[Jessica K]

My dog (1year old 12 pound Dachshund mix) has had a number of allergic reactions to different brands of kibble including Blue Buffalo and Merrick so my last vet asked if I wanted to try to switch him to a raw diet. After some research, we decided to switch him over and follow the raw meaty bones diet guidelines. Since then, he has been primarily fed either chicken legs or wings with eggs, organ meat and some vegetables to supplement. I have recently started to add goat milk and/or kefir when I can.

I was planning on switching his primary source of bone/protein around to fish or beef but haven’t gotten a chance to do so.

He was due for his vaccines and because I moved, we took him to a new vet. Once she found out that he was on a raw diet of mostly chicken wings and legs, she flipped out and told me I was abusing my dog. I asked her what I was doing wrong or if she had recommendations on a different raw feeding style but she ignored me and told me that if I didn’t switch him back to kibble, that she would take him away. I tried to explain his allergic reactions and even politely asked about what to do if he was on a kibble diet and had an allergic reaction but she gave me no answer.

Am I genuinely doing something wrong? Is this somewhat of a common reaction and has anyone dealt with a similar situation before?

Notes:
His allergic reaction mostly consists of a skin reaction but he does have the occasional ear infection. His skin reaction starts off with him turning bright pink/red, bumps and then blisters.
The original vet recommended the chicken wings and legs because of his size. I did manage to find him turkey necks once (rather hard to find in my area) but had to cut it into smaller chunks.

[Acroyali]

I wonder if those who choose to force their vegan beliefs on a carnivorous animal would have a problem with my feeding my horses a raw diet…

[Logan W]

For those new or novice to homemade dog food, it does take some research and a little bit of trial and error to see what your dog will eat. I’ve been doing homemade 100% for about 7 or 8 years now and I would highly recommend it. It does require some initial time and research but it’s all well worth it. I first started with several dogs and wasn’t convinced, like many here, that anything available on the market was as nutritionally dense as homemade. I started when I first adopted several dogs and they loved eating anything I bought, but the food certainly never agreed with them and they were sick all around my house. I think the last food, both dry and soft, they ever ate from the pet store was Blue Buffalo way back when. I would give them rice and chicken till they got better then slowly start working commercial food back into their diet. Every time… they got sick. That’s when I started out on the quest for something that I could rest assured was wholesome and nutritional… from my own hands.

People are right here when they warn you of feeding your dog homemade food without understanding your dogs nutritional needs. We all know our dogs will eat just about anything and you’d hate to learn the hard way that you are malnourishing your dog. I started by searching the web for a canine version of a daily nutritional requirements list that includes not only the macro nutrients (proteins, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, etc.) but also details all the micro nutrients (different amino acids, minerals, vitamins, etc.). The lists are out there if you search. It will be a long, long list of about 30-40 nutrients.

Once I found this list, I did some calculations based on my dogs activity level and size, multiples really. Then I created an Excel spreadsheet of all the target daily nutritional requirements. From there I started searching the web for natural sources of each nutrient and cross referencing them again sites to make sure they weren’t toxic to dogs. You’d be surprised to find that much of the normal fresh meats and vegetables at the store have just what your dog needs. I created a list of ideal food ingredients and Googled each ingredient’s full nutritional profile and built a tab for each ingredient in Excel listing out its nutrients per 1 gram or other serving size. Then I would build other worksheets modeling possible combinations of natural ingredients and seeing how the resulting nutrional profile compares to the target. You’ll find, just like with any animal, that you’ll never get it perfect. You may figure out that adding sweet potatoes helps you fill one nutrient you were targeting only to provide an exceeding amount of another. This is inevitable but just make sure that you aren’t creating a recipe that has far too little of one nutrient that is very important, or even far too much of another that can cause problems if ingested in large quantities like Vitamin A, etc. Its really a process or trial and error modeling a recipe that is really close. I got a few recipes and then went for it. But I do give my dog a multivitamin once a day too just to be a little safer.

The recipes I’ve been using for some time is muscle meat and some organ meat like ground beef and beef livers or kidneys, or chicken breasts and chicken livers. Organ meat is very nutritionally dense and its what dogs go for first when they find a animal in the wild. Muscle meat is a thing we humans prioritize for some reason so remember that you dog IS NOT BEST SERVED WITH FILET MIGNONS OR CHICKEN TENDERS. For veggies, I use about 3-5 different vegetables and switch them up every once in a while. My favorites are sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, squash and zucchini. For fiber and carbohydrates, I pick between a rice (white or brown) or beans (dry pinto or black beans). There’s other things I do too, like I use quite a few eggs and I boil the eggshells to sterilize them. Then I grind the dried shells into a powder for their high calcium needs. I also add some ground flax seed and olive oil to every batch. That’s really it about ingredients… now the PREPARATION METHOD becomes vitally important.

If your dog is like any of mine, they probably don’t care to eat vegetables raw or their own flavor. Also, how you cook the vegetables and beans/grains can either retain most of the nutrients or deplete most of them. Dogs have very short digestive tracts compared to humans and that means that just because they can eat a raw carrot…. it doesn’t mean there digestive tract can break it all down fast enough before it passes. Pressure cookers are great for dog food vegetables. Pressure cookers apply high heat for a very short period of time that not only softens the vegetables so they are more digestible, but it helps retain the nutrients in the vegetables much better than, let’s say, boiling them. One could simply use a steamer, but the trick I use is adding some chicken broth to the pressure cooker so that it injects a tasty flavor in all the vegetables. I chop all my vegetables and pile them into the pressure cooker and add a couple cups of real chicken broth and set it for 10 minutes, done. I pull out the finished veggies and set aside. Then I do the same flavor-injection with the beans or rice by using the pressure cooker too. I take out the beans or rice when finished and mix it into the cooked vegetables I set aside.

Next I chop up a cook the meats/organs either in a large pan or also in the pressure cooker (depends on the meat). I add a generous amount of olive oil and pour in the eggs and ground eggshells + ground flax seed. When this is all done I mix it all together with the already completed parts I set aside. A little salt and its done. I divide the food up into glass, airtight containers that hold enough for no more than 5 days of food. I keep one in the fridge and the others in the freezer. After the first container is nearing empty, I start thawing the second container. I give me 20-30 lbs guys about 1 cup of the food nuked for about a minute, morning and night.

How’s it working? Wonderful coats, plenty of energy, no skin problems EVER, all vet checkups clear and I’ve had their blood tested drawn at different times of their metabolic cycles to test for nutrients in their bloodstream (a whole lot of expensive testing just to reassure me that what I was doing was good) and not a single thing ever wrong with them. Since their food is not very hard or dry, you do need to brush their teeth or make sure they get plenty of dental chews. Their stool should be nice and loose, but not huge and frequent. Once or twice a day is normal. Their digestives tracts are using more of the food mass than was being used when feeding commercial food filled with corn and other grains. So their stool gets smaller. You can go online and find paid recipes backed by vets, but I’ve yet to see one that is truly all homemade. They typically create recipes that require using some overly priced supplement powder they distribute or co-advertise for. Don’t waste your time on them.

You may find that your dog devours the food right away or plays the hold-put game for something better. Mine play both games depending on their mood. They usually don’t eat the food right away cause it’s just been reheated and they know not to try. So they usually meander around for a while before eating it later. But when they finally eat… they eat it all… every last piece of vegetable, bean and rice, etc.

So there’s my experience and I hope it inspires you to give it a go and stick with it. I have an electric pressure cooker only for the dog food… best investment ever. It costs me about 50 cents to feed 1 lbs dog for a week. So that’s $10 a week for one 20 lbs dog. I consider that a much better ROI than commercial dog food. Since I only have one freezer, I only make food every 2 weeks and spend about 2 hours when I do. But you get used to it and you learn the process inside and out. I’d never go back. Now if only I would eat as good as these damned dogs do!! 😉

[GSDsForever]

Just another thought, in case it is helpful: have you thought about getting a nutrition consult from a veterinary nutrition specialist (board certified) or specialty center, via your vet?

They’re not all anti-raw (etc.) and some will evaluate both particular commercial diets and homemade, as well as help you design a solid homemade one (or rotation) to your preferences, that will work best for your individual dog’s needs . . . whether allergies or low weight/trouble putting on and maintaining weight, etc.

[GSDsForever]

Be careful with just following the feeding guidelines on commercial foods vs by calorie and individual monitoring of your dog’s body condition scoring/needs — and Ziwi Peak if that’s what you feed.

While many kibbles tend to overestimate calorie needs/cups to feed, I’ve found many raw and freeze dried or dehydrated ones tend to vastly underestimate/recommend. I suspect this is true for the latter because the companies are aware that their products can seem exorbitant, even cost prohibitive for larger dogs. In particular, I’ve had this discussion with Ziwipeak, because their amounts to feed/calories recommended made absolutely no sense for my dog (or breed generally, esp if working).

I’m far from a raw diet (various styles) expert, but from experience with homemade/home prepared with fresh foods and balanced . . . could you not simply boost the fat content by adding from a wholesome source yourself?

Most healthy dogs can do quite well on higher fat diets (as shown by veterinary nutrition research on dogs and wildlife research).

[Susan]

Hi Nanci your not feeding her enough, don’t forget she was eating kibble before & kibble is higher in carbs grain free kibbles have more starchy carbs then a raw diet has, now she’s eating a leaner diet with only 5% -15% carbs..what I did with my boy when he started raw diet, I feed raw for breakfast & kibble for dinner cause of other health problems but the weight dropped off him as well, maybe look at another raw diet that has higher Kcals per cup…you said she’s eating a dehydrated diet, maybe the premade raw frozen diets might have more calories ?? I made Patches raw diet myself thru an Naturopath cause Patch has IBD & Skin problems & had to feed Patch 2 cups of raw with blended veggies a day & Patch was hungry the Naturopath said he will be hungry cause he was use to eating a kibble diet
just watch his weight if he loses weight then increase the raw 1/2 a cup more a day
this year I bought Patch the Ziwi Peak air dried raw & it said to feed 1 & 1/2 cups per day
for a 20kg dog, I knew Patch would loose weigh only eating 1 & 1/2 cups a day so I divided the 1 & 1/2 cups for breakfast & lunch then I cooked pork & sweet potato for dinner, your dog probably isn’t eating enough calories for the day….
I had a boxer & she was bigger then Patch, she was 77lbs -35kg & she ate 1/2 of what Patch eats & would put on weight just looking at food, where Patch only weights 37lbs – 17 kg & eats double what my boxer ate, Patch is more energetic then my boxer was, he must burn his calories more then what my boxer did..

[Nanci Jo M]

I switched my pit to an all raw food diet. This one is dehydrated and I prepare it with hot water. This diet has literally cured her food allergies. She had been on many versions of grain free, and different proteins. She licked her feet until they bled. The raw diet has cured her symptoms, however she has lost 10 pounds and is skin and bones. She is also constantly hungry. I feed her the recommended amount and have also supplemented with flax oil and probiotics. She also gets additional vegetables and some fruit. Any ideas why she continues to lose weight?
I am testing her stool tomorrow for worms.he has already been to the vet and is otherwise in good health.

[pitlove]

Hi Jo C-

As long as your pit can tolerate it, you can certainly add fresh foods to her diet. You will need to decrease the amount of dry food you feed when feeding fresh food along with kibble, so as to not overfeed calories. Also starting off right off the bat reducing the dry food by half is not a great idea. You will need to slowly introduce fresh foods to her diet because it’s not something her stomach is used to. It’s like introducing a new dry food. You will need introduce it slowly and moniter her stool to make sure she can handle it.

Unfortunetly mine can not handle raw or lightly cooked food in his diet. But he seems to have a lot more issues than yours does.

[Brooke C]

I have recently started my 13 week old Rough Collie on a raw food diet. He currently weighs 22lbs and expect him to get no larger then 60lbs when he’s an adult.

He’s been on raw food for about a week, ingredients I have been using is chicken with bone, green tripe and chicken liver. Carrots and leafy greens are the only veggies I have added.

My biggest problem is I can’t seem to find any other organ meat other then chicken liver. I have been to all the butchers and grocery stores in my area and no one seems to have anything at all. And the only place I was able to find the green tripe was an Asian store who apparently rarely carries it, so I got very lucky in finding it.

Are these ingredients okay? And can anyone tell me how to judge how much to feed him. Currently I feed him 9.6oz 3 times a day. Going by his current weight.

[pitlove]

Hi Blake-

One thing you have to understand about kibble and raw is that they are completely different. One is cooked at higher temps and one is not cooked at all. I wouldn’t expect an 11 week old dog to be able to handle swapping from one type of diet to another over night.

Best thing to do at this point is reintroduce the kibble and then when the diaherra has stopped slowly start incorporating the raw food into his diet. You need to transition him to raw just like you would to another kibble, but even slower.

Best of luck!

[Blake E]

We are in need of some advice, we have got own first puppy. Ted is an 11 week old Cockapoo, we had been feeding on the ‘Royal Canine Mini Junior’ but we had decided we wanted to feed him in a raw food diet. So we went into to PAH and brought a bag of Natures Menu Puppy Raw food, however after giving Ted his first meal this morning of Raw Food, it is as though this has gone straight throu him and now has diarrhoea.

So I gues my question is are we right to of done this so soon? Or should we of kept him in dry food??

Thanks in advance!!

[Katherine B]

I have a 14 lb Havanese who is 14 lbs.!! I feed both Darwin and Primal. Both are very bloody unless you buy the freeze dried. I much prefer freeze dried but it is way more expensive. I speak with one of the nutritionalist at Darwin’s when I have questions. Not sure why but he says the freeze dried is not as good for dogs as the frozen. I still use it frequently. She loves it and I don’t worry nearly as much about the safety. Sometimes the raw looks so bloody and disgusting it is difficult for me to feed. However, I have seen such improvement in her health issues after beginning the raw diet I feed it all the time. Began two years ago after listening to many of Dr. Karen Becker’s videos on You Tube. James at Darwin’s just happened to tell me once Darwin’s consults with her when they created the special prescription foods. Sophia, my little girl, has Cushings and a ‘Leaky heart valve’! After feeding primal raw for one year and adding Adrenal Gold from Pet Wellbeing to the food I had her blood work rechecked. Everything that had been extremely high before was near normal. Wish I had realized the importance of feeding a raw diet 14 years ago. I truly believe she would be a healthy dog today.

[J S]

That’s an educational article, but their dog has oxalate crystals, not struvite and the diet needed would be different due to needing a different pH urine.

PH strips can be found either on-line or at the health food store. Our Saluki/Husky struvite crystal maker is holding steady with occasional signs of what we call “pee-crawling” which means there might be some crystals starting up again (no blood is observed). The keys to her improvement are using mostly canned wet food, a bit of kibble and extra water (float the kibble) at both meals, and one of the meals we still use the Royal Canin for struvite crystals. The other meal is Canidae grain-free, which is what we feed our other dog. We also use cranberry relief powder in one meal, and a pH lowering powder in the other other (the non-Rx meal). With increased water consumption the best thing is to get her on a schedule of peeing outside every four hours or less, and so far, no more crystals or infections that have been requiring a vet. Her noon and bedtime snacks are also broken up and floated in some water to increase her liquids. We try to keep her pH lower with grain-free and more meat in her diet. One snack is Texax hold-ems dehydrated sheep lung. Hope this helps.

[Michael F]

Hi, My last two dogs lived to be 16 and 17 years old, they developed arthritis and we used
Duralactin and all natural anti-inflammatory, you can read more about it her https://www.vetinfo.com/duralactin-canine-side-effects.html it doesn’t have the side affects of Rimadyl, I’m not to saying you should stop her rimadly, I’m not sure how bad her arthritis is and it is a choice your and your vet would make. With the Duralactin we also gave our dogs Cosequin, or I guess now they make Dasaquin, we gave our dogs both the Duralactin and the Cosequin and they did quite well, I also found that four short walks a day, made it easier for them to get up and down and move around. For your weight loss, I would keep her on her diet food that works for her, and feed her the amount of it she is suppose to have for her required weight, as a topper for a treat, you might try a little boiled fat free ground turkey and or boiled skinless boneless chicken breasts, those will be much lower fat options and should still feel like a treat to her. To make it easy you can cook it up ahead of time and freeze small amounts in freezer bags, and then you’ll have a pre-made topper for her food. It’s not easy getting a dog with arthritis extra exercise, but if you stick to the amount of food she is suppose to eat for the weight you want her to be at and avoid extra fatty food additives and other people food and give her the low fat kibble as treat, rather than a fatty dog treat, she’ll eventually take weight off, you don’t want to under-feed her, because then she get malnourished, she needs a certain amount of food each day to get her needed vitamins. Give it some time and you’ll see results! A cute story about the need to feed your dog too many special treats….My parents had a toy poodle named pete, they only fed him buddig lunchmeat, they said he would not eat dog food, at age six, he looked awful, instead of being chocolate brown he was grey and going bald, his eyes looked sickly and he limped on his hind leg at time, unfortunately my parents passed away at that time, anyway, pete came to live with me and my other two dogs, and guess what, I fed him dog food, not lunchmeat, in a few months time, his coat was nice and chocolate brown again, his eyes looked great, he got daily walks with the other two dogs, and he lived to be almost 18 years old! So that is my story about table scraps versus dog food! That doesn’t mean I’m knocking a raw diet for dogs or home cooking for dogs, they are preferred to dog food by many vets and many of us dog owners, however, they have to be a balanced diet, not just luchmeat and table scraps.

[Raava]

Thank you, crazy4cats! I did so much internet searching about blood meal and a raw diet and didn’t find much, if anything. xP

(Ha, I didn’t know you had to manually use your nickname… there we go). lol

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Raava.

[Susan]

Hi, I have a boy with IBD he suffers from food sensitivities & suffers with the Helicobacter-Pylori so he gets bad acid reflux, he can’t take steroids (Prednisone) it gives him diarrhea & nausea….cooking for him is the best, I went thru a Animal Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan (Australian) to put Patch on a Raw diet but he kept regurgitating the raw back up into his mouth when he burped, kibble seems to stay down better, so now I cook her raw diet minus any bone & I use her supplements Digestavite plus powder & the Omega 3, 6 & 9 Oil…
A few people use the “Balance It’ we don’t have it in Australia….I give Metronidazole tablets to Patch when needed & he’s on an ant acid med Losec. I finally gave in after 3 years…I believe foods help heal & natural supplements…. L-Glutamine is suppose to be good, you make a bone broth & add to the meal… there’s a group on Face Book called “Canine Nutrition and Natural Health” Cat Lane can help with a balanced diet but I don’t know what she charges, I only paid $60 & the Naturopath rung me & spoke to me for 1 hr what to feed & what supplement to give here’s Jacqueline Rudans Raw Diets, she put Patch on the Maintenance Diet minus any bone & organ meats to start with & I had to add the Digestavite Plus Powder… http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/education.php

[Raava]

Hi all, just joined b/c I have an unusual question…

I just started my dog on a full raw diet again. He’s a 30lb, 10yo husky mix. Tried it before but couldn’t keep up the expense, and he’s eaten raw on and off throughout his life.

This time I’m a little bit “OCD” about making sure he’s not lacking in any nutrients. lol I give him a pretty balanced diet: Mostly red meat like beef and pork, pork bones, chicken quarters, gizzards, eggs, chicken and beef liver, beef kidney, canned mackerel, salmon, and sardines, kefir sometimes, and salmon oil (b/c I’m paranoid about the mercury in even small fish). I’m swapping the chicken out for turkey now though (both ground and bone-in) b/c I kind of suspect a chicken allergy, but I’m not sure. He even gets oysters for the extra zinc, and a liquid vitamin E supplement.

I recently noticed that iron seems low though, and I got him some baby clams to supplement it since those are super high in iron, but then I read about cadmium in them and other heavy metals that can accumulate (might be the same with oysters, I don’t know anymore). -_- It’s always something. I discovered that spleen is high in iron too, but I can’t get my hands on that.

So I was thinking about how wolves in the wild eat… they kill their prey and eat/drink some of the blood as well while they’re gnawing on their meat, right? Well blood has plenty of iron in it… but I can’t buy fresh blood. I’ve even read it’s illegal to sell (not sure on location). So the next best thing is blood meal.

Would adding blood meal be a good idea as an iron supplement? (I’ve calculated the amount of iron in it and know how much he would need, roughly 2g, give or take.) Or do I sound like a lunatic? xD I’m just slightly paranoid about him getting ALL the right amounts of nutrients he needs. I know they say “balance over time”, but even then, the raw diet seems low in a lot of things. Particularly, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin e, and manganese.

Since I added more red meat and the oysters to his diet, his coat is getting a lot better. It was unusually dry-ish before, and not soft and shiny like you typically see with a raw diet.

And to add another thing: I really wish I knew the nutrient content of bones! I read there’s some magnesium, potassium, zinc and other things in them, but there’s no info to say how much. So there’s no telling what he’s getting from the bone content too.

As I mentioned in the beginning, he’s 10 years old already and I want him to live forever, basically…. lmao So that’s why I’m a little paranoid about him getting everything he needs. Sorry for being long-winded, and thanks to anyone who reads this. lol

• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Raava.

[anonymously]

Have you tried the search engine here?

Also, some science-based information about raw included in this blog:
More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets
Posted on July 20, 2016 by skeptvet http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

If you are interested….

[D S]

My 3 10-lb dogs eat a variety of kibble including Taste of the Wild, Orijen, and Acana. Usually, I’ll mix in a small amount of mashed yam/sweet potato, and they inhale their food. They also love Honest Kitchen dehydrated food, which I’ll sometimes sprinkle on top of kibble (without yam) and add some water. Once in a while, I’ll feed just Honest Kitchen with no kibble. I like to give them a variety.

I’ve heard many times that kibble is heated/baked and loses much of its nutritional value, and that a raw or dehydrated diet is a much better choice. Is this true? The top kibble brands obviously put a lot of research into their products and I assume they’re pretty well engineered, but I can’t help but think that I’m doing my dogs a disservice by not keeping to a more raw or dehydrated diet.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Acroyali]

IME, nutrition is a single finger of a hand. Alone it does very little, but when combined with the “other fingers” (genetics, exercise, toxic load status, etc) it all comes together as a functioning thing.
I firmly believe nutrition plays a large role in the health of any living thing. I feed raw, I’ve fed raw for decades but I still find myself getting extremely irritated when I read people claiming that a raw diet is guaranteed to “prevent” cancer or any disease known to the canine species. It’s bullcrap, I and many others have had raw fed, naturally reared dogs out of raw fed, naturally reared parents that die of a genetic disease (or, a disease with a strong genetic link) at a young age. I simply think, anymore, that diet can bring any living thing up to it’s genetic potential, and that’s the best that we, as owners, can strive for. I do feel the vet is wrong, though, and would encourage your client to feed her dog a so-so food for a month or two, then switch to a good diet for a month or two and see what differences (however subtle) are noticed.

[anonymously]

I have found this blog informative regarding vaccinations, even the comments are helpful (imo)

Routine Vaccinations for Dogs & Cats: Trying to Make Evidence-based Decisions

Also, some science-based information about raw included in this blog:
More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets
Posted on July 20, 2016 by skeptvet http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

If you are interested….

[Alisa G]

My 85-pound black lab is highly allergic to storage mites so we have taken dry food out of her diet. Combined with Apoquel, her itching is completely gone! However, buying high-quality grain-free canned food is not something I can sustain financially much longer. I’m wondering if the freeze-dried raw foods also contain storage mites? She also needs to lose some weight and my vet has provided me with a target caloric intake, with a good amount of protein so she doesn’t lose muscle. I’m pulling my hair out, having researched way too much on this site and others. SUGGESTIONS!?

[Josh H]

Vets will never admit it, but I think they get a lot of support from the big dog food companies (i.e. money, free samples to give to customers, etc). I really like my vet, but he recommended Science Diet because of the “science” behind it, but he said at the end of the day give my puppy what he likes because it doesn’t really matter. How can dog food with bad ingredients be the same as dog food with great ingredients? I do not understand that logic at all.

When it really comes down to it, all dog food is processed (unless your dog is on a raw diet), but if you look at a lot of the big name brands of dog food it is basically just processed crap. There are arguments on both sides, but I 100% believe that if you give your dog premium dog food with good ingredients, that they will be healthier and happier.

[InkedMarie]

There are many meats out there. Which of these proteins have you fed?
Chicken, turkey, duck, beef, venison, fish, bison, goat, kangaroo?
Apoquel…..please google about that. There were recently some articles out there on the harm that drug does.

I have a dog who had yeast ears & was a paw licker (no itchiness). the only thing that worked for him was a raw diet with no produce.

I just had an ah ha moment, for myself. This same dog just had his first ear infection in something like 4 years. Only thing new is the greens mix I started adding (Shawna who posted after me knows what I made). Hmm…time to stop that for him.

[anonymously]

We can agree to disagree, after all, we are just voicing opinions. There is nothing to debate.
Any pet owner with serious issues should consult a veterinarian, I assume most people know that.

I used to avoid vets too. I learned the hard way this was not a good idea.

I listened to folks pushing raw diets and such (internet forums) in the past only to end up at the emergency vet $

I now take my advice regarding treatment/diet issues from a vet that has examined my dog.
Every pet is unique, but I share information if I think it will be helpful, short of giving medical advice.

[Greg D]

Hi,
I’m new to this forum and have come
across this site as I’m researching. Im going crazy with my dogs yeast infections. I’ve read all the comments, and as everywhere on the net you always find conflicting comments, statements, opinions etc regarding causes and prevention, so I am going to simply provide some of my findings and also hope people can advise any further.
My dog, Digi, a Maltese cross has a yeast problem. Started out in the ears and the paws. This has been going on for 12 months. I started off by changing her diet to a grain free and mostly meat based diet feeding her Wellness core . She loved it at the start but the problem didn’t stop. We then changed to K9 natural freeze dried. Again, she loved it but soon stopped wanting it. The problem didn’t stop. I then started feeding her a raw diet with. I grains or carbs. The problem got worse until she actually had an allergic reaction and ended up at the vets when her face swelled up and she got a red, raised rash all over her body. This happened instantly one night after she finished eating. The vet recommended a fish based diet which against my better judgement contains brown rice, but I was desperate so we tried it. Her ears cleared up miraculously and almost instantly but she still licks her feet. She is washed in anti fungal shampoo regularly but it will not disappear. Her ears are beautiful and clean and no other part of her body seems to be affected anymore. The vet has suggested she may have an allergy to grass as well but how can I keep her inside 24/7? She would go crazy with cabin fever!
I’ve tried soaking them in hydrogen peroxide and water and tried different sprays but she continues to lick them almost constantly and they are that rusty colour. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Willing to try anything. Thank you.

[chris]

@zcRiley Yeah, the thing with Trippet is they use carrageenan which for obvious reasons I won’t be feeding to my dog. Petkind does have the other tripes called “That’s It” which doesn’t include carrageenan. I am not wanting to order offline though and it’s hard to find in my area. Thanks though for the help 🙂

@pugmomsandy Thanks for the info as well, I just asked to join and been reading a ton on there raw diets information on there page. Very interesting!

[Jennifer H]

Thank you pitluv. I think you and I are pretty much in sync on this topic. I have many intact Saints as well as not intact saints and they can all eat the higher calorie and fat foods. In fact my 2 older Saints (almost 10) are doing fine without any real adjustment to their diet. The only one I have had to adjust my regular diet for is a 8-year-old spayed girl who started gaining weight and I adjusted her portion down a small bit and she is doing good with her weight now.
I just was wondering if there are any different ideas or beliefs that I may have missed. My guys all eat a RAW diet designed and tested to meet the needs of large/giant breed dogs. It is my own formula (with vet, nutritionist and other breeder input) and I just thought I would see if maybe there was anything else I should be considering in my formula that I might have missed. Anyway, thanks for your input and information.

[Katie C]

I have an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy and I’d like to supplement her diet with some raw foods and go from there. Can puppies have livers, hearts or gizzards? Are they beneficial?

[Andrea V]

Information overload!!! I need some help please! With so much social media I believe I am asking the wrong people for advice. I have gotten a million different responses to what people feed their Cane Corso. We are bringing our puppy home in three days, he is a full blooded cane Corso. Eventually I would like to do the raw diet but definitely need to learn more about that. What is an appropriate kibble to start him on? I heard the blue buffalo wilderness is great? Any thoughts?

[pitlove]

Hi goldenstar-

Love your new avatar btw! What a cutie!

I’m personally not concerned about plant-based vs meat-based etc etc for a growing large breed puppy. That is something I would focus in on once you know he’s fully grown. I also have no problem with starting a puppy off on chicken. It is a common protein, but why introduce exotic proteins when you don’t need to? There is so much to choose from within the common proteins for variety.

If I were going to add anything at all to the diet it would be raw green tripe. However, as long as there is no bone and the chicken does not exceed 10% of the diet I don’t see the problem with that.

Circa Regal-

That is a great point you bring up and I could not agree more! We decided not to neuter either of our dogs, but even our vet warned us with our pitbull to wait until 18 months old when he was done growing.

I am absolutely a believer in not spaying or neutering early for large and giant breeds especially! It can be so devastating for their growth. Certainly though, it’s tough when you encounter a situation like yours.

[Susan]

Hi my boy suffers with Food Sensitivities & Environment allergies.. your best of doing an elimination food diet to make sure she is sensitive to chicken?? My boy is sensitive to chicken he gets red paws, itchy ears, itchy skin & sloppy poos, as soon as I feed cooked or raw chicken his paws went red & hot within 20mins, also when he eats a kibble with
barley, corn, maize, gluten meal….
“Taste Of The Wild” puppy formulas both are chicken free & no chicken fat….one is Pacific Stream puppy with Smoked Salmon the other one is High Prairie Puppy with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison….your better off feeding the Salmon kibble. Fish is a cooling meat where beef isn’t my boy itches when I made him Beef rissoles now I feed pork rissole with sweet potato for dinner & the Taste Of The Wild Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb kibble for breakfast, the TOTW Sierra Mountain is an all life stages kibble & can be feed to a puppy & is chicken free. send TOTW an email ask for some puppy samples & All Life Stages kibbles for a large breed puppy & their booklet so you can read ingredients & which kibbles are All Life Stages kibbles…their samples are pretty big..

also BATHS are the best when your dog has environment allergies, I bath weekly sometimes twice a week depends if Patch is itchy & scratching after a walk…Baths wash off any pollen & allergen that are on their fur & skin & relieve any itch when you wash in the right shampoo I bath Patch in Malaseb medicated shampoo. I also wipe him down with Huggie baby Cucumber & Aloe wipes after going on our daily walks… http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/
Another chicken free kibble is “Holistic Select” Salmon & Anchovy & Sardine Meal Adult & Puppy Health is suppose to be really good for itchy dogs…
http://www.holisticselect.com/
If after changing kibble to an all fish kibble & your dog is still itchy red eyes then book an appointment to see an Dermatologist they are better then a vet, dearer but a Dermatologist knows all about allergies & the skin you’ll end up saving money vets just put the dog on a vet diet & give antibiotics & steroids….Have you tried an antihistamine?? especially her eyes are you sure its not a turned in eye lash?? that can cause irritation & infection, I’d see a new vet for her eye…
besides the red eyes is she itchy all over her body & scratching, red paws or itchy ears?? she may just need the eye drops & be put on a premium kibble..

[Dennis L]

My puppy has been on a raw diet since we got him. We feed a combination of food from My pet carnivore including tripe, whole ground rabbit, whole ground chicken, pork, and beef. I give him raw meaty bones everyday. He was doing great on the bones and even was eating turkey necks, but last week he started chewing all of the meat off the bone and leaving the rest. I tried giving him a chicken thigh and then I went down to chicken wings. He eats the meat off of each bone and leave the rest. He used to crunch the bones up like they were nothing, but he has no interest now.
I know he needs more than the 10 percent bone that is in his ground food so I have been adding bone meal to his food to supplement. I am really not comfortable with this as I don’t want to give him too much calcium. I am wondering if teething is an issue and if anyone has had this problem and if their pups started back up on the bones. Thanks

[crazy4cats]

Hi RobbW-
If you are feeding the Adult Chicken Blue Wilderness kibble, it has 415 calories per cup. Here is a link the the dog food calculator that may help you determine how much to feed your pups: /dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

Raw food has a lot more moisture in it and most likely a lot less calories. You either need to feed less of their current food and exercise more. Or, find a food with less calories. I tend to feed lower calorie foods and add different toppers to my dogs’ meals. In fact, I feed commercial raw mixed in their meals three times per week. You could still feed partial raw along with kibble to help save money.

I agree with the others about not adding any supplements that advertise stopping urine burn to you dogs’ diets. Changing the pH of their urine could be dangerous. Best of luck to you!!

[sean b]

Hi guys,
Is there anybody on here that has an irish wolfhound?? I am trying to get onto giving my Winston a raw food diet,but have no idea where to begin,it all seems very intimidating and would love to know if anybody here has wolfhounds and if so how much do you feed…any help would be much appreciated, how to start out with my feeding regime etc etc thanks guys 🙂

[Shawna]

Hi Katie C,

There definitely is LOTS of opinions on right from wrong with raw feeding. I think there are three really important factors and everything else is just opinion — 1. No matter what you decide to feed, minimally processed food is always going to be an improvement over highly processed food. 2. The diet MUST be balanced. That said, except for calcium/phosphorus, the balance can happen at every meal or over a weeks time. 3. Variety in the diet (even if feeding commercial prepared, balanced foods) is absolutely a must.

I’ve been feeding raw to about 35/40 dogs over the last 11 to 12 years (my own and foster dogs). I’ve weaned pups onto raw and fed 19 year old seniors raw. I personally don’t feed grains or many starchier vegetables but if the pup isn’t having specific issues these can help keep the diet financially friendly. 🙂 I personally DO like small amounts of fruits (about 5% of total diet) and veggies (about 15 to 20%). They are not necessary, I will totally agree, but they do add a lot of nutrient bang for the buck when properly processed. Since our pups live in a somewhat toxic environment those extra antioxidants etc can only be beneficial in my opinion. I live pretty clean but my pets are exposed to formaldehyde in a few pieces of particle board furniture in my house as well as the anti-stain coating on furniture and rugs. I don’t spray my yard but my neighbors do. Then there’s car exhaust and………

I mostly feed commercial raw, right now I have more money than time. But I do buy meat on sale and use a premix to help balance it. I also have freeze dried raw, and even kibble, on hand for those days I literally run in to feed the dogs and run back out, or maybe I’ve got the flu and don’t even want to get out of bed let alone dish up meals for seven dogs.

There are recipes in books and online that you can use but, as mentioned, I don’t think it’s good to rely on one recipe all the time. Dr. Karen Becker has a book with recipes called “Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats”. She uses a few supplements but, in my opinion, it’s better to use supplements (even synthetic ones) than to omit that vitamin / mineral from the diet all together because of a bias. Balance IT website is another place where you can create recipes using ingredient you chose and then use their supplement mix to balance the diet. You also DEFINITELY CAN balance over a week but you have to be way more committed to finding and using harder to find ingredients/foods.

To recap, best thing you can do is not get too wrapped up into what is wrong or right and just strive for balance using whatever fits best into your lifestyle, price range and belief system.

[pitlove]

Hi Jennifer-

To answer your first question, those numbers are the recommendation from the NRC (National Research Council) which in conjuntion with AAFCO, sets the minimums for the nutrient profiles in all dog foods. As far as I know there is no legal obligation to NRC for companies unlike AAFCO, however they influence AAFCO greatly and are a good rule of thumb. These are nutrient guidelines you would want to consider in preparing homemade and raw diets as well.

For number 2, my best advice is what you already know. Keep them lean, all throughout life. I find that I can still feed my older large breed (8 year old 75lb Lab) high calorie foods, but still keep him at a good weight, so long as I consider his activity level and any extras that he gets. I also do prefer leaner meats like chicken, turkey and fish. The other thing that certainly helps their metabolism is them being intact. It’s going to be much different with neutered/spayed dogs, as their energy requirements change. It’s said now, with some of the new research, that senior dogs require more of a high quality protein because of their inability to metabolize protein as efficently as their adult counterparts. Some still argue that high protein damages the kidneys etc. Others argue that processing excess protein is a passive process of the kidneys and has no effect on a healthy dog.

[Erin N]

Hi Shawna,

I have a 10 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback that has been diagnosed with stage II kidney disease. I have ordered the Standard Process Renal supplement and working on implanting some raw into her diet. I am very curious about the Nitrogen trapping. Do you have a suggested guideline for how much to give a dog per weight? Mine is ranging from 90-100 lbs (trying to get some weight back on her, currently 95 lbs, but always been 100-105).

Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[Jennifer H]

I made the jump to RAW a couple years ago and could not be more happy with the decision. My dogs are healthier and happier and never leave any food in the bowl at feeding time. I honestly have not had a sick dog since I made the switch on one dog that had been diagnosed with cancer prior to the switch is still with me and doing great.

Books I would recommend for thinking about making the jump would be as follows:

Canine Nutrigenomics by W Jean Dodds, DVM and Diana R. Laverdure. This is the book that finally got me to make the switch after thinking and researching the idea for a couple years. This book has become my Bible so to speak.

Give Your Dog a Bone by Dr. Ian Billinghurst

Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson, PHD

Common Herbs for Natural Health by Juliette de Bairacli Levy

The Dog Cancer Survival guide by Dr. Demian Dressler, DVM

There are more but these are the books I keep handy when looking to make any changes to my dogs diet.

[Katie C]

Hello everyone!
I am a lifetime dog lover who has recently moved away to college and am owner-training a service dog, Ariel, with the help of an amazing personal trainer. My trainer expects her clients to be on the best food so they can be as amazing as possible. Ariel is currently on Nutro, which is not my first choice but a good product for the price.
I started to research raw diets as Ariel has intermittent bouts of intense diarrhea which I am convinced comes from the ingredients in commercial dog foods. I was overwhelmed by the amount of information on the internet. It seems like everyone has an opinion on what is right and what is horribly wrong, so I figured I’d ask some real dog owners.
Ariel is a 40 lb. spaniel mix that is about ten months old and just about fully grown. She is always starving, despite giving her a little more than the recommended amount of food. How did you guys begin feeding raw? Are there specific resources that are helpful? What is your tried-and-true? If you have the time, I’d love a novel on raw dog food for beginners. 😉

[Oceans11]

DogFoodie, are you saying that by varying your Cavalier’s daily diet between kibble, canned, fruits and veggies that he is getting the nutrients that he needs? We can certainly do that plus I will not leave good out and pick it up and offer later as Anonymously recommended. BTW, what are ALS foods? Where do you get raw green tripe? I have gotten it canned but he was r thrilled with it. U just wish there was a well balanced food I could feed them and vary between chicken and beef.
Thank you all who replied. I really appreciate your feedback!

[DogFoodie]

I’m not at all a fan of Evanger’s at all. They’ve had lots of major quality control issues.

I see no problem with your feeding your adult dog puppy food, just be aware that it’s typically higher in calories. Puppy foods are AAFCO growth foods, which are same thing as ALS foods. My adult Cavalier is about the same size as your Coton and she occassionally gets puppy foods in her rotation. She eats about 350 calories per day from various sources; ie: kibble, canned, fresh fruits & veggies, lean meats.

It’s possible your pup is being overfed, which is probably the leading cause of loose stool. They miggt be reluctant to eat because they’re not really hungry.

I would be really careful about home cooked unless it’s properly balanced. If you’re just feeding fresh or whole foods as toppers, just be sure it’s not more than 20% of her daily calories. A homemade, properly balanced, diet is the best thing you could feed them, but it’s tricky. Raw green tripe works wonders when you’re trying to entice a picky eater at mealtime.

[anonymously]

My 20 lb dog gets 1/2 cup (1/4 cup kibble and 1/4 cup topper) twice a day, I add water to the kibble as most dogs don’t drink enough.
I would start with something like this and see how he does, weigh him once a week.
Do not free feed. Pick up anything not eaten within 10 minutes, store in the fridg and offer at the next mealtime.
The guidelines on the dog food packages are usually too much.
Maybe 1/4 cup kibble as a snack once a day or a bite of something (maybe cooked lean chicken) usually as a reward after a long walk, I try to walk him 2-3 miles per day.
My dog with environmental allergies does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea kibble.
check chewy.com

Environmental allergies.
excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
“Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems”.

Mail-in hair and saliva tests do not test for allergies and tend to be inaccurate. Food sensitivities fluctuate. Food allergies are rare.

It sounds like environmental allergies, I went through this with my dog and did not have good results till I took her to a dermatologist. Wasted a year going back and forth to the regular vet. Tried all kinds of diets, nothing helped.
She is stable now x 4 years, we see the specialist once a year. They can still have occasional flare-ups even with successful treatment, and it can take up to a year to see results, however I saw improvement right away .

Consider making an appointment with a dermatologist:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Jenni M]

My doberman started with the gulps at about 2 years of age. She has been raw fed since puppy-hood- which surprised me as most cases seemed to be dogs with conventional kibble diets. I’ve seen theories that say the “gulps” could be neurological, emotionally triggered, diet related, and so on. Since I fed a raw diet, and exercise her frequently, I did worry it might be genetic. I never got my vet to test her though, as that route seemed frustratingly inconclusive/expensive for most the owners online.

Some people have had success with antacids, so that was my first test. An appropriate dosage of Pepto-Bismol worked to stop her gulps every time. However, research has led me to believe pepto itself is not a healthy option. Some studies suggest that antacids actually exacerbate the issue…. so the solution mentioned, among other things, apple cider vinegar. The hard part is making it palatable, so to get her to eat it I mix it 40/60- 30/70 with water, and mix in some ground meat to make a soup. It worked! I use about 1/3 of a cup (Braggs Apple Cider) for my 75lb girl. I have reduced the episodes down to almost non-existence- and avoid known triggers (fatty meat like chicken skin or heavily marbled beef).

For those interested in the information, I’d recommend reading the research on Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD in people. Specifically those that have taken the natural route to ‘fix’ their symptoms. The similarities to the gulps in dogs is interesting.

[Paul M]

Hi I have just joined the site, my 1year old Labrador/poodle cross (labradoodle) has been fussy since we got her at 8 weeks of age. We continued feeding her the same dry diet she was on at the breeding kennels, but after a month or so she went right off, so we tried dry kibble, we tried pouch foods from different makers, tinned food, Caesar meals, we even went over to raw prepared dog food from a local butcher, Bessie’s tries it for a day to two maybe a a week max, then she turns her nose up at it.
We have never fed her from the table, or after every meal from our plate, the odd scrap, but after we have left the table and from the kitchen into her own bowl and placed where he food is always put.
We walk her minimum of twice a day, she always has a good run with other dogs in the park, plays and runs happily, chases the balls and drinks well after, then has a sleep. But. . . She just doesn’t seem interested in her food.
We are worried she isn’t eating enough.
Any thoughts, comments or advise would be most grateful.

[pitlove]

Hi Valarie-

My pitbull experiences several different symptoms, each related to different sets of allergies. When he has a reaction to food he develops a red mouth, acne bumps on his mouth and inbetween his digits becomes raw, red and yeast starts to grow. When he is having symptoms of his allergies related to the outside environment he gets sores and flakey oily patches of skin on the under side of his belly (similar to yours) and on his sides by his ribs.

For his food allergies, we did a food trial through the vet using Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein for 2 months, to diganose it. After that we switched to Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. It is corn, wheat and soy free, but not grain free and is fish based. This cleared up all of his food related symptoms and he actually likes it. He is not a fan of fish based foods normally (we have tried many of the “higher end” brands). We stay away from all red meat for my boy because he has been known to be sensitive to beef and lamb. Fish is usually safe for most allergy dogs (but that is not always the case).

Unfortunetly for the environmental allergies, he will continue to get those symptoms every year around this time. We live in Louisiana, so we don’t really have a true winter and our summers are terrible. It’s not a great place for dogs with allergies lol. Best advice I can give you is limit exposure to the outside (no more laying outside on the porch 🙁 ) and bathe him twice a week in Malaseb shampoo. If he does have any excess yeast from his immune system being suppressed by the allergies, this will kill it. It is also very gentle and makes their fur nice and soft.

Don’t forget though, your boy could also be reacting to something in his indoor environment. This is where environmental allergies get very complex. These things can be dignosed vis blood tests through a dematologist or the vet, but it is expensive. Very expensive. If you can afford it though, it’s worth it. Also consider washing his bedding etc in something like ALL free clear which has no dyes or perfumes.

You can purchase it here: https://www.chewy.com/malaseb-medicated-shampoo-dogs-cats/dp/119234

We changed Bentley’s diet many times too before realizing that we were just changing his diet to different brands with similar proteins and not trying something new for him (in his case fish). I would highly recommend doing a food trial through your vet with the Royal Canin prescription food if you think food is an issue. Personally though, your pitties symptoms to me, don’t sound food related, but you never know.

Hope this was helpful!

[pitlove]

Yes, this has thread has become a great platform, for those who are passionate or have questions, to dicuss the unique dietary needs of large and giant breed puppies.

That is awesome! It is refreshing to see someone put thought and effort into a raw diet for giant puppies rather than just taking any old recipe off the internet.

That is wonderful that you breed and do rescue work. I dislike that responsible breeders get a bad rap. The next puppy I will most likely be getting is a Cane Corso and I already have a breeder picked out. I’ve seen one of her puppies first hand at the small pet store I work for and he was stellar! Thank you for the work that you do with pitbulls. I am a pitbull owner, advocate and lover myself. They need more support!

Umm, I kind of forgot how to post pictures myself lol. Let’s see if I can remember…

No I keep failing trying to do it…

[Jennifer H]

Wow, I love this. It is so good to be able to learn and share information about nutrition for the big guys. As for me and my food, yes I consulted with vets, nutritionists and other giant breed breeders who have fed RAW before switching my adults. Then I did more research and consulting before starting puppies on such a diet. I am a breeder of Saints and also work with rescue for any large/giant breeds that come into shelters in my area. I have fostered Mastiffs, Great Danes, Pitbull’s, Rottweilers and more over the years. Most shelters aren’t equipped to house giant breeds or aren’t allowed to even take in Pitbulls, so I am on their list to call when these breeds come in. I would gladly post photos but am new to this and not sure how?

[pitlove]

I totally agree about keeping all large and giant breeds lean. I have 2 big guys and I am very picky about the way I feed them and how lean they are! My 8 year old Lab still has good mobility and can run like crazy.

I take it you breed Saints? Did you work with a nutritionist for your recipes for the puppies?
I would be highly nervous too about feeding a homemade raw diet to a giant breed puppy, but it sounds like you put a lot of work into it before trying it out on the litter.

Post some pictures if you have any!!

[Jennifer H]

Thanks. Keeping any dog/puppy at a healthy weight is important but for large/giant breed puppies I can’t stress enough how dramatically proper weight can impact their entire life. As for my puppies, yep I do feed my puppies an all natural RAW diet. I have tested and formulated my mix to ensure it is not only balanced but also to ensure it has the right Calcium and Phosphorus levels for a giant breed puppy. I will admit, the first time I gave a litter of puppies a raw chicken back at about 5 weeks of age I was scared to death. I was simply amazed at how well they took to it. I am now tracking the health and development of the puppies I have kept and continue to feed raw as well as the health and development of the puppies that have gone to new homes and are eating different foods. It is a lot of work, but it is worth it to me. I looked at the commercial RAW diets and kibbles available and just didn’t find any that I felt truly addressed the needs of the large and giant breed dogs, so….. I just took the plunge