[Patricia A]

James again my bad when just scanned your post . Trying to do my best in caring for my elderly mom with dementia. Just not doing a thorough job of reading between lines and replying in what I always hoped was some tidbit of helpful advice from my past experiences in having owned and cared for dogs since my kids were little.
It’s obvious from your post that you are a VERY responsible dog owner . Should never judge since been there ourselves with spending $1000 and two weeks later another problem which we would resolve when we waited a few days. Can write a book on serious health issues which the vet actually caused. Autoimmune issues from a shot which dog needed bone marrow test to detererimen it was response from a lepto shot. Chloe in for x-rays at 13 because of labored breathing. Showed Pneumonia . Sent home with meds and told she’ll be fine. Middle of the night gasping for air. Passed in car. Healthy puppy given kennel cough immunization before being spayed and came down with a VERY BAD COLD from the intranasal . Then given to my immune compromised(the one with the lepto shot). UHHH VETS: Do no harm but not always the case.

Never considered looking into supplements. So when have time will educate myself . Always prefer more holistic solutions then strong meds which cause more serious side effects then the problem itself.
So having had a Doxie own us. lol my only advice s weight and back issues. I’m sure you’re aware of this though. The yelping when touched could be disc related that is so common in the long backed Doxies. No jumping off couch . Also the pain would cause the panting .
Orthopedic bedding . Sometimes the bottom of the dog beds have no support and they lay on floor.
Wishing Dalilah many more years of a happy healthy life.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

James I’m sorry you feel my answer was condescending. Given your list of symptoms your 14 year old dog was suffering it would have been misguided for anyone on this forum to give you advice on causation and cure.
I’m with you on vets at times causing more problems with strong meds that at times are overkill and cause more harm then good. My dog has loose stool, I don’t run to vet for pills to cure. I look into their diet. I didn’t possibly phrase the question regarding supplements correctly. I was questioning actually the supplements and the reason for them. Just because they are “supplements” it does not mean they do not come without side effects which may effect each dog differently. So possibly I was thinking maybe a new supplement might be causing all those symptoms. https://www.parakeethome.com/dog-vitamins-side-effects/
If you read someone else write all these worrying symptoms in an elderly dog I believe you would be alarmed that this dog can be on a downward spiral and also is suffering.
You wrote: my 14 year old dachshund named Dalilah had puffy upper lip folds. They were both equally visibly puffy.
That same night, she was frantically walking around whining and excessively licking the carpet.
The face puffiness is gone and the carpet licking has stopped, however, for the past day or 2 since this happened, she has been lethargic, and also very nervous and scared. If I touch her with the slightest pressure, she yelps loudly and nips at me.
She also has bouts of quick labored breathing and what appears to be disorientation.
Sorry again for not reading about the cash part. Just stood out that symptoms seemed very serious and I felt for your dog especially since my Doxie Pookie who lived to 17 years still is a legend around our home for his antics.
Very happy to hear your pup is herself again.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Patricia A.

[James H]

Patricia A,

My dachshund is back to 100% perfect health. My belief is that she had an infection of some sort and after packing her with high quality nutrition, she is completely back to her normal self. I guess that answers your question “why all the supplements?”

I really dont appreciate your condescending attitude when you say “sorry but a responsible owner would take their very elderly dog to the vet with these symptoms.”

Patricia were you going to pay for my dog’s vet bill? Would you pay for her testing and medicines? Ever think that maybe I’d like to but I dont have the money for a vet right now?

My dog has been to the vet in the past, and after $6,500 for ivdd surgery I didnt have any more money for a vet at the moment. Supplements and internet research are cheaper than vets and their rip off prices like hundreds of dollars for a 5 minute xray.

Maybe you should think about these things before you condescend and tell people that if they cant afford a vet at the moment they’re not responsible pet owners.

I fixed her myself with “all those supplements,” and yes she had a reaction to them, the reaction was she got her full health back.

Let this be a lesson to you that not being able to afford a vet at the moment is due to a lack of cash, NOT a lack of character.

Thanks for nothing Patricia.

[Patricia A]

“She also has bouts of quick labored breathing and what appears to be disorientation.”
Sorry, but a responsible owner would take their very elderly dog to the vet with these symptoms. Please don’t let her suffer. This could be heart related.
Face puffiness, yes could be an allergy or got stung. Acting scared could be in pain or the side effect of the sting ? But you wrote that has cleared up. Carpet licking could be dropped food? No cleaners on carpet that could have caused lip swelling?
Hope you had time to bring your Doxie to the vet by now. Also why all of these supplements? Any one of these can cause side effects.

[James H]

Before the inevitable “take her to a vet” responses, I just want to say I’m not able to take her at this time, so I just wanted to see if anyone has had an experience like this with their dogs before.

Heres the deal, about 2 days ago, I noticed that my 14 year old dachshund named Dalilah had puffy upper lip folds. They were both equally visibly puffy.

That same night, she was frantically walking around whining and excessively licking the carpet.

The face puffiness is gone and the carpet licking has stopped, however, for the past day or 2 since this happened, she has been lethargic, and also very nervous and scared. If I touch her with the slightest pressure, she yelps loudly and nips at me.

She also has bouts of quick labored breathing and what appears to be disorientation.

Heres the kicker though, her appetite has been excellent. She eats all of her food and even barks at me to out her food in the bowl faster when she sees me grab her food from the fridge (something shes always done). Here food by the way used to be zignature canned venison limited ingredient formula, now shes on stella and chewy’s raw frozen food beef formula.

She doesnt get around as much as she did before all this happened, but when it’s food time, she gets right up enthusiastically and walks into the kitchen.

I switched her food after this happened, thinking that a more wolf like diet is more biologically appropriate and therefore healthier.

Shes also urinating and defecating perfectly normal.

I dont know if she got bit by an insect or what, but heres what I’ve been giving her supplement wise:

– manuka honey 1tsp per day (umf 20)

– dr mercolas probiotics

– dr mercolas liver and kidney support

– hawthorn berry liquid (in case it’s a heart issue)

– Cbd oil specifically for pets to help her sleep

– Bio C vitamin c with bioflavanoids for pets

– Nordic naturals ultimate omega fish oil for dogs

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this.

Based on all of these symptoms, face puffiness, licking the carpet, acting scared, does anyone have any possible idea of what this sounds like??? I’m completely stumped.

[Laura L]

Moni – Glad that your vet has a plan for your pup. What is the pentason? I’ve never heard of that one. My good friend was in a similar situation with her yorkie. Rocky is tiny…only 5 pounds. She was giving him cerenia and hydrocodone and he wasn’t really feeling any better. She was worried because that’s a lot of strong medication for a tiny pup. Rocky is what got me to researching CT and alternative products. It’s been about 2 years since I posted above. My friend has been using the Ultraflex and Lypozyme from this site
https://www.askariel.com/collapsed-trachea-supplements-s/1896.htm
and Rocky is doing really good. She changed his food to raw (like you did) and it really helped. He doesn’t gag or choke anymore when he’s eating. Rocky doesn’t need the cerenia at all anymore and he only gets the hydrocodone once in a while…like during the fireworks last week.
Hope that your dog continues to do well!

[Patricia A]

Maybe stick to one food without the lamb or beef. Might be too high in fat. Stick with ONLY the food and no other supplements. Any change in food will give diarrhea for mine. So maybe just boiled white meat chicken with skin cut off before boiling and some white rice. Mix in a high quality kibble with only a few kibbles in bowl to get used to. Mine do well with Stella Chewy’s grain free chicken with no stomach problems. Or look here on DFA for 5* proteins/flavors/brands because I believe those are lower in fat. But I think key at least for mine is give new kibble a chance for her digestive system to get used to so you don’t start over and switch again thinking it’s the food each time . This way you can get up to a full bowl in maybe a week or so and if diarrhea again then start process over until find one that agrees with him.
Hope this helps for your pup.

[houndraptor]

Okay, so for starters this is my first self-owned dog ever. He’s a retired racing Greyhound, and I’m a pre-veterinary college student who overthinks like everything and worries constantly about my dog.

My hound came home in January, and I first started feeding him ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach salmon & oatmeal… he had loose stool & pretty bad dandruff, which the vet chalked up to being due to stress. I switched him to ProPlan beef & rice, and he continued to have loose stool but the dandruff became literally horrific like it looked like it was snowing on him. NOT allergies, and he weirdly wasn’t itchy? He just had ridiculously dry skin.

Then, I switched him to Taste of the Wild Ancient Grains (the lamb one) in hopes of trying to curb his dandruff (omega-3 supplements weren’t helping), and he had HORRIFIC diarrhea, I mean like straight up he had the runs. I took him to the vet the next morning and we did a course of metronidazole & probiotic paste. The probiotic paste gave him some temporary relief.

Because of his reaction to TOTW, I switched him to Canidae beef & oatmeal. And honestly? he was doing really well for awhile. I was also supplementing fiber through Olewo Carrots for awhile, but we ran out and have been issues ordering another bag until yesterday. We were still having 50/50 loose stool and good poops, my only qualm was that he seems to have a duller coat. And now we are here…. Aaaand he is having liquid shoot-out-the-butt poops again- I bought him Fortiflora, but I don’t think it’s doing much to help. I made him an appointment to see the vet again but they couldn’t squeeze us in until Thursday. I’m kind of at a loss lol… I feel like total garbage and I don’t know what to do 🙁

He doesn’t have any other symptoms than the diarrhea either! It’s not parasites (I’ve had him tested twice), he’s not lethargic, he isn’t in pain, he’s not itchy, he’s not vomiting, he’s eating & drinking like normal, there’s no blood. He’s totally normal other than having horrific diarrhea!

[Emma S]

Sorry almost all wellness and core has nengaden fish meal. The chicken core, which doesn’t state where the chicken originated, has salmon oil.

I decided it’s no big deal all to make homemade meals with a vet approved supplement. Almost every brand is now taken over by the big companies with resulting menu changed

[Melinda J]

I was wondering if you could do a rating on the Small Breed Grain Free Dry Kibble from Pure Balance. I noticed that the ingredients are a little different than the regular kibble. Is there anything in it that may be known as a common allergen?

Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, dried ground pea, tapioca, whole ground potato, turkey meal, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, pea protein, natural flavor, dried ground carrot, dried egg powder, sunflower oil, dicalcium phosphate, salt, menhaden fish oil, zinc proteinate, l-threonine, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, choline chloride, taurine, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, dl-methionine, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, biotin, l-carnitine, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.

Also, this is a supplement that I am curious about. It is called: The One from Front of the Pack

Ingredients:

Active ingredients
Ingredient Typical values per scoop
Partially hydrolyzed guar gum (SunFiber®) 525mg
Whole Antarctic krill meal (Qrill®; Euphasia superba) 500mg
Glucosamine HCI (GreenGrown® [shellfish-free]) 250mg
Chondroitin Sulphate (CS b-Bioactive® [bovine]) 100mg
Methylsulfonylmethane (OptiMSM®) 100mg
Taurine (Ajipure®) 100mg
Curcumin Phytosome® complex (Meriva®; Curcuma longa [root]) 60mg
L-carnitine (Carniking®) 50mg
Bifidobacterium lactis BPL1 CECT 8145 (heat-treated) 50mg
Green tea extract (Sunphenon® 90D; Camellia sinesis [leaf], decaffeinated) 40mg
Certified organic ashwagandha extract (Sensoril®; Withania somnifera [root, leaf]) 30mg
L-theanine (Suntheanine® enzymatically produced/solvent-free) 25mg
Other ingredients
Certified organic brown kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides [fruit]), natural chicken flavor (vegan), silicon dioxide mineral source; stabilizer/carrier for L-carnitine].

1 Certified organic by EcoCert
2 Certified organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers

Macronutrient facts
Amount per serving
Calories < 4
Calories from fat < 2
Total fat < 0.2g
Total carbohydrate 0.4g
Dietary fiber 0.4g
Sugars 0g
Protein 0.3g
Not intended to replace meals or food. Use as a supplement only.

[crazy4cats]

Wow! I just took a look at their website. You should not have to supplement your dog with that many vitamins if you are feeding a complete and balanced food. In fact, you may cause them harm. They especially do not need digestive enzymes unless they have certain medical conditions.

This supplement looks good to humans, but not for dogs. It does not look like there is any type of veterinary nutritionist involved with the formulation. In fact it says this: Dr. Dennis Black is a Naturopathic Doctor and not licensed to practice human or veterinary medicine in any state. I’d steer clear!

Talk to your vet if you think your dog is lacking something in their diet!

[aimee]

Hi J B,

This is an interesting question and I’ll give you my thoughts. When two complete and balanced foods are mixed the resulting mixture is complete and balanced. However, feeding for weight loss is a special situation, a complete and balanced food, when fed to achieve weight loss, may not meet nutrient needs.

This is because nutrient levels in foods are tied to an assumed average intake. Because a caloric deficit is needed to achieve weight loss, weight loss foods need to be fortified with nutrients so that when feeding fewer calories a dogs nutrient needs are met.

In this situation you are asking if feeding a presumed fortified with a non fortified food will meet the dogs needs. To answer that you’d need to know the nutrient levels of each food to calculate the levels in the resulting mix, factor in the amount being fed and then compare to needs.

To add to the puzzle is that the nutrients in the vitality formula to support senior health will be being fed at a lower level which may or may not affect outcome.

You said your dog weighs 83 lbs. How much of the vitality formula is she eating a day? What other calorie sources are consumed? Treats, Supplements, dental chews etc. In my experience, Hill’s feeding guidelines are well calculated and so if currently she is consuming an amount at the higher end of the feeding recommendations I’d simply cut back to the lower range and trim other sources. If however she is already consuming at the lower end of the Vitality feeding range, and you would need to feed less than the recommended amount of that diet to achieve weight loss I’d consider switching completely over to a weight loss formula

Finally, Hill’s has a vet support service and you can ask your vet to contact Hill’s, discuss your particular dog, and get customized feeding advice.

[KathyA P]

We give all 12 of our dogs Steadfast Canine. The big dogs get large breed, the little ones small breed. The vet had said several of ours would need luxating patella surgery. Since they were young we decided to try supplements first. All are now doing great! They’re pricey but worth it. http://www.arenus.com

[KathyA P]

You sound like an awesome pet person with all you do for your dogs! We vary between Open Farm and Honest Kitchen and sometimes add their toppers. We always add a little warm water. We have 12 dogs. Two of them are picky eaters but one loves Honest Kitchen. The other loves Open Farm Turkey and Chicken grain free. I’m keeping track of the research about grain free but they’ve been on it a long time with no issues. Japanese Chin are also prone to luxating patella and the vet said a couple of them would require surgery. We had a rescue years ago that had permanently dislocated knees that we had put in place and his tibia needed moved. 12 weeks of cage rest and physical therapy three times daily. He did great! We decided since these two were young we would try supplements first. We bought Steadfast Canine supplements from Arenus.com. They love taking them and no more problems. We feed twice daily. If your pups get picky, you might check out http://www.openfarmpet.com I love the small size on the kibble too!

[runi K]

You should never give your dog human vitamins, or even over-the-counter dog vitamins or supplements. Be sure to follow your vet’s directions on how much and how often to give the pills, treats or capsules prescribed to you.

[Anthony A]

These are their other foods that they offer. Which would you guys recommend I switch my German shepherd to once he’s 12 months and no longer needs the puppy formula. From what I’ve read grain free is not a good thing so I’m skeptical of those.
Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
Pet Wants Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 25.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.0%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min) – 2.85%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min) – 0.62%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Millet, Oat Groats, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Ground Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Menhaden Fish Meal, Egg Product, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Chicken Cartilage (Source of Chondroitin Sulfate), Potassium Chloride, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Salt, Lecithin, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, L-Lysine, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Fructooligosaccharide, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Dried Seaweed Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate.

Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
Pet Wants Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages except growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 25.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.0%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min) – 2.50%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min) – 0.64%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Ground Grain Sorghum, Whitefish Meal, Oat Groats, Millet, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Potato Protein, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Monosodium Phosphate, Dried Tomato Pomace, Lecithin, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Fructooligosaccharide, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl- 2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

Salmon Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food
Pet Wants Salmon Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 25.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 3.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min) – 2.5%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min) – 1.43%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Salmon Meal, Brown Rice, Millet, Ground Grain Sorghum, Oat Groats, Whitefish Meal, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Monosodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Alfalfa Meal, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Dried Blueberries, Dried Cranberries, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Fructooligosaccharide, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

Whitefish Meal & Duck Meal Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
Pet Wants Whitefish Meal and Duck Meal Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 30.0%
Crude Fat, min – 16.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 4.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid * (min) – 2.85%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid * (min) – 0.56%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredients Panel:
Whitefish Meal, Duck Meal, Field Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Tapioca Starch, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Whole Ground Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Dried Seaweed Meal, DL-Methionine, Salt, Monosodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Fructooligosaccharide, Calcium Carbonate Vitamin E Supplement, L- Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product

Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
Pet Wants Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for All Life Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 29.0%
Crude Fat, min – 14.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 3.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid * (min) – 2.60%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid * (min) – 0.71%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredient Panel:
Chicken Meal, Field Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas, Turkey Meal, Tapioca Starch, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Sweet Potato, Salmon Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Tomato Pomace, Chicken Cartilage (Source of Chondroitin Sulfate) Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Salt, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Taurine, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Fructooligosaccharide, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2- Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

[Anthony A]

Hey I’ve been feeding my dog this food his whole life and I wanted to get some opinions on it. He’s a 11 month old working line german shepherd. It’s a freshly made slow cooked food that I get delivered to my home every 4 weeks. These are the ingredients, this is the puppy formula.

Puppy Formula Dog Food
Pet Wants Puppy Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for the Growth and Lactation/Gestation Stages including growth of large breed dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein, min – 28.0%
Crude Fat, min – 17.0%
Crude Fiber, max – 3.5%
Moisture, max – 10.0%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid * (min) – 3.25%
Omega 3 Fatty Acid * (min) – 0.68%
* Not recognized as an essential nutrient by AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles.

Ingredient Panel:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Ground Grain Sorghum, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Oat Groats, Whitefish Meal, Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Brewers Dried Yeast, Pea Protein, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Ground Flaxseed, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Lecithin, Chicken Cartilage (Source of Chondroitin Sulfate), Potassium Chloride, Salt, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Dried Cranberries, Dried Blueberries, Fructooligosaccharide, Turmeric Powder, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl- 2-Polyphosphate, Mixed Tocopherols, Niacin Supplement, Kelp Meal, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Citric Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation product.

[Karisa K]

I have a 18 week old Siberian, pure bred, from
Champion AKC lines & has had diarrhea since receiving him @ 9 weeks. Taking out stress, anxiety induced diarrhea from his travels,flight, separation from litter, the vet & a new home + tested for everything Vet placed him in RC High Energy Gastro Wet & worked. However, not sustainable & even tho Royal Canine is a vet brand & has been around there are so many more high quality, fewer ingredients + raw or other like Brands from Europe that have much higher food controls then US. Thought chicken, white meat allergy b/c of itching of ears/rears & tried Taste of Wild salmon puppy only fish, no chicken & that worked for 2 weeks then diarrhea again. No treats other than a split antler . which Breeder recommended. Yes, did boiled Turkey rice pumpkin & had added pumpkin supplement all along. Trying a new vet today. Only 2x has he become lethargic & did put weight on when on Taste of Wild but that now causes diarrhea. Also tried only filtered water. No difference. Have tried lamb too, nope.
Was Wondering if any of you have experienced a protein intolerance above 30% ? Which is the protein % of RC. All others are much higher protein/fat to vegetable/fruit (fiber) ratios.
Yes- did The prescription grade probiotics and prebiotic’s two rounds, raw goat milk, and also the traditional antibiotic anti-diarrhea protocol.

[rick M]

Did you try to use dog joint supplements, those are some of the best available on the market.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 8 months ago by rick M.

[Jennifer H]

Hello everyone,

I came here to ask for some feedback about the dog food I am feeding my 2 dobermans. It is a dog food brand from my country as I want to support my country’s economy. But I never really got any feedback if the ingredients are any good I was ignored whenever I asked someone as I’m not that knowledgable, I even tried to search a nutritionist but since I don’t know what they call it in my country I couldn’t find any.

The ingredient list was put into google translate since I was lazy translating it from Slovak to English. Also the dog food is for puppies.

Ingredients:
Dried beef 45% (percentage stated after processing, in the dried state), brown natural rice, fresh turkey meat 10% (percentage stated after processing, in the dried state), turkey and duck fat (natural tocopherols, source of vitamin E) , beetroot, carrots, spinach, parsley, borage oil, linseed oil, basil, echinacea, peppermint, motherwort, dandelion, beef collagen, glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, humic substances, hemp flour, oyster mushroom edible chestnut, St. John’s wort, psyllium, brewer’s yeast (source of MOS – mannooligosaccharides), chicory inulin (source of FOS – fructooligosaccharides), yucca schidigera extract.

Analytical components:
crude protein 30%, fat content 18%, crude ash 7.5%, crude fiber 3%, calcium 2%, phosphorus 1.2%, moisture 8%.

Nutritional supplements in 1kg:
Vit. A (3a672a) 11,200 m. j., Vit.D3 (3a671) 1100 m. j., Vit. E (alpha-tocopherol) (3a700) 250 m. j., Vit. B1 (3a821) 4mg, Vit. B2 (3a825i) 8mg, Choline chloride (3a890) 500mg, Niacinamide (3a315) 50mg, Calcium pantothenate (3a841) 15mg, Nicotinic acid (3a315) 50mg, Folic acid (3a316) 1mg

Trace elements:
Iron (ferrous sulphate, monohydrate) (3b103) 210mg, Zinc – Zn (zinc oxide) (3b603) 180mg, Manganese-Mn (manganese oxide) (3b502) 64mg, Copper-Cu (copper sulphate pentahydrate) (3b405) 10mg, Iodine-I (potassium iodide) (3b201) 3mg, Selenium-Se (sodium selenite) (3b801) 0.12mg, Glucosamine min. 350mg, Chondroitin 80mg

[JadedCanuck]

Greetings, my 14-year-old dog has recently been diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease. The vets have suggested a prescription renal diet but I am reluctant to put him on any prescription diets, not only due to the poor ingredients but because he did very poorly on one in the past. He has allergies to chicken and the biggest roadblock that I am having is that he has allergies to all grains. This includes rice, pasta, oats, barley, quinoa, yeast, tapioca, couscous, wheat germ. Many of the recipes out there call for some form of grains for the carbs.

I live in Canada and picked up a book from my vet called Hilary’s Renal Diet Cookbook. The recipes are to be used with the supplements to make for a complete diet. Unfortunately, there is only one recipe out of the entire book that will accommodate his allergies. I have communicated with the author of the book and was told that I cannot make substitutions in the recipes with the carbs and proteins. I live in Canada and unfortunately, we just do not have the resources here like in the States where there is a multitude of companies who have high-quality, K9 KD products.

Just wondering if any forum users have any of the same obstacles I’m facing and any suggestions on where to find something that I can feed my dog outside of pork and potatoes.

[Adnan A]

An energetic dog is the best partner one could have. That being said, it is very difficult for them to keep up with their energy unless provided with the right supplements. The top best glucosamine for dogs reviews.
https://reviewistic.com/joint-supplement-for-dogs/

[Adnan A]

A healthy dog is a happy dog.

An energetic dog is the best partner one could have. That being said, it is very difficult for them to keep up with their energy unless provided with the right supplements. If you have been looking for the best joint supplement for dogs, this article will be of great help. The best joint supplement for dogs joint chews for dogs on rewiewistic.
https://reviewistic.com/joint-supplement-for-dogs/

[Larry C]

Late last night I was watching TV and saw “Ruff Green supplement for dogs” to add to your dog food.
Had hope to see something good or bad here.
It is costly, but got me think about it.
Yay or Nay

[Adnan A]

An energetic dog is the best partner one could have. That being said, it is very difficult for them to keep up with their energy unless provided with the right supplements. If you have been looking for the best joint supplement for dogs, this article will be of great help. The best top joint supplement for dogs joint chews for dogs on rewiewistic.
https://reviewistic.com/joint-supplement-for-dogs/

[Elizabeth B]

Great Information thank you all. But I’m confused. I have a Great Pyr 125lbs of love, and gets a lot of belly groin pustules. So I thought it was food allergies. Thanks for suggestion it might be environmental instead. Nevertheless, all the suggestions for good food for large breed are grain free. Yet studies came out in the last two years AGAINST grain free because of development of cardiomyopathy. In the studies, 93% were eating peas and lentils. Vet warned about this. So do you still recommend Gentile Giants or Pro Plan or Wellness simple? but maybe supplement? thanks

[Chipy]

Hi Diane,

Sorry to hear you are going through this with your beloved Havanese boy and I hope to provide you with some information that might be helpful.

Dr. Dobias has written an article about liver disease in which he discusses elevated enzymes and his protocol. He has seen excellent results from the bi-annual liver cleanse protocol, both proactively and for dogs dealing with existing liver issues and enzyme elevation.

Treating & Preventing Liver Disease Naturally:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014997-treating-and-preventing-liver-disease-naturally

LiverTune is an herbal supplement recommended for high liver enzymes and liver conditions:
LiverTune®

It’s great that you feed him raw food, but please be careful with liver treats. Dehydrated treats can be harmless in small amounts but toxic when it is frequently given – like dehydrated liver treats.

The reasons why liver treats, especially the dehydrated ones, put our dogs in danger of hypervitaminosis A are that they are greatly reduced in volume during dehydration, and they contain ten times or more vitamin A than the raw liver or cooked liver.

Liver treat toxicity in dogs:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/liver-treat-toxicity-in-dogs

12 things you must know about dog treats:
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014081-12-things-you-must-know-about-dog-treats

I hope this helps. Wishing you and your pup all the best in happiness and good health 🙂
Chipy

[Susan]

Hi Ryan,
I feed Patch – “Canidae Pure Senior” its has 10.80%max- fat, high protein-30% & low/med carbs around 30%carbs, also the lower the fat% & lower the protein% kibbles are higher the carbs, same with HIGH fiber diets can also cause Acid reflux, too much Omega oils, NSAID, steriod medications, joint, Arthritis, skin supplements, can also cause acid reflux…

Look at Canidae Pure Weight Management kibble its 9%-fat, has same or very similar ingredients to the Canidae Pure Senior kibble & the fiber is 5% alot of Weight Management kibbles are low fat but high in fiber.
https://www.canidae.com/dogs/canidae-pure-grain-free-weight-management-dry-dog-food-chicken/

I try & stick with around 10-13%max- Fat, 30%-Protein & 30%-Carbs, fiber-5% & under & the kibble has to have Potato or Sweet Potato or both.
People don’t realise the dog also needs low/med carbs & try & avoid fermentable grains as they ferment in the gut causing acid reflux – wheat, barley, oats and rye, most vet diets contain these grains Patches acid reflux seems to get worse when eating grain Gastrointestinal vet diets .
What I’ve found over the years, dogs who suffer with Acid reflux seem to do better on a Grain Free Potato diets, when the dog is having a acid reflux attack- I boil Sweet potato in small pieces & I freeze – take out 1 piece sweet potato, put on plate in Microwave to thaw then I mash the sweet potato give to dog, the potato settles dog or human esophagus, throat & stomach…
For Lunch I buy Tin- Yellow Fin Tuna, Tuna is the lowest in fat & low in omega oils, Sardines & Salmon are too strong for Patch, he mouth licks, I add boiled mashed White & Sweet Potato also add the white of a boiled egg sometimes, the yellow egg yoke is high in fat.
For his Arthritis he’s 12yrs old now, I’ve been doing Physiotherapy twice a day as he cant take NSAID drugs, his vet said Physio will extend his life as alot of dogs get Put To Sleep cause they become so stiff & cant walk in the end, he takes Panadol Children Chewable 3+years 120mg when in pain, 10mg per kg..
I do the Sausage Roll Massage as your massaging & rolling dog skin you’ll feel dogs skin flinching stop & hold the twitching roll/skin for 5-10sec it will be a bit uncomfortable at first so offer the dog treats or his kibble after 1 week its not as painful & Patch rolls have stop twitching.

Have you joined F/B group called “Acid Reflux in Dogs” I cant believe how many poor dogs are suffering with Acid Reflux.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1635198406751056

[Patricia A]

Sound like a good starter plan Subby. With any luck it was only the treats that were disagreeing with her. So stools firm up and none of those treats. Then slowly introducing the kibble back maybe even starting with just two on top of her chicken/rice. Then four etc. No reason even to stop the chicken at times even if the kibble is agreeing with her. I often feed pieces of hard boiled egg to mine also. Don’t think that would disagree with most dogs and the white of the egg is another source of good protein. Just first make sure introducing the egg when no diarrhea for awhile so it’s easy to tell the foods that doesn’t work with her.
Maybe, with time you can introduce another treat. I use freeze dried in open Farm or Bixbi. Their just little nuggets in different protein. Also had luck with feeding these even to my one that tends toward sensitive stomach. Just one though to see how she does. Even a string bean could be a nutritious treat as an answer to a question below. .
(Yes, your dog can eat green beans. Plain, unseasoned green beans can be a healthy addition to supplement your dog’s diet. Just remember: all dogs react differently to each and every food. Moderation is key here to avoid gas or diarrhea.) I myself give canned. My one doesn’t digest the raw . The other like raw carrots though.
UHHH I!! know how she feels. Just figured out that I can continue eating Japanese food. It wasn’t the rolls but the the salad dressing they used that was doing me in. lol Keep me updated and fingers crossed no more tummy trouble.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Patricia A.

[Ryan K]

Oh yes I meant to say HILLS and said Science Diet. That is what my dog is on but I really want to get him off of it because I feel that it is overpriced for something just full of filler and nothing truly healthy. I’m wondering if another food has a similar fat content with a low omega oil content too? He gets acid from a lot of foods due to the oil content. He can’t take any supplemental oil or he gets super sick. It’s frustrating since so many foods are jam packing their kibble with omega oils now. I understand it’s good for them but it’s so triggering for my dogs reflux. 😭

[Brandon Y]

Hello Lynn! I am a product specialist at a pet store and enjoy helping others find pet foods. You may want to look into Sportmix Wholesomes lamb sensitive skin and stomach. It has some better ingredients than the Purina, plus it’s made by a local Indiana company. Here’s a link

https://www.sportmix.com/dog-food/wholesomes/wholesomes-sensitive-skin-stomach-with-lamb-protein/

Ingredients :
Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Ground Rice, Dried Egg, Pacific Whiting Meal, Pearled Barley, Canola Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Beet Pulp, Rice Bran, Flaxseed, Dried Yeast, Natural Flavors, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary Extract.

[Lisa V]

My dog has battled off and on with PLE and IBD, I’ve been feeding him boiled chicken, brown rice with frozen Kale or spinach or other veggie added for 1.5 years. I also supplement with a tablespoon of pure pumpkin puree. Because he’s on a homemade diet I give him GNC Ultra Mega Superfood Complex for dogs powered vitamins. I’ve tried some of the veterinary formulas but they don’t seem to help. Try homemade for a while and cook big batches and freeze it so you don’t have to cook all the time.

[Lisa V]

I’m still having luck with my homemade diet for my lab/Rotweiller mix.It’s been 1.5 years since his vet at Tufts said he would die. He gets boiled chicken breast and brown rice mixed with frozen kale or spinach or some other vegetable. I often add a tablespoon on pure pumpkin puree and a hard boiled egg daily. I also supplement with some canned salmon for lunch because I am home, and I try to feed less food more frequently. I cook in bulk and freeze the chicken so I only cook once/week or so. He’s on 1 Metronidazole per day and the GNC Ultra Mega Superior Complex power is available again so he gets that supplement daily. Try a homemade diet and see if it makes a difference.

[Jessa J]

Hi everyone,

I have a 9 year old bichon with ckd and proteinuria. She has recently had 2 pancreatitis flare up’s which I’m assuming is from having her on Hill’s kd and also Royal Canin renal food, because they are both high in fat. This latest flare up was really bad, and I almost had to put her down. Luckily with some fluid therapy and prednisone, she is currently eating very lean ground beef and rice. Her vet suggested I try Hill’s ID, but she will not eat it and I won’t put her back on the other renal foods because of the high fat. She is very picky and almost wants to eat only protein, which is a problem with her proteinuria since she should be on a low protein diet. She will not eat vegetables. We tried BalanceIT, she will not touch it because she can smell the supplement powder.

I have no idea what I can feed her, and her vet is no help to me in figuring this out, I am totally lost and desperate for some help. Is there any commercial canned food that is low fat with relatively low protein/phosphorus/sodium?

[WondrousPups]

Hi Sienna!
It’s not strange at all. It’s good of you to update what’s been going on with you and your beloved pup. Glad to hear that both the internist and the behaviorist seem to agree the issues are to do with digestive tract problems. Now you can focus your attentions to healing her gut and helping her immune system to be normal again! That’s good news.

I highly recommend reading two books:

Body into Balance by Maria Noel Groves and
Dr. Kidd’s Guide to Herbal Dog Care by Randy Kidd, DVM, Ph.D.

Both will give you specific ways to heal IBD, and you will have references on had to refer back to on each stage of your pup’s healing process. They are not big books, straight forward very practical.

Another book you might consider adding to your library is Mosby’s Nursing Drug Reference just because you seem like a person who likes to use both allopathic medicine and herbal medicine. In this book, you can look up each herb-drug interaction as well as drug side effects. So long you are interested in continuing to use herbs and supplements (both for you and your pup), it might be a good one to have. Don’t rely on internet for reliable info. on this one.

I understand you don’t want to get biopsy done right now, but if your pup’s condition doesn’t improve at all in a month or see any blood in her stool, I would get that biopsy done ASAP because there is a possibility of cancer in play. I think that’s why your internist was probably suggesting biopsy as well.

Take care Sienna,
WP

[Laura L]

My dog had increased liver numbers and was diagnosed with possible Cushing’s not too long ago. We started a few supplements suggested by our vet and decided to hold off on the drugs. Since we started the supplements (https://www.askariel.com/natural-remedies-for-cushings-disease-s/1848.htm) her thirst and her pot belly seem to be a little better. We’re giving her the Cushing’s one and the Liver Kit. The vet said that if we can get her liver numbers down and manage her symptoms, we may not need to start her on Vetoryl. The supplement company gave us some food suggestions too and our dog really likes it. She is a big dog with a few other things going on, so it may not be right for your Bichon, but you should try reaching out to Ask Ariel. We go back to the vet in a few weeks for another follow-up, but for now, It seems like our girl is feeling pretty good.

[sienna11711]

Hi all,

I know this reply may come off super strange considering it’s been a few months, but I wanted to update you all on my dog.

So our vet implored us to see a veterinary behaviorist for her issues. It turned out to be of great help because the behaviorist asked a lot of questions and had me checking in with her every single week and trying things one at a time. My dog (Sienna) was put on a low dose of zoloft (sertraline) to help with anxiety and stress and we switched her to the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Diet. Through process of elimination with our behaviorist we were able to figure out that Sienna’s issues are 100% related to her digestive tract and not just random severe anxiety! She is indeed drinking excessively and eating excessively because of physical pain that is much more pronounced right after eating.

I’m happy to report that on the hydrolyzed diet she gained a little weight eating less than she normally does. She also has less stomach flinching however I did learn that she has the most stomach flinching (when touched underneath) right after eating, and it is markedly less flinchy if she is fasted (for vet appts).

We decided to see an internist who gave her an ultrasound + tons of bloodwork with absolutely no problems. Unfortunately the biopsy is too expensive for us right now, but the internist thinks it is definitely IBD, and definitely tons of inflammation in her intestines. She will be starting a local steroid (budosenide I think) this week to see if it helps any. If anyone has any suggestions, supplements, etc. that would be great. We have tried many many supplements and diets in the past, so I’m not feeling very positive about it, but you never know.

[Laurence T]

Hello everyone,

Maybe I could help.

3 years ago, our dog got a huge mass around his small intestines and we almost lost him. To save him they removed 80% of his small instestines. They thought it was cancer. But after 2 years or different med treatments and ultrasounds, they found out he has a problem with his immune system, where his system is attacking the good bacterias in his stomach, creating masses.

So he has to take sterioids, prednisone, in extremely small dosage, enough to supress his immune system, and keep the masses from forming.

However, since his surgery, he is left with short bowel syndrom – aka. constant diarrhea. After 3 years, I can keep him a decent weight and have only two to three (soft stools a day).

Here’s how. Maybe it could work for you guys. After his surgery, he would go to the washroom 10 times a day, waking us up 4 times a night. We tried all kinds of specific vet foods with high fiber, etc. He would also be so skinny all the time because he would never have time to digest the food. He used to eat the Royal Canin Hypo diet bags and would go through 2 bags a week and it was horrible. And then when I looked in the ingredients the first one was cellulose and obviously it wasn’t working… The vets are sold on selling you Royal Canin because Royal Canin sponsors them…

So we switched him to raw food and it was life changing. We don’t make it, we buy it from the pet store in the fridges. I give him a lot more patties than what they prescribe a day for his weight, but since we switched him 2 years ago to raw, he’s gained back all of his weight, and he only goes to the washroom 3 times a day. Not asking for the door at night anymore. The reason is that the raw food takes a lot more time to digest than the pebbles, so he has time to take a bit of supplements.

Also, we give him probiotics in his water, and he takes a shot of B12 every week or two weeks – that helps alot with the diarrhea as well.

He is also on metronidazole every day, on prednisone every 2 days (to prevent the masses) and take two immodiums a day.

And he seems like he is doing well. 🙂

If any of you want to ask further questions, please let me know !

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by Laurence T.

[James F]

At the age of 1-3 months, it is recommended to feed puppies with natural food: meat (low-fat), eggs, fermented milk products, fish, cereals, vegetables, fruits. At the same time, protein products should make up at least 70% of the diet, the rest can be supplemented with carbohydrates and”milk”. Meat and fish can be raw or cooked.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by James F.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by James F.

[aimee]

Some new “rawhide alternatives” being marketed appear to me to simply be rawhide renamed

The chew traditionally called rawhide is a by -product of the leather industry. Hides are sourced at slaughter and sent to a tannery where they are dehaired and fleshed ( the fat layer under the skin is removed). What remains is the dermis. Another word for dermis is corium. The tanner splits the corium into upper and lower layers, The upper is used to make leather, the lower is used as a source of collagen for sausage casings, drug capsules, supplements, gelatin etc , to make rawhide chews, and now apparently some “rawhide alternative”. chews.

AAFCO doesn’t define the word “rawhide”, Merriam Webster defines it, in this context, as “untanned cattle skin”
I find the reasons given from the manufacturers of chews made of full thickness cattle skin or corium, as to why their product is not rawhide, interesting.

Company A appears to report that their untanned cattle skin product is not rawhide because it is sourced from the head of the cow and they seem to define hide as skin as coming from the trunk of the cow. Additionally, they seem to say that since their product is full thickness skin, and rawhide is the lower split.of the corium, their product is not rawhide. Finally, it looks like they are saying their product doesn’t use chemicals in processing. Not sure what is meant by this, since technically, water is a chemical

Company B seems to say their collagen chew isn’t rawhide because rawhide consists of all layers of the skin and their product is only the lower split of corium. Note that their definition of what is rawhide looks to be the opposite definition than that of company A

Company C’s collagen chew appears to me to be identical to company B in size , shape, color, and country of origin making me wonder if they are the same chew being imported by two different companies. When asked if their product was corium, customer service said the answer to my question would be emailed to me. The email stated that all information was proprietary. Under magnification their product appears to me to be a tangle of fibers which is how corium and traditionally labeled rawhide also appears to me.

Company D said the raw material they use in their “rawhide alternative” chews is corium which is also used for human food production, and that no hide is used in their products. I don’t know how they are defining “hide” but it seems they may be defining hide as the top split of the corium and then claiming that the bottom split is hide free. A tannery resides at the same address as this chew maker, who also appears to market beef hide chews under a different brand name , which look to me to be the same in appearance to their “hide free” chews .

Company E , unlike A-D, doesn’t seem to claim their collagen chew is a “rawhide alternative” or say it is not hide. It is labeled “collagen from beefhide”. This company also makes several brands of chews labeled as beefhide.

It seems to me, that what the above products have in common, is that they are all appear to be made from either full thickness or partial thickness untanned cattle skin

In my opinion it is very unethical when companies claim that that chews that they apparently making of full or partial thickness untanned cattle skin are rawhide alternatives. From discussions with distributors and shop owners , I’d consider some to be disingenuous . Even after passing along to them the information from the manufacturers that certain chews are made of the corium , the same material that traditional rawhides are formed from or full thickness cattle skin, I continue to see them market the product as a hide free rawhide alternative.

I wonder what will happen to companies that label their corium dog chews as rawhide, which is how chews made from corium have traditionally always been labeled. I see some shop owners say they will not sell chews labeled as rawhide, stating that rawhide is dangerous, yet they sell these “alternatives” and other stores stop selling rawhide because sales of the chews labeled as alternative outsell those labeled as rawhide, which I think is in part due to the “bad press” on rawhide.

Interesting to me, is that recently a class action was filed against a company alleging that the chews they market as an alternative to rawhide are actually hide ,and a paper was published in which two of the seven dog chews that were examined, labeled as”rawhide free” appeared to be mislabeled.

Unfortunately, it seems that I can not rely on product labeling to accurately describe what a product is, nor can I count on regulatory bodies to remove mislabeled products from the market.

Would love to hear others thoughts on the issue.

[Patti S]

It can be really difficult to find the sodium content of pet foods without scouring the brand’s website or emailing them directly. Once you have a list of potential foods, you should run those foods (and the sodium content they contain) past your vet for his or her approval.

Generally speaking, most veterinarians use the following categories when discussing low-sodium diets (it usually easier to use the amount of sodium provided for each 100k calories as your unit of measure when comparing foods). Ask your vet which level of sodium restriction your dog requires::

• Dogs who require mild sodium restriction should be offered foods with between 0.35% and 0.5% sodium content (80 to 100mg/100kCal)
• Dogs who require moderate sodium restriction should only receive foods with between 0.1% and 0.35% sodium content (50 to 80mg/100kCal)
• Dogs who require severe sodium restriction should be offered food with less than 0.1% sodium content (<50mg/100kCal)

The following websites have a lot of info on many brands of dog food, and the sodium levels they contain:

https://vetmed.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/reduced_sodium_diet_for_dogs.pdf

https://www.vermontveterinarycardiology.com/Medvet%20–%20Cincinnati%20%20Heart%20Friendly%20Low%20Sodium%20Dog%20Diets.pdf

https://heartsmart.vet.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/low-sodium-treats-and-med-administration-8-10-2020.pdf

One way that you can restrict the sodium levels in your pal’s diet is by making his food at home. Whether you use homemade ingredients exclusively or add items to a commercial brand to balance out the nutrients, talk with your veterinarian about your plans.
Here is a couple of websites with low sodium dog food recipes:

Low-sodium Dog Food Recipes You’ll Want to Try Right Now

Recipe: Homemade Dog Food for Congestive Heart Failure

https://caninehearthealth.com/diet.html

Lastly, ask your vet about using an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement. The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA may help to stabilize heart muscle cells. Your veterinarian can help you to choose an omega-3 fatty acids supplement with good bioavailability, meaning that it is easily absorbed by the body, and tell you the correct dose to use.

Best of luck to you and your dog!

[Chipy]

Good question, Mitch. When it comes to grain-free and/or pea-free diets, we need consider the overall quality of the food and the root cause of taurine deficiency.

The “grain-free” marketing term refers to processed dry food/kibble that is an extruded, highly processed product; whether it is full of grains or grain-free, it is not healthy.

The main ingredients in the grain-free diets are often peas, lentils, chickpeas and potatoes — carbohydrates typically intended to replace grains – rather than high-quality meat protein. This explains why some dogs became taurine deficient when fed these diets, as taurine (an essential amino acid that supports heart health) is naturally found in fresh meat and organs.

So it’s best to avoid most grains and starches (because they are not a natural part of a canine’s diet) and focus on increasing the amount of fresh meat and organs in your dog’s diet to naturally prevent DCM.

Dogs have much shorter digestive tracts than herbivores and can’t process high-carb foods like grains and starchy carbs very well. This often results in excessive food fermentation and gas.

You can replace starchy carbs with cooked squash or pumpkin, especially for dogs with digestive upset. Grains (including rice) in general can contribute to IBD. Arsenic toxicity in rice is also a serious problem.

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/113943301-how-to-avoid-foods-high-in-arsenic-and-keep-your-dog-healthy

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014993-what-veggies-are-good-for-dogs

The best diet is as nature intends; fresh meat, organs and bones with some vegetables and leafy greens. A varied, species-appropriate diet, along with all-natural vitamins, minerals, omega-3’s and probiotics is the way to go.

It is very rare for a dog to have a taurine deficiency when consuming an unprocessed, fresh food diet because taurine is so readily available in meats and organs. It may need to be supplemented if your dog has been tested as deficient, but overall dogs get enough of this amino acid from fresh food, and from their ability to manufacture it in their own body.

If you are concerned, connect with your holistic or integrative vet to get your pup tested and you can discuss options together based on the results.

Here are some links to a quick & easy Natural Diet Course, and an online Recipe Maker that I hope you will find helpful if you want to learn more about alternatives to processed food. Your dog will love you for it! 🙂 Switching from kibble to fresh food was the best decision we made a few years ago to improve our pup’s health and reduce unnecessary vet bills.

https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com/

Wishing you and your pup all the best 🙂

[Melanie B]

Hi. My dog Macy is 15 and was just diagnosed with CKD. She wasn’t eating as much as before the past month and a half and when I took her to get dental surgery, they told me her Creatine was 3.4 and her BUN was up. I put her on HSD Kidney Care and on 9/29 they did bloodwork and her Creatine was 5.9 and her liver enzymes are up now. She’s eating and drinking more than before the surgery. They told me to give her a bland diet and watch her. I refuse to do just that. I ordered Calcium Carbonate. Any advice on how much to give her or any other supplements or holistic supplements would be a huge help ASAP! Thanks!

[Chipy]

Good question, John. It’s best to avoid meat meals but they are the primary ingredients in most dry dog food so the healthiest option is to switch to fresh foods like home-cooked or premade raw diets that are more nutritious for our pups.

Meat meals are made from taking slaughterhouse and fish processing factory remnants that are not edible for humans, and cooking them, processing them under high heat, and dehydrating them into a dry powdery substance that goes into kibble.

Like most other low-grade and highly processed ingredients in kibble and canned diets, meat meals contain little to no nutritional value to the dog being fed.

I use Dr. D’s recipe maker and natural whole-food based supplements to create healthy meals for my pup. It helps me build balanced recipes with the ingredients I have available and I love it; https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

[Patricia A]

John I have Chihuahuas. Freeze Dried is kind of expensive to feed even with them being small. So I supplement with the kibble and give less of the freeze dried to make up their calorie/nutritional needs. Also as I posted they get home cooked as a topper to a little kibble. This being boiled white meat chicken, boiled salmon, string beans(low salt), carrots, watermelon, sweet potatoes, lean steak, boiled 1/8 of hard boiled egg in morning. This is easily done since it’s just what we’re having for dinner that day.
So there are many freeze dried brands. I stick to Primal and Stella Chewy’s. Bixbi Rawbbles freeze dried are given for treats and Open Farm freeze dried. I hear Dogs for the Earth is a very good brand also and Vital Essentials(believe this one follows a prey model with no added vitamins. Just what’s in the food for nutrition. )
I got them VERY, VERY, VERY slowly used to Primal in different proteins/flavors. I use the lower fat ones which I believe is the ones DFA rated as 5*’s. So Rabbit, Turkey/Salmon, Duck.
Stella Chewy’s I feed their Venison Blend,.
I just mix it up everyday. Never had a problem with their digestion and all blood work great. They LOVE the food.
I use Open Farm grain free and switch between with Stella Chewy’s raw coated chicken kibble. Just a little again to stretch the freeze dried .
If you have a larger breed dog it would be more cost saving to get the same in the raw. Most go through HPP process to get rid of salmonella/bacteria. True raw advocates don’t like this step but it’s fine with me. https://primalpetfoods.com/pages/canine-balanced-bases https://www.stellaandchewys.com/dog-food/

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.

[Patricia A]

My thoughts are that your dog is getting very poor nutrition with “meal” listed as the ingredient on kibble. Kibble is already not the best diet for a dog. I supplement with a high quality kibble in VERY small portions but always with REAL food and freeze dried. Kibble was made for the convenience of feeding NOT for the best diet for an animal.
Article from DFA on meat meal.
/choosing-dog-food/dog-food-meat-content/

[Chipy]

Hi Soph, so great that you switched to a 100% homemade diet for your girl. My pup is about the same size as yours and eggshells didn’t work for him. Bonemeals are often high in toxic heavy metals such as lead, and low-level lead poisoning can damage kidneys, liver and nerves over time so I would be careful with them.

If you don’t feed any raw bones, you can use GreenMin as the main calcium source. Dr. Dobias has found that dogs who are on GreenMin, and are not consuming any bone in their diet, consistently have results within normal ranges for calcium levels on their hair analysis test.

Also, please be aware that Balanceit. com provides synthetic vitamin & mineral mixes. I was considering it many years ago when we switched to a homemade diet but I don’t like feeding anything that is NOT natural. There is a big difference in how the body abosorbs nutrients from whole food-based vs synthetic chemical-based supplements.

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/15188693-synthetic-supplements-for-dogs-can-cause-serious-problems

We have been using the Fab4 (GreenMin, SoulFood, GutSense, and FeelGood Omega) for many years and our dog loves them. He is super healthy at the age of 10 and we are very grateful for Dr. Dobias and his pure products.

Dog Essentials

These natural supplements are like wholesome food, the body recognizes them as such and only absorbs what it requires. As every dog has slightly different nutritional requirements, it’s best to provide a wide variety of nutrients to support the body. Here is what we add to our pup’s homemade diet to fill in any nutritional gaps.

GreenMin, as a source of plant-based minerals, calcium, amino-acids, and super greens
SoulFood, as a certified organic multivitamin with additional organ support components
GutSense, as a source of dog specific certified organic probiotics
FeelGood Omega, to supplement Essential Fatty Acids (omega 3s) – Sardines can be high in toxic strontium!

In a perfect world, a wide variety of food would keep your dog’s body nourished and no supplements would be required. The problem is, due to intensive agriculture, minerals and nutrients do not get recycled back into the soil, leading to a lack of minerals in the whole food chain.

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/15072565-how-many-supplements-are-too-many-for-your-dog

I encourage you to do your own research and only choose the highest quality products for your dog. They deserve the best! 🙂

[Carupup]

Hello,everyone,first post here…
I’m going to attempt the homemade food as well when my small breed puppy comes home but I think for me, the veggies in purée form will be easier on their tummies and I’ll skip the root vegetables and just give him mostly leafy greens/some herbs and skip the rice as well and go with quinoa,millet and similar grains.
I’ll have to find a local butcher and maybe get “whole” ground turkey,rabbit,goat…etc,including bones and also use the kidneys, liver and hearts, but getting the ratios right is going to be the most challenging,especially for a puppy.I’d like to give him something different every day,ideally, because I think variety is key.Egg shells (calcium) and some sort of supplement will also be part of the diet.
Another option would be maybe using the “base mixes” like the Honest Kitchen ones and adding the protein to it to start the puppy off and then switch to home cooked only,….if he does well.
No kibble will ever be used in his diet, never have with any of my pets.
I hope I get this right cause I want my new baby to live a long and happy life.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Chipy]

Take advantage of the $30 off coupon for the HairQ Test; mineral and toxin hair analysis for dogs.

It is highly accurate in detecting mineral deficiencies, diet imbalances, heavy metals and toxins.

Use code TESTFORHEALTH at checkout to save $30 off as it is ending soon;

HairQ Test

A HairQ Test can assist you in:

– Finding out what minerals are missing in your dog’s diet
– Determining if your dog’s diet is balanced, or if you are supplementing too much or too little
– Detecting the levels of harmful heavy metals
– Preventing diseases and premature aging
– Maintaining proper organ and immune system function

[Chipy]

Leamless, it’s so great that you are considering to switch from kibble to something healthier. I know what it’s like to live on a strict budget and understand how expensive life can get. In my experience it is more economical to feed a home-made diet (raw or cooked) than feeding commercially processed pet foods. You also get the benefit of understanding where each ingredient comes from (dog food recalls have been super scary lately)!

We switched to home-made meals years ago and it was the best decision for our dog and my budget. LOL I am happy to share some resources that have been super helpful in guiding us to prepare balanced, home-made meals.

Dr. Dobias has created a free Natural Diet Course which contains videos and articles full of information on this subject;

https://peterdobias.com/pages/course-rawdiet

His online Recipe Maker will help you build healthy meals for your dog with the ingredients you have available. It provides guidance on amounts of each ingredient and which ingredients are best;

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

The key is to offer a variety of both proteins and vegetables, and add essential nutrients (non-synthetic, whole-food based supplements) to help fill in any nutritional deficiencies;

Dog Essentials

I hope this helps to get you started on this journey. It takes some time to learn the basics but the energy investment will definitely pay off when your dog is super healthy thanks to natural nutrition and you get to save on unnecessary vet bills.