[Emily V]

I have been using the raw diet on my dogs fro over 10 years and forums have been a lifesaver for me. I’m hoping you all can help with a mysterious lameness problem in our 2 year-old German shepherd. I’ll try to be as brief as possible here on the sequence of events that were observed:
1. Tsavo discovered a deer carcass in our woods and was chewing on the bones.
2. About a day later, he was slightly lame in his back leg. No physical causes were detected. he had some diarrhea.
3. The lameness moved to his left forefoot about two weeks later and became more pronounced. He would sometimes yip when jumping off the bed. The lameness would improve if he ran around but worsen when he was at rest or walking.
4. Tsavo then began marking in the house and the diarrhea increased.
5. X-rays indicated no issues. The vet confirmed Lymes and erlichia tick diseases were present so Tsavo was treated. It was discovered Tsavo also had crystals in his urine and he was also treated for that. He was also given a homeopathic liver cleanse. Most of the marking behavior and diarrhea disappeared, though he was still lame.
5. After some research, I began supplementing Tsavo with cranberry pills and ascorbic acid, thinking there was a remote chance that the lameness was caused by pain from urinary crystals. After two days, the lameness and marking issue were resolved.
6. A week later, my daughter discovered that Tsavo found an errant bone from the deer carcass and he was chewing on it. The next day, Tsavo had a slight limp in the same foot. He also had diarrhea. It’s been about three days and he currently is not marking, but the lameness is getting worse, despite my continued use of cranberry and ascorbic acid.

Help! What could the lameness be attributed to? I don’t think it’s related to Lymes or erlichiia because there was no relief after he was treated for those diseases….

[Bobby dog]

You’re welcome! 😉

Check out the canned foods I listed in my other post as well. From your comment they might be another option for your pup. It’s always nice to have a back up plan.

One other option is making balanced home cooked meals. I have been doing this a few times a week for a few years now. I am currently using Carnivore Blend supplement from Balance IT. The recipe options are great and easy to concoct using their Autobalancer recipe menu. You pick the ingredients and it tells you how much supplement is needed to balance the meal. Their customer service is very helpful if you have any questions.

https://secure.balanceit.com/

[anonymous]

Natural Balance is loaded with potato and sweet potato which doesn’t agree with some dogs that have sensitive stomachs, hard to digest.
Glucosamine chondroitin is a supplement and may not be necessary. What does your veterinarian recommend? I would go by that.
Go here for science based veterinary medicine
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=glucosamine
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

Pro Plan sensitive is a good food and often recommended by veterinarians.
Zignature is a quality kibble, grain free, potato free. My dogs do well on the Whitefish (lowest sodium content of all the Zignatures) I would add a splash of water and a bite of real food.

[anonymous]

Pro Plan sensitive is a good food and often recommended by veterinarians.
Zignature is a quality kibble, grain free, potato free. My dogs do well on the Whitefish (lowest sodium content of all the Zignatures) I would add a splash of water and a bite of real food.
Natural Balance is loaded with potato and sweet potato which doesn’t agree with some dogs that have sensitive stomachs, hard to digest.
Glucosamine chondroitin is a supplement and may not be necessary
Go here for science based veterinary medicine
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=glucosamine
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

[Susan]

Hi, I don’t think a raw diet is a good idea at the moment especially if her immune system is compromised, tripe made my boy feel real sick & vomit, tripe is very strong & rich, if you do feed raw, only feed fresh human meats, no pet meats, pre made raw & no bone, the bone is very hard to digest & premade pet raw has bone in it unless you get the cat pre made raw, cat pre made raw seems to be of better quality of all the pet meats, cats are very fussy…..Patches Naturopath advised not to feed any pet shop pre made raw meats, it’s bad quality especially if you have a sick dog…. I used a supplement to replace the bone & organ meats… “Natural Animal Solution” Digestavite Plus Powder it balances the diet, strengthens the immune system & fixes the gut, you only need to add to 1 of the meals added once a day, but it’s Australian made by Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan she does export her NAS products but not to America, she helped me get Patch onto a raw diet here’s her link click on the “Maintenance Diet.. http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/15/maintenance-dog-diet/
you pick 2-3 veggies & 1-2 fruits, I pick broccoli, celery, carrot & apple, peel & de seed, chop up & put thru a blender & blend to a pulp then I froze in 4 spoon sections, what I needed for 1 day meals & I froze the Kangaroo mince & chicken breast all cut up in 1 cup sections, I had to add 1 cup raw meat & 1-2 spoons of the veggie/fruit mix.. but your dog will lose more weight on the raw diet, she needs to fix her stomach first make it healthy again, she’d be better eating a cooked diet, feed at least 3 meals a day, feed her the amount of kibble she needs in smaller meals, then a cooked meal for another meal & see which meal she keeps down & digests best.. I like the Canidae Pure Meadow you don’t need to feed as much, all Patch needs is 1 & 1/2 cups a day & with the TOTW it’s 2 cups a day so not much to digest when you break the meals up…
Jacqueline made me add a digestive enzyme & probiotic to the raw meals but I think the Digestive Enzyme digested the meal too quickly in Patches stomach cause 20mins after eating the raw meal, 1 cup kangaroo mince mixed with 2 spoons of the blended veggie/fruit mix Patch would burp & all digested raw bits of meat & water would come up into Patches mouth & onto the floor, I thought his sphincter flap wasn’t closing properly from his stomach to his esophagus & foods was coming back up but I think the digestive enzymes made the raw meal digest way too quickly & when he burped the raw was still in his stomach & it came flying back up & out of his mouth, raw didn’t work for Patch, he kept regurgitating it back up & got bad acid reflux, back then I didn’t think it was the digestive enzymes causing the problem but now when I look back it was the digestive enzymes, I should of stopped adding them to the raw, but I think his stomach wasn’t healthy enough to cope with a raw diet at the time, I started to cook his raw food made into rissole balls baked in the oven & boiled sweet potato & mixed it all together, he did heaps better on a cooked diet then a raw diet, I’d cook once a week every Sunday & freeze it all but I still feed kibble TOTW 7am & 5pm feeds & the cooked meals for 12pm & 8pm feeds the kibble seems to work the best for him once I found a kibble that digest easily…It’s hard to keep the weight on so more smaller meals are needed thru the day this way the stomach & pancreas don’t have to work over time digesting 1 big meal of food, you can buy those feeding machines you put the kibble in & set the timer so she gets a small meal while your at work, you need to work out how much to feed her & feed her an extra 1/2 a cup that’s when I feed the cooked or wet tin foods as extra meals to keep the weight on… Patch should be 18kg +40lbs…
If a dog eats 4 or 5 times a day they don’t poo 4 to 5 poo’s a day, my boy just does 2 firm brown poo’s a day & he eats 5 smaller meals….
Have a look at her poo’s, what colour are her poo’s, yellow, green/black, are they soft, cow patties or firm? I’m just wondering if she is doing yellow sloppy poo’s or a greenie black poo’s ?

[Soph M]

Hey guys! I think that I’m going to use bone meal to supplement my dogs homemade food. What brands do u guys recommend?

• This topic was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Soph M.

[shandi h]

So I have been looking into this raw diet stuff for about a week now. I watched “Pet Fooled” on netflix and I will admit it really woke me up to what is going on with pet food. Recently I lost my service dog that was an american bull dog. I lost her to Osteosarcoma. It was the hardest day of my life. It’s been a while and I am still not healed from that but we have decided to get a new dog. We have found a wonderful newfoundland pup who is coming to our home Thursday!!! I have been trying to do this research on my own but I’ll admit it’s so over whelming I can’t handle it! We have another dog but let me say this other dog is part goat, she has to be because she can eat ANYTHING. This new dog however I want to make sure is started off right while I correct the other dog’s diet to what is right!

So, I can’t understand the raw diet. There are no set ideas. No blueprints to go through. Is there a dehydrated diet I could use? That tends to be a bit cheaper for now. ALso, the vet said canned isn’t as bad should I try that? Also, I’m still going to give him the yogurt, eggs, liver, chicken broth and supplements. That’s easy for me but its everythign else that is confusing. HELP. He will be 10 weeks old on Thursday and around 28 pounds. How do I start this? Is there a site that has a set menu or grocery shopping list I can go by? I’m so very new to this. I don’t understand all the terminology yet. I want to do this right. Please help! He will be on NuVet as well as Mega C plus. I need to know exact portions like 1 cup of this, 2 tbs of this, 2 eggs, 1 tsp of coconut oil… yadda yadda. I can follow those!

[DAVID M]

Reviewing the list of ingredients of all so-called “natural” foods I find, always at the end of the list: Viatamine supplement, calcium, magnesium, etc.
These are artificial additives, chemicals that are added.

Why then do we call them “natural”?

[anonymous]

Regarding supplements: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-supplements-herbs-dangerous-2017-5
On the back of virtually any bottle of supplements are two words that strike fear into the heart of Pieter Cohen.
The words are printed inside a small square on the back of the bottle beneath bold lettering which claims to list the supplement’s ingredients: “Proprietary blend.”
Under the protective umbrella of these two words, a supplement maker does not have to list all of the details of what’s in its product, according to Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
This “allows companies to put in ingredients without telling us the amounts,” says Cohen, who spoke on a recent panel put on by The Forum, an event series organized by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. “And those tend to be the higher-risk product.”
The risks can be serious. Several supplements have been linked with an increase in certain cancers; others have been tied to an elevated risk of kidney stones. Although this research has been widely published, supplements continue to send roughly 20,000 people to the emergency room every year.

Cohen likes to compare the safety framework for supplements with that for food. “In food,” says Cohen, “they have to meet what’s known as the “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, standard. That’s not the standard for ingredients introduced to supplements. The standard is not anywhere near that level of scrutiny.”
There are some laws regulating dietary supplements, however. In 1994, Congress established the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to address the labeling and safety of supplements, and several more recent regulations mandate that manufacturers observe what are known as “good manufacturing practices,” or GMPs, including ingredient testing.
Under the DSHEA, ingredients listed under the “proprietary blend” category don’t have to include information about individual amounts of ingredients in that category. Instead, they only have to list the total amount and list the ingredients within the “blend” in order by their weight.
This can be a huge problem when it comes to dosages, as certain amounts of the listed ingredients could have dangerous side effects or negative interactions with prescription drugs.
“From a regulatory perspective they’re all presumed to be safe but the reality is many people….are harmed by supplements,” says Cohen

[Marie P]

This was set up for a 11 month old Boston Terrier at 16 pounds )
YOU will need to ADJUST the feeding amount for your Dog’s Weight

VERY Easy
WE have had Good luck with this Recipe:
This recipe uses egg as a binder; bake it like a meat loaf, with bread crumbs. As presented here, with these ingredients, it is about 30 percent protein, 25 percent fat, and 38 percent carbohydrates.
If you need Wheat FREE bread crumbs – here is a link: to Gillian’s Foods
http://www.gilliansfoodsglutenfree.com/products/index.php?cPath=29&osCsid=15aad74dac45e25945dd8f62963644c1

FEED Daily: for the Boston Terrier:

2 ( 1 inch size slices of the meat loaf ) 2 x per day ( for you size dog ) ( 15-18 pound dog )

( at night you may want to do 1 1/2 slices ) – JUST see if he is hungry

SNACK-
( FEED 1/4 cup of a quality Dry ( LOW grain or NO grain Kibble per day ) – as a snack

WE like the Fromm’s Brand of Dog food – also Blue Buffalo is good:

Recipe:

CHOOSE 1 meat:

2 lbs fairly lean *****( YOU will do Ground Chicken or Ground Turkey ) ( skip the beef )/ for this month-

3 cups of bread crumbs – plain – See Wheat free link above if you need it –

1/8 of a cup 2 % low-fat milk

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons of CRUSHED eggShell — – Smash it ( it’s for Calcium)

1/2 cup cooked vegetables ( green beans/peas/ others) ( grated and mush) *** ( TRY GREEN BEANS but cut them up orSmash them )

( do not put the NuVET into the Recipe ) –

(YOU can not balance this Recipe without a Quality Supplement)

*** 1 NuVET wafer vitamin ** each day – see below: ( PER DAY PER DOG ) ( NuVET is a must to balance out home cooking )

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/8 teaspoon LOW SALT tamari soy sauce

order your NuVET here- I do get a small % and give BACK to Pet Rescue

go here: http://www.nuvet.com/81098 ( you are looking for the NuVET Plus Wafer ) – if you go on auto ship you save 15% on every bottle
use my Name if they ask you – Pet Nurse Marie

BAKE
* press the mixture into a casserole dish so it’s 1 to 2 inches thick and bake at 350°F for 30 to 35minutes, or until set and lightly browned.

[Marie P]

Salmon dinner for dogs, Woof food!
Salmon Dinner for dogs
Glad you have her on a good supplement; TRY this recipe:

3-4 bs. Wild caught salmon ( frozen is fine if you can’t get fresh) – COOK the Salmon,
5 cups brown rice cooked to mushy texture
1/2 chopped garlic clove – fresh
2 cups fresh cabbage – steamed / or Fry
1 1/2 cups of zucchini ~~ steamed / or Fry
3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Daily multi-vitamin
( NUVET PLUS, (1) per dog, daily … NOT sold in stores
MUST be added in order to balance the meal. To order NuVET Plus see here http://www.nuvet.com/81098 ( green bottle)
( order Discount code 81098 or call 1-800-474-7044 Tell them Pet Nurse Marie sent you

( never home cook without out some way to balance your recipes.. vitamins and often bone meal are needed;

1. Fry salmon, vegetables and chopped garlic clove in olive oil until salmon is tender.
Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

– GARLIC is totally safe in small amounts and cooked.. buy fresh garlic. it’s actually a natural antibiotic

FEEDING a 50 to 60-pound dog this amount: ( PLEASE adjust to your dog’s Weight )

FEED him / her 2 1/2 cups in the am and only 1 1 /2 to 2 cups in the PM of the salmon meal —
PLEASE NOTE : this is a higher protein diet so do not give this to pets with PANCREAS issues

[Marie P]

Place your dog on a high-quality salmon oil ( I like the ones from Alaska) – Grizzly is a good one. Also, start on a Daily supplement to balance out the nutrients and help the immune system; See here; Normally 1 to 1 1/2 per day — Got to http://www.nuvet.com/81098 and tell them Marie sent you for the Green Bottle – made in the USA / Human grade quality, not pet level grade. ( code 81098 if you want the auto ship deal ) Call 1-800-474-7044 and they can suggest the exact dosage for your dog’s situation

[anonymous]

No, I am not aware of any “natural” heartworm or flea/tick preventives that are effective.
Also, if the dog tests positive for heartworm, the treatment that works to save the dog’s life is very harsh. Same with Lyme disease, nasty disease if not caught early.

Some science based information you may find helpful here http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=heartworm
Nothing is being sold at that site, no supplements, no books, no miracle cures, no membership fees………

[anonymous]

Excerpt from Chewy, only one review so far, I would ignore it 🙂
https://www.chewy.com/purina-beneful-grain-free-real-farm/dp/143869

Chicken, Pea Starch, Cassava Root Flour, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Germ Meal, Soybean Meal, Canola Meal, Beef Tallow Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Dried Beet Pulp, Poultry and Pork Digest, Mono and Dicalcium Phosphate, Soybean Oil, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Blueberries, Dried Pumpkin, Dried Spinach, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Biotin (Vitamin B-7)], Choline Chloride, Iron Oxide (Color), Garlic Oil. A-4096.
Caloric Content
3522 kcal/kg, 349 kcal/cup
Crude Protein
24.0% min
Crude Fat
13.0% min
Crude Fiber
5.0% max
Moisture
12.0% max
Linoleic Acid
1.2% min
Calcium
1.0% min
Vitamin A
10,000 IU/kg
Vitamin E
100 IU/kg

[Mon C]

Thanks everyone for helping out with really useful info. Ive put in an order for the HK base mix and waiting for delivery. Looking forward to share how things will go, I am still studying what nutrients are missing from the mix, and I might end up also getting additional supplements like the Missing link maybe.

Cooking by steaming or boiling lean cuts of meats is the best option we could afford right now (time and budget wise), then Ill probably shred it post cooking and put in the base mix. The puppy load shared by Susan looks really good, I will also give a go. Thanks!

[zcRiley]

She may need more exercise to increase her appetite. Or too many treats that may taste better than her food. Or the food is starting to go stale quickly (in what you keep it, dogs can smell it before we do). For the latter, I distribute a 27 lb bag into 7 airtight containers with liners inside that I twisty tie as the food goes down. Anyway, I went through all of these situations, it’s a fine tuned balance of type of food/supplements /exercise/snacks/rest. And it changes as they age. For me, I learned it was sticking to a strict daily routine or their eating habits and weight go astray. Until you find an appropriate food your dog likes, adding things to it like toppers, broth or canned won’t resolve anything.

[anonymous]

A little high in the calorie department, so you may want to keep an eye on his/her weight
Nutritional Info (per Chewy’s site) Also, add a splash of water, maybe presoak? See what your vet advises.
Ingredients
Salmon, Canola Meal, Brewers Rice, Barley, Oat Meal, Fish Meal (Source of Glucosamine), Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Salmon Meal, Dried Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Inulin, Fish Oil, Salt, Vitamin E Supplement, Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Folic Acid, Biotin, Sodium Selenite.
Caloric Content
3,905 kcal/kg, 447 kcal/cup

[anonymous]

When I prepare toppers to add to kibble, I defrost, chop it up (I use utility scissors, seems easier) then I stir fry in water and cook. I then mix it in the kibble with a healthy splash of water. Maybe make a 2 day supply and store in a airtight container in the fridg.
I use chicken breast, steak, egg, ground turkey. I occasionally use tuna right from the can (canned tuna is cooked already).
I don’t use pork. I don’t use HK. I just use a quality kibble.
I don’t serve large chucks, possible choking hazard, or they will wolf it down and ignore the kibble. I do give about 1/2 raw carrot as a snack here and there (no baby carrots).
But, make sure your dog isn’t a gulper. Good luck
Ps: If you are interested in science based veterinary medicine this is a good site to visit http://skeptvet.com/Blog/
Nothing is being sold there, no supplements, no books, no membership fees.

[Susan]

Hi Jessica, my boy has IBD Skin Allergies, Food Intolerances & Pancreatitis….he needs a diet high in Omega 3…When I have feed any vet diets for his IBD & Skin problems that had fish, oil, soybean oil, coconut oil he got bad acid reflux, same with premium kibbles, if they had fish or salmon oil, he’d get acid reflux, he grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux….. I’m the same I cant take any fish oil supplements, I get acid reflux…

The other day I won $100 to spend at the Chemist, I asked the lady pharmacist what can I take for my arthritis, I need Omega 3 but every time I’ve taken fish Oil capsules I keep burping up the fish taste & get acid reflux, same as my dog, she told me Krill Oil capsules are more milder & are easier on the stomach, good for people with digestive issues like yourself, so that’s something to remember..

I follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page & I’ve learnt a lot about healthy foods
to add to Patches diet, I’ve also be adding them to my diet as well lol
Almonds are very high in Omega 3 fatty acid, a dog can have 3 Almonds a day but I bite 1/2 of the almond & I give Patch the other 1/2 of the almond this way it’s the size as a small kibble & I tell him to chew it, I started with just giving him 1 almond a day then after 5 days, I gave him 2 x 1/2 almonds a day, till we got too 3 almonds a day….
K-9 Natural, freezed Dried Green Lipped Mussels are very healthy & not greezy….
Sardines, Salmon & Tuna in spring water or Olive Oil, not brine, I give Patch small tin salmon, all water drained, I add some boiled sweet potato & broccoli as a small meal…. Patch has a beautiful shinny coat but I do feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble for a few of his meals, I rotate between a few different things & have made his gut healthier & stronger, when I rescued him he couldn’t eat anything without having sloppy, bloody poos or up 2am having diarrhea it was awful, now 4 yrs on & he can eat pretty much anything as long as it isn’t any food’s he’s sensitive too….
I’ve read a few dogs haven’t done well on the Honest Kitchen formula’s, I think it’s the freeze dried pieces of veggies & meat, they stay small, hard & don’t reconstitute back to bigger, softer veggies & can’t be digested properly causing intestinal problems……
Dogs can’t chew their foods like we do & don’t have salivary amylase (digestive enzymes in their salvia) so they can’t break down the Cellulase walls in the vegetable, fruit or grass,
Cellulase digests plant matter, that’s why when you feed a raw diet you have to blend & break down the veggies, fruit & make them into a pulp liquid…Same when a dog eats grass it either comes back up vomit or comes out in their poo undigested, the Chlorophyll in the grass settles their stomach…. I let Patch eat a little bit of grass no longer then 1 minute, it can cause diarrhea, it cleans him out…
*Foods High in Omega 3 fatty acids are
Spinach
Chia Seeds
Flax Seed Oil cold pressed
Canola Oil Patch does best when the kibble has Canola oil, Flax Seed Oil (No Acid Reflux)
Almonds
Walnuts
Green Lipped Mussels
Sardines, Mackerel, Salmon, Tuna
Soybeans
Tofu

[crazy4cats]

Hi Soph M-

I just wanted to give you my review of http://www.balanceit.com. I have formulated four or five recipes on this site and I try to feed a homemade meal every couple of weeks to my dogs. I have a couple using ground turkey and a couple with ground beef. You can choose to add a carb, fruit and/or veggies also. Or, just meat. In addition, you can choose the percentage of protein, fat, carbs and calories you want the meals to be. You just have to play with the variables a little bit. Then it spits out a recipe stating which and how much supplement you need to add to it to make it balanced. Viola!!! My dogs love when they get their homemade meal and I don’t worry that not being balanced.

Good luck!

[aimee]

Hi Soph M,

I’d heard of Hilary’s Blend but never really took a look at it until now. I have multiple concerns which would lead me to pass. The major concern I have is this: “Its exact composition is a trade secret.” Without knowing what is in the supplement no one can check her formulations. Secondly, the recipe example uses vague ingredients that will have very variable nutrient profiles. ( canned applesauce, tomato sauce). Additionally, she states all the recipe meet AAFCO yet includes a chapter on renal patients. (A correctly formulated diet for renal patients in need of diet modification would never meet AAFCO.) Finally, she calls herself a pet nutritionist which rubs me the wrong way. The term is meaningless, I can call myself a pet nutritionist too. Though she doesn’t hold any advanced degrees in nutrition, she is formulating for dogs/cats with disease conditions.

Hilary’s blend falls far short of the parameters I look for when I compare to balanceit. I have no hesitation to use balanceit but lots of red flags in regards to Hilary’s blend.
Hope that helps!

[anonymous]

Evidence Update–Homemade Diet Recipes for Your Pet are Unreliable

I’m sure if your dog was hungry enough she would eat whatever was available.
I like to use a quality kibble as a base with a splash of water and a bite of cooked protein mixed in, such as scrambled egg, chopped chicken breast, ground turkey, chopped up lean beef…..
A raw carrot (1/2) as a snack here and there.
Offer meals twice a day, leave food down for 10 minutes, pick up and put in the fridg, offer at the next mealtime. Have fresh water available at all times.
If they don’t eat times 72 hours, call the vet.
An occasional fast is a good thing 🙂
Ps: Why would I add supplements/vitamins? Check with your vet, but I don’t think they are necessary.
Otherwise, you could consult a veterinary nutritionist, for a diet formulation specific to your pet.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by anonymous.

[Soph M]

Hi Aimee,

Have you heard of the Hilary’s Blend supplement and cookbook? If so, what do you think about it? Is it comparable with the balance it supplements and recipes?

[Soph M]

Hi Anon101,

She was recently checked out by her vet and everything is good with her health.

If you think that supplements are scams what do you recommend to make sure that she gets all the vitamins and minerals that she needs when being fed a homemade diet?

She won’t eat kibble, and I like making her food at home, but I need o make sure that she gets everything she needs.

[anonymous]

@ Soph M
Please listen to a vet that has examined your dog. A lot of misinformation on the internet.
For science based veterinary medicine go here: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/
Use the search engine at this site to look up topics.
Do you have any specific health concerns regarding your dog?
Bones are the worst thing you can give a small dog (under 20 pounds) this is based on my personal experience. Also, use the search engine here to look up various topics.

Ps: Has your dog had a checkup and labs recently? I strongly recommend annual exams, lab work as indicated, professional dental cleanings as needed
Also, most supplements are scams.

[aimee]

Hi Soph M.

While I’m sure the woman at the pet store meant well the advice you received was inappropriate and will over time surely lead to problems.

Strombeck’s recipes were based on the nutritional information known at the time but today are considered unbalanced. Additionally, multi vitamins differ significantly in nutrient profile and because human supplements have increased the Vit D levels in them in response to human findings the levels are too high to supplement a canine diet.

If you haven’t yet looked at balanceit dot com please do so. There is an interactive tool in which you can choose what ingredients you want to feed and them it balances the diet and tells you how much of the balance it supplement to use. Balance it is run by a boarded veterinary nutritionist.

[pugmomsandy]

dogaware.com has a homemade diet section with supplement suggestions. Also, on youtube, search for “Homemade Dog Food Recipe Rodney Habib” for a 3 minute video. You can also get supplements from balanceit.com.

[pitlove]

Hi Theresa-

The product you are talking about is from a company called Bully Max. They have a line of dog food and dog supplements designed for working breeds (specifically bully breeds).

From what I’ve come to understand these supplements are designed to aid in building muscle and helping to repair muscle during high impact dog sports like weight pulling, spring pole, and personal protection work. I do not know for sure that it would aid in building muscle in a non-sporting, non-working dog. You may want to contact the company itself to find out if their product would have any affect on a non-working dog.

[THERESA A]

I know this is an older thread but I was looking on the internet for a solution and saw that this website recommends a product. Let me tell you my story. I have a ten year old yellow lab mix. He was constantly active and could run and catch deer at our place in Utah. He got into a brand new bottle of dog vitamins and ate 93 out the 100. That was in February, 2016. In April, the doctor put him on thyroid medicine. He was starting to show signs of arthritis. The vet prescribed Rimadyl twice a day. Within 3 days, he was paralyzed in his back legs and vocal cords. I immediately stopped the pills. He had Rimadyl in the past but it was occasional for pain. The vet would not accept that it was the Rimadyl. She blamed a neurological problems and Cushings Disease. She put him on the medication for Cushings which made it worse. We took him to a neurologist who did not have all the equipment to diagnose him. But she suggested Acetyl L-Carnitine, Vitamin B and CoQ10. He is slowly getting better. I do not believe it is neurological because he can stand up on the carpet easily but he slips on the tile and sometimes concrete. He has lost muscle mass. I was looking on the internet to see about supplements for building muscle. His diet consists of grain free kibble, meat, vegetables, raw eggs, jumbo carrots instead of bones, Vitamin B, CoQ10, Acetyl L-Carnitine and his thyroid meds. There was a website that stated Dog Advisor recommends a product called Gorilla Max to build muscles in Police dogs and show dogs. Does anyone have experience in this? Suggestions?

[Marie P]

For a good Homemade diet supplement we use NuVET Plus on all our dogs and cats..
Take a look here for more info on Doggie Meatball Recipes and more — We have a gluten free oat option too for Dog meatloaf or meatballs. Follow recipe here and links to supplements. WE use bone meal by NOW company http://bulldogvitamins.blogspot.com/2014/12/recipe-for-doggie-meatballs-home.html

[Soph M]

So, I’ve recently started feeding my 16 lb dog a cooked homemade diet. I really want to read Dr. Becker’s book about different recipes and supplements, but the book is out of stock EVERYWHERE! Do any of you know where I could find this book?

Also, what supplements should I add to my dogs homemade food? Is it enough to just add cooked eggshells for calcium? Do any of you have a recipe for a homemade dog food supplement?

I’m really new to this homemade dog food thing! I really appreciate all of your help! 😀

[Ann F]

Charisma, sorry I have not been on this site for some time. I don’t know if you can PM in this group, but I wouldn’t mind helping out. You said that Turkey was the only protein suggested with the BalanceIt. I’d check again! For a formulated BalanceIt diet, they gave us a choice of Duck or Fish. Some of their diets use more exotic proteins, low-fat cottage cheese, or tofu.
We used fish which I steamed or microwaved. For an 80 lb dog I needed about a lb of fish a day (before cooking). I’m hoping you have a smaller dog:-). I was in contact with the vet who formulated the diet at least weekly. We tweeked what was not working, and kept track of the stool changes. I gave NOTHING besides his daily food. If I’d started adding slippery elm, probiotics and miscellaneous supplements my Internist would never be able to evaluation the value of the diet. Too much stuff! After this worked we did add a very tiny amount of prednisone because the IBD was eosinophilic also. This had inflamed his small intestine, and even though he did not test for SIBO, he needed a bump in the amount of BalanceIt to compensate for some absorption issues.

We used pork enzymes for a trial after some pancreatitis. Ended up he was very reactive to Pork after a month. We couldn’t give him even hydrolyzed chicken in a vet diet. He recognized it for what it was eventually. There are still preservatives in the highest quality manufactured pet food. I think we finally did well when I made a fresh diet up. I’d been scared to do this for years, wish I hadn’t waited so long to cook my own formulated. Quality of life would have been so much better for him. It was hard to cut out treats, but there are a few you can give.

[Soph M]

I have just started feeding my adult dog a 100% homemade diet. I use raw vegetables and cooked meat. What supplements do you recommend to make sure that she gets all the nutrients that she needs? Have any of you tried the Hilary’s Blend supplement?

[anonymous]

“I foresee difficulties in convincing my mother to agree as she is probably oblivious to this stuff and distrusting of people over the Internet”

Listen to your Mom 🙂
Moms know more than you think they do!
Also, you may want to note that the site I referred you to (SkeptVet) is selling nothing there, absolutely nothing! No books, no supplements, no t-shirts…..
And the other link I provided was written by a veterinary nutritionist affiliated with Angell Animal Medical Center, one of the best in the country.
If you are going to go down this path, I strongly urge you to consult a veterinary nutritionist, a veterinarian with advanced training in nutrition.
Ps: Raw feeding is expensive, if you do it the right way.

[Erika I]

My pug was also very, very itchy and I transitioned her to raw thinking it was her food. But she was still scratching like crazy and losing big patches of hair so I now have her on a seasonal allergy medication (Vet’s Best Seasonal Allergy Support Supplement for Dogs)… and it worked! we have seen a complete change… no more scratching… and her fur is growing back. Mind you this was after several expensive vet visits and several food changes (thinking she was allergic to a specific protein) and nothing helped her. Vets Best is very affordable… only like 7 dollars on Amazon and I tell you it is the magic pill… all natural ingredients too!

Hope this helps!

[anonymous]

I don’t think the homeopathic stuff will help, in fact it may make him worse.
I would go back to the vet that knows him best and go by his advice.

Sorry, but that’s all I’ve got. I would focus on care and comfort, rather than aggressive measures.
Make sure to add water/presoak his kibble and offer frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate, regarding the bladder stones.

PS: Those supplements you mentioned are not a good idea, most supplements are scams.
I prefer science based veterinary medicine.
I have found this site helpful http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by anonymous.

[Kristi D]

Hi Shane,
I was talking with a lady today that needed to create her own treats for her dogs’ issues. She was also pursuing turning it into a business. She has found a young start up company that was doing what she had hoped to do. This company has pet parents fill out a pet profile and indicate what issues the pet has going on. Their algorithm was developed by animal nutritionists and veterinarians and suggests food, treats and supplements if needed. I’m wondering if they could use some one with your knowledge and training and passion for helping pets with special conditions.
If that is of interest to you, I can try to connect the two of you.
Kristi

[Susan]

Hi T E,
if you want to start feeding a healthy diet then start adding some fresh raw foods or fresh cooked foods to his diet, chicken frames, turkey legs, chicken is the softest bone, stay away from chicken necks, the chicken necks just have fat & bone no meat, not that great, also rotate between a few different brands of kibbles with different proteins, so he’s not eating the same brand & protein 24/7…..
Follow “Rodney Habib” on his face book page he’s into feeding a healthy raw diet & feeding healthy whole foods to prevent cancer… they did a study for all the kibble feeders & they found by adding 1-2 tablespoons of fresh whole foods to the dogs bowl of kibble reduces their chances of your dog getting cancer by 90%, Rodney talks about it in the video, he also has heap of other videos, go to “Planet Paws” a lot of his video’s will be found there….

Omega 3 is a anti inflammatory & it reduces chances of getting cancer, start adding foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, like tin sardines in spring water or olive oil add a few sardines to your dogs kibble, coconut oil, almonds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, I give Patch 1/2 of an almond & I eat the other 1/2 this way he chews the almond properly its the size of a kibble give about 3-4 almonds a day….
https://www.facebook.com/rodneyhabib
Once your on Rodney’s page scroll down a bit & watch the video where Rodney’s holding up a sign that say Cannabil Oil the video has really good info…..

Take baby steps, don’t feed all these foods all at once to your dog, he will probably get diarrhea work out which ones are the best for him & you, adding a few sardines to his kibble would be a good start, Aldis sell cheap tin sardines in spring water, also add some tin pink Salmon, the bones are OK to feed, just crush them they break really easy…..
In the video Rodney also talks about when you open up a bag of kibble, as soon as it’s opened the air/oxygen gets to all the oils in the kibbles & they start to go rancid & oxides, so your dog isn’t getting the right amount of omega 3 fatty acid that he should be getting in his diet, same as glucosamine, when dogs get older people think they need to start feeding a senior food, that has Glucosamine, but you’d need to feed a heap of Senior kibble to get the right amount of Glucosamine needed for their joints, so your better off adding Glucosamine tablet supplement to your dogs diet also I forgot Green Lipped Mussels are great to add to diet, in one video Rodney asked Steve Brown if you could only pick 1 food to add to your dogs diet what would it be? Steve Brown said “Green Lipped Mussels, 1 tablespoon of Salmon & a pinch of kelp…

[Rene P]

Tripe is not an organ meat, it is considered a muscle. Also, I would not just feed chicken (even for a little while). It was recommended in “Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs” by Lew Olson, that you vary the meats in order to maintain a healthy diet. She recommends feeding tripe 2x weekly, beef, 1-2x, chicken(meat) only 1x, and lamb/pork/rabbit the other days. Her book is full of great info for the raw food neophyte and I HIGHLY recommend it. I’ve been transitioning my dog to raw for the past 10 days and he is already partial to his raw meals and bones. If you get the book but would prefer to make your own supplements (instead of purchasing hers), I can provide a good recipe for that. Hope this was helpful. René

[CockalierMom]

Hi Rich,

I have a different viewpoint and experience from anon101. Based on the experiences that I have had, your initial instinct of going with a limited ingredient diet would be the best to start. The Acana you were feeding had lentils, beans, chickpeas and peas. Any one of those ingredients are a candidate to cause poo issues and I would limit as many of those ingredients as possible. My girl that had problems with soft and runny poos when she was a puppy now does fine as long as I stay away from grains and a limited amount of chickpeas–green peas do not bother her. She eats Wellness Simple Turkey or Salmon, and I sometimes add a little Wellness Complete Grain Free, with Honest Kitchen Preference and my own cooked meat as a topper. My other girl that had serious food issues eats mostly Honest Kitchen and a few Wellness kibbles. As you and I both know, Honest Kitchen is not a supplement or a scam.

Although Natural Balance LID diets are lower protein, they truly are limited ingredients with only one protein and one carb source. I use to feed their Kangaroo and Potato formula before it was discontinued. My personal opinion though is to try Wellness Simple first.

[anonymous]

I have never added pumpkin anything to anything. And I stay away from honest kitchen anything. Just doesn’t make any sense to me. Most supplements are scams (in my opinion).

[anonymous]

I like Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea as a base.
https://www.chewy.com/nutrisca-grain-free-salmon-chickpea/dp/35033
Or:
Newman’s Organics https://www.chewy.com/newmans-own-organics-advanced/dp/33521

Add a splash of water and a bite of something, scrambled egg (in water), chopped up cooked lean chicken, beef, tuna….something.
Check out chewys auto ship plan. You could order a large bag every 2 or 3 months. Divide it up and store in air tight containers or bags in the fridg or freezer if you have room.
I wouldn’t go too cheap, you may regret it.
Also, you need to set aside money for an an annual checkup and lab work with a veterinarian.
Heartworm checks, flea and tick preventives. About $1000 a year (maybe less) and that’s not counting food.
Ps: Don’t waste your money on supplements, unless a vet that has examined the dog advises you to do so. Most of them are scams. I do add one fish oil capsule to their food once a day, not sure if it actually does anything 🙂

[Lora J]

Congratulations on your new dog! I have large breeds, myselfso I cannot comment on that. But I have found this dog food rating system on this website a valuable tool for finding the best food for our budget. I have found it takes some time to search through the higher rated foods, thrn shop around to price check, but worth it. Buy the highest rated food you can afford. I also supplement my dogs’ dry kibble with raw carrots and broccoli as treats for additional enzymes and antioxidents. I am sure you will get additional helpful comments here. Good luck!

[anonymous]

Garlic for Pets- What’s it Good for?

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

Hope this helps.

[CJ D]

I have been very happy with Brother’s Complete, especially the turkey formula. TCVM (traditional Chinese veterinarian medicine) views turkey as a “cool” food, which is just what we need in Florida. We switched @ 2 years ago from another expensive brand. We have a 14 yr old & a 4 yr old mix breed on it. 60# & 14#’s. They are both healthy, alert, & have shinny coats with no more digestive problems. I do supplement with some homemade food too. You get what you pay for – either pay for great food or pay the Dr.

[HoundMusic]

“She’s concerned his little bit of extra weight may be causing an issue we are seeing with one of his front legs where he limps on it. We think (since she’s done x-rays, etc) that it may be joint related ie: arthritis. And the extra weight isn’t helping matters.

Here he is. You can see his tiny, knobby front legs in this one”

Look’s like he’s got some Beagle mixed in there, and if that’s the case, I’m going to say he appears to be only slightly overweight – that overly long back, over-stuffed sausage shape and “bench” legs (meaning legs that bow outwards) are just a sign of a common condition in Beagles called chrondrodystrophy. Not that he isn’t a bit fluffy, but in consideration of that body type, he’s not really overweight at all, or else doesn’t seem to be in that pic.

On that note, the limping you are seeing, despite it being in the leg, may actually be a symptom of intervertebral disc disease, which is almost inevitable in bench-legged Beagles. The first indication of IVDD coming to the surface is limping on one or more legs, so you might want to get that checked (it is diagnosed with a spinal x-ray), because it can be a life threatening condition if left untreated.

I’m generally trying to get weight on my hounds, but I find home-cooking keeps them thin, and barring that, any commercial kibble that is 300 kcals per cup or under should do the trick nicely. Also, watch the calcium:phosphorous content, meaning, no grain free, ultra high protein foods. Careful with exercise too, because if there is an underlying condition there causing the limping, too much can very easily aggravate it.

ETA: I very stupidly forgot to mention that my older bitch with IVDD does very well on and stays extremely slim begin supplemented with Iams Premium Protection Mature Adult. It’s not the regular Iams – this is in a white bag – and it’s difficult to find, so we don’t feed it consistently, but thought I’d just throw that suggestion out there 🙂

• This reply was modified 8 years, 11 months ago by HoundMusic.

[InkedMarie]

The dog in my avatar has a grade 1-2 murmur. His holistic vet recommended giving him Thorne Research Bio-Cardio. It’s a supplement. I honestly wouldn’t know if it’s helping or not.

[anonymous]

Listen, my dog just went in for a dental extraction, one bad tooth way in the back. The vet said because of my daily brushings, a dental cleaning was not indicated. She has never had a professional cleaning, so far, not recommended.

She is a senior, she has had 2 other teeth fall out root and all within the past year. This is what happens as they age.
I am not aware of any dietary supplements that would remove tartar or prevent periodontal disease. However, if I was not reassured by my vet’s assessment I would consult a specialist.
Ps: I was able to pick up that there was a problem because my dog screamed in pain when I tried to brush her teeth in the area of the bad tooth, something she usually tolerated.
Otherwise, she showed no symptoms.

[Kevin R]

I know you can’t tell by looking and no I do not think supplements would be better than a specialist. My vet doesn’t think it’s a huge issue and I kind of think otherwise. I’m just trying to prevent a bigger problem. I will be getting another opinion. Again, I was just asking about any dental supplements that are beneficial.

[anonymous]

Well, my vet told me you can’t tell by looking (re periodontal disease). Why not consult a specialist? I don’t get it. You think supplements would be more effective than a specialist….
I would get an opinion, you may be right, maybe the specialist won’t recommend a cleaning for your dog.
Ps: You are listening to people on the internet. Homeopathic views differ greatly from science based veterinary medicine. It is up to you who you choose to believe. I would listen to a vet that has examined my dog and that I have a good relationship with. Just my 2 cents.