[neezerfan]

My new guy has been having intermittent soft poop and I’ve been going crazy trying to find the cause. HK’s Perfect form helps him but when I stop giving it the problem comes back. I tried giving him Wellness LID canned and that didn’t help. I’m now thinking it’s the carrageenan in the food. I rotate different brands canned, raw and freeze dried. So now for some detective work and more trial and error. Has anyone else’s dog had trouble with carrageenan?

[theBCnut]

I would try switching her food. Depending on your budget, Wellness, Earthborn, or NutriSource are all good. The makers of TOTW have had to many quality control issues for me to feel safe using their foods, especially for a baby animal.

For raw, for my cats, I use Hare Today’s whole carcass grinds.

[Ysabella J]

Okay cat people, I am in dire need of some help. A friend of mine found an abandoned kitten that she couldn’t keep. I ended up taking care of her and in the meantime fell in love with her. Took her to the vet for a check up, got her dewormed with panacur and albon, and also sent out a fecal that came back negative. The vet believes she is about 5 weeks old. I have been feeding her raw goats milk and Taste of the Wild dry food. Cat food is fairly new to me as I feed my dog half raw & half Orijen, and never had a cat of my own, only ones that I grew up with. I am wondering if there is something too rich in her diet? She has had very loose stools for 4 days now.. I have had her for 6 days. What do I do? I am considering ground turkey, pumpkin, and rice… Poor kitty has to go so often and I’m constantly bathing and cleaning up after her. The vet says she’s hydrated and she has been drinking plenty of water.

What to do?

[jakes mom]

Bobby dog, have you been on the HK site? You can get sample pouches so you can see if the cats will like it, without spending a lot of $$. My guys wouldn’t even taste it, they gave it a sniff then gave me a look that said, “what are you trying to do to me?”. The packets are not very big so if your guys usually have to try something several times to decide whether they like it or not, you’d need to take that into consideration. It’s good food, tho, I really wish mine would eat it. If nothing else, you’d have a new topper for Bobby for a few days. Right now my cats are eating good dry and mostly cans, now adding the Freshpet. And my Julie absolutely loves raw, so she gets a bit of that as well. The other cats really not interested in the raw so it’s just Julie and the dog getting the good stuff! Old cats, old habits I guess!

[Steven K]

Here’s one for all: I cut up carrots into small pieces and Legend loves them. Crispy and nutritious. Now, cooked are more easily digested than raw, but they get too “meely” for Legend. He likes ’em raw!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Karen C-
In my opinion, for whatever it’s worth, is that no kibble is worth that much money! Yikes, that is expensive. No matter how good a kibble is, it’s still kibble. I prefer to buy more budget friendly kibble for a base and save some money to supplement it with healthier canned, fresh, dehydrated or raw foods. Like the BCnut mentioned, both Earthborn are solid brands. I frequently use grain free Victor. Good luck to you!

[theBCnut]

Nancy
While I don’t any longer have dogs that big, I used to have GSDs, so I can be of some help here. The first few times you give bones you absolutely want to make sure that they are too big for him to just swallow or crunch, crunch swallow. Dogs that aren’t used to bones have a learning curve. They are used to wolfing their food down as fast as possible, so they have to learn that they have to chew it up. Give something like a whole leg quarter or a whole turkey neck. Some dogs have to have their raw pieces held at first, or have it attached to something that will cause them to slow down.

[Nancy C]

Just to say to all you “teacher-responders” I am so thankful for this help! I’m feeling overwhelmed with all the info available and you are really helpful! I plan to move to raw as soon as I can get it all straight in my head and feel confident about it This is REALLY useful and thank you so much!!

[Suburban Gal]

I feel the need to point out that, for a vaccine, the vet charges a far lower price than he or she does for a titer test. The profit margin is also higher, yes as vets pass on the cost of shipping and proper storage of vaccines administered to your pet, as well as the needle, syringe, and professional time to give the vaccine. However, the overall profit is still higher for a titer test as the vet increases the price to cover materials and professional time to draw blood, as well as to properly store and then ship the blood to the lab, and then again to cover a professional evaluation of blood results. So vets motivated purely by greed will happily perform titer testing, early and often.

[Kritterlady]

I spend about 1$ per pound on my raw ingredients. My grinder was an investment that paid off in the first 6 months. My 11 yr old 70lb shepherd eats 2lbs per day. 50lb 2yr old Doberman eats the same. A lot of chicken and beef heart is under 1$ per lb on sale. A used small chest freezer was another great investment. I shop sales all month and then grind and store back in the freezer using containers that hold 2 lbs.

[Harpers Mom]

Thank you BC!
Harper received her trifexis last on June 28th if I were to dose her with ivermectin (heartgaurd) tomorrow would that be effective? Or do you think we should wait for this months dose to switch?

What natural oils do you use? I have a relative to is very big into natural oils and holistic methods for herself so I might be able to get advise from her.

Last thing, when you feed half raw, do you use it as a topper or do you feed one meal raw and one kibble? I’ve heard that combining the two in a single meal can lead to digestive issues later on?

[theBCnut]

There has been a study that shows it is not a good idea to switch from Milbemycin in midseason, unless you overlap and give the ivermectin at the same time for a month or so. This is because Milbemycin is less effective at killing the earlier larval stages than Ivermectin, but Ivermectin does not kill the later stages as well. That’s also why the Milbemycins are labeled to use for 3 months post season, so here in FL, you need to use both to switch even in winter, because we don’t have 3 months post season, not even 3 weeks.

For anyone thinking of getting Ivomec liquid and dosing your dog yourself. The regular liquid is 1% and even one drop of it is an overdose for most dogs, which can lead, over time, to liver failure. The sheep drench(available at Jeffers dot com among others) is 0.08% so is much easier to dose appropriately.

I use Ivomec(the sheep drench) for heartworm prevention right now. I give garlic and use an essential oil shampoo and I feed 1/2 raw. Mostly I shampoo because they rolled in something, not because of fleas.

If I do have to shampoo for fleas, I wet the dog’s head and shampoo behind the eyes all the way around. This drives any fleas back down onto the body. Then I wet the rest of the dog and shampoo the rest of him. Leaving the shampoo on, I let him go play while I do the next one, and the next one. After I have 3 soapy dogs running around the yard, I call the first one back for a rinse, this gives the nasty little fleas plenty of time to smother in a coating of shampoo. I towel dry the first and put him in the house and start the rinse on the second. That guarantees that the last dog has enough time to kill all of her fleas.

[Dori]

Hi BRT. I just read an earlier post of yours that I must have missed. Please don’t let your dogs bring their dog food and drop it on the carpet to eat it. Not just raw, there are way many more cases of salmonella with kibble then raw diets. The issue with Salmonella is not your dogs getting sick unless they already have a major underlying illness, it’s humans that get the salmonella. It is you who have to wash your hands after handling raw (as you would with any raw food for humans that you handle), also clean counter, etc. anything that touched the raw food. As I say, just as you would when you’re preparing your own dinner. What most people fail to realize is that you must also wash thoroughly kibble that carries way more issues than raw.

If any of them are still having gas, bad breath, etc. that is also part of detoxing. Perfectly normal so long as it doesn’t last too long.

I also missed that you’ve started with the Venison NV raw. That’s good. Oh, I just thought of what I read earlier on one of your posts. If you’re dog is allergic or intolerant to chicken then I would stay away from anything that has feathers. Chicken, Quail, Turkey, Duck, etc. etc. and once again any food you feed make sure there is no chicken fat, turkey meal, etc. somewhere on the ingredient list. It’s easier finding raw foods without quite so many ingredients. Venison, Bison, Buffalo. Those are good to try EVENTUALLY down the line once he’s all healed. Katie doesn’t do well with beef if I feed it more then two days in a row but she has no issues whatsoever with buffalo. Originally I had just assumed when I discovered the beef issue that it would be all red meat but that’s not the case. Good Luck and keep us posted. I’m feeling much better so I’ll try to keep up with your progress. Just be patient. Why are you smelling their food anyway, LOL. If you think Venison smells bad then you’ll pass out if you ever feed Tripe. Now that is just plain n-a-s-t-y!!!!!!!

[RescueDaneMom]

There are some recipes at the beginning of this thread by Hound Dog Mom. I use 2 books for my homemade raw: 1- unlocking the canine ancestral diet by Steve Brown and 2- real food for healthy dogs and cats by Beth Taylor and Karen Becker. If you are looking for quick and easy, Steve Brown makes a premix for boneless meats called See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mix. You mix about a tablespoon or two (can’t remember which) with one pound of boneless lean meat. I imagine it would be much more cost effective for you than Primal.

[Rose H]

Would anyone care to share their Homemade Raw dog food recipes??? I foster for a shih tzu rescue and since I feed my own adopted rescue dog frozen raw (Primal rabbit) I feed my fosters this as well and it does get expensive when you’re feeding several dogs and shih tzus can be very picky eaters!
Thanks!

[aquariangt]

Unless they aren’t being truthful, Wellpet severed all ties with Diamond. A food can be rated 4-5 stars regardless of manufacturer, as DFA rates based on paper alone. The Editor’s Choice and forums are where we get other tidbits of information

A few of my favorites: Simply Nourish Source, Earthborn Small Breed or the Grain Free (don’t love the the other grain inclusives outside of small breed), Fromm 4Star Grain Free, Acana Regionals-I’ve used others but those 4 are most often in rotation. Fromm’s is pretty easy on the stomach. You may try supplementing with some canned or raw to help get the pickier one to eat. You also may try out a dehydrated food-I like Honest Kitchen and Sojos, and one of the two of them will surely be available at your smaller pet stores

If you’re looking for a weight loss food-Wellness Core Healthy Weight has been praised on here, as has Annamaet Lean. I’ve never used either

[Bobby dog]

I have some prices from my Wal-Mart on FreshPet Select rolls for dogs, $3.16, $4.86 & $12.86. I haven’t checked out the prices recently though, not sure how accurate they are.

It is a cooked product that must be kept refrigerated, as C4c wrote t comes in a roll form and also small nugget bites, tubs, and shreds for cats now. They have their own facility for making the food. They’ve added a few different foods and treats since I have looked at the website last. They have a line that is made from anitbiotic and hormone free poultry, grain free, and limited ingredient slections.

Bobby loved the FreshPet Select. I fed it as a topper once before I came to DFA. I will feed it again it’s just that I am all stocked up on dry, kibble, and raw for Bobby right now.

I am definately going to try it out for the kitties. Hopefully it will be something to add to the rotation. They have some shredded meat & gravy recipes for kitties that are only available in California; that’s okay since my cats don’t like shreds. lol

http://freshpet.com/

[Dori]

Hi BRT. It will take a minimum of 2 to 4 weeks at least until the itching stops unless he’s allergic to something in the raw food you’re feeding. Katie can’t eat all raw foods, only some.

I feed all my girls twice a day. I feed them between 2.5 and 3% of their body weight daily divided into two meals. Hannah, 15 year old Maltese (9/9/14) weights 7.5 lbs. I feed her closer to the 3%. Senior dogs need higher protein and more calories. They don’t process or utilize nutrients because of aging and slowing down bodily functions. Katie 5 year old 6 lb. Maltipoo I feed 2% of her body weight. She’s my allergy girl and lives her life in one speed. SLOW MOTION. She’s not planning on exerting herself about anything anytime anywhere. She’s funny little girl. Would love to live her life in someones arms (not gonna happen, but in her ideal world I’d get a Bjorn pouch and put her in it), Lola my 5 year old Yorkipoo weighs 5 lbs. She I feed 2.5% of her body weight. She gets fed more than Katie because Lola is complete polar opposite. She is never still, has boundless energy and is always “ON”. She only stops go collapse at night for bed time. Hence she needs more food than her lazy slow motion sister Katie.

Three days is really not long enough to notice many changes. Don’t forget she has to get all other stuff out of his system then his gut has to start healing. His immune system has to normalize itself once he’s not eating any things he’s intolerant of. It doesn’t happen overnight even though we pray it would. Just be patient and give him a chance to heal. Which food are you feeding him?

[Dori]

Hi Cyndi. Yes it was Labs. Lots of foods contain the montmorillonite clay, even some raw foods but it didn’t work for Hannah. I also tried Victors Yukon, the one Labs feeds (first kibble I fed her in over a year) but it never changed anything for Hannah. I know it did work for one of Labs’ dogs, lucky her.
Anyway it’s always worth a shot. I don’t recall how old her dog was, could have been that her dog was much younger than my Hannah. Don’t know? I was so excited when she told me about it and then so disappointed.

[Cyndi]

I believe that’s the problem LabsRawesome had with her dog. I remember reading in the reviews that once she switched her dog to Victor it cleared up. The Victor dog food contains montmorillonite and I think that’s the ingredient that she said cleared up her dog’s eyes. I am not positive if that was the problem her dog was having, but I do remember it was something with the eyes and it cleared up after switching foods.

So, maybe go to the review side, find a recent comment from LabsRawesome and ask her.

Good Luck!!

[arwyru24]

Is the freshpet raw?

[BRT]

Just an update and a couple of questions:

The slow transition didn’t happen because once these two got a taste of the raw they didn’t even want to touch the kibble. So, for three days now it’s been just raw for their meals.

Dori, your dogs look about the same size as mine. Just curious how much you feed them per day.

Lastly, how long does it take to see if the food is working or not? My maltese/toy poodle boy is still itching like mad. I can’t believe it’s the new food since we just started, but I’m not sure.

Thanks!

[Cameron J]

Hello,
I’m very new to this and like everyone seems to say, sorry if I’m asking in the wrong place, my lurcher (deerhound greyhound x saluki greyhound) Hunter has just turned 11 weeks. I am currently feeding him Hill’s Science Plan, chicken flavour and have finally decided to switch to raw food. I have found a wholesale butcher where i will buy the meat. My problem is that wherever I look i can only find how much people feed their adult dogs and i don’t want to just guess it. I’m not sure what he weighs until i visit the vets tomorrow and he is about to run out of food so do i just switch completely or mix with current feed and how much (i know I’m asking a bit much without his weight but just an average for his age of a similar breed until i get him weighed)
thanks in advance 🙂

[SandyandMila]

That was such a great example. Lots of people don’t transition their dogs to raw due to the cost. But if someone can make feeding a Great Dane look more cost effective than it’s definitely worth a shot. I was going to add that if you have a local co-op or wholesale supplier you can get things like RMBs in bulk that’ll last you for awhile and worth the price. http://www.dogaware.com/diet/rawgroups.html

[Mike Sagman]

Hi Melinda W,

Thanks for suggesting Common Sense Raw. Unfortunately, we’re unable to locate any AAFCO Nutritional Adequacy Statement for Common Sense anywhere on the company’s website. So, it’s impossible for us to determine if these recipes are “complete and balanced” or “for supplemental feeding” only.

Without this important statement, customers cant’s know for which life stage profile these products should (or should not) be fed.

Thanks again for the suggestion.

[Melinda W]

I nominate Common Sense raw dog food.

[RescueDaneMom]

Hey Zach,

First, it’s going to depend on the size of the dog you are feeding. I have a 150lb Great Dane that eats 3 lbs per day which is about 90 lbs per month.

I used to feed 50% commercial raw and 50% The Honest Kitchen and my food bill was upwards of $300 per month.

I just started making homemade raw. I’m using Steve Brown’s recipes from Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet. The chicken recipe uses half chicken necks and half boneless, skinless thighs with heart and liver. The chicken recipe cost me less than $2/lb to make, closer to $1.50. The beef recipe cost a bit more because beef is expensive. I think it averaged out to be around $3-3.50/lb. This is significantly cheaper than commercial raw which I was paying anywhere from $4.50 to $6.00/lb for. When you need to feed 3lbs per day the savings add up.

Since I just started I don’t have a monthly food bill yet but I’m guessing it will be around $200. It should be a cost savings of $100/month for me.

I hope this helps.

[Bobby dog]

Sharon:
What a sad story with a happy ending! I think you are making a good decision not trying raw with an immune compromized kitty. I have read comments from raw feeders suggesting not to introduce raw to an immune compromised or newly diagnosed with cancer pet.

I keep the medallions on hand when NV e-mails coupons. Otherwise I might catch a sale on dehydrated or freeze dried for my guys. Raw isn’t really on the menu, but I like to rotate it in if I can.

[Bobby dog]

Sharon:
I think they are hiding the veggies! lol I always give the leftover veggies to Bobby. I am not sure he even likes eating them as much as he knows it’s from the cat’s food.

aquariangt:
I kinda figured you already tried raw, but you never know. I know that insulted cat look when you try to give them something new all to well. I have tried so many foods I started a spreadsheet so I don’t keep wasting money. I do have a great rotation going for my cat that will eat anything. My other four are tough nuts to crack. They want dry food and Purina. At least they have good dry food and a few days a week they will eat some decent food. Oh well, we can only keep trying. I haven’t tried HK for my cats, I don’t think they would go for it though; not writing it off entirely because you never know.

[arwyru24]

Its true, I forget that NB has been sold since the last time I’ve fed their food. I was feeding their LID green pea and chicken canned cat food for a little while, but haven’t in a long time. I have tried some Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried raw reconstituted but that wasn’t a hit, and I am a little nervous about feeding frozen raw, that I am not really comfortable with it yet…but I look at it a lot and I think about it.

My older cat Aaron has stomatitis, and I really need to have all of his teeth extracted but I can’t afford to do that right now, so I know he does live with some degree of pain and inflammation and infection but his quality of life seems really good still, he eats enthusiastically, plays, cuddles, and gets more and more comfortable all the time. He came to me with this, I adopted him at 10yrs old, and his oral health wasn’t noticed at the shelter until I took him to my vet as soon as I adopted him. Anyway, to get back on topic, the stomatitis is either caused by or results in (which came first the chicken or the egg) him being pretty immuno suppressed and so I don’t think feeding raw is a good idea. I take him to the vet and treat the pain and infection if it flairs up and he seems escpecially stoic, hiding, not eating etc. A full mouth extraction is very expensive.

[Linsey H]

Hi there, I started reading these forums back when I was first researching a puppy, and so far it has served me well, though I finally have a question. I know that there is a separate thread for large breed puppies, but I felt like my question might have been a bit too long and complicated for it.

I have a 21w, 45lb female Shiloh Shepherd and she has recently started teething. I have been restricting her calcium pretty thoroughly, though I have heard from several reliable people that I should be giving her more during her teething phase. My internet searches so far have been unhelpful and I have not found much scientific data on large breeds and teething. I am also a little concerned with her current diet ratios, so if I am doing something terrible, I am hoping that someone can call me out on it. So far my puppy has been putting on steady 2 pounds a week, with the exception of a few ~3lb/week growth spurts. She does appear to get occasional growing pains still though.

Her current diet:
She receives two meals a day which consist of kibble and toppers, and since she is a puppy she still receives a significant amount of training treats. I have been using http://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com/pdf/CalorieRequirementsForDogs.pdf as a rough guideline for calories- my puppy gets roughly 1.1-1.3k C from kibble and then 200-500C from toppers, chews and training treats. I have read that large breeds have slightly different requirements after 4mo, plus my puppy is decently active- she walks a lot, plays plenty of fetch, and then gets at least 1 hour of dog play through various outlets daily. I generally adjust how much she gets of what based on what she did that day, and she has been staying very lean and well muscled.

For kibble, her breeder had her on Earthborn Holistic: Meadow Feast, and since that was on Hound Dog Mom’s list and had the right amount of calcium I have kept her on it. The breeder also suggested using Flexicose and Missing Link Puppy as supplements- I am not sure if Missing Link is the best, but the breeder said that the calcium amounts checked out (only the min is on the package).

For toppers, she almost always gets a tablespoon of pumpkin and then either raw green tripe, a raw ground mix from our butcher, or canned PetKind. The raw mix consists of 10% green tripe, 10% organs, and 80% beef – it is bone free and has been the main thing reducing calcium in her diet. As of last month, I have started giving my puppy either a raw (irradiated) egg or a chicken wing every 2-3 days (whenever she finishes .75-1lb pound of the supplement). I had read somewhere that a chicken wing contains ~1.86g of calcium and 89g total with ~38% being bone, though my math is still somewhat guestimate-y. I also have backs and necks, but I was under the impression that they had more calcium.

For treats, she either gets soft Buddy Biscuits (grain free), dried/dehydrated meat, lamb lung, Orijen treats, or cooked chicken- she definitely prefers softer treats and no is no longer interested in kibble rewards (she spits it out in training). When I had her on only meat-based rewards, she started to get a little snobbish so I reintroduced the Buddy Biscuits, but I am not sure that they are the healthiest option. I try to limit the amount on normal days to 100C, and then for days she has class (or if I work with her on a lot of new behaviors) she gets 200-300C.

For chews, she either gets Beams (fish skin), bison trachea (dehydrated, I have not been able to find raw/frozen), or tendon- though she is not as interested in the last two since she has been teething. Pumpkin filled kongs have been another option, though she is not a big kong fan. Lamb lung, jerky, or sweet potato, are rare accompaniments to the pumpkin. She is a gentle chewer and only finishes the beams in a single session. She is no longer interested in fruit/veggie chews. For teething, I have tried frozen towels/ropes soaked in a broth solution, but she has yet to go for them. Her favorite “chew” is definitely the raw bones, but I don’t want to give her too many due to calcium levels.

Anyways, my core question is this:
Does her current diet seem too far out of balance?

With the follow-ups being these:
1) Am I giving her too many calories in unbalanced toppers and treats?
2) Is my puppy getting too much or not enough calcium?
3) Are there other raw chewing options with less calcium (unless she needs more)?
4) Are there any specific books I should read in addition to Dr. Becker and Steve Brown’s books?
5) What are some of the better online resources for buying raw? My local butcher shop is pretty great, but unfortunately they don’t carry everything.

[Bobby dog]

Aquariangt – ever think about raw for your kitty? I have some very picky eaters too. lol Just fed some NV medallions today and was thinking of your quandary. Only a few of my cats will eat Nature’s Variety raw and that is only a few times a month. One cat will even do dehydrated every now and then. I figure even if it is only a few days a month, it gives them a little more of a variety in their diet.

Since it’s clearly cat food review day, here are mine:
I came across some sales while I was stocking up on pet food for the month and tried out some foods I would not normally buy.
Wellness Divine Duos, same experience as everyone else, my cats ate the pate’, ate all the gravy, and either left the chunks or ate a little bit of them. Finally tried Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul, all but one cat liked it. I am going to add this to my rotation. Also tried Nutro Max Cat Chic & Lamb Sr, only Archie liked it, and Chic & Liver, a couple of my cats liked it; adding Chic & Liver to my rotation.

~Natural Balance Platefulls BOGO – I tried the chicken and salmon recipes. It is packaged in a pouch and has very large chunks with gravy. Only Archie liked it and he didn’t even finish it all, he left some chunks behind.
~Science Diet GF on sale 10 cans/$8 – only had chicken left. The picture on the label looked like it was small chunk style, but it is pate’ style. It has vegetables listed on the ingredients, but they are cut very, very small and mixed in well. The only hint of vegetable is some specks of orange from the carrots. I liked that because my cats only eat around the veggies. Most of my cats liked it and ate it for a few days. Not sure what the retail price is; I would buy it again.
~Blue Buffalo Spa Select Turkey & Chic – this was on the clearance rack so I thought I would give it a try. All but one cat liked it. It is pate’ style and it was very similar to Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul. I would buy this again.

C4c:
I hope your pup is okay.

I am glad you’re doing better today. You didn’t over react and you kept it very cordial. Anyone who comes to DFA for over a year will come across a discussion or two on vaccs and titers and is well aware of the controversy. A few things this site teaches is to make the best decision for your circumstance(s) and do the best you can within your budget for your pets. You do that and more for your fur babies. Anyone who tries to make your feel guilty for your choices, insinuates you would compromise your dogs’ health by boarding them, or would ignore the risks of vaccination is mistaken. 🙂

[Michele N]

I’ve done my research with my dog for the past 5 years, as he’s had issues since I’ve had him. I KNOW how to read a label, and believe me, I’ve spent more time doing that than anyone I know. I am not an idiot that doesn’t know how to read ingredients, and I am offended at Dinovite, who sent me an ingredient list, of a dog food, that is NOT even what I feed my dog. Maybe THEY should do their research before sending out an email of an ingredient list of a completely different dog food then what I feed my dog. It’s pretty ignorant if you ask me. I have the privilege of knowing pet nutritionist, holistic vets, and have come to my own conclusions, that feeding raw is the very best option, especially if you use your own human food, because then you know exactly what your dog is eating. Unfortunately I cannot afford to feed him this on a daily basis, nor do I always have the time to prepare it for my 3. I am lucky to have 2 excellent pet food stores, not big commercial chain stores, that actually do their research and buy high quality dog and cat food. I switched to grain free years ago, but until I found a brand that used a very limited amount of ingredients did my poor allergy sufferer get any true relief and his skin infection cleared up,and all of his fur grew back. I also think taking him to an allergist and having him tested for every ingredient in dog food, is not only ridiculously expensive, but it’s a huge waste of money. The fact being that the dog food companies use fillers with their mix of vitamins, some of which come from China and India. This is NOT listed on the ingredients on any package including this Dinovite stuff. So that being said, none of us REALLY know every single ingredient in dog food, or premixed vitamins, like Dinovite. Who knows where they get the fillers used to bind the vitamin mix. Who knows for sure what is truly in it? Fact is, my dog is allergic to the outside environment and there isn’t anything I can do to prevent that, which is partly why I wanted to try this Dinovite to help him with this time of year, as they claim the vitamin mix helps dogs with yeast and allergy issues. But instead of helping him, it made him break out with red bumps all over his body, and now we have to deal with a skin infection. There is obviously something in this product that he is very allergic to. So my question is, why is this company putting ingredients in their product, that could cause these severe allergic reactions in dogs that already have immune suppressed systems? Why are they telling people to put their dogs on a yeast free, and grain free diet, yet put those ingredients in their supplement? It seems highly irresponsible of this company to CLAIM to help these dogs, only to make them worse. I can use my own supplements in my dogs food, which is what I was doing, without issues, so I guess, yes , I should’ve known better. Any product out there that CLAIMS to be a cure all, is really a SCAM! I have learned to trust my better judgement, and know that most of these pet products are full of crap. Literally! Also explain to me why when I emailed Dinovite, telling them since putting my dog on it, he is itchier, that,they told me that I need to keep him on it longer because I haven’t given it enough time to do it’s work? Maybe they need to hire some reputable people that give out good advice instead of just caring about their pocket book. Maybe they need to put a disclaimer on their product, stating that this supplement may actually make your dog sicker than he was before starting him on it, and may require you taking him to the vet and paying out enormous vet bills to fix the problem that our product may cause your pet. This product may have helped other dogs that don’t have poor immune systems that can handle the crap they put in this product.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jason –

Victor is a great food – just be aware that the only two formulas with calcium levels appropriate for large breed puppies are the chicken and rice formula and the lamb and rice formula. He’ll be fine if you switch him to a good food now, at only three months old a doubt there has been any dietary damage. 🙂 Raw meaty bones are – imo – the best chew. However, because he’s still growing and bones are high in calcium I’d limit to only once or twice a week. Things like turkey necks, chicken backs, etc. are all great. Raw tracheas are another wonderful chew for puppies – they’re nice and gummy and not too hard. If you aren’t comfortable feeding raw bones you could go with natural chews such as bully sticks or dried tracheas (just make sure they’re from a reputable company).

[Dawn R]

Thanks all!

She is an English bulldog… And will be joining my existing crew of 2 pugs that are 5 and 6 years old. It’s been a while since I’ve had a puppy so want to make sure I start out on the right foot. My pugs have been on raw for years and stay healthy and lean on it. Back when I was a newbie dog owner I used to feed beneful so I’ve come a long way in dog nutrition.

I’ve picked out a few foods…..stella and Chewys raw, some ziwipeak dehydrated, and acana and Origen dry food. The breeder has her on Royal Canine mini starter and not sure if I should transition right away to new food. Any suggestions?

Should I be feeding 2 or 3 times a day….. ?

I saw a few products online geared to puppies, has anyone used Whollistic Pet colostrum, missing link for puppies, or Puppy Gold. They all seem like transition type products.

Getting excited….. I get her in 12 days!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Dawn –

If you’re feeding a balanced raw diet, it’s not necessary to add any supplements. However, there are many supplements that may be beneficial. Probiotics are a great way to support gut health – you can purchase probiotic supplements or mix in some kefir or plain yogurt with his meals. Omega 3’s are a wonderful way to support a a healthy skin and coat, provide ant-inflammatory benefits and support the immune system – you can purchase a high quality fish oil or feed tinned sardines and/or cage-free eggs a couple times per week. There are various nutraceuticals that have various health promoting properties you may want to consider – I personally like to make a “blend” of items such as bee pollen, spirulina, kelp, chlorella, turmeric, etc. Swanson Vitamins is a great site to shop for supplements, I do the majority of my supplement shopping for both my dogs and myself there. They’ve got a lot of great stuff and the best prices I’ve found.

[marmarx89]

my favorite treats are made by Vital Essentials, they are raw freeze dried nuggets of green tripe, my guy goes crazy for them. Also, I’m a huge fan of the Orijen’s freeze dried treats, especially the Tundra flavor.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Dawn R-
Congratulations on your new pup! I don’t feed raw except for a handful of the commercial frozen nuggets a few times a week with their kibble. I just wanted to “bump up” your post so that others with more knowledge can chime in. Although, I would continue whatever the breeder is feeding for at least a few weeks until she gets settled in. Good luck!

[Michele N]

I have a 5 year old German Shepherd who has had allergies since he was just a pup. We have tried just about everything out on the market to relieve his itching. He has itched his fur off at times, and it is black underneath. He has a yeasty smell to him. He had to be on steroid shots when he was younger due to his terrible outbreaks and skin infections. He gets worse in the summer, but his problem went year round. Until I got sick of having him on high doses of Benadryll and taking him to the vet for the allergy medicine, which really didn’t help the problem, just gave him a little relief. After a year of me spending hours of researching nutrition , and yeast problems in dogs, I stumbled upon a dog food, that pretty much saved my dogs life. It is Dr. E’s Limited Ingredient Grain and Potato Free Food. It only contains 5 ingredients. For the first time in his life, my dogs fur grew back and he stopped itching and he didn’t smell anymore. I also have him on supplements, probiotics, digestive enzymes by Mercola, Jointsaver, & Lysine. This spring came all the pollens and grass which he is also allergic to, and he started itching again. Although this time he didn’t scratch off his fur. He just had some hot spots, and so I had a friend suggest trying Dinovite, because he said it was helping his dog. I can say that since I put him on this supplement, about a week and a half, he has been itching himself until he bleeds. I emailed the company and they said that was not enough time for the product to work. So I continued a couple more days, and now I am ready to toss this stuff in the garbage. I am so steaming furious, that this company would put out a product that contains yeast as an ingredient, and a ground grain sorghum, and then tell you to put your dog on a yeast and grain free diet, makes no sense to me. I don’t know where they source their ingredients, maybe China, I don’t know, but what I do know is that my dog hasn’t been this bad off in years. He has red bumps all over his legs, back, stomach, groin, even his tail. He is so miserable, that now I may have to have him go back on the terrible medicine I wanted him off of. He has bad hips and elbows and arthritis, so the last thing he needs to be on are steroids. But now it seems as if he has a horrible skin infection after being on this product. We haven’t changed anything else in his diet , so I know for sure, that this reaction is caused from the Dinovite. I absolutely DO NOT recommend giving ANY dog this product that has allergies, immune disorders, pancreatic disorders, or skin problems. He was doing oK, with his allergies, he was itchy, but he didn’t have these red bumps all over his body, and he wasn’t scratching himself bloody. Now I am going to have a huge vet bill, on top of a very miserable dog. I am One very UNHAPPY customer. I should have known better. The less ingredients he has in his diet , the better. There is no miracle cure for allergies, and any product that claims to be, is lying. The only thing you can really do, is limit your dogs ingredients, find a food that has limited ingredients or feed a raw diet so that you know exactly what your dog is eating. Use human grade supplements recommended by a holistic vet, and research dog nutritionists and find one and talk to one if you can. And if you dog is allergic to pollen and grass like mine is, give them baths frequently after they’ve been outside. I use Zymox enzymatic shampoo and rinse. I also have used Dermagic and all of their products are fantastic, especially the hot spot salve. It doesn’t just sooth the itchy skin, it takes the hot spots away. I am mad that I got sucked in to this SCAM at my dogs expense!

[Zach M]

What are your guys costs per month for feeding a raw diet

[crazy4cats]

I just recently bought some (coconut oil) so I don’t have any real experience with it other than I think it tastes yummy! Lol! I mostly used supplements with slippery elm, l-Glutamine, DGL, and similar. The coconut oil is supposed to be very good for them. Give it a try! Also wanted to tell you that when I feed my dogs Victor with Northwest Naturals mixed in, their “output” is awesome! I only feed a few times a week because it is expensive and I have a lot of canned I need to go through. There are other frozen raw nuggets, such as Nature’s Variety that you could check out also.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Regina-
Bummer! That doesn’t help any, does it? Yes, make sure you ask exactly what they tested for because they do have different tests for different issues. Did they send it out to a lab? ACV stands for apple cider vinegar. If you buy it, make sure to get the unfiltered kind. It contains the “mother” and is kind of cloudy. It is extremely strong, so make sure you dilute and start with a small amount. I don’t use it regularly, but I guess others do. I also see it listed in some ingredients. It is in the raw nuggets that I occasionally feed. As for avid, I don’t know what that is either. Good luck with your elimination diet.

[Dawn R]

Is there anything I should be giving an 8 week old bulldog as a puppy supplement? I’m planning on feeding raw as soon as I get her.

Thanks for any feedback….

Dawn

[John N]

I was going to throw all these (cooked) ingredients in a blender:
1 Can of Mackeral
Eggs x 4
1/2 Pound of Beef Heart
1/2 Pound of Beef Liver
1 Pound of Ground Meat (Pork or Turkey or Chicken)
2 Sweet Potatoes
2 Cups of Spinach
1 Cup of Green Beans
1 Cup of Peas
1 Cup of Carrots
2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
1 Can of Lamb Green Tripe

Feed that blender mix as a meal, twice a day. But 3 days a week (Mon/Wed/Fri), I will feed a raw chicken quarter as a meal for bone. And on Saturdays and Sundays, I would give a raw pork bone as an afternoon snack.

And maybe throw a children’s gummy multivitamin 3-4 days a week to add in any random vitamin/minerals? Would this get all the nutrients that the dog needs?

[BRT]

Need help please….

I thought I was transitioning slow enough, but this morning both had diarrhea and then when I went home at lunch today my shih tzu/yorkie had a massive mucousy stool. I clearly need to tone it back. How long should the switch completely over take?

I called two pet food stores where I live who a totally for raw and got two different answers. One told me the switch can take up to a month. The other said go cold turkey and give them just raw for dinner tonight.

I’m so confused and am coming here for some definitive advice. I don’t want to give up this quickly, but I don’t want to cause them any additional tummy issues.

Thank you!

[Linda H]

OK – I joined this section to get to the good foods ! Editors choice – Whole EarthFarms Grain Free Recipe Beef and Lamb – I just read reviews on the main site here – that there is a horrendous BAD smell – and people returning the product due to the smell being so bad and dogs getting sick. Foreign objects found in the canned food and apple seeds and bones. OK back to the drawing board – 🙁

[DogFoodie]

I’ll let Shawna, our resident expert on kidney disease, know that you could use her help.

Also have you ever considered a raw diet? Darwin’s has one formulated by Dr. Barbara Royal. They’re also happy to work with your vet on getting the best diet for your dog.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Pacer –

A balanced homemade raw diet is cheaper and better quality than commercial raw foods. However, it takes a little research to learn to formulate a balanced homemade raw diet. I always recommend those new to making raw check out “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown. If done properly, feeding raw can be about the same cost as feeding a 5 star kibble. I keep costs low by purchasing my meat in bulk and making use of cuts that are less appealing to humans and, therefore, cost less per pound – such as heart, gizzards, green tripe, etc. For a dog with a compromised immune system, it would probably be a better idea to feed a home-cooked diet or a commercially available “raw” diet that has undergone high pressure processing (HPP) to destroy pathogenic bacteria. If you do want to feed raw to your dog with cancer I would suggest consulting with a knowledgeable holistic veterinarian first.

[pacer1978]

Hello HDM,

I am researching the forums trying to find some answers to my questions and found this thread.

I hope you can help me with a quick question. I have been introducing my dogs to raw a little over time. I have fed them Nature’s Variety and right now they have Primal as well. Most of their food is kibble based (Earthborn, NV, or Fromme). My first question is whether the commercial raw foods are ideal or is it best to purchase the raw (human) food from the supermarket and make it yourself? I do have three dogs (2 Weimaraners and one mix-40lbs), so to keep cost down would be helpful. IS there a cost effective way of feeding raw?

On a side note, we received bad news last week that our 40lb dog, Lucy (the mix), has lung tumors. We’ve only had her for 4 years and took her in as a stray wandering our neighborhood. I have read recently two different perspectives. One, that raw is bad for a dog that already has a lower immune system, but also read articles claiming that a raw diet, with fresh Kale and Turmeric is a good idea to feed a dog that has cancer. Any ideas which is best? Should I discontinue the raw in Lucy’s diet altogether?

[Bobby dog]

Akari:
That’s great to read!!!!!! 😀 Just stick with the shampoo from Petflow, it is clearing out the yeast on his skin. It contains the ingredients to kill off the yeast, unless you have some Malasab or Nolvasan (or the equivalent of Nolvasan from the drug store) on hand. The other shampoos you mentioned before have oatmeal or don’t have anything to kill the yeast and will just dry out his skin.

Treating the outside is as important as the food that goes in!!! Try to get the point across to your mom that she is contributing to his condition by feeding food that helps the yeast grow. It should be easy to convince her now since his hair is growing back! You are doing what is helping him, no carbs just protein.

And I read about your meat shopping spree! I am going to lobby my local grocery store to carry more raw meat choices for Bobby! haha I am jealous of your store’s selection.