[Beth H]

Hi all: I have recently had my chocolate lab’s urine tested and have been told that he has crystals in his urine. She has recommended four dog foods that will provide a good ph balance that may solve the problem, rather than putting him on medicines and invasive testing.

I am curious to see if anyone has any suggestions for a great dog food that is:

for seniors: he’s 12 but active
chicken and grain free (he breaks out from too much chicken)
nut free (allergy)
strong in providing a solid ph balance

Currently, he is on Nautral Balance vegan formula (dry), with a scoop of 100% pure pumpkin and some beef canned dog food mixed in. He also is on glucosamine, fishoil and three prescriptions.

I appreciate anything that anyone share!

Beth

[Sanne]

No problem! Yes adding those separately is a great idea. It really is quite overwhelming as there are hundreds of brands out there, some offer senior foods, some do not. Currently, there are no requirements that a food has to meet in order to be labeled a senior food. You will see all senior formulas will say something along the lines of “formulated to meet all the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO for adult maintenance”. That is the exact same thing an adult food will say. It may say for All Life Stages in place of Maintenance which means it also meets the minimum requirements for puppies.

There are established requirements for puppies and adults but not seniors so feel free to use an adult food or all life stages food. What I typically look for for my older dog is 25-30% protein, 10-16% fat, 3-6% fiber, phosphorus preferably no higher than 1.5%, sodium around 0.3% no higher than 0.4%. These are just some levels I find works for my older dog and the levels I have talked over with my vet. These protein, fat and fiber levels are just what works personally for my dog, yours may need higher or lower.

The reason I do not like to see high phosphorus for an older dog is because it can be hard on the kidneys and it is not exactly rare for older dog’s kidney health to decline. I stick to foods that do not have too high of sodium to keep the heart healthy as heart health also often declines with age. My dog now has a murmur so I am careful about that.

And I am rambling lol hopefully that little guideline will help you find something suitable for your dog that is reasonably priced. I find having an idea in mind on what to look for in a food can help narrow down all the options

[Sanne]

I don’t know about sites as I do not follow what any ratings say, that is just not how I choose my dog food.

Everyone has different budgets so it is hard for me to say what is affordable without knowing yours. An adult food could work for your dog though. Seniors don’t really have special dietary needs. Some less active ones could do with less fat and calories but there are also adult foods that are not high in those. Glucosamine and Chondroitin added to most senior foods is pretty useless. The amount the dog would have to eat just to get a reasonable amount is ridiculously high.

That said, Victor Senior is IMO a pretty affordable food with a good nutrition analysis. Good level of protein for a senior, lower fat without being too low (not enough could cause skin problems), phosphorus and sodium levels are good, good amount of L-Carnitine, and calories are quite low.

[Teagsmom]

My chi mix just had her annual exam. She’s a senior so I have a complete CBD panel done along with some other tests. Everything came back fine except her ALT count (liver enzyme) was sky rocket! Normal is 21-121 and hers was 501. Naturally I freaked out because she has zero signs of anything being wrong. She had a bile acid test, ULtrasound and the vet tested for Lepto just to rule out everything. Ultrasound came back clear (thank goodness) but vet said bile acid test showed a tad of inflammation. She said this could be due to a food allergy. I had been feeding her Primal raw at night and Instinct Raw Boost with Stella and Chewy meal mixers in the morning. The Stella and Chewy meal mixers are her FAVORITE even though I prefer Primal.

My vet suggested that I start feeding ONLY duck to rule out a food allergy. I didn’t realize how many companies add turkey and/or chicken with Duck. Primal was easy because they make freeze dried duck. I purchased Zignature Duck and ordered Natures Instinct LID Duck. I also got some goat milk and can food to add more moisture. I purchased Rawz Duck and Rawbble Duck can wet food. Both are comparable. This is where my questions come in……has anyone experienced this before and the result was a food allergy? What food do people prefer (Zignature vs Instinct and RAWZ vs Rawbble wet)?

My neighbors had the same thing happen with their small dog. They switched from ZiwiPeak to a low protein kibble and the ALT went down from the high 500’s to normal range. MY vet said high protein food would not cause the liver enzymes to go up or down. If this is true, I’m not sure how to explain my neighbors situation. Since adding more kibble vs solely raw at night, my dog poops at min 3x a day. When on raw, it was 1-2x times a day and much smaller. I will have more info once we test her levels again in a few weeks but am curious if anyone has experienced this and/or has any recommendations. Btw my dogs behavior hasn’t changed. If it’s a food allergy I will be surprised bc her stools have always and continue to be firm. She’s never had Diarrhea- knock on wood. Thanking you in advance.

[Carla B]

I am also questioning Hill’s Science Diet. I had two Chihuahua’s. Not related, and one was a year older. Widget died in Sept. 2017 from rapid onset Canine Dementia. She went from “perfect” mean little Chihuahua to an empty shell of a dog within one month. She was 12 years old. Our other Chi, Miss Pepper was fine and was 11 years old. EXACTLY one year later, the same thing happened to Pepper. The ONLY thing they had in common was diet. They ate Hill’s Science diet from the time they were 8 weeks old. They had the puppy formula, and the adult formula and then the Senior formula for “Small Breed”. How is it that they both suffered the same disease, but were not litter mates or related in any way? I honestly believe it was the dog food that killed my two little girls.

[Sanne]

Absolutely not bad to try it at all! Don’t beat yourself up over it, some dogs are just soo much more sensitive than others and there isn’t much we can do about it. Honestly, the ingredients do not look awful in that food at all. It may be a little low in meat but dogs do not NEED high amounts of meat to be healthy. I would have no problem trying this food if my dog was miserable on everything else. If it works, it will be oh so worth it to see your dog have relief. Trust me, if it works any guilt you have about feeding it will be gone. The “best food in the world” is garbage at the end of the day if your dog’s system is not happy on it.

A few years back, I tried to feed my dogs some 40% protein 20% fat grain free type foods. I was dead set on feeding my dog these kinds of foods because they are supposedly so high in meat which is supposedly the only way to feed a dog. So much wasted time with my dog being miserable, gassy, huge loose stools, itching. I finally said F it and started from scratch. Dumped the high protein food, stuck with something between 25-30% protein 11-16% fat and rice, millet, or barely for the starch since this is kind of similar to what she was on as a pup. What a difference. Such small firm stools that took a maximum of 20 seconds to pass. No nasty residue left behind. It may not have the highest meat content but who cares?? My dog is like a normal dog, no poop or skin issues, no stressing about what might happen next on this food lol. As an example of what I like to see in a food, while I was in the States I fed my dog Victor Senior and that worked so perfectly for her. The brands I feed now here in Europe all have very similar ingredients/analysis.

Geez I let this get very long, sorry sometimes I ramble on 🙂 I just wanted to let you know I know where you are coming from and do not let the guilt get to you over the brand/ingredients. Both you and your dog will be happier for it

[Susan]

Hi
has your dog been checked out for acid reflux? as we age with don’t make as much Hydrochloric acid in stomach, this is called Hypochlorhydria (Low Stomach Acid) & this can cause acid reflux…
Dogs become fussy cause the foods they are eating are causing bad acid reflux, start feeding “lean cooked” white meats – turkey breast, chicken breast & lean pork cooked meat, boil Sweet Potato, Google “Judy Morgan Pup Loaf” I make into rissoles & freeze & add sweet potato, Sweet Potato soothe the stomach & bowel so after your dog vomits thaw a piese of sweet potato mash on plate & serve warm & dog will lick off plate, my cat & dog love sweet potato..

Buy tin Salmon in spring water look for the tin salmon with teh lowest sodium/salt% drain spring water put salmon in air tight container put in fridge, boil Sweet Potato pieces & freeze in sandwich clip seal plastic bags put in freezer, if Sweet Potato pieces stick together when frozen just hit sandwich bag on sink & sweet potato pieces will separate. Take out as needed..
Feed 4 small meals a day, for lunch get a bowl add 2-3 spoons of salmon & add 2-3 small pieces of boiled sweet potato, it thaws in microwave if frozen -15sec, mix with salmon & serve, warm not cold, your dog will love this..

Look at “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior kibble, get a small bag from pet shop, Canidae has palability guaranteed money back so if your dog wont eat it take back get refund.
Canidae Pure Meadow is small size kibbles & has everything needed for an senior dog, only serve about 1/4 a cup with some salmon & sweet potato mixed together mixed thru the kibble….

Also you said your dog vomites talk to your vet about taking an ant acid reducer like Zanatc or Pepcid to begin with, if you see your dog seems better when takes Acid reducer 20mins before Breakfast & Dinner then the ant acid reducer isnt working no more talk to your vet about putting your dog on something stronger an acid blocker – “Omeprazole” or I use 20mg “Pantoprazole”
Trial for 3 -4 days then stop & see was there an improvment in those 4 days with your dogs eating while taking the ant acid blocker??
You can buy at chemist, best given first thing in morning once a day 20mg, can be given before or after food but best as soon as dog wakes up then feed breakfast.. but you can not just be stop acid blocker once dog has taken for more then 21 days, needs to be reduced slowly if been on the acid blocker more then 21 days..

[Thomas B]

Hello everyone, I’m a newbie here. So, my 11 years old senior dog started losing weight. The only food that he eats is not full of good nutrients also.. I don’t know what to do… I searched for a specific food that helps a dog to gain weight, but I don’t want to waste money on foods that are not helpful at all. I found an article about that and it looks like there might be something that I need. Here is a link to this article if you have the same problem https://petshotspot.com/dog-foods-for-weight-gain/. So what are your recommendations? I tried to feed him with raw food but he vomits a lot and I guess it is hard for him to digest it.

[Christie B]

Hi Susan,

Thanks for the recipes. I’d prefer to make my own toppers and put my crockpot to use. If I don’t put anything on their kibble and leave it out, they’ll eventually get hungry enough to eat it. Today, I really confused them. I was running late to work so I put a whole large carrot in each bowl as both a “topper” and a daytime “treat” and I just peeked in on them 2 hours later on my petcam and neither bowl has been touched yet.

I bet by the time I get home later tonight, there will be carrot bits all over my carpet.

I used to boil (which I’ve been told time and time again kills the nutrients) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, but my big guy has food intolerance. I find a food that’s 5 star rated, and they hate it and refuse to eat it. I go back to my least favorite Blue Buffalo kibble and they gobble it right up. So I decide not to fight it, because there are worse foods out there. And both dogs devoured it up , no toppers needed. I was amazed. I went through a bag of Chicken. But I wanted something senior or large breed for my 10 year old, and they have a Senior Large Breed but it’s chicken and if I stay too long with one protein, issues arise. So I tried their Large Breed Adult Lamb and their regular Adult lamb. Dogs loved it for a few days, but then didn’t show much interest. Had to add a topper. Now not even through 1/4 of the bag, the itching starts. It’s a big bag. Is it the lamb? Ugh. It’s a never ending cycle of trial and error. I’m watching him for the next few days to see if it’s a fluke.

If it’s not and I have to switch him to another food, maybe fish this time, how terrible would it be to feed my smaller dog the large breed bag of lamb so I don’t waste it all? She’s about 45-50 lbs. (though she should probably be 35-40 at ideal weight).

Any brand have a senior large breed fish kibble? The BB senior and large breed guaranteed analysis % were similar, I just went with the large breed for the extra chondroitin and glucosamine

[Christie B]

Are there advantages, other than price, in feeding dry kibble over wet food? I’m not trying to debate commercial feeding vs. raw. More like Brand A kibble formula vs Brand A wet food.

If I understand correctly, on average, wet/canned food has more protein, more fat and less carbs than its kibble counterpart. /choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/

I know a lot of people, myself included, mix a small amount of wet food in with kibble to make it palatable for picky eaters. And I’m going over my current pet food shopping list: adult kibble for 1 dog, senior or large breed adult for my other dog, canned food as a topper for both, wet food for adult cat w/ history of urinary blockage, and dry food for cat 2 who flat out refuses to eat wet food. I also use shredded chicken thighs, canned salmon and sardines as toppers.

The worst is the days when I mix in a topper (could be the same can that I used the meal before that the dogs loved) and the dogs are now not interested and I’m left with half eaten mixed kibble that has to be tossed. Or even better, when my smaller dog licks the topper off of the kibble, eats a few pieces of kibble once the bowl is cleaned of the topper and then abandons the bowl.

The average kibble feeding guideline for my 120 lb. dog is 5-6 cups of kibble a day. And I know those values are high and my vet even told me to aim for about half of that if I add some wet food as a topper. My dog seems happy with 1.5 cups twice daily.

But looking at the same brand’s wet food product, it says” Feed ½ to 1 can for every 10 lbs. of body weight per day. That’s 6-12 cans of food! And since wet food is higher in fat, isn’t that even more unhealthy?

The price alone is crazy. How do people with 100+ lb. dogs feed wet without going broke? Or do you just feed kibble?

• This topic was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Christie B.

[Susan]

Hi,
I was feeding TOTW my boy did really well with his IBD & Allergies then about 15months ago my boy went down hill, I dont know if it was the food but he stopped eating TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb his favorite & Patch eats “everything” then finally after feeding “Wellness Core Large Breed Adult” Patch finally started to get better & was his happy self again, you dont need to feed much, its high protein, low/med-fat & is low in
carbs good for losing weight Kcals are 345 Kcals per cup, also is high in Glucosamine
Patch is 10yrs old acted like a pup on Wellness Core Large Breed Adult…
Wellness have a few different formula’s with grains with out grains with both..
Here’s Wellness site – – https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food

Canidae is another good brand…
Canidae – https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Canidae Pure Meadow Senior” on page 4 is really good…

[Christie B]

Hi madima,

I have a 120 lb. 10 year old American Bulldog mix and 4 year old 45-50 lb. Catahoula mix. Like your two dogs, they have different nutritional needs. I’ve tried to find a food that both can eat (since they literally will investigate each other’s food bowls during feeding time).

My senior dog had had issues with chicken and it’s really hard to find a Large breed Senior formula that doesn’t use chicken. And the ones that do are grain free and tend to use lentils or chickpeas in the first 5 ingredients and my dog winds up with stomach issues when he eats food with those ingredients. He did okay on CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Meadow Senior Formula for a while.

I haven’t had a puppy in a while so I can’t recommend any large breed puppy formulas.

As for toppers, I rotate between canned salmon or sardines, eggs, boiled boneless chicken thighs or sometimes canned dog food [type that’s 96% *insert protein form*] when it’s on sale… not too much of it because I’m trying get these guys to lose some lbs. I used to buy Stella & Chewy’a meal mixers or Instinct Rawboost mixers, but they were just too expensive in the long run.

[madima]

Hello! I have a 7-8 year old Golden mix (he could be older, but they said he was 3 or 4 when we got him) who is around 75lbs, but needs to lose some weight. I also recently adopted a Great Pyrenees/hound or pointer mix large breed puppy. He is 3 1/2 months old and 35lbs.
I have been feeding my older dog Taste of The Wild for a year or two now, and recently found out the things going on with the brand. I also currently have the puppy on the puppy formula, though I’m looking to change them both to something else.
I’m sort of looking for full suggestions about feeding both of them, whether that be brands, supplements or toppers. I’m willing to top with natural things (vegetables, fruit, some meat, oil, etc.) or canned food, which I top my older dog’s food with for dinner. I have a feeling he has so orthopedic issues, which we’re going to the vet for tomorrow.
I know the puppy needs a certain amount of calcium; not too much, not too little. I’m also aware my senior needs extra protein. I’m planning on asking about his diet when I go to the vet, but I wanted some advice on some dry food, wet food and toppers/supplements for both dogs. I’m not very educated when it comes to dog nutrition. I would appreciate any suggestions or advice. Thanks in advance! 🙂

[Christie B]

@susan, I walked through Petco and looked at practically every bag of food they had. All the large breed formulas were chicken based. Almost all of the senior formulas were chicken based. The only one I could find is Nutro lamb based senior food.

What kind of issues did your dog have with Nutro brand?

And would you choose a large breed formula over a senior formula?

Petco’s resident “food expert” asked what I was looking for when I went there the other day. I told him that I’m trying to transition away from chicken for the next rotation. They didn’t have a senior formula that wasn’t chicken based, but he showed me a Merrick bag that was high in protein and had 1200 mg/kg Glucosamine and 1200 mg/kg Chondroitin. I bought a small bag, just to see. I mixed a tiny bit in with their regular food. Neither dogs were interested at all, but eventually ate some of it. They literally turned away from the open bag.

But the gas was bad afterwards…both of them. So bad. I think it was too rich. Most of the “senior” formula labels had proteins at around 22-26% and fat at 10-12%. Merrick’s was 38% protein, 17% fat. I liked that it had the Glucosamine and Chondroitin, but I think the fat content was too high.

I’m not even going to bother continuing with it.

[Katie G]

What is considered a good amount/low in kcal and fat for canned dog food?
Any pancreatitis canned food recommendations?

I’m thinking of switching my 15 lbs inactive senior (9 year old) neutered miniature poodle, but want to keep him on a “diet” plan so he won’t gain weight since he’s inactive.

[Sanne]

I use Farmina Light for my older dog who needs less calories. Fat is around 11% I think. My dog does great on it

Victor Select has a Senior/Weight Management food that also looks really good. Fat is around 12%

Those are the only two I’m familiar with enough to recommend

[crazy4cats]

I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. Are you thinking of having the food tested or a necropsy done? I’m not sure if you realize that TOTW is made by Diamond. As huge as they are, I do not think they have veterinary nutritionists on staff or do feeding trials. Did she have any other symptoms besides not eating? Was she a senior?

Again, I’m sorry for your loss and I hope your other dogs make a full recovery. Best wishes. 💔

[Christie B]

@Susan Thanks for the advise. So far so good with his mobility. He still runs around and is pretty agile for a 10 year old large breed. I worry mostly about his front right leg, which is bowlegged. It doesn’t cause him any pain to stand or walk on it and he runs fine. I give him a senior Mobility Bites and Turmeric Curcumin supplements by zesty paws as a preventative.
The Mobility bites have 450mg of glucosamine HCL, 100mg of chondroitin sulfate and 5mg of hyaluronic acid per chew and he takes 3 per day.

My dog get sick whenever lentils or chickpeas are in the first few ingredients, so it’s hard finding a food that works (that he’ll actually eat). It was the biggest reasons I switched to Blue Buffalo. Most of the grain free recipes have chickpeas or lentil as a main ingredient.

I guess I could always try to feed the two dogs in two different rooms, but every single time they leave like 1/4 of their food and then sniff around and eat each other’s.

I’m trying to rotate proteins because we start to have issues once we stay on one too long. We’re just about done with chicken and I see the Pure Meadow lists chicken as the first ingredient.

I literally walked through Petsmart on Friday and read every label. So many grain free formulas listed lentils or chickpeas within the top four ingredients and when I found one that listed something like sweet potatoes, the main protein was chicken.

I was hoping to find something like lamb or duck. I know Merrick makes High Protein formulas, but I’ve heard some not so nice things about the brand. It rates good on this site. And I thought Merrick was going to run it’s operation independently from Nestle Purina. But I could be wrong. The internet is filled with conflicting stories. But at this point, if the food is decent and it’s working for the dogs, I should give it a try, right?

I hear horror stories about Blue Buffalo and Merrick on this site. I’d love to find a food that can be found in a local store like Petco or Petsmart (I live near both).

[Susan]

Hi
I prefer to feed diet for age of my dog, a pup eats puppy formula, an adult 1-7 eats an adult formula & a senior dog eats a senior food, senior food have all the supplements for aging dogs joint, bones etc & have lower fat, higher protein, well it depends which brand you feed, I like “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior formula, its high in Omega 3 fatty acid, has Glucosamine but its not as high as the Wellness Core Large breed Adult formula, Ive found the the Large Breed formula’s are higher in Glucosamine & Chondroitin then most senior foods.. I was going to try Wellness Core Senior but it has Lentils Patch gets diarrhea from lentils & bad wind pain, gas farts..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

I dont know if your 10 year old American Bulldog Pit mix has Arthritis, he probably does??
Have you tried “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult Grain Free dry kibble?
it’s low Kcals-346kcals per cup, high Protein-34%min, low/med fat -13%max
Carbs-30% scroll down to “Nutrient Profiles”
then click on the “GET THE PDF” link it will give you all the max “Dry Matter Basis %”
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed

My boy 10yr old Staffy – 40lbs suffers with IBD, Food & Environment Allergies & he has this 3-4cm bone thing growing out of his left hip bone, vets said they have never seen anything like it, the vet said he was probably born with it…
anyway around age 9 he started running on 3 legs, letting his left back leg to hang while running, then last year in December – January he went down hill with his IBD then in March he was really sick with his stomach he had bad acid reflux, I started introducing Wellness Core Large Breed adult formula, it had the right fat%, Low Kcals, low carbs & high protein % also was high in Glucosamine was not less than 750 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate was not less than 250 mg/kg…
After 3weeks of eating the Wellness Core everythng got better his stomach his acid reflux stopped 🙂 his back leg, he stop running on 3 legs, he ran on all 4 legs & started acting like a young pup again… His vet, the Pet Shop man, everyone couldnt believe what a big difference after eating the Wellness Core Large Breed Adult formula had made.

Now I rotate his dry foods, between Canidae Pure Meadow Senior, Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula & an Australian made brand Frontier Pets Freeze Dried for lunch,
cause Patch became so unwell in Dec -2017-Jan-2018 after eating TOTW & Nutro, I’ve kept feeding Patch his Wellness Core Large breed formula for 8-9 months never rotated with any other dry kibbles except at lunch time he gets a small wet meal, then Summer came & so did Patches environment allergies bad so I thought I’ll rotate & change his dry food to Wellness Simple Turkey & potato formula cause he did so well on the Wellness Core also the Wellness Simple is formulated for Skin problems & is high in Omega 3 fatty acids…
About 2-3 weeks after I stopped feeding his Wellness Core Large Breed formula & was feeding him just the Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato formula, his IBD = firm poos & his Skin & coat was beautiful & shinney, he stopped alot of his scratching & being itchy from allergies, I also bath him twice a week or weekly depends on how itchy he gets, baths wash off all the allergens off his skin & paws, BUT he started running on 3 legs again 🙁

The Wellness Core Large Breed is higher Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate it must of really helped with his arthritis in his lower back pain….So I bought the Glucosamine Chrondroitin, Vitamin C & Maganese Powder to add to his dry meal, I couldnt workout teh dose as it wasnt like the tablets dose + it taste AWFUL yuk I couldnt drink it, it says to add to fruit juice, its yuk no way Patch will take it.. so I quickly put him back to 1/2 Wellness Core Large Breed kibble & Wellness Simple kibble, now he’s getting “Cartrophen Vet Injections” he gets 1 weekly injection for 1 month then you stop, today was his last injection, Cartrophen Vet has really helped his lower back pain the thing is he’s a nut & he jumps up to say hello to visitors & this is when he hurts his lower back more..

You need a diet HIGH in Omega 3 fatty acid not high in Omega 6 fatty acid, Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory & tooo much Omega 6 is no good for inflammatory problems, Omega 6 is an inflammatory….
The body needs a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Excess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals.

When a dog diet is not balanced properly & is too low in Omega 3 & way to high in Omega 6 alot of dry/wet can foods aren’t balanced properly, this can cause skin problems with dogs…. Omega 3 should be nilly 1/2 of what the Omega 6% says..
Wellness Simple is excellent for dogs who have Skin/Stomach problems
Omega 3 Fatty Acids-1.13%, the Omega 6 Fatty Acids-2.30% max %.
Click on the PDF page
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-turkey-potato-recipe

Instead of adding 2 tble spoons of wet can food start adding some Tin Salmon in spring water, drain the spring water, put salmon in small air tight container put in fridge..
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, sardines, eggs, almonds, and other anti-inflammatory foods. Add 1-2 spoons of tin Salmon or Sardines to each meal..
Sardines can be a bit rich for some dogs I have to feed the Salmon + swet potat instead with Patch..

What I do when changing to a new dry formula same formula, first I check is it the same Use By Date, same Batch?? then I put 1/2 new kibble & 1/2 old kibble in an air tight container & mix thru, my boy use to be very sensitive but now since rotating between a few different brands he does really well, his immune system has become heaps stronger..

Boil Sweet Potato pieces & freeze them in those clip lock sandwich bags, Sweet Potato freezes & thaws really well, I put 1 frozen piece Sweet Potato in the micro wave 15-25sec etc then I mash teh Sweeet potato piece on a plate & let Patch lick it off..
Sweet Potato & Potato firm poo up & is excellent when dog has upset stomach/bowel, start adding 2 spoons of Sweet Potato & Salmon with dry kibble, its healthier & cheaper then wet can foods..

[Sanne]

Usually a large breed formula is only truly necessary for a growing large breed puppy. The calcium and phosphorus levels are usually balanced better in large breed puppy food, ensuring proper growth. Not sure about the guidelines for adults though, never had huge dogs

Studies have shown that senior dogs need more protein per kg of body weight than an average adult dog, up to 50% more. Senior dogs on low protein foods had weaker muscles and more muscle tearing. There is no beneficial reason to lower a healthy senior dog’s protein intake.

As a general rule of thumb, my vet tends to recommend around 2g of protein per kg of body weight for a healthy adult dog and 3g of protein per kg for a healthy senior

[Christie B]

@InkedMarie, I’m not exactly a fan of BB myself, but it seems to be the one brand that causes the least issues with my dog.

Over the past 10 years I’ve tried many of the brands recommended from this site: Wellness, Merrick, TOTW, Canidae, Acana, Instinct, Whole Earth Farms, Nulo…

Blue Buffalo is the only one they seem to want to eat. It drives me a bit crazy. But considering my vet keeps pushing Purina Pro Plan, BB seems like a step up from that.

My big guy isn’t overweight but losing a few pounds couldn’t hurt. The rep was saying that Adult formula has more protein than Senior food and as dogs age they require less protein. And since he’s over 100 pounds, he should be on a large breed formula.

[Susan]

Hi,
Have a look at limited ingredient formula’s if you think it might be food sensitivities, best off feeding a single meat protein & 1-2 carbs…
I rotate between 2-3 “different brands” that agree with my boy, I dont feed the same brand 24/7, year after year, if something is wrong with a certain brand of dog food, heavy metals, toxins, contaminates etc then that’s all your dog is eating 24/7 causing health problems down teh track…
Join this f/b group “Dog Allergies, Issues & Other Information Support Group” on face book
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DogAllergiesIssuesandOtherInformationSupporGroup/
Dogs who have thyriod problems normally suffer skin problems aswell so it might have nothing to with diet? But I’d still change his food brand, sounds like he has been eating Kirklands for a while, feed him a variety of different foods, chicken & turkey seem to be the cleanest meats when pet foods were tested for heavy metals toxins & contaminates.

I feed “Wellness Simple” Turkey & Potato & “Wellness Core” Large breed Adult. my boy suffers with IBD & Environment Allergies.
Here’s Wellness Simple formula’s look to your right & you’ll see the different Simple limited ingredient formula’s to choose from…
Here’s Wellness Simple Healthy Weight LID formula.
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/simple-limited-ingredient-healthy-weight

I also rotate & feed “Canidae Pure” formula’s, Canidae “Pure” formula’s has limited ingredients.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
Scroll down a bit & look to your right & you’ll see all the pages of Canidae formula’s
VIEW ALL << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 >>
I feed the Canidae Pure Wild Boar & Canidae Pure Meadow Senior formula..

I would stay away from all fish pet foods, some can be very high in heavy metals, contaminates & toxins….
The “First Mate” Chicken Meal & Blueberrries formula looks good & it’s Legume free, the rest of the First Mate formula’s are high in fiber -7%….

Limited Ingredient Chicken Meal with Blueberries Formula

[Susan]

Hi Ruth,

the ingredients look good BUT for the price yes its a rip off, there’s cheaper supplements around that are just as good maybe better to fix a dogs gut/immune system.

I would stick with Probiotics Supplements made by companies who specialize in this field..
Nutra Thrive advertise Holistic Vet Dr. Gary Richter, he might be a really good holistic veterinarian but he would have been paid alot of money to advertise Nutra Thrive, this is probably why it’s so expensive, there’s nothing special with ingredients to cost $187.97 for 30 scoops for 1 month supply…

If you’re looking for a GOOD probiotic “Purina Forti Floria Probiotic powder,
When they did a study & tested 10 popular dog probiotic’s, out of the 10 dog probiotics only 3 probiotics came back with live microorganisms.
Purina came top 3 probiotics.
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.com/products/fortiflora-dog-probiotics/
or
Can you get “Blackmores Paw” Dog & Cat range in the US?
Look at
“PAW DigestiCare 60™ Probiotic” it has great reviews & suppose to be very good, my vet likes Paw supplements & the owner of the vet practice only stocks healthy foods, supplements & healthy treats that he knows his customer said worked & helped their dogs health problems..

If your dog has skin problems give a dog probiotic you think is good & have a look at “Paw Dermoscent® Essential 6® spot-on for Dogs” you put on skin, back of their necks, my boy can’t take fish/salmon oil capsules, so this Dermoscent Essential would be very good for him, I’ve been told Krill Oil Capsules are better for people/dogs who have sensitive stomachs.
https://www.blackmores.com.au/products/pet-health/skin-and-coat-health/dermoscent-essential-6-spot-on-for-dogs

I’m going to also try “PAW Complete Calm” Chews so Patch has a better sleep now he’s getting older he’s been having restless sleeps some nights, someone wrote in reviews on the online pet store i use, she wrote, she gives her dog a 1 x Calm chew before bed her dog has Dementia & the Paw Calm chew settles her little dog down……

I was at the vets yesterday cause Patch has been getting “Cartrophen Vet injection for 4 weeks & I seen “Paw Senior Vitality” powder
ingredients
Contains key antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients such as DHA, Lutein, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, L-Carnitine and Selenium to help support brain, eye and immune health.
I’m going to try this Paw Senior Vitality Powder next, make it in a bowl with water & Patch can drink it, it says its chicken flavour.

I like supplements that are either Chews or Powders, with Patches Probiotic powder I was adding 10ml water mixing in a small bowl & Patch was drinking his Probiotic from bowl as a treat…
It’s best to take Probiotic when stomach acids are low, so give either first thing of a morning then wait 1 hour before feeding Breakfast or I gave probiotic inbetween meals I gave around 10am inbetween breakfast & lunch meals…

I read all the reviews & Paws has some really good reviews, best to look on the online Pet Stores & read their reviews cause its not the retailer adding peoples reviews, it will be people just like you & me who have tried a product then we give a review & the Online store just posts the reviews the good & teh bad reviews..

I know you mighten have an order dog who’d over 7yrs old but look what you can get for $99, a Senior Pack, it’s not bad everything they need for skin, joints, gut & brain.
https://www.blackmores.com.au/products/pet-health/pawfect-senior-pack

Nutra Thrive reviews look shonky?? I read thru a few & normally when you read reviews there’s always 1-3 bad reviews – “my dog didn’t like it”, “my dog got diarrhea” etc but this Nutra Thrive his all 5 stars reviews??
I wouldnt pay all that money $188.97 that is very very expensive probiotic, Nutra Thrive are praying on pet owners who are vulnerable wanting to fix their dog health problems… Nutra Thrive wont fix dogs skin problems, might fix gut health (maybe) but if dog has a skin problems need to find out why what is causing the problem??

* Food sensitivities? – change diet,
* Environement allergies? – Bath twice a week to wash off allergens.
* Diet is Low in Omega 3? – add 1-2 spoons of tin salmon/sardines in spring water to each meal or add 1 x Krill Oil Capsule helps inflammation
* Strengthen immune/Gut give Probiotic.

[Susan]

Hi Margie,
Did you try the Hills I/d Low Fat Rice, Vegetable, Chicken Stew, wet small can food?? the ingredients are OK & are easy digestable ingredients…. the dry Hills I/d Low Fat kibble wasnt the best…
There’s also “Royal Canine Low Fat Intestinal” Wet Can no chicken, its pork & smells pretty good but the omega oils are very high, my boy gets acid reflux from vet diet wet can foods.
https://www.hillspet.com.au/dog-food/pd-id-low-fat-canine-rice-vegetable-and-chicken-stew-canned

I feed Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato to my boy who has IBD, Wellness is a pretty good brand, Patch normally reacts to dry foods after he eats same food for 2-3 months, he hasnt reacted to Wellness Core Large Breed or Wellness Simple Turkey,
also “Canidae Pure Meadow Senior” is very good, has everything for aging dogs, its 10.80% max fat…
There’s “Artemis Fresh Mix” Weight Management/Senior its 6%- fat, 3-4% fiber but it has grains, my boy was doing sloppy Mr whippy poos on Artemis, I’m pretty sure he cant eat barley, it causes sloppy yellow poos…
There’s also “Annamaet Lean” kibble alot of dogs who have Pancreatitis do well on Annamaet Lean…
Have you joined “Canine Pancreatitis Support group” look in their “Files” Pancreas Low Fat dog foods pdf.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435920120029740/

[Susan]

Hi,
is this the same Holistic Select Lamb formula you bought about 1-2 weeks ago & he didnt really want to eat it??
I would take it back, or email Holistic Select & ask them why does it have a paint smell?? they might send you out a voucher or something??
I’ve feed Patch “Holistic Select Salmon, Anchovy, Sardine Meal Puppy/Adult grain free” & “Holistic Select Chicken Meal & Rice Senior” old formula years ago they never smelt of paint, they smelt like a dry dog food, even their Salmon, Sardine & Anchovy Meal kibble didn’t smell of fish which I liked as some kibbles stick bad of fish, if he doesnt want to eat it listen to him..
I know Holistic Select add alot of Pro & Pre -biotics but they don’t smell like paint..

The other day 1pm I got Patches Wellness Simple Turkey Meal & Potato 11.8kg bag thru postage, Pet Barn shop doesnt have the Wellness Simple bigger bags you have to buy online, when the post van pulled up I went outside it was a very HOT day, when the mail man handed me the Wellness bag it was hot like it had been sitting in the sun, I said to the mail man isnt your van Air con, he said yes but Im opening the back door all the time, I thought this kibble oils will go rancid, so I rung up Pet barn & asked will this bag of Wellness Simple be off, it came in a very hot plastic bag, they put me on hold then came back the lady said I can take it to a Pet Barn store & get another 1, I said Pet Barn stores don’t sell the bigger Wellness Simple bags, she said it will be OK…I didnt open it till this morning, its smelt OK like the other Wellness 2kg bags I tried, Patch ate it but Patch eats everything the nut.. I gave the cat 2 kibbles she ate them & she is fussy so I thought OK its alright I hope its OK..
Then we wonder why are our dogs are sick for no reason??..We dont know what happens to the bags of kibble or wet can foods after they leave the Pet Food company after they are made??

[Susan]

Hi Christine,
What symptoms does your dog suffer with?? IBS stomach/bowel symptoms or just has skin allergies??
He might have Seasonal Environment Allergies, now he’s doing better cause it’s Winter & plant/trees in your yard or neighbouring yards aren’t flowering etc
You will know when Spring & Summer come back around keep a diary..
Or he was sensitive to ingredient in the grain free food, my boy can NOT eat a G/F kibble that has Tapioca, he starts to smell yeasty, scratches, itchy, scratches bum on carpet, Lentils cause bad gas, wind pain then has diarrhea, when he eats Barley he gets yeasty smelly skin, yeasty paws & sloppy yellow poos, rubs bum on ground, Corn Gluten causes yeasty smelly skin, paws, sloppy poos then diarrhea & rubs bum on ground, Oats = yeasty skin, paws & sloppy yellow poos, rubs bum on ground, Carrot cause itchy ears, shaking his head/ears..He doesn’t do well on any grain formula’s..

When he eats a grain free dry kibble that has Potato, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas further down the ingredient list his IBD & skin goes really well thru the Winter months then when Summer comes around something in the environment causes bad skin allergies, I know grass & wet grass is 1 allergens he suffer from, he goes down hill with itchy skin, red paws, whinging & he’s eating 1 of the same G/F foods he did well on thru Winter months, I rotate his G/F foods, Wellness Core, Wellness Simple Turkey & Potato & Canidae Pure Meadow Senior & Canidae Pure Wild Boar all Grain Free formula’s.

If a dogs diet has too much Omega-6 & is way too low in omega-3, the omegas need to be balanced properly then the dog will suffer with skin problems…
eg-Omega-6 Fatty Acids-2.80% Omega-3 fatty Acids-1.00%,
Omegs-3 should be nilly 1/2 of what the Omega-6% is…

Pet foods that are AAFCO aproved means nothing as some are NOT balanced properly… this is 1 thing Susan Thrixon pointed out in her recent link
“DCM Study Misses the Big Picture”
By Susan Thixton – December 14, 2018

DCM Study Misses the Big Picture

If he’s doing well on Blue Buffalo feed it but I would also rotate & feed another brand that has similair ingredients as the Blue Buffalo he does well on has. This way if there is something wrong with a certain batch, or its not balance properly etc he isnt eating the same dry dog food 24/7 also if ever something happens you know of another brand you can fall back onto..

[Susan]

Hi Heather,

“Canidae Pure Meadow” senior but its grain free, its high protein 28-30%
low fat-10.80%, Low Carbs…
Why dont you want to feed grain free?? not all grain free foods are bad & involved in the Low taurine in some dogs??..

Patch has a square left hip socket, vets have never seen anything like this, they said he would have been born with it & would of had Arthritis from a pup, he started running on 3 legs about 1 year ago age 9yrs old….
Then I started to feed him
“Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult, its high in Protein-38%max, low/med-Fat-13% & high in Glucosamine/Chondroitin, low Carbs -30%, he stopped running on 3 legs..
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed
Then I rotate & feed “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior,
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

Canidae Senior is pretty good, it has 3 meat proteins 1st, 2nd & 3rd ingredients like the Wellness Core then a carb Sweet potatoes…

Canidae ALS Platinum Senior has grains
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-platinum-dry-formula

Wellness has their “Wellness Complete Health Senior” grain formula but Patch cant eat barley gets diarrhea also this Wellness formula is high in carbs over 50%… I want to keep off the weight off his joints..

Look at “Farmina”

His Vet said we can give “Cartrophen Vet” Injections, they are given weekly for 4 weeks
this way no NSAID drugs are being taken & causing stomach problems/ulcers….
Patch has IBD & suffers with Acid Reflux so he cant take no meds for Arthritis..

Dosage and Usage

[anonymous]

What were the results of his latest annual vet exam? How long ago? Labs within normal limits? Does the dog have a diagnosis regarding gastrointestinal problems?
What did the vet advise?

“but I’m certainly not opposed to another medical check-up. We have a bag of Science Diet Gastro that the vet gave us when we have issues and he does well on it, but I doubt that’s a long-term food”

Some dogs do stay on a prescription food for the rest of their lives.
I would defer to your vet, after all, no one here has examined your dog.

At age 5 a large breed is close to being a senior. Please go see your vet. Further diagnostic testing may be indicated.

[Susan]

I tried Holistic Select Senior back 2014 then again 2016 I tried the Puppy/Adult Salmon & Sardine Grain Free formula Patches poos were good, skin was good but after 2 months he wasn’t really interested in it probably cause of the Fish causing acid reflux??…
The Holistic Select Senior had grains a few years ago but Patches mouth licking & swollowing started again & poos were sloppy & yellow so I returned to pet shop probably cause of the Barley now Holistic Select Senior is Grain Free now & has Chickpeas, Peas, Lentils,…
I prefer Canidae or Wellness Patch seemed to do better.
I prefer meat 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredients less carbs, less reactions, less fiber, less problems for Patches IBD & skin…

It will all depend on “your” dog, you have to take the plunge, I did the same after I found out Patch has IBD, I was stressing out what foods too feed him cause I didnt know 100% what he was sensitive too 🙁
For 1 yr back 2013 Patch was on a Vet Diet Eukanuba Intestinal his poos were small & OK but he had bad yeasty itchy smelly skin, paws & itchy bum probably from the grains & beet pulp?? the vet said we’ll let his bowel heal first then deal with his skin problems, I was soooooo scared to try another dog food, then vet said do you want to try Vet diet Eukanuba Fish & Potato FP formula, a few of my IBD dog patients who have skin problems do really well on teh Eukanuba FP but Patch had bad diarhea & all I had introduced was about 20 kibbles to 1 cup of Eukanuba Intesinal kibble the first day he seemed OK, 2nd day OK, I was still only giving 20 new dry FP kibbles mixed with his Intestinal kibble, then on the 3rd day he had BAD diarhea water as soon as he ate he had to poo badly, Ive never seen him this bad, so took back the big bag of Eukanuba FP to vet practice he was put back on Metronidazole cause after going back on his Eukanuba Intestinal the diarrhea would stop, we had to fast him for 48hrs & was put on Royal Canine Intestinal wet can food, his vet said it was probably the potatoes so for 2 years I was SSSSSSOOOOOOO scared to try a grain free kibble that had Potatoes but now I’ve realised it was probably bad Fish meal in the Eukanuba FP formula not the potatoes unless they were green & rotten?…

Look for a dry kibble that doesnt have tooo many ingredients has at least 2-3 meat proteins as 1st 2nd & 3rd ingredients as protein meat is easier to digest, a dogs digestive tract is short, made to digest meat diet..

Have you looked at “Victor” Select range the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice formula or I like the Chicken Meal Brown Rice with Lamb Meal formula,
it has Lamb Meal Patch would do really well on the Victor Select Formula’s they have no barley, the Victor formula also have Montmorillonite clay, Id find a store that sells Victor & give the Chicken Meal Brown Rice & Lamb meal a go or the Lamb Meal & Brown Rice these are the ingredients to the Select Chicken Meal formula

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Brown Rice, Whole Grain Millet, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Grain Sorghum, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Flax Seed (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acid), Feeding Oat Meal, Yeast Culture, Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Kelp, Montmorillonite,

https://victorpetfood.com/products/lamb-meal-brown-rice-formula

[Sanne]

Thank you both for the recommendations! I think I might try the Farmina first as it looks really good and seems to have a lot of positive reviews everywhere. I like the look of the Light formula, my dog tends to be on the chubby side so I don’t want a food too high in fat or kcals.

I definitely like the idea of rotating, or at the very least having a back up brand that I know she does well on. So if she does well on it I will still try at least a second one. The senior Canidae looks good but for now I am just going to avoid too many peas/lentils/chickpeas ingredients. They make me a little too nervous. The Victor Senior/Healthy Weight looks pretty decent for a lower calorie option though. If the Farmina works I may still give that one a try as a back up. Glad I have not been able to find any negative history about these brands yet!

[Susan]

Hi Sanne,
I would give “Farmina Ancestral Grain” a try it’s made in Italy, it looks like a very good quality dog food, then I’d try “Victor Select” I think the Victor Select Chicken looked really good when I was looking.
I also feed “Canidae Pure Meadow” Senior formula it has all the supplements for aging dogs joints/bones, skin & coat, it’s high Omega 3 fatty acids & Glucosamine..
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

Rotate between a few different brands thats what I do, so if something is wrong with 1 brand then my dog isnt eating it for too long to have any bad side effects..
Your English is good

[Sanne]

Hey hoping people can help me out with their experiences and personal opinions. I know I won’t know if a food will work for my dog until I try it myself but I would just like to see if other people have experiences with these brands or know anything about them that gives reason to avoid them.

I am trying to find a food to switch my dog to. I have narrowed down my top picks to Farmina Ancestral Grain, Victor Select, and Purina Beyond/Purina Bright Mind Turkey&Rice. I am trying to switch my dog to a grain inclusive food because she is currently on a high lentil/chickpea food and I don’t want to chance it as she is a senior with a heart murmur. I am finding it too difficult to find grain free foods without all the legumes so just finding a grain inclusive food has been a bit easier.

These are my top picks because they look decent, they are within my price range, and all are found at my local pet store. Would just like to hear which one people would pick out of these and if there is any real reason to avoid one over another.

Thanks for any help and sorry if my English is not that great, not my first language and still working on it 🙂

[Ivy C]

Our senior dog has had a past history of liver issues. We bought this dog food to try it out. He’s about 70 lbs, and had maybe 6 cups of the food total. He immediately began exhibiting more than usual flatulence. After a day, he began drooling excessively, trembling, swollen abdomen, and exhibiting extreme lethargia. He could barely stand up. This food was the ONLY new thing in his life, so we immediately removed it from his diet and returned him to his old food. Once we took him off of it, he immediately regained his energy, the flatulence and drooling stopped, and the swelling decreased.

This dog food was 100% poisoning our dog, and causing his liver to fail. We are now stuck with even more vet bills paying for extra tests and medication to make sure this food did not cause any permanent damage to his already vulnerable liver.

Do NOT feed this food to your dog, especially if they have a history of liver problems. This caused immediate and almost fatal liver failure in ours.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by Ivy C.

[Susan]

Hi,
How many pounds should Minnie be when she is fully grown, what breed is she??
My boy is an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier he is 18kgs = 40lbs, I only feed him around 2 & 1/2 cups when its his “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult formula – 346Kcals per cup kibble a day + cooked lunch + 1-2 Freeze dried Mussels or when he eats “Canidae Pure Wild” 454Kcals per cup I feed 1 & 1/2 cups kibble a day + cooked lunch or “Canidae Pure Meadow” – 409Kcals per cup, he gets around 1 & 1/2 – 2 cups kibble a day + something different for lunch + Green Lipped Mussels 1-2 a day.

Read the Kcals per cupthe kibble formula you’re feeding it’s probably on bag of kibble or online on the 4Health site or email 4Health for any information & work out how many Kcals a day she should be eating & add cooked food on top, I know Patch should be eating around 1000Kcals a day but I feed a bit under now cause he’s a senior & yes add fresh ingredents to her kibble or separate as a meal, this will help put on weight..
kibble swells up in the stomach makes you feel fuller so best to feed 3-4 smaller meals a day 7am, 12pm, 5pm 8pm so if you have a large breed dog best to feed a large breed kibble, they are formulated for large breed puppy or Adult large dog intestinal tract, (Bloat)
My dog has IBD & does really well on a large breed kibble, the Kcals are lower 346kcals, the higher the Kcals the more dense is the kibble & they dont need to eat as much kibble…

So maybe look for a higher Kcal per cup kibble? “Canidae” is higher in Kcals over 400Kcals so she only needs about 3-4 cups a day depending on formula?.
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

The “Canidae All Life Stages Multi-protein” Formula is 468Kcals per cup your dog would only need 2-4 cups a day when a Puppy then when she’s a Adult she’s needs less around 2 cups per day depending on her breed??
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-all-life-stages-dry-formula/

Cook – boiled potato or boil sweet potato pieces cool then freeze Sweet Potato freezes really well & thaws good & quickly or I put in micro wave 15sec to thaw, today for lunch I feed Patch 2 pieces of Sweet Potato mixed/mashed with cooked 2 scrambled eggs, I cooked egg in a non stick frying pan, I buy tin Salmon in spring water drain the water & add sweet potato, I feed 4-5 smaller meals a day you can buy a kibble machine that lets out the kibble amount you want thru the day, I give 1/2 a cup at certain times thru the day…
Raw meaty bone would be excellent & gives her something to do all day chewing on a meaty bone from a butcher…
Here’s 2 different Canine Calculator links it gives you a ruff idea how much dry kibble you should be feeding..

https://petsci.co.uk/canine-calorie-calculator/ or

http://www.german-shepherd-lore.com/dog-food-calculator.html

[Susan]

Hi Jane,
I feed “Wellness Core” Large Breed Adult to my English Staffy its very high in Glucosamine,
he is 10yrs old & has a square left hip socket & was running on 3 legs & he’d lift his back left leg up while he ran, but after eating the Wellness Core L/B for 1 month he has stopped running on 3 legs, he isnt as stiff in the morning like he use to be, like a young pup again & the Wellness has helped with his IBD aswell, Wellness also make a Wellness Core Small Breed, Wellness Core Senior but I dont think the Glucosamine is as high as the Wellness Core Large Breed formula is – 750 mg/kg & Chondroitin Sulfate- 250 mg/kg.. Wellness have their PDF under “Nutrient Profiles” it tells you everything, percentage etc in their kibbles, if a formula doesn’t have the PDF just send email to Wellness & ask them your question, I think the Small Breed Formula doesnt have the PDF I’ve emailed Wellness & told them they said it was getting added…
https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed
I know you can buy the human grade Glucosamine & Chonroitin & add to their meals, I use to give my boxer years ago, also give 1 x Krill Oil capsule daily with 1 of there meals or buy the tin sardines in spring water & add 1/4 of a can daily to 1 of their meals..
Green Lipped Mussels, I buy the Freeze Dried, Green Lipped Mussels & give Patch 1-2 mussels a day as a treat, depends how big they’re, the cat loves them aswell

When Patch had Xray last year the vet sugested he gets “Cartrohen Vet” weekly injection they get the injection for 4 weeks, its cheap $20-$25 per injection & the vet nurse does it cause Patch has IBD he cant take alot of medications cause of his stomach & NSAID drugs can cause stomach ulcers, my neighbour was getting the Cartrophen Vet injections for his 17yr old Jack Russel & gee what a differences it made..

Cartrophen Vet is given by injection to treat degenerative joint disease or arthritis in dogs. It has been found that it provides relief from pain, stiffness and lameness as effectively as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine.

Follow “Steve Brown” & “Rodney Habib” on their facebook pages & “Planet Paws”
also
Join this f/b group it’s new, run by Dr Karen Becker, Rodney Habib & Susan Garrett
they have some really good healthy balance raw recipes, Golden Paste, frozen Coconut Oil treats etc, just becareful with Coconut Oil & Tumeric or Curcumin can cause upset stomach add small amounts at first.
I like foods high in Omega 3, Salmon- add 1-2 spoons to meal, Sardines-1/4 tin daily, Almonds-3 a day, Green lipped mussels-2mussels.. Google foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
Here’s their Group
“Life with Dogs and Cats – Health, Training & Research”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifewithdogsandcats/?ref=direct

[Susan]

Hi Ashley,

I’d aviod all dry foods that have any type of fish, chances are your not getting the fish stated on your bag/formula.. also toxins, heavy metals & contaminates seem to be higher in fish formula’s.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s latest study: Limited Ingredient/Allergy Diets🐶🐱 may not work for your pet because of this problem!
Scroll dow to the results.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.125?fbclid=IwAR3JAeJouOK1TEOHlEKTRONZPp7FghmqdBaR561HJbc71J6fKucG5ncT9d8

Go onto Rodney Habibs f/b page – https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
scroll down a bit & look for “The False Hope of Limited Ingredient & Allergy diets” video they tested Natural Balance LID Bison & Sweet Potato formula & it had Beef, Pork, Horse, Goat, Lamb in it & no Bison?

I have a dog who has IBD, food sensitivities & environment allergies, I have found he does really well on “Wellness Core”, “Wellness Simple”- Turkey & Potato & “Canidae Pure”- Wild Pork & “Canidae” – Pure Meadow Senior, if you have a large breed look at Wellness Core Large breed adult or Wellness Core Small Breed formula’s are high protein, med -fat & low carbs..

[Susan]

Hi,
Unfortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unwittingly prompted these articles to be written when it recently gave a warning about a possible connection. Since then, the FDA has “elucidated its initial warning” and stated, “At this time, we are not advising dietary changes based solely on the information we have gathered so far. If you have questions or concerns about your dog’s health or its diet, we suggest that you consult your veterinarian for individualized advice that takes into account your dog’s specific needs and medical history.”
here’s the link-

https://www.tumblr.com/drjeandoddspethealthresource/179049849051/canine-heart-disease

Atlas has sensitive stomach/bowel, I would first try & find a dry diet that agrees with Atlas & take it from there, I still feed Patch his “Wellness Core” large breed Adult dry g/f & I rotate with “NutraGold” Turkey & Sweet Potatoes g/f & next bag of Kibble I’m buying his Canidae Pure Meadow Senior g/f, I know he does well on these 3 dry formula’s…

In Australia vets were not concerned when FDA released warning about Low Taurine grain free dry foods, when I asked Patches vet she said, until we get more research just leave Patch on his grain free potato formula’s that he’s doing well on, We dont want him having a IBD flare.. he doesnt do well on grain dry foods 🙁

Check & google CLP when they test products & screened over 130 toxins including heavy metals, BPA, … Out of 299 dry dog foods tested, the bottom five, on average, contain the highest …
Purina Focus Sensitive Stomach and Skin formula gets only 1 star & has been on the 1 star high heavy metals & toxins list every 3 months when CLP test these popular dog foods, if you look at 5 star foods
Purina One Smart Blend True Instinct Turkey and Venison Dry Dog Food..
Purina Beyond Salmon & Egg formula..do really well when tested & get 5 stars, so you might be better off trying a different Purina formula & willprobably be a little cheaper with cleaner ingredients.
“Eagle Pack” Large/giant breed Natural Dry formula does very well when tested & is also a good price.
But will grain formula’s agree with Atlas or does he do better on a grain free potato dry food?..

[Patricia A]

Thank’s @anon101 for sympathizing with my migraine suffering. I try to go natural like you in keeping attacks at bay instead of the meds. I have the same philosophy with keeping my furbabies healthy. No meds unless proof of disease and then weighing side effects causing worse symptoms and suffering then the original problem. Sometimes I take it upon myself to know what’s best for my pet. As when many ears ago I took my 16 year old Doxie in for a growth on his leg . Diagnosed as a common benign growth especially in senior dogs. Vet was then insisting on giving him his yearly vaccinations. I declined. It would only do harm in a dog this age who cannot go for walks anymore and only goes out when it’s warm enough using a ramp. Very happy that my new vet no longer pushes yearly vaccinations to my 16 year old Chi, eight year old and four year old. They had all their vaccinations and then I stopped after their boosters at a year. I only get the rabies every three years . I think when they are do I’ll get a titer to see if even that is necessary.
Glad to hear you found that food trigger. MSG is a very common one for migraines. Mine is change in weather and perfume. Can’t change the weather but my hubby makes sure he goes through the papers for any free perfume samples and throws them outside garbage and airs out the papers. lol.
Hope my post isn’t forbidden for being so off topic. lol

[Susan]

Hi El M,
I’m sorry this is happening to your poor dog.. after contacting vet on Monday make sure you also contact the flea company to complain they will pay vet bills if its related to their flea product & contact FDA too complain, here’s the link https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm1824

Go on facebook “Dr John Robb – Protect the Pets” page
https://www.facebook.com/DRRobbPTP/
send him a msg ASAP, see what he says to do? also post a post on his page, asking what can you do??

I do NOT know WHY some vets do 2-4 procedures all at once, give worming tablets, vaccinations, flea/tick meds, injections?? especially when the dog is a senior the vet doesnt know if the dog has any under lying health problems??..
I’ve talked too 2 people at the dog park, who have lost their dogs after being vaccinated then given a steriod injection for itchy skin & then given Bravecto chew…
I’d say it was the Bravecto that killed them…
Im always warning people to 1/2 the flea chew & give with food/breakfast meal, then if dog seems OK thru the day then give the other 1/2 chew or 1/2 the Comfortis tablet given with a meal breakfast then dinner..

In rescue these poor stressed out rescue cats & dogs are desexed, vaccinated, wormed & flea all at once, these vets know what can happen & know some dogs react….

Only do 1 thing at 1 time, then wait 2 weeks then do the next thing…
I hope its all OK..

[Susan]

Hi Lyndsey,

How did you work out your do is sensitive too wheat, barley, soy, corn, dried egg, venison, rabbit, salmon, dairy/milk?
The only way to work out food sensitivities is to do a food elimination diet, blood, salvia & fur testing test can give false positives….Waste of money..

Best Testing for Environment allergies is the “Intradermal Skin test” ask your Dermatologist about Intradermal Skin Testing & can you start Immunotherapy injections, is often the best treatment plan for environment allergies & baths weekly or twice a week baths to wash off allergens on skin & paws…
* Probiotics to strengthen immune system & diet high in Omega 3 will also help, especially if you’re cooking meals start adding foods that are high in Omega 3, Flaxseed, Sunflower oil, Linseed Oil, Chia Seeds, Nuts- I was giving my boy 3 Almonds a day as a treat, i’d bite 1 almond in 1/2 & give Patch the other 1/2 of the Almond..he has a beautiful shiney coat…

If you’re cooking then start doing a food trial, start with 1 meat protein & you know your boy can eat sweet potato so add sweet potato as the carb & now every 6 weeks add 1 new ingredient & see does your boy react…
My boy reacts within 20mins of eating an ingredient (Chicken) his back paw goes red hot & swollen & he start licking & licking back paw, then as the days pass he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & very itchy, but Chicken doesnt upset his Intestinal tract he has IBD, Carrots make his ears itchy & yeasty he starts shaking his head/ears…
It can take up to 6 weeks for a dog to react to certain ingredients..
Elimination diet is slow but you will know 100% what he can & cant eat..

A really good food is
* “Ziwi Peak” wet can or air dried
https://www.ziwipets.com/catalog/ziwi-peak-dog-nutrition

also look at Aldis” new “Pure Being” formula’s, grain free & grain formula’s
/dog-food-reviews/shep-dog-food/

* “Wellness Core” formula’s – https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/core

* “Canidae Pure Wild” & “Pure Meadow” if your boy is a senior – https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products

I’d stay away from Zignature, Zignature is one of the dry foods that is VERY high in legumes & dogs are not absorbing Taurine causing heart problems, DCM…..
Make sure the dry food you’re feeding doesn’t have a heap of legumes in the first 6 ingredients & Zignature does…. there shouldnt be no more then 20% Legumes in a dogs diet..
The dry dog foods list is in this group below, we are NOT allowed to post the Taurine list as it has peoples private info…
Here’s the f/b group join “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1952593284998859/
then look in their “Files” click on 2nd link
“2018-10-05 COPY of Diet and Taurine TABLE”…. & you will see cases mark in Yellow & then Orange = DCM or CHF w/o low Taurine; diet related,
Zignature Kangaroo formula has 3 cases & i’d say the first young GSH has passed away by now as he was diagnosed 2017 & given only 6-8months to live 🙁

Join this facebook group for Skin allergies,
“Dog Allergies, Issues and Other Information Support Group”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
a Dermatologist Karen Helton Rhodes, DVM, DACVD from Canine Skin Solutions “Healthyskin4dogs”
frequents this group, there’s heaps of help & really good advice..

Weekly baths are the best to do, baths wash off any allergens on skin & paws & relieve itchy red skin, I also use Huggie Cucumber & Aloe baby wipes, I wipe my boy down when he comes back inside & I use “Sudocrem” cream on his paws & around his mouth when skin is red & inbetween toes are red, Sudocrem is an anti-bacterial, ant-fungal healing cream, also works as a barrier & protects the skin & paws, excellent for skin problems… sold on Amazon

[Susan]

Hi,
If you dont like the bigger poos then change the food, look for something that has healthy ingredients again but doesn’t have Lentils in the first 7 ingredients & look for fiber % around 3-4%…
…. it wont hurt your dog doing bigger poos as long as the poos are firm, but if poos go sloppy & yuk then he mighten be absorbing all the nutrients..
My boy poos are real big when he eats a grain dry food, 1 food he was doing 4-5 BIG poos a day, it was too much so I changed the food…

Purina HA is 4%-fiber & very low in Protein- 18% & low fat 8%… maybe look for something 25-30%-Protein, 4%-fiber & around 13%-fat cause he’s a senior, as a dog ages their digestion slows down.

[I love Dogs 2]

ANON101

Are you feeding your senior dog Purina Pro Plan Focus Senstive Skin and Stomach??

Explain to me HOW can 1 food fix a dog skin problem & at the same time fix a dog stomach problems??

another Skeptvet Blog where’s your proof/research science????

[Spy Car]

@Chris, the thinking on weight loss for senior dogs is all backwards.

By replacing calorie-rich fats with carbohydrates senior dogs (and all dogs) become increasingly deconditioned directly due to their diets.

It has been well demonstrated in a dog food study that high-carb (vs high-fat/high-protein) dramatically reduces the stamina of dogs as measured by VO2 Max scores on a treadmill.

By feeding reduced fats and higher cabs you are literally cutting a dog’s vitality and ability to produce and consume sustained energy.

If you wish to promote weight loss and good health the best food forward is to feed a very energy dense high-protein/ high-fat diet in reduced portions. This sort of diet has several advantages. One, it will promote movement and energy consumption, which is an overall health benefit vs sleeping all day. Two, fats trigger the dog’s brains to feel satisfied. Three, it is not a benefit to canines to run around with full bellies, and–in fact–it is the worst thing for them.

A dog with a belly full of high carbohydrate food will slug out. A dog that is not stuffed and has fat to burn (which canines can do endlessly vs the boom and bust of carb burning) will be much more active.

Please consider a re-think.

Best,

Bill

[anonymous]

Maybe it’s too rich for him. He is a senior and they don’t always do well with diet changes.

I would go back to what you were using before if he was doing well on it.

I have an active terrier that does well on Fromm Adult Classic as a base, we add a little water and a bit of boiled chicken neat or scrambled egg. Keep it simple.

https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-classic-adult-dog-food

[sharon l]

I’m still looking. I guess I’m going to stick with Canidae Grain Free Senior for now. it’s similar to the sport dog (sled or herding dog), but without the cassava / yucca root, which is goitrogenic, blocks iodine metabolism, and contains lots of saponins which contribute to leaky gut. I have a hard time paying a small fortune for dog food that has the potential to cause more harm than good.

[Leslie R]

Does anyone know why Performatrin Ultra got 5 stars but the Senior Grain Free only got 3? I am looking for a food with lower phosphorus & calcium for an older dog with borderline kidney issues. The senior formula seems lower than anything else I’ve found, but, the low rating concerns me. Thanks for any help.

[Susan]

Hi Dendad,
What I noticed in the Taurine Test Result document that is in the Files of the “Taurine-Deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy” f/b group, all the dogs ate the same dog food 6months, some 1yr, their owners NEVER rotated their diet & feed them different brands….some owners added toppers like sardines, raw meats, eggs can food etc these foods didn’t seem to help some dogs, where some dogs who had toppers added to their dry diet their test results came back normal ??….

I recommend change your dog dry foods with the Seasons, so Spring has just sprung in Australia, if in American Autumn has begun, time to change your dogs food also your dog will love something new, something different, slowley introduce new food over 7-10 days with their old food…
If your dog has just been eating Freshpet more them 3-6months then look for another food if you’re looking for a dry foods make sure they have has at least 3 meat proteins, meat meals (Chicken meal, Chicken, Turkey, Turkey Meal, Lamb, Lamb Meal etc) as 1st 2nd 3rd ingredient, no high protein starchy carbs like Legumes in the first 5 ingredients…

It’s not only grain free foods that have caused heart problems, Lamb & Rice, Chicken Meal & Rice formula’s have come up in a study that was done when reversible taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy occurred in five related golden retrievers, they ate
Natural Choice Lamb Meal & Rice Formula;
Eukanuba Natural Lamb & Rice Formula;
Eukanuba Adult Maintenance Formula Chicken;
Hill’s Science Diet Canine Senior Chicken;
Eukanuba Natural Lamb & Rice Formula;
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zpqq66i3w2twy7e/AADcuRPcpOOBkewPtXf7SAdSa?dl=0&preview=GoldenRetriever_Taurine_DCM.pdf

When you rotate with a Grain free & grain formula’s make sure there’s more meat proteins then starchy plant proteins…these pet companies have gotten gready & have replace the meat proteins with more starchy plant proteins to up the protein % & more money for the pet food companies…

Don’t feed a grain formula that has ingredients like this
Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, then “Chicken Meal”.
The Chicken meal is the 6th ingredient, this Hills dry formula has more starchy carbs, then meat proteins, I wonder if the Chicken meal was either 1st or 2nd ingredients followed by chicken ingredient, would this dry grain formula still have cause Left ventricular function at low end of normal, with a 2 yr old Golden Retriever & a 4yr old Golden Retriever?? again these 2 dogs were feed same food or 6-12mths owner never rotated their foods….

This is everything I am observing..

[sharon l]

That’s wonderful Kathleen! You must be so glad that Loki is doing so well on that food. What a relief it must be for you to have a food that works.

I am interested in that food, but I have a Great Pyrenees senior who doesn’t do much and it seems all of their formulas are based on working dogs so I wasn’t sure which one to try. My boy, Jack, does have itching, watery eyes, bad breath, and skin thickening around his mouth … I can’t get those symptoms to go away and I’ve tried so many things. Right now I feed him half Canidae Grain Free limited ingredient senior formula and half fresh meat. I have tried lots of different dry foods and the Canidae causes the least problems overall. I would prefer to just feed him all meat, but at a requirement of 1 1/2 lbs of meat a day I can’t process that much … or afford that much. Maybe I’ll email SportDogFood and ask for a suggestion.

[anonymous]

Some aggressive forms of cancer tend to strike between ages 8 and 10, age 7 and above is considered a senior.
I lost a dog to hemangiosarcoma at age 9+
It’s not the food (imo). There is a genetic link. Goldens are #1 on the cancer list.
Here is some science based info:
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=cancer
Sorry for your loss.

[anonymous]

I would take her for a vet checkup, she’s a senior, medical concerns should be ruled out first.
A veterinarian that has examined your dog, knows her history will diagnose and prescribe treatment as indicated and will discuss with you whether medication or supplements are advised or not.

Also, I would not free feed, offer meals twice a day at the same times, pick up and store in the fridg if not consumed within 15 minutes. Always have fresh water available, I add a little water to kibble as some dogs, especially seniors don’t drink enough.

Would she prefer to eat off of a flat mat? I had a dog that would not eat out of a food dish after she accidently flipped it and bumped her nose. It only happened once…..