[Leslie K]

Westie has always had sensitive stomach with occasional bile vomit and refusing of food. Only occurs in early morning accompanied by noisy stomach / intestines. In the last month has been virtually every morning. Murphy is 14 yrs old and has been on a twice a day feeding of prey type raw diet his entire life which eliminated skin allergies.
Have tried splitting his dinner and giving 2nd portion before bed as well as just giving him some sweet potato or 1/2 slice of bread at bedtime. That works occasionally but not enough. Any suggestions on what my senior boy might need in his elder years to make it through the night without waking with stomach distress? Maybe probiotics?

[John G]

I am completing my 5th bag of the freeze dried raw food and my 2 year labradoodle seems to love this food. I feed 1 cup twice daily and I use 1/2 cup of warm water to rehydrate for 3 minutes, then I mash the kernels to a consistency that he seems to enjoy. It has never appeared to be “sawdust” like but it is different in appearance from kibble and wet foods. I am not sure I will be able to afford to keep y pet friend on this food, but the cost is the only reason I have now to change. Does anyone found a raw freeze dried quality food that is priced more modestly than Dr Marty’s?

[Lisa K]

I can almost 100% tell you that your dogs seizures came from the food you are feeding them.

My dog Horus ( Shih Tzu Chihuahua mix. Completely Shih in apearence) 5 years old at the time, was perfectly healthy. I had been feeding him Prina One dog food. At the time I was unaware of what Raw dog food and thought I was feeding a good quality brand of Purina. Well one day he just feel over and his body seized, foam started coming out his mouth, his eyes bucked out. I grab him up hysterically thinking he was having a heart attack. I was about to try CPR on him, when he snap out of it and jumped up, and began running around. I got online immediately and started searching for a reason by symptoms. I came to the conclusion it was a seizure and hoped it would not happen again. A few days went by and he had another one, but this time he began having them every 30 mins to an hour in between. I rush him to the vet. They administered phenobarbital and did blood work. His readings were normal with a slightly elevated liver, which the vet said could be the problem but he was not sure. I took him home with a prescription. The doctor said he would need these meds for the rest of his life. I didn’t believe him because that’s what they said about my daughter when she was one. The doctors gave her to high a does once and I pulled her off the meds. She’s 26 now and has never had another seizure, but I gave Horus the meds as prescribed. One day the thought hit me that it could be his food. I started researching the brand I was feeding him and discovered that Purina had several law suites against them for seizure related issues. I was stunned. I continued to research to find what I should be feeding him and found out the a Raw food diet was the best options for dogs. After more research on quality and the best brands I immediately ordered his Raw food. Over the next few weeks I whenned him off the meds. For the next 2 years he never had another Seizure.

Now 3 weeks ago I forgot to order his food and had to get a bag from the market. This time I got Pedigree until his food could arrive. Big mistake. 2 days into the Pedigree he began having seizures again. I rushed him to the vet emergency because he was not recovering from it. They just kept coming. They put him on Keppra and Potassium Bromide which did absolutely nothing to stop the seizures and later his normal vet told me vets sale this stuff to make more money. It does not work, and it’s way more expensive then phenobarbital. My vet gave him one shot of phenobarbital and started Horus on a regiment of vitimains, Enzymes and Amino Acids along with a suggestion to purchase a product called Vet CBD, which I got immediately after leaving her office. These along with the Raw food should help in his recovery. She also said that he may have some brain damage because of the severity of his seizure this time. It has now been 1 week and Horus has not had another seizure. I am still working on his recovery as I do think he may have suffered some brain damage as he will not stop endlessly pacing. He has a wonderful appetite and his blood work remains good.

With all this said, I do see that your pooch is on a raw food diet, but I would also suggest you get her started on supplements also. What she recommended was: Arthur Dex joint support for all animals given by weight of dog, Ultimate Daily Classic 1/2 pill daily, and Ultimate Selenium1/2 pill daily, All by a company called Youngevity which you can get on Amazon. The Vet CBD I’m not sure you can get. It depends on the state you live in. I’m in California and Cannabis is legal here.

I hope some of the info I left helps you in some way.

[Karen A]

This dog food is much too expensive even for a small dog. My Lilly was still hungry after giving her the recommended amount. I called Customer Service today to return and they did seem agreeable to accept a return. I was told they would offer a 40% credit if I were to keep the product. They also mentioned they wouldn’t give me a return authorization but that I would need to pay for returned shipping. I’m considering the 40% discount which would actually bring the price in line with other raw dog foods.

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=homemade+diet excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments

Evidence Update–Homemade Diet Recipes for Your Pet are Unreliable
Posted on May 20, 2013 by skeptvet
I have previously discussed studies of recipes for homemade diets, from books and the internet, which show that these diets are rarely nutritionally adequate or reliable in terms of consistently providing predictable levels of critical nutrients. Recipes for kidney disease, cancer diets, and raw diets have all been evaluated and found wanting. Now the largest study yet looking at the nutritional adequacy of homemade diet recipes has been published and—surprise, surprise—it has found that almost none of the recipes evaluated provide recommended levels of important nutrients.

[Marla G]

Didn’t intend to originally, but I put my dog back on PP 30/20 Sport. Once he gets straightened out again after his poor experience on “Go” and Acana, I’ll look for something to mix with the 30/20. I can’t say my dogs have been better off on the boutique foods, and in some cases haven’t thrived on some at all. Again, dissolutioned. I know too many people in the show world that feed 30/20. I see their dogs and they look amazing. And I even tried raw, first back in the 1980’s, and then in 2005. Unhappy both times. Thinking back about the dogs I grew up with, a Poodle and Border Collie. Wonderful companions that lived 16 and 17 years. My mom fed them Science Diet. I’ve always wondered, why did they thrive on that diet?

[Carrie W]

I am saddened by this lawsuit, however I read the letter sent out by Champion in regards to this lawsuit. I think everyone should at least consider both sides. I had already read the white paper (re: heavy metals in their food) info on Champion’s website (its in their library). I don’t know how long it has been available but it was a while back when I reviewed it. I have fed several different foods over the years. And when I got my latest GSD I did a lot of research and DFA became my favorite follow up site. When I reviewed the ingredients in Orijen I was so glad to see a food that was made with real meats with no meals, no by-products, etc. It even went beyond by using real fruits, veggies and herbs. It was refreshing and as for a kibble I could not find another that matched it. I researched heavy metals and the heavy metals in human foods as well and found the unfortunate truth that we and our pets our exposed to these heavy metals everywhere in our environment. The soil, air, and water which allows it to get into our foods. After all my hard research there was a negative for every positive. So I decided that a variety would probably be the best diet and why not that makes the most sense. I have to apologize to my past dogs for this, as they did not have this luxury. So I feed a mixture of Orijen Tundra, Primal Raw, Pumpkin, Pre-Probiotics, other raw meats, fruits and veggies. I hope that we will be able to remove more or all heavy metals from human and pet foods one day.

[Kate C]

I am so angry reading this post! I never buy rawhide chews for our 6yo golden doodle, matter of fact I rarely get him anything like this but OF COURSE, today I was at a high end pet store, (one of the better ones in our area) and they had a full display of these things. I am so SICK of crooked companies that do shit like this and am concerned that I gave this to my buddy today when I have no idea what the hell is in it!

~kd

[Susan]

Hi Kim,
So sorry for your girl, it sounds awful, I dont know anything about MMM…
About making her eat, I wouldn’t push her head into the bowl of food, instead get a spoon & sppon soft blended food in side of her mouth under her to lip, like you do when giving syringed water also start her on electrolytes with water, give every hour if she isnt eating or drinking water…..Do you live America? I live Australia & we have a really good dehydrated raw food called “Fronteir Pets” it has no bone, smells beautiful & is human grade ingredients, the meat is free range chickens, pigs or cows, I smash the balls up then add water & the food all softens up & the dog or cat can just lick up the food or it can be put into a big 20ml syringe & put in the side of your dogs mouth slowly push syringe…
Can you find a dehydrated food like “Honest Kitchen” Zeal or Hope formula, there’s a few formula’s with grains or no grains, higher in fat higher in fiber & some are higher in protein you need to look at the ingredients & see which formula will suit your girl, Honest Kitchen has samples you can try, if she takes a steriod, then look for a lower fat diet cause of the acid reflux & ulcers steriod can cause, the vet put my dog on a ant acid med before 1/2 hour before he took the steriod with food to be on the safe side… you add water & the Honest kitchen reconstitutes or can you get some sweet potatoes peel & boil also get some lean chicken breast or turkey mince & cook then put 1/2 sweet potato & 1/2 meat into a blender & blend, this will be easier to eat & spoon into side of mouth if she cant lick up food, even cottage cheese is good, scrambled egg, Predisone can cause acid reflux so your girl will have to have food in her stomach first then take the predisone mash into a bit of sweet potato or pumkin….
Have you looked on facebook for any groups for Canine Masticatory Muscle Myositis or Yahoo also has groups best to talk with people who have dogs that are going thru the same health problems also find a vet or a holistic vet that knows all about MMM cause the only way to eat soften kibble is make the kibble soft then drain out all the water, I use to 1/2 the swollen kibbles in the bowl then cuff my hand over side of bowl & kibble & squeeze out all the water then I put swollen kibbles in a blender & blended in sections, the kibble would fluffed up, it depended on which kibble I used, some brands of kibble when I soaked in water then drained all the water then put in the blender the kibble turned to goo I suppose if she can lick she can lick it up, another food people feed is baby food..

[Lewis F]

This is a reply from Champion Dog Food facebook page:
Champion Petfoods is with Maureen Randall Breakfield.
18 hrs ·
Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

The allegations contained within a Class Action Complaint that was brought against us on March 1st are meritless and based on misinterpretation of the data.

Let us assure you that our products are safe and that we systematically test our products at two third-party laboratories using the Official Methods of Analysis by Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC). While we plan to comprehensively refute the wide range of false allegations in a court of law at the appropriate date, in the interim we want you to be confident in the safety and quality of our products.

For more information, we urge you to read: ORIJEN and ACANA Foods in Comparison to Pet Food Safety Standards, here: http://bit.ly/2HMvJiy

As you know, our commitment to using fresh and raw meat and fish ingredients means that pets and Pet Lovers can count on Champion to provide safe, Biologically Appropriate™ nutrition. Much like the natural human food we consume, Champion Petfoods contains small traces of a range of naturally occurring elements. These so-called ‘heavy metals’ are found throughout the Earth’s environment, and the miniscule amounts of these substances found in Champion Petfoods are a safe and common component of both human and animal diets. Our Biologically Appropriate™ foods feature much higher levels of quality fresh and raw meat ingredients than conventional pet foods, including fish and seafood ingredients.

Please know that we are confident that we will prevail as the facts and evidence are presented to the court, and that these baseless claims will not deter us from our mission of delivering award-winning Biologically Appropriate™ foods. The legal complaint has no bearing whatsoever on the activities or operation of our business, and you will continue to enjoy the same high degree of professionalism and quality you have come to expect from Champion.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our company and our quality food products.

Champion Petfoods

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[haleycookie]

Raw diets should contain the precentages I posted above. Where do you live? Usually if there’s any type of meat market around you butchers are begging ppl to take the less sought after organs. And will typically sell them in bulk for low prices. Same with unwanted meaty bones. If you’re just feeding ground beef right now your dog isn’t getting a lot of vitamins. There should be bones and organs (liver and secreting) added to have full benefits.

[Connie L]

Im new to this site and i need some help, im having the worst time with my pitti.. she is having really bad skin issues that affect her ears, her belly skin, and her skin is flaking and she is loosing little patches of hair… every site i have gone on say pitties are notorious for these issue and RAW is the beat way to go.. BUT……. she is allergic to chicken, and alot of these diets call for feeding chicken, a buddy of mines gave me a meal plan to start… i started with ground beef and she seems to be loving the food she cleans her bowl, i also see that they require organs but where i live its seems like its not easy to aquire all the wierd stuff… i guess i need help with meal planning. 😫😫

[pitlove]

Hi Brendan-

I don’t feed raw for a lot of reasons, but here is a blog written by a woman from the Netherlands who has, in my opinion, correctly done a Prey Model Raw diet for her dog Mojo.

http://mojoandfriends.blog/2017/10/29/prey-model-raw-diet-dogs/

They also have a YouTube channel with meal prep videos.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Marijkee17

And if you follow her Insta gram page, she answers questions about Mojos diet.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by pitlove.

[pugmomsandy]

Depending on the size of your dog, if you feed muscle meat, you can use raw meaty bones as their treat in appropriate amounts. There are also products like roasted tendons, tripe, gullet, feet and pizzles that can be fed. I often use the “bite size” freeze dried foods as treats or cheese. I have small dogs so the treat expense isn’t too much.

[haleycookie]

You usually want that last 10% to be raw meaty bones. Feeding whole carcuses is a way to make up for that though I suppose. Just make sure you’re also feeding veggies that will make up for a little bit of that calcium intake.

[haleycookie]

Raw meaty bones, freeze dried treats. You can also find recipes you can make yourself or just dehydrate meat yourself into strips.

[Carrie H]

Hi,
My dod
My dog is now on a raw diet. Which treats or bones are compatible with this? Thanks

[Susan]

Hi Patty,
are you walking her daily, throwing a ball in the yard or park for 20mins X 3 times a day? Excerise will help her lose weight, get her into a routine with her excerising, eat meals the same time, feed 3 small meals a day, if she is hungry then start adding beans with her raw food or as a treat, buy the frozen beans, make sure she goes on daily walks, same time everyday…
A raw diet does make the dog lose weight, cause they are not eating all those carbs that’s in dry processsed kibbles, they are eating what their bodies have been build to eat, raw food, a dog has a short digestive tract made to quickly digest raw meat & move quickly into the small bowel before any bacteria starts to breed, the raw meat moves thru the stomach quickly into the small bowel then large bowel then poo…
A raw diet is healthier, higher in protein & higher fat what a dog needs….
I’ve just started my 9yr boy on Dehydrated Raw Diet. “Frontier Pets” due to declining health, I have to try everything before I put him to sleep, I just wish I started him on this dehydrated raw diet earlier when it came out… I know in the past my boy lost weight when he was eating a home made raw diet, I didnt want him to lose weight, I had to increase his raw diet to keep his weight on, the home made raw diet stopped his yeasty smelly skin, stopped his red paws, then I started a raw elimination diet & found he can not eat chicken, it was the chicken causing his red paws & itchy smelly skin, he also suffers with Seasonal Environment Allergies as well Spring & Summer & baths are best for environment allergies, you wash off the allergens that’s on their skin & paws……
Are you bathing her weekly or twice a week? or as soon as you see her really scratching, rolling around on carpet grass scratching herself give her a bath in a medicated shampoo, it will reduce her itchy skin & paws. I use “Malaseb” Medicated Shampoo for Patch, the Malaseb kills any bacteria or yeast on his skin & paws, relieves his itchy skin & red paws, puts moisture back into his skin & leaves him feeling so soft & silky.. Buy some Malaseb shampoo & start bathing weekly or every 5 days especially now Spring is here….
Look for a raw wet diet or dry air dried raw diet or dehydrated raw diet & stop the Wellness Core dry kibble, if you have 1/4 to 1/2 a bag of the Core then take it back to pet shop & buy her some more raw food, just feed her the raw diet for 1 month & you will see a difference, have you looked at Ziwi Peak air dried & wet can food raw? Ziwi Peak has limited ingredients & good for dogs who have food sensitivities & environment allergies, You don’t need to feed as much as you do with the dry kibble, the 1/2 a cup comes in the Ziwi Peak bag, here’s their site https://www.ziwipets.com/ contact Ziwi Peak if you have any questions.

[pitlove]

Hi Patty-

I think thats a really great question you are asking, but unfortunetly difficult to answer, so I will give you pros and cons.

Pros (from what I’ve heard) from a raw diet is healthy teeth, small stool, evidence of help with allergic dogs. Cons are pathogen exposure, potentially not balancing the meals correctly, possible GI obstruction from bone content.

Weight loss can be tricky. The key is to burn more calories than what is being consumed. If she is not active and is still getting extras in her diet (like the pork pattie and other treats), but isn’t getting enough exercise to burn off those calories, she will not lose weight even on a raw diet. And yes, I’ve seen overweight dogs on raw diets. Raw isn’t a cure all for weight control. You, the owner, still have to put in the work and get the dog exercising. Walks are good, fetch in the yard is good. We use something called a “flirt pole” with my dog to burn calories. The big thing is going to be no more treats! Also, you will need to make sure that everyone in your household is on board with trying to help her lose the weight. Explain to them that she can live up to 2 years longer if you help her lose weight and yall want to keep her around for as long as possible.

[Pamela L]

Here is the answer for affordable heartworm control. I use the 1% injectable for Cows. You can get it at almost any feed store for about $25. It does not taste good to the dogs but I can treat the animials in my no-kill shelter for about $25 per year which is amaziing. Here is the dosage:

Directions for making 30:1 dilution of 1% solution
A 30:1 dilution works best for smaller dogs. Ivemectin is given orally (never use pour-on solutions for heartworm prevention).

Mix 30 parts glycerin, propylene glycol, or vegetable oil to 1 part ivermectin 1% solution. Shake well before using to mix the ivermectin evenly. Refrigerate any unused portion (do not store mixtures with vegetable oil).

Dosage using Ivermectin 1% solution at 30:1 dilution for heartworm prevention (you may want to double these doses for better protection):
< 6 pounds: 0.05 cc (one-half of 0.1 cc, or 1 drop from an eye dropper, assuming 20 drops per ml)
6 to 12 pounds: 0.1 cc
13 to 24 pounds: 0.2 cc
25 to 36 pounds: 0.3 cc
37 to 48 pounds: 0.4 cc
49 to 60 pounds: 0.5 cc
62 to 72 pounds: 0.6 cc
73 to 84 pounds: 0.7 cc
85 to 97 pounds: 0.8 cc
98 to 109 pounds: 0.9 cc
110 to 121 pounds: 1 cc
Ivermectin solution is given orally. It’s best to squirt it into the mouth, rather than adding to food, to be sure your dog gets it all.

To make a small amount of the mixture, you will need a 1 cc syringe that measures accurately to the tenth of a cc. Draw up 0.1 cc of Ivermectin solution in a 1 cc syringe, and mix well with 3 cc of glycerin, propylene glycol, or vegetable oil, giving you 3 ccs at a dilution ratio of 30:1. This is enough to treat 300 pounds of dogs using the 1% solution.

To make larger amounts of the mixture, use a 1 fluid ounce dropper bottle, which is 30 ml. Put 1 ml of ivermectin solution in a 1 fluid ounce dropper bottle, then fill with glycerin, propylene glycol, or vegetable oil. This will be enough to treat 3,000 pounds of dogs (e.g., 300 10-lb dogs or 150 20-lb dogs) using the 1% solution.

1 cc of ivermectin 1% diluted 30:1 contains 333 mcg; 0.1 cc = 33 mcg.
The exact dosage is 0.0824 cc (approximately 0.1 cc) per 10 pounds of body weight.

Directions for making 9:1 dilution of 1% solution
A 9:1 dilution works best for larger dogs. Ivemectin is given orally (never use pour-on solutions for heartworm prevention).

Mix 9 parts glycerin, propylene glycol, or vegetable oil to 1 part ivermectin 1% solution. Shake well before using to mix the ivermectin evenly. Refrigerate any unused portion (do not store mixtures with vegetable oil).

Dosage using Ivermectin 1% solution at 9:1 dilution for heartworm prevention (you may want to double these doses for better protection):
up to 18 pounds: 0.05 cc (one-half of 0.1 cc, or 1 drop from an eye dropper, assuming 20 drops per ml)
19 to 36 pounds: 0.1 cc
37 to 73 pounds: 0.2 cc
74 to 110 pounds: 0.3 cc
111 to 147 pounds: 0.4 cc
Ivermectin solution is given orally. It’s best to squirt it into the mouth, rather than adding to food, to be sure your dog gets it all.

To make a small amount of the mixture, you will need a 1 cc syringe that measures accurately to the tenth of a cc or a dropper bottle. Draw up 0.1 cc of Ivermectin solution in a 1 cc syringe, and mix well with 0.9 cc of glycerin, propylene glycol, or vegetable oil, giving you 1 cc at a dilution ratio of 9:1. This is enough to treat 333 pounds of dogs using the 1% solution.

To make larger amounts of the mixture, use a 1 fluid ounce dropper bottle, which is 30 ml. Put 3 ml of ivermectin solution in a 1 fluid ounce dropper bottle, then fill with glycerin, propylene glycol, or vegetable oil. This will be enough to treat 9,000 pounds of dogs (e.g., 90 100-lb dogs) using the 1% solution.

1 cc of ivermectin 1% diluted 9:1 contains 1,000 mcg; 0.1 cc = 100 mcg ivermectin.
The exact dosage is 0.0272 ml (approximately 0.03 cc) per 10 pounds of body weight.

[patty S]

She has dry skin and scratches all the time. I have tried a homeopathic treatment for itching cuased by environmental allergies but so far there is only a slight improvement. The vet did give her a shot last year that worked great for the itching but I hate to keep using that as my research showed it wasn’t a great choice. I do give her coconut oil. I am at my wits end. I tried the raw diet and she likes it and is healthy except overweight still. Anyway, thank you.
Patty

[Mike Sagman]

Kibble size affects palatability only. Nothing else. Kibble size has zero effect on the nutritional value of any food.

Calcium, phosphorus and calorie ratios are critical for a large or giant breed puppy and should take precedence over the size of the kibble.

My recommendation: Use the Custom Search link and select the Type 2 – LG Br Pup option and check the “Dry” feature. This will remove canned and raw foods from the list. I found 43 individual recipes that would be suitable for your Saint Bernard puppy.

And there are many more if you’ll select a recommended brand or sub-brand you like and choose one that meets AAFCO profiles for either Growth or All Life Stages AND contains the words “includes the growth of large size dogs”.

Another suggestion: Avoid switching to an Adult Maintenance food until your puppy reaches 24 months.

Hope this helps.

[anonymous]

Hope these articles help. When you do “research” you are going to get all kinds of opinions.
Homeopathic veterinarians have very different views on diet than traditional veterinarians.
So you will get a lot of conflicting information, and some of it will not be accurate.

https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/ excerpt below

“Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food”.

“The numerous dietary choices for your pet can be daunting but if you pick an AAFCO approved food made by a manufacturer with a long track record, odds are good that you will find a suitable food for your pet. Most of the large pet food companies employ full time veterinary nutritionists and have very high quality control standards. That is not to say that a small company cannot produce nutritious and high quality food, but you should check out their website if it’s a company that is not familiar to you. Take the time to research, and ask your veterinarian if you have specific questions or concerns”

“Please understand that this article is meant to provide basic dietary guidelines for healthy pets. If your pet has specific health issues, then your veterinarian may make specific food recommendations, which may include special prescription diets”

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[haleycookie]

Would you eat processed foods that have to have artificial vitamin packs added to your foods? Or would you prefer a balanced fresh food diet? Same for dogs. Whether you do a cooked or raw diet there is no competition when comparing the burnt little rocks we call commercial dog food. Granted fresh diets aren’t for everyone as it can be time consuming and if you have a large dog or a lot of dogs it can be expensive. If you shop wisely and make your own meals for small dogs it’s no more expensive then buying a premium kibble.

[Susan]

Hi Gaby,
Please don’t go Gaby, I know to end up here on DFA, your desperate to help your dog… that’s how I got here 5yrs ago…
XXX TEXT REMOVED XXX
I hate seeing dogs suffer, Ive been thru heaps with Patches IBD & like to help other dogs get on the right track & get better, its sad having a sick dog epecially when some vets do NOT know what’s wrong with these dogs…

This sounds like what my Patch gets, very hungry, stomach pain, eats food then feel better for a couple of hours, then it all starts over again, he gets Helicobacter-Pylori Spirals”, all dogs have Helicobacter BUT the Helicobacter takes over some dogs stomach & lives in their stomach wall cause they don’t have a healthy stomach….
Ask your vet can you do “Endoscope + Biopsies” or ask vet can ur dog start the Triple Therapy meds “Metronidazole” taken every 12 hours with a meal. “Amoxicillin” also taken every 12 hours with a meal & 20mg “Prilosec” (Ant Acid Blocker) taken in morning 30mins before breakfast & then other meds taken with breakfast, these 3 drugs are taken for 3 weeks….
The first time Patch took the Triple Therapy meds, he became better within 5days I had a normal dog, he finshed all the triple therapy meds but within 2-3 months Patch was hungry again, whinging again the Helicobacter returned, so we re did the 3 week triple therapy meds & when the triple therpy meds finished, I continued the Losec every morning, so the Helicobacter has no stomach acid to live in…I read a study that had been done where taken when a PPI is taken (Prilosec) it stopps the Helicobacter from returning, Patches Helicobacter did NOT return for 4-5 yrs, then last December Patch went dont hill & stopped eating, so I started feeing him dry kibble with grains & Beet Pulp, kibbles he he’d eat, he still continued to go down hill so I asked his vet can we do another the Endoscope & Biopsies, I thought he had Stomach Cancer but Patches Helicobacter Spiral were mild & returning, so back on the triple therapy meds & we increased & changed his PPI (acid blocker) which is Pantoprazole now, but I think the Losec was working better??

Look for low fiber, gluten free, grain free diet…. if you can feed cooked meal or feed freeze dried raw thats heaps better then a dry kibble… Feed 4-5 smaller meals a day, dont just feed 2 larger meals a day, need to keep the acid reflux down…
Patches lower esophageal Spincter flap isnt closing now & kibble is the only thing that stays down in his stomach, wet cooked canned foods come back up… Patch is 9yrs old…

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Text removed by moderator

[aimee]

Why didn’t I think of this before? My friend is a taxidermist. I asked him if I could tan a rawhide. He said I should be able to do it and advised hydrating it in a non iodized salt bath. He told me to let it dry out a bit until just damp then apply tanning solution to both sides of the hide and wrap in plastic wrap for 24 hours to soak in, then let it dry. I used Deer Hunters Tanning Oil from a local sporting goods store and I also tried my hand at egg yolk tanning,

I purchased a known rawhide and successfully tanned it! It looks like a light tan piece of suede. It really is quite pretty. Next I bought an Earth Animal cough cough “No Hide” chew. I hydrated that and then tanned it. It tanned up beautifully! Main thing when tanning is that as the hide is drying you have to continually pull the hide. This is so it stays supple. I showed the results to the taxidermist he was amazed how well it came out!

For the egg yolk tanning I found videos on how to do this on you tube. I tanned a piece of the Earth Animal chew this way as well. It took longer to dry but again came out pretty well. No reason anyone couldn’t do this. I’d recommend using one of the thinner thickness chews for tanning.

[patty S]

I have a havanese 3 year old female that needs to lose some weight. I had her on Wellness Core weight management dry food but she still kept gaining. I now am giving her a frozen raw pork pattie (1/2/ a day) and it seems to be maintaining the same weight for several months, but still not losing. She seems to be doing better with her scratching, and she has energy . But I wonder if raw food is really all everyone says it is. What do you all think? Is it really worth the price or is it just hype?

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

Instinct isn’t a bad food. It has freeze dried in it, not true raw food. Maybe try a different formula within the brand you’re on, Instinct has MANY to choose from.

In regards to anon101’s suggestion to read that link regarding milk thistle, the author misinterpreted the Cochrane review. It was stated in the review that EVERY trial assessed was of low quality so no judgement could be made. skeptvet took that as “low quality trials showed benefit, high quality showed negatives”. as this was not mentioned once in the Cochrane review, I would take it with a grain of salt. Listen to your vet. Something anon101 always tells people to do unless it disagrees with his beliefs.

[GAby R]

She had blood work done. She is clear for diabetes and dental in good condition. She had a bit of kidney results elevated but vet said she is not worried. She said it’s normal She has advised me to giver her a bit of milk thistle Instinct does have raw food in it. Is there a food that you would recommend They have so many choices these days pretty confusing. She was on wellness before but I read that grains are bad for dogs. So confused on the dog food thing. The only test she had not done is thyroid which at this time the vet said to monitor her. She is very energetic and has lots of energy. For 9. She is still bouncing off the walls so I really don’t know why she does it. Thanks

[anonymous]

Before switching food (I have never used Instinct but if it is one of those raw foods, I wouldn’t recommend) Small breeds are notorious for not doing well on raw foods. Not worth the risk for any dog (imo)
I would take her in for a veterinarian visit, senior workup complete with dental check, labs and whatever else your vet recommends (if you have not done so already).
I doubt if her symptoms have anything to do with “dry air”.

If she has had a recent vet check then I would put a call in to your vet and see what he thinks.
There are many things that could cause the symptoms you describe, it’s impossible for anyone over the internet to guess, nor should they try.

[Anonymous]

To Ron and others who may be interested:
In my prior postings, I expressed concern regarding whether or not the Dr. Marty Dogfood Company would honor their 90-day refund policy. Although it was difficult to obtain a return authorization number, once that was accomplished, the refund came quickly. I sent my food back on March 6th; the tracking confirmed they received the food on March 9th, and the refund occurred on March 12th.
Meanwhile, I found another dog food my pups seem to really enjoy: Wellness Core Tender Bites Gently Air-Dried Meal or Mixer (from Chewy.com). It has 70% raw protein ingredients and is grain free (no grain, corn, soy, wheat gluten, animal meals , artificial preservatives, colors or flavors). The other ingredients consist of many vegetables and fruits, along with vitamins and minerals. It comes in 2 flavors: Original Turkey and Chicken (which I bought), and an Ocean Flavor. My older dogs (age 11+) are enjoying the softer, rubbery morsels and I appreciate that it doesn’t require mixing with water or any other ambitious preparation. I have only found it in 2lb bags, and the cost is just under $29/bag. Even though my dogs are small, I realize I’m going to probably use about a bag a week, unless I start mixing it with other food. So far, after four days, my pups seem to be digesting it nicely with no changes in their stool. It is made in the USA. My only concern is the rather high fat content: not less than 21%. My other dry foods are in the 13% to 15% fat range. It remains to be seen if there will be weight increases feeding the amount the instructions indicate. Will report any long-term problems.

[Susan]

Hi Jean,
are you on facebook? start following Rodney Habib, Dr Peter Dobias, Planet Paws, Dr Karen Becker, Steve Brown….
Rodney Habib has quick easy to follow video’s educating pet owners about pet foods, dogs diet over vaccinating etc,
Start looking for Freeze Dried Raw, Air Dried raw -“Ziwi Peak” make really good wet & dry dog food, send them an email for samples- https://www.ziwipets.com/ when you send email ask them any questions you may have or there’s Dehydrated raw foods “Honest Kitchen”
Try & avoid dry processed kibbles if you can, also start feeding either home made raw or cooked meals as well..

[a c]

There is a thread on “No Hide Stix”. Go take a look. There are some findings on where they are really contain no rawhide.

[Lorianne R]

I agree Zen – Dr. Marty’s Premium Freeze Dried Raw dog food is WAY too expensive for a tiny 16 oz. bag, ridiculous price. If you want to try a less expensive (still not cheap) but very high quality raw dog food – I pay $64.99 for a large 30 oz. bag of Bixbi Freeze Dried “RAWBBLE”. You mix with a little water to rehydrate and serve, although it can be fed dry as well. Bixbi “Rawbble” is highly rated on this site’s food “Reviews”. Has high quality raw meat ingredients including organ meat. My 20 lb Maltese mix does very well on it. I notice she never has bad breath and it doesn’t give her gas. She’s calm, healthy, a happy, well-behaved soon-to-turn 7 year old. Another great find is Earth Animal “No Hide Chicken Stix” chew sticks (they also have beef & other flavors). They’re totally digestible, contain no rawhide, no bleach or chemicals, are coated with a savory olive oil/organic egg mixture my dog goes crazy for – amazing quality, so much healthier than rawhide.

[InkedMarie]

I feed ground raw, no added anything to it. I buy from Hare Today; other places are Raw feeding Miami, Reel Raw & My Pet Carnivore.

[April P]

Been feeding my older dog raw food for 6 years, and our pup for 7 months. We need to switch to kibble. My question is we feed the older dog raw once a day. The pup we still feed raw twice a day. Can we continue to keep this feeding schedule when on kibble?

[haleycookie]

Ah I see. Yes that’s another thing. Most raw food companies use very cheap fatty cuts of meat. If you can find a commercial raw with higher protein than fat then that’s a good formula to use. Similar with canned foods. If you check those out there will more times than not be high fat content in pate like foods. While shreds and whatnot will be higher protein because it’s harder to hide fatty meats in shredded canned food. But when you buy patties and bites from raw food companies it’s the same texture as a pate canned food and because of the way everything is mashed together it’s easier to hide fat. There for it’s just a way for companies to cheap out.

[Carrie H]

I’m not talking about kibble/dry food. I’m talking about raw dog foods only. Most have more fat than protein, unless I’m misunderstanding the charts of percentages.

[haleycookie]

You aren’t missing anything. The fact is kibbles tend to be more carb than anything else. Because it’s incredibly hard to make a kibble without loading it with stuff that holds it together (ie fillers which are usually carbs) so it’s not just a bag of crumbs. As far as raw goes you can usually cut carbs completely out. Most raw feeders follow the 80% meat, 10% organs (5% liver, 5% secreting organs) and 10% raw meaty bones. There are no carbs in that type of diet. But some people also add whole types of veggies or fruits but it shouldn’t make up that much of the diet.

[Carrie H]

Ok. I am pretty new to the raw food thing. Everthing I read says protein should be the highest percentage, then fat, then carbs being the lowest. So if I look at all the 5 star raw foods listed on this site, only 4 of them meet that criteria! And of those 4, one has garlic in it. Am i missing something? Help!

[Anonymous]

current pet supplies plus employee here, there is not a ton of info out on redford unfortunately (even i want to know more!) of course since it is a pet supplies plus brand, we’re supposed to promote it and recommend it (when appropriate, of course, i’m not gonna force someone feeding raw to buy it!)
redford has both dog and cat food, and by the end of march all stores should carry canned dog and cat food too! i will admit, it’s not the absolute BEST food you could feed your pet. it was meant to compete with blue and taste of the wild mainly, defintely not top notch dry foods we carry like zignature or orijen! after all, it’s a 50 dollar bag of dog food, not $100. that being said, it’s VERY comprable to blue and taste of the wild in terms of ingredients. where they source them and who manufactures it is still unknown, but i imagine i can’t be worse than their competitors. the big selling points are having the limited ingredient line (grain free, single protein, single carb) and that all of them have the extra omega 3&6s in them to help with skin and coat.
i’ve only been able to get my hands on the canned dog food, but there’s a loaf and stew version. personally, i would go for the stew over the loaf (your typical paté) if your dog is able to eat/chew it. i found the stews to be very similar to merrick’s wilderness blend at a first glance, but i believe they’re a tad cheaper. the ingredients, again, are pretty comprable to blue or taste of the wild.
overall, my 3 pups and 3 cats have been loving it and it’s been easy on their bellies to rotate the proteins. they were all on taste of the wild before, and we had no problems, but seeing that redford price tag was pretty appealing and i’ve seen their coats get much softer and shinier (especially in my cats!)
i’m excited to see how the cat cans turn out, but that’s a whole other topic 🙂
if you’re thinking about switching, give it a shot! you can always return it (for a full refund) if your pet doesn’t like it or it doesn’t quite agree with them.

(and for the user talking about the life source bits in blue, sometimes it’s better to pick a kibble that is uniform because you can never get the exact ratio of normal kibble to life source bits that they base the nutrition off of. one day it might be, say 50 life source, the next it could be 15. even small variances can mess with some pups so generally speaking, a uniform kibble could help with that!)

[Susan]

Hi Holly,
what has Rooney been eating when these gulping episode started?
With Omeprazole (Prilosec) it needs to be taken daily same time is best given in the morning before breakfast, I give Patch 1 x 20mg Losec as soon as he wakes up, by the time I make my cuppa, feed the cat & prepare Patches breakfast he has waited 20mins so the Losec has had time to dissolve in stomach & send msg to brain, do not release hydrochloric acid into stomach, just make sure when you do give any tablets you use a syringe filled with water & put the Losec tablet on back of tongue down his throat then put syringe in the side of his mouth & push water out of syringe into moouth so the tablet goes into the stomach & doesnt sit in his throat & dissolve….
When Rooney seems to be having bad acid reflux give the Prilosec for 3-4 days then if you want to stop giving the Losec stop but once he takes the Prilosec more then 15-20 days you need to reduce slowly 2 days give then 1 day none etc, in the beginning I use to give Patch Losec for 3-4 days on, then 3 days off the Prilosec depending if he started his gulping, then I realised he was heaps better while taking his Losec so he’s been on Losec 2yrs now but last week I changed him over to 20mg-Somac (Pantropazole) another Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) as Patches lower esohageal Sphincter flap isnt closing properly now & the acid is washing back up into his throat & wind pipe, certain foods make it worse he can NOT eat wet can foods or cooked food now only kibble seems to sstay down…

I havent read your post properly but if your dog is taking Apoquel (a drug I wouldnt give Patch after reading the bad side effects), Apoquel can cause bad side effects with some dogs, I’ve read alot of dogs vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, sleeping all day etc the company that makes Apoquel has brought out Cytopoint Injection now, Cytopoint Injection has less side effects, the injection is given every 4-8 weeks depending on the dog.
I would also start your dog on a limited ingredient diet, 1 carb & 1 lean meat protein, just in case he has food sensitivities & is reacting to a few ingredients & getting itchy skin, smelly yeasty ears/paws or intestinal problems, keep the fat around 10 to 14% for a dry kibble, with wet can foods around 3% & under for fat when you convert 3%min fat in wet/raw can foods it’s around 8%min to 12%max fat…
The vet diet Hills I/d may have ingredients he’s sensititive too & he’s reacting also vet diets are very high in omega oils that can cause bad acid reflux, Patch & a few other dogs that have IBD, IBS etc don’t do too well on vet diets….
Do you belong to any face book groups for Canine IBD or “Canine Pancreatitis support group” has a few dogs with IBD, IBS, Food sensitivities, or “Dog Issues, Allergies & other Information Support group” has dogs with food senitivities, allergies, itchy skin, paws, ears etc dogs with most health problems…
Have you tried the “Natural Balance” LTD dry -Sweet Potato & Bison or Potato & Duck or Sweet Potato & Fish formula’s? I dont know which wet Natural Balance LTD can food has 3% & under for fat here’s the conversion calculator so you can save & convert the fat protein fiber in wet can foods raw foods if you buy them the etc http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

[anonymous]

Never. Unless you enjoy going to the emergency vet.
I would rethink the raw. Not worth the risk.
Hope these articles help you with your decisions.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

[Jennifer S]

Great, thanks so much for your input. I’m just getting into the raw food diets because the breeder had him on one and I’m trying to stay consistent. It’s quite a learning curve to try to tackle while living with a new puppy!

When would you suggest would be an appropriate age to begin introducing bones, 1 year?

[Shelly C]

Hi,
My name is Shelly and my dog’s name is Nala. She is a 6 mos old Havanese. We have had feeding issues with her almost since we got her 3 mos. ago. We put her on NurtiSource as that is what the breeder was feeding her. She just didn’t seem to like it, vomited occasionally and would take forever to eat. The Vet wasn’t concerned with the vomiting as it was only about once-twice/week. However, she would wipe my mom’s dogs bowl clean anytime we brought her there and didn’t pick it up first. Unfortunately, my mom was feeding her dog a cheaper brand dog food that the Vet does not recommend ( Mom has since changed-it was purely lack of knowledge). So I went on the hunt for a food to change her to once her bag of NutriSource was near the end. After countless hours of research, I chose Merrick BackCountry with Raw Infused. Well that has been a disaster. We transitioned her over a week but her stools have progressively been getting softer and now last night she had explosive diarrhea in her kennel. The night before that it was two loose stools in her kennel. She has never pooped in her kennel and I am convinced it’s the new food and not anything else. So we are on the hunt for another food and I think I’ve found one. My question- sorry for the long backstory- is this- I am out of the NutriSource. I’d like thoughts on do I get another small bag of that and use it to transition her to the new one I want to try?, Do I cook rice and chicken and give her that a few days then transition with that to the new one? Or do I just go to the new one cold turkey? Thanks a billion if you’ve read this far and have any advice. I don’t really want to ask the Vet as he will only recommend Royal Canin, Hills, Iams or Eukanuba and I’m not sure I want to use those unless I cant find a L.I.D. that doesn’t work. (I am going to look closely again at the ingredients of both Royal Canin and HIlls when I go to Petco today- I’m just undecided and I know that’s what he’ll recommend)

[deb s]

My dog is also fed a completely 100% raw diet. She’s been raw fed for two years since the day I adopted her and she continues with the episodes.

[Susan]

Hi Tyler,

I got email of the latest study done in February on popular dog foods that were tested for toxins & contaminates, below are the first 12 brands that got 5 stars for product purity.
American Journey Lamb & Sweet Potatoes got 3 stars….
You will notice white meats Chicken, Turkey & Pork seem to be cleaner meats & kibbles that have fish as main protein seem to be very high in toxins & contaminates, so your best not feeding a dry kibble that’s fish/salmon etc, I go to Aldi’s & buy their tin Sardines & tin Salmon in spring water, add 2 spoons to one of her meals a day…
Aldi’s have a new kibble called “Heart To Tail” Pure Being it has pretty good ingredients, go to the “Review” section up top of page, look up “Shep dog dry food” scroll down & you’ll read peoples post about Aldi’s new brand called Pure Being, DFA hasn’t review the new Pure Being formula’s yet, there’s grain free & grain kibbles, people have put up the ingredient list, fat, protein & fiber %…. I wish I could get Pure Being in our Australian Aldi’s, my dog does really well on kibbles that have sweet potatoes….

5 Star freeze dried raw, dehydrated raw formula’s & dry kibbles.

* “Buckley Liberty” – freeze dried beef, freeze dried Chicken, G/F Lamb dry kibble & Chicken dry kibble formula.

* “Canisource Grand CRU”- ALS Turkey dehydrated raw dry food, Pork & Lamb dehydrated raw dry & red meat dehydrated raw formula.
Iwould stick wit the TOTW Victor Nutro & Diamand

* “I and love and You” – Naked Essential G/F Lamb & Bison dry kibble, Naked Esssentials G/F Chicken & Duck dry.

* “Nutro” Natural Choice, small breed Chicken & lentils recipe, Natural Choice, Chicken & Lentils dry recipe, Lamb & Lentils dry recipe, Nutro Wild Frontier Open Valley dry recipe, Nutro Wild Frontier Rolling Meadows dry recipe.

* “Diamond Natural” Chicken & Rice dry formula & small breed puppy dry formula.

* “Proffessional” – Lamb & Brown Rice dry & Chicken & Pea formula dry.

* “Dog for Dog” Lamb Meal & Brown Rice dry.

* “Purina One”- Smart Blend Chicken & Rice formula, Smart Blend Healthy puppy Dry formula,

* “Fresh Pet” Chicken recipe dry.

* “Canidae” ALS Lamb Meal & Rice Dry formula, Canidae’s “Under the Sun” Adult G/F Lamb dry, UTS adult G/F farmed raised chicken dry, UTS G/F Puppy with Chicken dry.

* “Simply Nourish” Adult Chicken & Brown Rice recipe, Chicken with peas & potatoes G/F recipe dry.

* “Eagle Pack” Large & Giant Breeds Naturally Dry formula & Small Breed Chicken Meal & Pork Meal dry formula

Yesterday I bought a bag of “Wellness Core” G/F Large Breed kibble, I got it 1/2 the price cause it’s due by date was ending of 25th March 2018, the kibble is still good, it’s when you open the bag of kibble & the air/oxygen gets to the oils in the kibble, then the kibbles starts to go rancid, so make sure if you buy large bag of kibble get out enough kibble for daily use for about 1-2 weeks & store in an air tight container & put the rest of the kibble in a dry cool place & make sure kibble bag is air tight, I sticky tape the kibble bag, if it has no seal on it, then I put the bag of kibble into another plastic bag seal, then I store the kibble bag in one of those plastic storage containers & I put it in the coolest part of the house where my air condictioner is so it stays cool…

Shop around for bargans & rotate between different brands, Victor, TOTW, Nutro, Diamond, Eagle Pack & Pure Being, this way your dog will have a healthy stomach & stronger immune system cause she’s eating a variety of ingredients & she isn’t eating the same brand ingredients 24/7 & if the kibble she is eating is high in toxins then she wont be eating it for too long to cause any health problems later on cause your rotating with other brands…….

[Jennifer S]

Hi everyone,

I have a 9 week curly coated retriever, should turn out to be about 80-90 lbs or so. I’ve read enough about dog nutrition to know that I need to be watching the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio and keep it close to 1:1, or at least not over 1.3:1. This is easy when determining kibble, but it seems like there are differing opinions about how much bones contribute to this calcium ratio. I was at the local pet food store (where they pride themselves on being very knowledgeable about nutrition) and they told me I should get the meat that had bones ground and organs ground up with it because the calcium from bones affects dogs differently and they poop out what they don’t need. The same thing with giving him bones to chew on. The breeder also told me that they will just poop out the extra calcium and I only need to worry about the Ca:P ratio with kibble.
I took puppy for his first vet visit today. I chose a vet who is fine with raw diets and knows about nutrition. She told me calcium is calcium and that when she does blood work on dogs that get lots of bones, their blood calcium levels tend to be higher. She said I shouldn’t be feeding any meat that has ground up bones in it or giving bones to chew, at least until he is older and I don’t have to worry as much about bone formation.

What do you all do for your large breed puppies when feeding raw? Do you give bones to chew? Do you think bone calcium acts differently in their system than the added calcium in kibble? Thanks!

[bexster]

Callie, I looked at the presentation that Sport posted on their FB page again that shows what all their new formulas will potentially be. Turns out the Buffalo is going to have sweet and white potatoes in it, the latter of which is a no-go for us so back to the drawing board. Let me know if you find something! Thanks.

[Judith M]

TRuDog . Raw dehydrated beef, a bit more expensive but no added fillers.