[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.

[Taschi]

**This is cross posted in the raw diet section as well**

Hello everyone!

I’ve recently made the plunge into raw diet feeding for my own dogs. However, one mistake that I certainly made was not double checking the sodium content prior to starting my conversion. I suppose I had just assumed that raw diets would naturally be lower in sodium, but alas, I don’t think that’s the case 🙁 Here’s a little background:

I have an 11Y, MN, 4.5# chihuahua who was diagnosed with heart disease almost 2 years ago [DMVD]. Last week I started switching him over on the Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw [turkey] and he has been doing wonderfully on it so far. He also gets a slew of supplements like Ubiquinol, Krill Oil, Glycoflex 3, Hawthorn Extract, and PerioSupport. As of right now, I have not had to start any medications, and his next ultrasound will be this June/July. His last ultrasound was in January. He also gets the occasional grain free greenie (he loves them 🙁 )

While I was not told to start a restricted sodium diet with him, I would really like to stay on the lower end of the spectrum to keep his heart from having to work too hard. With that in mind, I reached out to Stella and Chewy’s on Facebook and inquired about their lowest sodium/patty formulation and was answered with Chicken. The chicken dinner according to the CSR is 0.14% sodium, and when I calculated out the mg/100kcal, It was nearly 100mg!
Keep in mind that following the Tufts University list of recommended low sodium/appropriate protein diets for the cardiac patient, the range is somewhere between 50-80 mg/100kcal. It shocked me that the raw food is nearly double what some of these dry foods contain 🙁

Unless I am doing my math wrong (which is totally possible!), does anyone else know of low sodium commercial raw diets that are available? I don’t think I’m ready to prepare my own meals just yet as this is already a big deal to switch my dogs over as it is.

[Taschi]

Hello everyone!

I’ve recently made the plunge into raw diet feeding for my own dogs. However, one mistake that I certainly made was not double checking the sodium content prior to starting my conversion. I suppose I had just assumed that raw diets would naturally be lower in sodium, but alas, I don’t think that’s the case 🙁 Here’s a little background:

I have an 11Y, MN, 4.5# chihuahua who was diagnosed with heart disease almost 2 years ago [DMVD]. Last week I started switching him over on the Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw [turkey] and he has been doing wonderfully on it so far. He also gets a slew of supplements like Ubiquinol, Krill Oil, Glycoflex 3, Hawthorn Extract, and PerioSupport. As of right now, I have not had to start any medications, and his next ultrasound will be this June/July. His last ultrasound was in January. He also gets the occasional grain free greenie (he loves them 🙁 )

While I was not told to start a restricted sodium diet with him, I would really like to stay on the lower end of the spectrum to keep his heart from having to work too hard. With that in mind, I reached out to Stella and Chewy’s on Facebook and inquired about their lowest sodium/patty formulation and was answered with Chicken. The chicken dinner according to the CSR is 0.14% sodium, and when I calculated out the mg/100kcal, It was nearly 100mg!
Keep in mind that following the Tufts University list of recommended low sodium/appropriate protein diets for the cardiac patient, the range is somewhere between 50-80 mg/100kcal. It shocked me that the raw food is nearly double what some of these dry foods contain 🙁

Unless I am doing my math wrong (which is totally possible!), does anyone else know of low sodium commercial raw diets that are available? I don’t think I’m ready to prepare my own meals just yet as this is already a big deal to switch my dogs over as it is.

[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.

[Leslie L]

I have a black 2 1/2 year old Labrador Retriever (neutered at 2) who is itchy and has some noticeable dandruff. I am sure you see more on him due to is color. He eats raw, gets Colostrum, hemp oil, Vit. C, Krill oil and a combination Enzyme and Probiotic. My holistic vet has suggested dog bloom vm supreme. Has anybody had good luck with this product?

[Jeff R]

Hello, New to this forum, I am picking up a 8 week old Golden Retriever puppy, and looking at food options for the Large Breed puppy. I was looking at mixing a freeze dried raw food like Grandma Lucy’s, or maybe Dr Harvey’s, with a little K9 Natural, or Darwin’s raw frozen. Would this be appropriate, I’m I over thinking this, he will be on a large breed kibble when i pick him up, and I was wanting to switch him over after a week or two. Or do you have other recommendations, or stay with a good quality kibble, like Fromm’s or Wellness Core?

[Rox B]

I fed EVERY part of the pig except intestines, stomach, pancreas, lungs, and legs (trotters). Some because I could not source them, some because they are too dirty, and some because they are too dangerous to feed (I don’t like trotters). I raw fed my GSD until he recently passed from old age. I fed all pork bones except legs. The pork necks are pretty hard and should be fed to careful bone eaters and not gulpers. The ribs are not quite as hard, but still hard. They can be fed joined together so the dog crushes before swallowing. My boy has swallowed one or two without crushing much, but it never caused any problems. The bones are digestible unlike beef bones. I froze my pork 3 weeks before serving just as an extra measure for killing parasites and worms although MANY people say it’s not necessary. I fed food grade DE as a natural worm preventative and didn’t take chances with the raw food I fed. In fact, I froze everything for at least 3 weeks before serving. I will tell you that my boy never had any digestive or poo issues in 10 years. That includes worms or parasites. I am not paranoid about meat, just well educated on it. Meat has the potential to harbor parasites and worms. Some forms of bacteria, like campylobacter are destroyed by 90% during freezing.

[aimee]

The managers of chain stores said while they agree there is a problem they have no input into what corporate tells them they have to sell and therefore there is nothing they can do. The managers though are not willing to inquire to corporate office. Instead they advised me to do so. Their body language was interesting. I interpreted it as they were fearful of their corporate owners.

The independent store employees were interested in the information and were very concerned. The owner of the store, who has said rawhide will never be in any of her stores and heavily markets this product, has so far said she believes in the product. I see it as she is emotionally invested in the company and can’t see things objectively.

The corporate owner of one of the chains said she can’t comment on a scientific report as she doesn’t have a science background. I sent her the findings of the first report and she doesn’t want me to forward her any other reports saying she will act only if regulatory makes her.

The other corporate owner never acknowledged my contacts with him.

So I’m seeing this pattern of those that are in a position of profiting off of the sale of the product as being unwilling or unable to objectively understand what the reports found. And those without money ties to the product are open to seeing it for what it is. Very frustrating, especially as these stores advertise how they carefully select for and only sell the best products that meet their high standards. All marketing hype!

This is what got me looking at weights. People can play the “science”card.. Oh I don’t understand the report it is too complicated for me… but hard to claim ignorance when the product label says 255 grams and it only weighs 107

[Hayley Q]

Susan –
I’m looking to try raw pork for my GR.
Curious at what park of the pork is suitable for ‘bones’?

[Susan]

Hi,
a dog only reacts to potatoes, sugars & starchy carbs if she/he has food sensitives to those particular food/ingredients, this is another Myth spread on the internet (Dr Karen Becker) saying Potato, rice, corn, oats, grains, sugary carbs cause yeasty skin & ears this is not true, it’s only when your dog is sensitive to that food he will react…
What was he eating when his ears became yeasty?
Here’s a site written by a Dermotologist “Karen Helton Rhodes” The Myths & Facts of Yeast Dermatitis in Dogs”, Please read, she has a facebook site called “Healthy Skin 4 Dogs” & frequents another f/b group called “Dog, issues allergies & other Information Support Group” join the group heaps of really good information, your better off taking your dog off any dry kibble or cooked wet canned dog foods, whenever I feed wet can foods to my boy he starts shaking his head & scratches his ears & skin, I think the wet can foods use binders in the wet can foods & he must be sensitive too them, he’s the same when he eats a dry kibble that has tapioca, carrots, chicken, barley & oats he gets red smelly yeasty paws, itchy ears & smelly yeasty skin, he cant eat these ingredients he’s has food sensitivities to them, you need to work out what ingredients your dog has food sensitivities too??…
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs
Have a look at freeze dried foods like “Ziwi Peak” air dried, Ziwi Peak also sell wet raw can food, it looks & smells like the cooked wet can foods but it’s healthier, Ziwi Peak is for dogs & cats who have skin/ear problems food sensititivies, Ziwi Peak has Novel protein meats (Venison Rabbit) & limited ingredients, Ziwi Peak must taste really good my cat goes mad when I open a can or open her bag of air dried Ziwi Peak, here’s Ziwi Peak site send them an email telling them about your dog yeasty ears & ask can you try some of their samples of their air dried formula’s, just make sure you give your address so they can send the samples out or go & buy some of the Ziwi Peak to try, your dog will get better & love the air dried & the wet can foods … https://www.ziwipets.com/ also when you do start a new limited ingredient food do not feed any treats or anything else in her diet just the new food..
also look for “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels Freeze Dried, Mussels are high in Omega fatty acid excellent for skin & ears, give 1-2 mussels a day as a treat..
K-9 Natural also sell wet raw can food & dehydrated food you just add water, same as “Honest Kitchen” look for the Zeal, Spruce or Brave formula’s https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/grain-free

[JoAnn C]

What about RAWZ Meal Free kibble?

[Shelly C]

I have been researching dog food extensively. One of the ones I decided to try for my Havanese who is fairly active is the Merrick Backcountry with Raw infused. It’s only been a few days but my girl loves this food. We were having trouble getting her to eat and now she’s barking and scratching at the bag constantly-lol.

[Anonymous]

I had no success with my two small dogs eating Dr. Marty’s freeze dried raw dog food. They simply sniff and walk away from it. Both are diabetic, so they MUST eat. I make their food myself — a real chore — and was hoping the Dr. Marty food would be good for the dogs and a time-saver for me. Dr. Marty supposedly has a money-back guarantee, but I have been waiting two days after each of two attempts to get a return authorization number from Dr. Marty to send the food back and get my refund. Anyone else have this problem? I’ll update if this situation changes.

[Susan]

Hi
if you scroll back up to the top of this page you’ll see “Reviews” section, click on Reviews then scroll down & look for “Shep Dog Food Dry” click then scroll down & you’ll see people’s post about the New Head & Tails, Pure Being grain free & grain dry kibble formula’s, it looks pretty good, 4 star kibbles, someone might know who makes the new Pure Being dry & wet can foods, the kibble looks good to me, it has 2 meat proteins as 1st & 2nd ingredients….
Just be careful if your dog needs to eat a low fat diet, the fat% protein % & fiber% in wet can foods, roll loaf & pre-made raw foods hasn’t been converted to dry matter (Kibble)….
I just converted this Pure Being wet formula above the Protein-37.89%min,
Fat- 22.11%min, Fiber-7.89%min… here’s the Conversion Anaylsis Calculator to save so you can convert the wet can foods to dry matter. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

[Susan]

Hi,
have a look at “Walk About” Pet Foods, here’s their link all formula’s have different ingredients http://walkaboutpetproducts.com/
Walkabout has can/tin- Goat, Boar, Kangaroo, Bushtail & Duck wet formula’s….
Wet can/tin or the roll loaf & pre-made raw foods the protein%, fat% & fiber% hasn’t been converted to dry matter (kibble) so when you see say 5%min-fat after it has been converted the 5%min-fat can range around 20% to 26%max in fat, so I dont know if your dogs need a lower fat diet, here’s the Convertion Analysis Calculator to save so you can convert the wet can foods… http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

[jamie f]

Hi, I’m going insane please help! My dog is on month three of us discovering he has hemangiosarcoma. Doing well, have him on honest herbs but after cooking foods I’m too stressed because I have a child with special needs so I need something easy. They hated honest kitchen. I’m looking for low carb, grain free, wet canned. So far they (giving to both for ease) like Halo chicken and salmon and nature’s logic chicken. Anyone have an opinion on these or can recommend something better? Want to avoid potatoes and that’s hard to find. Also please don’t recommend raw I’m not going to do that , maybe with my next dog…
thanks so much in advance!!

[haleycookie]

Hey check out merrick’s classic chicken and brown rice with peas. Or their small breed classic. Maybe won’t be as rich but are still good foods with good grains in them.
Ps. Don’t be scared of potatoes. Just find afood that doesn’t list them OR peas very high in the ingredients list. Potatoes aren’t anything to be scared of. I’ve seen more pea issues myself tbhbit unless you can rule out your dog is sensitive to one of them there’s no cause for concern.

Also if you’re willing to spend that much on food I would just get away from kibble all together. Check out natures variety raw for small breeds. On that budget you should be able to comfortable feed your dog a high quality diet. Or make your own raw/home cooked balanced diet if you have the time.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by haleycookie.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by haleycookie.

[Denise S]

We have a Beagle that just turned 6 on 2/5. About 2 years ago, he would have an occasional seizure. They weren’t too bad. Thought maybe it could be Heartguard. Took any dog food or treats that Rosemary Extract out of his diet. BUT on 11/30/2017, he had seizures that were every hour…grand mal. Horrible thing to see your baby go through. The vet started him on Keppra. After two weeks, he had a very mild seizure. On Christmas morning at about 2am he had 3 grand mals in less than a hour and we were at vet emergency by 3am. On the way there, he had another. He stayed in ICU for a couple of days (until he was seizure free) and we brought him home. His Keppra was increased and we were given an emergency package of diazepam to administer rectally. He had a small breakthrough seizure on 1/11. The vet added Phenobarbitol. On 2/10, he started having seizures that morning every hour again. Took him to the vet and he had another at the vet. The vet added another medication of Zonisamide. This medication didn’t stop anything (it would take at least a week to get in his system to help him) but were given more diazepam to get him through this spell. We stayed up all night with him while he had grand mal seizures every hour. That morning we were back in the ER with him. He had another seizure while they were examining him and they were going to keep him in ICU. He also had another seizure while they were taking x-rays. We have him back now. His phenobarbitol has been increased and he stays on Keppra. They removed the Zonisamide. It’s hard to imagine this happy guy goes through these horrible episodes. They are so violent. I believe that if I can get him on the right diet, it will help him. I’m not really sure about ‘vet recommended’ food, since they love to push Science Diet. Since his release, I have been feeding him chicken (cooked), carrots, sweet potatoes, he’s not a fan of green beans. I am worried about him getting all the proper nutrients that he needs. I would like to try The Honest Kitchen. It looks like something that would be good for him and he would like it. We did a very very brief episode of the raw diet. But he just sniffs it, backs away, and looks at me like “yeah right. You’ve got to be kidding me…THAT’S not cooked.” He doesn’t eat store bought treats unless they are fresh. His treats are homemade. Tried Orijen. Made him extremely bloated, miserable, and he could clear a room! I am also looking at trying Fromm’s Gold. Just wondering if anyone has tried The Honest Kitchen or Fromm’s Gold…or anything that helped their furbaby. Thanks!

[pugmomsandy]

eARTHborne Holistic Venture, Whole Earth Farms, Taste of the Wild Prey, Under the Sun, RAWZ Meal Free (kibble), Instinct LID have poultry free recipes. Pardon the caps, Sandy

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[pugmomsandy]

There are no affordable freeze dried raw foods for large breed dogs. The freeze drying process is just too expensive.

[haleycookie]

You will be incredibly hard pressed to find a cost effective freeze dry food tbh. It’s the most expensive way to feed. Under that is commercial frozen raw then under that homemade raw. If you want any type to be cost effective buying in bulk and making it yourself will be the cheapest. But still very expensive with many large dogs.

[Zen B]

I am hopelessly new to this type of feeding. I do Old English Sheepdog breed rescue and own several OES. I decided to try Dr. Marty’s freeze dried raw food and received a ONE POUND bag. The instructions based on my dog’s weight require a little over two cups a day. Given the cost (about $50/bag) there is absolutely no way we can afford to feed all of our dogs and foster dogs this diet without going bankrupt. The dog I am testing with this food absolutely loves it and she is the pickiest eater on earth. Can you suggest a freeze dried raw dog food that is excellent quality yet affordable for feeding large breed dogs? Thanks in advance (I am trying to learn as fast as I can)

[GEORGIA T]

Congo is a Canadian company (and as far as I know only sell to Canadian retailers) and they are using locally sourced food. The meat for the beef, chicken and lamb are raised on local farms and grass fed, rather than grain fed.

I use the blend not the dinners since I cook or steam vegetables for my dogs and always add fresh fruit to their diet. I have been using Congo raw for 7 months and all my 3 Shepherds love the food. As for bones, they recommend lamb necks (comes in 2 or 4 lbs bag) since they are a lot easier on the dog’s teeth than beef bones. One of my dog is 12 years old and her teeth are worn down so I buy the frozen chicken necks for her to achieve a good meat/bone ratio.

[anonymous]

I hope this post helps someone, even if it is just one person, to make the right decision regarding feeding their pets.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/02/yet-another-study-shows-the-real-dangers-of-raw-diets-for-dogs/ excerpt below click on link for full article and comments

“Proponents of raw diets will certainly argue that the risk is small compared to the benefits. Unfortunately, no scientific evidence yet exists to show any benefits, and personal anecdotes or theories about the natural history of dogs are not sufficient reason to ignore the robust scientific evidence of the harm that raw diets can cause. Unless some reliable research evidence emerges to show meaningful health benefits from raw feeding, there is no good reason for pet owners to participate in this dangerous fad”.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/02/actually-raw-chicken-likely-does-lead-to-paralysis-in-dogs/ excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.
Posted on February 11, 2018 by skeptvet
I recently reported on a study out of Australia that found an association between feeding raw chicken, infection with the bacterium Campylobacter, and a serious neurologic disease call Acute Polyradiculoneuritis (APN). Not surprisingly, advocates of raw diets are desperate to find ways to dismiss this study so they can continue to claim raw diets are as safe, or safer than commercial cooked pet foods. Cognitive dissonance, the discomfort that one feels when confronted with evidence that one’s beliefs about something may be wrong, is a powerful force, and it can lead even smart, educated people to engage in extreme mental gymnastics to dismiss such evidence and preserve cherished beliefs.

[matthew b]

Hello when it is in season I plan to get some squirrels. Just starting out my dogs on a raw meat diet. I have one 10 pound terrier and one 30 pound mutt, would the bones in the squirrel be ok for them? Right now I just have them on chicken wings and necks. Thank you for any advice.

[Mareike]

Hi Kenneth,

How much of a picky eater is Earl? I have a 5-6 year old, female Lab, American type, who like a stereotypical Lab eats more or less anything. So it’s very easy to feed her a rotational diet consisting of different brands of commercial dog food (mostly kibble and raw) and some home-cooked food. You seem concerned about making a wrong change and I think a rotational diet (/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/) would have the advantage of balancing things out.

With Natures Valley, do you mean Nature’s Variety? That is one of the brands I’ve been feeding my dog on and off and feel I can trust. Other brands I like to feed her are Honest Kitchen, Ziwi Peak, Spot Farms, Canidae, Primal, Stella & Chewy, Petkind, Wellness, Fromm, Solid Gold. Canidae ranks well for both nutrition and purity (http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food/). Have not tried Acana or Orijen yet, but probably will.

Another factor to consider for you in your choice might be Earl’s surgeries in combination with his weight. In case you/your vet think(s) he could/should lose some weight, then you might want to find a brand or multiple brands of a high-quality “weight loss” food.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by Mareike.

[Becky K]

Hello,
I have recently started adding freeze dried raw toppers to my puppy’s kibble, eventually hoping to switch over to 100% raw after her first birthday (she is 9 months old). My question is in regards to mixing protein types. Her kibble is chicken (Stella and Chewy’s raw coated kibble), but the freeze dried raw that she goes crazy over is Vital Essentials beef nibs. Is it ok to mix protein sources like that or should I stick with all chicken at this time?

[anonymous]

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.

excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.
Posted on February 11, 2018 by skeptvet

“Dr. Brady can call me a dupe or lackey of Big Pet Food if he wants (and I suspect he will). The truth is, I am open to the idea that fresh food, even raw food, might have health benefits. However, the evidence is clear that raw has risks, and it is up to the proponents of raw diets to prove there are benefits that make these risks worth taking. Not with anecdotes, faulty logic about what is “natural,” rhetorical assaults on the pet food industry, or mere passion. They should prove it with data, with reliable evidence derived from appropriate scientific research. Until they do so, there is no reason for pet owners to take the risks they deny exist for ourselves, our pets, or our families”.

[Cheryl S]

About 8 mos ago my then 8 mos old Lab, had an 18 inch bowel resection due to complications after eating a sock
Prior to this she was on frozen Raw diet- and doing very well
She was having a malabsorption problem after surgery, and was put on Prescription Hills Science I’d. Because of weight loss
She does well on it, but I know it is a lot of junk in it -I’m having trouble finding something that is better for her, and would love to get her back on raw
Any supplements or whatever?

[Anonymous]

The best way for you to truly understand the answers to your questions is as follows: Look up your current food on the alphabetical list of dog foods, both dry and wet. Each analysis will enable you to learn the reasons why certain ingredients are not recommended. Grains, by large, are simply fillers: the dog FEELS full … and the dog poops MORE. Some dogs are allergic to particular grains and/or to rice. There are many opinions regarding wet versus dry versus raw versus frozen. Again, if you read up on the recommended foods, the ones that are 4- or 5-star winners, you will begin to understand. There is a lot of homework for you to do and a lot of homework for each and every dog owner. We come to our own conclusions and biases. Personally, I feed my Beagle dry with two tablespoons of wet on top. My best friend does the rehydrated frozen food for her Boxer. Boxers have a sensitivity to chicken, so she can’t feed that. I had a Dalmation that was allergic to grain, so I made him his food. Every breed is different. Don’t be put off: it’s fun and educational learning all this … and isn’t it about time people started wondering about what we feed our pets? Good luck. Never hesitate to ask questions on this forum. There are people here who are experts: I’m not. This is just MY opinion. Have fun!!!

[Lauren]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post here 🙂

I’d like to get your suggestions for a food plan for my new rescue pup. I need help making sure I’m balancing the proteins, fats, and nutrients, and giving a good mix of different main ingredients.

I also would love suggestions for what wet food or toppers I should add for the most beneficial diet.

My puppy is a 14 week old Dachshund, only 4 pounds, likely to get to 10 pounds, 15 max.
His energy level is low medium. He’s pretty laid back, not super high energy puppy.

Currently, I’m planning to generally follow the recommendation on this site for food rotation, which is:
-Mix 1/5 of a small can of a single-species wet food (chicken, lamb, rabbit, etc.) with his kibble.
-As each can runs out, switch to a different wet food from the same brand.
-When each bag of kibble is empty, start with a different kibble from the same brand).
– Twice a year, gradually switch brands, too.

At the end of this post I’ve listed all the brands and formulas I’m considering. I’ve laid it all out so it’s easy to compare, and ordered them by highest protein % to lowest.

Here are some questions I have:
— Should I try to rotate foods with different protein and fat percentages AND also with different protein and veg ingredients?
OR
Should I try to determine which protein percentage is best for my pup and stick to that, then focus just on rotating main ingredients and formulas that contain that protein %?
— Do you have suggestions for a good rotation using these foods for a nicely balanced diet?
— Wet food toppers – suggestions to best balance these brands/formulas??
— Do you advise on switching brands more rapidly than 2x a year? What about switching formulas faster than one bag of kibbel at a time?

Thank you everyone!!!

———————-

FULL LIST
Kibbles I considered, with nutritional breakdowns, for easy comparison:

HOLISTIC SELECT
— Holistic Select Small & Mini Breed Puppy Health Anchovy, Sardine & Chicken
PROTEIN 30.0% min / FAT 20.0% min / FIBER 3.4% max
— Holistic Select Adult & Puppy Health Salmon, Anchovy & Sardine Grain-Free
PROTEIN 29.0% min / FAT 14.0% min / FIBER 5.5% max

CANIDAE
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Chicken Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran, Cracked Pearled Barley,
Peas, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Multi-Protein (chicken, turkey, lamb and fish)
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Rice Bran,
Peas, Potatoes, Oatmeal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Chicken Fat, Millet, Flaxseed Meal,
Ocean Fish Meal
PROTEIN 24.0% / FAT 14.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.7% / O3 0.5%
— CANIDAE All Life Stages Lamb Meal & Rice
Main ingred: Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley, Rice Bran, Peas, Millet,
Lamb, Flaxseed Meal
PROTEIN 21.0% / FAT 12.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 3.55% / O3 0.5%

TASTE OF THE WILD
— Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Buffalo, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Egg Product, Pea Protein, Peas,
Potatoes, Canola Oil, Tomato Pomace, Bison, Roasted Venison, Beef, Flaxseed,
Potato Fiber, Ocean Fish Meal, Salmon Oil
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 5.0% / O6: 3.8% O3: .3%
***Looks like a good option
— Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Puppy Grain-Free
Main ingred: Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 27.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 5.0% max / O6: 2.4% O3: .3%

MERRICK
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Texas Beef + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Lamb Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Natural Flavor,
Potato Protein, Salmon Meal, Pork Fat, Pea Protein, Salmon
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.5% / O3 0.35%
— Merrick Lil’ Plates Grain-Free Real Chicken + Sweet Potato Recipe Small Breed
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes,
Peas, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat, Salmon Meal, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 17.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 4.8% / O3 0.4%
— Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas,
Natural Flavor, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat, Potato Protein, Deboned Salmon,
Chicken Liver, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Real Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Lamb Meal, Potatoes, Pork Fat,
Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Deboned Salmon, Flaxseed Oil,
Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% max O6 2.0% / O3 .3%
— Merrick Grain-Free Puppy Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Sweet Potatoes,
Natural Pork Flavor, Potato Protein, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor,
Deboned Salmon, Apples, Blueberries
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 12.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 2.2% / O3 .3% min

ZIGNATURE
— Zignature Zssential Multi-Protein Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Lamb Meal, Chickpeas, Duck Meal, Pea Flour, Peas,
Salmon, Flaxseeds, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 32.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 5.5% / O6 4.5% / O3 2.0%
— Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Chickpeas, Peas, Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil, Flaxseed,
PROTEIN 31.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 4.0% / O3 1.0%
— Zignature Trout & Salmon Meal Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Trout, Salmon Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal
PROTEIN 30.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 6.0% / O6 1.8% / O3 0.5%
— Zignature Lamb Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Lamb, Lamb Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil, Pea Protein,
Flaxseed
PROTEIN 28.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 6.5% / O3 0.9% / O6 5.0%
— Zignature Kangaroo Limited Ingredient Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Kangaroo, Kangaroo Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flour, Sunflower Oil,
Flaxseed, Red Lentils, Green Lentils, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Pea Protein
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 14.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O6 3.0% / O3 0.6%

VICTOR
— Victor Select Nutra Pro Active Dog & Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Chicken Meal, Beef Meal, Whole Grain Millet, Blood Meal, Chicken Fat,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Pork Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 38.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O6 2.5% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Yukon River Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sweet Potato, Peas, Canola Oil,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 15.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.4% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Active Dog & Puppy Formula Grain-Free
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Sweet Potato, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Fat, Pork Meal,
Menhaden Fish Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Dried Egg Product, Flax Seed
PROTEIN 33.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.8% / O3 0.4%
— Victor Professional Formula Dry Dog Food
Beef Meal, Grain Sorghum, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Whole Grain Millet, Pork Meal,
Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 26.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.8% / O6 2.6% / O3 none?
— Victor Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Dry Dog Food
Main ingred: Beef Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Millet, Grain Sorghum,
Pork Meal, Chicken Fat, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed, Feeding Oat Meal
PROTEIN 23.0% / FAT 11.0% / FIBER 4.0% / O6 2.0% / O3 .4%

NATURE’S VARIETY
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Salmon
Main ingred: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Canola Oil, Salmon Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Salmon Oil, Montmorillonite Clay,
Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.8% / O6 2.7%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chicken Eggs, Canola Oil, Duck Meal,
Tapioca, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor, Chickpeas, Montmorillonite Clay
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.5% / O6 3.0%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Lamb
Main ingred: Lamb, Salmon Meal, White Fish Meal (Pacific Whiting, Pacific Sole,
Pacific Rockfish), Peas, Canola Oil, Tapioca, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb Meal,
Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Freeze Dried Lamb, Chickpeas, Pumpkinseeds,
Freeze Dried Lamb Liver, Freeze Dried Lamb Spleen, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Lamb Heart, Freeze Dried Lamb Kidney, Carrots, Apples, Cranberries
PROTEIN 37.5% / FAT 19.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.0% / FIBER 3.0% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.6%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Fat,
Salmon Meal, Chicken Eggs
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 4.0% / O3 0.35% / O6 3.2%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Tapioca, Herring Meal,
Chicken Fat, Peas, Freeze Dried Chicken, Dried Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavor,
Freeze Dried Chicken Liver, Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds, Montmorillonite Clay,
Freeze Dried Chicken Heart
PROTEIN 37.0% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.3% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Original Grain-Free Recipe with Real Rabbit
Main ingred: Rabbit, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Chickpeas, Canola Oil, Tapioca,
Rabbit Meal, White Fish Meal
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 20.5% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 1.5% / O6 3.4%
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Small Breed Grain-Free Recipe with Real Duck
Main ingred: Duck, Duck Meal, Chicken Meal, Peas, Tapioca, Herring Meal, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Freeze Dried Duck, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver,
Coconut Oil, Pumpkinseeds
PROTEIN 36.5% / FAT 16.0% / FIBER 4.5% / O3 0.4% / O6 2.5%
***Note: Seems like a good option
— Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Puppy Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken
Main ingred: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Chicken Eggs,
Chicken Fat, Menhaden Fish Meal, Tapioca, Freeze Dried Chicken, Lamb Meal,
Dried Tomato Pomace, Freeze Dried Chicken Liver
PROTEIN 34.0% / FAT 18.0% / FIBER 3.5% / O3 0.4% / 3.8% min

——–
——–

[a c]

I don’t know much about Farmland Tradition chicken jerky. I kind of stay away from all the jerky now. I used to feed another brand of chicken jerky that I got from Sam’s Club. I believed it also has only two ingredients. I can’t remember if it was made in USA or China. Anyway. When one of my dog passed away with lymphoma at the age of 10, I start to do more reading and research on dog food and dog treats. It amazing how little average consumers know about dog food industries. Dog food companies did a real good job in marketing their products!

I look at this way. A bag full of chicken jerky cost $20-25. How many piece of chicken jerkies are in a bag? How is that price compare to fresh raw chicken tenders? I will probably just buy fresh chicken tenders from Costco and a dehydrator to make my own chicken jerky. That just my two cents.

[anonymous]

How about 1/2 of a raw carrot once a day?

All those snacks are junk, you would be better off just giving your dog a bite of cooked chicken breast Or a bite of canned tuna.

There are some Purina products I would use. But not pup-aroni. The amount of onion is probably minute, but I would not be comfortable with it.

I use kibble as a base 1/2 to 2/3 of the diet. That’s enough processed food, IMO.
Splash of water and a topper such as a little scrambled egg.

Why are you avoiding grains?

[anonymous]

Zignature whitefish or Nutrisca Salmon, as a base. Add a little water and a bit of scrambled egg. Measured amounts twice a day. Go by the lowest recommended amount on the bag or even less, divided into 2 meals, or 3 smaller meals per day. Give a bite at bedtime after coming in from doing his business (as a reward)

Walk the dog more, even if it is in slow motion, around the block several times per day.

No snacks, except 1/2 of a raw carrot once a day to chew on.

PS: Some dogs don’t do well with potatoes (sweet or white) so I would avoid for now, as some kibbles are loaded with them.

[Ciro R]

My 9 year old German Shepherd has battled allergies and yeast infections for many years, recently She began to develop infections in her armpits in addition to her normal ear issue. She’s been on all kinds of allergy meds that simply reduce the intensity but never solve the problem. I feed her Acana and Orijen mostly but I remembered when she was a pup she mostly ate raw and didn’t have any issues at all. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good raw diet for a yeasty dog that isn’t super expensive and that I don’t have to make myself (freeze dried is ok)?