[Pam P]

I know this isn’t food related, but it seems your dog has some serious issues and it might not be all due to food. Pet healthcare is a lot like traditional healthcare or sickness care (as I call it)….it’s big business. Dogs are way over vaccinated, and traditional vaccines have mercury, formaldehyde and other toxic substances that can affect a dog’s health over time. Metal toxicity is a serious issue as they aren’t eliminated from the body. They are stored in the organs and joints. The core vaccines are usually good for life. A titer test can determine the antibody levels. A holistic vet uses vaccines that have no mercury or heavy metals. My holistic vet detoxifies the dog immediately after giving a vaccination. If a dog does need the 3 core vaccines, he does them in 2-3 week intervals so the dog isn’t overloaded all at once. That’s why it’s not a bad idea to do the kefir diet for 30 days or more to detoxify the dog and get all the junk out of their system, and then gradually get them back on a very clean, healthy food. I still give our Mastiff all the oils I mentioned previously; just no kibble or meat. I also give her a tsp of organic turmeric at each feeding. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and there is obviously some serious inflammation going on with your dog. I mix it with the kefir and she downs it. I start with a small amount and build to a tsp each meal. Just like with humans, a detox diet can make them feel worse before they get better; as all the toxins are being released and coming out of the body, the dog can appear worse for a while. I detoxified the Mastiff gradually starting with Nature’s Logic, then raw, then kefir. She’s a senior dog so didn’t want to overload her system. The kidneys and liver are the detoxifying organs so didn’t want to take a chance to overload them. Just some more suggestions.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi John
.

Sadly welcome to the world of wheaties. Great dogs, lots of medical concerns. Be thankful yours has the skin issues from allergies and not the intestinsl. Ours had both. We feed high quality dry and raw foods to control his issues. He eats a lot of Acana, Orijen and Nature’s Variety products. Once you find a brand that is higher rated, look for any chicken in it. We started ours on the Acana Lamb/ apple with great success. We never feed him a food for long term, in the hopes that he will not develop an allergy due to exposure.

For example. Last week he ate Acana Pork/squash for two days, Nature’s Variety Rabbit (limited ingredient) for 2 days, and the lamb Acana for 2 days. Grandma Lucy dehydrated venison for one.

[deja]

We have a dog recently diagnosed with epilepsy and I’m on the search for a new food because I suspect the one she’s on now contains these preservatives (a prescription Science Diet food). I’ve been finding it very difficult to find definitive information on whether foods use BHA/BHT/Ethoxyquin. I figured people on this website might have more experience/information.

Do you know of dog foods that the company has stated do not contain BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin? Either on their websites or through response to email inquiries.

Personally I’m also looking for non-raw food that does not contain rosemary (not easy to find!), and is also not too high in fat (less than 17% preferably). But I think I can narrow those down myself more easily, so I’m mostly looking for help with the preservatives. So far Life’s Abundance is the only one I’ve found that also meets my other requirements. Natural Balance says no BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin as well on their rolled food and some treats, but I can’t find comments on any of their other food.

[Dori]

If I haven’t nominated OC Raw Dog Food I would like to do so now. I’ve had it in commercial raw rotation feeding and all three dogs have been doing very well on it. Thank you.

[Pam P]

I feed my dog Answers fermented raw food and kefir. My son’s Mastiff mix had such itchy skin she had to go on antibiotics for a wound she scratched raw that wouldn’t heal. I started her for one month on Nature’s Logic Sardine. Nature’s Logic is one of a very few that doesn’t use synthetic vitamins and minerals. The synthetic vitamins and minerals come mostly from industrial waste such as coal tar for one. They aren’t good for humans and they aren’t good for pets. She started detoxifying on Nature’s Logic. Then I put her on Answers Fermented Raw food for a month. The itching became less. Now she is on only Kefir for a month and her itching has just about stopped. The kefir is a detox diet. She hasn’t lost weight. Her energy is 300% higher. I’ll see how she does after another 2 weeks to see if we gradually get her back on food or keep her on kefir for another 2 weeks. The key is to clean and detoxify the system and then to make sure the immune system is strengthened. Allergies are an immune system issue. I also give my dogs organic extra virgin coconut oil, sardine oil, pumpkin seed oil, and royal jelly. Royal jelly is excellent for the skin and coat. Its what the queen bee is fed. I learned that from an owner of champion show dogs. I have also given them canned sardines. Frozen sardines can be purchased in bulk online. They have small bones which are loaded with calcium. If I was going to feed kibble, I would lean towards Nature’s Logic or one that doesn’t use synthetic vitamins and minerals. They are a little lower on the meat, so I would add gizzards and some raw meat to it, preferably a balanced frozen meat. There are several to chose from….Nature’s Logic, Primal, Instinct, and others. I hope this gives you some ideas.

[Dori]

Hi John P. First let me say that I’m a commercial raw feeder grain free foods so I’m not going to really be of much help with kibble. I do know that a lot of people on this site consider Acana and Orijen made by Champion to be a quality company. The only kibble that, on rare occasions, I have put in rotation is Nature’s Logic Kibble but only the Sardine. All others contain either some sort of beef or poultry (eggs). One of my dogs has many many food intolerances and sensitivities. The list is quite long so I won’t bore you as they don’t pertain to your dog. But she is highly intolerant of all things poultry which includes all fowl. Below is a partial list of what I feed my three dogs and they all do very well on them, I’ve left out any of the beef that I feed because your dog has an intolerance to beef. I feed all my dogs the same food because of my allergy girl, Katie. I feed a rotational diet so here goes.

OC Raw: Fish & Produce Patties, Lamb Patties, Rabbit Patties, Goat Patties

Primal Raw Formulas and/or Primal Pronto Formulas: Venison Patties, Rabbit Patties

Vital Essentials Raw: Fish Patties, Rabbit Patties

Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw: Venison (also contains lamb), Rabbit (also contains pork)

Stella & Chewy’s Raw: Venison, Lamb, Rabbit
I’m not a great fan of Stella & Chewy’s but will feed it if I’m in a pinch.

Natures Logic Kibble: Sardine (It contains millet which is a pseudo-grain. Katie can’t tolerate grains but for some reason the millet in Nature’s Logic doesn’t seem to bother her. Could be because I feed it so infrequently and never for more than one meal every so often.

I’m an advocate of rotational feeding for my three dogs so I rotate their food pretty much with every meal and don’t feed them the same protein without a three day break in between. It’s the only way I can get around Katie’s food issues. Dogs with allergies should also avoid corn, white potatoes, rice (all), soy. They are all pro-inflammatory so you’re basically feeding the allergies and making things worse. You need to feed non-inflammatory foods and ingredients as best you can. It’s pretty difficult to avoid every single thing all the time but it helps a great deal to do your best.

Hope some of this has helped. I’m sure someone else will chime in soon to help with kibble feeding.

Oops! Don’t forget about checking to see what’s in the treats you give your dogs. For treats I only give pieces of fruits (no grapes) and veggies. No seeds or pits with the fruit please (toxic), I also peel apples and cucumbers. I don’t feed any commercial treats due to grains and too many recalls for my liking. Too many pesticides used on both. Good Luck and if I can answer any questions please ask.

I just wanted to mention that the only fish that Katie cannot eat is salmon. All other fish foods she’s fine with but is very sensitive to salmon.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dori.

[John P]

My four-year-old Wheaten Terrier (wheatable really – dominant wheaten mix) has serious allergies, skin issues, and food sensitives to most grains and several proteins. He started on a poultry-based food (Organix) but became sensitive after two years. After trial-and-error and an allergy test, we switched to a fish-based food (Natural Mix). However, recently he has become sensitive to it. I am desperate to find a food with a new protein. It breaks my heart to watch him itch and scratch all day. My vet is wonderful, but beyond sending me to this site, she is as desperate as I am.

Right now, I’m feeding him a raw diet consisting mainly of quality meat leftovers I buy from the butcher (pork and venison, mainly), but I can’t afford to do that much longer. I subscribed to the Editor’s Choice, but almost every food is poultry-based or enriched with poultry meals. I noticed Acana foods might have some alternative proteins (such as pork). Does anyone have experience with them?

I know he is definitely allergic to most red meats, including beef and bison. The poultry-based food he ate contained turkey and chicken. The fish-based food he ate contained salmon. He has never had any issues with pork or venison. I am wondering if someone might have experience with a dog who became intolerant of one poultry protein but could tolerate another (say I could try switching him to duck or pheasant)?

Otherwise, do any of you have favorite foods containing pork, venison, rabbit, or lamb? Do you have any other protein recommendations? Do you have any other suggestions period?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time.

Best,

John

[GSDsForever]

But you started this with a concern for digestibility, good absorption of nutrients, stool size, and gas. So I wanted to comment on that.

“I don’t know if having more animal protein versus plant protein would help her digest the nutrients and poop/have gas less?”

In short, no. It is the quality of the individual ingredients, what they are and their grade, that affect digestibility as they go into a formula. You’re also playing a balancing game with some ingredients, between rich in nutrients and greater digestibility. From there, processing matters. It can affect overall digestibility and preservation of nutrients. Finally freshness of ingredients going into the formula and from date of manufacture to purchase and use are very important.

I would highly recommend calling the company of the the foods you’re considering, as well as the one you’ve been feeding (Infinia) and asking for Total Dry Matter Digestibility, plus digestibility of protein, fat, and carbs.

The Infinia is rather low in protein, lower than I personally would feel comfortable feeding. But that isn’t the problem when looking at nutrient absorption and digestibility. But when the protein IS very low, then it becomes even more critical to ensure that it is very high quality and highly digested.

Since Infinia Holistic Salmon & Sweet Potato’s primary ingredients are ones that look good and CAN be highly digestible . . .

Salmon, Menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes

it may the grade of ingredients and/or processing that is problematic.

Fish meal, for example, comes in MANY different grades at VERY different price points to pet food companies. It can be very high ash & bones, leftover carcass material or low ash/high protein & high digestibility and come from good cuts included or whole fish with most bone filtered out, which costs the company considerably more and is harder to source. It also, by AAFCO definition, can be stripped of its oil (which is sold separately at profit, rather than going into the food) or have those precious Omega 3s left in. This formula appears to be very low in Omega 3, particularly for a fish formula, and even though it has been already boosted by plant oil (Canola). Reasons for fish formulas to be low in Omega 3 tend to be the meal has been stripped of its oils and/or use of farmed salmon. Salmon varieties also range greatly in Omega 3 content!

Canola oil is not going to be as digestible and its nutrients absorbed well in order to be used by your dog vs., say, salmon oil or an animal fat. (I personally don’t like canola oil anyway, as it’s not a very clean ingredient. In commercial use, it is generally high heat and chemical processed, damaged, and and contaminated.) Potatoes, sweet potatoes can include skins or not, etc. affecting digestibility and stool volume.

Foods cooked for less time and at lower temperatures preserve more nutrients. And gentle cooking both increases digestibility and nutrient absorbability in ingredients and nutrients AND decreases them compared to raw, depending on the ingredient or nutrient.

Consider how fresh the ingredients are, how fresh from date of manufacture, how it was stored and transported prior to getting to you, and how properly sealed the bags are. (From there, you must also store foods properly.) Actually smell the food.

But just to give you an example of how you can never tell with things like digestibility from the price and marketing/popularity of a product or just looking at the ingredient list of a “better” brand — Orijen’s 6 Fish formula has a pretty poor overall dry matter digestibility for a premium brand and is in fact the lowest among their formulas. It’s also lower than the cheap bulk bags from Costco, Nature’s Domain (by Diamond).

[Dina H]

I am a ‘raw convert’ in the past 6 weeks. Initially, I was feeding the Honest Kitchen base mix called Kindly, but after speaking with others, they said no need for base mix, just feed the raw. As someone said above, when you add a base mix, you go from those dried-up nuggets of poo to the same steaming piles of poop…no thank you.

As far as transitioning (my own two are 12) from lamb to beef to chicken to whatever..I think that dogs in the wild will just catch whatever they can and do not eat the same protein source every day, so I have been doing the same with good results.

The skin issues on my 12 year old male have self-resolved as well as yeasty ears. I also do rescue and put 3 other dogs with skin issues on raw just this week to see how they would do. So far, so good. I think we have all been there with the dry when a transition would have you anxiously waiting for what’s gonna happen now….I’ve been there and done that one. But have not found the issue with raw.

[Meghan M]

Hello all!

I have been to the Dog Food Advisor website many, many times over the last year or so, and recently decided to post a forum so I could get some personal insight regarding my issue. I have a 3 year-old Doberman who has been getting fed Infinia Holistic Salmon and Sweet Potato for quite some time. I also give her fish oil, yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, various fruits and veggies, and recently started adding wet food to the dry food based on many suggestions to vary a dog’s food.

When I first got my dog, she was the runt of the litter. She had horrible skin, recurring UTIs, recurring issues with digestive upset (vomiting, diarrhea, constipation), etc. I tried a lot of different foods to no avail before I realized she likely has an allergy to poultry. I switched her over to the Infinia dog food and she has done great ever since. People always talk about how beautiful and shiny her coat is, how healthy she looks, etc. But I’ve noticed that, for the amount of food she eats per day, her stools are REALLY big and I feel like she goes way too often, which makes me worried that she’s not getting all of the benefits from the food that she should be getting. She also has gas ALL THE TIME. I thought it may have been the yogurt, so I’ve been giving her probiotic chews, but it’s still horrible.

I’ve really been spending time the past few weeks researching, and I feel like the Infinia has too low of protein for her (22%) and does not have enough animal/fish protein. I don’t know if having more animal protein versus plant protein would help her digest the nutrients and poop/have gas less? Anywas, I thought Canidae Pure Sea would be a good first change-up, so I started to transition her EXTREMELY slowly, and she still ended up getting sick. I have her back on her normal food while I figure out what I want to switch her too. Candiae isn’t completely out (I could need to transition her even more slowly than I did, who knows).

So, after all of my research on this website I found 9 other dog foods that seem to be high-quality and offer higher protein contents. I also have to take cost into consideration, because I’m a college student and can’t afford food like Orijen. So, here is my list of foods that I’ve found and like. If anyone could give me advice or suggestions about what food(s) would be best or personal stories, I would really appreciate it. And I’m sorry for the long rant!

1) Sammy Snacks Ancestry Salmon and Sweet Potato
2) Wellness CORE Ocean Formula
3) Horizon Legacy Fish
4) Innova Nature’s Table Cold Water Salmon and Wild Herring
5) Zignature Trout and Salmon Meal
6) Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Coastal Catch
7) Horizon Pulsar Fish Formula

The Sammy Snacks Ancestry is my favorite so far that I’ve researched, but I wondered if ethoxyquin was present. Also, once I get her comfortable with a higher-protein fish food, I will start introducing different protein sources, like beef and possibly bison, as well as adding canned sardines, salmon, and other “raw” foods.

[Naturella]

Nice! Well, maybe these will work for you then! Even if Haley and Dweezle don’t have them. Seems like Bentley would enjoy them quite a bit! 🙂

And I tried cutting mine with the best knife we own, no way no how, it is way too hard for knives I think. And since we don’t have kitchen scissors, I will just have to give them to Bruno like that and watch when he gets to about half of it and take it away. The second halves I will stuff like you for Bruno’s RMB/raw meal replacement/week too, I think it is a great idea! 🙂 If that goes well and BBS still has the 50-piece on sale, I will probably get it too. 🙂

[Naturella]

Akari, that’s great that Bentley’s tummy is made of iron! 🙂

I will try the knife tomorrow… Or in a few minutes, lol.

Here is something I thought you may be interested in: http://www.bestbullysticks.com/3-inch-trachea-dog-chews-50-pack Pretty affordable, eh? It will make for many special meals for Bentley and/or Haley and Dweezle if you still feed them a raw meal replacement/month like you used to. 🙂 I may get these for Bruno.

[aquariangt]

I am, part time, unfortunately. I’d love to make it full time, and while I have some plans potentially in the works, it will be a while before that goes on. To be able to sustain as that being your source of income, you have to really have a niche in the market that is already saturated. I’m not really a behaviorist, and I’m not sure that’s the direction I want to go in, so that’s the majority of what people are looking for. While I do agility and teach some basics, I have no titles (yet ;-)) so there’s another big revenue draw. Right now I do group classes of obedience and agility for the typical pet dog, and that’s good enough for the time being :). Grew up with it, showed in 4h when I was younger, led 4h as I got older, and never could fully separate from the dog world. Food service is fun too though 😛

And what you are doing with Lily is great, it’s the same concept as what I said with the cars, and have used the same technique with Liesl-most positive trainers use the same things, which is why nothing I do I would consider “proprietary” as Naturella asked

[Akari_32]

She very quickly loses interest in anything that doesn’t giver her immediate satisfaction LOL I’m pretty sure thats why she doesn’t like the Halo chews– because they’re too hard for her to chew, and she doesn’t get anywhere with them, so she gives up. The Denta Sticks are soft enough that she can eat them in a minute or so. I hope that once her teeth are dealt with, she’ll feel better. Just waiting on mom to have her half of the money for it.

I don’t know where I got the idea for it! But trachea is really high in glucosamine and stuff, and best of all, its not a bone, so no hard bone-poops LOL It fits in nicely with the raw meals I already have balanced out in the freezer :p

[Michelle T]

I have had several Standards and currently have 2. I rotate their food with one meal per day being raw&/or The Honest Kitchen and the other meal one of the following:
Orijen, Acana, and Fromm. I like to rotate protein sources and I occasionally add a bit of green tripe to the kibble. I stay away from grains as Standards often can have yeasty issues. Good luck & congratulations on your new adventure – life with a Standard Poodle is never dull!

[Susan]

I think Laleah should give the limited ingredient Natural Balance a go, it may just work for her little dog….Why I mentioned IBD as its a inflammatory disease like skin allergies…sometimes dogs will have both illnesses like Patch has, once your fix their diet you fix everything..
Some dogs that have skin problems the NB Kangaroo & Potatoes or the Duck & Rabbit limited ingredients works great for their dogs & clears their skin problems up, just cause it has low protein it gets a lower star rating…… Every dog is different with their skin problems, what works for your dog will not work for my dog (Raw)….. Patch does not eat NB he can’t eat potatoes gets real bad Colitis…
I’m sick of Marie always having a go at my post, she has done it for 2 year now, I’ve had enough…..if I see something that I don’t agree with or a mistake or what ever, I just MIND my own business & move on….maybe take your dogs out for a nice long walk & smell the beautiful flowers….
Have a nice day…

[Dori]

Weezerweeks. Freeze dried that I have fed and will continue with in rotation with commercial raw diets are Primal, Vital Essentials, Natures Variety, Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance. Fair warning though…Grandma Lucy’s seems to produce larger stools. I think it has more fiber than the others, also I can’t discern any ingredients in their poop for that food. The girls do really well on all these freeze dried foods. I’ve tried others but I didn’t care for them. The girls ate them but, then again, they’ll eat everything. The only food Hannah has ever turned down in her entire life and just would not eat was Dr. Harvey’s Oracle Tripe. Which was funny because she loves their tripe treats. She liked the tripe bits (treats) in the food but not the food itself.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Sandra,
Why the correlation between what you cooked and the vomiting? Could have been a virus the poodle got from walking and sniffing something, maybe because of the age his/her system is changing,and possibly something in your home cooked meal doesn’t agree with him/her anymore. Is the poodle off the meds? You say he still feels bad,all day only after meals?
If after meals you mast have to go bland very bland boiled beef with a cooked sweet potato or plain canned pumpkin NOT THE PIE FILLING. If inflammation is brewing stay away from boiled rice. Please don’t get me started on vets and nutrition, if your daughter goes back i guarantee it will be suggested a veterinary diet be purchased.
I know my older fur-kid went through the same thing in Dec started throwing up every day after eating she can’t tolerate kibble anymore started her on the honest kitchen dehydrated food and commercial raw -big difference so far.
It’s all a process of elimination and that sad to say means no treats either until you can get to the bottom of the problem,BLAND BLAND for a few weeks then slowly very slowly introduce 1 thing at a time. Kibble may be to hard on the puppy’s system.

[InkedMarie]

James,
Up above, click the Dog Food Advisor bnner. Then, look at that page, there is a link for raw dog food reviews. i wouldn’t feed Bil jac.

Edit: Bil Jac is apparently cooked frozen, not raw. For that review, just look under “B” in the reviews.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by InkedMarie.

[aquariangt]

If you’re wanting a frozen cooked or raw product, there are some others you should check out over Biljac-it’s still not the best. I probably would feed it over Blue personally because I have extreme distrust of that company, but Biljac isn’t something I would feed either. The ingredients aren’t great, and for a product in that style, it’s protein level is pretty low (lower than most kibble I feed, if not all-when I use raw or cooked I use it as a topper and use it to really get that protein level up without a lot of added crap).

I would check out Nature’s Variety or Freshpet, both available where Biljac is, or if you shop at smaller food stores, there are even more available

[Dori]

Hi Weezerweeks. I’m with you on the subject of recalls. I do not buy foods that have had recalls. If our dogs have healthy guts, than a bit of salmonella is not going to hurt our dogs but it will hurt us. Aspen A. seems to think that we are only concerned about these issues only for our dogs. We that feed raw, freeze dried, dehydrated, canned and, yes, even kibble know that we need to wash our hands, counter tops, etc. etc. We take all precautions necessary on a regular basis anyway but that doesn’t make it okay for manufacturers with recalls should think that it’s really no big deal. If other companies can get it right than why can’t the ones with recalls.

Also, Dr. Harvey’s answer to you that dogs drink more water on freeze-dried foods would mean that your yorkie would be drinking more water on all freeze-dried foods. Have you found that to be true with your yorkie? I haven’t found that to be true with any of my three dogs. I should mention that I don’t feed Dr. Harvey’s Oracle. Tried it once and I didn’t care for it but I certainly do have other freeze dried foods in rotation.

[Aspen A]

Weezerweeks,

I am not trying to convince you to buy Steve’s over another product if that product is working for you. I care that your dog is getting the best nutrition possible, and if you have found that, then I am happy. I just want to share the knowledge I have gained working in the pet food industry. I believe that we did have a recall in 2013 (that was before I was working here). The interesting thing about recalls with us or any other raw food is that they are usually for chicken, which can contain salmonella, which the government regulates closely. However, the recalls are put in place for the protection of humans, not animals. Dog’s stomaches can handle salmonella like nobody’s business, the concern comes in the humans touching the product. It is like with any other raw meat, you always want to use proper handling procedures and wash your hands after using, and salmonella isn’t a problem for anyone involved. It is good the government keeps an eye out for it, but the most dangerous part of a recall for a raw pet food company is not in the chance of making a pet sick, which won’t happen, or a human sick, if they are following good sanitary practices, but the PR and loss of business, such as yourself, that accompanies it. In response to your original question, any dehydrated food is going to cause your pet to drink more, because it rehydrates in their stomach, pulling water from them that they have to replenish.

[InkedMarie]

You’re correct, Blue Buffalo is having issues. I do not think they’re a bunch of hired posters.
Your vet friend may have recommended Bil Jac raw but unless something has changed, it’s not the best. Did you check the revew of it here? Up top in the red line, click reviews and look for it.

What are you using to treat the worms?

[Susan]

Hi sounds like your girl has IBD, I read on a link now I cant find it, it said you shouldn’t give dogs enzymes especially if they have a healthy gut, there 2 types of enzymes the plant enzymes or Porcine enzymes….I’d stop the kibble, my boy has IBD & has so many problems with kibbles, just finished trying another kibble & he was sooooo ill, bad acid reflux, now has a real sore throat from the acid reflux, vet wants him on just Turkey breast mince mix in 1 raw egg, then I make about 4 loaves & put on a baking tray & bake 20mins…just for 4-6 weeks to give his stomach a rest, I freeze section & also boil sweet potato boil pumkin & freeze, I boil some Quinoa as its gluten free,….he has stop scatching & his red paws have gone & the red under his chin has gone… I’m finding Patch needs a gluten free diet & has real bad food allergies that has caused his IBD & Colitis when he eats something that he’s allergic too, he has his bloody poos cause the food is irritating his bowel..look up gluten free & low residue foods & stick with those foods also don’t rotate too many foods as you wont know what is causing the itchy skin….
I have found foods that agrees with him & give for breakfast & dinner & something else that agrees with him for lunch & a late dinner, he has 4 small meals thru the day, we found this works best for Patch. also use Malaseb medicated shampoo I found to be the best…. Patch does not take any heartworm meds, he cant take any worm meds only Milbemax all wormer every 6months & I dread the day its due he eats grass the next day & feels sick all day but doesnt have diarrhea on the Milbemax, vet said its very mild, Patch can not use Advantage flea spot on… only Frontline plus, as Frontline only penetrates 2 layers of the skin, where other flea spot ons penetrate thru into their blood, Patch nilly died from Advantage…you name it Patch cannot take it, its all to do with his IBD…..
So I have learnt LESS IS BEST….

[Susan]

Hi again, here’s a link for a grainfree gluten free diets
http://www.holvet.net/raw_pet_diet.html

[Susan]

Hi, do you have the time to cook, I have Patch on Turkey Breast mince 1 kilo mix in 1 raw egg then I get a baking tray & make about 4 turkey loaf put in the oven & its ready in 20mins, then I cool & freeze, I also boil sweet potatoes & pumkin & freeze, I put in a blender & blend… to 1 cup I add 1 spoon no fat greek yogurt, Patch has stopped his scratching & red paws & red chin have all gone & he’s only been on the turkey breast mix for 1 week.. vet said to feed this diet 4- 6 weeks until I can find something that will agree with him, she said it wont hurt that its not balanced, its only for 1 month……now I’m looking at a brand called “Sunday Pets” its a New Zealand brand biscuits they look like a weet bix, but are smaller bits that u break in half, they are for dogs with skin problems & for dogs that don’t chew their kibble & gulp… I got a sample & Patch went nuts when he smelt the biscuits.. I’m trying the Deliganics cause they have only 5% fat, Patch needs a low fat diet cause of his stomach problems…
http://www.sundaypets.com/tasty-holistic-grain-free

[bkagel]

I am a big advocate for Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar for myself and after reading yet another article on raw apple cider vinegar for dogs, I thought why not. It’s done wonders for my immune system and I’ve become one of those raw apple cider vinegar freaks. It’s been about 2 weeks now that I have been putting 8-9 drops in their water bowls. They are super picky dogs!

The biggest improvement has been with my dog gracie. She has some form of ibs. Since taking the raw apple cider vinegar in her water, her poop sizes have been smaller (yes!!) and they aren’t as squishy. In fact, if I put ground flaxseed in her food for those “special times” it seems to make things worse, not better.

I can’t say enough good things about their health and raw apple cider vinegar.

[bkagel]

Help!!! I’m going to have to change everything free dog food again!!! Gracie is the one with the allergies. I have been giving both dogs raw apple cider vinegar in their water and her sensitive tummy seems to be doing much better in two weeks. However…..I have gone through almost all the dog foods that Inked Marie (thank you very much Inked Marie) listed and there is something I don’t like or they don’t like in almost all of them.

What they don’t like-anything with chicken or turkey

What I don’t like-fruit, legumes, anything that has a super high protein in it because it gives Gracie the runs. I’m not fond of sweet potatoes either. She’s an 8 year old papillion that acts like she’s 3. She doesn’t need fruit or sweet potato because she’s the energizer bunny already.

We have used Merrick grain free, Nature’s variety, Back to basics pork (too rich and gave her the runs) and currently using Nutrisource grain free. I don’t give them the lamb. Since they are both small dogs, I rotate blends every 3-4 months.

They love their kibble but it’s cold and snowy outside and she’s still scratching like a fiend.

Gracie and George were at their healthiest when they did raw. However, mommy doesn’t have the time, money, or energy to make up batches of raw food and repeat repeat repeat.

They love Evanger’s wet food and so do I. Just meat and water. I was thinking of trying Evanger’s dry food but I am concerned about the high level of protein to fat ratio. I’m also concerned about the sweet potato. Somebody help me!!

[james y]

Hello newb here looking for a little info.

First a little background
My 9 month old pitbull, maple has recently been having problems. She undoubtedly had worms and was scratching alot and losing hair. At first i was feeding her purina dog chow and she was doing fine. Then the wife brought home pedigree and thats when the hair loss started. So i instantly thought the dog had mange and began treating her for it. I also read that a raw diet would boost the immune system so i did that too. I fed her venison mostly, with raw eggs and gave her vitamins everyday. She cleared up and we started back with the unused portion of pedigree. Well she broke out in hives!

Ok so the dog is allergic to dog food…just my luck. A vet friend told me to try bil-jac frozen food so i did for a couple weeks. She was doing great on it! we got rid of the worms and shes putting on wieght and her coat is awesome! Although the frozen food isnt very convenient so i just googled best grain free dog food and found this site. I came across a name i recognized “blue buffalo” and this very site said it wss a five star food. So i purchased 20 pounds of the grain free wilderness red meat puppy food. It was pretty pricey, as a matter of fact i figure i could buy hamburger for $3 a pound but its so much easier than having to refrigerate or prepare raw food.

2 days into feeding and she seems to be doing just fine. I dont monitor poo, so i cant say anything about it.

Anyhow now im seeing all this bad stuff on the web about blue dog food….and something about a lawsuit with purina?? Is there any truth to these claims about the food hurting dogs or is it maybe a bunch of hired posters or something? If the stuff wasnt $60 a bag i would just throw it out and go back to the biljac.

[pugmomsandy]

Check out Nutrisource grain free lamb and Pulsar fish. Natures Variety Instinct makes kibble plus raw freeze dried bits, although I wouldn’t call this brand budget friendly. Instinct also has a a freeze dried raw to use as a topper. It’s their Raw Boost powder in a canister. Just scoop and serve. Stella and Chewy’s and Primal have freeze dried raw.

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve fed Nutrisource grain free lamb, Pro Pac Ultimate grain free (Bayside Select is medium kibble, the rest are small), Core Wild Game, Nature’s Logic, By Nature, Natural Planet Organics grain free, Natural Planet. These are foods I’ve rotated through the last two years. I usually have two or three bags open to offer a variety. This way they don’t get any upset stomachs if there’s a recipe change. They also get some canned food. And I also feed raw – homemade and some commercial. I foster pugs too and currently they’re eating the first two foods I mentioned. I wouldn’t recommend sticking with one food as companies change the recipes seems like every couple of years. By rotating foods your pugs will enjoy different flavors and have a healthier gut.

[Samantha H]

There are so many bands and types of dog foods, it’s overwhelming really! I have 9 mini chiweenie’ s and only 2 of them seem to have skin issues, one of them had been on steroids for 3 months now a and she has gained an unhealthy amount of weight. So I’ve kinda been looking for a freeze dried, grain free meal for that one, without chicken. Seems like everything has chicken in it. The other dogs are perfectly happy eating the kibble, I just want to make sure they are getting a healthy kibble that is budget friendly with maybe a raw freeze dried meal topper. If you have any suggestions that would be great?

[crazy4cats]

I was going by this that was posted in the Whole Dog Journal:
Here are my sardine recommendations for adult dogs. Feed twice this much to puppies and pregnant or lactating females.

Dog’s 3.75-oz can
Weight sardines
5 lbs 1/4 can per week
15 lbs 1/2 can per week
25 lbs 5/8 can per week
50 lbs 1 can per week
100 lbs 1 3/4 cans per week

A 3.75-ounce can of sardines has about 200 calories, so reduce the amount of dry food given on “sardine days” accordingly. Rule of thumb: One can of sardines in water has about the same number of calories as ½ cup of most dog foods.

You can substitute canned wild Alaska pink salmon (the bones are edible), oysters (a great source of zinc, especially important for pregnant and lactating females), and other fresh, frozen, or canned wild ocean fish for sardines. Pacific oysters are probably better than Gulf of Mexico oysters, especially after the BP oil spill in 2010, and safer than canned oysters from China. Never feed raw salmon or trout, especially Pacific salmon, because it may contain a bacterium that can kill dogs.
But…. now, I’ve pulled up my ABC diet and it does show two cans per week. So how about 1 1/2! LOL!

Here is the link to the whole dog journal: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_12/features/Fats-Chance_20658-1.html

Either way, it is great that you are considering adding them to your dog’s food. Good luck!

[pugmomsandy]

You can also just feed one whole raw sardine a couple times a week.

[crazy4cats]

Hi 10Vx3-
There are so many options! Like Naturella said, you just have to experiment. I regularly feed Victor grain free joint health to my dogs. I have two big guys. It is basically the same as the grain free ALS Victor with extra glucosamine added. Right now, I’m feeding California Natural grain free Pork kibble and the dogs are doing great with it. I also add a topper and water to every meal. I started out just adding canned. Then after coming to this site, I learned about adding eggs and sardines. Now I even add dehydrated, freeze dried and raw to their meals. It all happened fairly gradually. And unfortunately got,more expensive! I tend to stick to more basic budget friendly kibble so I can afford the extras to boost up the nutritional value. I just don’t think that over processed kibble can be all that healthy by itself. I feed both with and without grain kibble. I also buy kibble that is a little lower in fat as most of the toppers are a little higher in fat. Good luck!

[Mieke v]

Hi Again Carol,

I meant to mention that the website I put in my last post has dehydrated foods and also covers raw and homemade. Thought it might be helpful to you since it helped me in determinations.

[pugmomsandy]

I’m fortunate enough to have 3 dogs and no UTI’s the past 7 years. I feed a high moisture diet (raw and canned), never just plain dry kibble. I also give a bladder supplement with cranberry and d-mannose (and other herbs) and I give probiotics. I also used to monitor my dogs’ urine pH using home pH test strips. Hopefully someone who’s actually dealt with UTI’s will give some input.

http://products.mercola.com/healthypets/bladder-health-for-pets/

https://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/struvites-crystals-urinary-tract-infections-treatment-and-diet/

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/10/22/these-3-things-may-indicate-your-pet-has-a-bladder-problem.aspx

http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjanxiety.html

[Aspen A]

Lovx3, I am with Steve’s Real Food, a raw pet food company. The Atwater figures are not particularly helpful, and you will always want to compare dog foods using a dry matter comparison. The reason for this is that as different products contain different moisture levels, it can skew the results. Usually pet food companies will use the at water comparison because they want their numbers to look better, so you need to ask them for the dry matter comparison. It sounds like Naturella is doing a great job, and I can give a second opinion in favor of much of what she/he said. I would also recommend that you consider going to a raw diet, as it is much more in line with how your dog is genetically designed to process food. Adding water and mixing with canned is a great start, and definitely better on your dog’s intestines and ability to digest kibble than just giving straight dry, but raw is best!

[Aspen A]

Hi, SamD, Aspen here with Steve’s Real Food (for full disclosure). Rotating is good – you wouldn’t expect your kids to eat the same thing all day every day, and dogs should have variety, too. If you can’t afford raw all the time then switching back and forth would be fine, but if you can, completely eliminating kibble would be best – it sounds like you are already seeing the difference in how they react between kibble and raw, and it is because raw is so much healthier. You just want to make sure he is getting all the trace minerals he needs, and if he is a pup with lots of energy, proteins with higher fat content are better to help him maintain his energy and weight. Good luck to you!

[Aspen A]

Lovemypuppy, I am with Steve’s Real Food, a raw pet food company (for full disclosure). Well done on switching your pup to raw, it is so much healthier for him than even the highest-end kibble. Any dry product is not going to compare in health benefits and easy digestion compared to raw. It is always good to rotate the food – we don’t expect our children to eat one thing every day for their entire life, but if you only feed a kid ice cream and cherrioos their stomachs are going to have a hard time eating apples and spinach. I hope your pup is doing well!

[Aspen A]

Bulldog Mom, I’m with Steve’s Real Food and we sell pre-blended raw dog food, but it sounds like you are wanting to mix your own. Just be careful to make sure your dog is getting all of his trace minerals and a good, healthy nutritional balance – it takes a lot of research, which is why some people choose to do something like Steve’s so it is done for them, so good luck! There are lots of resources out there to help you. Definitely recommend Dr Becker’s book. It is great.

[Aspen A]

Hi, Carol, I am with Steve’s Real Food (a raw pet food company, so you have full disclosure). I just looked up the Miracle Dog food, but I am not seeing enough specifics about which grains and minerals are in it to speak to whether they are the best fit for your pet. If you are worried about the nutrition balance you may want to go to a frozen raw food, there are some great ones out there (Steve’s included) that do the math and nutrition for you, including the fat content, etc. Pork and beef are going to be higher in fat, if you are wanting low fat sticking to chicken and turkey is going to be best. What is wrong with your dog’s pancrease? Is it pancreatitis? Natural Dog Health Remedies.com (no affiliation) recommends Milk Thistle, Yarrow Root, Echinacea, dandelion, and probiotics, if that helps. I would not recommend switching them to dry food. It is so much harder on the stomach, and harder to digest, it makes them more thirsty, etc. If you are looking to improve their diet I would definitely recommend going to a more raw diet rather than a dry diet, that is just a step back, in my opinion.

[Krista S]

I’d like to nominate Nature’s Logic dry and raw to editors choice.

[Adam H]

Hello everyone, I have great news and horrible news all of which are absolutely true without a doubt and promise if anyone wants to question me then go on go on and leave me alone period!

1. I don’t work for dynovite
2. I’ve spent thousands at numerous vets (I refuse to call them anything other then that die please)!
A.steriod shots and antibiotics…….
Money please
B.we have to do a biopsy…….el mula
C.we need to wait 45 days off the steroids in
Order to have a successful blood screen for
allergies……buy these products to help
Including eat plugs…….give me money
Oh the tests aren’t very accurate we have to take our time and find out by feeding the dog 120 dollar bags of food and adding proteins.
More money please.
3. All white pit mix with blue eyes.
A. Only kills three children per week but if your and angry middle
Aged………he takes no prisoners.
4. Added dynovite to a good dry food and some raw food with it and three months later presto. All hair back and licking and itching gone.

I really think vets know about the nutritional deficiencies in dog food and exploit this to there advantage and stab them with needles.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Adam H. Reason: Spellcheck

[Aspen A]

Hi, Weezerweeks, I am with Steve’s Real Food (for full disclosure). It sounds like you have some great customer service going on with Dr. Harvey. If you are worried about how much water your pup is drinking you may want to look into a completely raw diet. The whole point of freeze dried foods is that they remove all the water from the diet so it can preserve well, which does mean your dog will drink more when using it. Diets that are straight, raw meat are the best for your pup and have enough water in them naturally that dogs actually tend to drink less, not more. You will want to ask about the mineral content, the percentage of sodium, and then compare it to the other foods in your rotation to see if there is a difference.

[ShihTzuMom]

To help resolve my dog’s food intolerance issues I finally moved to feeding raw. I determined that the binders (starches) in kibble were causing as many symptoms as the proteins and grains. I currently feed Darwins Natural Selection but I did go thru a variety of kibbles. If you are not comfortable moving to raw I will say that the freezes dried raw does make for an easy transition. Stella and Chewy seemed to have the best combination of ingredients and they have rabbit and pheasant if you want to use a unique protein. If you want to stay with kibble I found Brothers Complete Allergy Formulas on this website.

Some other resources that provided good information were:
Monica Segal who is certified in animal nutrition. For a relatively nominal fee you can download homemade recipes that are nutritionally balanced.

Dr. Karen Becker and Dr. Peter Dobias also offer good info.

Like on Facebook Canine allergies (environmental and food) it is a great support network.

Good luck and don’t lose faith. Even when you think things are going well a hot spot or ear infection shows up and you adjust again.

[Dori]

Hi Cheryl,
When I feed THK nothing comes out looking as it came in. There are no little bits of anything in their stools. Maybe because they’ve been eating raw for so long that their digestive system is healthier? I don’t really know the reason but it is that way with all three of our girls.

As to Pepper, you say that her vagina is a little swollen. Is it also a little red or more pink than normal? If so, it could be vaginitis. I would at least call the vet and let them know. If it is vaginitis she’ll probably need a round of antibiotics. I’m not in favor of antibiotics in general but there are occasions when they are necessary.

Post back and let me know what they say. Vaginitis can’t be diagnosed by urine tests, they have to physically check out her vagina and possibly get a swab. It’s not bacteria in the bladder or kidneys. Lola had it a number of years ago. They checked her urine and said no infection or bacteria and once they did a thorough exam and checked her vagina they immediately said she had vaginitis. A round of antibiotic and it cleared up immediately and never came back. Some times these smaller dogs are susceptible because their vaginas touch the ground almost every time they pee. Anyway, call the vet. I would.

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

HI Dori,
So glad to hear from you and overjoyed all is well with your husband. Couldn’t ask for better news.
Well here at schnauzerville we are dealing with something that worries me and I am reaching out to all.
My pepper the almost 12 y.o. is going into a semi-heat if that is possible -no bleeding but (excuse me all for being so descriptive) her vagina looks swollen I am so fearful of pyometra, what are the signs ,how do i know, should I take her to the vet?? Eating, drinking ,walking aok.
Millie has stopped her bleeding after 3 weeks ,she is still swollen . My first foray with females -Pepper was never spayed her horrible original guardians treated her badly, never took her to a vet, at her advanced age spaying is not an option with her other health issues.
Any advice Dori
i am so worried about my angel Pepper
as for THK yes we are keeping it in and even with the grain free protein inclusive line I still notice pieces of undigested veggies, emailed them they never replied.
We are about to finish the natures variety instinct raw duck a bit hit with pepper and Millie,
Next I think I will try either the primal turkey and sardine or the OCraw-we really are becoming the adventurous schnauzers here at schnauzerville.
Take care & Dori so happy again to hear the good news!! Celebrate

We are on diets here lunch is various cooked veggies Millies face is a riot but she is way too heavy at 16 lbs

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie.

[theBCnut]

I only feed half raw, and the fat level varies day to day. When I feed rabbit, the fat level is VERY low, because rabbit is a very lean meat. But when I feed mutton, I’m probably approaching that 34% mark, and with coconut oil and fish oil added in, I might pass it.

[Dori]

Hi Cheryl,
Bad PMS??? That’s funny. Poor Millie, poor you too!

So glad the girls have taken well to raw and rotational feeding. It’s so much healthier for them. Once you’ve finished with the base mixes then just do the dinners if you’re going to keep THK in your rotation.

Thanks for reaching out. All is well here with all of us I’m thrilled to be able to say.