[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, 10 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.

[Susan]

Hi Donna, try Royal Canine vet diets the PR-Potato & Rabbit, PV-Potato & Venison, PW-Potato & Salmon & PD-Potato & Duck wet tin food not the kibbles, see how he goes, there’s no pea’s & no soy in these formula’s, the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic has hydrolyzate soy protein but I think the soy has been broken down & is no longer soy, like the hydrolyzed chicken liver, my boy is eating the R/C HP wet tin for lunch & he can’t eat chicken & he’s not scratching or getting his red paws after he eats it…. I thought Patch was sensitive to peas & potatoes cause he was very itchy after he ate kibbles that had peas & potatoes in them, I tried the Eukanuba FP-Fish & Potatoes vet diet, it gave him bad diarrhea & vet assumed it was from the potatoes, so I did food elimination raw diet thru Naturopath, but cause of Patches IBD we had a few problems cause of his IBD, then I cooked the raw diet & he can eat peas & potatoes…so I don’t know what happened with the Eukanuba FP vet diet maybe the potatoes were green & off causing Patch to reacted he also got diarrhea after eating Earthborn Ocean Fusion formula the first nag he was OK then I bought a different batch & he had diarrhea, I sent an email to Earthborn Holistic & they said they use all types of potatoes, brown, white, rustic etc…. ..
Here’s the Royal Canin link, look at the Canin wet tin diets, wet tin diets are better then feeding a kibble, kibbles need more carbs to bind the kibble.. I’d be feeding a fish diet PW the Omega 3 is higher. If you look at the PW fish kibble click on the Guaranteed Analysis you’ll see it’s higher in omega 3, DPA & EPA, it’s best to send Royal Canin an email a vet nutritionist rings you back & they will help you with the best diet to start with & then do a food elimination diet with, R/C Hypoallergenic wet can be used for a elimination diets.
https://www.royalcanin.com/products/vet/food-sensitivity

[Brian R]

I have an elder Rottweiler (13 years) that has significant spinal arthritis and neuropathy. She has never tolerated non-steroidal meds well (Rimadyl, Deramaxx, meloxicam, etc.) as they have always caused severe GI distress for her (nausea, anorexia, diarrhea). The only med we’ve found that she can tolerate is tramadol which is only a pain reliever and not an anti-inflammatory. It has provided some relief, but it’s a narcotic and poses tolerance and withdrawal challenges.
We recently started a cautious trial of Galliprant and it has had a dramatic effect. A huge improvement in comfort and mobility and I am now weaning the tramadol as it can’t be stopped abruptly. I am optimistic but will proceed very cautiously. I only give it with a full meal and at minimal dosing, even skipping a day here and there to hopefully avoid GI problems. So far, so good after 3 weeks of treatment.

[Jennifer]

Hi Karyn, I have a Great Dane puppy (8 mos now and 110 lbs) and I feed him Orijen Puppy Large kibble combined with Stella and Chewy dehydrated raw as a topper. He loves it and the balance of nutrition is great to manage his growth rate and I love it because it’s very easy to manage (I tried raw and it was too hard with my schedule and their eating habits) and I feel good about the quality and sourcing of ingredients.

This is the hardest issue to get agreement on among owners, so I eventually reviewed the options I was considering with my vet as a final decision factor.

Good luck! Jenn

[Karyn S]

Hello,

Thank you to all who have contributed such a wealth of information to this forum. 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 a meal.)

I’ve read through all pages and just when I feel I have a direction, something changes it.

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

I’m also a member of Editor’s choice and there’s only 1 non-dry food option (FreshPet) noted. I have been researching for hours on end and it seems I am nowhere closer to a decision.

Does anyone have recommendations for a dehydrated, freeze-dried and/or raw option(s) that would be safe for a large breed puppy. I’m trying to avoid feed kibble if at all possible.

Thank you!

[pitlove]

I would voice your concerns to her. Since she is a novice breeder she may not actually be able to help, but a good breeder, family member or not wants to know these things.

And yes, I would at minimum bring her to the vet before switching to raw.

[anonymous]

For best results, consult a veterinary dermatologist. Get the dog properly diagnosed first, then you can evaluate your diet and treatment options.
By any chance was this a pet shop/puppy mill dog? Because a lot of breeders continue to breed dogs that have environmental allergies even though they shouldn’t. There is a genetic link.
I have an allergic dog, she is doing very well under the care of a veterinary dermatologist, sees him once a year. It’s all good. And, she tolerates a variety of foods, but does best on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea
Raw made her sick, emergency vet visits and all.

[Erika I]

My pug was also very, very itchy and I transitioned her to raw thinking it was her food. But she was still scratching like crazy and losing big patches of hair so I now have her on a seasonal allergy medication (Vet’s Best Seasonal Allergy Support Supplement for Dogs)… and it worked! we have seen a complete change… no more scratching… and her fur is growing back. Mind you this was after several expensive vet visits and several food changes (thinking she was allergic to a specific protein) and nothing helped her. Vets Best is very affordable… only like 7 dollars on Amazon and I tell you it is the magic pill… all natural ingredients too!

Hope this helps!

[pitlove]

Hi ScottsMomma-

At 9 weeks old the itching is extremely unlikely to be a food sensitivity. Don’t forget, dogs get itches like we do and it does not mean they are having an allergic reaction.

Raw diets are challenging to do correctly and especially with a puppy who needs optimized vitamins and minerals for proper bone development etc, the risk of a deficient diet outweighs any perceived benefit. Start the puppy off on a very simple food with the least amount of ingredients. Chicken and rice for example. Do not jump all over the place to exotic proteins.

If you want to do raw wait until after the critical growth period and use a commercial product like Natures Variety.

[ScottsMomma]

We recently brought home a pug puppy-currently 9 weeks old. Due to her being rather itchy, I am thinking about trying her on raw-which is all new to me. How does one start off a puppy on raw food? Do you add things like coconut oil, kelp, etc to it?

[FrankiesDoggie]

Thanks aimee, I’ve been gravitating to Nature’s Variety in fact because they’re so widely available, and their frozen raw is one of the few that don’t include synthetic vitamins (or very little).

[aimee]

Hi FrankiesDoggie,
I’ve looked at a lot of commercial raw diets including Darwins, Primal, Natures Variety, Answers. Natures Variety as a company was able to correctly answer my nutritional inquiries to them and they HPP their diets. In general when I’ve looked at the nutrient profiles of other raw diets I’ve found self reported deficiencies. When I contact the company to inquire about the self reported deficiency they don’t reply.

Some providers simply grind up animal parts and sell it as dog food. Personally I wouldn’t use that type of product at all. In order to balance such a product you’d need a full nutrient analysis and I’ve never seen this type of information provided. Dogs can look great on highly unbalanced/improper diets but eventually they cause problems.

[Shela E]

Do you have a suggestion as to ordering any of these online? I live in a very rural area, I must drive 140 miles round trip for raw food. I have a BC and an Aussie and feed mostly primal, OC, and Vital Essentials, my raw food bill is very high. One dog has food triggers, so really have to watch ingredients. Also use Honest Kitchen.

[Acroyali]

Charisma, that sounds awful 🙁 Hopefully you’ll find something your dog does well with.
One of mine is violently allergic or intolerant to chicken but does great on turkey; this isn’t set in stone of course. One of my cats has a terrible time with raw diets of any description (even boneless with Alnutrin added), but on a cooked diet he’s done very well.
Every 2 hours is pretty often but with chronic pancreatitis, several small feeds per day vs. 1 or 2 large(r) feeds might not be a bad idea. My cat with IBD (no pancreatitis, thankfully) does much better on 3-4 little meals per day. When we were still doing 2 feedings per day, he would eat then seem to have abdominal discomfort from the larger portions.

[Acroyali]

Sorry you’re having difficulties Lori 🙁 Have you been able to do a search for any holistic minded vets in your area? You didn’t specify if his current diet is dry or wet, most dogs with diabetes (and many with stones) do well with a higher moisture diet than a dry food can offer. I’m not a fan of prescription diets , so I can’t help on that much, but if you’re thinking of trying something else a holistic vet who knows about raw and/or cooked feeding for a dog with health problems would be the person to consult, as when dealing with diabetes and possible liver problems, finding a good diet can be tricky (but not impossible).
I’ve been down your path. It’s frustrating as heck to spend thousands and see little to no improvement, but don’t give up. Contrary to what others seem to think, holistic vets and homeopathic vets are two very different types of practice and have absolutely nothing to do with one another; a holistic vet would be a good option.
Lew Olson at B naturals has a great book on feeding real food to dogs, and has chapters with information on what foods are good for what problems (based on the dogs current lab numbers, something you’ll want to keep up with). Hope this is helpful.

[Lori H]

I am beyond confused on what to do regarding my dog! I am looking for some kind of direction without completely going down the Internet rabbit hole and doing something I might regret! There is so much information out there and I am so overwhelmed!

My dog Buddy just turned nine. He is a Chihuahua/Dachshund/Pomeranian mix and slightly overweight. (19 lbs) should be around (16 lbs).

Here is a year in the life:

– March 2016 – discovered to have bladder stones; tried to eliminate them with a change in food (Royal Canin Prescription). There was a lot of confusion, second opinions and it was then discovered that they were calcium oxilate with two logged in his urethra. He had surgery to remove the stones and they have not yet returned. We did change his food to Hills Science Diet U/D.

– March 2017 – having what I could only call “panic attacks”. Went to the vet to discover after blood work that he has diabetes. We put him on insulin and slowly have been increasing it from 3 units to 5 units. He was going back every few weeks to have his levels checked. It was not getting better so a test for Cushing’s was ordered and came back negative (thank goodness). We continued with the dosing and he has been on 5 units consistently for the last month.

Thursday 5.4.17 – took him back to the vet for a check up and because he was again experiencing a “panic attack”. I was worried he was having an insulin reaction. They ran blood work and found that he was not having any type of reaction to either too much or too little insulin, but is now insulin resistant (Type II).

Next steps – they are concerned about his liver and want to do a liver biopsy to see if there is something severe going on. I have spent almost $7K on him in a year alone and don’t want to do something that might not be necessary, eliminate the stress on him and also the additional cost. I will do anything for him, but I am now thinking that a more holistic approach might be the answer.

With this, I am trying to determine what will be best for him because of the issue with bladder stones, diabetes and possible liver issues. I feel like he is broken. 🙁 I am willing to do research, but a point in the right direction is what I need to at least start somewhere.

I have gotten him Milk Thistle, I am planning to get Bragg Apple Cider vinegar, I am also thinking that SAM-e, Vitamin K and a probiotic are necessary. I just don’t know what to do to feed him. I would like to try a possible raw food that is commercially made first and then go from there…

Any help you might be able to give would be greatly appreciated. He has been through so much and I just want him to feel better, get healthy and be around for a few more years.

Thank you again!

[InkedMarie]

I save money & order grinds from Hare Today. Other good companies are Reel Raw, Raw Feeding Miami, My Pet Carnivore.

[Erika I]

The key to raw food (in my experience) is “take your time with it!” What I mean is, introduce new ingredients slowly and start slowly. I started my 4-year-old pug on raw food with just ground beef and ground up cooked eggs(shell and all) along with fish oil and a vitamin powder. the first week she started with a 1/2 cup of food the first day and I slowly increased the amount of food till she was at 1 cup a day. She was on this diet for about 3 months before I changed her to a more complex diet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P85BMCCboI). From my experience, raw food has its ups and downs in the beginning but once you find what works well for your puppy it is the best! Bella (my pug) at first threw up the food had lots of bad diarrhea. and even months into the new diet she had bouts of throwing up and diarrhea when I introduced new ingredients too quickly. So that is why I suggest taking your time with it. Now Bella loves it and her coat is super shiny and thick and her seasonal allergies are even better!
– I had Bella on goats milk to try and help with her allergies and it is great it helps with all kinds of things – but I found it to be unnecessary now that I have her on a balanced raw diet.

As far a spaying, I waited till Bella was about 1 year old before she had the operation. Sometimes young pups don’t do so well with the operation and Bella was so little that we felt more comfortable waiting. She went through one cycle which wasn’t bad at all…just be sure to have diapers on hand!

Hope this helps!
All the best,
Erika

[FrankiesDoggie]

Here’s my personal list winnowed down after extensive research:

Nature’s Variety, Darwin’s Natural Selections, Bravo, Stella and Chewy’s, Primal Raw, OC Raw Dog, Vital Essentials, Northwest Naturals, Steve’s Real Food (maybe Answers if I can get past the weird packaging).

My criteria is:

—Freeze dried versions available (for travel)
—Consistently rated 4.5 or above for all formulas (I’m amazed that one Primal formula for example will be five stars, and then the very next one is only 2.5, yeesh)
—Widely available at my local pet boutiques (or convenient packages purchased online)
—Not insanely expensive

Anyone have favorites I might have overlooked?

[HoundMusic]

All ingredients that don’t sound like they were pulled off a human grocery shopping list seem to be “controversial” to some people. Personally, I think it has much to do with deliberate misinformation, hype, and frankly, immaturity on the behalf of some of those doing the controversy spreading – i.e., the “ewwww gross” mentality that tends to crop up when someone either doesn’t or doesn’t want to understand what that ingredient actually consists of, and why it has been included in the feed.

Plasma is nothing more than the part of blood which contains the fat – in dog food it usually has a pork origin. If you fed your dog an undercooked or raw steak, they would be eating animal plasma that has not been separated from the red blood cells. It’s used for flavoring, but flavoring a feed does not equate it with junk. It is also not a “filler” – most ingredients labeled as such usually aren’t, in reality – and may not be a nutritional powerhouse, but does contain some in the form of extra fats, which are a necessary nutrient.

Whether or not you want to feed it is a personal choice. In my own opinion, I see nothing wrong with it, though.

[Susan]

Hi T E,
if you want to start feeding a healthy diet then start adding some fresh raw foods or fresh cooked foods to his diet, chicken frames, turkey legs, chicken is the softest bone, stay away from chicken necks, the chicken necks just have fat & bone no meat, not that great, also rotate between a few different brands of kibbles with different proteins, so he’s not eating the same brand & protein 24/7…..
Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page he’s into feeding a healthy raw diet & feeding healthy whole foods to prevent cancer… they did a study for all the kibble feeders & they found by adding 1-2 tablespoons of fresh whole foods to the dogs bowl of kibble reduces their chances of your dog getting cancer by 90%, Rodney talks about it in the video, he also has heap of other videos, go to “Planet Paws” a lot of his video’s will be found there….

Omega 3 is a anti inflammatory & it reduces chances of getting cancer, start adding foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, like tin sardines in spring water or olive oil add a few sardines to your dogs kibble, coconut oil, almonds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, I give Patch 1/2 of an almond & I eat the other 1/2 this way he chews the almond properly its the size of a kibble give about 3-4 almonds a day….
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Once your on Rodney’s page scroll down a bit & watch the video where Rodney’s holding up a sign that say Cannabil Oil the video has really good info…..

Take baby steps, don’t feed all these foods all at once to your dog, he will probably get diarrhea work out which ones are the best for him & you, adding a few sardines to his kibble would be a good start, Aldis sell cheap tin sardines in spring water, also add some tin pink Salmon, the bones are OK to feed, just crush them they break really easy…..
In the video Rodney also talks about when you open up a bag of kibble, as soon as it’s opened the air/oxygen gets to all the oils in the kibbles & they start to go rancid & oxides, so your dog isn’t getting the right amount of omega 3 fatty acid that he should be getting in his diet, same as glucosamine, when dogs get older people think they need to start feeding a senior food, that has Glucosamine, but you’d need to feed a heap of Senior kibble to get the right amount of Glucosamine needed for their joints, so your better off adding Glucosamine tablet supplement to your dogs diet also I forgot Green Lipped Mussels are great to add to diet, in one video Rodney asked Steve Brown if you could only pick 1 food to add to your dogs diet what would it be? Steve Brown said “Green Lipped Mussels, 1 tablespoon of Salmon & a pinch of kelp…

[Susan]

Hi
Food can cause yeasty smelly ears, skin & paws if the dog has food sensitivities/intolerances to certain ingredients, you need to work out what foods your dog is sensitive too, my boy can not eat chicken, barley, oats, corn, gluten corn & carrots, carrots are the worst, 20mins after eating the carrots he starts scratching his ears, shaking his head, when I didn’t know it was the carrot & kept feeding the carrots in his rissoles he’d started to get yeasty, smelly infected ears, & walked tilting his head, same as chicken he gets red smelly paws & real itchy skin & rubs bum on the floor/carpet others foods that have corn, corn gluten meal caused sloppy poo’s….
I did a food elimination diet, raw is the best to feed, or cooked or use one of the vet diets like Royal Canine, Hypoallergenic wet tin or the Royal Canine wet tin PR-Potato & Rabbit, PV-Potato & Venison, PK-Potato & Salmon, or there’s the dry kibble after eliminating all treats & just feeding raw, vet diet or your own cooked diet that has just 1 single novel protein + 1 carb when the dog ears & skin aren’t smelly & itchy anymore you start adding 1 new ingredient for 6 weeks to see if he reacts to the new ingredient, it can take food sensitivities/intolerances anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks for the dog to start reacting & showing any symptoms …..
Here’s some limited ingredient single protein kibbles & wet tin formula’s-
* “Zignature” – http://zignature.com/?page_id=333&lang=en
* “Canidae Pure” – http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
* “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain, Roasted Lamb or TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon both have limited ingredients. http://www.tasteofthewild.com.au/

Join this group on face book, “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” a lot of really good info & a Dermatologist pops in every now & here’s one of her links about the “Facts & Myths about Yeast Dermatitis in dogs, scroll down to about the 7th paragraph read about food sensitivities/intolerances, http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs

[InkedMarie]

Hi Cindy,
I have a brittany, too! Her name is Ginger, she will be 7 in july. One of my other dogs used to get a lot of yeast ear infections. For him, switching to a raw diet with no produce worked. If you’re looking at kibble, look for foods with no potato. I’d say no white and no sweet but they aren’t easy to find. I have a list of grain & potato free here on te DFA forums, in the Dog Food Ingredients forum. It’s on top, highlighted in yellow. Might be a good place to start.

Marie

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by InkedMarie.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by InkedMarie.

[Marsha A]

Hi. I have an 8 mo. old Chihuahua, Tess. We took her to a integrative vet to get a different opinion on her care. The vet told us to feed her a raw food Answers or Barf. And also Answers goat milk. The conventional vet we have thinks raw food is dangerous. We wanted to get a second opinion for a number of reasons. I did not like that they promote Science Diet. And she recommended spaying at 6 mos. The integrative recommended we spay at 18 – 24 mos. because she has a recessed vulva. She has not had a first heat yet. We are now feeding her the Small Breed Wellness kibble and Wellness Core can chicken. I am really posting this for anyone that can help with their experience on the raw food and also any experience about spaying. I really hate to get her spayed but I am probably going to have to because of the chance of pyometra and mammary cancer. Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you much. Marsha

[Rene P]

Tripe is not an organ meat, it is considered a muscle. Also, I would not just feed chicken (even for a little while). It was recommended in “Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs” by Lew Olson, that you vary the meats in order to maintain a healthy diet. She recommends feeding tripe 2x weekly, beef, 1-2x, chicken(meat) only 1x, and lamb/pork/rabbit the other days. Her book is full of great info for the raw food neophyte and I HIGHLY recommend it. I’ve been transitioning my dog to raw for the past 10 days and he is already partial to his raw meals and bones. If you get the book but would prefer to make your own supplements (instead of purchasing hers), I can provide a good recipe for that. Hope this was helpful. René