[Ryan K]

I am pretty sure my dog is dealing with tracheal collapse. He is an 8 year old dachshund-terrier mix and he has been gagging for a month now. I have had him to the vet and checked for kennel cough and even had him on a round of antibiotics. My question is this.is there a good supplement to help strengthen the trachea and does anyone have any recommendations? I would need something Brewer’s Yeast free. I was looking at glucosamine supplements but most seem to have that and I know he gets ear infections if I give him anything with even a tiny bit of that in it. I figure I should start him on glucosamine or something similar as it is since he has slipped a disc in the past and should probably strengthen those things now that he is a senior dog. Any brands that are chewy and good for a 24 pound dog would be appreciated! Thank you!

[Chuck]

So I have been feeding my Brittney (5) Darwins since she was a puppy and my Foxhound (3) since we got him which was about a year ago. I live in Tampa, FL and the cost of shipping is just crazy, so between the cost, the Darwin customer service and recalls and my wife shying away from raw since we have a newborn, I really need a good solution.

Should I switch to a kibble like Orijen? A mix like Merrick Back Country Infused Raw, Kibble plus dehydrated raw supplements or is there another raw option that would be more cost-effective, and she isn’t going to let me grind anything up so bulk probably wouldn’t work.\

I just want to make sure they keep being healthy and I hate the idea of just putting them back on kibble. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[crazy4cats]

I have seen some of those studies and reports and find it very concerning as well. My dogs are labs mixed with a quarter of golden retriever.

I wonder if there are taurine supplements one could add to their dogs’ meals? With the supervision of a vet, of course!!

It’s rough because so many foods contain those ingredients. I’m feeding Fromm Gold Weight Management right now. It uses barley, oatmeal, rice and millet for its carb. So far, so good!

[anonymous]

I would go by what a veterinarian that has examined your dog recommends.
I would not give over the counter medications or supplements, unless the vet approves.
I would consider making some diet changes as he probably can no longer tolerate raw and would do better on a bland commercial food, but first take him in for a vet visit, labs, senior workup.
There is probably a lot you can do under the guidance of a vet to keep your dog comfortable.
Best of luck.

[Lisa K]

I can almost 100% tell you that your dogs seizures came from the food you are feeding them.

My dog Horus ( Shih Tzu Chihuahua mix. Completely Shih in apearence) 5 years old at the time, was perfectly healthy. I had been feeding him Prina One dog food. At the time I was unaware of what Raw dog food and thought I was feeding a good quality brand of Purina. Well one day he just feel over and his body seized, foam started coming out his mouth, his eyes bucked out. I grab him up hysterically thinking he was having a heart attack. I was about to try CPR on him, when he snap out of it and jumped up, and began running around. I got online immediately and started searching for a reason by symptoms. I came to the conclusion it was a seizure and hoped it would not happen again. A few days went by and he had another one, but this time he began having them every 30 mins to an hour in between. I rush him to the vet. They administered phenobarbital and did blood work. His readings were normal with a slightly elevated liver, which the vet said could be the problem but he was not sure. I took him home with a prescription. The doctor said he would need these meds for the rest of his life. I didn’t believe him because that’s what they said about my daughter when she was one. The doctors gave her to high a does once and I pulled her off the meds. She’s 26 now and has never had another seizure, but I gave Horus the meds as prescribed. One day the thought hit me that it could be his food. I started researching the brand I was feeding him and discovered that Purina had several law suites against them for seizure related issues. I was stunned. I continued to research to find what I should be feeding him and found out the a Raw food diet was the best options for dogs. After more research on quality and the best brands I immediately ordered his Raw food. Over the next few weeks I whenned him off the meds. For the next 2 years he never had another Seizure.

Now 3 weeks ago I forgot to order his food and had to get a bag from the market. This time I got Pedigree until his food could arrive. Big mistake. 2 days into the Pedigree he began having seizures again. I rushed him to the vet emergency because he was not recovering from it. They just kept coming. They put him on Keppra and Potassium Bromide which did absolutely nothing to stop the seizures and later his normal vet told me vets sale this stuff to make more money. It does not work, and it’s way more expensive then phenobarbital. My vet gave him one shot of phenobarbital and started Horus on a regiment of vitimains, Enzymes and Amino Acids along with a suggestion to purchase a product called Vet CBD, which I got immediately after leaving her office. These along with the Raw food should help in his recovery. She also said that he may have some brain damage because of the severity of his seizure this time. It has now been 1 week and Horus has not had another seizure. I am still working on his recovery as I do think he may have suffered some brain damage as he will not stop endlessly pacing. He has a wonderful appetite and his blood work remains good.

With all this said, I do see that your pooch is on a raw food diet, but I would also suggest you get her started on supplements also. What she recommended was: Arthur Dex joint support for all animals given by weight of dog, Ultimate Daily Classic 1/2 pill daily, and Ultimate Selenium1/2 pill daily, All by a company called Youngevity which you can get on Amazon. The Vet CBD I’m not sure you can get. It depends on the state you live in. I’m in California and Cannabis is legal here.

I hope some of the info I left helps you in some way.

[pitlove]

Hi Boris-

I would recommend getting a supplement like the one sold on BalanceIt.com that is meant specifically for adding to homecooked foods and making them balanced.

[Kathy B]

Kimberly,

I believe all of the “flavors” of Zignature have cranberries. Our vet also recommended Cranandin by nutro as a once a day supplement. In addition to this we give Molly “treats” of ice cubes to ensure her water intake has increased, she thinks they are great! It so hard to be sure what to do, as you can see from earlier posts there are many opinions.

[Rick W]

I stumbled across what some might consider a “hole in the wall” pet shop but inside that shop was a couple whose passion are your pets and solving riddles like what we were dealing with. When I described everything to her, she put our dog on a different food with different supplements. By the way, I forgot to mention above that he was dealing with bad eye drainage too which I didn’t know was relevant until she asked. Bottom line?? We think he is allergic to chicken and everything we were feeding him had chicken in it. We are now on a the large breed puppy food from NutriSource whose main proteins are turkey and whitefish. It’s grain-free as well. She also changed his probiotic from ProPlan version to a brand called Herbsmith. The specific probiotic is Microflora Plus. Last, we were giving him canned pumpkin and she suggested a more concentrated version (dehydrated) that we sprinkle on his food. The brand is Super Snouts and the product is called Pumpkin Latte. It’s a mixture of pumpkin and whole goat’s milk.

Soon after switching over, he was much better and he no longer has all that drainage in his eyes. Glad we found her!

All that said…we just had another bout of diarrhea over the past few days, but we also had a training session which required lots of treats so we need to evaluate what was in those treats because nothing else has changed. It’s always something…

[Boris-Frank N]

We have a 13 lbs dog who cannot eat fatty dog foods. As a result we make our own.
Daily diet:
1/2 cup of skinless chicken boiled
2/3 cup of overcooked rice (1 chicken bouillon cube)
1/2 cup of plain pumpkin
1 egg white
1/2 a vitamin from vetriscience
https://www.chewy.com/vetriscience-canine-plus-multivitamin/dp/118098
I’m not sure 7 IU of Vit E and 500 IU of Vit A are enough.

Should I give him the entire chewy tablet?

Does anyone have a reliable gauge for how much supplement a dog his size needs?

[Mohamed K]

Hey All,

I have an adorable 8 month beagle called Diva, we live in Egypt which is a problem for finding good dog food like orijen or nature’s variety, we are cursed with low level dog food the best we have is Royal canin
However after a hit and miss with two brand (Josera and Mera dog), i did some research and found out a brand called Belcando which is a german brand
I was looking for feedback on the ingredients list available online and if this food is considered acceptable or should i just head over to royal canin
Thanks for your help and if someone has any suggestions on what to do when we can’t find good dog kibble to feed

Belcando Puppy Gravy Ingredients
Fresh poultry meat (30 %); Rice (23 %); Poultry protein, low ash, dried (19 %); Maize; Fish meal from seafish (6 %); Poultry fat; Vegetable oil (palm, coconut); Egg, dried (2,5 %); Gelatine, hydrolysed (2,5 %); Brewers’ yeast, dried (2,5 %); Carob pods, dried; Dried beet pulp, desugared; Dicalcium phosphate; Poultry liver, hydrolysed; Linseed; Chia seeds; Sodium chloride; Potassium chloride
Nutritional additives: Vitamin A 15.000 IU; Vitamin D3 1.500 IU; Vitamin E 150 mg; Copper (as copper(II)sulphate, pentahydrate) 12,5 mg; Iron (as ferrous(II)sulphate, monohydrate) 200 mg; Manganese (as manganese(II)oxide) 40 mg; Zinc (as zincoxide) 150 mg; Iodine (as calciumiodate, anhydrous) 2,0 mg; Selenium (as sodiumselenite) 0,05 mg
Technological additives: Lecithin 2.400 mg; extracts of natural origin with high tocopherol content (= natural vitamin E) 48 mg

Royal Canin Medium Adult Ingredients
Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, wheat, corn gluten meal, oat groats, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, calcium carbonate, grain distillers dried yeast, vegetable oil, potassium chloride, monocalcium phosphate, salt, hydrolyzed yeast, L-lysine, choline chloride, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement], trace minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate), rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com Go to the site’s search engine and look up “herbs and supplements”

[haleycookie]

I wouldn’t give a dog any human weight loss supplements. They hardly ever work for humans. Probably wouldn’t work for dogs either. Nothing beats eating healthier (and less) and exercise. That’s the answer.

[anonymous]

No. Doing so would most likely cause harm to the pet.

#1. Most supplements are scams. And, not all supplements are benign. They are not regulated by the FDA there is no way of knowing if the dosages are correct or that the ingredients are what appears on the label

#2 You should never give your pet any supplement, over the counter medication or apply ointments that are not approved for veterinary use, unless advised to do so by a veterinarian that has examined the pet, not someone on the internet.
A lot of ingredients that are used in human products can be toxic to animals.

Has the dog had a recent checkup? Annual exam with labs?
First step is to rule out medical causes for unexplained weight gain and see what your vet suggests.

Once medically cleared, feed measured amounts for meals with water added twice a day.
Take out for more walks, exercise, even if only for short walks around the block a few times a day. Assuming your vet agrees.

Just like with people, the best way to lose weight is to eat less, make more thoughtful dietary choices.
And, move more!

[Matt H]

Does human weight loss supplements helps dog to lose weight? I am bit confused about this.

[crazy4cats]

Check out http://www..balanceit.com for recipes and supplements. It is run by board certified vet nutritionists. You can build your own recipes for free if your dog has no health issues and does not need a vet’s approval. It’s a little confusing at first, but it’s well worth the time to figure out a recipe and buy their supplements to make it truly complete and balanced. Good luck!

[Sheila R]

4dogmom,
I know this is a late reply but just found the website. I just started feeding my two Chocolate Labs homemade food one is 120 lbs and the other is 88 lbs. They were on Blue for years and with all the law suits I decided enough is enough, to make my own. I have a great Turkey and Veg with Rice recipe but need a vitamin supplement, trying to make a working Mom ‘s life a little easier. I saw Dinovite looked good any thoughts? Also I need to add a kibble, this is getting expensive. Any recommendations for a crunch?

Thanks,
Sheila

[Lori H]

Hi Wendy,

I worked with a man named Rick Scheyer. He has an amazing website http://www.doglivershunt.com He has helped many dogs with liver shunt, kidney disease, bladder stone problems and much, much more become healthy dogs again. I would suggest reaching out to him for a free consultation. My dog was diagnosed with multiple problems (liver failure, bladder stones, Diabetes, and possible Cushing’s Disease) last May and as of today, he is a healthy, happy, 10 year old dog who is no longer in liver failure. He was placed on a real food diet along with supplements and he is completely healthy.

Cancer is a whole different issue, but I trust that Rick will point you in a direction where he can help or he will let you know who might.

Good luck on your journey with your fur child.

Lori

[Wendy E]

Need help saving my dog with an aggressive cancer cells that replicate quickly. Real food diet and supplements. Surgery removed a mass two weeks ago and got it all but mew bump is forming. Don’t want to do chemo.

[a c]

I know some people use Dasuquin with MSM for joint supplement and arthritis pain.

You can find soft doggie steps at Marshall or TJ Maxx at discounted price.

[CK C]

I have a dog with IBD who is currently on a special homemade diet. We are hoping to transition him to a store-bought dog food at some point. He needs a simple ingredient food that is pork based. He is allergic to poultry and fish. Our local store recommended a new Horizon brand dog food that is pork meal based called Taiga. I can’t find reviews of it anywhere.

It’s 13% fat, which is great for my dog, who needs a lower fat diet.

I would appreciate any help with this quest! Does this look OK for food?

Here are the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS
PORK MEAL, RED LENTILS, PEAS, GARBANZO BEANS, PEA STARCH, PORK, ALFALFA MEAL, CANOLA OIL, CARROTS, APPLES, BROCCOLI, BOK CHOY, CABBAGE, BLUEBERRIES, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, YUCCA SCHIDIGERA EXTRACT, DRIED ASPERGILLUS NIGER FERMENTATION EXTRACT, PINEAPPLE, DRIED TRICHODERMA LONGIBRACHIATUM FERMENTATION EXTRACT, DRIED ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS CASEI FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED BIFIDOBACTERIUM BIFIDUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, DRIED LACTOBACILLUS PLANTARUM FERMENTATION PRODUCT, VITAMIN A ACETATE, VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENT, RIBOFLAVIN, NIACIN, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, BIOTIN, L-ASCORBYL-2-POLYPHOSPHATE (SOURCE OF VITAMIN C), FERROUS SULPHATE, IRON PROTEINATE, ZINC SULPHATE, ZINC PROTEINATE, MANGANOUS OXIDE, MANGANESE PROTEINATE, COPPER SULPHATE, COPPER PROTEINATE, CALCIUM IODATE, SELENIUM YEAST, MAGNESIUM OXIDE.

[anonymous]

Just check the ingredients on both supplements recommended in the above posts.
If you have even a hint (just a smidge) of medical knowledge. That should be enough to discourage you from using.

[Cathy B]

Hi weezerweeks –
I have 2 Chihuahua’s one will be 15 Y/O in 3 wks that weighs 5 lbs. Other one prob older than that as he was a rescue 10 yrs ago that weighs 9 lbs. I saw they both esp my tiny one was having Arthritis pain. And I mean pain. It was horrible.

Vet put him on pain meds and like you, I always go as natural and healthy as I can for my pets. I researched and researched and came across AniMed Hip Help. Every site I looked at for this product had GREAT reviews. I found it at my feed store for a good size bottle for maybe $10. I emailed company w/ questions and within minutes got a reply.
I use nothing from China or any ingred that can hurt them.
It’s a power that looks and smells like a vanilla protein shake. Product will last a long time.

I can’t even tell you how much it helped them! My tiny one was holding head down, spine curved and walking with a gait. Also take a look at DR. Judy Morgan’s web site.
She’s all for natural healthy ways to care for pets and sales products.

And I agree with anon about the jumping on and off. That makes a world of difference if he’l use pet steps. I’ve read great things about Tumeric. I don’t give fish oil supplements
but feed sardines in spring water a few days a wk.

Hope he feels better soon 🙂

[Cathy B]

Hi weezerweeks –
I have 2 Chihuahua’s one will be 15 Y/O in 3 wks that weighs 5 lbs. Other one prob older than that as he was a rescue 10 yrs ago that weighs 9 lbs. I saw they both esp my tiny one was having Arthritis pain. And I mean pain. It was horrible.

Vet put him on pain meds and like you, I always go as natural and healthy as I can for my pets. I researched and researched and came across AniMed Hip Help. Every site I looked at for this product had GREAT reviews. I found it at my feed store for a good size bottle for may $10. I emailed company w/ questions and within minutes got a replay.
I use nothing from China or any ingred that can hurt them.
It’s a power that looks and smells like a vanilla protein shake. Product will last a long time.

I can’t even tell you how much it helped them! My tiny one was holding head down, spine curved and walking with a gait. Also take a look at DR. Judy Morgan’s web site.
She’s all for natural healthy ways to care for pets and sales products.

And I agree with anon about the jumping on and off. That makes a world of difference if he’l use pet steps. I’ve read great things about Tumeric. I don’t give fish oil supplements
but feed sardines in spring water a few days a wk.

Hope he feels better soon 🙂

[anonymous]

Sounds good to me. As long as the dog is not experiencing any unpleasant side effects.
I am not aware of any supplement that could come close.

http://www.metacamfordogs.com/ excerpt below.

Metacam©​ is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Metacam works by reducing hormones that cause pain and inflammation in the body. Metacam is used to reduce pain, inflammation and stiffness as a result of acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis.

For: Dogs (over the age of 6 months)

Benefits:
Effectively treats pain and inflammation for up to 24 hours
Gives your dog more mobility
Comes with a graduated syringe, with weight measurements, that easily and accurately dispenses the correct amount of oral suspension
Can be administered directly into your dog’s mouth, or mixed in your dog’s food

[anonymous]

Don’t allow him to step up and down, buy doggie steps for every couch and bed that he goes to. Google “doggie steps” to see the different styles.
Don’t let the dog jump in and out of the car, pick him up. It may take a couple of weeks but you will see a difference in his gait and posture.

Any effective medication has possible side effects. The risks versus benefits have to be weighed. Usually the benefit of pain relief is well worth it.
Supplements are not medication and will have no effect on pain. Not all supplements are benign and also can have possible ill effects.
Emergency room visits are way up due to humans taking supplements and having adverse effects, some quite serious. Supplements are not FDA approved, sometimes the ingredients or dosage amounts are not accurate.
That being said, some supplements may have benefits, but one has to be very cautious.
Also, some supplements may interact and interfere with the absorption of real medication.
Best to discuss with the vet, first.

[weezerweeks]

My yorkie is having pain jumping up and down. He holds his head down and is in pain. His back x-ray showed nothing. My vet put him on metacam. It is working but I hate medicine but I don’t want him in pain. Does anyone know of a safe supplement for pain. He’s on joint supplement and fish oil. Would Tumeric help. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[aimee]

Why didn’t I think of this before? My friend is a taxidermist. I asked him if I could tan a rawhide. He said I should be able to do it and advised hydrating it in a non iodized salt bath. He told me to let it dry out a bit until just damp then apply tanning solution to both sides of the hide and wrap in plastic wrap for 24 hours to soak in, then let it dry. I used Deer Hunters Tanning Oil from a local sporting goods store and I also tried my hand at egg yolk tanning,

I purchased a known rawhide and successfully tanned it! It looks like a light tan piece of suede. It really is quite pretty. Next I bought an Earth Animal cough cough “No Hide” chew. I hydrated that and then tanned it. It tanned up beautifully! Main thing when tanning is that as the hide is drying you have to continually pull the hide. This is so it stays supple. I showed the results to the taxidermist he was amazed how well it came out!

For the egg yolk tanning I found videos on how to do this on you tube. I tanned a piece of the Earth Animal chew this way as well. It took longer to dry but again came out pretty well. No reason anyone couldn’t do this. I’d recommend using one of the thinner thickness chews for tanning.

[GAby R]

Yes the dog was examined by 3 vets and the blood work was reviewed by them all. So I would not say that they try to sell me things as I am actually going to purchase the supplement on my own from organic store.

I don’t understand why you are rude. You don’t need to believe in supplements but everyone is entitled to their opinion and I don’t appreciate you being so negative when you don’t know my pet or her vet.

I just joined this website. But I didn’t realize this website is not for advise but to attack other people.

I will be removing myself from this website. Because my dog is my world and money is not an object for me. She is very well taken care of and has wellness test every year.

[anonymous]

“I think everyone is allowed to their opinion on here. Thank you both for your feedback. I really appropriate it. I am not too concern about thr milk thiesel. I know people that tried it on their dog and it has great benefits. I am not a 100 percent sure what if I will be doing that but I have gotten 3 opinions and all 3 vets said they it was safe for my dog. They do not recommend large dosage. As far as dog food. I will try different one from instinct. This is a vet high quality food and it has great reviews. Thanks everyone for your feedback”

Have the 3 vets actually examined your dog? Just as I thought. Probably homeopathic vet sites selling miracle cures.

I think you should be concerned about supplements, most of them are a waste of money. And, they can cause harm.

Best of luck.

[anonymous]

Thanks for providing your input. Even if it is incorrect. You may want to read the “commenting policy” here at this site.

Personal attacks are discouraged.

I find it comical that you are calling a board certified veterinarian’s opinion based on scientific research or lack of, false.

If any vet that I went to suggested I try milk thistle on a dog (especially a senior). I would immediately find another vet.
Not all supplements are benign.

PS: I took the stuff myself once, years ago. I vomited within 2 hours. The crap smells horrid.
The OP’s vet must be “homeopathic”.
No thank you!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by anonymous.

[Rick W]

I forgot I didn’t provide this group an update. I wanted to let everyone know that we solved the riddle in case others are needing the same help. I stumbled across what some might consider a “hole in the wall” pet shop but inside that shop was a couple whose passion are your pets and solving riddles like what we were dealing with. When I described everything to her, she put our dog on a different food with different supplements. By the way, I forgot to mention above that he was dealing with bad eye drainage too which I didn’t know was relevant until she asked. Bottom line?? He is allergic to chicken and everything we were feeding him had chicken in it. We are now on a the large breed puppy food from NutriSource whose main proteins are turkey and whitefish. It’s grain-free as well. She also changed his probiotic from ProPlan version to a brand called Herbsmith. The specific probiotic is Microflora Plus. Last, we were giving him canned pumpkin and she suggested a more concentrated version (dehydrated) that we sprinkle on his food. The brand is Super Snouts and the product is called Pumpkin Latte. It’s a mixture of pumpkin and whole goat’s milk.

Soon after switching over, he was much better and he no longer has all that drainage in his eyes. Glad we found her!

[Lori H]

Hi Simone,

My dog Buddy has been through a lot, much like your dog. He just turned 10 and during his life he has had surgery on his spleen, surgery for bladder stones, been diagnosed with Diabetes and I was told by my vet that he was suffering from liver failure and was preparing me for the fact that Buddy was going to die. The liver failure diagnosis was 10 months ago and today, he is healthy, happy, looks amazing and has so much energy.

I now believe wholeheartedly that most vets know nothing about nutrition. They are told to carry a line of food in their offices by one of the large pharma/dog food companies because most of these companies go out and recruit at the vet universities across the United States when vets are in school and provide them with a kickback when the sell either Science Diet or Royal Canin in their clinics, up to 40%. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my vet, I just don’t believe he knows much of anything about nutrition. He has been great to me, my dog Buddy and my three cats. He is good at what he does, diagnose and perform much needed surgeries and procedures. He did Buddy’s bladder stone surgery which has complications.

I was at my wits end as well and thought that I was going to lose Buddy, but I was not willing to give up so I did a Google search and found an amazing person who brought Buddy back to the healthy dog he is.

Buddy is on a very special diet and he has made huge strides in the last 6+ months. He is a very healthy dog to what he was 6 months ago.

I worked with a man named Rick Scheyer. He has an amazing website http://www.doglivershunt.com He has helped many dogs with liver shunt, kidney disease, bladder stone problems and much, much more become healthy dogs again. I would suggest reaching out to him for a free consultation.

If you choose to go with his program, it is not cheap, but I believe that over time, I will save money by not taking Buddy to the vet time and time again because I don’t know what is wrong and having a battery of tests run and racking up bills in the thousands, I have been there!

He was slowly weened off of his processed food Science Diet U/D and placed on a diet of fresh veggies and meat based on a very slow transition to follow with Rick’s help.

Buddy’s diet is a balance of ¾ veggies to ¼ meats. Dogs with liver issues do not need as much protein as you would expect. He gets lots of yellow veggies (squash, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, celery, carrots, Brussel sprouts, snap peas, etc.) along with hemp oil and nori blended with goat yogurt into almost a smoothie consistency. I then add meats, liver is great as it helps to detoxify the liver (funny that you feed liver to a dog with liver issuesJ) and then he gets a variety of supplements. He receives three gut supplements in the morning (Acidophilus, Bifudus and a Spectrabiotic) along with an Enzyme and something called Whole Body. In the evenings he gets the Enzyme, Whole Body and a Mushroom supplement. The process to make his food is not that time consuming and if you are at your wits end like I was, I was ready to do anything.

He also gets to have as much goat yogurt as he wants with coconut oil. He also gets sweet potato chews and coconut slices.

He is also allowed to eat fruits, not during his morning and evening meals since they digest differently than veggies, but he has not yet warmed up to them yet. I don’t know if he ever will.

He is doing great! He has so much energy and the numbers don’t lie! I got a glucose meter and I am going to start checking his levels daily. I would really like to get him off the insulin if I can. I believe the medicine is what causes the blindness, not the actual diabetes, my vet believes otherwise.

My vet has not said much of anything. I explained I was taking him off the prescription food and putting him on this program and he never responded. When I took him in the last time for blood work, I think he was surprised Buddy was doing so well, but did not ask me further about what I was doing. He is a pretty straight and narrow vet and I don’t think he looks outside the box. If Buddy’s glucose numbers continue to decline, I will take him back and back off on the number of units he is given. Now it is just maintenance and keeping a spreadsheet and monitoring how he is doing.

I suggest reaching out. I think Rick saved Buddy’s life. I took him to the vet in October to have blood work done and he is perfectly healthy!

Let me know if I can be of anymore help.

Good luck on your search and reach out if you have further questions or concerns. It was hard to take the jump and trust someone other than my vet with my dogs nutritional health, but I am so glad that I did.

Lori

[Sarah G]

My medium golden mix, Lakita, just started having issues once she turned 3 years old.
– We moved from Virginia to Md (3 hour difference) and had recently changed her diet when it started happening.
– She was originally on Rachel Ray Just Six Lamb and was changed over to Nutro Wholesome Essentials Lamb when our other dog was having sensitive stomach issues.
– Lakita does not scoot, but she will lick and chew the area constantly and she “screams” when she poops. She is a bit of a drama queen, and tends to cry very loudly when she’s unhappy or overly happy (like a stereotypical husky). The vet exclaimed that she isn’t in pain, just discomfort and is loudly letting us know this – but I do think she’s in at least some pain.
– The vet has over one year preformed tests to determine that the issue is definitely her anal glands. They have never been infected, but are constantly full. Even after expressing, Lakita will still cry when she poops.
– Fiber supplements helped a little. I changed her back to her original Rachel Ray food plus the fiber supplement and it finally went away for about 4 – 6 months.
– After the supplement ran out and I was hoping she would normalize, she began having issues again. When I started giving the supplement to her, it didn’t help.
– We’ve had her glands expressed around 4 -5 times throughout the year until she began to feel better. When it came back we did it again, but it doesn’t seem to have an actual affect.
– It would seem to be seasonal since it basically when away on its own, but she never had the issue in Virginia just 3 hours away. And she has stayed in MD here in there with family sometimes for a couple weeks without issues.

I honestly think diet is the biggest factor and I’m thinking of switching to Grain Free food – but I’m a little nervous to do so with all the recalls lately. Does anyone have suggestions? Especially ones without recall history would be most appreciated.

[Taschi]

**This is cross posted in the raw diet section as well**

Hello everyone!

I’ve recently made the plunge into raw diet feeding for my own dogs. However, one mistake that I certainly made was not double checking the sodium content prior to starting my conversion. I suppose I had just assumed that raw diets would naturally be lower in sodium, but alas, I don’t think that’s the case 🙁 Here’s a little background:

I have an 11Y, MN, 4.5# chihuahua who was diagnosed with heart disease almost 2 years ago [DMVD]. Last week I started switching him over on the Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw [turkey] and he has been doing wonderfully on it so far. He also gets a slew of supplements like Ubiquinol, Krill Oil, Glycoflex 3, Hawthorn Extract, and PerioSupport. As of right now, I have not had to start any medications, and his next ultrasound will be this June/July. His last ultrasound was in January. He also gets the occasional grain free greenie (he loves them 🙁 )

While I was not told to start a restricted sodium diet with him, I would really like to stay on the lower end of the spectrum to keep his heart from having to work too hard. With that in mind, I reached out to Stella and Chewy’s on Facebook and inquired about their lowest sodium/patty formulation and was answered with Chicken. The chicken dinner according to the CSR is 0.14% sodium, and when I calculated out the mg/100kcal, It was nearly 100mg!
Keep in mind that following the Tufts University list of recommended low sodium/appropriate protein diets for the cardiac patient, the range is somewhere between 50-80 mg/100kcal. It shocked me that the raw food is nearly double what some of these dry foods contain 🙁

Unless I am doing my math wrong (which is totally possible!), does anyone else know of low sodium commercial raw diets that are available? I don’t think I’m ready to prepare my own meals just yet as this is already a big deal to switch my dogs over as it is.

[Taschi]

Hello everyone!

I’ve recently made the plunge into raw diet feeding for my own dogs. However, one mistake that I certainly made was not double checking the sodium content prior to starting my conversion. I suppose I had just assumed that raw diets would naturally be lower in sodium, but alas, I don’t think that’s the case 🙁 Here’s a little background:

I have an 11Y, MN, 4.5# chihuahua who was diagnosed with heart disease almost 2 years ago [DMVD]. Last week I started switching him over on the Stella and Chewy’s frozen raw [turkey] and he has been doing wonderfully on it so far. He also gets a slew of supplements like Ubiquinol, Krill Oil, Glycoflex 3, Hawthorn Extract, and PerioSupport. As of right now, I have not had to start any medications, and his next ultrasound will be this June/July. His last ultrasound was in January. He also gets the occasional grain free greenie (he loves them 🙁 )

While I was not told to start a restricted sodium diet with him, I would really like to stay on the lower end of the spectrum to keep his heart from having to work too hard. With that in mind, I reached out to Stella and Chewy’s on Facebook and inquired about their lowest sodium/patty formulation and was answered with Chicken. The chicken dinner according to the CSR is 0.14% sodium, and when I calculated out the mg/100kcal, It was nearly 100mg!
Keep in mind that following the Tufts University list of recommended low sodium/appropriate protein diets for the cardiac patient, the range is somewhere between 50-80 mg/100kcal. It shocked me that the raw food is nearly double what some of these dry foods contain 🙁

Unless I am doing my math wrong (which is totally possible!), does anyone else know of low sodium commercial raw diets that are available? I don’t think I’m ready to prepare my own meals just yet as this is already a big deal to switch my dogs over as it is.

[Cathryn C]

Thanks so much Christi for the information. You truly went above and beyond with this information and the links. I am going to try these supplements with Tank and I pray they work like they did for your sisters dog. Thanks again. And may God bless you all.

[Christi G]

Get Dandelion root supplements for the bloating… I actually take it myself – maya’s not really overly bloated so she’s not getting it but she did bloat for a few days and that’s when I ordered it – more for me – not Maya. It has a lot of medicinal benefits and is cheap. For a dog your size, I would do 2 of these in the morning (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IWCLU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1) . I’ve read great things about it and my I don’t have any bloating myself. Also, give him ginger supplements for his nausea. Maya’s doing well but my sister wanted to wean her back on to her dry food. Is your dog on a probiotic? I suggest this because it chock full of supplements and vitamins and dogs love the taste. One tub will last you about 2.5 months: http://www.gnc.com/dog-multivitamins/341085.html?mrkgcl=1098&mrkgadid=3200889428&rkg_id=h-876542dade62516db72bd07b9aef859c_t-1520201684&product_id=341085&flagtype=brand&vendor=none&channel=ppc&adpos=1o1&creative=189757865686&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiAz-7UBRBAEiwAVrz-9e9uY6iLC8kTrcBew5YVlkiombzLsfzn7aJnIzn5CfR4ZM51zItEJhoCYCgQAvD_BwE

Maya is getting much less food at her normal meals because I’m home to give her the mini meals. I think that has prevented the bloating as well. She’s about 58lbs – she gets about 1/3 cup of her dry food, 1/2 cup of white rice (the GNC supplement mixes well with the rice) and about 1/3 of a large boiled chicken breast for b’fast and dinner. For lunch and late dinner she gets green beans (about 1/3 cup) and more of the same amount of chicken. My sister asked to not give her the CLA or coconut oil any longer but I truly feel it was beneficial. She gained about 3 lbs and was highly energetic… but she’s doing well now just lost a little weight. 🙁 I had to step back and realize this was not my dog but my sister’s and her wishes are what I need to abide by… but the info from this post is what she is currently getting and I still think the info from my last post was good info. If you start your dog on coconut oil – which I would not do at this point – maybe if you can get his health under control then you can (maybe a 1/2 tbsp in the AM for his size – but start out at 1/4 tbsp for a few days as he will get diarrhea if you start him out on too much to soon… that didn’t happen with Maya but it did with me last year when I started taking coconut oil!). Maybe if you give him a normal breakfast and then an early smaller dinner and then a mini meal (I mean, were talking green beans and rice and chicken – much less than your dry food) around 7 or 8, it will help. I’m personally not a fan of any dry food but fromm’s and it’s very expensive but when I see things like meat by-product and meat parts on the side of a bag of food that costs almost $100 (a very large bag) it just pisses me off! As far as the CLA, I would just puncture and squeeze out the liquid onto his food – just one in the AM (this is the one I gave maya: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT0OT71/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

PLEASE REMEMBER – I AM NOT A VET OR A DOCTOR OF ANY KIND AND AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT OR HOW YOU USE THE INFORMATION I HAVE GIVEN. I am only sharing my own experiences over the past 3 months since Maya was taken off her meds…. I think she’s better off without them. I mean, who wants to take chemo meds for the rest of their lif?

I think VETs get overly invested in “specialty” dry dog food without really even knowing the shit-crap they put in that food and in prescribing meds without doing any other research involving natural supplements.

FIRST thing though – you need to get him on a probiotic. That can help “even out” what’s going on in his gut… and that has a positive effect on other things. AND get the Dandelion Root. Order through amazon with the links I gave you and if you don’t have it, sign up for a trial prime account so you can get them within 2 days! Also, with the GNC supplement/probiotic powder, you can sign up for auto delivery and get it for $18… just go back and either cancel the auto-delivery later and/or change the delivery to like 2 months or so based on your dogs usage. Given his weight, the tub will last you at least 2.5 months. Read the directions and start out with a smaller dose for a few days and then the whole dose once his body is used to it. I would not do coconut oil until you get his bloating and throwing up under control. I truly hope this helps… and I hope vets will start taking a more holistic approach to treating dogs… and instead of insisting on dog food that they sell, think about how simple meals with good supplements can benefit the dog… and not how the vet’s dog food can supplement their bank accounts!

[Cathryn C]

How much of these supplements would I give to a 25 pound French bulldog? He was gaining weight and now has lost 1.1 lb in the last 2 weeks. He is on Hills Science diet z/d and takes 1 pill (budesonide) every day. I totally don’t know what to feed him or how much of anything to give him. He has been throwing up a little off and on for the last 2 weeks so it did not surprise me his weight was down again. Our vet could do no more for him so we saw a specialist. Cleansing with white rice and cottage cheese for a week, half z/d and white rice for another week then all dog food. I did keep giving him a little of the white rice with his food since he liked it. And no people food ever. Everything was going along well for about 2 months but now he is back peddling. I believe his situation is becoming dire at this point. I can’t give him extra meals because I do have to work to pay for all of this. 3.5 more years. He won’t last that long at this rate. He is almost 6 years old. I need some help or advice. It is almost dinner time and I dread giving him the same old thing and expecting a different result. At my wits end. Ty

[Kathleen Q]

There are many people using Ubquinol and Hawthorne supplements on their dogs with heart issues and they say their dog is doing better. Just checking here as this is an informative site. Hoping someone has some input on this.

[Lynelle V]

Christi G.,
Thank you so much for sharing the post above. Our situation sounds exactly like Maya’s. We were just told by our vet that there is little left to do with Daisy. She is the same weight as Maya. I feel so bad for her. Her poor bloated belly and the rest of her, barely there is heartbreaking. I shared your post with my vet and he said to immediately start this with her. I just needed to know how much food and supplements did you give to Maya and at which meals? I saw her breakfast menu, but not the others. Also, how much of each supplement did you use? I saw that you mentioned CLA. Where did you get that? I don’t have much time as Daisy has really gone downhill fast even though she has been on all the drugs and she has been on Royal Canin’s g/i canned food with extra chicken and rice thrown in. Please respond as I desperately need some precise information. If it worked for Maya, maybe it could work for us. Thanks. I appreciate it!

[Kathleen J]

My almost 3 year-old Shichon has chronic anal gland problems. I have him on a grain-free diet and have changed his food a few times (Blue, American Journey, Merrick, etc.). None of the diet changes worked. I’m going to try the supplements in this thread. Thanks for the info!

[Kathleen Q]

I tried to look up on that link you gave me and call me stupid but what I did see I could not understand. Molly saw a vet today for a paw she has been licking like crazy. He said her heart murmur is #4 out of 6. But believe me he had no knowledge of what to feed her or supplement her with.

[anonymous]

Go here, skeptvet dot com You can ask a question. Real vets tend to participate.
Use the search engine there to look up herbs and supplements.

[anonymous]

That may or may not be true, however there are a lot of things that you can do to keep her comfortable.
I would not rule out prescription medication.

Most heart murmurs in small dogs are benign (especially seniors).
Often it is age related.
If the condition was concerning I am sure your veterinarian would have recommended medication or referred you to a specialist.
Most supplements are scams and are a waste of money.
Any symptoms?
Most of my small breeds had heart murmurs, asymptomatic, no treatment required.

[Jenny Rellick]

I believe the most Ketogenic food on the Editor’s Choice list is Primal Freeze-Dried Canine Venison Formula. The Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content is 62% protein and 1% carbohydrates. It is high in fat, which is okay for dogs, but you should be careful of how many calories you feed. If dogs are like people, what looks like a small serving will satisfy your dog’s appetite after a few weeks. If your dog gets pancreatitis, a high-fat food may be bad. In that case, a canned food for a weight control may be your best option. Wellness Core Grain Free Weight Maintenance (Canned) has a dry matter estimate of 50% protein, 16% fat and 26% carbohydrates. Grain-free low-fat foods are not all ketogenic. Some include potatoes and legumes full of carbohydrates.

If you feel like you would be feeding Bambi’s mother to your dog, the next most ketogenic food is Stella and Chewy’s Chewy’s Chicken Dinner (Freeze-Dried.) Its dry matter is an estimated 51% protein and 12% carbohydrates.

For a large breed, these freeze dried ketogenic foods are expensive. The next best ketogenic foods on average are wet, but not all quality wet foods are ketogenic. The Editor’s Choice canned foods with 5 stars are a good place to start looking for high-protein, low carb foods you can afford.
Fish oil, such as Bayer Snip Tips, is supposed to help a wide range of brain-based neurological conditions, and I think CBD oil is an excellent supplement.

[ARLENE T]

I came across this canned dog food at aldi’s. it says no corn, soy, wheat. no artificial flavors or preservatives. Any reviews on it? I have pictures of the label but don’t know how to include in the post. ingredients: water sufficient for processing, chicken,chicken liver, dried ground peas, carrots, sweet potatoes,salmon, chicken meal,animal plasma,guar gum, sodium tripolyphosphate,calcium carbonate, salt, caramel color, potassium chloride,carrageenan,choline chloride,taurine,vitamin e supplement,zinc sulfate,copper amino acidchelate, thiamine hydrochloride,pryridoxine hydrochloride,riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin d3 supplement. crude protein min 7.2%, crude fat min 4.2%,crude fiber max 1.5%,moisture max 81%,lysine min 0.13%,methionine min 0.07%, linoleic min 0.3%. What would be the rating? is it safe? Please help me if you can. thank you all so much.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by ARLENE T.

[CockalierMom]

Hi Jessica,
Since your boy had problems digesting his previous kibble and now the Organix kibble, but yet responds well to home cooked food, I would suggest you consider adding canned food to his kibble to see how he does. Get one that can be fed alone and not just supplemental so that it will be balanced and work up to a 50/50 dry and wet.

[Sue H]

I have a Colie with a VERY sensitive stomach and he is not on Galliprant. The food that works best for him is Purina ONE SmartBlend True Instinct Grain Free Nutrient-Dense Nutrient Dense Formula Dry Dog Food. The only food that has NOT given him diarrhea. If he happens to eat some of one of my other dog’s food, then I give him a big teaspoon of pumpkin (this does not turn a dog’s stool orange that I have even known of, as it is a small amount). The fiber in the pumpkin is what helps curb the diarrhea. It may be that the bland diet is making him worse. There is a product called Purina Fortiflora Canine Nutritional Supplement (box can be bought on Amazon or from your vet) that restores the proper bacteria in your dog’s GI system, which may be out of whack from the diarrhea.)

I hope you have spoken with your vet and come up with a plan to help with the diarrhea. I know the feeling of being awakened at 3 am to let my Cody outside when he has to go, but better than cleaning him and diarrhea up inside….

Again, be sure your dg is drinking enough water, even if you take him out a few extra potty times, way worth this.

[Cheryl S]

About 8 mos ago my then 8 mos old Lab, had an 18 inch bowel resection due to complications after eating a sock
Prior to this she was on frozen Raw diet- and doing very well
She was having a malabsorption problem after surgery, and was put on Prescription Hills Science I’d. Because of weight loss
She does well on it, but I know it is a lot of junk in it -I’m having trouble finding something that is better for her, and would love to get her back on raw
Any supplements or whatever?

[AmCa]

Hi pitlove, thanks for checking in!

She’s on petsmart’s simply nourish puppy chicken and rice for now, 4 meals a day. It’s 389 cal/cup, so not too rich. She’s eating and tolerating it well so next week I’m going to start supplementing with small amounts here and there of: canned sardines, chicken gizzards, scrambled egg, chicken liver, and puréed greens. The vet suggested giving her a multivitamin…what do you think? Personally I’d rather supplement with real foods. But I’ll do whatever is best.

The vet mentioned the risk of pyometra several times. Ugh I sure hope not. I had never heard of it before! I guess because I’ve always had my dogs fixed early on.