[Candice A]

“I guess I usually point to diet first because I had a vet years ago, she was very good, and told me most of the dogs have problems due to their diet.”

Hi Joanne,
I think your instinct to look at diet is correct. I try to address the underlying cause of an infection or disease and there is something that is creating that environment that yeast can grow. I do a lot of nutritional modification and for your pup I would consider:
**The carbohydrate content of the food- because carbs alter the pH of the body and the skin.
**A food sensitivity-because allergies and sensitivities can lead to escalating inflammatory pathways as well as auto-immune conditions.
**Detox- because inflammation can clog up the liver. By increasing blood flow to the liver we can reduce inflammation, reduce the cascade of cytokines and reduce histamine level in the blood stream.
I’m happy to do a basic consult for you 🙂 (https://journeysmobilevet.com/nutritional-consult-options) Good Luck!

[Susan]

Hi Yelena,

Sounds like you have your answer your dog has “PLE”..
Have you tried a Vet diet, steroids & antibiotics for PLE & see is there was any improvements ??

1 year is a LONG time to have diarrhea everyday, your dog will end up with thickening of the bowel, skinny & malnutrition, he needs weekly B-12 injections & electrolytes put in syringe & given thru the day…. Electrolyte replace potassium, phosphorus, bicarbonate, chloride, sodium and calcium.
You need to see a vet who knows about IBD?? the vet who wanted to do biopsies seem to know what he was talking about.
You need to find out what is wrong with your boy, your going around in circle….

Join face book group called
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD)”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/11164787803/

I would be doing biopsies, the quicker you do biopsies you will have answers.

Salvia/fur & blood test for Food Sensitivities/allergies are a waste of money they give false positives results..
Ultra Scan, X rays are also a waste of money at this stage, they will not tell vet what’s wrong, you need biopsies so vet knows 100% what he is dealing with so he can treat dog……

I did Endoscope thru mouth or you can do Colonscope other end, vet took 2 biopsies, 3 days later I had answers finally..
Endoscope is quick easy no pain, dog is back home 5 hours later eating food, running around playing…..

Was your dog tested for EPI?
Join this face book group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/38663535025/
If your dog is tested & has EPI then post a post in the EPI Dog group & ask how can you buy Dianes enzymes but its sounds like you have tried Enzymes
also a lot of EPI dogs take “Tylan Powder” – 1/8th teaspoon put into empty capsule given with meal 2 of the daily meals….. EPI needs low fiber, a diet with potato is best…no grains, grains, rice ferment in stomach & small bowel no good for EPI…

I don’t think a raw diet well help, changing diet would of helped by now…
a Vet Diet + meds would be best to get your dog stable & doing formed poos again..

DIET INDICATIONS

Highly Digestible – IBD
Home-Prepared – Fat intolerance, Food allergy, Food intolerance, IBD, Lymphangiectasia Severe PLE – Modified Fiber – Vet Diet
Colitis – Fiber-responsive, intestinal disease, IBD of large intestine
EPI – Very low fiber diet, digestive enzymes

[Susan]

Hi Robin,

Join Monica Segal f/b group called “K-9 Kitchen” group she often post recipes for Renal Failure, Post a Post once you join look in her “Files”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/K9Kitchen/

Also Follow “Judy Morgan DVM” f/b page
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/
Click on her “Videos she has a few Renal Failure videos, post a post or msg Judy on her f/b page about a diet & she will answer your msg or post..

Join “Dogs with renal / kidney failure and disease” F/B group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/582094775463298/
Click on their “Photos” heaps of things people have posted over the years that they have used, feed etc this is where I got these foods from..

Food you can buy without scripts.

“Daves Restricted Fat & Phosphorus wet can dog food”

“Dr Havey’s VEG-TO-BOWL”

But be careful as the fat is often very high in these Renal Failure dog/cat foods, Dogs often suffer from Acid Reflux & need an acid reducer or acid Blocker…
My vet said to add boiled potato to my cat meals, they can’t taste the potato & it adds carbs so they dont lose weight, sweet potato is nice & healthy & sweet also helps with acid reflux, I boil & freeze Sweet Potato pieces & take a few pieces out & thaw in micro wave when Patch isnt well & has his acid reflux & is mouth licking….

What I do when I want to convert fat% in wet can foods or raw diets to Dry Matter fat (Kibble)
I Multiply the fat % by 5 & you’ll get an ruff idea what the fat % is it wont be max fat %
but it gives you an idea how high the fat is, it all depends on the moisture, the lower the moisture the lower the fat% look for under 80% moisture in wet can foods.
or email pet food companies & ask can they convert their fat % into Dry matter..

Here’s a fat, protein, fiber moisture calculator link, click on the 1st link “CA Calculator” save it..

Dog Food Calculators

I wouldnt want to feed a vet diet especially after the high Vitamin D in Hills vet diets,
if later you do want to try a vet diet then look at “Farmina” or “Rayne Canada” vet diets, ingredients are healthier & better quality..

[Susan]

Hi,
I was feeding TOTW my boy did really well with his IBD & Allergies then about 15months ago my boy went down hill, I dont know if it was the food but he stopped eating TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb his favorite & Patch eats “everything” then finally after feeding “Wellness Core Large Breed Adult” Patch finally started to get better & was his happy self again, you dont need to feed much, its high protein, low/med-fat & is low in
carbs good for losing weight Kcals are 345 Kcals per cup, also is high in Glucosamine
Patch is 10yrs old acted like a pup on Wellness Core Large Breed Adult…
Wellness have a few different formula’s with grains with out grains with both..
Here’s Wellness site – – https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food

Canidae is another good brand…
Canidae – https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Canidae Pure Meadow Senior” on page 4 is really good…

[Patricia A]

Kind of at a loss to advise. My dogs were on Fromm for years until they just stopped eating it. I was relieved to find this site at that time because I was getting overwhelmed with choices at my pet supply store. So I used advisor reviews and ratings as a starting point which led me to Stella’s baked kibble. I was already using some Stella’s meal toppers on the Fromm.
I looked at ratings for Fromm Gold large breed adult and he only gives it 3.5 stars. Stella’s gets full 5. Of course a monkey wrench has been thrown in to add worry. I finally found a diet for my two that I felt good about feeding and that they BOTH ate enthusiastically and had no tummy troubles with.
Stella’s kibble has a lot of legumes high up on ingredients list. Don’t know if your aware of the controversy concerning grain free kibble and heart disease (DCM).I’ve written to them and they assure me and others who are concerned on their f/b page that they’re kibble is safe. I really like their ingredients and that it is baked at lower temperatures for better nutrition. Also high protein and low carbs. I stopped feeding the kibble but went back recently and only get the chicken recipe. Beliefs are that the cause, among many other possibilities might be exotic proteins WITH the legumes. Anyway the kibble is only a very small portion of their diet. I use Primal freeze dried and the Stella’s freeze dried also. I have Chihuahuas and not really one of the breeds most susceptible to the DCM but still concerned. Hope this helps.
Just want to add that since Stella’s kibble is so expensive possibly it’s mostly only being fed to small breeds. Most of the cases I believe are Goldens and larger breeds who are fed the grain free diets with high legumes.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Patricia A.

[Katherine J]

How do your dog’s stools look like? Has he developed a habit of eating his poop?
Your dog may have EPI, Google says, “Dogs with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) have a malabsorption and maldigestion condition where the pancreas is no longer producing enough pancreatic enzymes to digest fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Because of this, dogs (and also cats) will often present with unexplained weight loss, diarrhea/cow-patty like yellow/pale stools.” Maybe? The most common symptoms include: Weight loss. Chronic diarrhea (may include foul-smelling, yellowish, greasy stools from cow-pie to watery consistency).

But I think the best thing to do is bring him to the vet and get him tested. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi
I prefer to feed diet for age of my dog, a pup eats puppy formula, an adult 1-7 eats an adult formula & a senior dog eats a senior food, senior food have all the supplements for aging dogs joint, bones etc & have lower fat, higher protein, well it depends which brand you feed, I like “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior formula, its high in Omega 3 fatty acid, has Glucosamine but its not as high as the Wellness Core Large breed Adult formula, Ive found the the Large Breed formula’s are higher in Glucosamine & Chondroitin then most senior foods.. I was going to try Wellness Core Senior but it has Lentils Patch gets diarrhea from lentils & bad wind pain, gas farts..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

I dont know if your 10 year old American Bulldog Pit mix has Arthritis, he probably does??
Have you tried “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult Grain Free dry kibble?
it’s low Kcals-346kcals per cup, high Protein-34%min, low/med fat -13%max
Carbs-30% scroll down to “Nutrient Profiles”
then click on the “GET THE PDF” link it will give you all the max “Dry Matter Basis %”
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed

My boy 10yr old Staffy – 40lbs suffers with IBD, Food & Environment Allergies & he has this 3-4cm bone thing growing out of his left hip bone, vets said they have never seen anything like it, the vet said he was probably born with it…
anyway around age 9 he started running on 3 legs, letting his left back leg to hang while running, then last year in December – January he went down hill with his IBD then in March he was really sick with his stomach he had bad acid reflux, I started introducing Wellness Core Large Breed adult formula, it had the right fat%, Low Kcals, low carbs & high protein % also was high in Glucosamine was not less than 750 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate was not less than 250 mg/kg…
After 3weeks of eating the Wellness Core everythng got better his stomach his acid reflux stopped 🙂 his back leg, he stop running on 3 legs, he ran on all 4 legs & started acting like a young pup again… His vet, the Pet Shop man, everyone couldnt believe what a big difference after eating the Wellness Core Large Breed Adult formula had made.

Now I rotate his dry foods, between Canidae Pure Meadow Senior, Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula & an Australian made brand Frontier Pets Freeze Dried for lunch,
cause Patch became so unwell in Dec -2017-Jan-2018 after eating TOTW & Nutro, I’ve kept feeding Patch his Wellness Core Large breed formula for 8-9 months never rotated with any other dry kibbles except at lunch time he gets a small wet meal, then Summer came & so did Patches environment allergies bad so I thought I’ll rotate & change his dry food to Wellness Simple Turkey & potato formula cause he did so well on the Wellness Core also the Wellness Simple is formulated for Skin problems & is high in Omega 3 fatty acids…
About 2-3 weeks after I stopped feeding his Wellness Core Large Breed formula & was feeding him just the Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula, his IBD = firm poos & his Skin & coat was beautiful & shinney, he stopped alot of his scratching & being itchy from allergies, I also bath him twice a week or weekly depends on how itchy he gets, baths wash off all the allergens off his skin & paws, BUT he started running on 3 legs again 🙁

The Wellness Core Large Breed is higher Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate it must of really helped with his arthritis in his lower back pain….So I bought the Glucosamine Chrondroitin, Vitamin C & Maganese Powder to add to his dry meal, I couldnt workout teh dose as it wasnt like the tablets dose + it taste AWFUL yuk I couldnt drink it, it says to add to fruit juice, its yuk no way Patch will take it.. so I quickly put him back to 1/2 Wellness Core Large Breed kibble & Wellness Simple kibble, now he’s getting “Cartrophen Vet Injections” he gets 1 weekly injection for 1 month then you stop, today was his last injection, Cartrophen Vet has really helped his lower back pain the thing is he’s a nut & he jumps up to say hello to visitors & this is when he hurts his lower back more..

You need a diet HIGH in Omega 3 fatty acid not high in Omega 6 fatty acid, Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory & tooo much Omega 6 is no good for inflammatory problems, Omega 6 is an inflammatory….
The body needs a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Excess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals.

When a dog diet is not balanced properly & is too low in Omega 3 & way to high in Omega 6 alot of dry/wet can foods aren’t balanced properly, this can cause skin problems with dogs…. Omega 3 should be nilly 1/2 of what the Omega 6% says..
Wellness Simple is excellent for dogs who have Skin/Stomach problems
Omega 3 Fatty Acids-1.13%, the Omega 6 Fatty Acids-2.30% max %.
Click on the PDF page
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Instead of adding 2 tble spoons of wet can food start adding some Tin Salmon in spring water, drain the spring water, put salmon in small air tight container put in fridge..
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, sardines, eggs, almonds, and other anti-inflammatory foods. Add 1-2 spoons of tin Salmon or Sardines to each meal..
Sardines can be a bit rich for some dogs I have to feed the Salmon + swet potat instead with Patch..

What I do when changing to a new dry formula same formula, first I check is it the same Use By Date, same Batch?? then I put 1/2 new kibble & 1/2 old kibble in an air tight container & mix thru, my boy use to be very sensitive but now since rotating between a few different brands he does really well, his immune system has become heaps stronger..

Boil Sweet Potato pieces & freeze them in those clip lock sandwich bags, Sweet Potato freezes & thaws really well, I put 1 frozen piece Sweet Potato in the micro wave 15-25sec etc then I mash teh Sweeet potato piece on a plate & let Patch lick it off..
Sweet Potato & Potato firm poo up & is excellent when dog has upset stomach/bowel, start adding 2 spoons of Sweet Potato & Salmon with dry kibble, its healthier & cheaper then wet can foods..

[Jacob R]

I work in the pet industry and I cant tell you how many times I see similar situations among customers I encounter. When it comes to pet foods in this day and age I try not to point out certain foods to be “good/not good” because what works for one may not work for another. I can tell you that you want to find a diet that is lower in “carbs” when you are in need of weight management but also because you had mentioned how with certain brands you have tried you have found skin and or bowel issues. For the skin I would try to stick with a formula that is higher in Omega 6 because this will help with over all skin, coat, and help promote healthy oils your dog produces. Also a lot of time when you play around with bouncing from brand to brand it will irritate your dogs GI tract and what I have found that works with 90% of the people I recommend this to is adding 1 tbs of UNSWEETENED canned pumpkin to each of your feedings this has worked to stop the “runs” for me seance I tried it almost a year ago.

[Susan]

Hi Pat,
It sounds like acid reflux, what was he eating?? its either too high in fat, high carbs or high in oils or tooo high in Kcals per cup??
Take it back to pet shop & say he wont eat it, get refund or change for something else..
Is it dry or wet can food when the licking gulping happens ??
If it’s dry have a look at “Wellness Simple”
I feed the Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula, Patch get bad acid reflux when he eats a fish kibble, Id say the omega oils are too high.
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Boil Sweet Potato pieces instead of the boiled rice, sweet potato is excellent for stomach & bowel problems, boil rice ferments in stomach..Sweet potato freezes & thaws really good..
Start adding 1-2 spoons of tin Salmon in spring water to his cook meals, so he’s getting his omega 3 for skin, coat, brain, heart & joints..
Salmon isnt as greezy as sardines..
Baths twice a week to wash off Allergens off skin & paws..
When this happens give an acid reducer – Zantac or Pepcid google dose
or make some Slippery Elm Slurry..
Buy Slippery Elm Powder add 1/2 a teaspoon power to a cup, boil the jug, slowly add the boiling water & stir quickly till you have a thick slurry but not too thick it needs to be able to be pulled up into a syringe when cool give 4ml put syringe side of his back teeth so he swollows it, this will soothe his esophagus & stomach helps with nausea & acid reflux & sloppy poo diarrhea..

[Susan]

Hi Morgan,

are you on facebook?? join this group, post a post & ask people your question, you’ll probably get a better response..
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

Also follow “Rodney Habib” Diet plays a big part in keeping your sick dog healthy..
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

I dont know how your going to go with low fat diet?? as you need fat (Omega fats)for allergies..

My boy cant have high fat diet, causes Acid reflux, he’s OK up to 13% max fat, I feed 13% max -fat & he does well…
Allergies can be confusing, sometimes we think its an ingredient or protein causing the dogs itchy skin, ears & paws etc, 80% of the time its from environment allergens..
Normally if a dog has food sensitivities they will also have environment allergies aswell..
Routine-Baths are the best to do with allergies, you wash off the Allergens off paws, skin etc, bath weekly or twice a week in the Spring & Summer.. I also use baby wipes & I wipe him down after we have gone for walks or he’s been out the back yard in Spring & Summer months when trees & plants are flowering.

My boy hs IBD Food sensitivities & seasonal environment allergies, fat has to be around 13%max as he suffers bad acid reflux,
I feed him “Wellness Simple” Wellness Core” Canidae Pure Wild Boar”

Why do you want to stay away from white potatoes??
Yeasty, smelly, itchy skin isnt caused by starchy carbs, a dog will only react to potatoes if he is sensitivite to potato, which is rare I’ve been told by a vet nutritionist, vet diets use Potato cause it’s a low allergen..

Have a look at First Mate, Chicken & Blueberries its Grain, Gluten & Pea Free, Single Meat Protein, Limited Ingredient Formula, Available in Small Bites

Limited Ingredient Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula

I would look into feeding tin salmon in spring water + sweet potato,
just make sure you read sodium/salt % get the lowest %,
feed foods that are high in omega fatty acids, this way the skin is kept healthy & diet is low in hard fats…. Sardines can be very rich but are VERY healthy..
This is what I try to do with Patch, he eats 5 small meals a day, cause of his IBD, he eats his dry kibble 7am, 9am, 5pm & 7pm then for lunch -12pm he gets his wet healthy meal Salmon & Sweet potato, Frontier Pets – dehydrated free range raw made Australia, freeze dried green lipped Mussels, Almond 3 almonds a day for dogs , Follow Rodney, he is always posting healthy foods. I try to rotate as many healthy foods into his diet over 7 days..

If I were you i’d try & stay away from kibbles, pet foods are VERY high in toxins contamnates & heavy metals, you dont want to put more stress on his liver if you can..
Google heavy metals toxinz & contaminates in pet foods.. Chicken & Turkey are the cleanest meats in pet foods..
Good Luck

[Susan]

Hi Heather,

“Canidae Pure Meadow” senior but its grain free, its high protein 28-30%
low fat-10.80%, Low Carbs…
Why dont you want to feed grain free?? not all grain free foods are bad & involved in the Low taurine in some dogs??..

Patch has a square left hip socket, vets have never seen anything like this, they said he would have been born with it & would of had Arthritis from a pup, he started running on 3 legs about 1 year ago age 9yrs old….
Then I started to feed him
“Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult, its high in Protein-38%max, low/med-Fat-13% & high in Glucosamine/Chondroitin, low Carbs -30%, he stopped running on 3 legs..
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed
Then I rotate & feed “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior,
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

Canidae Senior is pretty good, it has 3 meat proteins 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients like the Wellness Core then a carb Sweet potatoes…

Canidae ALS Platinum Senior has grains
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-platinum-dry-formula

Wellness has their “Wellness Complete Health Senior” grain formula but Patch cant eat barley gets diarrhea also this Wellness formula is high in carbs over 50%… I want to keep off the weight off his joints..

Look at “Farmina”

His Vet said we can give “Cartrophen Vet” Injections, they are given weekly for 4 weeks
this way no NSAID drugs are being taken & causing stomach problems/ulcers….
Patch has IBD & suffers with Acid Reflux so he cant take no meds for Arthritis..

Dosage and Usage

[Susan]

Hi Vanessa,

My boy has IBD & Seasonal Environment Allergies..
Have a look at dry food that has Sweet Potatoes & Potato seem to help dogs when they have diarrhea/sloppy poos & stomach related probems…
Look at

“Canidae Pure Wild Boar” Page 3
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

“Canidae Under The Sun” Large Breed is low in Kcals per cup 328Kcals per cup.
UTS is on Canidae’s first page.

“Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed

“Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/simple-dogs

Wellness Core Large Breed Adult really help my boy when he went down hill with his Allergies causing a bad IBD flare about 1 yr ago, its low Kcals 346 per cup

My boy is eating Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato kibble at the moment, it’s Summer here & the Wellness Simple is for skin & stomach problems & has 1 single meat protein & has limited carbs, the Wellness Simple Turkey Protein % is 26min% -28max%,
lower protein then the Wellness Core formula’s.

Wellness has “Nutrient Profiles PDF” you can see the proper max % fat, protein, fiber, carbs, ingredients etc…

I’d try one of the Wellness Simple formula’s.
Wellness have a palability money back guarantee so if he wont eat it take back & exchange.. Wellness smells pretty good & my cat pinches Patches Wellness Kibbles & she wont eat her meal now the little bugger..

Or look at Raw – Stella & Chewy Patties or Raw Freeze Dried Kibble its like kibble he will lose weight eating a raw diet & might be more interested in his food..
Just stay 14% & under for fat, low carbs & low kcals per cup for weight ..

Start adding Tin Salmon or tin Tuna in Olive Oil, add 2 spoons to his meals, this will encourage him to eat, dogs normally love fishy foods & the Olive Oil will help with his constipation also boil some Pumkin or Sweet Potato pieces freeze them & take them out of freezer as needed they freeze & thaw very well, I put 1 piece of Sweet Potato in micro wave 5-8sec…Pumkin & Sweet Potato settle stomach..

I wonder if he’s getting “acid reflux” 2am?? This is the time acid reflux starts early hours of the morning with dogs, have you tried Zantac or Famotidine a acid reducer? given twice a day 20-30mins before he eats a meal? ask vet can you try it might make him more comfortable thru the night & could be why he’s not keen on eating food he gets bad acid reflux afterwards??
Labs normally LOVE their food… I’d stop the Coconut Oil as Omega oils can cause acid reflux.

[anonymous]

Bump

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/08/grain-free-diets-and-heart-disease-in-dogs/ excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments:
Dr. Jennifer Larsen, a nutritionist at UC Davis, has written an excellent summary of the nuances of this issue, and she has agreed to let me share some of it here:
Taurine is not required to be present in dog foods. Taurine is an amino acid that is not nutritionally essential for dogs; however, there are dietary factors (such as protein source, fiber type and concentration, and cooking or processing methods) and individual dog characteristics (such as breed and calorie needs) that impact how efficiently taurine may be made and used by the body. The sulfur amino acid content and bioavailability in food is important though. The problem with dietary deficiency-related cardiac disease is multifactorial and is not just seen in goldens.
1- in many grain free diets, legumes are used to provide the carb (starch) but also protein and fiber – you cannot tell which ingredients are providing various proportions of nutrients from an ingredient list
2- legume protein is low in sulfur amino acids (methionine and cystine- the precursors for taurine synthesis)
3- some fiber types/concentrations increase fecal taurine content and promotes bacterial degradation of taurine (dogs and cats must use taurine to conjugate bile acids) so taurine recycling is not as efficient and more is lost
4- dogs need an adequate supply of precursors and to be able to make taurine fast enough to replace obligatory as well as excessive losses. When Newfoundlands and beagles were compared (during the Investigation into the lamb and rice issue with DCM in the 90s), it was found that Newfoundlands made taurine more slowly, so there are differences among breeds and probably individuals
5- dogs with lower than predicted calorie needs (“easy keepers”) also might not eat enough food and therefore enough protein to supply adequate precursors
6- some grain free diets (and other types of diets), are not high in protein (and therefore sulfur amino acids) since they use more expensive exotic or uncommon sources.
Any of these or a combination may impact taurine status in the dog.
There have been recent cases seen in our hospital and elsewhere of dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to taurine deficiency in dogs that have been associated with commercial diets containing certain ingredients (such as legumes – beans, lentils, and peas – and root vegetables – white and sweet potatoes). Data collection and interpretation is ongoing for these recent cases.
In the past we have also seen cases of dilated cardiomyopathy and taurine deficiency in dogs eating home-prepared diets (with either cooked and raw ingredients and those with and without meat), and other commercial diets with various ingredients and nutritional profiles. Some of those cases and investigations have been published (others can be found on PubMed):

[Patricia A]

Crazy4cats how do I find out which brands supply the nutritional experts?? Is it listed on label?
” Current research (not yet published) has identified a link between grain-free dogs foods that include peas and legumes and taurine deficiency that can lead to DCM. On the Taurine Deficiency page, the most commonly reported foods from owners of dogs with DCM are: Nutrisource, Acana (particularly pork and butternut squash), 4Health, Zignature, Taste of the Wild, Earthborn Holistic.”
Wouldn’t some of the above be considered big brand companies such as Taste of the Wild(Diamond)? Earthborn Holistic was founded in 1926 etc. Don’t know if they imploy Ph.D’s. I hope not because they missed something with this DCM problem.
I have the Chihuahuas’ so not one of the breeds that would most likely be affected by low Taurine and DCM. But still concerned they get their protein from meat . Don’t know why it just can’t be broken down on the bag of food of how much of the protein is actually coming from meat.
I’m finally on a good feeding regime with food I feel good feeding them and my dogs are doing very well. Primal, Bixbi and just one protein occasionally of Stella’s venison. PLEASE don’t tell me that THESE are all the new boutique foods your referring to. It can’t be because they DO NOT look appealing once dehydrated. lol Not liked some canned that has big pieces of potatoes and carrots and shredded chicken. lol But THAT is what i’m trying to stay away from. I can only hope that by going by reviews they are getting brands that have more meat protein then plant protein . Less starches and carbs . They get little anyway with sweet potatoes and string beans when we have this for dinner. And my salmon and a little steak when they get lucky. Watermelon is their favorite. All in moderation. Again I can hope that essentia vitamins/minerals and anything else they need is in their dog food. Yearly blood tests tell me they are not deficient . MY blood work isn’t even as good as theirs lol I’m doing something right. My one Doxie lived to 17 1/2. My oldest Chi is 16 1/2 and going strong.
I’ll go NUTS if I have to change again so humor me. lol

• This reply was modified 6 years, 12 months ago by Patricia A.

[Susan]

I tried Holistic Select Senior back 2014 then again 2016 I tried the Puppy/Adult Salmon & Sardine Grain Free formula Patches poos were good, skin was good but after 2 months he wasn’t really interested in it probably cause of the Fish causing acid reflux??…
The Holistic Select Senior had grains a few years ago but Patches mouth licking & swollowing started again & poos were sloppy & yellow so I returned to pet shop probably cause of the Barley now Holistic Select Senior is Grain Free now & has Chickpeas, Peas, Lentils,…
I prefer Canidae or Wellness Patch seemed to do better.
I prefer meat 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredients less carbs, less reactions, less fiber, less problems for Patches IBD & skin…

It will all depend on “your” dog, you have to take the plunge, I did the same after I found out Patch has IBD, I was stressing out what foods too feed him cause I didnt know 100% what he was sensitive too 🙁
For 1 yr back 2013 Patch was on a Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal his poos were small & OK but he had bad yeasty itchy smelly skin, paws & itchy bum probably from the grains & beet pulp?? the vet said we’ll let his bowel heal first then deal with his skin problems, I was soooooo scared to try another dog food, then vet said do you want to try Vet diet Eukanuba Fish & Potato FP formula, a few of my IBD dog patients who have skin problems do really well on teh Eukanuba FP but Patch had bad diarhea & all I had introduced was about 20 kibbles to 1 cup of Eukanuba Intesinal kibble the first day he seemed OK, 2nd day OK, I was still only giving 20 new dry FP kibbles mixed with his Intestinal kibble, then on the 3rd day he had BAD diarhea water as soon as he ate he had to poo badly, Ive never seen him this bad, so took back the big bag of Eukanuba FP to vet practice he was put back on Metronidazole cause after going back on his Eukanuba Intestinal the diarrhea would stop, we had to fast him for 48hrs & was put on Royal Canine Intestinal wet can food, his vet said it was probably the potatoes so for 2 years I was SSSSSSOOOOOOO scared to try a grain free kibble that had Potatoes but now I’ve realised it was probably bad Fish meal in the Eukanuba FP formula not the potatoes unless they were green & rotten?…

Look for a dry kibble that doesnt have tooo many ingredients has at least 2-3 meat proteins as 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredients as protein meat is easier to digest, a dogs digestive tract is short, made to digest meat diet..

Have you looked at “Victor” Select range the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice formula or I like the Chicken Meal Brown Rice with Lamb Meal formula,
it has Lamb Meal Patch would do really well on the Victor Select Formula’s they have no barley, the Victor formula also have Montmorillonite clay, Id find a store that sells Victor & give the Chicken Meal Brown Rice & Lamb meal a go or the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice these are the ingredients to the Select Chicken Meal formula

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Millet, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Grain Sorghum, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acid), Feeding Oat Meal, Yeast Culture, Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Kelp, Montmorillonite,

https://victorpetfood.com/products/lamb-meal-brown-rice-formula

[Susan]

Hi
Yeast Dermatitis-
food sensitivies only cause Yeasty smelly skin ears & paws when your dog is sensitive to certain ingredients.. So best to do elimination diet, my rissoles below is how I did 1 of Patches elimination diets.
You start with a meat protein she hasnt eaten before or not often & 1 carb.
I use Sweet Potatoes & Potato.. My boy is good with Potato for his IBD.

also Sweet Potato is better then rice, boil rice ferments in the stomach, boiled Sweet potato is excellent for senstive stomach & bowel.
I peel the sweet potato cut up into small pieces about the size of a spoon boil cool then put in those sandwich zip lock plastic bags & freeze then as you need a few sweet potato pieces take them out of freezer & thaw in 15mins & add to rissoles or add with turkey what ever meat you are feding etc or just give 1 piece of sweet potato as a treat..

Follow “Judy Morgan DVM” on her Facebook page..

* Here’s Judy Morgan Pup Loaf, she has a few rescipes.

* Here’s Judys feding a pup with Pancreatitis
https://www.drjudymorgan.com/feeding-pets-with-pancreatitis/

I changed the Pup Loaf around a bit & I make my Rissole Balls in oven so fat drains out & boil Sweet Potato for my boy who has IBD..

I buy 1kg =2lbs of lean pork mince or lean 5 star lean beef mince I rotate between the 2 meats also can try Turkey lean mince aswell.
I add 1 whisked egg, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, some chopped up broccoli heads about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup, I peel & grate 1 carrot, then I mix all together & make into 1/2 a cup for size you can make smaller size rissole balls if you want & put them all on a foiled lined baking tray & bake in oven for 15mins.
then take the rissoles out of oven & drain any water/fat, turn over all the Rissole balls & cook till ready, about another 15mins, do not over cook meat as it goes like leather & be tuff…Cool then I freeze them in sections.
Baking in oven reduces fat & you can drain…
I also peel & boil Sweet Potato Pieces boil cool & freeze. Sweet Potato freezes very well & thaws good. Take out the day before what you need & put in fridge for next day..then I add 1 rissole cut it up or put in a blender & add 1/3 cup sweet potatoes & mix all together also add 2 spoons of tin salmon in olive oil or spring water drain the water or olive oil put in container. Make sure you read the salt % get lower salt %
you can feed Salmon & Sweet Potato as a small meal but not as a perment meal as you need to balance diet, unless you’re doing an elimination diet, my vet said its OK to not balance meal 1-2 months..
Or add 1 krill oil capsule to the 1 breakfast meal.. Krill Oil Capsules are good for people who have sensitive stomachs & dont do too well on Fish Oil capsules..

I add “NAS Digestavite Plus Powder” 1/4 teaspoon to 1 of the meal a day to balance the diet.. just make sure diet is balanced over the week..
Look at “Balance It”
You can also add 1 crushed dry egg shell a day to 1 of the meals for calcium also add Glucosamine & Chondroiton tablet daily..
you’ll have to google dose for your size dog..

[Dinamul D]

An ideal recovery diet is:

High in protein to support maintenance of lean body mass

High in energy, as your dog will have very little appetite and significantly increased metabolic rate. This means food should be rich in energy so that even small amounts can provide the energy needed

High in fat and protein, which will mean lower carbohydrates as recovering dogs will be insulin resistant

Highly digestible ingredients as they may not absorb nutrients as well as normal

Tasty and attractive to your dog – to encourage your dog to eat.

[Rhianna H]

I am in search of a dog food that it seems may not exist. What I need is a food that is higher in protein (at least 32% but would prefer upwards of 36%), low in carbohydrates (must be less than 30% but the lower the better), would appreciate a decent fiber content (maybe around 5-6%?) which doesn’t seem to difficult to find. However, where I am stuck is that it also needs to be completely chicken free, fish free and grain free. I’d like to stay away from Turkey if possibly but will give it a go if it meets all the other requirements. Dry foods are prefered since this is a larger dog and I just can’t afford dehydrated/freeze dried/canned/raw foods.

Hope someone has ideas because I’m about to pull out my hair!

[Fanette R]

Hello,

My dog has been diagnosed from IBD for over a year now, and from Pancreatitis for almost 2 years. His diet has been manageable before his IBD but since his IBD I have been trying different kind of food, and even though he is doing so much better than he was a year ago, I know that his current diet isn’t perfect still.

I’ve tried homemade food, my vet and holistic vet are all about raw and homecooked food, but with Furby’s situation and after trying a several time, that this isn’t working for him at the moment. He cannot have too much carbs, because of his pancreatitis current situation, or too much starched veggies, and he needs low fat meats or fish. So basically, he would need a green veggie / low fat meat diet, which would result in so much quantity for him to eat each day so he can have enough calories out of it. We’ve tried, and tried again, giving him 7-8 meals a day to see if this would help, but it doesn’t. His stomach cannot take that amount of food for now.
So, even my vets that are pro raw and homecooked diet, told me that we should look into dog food at the moment, and maybe try to go back to homecooked or even raw later on.
So first of all, please don’t message me to say that yes, he needs a homecooked or raw diet, because trust me I’ve tried everything, for months.

I’m in France so I don’t have the same products as people who are based in the US, so I made a lot of researches to find food that seems pretty good quality, and that are low fat, grain-free and with only a tiny bit, or not at all, starches.
Now, I’m wondering if I can write the composition and info right so you guys tell me your thoughts about it ?

Brand : Terra Cannis
Dry food :
Canireo is the first dry food in the specialist retail trade made from 100% certified food-grade ingredients, based on pure fresh meat, with 64% muscle meat and grain-free. This unique quality distinguishes it from all other dry pet foods.

We absolutely do not use meat-, bone-, fish- or feather flour. The flours typically used for dry food are usually made of “category 3 material” (waste material that is not approved for human consumption) and are in no way comparable with food-grade ingredients in terms of quality. Another aspect that makes Canireo stand out is that it is made exclusively with fresh meat – 64% fresh muscle meat and 1% fresh liver. Furthermore, it is not cold pressed or extruded, but naturally baked until crisp. All the aspects that we have this far considered critical for dry food are thus optimised.

The result is a natural, crispy baked dry food of uncompromising quality. The 100% food-grade ingredients, the exclusive use of fresh meat, the high muscle meat content of 64%, and the valuable coconut flour make Canireo unique. Not using grains, and instead using plenty of healthy vegetables, fruit, and herbs, as well as all-natural nutritional supplements, make Canireo a natural dry food that is truly appropriate for the species.
Link to the product : https://www.terracanis.co.uk/canireo-trockenfutter-wild.html

Product : Canireo dry food, game
Composition
Fresh venison muscle meat (64%), potato flakes* (15%), coconut flour (5%), apple* (2%), brewer’s yeast*, parsnip* (1.67%), carrots* (1.52%), courgette* (1.44%), celery* (1.2%), fresh venison liver (1%), powdered eggshell (1%), pumpkin* (0.8%), linseed, apricots* (0.5%), fenugreek (0.4%), parsley root* (0.4%), rapeseed flour, mineral earth, spinach (0.16%), seaweed*, dandelion* (0.1%), rose hip* (0.1%), chamomile* (0.1%), rosemary*, thyme*
*dried

Analytic Constituents
Protein: 29.4%, fat content: 12.5%, crude fibre: 2.8%, crude ash: 5.1%, moisture: 3.7%
MJ/kg: 15.5

2nd Product : Canireo dry food, chicken
Composition
Fresh chicken muscle meat (64%), potato flakes* (15%), coconut flour (5%), apricots* (2%), carrots* (1.5%), courgette* (1.4%), celery* (1.2%), fresh poultry liver (1%), brewer’s yeast (1%), linseeds (1%), apple* (0.9%), pumpkin* (0.8%), parsnip* (0.8%), powdered eggshell (0.7%), beetroot* (0.5%), mineral earth (0.5%), parsley root* (0.4%), fenugreek (0.4 %), rapeseed flour (0.4%), dandelion* (0.3%), rose hip* (0.3%), chamomile* (0.2%), chokeberries* (0.2%), spinach (0.2%), seaweed* (0.1%), rosemary* (0.1%), thyme* (0.1%)
*dried

Analytic Constituents
Protein: 29.2%, fat content: 12%, crude fibre: 2.4%, crude ash: 4.9%, moisture: 4.7%
MJ/kg: 15.4
Link to the product : https://www.terracanis.co.uk/canireo-trockenfutter-huhn.html
————————————————————

2nd Brand : Herzens Hund
Product : Organic Sheep meat & Organic Zucchini (wet food)
This complete feed for dogs “Bio Sheep meat & Bio Zucchinic” consists only of natural organic ingredients. It is consistently produced without binding substance, without synthetic vitamins, flavour intensifiers and without any kind of additives. In such a way, fruits and vegetables used in are not contaminated with pesticides and the meat comes from a species-appropriate attitude.

Apricot consist of beta-carotin, which turns into Vitamin A in organism. Vitamin A is an important nutritive substance for eyes. Apricots are rich in fiber, which stimulate bowels work and improve toxins removing.
INGREDIENTS
Organic sheep (72%)Organic zucchini (17%)Organic buckwheat (4%)Organic salad (3%)Organic apple (2%)Organic linseed oil (1%)Organic apricot (1%)
ADDITIVES
Phosphorus (1271 mg/kg)Calcium (169 mg/kg)
ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS
Moisture : 84.3%, Crude protein : 7.4%, Crude fiber : 1.3%, Crude ash : 0.8%
Crude fat 0.7%

2nd Product : Horse meat & Organic Pumpkin
INGREDIENTS
Horse (70%)Organic amaranth (16%)Organic pumpkin (13%)Organic evening primrose oil (1%)
ADDITIVES
Phosphorus (1443 mg/kg)Calcium (786 mg/kg)
ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS
Moisture : 73.3%, Crude protein7.5%, Crude fat : 2.4%, Crude fiber : 1.1%
Crude ash 1%

—————————————-

Herrmann’s Dog Food :
Product : Venison with Apple & Amaranth
Composition: 50 % deer (60 % muscle meat, 25 % heart, 10 % lung, 5 % liver), courgette*, 8 % apple*, 6 % amaranth*, linseed oil*, eggshell powder* – *organic – 50 % from organic ingredients
Analytical Constituents : moisture: 76.36 %, crude protein: 12.1 %, crude fat: 4.0 %, crude fiber: 1.0 %, crude ash: 1.2 %

2nd Product : Venison with Sweet Potato
Composition:
50% vension (60% muscle meat, 25% heart, 10% lung and 5% liver), 25% sweet potato*
fruits* (berry-mix), linseed oil* *-organic – 50% from organic
Analytical Constituents : crude protein 8,40% crude fat 2,80% crude fiber 1,60% crude ash 1,30% moisture 78,90%

3rd Product : Venison with pumpkin, quinoa and cranberry
Composition:
50% deer (60% muscle meat, 25% heart, 10% lung and 5% liver), 12% pumpkin*, 8% quinoa*, fruits* (berry-mix), eggshell powder*, *-organic, 50% organic
Analytical Constituents :
Moisture : 77.77%, Crude protein : 12.46%, Crude fat : 2.8%, Crude fiber : 1.03%
Crude ash : 0.87%, Calcium : 0.03%, Phosphorus : 0.03%

———————————————–

My holistic vet looked at all of them and the one that seems the best to her was the one from Herrmann’s : Venaison, Apple & Amaranth.
But after being back home from my appointment I got quite confused and I wanted to talk to you guys about it. She said that the other ones weren’t good enough especially because the amount of protein wasn’t high enough. She told me that to her it should be at least 10% of protein on the wet matter basis for wet food. But if I calculate correctly dry matter basis, a product like the one from Herzens Hund (Sheep & Zucchino), has 7.4% of crude protein on a wet matter basis but has around 47% of protein on dry matter basis (if I do the calculation right), which should be a good amount right ?
So I’m quite confused about that;

She doesn’t know those brands so it’s tricky for her. I wanted to try the brand that she does know, which is an amazing local company that does amazing products, but their fat content for their wet food are around 6,4% on wet matter basis, and I made the calculation from the moisture and it’s about 27% of fat on dry matter basis which seems way too much for my dog. But my vet said that in those formulas there were no starch, no grain, so nothing that usually irritate my dog’s pancreas. So in this case the fat content could be higher and find for Furby. Which kind of make sense, maybe the reason why it has to be so low fat usually for dogs with pancreatitis is because most of those products are full of starch. But I still wanted to talk to you guys about it before making any changes.

Have a great day and so sorry about that huge message!
Fanette

[Susan]

Hi Bernice.

“Bilious Vomiting Syndrome in Dogs, aka “Hunger Pukes”

How did your Dr. Hans Gelens diagnose Freddy with bilious vomiting syndrome?
Did Freedy have Biopsies thru a Endoscope?

You wrote
“lip-smacking, drooling, yawning, licking are classic signs of nausea in dogs”

Lip Smacking, licking paws, blankets, floors, grinding teeth, yarning-(stress), swollowing gulping are classic signs of “acid reflux”, my vet said she see’s at least 1-2 dogs a week who are suffering with acid reflux, it’s more common then we think with dogs,
this is why Freddy has been put on Omeprazole (Prilosec) an acid blocker, it’s a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor)… Why didn’t the vet put him on a lower class of acid reducer drugs histamine-2 (H2) blockers either Zantac (Rantidine) or Pepcid (Famotidine) instead of a PPI??

A diet change would be good idea once Freddy is doing well again & is stable.
He was eating Royal Canin Gastro Low-Fat which seemed to keep his symptoms to a once or twice a year event. “Until this year”. Diet may have contributed to his Bilious Vomiting Syndrome??
Look at eating fresh whole foods, a lean balanced diet, not over processed dry kibble/wet can dog food. Look at feeding diet that’s low in carbs, low fiber especially with Pancreatitis NO sugar in diet, stay away from foods that bring on acid reflux..

You can NOT just stop taken a PPI once you have been taken it more then 14-20 days, a PPI must be slowly reduced & a lower class of drugs called histamine-2 (H2) blockers either Zantac (Rantidine) or Pepcid (Famotidine) are given for 2-3 weeks after the PPI has been stopped but first reduced & give PPI every 2nd day then when you’ve stopped then you give either Zantac or Pepcid 30mins before a meal…
Zantac & Pepcid work differently they dont work like a PPI works (Omeprazole or Pantoprazole)… A PPI is better but you have to work out do you want Freddy on a PPI now for the rest of his life??. if you have tried Zantac & Pepcid & they didn’t work then yes give PPI & diet change, vet diets are very high in Omega oils which is a good thing BUT some dogs who have Pancreactitis, IBD can’t handle high fish Oil, Coconut Oil etc & can get acid reflux my boy is one of those dogs, when eats a vet diet he get his bad acid reflux & yeasty itchy skin due to food sensitivities, I didnt know Fish/Salmon Oils & Coconut Oils could cause acid reflux until I seen Dr Judy Morgan talking about her 18yr old Cavalier charles, he has Pancreatitis & every month he kept having a Pancreas flare so she stoped adding all his supplements & slowly added them back weekly 1 at a time & it was the fish oil causing his monthly pancreas flare….
Follow Dr Judy Morgan DVM on her f/b page also look at her “Videos” she has a really good “Pancreatitis Diet” you make in a Crock pot & add The Honest Kitchen Base
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/

My Patch has been on Omeprazole 2 yrs then he went down hill again this time last year he’s 10yrs old, he had another Endoscope & Biospy done in January 2018 to see why he’s got really his bad acid reflux again & he was already taken a PPI so he shouldnt be getting really bad acid reflux but he was, I did diet change but he didnt get better, so we did Endoscope + Biopsies the vet said as he was looking thru camera his wind pipe was inflammed & red, so was his Esophagus, he has lower esophageal sphincter (LES) his flap doesnt close properly & his acid wash back up his esophagus into throat mouth then went down into his wind pipe, por thing this would be very painful… He also suffers with Helicobacter living in his stomach walls, staying on a PPI like Omeprazole or Pantopazole is suppose to help stop the Helicobacter living & thriving in the stomach wall, I wonder if this is what Freedy has?? if after 6months -12months & Freedy goes down hill again try a diet change a lean cooked diet & ask vet can he please do an Endoscope + Biopsies, the Biopsies are a must as they will give vet some answers & the only way to know if the Helicobacter has taken over his stomach, all dogs have Helicobacter but when their immune system is compromised the Helicobacter takes too much bad bacteria, making you feel very unwell, stomach pain, nausea, bad acid reflux & feeling hungry all the time & weight loss..
I asked Patches vet can I PLEASE change his PPI from 20mg Omeprazole to 20mg Pantoprazole, I also take Pantoprazole it seems to work better for people who have GERDS & suffer with bad reflux…
PPI are best given of a morning not night unless he’s taking a PPI twice a day, I wouldnt recommend taking a PPI twice a day for a dog, best to start off on a lower dose, 1 x 20mg tablet take of a morning as soon as he gets up I give Patch his 20mg Pantoprazole tablet & I have a 20ml syringe water so I know the tablet has gone down his throat, you can NOT chew PPI tablets, they are specially coated tablets so they digest past the stomach so dont let Freddy chew his Omeprazole if you can this is why best not to give with food as they chew food, just open his mouth & put tablet on back of his tongue & put down throat, then put the syringe side of his mouth back teeth & slowley squirt water so he swollows tablet & make sure he doesnt spit tablet back out, my Patch was sptting back out after I walked away & I was finding his tablet, cheecky bugger…

My boy has IBD he eats 5 smaller meals a day he eats –
First meal after he has taken his PPI around 6.30-7am then another small meal around 9am, Lunch- 12pm a cooked meal or freezed dried raw dehydrated meal about 1/3 a cup, 5pm-Dinner meal is bigger under 1 cup & 7.30pm small 1/4 a cup & last meal for the night wee & then he goes to bed & I wake him for 2 wee breaks & he gets a Quick-Eze 1/2 a Rapid Chew after his last wee around 10.30-11pm & I always offer him water when Patch wakes up on my bed, he is very weird about drinking water when he has his acid reflux, so Im always offering him fresh water to wash down any acid…
I’ve been freezing Bone Broth in ice cube trays & take out 1-2 ice cubes to thaw & Patch drinks it & loves the Bone Broth, I think The Honest kitchen has a Bone Broth you can buy, there’d be a few places taht have teh Bone Broth.

I hope Freedy recovery continues, but if he has a set back then look into diet change, there’s healthier alternatives for these sick dogs & cats, after seeing sooo many dogs get better on a healthier diet, I really think once dog is stable & has been doing really well start looking into changing dogs diet, fresh lean meats, fresh veggies & fruits, Kefir given or a probiotic best to give on empty stomach or inbetween meals when Hydrochloric acids in stomach are low, make sure diet is balanced properly, there’s a few good foods that are dehydrated & aren’t over processed & over cooked till all ingredients are all brown or black.

[aimee]

Hi jill b,
Spycar makes some bold statements without any references. Here is what the science says

Dogs eating 62% carb calories had body fat levels of 21+/-2.1% (25% protein calories, 13% calories from fat and 62% calories from carbohydrate) The dogs eating 0-1% carb had 27.1 +/-1.8% body fat ( 24% protein 76% fat calories and 0 carb calories), 27.5 +/-2.7% body fat f ( 48%protein calories, 52% fat calories and 0 carb calories) and 29.5 +/-1.6% body fat (44% protein calories, 55% fat calories and 0 % carb calories)

replace the word dot with a . after the word amazonnaws

https://s3.amazonawsdotcom/academia.edu.documents/44951774/Effects_of_dietary_carbohydrate_fat_and_20160421-16818-13tz74c.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1544112009&Signature=80mvsXfKSU13Jg8FGSk7O%2B6%2B2sk%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DEffects_of_Dietary_Carbohydrate_Fat_and.pdf

All studies have limitations but from this you can see that dogs eating a high carb diet had less body fat than those eating very low to no carb diet calling into question Spy Cars fears that feeding your dog carbohydrate would result in obesity. All dogs are individuals and what macronutrient profile they do best on may be inherent to that individual. For my Labs feeding the Pro Plan weight management formula worked best.
Hope you find what works for your dog!

[Susan]

Spy Car wrote:

@Jill b,
all kibbles are essentially cereal-based foods. This type of dog food did not exist prior to WWII. In the aftermath of the war, dog food manufacturers discovered they could use the same extrusion machinery they used to produce human breakfast cereals to make nuggets for dog food. But to make the product shelf-stable and extrudable required using high percentages of starches.

Your vet is quite correct on the negative effects of extra weight on Goldens. No dog does well with extra weight, but Goldens are particularly likely to become obese and to suffer with muscular and joint issues as a result. Goldens ought to be lean. I see many Goldens in my life and to see one carrying the optimal weight is extraordinarily rare. The results of this obesity is clear when one sees the large number of Goldens that are crippled by ACL tears, bad hips, muscle tears, and other dehabilitating issues.

It is very sad to see. And unnecessary.

Most of the problem stems from high-carb low-protein low-fat diets.

Feeding a dog carbs as a primary energy source will do two very bad things. One, it will almost certainly lead to obesity. Two, carb-metabolism actively undermines a dog’s stamina. Carb-heavy diets turn normally active breeds (like Goldens) into couch potatoes, as carbohydrate burning does not provide a steady and sustained release of energy to the dog, rather it is a boon-and-bust.

When dogs are fed a high fat (high-protein) diet, fat-metabolism proves a dog with almost unlimited energy supplies. Aerobic capacity soars.

A Golden Retriever should be an athletic and vital beast. Not a couch potato that sleeps all day with a perhaps 20-minute window of activity. Such a lifestyle will seriously harm a Golden and all one needs to do is look around at the condition of most Goldens in this country.

I have a Vizsla, another sporting breed. Over the past 4.5 years (since 8 weeks) I’ve fed him a balance PMR style raw diet to eliminate carbohydrates from his diet. The results have been stellar. He’s very lean, highly energetic (while calm), has muscles on top of muscles, clean teeth, and is the picture of health. Last year I met a raw-fed Golden. I was amazed (but not entirely surprised) to see an ultra-fit, lean, muscular Golden Retriever who was tireless and free of the almost universal warning signs of impending injuries.

I know many people are not up to feeding a raw diet. If that’s the case look for food with the highest possible percentages of protein and fat and the least amount of carbohydrates. With high-calorie rations one needs to feed far less food (a positive on many levels).

Since dogs metabolize fats brilliantly they are more active and tend to drop body fat (so long as they are not overfed). Activity and sufficient protein will keep the dog’s muscular development strong which reduces stress on joints and tendons.

Goldens, like Labs, are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of high-carb kibble diets. Your vet is spot on here. Taking off weight is extraordinarily difficult when one feeds a high percentage of non-essential carbohydrates. Restricting amounts when the rations are already low in protein and fat means that essential items are reduced in the diet to maintain a place for empty calories that undermine vitality.

Some of the formulas discussed here would virtually guarantee major health consequences in your dogs future. That’s the unvarnished truth.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Bill

[aimee]

Spy car,
Again with the grandstanding and no citations. You made the statement you should provide the citation. When something in published in a peer reviewed journal the reader isn’t told to use Google to find article to support what they are saying. You are the author of your statements and you need to provide the citations. Besides I need to know I’m reading what you are reading.

After the field trials go checkout all those obese crippled greyhounds eating a 42% energy from carb diet 😉

“These studies concluded that a dry food based diet, which contained 42% of the energy from carbohydrates, 33% from fat and 24% from protein, provided the best dietary
balance to optimise speed and performance over a standard 500 metre race distance. However, greyhounds on this diet were slightly heavier in body weight compared to greyhounds fed a diet containing higher protein and fat, with a lower content of carbohydrate. This difference in body weight was attributed to a greater muscle bulk in greyhounds fed on the medium protein diet.9”.

Interesting stuff!

replace the word dot with a (.)

http://www.greyhound-data dot com/dir/806/Feeding_a_Racing_Greyhound.pdf

[Spy Car]

With due respect, Aimee, a Golden Retriever is a sporting dog and thereby bred for very intense levels of physical activity.

Unfortunately, we see too many Goldens who are de-tuned, obese, and/or crippled due to muscle or tendon tears as a result of high-carb low-protein/fat diets.

All these problems are tied to an inadequate diet.

Feeding a dog carbs is a way to literally cut the dog’s stamina.

A Golden should be vital and active and be fed a diet with sufficient protein to reduce the odds of muscle tears and enough fat to be the primary energy source.

Far too many Goldens are overweight, out-of-condition, and crippled. They do poorly on cereal-based food.

And that’s an understatement.

[Spy Car]

I, in turn, would encourage dog owners who care about nutrition to delve into the published verterinary medical literature as it is very clear from the evidence just how deleterious a high-carb (low-protein/fat) diet is for dogs.

The scientific evidence is not ambiguous.

Feeding dogs plant-based rations as a cost-cutting (profit promoting) move comes with serious and predictable health consequences. That’s true whether those rations include grain or replace the grain with other starches and plant-proteins.

[Spy Car]

The veterinary literature shows that a protein content below 26% greatly increases the risks of dog’s developing muscle tears and the odds of those injuries repairing poorly. A 23% protein ration is abysmal. Adding water doesn’t change that.

High carbohydrate percentages have their own well-demonstrated problems as does an insufficiency of fat in the diet.

That’s not “opinion” but what is demonstrated in the veterinary literature.

Positioning oneself against the preponderance of scientific evidence doesn’t make one’s “opinion” equally valid. LOL.

A 23/15 diet is a very poor formula that will cause a dog foreseeable health consequences.

[Spy Car]

Who feeds only kibble?

I’d say millions upon millions of dog owners do just that.

If one wants to build something to last, one should start with a solid foundation. Building on a “base” of high-Carbohydrates (and low Protein/Fat) is like building on sand. It is unwise to build on a bad foundation.

Your proposal that “kibble” is only a starting point to be supplemented with DIY items flies in the face of your posts about how big dog food companies hire nutritionists and engage in food trials to maximize their product offerings. LOL.

A 23/15 formula is dismal. Junk-food formulas should not be the base of a dog’s meals.

Bill

[Spy Car]

Fromm Adult Classic has only 23% Protein. This is woefully deficient. This very low Protein content puts dogs of serious risks for tearing muscles and not repairing well. 26% is the absolute minimum one should consider to avoid high-risks of muscle injuries (with higher amounts being more optimal).

In addition to being very-low protein, this Fromm’s formula is also very low fat (15%).

This is an atrocious option for feeding a sporting dog.

Feeding high-Carb, low-Protein, low-Fat food is a sure-fire path to bad health in a Golden Retriever.

[Susan]

Hi Robin,

Can you afford “Endoscope + Biospies” you need the Biospies for some answers other wise your going around in circle.
Why she doesn’t eat is cause food causes PAIN, also is she on an Acid Blocker? Omeparazole or Pantoprazole?
You’d be suprise how many dogs suffer with acid reflux..
Is she refusing o eat the vet diets? they are very high in omega oils & can cause acid reflux, my boy gets worse on the dry & wet vet diets, especially the Hills I/d wet can foods they have digestive enzymes seem to make his IBD worse then he has a bad fermenting smell coming up from his stomach, smell her breath????

Does she take Metronidazole? this really helps my boy with his IBD, Metronidazole kills bad bacteria in stomach & small bowel & has anti inflammatory aswell, Patch cant take Prednisone steriod he gets too many side effects.

are you on facebook?
Join this f/b group
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

You do not have to feed a raw diet, a few dogs are on vet diets, cooked & some are on Raw & doing reallly well, Patch eats a dry kibble he cant hold the digested raw down he regurgitates wet foods 🙁
I’ve started my boy on “Bone Broth” I buy from Pet Shop & put in ice cube tray & thaw 1 bone broth ice cube a day add some water & Patch loves it also Freeze Dried Mussles your girl will love 1-2 Mussels a day as a treat, feed foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids to reduce the inflammation in stomach & bowel,
Rumbling grumbling bowel is Colitis, what she is eating could have an ingredient she is sensitive too, does this Wild Game she is eating have Lentils? my boy can not eat Lentils he gets the rumbles, bad wind then diarrhea, alot of dogs + humans get bad wind pain, farts from Lentils….also is the fat% needs to be low to med, protein -34% carbs low around 30% & Kcals per cup under 360Kcals per cup, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble so harder to digest..
Look for a single protein & 1 carb diet, have you tried “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato formula??
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe
the Wellness Simple has a few different formula’s, Lamb meal & Oats, or boil Pototo + a white lean meat like pork, turkey add boiled sweet potato & add some Pumkin, Pumkin soothe the stomach & bowel. They can lick some boiled pumkin off the spoon I was getting tin salmon in spring water small can draining the spring water & boil some sweet potato add 1/2 & 1/2 mix in bowl cover put in fridge & see if she eats some when you have just made it, if yes then next time take out of fridge & warm in Microwave a small amount in bowl just take off the chill..

Also Slippery Elm Powder have you tried giving Slippery Elm Paste, go health food store to buy, add 1/2 teaspoon of the Slipery Elm Powder in bowl or cup boil the jug add boiled water slowly till you make a paste cool get those 20ml syringes pull up 5ml of the Slipery Elm Slurry & put side of her mouth back teeth & push teh plunger on syringe she lick lick & swollow it, the Slippery Elm Slurry is given 20mins before she eats?? it lines the esophagus & stomach..

Try & join the
Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support group heaps of help for your girl….

[Spy Car]

The Royal Canin formula on this website’s review page lists 26% Protein, 11% Fat, and 55% Carbohydrates.

These sort of numbers virtually guarantee a Golden will grow to be obese, have rotten teeth, and will have no stamina. It is simply an atrocious diet.

Dogs thrive on Fat metabolism. They were shaped by evolution to have Fat as the primary energy source, with Protein being secondary. This diet is an extreme low-Fat/high-Carb diet.

It is antithetical to best feeding principles.

[Spy Car]

anon101 constantly attempts to equate people who follow the scientific evidence with those who support pseudoscience (such as homeopathy). It is an absurd logical fallacy.

The scientific evidence is conclusive: canines have no essential need for carbohydrates in their diets. Dog food manufacturers add carbohydrates only to fatten their bottom lines.

There is nothing positive about feeding dogs grains. Feeding peas may have worse consequences, but that doesn’t improve the downsides of feeding grains.

[Susan]

Hi Joanne,
it’s probably his food the batches can varying, there might be more of a certain grain maybe more oats then the barley or more barley then oats & he does better when there’s more of the grain that agrees with him?? then sometimes there’s less of that grain & more of another grain??..
The same thing happened with Patch years ago, when he was eating “Earthborn Holistic” Ocean, when I bought the first small bag Ocean Fusion to try the kibbles were darker he did really well so I get another small bag with the same batch & use by dates he did well again, then I tried looking for the same batch nb & use by date in bigger bag cause Earthborn Holistic in small bags is expensive at $44 for 2kgs.
I couldn’t fined the same batch nb & use by date so I ended up buying the bigger size bag 12kg with a different batch nb & Use by date, the kibbles were lighter in colour I knew straight away he’ll have problems with this batch, within 2 days his poos were soft & sloppy then diarrhea by day 3-4,
I’d say there was more grounded barley, now I’ve discovered he cant eat barley..

Have you looked at the “Pure Being” sold in Adli’s America, the ingredients look pretty good in the Pure Being, there’s the grain formula’s or grain free formulas, we have just gotten the new Adli’s wet dry & treats called “Natural Elements” but we only have the Grainfree Salmon or Chicken formula’s & the fat is 18%, it’s too high for Patch, the US “Pure Being” has better ingredients & lower in fat, so I just bought Patch the Natural Elements Kangaroo treats they had good ingredients, I’m getting a few things together for Xmas he loves opening presents, ripping the paper apart & getting a squeaky toy….

Look at Batch nbs & use by dates when you get the darker kibbles that agree with him or try another brand see how he does, or look at the EarthBorn Holistic Ocean Fusion formula he might do good on this formula, it has no Oatmeal, no peas & has barley & Sweet potatoes, Rye Flour then Potatoes for the carbs.. these ingredients might firm up his poos more, you can try & see, firmer poos will empty anal glands better but I think he might be reacting to an ingredient Patch has to have kibbles rotated or sometimes he starts reacting after 3months.
My vet feeds Earthborn Holistic the grain free Coastal Catch formula for her sensitive girl.
https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas/holistic/ocean-fusion

[Susan]

Hi Cindy,

My daughter name is also Cindy, your dog is a very lucky dog to have you has his owner & didn’t change his kibble & continue feeding him a dry kibble…You’d probably still have a very sick dog..

I too follow Judy Morgan DVM aswell my boy Patch is a rescue who I rescued 6 years ago, it’s his 10th birthday tomorrow, Tuesday 20th November also on this day I rescued him from being put to sleep that day 🙂
He came to me in a really bad condition for a 4 yr old dog, he has IBD diagnosed thru Endoscope + Biopsies, Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities…. It’s been a struggle he just had 5 weird looking wort type lumps removed 2-3 weeks ago & I just knew he was cancer free, he has the luck of the Irish the vet said gee he’s a lucky boy she was really worried about 1 lump on the side of his back leg so was I, this weird lump grew very quickly & look weird, we thought Mast Cell Tumor but no we wer wong thank god, he has a few angels watching over him..
Years ago I found Judy’s pup loaf recipe & tweak it a bit to suit Patches needs, I make Lean Pork Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potato & Lean Beef Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potatoes, I add 1 whisked egg, finally chopped parsely, chopped broccolli & spinach or kale, I bake in oven as Patch needs low fat when he eats any cooked foods, I make the rissoles 1/2 cup in size & bake them on a foil lined baking tray, take out 1/2 way 15mins to drain any water/fat & turn them over & bake till ready, they only take about 25-30mins & they freeze really well same as the boiled sweet potato pieces they thaw out pretty good…

He also gets freezed dried Mussels x 1-2 a day depends how big teh mussels are, strawberries, they are very cheap at teh moment, peeled apple, water melon, almond 3 a day whe I remember & his Bone Broth drink after his mid morning walk, I try to give him healthy foods that don’t cause any problems with his IBD… What I eat Patch gets some aswell… His IBD became worse last Nov-2017 after eating TOTW Lamb formula, he went down hill, I nilly put him to sleep in January 2018 instead I asked his vet can he do another Endoscope + Biopsies & found Patches lower Sphincter flap doesn’t close properly, sadly he doesnt do well on big wet meals now as he regurgatates them making his acid reflux worse, the only food he keeps down for his big meals is dry kibble 🙁
I was devastated but he does still eats a small wet meal for lunch only, lunch time is when he gets his freeze dried raw “Frontier Pets” or his Rissoles Sweet Potato etc, he still gets his little extra healthy foods, I want to try blueberries & beets next..

Do you follow “Rodney Habib”
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Rodney has been traveling around the world for 1 year talking to vets, Drs, scientist all around the world doing research on cancer in dogs & how to stop dogs from getting cancer… He’s a wealth of information.
Did you know there’s only about 110 Vet Nutritionist on this planet & 98% of them work for the big Pet Food companies, so there’s only about 2% vet nutritionist who aren’t bias like Judy Morgan that really want to educate us & get our dogs healthy thru natural foods & not feed these over processed dry pet foods & they will not recommend a high carb dry vet diet when your dog gets cancer ….. It’s sad I think…
I live in Australia & alot of pet owners feed either a raw diet or a cooked diet & a few feed kibble as base & add raw, the longest living dogs both came from Australia Bluey he was 29yrs old & Maggie she just passed away & she was 30yrs old both dogs were raw feed dogs..

Here’s a new group Dr Karen Becker, Susan Garret & Rodney have just started, its called
“Life with Dogs and Cats – Health, Training & Research”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=br_rs

[Spy Car]

Hello Russell,

How much does the Ridgeback weigh?

As a rough rule of thumb, raw feeders generally give dogs a daily meal of 2-3% of body weight. Even at 3% rations of 1.6 kg would typically sustain a dog of 53 kg (about 116 lbs). 53 kgs is well above the normal range of Ridgebacks.

One of several things is likely going on.

One. There is an emergent medical issue that coincidentally came along in the same time-frame as the food switch. Least likely, but if weight loss is excessive it would be wise to check with a vet.

Two. The formula you are using is too low fat. Fat is the optimal energy source for dogs. About 30% fat is ideal.

Three. Mostly likely, your Ridgeback is leaning out the way raw fed dogs typically do. Ideally, a Ridgeback will show some ribs. If the dog is maintaining or (more likely) building muscle mass while dropping it fat layer, then you’ve achieved an ideal situation for the dog’s health and well-being.

Raw fed dogs are almost always leaner and more well-muscled than kibble-fed dogs. Most people have gotten used to the look of dogs that carry a lot of fat on their bodies and perceive that as “normal” when, in fact, it is a sign of obesity.

If you are concerned I’d see your vet. But know that raw fed dogs almost always lean out and will drop the fat layer that eating carbohydrates promote. With that comes an increase in vitality and good health that is especially positive in reducing strain on joints.

Best,

Bill

[Ana C]

It is Wellness Core Grain Free Reduced Fat formula that I was talking about.

I know Annamaet has high carbs. I use 50% of Annamaet Lean kibbles as the base and rotate adding homecook fish, organic chicken, beef liver, eggs, fresh vegetables, and filtered warm water to the kibbles. I am still looking for other low fat kibbles to rotate, but have not be able to find any good one yet. Any suggestions? I am leaning towards Canadian made kibbles.

Your correct. It’s not just the fish has the high toxins. I read somewhere that even human grade rice, oats, grits… are high in arsenic.

It’s insane that we can’t trust the ingredients of the dog food. I feel like we are just waiting for next recall to happen any day now, and that’s already too late and after the fact.

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

Hi Ana,

I think your talking about Wellness “FISH” formula’s being high in Toxins, not all off the Wellness formula’s are high in Toxins & Contaminates…
There’s a “few” Brands that have FISH formulas that are also “VERY” high in Toxins, Contaminates & Heavy Metals, the Annamaet Lean has Herring fish meal in it, so chances are it will also be higher in Toxin & Contaminates then one of Annamaet other formula’s, also Annamaet Lean is very high in legumes, best not to feed no more then 20% Legumes when feeding a dry kibble….

There’s a heap of different “Fish” brands that have or are on the high toxin list it doesn’t mean all their formula’s are bad…
Earthborn Holistic, Fromm, TOTW, Purina Sensitive Stomach Salmon, Acana, Orijen, Racheal Ray, Halo, Diamond, Nutro, Natures Variety, Nulo, American Journey,Go, Open farm, Ol’ Roy, Kibbles N Bits the list goes on & on..

If your dogs can be feed home made raw or home cooked balanced diets this would be heaps better then feeding these dry processed kibbles or try & feed less dry kibble & more healthy ingredients, eggs, tin salmon, boiled sweet potatoes & fresh blended or cooked veggies etc there’s a really good video in the “Life With Dogs & Cats” group I’ve posted link below, feeding dogs fresh raw blended or cooked Veggies, vegetable fibers are more healthy for gut, the Video is called “Dont forget to feed your Veggies” & has Dr Jean Dobbs on the Video, really good information..
also reducing some of your dog dry kibble & replacing with healthy Green & Orange veggies will help lose some weight..lower your dogs carbs the Annamaet Lean formula has 50% carbs..

If you feed a dry kibble then it’s best to rotate between a few different brands that agree with your dogs, so if 1 of the dry foods you’re feeding is high in heavy metals, or not balanced properly, or is high in Legumes, your dog isn’t just eating this 1 brand of dry dog food 24/7, year after year…
I stick with feeding dry dog foods that are grain free & have white meats, Turkey, Pork & Chicken, these meats seem to be cleaner then fish, thats if the pet companies have a good suppliers….
Mycotoxins are poisonous chemical compounds produced by certain fungi found in grains,
so it’s not just the meats that have toxins, heavy metals, so when I see a brand that is Turkey or Chicken formula high on the toxin list & it has grains, I think Mycotoxins & Roundup
could be the reason why this chicken or turkey formula is high on the Toxin & Contaminates list… http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/x5008e/x5008e01.htm

DFA doesn’t believe in these testing & blocks the name of company & any links to this company that does the studies. I think its good this company is testing 299 most popular dog/cat foods & treats, its making these pet food companies clean up their act, keeps them on their toes.
DFA writes about it this company on the Orijen Review section. /dog-food-reviews/orijen-dog-food-usa/

We have just had another recall in Australia “Black Hawk” Salmon formula made by NZ Masterpet food company have admitted they change Fish suppliers, (probably went with a cheaper fish suplier) then all these poor dogs became very unwell, “Advance” Dermcare was using Tuna & a heap of dogs died Nov-2017 to March-2018 the surviving dogs all have Mega Eosphagus & little quality of life..

Join this new facebook group
“Life with Dogs and Cats” – Health, Training & Research
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=direct

It’s run by Dr Karen Becker, Susan Garrett & Rodney Habib & a few other people, group started about 3 weeks ago & already it has 5700 people, there’s a couple excellent video to watch, also on Planet Paws f/b page & Rodney Habib f/b page..
One video is about the latest UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s latest study: on Limited Ingredient/Allergy Diets, so Karen Becker & Rodney bought a few popular LID dog foods & had ingredients tested & “Natural Balance” Bison formula was “not” Bison meat, it was Beef, Horse, Pork, Goat, Lamb ot had every red meat in it….
Video is called “False Hope of Limited Ingredient & Allergy Diet” – video..

[Susan]

Hi,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

Hi,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

Hi Laurence,

join this f/b group,
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

I know the group says Raw Feeding but there’s alot of people in group that feed dry kibble, vet diet kibble/wet tin, cooked meals, raw meals etc, look out for one of the Moderators named Anu, I wont post last name, she is a wealth of information, really good help, it’s worth copying & posting your post then posting in the IBD Holistic f/b group once you’ve joined ask how to firm poo up naturally…

I know potatoes & sweet potato firms up poos for dogs who have IBD & EPI, have you tried a different dry kibble?? one thats lower in carbs & higher protein that has sweet potatoes or potato??…
also have you tried Slippery Elm Paste given 15-20min before he eats? you buy slippery elm powder, add 1/2 teaspoon in a cup slowly add boiling water & stir till you have made slurry & you can pulled up 5ml into a syringe when it has cooled down, I cover cup with cling wrap & put the rest slippery Elm slurry in fridge for the next time you need to use again, then you boil the jug & add a little boiled water & stir till it’s a slurry again & pulls up into the syringe..then I throw away if any Slippery Elm paste is left & start again..

Have you tried reducing the Metronidazole to 1 tablet morning & 1 tablet with Dinner, then get him down to 1 Metronidazole at Dinner time?? ask vet?
also have you tried Tylan Powder?
It is a macrolide antibiotic. Tylosin is used in veterinary medicine to treat bacterial infections…
Tylan can replace Metronidazole as Tylan is similiar to Metronidazole (Flagyl)…
Tylan powder will firm up poo within 1 day but cause its a lose powder you MUST put in empty capsules & put down his throat then he eats his dinner, tylan tastes awful & some dogs end up refusing to eat meal if you sprinkle Tylan powder on their food, so best to put in capsule & put back of tongue, push down their throat then quickly feed, its worth a try you might be able to stop giving immodiums twice a day & the Metronidazole, baby steps.
They have proven a dog taking a high Tylan dose can take 1/2 the Tylan dose once a day & poos stayed the same….
ask your vet about Tylan Powder, years ago you could by online or over the counter in the US, I dont know about now, I think I read you can still buy without script if its for chickens I think you might still be able to buy online best to ask in the IBD f/b group people might know more or if you join the EPI Dog group on f/b
https://www.facebook.com/groups/38663535025/
alot of the EPI dogs take Tylan powder & are doing firm poos now, dont be scared to reduce dose if you do start your dog it wont make any differance..
I tried 1/8th teaspoon Tylan powder in capsule given once a day with Breakfast, within 1 day Patches poos were firm..
Go on U-tube it shows how to make the shoe box to hold up the empty open capsules so you can put 1/8th or whatever the Tylan dose is for your size dog into 1/2 empty capsule….

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3084160/

I hope you find something to partley firm up poos, you mighten it might be the ways poos stay with SBS, I know whats it like when Patch does a mountain of diarrhea out the front of someones yard on his walks, I know when he’s going to do sloppy diarrhea, he wont go poo & he holds it in & walks & walks till he can find a bush to hid his sloppy poos, the silly old bugger, he must of gotten into trouble when he was younger, he’s a rescue I got age 4yrs old, I’ve tried telling him it’s OK Patch, your a good boy & we can go home now after walking & walking to find a good bushto poo under & hide it, he will NOT do sloppy/diarrhea poo in his own yard, one vet said he’s a very private dog, lol…

[Susan]

Hi Erin,

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

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

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

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

[haleycookie]

This is being discussed all over the forums in other threads. Don’t let it scare you too much though. Many people will make you terrified on this forum and suggest you start feeding proplan hills Royal Canin etc, however I wouldn’t do anything drastic at this point. Still too little is know about the topic. If you are really concern you can visit the vet and ask them to do a taurine blood test and send it off to be tested. Then act accordingly if your dog does have low levels. I don’t advicate for putting grains back into a diet. Dogs don’t need grains or carbs in general. Carbs = fat dogs, more shedding, and larger poops. I would recommend switching (or rotating with honest) other high meat content foods, adding in fresh meat, canned foods, bone + meat broths etc to the dogs diet to maximize nutrition if you can’t simply switch to raw.

[Patricia A]

I generally feed freeze dried Primal and Stella’s with rotation of proteins to my two younger Chihuahuas with home cooked in between. My 16 year old will now only eat scrambled eggs(hit and miss), steak when i have it, boiled shredded chicken. She loves watermelon and french fries. At her age I indulge her when other two aren’t looking. lol However I was worried that she wasn’t get proper nutrition. She will eat canned Health Extensions chicken flavor hit and miss also. But I’m very relieved to say that several weeks ago I tried out a sample bag of Bixbi Rawbbles Chicken n Salmon and Hannah Belle is now eating this freeze dried enthusiastically. So now I’m going to try their canned also as a rotation. Ingredients are below and to me all the proteins look great. No peas OR potatoes. Just wanted to share.
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Agar-Agar, Natural Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Dandelions, Salt, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Sunflower Oil, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salmon Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid.

[HoundMusic]

“So, I am curious what it is the the Purina food that works for your dogs reproductively. I was under the impression that grain the kibble could be a source of estrogen that is counter-productive. (Excuse the play on wirds). I would change kibble in a heart beat if that solved the problem. ”

Grain has absolutely nothing to do with the production of estrogen. Soy will produce estrogen like compounds in the body, but quite honestly, if you want a bitch to come into heat, her estrogen levels had better be high. And I personally don’t mind soy, especially for older or spayed bitches, because it keeps their hormones at a more balanced level, since the old gals produce less naturally as they age.

As for ingredients, I honestly could not pinpoint any one in any of the Purina products I’ve tried over the years that “does the trick”, as it were. I’ve used their dry foods from Pro Plan to Alpo, with protein levels ranging from 18-30%, and, like clockwork, bitches who are late to their cycle will come in heat anywhere from within a week to several weeks later, regardless of the brand. Although higher protein, fat and kcals in combination tend to speed this process along.

I do, however, have a theory that there are dog foods which, in my personal experience, seem to cause hormonal issues such as depression of thyroid function, and low carb diets, be they dry, canned or raw, are often a major culprit in irregular cycles. In fact, when I want to speed a bitch out of heat, raw for a day or two will do the trick nicely. Any Purina (dry) product I’ve tried seems to have the opposite effect – in that of balancing the hormone levels, or causing a surge where they previously had been low.

Also, diets that are higher in simple or complex carbohydrates are pure nourishment for the thyroid gland, which has its own functions but is also like a master control for the production of other hormones. And the thyroid is a glutton for sweets. I don’t consider it a breeding food, but when I’ve used Kibbles N Bits, I get the exact same results – instant heat cycles and bitches that stay in full blown heat for a good 10 days.

Anyway, I only recommended Purina ONE because when I was actively breeding, I got the best results with it for brood bitches in particular. I even had a dog with cervical cancer who hadn’t come into heat in almost 2 years, come in after a few days of eating ONE. So, for good or ill, it works like a charm in bringing bitches in season, and the 26/16 ratio seems to be ideal for both pre and post breeding maintenance.

[Susan]

Hi Lyndsey,

How did you work out your do is sensitive too wheat, barley, soy, corn, dried egg, venison, rabbit, salmon, dairy/milk?
The only way to work out food sensitivities is to do a food elimination diet, blood, salvia & fur testing test can give false positives….Waste of money..

Best Testing for Environment allergies is the “Intradermal Skin test” ask your Dermatologist about Intradermal Skin Testing & can you start Immunotherapy injections, is often the best treatment plan for environment allergies & baths weekly or twice a week baths to wash off allergens on skin & paws…
* Probiotics to strengthen immune system & diet high in Omega 3 will also help, especially if you’re cooking meals start adding foods that are high in Omega 3, Flaxseed, Sunflower oil, Linseed Oil, Chia Seeds, Nuts- I was giving my boy 3 Almonds a day as a treat, i’d bite 1 almond in 1/2 & give Patch the other 1/2 of the Almond..he has a beautiful shiney coat…

If you’re cooking then start doing a food trial, start with 1 meat protein & you know your boy can eat sweet potato so add sweet potato as the carb & now every 6 weeks add 1 new ingredient & see does your boy react…
My boy reacts within 20mins of eating an ingredient (Chicken) his back paw goes red hot & swollen & he start licking & licking back paw, then as the days pass he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & very itchy, but Chicken doesnt upset his Intestinal tract he has IBD, Carrots make his ears itchy & yeasty he starts shaking his head/ears…
It can take up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to certain ingredients..
Elimination diet is slow but you will know 100% what he can & cant eat..

A really good food is
* “Ziwi Peak” wet can or air dried
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

also look at Aldis” new “Pure Being” formula’s, grain free & grain formula’s
/dog-food-reviews/shep-dog-food/

* “Wellness Core” formula’s – https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/core

* “Canidae Pure Wild” & “Pure Meadow” if your boy is a senior – https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

I’d stay away from Zignature, Zignature is one of the dry foods that is VERY high in legumes & dogs are not absorbing Taurine causing heart problems, DCM…..
Make sure the dry food you’re feeding doesn’t have a heap of legumes in the first 6 ingredients & Zignature does…. there shouldnt be no more then 20% Legumes in a dogs diet..
The dry dog foods list is in this group below, we are NOT allowed to post the Taurine list as it has peoples private info…
Here’s the f/b group join “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859/
then look in their “Files” click on 2nd link
“2018-10-05 COPY of Diet and Taurine TABLE”…. & you will see cases mark in Yellow & then Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related,
Zignature Kangaroo formula has 3 cases & i’d say the first young GSH has passed away by now as he was diagnosed 2017 & given only 6-8months to live 🙁

Join this facebook group for Skin allergies,
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
a Dermatologist Karen Helton Rhodes, DVM, DACVD from Canine Skin Solutions “Healthyskin4dogs”
frequents this group, there’s heaps of help & really good advice..

Weekly baths are the best to do, baths wash off any allergens on skin & paws & relieve itchy red skin, I also use Huggie Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes, I wipe my boy down when he comes back inside & I use “Sudocrem” cream on his paws & around his mouth when skin is red & inbetween toes are red, Sudocrem is an anti-bacterial, ant-fungal healing cream, also works as a barrier & protects the skin & paws, excellent for skin problems… sold on Amazon

[Susan]

Hi Debi,

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

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

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

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

What is your girl eating.

[Susan]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Patricia A]

I have Chihuahuas’ also. Sixteen year old is now on Stella Chewy’s Raw coated kibble small breed with a topper. My four year old and eight year old are both on Stella’s kibble as a small base and get Freeze Dried Stella’s as a topper. Flavors are revieved as five star and they are Chicken, Rabbit, Venison. I also rotate with Primal Freeze Dried Turkey/Sardine and Duck.Both reviews as 5 stars. The only freeze dried topper my 16 year old eats is Bixbi Rawbble in Chicken/Salmon. They not found at Petco but my Pet Supply Store. Very easy to use. Just crumble and add a little warm water. I mix it with the kibble. The Bixbi Chicken/Salmon I just give dry. They are crunchy and almost like a treat to them. All these are high in meat with low carbs.
This is an example of ingredients in Bixbi Beef.
Ingredients: Beef, beef liver, beef kidney, beef bone, pumpkin, coconut oil, salmon oil, selenium yeast, vitamin E supplement, manganese proteinate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, d-calcium pantothenate, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), rosemary extract.
My three are doing great with all the Freeze Dried recipes . I introduced them slowly with each brand and protein. Now I can rotate out. Good luck with your Chi.
This is the Primal duck recipe
INGREDIENTS:
Duck, Duck Necks, Duck Wings, Organic Kale, Duck Hearts, Duck Gizzards, Organic Carrots, Organic Squash, Duck Livers, Organic Broccoli, Organic Apples, Blueberries, Cranberries, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Organic Parsley, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Salmon Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Quinoa Sprout Powder, Dried Organic Kelp, Alfalfa, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (natural preservative).

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.

[Spy Car]

Linda, it is not super complex, but there is a ratio of minerals (calcium to phosphorus) that needs to be maintained.

You can do that by making soft edible bone about 10% of the diet.

Here are some bone percentages of common chicken parts:

Chicken Breast (with ribs) 20%
Thigh: 21%
Leg Quarter 28%
Drumstick 30%
Chicken Wings 46%

You can balance by eye. Say you are feeding a drumstick. They are 30% bone. If you figured in parts of 10, a drumstick would provide 2 parts of ten in meat and one part of 10 in bone.

So if you fed two portions of boneless meat that are approximately the same size as the drumstick, you’d have 3 parts of meat from the first portion, 3 parts of meat from the second portion, plus 2 parts of meat from the chicken drumstick. So 8 parts of ten altogether, which hits the target of 80% “meat.”

The drumstick would provide the 10% soft edible bone.

No need to weigh this. You can estimate.

The last 1/10 is organ. You can (despite what someone told you) feed liver every day. However, only half the organs should be liver. The “other” should be things like kidney, sweetbreads (thymus and pancreatic glands), melts (spleen), etc).

To make my life easier I freeze organs in sizes that match 10% of the diet and then alternate days. The first day is a “lever day” and the next is an “other” day. If you can only get beef kidney, that’s OK.

Don’t be dissuaded from beef heart because of one story on the internet. Beef heart is highly nutritious and tends to be inexpensive. Fatty pork like leg, shoulder, and butt are economical too.

Do add new proteins slowly. Smaller to larger pieces.

It is not super complicated to balance bone. If you take a little time to estimate (by eye and using the weight on meat packages as a guide) you will soon find portioning second nature. Meals can be a little over or under on any given day, the key is to be in the general ballpark over time.

Overfeeding bone over the long-term can lead to very bad health consequences. It is one of the legitimate criticisms of raw diets if and when people don’t feed in reasonable approximation to 10% bone. 10% bone and 10% organs, combined with 80% meat, will give your dog the most optimal nutrition.

Carbohydrates in a canine diet directly reduce stamina and energy. But cutting these out as much as possible you should see the renewed vigor you’ve already noticed maintain or increase. Unfortunately, many “senior” dog formulas start cutting protein and fat (and increasing carbs) at the life stage where older dogs are already losing energy. It is the worst possible approach and one that will advance lethargy.

I hope this helps you.

Bill

[Susan]

Hi Patrica,

Which Stella & Chewy formula are you talking about? I quickly looked up a few of the Stella & Chewy different formula’s & they all seems to have 2 meats as 1st & 2nd ingredients, the Raw coated Kibble Chicken formula ingredients look OK
Chicken, chicken meal, chickpeas, peas, chicken liver, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), chicken heart, natural chicken flavor, salmon oil,

If a dry kibble said, Chicken, pea/corn, lentils/chickpeas, tapioca/potatoes etc I would NOT buy it as the meat protein being “chicken” isnt a chicken meal & ingredients are listed when they’re raw not cooked so after the chicken is cooked it shrinks, 70% is water so the Lentils/chickpeas come 1st then either the peas/corn or the tapioca/potatoes come 2nd then the Chicken moves up the ingredient list depending how heavy the other ingredients are?…So I stay away from these type of pet foods now, Patch doesnt do well on high carb diets..
But if the dry kibble said Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey meal, Potatoes, Peas, Chickpeas then you know this dry kibble is higher in meat proteins not plant proteins. I wish these pet food companies had to list all the protein % in all ingredients, Earthborn Holistic Venture kibble does & I think Victor does aswell..
You’d think it would be the same with a raw food…but NO cause the raw doesnt get cooked so the meat proteins stay at 1st & 2nd ingredients etc same with freeze dried/dehydrated raw ingredients they are not cooked, maybe this is why DFA gives Stella & Chewy 5 stars?? or his dog eats it & does very well on Stella & Chewy lol

Make sure you have at least 2-3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd 3rd & if lucky 4th ingredient, my Patch has improved so much since eating a higher meat protein kibble, I use to think he couldn’t handle a high meat dry kibble, I’ve worked out it was the Kcals they were toooo HIGH, the higher the Kcals the more dense is the dry kibble so it’s harder to digest & as they get older their digestive tract slows down.. Patch gets his pain stomach/pancreas when Kcals are over 370Kcals per cup so now I look for at least 2-4 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd, 3rd ingredients then a carb.

I belong to an Dogs with IBD Raw Feeding Holistic Support f/b group & I always see people recommending “Answers Fermented Raw” Answers is suppose to be “very good quality” raw food, I read about all these very sick dogs with IBD doing really well since coming off their vet diet (well that isnt too hard lol) or a premium dry kibble & since starting Answers raw food & their Fermented Goats milk these dogs is doing very well…
Have you tried Answer pet food ? I want to try the Goats Milk I’ll buy human quality goats milk.. Patch gets some of my cup of tea every morning so I’ll replace the tea with warm goats milk instead & see how he goes…
https://www.answerspetfood.com/products.html