[SandyandMila]

RMB stands for raw meaty bones. From http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-feeding-primer/ “This can include chicken backs, wings and necks (or even whole carcasses), lamb necks, pork necks, turkey necks, ox tails, beef ribs, turkey tails; any meaty bone that can be completely consumed by your dog. If you are feeding meatier meals (turkey or lamb necks), feed about 50% RMB, if your choices are bonier (chicken backs, pork necks, wings or ribs), feed about 30% RMB.
Large, weight bearing bones such as marrow and knuckle bones are not considered RMB’s if the dog is not able to consume the bone. These can be given as a recreational bone..” I can find at my local supermarket chicken wings, leg quarters, turkey necks, beef oxtail, pork neck bones, whole chicken, whole turkey, whole quail. Others you could find at at a local butcher or wholesale supplier and also online at sites like Hares Today, My Pet Carnivore, and if you have Primal pet food at a local pet store they also have chicken necks, chicken backs, and turkey necks. That site is a good reference and there are so many more knowledgable people on DFA that can help you. Feel free if you have any more questions!

[Kathi K]

If I am feeding a mixture of raw brands – Raw Advantage, Primal, Stella & Chewys, Columbia River Natural, do you still suggest your *Whole Food Supplement Mix? I have a 10 year old male Choco Lab that weighs about 90 pounds.

[Linda S]

I’ve been feeding Blue Ridge Beef since Dec’13. I’m looking to switch to a more balanced brand so I don’t have to add all the ingredients to make it balanced. I have 4 dogs and go thru 7lbs per day of Blue Ridge. Does anyone have an opinion on Blue Ridge?? I am now looking at either Darwins or Steve’s Raw (Primal is more expensive) since all the nutrients are in there and I can assume it’s balanced like they say. I like the idea of Steve’s as it is in nugget form and easy for when I have a petsitter and easier to weigh out amongst my 4 different weights.

[InkedMarie]

If you mean a review, I doubt one will be done. It’s not a dog food company, they just sell raw meat. Raw dog food companies are ones like Primal, Bravo etc.

[Kate B]

Hey guys! This is my first time posting. I have a 15 pound schnoodle that I adopted almost three years ago. I’m not entirely sure how old Wilson is as his surrender paperwork had a few different ages on it but I think (as does his vet) he is between 6 and 8 and in good health.

He’s always, always, always been a picky eater. He’s my first dog and I honestly didn’t know anything about feeding a dog beyond kibble and canned at first. I fed him Vet’s Choice Health Extension for a while and then Acana but they took inordinate amounts of coaxing or soaking in water or additional treats (i.e. cottage cheese or some eggs, etc.) to get him to eat. Meal time would become sometimes a 15-30 minute exercise in who was going to be more stubborn. He would also occasionally throw the kibble back up (anywhere from 30 minutes to hours after he ate). Clearly, this didn’t seem like the best possible diet for him anymore.

I had considered transitioning him to raw, using a commercial raw diet like Stella and Chewy’s or Primal. Well, we tried for about a month and he really struggled with it. A) he hated the Primal with a passion and B) had trouble keeping both of the diets down. I instead decided to try home-cooked and use Grandma Lucy’s as a pre-mix. We’ve been doing this for about three weeks and it has been super successful so far which is a huge relief to me. I want him to have the healthiest life possible! I’ve been rotating him through several kinds of protein (chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, eggs, salmon, tuna) and it all seems easy enough to combine with the pre-mix. I give him 4 oz of the pre-mix and 6 oz of protein (I’m using Primal’s recommendation to give protein between 2-3% of a dog’s weight) split across two daily meals. I haven’t been following Grandma Lucy’s pre-mix recommendation (they recommend 1-1.5 cups per day for dogs between 10-20 lbs) because that seems really, really high to me in contrast to the protein. Any thoughts there?

Here’s my question: do I need to add any additional supplements? Like I said, this isn’t raw meat and it’s making me nervous that I might be screwing something up with the calcium and/or phosphorus. I’m assuming I should also add some sort of fish/krill/flax oil as well and would love some advice! So far, I had looked at Wysong’s Call of the Wild as a possibility but wasn’t sure if that was overkill (Grandma Lucy’s pre-mix has 1% calcium). Any advice would be much appreciated!

[LexiDog]

I can’t say anything about the seizures either.

My personal favorite kibbles are Acana Regionals and Orijen. These are expensive but I feel we’ll worth it. I have an active 38 # dog and she was getting 1 1/4 cups of food a day on these kibbles. These can be found at Pet Supplies Plus stores and local specialty boutiques. I was actually surprised to see how many specialty shops were around when I started looking for them.

Other favorites include Wellness Core (found at Petsmart and Petco) and Fromm Four Star (Pet Supplies Plus and boutiques). A lot of people like Dr. Tim’s and Victor grain free but I can not find these in the local stores, so I haven’t tried them. I would have to order them online. I have had great experiences ordering food and other stuff from Chewy.com.

If I had to pick a kibble on a budget, I would probably try Whole Earth Farms Grain Free. This can be found at Petco and Pet Supplies Plus. I’m not sure if Petsmart carries it or not because I haven’t been there in a while.

Just remember that not all foods are made for all dogs. Just because my dog does great on certain foods doesn’t mean that yours will. You have to find one that works for you and your dog.

You may want to look at feeding a 4 star kibble before jumping right to a 5. Moose will be going from a plant based diet to a meat based diet and that can cause some upsets. Just remember to transition him very slowly. You can also add some pumpkin while switching. If you buy it from the grocery store just make sure that it is pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Fruitables makes a digestive supplement with pumpkin to help with switching.

As for species appropriate food. Kibble is not one of them because kibble does not contain the amount of moisture needed for a species appropriate diet. The ideal moisture would be a food that containes around 70% moisture. For example canned is better than kibble and frozen raw is better than canned. Google Dr. Karen Becker best to worst foods. There is a video and a list that is super helpful.

Right now I am feeding my girl Primal frozen raw and The Honest Kitchen dehydrated. There are a ton of great foods out there, just need to know where to look. You should keep an open mind about ordering online. I’ve never had a bad experience with Chewy.com.

This is probably way more info than you want but this is only a little bit. Trust me. There is so much info out there it will make your head spin for a while. You can also get into feeding a homemade diet too. Others will have to help with that.

[Marietta B]

I used to have a picky Shih Tzu. She would never eat and she always vomited bile from having an empty stomach. Then I discovered raw dehydrated food! She eats every day now and I’m guessing it’s been 3 years since I started feeding her the dehydrated raw. I alternate between Stella and Chewy’s, Primal and Ziwipeak. I also started feeding her Only Natural Pet Max Meat and the air dried variety of The Real Meat Company. Every time she finishes a bag I switch to another brand and protein and she never has digestive issues. I keep Tiki Dog and Weruva canned varieties on hand for days when I want her to have a special treat. Hang in there. You will eventually find some foods that your dog will love. Just try not to give in and offer treats because your dog will catch on quickly and will hold out for them.

[Happy Dog]

Glad to have found this site, it’s a wealth of information.

Needing some advice for my dog I adopted from the local shelter last August.
He came with the itches, pink/red patch on his belly, under his chin, face, around the eyes etc. Fur was really coarse yet greasy to touch. Chews his paws till it bleeds.

The fosterer recommended that we put him on a fish kibble. They weren’t sure what he was allergic to but it may have been chicken. So we put him on Wellness Simple –Salmon & Potato. Since then he has gone through:

Wellness Simple
Wellness Core Ocean
Acana Pacifica
THK Zeal
Orijen 6Fish

Topper: Fish 4 Dogs Salmon or Trout Mousse. Cooked salmon or any other fish once a week.

He was on Orjen 6 Fish till recently. We had him on through 3 bags, and he gets 1/3 cup + 1 /4 pack of Fish4Dogs Fish Mousse per meal. Twice a day.
He actually did quite well on it, less itchy, and started putting on weight. Still chews his paws though, I think he may have some allergies to grass. He was also getting quite chunky.

I thought I should started rotating him on different protein so he can eventually get some variety in his diet and went for Acana Lamb and Apple.
Before I committed to the Acana Lamb & Apple, I mixed a can of lamb and tripe to his kibble and he ate fine.

He’s been on it for 2 weeks. I mix the Acana Lamb & Apple (1/4 cup) with the Orijen 6Fish (1/4 cup). I had the kibble serving reduced as he was putting on weight.
I also switched to an oatmeal shampoo.

He seems to be worse now. Scratches more, the dry coarse fur is coming back, pink around the eyes, nose and under his arms, paws. One ear seems to be red inside, the other is fine (is it normal to have 1 inflamed ear instead of both?). Smells more ‘dog’.

So should I ditch the kibble? Or could it be the shampoo?

I was hoping he could eat more than just fish based food. I’d like to have him on a mix of kibble, canned food and homecooked meals 2x to 3x a week. Raw – I can get Primal, Addiction and some THK.

He didn’t do too well on THK zeal though. Went through 2 packs of the Zeal. He was pooping 4x a day (poop had stalks and bits of stuff that.. doesn’t seem digested), ate lots of grass (grazing like a cow), and was losing weight that’s why I put him on 6Fish. I though he needed more protein.

Any suggestions? I could go back to 6Fish, or I could go with another fish kibble like Core Ocean?

[aquariangt]

I would try some raw and see if that gets her going. Nature’s Variety Instinct, Sojos, The Honest Kitchen, if you have a place you can get something like bravo or primal (ive never used them, but people seem to like them) or even maybe freshpet chubs or bags of food. Try just that to start, and if she goes for it, mix in some kibble

[Kenneth K]

Stella and Chewy’s Raw Frozen (Raw Frozen)
ZiwiPeak Daily Dog (Dehydrated)
ZiwiPeak Daily Dog Cuisine (Canned)
Primal Raw Frozen Formulas (Raw Frozen)
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen Diets (Raw Frozen)

[RescueDaneMom]

I just wanted to get a sense of what people are using and what they like. My top 5 would be:
The Honest Kitchen
Primal
Stella & Chewy’s
Tucker’s Raw
Orijen

Max is getting tired of The Honest Kitchen and doesn’t really want to eat it anymore regardless of the variety. I started giving him kibble again even though I don’t really want to. Right now he is eating Orijen with his raw (Primal, S&C, Tucker’s, and Vital Essentials). I was looking in to other kibble brands but I want to try going grain-free AND potato-free for Max’s arthritis to see if it helps any.

[Paula D]

Mine switch up between Bravo and Primal raw for dinner, and then rotate,through Orijen/Acana kibble, MaxMeat, Primal and Ziwi Peak dehydrated (usually have a bag of kibble and a bag of dehydrated open and alternate the two) for breakfast, with a can of Tripett for Sunday brunch. 🙂 I do think some dogs do better with slow transitions between one food and another, but I just open a new bag when the old one is finished and don’t see any issues.

Good luck!

[LexiDog]

If you are not into making a homemade food (I am not at this moment but may later consider it), you can try commerical raw dog food. Stella & Chewys and Primal are wonderful. Those are what I feed my dog.

Kibble – Dogswell Live Free has a low glycemic impact becuase they use peas and chickpeas for their starch. Compared to Science Diets W/D (Glucose Management formula) which has 51% carbs, Live Free looks pretty good. Their canned food is supposed to be even lower in carbs.

I just emailed them to find out their carb & ash content. Below is what they replied with:
Carbs
LIVE FREE Puppy Chicken 21%
LIVE FREE Adult Chicken 23%
LIVE FREE Senior Chicken 24%
LIVE FREE Adult Lamb 21%
LIVE FREE Adult Salmon 22%
LIVE FREE Adult Turkey 22%

Ash
LiveFree Puppy Chicken 7.8%
LiveFree Adult Chicken 7.7%
LiveFree Senior Chicken 8.8%
LiveFree Adult Lamb 8.7%
LiveFree Adult Salmon 8.7%
LiveFree Adult Turkey 9.7%

Hope this helps!

[RescueDaneMom]

Thank you! Happy Mother’s Day to you as well. Max is my only baby so he is spoiled rotten. He will be 8 on the 22nd. As an old man, he doesn’t eat as much as he once did. Plus, he’s a couch potato so he doesn’t need a ton of calories. I go through a 10lb box in a month. I guess that’s probably a lot compared to what you use. 🙂

As far as the other 50%, I make sure it is close to balanced. If I give extra boneless meat I will add the appropriate amount of bone meal so I don’t throw off the Ca/P ratio. He gets one soft cooked egg (cooked white but runny yolk) with his breakfast every morning. I use Primal grinds that have ground bone. I also use complete and balanced raw formulas. If you add extras and don’t plan to balance them, then just make sure it is not more than 20% of your dog’s meal by volume.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Ray C –

I think most of us here would agree that when it comes to feeding dogs the most important thing is feeding a wide variety of species-appropriate foods. Species-appropriate foods will be high in animal-derived protein, high in moisture and minimally processed. For this reason the best option is a balanced raw diet (home prepared or commercially prepared), the next best option is a fresh cooked diet (home prepared or commercially prepared), followed by dehydrated and freeze-dried foods (many commercial raw products – such as Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, etc. – are available in both frozen form as well as freeze-dried form and there are dehydrated products such as The Honest Kitchen and NRG that are great), canned would be the next best option and kibble would come in last as the worst thing to feed. If you do have to feed some kibble for budget or time related reasons don’t fret – there are some decent kibbles one the market and you can always “top” the kibble with a more species-appropriate food form to increase the overall quality of the meal. For a puppy you will want to make sure the food that you feed is either approved for “growth” or for “all life stages” (may also read approved for “growth and maintenance”). Head over to the review section of the site and look through the 4 and 5 star foods to find some you want to try. And remember – don’t pick just one food! Rotating is very important, feeding just one food over time will lead to a weak gut (these are the dogs you hear about that get diarrhea/upset stomachs when their owners try to switch their food – don’t let that be your dog!).

Good luck and congrats on the new puppies! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[RescueDaneMom]

If I had to rank commercial foods in order of preference, I would say raw first, then dehydrated/freeze-dried, then kibble. Primal and Stella & Chewy’s make complete and balance raw formulas. Darwin’s is also complete and balanced plus they ship right to your door (you can’t buy it in a store). For dehydrated food, I like The Honest Kitchen. Grandma Lucy’s is similar but freeze-dried instead of dehydrated. If you want kibble, then I agree that Orijen is one of the best kibbles you could feed.

I feed my Great Dane (also a rescue) a 50/50 mix of The Honest Kitchen and commercial raw. I try to rotate as many different brands and proteins of raw as I can. I use Primal, Stella & Chewy’s, Tucker’s, Vital Essentials, and Genesis Raw (local to FL). I do keep a small bag of Orijen Adult on hand for when I forget to thaw out raw or I’m in a hurry.

If I were you, I would try to locate a small, independent pet store or pet boutique. They tend to carry the quality kibbles and also raw/dehydrated foods. They will usually special order things for you as well.

I hope this helps and good luck!

[InkedMarie]

Have you thought of either ground raw (Hare Today, My Pet Carnivore and Reel Raw) are the places I know of to order from or pre made raw (Darwin’s & Primal are two I like)?

[LexiDog]

Since Millie doesn’t really care for dry kibble, look into Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance Chicken and The Honest Kitchen Zeal formulas. There are a very few frozen raw formulas but they are hard to find and tend to be expensive. I’m not a huge fan of Bravo! but hey have a turkey formula that does not have a lot of fat. Primal has Venison and Rabbit that are low for raw but I find these to be expensive. Good luck! Let us know how things work out.

[LexiDog]

Primal has a great starter kit that has lamb, beef, chicken and duck. There are only four oz of each but it is not expensive and has a variety. I personally like primal because of the quality ingredients and amount of produce seems to be more than other commercial raw.

See if he likes any of the other proteins.

[Naturella]

Amy, this is quite helpful! As theBCnut said, maybe you can try 2 teaspoons/day of coconut oil, or continue with the 1 teaspoon/day when you switch to Primal Raw Turkey and Sardine (I’d give it a try because of the fish). Remember, you can always adjust the amount if her skin is still too dry and go on with the 2 teaspoons of coconut oil/day even with the fish Primal.

I am not familiar with brewers yeast so I can say nothing about it. Hope someone else chimes in on that.

Also, not all coconut oil is made equal… The best stuff with most benefits is cold-pressed, extra virgin, raw, UNREFINED, the latter being the most important part of the equation. Refining the coconut oil takes out a significant amount of its nutrients.

[LexiDog]

My poor girl has dry skin. I need suggestions to help her out. She is 2 years old and has only recently started to get dry skin. She is on Orijen Regional Red, soon to be switched to Primal raw. I also give her a teaspoon of coconut oil in the mornings. I don’t bathe her too often. Maybe once a month or longer if she doesn’t get too muddy. When she does get a bath, I use an oatmeal shampoo. Any other suggestions?

[Dori]

Amy R. I’ve been feeding my three toy dogs (Maltese, Maltipoo and Yorkipoo) Primal Pronto in their rotation of commercial raw foods. It is hands down their favorite and also mine. I’ve never had any issues with Primal Pronto whatsoever. You can’t go wrong. THK is very very messy with light colored dogs. My Maltese, Hannah, is obviously white and Katie my Maltipoo is a very very light apricot/blondish color.

I don’t feed any kibble so I can’t advise on Merrick or any other dry food. I have heard a lot of people recommending Victor Grain Free dry. I think it’s the Yukon protein that they like but they are probably rotating within the brand. As I said not sure.

[Amy R]

Hey all. I currently feed The Honest Kitchen and I love it for my Shih Tzu. However, he is a Gold/White Parti and is beard is always green even after washing his face after he eats. I’m considering changing his diet to a combination of Merrick dry and Primal Pronto raw. Anyone feeding either of these? If so, how is it working for you?

Thank you, Amy

[deborah d]

I no longer trust them to feed any more unless I have manufactured myself from my own free range cattle. Unfortunately it ususally ends up being the processing plants and equipment at fault, i.e., machines which are not properly or regularly cleaned, foreign objects in the processing equipment, etc. I am learning that one cannot be too careful. I have feed ORIJEN for years; it is a high quality dog food and manufactured on site. I also feed PRIMAL RAW. the ONLY treats my dogs are allowed are dried sweet potato and prior to this – bullies – I use Primal because it is fit for human consumption as is Orijen…this is a scary time and one cannot be too careful. I am still seeing dark green stools today so I know whatever this is still trying to move through their systems. Today I add Probiotic. The store which sold me this bully is the best store in this part of the state regarding quality but this proves anything can happen. Diligence and more diligence. I don’t think your problem is the Orijen but did you mix it with the other food to introduce slowly? Are you feeding Six fish or meat? I have seen some rumblings about Arcana this week….on Susan Thixton’s site.

[Dori]

Hi Shawna. Thanks so much for seeing my post and responding.
All four of Hannah’s liver values was sky high. Last year at this time of year for her physical only one value was high and that was only 1 or 2 points over the high normal so they didn’t mention it because they didn’t think it was any big deal. This year is total different. This year is also when I switched all the girls to all commercial raw for ever meal. I was occasionally rotating in THK Zeal and/or Preference. Katie developed intolerance to alfalfa so I stopped THK. (Katie is the poop eater and though I’m vigilant about being the human pooper scooper, if I’m out and my husband just opens the door and lets them out in the yard. Doesn’t pick up after them. Too be fair, he has macular degeneration pretty bad and probably really doesn’t see it too pick up). Their diet has been Answers, Darwins, Stella & Chewy’s, Primal Pronto, Vital Essentials. As you know all very high proteins, higher in fats than I would like but they all seem to be that way. I did try Natures Variety for a bit but I didn’t like anything about it so that was just one bag between the three of them.

Your friend in California. Does she only rotate between Honest Kitchen Preference and Steve Brown’s Dinner Mix and if so, what proteins, fruits and veggies does she add? Did she ever go back to any raw meals solely or always the pre mixes with protein. Why Premix with oats? Do you know what brand or what it is?

Yesterday was a really really bad day for me. I tried keeping myself together while Hannah was around but I was near hysterical and stressed beyond belief yesterday. If I wasn’t crying I was shaking. I spent almost all day on the computer yesterday trying to digest as much info as I could. The more I read the more nervous I got. I dropped Hannah off this morning (after fasting 12 hours) and just picked her up. They’ll have results back tomorrow afternoon. They were just checking liver at today. They did not want to test for Cushings today because they felt that we needed to take one step at a time. All four doctors in the practice spoke with me today and explained that the Cushing’s test needs to be given medication first (steroids???), and because of the fasting then feeding fatty food and then rest and retesting for the liver test that felt that would interfere with true bloodwork for Cushing’s test and wouldn’t be accurate. Sounds logical. So one step at a time. Depending what they find with results of tests for both liver and Cushing’s they’ll do a liver ultrasound. Best case scenario it’s something that they can reverse levels with food and Sam-E type prescription product. Worse case scenario could be tumor or cancer of the liver. At her age it would be a matter of keeping her comfortable. She’s certainly too old for surgery, chemo, radiation or anything else that goes along with it.

They did tell me no more rabies vaccines for her (unfortunately she had one on Friday during her yearly physical) and definitely no more HW preventative, Sentinel, for her either.

So I’m interested in knowing more about your friend in California and what she fed along with the premixes. That’s the one thing I want to work on immediately. I certainly don’t want to have to put her on one of their prescribed foods so I’m trying to get a jump on getting and ordering whatever I need to change her diet to. This has come as a shock to me. All the issues with her I could justify with other problems she has like loss of hair would be hypothyroid. No jumping on furniture and trembling loss of hind leg muscles and weakness I attributed it to mid spine degenerated discs. One thing I do know is that she is drinking enormous amounts of water.

I’d appreciate any guidance you can give me.

[Dori]

Are you still feeding Brothers? When I first started with the raw feeding I was concerned about the fat content but it doesn’t seem to bother them in the least. I’ve been feeding them Primal, Answers, Stella & Chewys, Darwins. I used to feed non raw THK but Katie became allergic to alfalfa so I had to stop that which was too bad because I really like the company. Where can I see pics of your dogs? My girls are my avatar and Hannah is the pic on my Facebook page. Dori Hassett on Facebook.

[Dori]

Have you tried Primal raw. Really good company and great food. Don’t forget even feeding raw you should be rotating brands as well as proteins. I use Darwins, Stella and Chewy’s, Primal and Answers as well as others that don’t right now come to mind. Oh, I use THK Zeal though it’s not raw, but a really good food as well as a good company. Human grade and produced in a human grade facility.

[Shawna]

Hi Cathy,

Sorry for the delay… The absolute WORST thing you can feed sprite bar none is any form of kibble. Kibble is hard to digest and because of the lower quality of the protein it creates more BUN when compared to an equal amount of digested protein from another source.

AND, your vet is incorrect if he/she told you to feed low protein in the early stages of the disease unless there is significant protein in the urine. Testing has confirmed that lowering protein too low can actually increase all cause mortality. They have also proven that protein does not damage the kidneys. Because of this you don’t need to feed “low” protein until Sprite has advanced symptoms. Limiting protein even at later stages does not help the kidneys but it does help with symptoms which are caused by the increase of BUN etc in the blood. Limiting protein is not helpful however in the later stages of the disease limiting phosphorus is highly advisable. Phosphorus builds in the blood and CAN damage the kidneys. In the earlier stages of the disease phosphorus is often not detrimental.

For the record, my pup has had kd since birth and has been on HIGH protein raw (45 to 54% on a dry matter basis) since coming to me at nine weeks of age. She will be eight years old the end of June this year and is still doing well. The only time she shows symptoms such as vomiting is if I feed her kibble. The Honest Kitchen is a good food but I’d go with Love or Zeal and add extra good quality fats like coconut oil to increase calories and make her feel more satiated without extra protein/phosphorus. Canned (or better yet raw) tripe is another good option and can be fed with the HK or as a separate meal (pending you get one that is complete and balanced).

As noted, increasing fat keeps the calories up while lowering phosphorus per calorie consumed. This is very important in the later stages.

Other things to consider:

I HIGHLY recommend a product by Standard Process called Canine Renal Support. Audrey has been on it since I learned of her diagnosis. It helps to keep inflammation at bay.

Give Sprite access to all the water she wants but do make sure it is pure — reverse osmosis as an example. Adding toxins in via the water source only increases symptoms. Science has shown benefit to giving waters higher in calcium with low sodium. They didn’t identify actual names but Evian seems to fit the bill.

I HIGHLY recommend giving a HIGH quality probiotic and a specific type of prebiotic (known as nitrogen traps). The combination of these two products helps clear BUN etc from the blood sparing the kidneys from having to do the work. It also allows for even higher amounts of protein. I use Garden of Life’s Primal Defense (human product) and Fiber35 Sprinkle Fiber (human product).

There are other supplements that are known to be beneficial such as food grade activated charcoal, spirulina, burdock root, organic turmeric and more. I mix a combination of these and others with a digestive enzyme and some of the Sprinkle Fiber and add a bit to every meal.

The products you use in your home can be problematic too. When Audrey was diagnosed I looked at the CDC and material safety data sheets for product ingredients I used in my home. Many (if not most) of them were not kidney friendly so I got rid of them and use only ones that are not damaging to kidneys. Example — clorox has a chemical that can damage kidneys in animals. From the material safety data sheet “2-Butoxyethanol has been shown to cause red blood cell hemolysis in laboratory animals and secondary injury to the kidney and liver. However, humans appear to be resistant to this effect” Clorox is pretty toxic anyway so I don’t even have it in the house but if you choose to use it, might be wise not to use it to clean the floors as it can be absorbed through the skin. http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/downloads/msds/cloroxprofessionalproducts/409nqf.pdf

I know I’m forgetting some things… 🙁 Let me know if you have any questions. Also Mary Straus’ website discusses the data I’ve mentioned above plus much much more. Very valuable source of information. She lists kibbles but she fed her own KD dog raw and believes in raw. You don’t have to feed raw but I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest avoiding going back to any kibble. http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidney.html

You and Sprite are in my prayers!!!!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Shawna.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Shawna.

[theBCnut]

You can’t go wrong with their offer for first timers. I’m not sure but you may find that Darwins is lower calorie than Primal, so you might have to feed a bit more than you were. For a raw food, Darwin’s is known for being lower fat than most, if not all, of them. A lot of commercial raw foods use current labeling rules to cover up how much fat is in their product.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by theBCnut.

[banditsmom]

I’ve been giving my dog some Stella & Chewy’s and Primal FD.She really likes it so I am planning to switch her and just give her them and also use Orijen FD as a rotation.
She likes to have plain meat with her food though. If I give her a little with her FD is it supposed to be raw or doesn’t it matter?

[Dori]

On the question of why didn’t Weruva made the cut, I don’t know, maybe it’s because they can no longer say that their cans do not contain bha?

I’m thrilled that THK and Primal are on Dr. Mike’s list. Primal is my most favorite of the commercial raws. I wasn’t surprised to see Ziwipeak on it. It’s always gotten good reviews everywhere especially their canned food that is bha free. I looked into it once because I thought it would be nice to have something different on hand other than THK as a change from their raw diets but it is incredibly expensive. One of my dogs can’t have THK because of the alfalfa.

I was surprised though that Answers did not make the list. Also Darwin’s didn’t make the list. That kind of shocked me as I was sure it would be.

I’m so thrilled that the Editor’s Choice is up and running. Truly excited.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Dori.

[Dori]

Hi Lea J. I feel like this is my mantra but I will say it again. I have a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo, Katie, has had severe food allergies and intolerances as well as environmental allergies since we got her at 9 weeks of age. I’ve tried any and all suggestions out there. Went through a ton of food, most of which to no avail. What finally worked for her is commercial raw foods. I like Primal Pronto the best. I also rotate her foods with Darwins, and Answers raw. I’ve tried Stella and Chewy’s raw and Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw which I didn’t like at all. Anyway, I have three small dogs that I feed 1/4 cup twice a day. I do add and/or feed sardines (canned in water, not oil), coconut oil, probiodics, digestive enzymes, fresh fruits and veggies. Their treats consist of fresh fruits or veggies. I don’t use store bought treats. To many issues with Katies allergies. My 14 1/2 year old Maltese has arthritis in her right hip and also two degenerated discs mid spine. I rotate supplements as well as their foods. I haven’t found any particular joint supplement that has worked miracles. I have just ordered Sprintime’s Joint Health and Fresh Factor. Some people have been reporting that they are having good luck with these. Anyway, I think I’ve digressed here from my mantra which is: Grain, Soy, Poultry (in all forms), White Potato and Rice Free food as well as anything else you think your dog may be allergic or intolerant to. Your allergy list really doesn’t seem to be that bad though I wouldn’t doubt that she has more problems than just the ones you named. Full disclosure, I don’t believe that food allergy testing for dogs can be trusted. My dogs allergist/dermatologist as well as their traditional vets all would not do the testing. They said the tests are inaccurate, misleading and cost a lot of money. When vets tell you they won’t take your money, you know they are being accurate. To this date there are no known food allergy testing on animals that are accurate. As far as kibble goes, I can’t really recommend any because I’m not comfortable in my knowledge of their ingredients anymore. I figured out most of Katie’s food allergies by her reactions to the foods I was feeding and then comparing ingredients with other foods trying to figure out what was bothering her. She has many many issues. She just recently became allergic or intolerant to alfalfa. Allergic or intolerant to me is all the same. All I’m sure of is that either way, she can’t eat it so I don’t care whether some people say that it’s not really an allergy, it’s an intolerance. It’s all trial and error really and constantly researching ingredients. What works for my dogs may not work for others but eliminating the obvious typical allergens is a good place to start. It’s an incredibly long road in helping our allergy prone dogs but the work is well worth it for them. Exhausting on us. Oh, Spring is finally here in Atlanta where we live so for the last two days I’ve been giving her Benadryl twice a day. I hate having to do that but there is nothing I can personally do about environmental outdoor allergies. Trust me, if there was a way I would have found it by now. This is the first time I have ever had a dog with allergies and I’ll just say it keeps me on me on my toes with all things food related for her. Katie’s how I came across this site a couple of years ago and I, she and my other dogs have benefited immensely. Good Luck. If you need any clarification on anything I’ve said or any more questions please ask.

[mountainhound]

with a dog that size, you can easily feed raw like primal nuggets at low cost. Yorkies are notorious for having bad teeth, and raw is the best way to prevent this.
As others said, puppy food isn’t necessary, a lot of it is just marketing gimmick. Puppy food has little more protein and calories, but not by much, usually just 1-2%.

[Amy J]

I’ve used several top rated raw foods but they are very costly even for a small 15 lb dog. Can someone give me a 5 star recommended brand that is not so expensive? I’ve used Stella and Chewys patties and now using Primal Pronto (Chicken).

Thank you!

[Dori]

I feed commercial raw as well as home cooked raw. I feed both Primal Pronto Beef, and Lamb. They make other proteins but one of my girls has allergies to all things poultry so those are the two I stick to. I also feed Darwins. Darwins is less expensive and also less in fat content. I have three toy dogs. One is a 14 1/2 year old Maltese, 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo and 4 year old Yorkipoo. I have to admit that they are all chow hounds and have never met a meal they don’t inhale and certainly haven’t turned down. They have done equally as well with Primal as they have with Darwin’s. I feed a rotational diet so both Darwins and Primal as well as other commercial raws are in my freezer. Primal Prontos are geared to be able to scoop and serve. It is raw but little bits (somewhat like the size of kibble) and defrosts very quickly on the kitchen counter in their bowls which is really very convenient when I’ve forgotten to take some other raw from the freezer. Doesn’t happen often but it does happen.

[pfeiner]

A friend just mentioned Darwin’s Raw diet. I have been successfully feeding Primal for a while now however Darwin’s is significantly less expensive and with two Lab’s. costs add up quickly. Anyone have any feedback re:- Darwin etc.
Thanks loads!

[Hamlin38]

Hi Dr. Mike,

I haven’t seen a rating on Sojourner Farms, or Sojo’s.

That’s been my dog’s diet for over a year. I like it. Well, and they do to.

I prefer it over the other freeze dried raw foods because the protein/fat content is lower than say Stella & Chewey’s or Primal. Not that I haven’t heard or seen great things with dogs who’s diets consists of the latter, the price/volume ratio is greater than what I can afford.

There is a downside to Sojo’s I have to admit. After rehydration, the Guaranteed Analysis for Protein/Fat is greatly reduced. So much so I have to add my own because I have big! active and young dogs.

And it’s reported to me that the stool is greater -which I’d expect from Dry Dog Food -which I refuse to serve. Bad for the teeth, bad for the digestive tract, bad for the adrenal system -the biological filter intended to remove undigestible material like ash -which any dry dog food is chocked full of.

Quick aside: I don’t know how many people come to me and say, but what about their teeth? The crunchy’s clean their teeth. Dr. Mike, you know in your profession, Captain Crunch doesn’t do well for dental health. Nor does any carb -and that’s what it takes to bind the ingredients to make a kibble.

NO DRY FOOD! EVER!

[Mom2Cavs]

I agree with what everyone above has said. My dogs get virtually no exercise here, as well, so I understand where you’re coming from. I did find that my 1 Cav that needed to lose a little actually lost a whole pound when I just cut out some of the treats she was getting. And there weren’t all that many! It sounds like Nutrisource (which I think is a fine food) might be one to consider again. Primal is one of my favorite premade raws, and I’ve used Stella & Chewy’s, but only the freeze dried version. Good luck to you! I love Spaniels! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[SpanielMom]

My favorite raws are Stella & chewy’s & primal, they both have good veggies in it. The nice thing about primal is that they have the 1 oz nuggets and their “pronto” forms that make using it as a topper really easy. I know I’ve heard people on here saying they like Darwin’s raw but I’ve never personally tried it because it’s not readily available in my area. And yeah, try giving stuff like carrots or freeze dried liver/lung as treats, they are nutritious and low calorie!

[SpanielMom]

I have a super hardy aussie/lab named Abby who lived on the street until she was about a year old, and she has always been able to eat anything, strongest stomach of any dog I’ve ever had. I rotated proteins regularly and she has never had any issues before. Fast forward, I got a bag of evanger’s gf chicken and sweet potato free from a rep and after I got through about 2/3 of the bag, Abby and my two cockers started getting scabs and bumps and were always chewing at themselves and scratching constantly. I immediately switched them off the food and went to Acana duck and pear, which they had done well on before. My two cockers got better almost immediately, but Abby seems to have gotten worse. I then tried Acana lamb and apple, and switched her raw food (she gets half kibble and half raw) to primal lamb. She has been getting that for about 5 days and I still don’t notice a change. I just don’t know what to do. This is so out of the blue and unlike her. Could it be something besides the food? Please help.

Only other info I can imagine would possibly have to do with this is:
-she recently moved with me from Missouri to Arizona (about a year ago), and it is springtime but I can’t imagine it’s seasonal allergies.
-she also gets pure salmon oil & plaqueoff daily.

[raylene5]

Took our 12 week old Miniature Schnauzer puppy to the vet for his first check up yesterday and, like with most vets I’ve ever met, I sure didn’t like her. I had called ahead of time and asked if the vets at this office are supportive of raw feeding and was assured that they are. Well, as soon as I told her I was feeding raw (Primal Pronto and ZiwiPeak) she gave me the spiel about contaminating the kids with his kisses and salmonella.

So Kamper has been eating grass since he got to our place. He was born in Arizona and had not seen grass at all before so at first I thought it was just curiousity. When I told the vet I was concerned about his eating the grass, she said it was probably because he was on a raw diet and that dogs can’t digest raw foods. That, like our bodies, they can better digest processed foods (she brought up how when we were cavemen we ate a lot of uncooked food and just sat around digesting it all day). Now, the good thing was that she did suggest very high quality kibble (Orijen, Acana, etc…) and not the typical vet-endorsed Science Diet or anything like that.

Anyway, it was a frustrating visit. I just wanted to know if anyone else’s vet had said these things about processed foods being easier to digest for their dogs.

[Sue’s Zoo]

I’ve been catching a lot info about commercial raw as I research whole food or DIY raw. According to what I’ve read some, including NV, include denaturants. They may not add it themselves but it’s there when they get it. At least that is the info I found from 2012. Bravo does not as theirs is essentially fit for human consumption. I believe Primal is the same. I would like to see DFA include this info when evaluating a dog food. Also some raw food providers sell denatured meat. If it’s a concern for you, just be sure to check your provider.

MPC clearly states that theirs does not. And I checked with RPI and they do not use denatured meats. Looks like Big Dan’s Trucking does.

Anyone have more info?

[RescueDaneMom]

I agree with what Ana said. I have a Great Dane as well so I understand the challenge that feeding a giant breed can be sometimes. I would avoid the hot dogs too. I only use hot dogs (good quality, all meat, all natural) for very special rewards. It’s not something you want to feed all the time.

My Dane was always slightly overweight on kibble no matter what brand I fed or how much I reduced his portion. The best thing I ever did for his health was switch him to The Honest Kitchen and raw. THK is a dehydrated food. You add water and let it rehydrate before serving it. It would be great for traveling in your motorhome with. You can incorporate some raw food instead of hot dogs if the concept of raw doesn’t bother you. There are a number of high quality raw frozen foods out there. I like Primal and Stella & Chewy’s the best. I started making my own homemade raw food because it was cheaper for me.

If you want to feed kibble, definitely check out the 4 and 5 star rated kibbles on this site. Everybody has their preferences. A few I like and have fed my Dane are: Earthborn Holistic, Annamaet Grain Free, Go! Fit & Free, Acana Regionals (Grain Free), and Orijen. Others I like are Horizon Legacy, Dr. Tim’s, and Victor. I would feed the 7 month old a food from Hound Dog Mom’s list of foods that are appropriate for a large breed puppy: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit All of these foods are 4 or 5 stars and have the appropriate amount of calcium for a growing large breed puppy.

Good luck and have fun with your newly adopted pups!

[Mom2Cavs]

I guess I’m lucky that my cat doesn’t get that many hairballs (once every 4-6 months!). I’ve never fed her an indoor formula. She gets grain free kibble to munch on and wet twice a day. Currently, she eats either Fromm Gamebird or Annamaet dry. Her wet consists of Wellness (she likes pate and cubed), Fromm 4Star, Mulligan Stew, Instinct Healthy Weight (only Instinct canned she’ll eat!). This morning she did eat a Primal raw nugget….Chicken/Salmon for felines….and loved it, thank goodness. I’d love for her to eat all raw, but she can be persnickety with it.

[Sharon Buchanan]

Patty ~

You know, way back when, I remember giving our Sunset the DinOvite but stopped when we moved to Prague. I’d completely forgotten about that.

I did call Primal to talk with them about their food and was thaaaat close to placing an order until I looked at the Primal thread on dogfoodadvisor. What a catastrophe, wading through all that. In the end, I decided not to order any – a setback in my confidence.

I was looking at some the photos folks have posted here of their dogs eating RMB and I think it was HDM that had a pic of one of her dogs eating a whole quail. What? I want that! Minus the feathers of course. I did give Mystery a bone last week when it was warmer outside He went at it for over an hour while I enjoyed some quiet time over the waterfall and pond. Since I let him chomp away at apple tree branches, I wasn’t worried about the dirt too much.

I did try to give him a bone in his crate one day when temps were below freezing but he wouldn’t touch it. I opened the door of the crate and he brought the bone out with him. I tried to get him to stay on the 8’x6′ linoleum scrap but couldn’t keep him there. OCD kicked in, the bone came up and I set about steam mopping the crate, linoleum and wood floor followed by soap and water. I think I’ll try taking the tray out of the crate and start training Mystery to stay on it while eating.

I so appreciate that you shared the list of foods you’re feeding. With that, you’ve given me a better idea of what a diet should look like than anything I’ve come across so far. Thanks! I’d also read somewhere that balance doesn’t have to happen with every meal – it could happen over the course of days. That’s a little freeing. I’ll let you know when we get to our first raw day.

[Sue’s Zoo]

Thanks Sharon, Patty and all research from HDM! It’s so good to have someone near the same point with feeding raw etc. It’s such a challenge! Can’t wait to check out the raw roundup internet conference. Thanks so much for sharing that. I too have used some frozen raw (Primal…and yes it’s VERY expensive) and will continue that when things are crazy here or I’m on vacation etc. but I really want to do the more natural whole raw most of the time.

I actually made the jump last week. Primarily because I found a specialist vet in our area that is holistic and does nutrition counseling for raw etc and figured I couldn’t do much harm in a week. I have an appointment with her tomorrow so I decided to start with some of HDMs raw diets from the beginning of the thread. (Wow!! A LOT of work!) But I’m convinced this vet can provide support because she helped so much with our GSD several years ago. He was such an awesome GSD but somewhere between 7 and 8 years old he started showing signs of DM (degenerative myelopathy). Our traditional vet gave us 6 months max with him but a friend recommended Dr. Ava Frick so we took Baron to see her. Thanks to Dr. Frick and stim therapy, acupuncture and natural supplements we were blessed to have a full 18 QUALITY months with our boy. So I checked with her and found that she does do nutrition counseling etc.

Both pups are going to see her tomorrow so we can discuss raw diets and the best way for them to get the best nutrition possible. All our dogs, other than Baron, died from some form of cancer affecting the digestive organs. Can’t help but feel that diet was the primary factor. So I’m determined to do anything in my power to provide these pups with quality food and life.

Have to say I’ve been overwhelmed a lot during the last week but I’m glad I started ahead of time. So many more questions to ask from a much more ‘real world’ vantage point! The younger pup is barely over 4 months but does pretty good with chicken backs. I will relax with it much more in the next 3 to 4 weeks as she gain her adult teeth. She just worries me with the way she attacks her food! The older male (all of 7 months) is more mellow in many ways and will lay on his rug with a turkey neck or chicken back and take time to enjoy it. But I have to say it’s a lot like watching my kids eat a meal I’ve prepared. Very fulfilling 🙂

BTW, we have all hardwood floors so I have struggled with feeding spots and found that the one that works best for me (us) is a large machine washable rug per dog covered with a large bath sheet (towel). The rug keeps the towel in place and most of the time I can just wash the towels and re-use. The rug beneath only needs an occasional wash.

I will post what I hear from Dr. Frick after the visit tomorrow. And I will also include some of the challenges I’ve hit over the last week along with any suggestions to help address them.

[Caroline]

Pets are/have died after eating Royal Canin. This is happening NOW (January 2014). Read “consumer affairs” on internet. We almost lost our poodle this past week due to Royal Canin SO can after opening the first can of new purchase of this food. Has been on it for almost 3 years. She had two meals, quit eating after 1-2 bites on future meals, finally refused the food. She is our food lover; always looking forward to her meal. Severe seizure was first medical symptom, gastritis severe, weakness with legs collapsing, trying to throw up, pacing and trying to hide, blood work revealed elevated pancreatic enzyme for first time in her 8 years. Two vet visits, over $700 in costs. Fortunately, I got on line to look for recalls….Nothing! Found all the recent deaths from Royal Canin on “consumer affairs”, vet began antibiotics and probiotics, changed to other poodles raw food, and now she is healing. Very strange….Our second poodle kept barking at her and trying to keep her away from eating this food. After starting on Primal raw, mixing in other ingredients including yogurt, she never had any negative effects. We are praying she continues to heal and get strong again. Our vet is calling Royal Canin (good luck) and notifying customers. Why no recalls????

[Mom2Cavs]

Well….I’m not sure about the texture of Beneful, but Nature’s Variety Instinct has a food called Instinct Raw Boost that he might like. Also, adding a chunky stew type canned food on top of a quality dry might help or you could just feed the chunky stew canned alone. With a small dog like yours it wouldn’t be that expensive, imo. Or you could try a freeze dried food chopped up with a little water added, like Stella & Chewy’s, Primal or Nature’s Variety. Nutrisca has one as well as Vital Essentials. Oh..and there is a food called Vital and one called Fresh Pet (both made by the same company) that come in a bag and a roll that he might also like. I think Petco carries the Vital, which is grain free, and some supermarkets carry Fresh Pet, which has grains.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[raylene5]

Hi all,

Getting our puppy in a couple of weeks. He’s been on a “high quality” kibble (I know the breeder feeds a very good quality kibble but can’t remembe which one it is). We are switching to Primal Pronto once we get him.

Anyway, I was talking to the salesperson at the local natural pet store and she said that when she transitions her puppies, she just quits the kibble cold-turkey, feeds only Answers raw goat milk for two days and then starts the puppy on raw the second or third day. She said she also always adds goats milk to her dog’s raw food, at every meal. I’ve read this approach on other websites as well.

Opinions?

Thanks!

[Sue’s Zoo]

First, thank you so much HDM for taking time to respond and Patty for helping out. I guess I did realize the c:p ratio was still important but was hoping it might be somewhat automatic when feeding raw. And from your response it seems like that is the case IF I get the balance correct between organ, muscle/tissue, and bone. And there are several ways to accomplish that–grinds, RMBs, Tripe mixes, etc. I guess at this point I just want the simplest way to get started, which ideally would be someone saying: feed this, then this, etc. 🙂 while I read and re-read all your info and additional recommended resources to educate myself and become more confident in creating my own meals. I did see some of your info under raw feeding giving your dogs various diets over a period of time. I’m going to look at those more closely because I think it’s what I need to kickstart the program. I just wasn’t sure if those contained all the necessary nutrition for large breed PUPPIES (as well as adult dogs). So thanks again for your response.

I think I may start with MPC as I look for less expensive routes for the future. Considering what I pay for just doing half Primal (chicken, beef, rabbit and venison) plus top end kibble/canned (rotating Wellness CORE Puppy/Earthborn Coastal Catch/Halo Surf n Turf, plus a daily can of FROMM Gold rotating proteins), with these pups, I can’t imagine it’s going to be much more…I hope. And I’m going to get a freezer (checking CL today)

And lastly, for now, you mentioned books. I have the Ancestral Diet book. I’ve noticed Dr. Becker’s is recommended in several places so I plan to get it. Are you familiar with Raw Dog Food by Carina Beth MacDonald? Any others you could recommend to help me jump in quickly?

So happy to have found this site. I’m sure I’ll have many more questions over the next few months. Learning so much from you and some others. And I’m a skeptic so I don’t trust everything I read on the internet. But just by reading your posts it’s obvious you’ve done the research and know what you’re talking about.