[Parker W]

Not trying to sound like a dick but Jesus christ purina is literally the worst kibble you can get….. kibble is bad in general….. either feed orijen kibble or go with a premade raw diet or a balanced homemade raw diet

[Teagsmom]

Thanks for the info! I will be dropping Stella and Chewy’s off my list. That leaves me with Natures Variety Instinct. I’m thinking of doing Natures Variety Instinct with a topper of Primal. I will only use freeze dried raw. I need to compare the original Instincts to the Raw Boost. If I remember correctly, one of them only has small bites in chicken. My dog isn’t allergic but I’ve never fed her chicken.

[Teagsmom]

My head is spinning with all of the information out there. I’m switching my chi/mix from Acana bc she needs smaller pieces of kibble (had some teeth extracted). I’m considering Natures Instinct with a topper of Primal (she loves her topper of Primal now) or Stella and Chewy’s raw coated kibble or the raw coated kibble with a topper. She’s a 9 1/2 tripod and can’t move like she use to. My vet actually recommended Natural Instincts (no she doesn’t get paid nor do they sell it). Any recommendations? I don’t know if the raw coated is a homicidal. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[FrankiesDoggie]

I’m having good success with Nature’s Variety frozen raw so far. The patties are the cheapest, and their frozen lineup has no synthetic vitamins. For freeze dried, I would only opt for the Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Mixers which is good as a topper (I plan to use this for travel when frozen raw isn’t viable).

Personally one of my criterion is food with no synthetic vitamins (or very little maybe one or two), and because so few brands have options without synthetics, it makes choosing out of hundreds of brands a lot easier. Some say synthetics are unhealthy, and it might be, but for me it’s just a good indicator of how overly processed the dog food was when they literally have to spray synthetic vitamins back on to it just to make it complete and balanced.

Unfortunately Stella and Chewy’s uses synthetics, so I’ve had to drop them from my list, which is fine because I still have plenty of options. For raw I plan to cycle through Nature’s Variety, Primal, Vital Essentials, Answers and Nature’s Logic (frozen raw). Nature’s Variety is the most widely available next to Primal, but there’s a few pet boutiques that carry the other brands at competitive prices where I live, so I’m happy.

Right now I have my doggie on Nature’s Variety raw and her stools are the best I’ve seen, that is, if stool could ever look good. X__X (firm but not too firm, and a nice brown color).

[Teagsmom]

I recently switched to Primal (freeze dried) bc Acana just isn’t the same since they left Canada. My chi mix absolutely loves it! We have been using the duck. I think some of the Primal formulas got 2.5 stars due to fat content or ratio of protein.

My vet actually recommended Natures Variety when I told her I had switched from Acana to Primal. I have done a TON of research and that is one that wasn’t on my list. I make sure to look at recalls in addition to everything else. Primal is definitely pricey and I will most likely use it as a topper if I decide to go with them.

Stella and Chewy’s is the 3rd on my list in addition to Primal and Natures variety. Their meal mixers look good in addition to the patties. In addition to freeze dried raw, Natures Variety makes a kibble with pieces of freeze dried raw mixed in called Instinct Raw Boost. They make a small dog version which smaller kibble which is enticing. I am leaning towards Fromm (small pieces) and using a raw topper. I have tried everything except the Instinct raw boost. Once I try that, I will make my final decision. However, for a raw food, I really love Primal.

Does anyone else have a small dog and use kibble with a topper?

[Amanda D]

I am so sorry I haven’t replied to everyone’s posts. We have had a bit of a crisis with our Bailey that didn’t turn out the way we hoped. If anyone is interested in the long story that it is I’ll post my Facebook post.

As far as food, I think I have settled rotating Fromm and Nutro Ultra Puppy kibbles. I’ll mix in defrosted frozen Peas and Carrots, in every meal, add an egg to breakfast and maybe mix in a little wet Nutro Ultra Puppy.

My question now, how should I prepare the egg? I was planning on scrambling one in my microwave in my Nordic Ware microwave egg cooker. Or is it better raw? I don’t think I’LL do tof many treats as we’ll be working on training with boiled Chicken throughout the day. Maybe some chopped Raw baby carrots.

Should I wean puppy onto people foods? I also want to use fruits for occasional treats like strawberries, blueberries, bananas and apples (unsure of what variety of apple is best … a sugary red delicious/Washington or a tarter baking type apple like granny smiths kinds.

I’mean intrested in fish oil or Canned sardines as well. But is that a daily or weekly supplement?

[a c]

Susan,

Thank you for your reply. He is a 12 weeks old miniature schnauzer. He has no problem with Orijen puppy kibble. His stool is like toosie roll, solid but soft. 5 times a day. He is also getting Freshpet select chicken and turkey roll and little vegetable as topper. I just want to rotate him with some other quality puppy food.

Both Holistic Select g/f puppy kibble and Eagle Pack kibble have Carbs at 47-48% in dry matter. Wellness Core puppy has Protein at 40% in dry matter. I am looking for kibbles that’s not too much on one component.

Besides Freshpet select roll, I have not introduced any raw or can diet for him. I know most of the raw diet have pretty high fat. I have learned my lesson from my senior dog with pancreatitis history.

[Susan]

Hi ac,
can he handle the high protein at 36% min, if poos are sloppy then maybe reduce the fat % again, email Horizon ask for the max fat%, there’s also “Wellness Core” puppy & Wellness Core Small Breed for when he’s older, both Wellness formula’s have a bit less fat at 18% min normally it’s an extra 1-2 % extra for fat & protein, it depends on the brand, you’ll have to email Wellness to get the max fat %, Wellness also has their Wellness Complete grain free small breed formula’s the fat & protein is under 30% for dogs that can’t handle higher fat & protein,
Wellpet make Wellness, Holistic Select & Eagle Pack, Holistic Select has a small breed formula but I think it has healthy grains, it’s good to rotate kibbles, Wellness are pretty good they email back & answer all questions, another thing if you feed wet tin or raw food the fat % is higher then it says on the tin or raw packet, it needs to be converted to dry matter (Kibble), so when you see say 5%min fat on a wet tin or raw packet is around 20-26%max fat after being converted to dry matter, a lot of people don’t know this until their dog ends up with Pancreatitis or diarrhea…. I always feed wet tin foods that are around 2-4% fat…
What small breed do you have??
Here’s the Wellness link https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food
Wellness have toppers, their TruFood freeze dried raw you add water, I think the fat has already been converted to dry matter fat%, you’d have to ask Wellness, it’s best to rotate between a few different brands with different proteins so your dog gets use to eating everything, rotating also strengthens their immune system….

[ken m]

Hello,

I am looking to buy a dried raw meat only and then add my own vegetables. I prefer air dried, but would go with dehydrated if that is the only option. Does anyone know of a brand that sells just the meat only?

Thanks!

[Susan]

Hi Courtney,
Canidae is not manufactured by Diamond, when Canidae first started years ago I think Canidae used a Diamond plant to pack their new formula’s then Diamond shut down the Texas plant & Canidae bought Diamonds old plant in Texas & fixed it all up, Canidae is a small family run business that make small batches of locally sourced ingredients, here’s Canidae’s site, https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
click on “Our Story” then Click on “Our Journey” watch their video how they started….
My IBD boy does real well on Canidae on their pure formula’s & their Life Stages formula’s, his coat shines, I have so many people say, Gee he looks so healthy, but I do rotate all his kibbles at the time I was just feeding Canidae Pure Wild Boar… Canidae also make “Under The Sun” UTS it’s a bit cheaper probably cause they use chickpeas….. In Australia Canidae only gets shipped here once a month & by the 3-4 week Canidae is all sold out, so many people feed Canidae over the Australian made brands to their cats & dogs…
If you go on Consumer Affairs site there is NOT one bad complaint about Canidae foods…..

It’s best to rotate between a few different 4-5 star brands that both have a different proteins, this way your dog isn’t just eating 1 brand 24/7 & if something was wrong with the brand you are feeding your dog will have health problems, when you rotate between a few different brands your dog isn’t on a certain brand long enough & won’t have any health problems if that a brand isn’t balanced properly or has any contaminates & toxins etc if the kibble isn’t balanced properly rotating helps your dog get a more of a balance diet, plus it strengthen their immune system….
When I’ve read some of the Fromm formulas there’s a lot of different ingredients & some formula’s are pea heavy, pea flour, pea protein, chickpeas, lentils…I would lookfor a few different brands & I open 2 bags & feed one for breakfast & the other for dinner or I ask Patch which one do you want to day & show him the containers & he licks the container or I have one brand kibble in one hand & the other brand kibble in my other hand & he picks the kibble he wants to eat…
Have you looked at “Zignature” a lot of people love the Kangaroo formula & Zignature have just released a Pork & Catfish formula you could email Zignature & ask do they have samples to try or ask the pet shops that sell Zignature do they have samples…

You have a few really good brands in America, if my boy didn’t have IBD, I’d be feeding raw & kibble, a lot of people in Australia feed raw kangaroo + kibble, my cat loves her raw + her kibble, Kangaroo is very healthy & the Kangaroos are breed especially for humans & pet foods & don’t has any toxins like fish do, same as turkey & chicken is the cleanest meats to eat….

[a c]

Thank you for your reply. I will try to contact them.

I have contacted Stella and Chewy’s, Primal, Honest Kitchen, and BARF world. The fat contents on raw diet are too high. I need something with fat content around 10%.

[aimee]

Hi Kelsey,

Pitlove is right Petfooled is laden with misinformation it’s too bad really.. anyway here are just a few comments I made about it on the review section

” Here is an excerpt from the trailer and the film as an example of misinformation. In reference to corn wheat and soy “those are the things that cause overweight, diabetes, arthritis,chronic skin allergies, infections..”

The problem is, is that there is just as much evidence to say that beef, lamb, and chicken are the things that cause overweightedness, allergies, diabetes, and infections as there is to say corn, wheat and soy cause those things. In other words there is no basis to be making either statement. It is all “fake news”

“What was presented was very biased. For example in regards to rendering there were pics of body piles and dead stock and road kill but no real discussion that the material used in pet food is usually always from a USDA integrated facility leading the viewer to think that road kill and dead bloated cattle is the primary source for pet food ingredients.

Major blunders in facts ( they couldn’t even get the anatomy labeling correct ) and appeal to nature fallacy.

Dr. Becker incorrectly reported that the scientific name of the dog was
changed from canis lupus familiaris to just canis lupus because dogs
are essentially wolves vs them being a recognized subspecies.

She reported the change was because the only differences between wolves and dogs is “outer packaging”

Shesh!!
Fact check people, just don’t lift garbage off of raw feeding sites
and repeat it! What she said was pretty much verbatim from here https://www.balanced-canine…

What really happened was that the dog was canis familiaris and was
changed to canis lupus familiaris. Similar renaming occurred with other
domestic animals: separate species names were abandoned in favor of
classifying under the same species and assigning a subspecies name.

No mention of the Nature journal paper that reported on the genetic
adaptation of dogs vs wolves in regards to carbohydrate metabolism.Hmm
wonder why….

Implications that major pet food companies won’t disclose where they source from because they declined to be interviewed for the film. I understand why they would decline to be interviewed and if the producers of the film were interested in looking at sourcing info
they could have just lifted it from company web pages.

Did they not want the viewer to know that human grade 1 and 2 grains and meat from USDA integrated plants is used in pet foods?

All in all a waste of time. Not worth paying for and not worth watching.”

Also, did you know that the average debt for a person graduating vet school is upwards of $167,000 with 20% owing more than 200,000? Therefore this statement, “Vets push Science Diet so hard because Science Diet puts them through school. Science Diet is somewhat like a sponsor for the vet.” is complete “fake news” Oh sure they may get a pocket protector and some free pens or a back pack . Vet Students used to get a “hard” copy of Small Animal Clinical Nutrition. Don’t know if they still get a hard copy as you can just download it off their site, (You can too for that matter and if you are interested in nutrition it is worth your time to read it.) and I think vet students can buy their Hill’s food at a reduced rate. Big deal, nothing that would even make a teeny tiny dent in the cost of their education. Student loans are what puts vets through school not Science Diet.

[Susan]

Hi Steve,
the only way to know how these animals died & how the pet food is being made is buy free range organic ethically farmed meat & veggies & make your own pet meals….
If you lived in Australia we have a new ethically farmed pet food called “Frontier Pets”, the pigs, chickens & beef all run free & are feed a healthy diet, they live a pretty good life…Here’s “Frontier Pet Food” web page https://frontierpets.com.au/pages/our-purpose
There must be a few companies like our Frontier pets but in America… send Frontier Pets a email the lady will email you back & answer all your questions, ask does she know of another pet food company like her Frontier Pets but in America or Canada, she has just started & would of done a heap of research, so she may have come across another ethically farmed pet food company in America….

There’s “Ziwi Peak” an New Zealand pet food company who make high quality pet foods your dogs will love their air dried pet food & their wet tin foods, https://www.ziwipets.com/
there’s also “K-9 Natural” another NZ made pet food you add water I buy their Green Lipped Mussels. https://www.k9natural.co.nz/
Ziwi Peak & K-9 Naturals are both sold in America.
There’s “Honest Kitchen” you can use their base formula’s & add your own organic meat or buy the HK formula’s where you just add water….
There’s “Just Food For Dogs” they make pet food for dogs with certain health problems they may make an small breed all life stages formula, send them an email.. https://www.justfoodfordogs.com/vet-support-diets

Do you realise when you read the fat% & protein% on wet raw foods it hasn’t been converted to dry matter basis (kibble) yet, here’s a calculator, save this link so you can convert & know how high the fat % is in wet tin, raw food your feeding…. 5% min-fat when converted to dry matter is around 20-25%max-fat. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

Once you have found a few pet foods introduce them & make sure you rotate between 2-3 different brands so your dogs are getting a variety of different pet foods so if one of these pet foods isn’t balanced properly or has toxins etc your dogs aren’t eating the same pet food 24/7 here’s “Clean Label Project” site, this is the first year CLP has tested pet foods for toxin’s, CLP tested the most popular pet foods for lead, arsenic, pesticides, mercury, cadmium, BPA you can see which wet pet foods made the good list & the worst list…..click on “Product Ratings” up the top..
I and Love and You, Dog for Dog, Wellness, SmallBatch Pets & Stella & Chewy got 5 stars in the wet tin foods section…the fish formula’s seem to be worse & turkey & chicken formula’s rate the best. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

[anonymous]

Interesting. All I know is that prednisone saved my life when I had an allergic reaction caused by a vaccine.
Prednisone also saved my dog from continuing to scratch herself bloody raw until we could get to the specialist.
I know of what I speak.

Good luck.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by anonymous.

[anonymous]

If your dog has environmental allergies, the food has nothing to do with it.
Make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist for the best results.
Btw: Steroids are often necessary and the only way to stop the suffering (temporarily) until the dog gets seen by a specialist and recommended testing (not phony baloney mail-in hair and saliva tests) is done.
Once you get an accurate diagnosis you can then evaluate the treatment options.
Raw food is the worst thing you could do to any living thing.

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

Ps: There is no cure for allergies. Initial testing by a veterinary dermatologist and start of treatment can run up to $600-$1000 depending, maintenance can run from $300- $600 every 5 months or so. But, for many dogs it works, and they are comfortable.
Treatment tends to be lifelong. Ask your vet (a veterinary health care professional) if you don’t believe me.

[Nata T]

Hi all,

I am very sorry for your puppies being sick and now wonder myself if this is the cause of mine being unwell. Hope they recover soon. There are holistic ways to help your babies.
We used to feed my fur boy Acana only until they decided to open a plant in KY and in the USA we only have access to that food. So, I found new food for him over a year ago. It was a perfect choice with new food and my boy not once had ANY health issues. Until this May when I for some reason forgot that I didn’t order his food (only available on line), I ran into Hollywood feed and got a bag of Acana Wild Atlantic. Immediately, he started to itch, eating himself to bleeding. I freaked out and took him to the vet and asked for blood test. His BUN was ok, but CREA was sooo high, MCH and MCHC so low that it alarmed me. The vet said- no worries, this is allergy. Stupid me, feeling so bad for my boy, agreed to a steroid shot to relief the itch. We also got antibiotics and allergy drugs, which cost me an arm and leg. But, anything for my boy. I eat and live healthy and natural as I can. So, I started my research and after 10 days of meds, I took him off. Sorry, got carried away.
The Acana food I bought was sooo greasy that it concerned me, but I still fed him (I bought a smaller bag). Stupid me!
As soon as our regular food arrived, I switched and he is getting better.
It has been over a month of this disaster, but I am getting this under control.

This morning I received the same e-mail from Chewy and was surprised. But I guess it is for the better.
Being bought by Petsmart is not good news to me.

I am in process of transferring to raw now.
The food I currently feed is UK made formula (Guidelines are tougher in Europe) made in Austin, TX by one of the family member, who lives in the USA. No grain, no soy, no canola, no rice, no potatoes, no eggs. Once a week I give him egg with shell. Kelp daily. Fruits and veggies he access any time. No harm, except few high in sugar, no raisins, avocado, grapes.
So glad I came across this post. Thank you all!

[anonymous]

Article written by a veterinary nutritionist (excerpts below, click on link for full article)
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/

Grain free diets
Grain free diets have become all the rage in the last few years. I suspect this has stemmed from greater recognition of gluten sensitivity in humans. Most pet food companies have jumped on the band wagon following the marketing success of grain free human diets. The truth of the matter is that there are no dog or cat studies showing a health benefit to grain free foods. A myth has been perpetuated that grains are unhealthy. In fact, whole grains contribute vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and are highly digestible by dogs and cats. Allergies to grains are actually very rare, and only the Irish Setter breed has been demonstrated to have a gluten sensitivity. Many grain free diets substitute potatoes and tapioca, which have less protein, more sugar, and less fiber. And typically these come at a higher cost.
Animal by-products
In addition to grain, animal by-products have become “dirty words” on the ingredient list. Although not necessarily appealing to humans (particularly in the USA), the definition of a by-product in pet food is a part of the animal that is not skeletal muscle. This includes organ meats and intestines (not intestinal contents). AAFCO specifically excludes hair, hooves, horns, hide, manure, etc… as acceptable by-products. So in reality, by-products are perfectly healthy and full of nutrients. And you can be sure that a wild wolf or mountain lion is eating “by-products” in nature.
Raw diets
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.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by anonymous.

[pitlove]

Hi Michael-

The protein % on raw or fresh cooked foods is not converted to dry matter. Once converted the 12% protein is much much higher.

Here is a good article on here about how to convert to dry matter and what it means

/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/

[Susan]

Hi Michael,
These home made raw diets are the rage in Australia, the smaller pet shops have their own home made raw diets, where the bigger Pet food companies sell the commercial raw diets like Barf & Big Dog.. I’d stay away from the bigger raw companies the meat is lower grade…. is the Farmer Dog diet a cooked or raw diet?? wet tin & raw diets have not been converted to dry matter (Kibble) ….. Email the pet food companies & ask what is the fat % & protein % after being converted to dry matter, the protein is going to be around 40% & more being 12%-raw…. Just be careful with higher fat as dogs get older especially if your dog is prone to Pancreatitis….My boy is 8yrs old with IBD/Pancreatitis & I stay around 15% & under for fat when eating a kibble & it’s hard finding a pre made raw diet around 3-4% raw fat = 12-15%dry, unless I make it myself, it depends on the brand, Kangaroo & turkey formula’s are around 3-4%-fat raw, converted to dry matter (Kibble) that’s around 11-16%-fat…. your dog may be OK with fat around 5%-raw = 20-25% converted to dry matter, look what the fat % is in the dry kibble he eats, it’s probably around 12-15% in fat, so now you need a raw diet where the fat says 3-4% & then slowly increase to a higher fat %, first see if he’s OK eating the new raw diet, I started feeding my boy freshly home made raw for breakfast & I was still feeding him his kibble for dinner, the kibble keeps them feeling fuller longer & when they start eating a raw diet they get hungry quicker, your boy may lose a little weight when he starts the raw diet, but that’s a good thing, then you just increase the raw if he losses too much weight, your going to have a healthier dog being feed raw…..
It’s best to join a few raw feeding face book groups like “K9 Nutrition” – Lew Olson’s group & “K9 Kitchen” – Monica Segal’s group they have fresh home made raw & cooked diets & you’ll learn how balance & make your own home made diets with fresh human grade ingredients also follow Rodney Habib…

[Paulah C]

I have a dog that gains weight quickly despite his 3 hour daily walks & his evening off leash trail or dog play. I am trying to find a good quality weight lose dog food that is Completely Chicken Free. He was on IAMS kangaroo & doing well. Unfortunately IAMS stopped manufacturing the kangaroo dog food which had Pork as its Fat Ingredient. My Vet. had me start him on Royal Canin Kangaroo having been told it’s ingredients where identical to IAMS. Well less than a week into the switch my boy was scratching non stop… Took a good look at the ingredients and to my surprise Royal Canin Fat Ingredient is CHICKEN stopped it immediately. He is on food he loves, but has started putting on more weight again. Despite him being active & feeding him the amount for an inactive dog and for a lower weight. He is also now constantly looking for more food in his bowl or peoples pockets on the walks 🙁 ).
I have tried Frozen Raw, but he refuses to eat it even if it is the only thing I put out for him that day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Karen W]

Can anyone suggest a lower protein dog food that still ranks high at Dog Advisor…? I have a very specific issue with my dog and would like to cut his current Nature’s Variety Instinct kibble with something with a lower protein count.
DFA has not offered a ranking of the lower protein food as they appear on the fence about dog’s eating a lower protein. BUT…when your dog needs a lower protein…what do you choose…?
It seem the raw food has a lot less protein than kibble choices. I could do that, but he is a great dane and I’d like to keep the cost down some if possible.
Thanks!

[a c]

I know rawhides, bull sticks, and antlers may not be good for dogs. I came cross No Hide Stix by Earth Animals. It has three flavors salmon, chicken, and beef. Are those good alternative for bones?

[LovelyBear]

Hi Susan,

Thank you for replying. My dog is definitely healthier now. Her teeth are getting white and she has lost the extra weight she needed to loose. That makes sense that the fillers and carbs would make her feel fuller when she was on kibble. I’ll just give her more time to adjust, because also when she was eating kibble she was aloud to snack and eat whenever she wanted.
I don’t buy premade raw. But I was wondering if it is a chicken allergy or maybe I am feeding to much chicken. So I just prepped her meal for the next 2 weeks and I am only using one chicken quarter a day with Pork and Beef Muscle. Also organs and tripe. I previously was giving her meals of just chicken, for example a leg quarter, hearts and gizzards. I am still learning and seeing what agree with her and what doesn’t.
The past two days of less or no chicken have already reduced the amount of flatulence she was having!

[lori r]

I have been feeding my pittie/boxer mix raw since 2012 when she was 6 months old. She generally gets beef hunks, a chicken or turkey neck, some pureed veggies and homemade bone broth, and ground green tripe once a week. I just got a grinder, and started grinding whole chickens, but thought it’s a pretty boring texture. Do you feed ground meat? Hunks or chunks? Or whole prey model? I have a business partner and we’re starting up a raw pet food business, and wondered how most people feed their pets.

[Rose G]

@PitLuv Thank you for the update on Darwin’s and a better source for raw. I will look at this further.

@anon101 Thank you for those links to Reddit. I saw some of that info yesterday and the red flags went up. That’s one of the reasons I came to this forum to discuss all of this further. And, the reason I will call some labs today to see how much it costs to test the food I feed my dogs. Hopefully it’s not a small fortune!

[pitlove]

Hi Rose-

I would look at Darwins facebook page before considering that company. A lot of complaints about orders being wrong, not shipped, no one from the company answering the phone or emails, quality of the meat going downhill. A lot of folks stopped using Darwins and moved on.

If you are interested in commercially prepared raw food, Natures Variety is just about the only trustworthy company.

[Susan]

Hi Nataya,
I don’t think you’ll get many raw feeders on DFA, a lot feed kibble, there might be the odd poster that may help……are you going to make your own raw diet or buy the pre-made raw diets? homemade is the best this way you know what they are eating where the meat is coming from….
Start doing research & follow people like “Rodney Habib, Dr Karen Becker & Steve Brown, Dr Karen Becker is bringing out another new book with simple easy to make raw meals, her old books have all sold out & people on Amazon are asking ridiculous prices for her old books…. look at Steve Brown book called “Unlocking The Canine Ancestral Diet” your local library can order in books, I borrow books from the library or they order in books I’m interested in then after I have read them & like them I buy the book…
Here’s Rodney Habib’s link, once you follow Rodney you’ll get in the loop…
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

Join some raw feeding groups on face book, just make sure these diets are balanced properly, vets are normally against raw feeding only because a lot of people don’t balance the diet properly & the vets see all the health problems that can occur from a dog or a cat not eating a proper balanced raw diet, I live Australia & a lot of Australian’s feed raw & dry kibble + raw meaty bones at lease twice a week…. a lot of our Australian made kibbles advise to add raw meat, raw meaty bones with their kibbles….
I went thru an Animal Nutritionist Jacqueline Rudan the maker of Natural Animal Solutions(NAS) products, this is her Maintenance Diet I followed minus any bone or organ meats cause my Staffy Patch has IBD, food intolerances & skin allergies…
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/maintenance-dog-diet/
I added her Digestavite plus powder to balance the diet, Patch was very hungry when we first started feeding the raw diet I was feeding 3 smaller raw home made meals a day, Jacqueline said, he has to get use too eating a raw diet after being feed a high carb process kibble, they stay fuller longer when they eat kibble..

Your making the best decision for your dogs health, with the Great Dane pup I would see what the breeder is feeding him & make sure you find an Great Dane breeder that raw feeds her dogs & pups, this breeder will be able to help you with preparing a raw diet
for a large breed pup…. sometimes its better to feed large breed pup a good quality large breed puppy kibble + raw until they’re 1-18mths then put them onto a full raw diet once they have finished growing, you have to be careful with large breed pups that their bones don’t grow too quickly the breeder will explain things a bit better then me….

There’s a lot of raw feeders on Lew Olsons F/B group called “K-9 Nutrition”
or Monica Segal F/B group called “K-9 Kitchen”
Make sure you take before & after photos of your Pit Bulls, you’ll see a big improvement with skin coat & all over health once they’re eating a raw diet…
Good-Luck

[Rose G]

I don’t think my vet is actually going to know about the toxins. I think this is the elephant in the room. No one is paying attention to this. I’ve been looking at a site that creates raw food, Darwins, and so far they seem to be very high quality; however, I’m on the fence about a raw diet based on other things I have read, including information on skeptvet. My husband suggested that I contact a local lab and have them test the food that we feed our dogs. I don’t know what this costs, but I’m going to research it. That way hopefully I find out the truth.

The thing about CLP is that we also need to know what their agenda is. I’ve seen some posts that they are funded by people/company that produces lower quality food so that these reports steer us back towards that food. I think the fish aspect of high toxins is probably valid since there is so much in our oceans/lakes that are easily absorbed by fish.

Thanks everyone for your input…I guess we will all be watching carefully for answers.

[Susan]

Hi Rose,
The best thing you can do for your pets is feed organic raw or organic cooked balanced diet, this way you know where the ingredients come from, but this can become expensive..

All we can do is just wait till next year when Clean Label Project re test the most popular pet foods & see which pet foods made the worse list & did the pet food companies that made the worse list this year fix the problem & see where they come on the list next year???

I think it’s excellent what CLP is doing, they’re shaking up these pet food companies
finally our pets that we love so much have a voice….. Just stick with the pet foods that have 4-5 star ratings & avoid any fish pet foods, they seem to be the worst…just buy & add human grade fish that you would eat yourself to your pets foods…..
another thing stick with the smaller pet food companies, they seem to source locally & have better quality ingredients…. I really like Canidae & they made the good list..

[Nataya W]

Hi, I am looking into feeding my dogs a raw diet. I have 2 pits, one is 50lbs and the other is 55lbs. I also will be picking up my new puppy which will be a Great Dane in the middle of July. I need help with a meal plan for my dogs. A simple one. The pits I feed them 2x a day, I am very over whelmed from looking on line. Someone help. (Could my vet help with a meal plan)

[a c]

I have a 10 years old miniature Schnauzer with pancreatitis history. I tried to switched her to raw diet. I went to an independent pet shop. The employees there told me raw diet is the best. So I tried Stella and Chewy’s duck frozen patties, Primal’s lamb frozen chucks, and Honest Kitchen Love. Since I switched her to raw diet, her poops have always been greasy with some yellow. I have my vet ran a blood work on her. Her level was above the normal range, and my vet was also really against the idea of raw diet. They put her on Science Diet ID wet food. Now, her poops are back to normal. Thank goodness. I think the fat content on those raw diet is too high for dogs with pancreatitis.

[Susan]

Hi Tammy, Sweetie is nilly the same age my boy, he’s turning 9 in November they both will be turning 63yrs old….I’m going thru something similar at the moment with my boy who has IBD, skin allergies & food intolerances…The Hills & Royal Canine vet diets for Kidney Care & dissolving crystals are too high in fat for my boy & have ingredients that Patch can’t eat, he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & ears when he eats, chicken, corn starch, wheat, corn gluten meal, barley & carrots…
Are you feeding the wet tin c/d or the dry c/d kibble? I’ve noticed the Wet tin vet diets have better ingredients & may not have the ingredients Sweetie is sensitive too, go on face book there’s 2 groups “Canine Kidney Disease” & Canine Kidney Disease Support group” a few people are feeding “Dave’s” pet food, Restricted diet protein low Phosphorus farmland blend in sauce wet tin, Honest Kitchen Keen, some are feeding raw or cooked diets &
a few people have been recommending Dr Harvey, he’s a Nutritionist that must do special diets for dogs with a few health problems, I haven’t had time to check out his site yet, join the f/b groups & read thru the post, you’ll probably get more info from people going thru the same health problems with their dogs…a lot are feeding the Hills K/D or C/d Multicare wet tin food..
I’m still waiting on test results from sterile urine that was taken the other day, I feel so sorry for my boy, he never seems to get a break, he starts doing really well then we have another health problem…. Good-Luck working out the best diet….. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422252261408967/

[suztzu]

Hello I have two dogs an elderly shih tzu 13yrs with cushings on trylostane and very stable and an 9 yr pom I just adopted a year ago, the senior tzu is ok with weight my pom has gotten a pound and a half overweight. They both have been on Natures Variety raw boost kibble for about a year the small breed variety which was 13 % fat and 33 % protein, but they are now changing the formula and pushing the fat up to 16 % fat same protein content. I would really like to get them off kibble altogether. They both get freeze dried raw a couple times a week ( northwest naturals or primal sometimes stellas ) But usually I give them Weruva canned food with the kibble. I am thinking of going just straight pre made raw maybe freeze dried I think this will help my pom shed some weight with the higher protein levels and moisture low carb. I am hesitant on my shih tzu because of his age and the possibility of pancreatitis. So I am thinking maybe a lower fat raw and good fiber content might be ok since he’s done well on freeze dried raw, which I know is the same as reg raw but it is mixed with kibble so it hasnt been exclusively fed as raw. Should I be worried about pancreatitis with raw diet ? They are not used to such a high level of fat, I have combed through the reviews and cannot find one under 30% fat. SO MANY QUESTIONS UGH !! Which brands should I go with Stella and Chewys or Primal or Natures Variety we sell all those at my work I am a dog groomer. I get a 20% discount so I would like to got with one of those brands, but I did pick up a bag of Northwest Naturals freeze dried which they really like. Thanks in advance for any help it is much appreciated.

[Gail R]

I’d like to nominate Wellness Core RawRev, a new food product line from Wellness that may compete with Stella and Chewy’s Raw Coated Baked Kibble and Raw Blend Kibble. Is much more affordable than Stella and Chewy’s.

[Tammy J]

Hi All,
I think this is a great forum. I’m hoping some folks can help me find the best food for my Sweetie. She is turning 9 in September. She is a shorkie (shih tzu/yorkie) She weighs about 15 pounds. She developed bladder stones about a year ago. The vet treated her with medicine and switched her food to urinary SO. The stones actually dissolved, no surgery needed. However, I was told she would need prescription food for the rest of her life. I was previously feeding her primal freeze dried nuggets. They said raw diets are the worst choice. Sweetie has always had allergies, and she did great on raw. She’s been super itchy and eating her feet since changing food. She’s developed a bladder infection and we are now on Hills urinary c/d. She’s licked her paws raw and developed a yeast infection (didn’t know that was possible on a paw) and is on medication for that. I understand that the prescription food has a reduced amount of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. I’ve read some not great things about Hills food. Sweetie has never been a big drinker, the other thing to prevent the crystals from coming back. She also benefits from glucosamine for her stiff joints. While researching senior foods, they seem so high in the minerals. Any ideas on the best food for keeping Sweetie healthy and happy? I wouldn’t mind making homemade, since we only have one dog. Thanks for your help!

[Rebeca J]

I adopted my dog (4 year old 40lb beagle mix) from a shelter in January. Initially we fed him Newman’s Own Adult Dog Formula (chicken and rice), but his poops were pretty runny and yellow and we decided to switch to IAMS Healthy Naturals (chicken and barley). At first it seemed to be working great and his poops were firm and darker for a few weeks, but then all of a sudden he would not eat the food at all, and started having upset stomach symptoms and vomiting undigested kibble. We went to the vet a couple of times and after a week of bland diet (chicken and rice), a dewormer, digestive supplements and antibiotics he seemed to be doing better, but would not touch the IAMS kibble still. We switched him to Merrick Backcountry Big Game Recipe because of the great reviews, but it clearly did not agree with him AT ALL, his poops were as runny and painful-looking as ever. We decided to switch again to Zignature Grain Free Turkey Formula (it was recommended to us) and now his poops are worse than they have ever been. I just don’t know what to do at this point, I’m really worried about my dog he’s otherwise acting completely normal, coat looks great , very active, but having diarrhea for months on end can’t be pleasant and I’m worried about the long term effects. I’ve spent over $300 on vet fees, just for my (honestly just horrible) vet to dismiss my concerns and refer me to a nutritionist that charges abt $400 per consultation. None of the other vets in my area are taking new patients. I don’t have the means to exclusively feed wet/raw food, but want to supplement his diet with it once we find a kibble that works for him. I have spent so much money, I really have no idea what else to do. Any and all suggestions/advice welcome.

[Susan]

Hi Ann c,
sounds like she is getting TOO much fiber that may be in the Purina One weight management formula, I posted in my posts above don’t feed a weight management kibble to a dog with Pancreatitis or has had Pancreatitis, weight management formula’s have more fiber, it may not say it on the Guaranteed Analysis section but they will have either more soluble fiber or more of the in soluble fiber to keep the dog feeling fuller for longer…Higher fiber diets are not recommended for dog with Pancreas, it’s more work on the Pancreas…..
What happened when you where adding the boiled pumkin?? Pumkin softens my boys poo, pumkin actually makes his poos very soft when I add 2 tablespoons with a meal or a treat, the vet recommended adding 1 tablespoon of boiled pumkin with my boy meals, pumkin is very easy to digest & soothes the stomach & intestinal tract…. also a wet diet is better then a dry proceed kibble….
Join the “Canine Pancreatitis Support group” look in the “Files” there’s 2 different links with low fat wet & dry formula’s you can feed, just avoid any of the weight management dry kibbles….
You’ll get heaps of support from other people in the group that have a dog with Pancreatitis & are going thru similar problems…Lisa who runs the group feeds a raw diet to her Pancreatitis dog, a few people feed raw, some feed a cooked meals & some feed both cooked for some meals & kibble for other meals this may help prevent any constipation that may happen when you fully introduce the Purina One formula….

[aimee]

Hi KodaHappyTails,

So sorry to learn of your dogs illness. I lost one of my dog at the age of 14 possible from her Mast Cell disease. She was diagnosed ~ 7 years prior and treated twice with Chemo therapy. Her oncologist said she’d never had a dog with such extensive Mast Cell cancer do so well for so long. I didn’t change her diet, she ate a therapeutic low fat diet made by Eukaneuba probably about 50%-60% carb calories with fresh fruits and vegetables.

My sister’s dog survived Lymphoma, the only dog I’ve ever known that survived that disease. She was feeding Iams Mini chunk before the diagnosis and continued to feed that through Chemo and recovery.

Cancer cells do preferentially utilize glucose but I don’t think a low carb diet or a ketogenic diet influences growth to any appreciable degree as the glucose levels in the blood will remain within a narrow range. There are some weak published studies in mouse model brain cancer and a ketogenic diet but it is a large leap from that to application of cancers of other types in other species.

Personally I think the KetoPet group is after a money grab. They haven’t published anything in a peer reviewed journal. I think ultimately they are going to try and generate a lot of hype through their unsubstantiated reporting and then market a diet to pet owners and this is why you won’t find any information on the diet on their site. If you want to feed a ketogenic diet Purina makes Brightmind and Neurocare.

I see no advantage to feeding a raw diet. The safest way to do this if you elect to do so is to use a commercial HPP product The only one I’d consider is Nature’s Variety

[crazy4cats]

Hi KodaHappyTails-

I’m very sorry to hear about your dog’s diagnosis. If it were my dog, I would not feed raw. I do like Susan’s idea of checking out balanceit.com. They will help you formulate homemade cooked recipes appropriate for your dog. I make my dogs a meal once or twice a month using a recipe I made on their site along with a supplement that they sell to make it complete and balanced. Best wishes to you and your dog.

[HoundMusic]

NO. Raw is about the worst thing you could do, as dogs with cancer have a compromised immune system and cannot handle the bacteria in raw meat. There is also a risk of high fat and protein accelerating tumor growth. Certain carbs DO feed off simple sugars, but then again, so do all healthy cells. Furthermore, I have personally seen raw fed dogs with cancer develop secondary issues, namely, hypothyroidism, related to the long-term suppression of immune system function. Lightly cooked, lean meats heavy on veg and with small amounts of complex carbohydrates, supplemented with Omega 3, is probably your best bet for a cancer management diet.

[Susan]

Hi,
can you afford to see a diet nutritionist they will make a special diet for your dogs needs…
Dr Karen Becker is releasing her new book soon, which is going to have special diets for health problems like cancer etc but you need a diet now… I went thru a animal Naturopath for my boy when he was put on a raw diet for his IDB & skin allergies…. You need high fat moderate protein & low carbs, I think turkey is the best meat to use or Kangaroo…
Have you email Ketopets & ask questions & ask do they do special raw diet for dogs with Mast Cell cancer? Kibble is very high in carbs & cancer loves a sugar carb diet that’s how it thrives, with Mast Cell cancer it can put pressure on the stomach & can trigger increased intestinal mobility, my boxer had acid reflux & pooing black poo’s & vomiting blood, the first vet told me to put her on a cooked lean diet Chicken diet but then I had to see another vet cause the first vet didn’t have the Endoscope camera 1st vet thought she was vomiting, the vomit had streaks of blood she had an ulcer, this was the worse thing I ever did seeing the second vet, all he believed in was his science, he put my dog on the Hills Z/d vet diet & poor Angie got worse up all night crying in bad pain after eating the Z/d kibble, I told the new vet, the Z/d has made things worse, he said oh she’s probably spoilt & crying for attention, when you feel the vet isn’t any good RUN away…. now I know not to feed high carb diet, I read the carbs % in the Hills Z/d & it’s 60% carbs, she probably couldn’t digested the hard kibble it was causing pain….

Have you looked at “Wysong” formula’s they do a freeze dried raw or Epigen high protein & starch free wet tin food… here’s their site to have a look around.. http://www.wysong.net/epigen-canned

also “Ziwi Peak” raw wet tin food it smells beautiful, I feed my cat the Ziwi Peak air dried & raw wet tin food sometimes…

Also look at “Balance It” https://secure.balanceit.com/
Balance it do special diets & make the Balance It powder to balance a cooked diet, I don’t know if balance can be used in raw diet?? you’d have to contact them, even Dr Karen Becker does consults, I did Patches consult first thru email & told the Naturopath all his health problems, then when I thought she knows what she is taking about I made appointment for a phone call or I could of done a Skype consult, she rung me & spoke for 1 hr, it cost me $60, it was cheaper then a vet visit & she made an easy to follow special home made raw diet with fresh ingredients from supermarket, for Patches IBD & I just emailed for any help afterwards… she said NO to all the premade raw diets, they’re a bit like kibble you don’t know what your getting & where the ingredients came from…with a home made raw or cooked diet you have better control & you know where the meat comes from best to use organic raw meat….

[a c]

My 10 years old miniature schnauzer passed away 3 months ago to Lymphoma. He was getting chemotherapy but passed away less than 2 months. He didn’t have much appetite when he was on chemo even with appetite stimulants. I have tried to feed him some organic raw meat and that’s pretty much all he ate other than some of his favorite treats and Caesar wet dog food. Unfortunately, the vet oncologist was really against the idea of feeding him raw meat, so we stop it.

You probably need to talk to your vet oncologist and see they are for the idea of raw diet.

[Susan]

Hi,
I bet your dog is feeling heaps healthier & probably is looking healthier from eating a raw diet…..Yes feed 2 meals a day even 3 meals a day if she seems real hungry, just take a bit from the morning meal & dinner & feed as another small meal, space the feed times out, say 7am 1pm 6pm, so her body gets into a routine & feed the same time everyday, the brain learns, hey she’s going to eat same time & the body does not store any fat when we eat the same time daily, this is why people gain weight so easily, they don’t eat the same time everyday & their body stores fat… also eating more smaller meals thru the day is better then eating 2 larger meals….

When I put my boy on a raw diet he was also very hungry & wanted more, after eating a dry kibble diet all his life that is full of fillers & carbs makes them feel fuller for longer, a raw diet digests easier & quicker & doesn’t sit in the stomach like a kibble does…….
It’s sounds like your girl loves her new diet & she wants more…lol her body will get use to eating a raw diet, you could add some blended pulped veggies to her meals to make her feel fuller ….
I made my own raw balanced diet & blended, peeled carrot, broccoli, celery & apple, I added 2 spoons of the blended veggie mix to 1 cup of grounded kangaroo mince, (my boy has food sensitivities) you can freeze the blended veggie mix in an ice cube tray cover with cling wrap & freeze, just take out of freezer 15mins before feeding time, it thaws very quickly also sweet potatoes you peel then thinly slice the sweet potatoes & bake in the oven…. google natural healthy dog treats, you might find another recipe to make natural healthy treats a lot of people buy a dehydrator & dehydrates their own meat, veggies & make fresh jerky treats for their dogs…. you can do in the oven but oven needs to on very low heat & takes a while….

When a dog is doing smelly farts this can be a food sensitivities/food intolerances, when a dog is sensitive to an ingredient it causes toxic gasses in the bowel, a dog should fart but it shouldn’t smell bad & clear a room. You’ll need to stop all the different proteins & start again, just feed 1 protein for 4-6weeks & see if she’s still doing smelly farts, it can take from 1 day up to 6 weeks to react to certain ingredients, my boy reacts pretty much straight away, he gets red paws, itchy ears, itchy smelly yeasty skin & farts real bad, when he eats something he’s sensitive too… once I worked out what he can’t eat (chicken, barley, wheat, corn & carrots, carrots made his ear smell & itch 20mins after eating a meal with carrots) & removed these ingredients he was good, no smelly farts no more, just watch your girl after she eats what she ate when the farts start, start feeding 1 novel protein if you can get kangaroo that’s a lean novel protein & just feed the Kangaroo & 2-4 blended fruit & veggies & add meaty raw kangaroo bone 3 times a week….
Are you feeding pre-made raw? look for a pre-made raw diet with limited ingredients that have novel proteins, like kangaroo, rabbit, venison, goat proteins she hasn’t really eaten before, also start reading the ingredient list & see is there a common ingredient when she doing bad smelly farts, her gut would of had time to a just to the raw diet she’s been eating a raw diet 3 months now, she’s probably eating ingredient she’s sensitive too….

[Susan]

Hi,
Believe & have faith in your dog & go natural, 2017 dog’s are more sick now then they were back in 1970’s to 1990’s back then we feed table scrapes leftovers home cooked meals what ever you want to call it & our dogs lived longer & didn’t have all these health problems like they have today, allergies, cancer, skin problems the list goes on & on…
My boxer had Mast Cell Tumors high grade 2 cancer & back in 2008 the internet wasn’t like it is today we have so MUCH help & info now….. I listen to my vet & my Angie suffered more then she should have, I wish I knew what I know now..

Have you looked into the “Ketopet” diet?? Ketopet started to rescued pound dogs that had cancer these dog were rescued from pounds all over America, the results were astounding, these dogs had terminal cancer now had a new lease on life & they had to find them all new homes, their video made me cry, 1, how their owners just gave up on them & threw them away, dumped them in a pound to die & 2, the smiles on these once very sick dogs now running around acting puppies, it’s unbelievable how changing a dogs diet can be the difference between life & death… are you following “Rodney Habib” on his face book page?? https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib

here’s a link on about dog called Cali she had Hemangiosarcoma an aggressive cancer..
here’s the proof that raw diet works… have faith…
https://www.facebook.com/dogcancerseries/videos/778226332345785/?fref=mentions&pnegf=story

[anonymous]

Consult a specialist if you think there is any chance that aggressive treatment may increase her chances for survival for more than a few months.
Otherwise, I would work closely with your vet to do everything possible to keep the dog comfortable.
You did not mention the dog’s age, overall condition, etc.
Only a vet that examines your dog and knows her history can advise you accordingly.
Please don’t be fooled by homeopathic scams.
Often dogs that have cancer are nauseous, raw food is disgusting, the last thing I would want to eat if I was sick. Not to mention the risk of salmonella.
If you are receptive to science based veterinary medicine go here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=cancer
Hope this helps. Best of luck.
Ps: This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[KodaHappyTails]

I apologize in advance if this post gets long winded or it seems as though I’m rambling,my head is literally spinning with info and details and I need some one to hopefully point me in the right direction. I found out today that my dogs mast cell cancer has come back and has metastasized,I have to wait a few days for the aspirate results to come back but the vet is certain that’s what is going on,prognosis is poor,with our only options being chemo or nonconventional treatments, I’m leaning more towards the nonconventional treatment,however. On to my question,I’m doing a ton of research and am very interested in switching her diet,so far I’ve looked into raw and ketogenic. Every site seems to have their own idea as to what is acceptable to feed a dog with cancer and what isn’t,the biggest debate being whether a dog with cancer should eat a raw meat diet,some say yes some say absolutely not due to their weakened immune system. I’m so confused where to even start,does anyone have any experience with either diets in their own dogs with cancer? I want the best for my baby and I want to give her the best fighting chance I can even though the odds are stacked against her,please someone point me in the right direction?! Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer.

[pugmomsandy]

I just finished up a bag of RAWZ Meal Free and Core Wild Game for my senior pugs and their output has been solid. 2/3 cup a day with some other foods I give as treats.

[LovelyBear]

My dog has been on a raw diet for 3 months now and she loves it! I am experimenting with new meats slowly and providing variety. I’ve realized she does not do good with Thread Herrings, because I have tried to feed them to her twice and she always throws up.

My main question though is whether or not I should switch to feeding her once a day?

I currently feed twice a day; morning and night. But my dog is always searching for more food after every meal! She gets 2-2.5 lbs total a day. Her weight is 100 lbs and she has lost some weight since eating raw (which is good as she was over weight and the vet told me she needed to loose weight)

and also when I began researching the raw diet people claimed their dogs stopped having stinky fart, but my girls farts smell like rotting meat.

Thanks 🙂

• This topic was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by LovelyBear.

[anonymous]

Zignature Whitefish kibble. I add a tablespoon of cooked ground turkey or something, a splash of water (1/4 cup) 2 meals per day. A raw 1/2 carrot for a snack once a day.
All is well 🙂

Available at Chewy dot com, for now. Chewy has been bought by PetSmart so that may change. Some pet supply stores carry it, also available at Amazon.

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[Susan]

Hi
Gee sooo SORRY for your boy, I’m so glad you listen to your gut…he had a blockage & no food was able to digest into a poo…. I never give my Staffy any of these new air dried cooked animal body parts, he has IBD & this breed are aggressive chewers & can demolish a full cow’s carcas if we let them, I’m soo glad your vet listen to you & did the Ultra Scan, I hope she learns from this & can save another dog when this happens again cause it will, rawhide is known to do the same thing, dogs swallow it & rawhide is leather & doesn’t digest & can cause blockage….
Now he has to get better & not get any infection in the intestine & eat a real bland diet, usually the vet puts them on Hills I/D vet diet or you cook his meals just while the intestine heals …. Do you belong to any Pit Bill or AM Staffy F/B groups?? best to post photos & what his stomach area looks like now & show what did it, (Cow Hoof) there’s a good Australian f/b group called “Oz Amstaffs share the love not the hate” group https://www.facebook.com/groups/604328586364329/