[theBCnut]

Salmon need to be frozen at low temps for about 3 weeks before being fed to kill the parasites, then you can feed it raw.

[Kathy N]

Becca..which commercial raw company’s are you using???? as I stated before OC Raw,North West Naturals, Natures Variety does not use any thyroid ,gullet ,trims in their mixes………

[Becca]

I feed my two dogs commercial, still battling with getting my dogs better, one is doing well the other is struggling. I emailed the company I buy raw from and asked if the thyroid meat was in any of the mixes with or without bone and the variety mixes. the answer was they might.

[Lily H]

Michael M, I bought the BRB complete and I actually thought of putting it in a small fridge in the garage because of the foul smell. My dog’s stools are also very dark and soft… I have fed raw to other dogs and never had an issue with the smell and after reading all the negatives, I am very concerned. I also bought enough for about 1 1/2 months worth of food o not terribly happy. Not sure why people think it’s reasonably priced as I thought the complete diet quite pricey.

[Cannoli]

I agree with Suzanne…raw salmon is a big no-no. Unless it’s sushi grade..Those are the only rare instances I feed my dog raw salmon when I order a sashimi platter otherwise store bought or wild fish caught salmon is not sushi grade and may have pathogens in it.

[Suzanne W]

Look up feeding raw salmon. Often fatal. Just takes once. Or any fish that swims upstream to breed for that matter). Just saying… Perfect food, just cook it

[Andrew B]

Hey, thanks for this recipe. Do you know the salmon recipe for dog food? Need to know, I just feed my dog with raw salmon pet food and now I’m thinking that he is bored of eating the same thing every time so I want to spice it up little. Thanks in advance!!!!

[Jenn H]

When my girl was having GI issues her specialist said to stop giving her raw anything. He says the bacteria in the raw aggregates the intestines. She hasn’t had any raw food or goat milk in 3 months and is doing the best she’s been in more than a yr.
My dogs aren’t on a 100% raw diet. They get some raw fairly regularly. But they are all on commercial foods.

[Jenn H]

First of all dogs & foxes are not the same animal.
Secondly, I’m very sure if given the choice between canned food and lentils the wild canines will choose the can. And given their longer canine teeth will have no problem opening it.
They will choose that because it will be what they instinctively know to be the more nutritious food. A smaller amount of meat is better than a bunch of beans & vegetables. (Granted they’ll probably eat that after. Dogs always eat the best part first.)
If it were possible and reasonable for me to do homemade I would, but I promise you it wouldn’t be vegetarian/vegan. Despite my disgust w/ raw meat.
I am more careful about what goes into my dogs’ bodies than anything else in my life. They eat far better than I. And when I have to choose between me eating and them getting less quality you bet your ass I don’t eat. Not even a thought.
(Thankfully those times haven’t come along in a good while.)
I have as many yrs in this world as you and don’t listen to the latest & greatest. I do what I know to be right. When something proves to be better than that I go with it.

With a lot of time, research, interrogation I know exactly where and how my dogs’ food is sourced and made.
Human food gets recalled too.
Unless I raised & grew the ingredients myself there would be no way to avoid all risk 100%. That’s just a fact of life. Like feeding meat protein to dogs.

[Rick Dunn]

No disrespect intended here but unfortunately Jakes_Mom “A healthy dog eating appropriate food does not need vitamin supplements.” could not be more wrong.

Even the best researched, sourced and prepared foods either commercially available or homemade (which includes raw diets) fall short in all of the essential vitamins, minerals, metals and nutrients that a dog is intended to have in it’s body by nature. Subsequently their bodies become out of balance which in turn compromises their immune systems. This is a proven fact and just can not be disputed, justified or excused away by anyone.

Proper supplementation brings the body back into balance and allows the immune system go back to its normal level. You can deny this all you wish… my statements are factual, backed by scientific research and proven in dogs for more than 30 years.

What is a Supplement?

Pet supplements are defined as either dietary or therapeutic supplements. Dietary supplements (also called dietary nutrients) are substances added to pet foods to make them nutritionally complete and balanced. Therapeutic supplements (also called nutraceuticals) are foods or food nutrients that are taken orally to provide a health benefit, either for prevention or treatment of disease. To have this therapeutic effect, a nutraceutical is usually taken in a larger dose than the daily requirement of that same food when used as a nutrient.

What is Dr Kruger Pet Supplements?

It is the only complete supplement on the market, covering all aspects of a dog’s health. Dr Kruger Pet Supplements naturally correct commercial, home made and natural pet food’s deficiencies in three crucial ways by adding essential vitamins and minerals, important digestive enzymes for complete food absorption, and beneficial intestinal bacteria to supercharge the immune system. Each formulation has additional ingredients to focus on those particular areas of the pets health that it is deficient in.

Our formulas meet the specific needs of your pet through each stage of life. Whether your dog is a puppy, adult or senior; one that is active, in show or spends most of his time indoors, there is a Dr Kruger Pet Supplements formula that is just right for his needs.

Why use Dr Kruger Pet Supplements?

Since 1986 our supplements have been alleviating gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, loose stools, vomiting and gas as well as itchy skin, hot spots, shedding and allergies. Our Supplements will help with both occasional and chronic digestive problems such as bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), toxic gut syndrome (TGS), torsion, sensitive stomach, inflamed bowel, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Other conditions helped by our supplements include allergies, arthritis, inflamed joints, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) and a host of others.

Dr Kruger Pet Supplements, when used daily provide the necessary vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, digestive enzymes, microbes and other probiotics for the health of your pet. Made from all natural ingredients, Dr. Kruger’s Supplements provide a holistic approach to your pets health helping your dog or cat absorb more nutrients from their diet. When used in combination with a healthy, organic food, Dr. Kruger’s Supplements ensure better health through better digestion… naturally!

Dr. Kruger’s approach was to address the “Whole Dog” not just a symptom, this is why our supplements work so well. Everyday Health Formula is in ALL of our Formulas as the foundation; we then add specific elements to address and make up the additional Formulas we offer. The final reason our Formulas have worked for so many years is Dr. Kruger knew that a dogs health requirements will change over it’s lifetime. He developed his Formulas to address those changes from the beginning of life through the twilight years.

Puppy & Pregnancy Formula
Everyday Health Formula
Healthy Skin & Coat Formula
High Performance Formula
Healthy Skin & Coat Formula
Healthy Joint Formula
Senior Health Formula

All of our ingredients are:

Human Grade
Non-GMO
All Natural
Sourced in the USA Only
Manufacture in the USA
There are NO Fillers in our Formulas; our Formulas are dosed by the dogs food intake as that is the only true way to know how much supplementation should be administered.

The importance of healthy digestion is critical to overall health of your pet. That is why we recommend that at least the Everyday Health Formula to be a consistent supplement to your pets food every day!

We prove this EVERY SINGLE DAY!

[Olga M]

Please peruse the science behind domestication and evolution. The research was done on foxes, it’s worth noting that only within 10 years those that become like pets not only does their disposition change, but also the color of their coat, and even the length of their canines change. You can read the article at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763232/ Animal evolution during domestication: the domesticated fox as a model
Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats. Each year, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized (1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats).
When someone expresses the opinion, “If you can’t find a way to compartmentalize your extreme beliefs and doing the best thing for your pet, then a carnivorous/omnivorous animal is not for you.” I’m pretty certain dogs in the wild don’t open canned dog food. Pedigree and other kibble filled with mystery meat and grain and canned dog food is not good nutrition for dogs. However, if they are being cared for and loved it’s better than the alternative. So, anyone who believes in vegan, vegetarian, raw meat or kibble for their companion animals is the best food for them, then by all means adopt them. Don’t let anyone tell you that they are not an animal for you. Like most parents, you will do the best you can with the information you have. I’ve been around long enough to know that what is preached one year as the most nutritious food ever, will be debunked the next.

After having large dogs that have lived long healthy lives, free of disease, I stand by my own research that they do extremely well on a vegetarian/vegan diet. If you are not comfortable with that, then occasionally give them a bit of raw, free range, organic meat and or fish. Mostly, love and exercise with them and you will both have a great life together.

Living a vegan lifestyle is not a new fad, it’s been around for many years. I’ve been a vegetarian, and a vegan for over 40 years. You have to put some thought into a decent diet for yourself and your much-loved dogs. My dogs eat similar food to what we eat, that includes lentils or other beans, organic veggies and never anything synthetic. If I won’t eat it or feed it to a child, then I will not feed it to my four paws kids. I am repeatedly questioned about the shiny coat my 140 lbs Mastiff and 70 lbs Lab mix have. Seeing is believing.

[Mary Susan S]

We have two bichons. One of them (now almost 12) has been diagnosed with allergies ever since she was two, and the baby of the family (now three) may be developing them. We want to feed them the same kibble in any case. The senior dog’s allergies got worse last year, and we started looking at a food component for the first time.

We have the joy and trouble of having a very particular veterinary allergist. She wanted originally to sell us a prescription diet, which “is not rated due to its intentional therapeutic design” here on the DFA. But the ingredient list speaks volumes: “Dried potato, venison meal, coconut oil, potato protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, natural flavors, vegetable oil, fish oil, ….” I dug my heels in. Luckily for me, they had added the hydrolyzed soy protein when my allergist’s back was turned. Supposedly, this doesn’t trigger allergies the way plain soy does, but I could claim principle. Really, I objected to feeding my dogs potatoes flavored with venison!

At that point, the doctor wanted us to cook for our dogs, which I also refused to do on the grounds that I don’t cook for us, either. However, if you are willing to do so, you will definitely know what your dog is getting. With otc kibbles, apparently, you don’t, not really. Even a high-quality company (one that actually makes their own kibble) probably makes different formulas on the same equipment, and might or might not clean thoroughly enough in-between runs. My allergist knows of a website that helps with balanced recipes for dogs, and if you like, I could find out what it is.

But we forged onward, valiantly. Our allergist likes Champion because they make their own kibble and in general maintain very high quality. So first I went for ACANA Lamb & Okanagan Apple Singles Formula. However, doc cited research at Cornell that a diet limited to lamb is linked to heart disease in dogs. Pork is a common allergen, too, so we first picked a rabbit-only kibble that did fine in terms of allergies but had our younger dog eating dirt. I wish Acana made Singles in the more unusual meats, like venison! But we then tried Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash, and fortunately, our dogs seem to be doing well enough on it. (Yes, on top of drugs — Atopica — for our senior dog.)

It’s been rough, because our babies like their treats and kongs and such. The only “limited diet” canned food I’ve been able to find that my allergist didn’t promptly dismiss out of hand is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet. (Although I have to confess, she really wants us to go with baby food. Sadly, the only single-protein baby food we could find was too runny to keep inside a kong.) At least rabbit or pork (and nothing else) treats have been findable on Chewy.com, although they’re expensive.

The key to what you’re doing is to know your kibble ingredient list, cross your fingers and hope that that is actually all that’s in the bag, and not buy anything else. No treats from the table (except for steamed or raw vegetables), that sort of thing. (Oddly, peanut butter was fine with a veterinary allergist!) Oh was there joy in this house when we got to the point of adding cheese back into the dogs’ diet!

Be especially careful with eggs, by the way, because it’s in just about all the quality foods (like the Fromm brand you’re talking about), and is apparently a very common allergen. We probably won’t ever try putting it back. You need to go at least two months with a given set of foods before adding anything, and then one at a time.

I hope this helps, especially the warning about an all-lamb diet. Unfortunately, I don’t have an actual citation for it.

[Michelle B]

GRAPES ARE BAD FOR DOGS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOXIC!!! THEY COULD CAUSE KIDNEY FAILURE!!! IT IS NOT AN “ALLERGY”!!!

Even if your dog ate grapes before and was “fine,” that doesn’t mean that they’re somehow immune. It is possible to have kidney damage without symptoms. The effect is accumulative. So if you keep feeding them grapes, eventually the damage to your dog’s kidneys would be great enough to cause renal failure.

It is the actual flesh of the grape that is toxic to dogs, not the seed, as some people think. Grapeseed extract is safe for dogs, so that tells you that it is not the seed that is bad for dogs. Grapes (all varieties, seedless or not), raisins, grape jelly/jam, grape juice are toxic to dogs (and cats). It is difficult to say how much could cause a dog to become seriously ill, or even kill them, so it is safest to call your vet ASAP (or take them to an emergency clinic after hours).

Garlic is okay in small amounts (some dog foods & treats contain garlic). But unless you know the safe dose for your dog’s weight, do not feed them homemade foods or treats with garlic!

Onions are also toxic to dogs, but again, are okay in small doses (but don’t feed to your dogs if you don’t know how much is safe!).

A dog would have to eat a lot (relative to their weight) of MILK CHOCOLATE (for example, my 60 lb dog would have to eat 1kg of milk chocolate to become seriously ill). If it is dark chocolate, baker’s chocolate, or cocoa powder however, a very small amount (1 tbsp for my dog) could kill them! Here is a great calculator to help you decide whether you should take your dog to the vet or not: http://www.petmd.com/dog/chocolate-toxicity

From what I’ve read, avocados are not actually toxic to dogs or cats (they ARE toxic to birds & other animals though). The risk is that your dog may swallow that giant avocado seed in the center. They could choke on it, or it could block their digestion system, which would require surgery.

As for meat bones, it’s an evaluation of risk and reward that every dog guardian needs to make their own choice about. Large, weight-bearing bones (such as large leg bones from cattle or pigs) are more likely to chip or break a tooth. Chicken or turkey bones are less likely to cause injury to teeth. I like to give my dogs chicken wings or turkey vertebrae to chew on. NEVER give your dogs cooked bones!!! Raw bones are safer b/c they will not splinter like cooked bones would! But raw bones could be risky if you have a young child, elderly person, or anyone with immunity issues in the home, or in contact with the dog. Antlers are a possible alternative for dogs with allergies (but again, chipping or breaking a tooth is possible).

[Susan]

Hi Marina, did they also do biopsies?? I wonder how they found the Sliding Hernia & how the knew Sphincter is loose?? when Patch has Endoscope they did 2 biopsies & said everything looked excellent, biopsies showed he has Lymphocytic Gastritis with associated spiral bacteria infection (Helicobacter-pylori) after meds Patch still regurgitated raw & cooked meals & gets bad acid reflux after regurgitating the food into his mouth…. kibble is the only food that stays down when he burps but kibble gives him acid reflux sometimes. I’m learning it’s best to give lower carb, low fiber & low fat kibble & limited ingredients & some meals cooked, I feed 4 small meals a day…..Was Beans put on any ant acid medications like a pump proton inhibitor (PPI) Losec or Reglan to move the food along & out of stomach quicker ?
I have Barretts Esophagus & was put on Motilium & Somac a PPI, 80mg a day that’s a very high dose but it stopped my bad reflux, the Motilium didn’t really work, I didn’t notice anything great happening also Patch was put on Motilium you have Reglan in America, the Motilium gave Patch a bad fermenting smell coming up from the stomach into his mouth & vet said Stop the Molitium….. I cant lay down to sleep, I have to sleep sitting up & cant bend over after eating, its awful, I feel for Beans & Patch….I make sure Patches bed is raised where his head goes, so his bum is lower then his head & if he turns around in his sleep, I move the pillow under his head so its raised…. I’m glad you had the Endoscope done, you feel relieved when you get some answers….
Please post what works for beans in his diet…. I’ve just been rotating & changing Patches kibble every month for some reason he cant stay on the same kibble for more then 1 month….

[Bobby dog]

Hi Cannoli:
UC Davis Vet School does amino acid analysis and taurine level blood tests:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmb/labs/aal/index.cfm

However, in addition to any tests I would have my dog’s diet evaluated to determine if it was balanced. If the diet is not balanced catching that early on would hopefully avoid any health issues. You can find nutritional evaluation services at some Vet schools.

Here’s a nutrition service that will evaluate raw and home cooked diets:
http://petnutritionconsulting.com/

Here’s the ACVN directory:
http://www.acvn.org/directory/

[Jenn H]

To finally finish answering your question from yesterday…
When my pup had continued soft stool/diarrhea the probios, pumpkin helped a lot. I was also giving him about 4 oz of goat milk/day. Raw or Meyenburg. Whatever I had.
Sometimes he got soft stool from excitement. If he had a particularly busy or fun day. Sometimes he got too many treats. If he ate someone else’s food he would really get it.
Once he checked out clean I began transitioning his food. No problems since!

I would first try either a digestive enzyme or grain free food.

If neither works consider a food with a little less protein or fat. Puppies need these nutrients so try not to take them down too much. Continue with the enzyme/probio until transitioned. Then see what happens when you cut back on those supplements.

Cooked WHITE rice that can also be helpful. Save the water it was cooked in and add to food or water as well.

Some people like bone broth. I haven’t tried that. I think The Honest Kitchen also has that.

[anonymously]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=lab+work

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

Some good information at this site regarding raw and homemade diets, lab work etc.

[Cannoli]

So what sort of tests do you all recommend after having a dog on raw along with home cooked food.

I was thinking of maybe doing a stool sample every 4 months to confirm if he has any parasites from the raw food I feed him. Is this valid or am I just wasting my money?

How about blood tests to make sure my pup is not deficient in any nutrients. Do you recommend those too?

[theBCnut]

The canned food is not converted to dry matter. Your cat may have to eat a greater volume of food when it eats raw or canned because of the water content, but it’s actually getting more protein.

[C4D]

Hi jenne e,

jakes mom is right. If your vet did a needle aspiration and said it was a lipoma, I would just leave it alone. Lipomas are not cancerous, some vets don’t even like to call them “fatty tumors” because it gives people the impression of being a cancerous or dangerous condition. My dogs have had them and my current older lab has a couple of small ones. My vet also recommends leaving them unless it becomes a comfort or mobility issue.

There are various theories as to what actually causes them. Some breeds, like Labs, seem to be more genetically prone to them. Middle age and overweight are often other contributing factors. Some of the more natural, holistic vets think it might be linked to toxins in the body. I have no scientific proof, but after my first Lab mix had several lipomas as he aged, and my current senior Lab started developing a couple of small lipomas (definitively diagnosed) I have started feeding fresher foods, including fresh meat and premix and/or commercial raw as a part of the daily meals. Her lipomas have stayed very small. I’m not sure what you’re feeding now, but better, fresher food is better for the dog’s health overall. It may not help prevent lipomas, but it will improve the dog’s general health.

[mark f]

Great job guys. Now I know I can feed my dog raw pork, crock pot cooked pork, sub zero frozen pork (after 2 weeks or, no pork at all. But I could be taking a risk that my dog may get trichinosis and have a hard time passing the spelling B when he gets to 2nd grade. Will he still
be good at math? So much for the question…”Pork? Yes or, No?” Seems that perhaps a more specific question would have been more suitable for this group?

[haleycookie]

I have some more questions. Since I’m switching to just canned and raw from kibble and canned and raw I was just wondering exactly how cat’s get all the protein they need from just canned and raw because when I look at the GA on the kibble I feed it’s 44% protein but the raw doesn’t even make it to 20% and the cans are around 10%-13%. So will my cat’s protein intake go down if I cut the kibble all the way out? It’s probably a silly question because I know a wet diet is better then kibble and cats shouldn’t even have kibble, but if anyone could explain the protein thing to me I’d be appreciative.

[C4D]

Are you feeding a commercial raw diet that’s complete and balanced or a homemade raw diet? Have you tried the dehydrated raw diets that you add water, like Grandma Lucy’s or The Honest Kitchen?

[zcRiley]

They need lean protein and lots of it. And a whole lot more exercise. My boys walk, frisbee, fetch and swim daily. ZiwiPeak lamb formula is a complete raw diet that my AmStaffs thrived on. No mixing or freezing or adding supplements.

[Janine F]

I have one dog, Am Staff, that wants veggies instead of meat. Both my dogs were on a raw diet, one ate it, the other stopped eating it. Give her veggies and she gobbles it up. They are both overweight. Please, any food recommendations are appreciated. Thanks.

[haleycookie]

I need some advice. I have three cats and I feed NV instinct dry 1/4 cup per cat in the morning. I have about two weeks amount left and will start using what I feed at night in the morning and night so I don’t have to feed dry anymore. What I do at night is take a can of either wellness core, instinct, weruva, or lotus and I mix a third of a can per cat with a 3/4 a cup of instinct commercial raw and a sprinkle of fresh pet chicken and oceanfish refrigerated food. I just wanted to know if it’s ok to mix it with water. When I have the raw in a measuring cup I put hot water from the tap to help it thaw faster and warm up Cus my kitties are picky. Does this take away from the nutrients? I know heating raw up kinda defeats the purpose of feeding raw. Is the hot water ok to use?

[Jamie H]

Green Dog Naturals. And Veronika, you are insane. A vegan diet for a canine is biologically inappropriate and irresponsible to recommend. First of all, you cite Bramble as an example. That has been disputed by a number of people because first of all, Bramble was a rescue and no one knows exactly how old Bramble was because she was a rescue (also, was she a “vegan” prior to being placed in her forever home?). Second, this is going on solely what the owner says. Third, sometimes it’s just in the luck of the draw, just like with the people who drink and smoke and eat red meat all their lives and live to 100. One dog having an inordinate life span is hardly enough evidence to start endorsing vegan diets for dogs. What do wolves in the wild eat? Coyotes? Sure a certain percentage of their diets are probably plant based, but I’d be willing to bet the house that the majority of their diet is meat. And by the way, Bramble actually wasn’t the oldest dog on record. That was actually Bluey, an Australian Cattle Dog who lived to be 29 years, 5 months and ate kangaroo and emu.

[Olga M]

I will draw you back to my original post, “Here is a story on Care2.com
Have you heard about the veggie-eating dog who lived to the ripe age of 27? That’s 189 dog years!

The dog, Bramble, a blue merle Collie, lived in the UK and held the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living dog at the time. What’s most amazing about this story is that the dog actually lived on a vegan diet of rice, lentils and organic vegetables. She ate once a day and exercised a lot.

The owner of the dog, Anne Heritage, was a vegan herself. She just fed Bramble a big bowl of vegan dinner every evening. She explains that Bramble “is an inspiration and [he] just goes to show that if you eat the right things and keep on exercising you can extend your life”. This story shows that dogs CAN thrive on such a diet.

My own story is, our buddies who are a 140 lb Mastiff and a 70 lb Lab mix. I make for them balanced vegetarian meals and add a little kibble. Previously, I had a Shepherd who lived to age 17. I think kibble is as healthy as packaged dry food is for humans. So, I know dogs can live a healthy life eating vegetarian food. However, you have to put time into making meals for your four legged children, just as you do for yourself.

This forum is a back-and-forth, as everyone has an opinion they are defending. I’ll leave with a word from Isaac Bashevis Singer, “People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times.”

I made the choice to be vegan because I will not eat, wear (including leather, wool, angora, etc.) or use anything that has felt the pain and suffering of being in captivity and the terror of being abused and put to death. We don’t live in a survival mode, in the wild with our dogs. So as for me and my family, I choose to not eat or feed on a tortured, antibiotic and hormone laden corpse.

[JEN R]

I have been feeding my dog raw primal food and switch the proteins every few weeks. I have given her pork a few times without a problem. This last time she became very ill on it with horrible uncontrollable diarrhea.I had 2 trips to the vet and after a week she was put on antibiotics for the stomach to sooth the damage done by so much irritation from her runs. I fasted her for 24 hours but when reintroducing the pork she again became very ill. I like the primal company but their bags are compromised at times so pay close attention to both the date on bag and discoloration of the raw burgers or ice in it. Mine were dark and light streaked colors which they should not be, and the bag only had a month left till it expired.Also pieces of ice in it. I hope primal will refund me as the pet store would not. I feel so bad I fed her a food I trusted that made her sick. Make sure you get a bag that has at least 6 months till it expires. I just bought rabbit and there is a year that it is good for. My dog does well with rabbit.

[Samantha S]

What about NW natural raw dog foods?

[anonymously]

How about a whole raw carrot? You could even freeze it first, the cold would be soothing to his teeth. Don’t be alarmed if you see carrot chunks in his feces, they don’t digest carrots well, but it doesn’t hurt them (one carrot per day).
I would start brushing his teeth once a day to get him used to it. Small breeds tend to have lousy teeth and you may be able to avoid a professional cleaning or two.
I like Petrodex 6.2 oz tube (chewy.com) and a medium brush, see YouTube for how to videos.

[Cannoli]

Totally agree but due to my fears I don’t feed exclusively Hare Today. I rotate between Hare, RealRaw, and my local grocery store. Since I have never gotten sick from eating steak tartare from my local grocer I figure my dog won’t either haha.

[Pitlove]

Marie, I agree! We need to go with what works for our dogs. I guess my other half of the point that I did not state was, that when people are looking for advice because they haven’t found a solution (like we have), it gets confusing and aggravating when you are trying all the ideas presented on the internet and none of them are working because in reality none of them are based on fact.

Dr. Becker’s videos on yeast used to be my favorite and go to for help. I tried to get Bentley on the lowest carb food I could afford, went grain free (in fact he ate grain free for most of his life), etc. He continued to suffer because that information was not factual and does not work to treat Malassezia. I am actually very thankful that I can still feed kibble/canned with success because I am not in a position to feed raw or homecooked. And Primal (which is just about the only raw food we have a work now) is far too expensive, and I have concerns about using it long term.

[InkedMarie]

Hi Pitlove!
No idea what I removed that worked but it did. He was on one Cal Nat food for years then the issue came back. We tried numerous foods; my holistic vet wanted me to try raw with no fruits or veggies and it worked.
I’m not against research but *for me*, if something works, that’s good enough for me. I’m not arguing, just stating what’s important to me. If raw hadn’t worked for Boone, I’d have tried something else. He’s 10 now & I pray for at least 5 more healthy years!

[Pitlove]

Hi Marie-

Sounds like when you switched over to raw you unknowingly removed what was triggering your dogs yeast. Glad to hear it’s still working so well.

Don’t know why you are so against research but my point was not to argue that raw can’t work or grain free can’t work. It was to say that if you feed both of those diets but are also feeding what triggers the allergies and thus the yeast, it will not go away.

[Cannoli]

Hi All.

Lately I have been ordering more and more raw food online from the following websites such as Hare Today Gone Tomorrow and real raw dog food. Specifically I order their mixed grinds which represents a complete meal of ground organs, bones, and meat.

As silly as this sounds I always worry about what I feed my pup. I wonder if dogfoodadvisor would ever think of reviewing the meals plans that this raw food online companies provide? Sometimes I wonder if these companies do provided exactly what they state. Like how do we know that they are indeed providing organic none GMO grasss fed beef. Just because their website states doesn’t mean that what they state is truthful

[InkedMarie]

My pbgv had yeast issues and has had no issues since going on a raw diet (no produce). I personally don’t need clinical proof, studies or anything else. I only know that this is what worked for my dog.

[Jazzlover]

Yes, this is the Dip I use, however because Jazz is a black lab it’s advised to NOT use the peroxide as a dip because it can bleach the black fur per Dr. Karen Becker. Watch this one it’s full of insight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl_X1I1GJ1Q.

I do believe Jazz very well may be allergic to grass and that could be exasperating the yeast. I had switched from Orijen Adult to Acana limited ingredient initially thinking he could be allergic to chicken. Unfortunately, I just found out that the Acana limited has more carbs then Orijen (& the yeast became worse) – Orijen Tundra has ~17.5% carbs (the least of all in their lines). I’ve always fed grain-free and now trying low-glycemic. Going raw for a 90lb papa is not affordable sadly w/ 2 teenage boys in the house.

I’m open to other healthy toppers or 1 raw day if someone has suggestions!

~Thanks

Thanks for the cream info!

[Pitlove]

Hi Jazzlover-

I would have a look back at Aimee’s posts in this thread. She has it completely right about yeast. There is far too much misformation on the internet about yeast and some of it is even perpecuated by vets like Dr. Becker.

As Aimee mentioned previously, carbs DO NOT in fact feed yeast. Yeast infections are secondary to a primary cause. For instance in my pitbulls case, his hypersensitivities to certain ingredients in food like beef and duck cause him to get yeast infections under his nail beds, inbetween his digits and in his ears. He also has break outs around his mouth like acne and his mouth and inbetween his digits gets bright red and raw.

My boy has been completely yeast free for a few months now and he is not on raw and he is not on grain free. Raw and grain free are not automatically “anti-yeast” diets. Very common misconception that has been put out there on the internet as truth. Not all dogs need to go to raw or grain free to have their yeast issues solved. The key to treating yeast overgrowth is to find out the primary cause/trigger of the yeast overpopulation. Your dog naturally has yeast all over his/her body, but when something (like hypersensititivies or allergies) suppresses the immune system the body is off balance and can no longer keep the yeast from overpopulating. My dog does well on foods that have fish as the animal protein source and no wheat. He can eat other grains though without issue.

Also the only thing that has been clinically proven to kill yeast are shampoos that contain chlorhexidine gluconate, like Malaseb. There is no clinical proof that ACV kills yeast.

I’d like to add also that it will be much more difficult to treat the yeast if the primary trigger is environmental.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by Pitlove.

[Susan]

Jazzlover, Malassezia (Yeast infection) can also be brought on by environment allergies, mites, pollen, trees, grasses etc specially the ears… Witch hazel can make the ears worse as it can burn the skin….
Karen Helton Rhodes is a Dermatologist & is a regular on a face book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” if you need any advice..
Here’s one of her “Facts & Myths about yeast Dermatitis in dogs” links, you will be surprise some things your doing can be making your dog worse…

I use Hydrocortisone 1% cream or the Mometasone Furoate ointment 0.1% for red paws & red itchy skin, I check everything at night & lightly apply the cream, for the ears “Zymox” otic ear drops work the best for Patch…

The only way a dog gets yeasty skin from foods, is if he’s allergic to grains & carbs, which is very rare, but Patch has sensitivities to corn, wheat, barley, potatoes, potatoes only if in a kibble, when cooked fresh he’s fine with potatoes but not much, also grain free diets are higher in starchy carbs then kibbles with grains like brown rice etc…… Patch does better on a kibble that is just Fish & Rice…. Rodney Habib posted a post the other day about all the hype about grain free kibble & some grain free kibble have 60% starchy carb….. I really think it all depends on your dog one dog does real well on a kibble diet & some dogs do best on a raw diet…kibbles need all the carbs to bind the kibble together so if you have a dog with skin problems then kibble isn’t the best for your dog, I feed either cooked or roll meat for breakfast & kibble for dinner but I try not to feed any kibble if I can…. http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs

[Susan]

To Aracely, if your dog has gotten better after having Apple Cider Vinegar means your dog isn’t making enough stomach acid to digest his food, My boy was having bad acid reflux colitis, food sensitivities, vet said IBD… I needed to know what was wrong, so Patch had an Endoscope & Biopsies done & he had Lymphocytic Gastritis & Helicobacter-Pylori, he was put on the Triple Therapy, Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Zantac for 21 days & a gluten free vet diet Royal Canine Sensitivity Control Tapioca & Duck it gave Patch bad farts. (at the time I didn’t know Patch is sensitive to Tapioca) 1-2 weeks after finishing the triple therapy Patches acid reflux was back again & bad again probably cause of the Tapioca, so his helicobacter was back, there’s not much research on dogs with Lymphocytic Gastritis & Helicobacter-Pylori only humans, then I found Hypochlorydria it’s insufficient stomach acid being made which causes the same symptoms when you make tooo much stomach acid…. if you take Apple Cider vinegar when your making tooo much stomach acid the ACV makes the acid reflux worse, if you take ACV & feel better then your not making enough hydrochloric acid, but dogs can’t talk & tell us mum I’m feeling better… here’s a link http://nutritiongang.com/low-stomach-acidity-hypochlorhydria/#diet-impact
No starchy carbs, No foods high in Lectins, No kibbles with Beet Pulp high in fiber, low carb kibbles, doesn’t have to be grain free, gluten free diets are best & fish omega 3…. What your doing feeding a raw diet with lean white proteins are best….Raw diet made Patch regurgitate food & water back up into his mouth giving him acid reflux, so I started cooking instead…..I’m going to try the raw again…

[Aimee]

I recently got a 4-year old pure bred Brussels Griffon (11 lbs) from a breeder. The dog is in PERFECT shape for his breed! Lean and trim with plenty of energy, clear eyes and good breath, does his business regularly and eats heartily.

I work long hours Monday-Friday (typically 11-12 hour days) and I’ve been taking him to a dog sitter every day I work so he can have plenty of attention and exercise. This dog sitter also walks dogs as a business, so my dog gets to join him on a lot of those walks a few days a week, so he gets pretty great exercise. I’d say on average, he probably walks 10-16 miles a week between the sitter and myself.

I feed my dog around 1/2 a cup of very good quality (Acana) dry food in the morning and he gets a few tablespoons at night. I send him to the sitter with usually a few tablespoons of some veggie, like steamed broccoli or raw baby carrots that is his treat mid-day. He also gets usually 4 of those fresh breath chewsticks and training treats a week along with usually 1-2 bully sticks a week. Once a week I’ll give him a little peanut butter or cottage cheese too.

The sitter has his own dog that he’ll feed fruit to every day (usually melons, like honeydew) and will give my dog a few pieces usually. I don’t really like this because I want to have control over everything my dog eats… but I also know that my dog is getting a lot of exercise and it probably won’t hurt him.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think a little fruit and veggies during the day is ok? Like I said, his poops are consistent and not runny and he doesn’t seem to be gaining any weight from it.

[aquariangt]

Hi Katrina,

Kudos on starting your puppy off on clicker training early! That makes me smile

As far as homemade treats, I have a few suggestions:

First, keep it varied, will keep the dog working longer. Use some commercial stuff, use kibble samples, whatever you’ve got (within reason obviously)
Lots of fresh foods-cubed up cheese, liverwurst, brawnschweiger (im sure I misspelled that), pieces of meat…
For something to make yourself-boil chicken, add a touch of honey to the water, that makes em go crazy 🙂 or “Tuna Fudge”-canned tuna (no sodium or other additives if you can) eggs, some flour (whatever kind you wish)-bake till solid but I like to keep it soft

[Cannoli]

As much as I love feeding my dog raw or home cooked, some dogs just can’t handle raw.

I also always believe that a dog with good genetics should never be transitioned to food. It should just happen. Humans don’t need to transition from eating raw sushi one day to cooked lasagna. Neither should a pup. This transition phase is just a sign that breeders are not genetically breeding good dogs.

My pup can. I feed him all different kinds of raw and cooked proteins and switch from kibble to can to raw none stop.

Going back to your question, If I was you I would stick to the good quality kibble you were normally feeding them. Then throughout the week just top his kibble with some good raw proteins or cooked proteins.

[Joyce B]

Hi Marina. So glad your Frenchy is doing better! If you’re not already doing it, try digestive enzymes. I use Mercola’s and this has been a huge help for my 2-year old Pom with similar issues. All the things you’ve done have made all the difference for us too: lower protein and fat, limited ingredients, no poultry (for us turkey and egg specifically), and I give healthy snacks every 4 hours and before bed. Your Natural Balance diet – is that all dry? Kibble is the most difficult for dogs to digest. Can you substitute some of that with some good canned (without carrageenan) or raw? Keeping the fat low of course. We feed half dehydrated raw and half low-fat kibble and that works great. And lastly, any plans to wean your boy off the Prilosec? (I know alot of vets and owners swear by the acid reducers and PPIs but there are others that say not enough stomach acid can cause the sphincters to malfunction. Pepcid seemed to make my dog worse after a few days, although it helped my older dogs with other issues.) Best of luck and please keep us posted!

[Jan M]

What about K9 Naturals raw out of New Zealand. Very user friendly — just shake out of bag. Their Tripe is great for rehabbing a pet off their feed. Also great immune builder. Contains only that protein species & what would be in the prey’s stomach. Also don’t think there has ever been a recall in New Zealand. They just treat their animals differently. No hormones, antibiotics or GMO’s. Just not the way they do things.

Jan in Arkansas

[Allison S]

I have a 3 year old bulldog that I introduced to a raw diet a few months ago. So far success, but maybe you guys can provide some insight on tweaks.

Inkedmarie: what do you add to your dogs food to include fiber in the diet? Do you use a suppliment? Ive done alot of research on raw diets, and lets just say, like anything else, everyone has their own opinion, so it’s hard to figure things out, but I just try and use the common denominators I find, and trial and error. I’m basically feeding a large portion of ground turkey, or pork, and a small portion of ground beef, and any other muscle meat I find at the store for variety. I add in small portions of organ meat such as heart or tripe, and small portions of veggies. (thoughts on the organ meat? most research suggests adding it for certain nutrients, but I just watched some videos about a vet speaking highly of raw diets, but said no organs!) It varies, but I mostly use carrots, spinach, and pumpkin. However, my dog has developed yeast. I used to give her raw chicken legs as a snack (which I monitored, and she was successful at eating those properly) but i’ve read bulldogs dont’ usually tolerate chicken well, so I cut that out of her diet completely. I’ve been able to obtain other meat bones to substitute. The yeast has gotten better, but it’s not gone. Another source told me carrots aren’t good because they digest into sugar that feeds the yeast, and suggested only green vegetables. I’m really trying to tweak the diet as much as possible, and give as little suppliments as possible. Mostly cause i’m broke, haha, but also i just like the idea of doing things naturally. I do have her on a probiotic, and fish oil. And i’ve also started giving her coconut oil and yogurt…just a spoonful as a treat each day. Go figure, i probably have the only dog in the world that will eat spoonfuls of coconut oil, but hates peanut butter.

Thoughts?

[TAMMY C]

First, I have to comment on those who disagree with cooking and pureeing vegetables, not sure on fruit but I do puree anyway, I follow my Dogs stools, they are the first clue that there is something not right going on with your Beloveds. I tried both raw veggies and slightly steamed without pureeing them and what went in came right back out in their stools, their body cannot digest them. So, it is, well….waste, in all accounts.

My dilemma is this…..I use to rescue animals and I have a pack of canines. In the last year my Dobes came down with cancer, two died from the symptoms cancer creates in their body (histamine is nasty!) and two are cancer survivors. My Dobes have ALWAYS had skin problems, sparse coats and digestive issues, until I decided to try home cooked meals. My Dogs cannot handle raw meat or eggs, it creates havoc in their digestive systems, very sensitive. One would not believe how many times I have had to switch kibble, before moving in my area where I am limited to two brands of kibble (Sam’s and Kirkland), after awhile they start throwing up or their stools look poorly. Anyway, I have 9 Dog’s, ranging from 110 pounds (Dobes), medium size (around 45 pounds) and my 3 little ones 5 to 20 pounds. I found that all I accomplished all day was cooking their meals and washing their dishes and nothing else got done, I certainly do not have a life beyond this either (someday I would like to date again, ha). Before I started trying the homemade diet I was supplementing their kibble (Kirkland grain free Salmon and Sweet Potato) the best available to me in my area (sadly). Anyway, their coats flourished and skin not so itchy. What I have found in my research is there is a wide range of opinions about kibble, while I would LOVE to feed my Dogs only home cooked meals, it is not feasible budget wise on my retired income, nor time wise. I did find some AWESOME vitamins, the first post you may be interested in these, I researched and researched, bought in mistake after mistake and finally found a truer vitamin for helping my Dogs immune systems, NuVet Labs, and WOW what a difference they also made for my clan. I have bought just about every book on Amazon on home prepared meals, except the two mentioned I will look into them (thank you). Anyway, I got off topic of my kibble quibble, the wide range of opinions feeding kibble or not, I find there is a truer medium said to this and that is…..a good kibble does “not” cause cancer, cause havoc in their bodies…..what they do however is lack a “real” complete diet which this in itself creates the cancer and havoc in their bodies (except when there are food allergies involved of course my Dobes can’t handle grains). No matter what AAFCO has to say by placing their logo on the bags of Dog food stating they approve of the kibble (which Kirkland is one of them they place their logo “approved by AAFCO guidelines” what does this really mean?????), it “is” lacking. Although, I was happy Kirkland did have their stamp of approval but in research the kibble “is” lacking and my Dogs are proof of this, their immune systems were gone and couldn’t fight off cells mutating into cancer (talk about researching…Dog cancer…..I know way to much about it now). My Dogs are all of different breeds and mixed, yet they all have issues with the kibble used alone. Some, I did take off completely and won’t give them kibble, they just throw it up anyway and they are doing great on home cooked food coming from my kitchen.

Anyway, is there such a thing as being able to home prepare your Dog food for a pack without being wealthy and doing this all alone with no help (no partner just me and my clan). I appreciate your feedback in advance. Blessings to everyone!!!! Tammy.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 1 month ago by TAMMY C. Reason: To make more readible with flow of words

[Bianca S]

Hi all,

I’ve recently switched my 2 pugs over to raw. 1 has a particularly sensitive stomach so was expecting issues with her. So to begin with I had them on their normal kibble for breakfast and chicken wing for dinner. After about 1week of diarrhoea not resolving ( to clarify she gets the diarrhoea a few hours after dinner, it gets worse after a bit nightly walk but usually settles after a couple of hours before bed time)with the sensitive dog so I decided to just eliminate the kibble all together and fed a pre packed mince raw diet chicken patty in the morning and continued with wing at dinner. After a few days still not resolving I alternated carcass and wing th inking more bone would help to naturally settle things. Things were ok for about 2 days. She then seemed to get constipated which she got out followed by diarrhoea. I thought too much bone so gave a drumstick for dinner. However the next morning she has really bad diarrhoea (the worst she’s had yet, all over her bed & floor). So now I’m stuck and not sure if I should eliminate the prepacked laggy and draw things right back to carcass & wing only and take things slower from there. Note we have started raw 2weeks ago.
Thanks for your help in advance, I feel so lost!

[Jaxons Mom]

Hi A K,

I know you have already made a decision but I just wanted to share a quick post with you. I got a lab mix puppy who had lots of tummy issues and switching to raw completely eliminated them, instantly! Also I have also researched many dry food before I chose raw, and I would have to agree that Orijen is definitely a top dry dog food.

Are you by any chance in Canada or are you in the United States? I ask because I know of a great company I’d like to share with you…