[Dori]

Hi Kristin. I switched all three of my girls a bit over two years ago due to all the issues that Katie was having. At that point while I researched dog foods and her issues on line I was fortunate to come across the Dog Food Advisor and as I have mentioned more times than I can count my girls and I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Mike. Unfortunately it was Dr. Mikes loss of Penny that set him on his quest to find a better dog food his canine and we have all benefited from it. I still grieve for him, his family, and, of course, Penny. Anyone of us that has lost a dog or any other pet understands his plight. He actually did something about it that has benefited so many of us and our pets.

Anyway, your question to me, specifically, was what am I feeding Katie. I feed all three of my little girls the same exact food because I don’t want to take a chance that my “delicate flower Katie” gets into anything other than what seems to work for her. I mostly feed commercial raw foods: Primal Formulas, Answers Detailed, Stella & Chewy’s Raw Food, Darwin’s (on line delivery and auto-delivery only), Natures Variety Instinct Raw, Vital Essentials Raw. I rotate their foods between these are probably other raw foods also. I do add at times proteins that I’m preparing for my husband and myself. I add either Natures Logic Sardine oil, or canned sardine’s in water two or three times a week. On the days that I split a can of sardines in water amongst the three of them I omit the sardine oil (kept refrigerated-important to keep oils refrigerated), I add a little coconut oil to their meals once a day every day. I also give them as snacks organic fruits, veggies. I do not feed any commercial treats whatsoever. To many recalls, too many issues with gmo ingredients, too many ingredients not disclosed from China. Katie has too many food intolerances for me to feed any commercial treats. Most are bound by oatmeal, barley, or some such grain. I choose not to do that. We adopted her at the age of 9 weeks old. She was the runt of her litter and was going to be “euthanized”. Friends told me about her knowing what a complete SUCKER I am. I need to have that tattooed on my forehead. She has food and environmental issues. She has had many dental issues and at the age of 8 months old she had a severe luxating patella issue that was severe enough that she had to have surgery, water treadmill therapy, etc. etc. With all her issues she is the mushy gushiest lovey dog I have ever come across in my 65 years of age. You get what you give. The reason for my reply to you initially is that I truly believe that you have to pay it forward in this life. Some people read and study the science, I have always learned and lived from experience. Not saying that the science is wrong or that anyone that wants to go that way is wrong, not at all. It’s everyone’s choice. I choose experience. I know that Katie was a mess, completely a mess when I got her at 9 weeks. She is a fabulous dog and a real happy camper at this point. She loves everyone and everyone loves her. Anyway, Kristin C. That’s my experience with Katie. I have also thanked Dr. Mike, Sandy S., and HDM as well as anyone and everyone here on DFA for their kindness, knowledge, and love of animals. MY other two dogs that have had no issues concerning diet whatsoever, Hannah my 15 year old Maltese, and Lola my 5 year old Yorkipoo but have benefited exponentially from everyone here on DFA. That’s what I’ve learned from my fellow posters and that’s what I’ve tried to “pay it forward”. Gotta go now. My husband is yearning for some “Cold Stone” ice cream. He has macular degeneration and can no longer drive so I reap the benefits from his ice cream urges. Hot Fudge sundae for me. I hear it calling my name.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Dori.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi Kristin-Rashes can be caused by anything, and seem to be more common place in the summer time. The fact that she has a rash and a hotspot would make me use the antibiotics in a heart beat. Hot spots can literally grow into weeping nasty messes in a matter of hours-Antibiotics will help alleviate that, and often a gentamycin spray is also recc for topical use. I have never had hotspots on any of my dogs-with that said, someone gave me two bags of iams fish-the higher line of the Iams. I figures what could it hurt? So, I fed it mixed with the raw for two days. On day number three one dog had a weeping hot spot on his neck, and 24 hrs later the hair had fallen out. Off to the vet. I literally walked in the door to see another dog come running over with a freaking hot spot in the middle of his back, that had no been there 1 hr before when we left for the vet with dog 1.

[Kristin C]

Thanks for the diagnostic tree Aimee. It is helpful, although I don’t think my dog’s rash looks like the pictures. Am going to let the meds run their course and go from there.

Dori-I don’t feed my dogs grains but I will take the poultry elimination into consideration if the rash goes away and returns. I started her on raw because she was constantly throwing up and pooping out (diarrhea) chicken kibble for weeks and weeks. I figured it was something in the kibble other than chicken though. May I ask what you feed your dogs?

[Dori]

Hi Aimee. I have read that brief before when I was having so many issues with Katie. As far as the other parts of my reply to Kristin C., I stated that it was in my humble opinion. I didn’t state it as a fact, only my years of experience with Katie. I do believe Kristin’s dogs vet is mistaken when he told her he did not believe the issue was diet related. I do believe it’s diet related. I had similar issue with one of my dogs and I explained how I solved the problem.

I don’t want this to wind up some long drawn out debate. Again I stated it was my opinion, not anyone else’s just mine and my experiences with a dog who suffers from food intolerances and allergies. Just passing Katie’s experience along.

[aimee]

Hi Dori,

Perhaps this can help you understand why a vet may choose to put a dog with an unknown skin eruption/rash on antibiotics. http://www.cliniciansbrief.com/sites/default/files/8.27.pdf

This is a diagnostic tree for skin eruptions written by a board certified veterinary dermatologist. Note that the first diagnostic steps all converge on doing an antibiotic trial. The response to antibiotics is then used to guide further tests and help rule in/rule out other causes. Certainly we don’t have all the information involved in the vets decision to use antibiotic but I wouldn’t fault this vet in any way for choosing to recommend them.

Also the OP said the vet did not think it was diet ( I saw you posted you think it is “IMHO your vet is mistaken. It is the diet” not sure that is what you meant to say) but recommended a nutritional consult. In my mind this is a very reasonable recommendation. The vet herself/himself doesn’t have the databases, time, nor expertise to ensure this dog’s needs are being met. In that case it is reasonable to recommend the owner to consult with someone who can evaluate well. There are some ACVN that will balance raw diets for their clients. The difficulty comes in that many food item used by raw feeders do not have nutrient profiles established for them.

[Dori]

Hi Kristen. My dog Katie (5 year old Maltipoo) used to get underarm rash also, sometimes it would look more like a grayish area also. It went away after a couple of weeks when I put her on raw diet eliminating all grains, soy, corn, white potatoes and most especially chicken, turkey, duck, quail. In other words all fowl was removed from her diet. She and my other two dogs have been on raw food diet for a little over two years. Katie has never gotten the underarm rash again. IMHO your vet is mistaken. It is the diet. I would definitely NOT spend the money on any nutritionist that does not believe in raw feeding. I figured all this out with Katie through years of trial and error. I would take away any and all grains and definitely switch out all poultry for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Never give antibiotics for allergies or an undiagnosed issue. Most traditional vets in my experience are very quick to hand out antibiotics. The only reason I would go along with giving any of my dogs antibiotics is if it was a true diagnosed issue that was an infection that needed antibiotics and that the antibiotic was specific for whatever the infection was. That was a really bad call on the part of your vet.

C4C. I think if it was laundry detergent or something on the lawn or on the property it would not be just an underarm rash, it would be on the paws, belly and other areas, don’t you think? Anyway, it’s just my opinion for whatever it’s worth.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Dori.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kristin C-
I am not a knowledgeable raw feeder by any means. However, it sounds like you are doing an amazing job! I can’t even imagine the work you put in to feeding your lucky dog! I was wondering how long your dog has been on the meds and if there has been any improvement? It seems a little early to stop what you are doing and change things up to do a nutrition consult. The rash at this point could be anything. It could be something from the grass that she came in contact with. Or, even a reaction to a new laundry soap or something. Hopefully, the problem goes away and doesn’t reoccur. If it turns in to an ongoing issue, then I think maybe a diet change should be something to think about to try and pinpoint the offending ingredient. Of course, your vet most definitely knows A LOT more than me. Good luck and keep up the good work with your pup!

[Bobby dog]

Hey guys
It’s a very, very, very rainy day here, Bobby is not happy.

Akari:
Glad you’re back!! I will post cartridge info later when I can get to my saved info for it. 🙂

Love the bowls and the pics too!!! Alec looks happy to have someone to bother.

C4c:
So jealous of your TJ’s. I have to drive so far to get to one, 🙁 but I will be going by one in the fall as you know so we can compare notes about shopping there! TJ’s is on Dr. Pierson’s list (and my Vet’s list too). I looked at reviews on YouTube and various other sites. I couldn’t find ingredient or analysis info anywhere on TJ’s website. I remember it has rice and fish in some or all recipes. It reminded me of a CSFCLS or BB quality. I am definitely going to try some out. Most reviews I read commented that it was decent quality and budget friendly to add to a rotation.

FYI for all you cat lovers, you know how I love a good PDF download. On Little Big Cat Dr. Hofve’s updated book “What Cats Should Eat” is on sale for $4.97, regularly $8.99 until 8/15. Her approved list of cat food is included which was just updated last month. The list even includes some dry, although as you know she discourages feeding dry food. Also on the approved list are commercial raw (dehydrated, freeze dried, frozen etc), foods that need supplements, treats, toppers, meal supplements, foods considered but not approved, foods that were approved and why they are no longer approved.

I haven’t had a chance to read it, just downloaded it yesterday, but the list I was happy with. I can comment that some of the foods she lists are not an option for me because of the manufacturers, but nevertheless I am glad I purchased the book because there are plently of foods listed. Some chapter topics are dry diets, wet diets, nutrition related diseases, alternative diets, and making your cat’s food at home; it’s 62 pages. Here’s the link to the bookstore on her website if you’re interested: http://www.littlebigcat.com/bookstore/

[Kristin C]

As a follow up, I feed Darwin’s and Nature’s Variety raw and Orijen 6 Fish kibble. I usually add cottage cheese or yogurt to the kibble meals. My homemade consists of 65% meat, 10% organ, 5% liver, 15% pumpkin or sweet potato, 5% veggie pulp from my juicer, plus eggs. I add a half teaspoon eggshell per each pound of meat and some fish oil and vitamin e. RMBs consist of chicken backs, turkey or duck necks. My homemade is chicken and beef, beef I can get more variety of organs. Sometimes I use a pre-mix (Sojos grain free) if I don’t have time for the veggie pulp. I usually give 1 or 2 small dried beef trachea during the week too, not too many other treats.

[Kristin C]

Recently took our 1 year old to the vet for an underarm rash. They gave her antibiotics and allergen pills for 2 weeks but did not identify the problem. The vet does not believe it is diet related, however she recommended we start feeding her 75% from one source and get a nutrition consult from Tufts. I feed both my dogs a combination of commercial raw (30%) homemade raw (50%) and a small amount of Orijen kibble (15%) plus raw meaty bones 1x per week. The raw is a variety of chicken, beef, duck and turkey. I did a lot of research working up to their current diet and am confused with the varying opinions out there, and now worried about the balanced nutrition. They are both energetic, glowing, and their stools are consistently as they should be. My concern with Tufts is they don’t seem to advocate raw diets and I don’t want to switch them to that much kibble. I can feed both dogs different proteins at every meal, and different brands, and they have no problems I believe because it is all high quality food. I am looking for some dialogue here from a knowledgeable raw feeder to get an opinion on my approach.

[DogsAreMyLife]

I did look into Dr. Tim’s, and there appears to be a chicken based kibble, and a salmon & pork based kibble. The level of ash in the salmon & pork seems a bit high (8.9%), but the 6.9% in the GF Kinesis is relatively reasonable, and it has 2% more protein than Annamaet’s chicken based kibble. I wish the chicken based Farmina had a lower ash level (7.8%), because I really like the 37% protein level. <–That was mostly just written out for me to keep track.
I’ll probably use Dr. Tim’s Kinesis one month, then Farmina’s Wild Herring, and Annamaet’s Manitok.
As for the Fromm, I feel the amount of fruit/veg is too high. I prefer my guys to get mostly meat. I’d do Prey Model Raw, if I had freezer space.

Thank you for your suggestions everybody! If there are any other food that anyone can think of, please feel free to list them as well. I’d love to have one more protein, to throw in the rotation.

[aquariangt]

There is a sticky on one of the pages under Help and Feedback that gives directions on how to create an avatar. it’s done offsite through a website called gravatar

Graham is my name! I don’t feed raw-I do use HK and like it-but a lot of people here seem to use Steve Brown’s books as a guideline to a full on homemade diet. You can download them on Amazon or order the books there as well. From my understanding, completely homemade the most important thing is balancing, so hopefully someone like Sandy or HDM that already does this will chime in

Good luck

[Nancy C]

In September I am transitioning my 2 yr old GSD over to raw and have developed a plan, thanks to the wonderful friends at DFA. 🙂 My 10 yr old Golden Retriever deserves better food too. So I wondered if a chicken wing on top of her bowl of kibble is a good start? She’s had kibble all her life. She is great about rotating any brand anytime. Switches on a dime easily. I put it in the bowl: She sniffs and EATS it. Recently when I prepared an organic chicken for our dinner I handed her the livers and heart raw and she gobbled them. No problem. What I am scared of is she won’t know to smash the wings before swallowing and then she will choke. I don’t want to lose my dog. Someone told me yesterday her dogs sometime spit UP wings but then they eat them back down. She says it is normal to smash them by chomping down a time or two with back teeth and then let them slide on down the throat. This Golden is 55 pounds. Not huge and not heavy. Do any of you give chicken wings to a dog her size or smaller? Do you have a better idea? Should I just go on and order Darwins or Answers and start her on Raw that way? I plan to give her Probiotics the night before just to prep her intestinal tract. Thoughts, advice are appreciated. Thank you.

[Stewart]

Hello everyone, I’ve been a lurker and finally decided to join. I wanted to get some advice about a homemade cooked veggie pre-mix. My little dog(Graham) does raw muscle meat with The Honest Kitchen pre-mix. He’s been on it for a little over 2 years. I want to make my own because I think I could save some money. Does anyone know of a recipe for a homemade pre-mix?

Background- the reason he is on the pre-mix is because he has severe allergies. When I first got him I knew I was doing raw with him just like my cat. But he kept throwing up or regurgitating his food. No matter the brand of raw, homemade or commercial he couldn’t keep it down. He would thow up in his sleep, it was bad. We did an ultra sound, allergy test, x-ray… we even tried kibble but that only added diarrhea to the mix. It was really bad at one point. I cried thinking I might have to give him away because nothing that I was doing was making him better. I was sad and frustrated all at the same time. Then one day I noticed small bits of bone in his throw up and thought maybe it’s the bone? Sure enough that’s exactly what it was! We also stay away from things found on his allergy panel(potato, rice, lamb) but the bone was the main culprit behind him throwing up raw. He’s 3 and we had a hard first year but everything worked out.

Also can someone point me area for directions on how to get a picture up? I’m missing something.

[Ann P]

Please don’t wait until you have scientific “proof” to sounds the alarms about the health hazards of Canola oil! You won’t easily find them–especially in relation to dogs. Unfortunately, in the scientific community–to the chagrin of many ethical scientists, money rules! Mary Enig, Ph.D, is a leading authority on lipids and was one of the first scientists to raise serious concerns about the health effects of trans-fatty acids and she was academically black-balled for it. The the power of the vegetable oil lobby did her in–at least for a time. Dr. Enig is a co-author of a cookbook entitled, “Nourishing Traditions”. In a section about fats, this is what is written about Canola oil:
“Canola Oil contains 5 percent saturated fat, 57 percent oleic acid, 23 percent omega-6 and 10-15 percent omega 3. The newest oil on the market, canola oil was developed from the rape seed, a member of the mustard family. Rape see is considered unsuited to human consumption because it contains a long-chain fatty acid called erucic acid, which under some circumstances is associated with fibrotic heart lesions. Canola oil was bred to contain little if any erucic acid and has drawn the attention of nutritionists because of its high oleic-acid content. But there are some indications that canola oil presents dangers of its own. It has a high sulphur content and goes rancid easily. Baked goods made with canola oil develop mold very quickly. During the deodorizing process, the omega-3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed into TRANS fatty acids, similar to those in margarine and possibly more dangerous. A recent study indicates that “heart healthy” canola oil actually creates a deficiency of vitamin E, a vitamin required for a healthy cardiovascular system. Other studies indicate that even low erucic-acid canola oil causes heart lesions particularly when the diet is also low in saturated fat.” Here are the three studies cited (I don’t know how to italicize here–so it’s not in proper form):

Sauer, FD, et al, Nutrition Research, 1997, 17:2:259-269

Kramer, J K G, et al, Lip1982, 17:372-382;

Trenholm, H L, et al, Canadian Institute Food Science Technology Journal, 1979, 12:189-193

Between my roommate and myself, there are four dogs in our household. We have been tight on money so took pains to find the least expensive dog food of reasonable quality and grain-free for our dogs. We were directed to a new dog food that had Canola oil listed as its fourth ingredient. Our two oldest dogs got extremely sick on it (with vomiting, diarrhea and extreme lethargy) and the younger ones started getting loose stools and eating a lot of grass. Yes, yes! I know, “correlation is not causation”! But I will no longer gamble my dogs’ health on Canola oil. I may just have to get a third job! Here is an article that also cites a few studies:

http://breathing.com/articles/canola-oil.htm

It is assumed that dried dog food can be stored at room temperature. Knowing how fragile canola oil is when it comes to rancidity, just imagine how rancid it is in these dried dog foods! Please revisit the canola oil debate and warn your readers!

[crazy4cats]

Hi James P.-
Welcome to Dog Food Advisor! I was curious if you supplement the kibble with any toppers? Any fresh or canned food added? Also wondering if when you tried to switch food if did it very slowly? What I have learned coming to this site for the past year or so is that no kibble is really that great. I don’t switch kibble that often but I like to supplement every meal with something more healthy and species appropriate. Every morning, I add some canned. For the afternoon meal, I add fresh ingredients such as eggs, sardines, or raw nuggets.
I feed mostly grain free Victor kibble. I can get it in a 50lb bag for my two lab mix dogs. I have fed Royal Canin before on the advise of a vet. It’s unbelievably expensive for as much Brewers Rice and by-products that it contains.
I’d encourage to at least start supplementing if you are not already.
Good luck to you. I hope you get some helpful advise from this site. I know I have.

[FreeholdHound]

I live within 5 min of his place & have debated going in for the Tripe Patties many times. There’s not much on the menu that Harry can eat besides that, so I just order my Tripe with the rest of my stuff from Hare Today & now trying Reel Raw.

[DogFoodie]

I hate to say this, but I recall calling Earthborn when my Golden was a little pup and the gentleman that I spoke with told me the Calcium in the Primitive Naturals was too high for a LBP in growth phase. I don’t mind single source amino acids at all, after all, it’s why you rotate in the first place.

What stores do you have locally, Petco, PetSmart, TSC? Have you tried the Victor product locator to see if you might have that at a local feed store. No pet boutiques? You could try cooking or a simple raw diet for a few days if you needed to while you wait for an order to arrive. You could even run to Wal-Mart and feed some Pure Balance canned for a few days in a pinch.

I’d go for the Meadow Feast of all those you mentioned. I would never use a Blue Buffalo product.

[Naturella]

Amen, Kritterlady! This is basically what happened to us when we got Bruno. He was dropped off with no food, so we loaded him in the car and rushed to PetSmart where we looked around a bit (our roommate was feeding Science Diet at the time, thank goodness he finally switched to Nulo Medal Series), and we were pondering upon also feeding SD, but we spoke to a store associate and she recommended Nutro Natural Choice Small Breed Puppy (4.5 stars on DFA, but I didn’t know this at the time) – she talked about the unique shape of the kibbles and how they are meant to strengthen puppy jaws but are small enough for our little guy. We got a small bag of that, Bruno loved it, it was all good. But then I kept seeing Blue Wilderness commercials, so in a month we got him a small bag of that. He also loved it and I noticed increased shine on his coat. We bought a bigger bag and for the next 3-4 months he was on Blue, but when researching it I found DFA, and began learning tons and tons about dog nutrition. I am so happy I steered clear of SD and now Bruno is on a rotational dry diet (4-5 stars only) with canned or THK as a topper, and additives like yoghurt/kefir, coconut oil, canned sardines, flax seed meal and pumpkin every once in a while, and RMBs and raw egg once a week each. He looks fantastic, coat feels great, and I really believe that had it not been for Blue Buffalo Wilderness and me researching it, I may not have found this amazing website and learned so much. I plan to use it again in the future as Bruno seemed to have no problems on it, but it will be a while – so many other foods to try before that! 🙂

[Bobby dog]

Tindaisy:
They sound like beautiful kitties and I really love the names too! I love it when they all get along. All of my dogs got along with cats and it’s always good for a laugh when they play with each other.

FYI – I feed 4Health products to my dog and cats and really like them; not to mention they are very budget friendly! 4Health is reviewed well on DFA. I would also like to let you know about who manufactures them so you can make an informed decision about the products if you choose to feed them. If you are aware of who manufactures 4Health products and their history, you can stop reading this post now. lol

Some of the grain free kibble dog foods and GF cat food are made by Ainsworth – GF turkey, GF beef dog foods, and the GF cat food. The other kibble recipes are manufactured by Diamond – GF whitefish, GF duck, GF pork, all grain inclusive dog foods, and the grain inclusive cat food. Diamond also manufactures Taste of the Wild kibbles. Many of their products are sold at TSC and other places as well.

Diamond has a history of repeated recalls and I believe they just came to an agreement in settling one case against them. Any food can have recalls, kibble, canned, or raw, and you can only hope they take care of the issue responsibly, Diamond in my opinion did not. You can read more about Diamond recalls on the review side under the recall tab and various other websites. I personally have not knowingly bought a Diamond product since around 2007. I was not aware of pet food companies outsourcing the manufacturing of their foods until I came to DFA. So I have fed products manufactured by them, but I now keep track of who co-packs the food I feed.

I think the east coast factory is the one that was involved in the recalls. If I lived on the west coast I would consider and probably would feed Diamond products. They have several factories on the west coast and I don’t think they have been involved in any recalls.

I won’t completely rule them out for the future. They really look like good recipes to me and have a great price point, but I live in a region that more than likely would be supplied by the east coast factory. Hopefully they have addressed their issues and will be producing quality pet food in the years to come. So for now my choice is not to feed any products manufactured by Diamond.

[Kritterlady]

That’s true InkedMarie there are so many good ones. When I started my education back in 2005 I was feeding pedigree to my dogs and science diet to my cats. It’s a wonder they survived. I worked at a big Petsmart managing the equine dept. I knew nothing about dog or cat food quality and after I rescued an allergy dog and kept buying more an more expensive food i was at a loss. My vet recommended Blue and it saved my dogs life and my sanity. My point is that there’s a place for these foods in the process. For so many people they just don’t know where to look. My friend manages that store and they use foods like Blue to start the education process with people who come in and say they’ve heard about Blue from commercials or friends and think they need a better food. It’s a great launch point like it was for me. As my GSD got healthier I wanted to know why and began to do reaserch which lead me to rotational and raw. So many of the really great foods aren’t readily available or advertised to the young family getting their first dog or the granny with her itchy Pom. After all beneful has great commercials so if blue is there as a counter point it may get that person wondering which is best. When I worked in the store every day people asked whats the best food and all we can do was tell them what we feed. Thank god for DFA and the other sites that continue to educate those willing to look!

[matt n]

First off, I’m glad I found this site. If I hadn’t, this puppy would have eventually been given the Cesar’s brand of wet dog food. It’s been interesting to read about rotating foods, calcium levels, grain-free foods and other things. I’ve mainly been looking at the large breed and giant breed thread as it’s very informative but, my dog will not be a large breed. She’s more of a medium breed. By math she’s ~68% golden retriever and the rest is toy poodle. The puppy is now 6 weeks old and the breeder estimated she would end up being 30-35lbs. So, what I’m wondering is, does my puppy not being classified as a large breed change the food she should eat? What about the calcium levels?

Right now she’s eating Life’s Abundance along with Nature’s Variety Raw Medallions for treats(not sure if this info is relevant but here it is nonetheless).

I was eying Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch or Meadow Feast as they’re pretty high rated and I’ve seen tons of positive reviews.

Any suggestions or information is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by matt n.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by matt n.

[Naturella]

Losul and Cyndi,

Thank you both for the wonderful information! You guys are awesome and super knowledgeable as many on this forum!

I think I will just do 1/3 of a clove of garlic every other day or so for Bruno, or maybe 1/2 clove twice a week, something like that, and see how it goes. I feed kibble with THK in a thick soup-like mix, so I can easily mix crushed raw garlic in there and feed it. Hope he is not allergic and that he still eats his food. I also hope that this will just be of general help to his health and not a detriment. So we will see…

Thank you all again! 🙂

[Deborah M]

Nancy,
K9Natural does not use HPP – which means it stays a true 100% raw. A few folks have suggested adding just a little bit of vegetable to this diet because of the tendency for the stool to be a little dry. I think I mentioned – I add a little pumpkin and that seems to do the trick. The feeding guidelines for mine are as follows: for an 11 lb. dog, they recommend about 1 1/2 scoops of food for the day – I adjust the water how I prefer. I have found that I needed to increase the food a little more and they have maintained a steady weight. So, I give them one scoop in the morning and another at night. That said, I am increasing the amount of food they recommend by about 1/4, so I need to factor that in to what I use for the month. I also give them a nice meaty bone about once a week. So, yes – even for my little ones, it’s expensive. But… since my daughters are taking their sweet time giving me grandchildren, these two get spoiled :):)

[Dori]

Hi Zach. You can crumble it on her kibble but you still need to add water then to the entire meal. Most of the long time posters suggest that if feeding kibble you should add water to it anyway. The issue has always been with the lack of hydration eating dry foods for dogs. Some of the larger dogs especially if they gulp their dry food down quickly can be subject to bloat. Don’t forget that the dry food (without water added) will also expand in the dog after it’s been eaten. I hope I’m explaining this correctly or at least making myself understandable.

As Barbara mentioned, you don’t have to defrost raw food all the way. I only defrost enough so that I can mush in and disguise one of my dogs medications. They like it a little colder and crunchier. I’ve been feeding it this way (all raw) for over a couple of years. I have three small dogs and it’s never harmed them to eat it cold. They also like crunching on ice cubes so maybe that’s why they like their food a bit colder and harder.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Dori.

[Zach M]

Thanks Dori. I never thought of it expanding. My dog wasnt crazy about the mushy frozen raw though. I really dont know what to do then. I wonder if i could crumble it on her kibble? We will see.

[Dori]

Hi Zach M. Not Barbara but I’d like to help as Primal is in my rotation. The freeze dried which is more expensive than the raw due to processing it’s great for traveling or hiking and camping with your dog. Yes the freeze dried has all the moisture removed and they are more like a biscuit. You have to rehydrate with some warm water and wait just a couple of minutes of so. I keep some on hand for the days that I have forgotten to defrost raw, or thought I had put some in the refrigerator but nope. still in the freezer. All three of my dogs love the freeze dried just as much as the raw. It’s the same product just without the water. You really want to rehydrate the freeze dried before feeding. You do not want to feed it dry and have it expand in their stomachs from moisture in their body. Not a good idea at all.

[Dori]

Hey Labs. Thanks so much for the site to what Barbara O. was telling me about. About to check it out.

I didn’t realize it was in the Victor’s Grain Free food. I can’t get anyone around here to order it for me. I’ve only found it on line and only the huge bags. As you know with my little girls I did try it to see if it would help Hannah’s eyes but since I rotate with raw, half the bag went rancid by the time I got down to it. I don’t know why I can’t find the smaller sizes and why none of the pet stores distributors around me carry it. It was crazy expensive if I remember correctly ordering it on line and then to pay that price and only getting to use half the bag was just plain sad. I think it was a 30 lb. bag which for my three little girls is way too big a bag and the price was well over $60. That was a while ago so I think I’ll start the search on line again and see if I can find the smaller bags.

Again, thanks for the heads up on the Epi Cor by Diamond V Mills. If it’s in Victors and you’ve been feeding Victor’s for a while now I’m sure it’s safe.

Oooh! Labs I just saw that Amazon is now carrying the 5 lb bags. It’s 15.95 and it’s on Prime delivery. Do you think that’s still too expensive for 5 lbs. of Victors Yukon Grain Free?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Dori.

[Nancy C]

Deborah – I heard back from him late last night. I was mostly interested in the prices per day bec I have a GSD AND a Golden Retriever– two big dogs. He said that the AMOUNT to mix with water is on the back of the bag/ box. I did the figuring and it’s at about $8 a day IF the amount is accurate for my dog. An 8 lb bag makes 32 pounds of food and will last about 2 to 3 weeks he said. That fits my calculations.
It could easily take more than they recommend. One never knows for sure. And I have a second dog… So I am looking at other producers, checking prices. Darwins, (Not dehydrated) for ex is Organic which also means GMO Free and it is $6 a day for Turkey, $6.75 for beef and $5.25 for chicken. I do not know if k9Naturals is GMO Free or Organic, but there is no mention on the website of it.
Today I am pouring over DFA Raw to see what else is recommended by some of the old timers. I also do not want anything HPP. (I don’t know if k9 is HPP and need to find out). As one of the old timers said, the pickings get mighty slim.
This is a time consuming process. I learned so much from the posters this morning at the Nature’s Variety discussions. Wow. So much to learn about Raw. Thank you again too. I am so grateful to the kind helpful people there, just like you! I talked to Jaqualine, one of the owners of ANSWERS raw food, yesterday. Wow she was so helpful and knowledgable. She also has a GSD and was able to give me first hand advice.
Have a good day! Many thanks to you!

[Naturella]

Bobby Dog, if you’re ever in GA in the next 2 or so years, feel free to let me know, you got a hot meal from us! 😉

Also, Losul or anyone – if you have experience with feeding raw garlic to your dog, please help me out with dosage and frequency for a 13.5-lb terrier mix who plays outside and goes on long walks daily.

Thank you! 🙂

[Naturella]

Losul, I myself was thinking of adding some crushed whole raw garlic to Bruno’s food every once in a while. How much do you think I should add and how often? Bruno is 13.5 lbs (or so) now.

P.S. My family LOVES onions and garlic, cooked or raw (especially raw, with a hot (tripe/any) soup with feta cheese and vinegar, and some rustic, crusty bread… OMMMMNOMNOM!!! But I digress… Sorry!).

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Naturella.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Naturella.

[losul]

Aimee, I would guess your husband has an intolerance, or even an allergy to garlic? I know some folks with those. I’m sure dogs can easily be the same.

Hehe, I admit, the first thing that came to mind was grapes, when you agreed with USA. But I wasn’t thinking whether you or your family ate them. I just thought it was ironic how you could defend a companies’ use, (who was it Hill’s or Purina?) of grape pomace in a dog food, but feel any and all garlic is unacceptable.

No, I just thought I’d ask, because virtually all mammals, including cats, dogs, rats, primates, humans, even ungulates and birds, have the same susceptibilities to the toxicities from over consumption of garlic, onions, etc. Granted humans have built more tolerance from the long history of consuming them, but they still can and do get all the side effects up to, and including oxidative stress and anemia. Yet vast numbers of people around the world still chose to consume them anyway over the ages for their medicinal properties.

Ever wonder why vampires have an intense fear of garlic? Vampires were thought to be those who have anemia, or other blood disorders- the pale skin, photosensitivity, yellow eyes, etc. They required the blood of healthy others in order to “sustain” them. A big dose of garlic would not be good news at all for the anemic vampire. Some sects and religions even weeded out the vampires amongst them, by those who would not partake.

Anyway, my stance is that dog food companies probably shouldn’t include garlic in their foods. I don’t really appreciate garlic or many other “medicinal botanicals” in many of the “higher” end foods such as sage extract, juniper berry extract. ginseng, gingko, licorice root, anjelica root, marigold, chamomile, etc. Many or all of them can cause allergic reactions for thing. They just don’t belong in dog foods, especially where someone might be feeding them 100% everyday for long periods, IMO. And one with grape pomace in it, well I would automatically reject it as completely unacceptable.

That said, I don’t take any issue with a person adding garlic to their dog’s food, as long they understand the possible allergic reactions, intolerances, or in larger quantities, toxicities, and they treat it as a controlled dosage rather than a food item. I’ve been adding potent crushed whole raw garlic to Turbo’s food at the rate of about 1 and 1/2 extra large cloves or about 6 grams/week, for probably 4 or 5 months now, and intend to keep doing so. For us, the probable benefits exceed what I perceive to be very small risk.

[Dori]

Hi HDM. I had looked through the review and I saw way more pros than cons. I’ve recently tried the Nature’s Dry Sardine formula for Katie who can barely eat anything. I’ve been feeding raw for over two years and still have issues with her. She weighs 6 lbs. I feed her the NL Sardine formula in the am and then a raw different protein in the evenings and she seems to be doing really really well on it. I’m really shocked too because I swore I’d never have any of my dogs on kibble again. This was sheer desperation on my part and advice from my local boutique pet food store that I trust implicitly.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Tindaisy:
I love some classic Tom and Jerry! Those must be pretty persuasive cats to turn you into a cat lover and wishing for more strays. I’ll say it again, lucky kitties. You and C4c have something in common, the love of cats by a few strays stopping by your homes.

If you have a Tractor Supply Store local their brand 4Health is a very budget friendly food with decent ingredients; 46 cents/5.5 oz or 99 cents/13.2 oz, co-packed by Simmons. Only one of my cats will eat 4Health, wish they all would, what are you going to do. I have ordered from Chewy.com a few times, excellent prices and service. Many posters on DFA recommend them as well. Here are some other sites to check out; sign up for e-mail/newsletters from these sites so you can receive info on sales and free shipping offers:
http://www.amazon.com/pet-supplies-dog-cat-food-bed-toy/b?ie=UTF8&node=2619533011
http://www.petco.com/
http://www.petflow.com/
http://www.petfooddirect.com/
http://www.petsmart.com/
http://www.wag.com/

I have my Vet to thank for the journey to learn more about pet nutrition. About a year ago she sent out her monthly newsletter discussing common health issues that could have been avoided by proper nutrition and feeding species appropriate foods. She invited anyone who was interested to stop by for a list of pet food she compiled for cats and dogs. I thought to myself what I was feeding had to be fine since they were name brands that are advertised often, but I’ll stop by and see what she has to say. After I read the information she compiled I was off to the races to research more about pet nutrition. I talked further about nutrition with my Vet, read some books, magazine articles, and visited many sites. The criteria I follow regarding pet nutrition constantly changes and grows the more I learn. I like catinfo.org and DFA because of the simplicity they use to present information to their readers.

Catinfo.org is probably the most popular cat site for the regulars on this thread, but there are several others that are very helpful with current information on feline nutrition and care as well. Here’s another site: http://www.littlebigcat.com/
Both of these sites are run by Vets and I am sure others will chime in with their favorite websites as well. Here’s some links to check out regarding cat nutrition:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/why-dry-food-is-bad-for-cats-and-dogs/

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

On this thread we all share are trials and tribulations about getting our cats to transition to quality foods and other stuff too. Most of mine will eat a premium brand canned food a few times a week and I have a couple that will eat some commercial raw once a week, but most of mine are addicted to kitty crack. Most of my cats are 15+ and I am not going to push a drastic diet change on them at their age. They are now eating mostly canned food with a little GF kibble on the side. I can always hope for more, but I am happy to have transitioned them this far with no issues.

Fish is a concern for all of us farmed or wild caught. Although the quality of fish that is included in pet food might be questionable the same could be said about the quality of meat. So I focus on minimizing exposure to fish and try my best to get quality food in them when they will eat it. My cats’ revolt if they do not get fish a few times a week so I mix in sardines packed in water with their canned food. Sardines typically do not have as much mercury or contaminates that other fish may have. If it were up to me I would not feed fish at all.
From Dr. Pierson:
“I do not feed fish to cats for the following reasons:
• high allergy potential (manifested as skin allergies or inflammatory bowel disease, and possibly asthma)
• toxin/mercury contamination
• PBDEs (fire retardant chemicals) – PBDEs are potent thyroid disruptors
• often high in phosphorus and magnesium
• highly addictive – the cat will not eat anything else”

Thanks for sharing tips on transitioning food. The crazy thing is I thought I would have the most problem with changing their kibble. They always ate canned food with no problem so I thought that would be the easiest. The opposite occurred with mine. I rotate between several kibbles with no transition. It was the Friskies they were addicted to. lol I can’t tell you the money I have spent on quality food only to have them sniff and walk away. I have one cat that pretty much will eat anything and if all else fails Bobby dog is more than willing to clean the cats’ plates. All is good though, they are happy and healthy fur babies.

Akari started this thread and another one about coupons and sales we all share with each other if you are interested. Here’s a link to the coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/11/

Stop back and let us know how your guys are doing!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Mary –

That’s great that you’re feeding a raw diet. 🙂

You may, however, wish to check out a book that includes balanced recipes. Two of my favorites are “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown and “Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Karen Becker.

[Kritterlady]

InkedMarie, I understand,and I’m not an advocate for any particular brand. It’s just that gripe sites masquerading as legit consumer advocate sites tick me off. I’m a huge fan of consumer reports and this other site is nothing like it but a lot of people are fooled into thinking otherwise. I have a ton of friends using Blue and love it and I used it without incident going back to 2006. I’m now using a rotational diet as well as raw, and my friends are so happy with Blue that they think I’m crazy. Though its not for everyone just like any other good brand, I just want both sides presented. Most of what’s on forums is negative and I love all the work you all do on this site to keep it balanced.

[Mary M]

Hello, I have 6 dogs and feed prey model raw. This next week’s menu is:
Monday: Chicken gizzards, raw whole eggs, kefir milk

Tuesday: Pork neck bones

Wednesday: Ground beef, calf liver, whole eggs

Thursday: Chicken drumsticks, kefir milk

Friday: Ground pork, rabbit chunks

Saturday, Chicken gizzards, ground beef

Sunday will start a new menu. I add Alaskan salmon oil and a join supp of glucosamine, chondroitin, & MSM in every day along with coconut oil.

[Dori]

Hi Scottsmoma. Love your name. When you are done with the Wild Salmon Oil you should consider switching to Sardine Oil (Sardine’s don’t live long enough to accumulate a lot of issues that other fish do). Please make sure that you keep any fish oils in the refrigerator and add to the meal at the last moment. Fish oil goes rancid if left out too long pretty quickly. I use Nature’s Logic Sardine Oil (great product by the way) and keep it on the door in fridge. Prepare meals, squirt some in their dishes on the food and put oil back in fridge.

As Sandy suggested, you can add sardines that are sold at the grocery store packed in water two or three times a week. Don’t add other fish oil on the days you feed sardines. Scott will love the sardines. You didn’t mention how big Scott is so use your judgment as to how much of the can to add. I have three small dogs so I use one small can of sardines in water and separate into three equal parts. I do this three times a week. I feed twice a day, so only one meal of the day, not both.

I don’t feed raw other raw fish anymore because there have been too many authenticated stories of contamination in the waters so I just don’t want to take any chances. I also stopped eating sushi myself for that same reason.

[pugmomsandy]

It would still be ok to add the oil daily. Alot of kibbles are lacking in sufficient omega 3 or are not in a proper ratio with omega 6. But also, the fish oil in the kibble can lose it’s potency or start to become rancid once the bag is opened. Proper storage is a must. Another option if you want to add variety is to just give some canned sardines or other oily fish a couple times a week. Or you can even give raw fish.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_12/features/Fats-Chance_20658-1.html

[Deborah M]

Hi Nancy,

It really wasn’t a difficult transition. I was given a sample from the pet store and took it home to try it. My dogs went so nuts for it (I had never seen them eat with such gusto) so I thought I would try it. I have had VERY successful communications with the folks at K9 in Australia. I just email them with my questions, and they email me right back with a personal email. I have even struck up a friendly rapport with “Shane”… very helpful “Kiwi” as he calls himself 🙂 He suggested to me that when making the transition, that I might want to try to start with the Lamb Green Tripe, which I did. It has the most HORRIBLE smell in the world, but its ONLY ingredient is Green Tripe and very digestible and VERY good for them. They gobbled it up, despite the disgusting smell. I started adding in the venison, and they gobbled that up too. I don’t get the beef b/c it’s too high in fat. I noticed a difference in their stool immediately. Much smaller, and on the dry side. Sometimes, I add a little straight pumpkin so help keep their stool from being too dry. Now, I feed them only the venison, and add just a little of the tripe to aid in digestion. I’ve read ONLY good things about green tripe. Believe me when I say my dogs were finicky. I coaxed, begged, and added topper after topper – wasted a lot of money on high end kibble, Orijen, Acana, etc.. They didn’t like anything. Now, they eat like regular dogs, and on cue, so that I don’t have to leave food out for them when I leave for work. I purchase through Chewy.com – in bulk – it’s cheaper. Sometimes, Amazon. I’m sure there are other brands of freeze dried raw that are good, but I like the ingredients of the K9 Natural and I’ve had nothing but success. It will be pretty expensive for a large breed, however. That’s the downside of raw. I’ve priced all of the better ones out, and they all seem to be very similar in price. Good luck!

[Barbara O]

Bobby O

I am aware of the fish problem. The cats don’t get any more fish than the two humans in this house eat…I limit our fish due to mercury and now we have to worry about Japan’s radiation being sent to us via the sea…I agree that most Junk goes into a lot of our cat and dog foods…I know they would pick up spoiled meats from food markets, not unwrap a great deal of the food…just toss it into the pots with the styrofoam and plastic still on it…hopefully this has changed but I doubt it with the cheaper feeds…Purina was guilty of doing this…I took several meats courses in college and I won’t touch weiners….not eating something that mold grows on, then is cleaned off with a chemical and package and sold to the unsuspecting public…if they do this to humans, what do you think they’ve done to the animals?

I am also aware of the law regarding Taurine…there are actually some breeds of dogs that need taurine daily in their diets…You’ll note that Nature’s Variety canned food is the same for dogs and cats…and taurine is in both…

I also know if you withdraw taurine from wolf pups, they can develop cardiomyopathy, juvenile cataracts and reproduction problems…as will foxes….Provide them with the taurine early enough and all of these things can be reversed….

The problem with homemade raw diets is getting enough taurine included…that’s why I’ve always kept taurine capsules on hand…I actually sprinkled it over my foxes’ food several times a week. I know mealworms provide taurine but they still got a shot of the stuff weekly in their food…They were never ill…cats, like foxes have to have it and if a raw diet is used, jut add it.

[Barbara O]

You are so welcome. Please realize that I’m not that smart…it’s called being older and learning from experience and reading…asking questions like you do…and using common horse sense when ruminating over the answers that people give you. I give a great deal of credence to people who have been around the block a few times and who spend time reading between the lines…Remember…anyone can put stuff in print on the internet…I love books that are the printed word. When Toby developed pancreatitis, between my vet and a book I have on hand, we pulled him through. I wouldn’t be without the book…It at least tells me what to do at home while I’m waiting to get an animal to the vet’s office…and some good tips after I go…I learned that we have to keep them hydrated but at the same time keep the pancreas still and not taxing itself….It was Christmas Day when Toby got sick…so we’ve come a long way and we’ve had no more problems…and it was my fault that he got sick. I had fixed a standing rib roast for Christmas and left the pan on top of the cabinet…the grease cooled and rose to the top…I had put water in the pan…I had a sick rescue Dane and hadn’t washed the pan…Toby got on top of the sink….genets can climb anywhere…and swished his tail in the pan, covering his long, long tail in the grease…these animals are fastidious..so he immediately went to cleaning it… When i finally set down after getting Mandy the dog stabilized and medicated…she had a UTI…he jumped into my lap and i felt the wet, greasy feeling tail….he had consumed all that grease…too, too much for a little 3 to 4 lb animal….The next morning he was lethargic…we saw the vet that day and he was started on meds…then we went back and they had to put 50 ccs of fluid under his skin…it took three of us to hold him down in a tube that was meant to do this…it was then i learned how to give him a teaspoon of water every hour on the hour to keep him hydrated, interspersed with a teaspoon of blended food….several times a day….My husband and I had tried to keep him hydrated with 10 ccs subcu but couldn’t hold him down….strong little cuss…first animal I haven’t been able to hold down…As I said, he can be a little Tasmanian devil….I hydrated the Dane with no problem….

Every day I learn something new…that’s why I love sites like this…It helps me tweak what I do for my own animals and it also helps me know what I’m doing right, that has worked for years and years…when something works, your animal is healthy and happy…don’t change what you’re doing…Our animals are individuals…I can’t eat wheat…developed a problem with it…causes horrible arthritis in me…I also know this hasn’t always been the case…same way with chicken…developed something called polymyalgia…docs sent me to rheumatoid clinic at our teaching hospital here…not rheumatoid arthritis so they gave it this fancy name…found out it was being caused by chicken…I was eating it almost every day…I was the one who found the connection…not the docs, just me…case in point….you know your animals better than anyone else…I told one person I won’t feed Purina…had a bad experience with it…not the quality I want for my animals…but that doesn’t mean that others have the same results…From my animal science degree, the various vet courses I’ve taken, and from working with various animals and exotic vets across the US, I have learned a great deal….All I can do is try to put together what I’ve learned to care for what the animals I’ve been blessed to have…I’m seeing too many animals with allergies…something is going on…and I’m seeing these allergies in animals on kibble, raw diets….etc…It’s so hard for me to believe this is a permanent situation….I would start questioning the surrounding environment…not something an individual may be doing but what the animal is coming in contact with that’s not food related…that’s how my allergies started…I cleaned up my environment, cleaned up my diet, starting building my immune system, and now my allergies are almost non-existent. Hopefully, this will happen to the animals out there that are suffering…

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Nancy –

I haven’t tried K9 Natural but I have tried Darwin’s and Answer’s. A lot of posters here use Darwin’s and like it a lot. I think Darwin’s is a good product and I don’t have any issues with recommending it but it doesn’t meet the needs of what I look for when choosing a food for my dogs. I have large, highly active hounds and Darwin’s is just too low fat/low calorie. I love Answer’s, it’s probably my favorite brand of commercial raw. I love that there are no synthetic vitamins and minerals and the fat to protein ratio is perfect for my dogs. I’ve spoken in depth about the product with Jacqueline Hill, the Vice President of Operations and Product Development, and I was very impressed with the ingredient and manufacturing standards. I don’t feed pre-made raw too often because it’s so expensive, but when I do Answer’s is one of my go-to brands.

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Nancy C,

My removal of our review for Big Dog Natural had nothing to do with the quality of the product. The article was removed simply because there were some inconsistencies between the information I had retrieved from the brand’s website and private communications I had had with the company’s owner — as well as blog discussions between the brand and some of our readers

Because I believed my review (that had been based upon the company’s posted label data) could be misleading to readers, I made the editorial decision to withdraw the article from our website.

As of this writing, I have no plans to review it again any time in the near future. Hope this helps.

[Barbara O]

Bobby dog,

I understand about feeding Purina…better than letting them starve but it’s still junk…My cats will eat any type of canned food…which I know isn’t always the best…Cats are carnivores…more so than even dogs…they need more protein and of course, they have to have taurine or they will die…i.e. the reason I feed dry food…I know with my Fennecs I fed a raw diet…ordered 10,000 mealworms a month…and fed pinkies…bought them frozen…Fed raw veggies and fruits…they would not eat dry food…They lived two to three years longer than most Fennecs in captivity. Was told my two outlived the ones most people knew about..Of course, I studied the animal for 6 months…on a daily basis…talking to breeders and owners all over the world..then I purchased my first one…continued to talk to people in England and Japan about fennecs and foxes.

Regarding cats…I will continue to feed both canned and raw tuna…as well as other fis I purchase…my cats are never overweight, never sick and live a very long time…so I’m doing something right…they are never allowed outside so I have plants inside they can nibble on…All my animals are spayed or neutered. Since my animals are well, have had no health problems, I will continue following the protocol I am using…They do get Primal, canned food, dry food, and raw food when I’m cooking dinner in the evening…They have the run of the house…except for our bedroom…this is because of my asthma…PS I also do not believe in vaccinations every year…this actually weakens their systems…I think whatever the animal is…when you find something that works, and the animal is content…you don’t need to be changing things just because some article or someone says to do so…It’s different if the animal is sickly…then I would be willing to try whatever would work.

[Nancy C]

Hi Deborah:
I’m very interested in your experience w K9 Natural. When you started it did you notice any weight loss or gain? I have a 72 pound GSD and am planning to go raw. But when we travel I need a good dehydrated food which means that I will probably feed raw raw in the mornings and dehydrated at night or several times a week at least. Can you share a little more about your transition and anything else? Also have you tried Darwins or Answers? Or has anyone who has just read this? Thank you.

[Tracy W]

Barbara – Yeah, beef really lights Cookie’s ears up, so to speak. If I feed her beef or bison her inner ears get so red and goopy. 🙁

I don’t think one package of raw a month will break me up, so maybe I’ll buy some. I have tried topping Cookie’s food with canned, and I also give her yogurt as that helps fight the yeasty ears. Typically she eats the canned food/yogurt and then gives me a look and leaves whatever kibble hasn’t been touched by the topping. *sigh* I haven’t tried mixing egg, but I will try that. I didn’t know I could give her raw eggs, but I have given her sardines and she loved those.

Cookie weighs about 65 pounds, so depending on food that puts her anywhere from 2-3 1/2 cups of kibble. The 30 lb. bags of Grandma Mae’s and Holistic Select lasted between 3 weeks and a month for her, and that was with me feeding the other 4 dogs her food for a day or two. In reality I could probably feed her less than what the bag says, as she isn’t as active this time of year; she could stand to lose a few pounds anyway.

Making broth is a great idea. I will be sure to do so next time we have turkey or pork.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I feel like I have something to build on now.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Tracy W.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Barbara O:
A few of us on this thread have been weening our cats off of kitty crack…this may never happen, but we do our best. I also try not to feed fish to my cats, tuna especially. Moisture is critical for a cat’s UT system. Currently I am now down to feeding each cat approximately two tablespoons of dry GF food a day. Hopefully, I can ween them off of dry food as well. Again, that may never happen.

I would love to feed my cat’s quality food consistently however they are finicky and after many years of cheap canned cat food, they like what they like. Sometimes they get half Wellness (or other quality canned food) and half Purina, sometimes straight Wellness, and sometimes just Purina when they turn everything else down. I would rather feed Purina then have health issues due to a cat not eating food.

I do think Halo’s recipes look great. I have fed it in the past to my dog, but stopped when I contacted them and asked who co-packs their food and they would not disclose that information to me. I believe one of the regulars on this thread feeds it to their cats with great results.

Regardless if a cat is a stray or not dry food is not an ideal diet for a cat and I do not consider canned cat food, meat, or raw food a treat for them; I consider them healthy foods for a cat regardless of the quality. Please check out catinfo.org for information on what is important in a cat’s diet. There is an abundance of information on this site about nutrition and other subjects concerning cat care that I am sure you will find interesting! 🙂

[Barbara O]

OK…here I go again. I have two cats presently…a Maine Coon Cat and a Savannah. My Maine Coon is about 17 years old…The Savannah is around 5. Both were rescues, one from a breeder who was breeding the Savannah to death…the other from the Humane Society. I ordered a bag of Halo grain free cat food and my two cats are wild about it…They will turn their noses up at everything else if it’s out. They loved Taste of the Wild before I introduced Halo. I have three feeders and usually keep three types of dry food out for them, next to a waterer…I give them just a little canned food in the AM…not much, just enough to make them know it’s only a treat…The will eat raw chicken as a treat, and they love the juice I pour off the canned salmon and tuna…I rotate the canned food..sometimes it’s cheap food…sometimes when I find the best of the best on sale, they get it…as I said…this is a treat…I am presently feeding them grain free Canidae…grain free…They grudgingly eat it…wanting me to put the Halo out…I won’t feed anything Purina because I know how they manufacture the food…(animal science degrees can ruin you when you see what they dump in the food)…they will eat Natural Instinct…but above everything, they love the Halo….I will actually feed them canned tuna….people grade…A can will last two days as it is a treat…same thing with canned chicken….Feeding outdoor strays….you can feed almost anything…because they will catch birds and mice…and anything else that looks nourishing…My vet in Texas said the food for inside animals was critical but the outside cats can get by a little cheaper because they really do get the actual taste of the wild…

[Barbara O]

Nature’s Variety is wonderful food. Their dry is great…You might feed it and then add a little of the raw…My friend’s dog is medium size and she feeds one of the large packages of raw duck a month. She crumbles up just one of the patties and mixes it in with the kibble, adding water to make it a little soupy…If the dog has no egg problems, crack a raw egg and mix it into the feed…after all, it’s the perfect protein….How many cups a day does your dog eat? The only reason I like to feed the kibble is because my dog is so big that I want to make certain he gets the vitamins….and oils she needs…If you start building the immune system, many of the allergies will subside…Also..there’s yeast and there’s yeast…

I can see the problem with lamb, chicken, and bison, as they are what is called “hot” foods..and chicken is a food I even have to curtail for myself as it can cause inflammation in the body. I am surprised with beef…Duck is not a hot food…it is more neutral…maybe you could purchase a 5 lb bag of Nature’s Variety Instinct…their dry kibble…grain free…and feed it to him…buy a very small package of the frozen and add only one small patty, this is for a little boost in protein and for flavor….I sometimes give Roger several of the genet’s Primal, thawed and mixed into his kibble….It’s not expensive this way…oh…he still gets an egg each feeding…I think Primal and Nature’s V are about the same in cost…Nature’s Variety has had sample frozen packages…you might try them as they’re cheap….Toby’s 3 lb pkg of Primal is $16.00…and it lasts about a month. He gets 2 of the little rectangles a day, along with his precious shaved, preservative free turkey meat…people lunch meat…He will eat the beef but he loves the turkey…I like the Primal because it has veggies in it along with the supplements they need…And…if you found two foods he really likes, you could mix them together….What does he eat, 2 cups per meal?