[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi EHubbman –

I would try to discourage him from drinking lake water – although not highly likely it is possible for dogs to contract giardia or leptospirosis from doing this. Has he been tested for Giardia (giardia can cause yellowish diarrhea) and is he on a quality multi-strain probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement? If not, I would have him tested for giardia (you have to specifically ask for this test, it won’t show up on a regular fecal and make sure your vet sends the sample to a lab – much more accurate than in-house testing) and get him on digestive supplements. You may also want to give an herbal digestive supplement (such as The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form) a try – some people have had a lot of success with herbal digestive supplements.

Orange tinged stool can be a sign of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) – meaning the intestinal flora is off balance. This is common secondary condition with dogs who have endocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). I would definitely discuss this with your veterinarian.

The Zignature Trout & Salmon formula is appropriate for large breed puppies and would be worth a shot if you want to try Zignaure – I believe the formulas are all fairly similar except for different proteins sources.

Raw would be a great option – especially for a sensitive dog. If this is something you’re willing and able to do that’s wonderful. It will be necessary to do a lot of research prior to embarking on a raw feeding regimen, however. I would recommend checking out dogaware(dot)com and picking up a copy of Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.” You can also check out the recommended raw menus thread in the raw food forum – I have many of my crew’s menus posted.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Is Mila eating a homemade diet or commercial diet? (Sorry I’m drawing a blank here – I know you were trying raw but I can’t remember if you switched her completely to homemade raw or are just supplementing a commercial food with raw). If you’re feeding predominantly a commercially prepared balanced food (be it raw, kibble, etc.) I personally feel Mila would benefit much more from a whole food based supplement as opposed to a supplement such as this which consists of mostly synthetic vitamins and minerals (for more details on the benefits of whole food supplementation you can read the post I just made to sharkie on the large breed puppy thread). If she’s eating homemade food and you were planning on using this as a vitamin/mineral supplement, it’s not going to supply adequate levels of vitamin e or manganese (I don’t think I see managanese?) and I still feel that a whole food based supplement should be given in conjunction with a multivitamin/mineral. Sorry if any of this is repeated information or was already discussed, my brain isn’t all here today and I’m forgetting who I’ve talked to, what was said by who, etc. lol

[Hound Dog Mom]

Are you feeding a commercial raw diet or a homemade raw diet? If you’re feeding a commercial raw diet there would really be no need to add additional vegetables, but as long as they’re just added in small amounts I’m sure it would be fine. Sweet potatoes don’t get crunchy when baked so baked sweet potato wouldn’t add any crunch. A vegetable would have to be raw and in large pieces to be crunchy and dogs can’t efficiently digest vegetables in this form. Vegetables should be fed cooked and pureed. If you want to add crunch, feeding raw meaty bones (like turkey necks, chicken backs, etc.) would be a much better bet.

[EHubbman]

Also have a little guy with possible sensitivities? Needing some advice here, because I’m at a complete loss.

The whole timeline: 8 weeks, brought Dom home, had him on TOTW Puppy, which he stopped eating. We then switched to NV Rabbit, which he liked but got a smidge bored with, so I started adding different canned toppers. This whole time, his stools were normal and he was doing great.
After the small back of NV Rabbit, we switched to NV LID Turkey, which he did fine with for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, though, he started getting diarrhea. In those 2 weeks, though, he also went swimming (and drinking) in a lake. He also go to play with his sister who, while she didn’t have fleas biting her, she had fleas on her (owner was in process of getting rid of them, I didn’t know this till later.). With how they were rough housing, I’m sure Dom ate a few fleas along the way.

So he has this diarrhea, and it’s not really going away. His stools softened then loosened. Took him to the vet and she gave him metronidazole (his stools were just soft, no mucus or blood) which did nothing for him. I took out the canned toppers, which also did nothing. I talked to a vet friend, and we talked about a few different things, including getting him on a bland diet to help sort him out. I went out to clean up the dog yard before this, though, and found a rice-sized white …thing? In his stool. Talked to the vet friend again, she said it was tapeworm. We ran into the vet, got Droncit and tylen powder (wormer and antibiotic.) So he was on a bland diet, took the dewormer. Had a solid stool full of odd white stuff (shed worms), Kept him on bland for a week with the antibiotics, and he did great. As soon as I started slowly mixing the NV LID Turkey back in, though, his stools got soft again. He also, though, went swimming in a different lake and probably drank some of that water, too. So I kept with the half and half (bland and kibble) to make sure it wasn’t the lake water upsetting his tummy. It wasn’t, so I went to find different food for him.

The gal I talked to at the local food store is suggesting Zignatture LI Lanb for him, but it’s not on the list of approved foods. What, in your opinion, should I do now? He’s currently back to bland, which I’m really not fond of because he’s not getting the nutrients he needs. This morning’s stool was firm, but slightly orange, and had two odd white things in it. Not sure what they were.

Should I take him to a different vet to get him a full work up, switch foods (and what to?), or…? This is my first time as an adult having a pup, and I’m really just lost now, because nothing seems to be working. I want to make sure and get him the best nutrition I possibly can.
Another friend and I spoke about just taking him full raw which, at this point, if it’s going to work for him, I’m not opposed to doing it but have no idea where to start and how to balance it for him.

Thanks for listening, all, and for any help or advice you have.

[k9cancer]

My Pyr 3 month old is on raw food. I woud like to give him some vege sups like sweet potato. Is that appropriate and if so portions and preparation help would be helpful.
I was wondering if I could bake them for a little crunch in his diet?
D

[NectarMom]

This is the only site I use also and while I don’t know as much as the others on here about Raw feeding I am certainly listening and learning. I for sure know Raw feeding is the best solution for our canines and felines and I have seen for myself the results but with my crew that has been on a kibble diet at least 3yrs of their lives we have to take it slow with the fat content in some proteins. I am grateful for finding this forum and appreciate the patience you all have had with me and my girls and the issues we have had. We seem to be on the right track with Raw this time around and will continue to improve with lots of time.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by NectarMom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi mah4angel –

The recommended serving size for garlic is generally (I want to say I found these in Dr. Pitcairn’s book):

<10 lbs. 1/4 clove
10 – 20 lbs. 1/2 clove
20 – 40 lbs. 1 clove
40 – 50 lbs. 1 1/2 cloves
50 – 75 lbs. 2 cloves
75 – 100 lbs. 2 1/2 cloves
>100 lbs. 3 cloves

You want to give your dog at least two days off per week. You want to finely mince the garlic and let it sit for 15 minutes before feeding to release the allicin. Also, exercise caution if your dog is ever on cyclosporine or blood thinners. Garlic can increase the rate at which cyclosporine is broken down in the body and decrease its effectiveness and it may increase the efficiency of blood thinners. Aside from this, as long as you follow the appropriate dosage, garlic is a safe and beneficial addition to the dog’s diet. My girld get two cloves each three days per week.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Hound Dog Mom]

It’d be worth asking – I’m sure they would save things like heart and liver for you anyways. However, I’d be hard to find someone willing to save the real goodies (i.e. the tripe, pancreas, spleen, etc.). When my dad got a deer last fall he told me I could have it and I asked if he could get me all the organs, glands and tripe and he told me if I wanted the tripe I’d have to go out to the woods and gut it myself. So I went out to the woods and gutted the deer myself. It really wasn’t that bad but then again I deal with extremely nasty and smell things on a daily basis for my job so there’s not much that grosses me out lol!

[Hound Dog Mom]

HI k9cancer –

Most dogs will overeat if given the chance – especially when they’re being fed a highly palatable diet (such as a raw diet). It’s very important to keep large and giant breed puppies lean during the growth phase as excess weight can increase the chances that the pup will develop an orthopedic condition. If his weight looks good do not feed him more. Just adjust his portions based on his weight – feed more if he looks too thin, less if he looks to heavy and keep portions as they are if his weight is healthy. The product packages are a good starting point for determining serving size but they aren’t always accurate – this is why it’s important to be constantly evaluating body condition. If he gets diarrhea again I’d recommend adding a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin and supplementing with probiotics, if he’s fine now you could also start adding a little plain yogurt or kefir to his meals daily to start building his gut strength. If you want to provide him with food that has a “crunchy” texture for his enjoyment I’d recommend opting for raw meaty bones rather than kibble. The raw meaty bones will provide him with crunching a chewing pleasure as well as dental benefits – you may also find that he feels more satisfied after eating RMBs. You could replace a few meals a week with RMBs such as turkey necks or chicken backs. You can feed the RMBs with a bit of boneless meat or whole offal (hearts, gizzards, livers, etc.) to lower the calcium to phosphorus ratio.

[Shawna]

Hi Lagotto,

We noticed (at the breeders) that she had excessive drinking and urination, as compared to her 5 siblings, when she was about 6 weeks old. She came to live with me when she was 9 weeks old. At about 4 weeks old she started failing to thrive — because she had a collapsing trachea and couldn’t get enough milk from her mommy. So the breeder put her on raw goat milk and egg whites, syringe fed every 2 to 4 hours, til she could eat on her own. She was weaned onto raw food — mainly hamburger, eggs, raw milk etc.

When she came to me I was making a home made raw diet for my current dogs and she went on that same diet. At her vet visit I told her holistic vet she urinated/drank a lot but her vet poo poo’d my concern and said puppies drink and therefore urinate more. She has bright eyes, she’s very smart, good coat quality etc. She’s a healthy puppy… In looking back I’m actually thankful that happened. Audrey continued on the homemade raw diet til her one year checkup where her bloodwork showed high bun and creatinine. I started tweaking her diet and would take her in every three months for additional bloodwork to see what the tweaking was doing. Turns out, the diet I had been feeding her all along was the best for her with one exception. To the diet I added a “prebiotic” and probiotics to help lower her BUN. Works like a charm..

Audrey continued on the homemade diet for several years but then I got too busy to keep up with homemade exclusively so I started incorporating commercial raw diets — Bravo as an example. Became busier yet and moved exclusively to commercial raw — Bravo, Darwins, Answers (recently started) and premixes like The Honest Kitchen Preference and Steve’s Premix with raw meats.. Audrey turned 7 years old the end of June and is still going strong. I have NOT lowered her protein. I have not lowered her phosphorus or made any other changes than adding prebiotic/probiotic and supplements. I use Garden of Life’s Primal Defense probiotic and Fiber35’s Sprinkle Fiber as the prebiotic. A really good prebiotic, made specifically for dogs, can be found on Dr. Mercola’s website under the “Pets” link and then under “Products”.

I would NOT regularly feed her kibble if I was paid to do so. In my opinion, kibble will cause a much earlier death in a kidney disease dog.. Kibble is a POOR QUALITY food for kd dogs/cats—even the best kibbles on the market… At the very least, feed a canned diet. If you can, feed raw or lightly cooked. I also don’t feed Audrey any grains. IF you are going to feed grains it needs to be either sushi rice (aka glutinous rice) or cream of wheat (or farina). These two grains are low phosphorus. All other grains have higher phosphorus and don’t add anything to the diet that can’t be found in a more species appropriate food.

You also want to feed higher fat foods — ditch the lean ground beef.. Feed the highest fat foods you can get (unless she is showing signs of pancreatitis). Fat adds calories without phosphorus—adding organic coconut oil is a good idea too. Protein is NOT damaging to the kidneys and only needs to be reduced to prevent symptoms of uremia in the later stages of the disease — such as vomiting or depression. Audrey has NEVER to date ate low protein.

Let her have ALL the water she wants. Audrey used to sleep in the water bowl when it was empty — she was that obsessed with water and, I’m guessing, desperately trying to tell me she needed some. She started this, sleeping in water dish, at the breeders. I kept potty pads ALL over the house for her. I was lucky in that she used them. During the night I keep her in a 4 foot by 4 foot enclosure we made (for our foster puppies). It was made out of wood and plastic chicken wire. I had her water bowl, her kennel, a blanket outside the kennel and a potty pad with LOTS of newspapers under it — she would fill a potty pad to the point of leaking during the night. As she got older she was able to hold it. Since about three months of age she has slept with me in my bed at nights.

Darwins now has a kidney diet.. I haven’t seen it yet but I do think it is worth checking out. Urban Wolf has a premix designed for kd dogs that can be added to raw or home cooked meats. And I think Grandma Lucy’s has a lower phosphorus premix that is also suitable for dogs needing their phos lowered..

Also consider adding a whole food B and C vitamin to the diet. These two vitamins are “water soluble” and because of the excessive urination can become depleted if not supplemented. I use Standard Process Cataplex B and C. I also give Audrey a whole food multi as a precaution. I use Standard Process Catalyn. Standard Process also makes a whole food supplement specifically for dogs with kidney disease. It’s called Canine Renal Support — I HIGHLY recommend using it. I also give liver support also by Standard Process — Canine Hepatic Support. The liver can become overstressed in a kd dog.

I HIGHLY recommend only using reverse osmosis or distilled along with a mineral water like Evian. Mineral waters (only those lower in sodium) have shown some positive benefits to kidney patients.

Also try to eliminate as many chemical toxins from your house as possible. I was already living in a relatively toxin free environment but I had to eliminate my Swiffer mop, candles ets. These have chemicals in them that the kidneys have to filter — putting an extra strain on them OR adding to the blood poisoning when the kidneys can’t filter as well. DO NOT use flea/tick or heartworm meds on her. And DO NOT vaccinate her. Audrey has only had one set of shots (given by the breeder before I got her) and has NEVER had a rabies shot. She was diagnosed before getting the shot and I was able to get a lifelong exemption for her in my state.

As mentioned, Audrey turned 7 last month and is not on any medications (no phosphorus binders, no sub-q fluids etc) just the supplements.

I don’t use it but I know others that have had positive results with the herbal tinctures from Five Leaf Pharmacy. http://caninekidneyhealth.com/ I would NOT follow their diet though… 🙂 http://caninekidneyhealth.com/

I would also highly recommend reading the material on Mary Straus’ dog aware website. This is the site where I got most of my knowledge / as well as courage to continue feeding Audrey a high protein raw diet. She has some EXCELLENT info on the site — when to feed low protein, when to lower phosphorus and how much (phosphorus is an essential mineral – lowering it too much too early can have unintended consequences), which foods are lower in phosphorus etc. http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidney.html

Your puppy can still have a fantastic quality of life.. Learn as much as you can, stay positive and enjoy her fully!!!!!

If you ever want to chat offsite, I can be reached at shawnadfaemail @ yahoo. com (take out the spaces–they are included here to prevent robot spammers from sending me junk mail).. 🙂

[Anonymous]

We just recently “adopted” (adopted from the people who bought him from a breeder, as life changes happened) a Saint Berdoodle puppy, Tobi. He is now about 8 months old, we’ve had him for about 6-7 weeks.
He was on Purina Puppy Chow when we got him 😛
Locally we have Feeders Supply pet store, they carry lots of brands, including lots of holistic.
I picked out Professionals Large Breed Puppy.
I have 2 main concerns for feeding Tobi.. Nutrition, I want to feed him the best quality food I can afford. Cost, we are a one income family, with 2 kids and 2 dogs. I cannot afford to pay $50-60 for 25lbs of dog food.

Tobi did great with transitioning to the Professionals, but is now having loose stool (for about a week now). He still eats fine, and acts normal.

Im thinking of trying something different. And after reading several pages on this thread, Im seeing that perhaps I don’t need to be buying “large breed puppy” specifically?

I also have a Aussie mix senior dog (11yrs old), with no age ailments so far. Currently she is on Nature’s Recipe Senior, because it was at Big Lots for $30/25lbs . She is a picky eater, and seems to like it well.

I would love to find something they can both be on eventually? Or even now? Without breaking the bank.. 40-50lb bags would be great!

Currently Tobi is eating about 5 cups a day of the Professionals LBP… that bag is emptying fast!

This fall we plan to switch them to a 50/50 raw/kibble diet (with more research first) once hubby is able to get an extra couple of deer and turkey.

Any suggestions on brands to try, that are at least corn free, but I would prefer grain free, and are not going to kill my budget! 🙂

[Lagotto]

Hi Shawna, my 10 weeks old Lagotto has just been diagnosed with serious kidneys problems her BUN is way off chart her urine is almost as clear as water . She drinks over a liter of water a day. I have her for 21/2 weeks she hardly gains any weight. She is taller but very thin. The breeder offered to take her back and put her down. Apart from excessive drinking and urinating and not put on weight she is full of energy and really playful.I decided to keep her,the vet didn’t recommend any diet plan for her just told her to let she eats normal food, she eats puppies musli mix with raw met and let nature take it course. Her musli comprise of roll oats, dehydrate pea, carrot, bone meal plus all essential vitamins and minerals. Since she has been diagnosed I stop feeding her those food and go on low protein, low phosphorus, low sodium,. She got her appetite back with the meal I made which is 1 cup cooked white rice with one whole egg, two eggs whites, a spoonful of low fat ground beef. Cook in 1 Tb coconut oil. I sprinkle one capsule of fish oil, and grind 900mg of calcium carbonate to it. She has been eating this food for 3 days. Her weight is up for almost 200 g. I am not sure this diet is good enough for her growth. I ask the vet or phosphorus binder and start to sprinkle on her food. The vet now recommend pediatric junior digest & dental 29. I mixed a little of the dry food into home cooked . Her water intake is almost double her usual high intake. Your Audrey story is really inspiring . What do you feed Audrey? Home cooked or dry food.what is your strategy with Toilet train?

Many thanks, Lagotto

[katj813]

I know I may not receive specifics but I find info on the web too general so here’s a few specifics on my dog:
He’s an 11 year old terrier mix @19lbs. He has two heart conditions treated with Enalapril and fish oil. He has occasional arthritis in his back legs which is treated by dog aspirin as needed. He has an activity level between low and medium. Some days he has bursts of energy and likes visits to the dog park but the high energy is limited and he mostly sleeps. I currently have him on taste of the wild because while I do my best to get the best food I can, I have a college student budget.

I want to make sure my dog is getting the nutrients he needs to stay healthy so what sort of things should I look for in his food to meet his requirements and do you think TotW is covering it? I don’t have the time for raw and home made diets so I want to stick to dry food, he gets wet mixed in but it’s only for supplemental feeding so I don’t rely on it for nutrients even though he gets at least some from it. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[NectarMom]

I could ask them if they would save the organs for my mixes but normally they gut all the insides but being my hubby is boss man maybe they will do it just for me LOL. Won’t hurt to ask and I will have my hubby do just that.

[theBCnut]

I found that for me the price difference didn’t make up for having to buy bags or the hassle of defrosting, dividing, repackaging, and refreezing.

Yes, the deer meat would be worth it, very well worth it. Organic, free range, people pay arms and legs for that stuff. You will need to add back the calcium and all that, but boy am I envious. That might make getting a premix worthwhile. Can you get the organs too?

[NectarMom]

I know someone locally that does Deer hunting and they grind their own meat and make sausage but I want to ask them if they can do Venison for me but just the meat and no bone because they do not grind the bone into their meat. Do you think this would be ok? My husband works with them and they said they kill around 60 deer a year. My dogs are loving the Venison from Hare Today so is this worth asking if we can get some from his Employee?
Also it is cheaper to buy 5lb rolls from Hare Today so that is the route we go and I just thaw and refreeze in individual air tight bags.

[theBCnut]

I have my butcher cut off about 3 inches for Angel and cut the rest in half. One of them is a full meal for all 3 of mine.

[Cyndi]

The turkey necks I get from my butcher are about 1-1 1/2lbs also, but they cut them in half when they get them in, which is perfect for me to feed Bailey. I feed Bailey a half of a turkey neck along with gizzards and heart and/or liver.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Wow patty those are big turkey necks! The necks I get from my supplier are only 6 – 8 oz. each.

[Hound Dog Mom]

If feeding a meat/organ/bone/tripe grind I would say you’d be fine to feed 50/50 kibble and grind. You could do one meal of kibble and one meal of the grind. If you were to be feeding just meat, you’d want to be sure to keep it to 20% or less of the meal.

[theBCnut]

I get turkey necks from our local butcher and they are about 1 1/2 lbs each.

[InkedMarie]

Freehold: buy a scale!

[FreeholdHound]

I’ll have to remember the 1 lb rolls… Just got finished slicing through the 5lb roll -whew!! I don’t have a scale so based the patties on a Bubba Burger (very professional I know). I made a few smaller as starter packs. By the time I got done dividing up the ground sardines Harry was standing at the kitchen gate barking like a nut, so he got some for a treat. Blown away by the size of the turkey necks- that’s a new one for us.
Thank you soooo much for all the great replies! It all looks wonderful (well, as wonderful as raw meat & fish can look). Now lets hope he eats it!!! Lol

[Cyndi]

I TOTALLY agree about buying the 1lb. chubs instead of the 5lb ones. I ordered a 5lb one with my very first order and I will never do that again. I get all 1 pounders now. They are MUCH easier to work with! Let us know how Harry likes it! 🙂

[theBCnut]

I had to run off, but I had more, so here I am back.

FreeholdHound, you say you feed your dog 1 1/2 cups twice a day. That makes 3 cups total, so you can replace about 1/2 cup of kibble with raw. The 2 oz I suggested in my last post is about 1/8 cup, so you can double that amount and feed about 4oz of raw every day. You actually have a little more wiggle room than that, but I always found it easier to feed an amount of raw that worked for me and adjust the kibble portion, instead of the other way around.

BTW, the 1lb chubs are only pennies more and are way easier to deal with.

[theBCnut]

Thanks for bumping this Cyndi

I started to answer this and got called away and had it in my head that I had answered it. First, you can add up to 20% or 1/5 without throwing the balance off. Cut your roll into 1/2 lb pieces and refreeze any that you aren’t using immediately. Out of the 1/2 lb that you kept out, divide that into 1/4ths which would be about 2 oz and add that to her evening meal.

[Cyndi]

I am just posting here to bump up your question so someone, more knowledgeable than myself, can answer it for you. Your post, FreeholdHound, made me laugh. I was in the same position you are just a few months ago when I started my dog on raw. Good Luck to you…..& Harry! I hope he LOVES his raw food!

[FreeholdHound]

Ok…. So tomorrow I will be getting my 1st order of raw food delivered from Hare Today …. And I’m starting to hyperventilate. My goal is to have my 80lb Greyhound on a raw/kibble diet. What is the best way to start out? He now gets 1.5 cups of kibble twice/day. I would like to keep the AM meal straight kibble and add in the raw to the PM meal. I’m starting him out with the beef/organ/tripe/bone grind. I believe it comes in a 5lb roll so I’m not sure how to portion it out for freezing. I believe I read on Dog Aware that I shouldn’t exceed 3/4 kibble or I’d throw off nutritional balance. I believe I’m having a panic induced brain spasm so I can’t figure out how much to add of the raw. Am I rambling? Oh damn probably…. Advice (and a cocktail) needed 🙂

[husky3]

Hello,

I’m replying to my original post in regards to my Husky not losing any weight. We switched to a completely raw diet in February, and she is still gaining weight. 🙁 She weighs in at over 60 pounds now. She would have a poor body condition score. Can not feel ribs, or locate the spine or hip bones. Exercise has been a little less since it has been so hot lately, but I have also decreased her food amounts. Almost to the point that I’m not sure if she’s getting enough to sustain her daily needs. I don’t know what else to do at this point. I have two other Husky’s that are thriving! They have excellent body condition, and get just as much exercise, but with a lot more food, almost twice as much food!!

In May, we had an ultrasound done on her, and they said that there were some slight changes to her liver & kidneys, but nothing major. We also had her thyroid checked again, and ran tests for Cushings, Addisons, Diabetes, Diabetes Insipidous, and Atypical Cushings. They all came back negative. We ran an allergy panel as well, and she did have some environmental allergies that we are working on now with the drops.

While she tested negative for Atyp. Cushings, they did say her hormones were a little elevated, and we are treating that with Lignin and melatonin. I have seen a change in her attitude, for the better, but no weight loss.

She had an ear infection a couple weeks ago, and another one about 3 months ago, which is a new development. She also has red stained paws from her licking them, or perhaps it is a yeast overgrowth?

Does anyone have anything else to add to this conundrum? Any medical ailments that mimic cushings, or thyroid problems? At this point, I don’t think it can be diet related unless she is allergic to raw meat, and it’s not chicken.

Thank you for your help.
Tay

[Duke The Boxer]

Hdm i ended up going with wellness core puppy. The protein is pretty high and the fat is low. Can you give me tips on switching to a more ancestrial diet with higher protein and low carbs to then a more raw meat diet eventually as he uis only 3.5 months. Any tips helps. Thanks!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi neezerfan –

Once thawed raw food should be used within 3 days. I’m only aware of two pre-mixes designed to balance a bone inclusive diet – one is the whole carcass formula sold by Feline Instincts and the other is CarnivoreRAW without Calcium sold by Young Again Pet Food. A much cheaper route would be to just add a low calcium or calcium free human multi-vitamin, some veggies (or a fiber supplement) and omega 3’s. You could also learn to balance a recipe completely from scratch with whole foods (this is what I do) but it’s a bit more time intensive and takes a bit of research. Rabbit is high in bone (as are most smaller prey animals) but the calcium to phosphorus ratio is still balanced so it’s not necessary to add more meat. If you find that your dog is constipated you can certainly add more more (high levels of bone can cause constipation for some dogs) but I honestly don’t think it will be an issue. The rabbit heads should be fine for your dog, you’ll have to try them out and see though.

[mah4angel]

Even better!! That should make the transition easier and much MUCH shorter, actually ^_^ Wet food is, in general, healthier than dry food! Now that I know that your baby is already eating wet food and doesn’t need to be transitioned from dry to wet, I can offer you a whole new (shorter) transition plan (if you don’t mind), I just copied and pasted my old plan and deleted and reworded some stuff haha. All I can say is remember to transition properly! It’s very important!!

-Change from Science Diet to a four-star wet food (something like the Nature’s Domain wet food-which is sold at Costco and is not yet listed on this site but that I’m positive would receive a four-star mark: http://www.naturesdomainpetfood.com/about-natures-domain/natures-domain-grain-free-turkey-and-pea-stew-for-dogs, or Artemis Fresh Mix canned food: /dog-food-reviews/artemis-fresh-mix-dog-food-canned/).
I’ve selected these because they have decent fat-to-protein ratios. The fat-to-protein ratio should be around 50% (Hill’s Science Diet Adult Canned Dog Food has an average fat-to-protein ratio of 68% so we’re trying to start to reduce the fat-to-protein ratio with these four-star foods).

-Then from a four-star wet food to a five-star wet food (like the Earthborn dinners: http://www.petflow.com/product/earthborn-holistic/earthborn-holistic-duke-s-din-din-gourmet-dinner-wet-dog-food).
These tubs have an average fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%, pretty much perfect. Like I said before, I HIGHLY recommend Earthborn products!! These come in great, easy to re-seal tubs in a variety of flavors. I used them for Louie to get him used to a higher moisture content.

-Then go to a 100% raw kibble (these raw kibbles come “dry” BUT they need to be re-hydrated with water so it really is more of a wet food than anything) like DNA (air-dried raw, stands for Dried N Alive): http://www.dnapetfood.com/node/20, or something similar.

-And then transition from that to a pre-made frozen raw OR you could totally cut costs and make your own (which is what I’m doing), and then you’ll have 100% control over what she’s eating 😀

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by mah4angel.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by mah4angel.

[molliesmom]

My poor 10-yr-old female English Springer gets two to four UTI’s a year (for three years now). Vet puts her on heavy duty antibiotics and just recently suggested Craninadine which she’s been on for a few months now and yet another UTI!
She’s had crystals too, but not this time. Her urine is very diluted so I’ve been told to cut back on her water intake.
She is on thyroid meds and doing well with that (not so ravishingly hungry and weight back to normal)
AS FOR CAUSE: she’s been tested for other things – vet doesn’t see anything. She DOES lick herself often (you know, lady parts) and vet thinks she keeps transferring bacteria from her mouth to there and may be causing UTI. And her teeth and breath have gotten so bad because of that! I’ve asked about probiotics but no real enthusiasm from vet.
BEHAVIOR: Outdoors often (fence). Highly intelligent, stubborn and high-strung. Has more obsessive habits as she ages. Examples: more barking; she LOVES rabbit poop! YUK! Vet says that would not contribute to UTI problem, but I wonder, and try my best to keep her from it – we have so many rabbits in the yard! I also wonder if the licking is more behavioral.
I am with her all the time due to my disability, so she’s hardly ever left alone.
DIET: Here’s where I could use some advice. I’ve always suspected that it might be her food at least contributing to her problem and recently switched her to Blue Buffalo Senior. I’ve just found your wonderful site and realized that she DOES need more protein even though she’s older. DUH! So do I!! She’s not really a fan of it and she’s sick again, anyway. Vet gave me samples of Hills Adult t/d. Very large kibble to use as treats for tartar control. But now unsure of the quality!
Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I do live on a limited income so all fresh food may be hard to do, but some (like raw chicken wings?) may be possible.
I thank you in advance — Colleen

[FreeholdHound]

I just placed my 1st order with Hare Today. What a great selection they have. My plan is to feed a raw/kibble diet so I ordered the beef/tripe/organ/bone mix, some frozen turkey necks, and the ground sardines. I don’t have a separate freezer but I do have 2 refrigerator/freezers (don’t ask lol) so I can’t go nuts. Hopefully this is a good start 🙂

[LindaW]

Thanks, guys. I agree something is “off” on the %’s and ingredients. That’s why I just couldn’t bring myself to order it. FYI – it is not cooked but fermented somehow.

[theBCnut]

Edible mushrooms are a healthy addition to any dogs food and are excellent cancer fighters.

[GizmoMom]

I thought dogs can’t eat mushrooms.

Ingredients on this page:
http://balancediet.com/index.php/supreme-dog-kibble/supreme-63/supremetm-m-dog-super-food-all-breeds-all-ages.html
“Shitake Mushroom, Reishi Mushroom”

Plus that’s a lot of fruits in the ingredient list.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi somebodysme –

The number one defense against parasites – both internal and external – is a strong immune system. I battled parasites yearly with my dogs until I switched to a species-appropriate raw diet. My dogs get raw garlic a few days a week (for a dog the size of yours I’d say between 1 and 1 1/2 cloves 3 – 4 times per week), I use Sentry Natural Defense Topical Drops monthly (natural oil based repellent that comes in an applicator similar to Frontline or Advantix) and Earth Animal No More Fleas & Tick herbal tincture 6 days per week. I also comb them with a flea comb nightly. I haven’t found a single flea or tick this year.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I’ve never heard of this food but I can say that nothing can be “better than raw” and if a food isn’t cooked it’s raw. Upon visiting the webpage – there’s some stuff seriously off. As Sandy noted, the numbers simply do not add up. The % protein, % fat and % carbohydrates on a dry matter basis cannot total over 100%. They also state “all naturally occurring vitamins and minerals” – yet the food contains a long listed of added synthetic vitamins and minerals. I also can’t locate any information on their site explaining how the food is processed. Is it raw? Is it high pressure processed? Is it cooked? There’s just so much stuff on their site, I’m might try to sift through some of it but something just seems off to me.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Raw is digests more quickly than kibble – there probably wouldn’t be a significant difference between the digestion rate of a raw food versus a grain-free quality canned food, however. No pre-made raw I’ve used has ever been “chunky.” I’ve never used the frozen S&C or Instinct (only the freeze dried) but I have used frozen Bravo Balance and it’s definitely not chunky – it’s a finely ground uniform log.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Sully’s Mom –

42% protein is definitely not too high – my girls’ meals are generally in the 45% – 55% protein range. There’s really no risk of feeding “too much protein” to a healthy dog and this issue definitely would not occur with a kibble – most kibbles are much lower in protein than a natural raw diets due to the nature of kibble (a starch source is required for processing). When excess protein is consumed beyond what the dog’s body utilizes, the excess amino acids are catabolized into waste nitrogen, converted to urea in the liver and kidneys and excreted in the urine. This is a passive process that does not cause any harm or additional stress to the dog. I personally prefer kibbles with at least 30% protein. Victor Ultra Pro looks like an excellent food and I’ve heard great things about it.

[JenRose]

Didn’t realize that about the fat. Thank you! The dang Newman’s I have been feeding may be high fat too. But since getting her off the coconut milk and adding in the motility drugs and supplements, she has been doing better…pooping at least once a day and less bloated looking.

I am leaning towards trying one of the pre made raw diets or at least supplementing her current canned food with it. Isn’t raw in general more easily digested than processed foods? Any idea which raw diet would roll up to make the smoothest meatball? She can’t tolerate any chunkiness. In pics the Bravo looks chunky but the Instinct and S&C seems smooth, like finely ground meat patties.

[LindaW]

I’ve asked Balance Diet about the carbs. They said something like “because of the fermenting–it raises the carbs but are not the same as carb % in other foods”. What?

[Hound Dog Mom]

No problem Betsy. I enjoy helping everyone learn more about raw food and I think it’s great that you’re incorporating some RMBs into Sam and Bella’s diet. 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Some brands sell their food in nuggets. I know Instinct now has nuggets. I think the patties and chubs would roll into meatballs fine as well. S&C and Instinct are extremely high in fat though, so they probably wouldn’t be the route you’d want to take if you’re cutting fat. The more calorie-dense the food, the more fat. Since manufacturers are only required to report the minimum level of fat, when you see a raw food that’s very high in calories but the stated min fat doesn’t look too high you can assume the actual amount of fat is much higher. Sometimes if you call the company they will be able to give you an actual reading from a lab analysis. Most of the low fat raw foods are pretty low in calories.

[JenRose]

My adopted 5 year old Lab was dx with megaesophagus in 2011. She generally does well with a strict management plan but we have had our ups and downs with this frustrating disease! She is currently eating Newman’s Own Organic Beef canned food (625 kcal/can) rolled into meatballs and fed while she is sitting upright in a Bailey Chair. She gets 1 can 2x per day. She cannot tolerate a lot of bulk and was found to have gastroparesis in addition to the ME during an endoscope in April of this year. I feel like it may have been partially due to the high fat diet (lots of coconut milk) I had her on. I have since cut as much fat as possible and she gets metaclopramide (Reglan), probiotics and digestive enzymes to help speed up digestion.

I am interested in the pre-made raw diets, especially Stella and Chewy’s, Primal and Instinct Raw. The Instinct seems to have the highest calorie content (520 kcal/8 oz patty) but I know they have had recalls in the past. The most calories in the least amount of food seems to be best for her.

Any other ME dog owners feed raw? Or any experience in general with these brands? Once thawed, would they roll up nicely into meatballs?

[Nir_g5]

Hello ,
I have a four years old alaskan malamute male.
The dog is generally very healthy.weighting 62 pounds.
I feed him once a day.
The dog is active.
I always tried to upgrade his food quality .
But every time, when i got to point of homemade diet
it has been failed.
I read dr.becker’s and beth’s book,so i have the
knowledge.

The story goes like this :when feeding dry grained food like
canine caviar
and the stools are fine ,but eating dry foods with no grains
causes loose stools.
On the other hand,when feeding grain free canned food
and the stools are fine.
But when i made homemade diet raw or cooked with
grains or grains free and the stools are loose .

Here is the story from the last 3 days:

On Monday evening, i fed him peal millet canine caviar with
water which soften the food .
Result :fine stools

On Tuesday evening :small amount of home made cooked diet : 230 grams of cooked chicken breast ,100 cooked chicken liver ,100 gram of green pepper ,60 grams of carrot.caloric value:660

Result:the end of the stool was
loose with black color (maybe of the liver).

On Wednesday evening:grained home made diet : 280 grams of cooked chicken breast ,100 cooked chicken liver ,100 gram of green pepper ,100 grams of carrot,150 grams of cooked whole brown rice .cloric value :880

What do you think? what is best way to feed my dog ?
What are the possible reasons for these results ?

Thanks
Nir

[Sully’sMom]

Ok, here goes, Hound Dog Mom, InkedMarie, Pattyvaughn and anyone else 🙂

Sully is now 13 mos; he has been fed FrommGoldLargeBreedPuppy. I’ve been reading this wonderful forum, learning alot, and planning on transitioning him out of puppy and to……

I’ve taken what I’ve learned here, done some of my own research and decided on feeding a rotational diet of grain-free, and I’ve narrowed the brands down to:

1. ) Fromm Four Star – the most expensive of what I’ve narrowed down to, but I have a free bag of Surf & Turf waiting to be opened, so this will be our first transition. They do offer a frequent bag reward program on this brand at Chewy, so we’ll see if we continue.
2.) Earthborn – most likely the Primitive Natural
3.) Merrick – something other than the chicken, since the Earthborn Primitive Natural is turkey and chicken
4.) Dr Tim’s – I like everything I read about the company, including the price, but their grain free is only in one formula and is chicken based. Was hoping for another different protein base to round out the above.
5.) Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost – we went through some trial bags, and I like the premise but I think it will end up being cost prohibitive.

So, I’m thinking that after we use the Fromm Surf and Turf bag that we have, I thought my rotation will be either Fromm, Earthborn, Merrick OR Earthborn, Merrick, Dr. Tim’s. Either way, here’s where I’m stuck:

Among these four brands/varieties, the Protein Percentages range from a low of 28 (Fromm) to a high of 38% (The Earthborn Primitive and all of the Merrick). The Kcals vary from a low of 408 (Fromm) to a high of 460 (three of the Merrick varieties). Am I supposed to try to keep the protein % AND Kcals consistent among the rotation?

I feel like I’m at the finish line but can’t cross, lol! Help?

[pugmomsandy]

Hmmmm…I will say that a pug’s weight is not everything as mine are overweight but have good body condition. Pugs are a bit squatty! And they do tend to get overweight quickly. If you haven’t yet looked up a “body condition score” chart, please do. For me their body condition is more important than their weight.

Take a look at these two – one with poor body condition and the other could probably gain a pound.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_28831024x768_zps49daa9d5.jpg

This is my overweight pug at 23 lbs:

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u651/pugmomsandy/pictures%20for%20posting/IMG_2697640x479_zpsbe52d943.jpg

but he definitely doesn’t need to lose weight. He has a 22 inch chest and 17 inch waist.

Also I wanted to mention that anal glands shouldn’t be expressed unless needed. Mine only had them done once because I didn’t know that groomers do it automatically!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA9SeHAEyQ4

A better diet should help with all their issues. If you can feed them a 5 star grain free kibble and wet food without white potatoes (food coloring and sugar), it should help with their ears/itching/yeast problems and hopefully anal glands. The anal glands might be damaged though from frequent expression. And normally the pugs only need 1 cup max per day of a good kibble. Mine eat 2/3 cup a day and that leaves room for treats (grain free also). And they also eat raw foods which gives them solid stool.

My pugs have been a good diet for a couple years now and they don’t have any issues and haven’t taken any kind of medication in years either nor do I take them to the groomers. They only get a bath about twice a year, maybe three times.

I would highly recommend changing their diet. It would save them so much misery and save you so much money on vet visits and medications.

pugvillage.com is another site for pug lovers too.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by pugmomsandy.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[mah4angel]

I UNDERSTAND ABOUT LIVING WITH YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW OMG. Mine says that my dog is too skinny when he’s THE PERFECT WEIGHT AH. When we went to Vegas for four days two weeks ago I gave her very specific instructions about his diet and she let my nieces feed him AN ENTIRE PACKAGE OF HIS FAVORITE, MOST EXPENSIVE, IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND dog treats because he’s “too skinny” UGH. She also keeps buying him snacks and treats (like Beggin’ Strips omg) and once bought him Cesar’s food (which is such bad food oh my goodness) -_____-
I would say to give it time! I was lucky in that my baby has LOVEDDD every bit of raw food that I’ve given him. I gave him some green tripe today and oh my goodness it was like the gates of Heaven opening up for him he just gobbled it up!
Let us all know how it goes ^_^