[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Nat R –

Just so you know, no studies exist demonstrating that protein has negative effects on giant breed puppies or adults – anything you read about this is myth and nothing more. There is, however, a lot of research proving the protein is not harmful.

Feeding Large Breed Puppies by Susan Winn DVM (Featured in IVC Journal)

“A common misconception found in many internet articles is the claim that dietary protein should be controlled in large breed puppies to prevent skeletal abnormalities. This theory was disproved some years ago (Nap, 1991). Most commercial puppy foods contain more protein than is thought necessary, but studies have shown that protein contents of 23% to 31% (dry matter) do not have a deleterious effect on growth.”

“Decades ago, we considered some adult diets appropriate for puppies. However, a calorie-calcium mismatch is probably common. Adult maintenance foods are often less calorically dense than puppy foods. Additionally, these diets may have calcium and phosphorus levels that are higher in relation to energy density than a large breed puppy diet. If a rapidly growing puppy has to eat more food to obtain enough calories for growth, a calcium overdose is possible.”

“Most nutritionists recommend that large, fast growing puppies eat diets containing AT LEAST 30% protein and 9% fat (dry matter basis).”

The Effect of Breed Size on Nutritional Considerations for Growing Puppies

“Excessive intake of dietary protein has been suggested as a contributing factor to skeletal developmental problems, such as osteochondrosis, in large breed dogs. This hypothesis was tested by feeding Great Dane puppies either 15%, 23% or 32% dietary protein (13%, 21% or 29% of energy). While the low protein diet reduced growth, no detrimental effects from the higher protein diets were observed.”

This is a FANTASTIC article (one of my favorites) on large breed nutrition written by Susan Lauten PhD – I would HIGHLY recommend reading it in its entirety, however here are some of the highlights:

Nutritional Risks to Large-Breed Dogs: From Weaning to the Geriatric Years

“Currently, no evidence exists to suggest that high-protein intake contributes to the development of orthopedic disease in growing large-breed puppies. Previous studies suggesting a risk for high protein and DOD were confounded by higher energy intake in high-protein foods. In general, large-breed puppy diets are formulated to contain approximately 30% protein (DMB) similar to other puppy foods.”

“…feeding adult foods to large-breed puppies before 1 year of age is not recommended because the calcium-to-energy ratio is generally lower in adult foods compared with large-breed puppy food. Feeding an adult food can actually result in greater intake of calcium than feeding puppy foods. Because the puppy must consume a larger portion of adult food to meet energy needs for growth, total calcium intake may actually be higher than with a properly formulated large-breed puppy formula.”

Here is the link to a study done on Great Dane pups that was featured in the Journal of Nutrition. The study concluded: “the differences in protein intake per se did not affect the occurrence of disturbed skeletal development in young Great Danes.”

Do You Know What to Feed Your Large Breed Dog? By Karen Becker DVM

“Studies have repeatedly concluded dietary protein levels have no effect on the development of skeletal problems in large and giant breed dogs. But still today, many breeders of large dogs, owners and even some veterinarians will tell you protein is the problem, even though there is no evidence to prove it. Protein excess is not the problem. In fact, it’s often a dietary protein deficiency that contributes to skeletal problems.”

You may find this of interest as well. Here Dr. Becker interviews a Newfie breeder (not Great Danes I know – however Newfies are generally considered to be a giant breed). This breeder feeds his dogs HIGH protein raw and his dogs don’t experience many of the health problems typical to giant breed dogs and his dogs live much longer than most giant breeds (he had a dog live to be 17 – the typical life span of a giant breed is about 8).

Sorry to bombard you with reading, but large breed nutrition is one of my favorite subjects and I like to make sure people have the facts. 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[zcRiley]

I stay away from anything freeze dried. If it wasn’t done properly and it’s still raw, then sits on the shelf for eternity, NO WAY. I don’t care what ingredients are in it.

[zcRiley]

Take the guess work out. Order from this link: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/search/dogs/treats-and-chews/raw-frozen-bones

[zcRiley]

Supplementing a raw diet (especially one of the best like Darwin’s) is not a good idea. Different types of foods digest at different rates, so tossing in a bit of this and that will unbalance their digestive tracts. Stop counting calories and instead monitor your dogs’ muscle growth & energy levels. You must feed more Darwin’s to get them to a healthy 12 lbs. Increase the Darwin’s per meal, when they get to 12 lbs. you decrease and maintain. There’s nothing quick & easy about feeding a pet. Darwin’s opened pouches are good in the fridge for 48 hours. Throw the pouch into a well sealed glass container like a large mason jar or a rubber sealed food container.

[crazy4cats]

Hi there-
Wow! Two St. Bernard pups at the same time. yikes! We took on two golden lab pups at the same time. It was crazy and still is at times and they are almost three! I do not feed home made food and only a little raw with kibble a few times a week, but I wanted to bump up your post in hopes someone else will respond. I do know there is a thread on large breed pups on this site that will be helpful. You are right there are special requirements to help avoid hip dysplasia. Keeping your pups lean and not over exercising are two important factors. Also their calcium levels need to be limited. That information is on the large breed thread. Hound Dog Mom is the expert in that area. Hopefully she will “pop” in with some guidance. Have fun! I think St. Bernard’s are adorable.

[pugmomsandy]

Instinct and Instinct Raw Boost and Wellness Core Small Breed are very small kibbles. We use a variety of canned foods here which my dogs love equally – Merrick (all flavors), Hound & Gatos, Wellness Core and Stews.

[crazy4cats]

Bobby Dog-
In regards to the ABC diet, I bought some Northwest Naturals raw nuggets. I feed them about 150 calories with their kibble twice a week. They have done well with them. I usually forget to defrost, though. So, I put them in warm water about 5 minutes before I feed and that is fine with them! I just don’t think I can do the raw organs. But, at least they are getting some raw meat. I haven’t done great with the vege/fruit day, however. I’ll work on that one. Lol!

[Dawn S]

Newbie here. Looking for how to make dog food and/or raw diet and how much to feed, ration etc. I love my boys and want the best for them. Especially being prone to hip dysplasia. Thanks for the help.

[InkedMarie]

I can’t answer your food question except to say that a dry food is the worst food you can feed a dog with uti’s. Moisture is of the utmost importance. You’re much better off to feed canned, dehydrated or raw. If you must feed dry, add some canned to it along with water. She also needs ample opportunities to urinate.

[pugmomsandy]

You can give them about a tablespoon of oil – olive, fish, coconut, etc, would be easy. Or maybe give them a couple whole raw sardines or a couple of eggs a week.

[Shasta220]

I’m agreeing with Amy. Maybe try an elimination diet…if you’re switching Kibbles, try to make a list of identical and different ingredients and which kibble he did good or bad on.

There’s that possibility of environmental allergies as well. I think you can get allergy pills for dogs, so you might try that if you’re pretty sure it’s not food related. Try giving raw local honey daily, too. I know many people who swear by it for theirs and their dogs’ allergies.

Only way to see if the shampoo does it is by ditching it and seeing if that makes any difference. My lab is occasionally itchy, so I use a medicated shampoo (I can’t remember the name of mine, but Malaseb is very similar I think).

You also might try another shampoo: Shea Moisture African Black Soap shampoo. It’s not designed for dogs, but it is an organic shampoo that has ingredients to help dandruff and itching. I use it myself and we loooooove it. (You can prob find it online, but it’s usually at Walmart, Target, and Walgreens for about 10$)

Shampoos usually won’t fix a problem though, just mask it. Get a skin scraping done to make sure it isn’t something like mange. Best wishes and hopefully you can get through this!

[Raffaele C]

Both my dogs are on a raw food diet (Darwin’s to be exact) and I need to increase their calories by about 100 to get them to their ideal weight of 12 pounds. I could give them more of the raw food, but I am trying to avoid having to have open packages of raw meat in the fridge. Right now I just split one pack at each meal time between the two of them and then I can just through the pack away. Quick and Easy! To give them each 100 more calories I wouldn’t need a whole other pack so I would have to store part of it in the fridge.

Anyways, I was doing a ton of research and thought about just adding some homemade food items like eggs or spinach or quinoa to supplement them and get to 100 calories. I was also considering giving them a vegan kibble but Darwin’s diet is already well balanced with meat and vegetables so I believe they are getting all their necessary amino acids and vitamins. Can anyone help with some fresh suggestions to supplement their current diet? Or should I just increase their current raw diet?

[LexiDog]

Have you had him to the vet to be checked? When my dog was itchy, I took her to the vet and he did a skin scraping on one of the itchy spots to check for mange. The skin scraping didn’t show any signs of mites. Even then she was still treated for Sarcoptic mange to rule that out because the mites can rarely be seen under the microscope. I treated her with Revoluiton and still saw no difference. So it was probably not Sarcoptic mange. Then you have to look at environmental allergies and food allergies.

The one thing that stands out is that he started getting itchy again when you added the Acana Lamb & Apple. If it is the old formula (I don’t think the new one is available for purchase yet) it is grain inclusive. So it could possibly be due to the grains. One way to find out if he is sensitive to one type of food, you could do an elimination diet. I personally have not done this, but others on here have. So they will be more helpful with that.

As you will find out that some types of foods are better than others. For example, canned is better than kibble. Homemade raw is better than canned and so on… You can check out Dr. Karen Becker’s rankings at http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/07/21/13-pet-foods-ranked-from-great-to-disastrous.aspx

[Bobby dog]

Archie update: His fur is really growing in nicely. Still a little sparse in places and his skin is still dry. However, the dry patches are past the point of scabbing over and it is more like a bad case of dandruff in those areas. Still giving him probiotics, coco oil 2x/wk, fish oil 3/x week & MSM in his morning food. The most improvement in his skin/fur came with the addition of probiotics.

Akari:
Can’t wait to see the videos, I love watching cat tricks!

Here’s my coupon questions:
What is the original price/can of the Sheba?
Is it on sale? If it is, what is the sale price/can?
Are you using the $3.00 off/24 cans coupon?

Jakes mom & C4c:
Okay, I have fallen behind a little on my ABC diet, but I did take out some beef liver that I froze the other week and will be adding it to Bobby’s dinner this evening. Although I gave him a few raw pieces as I was preparing to freeze it, which he seemed to like, I decided I would lightly cook it.

Since the few raw choices I have made so far have not gone over well, I thought I might need to take a different approach with him. I will lightly cook, then serve. In the future I will try cooking a little meat and serve it with a little raw and see how that goes. He did end up eating the chicken gizzards and hearts I first tried after I lightly cooked them.

[Happy Dog]

Glad to have found this site, it’s a wealth of information.

Needing some advice for my dog I adopted from the local shelter last August.
He came with the itches, pink/red patch on his belly, under his chin, face, around the eyes etc. Fur was really coarse yet greasy to touch. Chews his paws till it bleeds.

The fosterer recommended that we put him on a fish kibble. They weren’t sure what he was allergic to but it may have been chicken. So we put him on Wellness Simple –Salmon & Potato. Since then he has gone through:

Wellness Simple
Wellness Core Ocean
Acana Pacifica
THK Zeal
Orijen 6Fish

Topper: Fish 4 Dogs Salmon or Trout Mousse. Cooked salmon or any other fish once a week.

He was on Orjen 6 Fish till recently. We had him on through 3 bags, and he gets 1/3 cup + 1 /4 pack of Fish4Dogs Fish Mousse per meal. Twice a day.
He actually did quite well on it, less itchy, and started putting on weight. Still chews his paws though, I think he may have some allergies to grass. He was also getting quite chunky.

I thought I should started rotating him on different protein so he can eventually get some variety in his diet and went for Acana Lamb and Apple.
Before I committed to the Acana Lamb & Apple, I mixed a can of lamb and tripe to his kibble and he ate fine.

He’s been on it for 2 weeks. I mix the Acana Lamb & Apple (1/4 cup) with the Orijen 6Fish (1/4 cup). I had the kibble serving reduced as he was putting on weight.
I also switched to an oatmeal shampoo.

He seems to be worse now. Scratches more, the dry coarse fur is coming back, pink around the eyes, nose and under his arms, paws. One ear seems to be red inside, the other is fine (is it normal to have 1 inflamed ear instead of both?). Smells more ‘dog’.

So should I ditch the kibble? Or could it be the shampoo?

I was hoping he could eat more than just fish based food. I’d like to have him on a mix of kibble, canned food and homecooked meals 2x to 3x a week. Raw – I can get Primal, Addiction and some THK.

He didn’t do too well on THK zeal though. Went through 2 packs of the Zeal. He was pooping 4x a day (poop had stalks and bits of stuff that.. doesn’t seem digested), ate lots of grass (grazing like a cow), and was losing weight that’s why I put him on 6Fish. I though he needed more protein.

Any suggestions? I could go back to 6Fish, or I could go with another fish kibble like Core Ocean?

[Naturella]

Hello, DFAers!

So, for a couple days Bruno has been throwing up once a day, once on my roommate’s shirt and another at a friend’s house. The only “new” thing in his diet is frozen canned pumpkin that was thawed to use in frozen treat mixture, and then re-frozen as treats again. Could that have caused it?

I haven’t seen the color or consistency of the vomit to be able to tell if that’s what he’s vomiting mostly, but all other things and add-ins in his diet he’s had before and has had no issue with them (coconut oil, raw egg, plain yoghurt, RMBs, raw fish, THK is what he’s been having this week). Plus the treats that contain several fats (coconut oil and butter, peanut butter, tahini (sesame seed paste), turmeric, shredded coconut and almond flour, flax seed meal, honey, a pinch of cinnamon, yoghurt) and the pumpkin – the latter being the “new” thing although he’s had it before with no issue. But he’s had those treats since the day before yesterday and he’s thrown up yesterday and today, so unless he’s gotten into something (which is entirely possible), it might have to be the pumpkin I guess…

What do you think?

[jane c]

a raw mix -no potato – chicken OR beef with fruit/veg/eggs/alfafa/kelp etc. but she really does not like it.
I am considering going back to kibble-Horizon Legacy.
Maybe because I have to dispose of raw when she leaves it…
DFA says “10% of allergies are food related”
so food is not a huge factor in the ear problem?

[pugmomsandy]

If you’re on a rotational diet, then try out different foods from different companies whether it’s grain-inclusive or grain-free or is legume-based or potato-based. There are many good companies out there. I have yet to find a kibble that my dogs don’t like (but they also eat raw).

[aquariangt]

I would try some raw and see if that gets her going. Nature’s Variety Instinct, Sojos, The Honest Kitchen, if you have a place you can get something like bravo or primal (ive never used them, but people seem to like them) or even maybe freshpet chubs or bags of food. Try just that to start, and if she goes for it, mix in some kibble

[cindy q]

Last night I mixed about a 1/2 tablespoon of raw honey in with her kibble and she ate all of it! Does anyone know if a tablespoon of honey a day is ok for a almost 8 mos old standard poodle?

[jane c]

11/2 yr old Standard Poodle has ongoing ear problems. The vet has run out of ideas and says she may have this all her life. I have been feeding a raw mix for over a month but now she won’t eat it and ears have not improved . Using Zimcocker’s ear wash but she screams in pain and I can’t go on like this. Thyroid test was done. I believe that a high quality dry food would not affect her ears but my raw-feeding friends tell me it would. Please help

[Angela R]

Can anyone help me decide what is the best food for my English Bulldog – we live in a hot and humid climate and although she did really well on the Royal Canin English Bulldog food, this is not available in my new country of residence – for ease I changed to the French Bulldog, but this has more fat content and she picked up weight, after trying various options including K9, Orijen and Acana – non of which she either liked or just gave her an upset tummy, we ended up with the Royal Canin Obesity from the vet and she has lost weight, and we are now managing her weight with difficulty. I did not want to keep her on a medicated diet and the vet suggested due to bone issues that I should mix it with the Royal Canin Mobility diet – unfortunately during this time on both of the vet products she was itching, red and starting licking her paws that it drove us all crazy. I understand that it could be allergies from outside factors, but she really has never been quite as bad – I therefore decided to change her again (always changing her diet over time…) and decided on the Zignature brand of dog food which is supposed to be allergy free. Although she loves this food – and has stopped licking as badly her face and paws are still quite red but she is definitely picking up weight again as the fat content is higher again, but my biggest concern is the amount of water she is now drinking on this food, and the amount of poops she is having (she used to eat and almost go immediately – now it is 3 to 4 times a day and sometimes at night which she never did before) and she has a serious gas problem which she also never suffered before and it is causing her some distress… I have just bathed her and noticed some little red spots appearing on her tummy – she is full of “beans” and happy and as active as she can be in this heat and humidity but she seems uncomfortable and does not seem to be able to relax as much as she did before… I really am not sure that this new food is doing her any good and now trying to research alternative options but I just don’t know where to turn? Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I cannot do raw as with the cost of meat here is ridiculous and with the heat and humidity – I just dont trust it and also she was not that keen on the K9 anyway! We can’t get everything here but the latest one on my agenda is the Pronature? Thoughts?

[Kritterlady]

I’ve used Blue since 2007 for my cats and dogs with only fantastic results. I’ve been in rescue for 30 yrs an haven’t had a pet food deliver such good results.ive recently added raw meat to their diet due to financial consideration with so many animals. However I too share the copacker concerns and look forward to Blue finishing their process plants. They say they will be making all of the wilderness line in house by 2015.

[aquariangt]

Some dogs are like that. I recommend using smallest sized bags of food, and smallest cans, and finding one that works-maybe getting something really high value mixed in like a dehydrated raw, normal raw topper, etc.. remember, making them skip a meal won’t kill them, but will make them more enticed by the food for the next meal

Some dogs get bored quickly, which is part of the reason i do rotational diets.

[Dori]

Hi Mike, Sandy and HDM. I don’t know whether anyone else has suggested Vital Essentials Raw Dog Food so I just thought I’d throw it in as a suggestion.

[Suburban Gal]

Royal Canin is a good food. Just because it comes in the form of an Rx doesn’t mean it’s a bad food.

That said, I’ve had to deal with UTI in both dogs and cats. Given my experiences with it as a pet owner, I suggest something like Addiction’s raw dehydrated homestyle venison amd cranberry food, Pronature’s turkey and cranberries formula or Canyon Creek Ranch’s superfood blend of salmon, egg and cranberries.

[cindy q]

what is the benefit of raw honey for dogs? I use it myself but never thought to give it to my dogs. How much do you feed them and do you feed it everyday?

[Kenneth K]

Stella and Chewy’s Raw Frozen (Raw Frozen)
ZiwiPeak Daily Dog (Dehydrated)
ZiwiPeak Daily Dog Cuisine (Canned)
Primal Raw Frozen Formulas (Raw Frozen)
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Frozen Diets (Raw Frozen)

[USA]

Hi Mary C

The highest quality dog food would be one you made yourself using lean pasture raised meats and wild caught fish, fresh organic vegetables and a few supplements.

In commercial dog foods I would rate them as follows:
Raw
Dehydrated
Canned
Kibble

One of the issues with a very low carbohydrate food for dogs is the fat content. Most commercial foods with low carbs are high in fat, some are really high. If your dog doesn’t have any other health issues he or she might do fine with a high fat, high protein, low carb diet. If your dog has other issues such as pacreatitis a high fat diet might not work as well.

I strongly believe that with a diabetic dog the number one priority is to limit carbs as much as you can. After all, diabetes is a failure of the bodies ability to regulate and metabolize ALL carbohydrates and injected insulin cannot currently duplicate the bodies own production of insulin. Diabetes CAN be controlled with the proper diet, the proper insulin regimen and home testing of blood glucose.

So please tell me a little bit about your dog:
How old
Current food and amounts fed and at what times in relation to insulin injections
Current insulin regimen, what type, how often
Current blood sugar readings
Overall health and any issues besides diabetes

Once you develop a routine that works for you and your pup things get easier! Give your pup a hug for me!!!

[Akari_32]

I try to add extra water to make up for the kibble, but I’m bad at judging how much I’ll need lol He also gets some raw honey in his food, which doesn’t help either… Lol

[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