[Jennifer D]

Thanks! I have been thinking of moving to a raw diet. We have a co-op here called SF raw that is a great company and lower priced cause its a co-op. I might check them both out and see what seems to be the best way to test it out and see if it helps.

[Jennifer D]

so much good info! My other dog is on Honest Kitchen and does really well. I am thinking of moving them to a raw diet to see if that helps, and getting her on tripe and other stuff to help with the gut. I am emailing my vet right now and just tracking her food intake and bowl movements to make sure she is moving food through her digestive system. It seems kind of random so I am actually starting to track it in my calendar to make sure I have a clear understanding of what is going on.

Thank you for your response – I am going to have to read it a few times to absorb it all!

jen

[Susan]

Hi, so sad I also rescued a bully bread (Staffy) & Patch was vomiting up undigested kibble 8hrs later also, they have a very un healthy gut….who said she needs soft pallet surgery?? this isn’t the case, her food isn’t being digested, so the body rejects the un digested food & vomits, kibble is the hardest food to digest, no matter what the vet diet dry kibbles say on the front of the bag, raw/cooked & wet tin food digest quicker & are easier to digest then a high carb dry kibble….
if you can borrow the money find a good vet who can do or organize a Endoscope + Biopsies of the stomach, you need to do the biopsies to see what’s wrong in her
stomach & why she isn’t making enough Hydrochloric acid, my boy had the Helicobacter-Pylori + IBD…or ask a vet can he give you the triple therapy meds for Helicobacter-Pylori infection, the meds are: Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Omeprazole, these meds will fix the stomach & kill any bad bacteria in the gut, but the Helicobacter will come back, Ive been fighting Patches for 3 yrs until he was left on Omeprazole ant acid med this finally helped Patch & a low carb diet
….cause she isn’t digestion her kibble it’s best to change both kibbles especially the Vet Diet they’re crap TRUST ME they do not go soft within 50mins the Hills vet diet kibbles & Royal Canin kibbles take 1-2 hours to go soft but not all the way through, so the kibbles just sit in her stomach so she vomits the undigested kibble back up cause her stomach isn’t working properly,
its called “Hypochlorhydria” low stomach acid where the Helicobacter breeds & lives, she needs meds the ones I mentioned above triple therapy to kill the Helicobacter infection & a diet low in carbs preferably gluten free & more meat then carbs so kibble isn’t good to feed.
… a lot of rescue dogs have Helicobacter cause of their poor diet while growing up also she could of left her mum way to early & never got all the proper nutrients from her mums milk that’s needed for a healthy stomach, now you need to make her gut healthy you do this once her triple therapy meds are finished…
If you want to feed a vet diet feed the wet tin foods like Hills vet diet I/d Chicken & Vegetable stew but Hills have stopped making the big cans of I/d Chicken & Vegetables Stew in Australia & now only make a small 156g can instead.. Patch needs 8 cans a day, you cant afford 8 small tins a day, so he gets 2 cans a day & gets his Canidae or Taste Of The Wild lamb kibble… or buy some chicken breast & sweet potatoes & cook & freeze meals
“Canidae” make very easy to digest kibbles like Canidae Life Stages, Chicken Meal & Rice, “Canidae Pure Meadow” it’s a senior kibble but it won’t matter she’ll get extra Omega 3 & DHA fatty acids & glucosamine in her diet for her bones & it has higher protein & less carbs what is needed for easy digestion & it’s Chicken, Chicken meal & Turkey Meal & Sweet Potato same ingredients as she is eating at the moment BUT will be easier to digest cause the protein is higher…
Start testing her kibbles, get a glass of very warm water, not boiling water just very warm water, add about 2-3 kibbles to the glass of water, does the kibbles float? a good kibble should float & how long does it take for the kibbles to go soft all the way thru?? a good easy to digest kibble should only take about 15-40mins to go soft all the way thru… another very easy to digest kibble is “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb, its a single protein limited ingredient kibble & grain free as well, after Patch tried all the crappy vet diets that didn’t digest easy like they say they do, finally 3 yrs later I tried TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & finally Patch started to get better, gain weight & he did the triple therapy meds 3 times as its very hard to kill this Helicobacter-Pylori, he still takes the Metronidazole a low dose 200mg with food on & off when I see he’s going down hill & getting his acid reflux bad again, he takes the Omeprazole (Losec) 8.30am every day now, it’s a ant acid medication cause they don’t make enough stomach acid, the helicobacter breeds & takes over their stomach & lives in the stomach walls & keeps breeding they get bad acid reflux, vomit, eat grass, feel sick, loss weight & cant digest their food properly, she probably gets bad acid reflux as well this is why she is thin & under weight, she needs a IBD Specialist vet….her vet doesn’t seen to be working out why she is thin & why she isn’t digesting her food & vomiting ?? she’s young her gut should be healthy so something has happened in her past her mum may have past on the Helicobacter infection, Ive had it & its awful you feel so hungry all the time & your stomach gets a norring feeling, you need a vet that will listen & knows about IBD..
yes don’t desex her yet she she’s too sick, my poor boy was desexed, vaccinated, wormed, flea, all on the same day that’s what happens here in Australia when a rescue dog is rescued from a pound before going to their career, its straight from the pound to the vets then career…Patch was too sick to be adopted & I fell in love with him & adopted him…..
Your girl needs 4-5 meals a day not 2 big meals, Patch gets 5 meals a day 7am, 9am 5pm he gets 1/2 cup kibble one of the kibbles I mentioned above & at 12pm & 8pm he gets the Hills I/d Chicken & Vegetable Stew wet tin food…he was getting a cooked meals but last March he started to vomit up the cooked lean pork mince & sweet potato again so he got put back on the Metronidazole & was already taking the Omeprazole ant acid meds & I asked vet can I try the Hills I’d Chicken & Vegetable stew can it has digestive enzymes in it..
Watch her does she lick lips/mouth & swallow, burp? my boy grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux, when I first got Patch he was licking & licking his paws continually of a night when he was at his worst, his vet said the licking paws sets off his endorphins then
he would burp….

[pitlove]

Hi Shandi-

If you are going to be a raw feeder, you can’t be opposed to by-products. Organ meats are by-products and are a key point of a raw diet.

I would recommend paying for a consultation on BalanceIt.com with one of their veterinary nutritionists since you have not only a puppy, but a large/giant breed puppy coming. I have seen a lot of raw fed large breed puppies with nutrient defeciences because the owners decided to “wing it” and not consult a nutritionist during the critical growth period of the dog. Large breed puppies have extremely strict dietary requirements to help reduce their risk of orthopedic problems during growth and later in life. Think hip dysplasia. If you want to do raw, do it right. Your pup will thank you.

[anonymous]

Ps: “Pet Fooled” is propaganda from the raw feeding community and the homeopathic vets.
I only watched the trailer and had no interest in viewing the documentary.

[anonymous]

Well, homeopathic views differ greatly from science based medicine. So, don’t expect your veterinarian to support your decisions. Most will tell you that they don’t think raw food is worth the risk of gastrointestinal obstructions and broken teeth (bones)
You can use the search engine here to find more information. Good luck.

[shandi h]

these sites just seem to down raw diet and say it’s no different or better than commercial foods. One even said “by products” aren’t that big of a deal. lol so thanks for the info but I’ve made my decision to stray away from kibble for the most part as I do believe it is unhealthy for the pups. I may not be able to afford straight out feeding him whole chickens but I can try to do canned or dehydrated and fresh veggies for him. 🙂

[anonymous]

Hope this helps http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw
And http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=nuvet
And http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=coconut
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/
And
https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/
I would listen to your vet.
I lost a dog to cancer too, genetics have a lot to do with it.
Zignature is a quality dog food (imo)

[shandi h]

So I have been looking into this raw diet stuff for about a week now. I watched “Pet Fooled” on netflix and I will admit it really woke me up to what is going on with pet food. Recently I lost my service dog that was an american bull dog. I lost her to Osteosarcoma. It was the hardest day of my life. It’s been a while and I am still not healed from that but we have decided to get a new dog. We have found a wonderful newfoundland pup who is coming to our home Thursday!!! I have been trying to do this research on my own but I’ll admit it’s so over whelming I can’t handle it! We have another dog but let me say this other dog is part goat, she has to be because she can eat ANYTHING. This new dog however I want to make sure is started off right while I correct the other dog’s diet to what is right!

So, I can’t understand the raw diet. There are no set ideas. No blueprints to go through. Is there a dehydrated diet I could use? That tends to be a bit cheaper for now. ALso, the vet said canned isn’t as bad should I try that? Also, I’m still going to give him the yogurt, eggs, liver, chicken broth and supplements. That’s easy for me but its everythign else that is confusing. HELP. He will be 10 weeks old on Thursday and around 28 pounds. How do I start this? Is there a site that has a set menu or grocery shopping list I can go by? I’m so very new to this. I don’t understand all the terminology yet. I want to do this right. Please help! He will be on NuVet as well as Mega C plus. I need to know exact portions like 1 cup of this, 2 tbs of this, 2 eggs, 1 tsp of coconut oil… yadda yadda. I can follow those!

[Denise H]

My 11-year-old bully mix, Pinky, has been raw fed for 3 years. This week she stopped eating any organ meat. Any clues as to what would cause that?

[Rhonda J]

Hi to all of you who post here and I would just like to say how impressed I am with your diligence to your pets and dedication! I have a 6 1/2 month old GSD female who has been diagnosed with SIBO and thank goodness for the internet and me finding info here and other places. I won’t go into all of the details as many of you are so good about doing so, but I was wondering if anyone has ever tried Colloidal Silver in place of an antibiotic? Antibiotics have bad side effects, as has been described here, and no regular vet will support using it since there is no $$ in it for them. I can not find a decent vet who will go outside the box from everything pharmaceutical which I am trying to avoid to in turn avoid the vicious circle of one cure leading to another problem. I am now waiting on the Only Natural Pet EasyRaw Lamb dehydrated food. Who knew there was dehydrated food? I am also using Synacore as a prebiotic/probiotic/enzyme that is sprinkled on her food every day. She is underweight and seemed to improve weight and stool wise with steel cut oats and quinoa but I have yet, before I found the dehydrated food, to find something to give her. I had her on Large Puppy Orijen but as good as it was in the beginning, it just suddenly didn’t work anymore. Now I am mixing in Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Puppy Formula Turkey and Potato with the oats and quinoa, but the more of the dog food I put in the less normal her stools are. Anyway, my main question is on the Colloidal Silver, and thank you to all of you who have been so detailed in your journeys with your dogs who suffer from this.

[aimee]

Megann D,

Properly balancing a homemade diet is a challenge for an adult, I wouldn’t advise it at all for a pup. The one pup I personally knew that was raised on a raw homemade diet ended up anemic, with poor growth and needed orthopedic surgery to correct the limb abnormalities that developed. The owner had fed raw homemade for years… but always to adults. You have one chance to grow your pup’s structure. Why risk that?

Raw chicken is a great source of Salmonella and Campylobacter and while adult dogs with mature immune systems may be able to tolerate this bacterial challenge, puppies often surcumb to illness

If you insist on feeding a rawdiet to your pup use a product that has been high pressure pasteurized and has passed feeding trials for growth.i.e.Nature’s Variety

[anonymous]

STOP IT!
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+food
Of course, take him to the vet, asap, only a veterinarian that has examined your dog can diagnose and prescribe treatment.
Please, make an appointment today. Stop listening to people on the internet.
Dr Google is not only inaccurate, but dangerous.
Give us an update, if you remember. Good luck.
Ps: Do you eat raw meat? How do you think you would like it……….

[Megann D]

Okay, please go easy on me….I’m new at raw and I am very confused about my puppy’s reaction to raw. He is a 4 month old standard poodle.
We started him on raw bone in chicken (wings, leg quarters, breast and feet) after reading about raw for weeks. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find chicken backs near me. Anyways, we’ve been feeding him for about 2 weeks like this. By now, I thought he would be more adjusted, but its not getting better. He has soft serve during the day and then at night for the last 4 nights he has been waking us up crying to go out around 3-5am and having what I believe is “cannon butt”…aka diarrhea. A few mornings he also vomits bile (I think hunger pukes?). He loves eating his food, and other than being a little extra tired he seems pretty normal. He’s eating his food still, and drinking water.
I’m wondering if its just that the chicken itself doesn’t sit well? Like maybe too much sodium or something, or just doesn’t do well with chicken in general? I am also wondering if he potentially could have giardia? Early on he was having a bit of blood in the stool. I am considering taking him to vet if this doesn’t get better soon though! Has anyone had this happen or have any advice?
I really want to do raw, but its been kind of horrid so far!

[anonymous]

Have you been back to the vet? Was she diagnosed with a specific condition?
If she has been medically cleared, I would just add a bite of chopped cooked lean chicken breast or scrambled egg or cooked ground turkey to her kibble, add a splash of water, maybe presoak with water or homemade plain chicken broth. Measured feedings 2 or 3 times a day. Don’t leave food down.
I had a dog that would only eat off of a mat, just find an attractive small mat and think of it as her bowl, don’t try to force her to do something she is uncomfortable with. Make sure she is drinking water, add a little to her meals, to be on the safe side,
At 5 months, she must be teething, give her a 1/2 raw carrot to chew on to soothe her gums.
Small breeds are especially vulnerable to periodontal disease (down the road) so start daily dental brushings now, it helps.
Ps: She will be going into heat in the next 2-3 months…..so, decide what you want to do, or not do, about that.

[Fiona S]

I have recently tried Tylee’s Turkey Frozen Dog Food. I like it and I like the company but there are a few things to consider about it.
1. It arrived quickly and VERY well packed, product was as frizen as if ut just came out a deep freezer.
2. My dog likes it and actually ate all the fruits and veggies from it which he never does.
3. It does say it meets AAFCO standards for all stages of life
BUT
4. Calculating on a dry matter analysis the fat content is about 38% which is double the fat of most other commercial dog foods. I would be extremely cautious about feeding this exclusively due to the potential for pancreatits.
5. It may be just as well that the fat content is too high to feed exclusively as it is EXPENSIVE! The 96oz bag equates to 12 cups of thawed food, that is almost $3 a cup and my dog (80lbs) would need almost 5 cups a day.

I absolutely appreciate what Chewy are trying to do to improve healthier options to kibble. I like that you can easily contact a fairly well informed human at the company. I called and mentioned my concern about tue fat content and asked if they could consider a low fat option.

I love that they do a turkey and a pork option as my dog cannot eat chicken or beef.

My dog is raw fed but he seems to get bored and this was one way to get him to eat a few antioxidants. I defrost a cup or so in the microwave at 50% for 2 minutes .. the bag has a ziploc seal, it is very convenient to store and use.

I am happy to add one cup a day to his raw diet .

Overall I would applaud chewy for bringing this out, I am hoping they will do a reduced fat version. Oh and they just launched a Tylee’s jerky treat. It’s reasonably priced with nothing other than the meat .. and it comes in turkey and pork which is great for all the chicken and beef sensitive dogs out there. Have ordered it and am waiting for it to arrive. Hope this info helps 🙂

[FrankiesDoggie]

Thanks! I’d be rotating as a given, using the smallest bags so I can quickly rotate out different formulas and brands within say a 2 week span. I just wasn’t sure if I could get creative in terms of mixing different types of meats for the same meal (getting rabbit raw to top off a chicken based kibble, or maybe venison based kibble mixed with duck raw). Wanted to be confident even with odd combinations of meats that the dog would still be fine. 🐶

[Susan]

Hi
here’s Dr Judy Morgan DVM video where she use’s the Honest Kitchen Preference base mix to make “Pup Loaf” its easy & you can cut the loaf & freeze all the meals as well, Dr Judy Morgan has a few easy videos on YouTube how to make her healthy balanced meals, her chef minces & grinds some of the meats that’s added to make meals, for some of her sick dogs, she has about 8 dogs, this is what my vet has told me to do with Patch after I bought his lean pork mince packet from a different place & the fat was higher then stated on packet of lean pork mince ….Patch had a Pancreas attack in March, vet said to buy your meat like pork loins lean beef steaks etc & trim off any fat & then grind & mince the steaks into mince meat, this way I’ll know the fat % & what I’m feeding Patch…

Your on the right track, your home cooked meals will be heathier then any kibble…. Patches Nutritionist/Naturopath said to me when Patch was being put on a raw diet for his IBD if I seen & smelt the kibble & the pet pre made raw mince being made, it would make me sick/vomit, she said the smell is awful, you’ll never feed kibble to your dog again….no matter how dear the kibble is, it’s still over processed dry kibble….

I’m always getting asked what does Patch eat his coat is soooo shinny, it looks like he’s wearing silk jacket a man told me today at the park…. My secret & what most Australian do, we add either tin sardines, a few sardines to 1 of the dogs meal or tin salmon in spring water to the dogs diet….just drain the spring water…. I make tin pink Salmon Potato Cakes, Patch & the cat love them, you add 1 x whisked egg & the crushed egg shell, boiled potatoes, chopped parsley & chopped kale….

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan Pup Loaf video-

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan’s “Naturally Healthy Pets” site & “How To Make Pup Loaf” ingredient list without adding the Honest kitchen Base Mix & balancing the meal naturally yourself, it will probably be heathier & cheaper then buying the Honest Kitchen dehydrated Base mix..
http://www.drjudymorgan.com/how-to-make-homemade-puploaf/

I’ve read a few people’s post on here DFA & Face Book & they say cause THK veggies are dehydrated they don’t swell up properly or form & some dogs poo the veggies straight out, some dogs do very sloppy poos when eating THK mixes maybe that’s the THK meals where you just add the water???

[Susan]

Hi Mon C
here’s Dr Judy Morgan DVM video where she use’s the Honest Kitchen Preference base mix to make “Pup Loaf” its easy & you can cut the loaf & freeze all the meals as well, Dr Judy Morgan has a few easy videos on YouTube how to make her healthy balanced meals, her chef minces & grinds some of the meats that’s added to make meals, for some of her sick dogs, she has about 8 dogs, this is what my vet has told me to do with Patch after I bought his lean pork mince packet from a different place & the fat was higher then stated on packet of lean pork mince ….Patch had a Pancreas attack in March, vet said to buy your meat like pork loins lean beef steaks etc & trim off any fat & then grind & mince the steaks into mince meat, this way I’ll know the fat % & what I’m feeding Patch…

Your on the right track, your home cooked meals will be heathier then any kibble…. Patches Nutritionist/Naturopath said to me when Patch was being put on a raw diet for his IBD if I seen & smelt the kibble & the pet pre made raw mince being made, it would make me sick/vomit, she said the smell is awful, you’ll never feed kibble to your dog again….no matter how dear the kibble is, it’s still over processed dry kibble….

I’m always getting asked what does Patch eat his coat is soooo shinny, it looks like he’s wearing silk jacket a man told me today at the park…. My secret & what most Australian do, we add either tin sardines, a few sardines to 1 of the dogs meal or tin salmon in spring water to the dogs diet….just drain the spring water…. I make tin pink Salmon Potato Cakes, Patch & the cat love them, you add 1 x whisked egg & the crushed egg shell, boiled potatoes, chopped parsley & chopped kale….

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan Pup Loaf video-

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan’s “Naturally Healthy Pets” site & “How To Make Pup Loaf” ingredient list without adding the Honest kitchen Base Mix & balancing the meal naturally yourself, it will probably be heathier & cheaper then buying the Honest Kitchen dehydrated Base mix..
http://www.drjudymorgan.com/how-to-make-homemade-puploaf/

I’ve read a few people’s post on here DFA & Face Book & they say cause THK veggies are dehydrated they don’t swell up properly or form & some dogs poo the veggies straight out, some dogs do very sloppy poos when eating THK mixes maybe that’s the THK meals where you just add the water???

[Susan]

Hi Matt,
Sounds like your dog has Seasonal Environment Allergies & Food Intolerances. My boy has both, his vet said if they have food sensitivities they normally will have some type of environment allergies as well… as soon as I read your post about his hives on his legs, tail & abdomen I knew environment allergies probably from grass, tree or plants pollens, that’s what Patch gets as soon as Spring starts, my vet said, keep a dairy & as the years pass you’ll start to see a pattern & I did every spring Patch has itchy hives all over his body & face/head, red paws when he walks on wet morning grass, a yeasty smelly mess, but thru the cooler Winter months he’s pretty good, no itchy skin or red paws as long as he doesn’t walk on wet grass or eat any foods he’s sensitive too, Winter we get a break,…
Baths are the best thing you can do, bath as soon as he’s real bad with his hives & itchy skin, give him a bath, I do weekly baths now but I was bathing every 2nd 3rd day at one stage, I use a medicated shampoo “Malaseb” medicated shampoo it’s mild & can be used daily & kills any bacteria, yeast on the skin & keeps their skin nice, moist & soft, when you bath your washing off any allergens, pollens & dirt that’s on their skin, I also use creams on his paws, head around chin & around tail & bum area when he’s bum surfing on my rug, “Sudocrem” is excellent it stops his itchy bum within mins of applying it, Sudocrem is a healing cream for Nappy Rash, Eczema, Dermatitis, Pressure Sore etc, sold in the baby section at any Supermarket or Chemist, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects their skin especially their paws & where their skin is red/pink on stomach area & back of legs, I’d love to show a before & after photo’s after a lady applied the Sudocrem to her dogs red stomach, it’s posted on the Dog issues allergies F/B group link below. I also use Hydrocortisone 1% cream at night I check Patches whole body before bed & if something is still red like in between his toes, I get a cotton tip & thinly apply some Hydrocortisone 1% cream, when he wakes up in the morning all his paws are nice & pink all clear again, you can put on socks & bandage around the paws to stop any licking as licking makes things worse, best to bath the paws in Malaseb & dry them off then apply the Sudocrem,

The only way to know what foods your boy is sensitive too & can eat, is to do a “Food Elimination Diet”… you can use a vet diet like “Royal Canine” Hypoallergenic wet tin food, then once your dog is doing well & not reacting start adding 1 new ingredient to the R/C HP wet food, every 6 weeks add 1 new ingredient, no treats or any extra things are to be feed while your doing an elimination food diet, it can take a dog 1 day up to 6 weeks to react to an ingredient & show symptoms, that’s why sometimes you’ll start a new food & think your dog is doing really well then 3-4 weeks later he’ll start reacting to an ingredient in the new kibble…
Probably half the foods you think he’s sensitive too he isn’t..
I tested & added ingredients that are in the kibbles I wanted to feed… I worked out my boy reacts to chicken, he gets red paws, itchy yeasty smelly skin & itchy bum after I added raw & cooked chicken to his diet, carrots made his ears real itchy & he’d shake his head 20mins after eating the chicken & carrots he reacted, oats & barley made Patches poos very sloppy, I always thought potatoes & peas were causing Patches yeast problems cause potatoes are a high sugar starch but later I learnt a dog will only get yeasty smelly skin, paws & ears if they’re sensitive to a certain ingredient (CARF) or have environment allergies.. Read this link “Myths & Fact about yeast Dermatitis” scroll down to “Carbohydrates & Sugar in your dogs diet. http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs, Dr Karen Helton Rhodes DVM DACVD often pops into this Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” join you’ll learn a lot..
Once you have done the Elimination diet, you’ll know what foods are causing what but its best to do a elimination diet in the cooler months Winter when pollens aren’t as bad as the Spring/Summer months..
Can you cook or feed a raw diet? you’ll have better control with your dogs diet, even if you do what I’m doing, I feed a few meals “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble & the other meals are wet tin food Royal Canine HP wet tin or cooked pork rissoles with sweet potatoes. Patch eats 4-5 meals a day, he has IBD as well, if you join the Face Book group I recommended above https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
you’ll read some people post their dogs are allergic to mites & the mites are in the dog kibble, or your dog may be allergies to dust mites in your house…. dog allergies starts to get very confusing & as they get older they get worse, but once you get into a routine with weekly or twice a week baths, apply creams, using Huggie baby wipes Coconut oil wipes or Cucumber & Aloe wipes when the dog comes back inside wipe him down days you don’t feel like bathing him & work out his food intolerances.. it gets better..
Here’s a link for Canidae Pure formula’s, the omega 3 is balanced in Canidae kibbles, some brands of kibble are too high in omega 6 & too low in omega 3 causing skin problems in dogs.. http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Zignature is another food people say has helped their allergic dog….Make sure your dogs diet is high in Omega 3 it will help with their allergies, ad few sardines to 1 of your dogs meal a day.. buy tin sardines or salmon in spring water also green lipped mussels are good to give as a treat.

[anonymous]

I forgot to mention that if you feed raw carrots, you will see carrot chunks in the feces, but it is nothing to worry about.

[william m]

First time posting. I have a one year old female lab/newfie mix. She is a rescue dog that was on a diet of Wild Callings rocky mount medley. For the first few months she ate the food no problem, then she wouldn’t go near it. I tried several other foods, Fromm, Earthborn Hollistics, Merrick Back Country infused and Nature’s Variety raw boost.
She would start off fine with all of them, then all off a sudden stop.
I have tried adding a little canned food to the kibble and that worked for a while, then she started picking out the canned food and leaving the rest.
Now she will only eat canned food.
I had my vet check her out, no problems.
She is on a schedule, food at 7am and 4:30pm.
I leave the food for 30 minutes, then take it away.
I tried leaving the food to see if she will eventually eat it, but she won’t touch it for days.
Should I be concerned or is my dog just a picky food snob.
Thanks.

[Ann O]

I am trying to figure out best food for my dogs. A toy poodle who is 10 and a terrier who is 5. I have been buying from a online place. My food has started getting bad reviews. Any suggestions will be appreciated. I feed them dry food and boiled chicken breast. My dogs are both rescue dogs. Also what is best rawhide and treats for them.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Ann O.

[anonymous]

When I prepare toppers to add to kibble, I defrost, chop it up (I use utility scissors, seems easier) then I stir fry in water and cook. I then mix it in the kibble with a healthy splash of water. Maybe make a 2 day supply and store in a airtight container in the fridg.
I use chicken breast, steak, egg, ground turkey. I occasionally use tuna right from the can (canned tuna is cooked already).
I don’t use pork. I don’t use HK. I just use a quality kibble.
I don’t serve large chucks, possible choking hazard, or they will wolf it down and ignore the kibble. I do give about 1/2 raw carrot as a snack here and there (no baby carrots).
But, make sure your dog isn’t a gulper. Good luck
Ps: If you are interested in science based veterinary medicine this is a good site to visit http://skeptvet.com/Blog/
Nothing is being sold there, no supplements, no books, no membership fees.

[Anna B]

My dog has those exact symptoms with a food he can’t tolerate and he also has environmental issues. We’ve had luck with Petcurean’s Go! Sensitivity + Shine Limited Ingredient Diets. He specifically does well on the duck but I know they have salmon, turkey, duck, and venison formulas in their limited ingredient line. It doesn’t have potatoes but does have peas/lentils. If you aren’t certain that peas are a problem, I would recommend giving it a try! The Honest Kitchen Zeal is fish and sweet potatoes, so that might work for him. Finding a dry dog food that only has sweet potatoes as the binder in the kibble is difficult. Have you considered trying a commercial raw food?

[Susan]

Hi if you have a healthy dog that doesn’t have any food intolerances & skin problems from certain foods, then yes….. they recommended dogs should eat all type of proteins & not just eat 1 single protein, this is when food intolerances happen….. My boy cant eat chicken it makes him itch & get red paws, so I make sure he gets pork, salmon, Lamb, kangaroo.
I rotate his kibbles also so he doesn’t eat the same brand & same protein kibble, you can tell a healthy dog by their coat, Patches coat shines, also buy tin Sardines in spring water & add a few sardines as well, sardines are very healthy….
Join a few Canine healthy face book groups, like “Canine Nutrition and Natural Health” & “Rodney Habib” F/B page he always post healthy foods to add to your dogs diet, sardines, blueberries, coconut oil, turmeric, yogurt, then slowly reduce the kibble & feed a raw diet….

[Susan]

Hi Jessica, my boy has IBD Skin Allergies, Food Intolerances & Pancreatitis….he needs a diet high in Omega 3…When I have feed any vet diets for his IBD & Skin problems that had fish, oil, soybean oil, coconut oil he got bad acid reflux, same with premium kibbles, if they had fish or salmon oil, he’d get acid reflux, he grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux….. I’m the same I cant take any fish oil supplements, I get acid reflux…

The other day I won $100 to spend at the Chemist, I asked the lady pharmacist what can I take for my arthritis, I need Omega 3 but every time I’ve taken fish Oil capsules I keep burping up the fish taste & get acid reflux, same as my dog, she told me Krill Oil capsules are more milder & are easier on the stomach, good for people with digestive issues like yourself, so that’s something to remember..

I follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page & I’ve learnt a lot about healthy foods
to add to Patches diet, I’ve also be adding them to my diet as well lol
Almonds are very high in Omega 3 fatty acid, a dog can have 3 Almonds a day but I bite 1/2 of the almond & I give Patch the other 1/2 of the almond this way it’s the size as a small kibble & I tell him to chew it, I started with just giving him 1 almond a day then after 5 days, I gave him 2 x 1/2 almonds a day, till we got too 3 almonds a day….
K-9 Natural, freezed Dried Green Lipped Mussels are very healthy & not greezy….
Sardines, Salmon & Tuna in spring water or Olive Oil, not brine, I give Patch small tin salmon, all water drained, I add some boiled sweet potato & broccoli as a small meal…. Patch has a beautiful shinny coat but I do feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble for a few of his meals, I rotate between a few different things & have made his gut healthier & stronger, when I rescued him he couldn’t eat anything without having sloppy, bloody poos or up 2am having diarrhea it was awful, now 4 yrs on & he can eat pretty much anything as long as it isn’t any food’s he’s sensitive too….
I’ve read a few dogs haven’t done well on the Honest Kitchen formula’s, I think it’s the freeze dried pieces of veggies & meat, they stay small, hard & don’t reconstitute back to bigger, softer veggies & can’t be digested properly causing intestinal problems……
Dogs can’t chew their foods like we do & don’t have salivary amylase (digestive enzymes in their salvia) so they can’t break down the Cellulase walls in the vegetable, fruit or grass,
Cellulase digests plant matter, that’s why when you feed a raw diet you have to blend & break down the veggies, fruit & make them into a pulp liquid…Same when a dog eats grass it either comes back up vomit or comes out in their poo undigested, the Chlorophyll in the grass settles their stomach…. I let Patch eat a little bit of grass no longer then 1 minute, it can cause diarrhea, it cleans him out…
*Foods High in Omega 3 fatty acids are
Spinach
Chia Seeds
Flax Seed Oil cold pressed
Canola Oil Patch does best when the kibble has Canola oil, Flax Seed Oil (No Acid Reflux)
Almonds
Walnuts
Green Lipped Mussels
Sardines, Mackerel, Salmon, Tuna
Soybeans
Tofu

[FrankiesDoggie]

Barring any allergy or food sensitivity issues, is it safe to feed dogs different species of meats/proteins in the SAME meal? Say for example I have chicken based kibble, and for a raw topper I use duck or beef. I like the variety of different proteins on a daily basis, but I wasn’t sure if it would be perfectly safe for the dog.

Thanks for any thoughts!

[anonymous]

Evidence Update–Homemade Diet Recipes for Your Pet are Unreliable

I’m sure if your dog was hungry enough she would eat whatever was available.
I like to use a quality kibble as a base with a splash of water and a bite of cooked protein mixed in, such as scrambled egg, chopped chicken breast, ground turkey, chopped up lean beef…..
A raw carrot (1/2) as a snack here and there.
Offer meals twice a day, leave food down for 10 minutes, pick up and put in the fridg, offer at the next mealtime. Have fresh water available at all times.
If they don’t eat times 72 hours, call the vet.
An occasional fast is a good thing 🙂
Ps: Why would I add supplements/vitamins? Check with your vet, but I don’t think they are necessary.
Otherwise, you could consult a veterinary nutritionist, for a diet formulation specific to your pet.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by anonymous.

[Ann F]

I believe the RC LF-20 is the most fat restricted diet on the market. Maybe the ultra low-fat works really well for her. Since Pork and Chicken was a trigger for us, the only other option for an ultra low-fat diet was the formulated one with Fish. If this is working your vet is wise.

http://web.archive.org/web/20100727135638/http://www.royalcanin.us/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=134,293,12,1,Documents&MediaID=5953&Filename=Canine+Gastrointestinal+Low+Fat+LF.pdf

We had a diagnosis of Helicobacter, and gastritis when we did the scoping. His stomach was noticeably raw with lesions. Back then we did the amoxicillin and metronidazole, and it went away. Because the gastritis was part of the auto-immune, eosinophilic problem finding the right novel protein diet was important for us.
Later he had tested for a tick disease, and needed to be on Doxycycline. This was before he was stabilized on the diet. To get him through the harsh antibiotic we used Sulcrafate, and an acid-reducer. I had to time things very closely, and feed a slurry of some broth and boiled potato every hour to keep his stomach full. I think it was Pepcid, then 1/2 hour later Sulcrafate. He got a cup of the potato slurry, then the Doxycycline an hour after the Sulcrafate. Something like that I repeated three times a day. It is possible if you can get your vet to make up a schedule, and you have lots of timers to set:-)
It looks like the RC low-fat has corn grits as a carb. Maybe you can use small amounts of grits to keep his stomach full between regular feedings. That’s a question for your treating vet to answer about adding stuff. Do you have somebody at home to help? It is great if you can get out.

[Soph M]

I went to a local petstore yesterday that specializes in natural pet nutrition, they told that the below plan would work good. What do you think?

MAIN MEALS: Homemade food (rotating veggies and meat for variety), also including some egg.
PROBIOTIC: Daisy’s Mega 8 Probiotic Flora (this is all natural)
TREATS: Give 1-2 raw bones per week to clean teeth and as a calcium source.

The lady at the petstore said that she will get all the vitamins she needs from veggies. She was sure that the raw bones would provide enough calcium.

[THERESA A]

I know this is an older thread but I was looking on the internet for a solution and saw that this website recommends a product. Let me tell you my story. I have a ten year old yellow lab mix. He was constantly active and could run and catch deer at our place in Utah. He got into a brand new bottle of dog vitamins and ate 93 out the 100. That was in February, 2016. In April, the doctor put him on thyroid medicine. He was starting to show signs of arthritis. The vet prescribed Rimadyl twice a day. Within 3 days, he was paralyzed in his back legs and vocal cords. I immediately stopped the pills. He had Rimadyl in the past but it was occasional for pain. The vet would not accept that it was the Rimadyl. She blamed a neurological problems and Cushings Disease. She put him on the medication for Cushings which made it worse. We took him to a neurologist who did not have all the equipment to diagnose him. But she suggested Acetyl L-Carnitine, Vitamin B and CoQ10. He is slowly getting better. I do not believe it is neurological because he can stand up on the carpet easily but he slips on the tile and sometimes concrete. He has lost muscle mass. I was looking on the internet to see about supplements for building muscle. His diet consists of grain free kibble, meat, vegetables, raw eggs, jumbo carrots instead of bones, Vitamin B, CoQ10, Acetyl L-Carnitine and his thyroid meds. There was a website that stated Dog Advisor recommends a product called Gorilla Max to build muscles in Police dogs and show dogs. Does anyone have experience in this? Suggestions?

[Susan]

Hi Soph,
Dr Karen Becker is always with “Rodney Habib” on his f/b page & post healthy foods like berries, broccoli, almonds, tin sardines etc https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib ….
I borrowed Dr Karen Beckers book from my local library, they bought it & I borrowed, your local library may already have her book, Amazon sells it….
also there’s a few groups on f/b about food nutrition & will help balance the diet, as long as the diet is balanced over the week you’ll be right & yes egg shells are a good source of calcium, 1 grounded egg shells is about 1 teaspoon, its about 1 teaspoon per day for a dog…..
Are you on face book? put these groups in the search bar & join, “K9 Nutrition”-Lew Olson group & “K9 Kitchen”-Monica Segal group….. you’ll get heaps of help starting your home cooked diet…. they also have books out, Lew Olson’s book was easy to follow cause she has raw & cooked meals & meals for dogs with health problems…

[pitlove]

Hi Yvette-

You said: “I just need an experts advice with regards to this specific case”

Unfortuntely no one on this site is an expert, however it does sound like you’ve already gotten expert advice on your dogs specific case.

There are other options as well such as consulting a veterinary nutritionist. Another option would possibly be a homemade cooked diet vs a raw diet. You would still retain the same benefits of a raw diet but the cooking process may help aid in digestion with his condition.

Another idea might be to consult a raw feeding vet and see if they agree that a raw diet would be optimal at this point. This type of vet would likely be a holistic vet.

[Karyn S]

Hi Pitluv,

Thank you for the response! I will definitely reach out to NV for more information and did not realize Dr Susan Wynn was on their team. 🙂

In your opinion, do you find people keep their puppies on an appropriate dry option (from the recommended list or Editor’s puppy list), until they are old enough to safely transition to a commercial raw/freeze-dried diet? In the various forums, I see where people transition to homemade raw right away, but I do not have the capacity to do this.

Thanks again for your feedback!

[Yvette B]

Good day

I am looking around trying to get as much info and advice possible from RAW experienced people with regards to this case:

Some history: my dog Keiser ( Pembroke Welsh corgi) has had issues with his tummy from his pup years, after 8 months of struggling we finally moved him over to RAW feeding, the results have been great, almost a year later and he is happy and healthy with no more issues.

We were informed a month ago that his brother Gatspy has developed tummy issues, where his small intestine laps over itself (intussusception) he had to have an emergency operation at which point they removed a piece of his small intestine. He was placed on a wet food diet and then moved to Hills ID kibble after, three weeks later he was back at the vet and he had the same issue again, they had to do another emergency operation and needed to shorten the intestine a bit more. They recommend placing him back on the wet food and Hills ID kibble, now from my experience the best thing I have ever done was to switch my dog to RAW, I would like to recommend this move for Gatspy as well, however every Vet in the area I have spoken to recommends that he goes for the operation where they attach his intestine to his stomach wall to prevent the intussusception from occurring and he stays on the Hills ID.

I have spoken to an animal nutritionist (she does not specialize in dogs, but she does understand the digestive tract) she did voice concerns with regards to the rate of digestion if fed RAW food due to the shortened small intestine he now has, he might not get the right nutrients.

The other Vet voiced concerns that the dog might develop electrolyte issues if being fed RAW.

I just need an experts advice with regards to this specific case. And time is of the essence as we do not want another case like this, don’t think he will be able to get another chance at surviving.

Other than this case, he has had no issues previously and his is a happy dog.

Please could you give advice as a RAW expert on what would be the implications and if this would help Gatspy if he is switched to RAW?

Looking forward to your reply,

[pitlove]

Hi Karyn-

I would recommend contacting Nature’s Variety and asking if one of their nutritionists can write you back. They offer dry,canned, raw, and freeze dried meal toppers. They are probably the only brand I would trust with a growing large breed. I’m sure they would be willing to answer some of your questions about your concerns with overfeeding too much calcium/phos. One of the nutritionists on their staff is renowed holistic veterinary nutritionist Dr. Susan Wynn.

[Karyn S]

Hello,
I originally posted a similar message to the Large Breed Puppy forum and am re-posting to this forum hoping to gain more feedback.

I will be welcoming a German Shepherd puppy in about a month and have been trying to determine the best dehydrated, freeze-dried or raw diet to start her on. (I do not have the capacity to do an entirely raw diet, but could add raw toppers to meals.)

I’ve read through all pages (in the Large Breed Puppy forum) and just when I feel I have a direction, something changes it.

I started with Hound Dog Mom’s latest list, which includes some Raw and a couple of The Honest Kitchen dehydrated options for large breed puppies. Since the list is a bit older, I reached out to a couple of the companies (for far, Stella and Chewy’s and THK) specific to average/maximum calcium and received conflicting information, which leads me to believe formulas have changed since list was compiled.

Does anyone have recommendations for a dehydrated, freeze-dried and/or raw option(s) that would have safe calcium/phosphorous levels for a large breed puppy?

Thank you in advance!

[aimee]

Hi Soph M,

Have you checked out balanceit dot com? That’s the only one I’d trust. In regards to raw veggies I’d puree or cook them to get the most benefit from them.

[Soph M]

I have just started feeding my adult dog a 100% homemade diet. I use raw vegetables and cooked meat. What supplements do you recommend to make sure that she gets all the nutrients that she needs? Have any of you tried the Hilary’s Blend supplement?

[Honey Bär]

Thank you so much to everybody for their input!

I will check to see what specific diet they’re on when I can. I think I should clarify that I’m not JUST considering doing raw food only, I’m also open to other options like mixing in other things (like the egg some of you have mentioned) or perhaps doing dehydrated foods. I found a brand that had little bits you could mix in with their regular diet and am considering that as well.

As far as health concerns, for the most part I have none but I do remember a few people saying that their dogs’ tumors came on because of a certain diet and my lab has had a large mass removed fairly recently…and now has another that we need to watch. ;_;

[aimee]

Hi Honey Bar,

I pick a food based on the company. In my opinion there are two types of companies. Those that have a vested interest in canine health and those that just market dog food. Companies that have a vested interest in health feed the foods they make to animals in their care and follow their health, contribute to the understanding of canine nutrition through research and often reach out in times of needed disaster relief, community shelters etc. Marketing companies in comparison focus on getting the consumer to buy the food and the health of the animal may take a back seat to that goal. I’ve found some marketing companies to be woefully inadequate in regards to quality control, nutritional knowledge and food formulation, others are adequate.

Companies that are vested in canine health and nutrition are generally the larger companies: Hill’s, Royal Canin, and Purina. They invest their money back into research. The bulk of my dog’s diets consist of products from these companies.

Raw diet generally may have a slightly higher digestibility then commercial diets but that is of little practical significance. Of the raw food providers I think Natures Variety makes the best products.

In regard to Hill’s products I utilize them and they are one of the companies that Dr. Susan Wynn, who I think is one of country’s top ,if not the top, holisitc/integrative vet, veterinary nutritionist, and past president of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association feeds her own pets. I think you and your vet did fine by choosing these products. That said I do mix it up a bit and feed foods from several companies and add fresh foods as well.

[InkedMarie]

He’s used to a raw egg in ground raw 2-3 times a week but he won’t eat it in kibble! I will try scrambled for him, maybe he’ll eat it that way. Pain in the butt, he is; good thing he’s cute!

[InkedMarie]

Anon: glad you mentioned scrambled egg. Due to life going to heck, two of mine are on kibble. O’Malley will not eat kibble with the stuff he had mixed in his Raw including egg. maybe i should scramble one for him, see if that works.

[pitlove]

Hi Honey Bar-

Firstly about Pet Fooled. I too watched it, but had a different reaction than probably most did. I’ve spent several years now researching nutrition, the pet food industry and pet food. When I first started out, I read about a lot of the stuff discussed on that documentary and I was outraged. I, like you, swore I would eventually fed my dogs a raw diet I prepared myself and would not “support” the large pet food manufacturers like Hill’s. It took me a while to realize that the vast majority of the voices making the claims like the ones in Pet Fooled were more concerned about their own agenda than the truth.

Anyway, needless to say, I no longer agree with the opinions expressed on that documentary.

As far as your families choice of Hill’s goes. Looks like it has been a good one. 12 years old and still going strong is great for a large breed. If you would like to see what even a huge Hill’s critic like Whole Dog Journal has to say about the company itself here are a couple articles they wrote about their trip to the Hill’s research facility in Kansas back in 2012
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_6/features/Pet-Food-Research-Practices_20547-1.html

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/blog/Hills-Science-Diet-Dog-Food-Manufacturing-Plant-20492-1.html

Whole Dog Journal is notorious for their slander against the big pet food manufacturers and even they could not say anything negative about the company when they toured the facility and manufacturing plant.

As far as searching for crediable information goes, I don’t know that I could, as an intelligent person judge the crediability of the information someone presents based on their number of followers on Facebook… In college and grade school we are taught to use peer reviewed scholorly research articles when writing a paper and doing research. The same applies to the topic of pet nutrition.

Here are the websites of two veterinary nutritionists who are renowned in the field: http://www.susanwynn.com/

https://www.petdiets.com/

The second site even has a function that allows you to ask a question and receive an answer from one of their nutritionists.

To touch on your question about raw feeding. While I am not against the incorporation of fresh foods to any living creatures diet, I have never quite understood this desire to feed a raw diet simply because the owner wants to feed their dog like a wolf. Wolves in the wild do not eat an optimal diet and do not live very long. Yes, other factors like predators come in to play, but in most regions(at least in the US) wolves reign supreme on the totem pole.

My belief is that when an owners sole reason for wanting to feed a raw diet comes from this thought that your dog is the ancestor of a wolf and therefore should be fed like one, this is when problems arise when a deficient diet. You see a lot of folks feeding raw chicken and potato and calling it a day and proudly saying they are feeding a “BARF” diet.
Fed long term, that diet will cause extreme sickness from multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies that could even be fatal.

All that being said, it is important that you discuss your thoughts with your parents as you are living with them like you said. It’s moot to even consider the option of a raw diet before that conversation happens.

Oh and as an aside: Isn’t the pup in my profile picture just simply gorgeous? He eats Purina Pro Plan 🙂

[anonymous]

“I foresee difficulties in convincing my mother to agree as she is probably oblivious to this stuff and distrusting of people over the Internet”

Listen to your Mom 🙂
Moms know more than you think they do!
Also, you may want to note that the site I referred you to (SkeptVet) is selling nothing there, absolutely nothing! No books, no supplements, no t-shirts…..
And the other link I provided was written by a veterinary nutritionist affiliated with Angell Animal Medical Center, one of the best in the country.
If you are going to go down this path, I strongly urge you to consult a veterinary nutritionist, a veterinarian with advanced training in nutrition.
Ps: Raw feeding is expensive, if you do it the right way.

[Susan]

Hi Honey Bear,
yes your young & have realized pet food companies like Hills prefer to spend all their money on advertising & colourful packaging instead of making better quality dogs foods for our pets…you have taken the first steps to make your dogs healthier & live longer..
are you on Face Book, follow “Rodney Habib” he has over 1 million followers not like Skeptvet with only 1100 followers…
Dr Karen Becker & Susan Thixton were one of the first to reveal all these pet food companies & DFA he set up this DFA site all cause of his little dog called Penny
Dr Mikes story is under “ABOUT” up the top left..same as Rodney Habib he started exposing all these dog food companies like Hills, Royal Canin, Purina etc & all their false advertising saying that their food does this & that when they don’t, it all started 2 yrs ago when Rodney found out his 14 year old Golden Retriever (Sammy) had cancer he was like most of us, we didn’t know to turn the kibble bag around & read the ingredient list instead reading the bull on the front of the kibble bag…same as vets when I went to my vets the other day there’s a new light up big Hills stand all along the wall, with all their colourful packaging etc… Rodney’s said his brain went into over drive day & night doing so much research trying to find a way to reverse his dog Sammy cancer & cure for his cancer & Raw Diets kept coming up over & over again, natural whole foods, healthy foods us humans eat are the best to feed our pet, not a dry processed kibble, they found by just adding 2 tablespoons of fresh whole foods to your dogs bowl of kibble reduces the chances of your dog getting cancer, Rodney has heaps of video’s to watch, the best video is “Maggie the oldest dog in the World” you have to watch Maggies story, she pasted away last year age 30 years old, after watching her story you’ll understand why she lived so long….
Rodney Habib found “KetoPet this group of researcher takes dying dogs out of pounds around America that have cancer & were dumped there by their owners after these dogs were put on a KetoPet raw diet these dogs cancer was reversed, these dogs became cancer FREE & then needed to find new homes, its an excellent video showing these once sick dogs acting like young puppies same as Rodney Habibs boy Sammy he’s cancer free now all cause he was feed a healthy homemade balanced raw diet Rodney posted he takes 70mins a day to make his dogs raw meals for the day….

Firstly are your dogs on vet prescription diets, if yes what for? or did your vet just recommend to feed the normal Hills pet kibbles you buy at Pet shops or online pet stores?
Some vets are old school & have been Hills brain washed lol if they’re old school they will say no to a raw diet.. I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet, my vet had recommended I see a vet nutritionist for Patches health problems..
I rescued Patch age 4 yrs old he was in a bad way vets all said the same thing he was feed a poor quality diet probably Aldis or supermarket food, it took me a few years to get his gut healthy again….You need to do it slowly change 1 of the dogs meals say breakfast feed the new cooked diet or raw diet & for dinner still feed the Hills kibble or feed the same Hills kibble & start adding the new cooked or raw food to the meals & take away about 1/4 cup of kibble out of their bowl then the following week increase the new food & take out more of the Hills Kibble till you no longer feed the Hills kibble or just feed the kibble sometimes, have a look at Canidae Pure Meadow Senior grain free kibble http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products Canidae is a small family run business.
… My boy was just put straight onto a homemade balanced raw diet the next day made by the Naturopath with no bone & no organ meat to start with cause he has IBD he did really well except he would regurgitate up digested water & raw food back up into his mouth about 20-30mins after eating it, cause his esophagus had been damage thru old owner using a choke chain on him, he did the same on wet tin food & cooked foods but now 4 yrs later he doesn’t regurgitate wet food no more….
Keep us informed with what you start to do even by adding some cooked left overs from dinner & take away some of the Hills Kibble is healthy….

[InkedMarie]

I’d take a look at companies that make limited ingredient dog foods and see if they have treats as well. Raw dog food companies such as Hare Today and Raw Feeding Miami have such items as well.

[anonymous]

That film you mentioned is biased, propaganda being pushed by the raw feeding community and the homeopathic vets.
For science based veterinary medicine go here:
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet
and http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=bones Use the search engine there to look up other topics.
also, this may help https://www.mspca.org/angell_services/choosing-the-right-diet-for-your-pet/ excerpt below, click link for full article, use search engine there to look up other articles/topics
Raw diets are another popular option on the market today. Studies have shown that 20-35% of raw poultry and 80% of raw food dog diets tested contained Salmonella. This poses a health risk for your pet, but also for humans. This is especially true for children or immunocompromised adults, whether exposed to the raw food directly, or the feces of the pet eating the raw food. Additionally, there is increased risk of other bacterial infections and parasitic diseases when feeding raw diets. And the bottom line is there is no reason to believe raw food is healthier than cooked food.
The numerous dietary choices for your pet can be daunting but if you pick an AAFCO approved food made by a manufacturer with a long track record, odds are good that you will find a suitable food for your pet. Most of the large pet food companies employ full time veterinary nutritionists and have very high quality control standards. That is not to say that a small company cannot produce nutritious and high quality food, but you should check out their website if it’s a company that is not familiar to you. Take the time to research, and ask your veterinarian if you have specific questions or concerns.
Please understand that this article is meant to provide basic dietary guidelines for healthy pets. If your pet has specific health issues, then your veterinarian may make specific food recommendations, which may include special prescription diets.

[Honey Bär]

I have been hearing a lot about the controversy about commercial dog food brands for at least two months now, and have just now watched the documentary “Pet Fooled” detailing the problems within the industry. Honestly I’m now very much questioning what sort of thing I’m giving my own dogs, as I think a lot of people would. While I am following animal welfare blogs and am always striving to know more about animal biology + care, I do not consider myself an expert as I have not gone to any type of college or have any experience in career fields working with animals.

I currently have two large adult dogs, both around the age of 12. For all my life my family has been feeding the Science Diet brand under the recommendation of our vet. Now, I’m wondering how good this stuff is. I’ve read the review on the main site and while I’m sort of comforted that it’s at least recommended, I still don’t know whether it’s the best stuff available to our dogs. I want to know what your thoughts are, as well as any recommendations of brands you may have if you think this particular brand is unsuitable.

I am in the midst of researching different raw food-type brands and am sort of overwhelmed of the choices. I am considering giving raw feeding a shot, despite its controversy, although I foresee difficulties in convincing my mother to agree as she is probably oblivious to this stuff and distrusting of people over the Internet (the reason I must consult her is that I am living with her for life and have no income of my own.) I am aware that a dog’s diet should be meat based and so far, everything is pointing to raw feeding being the closest thing to what a wolf would get in the wild.

Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read this, add any input and perhaps look past any novice mistakes/statements I make.