[heather k]

My male dog had been to the vet in December and then he had white blood cells and blood in his urine. His ph level was 7.5 at the time.. the doctor also did blood work and all blood work came back ok except high white blood cell count and I dont remember his number though. And the xrays he did showed no stones but something that loom like sludge/sediment per the vet. He was pushing me to go a special food but right now wasn’t necessary unless the antibiotics didnt clear it up. Which the antibiotics did clear it.
Now 2 months later I took in another urine sample his ph level is 8 and he had blood and white blood cells in his urine again meaning another uti. Except this time two vets put me down for feeding my dog 4health dog food saying its a bad food and they should be on Purina. But with argument we changed the subject.
both times my dog has had trouble urinating either going a little or not at all and straining and going alot small amounts to just a couple dribbles. I know thisnis normal from what I’m being told.
my question is now the vet has Aries on science diet urinary care c/d. And I’m willing to try it but I cant seem to get him to eat it.
And us there anything I can do to stop him from getting the yti?
I seen people post about Cranberry supplements, Vitamin c helping. How much and what kind.
sorry I was just very uncomfortable with the vet today who wasnt my usual vet.
thanks again

[anonymous]

I would go strictly by what your vet advises. I would stop all supplements and additives. Keep the diet bland and simple. I bet you will see positive results in about a month. Good luck.

[HoundMusic]

“Maggie the oldest dog in the world” she lived till she was 30yrs old & just died last year, she was feed a raw diet from the day she left her mum

Um… that dog was NOT fed a raw diet. There was an Australian dog, either her or another recent one that made it to a similar age, that was given kangaroo and emu (?) meat, but the owner never makes any mention of it being fed raw. And I have no doubt whatsoever that did not comprise the entirety of the diet, but was rather given as a nutritious supplement. Because no dog can survive on a diet of straight meat for very long. Take a good look at one of the pics in the following article about Maggie. She can be seen eating what appears to be round, artificially colored kibble pieces.

World’s Oldest Dog Dies Peacefully At Age 30

There was also a dog in the upper 20’s who was fed a vegetarian diet, and one I think who was also pushing 30 who ate nothing but :::drumroll::: Kibbles N’ Bits. I think the common factor in all the oldest dog cases were a combination of genetics, fresh air/exercise, and a satisfaction with their life. Lowering the protein seems to help as well, and that is not something that can be achieved on a species inappropriate raw diet.

https://www.elsevier.com/connect/controlling-protein-intake-may-be-key-to-longevity

[anonymous]

Check the search engine, example: /forums/search/calcium+oxalate/

Excerpts from previous posts:
As your vet will confirm, dogs that have a tendency to make bladder stones have to be on a special diet the rest of their lives, this is a serious condition and it just doesn’t go away.
I would comply with the prescription food for now.
And don’t forget, water, water, and more water added to the diet. Ask the vet ….but I believe this helps big time. And frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate.
“My dog had both (struvite and calcium oxalate), no symptoms till the age of 11, started with UTIs. He has had no recurrences in 4 years since his emergency surgery.
“There is a genetic component and some breeds are more prone to bladder stones”.
“Anyway, if you do nothing else, add water and take her out to urinate frequently”.
PS: Soak the kibble, even the prescription food in water overnight in the fridg, add more water prior to serving. Keep the bladder flushed. Maybe add a little canned prescription food as a topper.
Don’t add supplements unless recommended by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=cranberry

[Susie]

Susan it never occurred to me that chewing things they shouldn’t could be due to pain, as in reflux. I knew they would maybe lick or chew paws. That could explain one of my boys acting out. So when your dog has reflux he wants more food?
I have zeal. I got it because the fiber is so high in the two I have and wanted to see if zeal is easier on them. I will say it is hard to soften and I have found grinding it before adding water is much better. hope this helps the original poster. And maybe since your baby seems to have lost his mojo maybe the food has too much fiber? Could you experiment with ratios as they say you can on the box? Maybe doggy needs a supplement. Mine was so low in b12 so we have a tech give him injections and I supplement with folate (also low).

[anonymous]

How old is the dog? I ask because I recently lost a small breed at the age of 16, for the last 2-3 years he was showing signs of dementia. He LOVED to eat, and I think he often forgot that he just had a meal. So, what worked to keep him comfortable was 3-4-5 small meals per day plus a bedtime snack.
I would consider consulting a specialist, a veterinary neurologist, maybe a little prescription medication would help? Maybe some more testing, after all, epilepsy is a neurological disorder.
I doubt changing foods would make much difference, although, I would avoid unnecessary additives, chemicals, supplements and such.
Maybe a grain free limited ingredient kibble as a base, you can presoak the kibble in water or plain chicken broth, it helps them consume enough water plus the kibble swells up and they think they are getting more 🙂

[theal]

I came to this discussion in my search for a quality grain-free fish-based dry food but it raised even more questions.

Specifically I have a question for GSDsForever.
Can you please explain why you say “Orijen’s 6 Fish formula has a pretty poor overall dry matter digestibility”? I looked at the ingredients list and I don’t see any red flags.

Also, Wellness Core Ocean has a very low Omega-3 content for fish-based food; only 0.8% even though it has Canola Oil and Flaxseed Omega-3 fillers.
Orijen has 2.2% Omega-3 with no additional Omega-3 supplements.
Should this lead to conclusion that Wellness Ocean uses less fish and/or lower quality of fish that was de-oiled?
Low percentage of Omega-3 can also be found in these well-reviewed fish products: Hi-Tek Naturals Grain Free Alaskan Fish, Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch Grain-Free Natural Dry and Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Pacific Catch Recipe.

With a current fish over-harvesting and fish prices going through the roof, food processing companies seem to compromise on fish quality to keep product price lower.
So I wonder if I should go with a quality meat-based feed and to use a fish-oil supplement instead.

[anonymous]

I thought the OP was posting a cautionary tale to warn others about the dangers regarding raw diets. I had no idea that she would want to continue this practice, especially after what her veterinarian advised.
PS: I have tried raw diets, supplements etc. No thank you!

[Catherine W]

Long background story:
I have a 2 year old Bernese mountain dog who never had great stools from when we got her. She was on blue buffalo and we always had issues, especially between new bags. But last may we had to evacuate our home from a fire and we ultimately moved, then had a new baby in September, and her stools have just been on and off ever since. They were good in July/Aug on Kirkland salmon but then a mess after new baby and my husband wanted to change foods at the same time to Kirkland turkey because of bad fish breath. Well since September she hasn’t been on 100% kibble, started with a blend of rice/boiled meat/kibble, but the rice started to go right through her so we tried oatmeal. Now she’s on an oatmeal/kibble blend. I supplement with carrots, and a probiotic, and recently I’ve been giving her a multivitamin because I’m concerned. In December I managed to get to 70:30 kibble to oatmeal ratio with great stool then explosive diarrhea for days. Basically it’s been the worst since May, midnight outings every 2 hrs. Oh and I took her to the vet in December who did a deworming and stool sample and put her on Hills prescription w/d canned which made her constipated and bleed, which we then blended back to kibble which didn’t work. I’ve tried adding pumpkin and bran buds (vet recommended) but it’s hit and miss.
Last week I researched all sorts of dog foods and decided on Hills large breed light because of the high fiber and low fat content. She can’t eat anything fatty, raw bones just cause diarrhea, and never gets meat scraps because they just cause upset.

Basically I’m wondering if I’ve tried it all and my dog is just destroyed inside and is hopeless. Thanks.

• This topic was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Catherine W.

[Susan]

Hi Christine, yes you would be stressing out, I know I would be… sometimes a dog just can’t eat a raw diet, a dog needs to be healthy with a healthy gut/bowel & not have a compromised immune system to be feed a raw diet, I have a boy with IBD & I went thru a Naturopath to put Patch on a raw diet, I had to add digestive enzymes, a probiotic & a supplement to the raw also I couldn’t add any bone or organ meats to the diet, I added the supplement that replaced the bone & muscle meat until we slowly introduce everything to his diet…..The raw diet didn’t work out for my boy, he kept regurgitating up digested raw meat & water kept coming back up into mouth 20mins after eating causing bad acid reflux..
Maybe look for good Animal Nutritionist & she can make up a few balanced cooked meals for him that are very easy to digest, here’s the link for “Balance It” click on the “Click on” link, you fill out the quick 40 sec form asking what are your dogs health problems but if your dog has too many health problems more then 2 health problems you have to contact Balance It & one of the vet Nutritionist makes up a special diet for your dog….this way he’s eating a proper balanced cooked diet…
https://secure.balanceit.com/
For now feed the vet diet till you work out what you want to do, is the vet diet dry (kibble) or wet (Tin food)???
Have a look at “Wysong” here’s their link & contact them ask about their Epigen starch free diets in the wet tin foods there’s organic chicken, Rabbit, turkey, duck, salmon & beef these diet would have better ingredients then the vet diets have you may feel better feeding them… http://www.wysong.net/epigen-canned

[Caroline L]

Hi everyone,

Would love some help identifying a high quality low-fat, grain-free kibble for my 6 year old English Bulldog. For the past few months, we have been battling some excessive drooliness & licking and swallowing, usually in the evenings after feeding (ranges from 1-4 episodes per month). Per the vet, we are treating it as acid reflux, for now.

I want to switch him to a different food and see if it helps. He is currently on Petcurean Now Fresh (Canadian brand), rotating him through an all fish blend and the turkey, duck and fish blend. I just started him on a probiotic supplement, and he is also on Cosequin.

Does anyone know off the top of their head of a low fat (under 17%), chicken-free, beef-free (ideally single protein), potato-free, grain-free kibble that is good for dogs with sensitive GIs? I’ve been researching this for months but can’t find anything that is both chicken-free and low-fat.

Thank you so much! This community is a wealth of knowledge, and I’ve enjoyed reading through the threads.

[crazy4cats]

Have you thought about a homemade COOKED diet? Check out balanceIt.com. It helps you formulate balanced diets using their supplements. It is run by veterinarians. Good luck!

[Danielle B]

Hello, I am new to this forum and am hoping to find answers. We recently brought home our new puppy. The breeder was feeding Blue Buffalo fish and oatmeal “adult breed” with royal can in puppy mousse. After coming home we stuck with the exact same regimen and changed nothing. Our puppy developed horrible diarrhea for about 3 weeks. After putting him on a prescription diet, vet recommended along with a digestive supplement, cooking for him and adding pumpkin, it seems that his gut has normalized. It is now time to slowly get him off of the prescription diet however I am still overwhelmed by the choices here. I am looking for a dry kibble in the medium price range. I went into this thinking Blue Buffalo was a decent brand but after reading this website it doesn’t seem to be the best choice. Any suggestions on where to start my bulldog. Being a breed prone to health issues, skin irritations, joint issues, etc,, I would like to get a jump on feeding him properly now before things get out of control. I am looking for any and all suggestions on food, suggested supplements, additives, routines, etc… I also am not clear as to why the breeder feeds his puppies adult food instead of puppy food, any thoughts on this. Also, are english bulldogs considered large breed or medium breed on this website? Thank you for any and all help.

[Melanie B]

Hi Susan
Thank you for the information. I’m going to look into it further. Seems like they have better quality food than anyone else. Of course nothing will compare to home made meals but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make a huge batch of meal for a big dog. I may supplement about 1/4 of his food with this.

Thank you!!

[anonymous]

“Despite some promising laboratory studies suggesting cranberry supplements might help prevent or treat urinary tract infections, the evidence of studies in clinical patients has been disappointing. Conflicting studies in humans suggest, on balance, that there is probably no significant benefit. And now a high-quality clinical trial in dogs has failed to find any effect, even in the the of infections the pre-clinical research most strongly suggested there should be one.
While the risks of cranberry supplements are probably negligible, pet owners should understand, and veterinarians should make in clear to their clients, that there is no good reason to believe they have any real value in preventing or treating urinary tract infections.” (excerpt from link below)

Evidence Update: Finally a Clinical Trial of Cranberry Supplements for Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs

[anonymous]

Your dog may have more than 1 type of stones, my dog had both struvite and calcium oxalate, there is a genetic component, some dogs have a predisposition to develop them.
I think the confusion you are having is that you are listening to homeopathic views (the nutritionist) versus the traditional veterinarian. The two will never agree. I prefer science based veterinary medicine. I would be inclined to listen to your vet and do what he recommends, prescription food and all, you can always add something to it with your vet’s approval. Once the dog is stable, you can re-evaluate diet options.

Did you check the search engine here /forums/search/struvite/
Water, water, and more water.
Frequent bathroom breaks. Otherwise, consult a Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist.
The food can only do so much, most supplements are crap.
The PH strips are a joke, go to your vet every 3 months to check (urine sample).
Even with dietary changes, a change in the PH won’t show up for a month or two (this is what my vet told me).
Also, walk the dog more, get the extra weight off. Two meals a day, measured amounts, no snacks. No free feeding. If need be, 3 small meals per day.
PS: Nothing wrong with prescription dog food. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/more-nonsense-from-holistic-vets-about-commercial-therapeutic-diets/

[C C]

Pam L, they just don’t get it. Or want to admit that their “process” is hurting dogs in minor to major ways. It is always best to avoid dog food with any added “fish oil” anyway since it starts to go rancid as soon as the bag is opened. If the dog needs it, supplements can be given with much fresher and healthier results. They don’t want any responsibility whatsoever on this issue. In order to resolve an issue, a problem has to be acknowledged. Very unfortunate for pets and their pet parents watching dogs suffer.

[Melanie B]

My dog has hemangiosarcoma. He’s a 10 year old rescued pittie. I recently changed his diet to all human food. Cooked from scratch. It’s becoming very difficult to cook meals for a 64lb dog. I’d like to supplement this by some really good brand dog food. Cost not an issue. Any suggestions?

Melanie

[Tessa R]

I have a 5 month old APBT. He recently began eating his feces (gross.) I was advised by a vet tech, not a vet, to put him in a vitamin supplement. They stated that majority of puppies that do this are lacking certain vitamins in their diet. I researched the best foods, and amazingly I already feed him 4.5 star rated food. He eats Taste of the Wild puppy, with a mix of 4health puppy formula, both dry food. I’m not sure what could possibly be missing from his diet, but need something to help with the problem. We clean it up ASAP, but we have half an acre (open to range,) 1 senior dog, and the new puppy so sometimes it’s harder to keep up with. Just wondering what suggestions I can get. Thank you to anyone willing to help!!

[Susan]

Hi,
if you can afford it, contact a Animal Nutritionist & have a few freshly balanced homemade meal made up for him, it will be better then feeding the dry Hills W/d food, the Hills W/d is very very high in fiber, maybe that’s could be why he’s drinking & drinking water or try feeding the wet tin Hill W/d food instead of the W/d dry kibble… What has the vet said??
I just posted this link on another post, google Dr Judy Morgan DMV she has a few dogs with Cushing’s, go to her F/B page & ask does she have a video recipe on You-tube for a dog with Cushing’s… I’ve seen Judy making a recipe & adding a supplement for her 2 girls with Cushing’s….she also used the Honest Kitchen base meal to balance one of her meals, I think that was the meal for her girls with Cushing’s…. also have you joined the Cushing F/B group??

[Susie]

I am interested in this as well. I have a 10 yr old Chi also. I’ve been feeding him The Honest Kitchen Kindly base mix and adding boiled turkey. I have Zeal (fish) on order because I want to try variety. Mine has IBD (not sure which one as we haven’t done major testing) so I wanted something with good ingredients and nothing funky. It is really high in fiber which is why I’m wanting to try Thr fish. High fiber isn’t the best for IBD. Anyway, you may look into THK. I’ve fed several brands of frozen raw which they did well on but the canned foods we have tried didn’t go over so well. We hated Weruva and Zignature. Looking forward to what others recommended. As far as yours lacking energy, you may want to check her b12 level. Mine had a very low level and since supplementing he’s so much perkier and playful.

[Acroyali]

Cassie, one of my dogs developed a gulping/coughing/gagging sound that happened any time, day or night, with no rhyme or reason. It got so bad that he began vomiting whenever it would happen. We, too, went to vets, specialists, did X-rays, bloodwork, scopes etc. They said it was IBD. I disagreed and consulted another vet, who suggested we take him OFF the acid reducers and try something else as he felt the dog had a horrible case of GERD (acid reflux) that had gone out of control, and damaged his stomach lining as well as his esophagus. His problem was he didn’t have *enough* stomach acid, so the acid reducers were covering up the symptoms temporarily, and making the actual problem worse and the lack of stomach acid explained why he was unable to eat anything I gave him without throwing it up during times he was having an episode. The vet prescribed few key supplements, a few homeopathic remedies, and helped me devise a meal plan of cooked food for him to make myself while we helped his gut heal. The vet did advise me, as he apparently advises anyone with a dog that has any kind of stomach problems, that smaller meals are key and larger meals should be avoided. He also suggested I re-seed his gut with good bacteria via probiotics, and make bone broth from organically raised chicken legs and give him several tablespoons per day (lots of naturally occurring L-glutamine that helps heal and seal that gut.)

[anonymous]

What is her diagnosis? Noone here should advise you to give a dog over the counter meds that are intended for humans. They are not veterinarians, and even if they were, they have not examined the dog.
If her condition is neurological, food, over the counter meds, supplements will not help.
Take her to the vet and see what he advises.

[anonymous]

When you are feeding a quality kibble, no supplements are needed (imo).
About a tablespoon of topper, cooked chicken, fish (canned fish is usually cooked), scrambled egg, etc. added to the kibble usually works well.
Again, I don’t think anyone can respond to your question with a blanket statement, it depends on the dog, best to go by what a veterinarian that has examined the dog recommends.
BTW, Orijen is rather rich for an inactive senior dog that may have a medical condition (diagnosed or undiagnosed) my dog with a sensitive stomach abruptly vomited within 20 minutes of being served this quality product (twice). I would add water to any kibble or presoak if the dog has a sensitive stomach. Some supplements, even fish oil, can upset a dog’s stomach, check with your vet first.

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

[Cannoli]

Stephanie,

You do not have to feed whole bones to your dogs. Hare today sells ground bones with their grinds.

If you are totally against all bones (including ground bone) Hare today also sells ground meat without bones and you can add your own calcium supplements

[Cannoli]

Are these dog puppies or are they already grown?

I would skip the brown rice unless your dogs can’t handle a high protein diet.

I would rotate proteins. I prefer to feed my dog more red meat and chicken and turkey more as a treat.

I also prefer to add more organ meat and add tripe but you need to be careful with organ meat since you are already feeding your pups vitamins.

I like to rotate calcium sources too. Sometimes add ground shells, or ground bone, or calcium supplements. I also like to rotate veggies and supplements.

In short this is a good recipe for a short time but ideally the best recipes involve ROTATION of different sources of meat and fish (if your pup has no allergies) rotation of supplments..Maybe use some organic supplements, rotation of veggies, etc to prevent deficiencies.

[Jo C]

also, this is what is in her dog food 🙂 so your both saying she would be good just with that? and if I occasionally want to add more meat like chicken heart or liver of beef I can? or just add more veggies with on top I can?

Ingredients: Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, peas, oatmeal, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, potatoes, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, flaxseed, duck, salmon, egg product, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, dried chicory root, dried kelp, carrots, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, cranberries, rosemary extract, parsley flake, Yucca schidigera extract, l-carnitine, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid

[elaine c]

If you give real uncooked foods, folks you will not need supplements… check out answerspetfood.com….

[Laurie F]

High sodium diet: anything above 0.5%

Hi Whitney,
My original posting included the following: “No risk or mild sodium restrictions include 0.35% to 0.5% equivalent to 100mg/l00kCal; Moderate sodium restriction include 0.1% to 0.35% equivalent to about 80mg/100kCal; Severe sodium restriction is anything less than 0.1% or about 50mg/100kCal.” I find it annoying that they include a bunch of dog foods that seem to be high in sodium content (at least for us), but one has to divvy it down to the risk factor. I am holding to kibble that is 53mg sodium, and kibble that is NO MORE than low 60’s mg sodium. I tried Royal Canin that is actually a prescription kibble @ 50mg. Riley tried eating it once, and after that it was a NO GO! I think she thought I was punishing her! I ended up donating the very pricey bag of food.

I applaud you for caring for the CHF rescue dogs and bringing them into a loving home! I agree with you that I’d also feel very guilty feeding a dog crappy food. Don’t do it! Since she has rotting, maybe painful teeth, there is plenty of low(er) sodium, healthy canned food for her to eat and excellent lower sodium (very soft baked) dog treats. The vet could have suggested Hills Cardio canned food, but it sounds like he’s kinda written her off. You mentioned that you had the Vet put her on Vetmedin? Wasn’t she prescribed that medication when she was originally diagnosed with CHF? I doubt Riley would be here today without Vetmedin from the getgo. Out of respect for my regular vet and a slightly lower cost, I have him do a full blood run every 3 months so I and the Cardiologist can monitor other bodily functions. But that’s about it for her regular vet. If you are upping the Lasix mg (or Salix mg) for her, there is always the possibility her Potassium level may drop, necessitating a daily potassium supplement. Riley takes 12.5 Salix, one in the a.m. and 1 1/2 in the p.m. Only one time early on last year did I have to give her a 1/4 tsp of RenaKare potassium gel (very inexpensive) daily for a brief period of time. Are you also giving the Chinese Crested a higher dosage of Salix since he’s having some issues with fluid build-up? Does he cough? I have only had one incident of ‘fainting’ and Riley letting out high pitched yelps/screams (couldn’t get enough oxygen) and that was the original emergency visit at 1:00 am last April. She had a whole bunch of fluid in her chest. It wasn’t until months later that I asked the Cardio doc why she was ‘screaming’ at the time of the event/collapse. He could only say that he presumed what was happening was really frightening to her in that split second and that the screaming was her fear reaction. No recurrences of fluid build up based on least 3 x-rays over the past year. I noted early on that she did have some increased respiratory in rest mode so Cardio doc increased her Salix to 1 1/2 tab in the evening. She pees like a race horse, but I’d like to think she’s getting rid of that lousy excess fluid in the process. I also understand that a high protein diet (along with the lower sodium food/diet) is attributable to controlling fluid build-up. I repeat, I’ve only been able to get her to eat kibble that is 53mg and another one that is in the low 60’s mg. She also gets high protein chicken (breast and or broiled/baked ground turkey) little portions that I mush into her moistened kibble. Keep in mind, that once I have cooked up a couple of pounds of my ground turkey ‘recipe’, I toss it in the freezer until I need it. I am not living in the kitchen daily to bake or cook! And yes, as a change of pace a few times per month, she gets some low fat/lean minced bits of broiled ground round and some rice mushed into moistened kibble. A quarter pound patty lasts a couple of days for both dogs’ dinners.

Lastly, you might consider giving both or one of them Vetri Cardio Canine by VetriScience. There are 60 bite-sized chews to a bag. One ‘chew’ is for larger wieght dogs, so I cut one ‘chew’ in half and give Riley and Tutzie their respective piece. I’d have 120 chews if I wasn’t treating non-CHF Tutzie… It’s a heart supplement that was highly recommended to me by another CHF dog owner… the gal whose CHF dog is now 16++. You can view it on Chewy.com. If you do buy it, don’t buy the capsules, buy the chews.

Does the rescue group afford xrays/echo cardiograms (probably not ultra-sounds) for the rescue dogs? I know there are some rescue groups that have unreal medical equipment at their disposal. I adore my vet of 25+++ years. However, I will admit that I had concerns about him treating my dog for cardiomyopathy, degenerative valve disease, or congenital heart failure. It’s just not his speciality and he knows that.

[Laura L]

I need advice for my 15+ yr old Affen. I’m new; please forgive me if I’m asking you to repeat advice given previously- I feel like time is of the essence, & I can’t process everything I’m researching all at once. Donald has heart murmur/ recent trip to heart dr/ received good report. She said discontinue enalapril or switch to benazepril. He also takes VetMedin; Lasix; Denamarin. He also has Cushings & was taking Vetoryl until last week.
11/23 was first blood work in a while- I didn’t realize the signs of kidney disease earlier. We also moved recently & had to find new vet. 11/23: BUN 88/ CREA 2.6. SubQ fluids. Acupuncture 11/29 (for arthritis) & holistic vet gave me homemade food recipe, which I fed that Tues/Wed/Thurs. D smelled like ammonia after food. BUN went to >130; CREA 2.0. Then went ER vet for iv fluids (careful to watch heart condition.) He started canned kidney diet. On 12/03, BUN 97; CREA 1.7. SubQ fluids 3x / week & BUN & CREA decrease: 65 & 1.9; 57 & 1.7. I added Azodyl somewhere around this time. 12/15/16: heart dr says discontinue enalapril & clears D for teeth cleaning. Had urine protein test at this time/ it was good (like 2, on a scale to 5.) 12/22: BUN 37 & CREA 1.4. 1/06/17: BUN 41/ CREA 1.3 (I think at this pt we had moved to fluids 2x/ week.) 1/13/17: BUN: 49 CREA 1.3. (Note: D had acupuncture again.) The next week D vomited bile on Wed & Sun and wouldn’t eat. We stopped Vetoryl (I know NOW that it’s bad for filtration & bad with ace inhibitor & with diuretic.) Ate a little rice; broth; chicken but would vomit it. 1/18/17: BUN 90 CREA 1.8. 1/20/17: BUN 107 CREA 1.6. Back to ER vet for iv fluids. 01/21/17: BUN: 83 CREA 1.9. 1/23/17: BUN 70; CREA 2.3. He’s had phosphate binders during both ER trips. I’ve ordered a renal supplement, B vitamins, & omega 3s. What else can I do? Would you feed Darwins even though it has high phosphates? Doesn’t Darwins have a binder in it? Would you try homemade? – I’m hesitant since my only attempt sent his BUN off the charts. Do you think accupuncture could have helped cushings enough to cause an overdose effect since he was taking Vetoryl? Apologies for the long post- Would love any thoughts- it’s a hilly, scary road, & I need you, fellow travelers. Much love -le

[crazy4cats]

I buy a Balance IT supplement if I make my dogs a homemade meal. You can buy one that you just add meat to or another one if you want to add any carbs, veggies or meats of your own to it. https://secure.balanceit.com/ They have an auto balancer to help you figure out all the ingredients to get the right protein and carb percentage you are shooting for.

My dogs really love a homemade meal every now and then. Good luck!

[InkedMarie]

I wouldn’t bother with joint supplements in food, By the time it’s cooked, the supplement is gone. I use In Clover Connectin for my senior dog. I’ve also used K9 Glucosamine but better results with the Connectin. Green Lipped mussel is also recommended.

Dr Tim’s is a great food. If you are on FB, he will answer questions on his FB page.

[David P]

I read a lot of great things about Dr Tim’s! I’ll try it. Thank you 🙂

I don’t give Dewey any supplements. I’ve asked my vet and she said to be cautious? Regretfully, I did not pursue the issue. I ‘believe’ I should be giving him a supplement for his hips & joints. Glucosamine? Is that what you would suggest? Would you advise I take note of how much of that is in the dog food (if any) when determining how much of a supplement to give him? Guess what I’m asking is, if that supplement is in his food, how do I determine how much more to give him? Sorry to sound so foolish.

[InkedMarie]

Hi David,
First, what joint supplements are you giving your dog? Second, you’d do well to eliminate grains and white potato. They can be inflammatory.

[anonymous]

I would go along with the lab work recommended including thyroid, let the vet diagnosis her.
Or find another vet, however, it is not unusual to suggest bloodwork, some vets would like it done once a year.
And what’s wrong with medication that has been prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined the dog, that’s intended to make the dog more comfortable?
The symptoms you describe could be any one of a number of things including allergies.

Regarding the food, again, I would see what the vet recommends. Adding supplements and vitamins seem unnecessary for a pup that young, plus they might upset her stomach more.
I would allow the vet to take further diagnostic tests, get the dog diagnosed, then you can go over your treatment options.
In the meantime I might presoak her kibble and start giving her the reglan as prescribed.
Also, if she hasn’t been spayed, she will be going into heat soon.

[anonymous]

You could try something like Dogswell Happy Hips kibble as a base, and continue with the 1/2 homemade. Check chewy dot com for reviews and more information. My terrier does well on Nutrisca (same company), and my terrier likes the Dogswell Vitality kibble.

PS: I bet your vet will want to order some labs to rule out medical problems.
Regarding supplements and such, check SkeptVet (google for web address) use the search engine there to look up specific topics.

[anonymous]

What are you feeding her now? You could try something like Dogswell Happy Hips
https://www.chewy.com/dogswell-happy-hips-chicken-oats/dp/42571
I like Nutrisca for my poodle-mix which is made by Dogswell, my terrier likes the Dogswell Vitality kibble.
I was thinking of trying the Happy Hips…but, I am leery of supplements. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

Also, make sure she is getting enough water, add water to the kibble or even presoak overnight in the fridg to be on the safe side, a lot of dogs don’t drink enough water.

[anonymous]

Ask the vet when you take her in for a checkup, there are prescription meds that may help to keep her more comfortable. Does she need pain meds? Some meds have potential side effects, some don’t. So discuss the options with your vet.
Supplements don’t do much of anything, but, they will help to lighten your wallet, lol

If you have pet health insurance, ask about aquatic therapy (swimming in a heated pool), if she is overweight or has bad joints, arthritis and your vet prescribes it, it may be covered. Otherwise, it’s a little pricey. It’s really good for them, even once or twice a week for a few minutes.

[Jo C]

Hi,

I have a senior gal that I want to start adding a supplement specifically for her bones. Of course her bones are more fragile and just want to add more comfort for her especially for our walks. She is approx. roughly around 40 pounds from our last vet visit which she needs to go in soon for a check up. Any suggestions?

[Maria S]

Thank you for your replies i really appreciate we are just getting back from our hospital Vet, they started Max our 9 week old french bulldog on Medicated SubQ fluids, to be continue at home, along with the medications and assist- feeding we have been doing.

Food and supplements : A/D canned food (chicken) Pedialyte and synringe feed 3X daily, vet recommended us then transition puppy diet when his appetite improves

Below are what the doctor prescribe us today:
Continue to give all of his medications and Proviable .
Rx: Medicated SubQ fluids: give 60-80 ml under loose skin of the shoulder/back of the neck 3 times daily for 3-4 days adding Baytril, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, to the fluids to help settle his stomach and his stomach and bowels and help him recover

I hope he gets better and this can help anyone else

Once again thank you @ Anon101 @ K C @

[Cannoli]

When I started sneaking veggies into my dogs food I invested in a good blender. I am a fan of sneaking veggies into my homemade dog food as it provides an additional plethora of vitamins that meat can not provide.

I normally feed him 1 large tablespoon per meal. My pup gets two meals a day.

Here is an example of one of the smoothies I make. I rotate veggies every 3 weeks. This makes enough for 3 weeks

large sweet squash roasted in the oven with extra virgin coconut oil- Squash has sweetness that sweetens up the veggie mix and most dogs like a little sweetness in their life.
Organic raw apple
Package of blueberries
Spirulina- This is blue-green algea loaded with minerals and has naturally occurring salt
Mother’s apple cider vinegar
Fresh tumeric root
Fresh ginger
Some fresh parsley
Alfalfa sprouts
Pumpkin seeds
Some organic supplement powder that covers any other vitamins I might be missing.

It taste good to me. It has a hint of sweetness, a little bit of saltiness from the spriulina, and a wonderful coconut apple cider tumeric aroma.

[InkedMarie]

Pamela,
If you go to the Hare Today website, click on “raw food education” (it’s a picture of a cat wearing glasses) then click feeding dogs. Tracey, the owner, says if you feed a variety, all you need is salmon or anchovy oil. I feed strictly Hare and use salmon oil, joint supplements and I feed egg 2-3x weekly.
Tracey is very helpful; email her and she will answer your questions. Remember to do a review, send in pictures, ‘like” Hare on fb to earn points that give you money off future orders!

[Pamela C]

Is it recommended to supplement with hare today? I’m planning on doing half kibble & half raw. I ordered a pretty good selection of protein but I’m just paranoid about giving her too much bone or not enough organ.

[anonymous]

Unless the dog has a specific medical condition that requires him to be on a soft diet. Such as having a sensitive stomach, being endentulous, and some seniors, etc.
If the veterinarian that has examined the dog recommends a soft diet. Then by all means, soak away! Otherwise, dry food as a base with a topper and a splash of water works best, in my experience.
Healthy dogs don’t need supplements……IMO
You really should consult your vet for specific concerns pertinent to your dog.
PS: What is wrong with your dog that you are so worried?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Matthew C-
I believe the vet is telling you not to use Vit c or cranberry supplements with the prescription food because it will over acidify the pH of your dog’s urine. That situation could cause the other type of stones. Struvite stones are formed in alkaline urine. The prescription foods help acidify the urine and increase thirst in your pup. More water and moisture as Anon mentioned will help dilute the urine.

Struvite stones in dogs are often associated with infections as you mentioned. One of my cats had a blockage and ended up in the emergency clinic for three days due to Struvite crystals. I now feed him mostly canned food, keep his litterbox clean, and have a water fountain available. I hope you can find something that works also. Good luck!

[anonymous]

Did you check the search engine here? /forums/search/bladder+stones/
Excerpts from previous posts:
As your vet will confirm, dogs that have a tendency to make bladder stones have to be on a special diet the rest of their lives, this is a serious condition and it just doesn’t go away.
I would comply with the prescription food for now.
And don’t forget, water, water, and more water added to the diet. Ask the vet ….but I believe this helps big time. And frequent bathroom breaks, opportunities to urinate.
“My dog had both (struvite and calcium oxalate), no symptoms till the age of 11, started with UTIs. He has had no recurrences in 4 years since his emergency surgery.
“There is a genetic component and some breeds are more prone to bladder stones”.
“Anyway, if you do nothing else, add water and take her out to urinate frequently”.
PS: Soak the kibble, even the prescription food in water overnight in the fridg, add more water prior to serving. Keep the bladder flushed. Maybe add a little canned prescription food as a topper.
Don’t add supplements unless recommended by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=cranberry

[brit]

my 11yo dog is on a home made diet and tested high Ph and struvite crystals last fall but no infection. Never had him tested before so who knows how long he has had this, my holistic vet put him on a cranberry/herb supplement and told me to make sure he drinks plenty of fluids. I give him distilled water altho he doesn’t really drink much so I make him a bone broth and give him a cup 2xday and home made food with plenty of liquid. I use fewer veggies in his food than I was using as they are alkaline. I bought some Ph test strips and so far his morning urine is perfectly normal. I read somewhere just to go by the morning urine. I also give approx 250mgs ester C daily and a couple of tsps Cranimals (he weighs 50lbs).

[Jan D]

anan101,
No, it is not normal for him to be going 8 times a day. It was normal for him to go 3 times a day before the food switch. I do agree with you though, that grain free foods may produce more stools in some dogs. In my research I have found others saying that their dog experienced an increase after switching to TOTW.

Crazy4cats, thank you for all the info. I think you and Kristen are right about the lack of good flora playing a huge part in this. He is on FortiFlora now, but I noticed there is only one strain (Enterococcus faecium) in it. I take Primal Defense, which are soil based probiotics, and have heard good things about it also helping dogs with gut issues/IBS. I may try to supplement with that as well.
It is good to hear that your pups are now feeling better after their battle with giardia and gives me hope that my guy will get through this.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Jan D-
I can also relate to your situation as my pups both had several rounds of medication for Giardia. It was a tough case where they kept giving it back and forth. And yes, their tummies were messed up for months! Metronidazole is a strong antibiotic that helps kill parasites and bacteria, but unfortunately also kills the good bacteria. Here is some info: http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/metronidazole-for-dogs/

I would feed the prescription food for a while to help heal the tummy as you mentioned in an earlier post. I don’t think it will have to be a permanent diet. I used a few supplements that contain probiotics that I believe helped as well. You probably would NOT want to use these with prescription food, however. They are Vetri Science BD, Gastriplex, Perfect Form and/ or Forti Flora.

The food that they finally did well on was Victor Grain Free Hero Formula. I can’t be certain it was the food or the fact that their tummies were finally getting better after so many rounds of Metronidazole and Panacur. But, I was ecstatic either way!! Oh yes, they also managed to get Coccidia in which they had to take meds for. 🙁

Here is a site with some helpful info on healing tummies: http://www.dogaware.com Check out their digestive disorders section. I hope this is helpful. How is it going now?

[Acroyali]

“Because, it is clear to most medical professionals that a lot of the things some homeopathic vets recommend clearly have potential to harm animals.”

Ah, but there are indeed two sides to this coin.
Some things that conventional veterinarians recommend can harm animals, too. Monthly steroid shots, yearly vaccines, and poor food can have their downfalls. Ignoring the fact that quacks are quacks no matter HOW they practice is ignorant.
I had a very sick dog. After 4 grand spent at a local animal hospital, my dog was no better. I started exploring other treatment methods, as it was getting ridiculously expensive and, more importantly, my dog was not getting better. A very pragmatic holistic vet worked with me. He recommended medication (not “holistic” medication, but “medication”) to get my poor dog some relief…WHILE we worked on what was causing the problems in the first place. For my other dog, he strongly recommended heart medications–3 separate kinds–but we devised a few other things in the form of supplements that seemed to add length and vigor to his life. He outlived everyone’s expectations.
There is no magic treatment that fits every animal. THAT is what holistic medicine should be all about–sizing up the patient. It really has little to nothing to do with scorning the usage of life-saving drugs. Take into account a dog or cats over all health, diet, activity level, exercise tolerance, age, past health problems, right down to their emotional state (are they high strung and anxious, or easy going?) That’s the kind of practice I respect. Any vet who completely ignores the patient’s progress and only pumps more medications into them is wrong, as is the holistic vet who scorns the use of ANY medication and lets an animal suffer in the name of “holistic healing.” The two ways CAN work together, and work very well.
I recently read of a homeopath who “fired” a client because her dog became very ill, spiking a fever in the middle of the night, so the dog was rushed to the ER and placed on antibiotics. Because of placing the dog on these life saving medications, the homeopath fired the client, stating that she refused to work with someone who wasn’t holistically minded. Absolutely RIDICULOUS and I would have fired the homeopath because he or she could have fired me.
Quacks and quacks. They’re not limited to one form of practice. And it completely sucks that there are so many holistic vets (and doctors) who feel antibiotics are bad when your pet spikes a 105 degree fever and scorn the use of life-saving drugs in an elderly pet to give them more time, and better quality of life. And it completely sucks that there are many allopathic and conventional vets who roll their eyes the minute someone mentions a supplement or herb that seemed to help their animal. I refuse to patronize either kind.
Just my opinion.