[Cindy S]

Any recommendations on a cheaper food that’s still good? Was looking at natures recipe, Rachael Ray nutritional and pure balance. I currently feed instinct by natures variety and have 4 years but so dang expensive.

[Cindy S]

Any recommendations for good cheaper food? Was looking at natures recipe, pure balance or Rachael Ray nutrish. I currently feed instinct but so high.

[Melinda J]

I was wondering if you could do a rating on the Small Breed Grain Free Dry Kibble from Pure Balance. I noticed that the ingredients are a little different than the regular kibble. Is there anything in it that may be known as a common allergen?

Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, dried ground pea, tapioca, whole ground potato, turkey meal, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, pea protein, natural flavor, dried ground carrot, dried egg powder, sunflower oil, dicalcium phosphate, salt, menhaden fish oil, zinc proteinate, l-threonine, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, choline chloride, taurine, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, dl-methionine, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, biotin, l-carnitine, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.

Also, this is a supplement that I am curious about. It is called: The One from Front of the Pack

Ingredients:

Active ingredients
Ingredient Typical values per scoop
Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (SunFiber®) 525mg
Whole Antarctic krill meal (Qrill®; Euphasia superba) 500mg
Glucosamine HCI (GreenGrown® [shellfish-free]) 250mg
Chondroitin Sulphate (CS b-Bioactive® [bovine]) 100mg
Methylsulfonylmethane (OptiMSM®) 100mg
Taurine (Ajipure®) 100mg
Curcumin Phytosome® complex (Meriva®; Curcuma longa [root]) 60mg
L-carnitine (Carniking®) 50mg
Bifidobacterium lactis BPL1 CECT 8145 (heat-treated) 50mg
Green tea extract (Sunphenon® 90D; Camellia sinesis [leaf], decaffeinated) 40mg
Certified organic ashwagandha extract (Sensoril®; Withania somnifera [root, leaf]) 30mg
L-theanine (Suntheanine® enzymatically produced/solvent-free) 25mg
Other ingredients
Certified organic brown kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides [fruit]), natural chicken flavor (vegan), silicon dioxide mineral source; stabilizer/carrier for L-carnitine].

1 Certified organic by EcoCert
2 Certified organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers

Macronutrient facts
Amount per serving
Calories < 4
Calories from fat < 2
Total fat < 0.2g
Total carbohydrate 0.4g
Dietary fiber 0.4g
Sugars 0g
Protein 0.3g
Not intended to replace meals or food. Use as a supplement only.

[Susan]

Hi Isabella,
there might be too much organ meats in the pre made raw your buying read ingredients, also too much bone, my boy cant have too much organ meats- liver, heart, kidney, or bone causes diarrhea with him or the fat is probably toooo HIGH in the raw you’re feeding …
The fat in raw diet, cooked meal & wet can foods & dog rolls hasn’t been converted to dry matter like a kibble has, so when you see say-5%min fat, I times the fat % by X 4 = 20%min-25%max fat you’ll get an ruff idea what the fat is, also it depends on the moisture %, if the moisture is 78% max & under the max fat will less, if the moisture is 79% or more then the max fat will be higher.
Or contact the Pet Food Company & ask them which raw formula has the lowest amount of fat you’d be looking for 3% 4% max fat to get around 10-16% fat, ask can you have the fat converted into dry matter.

Best to make your own premade raw diet my vet said cause most pre-made raw is high in fat, when you make your own raw you control ingredients, organ meats, & fat unless you find a local small business who makes pre-made raw with fresh human grade free range meats.

Turkey & Pork is really good lean white proteins when the fat is removed & buy green fresh vegetables – parsley, broccoli, celery, small spinach leaves, apple, peel de seed cut up apple & put veggies thru a blender, blend into a pulp & put veggies/fruit mix into ice cube trays – 1 spoon & cover ice cube trays, then freeze & take out night before put in fridge or use as needed, add 1-2 veggie/fruit mix spoons to 1 cup meat also buy tin Salmon drain the salmon & put in container & store in fridge, add 2 spoons salmon per meal to help balance diet & add Omega 3 to dogs diet.
Or look for Freeze Dried Raw or Air Dried Raw- Ziwi Peak has their Venison formula for Skin & bowel problems & has the lowest fat% but fat is still too high for my boy, in Australia we have Prime SKD rolls – Kangaroo & Pumkin, Wild Boar & Pumkin, Salmon & Tapioca, Duck & Sweet Potato, Crocodile & Tapioca, Kangaroo & Potato, Turkey & Flaxseed rolls, these rolls are really good for dogs who suffer with food sensitivies then you start an food elimination diet what you need to do.
I dont know if there’s same type of rolls you have in US??
So you’ll know what ingredients your dog is sensitive too?? as food sensitivities cause farts, sloppy poos, wind pains, yeasty ears, yeasty skin, rubbing bum on ground, anal problems, vomiting itchy skin,.
Food sensitivities can take 20mins for dog to react after eating a food, up to 6 weeks to react??
Id start a food elimination diet now Winter is coming best time as environment allergens are at their lowest so less chance confusing results.

“Sudocrem” is excellent its an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, healing cream for skin problems, Eczema, Dermatitis, itchy dry red skin, Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects skin from Allergens normally dogs who get Hot spot suffer with Environment allergies & yeasty ears, skin paws can be from environment allergies & food sensitivities..my boy suffers with both..
Weekly Cool Baths in a medicated shampoo are the best you can do to wash & cool skin, if dog is really itchy then bath twice a week in medicated shampoo, I use Malaseb medicated shampoo, it kills the yeast & bacteria on skin, days you do not bath buy baby wipes that have aloe extract leaf & vitamin E, wipe the dog down after being outside wipe off allergens, before bed wipe dog down & apply the Sudocrem to stop any itchy skin & heal red itchy skin even ears I use cotton tip & lightly apply Sudocrem & before going outside apply Sudocrem it acts as a barrier to protect skin from allergens.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sudocrem-Antiseptic-Healing-Cream-125g/553023443

I like “Canidae Pure Fresh Pork -16% fat or Canidae Pure Fresh Duck & Sweet Potato 16-17% fat or Canidae Pure Fresh Salmon & Sweet Potato has highest fat% 18-20% fat a lot of dogs doing really well on Canidae Pure formula’s I buy the Canidae Pure Senior for my old boy.

You can also try “Gastro Elm” alot of people say its really good firm up sloppy poos acid reflux etc its Slippery Elm powder, Dandelion Root Powder and Marshmallow Root Powder.
https://www.gastroelm.com/

[Chipy]

Hi Soph, so great that you switched to a 100% homemade diet for your girl. My pup is about the same size as yours and eggshells didn’t work for him. Bonemeals are often high in toxic heavy metals such as lead, and low-level lead poisoning can damage kidneys, liver and nerves over time so I would be careful with them.

If you don’t feed any raw bones, you can use GreenMin as the main calcium source. Dr. Dobias has found that dogs who are on GreenMin, and are not consuming any bone in their diet, consistently have results within normal ranges for calcium levels on their hair analysis test.

Also, please be aware that Balanceit. com provides synthetic vitamin & mineral mixes. I was considering it many years ago when we switched to a homemade diet but I don’t like feeding anything that is NOT natural. There is a big difference in how the body abosorbs nutrients from whole food-based vs synthetic chemical-based supplements.

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/15188693-synthetic-supplements-for-dogs-can-cause-serious-problems

We have been using the Fab4 (GreenMin, SoulFood, GutSense, and FeelGood Omega) for many years and our dog loves them. He is super healthy at the age of 10 and we are very grateful for Dr. Dobias and his pure products.

Dog Essentials

These natural supplements are like wholesome food, the body recognizes them as such and only absorbs what it requires. As every dog has slightly different nutritional requirements, it’s best to provide a wide variety of nutrients to support the body. Here is what we add to our pup’s homemade diet to fill in any nutritional gaps.

GreenMin, as a source of plant-based minerals, calcium, amino-acids, and super greens
SoulFood, as a certified organic multivitamin with additional organ support components
GutSense, as a source of dog specific certified organic probiotics
FeelGood Omega, to supplement Essential Fatty Acids (omega 3s) – Sardines can be high in toxic strontium!

In a perfect world, a wide variety of food would keep your dog’s body nourished and no supplements would be required. The problem is, due to intensive agriculture, minerals and nutrients do not get recycled back into the soil, leading to a lack of minerals in the whole food chain.

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/15072565-how-many-supplements-are-too-many-for-your-dog

I encourage you to do your own research and only choose the highest quality products for your dog. They deserve the best! 🙂

[aimee]

Hi Madison,
I’ve fed a mix of kibble moist and home cooked. For the kibble I’ve use primarily Purina Pro Plan and Royal Canin and I used California Natural when that brand was around, Iams, Eukaneuba. For moist I’ve used various Purina products , Rpyal Canin therapeutic some Wellness, some Hill’s products some Iams/Eukaneuba

I’ve used Primal venison “raw” as a topper but always cooked it first

The home cooked is primarily a topper, unbalanced mix of basically leftovers lean meats and veggies that I puree together But I will also cook a complete and balanced recipe and use that instead of the moist component of their diet.

I’m not a fan of raw because I don’t see any real benefit to feeding a raw diet vs the same diet cooked and I do see risk of bacterial infection. I do think there can be greater digestibility of some components of a raw diets over the same diet cooked but I think in most cases the overall effect is minimal and not of significance to me.

In regards to commercial raw I’ve been very disappointed in the companies whom I’ve contacted in that I felt they had little nutritional knowledge, When fact checking their marketing material I found numerous errors and if I could get them to send me a typical analysis I found profound nutrient deficiencies in some products when compared to AAFCO or NRC recommendations. The one raw company I found to be an exception to the above concerns was Nature’s Variety.

Finally, most commercial raw diets have a higher percentage of calories coming from fat than I’m comfortable feeding. So when I’ve use a raw product I us only as a small portion of the overall diet and I always cook it first.

[Susan]

Hi Michelle,
Yes Patch has tried most of the Vet Diets we get in Australia, most caused diarrhea (Hills),
Hills & Purina didn’t help made his skin itch & smell yeasty
Why vet diets work help skin problems as the are VERY high in Omega 3 whats needed for dogs skin.
Royal Canin seem to work best, R/C Sensitivity Control-Tapioca & Duck fat is 9% kibble
R/C Gastrointestinal Low Fat, Low fiber, fat is 7% but Patch smells a bit yeasty & still rolls on carpet but stops sloppy poos.

Have a look at “Wellness Simple”- Turkey & Potato it’s really good its for Skin Problems & the Potato is good for IBD symptoms & stomach problems firms up poos, we cant get it no more in Australia 🙁
The Omega 3% should be 1/2 the Omega 6%, Wellness Simple formula’s are balanced properly, give one of the G/F formula’s a go I prefer Turkey as its a cleaner meat & its white there’s also Salmon & Potato.

Wellness Core Large Breed Adult even thought Patch is a medium breed dog he still eats the Large Breed kibbles as they are good for Intestinal stress they’re made to prevent bloat in large breed dogs & the Kcals are lower under 340Kcals per cup, so kibble is easier to digest.
Canidae Pure Wild Boar Sweet Potato
Canidae Pure Sky Duck & Sweet Potato
Canidae Pure Healthy Weight would be really good fat is lower & its for weight gain,
Canidae & Wellness have a return if not satisfied money back.

Also Baths are best to wash off allergens. Bath twice a week when dog has really itchy paws & itchy skin in a medicated Shampoo – Malaseb medicated shampoo works best on Patches also relieves his itchy paws & itchy skin, then bath weekly thru hot months & keep a Diary you will start to see a Pattern as the season pass yr after yr with Seasonal Environment Allergies your dog will be better thru Winter months & bad thru Spring & Summer months.

Get some “Sudocrem” its an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial healing cream, I’ve been using it on Patch for 8yrs now, the Sudocrem protects dogs skin & paws from allergens, apply before bed, first get baby wipes & wipe dog down, wipe paws, body, head, stomach around mouth & chin if red & after dog eats also wipe dog down after being outside the days you haven’t bathed, then apply the Sudocrem its stops itchy skin, itchy red paws, I use cotton buds in between dogs toes & apply the Sudocrem not too much cream as it can become messy, if paws are red, by morning dogs paws aren’t red no more.. then start over again apply Sudcrem before going outside if paws are BAD get shoes booties when outside but let Paws breath when dog is sleeping & inside.
also get some local honey with 5km form your place give dog & yourself 1/2 teaspoon each twice a day Patch LOVES his honey we had the best Summer last yr since starting his local raw honey, the local bees eat the pollen from trees flowers etc in your area so when you give your dog some honey your slowly desensitizing him from certain allergens in your area.
Everything I’ve written I’ve learnt over 8yrs with Patch he’s nilly 12 yrs old now, a lot of vet visits, research, trial & error.
A lot of people think their dog has Food sensitivities but if its Spring or Summer chances are dog is suffering from Environment Allergies, so best to do elimination diets in the cooler months when allergens are low.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sudocrem-Antiseptic-Cream-125G/182504923

[dean S]

I was asked to provide details, somewhere in this site, (but cannot remember where) – for ingredients of ERA pet foods.
CAnt dogfood advisor do a review for a european pet food?? So here are ingredients. IS THIS CONSIDERED NUTRITIONAL?

COMPOSITION: fresh chicken meat (20%), dehydrated turkey (18%), whole brown rice (16%), dehydrated pheasant (10%), chicken fat (5%, preserved with natural tocopherols, source of vitamin E), yellow peas, sweet potatoes, apple pulp, hydrolyzed chicken liver (3%), pea protein, dehydrated chicken (2%), salmon oil (2%), dried beet pulp, linseed (1.5%), dried spinach, pumpkin, dried carob, tomato pulp, sea algae (Ascophyllum nodosum, 0.4%), minerals, pomegranate (0.2%), blueberries (0.2%), cranberries (0.2%), glucosamine (0.026%), yeast (a source of mannan-oligosaccharides/MOS, 0.02%), citrus extract (0.02%), chondroitine sulphate (0.016%), chicory root (a source of fructo-oligosaccharides/FOS, 0.01%), yucca extract, marigold (Calendula officinalis, 0.01%), green lipped mussels (0.005%), milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum, 0.005%), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, 0.005%), thyme (Thymus vulgaris, 0.005%), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, 0.005%

28% Crude Protein
15% Fat Content
3% Crude Fiber
6.5% Crude Ash
10% Moisture
1.4% Calcium
1% Phosphorus
Min 0.2% Sodium
0.25% Omega-3 fatty acids
1.7% Omega-6 fatty acids
3770 kcal/kg Energy Valu

[jamie L]

I have MAJOR concerns about this food. #1, I bought two different types of the meat meals….Chicken and Turkey. I followed directions, added hot water….and honestly — I saw ZERO Meat.

Now, the meat could have been dyed green by the vegetables in there, but to me, there was a WHOLE lot of broccoli or spinach primarily…the patties are actually GREEN color when dried AND when wet. I then emailed them to ask them about meat content, and they basically have ZERO customer service, had ALL sorts of ‘excuses”…see email below in between the asteriks.

They seem overly defensive to me, and not very customer service oriented. Their food is VERY expensive, so it’s my RIGHT as a PAYING customer to ASK what I am getting for my money. I took pictures for them of all the food…again, I see ZERO meat…you’d think you would be able to SEE some meat in there??!! RIGHT?? I see NONE. Not in ANY of the batches…I think this company needs to be investigated.

As a matter of fact, I myself am going to go ahead and find somewhere that will test for protein content …I am VERY PiCKY about my dog food, and it’s my right to know WHAT I am buying for my pets…they clearly, from below, did not like me questioning them….that, to me, is a HUGE RED FLAG. Their treats LOOK like MEAT…which is why I questioned them so much on this……they said the treats are totally different from the main meals. Okay, great, but I still don’t see where the meat is in the main course food! My dogs did like the food, but to me….I believe in my personal opinion that I just paid $150 for a bunch of broccoli and spinach patties….ALSO, if they have been around TEN years….WHY have more of not heard of them?? Too many red flags for me, I will no longer be buying their food!

************************************************************************************************************
your message is very disturbing. We do, indeed, have a very unique dog food, so it’s understandable that you are not used to it. However, your suggestion that our biscuits do not contain meat is entirely false.

In fact, every biscuit is mostly meat. (please see ratio diagrams attached) All of our food recipes contain the the same ratio of meat to vegetables. Our recipes are exact and calculated, measured with accuracy and inspected for quality control every step of the way. We start with scientific requirements for vibrant wellness and never waiver. Science is our guide but Organic Mother Nature is our provider.

As you can see by the 2 attached images, we have a HUGE VARIETY of vegetables, fruits and herbs but they represent a relatively SAMLL PORTION of the biscuit. Our recipes have been the unwavering same for over a decade. All our biscuits are formed and packaged by hand, each one is also closely inspected. Our food is based on the philosophy of providing non-processed, human quality, organic ingredients for the healthiest dog food, so over-all, there is no normal – in the strict sense of the word.

Since we do not use any processing of our 100% organic, human grade ingredients each biscuit has a different look and feel. There is no way to avoid idiosyncratic differences in batches/ biscuits when individual ingredients are not pre-processed for uniformity. There is no way, ever, that one biscuit will look exactly like another. Sometimes, this can be more noticeable. Especially if, for example, the spinach is much darker, broccoli is much greener, the protein/meat mixture ratio is more light meat than dark, the blueberries are juicier or the apples more meaty than juicy, etc.

These are only a few reasons why our 100% organic, naturally air-dried products differ from batch to batch and even biscuit to biscuit. Every idiosyncratic inherent nature, of every single ingredient contributes to the biscuit in their own organic way. There is no difference in the volume of ingredients or the ratio of ingredients dehydrated in each biscuit.

As time goes by and seasons change, the natural inherent qualities of our human grade ingredients transform as well, there will be times when it’s more noticeable than at other times. Our food recipes are very UNLIKE our treats.
Treats such as Chicken & Pumpkin or Chicken & Apples have only 2 ingredients. Both Organic. Treats recipes are mostly pure muscle meat with a dash of antioxidant. Our food, however is a complete and balanced diet providing optimum nutrition and antioxidants.

For over 10 years, we’ve built a reputation of stellar integrity, excellent customer service and Most Trusted Dog Food in USA for 3 years in a row.

We hope this helps you better understand our products and

******************************************************

[GSDsForever]

What do we know about coconut flour or coconut as an ingredient in dog foods?

Obviously, it’s a more recent ingredient in pet foods, so novel.

I realize some are wanting to avoid ALL more novel ingredients at this time, along with legumes (or legumes and potatoes) and exotic proteins, with the most sweeping definition of novel or exotic from Lisa Freeman DVM DACVN at Tufts, and stick with the most traditional carb & meat ingredients. (Other veterinary nutritionists do not include things like salmon/fish among “exotic” ingredients.)

But I just wonder what is known about coconut flour as used in dog food — and what we should know. My understanding had been that, for all the potential health benefits of coconut or as a hypoallergenic alternative carb, that it has very high fiber. I would have thought too high for use in dog food.

So how could it work in a formula as a primary ingredient? How can a formula keep a low fiber %? Does combining it with an almost pure starch balance it out enough? Is there a refined version?

• This topic was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by GSDsForever.

[GSDsForever]

For Robert B:

For your list of 13 Australian Shepherd cases from the FDA’s 560 DCM-Diet case reports, here are the 3 you missed:

1)Wegmans GF Nature Natural Dog Food Turkey & Pea
*grocery brand, made for them by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition (now under Smuckers)

Dried Peas, Tapioca, Pea Protein (Ingredients 3, 4, 5) . . . Pea Fiber (11)
Also includes legume Alfalfa Meal (14) — + Flaxseed both boosting protein (7)

2)Pure Balance GF Wild & Free (Unspecified Variety)
*Walmart brand, made for them by Ainsworth Pet Nutrition (now under Smuckers)

Formulas E.G. Salmon, Trout, Beef & Boar
Dried Ground Peas, Tapioca, Pea Protein (Ingredients 3, 4, 5)
Lentil Powder, Pea Protein . . . Dried Peas, Ground Potato Ingredients 3, 4 . . . 6, 7)
Pea Starch . . . Chickpeas, Peas (Ingredients 3 . . . 6, 7)

3)Taste Of the Wild GF High Prairie
*Diamond’s own brand, manufactured by Diamond

Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes . . . Potato Protein, Pea Protein
(Ingredients 4, 5, 6 . . . 14, 15)

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by GSDsForever.

[Owen J]

It is not enough to have at home the necessary food for the dog, you still need to give it to your pet in the correct proportion and correctly balance the nutrients in it. How to do it? The best solution is to use ready-made dog food.
Indeed, recently veterinary specialists and professional dog handlers have chosen to feed their four-legged pets with specialized rations, which are made according to strict technologies, perfectly balanced in terms of nutrients and energy, and do not contain harmful ingredients. A big plus is that by choosing ready meals, you get a diet designed for a certain age, physiological condition and size of a dog.

https://herepup.com/pure-balance-dog-food-reviews/

[haleycookie]

There are no pet stores anywhere near you?
Canned raw pumpkin is good for digestion. Maybe not the best idea everyday though. You can use any quality canned food as a topper to mix the supplements in. Would be balanced food and free of sugar. Maybe try pure balance canned food. I’ve heard a lot of people whom don’t have pet stores around them that like the pure balance food. Any canned like merrick, wellness, even blue buffalo have ok stew canned foods. I think blue is at Walmart too.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by haleycookie.

[Susan]

Hi Jaimie,

I was just about to post a post to give her a 21 day course of Metronidazole, Patch a 40lb dog would take low dose -200mg Metronidazole tablets twice a day for 5-7 days then on day 8 the last 2 weeks I’d give him 1 x 200mg Metronidazole tablet with his dinner, my vet writes Patch 5-6 repeat scripts of Metronidazole & when I start to see Patches poos becoming sloppy for a few day & his poos are going yellow, I quickly take script of Metronidazole to chemist & start him on Metronidazole straight away..

I think she might have food sensitivities & this puts her gut flora out of balance making too much bad bacteria & not enough good bacteria…

Unless vet does Endoscope & takes 2 x Biopsies 1 x Stomach & 1 x Small Bowel your really not going to know what’s wrong?? Biopsies give vet answers.
all the other test are a waste of money as biopsies are needed in the end, I noticed with Patch when he’d eat certain dry foods they would cause an in balance in his gut flora…

“Dysbiosis” Leaky Gut typically occurs when the bacteria in gastrointestinal (GI) tract — which includes your stomach and intestines — become unbalanced. Dysbiosis syndrome is a disturbance in the small intestines, leading to damage of the intestinal lining and microvilli.

Patch hasn’t needed his Metronidazole over 1 & 1/2 yr now since he’s been eating “Wellness Core Large Breed” “Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato LID” & “Wellness Complete Health Grain Free Chicken kibble” I don’t know if its the Wellness kibble being more cleaner less toxins & heavy metals that’s helped stopped his sloppy poos/diarrhea, or he’s finally eating a kibble that doesn’t have any allergens that are irritating his stomach & bowel, Wellness uses Probiotics & Prebiotics in their dry kibbles maybe Probiotics have made his gut healthy…he does 2-3 firm poos a day, I walk Patch after he eats, walking helps move on his poo & he isn’t holding his poo, he’s a bugger wont poo in his yard only his morning 7am poo he will do in his yard.

Touch wood Patch hasn’t had Diarrhea since March 2018 when he started eating Wellness Core Large breed adult kibble.

Keep a diary, write down what she is eating, every time you change her food write down new food, does it have grains or grain free, does the kibble have Probiotics, how high is the fiber %, then over the months & years you will start to see a pattern, does she suffer with “Food Sensitivities”?, is the kibble too high in fiber ingredients or probiotics & causing an in balance in her gut??

I just goggle Blue Buffalo (Life Protection Formula, Adult Large Breed, Chicken) gee there’s a lot of ingredients too many & peas?? Pea fiber, Pea protein, Pea starch, Barley,??
Patch can eat peas in a dry kibble but when the pet food has Pea fiber, Pea protein, Pea starch this is when he starts getting his sloppy yellow poos…. too much fiber also when he eats barley his poos start going yellow & sloppy then diarrhea…

The next food you introduce make sure it has limited ingredients

* Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

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

* Canidae Pure Wild Boar
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-wild-boar-dry-dog

* Natural Balance –
N/B Potato & Duck – low fiber -3%, no peas,
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/104644

*N/B Lamb & Rice large breed – no peas, fiber 4%,
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/29461

N/B Sweet Potato & Fish – no peas, fiber 5%
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/104659

Stay away from kibbles that have too many ingredients, you’ll never know what ingredients she might be sensitive too?? stay away from Pea fiber, Pea protein, Pea starch, if the kibble has peas that’s OK but not the extra pea (fiber).

[Beth H]

Hi all: I have recently had my chocolate lab’s urine tested and have been told that he has crystals in his urine. She has recommended four dog foods that will provide a good ph balance that may solve the problem, rather than putting him on medicines and invasive testing.

I am curious to see if anyone has any suggestions for a great dog food that is:

for seniors: he’s 12 but active
chicken and grain free (he breaks out from too much chicken)
nut free (allergy)
strong in providing a solid ph balance

Currently, he is on Nautral Balance vegan formula (dry), with a scoop of 100% pure pumpkin and some beef canned dog food mixed in. He also is on glucosamine, fishoil and three prescriptions.

I appreciate anything that anyone share!

Beth

[Peggy M]

I have been feeding my pure bred Cavalier King Charles “Natural Balance” Duck and Potato formula for several years at the recommendation of her Vet due to previous food allergies. Ever since, we have been completely successful; no allergies, no antibiotics. I have beed feeding her Natural Balance exclusively for at least the past 6 years. My Cav is now 11 years old and when I recently went in to routinely buy her bag of food, the store owner steered me away from it saying that Natural Balance had been purchased by the Smucker’s Company and “most likely the formula would change because Smuckers is a big company”. So, she talked me into buying “Tuscan Natural-Simply Pure Lamb” Dry Food. Saying it was a simple-ingredient food. I eased and transitioned my dog into the new food. Everything was fine in the beginning. But once my Cav was solely on the the new food…OMG!!! My poor dog couldn’t stop pooping. She would wake up whining and whimpering during the night because she had to poop so bad! I’d take her out in the middle of the night and she would poop super soft poo, the same color as the food! She would poop 2-3 times during the day, as well! This went on for 3-4 days and nights until I decided to go back to her original food; “Natural Balance”. Not sure if this has happened to anyone else, but I would be very careful transitioning over to “Tuscan Natural”. IT DID NOT AGREE WITH MY DOG, AT ALL!!! As soon as I began feeding the her the original food, she immediately was fine. Stools were normal, she slept through the night, and has never had anymore soft stool issues! Just thought I’d let you all know.

[Susan]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Christine A]

An update to my other post.. I still don’t have great answers

I’ve been attempting to do my research on seizures in dogs for some time now. The vet will cost a fortune to run tests, so I’m just out here looking for similar situations.

My dog, Zeus, is a ~75lb pit mix (possibly with hound/boxer) at (approx.) 3 years old. He has now had 5 observed grand mal seizures this year between May and Dec. with a 12 week break after his first 2. All lasting about 2-4 minutes from the time it was caught.

I was determined it was the Interceptor heart worm prevention since the first 2 this year happened exactly 1 week after the dose was given. After I switched the heart worm preventative to ProHeart6 in July, we had about a 12 week period without a seizure. He then had 1 in Oct. and then one 7 weeks later in Nov. and then 4 weeks in Dec.

I then was convinced him eating his brothers poo was the cause. After doing MORE research, some hounds just eat poo (and he definitely has some in him).. and sometimes it is due to lack of enzyme & probiotic nutrition.
So what I did was order NaturVet Enzyme plus probiotic. In the meantime, we were very strict about watching him outside and picking up after every load. We also started a high protein diet by adding 1/2 – 1 cup meat to a 1/2 cup of dry kibble.. What I noticed during this time, he appeared to not have the acid-reflux symptoms (throwing up unexpectedly, mouth swallowing, etc.), no throwing up at all, overall more energy & perky, and not a strong beagle skin smell. What happened after the second dose of enzyme replacement was the acid-reflux symptoms reappeared (unexpected vomit & lots of swallowing) while still using CBD oil and high protein.

I proceeded to purchase a high quality/rated CBD oil for pets after the seizure in Nov. I did not order the second bottle soon enough and ran out. As I began to put him back on it slowly on day 2 of 1x/day he had his 5th seizure Dec. 24. We gave him a dose as he was beginning the seizure and did not appear to shorten or help.

Some things I have observed about him and these seizures:
– The first 2 (May & June) seizures occurred while eating Pure Balance wild & free grain-free salmon & pea (walmart) after wanting more convenience and switching to Chewy.com, I switched to Taste of the Wild grain-free bison & venison, July-Sept. I then made a personal decision to switch back to a grain food, Purina pro plan Focus sensitive skin & stomach salmon & rice in Sept. His 3rd seizure happened in Oct. and 4th in Nov.
– The 3 times that I have witnessed the episode, after he has relaxed for a few minutes, he immediately begins eating his food. He’s not a big eater and will eat about once a day on dry food only if no added meat.
-During the seizures, he expels his stomach bile (not sure if that is normal)
– He does eat his dog brother’s feces (and we have tried nearly every additive to the food to prevent this – now were down to frequent clean up/muzzle). We found him as a stray at approximately 1 year.
– The first 3 occurred while he was outside (which also made me believe that he was getting into a weed or poisonous fungus/plant). The 4th one occurred while he was sleeping and 5th inside.
– The 4th & 5th one were the only seizures I have seen from beginning to end as it happened when waking up in the AM. He began to try to vomit and then began running round, stopped, peed and grand mal for 2-4 minutes. During the seizure his stomach bile expels
– The 4th one also occurred while on doxycycline & vetprofen for a infected hair. He’s been on antibiotics before for a surgical ingrown hair removal
– Common demonstrators: Salmon flavor (possibly other similar ingredients)

Questions I have for myself: Is he eating it because his body needs something in the feces? Is it the Salmon/brand? Is his stomach bile doing something with the enzymes ingested?

If another one occurs, I will probably have to get a prescription for seizures. I feel there is a pattern and there is a healthier solution than medication.

[Susan]

Hi Christine,
What symptoms does your dog suffer with?? IBS stomach/bowel symptoms or just has skin allergies??
He might have Seasonal Environment Allergies, now he’s doing better cause it’s Winter & plant/trees in your yard or neighbouring yards aren’t flowering etc
You will know when Spring & Summer come back around keep a diary..
Or he was sensitive to ingredient in the grain free food, my boy can NOT eat a G/F kibble that has Tapioca, he starts to smell yeasty, scratches, itchy, scratches bum on carpet, Lentils cause bad gas, wind pain then has diarrhea, when he eats Barley he gets yeasty smelly skin, yeasty paws & sloppy yellow poos, rubs bum on ground, Corn Gluten causes yeasty smelly skin, paws, sloppy poos then diarrhea & rubs bum on ground, Oats = yeasty skin, paws & sloppy yellow poos, rubs bum on ground, Carrot cause itchy ears, shaking his head/ears..He doesn’t do well on any grain formula’s..

When he eats a grain free dry kibble that has Potato, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas further down the ingredient list his IBD & skin goes really well thru the Winter months then when Summer comes around something in the environment causes bad skin allergies, I know grass & wet grass is 1 allergens he suffer from, he goes down hill with itchy skin, red paws, whinging & he’s eating 1 of the same G/F foods he did well on thru Winter months, I rotate his G/F foods, Wellness Core, Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato & Canidae Pure Meadow Senior & Canidae Pure Wild Boar all Grain Free formula’s.

If a dogs diet has too much Omega-6 & is way too low in omega-3, the omegas need to be balanced properly then the dog will suffer with skin problems…
eg-Omega-6 Fatty Acids-2.80% Omega-3 fatty Acids-1.00%,
Omegs-3 should be nilly 1/2 of what the Omega-6% is…

Pet foods that are AAFCO aproved means nothing as some are NOT balanced properly… this is 1 thing Susan Thrixon pointed out in her recent link
“DCM Study Misses the Big Picture”
By Susan Thixton – December 14, 2018

DCM Study Misses the Big Picture

If he’s doing well on Blue Buffalo feed it but I would also rotate & feed another brand that has similair ingredients as the Blue Buffalo he does well on has. This way if there is something wrong with a certain batch, or its not balance properly etc he isnt eating the same dry dog food 24/7 also if ever something happens you know of another brand you can fall back onto..

[Susan]

Hi,

If you need any info email or ring the Pet Food Companies they will be able to answer all your questions.
Try & look for dry foods that don’t have tooooo many ingredients,the Canidae ALS Turkey Meal & Brown Rice has Limied ingredients, so less ingredients he could react too.

Have a look at

“Canidae ALS Turkey Meal & Brown Rice Puppies”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-large-breed-turkey-meal-brown-rice-dry-formula

“Canidae ALS Lamb Meal & Rice Puppies”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-lamb-meal-rice-dry-formula

“Canidae Pure Sea Salmon or Pure Wild Boar” only have about 5-7 ingredients are good formula’s for dogs with food sensitivities, email ask are these formula’s formulated for growing large breed puppies?? or could be feed later on when your boy is an adult dog.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-sea-dry-formula

“Wellness Core” Lamb & Lamb Meal
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-lamb-lamb

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

Again contact the Pet food company, ask what formula’s do that have that are Chicken free & formulated for Large Breed Puppies.

You have to be careful with some of these Limited Ingredient dog foods & all dog foods as some do not have the proper meats in them.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s latest study: Limited Ingredient/Allergy Diets may not work for your pet because of this problem!
Scroll dow to the results.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.125?fbclid=IwAR3JAeJouOK1TEOHlEKTRONZPp7FghmqdBaR561HJbc71J6fKucG5ncT9d8
Go onto Rodney Habibs f/b page – https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
scroll down a bit & look for “The False Hope of Limited Ingredient & Allergy diets” video they tested Natural Balance LID Bison & Sweet Potato formula & it had Beef, Pork, Horse, Goat, Lamb in it & no Bison?

If you have problems with the new kibble you buy you’re probably better off feeding a Vet Diet, “Royal Canine” Select Protein range, these vet diet will have the proper meats & formulated for growing large Breed puppies cantact Royal Canine you can talk to Nutritionist..

The only way to know 100% what ingredients your dog is sensitive too, is do a food elimination diet or use a Hypoallergenic vet diet then introduce 1 new food every 6 weeks to see if he reacts, my boy reacts within 20mins with raw or cooked chicken..but he doesn’t react when the chicken is in a kibble, probably cause the dry kibble has had the life cooked out of it & his immune system doesn’t recognize the protein source.

[Christine A]

I’ve been attempting to do my research on seizures in dogs for some time now. The vet will cost a fortune to run tests, so I’m just out here looking for similar situations.

My dog, Zeus, is a ~70lb pit mix (possibly with hound/boxer) at (approx.) 3 years old. He has now had 4 observed grand mal seizures this year between May and Nov. with a 12 week break after his first 2. All lasting about 2 minutes from the time it was caught.

I was determined it was the Interceptor heart worm prevention since the first 2 this year happened exactly 1 week after the dose was given. After I switched the heart worm preventative to ProHeart6 in July, we had about a 12 week period without a seizure. He then had 1 in Oct. and then one 7 weeks later.

Some things I have observed about him and these seizures:
– The first 2 (May & June) seizures occurred while eating Pure Balance wild & free grain-free salmon & pea (walmart) after wanting more convenience and switching to Chewy.com, I switched to Taste of the Wild grain-free bison & venison, July-Sept. I then made a personal decision to switch back to a grain food, Purina pro plan Focus sensitive skin & stomach salmon & rice in Sept. His 3rd seizure happened in Oct. and 4th in Nov.
– The 2 times that I have witnessed the episode, after he has relaxed for a few minutes, he immediately begins eating his food. He’s not a big eater and will eat about once a day.
– He does eat his dog brother’s feces (and we have tried nearly every additive to the food to prevent this – now were down to frequent clean up/muzzle). We found him as a stray at approximately 1 year.
– The first 3 occurred while he was outside (which also made me believe that he was getting into a weed or poisonous fungus/plant). The 4th one occurred while he was sleeping.
– The 4th one was the only seizure I have seen from beginning to end as it happened when waking up in the AM. He began to try to vomit and then began running round, stopped, peed and grand mal for ~2 mins.
– The 4th one also occurred while on doxycycline & vetprofen for a spider bite infection. He’s been on antibiotics before for a surgical ingrown hair removal
– Common demonstrators: warm weather (St. Louis), Salmon flavor (possibly other similar ingredients)

Questions I have for myself: Was I not allowing him to eat the feces during these times? Is he eating it because his body needs something in the feces? Is it the Salmon? He likes it! Has anyone else had similar situations?

Now obviously the vet won’t prescribe anything until they last more than 5 minutes or are occurring more frequently. I’m sure he would if I demanded something. I would rather choose a holistic route.

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,

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

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

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

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

[Lisa A]

Hi Susan,

Yes he was on a vet prescribed diet that is how we figured out he was allergic to chicken. We Once we eliminated the chicken his stool improved immediately but the prescription food was no longer sourced due to getting quality venison. That’s when we started LID/grain free over the counter and he didn’t do well on Venison/Sweet potato from Natural Balance thats when we moved to Zignature Lamb and he’s done really well.

Sorry I did mean Zignature Pork.. they don’t make beef. This is what’s inside the zignature pork – Pork, Pork Meal, Peas, Pea Flour, Chickpeas, Pork Fat, Natural Flavors, Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Salt, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols.

The Canidae Pure Wild has sweet potatoes, peas, chickpeas as the first set of ingredients where as the Zignature doesn’t have any potatoes but does have peas/chickpeas.

The only one so far our vet likes from the over the counter is the Natural Balance LID Lamb but I am concerned with the ingredients below, not the highest quality starting with lamb meal but it doesn’t have any legumes or peas or potatoes.

Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Lactic Acid), Lamb, Dried Tomato Pomace, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Inositol, Niacin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Beta-Carotene, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride, Citric Acid (used as a preservative), Rosemary Extract.

The Farmina Vet Life formula’s food when I look up what they recommend for GI one has chicken in it and the other has two types of protein. Our vet prefers single source protein.

I am totally confused and at a loss on what to do dispite the vet telling us to go with Natural Balance LID Lamb and Rice.

[Susan]

Hi Lisa,

I’d stay away from Zignature as it was 1 of the brands + (Acana) that had a few diet related DCM causes…
I didn’t know Zignature make a beef formula? they have Pork or Goat, Zignature is very high in Legumes, Legumes need to be avoid till they work out what ingredients are causing these heart problems, no more then 20% legumes, so more meat proteins in the first 2-3 ingredients, not plant proteins…

Have you looked at Pork, there might be more LID pork formula’s?? my IBD boy does really well on Pork, “Canidae Pure Wild”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-wild-dry-formula

Have you done a proper elimination diet to work out his food sensitivities when he was on a vet diet that agreed with him? it’s the only why to know 100% what meats he is sensitive too.. just add some raw or cooked meat with his vet diet he did well on this way you will know 100%

You have to remember when these grain free dry foods first came out they were all potato or sweet potato, tapioca & we didnt have any problems with DCM in dogs like we are having now with these newer grainfree dry foods that started to use Lentils, Chickpeas to replace the meat proteins.

“Natural Balance” grain free formulas are also pretty good for dogs with sensitive stomach/bowel, alot of people feed the Fish & Sweet Potatos or the Duck & Potato, these 2 Natural Balance formula’s are legume free…

I rotate between a few G/F dry foods that my boy does well on, my boy is doing excellent on the “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato at the moment, years ago he ate the Lamb & Oatmeal but started to do sloppy poos after 3 weeks, he doesnt seem to do well on grains formula’s as he has gotten older, he has a beautiful shiney coat, still holding his weight at 18kg-40lbs & only doing 2 firm poos a day on the Weillness Simple Turkey…

Oh did you look at the Farmina Vet Life formula’s
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop-dog/dog-food/8-farmina-vet-life-canine.html

Hopefully they’ll have some answer soon, as there’s alot of stressed out people who own Goldens & Labrodors, this breed seems to be affected the most..

[Susan]

Hi Sara,

Change your vet look for a female Holistic Vet or a female vet who isnt chained to these vet diets, I don’t dislike vet diets, yes they are good to use “temporary” until owner works out what to feed once your dog is stable, did you know back in 2013 I remember reading the side of one of the vet diets Patch was on for his IBD, it said, this formua is not to be feed long term…Vet diets weren’t meant to be feed long term, the dog was suppose to get stable then another diet was feed…
Now the vets Diets have been reformulated, can be feed long term now since 2015…
In Australia we can buy a vet diet straight from a vet practice or order online & do not need no presciption or vet, this just proves vet diet are nothing real special & there’s better alternative out there that are healthier & probably cheaper..

I dont understand why is your vet isnt looking into WHY your girl is having this problems in the first place, she is only 1 yr old. Did vet say why this was happening to a 1 yr old dog?
Your vet sound like Patches 2nd vet we got after I rescue him, I was scared to ask him for anything, I remember telling him my boy IBD has gotten worse on this vet diet, he said he needs to be on it longer, after being on the vet diet 1 month I bought the big bag back & told the a vet nurse its not working I want my money back & I told her that my vet John wasnt listening & Patch is pooing water now, his front paws are red & he’s crying 11pm every night & swollowing acid, she went in & asked another vet can I try the Royal Canine Sensitivitiy Control & this is how Patch gets his GOOD female vet who is his still his vet now….

Dogs and cats are designed to eat meat & when they’re are fed a grain-based diet or a starch-rich diet, the starch alkalizes urine pH, which can lead to the development of struvite crystals and stones.
Also is she she having wee breaks every 3 hours?
I would be looking at feeding your girl a raw balanced diet, there’s a few good Pre-made raw diets around, like “Answers Fermented ” Answers raw is suppost to be very good, it’s a bit expensive but its probably around the same price of a vet diet?? ..

I’ve read alot of people’s post who have female dogs (older then your girl) who have urinary problems swear by using “D-Mannose” Pure Powder Healthy Urinary Tract..

Start strengthening her Immune System, get some goats milk add to her diet for breakfast make sure she is having regular wee breaks every 3 hours…
also look into Vitamin C High Potency Powder or I think the D-Mannose has Vitamin C??

For now give the Hills wet & dry vet diet, look for an Holistic Vet or a vet who has been educated in dog Nutrition alot vets just know Hills, Royal Canin & Purina. Ask the vet why he didnt he prescribe Hills Urinary Care, Multicare C/d wet & dry formula’s instead? Ingredients are better in wet & dry formula’s, thats if you do stay feeding the Hills vet diet. Ypu could feed the Hill C/D Wet can food, for 1 of her meals.

My boy was put on the Royal Canine S/O Urinary wet & dry for 6 weeks, he had another Ultra Scan & his crystal had dissolved, all clear, I rescued him & he was weeing blood then the rescue vet said put him back on what he was eating before…
His crystals were from being used as a breeding dog the rescue vet said, he was 4yrs old.

Here’s Hills C/d wet can food
https://www.hillspet.com/dog-food/pd-cd-multicare-canine-chicken-and-vegetable-canned#accordion-content-054167331-2
Feed till you work out what you’re doing..

Start joining few Face Book Holistic Health Dog groups & you’ll find your way..

*”K-9 Kitchen” run by Monica Segal

* “K-9 Nutrition” run by Lew Olson

Dr Judy Morgan DVM
https://www.facebook.com/pg/JudyMorganDVM/videos/?ref=page_internal

* Holistic Dog Care
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Holisticdogcare/?ref=group_header

[HoundMusic]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

Hi Tanya,

if she is throwing up I would take the vet food back to vet office for a refund or exchange, tell receptionist what is happening & can you try a different brand WET vet diet, the receptionist will go & see vet & ask him, you shouldn’t have to pay again for another vet visit..
ask can you try the Hill i/d™ Low Fat Canine Rice, Vegetable & Chicken formula,
it Reduces risk of urinary stone formation, has OK ingredients & is LOW in fat, Shih Tzu are prone to pancreatitis, I wouldnt be feeding a 10 yr old a high fat diet maybe the vet diet she is eating is high in fat or she could be vomiting cause she has only ever been fed the one food her whole life, I always recommend to rotate between a few different brands so immune system strengthens, plus some dry dog foods are high in toxins, heavy metals & contaminates especially the fish dry foods..
Here’s the Hill I/d vet diet to try just till you work out what your doing & stop her vomiting.
https://www.hillspet.com.au/dog-food/pd-id-low-fat-canine-rice-vegetable-and-chicken-stew-canned#accordion-content-400284275-0

Which vet diet was she put on
Royal Canine S/O Urinary wet & dry or
Hills C/d Multicare wet & dry formula’s?

She should be on a wet vet diet not a dry vet diet…

I’d be contacting a Vet Nutrionist & ask about making a home made balanced wet diet, or you can contact “Balance It” they have nutritionist who prepare special diets & you add Balance it powder to balance diet.
https://secure.balanceit.com/index.php?rotator=Front

also are you adding Vitamin C Powder to diet?

Vitamin C for Prevention of Chronic Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs

Have a look at “D-Mannose” Pure Powder alot of people say its really good you also add cranberry powder aswell.
https://www.nowfoods.com/supplements/d-mannose-powder

Here’s a good link explaining how low protein isnt needed.
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_4/features/Detecting-Urinary-Stones-Dogs_16215-1.html

Here’s a good face book group to join you dont have to feed raw or cooked but will get some good advise, “Raw & Holistic Cat & Dog Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1411906099101822/

Also follow “Dr Judy Morgan”
look thru her video’s link below,
I’m pretty sure her 17 yr old dog has urinary problems & she cooks for him, her recipes are very easy. Even if you feed 1/2 cooked diet & another food…
https://www.facebook.com/pg/JudyMorganDVM/videos/?ref=page_internal

also here’s “Just For Dogs” special diets
https://www.justfoodfordogs.com/

[Bobby dog]

Hello Sandy B:
I like the marshmallow suggestion too! UC Davis lists marshmallows on a weight management treat list, never thought to use one to hide a pill. 😉

Freshpet is a good idea too.

A few months ago I tried Wal-Mart’s Pure Balance dog food roll. I was looking for something to use as a treat I could cut into various sizes. It has a consistency similar to Play-Doh, just a little firmer, that could easily be molded around a pill.

Last month I needed something to wrap pills in for my cat, I was going to give the roll a try for him, but they were out of stock. Not sure if it’s a new or discontinued item, but it’s still on their site just listed as “out of stock.” I hope they stock them again because it was perfect for what I needed it for.

Since this is long term for you another idea would be to try baking some pate’ style canned food into a consistency that could be molded. That’s if you are into experimental baking of course.

[Susan]

Hi Angela,
sometimes it’s hard to find that perfect dry food that firms poo, doesn’t cause stomach problems & doesn’t cause urinary problems…
Is your dog small & how were her poos when she ate the Royal Canine S/O vet diet?
maybe try a dry food that has healthy grains that has fiber at 3-4%

Have a look at

* “Wellness” Complete Health Small Breed Turkey & Oatmeal – has grains
“Wellness” Core – Small Breed grain free
“Wellness” Simple – grain free or grains

For Dogs

* “Canidae” Pure Wild – grain free
“Canidae” All Life Stages Platinum – grains
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

* “Natural Balance” Potato & Duck Grain free the the fiber is 3% NO Legumes https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets

[Sydney N]

I have had the exact same problem with my pure bred lab. She is 3 and I have spent thousands at the vet on her. Chronic ear infections, yeast infections, stomach boils, and itchy as can be. I have finally came to realize after environmental allergy tests she is allergic to dust mites as well as storage mites. These both found in dry dog food. She also is allergic to ALL meat protein. This has been so difficult and no vet has helped me. I finally read online about the meat allergy and thank goodness I did. I have since switched her to natural balance wet vegetarian dog food. And it has made ALL the difference. Her ears are crystal clean, her belly is happy and her skin is happy. This has never happened for me before, to tell you how bad it was I had an appointment with a dog dermatologist booked before this food. We tried zignature, elimination diet, royal canin, ultamino, hydrologized food, limited ingredient and nothing worked but this wet vegetarian food is amazing. She loves it too! I would recommend it and I also give probiotics with her dinner to her. She literally runs to her bowl now as does my other dog without allergies. I really hope this helps, I truly know how frustrating dogs with allergies are! If you have any questions please let me know!!:)

[Susan]

Hi Sweet Pea,
Are you feeding 3-4 smaller meals a day instead of 2 larger meals a day?… Her stomach would be small from not eating, she needs smaller meals feed more frequent till her stomach stretches… breakfast lunch dinner every 5 hours 7am 12pm 5pm & I do a 4th small meal at 730-8pm…
My rescue came to me in very bad condition vet said he was feed a very poor diet if feed at all, I had to strengthen his immune system, vets put him on Protexin probiotic powder, made in bowl 15ml water & he just drank it daily inbetween Breakfast & Lunch, his skin was in very bad condition, he was put on a vet diet for Skin that was high in omega 3, then I learnt he has IBD he couldnt handle the vet diet for skin, this dog was 1 mess & probably why he was dumped at the pound in the first place when owner seen him pooing & weeing blood, it took a good 1-2 yrs to work out his food sensitivities to stop his IBD & Itchy yeasty skin…
He too was feed a wet can food as he didnt like dry kibble either when I first got him, some of these cheaper wet can foods aren’t balanced properly & cause skin problems,
Look for a dry kibble that softens in water quickly, within 20mins, “Canidae Pure” & “Canidae All Life Stages” formula’s go soft within 20mins of soaking them in water…also don’t feed diet thats too high in fat as she mighten be use to high fat diet & is probably why she doesnt like the Hills S/D Active Dry formula as its VERY high in fat, 27%-fat, high fat can cause acid reflux…
My boy gets bad acid reflux aswell, this is when they become fussy when food causes them pain, best if you could cook her meals or 1 of her meals a day for her
add sweet potato, veggies with some chicken, turkey or pork lean white meats, my boy also does well on a lean beef mince, I make rissoles I add 1 kg =2lb lean pork mince or lean beef mince, I add 1 whisked egg, some chopped fresh parsely, some chopped up broccoli, grate 1 small carrot mix all together & make small rissole balls & bake on a foil lined oven tray in oven 20mins, I then boil some peeled cut up sweet potato cool then freeze the sweet potato & rissoles then take out freezer 1 hr before needed, this will be better then wet can food add 1 Krill Oil capsule to her breakfast meal, make sure her diet has 0mega 3 for her skin…or buy the Omega 3, 6 & 9 oil on pump you add to meal, also
“Canidea Pure Wild” & “Pure Sky” is really easy to digest & excellent for skin…
also buy a good shampoo that will put moisture back into her dry skin…. Aloveen shampoo is really good also get some “Paws Dermoscent® Essential 6® spot-on for Dogs” you put the Paws Dermoscent on her skin & it puts moisture back into her dry skin, https://www.blackmores.com.au/products/pet-health/skin-and-coat-health/dermoscent-essential-6-spot-on-for-dogs
Stick to a Routine & in time she’ll get use to stability & come good again but she might have a few health problems, only time will tell, feed healthy foods, foods you eat are better then any process dog foods….

[Susan]

Hi
I learnt on here “DFA” to Rotate my dog diet, also Hills say on their Vet Diet formula’s when you feed your dog the same diet year after year your dog can start reacting to certain ingredients causing food sensitivities…
Rotating a dog diet strenghten their immune system, stops food sensitivities also if the food/brand your feeding your dog isn’t balanced properly or is high in contaminates & toxins, then when you rotate your dog diet he isn’t eating the same food 24/7 causing health problems….
You will see a big difference in your dog coat, skin & over all health, my boy has IBD, if I stay on the same dry food for more then 3 months my boy starts reacting, he goes down hill, starts doing his smelly sloppy poos, so around 3 months I start to introduce a new dry food, I look for a new kibble/freeze dried raw that’s “around” the same Kcals per cup, fat% & protein %, the fiber doesn’t seem to matter withPatch as long as it’s NOT higher then 6%… He does get 2 Freeze dried Green Lipped mussels daily & something different for lunch everyday thats not a dry kibble…

Patch will be 10yrs old in November & he still acts like a puppy, running, jumping, playing ball etc people think he’s a young pup… He doesnt suffer with Arthritis, I keep him lean & all muscle, he isnt over weight to put any pressure on his joints, he gets walked twice a day & has a very active life for a dog, I think this also plays a big part in a dogs life…

Have a look at “Canidae Ancestral raw freeze dried coated formula’s..
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/

[Susan]

Hi Jessica,
has your pup had his stool tested for Giardia & been on a course of Metronidazole for 21 days?
I’ve looked up the dry dog foods you have tried & I’ve noticed they were pea heavy…
Have you tried a kibble that has NO PEAS & less fiber?

Try the “Natural Balance” LTD Potato & Duck formula, the fiber is 3%, no peas…. see how he does with no peas & LESS fiber? if this doesn’t work, take back & try Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish 5% fiber & no peas…
https://www.chewy.com/natural-balance-lid-limited/dp/104645

Here’s all the Natural Balance Limited ingredient formula’s, read ingredient list as they all vary..
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets

Start keeping a diary, write down all the formula’s you’ve tried, write how his poos were & how many poo’s he is doing a day, also write down the Protein % Fat % Fiber % & Kcals per cup in kibble…
I would stop adding boiled rice as rice can irritate the bowel, add boiled potato or boiled sweet potato if higher fiber is needed…if the pumkin didn’t really help then higher fiber may not be needed but it might depend what you added with the pumkin??
Have you tried feeding 1 cooked meat he hasnt eaten before with boiled potatoes for 1 week? NO treats…

If after trying the Natural Balance formula’s that are pea free & didnt help I would see your vet & try a vet diet, Vet Diets are specially formulated for Intestinal Stress, some vet diets are higher in soluble fiber or high in insoluble fiber & see does vet diet help.
You might have to try a few vet diets to find the right one then feed for a good 6-9months..
Then you look for a premium dog food & try again after he’s been doing well for 6-9months.
My boy ate a vet diet for 9 months so his bowel & stomach could heal, I knew he did well on his Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue vet diet & when I tried a new dry kibble & it didn’t work, I could go back to the vet diet he did 2 firm poos a day on & work out my next step while he was doing firm poos….
Have you tried a dog probiotic?
Try Purina Pro Plan Fortifloria probiotic? while feeding pea fee kibble..
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50029

How was he when he was eating the “Pure Vita Salmon & Peas” formula? this was high fiber 6%, very pea heavy & high in Kcals per cup, try & stay under 370Kcals per cup for kibble, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble, so harder to digest..

Keep me up-dated, what has happened & what you tried.

[Susan]

Hi,
I’d start rotating your dog foods, so he is getting a variety of different ingredients, this strengthen their immune system & later on he can eat anything & no dog foods will be too rich (High in Protein) for him..
When you rotate between different brands, if he’s eating a brand that isn’t balanced properly then he’s not eating it long enough, to cause any health problems cause you’re rotating his foods..
* Look at Freeze Dried foods, Raw Coated Kibble, Air Dried Raw etc
I’d stay away from kibble or try not feed him just dry processed kibble…
introduce a variety of different foods…
Dogs have a short digestive tract made to digest a raw, low fiber diet, not these high fiber dry kibbles full of lentils, sweet potatoes are good, low in Gi…

Click on link below & watch Stella & Chewy video & their new Raw blended baked kibble & their Raw Freeze Dried Patties look good, you add water, scroll down bottom & look at all Stella & Chewy’s different diets.
https://www.stellaandchewys.com/dog-food/raw-blend-kibble
But I did notice the raw freeze dried coated kibbles have Chickpeas & Lentils, so this is when you rotate between different brands & the next food you feed doesn’t have any Lentils or Chickpeas. When the bag of dog food is nilly finished & there’s 1/4 of the bag left you start introducing another new brand of food with his old food & introduce, once his immune is strengthen from rotating different dog foods, you won’t need to slowly introduce new foods…..
You’ll see which brands he does really well on then use these brands in your rotation… I feed 1 brand for breakfast & lunch & something different for dinner…

*Have a look at “Canisource Grand CRU” Dehydrated Raw balls
you can add warm water wait 15 mins so the balls rehydrate or add some yogurt or kefir as a topper..
http://www.canisource.com/grand-cru/recettes-chiens.php

*Also Look at “CANIDAE” Grain Free PURE Ancestral. Raw Coated Dry Dog Food
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/

There’s a few good freeze dried dog foods around..

[Susan]

Hi Miriam,
the Hills Mobility wet & dry dog food or any other dog foods for Arthritis are very high in Omega 3 oils, omega 3 is an anti inflammatory very good for Arthritis, this would have given your girl the bad acid reflux this happens with my 9 yrs old boy also, look for a food that agrees with her, can you cook some of her meals?? a cooked balance diet is heaps better then feeding a dry kibble & it probably won’t cause any stomach problems, just make sure the fat isn’t too high as high fat diet can also cause acid reflux…then start adding supplements to her diet that will help with with her Arthritis but I have found most of the supplements or meds for Arthritis can cause bad acid reflux & stomach problems with myself & my dog, so I avoid them now..
I buy my boy “K-9 Natural” Freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussles & & give him 1-2 mussles a day they agree with him & green lipped mussels are really good for arthritis also have you tried Glucosamine & Chondroitin tablets? you can give your girl the Glucosamine/Chondroitin tablets that’s for humans….
Many veterinarians recommend approximately 500 mg of Glucosamine and 400 mg of Chondroitin per 25 pounds-11kgs. For oral Glucosamine for dogs, here’s the daily dosage that one veterinarian recommends: Dogs 5-20 pounds = 2-9kgs give 250-500 mg per day.

I bought a Wheat heat pack for my dog, you put the wheat pack in the Microwave for 1-2 mins & then I wrap the Wheat pack in a tea towel if its too hot & I put on my boy lower back where his Arthritis pain is, you could use a hot water bottle but they can be dangerous with dogs,…
I also walk my dog for 15min walk every morning & afternoon at first my joints are really stiff & sore but once you start walking your joints become better, start taking your dog on a little walk in morning & afternoon, not real big long walks, just small 15min walk to begin with then after 2 weeks see does she want to walk for 20mins… make sure she is not over weight as this makes Arthritis worse…also when its cold keep her joints warm & put on a jumper or dog jacket…

Ask your vet about “Zydax” injection (unlike other drugs) it treats the disease process that causes arthritis – not just the symptoms. It works on the cartilage and joint fluids inside the joints, reducing friction and pain. A course of 4 weekly injections will often provide 6 – 12 months of relief from arthritis – reducing or eliminating the need for other drugs. The injections are given under the skin (just like a vaccination). They aren’t expensive ($23 – $42 per injection*) and you pay a consultation fee only on the first visit. Zydax works in 80% of cases
A good supplement in Australia is “Glyde” powder & Chews – containing chondroitin, glucosamine and green-lipped mussel powder.

I feed my boy “Wellness Core” Large Breed dry food, it’s high in protein-35%, low fat-13% low carbs-31% & this kibble doesnt cause any acid reflux with my boy like other dry or wet foods cause…..I dont know if you can get the Wellness Core large breed in Spain or online, maybe Wellness is sold on Amazon.
Another good dry food is “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior….

[pitlove]

Hi again Airseabattle-

I think you will really enjoy BalanceIt.com. It’s a great website. If you decide to use their consultation service they can contact your vet and get any records needed to formulate a proper diet for your dog.

Also if you do end up staying on raw here is a link to a blog that I like. I feel this couple has successfully done a Prey Model Raw diet with their Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They have a YouTube and Insta gram page as well. http://mojoandfriends.blog/dog/

They have information about Mojo’s diet and other dog related things as well. They are also super nice people and if you comment on their Insta gram page are really nice.

As far as the debate on genetics vs environment goes… I will say that I disagree that pure bred dogs are unhealthy. Especially when purchased from an ethical, responsible breeder. These breeders are health testing these dogs, and spaying/neutering dogs that are not fit to be in their breeding program, so as not to put bad genetics into the population. Mixed breed dogs of unknown origin in my opinion are just as likely to be a walking health problem and vet bill, as a pure bred dog from a BYB. I’d personally rather a pure bred dog whos lineage and parents, grandparents, great grand parents, etc health I know. Kudos to you for supporting a responsible breeder and doing your homework on the breed/breeders.

[Airseabattle]

Genetics leaves an indivual more susceptible to a condition but doesn’t gaurantee it will occur. I am very confident that my last dog’s teeth were caused by her diet which led to her health issues and ultimate demise. Therefore, I cannot in good faith, feed kibble. Thus far, my new pup is thriving on her raw diet.

She is young and healthy. This isn’t some older dog with compromised health. Fortunately, I have the resources to carefully monitor her and treat her for any issues that may arise as a result of feeding her raw. If things go wrong I’ll immediately get her treated and warn others. However, I’m confident nothing will go wrong as long as I carefully make sure she follows a well balanced raw diet. I am mixing her daily portion of ground meat with nupro for small breeds to help get it right.

I’m sorry about your dog. You never mentioned the breed. Mine was a purebred chihuahua from top show lines . I mention this because I read mixed breeds tend to live longer. I don’t think it’s fair to compare a mixed breed to a purebred. Still I’m doing all I can to ensure my new family member lives to be at least 17 and to make sure her quality of life is better than my departed angel.

[Susan]

Hi Darien,
has she been tested for EPI or S.I.O.B ? join the face book group called “EPI dogs”, has she been put on Metronidazole for 21-28 days? are her poos sloppy & yellow?? if yes look up S.I.B.O in dogs, sounds like she has some type of Intestinal problem, vet needs to work out what?? if you see the vet again ask can you have a 28 day course of the Metronidazole (Flagyl) also have you tried a dog probiotic “Purina Forti Floria” is very good, has live bacteria..
after she starts a Limited ingredient kibble or a vet diet & takes the Metronidazole twice a day every 12hours with a meal then when the Metronidazole tablets are finished then you start her on the Forti-Floria, 1/2 the dose then slowley increase the probiotic.. or she can take a dog probiotic 3-4 hours before or after she has taken the Metronidazole..

Look at “Wellness Simple” or “Canidae Pure” formula’s they have limited ingredients but higher in Kcals what she probably needs, the Natural Balance LTD is low fat & low protein not good for a growing pup…

[Susan]

Hi Sarah,
sounds like your dog is in pain & needs a LTD food that has just 1 meat protein & 1 carb only,
sometimes pet food companies do a recall just to be on the safe side & there was nothing wrong with their food…it will normally say they did a “Voluntry recall” …Canidae was one of these companies did voluntary recall, cause their food was being packed at the same plant as another pet food that was havinga recall but there was nothing wrong with the Canidae food they did the recall just to be safe..
I wouldn’t be worrying about recalls, alot of these recalls were done years ago & the pet food companies have never had another recall since…..Its very hard to find a dry kibble that has 1 meat protein & only 1 carb…

I would try “Natural Balance” LTD Sweet Potato & Bison or Sweet Potato & Fish or Potato & Duck formula.. or “Ziwi peak” air dried but Ziwi Peak is expensive or “Canidae Pure” Formula’s, Pure Wild, Pure Sea or Pure Sky but they have about 6-7 ingredients or Canidae’s other brand “Under The Sun” Large Breed formula..is very limited in ingredients.

Potato & Sweet Potato firms up the poo & the firm poo will express the anal glands naturally…
I can see when Patches poo has expressed Patches anal glands, I see clear fluid running down his black bum, then when we get home from our walk I use the Huggie baby wipes, I get the Coconut oil baby wipes & wipe his bum, the wipes are nice & cool on their bums..
I’ve never seen Patch ever lick his bum or his wooohoo….

Patch use to have anal gland problems, he has IBD the vet use to express every time we saw her monthly but since I found out what foods he’s sensitive too he has stopped his bum surfing on my rug…..

[Eileen W]

I am posting an update on both dogs.
1. Molly
I sought a second opinion from another vet. Molly has been on a prescription diet for about 3 months. Her poops are well formed now and the last two times her anal glands were checked they did not need to be expressed. My next steps are to keep her on for another month and then move her to a novel protein and limited ingredient diet food. I plan to try Zignature Kangaroo. I am hopeful the trend will continue on a food more balanced. The prescription diet did confirm she is able to express on her own and the more solid poops likely helped with that process. I have read about the deficiencies in the prescription diets…it is not a long term plan so please refrain from beating me up about it. I started her on a prebiotic when I changed her food.

2. Sierra
I switched her from Pure Vita to Fromm Four Star Nutritionals (with grain). She is pooping about 1/3 of what she was on PV and they are also firm. She is no longer scratching or chewing on her feet. Her energy level is great and she seems better than on either Acana or PV. She is off her allergy meds completely now. She still needs her anal glands expressed and as I mentioned she has structural issues which have her anal glands in non standard positioning. I started her on a prebiotic when I changed her food. I am happy with her progress.

My summation: after months of reading and many conversations with vet and other dog owners, I have come to believe there is no single food (brand, flavor, etc.) or medication or “recipe” that addresses this. I have to be willing to try something new if current plan is not working and it may take months to find the right balance. This is my opinion only and I am not a vet. Good Luck.

[Kimberly L]

I feed Pure Balance Grain free small breed and my litters have not been affected. I’ve fed this food for almost 6 years now. My girls have regular cycles as well.

[Susan]

Hi Melissa,
definitely sounds like your boy has Food Sensitivities that is casuing yeasty skin & ears & bowel problems when he eats them, also can be Environment Allergies if his eyes are watering & he rubs his eyes, he’d feel very uncomfortable & itchy, now the hard part working out what ingredients he’s sensitive too that’s causing his yeasty ears & skin, once you work out which ingredients are causing his yeasty skin & ears the yeast will stop, I did an elimination food diet & carrots were causing Patches yeasty ears as soon as I stopped adding the carrots to his meal he stopped shaking his ears/head…
Have you tried “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb or TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon formula? these TOTW formula’s were the 2 grainfree kibble that helped my boy IBD & Food Sensitivities, then his yeasty skin went away, another grain Free kibble that worked for my boys IBD was”Canidae” Pure Wild Boar, these formula’s only have 1 meat protein with limited ingredients…
You need to find a kibble that helps his stomach & bowel (No gas & sloppy poos) like the Purina One works then hopefully the new kibble will help clear his yeasty ears & skin…

Look for a grain free formula that has Limited Ingredients, that is around 25% in Protein, Fat around 15% & fiber-4% & under not too high for fiber…
Some high end grain free kibbles are way too high in Protein & Fat % also the Kcals per cup are too high causing stomach/bowel problems, stay around 360Kcals per cup & under….
Look at the ingredients in the Purina One & try & avoid these ingredients as your dog is sensitive to either 1 or a few ingredients making his ears yeasty, the Purina One helps with his sensitive bowel but like my boy when he eats the Hills Sensitive Stomach formula he reacts & gets yeasty smelly skin & paws…..
Start bathing him weekly in “Malaseb” medicated shampoo, the Malaseb killls any yeast & bacteria on his skin & relieves any itchy skin leaving his skin & coat moist & soft…
There will be an kibble out there that he isnt sensitive too & helps his stomach, bowel & stops his yeasty ears you just haven’t found it yet… also have you tried “Natural Balance” LTD Sweet Potato & Bison or the Potato & Duck or Sweet Potato & Fish formula these N/B formula’s help dogs with stomach/bowel problems & have skin problems aswell, these N/B formula’s have NO peas, No chickpeas or No Lentils as these ingredients can cause gas, bad farts, sloppy poo’s & diarrhea….
Keep a diary & start writing down what brand kibbles your feeding & try & avoid any kibbles taht have chicken just incase he is sensitive to chicken…..also look at the ingredients & protein % in the high end grain free brands you’ve feed, was there any common ingredients that might of been causing his gas & sloppy poos, alot of these new grain free kibbles use Lentils & Chickpeas now, alot of dogs with IBS symptoms can not eat these ingredients causes bad gas & diarrhea.

[Susan]

Hi Jessica,

I have a dog with IBD & Sweet Potato + Potato works excellent for Patch & other dogs with IBS, IBD & Sensitive stomach & Bowel, the Royal Canine Vet Nutrionist told me years ago when I thought Patch couldnt eat potato, its very rare for a dog to be allergic to potatoes that’s why Potato is used in vet diets…….
I would look for a new kibble that has only 1 meat protein NOT Chicken & has 1-2 carbs that are Potato & Sweet Potato…
there’s “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato or Salmon & Potato but both formula’s have peas still worth a try or look at “Natural Balance” Sweet Potato & Bison or Sweet Potato & Fish or Potato & Duck formula’s, these 3 formula’s do not have any peas, chickepeas or lentils, when I looked at the Kibble your boy is eating it could be a few ingredients he’s reacting too, the chicken?, tapioca?, chickpeas?, peas?, chicken liver?, organ meats kidney, heart & liver can cause sloppy poos or diarrhea when too much is consumed, liver is best given as a treat not in a kibble, it might be too much for a dog who has bowel problems, it could be the Alfalfa meal? there was a dog last week that was eating a kibble similar & it had Alfalfa meal as well he was doing sloppy poos/diarrhea or it could be the sunflower meal & there’s blue berries?…
So its best to start with a very limited ingredient kibble with only about 2-4ingredients, then once he’s doing firm poo’s say he’s eating the “Natural Balance” LTD & is doing really well then start adding 1 fresh cooked ingredient to his diet as well say cooked chicken & see does his poos start going sloppy?? or start feeding say the “Wellness Simple” formula that has peas in it & see does his poo’s go soft?? or you could try “Canidae” Pure Small Breed formula’s it has 1 meat protein, peas, lentils, egg if he’s reacting to the other brand kibbles that have potatoes but I think he’ll react more to the peas & lentils but you never know??
Changing & rotating kibbles will strengthen in immune system & make his stomach & bowel stronger… Whatever you do make sure you only introduce 1 thing at a time…Tell us how he’s going after he has a diet change…. Keep a diary & write down what brand & formula of kibble you’ve tried what fresh foods you’ve added to his diet etc..
Best to start doing his elimintion diet now it sounds like you’ll eventually have to do one & work out what he can & can eat… He might do better on a rice & 1 meat protein kibble??

[crazy4cats]

Hi Tom W!
In addition to Nature’s Domain Turkey Stew, I also feed my two dogs 4 Health canned found at Tractor Supply Company. It is also a very good value brand of canned dog food.

Pure Balance and Variety canned foods located at Walmart are OK also. Hope this helps! I noticed my Costco is out of it too. Hope it comes in soon!

[Susan]

Hi RollTide10,

If you want more info on a dog kibble its best to send the dog food company an email & ask what the Omega 3 % is & what is the Omega 6% is, the Omega 3% should be around 1/2 or a bit under 1/2 of what the Omega 6% is, “Rodney Habib” is really good to follow on his FaceBook page….Last year Rodney sent away a few popular dry kibbles & results found most of the kibbles that they tested were unbalanced & the Omega 3 was very low & the omega 6 was very high, this can cause skin problems in a dog, so it’s best to buy tin Sardines & tin Salmon in spring water & add about 2 spoons of the sardines or salmon to 1 of his meals a day, Omega 3 is Neutral-anti inflammatory & Omega 6 is Pro-inflammartory…. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, and some omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. … Most omega-6 fatty acids in the diet come from vegetable oils, such as linoleic acid (LA), not to be confused with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is an omega-3 fatty acid.
If you want to continue feeding dry processed kibble to your dog then make sure you start rotating between a few different brands & meat proteins, eg: 1 month feed salmon kibble then next month change to another brand & feed lamb, the next month feed Turkey dont just feed the same brand & formula of kibble 24/7 this is when health problems can occur especially if the kibble is unbalanced or very high in toxins…

Have a look at “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato the Omega 3%-1.00% the Omega 6% is 2.80% it also states on the Wellness Simple kibble bag,”Skin health & for dogs with food sensitivities” there’s also the Wellness Simple” Salmon & Potato formula, Omega-3%- 1.00% Omega-6% 2.75% so you can rotate between them but not straight after each other feed another brand inbetween “Canidae” Pure Sky, Pure Wild & Pure Sea are really good for dogs who have skin problems…

another thing google “How long does kibble last once opened” Steve Brown wrote a really good article, after you open a bag of kibble it has a life of 14 days the air gets to all the oils & the oils start going rancid, so make sure you keep some kibble in a air tight container that you use daily & the rest of the kibble bag close & seal air tight as good as you can then put in the coolest place in the house, I leave in the air con room & put the kibble bag in another plastic bag seal with sticky tape then put in one of those storage containers…
another good reason why its best to add 2 spoons of salmon or sardines daily to your dogs diet, adding fresh whole foods to your dogs diet daily or 4 times a week is very healthy & better then feeding a dog just dry kibble 24/7, also meals you cook for yourself any left overs that a dog can eat add to his kibble, take out some kibble & add some of the home cooked meal, if you follow Rodney Habib look thru all his video’s he also has another f/b page called “Planet Paws”
Baths make sure you’re bathing weekly Baths wash off any allergens that may be on teh fur/skin Environment allergies cause problems as well, I use “Malaseb” medicated shampoo it’s excellent for itchy skin, yeasty skin, dry skin, most skin problems, Malaseb puts the moisture back into the skin & kills any bacteria yeast that may be on skin & paws….

Good-luck with your new rescue & feed a healthy diet that’s rotated with different foods dry kibble, freeze dried, cooked meals & raw meaty bones for teeth health….

[Susan]

Hi LC,
Do you rotate between kibbles, raw, wet can food, cooked etc in the same day?? I feed one brand kibble for breakfast then for lunch & dinner he gets something else never eats the same thing that day, I ask Patch which 1 (kibble) & I put 1 brand kibble in one hand in between my fingers then I’d get another brand kibble that has a different meat protein & put that kibble inbetween my fingers & I ask Patch, “sniff” let him sniff both kibbles, then I ask Patch which one do you want to eat & he’d takes the kibble he wants to eat for that meal, (Patch suffers with IBD & stomach pain & I normally ask him “which one do you want to eat that doesnt give you sore stomach & make you sick” this is how this all started with him picking a kibble) also I cook & make small meals & freeze them & I buy wet tin food, do you know dogs aren’t ment to eat the same dry proccess food (Kibble) every single day 24/7, the pet food companies brain washed us back in the 90’s in believing a dog has to eat their food 24/7 or they will get stomach upsets sobest to stay with the same food their food, I admit some dogs do get sloppy poo/diarrhea when quickly changing foods but once your dog has a healthy gut this shouldn’t happen. Rotating foods is very healthy for a dog if one brand kibble isnt balanced properly then your dog isnt eating this kibble or wet can food 24/7 cause you’re rotating with something else…
I have a question, is your dog a grass eater?? especially when he wont eat?

Start buying wet can healthy dog foods, tin sardines in spring water, tin salmon, tuna in spring water, boil some potato or sweet potato drain the tin tuna or salmon & mix more tuna then boiled potato & see does he like this meal make it small about 1/2 a cup, with the tin sardines add 1-2 sardines to one of his kibble meal mash 1-2 sardine pieces thru his kibble, sardines/salmon are VERY healthy & have everything he needs especially when he’s not eating, put the rest of the sardines in an air tight container & put in the fridge, next day ask him does he want a sardine see does he lick it or turn away, this way he’s getting his omega fatty acids for his skin, coat, brain etc have you tried freeze/air dried foods like “Ziwi Peak Air Dried & their raw wet can foods? email Ziwi Peak & ask them can they please send you some samples of all their air dried formulas & explain to Ziwi Peak whats happening, my cat inhales Ziwi peak the air dried & the wet tin foods https://www.ziwipetscom/
When you have cooked a meal that is not hot spicey have onions etc give him some of the left overs, this is what dogs ate back in the 50’s, 60’s,70’s,80’s & they lived longer & were healthier back then, now our dogs are dying from cancer & other diseases, what happen? Dry Kibble that what happened, toxins in the dry dog food…
I cook more if Im cooking potato or sweet potato & if Im cooking steak I cook Patch some aswell but I bake Patches in the oven in a small casserole dish, I thinly slice potato, carrot & sweet potato & thinly slice the beef rump steak, I put the steak on the bottom of dish, then add thinley sliced carrots & sweet potato then the potatoes, I chop some fresh parsley & add about 1 teaspoon parsley mix in with the boiled water & pure water onto everything in dish just till it overs the potatoes on the top & bake in oven till ready, as its cooking the house smells of food & tell your boy, look what Im cooking for you, my Patch waits then sleeps, comes checks the oven like a kid, is it ready yet mum, I say no it has another hour Patch go back to sleep.. I involve him with the whole process from when I bring home the meat veggies as soon as I bring in the shopping bags he looks thru my shopping bags, I show him what is his, this all started when I rescued him he couldnt eat anything except vet diet food cause of his IBD, I felt so bad for him so I’d bring him home toy, squeaky ball etc & he’d look thru the bag for his toy I bought him, now he looks for food & whats his, when I start to cooking I show him look what your getting for dinner…then any left overs I section & put in those clip lock plastic sandwich bags & freeze dont bring that meal out again till the end of the week put in fridge to thaw for the next day & show him do you want this or get some dry kibble or do you want his & Patch licks what he wants…
Honest Kitchen has base formula’s you just add your own cooked meat….
Start making him excited with foods different healthy whole foods, do you have another pet, a cat etc that comes in the same time to be feed? maybe the competition with a rescue cat eating at the same time might make him want to eat…
Dogs normally love their food, thats why I’ve asked is he a grass eat?? first thing of the morning after eating he eats grass?

[Susan]

Hi Marie,
Some dry food agree with some dogs while the same foods can make other dogs poo double the amount, get bad wind pain & have bad farts, when you say your dog is on the “Natural Balance is that the NB limited ingredient Chicken formula? the Earthborn Primitive formula is probably too high in Fat, Protein & Kcals per cup for your boy & he can’t handle it, compare & have a look at Natural Balance Fat, Protein% & how high the Kcals per cup are that he was doing well on, then look at the Earthborn Holistic Primitive & it is way higher….
Earthborn Holistic make another cheaper brand called “Pro Pac Ultimates” look at Pro Pac Grain Free range which I’ve tried & Patch did nice firm poos & he was pooing the same amount when he ate the Pro Pac Meadow Prime Lamb formula, the fat & protein % is lower then Earthborn grain free kibbles…..
If you want a quaility diet for your dog then start adding some cooked ingredients, wet can, freeze dried or raw to his diet, I feed my boy what I eat, I make extra & freeze in sections or I buy lean 5 star beef or lean pork mince, I add 1 whisked egg, some chopped up fresh parsley about 1 teaspoon, I grow my own parsley, I add some chopped broccoili, I peel & grate 1 carrot, I don’t add 1 carrot no more cause my dog has food sensitivities & carrot makes his ears itch & he shakes his head 20mins after eating carrot but its excellent to add finally grated carrot it spreads the mince & makes it go further, add a few chopped kale leaves & mix thru the 2 pound (1kg) of lean mince & I make into 1/2 cup size rissole balls & I bake in the oven on a foiled linned baking tray then 1/2 way when the rissoles are cooking take them out drain any fat & water & turn then all over the rissole balls dont take long to bake about 20-30mins depends how big the rissole balls are, I also boil some sweet potato & then I cool & I freeze the sweet potato pieces & the rissole balls in sections cause the sweet potato will stick together, when I need the rissoles & sweet potato pieces I take out the day before & put in the fridge..
Start following “Rodney Habib” on his Rodney Habib facebook page or his “Planet Paws” f/b page he often puts up healthy simple recipes or foods to add with your kibble, also follow “Judy Morgan on her f/b page look at her video’s she has simple easy resipes to cook I change the recipes a bit, her recipes are easy & ends up working out cheaper if you cook big meals & freeze about 1 months worth, look for meats etc when they get reduced also Chicken is very cheap so you could buy chicken pieces cook then add veggies in a crock pot & it does all the cooking for you, you just remove all the chicken bones & put in containers cool & freeze.. also tin Sardines & Salmon in Spring water or Oil is very healthy, just add 2 spoons to one of his meals per day, Sardines & Salmon have lots of Vitamins minerals & Omega fatty acid
No matter what kibble you buy they’re all over processed dry kibble, Google “Toxins In Pet Foods” I cant write the companies name on DFA but they completed a study in March & August 2017 tested 1,084 pet food products from 80 brands. Products were screened for over 130 toxins including heavy metals, BPA, pesticides and other contaminants with links to cancer and other health conditions in both humans and animals. Orijen & Earthborn had some formula’s that did very poorly in the study, have a look at “Canidae” & their other brand called “Under the Sun” Canidae grow all their own vegetables & fruit, Canidae source ingredients form local farmers & their kibbles are made in smaller batches, so they’re fresher, Canidae did very well when tested for toxins last year.. https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products&#8230;
My boy has IBD & he does really well on Canidae’s All Life Stages formula’s & Canidae’s Pure Wild Boar, Pure Land Bison formula’s the Kcals are a bit high they’re over 400 kcals per cup so I rotate & feed another kibble on the same day he eats 5 small meals a day, so he’ll get the other brand kibble for breakfast then he gets cooked or wet canned meal for lunch then I give him the Canidae for dinner he’s eating the Canidae all Life Stages Platinum at the moment cause the fat is low at 10.50% max & he’s been eating the Nutro Essentials Lamb & Rice weight management cause the fat is low at 9-11% max fat, I add as much fresh healthy foods to his diet as possilbe & try to feed less dry proccessed kibble…. after you look at the Toxins in pet foods you’ll see the better brands & probably think what?? but these brands are buying better quaility ingredients, you’re right just cause it”s expensive doesn’t mean it’s good these better pet food companies fall under the rader cause they have heaps of customers & they start buying cheaper ingredients that arent as good, they take a risk all so they can make more money…
Find a few different brands of kibble that your dog does really well on & then start rotate between the different brands, this way if 1 brand has something wrong with it your dog isn’t eating this brand 24/7 cause your rotating brands & he’s having another 2 different brands of kibble in his diet & start adding fresh ingredients & use the kibble as a base.. also when you see a brand of kibble you know he does well on if its on special then you change kibble when the kibble isnilly finished & rotate with another different brand, I buy the smaller bags of kibble….

[Susan]

Hi Julia,

start him on the “Natural Balance” LID
https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets
either try the Sweet Potato & Bison or the “Potato & Duck” formula or the Sweet Potato & Fish formula but cause your feeding the HK Zeal it’s fish so maybe try another meat protein source a meat protein he hasn’t really eaten before like Duck or the Bison, the Natural Balance formula’s are all different so make sure you read all the limited ingredients as some formula’s have peas & chickpeas, the Duck, Bison & Fish formulas have the least ingredients & have no peas or chickpeas….. Chewy has all the NB formula’s.
If he’s having gas when eating the Honest Kitchen Zeal then he’s either sensitive to an ingredient in the Zeal or the HK is freeze dried my IBD doesnt do well on freeze dried pet foods he doesn’t digest the freeze dried ingredients, if you look in your boy poo, is there any undigest food in it?? just put your hand in a plastic bag then go thru a fresh sloppy poo, I buy those baby sack/nappy bags in supermarket in baby section & I pick up Patches poos, the bags also smell nice or the digestive enzymes could be causing the gas, sometimes dogs don’t need the digestive enzymes cause their stomach is working properly so they don’t need help digesting their food, when I put Patch on digestive enzymes he was farting & doing sloppy cow paddy poos so I stopped but digestive enzyme do help some dogs do firm poos, you wrote his poos are formed but not soiled & he’s pooing heaps, see what happens if you stop adding the digestive enzymes just for 1-2 days?? see how his poos & gas are, is he better?….
Why he probably got bad diarrhea when eating the Purina HA it could have been from the high Omega oils most vet diet high in omega oils & I’m pretty sure the Purina HA is higher in In-soluble fiber, you or vet have to contact Purina Pro Plan or you can email & they will ring you back, ask can you speak with a Vet Nutrtionist ask them what is the Soluble fiber % the In-soluble Fiber %& the Crude Fiber % in the HA vet diet then this will give you an idea if he needs a kibble with more soluble fiber or less or more Insoluble fiber, my IBD boy does better on kibble that has more soluble fiber & less insoluble fiber….Potato & Sweet Potato has more soluble fiber & less in-soluble this is probably why my dog & other dogs with bowel problems do really well eating potato or sweet potato in a kibble, would have been good if your vet tried your boy on the Hills vet diet Potato & Duck kibble, I’d try the Natural Balance Potato & Duck formula first its simliar to the Hills Potato & Duck formula try the NB formula with the least ingredients just make sure who you buy the Natural balance from Chewy or another pet store they give you a refund or let you try another NB formula until you find the right food for your boy thats if your boy gets dirrahea Ive read Chewy is pretty good I always say my boy wont eat teh food after he had diarrhea cause teh foods are guaranteed for palability I’ve gotten 2 refunds in the last month & finally got a kibble that’s not giving my boy acid reflux… alot of dogs with food sensitivities & stomach/bowel problems do really well on the Natural Balance LTD formula’s….

Another really good kibble is “Canidae Pure” formula’s but the Pure formula’s have peas or “Canidae All Life Stages” formula’s some of the ALL Life Stages formula’s don’t have peas you have written he can’t have peas but are you 100% sure he can’t have peas & done an food elimination diet? for 2 yrs I thought my boy couldn’t eat potato cause he had really bad diarrhea from the Eukanuba FP Fish & Potato Vet Diet even his vet wrote no Potato on his file but then a lady breeder who worked at the Pet Shop told me to boil some potato & start adding 1 spoon of the cooked potato to 1 of his cooked meals a day, Patch ended up doing firmer poos when eating the potato so it must have been something else in the Eukanuba FP he got instant water diarrhea from……
It’s sooo hard when they have sloppy/diarrrhea to know what is causing it, you’re best feeding a kibble that has only 1 novel meat protein he hasnt eaten before & 1 Carb (Potato) then see how he does, if he does well on new kibble then wait 6 months & let his stomach/bowel heal & get back to normal then you start adding 1 new cooked ingredient to his diet & see are his poos sloppy etc, I use to make a small meal for lunch & try the new ingredient with a cook protein, I used Pork or Beef cause Patch could eat pork & beef…It takes time doing a dog elmination diet but its the only real way you will know 100% what he can & cant eat…. Good Luck

[Susan]

Hi,
Change food to another brand there’s heaps of Chicken & rice, Lamb & Rice brands that have similiar ingredients to what is is in the Pure Balance, then you’ll see is the Pure Balance the problem & higher in Sodium?? also have you tried a LID grain free kibble but different brand ??
Just slowly introduce new kibble over 10 days if poos go sloppy go back adding more old kibble….
Have a look at “Pro Pac Ultimates” made by Earthborn Holistics it has similair ingredients to the Pure Balance grain formula’s, have look at the “Pro Pac Ulitmates” grain free formula’s good for dogs with sensitive stomach/bowel with limited ingredients. Totally change from a grain formula to a LID grain free formula & see is there a difference , is he still drinking & weeing??
Chewy has the Pro Pac Ulitimates 28lb bag-Chicken Meal & Brown rice for $27.99 I’d try the “Pro Pac Ultimates Heartland” Chicken Meal & Potato grain free or their “Meadow Prime” Lamb & Potato grain free formula for $32.99-28lbs…
It will be cheaper then seeing the vet again & you’ll know it is or it’s not the Pure Balance dry kibble he’s eating….
You should always rotate between a few different “brands” so if something is wrong with 1 brand your dog isnt eating it 24/7 causing health problems…

[Dewper]

Yes, he eats dry kibble. It’s Pure Balance, a grain free brand that these forums have rated very well. He used to have a sensitive stomach until this brand, he hasn’t thrown up in 3 years since he has been on it! I switch up the flavors a bit (trout, lamb, bison, etc.), but he is the same with any of them.

He had all of the tests done, it cost me a few hundred dollars, so another trip to the vet likely wouldn’t do any good unless I sought out a specialist. But, he is otherwise perfectly healthy and active. I just worry that maybe I’m missing something.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Dewper.