[Susan]

Hi Fanette,
it will all depend on your dog what agrees with him????
What happens when he ate your cooked food cause wet can food is very similar??

My Patch doesn’t do well on wet can foods raw foods & cooked meals they come back up into mouth, he regurgatates them, I was feeding him a really good Dehydrated Raw food all good quality free range organic ingredients, it smells beautiful like a chicken soup but he got his BAD acid reflux back & his very sore throat again 🙁
We (Holistic Vet) who formulated “Frontier Pets” raw said try not adding the water to the dehydrated balls & feed the balls like a dry kibble but he wasn’t drinking water,when he gets his BAD acid reflux he will not drink any water it must make something worse.. & cause its dehydrated food he needs the water….

Did you end up joining the face book group called,
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

People who have IBD dogs will probably be able to help you more..

I liked the first dry kibbles “Canireo dry food” they look very good for a dry kibble & very low in Starch… The Herzens Hund Horse & Pumkin looks good aswell.

Patch has to eat a dry food these would work for my Patch. You need to try & see which ones agree with Furby???

When I started introducing the Frontier Pets Dehydrated Raw the Holistic Vet said to start introducing at lunch time only still feed normal food for Breafast & Dinner & introduce new food at lunch time if you can, very small meal & see how Furby does, then increase to more & more…
The only thing with the wet can foods they are high in organ meats. Organ meats like Liver can cause Diarrhea…

[Susan]

Hi,

Look at

*Canidae Grain Free PURE Ancestral Red Meat Formula
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/

* Earthborn Holistics – grain free
https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas

* Wellness Core

It’s ashame you can’t have Chicken are you 100% sure Dog cant eat chicken done proper elimination diet?..
I feed “Wellness Core Large Breed” Adult formula.
Its high in protein-38.14%’max, Fiber-5.99%max
scroll down to “Nutrient Profiles” then click on “Get The PDF” it shows the proper % of Protein, Fat, Fiber, Carbs etc look at “Dry Matter Basis”
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed

[Rhianna H]

I am in search of a dog food that it seems may not exist. What I need is a food that is higher in protein (at least 32% but would prefer upwards of 36%), low in carbohydrates (must be less than 30% but the lower the better), would appreciate a decent fiber content (maybe around 5-6%?) which doesn’t seem to difficult to find. However, where I am stuck is that it also needs to be completely chicken free, fish free and grain free. I’d like to stay away from Turkey if possibly but will give it a go if it meets all the other requirements. Dry foods are prefered since this is a larger dog and I just can’t afford dehydrated/freeze dried/canned/raw foods.

Hope someone has ideas because I’m about to pull out my hair!

[Fanette R]

Hello,

My dog has been diagnosed from IBD for over a year now, and from Pancreatitis for almost 2 years. His diet has been manageable before his IBD but since his IBD I have been trying different kind of food, and even though he is doing so much better than he was a year ago, I know that his current diet isn’t perfect still.

I’ve tried homemade food, my vet and holistic vet are all about raw and homecooked food, but with Furby’s situation and after trying a several time, that this isn’t working for him at the moment. He cannot have too much carbs, because of his pancreatitis current situation, or too much starched veggies, and he needs low fat meats or fish. So basically, he would need a green veggie / low fat meat diet, which would result in so much quantity for him to eat each day so he can have enough calories out of it. We’ve tried, and tried again, giving him 7-8 meals a day to see if this would help, but it doesn’t. His stomach cannot take that amount of food for now.
So, even my vets that are pro raw and homecooked diet, told me that we should look into dog food at the moment, and maybe try to go back to homecooked or even raw later on.
So first of all, please don’t message me to say that yes, he needs a homecooked or raw diet, because trust me I’ve tried everything, for months.

I’m in France so I don’t have the same products as people who are based in the US, so I made a lot of researches to find food that seems pretty good quality, and that are low fat, grain-free and with only a tiny bit, or not at all, starches.
Now, I’m wondering if I can write the composition and info right so you guys tell me your thoughts about it ?

Brand : Terra Cannis
Dry food :
Canireo is the first dry food in the specialist retail trade made from 100% certified food-grade ingredients, based on pure fresh meat, with 64% muscle meat and grain-free. This unique quality distinguishes it from all other dry pet foods.

We absolutely do not use meat-, bone-, fish- or feather flour. The flours typically used for dry food are usually made of “category 3 material” (waste material that is not approved for human consumption) and are in no way comparable with food-grade ingredients in terms of quality. Another aspect that makes Canireo stand out is that it is made exclusively with fresh meat – 64% fresh muscle meat and 1% fresh liver. Furthermore, it is not cold pressed or extruded, but naturally baked until crisp. All the aspects that we have this far considered critical for dry food are thus optimised.

The result is a natural, crispy baked dry food of uncompromising quality. The 100% food-grade ingredients, the exclusive use of fresh meat, the high muscle meat content of 64%, and the valuable coconut flour make Canireo unique. Not using grains, and instead using plenty of healthy vegetables, fruit, and herbs, as well as all-natural nutritional supplements, make Canireo a natural dry food that is truly appropriate for the species.
Link to the product : https://www.terracanis.co.uk/canireo-trockenfutter-wild.html

Product : Canireo dry food, game
Composition
Fresh venison muscle meat (64%), potato flakes* (15%), coconut flour (5%), apple* (2%), brewer’s yeast*, parsnip* (1.67%), carrots* (1.52%), courgette* (1.44%), celery* (1.2%), fresh venison liver (1%), powdered eggshell (1%), pumpkin* (0.8%), linseed, apricots* (0.5%), fenugreek (0.4%), parsley root* (0.4%), rapeseed flour, mineral earth, spinach (0.16%), seaweed*, dandelion* (0.1%), rose hip* (0.1%), chamomile* (0.1%), rosemary*, thyme*
*dried

Analytic Constituents
Protein: 29.4%, fat content: 12.5%, crude fibre: 2.8%, crude ash: 5.1%, moisture: 3.7%
MJ/kg: 15.5

2nd Product : Canireo dry food, chicken
Composition
Fresh chicken muscle meat (64%), potato flakes* (15%), coconut flour (5%), apricots* (2%), carrots* (1.5%), courgette* (1.4%), celery* (1.2%), fresh poultry liver (1%), brewer’s yeast (1%), linseeds (1%), apple* (0.9%), pumpkin* (0.8%), parsnip* (0.8%), powdered eggshell (0.7%), beetroot* (0.5%), mineral earth (0.5%), parsley root* (0.4%), fenugreek (0.4 %), rapeseed flour (0.4%), dandelion* (0.3%), rose hip* (0.3%), chamomile* (0.2%), chokeberries* (0.2%), spinach (0.2%), seaweed* (0.1%), rosemary* (0.1%), thyme* (0.1%)
*dried

Analytic Constituents
Protein: 29.2%, fat content: 12%, crude fibre: 2.4%, crude ash: 4.9%, moisture: 4.7%
MJ/kg: 15.4
Link to the product : https://www.terracanis.co.uk/canireo-trockenfutter-huhn.html
————————————————————

2nd Brand : Herzens Hund
Product : Organic Sheep meat & Organic Zucchini (wet food)
This complete feed for dogs “Bio Sheep meat & Bio Zucchinic” consists only of natural organic ingredients. It is consistently produced without binding substance, without synthetic vitamins, flavour intensifiers and without any kind of additives. In such a way, fruits and vegetables used in are not contaminated with pesticides and the meat comes from a species-appropriate attitude.

Apricot consist of beta-carotin, which turns into Vitamin A in organism. Vitamin A is an important nutritive substance for eyes. Apricots are rich in fiber, which stimulate bowels work and improve toxins removing.
INGREDIENTS
Organic sheep (72%)Organic zucchini (17%)Organic buckwheat (4%)Organic salad (3%)Organic apple (2%)Organic linseed oil (1%)Organic apricot (1%)
ADDITIVES
Phosphorus (1271 mg/kg)Calcium (169 mg/kg)
ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS
Moisture : 84.3%, Crude protein : 7.4%, Crude fiber : 1.3%, Crude ash : 0.8%
Crude fat 0.7%

2nd Product : Horse meat & Organic Pumpkin
INGREDIENTS
Horse (70%)Organic amaranth (16%)Organic pumpkin (13%)Organic evening primrose oil (1%)
ADDITIVES
Phosphorus (1443 mg/kg)Calcium (786 mg/kg)
ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS
Moisture : 73.3%, Crude protein7.5%, Crude fat : 2.4%, Crude fiber : 1.1%
Crude ash 1%

—————————————-

Herrmann’s Dog Food :
Product : Venison with Apple & Amaranth
Composition: 50 % deer (60 % muscle meat, 25 % heart, 10 % lung, 5 % liver), courgette*, 8 % apple*, 6 % amaranth*, linseed oil*, eggshell powder* – *organic – 50 % from organic ingredients
Analytical Constituents : moisture: 76.36 %, crude protein: 12.1 %, crude fat: 4.0 %, crude fiber: 1.0 %, crude ash: 1.2 %

2nd Product : Venison with Sweet Potato
Composition:
50% vension (60% muscle meat, 25% heart, 10% lung and 5% liver), 25% sweet potato*
fruits* (berry-mix), linseed oil* *-organic – 50% from organic
Analytical Constituents : crude protein 8,40% crude fat 2,80% crude fiber 1,60% crude ash 1,30% moisture 78,90%

3rd Product : Venison with pumpkin, quinoa and cranberry
Composition:
50% deer (60% muscle meat, 25% heart, 10% lung and 5% liver), 12% pumpkin*, 8% quinoa*, fruits* (berry-mix), eggshell powder*, *-organic, 50% organic
Analytical Constituents :
Moisture : 77.77%, Crude protein : 12.46%, Crude fat : 2.8%, Crude fiber : 1.03%
Crude ash : 0.87%, Calcium : 0.03%, Phosphorus : 0.03%

———————————————–

My holistic vet looked at all of them and the one that seems the best to her was the one from Herrmann’s : Venaison, Apple & Amaranth.
But after being back home from my appointment I got quite confused and I wanted to talk to you guys about it. She said that the other ones weren’t good enough especially because the amount of protein wasn’t high enough. She told me that to her it should be at least 10% of protein on the wet matter basis for wet food. But if I calculate correctly dry matter basis, a product like the one from Herzens Hund (Sheep & Zucchino), has 7.4% of crude protein on a wet matter basis but has around 47% of protein on dry matter basis (if I do the calculation right), which should be a good amount right ?
So I’m quite confused about that;

She doesn’t know those brands so it’s tricky for her. I wanted to try the brand that she does know, which is an amazing local company that does amazing products, but their fat content for their wet food are around 6,4% on wet matter basis, and I made the calculation from the moisture and it’s about 27% of fat on dry matter basis which seems way too much for my dog. But my vet said that in those formulas there were no starch, no grain, so nothing that usually irritate my dog’s pancreas. So in this case the fat content could be higher and find for Furby. Which kind of make sense, maybe the reason why it has to be so low fat usually for dogs with pancreatitis is because most of those products are full of starch. But I still wanted to talk to you guys about it before making any changes.

Have a great day and so sorry about that huge message!
Fanette

[Susan]

Hi Bernice.

“Bilious Vomiting Syndrome in Dogs, aka “Hunger Pukes”

How did your Dr. Hans Gelens diagnose Freddy with bilious vomiting syndrome?
Did Freedy have Biopsies thru a Endoscope?

You wrote
“lip-smacking, drooling, yawning, licking are classic signs of nausea in dogs”

Lip Smacking, licking paws, blankets, floors, grinding teeth, yarning-(stress), swollowing gulping are classic signs of “acid reflux”, my vet said she see’s at least 1-2 dogs a week who are suffering with acid reflux, it’s more common then we think with dogs,
this is why Freddy has been put on Omeprazole (Prilosec) an acid blocker, it’s a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor)… Why didn’t the vet put him on a lower class of acid reducer drugs histamine-2 (H2) blockers either Zantac (Rantidine) or Pepcid (Famotidine) instead of a PPI??

A diet change would be good idea once Freddy is doing well again & is stable.
He was eating Royal Canin Gastro Low-Fat which seemed to keep his symptoms to a once or twice a year event. “Until this year”. Diet may have contributed to his Bilious Vomiting Syndrome??
Look at eating fresh whole foods, a lean balanced diet, not over processed dry kibble/wet can dog food. Look at feeding diet that’s low in carbs, low fiber especially with Pancreatitis NO sugar in diet, stay away from foods that bring on acid reflux..

You can NOT just stop taken a PPI once you have been taken it more then 14-20 days, a PPI must be slowly reduced & a lower class of drugs called histamine-2 (H2) blockers either Zantac (Rantidine) or Pepcid (Famotidine) are given for 2-3 weeks after the PPI has been stopped but first reduced & give PPI every 2nd day then when you’ve stopped then you give either Zantac or Pepcid 30mins before a meal…
Zantac & Pepcid work differently they dont work like a PPI works (Omeprazole or Pantoprazole)… A PPI is better but you have to work out do you want Freddy on a PPI now for the rest of his life??. if you have tried Zantac & Pepcid & they didn’t work then yes give PPI & diet change, vet diets are very high in Omega oils which is a good thing BUT some dogs who have Pancreactitis, IBD can’t handle high fish Oil, Coconut Oil etc & can get acid reflux my boy is one of those dogs, when eats a vet diet he get his bad acid reflux & yeasty itchy skin due to food sensitivities, I didnt know Fish/Salmon Oils & Coconut Oils could cause acid reflux until I seen Dr Judy Morgan talking about her 18yr old Cavalier charles, he has Pancreatitis & every month he kept having a Pancreas flare so she stoped adding all his supplements & slowly added them back weekly 1 at a time & it was the fish oil causing his monthly pancreas flare….
Follow Dr Judy Morgan DVM on her f/b page also look at her “Videos” she has a really good “Pancreatitis Diet” you make in a Crock pot & add The Honest Kitchen Base
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/

My Patch has been on Omeprazole 2 yrs then he went down hill again this time last year he’s 10yrs old, he had another Endoscope & Biospy done in January 2018 to see why he’s got really his bad acid reflux again & he was already taken a PPI so he shouldnt be getting really bad acid reflux but he was, I did diet change but he didnt get better, so we did Endoscope + Biopsies the vet said as he was looking thru camera his wind pipe was inflammed & red, so was his Esophagus, he has lower esophageal sphincter (LES) his flap doesnt close properly & his acid wash back up his esophagus into throat mouth then went down into his wind pipe, por thing this would be very painful… He also suffers with Helicobacter living in his stomach walls, staying on a PPI like Omeprazole or Pantopazole is suppose to help stop the Helicobacter living & thriving in the stomach wall, I wonder if this is what Freedy has?? if after 6months -12months & Freedy goes down hill again try a diet change a lean cooked diet & ask vet can he please do an Endoscope + Biopsies, the Biopsies are a must as they will give vet some answers & the only way to know if the Helicobacter has taken over his stomach, all dogs have Helicobacter but when their immune system is compromised the Helicobacter takes too much bad bacteria, making you feel very unwell, stomach pain, nausea, bad acid reflux & feeling hungry all the time & weight loss..
I asked Patches vet can I PLEASE change his PPI from 20mg Omeprazole to 20mg Pantoprazole, I also take Pantoprazole it seems to work better for people who have GERDS & suffer with bad reflux…
PPI are best given of a morning not night unless he’s taking a PPI twice a day, I wouldnt recommend taking a PPI twice a day for a dog, best to start off on a lower dose, 1 x 20mg tablet take of a morning as soon as he gets up I give Patch his 20mg Pantoprazole tablet & I have a 20ml syringe water so I know the tablet has gone down his throat, you can NOT chew PPI tablets, they are specially coated tablets so they digest past the stomach so dont let Freddy chew his Omeprazole if you can this is why best not to give with food as they chew food, just open his mouth & put tablet on back of his tongue & put down throat, then put the syringe side of his mouth back teeth & slowley squirt water so he swollows tablet & make sure he doesnt spit tablet back out, my Patch was sptting back out after I walked away & I was finding his tablet, cheecky bugger…

My boy has IBD he eats 5 smaller meals a day he eats –
First meal after he has taken his PPI around 6.30-7am then another small meal around 9am, Lunch- 12pm a cooked meal or freezed dried raw dehydrated meal about 1/3 a cup, 5pm-Dinner meal is bigger under 1 cup & 7.30pm small 1/4 a cup & last meal for the night wee & then he goes to bed & I wake him for 2 wee breaks & he gets a Quick-Eze 1/2 a Rapid Chew after his last wee around 10.30-11pm & I always offer him water when Patch wakes up on my bed, he is very weird about drinking water when he has his acid reflux, so Im always offering him fresh water to wash down any acid…
I’ve been freezing Bone Broth in ice cube trays & take out 1-2 ice cubes to thaw & Patch drinks it & loves the Bone Broth, I think The Honest kitchen has a Bone Broth you can buy, there’d be a few places taht have teh Bone Broth.

I hope Freedy recovery continues, but if he has a set back then look into diet change, there’s healthier alternatives for these sick dogs & cats, after seeing sooo many dogs get better on a healthier diet, I really think once dog is stable & has been doing really well start looking into changing dogs diet, fresh lean meats, fresh veggies & fruits, Kefir given or a probiotic best to give on empty stomach or inbetween meals when Hydrochloric acids in stomach are low, make sure diet is balanced properly, there’s a few good foods that are dehydrated & aren’t over processed & over cooked till all ingredients are all brown or black.

[Dawn H]

Hi,
I have a 9yo dachshund mix (15lb) who had pancreatitis 2 yrs ago for the first time. He now eats wellness core grain free low fat kibble. I wanted a food that didn’t require a prescription and cost a fortune. If that didn’t work I would have gone the prescription food route. He gets charlee bear liver treats and old mother Hubbard mini puppy biscuits (I get the puppy ones because they are smaller). Both are low in fat. He gets no other treats/biscuits. No people food except green beans, rice, raw spinach and the occasional baby carrot. He also gets half of a multivitamin with digestive enzymes at each meal.
He will vomit, usually in the am if he eats too late. I use the charlee bears and old mother Hubbard treats as snacks. Vomiting on an empty stomach is common in small dogs. When I worked at the vet, they always said it was partially from drastic changes in blood sugar. So multiple small meals are best.
They also said not to be on omeprazole (prilosec) or famotidine (pepcid) long term, though I don’t remember why. I will see if I can find out their reasoning. Hope freddy is doing well!

[Dawn H]

Hi all,
I have a 9 year old dachshund mix (looks like a dachshund with longer legs and shorter ears, 15lbs) who had pancreatitis 2 years ago. Switched his food from royal canin dachshund (he ate this his whole life, just the puppy formula when he was a puppy) to hills i/d canned to get his spec cpl test back to normal. His amylase and lipase were never elevated. He never had vomiting despite his test being over 1000. He had stomach pain, inappetence, lethargy and just wasn’t himself. I also gave him boiled chicken and white rice. He’s not keen on the canned i/d. Probably one of the few dogs that doesn’t like canned food. Texture issue, maybe. His current food is wellness core grain free reduced fat kibble. I also add half a multivitamin with digestive enzymes at each meal. No idea if it helps any, but I don’t want to change anything since he’s doing well. He only gets charlee bear liver treats and old mother Hubbard classic crunchy natural puppy treats-mini dog biscuits. Both are low in fat. I use to give him dingo bones rawhide chews but those cause stomach issues now. I’ve tried the easier to digest bones that look like the dingo bones brand but those don’t agree with him either.
He gets no other dog treats because even one snausages mini milk bone biscuit from a neighbor causes stomach issues. No people food except green beans, raw spinach and an occasional baby carrot.
If you’d like an alternative to the RC, try the wellness core low fat. No prescription needed.

[Patricia A]

I always stick to the 5* flavors/proteins ratings. Very thankful for this site because it least I have a starting point of hopefully a healthy food and if they are thriving on it and also enjoys eating it. Like Libby I alternate Primal and Stella’s. I THINK Rawbble Bixbi is a good freeze dried but way too expensive to feed as meals. They get a few as treats.
Libby mentioned preferring Stella’s over Primal. Aside from Stella’s having higher meat content is Stella’s ingredients overall a wee better then Primal in your opinion?

[Susan]

Hi Deborah,

What are you feeding your fussiest 2.5 y/o Traditional yorkie & what are you feding your
new 5 month old Beiwer terrier..

Have you looked at changing both their foods so they can eat the same food??
Look at “all life stages” dehydrated Raw food…

“CaniSource Grand Cru All Life Stages Dehydrated Raw” Dry Dog Food.

“Buckley Liberty Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food”

“BIXBI” Rawbble Dry Dog Food

“Canidae” Grain Free PURE Ancestral Raw Coated Dry Dog Food

“Ziwi Peak” air Dried Raw

“Canidae” Grain Free PURE Petite® Small Breed Raw Coated Dry Formula with Real Salmon for Adults
and
“Canidae” Grain Free PURE Petite® Small Breed Raw Coated Dry Formula with Real Salmon for Puppies has 1% more fat, both formula’s have identical Ingredients & Guaranteed Analysis….

https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-petite-raw-coated-dry-formula-with-real-salmon
The puppy formula’s is higher in fat so probably more appealing..

Look for new foods they both can eat & rotate their foods so they dont eat the same food 24/7 & get bored…..
Fresh is best..

[Ana C]

Hi Susan,

Thank you for the reply.

Yes. I have tried to give my dogs Ziwi Peak Raw. The young one is not interested. The older ones like it; however, they had pancreatitis in the past so I really need to watch for the fat content.

I have ordered K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussells in the past per your recommendation. Thank you! 🙂 They do like it but the supplier often ran out of stock. I have tried Honest Ktchen Green and Blue Lipped Mussells as the alternative until I found that has a really high heavy metal rating. I found New Zealand Green Lipped Mussells in grocery store frozen seafood section. I have been given them that and they also like it. Maybe human grade food is a little safer?

For the young one, I currently rotate between Horizon Legacy and Go! Fit and Free(both Made in Canada) kibbles as the base. I add whatever meat, fish, eggs, and vegetable that we are eating to the kibbles with some warm homemade broth. I tried to use organic meat when is possible. I also use FreshPet and sardines as the topper just to add some smell.

Have you try I and Love and You brand?

It’s just frustrating that we don’t know which food will be recalled next. We wake up in the morning, see the news, and said thank God that’s not the food that I am feeding my dogs. Life go on as usual until the next recall. That’s not the way it should be. Isn’t it?

[Susan]

Hi Ana,

No wet can isnt safer then kibble…
Look at Dehydrated Raw instead of dry kibble & wet can foods, Dehydrated Raw isnt raw, raw like you think when you read the word raw, Dehydrated raw is more like frozen hard raw but it isnt, but its dry like dry kibble but hasnt been over processed & cooked & cooked like kibble…
My boy who has IBD he does really well on an Australian made “Frontier Pets” Free Range Dehydrated Raw balls, I just add a little warm water he loves it for lunch, start feeding 1 of your dog meal a dehydrated raw food & let them decide which is best…
Offer the kibble in a bowl & in another bowl some dehydrated raw..
I think dehydrated is best if you want to feed something like kibble..
Honest Kitchen would be better then buying the wet can foods in pet shops & super markets, alot of wet can foods aren’t balanced properly, well the cat wet can foods aren’t & they’re made by the big 3 pet food companies..
Here’s the proof.
A study was done in Australia by “Sydney University junk pet-food research investigated”

8 out of the 20 pet foods that were tested 8 did not meet nutritional standards, the University will not release names now cause Hills + Royal Canine donates heaps of money to the University & the researchers got a bit scared they wont get funds…..

When you cook for yourself & your family you know what your eating & have watched it cook, when you go & get take away or eat in resturant you dont know if some dropped the food on the floor or they just went to toilet never washed hands, or had a smoke etc this is the same when we feed our pets kibble & wet can foods but worse…
Wet can & Dry Kibble are the lowest of quality when it comes to pet foods, they’re quick & easy, then you start getting the better pet foods Air Dired, Dehydrated Raw they also make wet can foods that are good aswell..

These brands are good..
The bottom 3 brands have come 1st, 2nd, 3rd, when tested for Toxins, Heavy Metals & Contaminates…
The 2 top Brands weren’t tested probably cause they’re made in New Zealand.

“Ziwi Peak” – wet can & Air Dried Raw,
send Ziwi Peak email ask for some samples, just say you have fussy dogs.

“K-9 Natural” – wet can raw & freeze dried & frozen raw in freezer & treats.
K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels are really good + Healthy to give as a treat daily.

“Buckley Liberty” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food

“CaniSource Grand Cru” All Life Stages Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food

“BIXBI” Rawbble Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food

[Susan]

Spy Car wrote:

@Jill b,
all kibbles are essentially cereal-based foods. This type of dog food did not exist prior to WWII. In the aftermath of the war, dog food manufacturers discovered they could use the same extrusion machinery they used to produce human breakfast cereals to make nuggets for dog food. But to make the product shelf-stable and extrudable required using high percentages of starches.

Your vet is quite correct on the negative effects of extra weight on Goldens. No dog does well with extra weight, but Goldens are particularly likely to become obese and to suffer with muscular and joint issues as a result. Goldens ought to be lean. I see many Goldens in my life and to see one carrying the optimal weight is extraordinarily rare. The results of this obesity is clear when one sees the large number of Goldens that are crippled by ACL tears, bad hips, muscle tears, and other dehabilitating issues.

It is very sad to see. And unnecessary.

Most of the problem stems from high-carb low-protein low-fat diets.

Feeding a dog carbs as a primary energy source will do two very bad things. One, it will almost certainly lead to obesity. Two, carb-metabolism actively undermines a dog’s stamina. Carb-heavy diets turn normally active breeds (like Goldens) into couch potatoes, as carbohydrate burning does not provide a steady and sustained release of energy to the dog, rather it is a boon-and-bust.

When dogs are fed a high fat (high-protein) diet, fat-metabolism proves a dog with almost unlimited energy supplies. Aerobic capacity soars.

A Golden Retriever should be an athletic and vital beast. Not a couch potato that sleeps all day with a perhaps 20-minute window of activity. Such a lifestyle will seriously harm a Golden and all one needs to do is look around at the condition of most Goldens in this country.

I have a Vizsla, another sporting breed. Over the past 4.5 years (since 8 weeks) I’ve fed him a balance PMR style raw diet to eliminate carbohydrates from his diet. The results have been stellar. He’s very lean, highly energetic (while calm), has muscles on top of muscles, clean teeth, and is the picture of health. Last year I met a raw-fed Golden. I was amazed (but not entirely surprised) to see an ultra-fit, lean, muscular Golden Retriever who was tireless and free of the almost universal warning signs of impending injuries.

I know many people are not up to feeding a raw diet. If that’s the case look for food with the highest possible percentages of protein and fat and the least amount of carbohydrates. With high-calorie rations one needs to feed far less food (a positive on many levels).

Since dogs metabolize fats brilliantly they are more active and tend to drop body fat (so long as they are not overfed). Activity and sufficient protein will keep the dog’s muscular development strong which reduces stress on joints and tendons.

Goldens, like Labs, are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of high-carb kibble diets. Your vet is spot on here. Taking off weight is extraordinarily difficult when one feeds a high percentage of non-essential carbohydrates. Restricting amounts when the rations are already low in protein and fat means that essential items are reduced in the diet to maintain a place for empty calories that undermine vitality.

Some of the formulas discussed here would virtually guarantee major health consequences in your dogs future. That’s the unvarnished truth.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Bill

[Libby G]

Patricia, I have two field labs, both very high energy that compete in dog sports. So I watch their diet carefully. I supplement their Stella frozen raw patties with Primal’s venison, rabbit, or Turkey/sardine nuggets to get the number of ounces I feed each per meal twice a day. So ingredients are crucial to their maintaining the proper weight in addition to getting the right supplements for a healthy diet. I was disappointed to see that Stella went from all venison to a blend. I prefer it overall to Primal as it has the higher meat content.

[Tami M]

Since the vet is recommending putting weight on your pup try feeding Satin Balls with the kibble. It is a raw food diet. We use it whenever we need to put weight on a dog. It also makes their coats shine. You can google the recipe for it.

[Patricia A]

Same question here Libby. I’m thinking because the lamb is MUCH higher in fat? I just brought the venison not realizing it’s a blend now. I’m looking forward to getting the advisors new 2019 list to see if he changes ratings. I also give a little of Stella’s small breed kibble as a base with their Stella’s. A little worried since peas, chickpeas etc are high up on its ingredient list and the DCM concern regarding these legumes might block Taurine
I have Chihuahuas’ so this breed isn’t listed as the dogs most effected. I also alternate with Primal freeze dried duck and turkey/sardine and Bixibi rawbbles as treats.
I also alternate with Primal freeze dried duck and turkey/sardine and Bixibi rawbbles as treats.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.

[Libby G]

My question concerns your ratings of Stella and Chewys Frozen raw patties. You rate the Lamb as 2.5 stars. Yes the venison which is now called venison blend as it contains lamb you rate 5 stars. Why is that?

[haleycookie]

First is the 4health food you have her on a puppy formula? Second, at 40 lbs at only 4 months she sounds like she’s going to be a large breed dog so a large breed puppy food would be best. I always recommend wellness core puppy or wellness complete health large breed puppy. If she’s just big for her age instinct raw boost puppy is good for medium dog breeds.
As for the cooking chicken and rice, I wouldn’t do that. At least don’t make it anymore than a treat. Chicken and rice isn’t a balanced meal and shouldn’t make up more than 10% of the puppies diet. A canned food like Merrick, instinct, wellness core would be acceptable and good quality and properly balanced for a dog. If you plan to make the canned more than 10% of the diet then a puppy canned food would be necessary for proper nutrition.

[Susan]

Hi,
How many pounds should Minnie be when she is fully grown, what breed is she??
My boy is an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier he is 18kgs = 40lbs, I only feed him around 2 & 1/2 cups when its his “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula – 346Kcals per cup kibble a day + cooked lunch + 1-2 Freeze dried Mussels or when he eats “Canidae Pure Wild” 454Kcals per cup I feed 1 & 1/2 cups kibble a day + cooked lunch or “Canidae Pure Meadow” – 409Kcals per cup, he gets around 1 & 1/2 – 2 cups kibble a day + something different for lunch + Green Lipped Mussels 1-2 a day.

Read the Kcals per cupthe kibble formula you’re feeding it’s probably on bag of kibble or online on the 4Health site or email 4Health for any information & work out how many Kcals a day she should be eating & add cooked food on top, I know Patch should be eating around 1000Kcals a day but I feed a bit under now cause he’s a senior & yes add fresh ingredents to her kibble or separate as a meal, this will help put on weight..
kibble swells up in the stomach makes you feel fuller so best to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day 7am, 12pm, 5pm 8pm so if you have a large breed dog best to feed a large breed kibble, they are formulated for large breed puppy or Adult large dog intestinal tract, (Bloat)
My dog has IBD & does really well on a large breed kibble, the Kcals are lower 346kcals, the higher the Kcals the more dense is the kibble & they dont need to eat as much kibble…

So maybe look for a higher Kcal per cup kibble? “Canidae” is higher in Kcals over 400Kcals so she only needs about 3-4 cups a day depending on formula?.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

The “Canidae All Life Stages Multi-protein” Formula is 468Kcals per cup your dog would only need 2-4 cups a day when a Puppy then when she’s a Adult she’s needs less around 2 cups per day depending on her breed??
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-dry-formula/

Cook – boiled potato or boil sweet potato pieces cool then freeze Sweet Potato freezes really well & thaws good & quickly or I put in micro wave 15sec to thaw, today for lunch I feed Patch 2 pieces of Sweet Potato mixed/mashed with cooked 2 scrambled eggs, I cooked egg in a non stick frying pan, I buy tin Salmon in spring water drain the water & add sweet potato, I feed 4-5 smaller meals a day you can buy a kibble machine that lets out the kibble amount you want thru the day, I give 1/2 a cup at certain times thru the day…
Raw meaty bone would be excellent & gives her something to do all day chewing on a meaty bone from a butcher…
Here’s 2 different Canine Calculator links it gives you a ruff idea how much dry kibble you should be feeding..

https://petsci.co.uk/canine-calorie-calculator/ or

http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Susan]

Hi Jill

Cereals are grains, wheat, oats, rice bran, ingredients you find in breakfast cereals..
With all the testing Royal Canine does their food has come into Australia all moldy & making dogs ill & sick…
Royal Canin offered Nina $1000 and some free product if she agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement…
In Australia 2 big pet food companies within the last year have killed dogs & left a heap of dogs sick with Mega Esophagus you see daily posts of these suffering dogs finally being put to sleep as their poor owners can cope watching their dogs suffer & the other big Pet Food company R/C has made dog’s very ill & tried to buy customers off to shut their mouths so they wouldnt post photos of their moldy kibble…
https://www.choice.com.au/outdoor/pets/products/articles/royal-canin-mouldy-dog-food?fbclid=IwAR3zHS6gpbcZGjv0vjXLvSwLSYU3h5lOzzhq5Z8hlNSsitK54ipLsXFx5Rg

There would be a few quality kibbles or a dehydrated raw dog foods in the US that are very good & are high in meat proteins & aren’t high in carbs…

Instead of adding beans, add some peeled de seed cut up apple pieces, excellent to give for snacks/treats also celery, broccoli, rock melon, cooked sweet potato, mussels, sardines, tin salmon drain water & add 1-2 spoons to 1 of the meals take out some of his kibbles when adding fresh foods…
add healthy fresh whole foods, also add daily 1 x fish oil/Krill oil capsule to 1 of the meals.. Omega 3 fatty acid to diet helps the heart…
I seen on TV news Australian scientist did a study on heart patients 1/2 took fish oil capsules ended up healing & having a healthy heart where the other 1/2 of the human heart patients in the study who never took any fish oil their heart problem stayed the same no changes..

[Susan]

Hi Christine,

I would stay away from all dog fish dry/wet foods they have been found to be High in Heavy Metals, Toxins & Contaminates..
The Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach Salmon formula has been on the 1 star high in toxins/heavy metals list. The company list changes every 3 months when they re test 299 most popular Dog & Cat Wet, Dry & Treat foods..
Google dog foods Contaminates, Heavy Metals, Im not allow to post the link…

Can you feed him a home made fresh raw or cooked balance diet ? this will be healthier diet then dry kibble… or start adding fresh whole foods to his kibble & reduce his kibble amount, buy tin Sarines in Spring water drain water & add 1/4 of a can to 1 meal a day, also Salmon drain water add 2 spoons to his meal, broccolli, peel/de seed apple, mussels, egg, fresh whole foods, left over after you’ve cooked dinner foods will be healthier then the dry kibble, I buy the Freeze Dried Mussels & give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat depends how big the mussels are you can also buy frozen mussels…

Pitbulls Staffys are known to suffer with stomach problems so keep that in mind with his poo eating..
He might be suffering with stomach problems if not, then after eating his brothers poo this isnt healthy.
My Staffy a rescue has IBD & when I first got him he was eating poo,
He needed to fix his gut bacteria get it healthy again, I put him on a dog probiotic powder add 10-15ml water with the recommend amount of probiotic powder, swirl water around in bowl to dissolve the probiotic give in morning on empty stomach as a treat…or buy Kefir give as a drink in the morning for breakfast, Bone Broth it’s very healthy for the gut aswell.

I do no give my Staffy any Heartworm meds, my Boxer was given the yearly heartworm injection, after 1 of her injections when she was 7yrs old her gums went white she fainted & became very unwell & had to be rushed back to the vets, so the next time the vet reduced the heartworm dose, then I stopped giving them to her after I learnt she had cancer, she had Mast Cell cancer so keep an eye out for any weird type worts, lumps, skin tags etc especially around back legs.
I don’t live in a high heartworm area there hasn’t been any cases now over 30yrs I asked my vet the other month cause Patch was getting his wierd wort/skin tags all removed & the vet wasn’t concerned about Patch not being heartwormed, she said they dont see any cases these days, But I live in Australia, so no need to give him posions to kill heartworms he probably doesnt even have, also the Mosquito has to bite an infected dog then come along & bite your dog then infect your dog, this take 6months to become a heartworm….

I do not use any flea chews etc they are very toxic, they attack the flea & ticks nervous system & paralyze the flea & tick causing neurological problems with some dogs.
If you have to use a flea product just use “Frontline Spot On ” or the “Frontline Spray” Frontline only penitrates 2 layers of the dogs skin & doesn’t go into their blood system like the other flea products, you can also make natural sprays aswell.

Follow “Rodney Habib” he is always posting short video’s
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
also follow
“Dr. John Robb – Protect the Pets” do not over vaccinate.
https://www.facebook.com/DRRobbPTP/

[Susan]

Hi Robin,

Can you afford “Endoscope + Biospies” you need the Biospies for some answers other wise your going around in circle.
Why she doesn’t eat is cause food causes PAIN, also is she on an Acid Blocker? Omeparazole or Pantoprazole?
You’d be suprise how many dogs suffer with acid reflux..
Is she refusing o eat the vet diets? they are very high in omega oils & can cause acid reflux, my boy gets worse on the dry & wet vet diets, especially the Hills I/d wet can foods they have digestive enzymes seem to make his IBD worse then he has a bad fermenting smell coming up from his stomach, smell her breath????

Does she take Metronidazole? this really helps my boy with his IBD, Metronidazole kills bad bacteria in stomach & small bowel & has anti inflammatory aswell, Patch cant take Prednisone steriod he gets too many side effects.

are you on facebook?
Join this f/b group
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

You do not have to feed a raw diet, a few dogs are on vet diets, cooked & some are on Raw & doing reallly well, Patch eats a dry kibble he cant hold the digested raw down he regurgitates wet foods 🙁
I’ve started my boy on “Bone Broth” I buy from Pet Shop & put in ice cube tray & thaw 1 bone broth ice cube a day add some water & Patch loves it also Freeze Dried Mussles your girl will love 1-2 Mussels a day as a treat, feed foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids to reduce the inflammation in stomach & bowel,
Rumbling grumbling bowel is Colitis, what she is eating could have an ingredient she is sensitive too, does this Wild Game she is eating have Lentils? my boy can not eat Lentils he gets the rumbles, bad wind then diarrhea, alot of dogs + humans get bad wind pain, farts from Lentils….also is the fat% needs to be low to med, protein -34% carbs low around 30% & Kcals per cup under 360Kcals per cup, the higher the Kcals the more dense the kibble so harder to digest..
Look for a single protein & 1 carb diet, have you tried “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato formula??
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe
the Wellness Simple has a few different formula’s, Lamb meal & Oats, or boil Pototo + a white lean meat like pork, turkey add boiled sweet potato & add some Pumkin, Pumkin soothe the stomach & bowel. They can lick some boiled pumkin off the spoon I was getting tin salmon in spring water small can draining the spring water & boil some sweet potato add 1/2 & 1/2 mix in bowl cover put in fridge & see if she eats some when you have just made it, if yes then next time take out of fridge & warm in Microwave a small amount in bowl just take off the chill..

Also Slippery Elm Powder have you tried giving Slippery Elm Paste, go health food store to buy, add 1/2 teaspoon of the Slipery Elm Powder in bowl or cup boil the jug add boiled water slowly till you make a paste cool get those 20ml syringes pull up 5ml of the Slipery Elm Slurry & put side of her mouth back teeth & push teh plunger on syringe she lick lick & swollow it, the Slippery Elm Slurry is given 20mins before she eats?? it lines the esophagus & stomach..

Try & join the
Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support group heaps of help for your girl….

[Susan]

Hi Jane,
I feed “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult to my English Staffy its very high in Glucosamine,
he is 10yrs old & has a square left hip socket & was running on 3 legs & he’d lift his back left leg up while he ran, but after eating the Wellness Core L/B for 1 month he has stopped running on 3 legs, he isnt as stiff in the morning like he use to be, like a young pup again & the Wellness has helped with his IBD aswell, Wellness also make a Wellness Core Small Breed, Wellness Core Senior but I dont think the Glucosamine is as high as the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is – 750 mg/kg & Chondroitin Sulfate- 250 mg/kg.. Wellness have their PDF under “Nutrient Profiles” it tells you everything, percentage etc in their kibbles, if a formula doesn’t have the PDF just send email to Wellness & ask them your question, I think the Small Breed Formula doesnt have the PDF I’ve emailed Wellness & told them they said it was getting added…
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed
I know you can buy the human grade Glucosamine & Chonroitin & add to their meals, I use to give my boxer years ago, also give 1 x Krill Oil capsule daily with 1 of there meals or buy the tin sardines in spring water & add 1/4 of a can daily to 1 of their meals..
Green Lipped Mussels, I buy the Freeze Dried, Green Lipped Mussels & give Patch 1-2 mussels a day as a treat, depends how big they’re, the cat loves them aswell

When Patch had Xray last year the vet sugested he gets “Cartrohen Vet” weekly injection they get the injection for 4 weeks, its cheap $20-$25 per injection & the vet nurse does it cause Patch has IBD he cant take alot of medications cause of his stomach & NSAID drugs can cause stomach ulcers, my neighbour was getting the Cartrophen Vet injections for his 17yr old Jack Russel & gee what a differences it made..

Cartrophen Vet is given by injection to treat degenerative joint disease or arthritis in dogs. It has been found that it provides relief from pain, stiffness and lameness as effectively as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine.

Follow “Steve Brown” & “Rodney Habib” on their facebook pages & “Planet Paws”
also
Join this f/b group it’s new, run by Dr Karen Becker, Rodney Habib & Susan Garrett
they have some really good healthy balance raw recipes, Golden Paste, frozen Coconut Oil treats etc, just becareful with Coconut Oil & Tumeric or Curcumin can cause upset stomach add small amounts at first.
I like foods high in Omega 3, Salmon- add 1-2 spoons to meal, Sardines-1/4 tin daily, Almonds-3 a day, Green lipped mussels-2mussels.. Google foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
Here’s their Group
“Life with Dogs and Cats – Health, Training & Research”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=direct

[jane a]

Please help, I have 3 dogs, a chihuahua/pitbull mix(4), a dachshund(7), and German shorthaired pointer mix (6). My pointer has arthritis and joint pain and I would like to find a dog food that all 3 dogs can eat, and that is the most nutritious, healthy food that also has glucosamine for the arthritis. I am currently feeding them Earthbound lamb formula (dry kibble). I tried the Dr. Marty’s, but it was very expensive and they only liked it for about a week. I was hoping for a frozen raw suggestion, or anything else that is not full of bi-product. Holistic sounds good, but I am so confused over the many options. I really appreciate feedback, I can’t stand seeing my dog in pain, and all the vet wants to do is put on painkillers.

[Karen K]

My dog has been on Orijen foot topped with primal raw since I adopted her 2.5 years ago. I recently had her taurine levels tested and they were low. I need a new food. She also has an sensitivity to chicken. Does anyone have any suggestions for a GMO free food that would work for her?

[Susan]

Hi John,
Try mixing the amount of Probiotic powder that is recommeded in a bowl with 10-15ml of water, swirl around water in bowl to dissolve the Probiotic powder then let your dog drink it as a treat same time daily inbetween meals..

It’s best to take Probiotic when stomach acid are low with no with food, not when stomach acids are high to digest food…
There’s a really good f/b group called,
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support” group
They recomend using Goats Milk, Kefir & Probiotics, the goats milk will help your girl gain some weight.. you dont have to fed a raw diet..

[Susan]

Hi Athony,
Your dogs probably have Environment allergies, my boy has Seasonal Environment allergies & food senitivities, they both normally come together…
I’ve worked out my boy food sensitivities & I’m in a routine for his environment allergies weekly baths in a medicated shampoo, twice a week when he’s really itchy, I use Dermcare Malaseb medicated shampoo, it relieves Patches itchy skin & paws & kills any yeast or bacteria thats on his skin & paws, he feels heaps better after his baths & Ive washed off allergens & dirt, then I use baby creams for his paws, “Bepanthen” soothing antiseptic cream for red rash on stomach from grass & “Sudocrem” on his paws to protect against the allergens, (grass).
I also use baby wipes to wipe him down after being outside…

If you want a diet thats ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free you’ll have to feed a raw diet, organic meats & vegetables humans eat.. if you live in Australia, then I’d recommend “Frontier Pets” dehydrated raw, it’s free range, organic meat, eggs & veggies..
I’ve heard “Answers” fermented raw is very good quality but expensive you could just buy their Goats milk as this will strengthen your dogs immune system also Vitamin C & Krill Oil added to your dogs diet..
The only other thing you could do is see a good Animal Dermatologist & have a “Intradermal Skin Test” done to see what are your dogs are allergic too in the environment then they get “Immunotherapy injections”

As the dog ages their allergies get worse, Patch is doing really bad this year at the moment its Spring & we’re having 4 seasons in 1 day some days, no wonder more & more dogs are suffering with allergies now….
Good-Luck

Have you tried “Cytopoint Injuctions” a few people say Cytopoint injection have helped their dogs they last 4-8 weeks depends on the dog, Cytopoint has less side effect then Apoquel..
Dog will have better quality of life relieving their itch, we dont have Cytopoint in Australia yet, we have Apoquel tablets, I bought 2 weeks worth but I haven’t used them yet, my vet said I can start giving Apoquel twice a day with his meals then once he stops his itchying reduce to just 1 Apoquel tablet a day, then 1 Apoquel tablet every 2nd day, a few of my vet dog owners are doing this then stopping the Apoquel & see how the dog goes in the cooler months..

[Susan]

Hi Athony,
Your dogs probably have Environment allergies, my boy has Seasonal Environment allergies & food senitivities, they both normally come together…
I’ve worked out my boy food sensitivities & I’m in a routine for his environment allergies weekly baths in a medicated shampoo, twice a week when he’s really itchy, I use Dermcare Malaseb medicated shampoo, it relieves Patches itchy skin & paws & kills any yeast or bacteria thats on his skin & paws, he feels heaps better after his baths & Ive washed off allergens & dirt, then I use baby creams for his paws, “Bepanthen” soothing antiseptic cream for red rash on stomach from grass & “Sudocrem” on his paws to protect against the allergens, (grass).
I also use baby wipes to wipe him down after being outside…

If you want a diet thats ethically-sourced, organic/certified chemical free you’ll have to feed a raw diet, organic meats & vegetables humans eat.. if you live in Australia, then I’d recommend “Frontier Pets” dehydrated raw, it’s free range, organic meat, eggs & veggies..
I’ve heard “Answers” fermented raw is very good quality but expensive you could just buy their Goats milk as this will strengthen your dogs immune system also Vitamin C & Krill Oil added to your dogs diet..
The only other thing you could do is see a good Animal Dermatologist & have a “Intradermal Skin Test” done to see what are your dogs allergic too in the environment then they get “Immunotherapy injections”

As the dog ages their allergies get worse, Patch is doing really bad this year at the moment its Spring & we’re having 4 seasons in 1 day some days, no wonder more & more dogs are suffering with allergies now….
Good-Luck

Have you tried “Cytopoint Injuctions” a few people say Cytopoint injection have helped their dogs they last 4-8 weeks depends on the dog, Cytopoint has less side effect then Apoquel..
Dog will have better quality of life relieving their itch, we dont have Cytopoint in Australia yet, we have Apoquel tablets, I bought 2 weeks worth but I haven’t used them yet, my vet said I can start giving Apoquel twice a day with his meals then once he stops his itchying reduce to just 1 Apoquel tablet a day, then 1 Apoquel tablet every 2nd day, a few of my vet dog owners are doing this then stopping the Apoquel & see how the dog goes in the cooler months..

[Susan]

Hi Ana,
At the moment I’m rotating & feeding “Canidae Pure Meadow” formula, the fat is
10.80%max high in omega oils for skin, coat & bones. I got this bag for free from Canidae, I had brought their All Life Stages Platinum kibble about 1 month ago, years ago Patch did OK on Canidae ALS Platinum dry grain formula but not this time his poos were awful, when I contacted the online pet store to change they wanted me to send back the 13kg bag of kibble, it would have cost me an arm & a leg to send it back to the online store also it was in another state, postage is dear in Australia, so I contacted Canidae I told the lady what had happened & Canidae replaced with something else (Pure Meadow) that I knew agreed with Patch, Canidae are pretty good… & I donated the big bag of Platinum kibble to local rescue group, some lucky dog would be happy, better then eating supermarket dry food..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

I always contact the pet food companies to get the max fat %..
To my knowledge I’ve never seen any of Canidae formula’s on the 1 star heavy metal/toxins & contaminates section, in the beginning when the toxin/heavy metal study first came out Canidae had a few 5 star formula’s, Patch seems to do really well on the Canidae kibbles, their CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Petite® Small Breed Chicken With Real Chicken Dry Raw Coated Formula & the Salmon formula both are 12%min fat, you’d have to email Canidae for max fat % when I’ve emailed Canidae for max fat% its never much more when its white meat formula’s…
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-petite-raw-coated-dry-formula-with-real-chicken

[InkedMarie]

Daryl, you can’t be charged if you don’t put your credit card info in. If you’re charged somehow, contact your credit card company.

Look at Hare Today, Reel Raw, My Pet Carnivore, Raw Feeding Miami. All are reputable Raw food companies. I live in NH, buy from Hare and have for years. Yes there is shipping but it would be cheaper than a premade raw. You would need a stand alone freezer. I don’t know about the rest but Hare offers rewards back for purchases, reviews, sharing photos etc

[Susan]

Hi Cindy,

My daughter name is also Cindy, your dog is a very lucky dog to have you has his owner & didn’t change his kibble & continue feeding him a dry kibble…You’d probably still have a very sick dog..

I too follow Judy Morgan DVM aswell my boy Patch is a rescue who I rescued 6 years ago, it’s his 10th birthday tomorrow, Tuesday 20th November also on this day I rescued him from being put to sleep that day 🙂
He came to me in a really bad condition for a 4 yr old dog, he has IBD diagnosed thru Endoscope + Biopsies, Environment Allergies & Food Sensitivities…. It’s been a struggle he just had 5 weird looking wort type lumps removed 2-3 weeks ago & I just knew he was cancer free, he has the luck of the Irish the vet said gee he’s a lucky boy she was really worried about 1 lump on the side of his back leg so was I, this weird lump grew very quickly & look weird, we thought Mast Cell Tumor but no we wer wong thank god, he has a few angels watching over him..
Years ago I found Judy’s pup loaf recipe & tweak it a bit to suit Patches needs, I make Lean Pork Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potato & Lean Beef Rissoles + Boiled Sweet Potatoes, I add 1 whisked egg, finally chopped parsely, chopped broccolli & spinach or kale, I bake in oven as Patch needs low fat when he eats any cooked foods, I make the rissoles 1/2 cup in size & bake them on a foil lined baking tray, take out 1/2 way 15mins to drain any water/fat & turn them over & bake till ready, they only take about 25-30mins & they freeze really well same as the boiled sweet potato pieces they thaw out pretty good…

He also gets freezed dried Mussels x 1-2 a day depends how big teh mussels are, strawberries, they are very cheap at teh moment, peeled apple, water melon, almond 3 a day whe I remember & his Bone Broth drink after his mid morning walk, I try to give him healthy foods that don’t cause any problems with his IBD… What I eat Patch gets some aswell… His IBD became worse last Nov-2017 after eating TOTW Lamb formula, he went down hill, I nilly put him to sleep in January 2018 instead I asked his vet can he do another Endoscope + Biopsies & found Patches lower Sphincter flap doesn’t close properly, sadly he doesnt do well on big wet meals now as he regurgatates them making his acid reflux worse, the only food he keeps down for his big meals is dry kibble 🙁
I was devastated but he does still eats a small wet meal for lunch only, lunch time is when he gets his freeze dried raw “Frontier Pets” or his Rissoles Sweet Potato etc, he still gets his little extra healthy foods, I want to try blueberries & beets next..

Do you follow “Rodney Habib”
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Rodney has been traveling around the world for 1 year talking to vets, Drs, scientist all around the world doing research on cancer in dogs & how to stop dogs from getting cancer… He’s a wealth of information.
Did you know there’s only about 110 Vet Nutritionist on this planet & 98% of them work for the big Pet Food companies, so there’s only about 2% vet nutritionist who aren’t bias like Judy Morgan that really want to educate us & get our dogs healthy thru natural foods & not feed these over processed dry pet foods & they will not recommend a high carb dry vet diet when your dog gets cancer ….. It’s sad I think…
I live in Australia & alot of pet owners feed either a raw diet or a cooked diet & a few feed kibble as base & add raw, the longest living dogs both came from Australia Bluey he was 29yrs old & Maggie she just passed away & she was 30yrs old both dogs were raw feed dogs..

Here’s a new group Dr Karen Becker, Susan Garret & Rodney have just started, its called
“Life with Dogs and Cats – Health, Training & Research”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=br_rs

[Spy Car]

Hello Russell,

How much does the Ridgeback weigh?

As a rough rule of thumb, raw feeders generally give dogs a daily meal of 2-3% of body weight. Even at 3% rations of 1.6 kg would typically sustain a dog of 53 kg (about 116 lbs). 53 kgs is well above the normal range of Ridgebacks.

One of several things is likely going on.

One. There is an emergent medical issue that coincidentally came along in the same time-frame as the food switch. Least likely, but if weight loss is excessive it would be wise to check with a vet.

Two. The formula you are using is too low fat. Fat is the optimal energy source for dogs. About 30% fat is ideal.

Three. Mostly likely, your Ridgeback is leaning out the way raw fed dogs typically do. Ideally, a Ridgeback will show some ribs. If the dog is maintaining or (more likely) building muscle mass while dropping it fat layer, then you’ve achieved an ideal situation for the dog’s health and well-being.

Raw fed dogs are almost always leaner and more well-muscled than kibble-fed dogs. Most people have gotten used to the look of dogs that carry a lot of fat on their bodies and perceive that as “normal” when, in fact, it is a sign of obesity.

If you are concerned I’d see your vet. But know that raw fed dogs almost always lean out and will drop the fat layer that eating carbohydrates promote. With that comes an increase in vitality and good health that is especially positive in reducing strain on joints.

Best,

Bill

[Nikki J]

I would recommend a ground up raw diet . If you can afford it buy one already prepared. These are kind of pricey . I picked up a meat grinder from goodwill that works perfectly. It’s all metal and manual with a hand crank but it’s easy to use & clean. If it’s gna be a short term situation I’d buy the prepared raw food which is available at petsmart and online.

[anonymous]

Quote “I CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH! I now feel hopeful that we will get to the bottom of this horrible nightmare she’s had to call ‘life’. I’m encouraged that one day I will be able to see her beautiful FULL coat and pet/stroke her without it making her skin crawl”.

@ Julie S,
You’re welcome. Please give us an update. Make that dermatologist appointment asap!
We have no regrets.

Also, it sounds like you have been through it already, but beware of homeopathic remedies and miracle cures. Most are bogus and some can cause harm.

PS: Dechra Mal-A-Ket Shampoo
We just tried this shampoo as Malaseb has been getting hard to find it the large size.
Check Entirely pets dot com for description and good prices
We get the gallon size as sometimes my allergy dog is bathed daily, it helps!

[Julie S]

To anon101,

THANK YOU!…
I am new to the forum, and have never replied on any subject, but I am truly moved to tears. My 7# toy Pekingese is almost 11 years old and for 9.5 yrs she has been battling yeast, staph and everything else that can make a dog itch. I have exhausted almost every vet in my county, and although I adore her current vet practice even they have been unable to figure her skin out for any longterm management.

I have tried every diet imaginable! She’s been put through so many shampoos, rinses, oils, vinegars….. The typical rounds of meds (Abx, steroids, Apoquel, cytopoint, Nizarol, etc..) all to no avail. She reacts to everything I put on her and yet, she’s so patient and willing to allow me “try” what ever comes next. It breaks my heart! I know I’m stressed and I can’t imagine what her stress load does to exacerbate her health conditions. It’s all so never ending and I just want her to make one full year without suffering so (lesions, hair loss, black, thickened, Frito smelling skin).

I have read numerous comments and cane across the link you posted for nevetdermatology.com regarding CAD. Talk about a lightbulb moment! I read that article twice, for myself and then to my husband, and we are amazed how much it relates to our Louci’s (pronounced Lucy) condition. I thanked God and then I cried tears of hope and joy! My next step will be to her vet for a referral to a certified dermatologist, asap.

I CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH! I now feel hopeful that we will get to the bottom of this horrible nightmare she’s had to call ‘life’. I’m encouraged that one day I will be able to see her beautiful FULL coat and pet/stroke her without it making her skin crawl.

Sincerely,
Julie S

[Susan]

Hi Ana,

I think your talking about Wellness “FISH” formula’s being high in Toxins, not all off the Wellness formula’s are high in Toxins & Contaminates…
There’s a “few” Brands that have FISH formulas that are also “VERY” high in Toxins, Contaminates & Heavy Metals, the Annamaet Lean has Herring fish meal in it, so chances are it will also be higher in Toxin & Contaminates then one of Annamaet other formula’s, also Annamaet Lean is very high in legumes, best not to feed no more then 20% Legumes when feeding a dry kibble….

There’s a heap of different “Fish” brands that have or are on the high toxin list it doesn’t mean all their formula’s are bad…
Earthborn Holistic, Fromm, TOTW, Purina Sensitive Stomach Salmon, Acana, Orijen, Racheal Ray, Halo, Diamond, Nutro, Natures Variety, Nulo, American Journey,Go, Open farm, Ol’ Roy, Kibbles N Bits the list goes on & on..

If your dogs can be feed home made raw or home cooked balanced diets this would be heaps better then feeding these dry processed kibbles or try & feed less dry kibble & more healthy ingredients, eggs, tin salmon, boiled sweet potatoes & fresh blended or cooked veggies etc there’s a really good video in the “Life With Dogs & Cats” group I’ve posted link below, feeding dogs fresh raw blended or cooked Veggies, vegetable fibers are more healthy for gut, the Video is called “Dont forget to feed your Veggies” & has Dr Jean Dobbs on the Video, really good information..
also reducing some of your dog dry kibble & replacing with healthy Green & Orange veggies will help lose some weight..lower your dogs carbs the Annamaet Lean formula has 50% carbs..

If you feed a dry kibble then it’s best to rotate between a few different brands that agree with your dogs, so if 1 of the dry foods you’re feeding is high in heavy metals, or not balanced properly, or is high in Legumes, your dog isn’t just eating this 1 brand of dry dog food 24/7, year after year…
I stick with feeding dry dog foods that are grain free & have white meats, Turkey, Pork & Chicken, these meats seem to be cleaner then fish, thats if the pet companies have a good suppliers….
Mycotoxins are poisonous chemical compounds produced by certain fungi found in grains,
so it’s not just the meats that have toxins, heavy metals, so when I see a brand that is Turkey or Chicken formula high on the toxin list & it has grains, I think Mycotoxins & Roundup
could be the reason why this chicken or turkey formula is high on the Toxin & Contaminates list… http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/x5008e/x5008e01.htm

DFA doesn’t believe in these testing & blocks the name of company & any links to this company that does the studies. I think its good this company is testing 299 most popular dog/cat foods & treats, its making these pet food companies clean up their act, keeps them on their toes.
DFA writes about it this company on the Orijen Review section. /dog-food-reviews/orijen-dog-food-usa/

We have just had another recall in Australia “Black Hawk” Salmon formula made by NZ Masterpet food company have admitted they change Fish suppliers, (probably went with a cheaper fish suplier) then all these poor dogs became very unwell, “Advance” Dermcare was using Tuna & a heap of dogs died Nov-2017 to March-2018 the surviving dogs all have Mega Eosphagus & little quality of life..

Join this new facebook group
“Life with Dogs and Cats” – Health, Training & Research
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=direct

It’s run by Dr Karen Becker, Susan Garrett & Rodney Habib & a few other people, group started about 3 weeks ago & already it has 5700 people, there’s a couple excellent video to watch, also on Planet Paws f/b page & Rodney Habib f/b page..
One video is about the latest UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s latest study: on Limited Ingredient/Allergy Diets, so Karen Becker & Rodney bought a few popular LID dog foods & had ingredients tested & “Natural Balance” Bison formula was “not” Bison meat, it was Beef, Horse, Pork, Goat, Lamb ot had every red meat in it….
Video is called “False Hope of Limited Ingredient & Allergy Diet” – video..

[Susan]

Hi Rebecca,

if you want to feed a healthy diet look at Raw, Cooked or Freeze dried Raw, Air Dried raw.
Freeze Dried Raw looks like kibble & is quick & easy to give but Freeze dried & Air Dried hasn’t been cooked at high temps like kibble is cooked, all the good nutrition is still intact with freeze dried & Air Dried….

Here’s “Canidae”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-ancestral-raw-coated-dry-red-meat-formula-with-lamb-goat-wild-boar/

Here’s “Wellness Core”

Core Dog Products

Here’s “Ziwi Peak” Air Dried Raw your dogs will love Ziwi Peak.
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

Kibble is the least healthy to feed a dog, if you feed a dry kibble start adding healthy ingredients to dogs diet, eggs, tin salmon, sweet potato, broccoli, beets, mussels, sardines in spring water, foods high in omega 3 for bones. skin, coat, brain,
Shih tzu’s are prone to Pancreatitis so becareful with high fat diets..

If you’re on Face Book follow

* Judy Morgan DVM – Click on Judy video’s, heaps of good info, cooking recipes,
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/

* K-9 Kitchen- Monica Segal
https://www.facebook.com/groups/K9Kitchen/

* K-9 Nutrition Lew Olson
https://www.facebook.com/groups/371592139642185/

* Rodney Habib is excellent.
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Also DO NOT over vaccinate follow – John Robbs
https://www.facebook.com/john.robb.7982?lst=100000463318984%3A100004886320823%3A1542235370

Flea Products – stay away from the new flea chews, they can cause neurological problems, do your research..
The only flea product that doesn’t go into the dogs blood system is “Frontline Plus” Spot On & the “Frontline Spray” it only penetrates 2 layers of the dogs skin..

Less toxins you put into your dogs system the healthier they will be,
looks like they have landed on all 4 paws & ended up in a good home..

[InkedMarie]

It makes no sense to add pasta and rice to a raw diet. Add eggs to one meal a few times a week and up his feed.

If you’re in the US and have a free standing freezer, you may want to look at Hare Today, Raw Feeding Miami and My Pet Carnivore. All have complete grinds and maybe cheaper, even with shipping.

[Russell L]

Hi all,

We started feeding our Ridgeback and Belgian Shepherd the Raw diet about 3 months ago. We buy the frozen balanced raw food and add our own livers and pilchards each week. The problem I’m having is that the Ridgeback has lost a ton of weight. He’s right up to 1.6kg’s per day of food now but I just can’t seem to get him to keep any weight. I’d class him as semi active as he gets a run everyday for an hr. His rib cage is clearly visible and he’s definitely under. My question is firstly open in terms of what should I do? And then secondly, is it ok to bulk his food with some extra cooked rice/pasta to help try and boost his weight?

[anonymous]

I am glad you are working with a veterinarian. There is nothing wrong with prescription food. Check with the vet that has examined the dogs before making any diet changes.

I like Fromm Classic Adult as a base, also I would consider Purina Pro Plan Focus Salmon for sensitive skin and stomach.
I feed 2 meals per day, add a splash of water or plain chicken broth and a topper.
/forums/topic/grain-free-2/#post-109751

I feed 1/3 cup of kibble as a base twice a day for a 20 lb dog. An occasional snack, maybe 1/2 raw carrot to chew on.

Check their teeth as they may need professional cleanings. If all is okay, start brushing their teeth twice a day, I like Petrodex (6.2oz tube) is economical. Google to find it.

Start walking the dogs on hard pavement for at least 10 minutes at a time, work up to 1 hour a day. This will help their legs. You will see a big difference after a few months.

For science based veterinary information go here, use the search engine to look up specific topics, ie: nutrition http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

[Susan]

Hi,

“Wellpet” makes
Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack.

Have a looked at “Eagle Pack Large Breed/Giant breed Adult or the “Lamb Meal & Brown Rice” Adult, these formula’s are always sold out here in Australia.. especially the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-dog.aspx#.W-ohMfZuI5s

“Wellness Core Large Breed” Adult saved Patches life back in March when he became very unwell, very thin, bad acid reflux, I nilly put him to sleep …

Wellness Core Large Breed was the only dry food that agreed with him at the time, I had given up, I tried every dry food that “I thought would agree with him” grain formula’s caused diarrhea no acid reflux 🙁
he couldn’t eat low fat wet can vet diets made his acid worse same with home cooked food, he’d regurgate making his acid reflux worse…

When Patch is sick sad etc I always take him for a drive to make him feel better & forget he’s unwell, wind in his face, he loves shopping at Pet Shops or human shops, meeting people & their dogs, this day we went to the closest Pet Barn store, the manager came up to Patch to say hello & I told him I dont know what to do anymore, his IBD vet can’t help him, his Sphincter Flap isnt closing properly & there’s nothing the vet can do no more, the Pet Barn manager said, have I tried raw diet, I said he cant hold down no wet foods, then he said, he has had good results with Wellness Core dry foods, I said, but isn’t Wellness Core formula’s high in protein & fat? Patch cant eat over 30% protein, (I dont know why I thought this?? I probably read somewhere he needs a lower protein diet)
then the man said yes thats what he needs a higher meat protein & lower carb diet & he said give the Wellness Core Large Breed formula a try, it isnt high in fat, its high in meat protein, so I read the Wellness Core L/B kibble bag & it said 12%min-fat, 34% -protein, he said this is probably Patches problem he’s eating low fat & low protein = high carbs causing more acid reflux…
I said, how do you know about acid reflux, he wasnt old maybe in his 30’s, he turn around & said I suffer with GERD & Hiatus Hernia, I’ve just come out of hospital, I normally don’t work at this store, I work Central Coast store, when I’m better I’ll be back at my regular store..
I believe in Angels & there’s human angels that guide us thru life when we need help, showing us the way & Patch has had few Angels along the way that have help him, the man gave Patch the 6kg bag for 1/2 the recommended price & said if I have “any” problems bring it straight back & we’ll try something else or give you a refund, as I was walking out to my car to open the back section so he could put the bag of kibble in car, I thought to myself we’ll be coming back next week you watch, but we didn’t, Patch got better, he started playing, he was his happy self again saying hello to everyone, wanted to go on his walks, I couldnt believe it, I had my old Patch back. His vets couldnt believe it either..
He just had 5 weird looking wort like lumps removed from the sides of his back right & left legs, stomach & ear & they were all benign…He’s a lucky boy..

Depends which Wellness Formula your dog was eating at the time, was he unwell, this could be why he didnt want to eat it or it was making him unwell so he wasnt keen on eating it?
Purina, Hills & Royal Canine spray their dry foods with flavouring, Wellness kibbles are sprayed with Probiotics, so some dogs mighten like the smell they might be use to the flavouring spray.

Years ago Patch didn’t do well on the Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato Barley formula, he cant eat barley causes yellow smelly sloppy poos then diarrhea.
He didnt do well on the Wellness Simple, Duck Meal & Oatmeal & the Lamb Meal & Oatmeal formula’s caused yellow sloppy smelly poos..

Wellness have brought out a new cheaper grain formula called “Wellness Healthy Balance” dry but it isnt on the Wellness site yet.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/by/brand/wellness-healthy-balance/

Take back the Old Mother Hubbard Biscuits exchange them.
https://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/about-us.aspx

[Susan]

Hi,

“Wellpet” makes
Wellness, Holistic Select, Eagle Pack.

Have a looked at “Eagle Pack Large Breed/Giant breed Adult or the “Lamb Meal & Brown Rice” Adult, these formula’s are always sold out here in Australia.. especially the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice.
http://www.eaglepack.com/product-dog.aspx#.W-ohMfZuI5s

“Wellness Core Large Breed” Adult saved Patches life back in March when he became very unwell, very thin, bad acid reflux, I nilly put him to sleep …

Wellness Core Large Breed was the only dry food that agreed with him at the time, I had given up, I tried every dry food that “I thought would agree with him” grain formula’s caused diarrhea no acid reflux 🙁
he couldn’t eat low fat wet can vet diets made his acid worse same with home cooked food, he’d regurgate making his acid reflux worse…

When Patch is sick sad etc I always take him for a drive to make him feel better & forget he’s unwell, wind in his face, he loves shopping at Pet Shops or human shops, meeting people & their dogs, this day we went to the closest Pet Barn store, the manager came up to Patch to say hello & I told him I dont know what to do anymore, his IBD vet can’t help him, his Sphincter Flap isnt closing properly & there’s nothing the vet can do no more, the Pet Barn manager said, have I tried raw diet, I said he cant hold down no wet foods, then he said, he has had good results with Wellness Core dry foods, I said, but isn’t Wellness Core formula’s high in protein & fat? Patch cant eat over 30% protein, (I dont know why I thought this?? probably read he needs to feed lower protein diet)
then the man said yes thats what he needs a higher meat protein & lower carb diet & he said give the Wellness Core Large Breed formula a try, it isnt high in fat, its high in meat protein, so I read the Wellness Core L/B kibble bag & it said 12%min-fat, 34% -protein, he said this is probably Patches problem he’s eating low fat & low protein = high carbs causing more acid reflux…
I said, how do you know about acid reflux, he wasnt old maybe in his 30’s, he turn around & said I suffer with GERD & Hiatus Hernia, I’ve just come out of hospital, I normally don’t work at this store, I work Central Coast store, when I’m better I’ll be back at my regular store..
I believe in Angels & there’s human angels that guide us thru life when we need help, showing us the way & Patch has had few Angels along the way that have help him, the man gave Patch the 6kg bag for 1/2 the recommended price & said if I have “any” problems bring it straight back & we’ll try something else or give you a refund, as I was walking out to my car to open the back section so he could put the bag of kibble in car, I thought to myself we’ll be coming back next week you watch, but we didn’t, Patch got better, he started playing, he was his happy self again saying hello to everyone, wanted to go on his walks, I couldnt believe it, I had my old Patch back. His vets couldnt believe it either..
He just had 5 weird looking wort like lumps removed from the sides of his back right & left legs, stomach & ear & they were all benign…He’s a lucky boy..

Depends which Wellness Formula your dog was eating at the time, was he unwell, this could be why he didnt want to eat it or it was making him unwell so he wasnt keen on eating it?
Purina, Hills & Royal Canine spray their dry foods with flavouring, Wellness kibbles are sprayed with Probiotics, so some dogs mighten like the smell they might be use to the flavouring spray.

Years ago Patch didn’t do well on the Wellness Complete Health Whitefish & Sweet Potato Barley formula, he cant eat barley causes yellow smelly sloppy poos then diarrhea.
He didnt do well on the Wellness Simple, Duck Meal & Oatmeal & the Lamb Meal & Oatmeal formula’s caused yellow sloppy smelly poos..

Wellness have brought out a new cheaper grain formula called “Wellness Healthy Balance” dry but it isnt on the Wellness site yet.
https://www.petbarn.com.au/dogs/dog-food-dry/by/brand/wellness-healthy-balance/

Take back the Old Mother Hubbard Biscuits.
https://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/about-us.aspx

[Susan]

Hi Lisa,
you want the meat protein to be a meal, not just the single meat “Lamb”, you want to feed more “meat proteins” less plant proteins….
When ingredient list are written they’re raw not cooked, so after you cook the salmon it shrinks 70% is water & is no longer 1st ingredient no more, its about 4th ingredient & the next ingredient is first ingredient so you probably have a carb as first ingredient instead of a meat, you want a dry kibble that has at least 2-3 meat proteins as 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredient then the carb eg, Pork, then Pork Meal, Bison Meal then the carb, sweet potato, rice, peas, etc..or Lamb, Lamb Meal, brown rice, oats, peas

Patch has IBD & finally he is doing really well & its cause he is finally eating more meat & less carbs…I rotate his foods & he’s eating Wellness Core Large Breed Adult formula, Large Breed formula’s are made for a large Breed bowel, this is when he started to do really well cause he was eating more meat less carbs. 70% meat proteins & 30% carbs…
When you have a sensitive dog you want more meat in their diet, dogs have a short digestive tract its made to digest raw meat, meat is easier to digest then a heap of carbs… Your dog can react to carbs aswell meat proteins..
When you just feed 1 meat protein year after year & do not rotate & change meat proteins this is when the dog can start to react to the single meat protein he’s been eating year after year..this is why its best to change & rotate your dogs food so this doesnt happen…
Find 2-3 brands with a different meat proteins your dog can eat & does well on & change dry food proteins with the Seasons, I use to feed Whitefish/Salmon in the hotter months – Spring & Summer then Lamb & Pork in the cooler months – Winter.

Here’s “Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato dry,
it has “Whitefish” first ingredient & its not a meal what you’re looking for.
When you see a fish you want the fish name, not a fish meal, you do not know what type of fish it is with fish meal?? it should say Sardines, Salmon meal, or Salmon, Sardine meal, Whitefish, Menhaden fish meal,

Here’s the ingredients, there’s NO chicken..
Whitefish, Ground Barley, Peas, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Natural Fish Flavor, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Mixed Tocopherols Added to Preserve Freshness, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium.
https://www.chewy.com/wellness-complete-health-adult/dp/34375

Wellness is a good dog food & have been around over 100yrs… this formula will agree with your dog….if you like another brand of dry food put it on your list so you have about 2-3 different dry food you can introduce over 10 days & then rotate them every 3-4 months..

Here’s DFA explaining Meat & Meal Meals, in the review section on a dry chicken & menhaden fish meal dog food..

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is menhaden fish “meal”. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.

Give the “Natural Balance Lamb Meal & Rice Large Breed” a go & see how he goes, then have a few other dry foods on your list so you can try later on so you know if you can’t get the food he’s eating or something happens you know he can also eat another dry food that has a different meat protein & is OK & has no diarrhea….

[crazy4cats]

Hi Lisa A-
I’m glad your vet notified you about diet related DCM. There is a FB group dedicated to this issue called Taurine-Deficient cardiomyopathy. The cardiologist that is leading one of the research groups from UCDavis belongs and pops in every now and then to give advice. There is also a team of mostly knowledgable admins that run the site. Check it out!

Many of the members whose dogs cannot tolerate chicken have transitioned their dogs off of suspect diets to the Purina ProPlan Sensitive Stomach Salmon recipe.

As I think Susan mentioned, Acana and Zignature have been mentioned quite often when people have reported their dogs either have either low taurine or actual DCM. Remember, it’s tough to rate an ingredient label. So, I have officially given it up and leave it to the experts to know which ingredients work well together to deliver an appropriate nutrient package to my dogs. Surprisingly, a number of raw and homemade fed dogs are also turning up taurine deficient.

At this point in time, I’d stay totally away from the suspect ingredients (legumes and potatoes) and stick with a brand that has been around for a while that has proven to be safe. I switched to Purina and will stick with either them or Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Hill’s or Iams. They all have veterinary nutritionists on staff, do research, feeding trials and own their own facilities.

Btw, I think the ingredients of Natural Balance look fine. It doesn’t contain any of the suspect ones. It contains some of the building blocks for dogs to synthesize their own taurine. I’m not sure about that brand though but if your vet is good with it, give it a go! Or, try out the PPP salmon formula. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Lisa,

I’d stay away from Zignature as it was 1 of the brands + (Acana) that had a few diet related DCM causes…
I didn’t know Zignature make a beef formula? they have Pork or Goat, Zignature is very high in Legumes, Legumes need to be avoid till they work out what ingredients are causing these heart problems, no more then 20% legumes, so more meat proteins in the first 2-3 ingredients, not plant proteins…

Have you looked at Pork, there might be more LID pork formula’s?? my IBD boy does really well on Pork, “Canidae Pure Wild”
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-wild-dry-formula

Have you done a proper elimination diet to work out his food sensitivities when he was on a vet diet that agreed with him? it’s the only why to know 100% what meats he is sensitive too.. just add some raw or cooked meat with his vet diet he did well on this way you will know 100%

You have to remember when these grain free dry foods first came out they were all potato or sweet potato, tapioca & we didnt have any problems with DCM in dogs like we are having now with these newer grainfree dry foods that started to use Lentils, Chickpeas to replace the meat proteins.

“Natural Balance” grain free formulas are also pretty good for dogs with sensitive stomach/bowel, alot of people feed the Fish & Sweet Potatos or the Duck & Potato, these 2 Natural Balance formula’s are legume free…

I rotate between a few G/F dry foods that my boy does well on, my boy is doing excellent on the “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato at the moment, years ago he ate the Lamb & Oatmeal but started to do sloppy poos after 3 weeks, he doesnt seem to do well on grains formula’s as he has gotten older, he has a beautiful shiney coat, still holding his weight at 18kg-40lbs & only doing 2 firm poos a day on the Weillness Simple Turkey…

Oh did you look at the Farmina Vet Life formula’s
https://www.farmina.com/us/eshop-dog/dog-food/8-farmina-vet-life-canine.html

Hopefully they’ll have some answer soon, as there’s alot of stressed out people who own Goldens & Labrodors, this breed seems to be affected the most..

[Susan]

Hi Laurence,

join this f/b group,
“Dogs with Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD – Raw Feeding & Holistic Support”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/292537937935806/

I know the group says Raw Feeding but there’s alot of people in group that feed dry kibble, vet diet kibble/wet tin, cooked meals, raw meals etc, look out for one of the Moderators named Anu, I wont post last name, she is a wealth of information, really good help, it’s worth copying & posting your post then posting in the IBD Holistic f/b group once you’ve joined ask how to firm poo up naturally…

I know potatoes & sweet potato firms up poos for dogs who have IBD & EPI, have you tried a different dry kibble?? one thats lower in carbs & higher protein that has sweet potatoes or potato??…
also have you tried Slippery Elm Paste given 15-20min before he eats? you buy slippery elm powder, add 1/2 teaspoon in a cup slowly add boiling water & stir till you have made slurry & you can pulled up 5ml into a syringe when it has cooled down, I cover cup with cling wrap & put the rest slippery Elm slurry in fridge for the next time you need to use again, then you boil the jug & add a little boiled water & stir till it’s a slurry again & pulls up into the syringe..then I throw away if any Slippery Elm paste is left & start again..

Have you tried reducing the Metronidazole to 1 tablet morning & 1 tablet with Dinner, then get him down to 1 Metronidazole at Dinner time?? ask vet?
also have you tried Tylan Powder?
It is a macrolide antibiotic. Tylosin is used in veterinary medicine to treat bacterial infections…
Tylan can replace Metronidazole as Tylan is similiar to Metronidazole (Flagyl)…
Tylan powder will firm up poo within 1 day but cause its a lose powder you MUST put in empty capsules & put down his throat then he eats his dinner, tylan tastes awful & some dogs end up refusing to eat meal if you sprinkle Tylan powder on their food, so best to put in capsule & put back of tongue, push down their throat then quickly feed, its worth a try you might be able to stop giving immodiums twice a day & the Metronidazole, baby steps.
They have proven a dog taking a high Tylan dose can take 1/2 the Tylan dose once a day & poos stayed the same….
ask your vet about Tylan Powder, years ago you could by online or over the counter in the US, I dont know about now, I think I read you can still buy without script if its for chickens I think you might still be able to buy online best to ask in the IBD f/b group people might know more or if you join the EPI Dog group on f/b
https://www.facebook.com/groups/38663535025/
alot of the EPI dogs take Tylan powder & are doing firm poos now, dont be scared to reduce dose if you do start your dog it wont make any differance..
I tried 1/8th teaspoon Tylan powder in capsule given once a day with Breakfast, within 1 day Patches poos were firm..
Go on U-tube it shows how to make the shoe box to hold up the empty open capsules so you can put 1/8th or whatever the Tylan dose is for your size dog into 1/2 empty capsule….

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3084160/

I hope you find something to partley firm up poos, you mighten it might be the ways poos stay with SBS, I know whats it like when Patch does a mountain of diarrhea out the front of someones yard on his walks, I know when he’s going to do sloppy diarrhea, he wont go poo & he holds it in & walks & walks till he can find a bush to hid his sloppy poos, the silly old bugger, he must of gotten into trouble when he was younger, he’s a rescue I got age 4yrs old, I’ve tried telling him it’s OK Patch, your a good boy & we can go home now after walking & walking to find a good bushto poo under & hide it, he will NOT do sloppy/diarrhea poo in his own yard, one vet said he’s a very private dog, lol…

[I love Dogs 2]

@Pitlove
You wrote

“Grain free literally has ZERO benefits to your dog. Why would you risk even a SMALL possibility of your dog getting DCM from the food your feeding when there is no reward?”

How dare you say Im putting my dog at risk?
How can you put this information out there
“grain free foods have ZERO benefits to your dog”
Where is your evidence to support these claim?

My vet prescribe her Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastrointestinal grain dry food first, it made her symptoms worse, then the vet put her on grain free Royal Canine Veterinary Diet Canine Selected Protein Adult PR Potato & Rabbit dry dog food straight away she improved, this dog was given to me after her mum had passed away the family were taking her to a shelter, Im her neighbour I know Chloe so I said I’ll take her, from what I can remember she was raw feed her whole life, so I dont know if family members feed her a cheap grain dry dog food this is why is became very ill, vet said it looks like food allergy, since being on grain free Royal Canine vet diet she has gain weight she looks better then she looked 4 months ago when she came into my care, she has energy now wants to play with her brother, the vet said we’ll keep her on the Royal Canine PR for another 3 months then come back again we’ll discuss what to do next (put back onto raw diet).
I asked the vet are potatoes OK, I was reading the ingredients on the Royal Canine food bag, he said potatoes are fine, he has been selling Royal Canine PR vet diet for years there have been no food related DCM cases no problems with potato.

Shame on you, you need to stop putting fear into people put your beliefs aside till we have more proof DCM is food related?…

[crazy4cats]

Actually many grains contain the amino acids necessary for dogs to synthesize their own taurine. There are a surprising number of raw fed dogs showing up as taurine deficient in the ongoing study. (Both the official and the unofficial FB)

Carbs are a great source of energy for dogs.

[woodpecker]

Hi guys,

I am so glad I found this site. Just today I found out I’ve been unawarenly feeding my dog a changed Nature’s Variety food since it was adquired by another company. Like others, I thought the change was only in the bag apearance. Rats!!!

I don’t remember the signature raw chicken formula, which is supposed to be same as the original one having Yeast Culture, Turkey Heart, not sure about the Montmorillonite clay…

Does anyone have a copy of the ingredients list back in 2016 before Nature’s Variety was bought by Agrolimen?

So far the changes I found in my dog are the apearance of his scat, from small hard little nodules that become white and disintegrate quickly to looking a little more like the kibble eating dogs and his hair looks drier, more dull and wooly.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by woodpecker.

[Bany A]

If anyone is interested in a healthy raw diet for your dog, I recommend ordering from wefeedraw.com if you want cooked, order from nomnomnow.com Personally, my smaller dog gets her food from nomnomnow.com and occasionally dehydrated beef nuggets that I add hot bone broth mixed with some water. My Shepherd eats raw from wefeedraw.com and to be sure he gets all the nutrients he needs, I do add Vital food that I buy from Petsmart refrigerator section and I mix it up between these two. I hope this information helps someone out there.

[Susan]

Hi Tami,

Goats Milk is really good for puppies look at “Answers Fermented Raw”

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Dogs are likely to take better to goats milk than cow’s milk. Young puppies can thrive on a formula made with raw goats milk. … Young puppies learning to eat solid food often eat better when goats milk is added to their wet food.