[Gina N]

Hi everyone,
Thank you for all of the input. The update on my Gus isn’t good ( for raw food.) He started out wonderfully ( except for some gas) but then within the last few days, he’s become very restless and itchy 🙁 he’s even starting to tunnel on the floor and the bottom of the couch. Not sure what to do because my vet wants him on a HD diet and from what I’ve read about those, they aren’t good. Thoughts? He was on Natures Variety lid lamb kibble, but got tired of it and seems to want only beef, but he needs limited ingredient and grain free.

[Dori]

Are you still feeding Brothers? When I first started with the raw feeding I was concerned about the fat content but it doesn’t seem to bother them in the least. I’ve been feeding them Primal, Answers, Stella & Chewys, Darwins. I used to feed non raw THK but Katie became allergic to alfalfa so I had to stop that which was too bad because I really like the company. Where can I see pics of your dogs? My girls are my avatar and Hannah is the pic on my Facebook page. Dori Hassett on Facebook.

[NectarMom]

Glad to hear your babies are much better. After we resolved the water issue the red staining from licking went away but we still have eye staining and they scratch and lick their feet every now and then which drives me nuts. I edit pictures that I take of them on face book because of the horrid eye staining. We tried Darwin’s Raw among other Raw avenues and 2 out of 4 got pancreatitis so I am very afraid of trying raw again. Though I still worry about the eye staining and do not know for sure if it is environmental or food. It is so hard to tell but I know during Winter we still had feet chewing but not as much.

[Dori]

Hi Nectarmom. It’s nice knowing your still around. I hadn’t seen too many of your posts lately. My girls are doing better than I could possibly have imagined. A number of months back I did the complete transition to raw. All bad breath, gas, tear staining, goopy runny eyes has been history for quite some time. Their teeth are all incredibly white, I wasn’t expecting that they could get whiter since I’ve always brushed their teeth. Their hair (fur) is shinny soft and they all smell kinda sweet. It’s not their shampoo because I use soapless shampoos with no dyes or perfumes because of Katie and my allergies. The three of them have always been chow hounds but this is really ridiculous. They lick their bowls clean and leave them like they came out of the dishwasher. Lola who was getting a little chunky has lost some weight. Well, actually they all have on the raw. Lola was up to 6 lbs. maybe a little more, she’s now at 5 lbs. where she should be. Katie was a little over 7 lbs. she’s now at 6 lbs. where she should be, and Hannah was up to 8.5 lbs. and now weighs 7.3 lbs. Vet is delighted with all their weights and wanted to know what I’d done differently. So all is good here. Oh, they the water that they drink is from the tap at home, we have a whole house filtration system. I never thought it was the water. I always suspected it was the food for it to be happening to all three of them even though some were posting on the other site that it was clogged tear duct, hair in eyes, etc. For all three in both eyes, couldn’t be. I gave up the discussions, dropped the site, listen to the posters and moved to raw. I do add unrefined coconut oil, sardine oil (3 times a week, or sardines packed in water), organic fruits and veggies. No commercially made treats. How are your dogs doing? Still tear stained?

[Jeff T]

Our dog has acid reflux. He was throwing up ( I think he’s actually just regurgitating, not really throwing up) about once or twice a week in the middle of the night and every now and then during the day while we are at work. We switched his food to Nutro chicken and oatmeal formula a couple of years ago and it seemed to control it pretty well. He only had an incident every other month or so. We’ve tried to give him Tums, per the vets recommendation, but he never would eat them.

About 2 months ago our dog got worse. He was throwing up (or regurgitate) every day. We have found that feeding him chicken and rice for a few days clears up these episodes and he’s back to normal. I started researching raw food and cooked food diets for him and now I’m making his food myself. I use chicken thighs (they are the cheapest), sweet potato, carrots, green beans, and blueberries. I throw it all in a slow cooker and when it’s done I remove the bones and mash it all up. I add 1/2 cup of dry food and 1/2 cup of rice when I’m ready to feed them and they love it. No more tummy issues and their farts smell 90% better. Or, is it 90% less bad? Either way, both dogs could clear out a room before.

The only part of the diet I haven’t solved yet is the supplements. It seems like there are good and bad things said about Dinovite, but I haven’t tried that yet. I’ve been using Nupro, and it seems to work ok.

[Shasta220]

Gosh, sorry you have such a lousy selection. I entirely understand though. When my minimal budget, I can’t afford nearly what I’d like to. We have awful selection too – just a Walmart and a few little pet boutique shops. I’m sure my lab’s flaky skin is some sort of intolerance, but at least she is on a food that never makes her stink, itch, and lose fur. She is WAY better than she was on her food last year, and hasn’t had a foul odor or hot spot since!

I will have to second Dori though – dogs allergic to chicken will be triggered by about any poultry source. Have you ever thought of buying food online? I know there are several sites that will offer free shipping, discounts, etc.. Personally I’ve never bought food online, but everyone who does that I talk to seems to be content with it, and most of them say they’ll never buy from stores again.

If it is just seasonal allergies (always that slight possibility.), I’ve heard of people who swear by raw local honey.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Shasta220.

[Naturella]

I’d like to second the oils thing – Bruno gets coconut oil every other day, plus a canned sardine once a week, and on occasion, some raw fish. Plus, he’s on a fish-based food now. Since the coconut oil addition, though, he has been super duper soft! 🙂

[Dori]

TJ. When I initially started rotating foods a long time ago I would switch every two or three bags, then I started switching every bag. Always very very slowly. I eventually switched to commercial raw foods for all my three dogs because one of them has many food intolerances and allergies. I feed all three girls twice a day as I always have regardless of what I feed them and can now say, and it’s been a few months now, that I can feed them different foods a.m. and p.m. with no issues whatsoever. No gas, bad breath, diarrhea, constipation, nothing. I rotate their proteins within a brand, I rotate brands and I rotate their supplements. Nothing seems to bother them any more. Just as humans eat different foods for different meals without issues, so do my dogs. I will also say that they are incredibly healthy. I have a 14 1/2 year old Maltese (she’ll be 15 on 9/9/14) and I have a 4 1/2 year old Maltipoo and a 4 1/2 year old Yorkipoo. Vet is always praising how well they are. They only go to the vet at this point once a year for physical and the only vaccine they receive is rabbi’s vaccine. Hope any of this has helped.

Once you get your dogs accustomed to rotation, it has nothing whatsoever to do with their age. It is never too late to start rotating foods and they don’t take to rotation of diets any easier because they are young or old. Just take your time initially and before you know it you’ll be able to feed them different things all the time. Initially, like theBCnut, I used to add a complete probiotic and a digestive enzyme every day (not every meal). I haven’t done that in ages. Good Luck to you. Glad to meet you and welcome to the site if your new. If not, sorry I haven’t picked up on your name before.

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

[Dori]

One of my dogs was very yeasty, the other two were mildly so. What worked for them was switching their diet and adding Mercola’s Complete Probiotics. The switch in their diet back then was to a grain, soy, rice, white potato, poultry free. All yeast, bad breath, horrendous gas issues, runny goopy eyes all went away. Also one of them had terribly dry skin. I later transitioned them to all raw and that is what they eat now.

Mercola Complete Probiotics is on the expensive side but I think it’s a really good company and product. It’s also a lot less expensive than being at the vet every time you turn around and being charged their outrageous prices for meds that don’t fix the actual problem, only the symptoms and then to add insult to injury they want you to feed your animals their horrible foods that the sell and get kick backs on.

[Shawna]

Hi Gina,

My toy breeds (I have eight) and foster dogs (Boston Terriers and Papillons) all get raw or some raw. Between my own and my foster dogs, I’ve had more than 30 dogs on raw and never had a problem with even one of them to date. I actually have had two foster dogs that could not digest kibble well at all but did fantastic on raw.

For the record, I do have one dog that I will not feed raw edible bones to as she is a gulper and has choked on chew treats before. If she tries to swallow a chew treat that is too large she is likely to try to swallow a bone that is too large. I mainly feed ground, commercial raw but wanted to mention that..

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

[pugmomsandy]

Instinct Lamb, Instinct Lamb Raw Boost, LID lamb and LID rabbit, Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance, Zignature, Great Life Grain Free and Pioneer Naturals grain free (doctorsfinest dot com), and Smack Caribbean Salmon Fusion (hard to find, I bought from Long Leash on Life in New Mexico, they ship).

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

[Gina N]

thank you so much everyone! 🙂 it always helps to hear from paople who have had experience with the product, or of like products. I’ve been on the fence for so long about raw ( I am the nervous nelly) but from what I’ve read and now heard from fellow parents of fur babies , this eases my mind. I haven’t heard much about the Natures Variety raw, but I have read on this site that there have been recalls in the past.

[CSollers]

You were very nice not to laugh out loud at the comments “That, like our bodies, they can better digest processed foods (she brought up how when we were cavemen we ate a lot of uncooked food and just sat around digesting it all day)”. Please do not give in to the pressure and continue to feed your baby what you know is best for him. I’m no raw zealot, but the evidence is overwhelming. Most dogs thrive on a raw diet. I know that my two Pugs do.

[InkedMarie]

Dori,
I’m a huge THK fan..you know they had a recall last year, right? I’m okay with it, it was parsley, they took care of the issue & I’m excited to try the new products they have coming later this year. I generally trust every company until given reason not to. Regarding commercial raw, Bravo had a recall as well. I’m using what’s left of Darwin’s for Ginger and Boone eats grinds from Hare Today.

[Dori]

Marie, there have been a number of what is known as a “silent recall” through the years and, unfortunately, you have to be googling and constantly researching and get on every dog food recall list on line that you possibly can in hopes that sometimes those in the know get wind of them. That’s what I do, anyway. I don’t rely on any one site for recalls. As you know The Truth About Pets is a really great one. I check that site out every single day as well as others. Anytime I find out about any company or brand that has done that I cross them off my list of foods. I don’t adhere to the thinking that anyone can have a problem so let’s give them another chance. Nope! Any company that has recalls worse, a silent recall, are not getting a chance to injure my girls. I’ve stopped feeding kibble and commercial treats for those reasons. I have been feeding commercial raw and now some home made with supplements and their digestive systems are now strong enough that if a commercial raw food company has minor issues I know they’ll be fine. I don’t really trust any kibble company. I’d always be nervous. The only company that’s not raw that I trust is The Honest Kitchen and I rarely feed that anymore because it contains alfalfa and Katie has recently become intolerant or down right allergic to it.

[Shawna]

LOL, Thanks Shasta!! 🙂

I actually have eight small and toy breed dogs ranging in size from 4 to 14 pounds. Five of the eight get raw with a little canned topper for variety. (I’ve been a raw feeder for about 10 years.) The other three get a quarter cup of kibble with a large teaspoon of canned and a large teaspoon of raw. All but one of mine are adopted–one from humane society, two rehomed to me at six months of age (both ill) and the other four came in as foster dogs and never left. 🙂 The one we got from the breeder has had kidney disease since birth and reacts to beef bone, beef tripe and barley (or gluten) which I was giving her for her kidneys (long story). I feed a lot of bison, venison, salmon, lamb, pork, rabbit, eggs, no bone-in beef etc.. Mimi, one that gets kibble regularly, seems to react to lamb so I only give her very small amounts of raw lamb infrequently.. The others may have issues with certain ingredients too(?) but I rotate so frequently that if they do they aren’t on the food long enough for symptoms to appear.

Luckily, none of my pups are finicky or the least bit picky. They all eat anything I put in their dishes. 🙂

PS — all my current babies are small breed but my heart dog is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. My goal is to have another Staffie (grew up with one) at some point in my future.

[Shawna]

My Pomeranian Gizmo is also “poultry” intolerant. She gets bloody, liquid diarrhea (ulcerative colitis) from chicken. Duck, turkey, pheasant, quail and even ostrich cause eye goobers and coughing but doesn’t seem to affect her digestive tract (at least that is noticeable). At least not with short term feeding. She has absolutely no issue at all with any form of egg though. Not saying your baby will be the same just saying it is possible to be intolerant of poultry muscle proteins while being okay with egg, liver and other proteins from poultry.

After getting Gizmo off of chicken (she was about two at the time) it took about a year for her immune system to calm down. It took several months before I stopped seeing mucous in the stool if I remember correctly. Sometimes the stool was also a little partially mushy, or off and on, during the withdrawal (or detox) phase.

I used a fish based product called SeaCure to help repair her gut faster (again, it took about 2(ish) months for the gut but about a year for the immune system). Having your girl on medications could slow the healing process as the body also has to filter the drugs?? OHHH, NSAID’s of any sort (like Rimadyl) still to this day cause colitis in her after being on it for more than two to three days.

Pepcid AC makes protein digestion harder as it neutralizes the hydrochloric acid that is required in the process of breaking down proteins. For this reason some feel it can be counter productive. At the very least it is going to make the pancreas have to work harder to get the protein from the food. Glutamine is a supplement that is given to help with stomach damage. Glutamine is also an amino acid in protein. If the protein can’t be digested than the glutamine is not released for the body (and gut) to use. Many of us chose to use apple cider vinegar instead of an antacid. Here’s an article written by a Certified Nutrition Consultant if interested (she mentions the use of ACV for dogs in the article) http://www.naturalnutritionadvisor.com/blog/?p=73 (SeaCure helps in much the same way — it is simply fish protein that has been broken down to its simplest form allowing for the glutamine and other amino acids be easily utilized by the body.)

Hoping you are able to get it all figured out and get her healthy very quickly!! I can honestly say I know what you are going through!!!!

Edit — I agree with Shasta. If you can do raw (or a commercial cooked diet) it is SO much easier to control the ingredients!!!

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

[Shasta220]

Have you tried any other home made diets? I think there are a few other raw premixes out ther. See Spot Live Longer and Sojos are the two I can think of right off the top. A home made diet would probably be a lot easier to adjust the ingredients on to keep those ones out.
Edit: have you tried all the commercial raw foods? /best-dog-foods/raw-dog-food/ I haven’t looked at them all to see if there are any free of poultry, but there’s a chance…

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Shasta220.

[theBCnut]

No, they aren’t East or West brands, you just either have to read more here or find exactly the right store or order online dog food. Most of these brands aren’t available anywhere within 100 miles of me, but I am aware that they exist and where I can get them online.

Great Life hasn’t had a recall because when they had an incident that should have resulted in a recall, they very quietly did a product withdrawal instead, so if you weren’t paying attention to your brand at exactly the right time, you wouldn’t even know that there might potentially be a problem with your food. I wouldn’t buy from a company that does that, because I know they wouldn’t inform me or anyone else of real issues. No trust.

[Ann-Marie M]

I like their treats that they have that are beef tripe! I haven’t tried their frozen raw yet, but have heard good things about the company. I live in WI and they are in Green Bay, so I also like to support a local company. I feed my mini Schnauzer Baxter frozen raw rabbit from Stella and Chewy’s which is also local in Milwaukee. I like the idea of feeding him something that is his natural prey (rabbit), but probably should rotate protein sources.
What have you all heard about Nature’s Variety frozen raw? Good or bad?

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Ann-Marie M.

[theBCnut]

I haven’t used VE’s frozen raw, but I use their freeze dried and I love their products. Definitely rotate food brands and protein sources.

[Ann S]

Thought I would just add my experience with Earthborn grain free. One of my dogs can’t eat turkey, so I tried Earthborn’s Great Plains and Meadow Feast, only to learn the hard way that he’s also allergic to peas, which the second ingredient. Since I have avoided foods with peas any higher than 4th or 5th, he’s had no problems. So while it’s very affordable, sadly I cannot buy this brand.
Am a little bummed after splurging to join that I can’t use most of the foods on the editor’s choice list due to these two allergies. Budget is also an issue for us feeding two adult dogs and one puppy who will soon be bigger than the grownups. We give raw once or twice a week.

[Gina N]

So, I just started my little guy on frozen raw beef niblets from Vital essentials. I have read lots on the company, and feel comfortable???? I’m such a nervous nelly….can anyone give thoughts on this subject? Thank you 🙂

[Shawna]

Hi Melissa,

Vet Dr. Karen Becker has a video interview with a Newfie breeder who is also a human and pet chiropractor. He has very sound dogs and feeds a HIGH protein raw diet. He had one female Newfie live to age 17. Of course not everyone is in a position to feed raw, especially to a Newf, but wanting to demonstrate that protein isn’t an issue. They have scientific data supporting that conclusion as well.. That same data lists excess calcium and over feeding as problems. It’s in the forum comments HDM mentions.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/04/05/how-a-newfoundland-pet-dog-reached-17-years.aspx

[Hound Dog Mom]

Try mixing in green tripe. I order frozen raw green tripe from Hare Today and My Pet Carnivore. You could also use a canned product like Tripett. Dogs go nuts for it.

[Shasta220]

I was looking around in a pet boutique today, and saw Sojos brand premix. You just add water and your own meat. https://www.sojos.com/products/dog-food/sojos-original-dog-food-mix

Is that a good one, or is it just too high in carbs? I’ve never had the chance to do a home made diet mainly because of the high cost and resource issues. But this stuff looked very affordable. I think a 10lb bag (supposed to make 48lb when mixed with raw meat/water) was $25.

I know there are much better options out there, but I’m just wondering what your opinions are on it. Would it be worth looking into as a start for home made? Or would a 4-5 star kibble still be better?

[Shasta220]

I think my favorite name will have to be Delicious Organic Goodness. I think I’ll change it to D.O.Goodies, though. Congrats, Aleksandra! Message or post a favorite pic of your dog on here and I’ll draw him! =D

[Shawna]

I agree with the others that fresh food is better be it cooked or raw — if you can do fresh that is. Kibble is the hardest form of food to digest and it may make him uncomfortable??

I agree with Dr. Tabitha about adding digestive enzymes and probiotics.

Canned or especially raw tripe often will entice a picky eater. It is very pungent but dogs seem to love the stuff. If you get a complete and balanced kind you can feed it as the sole food. If not balanced you can mix it in with the other food to coat it. Sardines might be worth trying. Smelly and a good source of omega 3 fats. Some dogs find Parmesan cheese irresistible (as long as there is not a sensitivity to dairy). Answer’s makes a fermented goat milk product that dogs really really seem to like. The kibble could be soaked in it. I started adding a little bit of “BLUE ICE Infused Coconut Oil” to all eight of my dogs’ diets several months ago. Not only do they LOVE LOVE LOVE the stuff but their teeth are cleaner since using and my Pom with OCD has really come out of her shell. At first I thought I was imagining it but it is so obvious that everyone in the family has commented on it. It is pricey up front but a little goes a long way. http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Products/InfusedCoconutOil/index.cfm (Thanks to HDM for mentioning this product.)

Hope you find something that works for you and your little one!!

[Shawna]

I agree with the others about feeding a rotational diet over just one food. Three of my eight dogs get a rotational kibble diet with canned and raw toppers. I use Orijen, Acana, Earthborn Primitive Naturals, Nature’s Variety, Nature’s Logic and many others off and on (Wellness, Fromm, Merrick, Back to Basics etc).

Raw egg with the shell is a really good and inexpensive topper. Another is beef, deer or chicken heart mixed with Steve’s Real Food premix. Heart is usually inexpensive to begin with but a friend gets free beef hearts from her butcher for me… And a hunter friend gives me the parts of the deer he doesn’t use himself.

[DogFoodie]

I’m assuming he’s had a check-up and is healthy.

Something else, in addition to the suggestions above (especially canned, home-cooked, dehydrated, commercial raw or pre-mixes) would be Abady granular. Here’s a link to their site: http://www.therobertabadydogfoodcoltd.com/ToyBreed_5.htm

OK, their website is strange and no, the product has never been reviewed on DFA; but, I have used it and there are other regular posters here who have used it with success. If you’re interested in the product, I’d call Abady directly, they’re very helpful over the phone. I’ve called them myself and they were very friendly and knowledgeable.

Abady granular is a different texture than kibble, it looks very much like soft brown sugar but, it still contains starch. Your dog would just sort of lap it up. The bonus is that Abady granular is a very high calorie food at about 735 kcals per cup. If your pup tried this and liked it, at least he would be getting his calories.

When I bought it, I got mine here: http://www.1800whiskers.com/, but I’m sure there are other places you could find it.

[rogerharris]

Good try! Yes raw bones with meat are very good diet meal for dog. Bone is natural and good for dog health. I also give my dog a bone with chicken in every meals .

[Naturella]

Steven A, I would definitely advise you to try all of the above suggestions. Rotational diet is good anyway. 🙂

Also, I have fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness for about 4 months or so just fine. Acana and Orijen I have not tried yet. A good one, and pretty affordable, is Dr. Tim’s, as well as Victor. I usually look for deals both in stores and online and was able to snatch a 4-lb bag of Nutrisca Chicken and Chickpea for $5 on Petflow, no kidding! 🙂

Other foods I’ve fed that are good are Holistic Health Extensions, Earthborn Holistic – currently on the fish one, Nature’s Variety Instinct + Raw Boost and Now Fresh (on samples), and I will be feeding some of Victor, Back to Basics, Wellness Core, AvoDerm, Merrick, Nature’s Variety, and more in the near future. ALL grain-free too.

Of those, I think Wellness Core and Blue Buffalo Wilderness are moderately affordable; Victor, Dr. Tim’s, and Earthborn Holistic seem to be very affordable; the rest I have coupons for/will scout deals for, lol.

[Brandy R]

Thanks theBCnut,
I tried it and they all did wonderful my 10 month old 30# Beagle wasn’t sure what to do at first and he is usually my gulper! It took him a minute but he figured it out and chomped it down chewing the entire time. I am extremely excited to be getting my dogs on the raw diet. I can already tell just the chewing is going to help their teeth tremendously:) i’ll be back here watching and learning more vital info and maybe more questions. Hopefully one day be able to answer a question or two…lol

[theBCnut]

Raw chicken bones are usually just fine. Cooking any bones changes the matrix and causes them to splinter. The only time I worry about raw chicken and other small bones is when the dog tries to swallow them whole, so the important thing is to know what kind of chewer your dog is and give them bones of the appropriate size. My 45# Border Collies are good chewers so they can be given things with small bones. I would expect that the size your dogs are would mean that they won’t have any issues.

Oh, and you’re very welcome! We love to help people.

[Dori]

Have you tried Primal raw. Really good company and great food. Don’t forget even feeding raw you should be rotating brands as well as proteins. I use Darwins, Stella and Chewy’s, Primal and Answers as well as others that don’t right now come to mind. Oh, I use THK Zeal though it’s not raw, but a really good food as well as a good company. Human grade and produced in a human grade facility.

[Melissaandcrew]

Big fan of the Acana and Orijen products here : ) What price range are you looking for? I rotate a bunch of brands and feed with kibble-which may be an option for you due to time constraints. for example, tonight is a 50-50 mix of Acana Lamb/Apple singles, and Grainfree Holistic Select sardine/anchovy/something or other, lol. It was on sale, so figured I would give it a try(they did not do well on the grain inclusive version) To top it off, will be a big old dollop of ground chicken quarters, veg, beef heart and turkey gizzard. They would have skipped the dry, but Mom was slacking and did not take out the raw to thaw long enough.

[Brandy R]

My butcher had a bag of frozen turkey giblets for a steal. Well now i have this huge bag of frozen raw organs and pretty sure my 4 small dogs won’t be able to eat it all within a few days. Can i thaw it enough to break it apart then refreeze?

[Shawna]

🙂 Glad your vet discussed quality over percent!! If interested the reason quality is so important is — proteins digest down to amino acids. The amino acids are absorbed by the body. The better the quality of the protein, the more amino acids are used by the body for new cell growth etc. Poorer quality proteins are not used on a cellular level as well. If not used by the body they become waste material (or BUN) for the kidneys to have to filter. So the highest quality proteins are going to supply more of what the body needs on a cellular level while leaving less for kidneys to have to deal with. The higher the quality of protein, the more can be fed.

Heat and processing damages some amino acids (like lysine) and that is why kibbles have lower quality proteins even if using the very same protein source as used in a raw food. Since THK low heat dehydrates their proteins it is likely that very few, if any, amino acids are lost to heat. Egg is the gold standard of quality (or bioavailability). I rehydrate my HK (I use Preference with raw meats) with and egg and water. Adding the egg shell in as well will keep the calcium to phos in balance. There’s a lot of other little tips and tricks.. If you are interested in more info after reading Mary’s site, I can steer you in the direction of a few others.

Standard Process products “technically” are only supposed to be sold through health care providers. Those purchased online are not guaranteed by the company. Someone could sell really old product which in time will lose it’s therapeutic value as the products are made from foods and herbs. My holistic vet carries SP products as does several M.D.’s in my area (including mine) and many chiropractors also carry the product. IF you are interested in using but can not find a reliable source just let me know. I can get you in contact with my source at the company.

I’m familiar with Herbsmith (they make great products) but have not seen their probiotics.

[InkedMarie]

Aqua: it’s big, too! Boone eats ground raw & I stuff it in his. He’s got a grey one, can’t recall the pattern.

[pugmomsandy]

I have raw fed dogs too, but also feed kibble and canned and dehydrated. They eat Core, Nature’s Logic and Nutrisource grain free foods.

[Shasta220]

As some of you know, I’m starting a little treat-making business to sell at farmers markets.

I am horrible at coming up with catchy names, so I’d like your help! The name needs to be:
No more than 3-5 words long
Something to let people know they’re healthy, holistic, organic, etc but not necessarily using those words
May include a name: Shasta, Cassy, or Loki (I’d rather no name unless it just sounds so darn good)
If you have several name suggestions, please post!

To further give you an idea, here are some of my flavor names:
-Lucky Loki’s Lifesavers (promotes fresh breath and digestive health w herbs, chlorophyll, and charcoal)
-Coat Care (with coconut oil, flax, fish oil, etc.)
-Green Goodness (with various green veggies)
-Pumpkin Flax
-Classic Peanut Butter
-Apple n’ Oat

Not too motivated to help me? I’m offering a prize to the winner! Whoever makes the best name will win a free pet-drawing! Sorry, I won’t mail you one, but I will draw it and post the drawing for you. Here are a few of my pet portraits (I only do dogs. No cats, birds, reptiles, etc)

[aquariangt]

What about purchasing raw or dehydrated raw if you want to keep them on that kind of diet? Of the two you mentioned, I trust wellness more than blue, but blue in and of itself isn’t terrible

[kvee]

I swear by Orijen – although with a lot of legumes, it made my pooch’s skin reddish and paws itchy. But that was her. We are moving into raw/homecooked, using THK mixes.

By the way, THK is launching two new base mixes this summer.

[Shawna]

Hi Cathy,

Sorry for the delay… The absolute WORST thing you can feed sprite bar none is any form of kibble. Kibble is hard to digest and because of the lower quality of the protein it creates more BUN when compared to an equal amount of digested protein from another source.

AND, your vet is incorrect if he/she told you to feed low protein in the early stages of the disease unless there is significant protein in the urine. Testing has confirmed that lowering protein too low can actually increase all cause mortality. They have also proven that protein does not damage the kidneys. Because of this you don’t need to feed “low” protein until Sprite has advanced symptoms. Limiting protein even at later stages does not help the kidneys but it does help with symptoms which are caused by the increase of BUN etc in the blood. Limiting protein is not helpful however in the later stages of the disease limiting phosphorus is highly advisable. Phosphorus builds in the blood and CAN damage the kidneys. In the earlier stages of the disease phosphorus is often not detrimental.

For the record, my pup has had kd since birth and has been on HIGH protein raw (45 to 54% on a dry matter basis) since coming to me at nine weeks of age. She will be eight years old the end of June this year and is still doing well. The only time she shows symptoms such as vomiting is if I feed her kibble. The Honest Kitchen is a good food but I’d go with Love or Zeal and add extra good quality fats like coconut oil to increase calories and make her feel more satiated without extra protein/phosphorus. Canned (or better yet raw) tripe is another good option and can be fed with the HK or as a separate meal (pending you get one that is complete and balanced).

As noted, increasing fat keeps the calories up while lowering phosphorus per calorie consumed. This is very important in the later stages.

Other things to consider:

I HIGHLY recommend a product by Standard Process called Canine Renal Support. Audrey has been on it since I learned of her diagnosis. It helps to keep inflammation at bay.

Give Sprite access to all the water she wants but do make sure it is pure — reverse osmosis as an example. Adding toxins in via the water source only increases symptoms. Science has shown benefit to giving waters higher in calcium with low sodium. They didn’t identify actual names but Evian seems to fit the bill.

I HIGHLY recommend giving a HIGH quality probiotic and a specific type of prebiotic (known as nitrogen traps). The combination of these two products helps clear BUN etc from the blood sparing the kidneys from having to do the work. It also allows for even higher amounts of protein. I use Garden of Life’s Primal Defense (human product) and Fiber35 Sprinkle Fiber (human product).

There are other supplements that are known to be beneficial such as food grade activated charcoal, spirulina, burdock root, organic turmeric and more. I mix a combination of these and others with a digestive enzyme and some of the Sprinkle Fiber and add a bit to every meal.

The products you use in your home can be problematic too. When Audrey was diagnosed I looked at the CDC and material safety data sheets for product ingredients I used in my home. Many (if not most) of them were not kidney friendly so I got rid of them and use only ones that are not damaging to kidneys. Example — clorox has a chemical that can damage kidneys in animals. From the material safety data sheet “2-Butoxyethanol has been shown to cause red blood cell hemolysis in laboratory animals and secondary injury to the kidney and liver. However, humans appear to be resistant to this effect” Clorox is pretty toxic anyway so I don’t even have it in the house but if you choose to use it, might be wise not to use it to clean the floors as it can be absorbed through the skin. http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/downloads/msds/cloroxprofessionalproducts/409nqf.pdf

I know I’m forgetting some things… 🙁 Let me know if you have any questions. Also Mary Straus’ website discusses the data I’ve mentioned above plus much much more. Very valuable source of information. She lists kibbles but she fed her own KD dog raw and believes in raw. You don’t have to feed raw but I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest avoiding going back to any kibble. http://www.dogaware.com/health/kidney.html

You and Sprite are in my prayers!!!!

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

[Steven A]

I’ve had my to Dachshunds on a raw diet for three years. I can no longer keep up the pace processing my own Raw diet for them. Chicken Neck, Beef Heart Liver and Ground Organ mix. All purchased from a local slaughter house. It is time to head back to Kibble(don’t stone me) I know for years I praised the Raw Diet. I just can’t do it any more so I’m heading back to a grain free kibble. Any suggestions on how to do it and what brand to get? Leaning toward Wellness brand or Blue Buffalo……

[Ann-Marie M]

My 12 year old mini Schnauzer had loose stools and was stooling in his crate and around the house. I changed him to Stella and Chewy’s raw frozen diet and now he is fine!

[Mac T]

I am a veterinarian and feed Blue Ridge Beef products to my 3 Boxers and have recommended it to many other folks. I have used it for 3 years and find it to be of excellent and consistent quality. I have never observed charcoal in the product. Before I started using the food I had emailed the company and found their responses professional and timely. The dogs I feed it to are healthy and do extremely well fed BRB products exclusively. I am a breeder and also do a lot of obedience work with my dogs and credit their excellent health and performance to this food. I rarely find in necessary to supplement, as I feel most supplements are sold and used based on marketing and perception rather than medical/scientific fact. I have no affiliation to the company whatsoever, wish I did so I could get a discount though 🙂 Are there other raw foods that you can use, certainly-there are many, are BRB products worth feeding your dog, IME yes. I like BRB products due to quality, consistency, affordability, variety, and convenience. I prefer feeding a ground product instead of so-called prey model-just a personal choice. I have a lot of first hand experience feeding their products and I like them. One thing about internet info is that some times folks bad mouth something they have never used and that can be unfair. I have no vested interest in convincing anyone to use BRB, but I thought some actual first hand experiences about the products might help those considering them. I have no inside info about the company so I can not address some of the issues raised in this thread about their ownership or business connections, I just have experience actually using the products. I will be glad to attempt to answer any questions or inquiries about my dogs.

[Shasta220]

Crazy how different prices are! For me, Victor is nowhere around. I’ve looked online, but it’s all about 50-70$ for a 20-30# bag (yes, including shipping – usually) then my lucky-dog friend is able to buy 40# bags for 30$! Yes, I’m jealous!!!! LOL!!!

I can’t remember how much NutriSource is around here. I wanna say for a 35-40# bag, it’s about 50-60$. I just ended up getting a bad first impression on it. I may try it again in the future as I’m pretty sure I know what happened:

Cassy (our senior lab) had been on 1-3 star food her whole life. She had horrible skin problems, so I decided it was time to save up and get a 4-5 star food. I /did/ transition her from the 2 star up to the 4 star, but it made her flare up to disgusting levels (50% of her skin was raw. She had to wear a cone and a sweater until the vet’s meds started working! Even then, her feet tore through the sweater and she could chew on her tail…poor baby).

I’ve never tried NutriSource again, just because I’m so scared it may have had some odd ingredient she reacted to, but now she is on similar 4 star foods and doing fabulously!

[theBCnut]

You can’t go wrong with their offer for first timers. I’m not sure but you may find that Darwins is lower calorie than Primal, so you might have to feed a bit more than you were. For a raw food, Darwin’s is known for being lower fat than most, if not all, of them. A lot of commercial raw foods use current labeling rules to cover up how much fat is in their product.

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

[Ann-Marie M]

My mini schnauzer who is now 12 was eating Canidae dry food and started having problems stooling in his crate and around the house in the middle of the night. Initially I just thought it was his age but then changed him to a raw frozen diet. I started with Nature’s Variety Instinct but changed to Stella and Chewy’s when I found out they are a local company and that Nature’s Variety Instinct gets their rabbit from China. The raw diet completely fixed the problem. He stopped having loose stools in his crate and around the house! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Ann-Marie M.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 8 months ago by Ann-Marie M.