[Patricia A]

I’m going to email DFA and ask for explanation on his criteria for the * ratings on this brand. A few months ago his rating for their freeze dried turkey was 5* but the raw was 2.5* I believe. I asked why and they corrected the freeze dried to the lower rating. I’ll post when they answer. I also use primal freeze dried. I notice the calories with the same protein is much lower then the Stella’s so I think lower in fat? I alternate since my one Chihuahua tends to get chubby with the Stella’s.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by Patricia A.

[haleycookie]

The only case where a dog should be permanently on a soy based food is if they have EXTREME allergies to every other protein. Which is incredibly rare and will probably be a life long struggle for u and him if that is the case. Diets like the one he’s on are usually given for elimination diets to narrow down ingredients the dog is sensitive to. I’ve have seen ppl who feed chicken based diets and the dogs are horribly allergic to chicken but when switched to a fresh or raw food diet they don’t have the reaction anymore. If you’re interested in adopting the dog I would see if the rescue (or your vet) can refer u to a vet nutritionalist whom can make u up a proper balanced diet using fresh foods that wouldn’t flare up his allergies.

[AntiCorn D]

We have a 4 yo Westie that is plagued by digestive problem: vomiting bile, constant licking, diarrhea, stomach noises. She also has severe allergies here in Florida, possibly lawn care related. She is on a hydrolyzed protein diet which is somewhat helpful and we’ve tried omeprazole with some help. I tried giving her a teaspoon of plain greek yogurt when her stomach growls and gurgles, and often it cures the sounds immediately. H pylori infection hasn’t been ruled out. She did end up with mild pancreatitis one time when she was vomiting a lot, also had some diarrhea; probably just dehydration, but lab work did show elevated pancreatic enzymes. I found this thread while searching for a raw food diet that may help the puppers. I was thinking about starting her on such a diet to see if it would help.

[Patricia A]

You might want to give Stella & Chewy’s a try. I know many pet owners comment on their f/b page and under reviews on their f/b page that they went through many foods but will eat Stella’s kibble and do very well with feeding their food https://www.facebook.com/pg/stellaandchewys/reviews/?ref=page_internal believe it’s high protein average fat and low carbs. As dogs forever suggested also that incorporating a little raw would be great. I myself use Stella’s alternating between their raw coated chicken grains free and also grain inclusive. No stomach trouble ever.e My two also are fed freeze dried in different brands with the flavors/proteins which are lower in fat since my one tends to get diarrhea also from the higher fat foods. Just make sure when introducing new kibble or other foods that you go VERY, VERY, VERY slowly. Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by Patricia A.

[anonymous]

First of all the folks at the shelter are not veterinary healthcare professionals. I would ask to speak to the vet that examined the dog and prescribed the therapeutic diet. Your request will probably be denied.

I would then request to take the dog to a vet of my choosing for an examination (you pay). The diet you mentioned is probably a food trial to rule out sensitivities so I would suspect that the dog may be suffering from allergies.

If this is the case the dog will need to be under the care of a veterinary dermatologist for the rest of it’s life.
There is no cure for allergies but there is effective treatment.

And, NO, there is no substitute for prescription dog food, the one you mentioned goes through a special process so that the dog will not respond to any of the ingredients. Hence, the price.

All commercial dog food is subject to cross contamination. If you think the cost of the dog food is too much I would not adopt this dog. Allergies usually require lifelong treatment, they have flareups so it can be expensive.

BTW: There are no veterinary healthcare professionals affiliated with this site. Some of the regulars give dangerous advice involving raw diets and such.

Good luck

[dogsforever123]

Have you considered a raw diet? Dogs tend to love it and you can incorporate raw foods quite easily…I don’t have any specific dog food brands I would recommend so I suggest you try a few different types of dry and wet food and see what your puppy likes.

[Chipy]

Hi Daniel,

It’s so great that you are interested in starting raw feeding your pup. I normally create raw recipes and meal plans for my pup with this online Recipe Maker; https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

It will help you build healthy meals for your dog with the ingredients you have available. It provides guidance on amounts of each ingredient and which ingredients are best for dogs.

They also have a human grade fish oil that I have been using both for my pup and myself. It’s toxin-free and sustainably sourced; https://peterdobias.com/products/feelgood-omega

Wishing you and your pup all the best,
Chipy & Judi

[Kayla R]

My 4 year old Goldendoodle has been having seizures once or twice a month since the end of August 2019. They’d last about 2 minutes and he would violently shake (and “paddle” as our vet called it), trembling jaw, foaming at the mouth, release his bowels, and bark. We’ve been tracking every seizure (date and time) and I’ve been looking into his food to see if it could be the cause of them. When we took him to the vet they said his bloodwork history and current work was all in perfect health so he figured it was epilepsy/idiopathic seizures.
He was previously on the Nutrience Sub Zero (freeze dried raw + kibble) which I was told was one of the best foods out there. I started him on the food at the beginning of August.
I put him on CBD oil In October (500mg once a day) because I heard the benefits of it and wanted to prevent putting him on medication as much as I could, but he was still having seizures. I decided to up his dosage in December (600mg twice a day on some chicken which is his favourite treat), but I also changed his food at the same time to “Only Natural Pet” Power Fusion Adult Dog Food which costs about $20 more per bag but apparently was better than the Nutrience? (This was told to me by a worker at PetSmart who said his dogs eat this food and it’s helped them a lot). I also occasionally give him some FreshPet fresh chicken and veggies mixed in with his kibble for some added nutrients (and he loves the fresh stuff!) but for $80 dry food and $45 fresh food, it adds up fast. Since his CBD going up and his new food he hasn’t had a seizure in almost 2 months! I wish I had only switched one thing at a time to see what would help first so now I’m not too sure if it’s only the cbd working or only the food (or both?), but I was so worried about him I just quickly wanted to do everything I could to stop his seizures.
If he has another one then I’ll have to take him to the vet again and discuss putting him on medication, but for now he’s doing a lot better. it’s so heartbreaking seeing your pup go through them and not being able to do anything as it’s happening. I hope you can figure out what’s causing your dogs seizures soon!

[pugmomsandy]

Canidae All Life Stages Canned
RAWZ

[Brenda C]

Help! I have two Shih Tzu/Bichon mixes, each about 14 lbs. One of them, Reba, is a very picky eater. I am currently feeding them TruDog Freeze Dried Raw. I usually put just a bit of chicken breast on top to entice her. Even then, there are some days she won’t eat. I used to stress but now I just pick it up when she doesn’t eat and offer it to her again at the next meal. Usually she eats then. She has rarely gone a whole day without eating. My dilemma is that TruDog is so expensive! I would like to switch to something less expensive. We recently retired and have to count our pennies. I have been researching other freeze dried raw foods and finding out that they ALL seem to be pricey! I am not sure she would accept regular kibble. I tried Only Natural Pet Wholesome Homemade Stew…thinking she’d love it because it’s more like “people food”. Wrong! She won’t touch it! Any suggestions for a less expensive freeze dried raw, a kibble she might like, or any other options?

[Glenda S]

Hello, I’ve been using these toppers for about a year. I recently bought 2 packages at Petsmart last week. My dog fell ill soon after I gave them to her and she was quite ill for this past week. They didn’t smell the same as in past bags I’ve purchased. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Patricia A]

Amanda B that’s a hard order to fill. There are MANY excellent foods which don’t contain ANY of those ingredients with the one exception of kelp in some form. Most are actually raw or freeze dried . Kibble would contain a starch/carb to hold it together so most contain rice, sweet potatoes etc. This is the only freeze dried I found with no kelp. https://www.vitalessentialsraw.com/dog/all-dog-products/

[Walter P]

Natural Cure of Fleas and Ticks

Naturally curing fleas and ticks could be the best solution for the health of your pet.

Every situation is different and some pets may respond to different methods.

Some useful tips are given as follows:

1. Essential Oil Sprays:

Essential oils can be great insect repellents for animals (and humans, too).

Naturally mild these oils will can help your dog’s coat health while working at a cellular level to boost the immune system. Basic instructions for a flea, tick or mosquito spray for dogs:

For any of these following essential oils use put about 15 drops in a 14 oz. spray bottle.

Mix well and mist on your pet daily.

Lavender: Studies have shown this sweet-smelling oil is an excellent tick deterrent and prevents tick eggs from hatching.

Citronella: Citronella oil naturally repels mosquitoes, black flies, fleas and ticks.
Lemongrass: This oil works great to deter fleas and ticks.

Lemongrass oil is also useful for various skin conditions making this a great all around spray for your animals.

2. Diatomaceous Earth:

(also known as D.E.) is natural, soft, off-white colored and sedimentary rock.

Diatomaceous earth kills insects physically, not chemically.

The microscopic diatoms cut the insect’s waxy coating and shells. Then insects then dehydrate and die. Food grade Diatomaceous earth can be used directly on your pet to kill insects crawling on them. Also it can be used around the pets living area to kill any pests.

3. Flea Combs:
Use a high flea comb to catch fleas. Comb the fur of your pet regularly and then drown the caught fleas in water.

Source: Home Remedies For Fleas On Dogs

[Patricia A]

C.S maybe too fast of a transition. Take her to your vet and make sure she’s okay first. Make sure the boiled chicken is white meat only. I’m saying this because dark meat always gives my dog soft poops. Maybe too high in fat. Your doing the right thing by getting off the kibble diet. I have not transitioned mine to what the raw community considered “true” raw diet however, I did go to a high quality freeze dried. I stick to the ones lower in fat and I SLOWLY rotated the proteins/flavors AND also brands. Their stools are great and they are full of energy and last checkup perfect blood work. Some dogs maybe just don’t do well with raw but you can try freeze dried which is the next best thing nutritionally for your dog. Just remember a SLOW transition.
If you are interested in premade in either raw or freeze dried Susan Thixton has her new list out for 2020 with companies she knows to be not only totally transparent of everything that goes into their food but also farmers who are truly humane to their livestock. There is a ton of information regarding the reasons behind why a manufacturer/food makes her list each year. Dr. Becker also respects her list along with thousands of other pet lovers.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[anonymous]

Stop the raw immediately. There are no veterinarians or veterinary nutritionists affiliated with this site.
Hope this helps

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet

and https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.243.11.1549

Please take your dogs to the vet, asap, they may need emergency treatment. based on the symptoms you described,

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by anonymous.

[C.S]

Hi everyone,
I have a 2yo Weimaraner cross Staffordshire bull terrier who I switched over to raw food 3 weeks ago. I was using a guideline found on BARF UK FB group but I’ve been unable to get some advice on the issue I’m facing now so hoping someone on here can help!

We were on week3 of transitioning from kibble so she was being fed 1/4 chicken and 3/4 beef mince. 600g per day split between two meals. She was on that from last Tuesday until this Monday when she did a bloody poop.

This has happened before six months ago when she was being fed kibble. Vet prescribed antibiotics I think and bland diet for a week. Since it was only the one poop this time around and she wasn’t off as she had been before I’ve just had her on boiled chicken/cod and rice or sweet potato from Monday night.

However her poops have not quite firmed up yet and I’m confused as to what do going forward. The guide I was following said in week four she should be fed duck and beef both of which are high fat and low fat seems to be the way to go after some research.

I’m very new to this and would like to keep her on raw as I’ve noticed many improvements over the past couple weeks including breath/teeth/coat and the fact that she’s eating it and scavenging less which was the main reason for switching her as she would go off kibble constantly.

Hoping someone with experience of this can help me through.

[haleycookie]

I’d say it’s a lower quality food. Dogs should be on a meat based food. Preferably raw or freeze dried or a cooked refrigerated food. Or canned/kibble if the fresher foods aren’t an option for u. I’m not sure what foods are available to you, but the kibble you choose to feed should have meat as the first 2-3 ingredients at the very least. No corn, no vegetable protein, no rice etc. if they (or any vegetable matter)are on the list they need to be fairly low and after all the meat meals.

[Kathy M]

I’d love to know how your chi is doing and what food you ended up using. My chi (NM) 10#, 10 yrs. old is already on 6.25 Lasix and 1.25 Vetmedin twice a day. I’ve ordered Dr. Becker’s Heart Bites and Young at Heart supplement and Mercola’s Meal Mixer (which according to customer service rep has no sodium) to start making his food. Right now I’m feeding Primal frozen chicken and adding fresh chicken breasts boiled, fresh boiled sweet potato, Fresh zucchini and spinach with ArthriEase Gold to help with arthritis and it increases his appetite. Never been picky eater until Lasix administered at ER vet.
Just hoping to share with someone looking for low sodium frozen raw. I do know that fresh chicken breasts are naturally lower in sodium than other meat. Maybe that’s why chicken is the lowest sodium frozen meat patty Stella and chewy offer. [email protected]

[Patricia A]

Hi Nadia. I’m so glad to hear how well Lacey is dong the frozen raw. It gives me confidence to to switch over from the freeze dried with my two Chihuahuas’. I know it will be cheaper with the frozen also..But I do like the convenience of not having to defrost. I always forget even to defrost my meat so another thing to remember for me. lol I remember a few years ago when there was a rep from Stella & Chewy’s at my local Pet Supply store with samples of their freeze dried. I didn’t even stop to get a pamphlet. It was so foreign to me to give anything else but kibble. After I saw the film as you did Truth about pet food I tried out the freeze dried. I subscribe to Thixton’s list also every new year. So happy that Tia and Loli are doing so well on the different brands and proteins . Just feel good about feeding them what I feel is a much better diet then kibble or canned.I enjoy their enthusiasm when eating and never any stomach problems. My next step is to stop the kibble base. I only give five or six with the freeze dried. I throw that in after I add warm water to the food so it stays crunchy. . I’m worried they’ll miss the little bit of crunch if I stop. lol
Going to order a small Raw bistro from my pet supply store. Maybe use as treats along with the Bixbi Rawwbles I now use. Happy Holidays to you and Lacey!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 12 months ago by Patricia A.

[Nadia K]

Hi Patricia. Yes I am now feeding raw frozen patties and my pup Lacey loves them. I did a lot of research and came across a site by Susan Thixton. https://truthaboutpetfood.com/

She puts a list out every year of pet foods she recommends. After reading the reviews and researching the companies, I went with Raw Bistro. https://rawbistro.com/collections/raw-food

Dog Food Advisor review: /dog-food-reviews/raw-bistro-dog-food/

This is a small business in Minnesota. Their food is also recommended by Dr Becker who’s opinion I value. I bought it directly on their website. They shipped it very quickly in a foam cooler with dry ice.

I started Lacey on their turkey patties and transitioned her very slowly over about two weeks. She had no upsets from the food whatsoever. Perfect poop every time. Right before the transition she was eating the Primal freeze dried turkey/ sardine. I would put the Primal on one side of her bowl and the Raw Bistro on the other side. I would intentionally turn the bowl in different directions and she would always eat the Raw Bistro first. She likes the Primal but much prefers the Raw Bistro.

The only down side to the raw frozen patties is that you have to remember to take out the patties the night before so they have a chance to thaw in the refrigerator. We actually just bought a new standing freezer which is wonderful. No more bending over and looking for stuff that has fallen underneath and gotten lost. Raw Bistro does a dehydrated raw as well so I did purchase a bag in the event I forget to get the patties out of the freezer.

[Patricia A]

Nadia are you now using raw frozen food? I know I remember you wrote that you were using freeze dried I believe. Which brand/brands are you feeding? I am giving more primal proteins now then the Stella’s. Primal doesn’t have synthetic vitamins as stella’s does. I also want to try Vital Essentials . My pet supply doesn’t carry this brand so would have to order.
Right now I stick to Primal duck and turkey and sardine. I want to switch up the proteins in Primal to the ones which have no HPP. I know all of Stella’s proteins use HPP and I believe vital essentials also. Not totally against this step since I still think freeze dried using HPP in these brands is better then kibble or canned any day.
I’m quilty of trying to stretch the freeze dried by using kibble at times as a base since I have two. I’m thinking of switching up again frtom Stella & Chewy’s baked raw coated to slowly introducing Natures Logic Distinction. I’m liking that they use no synthetic vitamins, and No corn, wheat, rice, soy, peas, tapioca, or potato with no artificial flavor, color or chemical preservatives.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Patricia A.
• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Patricia A.

[Nadia K]

I actually stopped feeding my dog Farmina. Not because she didn’t like it, but because even after a slow transition and a few months eating it she still had a loose stool. I have recently transitioned my girl to raw and am thrilled with the results.

[Marisa J]

I work at a pet store and I can tell you I’ve only ever had one dog deny Farmina so far. And the dog was fed raw and they were looking to find a kibble. So, when going from something so fresh to something cooked and not fresh it’s pretty hard.

Farmina is awesome though! They are a high protein kibble and low carb. They are from Italy so the standards there are much higher than any USA dog food.

They produce bags to vendors orders. So it’s nice to know that these bags are not sitting on a shelf waiting for dust.

They also press fruits and vegetables together and spray this on their kibble for a vitamin supplement. So no random vitamin E supplement purchased from the market. And I think this is why so many dogs and cats love their food.

They also cold press their ingredients into the shape.

Farmina is an awesome kibble! Their bags range in price too depending on proteins and flavors too.

[haleycookie]

KD is almost nothing but carbs with a tad bit of fat and even a smaller amount of protein. I would honestly switch to a canned or raw/cooked diet. You’ll want low phos which is what KD does in the cheapest (but most expensive price tag) way. I would ask the vet to be sent to a vet nutritionalist to see if they can help u formulate a high protein low fat low carb diet for your dogs using fresh ingredients. You’ll see the fat melt off your male and his allergies will likely improve as well.

[Nadia K]

Most dogs do really well on raw. I changed mine over because she hated kibble no matter which brand I tried. She loves it and is doing great. Are there any holistic vets in your area? Also there are several great raw feeding groups on Facebook. I am sure people there would be able to guide you.

[anonymous]

Start walking him for at least an hour a day. He sounds bored.
Btw: All healthy dogs act like they are starving all the time.
Keep the trash where he cannot get at it. Don’t leave him unattended outside.

Didn’t you learn your lesson about raw? http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet

Sounds like your dog did best when you went by what the veterinarian that examined your vet advised.
Good luck

PS: there are no veterinary healthcare professionals affiliated with this site.

[Bee W]

i started feeding my dog (a mini schnauzer) raw food because i thought its the best for him. the reason i started doing so is because he doesn’t do well on dry food, and stars to have serious stomach ache after a month or so with the dry food (we tried a few companies/ brands). after feeding him a month or so with raw i started seeing blood in his urine so i rush to the vet and the vet tells me that i have been feeding him with a diet that contains too much protein. during that month i saw great changes: he was more energetic and less hungry, stopped looking for food when we walk outside. The vet recommended me to give him more complicated carbs like sweet potato, brown rice and etc. then i talked to a pet nutritionist and she told me it’s better to cook the meat because of different bacterias. she told me what should be the proportion between the meat, organs , carbs and vegetables and to add cooked eggs, sardines, fish oil and coco oil every day. i did what she told me and now his protein levels are okay. So i kept on going. two mounts later he acts as if he’s hungry all the time, always digging in our trash, trash outside and looking for random food. i don’t think it’s a behavior problem but maybe more nutritional. maybe i should give him raw meat again but with carbs and vegetables. please share your experience with. what do you think i need to do?

[haleycookie]

Every dog food has horror stories. Heck most have recalls at this point. The most important thing to me is rotational feeding meat based foods along with adding in as much fresh foods as possible. Frozen raw, freeze dried raw, bone broths, canned food are all less processed than kibble. Some good kibbles as a base I like to use are Nature’s variety raw boost, orijen, and canidae ancestral.

[Ashley A]

Hi there forum!

I brought my dog to the vet since she was suffering with some pain. They ran her blood for her pain meds and had to send to a lab since there was a lot of fat in her blood / high cholesterol.

I feed ground whole prey raw in the morning with organic canned pumpkin, hemp oil and pro/prebiotic.
In the evening I feed RMB, usually chicken feet/necks/rabbit feet/whole prey etc, with hemp oil and organic canned pumpkin.

She chews on bully sticks quite often but I factor her bones into her overall daily calories usually. Please let me know if you have any advice.

To the person who comments and says your dog shouldn’t be on raw, please move along. Thanks!

[Suzanne B]

I have to say that I absolutely adore AllProvide. I am a small boutique pet store in Lebanon, Oregon and one of the few AllProvide retailers in the state. We have found that it works really well for the picky eaters and is well balanced. I like being able to add the Gently Cooked as a treat to my guest dog’s meals to encourage them to eat when they are feeling stressed.

AllProvide is the only raw food that we carry.

[GSDsForever]

Hi Victoria.

First (so I don’t forget it!), no, you cannot use cooked pancreas for EPI. It *must* be raw for the active enzymes needed. Vets know this — it’s a special exception recommended in otherwise normal, healthy dogs with EPI.

In your dog’s case, an older dog with cancer, I wouldn’t worry about trying to use pancreas. Just stick with the Enzyme Diane/other prepared enzymes as they are highly effective. For B12, a lot of dogs use WonderLab pills vs the injections.

I share your vet’s concerns about DCM and the connection to many current grain-free/high legume formulas, your dog’s heart murmur, as well as raw for your dog, and agree with his guidance. (Also, while I am respectful of raw feeding, I prefer gently cooked homemade food as ideal anyway and don’t find a benefit for my dogs in raw.)

It’s just hard to capture all those criteria — along with low fiber, low insoluble fiber necessary in particular for EPI dogs — in commercial kibbles, especially here in the U.S. at this time.

Aside from what HaleyCookie pointed out well (Thank you, HaleyCookie!), the starch binding in kibbles, I think companies add to the problem. They just don’t want to spend the money, chance cutting into their profits by including more quality animal protein, which is expensive. Or they don’t think that the public will buy the products at a necessarily higher price — and, here, they might be right.

I mentioned those particular GF formulas ONLY as something you could potentially do part homemade with, and that other EPI dogs are using with success.

Another formula currently being re-released and available again, which *might* work for you with some tweaks (you’ll need lower % fiber in an EPI dog; perhaps you can accomplish this diluting it with what you add homemade?):

Farmina LIGHT Chicken & Pomegranate with Ancestral Grains
34% Protein/11% Fat (6.4% Fiber)
https://www.farmina.com/us/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/113-chicken-&-pomegranate-light-medium-&-maxi.html

I really like Farmina and my German Shepherd is doing very well on their food. I use a different formula, higher in fat and low in fiber (typical of most Farmina formulas).

A board certified veterinary nutritionist I would recommend is Lisa Weeth, DVM DACVN.
http://www.weethnutrition.com/about-us.html
https://weethnutrition.wordpress.com/

You can work with her long distance, through your vet. She is very supportive of homemade diets and experienced with them, and is also more open minded, fair, unbiased across a variety of commercial diets and brands imo. I think you would get a better diet from her for the money than from some other prominent services/DACVNs.

You can get a good feel for what she’s like from her nutrition blog, both her blog and Q&A section (click on “comments” at the top), in that 2nd link. You might ask her some questions there, about a commercial kibble or your current homemade additions; she’s pretty gracious and generous in her answers. (Your questions would tie in to her recent blog entries on DCM & diet, also one on grains.)

I like Susan Wynn, DVM DACVN, also but she left private practice in nutrition in January 2019 to work for Nature’s Variety.

I think the expensiveness comes from the pre-diet formulation blood tests & work up you’ll need to submit (costs dependent upon your own vet), but I think they need that to ensure that a major health issue is not present so that when they formulate a custom diet for your dog it is safe and appropriate, does not make an underlying health problem worse. And, as you’ve already seen for yourself, multiple health conditions & diet parameters, not only require review of all your medical file, but presents a diet more challenging, complicated to formulate. In your case, if you have any of those blood panels, etc. already done recently, then you’ve already spent that money. Talk to her assistant & ask about costs, what is included, your concerns. (They were very helpful with me.)

With Just Food For Dogs, the cheapest by far is doing their DIY — where you buy their recipe + balancing supplement. I just don’t know whether any of those would be appropriate for your dog, with her conditions and the diet parameters. They have good customer service (and knowledgeable veterinary staff) if you want to ask them.

I was encouraged by — and have considered using a couple of their diets myself — an independent review I read from a guy who broke down his total costs for a large breed dog about mine’s weight, showed the receipts and shopped at Whole Foods no less(!), to feed one of the formulas the DIY route. With this diet, you do feed lower total calories because it is fresh whole foods gently cooked, using highest quality ingredients, and is therefore highly digestible. So, his cost was lower than what I would have assumed for a large dog.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by GSDsForever.
• This reply was modified 6 years ago by GSDsForever.

[Victoria M]

Thank you both so much for all that information! It is a LOT to try and balance out and I definitely can’t do it alone.
Gimme good ol’, reliable cancer any day – at least treatment is pretty specific. 🙁 I’m so exhausted – Bella is doing better than I am at this point!

She currently is on Enzymediane and weekly B-12 injections. I am feeding her ~90% Hills W/D and 10% cooked food:
99% lean ground turkey, homemade beef bone broth & riced, frozen broccoli and cauliflower medley. If things ever settle down I plan on upping the amount of fresh food and decreasing the kibble.

Her vet does not want her on grain-free food. She has a mild heart murmur that he’s afraid might get worse or turn into DCM. He’s also worried about raw food and her compromised immune system. (Can ground pancreas be cooked and still work?)

I was really hoping there was a simple, decent commercial food that checks at least the major boxes that maybe I missed in my research. I had her on the Annamaet Lean and also tried Nulo, but both had legumes as first three ingredients, and ….eew! Major gas, bloating and horrible blow-out diarrhea resulted.

I looked around for a veterinary nutritionist, but don’t know who to trust. They all want quite a bit of money for just a consult. I may reach out to the vet that used to do her acupuncture and see if she recommends anyone.
I’ll also try Just Food For Dogs.

Thank you again!!
Victoria & Bella
New Hampshire, USA

[GSDsForever]

Olessia’s diet for Izzy, with EPI + diabetes, has been *something* like this (check w/her):

80% homemade/20% Annamaet Lean

Fresh, cooked homemade portion: Lean Meat/Fish, Sweet Potatoes, 1/3 Raw Egg, Fat Free Cottage Cheese, Fish Oil
+ Vitamins/Minerals and Bone Meal

Note: Annamaet Lean is a high protein, low fiber, low fat food, grain-free.
30% Protein/7% Fat (<3.5% Fiber)
It does have legumes as primary ingredients, along with the meat (chicken, duck, herring meals), + tapioca & potato. It IS an excellent company.

LEAN FORMULA

You might explore adding a very small amount of grain to this recipe, to be grain inclusive as you & your vet prefer. Using the Annamaet Lean, with its legumes, at 20% of the diet is likely a lower risk (for DCM).

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by GSDsForever.

[haleycookie]

You will never find a low carb grain inclusive food sorry to say. See if you can be referred out to a vet nutritionalist to help formulate a low carb low fat homemade either raw or cooked diet. Kibbles HAVE to have a lot of carb to hold them together. Even the highest meat content in a kibble will still have ~30% carb. Might look into canned food options as well but again they will not be grain inclusive if they are low sugar carb fat etc. the closest I can think of are weruva and tiki dog. Usually dog foods that are in shreds of clearly chicken meat are going to be the lowest carb and lowest fat because they are basically just shredded muscle meat.

[Jerry R]

Well no wonder some of you are jumping from one dog food to the next because of issues. Pototoes? Seriously? If raw potatoes are toxic to dogs why would you feed kibble that has potatoes in any form?
And seriously hay? Sorry I find that unbelievable. Grains and cereals are the main cause of food allergies in dogs. I wonder how many of their ancestors were out grazing in a hay field?

As far as labels go, I wouldnt trust a dang thing any of them said anyway. As a truck driver, I’ve been in enough dog food plants to know I wouldnt feed that garbage to my dogs. Dead animals rotting away that stink to high heaven are ground up and put in dog food.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Jerry R.

[Victoria M]

I’m going insane! I don’t know how many dog food labels I’ve read in the past six months. Feel like I’m getting nowhere.

Bella just turned 13 (GSD x lab). In July she was diagnosed with Lymphoma. After only a few chemo treatments she had a severe bout of pancreatitis. Chemo had to stop.

Pancreatitis finally cleared up and a milder form of chemo restarted. During a pre-chemo blood panel, she was found to have diabetes. After a few weeks of insulin but continued weight loss, they tested and diagnosed her with EPI. My poor dog!

I have been on the hunt for food that will help keep both of these diseases at bay. Her vet also does NOT want her on any grain-free or raw food.

Food has to be:
Grain-inclusive
Low-fat
Low-carbs
No sugars
High protein
No lamb

Hoping someone can suggest a good food. She’s on Hill’s W/D right now, and it’s not going well so far. 🙁
Thanks!

[haleycookie]

Dogs are actually mesocarnivores. And should be on a diet with <~30 carb. Which youll never find in a grain in food. In fact I’d say 90% of grain free kibbles aren’t even formulated that way. That’s why it’s important to find a meat based kibble as just a base. Add in less processed foods like canned, freeze dried raw, bone broths, and frozen raw etc for a better more varied diet. Raw and home cooked properly formulated would be best. Especially for a dog with allergies where u want to control the foods they ingest as most of not all dog kibbles are exposed to cross contamination in factories.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by haleycookie.

[Coleen A]

So my purebred Catahoula Leopard dog has been having a run of UTI’s. He is 1yr 4 months, we have checked his protein levels non-UTI and during a UTI, elevated only during a UTI and we have done x-ray for bladder stones (negative).

Vet wants me to find a food that has a protein count of no more than 20%….he IS allergic to chicken which makes this even harder.

Currently he eats Sport Dog Dock Dog blend, and Canine Caviar topper…He is suppppppper picky about his food, which of course is unlike a Catahoula to begin with.

Any recommendations would be helpful….we tried the raw diet option, it did not work out for him.

[Jerry R]

NEVER COOKED BONES! Raw only. Almost any poultry bones are soft enough for any dog to chew up and digest. I avoid turkey drumsticks as they are considerably harder for my little guy. I do let him chew the raw meast off them but the bones seem to be too hard. Turkey wings he puts away no problem.
Chicken feet on the other hand he chews on and swallows whole once he has them crunched up. He just put away 2 of them in less than 30 minutes. Those are his treats.
Excellent source of glucosamine and chondroitin. Glucosamine is a drug your vet will prescribe for arthritis btw. Avoid the need for such intervention by feeding it to your dog BEFORE he suffers such a painful condition.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Jerry R.

[Laura A]

This has been always been a very Debatable topic whether raw food is more beneficial than the cooked food? Some will have you believe that cooked dog food is superior to raw dog food because raw dog food brings the risk of illness due to bacteria Current research supports that there are benefits to real ingredients. The Best option to this Solution is Try out some Branded pet food as they are excellent alternative of cooked food as it contains all the nutrients in exact proportion. Also, it does not contain any harmful pathogen. Here is a link to one: https://animals.net/best-wet-dog-food/ In my opinion I agree that dogs and bones could be a possible dangerous combination. Try choosing safe chew bones for dogs and avoid the dangers of cooked bones.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Laura A. Reason: error

[anonymous]

Hope this article helps someone.

From SkeptVet TV- Raw Diets for Pets
Posted on December 6, 2019 by skeptvet

From SkeptVet TV- Raw Diets for Pets

[anonymous]

I hope this article is helpful to readers. It’s a few years old but still just as accurate, there are more recent Nutrition articles at this site, just use the search engine
Click on link to read comments

What do Veterinarians Know About Nutrition?

What do Veterinarians Know About Nutrition?
Posted on July 8, 2012 by skeptvet
It is not unusual for people promoting unconventional, approaches to pet nutrition, such as raw diets, grain free foods, homemade diets, a preference for organic ingredients, and so on, to dismiss objections to these approaches made by veterinarians. These people will often claim that veterinarians know little about nutrition and that what they do know is mostly propaganda fed to them by commercial pet food manufacturers. Like most bad arguments, this one contains a few bits of truth mixed in with lots of unproven assumptions and fallacies.
Most veterinarians do have at least a semester course on nutrition in general. And a lot more information on the subject is scattered throughout other courses in vet school. So the idea that we know nothing about the subject is simply ridiculous. However, it is fair to acknowledge that most veterinarians are not “experts” in nutrition, if by this one means they have extensive specialized training in the subject. The real “experts” in this area are board-certified veterinary nutritionists, individuals who have advanced residency training in nutrition and have passed the board certification exam of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.
Of course, as I always take great care to point out, expertise is no guarantee of never falling into error, particularly expertise based primarily on experience and a familiarity with the opinions of other experts rather than solid scientific research. Given the limited research data available on many important questions in small animal nutrition, even the real experts are often forced to rely on extrapolation from basic science or research in humans and their own clinical experience, which are important sources of information but always less reliable than studies specifically designed to answer these questions. Nevertheless, boarded nutritionists have a legitimate claim to expert status in this area. And as a group, they generally are skeptical of many of the alternative approaches to nutrition, as they should be give the paucity of data to support them As for the question of the role of the pet food industry in veterinary nutrition education, there is some truth to the claim that much of that education is sponsored by companies who make pet foods. Obviously, most veterinary nutritionists put their training to work researching and evaluating food for veterinary species, so the money and expertise in this area tends to concentrate in industry. And it is not entirely unreasonable to ask the question whether or not this influences the information veterinarians get about nutrition. It quite likely does.
This is not the same thing as saying that veterinarians are all lackeys or dupes of industry and unable to think critically for themselves, however. I am generally as skeptical and critical of pharmaceutical companies and mainstream pet food companies as I am of herb and supplement manufacturers and producers of alternative diets. All of them have both a genuine belief (most of the time) in their products, a genuine interest in the welfare of the animals they serve, and a high risk of bias and cognitive dissonance that impedes their ability to see and accept the flaws in their own reasoning or the data that contradicts their beliefs.
One should always be aware of bias, but that awareness does not justify ignoring the arguments or evidence coming from a source with potential bias, only evaluating it carefully and critically. The reason science is so much more successful than unaided reasoning is precisely because it is a method for compensating for human biases and other cognitive limitations that interfere with our seeing the truth. Mainstream pet food companies undoubtedly have biases, but often they also have good scientific data, which is rarely available for the alternative products and approaches. Ignoring this data in favor of opinion, theory, or personal experience is not a recipe for improving the state of veterinary nutrition.
The real issue is not so much what do general practice veterinarians know about nutrition as what is the evidence supporting the alternative theories and products being promoted? The accusation that vets know little about nutrition, even if it were true, doesn’t invalidate their criticisms. The classis ad hominem fallacy is the strategy of attacking a person and imaging that somehow this attack says anything about that person’s argument. It is the mirror image, in many ways, of the appeal to authority fallacy, which involves claiming some special wisdom or expertise on the part of a person making an argument and then imaging that claim somehow proves the argument. If proponents of raw diets or other unconventional nutritional approaches wish to make a case for their ideas, they have to do it based on logic and facts, not on the presumed expertise of supporters or the supposed ignorance of critics. As always, it is the ideas and the data that matter, not the people involved.
That said, there is a certain hypocrisy to many of these criticisms in that they come from sources with no particular right to claim expertise in nutrition anyway. Proponents of alternative nutritional practices are almost never boarded veterinary nutritionists. Often they are lay people who have labeled themselves as experts without even the training general practice veterinarians have in nutritional science. And while they may not be influenced by the mainstream pet food industry, this only means they are less subject to that particular bias, not that they don’t have other biases. People selling pet food or books on veterinary nutrition are all too often blind to the hypocrisy of claiming their opponents are under the influence of pet food companies while ignoring the fact that they make money selling their own ideas or products.
Others who frequently claim most veterinarians know little about nutrition are themselves general practice veterinarians or specialists in some aspect of veterinary medicine other than nutrition. It may very well be true that they are well-informed about nutrition because they have an interest in it, but this is not evidence that their arguments are true and those of their opponents are false. It is not even evidence that they know more about nutrition than their detractors, who may themselves have studied independently in the area. If you’re not a boarded nutritionist, you can’t claim to be an expert. And whether or not you are an expert, your ideas must stand or fall on their merits and the evidence, not on any presumed superiority in your knowledge over that of your critics.
So I think it is fair to say that most general practice veterinarians have only a fairly general knowledge of veterinary nutrition. And it is fair to acknowledge that much of this information comes from a source with a significant risk of bias, that is the pet food industry. However, I see no evidence that proponents of alternative approaches to nutrition have a reason to claim they know more about nutrition than most veterinarians, or that they are free from biases of their own. Only boarded veterinary nutritionists can legitimately claim to be “experts,” and even this is no guarantee of perfect objectivity or the truth of everything they believe. Claims about who is or is not smart or informed enough to have an opinion on a subject are mostly a superficial distraction from the important elements of any debate, what are the arguments and data behind each position. Awareness of potential bias only serves to make one more careful and cautious in examining someone’s arguments and data, it doesn’t get one a free pass to ignore what they have to say.

[Jerry R]

Disregard the unfounded nonsense about raw. My pup wouldn’t eat kibble either. After months of trying every good dog food under the sun, I finally realized he’s smarter than I thought. He knows that crap kibble is bad and being the spoiled, stubborn dachshund that he is, he knew I’d get it sooner or later.
Now he’s a happy, healthy 18 month old that eats raw meat, meaty bones, and organs. Everything he needs and none of the crap he doesn’t that kibble is full of.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Jerry R.

[Jerry R]

The vast majority of vets have little to no experience in pet nutrition. The little they do have is what kibble companies that pay for their education tell them. This is no BS either.
Science diet is a major contributor to their education which clearly explains how such a poor dog food can be #1 vet recomended.
Don’t let people like anonymous contribute to these myths about raw feeding and meaty bones.
Vets are counting on exactly that because feeding raw significantly cuts into their livlihood in greatly reduced vet visits for health issues from allergies to arthritis.
My 18 month old red longhaired dachshund recently got an A++ clean bill of health from his dr. after a brief exam while getting his rabies booster giving mention to his very healthy skin and coat and unusually clean, white chompers not normally seen in his breed.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Jerry R.

[Jerry R]

That explains it…educated in vet medicine.
They could get hit by a car too. You’re barking up the wrong tree. No pun intended.

One of many vets that say otherwise. Including mine.

http://www.thrivingcanine.com/vet_opinion_raw_meaty_bones

[Chipy]

Hi Megan,

So happy you have decided to feed your dogs raw. Below is a link to an online Recipe Maker I love using every week, that will help you create convenient multi mix patties with the ingredients you have available;

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

I hope this helps. Wishing you and your pack all the best in good health! 🙂

[Nadia K]

Daniel,
There are many great video’s on youtube on raw feeding. Also, if you are on Facebook, there are raw feeding groups there as well. Here is a site with tons of great information: http://www.dogaware.com

[anonymous]

Please speak to a veterinary healthcare professional (not on the internet) preferably a vet that has examined your dog and knows it’s history before going down this dangerous path.
I hope these articles help you or someone else.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet

[Daniel B]

Hello All,
I’m interested in starting raw feeding my 45 pound, 2 year old, neutered, mid activity, healthy golden doodle.

My desire is to make about 2 weeks’ worth of meals for him at one time and then vacuum seal them in bags and freeze them.

I’d like to have chicken (bones, skin, organs, and fat), boiled sweet potatoes and carrots, human grade fish oil and sunflower oil, and a couple of eggs with the shell. Lastly I’d like to add a bit of seaweed and flaxseed all ground up and vacuum sealed for easy storage.

From my research it seems like all of these ingredients together should provide a very healthy daily meal for my best buddy.

The place I’m running into issues is how much of each of these ingredients I should do for a healthy daily meal. Can anyone give me some pointers or a place to go for more help?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
-Daniel

[Marcie D]

I use a toothbrush and dog enzymatic toothpaste but I am bad and I only brush when we are grooming however I have fed Oma’s pride raw pet diets for over 20 years and my last dogs were 16, never had their teeth cleaned and their teeth were white and breath fresh. I also give raw bones when they are lying around outside. When we are going in I take the bones, wash them off under the hose and put them back in a plastic bag in the freezer. I have an 11 year old mix, 10 year old GSD, 6 year old GSD and all are on raw, get bones occasionally and they all have the same white teeth and great breath. After I learned how to clean their teeth in college for Veterinary technology, I said I would never do that again to my dogs. Sorry Vets, I realize how necessary it is for many dogs but I think I have found a better way, at least for us. 🙂