[jen.mcco]

Curious if there is a listing of foods that include grain by any chance– I do rotation diets with my older boxers (5 yrs and 9 yrs) which include grain/grain-free/raw– WE do not feed corn/wheat/soy products and everything I feed is on the 4 or 5 star list– However we will be getting another boxer puppy in 3 wks– Although I would like to rotate his diets as well I would like to know if there are any 4 star foods that are acceptable for a large breed puppy that is not totally grain free-

[crazy4cats]

My favorite are:
Victor grain free kibble
Nature’s Logic kibble
Kirkland Cuts in Gravy canned
Pure Balance canned
Northwest Naturals raw nuggets

[RescueDaneMom]

I just wanted to get a sense of what people are using and what they like. My top 5 would be:
The Honest Kitchen
Primal
Stella & Chewy’s
Tucker’s Raw
Orijen

Max is getting tired of The Honest Kitchen and doesn’t really want to eat it anymore regardless of the variety. I started giving him kibble again even though I don’t really want to. Right now he is eating Orijen with his raw (Primal, S&C, Tucker’s, and Vital Essentials). I was looking in to other kibble brands but I want to try going grain-free AND potato-free for Max’s arthritis to see if it helps any.

[Anonymous]

Yes, my dog loves the Peanut butter honey flavor of Sojos http://www.amazon.com/Sojos-Treats-Peanut-Butter-Honey/dp/B000ROR8U4 and Jerhigh strawberry flavor treats http://www.petsworld.in/jerhigh-strawberry-fruity-stix.html.

[RescueDaneMom]

What are your top 5 favorite foods for your dog(s)? It can be kibble, canned, raw, dehydrated, freeze-dried, pre-mix, etc.

[Shasta220]

:/ sorry, Marie. This is why I don’t recall ever taking time to look for specific foods…. I always figure “if this person needs the food so desperately, it’s not that hard for them to take a while and skim thru DFA’s reviews themselves…”

Maybe they just come on here once in a while and will still be back? 😉

To goldie d: I concur with InkedMarie on those foods lol! Those ones and then possibly looking into canned or otherwise home made (I know you said no raw, but home made doesn’t always have to be raw…)

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nona-
I agree with the other two posters. I don’t think you necessarily need to switch foods due to your dog being a senior. I think you need to find another food because it is healthy to rotate and add variety. And also to have another food to use in case you can’t get the current food. Like Marie said, seniors don’t necessarily need less protein like many senior foods have. They actually could use more high quality protein. Since your dog has been on the same food for so long, when you switch, you will have to transition very slowly. I’d also try to find something with similar fat and protein levels. I also really think that adding healthy toppers to dry food is a must. I use either canned, dehydrated, raw, eggs, cottage cheese, or sardines to every meal. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi, Poor boy, I have Auto Immune Disease, (C.R.E.S.T) at first the Dr’s thought I had Lupus but as the years have gone by symptoms for C.R,E,S,T seem to fit more then the Lupus, its an awful disease, the steroids made me feel worst, dizzy sick, I was on the Presidone, Ive stopped all my tablets & I feel better, but do get very tired & have to have a afternoon sleep also make sure he doesnt stress in anyway, when I stress my body starts attacking my organs especially my kidneys…
One of Patches vets seems to think that Patch may have Auto Immune Disease cause last year after his vaccinations he became ill again, so you may have to do alot of research about giving him his vaccinations, Im not doing Patches Vaccination when due in 3 years…Yahoo has a good group run by Lew Olson PhD that has written a book called “Raw & Natural Nutrition for dogs, her group is called “Dog Nutrition & Health’ or K9Nutrition Lew Olson, she is excellent for asking questions on Auto Immune disease in dogs, she believes that Raw is best or cooked meals not kibble…she has a section in her book what to cook for Auto Immune disease in dogs…..
Carol D nothing causes Auto Immune Disease that they know of, stress can bring it on if you have it, Dr’s have told me that I inherited the disease but no one else in my family has it, my nanna or her mother never had it but back in the old days they didnt know much about alot of illnesses, so they may of had it, also the Dr said that I would of inherited Auto Immune Disease from my dads side not my mum side..

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Joanne –

My assumption as to why the frozen raw hasn’t been reviewed yet is because there’s no information about it on the company’s website – I’ve never been able to locate a general analysis of ingredient list on their site. They sell the freeze-dried on their online store and the ingredients and general analysis are listed there but they don’t sell the frozen online and there’s no information (that I can see) about it. Sandy and Dr. Mike can’t write a review without this information.

[Dori]

Hi Brenda. I’m not sure if you would feed commercial raw, but Vital Essentials Raw and also Natures Variety Instinct Raw are both great. I have three toy dogs, a Maltese that will be 15 years old in September and weighs around 7.5 lbs, and a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo (has tons of allergies/intolerances to foods and also environmental allergies) and weighs 6 lbs. and I also have a 4 1/2 year old Yorkipoo that weighs 5 lbs.. They all do really well on both these foods including Katie, my allergy girl. Both brands make the raw food in what would be sort of a kibble like size (bites) so you can just scoop the amount you want into the bowl, wait about 10 minutes and feed. The patties are more cost efficient but you, as I, aren’t concerned about the cost. For me it’s because my dogs are so small (they eat 1/4 cup twice a day) that the cost is not prohibitive. I’m assuming that would be the same for you. Anyway, hope I’ve helped. I don’t feed any kibble because it’s just too difficult to find anything that Katie can tolerate. She came to be at 9 weeks old with food issues and I have not found any kibble that she can deal with so I gave up. Dori

[Joanne H]

Does anyone have comments on this food? I see K9 freeze dried rated by DFA but not the frozen raw and wonder if there is a negative reason? It was recommended to me for my high allergy lab.

[LabTX]

Hound Dog Mom, I’ve been reading a lot of your posts on the Large Breed Puppies topic and was wondering if you had some insight for a large breed adult puppy. I have a 7.5 yr old, 65lb, chocolate lab who has been on a RAW diet for the last 2-3 years. She has been through BARF, Tuckers, and most recently OC RAW. My wife thought it would be easier if we switched her back to dry food. The savings would be nice, but I’m worried about her health more than anything. Are there any decent dry food replacements that are going to do as well as the RAW? I will say, I have never seen a dog so excited to eat in my life. Sometimes I wonder if she’s constantly hungry on the RAW because of the way she acts, but she maintains a healthy 65lb weight.

[DogFoodie]

Darn it! I posted a response, but it disappeared. I hate that! I’ll try again.

My Golden, Sam, just turned two and he has some food intolerances. He can’t have fish in any form, garlic (apparently) or chickpeas & lentils. He’s eaten a lot of foods that he did great on, once; but, when I feed it again, he reacted. When he’s exposed to something to which he’s intolerant, he develops a red inflamed right ear that quickly turns into a yeast infection in that same ear. The chickpeas and lentils give him horrible gas and loose stools. He also doesn’t seem to do well on foods with lots of fruits and veggies, like Orijen and Wholesome Blend. He does well on Darwin’s raw for short periods of time at a stretch, but I think you’re looking for kibble. I have to pay attention to his protein, fat and carb levels and know what ranges he seems to work best within. I recently started him on Udo’s Choice DHA blend, an omega supplement, and the poor thing had gas so bad it woke me up at night after just one teaspoon per day for a week. There are so many foods I’d love to try him on, but wouldn’t dare; but, it’s very important to me to have multiple foods for him, so I keep trying. So far, the only food he can eat without reacting is MS Lamb. I’m getting ready to try him next on Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Duck next and have my fingers crossed. My Cavalier can eat most anything, but it does seem that chickpeas and lentils cause her to become constipated. She doesn’t have anything that I consider to be “true intolerances.”

So, that said, foods that I trust and that Sam has eaten, at least once, and did well on are Canine Caviar, Horizon Legacy (my Cavalier eats Amicus sometimes which would be great for your little guy), Nature’s Logic, Dr. Tim’s, Brother’s Complete, Wellness Core, Earthborn Holistics and NutriSource. Of these, I most wish I was still able to use the Horizon and Dr. Tim’s.

If it weren’t for those intolerances, there would be many more he’d have eaten. One food I like and tried a couple of different formulas for Sam is Victor. I was disappointed the Victor didn’t work, it’s a great product and the price is a huge unexpected bonus! A couple of foods I wish I could use for him are Go!, Now Fresh, Farmina and Annamaet, but those all contain triggers. I’ve considered fermenting some veggies to add to his foods because I often wonder if it’s the cabbage in the MS that’s one of the reasons he does so well on it. Commercial raw and canned foods are a completely different story ~ are either of those options for you?

[GizmoMom]

I am very sorry for your loss.

Did you have the treat tested?

The only Dogswell recall I saw was a year ago.
/dog-food-recall/dogswell-withdraws-dog-cat-jerky-treats/

[Shasta220]

Sorry you’re having such a hard time! I’ve never been able to go raw (although I’d like to when I move out and can manage to find the money, resources, and space for keeping a freezer full of meat), so I’m little help. You’re not alone though. I know a dog who was on raw for a while. He seemed mostly fine, but he would get very red skin and other problems. When they put him back on kibble, he was completely normal again.

So keep trying, and I’m sure some people on here will be great help! 🙂

[Shasta220]

I’ve only skimmed through the posts, so I’m sorry if I’m butting in lol!

Our lab used to be on Dog Chow as well. She always suffered mildly from otitis (skin and ear infections). It eventually got so far out of hand. The poor girl was covered in gross raw patches. We put a sweater on her and a cone, but that was just preventing her from scratching, and not helping her feel better. Took her to the vet and they gave us tons of medications (they were really very little help. They just said “well, she has an allergy to food, environment, or fleas. It’s your job to find out which one, not mine!”)

I knew as soon as we ran out of those meds, then she’d be back in itchville. So I found DFA and then got her on a food without corn, wheat, or soy. In all her 12 years, I have never seen her NOT shake her head constantly and rub the ears after I clean them out. She stopped stinking, her fur grew back, she never scratched again, and now her ears are soft and she lets us pet them! Before, her ears were waxy and gross, and if we even touched them, it’d send her into an itching spree…

She also gets a raw egg, fish oil, and coconut oil daily (she gets a bit under 1tbsp, she’s 70lb. She was getting a bit over a tbsp, but then she refused to eat the oil. I dropped it for a few days, then offered her less, and she ate it all). I’m trying a grain free food with her right now, just to see if it’ll help with her dandruff. It’s very mild dandruff, so if the GF doesn’t help, I’m not worried at all.

So that’s my success story of a very similar situation 🙂

she’s pretty rotational with the kibbles. Let’s see, she’s successfully been on Dog Lovers Gold, Pure Balance GF, Diamond Naturals, Wenaewe, Paramount GF, and one or two others, can’t remember off the top. Right now she’s on the pure balance GF – I’ll probably move to NutriSource GF when this bag is empty. I tried her on NutriSource grain-inclusive…I don’t know if it was coincidence or what, but she broke out horribly (I might try it again in the future, as she’s been on worse foods without a problem)

[Nicole V]

Hi Marie,
I’ve tried Darwin’s Choice frozen raw, and Nature’s Variety frozen raw without success. Then I tried Stella and Chewy’s FD because I got some samples at a pet store, and she was fine. Since then, she’s been getting S&C regularly as a snack and Dr. Harvey’s green tripe treats. That’s as raw as we are right now. 🙂

[InkedMarie]

Have you tried ground raw or premade raw?

[Nicole V]

Thank you HDMom! I appreciate the feedback. Yes, I wish the transition was easier, but I’m glad that she seems to be okay with, and enjoying, the freeze-dried food. I’m also happy that she’s finally eating her kibble with gusto. When I first adopted her, she was underweight, and never finished her meals…even with the fish oil. The Fromm’s seems to be very enticing to her, and although I’m sure it’s a healthy kibble, I prefer to also offer her the benefits of the raw as well. 🙂
Thanks again!

[T]

Don’t forget to support gut healing (probiotics, digestive enzymes, L-glutamine, bone broth, etc.) while you are working on finding a diet that works for your guy.

For red, hot, itchy ears (with or without exudate), steer away from “hot” proteins like venison, lamb and chicken. Steer toward rabbit, turkey, white fish. Canned food, homemade cooked, or raw food are all “cooler” than dry kibble. Adding healthy fats like sardines and eggs can be very beneficial, too.

Green veggies can help cool things down, too. Just make sure you puree them or lightly cook or the dog may not derive full benefit of the veggies.

Also, I like Zymox or Zymox HC ear drops as an alternative to the strong meds most vets prescribe.

Tabitha
http://naturalalternativesvet.com

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Nicole –

There’s no reason why you could not feed freeze-dried food in the morning and kibble in the evening. Just try it out and see how your dog reacts.

Sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience with frozen raw! 🙁 It can be frustrating for sure. Some dogs transition to raw with no issues, others take awhile and for a select few raw just may not be the right choice and may never work out. A regular here by the name of Cyndi had a VERY difficult time transitioning her dog to raw, but it eventually worked out and now her dog is doing very well on a raw diet. I was lucky, I transitioned all of mine to raw (cold turkey) with no problems.

[Nicole V]

Hello everyone,
I’m new to the forum and new to feeding raw. I have a 20lb terrier mutt that I adopted last year. She has a pretty sensitive stomach, and for a while I was convinced that she had a chicken intolerance. I’ve come to discover that this is not the case, which is a relief. I tried to transition her to a raw diet, but had a pretty terrible experience. When I try to feed her frozen raw, she gets very sick, and at one point had to be hospitalized. 🙁 The good news is that she seems to have no problems with freeze-dried raw (right now, I’m just feeding Stella & Chewy as a treat). I really have no explanations for this, but am grateful that I have the option. At this time, I’d like some advice on transitioning her to a 50% FD raw and 50% kibble diet. Right now, she’s eating Fromm’s kibble…I rotate their 4-star line, which she LOVES. I add wild salmon oil to her kibble every night. She also gets freeze-dried green tripe treats, sardines, and fresh fruit on a regular basis. I’m looking at Vital Essentials right now (I like the limited ingredients) and would like to feed this to her in the morning, and feed the kibble with fresh toppers at night. Has anyone tried this? Does anyone see any potential issues with feeding a sensitive dog this particular combo and on this schedule? I really appreciate any feedback.

[Naturella]

Christina, I would say probably give it a few days (2-3-ish) before you add a new ingredient just so you know if he would react for sure. As for tomatoes, I guess you could put them in a blender or food processor for a few seconds until they are pretty much mush, then try them. Make sure the whole elimination diet does not last too too long, as it is not a balanced way to feed a dog, so hopefully within 10-14 days you will know if he reacts to a particular ingredient. If he doesn’t react to any of the ones listed above, I would go with a grain-free diet, or a rice-and-maybe-oatmeal-or-millet-or-barley-as-the-only-grains diet. But grain-free is generally safer for an allergy-prone dog.

One of my classmates and friends told me that her dog was extremely itchy eating Pedigree and Beneful, so I told her what I know, and she got him on a grain-free diet – said the itch has been considerably reduced to just an occasional “normal” scratch here and there. She didn’t do an elimination diet, just straight up eliminated the grains, and she was lucky her dog did not react to anything else. So that is also another way you can approach it – just try a good quality fish-based kibble and add the THK Beams as treats and coconut oil, and see how that goes. I would probably still do an elimination though, just to be sure for myself. But, it may work out that he just needs good-quality grain-free kibble.

In case you want to just try the kibble round, some good grain-free kibbles (I will just list them for your ease, in no particular order) are:
Wellness Core – I want to feed in the future
Holistic Select
Orijen – I want to feed in the future
Acana Grain Free – I want to feed in the future
Victor Grain Free – I feed now
Earthborn Holistic Grain Free – I feed now
Dr. Tim’s Kinesis Grain Free – I have fed, no issues
Holistic Health Extension Grain Free – I have fed with no issues and I feed one of their grain-inclusive formulas now
Now! Fresh – I have fed a small bag (less than 1lb) with no issues
Nutrisca – I have fed, no issues
Nature’s Variety Instinct – I will feed (have a bag lined up under the sink, lol), and I have fed samples with no issues
Back to Basics Grain Free – I will feed the grain-inclusive one (have a bag lined up under the sink also)
NutriSource Grain Free – I have fed samples with no issue but it is severely overpriced in my area so I’m not sure I would buy a bag to feed it
Taste of the Wild – some don’t like it as it is produced by Diamond and that company had a huge recall issue in 2012 that they handled poorly, but 3 friends feed/have fed it with no issues
Blue Buffalo Wilderness – I have fed with no issues but some owners report tummy and stool issues with their dogs when on Blue food. However, 2 other friends have fed/still feed Blue with no issues.

I am sure others can pitch in with more recommendations, plus, if you can afford it/want to, it really is better to feed canned/dehydrated/homemade/raw. Or you can mix them up – I feed kibble and canned/THK food/fridge add-ins (like eggs, yoghurt, raw bones, etc.). But yeah, just start off with determining what works for Chance, you can always add new things once he is at least on better food. 🙂

[ab1028]

Now fresh is a really good food! My dog ate it and enjoyed it. For treats from trusted companies, I would recommend cloud star, sojos, and pet kind makes some good treats too. Natures variety instinct also makes some good raw treats.

[Naturella]

Christina, sounds like you are off to a good start! 🙂 For the diet, you can just use canned salmon in water, and some other fish (mackerel, sardine) to test him out (or use raw and either feed it like that or cook it up). Doesn’t have to be in the form of fish meal. And do try him with rice, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, green peas (frozen or canned), tomatoes, and, if you desire – other meats and grains. Or you can just go grain-free and not worry about trying him on other grains, but it is good to switch up the proteins every once in a while. So after the fish session, when he’s fully healed, you could try him on lamb, or bison/beef, or venison, or rabbit, etc., or chicken, if he’s good on it.

Once you know what to avoid, you can find a suitable food for him among the brands we mentioned above and others.

I got my THK Beams from http://www.petexpertise.com but I think you can fond them at the THK website as well: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com . Also at local pet boutiques or specialty stores near you. This website has a Store Locator tab somewhere, just go to the homepage and type store in the search box, it should pop up. Then you just enter your zip code and go from there.

[InkedMarie]

I’m not sure what you’re asking for help with….is it because Bravo just had a raw food recall? There are many treats out there that are great: The Honest Kitchen makes various types/sizes of treats from their Itty Bitties up to fish skins. Charlee Bear, Buddy Biscuits and SoJos are other treats I like.

[InkedMarie]

The first thing I would do is stop the dry food. I’d use canned, dehydrated, raw (core made or your own). If you must feed dry, I’d add water to your dogs food. It’s very important that a dog with crystals get a lot of moisture & have ample opportunity to urinate.

Good luck!

[Naturella]

Christina – if you want to try the fish kibble, you should – what Sue recommends are good foods, also Victor Yukon Salmon and Earthborn Coastal Catch (what I currently feed) are good. Others are Wellness Core Ocean-something and Nutrisca Salmon – also pretty good. Just make sure the food is meat-rich with fish and fish meals.

But definitely try an elimination diet so that you know what to avoid because otherwise you may find yourself constantly switching between fish kibbles because one or another ingredient may cause him to flare up. The THK beams should help though, and hopefully he won’t be allergic to fish. Definitely start him on good raw UNREFINED coconut oil at 1 tsp/day and work up to 1 tbs. daily.

Good luck, keep us posted! 🙂

[Naturella]

USA Dog Treats,

I do want to try to make jerky-style treats sometime in the near future. For now though, I have come up with a new “ice-cream” recipe, here it is:

Ingredients:
1 tbs coconut oil
1 tbs coconut butter
1/2 tbs peanut butter
1/2 tbs tahini (sesame seed “butter” or paste)
1 tsp raw local honey (or any honey)
2 1/2 tbs Greek or plain yoghurt/kefir
1 tbs crushed fruit (peach, berries, mango, banana, etc.)
1 tsp flax seed meal
1 tsp almond meal
1 tsp coconut meal/unsweetened flakes
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Prep:
Melt the first 5 ingredients in microwave or on stove until super soft and easy to stir and homogenize. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into sandwich bag and cut the tip off. Pipe into favorite toy (makes a hoof and a medium kong full of goodness plus some more) or pipe into little treat-sized piles on aluminum foil and freeze up.

These are quite caloric due to all the oils so serve sparingly. But they should be very good for coat (the coconut oil), digestion (yoghurt and flax seed meal), and overall immune support (turmeric – natural antibiotic; cinnamon – has some health benefits of sorts I hear) and health (no grain, healthy fats and carbs, some protein too). And great on a hot summer evening after a day of running/playing/swimming at a lake, beach, or the dog park! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Naturella.

[Naturella]

Jakes Mom, thank you, but I am just somewhat organized, lol. This menu is pretty flexible (for example, today he was supposed to have the raw egg for breakfast but had it for dinner; breakfast was yoghurt; no lunch) and it is not based on calories really (well, when he was eating solely kibble it was perfect because he ate just 1 cup/day based on the kcals of his food mix, but now I reduced his kibble to 3/4 cup and I just do additives to be 20% or less than balanced meals). He looks good, I can feel his ribs easily and I don’t bother measuring calories. If he became chunky, I would reduce both the kibble and add-ins to keep the ratio similar, but reduce his overall caloric intake. So yeah… I don’t know, maybe I should count calories, but meh… I just think that everything (that is safe for a dog to eat) is good in moderation and based on specific needs (skin/coat issues, tummy issues, kidney issues, bone/joint issues, thyroid/cancer issues, etc.) if any, so I just give Bruno general healthy stuff that should be ok and good for a healthy dog to maintain his awesome coat (I seriously love it and maybe I shouldn’t, but I take pride in facilitating his system to produce it like that by giving him good things, lol) and overall general health. So yeah. 🙂

And woah! You had to keep track of a lot of things! A menu can not stand up to you! You got this! Please do post it on here – I would love to see what you and others do as add-ins and maybe try something I have not thought about. And let us know if you need any more help. 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 10 months ago by Naturella.

[LexiDog]

How “local” does raw honey have to be for it to be benificial for allergies? I found some about 15 miles from my house. Would that work?

[Naturella]

All of the above are great responses, but one think I recently learned about are “satin balls” – you can look it up on Google but here is the recipe:

“Ingredients:

10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf.
Divide into 10 quart freezer bags and freeze.
Thaw as needed and feed raw!”

It is supposed to help with skin/coat and keep weight up and on really well. Also, you can use the Joint Gelatin or another oil (preferably flax seed and/or fish oil (but if fish oil mix it with another oil I would think) – they are more beneficial for their Omega fats content).

Good luck!

[Sherry C]

This food is enthusiastically recommended and I ordered it. Two huge bags from Chewy as it is not sold in my area. I have 11 dogs. Not one will touch it. So so sad.

Because I also feed one meal a day of raw, chopped chicken, my dogs are picky, I admit.

My cats love Solid Gold Indigo Moon so I want to try their Barking at the Moon for my dogs. Does anyone feed it and have dogs that like it?

[doodles0067]

I’d love to hear any opinions re great life. We’ve heard lots of conflicting reports and its not on the editors choice list, so am concern. We’ve tried everything for our very sensitive dog and GL is the only brand we can find that she tolerates and will eat without major doctoring up.. (Trying to avoid raw, homemade or freeze dried for logistical reasons.) What are the pros and cons? Why isn’t it on the list? Thanks!!

[Julie M]

Five months ago my vet suggested I put my overweight spayed Cocker Spaniel bitch on a Raw Meat diet to try and lose weight. She should be about 11Kg and was 12.5Kg Having read lots of info I started her off on 220g per day,divided into two feeds a day, primarily chicken drumsticks & wings, with offal once a week and tinned salmon, tuna or pilchards once a week. She also had about 50g part-cooked green veg (peas, beans, asparagus, cauliflower etc) to help fill her up as she is always hungry. Unfortunately she kept gaining weight. So on further advise I cut down the meat to 150g and increased the veg to 100g per day. But she is still gaining weight and today she has been weighed at 13.7Kg! I love her being on the diet as she actually has to chew & crunch food rather than hoovering it up in a matter of seconds. So the question now is what way to go…reduce the meat further and keep giving veg to fill her up or remove the veg and feed purely meat (as per the Atkins diet)? What would people recommend?

[Julie M]

Five months ago my vet suggested I put my overweight spayed Cocker Spaniel bitch on a Raw Meat diet to try and lose weight. She should be about 11Kg and was 12.5Kg Having read lots of info I started her off on 220g per day,divided into two feeds a day, primarily chicken drumsticks & wings, with offal once a week and tinned salmon, tuna or pilchards once a week. She also had about 50g part-cooked green veg (peas, beans, asparagus, cauliflower etc) to help fill her up as she is always hungry. Unfortunately she kept gaining weight. So on further advise I cut down the meat to 150g and increased the veg to 100g per day. But she is still gaining weight and today she has been weighed at 13.7Kg! I love her being on the diet as she actually has to chew & crunch food rather than hoovering it up in a matter of seconds. So the question now is what way to go…reduce the meat further and keep giving veg to fill her up or remove the veg and feed purely meat (as per the Atkins diet)? What would people recommend?

[Susan]

I didnt notice that you said can wet, the kibbles I said do do wet tin foods, the Holistic Select senior has the least fat% always look at the fat% & slowly reduce the amount ur giving…..I wish my boy had to lose weight, he has the opposite problem cant hold his weight from having Pancreatitis..I cook pumkin & boiled chicken breast u might want to do raw chicken breast take skin off any of the chicken meats if you use, this keeps the weight off as thats what Patch has for breakfast & has lost more weight also I give rice cake biscuits as treats there’s no fat in these oh & some dehydrated apple & banana as treats…

[Naturella]

I’d say brushing, natural chews (like HoundDogMom and pugmomsandy said), and, if you’re down for it – raw meaty bones (RMBs) every night or a few times/week. For a small dog (mine is a 13-lb rat terrier mix), chicken necks, chicken backs, pork neck pieces should work ok. They help clean teeth too.

[goldie d]

My dog has very bad allergies to poultry and fish also has pancreas issues so she needs food that is lower in protein and fat. 24% protein or lower 12% fat or lower. Any help would be much appreciated.

I will not do raw food.

[pugmomsandy]

Do you give chew bones of any kind (tendons, bully sticks, raw meaty bones, ribs, Himalayan chews, cow hoof, etc)? There are also oral gels and oral sprays that you can apply nightly. There’s even a seaweed that you can add to feeds such as ProDen Plaque Off or other brand. My dogs will chew on their cow hoof for two hours after they’ve eaten the tripe out of it (frozen tripe-stuffed cow hoof) and they really love gnawing on beef ribs. The Himalayan chews are really tough as well and last.

[Naturella]

I second Sandy’s advice – Bruno’s add-ins (various canned such as Merrick, Wellness, Nutro Ultra, etc.; THK Love, Embark, Force, Keen; yoghurt/kefir, cottage cheese, coconut oil, raw eggs, pumpkin, flaxseed meal on occasion, canned sardines on occasion, RMBs (pork necks and chicken backs at the moment), and raw spelts (small fish), and natural dehydrated chews – bully sticks, ears, snouts, chicken feet and necks, tracheas, etc.) constitute about 1/4 (25%) of his daily intake. However, THK and canned are also considered balanced foods (right?), so I think I am at below 20% with unbalanced additives. I just use his body condition as a guide, and will start keeping track of his weight (IDK if I will measure him though) – he is very active and runs a lot, and appears to be in tip top shape.

Also, I will give you Bruno’s weekly sample menu. He is an about 13lb, 1 year old, active Rat Terrier mix.
Kibble mix is: Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch:Vets Choice Holistic Health Extension Original:Victor Yukon Salmon in 3:1:1/3 ratio.

Treats: above kibble mix or NutriSource Seafood Select or Castor and Pollux Organix Adult (the last 2 are from samples). Also available are Nutro and Old Mother Hubbard biscuits for special occasions. Also for special occasions (or to keep him busy when I’m busy too) I make him ice-cream with yoghurt, peanut butter, coconut oil and coconut butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and turmeric, and I fill anything I can – his Kong, marrow bone, hoof, other toys with holes – and freeze. Rarely I give raw veggies/fruits like carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, apple, pineapple core, mango, raw coconut, etc. (safe stuff).

Monday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK chicken and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Tuesday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons yoghurt/kefir and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy

Wednesday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with raw egg (no shell) with a sprinkle of flaxseed meal
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK beef and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Thursday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy

Friday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons cottage cheese and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons raw organ meat (whatever I have) or raw meat/fish (whatever I have) or 2 teaspoons of canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK chicken and water to make it soupy

Saturday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon coconut oil and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK turkey and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy

Sunday:
Breakfast: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons pumpkin with a sprinkle of cinnamon and water to make it soupy
Lunch: 1/4 cup kibble with 2 teaspoons canned and water to make it soupy
Dinner: 1/4 cup kibble with teaspoon THK beef and water to make it soupy
RMB to cap it out

On days when Bruno runs a lot (i.e. Dog Park days) I may switch his next meal’s add-in with raw egg or raw meat/organ meats/fish (or canned sardine) for added natural protein “post WOD”. Or give him a dehydrated natural chew like a bully stick, a cow/lamb/pig ear, or tripe stick, or you know – “richer” stuff to make up for the calories burned and supply some lean meat for his muscles. I really just kind of gage his body condition and appetite for stuff as far as additives go. And sometimes, if I’m out of canned, I put his plain dry kibble in a dispensing toy and let him play with it and eat it as is. I also do some training daily and reward with about 20 kibble bits, and, if I want to stress on something – an Old Mother Hubbard or Nutro biscuit. Oh, and I almost always add water (as you can see) for added hydration. But yeah… So far so good with this method of mine. Hope I’m doing it right too, lol.

But I’m sure you will figure out how to balance it for Jake. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

I know the feeling! This site is making me crazy too! Lol! Do you know how many calories that you feed per day? I feed mostly by calories. Most of the toppers I use are balanced and I can compute the calories, so it isn’t too bad. I use mostly canned, dehydrated, eggs, sardines and some raw nuggets. They do get a turkey neck about once amonth and a raw marrow bone once a week. I just count that as their snacks as I subtract a couple hundred calories from each to account for daily snacks as I have big dogs. I’d like to add more fresh as well, but like you not sure how much to add. I’ve been adding toppers for so long now that I could probably eye ball it though. They hardly have ever had just plain kibble. I actually have a chart on the wall in the garage on how much kibble to use depending on what topper is being fed that meal. I’m trying really hard to keep them lean as I’ve learned my lesson on other pets. Anyway, if you can compute total calories fed. Just are sure 80% is kibble because it sounds like you will be mostly using unbalanced toppers except for Honest Kitchen. BTW, you can buy raw nuggets add that are balanced also. Good luck!

[pugmomsandy]

Check out the “body condition score” charts online. Keep a journal or something of your dog’s waist and chest measurement and body condition and weight. Evaluate him every month and decrease or increase his food accordingly. I feed mine to keep their body condition good, not necessarily to a desired weight. Mine are all obese by “breed standard” but they look great. Also feeding a complete commercial raw diet might help you keep track of calories or how much you feed by weight. For instance, I would feed mine 6 oz per day or 3 oz of raw plus another meal of something else.

[mah4angel]

So, first of all, hi! I haven’t posted in here for a while. Life has been crazy. I moved to LA, got a new job, etc. Louie is doing GREAT on his homemade raw diet.
But now I’m pretty sure he has fleas. I say “pretty sure” but, he has fleas.
He started slowly but surely scratching a little bit more every day when we moved from Salinas, CA (central/northern coast of California- relatively cool, mild weather) to LA in January. He usually hits his hindquarters, paws, underbelly, and less so his face. I’ve been checking him for fleas periodically for a while now and hadn’t found anything. And then all of a sudden summer hit and his scratching got completely out of control very very suddenly. He’s scratching more now than not and EVERYWHERE. And then last night I found one TINY little bug near the hip of one of his hind legs. It was about the size of a spec of dirt, about the size of lice, actually and it scurried away when I parted his fur. Then I found another bug, bigger, about the size of one of those tiny flies but elongated. Friggin’ flea…
I’ve been bathing him with Dr. Harvey’s flea and tick shampoo and rotating between ONPS Herbal Defense Oil and Richard Organics Flea and Tick Spray and I’m so disheartened that my poor baby has fleas 🙁 How do I get rid of them holistically? How much do I have to worry about an infestation in my house?? What do I do for my poor Louie?

[jakes mom]

I’d like some advice on managing the “add ins”, toppers, occasional RMBs I’m trying to incorporate into my dog’s meals. Jake was always fed kibble, period. Since finding this site I’ve been reading so much and getting a bit overwhelmed. I’m not ready to do completely raw but have added some RMBs as well as liver, hearts and gizzards, turkey necks. I’ve read about Honest Kitchen dehydrated food, have a small box of that to use as a topper. I’ve read the ABC diet from the See Spot Live Longer site and think that’s an appealing compromise. I’m concerned that I don’t know exactly how to balance it all. How do I balance the extra calories of the add ins? If I decrease the kibble I’m afraid he won’t get the basic nutrients he needs. If I don’t, he’s going to get chubby. I read that 20% of the diet could be unbalanced before issues arise but I’m not sure how to figure that out. Adding a bit of fresh meat/veg and decreasing the kibble might balance out the volume but still be extra calories. How many calories in a 4 inch piece of turkey neck, for Pete’s sake? Do I just give him extras some days with a little less kibble and other days just give him his basic kibble ration with no extras and hope it all evens out in the end? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[aquariangt]

Freshpet, or other fresh/raw are going to be the best bet.

Orijen has peas very far down
Nature’s Logic has no peas
If you don’t mind Natural Balance some of their LID has no peas

[Wanda F]

When we received our first bag of Orijen, last Friday, you could tell it was an amazing kibble before even opening the bag. It is very dense, you can smell the freshness and Brewer LOVES it. I mixed Orijen with Nutrisca for a couple days and he found a way to eat around the Nutrisca. Because of the high protein content I’ve been integrating it rather slowly, (a couple cups a day) but he still developed loose stool after 2 days and I am still giving him a reasonable meal with raw ingredients, not mixing. So why the loose stools??? Who knows.
And…he’s still scratching and licking!…I don’t believe this is a food allergy; I think it’s a skin allergy. When I picked up his flea and tick meds. at the vet. she told me to try Benadryl. Any comments on that? I truly hate giving my dog more medication. Are there any natural products that actually work? I’ve tried herbal flea control, he hated it and it didn’t work very well. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

[Naturella]

Jakes Mom and Bobby Dog, I also saw that on the THK website you can get some freebies quick! I just wish a dollar spent counted for more than 1 point though, lol, but oh well…

Also, Bruno has been loving all his THKs, thank goodness! I opened all of them and put them in freezer bags and I alternate between the four like this: Chicken-Turkey-Beef-Turkey so on one day he only has 2 different ones (like the first 2 one day and the next 2 the next, then repeat, and spiced up with an occasional can of sorts) and the breakfast is always different (raw egg/coconut oil/yoghurt/pumpkin/cottage cheese/kefir – whatever I have in the fridge at the moment). So this way he gets plenty of variety. Plus occasional RMBs and natural chews at night. He’s living the good life, lol (not the BEST life… Not on all raw… But for kibble-fed dog, he’s pretty good I think). I really want to get him on Wellness, Orijen and Acana one day so we’ll see – that would be in like a year at least with all the food we got. 🙂

[Paula D]

Mine switch up between Bravo and Primal raw for dinner, and then rotate,through Orijen/Acana kibble, MaxMeat, Primal and Ziwi Peak dehydrated (usually have a bag of kibble and a bag of dehydrated open and alternate the two) for breakfast, with a can of Tripett for Sunday brunch. 🙂 I do think some dogs do better with slow transitions between one food and another, but I just open a new bag when the old one is finished and don’t see any issues.

Good luck!

[Paula D]

Other air (freeze) dried types: ziwi peak (on the EChoice list, expensive) and Only Natural Pet’s Max Meat (5 stars on regular site, not sure why not on EC list, about half the price). They have more of a jerky texture than the others and don’t have to be re-hydrated, which makes them just as convenient as kibble, but with the smaller poop benefit of raw.