[Sam D]

Hi, All –
My sweet pup has been diagnosed with severe left hip dysplasia and mild right hip dysplasia. We passed on the option for a triple pelvic osteotomy as when he was diagnosed we had about 2 weeks until he was considered too old for it, and even then, they would have only done it on his right hip as the left was too far gone.

We’ve opted for rehab and medical intervention over surgical at this time, knowing that in the future, he will have to have a total hip replacement. Hopefully we can put that off for a few more years.

My question is about food. He currently gets a rotation of Instinct Raw, Acana Pacifica (salmon) and Honest Kitchen. We are giving him supplements like Welactin fish oil and Dasuquin (glucosamine chondroitin w/ MSM)

Anyone here have a dog with hip/joint issues? What have you used? What has helped?

[anonymously]

Regarding the raw spots:
The specialist prescribed: Douxo pads Wipe affected areas every 24-48 hours, Malaseb Shampoo Bathe once to twice weekly, allowing 10-15 minutes of contact time before rinsing.
This was in conjunction of course, with her immunotherapy. Didn’t need to use the pads after the treatment took hold. But they seemed to be soothing to her skin.
Ask your vet about them.
Chewy . com has them. You can find the Nutrisca there, also.

[Korina]

Thank you

The vet did do the skin scrape and everything came back ok.
Also, it is not that the steroids made her worse but the side effects (couldn’t hold bladder/ depressed) are what we didn’t care for and would like to stay away from.

Thankfully at this point she does not have any raw spots, mainly thanks to the cone and her wearing a shirt but she is still very itchy and has red eyes.

She is currently on chicken protein but I am considering putting her on salmon/sweet potato next and hope it will help or at least minimize her discomfort. Also considering moving the area rugs we have as they are shaggy and she spends a lot of time on them. At this point I’m willing to try anything to help her . If this persists and she does not get better in the next month or two we will definitely speak to a dermatologist and hopefully find a solution .

[Pitlove]

The Primal rep that comes to my work a few Saturdays a month always throws samples of their freeze-dried at me for my cat and dog. Dog loves them, cat used to like them, but did not like the Chicken & Salmon variety I brought home recently. She won’t eat raw either. She eats around the Primal if I put it in with her canned. I am however feeding her Ziwipeak Lamb now for canned food and it’s got a lot of the organ meat and bone in it that raw has. That could be another option for you guys. Shes eating that for breakfast and Orijen dry for dinner.

[Susan]

Hi, to save all the stuffing around, Get a Salvia & Hair test done thru Glacier Peak Holistic cost only $85 & test for 100+ Environment Triggers & 200+ Food items… once you know what is causing her itch you can eliminate them…
I bath in Malaseb medicated shampoo look into feeding a raw or cooked balanced diet, you cant eliminate the carbs in kibbles as they need the carbs to bind the kibble, most grain free kibbles are high is starchy carbs, peas, potatoes, tapioca, lentils, chickpeas etc or look at feeding those Dog Rolls read ingredients first as some may have crappy ingredients…. in Australia we have Crocodile rolls, Lamb Roll or Kangaroo rolls for dogs with allergies….
http://www.glacierpeakholistics.com/More-Than-an-Allergy-Test_p_80.html

[crazy4cats]

Hi JM-

I have tried to feed my cats a little thawed out raw a while back and not one of them even took a bite. Then, I tried the soft Fresh Pet kibble thinking my senior kitty would love it. No luck! But….the other day I was mixing some freeze dried Orijin treats into my dogs’ kibble as a meal mixer. I got a couple of free samples that I thought I’d put to good use. Two of my cats would NOT leave the treats alone! Their naughty kitty instincts took over and there was actually some growling going on. They loved them!!! It took me by surprise.

Not sure if I’ll be buying much freeze dried food for them as it is so expensive, but I agree with you, they really do love it and will try to give it to them as a treat now and then.

[crazy4cats]

Hi C4D-

I’m not exactly sure what triggered them. I am signed up for Pet Smart’s rewards/membership program and emails. Maybe it is because maybe I bought some NV raw there when I had a manufacturers coupon or some NV treats or something. But, I have received at least six $15 off NVI’s frozen raw coupons in the last 5 or 6 months. And I can use them on any size or flavor. Woo Hoo!

I keep buying more even though I don’t need them because I’m not sure when they are going to end!

I can’t share them because they have my full name and Pet Smart membership number on them. Darn!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Alana-

I give NW Naturals a thumbs up. I only have fed it as a topper, but have had no issues. Currently, I’ve been using Nature’s Variety Instinct because Pet Smart has been emailing me $15 off coupons on their raw food that I cannot pass up!

I think NW Naturals is a great value. I also like their fruit and veggie nuggets. They are a great addition to a dog’s meal. Especially, if they are trying to lose weight. They add healthy volume and fiber to the dog’s meal. Once I run out of the NVI, I will return to buying NW Naturals.

Like Marie said, give it a shot and even feed both for a bit of variety.

Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

Nope, it is not too early….I have a puppy coming home in less than 2 weeks and he/she will be weaned to raw!

I feed ground raw. I primarily buy from Hare Today, a little from Reel Raw Dog. I live in the northeast so these are good options for me. If you live elsewhere in the US, Raw Feeding Miami & My Pet Carnivore are good options.

I buy grinds that have meat/bone/organs & some have tripe. I scoop/weigh into a bowl, add salmon oil & eggs 3x a week and thats it. I’m a prey model believer, I don’t think dogs need produce in their food. Thats a choice for you to make. Buying grinds are much cheaper than buying premade raw.

[Kristin S]

I’m desperate for help trying to find some good treats and chew bones for my dogs. They are so picky with treats and I’ve had a hard time finding something for them that really lasts. My big guy is 120lbs and my little one is 75lbs so, please no comments from people with cat sized dogs. I really just want to hear from other owners of XLARGE dogs, what do you use? What lasts a long time (a day or more)? Here is my experience so far:
– Nylabones: last less than an hour (even the Super size)
– Benebones: dogs don’t like them
– Bullysticks: last less than an hour
– Antlers: dogs don’t like them
– Cow hooves: Not recommended by our vet.
– Rawhides: definitely not recommended by our vet.
– Himalayan chews: they liked one brand and not the other. So we’re still testing this.
– Whimzees: pretty good, especially if I freeze them with yogurt in the back.
– Stuff kongs: pretty good
– Marrow bones: last about an hour

What have I not thought of?? Thanks a lot for the help!

[jakes mom]

Diane, welcome! Have you tried feeding raw? Or freeze-dried or dehydrated food? Something like Primal freeze-dried nuggets, or Honest Kitchen? Might be easier on his tummy. I have a “geriatric ward”, lol. My 20yo loves the Primal nuggets, just crumble it up and mix with a little water. Check out Honest Kitchen, too, they have samples so you can see what flavors your guys like.

[Alana S]

I currently feed my two Chihuhuas primal pet food for the last year and a half. They love it and I love it. They are extremly healthy dogs at 11 and 10 years old.

My local health food store started carrying Northwest Naturals raw food and its significantly cheaper.

What’s your expirences with the brand?

Is it worth it to switch?

Thank you for your help,
Alana

[Pitlove]

I’d look into Primal. Its a commercial raw food that is formulated by veterinary nutritionists and is already complete and balanced.

[karen t]

I have a 61/2 month old boxer. I do cook for my dog. I feed him Fromn’s w cooked chicken and beef. I’d say he gets 2/3 Fromn’s for lg. breed puppy’s and 1/3 meat. since I own a market he also gets fresh ground raw hamburger mixed w/ his food at times. I also give him yogurt once a day. also he gets Nyzmes antioxidants granules every morning in his food. occasionally an egg/ cooked. the meat mix is cooked in water. I would say be careful of the fat amount w/ the cheese spread. my former dog got systemic yeast from to much antibiotics. this took several yrs. to figure out since I had a bad vet at the time. I found the cure myself- Nyzmes, and they where the one’s who turned me on to Fromn’s dog food. I think that if your dogs are eating at least 2/3 kibble they will get all the nutrients and elements they need. my dogs always turn fussy. I think because they smell all the cooking and want people food. that’s why I mix cooked food in w/ the kibble. Fromn’s is a very good kibble/ not sure if 4 or 5 stars. this time I’m taking no chances that’s why I give the Nyzmes and yogurt good luck!

[Diane M]

Hi
Is it recommended to start my 15 week old pug puppy on raw food or is this too early? I am planning on feeding 1/2 raw and 1/2 kibble. Any advice or recommendations would be great! If so, is there a certain raw you would recommend for a puppy? Thanks!

[Jonathan S]

I don’t have any specifics to give you, but if your dog is happy and healthy, you’re probably doing ok. In my raw mixes organ meats end up being probably a third of the total meat portion of the dishes. In one recipe I use turkey organs, in another I use a combination of lamb tripe and chicken organs. It seems to be working well for me.

I think you could probably go by a rule of thumb of looking at any prey animal and try to gauge how much of the entire animal would muscle compared to bone and organ. In that case, your organ to meat ratio is probably fine, or a little light.

Again though, if your dog is doing well and your vet doesn’t think he’s missing some key piece of nutrition, you should probably feel comfortable continuing as you have.

Sorry I don’t have more specific direction for you.

[jakes mom]

I have an 11 year old beagle mix. He did fine on the BJ’s food (dry). I’ve used it as part of his rotation diet in the past but now he gets mostly raw.

[InkedMarie]

I’ve tried a number of supplements etc and the only thing that works is picking it up when they go. I’d do this even one didn’;t eat it; how else do you see possible works, diarrhea, white stool (for us raw feeders) if you don’t pick up?

[Anita A]

Mike, does the Darwin’s company with its recent formula changes still meet your 5 star
rating criteria?
Darwin’s notified its customers in September, 2015, that “with new AAFCO pet food
nutritional guidelines on the horizon” it was time for them to make improvements in their raw food formulas. The result has been an increase in fat and decrease in protein. An example:
Canine Turkey old formula -protein 46 percent;fat 27 percent vs new formula – protein 43 percent; fat 39 percent. My concern is finding the correct balance for two senior dogs.
Thanks for any input,
Anita

[Laura C]

Great, thanks for the replies. I think I will look into a premix. Also never thought to look into a raw feeding co-op!

[Shepherd777]

I’ve been feeding raw for a month or 2 now and have noticed great results, however I can’t seem to find anything anywhere about the frequency of feeding offal, just your “don’t feed too much”.

My German Shepherd is 30kg, I feed him 2.5% of his body weight as he’s at a pretty good looking weight.

300g Muscle Meat (80%)
18g Liver (5%)
18g Either Kidney/Pancreas/Spleen (5%)
A bone of sorts (drumstick, good sized wing etc) I don’t really measure as his poos have looked very solid, yet not too hard and crumbly so playing it by eye has worked for me.

I can’t find anywhere as to whether feeding offal every day is okay in such small portions, but he seems to be happy and healthy. Was hoping somebody could offer insight on frequency and how it works.. Or is it better to only feed organs every couple of days instead of every day in this format I’ve listed, with mostly muscle meat and bone comprising the rest of the days?

[Jonathan S]

I have two recipes I use, but I feed half raw half kibble. They are as below. Measurements are not always exact…

Lamb Recipe:
2 lbs Ground bone in rabbit
1 lbs ground lamb
1 lb reconstituted lamb green tripe
2 lbs chicken organs (hearts, gizzards, livers)
2 large carrots
1 container greens (green juju)
1 lb of peas
1 can organic pumpkin
blueberries
apples
coconut oil
turmeric

Thanksgivingish Recipe:
2 lbs ground duck necks
2 lbs turkey organs
2 lbs ground chicken backs or ground turkey necks
broccoli
butternut squash
mango
greens (green juju)
ground fennel seeds
ground hemp seed hearts
1 can organic pumpkin or 1 cup Firm Up! with cranberry

One thing I did to develop these recipes is I look carefully at the ratings on this site. If Dog Food Advisor praises a particular food for having a beneficial ingredient in it, you can bet that ingredient is going to find its way into my food.

[InkedMarie]

I feed prey model raw in ground form. I buy mostly from Hare Today, some from Reel Raw Dog, a little from a local co-op. It is meat/bone/organ & most have tripe. I use beef rib bones and pork ribs for dental health. I add salmon oil daily and eggs 3x a week. It is balanced just as if it was whole prey.

[pugmomsandy]

You might consider using a premix that contains the vits/minerals like CarnivoreRaw (comes with or without calcium). Other premixes are Urban Wolf, Grandma Lucy’s, Honest Kitchen and Sojo’s but these do not recommend adding bone, just muscle meat. Dr. Karen Becker has a recipe book with simple recipes but you will need to purchase some vitamins and grind them up to add to the food at serving time. You can make a batch of the vitamin mix that will last a while.

Also, you might see if there are any raw feeding groups in your area. Several times a year, the one near me orders bulk from a few companies at less than retail, sometimes wholesale.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[Ptcbass]

She has gotten the sturvite crystals a few times in her life. We have kept it under control pretty well but just want to safeguard against them coming back.

My other dog had sturvite and calcium oxide ones but they were very tiny. We were hoping she would pass them. I think the prednisone she was periodically on due to allergies was the cause of them.

I plan on rotating foods and watching her fat intake. A lot of the raw and freeze dried foods are higher in fat so it might be a struggle to find very many to put into the rotation. Since we live in the hot south I really want to stay away from frozen.

[Laura C]

I have been feeding raw for over 5 years now, but as life becomes more hectic I’m really struggling with it. Does anybody have any recipes for raw food that cover all the essential vitamins and nutrients? To buy commercially prepared raw food would be way to costly (I’m feeding a 75 lb lab mix and a 110 lb Rottweiler/Doberman mix)! So my thinking is that if I can get a few good recipes that I can grind (I have a very good grinder that can handle chicken bones), spend an hour or so every couple of weeks grinding and freezing everything in portions, throw in a chicken back once a day to keep their teeth sparkling, it would help simplify my life! I just can’t seem to find any recipes to follow. I just want to be sure my doggies are getting everything they need. Honestly, I think I overthink things way too much….my girls have shiny coats, sparkling teeth, and lots of energy, but I’d appreciate any advice anyways!

[C4D]

Hi Patti S,

Sorry, but you did say ham. Here’s your post from farther up:

“You won’t find a large difference between the calories in pork tenderloin, ham, bone-in pork chops, and skinless chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Pork tenderloin has the fewest, with 93 calories in a 3-ounce serving, while ham contains 116 calories, which is the highest of the six samples. All six provide about the same amount of protein: 16 to 19 grams in 3 ounces.”

That’s why I cautioned about ham. I generally feed commercially processed raw and home cooked when using meat for human consumption. I do agree that you never really know what’s in the meat you are buying. 😉

Would you mind posting a link regarding undercooked beef and lamb? Do you mean less than Rare on a meat thermometer? I couldn’t find that, other than hamburger or ground meat, which needs to be cooked longer.

Trichinosis can be killed, if pork is properly cut to the right portion prior to freezing. Here’s the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html

[Patti S]

Hi C4D,
I didn’t say ham, I said Pork Tenderloin. And I trim off the excess fat, too.
As long as the pork is cooked, neither you or your dog will get Trichinosis.

To those of you concerned with Trichinosis, any raw meat can get you or or dog sick, it can be a source of E. coli and Salmonella. Aside from that, many people don’t realize that raw or under-cooked chicken, beef, or lamb can carry parasites too!

In closing, I leave you with this happy thought, we trust the cattle, pork and chicken producers to keep their livestock wormed on a regular basis, but over 50% of animals that go to slaughter are parasite infected. The bottom line is cook the meat you and your pets eat.

[Kevin R]

Hi all, I am looking to transition from kibble to a home cooked diet for my dog, but am having trouble locating a good book to do so. I have saw the books by Dr. Becker and Steve Brown, but judging by the reviews, it seems they may focus mainly on raw diets. There is another named “Feed your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs,” that gets some good praise from http://www.dogaware.com. However, the author suggest the recipes be added to commercial food. I’m trying to find good, balanced recipes in order to avoid commercial food. That’s my whole point of doing this. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Pitlove]

Hi Ptcbass- Very sorry for your loss. I can’t say whether or not the rX food caused the loss of your pet. My cat was on Royal Canin SO for a UTI, but he died 2 years after I put him on it.

Zignature is an excellent dry kibble to look at. It’s certified low glycemic and grain and potato free. Primal Freeze Dried is an organic freeze dried raw food that might also meet your needs and for a small dog, wouldn’t be too expensive to feed.

http://www.zignature.com/product_range_dog_dry.html

Goat Milk <br> Select Variety

edit: as an aside, if she needs to drop a couple pounds, just feed for her ideal (target) weight and current activity level. She needs to burn more calories than she takes in to get back to a healthy weight.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Pitlove.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Ptcbass:
Sorry for your loss.

My dog is prone to gaining a little weight during hot weather. During these periods I find feeding low fat foods along with exercising him in the morning and evenings help keep him trim; he doesn’t like hot weather. I feed about half kibble and to get more moisture in his diet I add either canned, commercial frozen/freeze dried raw, or fresh/homemade foods. I try to choose kibble, commercial raw, or canned that are equal in protein and fat calories or a little more calories from protein than fat.

I feed Fromm Gold Weight management in my rotation and you may want to take a look at Annamaet Lean or Wellness Core Weight Management. I feed both the kibble and canned of the Core Weight Management.

[InkedMarie]

My dog had yeasty paws & yeast ear infections and they cleared up when put on ground raw, no produce.

[Debra F]

I am beginning to think my two-year-old black lab pit mix has a potato allergy. She has one ear that gets very dirty and smelly. She has been on Back to Basics Lamb and Potato as her main dry food (I supplement with other flavors). As we all know by now B2B is going to stop producing dog food by the end of the year so I have been researching other quality, limited ingredient foods. It is nearly impossible to find a dry food that does not contain potatoes.

Additionally, I believe she has a problem with berries. When we first got her we put her on Blue Wilderness grain-free which contained berries. She had very back digestive problems so we then switched her to B2B.

Has anyone had issues with both potatoes and berries? I am not putting my dogs on a raw diet so please do not suggest this.

Thanks!

[Bobby dog]

What a terrible story, but a happy ending! That is a great budget for kibble IMO.

The protein & fat %’s in Puppy Chow are average, the fiber might be just a little more than other kibbles depending on what recipe you’re feeding. It averages 27% protein, 10-12% min. fat, and 4-5% fiber. Sometimes changes in any of these percentages can cause digestive upset. Something to keep in mind when deciding on a new food. Kibble in higher price ranges usually have a higher meat content so protein and fat percentages will go up along with calories per cup. One other thing to keep in mind is overfeeding can also cause digestive upset. If he is skin and bones I would work with my Vet to figure out the calories he needs to add healthy weight in a reasonable amount of time.

Check out Victor you should find several formulas to fit your needs within your budget; maybe the Chicken Meal w/Brown Rice. Looking at the Mitchell’s site I see they sell Purina Mills, Inc. They may sell their dog food lines, PMI Nutrition. I feed some recipes from their Infinia and Exclusive lines, these would be in your price range.

I also feed Nutrisource, Fromm, Precise, some Pro Plan recipes, Annamaet, Wellness Core, Nature’s Variety, and Rawz.

If you decide to buy on-line I regularly order from Chewy, Petflow, PetSmart, and Petco. They all have great customer service and prices.

I don’t feed Diamond products at this time due to their recall history; they make Taste of the Wild and manufacture some Solid Gold recipes along with some other brands. They have allot of affordable foods, if you decide to feed one of their products or anything they manufacture I suggest signing up for recall alerts:
/dog-food-recall-alerts/

I recommend adding moisture to kibble even if it’s just water. Adding fresh or canned foods could help with his weight. Some budget friendly canned foods are Wal-Mart’s Pure Balance Stews ($1/can), Tractor Supply Company 4Health Stews (.99/can), and if you have a Costco membership Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain (.80/can) you have to buy it by the case. Each are 4-5 star DFA rated. I don’t recommend Pure Balance 95% or 4Health Grain free canned foods due to the high fat content.

This is a download I use as a guide for adding fresh foods to a kibble diet:
https://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DN330EBK

[Eugene G]

i adopted a 3 year old mastiff from an acquaintance. he was on raw diet and i continued it. The previous owner was feeding him 2.5 lbs. he was and i still am getting food from Armalinosk9. its human grade meet 70% meet 30% ground bones. i get chicken, beef and duck from them. i also add chicken feet, turkey necks, beef liver, chicken hearts and once in a while i add veggies and fruits ( 1/2 frozen apples grinded, sometimes i add a little of my veggie/fruit shakes(no grapes), a little cauliflower or a little carrots grinded, bananas etc). i also add a spoon of organic coconut butter every few days and also add “Natural Hip & Joint Supplement for Dogs with Organic Turmeric, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM – 90 Count Chewable ” that i purchase on amazon as it was what previous owner did.
my boy is healthy and i experienced no problems with him for last 5 month.
i am wondering if there is anything missing in his diet. don’t want to neglect an important ingredient or end up with vitamin deficient dog. i appreciate your input.

[Susan]

Hi, I live in Australia so we have different brands, my boy has IBD Colitis (food sensitivities)every time I give Patch a probiotic he feels sick, I’ve read there’s a die off period, just keep taking the probiotics but I stopped I couldn’t handle watching Patch feel sick licking & licking his mouth & eating grass, so a lady at the pet shop said give him Papaya (Paw Paw) so I mashed up 1/2 a Papaya & put the mashed papaya in ice cube & froze, I was giving Patch 1 thawed ice cube of the papaya about 10.30am after our walked he loved it, at first I thought Patch was OK but again he started his mouth licking & eating grass…
I found a good dog probiotic had to be stored in the fridge or kept under 25 degrees so the heat doesn’t kill the live bacteria…also Tripe, tripe is excellent, Patch tried the K-9Natural Lamb Green Tripe was really good… K-9 Natural has their Raw frozen or their freeze dried Green Lamb Tripe, the smell was OK not as bad as I thought it would be…..Patch loved it but it made him feel sick….

My vet said she went to a seminar & the lady said they tested 10 popular dog probiotics & only 3 had live cultures Purina Fortiflora was suppose to be good, she didn’t mention the probiotics that weren’t good my vet said, I said if Patch doesn’t feel sick then its no good…

I joined a group on Face Book called “Fast Track Diet” (Official Group) run by Dr Norm Robillard he’s specializes in IBS SIBO Leaky Gut Acid Reflux etc
& has written a book called “Fast Tract Digestion” its for humans but I’d say a dog would have similar bowel & stomach problems with certain foods, he said it’s best to take probiotics on an empty stomach when your Hydrochloric Acid is low, either first thing in the morning or night just before bed & not with food….

I found this link what each strain of bacteria is for & what it helps Lactobacillus GG (L.rhamnosus) protects against respiratory illness, treats candida, colitis and diarhea, reduces stress and anxiety.. http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/how-to-choose-good-probiotic-supplement.html

[Patti S]

My dog does better on Pork than he does with Chicken! I use tenderloin fillets and I trim the fat.
You won’t find a large difference between the calories in pork tenderloin, ham, bone-in pork chops, and skinless chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Pork tenderloin has the fewest, with 93 calories in a 3-ounce serving, while ham contains 116 calories, which is the highest of the six samples. All six provide about the same amount of protein: 16 to 19 grams in 3 ounces.
You should thoroughly cook all pork, so don’t use it if you feed your dog a raw diet. But once cooked, Pork in itself is as harmless to dogs as chicken, beef or any other meat.
That said, if you would like to feed Pork raw, it is recommended that it be frozen for 3 weeks to kill potential parasites.

[C4D]

Hi Colby C,

There are several sites that have balanced homemade recipes, including dogaware, as InkedMarie mentioned. Whole Dog Journal has recipes. I’m a subscriber but I think the articles can be accessed for free. Balanceit is another helpful website.

There are also several books with balanced diets including See Spot Live Longer and Dr. Becker too.

The most important thing is to make sure the diet is balanced. I tend to use premixes like Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen, etc to add to the cooked meat at feeding time. I cook enough meat to last several days. Crock pots are great for this purpose. InkedMarie is right, commercial raw is very easy, but it is expensive when you have multiple large dogs. Good luck with it!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by C4D.

[InkedMarie]

DogAware dot com has info on homemade. I don’t have the time or inclination to homecook. I feed ground raw (has meat, bone, organs & most have tripe). Can’t get any easier: put bowl on scale; tare it. Scoop food in. Add salmon oil (plus joint supps for one), eggs 3x weekly aand feed.

[Kathryn M]

I believe Only Natural Pet Grain-Free MaxMeat Air Dried Dog Food, it seem to have a high percent of meat protein along with organ meat, ground bone and other good stuff.
I also have a question about a raw food All Provide out of GA, I do not see it on the web site at all. Have you had the chance to evaluate this product?
Thank You

[DogFoodie]

Most vets don’t have much training in nutrition. Unless yours is a veterinary nutritionist, I would take their food recommendations with a grain of salt. My vet typically only recommends raw diets.

My recommendation is that you find a food that you like and is high quality and to which your dog doesn’t react. You also need to look at the fiber content and is if the anal glad issue is fiber responsive.

[Jenn H]

I often feed my dogs combo and change their food every 3-4 months. It’s been great as far as avoiding recalls and it helps them create their own good bacteria. The body gets used to the same food.

Right now I have a 4 month old German Shepherd puppy. And I have been dealing with diarrhea off & on. I found out it could be due to teething. They produce more saliva. That ends up in the stomach and what comes out isn’t pleasant.
I gave him pumpkin, bland diet and probio. It helps.

Now I am giving him raw unpasteurized goat milk. So far so good.

The only thing is I am very careful about his calcium intake. He is not to exceed 1.5% per day. Even that is higher than I like. I try to keep it around 1-1.2% max.
I hate doing the math, but I know how important it is to control his growth. It’s important large breed puppies do not grow too fast.

Orijen is an excellent food. I am changing him to Acana. Orijen is a little out of my price range right now.

I would suggest that if you need to give him rice for diarrhea in the future that it be white rice not brown. The brown can be too much work to digest when their bellies aren’t feeling well. I used to give brown also until I was corrected.

Whatever direction you go in just be sure to keep track of the daily calcium amounts. Stay as close to 1% as possible. I believe the guidelines are .75-1.5%.
Often this mean contacting the dog food companies and asking what the MAX amt is in their food. They often list min amt if at all.

[Jenn H]

I really love that site. It convinced me to try the goat milk for my dogs. The only pet store that sells raw milk only carries Primal. They love it.
I was hoping it may be an alternative to giving glucosamine & chondroitin supplements. I have a horse that gets so many supps I hoped to avoid that with my large breed dogs as they get older.
One of my girls is having a flare up of her Lyme. The vet suggested she not have the milk until she finishes her treatment. This time we are giving her Minocycline instead of Doxycycline since the side effects were too much for her.

I’m not sure if I want to stop giving her the milk. It has anti-inflammatory properties and good bacteria. But I also don’t want to mess up the antibiotic.
The vets at this hospital are amazing, but I don’t think they all keep up with the latest & greatest natural stuff. I’ll be contacting my integrated vet today.

Thanks for the suggestions. Even if Chevelle has to wait for her Lyme to go into remission before she can begin the goat milk, I can still give it to the puppy and my other girl.

[C4D]

Hi Trevor V,

I’m just curious, do you only feed one formula of the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost? There are several different proteins. As DF said, it could be an intolerance to a particular protein, or possibly something in the food that is causing a soft stool, if that’s the case. Stools that are too soft and/or loose or too small and dry can cause the anal gland issue, which is why I suggested adding pumpkin. You can add any type of fiber, as long as it works. It is highly possible that NV Instinct just doesn’t work for your dog. Just an FYI, the three foods recommended by your vets are all made by the 3 most common vet formulas. Hillspet, Purina and Royal Canin. I’m not saying use or don’t use, but that’s probably why those brands were recommended by your vet(s). It’s likely that’s what they’re most familiar with. It’s up to you to decide what works for your dog.

Red,

I’m not sure why you included the skeptvet links as neither of these links have any direct articles on anal gland issues. Your link on the “oops” comment leads to a search engine for DFA anal gland discussions rather than an actual discussion.

It seems that you simply like to discredit any alternative or natural methods other than what you believe in. I’m not sure if the “Dr. Google” reference was to me, but if it was…….I have spent many years owning and fostering a lot of dogs with many different conditions, including CCL, liver and kidney disease, every type of worm and parasite, broken teeth, and a host of other medical problems, too many to list. I’ve also dealt with a lot of personal and foster dogs with social issues as well, involving a lot of time with trainers. I’ve used MANY vets, both for my dogs and whatever vets are used by the various rescues. I think there is value to both the traditional and alternative methods of treatment. I’ve used both and have found that both have flaws and both have value. I’ve had vets completely misdiagnose a dog or be spot on and I’ve had natural and/or alternative methods cure in a much less toxic way or not work. There is room for both.

[C4D]

Hi Judith B,

I cook for my dogs frequently, but it’s always fresh, not canned, meat with a few organic veggies, generally carrots, celery and fresh parsley, sometimes broccoli or squash, depending on what I have in the garden or is on sale, NO SALT. I add this to a premix, like The Honest Kitchen, Sojos, or Grandma Lucy’s, which has the vitamins added. I also feed my dog’s a regular diet of commercial kibble, canned or raw that are complete and balanced.

I appreciate that you want to provide some healthy fresh cooked food for your dogs, but, IMHO, I don’t think you should be adding canned soup and broth. There’s a lot of sodium in those and dogs (or people) don’t need that much sodium. Regular Swanson a whole can has about 50% of the normal human daily intake. Tomato soup is also high in sodium, I just linked Campbell’s, but I’m an avid label reader and they all tend to have about 33% or better per serving, which is less than 1/2 the can.

http://swanson.campbellskitchen.com/broth/beef-broth/

http://www.campbellsoup.com/Products/Condensed/All/2341

This is the nutrition data of Cheese Whiz. I didn’t know which one you use, but they are all very similar in salt content. This is for 2 tbsp, not the whole jar, which would be a lot more.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/160/2

These are not healthy products to be adding to your dog’s diet. If you want to add some broth, cook fresh meat with a bit of water and use the cooking water as the broth. I do this all the time. I even use it as stock to make soups for my family.

I truly appreciate what you are trying to do for your dogs, but if you keep it to some fresh meat and vegetables in the crock pot, your dogs will be much healthier. I would still use this as a topper to a balanced dog food to keep your animals in the best of health. The balanceIt website, Whole Dog Journal, or dogaware has some recipes to give you an idea of what a balanced meal or supplement to their diet should look like. Good Luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by C4D.

[Trevor V]

Hey all,

I’m new to the forum and I need some help. We’ve been feeding our dog (Schnauzer/Powderpuff Cross) Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost (Dry) for about a year now. She has some anal gland problems and our vet has recommended we change her food and that a food that is too high in protein may not be good for her. She has recommended Hills Ideal BAlance, Purina Pro Plan, or Royal Canin. They don’t sell any of these brands, so I don’t believe she’s recommending them for financial reasons. These foods all rate MUCH lower on your site than what we’re currently feeding her.

Can anyone help me parse this out? 2 different vets have both said those 3 are all good foods and that our dog would do well on them but this site rates them all poorly. I don’t think that either this site or the vets are trying to mislead us so I’m confused as to what to do.

[Jenn H]

I have added oatmeal, meats, liver, canned foods to my dog’s kibble when the weather gets cold to add a little extra insulation. They basically have a summer weight & winter weight.
My new favorite thing is raw goat milk. I’m starting them on that today. It worked wonders for the hand raised pups. Especially the runt who we wouldn’t have saved if not for that goat milk. I swear by it after seeing how he thrived. At the time I couldn’t find raw goat milk so they had pasteurized. All went home very healthy.
I’ve also been told that Senior food isn’t really necessary unless you have a dog that tends to become overweight due to age. Sounds like your dog would be fine on regular adult.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Jenn H.

[Jenn H]

Thank you for the reply.
I did find Primal raw milk at a specialty pet store!!!!
The dogs will be starting it today!

It’s good to know that the other is acceptable should I not be able to get a hold of the raw.
Seeing how well the babies did on the pasteurized I am looking forward to seeing if the real deal works better.
I kept 1 of the pups that I fed the pasteurized milk to. He loved that kind so I have no doubt he’ll love this.
Now I have to do the calcium math. Ugh. Large breed puppy.

[DogFoodie]

Meant to make this suggestion earlier, but got busy at work during lunch. Have you ever tried raw, green tripe to entice your pup to eat as well? They love it! It smells awful and is full of wonderful, healthy stuff like enzymes.

[InkedMarie]

I know nothing about cooking for dogs, I feed raw but I cannot imagine why any dog needs tomato soup & cheese spread. you’d be smart to work with a nutritionist or holistic vet for a balanced diet or contact Lew Olsen at B-Naturals dot com or Mary Straus at DogAware dot com.