[Joni h]

Hi Brian, I’m just wondering what you ended up going with? Did the RC Sensitive digestion or Derma contact work out? And/or did you order the Zeolite supplement?
I have a 3 year old boxer with Pancreatitis history (the whole 1st year and half of her life!!)
The vet put her on the RC LF Gastro- which did work- but it’s SOOOO expensive!!! And I didn’t like the ingredients, plus she was super skinny on it. I’m in Canada too. I put her on raw which worked like a charm, but she lost interest in it recently, plus I’m concerned about salmonella etc.. So I have had her on RC Boxer kibble for about the last year, but my vet thinks it’s only a matter of time before she has another attack. I can’t bear to see her go through that again! We almost lost her a couple of times!! But I just don’t like the ingredient profile of the LF Gastro- despite my vets assurance it has very high quality of minerals and vitamins etc, which is apparently the whole point of the food- NOT the actual “food” (protein, fibre etc). So I’m wondering if the Zeolite is the main ingredient that will be key for her.

[Tom G]

Is this possible? The hearts can be sourced at around 1.00 a pound vs. 3.49 for the ground beef.

70lb. Athletic dog.
Currently feeding per day (divided into two meals):

1 lb.ground beef
1/2 lb. Chickets hearts
1/2 lb. Chicken necks
4 oz. beef liver
1 soft boiled egg
1 tbsb. Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsb. Vionate

Active yogurt and apple cider vinager twice a week, not at the same time.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Tom G.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 6 months ago by Tom G.

[C4D]

HI Deb,

I posted a long post, but somehow it disappeared. 🙁

I had a past dog that had several lipomas (Vet aspiration confirmed). They did not interfere with his movement, etc and my vet does not remove them unless there is an issue in comfort or quality of life, as they tend to grow back.

My current lab has 2 very small ones on her back thighs that were noticed about 2-3 years ago. Prior to that I was only feeding a canned/kibble mixture with occaisonal raw/fresh meals a couple of times a week. Since we discovered the lipomas, we have switched to feeding our dogs 1 meal fresh/raw daily and 1 meal canned/kibble/water mixture. There is some debate on the link between processed food and lipomas. The lipomas have had very little, if any growth. While there is no specific food that I’m aware of, I believe the incorporation of fresh, less processed food has helped (my vet is a bit skeptical). I do feed all grain free and have for almost 10 years.

Unfortunately, Labs are prone to lipomas. Fortunately they are almost always benign. I don’t think you need to see an oncologist as you’re own vet can send a sample to the lab for diagnosis. I would remove the lipoma if it is causing discomfort or difficulty in moving. I’m including some links for you to read, if you’d like, including a forum on DFA discussing lipomas. Good luck with your pup! 🙂

/forums/topic/lipomas/

http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/03/fatty-tumors-lipomas-in-dogs-benign.html

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/lipoma-dog-lumps/

[Pitlove]

Brushing your dogs teeth is the best way to clean the teeth. Others on here use Raw Meaty Bones. I’ve tried them, but my dog gets confused on how to eat them. He has an Elk Antler he chews on regularly and because of the way he chews it, its similar to a Raw Meaty Bone and I feel that the antler, along with his regular teeth brushings has helped keep his teeth in good condition.

[zuponicafe]

Ellen,
Do you cook the meat & organs? And by RMB, does that means raw meat bones? If so, do you just give your dog a few chicken wing bones? I’ve always been paranoid of them mostly due to my parents scare tactics when I was a kid. ie:eating a bay leaf will kill you.

[Susan]

Hi Bronwyn, there’s one thing you have not mentioned, he’s not on an ant acid medication like Zantac (Ranitidine) or Pepcid (Famotidine)… I had an Endoscope & biopsies done on my boy & he had Helicobacter-Pylori, he was given the triple therapy meds-Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Zantac for 21 days, after the 21 days his acid reflux returned cause I didn’t know that I needed to change his diet so I’d say the Helicobacter returned & Patch was put on Zantac & I did the triple therapy again & put Patch on a Gluten, Sugar, Dairy free kibble…. he got his appetite back again I had to give 1/3 of a 150mg Zantac tablet 1 hour before breakfast then 8-12 hours later again 1/3 of a 150mg tablet…….
Has he had a blood test to see if he has Pancreatitis??
Most of the foods he’s refusing to eat cheese & oil are high in fat, when you have acid reflux you need a low fat diet…. with kibbles the fat % has to be around 10% in fat %….with wet tin foods 3%fat & under, 5% fat in a wet tin food is about 22% fat when converted to dry matter (Kibble) same with raw & dehydrated….that’s probably why he doesn’t eat wet tin food, the fat was probably tooo high & he got his acid…. if I feed my boy wet tin food with 4-5% min fat, he starts grinding his teeth about 40-60mins after eating the wet tin food….

Your last paragraph, you wrote this morning he decided he didn’t want to eat the kibble…
if you give him a ant acid medication 40mins before breakfast he probably will eat or even liquid Mylanta, I give my boy 3-4mls of the Liquid Mylanta some mornings cause as soon as
he wakes up, I can tell if he has his acid reflux, he starts to grinds his teeth….I hate that sound now cause I know we are going to have a crap day, well he is going to feel like crap & I have to watch him feel like crap all morning, so I have 2 syringes of 3-4mls Mylanta in the fridge already made up, the Mylanta seems to work for Patch, also Slippery Elm is suppose to help with acid reflux, I tried the Slippery Elm it worked the first 2 times, then the next 2 times I gave the Slippery Elm slurry & Patch vomited, so I went back to his Mylanta…

I’d be putting him on either Pepcid or Zantac every morning & every night & you watch, he probably will start eating more & feeling better, he’s a very smart dog, he knows what foods make his tummy worse…..
also I’ve read adding water to kibble can make acid reflux worse…. I’ll try & find the link I saved it, that’s probably why he won’t eat kibble with water in it…..I’ve been giving Patch those Jatz dry biscuits as a treat, I give him 2 at 9pm & a couple thru the day, the Jatz seem to settle his stomach or line his stomach they help..
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/acid-reflux-gerd-in-dogs-cats-natural.html

[DogFoodie]

It’s so frustrating!

Yes, I do like Answers. Sam isn’t a big fan of raw, but he actually seems to like this. It’s also actually more affordable than other raws I’ve used as well. I’m feeding less of it then other raws. I’ve got some fermented fish stock thawing right now. I haven’t used that yet, but have used the goat milk and they both love that. Answers is coming out with fermented raw cow’s milk kefir this month!

[DogFoodie]

Ugh! I just typed a long response that disappeared. Let’s try it again.

I’ll second Aquariangt’s recommendation for The Honest Kitchen.

I’ll also make a suggestion for raw. Answers. Answers is a fermented raw product. Straight Answers is meat, organ, and bone only. It’s made complete and balanced by adding Answers goat milk. Detailed Answers is complete and balanced. In addition to meat, organ, and bone, it includes veggies, eggs, Montmorillonite, decaffeinated green tea, and anchovy, and sardine oils. I estimate your 55 pound adult dog would eat about 10 ounces per day of Detailed Answers. A two pound carton sells for about $14 where I live. You’d need about 9.5 cartons per month for a total of 300 ounces monthly, which would cost you about $135 per month. My dogs eat less Answers than they do other raw foods, although both have around 60 kcals per ounce. Fermented foods are more nourishing.

For the record, my dogs are currently eating Answers, but they eat a wide variety of foods including, kibble, can, fresh whole foods and raw.

Also, I believe allergy tests are fairly unreliable and the gold standard for determining food intolerances is a well constructed elimination diet. That said, I was shocked at my saliva and hair test results from Glacier Peaks. The test was only $85, which for me was affordable. I had always thought my dog was fish intolerant, but the GP test results said otherwise. I’m happy to report that my dog just polished of a bag of Acana Pacifica, a fish based food, with zero issues whatsoever.

[C4D]

Dinovite is just a supplement. I also feed THK base mix, as Cockaliermom mentioned, with fresh cooked meat I buy at the grocery store. It’s a less expensive option to raw. My dogs don’t have allergies to chicken, turkey, beef or pork, so I stock up on what’s on sale & crock pot cook several days worth.

[Brie B]

Thanks for the input, guys!
I guess I’ll have to reconsider my stance on raw. I would like to find a balance between cheap/easy. Doing it from scratch just isn’t realistic for me timewise, and I can’t afford totally premade frozen meals. Her vet hasn’t pushed for testing yet, just because she is fairly certain its food related, and that we can get to the bottom of it through elimination, or (her suggestion) is to do raw. She said she doesn’t recommend it for every dog but shes known a lot of “itchy pit bulls” that really respond well to it.

In that case it sounds like having a veggie dehydrated base and adding raw meat (or cooked, I guess!) would be the easiest? Is Honest Kitchen the same as Dinovite? the dinovite seems cheaper?

I could probably spend $100 a month on food, MAYBE $200. Its hard to tell just because I’m so broke due to all of her vet issues lately (last month between her vet bill, her behaviorist, tests, anxiety meds, and training I spent over $1000 on her. And I don’t make that much money). But if it saved me money on vet bills it would be worth it.

But anyways, I live in the Bay Area (in Oakland), and I have no idea how much it realistically costs to feed your dog raw (if you use a dehydrated base like Honest Kitchen, OR do it from scratch). The prepackaged stuff is way too outrageous to even consider. Anyone have some base numbers?

[Anonymous]

I didn’t rush to a dermatologist either. I spent a year doing various elimination diets, trying various expensive foods, going back and forth to the regular vet and the emergency vet, prednisone, benadryl, fish oil (which I still give) blah, blah, blah. Oh, I forgot, yes, ear infections, prescription drops…
At one point I had 2 air purifiers and a dehumidifier going at the same time (both went to the Goodwill). Daily baths, special shampoos, etc.
My dog found relief after seeing the specialist. Yes, the initial testing is expensive, but the maintenance isn’t bad at all.
It is an option, and it worked for my dog.
PS: I tried raw too, it made my dog vomit uncontrollably. And the raw beef marrow bones resulted in a blockage that required emergency veterinary care.

[Brie B]

Hi there. I have a pit bull mix thats around a year and a half old. Shes recently started developing some terrible allergy issues. She gets these rashes all over her neck and armpits, gets really bad ear infections, and is constantly itchy and restless.

I was considering switching her to raw, but I just realistically can’t do it (shes a rescue with a ton of behavior issues so the cost for trainers/meds/behaviorist is outrageous). I dont make a lot of money, but I want her to be happy and healthy.

ANYWAYS. Shes on Taste of the Wild for her food. I use their salmon formula. Shes 55lbs.
Are there any suggestions for supplements, probiotics, or anything to add to her food that you think would help? I also would be down to switch her food brand, I just want to make sure its grain free.

[kassie m]

Hi all!

I’m currently feeding Earthborn Holistic Primitive to my three and they all have done extremely well on it and love the taste. They also get raw eggs, fresh fruit and veg, coconut oil, alaskan salmon oil, and occasional raw meats as kibble meals replacements – mostly cuts of lamb, turkey necks, or chicken hearts.

I’ve been considering adding another food to their rotation to add more variety and keep them interested (My husky gets especially bored with food). I was leaning towards Wellness Core Ocean formula, but any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

[Frances A]

I started feeding my mini schnauzer and GSD a locally made food called Pet Wants which was recommended by my groomer. I went to reorder it and noticed the first ingredient in every flavor is meal….chicken meal, lamb meal, whitefish meal. Is this a no no?

We have struggled with finding the right mix for our GSD. He tends to get the itchys very easily, as does the mini schnau. I have tried all sorts of foods from Natures Variety to Taste of the Wild to Raw. We seem to be in a good place with this food but I’m leary the main ingredient isn’t pure chicken. Here’s the ingredient list: Thank you!

Whitefish & Duck Grain Free
Pet Wants Whitefish & Duck Grain Free dog food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for “All Life Stages”.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:
Crude Protein, min – 30.0%
Crude Fat, min – 16.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
* Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid), min – 2.5%
* Omega 3 (Linolenic Acid), min – 0.53%
* Glucosamine, min – 800 ppm
* Chondroitin, min – 400 ppm
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.
INGREDIENT LIST:
Whitefish Meal, Duck Meal, Chick Peas, Field Peas, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Lentils, Tapioca Starch, Carrots, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Watercress, Spinach, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Kelp Meal, DL-Methionine, Salt, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride
Vitamin & Mineral Premix:
Glucosamine HCL, Potassium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharide (FOS), Chondroitin Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Organic Dried Kelp, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Iron Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate.

Calorie Count: 437 kcal/cup
Feeding Suggestions*: (Standard 8 oz. measuring cup)
*These are quantity suggestions; the amount you feed your pet can vary, depending greatly upon the breed, activity level, metabolism and your preferences.

[InkedMarie]

I use a little Reel Raw. I find it fattier than other products. I’ve never used the premeasured service; too costly IMO. I get the ten pounders but to be honest, thawing & re3packaging is a pain in the butt.

If you get grinds with bone, they are complete diets so yes, Hare’s are balanced (assuming you get it with bone). It’s prey model raw in ground form.

If you go to DogAware dog com, search for co-ops and meetups.

[Dori]

I would try either a commercial raw frozen food, home cooked or even canned (Weruva) until he gets over the loss of her friend. It’s a difficult time for both of you I’m sure. You can even try a dehydrated food that you add water to or goats milk. Something tasty with a good scent that may encourage her to eat.

If all else fails I would call the vet and ask for an appetite stimulant but I would do that only as a last resort.

[Chuck]

Thanks for the information, I ended up doing another month of Darwin’s until I can figure it out. How do you like Reel Raw? are you using their pre-measured service? I live in Florida so I like the idea of free shipping as all of these companies seem to be located in the NE.

If you order from Reel Raw pre-measured is that a complete diet? (similar to darwins patties) and does Hare today have something similar, all I seem to see is individual meats?

Also what is actually a “meetup”, and how do you actually find one? I live near Tampa, FL.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Chuck.

[jakes mom]

Cancer. Hope your younger guys don’t get any of them. We know better now, feeding better, less vacc, etc. Any new animals in my future will get initial vac then titers, and raw food. I’ve had a lot of animals and a lot of medical problems, hyper and hypo thyroid, cancer, heart disease, seizure disorders, renal disease, male cats with crystals and blockages, one cat with vac-associated sarcoma….on and on. I believe now most of it could have been prevented.

[Anonymous]

A word to the wise. Forget about it.
Example: /forums/topic/rectal-issues/
I stopped serving my dogs raw bones (or any bones) after 2 trips to the emergency vet due to them.
Not worth the risk, in my opinion.

[Jeffrey Andrew A]

I have 2 Shih tzuz, the female one is a fast eater and the male one is slow eater. I heard that for small dogs, Chicken legs/thigh are bad them because of the big bones on them. The female eat the meat first then the naked bone on the chicken.

Other than Chicken legs/thigh, what are good RMB for shih tzus/small dogs?

[Dori]

I use Standard Process’s Canine Whole Body Support for only one of my dogs and that is because she is 16 years old and has some health issues now. My dogs are commercial raw frozen fed, also at times freeze dried. Their treats are fruits and veggies. Nothing processed so that, in theory, the other two (6 years old) don’t need any supplements so they don’t get any. I only started adding the supplements to my old girl a couple of years ago on a regular basis. My theory with her is that at her age and health issues she could use a bit of extra help.

IMHO, Pet Tabs are one of the worst multi-vitamins on the market complete or otherwise. As I said, just my opinion.

Standard Process Canine Whole Body Support can be purchased on line or directly from Standard Process through a veterinarian. It’s a whole food supplement in powder form, comes with a scoop and for my size dog I give her 1/8 tsp. 1X daily mixed into one of her meals.

[Kristin C]

Have you looked at Zignature dry or canned food? Also, this might sound strange (but I feed my dogs raw), have you thought about feeding her pancreas? Like cures like philosophy. I tried it with heart and one of my dog’s heart murmur is almost gone. Just a thought, you could cook it and top her food.

[Susan]

Hi, yes adding cooked food with his W/d kibble is a good idea, only add 1 food at a time, till you work out what foods he can eat & what foods don’t work in the poo department…. I was buying 1 kilo of 99% fat free turkey breast mince & scrambling 1-2 raw eggs then mixing the raw scrambled egg thru the turkey breast mince then making rissole balls, (meat loafs) & little small bite size turkey breast egg balls for treats…. I was getting 1/2 cup of the turkey breast egg mix, then I would make a round rissoles & flatten the rissole & shape the rissole like a mini meat loaf, like a snicker bar, then I put foil on a cookie tray & bake them all in the oven…. then after they were cooking for about 15mins in the oven, I’d get an egg flipper & turn all the rissoles over & there would be water stuff coming out of the rissoles, so I would tip this water out into sink so nothing burns, also I would make a few real small bite size rissole balls for treats as well, the bit size rissoles only take about 10-15mins to cook in the oven, the bigger 1/2 cup rissoles take about 25 mins, depends how flat you make them…….then I would let them all cool & freeze the rissoles & take out when needed……the little bite size rissoles only take about 15mins to thaw out… the rissoles break up real easy & you just break up over his kibble… you can even boil some potatoes & add a tin of tuna in spring water, drain the spring water & mix the boiled mashed potato thru or salmon in spring water drained & add some potatoes……

[Paula W]

Hi everyone…. I have a six-year-old Shih Tzu boy (ChewieBahka) who has been having tummy troubles for about a month now. I’ve taken him to the vet twice in the past few weeks and the vet feels he may have colitis. I was given Forti Flora to add to his meal, Metronidazole (antibiotic), and Cerenia for his diarrhea. I fed a bland diet of chicken with rice. By day two of the meds he was feeling noticeably better, and didn’t need the anti-diarrheal.

He had previously been eating Hill’s Rx Science Diet D/D Egg and Rice kibble. I do not like this food at all. My other dog, my girl Lhasa Apso mix, Coco Latte’, (who I will post about later) was put on this food. I was told it was ok for Chewie to eat it also. (Really mad at myself for not researching into that further.)

His symptoms are as follows:

* Diarrhea – (Not watery, but not well-formed….almost like a cow patty.)
* Trembling (which I believe is due to the cramping he feels in his tummy)
* Periodic lack of appetite (He’s a foodie, so this is unusual!)
* Lethargy

His fecal sample was tested and the lab results saw nothing bad with it.
Temperature is normal. No dehydration. No vomiting. Chewie is about 1/2 a pound overweight, and has a very good appetite 95% of the time. He’s an active, happy, curious litte boy, but when his tummy is bothering him, lethargy sets in.

I was afraid that he may have eaten something in the back yard, and spent two days pulling every single thing I wasn’t sure about out of the ground. (Believe it or not, Chewie enjoys “gardening”. He watched me pulling weeds one day, and he mimics what he sees. He does eat them sometimes.)

I also think that stress contributes to whatever the problem is. My husband “threw me away last December”, and it was very unexpected. As you can imagine, depression/stress for me are very high. I know it transfers over onto my dogs. Coco handles stress pretty well, but Chewie is more of a gentle soul and it’s harder on him. Also, having nowhere else to go, I became a full-time caregiver to my mother who has dementia (a lot more stress.)

The meds helped, but his symptoms returned today (about two weeks later). The vet advised that if this happened we should look into doing blood work and changing his diet. He also suggested pumpkin and a high fiber dog food. I was wondering if anyone has had similar troubles with their dog, (or a diagnosis of colitis) and what you found helpful. I just want my little boy to feel better, and I’m open to all suggestions you might have for us.

I want to feed him the best possible food I can. What’s the best possible commercially prepared food I can offer him? Is canned food better? Dry? Raw or freeze dried? Should I home cook? I have a million +1 questions and would value your insights.
Thanks in advance.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Ashley:
My dog is six, can eat anything, and has no health issues other than a tendency to gain weight during hot weather months. For canned foods I only take brands, ingredients, calories, proteins, and GA’s into consideration. I feed whatever recipe fits the bill regardless of what is on the label, puppy, small/large breed, Sr., etc. I try to feed foods with a fat to protein ratio of 50% or less; equal calories coming from fat and protein or more from protein than fat. For example, a recipe that is 4% fat and 8% protein would be ideal for him, 7% fat – 8% protein not so much. Some of the f-p ratios I feed can be up to 70% which is okay at this time since I rotate foods.

My budget foods are Tractor Supply Company 4Health – Turkey & Sweet Potato, Beef & Veg stews, or Sr. Chicken & Rice recipes, Triumph Puppy or Turkey recipes, BJ’s Earth’s Pride Chicken & Rice, and Wal-Mart Pure Balance Stews.

Here are some brands to check out that I currently feed or have fed:
Blue Buffalo Home-style, by Nature (no 95% recipes), California Natural, Canidae Pure Sky or Foundations, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Eagle Pack, Halo Spot’s Stew or Spot’s Choice recipes, Holistic Select, Hill’s Ideal Balance stews, Lotus, Nature’s Recipe canned or tubs, Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed recipes, Precise, Purina Pro Plan Natural recipes, Purina Beyond, Red Barn stews, Tiki Dog, Wellness – Core, Simple, Complete Health, or Stew recipes, and Weruva Human Style or Dogs in the Kitchen recipes only (Kobe/Kurobuta recipes are canned by Evanger’s).

Low fat recipes; most are available at my local stores. I order Life’s Abundance from their website. Generally I find stews to be higher in protein and lower in fat, but not always. These are between 12-20% fat and below 25% carbs on a dry matter basis using their label info:
Fromm’s Shredded Beef
I and Love and You Stews
Life’s Abundance Turkey & Shrimp or Chic & Crab stews
Nature’s Recipe Pure Essentials LID GF Chic/Broth or GF Lamb/Broth
Nature’s Recipe Pure Essentials tubs LID Duck or LID Venison
Nature’s Recipe tubs GF Chic & Duck in broth or GF Chic & Venison in broth
Nature’s Recipe tubs Chicken in broth or Chic & Turkey in broth
Nature’s Recipe GF Chic & Turkey stew or Chic & Venison Stew
Purina Beyond GF stews
Red Barn Beef Stew
Tiki Dog – Kauai Luau, Lahaina Luau, Maui Luau, or Tonga Luau recipes
Weruva – Marbella Paella, Bed & Breakfast, or Paw Lickin’ Chicken recipes
Wellness Core Weight Management

These are 22-25% fat and below 25% carbs DMB:
Halo Sr. Beef
Merrick Golden Years Medley
Nutro Natural Choice LID Sr.
Precise Holistic Pork w/veg in gravy
Red Barn Chic, Turkey, or Steak & Egg stews
Wal-Mart Pure Balance stews
Wellness Stews

Here are some freeze dried/frozen commercial raw and dehydrated foods I feed. I use the same guidelines for these foods:
I and Love and You dehydrated Turkey (I also want to try the Beef and Chicken)
Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Beef, Lamb, and Venison
Primal FD Turkey & Sardine, Frozen Venison, and frozen Turkey & Sardine
Stella & Chewy’s FD Chicken

Here is some info you might find helpful:
/choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/
/dog-feeding-tips/how-much-dog-food/
/canine-nutrition/low-fat-dog-food/
/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/
/choosing-dog-food/raw-dog-food-fat/
http://www.dogaware.com/diet/freshfoods.html
Carb calculator:
http://www.scheyderweb.com/cats/catfood.html

[Bobby dog]

I used to feed Bobby Pedigree too! I feed about half kibble, topped with either canned, frozen/FD commercial raw, or fresh foods, and he gets home cooked meals one day a week. So we’re all over the place.

I will post a list for you when I get on my PC. I’ll give you all brands I have fed and note which ones are lower fat for your pup with weight issues.

[Ashley W]

The budget isn’t really a concern. I wish I had the time to do the raw food but I don’t even cook for myself anymore. I’ve just been doing research on dry food and what I’ve found makes me sick. I want something that is going to be good for them. I’ve had dogs my entire life and I’ve always fed them pedigree. I know… I know… I’m just looking for the best option.

[Yorkieville]

Hi, Ashley.
I feed my 3.5# Yorkie canned food. Dr. Karen Becker has a video, and she discusses the best foods for dogs.
#1 Raw
#2 Excellent Quality Canned
#3 Dehydrated Raw

Last on the list is Dry Food.
“Many pet owners mistakenly believe dry food cleans their dog’s or cat’s teeth. That’s a myth. Dry, crunchy kibble doesn’t clean your pet’s teeth any better than granola or crackers clean yours. ”

I’ve had Yorkie’s for 34 years. It wasn’t until my late Yorkie’s, Sweet Sydney and my precious little Kia, were older, that I learned the best food for them was canned.

My Yorkie is 16 months old now & has the cleanest white teeth.

[C4D]

Hi Ashley,

Soaking kibble is better than feeding dry kibble, but canned and fresh is still better since it’s less processed. I have several big dogs so I do a combination of canned/kibble/warm water for 1 meal and fresh cooked/premix or raw for the other due to the cost factor. Red is correct, if you free feed you can’t control portion size of each dog.

[zcRiley]

Some dogs don’t do well on raw or an all wet diet. Unless your dog has a severe allergic reaction to the 4 proteins used in Zignature formulas, it’s probably the best on the market because it excludes chicken, egg and potato. I switched my pups overnight to Zignature Zssentials after intestinal issues with Orijen Adult. If they have a bad reaction to any food, I stop it immediately. Cleared up every issue they were having in 48 hours. Side note: their canned food’s not that great, so I use Weruva and ZiwiPeak for soft. The new Zignature Kangaroo formula is a hit as well!

[Jamie P]

We recently rescued a ridgeback mutt (9 weeks old), and I am researching the raw diet options and am so thankful to have found these forums to help me wade through the info available on the web (as well as help me formulate good questions for our vet!).

I’ll be checking out dr. Becker and other concerns listed here. My follow up question about transitioning to raw is– what’s the most cost-effective and convenient way to feed raw? Freeze dried or frozen? The prices are all over the place!

Also, is there a kibble that can (reasonably) mimic the raw diet?

[Dori]

Red, I’m sorry but I can’t agree or accept any of the reasons on your list. There is absolutely no excuse, in my mind, for not getting medical treatment if you have chosen to be a guardian to a companion animal or multiples. It is akin to saying that you will not get medical help for your human children and use any of those excuses. It is one thing to say that you may not be able to feed expensive, or whatever, foods. So that is why you are feeding a, b or c. I happen to believe there are a lot of quality foods that are not all that expensive far better than some of the garbage people feed. I’m a raw feeder so I’ll go no further on that topic.

I know you don’t actually think that homeopathic, holistic, natural, etc. is gobbledygook and just going to take it as you being cute. That’s okay. I use allopathic medicine and doctors as well as integrative and homeopathic medicines with my three dogs. Some work better than others and also, of course, depends on the extremeness of the situation. I also use tissue salts, essential oils, remedies, etc. All in moderation and with a watch full eye. None at the expensive of good old fashioned medicine which I also at times will take with a grain of salt. BUT…..I do get my dogs checked out once every single year, Hannah will be 16 on 9/9 and she goes twice a year. If I find lumps, bumps, drooling or what have you, I’m at the vet like a shot.

As for finances. Credit Card. A lot of doctors will give you a payment plan. Though I may be glib at times about allopathic vets I do believe there are a number of really good caring veterinarians that will help you make a payment plan and their concern is the animal and do no harm. If one is going to the other type of vets, then they should have moved along a long time ago. Okay, I’ll get off my band wagon now.

[Allison A]

He has not been tested for EPI, nor have I given him enzymes. I can contact Hills, but based on the ingredients list, the majority of the ingredients that contribute to the fiber content are insoluble (wheat, corn, etc.). His poops are not great with Hills Light, but that has been BY FAR the most successful food for him. He probably poops 5-8 times a day. First thing in the morning, the stool is formed. After that, it gets softer and softer with each subsequent BM. On any food other than the Hills, his stool is just straight liquid.

I am trying to get him off the Hills (chicken, wheat, corn) because his ears and bum are clearly bothering him. Both of those issues have gotten exponentially worse in the last two weeks with the incorporation of the Orijen (he’s getting half Hills, half Orijen Red). It hardly makes sense!

He has never had a full raw meal, only a couple freeze-dried nuggets (Primal brand) on top of his kibble. Because of that, I can’t say that going raw is the definite solution for him, but I am investigating how to go about that in a way I can afford. The commercially available frozen raw diets are going to run $400 a month, which I just can’t do. Unfortunately, I live in a very large, major US city where all meats are ridiculously expensive. We’re talking about $3/lb for the cheap stuff.

[Susan]

Hi was your dog tested for EPI & have you ever used a Digestive Enzyme? when I reed what you have used I see pumkin & the pumkin didn’t help …..Pumkin is high soluble fiber, what % fiber is the Hills light kibble made up of more soluble fiber or more insoluble fiber, email Hills & ask you want the % of the soluble, insoluble & crude fiber in the Light, but were his poos ever firm on the Hills light??? the Hills Z/d vet diet is high in insoluble fiber, it went thru my boy, so my boy needs a kibble & foods that have soluble fibers, not insoluble fibers, my boy did real well on the vet diet Euknauba Intestinal low residue kibble, the fiber is only 1.7% & the Royal Canine Intestinal low fat the fiber is 1.7%
another thing if he’s doing better on the raw, raw doesn’t have much fiber so ur vet may have it wrong, have you seen any other vets that specialise in IBD, I can try & work it out with you….I think ur dog need less fiber…..

[InkedMarie]

Tracy,
I’m going to address the raw food. If you still want to feed raw & like ground, you can save money by ordering from other places. Reel Raw Dog has free shipping; if you’re in the northeast, it’s free if you order 30lb, outside that area is free shipping on 50lb.

Other places include Hare Today (my favorite & the owner is very helpful), My Pet Carnivore & Raw Feeding Miami. Even with shipping, it’s cheaper than what you’ve been buying.

[Tracy M]

Slippery Elm Bark works great to firm up stools.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/03/26/dealing-with-dog-diarrhea.aspx

I also would add a digestive enzyme and probiotic to the food.
Mercola has a great one as well as well as NaturVet

http://shop.mercola.com/product/healthy-pets-digestive-enzymes,271,90,0.htm

http://www.naturvet.com/index.php?
page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_images.tpl&category_id=15&product_id=90&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=8

Another option is to go completely frozen raw and see if that improves the stool.
Maybe try rabbit as a protein.

[Susan]

Hi, I had a white boxer Angie, she just had a tan patch above her left eye, her skin was good, she ate home cooked mainly, so that’s probably why her skin was good, (no Kibble)
Angie ended up having Mast Cell Tumor on the rump of her back leg & stomach, when she was about 9years old they were removed but they were high grade 2 cancer, broke my heart when I had to put her to sleep, she was a real lady & sooooo gentle….

Origen or Acana Regional is suppose to be good, high protein & less carbs….
I worry about the higher protein diets cause the fat % is normally high, that’s one thing my boxer didn’t do well on foods that were higher in fat… some boxer have a sensitive stomach…

“Earthborn” Grain free kibble “Primitive Natural” has only 17.5% carbs….their Great Plains Feast has 25% carbs the Coastal Catch has 29% carbs the Guaranteed Analysis tells you the Carb %
http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/primitive_natural/

I was feeding raw for breakfast & kibble for dinner with the dog I have now, he’s eating
cooked or wet tin for breakfast & kibble for dinner at the moment….

[Kristin C]

Hi Anna-I do think some dogs do well on a grain free diet. I have one beagle/aussie mix as an example. She has lost 7 lbs (from 37 lbs) when switched to raw plus grain free kibble. She currently eats Farmina Lamb Grain Free a few times per week. But of course it has potato,has to have something to bind it. I have another dog that seems to do better with grain. I have fed her Farmina Lamb Ancestral Grain, but since I don’t feed kibble enough it’s hard to say whether it works. I have better luck with satin balls putting weight on her. I have learned that each dog is different so it’s not one size fits all for food.

[INGRID S]

hello, i saw a new brand of dog food called RAWZ.
it was given 5 stars.
do you know anything about the company that makes it?
i think they have something to do with Mother Rubhard or something like that.
they claim to get all their ingredients from the US and Canada nothing from China
however it DOES NOT SAY MADE IN THE USA on the food.

thank you
ingroide

[Tammy H]

I wouldn’t feed Pedigree or anything Blue Buffalo. Fromm GF Surf and Turf or Orijen Six Fish would be great choices as would any of the quality raw diets available but you need to transition slowly. You can also add a small amount of quality canned or freeze dried raw. Adding fish or crill oil are great ideas. Honestly, anything you feed that is not grocery store food is going to make a big difference.

[Tracy M]

Hello

I have a 70 lb White Boxer with skin issues.
I have been feeding Frozen Raw and it has been costly.
Can anyone recommend any advice on possibly doing both? Been stressful looking at kibble, as I don’t want high Carbs. I just lost my other Boxer to cancer, and I took them off kibble completely.

Thank You for any input.

[InkedMarie]

I wouldn’t take this dog off of raw, I’d add boneless to it. I have one that needs boneless; the other one doesn’t.

[Pitlove]

Ah ok, I misunderstood. Are you planning to take her off raw? If you do not want to switch from raw back to kibble, you can buy grinds of different proteins that don’t contain bone from companies like Hare Today and work with a nutritionist to balance the meals. Wysong also makes a supplement that is said to balance a raw fed diet.

http://www.wysong.net/products/cotw-dog-cat-supplement.php

[Jan M]

Hi, no …not bones….frozen raw chicken patties with ground bones as part of the ingredients. It called for 3 patties a day for her size but I only gave her 2 as a supplement cause they are expensive. I am just praying she will eat and poop it out but she still feels horrible tonight and won’t eat! Thanks.

Red….if you see this…how long before your dog cleaned out?

[Jennifer E]

For a variety of reasons, I am in the process of transitioning Alice, my GSP/Redbone Coonhound mix, back to kibble with raw toppers. Alice has been exclusively raw fed for two years. (I no longer believe in the “never feed kibble mixed with raw!” mantra that’s been circulating the internet for years. See this article: http://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2015/01/08/digest-this-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/).

I’ve decided to start with Fromm Prairie Gold and then try Four Star. I’m hoping for information on how long I should expect the process to take. I started Saturday with 1/2 cup of kibble added to a smaller portion of raw. Alice does have a weak digestive system. It’s one of the reasons I decided to go back to kibble. The only time she had nice firm poops was when she got a raw knuckle bone. I was tired of having to put her teeth in danger to give her firm poop. Since Saturday, she has had pudding poops that have gotten firmer each day (so far). I have not yet upped the kibble portion from 1/2 cup. My main concern is knowing when the transition should reasonably be done so that if she still has pudding poops, I will be able to conclude that the food is not agreeing with her vs she needs more time to transition. Any guidance I can get would be so appreciated!! 🙂

• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Jennifer E. Reason: Added link

[Pitlove]

Jan- Wow! So sorry for what your girl went through, but very glad you found out what it was. Not sure if you want to continue feeding the raw bones or not, but I was curious as to how often they were given? Raw meaty bones really should be recreational feeding only, meaning not every day and more infrequently than not. We carry Primal’s raw meaty bones at work and it even says that right on the packaging.

Perhaps she was getting them too frequently and it wasn’t allowing for enough digestion time? Or perhaps she really just can’t break them down. Either way, best of luck with whatever your choice is for her!

[Anonymous]

Same thing happened to my poodle mix, I would give her a frozen beef marrow bone and she would work on it for at least an hour and consume a bit of the ground up bone.
Well, I took her to the emergency vet after she acted like she was in pain and vomited….x-ray showed calcified bone material in the colon and stomach (it turns into cement). Luckily she did well with pain meds (tramadol) and Pepcid for a few days and the material passed. She did not need surgery.

The raw thing doesn’t work for all dogs. Click on my avatar or use the search engine to get more info.
She does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea with a bit of cooked chopped up chicken breast and a splash of water added.

Brush the teeth every evening if you are worried about the teeth, check youtube for how to videos, it really does make a difference. Pekes have lousy teeth 🙁
Good info here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[Jan M]

Well, we had a horrible night with her…she felt so bad, paced and paced.i was at vets early and guess what? X-ray showed a mass of the ground up bones from raw food was blocking part of her stomach! And I thought I was giving her the very best! I was the cause of it! He gave her a shot to help with her nausea, several medications to help with her tummy right now. She is already feeling better. Most of her misery was coming from nausea due to partial blockage. Needless to say , she will never go back on a raw diet. Thanks for your advice.

[Jan M]

Oddly enough she is mostly Peke! Never constipated…usually two poops a day.switched to raw to make her poops real firm, hoping they would express on their own . Vet and groomer said glands were not full. They look perfectly fine…not red or swollen, but she is not happy!! No tests done yet as she is health in every other way. Thanks for your input.

[Jan M]

help! My 9lb. Mutt has terrible rectal issues for a few months. Her glands have been expressed, has had cortisone shot for constant digging at her anus as well as constant scooting. She will put her paws and chin on floor with butt in air and stay for several minutes. Vet can’t figure out what is wrong. I switched her food from a kibble to Stella and Chewies raw chicken …hasn’t helped. Her anus doesn’t look swollen or red but she is miserable. When vet expressed her, he said glands were not even full.???