[FoxEyeX]

Frozen or Freeze Dried Raw Food brands like Stella and Chews or Primal. Mix with pumpkin or preferably dehydrate pumpkin add water. Start slow and work your way up to a full meal.

[Pitlove]

Hi Michelle- Wow, your dog makes my dogs skin problems look like nothing. I’m so sorry for what you are going through, but thank you for rescuing.

Are you working with a specialist currently? If you are only working with your general vet I would highly suggest seeking out someone who specializes in nutrition or at least is familiar with whats going on with your dogs.

Have you tried feeding raw/homemade? They offer venison meat and also cavie (guinea pig) and rabbit which could be options. HareToday offers these as grinds and you could work with a nutritionist to balance the meals. It might also be cheaper than feeding canned food and you would be able to completely tailor the diets to your needs.

[InkedMarie]

Aaron,
Yes, I feed Hare’s Turkey that you mentioned and have had no problem with constipation from too much bone. One of mine gets a little boneless with it; the other dog does not. I believe they follow the 80/10/10 for prey model.

I have not dealt with My Pet Carnivore. Look at ReelRawDog dot com: if you buy 30lbs, you get free shipping. I have found that even with their free shipping, the only way it’s cheaper is to buy their 10lb complete mixes.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by InkedMarie.

[Kimberly W]

Hi all,

I have a puppy-mill Boston Terrier female named Lexie. I got her at 1 year old and she was in bad shape – demodex mange being one of the issues. We got rid of the mange, but she itches almost constantly still ….. especially mid-back and butt. Her tail has a spot where she’s rubbed all the hair off and now it’s like a callous there. I’ve tried all different proteins (even ground raw venison!) and grain-free foods, allergic injections, prednisone ….. even trying an immuno-therapy serum for common Florida allergens. She’s currently on Apoquel at $2 per DAY ….. it does help, but she still itches. I liked the idea of the Dinovite supplement + the raw diet they promote and switched her over VERY slowly. My first box of Dinovite lasted over 60 days. Lexie has a very touchy tummy and I didn’t want her to get sick. She seemed to do okay with the supplement and the diet, but we noticed that only the Apoquel made her scratch less. And by no means did the scratching stop ….. :/

So, into the 2nd box of Dinovite, Lexie started spitting up after eating. This had happened all along, but just once in awhile – now she was doing it after almost every meal. And it wasn’t RIGHT AFTER she ate, it was hours afterwards. Like we were sleeping at 3am and she’d vomit in the bed with us. And it was always GREEN. Like she was just spitting up just the Dinovite. We weaned her back onto the white fish based kibble she’d been on (that we were sure didn’t make her sick) and just put the Dinovite in that – thinking we’d eliminate the chance that it was the raw food. She STILL would vomit only green stuff.

I’m at my wits end here. I hate thinking she’s miserable. We have really tried a ton of stuff, but I think something in the Dinovite is making her sick. I’m wondering if all the time she was on the raw diet, it was moving the toxins from the crappy food she was fed (before I got her) OUT of her body and then, the grain (sorghum) in the Dinovite finally made her sick????

I wish I could post a picture – she looks SO good – hair is all grown in from where the demodex had her bald, so glossy she shines in the sun ….. everyone comments on how beautiful she is ….. but she itches. Almost all the time. Doesn’t lick her paws and her skin doesn’t smell at all, her ears are pretty pink inside ….. no yeast that I can see manifesting itself on her body anywhere. When I scratch her back where you can obviously tell it itches the MOST, there is some dandruff that comes out. She has no fleas and I’ve washed her with DermaBenss shampoo – as suggested by my vet – for the flaking skin ….. but when that didn’t work, I used a soap-free emu oil shampoo that’s FOR DRY SKIN and that didn’t help either.

This is what a meal looks like for Lexie:

1/2 cup of white fish based kibble – NO GRAINS (no corn, wheat or soy)
3 pumps of Yummy Chummies salmon oil
baked sweet potato or canned pumpkin
2 capsules of food enzymes (opened and sprinkled on the food)
Drs. Foster and Smith adult vitamin
vitamin E capsule – 400IU
***Also, before bed, I’m giving Lexie 2 capsules of bifidophilus, to help repopulate the good bacteria in her intestines.***
***We only use one kind of treats – Yummy Chummies Grain Free treats made with 95% salmon + potato and pea flour.***

The food we are using scores a 3.5 star on the food advisory list and I’m willing to buy her a 5 star food, but am not sure that food is her only issue. Does anyone have ANY suggestions for me? I’d be very grateful for any ideas that I haven’t already explored. Another supplement? A different shampoo? Anything I haven’t thought of or don’t know how to look for? I’ve even wondered if the itching is just a HABIT and maybe she doesn’t know how to stop ….. :/

Thanks for any thoughts!!!!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Kimberly W.

[zcRiley]

ZiwiPeak dehydrated raw, lamb formula. Best price and ingredients listed on Chewy.com. If not within your budget, just go through one 11 lb bag before you decide on the right kibble (I use Zignature Zssentials). Your current food should be stopped immediately so your pup can start healing right away. That’s what I did!

[Deborah F]

I have a yellow lab that has textbook yeast problems – itchy, smelly feet, raw skin on her tummy. I have been looking for the best dog food to feed her without contributing carbohydrates or yeast ingredients. Any suggestions?

[Pitlove]

“I didn’t know there were dermatologists for dogs. I wonder if I can just go see one instead of a vet? They might know more than a vet would maybe?”

Yes! They have a lot of different specialists for dogs as they do for humans. My vet gave me a reference to this dermatologist I’m going to be seeing, however I’m not 100% sure if you need one. I know typically with humans they want you to have a referal from a general practioner. Perhaps call your normal vet and see if she can give you a phone # to a dermatologist. And yes, they do have more knowledge than the vet. Thats exactly what mine told me. She even told me to talk to her about food choices for my boy as well. My vet really only knows about Science Diet and Primal Raw. When I asked her for suggestions for other foods she said “I don’t know really”.

As for the recommendation from Red to essentially continue feeding Purina Dog Chow- That is on you. If you feel Dog Chow is a low quality food (most of us here except for a few would agree) then switch. If you can find a retailer for Fromm near you or order online “Fromm Family Classics Adult” is a huge step up from Purina Dog Chow and it’s 35.64$ for a 33lb bag on chewy.com. I recommend this food a lot at my work to people looking to switch from Purina, Iams, Science Diet, etc who are on a tight budget.

[Aaron J]

For anyone that has purchased from Hare Today…what am I supposed to purchase to have the most complete prey model raw diet? They have many varieties of any ground protein/bones/organs… however looking at turkey as a protein, it has 27% bone. I don’t know what I would need to purchase in order to have a complete pmr diet for my dog. Ideally, I would prefer to just defrost the meat, scoop, measure, and feed… I don’t think they have that option?

Any feedback in regards to this is appreciated!!

Thanks!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Aaron J.

[aquariangt]

While certain grains have some useful nutrition if you have to stay grain inclusive, as Marie said, they have no real need for them. Dogs derive the most energy and benefit from meat protein.

That said:

Dani eats grain free because I prefer to have as high of protein content as possible. I’d feed raw if my life allowed for it, but atm, it doesn’t. When she starts competing I will adjust my life and go raw. She also gets about 25-40% of her daily intake via dehydrated or canned, both of which tend towards much higher protein to carb ratios

Liesl however eats grain inclusive because she has some food allergy/intolerance whatever you feel like calling it that comes from grain free (legumes, mainly) so she eats 50-60% of her diet as canned and dehydrated. Grain inclusive is almost always lower protein than grain free

[Melissa S]

My pitbull, Ktulu, is having really bad skin problems. Just recently her right ear also became crusty and irritated on the inside. This has happened before to both of her ears, once. We cleaned them out with Keto (we have a prescription from the vet) and it never returned. Until now. She’s also always had skin issues on her stomach and flanks.

It’s gotten incredibly worse and her skin has become darkly pigmented, has lost hair, and I know she’s miserable. She smells like dog. Not like yeast or cheese or stinky feet. Another thing to keep in mind is that because of our living situation, the dogs must stay outside at all times. (Yeah, I know. I hate it, but this isn’t my house and we can’t afford to move to our own)

We haven’t taken her to the vet for this, because I’m afraid they’re going to try and do all kinds of unnecessary tests and give us drugs that won’t work or try to get us to buy Hills Science Diet (which I’m not a fan of at all). Although, I’m thinking that I will, just to see if they’ll take cultures and help us determine if this is a yeast issue (I think it is, along with allergies).

Now, that’s not really my issue. My issue is my partner thinks what we feed our dogs is just fine (Purina Dog Chow-please don’t judge us!). I’ve never liked it, but with our limited budget and our dogs liking it, I thought that it was okay for the time being. Well, the time being has passed and I can’t take it anymore. I’m even considering giving the dogs to people who can properly take care of them (ie. have more money).

If I were to start with a homemade diet, where do I actually start? How expensive is it really going to be? How do I make sure my dogs are getting all the required nutrients? Do you think this is the best route to go considering her skin issues?

I was looking into already prepared raw and freeze-dried, but with how large both of my dogs are, it’s out of the question regarding costs. Also, I want to make sure that I can pinpoint any food allergies as well, and so many of these commercially prepared foods have tons of ingredients.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Susan]

Hi Wifsie, when I rescued my boy about 2 years ago he had the same swallowing & swallowing & worse at night & what I’ve learnt is too LOWER the FAT & protein in the kibble & kibble makes it worse, I’m finding low fat cooked meals seem to be the best & low fat wet tin foods 3% fat & under for wet tin foods, the fat% is different in wet tin food to the fat % in kibbles…
I buy extra lean beef ground mince or the lean turkey breast mince & add broccoli, celery, carrot & quiona that I’ve already boiled made into a meatloaf & baked in oven, I feed wet food for breakfast & soften kibble for lunch & wet for dinner sometimes kibble, you could change it around & feed kibble for breakfast & wet tin or cooked meal for dinner & see if there’s a difference… the fat in the Taste Of the Wild is high, when it says min fat add another 2% for max %…..
if you do soak the kibble in water make sure you fully drain all the water, squeeze the soft kibble while in the bowl, then I put thru a blender for 3-5 sec, the kibble should fluff up & separate, not be a ball of gluggy glue kibble, it means you soaked the kibble in water too long if its a gluggy ball, some kibbles when soaked only take about 30-60mins & are soft, I’ve found kibbles with rice are better & digest easier then kibbles with potatoes, sweet potatoes.. I’ve just read that water can make acid reflux worse if water is left in with the kibble in bowl, something about the Ph levels in the stomach rising & making more stomach acid (Hydrochloric acid)…. if you still want to feed a kibble & see if he gets better on another brand, look for a lower protein around 24% & lower fat around 10% & a limited ingredient kibble, so less problems of 1 ingredient giving him acid reflux…like us some people can eat tomatoes, garlic, raw onions etc & are fine, when I eat acidy foods, I get bad acid reflux…. I look for a kibbles with rice without tomato pomace & all those added ingredients, I’m going to try the “EarthBorn Holistic Ocean Fusion” next I running out of kibbles to try, I’m worried cause the fat % is 12% min so max will be around 14% http://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/us/dog_formulas/
I have found when I feed a low fat 10-12% fat & higher protein 30% kibble, Patch had his bad swallowing & swallowing again… you may have to try a few different kibbles to find the right one…. “The Honest Kitchen Zeal” is suppose to be very good for dogs with stomach & skin problem…. http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal fat is 8.50% but the protein is higher at 35.50%…. there’s a lot of really good kibbles & wet tin foods in America so google around before deciding & make sure its money back guaranteed….I just say my boy wont eat it, when I start saying he gets acid reflux or sloopy poos the lady just looks at me weird…..I feel embarrassed when returning foods..

If after you change her diet a few times to a lower fat, lower protein & if she is still swallowing & eating grass, ask vet can you have an Endoscope & Biopsies done on the stomach & make sure the biopsies are done, After changing my boys diet & giving ant-acid meds, Patch was still having his acid reflux on & off waking up about 11pm & was bad in morning about 10am after eating, so the Vet did a Endoscope & Biopsies & found Helicobacter-Pylori often found in shelter-pound dogs…. also what I do when I see Patch swallowing & eating grass & uncomfortable, I give him about 4ml liquid Mylanta in a syringe, some people use Pepto Bismol but we don’t have Pepto in Australia..it gives instant relief, please keep us updated on your girl & what worked for your new girl…..

[Pitlove]

“And it’s pretty bizarre to see in one paragraph a complaint that I don’t provide scientific evidence, then a suggestion such evidence doesn’t matter anyway since “science changes,” and then an argument that good evidence concerning raw diets is impractical anyway so we should all just rely on anecdotes. Since you clearly don’t think science matters, it’s pretty hypocritical (and, of course, factually incorrect) to complain that I don’t provide any scientific evidence.”

Science is constantly changing and as a DVM I’m certain you were taught that in your classes. If not maybe consider going back and take a more up to date biology class. It was discussed frequently in all of my biology and psychology classes. Also I am a firm believer in science and I do not like to 100% give into an idea if I can not see any tangable evidence of the success or failure of an idea or practice. I simply said (and this is true) that it is impossible to do a feeding trial on ANY type of dog food be it kibble, canned, raw whatever long enough to 100% know the long term effects of feeding that food for years of a dogs life. And I did not say that anecdotes should be the only thing considered, I said that they need to be factored in and taken into account regardless of there lack of data based science BECAUSE feeding trials can not accurately show long term effects of feeding a certain diet to a dog.

If you are going to respond to something I say, please read what I wrote more carefully next time.

[SkeptVet]

Wow! It appears to be impossible for some here to disagree with someone else without being abusive and outright lying about them. Apart from being dishonest and gratuitously mean, it doesn’t really help answer the OP’s question, so it’s just snarking to make yourselves feel better.

For the record-
1. I’m not “extremely against raw diets.” I think the arguments made in favor of them range from complete nonsense to reasonable but unproven. The bottom line is that such diets might or might not have health benefits but no one has yet done the research to prove it, and all the armchair theorizing and anecdotes in the world won’t substitute for that.

And while the benefits are unproven, some of the risks are known. They are small, and not a reason to avoid raw diets if some benefits do turn out to show up in scientific studies some day, but there’s no reason to take even small risks when the only evidence is guesswork.

So I am skeptical of raw diets, but like anyone who understands how science works I proportion my judgments to the evidence, and since the evidence is almost non-existent I don’t make definitive judgments for or against the practice.

2. As for the UTI mentioned in the OP, I am not aware of any evidence that suggests raw diets increase the risk of UTIs. Sure, they expose pets to additional bacterial pathogens, but most of the common UTI organisms are already ubiquitous, and it seems unlikely that a few more would make a huge difference.

3. I won’t bother responding to the vapid and silly personal stuff, but anyone who actually reads my articles on raw diets will see plenty of links to original research studies.

And it’s pretty bizarre to see in one paragraph a complaint that I don’t provide scientific evidence, then a suggestion such evidence doesn’t matter anyway since “science changes,” and then an argument that good evidence concerning raw diets is impractical anyway so we should all just rely on anecdotes. Since you clearly don’t think science matters, it’s pretty hypocritical (and, of course, factually incorrect) to complain that I don’t provide any scientific evidence.

Bottom line is that I doubt the diet has anything to do with the UTI problems in this case, and I cannot understand why adults can’t discuss and debate these sorts of issues without all of the hyperbole and personal abuse. Even if you don’t like my opinions, try to cite them accurately.

[Lisa O]

Hey Lorrie, I basically do the same thing you are doing. I use Acana kibble and top off with no more than 25% of her meal with Sojos freeze dried raw, which is a phenominal food. It has gone up in price, so now I went back to adding homemade which includes wild salmon, chicken, etc., sweet potato, quinoa and/or hard boiled eggs.Inthrow in some Chia as well.
seems like Earthborn is another food with decent ingredients and affordable.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Lisa O.

[Pitlove]

^ A thousand times this. Raw bones only!

[Pitlove]

Joy- Lightly cooked is fine and you can continue feeding that. Not all dogs can get used to raw, however seeing as you are only lightly cooking the food, you aren’t destroying the natural enzymes etc.

[Anonymous]

Hi Brianna-

So Sorry! I re-read your original post and I now realize that you were hoping someone would have good information on homemade raw diets, and not necessarily looking for suggestions about pancreatic issues. It is probably true that unless your dog also has SIBO or low B12 he may not need antibiotics or B12 supplementation, but it’s worth asking your vet as these things could be reducing his appetite.

When my dog was having major digestive issues (which turned out to be IBD) I came across an informative website: epi4dogs.com. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it.

Hopefully someone with more information on raw diets will respond. I do know that if not feeding bone, you must supplement calcium.

Again, so sorry for misunderstanding. Hope your vet gets back to you soon and your pup starts eating!

[Joy M]

Hello to all and Thank you in advance for all your help
I have been feeding my dog Lilly a 5 1/2 year old rescue pit a lightly cooked meal with dry for going on 2 years now with no problems but for nearly a year have been trying and trying to go totally raw But she will not touch it I have done my research and tried to wait it out She now just stopped eating raw meaty bones now she just buries it under the sofa or wherever but she never goes back to get them before I went back to raw she loved them So my question is am i hurting her by lightly cooking all the food She is very healthy now by the way When we first got her she was very sickly Horrible rashes ,Diarrhea ,bad joint issues Etc Most of that is gone now
I just am so confused She has had all her vaccinations before i got her and since then I was forced to get Rabies and talked into Lyme because we go camping in the deep woods But she has had none in two years

[Anonymous]

Did your vet diagnose him with pancreatitis? If not, you are just guessing.
If it was my dog I would make an appointment with an Internal Medicine Specialist, I am assuming you have already had diagnostic testing and exam by your vet.
Get to the root of the problem. Diet is not medication. You need to make sure he is stable first before making diet changes, especially something as extreme as going to raw. Some info here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[Brianna D]

Hi! I’ve got a 1 year and 6 month old husky German Shepard mix. Sadly, he’s only 35 lbs due to health issues with his pancreas where he isn’t absorbing enough nutrients. I was going to switch him to blue buffalo food ($$$$$$$) but then someone mentioned I try a raw food diet to help with his digestive issues (food allergies & lack of nutrients, etc) I’ve been doing research for the past 3 days trying to figure out where to start and I’m still lost.

Someone told me they just feed their husky raw chicken & steak and steamed veggies. Everything else I’m reading online is saying organs and stuff like that. I want to make sure I’m doing this right and I’d love to see some weight gain within the next 30 days. Also, I see raw food lists and all of them have multiple different things like chicken backs and grass fed beef 1 whole egg. Is that how much you feed in one day?

Any information would help! I’ve read the measuring chart but unfortunately can’t find my food scale to measure. I’ll probably buy a new one but right now, I’m feeling very overwhelmed and could use some help! Thanks 🙂

[Anonymous]

He may need the steroids (prednisone) for a short period of time so that he doesn’t scratch himself bloody raw and get skin infections.
Once the treatment that is prescribed by a dermatologist kicks in, hopefully he won’t need them again. He may not even have any food sensitivities.
BTW: Hyposensitization, “allergy shots” are the most natural way to treat environmental allergies. Excerpt below from: http://www.allergydogcentral.com/2011/06/30/dog-allergy-testing-and-allergy-shots/

Hyposensitization/Allergy Shot Benefits:
•Hyposensitization works on 65-85% of dogs placed on this form of treatment.
•Often the only solution for dogs who do not respond to other allergy treatments.
•A more natural approach to allergy treatments than steroids – trains the body to heal itself and not respond to allergens.

Hyposensization/Allergy Shot Drawbacks:
•May not work for 15-32% of dogs who are placed on this form of treatment.
•May not see significant results for four months to a year.
•Initial test and first round of vaccine costs roughly $500. Ongoing vaccines run roughly $300 per year.
•Lifetime commitment – injections are given every couple of weeks for the lifetime of your dog.
http://www.allergydogcentral.com/category/allergy-stories/

[Randy K]

I thought it was 8 months before LBP could properly process calcium? Totem is a little over 6 months and I’ve been holding back a bit on switching her to foods with a bit more calcium. I do mix it up a bit in her food rotation with Fromm LBP, Primal Freeze Dried, Honest Kitchen, Vital Essentials freeze dried, Tripett canned beef Tripe and recently Canadae Life Stages canned LGP. I’ve ordered some Ziwi Peak foods for her but have not started her on that yet. Eventually I’m fairly certain I’ll switch her to fresh raw foods.

[Louisa r]

I’ve read pages and pages of questions and answers. I’ve taken lots of notes but I still have a few questions.

I feed 2x daily — Earthborn Holistic. I want to switch to raw for the morning feeding. Giving that I need to feed 2.5-3% of body weight a day, I will be cutting that in half. Should I just give a chicken leg and a few hearts to equal the amount needed? My dogs all under 25 pounds so no matter what, the actual quantity won’t be much. Does anyone know the calorie count for chicken legs or thighs? What about turkey? I want bone in for their teeth.

Thanks

[CircaRigel]

Carolyn,
Congratulations on your puppy! I’ve not known a Golden Mountain Doodle, but having known some Bernese Mountain Dogs, a Newfiedoodle, and a number of golden and labradoodles, and based on my experiences with them, I think you’re in for a wonderful experience!

I would hesitate to feed Wellness right now (or Eagle Pack, Holistic Select, or Old Mother Hubbard). All of the kibbles made by Wellpet right now contain green tea extract, which a number of studies has shown can cause liver toxicity in dogs. While the amount in the foods is probably not enough to have much of a toxic effect, those studies were on grown dogs, and puppies may react differently. Prior to my discovering this, I had tried to make a slow transition to Wellness for my own puppy, and he developed diarrhea immediately, even though he only had a couple of tablespoons of the food with his first meal. I had thought it perhaps just a simple sensitivity, until I looked at other Vine reviews of it on Amazon (I occasionally review things on Amazon in their Vine program- the items are random, and from time to time they offer a quality dog food I wish to try Galen on). Approximately 10% of the dogs that tested it on Vine became ill, in two cases, extremely ill. After I did some checking, I found the research showing the toxicity (several studies were stopped early because of it), and also discovered that all of the WellPet foods have green tea extract.

I immediately switched Galen to Canidae Large and Giant breed puppy at that time (which I chose on my own, based on ingredients, calcium/phosphorus levels, and the inclusion of probiotics et. al- not something I was sent for review purposes). He also gets Tripett green beef tripe (which naturally contains digestive enzymes, which are beneficial to digestion and nutrient absorption). For treats, he gets Sojos freeze dried raw lamb and Natural Balance Potato and Kangaroo Limited Ingredient dog food (another thing I was sent a sample of, but is too expensive for me to actually use as his primary food). I also give him an occasional raw beef soup bone.

Now that he’s 8 months old, I’ve transitioned him to Canidae Grain Free Pure Sea, which also has the highest ratings on Dog Food Advisor. At this age, they can properly metabolize calcium, so it’s not as imperative to keep levels so low. There has also been some recent research among giant breed breeders and vets that suggests they may also do better being weaned directly to an adult food- but one that meets the calcium/phosphorus recommendations for large and giant breed puppies. They say that the extra calories in the puppy foods tend to be empty calories, and that the adult foods may have greater nutritional benefit, ounce for ounce.

Hope this helps!
Belinda

[Kona]

I second MaggiesDad! AllProvide is excellent. My girl LOVES it, no digestion issues (previously suffered from GERD/esophagitis) and they just have wonderful customer service. I’ve had a few local dog shops try to convert me to their store-brands (the typical raw foods out there) but I can’t do it. I’m sure the other companies have good food but I love that AllProvide buys all their meat locallyand human grade meat. Most importantly to me, they don’t seem like a large company so i feel more confident that they control and know exactly what is going into their food. Even when I compared AllProvide’s patties with some of the other brands…theirs was the only one that looked like I could cook it up for MY dinner. 😉 Very happy pup and owner!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Kona.

[simmy]

Has anyone heard of this brand before? purposepetfood.com I checked it with a couple of local store but no luck, seems very promising especially how they emphasize humanely raised practices which I am very interested in. I’ll give them a shot if I come across them in the future.

what do you think?

• This topic was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by simmy.

[Jonathan S]

It might be tough to find in a puppy formula, but maybe try bigger kibbles? That helped with my dogs. Also, as I understand it, puppy food tends to be higher in fat… that may be contributing. Because of the fat content, I had to move my pups to adult food earlier than I had planned when I started feeding them raw diet as well. Once I did though, their tummies settled down and they started chewing the bigger kibbles instead of wolfing everything down!

[Susan]

Hi, after Patch finished his triple therapy antibiotics Metronidazole, Amoxicillin & Zantac last December for his Helicobacter-Pylori 2-3 days after stopping his meds, I saw a tape worm on his black bum, I looked & thought is that a tape worm then the next afternoon the same another tapeworm, they look like rice but cause it was Christmas eve the vet was closed that sells his Milbemax all wormer, Patch can’t take any other all-wormers they make him ill, vomiting & pooing blood, I rung the 24 hr vets & they didn’t have the Milbemax they had another all-wormer, so I had to wait till the holidays were over to worm him…I told his vet at the time & he said, yes he often see’s tapeworms in dogs after they have been on antibiotics but he didn’t say why, he just said tapeworms won’t hurt him, I’d prefer no worms…. so the next time he had too take the Metronidazole again, I wormed him first then started the Metronidazole the next day & when he was finished taking the Metronidazole, I kept looking at his bum after he’d poo to see if I could see any more tape worms & I couldn’t….the thing is Patch doesn’t have fleas, the fleas don’t stay on him & jump back off him, the cat did have fleas at the time & Patch doesn’t kill wild prey mice, rats, rabbits, etc…

There’s several species of Tapeworms Dipylidium Caninum from fleas & Teania & Echinococcus species from mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels, deer & sheep…you have to wash all bedding everything he sleeps on.. Does Doc eat wild prey?

I was giving Patch probiotics Protexin Soluble but it was expensive $60 for 1 month, so I found another dog probiotic Vetafarm at the pet shop with the same ingredients for $20 but I don’t think the Vetafarm was as good as the Protexin & I stopped giving probiotics to him then about 3 months ago I saw a Animal Naturopath cause I wanted to put Patch on a raw diet & she sent out human live probiotic capsules that were dairy & gluten free, I had to open the capsule & put only half a capsule on the raw meal, Patches itchy smelly skin & red paws all went away within 3 days of being on the raw diet, the only problem he was regurgitating the raw, water was coming up into his mouth about 3 hours after eating the raw & he hadn’t drank any water after breakfast & he was swallowing & swallowing it, this water came out of his mouth one day while we were shopping & went all down my shopping bag, that’s when I seen it was water & a few little bits of blended veggies thru the water, I think the enzymes were breaking down the raw meat too quickly, so I had to stop the raw cause he was getting acid reflux & a sore throat but I was shattered & so was Patch, he loved his raw Kangaroo, so I started to cook extra lean beef mince & the same, he was regurgitating the cooked meal as well….. the thing is he doesn’t regurgitate wet tin food if its chunky or soaked kibble put thru a blender, so I started looking for wet tin foods but I couldn’t find a low fat, low fiber wet tin food in the Pet Shops, Wellness has their Core grain free reduced fat but the fiber is 3%, so that will be too high when converted to dry matter, so I tried the Hills & Royal Canine low fat vet diets but they all have boiled rice & boiled rice goes thru Patch (diarrhea) the corn or something in the vet wet diets was making him itch & smell again, so about 2 weeks ago I went to the Supermarket & I started to read all the ingredients, fat & fiber in all the wet tin foods & I bought a 700g tin of Purina Supercoat Homestyle casserole Lamb Veggies & Pasta, the Purina seemed to have the best ingredients fish oil, vitamins & minerals, the fat was 4%, fiber-1%max, I also bought another brand that was duck the smaller foiled wet tin food, it had only 2% fat, we tried the duck first at night his last feed he loved it but poo wasn’t as good as they are now on the Lamb Casserole…. I would need 10-12 small foil tins of the duck a day & it works out too expensive to feed…
I also started him on the Royal Canine Intestinal low fat kibble about 2 weeks before, cause when I went to buy his regular Hypoallergenic, gluten, dairy, sugar & potato free kibble “Salmon & Sardines with brown rice & green veggies” it had a Gold sticker saying “New Improved Omega 3,6, & 9 formula” so I looked & all the ingredients were still the same, so I bought the bag of kibble but the new kibbles were smaller & black & felt real greasy, even when I soaked the kibble in water, I could feel the greasiness & Patch was getting his real bad acid reflux again, so I stopped the Meals For Mutts kibble & I gave the R/C low fat Kibble ago… but he has spewed up the R/C Low Fat kibble a few times that’s then I thought I’ll give the wet tin food a go again, I’m feeding the Purina Lamb Casserole for breakfast, for lunch & dinner the R/C low fat kibble & the Purina Lamb Casserole for his last small dinner & he doing the best poos ever.. so today I’m going to just try feeding the Purina Casserole all day & see how he goes & see if he start to get his yeasty smell again, I take out the beans & wholemeal pasta & throw it away & I’ve been adding a little bit of boiled sweet potatos & some boiled chicken, I have a freezer full of cooked foods for him that he regurgitates when feed by themselves, so I’m going to add them with the Lamb casserole tin food & see how he goes… I really think the kibble is causing all his problems with Helicobacter, S.I.B.O, acid reflux & nausea..

With soluble & insoluble fibers you need to work out how Doc goes, if you have ever tried the Hills Z/d kibble, Hills I/d Gastro or the Hills W/d all these kibbles have more insoluble fiber, the Hills Z/d was making Patch do 1 big cow paddy poo in the morning, his poo was just slop & he started to smell real bad with yeast on the Hills Z/d kibble probably the Corn Starch, so Patch doesn’t do well on insoluble fiber, he does better poos on soluble fiber but soluble fiber sits in the stomach longer, where insoluble fiber passes the stomach into the small bowel, so I don’t know is that a good thing for S.I.B.O probably not…

If you can try & get Doc on wet food or raw is the best, a lean protein, like Rabbit, Chicken, Turkey, Kangaroo these are all low in fat… I never added any bone in the begining, the Naturopath said no bone or organ meat yet cause of his IBD… maybe give him his kibble for dinner & try the wet tin or raw for breakfast but I never mixed the 2 together Raw & kibble or wet tin & kibble…. I thought it will just sit in his stomach & something will happen, it always does with him lol… another thing try 1 new thing at a time so if anything happens you will know what is causing what..

[Pitlove]

Nice updates guys!

C4C- Glad they are liking the new litter box and the WEF! Praying they don’t change WEF either as thats exactly what my little girl is on and she’s very happy with it right now.

JM- Oh no! Sorry to hear about Jake. So thankful we really don’t have skunks around here, cuz my boy would be the first to get hit! However, I’m glad to see you haven’t completely given up on the raw. Keep at it girl!

I guess my update is I’m convinced that Dani can not have beef now. I gave her a sample of Primal Beef & Salmon freeze dried raw for a little treat and she threw up instantly. It definitely has nothing to do with the quality of the food. So that’s it, I’m staying away from anything beef for her.

She is on Whole Earth Farms like C4C’s kitties, so I’m in the same boat with the whole Purina thing. I’m keeping her to just one food now with different proteins since I find her poop is a lot better when she’s on one food.

Also, did anyone see the new Purely FF food they came out with? No by-products etc? I was reading reviews for it and apparently it replaced their FF Appetizers line (which I’m assuming had by-products) and people are pissed lol. They want the old formula back.

[samaroberoi4474]

It seems your dog is allergic to certain food. There are some food products that are toxic for dogs and cause food poisoning and allergy. For more information about these toxic foods, you can visit this link:

10 Foods Not To Feed Your Dog

Avoid giving these food items to your dog. Further, raw food is absolutely good for the dogs. But, don’t give raw food to your dog every day. Try to mix raw food with commercial dog foods or homemade dog food so that your dog gets balanced nutrition every day.
Following articles can give you more in-depth knowledge about ideal food for your dog:
/best-dog-foods/raw-dog-food/

Which is The Best Dog Food Raw, Home Cooked or Kibble?

[jakes mom]

OK C4C, not much of an update but here goes, lol.
Your new litter box sounds good! I never add used litter to a new box, tho, never had to. It seemed like somebody always wanted to be the first to christen the new one. Years ago I used a hard plastic kiddy pool as a litter box (when I had 13). I still remember Dustin working his way around the whole circle, peeing every foot or so!
I tried a bag of Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw chic for the cats, On sale, figured I’d give it a shot in case it was just Darwin’s they didn’t like for some reason. They didn’t like Instinct, either, but hope springs eternal I guess, lol. I have put it out a couple of times and it’s disappeared but don’t know who ate it. I’m assuming it was Dustin but haven’t been able to see. So I have that and a couple of Primal dehydrated raw flavors that he’ll eat. I figure I’ll pick up a small bag of those once in a while, just a little extra for him, he can use all the calories he can get.
The biggest news at my house is not cat related, tho. Poor Jake got skunked again on Monday am! We’d just gotten up, 445. He went out and came right back in, started rubbing his face all over the carpet. No, not again!!! So I had to call off work and spent the last couple of days cleaning. Tuesday was my usual day off luckily so have had 2 days to deodorize. Lots of vinegar and baking soda, lots of baths for Jake and showers for me. But he’s very pretty, lol. The peroxide in the skunk wash mixture made his white fur nice and bright!

[zcRiley]

ZiwiPeak dehydrated raw, lamb formula. One protein complete balanced diet. A food allergy testing kit might be worth your while, too!

[Michelle M]

I have a dog that has very sensitive tummy and skin – and it seems that he is allergic to anything with chicken, turkey or quail in it. Any suggestions on a good dry food? We have used raw venison and that was ok but it seemed too rich for him. He is on raw beef/bison mix and he is super itchy again so I don’t think we are on the right path. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Michelle M.

[Gracie’s Mom]

I am very familiar with Darwin’s, and I think it is the best food. I fed Gracie Darwin’s for the first 15 or 16 months that we had her, and all was right with the world. Then, one day, she refused to eat it. . . and she kept on refusing. I switched to ZiwiPeak, and she ate that for a while, then stopped. . . and on. . .and on the story goes. We’ve been through so many foods and vet visits to try to figure out what to do. I still have some of the Darwin’s in the freezer, and every now and then I offer it to her. She just growls and barks at it and won’t eat a bite. The freeze-dried, air dried, and dehydrated “raw” foods have been more to her liking, but they are so expensive, which brings us back to why I was looking for alternatives or ways to dilute those with kibble.

So, if/when I prepare her food myself, it likely won’t be raw. Hopefully, though, I’ll be able to get away with very light cooking so that most of the nutrients survive the process. I like your suggestion of working with a veterinary nutritionist. I will definitely look in to that.

[Pitlove]

Wow, really sorry to hear that all that didn’t work out. During the time that I was fighting with my dog for him to eat I tried a lot of ways of preparing his food. First I tried kibble on the bottom of the bowl with some canned on top- that didn’t work. Then I tried using my hands and mixing the kibble and canned together- didn’t work either he hated it. Then I tried feeding the kibble first and his reward for eating the kibble was a little canned- that kinda worked but there were times where he still didn’t eat. So, I thought to myself that maybe he has an issue with the texture that these combinations created so I tried canned on the bottom of the bowl with dry on top- he ate it, no issue at all! I’ve continued to do that for a long time until we stumbled on Nature’s Logic and he was willing to eat it without canned at all! Now he loves food so much that I can use canned food as a topper again and have his dry on the bottom and it saves me money and he eats no issue.

Really glad your husband is willing to let you try homecooked meals though. Thats great. Another thing to look into would be a commercial raw company like Darwin’s, so you don’t have to worry about the food being complete and balanced because it already is. With Darwin’s they do autoshipping, but you can cancel or change the order at any time and they start you off with a starter pack for 14.95$ including the shipping. If you want to go the way of making your own meals, I would highly recommend working with a veterinary nutritionist to come up with meals that would be complete and balanced. It can risk your dogs health if you feed an unbalanced raw/homecooked diet even more so than feeding a low quality kibble.

[Pitlove]

I’ve often suggested to people at work to buy the Stella & Chewy’s meal mixers and mix in how much freeze dried raw they want, instead of spending the extra money to possibly/probably not get many of the raw pieces. We sell BackCountry at work, but not NV. I used to get NV at my old job. I was very unhappy with how inconsistant each bag was.

[C4D]

I agree with you Pitlove. The raw addition is not a lot and you could probably just buy some freezed dried raw and add the amount you want. I use NV, but only in rotation and I prefer adding wet/fresh instead.

[C4D]

I do use Nature’s Variety Raw Boost in my rotation. It’s funny that Merrick and Natural Balance came out with similar versions. The raw boost is not a lot, but I haven’t tried the Merrick Backcounty or Natural Balance versions yet so I can’t offer input on the comparison between the 3. Nature’s Variety costs slightly less per pound that Merrick per Chewy.com’s prices. Merrick is $62.98/22 lbs, Nature’s Variety $62.74/23.5 lbs. I don’t use Natural Balance as it has always been too low in protein in the past. They’ve upped the protein levels on the raw inclusive one, but I’m not too sure about Smucker’s ownership of the company, so I haven’t bought it.
I agree with Pitlove, Orijen is a great product and I used it on a regular basis in the past. It got too expensive for me with large multiple dogs and since I now add canned and fresh, I’d rather put my money into those items as opposed to more expensive dry. Just my opinion. Hope it helps.

[Pitlove]

It’s gonna be more expensive, but Orijen is one I would look into. Champion Pet Foods is an excellent company out of Canada and all their ingredients are regionally sourced in Canada and manufactured by Champion in their kitchens.

26lb bag of Orijen Adult on Chewy.com is 78.99$ and the 25 lb bag of Merrick Back Country is 62.98$ plus you get free shipping and Orijen is much more worth the money. The problem I have with foods that use these freeze dried raw pieces in them (I’ve fed Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost which has them) is there is a lot of inconsistancy per batch of how many freeze dried pieces you get, which IMO makes it not worth the higher price tag compared to the regular Merrick.

[Kristen H]

I want to switch because of the Purina nonsense… any suggestions on a dry food that is similar to Merrick? High protein (I was feeding the Backcountry with the freeze dried raw pieces), meat based, grain free, local ingredients, manufactured by the company (not outsourced to an outside manufacturer), similar price? I feel like this is impossible =(

[Pitlove]

Hi Cindy- I work for a couple who own a small pet store and they have 2 senior greyhounds amoung other dogs. They also work closely with greyhound rescues. They feed them everything from multiple different brands, to different types of food (kibble, canned, dehydrated raw) and even expired food we take off the shelves. As far as they have told me they have no issues with their stomach’s being sensitive. Sensitive stomach to me has never really been a “breed issue” as a sensitive stomach is more likely to occur by being fed the same food for too long. If you are feeding a variety of foods and still having GI issues you may want to consider seeing a vet, if you haven’t already. Could be more than just a sensitive stomach.

[Dixie W]

I’m trying to switch my 12 year old boston terrier from kibble to raw as he has been diagnosed with Cushing’s. He has gained 5 lbs which is because of the Cushing’s and I am trying to help him loose that weight so he will be more comfortable. I am reducing his kibble to 1/2 cup and adding salmon , frozen veggies which he has always loved, fish oil and kefir for his tummy. He licks the bowl every time. Does anyone have any suggestions on a more permanent diet for him .

[jakes mom]

The easiest thing to do would be to buy treats made by a good 4 or 5 star dog food brand. If they make quality kibble I think I’d assume they’d make quality treats. Also fruits and vegies (most are ok) in small pieces. Or use a different flavor of your usual kibble as treats. If he usually eats chicken dog food, for example, buy a small bag of beef or lamb or whatever, and toss a few to him for a treat. No hot dogs, lunch meats, etc. Lots of chemicals, nitrites, in that stuff. You could also buy a small bag of cat food or treats. Cat food is very high protein and most dogs I know love to steal cat food, lol. Buying a small bag of a totally different food is an option, too. Try raw, freeze dried or dehydrated dog food. Anything new and different will be a treat as far as your dog is concerned.

[Karen Barbara L]

I am also looking for a review of dog treats, like you give for dog foods. I was giving my dog Purina Alpo Variety Snaps and I think they are making him sick. I threw them away, but he still looks for his “reward”. I am trying raw carrots and green beans, but he doesn’t seem impressed. How about Hebrew National hot dogs in little slices? Are they OK to give as rewards?

After my experience with the Variety Snaps, and now looking at the recall lists, I am afraid to give him snacks unless I know they are safe. Any suggestions on safe snacks?

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Karen Barbara L. Reason: Didn't finish before

[Anonymous]

Consider making an appointment with a dermatologist for skin testing IDT, maybe your vet can refer you to a specialist .
Environmental allergies are more common than food sensitivities/allergies.
If you use the search engine you will find many posts on this subject. /forums/search/allergies/

Helpful article below:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Stephanie M]

My dog (1.5 year old Terrier/Korean Jindo mix) has been fully on raw since we returned from Korea in May (my husband is military, and we adopted him from a shelter who rescued him, his mom, and his siblings from dog meat truck!) We started the transition from the middle of April until the beginning of May, then tried Stella and Chewy’s for the month of May, but he wasn’t having much of it. He turned his nose up at the stuff most of the time.

We then transitioned to Primal, and he seemed to really enjoy Primal (we rotate proteins every week) and was doing quite well on it for the first week or two. During that time, we moved from Kansas to Colorado (friend’s house). He started shaking his head a lot more, biting at his paws, and scratching his face (mostly snout and chin) and neck. I assumed this to be an environmental allergy/stress symptom because of the grass and moving from Korea to Kansas to Colorado in such a short amount of time. About three weeks ago, his excrement began to have a lot of mucus in it, and two weeks ago, he had some projectile diarrhea. It was so bad that he cried when it came out. I immediately took him to the vet and she put him on antibiotics and a probiotic powder. He finished the antibiotics last week, diarrhea gone, but scratching, biting, and head shaking still persist.

I still have him on the probiotic and raw goat’s milk at the recommendation of a local “healthy pet store” manager.

We moved into our permanent home about a week and 1/2 ago, and his bowels started to have mucus again yesterday, so I haven’t fed him mostly because he’s eating grass again and won’t eat the Primal patties. I understand it could be stress related, but I am inclined to think that it is an allergy to the food (my previous dog was not picky and had very minimal health issues, so this is all new to me).

Is there anything I can do for him at home? The vet suggested I cook up some chicken and rice for him to see if he can eat that for about 8-12 weeks to eliminate any food allergens, then re-introduce the ingredients in Primal one by one. He’s never liked rice, so I can’t imagine that he’d enjoy that, but I guess if he’s hungry enough, he’ll eat it, right?

Any and all advice or suggestions would be helpful! Thank you!

[olive1015]

Dori – good info on the frozen ..raw. And chicken…my Olive – Yorkshire Terrior 10lbs…approx. 18 mths …loves boiled chicken but I’m worried too much chicken isn’t good for their skin. Something about histamines or something in them. I’ve made Olive ..turkey meatballs and just hamburger meatballs with an egg and some oatmeal. She loves these.
Anyone mix chickpeas w/carrots in their dogs kibble?

[olive1015]

thank you…thank you for the great feedback. I know the Purina One isn’t so great but my neighbor gave me some when I 1st got Olive and I tried to get her to just go for the Nutrisca but she wouldn’t. Then I couldn’t find the Nutrisca at Petsmart or grocery. There’s been a recall this summer..just discovered. Have so much of both I just decided to supplement with chicken, beef and veggies on the side 🙂
Blue Buffalo was too rich and heard little doggies have sensitive tummies …so..
She loves raw carrots…so I give her as treats vs biscuits all the time. Will try the recommended shampoo…and give her bananas & blue berries. She’s a wonderful doggie. She’s now spayed and chipped and warming upto my cat. I love her so! Terriers are so entertaining I can forgive the wild temperament. I had a big lab ..chow mix that was magnificent and silky years ago but lost her to old age and Olive has filled the void. I’m childless …so she’ll be spoiled rotten like the cat when I get educated on her breed.

[sharon b]

HDM, I realize all these post’s are old, so not sure if you are still posting here. I just started feeding my two dogs raw. I like your meal plan, however wondering why so many supplements? Do your dogs suffer from any health issues? I have a Newf puppy 7 months and an 8 y/o husky and only adding coconut oil, salmon oil, and right now some Pumpkin as he is a bit constipated at the start as I am awaiting getting more meat alone from next order. he is getting a ground mix that is a 80/10/10 mix, so should be complete, yet even with a lot of water added he needs the pumpkin and stools are now good.

[zcRiley]

Orijen puppy food was a hit in my boys’ 1st year. They liked warm milk, too, between meals. ZiwiPeak is a raw dehydrated food that is easy to digest & easy to chew (tiny thin squares like soft jerky). Good for the night time feed. Side dish of soft canned would be Weruva or ZiwiPeak, like a few spoonfuls.