[haleycookie]

You aren’t missing anything. The fact is kibbles tend to be more carb than anything else. Because it’s incredibly hard to make a kibble without loading it with stuff that holds it together (ie fillers which are usually carbs) so it’s not just a bag of crumbs. As far as raw goes you can usually cut carbs completely out. Most raw feeders follow the 80% meat, 10% organs (5% liver, 5% secreting organs) and 10% raw meaty bones. There are no carbs in that type of diet. But some people also add whole types of veggies or fruits but it shouldn’t make up that much of the diet.

[Susan]

Hi Holly,
what has Rooney been eating when these gulping episode started?
With Omeprazole (Prilosec) it needs to be taken daily same time is best given in the morning before breakfast, I give Patch 1 x 20mg Losec as soon as he wakes up, by the time I make my cuppa, feed the cat & prepare Patches breakfast he has waited 20mins so the Losec has had time to dissolve in stomach & send msg to brain, do not release hydrochloric acid into stomach, just make sure when you do give any tablets you use a syringe filled with water & put the Losec tablet on back of tongue down his throat then put syringe in the side of his mouth & push water out of syringe into moouth so the tablet goes into the stomach & doesnt sit in his throat & dissolve….
When Rooney seems to be having bad acid reflux give the Prilosec for 3-4 days then if you want to stop giving the Losec stop but once he takes the Prilosec more then 15-20 days you need to reduce slowly 2 days give then 1 day none etc, in the beginning I use to give Patch Losec for 3-4 days on, then 3 days off the Prilosec depending if he started his gulping, then I realised he was heaps better while taking his Losec so he’s been on Losec 2yrs now but last week I changed him over to 20mg-Somac (Pantropazole) another Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) as Patches lower esohageal Sphincter flap isnt closing properly now & the acid is washing back up into his throat & wind pipe, certain foods make it worse he can NOT eat wet can foods or cooked food now only kibble seems to sstay down…

I havent read your post properly but if your dog is taking Apoquel (a drug I wouldnt give Patch after reading the bad side effects), Apoquel can cause bad side effects with some dogs, I’ve read alot of dogs vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, sleeping all day etc the company that makes Apoquel has brought out Cytopoint Injection now, Cytopoint Injection has less side effects, the injection is given every 4-8 weeks depending on the dog.
I would also start your dog on a limited ingredient diet, 1 carb & 1 lean meat protein, just in case he has food sensitivities & is reacting to a few ingredients & getting itchy skin, smelly yeasty ears/paws or intestinal problems, keep the fat around 10 to 14% for a dry kibble, with wet can foods around 3% & under for fat when you convert 3%min fat in wet/raw can foods it’s around 8%min to 12%max fat…
The vet diet Hills I/d may have ingredients he’s sensititive too & he’s reacting also vet diets are very high in omega oils that can cause bad acid reflux, Patch & a few other dogs that have IBD, IBS etc don’t do too well on vet diets….
Do you belong to any face book groups for Canine IBD or “Canine Pancreatitis support group” has a few dogs with IBD, IBS, Food sensitivities, or “Dog Issues, Allergies & other Information Support group” has dogs with food senitivities, allergies, itchy skin, paws, ears etc dogs with most health problems…
Have you tried the “Natural Balance” LTD dry -Sweet Potato & Bison or Potato & Duck or Sweet Potato & Fish formula’s? I dont know which wet Natural Balance LTD can food has 3% & under for fat here’s the conversion calculator so you can save & convert the fat protein fiber in wet can foods raw foods if you buy them the etc http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

[Jennifer S]

Great, thanks so much for your input. I’m just getting into the raw food diets because the breeder had him on one and I’m trying to stay consistent. It’s quite a learning curve to try to tackle while living with a new puppy!

When would you suggest would be an appropriate age to begin introducing bones, 1 year?

[deb s]

My dog is also fed a completely 100% raw diet. She’s been raw fed for two years since the day I adopted her and she continues with the episodes.

[Taschi]

**This is cross posted in the raw diet section as well**

Hello everyone!

I’ve recently made the plunge into raw diet feeding for my own dogs. However, one mistake that I certainly made was not double checking the sodium content prior to starting my conversion. I suppose I had just assumed that raw diets would naturally be lower in sodium, but alas, I don’t think that’s the case 🙁 Here’s a little background:

I have an 11Y, MN, 4.5# chihuahua who was diagnosed with heart disease almost 2 years ago [DMVD]. Last week I started switching him over on the Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw [turkey] and he has been doing wonderfully on it so far. He also gets a slew of supplements like Ubiquinol, Krill Oil, Glycoflex 3, Hawthorn Extract, and PerioSupport. As of right now, I have not had to start any medications, and his next ultrasound will be this June/July. His last ultrasound was in January. He also gets the occasional grain free greenie (he loves them 🙁 )

While I was not told to start a restricted sodium diet with him, I would really like to stay on the lower end of the spectrum to keep his heart from having to work too hard. With that in mind, I reached out to Stella and Chewy’s on Facebook and inquired about their lowest sodium/patty formulation and was answered with Chicken. The chicken dinner according to the CSR is 0.14% sodium, and when I calculated out the mg/100kcal, It was nearly 100mg!
Keep in mind that following the Tufts University list of recommended low sodium/appropriate protein diets for the cardiac patient, the range is somewhere between 50-80 mg/100kcal. It shocked me that the raw food is nearly double what some of these dry foods contain 🙁

Unless I am doing my math wrong (which is totally possible!), does anyone else know of low sodium commercial raw diets that are available? I don’t think I’m ready to prepare my own meals just yet as this is already a big deal to switch my dogs over as it is.

[Taschi]

Hello everyone!

I’ve recently made the plunge into raw diet feeding for my own dogs. However, one mistake that I certainly made was not double checking the sodium content prior to starting my conversion. I suppose I had just assumed that raw diets would naturally be lower in sodium, but alas, I don’t think that’s the case 🙁 Here’s a little background:

I have an 11Y, MN, 4.5# chihuahua who was diagnosed with heart disease almost 2 years ago [DMVD]. Last week I started switching him over on the Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw [turkey] and he has been doing wonderfully on it so far. He also gets a slew of supplements like Ubiquinol, Krill Oil, Glycoflex 3, Hawthorn Extract, and PerioSupport. As of right now, I have not had to start any medications, and his next ultrasound will be this June/July. His last ultrasound was in January. He also gets the occasional grain free greenie (he loves them 🙁 )

While I was not told to start a restricted sodium diet with him, I would really like to stay on the lower end of the spectrum to keep his heart from having to work too hard. With that in mind, I reached out to Stella and Chewy’s on Facebook and inquired about their lowest sodium/patty formulation and was answered with Chicken. The chicken dinner according to the CSR is 0.14% sodium, and when I calculated out the mg/100kcal, It was nearly 100mg!
Keep in mind that following the Tufts University list of recommended low sodium/appropriate protein diets for the cardiac patient, the range is somewhere between 50-80 mg/100kcal. It shocked me that the raw food is nearly double what some of these dry foods contain 🙁

Unless I am doing my math wrong (which is totally possible!), does anyone else know of low sodium commercial raw diets that are available? I don’t think I’m ready to prepare my own meals just yet as this is already a big deal to switch my dogs over as it is.

[Jennifer S]

Hi everyone,

I have a 9 week curly coated retriever, should turn out to be about 80-90 lbs or so. I’ve read enough about dog nutrition to know that I need to be watching the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio and keep it close to 1:1, or at least not over 1.3:1. This is easy when determining kibble, but it seems like there are differing opinions about how much bones contribute to this calcium ratio. I was at the local pet food store (where they pride themselves on being very knowledgeable about nutrition) and they told me I should get the meat that had bones ground and organs ground up with it because the calcium from bones affects dogs differently and they poop out what they don’t need. The same thing with giving him bones to chew on. The breeder also told me that they will just poop out the extra calcium and I only need to worry about the Ca:P ratio with kibble.
I took puppy for his first vet visit today. I chose a vet who is fine with raw diets and knows about nutrition. She told me calcium is calcium and that when she does blood work on dogs that get lots of bones, their blood calcium levels tend to be higher. She said I shouldn’t be feeding any meat that has ground up bones in it or giving bones to chew, at least until he is older and I don’t have to worry as much about bone formation.

What do you all do for your large breed puppies when feeding raw? Do you give bones to chew? Do you think bone calcium acts differently in their system than the added calcium in kibble? Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi,
a dog only reacts to potatoes, sugars & starchy carbs if she/he has food sensitives to those particular food/ingredients, this is another Myth spread on the internet (Dr Karen Becker) saying Potato, rice, corn, oats, grains, sugary carbs cause yeasty skin & ears this is not true, it’s only when your dog is sensitive to that food he will react…
What was he eating when his ears became yeasty?
Here’s a site written by a Dermotologist “Karen Helton Rhodes” The Myths & Facts of Yeast Dermatitis in Dogs”, Please read, she has a facebook site called “Healthy Skin 4 Dogs” & frequents another f/b group called “Dog, issues allergies & other Information Support Group” join the group heaps of really good information, your better off taking your dog off any dry kibble or cooked wet canned dog foods, whenever I feed wet can foods to my boy he starts shaking his head & scratches his ears & skin, I think the wet can foods use binders in the wet can foods & he must be sensitive too them, he’s the same when he eats a dry kibble that has tapioca, carrots, chicken, barley & oats he gets red smelly yeasty paws, itchy ears & smelly yeasty skin, he cant eat these ingredients he’s has food sensitivities to them, you need to work out what ingredients your dog has food sensitivities too??…
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs
Have a look at freeze dried foods like “Ziwi Peak” air dried, Ziwi Peak also sell wet raw can food, it looks & smells like the cooked wet can foods but it’s healthier, Ziwi Peak is for dogs & cats who have skin/ear problems food sensititivies, Ziwi Peak has Novel protein meats (Venison Rabbit) & limited ingredients, Ziwi Peak must taste really good my cat goes mad when I open a can or open her bag of air dried Ziwi Peak, here’s Ziwi Peak site send them an email telling them about your dog yeasty ears & ask can you try some of their samples of their air dried formula’s, just make sure you give your address so they can send the samples out or go & buy some of the Ziwi Peak to try, your dog will get better & love the air dried & the wet can foods … https://www.ziwipets.com/ also when you do start a new limited ingredient food do not feed any treats or anything else in her diet just the new food..
also look for “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels Freeze Dried, Mussels are high in Omega fatty acid excellent for skin & ears, give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat..
K-9 Natural also sell wet raw can food & dehydrated food you just add water, same as “Honest Kitchen” look for the Zeal, Spruce or Brave formula’s https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/grain-free

[Susan]

Hi
if you scroll back up to the top of this page you’ll see “Reviews” section, click on Reviews then scroll down & look for “Shep Dog Food Dry” click then scroll down & you’ll see people’s post about the New Head & Tails, Pure Being grain free & grain dry kibble formula’s, it looks pretty good, 4 star kibbles, someone might know who makes the new Pure Being dry & wet can foods, the kibble looks good to me, it has 2 meat proteins as 1st & 2nd ingredients….
Just be careful if your dog needs to eat a low fat diet, the fat% protein % & fiber% in wet can foods, roll loaf & pre-made raw foods hasn’t been converted to dry matter (Kibble)….
I just converted this Pure Being wet formula above the Protein-37.89%min,
Fat- 22.11%min, Fiber-7.89%min… here’s the Conversion Anaylsis Calculator to save so you can convert the wet can foods to dry matter. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

[Susan]

Hi,
have a look at “Walk About” Pet Foods, here’s their link all formula’s have different ingredients http://walkaboutpetproducts.com/
Walkabout has can/tin- Goat, Boar, Kangaroo, Bushtail & Duck wet formula’s….
Wet can/tin or the roll loaf & pre-made raw foods the protein%, fat% & fiber% hasn’t been converted to dry matter (kibble) so when you see say 5%min-fat after it has been converted the 5%min-fat can range around 20% to 26%max in fat, so I dont know if your dogs need a lower fat diet, here’s the Convertion Analysis Calculator to save so you can convert the wet can foods… http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

[haleycookie]

Hey check out merrick’s classic chicken and brown rice with peas. Or their small breed classic. Maybe won’t be as rich but are still good foods with good grains in them.
Ps. Don’t be scared of potatoes. Just find afood that doesn’t list them OR peas very high in the ingredients list. Potatoes aren’t anything to be scared of. I’ve seen more pea issues myself tbhbit unless you can rule out your dog is sensitive to one of them there’s no cause for concern.

Also if you’re willing to spend that much on food I would just get away from kibble all together. Check out natures variety raw for small breeds. On that budget you should be able to comfortable feed your dog a high quality diet. Or make your own raw/home cooked balanced diet if you have the time.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by haleycookie.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by haleycookie.

[Denise S]

We have a Beagle that just turned 6 on 2/5. About 2 years ago, he would have an occasional seizure. They weren’t too bad. Thought maybe it could be Heartguard. Took any dog food or treats that Rosemary Extract out of his diet. BUT on 11/30/2017, he had seizures that were every hour…grand mal. Horrible thing to see your baby go through. The vet started him on Keppra. After two weeks, he had a very mild seizure. On Christmas morning at about 2am he had 3 grand mals in less than a hour and we were at vet emergency by 3am. On the way there, he had another. He stayed in ICU for a couple of days (until he was seizure free) and we brought him home. His Keppra was increased and we were given an emergency package of diazepam to administer rectally. He had a small breakthrough seizure on 1/11. The vet added Phenobarbitol. On 2/10, he started having seizures that morning every hour again. Took him to the vet and he had another at the vet. The vet added another medication of Zonisamide. This medication didn’t stop anything (it would take at least a week to get in his system to help him) but were given more diazepam to get him through this spell. We stayed up all night with him while he had grand mal seizures every hour. That morning we were back in the ER with him. He had another seizure while they were examining him and they were going to keep him in ICU. He also had another seizure while they were taking x-rays. We have him back now. His phenobarbitol has been increased and he stays on Keppra. They removed the Zonisamide. It’s hard to imagine this happy guy goes through these horrible episodes. They are so violent. I believe that if I can get him on the right diet, it will help him. I’m not really sure about ‘vet recommended’ food, since they love to push Science Diet. Since his release, I have been feeding him chicken (cooked), carrots, sweet potatoes, he’s not a fan of green beans. I am worried about him getting all the proper nutrients that he needs. I would like to try The Honest Kitchen. It looks like something that would be good for him and he would like it. We did a very very brief episode of the raw diet. But he just sniffs it, backs away, and looks at me like “yeah right. You’ve got to be kidding me…THAT’S not cooked.” He doesn’t eat store bought treats unless they are fresh. His treats are homemade. Tried Orijen. Made him extremely bloated, miserable, and he could clear a room! I am also looking at trying Fromm’s Gold. Just wondering if anyone has tried The Honest Kitchen or Fromm’s Gold…or anything that helped their furbaby. Thanks!

[Zen B]

I am hopelessly new to this type of feeding. I do Old English Sheepdog breed rescue and own several OES. I decided to try Dr. Marty’s freeze dried raw food and received a ONE POUND bag. The instructions based on my dog’s weight require a little over two cups a day. Given the cost (about $50/bag) there is absolutely no way we can afford to feed all of our dogs and foster dogs this diet without going bankrupt. The dog I am testing with this food absolutely loves it and she is the pickiest eater on earth. Can you suggest a freeze dried raw dog food that is excellent quality yet affordable for feeding large breed dogs? Thanks in advance (I am trying to learn as fast as I can)

[GEORGIA T]

Congo is a Canadian company (and as far as I know only sell to Canadian retailers) and they are using locally sourced food. The meat for the beef, chicken and lamb are raised on local farms and grass fed, rather than grain fed.

I use the blend not the dinners since I cook or steam vegetables for my dogs and always add fresh fruit to their diet. I have been using Congo raw for 7 months and all my 3 Shepherds love the food. As for bones, they recommend lamb necks (comes in 2 or 4 lbs bag) since they are a lot easier on the dog’s teeth than beef bones. One of my dog is 12 years old and her teeth are worn down so I buy the frozen chicken necks for her to achieve a good meat/bone ratio.

[anonymous]

I hope this post helps someone, even if it is just one person, to make the right decision regarding feeding their pets.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/02/yet-another-study-shows-the-real-dangers-of-raw-diets-for-dogs/ excerpt below click on link for full article and comments

“Proponents of raw diets will certainly argue that the risk is small compared to the benefits. Unfortunately, no scientific evidence yet exists to show any benefits, and personal anecdotes or theories about the natural history of dogs are not sufficient reason to ignore the robust scientific evidence of the harm that raw diets can cause. Unless some reliable research evidence emerges to show meaningful health benefits from raw feeding, there is no good reason for pet owners to participate in this dangerous fad”.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/02/actually-raw-chicken-likely-does-lead-to-paralysis-in-dogs/ excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.
Posted on February 11, 2018 by skeptvet
I recently reported on a study out of Australia that found an association between feeding raw chicken, infection with the bacterium Campylobacter, and a serious neurologic disease call Acute Polyradiculoneuritis (APN). Not surprisingly, advocates of raw diets are desperate to find ways to dismiss this study so they can continue to claim raw diets are as safe, or safer than commercial cooked pet foods. Cognitive dissonance, the discomfort that one feels when confronted with evidence that one’s beliefs about something may be wrong, is a powerful force, and it can lead even smart, educated people to engage in extreme mental gymnastics to dismiss such evidence and preserve cherished beliefs.

[matthew b]

Hello when it is in season I plan to get some squirrels. Just starting out my dogs on a raw meat diet. I have one 10 pound terrier and one 30 pound mutt, would the bones in the squirrel be ok for them? Right now I just have them on chicken wings and necks. Thank you for any advice.

[Mareike]

Hi Kenneth,

How much of a picky eater is Earl? I have a 5-6 year old, female Lab, American type, who like a stereotypical Lab eats more or less anything. So it’s very easy to feed her a rotational diet consisting of different brands of commercial dog food (mostly kibble and raw) and some home-cooked food. You seem concerned about making a wrong change and I think a rotational diet (/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/) would have the advantage of balancing things out.

With Natures Valley, do you mean Nature’s Variety? That is one of the brands I’ve been feeding my dog on and off and feel I can trust. Other brands I like to feed her are Honest Kitchen, Ziwi Peak, Spot Farms, Canidae, Primal, Stella & Chewy, Petkind, Wellness, Fromm, Solid Gold. Canidae ranks well for both nutrition and purity (http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food/). Have not tried Acana or Orijen yet, but probably will.

Another factor to consider for you in your choice might be Earl’s surgeries in combination with his weight. In case you/your vet think(s) he could/should lose some weight, then you might want to find a brand or multiple brands of a high-quality “weight loss” food.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Mareike.

[anonymous]

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.

excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.
Posted on February 11, 2018 by skeptvet

“Dr. Brady can call me a dupe or lackey of Big Pet Food if he wants (and I suspect he will). The truth is, I am open to the idea that fresh food, even raw food, might have health benefits. However, the evidence is clear that raw has risks, and it is up to the proponents of raw diets to prove there are benefits that make these risks worth taking. Not with anecdotes, faulty logic about what is “natural,” rhetorical assaults on the pet food industry, or mere passion. They should prove it with data, with reliable evidence derived from appropriate scientific research. Until they do so, there is no reason for pet owners to take the risks they deny exist for ourselves, our pets, or our families”.

[Cheryl S]

About 8 mos ago my then 8 mos old Lab, had an 18 inch bowel resection due to complications after eating a sock
Prior to this she was on frozen Raw diet- and doing very well
She was having a malabsorption problem after surgery, and was put on Prescription Hills Science I’d. Because of weight loss
She does well on it, but I know it is a lot of junk in it -I’m having trouble finding something that is better for her, and would love to get her back on raw
Any supplements or whatever?

[Lauren]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post here 🙂

I’d like to get your suggestions for a food plan for my new rescue pup. I need help making sure I’m balancing the proteins, fats, and nutrients, and giving a good mix of different main ingredients.

I also would love suggestions for what wet food or toppers I should add for the most beneficial diet.

My puppy is a 14 week old Dachshund, only 4 pounds, likely to get to 10 pounds, 15 max.
His energy level is low medium. He’s pretty laid back, not super high energy puppy.

Currently, I’m planning to generally follow the recommendation on this site for food rotation, which is:
-Mix 1/5 of a small can of a single-species wet food (chicken, lamb, rabbit, etc.) with his kibble.
-As each can runs out, switch to a different wet food from the same brand.
-When each bag of kibble is empty, start with a different kibble from the same brand).
– Twice a year, gradually switch brands, too.

At the end of this post I’ve listed all the brands and formulas I’m considering. I’ve laid it all out so it’s easy to compare, and ordered them by highest protein % to lowest.

Here are some questions I have:
— Should I try to rotate foods with different protein and fat percentages AND also with different protein and veg ingredients?
OR
Should I try to determine which protein percentage is best for my pup and stick to that, then focus just on rotating main ingredients and formulas that contain that protein %?
— Do you have suggestions for a good rotation using these foods for a nicely balanced diet?
— Wet food toppers – suggestions to best balance these brands/formulas??
— Do you advise on switching brands more rapidly than 2x a year? What about switching formulas faster than one bag of kibbel at a time?

Thank you everyone!!!

———————-

FULL LIST
Kibbles I considered, with nutritional breakdowns, for easy comparison:

HOLISTIC SELECT
— Holistic Select Small & Mini Breed Puppy Health Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken
PROTEIN 30.0% min / FAT 20.0% min / FIBER 3.4% max
— Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Grain-Free
PROTEIN 29.0% min / FAT 14.0% min / FIBER 5.5% max

CANIDAE
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Chicken Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran, Cracked Pearled Barley,
Peas, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Multi-Protein (chicken, turkey, lamb and fish)
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran,
Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal,
Ocean Fish Meal
PROTEIN 24.0% / FAT 14.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Lamb Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Peas, Millet,
Lamb, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 21.0% / FAT 12.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.55% / O3 0.5%

TASTE OF THE WILD
— Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Pea Protein, Peas,
Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Bison, Roasted Venison, Beef, Flaxseed,
Potato Fiber, Ocean Fish Meal, Salmon Oil
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 5.0% / O6: 3.8% O3: .3%
***Looks like a good option
— Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 27.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 5.0% max / O6: 2.4% O3: .3%

MERRICK
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Natural Flavor,
Potato Protein, Salmon Meal, Pork Fat, Pea Protein, Salmon
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.5% / O3 0.35%
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes,
Peas, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 4.8% / O3 0.4%
— Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas,
Natural Flavor, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat, Potato Protein, Deboned Salmon,
Chicken Liver, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lamb Meal, Potatoes, Pork Fat,
Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Deboned Salmon, Flaxseed Oil,
Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% max O6 2.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Sweet Potatoes,
Natural Pork Flavor, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor,
Deboned Salmon, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 2.2% / O3 .3% min

ZIGNATURE
— Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Chickpeas, Duck Meal, Pea Flour, Peas,
Salmon, Flaxseeds, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 32.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 5.5% / O6 4.5% / O3 2.0%
— Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed,
PROTEIN 31.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 4.0% / O3 1.0%
— Zignature Trout & Salmon Meal Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Trout, Salmon Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 1.8% / O3 0.5%
— Zignature Lamb Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil, Pea Protein,
Flaxseed
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 6.5% / O3 0.9% / O6 5.0%
— Zignature Kangaroo Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Kangaroo, Kangaroo Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil,
Flaxseed, Red Lentils, Green Lentils, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 0.6%

VICTOR
— Victor Select Nutra Pro Active Dog & Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Whole Grain Millet, Blood Meal, Chicken Fat,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Pork Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 2.5% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Yukon River Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sweet Potato, Peas, Canola Oil,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.4% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Active Dog & Puppy Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat, Pork Meal,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.8% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Professional Formula Dry Dog Food
Beef Meal, Grain Sorghum, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Whole Grain Millet, Pork Meal,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.6% / O3 none?
— Victor Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Millet, Grain Sorghum,
Pork Meal, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 23.0% / FAT 11.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 2.0% / O3 .4%

NATURE’S VARIETY
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Canola Oil, Salmon Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Montmorillonite Clay,
Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.8% / O6 2.7%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Eggs, Canola Oil, Duck Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Chickpeas, Montmorillonite Clay
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.5% / O6 3.0%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Lamb
Main ingred: Lamb, Salmon Meal, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole,
Pacific Rockfish), Peas, Canola Oil, Tapioca, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb Meal,
Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Freeze Dried Lamb, Chickpeas, Pumpkinseeds,
Freeze Dried Lamb Liver, Freeze Dried Lamb Spleen, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Lamb Heart, Freeze Dried Lamb Kidney, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.0% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.6%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O3 0.35% / O6 3.2%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Tapioca, Herring Meal,
Chicken Fat, Peas, Freeze Dried Chicken, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor,
Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Chicken Heart
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit
Main ingred: Rabbit, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chickpeas, Canola Oil, Tapioca,
Rabbit Meal, White Fish Meal
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 3.4%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Duck Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Herring Meal, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Freeze Dried Duck, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver,
Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 0.4% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Tapioca, Freeze Dried Chicken, Lamb Meal,
Dried Tomato Pomace, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver
PROTEIN 34.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.4% / 3.8% min

——–
——–

[anonymous]

How about 1/2 of a raw carrot once a day?

All those snacks are junk, you would be better off just giving your dog a bite of cooked chicken breast Or a bite of canned tuna.

There are some Purina products I would use. But not pup-aroni. The amount of onion is probably minute, but I would not be comfortable with it.

I use kibble as a base 1/2 to 2/3 of the diet. That’s enough processed food, IMO.
Splash of water and a topper such as a little scrambled egg.

Why are you avoiding grains?

[Ciro R]

My 9 year old German Shepherd has battled allergies and yeast infections for many years, recently She began to develop infections in her armpits in addition to her normal ear issue. She’s been on all kinds of allergy meds that simply reduce the intensity but never solve the problem. I feed her Acana and Orijen mostly but I remembered when she was a pup she mostly ate raw and didn’t have any issues at all. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good raw diet for a yeasty dog that isn’t super expensive and that I don’t have to make myself (freeze dried is ok)?

[Marisa A]

Hi There!
I just started my 24lb Frenchie on a raw diet about 3 weeks ago and he is LOVING it. I ordered my food from rawfeedingmiami.com. My dog is 8 months old so I am feeding him 4% of his body weight per day. I purchased a scale that comes with a detatchable bowl off Amazon and had to do some math to figure out how much muscle meat, organ meat and bone he should be getting every day. Rawfeedingmiami has some great info on their site in terms of how much to feed etc. According to my dog’s weight and the recommended percentage I should feed him, he should be eating approximately .5 lbs per meal, or 8 ounces. 4% of 24 lbs is .96lbs. I rounded up to 1 pound per day, so .5 pounds per meal, which is 8oz.

There is a lot of variation out there on the breakdown of how much to feed when it comes to muscle meat, bone and organ, but generally, 10% of meal should be meaty bone, 75% of meal should be muscle meat, 5% liver, and 10% other secreting organ (ie: kidney, spleen, pancreas, thymus, brain, lung, testicles). I included a smelt fish into each of my dog’s meals as well.

So I ordered everything in bulk, designated a Friday night, and packaged all of his food for the month in ziplock bags. Once I got my muscle meat to equal ~ 6oz, the rest I just eyeballed until I reached the 8oz.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[aimee]

Hi Tyrionthebiscuit,

I’m not sure what you trying to say. The dogs were diagnosed as having Acute Polyradiculoneuritis (APN) the canine equivalent of Guillain – Barre. Guillain Barre has been associated with Campylobacter. The purpose od the study was to look at dog’s diagnosed with APN and see if they have a higher incidence of Campylobacter than healthy dogs not diagnosed with APN, and they did.

To understand relevance of what you reported regarding asking 4 vets if they ever had a positive culture for Campylobacter in a raw fed dog I need more information. How many tests in total were run by each vet? What were the diet histories? What were the results and were the findings statistically relevant?

When evaluated in this manner raw fed dogs had higher incidents of pathogens.

[a c]

Regina,

I am sorry about your poodle. I lost my schnauzer to lymphoma almost a year ago. He was getting chemo but passed away short of 2 months.

I did a lot of reading back then. Some people recommend high protein diet. Some people recommend raw diet(vet oncologist was against the idea). Anything to boost the immune system may help.

You may want to check out Dr Dressler’s website for more info.

[Susan]

Hi Kimberly,
the only true 100% test for food Sensitivities & food Allergies is a food elimination diet, those blood, salvia & hair tests all give false positive results, go back & have the test done again thru another company & the test results will be different to the one you have had done & chances are what he’s eaten in the last 1-2 weeks a few of those ingredients will come up as an positive allergen, this is what my vet told me when I wanted to have a blood test done on Patch 4 yrs ago, in the end I did an food elimination diet instead & now I pretty much know what he can’t eat but cause of Patches environment allergies as well this can cause confusion to a new dog owner as the dog may eat his single novel protein & 1 carb meal, then go outside then start reacting to something outside & then the owner thinks its what he just ate but its probably something from outside, as they age they get worse with their allergies, I’ve even been thinking of trying the Apoquel or the Cyto Point injection as this is the worse Summer Patch has ever had but we have just moved here… Patch he reacts 20mins after he eats something he’s sensitive too, the other day the lady at the pet shop gave him a few kibbles as a treat they had Chicken in the treats, it was too late before I said NO Patch had gulped them down aaaaaarrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh then he was really quiet while driving home I looked thru the mirrow & he was licking his back paw it was red & hot, it needed a ice pack, thats how quick he reacts, food sensitivities can take anywhere from 1 day up to 6 weeks to react,Patch reacts within 20mins of eating the food …… You’d have an idea how quick your dog reacts when he’s sensitive to an ingredient start a elimination diet & add one of the ingredients on the list he’s sensitive too ingredient & see does he react?? pick an ingredient thats in most kibbles, cause your not going to find a kibble without lamb, chicken, turkey, kanagroo, rice, potato etc.

It’s very rare to be sensitive to all those meat proteins, he’d have IBD as well, I really wouldnt believe in the blood test it will drive you mad, cause there’s no kibbles out there you are looking for unless you try a vet diet a Hydrolyzed vet diet Purina HA, Royal Canine Allergenic google & have a look at all of the Royal Canine vet diet formula’s or look at Canadian “Rayne” formula’s or a look for a premium kibble that has 1 carb & 1 meat protein diet or feed homemade raw diet thru a nutritionist…..

Have a look at Canidae’s “Under The Sun” Whitefish a few people who have dogs with bad food sensitivities feed “Under The Sun” Whitefish formula, also look at all Canidae Pure formula’s Pure Wild Boar has, Wild Boar, Pork Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Chickpeas, Canola Oil, Suncured Alfalfa …
Here’s the Canidae link just scoll down little look at the UTS formula’s then look at the pages on your right, Wild Boar is page 3
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

The problem I have with this study is that it was done on dogs that already had underlying health issues with regards to some paralysis. It doesn’t seem to be done on a group of healthy dogs with no prior health concerns. I think that plays a big role into diet, whether raw or conventional. And why the big hit on chicken necks? Do turkey necks not have the same response then? Or raw chicken breast? In regards to campylobacter, I once discussed this with 4 vets in my town. None support raw feeding, but as a retailer I sell raw food and it is extremely popular in my town. None had a positive test result for campylobacter on a raw fed dog (that the owner had disclosed was raw fed). I am not against raw feeding, but also feed kibble, just for background

[JILL N]

Fad?!! I think not. Major dry dog food companies have begun to incorporate better nutritional ingredients into their kibble meals and eliminate harmful ingredients based on the benefits of real meat and “complete” meal and whole prey diets. The “fad” has now become a healthier food trend in response to the demand of knowledgeable consumers. Case in point, please review the listed ingredients for Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula (chicken) at https://www.chewy.com/blue-buffalo-life-protection-formula. Besides the chemical processing, the only difference in a “complete” raw meal diet (with veggies and fruit) and Blue Buffalo’s kibble are the following ingredients that a dog doesn’t require for a healthy diet anyway:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potato Stach, DL-Methionine, Caramel Color, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Garlic, Choline Chloride, Turmeric, Copper Sulfate (an naturally occurring pesticide that can be found in plants, soil, food, and water), Copper Amino Acid Chelate (chelated copper solution is a blend of two compounds. One is the copper sulfate granule, and the other is an ingredient that allows the copper granules to break down and stay in a liquid state). Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, and Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract (stomach bacterium and fungi used as a probiotic in pet foods.), Oil of Rosemary.

[JILL N]

Good heavens! What a plethora of advice (some good, some not so much), mostly just confusing. I’ll try to give just basic advice. Raw food is going to greatly benefit your fur buddy: white teeth, free of tartar and dental disease, shiny, smooth, oil-free coats, flake-free and itch-free skin, chronic allergies and infections subside and/or disappear, odorless breath and body, improved energy and vitality, decreased visits to the vet, positive changes in poop (consistency, less frequent, smell), mental stimulation from working at mealtimes. Here are the raw food basics: your dog needs raw meals that are composed of “complete” nutrition. “Complete” meals are “whole prey.” For instance, the entire chicken (muscle meat, bones, organs, head and feet). All the nutrition your dog needs is in the entire animal or whole prey. Add some raw fish (mackerel, sardines) 1-2xs week (optional) and you’ve got a good raw diet for your dog. Don’t freak out, your dog’s teeth and digestive system will make quick work of raw and raw/meaty bones. Never give your dog cooked bones. Your dog does not need veggies or fruit for complete nutrition. However, veggies and fruit are great as treats or mixed into your ground complete meals as a bonus. Here’s a great site for creating balanced raw meals for your dog:
https://keepthetailwagging.com/how-to-create-a-balanced-raw-diet-for-a-dog/
If you’re not into customizing each meal (hmmm, shall I give Spot the lamb shank with calf liver tonight or the Turkey Offal with a marrow bone?), then chk out Raw Paws Pet Food at
http://www.rawpawspetfood.com for complete meal orders with free shipping. They also have a raw food calculator based on the weight/age of your dog (type “calculator” in the search field) so you can know how much to feed. Also, review Suzie’s Doggie Delights at http://www.freshrawdogfood.com for complete meals and a la carte items. They have a $10.00 shipping fee but their prices on fresh (shipped frozen) raw meats and bones are cheaper. If you decide to order raw in bulk or per month (so much cheaper!!), you’ll need a food scale (AccuWeight Digital Kitchen scale, $9.99 at Amazon.com), and a 5.0 cu. ft. freezer chest for food storage. Congratulations on making your pet healthier!

[JILL N]

Hello Aimee (K9Ancestraldiet),
I appreciate that you are a local distributor, but, no I would not purchase your product. Your prices are definitely not competitive! In my view, your main competition is Suzie’s Doggie Delights, a Colorado, family-owned raw meat processing, and distribution company. Suzie’s specializes in “complete” whole-prey, ground meals, bulk meats, and bones. 36oz of your complete meal beef (three, 4oz bags) costs $84.00. My 73lb GSD should eat that amount in one meal! 32oz of Suzie’s complete meal beef (same ingredients minus the fruit and fancy packaging) costs $10.38 (10lbs is a budget-happy $38.99). Purchasing from Suzie’s allows me to purchase 72lbs of raw, healthy, human grade, USDA inspected meats and meals my fur buddy for an entire month for under $150.00! And, they deliver directly to my door for an additional, underwhelming $10.00 shipping fee. You might want to compare your ingredients, quality, processing facility, philosophy, and pricing to this well-reviewed company at https://www.freshrawdogfood.com/shop/co/simple-recipes-co/beef-veggie-offal-co/

[JILL N]

Hi Tom, Personally, I really restrict carbs in my GSD’s diet. He may get a few kernels of unseasoned organic popcorn every now and then but that’s the limit on carbs for my thriving boy! I actually give him peanuts (raw or roasted, no salt) as a between raw meals snack. I make him work for them by hiding them all over the house in strange places. He loves this healthy hunt and seek game and I get to relax for 20 minutes! Chk out these sites for more info on carbs and a balanced raw diet for dogs at:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-your-dog-needs-more-meat-and-fewer-carbohydrates/
https://keepthetailwagging.com/how-to-create-a-balanced-raw-diet-for-a-dog/

Also, a great source for whole prey, “complete” raw meals (muscle meat, bone, organs with veggies added as a bonus), as well as bulk meats is Suzie’s Doggie Delights at http://www.freshrawdogfood.com. All the meat is fresh, not processed frozen and delivered frozen to your door!

[anonymous]

From the above article “My articles on the subject are collected here”:

Raw Diets for Pets

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/ (click on link for complete article and comments)
Yet Another Study Shows the Real Dangers of Raw Diets for Dogs
Posted on February 2, 2018 by skeptvet
I have covered the raw diet issues since the very start of this blog, which is about nine years now. My articles on the subject are collected here. Very little has changed in my assessment of the evidence over this time. The bottom line is clear:
There is evidence of risk in feeding raw, including infectious disease, parasites, and injury from raw bones. There is no scientific evidence, only anecdote and dubious theories, to demonstrate any benefits from feeding raw.
A new study has recently been published which adds to the already considerable evidence of risk from infectious disease.
Martinez-Anton, L., Marenda, M., Firestone, S.M., Bushell, R.N., Child, G., Hamilton, A.I., Long, S.N. and Le Chevoir, M.A.R. (2018), Investigation of the Role of Campylobacter Infection in Suspected Acute Polyradiculoneuritis in Dogs. J Vet Intern Med, 32: 352–360.
This was a case control study conducted in Australia and designed to look for associations between the occurrence of a serious neurologic disease, Acute Polyradiculoneuritis (APN) and infection with the bacterium Campylobacter sp. This bacterium has been identified as a common trigger for the analogous disease in humans, Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Because exposure to raw chicken is a common source of Campylobacter infection in humans, the feeding of raw chicken, and other raw meats, was one of the variables evaluated in this study.
The results were quite clear. Dogs with APN were far more likely to be have Campylobacter than healthy dogs, and dogs with APN were also much more likely to have been fed raw chicken and other raw foods.
This type of study only shows an association, not a definitive cause-effect relationship. A prospective randomized controlled trial would be needed to prove feeding raw chicken can cause Campylobacter infection which can then cause APN. However, such studies are not always necessary or appropriate to guide us in reducing our risk of disease. Case-control studies are the main source of evidence showing smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, and certainly a randomized trial in which some people are made to smoke for years and others are not to definitively prove this relationship would be unnecessary and unethical.
We are more often willing to inflict harm on animals in order to investigate the causes of disease, so it is possible someone will do such a study in dogs even though we would not do it in humans. However, it is clear that this study, in the context of the existing evidence in veterinary and human medicine, supports the clear health risks eating raw meat.
Proponents of raw diets will certainly argue that the risk is small compared to the benefits. Unfortunately, no scientific evidence yet exists to show any benefits, and personal anecdotes or theories about the natural history of dogs are not sufficient reason to ignore the robust scientific evidence of the harm that raw diets can cause. Unless some reliable research evidence emerges to show meaningful health benefits from raw feeding, there is no good reason for pet owners to participate in this dangerous fad.

[haleycookie]

If you want the best kibble there is and don’t mind paying a lot Young Again, Orijen, natures variety instinct and merrick backcountry are some good options. Acana is good too if your dog can’t handle anything too rich and you don’t want to spend as much as Orijen. However keep in mind that since they began producing Acana and Orijen in the states the reviews have become hit or miss. Also if you aren’t interested in actual raw things you can try adding freeze dried mixers into whatever kibble you choose. And try to add canned food wherever you can. Adds moisture to the diet and not as processed as kibble is.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by haleycookie.

[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….

[Jennifer S]

Hi everyone,

I am getting a puppy in a month (large breed) who is currently on a raw food/kibble diet. I am clueless about feeding anything other than kibble and I feel like I have a lot to learn in 4 weeks. Here is what the breeder has the pups on right now:
1 part Honest Kitchen freeze dried veggies
4 parts organic Menhaden fish meal
4 parts slightly cooked or raw chicken/liver/pork/turkey. (Rotating between these and what is available)
4-8 parts N&D Farmina grain free kibble from Italy. Chicken or Boar.

i would like to keep some kibble in the mix so that my newbie fears of the dog not getting all his nutrients is put to ease, but I would like to continue the basic diet that she has them on. My question is about replacing the menhaden meal. I researched it for awhile and found that it is unsustainable, is vastly overfished, and it’s use in pet food is having huge negative ripples in the ocean food chain. So I need to find something else to take the place of the fish meal. The breeder says she uses the fish to provide iodine, vit. D, and good fats. Wondering if I can use some Thorvin kelp for the iodine? How much? and some fish oil squirted on top for the fats?

What are your thoughts about what I could add to the recipe to replace the fish meal? Keep in mind that this is a large breed so I’m also trying to keep the calcium content low.

Thank you!

[Gary W]

As a rule, veterinarians consider a diet with less than 10 percent fat on a dry matter basis (less than 17 percent of calories from fat) to be low fat, while diets with 10 to 15 percent fat (17 to 23 percent of calories) are considered to contain a moderate amount of fat. Foods with more than 20 percent fat are considered high-fat. A few dogs may need a very low-fat diet, especially if they have hyperlipidemia, or if they react to foods with higher levels of fat.

To make a low-fat homemade diet, feed about half carbohydrates, and half low-fat meat, eggs, and dairy. The percentage of carbs can be decreased, and the amount of meat increased, if you use very low-fat cuts, or boil them to remove most of the fat.

The majority of the carbohydrates should be starchy foods, such as rice, oatmeal, barley, quinoa, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squashes (e.g., acorn and butternut), to supply low-fat calories. Other types of vegetables, such as broccoli, summer squash, and leafy greens can be included, but they supply fewer calories so they can’t replace the starchy carbs. You can also use a low-fat pre-mix designed to balance out a homemade diet, such as Preference from The Honest Kitchen.

The other half of the diet should be mostly low-fat meats, or meats cooked to remove much of their fat. Skinless chicken breast is very low in fat, but other parts can be used as long as you remove the skin and visible fat. Turkey, venison, goat, buffalo, and rabbit are low in fat, while lamb and pork are generally high in fat. Ground beef comes in varying levels of fat.

Whole eggs are relatively high in fat but are highly nutritious, so they should be included in the diet in limited amounts. A large egg has about 5 grams of fat, which is not a lot for a very large dog, but too much for smaller dogs. You can hard boil eggs and then feed just a portion each day, or split them between multiple dogs. Almost all of the fat and calories are in the yolks, so the whites alone can be added to increase protein without increasing fat, if needed. When feeding just egg whites, they should either be cooked or a B vitamin supplement should be added, as raw egg whites can deplete biotin over time when fed without the yolks.

Low-fat or nonfat dairy products are also good to include in the diet. Cottage cheese, plain yogurt, and kefir (a cultured milk product that is easy to make at home using low-fat or nonfat milk) are all good choices. Avoid other cheeses; even low-fat ones are high in fat (nonfat is okay).

Homemade diets should include organ meat, and most organs are low in fat. Liver and kidney should be fed in small amounts only, no more than 5 to 10 percent of the total diet (around 1 to 1.5 ounces organ meat per pound of food). Beef heart is quite low in fat and is nutritionally more of a muscle meat, so it can be fed in larger quantities, as long as your dog does well with it.

Fruits such as apple, banana, melon, papaya, and blueberries are fine to include in the diet in small amounts. Avoid avocados, which are high in fat.

[Susan]

Hi Christain,
I would try “Natural Balance” LID Sweet Potato & Bison look at all the N/B ingredients, a lady told me the Sweet Potato & Venison has gone up in price so maybe pick the Sweet Potato & Bison or Potato & Duck instead read ingredient list & see which will be best…
the fat is low 10%min in the N/B & teh protein is law as well…
Why I dont recommend the fish formula’s no more as its higher in omega fatty acids this is excellent for dogs BUT Patch deosn’t do well with his acid reflux when he eats any fish kibbles….
Do you live at home with mum, it would be good if she cooed & froze the meals?? what breed is your girl?
It’s best feeding 3-4 smaller meals a day & cooked meals would be better then dry kibble, lean low fat cooked meals, also look for the “FreshPet” loaf in the fridge section look for one with the lowest fat% & try the Freshpet loaf or another brand that has good ingredients & the fat isnt real high best to stay under 6% fat, when you convert 5% fat to dry matter fat (Kibble) for wet tin food, the dog loaves, raw dog food, 5%min fat is around 20%min to 26%max in fat…So best to feed lower fat for Acid reflux kibble is higher in carbs so this can make teh acid bad as well but once you do find a kibble that agrees you’ll be OK but what I found I need to rotato foods with Patch breakfast he gets kibble lunch he wetsa cooked meal the dinner 5pm 1/3 cup kibble then another small meal 8pm sometimes a cooked meal what I ate for dinner as long as it has no onion & isnt a hot curry/spicey meal or he gets 1/3 cup kibble, it all depends if he seems unwell then he gets the cooked meal I freeze small meals,
Do you have more then 2 vets in your area? what about if you drive to the next suburb I’d ring around all the vets in your areas who are within 40 mins drive & id’ask do they have the Endoscope machine ? if they say yes ask whats the vets name that does the Endoscope + Biopsies ?? write his name down he should know alot about the stomach small bowel etc…
Patch just had another Endoscope + Biopsies, he had Endoscope + Biopsies done 4-5 yrs ago vet just found teh Helicobacter was bad he was treated with Triple therepy meds & later put on Losec (Ranitidine) 5yrs later this time I thought he’s has stomach cancer as he went down hill so quickly, he had very sore throat, Simon (vet) is Patches second vet he specializes in the IBD & other health problems, when Simon looked down Patches esophagus he saw his wipe pipe was very red & inflammed the acid had come up his throat, our brain sends a msg to close the esophageal spincter (Flap) to the wind pipe but Patches brain isnt doing this & the acid was soo bad & coming up his throat then going back down into his wind pipe, I still havent picked up his biopsies results, after when the bisopies result came back Patch also had mild Helicobacter, Im wondering does your our have the Helicobactor cause you say she has gotten worse this is what happened with Patch just after Xmas, all dogs have the Helicobacter Simon said but its healthy, but Patches helicobacter has taken over & is living him his stomach walls, this is way he’s always hungry, first sign of helicobacter they have a big appetite, acid reflux, eating grass, vomiting acid up this is when their throat gets burnt from te acid best to give liquid Mylanta 4 mls in a syringe I dont know if you have Mylanta its á white liquid & coats the esophagus, their aci is often bad first thing of a morning, best to let them eat some grass not too much about 1min then vet said stop PAtch they will vomit from eating just 2-3 picses of grass Simon said a dog can make himself spew they dont even need grass to speI didnt know that I wish Patch would spew the acid up its better out then in, we do not use Pepcid (Famotidine) in Australia no more, its an old drug the chemist lady said, you can get the liquid “Pepto-Bismol” its pink this helps kill the Helicobacter my vet said but it seems to make Patch symptoms worse & I havent given him the Pepto-Bismol again since I bought it 1-2 yrs ago, I keep it in the fridge same with the liquid Mylanta so when it goes down their throat it cold & soothing, the vet put Patch on the Triple Therapy meds again 1 week ago, Metronidazole-200mg, Amoxcillian- 400mg & Prolosec-20mg, taken every 12 hours with a meal for 3 weeks, the Losec is only given in the morning once a day but cause your dog is so young you do not want her on prilosec yet full time like Patch is on & after 1 yr it doesnt seem to be helping him no more, he’s just turned 9yrs old so its OK giving him a PPI but being young únder 4yrs old there’s other ant acid meds, Losec is a Protein Pump Inhibitor (PPI) once you start taking a PPI for more then 3 weeks you can not just stop taken it very bad side effects, while taking the PPI the brain stops you making stomach acid or not making as much then if you just stop taking the PPI Losec your brain releases the stomach acid & from what the vet said its too much stomach acid until it gets back to normal again so you need to slowly stop the PPI-Losec.. I tried all the ant acid meds then Patch stayed on Zantac (Ranitidine) 1/3 of a 150mg tablet 30mins before food for a while then the Zantac didnt seem to work no more, so vet wrote Patch out a script for 20mg Omeprazole-Losec heaps cheaper from a chemist then a vets, I started giving Patch the Losec for 3 days when he was bad then i’d stop Simon said yes thats what he does takes the Losec for 2-4 days then he stops then I found while Patch was on the Losec he was HEAPS better, no eating grass as soon as he woke up, no vomiting, no whinging all the time, he was sleeping thru the night not getting up 5am wanting grass..so I put him on the Losec full time around May 2016, now I want to try another PPI Somac (Pantoprazole) 20mg what I take for my GORDs.. cause why has Patch gotten so bad where now, his acid has inflammed his wind pipe? the losec isnt helping him no more he needs to try another PPI, Ive changed his food to a lower fat 9%min & Im cooking for lunch & second dinner 8pm meal & kibble for his other meals..5 meals a day…
You’re lucky you can get the Natural Balance heaps of dogs with IBS, IBD, Pancreatitis, are all doing really well on the Natural Balance formula & some of the dog owners cook meals as aswell so their dog isnt just eating a dry processed kibble..
Another thing make sure you read what the Kcals per cup are & stay UNDER 370 Kcals per cup best to stay under 350Kcls per cup, the higher teh Kcals per cup the harder teh stomach has to work digesting the kibble…

I would change your girl food, do live at home with mum? cause cooked meals would be heaps better then dry processed kibble, or have a look at those “Pet Fresh” loaf in pet fridge section at pet shops or supmarkets, look for a loaf that has the lowest amount of fat % around 3-5%-fat & start feeding her 4 smaller meals a day breakfast lunch & 2 dinners I do 5pm-kibble & 8pm-kibble or cooked meal, if your not home get one of these kibble machines that will give her 1/3 to 1/2 a cup for lunch & dnner….. Do you belong to any face book groups “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” Canine IBD group? I wonder if you ask does anyone have a kibble machine they dont use any more & if you could set a up a donation account once you find a good vet then you give the new vets account details & people can start donating money so your girl can get an Endoscope & Biopsies done, no point in doing an Ultra Scan it cannot see the stomach properly or do teh biopsies there’s another test the dog drinks a solution Barium meal test but you need bipsies done once you get biopsies your vet will get some answers, even if she has ulcers teh endoscope will see teh ulcer of if she has scarring form old old ulcers, this is if only after changing her diet & you have tried Zantac (Ranutdine) twice a day before feeding main meals even thought your feeding 4 smaller meals 2 of the meals are just a bit bigger thats why I asked what breed is your girl??? is she small or a bigger dog, theres so much’info I probably have forgotten, so keep CockerlierMom & me posted please…
Have you tried the “4Health” Special Care, Sensitive Stomach, its Potato & Egg kibble Potato & Egg is really good to cook as well, I always make Patch a scramble egg when he’s unwell dont add any butter or milk you just scramble the egg & use a non stick frying pan or do in the micro wave but if you cook too long in micro wave you can get rubber scramble egg.. also boil soom potatoes leave in air tight container & add to some chicken I often buy the reduced BBQ chicken I eat the fatty part of teh chiken & give to the cat & I give Patch the breast section & freeze any left overs for next time, also tin tuna in spring water with boiled potato is also another good easy tomake meal for your girl instead of feeding her the kibble also look for wet can foods but tehfat has to be #% & under best to email teh pet food company & ask what is the fat% when converted to dry matter the max fat % you’ll be shoked sometimes you see 55-fat after you contact the pet food comany they tell you its 26% fat so be careful with wet can foods,
With Probiotics they seem to make PAtches acid reflux worse I do not know why?? neither does teh vet also stay with loer fiber lower carb kibbles as teh higher fiber 7 higher carbs make teh acid worse, I just hoping it’s just teh brand of kibble your feing & thats the problem an ingredient or the kibble has fish/salmon oil that is causing the aid reflux with your girl cause after eating a cook meal she is better so maybe she s better off eating a balanced cooked meals but dont wory yet about balancing het dietyet she is OK for 2 month with out her diet being balanced just work out this problem first & how can you raise money to get Endoscope & biopsies if it all continues.. finger X it doesnt… she is young hopefully she’s just eating the wrong food..

[Tom M]

Hi I was just wondering what treats are recommended in between raw meals and whether unraw treats can cause tummy or bacterial problems if digested with raw? I’m a bit confused on which treats are best, he eats meat n veg raw meals commercially prepared but not much starchy carbs or grains. Any advice would be much appreciated thanks

[j w]

My dog had urinary crystals, vet put him on Royal Canin Urinary S/O. Like many other people, I am worried about this not being nutritious enough despite resolving the crystal issue. Now that six months have passed with the crystals being gone, my vet said it is okay for him to go on a different diet and be rechecked in a month for possible reappearing crystals.

There seems to be a decent chance my dog originally developed these crystals from not drinking enough water. The 12 months prior to forming the crystals, he was hardly drinking any water. Now, I pour water in with his kibble, and he happily sips it all up before eating.

I desperately do not want to the crystals to return. But, a raw diet does not seem affordable, and would only be a last resort. I would like to try mostly kibble mixed with canned food and water. From what I am reading when choosing a kibble, it should be a high protein – low-carb – grain free / potato free kibble.

I am leaning towards trying this brand, EVO, which seems to be very low carb yet high quality / high rated food. /dog-food-reviews/evo-dog-food-dry/

Would anyone recommend against this?

[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…
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….

[Lynn S]

Skin scraping came back positive for yeast overgrowth. That’s why I have spent endless of hours researching the ingredients in both grain free and non grain free dog food. Since both carbs and starch are in both they suggested putting her on a raw food diet. By doing so she has improved a lot. Her fur and whiskers have grown back and no more non stop scratching. The smell from her ears and paws is gone

[Susan]

Hi Cheryl,
I have a stressful Staffy I rescued 5 yrs ago, he was dignosed with Colitis & anixietys then 1 yr later he had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, cause I wanted to know what is causing his problems, the only way the vet can really know what is happening in your dog stomach & bowel is the biopsies, biopsies results tell a vet so much information plus they look around the dogs stomach etc, Patch has gotten heaps better these last 2-3 yrs he’s in a strict routine, feed same time every day & feed 4 smaller meals instead of 2 large meals a day, I try & not change too much in his life, (BUT we have just moved)
Patch no longer shakes & trembles when there’s a thunder storm, we had bad thunder storm last night & what I do now is Patch the cat & I all get into bed, I turn on my TV a bit loader then usual & when it thunders I look to the ceiling or out the window I point & say go away naughty thunder, go away also the thunder doesn’t seem to bother my cat & I tell Patch look Indy isnt scared, he looks at the cat & see’s her nice & calm, what happens after he has his stress attack (Anxiety) this is when his IBD starts to play up, I’ve been in Hospital the last few days & Patch had to stay at my daughters place & his routine was put out he was whinging & crying waiting for me at her front door, I told my daughter just get him into his routine as much as you can, I came home yesterday afternoon from hospital & today Patch is eating grass & not his happy self, so he must of really stress while staying at my daughters place & since I moved here 1 month ago Patch has been getting up thru the night, tippy toeing thru the house it’s a wierd thing he has done since I got him 5 yrs ago, he tippy toes some night he gets up he walks so slow on his toes so he doesnt wake anyone up, I’d say he has some discomfort & can’t sleep & changes beds, he reminds me of Goldielocks & the 3 bears, as soon as Patch seen me packing boxes to move he became unwell & anxious all over again the tippy toe thru the house re started his Poos are fine nice & firm he has started having his stomach pain again his acid reflux is going good, it depends what I feed him with his acid reflux playing up he’s on 20mg Losec every morning for his acid reflux which has really helped him, wet canned foods all seem to give him acid reflux so I cook & freeze small meals, its ends up being cheaper then buying the vet diet wet canned foods, sweet potato & pumkin is very good for stomach & bowel, I boil sweet potato & some pumkin first I peel & cut in small pieces boil then cool then I freeze them, Sweet Potato & Pumkin stay OK when frozen & you take a piece out & it thaws pretty quickly, I also make rissole balls lean turkey mince or lean beef mince add 1 whisked egg & some chopped parsley mix all together & make 1/2 size rissole balls & bake on a foil lined baking tray in oven turn over 1/2 way & drain any fat water that comes from the rissoles at the moment he’s eating “Nutro Essentails” Lamb & Rice Weight management kibble cause the fat is 9%min & he does good on Lamb, Nutro Australia has reformulated their formula’s the Nutro is on Special & 1/2 price cause its new so I thought I’ll give it a go, the Nutro has sought of constipated Patch, cause he eats 4 meals a day Im feeding 2 of the larger meals the Nutro Kibble & the other 2 meals are smaller & I’m feeding him his cooked meals Rissoles with the Pumkin & Sweet potato all mashed together & this has fixed things up in the poo department, he’s doing 1 poo morning & another poo in the afternoon, I never thought Patch would ever get constiped, normally he has the opposite problem Diarrhea, before I moved I was feeding him a kibbles with the fat 15% & under, but since moving he has started doing his mouth suckling noises & I do not know why he makes this sound & what is wong with him?? in the past he has done real WELL on “Canidae” All Life Stages Platinum, Canidae Pure Wild Boar & the Pure Meadow Senior formula is pretty good aswell, the max fat is 10.80% in the Pure Meadow Senior dry formula & it has everything an aging dog needs, I emailed Canidae & they give you max % on fat protein etc….all ingredients are source from local farmers & Canidae grow their own veggies, here’s Canidae’s site scroll down a bit look to your eight & you’ll see the pages the Platinum is on page 5, there’s also their “Canidae Pure Petite” Small Breed formula it has low fat low protein & only 5 ingredients..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Patches vet has put Patch on “Gabapentin” 100mg last year for his IBD & Anxieties, I open the Gabapentin capsule & tip out 1/2 the Gabapentin powder as it seems to drug Patch up a bit so I make it 50mg instead of 100mg capsule, the vet said Gabapentenin is good for Anxieties, IBD, IBS & other health contions & this drug does not irratate the stomah or bowel like other medications can do, she said this is why is very good for dogs with IBD you could ask your vet about the Gabapentin 50mg & do what I do open capsule & tip some powder out into a empty capsules you buy empty capsules at te chemist, it makes Patch sleep thru the whole night & he doesnt move & doesnt get up & change beds through the night but the next day he seems very washed out & I dont like seeing him lik that so I dont give hime what the vet recommended 2 times a day poor dog would be too drug up need to get my scales out & weight the capsule & give him only 20-30mgs only when he really needs some pain relief & your girl is very small so she’d need a lower dose then Patch weights 18kgs around 40lbs….

I’ve looked at the new Hills I/d Stress wet & dry formula’s when it first came out & I do not know how these ingredients would reduce stress in a dog???, it would make the dog do firm poos but that doesnt mean you have reduced the stress in the dog? Has the I/d Stress made your girl any better Stress wise since she has started eating the I/d Stress?? is she eating the wet or dry kibble I/d Stress formula?? When I looked at these are the ingredients below in the I/d Stress formula the “Beet Pulp” helps firm poo’s up, the Ginger for Nausea, the Vitamin B12, the B-2 in the Riboflavin & B-7 in the Biotin is good for skin & nails… B vitamins, and specifically biotin, help keep your skin, hair, eyes, liver, and nervous system healthy, so its probably the B vitamins reducing the Stress ….
You can give your dog vitamin B yourself, there’s the B-12 liquid you inject weekly or you get the Vitamin B capsules, if you go onto Face Book, put “EPI Dogs” in the search bar & there’s only 1 EPI group it should come up, if not I’ll give you the link, the ladies are all very helpful & know which brand to get, which brand is the cheapest & where to get it from….
I/d Stress ingredients
Brewers Rice, Corn Starch, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Pork Flavor, Lactic Acid, Ginger, Soybean Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Pork Fat, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Hydrolyzed Casein, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene.

I think with a dog who is very stressed out she needs a quiet environment, a strict routine, walked & I use to go to the dog Patch & sit on a seat & let Patch watch teh dogs all playing from afar we also would sit at te beach as he was scarred of the waves in the beging now I cant let him off his lead he’s a nut & loves teh ocean & just runs & runs along the sand & I cant catch him so we stop goingto the beach I ended up having anxieties I’d try the Vitamin B ask your vet & try one of the Canidae formulas, another brand I see people saying their dog who has stomach/bowel problems doing really well is the “Purina One” formulas.. I think you buy from supermarket… also there’s teh “Rescue Remedy”drops you put 1 drop on her tongue morning & night & 20mins before she is going to do something that will stress her out a lady that use to come & bath Patch said her 10yr old dog has really bad anxieties & the Rescue Remedy drops really works for her dog, she just feeds her dog supermarket dry kibble & raw meat…also have you tried teh “Freshpet” rolls & dry food? Ive also red people saying their dogs is doing well on the Freshpet roll..

[haleycookie]

I have met many people that use whole earth farms weight loss food. It is pretty effective. You really don’t need an expensive rx food for weight loss. It’s all about watching calories. One of my coworkers buys the Royal Canin weight loss prescription diet. Guess what, he literally counts the pieces of kibble his dog gets in a day and the dog hasn’t lost a pound in 2 years while on it. For some reason he still feed it. I guess his vet has him convinced it’s doing some good even though it isn’t and he’s paying out the behind for a small bag of it every couple weeks.
Natures variety can be very fatty though. So watch for that. It’s a good commercial raw to go with but I’ve seen it put weight on some dogs. How much does you vet want your dog to weigh? Do you feed any kind of treats? What type of exercise does she get? You may just have to cut back. According to nv website if you’re feeding the patties a 20 lbs dog should only be getting one patty a day. If you’re feeding two and some kibble you’re probably over feeding. If you’re feeding the medallions it would be around 8 medallions a day if you were feeding nothing but that so I’m not sure where you could be going wrong if you feed the madallions b

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

[Sheila N]

Hi all – This website was super useful to me when I first got my chi/terrier rescue pup, Lola, nine years ago. I ended up trying a few high quality foods and Lola adapted to the raw diet well (we feed Nature’s variety raw – she gets one small patty in the morning and one at night. She would also get a small handful of dry food – wellness senior healthy weight – around lunch time. Up until now, she has been very healthy with no problems. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks, she began limping and holding up her back legs while sitting, and will yelp if we try to touch them. We took her to the vet yesterday who said she has arthritis and needs to lose weight to get pressure off of her joints. She’s 22 lbs at the moment. So we’re going to cut out the midday meal completely, but I was thinking that perhaps I should replace the evening raw patty with a small amount of dry food instead. The vet recommended Hill’s metabolic weight loss (Rx only) but I would love any other suggestions. Wellness core reduced fat seems to be popular – anything else people have used and like? Thanks so much!

[Susan]

Hi Liz,
I have found when a dog becomes picky it can be stomach problems, the dog is smart & has learnt what foods upset his stomach, have you taken him to vet? even if you do take him to see a vet the vet can’t tell you anything by just looking at him the vet needs to see inside stomach/bowel he needs an Endoscope & Biopsies done or blood tests done for his Pancreas & liver, I did Endoscope & Biopsies in the end with my boy, he has IBD, nausea & certain foods (Wet canned high fat & Kibble) gives him bad acid reflux, when I first rescued him 5 years ago I didnt have a clue why he was grinding his teeth, lip smacking, whinging at 11pm, he’d look at the food in his bowl (kibble) & look back up at me with this look “whats this crap” & then he’d walked away, cause he was a rescue I didnt know what he was feed I know he wouldn’t touch kibble the first week I got him then he was weeing blood he was put on a Vet diet wet can & dry kibble & he seem to like the Royal Canin vet Kibble & wet canned food but that was only to be feed for 6 weeks then once his crystals were dissolved vet said feed him what he was eating before (I didnt know) so I started feeding him what I ate & wet canned food then he was pooing blood (IBD)

Kibble is harder to digest & higher in carboydrates, the higher the protein & fat in kibble can be making things worse, normally the fancy foods are high fat/protein so he wont eat them now, have you tried wet canned food? but make sure the fat is under 4% in fat in wet canned foods as they havn’t been converted to dry matter (kibble) fat, 5%min-fat written on the can of wet food when converted to DM is around 20%min to 26% max fat same with raw pre-made & the pet rolls etc
Have you tried those Pet Rolls alot of people say good things about “Freshpet rolls sold at Costco, Pet Smart & Walmart also have you tried home cooking what your cooking for dinner make some extra for him like boiled potato, veggies & add some type of meat, I buy the human extra lean beef mince or the Lean Turkey mince & whisk an egg & add some chopped parsley & make 1/2 cup size rissole balls & bake in the oven on foil linned oven tray & all the fat & water comes out drain turn them over & bake till ready then I cool & freeze the rissoles then you get a fork & mash them up with some sweet potato, veggies etc?? cooked food will be healthier then a dry kibble, also start feeding 4 smaller meals a day this helps gain weight & if he does have stomach problems there’s not as much to digest when he eats 4-5 smaller meals, when you feed 2 larger meals of dry kibble there’s heaps more to digest, the bowl of kibble you put on the floor doubles in size, now this would cause anyone stomach pain when you think about it, you eat this small dry kibble then this kibble all start to swell up in your stomach & you’d start to feel uncomfortable, I know I would, I feed Patch 7am-1/2 a cup kibble, 9am-1/2 a cup same kibble, 12pm-scrambled egg with gluten free pasta or can tuna in spring water drained water add boiled mashed potato, 5pm 1/2 cup kibble or I do Tuna/Salmon & boiled potato & 8pm-cooked meal or 1/3 cup kibble at the moment he likes eating “Nutro Essential” Lamb & Rice, 2 weeks ago he stopped eating his “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Lamb this was his go to kibble when he was un well & had diarrhea/acid reflux, the TOTW fixed up his IBD but he doesnt want anything to do with, after seeing all the Toxins in pet foods (Google “Toxins In Pet Food”) the company will come up then have a look at the 2 & 1 star dry dog foods, Kirkland & TOTW have a few bad 1 star dry foods, so I’m listening to Patch & not feeding his TOTW for now…I also buy a grain free Super market good quaility kibble, I buy the smaller bags look for specials online pet store kibbles that have ingredients he can eat then I rotate his kibbles I ask him “which one do you want” I put 1 brand kibble inbetween right fingers & another brand kibble in between left hand fingers & ask him to smell them he smells both kibbles then I let him take the kibble he wants to eat thats been working out really well, you’d get sick of eating the same meal everyday so I never feed the same kibble more then 1-2 week or he starts reacting he has IBD food sensitivies & he has problems keeping on his weight & FINALLY I have him at 18kg he would always stay around 16-17kg vet said he looks good but I dont like seeing his bottom rib, I like Staffys that are little solid nuggets, all muscle, not muscle & bones like he use to be…

[Susan]

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

[Jessica J]

Ahhhhh…. so glad I stumbled across this thread. As a store manager of a grooming salon & pet boutique, I literally spend my day surrounded by high quality dog food and have successfully advised countless dog owners. I have spent hours respectfully arguing against the “my vet says Science Diet” is the best food argument. My 8 year old Australian Labradoodle has mostly eaten Acana or the Fromm 4-Star GF line. She’s a finicky one and tends to prefer the Fromm. Well… 3 weeks ago a friend of a friend found a baby Lab on the side of the road. Cold, slightly malnourished, and scared. After confirming that nobody was looking for this sweet little lost soul… I made her a permanent member of my family. In desperation the first night I got her, I brought home a bag of Orijen Puppy kibble and Primal Raw Goats Milk. My only thought being that this little girl needed some good nutrition asap. After a week of thriving but with loose explosive poops, I realized that the Orijen was probably a little too rich for her belly. So I did a little research and checked some numbers and trusted my intuition- and put her on the same Fromm kibble my Doodle eats. She is gaining a perfect 2lbs a day, solid stools, looks great, etc. I have occasionally supplemented with a little Primal Raw Goats Milk. Saw the new vet at my beloved practice today and was chastised and lectured that she should be on a Large Breed Puppy food so that she doesn’t end up a dysplastic disaster at a young age. Then I came home and found this thread as well as confirmed for myself that the numbers hit where I wanted them to. Thank you for the knowledgeable common sense advice and all your wisdom!!

[lisa p]

I am a pet stylist and 2nd generation dog trainer/behaviorist as such I have been around dogs and am very knowledgeable..with that being said I recommend more fat in in your dogs diet.
You may accomplish this by feeding raw bones or my personal favorite to ad fat fast is cow tripe sold in cans for dogs.
Best of luck!