[Ef H]

Any suggestion on dog food to help with this? Have tried Angel Eyes, whitening shampoos and other solutions. Someone said diet could be the problem contributing to saliva issue. Now eating Natures Variety Instinct Raw Boost Chicken Meal formula.

[Denise P]

I have been feeding all my dogs K9 Natural for about 3 years now. Previously my dogs had been on Innova for many many years, but when Innova was acquired there were like 3 recalls in less than a year when there had been zero in all the years before, so I thought to be safe I needed to change manufacturers. Previous to this I was very pleased with Innova. When on high quality food, the output of poop should be much less since the nutrients should be absorbed. After ruling out any medical issues, I tried many different foods and my big 10 year old dog was just not processing and absorbing them well. On the recommendation of a friend and I have been very pleased. I buy the frozen raw food. I actually use only the chicken (they sell lamb as well that is to fattening and rich for my dogs) and I also purchase the green tripe and mussels. I feed raw meet twice per day and alternate the tripe in twice per week. My bigger 10 year old dog had dramatic results, his poop was reduced to a few drops of white movements that would disintegrate into almost sand when picked up. His coat became soft like a rabbits and his energy level increased dramatically. Clearly from the look of the poop… he was absorbing all the nutrients in the food. I also put my Maltese and Chihuhua on the diet. Results on my Maltese was that the brown eye tearing was greatly reduced and again the poop what white in color. (there is ground bone in the raw diet.) All of my dogs love this food.

[Susan]

Hi again,
I just remembered yes the Metronidazole takes time to fix things up & can cause sloppy poos, takes Patch around 5 days for poos to start getting better & farts to stop, you really won’t know if the TOTW is agreeing with your pup until you have finished the course of Metronidazole, I asked my vet can I have a few repeat scripts of the Metronidazole, just in case I start to see Patches poos going sloppy yellow & the farts start up again months later, I just go chemist & buy the Metro it’s cheaper from chemist but he hasn’t needed the Metro since eating the TOTW kibble….
In the Beginning my vet wanted Patch on the Metronidazole for 6 months but after being on the Metro for 1 month Patch was acting weird, real paranoid & was jumping at his own shadow, then 1 morning on our walk he was dazed & confused & he didn’t stop at the usual intersection that he always stopped & sat at, lucky no cars were coming, I went home & google side effects to Metronidazole then I rung the vet & told her what do I do, she said, yes it’s rare but some dogs can have reaction stop the Metronidazole, so now if Patch has to take the Metro he cant take it more then 3 weeks…
also make sure the Probiotic is given 3-4 hours after or before a feed that the Metronidazole tablets were given, Metro has to be taken with food, I was putting the tablets down his throat, Patch was leaving the tablets in his bowl….. I was giving the Metronidazole every 12 hours & Patch was eating 4 small meals a day, I made sure the 2 bigger meals were 12 hours apart to give his Metro tablets…..To gain weight I gave an extra meal (Lunch) 1/2 a cup kibble, then when he’s at his proper weight or looks like he’s gaining too much weight then reduce to 1/4 cup & see does he lose any weight.
Patch does 3 poos on the TOTW some days he does 2 poos he only eats 2 & 1/2 cups kibble a day made into 4 meals & some days I feed a cooked meal for dinner & take 1 cup kibble away replace with the cooked meal & yes the poo that was from the cooked meal is smaller…… later you’ll do the same feed 1 meal raw & the other meal still his kibble & slowly go back onto the raw diet & have the Metronidazole on hand just incase poos start going yuk again & give another course of the Metro while introducing the raw diet again… and remember the Metronidazole will kill the good bacteria in the Probiotic, best to give probiotic after the course of Metro is finished….
Buy a diary write down what your feeding, doing & what is working, just incase yrs later you need to look back, what worked & what didn’t work…. I also write it all down then when I see my vet she puts it in the computer so she can look back if needed….
He’ll get there but it takes time….

[Kathy R]

Hi Jenn, first post but important enough to share with you. Forza has been a godsend for my girl. She is a Shep/Pit cross about 80 lbs., large boned and intact.

Since a young pup she had severe IBD issues. I tried so many various, high quality, limited ingredient, etc to no avail. I switched to raw 2 years ago and it helped her tremendously. She put her weight back on, nice coat, etc.

Raw was becoming expensive and I’m now a single mom so this food was highly recommended. It is the ONLY food other than raw she can eat and have a nice, solid stool and no GI issues. I now feed Forza digestion and she is also eating some raw.

Hope this helps. Kit Kat

[Angie D]

Hello, I am new to this forum and fairly new to raw feeding …. based on what I have seen so far in my dog I will always feed this way 🙂

I have a 14 1/2 year old shep X this is what he is currently eating

morning he gets taste of the wild kibble before I go to work approx 1.5 cups ( he weighs 50 pound)

his evening meal consists of raw muscle meat chicken and either heart , liver , or gizzards depends on what I have on hand , I mix this with spirulina, coconut oil, and sometimes plain yogurt , I try to buy hormone free meat , sometimes it is just too expensive .. he gets aprox 8 oz…I try to give him a can of water packed sardines once or twice a week as well. I was useing brewers yeast , but I did not like his stool consistency after I started this so I discontinued , I had heard it was good for flea’s , I may give it another shot…..

My question is about Calcium Phos ratio, I do not give him RMB due to his age… I would be concerned that he would not be able to chew them… I maybe am just being paranoid as he chews his treats just fine :)…. but none the less, this is the route I am going… if he were younger I would just give him bones to balance all out….. should I be adding calcium to his eve meal? or does the kibble meal straighten things out enough? If I should be adding it , how much based on the amount I stated I feed…. his energy is VERY good for his age, weight fine as well… I have been feeding this way for approx six months and am still amazed at the increase in his energy and overall attitude towards life since I started, not to mention his breath does not smell at all…. the only thing I don’t care for is his coat… it looks a little dry sometimes…. I am concerned that this could be due to the calc phos issue , or possible un related… we have had a HORRIBLE flea prob this year… and since I refuse to use chemicals on him it is harder to control them…. I am thinking that he coat issue could be that…. if not would a calcium phos imbalance cause coat and skin issues?

Appreciate any feed back 🙂

Angie

[Susan]

HI Jan,
since being on the TOTW are his poos the best they have been since they were good when eating the raw?? I would keep him on the TOTW for a bit longer 2-3months, if you don’t want to try a vet diet, let his bowel heal & adjust to eating a kibble, remember his stomach & bowel was use to eating a raw diet & they do less poos & nice small poos…..he’s only been on the TOTW kibble 1 week also have you tried stopping the enzyme just for 2 days & see are the poos smaller & better, does it make a difference?…..
My Patch was put on a vet diet for 9-12 months, I didn’t want him on a vet diet, also Patches vet is into feeding more natural diets not kibbles, she explained we need the stomach & bowel to rest & heal & not work hard digesting his food, I said OK how long do I feed this vet diet look it has corn grits, she said just for 1 yr to let the stomach & bowel heal….I nillly had a heart attack, 1 yr but she was right in the end, 9 months later I started looking at other kibbles but I still knew I had the vet diet to fall back on just in case the new kibble wasn’t working out….
We tried Royal Canin Gastrointestinal but Patch started to itch, scratch & smell real yeasty, he has food sensitivities & in the end the vet Diet “Eukanuba Intestinal” a low residue kibble worked & there’s also “Intestinal Plus” it has more fiber, he was doing just 2 small poos a day at the same time everyday but sometimes his poos were very soft to pick up & yellow but vet said as long as when the poo is coming out it’s formed, its OK, I look back & I think the Eukanuba Intestinal may have been too low in fiber for Patch, it was 1.7% crude fiber…

Iams also has their Intestinal Plus Low Residue Puppy, Iams KO Oats & Kangaroo & beet pulp, its for Skin & Coat has better ingredients, there’s no corn, no gluten corn meal in the Iams KO & it does have the Beet pulp, Beet pulp makes poos smaller & firmer, a lot of cheap kibbles & vet diets use beet pulp cause people judge a dog food by the way a dog poos & when poos are small & firm they think the food is good but its just the added beet pulp…

Also look at the Hills Vet Diet, Hills I/d Digestive Care, remember all the vet diets are guaranteed money back so until you find one that works you don’t pay for all this kibble that doesn’t work for the dog…
http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/products/pd-canine-id-dry,
the Hills I/d kibble has the digestive enzymes, electrolytes, vitamin B what is needed to gain weight, omega 3-6 fatty acids, prebiotic fiber (Beet Pulp) everything needed to heal the stomach & bowel, I know vet diets have awful ingredients for dogs with intestinal problems like corn, maize, gluten corn meal but they seem to help their stomach & gut heal, I don’t know why but when you find the right vet diet they do work…
Just remember in the back of your head this is temporary it’s just for 6-9 months …

In Australia we have better ingredients in our vet diets or they are not allowed in Australia, I don’t know why Hills & Royal Canin don’t make the ingredient list the same for the American pets as well….probably where they make more money….

Here’s the Iams site to compare ingredients with the Hills & Royal Canin vet diets, Iams KO has just Oat Flour & Kangaroo & has the Beet pulp…. the “Eukanuba Intestinal” also has a puppy formula made for puppies, puppies need more fat in their diet….
http://www.iams.com/dog-food/veterinary-formula
It’s just a thought if nothing is working after a couple of months..
I really hope he starts to improve then when he’s older & better he can go back to a raw diet & a nice raw meaty bone..

[goldenstar]

Well, I had to ask. I had been curious.
“That’s ridiculous. One could say the same about the posters that post the same diatribe over and over again against science based veterinary medicine and promote homeopathic cures, raw diets, etc. Advising pet owners to disregard what their veterinarians tell them is best.”
I have to admit….That kind of sounds like something the skeptvet would say.
I am not against science based information. I am just not crazy about the skeptvet.
You have some great advice and that is appreciated. You and I will probably never agree on some things.
I would not tell people to disregard their vet’s advice. Do people here actually do that?
And the blood work is a very good idea, I do plan on doing that.
I am very sorry about your Corgi.
My dog had soft tissue sarcoma. It started out as a small growth on her leg. About a year and a half later. I had to let her go.
Yes breeding is a factor. But environmental toxins and diet has to be in the mix. I mean… Look how it affects humans.

[Jan D]

Hello everyone. My puppy had Giardia at 9 weeks old, and I think it has really messed up his gut. He was treated with 10 days of Metronidazole and Panacur. He’s had several fecals run since, and they have all come back negative for it. He is 6 months old now and we are still dealing with loose stools off and on.

We have been to the vet several times to try and resolve this, and it usually results in them just doing another round of Panacur. I can’t imagine he has any parasites at this point with all the dewormer he has gotten. My new vet currently has him on 2 weeks of Metronidazole at the recommendation of an internist, who thinks there may be some type of bacterial infection. He is also taking a pancreatic type enzyme to help him digest his food along with FortiFlora probiotics.

He used to eat raw food (first NW Naturals, and then Vital Essentials Freeze Dried), but the two vets I have seen didn’t want him on raw, and said it might be too rich for his system at this point. My current vet wanted to put him on Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Kibble. I refuse to feed this food because I think the ingredients are junk. I thought there must be another food with better ingredients that I could try. I decided to try him on TOTW Sierra Mountain Kibble. He has only been on it for a week now (still transitioning over). His stools are now huge in size, very frequent (6 times yesterday!), and are formed, but very soft. He would usually only go 3 times a day on the raw and they were very small and firm.

I am so confused at this point. I am not sure if I should stick with the TOTW, or switch to another food? After doing some reading, I have read several posts from people stating that TOTW made their dogs have large frequent stools as well. Do you think I should just give him a few months on it hoping that his stools will get better? I am just worried that 6 bowel movements a day is a sign that it isn’t agreeing with him and that he isn’t absorbing nutrients. The fiber content is only 4%, so I am not sure why his stools are so large. He is underweight, so one of my main concerns is getting some weight on him.

Has anyone had a dog with Giardia and found a food that is easy to digest and produces good stools?

[anonymous]

“I am wondering if this person posting the skeptvet link is the skeptvet. When someone else recommends a company or product over and over in this forum, people have asked if they have a vested interest in that company. I am wondering the same”.

That’s ridiculous. One could say the same about the posters that post the same diatribe over and over again against science based veterinary medicine and promote homeopathic cures, raw diets, etc. Advising pet owners to disregard what their veterinarians tell them is best.

I am sorry for the loss of your dog, if it was hemangiosarcoma, it’s a very aggressive form of cancer common in certain breeds. Often there are no symptoms until it is too late. I went through this with a corgi. It tends to strike between 8 and 10 years of age.

Annual checkups along with the recommended blood work might help to catch it early, even then, the treatment options are limited.

I blame the puppy mills and backyard breeders that continue to breed dogs regardless of hereditary genetic disorders.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by anonymous.

[Cheryl M]

Hello
I’m looking for help/advice, as I am sure others must have been in the situation I am in.

I have a 10 year old staffy and for the past 4 years or so she been awful with her skin and ears. A couple of years ago she was diagnosed as food intolerant, but I’m in the U.K. and my vet said there was no test to show what foods are safe/unsafe for her. So upon their advise I did an elimination diet….chicken, beef, turkey, fish, kangaroo, buffalo, bison, home cooked meats, raw meats, etc nothing seemed to make a difference. Finally I found a dry food which although very boring for her did calm her down a little. It was grain free and hypoallergenic etc. She came off the steroids and went onto apoquel. She will have the odd scratch and scoot but on the whole it was bearable for her.

In December she had a big flare up – and still is – she is back on steroids as well as the apoquel, and has ear drops from the vets for her ears; she has been scratching them until they bleed then crying in pain. She is always worse in a morning.

At the moment I’m not working so can be with her, but I can’t leave the house for fear of returning to bloodied ears.

I’ve tried anti fungal/bacterial sprays, shampoos, powder enzymes for her food. I’ve tried the lot.

I’m guessing she’s built an intolerance up to the dry food. The vet gave her a strong injection of steroids yesterday she was so bad.

I am just at a loss what to do. I am so stressed out at her suffering. I wish there was a test so we could find what she can eat.

Any advice please?

[Cannoli]

Hi Mary N,

To add to my previous comment I think it’s difficult to answer your question of whether we should trust your vet’s recommendation in regard to your pet’s food.

It’s hard for me to tell no or yes since we don’t really know anything about your vet.

For me when I first got my pup two years ago I had to decide between three vets. This was a daunting experience for me since I knew nothing about Veterinary medicine and most lay people don’t. So I checked out their yelp reviews and how long they have been in business. All of these 3 vets all had over a hundred reviews but two of them had really terrible reviews (quite a lot). The first two vets people complained a lot about their pets getting even sicker for months after the treatment received from these vets and being forced to buy unnecessary shots.. But the third vet and the one that I chose had only negative reviews based on the amount they charged.

In addition the first two vets were relatively new in practice while my 3rd vet has been around for 20 years. I chose the 3rd vet. He really knows his stuff..I have had few times that I had to take my pup to the emergency to see him and all times were false positive. He never orders unnecessary blood work or tests, never pushed me on food that he sells at his store, and he never pushed me when it comes to unnecessary shots. For example lyme disease shots. He knows that I know that my town has no history of ticks with lyme (my town has a website and they list any instances of lyme infections) he doesn’t recommend it. But yet the other 2 vets are constantly mailing me “it’s time for your dog to get lyme desease shots”

Even if my vet recommended me his food he knows I would grill him on the ingredients. He knows I am fanatic about eating healthy. We have had animated discussions about raw food and my home cooked food. He is against it but so far my pup is thriving and he is impressed with how healthy my pup is. My vet has seen a lot of malnourished dogs.

So sorry for the long diatribe but if you have a good relationship with your vet and they listen to you and don’t send you mailers in the mail every 3 months that your dog needs this shot and that shot (ha) than I see no reason why you should not trust your vet’s food.

[Cannoli]

Hi Andrea S,

Congrats on making your own treats. maybe you can provide us with an example of the ingredients in your current home made dog treats and we can add some input on what you might add.

Since these are just treats they don’t need to be complete and balance.

I make my dog treats occasionally. Sadly I don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit to turn this into a small side business.

Here are some of the treats I have made:
Liver Cookies.. Basically liver that I cook on very low heat in the oven for about 4 hours ( i cut them into round cookie shapes) and then I dip them in a tumeric extra virgin organic coconut paste. I love the taste of them and so does my pup ha.

For Christmas I made my pup and I the following cake:
Coconut glazed cake-basically i baked some sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Then smashed them.. Then I use one of my cake baking trays and put the smashed sweet potato butternut squash in it. Drizzle some raw honey on top. Sprinkled it with fresh coconut and baked it for 25 minutes until coconut got nice and toasty brown.

Would love to hear some of your recipes.

[Caryl R]

I have switched my dogs from Orijen to Timberwolf Organics. They are doing great on it. I have read some complaints about their customer service but I have not experienced any problems. One draw back is they don’t sell it on Chewy. You have to buy it direct from their website unless you have a store near you that sells it. It is less expensive then the Orijen and I feel it is a great food for the price.

[pitlove]

Hi Mary-

Veterinary Theraputic diets are made for specific illness and disease processes. They are not intended for healthy pets. Therefore when your vet is recommending one of these diets, its to help manage those disease processes.

Veterinary nutritionists do not use an ingredient deck to evaluate the quality of a pet food as it tells you very little about the food besides what’s in it. It does not tell you the quality of the raw materials, the manufacturing process, how the raw materials are stored and handled, the companies quality control procedures or who is formulating the diet and what credentials they have. Nutritionists prefer to use this set of guidelines when choosing a pet food http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Recommendations%20on%20Selecting%20Pet%20Foods.pdf

I suggest you start there when asking yourself these questions. It’s great to have discussions like this with friends or as part of a public forum, but the opinions expressed should never be misconstrued as fact.

I personally also feed a vet recommended diet and have found it works best for my pets out of the countless “better” brands I’ve tried.

[Susan]

Hi Paul,
as we get older we don’t make as much hydrochloric acid to digest our food & its harder to digest food so the food sits in our stomach, Google “Hypochlorhydria” is low stomach acid
it may just be a coincidence the glucosamine has cause this, I prefer to give my 8yrs old Omega 3 supplements or feed foods high in omega 3 fatty acid for his joints, skin etc, I’ve been very lucky with Patch he doesn’t have any joint problems yet, he is walked 3 times a day cause I live in a unit & he’s kept lean…but my boy does have IBD mainly stomach problems & skin allergies & was vomiting undigested food a year ago, I had to make his gut strong & healthy. Dog probiotic like Purina Fortiflora is good, they tested 10 dog probiotics & found only 3 of them had live cultures & Purina Fortiflora was voted number 1, I give Yukalt it’s a probiotic drink in the fridge section at supermarket, I drink 1/2 & Patch gets the other 1/2 there’s 5 small pink drinks, he has stoped his vomiting & eating grass every morning, so the Yakult drinks have probably fixed his bacteria in his gut & bowel & made it healthy again..
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50000
I feed lean white meats, I buy lean pork grounded mince 1kg (2lb), add 1 whisk egg, a few chopped up small broccoli heads broken off the broccoli, 1 teaspoon chopped up parsley, some kale chopped up just 1 leaf, or you can use 1 spinach leaf or another veggie, I was grating 1 small carrot, I suppose start with less is best then the next batch of rissoles add another finally chopped up veggie….. mix all together & make 1 cup size rissole, (it makes about 8-9 x 1 cup size rissoles) & bake in oven on a foiled covered baking tray, when they’re 1/2 cooked take out tray of rissole & drain any excess water & fat there’s normally hardly any fat, then turn over the rissoles & bake, don’t over cook the rissoles as soon as there’s no blood they’re ready, I also peel & cut up sweet potato & boil, I do not boil rice, rice ferments in the stomach, it’s no good, the new thing is to cook either potato or sweet potato…. Hamburger mince is very high in fat it’s not recommended anymore…. I also boil some pumkin & freeze you can also freeze the rissoles, I only add about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of sweet potatoes or potatoes & a small piece of pumkin to 1 rissole, mix altogether & cut up rissole finally so it’s easier to digest…
Do not give a raw feed dog any dry kibble, kibble is harder to digest even when water is added, vet hasn’t prescribe any kibble, fed a wet tin food if vet advises a vet prescription diet…but a cooked diet is heaps better then any vet diets….cook foods that are easy to digest & white lean meats for now, beef is a stronger more rich meat like Kangaroo, I didn’t know this lol poor Patch he loved his beef & kangaroo rissole but his stomach didn’t it came back up undigested…
also cook some home made healthy doggy treat biscuits there’s a few recipes online… I have a few if needed.. he may need a 10 day course of Metronidazole it’s an antibiotic for stomach & bowel.. also feed 3-4 smaller meals a day.

[Mary N]

If you go with senior dog food try and find something that has a great amount of protein. If you want your Labrador to keep on developing and getting stronger then he is going to need an extra amount of protein.

Like someone said above, I would also suggest that you include some raw diet plans as that would increase the amount of protein your Labrador can use to build more muscle and overall more mass. But stick with lean protein sources like beef for example

[David H]

I am a huge believer in Fromm Foods. I currently feed Whitefish and Patato to my older dogs. I do like to add some fresh raw hamburger to it also. I lost my 15+ yr old Golden in October. She had some kidney issues from age 10 on. I feel she outlived what the vets told me because of the great low phos. in the Fromm Whitefish and the addition of 80/20 hamburger. The difference I have found between senior and regular adult food it is Calories. If you watch what you feed them i would not worry about a senior food. The joint supplements if high quality can be a huge benefit.

[anonymous]

Give the vet a call and ask him to call you back when he has a minute.
I would stop all supplements, keep his diet as simple as possible. He is a senior at 8 years old, break the piggybank and get some lab work done (if you haven’t done so already).
Lab values tell a lot and can identify ailments in the early stages, when they will respond to treatment. I would stop the raw. Instead, get a quality kibble and gradually mix the cooked beef/rice mixture into it, add a splash of water to meals. Maybe presoak the kibble in H2O if he doesn’t frequent his water bowl. Hope this helps.
Also, http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw

PS: I would continue the bland diet for your dog, boiled rice and hamburger, until stable.
I would add a splash of water to meals.

[Paul H]

Hello, I’ve been feeding my 8 yr old black lab raw for about 2 years. He loves it and has been very healthy. Recently I changed his glucosamine supplement and after a few days he got sick and was throwing up most of the day. We took him to the vet, he had no temp, no diarrhea, or blood in vomit. Our vet said to wait until 12 hours after his last vomit, and cook up some ground beef and white rice. We fed him that twice last night, he seemed better, but now my wife found some vomit with the food in it. Could it be because we fed him cooked beef? Thank you in advance.

[Susan]

Hi, stop feeding the Pedigree, it sounds like its up setting his stomach & he’s reacting badly to ingredients, having bad skin & his stomach problems, he cant eat it.. He probably has food sensitivities they have stomach/bowel problems & their skin itches, smells yeasty, red paws, itchy ears, some will rub bum on carpet, floor & grass… My boy has IBD (stomach) & food sensitivities & skin Allergies, look at foods that have limited ingredients & NO LENTILS OR CHICKPEAS these are harder to digest… Can you cook a lean meal boiled potatoes & a lean white meat or afford wet tin food or a raw diet?? When I rescued my boy I think he wasn’t feed kibble & was feed either a cooked diet, wet tin food or a raw diet, cause he would just look at the bowl of kibble & wouldn’t eat it, he preferred the wet & cooked food, then my nightmare began with his IBD (food sensitivities), vomiting, acid reflux, sloppy poos, up early hours of the morning with his bowel making loud noises, itchy skin, rubbing bum on my carpet, red paws that he licked & licked…all this just cause he was sensitive to something he was eating, I couldn’t believe it, I have never owned a dog like this all my pets could eat anything & were feed Pedigree & Purina until I learnt they’re are awful foods with bad ingredients….The Vet put him on Royal Canine Hypoallergenic HP till I worked out what I was going to do, the Royal Canine helped his skin stop itching but not his sloppy poo & vet gave me “Malaseb” medicated shampoo said to bath daily if needed or do the weekly baths…..you might need something stronger then the oatmeal shampoo your using & do weekly baths. Look for shampoos that are Anti Fungal shampoos like the Malaseb medicated shampoo, I’m pretty sure I read that Walmart sells a Anti-Fungal shampoo that’s like Malaseb…. Can you afford to feed a lean raw balanced diet or feed raw for breakfast & a kibble with limited ingredients for dinner? A Balanced Raw Diet is the best to feed a dog with food & skin sensitivities..
Finally I found *”Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, 30lb bag for $49 thru Chewy, it worked the best for my boy, it’s Lamb, sweet potatoes & peas & it has limited ingredients..
* “Sportmix Wholesome” Grain free or grain a 40lb bag $$29-$34
*”California Natural” Lamb Meal & Rice it has just 3 ingredients.
*”Pro Pac Ultimates” there’s their grain free or grain a 28lb bag is around $29-$35
*”Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines Grain Free it’s Fish & Potato $54 & its for Digestive health & their skin as well, Holistic Select is high in Omega 3 fatty acids what’s needed for the skin..
Look for kibbles with Lamb & Rice or Fish & rice, or Lamb & Sweet Potatoes or Fish & Sweet Potato NO chicken for now till you work out what he can eat, theres also
*”Canidae” Pure Formulas that’s are limited ingredient the Pure Sea or Pure Wild or look at the Canidae Life Stages formulas the All Life Stages has their 44lb bag for $54….
make sure you read ingredient list, most kibbles are money back guaranteed that’s why I like going to Pet Shops so I can take back the kibble & I say he wont eat it, when I say he scratches or vomits it becomes too complicated. Holistic Select covers every health problem & refunds money but it depends on the Pet Shop, so I always send the kibble company an email telling them what’s happening with my boy & is your kibble refundable then when I go to the Pet Shop or online Pet Shop & I show them the email or say they said it’s money back, I’ve tried nilly every kibble in Australia & taken back so many kibbles…
Look at the Fat% look for around 10-15% max in fat & 24% to 29% Protein he probably wont do well on a high fat over 15% & a high protein diets over 30%….. then later after he’s doing good look for another kibble & rotate between them..

[Jeanne M]

I was dealing with a similar situation with my Sheltie. Food allergies was the culprit. I was already feeding raw freeze dried but it had alot of fruits/veggies in it. I purchased a test from http://www.glacierpeakholistics.com and they did a complete scan of my dog from her fur and saliva samples I sent them. They told me everything she was reactive/allergic to. It allowed me to build her diet from there whether it was something i made myself or purchased. The test was about $80 and worth every penny. Hope this helps!

[Jeanne M]

I have been dealing with allergies of some sort with my Sheltie… didn’t know what was causing it. Her feet were raw (some some of her legs) – she was biting them all the time. I purchased an allergy test from a local privately owned pet store who focuses on holistic remedies and high end dog foods. The test is produced by Glacier Peak holistics – its called a Pet Wellness Life Scan. You purchase the “kit” and send them fur/hair and saliva from your dog and they test for absolutely everything. It took about 3 or 4 weeks to get the results back. You get a complete scan of everything that your dog is reactive to and you can build their diet from there. Whether you purchase your food or make it yourself, this scan provides your answers. I am so glad i did it! The cost was about $80. which is much much less than my vet wanted. http://www.glacierpeakholistics.com Hope this helps.

[SummerRainAussies]

When choosing a kibble I try and mimic their stool when they are fed raw since that is what they should be eating anyways. Raw poop is very small, firm, and dark. A lot of kibbles I have tried give them a light or even yellow colored bowel movement.
I am a raw feeder in the morning so my goal tends to be how close can I get their morning poop to look compared to their evening poop LOL 🙂
So far Victors Is the winner!
I have also looked at Nutrisource as they have a performance formula with 30/20 protein to fat ratio and is pea free.
Nutrisource also has the same 4 strains of fermented probiotic Victors has. Plus another one. Most foods really lack in this area. Annamaet has NONE.

dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract

[SummerRainAussies]

I add 3-4 teaspoons a day divided over her meals. Or a heaping tablespoon. I just eyeball it. Shes 45lbs.
Rule of thumb is a teaspoon per 10 pounds or a tablespoon per 30lbs. All dogs are different. I give it to a few of my other dogs but not even half the dose I give her. She is my problem child.. She also gets Braggs RAW apple cider vinegar, Fish oil, Spurlina, probiotic, and of course she doesn’t get any “crap” in her diet. Also a raw egg on her morning raw meal every other day. She used to be a nightmare scratching herself raw but i’ve got her pretty much under control now. 🙂

[elaine c]

Yes Novachaser raw goats milk is great and can be part of the Answers dog food. They sell it under their name. If you are interested go to Answerspetfood.com and read why their food is so good for your dog.

[Rusty T]

Krista:

I tend to feed kibble in the morning, and kibble with a Topper at night. (I use I and Love and You Nude for the kibble and Holistic Selects Grain Free Canned Food.) I generally also sub out sometimes with left over veggies, or fresh meat. Last Saturday they got kibble mixed with beef tripe that I picked up for them. Monday, I threw in a can of sardines with the kibble. I have a bag of raw turkey necks in the freezer that I hand out from time to time. I generally boil a couple of extra eggs every week, and toss them in for the evening meal. I roast a chicken generally once a week and cut out the backbone before I roast the chicken, and feed the raw backbone to them. (My chicken cooks faster and more evenly if I butterfly it.) We keep a container in the fridge where we throw left over veggies from dinner that are big enough portions for a meal to toss in their kibble. But nothing with garlic in it.

[micah g]

What is the best food anyone can recommend for a dog with knee injury? I am willing to do raw if i need to or wet whatever will provide the most healing potential. My 11 year old 55lb shep/mix has Bilateral ACL tears. He is not overweight and surgery was of course suggested at a cost of $6000 for both knee’s done 3 months apart. I am going to give him 2 more weeks and see how he is doing, try to heal him with good food, rest, and anti inflammatory. There is a lot of info on the pro’s and con’s of the TPLO ACL repair.
Any info is appreciated this is a very difficult decision and road ahead for our poor old baby.

[Susan]

Hi, if you can cook here’s a Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan I use in Australia, here’s one of her raw diets for health problems, “Acidifying (Urinary Crystals)” You will get an idea on what foods are best to feed, I noticed for organ meats she suggests lambs fry, lamb kidney, lamb heart there’s no no beef or chicken livers, I wonder why?? Lentils, Chickpeas, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, String Beans, Cranberries, Strawberries etc, I also saw eggs, so a scrambled egg & a small rissole for breakfast make sure your adding a Omega 3 supplement or feeding sardines, salmon, so she’s getting her Omega 3 for her joints, skin, coat, brain eyes etc sardines are very healthy

I buy the lean pork grounded mince 1kg (2lbs) & add 1 whisked egg, finally cut parsley, cut up a few small broccoli heads, a kale leaf finally cut up, I add 1 teaspoon of Flax, almond bake meal, its high in omega 3 fatty acids mix all together & make small balls & bake on a baking tray in oven, they can be frozen & taken out when needed, then you can add boiled potatoes or lentils whatever else you need to add to her diet …
http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/acidifying-diet-urinary-crystals/

[Julie P]

my GSD pinched a nerve in his back a few years ago on a slick wood floor. He limped for about four months. Was overweight at the time. 106lbs. Have since covered the floors. In order to help him loose weight faster to help with the limping issue I put him on raw food diet. And cut out ALL treats. He always loved to swim and I have lake nearby and he could do that with limp. He has been at about 90 lbs since then. Feed him Merrick for the last several years. Recently tried Zignature as the local store was offering buy one get one. Both dogs have done really well on it. My GSD has Pannus now. And eye disease. Has to have eye drops now every day for life. This disease came on at the same time I had tried Costco dog food/and had him vaccinated. Either one of these things brought it on or it just happened. The other dog got hot spots from the Costco grain free food. Do not ever feed Costco Grain free. Reviews are horrible too. And if you ever need prescriptions sign up for Good RX. They have saved me tons of money.

[Roberta A]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a gravy or sauce. I have a 16 year old Yorkie who has become very picky. She is on a raw diet, has been since she was 5. Anything that is dry and crumbled she will pick it out of her food and leave the food so must be a something that coats her food. My criteria is: It must be human grade, must be made in USA, and not full of chemicals, dies or the unexplainable bad stuff companies use in pet food.
I have been making my own broth but it is quite labor intensive for only 2 tablespoons over her food when in 2 or 3 days she’s over it and I’m forced to find something different. Currently I’m using human gravy from a jar it comes in several favors but the sodium isn’t great but she eats. She will go days without eating and that makes me more nervous than the sodium.
She is on Standard Process renal support 1/8 tsp Am and Pm in her food and she absolutely hates it this is what has caused her to become picky, but she has to have it her kidneys are showing signs of kidney disease Standard Process is making a difference. Can you suggest something?

[Jeff L]

I have been switching proteins from beef, turkey and chicken. I will throw in pork next round. I have been bouncing form Answers to Primal Pet foods. His stools changed a little with the chicken. I have also been feeding different raw meaty bones and will probably switch completely to raw once I figure out what works for Nick. Right now I feel better giving him a prepared raw food diet because those two companies have already done the thinking for me, but at a much higher cost than I want to pay forever. Definitely not as convenient as kibble, but I know he is thriving right now. I will keep everyone updated..

[Krista B]

I fed my dog (homemade) raw for a year. It’s a great way to feed and I think it’s great you are feeding this way! The cost became to much for my family so I switched to commercial dog food, otherwise I would still be feeding raw. I currently feed half kibble and half freeze dried raw and canned. My dog will eat literally anything you put in front of her so this hasn’t been an issue to switch.

My advice would be to Remeber to switch protein sources! Dogs need lots of variety and shouldn’t be fed only one protein source. Try to feed at least 3-4 or more.

[Cannoli]

Parul S,

I am a big firm believer of daily teeth brushing. If not daily at least weekly regardless if your pup is just eating kibble, or raw only, or chewing on bones, etc.

Nothing beats a toothbrush when it comes to cleaning the gum lines. Bones and kibble don’t get in between the gum lines.

So in regards to your question you should always be brushing your pup’s teeth regardless what you feed him. You might like it as his doggy breath will disappear. I love it when my pup licks and kisses me. His breath never stinks..

[Cannoli]

Hi Tao,

Never heard of this company.
There are a lot of new frozen raw food brands coming out. If you can’t find any information on this company than stay away. Me personally I prefer to source my own raw meat but if you must use a frozen company stick to the ones people write about here. Such as Hare today gone tomorrow, Miami Raw(great feedback on yelp), My pet carnivore, etc.

[Cannoli]

It’s nice that your are feeding your pup none processed food.

I feed my dog raw apple because he can handle it. If your dog can handle raw apple stick to it because cooking the apple does break down some of the nutrients. I normally feed my dog apple as part of his veggie nutrient blend:

In a blender I blend:

raw apple( I rotate with the fruits sometimes I used blueberries, or bananas, or pineapple) it helps cutdown the vinegar taste of the smoothie. Sometimes I skip the fruit and add a dollop of fresh organic honey
alfalfa
fresh tumeric root
organic virgin coconut oli
apple cider vinger with the mother
fresh ginger
spirulina
some green leafy veggie
carrots
organic none synthetic vitamin powder such as Animal Essentials (but since you are still feeding kibble you don’t need this since kibble has the synthetic vitamens and you don’t want to over do it)
calcium supplement (again since you still feed kibble this is not required)

Keep in mind that once you start incorporating fruit which is high in sugar teeth brushing is even more essential for your pup

[Jen K]

My little guy’s sensitive to chicken so I switched him to turkey and he was doing well on it for a while (probably about a year) and then he became sensitive to that as well. My vet says that’s relatively common. Now we’re trying rabbit and will hopefully be able to rotate with beef to avoid further intolerances but one step at a time :). I’ve decided to try Natures Veriety raw and he LOVES it so far and him symptoms (diarrhea) are quickly improving. Try not to worry too much, if there’s one thing my little guy tought me it’s to take one day at a time :). Also, there’s tons of options! From fish to kangaroo even! You’ll be able to find things that work!Hope all is well with your fur baby. I know this is an old thread but still wanted to chime in.

[Parul S]

Should apples be given raw or cooked to dogs? We recently rescued a 1 year old Australian Cattle dog mix and I would like to improve her diet. She has only ever eaten kibble and I can tell she doesn’t like it but doesn’t know any better. So far I have given her a bite or 2 of raw Apple, banana, coconut oil, boiled sweet potato, raw carrots, frozen green peas, frozen blueberries, raw chicken skin, cucumber and boiled egg with shell. She has loved every new addition. Any inputs would be welcome. She is 42 pounds, very energetic and the love of our lives. We are first time dog owners and would really like to do right by her.

[Cannoli]

Hi Crystal,

A premdade raw will not ensure you have healthy puppies with no defects.

Genetic testing of the parents and grandparents along with hip dysplasia, thyroid imbalances, and any tests required for health problems associated with labradors going back to the grandparents would be the best bet.

[Cannoli]

Hi Tides,

I am not a fan of giving whole bones to my pup. No matter how much i tried teaching him to chew correctly he stubbornly chomps and swallows.

Your pup is 11lbs he might crack his tooth on that bone. Instead you can make a nice beef marrow broth and add it to the raw food. Although you probably won’t get the required calcium from the broth you can supplement it with calcium products from Amazon like calcium seaweed, bone calcium, egg shells, or ground soft bones that are finely ground. Ask your butcher to see if he can ground up some soft bones for your pup

In short you can feed raw without actually give your pup whole bones. I have been doing it for two years now.

Best of luck

[SummerRainAussies]

I agree with both zcRiley and Elaine. Raw food is the best to eliminate allergies but it is not an option for all. There are plenty of premixed raw formulas but a unbalanced raw diet is worse than even an average kibble.
I have a girl that was really itchy. Things that really helped my girl other than her homemade raw diet include Brags apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, fish oil, and a good probiotic.

[Susan]

Hi Tides, gee your a good mum, it’s really good to see people feeding their dogs what their digestive tract is meant to digest & feed a Raw healthy diet even if 1 meal is raw & the other meal a dry kibble your still on the right track..
If your on Face Book join & follow “Rodney Habib” F/B page, he posted a video a couple of months ago “How to make your own balanced dog food in 3 easy steps” link posted below…Rodney has heaps of good information about feeding a healthy diet also what’s in our kibbles, how to work out the carbohydrate % & the little tricks these kibble companies do to trick us into buying their kibble & how to read the ingredient list & work out what brand kibbles are better..
If your girl cant eat chicken & turkey just be careful adding egg shell & slowly introduce just in case…
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-make-your-own-balanced-dog-food-in-3-easy-steps.html

[Acroyali]

Hi Tides:

http://dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html

Here’s a nice article on adding fresh foods to a commercial diet.
I’m not sure if your dog could tolerate eggs since he’s so allergic to chicken. Personally, I wouldn’t risk it. I wouldn’t concern myself with the variety needed for a stand-alone raw diet if he’s still getting some commercial foods.
Beef bones aren’t the best option for consumable bones, however letting him gnaw on bones would help keep his teeth clean. The only dogs around here who don’t get recreational chew bones (beef bones) are those who chew aggressively, so much that chipping teeth is an issue.
Though I don’t feed it a lot, green beef tripe is an absolute hit in this house and the acidic nature helps keep their teeth clean, as well as all the great enzymes helping digestion. As long as the butcher gets it from a good source, I’d take him up on his offer, it sounds great!
Hope this helps get your plan off the ground!

[tides]

A couple of links about the dangers of bone obstruction and/or general dangers of raw meat/dietary guidelines actually doesn’t help very much. I want to supplement my dog’s food, rather than replace the kibble entirely, and I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t already discussed the option with her vet AND done a fair amount of research myself. I’m looking for guidelines when the vast majority of raw diet/raw supplements discusses chicken and turkey as primary food sources and my pup can’t have them.

[tides]

My dog – an 11 lb rescue who is probably a Lhasa/Yorkie mix – does okay on kibble, but I want to supplement with raw/do raw food several times a week. I think it would do her well, especially as she gets a little older.

The biggest issue that I have is the fact that she’s very allergic to chicken, raw or cooked. When I first adopted her, I took her to multiple vets to figure out what was going on because she was so sick. Eventually, moving her to an expensive salmon-only kibble cleared everything up. I worked with that vet extensively and she does well with fish, pork, and beef, but anything with poultry tends to foul things up. Duck is iffy, but turkey and chicken are absolute no-gos. (When I adopted her from the shelter, her fur was falling out because the shelter only had one kind of kibble. As far as I know, until I took her in, she had food that made her ill.)

Right now I have her on a good beef kibble (Kirkland) that’s doing good by her. However, I’d like to supplement this with good raw food. However, I’m not sure how to approach the softy meaty bones side of things when she can’t eat poultry bones without needing an emergency vet visit (skin issues + vomiting + diarrhea). I also don’t own a meat grinder, but do have an amazing butcher, who already has a whole dog section, including organs, human-grade scraps, tripe, and marrow bones. I worry that beef marrow bones are a big/dangerous option for a little dog.

Any advice on getting this on?

[anonymous]

It’s not about finding the right food. What you are feeding sounds fine, especially if the lab work came back good. I would cut the amount of kibble you are feeding in half (1/3rd cup twice a day with a topper) if your vet approves.
Maybe try a grain-free kibble such as Nutrisca. In my experience, small breeds don’t do well with raw.
Do you have health insurance for your dog? I ask because I think from the information you have provided that your dog might benefit from aquatic therapy (swimming). If your vet prescribes it for weight loss it may be covered.
One minute of swimming is equal to four minutes of running and it’s easy on the joints, plus he will get the benefits that exercise can provide, such as weight loss, improved mood, etc.

[Susan]

Hi, my kitten eats a raw diet, at first she wouldn’t touch turkey pre-made frozen… he may just like the more leaner white meats with less blood etc, have you tried kangaroo dogs all love kangaroo but kangaroo taste more meaty & is a stronger meat, I didn’t like it, look at trying Rabbit, Goat, Pork, white meats…..
Is this Pre-made frozen raw your feeding or home made raw?? My kitten wouldn’t eat the Pre-made Raw patties plus when I smelt them they didn’t smell like raw meat should smell, I think I wouldn’t of eaten it as well…. can you take them back? I bought frozen pre-made patties & contacted the company on their Face Book page & they said take back & exchange & try the Rabbit instead but she still wasn’t fussed about the rabbit either, I think it was the brand of raw, so now I buy the fridge chilled raw, its not frozen & she loves it.. I just put in the freezer & freeze it & smells like meat should smell..

[Shyla S]

Hi All,

I have a shichon ( Mix of Bichon and Shitzu) 4 years old weighing 23lbs. He has started developing arthiritis in the hip area.

The vet has put him on Metacam and Joint Plus glucosamine HCL liquid form and has suggested that he should lose 5 lbs to come to 18lbs.

His thyroid is fine and blood work came clean. I give him boiled chicken and 3/4th cup kibbles twice a day.

kindly suggest any raw diet which has helped in losing weight. He does not like any meat other than chicken and yes baby carrots.

[Susan]

Hi, for her weight is she being walked daily & throwing a ball in a park is good excercise, you just stand there & they do all the work running after the ball… My boy gets walked 2-3 times a day mainly cause I live in a unit/villa, he’s 8yrs old looks good, no joint problems (yet), I put it down to exercise being active & a lean diet, have you tried raw diet? dogs & cats love raw or freeze dried raw like “Ziwi Peak” when my boy was on raw he lost too much weight, probably cause he wasn’t getting all the carbs you get in kibbles….
I had a boxer before Patch & she was the same, she’d just look at food & put on weight, she ate 1/2 of what my Staffy Patch eats & he loses weight very quickly but he’s more active then my boxer was..

[crazy4cats]

Hi Barb C-
We give our dogs a bully stick once a week. They are aggressive chewers, therefore we put the sticks in a vice grip so they do not try to swallow them without chewing them up. They are 5-1/2 years old and have not had an issue with them. They’re a little stinky and they love them! Rawhide scares me and I’ve never given it to them. Hope this helps!

[EDITH S]

CAN YOU ADD THE KEFIR TO YOUR DOGS FOOD. I MAKE MY RAW DIET DOG FOOD FOR MY FRENCHIE AND WANT TO GIVE HER KEFIR TO FIX HER YEASTY PROBLEM.SHES NOT TO HAPPY WITH IT PLAIN AND JUST WANT TO KNOW IF I CAN PUT IN HER FOOD.