[pugmomsandy]

For the price of the latest low glycemic foods (kibble and canned like LiveFree and Orijen), you might try feeding raw food like Darwins or Instinct, Bravo, etc. You might even ask the vet about incorporating something like the Yeast Starvation Diet which only has meat, eggs, oil and a vitamin. It might be possible (cost-wise) to feed a min pin a freeze dried raw diet if frozen raw is something you don’t want to feed.

http://homemadedogfood.com/yeast-starvation-dog-food-recipe/

[theBCnut]

Mine get pork all the time. It is high in fat, so if you have a dog that is prone to pancreatitis then it probably isn’t a good idea, but for a normal dog, it’s just fine.

But have you done any research into what dogs need in their diet? Making them an occasional homemade meal that isn’t balanced is fine, but you at least need to know what dogs need, to balance over time before going solely to homemade.

Dr Karen Becker has a great book “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” to help get you started. Steve Brown has one for raw feeding that is fantastic, “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” which I recommend even if you don’t want to feed raw. It has info that everyone making homemade needs to know. And it is available as a ebook.

[InkedMarie]

Mojo: first, I’m not sure that’s a balanced diet. Second, you don’t need to cook meat for dogs, they can eat it raw.

[Cyndi]

Hi everyone, I need the expert raw feeder’s help please. I’ve had Bailey on a complete raw diet for almost 8 months now. I get her meat/grinds and rmb’s exclusively from Hare Today and my local butcher. I don’t have anywhere to get really good deals on stuff. Anyways, my question is, can anyone give me some cost cutting ideas? I get the chicken backs and turkey necks from my butcher and the meat and organ grinds and rabbit and duck pieces and necks from Hare Today. I could cut out the rabbit and duck, but does anyone have any suggestions for me to be able to keep the variety I feed, but do it cheaper. I’m wondering if I incorporate canned wet food or kibble? I don’t know, any suggestions would be extremely helpful.

Starting the first of the year I have to pay over $100/month for stupid health insurance. & I have dental bills that are over $50/month for a while. I am working a second job, basically to keep Bailey fed the way I’ve been feeding her, but paying out that extra $150/month is gonna hurt.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions…

[neezerfan]

So Riley has a pseudomonas ear infection which apparently can be multidrug resistant and hard to eradicate. Luckily so far it seems to be responding well to our first line of treatment, Baytril oral and Baytril/dex liquid ear stuff. So how did this happen? Vet explained this bacterium is commonly found on the skin and usually presents no problem. Usually when it causes a problem like this it’s due to an underlying allergy. What?? Actually, she did not specifically say food allergy, but when she said “allergy” i heard “food allergy”. So yes I’m jumping the gun a bit.

The majority of his diet is Darwin’s chicken, turkey and duck. I rotate with 5 star canned foods, all grain free and give him 2-3 home prepared meals per week. Usually it’s beef, lamb and venison with the non-Darwin’s meals. Sometimes cooked, sometimes raw. I supplement with krill oil, coconut oil (human grade) and Spirugreen from Mercola.

He’s 2 1/2 years old, otherwise perfectly healthy. He has not had any vaccines since the core ones and we do titers.

What am I missing? I will admit to being obsessed with his health. Am I overreacting? BTW, his other ear is perfectly healthy.

[theBCnut]

Liver should be no more than 5% of the meat in their diet. It is high in fat soluable vitamins and can be overdone. And you can definitely get signs of intestinal distress in the stool if the diet is too far off.

[A.Sandy]

Hi,
Sorry about your pup. I would say that TOTW and BB are way too high in protein for your dog’s issues, and chicken soup is a not so good food. I think you should get something a lot more simple like raw, or dehydrated raw like Honest kitchen keen, verve or force that is gluten free, it’s high quality and a lot lower in protein and adds moisture as well. and try adding canned pumpkin in there too and maybe an all natural pro/prebiotic like Honest kitchen perfect form or prozymes to help aid digestion. Or a limited ingredient diet like Natural balance that is around 21% protein. good luck!

-Ana Sandy
pet nutrition expert/advisor
pupcatnutrition.com
@pupcatfacts

[Harpers Mom]

I know supplementing is necessary for a raw food diet, but can probiotics be a benefit to dogs on kibble? i am in the processes of starting my dog on a rotational diet and was considering adding a probiotic just to give her digestive system a boost.

What are some good probiotics?

[CSollers]

Patty has done a good job in her description. Our Pugs thrive on a raw diet, and they love it!

[theBCnut]

It would take a whole book to explain the benefits of feeding raw, but I’ll try to hit on a few highlights and let someone else add some more.

Dogs were not designed to eat dried food pellets, they were made to eat a diet that is 75-80% water. Raw and canned food fit that need.
Dogs in the wild get some of their digestive enzymes from the food they eat, but heat destroys these enzymes. Many dogs have trouble producing the enzymes they need to deal with their food. Raw foods have these enzymes.
Dogs were not designed to eat high carbohydrate foods, but kibble is a bakery product and has to have a certain level of starch to act as a binder to hold the kibble together. Many dogs have problems just because their bodies can’t deal with the level of carbs in the diet.
Raw provides the nutrients dogs need in a natural form that dogs are designed to use.
Raw provides plenty of protein for tissue growth, regeneration, and repair.
Raw provides the body with what it needs to make its own antioxidants.
With raw, you can be in complete control of the ingredients and the quality of the ingredients.
Raw fed dogs produce small hard stools that are easy to clean up and have little to no smell.
Raw fed dogs have loads of energy and vibrant health.
All the raw fed dogs I know are lean and muscular.
Chewing on raw bones cleans teeth naturally. Raw contributes much, much less to plaque and tartar build up on the teeth.

Someone else’s turn now.

[ECSGuy]

We switched our two ECS boys over to raw back in May/June of 2013. Since most all of the Kibble the we had tried was recalled for one thing or another, and we noted changes in the frozen variety of BilJac we had fed for years.

We are now feeding raw and rotating Duck with bone, Venison with bone, Beef, Beef with bone. I also supplement with SoJo dehydrated Vegitables 1 or 2 tablespoons/meal, fish oil for Omega 3-6 and coconut oil for their skin and coat (mornings coconut oil and evenings fish oil).

If you are going to continue to feed a raw or homemade diet, I’d suggest a book by Lew Olsen PhD titled Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs; available on Amazon. Lot’s of good information on why to feed dogs raw, why they are able to eat raw and how to supplement (you can over do the supplements if your not careful).

In my opinion, in today’s market, the worst thing to feed your dog or cat is a commercial dog food, kibble, etc. While I’m sure they try, the bottom line is keeping production cost down. I’ve been told that many buy meat meals in bulk, and really don’t know where or how the meats were sourced and or processed. Dealers are buying the meat meals and redistributing them to manufactures.

Hope something here helps, Good luck!

[ECSGuy]

Not looking to fight with anyone nor convert them over to my way of feeding. Glad that dogGirl feeding her dogs the way she wants and it is a raw diet. Raw feeding has so much to offer the dogs, that I sometimes become obsessive and preachy about it (just ask my wife).

For those that want more information on feeding raw natural diets, the book by Lew Olsen PhD. Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs is a great resource and explains the dogs digestive make up and why they can eat raw food that would make a human sick. Oddly, it makes me question my own diet, as it would appear that humans are genetically pre-disposed as Herbivores and not Omnivores as we seem to think. Makes a great case for becoming a Vegetarian :>(

[Rebecca]

Hi frenchiegirl,

It sounds to me like your dog is going through a period of detox, which is nothing to worry about, and actually good.

In Dr. Karen Becker’s article “Common Raw Feeding Mistakes”, in a paragraph about what to expect when you switch to raw, she says,

“Oftentimes, after one to three months on a fresh food diet, pets go through a detoxification process. This is totally normal and is actually something to celebrate.

Detox for your pet will happen through the bowels and skin. During a detox, your pet will act completely normal. He’ll be happy, bright, and alert. But you might find that he’s shedding a tremendous amount of hair. Pets shed out their old, dead, dull hair, and begin growing a shiny, soft coat. You might also see a lot of earwax or debris being produced from the ear. That needs to be cleaned out. And some detoxing pets will pass blobs of mucus in their stools.

These symptoms of detoxification will pass on their own. They’re nothing you need to worry about, but are something you should anticipate or it might freak you out. Pets on a fresh food diet also consume far less water than pets eating an entirely processed diet. You need to anticipate that your pet’s water intake will diminish.”

-Rebecca

[ECSGuy]

I’ve fed Blue Ridge Beef products to my two English Cockers since June of 2013. I switched to a raw diet because of all the recalls and junk they put in commercial foods. I’ve seen no problem with the products, and my boys are thriving on it. I am also using SoJo dehydrated Veggies, fish oil and coconut oil as supplements.
If I were to recommend one thing, it would be to buy Lew Olsen’s book on Raw and Natural diets for dogs. I’ve was using a vitamin and mineral supplement early on that had far to many minerals that the dogs really did not need.
As far as the charcoal in the food is concerned, my dealer has checked on this. It is a law that any raw meat products sold as pet food must contain some charcoal to differentiate it from human food. Otherwise, due to the lower cost, unscrupulous people would buy it to serve in restaurants.
I’ve seen major changes in my dogs health, including my older male who, even on high quality commercial food, would vomit at least once a week and had diarrhea off and on constantly. That is “all” resolved on a raw diet. My younger fellow runs agility and while he is a high energy dog, he lost his “rather odd” skunky smell that he had on commercial foods and his eyes no longer run constantly.
Also, emailing Steve in North Carolina at Blue Ridge has always gotten me prompt and courteous responses. So not sure what Dog girl is taking about.

[Akari_32]

I’m having trouble keeping weight on Haley, my 11 year old lab/retriever mix. Ever since I switched from Wellness Core to RR (Zero Grain and Just 6 mix), she’s been droppig weight like crazy. She’s currently on about 1/4 RR and 3/4 Purina One, and that’s helping tons now. I had the dogs on all RR, then got a really awesome deal on the Purina One, and I’m just about out of the RR now, I have maybe 15 pounds left.

Unfortunately, we’re at a financial point were if we buy it, we use it. Throwing out or giving it away won’t do us any good. Since I’ve got lots of the Purina and few other random small bags of food, I’ve just been giving a small amount of the RR. I always mix in canned food (Haley can’t do straight dry food in meal size quantities, as her stomach can’t handle it and it makes her miserable), and usually a raw egg. I’ve stopped walking her almost completely, and upped her food to 6-9 cups a day, depending on if we walk or not. This has helped a lot, but she’s not a big eater to begin with.

My plan is to get at least her back on Wellness ASAP (I have about 15 pounds of that that I bought recently with coupons, and will get more as soon as I have the funds and time), as well as buy some good, all beef hot dogs to add some extra calories and protein to her diet (I have 10 free packs lined up as soon as they get in stock). She’s currently on vitamins, glucosamine, and fish oil as well. The fish oil has helped her put some weight on, too.

I’m positive the switch from the Wellness Core foods to the lesser RR, and then even lesser Purina One has got her system all in a fit, but it’s been months since she’s been off Wellness. RR is only 313 calories per cup, which I only found out recently, and that’s when I started feeding more, realizing it was partly not enough calories. Other than that, I don’t think she digests food very well, which is why I always wet her food– makes it easier on her tummy. She did great on Wellness and I only fed her 2.5-3 cups. My Rott mix has not needed an increase in food since the switch, and neither really has moms terrier (only on days he’s particularly hyper).

I also plan to buy some Nutri Source Super Preformance off PetFlow, but I’d like to get her back on Wellness and get weight back up first, and see if any certain ingredients have anything to do her weight loss, and see how she does grain free vs grain inclusive. The dogs were all on corn based foods until I took over the dog food buying a few years ago, and I’ve more or less kept them on grain free, and anything that wasn’t, they weren’t on for any length of time. Then when I started with the RR Zero Grain as the bulk of their diet a few months ago, it’s been an uphill battle >.<

Any changes to my plan, at all? Anything to add, or take away? Any other ideas, period? Budget is extremely tight, so don’t get too crazy on my, but I need to get some weight on my girl that doesn’t involve shoving food down her throat.

[DogFoodie]

I know Cyndi already bumped up your post, but I am too.

Bless your heart, you’ve really got your hands full! Just curious, has your vet checked his thyroid? Also, do you see a vet who practices traditional veterinary medicine or do you use an integrative / holistic vet? I’d visit a holistic vet; here’s a link to help you find one (it’s not all inclusive, but a good start): http://www.ahvma.org/Widgets/FindVet.html

It sounds as though, in addition to the environmental and food allergies, your little guy might have a systemic yeast infection which has evolved into a leaky gut. Someone has probably been feeding your poor little guy garbage for his entire life. I would start right away supplementing his diet with coconut oil and probiotics (you need to begin repopulating the healthy bacteria in his gut). It looks like your food allergies are: salmon, poultry mix, eggs, milk, wheat, and white potato. I’d look for something minimally processed ~ raw if possible; but if you’re choosing to feed kibble, I’d go for a grain and white potato (probably sweet potato, too) free food to switch him to as soon as possible. The first food that comes to mind is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets.

[crazy4cats]

In regards to your question about Northwest Naturals, it is a raw frozen food that comes in different forms. I use the beef nuggets as well as their fruit and veggie nuggets as toppers right now. They sell them at our local feed store along with Primal and Nature’s Variety frozen raw foods. Northwest is the cheapest of the three. I feel that these add fiber as well as antioxidants to their kibble. As I said before I’m not sure which part of my new equation is helping the most as I have switched several times. Again, I’m using Victor G/F kibble along with a little digestive enzymes, Gastriplex, and probiotic chews. I hope to gradually decrease the supplements, but right now I’m so ecstatic about their poops, (I know, weird, huh?) that I’m not going to change too much for a while.
Have you checked out dogaware dot com yet? They have so much information on that site about digestive disorders. I also think that they may have some homemade diet recipes for you as well.
Good luck!

[dwil801]

I have been lurking around this site for a while and I think I am ready to feed my 15 lb Yorkie raw full time. First of all THANKS for all of the valuable infomation that I have gained from this site. I am still a little confused but I am going to give this a shot.
I will be supplementing his diet with Iceland Pure Sardine/Anchovy Oil, Vitamin E, Nature’s Logic Whole Food Supplement, Cod Liver Oil. I will also add eggs, sardines and yogurt occasionally.
I just rec’d an order from http://www.topqualitydogfood.com (local = no shipping $). I ordered:
1. BEEF Healthy Variety Mix: No Bone
HVM: 7% Veggie/Fruit mix, 10% Beef Heart, Liver and Kidney, Organic whole eggs
2. DUCK HVM: Bone content 30%
HVM: 7% organ meat and 7% veggie/fruit mix
3. Chicken HVM Bone content 26%
HVM: 7% Veggie/Fruit Mix, 10% Chicken Livers and Heart
4. Lamb HVM: Bone content 35%
HVM: 7% organ meat and 7% veggie/fruit mix
5. Icelandic Lamb: No organs Bone content roughly 20%
6. 80/20 ground Beef with 20% green tripe and 10% Beef heart and Liver, No Bone
5. Green Tripe
Some of these grinds seem to have high bone content and low in organs. Any idea how to balance the C&P ratios? Should I add any additional supplements?

[pugmomsandy]

This recipe book has cooked/boneless food recipes and a recipe to make a complimentary vitamin mix to go with the food and serving suggestions: “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr Karen Becker/Beth Taylor. You might also look at the home-cooked area at dogaware.com for some tips.

http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html

[BernerdAd]

Hi sorting through all the good information — I’ve come up with a few questions
1) why did Grain Free Canine Caviar Open Sky make the list but Grain Free Canine Caviar Puppy did not?
2) None of the Blue Buffalo dry products made the list at all – why is that.

Ive created some spread sheets and in particular looked at calcium and there are not major differences? At what point do small percentage points — i.e. the difference between 1.2% and !.5% make a difference – I mean statistically what is the variance in these numbers when a food doesn’t make the list by only a few tenths of a %?

3) While numerical data is great isn’t there any sage wisdom out there for specific large breeds? I have Berners (bernese mountain dogs) – on the main website it says ”

“Bernese Mountain Dog owners feed a range of food from raw diet, homemade diets to commercially prepared kibble. No matter what type of feed, Berner owners seem to agree to feed a high quality food with relatively low protein level, approximately 18 -26% and a moderate fat content, under 16%. High protein/fat feeds (> 28%, >16%) can be ‘too much’ for many Bernese, especially those that are not very active working/performance dogs. Feeding a diet that is too ‘heavy’ in protein has been known to precipitate hotspot outbreaks in some Berners. A diet too high in fat adds unwanted pounds and in some cases causes diarrhea.”

So did one study on large breed puppies looking at critical variables protein levels, calcium etc debunk all the sage wisdom from breeders – some of which specifically notice concerns with high levels of protein over 30%

[OhBichonPlease]

GoldenGuide, If you do decide to switch and then travel, there are plenty of great local pet stores in the Raleigh area that carry raw foods and premix diets. There are also plenty of local butchers offering locally-sourced, healthy meats and animal parts.
I live about 30mins from Raleigh and this is a very dog-friendly area with lots of healthy-looking dogs and owners who spend a lot of time [and money, apparently] on dog food [invariably the busiest aisle in the smaller pet stores and there are always customers wanting opinions chatting with workers].

[losul]

KMS- I hadn’t followed what had been going on with your pup, so had to go back and read your entire history.

Antibiotic usage/overusage can become a vicious circle. You might want to google antibiotic induced colitis. The clostridium overgrowth is one thing that can cause colitis from the toxins they produce, although it’s very possible there might be multiple causes.

When you said your pup has had full-blown diarrhea the last 5 days, that would very much concern me. Are you checking to make sure he isn’t becoming dangerously dehydrated? Lift the skin on the back of neck/shoulders. When released, the skin should spring back to to normal fairly quickly. Check the gums, they should be pink. Press on the gums briefly and pink color should return them within a second or 2. Mouth should not be overly dry nor saliva very sticky.

If the severe diarrhea isn’t causing an emergency situation, I would slow down on what you are introducing to him, with the exception of the pro-pectin you mentioned you already have. The main ingredient is kaolin, a form of bentonite clay, that should soothe and coat the intestines. It is also said to absorb toxins and bad bacteria. But you should also be aware that kaolin will interfere with absorption of some antibiotics, and specifically trimethoprin (the TMP in the antibiotic combo you mentioned). Pro-pectin also has one form of encapsulated beneficial bacterium in it. Then I would wait for the outside lab results, and then maybe go for the colonoscopy if advised.

If I were you, I wouldn’t yet even think about adding raw meat to his diet until you can get his intestinal flora back in balance, although a homemade lightly cooked one could be the way to go for awhile….

[A.Sandy]

Hello,
My name is Ana I am the owner of a small pet nutrition consulting business called Pupcat Nutrition Consulting I am a pet nutrition expert/advisor. Dogs with pancreatitis have very fragile immune systems, avoid high protein and high fat diets, feed small frequent meals through out the day, and less or no processed diets and avoid dry foods and rotation. The next thing PLEASE STOP feeding science diet it’s killing your dog! Here are some suggestions: lean meats,(bison,chicken,turkey) low fat treats, try senior formulas they have less fat and less protein. Here are some awesome brands that will transform your pup forever!! ok , your best bet would be dehydrated raw, I recommend Honest kitchen preference or all except thrive mix with canned for extra moisture and flavor try senior formula canned like merrick , and natural balance(try to stick with 4% fat or less) avoid grocery store pet foods. and it would be beneficial to add a probiotic/prebiotic to aid digestion, like PROZYMES is a really good one I like. and remember there is a transition period when switching foods (7-10 days) for more info on honest kitchen go to thehonestkitchen.com and for more real nutrition facts follow me on twitter @pupcatfacts and on facebook or at pupcatnutrition.com
good luck!!

-Ana

[theBCnut]

Hound Dog mom’s list has commercial raw foods at the end of the list that have appropriate calcium levels.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v

[chewysmom]

Hi Angie and congrats on the new “baby”! You’re on the right track with choosing to go raw for your little guy. Neapolitan Mastiffs are prone to hip dysplasia which can lead to arthritis as they get older so it’s important to choose on a good diet as a puppy to prevent a lot of vet bills (and heartache) down the road. Here’s a good article from raw dog food diet guru, Robert Mueller that explains how diet can help prevent hip dysplasia in large and giant breed dogs: http://www.barfworld.com/blog/?p=2422.

Best of luck to you both 🙂

[grouch_29]

I am researching what would be the best diet for a Neapolitan Mastiff. I have never owned one before but this is my all time favorite breed and hopefully soon I will be able to add a baby neapolitan girl to my family. I would like to get more information on what I’d the best diet for them. I know they are a giant breed and the diet plays a big role in their growth development. I wasn’t a strong healthy girl not a over weight girl with joint and hip problems due to inproper feeding. Please, if anyone has a mastiff and has suggestions or advisr I will greatly appreciate it. What I’d best? Raw or kibble? I’s it possible to do both? If I do just raw, how much do I feed? Do I mix different meats or can I stick to one? Help!!!!

Thank you,
Angie

[kms]

I made a vet appt for this coming wed – will have a fecal sent out. Also, I started Perfect Form last night. He ate it right up – no issue with taste. So far, he has had 3 stools – all 3 softer/runnier than normal. But he has only had 2 doses, so it’s prob too soon to tell. As far as pumpkin, I’ll stop that today.

I like everything I’ve read about Honest Kitchen products and would be willing to try. Also have been reading about Primal, Darwin and NV frozen and freeze-dried raw. My biggest fear is that things could get worse at a critical time in his development. I’d also have to face both my vet and breeder – who aren’t really in favor of my direction so far (in terms of going to a kibble rotation diet and also for heading toward raw down the road). But I’ll keep reading and taking baby steps. Another reason why I’m so thankful for this forum.

The NVI Rabbit uses chicken fat as a preservative and it’s 4th on the ingredient list. So NVI Rabbit is not 100% chicken-free, but it’s fat instead of meat. I don’t know if that changes anything. In other words, can I still rule out “chicken intolerance” – or could that small amount of chicken fat still cause a chicken intolerance? I really hope his system just needs more time to heal, as Pattyvaughn sugggested. It’s just that I’ve never had a dog who didn’t have worms or diarrrhea at some point – and it has always been remedied quickly. So I keep worrying that it’s something more serious.

I’ve read on threads where people go back to grain-inclusive and the stools get better. Why is that? I thought grains were not good for a dog. The reason I went grain-free is because I thought it would be healthier and the food would be less likely to trigger an allergy.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by kms.

[Tiyapup]

I am feeding my pup a rotation of high quality kibbles, mixed with a balanced homemade raw diet. She is doing very well.. healthy growth, beautiful thick soft coat, lots of energy, pretty firm and very regular stools, etc. etc. I’ve read several times now that you should NOT mix kibble and raw in the same meal because of digestive issues. Has anyone really had problems with this, and can anyone give me a real scientific explanation why I shouldn’t mix them? I’ve heard they digest at different rates and (literally, I read this) “confuse the pancreas”. So what? Why does it matter how fast a dog digests something? She has firm and regular stools, and that’s enough to convince me that mixing is fine, but I’d still like to hear a scientific argument why mixing kibble and raw might be bad.

In case you care, the rotation is Taste of the Wild puppy, Wellness Core puppy, and Blue Buffalo Wilderness puppy, supplemented with a homemade variety of livers, hearts, gibbets, cheap cuts of venison or lamb, chicken necks, eggs, yogurt, pumpkin, salmon oil, a small amt. of an herbal supplement, and add Grandma Lucy’s grain-free no meat pre-mix. I was doing about 20% raw 80% kibble, but now its close to half and half.

[RescueDaneMom]

While I love Stella & Chewy’s, it is not practical for large dogs to feed as a sole source of food. Your dog would eat you out of house and home. If I fed my dog just S&C, I would be spending $15/day. You can use Stella’s as a topper for the kibble. That’s how I started feeding my dog raw.

[pugmomsandy]

There are hundreds of foods to try out. Maybe your dog is not used to high protein grain free. What were you feeding before and how long? There are foods “in the middle” if you want to try that. I feed a range of 4 to 5 star foods and haven’t had any issues with more poop or larger poop. And actually my fosters have the largest and more frequent poops after being vetted and then I get them. I also give the dogs some probiotics a couple times a week. The best poops are on raw food with bones – small, formed, no smell like the size of little bird eggs. I have small dogs though. But what I’m saying is, try something else. My fosters do good on Nutrisource Heartland Select and grain free Lamb. I would call those “in the middle”.

[PippaY]

Hi all,

My 18lb Welsh Terrier has a mild-moderate case of Protein Losing Enteropathy.

Our Vet specialist has recommended a Purina HA diet that’s made of “hydrolyzed protein”. Unfortunately I’m wary of anything made by Purina and hydrolyzed protein sounds horribly processed. So I’m looking for suggestions.

I’ve read that MCT oil (for humans) can help. Not sure how much to give her..

What about kibble and/or raw food? Brands and types would be appreciated if you’ve had success with any.

I switched her from Purina Pro Plan sensitive stomach (salmon) variety to Orijen’s Fish formula and “Primal”‘s raw lamb wet food. Her spirits are good. She’s eating well and she doesn’t seem to be losing weight around the middle..though I suspect that she might be losing muscle mass.

Other things to note:
She’s allergic to chicken and starts to itch just looking at it. Not sure about turkey or duck.

Thank you!!

[RVPets]

We have a 7 year old German Shepherd and we have been struggling to control a systemic yeast infection for the past 9 months. Our old vet (I do mean old now) kept putting him on antibiotics, saying it was not yeast, but never doing a skin scrap. Our new vet checked first and immediately told us it was yeast. He wants him on a no carbohydrate/lo. starch diet and has suggested a more holistic approach to controling the problem. We are very pleased with the results so far. He’s grown back most of his hair and his odor has diminshed considerably.

We add Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (with the “Mother”) to his drinking water and we wipe him down with a vinegar and water mixture (50/50) and we are cleaning his ears with the same solution daily. We have hi on a partial raw diet that we have been adding a high quality dog food too (about half raw half dog food).

My problem is that we are having a hard time finding a food that he can eat due to food allergies. Has anyone tried Canidae Grain-Free Pure Elements for dogs? It does not have anything on his “don’t eat” list, but I’m not too sure about having sweet potatoes in the top 5 list of ingredients.

Has anyone else tried this with a “yeasty dog”? Did it help or make it worse? We are trying very hard to find a solution, but we simply cannot feed an all raw diet right now.

This is a list of ingrediants:
Lamb, turkey meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, peas, chicken fat, menhaden fish meal, potatoes, suncured alfalfa, natural flavor, minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), choline chloride, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, mixed tocopherols (a natural source of
vitamin E)

[theBCnut]

If you are giving less than 20% of the diet in raw food then buying from the grocery store is fine. If you are planning on giving more raw than 20% of the diet, then you have to start considering balancing all the nutrients.

[Naturella]

Patty, thank you so much for the response! I think Bruno is pretty healthy and would love some raw in his diet. He has had some raw liver and today I gave him a tiny bit of ground chuck – he loved it! So yeah, I think I will just have to let my boyfriend get used to it, and see how well Bruno does on raw additives. 🙂

Question about storing, I should pre-portion it and freeze, and just thaw whatever I plan to use for the day, correct?

[theBCnut]

Dogs with compromised immune systems can get bacterial infections from raw diets. And if a dog is greedy, it can glup too big a piece of bone. I like chicken necks for small dogs because the bones are already small and mostly cartilage anyway, but since they are all connected together, it encourages chewing. My JRT is used to raw and gnawing bones, so she can handle a pretty good sized chunk of turkey neck and even some ribs.

Most dogs have no problems. Their short digestive tract is designed to handle bacteria and their teeth are made for crunching on bones.

[MsDad]

Cherikeeusa, right now I’m feeding Nature’s Logic kibble to my F1 Goldendoodle but I’m getting ready to switch him to a raw diet. I’ve been doing a LOT of research and raw greatly reduces the risk of bloat. Pork and chicken are both fine for dogs. I’m looking at Tucker’s Bones as my raw diet and it is pork-based.

[GoldenGuide]

Hello, I have a 3-yr-old golden retriever, and I am planning to switch him to a prey-model diet within the next couple months. The deciding factor of whether to start in January or December is my travel plans. Essentially, I am in college, so if I started him on raw next month, I would feed him grass fed animals from the butcher here for three weeks, then I would somehow have to work out food for the 1 week during Christmas break at my parents’ place, then the two weeks I will spend in Raleigh, NC afterward. I don’t want to start him on a raw diet here for a few weeks, just to switch to dehydrated or lesser raw meat so soon in the beginning. Should I just wait till all the traveling is over before starting him on raw? I don’t want to put undo stress on his immune system. He is a guide dog, so he will be going everywhere with me, including on the plane to and from Raleigh, and I’m not sure if switching to raw around this time is a good idea. Also, if I were to continue feeding him raw in my hometown and Raleigh, could I get him raw meat from a grocery store? Would this be a good idea? If so, what kinds of meats should I look for and stay away from?
Thank you.

[Dfwgolden]

I have two dogs of my own (4 in the house)
I feed my dogs the best I can afford and they are my FIRST priority my parents and friends will vouch for that LOL.

My dogs eat a kibble/raw diet.
A typical feeding consists of

Navajho-75lb Golden Retriever
2 Cups of Pure Balance mixed with 4 health Kibble
1 1/2 cups of raw ground beef
1 raw Chicken Thigh or Leg, or Neck
3 Table Spoons of Flax seed
1/4 cup of raw canned Pumpkin
1/2 activia yogurt cup
and a dash of puppy milk replacement 2 times a week

He has a high metabolism that is why he eats so much

Ricky- 30lb-5 month older border collie
1 cup of Pure Balance mixed with 4 health kibble
1/2 cup raw ground beef
1 Raw Small Chicken thigh or leg
1/4 cup of raw canned pumpkin
1/2 activia yogurt cup
2 Puppy Vitamins
1 tablespoon flax seed
and a dash of puppy milk replacement 2 times a week

The food here is split up into two meals a day.

Please noye I do rotate the raw meat types between
Rabbit
Chicken
Turkey
Beef
Goat
Lamb

I steer as far from pork as I can I am to scared of it LOL, they also get organs from the animals from time to time.

Is this a good diet?

My vet said they are the healthiest dogs he has ever seen, they have good smelling breath, stools are small and don’t stink.
They also have soft and shinny coats, anything I should add or take away? When I can I plan to switch the kibbles to Orijen and Taste of the Wild

[Brittany Mom]

While vension is a good source of protein, feeding raw game can expose you and your dog to the rabies virus and Chronic Wasting Disease. The only way to kill the rabies virus is through cooking. Freezing the meat does not kill the virus. Also, in recent years, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has become more prevalent in the deer population. I would only feed farm raised deer from a reliable source, to insure that you are not exposing yourself and your dog to either disease.

As a hunter for many years, we always wore rubber gloves to process game because you don’t always know what you’re dealing with. We’ve fed our dogs venison for years, but only cooked venison. I feed a raw diet to my dogs but it doesn’t include raw game meat.

[Rahat]

Deer meat is a great food for your dog. Dogs are classified as carnivores. There is a mere .2% difference between dog and wolf DNA. If we realize that our dogs are so closely related to wolves, then it is a short step to understanding our dogs should eat like the wolf rather than eating junk out of a bag.
An ideal meal for our domestic wolves, also know as Lacy dogs, is raw on-the-hoof deer meat. Many hunters have deer meat left over from previous year, and that is fine to feed to your dogs, but today I am writing about feeding the deer that is freshly shot and ready for the dog to eat.
There are two main ways to feed fresh deer. The first is to feed it like the dogs would eat in the wild. You can just pitch it out and let the dogs chow down. This is known as prey model feeding. It is the optimal diet for your dogs. However, not many people have the desire to see a partially chewed deer laying in their yard. So the alternative is to spend time preparing the deer to be consumed by the dog. The above article made by – Betty Leek.

[Timmy1963]

Hello- I have a 6 year old Doberman. A little over a week ago he started throwing up for unknown reasons. I put him on chicken and rice only. I have always feed him IAMS. For treats he gets human turkey dogs (not a lot). I kept him on rice and chicken for a week or so (we got comfortable!). I wanted to give him a healthy diet, I research raw food diet. I just can’t do that. So I got him Taste of the Wild. Saturday night I mixed just a little of the kibble in with his chicken and rice. He only eats once a day. He was fine. Sunday night I doubled the amount of kibble in his chicken and rice. The amount was double, but it still wasn’t a large amount. He woke me up at 5am with diaherra. He has had it several times today and he threw up once. Yellowish bile stuff. When he goes outside he acts fine but inside he is a little lazier than usual. He is a big baby when he is sick he wants me to stay right by his side. Any ideas? Did I increase food too fast? Should I take him to the vet?
A few things to mention- my Llasa eats the same thing the Doberman does and he is fine. My Dobie is big. He is tall and weighs 113 lbs. My son has two pit puppies. They visit every weekend. One or both of them had diaherra this weekend. But I think it is because they gave them a different kind of food. The puppies have been dewormed and had had the first of two series of the puppy shots (5 in one). The last series of 3 is this weekend. Thank you in advance for your help.

[pugmomsandy]

For newbies at homemade, I would suggest the recipes at http://www.homemadedogfood.com (recipe with Dinovite and oil supplement and serving size suggestions) or get a recipe book. Your dog really needs more nutrition than meat and veggies. One recipe book I use is “Real Food For Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr Karen Becker/Beth Taylor. This gives cooked and raw recipes with a vitamin mix recipe. Another option is to use a Premix like Grandma Lucy’s or The Honest Kitchen, Urban Wolf, or See Spot Live Longer dinner mixes. You add meat and oil and the premix has all the vitamins/minerals added. I make raw food and use CarnivoreRaw in my rotation.

http://dogaware.com/diet/homemade.html

[kms]

Hi – I’m new here. I was using DFA to problem-solve and evaluate diets for my 5 mo male Weim (Augie) and ended up on this thread. WOW – what a great source of info! I’ve learned a lot and want to thank HDM and all the others who contributed. Here’s my story and my problem. Any advice would really be appreciated… especially would like input from HDM..…

We brought Augie home at 9 wks and he had soft/runny stool. Vet found roundworms and treated them. After the “all clear”, I thought his stool would get better – but it didn’t. Vet checked his stool again and found very high levels of “Clostridium” and a few other bacteria commonly found in dirt (Augie is a compulsive dirt/mud/rock eater – we’re working on it). Vet put him on Metronidozol and Pro-Pectalin for 20 days (2 rounds) – it did not resolve. Then he put him on SMZ (another antibiotic) and a bland diet for 16 days. During that time, his stool got bright yellow and was still runny all the time. He also stopped gaining weight and lost several lbs (was supposed to be 38-42 lbs, but dropped to 27 lbs). I asked about using a Probiotic and canned pumpkin, but vet didn’t want to introduce anything new to his GI tract. We tested his stool again – and finally all the bacteria levels were normal and no worms. BUT his stool was still soft/runny. He also had developed colitis from the constant diarrhea/soft stool. I started giving him 1 heaping tsp canned pumpkin with each meal and slowly (over 12 days) I transitioned him from Eukanuba Puppy Growth (the breeders kibble) to Orijen Large Breed Puppy. He has now been on 100% Orijen for 11 days and I’m still giving him the pumpkin. His stool has gotten a little better – it’s formed about 75% of the time and soft about 25%. But the last couple days it has had a slick greasy coating on the outside. What does that mean?

Based on what I learned here, I have a new plan (I think). Much of this is new to me (have never used probiotics or enzymes and have never rotated foods). Also, I’m very interested in going raw (commercially made), but I don’t feel confident enough to pull the trigger yet – especially since his bowels have been so messed up for the last 3 months. What do you think of this plan:

1) Get him off Orijen – calcium is too high – did not know that till I saw HDM’s list.
2) Choose 3-4 high protein kibbles from HDM list and plan to rotate at the end of each bag.
3) Make the next food in the rotation a non-chicken, since the Euk and Orijen were both chicken based.
4) Choose a variety of toppers to be used as 20% of each meal. Use a different topper at each meal.
5) Start giving a probiotic and digestive enzymes with every meal
6) Continue 1 heaping tsp canned pumpkin with each meal
7) Learn more about going raw – would like to start with commercially made and go from there. Maybe start by using a commercial raw (THK, Primal, Darwin’s) as the topper? or is that too hard for a dog to digest (mixing raw with non-raw)?

Do I give a Probiotic and Dig Enzymes at each meal indefinitely – or just during transitions from 1 food to the next?
Do I continue the pumpkin indefinitely?
Should I add fish oil and how much?
He’s up to 32.5 lbs, but still can see hips and ribs a little. What can I do to safely get some weight on him?

I really appreciate what I have learned here and look forward to advice. Thanks!

[theBCnut]

Don’t get me wrong. I do use and recommend some kibbles. I just have a dog that has issues that severely limit what kibbles he can have, and there are literally thousands of kibbles. My brain space is limited and it is already overfull, so I try to let the people who have ideas about what will work for you have their say, instead of trying to cram more into my brain. I can’t even remember the name of my favorite website with recipes right now, but if you google making homemade dog food, it is one of the top ones that comes up. My favorite books are Dr Karen Becker’s “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” and Steve Brown’s “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.” Oh yeah, the website is Dogaware dot com.

Oh and I feed whole raw eggs twice a week and lightly cooked eggs twice a week. There are good things in both, but too much raw egg white can be a problem.

You are right, if you are going to add anything to the kibble or make homemade foods, you need a little more structure at feeding time. The first thing I would do is to take a guess at how much each dog should be eating, then decide if you want to feed one or two meals a day. I would at least start at twice a day since they are used to eating multiple times a day. Get a few cans of dog food and put 1/2 of the dog’s daily ration in a bowl with a couple spoonfuls of canned mixed in and give each dog their food bowl for 15 minutes. If they finish sooner great, tell them how good they are. If they don’t finish, pick up the food and put it in the fridge for the next meal. You may want to add warm water the next meal. Once they are in the habit of eating when you give them food, you are ready to move on.

Sorry I’m not more help. I’m having to deal with my Aunt who has Alzheimer’s and some other issues and it is driving me to distraction. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. I don’t know what I’ve read where. Frankly, I think my brain is turning to mush too.

[chrisalcor]

I think that sometimes we look at these issues from an all or nothing perspective. I live in a multi- large dog household and would love a high quality raw diet all the time. But since I cannot manage the cost and want to keep as many rescue dogs as safe and in home as possible, I vary things. I do some home cooking, some raw, and supplement with a high quality grain free. But carefully shopping, both at organic dog boutiques and the human health grocery stores, I want to think I provide them with the best of all choices. But it takes lots of education and communication to find what works for each dog.

[Brittany Mom]

How is your poodle doing? I have a 14 month old Brittany that is always hungry. She is extremely active so I’ve continued to feed her 3 times a day. She is on Bravo Beef Blend and Honest Kitchen. I have also had to add some kibble to her diet just to get her weight up. I’m not crazy about adding the kibble (Halo) but it seems to be working. She gets between 7.5 to 8 oz. of raw a day along with 1.5 cups of honest kitchen (dry measurement) twice a day. This dog runs, just for the joy of it, all day long.

[RescueDaneMom]

The Cane Corso is considered a large breed dog because it will grow to 80lbs or larger. You should be feeding a food that is appropriate for a large breed puppy. They need to grow slow so they don’t develop bone problems. I would suggest you go to the Diet and Heath Issues forum and read through the Large and Giant Breed Puppy Nutrition thread for more info. See here: /forums/topic/large-and-giant-breed-puppy-nutrition/

A member, Hound Dog Mom, took a lot of time and effort to create a list of appropriate foods for large breed puppy growth. I would look through the list and see what is available to you. You may want to choose a food that is very different to what you are currently feeding (different protein, different carbs, etc).
Here is the list: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit?pli=1
It starts with grain-inclusive foods, then grain-free foods, and raw foods last.

I have a Great Dane (aka German Mastiff). He has done well on Annamaet, Earthborn Holistic, The Honest Kitchen (a dehydrated food, not kibble), Primal (raw), and Stella & Chewy’s (raw). You can’t go wrong if you pick anything from the list I provided. I would get small bags to see if he likes it first. You can also buy food online at places like chewy.com or petflow.com if you can’t find what you want locally.

I hope this is helpful Good luck!

[dean ousterhout]

Hello all… I have a source of fresh deer meat and wondered… should I feed some of it to my new large puppy, 14 weeks old? I love reading all about teh fantastic diets folks are doing for their dogs and I have to say… I don’t think I eat so well 🙂

I am sure I will look back in a few years and perhaps all this won’t be so confusing… but for now …. well.. it is quite overwhelming as to how little I understand.

The plan is to start with the 5 star dry and wet… and augment with quality “other” stuff, like leftovers of what we eat, etc. I got to thinking while reading about supplementing and all teh different raw diets… if I could use some of the venison I have access to for the puppy? I saw about the 20%… but should it be raw(uncooked, straight from the freezer, straight from the butcher) or cooked, like burgers from the grill? 🙂

Shucks, the venison is cheaper than than the canned food and the 5 star dried.

Thoughts??

[theBCnut]

I don’t want to imply that I won’t suggest foods, but my dogs are doing best on foods that are in no way budget friendly, so I don’t have a lot of budget friendly foods that I am good with.

That being said, yes, feeding different kinds of food is better than feeding one kind. The more different variety, the better. Raw is best, but your dogs can get some of the benefits of raw by getting a little raw in their diets, a turkey, duck, or chicken neck each week or a can of sardines. Dehydrated foods are great but very expensive. I use them and freeze dried foods as treats. Homemade is great too, but you have to do it right or your dog will end up sick from not getting certain nutrients. Kibbles are actually the most processed dog food, but there are some great kibbles at a good price. I don’t think they are as inexpensive as Pure Balance, but they are better quality. I like NutriSource and Earthborn.

I hope someone else will post some more ideas for you. What I usually tell people is to print up the list of 4 and 5 star foods and take it with them to all the different place around that have dog food. Take notes about where you find what and for how much. When you are on a budget, but want better for your dog, you can try adding some of a better quality food to whatever your base kibble is, or adding fresh foods like eggs, yogurt, lean meats, etc.

[Nancy M]

I’ve been writing in about a now 7 week old mini-Aussie puppy being treated for Giardia AND Coccidia. He’s been on liquid forms of Albon and Panacur for 6 days now, with intermittent improvement, but for the most part, not improved much. Today we hope to have the vet change the Panacur to Metronitizole.

Since he’s been sick with all of this, he’s been on a homemade chicken/rice diet. At times when we’ve seen a hint of relief, we’ve tried adding in a tiny bit of the kibble his breeder had him on, which is Diamond small breed puppy (chicken & rice formula). He can’t stay on this homemade stuff for a whole lot longer. At some point, he’s got to get on regular food!

Whether it’s the Diamond food (I hate Diamond) or just the parasites still causing havoc, he continues or reverts back to very runny diarrhea again. Provided the vet will change to the Metronitizole today, we want to start back introducing regular food as soon as it’s even possible, but the big question is:

With the exception of raw or homemade, what do all of you feel is a good product to start with as far as a good kibble/wet diet, that may have the best results right now and provide a highly digestible, nutritional and the smoothest transition for this puppy?

PLEASE REPLY WITH SUGGESTIONS, ASAP!