal Canin “Sensitivity Control” its just Tapioca & Duck, & is only 9% fat he also can’t have too much fat… Ive also been researching “Lectins” as Lectins can cause heaps of health problems especially the GI tract…With the Tapioca would Tapioca be high in Lectins It says that Tapioca is Gluten free,
I always thought Patch was allergic to Starch cause he’d get real bad diarrhea & break out with a rash all over chest & stomach area & itch after eating potatos, sweet potatoes made his ears itch, peas, rye, barley gave him bad wind & sloppy poos but now Ive read that Potatoes, peas, rye, barley are high in Lectins, so he probably wasnt allergic to starch, its the lectins, do you know much about Lectins…. I’m trying to find foods that are lectin free & alot of foods have lectins in them…How do I find out if Tapioca is high with Lectins….
I just read the link that u put up for Naturella, Its sounds like ur girl Keva has acid refux, my boy was doing the same thing 12am-3am he had a Endoscope + biopies done 3 weeks ago, that’s when vet found the Helicobacter infection & has been put on antibiotics & Zantac for 3weeks, maybe try Keva on a lower fat diet & a small feed around 9pm so the acid doesnt come into her throat early hours of the morning, thats what Ive been doing also the Zantac has helped… by the way I love ur Fat Protein & Carb converter..

[bill c]

One more question:
If Billy Junior is active–you saw the vidz right?–:



would lowfat be okay for him? I know miniature Schnauzers
are prone to pancreatic conditions but, I’d read someplace
dogs utilize fats for energy, contrary to how carbs work
for humans? Is this correct? What would you suggest?

Thanks

[tecknik]

What some don’t realize is that your dog’s allergies may not be food related. That turned out to be the case for my dog. Here I was trying all different food concoctions, then the useless Dinovite and it turns out my dog has many environmental allergies including Wool, willow, dust mites, mold mites and about 20 other things.
I’ve always had her on a raw diet (Abady) which is helpful and keeps her coat nice and shiny. (less poop as well due to minimal carbs, too) I also add unrefined coconut oil for more nutrients as well as a good dog vitamin.
As for dog treats, I buy $3.99lb london broils or stew beef then grill it medium rare, then cut into bite size pieces. I will buy in bulk and freeze the remaining. It’s a little work but not that much and if you look at the ounces of a bag of good dog treats, you will find that you are paying over $10 a pound! (usually $4 to $5 for a 6oz bag of treats) It’s the best type of treat to give your dog and you know exactly what is in it.
For my dog’s treatment, we first had the allergy testing done. Yes, it is expensive and thank God I have insurance so I get reimbursed. ($500 because dog has to have anesthesia)
Second step was to remove as many of her allergens as possible from the environment. That meant giving up my two brand new wool carpets. :/ Now I clean an extra day a week as well to ensure there is no dust.
Third step was medication to cure her symptoms. She had ear infections, yeast infections and sores from all the scratching. The doctor prescribed a slew of medicines including prednisone which really stopped her scratching. Unfortunately, this can not be used long term because it can be harmful to the liver and other organs.
Fourth step (and this is where we are now) Allergy shots. It started every other day and now we are at once a week. The scratching is down to a minimal and hopefully over time her immune system will work against her allergies and she will be a happy dog for good.

[Dog_Obsessed]

The low protein did bother me a bit, if I did use it it would be a topper only in my rotation. The THK recipes have varying protein and carb values, but they list their carbs on the website which I really like.

[Susan]

Hi, I would not be feeding a puppy the Hills i/d food, You dont say if he’s on the i/d low fat restore or just the i/d gastro, the fat% in the i/d restore is only 8.5% way to low for a pup, that’s probably why he was waking thru the night hungry, I know that Hills sponsors Guide dogs BUT please add some premium quaility food with any Hills kibbles…& watch he doesnt become itchy as Hills foods are high in Carbs up to 60% carbs, my boy can’t eat Hills, he starts to scratch & be itchy, Im trying the Hills i/d Low fat restore wet tin food, just for breakfast something different as Im sick of boiling chicken & pumkin but when I ask Patch which one do you want, I show him the the i/d food & the chicken breast & pumkin, he picks his chicken & pumkin, lol….

Oh, just read you change food, but if he still on Hills please add either a few sardines that were in spring water, or chicken or a boiled egg, etc so his stomach/bowel get use to different foods, sardines will make him nice & shinney..

[Nelson P]

Hi everyone,
It’s the first time I post on this thread but have been learning a lot from reading it (specially from HDM). So, first of all thanks! Now, hopefully you guys don’t mind if I ask for a little more help. I have a 3 months old Golden Retriever. I have been feeding him Royal Canin Golden Retriever Junior (recommended by the vet.) but as you all know, it’s not the best choice. I want to do better. Unfortunately I don’t have the time or money to feed him a proper raw meal. Not now, maybe in the future (who knows). Good Canned is also very expensive (maybe I can add it as a topper sometimes). So I have to stick with kibble. Would like to choose from HDM list but I live in Europe (Portugal) and we don’t have those brands here (stores or online) and buy it from a international online store would also be too expensive for the shipping. I had to look for other brands and try to stick with the guidelines I learn here. As sad as it may look I couldn’t find too many brands to choose from (there are plenty but not that good). Basically I found 2 options: Orijen/Acana large breed puppy (I know it’s borderline with the calcium levels) or Naturea. Naturea is a portuguese brand but they produce there food in a UK factory tucked into a rural area (as they stated in their website). They have the same Biologically Appropriate concept that Champions have. It’s possible none of you ever heard about this brand (I too didn’t know them until yesterday). I don’t know if I can post the website here for you guys to help me analyse their food so I’ll copy/past their Technical Information:

Composition:
Chicken (includes Fresh Deboned Chicken and Chicken Meal), Sweet Potato, Egg Powder,
Chicken Fat, Potato Protein, Lucerne, Linseed, Chicken Gravy, Salmon Oil, Minerals,
Vitamins, Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane, Chondroitin Sulphate, Apple, Carrot,
Tomato, Spinach, Psyllium, Rosehips, Camomile, Burdock Root, Peppermint, Marigold,
Seaweed, Cranberry, Dandelion, Fructooligosaccharides, Aniseed, Fenugreek, Yucca
Schidigera Extract, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Sage.

Animal Ingredients (63%):
Chicken Meal (low ash) 31.17%
Fresh Deboned Chicken 13.85%
Egg Powder 8.22%
Chicken Fat 7.36%
Chicken Gravy 1.73%
Salmon Oil 0.86%

Typical Analysis:
Crude Protein 32%
Crude Fat 21%
Crude Fibre 3%
Moisture 8.5%
Carbohydrates 27.5%
Crude Ash 8%
Metabolisable Energy 387 kCal/100g
Calcium 1.21%
Phosphorus 1.04%

Coat, cardio & Joints:
Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) 3.09%
Linolenic Acid (Omega 3) 1.07%
Glucosamine 889 mg/kg
Chondroitin 625 mg/kg
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) 889 mg/kg

Other Vitamins, Amnio Acids & Minerals:
Vitamin A 25730 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 1730 IU/kg
Vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol acetate) 231 IU/kg
Vitamin B1 10 mg/kg
Vitamin B2 23 mg/kg
Vitamin B6 10 mg/kg
Vitamin B12 127 mcg/kg
Biotin 323 mcg/kg
Folic acid 1.73 mg/kg
Niacin 35 mg/kg
Choline Chloride 240 mg/kg
Pantothenate 20 mg/kg
Potassium 1.04%
Sodium 0.36%
Chloride 0.63%
Magnesium 0.1%
Zinc (as zinc sulphate monohydrate) 285 mg/kg
Zinc (as chelate of amino acids hydrate) 342 mg/kg
Copper (as cupric sulphate monohydrate) 41 mg/kg
Copper (as cupric chelate of amino acids hydrate) 51 mg/kg
Manganese (as manganous sulphate monohydrate) 112 mg/kg
Iron (as ferrous sulphate monohydrate) 309 mg/kg
Iron (as ferrous chelate of amino acids hydrate) 21 mg/kg
Iodine (as calcium iodate anhydrous) 1.58 mg/kg
Selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.51 mg/kg

Sorry for the long text. I need to decide on a food sooner than later to start the transition. In the future I would like to rotate different brands (If I can find good ones), and add toppers as suggested here. But for now I really have to decide. Origin, Naturea or other world available brand? Can you help me? So afraid to make the wrong choice. Any other advice on dog/puppy health would be great 🙂

P.S. As for the toppers, besides eggs, tinned sardines, plain yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, and veggies what can I add without throwing off the balance?

[Melissaandcrew]

Btw-After the bacterial infection is corrected, the disease can at times be treated solely from diet, however, many dogs do need steroids, and further medications-one of them being Tylan that I have talked about several times. For this condition, diets should be gluten free, easily digestible carbs, low in lactose and fat, and novel protein source. Each dog is different and will require a different protocol..some need low residue prescription diets.

[Susan]

Look for a low carb food, my boy was licking & licking his paws & his paws smelt like corn chips, real yeasty & when he’d walk on wet grass, his paws would get red & itchy…..His 2 front paws are the worst, he can’t eat potatoes, Sweet Potatoes Peas, no starchy foods….also bath him & his paws in Malaseb Medicated Shampoo its an anti-fungal shampoo kills the bacteria but doesnt dry out his skin & the Malaseb relieves his itch & red paws & stops his smelly paws, so no licking…
Your best to feed either cooked or raw diet so u can control the amount of carbs he’s eating have you looked at “K9 Natural” freeze dried food. This food was invented for itchy dogs, has no beet pulp either, here’s their link to have a read….
http://www.k9naturalusa.com/ the Chicken & Venison has the least fat%

[Susan]

Hi Vicki, you have a beautiful girl, I have a English Staffordshire Terrier, he’s also short & real stocky, he too suffers from the stinky yeasty skin, paws, ears, mostly his paws now…

Everyone will tell you, put her on a grainfree diet. WRONG… Grainfree doesn’t work for yeasty itchy dogs… they have replaced grains with Starchy Potatos, Peas, Topioca, Sweet Potato, (a bit lower in starch) Legumes etc…
I had to do an elimination diet to find out which foods were causing Patches problems, I found Potatos, Sweet potatos, Peas, Wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats, Banana all made Patch itch even causing diarrhea (pototes) anything that was high in STARCH & Gluten, so now I try to keep Patch on a Gluten & Starch free diet….

You seem to be doing everything right, Maybe try the Antiseptic rinses with Betadine (Iodine) this really helps Patches red itchy stinky paws, it kills the bacteria..I use Detol Antiseptic lotion instead in a shallow bath, it works out cheaper then the Betadine you need the water to look like ice tea with the Betadine, you end up needing a whole bottle, where with the Detol antiseptic lotion, I only need a couple of caps to a shallow bath..

Now you need to start on the inside with her Diet…..

Kibble is NO GOOD, to make kibble they need binders to bind the kibble together Peas, Potato, Sweet Potatos, Rice, Oats, legumes etc these all are high starchy carbs causing yeast problems in dogs, the best way is no kibble… feed either a cooked diet or a freeze dry diet or both… no kibble….. 1 for breakfast the other 1 for dinner, I boiled chicken breast & add little boiled Pumkin for breakfast…

Have you looked at freeze dried foods like “K-9 Natural” instead of kibble, it has NO GRAINS, NO POTATOS, GLUTEN FREE, NO HIGH STARCHY CARBS…alot of people swear by K9 Natural, once you get ur girl off kibble the nightmare will start to end for both of you….. K9 Natural also makes treats, they do freeze dried & raw ….click on the product you want to have a look at & all the ingredients will come up……the chicken or the venison has the least amount of fat %…..even find another freeze dried brand with the same ingredients that K9 Natural uses if you can not find K9 Natural in pet shops…
here’s their link its worth a try…
http://www.k9naturalusa.com/

Good Luck with Gracie Mae

[USA]

Hi BC,

You wrote:
“For yeast, my favorite kibble is Brothers Complete. It was formulated specifically to help yeasty dogs.”

The ingredients and nutrient percentages for brothers venison formula are listed below (taken from DFA). Can you please explain how this formula will “help yeasty dogs.”

Any references you could present to back up this claim would be greatly appreciated!

Protein 36%
Fat 18%
Carbs 39%
Ingredients: Venison meal, dried whole eggs, turkey meal, pea starch, cassava/tapioca, pea flour, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), dried chicken liver, pumpkin, ground flaxseed, alfalfa, carrots, potassium chloride, sea salt, choline chloride, dried whole cell algae (pure source of omega 3 DHA), mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, green tea extract, encapsulated probiotics (dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product), enzymes [amylase (Aspergillus oryzae), protease (Aspergillus oryzae), cellulase (Trichoderma reesei), lactase (Aspergillus oryzae), hemicellulase (Trichoderma reesei), lipase (Aspergillus oryzae), prebiotic (organic, long chain, highly branched inulin), vegetable pomace (celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach), cranberry pomace, lysine HCL, dl-methionine, lecithin, taurine, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D3, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin, folic acid, biotin, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, l-ascorbyl 2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C activity), zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, vitamin B12 supplement, l-carnitine

[theBCnut]

For yeast, my favorite kibble is Brothers Complete. It was formulated specifically to help yeasty dogs. And low carb kibbles are better than high carb kibbles for yeast though. Kibble is never the best food for yeast, because all kibble has to have a pretty hefty amount of carbs to hold together. If you can swing it, canned is better, low carb homemade or raw is best. Add coconut oil and probiotics to the diet to help fight the yeast. And bathe weekly with an essential oil shampoo, do not use oatmeal shampoos.

Yeast is often caused by a food reaction, so if you don’t figure out what your dog is reacting to, it will come back.

[theBCnut]

That does not sound like a balanced diet at all, so would harm your dog in the long run. Look on dogaware.com for some balanced recipes.

Yes, you can add veggies to dog’s food, but most commercial foods are carb heavy and do not need an more carbs added, so stick to low carb veggies. It’s better to add things like sardines, eggs, yogurt, lean meats, etc.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I take joy in looking around the Purina website, and looking at reviews of really, really bad dog food on DFA. This food is probably just another of their marketing gimmicks, I would try another middle step food if you were going to do that, maybe Wellness simple? It’s a bit lower protein and higher carb than the CORE recipes, plus the limited ingredients could be good.

[Akari_32]

The thing with Purina is that that they *like* carbs. They know that dogs (and cats) do not need them, and they know that dogs loose weight better on low carb, high protein diets. But because they are greedy and want all the money they can get, they tout carbs to be valuable energy sources and actually call them “essential carbs.” They know all this stuff, yet they don’t put it into practice. They do have some Pro Plan formulas that look pretty good, and that I’ve used here and there in the past, however. And I like the looks of Beyond for shot term use, and I’ve used those as well, before the recent packaging and marketing changes. I will say, they are getting better, as a brand. They are realizing that consumers are beginning to no longer rely on marketing, but are instead reading labels and researching for themselves what is good and what is not. My hope for this new line is that Purina has continued down that path. Don’t get me wrong, my hopes are aren’t high, but they are there lol

[Akari_32]

I routinely use puppy foods for my 11, 12, and 14 year old dogs. All that stuff in puppy food is great for them. It’s lower in carbs and higher in protein, which is what senior dogs need. Don’t worry too much about labeling, and go for any food that says its for puppies, all life stages, and adults.

For such a small dog, you may even look into a pre-mix for raw. I have an 8 lb jack russell mix on See Spot Live Longer and a variety of protein sources, and it only costs about $20 a month to feed him.

If you don’t want to go that route, I’m a big fan of Wellness. Their non-small breed formulas have kibbles that your little guy probably can’t chew, but they do have several Small and Toy Breed foods out, and they are releasing more. They come in grain-inclusive and grain free varieties, and they also always $5 off any size bag coupons on their website. Just click the “Check Your Bag” button, and follow the promts.

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx

I also use Nutro Natural Choice LID Lamb and Rice (in the dark green bag), and their Small Breed line looks fantastic as well, but the prices and lack of coupons drive me away (those are in pink bags). Nutro Ultra looks like a great food.

Be careful when selecting foods while trying to stay away from Diamond. They make Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild, Canidae, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul, Precise, Premium Edge, and many more. And While I used to love Innova and Evo, I can personally no longer recommend them. They are now owned by Mars– the candy company. Since the buy-out of Natura (P&G, then Mars) the protein levels have dropped and more carbs have been added. Mars also owns others brands of pet foods. If they make your candy bars, should they *really* be making pet food?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101566238#.

Good luck with your little guy! I think I speak for all of us when I say “PICS!!!!” 😉

[Dog_Obsessed]

Try feeding him some boiled chicken with rice, pumpkin, or sweet potato as a carb for a few days, and then slowly re-introduce his normal food. Adding a supplement like The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form could also help. If he keeps having diarrhea, has bloody stools, stops eating, or is lethargic then take him to the vet. I hope he feels better soon!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Susan]

Hi Jennifer, my boy has also been diagnosed with IBD, he was put on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic first as he suffers from skin allergies aswell, he didnt do too well on the R/C HP cause the fat% was 19% & the kibbles didnt digest, he’d vomit up his kibble 7-8 hours later all undigested..I live Australia & our Vet diets have different ingredients to the American vet diets, I dont know why.. then we tried the Royal Canin Sensitivitity Control that just has Duck & tropica, I think he still felt sick on the R/C SC, so now he’s on Vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue kibble, this kibble breaks down & digests easy, less work on their stomach & bowel …Ive tried commerical diets against my vets advice & we always have to go back to his vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal in the end but the best kibble that I tried was the “Wellness Simple” Lamb & Oatmeal & Duck & Oatmeal these kibbles weren’t hard to digest & broke down easy like his Euknauba Intestinal but the Wellness Simple has peas & he’d get bad wind & pain at night, so I had to stop feeding it..ur girl mite be OK with peas..
I started an elimintion diet in March & found he cant eat Potatoes, he gets bad diarrhea & had rash all over chest, Sweet potatoes he had itchy ears, Peas gave him bad wind, boiled rice makes his poos very sloppy… vet said that boiled rice can irratate the bowel..but he can eat grounded rice thats in kibbles….

Have you join the “IBDogs” group on yahoo, a few ladies are feeding the “Natural Balance” Kangaroo & Potatoes or the Rabbit & Potatoes limited ingredients but you have to look at all their LID ingredients as different flavours have more ingredients, like peas that can irratate the bowel…. the Kangaroo & Rabbit have the least ingredients which is needed with IBS or there’s the Sweet Potatoes & Bison or Sweet Potatoes & Fish ..or do home cook foods like I did with the elimination diet..that way you find out what foods she can eat, so when you looked for an kibble, you’ll know which kibbles will agree with her….here’s the Natural Balance link, just click on “Dog formulas” top left, then click on the limited ingredient link.. start with a kibble that just has 1 protein & 1 carb if u can find one..less is best..
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/product-category.aspx?…
I cant get the Natural Balance in Australia..

May I ask does the Omeprazole (Losec) make ur dog do green/black poos, Patch was put on the Losec (omeprazole) 2 weeks ago & his poos were greenie/ black & softer, I have stopped his Losec 2 days ago & his poos are back to normal firm & brown..

[USA]

I took a look at their dehydrated dog food products:
http://www.shop.dogsfortheearth.com/100-Organic-Dehydrated-Dog-Food_c2.htm

ALL of the dehydrated foods have the EXACT same GA. The numbers add up to 100% when converted to Dry Matter. Here’s the PROBLEM, the numbers for ALL their dehydrated formulas are:

Dry Matter Analysis (Done by me):
Protein 72%
Fat 16.8%
Fiber 11.2%
= 100%

Problem 1) Where are the carbs? They list fiber, but the ingredients show that there has to be a larger amount of carbs than fiber. There are 15 ingredients that contain carbs in EACH formula and the carbs are not 100% fiber so their fiber % is off.

Problem 2) The protein % is too high! In order for there to be 72% protein (DM) in ALL their formulas there would have to be very little carbs. Yet they list 15 ingredients with carbs in EACH formula. If this and all their other dehydrated products were 100% lean meat the protein % would be about 80%. 15 ingredients with carbs would bring the protein % LOWER than 72%.

Problem 3) They leave no room for ASH. There are minerals in the meat, vegetables and other ingredients in these foods, yet they leave no room for them in their GA which adds up to exactly 100% without them.

Problem 4) Can ALL of their dehydrated foods really have the exact same GA using different meat sources?

Problem 5) They list the GA wrong. AAFCO says the GA should be listed like this:

“guarantees are required for minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture”

It looks like they list an AS FED analysis and not an AAFCO compliant GA.

Lovin’ The LAMB Dehydrated –
Guaranteed Analysis(on their website)
Rehydrated Moisture 75%,
Protein 18%,
Fat 4.2%,
Fiber 2.8%

Ingredients:
Lamb with Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver and Lamb Kidney
Spinach or Kale
Pumpkin
Green Beans
Broccoli
Carrots
Squash
Apples
Cranberries or Blueberries
Bananas
Papaya
Celery
Ground Flax
Alfalfa Powder
Kelp Powder
Parsley.
Seasonable vegetables & herbs may change – but NOT nutritional value..

[theBCnut]

Hi Dori

SSLL is a powder to sprinkle on boneless meat, so you can have it as chunky as you like. I really like it for dogs that you are trying to restrict carbs on. You only use 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. Angel needs fiber added to her SSLL, because it is so nutrient dense/low fiber.

[Susan]

Hi Amy, Im just reading Lew Olsons PhD, Raw & Natural Nutrition for dogs again, its a good book to have lying around, it has easy home cooked & raw recipes in the book she says this about Epilepsy: While the connection between grains & seizures is still being researched a number of studies suggest that feeding carbohydrates can increase the risks of seizure activity, either by making blood sugar level fluctuations more extreme or by causing allergic reactions due to gluten intolerance. The best defense is a fresh-food diet with low to mediun levels of fats, high levels of animal protein & few carbohydrates….

Supplements: Fish Oil, Vitamin E & digestive enzymes are all good supplements for dogs suffering from Epilepsy. Additionally adding a quality B complex vitamin has proven to fight seizures in both humans & animals. DMG made from a derivative of glycine has also shown promising results in slowing down or stopping seizure activity. For dogs the liquid form given by dropper in the gum line appears to work the best..
If you don’t mind making a few cooked meals she has 4 different Low-Fat Low Glycemic Diets for Epilepsy & what Supplements to add..

[Amy H]

I am adopting an epileptic lab mix rescue pup, 10 months old, and I am told about 60 lbs. I have looked over these forums and printed out a few articles from the Mercola site to bring to my first vet appt with him. Once he is settled in our home I will begin transitioning him to a higher protein, lower carb, grain free diet. The first bag I bought for that is EB Holistic Primitive Naturals. He is on KBr already, as he had multiple grand mal seizures after poison ingestion, but he has been seizure free for several months. I am looking for advice from others who have dealt with this – what worked for you, and what didn’t? I am not up to a raw diet, but herbals and supplements would be manageable within budgetary reason. I wonder whether a rotation diet is still advisable, since I need to worry about affecting his KBr blood levels with varying salt content in different foods. Most labels I’ve checked don’t list sodium content. I read through about 55 pages of the large & giant breed puppy food forum, and think he is old enough that I at least don’t need to worry about calcium content. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

[neezerfan]

OK, I’ll jump in here. You’re right, Linda, there is no straight answer. First of all, I don’t feed kibble. I think it’s too processed, too high in carbs and not species appropriate. But then I have 2 small dogs and not 3 big ones so that keeps finances more out of the decision.

For one dog, I feed him a combo of Darwin’s raw and a few types of canned I like. Fromm, Whole Earth Farms, Nature’s Instinct and Ziwipeak are my favorites. I also add in fresh human food when available. Plain meat and cooked veggies.

My other dog has food intolerances so he is now eating Royal Canin potato and venison canned food. If you had told me a year ago I would feed this I would have said you were crazy but it’s been a savior for him. After 3 months on this I’m slowly adding other brands of venison food to see how it works for him.

So, it is a matter of what works best for each individual dog. You read and learn and makes some choices of good quality foods, and see what works!

BTW, is there really a food that labs won’t eat? LOL!

[theBCnut]

Well, I believe it is best for dogs to be fed a variety of foods, different proteins, different carbs, so I would switch foods just for that reason alone. I wouldn’t expect the lack of weight loss to be because of chicken versus some other protein source, but it could have to do with the amount of carbs or fat.

The DFA method takes out the water that is still in the kibble, so you can better compare kibbles. Some have more moisture than others. The DFA method also assumes a certain level of ash.

For my dogs, I prefer to go high protein, moderate fat, and low carb and just adjust the amount I feed, but I don’t have dogs that would drive me crazy with begging and acting pitiful either, if I don’t feed them a certain amount of food.

[Kathleen C]

The Farmina looks like low carbs, but it’s high fat.

[Kathleen C]

I think getting Sojo’s online is probably my best bet since I live in a small rural town and we have nothing! I’ll check Amazon. Also, Jack doesn’t have a problem with chicken that I know of. He just can’t lose weight on it. I do remove some of the 1/4 cup when I feed him and I add water to the kibble like someone suggested. Do you think even with higher carbs but with lower fat the Annamaet might do the trick? Or I may just go back to the Core Reduced Fat since it has lower carbs and only 13% fat, though the bag says 10-12%. The 9% really isn’t that much lower.

[theBCnut]

High calories cause weight gain, which usually means that fat is the problem, not protein, since fat has more than double the calories of protein or carbs. You should measure out the amount of food that she needs and probably give a lower calorie food.

[Akari_32]

I’ve got a dog almost exactly like yours. We finally out him By Nature 95% canned food (around $20 a case on PetFlow) and he cleared considerably. Then I put him on a raw diet with See Spot Live Longer pre mix (the lowest carb pre mix I could find, and thankfully the cheapest!), and he’s gotten even better. He still, however, chews his feet from the grass, but there’s just no stopping that. He’s finally got hair grown back in all over body after chew himself bald from his ribs back, and he’s less red, other than his feet and tummy where the grass touches him.

[Michael H]

Hi everyone! Not sure if this is the right forum section to post this, but I’m in dire need of some help.

We have an almost 9 year old rescued Basset Hound, who we have been struggling to manage yeast and chronic inflamed skin since we’ve had him this past year. The vet has him on persistent hydroxyzine and prednisone, of which I try to give the least effective dose, as especially prednisone I’m not that comfortable using due to the side effects.

Upon shelling out for an allergy test (environmental and diet [Spectrum Groups Spot Report]), we’ve found out he’s positive for 19 things and borderline for another 7 out of a total of 91 tested items.

His symptoms are always the worst in the spring/summer, as one of the main allergens is grass, which as far as I know I can’t do much about. I’ve replanted our yard to grass that he’s supposedly not allergic to, but anything that blows our way from a neighboring yard cancels that out.

There are a lot of dietary items as well, and finding a food for him has been a nightmare. I’ve considered cooking food for him, but unsure what’s considered “balanced”, and raw feeding makes me a bit nervous as I’ve heard that grocery-grade meats can possibly be tainted since they are meant to be cooked until a safe temperature, and I don’t want to hurt him. Any outlet in our area that sells organic/free range/etc. isn’t very accessible or is very expensive.

The list of foods he tested positive for are:

Venison
Eggs
Lamb
Wheat
Rice
Oats
Potato
Carrots

Borderline Foods:
Dairy (Milk)

Low-scoring/Negative:
Beef
Rabbit
Poultry Mix
Pork
Soy
Corn
Beet
Flax
Barley
Brewers Yeast
Kelp
Alfalfa
Fish Mix
Green Pea
Duck

So, I have to avoid conventional grains. Due to his yeast issues/dermatitus, I’m also assuming that the lowest starch/low glycemic food would be in his best interest. The main issue I’m running into is that most grain free foods use potatoes, eggs, or carrots, which he’s also allergic to.

On one had it seems that wet food may be the way to go, but as he’s older, his teeth aren’t the best. They are all still intact, but he doesn’t really gnaw on anything at all (can’t really with his droops, they are probably easy to chomp down on and would hurt) to clean them, and brushing hasn’t seemed to do a whole lot, so I’m fearing that wet food may make it worse. I’ve bought knuckle bones for him and our other dog, but he only eats the tasty stuff on the outside and his sister gets the hand-me-down since she will actually gnaw and grind it down. Her teeth are excellent in regards to tartar.

From the test it looks like he can have peas, lentils, or chickpeas as a binder, but again I’m unsure of how much starch content may be in the resulting food. I’m finding sweet potato in a lot of the foods as well, but it wasn’t tested for, and I’m unsure of how related they may be.

So far I’ve tried Taste of the Wild Wetlands & Pacific Stream (which we feed to our other dog), but they didn’t do a whole lot for him-both contain either sweet potatoes, potato, or egg. Our other dog doesn’t seem to have any issues thus far at 3 years, thank goodness, and hopefully it stays that way.

The best looking food I’ve come across is Orijen 6 fish, but it’s very expensive. It doesn’t start listing carb sources until the 12th ingredient, but I can’t really tell if that’s a good or bad thing-chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, and green peas all have protein as well, and they seem to count that towards the protein % for the food, so their ingredient %’s could be just as high as if it were listed as the second ingredient, like I find in a lot of other, cheaper foods.

If we can get any help with this, it would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Mike & Beth

[Susan]

Hi Richard, Ive been going thru this with diarrhea & skin problems since I rescued my boy on the 20th November 2012…..are you starting with home cooked food trial or a vet prescription diet?

I started with a vet prescription diet first, I found it easier & ur dog gets all his vitamins etc…Your dog doesn’t have to stay on the vet prescription diet forever but its a starting point & probably will help with his diarrhea if put on the right vet prescription diet…

At first I didn’t want to believe my vet when he told me my boy had IBD caused by certain foods & enviornment.. Patches first vet put him on Royal Canin Hypoallergenic (HP) the fat was tooo high, then poor Patch got Pancreatitis, his first poo of a morning on the R/C HP was good but his afternoon poo was always very sloppy & yellow & he still had his hive like lumps over his body & red itchy paws after being on the R/C HP vet diet for 2 months , then I rung Royal Canin & I spoke with one of their nuturalist vet & she said try the Royal Canin ‘Sensitivity Control’ which was just Tapioca & Duck this worked, it cleared his red itchy paws but I cant remember why he was then put on another vet prescription diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue kibble, I did change vets at the same clinic as Patches first vet was very very busy with surgery & was hard to get appointments with, but the Eukanuba worked the BEST, his poos stayed firm, skin cleared up, he still gets his red paws now & then but it worked with his diarrhea the best, then after being on the Eukanuba Intestinal for around 6 months & he was doing really well, I started to try commercial premium kibbles they just didnt work, too many ingredients, fats too high, fiber too high, the last kibble I tried was the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal last month he went real good for the first 2 months, then he started having bad gas of a night & the afternoon poo was sloppy & yellow again…
What I’ve found with the normal kibbles there will be either 1 ingredient that my dog cant eat or there’s too many carbs causing skin problems or sloppy poos, bad wind, so it was back to the vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal within 2 days poos all good again…

At the begining of this year when Patch was doing real well just eating his Eukanuba again & after trying 5 different kibbles that didnt work for him..I started trying new foods just at breakfast time, I kept feeding his Eukanuba Intestinal for lunch & dinner & I started a food elimination diet for breakfast & cause the Eukanuba Intestinal has chicken & turkey, I started with boiled chicken breast as I knew he can tolarate chicken.. I added just rice, Patch had real sloppy yellow poos again, so I stopped the rice & tried boiled egg he did real well on chicken & egg then I added sweet pototo after 2 days, his ears started to itch, I stopped the sweet potato, waited till his itchy ears went away which was 2 days, then I tried a little bit of boiled pumkin, the pumkin worked, he had no reactions, only if I gave to much pumkin mixed with the chicken his poos were softer & more orange, then next morning I added some boiled potato, my god within 20 mins of eating the potato he had a rash all over his chest at first I thought its from our morning walk, he always walks thru shrubs, bushy plants to have his poo, so the next morning I added the potato again & again he was scratching his chest, I looked & the rash was back & that afternoon he had diarrhea like he had gotten back in December when I tried a Fish & Potato kibble, so now I know Potatos are a no no, then I stopped the chicken & I feed tin tuna in spring water, I drain the water & add a bit of pumkin, Patch did real well on tuna & little bit of pumkin, I added the boiled egg, he had no skin reactions or sloppy poos, then I added rice again just to be sure this week & again very very sloppy poos, so I definently know do not feed boiled rice, potatos & sweet potatoes…

I’d try a vet prescription diet first, they are made especially for dogs with diarrhea problems & skin problems from foods, its a starting point…..

Hills Z/d uses hydrolyzed chicken liver & hydrolyzed chicken.. Royal Canin Hypoallergenic uses hydrolyzed soya protein isolate & hydrolysed poultry liver, but the Royal Canin HP uses more oils then the Hills Z/d, there’s soya oil, fish oil, barage oil, marigold extract in the R/C HP, too many oils for my dog thats probably why his poos weren’t firming up.
Royal Canin Sensitivity Control has dehydrated duck & hydrolyzed poultry proteins.
there’s also Raynes K9 Sensitive Gi a few ladies use the Raynes when the Hills & Royal Canin didnt work for their dogs but I dont think Raynes uses hydrolyzed proteins..

I joined groups, either facebook groups or a yahoo groups, the yahoo groups are the best, you get alot of help from people that are going thru the same thing, what foods have worked & what didn’t work for their dogs with diarrhea…there’s a good group on yahoo called “IBDogs” & “K9Kitchen” run by Monica Segal she can help with ur dogs diet if needed & answer questions….
Good-Luck

[Akari_32]

The only issues I had with both of those mixes is how much they need to eat of it. Just seems like too much to me. However, I’d go with THK if you wanted to go with either of those. You won’t find anything as low priced as SSLL, anywhere. It’s just the nature of pre-mixes. There are some that are $80+ a bag! With only two small dogs to feed, price may not be a factor with you, though. Look around, and see if there’s anything you like. The best ones I’ve heard of are SSLL and Urban Wolf, but if you Google “dog raw diet pre-mix” or something to that effect, you may find something you like better. My goal for a pre-mix was low carb and small portions. Not everyone needs something so specific.

I would also like to add that most people order their meats online that do their own homemade raw diets for their pets. You’d be hard pressed to find everything you need locally, and for a good price. However, I’m not sure what websites people like to use for that. I know of haretoday, and that’s it.

[jakes mom]

Yeah,Patty, that’s what I thought, I was hoping there was something kind of in between that would work for both. That would make things easier with just one food.They are eating Purina Fit and Healthy or something like that. Low enough fat for the dog with pancreatitis I guess, and I was surprised that the vet didn’t recommend a low carb food, but she didn’t. I was hoping to use this diagnosis to gently point them toward a better food but if the vet isn’t recommending a change I don’t know what I can do.

[theBCnut]

They shouldn’t be eating the same food. The diabetic needs low carb food. And the pancreatitis dog needs low fat food. All that leaves is high protein, which is expensive. The Honest Kitchen Zeal is the only one I can think of off the top of my head. If they ate separate foods then she could find a low carb for one and a low fat for the other. The low carb one would likely cost more, but only one dog would be eating it.

[Akari_32]

Heya, Bobby Dog! I’m Happy be off that stupid boat. There’s nothing to do on the ship if you don’t drink, and I can’t even stand the smell of alcohol. I sat in the room most of the time and read the first book and half of the Harry Potter series, and played a good 1/4-1/3 of Pokemon X (one more gym and the league to go!). In three days…. LOL Night before last I did eat an entire pizza by myself, though. That was quite the accomplishment XD Wasn’t bad for frozen cruise pizza :p

They closed down for good. They bought the practice from a terrible vet, and filed a law suit against them and everything. They were actually doing pretty good, but all the legal crap from the other vet dragged them down. Plus he wasn’t a very good business manager and bought equipment they didn’t need and stuff. All in good intention, but you can’t do that when just starting out, and under a bad name already, at that! He did a great job with his clients, though and most of them will follow him wherever he goes. I probably will if I ever figure out where he’s going next and he’s close enough! I really did like him. He’s very nice and cares so much about his patients and their owners. Turns out, the crappy vet is coming back. I will tell everyone I know not to go to that place! I did not like the reviews I read about him on line. Not a single good word has been said about that guy!

So after some looking around, her reverse sneezing probably an allergy thing (she normal sneezes when we go out side, but not inside other than a few little huffs every now and then) or her breathing in random stuff due to her small size. Everyone is having terrible allergies around here right now, and even Bentley on his no-carb raw diet is back to chewing his feet and itching. I’ve been living on sudafed for the last three weeks, even lol Anyways, I guess it’s not something to worry too much about. Still don’t like it, though…

[theBCnut]

Are the yeast issues all over or just in the ears. If the yeast is just in the ears, then try limited ingredient diets that don’t have the protein and carb source that she usually gets. Once she is eating a food that does not have the ingredients she is reacting to in it, the ears should get better. Zymox is a great cleaning solution.

If the yeast is all over, then in addition to getting off the offending ingredients, you also need to go low carb, as low as you can go, to starve out the yeast.

Doing an elimination diet is the best way to figure out what your dog is reacting to. Pick one protein source and one carb source that your dog has not been exposed to and feed only that for at least 10 weeks. When your dog is not longer showing signs of allergy, start adding single foods back in, one every couple weeks, while watching closely for any reaction. If you see a reaction, then go back to foods you know are safe for a while, until there is no reaction again, and start trying new foods again.

When I had to do an elimination diet for my dog, I started with a particular food in mind, and the ingredients for that food were what I tried first, then I has a food I could move him onto to continue testing other ingredients.

If you want kibbles to try, my first choices would be Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets or Canine Caviar Holistic. Those brands each have a few flavors to choose from.

[weezerweeks]

When my yorkie was diagnosed with sturvites without uti, I switched him to canned food that was low in carbs and even added water to this. My vet says that it makes the urine more alkalinity and with sturvites u need more acidity. I personally think water is the key. I could see the crystals when he tee tee and they looked like diamonds.since I’ve been using canned wellness stews, go fit foods like this that are below average in carbs we have been struvite free. Good luck.

[Karen J]

I really appreciate the input. I lost Lucky dog last year. I was heart broken, and Trixie is sunshine in a tiny body.

I know vet said pre struvite…I’ve heard stay away from fish too.

What should the PH be?

I’ve heard one person on FaceBook said:” If the crystals are Struvite, then acidifying the food, as well as high protein, low carb, grain-free food helps them from forming. I feed my dogs Taste of the Wild with wet food added as a topper.”

I’m mixing a little kibble and some freeze dried crumbled on top and part of a can of Blue Buffalo which I may return the BB products, then adding Cranberry Comfort and some water to make it all really moist. Either boiled tap or Brita water only. I’ll get the PH strips and trade kibble in for grain free I also heard “low ash” is good for this.

[Kathleen C]

BC, Do you believe then that the Wellness I’m feeding him now is the best thing I can give him? The Adviser says it’s a high protein low fat low carb food and we all know what the meat situation is as listed. I don’t know how to figure fiber to carbs, but this has 8.5% fiber. We’re playing more at home and he’s now in an obedience class where she lets them play afterward. Also, I took him to the dog park yesterday and he ran with the big dogs..although that makes me nervous since there is a Great Dane and a rather young female Dobie at times. No little dogs there until much later in the day. I will have to change my schedule to go then, but I think it might be worth it. He’s not much of a player though, can do fine without doggie friends. He was supposed to be a show dog, but wound up with a genetic problem so can’t be bred.

[theBCnut]

Fat has more than twice the calories of carbs or protein, so staying low fat will help reduce the number of calories. A lot of the reduced calorie foods are high carb for 2 reasons 1)they use cheap cuts of meat that are high fat, so to reduce calories they use less meat 2) fiber is considered a carb even though it is an undigestible carb. Look for a food that is lowish in fat, but does not skimp on meat. And look for one that some of the carbs are from fiber. After that, build exercise into your dogs day. Several short sessions of fetch or hide and seek or any other activity are enough to boost metabolism and actually work better than one longer session. But if you can do both, that’s even better.

[Kathleen C]

Than what I was thinking last night is not a good idea. Giving him something with high protein and fat, like maybe the Core Small Breed with 36% protein and 16% fat would work better? The Wellness list says it has about 24% carbs. Since what I’m doing now isn’t working should point to doing something differently. He’s definitely not getting enough to eat with the 1/2 cup a day with a few low fat treats. I’m getting to the point of giving up. You have to take a course in nutrition these days just to feed your dog let alone yourself.

[Kathleen C]

pugsmom, thank you. I had Jack on Nature’s Variety Instinct Healthy Weight and that’s where the problem first started. Higher fat at 12-16%, but not really that much more. 34% protein and after figuring the carbs using the Adviser’s method the carbs were 36%, again not that much higher. I figured the fat at the mid rage, 14%. I tried using the Vet’s diet from Purina (horrible stuff: wheat, and by product meal, ugh) but that didn’t help either even though the vet assured me it would (?).

Sue66b, it looks as though both of those foods are listed with higher carbs which I’m trying to get away from. Actually the CORE foods seem to have the lowest carbs listed, but a little higher fat at 16-17% and I’m wondering if the much lower carbs would be better and not worry so much about the little bit more fat? How does that sound? Also, he seems to be getting a little tired of what I’m feeding him now so switching might be a good idea, even if for the same brand.

[Susan]

Hi Ryan, when he was going really well, was he eating what he is eating now when he’s scratching or have you added something new to his diet, also fleas maybe a flea has bitten him, some dogs are allergic to the fleas salvia, one bite & they go mad with scratching…I’d start an elimination diet, I’d start again, just 1 protein & 1 low carb for 2 weeks & see how he goes, then if he’s not scratching start slowley adding back everything your feeding him now, every 3-4 days, add 1 new food, then you’ll see what food or oil or powder is making him itch, my boy starts scratching within 2 days when I added a new food that he was allergic too, as soon as I stopped the food (potato & sweet potato) the itch stopped within 2days, also were you adding the green powder & kelp when he was doing really well, I’d keep a diary & every night write what he ate, where you walked, what you did that day with him, then you can look back 6months or 2 weeks & see if there’s a pattern if he starts his scratching again when he’s doing better…. winter is coming, so if its environment allergies he should get better in the winter, it drives me mad.. but it will be something simple, real little that can be causing the itch.. have you tried Malaseb Medicated shampoo it kills any bacteria on the skin but doesnt strip the good oils from their skin, its very good shampoo for itchy skin..

[Kathleen C]

I’m still using the Wellness Core Reduced Fat, but was wondering if anyone has tried Premium Edge Healthy Weight Reduction and had success. It’s lower carbs, higher protein and about the same fat as Core. I’m worried the Wellness is giving my dog gas. Any info welcomed.

[weezerweeks]

I use the go fit canned foods because they are above average in protein and lowere in fats and carbs. I don’t use the other cans but I was on their website and noticed they had 3 New cans called deference. I’m thinking the only difference between these nd the two go fit cans I use II they are not grain free. Since Petcurean is one of the Editor choice food could u please do a review on these and add them to the list on the editors list. Does anyone know about this deference line. I love the Go fit canned foods but there only 2 different kinds. Thank u

[Bobby dog]

Hi Laura:
I like and regularly feed Wellness kibbles/canned and Holistic canned to both my dog and cats. I haven’t tried the Holistic kibbles, but they are on my list to try.

I would look into feeding different proteins and carbs, but more importantly I would begin keeping a list of all the proteins and carbs in his diet. IMO if it is a food allergy or sensitivity saving the ingredient lists from each food (including treats and canned foods) and comparing these lists in order to find the offending ingredient(s) is the best approach; it is also time consuming.

There are quite a few fish based kibbles. I found three that fall under my specific criterion without potatoes of any kind, but two of them have high calcium and phosphorous ratios and of these two one has low nutrient levels. I decided not to consider them after looking at their websites and reading comments about the companies on DFA. The third is Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe, however it also includes duck meal.

This list may or may not be what you are looking for; none contain salmon, most contain sweet potatoes, some have flax seed, and some have fish you haven’t fed. Review the recipes carefully, they may include ingredients that you are trying to avoid:

• Blackwood Large Breed Adult Dog Whitefish Meal & Oatmeal Recipe – potato free, includes duck meal
• Pioneer Naturals Grain Free Whitefish
• by Nature Ocean Whitefish & Green Peas Recipe
• Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato
• Wild Calling Whitefish recipe

Here’s a link to carb values for Wellness kibbles:
/forums/topic/carb-values-of-wellness-kibble/#post-54314

Here’s some links to articles about allergies/food sensitivities in dogs:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/grain-free-dog-foods-solving-yeast-and-skin-issues/
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/caring-for-a-dog-that-has-food-allergies
http://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/itchy-dogs-%E2%80%93-is-food-the-problem#.VDbE_LnQOpo
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499

[Bobby dog]

Hi Laura B:
Can your dog have sweet potato? I have been looking at fish based kibble that use smaller species fish and there are a few that use sweet potato as the carb. There is one I found that is potato free, but the calcium/phosphorous ratio is high and the nutrient levels are low. After reading comments about the company on DFA I decided to pass on it.

I read your comment about different proteins, you might want to consider trying a protein that your dog has not had before. I believe rotational feeding is healthier, but more importantly your dog will always have something he can do well on if/when a company changes or discontinues a food.

[theBCnut]

It’s not canned, but rather dehydrated, look into The Honest Kitchen Zeal. Fat is a big issue. Usually when you lower carbs, you raise protein and fat. THK Zeal is the best one I know of with good levels, though in your case, I still might add lean meat to lower the carbs even more. Zeal comes as a dry powder that you add water to. If you add water right before feeding then you have a soupy mixture. If you prepare it a while ahead of time, it is more like a thick paste or pate style food. My dogs love all of THK’s foods.

[Patricia J]

Any opinions on the best canned food product for a 10 yr old diabetic mini schnauzer with many issues? Prone to pancreatitis. Has been DKA 2 times. Very hard to regulate. On Vetsulin 7 units 2 x daily. Has UTI’s constantly due to so much glucose in her urine. Was feeding Authority canned senior chicken. She also gets 3 oz. boiled chicken breast with 1/2 can food, AM and PM feeding. Just changed to Wellness Turkey with sweet potatoe. Any suggestions for high protein, low carb and low fat canned food? I spent hours in Petsmart reading labels and am so confused. I chose the Wellness because it seemed to have the best overall % of protein, fat and carbs. but, if there is a better product for her, I’d love to know about it. Thanks.

[aquariangt]

Have you ever heard of wellness, acana, Orijen…. Are you kidding? Yes everyone here has heard of them, and yes, they are still high in carbs, and yes they are still considered kibble, as all dry food is kibble. Maybe less carbs than all the low quality corn and soy kibble, but still carb heavy none the less.

The thought process that wet food rots teeth is a very old wives tale. And forgive me for saying so, but you did already tell someone that this message was just for hdm so Not to respond.

Spaniel39, I recommend a bit more research before making comments like your last one

[Dori]

Hey BC. I’m glad you mentioned about your dogs being a tad thin. Ever since I put the girls on very high protein, moderate (sometimes high) fat, low carbs they are also a tad on the thin size. I am always tweaking amounts of food or whatever else I add to their meals but they just seem to maintain their weight. As a number of us have suggested in the past and attempted to advise, as far as the fat is concerned it’s the quality of the fat not necessarily the %. I feed my dogs the same way you do though I feed raw, I always have multiple proteins in the freezer so I just switch around constantly. They are so much the healthier for it. Once the dogs are accustomed to rotation it’s no big deal. It’s not the least bit involved.

Katie used to eat poop all the time. She still does it but it’s only once in a blue moon. Of course I’m out there picking the poop up all the time but I do notice that most of the time she doesn’t even bother sniffing it any more.

[theBCnut]

Not really. I don’t have time for involved feeding schedules. I just don’t feed the same thing two bags in a row. My dogs are used to switching so they never have upset tummies no matter what I give them. And they don’t have any issues with fat level. My JRT used to, but once I started feeding high protein and low carb she has maintained her weight easily. She actually stays a tad thin. She also started acting like a young dog again, she’s 12 1/2 going on 7.