[Frances A]

I started my pups (mini schnauzer and GSD) on a total raw diet and then got over whelmed. Switched to a frozen raw and then to kibble and canned. My husband was not a fan of the canned and said we could make our own homemade (which is much less expensive.) I’m now giving them both Natures Variety Kibble and a homecooked chicken, veggies, salmon and coconut oil, yogurt and some pumpkin food. I’m liking the way it’s going. I am going to add a supplement though, which is what I’m researching now.

[crazy4cats]

Pitlove-
You’ll have to make a throw up chart. LOL! I try to write down the day and name of food thrown up. If it shows up twice on the chart, I don’t buy it anymore. I don’t know if we will ever figure those darn cats out. Good luck at the vet. Sometimes they will suggest an Rx canned food just to settle the stomach and then transition back to their regular diet when ready. I don’t think you probably have much to worry about though. How’s the new litter box working out?

Jakes Mom- Bummer about the raw. It is always frustrating when you try out something that you are excited about and they don’t cooperate. That’s true for both our pets and our kids! They both sure can be brats! Glad to hear Darwin’s is being flexible with the auto delivery. I have auto shipments set up with chewy as well and they are also great about delaying and editing my orders.

[Randy K]

Thanks Belinda! I’d love to switch Totem to to fresh raw foods but I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the info. We do have a small local company that sources grass fed and organic meats and organs and bones so I may still try to do it. She did really well eating her first raw turkey neck chewing every last bit really well. She loves the Primal stuff and sings when I mix it up but I’m also going to give her the Fromms LBP food in rotation so I don’t miss anything important in her diet.

[Pitlove]

alright guys, new issue arising for me with the kitty. 3 times now she has thrown up eating beef. Once it was nature’s variety, second it was fancy feast beef and now this morning she got a little bit of the beef & salmon Primal raw that I got in the sample pack from my pet store and threw that up and wont eat the rest. HOWEVER, last night she got a can of Merrick beef pate to test the waters…no throw up. suggestions? do I take beef out of her diet? Im so confused as to why she threw up NV fancy feast and raw beef but not Merrick…

edit: as i just finished typing this i look up to see her eating the rest of whats in her bowl (Max cat kitten chicken &liver pate mixed with the Primal beef& salmon) lol. I was about to go pick it up and throw it out

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

[Susan]

Hi, sounds like IBD, you need to find a good vet that knows the breed & knows about IBD, a few vet are useless when it comes to IBD a good vet spots IBD straight away …..try lowering the fat sounds like Acid reflux with the licking the air & licking the floor, high fat diets are no good for acid reflux….also kibble isn’t good for acid reflux… what I do is I soak the low fat-10% Hypoallergenic, Gluten, Sugar & Dairy FREE kibble, when the kibble is swollen, I drain all water then I put thru a blender comes out like wet tin food but its not soggy the soaked kibble seems to fluff up this seems help with digestion & the acid reflux also I give Zantac tablet 1/3tablet every 12 hours 1 hour before eating but lately I’ve been giving Mylanta 3-5mls in syringe 30 mins before food or if I see him with discomfort (having to rub his stomach after eating)…. you can also try Famotidine (Pepcid) ant acid meds or the liquid Pepto bismol …you can get from chemist….. Zantac is better as Zantac doesn’t affect the bowel where all the other ant acid tablets can affect the bowel…. with kibble try a kibble that’s around 10%min fat so max % will be around 12-13% if I go over 12% fat Patch starts swollowing, grinding his teeth, licking paws & licking has blanket… also look for a limited ingredient kibble as some ingredients can make stomach acid worse & give diarrhea…. try a limited ingredient lower fat kibble & she if she improves… something like the “California Natural” Hypoallergenic limited ingredient, there’s their Lamb & Rice large breed it has just 4 ingredients http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
She may need an Endoscope + biopsies done this way you will get answers instead of spinning your wheels & going in circles like I did for 2 years, I wish I did the Endoscope + Biopsies when all the problems started… Patch is a rescue..
Sometimes the diet that you don’t like is the diet that will agree with your dog.. I had to put my boy on Vet prescription vet diet Eukanuba Intestinal low residue diet….. high soluble fiber diets were no good, they just sit in the stomach & ferment giving acid reflux, stomach pain, bad breath etc the fiber in the Eukanuba Intestinal was only 1.75% then when Patch was stable & doing really well I started introducing new kibbles & none seemed to work as a lot have peas, potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, these foods are all high in Lectins.. Lectins can cause Leaky Gut…so now I stick with kibbles that have rice & I have no problems…. One month ago I saw a Naturopath & started low fat raw diet, Kangaroo mince with blended veggie & fruit, carrot, broccoli, celery, banana, apple & I have to use Digestive Enzymes & live probiotic to stop any nausea & diarrhea from the raw so far everything is good, this week I have been cooking the raw & veggie mix minus the fruit & making a meat loaf with all the ingredients & then adding boiled Quinoa to fill him more…. Patch cant eat boiled rice it irritates the bowel.. I don’t have to use a digestive enzyme either with cooked like I do when I feed the raw diet…I give the cooked meal for breakfast (I pre make & freeze all the meals) & I give the soaked Hypoallergenic gluten sugar & dairy free kibble at night for dinner ……Ask around & try & find a good vet in your area & keep a diary so when new vet asked when did that happen you have dates & how many times it happened & what she was eating if she had diarrhea or vomiting … the antibiotic she was put on was probably Metronidazole its an antibiotic for the gut & bowel… my vet has given me a few repeat scripts, I just go to chemist & get out, its 1/4 of the price.. when I see Patches poos not looking too good, I start him on the metronidazole for 2 weeks & go back to a very bland diet to get him stable again before it gets real bad …. Have you joined any German Shepherd groups?? there’s one on yahoo …. oh also a few people in a group I’m in who have German Shepherds with stomach/bowel problems feed “Taste Of the Wild” kibble…. Good-luck

[Pitlove]

I agree with Marie. I tend to not like to feed anything under 30% and I like to see whole meats or meat meals as the first three ingredients. It lets me know that carbs are not making up the majority of the food. A healthy dog will process quality animal protein efficiently where as they won’t process plant based proteins as well. And carbs are just unneeded in a dogs diet, however there is no such thing as a carb free kibble as carbs are used as the binder to hold the food in its kibble shape.

Dogs who eat raw eat upwards of 40%+ protein and everyone i’ve ever talked to that feeds raw has had amazing success with it and finds their dog to be far more healthy than the average dog eating kibble. Hence why I stick to very high protein diets. Some I’ve used include Orijen and EVO(before I knew they were bought by Proctor&Gamble).

edit: The % difference when you look at the reviews on this site is a difference in the dry matter basis vs whats on the GA. The dry matter basis is how the carb levels are determined as well. It means that all the moisture content has been factored out just leaving the the meats grains carbs etc left.

/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/

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

[Susan]

Hi, I live in Australia & it’s the only premium kibble that was Hypoallergenic Gluten Sugar & Dairy free……the only other novel protein & gluten free kibble was the vet diet Royal Canine “Sensitivity Control” Duck & Tapioca, it cleared Patches red paws up but he still stunk & was scratching.. I don’t think the R/C Sensitivity Control it is in America only Australia & Europe… Iams has their “Skin & Coat Plus Response KO Kangaroo” you could try this diet & see if his skin starts to clear up, then if yeast goes away start looking for another kibble or stay with the Iams KO & give only as 1 meal & cook or give raw for the other meal & see how he goes…The Iams Skin & Coat Plus KO would be better then the Royal Canine Rabbit & Potato kibble.. Iams use Oat flour which is suppose to be a very low carb… I’d stay away from potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas….also make sure your bathing in an antibacterial shampoo weekly….. I found the Malaseb to be the best for Patch…

[Susan]

Hi Kenneth, I cant see the Royal Canine Rabbit & Potato diet helping as Potatoes are very starchy & yeast loves sugar & starchy carbs… can you feed a raw diet?? I started a raw diet thru a Naturopath cause my boy has IBD & skin problems, within 2-3 days his red stinky paws cleared up, shaking his head with itchy ears stopped, no more stinky dog after just 1 week, I couldn’t believe it, I bath him in Malaseb medicated shampoo aswell & his smell has not come back on the raw diet..
I feed Kangaroo mince & blended broccoli head, 1 apple peeled, 5 celery sticks & 1 carrot peeled, all blended in a blender then I added 2 spoons of the blended veggie/fruit mix to 1cup Kangaroo, you can also make all this into a meat loaf style rissoles & bake in the oven if you don’t want to feed raw but I found the raw easier or if you want to stay with a kibble try the “California Natural” Hypoallergenic limited ingredient foods…the Lamb & Rice has just 4 ingredients http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products….
I’ve been feeding the raw for breakfast then a Hypoallergenic Gluten Sugar & Dairy FREE kibble, Salmon & Sardines with brown rice & veggies-(Bok Choy & Broccoli) its an Australian made kibble…most of the grain free kibble diets will have Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lentils, Lemuges etc as they need to bind the kibble….so I feed a kibble with brown rice + a protein, it seems to work as long as I feed the raw or cooked as a main meal & try to feed less of the kibble….

[brooke r]

I have 1 1/2 yr old German Shepard that we got last Sept.. since then she’s had episodes of diarrhea, about 6-8, 4 of which we took her to the vet because she was having bad abdominal pain(When you touched her stomach she’s yelp). The other times, it passed with her eating a lot of grass then rice and chicken for the day or two after. (She tires to lick all the hair off floor and eat anything when she goes into these fits, as she like licks the air).
Im thinking I need to switch her food, been reading a lot about German Shepard with their stomach issues! What should I be looking at for protein, fat, and carb percent’s? My understanding is a moderate fat of 17-23 is ideal .
She’s on Natures Variety Raw boost duck (and turkey I believe, whichever is the duck one). It seems to have higher carbs then some other options(Are these harder on her stomach??).
Ideally, I’d feed her and my Belgian Milionis the same food, but can do separate.
Not crazy after Blue Buffalo /Royal Cainin/ Science Diet.
Each time we’ve gone into the emergency room, they don’t seem to care what I’m feeding her, and they don’t have any recommendations… just give her a nausea shot and then send me home with diarrhea pills and tell me to come back the next day if she doesn’t start feeling better.
Have a pet store, so the options to get basically any food is there, just so confused.. each company reps tells me their food is best for her obviously.. but not totally sold that nurto max is the best lol.
I already give her a probiotic spray on her kibble, and going to start giving her Great Life enzymes pro(digestive enzymes).
Raw is unfortunately not an option ( great for my chi mix but can’t afford it for the big ones!)
thanks so much for ANY help!!!!

[Gayle R]

I’m new to Dog Advisor and want to find out a replacement for the I/D can food my vet put my senior dog on due to loose stool. I don’t think the food is very good so I’m trying to find something better. She was always a “chow hound” and never had any problems with anything she ate before. Most of her life she has been on the raw diet but it seems that is causing the problem now. Of course, the vet recommended a dry food loaded in corn which I never give her and won’t now. She just turned 12 and has always been very active (Wire Fox Terrier) but has just recently gone blind on me. She has lost some weight, still eats pretty well but I want to find a better food for her. I’d appreciate any help or thoughts. Thank you.

[Frank d]

I have two miniature poodles, one five and one four years old. I had nothing but trouble with the younger one when I first got him. Paw chewing and licking till the fur on his paws turned red. Both poodles are light colored by the way. I tried all the dried dog food with no improvement. (Including the expensive so-called natural and no fillers etc.)
Three years ago I stumbled onto the Dinovite website and decided to try their food additives with a raw meat diet. Started using their product (and their recipe) and lo and behold. Both dogs are thriving bundles of energy. No chewing, licking or scratching of any kind, and the only time I see a vet is for their shots.
I live in Canada near the border, so I have it shipped to the USA side and pick it up, so freight is only six bucks.
I feed them twice a day and mealtime for them is party time!
You can check it out at dinovite.com and watch their short video and pricing.
Oh, by the way, I have no afilliation with Dinovite in any way.

[Anonymous]

http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf
Natural Diet for Dogs: Guidelines for Optimal Nutrition

Have you seen this diet I posted before? Raw food is mentioned, and I think there are a lot of good tips.

[Pitlove]

chris- most of the risk of salmonella is to the human not the dog, from what i’ve read. thats why when preparing any raw food you need to make sure you follow very strick cleanliness routines. raw food is what a dogs body was biologically designed to eat. many people who have switched to raw find that their dogs are far healthier and only need to go to the vet for annual checkups. this is however on an all raw diet, but adding the fresh raw helps add live, unprocessed, uncooked food back into their diet to balance out the kibble and the kibble intern provides the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that the piece of beef doesnt have. it is far from dangerous for the dog though. its great for cats too! hell, even better for cats

[Lisa M]

I have a poodle that I’ve been through food and skin allergies with also, so I feel your pain. I have been going through this for six plus years, and within the last month, I came upon a lady with a holistic pet food store in Boca Raton, FL who has been invaluable. I had been feeding my dog venison and I believe he has become allergic to it. He’s also allergic to all novel proteins. She recommended rabbit and a probiotic, and it appears to have taken care of not only the allergies but the reflux he was beginning to have. Her web address is holisticpetcuisine.com. After years of reading pet food labels, and having to email the parent companies to see what “liver” or “flavor” might refer to, she speaks the language fluently. Her name is Barbara. She sometimes recommends a raw diet, which I have heard mixed feedback on from both sides, but tend to cook the food. Be sure no treats from China, and no cross over ingredients in treats that have proteins your dog might be allergic to. I feel your pain. I have found that not even vets can deal with these issues very well. Email/call Barbara. She will be a new best friend.

[Bobby dog]

Since you are feeding mostly commercial foods, you want to keep unbalanced foods to no more than 10% of your dogs total daily calories to avoid nutritional imbalances.

Here is a site I use to find calories and other nutritional info on food:
http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search

This is a download you might be interested in that I follow (C4C uses it too) for adding fresh foods to my dog’s diet. You can find these foods at your grocery store. Things like beef or poultry hearts, liver, sardines, eggs, and vegetables. You can make a meal of them or use them as toppers for a few meals. It provides a menu with amounts to feed according to your dogs weight and the kibble you are feeding. I add them as toppers rather than feeding in one meal. I always suggest this download to anyone interested in adding raw or lightly cooked foods to a kibble fed dog. It is an easy read with lots of info:
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

[Pitlove]

chris + naturella–
thanks! i usually either get “thats weird and gross” or “thats cool!” lol never really an inbetween reaction to my profession choice. i’ve worked in customer service for so many years i need a break from living people lol! and ive always been interested in forensics as well.

chris- if you can get fresh meats as a topper for the kibble i think that would be a great way to get some raw into Sparkys diet. And as long as the kibble is the vast majority of the meal you are safe from it being unbalanced.

I’ve tried raw meaty bones for my dog and he just licked at it and really didnt understand how to chew it lol. i might need to try again with a larger one as hes a big dog and i got him a dinky little bone just to try it out.

Naturella- with RMB’s is it safe to feed them outside even if you dont have like a porch for them to eat it on? im afraid of dirt and stuff getting into it.

[Naturella]

Chris, that sounds like a good lineup! Don’t sweat it too much, just make sure that the unbalanced additives (sauerkraut, yoghurt, kefir, frozen treats and other unbalanced treats, and unbalanced canned green tripe) altogether do not constitute more than 10% of the dog’s diet. For me, I feed about 1tsp or 1tbs (depending on how generous I feel) of unbalanced toppers, but Bruno only gets those at breakfast Monday-Saturday, for dinner he gets balanced canned as a topper so it’s fine. On Sundays he gets a balanced breakfast of kibble and canned and for dinner he has RMB, and now will be getting some AllProvide raw too! 🙂

And farm-made human and doggie ice-cream sounds great! 🙂

And I love me some free dry and canned samples! A lot of the samples I got are lower-protein – in the 20s %, or up to 31%, but that’s fine by me for sporadic surprise meals or treats, which is what I use samples for too.

[Bobby dog]

Hi susan h:
I love Vetricyn, excellent all purpose product; I use it on my dog, cats, and horses. I also use Banixx.

Consider adding fresh foods to her diet. Here’s an article from Dogaware.com on the subject:
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html

This is the menu I follow for adding fresh foods to my dog’s diet. This gives specifics as to what amounts to feed according to your dog’s weight and type of commercial food you feed. All foods in this download can be found at your grocery store:
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

Another food to look into is Freshpet. It is available at some pet stores, grocery stores, and other places such as Wal-Mart. They make cooked (slice & serve or kibble shaped), raw, baked kibble, and food in tubs. Check out their cooked and tub recipes that you will find refrigerated in grocery or pet stores. It is rated well on DFA; here’s their site:
http://freshpet.com/

[susan h]

Some days Tina has a great appetite, other days she shuns the same food she consumed eagerly the day before. I rotate her diet: primarily Dave’s Delicate Diet, Dave’s 95% premium beef & chicken, and Merrick Whole Earth Farms Hearty Stew (Duck, Turkey, and Lamb varieties) — she likes the gravy in the stew. I also mix in Horizon Pulsar Pulses and Fish kibble, which she also enjoys just by itself. I have tried adding a high-calorie paste, which she doesn’t care for. Like every other dog, she loves people food, but she doesn’t get much of that, at all.
I don’t have the energy to cook her a special diet, so am seeking something satisfactory that is pre-made, but very high calorie, in order to bulk her up. Asking for magic, I fear, but trying hard to get her healthy again.
As for the yeast allergy dermatitis, previous vet prescribed only a shampoo and no other advice. A new vet prescribed a course of prednisone, Baytril, and ketoconazole, which seemed to help some but was not sustained. However, I have used Vetericyn Plus gel on her for about 10 days — once daily — and the dermatitis appears not to have spread further (there was little unaffected skin left), and she is growing hair back in the previously “raw” areas…so I’m hopeful.
This is obviously not everything I feed/fed her to try for improvement, but this is a stab at current efforts. Any thoughts?

[Pitlove]

This is a great site made up of a lot of people who have a wealth of knowledge about a lot of things having to do with dog nutrition regardless of them not being vets. I guess my point was to offer you something you could do in the now instead of hoping someone on here has been through the exact same diagnosis.

If you can’t/don’t want to/or are uncomfortable feeding raw you can certainly tell the holistic vet that and she might be able to find another option for you. Raw typically is the best diet for dogs, however when medical conditions come into play who is to say whats best as that can change with each case.

Great to know that you have vet’s that are supporting you! What diets have they recommended just curious? Prescription? or other.

[Heather H]

While I appreciate your reply and honesty, I knew this panel would not be made up of vets, I was just curious if anyone had any experience with Mast Cells in the past. I have done a lot of research, we have a great vet, and an oncology vet as well that are taking care of the case, but lets face it vets are like doctors, they too see “representatives,” the holistic approach is a great thought, but that comes down to a raw diet, and seeing what else they may have to offer, Thanks pitlove!

[Pitlove]

Hi Heather-
Cancer is a very serious diagnosis and none of us here are vets. I don’t know how many here have dealt with that specific type of cancer. If you are wondering about a diet that is more all natural for a dog like a raw diet I would absolutely consult with a holistic vet. They are far better versed in dog nutrition than most vet’s are and can probably aid you in formulating the best diet for dogs with that diagnosis.

you can do a simple google search to see if there are any holistic vets in your area and most are willing to do an over the phone consultation for free.

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

[Tracy M]

I recently took my dog in for a skin issue and after a skin scrape, urine test and Senior Blood work, I am told she has Pacreatitis.
I am very confused as to how she got pancreatitis, as she is on a raw diet. I also give her yogurt in her food .
I recently ordered the new Orijin Tundra Dry. I wanted to do a Raw and Good quality kibble. I thought this would help with cost of Raw.
I have not started her on the Tundra yet because of the diagnosis.
This is her information below:

Diets I’ve used:
Primal Turkey Sardine
Primal Duck
Stella and Chewys Duck Duck Goose
Natures Instinct Rabbit
Natures Instinct Venison
Sojos Turkey Complete

She is a 68 lb White Boxer. She went in for a skin check. She has been itching and loosing hair on her sides, behind ears, down legs, her belly. Has bumps and redness. She has irritated skin and is scratching. She has an odor when wet. I thought it was a yeast issue.
She went on prednisone and antibiotics from first Vet. I made a consult with a different Vet 2 weeks later. He did a skin scrape that was negative for mites etc. Senior blood work and urine were fine except the pancreas. Did second test to confirm. I was told it was pancreatitis. They put her on 2 more types of antibiotics and a topical steroid/conditioner for her skin.
Suggests bland diet for 2 weeks and retest.
Very confused with diagnosis. She started with the skin issue, then started drinking a lot, urinating more. She has no change in appetite, but had a bout of diarrhea.
She had a few accidents in the house and got into the trash a couple of times. These are things she never has done. When she got into the trash, I do not believe she got anything high in fat. But I’m not sure.
I recently lost my male Boxer in Feb and she has taken it hard, as well as myself.
She is 7
Anymore advice/recommendations would be great!

[Pitlove]

Your dog certainly could be different, however a normal healthy dog can efficently process a species appropriate protein, meaning animal meat and not corn. There are different sources of proteins that are used in commercial dog foods that while they are a source of protein they do not digest as well because they are not species appropriate. The rX food your dog is on contains protein, however the sources are corn and by-products which are not sufficent sources of protein. The by-products are the least of the problem because if paired with whole meat wouldnt be terrible, its the abudance of corn and rices that are difficult to digest.

I would highly consider a commercial raw diet. A little different than what L M suggested, however the maker of the commercial raw food usually works with a holistic vet ( i know Darwins does) to make sure all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc are in the food at the proper levels, where as when you make the food yourself you need to be able to formulate those levels on your own which if you are new to it can be much more scary.

Despite recipes and all that, you still need to be careful when preparing your own homemade raw diet.

[Heather H]

I have read so many different things, saying grain free is the best, raw is best. Clearly, I want what is best for my dog, and we would like to try and prevent any further recurrence of Mast Cells from developing, but does anyone have any experience with what is going to help, with out breaking the bank? I have had a lab in the past that we did multiple surgeries on and the medications after mast cells, this is a golden doodle, we also have a lab at home, we have switched away from all Blue Buffalo products in fear that there was a link there, with having two dogs get this terrible cancer.
Any advice is welcome.

[Susan]

Hi, change his diet read the ingredients to his Science Diet, corn, gluten corn etc look for a limited ingredient kibble that’s low in starchy/carbs so NO potatoes, no peas etc ……..sounds like he has yeasty itchy skin & ears…join this face book group called “Dog Allergy International Group” (link at the end) & look in their files there’s links to limited ingredient kibbles wet & raw diets also foods that are starchy & what foods to avoid….If you can feed raw, raw is the best as it has no carbs.. carbs are needed in kibbles to bind them, no good for itchy dogs but you can find a better kibble then Science Diet also sardines, buy the tin sardines in spring water & add some with the kibble or as a treat..
Shampoo…..I use Malaseb medicated shampoo it kills any bacteria on the skin but does not dry their skin out, leaving them feeling beautiful & soft….
When I rescued my boy he was in very bad condition, a change of diet & weekly baths in Malaseb within 1 month his hair started to grow back & he was itch & smell free…
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogallergyinternationalgroup/

[Jordan L]

I know this topic has probably been worn down but I have become completely overwhelmed with my research and all the choices out there.

My almost 5 yr old boxer has recently started shedding a concerning amount and is itching all over. He has a bit of dandruff and he has constant ear infections and subsequent scabs from itching his ears so much. I can see spots where his fur is uneven and his skin is starting to show because it is so thin. When we took him to the vet, she recommended oatmeal bathes, fish oil, and an antibac./anti-itch spray for his raw spots.

He has been on the same food since he was a puppy, Science Diet Lite for Large Breeds. I know it isn’t the most amazing food out there, but he tends to have a sensitive tummy and until now he has shown no signs of needing to change. My immediate response at this point is to try something new with his food. We are on a pretty strict budget, so I hate to spend double the amount we are already paying for his food, but I do not want to skimp when it comes to his health.

Any suggestions on where we can start, brand wise? TIA!

[JeffreyT]

Check out Dr. Karen Becker’s articles on yeast. I do her povidine foot soak for itchy paws and it’s helped.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

The fresh and frozen raw are probably the healthiest and most cost effective but the bulk of my pups’ diet is a variety of freeze dried raw, with water added to rehydrate. They are Stella and Chewys, Primal, Orijen, and Stewarts Bison. Their favorites are Trudog, Only Natural Niblets and Vital Essentials…I soak these overnight.

For a quick meal I give the air dried raw from Real Meat Food Co or Ziwi Peak and rotate between brands and proteins.

Be prepared for a cleansing reaction, like loose stools, which could happen as you go to better foods. You may want to consider adding digestive enzymes and probioitics to help with potential digestive issues when changing…I use in most meals, it also supports the immune system and overall health.

Also consider having Perfect Form on hand from Honest Kitchen or canned pumpkin, and give during transition for stomach issues. But first check to see if it’s ok to give to yeasty dog, not sure.

Fish oil can help itchy skin and also good for heart, joints, brain, etc. Good brands for these supplements include Mercola Krill, Animal Essentials, Dr. Peter Tobias, Wholistic Pet Organics and Natures Farmacy.

Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

Hi Karen
I have a dog with yeast issues. He has had no issues since going on a raw diet with no produce. I buy grinds from Hare Today & Reel Raw. Chicken is not his friend either, duck & turkey are fine. He also eats beef, venison, goat, lamb, rabbit and more

[InkedMarie]

My dog with yeast issues does best on a raw diet with no produce. I buy grinds from Hare Today & Reel Raw.

[SdianeM M]

Sadie was having a lot of yeast issues with her Castor and Pollux Grain Free Poultry Free kibble. I researched and felt like the answer was to cut out carbs and use a raw diet. I then started with Allprovide and noticed a night and day difference. But, when I added turkey she started having more yeast issues. I then added beef and she had a miserable night. Allprovide has been awesome and has always gone over and beyond to help me, from providing her with complimentary food to even sending a compounded shampoo.

I’ve tried Sadie back on her Allprovide and she refuses to eat it. She went from loving it one day to not eating it the next. So, I started cooking organic chicken, with liver, gizzards, and hearts. She’s eating it, but she’s not content.

She keeps going to where I have her bag of Castor and Pollux and wants her kibbles. I really do not want to put her back on kibbles.

I noticed today when I bathed her how she has a patch without fur caused by scratching. This is something we haven’t had before (although she did have a lesion after feeding her the Allprovide beef that night).

Please offer your advice. I do not know what to do anymore.

[SdianeM M]

Sadie was on Castor and Pollux Grain Free Poultry Free dry food, but she stayed with yeast issues. After reading and researching, I knew that I needed to cut out the carbs in her diet. I then put her on a commercial raw diet. She did unbelievably better, but started having yeast issues develop again. Then, she went from loving her raw food to not eating it at all. I then started cooking organic chicken for her, but she lacks like it’s not leaving her satisfied.

Bathing her today I found a patch of fur that’s missing from her itching. As bad as her yeast was on kibbles, she never lost fur or had lesions from scratching.

We need help!!!!!

[Susan]

Find a fish kibble with just one carb, I always pick brown rice as potatoes peas etc are too starchy & can cause yeast… if she is use to a topper on her kibble put some tin salmon or sardines or pick a novel protein meat that she has never eaten before to add with her kibble….remember less is best especially in the beginning, I’d stick with a raw diet as it has no carbs you watch her skin & itch all clear up on raw… 1 novel protein Rabbit Kangaroo etc Lew Olson has a F/B group called K9 Nutrition & can help with the raw diet…

[Karen K]

I have a 9-year old female shih-tzu with recurring yeast infections in her ears and irritated paws that she continuously licks. She has always eaten chicken mixed with Blue Buffalo Wilderness and am now hearing horrible things about BB and that chicken can worsen allergies. I’m considering starting her on a raw diet, but need advice as to what brands are best and how to go about making the switch. Anyone had success with raw helping yeasty ears?

[jakes mom]

I think the cold might have something to do with them turning up their noses at first, since it disappeared a little later on. The literature I got from Darwin’s says the food can be cooked, sometimes cats just won’t eat raw or tummy can’t handle it. But I can cook a homemade diet cheaper than cooking Darwin’s so that’s not going to be an option for me! Might try cooking a bit of it “rare” to get them started if things don’t improve after a few more meals. They’re used to room temp canned or the Primal fd which I make with hot water. I was a mean Mommy this am, gave them a spoonful of raw on each plate and a bit less canned than usual so we’ll see what’s gone when I get home from work!

[jakes mom]

Many people on this site feed raw. Check out the raw forum here, you’ll find good info and a lot of support. Some say their pet’s problems cleared up completely once they were on a raw diet.

[Karen K]

This is so confusing….the more research I do, the less I know what to feed my itchy baby. Salmon has mercury, chicken causes allergies, menhaden fish meal can be very low quality in protein by the time it reaches the dog food factories, and on and on. Anyone tried the raw diets? They make me nervous because there have been some issues with bacteria related illness, but at least the food is whole. She is so used to having some cooked chicken with her kibble, I can’t imagine that she would eat any kibble by itself. Thanks to all for your help!

[Pitlove]

No I havent thought about doing that. She is already on an all canned diet and will eat any type of canned food be it pate, chunks in sauce, the human looking soup of Weruva, you name it she eats it. I felt like getting her on raw would be easy cuz of that. Also I’m thinking theres a chance it could be cheaper for me than feeding canned, even though she can only finish one 3oz can at each meal (dog and cat both eat twice daily about every 12 hours or so). I know you typically feed less with raw which is a bonus for me.

[Pitlove]

thank you! She is very sweet. such the lap cat, but i worry she has seperation anxiety. not sure though.

also on a side note. im thinking about going raw with her and i looked into darwin’s. i was really annoyed to find out that they basically make up an order for you and you are forced into buying chicken duck and turkey from them all in one order and you don’t get to decide how many lbs you want or what protein you want and you HAVE to do auto-ship. I wanted to just try it out with her to see if she would eat it and that makes it impossible to do.
C4C idk if you know of any good commercial raw diets similar to darwin’s that doesnt do that.

if anyone else has suggestions to i’d like to hear it. im also wondering if feeding her raw since she doesnt eat much would be more cost effective than canned food.

[MaggiesDad]

I’ve found through chatting to hundreds of dog owners over the years that many dogs have allergy issues with chicken first of all, closely followed by beef. The reason seems to be that over feeding one protein for a long period of time (some people make the mistake of always just feeding one food because their dog likes it) can cause the body to just suddenly decide it won’t deal with it any more, giving rise to numerous problems and allergic reactions. If this is likely to be the case, a break of a few months is advised before trying that protein again but be aware that it can only take one meal to cause the problems to reoccur, and months to rid the system of those problems! You should also note that just because a reaction has occurred feeding a dried chicken based kibble (for example) does NOT necessarily mean that the dog has an issue with raw chicken – just as an allergy to beef does not always mean that ALL beef is a problem – it may still be possible to feed beef offal for example without any issues. It can be very confusing and frustrating to get to the bottom of such issues, and it may be that the advise of a nutritionist is required as well as an elimination diet for a few months.

[MaggiesDad]

Give the guys at Allprovide (www.allprovide.com) a call (678-585-1606) – they had a dog with horrendous skin/yeast issues and switching to a raw diet saved her life. They’re always happy to talk about canine health issues and advise about diet and possible causes of problems. Their food has supplements in it such as coconut oil, salmon oil, turmeric etc all of which are good for coat and skin issues.

[Jennifer Y]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I have spoken to my vet about the results, and have considered contacting the holistic vet at my vet clinic. My dog’s insensitivity reactions has been mild enough that my vet and I decided to try an elimination diet.

Over the past 2 years, if I try to recall her vet appointments along with the kibble I feed her, she seems to be reactive to something in Orijen Regional Red. I believe it’s pork (since it’s the highest reactive ingredient that came back on the Nutriscan test as well). To play it safe, I began her on an elimination diet. So far, so good. No hot spots and no eye infections. When I get around to testing out pork, I will find out whether it’s been the culprit.

Susan, thanks for your input about the rice, duck and lamb. But the test indicated not to feed her anything that she showed a reaction to (mild or otherwise) in either IgA and IgM results. She unfortunately showed a medium reaction in lamb (IgA), strong reaction in duck (IgA) and a strong reaction in rice (IgA). Against the suggestion of the results, however, I have tried lamb in her elimination diet, and she seems to be doing alright. I do believe there is merit to Dr. Dodd’s test, and I trust her research. But in the case of my dog, I don’t think her intolerances are as severe as the test makes it seem. I’ve been giving her probiotics and coconut oil, which may have played a part in her doing better on her current food as well. I am also considering starting her on raw, but I’m still in the process on researching about raw before I fully dive into it.

Once again, thank you everyone for your suggestions. I really appreciate it 🙂

[Chloe K]

Hi there! I have a 12 week old German Shepherd boy and we just started a week ago on raw – We are currently feeding him a premade diet which is costing me a fortune so I would like to look into creating my own meal for him.

So far I’ve learned:

“2.5% of Bears weight (40kg) 1kg

45% Raw Meaty Bones – 450g
45% Muscle Meat – 450g
5% Organ Meat – – 50g

Your goal is to have no more than 20-25% actual bone in the diet.
25% of 450g is 112g”

This is what I have written down, I would like to feed him 2 meals a day when he is older, so that is 25g of offal per meal? Is that right? That seems like such a low amount?

Can I feed raw chicken and raw beef in the same meal?

Can I feed him say 125g of Turkey and 125g of Chicken for one meal, with 25g of beef liver? Is this okay? Should I do this?
How often should I really feed him fish? Twice a week? I think I would like to feed him a whole fish? Gilapia or Whiting Fillets are these a good choice? If not, what are some good choices? I’m trying my hardest to find Green Tripe in Australia but it’s proving difficult, I would like to add some veggies in his diet, which are the BEST? How often should I add them? I know I have to juice/blend them or else he won’t get the full benefit.

I am from Australia so I weigh things in grams and kgs
Is Kangaroo a good source of meat also? What about Kangaroo heart and liver?

Bear is going to puppy school today! I can say he will be the most handsome there

Here is a picture of my little guy 🙂

[J S]

Update on our 2 dogs with struvite crystals. The girl with the recurring UTIs and previous-to-being-adopted-stone-surgery is getting more water with her food and getting out to pee more often. Trying to be calmer on our walks so that she can pee as often as she wants/needs to (every five feet if there are good smells around!). She hasn’t exhibited the crawl-peeing of an infection the last two days and has never exhibited pain when peeing. As soon as the crawl-peeing showed up I added 500 mg of vit c to each meal and she’s already getting a scoop of Cranberry Relief in the morning and a scoop of Wysong Biotic Ph with dinner, and eating the Royal Canin S/O with a little wet food. I’m also using Colloidal Silver (10 drops each meal for 2 days, then 6 drops, until 2 days after symptoms ended. Her pH this morning was 6.75. I’ve used Vit C and colloidal silver on myself when I was told I had a UTI. I really dislike using antibiotics unless extremely necessary. Here’s a website on C.S. by a holistic vet: http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/08/colloidal-silver-diy-treatment-for-dogs.html . Our boy dog shows no signs of a UTI and his ph on regular diet is 5.75. Next time we run out of food I’m going to switch from All Stages Canidae to their grain-free version to see if that will help with our girl. If anyone has found a difference using distilled water please let me know. I know our country water is a little on the hard side so that would be the next best thing to try. We’d also started giving her a glucosamine/MSM pill which I see includes other minerals which may have contributed to her last crystal-forming. She sure felt like a puppy on that even with signs of an infection, but obviously we’re still learning! I’m thinking her recurrent infections are because of her psyche as well as nearly touching the ground when she pees, and she’s also part husky and loves to dig in the dirt, which flies right back through her hind legs.

[Susan]

If you read the test your dog can have rice duck lamb & don’t forget the Nutri-Scan Salvia test, test for JUST 20 foods only so there’s probably other foods like Tapioca etc that your dog can eat …. your dog can eat the “California Natural” Lamb & Rice that has just 4 ingredients Lamb, white rice, brown rice & sunflower oil.. or the best thing I would do is feed raw diet that way you are in control of all the ingredients…….
Your dog has just proven LM WRONG she always goes on on that your dog cant have food intolerances chances are your dog has environment allergies, see a Dermatologist for environment testing & waste $2000 then what, how do stop all the pollens in the air, all grass on ground, you cant the Nutri-Scan test has proven LM her wrong.. Dogs do have Food Intolerances..
Jean Dodds has the only & best IgA & IgM salvia testing around….

[Lilli]

Hi, I have a 12 year old Labrador who has a very sensitive stomach. Right now I feed him on commercial wet food and biscuit with some fresh vegetables. I have been wondering if he could take a raw food diet to enhance his latter years or would this be too much of a change at his age. He has never eaten raw meat and bones although he has had fresh raw vegetables.

[Pitlove]

Hi Tonia- Marie did actually point you in a good direction if you are interested in feeding raw/homemade. Hound Dog Mom who is the one who made the thread focusing on large/giant breed puppies does in fact feed a raw homemade diet and talks about it in that thread. It is however a very long thread but a good and helpful thread. Unfortunetly large breed puppies have certain diet requirements until 8mo’s of age that help prevent many diabilitating skeletal diseases, that can end up costing thousands of dollars in vet bills.

Hound Dog Mom has a list of foods that have the proper calcium levels for large/giant breed puppies, some are grain-free and others are grain-inclusive. I would start there and figure out what your budget IS and then compare a few that she has on her list and see if any are budget friendly enough. They are all 4 to 5 star in quality so if you are looking for something 3 stars or lower to save money A) that list won’t be too helpful and B) the food may not have the correct calcium levels a large breed puppy needs.

[Bobby dog]

pitlove:
Questions are never off topic! My grocery store sells kefir, you can find it in most health food stores, and most Wal-Marts carry Lifeway kefir products. I do still feed Bobby kefir a few times a month, but only because he loves it so much. I have a bunch of kefir cubes in the freezer.

jamie f:
Carbohydrates are necessary in order for kibble to maintain their form and texture. So regardless of grain inclusive or grain free you are feeding carbs. There’s benefits and drawbacks to any kibble. There’s food safety, GMO ingredients, nutritional values, your dog’s palate, and many other things to consider when deciding which type of kibble to feed. Grain free foods are a marketing goldmine IMO; I find some to be carb heavy and high in fat. I don’t like to limit food selections. I think eliminating foods that you have never fed your dog narrows down your food choices needlessly. I do believe there is a time and place to eliminate foods such as if your dog is displaying food sensitivities. IMO, by feeding a potato, lentil, etc. based grain free kibble day in and day out you are now subjecting your dog to fewer ingredients on a more consistent basis which may lead to food sensitivities of those ingredients. Not my idea of rotating foods.

My dog had many skin and digestive issues when I came to this site. It took a year of tweaking his diet and allot of elbow grease to heal him up. I believed GF was the best initially. As I researched further I found there was no reason to limit my dog’s diet to just grain free. So one day I took the leap and expanded my rotation to include grain inclusive and haven’t looked back since. If there ever comes a time I need to eliminate certain ingredients from his diet I will just tweak my pet food criterion again.

I feed my dog moderate to high protein, low fat, and moderate to low carb kibbles. Since kibble is far from perfect I always add canned, fresh foods, or commercial raw as toppers. I like to add fresh healthy omegas, Now Gamma Advanced vitamin E complex, and organic coconut oil to his food. I have fed about 20 different brands of kibble and many different recipes. I buy small bags and switch brands, protein, and carb sources with each new bag. One of these days I will settle into a more permanent rotation, I am still tweaking his diet.

Here’s an article from the WDJ about carbs and grains in kibble:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_10/features/Carbohydrate-Intake-For-Dogs_20103-1.html

Here’s a DFA post about carbs:
/canine-nutrition/dog-food-carbohydrates/

Here’s a perspective about grains from a Holistic Vet:
http://vetnutrition.blogspot.com/2009/05/are-grains-all-bad.html
http://vetnutrition.blogspot.com/2010/03/grains-2-not-as-allergenic-as-you.html

Here’s an interesting perspective from the Great Dane Lady:
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/the_corn_myth.htm

As L M mentioned your dogs licking their paws and gunky ears could also be caused by environmental irritants. A single protein and carb food might be a good place to start to determine if it’s food or environmental. It is important to keep in mind each dog is an individual and what food or regimen works for one dog may or may not work for another. You will not know if that is your magic food until your dog does well on it. Just as you have foods that you don’t like or don’t agree with you, but others will rave about how they love it and can’t eat enough of it. So after this long drawn out post my best advice is to be aware of any chemicals you use in your home or outdoors that your dogs could be exposed to, take note of the time of year your dogs have problems (their issues may be seasonal), and to feed your dog the healthiest food he will eat consistently and does well on!

[Pitlove]

Linda- Rotties! i love them. we also have a Rottweiler along with our Pitbull a chocolate lab and an English springer spaniel. Sam, our Rottweiler (technically he is my boyfriends parents dog, so I dont get to control what he eats unfortunetly but i still think of him as my dog since I give him the most attention as hes the outside dog) is 2 probably almost 3 years old now. The bf’s parents have had all the dogs on Purina ONE lamb and rice since forever. The family dog has always been Rottweilers and unfortunely all but maybe one passed away at around 8 years old. Cancer, e-coli poisoning, you name it its happened to our Rottweilers. If it were up to me and I got to choose his food I would feed him the way I feed my Pitbull who is also prone to the problems that large breed dogs have as he is 66lbs at a year old. I do what is called a rotational diet with my dog. I certainly have him on Orijen’s Adult Dog and after that bag is through i’ve got EVO lined up next for him to try. I also feed him wet food. Now that your Rottie is far past the point where you have to worry about the calcium levels not being too high or too low to prevent rapid growth thus causing many different skeletal related disorders, you can kinda give him a nice variety of foods. If you are on a budget as someone who is retired and need to stick with kibbles, definitely go for the 5 star rated ones. I know a lot of people on here have issues with Taste of the Wild. I BELIEVE its manufacture by Diamond which has a long recall history and a terrible reputation. You want to make sure that the kibble is as species appropriate as you can get if you, like myself, can’t feed a raw diet, which would be the healthiest way for any dog to eat. Species appropriate for ANY dog of any breed being high in animal protein, at least 30% or more, moderate in fats, and low in carbs. Foods that I like and have and will use in my rotation for my pitbull are Orijen (all of them), Wellness CORE, Nature’s Variety, Merrick (GF only), EVO, Grandma Mae’s GF. I’m still working on my list but that is what I have so far.

As for raw, if it is something you are interested in, PLEASE make sure you do A LOT of research before feeding raw because it is possible to make your dog very unhealthy by not feeding a COMPLETE and BALANCED raw diet.

Also to help with the transitions to the food, you can add probiotics to their diet, like canned pumpkin and kefir. I also use a supplement thats premade in a power form made by a very great company called The Honest Kitchen. They use human grade ingredients and make their food in a human grade factory. Its called Perfect Form. Probiotics help build healthy flora(bacteria) in your dogs gut to make transitioning to a new food pain free for you and your dog. Just like with humans dogs should be able to eat a different food or protein every meal if not every couple months without digestive upset. Dogs whos stomachs are already sick and lacking those bacteria that make their gut strong due to being fed the same food day in and day out are the ones who get loose stool and vomitting when you switch their food. Instantly the owner blames the food and switches them back and never switches the food again under the claim that their dog has whats commonly called a “sensitive stomach”.

The joint supplements are a great idea. Glucosamine is a great supplement for joint and hip problems. Cancer, I feel, and I think others do too can have a lot to do with a poor diet. A lot of poor grade dogs foods do contain ingredients that are carcinogenic even for humans and without variety in their diet they are being fed those toxins for years and eventually is catches up with them. The rotational diet helps prevent that and the build up of allergies as well. If your Rottie is already allergic to a protein source like chicken, you are going to want to be very careful with the food you choose as many have chicken meal or chicken fat hidden in the list of ingredients. Its all about reading ingredients but more importantly HOW to read the ingredients and the GA, which is why this website is so helpful. But like many here including Dr. Mike will tell you, its a jumping off point. Once you find a good food, you want to look further into the company that makes it, the co-packers, the recall history etc and make sure that you’re not being fooled into thinking its a good food based on the ingredients. Also knowing where the company sources from is important, what with all the problems we have been having with China lately. Avoid China. Thailand on the other hand is ok.

I really hope that I’ve helped a little and that others will contribute or correct me if I’m wrong about any of my points. I love Rotties so I’m glad to be able to give you some direction with his health!

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

[InkedMarie]

I personally think a grainfree food would be a good choice. You have a large breed dog that will probably get some arthritis in coming years; grains can be inflammatory. There are a couple good foods that are low grain: Nature’s Logic only has millet and Farmina low grain is obviously low in grains.

Some foods I like are Farmina, Annamaet, Dr Tim’s, Natures Logic….

I’ve read that people think a raw diet is best for cancer dogs; I do feed raw but not because of that.