[Susan]

Hi Therese,
Glad you have finally found something Lucy likes, so she is a gravy lover like most dogs, this must be the type of food her original owner feed her gravy type stews, now when you give her her anitibiotics make sure she is taking them on a full stomach, this is why she’d be feeling nauseous, antibiotic’s must be taken with a meal & if she wasnt really eating much it would be hard to give her her meds…..

With Pancreatitis just make sure the fat in a wet tin food is 4% & below when feeding some wet tin foods, some are 5,6,7,8,9% min in fat, eating high fat foods 24/7 can cause Pancreatitis.. even with this Mighty Dog 1 food might be 3%min fat then another formula might be 6%min fat, just make sure you read the can first, if you see 5%min fat min when you convert 5%min fat it will be around 20-25% max fat, depending on the brand when it’s converted to dry matter, so it’s best to stay around the 2-4%fat in wet tin foods, for now just stick with the mighty dog wet tin food, then once she is off all her meds & she is feeling heaps better you can venture out & try better quality foods…

Hills Science Diet has their new Youthful Vitality 7+ Chicken & Vegetable Stew, the can is lime/green back round with a border collie dog running on the side, the Youthful Vitility food has everything a dog needs, even thought Lucy is only 3 she could be in poor condition on the inside, the Youthful Vitility Stew has antioxidants for brain support, L-carnitine helps with stomach & diarrhea, Vitamins C & E help bolster a strong immune system, Omega 3 & 6 for skin & coat & has high quality ingredients, the fat is 15%max, Hills converts all their wet tin foods fat, protein, fiber etc it’s on their Hills site, even if you just buy 3-4 tins a week & she gets 1 tin every second night for dinner or breakfast, if she does not eat this food then wash out the Hills tin & take it back to Pet Shop, Hills is guaranteed money back for palability….it’s a bit embarassing but the workers get to know you & your dog…
also instead of the boiled pumkin, try boiled sweet potato, the orange sweet potato, maybe its called Yams in America, it’s healthy like pumkin & taste like pumkin but it’s sweeter, just add 1spoon mixed thru wet tin food, I boil cut up squares about the size of 1 spoon & freeze then I take out when I need 1-2 spoons to add to a meal, it thaws very quickly & then heat in micro wave so its not cold, that’s another reason dogs & cats won’t eat their food if its cold from the fridge, I warm my cats wet & raw food for just 7-8 second to take off the chill..

[Kathyrn G]

I rescued a bloodhound from a puppy mill who was used for breeding for 5 years, she was near death, only weighed 60lbs. It has taken 2 years to get her well. The ongoing problem she has is a very senative GI tract. Our vet insists she stay on the RX Purina EN wet food , which when you read the ingredients, I do not want her on it! She tolerates it well but cannot tolerate any kibble that I try to mix with it & I have tried many top rated brands. I have also tried a raw diet, & she throws that up too. Her kibble will be undigested 6-8 hours after she eats. She has no blockage, but has been in the vet hospital several times due to her GI distress, to the tune of many thousands if $.
Any suggestions?

[Jill T]

Hi! Just wondering if they have checked the dog for pancreatitis and have done any bloodwork? Also has anyone checked the dog for intestinal parasites? Since we are positive for heartworm, which is a very expensive, and long, drawn out treatment, it would not surprise me if we are positive for giardia, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworm, or any other intestinal parasite. Bland diet is the best choice for her right now, such as boiled, skinless, boneless chicken and white rice. If she has pancreatitis it my take a couple days for her to want to eat. The pancreas needs to rest, and if she does have it Caesar’s and Mighty dog are high in fat, which is the worst thing you can give your dog with pancreatitis. I’ve worked with animals for 15 years and have a dog prone to pancreatitis. She will always have to be on a low fat diet for the rest of her life. Her only treats she is able to have with no issues is pieces of her regular diet or it sends her into a bout of pancreatitis. Good luck with your dog and I really hope she recovers from this. If she is this nauseous from the antibiotics, I would sincerely hope the veterinarian would recommend changing it to something else. Hope this helps a little.

[Susan]

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

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

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

[Nata T]

Thank you, Caroline C.
I am very sorry, everyone, whose fur kids are having issues with the commercial dog food (Acana in particular) and hope your babies recover and get better soon.
I am also sorry for those of you, who lost precious pups. 🙁

Personally, I am fully transferred mine to raw diet and love it. Before I fed Millies Wolfheart from Austin, TX. It was the best kibble for us.

[Susan]

Hi Leslie,
are you 100% sure your dog can’t have these ingredients? have you done an elimination food diet to make sure…cause your ellimation alot of brands as most grain free foods have peas & most grain foods have barley….
My boy has IBD, environment allergies & food intolerances/sensitivities, he can not eat chicken, oats, wheat, barley, chickpeas & carrots & I’m pretty sure corn, corn gluten meal & tapioca as well but I never had any tapioca or corn meal to try in the food elimination trial cause when tapioca or corn/maize has been in the vet diets he has tried for his IBD his skin became very smelly of yeast & itchy, for 1-2 yrs I thought he couldn’t eat potatoes, turkey & peas, then finally vet said do an elimination diet & worked out the foods he can’t eat, we were going around & around in circle, I couldn’t feed any grain free formula’s cause they either have potatoes, peas & chickpeas, he does sloppy poos, diarrhea from barley & chickpeas are the worst for gas/farts, wind pain, carrot causes itchy ears & he shakes his head & ears after he eats any foods with carrots, when he eatas chicken he gets red hot paws 15-20mins after eating raw or cooked chicken, with barley, oats & wheat he gets his yeasty itchy smelly skin, sometimes if the ingredient is further down the ingredient list he’s OK….
Food allergies are very rare to have, they normaly have food intolerances/sensitivities they are more common….

“California Natural” has their Lamb Meal & Rice adult large bites only has 3 ingredients & Chicken Meal & Rice has 4 ingredinets http://www.californianaturalpets.com/

or there’s vet diets “Hills” D/D Potato & Venison grain free, gluten free, soy free, there’s no cross contamination, it’s a bit expensive but Patch loves it, he can’t eat that many kibbles so I rotate with his “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, & keep looking so we can find another new food to try… but if your dog can eat raw, raw diet is the best or home cooked meals, or raw or cooked for 1 meal & kible for the other meal or those Rolls in teh fridge section, we have really good limited ingredient rolls in Australia called “Prime SKD”rolls cooked Crocodile, Kangaroo, Lamb, you must have the same in America some type of cooked roll meat for dogs…. Good – Luck I’ll keep my eye out

[haleycookie]

Raw is a good way to avoid those ingredients, most commercial raws will be good and if you do it yourself just make sure you’re researching and making it balanced. But I’ve heard of a lot of Germans doing excellent on a raw diet. Natures logic is probably the best quality kibble I mentioned. The rest are rated 3-4 stars here.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by haleycookie.

[amy r]

Keep in mind that a Newfoundland primary diet is normally fish based they need the oils to have healthy coats and skin. Make sure you not only use a fish oil everyday but add in fish as well to the kibble I use salmon or sardines only In water also several times a week I add in 1200mg of fish oil daily. We had crappy skin with litte sores for awhile tried several different foods finally ended up on fromm gold lb and the above plus I use raw veggies as snacks no dog cookies at all and her skin is great and her coat is soft and shiney. Becareful not to over bath her newfs are waterdogs who have a natural oil in their coat which will dry out if over bathed with shampoos

[Mark M]

A couple of months ago the Nature Valley Raw Instinct dog food line. I’m on my 3rd bag since the transition and probably on my 3rd week of my dog having regular diarrhea. This has started about 3 weeks ago with inconsistency. He would have just softer than normal bowel movements when he was at home but daycare was telling me that he would have regular explosive diarrhea when he was there. I figured that it may have been other treats or the excitement of daycare, but now after several weeks and removal of the other treats until only the kibble is all that he is regularly eating for several days now, he has been having liquid diarrhea for the last few days. Is anyone else that uses this brand experiencing this?

I have put him on a bland diet to see if he normalizes, but I am concerned about resuming this brand of food if others may be having the same issue.

[Anne B]

All right, at first this CleanLabelProject report threw me for a loop. I started looking for another brand of kibble based on CLP’s findings. What they deemed to be healthier for our dogs have corn meal as the first ingredient for starters. They included primarily plant based proteins and other carbs that I do not eat let alone our dogs.
As we are transitioning our two dogs from kibble based diets to primarily raw diet and the occasional kibble included meal we are not changing from Orijen. I think about how unhealthy it was for my husband and I on a high carb diet so why should we subject our dogs to the same high carb, high fat stuff?
We give our dogs Organic Bragg’s ACV, prebiotics and probiotics, Organic Coconut Oil and minimal kibble that has a low carbohydrate percentage ratio. I believe in the “everything in moderation” along with a nice piece of beef rather than this report as gospel and a grain of any kind.

[Susan]

Hi Alisha,
all the advice I have given has been Patches treatment thru Patches vet who specializes in Skin, Stomach & Bowel health….
Keep a diary & as the months & years pass you will start to see a pattern when his skin allergies are worse, it probably be in the Spring & Summer months or after eating certain ingredients the scratching, itching, gas will be worse … Best to do an elimination food trial in the colder months Winter when plants aren’t flowering & pollens arent as bad as they are in the Spring months, plants, trees, grasses all can make the dog itchy & you’ll think it might be the food he’s trialing/eating….Allergies are VERY confusing, my vet & I thought my boy couldn’t eat turkey & potatoes for 2 yrs, later I realised he can eat potatoes & turkey it was something else causing sloppy poos & itchy smelly skin barley, chicken & oats.. also after he haas had a bath keep your boy off all grass areas for a few days no walking, lying on any grass & see how he goes, does his stomach improve??? We thought grass was making Patches paws red, every morning I feed him breakfast then we go for a walk thru the park when we’d come home Patch would start licking his paws, I’d have a look & his paws would be RED & sometimes hot, 1 back paw would be swollen red & hot, so I made sure he just walked on the pathway cerment etc it turned out to be the chicken & corn in the vet diet he was eating at the time for his IBD, I did a raw elimination diet, while he was eating raw Kangaroo with blended green veggies he was fine, his itchy yeasty skin & paws all went away within 2-5 days, then I tried raw chicken breast for dinner within 15 mins after eating raw chicken breast he reacted with red hot paws, rubbing his bum on carpet, I soak paws in cold water with the Malaseb medicated shampoo, then before bed applied some Hydrocortisone cream on bum & paws cream had fixed his paws all back to normal…

You’ll get there, Winter will be coming soon in America & hopefully he’ll get a break & you can start working out the food side, what foods he’s sensitive too… vet diets are the easiest way to do elimination diets & the diet is balanced, then after eating teh vet diet you might have to trial a few but once dog is itch & smell free you start adding 1 new ingredient to his diet for 6 weeks, it can take from 1 day for a dog to react to an ingredient up to 6 weeks, with Patch I know with that day or night with sloppy poo or diarrhea skin can take up to 4 days to start to smell yeasy, carrots make his ears itchy within 20mins of eating them, then they start to smellyeasty in 3-5 days, he starts shaking his head/ear after eating something with carrot in it, the only way I knew this was elimination diet adding the carrot to home made rissoles, you start with a lean mince, I started with Pork mince made small rissole 1/2 size balls & baked in oven & added boiled sweet potato, he was fine then next batch of rissoles I added 1 whisked egg made 1/2 cup size rissole balles baked in oven, boiled more sweet potatoes that I freeze in freezer & take out as I need same as teh rissole they freeze well, he was fine with egg, just keep adding 1 new food to your rissoles & you will see what ingredients are causing any skin, stomach/bowel problems…. Good Luck..

[Molly M]

I have a 1 and half year old German Shepherd Labrador hybrid. We got her at 6 months old and she threw up every morning and had diarrhea constantly. When it wasn’t diahrrea, the poops were still yellow. We had assumed she was getting pesticides in her when our apartment complex sprayed the grass, and tried walking her on the road. It worked for a while but then continued to happen. Finally we decided it was food. We put her on a “Bland Diet” of boiled rice and ground turkey to detox her system and began researching new dog foods. We were struggling with how expensive they were being a newly wed couple just starting new jobs. We were contemplating a raw diet because it was the cheapest natural option, but then we found Abound at Kroger and got very excited, because it wasn’t much more than a raw diet, and dry food is much less hassle. She has been on Abound for 2 months now and has not thrown up once, and her poops are finally more solid, and brown in color. We are stoked! We will continue to use Abound! She has gained back her weight after losing 12 pounds, and looks and plays like she’s very healthy again.

[crazy4cats]

You’re welcome! Just remember to keep the unbalanced add ins less than 20% of the diet to make sure they are getting all their necessary nutrients. The canned and commercial raw that I add in is complete and balanced, but not the fresh foods. Good luck to you!

[Kathleen C]

We will be picking up our Bernese Mountain puppy next week and I am so confused about which brand of food to feed him. We are concerned about the potential health issues (inherent to this breed) that could occur and want to provide the best to hopefully avoid some of those complications. I have read thru this thread and it has created more confusion.

Also, the breeder AND a reputable BMD website has stated a low protein diet is better for this breed but according to the information that I am getting from this thread, that is not a concern. What we should be concerned about is the calcium levels.

Any advise/help/suggestions is very much appreciated. Due to our lifestyle a raw diet will not happen except for an occasional meal.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by Kathleen C.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Dewper-

I add meal mixers to all of my dogs’ meals. In the morning, they always get canned food mixed in. For their afternoon meals, I usually add some fresh ingredients such as an egg, tripe, commercial raw, lean meat and veggie leftovers, or sardines.

Here is a link to a site that has some good recommendations as well:
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html

Here is another one to a down load that has great ideas as well as a chart on how much to add: https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

I think it’s a great idea to add a little something to their dry boring kibble! A word of warning, however, is that he/she will start to expect it and you will get the stink eye if you don’t add anything! 🙂

[Susan]

Hi dewper,
have you tried giving baths twice a week in “Malaseb” medicated shampoo?? baths wash off any allergens that are on the paws, skin & fur, when I first rescued my boy he was a paw licker, now he’s been diagnosed with IBD, Environment allergies & food sensitivities/intolerances, he was put on a high omega 3 skin vet diet but it didn’t help with his red itchy paws or sloppy poo’s, it helped his skin, so I did a food elimination diet & worked out what foods he was sensitive too that were causing his red itchy paws, itchy ears where he’d shake his head, bum surfing on the carpet, & itchy skin… but when they have both environment allergies & food sensitivities it’s very hard to work out what’s causing what…so its best to do food elimination diet in the winter the colder months when all the pollens flowers etc aren’t out..
Have you joined face book group called “Dog, issues, allergies and other information support” group a Dermatologist is in the group, Dr Karen Helton Rhodes DMV, DACVD she has a F/B group called “Canine Skin Solutions”
I use Hydrocortisone 1% cream on his paws & in between toes at night then during the day before our walk I use “Sudocrem” on his paws & white sections of fur & pink skin the Sudocrem is for nappy rash, eczema & dermatitis & acts as a barrier & protects the skin it’s excellent if your dog has grass allergies, itchy bum & skin, when my boy walks on wet grass he gets his red paws also, chicken, barley, oats, corn & wheat causes itchy skin & itchy paws within 20 mins of eating these foods, carrots make his ears itch & the head tilting & shaking start… start keeping a diary..
It’s best to give baths, use creams & socks to stop the paw licking & have you looked into a raw diet?? all Patches skin problems disappeared within 1 week when he started a raw diet high in omega 3 & probiotic to strengthen his immune system also high potency vitamin C is excellent..
If I see Patch licking his paws I say NO lick & I stop him licking his paws & go & get the Sudocrem & apply if it’s in the day & before bed I apply the Hydrocortisone 1% cream you’ll get into a routine & work out what works best for your boy….baths in Malaseb shampoo twice a week will stop & relieve any itchy skin & paws. also when he looks bored & starts to lick paws give him something natural & healthy to chew on, a healthy raw meaty bone will stop any paw licking, chicken & turkey bone is the softest bone to chew & digest… read all ingredients to any treats you buy..
can I ask 1 question after he licks & licks his paws does he burp, do you hear him burp??

[anonymous]

What do you mean by “whole foods” ?

I mix a bit of cooked ground turkey, scrambled egg, stir fried shaved steak, broiled chicken liver, chopped cooked chicken breast to a quality kibble (2/3 of meal) with about 1/4 cup of water, measured amounts twice a day, a raw 1/2 carrot for a snack.
Whatever is in the reduced price section of my local supermarket.
As a pescatarian I don’t eat much animal products (fish only), but this regimen is working for my dogs.
Zignature whitefish or catfish are my current favorite kibbles.

Ps: I lean toward a fish based kibble due to my dog with allergies, seems to work best.
But without the treatment by a veterinary dermatologist, the food changes made NO difference at all. But, the right diet in conjunction with other treatments helps, in my experience.
Same thing with shampoos, the right ones work in conjunction with other treatments prescribed by a specialist.
Alone, pffft, a waste of money.

[pitlove]

Hi Matt C-

No, raw is not simple. The diet you are proposing for your dog is very nutritionally deficient. Simply feeding him chicken thighs with nothing else is not providing a complete nutrient profile for him and can end in diseases such as Ricketts. More and more raw fed dogs whos owners believe they are feeding them “complete and balanced” homemade raw meals are finding their dogs are Vit D deficient.

Also the idea that your dog needs to detox itself from the processed food and that is why they are having diarrhea is insane to say the least. Expecting your dog to have diarrhea and allowing it to happen for 1 to 2 weeks will only result in you having to rush your dog to the ER vet for SubQ fluids for dehydration.

Please consider using the consulation services of websites like BalanceIt.com or petdiets.com to pay a veterinary nutritionist to help you formulate a diet that will be complete and balanced and not taking any more advice from blogs on the internet. It is nothing short of disturbing that this kind of information is floating around the internet.

[LovelyBear]

I love animals so much! I excelled in biology and animal science classes growing up. Plus everyone in my family defines me as having a special bond with animals. I am considering becoming a Vet! But the majority of them focus on medicines, processed foods, shots, etc. I am all about holistic care, raw diets, preventative care, etc. I understand each has a place in the world and If an animal needs medicine/shots I am all for it. So my dilemma is paying THOUSANDS for vet school and them teaching how we are over vaccinating our pets, them recommending crappy foods, etc.

What are some other jobs that involve animals? If I don’t become a Vet, I definitely want to do something with animals!

[MATT C]

I’m guilty of over-researching some things. Going to a raw food diet is one of them apparently… To start out is there any reason I can’t get a supply of good quality chicken thighs, freeze them, and thaw out a couple to give my pup each day?

Is it really this simple?!?!

We have a 2-year-old small dog (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel + Poodle mix) who has been on so many types of hypoallergenic dog food that I’ve lost count of all of what we’ve tried. He’s about 17 pounds now and has been eating Hills Science Diet z/d which is all that he has been able to tolerate so far. He still goes through periods of loose stool and what we call “flare-ups” when he’s clearly not himself. We’ve gone through the allergy testing but even the “safe” proteins have given him problems. This is why I want to go raw…

This is what I think I will do. Any comments, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

1) Pick a weekend when I will be home to start this (my wife is not exactly on board with this idea…)

2) Fast Jasper on Friday (he normally eats 2x per day)

3) Not do a transition period, but start him with 1/4 pound of raw chicken 2x per day. His feeding times have been between 7-8am and then again between 5-6pm.

4) Assuming he eats this I will be prepared to get up at nights for the aftermath. From the reading I’ve done I would expect this to last a week or two as he adjusts.

5) After 1 to 2 months I can start adding in other sources of protein.

Again, any comments or suggestions would be great! Oh, here’s Jasper:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWiaZkWFWj7/?taken-by=mbcoulter

[a c]

Thank you for the replies. I guess it must be the different mixture of ingredients in the kibbles that make it harder to transition.

Susan, When you rotate the kibbles, do you give one kibble at a time for a month or so and then move to the next kibble or do you mix the kibbles together?

I have tried the raw diet – Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, and The Honest Kitchen. It triggered pancreatitis on one of my dogs. The fat content is too high. I now use homemade cook of ground turkey and fresh vegetables as a topper.

When I tried to transition a new kibble, the stool is always sloppy and frequency almost double. Is this normal? It’s especially hard since I am trying to toilet train my 14 weeks old puppy. He is like a stool manufacturer. 🙂 Organic pumpkin is great. I also see pumpkin for dogs and cats at the pet store. Are those have the same ingredients?

Anne, What is the steel ball that you put it in his food? Two of my dogs also inhaled their food.

[Anne B]

Hello Susan,
Like Tyla, I am new to the forums although I have referred to dogfood advisor numerous times. I am also a newbie when it comes to any diet for our dogs other than processed kibble and canned food.

As for our two adult dogs, I have started incorporating some freeze-dried raw with their kibble and plan to go to raw frozen when freezer space allows. I follow Dr. Karen Becker as well as Dana Scott and Dog Naturally Magazine. I would like to rotate them with 2 or 3 totally raw food and be able to back off so much kibble, even if it is the “premium” kind.

Thank you for the link for calculating actual % of carbs.

[Anne B]

Hi FrankiesDoggie,

Since I have just begun to explore the world of raw food diets for our two dogs I really appreciate your recommendations on frozen and freeze-dried raw patties for dogs. Stella & Chewy’s was the first brand that I tried but I do have concerns about the additional additives in particular. Just got some Vital Essentials Beef to try as it does not contain additives although I see some will fault the company for not including any additional vitamins other than Vitamin E.

I will give Nature’s Variety (our Vizsla is on their Rabbit kibble), Primal and OC Raw a try as well. Thanks for your suggestions!

[kate r]

Raw diet is the way to go. watch pet fooled on netflix

[Susan]

Hi ac,
Years ago I never had any problems with any of my dogs or cats, I could feed them anything, raw, cooked kibble wet tin etc but after rescuing Patch & finding out he has IBD I was told by a few vets I have to slowly introduce any new foods kibbles etc to him so his gut gets use to the new ingredients plus he is sensitive to certain foods so I don’t know if it’s cause the gut/intestinal tract is 70% of our immune system, does this play a role in causing food sensitivities/intolerances??
Vets think Patch was feed poor quality cheap kibble & was sensitive to the ingredients & his stupid owner just kept feeding these ingredients to him or feeding him other cheap kibbles with the same ingredients he was sensitive too for the first 4 yrs of his life causing his IBD….I wish I got him as a pup he probably wouldn’t have IBD now..

I think pet food companies write “Introduce over 7-10 days” on their kibble bags now (they never use too) just incase dogs who have a sensitive stomach/bowel are slowly introduce & don’t get diarrhea, this way the Pet Food Companies are covering their asses…

With a raw diet I went thru a Nutritionist cause of Patches IBD & she said just start Patch on the home made raw diet the next morning like I was feeding his kibble but I didn’t add any bone or organ meat in the beginning, too much organ meat can cause diarrhea & bone causes sloppy poos for Patch, so I suppose we did slowly introduce the raw diet but if you have a healthy dog just start a raw diet the next day when you’d feed kibble but they do get real hungry at first cause their stomach is use to eating kibble that’s higher in carbs, rotate between different brands of kibble & different proteins…..
Now I can pretty much feed Patch anything as long as HE”S NOT sensitive to the foods I’m feeding he’s fine, so I don’t know is it cause I’ve strengthen his immune system? or cause I have worked out the foods he’s sensitive too? or rotating between different kibbles has this helped him?? & now I can feed a few different things?? something has helped him get better & heal his bowel..

[Anne B]

This is all such valuable information for me. I have followed this website for years but just joined up.
I have had our two dogs, a vizsla and a lab on amended Orijen kibble for years. Between a combination of information gained from: this website, Dog Naturally Magazine, Orijen (USA) rather than Orijen (Canada) and then Chewy.com losing a few lines (Orijen/Acana, Fromm) because Chewy.com decided to buy PetsMart AND the brew Ha Ha with the CleanLabel folk (but I digress).
All of the reasons above have brought me to the decision to eliminate kibble either all together, which is my preference or at the very most 1/4 to 1/2 kibble and mix with either freeze-dried raw or raw frozen (when we get a stand alone freezer).
I am a rookie to the BARF diet for our dogs. Historically, the vizsla transitions easily to new diets/foods (7 to 10 days) but our labrador has to transition more slowly 2-3 weeks for his GI system to tolerate the change without upset. To date he continues to get a tbsp of organic pumpkin mixed in his Six Fish kibble.
With our vizsla, I have been scaling back his amount of kibble and introduced Stella & Chewy’s freezes-dried patties (mostly 5 stars except for 4 star Duck Duck-he loves it), just ordered the Vital Essentials since it does not have all the additives.
I just have begun to explore the Darwin’s Natural Selection website. The name has a peticularily personal meaning for our vizsla. His sire’s registered name was “Darwin’s Natural Selection”, aka.”Darwin” .
I certainly need and want to increase my knowledge of what is best for our dogs. Looking forward to your input and exchange of ideas. Also the information about online websites for ordering their raw frozen and/or freeze-dried food as well as the kibble, now that Orijen and Chewy.com split the sheets.
Thanks to all.

[Susan]

Hi Tyla
it’s best to contact the raw or dehydrated pet food companies you’re interested in feeding & ask them which formula is recommended for a large breed growing puppy?? especially while she is growing or keep her on a large breed puppy formula then once she is fully grown start introducing raw & freeze dry to her diet… Here’s a fat, protein, fiber converter, so you know the fat & protein % when it’s converted to dry matter, 15%-fat, 15%-Protein is around 48% when converted, if it were a dry kibble. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php
Have you joined any Raw Feeding face book groups, K-9Kitchen Monica Segal,
K-9 Nutrition- Lew Olson & Dr Karen Becker is bringing out her new book that will have special diets…

[zcRiley]

Zignature Lamb limited ingredient formula (kibble). What would probably make it go away is ZiwiPeak freeze dried food (tiny soft flat squares), on the expensive side. So you can go thru a bag or two than switch back to kibble. Primal is raw blocks that have to be rehydrated with a bit of water, also very good. You want to significantly decrease the UTI with a cleansing diet for a few months before settling down with a formula of your choice.

[Susan]

Hi Jude,
once a dog has had Pancreatitis then he’ll need to be feed a lower fat diet, so he doesn’t have another Pancreatitis flare, stay under 15%-fat for raw wet diet, have you tried raw kangaroo?? Cats & dogs love Kangaroo it has a strong beefy taste & it’s very lean in fat & very healthy, you can get this brand in America, its called “Gourmet Game, Marco Meats, Kangaroo mince, here’s the link, scroll down to the bottom & it’s in the middle, Gourmet Game Marco meats is the only company in Australia that makes the human grade kangaroo & export all over the world… http://gourmetgame.com.au/products/kangaroo/

You’re better off making his raw diet, instead of buying a pet food pre-made raw unless it’s a small business that makes human grade raw for dogs, but they normally add grounded bones, my dogs Naturopath said no to the grounded bone for Patch he has IBD & Pancreatitis & she also said NO to the Pre-made raw dog food she said you don’t know what your getting & the fat % is way too high for his health problems….. are you adding anything else to his beef? you can add 1 crushed egg shell a day for calcium, give him a Krill Oil capsule for his Omega 3 fatty acids & in a few weeks try adding some broccoli, carrot, celery & apple, peel & de-seed fruit & vegetables cut up then put thru a blender stop just before it’s a pulp, you add 1-2 spoons of the veggie/fruit mix to 1 cup of beef meat or I froze 1-2 spoons of the veggie mix separate in ice cube tray & cover with cling wrap & thawed when I needed the fruit/veggie mix, I also froze the meat in sections separate, this way you’ll see if he eats his beef with some added pulped veggies/fruit mix.. or just added the grounded egg shell & give 1 krill oil capsule 3 times a week & see how he goes, don’t start adding too much to his diet at once, if something causes diarrhea or vomiting you won’t know what caused what….

Join this face book group “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” Lisa who runs the group feeds her Pancreatitis dog a raw balanced diet, she may be able to help you add certain foods to balance his diet a bit better, you can buy “Balance It” they have Nutritionist vet as well & free recipes for some health problems but if the dog has too many health problems it doesn’t give any free recipes you have to contact Balance It vet nutritionist. https://secure.balanceit.com/

Even if you buy the pre-made raw dog food it has too many different ingredients & your dog will smell all the different smells & probably wont eat the pre made raw food, I don’t like the smell it didn’t smell like real raw, my cat wouldn’t touch the pre-made raw, I bought the Rabbit first then took it back & tried the Kangaroo she still would not touch it, now I just buy her the Aldis cat fresh raw mince, it’s Kangaroo mince & chicken liver & she loves it & it smells like proper raw meat should smell, I do live Australia & by-product kangaroo is in a few of our cheaper brand pet foods & she also eats her air dried raw “Ziwi Peak” air dried raw & dry kibble + I give the Green Lipped Mussel treats, try the K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels, mussels have what he needs for his joints, eyes, brain, skin & coat, Green Lipped Mussel is lean in fat & give about 2 freeze dried mussels as a daily treat, this way he’s trying different foods as a treat..so its special when given as a treat.

[Jude N]

Hello,

My senior chihuahua/JRT mix had a bout of acute pancreatitis several years ago. He had bloodwork done a few months ago and didn’t have anything elevated enough that it concerned the veterinarian.

I’ve been trying to feed him a raw diet, but he only likes beef, and is clearly unhappy when he feels forced to eat anything else. He’d rather not eat for several days than eat pork, venison, duck, or chicken willingly. This inability to rotate him on proteins has me nervous about trying to stick with a “homemade” raw diet, and I’m looking to switch to commercial raw. Budget is a major concern for me.

There’s a good deal going on at Chewy’s right now for a food called Tylee’s. Here are the ingredients:

“Nutritional Info
Ingredients
Beef Heart, Ground Beef, Water (Sufficient For Processing), Beef Liver, Spinach, Broccoli, Zucchini, Sweet Potato, Mangos, Tricalcium Phosphate, Chia Seeds, Sunflower Oil, Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Cod Liver Oil Powder, Dried Parsley, Ground Cinnamon, Dried Kelp, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Rosemary Extract, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate.”

I read in another post on this forum that it has a very high fat content…something like 34-38%. Yikes.

His pancreatitis attack was the result of a dogsitter feeding him a fatty, greasy, smoked ham bone that she had thought was a yummy treat for him. He was on a low-fat diet for several months afterwards.

Chip refuses kibble, wet food, re-hydrated raw, and Nature’s Instinct raw patties (I think he’s just bored of the Nature’s Instinct; he used to eat it well). Primal , THK, and Darwin’s are too expensive for me.

There’s another food called Ollie’s that I’m looking into, but I’m not thrilled about a couple of the ingredients (potatoes and peas, specifically).

Does anyone have any advice/experience on how long a pancreatic attack needs to be considered in a dog’s diet? Does anyone feed Tylee’s, or Ollie’s?

Thank you 🙂

[A]

It’s the training we received from a vet we worked with that is not related. But that’s what I was able to find closest online.

To me it makes sense, if I’m constantly eating a fatty carb diet I’m not going to feel great, my skin will show it, I’ll be sluggish.

My vet has agreed that for my dog with liver disease she has done allot better on her Firstmate lamb and rice than she did on prescription or grain free, given my dogs all get raw fed as well. Every dog is individual.

[Susan]

Hi Ginger,
Sorry its a long post but it’s hard to explain everything in 1-2 paragraphs hopefully some of this information will help your girls itchy skin…
Your girl sounds like my boy who will be 9 yrs old in November, he suffers with IBD, Pancreatitis, environment skin allergies & food sensitivities causing itchy smelly skin,paws, ears, gas & diarrhea, we thought he had diabetes a few months ago cause he was drinking & drinking water but blood test were all fine thank-god, I couldn’t handle another health problem, I feel so sorry for sick animals. 🙁
I wouldn’t try the Cytopoint injections with your dog yet, has your vet explained how Cytopoint works? My vet looked into the Cytopoint injections, she explained once you’ve given the injection it stays in the dogs system up to 6-8 weeks, so if it makes them ill there’s nothing that can be done to reverse any side effects cause Patch reacts to certain medications & it’s a newer drug we don’t have any real research results yet, after a couple of years vets will know more how dogs react that have certain health problems like our dogs have, when the dog is younger & heathier yes I think CADI is the best thing for itchy dogs better the Apoquel, now Apoquel has been out over a few years vets see all the side effects so in a few years when vets have used Cytopoint, they’ll know & can report any bad side effects if there are any?…

My vet said Apopuel doesn’t help when a dog has itchy skin from secondary Malassezia (Yeast) Dermatitis, Apoquel cannot resolve inflammation or treat yeast, she said Apoquel
has helped a few of her dog patients that have IBD but I was to scared to try Apoquel with Patch cause one of the side effects with Apoquel is nausea & vomiting, my vet did have a few dogs that become very sick while taking the Apoquel, so I changed his diet, bathed him weekly to wash off any allergens on his paws & body to relieve his itchy skin paws & I use creams. As they get older the allergies get worse..

They are finding Cytopoint works better then Apoquel for environment allergies & itchy skin, CADI blocks the receptors completely, where Apoquel blocks the reaction from the allergens receptors, there’s a good face book group to join “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” with really good information about CADI & Apoquel.. a lady called Petra that runs the group can explain things better…

I would be changing her diet first, when my Patch was eating the Hills I/d wet & dry formula’s & other foods that had the ingredients he was sensitive too he got his red paws, smelly yeasty itchy skin & that’s only cause he’s a sensitive to the chicken, oats, barley tapioca, corn gluten meal in the I/d vet diet & other foods he was eating, once I remove these allergens he is OK thru the cooler Winter months then when Summer comes he gets his environment allergies so I bath more, I use hydrocortisone 1% cream to relieve the itch & feed treats that are high in omega 3 fatty acid like K-9 Natural freeze dried Green Lipped Mussels, ask your vet can your try the Royal Canine HP wet tin food the fat is 2.5% you’ll have to email or ring Royal Canine & ask them what is the max fat % when converted to dry mater?? it’s probably around 7-8% fat when converted to dry matter (Kibble fat), Hills have already converted all their wet tin foods on their internet site, I wish other pet food companies did the same cause people don’t no this & read 5%-fat on a wet tin foods or raw foods & think the fat % is low when 5% fat is around 20% fat when converted to dry matter, the Australian R/C HP is 3.5% in the wet tin food, when converted it was 13% fat, it has the omega 3 oils & everything needed for skin problems, or I’d say look at the R/C selected proteins formula’s PR-Rabbit & Potato or PD-Duck & Potato or PV-Venison & Potato but the R/C in the wet tin wet tin foods the fat is too high for Pancreatitis 4-5% when converted to dry matter is around 15-20% fat but the dry R/C select proteins kibbles are lower in fat at 10%max but your feed wet tin..

Have you joined the “Canine Pancreatitis Support ” Face Book group,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/
join & look in their “Files” there’s 2 links “Low Fat Food” click on the first link & scroll down, all the low fat wet tin foods come up, on your right there’s the converted fat %, it’s been converted to dry matter fat % also read the ingredients in the Hills Wet tin food she is eating at the moment, try & avoid those some of those ingredients if you can, she is probably sensitive to a few ingredients in the I/d wet tin formula’s, that’s why I recommended the Royal Canine vet diet HP wet tin it’s a Hypoallergenic formula, your dog shouldn’t react & itch to any of the ingredients but Patch got acid reflux from the fish oil & his poos were soft but he always does softer poos when he eats wet tin foods, that’s why I feed 5 small meals a day 2 meals are cooked meal or a wet tin food & the other 3 meals are a kibble & his poos stay firm…
“Canidae” makes a really good small easy to digest grain free kibble, that’s low in fat 10.80%max called Canidae,Pure Meadow Senior grain free page 3 & Canidae Life Stages Platinum less active has grains page 4, https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products….
It can take anywhere from 1 day up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to an ingredient & start scratching get yeasty smell paws. ears, skin gas & sloppy poos….Patch only reacts 15-20mins after he eats chicken he starts itching & scratching, gets red paws but with some ingredients in a kibble he takes about 5-14 days to start reacting with smelly yeasty skin paws & ears, carrots cause itchy smell ears.
Look for proteins like Rabbit, Venison, Pork, Duck & kangaroo in wet grain free tin foods, kangaroo is a lean novel protein & your dog probably hasn’t eaten much of the Kangaroo before. Can your girl eat a kibble even if you only feed 1 of her meals kibble then the rest of her meals wet tin food.

[Susan]

Hi Amanda,
sounds like your on the right track from reading your latest post, with sardines some people add them to their dogs diet 3 times a week, I prefer to give as a treat daily or I like freeze dried Green lipped mussels for my dog & cat not as smelly & messy, with apples it doesn’t matter which brand apple pieces you give as long as you don’t give the seeds, I get Delicious apples they’re more sweet & have less acid, with egg I cook the same way in the microwave, its quick & easy just don’t over cook then the egg is like rubber, raw carrots don’t digest & come back out whole in the dogs poo, your better off just using the kibble you’re feeding for meals as training treats…or small apple pieces….

[Parker W]

Not trying to sound like a dick but Jesus christ purina is literally the worst kibble you can get….. kibble is bad in general….. either feed orijen kibble or go with a premade raw diet or a balanced homemade raw diet

[a c]

Susan,

Thank you for your reply. He is a 12 weeks old miniature schnauzer. He has no problem with Orijen puppy kibble. His stool is like toosie roll, solid but soft. 5 times a day. He is also getting Freshpet select chicken and turkey roll and little vegetable as topper. I just want to rotate him with some other quality puppy food.

Both Holistic Select g/f puppy kibble and Eagle Pack kibble have Carbs at 47-48% in dry matter. Wellness Core puppy has Protein at 40% in dry matter. I am looking for kibbles that’s not too much on one component.

Besides Freshpet select roll, I have not introduced any raw or can diet for him. I know most of the raw diet have pretty high fat. I have learned my lesson from my senior dog with pancreatitis history.

[Susan]

Hi Courtney,
Canidae is not manufactured by Diamond, when Canidae first started years ago I think Canidae used a Diamond plant to pack their new formula’s then Diamond shut down the Texas plant & Canidae bought Diamonds old plant in Texas & fixed it all up, Canidae is a small family run business that make small batches of locally sourced ingredients, here’s Canidae’s site, https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
click on “Our Story” then Click on “Our Journey” watch their video how they started….
My IBD boy does real well on Canidae on their pure formula’s & their Life Stages formula’s, his coat shines, I have so many people say, Gee he looks so healthy, but I do rotate all his kibbles at the time I was just feeding Canidae Pure Wild Boar… Canidae also make “Under The Sun” UTS it’s a bit cheaper probably cause they use chickpeas….. In Australia Canidae only gets shipped here once a month & by the 3-4 week Canidae is all sold out, so many people feed Canidae over the Australian made brands to their cats & dogs…
If you go on Consumer Affairs site there is NOT one bad complaint about Canidae foods…..

It’s best to rotate between a few different 4-5 star brands that both have a different proteins, this way your dog isn’t just eating 1 brand 24/7 & if something was wrong with the brand you are feeding your dog will have health problems, when you rotate between a few different brands your dog isn’t on a certain brand long enough & won’t have any health problems if that a brand isn’t balanced properly or has any contaminates & toxins etc if the kibble isn’t balanced properly rotating helps your dog get a more of a balance diet, plus it strengthen their immune system….
When I’ve read some of the Fromm formulas there’s a lot of different ingredients & some formula’s are pea heavy, pea flour, pea protein, chickpeas, lentils…I would lookfor a few different brands & I open 2 bags & feed one for breakfast & the other for dinner or I ask Patch which one do you want to day & show him the containers & he licks the container or I have one brand kibble in one hand & the other brand kibble in my other hand & he picks the kibble he wants to eat…
Have you looked at “Zignature” a lot of people love the Kangaroo formula & Zignature have just released a Pork & Catfish formula you could email Zignature & ask do they have samples to try or ask the pet shops that sell Zignature do they have samples…

You have a few really good brands in America, if my boy didn’t have IBD, I’d be feeding raw & kibble, a lot of people in Australia feed raw kangaroo + kibble, my cat loves her raw + her kibble, Kangaroo is very healthy & the Kangaroos are breed especially for humans & pet foods & don’t has any toxins like fish do, same as turkey & chicken is the cleanest meats to eat….

[a c]

Thank you for your reply. I will try to contact them.

I have contacted Stella and Chewy’s, Primal, Honest Kitchen, and BARF world. The fat contents on raw diet are too high. I need something with fat content around 10%.

[aimee]

Hi Kelsey,

Pitlove is right Petfooled is laden with misinformation it’s too bad really.. anyway here are just a few comments I made about it on the review section

” Here is an excerpt from the trailer and the film as an example of misinformation. In reference to corn wheat and soy “those are the things that cause overweight, diabetes, arthritis,chronic skin allergies, infections..”

The problem is, is that there is just as much evidence to say that beef, lamb, and chicken are the things that cause overweightedness, allergies, diabetes, and infections as there is to say corn, wheat and soy cause those things. In other words there is no basis to be making either statement. It is all “fake news”

“What was presented was very biased. For example in regards to rendering there were pics of body piles and dead stock and road kill but no real discussion that the material used in pet food is usually always from a USDA integrated facility leading the viewer to think that road kill and dead bloated cattle is the primary source for pet food ingredients.

Major blunders in facts ( they couldn’t even get the anatomy labeling correct ) and appeal to nature fallacy.

Dr. Becker incorrectly reported that the scientific name of the dog was
changed from canis lupus familiaris to just canis lupus because dogs
are essentially wolves vs them being a recognized subspecies.

She reported the change was because the only differences between wolves and dogs is “outer packaging”

Shesh!!
Fact check people, just don’t lift garbage off of raw feeding sites
and repeat it! What she said was pretty much verbatim from here https://www.balanced-canine…

What really happened was that the dog was canis familiaris and was
changed to canis lupus familiaris. Similar renaming occurred with other
domestic animals: separate species names were abandoned in favor of
classifying under the same species and assigning a subspecies name.

No mention of the Nature journal paper that reported on the genetic
adaptation of dogs vs wolves in regards to carbohydrate metabolism.Hmm
wonder why….

Implications that major pet food companies won’t disclose where they source from because they declined to be interviewed for the film. I understand why they would decline to be interviewed and if the producers of the film were interested in looking at sourcing info
they could have just lifted it from company web pages.

Did they not want the viewer to know that human grade 1 and 2 grains and meat from USDA integrated plants is used in pet foods?

All in all a waste of time. Not worth paying for and not worth watching.”

Also, did you know that the average debt for a person graduating vet school is upwards of $167,000 with 20% owing more than 200,000? Therefore this statement, “Vets push Science Diet so hard because Science Diet puts them through school. Science Diet is somewhat like a sponsor for the vet.” is complete “fake news” Oh sure they may get a pocket protector and some free pens or a back pack . Vet Students used to get a “hard” copy of Small Animal Clinical Nutrition. Don’t know if they still get a hard copy as you can just download it off their site, (You can too for that matter and if you are interested in nutrition it is worth your time to read it.) and I think vet students can buy their Hill’s food at a reduced rate. Big deal, nothing that would even make a teeny tiny dent in the cost of their education. Student loans are what puts vets through school not Science Diet.

[Susan]

Hi Steve,
the only way to know how these animals died & how the pet food is being made is buy free range organic ethically farmed meat & veggies & make your own pet meals….
If you lived in Australia we have a new ethically farmed pet food called “Frontier Pets”, the pigs, chickens & beef all run free & are feed a healthy diet, they live a pretty good life…Here’s “Frontier Pet Food” web page https://frontierpets.com.au/pages/our-purpose
There must be a few companies like our Frontier pets but in America… send Frontier Pets a email the lady will email you back & answer all your questions, ask does she know of another pet food company like her Frontier Pets but in America or Canada, she has just started & would of done a heap of research, so she may have come across another ethically farmed pet food company in America….

There’s “Ziwi Peak” an New Zealand pet food company who make high quality pet foods your dogs will love their air dried pet food & their wet tin foods, https://www.ziwipets.com/
there’s also “K-9 Natural” another NZ made pet food you add water I buy their Green Lipped Mussels. https://www.k9natural.co.nz/
Ziwi Peak & K-9 Naturals are both sold in America.
There’s “Honest Kitchen” you can use their base formula’s & add your own organic meat or buy the HK formula’s where you just add water….
There’s “Just Food For Dogs” they make pet food for dogs with certain health problems they may make an small breed all life stages formula, send them an email.. https://www.justfoodfordogs.com/vet-support-diets

Do you realise when you read the fat% & protein% on wet raw foods it hasn’t been converted to dry matter basis (kibble) yet, here’s a calculator, save this link so you can convert & know how high the fat % is in wet tin, raw food your feeding…. 5% min-fat when converted to dry matter is around 20-25%max-fat. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

Once you have found a few pet foods introduce them & make sure you rotate between 2-3 different brands so your dogs are getting a variety of different pet foods so if one of these pet foods isn’t balanced properly or has toxins etc your dogs aren’t eating the same pet food 24/7 here’s “Clean Label Project” site, this is the first year CLP has tested pet foods for toxin’s, CLP tested the most popular pet foods for lead, arsenic, pesticides, mercury, cadmium, BPA you can see which wet pet foods made the good list & the worst list…..click on “Product Ratings” up the top..
I and Love and You, Dog for Dog, Wellness, SmallBatch Pets & Stella & Chewy got 5 stars in the wet tin foods section…the fish formula’s seem to be worse & turkey & chicken formula’s rate the best. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

[anonymous]

Article written by a veterinary nutritionist (excerpts below, click on link for full article)
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/

Grain free diets
Grain free diets have become all the rage in the last few years. I suspect this has stemmed from greater recognition of gluten sensitivity in humans. Most pet food companies have jumped on the band wagon following the marketing success of grain free human diets. The truth of the matter is that there are no dog or cat studies showing a health benefit to grain free foods. A myth has been perpetuated that grains are unhealthy. In fact, whole grains contribute vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and are highly digestible by dogs and cats. Allergies to grains are actually very rare, and only the Irish Setter breed has been demonstrated to have a gluten sensitivity. Many grain free diets substitute potatoes and tapioca, which have less protein, more sugar, and less fiber. And typically these come at a higher cost.
Animal by-products
In addition to grain, animal by-products have become “dirty words” on the ingredient list. Although not necessarily appealing to humans (particularly in the USA), the definition of a by-product in pet food is a part of the animal that is not skeletal muscle. This includes organ meats and intestines (not intestinal contents). AAFCO specifically excludes hair, hooves, horns, hide, manure, etc… as acceptable by-products. So in reality, by-products are perfectly healthy and full of nutrients. And you can be sure that a wild wolf or mountain lion is eating “by-products” in nature.
Raw diets
Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.

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

[Susan]

Hi Michael,
These home made raw diets are the rage in Australia, the smaller pet shops have their own home made raw diets, where the bigger Pet food companies sell the commercial raw diets like Barf & Big Dog.. I’d stay away from the bigger raw companies the meat is lower grade…. is the Farmer Dog diet a cooked or raw diet?? wet tin & raw diets have not been converted to dry matter (Kibble) ….. Email the pet food companies & ask what is the fat % & protein % after being converted to dry matter, the protein is going to be around 40% & more being 12%-raw…. Just be careful with higher fat as dogs get older especially if your dog is prone to Pancreatitis….My boy is 8yrs old with IBD/Pancreatitis & I stay around 15% & under for fat when eating a kibble & it’s hard finding a pre made raw diet around 3-4% raw fat = 12-15%dry, unless I make it myself, it depends on the brand, Kangaroo & turkey formula’s are around 3-4%-fat raw, converted to dry matter (Kibble) that’s around 11-16%-fat…. your dog may be OK with fat around 5%-raw = 20-25% converted to dry matter, look what the fat % is in the dry kibble he eats, it’s probably around 12-15% in fat, so now you need a raw diet where the fat says 3-4% & then slowly increase to a higher fat %, first see if he’s OK eating the new raw diet, I started feeding my boy freshly home made raw for breakfast & I was still feeding him his kibble for dinner, the kibble keeps them feeling fuller longer & when they start eating a raw diet they get hungry quicker, your boy may lose a little weight when he starts the raw diet, but that’s a good thing, then you just increase the raw if he losses too much weight, your going to have a healthier dog being feed raw…..
It’s best to join a few raw feeding face book groups like “K9 Nutrition” – Lew Olson’s group & “K9 Kitchen” – Monica Segal’s group they have fresh home made raw & cooked diets & you’ll learn how balance & make your own home made diets with fresh human grade ingredients also follow Rodney Habib…

[Susan]

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

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

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

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

[Rose G]

I don’t think my vet is actually going to know about the toxins. I think this is the elephant in the room. No one is paying attention to this. I’ve been looking at a site that creates raw food, Darwins, and so far they seem to be very high quality; however, I’m on the fence about a raw diet based on other things I have read, including information on skeptvet. My husband suggested that I contact a local lab and have them test the food that we feed our dogs. I don’t know what this costs, but I’m going to research it. That way hopefully I find out the truth.

The thing about CLP is that we also need to know what their agenda is. I’ve seen some posts that they are funded by people/company that produces lower quality food so that these reports steer us back towards that food. I think the fish aspect of high toxins is probably valid since there is so much in our oceans/lakes that are easily absorbed by fish.

Thanks everyone for your input…I guess we will all be watching carefully for answers.

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
The best thing you can do for your pets is feed organic raw or organic cooked balanced diet, this way you know where the ingredients come from, but this can become expensive..

All we can do is just wait till next year when Clean Label Project re test the most popular pet foods & see which pet foods made the worse list & did the pet food companies that made the worse list this year fix the problem & see where they come on the list next year???

I think it’s excellent what CLP is doing, they’re shaking up these pet food companies
finally our pets that we love so much have a voice….. Just stick with the pet foods that have 4-5 star ratings & avoid any fish pet foods, they seem to be the worst…just buy & add human grade fish that you would eat yourself to your pets foods…..
another thing stick with the smaller pet food companies, they seem to source locally & have better quality ingredients…. I really like Canidae & they made the good list..

[Nataya W]

Hi, I am looking into feeding my dogs a raw diet. I have 2 pits, one is 50lbs and the other is 55lbs. I also will be picking up my new puppy which will be a Great Dane in the middle of July. I need help with a meal plan for my dogs. A simple one. The pits I feed them 2x a day, I am very over whelmed from looking on line. Someone help. (Could my vet help with a meal plan)

[a c]

I have a 10 years old miniature Schnauzer with pancreatitis history. I tried to switched her to raw diet. I went to an independent pet shop. The employees there told me raw diet is the best. So I tried Stella and Chewy’s duck frozen patties, Primal’s lamb frozen chucks, and Honest Kitchen Love. Since I switched her to raw diet, her poops have always been greasy with some yellow. I have my vet ran a blood work on her. Her level was above the normal range, and my vet was also really against the idea of raw diet. They put her on Science Diet ID wet food. Now, her poops are back to normal. Thank goodness. I think the fat content on those raw diet is too high for dogs with pancreatitis.

[Susan]

Hi Tammy, Sweetie is nilly the same age my boy, he’s turning 9 in November they both will be turning 63yrs old….I’m going thru something similar at the moment with my boy who has IBD, skin allergies & food intolerances…The Hills & Royal Canine vet diets for Kidney Care & dissolving crystals are too high in fat for my boy & have ingredients that Patch can’t eat, he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & ears when he eats, chicken, corn starch, wheat, corn gluten meal, barley & carrots…
Are you feeding the wet tin c/d or the dry c/d kibble? I’ve noticed the Wet tin vet diets have better ingredients & may not have the ingredients Sweetie is sensitive too, go on face book there’s 2 groups “Canine Kidney Disease” & Canine Kidney Disease Support group” a few people are feeding “Dave’s” pet food, Restricted diet protein low Phosphorus farmland blend in sauce wet tin, Honest Kitchen Keen, some are feeding raw or cooked diets &
a few people have been recommending Dr Harvey, he’s a Nutritionist that must do special diets for dogs with a few health problems, I haven’t had time to check out his site yet, join the f/b groups & read thru the post, you’ll probably get more info from people going thru the same health problems with their dogs…a lot are feeding the Hills K/D or C/d Multicare wet tin food..
I’m still waiting on test results from sterile urine that was taken the other day, I feel so sorry for my boy, he never seems to get a break, he starts doing really well then we have another health problem…. Good-Luck working out the best diet….. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422252261408967/

[suztzu]

Hello I have two dogs an elderly shih tzu 13yrs with cushings on trylostane and very stable and an 9 yr pom I just adopted a year ago, the senior tzu is ok with weight my pom has gotten a pound and a half overweight. They both have been on Natures Variety raw boost kibble for about a year the small breed variety which was 13 % fat and 33 % protein, but they are now changing the formula and pushing the fat up to 16 % fat same protein content. I would really like to get them off kibble altogether. They both get freeze dried raw a couple times a week ( northwest naturals or primal sometimes stellas ) But usually I give them Weruva canned food with the kibble. I am thinking of going just straight pre made raw maybe freeze dried I think this will help my pom shed some weight with the higher protein levels and moisture low carb. I am hesitant on my shih tzu because of his age and the possibility of pancreatitis. So I am thinking maybe a lower fat raw and good fiber content might be ok since he’s done well on freeze dried raw, which I know is the same as reg raw but it is mixed with kibble so it hasnt been exclusively fed as raw. Should I be worried about pancreatitis with raw diet ? They are not used to such a high level of fat, I have combed through the reviews and cannot find one under 30% fat. SO MANY QUESTIONS UGH !! Which brands should I go with Stella and Chewys or Primal or Natures Variety we sell all those at my work I am a dog groomer. I get a 20% discount so I would like to got with one of those brands, but I did pick up a bag of Northwest Naturals freeze dried which they really like. Thanks in advance for any help it is much appreciated.

[Tammy J]

Hi All,
I think this is a great forum. I’m hoping some folks can help me find the best food for my Sweetie. She is turning 9 in September. She is a shorkie (shih tzu/yorkie) She weighs about 15 pounds. She developed bladder stones about a year ago. The vet treated her with medicine and switched her food to urinary SO. The stones actually dissolved, no surgery needed. However, I was told she would need prescription food for the rest of her life. I was previously feeding her primal freeze dried nuggets. They said raw diets are the worst choice. Sweetie has always had allergies, and she did great on raw. She’s been super itchy and eating her feet since changing food. She’s developed a bladder infection and we are now on Hills urinary c/d. She’s licked her paws raw and developed a yeast infection (didn’t know that was possible on a paw) and is on medication for that. I understand that the prescription food has a reduced amount of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. I’ve read some not great things about Hills food. Sweetie has never been a big drinker, the other thing to prevent the crystals from coming back. She also benefits from glucosamine for her stiff joints. While researching senior foods, they seem so high in the minerals. Any ideas on the best food for keeping Sweetie healthy and happy? I wouldn’t mind making homemade, since we only have one dog. Thanks for your help!

[Rebeca J]

I adopted my dog (4 year old 40lb beagle mix) from a shelter in January. Initially we fed him Newman’s Own Adult Dog Formula (chicken and rice), but his poops were pretty runny and yellow and we decided to switch to IAMS Healthy Naturals (chicken and barley). At first it seemed to be working great and his poops were firm and darker for a few weeks, but then all of a sudden he would not eat the food at all, and started having upset stomach symptoms and vomiting undigested kibble. We went to the vet a couple of times and after a week of bland diet (chicken and rice), a dewormer, digestive supplements and antibiotics he seemed to be doing better, but would not touch the IAMS kibble still. We switched him to Merrick Backcountry Big Game Recipe because of the great reviews, but it clearly did not agree with him AT ALL, his poops were as runny and painful-looking as ever. We decided to switch again to Zignature Grain Free Turkey Formula (it was recommended to us) and now his poops are worse than they have ever been. I just don’t know what to do at this point, I’m really worried about my dog he’s otherwise acting completely normal, coat looks great , very active, but having diarrhea for months on end can’t be pleasant and I’m worried about the long term effects. I’ve spent over $300 on vet fees, just for my (honestly just horrible) vet to dismiss my concerns and refer me to a nutritionist that charges abt $400 per consultation. None of the other vets in my area are taking new patients. I don’t have the means to exclusively feed wet/raw food, but want to supplement his diet with it once we find a kibble that works for him. I have spent so much money, I really have no idea what else to do. Any and all suggestions/advice welcome.