[Kourtney H]

While attending Veterinary Assisting school I had the opportunity of externing at a local clinic. About three weeks in, on the saturday after unfortunately having to say good bye to my husbands cat of 23 years, a lady came in with a gorgeous Blue Fawn Pitbull. She had said that he was wandering the highway with nothing but a bare red collar, he was friendly enough to get in her car and we were the closest animal care center she could find. We immediatly checked for a chip and upon doing so found two phone numbers attached to his. The first call we got an answer but just as soon as they picked up and we identified who we were the call was disconnected. With no information about this dog besides two phone numbers that no one was answering and the Saturday coming to a close, with noone to be coming in on Sunday because we were always closed that day…. Someone had to take this dog home and since everyone else had cats or a no pets allowed policy where they were living it was either me or animal control. I couldnt bare to see this beautiful boy whose demeanor was so relaxed and happy just waiting for what ever was coming next be sent to where they possibly were just going to euthanize him because of his breed. So when we were all cleaned up and ready to go, I grabbed a couple of blankets a bag of food and a leash and the newly nick named ” Doo Doo” and I were off. For two weeks we attempted to call the numbers associated with his chip to no avail. And the more time that passed the closer Doo Doo and Jacob got. We ended up discussing a more permanent name for him and decided that Uthred was a good fit. So as a dog named after a Northumbrian Elderman with a similar past as his, Uthred became JAcobs emotional support dog and best friend who helped combat his anxiety. As soon as He felt Jake begin to feel overwhlemed and worked up he would quite literally force himself into Jake’s lap and would just stare into his soul and like the flip of a switch Jake was calm, and anxiety free. It was a beautiful thing to see this relationship grow and see both of them benefit in such giant ways from one another. Now that you know the back story to our unique situation I would like to bring you up to speed on our unfortunate happenings as of the last four or five months.

Things have been pretty much the complete opposite of our first 4 months with him. One day after bathing Uthred I was drying him off with a towel and he was VERY anxious and obviously uncomfortable. Later that day he was laying down in his bed and I was cleaning the room when I came across his favorite blanket, as I went to hand it to him he quickly growled and lunged at me. Completely shocked and taken a back I stood there as his growl continued until my mind gathered everything that just occurred and took a step back. I was so confused and when Jake got home from from work he was in disbelief. We were thinking he possibly was abused in his last living situation and maybe my simple actions caused him an episode of PTSD. Well once this happened it only got worse. Soon enough I was no longer able to touch him, walk by him, or even look at him without him fiercely growling at me. This drastic turn in events not only took a toll on me but my marriage as well. As Jacob was still able to continue his relationship with Uthred. Soon I wasn’t even able to touch Jacob without this very powerful dog snapping at me. Which led me to believe maybe he is displaying possessive or territorial aggression. That was until he started displaying this behavior toward Jacob as well! To this date I have been bitten/ nipped at twice and while sitting on the ground he has out of nowhere lunged at my face, luckily Jacob’s quick actions caught him just before he would have got me. As for Jake, on three separate occasions he has been bitten three times with two out of the three drawing blood. Confused and distraught, we were unsure what to do next. We tried everything we could think of until we finally decided to take him to the Vet on May 27th 2021 for the aggression he was continuously displaying. They prescribed him with gabapentin and gave him his vaccinations and sent us on our way. While it seemed to ease his anxiety the side effects started to worry us as he just became more and more lethargic. Then we started noticing that he was losing weight. A lot of weight. His appetite was there but very little. The place we started noticing it most was in his head more specifically his chewing muscles. We looked up the symptoms of what we had been noticing like how he was no longer wanting to go for walks, play ball, or chew on any toys along with when he would try he would cry and spit what ever it was that he had out of his mouth.. that and many other things are what brought us to the conclusion that it was masticatory muscle myositis. I took him to the vet and they were shocked to see the rate at which his condition was declining. It was only two weeks from the vet visit where we got the Gaba and his vaccinations to the next appointment where he was just a completely different dog. The vet agreed with us as to what the diagnosis was and she prescribed prednisone. Day one he was great almost like he was going back to normal same with day two then day three he started declining again at a quicker rate… now we are to tonight June 16th he looks horrible is beginning to have a difficult time drinking water. I am at a loss and have no idea what to do. I am so overwhelmed by my own emotions not to mention the flood wall that I am absorbing from Jacob. I read a few things in a forum where people had the same thing occur a week after the rabies shot was administered. Im wondering if that has anything to do with this . also anyone know what kind of diet might help?

[aimee]

Hi Amina,

I’m glad you found the information helpful. It is hard to believe that it has been a little over 3 1/2 years since my initial post when I, like you, tried to recreate a No Hide using labeled ingredients. It is interesting to note that when the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture sent Salmon No Hide for testing the lab reported a protein content of 88.49%. This suggests that the water, carbohydrate, fat, and ash taken together would be ~ 11.5%. Starch test results were reported as 0.5% . Truly baffling to me when I consider the reported ingredients. It appears to me that there is an unreported nitrogen source in this product. ( In lab analysis protein is estimated based on nitrogen testing) and I have no explanation for the very low reported starch content in a product which lists brown rice flour as the second ingredient.

There is a lot of information since posted about this product and a current class action suit that alleges the product contains rawhide.

I don’t know that there are any truly “safe” chews. There is risk and benefit in everything. If looking for a consumable dental chew I’d suggest you choose from the Veterinary Oral Health Council accepted products for dogs list. Personally, I look for a product that was found effective against plaque and I appreciate that Greenies are formulated to meet AAFCO maintenance making it easy to incorporate them into a feeding plan without concern of unbalancing the diet. Keep in mind that just as we need to see a dentist regularly despite daily brushing and flossing, your dog also needs to be treated by a veterinarian on a regular basis.

[Yvonne H]

I wish I had read these posts before I purchased the NO-HIDE Chicken chews.
But, I did not and now my dog is paying the price.

Normally, my dogs get nothing other than dog food, I live on the second floor and do not care to make multiple trips downstairs throughout the night.

Between throwing up, extremely soft stools and generally pacing all night, this chew was the only thing different in her diet yesterday.

Though I read the label carefully, I must admit, it sure looked like a rawhide chew once she started chewing it. When it started to unwrap, I cut the loose pieces off with a scissor to avoid getting them stuck in her throat. When it totally unraveled, I threw the whole thing away.

My other dog was a lot smarter. One sniff and he had no interest.

[Janet M]

My dog has kidney disease and can’t tolerate any of the commercial kidney disease kibble. She gets diarrhea. I have bags of unused food and have thrown some out. I have used Balance it, a website, where you have a canine nutritionist work your vet to develop a home made diet. I bought all of the ingredients and a scale, made the food and my dog couldn’t tolerate that. I thought I was buying a low protein raw food only to discover that isn’t really low protein after all. I’m so stressed. If anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. Right now, I’m just reducing her regular food and adding a bunch of rice, hoping that reduces the amount of protein. I add a couple drops of high quality fish oil and nutritional yeast.

[Patricia A]

Jude with the 19 year old I could relate not eating. My 17 year old Chihuahua who was put to rest had Mitral Valve disease . Was active and fine the year before and enjoyed her food. This being only Uhh Fromm kibble. My journey of her not eating that anymore led me to several different canned food. No luck with that either for her. I started to cook everything for her. One day she would eat boiled chicken and the next not. Shredded steak then would walk away. I was virtually at her all day just getting some nutrition in her. Oatmeal, eggs, salmon etc. Also would have to hide her heart pill in food. She would taste pill and spit out. Got to the point I thought I found the trick with a ltttle ice cream with pill smashed up in it. That didn’t last either. So many reasons I’m sure your 19 year old is not eating as she did.
My journey with Hannah opened my mind to nutrition for my other two dogs. That led me to freeze dried. Wasn’t ready to give up kibble so switched to Stella chewy’s which I trust to be very good for a kibble. But researched the best freeze dried along with a small portion of kibble and also home cooked.
With your 3 year old what was she eating before you fed fresh frozen? Maybe just not appealing to her. Does she even try to taste it and then turn away. If she doesn’t even do that then leave out a bit and refrigerate and try again later. If healthy she’ll eat eventually.
I feed my 11 year old Chihuahua ( she lover all food) and my 5 year old freeze dried. Doesn’t break the bank since they are small. Also home cooked that we eat when appropriate. They always get pieces of boiled egg in morning for breakfast. I also stretch the freeze dried with Stella chewys raw coated chicken kibble grain free. Most picky dogs LOVE their food. So I rated with Primal freeze dried. Only 5* ratings for the lower fat. Also Stella chewys freeze dried patties 5* proteins/flavor also. They also love Bixbi Rawwble and Open farm freeze dried. I give this as treats.
So all of these were introduced VERY, VERY, VERY slowly. They both gobble up their freeze dried soaked in a little warm water to hydrate and a little Stella’s kibble.
My trick with my pickle 5 year old was to put down and take away. She knew I meant business and ate her much better quality food then just kibble. Now she drools before I put bowl down.As I said kibble is a VERY small portion of their diet but they just love the Stella’s so I still give a little mixed in. I like variety. All healthy blood work also. Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

BellaBea if you require a food that is limited ingredients and grain free dry there are many. One example is Open Farm. Here is a link which lets you look at chart to pick one for your dogs needs. I believe their Salmon is grain free/chicken free. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0016/2509/6305/files/highlights-premium-nutrition-dietary-sensitivities-chart.pdf?152945
I also suggest Stella Chewy’s grain free limited ingredients or Natures Logic. You also can’t go wrong with store brought raw or freeze dried for convenience. You pick the protein and contains no peas or extra fillers or grains. To name a few there’s Primal, Open Farm, Vital Essentials, Small Batch, Bixbi Rawwbles. All 5* reviews. Just make sure ANY new food is introduced VERY, VERY, VERY slowly.

[Patricia A]

Sound like a good starter plan Subby. With any luck it was only the treats that were disagreeing with her. So stools firm up and none of those treats. Then slowly introducing the kibble back maybe even starting with just two on top of her chicken/rice. Then four etc. No reason even to stop the chicken at times even if the kibble is agreeing with her. I often feed pieces of hard boiled egg to mine also. Don’t think that would disagree with most dogs and the white of the egg is another source of good protein. Just first make sure introducing the egg when no diarrhea for awhile so it’s easy to tell the foods that doesn’t work with her.
Maybe, with time you can introduce another treat. I use freeze dried in open Farm or Bixbi. Their just little nuggets in different protein. Also had luck with feeding these even to my one that tends toward sensitive stomach. Just one though to see how she does. Even a string bean could be a nutritious treat as an answer to a question below. .
(Yes, your dog can eat green beans. Plain, unseasoned green beans can be a healthy addition to supplement your dog’s diet. Just remember: all dogs react differently to each and every food. Moderation is key here to avoid gas or diarrhea.) I myself give canned. My one doesn’t digest the raw . The other like raw carrots though.
UHHH I!! know how she feels. Just figured out that I can continue eating Japanese food. It wasn’t the rolls but the the salad dressing they used that was doing me in. lol Keep me updated and fingers crossed no more tummy trouble.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Nicholas S]

Since Billinghurst’s publication, Give Your Dog a Bone, has been printed, a lot of different kinds of raw dog foods diets have emerged, such as commercially processed raw food diets which are either frozen or freeze-dried and bland diets that use mixtures of vegetables, grains, and vitamins which are blended with raw meat bought from the proprietor in the grocery store. Along with this diet, you can exercise your dog regularly at home or go out into the park.

For exercise:
https://calmingpetsbed.com/how-to-exercise-your-dog-indoors/

[Susan]

Hi my rescue boy suffers with IBD, vet said he was eating a POOR diet old owners probably kept feeding him a poor quality pet food that had ingredients he was sensitive too for the first 4yrs of his life before I rescued him.

If you can afford to see a Animal Nutritionist to make him a balance raw diet or cooked diet this will be the best….
Dogs Digestive Tract is short made to digest a raw diet.
Follow Dr Judy Morgan she has her Yin & Yang book, she has easy to make balanced recipes online. There’s a few people you can follow so your new pup has a healthy start to his life & your right kibble isn’t the best, kibble is processed & cooked at very high temps, all nutrients are killed & then they have to add synthetic vitamins that are from China & have killed thousands of dogs big recalls over the years. Hills just had a big recall too much Vitamin D in their pet foods.
If you want to feed 1 of the big 4 pet food companies then look at Royal Canin. You can also contact Royal Canin & speak with 1 of their Nutritionist they will help you work out whats best to feed your growing pup.

I have found a Grain Free potato diets have been best for my boy when he has diarrhea/sloppy poos etc when I first rescued him. The Potato firms up poos, soothes stomach, easy to digest & let his stomach & bowel heal.

If you are feeding a Dry kibble look for a limited ingredient kibble to start with, less is best, less to react too, get your puppy stable for 3-4 months, no sloppy poos, also put him on a good dog Probiotic unless the dog food “Wellness” has Probiotics in them .

“Wellness” – been making pet food over 100yrs-
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

“Cana4” – does not use any Synthetic vitamin mixes, is made in Canada-

Our Story

“Instinct Original Grain-Free Dry” –
https://www.instinctpetfood.com/dogs/limited-ingredient-diet

[Susan]

Hi
Stop feeding the Stella & Chewy raw..
Find a free range human grade raw company or make your own raw diet with human grade raw meats/green veggies.
Sounds like the raw meat might be high in Toxins, Heavy Metals & Contaminates. Toxins can cause elevated ALT levels??
This was happening with my boy 2yrs ago when he ate a certain USA kibble he kept having elevated ALT levels..Then this USA pet food company was all over the internet being sued for their kibble being very HIGH IN TOXINS.
As soon as I changed his diet to a different brand his elevated ALT levels went back to normal.
My dogs Nutritionist who formulated my dog raw diet said to only use human grade meats I eat, she would NOT let me feed any of these Pre-made raw pet foods.
It’s worth a try changing diet & see what happens, also your dog needs to be on a large breed puppy diet till 2yrs old so his growing bones don’t grow too quickly & cause joint problems later on, if you have the money find a Nutritionist to balance him a raw diet made from Human grade ingredients + blended green veggies so diet is not too high in calcium and phosphorus & hopefully toxin free…
https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/articles/giant-expectations-nutrition-for-the-large-breed-puppy/

[Susan]

Hi my boy the same he does well on Royal Canine vet diets BUT if its a grain kibble he suffers with food sensitivities & gets yeasty smelly itchy skin. Hes doing well on Royal Canin- Sensitivity Control Duck & Tapioca vet diet but I dont think you get this in USA we get our R/C from France-Europe

Look at The Royal Canin Duck & Potato or the other novel proteins R/C has in wet can /dry food .
My boy did excellent on “Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato” kibble but we stop getting the Wellness Simple in Australia last yr.
Potato is excellent when dogs suffer with IBD potato soothes stomach easy to digest & firms poos, potato is also a low allergen this is why Potato is used in vet diets, its worth a try.
Wellness Simple has matching Wet can foods but they’re higher in fat then the matching kibbles, when they’ve been converted to dry matter fat% they’re over 30%+ fat it all depends on the Moisture %, under 78%-Moisture the fat will be lower min fat, over 78% Moisture the fat will be higher max fat%..
Wet can, raw, dog rolls, air dried/freezed dried Raw etc Guaranteed Analysis hasn’t been converted to Dry Matter like kibble.
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Also BATHS are a must as you wash of allergens from dogs skin & paws, bath in a medicated shampoo relieves itchy red skin.. I also use baby wipes & wipe my boy down after going outside & get some “Sudocrem”its an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial healingcream apply just as dog is going to sleep for the night so red itchy skin paws can start to heal apply Sudocrem before going outside, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects skin & paws.
The only place you can get Sudocrem in USA is Walmart online, once you get into a routine the itchy skin/paws gets better & under control.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sudocrem-Antiseptic-Cream-125G/182504923

[grham J]

If you want to feed a raw or cooked diet for your dog without upsetting his stomach, then have a looked at https://doghawk.com/ziwipeak-dog-food-reviews/

[Patricia A]

. I feed Primal Freeze dried. Believe more expensive then the raw however I have Chihuahuas’ so doesn’t break the bank. I also add at times some kibble. That being Stella Chewy’s with freeze dried pieces. The kibble is a VERY small part of their diet. My two are also fed boiled chicken, salmon, lean steak, watermelon, string beans, carrots, pieces of apple, plain yogur etc. and 1/4 of a hard boiled egg for breakfast.
You can try the Primal freeze dried in the different flavors/proteins. Mine does well with the duck, chicken, rabbit, and they LOVE the turkey/Sardine. The DFA rates all these proteins 5*. I use Stella chewys also in freeze dried being chicken, venison blend. Just needs to be hydrated with some warm water .
So sounds like you have a good plan to me Maria. Just go slow with introduction so he’s used to it by the time it’s necessary to feed.

[Chris W]

That’s amazing! Do they get any (other) non-meal treats?

I feed our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels a raw diet. They’re doing well but keeping their teeth clean is a challenge.

[Sara G]

Hi, I know this question was several years ago but I just wanted to give you my experience and opinion. I feed my dogs a part raw part kibble diet. I have fed several brands of dog food through the years, and the best one I have ever fed is the Ol Blue Builder. I have fed Diamond Naturals, Victor, Sportmix Premium and the wholesome and I believe Purina at one point. All of theses foods fell short in my opinion for several reasons. The Diamond Naturals made them poop way too much as did the Sportmix Wholesomes. The Sportmix Premium also caused alot of poop and it was very dark and very smelly. I fed the Victor before they changed alot of their recipes and I had no trouble with it but could not tell really any difference in it and the Ol Blue to pay $20 or $30 more a bag. Now about the meat and bone meal issue. All dog foods unless they state that the meat in it is boneless then the beef meal, chicken meal, Pork meal etc has bone meal in it. It must state that the meat is boneless or it does contain bone plain and simple. So even most high end dog foods do contain meat and bone meal they just cover it up and say chicken meal, beef meal, etc. I actually appreciate Ol Blue for being honest about what is in their food and not trying to hide anything. So unfortunately in the dog food world the more it cost does not necessarily mean the food is better quality. Purina is the poster child for this.
My dogs have all done great on the Ol Blue. Their poop is very firm minimal and doesn’t hardly have any smell. In a day or so after they poop it turns a very light color and will turn to powder if you step on it. This is what happens to dogs fed an all raw diet. So what that tells me is that the food is mostly meat, fat and bones with enough starch to keep the kibble together. Starch has to be present in all kibble to keep it together whether the starch is corn, peas, rice etc. The corn they use is non GMO which I believe does make a difference. They also have 2 recipes that do not contain corn. I have toured the mill talked to the people and seen where it is made. It has never had a recall and everything is sourced locally. My dogs have all done great on it and I have several different breeds and ages. I have tried high dollar dog foods and none of them worked as well as Ol Blue. If you can’t get Ol Blue in your area then Valu Pak Free by Specialty Feeds is also a good feed. It is my second favorite dog food. It is in second place because they poop more after eating it. Hope that helps that’s just experience and opinion on it.

[YorkiLover4]

Watching our dog have a seizure is one of the most traumatic things I have ever experienced. It’s very hard for anyone who has never seen a seizure to understand. Those few seconds–seem like a lifetime and you just never know if they are going to come out of it. Our pup was doing ok for awhile but then started having the seizures more frequently. We found a holistic veterinarian nearby. Surprising, but he told us that food allergies and stress can be a big trigger. Riley always had allergies and ear infections so we worked with our vet to change his diet. He is on Primal raw venison and we use a variety of freeze-dried treats such as Stella and Chewy’s and Vital Essentials. We also give Riley CBD oil, fish oil and digestive enzymes along with Keppra. He has not had a seizure in over a year. I found the information on this website helpful https://www.askariel.com/holistic-canine-epilepsy-treatment-s/1833.htm and use their Happy Paws Hemp oil and Amazing Omegas. Hope this helps someone with their dog. Seizures are so tough but we did find help for our Riley.

[Amy S]

Thank you Laurence for responding. This is helpful.

A few questions if you don’t mind. Do you have a specific raw diet you follow? and when you say patties, what type of meat is it you are feeding your dog?

[Laurence T]

Hello everyone,

Maybe I could help.

3 years ago, our dog got a huge mass around his small intestines and we almost lost him. To save him they removed 80% of his small instestines. They thought it was cancer. But after 2 years or different med treatments and ultrasounds, they found out he has a problem with his immune system, where his system is attacking the good bacterias in his stomach, creating masses.

So he has to take sterioids, prednisone, in extremely small dosage, enough to supress his immune system, and keep the masses from forming.

However, since his surgery, he is left with short bowel syndrom – aka. constant diarrhea. After 3 years, I can keep him a decent weight and have only two to three (soft stools a day).

Here’s how. Maybe it could work for you guys. After his surgery, he would go to the washroom 10 times a day, waking us up 4 times a night. We tried all kinds of specific vet foods with high fiber, etc. He would also be so skinny all the time because he would never have time to digest the food. He used to eat the Royal Canin Hypo diet bags and would go through 2 bags a week and it was horrible. And then when I looked in the ingredients the first one was cellulose and obviously it wasn’t working… The vets are sold on selling you Royal Canin because Royal Canin sponsors them…

So we switched him to raw food and it was life changing. We don’t make it, we buy it from the pet store in the fridges. I give him a lot more patties than what they prescribe a day for his weight, but since we switched him 2 years ago to raw, he’s gained back all of his weight, and he only goes to the washroom 3 times a day. Not asking for the door at night anymore. The reason is that the raw food takes a lot more time to digest than the pebbles, so he has time to take a bit of supplements.

Also, we give him probiotics in his water, and he takes a shot of B12 every week or two weeks – that helps alot with the diarrhea as well.

He is also on metronidazole every day, on prednisone every 2 days (to prevent the masses) and take two immodiums a day.

And he seems like he is doing well. 🙂

If any of you want to ask further questions, please let me know !

• This reply was modified 5 years ago by Laurence T.

[Astra F]

We just had our Miniature Schnauzer tested for food sensitivities as we needed to find the cause of her atopic dermatitis.
I strongly recommend getting blood test done although pricey about $280 (NY) it will pinpoint some of the key triggers.
Low and behold Lola is pretty much allergic to everything, with beet pulp being the highest allergen. Vet reccomended Royal Canin Hydrolyzed dog food. I checked the ingredients and saw that Beet Pulp is one of the main proteins. I contacted RC and found out that the Beet Pulp is NOT Hydrolyzed and they recommended Royal Canin Ultamino. My vet apologized as he was not aware of that the beet pulp was not hydrolyzed. We are going to try the Ultamino this week. My Rottweiler’s had all types of skin issues and was always sick on the best kibble I could buy and eventually put on a “raw diet” and was never sick. The healthiest he could be.

I too wish there was an alternative to Hydrolyzed Prescription dog food as I would prefer to prepare the food myself but I have to try the Ultamino first as that seems to be the only option for her.
Below are her Lab Results sharing for those who are in similar situations with their dogs. I will keep all posted how she does.

Mites & Mold IGE Detected
Beet Pulp F409 2557
Liver, Beef F252 1636
Kangaroo F410 1602
Flaxseed Ground H2 1293
Milk F293 708
Beef F241 329
Lamb F251 192
Chicken F265 186
Venison F264 185
Fish Mix F01 144
Barley F56 138
Duck F266 135
Turkey F346 133
Eggs F271 121
Soybean F209 121
Oats F154 117
Pork F258 116
Pinto Beans F61 115
Rabbit F259 111
Corn F102 100
Rice F200 98
Wheat F235 96
Brewers Yeast M67 Neg
White Potato F191 Neg

[James F]

At the age of 1-3 months, it is recommended to feed puppies with natural food: meat (low-fat), eggs, fermented milk products, fish, cereals, vegetables, fruits. At the same time, protein products should make up at least 70% of the diet, the rest can be supplemented with carbohydrates and”milk”. Meat and fish can be raw or cooked.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by James F.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by James F.

[Jack E]

Hi all, new here. Does anyone feed a raw food diet to their farm dogs? The price of kibble has gone up so much lately that we’re starting to consider feeding a raw diet to our golden retriever mix. It is something that has always been in the back of our minds. Price and convenience were our reasons for sticking with kibble… now that the price of kibble has gone up, it seems less of a compelling reason. Anyone have any opinions on the different kinds of raw diets, or raw diets in general? If you feed it, where do you get the meat? Grocery store, butcher, pre-made and frozen? What kinds of meat do you feed? Do you feed them twice a day still? Did your dogs have upset stomachs during the transition? How much per month does it cost you? Does your vet approve? When we brought up the idea with our last vet, he discouraged it.

[Chipy]

Good question, Mitch. When it comes to grain-free and/or pea-free diets, we need consider the overall quality of the food and the root cause of taurine deficiency.

The “grain-free” marketing term refers to processed dry food/kibble that is an extruded, highly processed product; whether it is full of grains or grain-free, it is not healthy.

The main ingredients in the grain-free diets are often peas, lentils, chickpeas and potatoes — carbohydrates typically intended to replace grains – rather than high-quality meat protein. This explains why some dogs became taurine deficient when fed these diets, as taurine (an essential amino acid that supports heart health) is naturally found in fresh meat and organs.

So it’s best to avoid most grains and starches (because they are not a natural part of a canine’s diet) and focus on increasing the amount of fresh meat and organs in your dog’s diet to naturally prevent DCM.

Dogs have much shorter digestive tracts than herbivores and can’t process high-carb foods like grains and starchy carbs very well. This often results in excessive food fermentation and gas.

You can replace starchy carbs with cooked squash or pumpkin, especially for dogs with digestive upset. Grains (including rice) in general can contribute to IBD. Arsenic toxicity in rice is also a serious problem.

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/113943301-how-to-avoid-foods-high-in-arsenic-and-keep-your-dog-healthy

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014993-what-veggies-are-good-for-dogs

The best diet is as nature intends; fresh meat, organs and bones with some vegetables and leafy greens. A varied, species-appropriate diet, along with all-natural vitamins, minerals, omega-3’s and probiotics is the way to go.

It is very rare for a dog to have a taurine deficiency when consuming an unprocessed, fresh food diet because taurine is so readily available in meats and organs. It may need to be supplemented if your dog has been tested as deficient, but overall dogs get enough of this amino acid from fresh food, and from their ability to manufacture it in their own body.

If you are concerned, connect with your holistic or integrative vet to get your pup tested and you can discuss options together based on the results.

Here are some links to a quick & easy Natural Diet Course, and an online Recipe Maker that I hope you will find helpful if you want to learn more about alternatives to processed food. Your dog will love you for it! 🙂 Switching from kibble to fresh food was the best decision we made a few years ago to improve our pup’s health and reduce unnecessary vet bills.

https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com/

Wishing you and your pup all the best 🙂

[Glenn G]

Hello,

I have a 6-year-old female Bichon Frise who was recently diagnosed with pituitary Cushing’s disease and has been put on medication. I would like to know what type of dog food she should be put on as I read that regular dry kibble will continue to make her drink more water, which is one of her problems. I read that a raw diet would be better and I am open to suggestions on which brand would be good for her as she is eating everything in site now and has gained some weight.

Thanks

[Chipy]

Good question, John. It’s best to avoid meat meals but they are the primary ingredients in most dry dog food so the healthiest option is to switch to fresh foods like home-cooked or premade raw diets that are more nutritious for our pups.

Meat meals are made from taking slaughterhouse and fish processing factory remnants that are not edible for humans, and cooking them, processing them under high heat, and dehydrating them into a dry powdery substance that goes into kibble.

Like most other low-grade and highly processed ingredients in kibble and canned diets, meat meals contain little to no nutritional value to the dog being fed.

I use Dr. D’s recipe maker and natural whole-food based supplements to create healthy meals for my pup. It helps me build balanced recipes with the ingredients I have available and I love it; https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

[Patricia A]

I agree with pugmomsan. I switch between brands, flavors, proteins. This should be done VERY SLOWLY . If using kibble just start with the new brand being added to old brand with a few mixed in for several weeks. I NEVER only give kibble. Not the best diet for life for a dog. You can add a little prepared freeze dried or raw again with rotating brands and proteins SLOWLY introducing. Also REAL cooked food when appropriate. I sound like a broken record but I think most people now know that lean beef, lean steak, salmon, string beans, watermelon, plain yogurt, boiled plain chicken etc. added to kibble at times is the best diet at least for my two.

[Susan]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Chipy]

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

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

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

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

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

Dog Essentials

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

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

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

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

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

[Chipy]

Leamless, it’s so great that you are considering to switch from kibble to something healthier. I know what it’s like to live on a strict budget and understand how expensive life can get. In my experience it is more economical to feed a home-made diet (raw or cooked) than feeding commercially processed pet foods. You also get the benefit of understanding where each ingredient comes from (dog food recalls have been super scary lately)!

We switched to home-made meals years ago and it was the best decision for our dog and my budget. LOL I am happy to share some resources that have been super helpful in guiding us to prepare balanced, home-made meals.

Dr. Dobias has created a free Natural Diet Course which contains videos and articles full of information on this subject;

https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet

His online Recipe Maker will help you build healthy meals for your dog with the ingredients you have available. It provides guidance on amounts of each ingredient and which ingredients are best;

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

The key is to offer a variety of both proteins and vegetables, and add essential nutrients (non-synthetic, whole-food based supplements) to help fill in any nutritional deficiencies;

Dog Essentials

I hope this helps to get you started on this journey. It takes some time to learn the basics but the energy investment will definitely pay off when your dog is super healthy thanks to natural nutrition and you get to save on unnecessary vet bills.

[Chipy]

Meleasa, I understand your struggle trying to figure out what’s best for your little seniors. I’ve been there myself… and I know how exhausting it is to be constantly worrying about the right choices that support our fur baby’s well-being.

Both terms “Senior” and “Small Breed” are marketing terms the pet food industry uses to sell more junk food 🙁 My Shit-tzu looking little one is also 9.5 y/o. I stopped feeding him kibble & canned food many years ago when I learned about the dangers of these processed diets. I encourage you to watch the documentary “Pet Fooled” on Netflix to learn about the truth and how kibble is made.

Luckily, there are a few amazing holistic and integrative vets educating dog lovers online about the importance of fresh food diets and the essential nutrients dogs need. My personal favourite is Dr. Peter Dobias. He has created a free Natural Diet Course which contains videos and articles full of information on this subject;

https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet – It’s super helpful to learn the basics!

He also has an online Recipe Maker, which will help you build healthy meals for your dogs with the ingredients you have available. It provides guidance on amounts of each ingredient and which ingredients are best;

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

The key is to offer a variety of both proteins and vegetables, and add essential nutrients to help fill in any deficiencies;

Dog Essentials

I’m so happy we switched from processed food to home-made. It takes some time to learn the principles but it is so worth your energy investment because you will be saving a lot of money on future vet bills. I hope these free resources will be helpful for your pups and you get to enjoy many more happy and health years together! 🙂

[Susan]

Hi Andree,
What does your vet say about 8 to 9 bouts of diarrhea a day- Grade 7.
You need to work out does she do better on a lower fiber diet -2% under fiber or a higher fiber food -7%+ fiber,
What is the fiber % what she is eating now? Is it Royal Canin Hypoallergenic vet diet?? is it a low fiber diet-1% fiber??
Also if she is a Large Breed puppy then she needs a large breed puppy kibble so her bones don’t grow to quickly causing Osteoarthritis & joint problems.
Tell vet the vet diet he/she prescribed is NOT helping your dog, you can also call/email Hills, Royal Canin they have Vet Nutritionist who can advise on what is the best vet diet for double intestine recession and introplacation of the intestine?
A vet nutritionist will probably know a bit more about diet then your vet knows about nutrition.

My boy suffers IBD I found grain free – Potato kibbles work best for Patch- NO Lentils, Lentils can cause intestinal stress.
Wellness Core L/B Wellness Complete Health Large Breed kibbles
Canidae All Life Stages, Large Breed Turkey Meal & Brown Rice kibble.

Maybe a raw diet would be best if she cant handle Fiber, or those dog rolls sold in pet fridge section.
You never put up your F/B group name.

[carol E]

Richard, MY 2 1/2 yr old shepherd had mesenteric torsion this past winter and its been 7 mo’s now . We have spent 40,000 in recovery and still going. A couple of weeks ago his liver enzymes went to almost 7000 which should have been about 112. So he stayed overnight in 24 hr care and gave him antibiotics and liver support pills. and Hill’s science diet ZD which he ate like a horse. He had been on a raw diet always and had lots of energy. He had loose stools for quite some time and now are getting better. I am not a fan of H S D but he has gained weight now about 13 lbs. He should be about 70 to 75 lbs and he was 55 after he came home and did not gain a pound. After the liver problem and he came home he started to gain weight and eat really good. I am at a point where I would love to get him back on raw but not sure if he can do it. The first ingredient in Hills is cornstarch. I have done so much research and getting no where!!! Have you found anything helpful. Carol

[aimee]

Hi Guy,

It seems that you have been given recommendations by the medical professionals that understand your situation.
Considering that raw diets in dogs has been associated with some fairly serious heath issues in people I understand why your vet is concerned. These types of events are very infrequent but may be of higher frequency in immunosurpresed individuals.

Consider not only food handling hygiene but also bacterial contamination in the environment. For example, a dog finishes the meal and then wipes their face on the couch. Bacterial transfer can occur. Some time ago I read a paper in which the authors cultured out the contents of vacuum cleaner bags. In raw fed home 10% of the time they grew out Salmonella. Salmonella was also found in vacuum cleaner bags in kibble fed dogs but at a lower occurrence. The numbers tested were too small to do a statistical analysis but it severs as a eye opener as to the extent of bacterial transfer.

My BIL didn’t make it to organ transfer but was going through the process. The dog’s base diet was discussed and dog chews as well….no animal parts like bully sticks, pig ears etc. Everything offered to the dog had to have gone through a “kill” step and then be sealed from potential contamination.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

If you asking if the star ratings can be relied upon to pick a lower fat product I’d have to say they can be used as a starting point but always do your own evaluation. This is no fault of the site it is factor of how manufacturers report their numbers AND the formula may have been changed since the last review or information may not transfer across line like you think it would

Looking at Primal’s website today, they report their Turkey and Sardine raw frozen recipe to have a G.A. of min protein of 16% and min fat as 17% for both the pronto and and patties forms. But the nugget analysis reports min 16% protein and min 7 % fat. Which is it?? I think the 17 may be a typo because when using 17 the GA is over 100%. but I don’t know for sure where the error is. Is it a low fat diet or a high fat diet? I cant tell from the website. Maybe the product label would have the correct information I do find it disconcerting that the manufacturer hasn’t noted and corrected, a red flag for me.

Looking at the ratio of reported protein and fat give you an idea I like to see at least twice a much protein as fat for my dogs and closer to three Personally, I don’t want more than about 33% of calories from fat for my crew and even the 5 star raw often are far above that.

You can also compare calorie counts on a weight basis ( kcals/kg) as the higher fat products will have higher calories . And you can go to balance it dot com and under their help section is a tool called guaranteed analysis converter. You put in the information and it tells you what percent of calories come from fat But like this site, anything unaccounted for will be considered carb when it may actually be fat Getting a typical analysis from manufacturer is best.

[aimee]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[aimee]

Hi Madison,
I will disclose that I’m not a fan of raw feeding so that you can keep that in mind as you read my comments.

I have used raw foods as a topper and I have cooked them before feeding as a “kill” step for pathogens.
Of the companies offering raw I think Natures Variety is the best option because it best meets criteria that are important to me ( boarded veterinary nutritionist on staff, all products are HPP’d for pathogen control)

In general controlled fat levels are used for pets with digestive concerns and in my experience most raw diets are very high in percent of calories that come from fat. However, it takes a bit of sleuthing to figure that out as I often note that fat levels reported as Min fat is lower than the actual fat.

Patricia, I think the reason you are finding the same food offered as raw or freeze dried reported with different star rating and average fat amounts has to do with how the company is reporting nutrients. For example raw frozen chicken the GA is min 14.5 % protein, 8% fat and max 2 fiber and 74 moisture. Adding those up and subtracting from 100 leaves 2.5% of the diet unaccounted for which is assumed to be carbs. In the freeze dried raw chicken the GA is min protein 55 min fat 27 max fiber 1.5 and max moisture 8. Adding those up and subtracting from 100 leaves 8.5% unaccounted for, assumed by this site to be carbohydrate. But the carbohydrate content of this food would be minimal as the only really source is carb in the form of stored glycogen in muscle or liver. More likely that unaccounted 8.5% is fat or protein. Protein is costly fat is cheap and the higher fat content is accounted for in the frozen version. This becomes evident when you look at the reported protein to fat ratios in the G.A. 14.5/8 =1.8:1 for the raw but jumps to 2:1 in the freeze dried version. Hence the raw is given high fat rating than the freeze dried even though they are reportedly the same recipe. This si one of the problems with rating foods based on a G.A. which reports mins and max.

Hope this helps your understanding.

[Patricia A]

Madison I have dogs’ which have digestive problems with higher fat in their diet. I came to that conclusion because whenever I fed certain home cooked food as a kibble topper they would have loose stools. That being dark meat chicken vs boiled white meat, ground beef that wasn’t 90% fat free, fatty pieces of steak vs very lean(when they got lucky lol). They have no trouble with plain, boiled salmon.
So, that being said I hope I can make some suggestions of a starting point in switching to raw and then you can see how she does with each of these brands.
I got used to my dogs’ with one brand/protein VERY, VERY, VERY slowly. Then when i knew that they were digestively good with the brand/protein I would switch the protein also very slowly. Just giving them bits mixed in with the other protein. Eventually, I also would change brands and did the same. I just feel better not sticking always to one brand, but that’s me.
I used a starting point by looking at the raw food reviews on DFA. This led me to Primal, Stella Chewy’s, I have Chihuahuas’. This allowed me to use freeze dried. However, for a larger dog as yours, I believe the frozen raw would be most cost efficient. Freeze Dried should be the same as raw nutritionally once hydrated.
I always only feed his 5* reviews in the protein/flavor of that brand. I believe he rates by protein to fat ratio. So the 5* ones are lower in fat. So I stick to Primal’s turkey/sardine, venison, pork, duck. All of these proteins/flavors are non HPP (HIGH-PRESSURE PROCESSING (HPP)
High-Pressure Processing, or HPP, is an FDA- and USDA-approved cold water pressure process that allows us to target salmonella and other food-borne pathogens—without cooking.) Some raw feeders do not like the HPP process claiming it effects nutritional values. However other studies show he use of High Pressure Processing (known as HPP) is becoming increasingly common with commercial raw dog foods. However, HPP can be a controversial process. Some view it as an effective way to eliminate disease-causing bacteria while having only minimal effect on the integrity of the finished product.)
I believe Stella’s uses HPP in all their products. With their food I use chicken, venison bland and their rabbit.
Their are many other companies which are rated highly on this site. I believe VITAL ESSENTIALS is the brand which Is as a whole below in fat . If you go to the reviews on DFA they are all listed as a 5*. Many different flavors also. They are also low in calories . Their company goes by the prey model which is no veggies/fruits which are sometimes added to other brands. vital essentials example (ngredients: Beef, beef tripe, beef lung, ground beef bone, beef liver, beef heart, beef kidney, beef blood, beef fat, herring oil, d-alpha tocopherol)
I also want to suggest possibly kibble with salmon. Pancreatic digestive enzyme supplements have been reported to help some dogs with pancreatitis while fish body oils (such as salmon oil or EPA oil but not cod liver oil), can help to lower blood lipid levels which may reduce the workload on the pancreas.
I believe your dog does not suffer from pancreatitis but just occasional IBS? So I hope she does well with any of these . Just go slowly. So much confusion with all those brands. Hope I gave you a good starting point and she does well with these suggestions.

[sienna11711]

Hi,

Just to clear up any misunderstandings here WondrousPups your suggestions have been great but Susan does have a valid point. When you have a dog with a really sensitive digestive system even the best supplements and whole foods can cause them distress. I personally have gastroparesis and I cannot handle turmeric in any capacity. I don’t think Susan was trying to discredit the benefits, I think she has a lot of valuable experience. Having a “mystery” case dog is extremely stressful. I have tried a home cooked diet and raw diet and I did not experience any of the benefits of it for my dog. The people in the raw feeding facebook group treated me extremely harshly and insisted my dog needed to detox further even though she was slowly becoming skin and bones. Please be sensitive to that! We are trying so hard.

Susan unfortunately the endoscope and biopsy are out of my price range at the moment 🙁 I am getting an affordable second opinion with a telehealth visit with a vet from Barcelona, I’m looking forward to what she may think. Your vet made an EXCELLENT point- IBD can occur anywhere along the digestive tract, just because a dog isn’t having diarrhea or vomiting does not mean they don’t have IBD.

Also, lastly, (Patricia A) my vet said my dog could have IBD and we could certainly try the Hills IBD diet if I wanted to go down that road but she really didn’t seem convinced that it was. So there’s really no official actual diagnosis besides anxiety/stress. But I would classify her symptoms as some form of IBD or IBS – ravenous hunger, inability to digest anything besides kibble, poor fat digestion, resulting weak immunity, in the past she had chronic regurgitation as well.

[Susan]

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

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

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

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

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

[sienna11711]

Hi!! I am definitely a food is medicine kind of person. I was pretty sad when the raw and homemade diet didn’t work for her, because it definitely made her more calm overall but the stool and weight loss was a no go. I’m hoping that one day we can do a homemade diet especially since she’s a senior now.

We have used various tinctures from Pet Health and Nutrition Co.- they make awesome blends for many different issues, but unfortunately with my dog they would help a lot (almost like a sweetspot) for like, one month tops, and then she would go back to how she was previously. We were doing a hypothyroid blend as well as the adrenal blend. I still have the adrenal blend, so maybe I can try starting it up again.

She was also previously on a supplement called Thyro Complex (Progressive Labs) which has thyroid/pituitary/adrenal/spleen glandulars as well as iodine and kelp. When she was first “diagnosed” with hypothyroidism and prescribed levothyroxine, the vet also prescribed this. Within 2 days her coat drastically improved, even the color (she’s a brindle) opened up, she looked like an orange tiger! Her coat was amazingly soft. But unfortunately she then started dribbling urine nonstop all day, became excessively thirsty, and lost like 5 pounds in one week. Our new vet said it was likely that since her thyroid is not the true issue here, the thyroid glandular was over supporting her thyroid and plunging her into possible hyperthyroid territory. I did used to pour out half the capsule for a while, but gave up on it once we ruled out true hypothyroidism. Perhaps I should re order for the time being just to give extra support.

I’m very interested in turmeric, would you recommend giving it as a powder? she totally has some inflammation going on so turmeric would probably be a good option.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever tried aromatherapy, but Caroline Ingraham ihas an amazingggg essential oil program for animals with behavioral and health issues. I myself never was into oils although I do enjoy the scents, but it’s basically a method of letting animals select their own “cure” by presenting them a bunch of different oils. Animals in the wild will often self medicate by consuming certain plants when distressed so it works with that phenomenon. She’s done this with horses, dogs, cats, and even leopards. Usually during a successful session the animal will totally relax and even sleep. It’s amazing how the animals actually choose what they need. I ordered a bunch from her just to try out and my dog was obsessively trying to lick and eat Violet Leaf Oil- commonly used for stress and anxiety. She actually just keeps going at it over and over so it made it pretty clear my dog’s condition is really taxing to her. Other oils she would sniff for a bit and then turn away and others she just ignored completely.

[sienna11711]

Hi all, any bit of advice or insight?

9 year old spayed female boxer, 56 pounds, eating 3 cups of Victor Professional Formula daily.

For the last 9 months we have been dealing with:

Behavior-wise
-restless
-sleeps a lot less during the day, wakes up earlier to eat
-clingy, doesn’t stop following me
-frantic and fearful when outside
-extreme reactivity to dogs that gets WORSE with more food (I know this sounds crazy)
-flinches when being pet
-will nip at strangers who get too close to her body (not always, still likes people a lot and always wants to say hi)
-will nip if you try to pick her up or move her
-doesn’t play or cuddle
-pees a lot on walks

Digestion/health-wise
-ravenous, always looking for food
-eats other dog’s poop on walks
-previously regurgitated kibble everyday, hours later
-previously struggled with chronic UTIs (low immunity)
-frantic in the AM about eating
-drinks excessively after checking empty food bowl
-shedding excessively
-anal glands leaking and peeing herself while she sleeps
-fat such as fish oil makes her nauseous / may vomit
-cannot digest real food period (ie. rice and boiled chicken, cooked veggies, cooked ground turkey, or raw meat)
-with the above food her stool is orange and slimy
-stool has changed over time since adoption at age 7 from pooping way too much but now it is normal, firm, brown

Labwork
-consistently low T4 despite using levothyroxine, took her off in Jan 2020
-T4 goes up into normal range when she is on anxiety medicine
-extremely high/out of range TLI
-high cPL
-has, at times, had very high PSL randomly
-no diabetes, no cushings, NOTHING glaring us in the face

-We have tried every digestive supplement you can think of and many different foods including grain free, with grains, dehydrated cooked, dehydrated raw, actual raw, and actual cooked
-We have worked with an animal behaviorist who does not think this is purely behavioral
-She lost 8 pounds eating up to 2 pounds of raw a day
-She is much less reactive on cooked food and raw, but will rapidly lose weight and be even hungrier
-We have also tried Hills Science Diet wet food for IBD, orange slimy stool
-She can only really “digest” kibble

Chronic low grade pancreatitis was brought up to me on another forum but her stool is totally normal, so not too sure.
I do think that whatever “this” is affects her thyroid function but the thyroid itself is not the root cause- vet agrees
I just recently began putting enzymes in her food and incubating 20 min with warm water– will see if any improvement

[Kanna S]

I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for my 10 year old French bulldogs nutrition. She has been a raw fed dog for the majority of her life. She has had high hemoglobin and hematocrit for a long time but it has recently been high enough for a diagnosis of polycythemia. She eats primal raw duck. Does anyone know of a modification of her diet that could help with the polycythemia? Thanks in advance.

[Patricia A]

Yazmin one of the important keys to not upsetting his stomach is a VERY, VERY slow transition from what the breeder has been feeding him. Meaning feed the majority of kibble as his diet mixed in with the raw a tiny bit of the time until he’s fully transitioned to the raw. I feed freeze-dried raw in different brands. Don’t know the fat content in truly raw feeding. Just know that in certain proteins/flavors my dogs have a problem if the protein is too high in fat with certain brands. I stick to the low in fat because it causes stomach upset in my small dogs. So keep this in mind if your pup has loose stools after the full transition. Good luck with your new puppy.

[Will H]

I recommend to read that article https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/starting-puppy-on-raw-diet/

[rhodes J]

Hi Everyone
Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, or BARF, is formulated to closely match the canine diet that nature intended.
It’s a modern spin on your dog’s ancient roots.
While they may be far removed from their wild canine ancestors, your dog still has the inherited traits that allow them to break down fresh meat to keep their body running strong.
A diet of muscle meat, bones, and organs, plus eggs and fish, imitates the prey your dog would eat in the wild.
Additions like select fruit, veggies, and seeds fill in nutritional gaps so your dog can get a more fortifying diet than their ancestors ever did.
I used this for the better protein diet of my dog & it shows significant change
Dog Raw Food Diet Plan

[Brianna K]

This thread has helped me immensely.
my four-year-old pug has had this issue for a really long time, and I can’t seem to diagnose it. I’ve taken him to vets a few times in his life, but they rarely have anything to offer that I didn’t already know.
It ends up being a waste of time and mostly money for me, so I have become diligent in learning about my dog’s health so that I can try and diagnose fix with a level of education that keeps my dog safe.
With that said, I still haven’t solved this one.

My pug is on a raw food diet, I supplement with a variety of different types of foods, as well as prebiotics and probiotics. Naturally, not always supplemented.
I’ve found cooking up some lean meat, rice, veggies, with a lot of stock works well for his general comfort.
I just want to figure out why this is happening.

Sometimes he will sit in his kennel at night, just licking and swallowing and gulping really hard. It will happen for hours at a time sometimes and I don’t know what to do when it happens. He’ll just sit there gulping and licking really quickly. Almost like he’s throwing up and trying to swallow something quickly before it comes up all the way.
People often times get mad at me for getting a dog that I can’t afford to, but the state of the world has us all financially flustered and unfortunately not able to pay the big bucks that others can make for expensive medications. I also prefer to keep things as natural as possible as not to disrupt his already fragile system and to be able to diagnose the issue at the root and solve it in a way that is permanent.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Brianna K.

[Patricia A]

Maybe a starting point would be to find a food low in fat but has a good protein level. I feed freeze dried raw. This way with the hydration they are getting plenty of water. I also stick to only the LOW IN FAT proteins because my one would get diarrhea with the high fat. So maybe the best you can do with diet is the hard task of helping with the pancreatitis as well as the bladder stones is the high protein/low fat diet.
I read this in Whole Dog Journal
Low-protein diets have also been shown to predispose dogs to pancreatitis, especially when combined with high fat intake. Some prescription diets may be a concern, such as those prescribed to dissolve struvite bladder stones; to prevent calcium oxalate, urate, or cystine stones; and to treat kidney disease; especially for breeds prone to pancreatitis.

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

[Chipy]

Hi Jessica,

So awesome that you are switching to fresh food! Your pups are very lucky to have you!! 🙂

We switched to home-made meals many years ago and it was the best decision to support our dog’s health. I am happy to share some resources that have been super helpful in guiding us to prepare balanced, home-cooked, and raw meals.

To learn the basics, I suggest you start with this quick and easy Natural Diet Course which contains videos and articles full of information on this subject; https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet

This online Recipe Maker will help you build healthy meals for your dogs with the ingredients you have available. It provides guidance on amounts of each ingredient and which ingredients are best; https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

The key is to offer a variety of both proteins and vegetables and add essential nutrients (non-synthetic, wholefood-based supplements) to help fill in any nutritional deficiencies; https://peterdobias.com/collections/adult-dog-essentials

When it comes to recommendations on where to purchase high-quality meat and bones, it’s difficult to provide specific options as that will vary depending on where you live. I have some general advice that I would like to share and hope you find helpful.

Connecting with your local butcher is a great option, but you can always go to the supermarket as most meat departments have butchers working on site.

Bones that we are looking to feed our dogs are not often packaged for the display shelves. If you chat with them, they might have something you are looking for or can work with you to put it aside next time.

Some people that live in the country connect with local farmers or those that have friends or family that go hunting for a game could potentially give you items that they would discard when they are processing meat.

Pet stores are beginning to carry more natural food including stocking freezers with various bones and brands of pre-packaged, raw dog food. Unfortunately many primarily carry a lot of big beef marrow bones which are very hard and can lead to teeth fractures. On speaking to the pet store owner about what you are looking for, they are more likely to carry alternatives if they know that people want to buy them.

There are many Raw Food suppliers that ship nationwide and you can also try to connect with dog lovers in your area in person or online through Facebook groups etc to see if they have suggestions.

I hope you find the above information useful for your beloved dogs. Wishing you a great rest of the week! 🙂
Chipy

[Smith L]

Are you looking for a perfect diet food like Frozen Green Tripe For Dogs in Uk? RawDogsFood is a perfect online store to purchase beneficial enzymes food for your dogs. Our Frozen Tripe Food For Dogs has a good ratio of calcium, phosphorus, protein and fat. We are a leading dog food shop in Middleton UK and has a lot of satisfied retain and new customers. For more information visit our site or make a call

• This reply was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by Smith L. Reason: To optimize

[Chipy]

Hi Jake,

I am sorry to hear that you are going through this with your beloved pup, and understand that you would like to provide him with some immediate relief.

Allergies and skin problems are often the signals that the body is out of balance. Dr. Dobias has written several articles on the topics of allergies and paw licking that I have shared with you below. Many dog lovers are surprised to learn about the underlying cause of these common issues and the natural protocols that can be super helpful.

WHY ARE SKIN ALLERGIES IN DOGS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED?
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014037-why-are-skin-allergies-in-dogs-often-misdiagnosed

WHY DOGS LICK THEIR PAWS – NATURAL APPROACH TO TREATMENT:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11015041-why-dogs-lick-their-paws-natural-approach-to-treatment

5-STEP HOLISTIC APPROACH TO PAW LICKING IN DOGS:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014073-what-you-should-know-about-paw-licking-and-chewing-in-dogs

Apoquel can look like a miracle for dogs with allergies and their human companions watching them itch, however the negative effects of this drug are now well documented.

I recommend that you seek the guidance of a local holistic/integrative vet to help you with alternative treatment options and also have your dog’s spine checked by a chiropractor – as issues with spinal health are related to skin problems in dogs. I have included some links to help you find holistic practitioners in your area:

VetFinder – Find a Holistic Veterinarian

http://www.civtedu.org/directory/

Regarding diet, it’s best to avoid processed food (kibble and canned food) entirely and provide a fresh, raw or cooked diet for your dog. Dry dog food/kibble is is an extruded, highly processed product full of synthetic ingredients and starchy carbohydrates, which are very often the main cause of allergies. Every medical professional knows that fresh food is always healthier than processed food!

Fine tuning your dog’s body with a species appropriate diet and essential nutrients is the key to supporting his health and well-being. The best diet is as nature intends; fresh meat and bones with some vegetables and leafy greens, along with all natural vitamins, minerals, omega-3’s and probiotics;

Here is a link to a quick and easy Natural Diet Course which contains videos and articles full of information on this subject and an online Recipe Maker which will help you build healthy meals for your pup with the ingredients you have available:

https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

We switched to home-made meals many years ago and it was the best decision for our pup. I hope you will find these free resources helpful and wish you and your boy the best in good health.

Chipy

[Chipy]

Hi Virginia,

I am sorry to hear that you are going through this with your beloved boy and I’ve posted some articles below that I hope will be helpful regarding natural treatment options for your dog.

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO LUMPS IN DOGS:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11015077-holistic-approach-to-lumps-in-dogs

FATTY LUMPS ( LIPOMAS ), OTHER LUMPS AND WHY SURGERY IS NOT THE BEST CHOICE:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11016161-fatty-lumps-lipomas-other-lumps-and-why-surgery-is-not-the-best-choice

EPILEPSY ( SEIZURES ) IN DOGS – HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TREATMENT AND PREVENTION (PART 1):
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/10933933-epilepsy-seizures-in-dogs-holistic-approach-to-treatment-and-prevention-part-1

Regarding diet, it’s very important to avoid processed kibble and nourish your dog’s body with fresh food and essential nutrients. We made the switch many years ago and it was truly the best decision to support our pup’s health.

We use Dr. Dobias’ free recipe maker to create balanced meals and I recommend you watch his quick and easy diet course to learn more on this subject. It may take a little bit more time to prepare homemade meals but it is so worth it. Investing in high quality nutrition and good health will help you to save on vet bills over the long term.

NATURAL DIET: https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet

RECIPE MAKER: https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

I hope this helps your pup. Wishing you both the best in happiness and good health! 🙂
Chipy