[Lia S]

Want to edit your photos with a professional editor, but don’t know where to find one? You can find one of the best photo editors on the website. This is your chance to rescue failed photos or add more details to your photos that will be a delight. Discover new possibilities for your creativity on the website now to turn your photo into a perfect one.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by Lia S.

[Mutts and Cats]

Hi again Aimee. Way back in the early days of this Topic, you mentioned Nature’s Variety as a raw food that you have confidence in. It appears that maybe there has been a change in ownership, or maybe just a restructuring of the company. I think previously the brand name was Instinct by Nature’s Variety. But now the packaging is just Instinct – the RAW brand. But from what I can make out on website photos, the fine print on the back of the bag does say “distributed by Nature’s Variety, St. Lois, MO”.

The Instinct website I find to be a little annoying in that they don’t even say where the headquarters are located or where it is manufactured. No mention of Nature’s Variety on the website. Even under “Contact Us” there is only the email address.
When I google Nature’s Variety I get a hit that looks like it will take me to naturesvariety.com but when I click on it I go straight to the Instinct website (instinctpetfood.com). Do you know anything about a restructuring of the company? If that has happened does it change your confidence in the company?

A few years ago I did feed their canned for a while (when it was Instinct by Nature’s Variety) and one of the freeze dried boosters. I think I tried the frozen. I can’t remember for sure why I stopped feeding it.
If I can get over worrying about my dog’s alleged food allergies (from the IgE blood test), then I think I may try the frozen again, if it remains a product you like. I’m almost there, regarding the allergies, and yet still nervous about letting go of that worry.

I had recently considered Instinct but I think even before the food allergies became a concern, it was the copper and Vitamin A contents that discouraged me. The frozen beef recipe has copper 59 ppm and Vitamin A 200,000 iu/kg. Chicken is more reasonable, but still fairly high at 39 ppm for copper (Vit A 67k). But my nagging inflammation concern definitely makes me more inclined to lean toward beef. Since I would not be feeding it full time, the copper now may not be a deal breaker for me, and in fact might balance out the diet nicely.

Their full vitamin/mineral data sure looks professional and at a glance I see no anomalies. I like the fact that they show the Omega 3 and 6 contents under the GA, plus a few vitamins and minerals there too.
But the lack of substantive info on the Instinct website does cause some concern. Maybe they are just in the process of restructuring and improvements will be made. Any thoughts you have are most welcome. M&C

• This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by Mutts and Cats.

[s R]

Please do NOT feed him homemade— he is doing too poorly for you to revert to that idea, or others. Instead go the expert route. See below, best option listed 1st.

1. If (like here in America), you have vet schools that give advice to dog owners, make that your 1st choice. Or call one cold. In either case, ask for a referral if they can’t see you immediately.
2. Choose a practice with more than one vet. Likely will have seen more cases and two heads are better than one. And if that doesn’t pan out…
3. Take him to a different vet than the one you’ve been using. ‘Feed him whatever’ is not what you or he needs now. If you can’t get him seen immediately, go to an emergency vet clinic.
Take a fresh sample of his stools if possible! or hey, take a cell phone photo.
I’d be worried. You probably are too. Take a a couple breaths, plan out what you’re going to say before you pick up the phone. Hugs to your boy.

[Patricia A]

Hi Aimee,
As I wrote to CFC. They emailed back requesting photo so just sent. I did notice on extreme bottom corner under the Stella & Chewy’s 2019 Manufactured by Stella & chewy’s and address there is black printed # 22051. So going back to email cause I don’t believe I got that in photo.
So first off am I correct in fact that the calcium/DMA for large breed puppies require LESS so All life stages is NOT appropriate to feed actually in ANY brand . Large breeds would be large breed puppy specific . Then by their own statements contradicts when advising that their their non puppy all life stage formulas would not contain ENOUGH levels Calcium/DMA.
So it should be a statement advising of the opposite actually? I don’t understand all the calculations Aimee. But their statement leads me to believe that my “adult” dogs are not getting ENOUGH calcium/DMA from their formula for All Life Stages. Since statement should of read “TOO MUCH calcium/DMA for growth of large breed puppies”.
I know nothing about large breed puppies but read that it’s incorrect to think they need MORE calcium/DMA for growth for many reasons listed.
So is their formula meeting requirements for calcium/dma for all life stages besides large breed? How are other brands different in these levels?
When I call I want to know what I”m talking about. lol

[Natalia C]

Share your experiences of raw feeding!

My name’s Natalia and I’m a PhD student in sociology at the University of Nottingham and University of Adelaide. My project is exploring the relationship between what people feed dogs and their own diets. Currently, I’m looking for participants to take part in the study who themselves are vegan or vegetarian and feed their dogs a raw meat-based diet. I’m hoping to better understand why people choose to feed raw and explore values around food and animals.

What would you have to do?
– Take 3 photos/short videos of your dog’s mealtimes to talk about together in an online interview

How much time with this involve?
– The photos can be taken quickly and it’s up to you what you’d like to share. The online interview discussion would take roughly 1 hour of your time.

I’d really appreciate your time to help me out with this project which is aiming to improve understandings of raw feeding. If you’d like to take part or would like more info, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me at [email protected].

For my website, see: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/raw-feeding-project/index.aspx.

Thanks!

[Penelope S]

Here’s the thing….I have a senior dog (going on 14) who was also diagnosed with early stage kidney disease. At the time, he was in major need of a teeth cleaning & that was the reason for the bloodwork. Other than the bloodwork saying something was wrong, he was (& still is) utterly asymptomatic – & as fit, energetic & active as a young dog. We did all the tests, including ultrasound & his kidneys themselves were perfect. Still, the vet didn’t want to do the teeth cleaning…despite all my arguments to the case that dental disease could be a contributing factor. So, I did the whole kidney prescription diet for nearly a year in an attempt to get his levels low enough that my vet would do the cleaning. It was a nightmare for both of us. He HATED – I mean HATED – the food. No matter what flavor or prescription brand I tried. He looked like I was punishing him every time I put a dish of it in front of him. The wet food especially – it smelled like a jar of old pennies so I can’t say I blame him. I could get him to eat it ONLY if I pretended it was a treat & fed him one kibble at a time – so that’s what I did. Guess what. After almost a year on that stuff, his kidney levels barely improved by a fraction of a fraction. His teeth got worse though. Like really a lot worse. Also, because of the super low protein content in these foods, he lost significant muscle mass. I read the ingredients…literally garbage. Wheat gluten, corn gluten, egg “product”, and chemicals…and way more fat (not from quality sources) than the high quality foods I’d been feeding him prior (are muscle wasting & pancreatitis a good tradeoff for kidney disease…?).

Last summer, he almost died. Spent a week in the emergency room after I rushed him there w a swollen face & 103 fever in late July 2020, came home a skeleton (they sent him home to die). Lost a tooth his last day at the ER – & was likely so sick thanks to a nasty abscess. IV antibiotics – heavy duty – the whole time he was there & immunosuppressant doses of prednisone. I syringe fed him high calorie dog food at home for a month, carried him downstairs for potty breaks because he was too weak. He lived though – got stronger. I weaned him off the steroids & did not go back to the prescription food. I started feeding him the food he was on prior to the whole mess – grain free, limited ingredient food, plus green tripe, egg whites…other things like boiled ground meats to vary his diet. Kept his protein high – (because it’s actually BAD to reduce protein in senior dogs & there’s no actual basis for doing so in early stages of CKD), fat moderate, looked up protein sources lower in phosphorus like lamb & beef (in comparison to poultry & salmon). He gained weight, including muscle & his energy levels came back. Most notably, he was excited about meal times again.

I switched to a new vet about 3 months after his ER visit. She said she didn’t understand why the first one wouldn’t do the teeth cleaning way back when. She also said that his bloodwork showed much greater improvement in his kidney levels since I switched back to his old diet compared to tests taken just prior to his ER stay. So we scheduled his teeth cleaning. Before all this started, the old vet had estimated he’d need about 5 or 6 teeth pulled. He ended up losing 14 because they had deteriorated so much in the time since this entire ordeal started. He flew through the cleaning w no issues & was up & running a couple days after. I’m still feeding him the same way & his kidney levels are consistently improving – almost normal levels when I had him tested a couple months after his cleaning. My new vet said I have been doing an excellent job w his diet, is happy w all his bloodwork & now he only has to get it checked at his semi annual checkups (instead of every month like the old vet at $250 a pop). He’s in excellent condition now. He’s a Shepherd/Shiba mix &, when I tell people he’s nearly 14, the reaction is complete disbelief. He keeps up no problem w my 2yr old female APBT mix who is extremely high energy. I have no doubt I will get several more years out of my good boy. Bottom line – do the research, get the 2nd opinions, & never assume your vet (or your own doctor for that matter) know a dang thing about nutrition. Basically find a vet who will work with you rather than one who can’t think “outside the box” or be bothered to keep up w more current research. They sell these foods based on what the manufacturers “sell” them. I wish there was a way to upload photos here – you would not believe the before & after.

[Susan]

Hi Sienna,
Your girl sounds just like my Patch, who I rescued November- 2012. He was weeing blood when I got him & Ultra Scan showed Urinary Crystals he was put on Royal Canine S/O Urinary Wet & dry kibble for 6 weeks to dissolve the crystals & he was desexed, I adopted him cause I didnt see any health problems probably cause he was on the R/C Vet Diet as soon as the vet said his crystals have dissolved feed him what he was eating before this is when my nightmare begun & he was always STARVING HUNGRY eating cat poo… I kept thinking Pancreatitis, but all times we checked his Pancreas its good, he cries whinges after he eats, wet food is the worst if comes back up cause it digests quicker & cause his lower sphincter flap isn’t closing properly the food comes up his esophagus & throat causing acid reflux, a Acid Blocker- Pantoprazole-20mg given in morning really helps Patch even stopped his vomiting finally in 2018 Patches stories are thru DFA Forum section how I nilly put him to sleep 2018 he was 10yrs old but we have really good vets in Australia who wouldn’t put Patch to sleep till they worked out what was happening now.
Vet changed his PPI to 20mg-Pantoprozole it works heaps better then Omeprazole , I take Pantoprazole for my GERDS & asked my vet can we please change his PPI as they all work different till you find the right one for yourself & dogs would be the same + my gastro specialist told me Pantoprazole is best when Lower Esophageal Flap isnt closing properly.

Have you done Endoscope & Biopsies yet? you need the Biopsies so vet can diagnose properly. Or ask vet can you please try the triple therapy meds for Helicobacter all dogs have Helicobacter BUT when a dogs immune system is compromised the Helicobacter takes over the dog stomach also Patch suffers with Environment Allergies in Summer causing his immune system to crash by Autunm cause its been working overtime fighting his allergies this causing bad acid reflux as well, Patch does best on an easy to digest kibble.
Canidae Pure Senior, Wellness Core Large breed adult but they changed their recipe & added Lentils Patch cant eat Lentils he gets Diarrhea, he does really well on Potato & Sweet Potato kibbles.
Patch suffers with IBD, LES =Lower Esophageal Sphincter Flap doesn’t close properly in between his stomach & esophagus causing BAD Acid reflux, 1 yr after I rescued Patch I was told my boy has IBD I didnt believe vet so I asked can we do Endoscope & Biopsies, the Biopsies came back IBD, Helicobacter Pylori he was put on Triple therapy medications for 21 days, Metronidazole & Amoxicillin given every 12 hours with a meal & a PPI -Pantoprazole or Omeprazole-20mg given in the morning before breakfast, a gluten free, low fat diet is best, no high fiber diets, 8 yrs on he still has Pain stomach area, doesn’t eat poo no more as soon as we fixed his Helicobacter & kept him on a PPI the poo eating all stopped , your girl has Pain in stomach & food relieves her stomach pain, the Helicobacter lives in their stomach walls, food stops the pain BUT 20-30mins later they’re starving again how I know is I suffered with Helicobacter when I was younger, get her on the Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & a PPI will help her you’ll see results 5-7 days..then when medications are finished after 21 days continue with teh PPI or you’ll have to do the triple therapy meds over & over again I did research & Drs found when humans stayed on their PPI medication their Helicobacter didnt have the right environment in the stomach.
There’s a few of Patches post thru DFA Forum back 2015-2018..
I havent had time yet to read your posts, I have to feed Patch now its 7pm he’s waiting, he eats 5 smaller kibble meals a day 7am,-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am-1/2 cup kibble, 12pm he either gets 1/3 cup kibble or 1/2 boiled Sweet potato, 1/2 boiled white potato with his lean Pork rissoles but he prefers his kibble some days, 5pm 1/2 cup kibble, 7pm-1/3 cup kibble 9am a dry piece of Milk Arrowroot Biscuit then at 10pm he gets 1/2 his Quick Eze Rapid Chew ant acid lollie every single night they have also found Pepto Bismol kills off the Helicobacter
Hes doing well on his Eukanuba Senior kibble we have just started 3-4 weeks ago, I have to rotate his kibbles as soon as he starts showing he has his stomach pain I change his kibble.. also the Kcals in the kibble need to be under 360Kcals per cup or he gets his pain right side..
are you on Face Book??
join “Acid reflux in Dogs” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635198406751056
I’m on there you can msg me on f/b if you want…You’ll see Patches photo hes a English Staffy & my name is Susan B

[gump M]

Right.
They gone from my sight, but never my heart.

[Patricia A]

Hi Tom…You can look at Budget friendly dog food at this site here on the Dog Food Advisor. /best-dog-foods/budget-friendly/
Also, I know my senior dog when at that age really enjoyed some plain boiled white meat chicken, string beans and very lean hamburger mixed in with her kibble. This way you can possibly get a higher rated 4 or 5* kibble and stretch it by giving a little less kibble with simple homemade cooked food. However, please go VERY SLOWLY with any transition of any new type of food as not to upset his stomach. Good luck and since your profile photo has you with a good catch I say happy fishing to you since I also enjoy fishing.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by Patricia A.

[Matt S]

Hi All!
I live in the UK and have a gorgeous 5year old Golden Retriever who I’ve always fed raw. He’s my 3rd Golden, my first two both reaching 14 years old, but both of them fed complete biscuit diet, with the odd treat of tinned meat.
My supplier here is filled TPMS, ( TPMS.co.uk )and I buy boxes of 25 x 1lb packs of mince beef and minced lamb. Info on the boxes are as follows.
Beef:- protein 16.2% oil 14.9% moisture 65.2%
Lamb:- protein 13.5% oil 16.3% moisture 66.7%

All seems well and his coat is fantastic and although he weighs 96lbs he’s not overweight. He has 1 pack a day with a cup of kibble.

Reading about pathogens in raw dog food (with the current corona crisis going on) has made me wonder if going dry/tinned would be safer?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the above food I’m giving him. If I can add photos I’ll add one of the food and label showing all details.

Cheers
Matt

[Susan]

Hi Eileen,
If your dog has problems digesting food then I’d stay with the Freeze Dried raw as raw meat digest easier then Kibbles, Kibbles sits in a dogs stomach. My boy has IBD & he was vomiting back up the Royal Canine HP Kibble 8 hours later when he was 1st diagnosed with IBD, then he was put on a raw diet & he digested the raw easier no vomiting up undigested raw. 🙂
Feed him the Stella & Chewy freeze dried food, he’s very smart & knows what agrees with him & what is best for him, listen to your dog.
Vet diets are only temporary – NOT LONG TERM, so once your dog Stomach/Bowel has healed my vet told me to start introducing new ingredients to Patches diet.
Then once he’s stable on the Stella & Chewy Turkey formula start looking at another Stella & Chewy meat protein, try the Rabbit it has similar ingredients in same place as the Turkey formula also the Rabbit will have lower fat, also the Venison looks good & lower in fat as well. Sometimes high fat can cause diarrhea??

Start adding a new protein to his diet, read ingredients as some of the Stella & Chewy Freeze Dried formulas have a few organ meats in the 1st – 5 ingredients, organ meats can cause diarrhea when there’s too much, it all depends on your dog if he can handle organ meats, so don’t give up if you have a set back, you’re on the right track feeding freeze dried raw, Freeze Dried Raw is heaps better then any processed kibbles/wet can food.

You know he can handle & eat Turkey so if you have to get a kibble get a limited ingredient Turkey formula,
“Wellness” has pretty good dog foods & my boy does really well on Wellness Core, Wellness Simple formula’s with his IBD…
This is what I feed Patch when he has a bad IBD flare, you’ll see my Patch in the middle photo, the kibble bag is bigger then him lol
Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato has the Matching wet can foods as well

https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

https://www.stellaandchewys.com/dog-food/freeze-dried-raw-dinners

[rhonda b]

My husband watched a video on Nutri-thrive powder supplement which ultimately he ordered. The rep was very nice, and no complaints on that end. However, our furbaby had a severe reaction. I see the positive stories and happy for those it had helped. However, the first week our little girl started coughing, and scratching. The 2nd week I noticed her skin was turning red, and she began to scratch more. I dismissed it as playing outside and hoped the powder would provide relief. However it only got worse. I gave her medication to relieve her scratching. We continued the powder only doing a partial because of concerns. From there it got worse she began scratching all night violently and rubbing against furniture. She scratches so much she had bald spots, scabs around her neck and on her back.
Immediately stopped the new ingredients. This is the only thing that has changed in her diet.
I would advise to be very careful. I feel horrible to have put her through this and if I can post photos I will attempt to do so.
Unfortunately, it only creates harm for my baby. If you do use it and your dog starts violently scratching, stop immediately. Don’t make the same mistake I did “ waiting most a month to see it work” which is what they suggest.

Like any other animal lover, I wanted desperately for this to be a positive outcome. It was not
Rhonda

[Dean S]

ONLY NATURAL PET COLORADO – JERKY STRIPS, CAGE FREE CHICKEN FLAVOR, last order 1 bag out of 6 received completely covered in MOLD!

So bad these looked green/dark gray. I have taken photos and written to ONLY NATURAL PET, will keep everyone updated as they reply.

Their products are usually top of the line, we have had no issues for the past 12 months ordering, but this is a big concern. And even though the other 5 bags appeared fine, it is the same batch/LOT number how can we be sure there is not unseen mold growth as well.

VERY disappointing let’s see how they react.

Dean Smith

[Patricia A]

Anon I use wrapped bully sticks made in USA. They chew for about 15 minutes and then I take it away. I’ve been letting both of mine chew on these for over eight years. As a pet owner I am very observant when something I fed caused vomiting or diarrhea. Never once in all the years has this happened. I would imagine if it’s so contaminated with bacteria that many dogs would be experiencing upset. At my local food store the bin is always low because it sells out after delivery by end of week.Most pet owners would take note that after their dog chews on bully sticks they get violently ill. I do give raw baby carrots to my one. The other one throws it all up the next day so she does not get them anymore.
Nothing is bacteria free. Even the great “big four”. Purina below

Nestle Purina Commits ‘Significant Violations’ at Pet Food Canning Plant

Article below includes of course Royal CANIN (Mars)
Millions’ of roaches plagued maker of Pedigree, IAMS, Cesar, other pet foods

By Phyllis Entis on June 7, 2018
The Mars Petcare U.S. Inc. low-acid canned pet food production facility in Columbus, OH, was crawling with an infestation of German cockroaches between October 2016 and July 2017. Mars markets wet dog and cat foods in cans, plastic tubs, and laminated pouches under the Pedigree, Cesar, Whiskas, Nutro and IAMS brands.

Pet food from the plant also generated consumer complaints about finding hard plastic pieces and a complaint about a elastic material in Mars’ pet foods.

On Oct. 7, 2016, Mars initiated a recall of 54,255 cases of CESAR Classics Filet Mignon Flavor canned dog food after the complaints about plastic. The recalled products were shipped to 36 states, including to three government facilities.

Ensuing inspections found the company had not completed repairs as promised.

Documents obtained by Food Safety News show during a July 2017 inspection of the Columbus facility, investigators from the Food and Drug Administration observed two significant deviations from current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP):

Failure to inspect, segregate, or otherwise handle raw materials and ingredients used in manufacturing under conditions that will protect the animal food against contamination and minimize deterioration; and
Failure to take effective measures to exclude pests from [the] plant and protect against contamination of animal food by pests.
Roaches and other pests
The infestation was first documented during an Oct. 27, 2016, comprehensive low-acid canned food (LACF) inspection by FDA, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Although Mars management undertook to address and remedy the infestation in October 2016, FDA investigators observed a live roach in the manufacturing area adjacent to an area where in-process raw materials and ingredients are maintained, and another near the main hand-wash station at the entrance to the manufacturing area during the July 2017 inspection.

According to the company’s Employee Pest Sighting Log, there were 99 instances of pest activity observed during a 72-day period from Nov. 10, 2016, to July 14, 2017, including one instance described as “millions of roaches.”

Employees also reported birds, spider webs, beetles, multiple flies, maggots and larvae on several occasions.

Mars contracts with a pest control operator (PCO) for routine rodent and insect control.

During their review of the PCO’s reports, FDA investigators found references to photographic evidence of pest activity, disrepair of dock doors, general disrepair of the building — including areas of ingress and egress — excessive spills of raw materials and damaged cans “covered” in flies. The photographs had not been retained by the company.

Several of the PCO observations regarding necessary repairs were repeated in multiple consecutive reports. For example, damage to a dock door was first reported on or about Sept. 26, 2016. The report was repeated after each visit until the door was finally repaired on or about Nov. 3, 2016.

Foreign objects – pieces of plastic
In addition to ongoing pest problems, Mars logged repeated violations related to the pieces of hard plastic that spurred the Oct. 7, 2016, recall.

During a March 31, 2017, recall follow-up inspection, Mars informed FDA that the firm had fully implemented corrective actions/preventative actions (CAPAs), including changing all food-contact white plastic material to a blue plastic material, enabling the presence of white plastic foreign objects to be detected more easily.

Despite this assurance, FDA inspectors were told on July 11, 2017, that only the “majority” of the belts and plastic wear plates on critical equipment had been changed out by that date.

As of the July 2017 inspection, Mars acknowledged that it was still receiving complaints from customers about foreign objects in its finished products.

FDA has received two new consumer complaints for plastic foreign objects in Mars canned, tubbed or pouched products since the inspection, according to an agency spokesperson. One of these was for an elastic-type object and the other was for two small, hard plastic pieces. The consumer did not provide a product lot number in the second case, and it is unclear whether the two complaints concerned product manufactured in the Columbus facility.

Refusals and obstruction
The Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) documents a lack of cooperation on the part of Mars management during the July 2017 inspection.

FDA investigators reported Mars officials refusing to cooperate on three points three during the course of the inspection, including:

Refusal to permit photography
Refusal to permit the review of consumer complaints
Refusal to provide photocopies of consumer complaints, manufacturing, shipping and pest control records.
In addition to the outright refusals reported in the EIR, investigators encountered delays in the production of requested documents and information, and denial of complete access to all areas of the facility.

When faced with a refusal, FDA investigators are expected to call attention to the relevant section of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act, and then to complete the inspection, according to Chapter 5 of the FDA Investigations Operations Manual (2018).

The company’s lack of cooperation resulted in a delay in the completion of the inspection, which was begun on July 11, 2017, but was not completed for more than two weeks, on July 26.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by Patricia A.

[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 Joanne,
Wellness Core, Wellness Simple & Wellness Complete Health & Canidae have all been the same shape, size, colour & smell, I havent had a change yet with these brands…
I did get different kibble size, smell & colour with TOTW, Earthborn Holistic & a few Australian brands & Patches did his smelly farts & had soft poos for 5-7 days then he was back to normal after 1 week….

Say you get another Holistic Select Lamb kibble bag & the kibbles are small aswell??
Have you taken photo & send to Holistic Select & ask why has the kibble size changed?? is this how the kibble will be?? I think they do the small small kibble size so small breeds can also eat those formula’s aswell, alot of small dog owners whinge when the kibble size is big, Wellness Core Large Breed Adult Kibbles size is big the Wellness Simple is just a little bit smaller, I like the med/large triangle size kibble cause Patch chews them, the small kibbles are suppose to be easier to digest……
I’d ring Chewy back & ask has your order gone out can you change it & get a different brand food Vonn wasnt really keen on the Holistic Select in the beginning & he might do better on another kibble?? I had to try heaps of different brands till I finally found a few brands that agree with Patch & I liked them aswell lol..

[Susan]

Hi Melissa,

about 1 month ago my English Staffy Patch had 5 wort type little lumps/skin tags removed, 1 had grown rapidly within 1 month, a very suspicious looking lump, the vet removed all & tested 3 of them for cancer, Lucky they all were “not” Mast Cell Tumors.

….Mass Cell Tumor is the most common skin tumor in dogs, it can also affect other areas of the body, including the spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and bone marrow.
My vet said when she was doing a course to up date on dogs lumps etc they all were given photos of 7 different looking lumps found on dogs & they had to write what type of lump they thought they were, she said every vet wrote that they all looked like Skin Tags?? they all were Mast Cell Tumors that were cancerous tumors, so now vets recommend to have any type of wierd looking small, med or large lumps removed & do not poke, prod or let the vet remove part of lump to be sent away for testing, if its a Mast Cell Tumor the Histimines go thru the dog body when they are poke at or needle put in them etc, so it’s best to have the lump removed & a heap of surrounding skin tissue around the lumps removed if a suspicious lump.

Patch had around 17 stitches, 2 stitches in his right ear where 1 skin tag was removed the rest lumps were side of legs & stomach area.
The side of body where he had 2 lumps removed, he has brindle fur & black skin it has healed beautifully BUT the other side where he had 2 lumps removed & his fur is white & his skin is pink wasn’t healing too well, so I started applying “Bepanthen” Antiseptic Soothing Cream every night before bed, Bepanthen is made by Bayer, its in the baby section at shop/chemist, I also use Huggies Coconut Oil thick baby wipes, they have Aloe Leaf Extract & Coconut Oil in the baby wipes…The days he doesn’t have a bath I wipe down his skin, stomach, head, paws & bum, he suffers with environment allergies..

*Healing Foods to start adding to his diet – meal/kibble also give some as a treat or to lose weight if needed*

– Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring, are excellent foods for healthy skin. …
– Tin Sardines in spring water – drain the water/oil add 1/4 of the can to 1 of his daily meals or add
– Tin Salmon in oil or spring water – drain teh water/oil add 2 spoons to 1 of his daily meals or add
– 1 x Krill Oil Capsule to 1 of his daily meals
– Mussels – I buy the Freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels & give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat.

*Nuts-

– Walnuts
– Almonds x 3 almonds a day, give as a treat so he chews them, I bite 1 almond in 1/2 eat & give the other 1/2 of the almond to Patch so he chews it, only 3 full almonds a day as they can cause sloppy poo/diarrhea.

– Kelfir/Probiotic to strengthen the Immune System, – best given when stomach is empty so give as a drink first thing of a morning or inbetween meals so it works better, with the powder dog Probiotics (Purina Forti Floria) – add 10-15ml water to recommended probiotic dose swirl 15ml water & probiotic in a bowl..

– Vitamin C High Potency Powder
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is required for the synthesis of collagen. It is also a highly effective antioxidant protecting cells from damage by free radicals. Studies have shown that the vitamin can help speed the healing process of wounds.
We have NAS High Potency Vitamin C powder for dogs & cats in Australia.
https://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/product/high-potency-vitamin-c/

– Egg
– Goat Milk
– Chicken
– Sunflower Seeds
– Sweet Potatoes
– Broccoilli

[Susan]

Hi Jill

Cereals are grains, wheat, oats, rice bran, ingredients you find in breakfast cereals..
With all the testing Royal Canine does their food has come into Australia all moldy & making dogs ill & sick…
Royal Canin offered Nina $1000 and some free product if she agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement…
In Australia 2 big pet food companies within the last year have killed dogs & left a heap of dogs sick with Mega Esophagus you see daily posts of these suffering dogs finally being put to sleep as their poor owners can cope watching their dogs suffer & the other big Pet Food company R/C has made dog’s very ill & tried to buy customers off to shut their mouths so they wouldnt post photos of their moldy kibble…
https://www.choice.com.au/outdoor/pets/products/articles/royal-canin-mouldy-dog-food?fbclid=IwAR3zHS6gpbcZGjv0vjXLvSwLSYU3h5lOzzhq5Z8hlNSsitK54ipLsXFx5Rg

There would be a few quality kibbles or a dehydrated raw dog foods in the US that are very good & are high in meat proteins & aren’t high in carbs…

Instead of adding beans, add some peeled de seed cut up apple pieces, excellent to give for snacks/treats also celery, broccoli, rock melon, cooked sweet potato, mussels, sardines, tin salmon drain water & add 1-2 spoons to 1 of the meals take out some of his kibbles when adding fresh foods…
add healthy fresh whole foods, also add daily 1 x fish oil/Krill oil capsule to 1 of the meals.. Omega 3 fatty acid to diet helps the heart…
I seen on TV news Australian scientist did a study on heart patients 1/2 took fish oil capsules ended up healing & having a healthy heart where the other 1/2 of the human heart patients in the study who never took any fish oil their heart problem stayed the same no changes..

[InkedMarie]

Daryl, you can’t be charged if you don’t put your credit card info in. If you’re charged somehow, contact your credit card company.

Look at Hare Today, Reel Raw, My Pet Carnivore, Raw Feeding Miami. All are reputable Raw food companies. I live in NH, buy from Hare and have for years. Yes there is shipping but it would be cheaper than a premade raw. You would need a stand alone freezer. I don’t know about the rest but Hare offers rewards back for purchases, reviews, sharing photos etc

[Susan]

Hi,
I just read my emails & I saw Luey Photo’s, if you click on the links in the email that DFA sends then the instagram link works…
He’s BEAUTIFUL, he’s all white & he has small black patch like my Patch has on his left eye & a bit of black on his right ear the same as my Patch has, I watched his video playing & he’s wearing his nappy & purple doggy pants, he looks so cute, soft & cuddly….

I wanted a Frenchie last year so I ran it by Patches vet & she told me, Oh no Susan not that breed, they have way too many health problems, she said you have been thru so much with Patch I wouldnt want you to have to go thru it all over again, she said this breed suffers with Environment Allergies, Food Sensitivities, Stomach & Bowel Problems, Breathing Problems cause of their short snout, becareful on hot days make he’s breathing OK…
My vet said the problem is inner breeding & breeding Frenchie who have health problems, greedy back yard breeders continue to breed sick Frenchies cause they can get $3000 in Australia….My vet said if you do still want to get one go thru a proper registered breeder who isnt breeding sick French Bulldogs…

In 2015, Frenchies were the fourth most popular registered dog in the United Kingdom and in the U.S. the sixth most popular AKC registered dog breed.They were rated the third most popular dog in Australia in 2017.

You posted.

“I was also making him white rice with chicken breast carrots peas spinach and zucchini. That actually constipated him for 2 days then it was back to the soft pieces of poop”.

did you continue to fed the white rice with chicken breast carrots peas spinach and zucchini when he was constiped?? and his poos went back to the soft pieces of poop? or did you change his diet & feed him something else cause he was constipated & you wanted him to poo??
You may have answered your own question, you might have to do elimination food diet with cooked ingredients & do not feed any dry kibble at all & see if you add less white rice can you just get the meal right where he does 2 firm poos?? not constipated & no pieces of poo…
You need a vet who knows alot about Intestinal problems… In Australia we don’t have Specialist vets like in America, our vets who have a passion for certain health problems continue to study about certain health problems & then we pay the same price to see a vet that knows more about a particular health problem, when you ring to book a vet visit we are asked why does your dog need to see a vet? then the lady says Oh I’ll book you in with such & such vet cause he knows about Intestinal health or Skin allergies..
You need a vet that wants to learn more & becomes very interested in whats wrong with Luey & helps him…Like what happened with my Patch…

[Mary M]

Thank you, Aimee and Patricia, for posting these insightful articles. I, too, had read the same information last week in The Washington Post. I have been feeding my German Shepherd Taste of the Wild kibble for years and The Washington Post actually printed a photo of bags of this very food. This was disheartening to see, and yes, I now want to switch his food. They cited symptoms such as coughing and excess panting which I have seen him do. I started him on grain free because I’d read that it is the best choice for dogs who are prone to seizures — which he is. His seizures were cut by 90% after switching to grain free. Now this. I will search this website (I’m a new member today) for articles on seizures and hope for positive info on a food that is not necessarily grain free. Also may try the sardines added once a week, as mentioned in Patricia’s article, for adding taurine.

[Susan]

Hi Kayla,
It sounds like your dog has Environment allergies & no matter what he eats he is itchy scratch, red paws, etc… it could be dust mites, human danger, a plant outside, it could be heaps of reason & its not what he’s eating…
Are you seeing a Dermatologist that specializes in skin problems, to work out why is his skin is dry & itchy?
Have you added fish oil to his diet or tin sardines or salmon in spring water, add 2 spoons a day to 1 of his meals?
Have you tried a Hypoallergienic vet diet?? this would be the best diet at the moment till your vet or Dermatologist works out why your dog is itchy & has dry skin?

I also have a 9 yr old dog, he’s a English Staffordshire Terrier, thay seem to be prone to allergies & food sensitivities. He suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies, Food Sensitivitivies & IBD..
as they age they get worse with their allergies NOT better, normally thru the Winter months he does really well, as long as he isnt eating any ingredients he’s sensitive too but since moving last December this Winter has been a nightmare, I think he’s allergic to the grass in back yard & the big trees in neighbour back yard that hang over into my yard & drop these little yellow flowers….
Does your dog suffer with sloppy poos, diarrhea, gas/farts, vomiting etc this is a sign of food sensitivities?
Have you done a food Elimination diet yet? best to do food elimination diet in the cooler months when allergens aren’t as high, so you dont get confussed when the dog itches & its environment & not ingredient your adding to his diet…
Baths, are you bathing twice a week or weekly in a Medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens off skin & paws & put moisture back into his skin, I use Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes the days I don’t bath Patch..I also use creams to reduce any itchy red skin..
have you tried Apoquel or Cytopoint injections?

Here’s a really good f/b group you can join..
“Dogs, Allergies, Issues & other Information Support group” https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/

Here’s “Canine Skin Solutions group” run by 2 animal Dermatologist, take photo’s & post..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563654607200747/

[Acroyali]

I’d keep swimming him and ignore the odd comment suggesting people think you should starve him.
Swimming is low impact, which is excellent on oddly shaped joints, and muscle building.
Building muscle while removing fat is critical here. Swimming will help this along but his stamina will need built which can take a few months, but can certainly be done.
Swimming helps MUCH than walks for weight loss/muscle gain, and is way more fun for most water dogs.
(Don’t go by the scale alone. Take pictures and date them, and take pictures every 2-3 weeks if you have to. One of his entire body side view, and one viewed from above..his back/waist, etc. GOOD weight loss is slow and steady til a plateau hits. Bad weight loss is rapid and is usually water/muscle loss, not what you want with a dog with poor hips. Good muscle supports poor joints.
It may be so gradual that you won’t notice, but in 6 months you may see the original photos and be shocked.)

Most serious dog people who have performance dogs swim them for these reasons.
Think of human PT and physical rehab. Most start with swimming because of the low impact for injured/unwell joints and muscle/calorie burning properties, vs. taking a walk or 30 minutes on a treadmill.
Letting him self regulate as you’re doing IMO is one of the best things you can do. When he’s tired, let him quit, then see if he wants to go again in another hour or so. He’ll build endurance.

[Noelani H]

I had posted a photo of the label in a blog as a safe and healthy chew and a kind person sent me the link to your conversation.

Thank you so much for alerting all owners to this dangerous and unhealthy product. So very thankful that there are those who do due dillegence for the people who don’t have the resources to do the research.

I purchased my “chew” at a very reputable daycare and dog hotel for special needs babies. I will definitely be letting her know this conversation and she will be furious at these findings as she is passionate about abuse and also these types of food crimes and misdemeanors.

Being an advocate to our babies I will be posting this on my blog and will not be carrying this on my eMarketplace and will be returning it to the company.

I do want to recommend that maybe make an appointment with your federal legislator in your state and have legislation crafted so we can stop this travesty. Currently I am in the process of developing talking points to meet with my Congressman to stop the sale of chicken sent to China and then sent back to the states after processing. We have to stop this and stop it now. We should be doing this with pet food and treats as well.

God bless all that you do.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Noelani H. Reason: Spelling

[FIREMAN29]

Hello,

This is for anyone who can help me. I have a 2.5yo +/-95# male AmStaff. He is a great dog but has been plagued with digestive issues since he was a pup. We went all the way up the kibble food chain ultimately having to get him the most natural gain free, chicken free, high protein, high priced food on the market. And he still showed some opposition to eating it and would drink tons of water a day. On June 1st my wife and I finally got tired of all the issues and switched him to a raw diet. I read several books and web sites trying to gain all the knowledge I could. We transitioned him over 8 days essentially switch and 1/8 of his food out each day. He was more excited to eat and seemed happier after even a few days. He was pooping less, I mean this in terms of shear volume, his poop was firm and smelled less, and he seemed to stop straining when he pooped.

A couple days ago he woke us up around 3am and we had to rush him outside as he had a photo finish with totally watery stool. He had also felt a bit warmer to the touch leading up to that. I’m confident that the meat was not contaminated (given that we ate form the same batch), and we made sure to clean everything thoroughly throughout the transition and after. I went back to the trusty internet and books and couldn’t find anything relating at least within the area of what he’s experiencing. It was a lot of “WebMD” type of reading where he could just be having an upset stomach and it will pass or I may be killing him slowly in which case rush him to the vet immediately.

He still seems happy, and energetic, and hasn’t gotten as warm as frequently as he has since those two days ago.

Food Break Down: 13oz 85/15 Ground Beef or Lean Ground Turkey
3 oz Meaty Bone (usually a stripped turkey leg portion or cow bone of some sort, he doesn’t like chewing them so I have to break them up which is a pain.)
4 oz Organ Meat (only 2 oz if all we have is liver)
2-3 oz additonally of fruits and veggies

One meal a week we will give him fish.

Just looking to see if we even doing this the right way. I thinking that from what I read we put in too much fat but I can’t be sure. If anyone could shed some light on this I would be very grateful. We want the best for our guy and we know we can get this right just need some guidance.

[Susan]

Hi Black,

Change vet, are you in a another country?
its “not” normal for your dog to be vomiting, what colour is the vomit?
is it white & frothy, yellow, blood? take photo & see a new vet…

Start to cook a very lean white meat, either chicken, turkey or pork, NO fatty meats & boil some potato or boil sweet potato, sweet potato soothes the stomach also pumkin is good as well add 1 spoon boiled pumkin… add 1/2 boiled meat & 1/2 potato & feed 3-4 smaller meals a day, no large meals….
Might be Pancreatitis????

[Michael W]

I am using S&C Raw Coated Kibble and Double the amount of the freeze Dried Raw toppers or I cut back the kibble and mix with a couple freeze dried raw patties, I make sure to equalize the kcal. I have an active purebred American Staffordshire Terrier that is medium size at 48 pounds but is ALL muscle…When I got her she had spent her whole life in a crate and only taken out 2x daily she would do her business and right back in the crate… So it took a long time but I slowly built up her endurance so she could walk around the block, next we sprinted, it took 4 months before she would spend time in her new 4k square foot house and the silence must have been deafening since she was somehow mixed with King Cavaliers and was supposed to be the protection dog that the owner admitted he just locked away. I now feed her freeze dried liver, S&C raw coated kibble, S&C freeze dried raw mixers or patties, Grizzly Salmon Oil, and Dr. Mercola’s digestive enzymes twice a day. She will get a raw beef bone and meat for lunch if she is especially active that day doing urban mushing or pulling…I wish you could see the muscle packed onto her. My Vet had a photo of her professionally made into a canvas that hangs in her waiting room…It is a picture of her whole back when hanging from her spring pole…Truly amazing what S&C nutrition and activity has done. She finally completed her intended purpose and is going to be my Service Dog as I retire my current one.

[Susan J]

I skimmed it because I did not like it. Feel free to dismiss my words here. I did not care about the vet’s experience as a child. The photos of dead animals in a pile were inflammatory. I could be totally wrong but I do not believe that is common. As for feeding raw, seems like those who like this kind of feeding are just over the edge promoting raw food. My dog is not a wild dog, and he does not need raw food like he just caught something. Nevertheless, I do believe some dog foods, maybe many, are prepared with ingredients and techniques we would not want to see. And the wording used in advertising is laughable. “Nest laid eggs.” That’s just silly.

[Matt O]

Thanks PitLove for the quick response. He is quite the looker, that’s for sure! Here are a couple pics for anyone interseted:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOFZJygrp3ocYgPL57eYeYcSl7f5gWvKpG0xCI_563lYa8j0dA9gfLb-zvUBa21tw?key=amxGMVNkSkhsbzRjUTZsY0hBbFV1VWEtTUdFdkpn

We don’t have his pedigree exactly but did do a DNA test (for what that is worth) and he came back 75% presa with a little mastiff and bulldog for the remainder. Glad to hear that we appear to be on the right track.

I’m going to send you a direct message shortly regarding some of the sport/bite work you mentioned. We are really trying to keep him stimulated mentally as he gets plenty of exercise from daycare (where he is an absolute star) and us.

Thanks for the help!

[Michael D]

The following are several suggestions that would make dogfoodadvisor.com more useful for me. But, before I begin, let me say thank you for all the years of work that has gone into the site. Also, I know most suggestions are rejected or shelved for legitimate reasons.

1) I would like to be able to filter the lists by canned/dry, rating, manufacturer, primary ingredient, and keyword.

2) I noticed that many of the dog foods brands available in my local stores (Houston, Tx) are not listed on dogfoodadvisor.com. Most of the formulations are not listed. It is entirely understandable base on the variety available. Most are so cheap that I am confident they will be on the undesirable list. All I needed was a list of recommended formulations (thank you). However, I would like you to provide detailed instructions (video) so that your members could go to their local grocery and pet stores to collect the necessary information. A proper analysis likely requires experience and a doctorate. But your members should be able to submit a photo of the food package, ingredients list, expiration date, (and possibly the price). They could use this photo evidence to populate a database. Granted, 97% of your members will not be interested in contributing. But, dog lovers are more community-oriented than most. I bet one in fifty of the people who post on your forums would be willing to participate. With photographs and a few checks, it is not apparent to me how malicious actors could corrupt the systems. You could offer a reduced membership to participants if revenue increases as a result.

Thank for reading,
Regards, Mike

[Susan]

Hi Misti,
yes start with a Limited Ingredient food that has 1 novel protein & 1 carb she hasnt really eaten before there’s “California Natural” Lamb & Rice it has just 3 ingredients or there’s “Natural Balance” Sweet Potato & Fish or Sweet Potato & Bison, Sweet Potato & Duck the NB is very similar to the Vet diet Hills D/D Potato & Duck or the D/D Potato & Venison also Royal Canin has their Select Protein formula’s Potato & Rabbit, Potato & Salmon but the Natural Balance is cheaper then the vet diets, or look at “Canidae Pure” formula’s the Pure Sea is really good for skin problems, it’s high in Omega 3 fatty acid what’s needed for the skin problems..
The vet will probably put her on a steriod (Predisone) this is just a bandaid as soon as you stop the steriod it will all come back & he’ll probably put her on a vet diet & a medicated shampoo so maybe first try the LID Premium dog food, do weekly baths in Malaseb shampoo & wash her paws twice a week in the Malaseb & use the Sudocrem morning before she goes outside & at night before bed I also use “Hydrocortisone 1%” cream on Patches paws just before he goes to bed I check out his whole body & see where is red & lightly apply the Hydrocortisone cream & use a cotten tip to apply inbetween his toes where’s red by morning he has no redness paws are nice & pink then I apply teh Sudocrem before he goes out teh door, chicken, barley, oats, tapioca all make Patches paws red 20mins after eating these ingredient….. Keep a diary & start writing everything down & over the years you will start to see a pattern, I have a rescue who has IBD, Seasonal Environment allergies & food sensitivities & he gets the red paws, itchy smelly skin from certain foods, I bath him in Malaseb medicated shampoo weekly, the Malaseb is excellent, relieves the redness stops their itchy paws & skin & puts moisture back into their skin, when you bath them you wash away any allergens on their skin & paws etc also the snow?? when Patch walks on wet grass the morning dew or its been raining more then 2 days he also gets his red sore paws I have a small towel near the front & back door & I wipe down his paws if its raining I also buy teh Baby wipes & use them as well try & get some “Sudocrem” sold on Amazon this is what we use in Australia & the UK, the Sudocrem a healing cream for Dermatitis, Excema, Nappy Rash etc & it repells water & protects the paws & skin from allergens, I cant up load photos I have of a Staffy that had a really bad red stomach & then her owner got the Sudocrem & the dog stomach was all clear the next day, can you afford the Pre made raw? maybe try a premade raw instead of a dry kibble…
also are you on Face Book? join this group, “Dog Allergies, Issues & Other Information Support Group” its a really good group & good info & a Dermatologist frequents the group.
Misti will get better but you need have a strict routine when doing the food trial, with time it gets easier but allergies dont go away they get worse as they age, she probably is like Patch & has both Seasonal Environment allergies (worse in the Spring/Summer months) & Food Sensititivies so best to start now & you’ll work out what she can & cant eat, it the snow/water makes her paws worse she might ned some type of shoe Patch wouldnt wear shoes so I use the Sudocrem it repells, allergens, the water & wet grass, Good Luck

[Susan]

Hi Deborah M,
I really understand how you’re feeling & I know what you’re going thru, I took on this dog & I was just his foster carer, I had to take him to vet get him desexed vaccinated meds for all his sores that were around his neck & legs from being tied up then he has his photo put on the Rescue site & adopted out, his name was Patch & he just turned 4yr old in very bad condition, I’ve never seen a rescue dog this bad before I think he wasnt Put To Sleep cause he became the pound favorite, there’s always a few pound favorites, the people who work or volunteer at the pound do everything to get them a home or into rescue before their kill day so they called me (cause they know I love Staffys) to fix him all up & adopt him out but as the days went by he was weeing blood, so off to see the rescue vet, she said looks like he was being used for breeding, so he gets put on vet diet for 6 weeks to dissolve his crystals then he is diagnosed with IBD & Helicobacter-Pylori, Skin Allergies & Food Sensitivities, In the end I adopted him myself, I felt all the people that came out to meet & greet him weren’t listening to me when I said “but he’s sick, he has a few health problems” they’d all say, “Oh he seems fine he’s really happy, he doesnt look sick”, I couldnt handle not knowing whoever adopts him would they continue with his meds etc or would they just give up on him like his old owners did & surrender him back to a pound & he’ll continue to suffer, he just turned 9yrs old last week & it’s been a very hard 5 yrs & the money I’ve spent trying to fix Patch, I even stopped doing rescue for a few years when he was real bad & sick, I couldn’t leave him at home while I was out helping other dogs all day & worrying about him, he does not do well on ANY vet diets they give him bad acid reflux, make his skin itch & smell yeasty cause he has food sensitivities to some grains, gluten corm/maize & beet pulp, he can NOT have any Beet Pulp he gets bad acid reflux, all these things that are suppose to fix & help his stomach & bowel make Patch worse, then finally I started looking for other diets beside these vet diets & FINALLY after trying a few kibbles, I found “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb dry kibble, people in the IBD & EPI face book groups were saying how well their dogs were doing on TOTW Sierra Mountain or TOTW Pacific Stream both are lower in fiber & TOTW uses Purified water, the Sierra Mountain formula just has 1 single meat protein Lamb, has Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, that firm his poo’s up & his acid reflux stopped & his skin all cleared up, cause he wasn’t eating a diet that had ingredients he was sensitive too but he still get his seasonal environment allergies in Spring/Summer so I have to bathed him weekly in Spring/Summer in “Malaseb” medicated shampoo to wash off any allergens on his paws & skin, the Malaseb shampoo realives & stops his itchy skin…. I’ve never found a kibble that helped most of his health problems all at once, a few years ago I started rotating his kibbles between a few different brands kibbles he does well on, I was feeding the Lamb TOTW thru the winter months then a Salmon fish kibble thru the Spring/Summer months but then I seen 2 studies a company thet test dog foods for 130 metals toxins & contaminates alot of these fish kibbles were very high in toxins, so now I prefer to add a tin salmon to his diet instead, for breakfast he gets his TOTW, lunch time he either gets a small cooked meal with 1 spoon salmon or 1/3 cup of “Canidae Pure Meadow”or an Australian salmon kibble, then dinner time he gets his TOTW Lamb again then he gets another small meal 1/3 a cup 8pm so he doesnt wake up early hours of the morning with acid reflux, whenever I try something new if it says add 1 teaspoon then I only add 1/8th a teaspoon & slowley introduce to his diet, I’ve learnt I ned to slowly add any new supplements or kibbles to his diet or I’m up 12am, 3am 5am & poor Patch has diarrhea….

I found Homeopathy, natural healthy foods works the best for Patch & other sick rescue dogs I’ve helped over the years, you’ll be surprised how feeding a simple bland lean cooked meal like turkey, tin Salmon or chicken breast, lean beef, I feed lean pork mince or lean beef mince I make rissoles with boiled Sweet Potato or boiled potato can make a big difference & is heaps better then these dry kibbles, then I slowly start adding 1 teaspoon of tin Salmon in spring water to the cooked meal, just feed 1 small cooked meal & still feed his normal limited ingredient dry kibble for his other meals or if he’s eating a cooked meal already start buying tin Salmon in spring water then drain water put in air tight container & add teaspoon of salmon to the cooked meals, I also buy “K-9 Natural green lipped mussels freeze dried & Patch started with just 1 mussel as a treat around 11am daily now he gets 2 mussels as a treat daily, Mussels are very healthy & help balance their diet,
here’s a link on Mussels https://drsarahbrewer.com/supplements/green-lipped-mussels-health-benefits
are you following “Rodney Habib”on his face book page, he has really good info also follow “Judy Morgan DVM” https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/ click on her Video link look for her “Pancreatitis Diet” & her “IBD IBS Diet” video’s, you can leave out the ingredients you dont want to feed & what I did was just start with 1 lean meat protein mince grounded meat & 1 carb then after I saw Patch was OK I started to add 1 new ingredient egg, then another new ingredient broccoli etc, I make 1/2 cup size rissole balls & bake in oven & boil sweet potatos & freeze in sections & take out the day before, Judy has a 16 yr old dog called Scout, he has a few health problems, she cooks for him & her other sick elderly dogs, Judy shows you how to balance the diet with healthy ingredients, I don’t bother balancing every single meal, I just make sure he’s getting his Omega 3 fatty acids for his skin & stomach, the Dinovite would be very high in Omega’s for the dogs skin my Patch can’t take fish oil or fish oil in kibbles he gets bad acid reflux, so I supplement his omega fatty acids thru foods instead, I add salmon, freeze dried mussels, roasted Almonds a treats I bite & eat 1/2 a almond & Patch gets the other 1/2 of the almond just start off slowly just give 1/2 a almond for 1 week see how he goes, they need 3 almonds a day, read the link I posted above, the health benefits from freeze dried mussels for skin, stomach, joints, brain etc

Have you tried “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Skin, it has Hydrolyzed Salmon or
“4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach it has just Potato & Egg as only ingredients 4health is sold at Tractor Supply shops only, it’s worth trying a small bag & ask is it money back guaranted if my dog wont eat it?? I always just say Patch wont eat a kibble when he gets his diarrhea & I need to take back the kibble its easier….
You know your dog best so do what you feel will works best for your boy… Good Luck

[Susan]

Hi Joseph,
its fine what Roar is doing, I have a English Staffy (in my photo) Patch & he’s a chomper all gone in under 1 minute this is how some dogs eat & it’s normal I’ve been told, in the wild they dont have all day to eat their kill they eat it as quick as they catch it before another wild dog comes along, same as our wild Dingoes in Australia they are fast eaters aswell…
My Boxer female would have her meaty raw bone all day & slowly eat it same as her weekly treat pig nose or pig ear, she’d take around 2 days slowly chewing but my Staffy Patch its gone & he’s looking for more, I can’t give Patch the pig ears or nose no more, he chews chews & swollows the pig nose, so instead he gets “Kangaroo Tendons” its the strong Achillies Tendon in the back of the Kangaroos strong back legs. Kangaroo Tendons are excellent for chompers & breeds like Staffys/Pit Bulls…High in Protein, High in Omega 3 Allergen free, no additives or preservitives…

Are you on facebook Joseph? go onto “Rodney Habib” F/B page he has finally made his video’s after traveling around the world doing research this last year, link below.
“The Truth about Pet Cancer” Episode 2 & 3 you’ll have to scroll down his page a bit for Episode 2 both video’s go for about 35-40mins, after watching you are going to be very happy you have changed your dogs onto a raw BARF diet, its the best thing you’ve done for them feeding a BARF diet & raw meaty bones it’s what their ment to eat…..

It’s great you’ve got Luna all better, it just shows us raw works it’s what Dogs & Cats are ment to eat not this over processed dry crap they call healthy kibble, watch episode 3, it shows the University of Helsinki did a 15 yrs study & they proved raw is better to fed our dogs. https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

[Peter K]

Here are some photos…

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XiJlj4Q3LZQ99hWu2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cbP6w7B8YNKUMPRs1

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by Peter K.

[poodaddy]

Eh … made me feel good to vent even if the photons went to cyberspace. lol

[poodaddy]

For those who get confused with internet gadgetry way finding details omitted, like old folks such as me !, the “Create a Custom Avatar – Gravatar …” is the same as ” How to get your photo beside your post” – Put your favorite photo on your PC desktop, create a WordPress.com account, import photo(s) into your new WordPress account, select which one is to be desired to be tagged to your email address (ensure this email address is the one used for the website forum), and the photo MAGICALLY appears beside your posts. Amazing stuff lol.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by poodaddy.

[Atlas T]

Thanks! Yup, his name is Atlas. That Gravatar thing seems too complicated for right now, so I’ll just share a link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q50jedeAOcFPGKcp2

[Susan]

Hi,
Scroll down the bottom you’ll see “Contact Us” click on it, then all these links come up, it’s the first link… yes Photo please of your pup, is his name Atlas? 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
TOTW does not make their wet tin foods, TOTW & Kirkland Signature wet tin foods are made by Evangers, so if your dog was eating & enjoying his TOTW wet tin foods its not a diamond product…..
I bought the 1 x TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb about 1 month ago & on the TOTW site it said the fat is 4%min but when the tin food arrived it said 4.5%min fat on the can, so I converted the 4.5% fat to dry matter & it was 25% fat, a bit high for Patch but I did give him 2 tablespoons for lunch & he ended up with his acid reflux afterwards so the cat ended up eating the rest of the TOTW Roasted Lamb wet tin food & she loved it…it’s a bit expensive at $4.99 a tin in Australia…
If you live near Costco’s try “Kirklands Signature, Nature’s Domain canned food, if you click on the “Reviews” up the top of your post then scroll down & look for “Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain (canned)” click on link then scroll down & there’s a photo of the Turkey & pea Stew, its looks pretty good…

There’s “Walkabout” Walkabout treats & wet canned food is made in New Zealand & Australia, there’s Wild Kangaroo, Wild Boar, Goat all are low in fat 2% when fat is converted to dry matter they are around 14-15%max fat & there’s Bushtail Possum & Duck, it’s higher in fat 5%, when converted to dry mater is 22.27% max fat… good for dogs with food sensitivities..

Here’s the link calculator so you can save & convert the wet tin foods so you know how high the fat is, I never normally buy a wet tin food that’s over 4% in fat cause I know the fat % will be high over 20% in fat when it’s converted to dry matter (Kibble). http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator/php

There’s also “4Health” wet tin food sold at Tractor Supply very good price around $1.19,
I don’t know if Evangers also make 4Health wet tin foods, someone else might know but it’s not hard to email the pet food companies & ask do they make their own canned foods or who does makes them… they need a cannery on site to make the canned foods..

[Susan]

Hi,
join this face Book Group called, “Dog, Issues, Allergies and other information support group” there is a post by a lady Mary Kennedy & her girl Rosie is 11yrs old having the same problem as Daisy is having, she has posted photos, Rosie is a cream retriever, she is lying down in her photo’s…. she has been to UC Davis 3 times they were use less she said, now she is seeing a vet & he has just punch holed some of her skin to be sent off & be tested… Mary is stressing out & can’t sleep worrying about Rosie…

[Susan]

Hi Therese,
sounds like she has stomach or panreatitis problems & the cesars food probably doesn’t upset her stomach any cause any pain or whatever she is having, I would NOT start any treatment for her heartworm yet, it will kill her, vet needs to work out what’s wrong with her stomach first & why she is hesitant to eat, something is wrong, Golden Labradors LOVE their food….
I got a rescue 5yrs ago & he was the same in very bad condition, but he was the opposite & ate everything in site, even cat poo, after vomiting weekly, doing bloody diarrhea, sloppy poo’s, acid reflux, up thru the night with rumbling, grumbling bowel noises, in the end I asked the vet can we do Endoscope + Biopsies, vet put camera down his throat into the stomach & did 2 Biopsies, you need the biopsies cause when the vet looked into Patches stomach everything looked excellent, there was no stomach ulcers like we thought, but what I thought he had, he had, waiting & waiting for biopsy results Patch had the Helicobacter-Pylori & IBD, he was put on triple therapy meds for 21 days, Metronidazole, Amoxiccilin to kill the bad bacteria that lives in the stomach walls & Prilosec for the acid reflux the Helicobacter causes, Patch did real well while taken the triple therapy meds then once the 21 day course finished it all came back again within 1 week of stopping the meds, it was a nightmare in the end now Patch takes 20mg Prilosec every morning & only takes the Metronidazole 200mg for 10-14 days when needed, if he’s doing sloppy poos or diarrhea, starts feeling sick everyday & whinging for me to rub his stomach/pancreas area & is eating & eating grass…

Can you ask the rescue group do they have some money in their budget for her to see a Gastro specialist or a vet that knows about stomach/bowel problems, in Australia the rescue groups post picture of the very sick dog & asks for help on their face book page & raise some money so dog can be treated by vet & do the Endoscope + Biopsies need to shop around cause there’s cheaper vets around that do Endoscope & Biopsies, people will help with donations…..
I wanted to do the same give Patch back to rescue group so he got another foster carer, he broke my heart, I couldn’t give him back cause I thought will the new foster carer care for him like I do or will he just be thrown out the back yard again & suffer & the rescue group puts dog up for adoption & someone else gets stuck with the problem hoping they will pay all the vet bills, Patch was weeing blood the day I got him from teh pound, the rescue group had to paid $1,500 for 2x ultrascan, desexing, vacination, vet diet wet & dry food the dissolve his crystals, medications, at that stage he just had Urinary crystal, the rescue vet said he must of gotten infection from being used to breed, I thought everything was done all fixed, he’s all healthy now & I adopted him but it was just the beginning of my sleepless nights the vet office I ended up staying with felt sorry for Patch & me for adopting a sick 4yr old Staffy + all the vet nurses were Staffy lovers & my bet did alot of discount rates & now my vet writes out repeats for his prescriptions so I can get his meds from a chemist it was costing $120 for 1 month of Prilosec, now all I pay is $8 & the Metronidazole only cost $7 when I need it I keep spare in cupboard….

I would be only feeding low fat wet food, nothing over 3% in fat, the fat & protein & isnt like it is in a dry kibble, wet raw & cooked hasnt been converted to dry matter (Kibble) yet, Do NOT feed any more dry kibble, it must make whatever she has, worse, like my boy the kibble made him worse with his IBD (Stomach) in the beginning till we worked out what was wrong & I found a kibble that works for him.
Read what is the fat % in the Cesars wet food??? also start boiling potato or boil sweet potato whatever firms her poos up best & start adding say 2-3 cesars foil tin & the same amount boiled mash potato do not add any butter or mil to the mashed potato & mix potato all thru with the Cesars food, maybe start off with only 1/2 mashed potato with her food cause she may not trust the potato yet, whatever she has got, has cause her alot of pain & she doesn’t trust food no more… I have to go the Pet Shop it’s closing, I have to pick up something, look what are the ingredients & fat % in these Cesars foods she etas & post, stop trying all type of foods for now, I’ll try & find a similair food to the Cesars same ingredients once you post, that is in a bigger tin size & low in fat, maybe someone else knows of a lower fat wet tin food similair to Cesars food….
Do you shop at “Costco” ?? Costco has their “Kirklands Signature” Nature Domain wet tin & its cheap & looks pretty good, click on “Reviews” look for Kirkland, Signature Nature Domain canned foods & click on link & scroll down a bit & there’s a photo of Turkey & Pea stew looks good & you can mash with boiled Potato this will work out cheaper till vet works out whats wrong, also ask the vet can you try a 21 day course of Metronidazole?? take back the vet diet food she won’t eat for refund & ask can you try 2 tins of the Hills I/d Canine Chicken & Vegetables Stew, Digestive Care wet tin food, do not get the Hills I/d Low Fat, Rice, Vegetables Chicken stew Restore, they look similair, the I/d Low fat Restore wet tin is full of rice & fish oil, the I/d canine Chicken & vegetable Stew Digestive Care has less ingredients & has more chucks of meat no fish oil, fish oil can make them feel sick, see if after being taking the 21 day course of Metronidazole if she starts to get better after 4-5th day, it has to be taken with a meal every 12 hours…
What is her name??

[Susan]

Hi Nataya,
I don’t think you’ll get many raw feeders on DFA, a lot feed kibble, there might be the odd poster that may help……are you going to make your own raw diet or buy the pre-made raw diets? homemade is the best this way you know what they are eating where the meat is coming from….
Start doing research & follow people like “Rodney Habib, Dr Karen Becker & Steve Brown, Dr Karen Becker is bringing out another new book with simple easy to make raw meals, her old books have all sold out & people on Amazon are asking ridiculous prices for her old books…. look at Steve Brown book called “Unlocking The Canine Ancestral Diet” your local library can order in books, I borrow books from the library or they order in books I’m interested in then after I have read them & like them I buy the book…
Here’s Rodney Habib’s link, once you follow Rodney you’ll get in the loop…
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Join some raw feeding groups on face book, just make sure these diets are balanced properly, vets are normally against raw feeding only because a lot of people don’t balance the diet properly & the vets see all the health problems that can occur from a dog or a cat not eating a proper balanced raw diet, I live Australia & a lot of Australian’s feed raw & dry kibble + raw meaty bones at lease twice a week…. a lot of our Australian made kibbles advise to add raw meat, raw meaty bones with their kibbles….
I went thru an Animal Nutritionist Jacqueline Rudan the maker of Natural Animal Solutions(NAS) products, this is her Maintenance Diet I followed minus any bone or organ meats cause my Staffy Patch has IBD, food intolerances & skin allergies…
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/maintenance-dog-diet/
I added her Digestavite plus powder to balance the diet, Patch was very hungry when we first started feeding the raw diet I was feeding 3 smaller raw home made meals a day, Jacqueline said, he has to get use too eating a raw diet after being feed a high carb process kibble, they stay fuller longer when they eat kibble..

Your making the best decision for your dogs health, with the Great Dane pup I would see what the breeder is feeding him & make sure you find an Great Dane breeder that raw feeds her dogs & pups, this breeder will be able to help you with preparing a raw diet
for a large breed pup…. sometimes its better to feed large breed pup a good quality large breed puppy kibble + raw until they’re 1-18mths then put them onto a full raw diet once they have finished growing, you have to be careful with large breed pups that their bones don’t grow too quickly the breeder will explain things a bit better then me….

There’s a lot of raw feeders on Lew Olsons F/B group called “K-9 Nutrition”
or Monica Segal F/B group called “K-9 Kitchen”
Make sure you take before & after photos of your Pit Bulls, you’ll see a big improvement with skin coat & all over health once they’re eating a raw diet…
Good-Luck

[Susan]

Hi
Gee sooo SORRY for your boy, I’m so glad you listen to your gut…he had a blockage & no food was able to digest into a poo…. I never give my Staffy any of these new air dried cooked animal body parts, he has IBD & this breed are aggressive chewers & can demolish a full cow’s carcas if we let them, I’m soo glad your vet listen to you & did the Ultra Scan, I hope she learns from this & can save another dog when this happens again cause it will, rawhide is known to do the same thing, dogs swallow it & rawhide is leather & doesn’t digest & can cause blockage….
Now he has to get better & not get any infection in the intestine & eat a real bland diet, usually the vet puts them on Hills I/D vet diet or you cook his meals just while the intestine heals …. Do you belong to any Pit Bill or AM Staffy F/B groups?? best to post photos & what his stomach area looks like now & show what did it, (Cow Hoof) there’s a good Australian f/b group called “Oz Amstaffs share the love not the hate” group https://www.facebook.com/groups/604328586364329/

[pugmomsandy]

Sign up at gravatar.com for your avatar. For pictures, they need to come from a photo hosting site.

I’ve used Pro PAC Ultimates Grain Free and Nutrisource Grain Free while fostering and it worked well. Fosters didn’t have any GI issues with transitioning but my personal dogs get around 35% (sometimes more or less) protein and various levels of fat as well. They stay muscular and they’re 10-12, maybe 13 yrs old.

[Susan]

Hi scroll down to the bottom & click on “Contact Us” on the right you’ll see a link saying
“How can I add a photo to my profile” & add her picture that way as your profile picture..
Once you get into a daily routine, he will settle, Whoever owned Patch before me never took him for many walks, I’d get his harness & lead to go for our walk, he’d jump up & kiss me nilly head butt my nose as I was putting on his harness, he’d get that excited I couldn’t put his harness on & waking was nightmare, people would say to me as we were flying down the street to the dog park “Who’s taking who for a walk” after 2-3 weeks he learnt sit & wait patiently, so mum (me) could put on his harness & he learnt to walk slowly cause mum has a bad back & cant run down the street at 100 mile an hour, I bought one of those re-tractable 2 metre lead, it’s not real long, just enough for him to have a sniff while I walk behind him & not pull me….. now he’s perfect on his walks, I don’t even need a lead, I taught him words, “Stop” “Go” “Hurry Up” “Leave It” “Go Home Wait for Mum” he’s a very smart dog, when my back was bad 2 months ago he helped me out of bed & up my stairs…. he still acts like a nut case some days & is naughty but I like it when he’s naughty it means he feels good & isn’t sick with his IBD…..Best thing you can do in life is rescue a pound dog, they seem to know you saved them, I’d have heaps of rescued Staffys but I have no enclosed yard….

[Bobby dog]

There are some regular posters that are happy feeding Victor. If you make the decision to adopt and decide to switch foods I would wait for at least two weeks while she gets settled in. Too many changes can wreak havoc on our furries.

I think you have to use Photo bucket to post a pic? Not positive as I can’t remember if I ever posted a pic before. I thought there was a forum topic on it, but I can’t find one using the search engine.

I only have one dog and he is fine; I had one dog prior to him too. He is my shadow he goes everywhere with me. Of course as summer starts I can’t take him to all the places I used to if I have to leave him in my truck. I don’t do hardcore hiking, but we get a decent workout!! Dog parks, daily walks, and a back yard to run around in sounds like a perfect mix to me.

[Susan]

Hi Randy thank-you for rescuing a Staffy, Staffys are one of the most miss label breeds in the world, Staffy’s are LOVING, very smart, easy to train & love their humans, known as the Nanny Dog early 1900’s in the UK….
My boy Patch is a English Staffordshire Bull Terrier also a rescue, the most friendly dog I’ve ever own, he has to stop & say hello to everyone when on our walks & loooovvvees kids…. When I got him he was in real poor condition, weeing blood, pooing blood, skin problems & now suffers with IBD, skin allergies & food intolerances, some staffys have an iron stomach, while other staffys have sensitive stomach & sensitive skin, like most breeds, so just keep an eye out if your girl does start to itch & scratch, could be she’s sensitive to a food or can be flea or environment allergies…Diet is the key to a healthy pet..
I have feed the “Pro Pac Ultimates” Bayside Whitefish & Meadow Prime Lamb grain free kibbles, Patch did well on both formula’s & had a very shinny coat, kibble was easy to digest & poo’s were nice & firm…. The maker’s Midwestern Pet Foods make “Earthborn Holistic”, “Pro Pac Ultimates” & “Sportmix, Wholesomes ” formula’s

My boy also does real well on “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, it’s a single protein Lamb Meal with limited ingredients, excellent for sensitive stomach & skin, TOTW has their High Prairie with Roasted Bison & Venison, Canine grain free formula, it’s higher in protein 32%min & fat 18%min, only has 29% carbohydrates… TOTW also has their matching wet tin foods… https://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/

“Costco” sell Kirkland Signature, Nature Domain, Salmon & Sweet Potato is made by TOTW & is the same as the TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula & cheaper…. 39lb for $39.49 http://www.kirklandsignaturepetsupplies.com/natures-domain-brand

There’s also “Canidae” Pure formula’s Pure Wild Boar is really good. http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/ products

I would start with a formula that’s not too high in fat & protein, the TOTW Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, has 1 protein Lamb meal & limited ingredients & the fat-15% & protein-25% is moderate, not too low or high, or Kirkland Signature “Nature Domain” formula’s or Pro Pac Ultimates Bayside Whitefish, just incase she was feed a low quality kibble that was low in fat & protein, this way she shouldn’t have any Intestinal Stress while being introduce to a better quality formula’s…. Slow & steady is best & then start rotating between a few different brands with different proteins, this will strengthen her immune system…
also follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page, he has really good info on Pet Nutrition, how to read dog food when reading the ingredient list video, he does easy to follow videos, there’s 1 video Rodney has, showing just by adding 2 spoons of fresh whole foods to your dogs bowl of kibble reduces the risk of her getting cancer & other health problems later in life, tin Sardines, Salmon, Tuna in spring water, give fresh meaty bones twice a week for her teeth, chicken bones are nice & soft & easy to digest…. Save the Rodney Habib “DIY health tips” link I posted above, it’s has really helpful information & all his videos he has made….. https://www.planetpaws.ca/category/diy-pet-health-tips/

Please post some photos of your new girl & her name….take a photo when you get her then after you’ve had her for 6months see the different after being feed a healthy diet…

[Christy W]

I haven’t purchased Tylee’s, but am intrigued. (Good info on the fat content–thanks). When I made my own raw, and when I’ve purchased it locally, the veggies are always pureed to make them more digestible (dogs getting the nutritional goodness). I can see the veggies in the Tylee, (at least in the photos), so they are not pureed. Does that make them basically for looks only? Thanks.

[Susan]

Hi Matt,
Sounds like your dog has Seasonal Environment Allergies & Food Intolerances. My boy has both, his vet said if they have food sensitivities they normally will have some type of environment allergies as well… as soon as I read your post about his hives on his legs, tail & abdomen I knew environment allergies probably from grass, tree or plants pollens, that’s what Patch gets as soon as Spring starts, my vet said, keep a dairy & as the years pass you’ll start to see a pattern & I did every spring Patch has itchy hives all over his body & face/head, red paws when he walks on wet morning grass, a yeasty smelly mess, but thru the cooler Winter months he’s pretty good, no itchy skin or red paws as long as he doesn’t walk on wet grass or eat any foods he’s sensitive too, Winter we get a break,…
Baths are the best thing you can do, bath as soon as he’s real bad with his hives & itchy skin, give him a bath, I do weekly baths now but I was bathing every 2nd 3rd day at one stage, I use a medicated shampoo “Malaseb” medicated shampoo it’s mild & can be used daily & kills any bacteria, yeast on the skin & keeps their skin nice, moist & soft, when you bath your washing off any allergens, pollens & dirt that’s on their skin, I also use creams on his paws, head around chin & around tail & bum area when he’s bum surfing on my rug, “Sudocrem” is excellent it stops his itchy bum within mins of applying it, Sudocrem is a healing cream for Nappy Rash, Eczema, Dermatitis, Pressure Sore etc, sold in the baby section at any Supermarket or Chemist, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects their skin especially their paws & where their skin is red/pink on stomach area & back of legs, I’d love to show a before & after photo’s after a lady applied the Sudocrem to her dogs red stomach, it’s posted on the Dog issues allergies F/B group link below. I also use Hydrocortisone 1% cream at night I check Patches whole body before bed & if something is still red like in between his toes, I get a cotton tip & thinly apply some Hydrocortisone 1% cream, when he wakes up in the morning all his paws are nice & pink all clear again, you can put on socks & bandage around the paws to stop any licking as licking makes things worse, best to bath the paws in Malaseb & dry them off then apply the Sudocrem,

The only way to know what foods your boy is sensitive too & can eat, is to do a “Food Elimination Diet”… you can use a vet diet like “Royal Canine” Hypoallergenic wet tin food, then once your dog is doing well & not reacting start adding 1 new ingredient to the R/C HP wet food, every 6 weeks add 1 new ingredient, no treats or any extra things are to be feed while your doing an elimination food diet, it can take a dog 1 day up to 6 weeks to react to an ingredient & show symptoms, that’s why sometimes you’ll start a new food & think your dog is doing really well then 3-4 weeks later he’ll start reacting to an ingredient in the new kibble…
Probably half the foods you think he’s sensitive too he isn’t..
I tested & added ingredients that are in the kibbles I wanted to feed… I worked out my boy reacts to chicken, he gets red paws, itchy yeasty smelly skin & itchy bum after I added raw & cooked chicken to his diet, carrots made his ears real itchy & he’d shake his head 20mins after eating the chicken & carrots he reacted, oats & barley made Patches poos very sloppy, I always thought potatoes & peas were causing Patches yeast problems cause potatoes are a high sugar starch but later I learnt a dog will only get yeasty smelly skin, paws & ears if they’re sensitive to a certain ingredient (CARF) or have environment allergies.. Read this link “Myths & Fact about yeast Dermatitis” scroll down to “Carbohydrates & Sugar in your dogs diet. http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs, Dr Karen Helton Rhodes DVM DACVD often pops into this Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” join you’ll learn a lot..
Once you have done the Elimination diet, you’ll know what foods are causing what but its best to do a elimination diet in the cooler months Winter when pollens aren’t as bad as the Spring/Summer months..
Can you cook or feed a raw diet? you’ll have better control with your dogs diet, even if you do what I’m doing, I feed a few meals “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble & the other meals are wet tin food Royal Canine HP wet tin or cooked pork rissoles with sweet potatoes. Patch eats 4-5 meals a day, he has IBD as well, if you join the Face Book group I recommended above https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
you’ll read some people post their dogs are allergic to mites & the mites are in the dog kibble, or your dog may be allergies to dust mites in your house…. dog allergies starts to get very confusing & as they get older they get worse, but once you get into a routine with weekly or twice a week baths, apply creams, using Huggie baby wipes Coconut oil wipes or Cucumber & Aloe wipes when the dog comes back inside wipe him down days you don’t feel like bathing him & work out his food intolerances.. it gets better..
Here’s a link for Canidae Pure formula’s, the omega 3 is balanced in Canidae kibbles, some brands of kibble are too high in omega 6 & too low in omega 3 causing skin problems in dogs.. http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Zignature is another food people say has helped their allergic dog….Make sure your dogs diet is high in Omega 3 it will help with their allergies, ad few sardines to 1 of your dogs meal a day.. buy tin sardines or salmon in spring water also green lipped mussels are good to give as a treat.

[Mara W]

I am also curious if the Shep Pure Being has been reviewed or will be in the future. I am new to the whole dog food thing (we don’t actually even have a dog yet) but from what little I know it looks decent. This link is to some photos I took of the back of the bags today: http://imgur.com/a/NPXPZ

Edit: The link isn’t showing up so I am assuming there are restrictions on links, but I do have some photos if anybody wants to see them, or I can type up the ingredients when I have time. 🙂

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Mara W.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Mara W.