[Eugene G]

i adopted a 3 year old mastiff from an acquaintance. he was on raw diet and i continued it. The previous owner was feeding him 2.5 lbs. he was and i still am getting food from Armalinosk9. its human grade meet 70% meet 30% ground bones. i get chicken, beef and duck from them. i also add chicken feet, turkey necks, beef liver, chicken hearts and once in a while i add veggies and fruits ( 1/2 frozen apples grinded, sometimes i add a little of my veggie/fruit shakes(no grapes), a little cauliflower or a little carrots grinded, bananas etc). i also add a spoon of organic coconut butter every few days and also add “Natural Hip & Joint Supplement for Dogs with Organic Turmeric, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM – 90 Count Chewable ” that i purchase on amazon as it was what previous owner did.
my boy is healthy and i experienced no problems with him for last 5 month.
i am wondering if there is anything missing in his diet. don’t want to neglect an important ingredient or end up with vitamin deficient dog. i appreciate your input.

[Susan]

Hi, I live in Australia so we have different brands, my boy has IBD Colitis (food sensitivities)every time I give Patch a probiotic he feels sick, I’ve read there’s a die off period, just keep taking the probiotics but I stopped I couldn’t handle watching Patch feel sick licking & licking his mouth & eating grass, so a lady at the pet shop said give him Papaya (Paw Paw) so I mashed up 1/2 a Papaya & put the mashed papaya in ice cube & froze, I was giving Patch 1 thawed ice cube of the papaya about 10.30am after our walked he loved it, at first I thought Patch was OK but again he started his mouth licking & eating grass…
I found a good dog probiotic had to be stored in the fridge or kept under 25 degrees so the heat doesn’t kill the live bacteria…also Tripe, tripe is excellent, Patch tried the K-9Natural Lamb Green Tripe was really good… K-9 Natural has their Raw frozen or their freeze dried Green Lamb Tripe, the smell was OK not as bad as I thought it would be…..Patch loved it but it made him feel sick….

My vet said she went to a seminar & the lady said they tested 10 popular dog probiotics & only 3 had live cultures Purina Fortiflora was suppose to be good, she didn’t mention the probiotics that weren’t good my vet said, I said if Patch doesn’t feel sick then its no good…

I joined a group on Face Book called “Fast Track Diet” (Official Group) run by Dr Norm Robillard he’s specializes in IBS SIBO Leaky Gut Acid Reflux etc
& has written a book called “Fast Tract Digestion” its for humans but I’d say a dog would have similar bowel & stomach problems with certain foods, he said it’s best to take probiotics on an empty stomach when your Hydrochloric Acid is low, either first thing in the morning or night just before bed & not with food….

I found this link what each strain of bacteria is for & what it helps Lactobacillus GG (L.rhamnosus) protects against respiratory illness, treats candida, colitis and diarhea, reduces stress and anxiety.. http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/how-to-choose-good-probiotic-supplement.html

[Colby C]

Hey guys! I also researched homemade dog food for my bulldog and there isn’t a lot out there. He’s doing great on the homemade and loves it. Right now I’m using lickochops and dinovite supplements but I want to switch to something else because they make his breath smell awful!!!!!! I might try the u stew. I also agree homemade is pretty expensive and time consuming in the kitchen but he lovesssss it. I am still struggling with allergies with him and I’m pretty certain it’s the weather and him allergic to something outside

[Anonymous]

LOL! I am a licensed healthcare professional (not animals, humans) so, yes I am familiar with various medications and such.
Why are you folks so angry? If you don’t agree with anything you see posted, just say so and post your opinion and rationale why. No need to make it personal. Easy-peasy 🙂

PS: A doctor I worked with once told me that many of the homeopathic supplements are in fact effective, however it is impossible to get the dosage correct, therefore making them unreliable. I have admitted people to the hospital from an ER setting carrying paper bags full of supplements that had to be discarded. So, I have formed my own opinion.

[C4D]

Red,

Are you familiar with liver disease in dogs, including high ALT? Are you familiar with Denamarin? It is a PRESCRIPTION medication given by vets to support liver function. Do you know what the ingredients are in Denamarin? They are Sam-e and MILK THISTLE. I have actually reduced high ALT from well over 300 to the completely normal (actually on the low side of normal) on a dog diagnosed with chronic hepatitis using a combination of Sam-e and MILK THISTLE (the vet verified that this could be used in place of the prescription). I use vets and Lab tests, so this is not guessing, Voodoo or witchcraft. I also know many people who have done the same that are knowledgable people in the dog world who also used vets to diagnose, etc. that have successfully used this therapy.

Here are some links to studies or research done:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.0743.x/full

http://www.fvmace.org/FVMA%2082nd%20Annual%20Conference/Proceedings/Update%20On%20Management%20of%20Liver%20Disease%20in%20Dogs.pdf

This is for humans, and it includes many diseases unrelated to the liver, but it does suggest that there is efficacy in milk thistle use:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/milk-thistle/evidence/hrb-20059806

You might want to consider reading other sources besides skeptvet.

[Anonymous]

“His vet has sucraflate for me to pick up but I am unsure if he needs more chemicals in his little body”.

Sucraflate is an anti ulcer med, therefore, it would be soothing to a irritated stomach.

Milk thistle is a food supplement…..

Ps: There is no reason to suspect liver damage/ irritation unless your vet suggests differently, after examination and testing..

[Anonymous]

Please communicate with your vet as to how to proceed with the treatment of your pet.
Prescribed medications are often an important part of treatment, some supplements can cause even more damage. http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/10/unregulated-herbal-products-and-supplements-send-23000-people-to-the-emergency-room-annually-in-the-u-s/
PS: Call the vet’s office and leave a message for him to call you back when he has a minute. Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

I know this doesn’t answer your question, however, I thought it might help, as coconut oil is expensive. And you did mention you are on a budget. I have been using less and less supplements for my pets and myself, however I still use fish oil, and put a capsule in my dogs meals once per day.

Coconut Oil for Pets?

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=fish+oil
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

Hope this helps.

[Jenn H]

I really love that site. It convinced me to try the goat milk for my dogs. The only pet store that sells raw milk only carries Primal. They love it.
I was hoping it may be an alternative to giving glucosamine & chondroitin supplements. I have a horse that gets so many supps I hoped to avoid that with my large breed dogs as they get older.
One of my girls is having a flare up of her Lyme. The vet suggested she not have the milk until she finishes her treatment. This time we are giving her Minocycline instead of Doxycycline since the side effects were too much for her.

I’m not sure if I want to stop giving her the milk. It has anti-inflammatory properties and good bacteria. But I also don’t want to mess up the antibiotic.
The vets at this hospital are amazing, but I don’t think they all keep up with the latest & greatest natural stuff. I’ll be contacting my integrated vet today.

Thanks for the suggestions. Even if Chevelle has to wait for her Lyme to go into remission before she can begin the goat milk, I can still give it to the puppy and my other girl.

[Kevin R]

I currently give my dog coconut oil on a daily basis, but have a question about it. Does it contain Omega 6 or is it neither Omega 6 nor 3? Also, if I’m gonna add an Omega supplement, should it be one that contains Omega 6 and 3 or just simply Omega 3 since I’m already giving her the coconut oil? Thanks.

[C4D]

DogFoodie is absolutely correct. If you start expressing the anal glands manually, you are just setting up a lifetime of possible problems. I have a foster that has these issues occaisonally, so I supplement with some additional fiber in her diet. I use pure canned pumpkin. It has taken care of the problem for over a year.

Here’s Dr. Peter Dobias’ link:

http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014181-holistic-approach-to-anal-gland-problems-in-dogs

[C4D]

Hi Judith B,

I cook for my dogs frequently, but it’s always fresh, not canned, meat with a few organic veggies, generally carrots, celery and fresh parsley, sometimes broccoli or squash, depending on what I have in the garden or is on sale, NO SALT. I add this to a premix, like The Honest Kitchen, Sojos, or Grandma Lucy’s, which has the vitamins added. I also feed my dog’s a regular diet of commercial kibble, canned or raw that are complete and balanced.

I appreciate that you want to provide some healthy fresh cooked food for your dogs, but, IMHO, I don’t think you should be adding canned soup and broth. There’s a lot of sodium in those and dogs (or people) don’t need that much sodium. Regular Swanson a whole can has about 50% of the normal human daily intake. Tomato soup is also high in sodium, I just linked Campbell’s, but I’m an avid label reader and they all tend to have about 33% or better per serving, which is less than 1/2 the can.

http://swanson.campbellskitchen.com/broth/beef-broth/

http://www.campbellsoup.com/Products/Condensed/All/2341

This is the nutrition data of Cheese Whiz. I didn’t know which one you use, but they are all very similar in salt content. This is for 2 tbsp, not the whole jar, which would be a lot more.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/160/2

These are not healthy products to be adding to your dog’s diet. If you want to add some broth, cook fresh meat with a bit of water and use the cooking water as the broth. I do this all the time. I even use it as stock to make soups for my family.

I truly appreciate what you are trying to do for your dogs, but if you keep it to some fresh meat and vegetables in the crock pot, your dogs will be much healthier. I would still use this as a topper to a balanced dog food to keep your animals in the best of health. The balanceIt website, Whole Dog Journal, or dogaware has some recipes to give you an idea of what a balanced meal or supplement to their diet should look like. Good Luck!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by C4D.

[aimee]

Hi Judith B,

It is great that you home cook. The primary concern I’d have is that it seems like well over 10% of the total daily calories that you are feeding comes from the stew and additional meat you add. This will throw off the balance of the diet unless the stew portion is balanced. The recommendation I’d make is to balance that portion of the diet. You can go to the site balance it and make a semi custom recipe by selecting the ingredients you want. I think the recipes are free if you use their supplement or a small fee if you use human supplements to balance it.

I wouldn’t fret over the stars. The base kibble I chose for my dog is 2.5 stars.

[Anonymous]

Consult a veterinarian, there are medications prescribed for canine anxiety disorders that have proven to be quite effective. I had a dog that did well on a low dose of clomipramine, she was able to be tapered off of it in after few months, it was prescribed for separation anxiety/thunderstorm/fireworks phobia.
Why mess with food supplements?

[Shawna]

Hi Sheila23,

Although a homemade diet is absolutely doable I would do a LOT more research before you decide on any one brand. Example — Tripe is a great food for kd dogs but it is supposedly already balanced in calcium to phosphorus. Adding a premix like Preference, that is designed to balance higher phosphorus meat, could be problematic. Although phosphorus needs to be watched, you can go too low too early in the disease.

Balance IT could be an option but I personally wouldn’t have fed my KD girl such a low protein diet (ESPECIALLY in the early stages). Based on the nutrient profile of their beef and rice early stage kd diet the protein amount is only 15.3%. That’s ridiculously low for early stage kd without any complicating issues like proteinuria. Not even enough to meet the minimum protein amounts required for an a complete and balanced diet. They also use corn oil — EEEEKK. The chicken & rice recipe is even worse at 14.9% protein.

If you can afford it, I would highly recommend looking at Darwin’s prescription KD diet formulated by vet Dr. Barbara Royal. The ingredient list is
“Human-Grade Meat: Beef Meat, Beef Tripe, Beef Pancreas, Beef Lungs, Beef Kidneys, Beef Liver, Beef Heart, Beef Spleen.

Vegetables: Cabbage, Celery, Squash, Sweet Potato, Beets, Romaine Lettuce.

Special Nutrient Mix: Filtered Water (for processing), Sardine oil (source of EPA, DPA and DHA), Egg Shell Powder, Parsley, Apple Cider Vinegar, Inulin, Cornsilk, Dandelion Root, Cinnamon, Cranberry, Linden Flowers, , Chitosan, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin E, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3, Aloe Vera.” http://www.darwinspet.com/our-raw-foods/our-raw-dog-food/intelligent-design-ks/

I LOVE that you are starting Alvin on Standard Process Renal Support. It is the one supplement that my Audrey NEVER did without since diagnosis. She had KD from birth (symptoms showed at just 6 weeks of age) but she wasn’t diagnosed till she was 13 months old. She was given one year to live after that. She lived to almost her ninth birthday and it was an infection that took her life not the normal progression of kidney disease.

Some other things to look at for Alvin — purified water (as much as he wants), extra water soluble vitamins if he urinates large volumes of water. A high quality probiotic and a prebiotic made with acacia fiber helps to clear BUN etc from the blood allowing for higher protein to be fed or simply helps clear BUN when necessary. This is called “nitrogen trapping”. Giving Evian (or another higher calcium, lower sodium mineral water) has been shown to be beneficial for kidney disease. I did give my Audrey fresh, raw garlic most of her life. I still believe that if I hadn’t gotten lazy and quit giving it to her near the end of her life she wouldn’t have developed the severe infection that ended up damaging her kidneys and taking her life. Enzymes to help with the digestion of his food. Certain supplements and herbs can be helpful — spirulina provides many nutrients, food grade activated charcoal given off an on in small amounts can help clear toxins, organic turmeric helps with inflammation and also helps prevent scar tissue (works best when combined with pepper or the enzyme bromelain from pineapple). Chlorella is a wonderful detoxer and it helps build red blood cells due to the high amounts of chlorphyll in it. Apple cider vinegar can help with indigestion (fed with food in small amounts or given via syringe but must be diluted first). Ginger extract and therapeutic grade peppermint oil can help with nausea (later in the illness). I also recently read that there is other therapeutic grade essential oils that can help the kidneys but I don’t remember the particulars of the article. Vet Dr. Melissa Shelton would be the person to seek out if wanting to incorporate essential oils.

I was lucky with Audrey, she was able to eat commercial raw products clear up to a few months before she passed. I’m not sure if that was because of the supplements, being fed raw from weaning or what but she did quite well. Possibly look at lower phosphorus commercial foods and then add small amounts of low phosphorus toppers (lightly cooked egg whites and coconut oil as an example) to keep the calories up while lowering the overall phosphorus even more. There are some great nutritionists out there as well that could be quite beneficial to you and Alvin.

Hoping Alvin does as well as, or better than, my Audrey!!!

Thank you Marie!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Krystal H-
Wow! You have your hands full. I know what you mean by needing a chart. I have a note book that I keep information in for different foods and supplements for my crew. I just wanted to let you know that I have a repeat delivery set up with Chewy and it works out really well. They are extremely flexible with being able to switch up your order as far as frequency and items in your list. You can delete items, add items, delay or move up the delivery as much as you want. They give you a heads up email about a week before your order is to be delivered to allow you to make any changes. I have tried other company’s programs who said they were flexible and definitely were not.

I currently am rotating between Victor (unfortunately not available on chewy) and Whole Earth Farms kibble for my dogs. I feed them the same food but different amounts. They are litter mates, but have two totally different metabolisms. I feed the hyper one first since he gets more food and then take my time to put the bowl down for the chubbier less active dog. If allowed, he will eat his real fast and then rush over to help his brother finish his meal. But, they do eat the same food, just in different amounts. What breed is your XL puppy?

[sheila23]

Hi all!

I was hoping for some feedback on a kidney disease diet for my pup Alvin. I have been doing research for the past few days, on here, DogAware, and a few other sites. My brain is starting to hurt! 🙂

Right now, I am leaning towards Honest Kitchen Preference, supplementing with Rotating Tripe and Beef.

Do you guys think the phosphorous would be low enough?
(I can provide all the numbers if needed!) I am also starting him on the Standard Process Renal Supplement.

A little background on Alvin:
He’s 4, currently eating Zignature Turkey.
He was diagnosed a little over a week ago, his Bun was 52 and his Creatinine is 3.5.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[C4D]

Hi Lisa B,

InkedMarie and Pitlove gave you some good suggestions. I’m curious, what food is your dog currently eating? You don’t want to switch to something that’s too radically different if she’s been eating the same food all her life.

I have had and currently have some “senior” dogs (large breed)as well as adult large breed, but I don’t feed any senior foods ever. The only reason people might consider a senior food is if the dog is overweight, and that’s not really a good reason either. It sounds like your dog wouldn’t need it. Try to avoid the potatoes in any of the food, as InkedMarie said, as they worsen arthritis by causing inflamation. Fish oil is an anti-inflamatory, and is also helpful with arthritis, but add it slowly. I use human grade fish oil pills as they tend to be more pure than traditional dog fish oils.

Some other things you might consider feeding is some fresh and/or wet food. This would help keep your dog more hydrated and might encourage eating since they often lose their sense of smell as they age. Again, a word of caution: only change or add one thing at a time, including supplements. They can change stool consistency and you won’t know the cause. Good luck!

[Lisa B]

I am completely open to using an all life stages food. Just not sure what i might need to add to her diet to make sure she’s getting everything she needs. So I’m hearing
high protein
grain free
and a supplement with glucosimine and chondroiton

[Pitlove]

I don’t like most formula’s that are marketed for senior dogs, same as Marie said. They don’t usually meet the protein requirements for senior dogs. I do agree that Orijen Senior is probably the best one out there.

I usually recommend an all life stages food for customers at my job with senior dogs. One with high protein as well. I’d look for an all life stages food that comes in over 30% protein with the first three ingredients being whole meats and meat meals to unsure the protein is coming from animals and not plants. Some foods will have glucosimine and chondroitin in them, which is something else you can look for. Otherwise I’d suggest a supplement like NaturVet Arthrisoothe GOLD, which has Boswellia in it that is suppose to be really good for arthritic dogs.

http://www.chewy.com/dog/naturvet-arthrisoothe-gold-hip-joint/dp/48764

[InkedMarie]

I have no experience with large breed dogs, I don’t know if they need anything special as adults. Senior dogs need a high quality higher protein food. Outside of Orijen senior, I think the rest of the senior foods are too low in protein. With an arthritic dog, I’d find a food without grains & potato as they can be inflammatory.

Is she getting joint supplements? Look into making Golden Paste for her. A large breed dog should be kept lean as opposed to too heavy; can you share a picture of her?

[SNOWFLAKE]

HEY …ANYONE HERE USING HARDY PET. ? heard its real good but not sure //… I have a boxer and a fox terrier. Give them a calcium supplement and salmon oil. Feed kibble as of now bt planning to divide the meals . 1/2 Raw and other kibble. Maybe will have days for both. Please share some recipes for a 2month old fox terrier .. he eats 4times a day so little confused how to divide the food, ..

[Jonathan S]

Feeding raw and kibble is something you’ll find a lot of opinions about. Some people say never feed them at the same time because they digest at different rates. Some people say that’s not the case. I say, it depends on the dog. My dogs find the raw too rich on its own, and they have some digestive distress when I feed them raw and kibble in separate meals. I started feeding them raw and kibble at the same time, and no problem! You’ll just have to try and see what works for your dog. I’ve been feeding raw since they were 6 months old and they’re both happy and healthy. I also use a digestive supplement, but I keep experimenting trying to find one that I like. I’ve had good results with Flora4, but right now I’m using a kelp extract that seems to be working really well.

I have two recipes I use to keep their meals interesting…

2 lbs. Bone in ground rabbit
1 lb ground lamb
1 lb green lamb tripe
2 lbs chicken hearts, gizzards, livers
1 lb blue berries
1 lb greens (Green Juju)
1 lb peas
3 eggs
3 carrots
2 apples
1 can of organic pumpkin
2 tbs turmeric

Recipe 2
2 lbs ground duck necks
2 lbs turkey organs
2 lbs ground chicken backs or turkey necks
3 eggs
1 lb butternut squash
1 lb broccoli
1 lb frozen mango chunks
1 cup hemp seed hearts
.5 cup fennel seeds
1 can pumpkin or 1 cup of Firm Up!

All the veggies or whole things go through the food processor to make them readily digestible. The seeds get ground up. The apples are grated. I make both of these recipes at the same time, put them in individual serving containers, then freeze them. Makes enough for two weeks for both my dogs.

The common advice I’ve found is to feed your dog 2 to 4% of their body weight in raw food. Since I’m only feeding half raw, I just took the top end and cut it in half.

Oh, and I feed them twice a day, but when they were younger I was feeding them 3 times per day. Went to twice a day at around 8 months… about the time we shifted from puppy food to adult kibble.
2 tbs ground turmeric
coconut oil

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Jonathan S.

[C4D]

Hi Reewa R,

Some of us have to sleep and work, so answers are not always immediate. Your posts were in the middle of the night in my area and I work as well.

I can’t answer your questions on feeding a puppy raw since I haven’t had a puppy in many years. I have adult dogs. I do feed kibble and raw as I have several large dogs. I feed canned/kibble for 1 meal and raw/cooked for the other meal. Some people feed raw and kibble together in the same meal. I don’t supplement with vitamins since I’m using commerical foods that already are complete and balanced. The links I included in the earlier post may be able to answer that question.

[Kathleen V]

We have an 11 month old Alaskan malamute. To keep a long story short at about 8 months old he was diagnosed with IBD from his vet and put on Science Diet Light for its higher fiber content. It helped, had better formed poop but never completely solid. It’s also been hard maintining his weight and growth. A breeder recommend Pro Plan Sport. Which doesn’t seem to agree with him either, But while in the transition process things looked promising. My question is, can you mix dog food brands? As it seemed the ingredients from both foods was working.Or is this a bad idea for a dog with IBD? Or could it be possible he just has a real sensitive stomach and needs a fiber supplement added to his food. I keep reading about pumpkin….

[Pitlove]

Taken from the WellnessCORE website: “100% Complete and Balanced Nutrition for Your Adult Dog”
“Wellness CORE Original Formula Adult Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.”

If the food is not complete and balanced the AAFCO statement would read: “Wellness CORE Original Formula Adult Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles intended for supplemental feeding only“

[Alex p]

There is growing interest in the potential health threats posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to the reproductive system. Soybean is the most important dietary source of isoflavones, an important class of phytoestrogen. While consumption of soy food or phytoestrogen supplements has been frequently associated with beneficial health effects, the potentially adverse effects on development, fertility, and the reproductive and endocrine systems are likely underappreciated. Here we review the available epidemiological, clinical and animal data on the effects of soy and phytoestrogens on the development and function of the male and female reproductive system, and weigh the evidence as to their detrimental impact.

[Jenn H]

Whole grains like oats, whole wheat, buckwheat, barley and brown rice provide beneficial minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, fiber & protein. While you can always supplement these things, it’s usually best to get nutrients from food.
Dogs are able to digest cooked grains.
I do stay away from corn. I know that has a potential to be very irritating to their digestion.

[Leslie M]

Most lipomas happen simply through age and at 12 years old I would not put my dog through a surgery unless the lipoma is blocking something or causing discomfort. That being said there are few things you can do to help combat lipomas through nutrition. Omega 3 is very helpful and cardiovascular supplements are also very helpful. As far a actual food, a low calorie may also help. I like Fromm whitefish and potato at 360 calories a cup. You and your vet know what is best for your dog, so I would talk to your vet before making any of these changes.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Leslie M. Reason: forgot a r
• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by Leslie M.

[Jenn H]

Does anyone feed their dogs a diet of kibble and canned/raw/dehydrated?
I have large breed dogs that I like to supplement their dry when the weather gets cold to keep their weight up.
My real.concern is my puppy. He’s 4 months old. GSD. Approx 30 lbs. I know I have to keep his calcium at 1.5% max. Because of that I am having a problem finding the right food.
He acts like he’s starving to death even though he gets 3 3/4 cups fed over 4 meals. Right now he’s on Wellness Core Grain Free Puppy.

I’m looking for either a food that will satisfy his appetite or something I can supplement/replace some of his kibble with that will allow me to stay within the calcium guidelines.
While I am not opposed to canned, raw or dehydrated, I cannot feed strictly those types of foods.
I would also prefer a NON grain free food. Unless a dog has allergies I know they actually need some grains. Plus it seems that grain free has far more carbs than non grain free.

I appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you.

[DogFoodie]

It was funny, I have always thought my Golden was intolerant of fish. To make a long story short, it turns out that it was more a matter of timing. Each time he reacted, he was eating something that includes fish. I had been avoiding fish of any kind for him. I decided to do the Glacier Peaks Holistic alternative sensitivity assessment test and it said most fishes were OK. After a few weeks, I got brave, feed him a fish based food and he was fine. I couldn’t believe it. What I’ve determined is that he has environmental allergies (seasonal) and the supplements I mention have helped. His symptoms typically would present as an ear infection and itchiness. My Sam is young, he just turned three, so it took a couple of seasons for me to put together the timing of the onset of his “allergies.”

[DogFoodie]

I’ve had great success this year treating my dog’s seasonal allergies with Quercetin with Bromelain, Papain, and an Omega 3 supplement.

Dr. Becker discusses those products here: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/07/05/valuable-nutrients-for-pets-who-suffer-from-seasonal-allergies.aspx

[Anonymous]

“Dietary supplements account for nearly 20 percent of drug-related liver injuries that turn up in hospitals, up from 7 percent a decade ago, according to an analysis by a national network of liver specialists. The research included only the most severe cases of liver damage referred to a representative group of hospitals around the country, and the investigators said they were undercounting the actual number of cases”.

“Americans spend an estimated $32 billion on dietary supplements every year, attracted by unproven claims that various pills and powders will help them lose weight, build muscle and fight off everything from colds to chronic illnesses. About half of Americans use dietary supplements, and most of them take more than one product at a time”.
Excerpts from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/us/spike-in-harm-to-liver-is-tied-to-dietary-aids.html?_r=2&
Just one example, in response to: “so if Shirley wants to go a holistic route there really isnt any harm”.

[Kevin R]

Hi all, what brands or specific products would you recommend for Quercetin as well as Omega supplements. I have an itchy Westie and am looking for something that may help alleviate some of this. Thanks!

[Shawna]

As one who actually USES holistic medications, I can say they actually DO work and work very well. In fact, there’s even SCIENCE that shows that those “food supplements” actually cure autoimmune diseases (actually, they use the word ameliorates but same thing). It’s called oral tolerization, check it out.

Here’s one to get you started
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17162357

The New York Times has a great article on oral tolerization titled “‘Hair of Dog’ Tried as Cure For Autoimmune Disease” http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/18/science/hair-of-dog-tried-as-cure-for-autoimmune-disease.html?pagewanted=all

Pretty impressive if you ask me.

[Anonymous]

Give it at bedtime. The “holistic” stuff isn’t medication. They are considered food supplements. It will say right on the package that they are not intended to cure or treat medical conditions.

Find a vet that you trust and go by what he recommends. If you don’t have one already.
Did a vet approve the Benadryl and clarify the dosage? What is the dog’s diagnosis?

[Pitlove]

Like I said, your dog is past the point where the calcium/phosphorus ratio needs to be worried about. So I wouldn’t worry about that. I like the Fromm Gold and most large breed adult formulas because they are lower in fat than regular adult formulas which helps keep my pitbull at an ideal weight when its summer and humid down here in the south.

I would say they are important. Some large breed formulas contain trace amounts of glucosamine and MSM. Fromm Gold has chicken cartilage as the natural source of both. However, some argue that there isnt enough of an amount of either in foods to make it theraputic. Others say its made a huge difference in their dog. I feel that excersize is the key to keeping joints mobile, but when they do get older a supplement can be useful too aside from continuing regular excersize.

[Frankie B]

My cat won’t eat wet food or even moist treats. However I have found a cat food that is much higher in animal protein. While a lot of foods tend to have 55-65% of protein coming from animals and the rest from plants, Nulo uses 80-85%animal protein. To supplement her water intake I have a cat water fountain which is more attractive than a stagnant bowl and she drinks a lot more than she did before. I use the same brand for my dog. The brand is Nulo Medal Series and it’s available at Petsmart.

[Anonymous]

The echo is important to rule out a leaky valve, found a decent article on mitral valve insufficiency. Excerpt below: Can’t post the link but you can find the complete article at:
Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Education, Search articles for: Heart Failure (Mitral Valve Insufficiency) in the Dog

Treatment of dogs with mitral insufficiency depends upon the size of the heart and if clinical signs are present. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of valvular heart disease in dogs are based on classifying dogs into several stages:
•Stage A: Dogs with no murmur or symptoms but who are at risk of developing valvular heart disease. These include Cavalier King Charles spaniels and small breeds of dogs.
•Stage B1: Dogs with no heart enlargement or symptoms.
•Stage B2: Dogs with enlarged left atriums and/or ventricles but no symptoms.
•Stage C: Dogs with heart enlargement and symptoms of congestive heart failure.
•Stage D: Dogs not responding to treatment for congestive heart failure.

Dogs in Stages A and B1 generally do not receive treatment, but are monitored for any changes in heart size or progression into symptoms.

Treatment of dogs in Stage B2 is controversial. Some veterinarians believe treatment of these dogs will slow progression of the disease, others do not.

Treatment of dogs in the Stage C with heart enlargement and symptoms is based on medications to help the heart pump more efficiently. Drugs that may be used include diuretics that cause the dog to urinate more and thereby remove excess fluids from his lungs. These include furosemide (Lasix) or spironolactone .
Medications such as pimobendan or an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor like enalapril may be given to help the heart pump more efficiently. Digoxin, another heart medication may also be prescribed. If the dog does not respond well to these medications and is in Stage D, other therapies such as amlodipine may be used. Cough suppressants and bronchodilators may be prescribed is there is a chronic cough.

Diets lower in sodium may assist in decreasing the fluid build-up. It is important to maintain adequate protein intake. Attempts should be made to maintain the dog at his ideal weight. The use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements is often recommended.

What is prognosis for dogs with mitral valve insufficiency?

Many dogs with heart murmurs due to mitral valve insufficiency may live for years before developing any symptoms. They should be carefully monitored however, so treatment can be started as soon as warranted. In those dogs with heart failure, approximately half will not survive for more than 6-12 months.

[losul]

Hi again. Sorry for the tardy reply, all.

I’ve some preference for feeding a dog a majority of ruminant meats overall with a lesser amount of poultry overall in my dogs diet, provided the the beef (or other ruminant) is coming from a good, properly raised and fed source. I think the overall fats balance out better that way, and without using much vegetable fats. And as long as I can afford it!!

I wouldn’t necessarily say that beef heart is better, nothing against poultry
hearts, much depends on the source, and for just some supplemental or small batch
use, chicken hearts are handier to use than beef hearts!

I had kind of a bad experience the first time I bought beef hearts a few years ago.(from a different, conventionally raised source, feedlot) I thought never again! They were oversized and completely encased in a way overly tough and thick membrane and excessive suet.. the inside was as bad, and not at all cleaned-gristle, connective tissue,vessels, excessive suetetc., and frankly, they looked old, grayish, and tough. It took alot of effort to clean them enough to suit me, way too much effort, and ended up with alot of waste. It wasn’t worth it, and was a good while before I ever tried beef hearts again. In hindsight some of that gristle
and connective tissue, etc. , wouldn’t have hurt to include anyway!

Where I’ve been getting them the last few times, the outside only has a partial and thin membrane and little suet fat, are very fresh, and the butcher near completely cleans the insides for me, I have not much left to do except cut them up! And I get them for only $1.49/lb cleaned weight! I get good clean liver and kidneys 1.29/lb the same place. I guess not many people around here want to eat heart or organ meats! But the regular and lean cuts of beef are every bit as expensive as anywhere else! So when I make a beef batch I’ve been using the hearts for up to 1/2 of the total muscle meat amount. It equals a good savings vs using all lean human prefered cuts for all the muscle meat. In making a full balanced recipe, I can’t count the heart as organ meat, I still add the small amounts of liver and kidney, and I won’t press the heart amount any beyond 1/2 of the muscle meat count. They say too much heart can cause loose stools, never had that problem or with any any food, but the extra heart I’m using helps to keep some beef in the diet at more an affordable price for me! If one were to use all heart for the muscle meat though, there would very
likely be some deficit somewhere in the nutrition to look for and abundances of others, and I wouldn’t ever advise using overly excessive amounts. Also dogs handle cholesterol differently than humans, but heart, liver and some other organs do contain a disproportionately large amount of cholesterol, something to keep in mind. Don’t over do it!.

Faith, so your dog is about 60lbs. BTW, I believe my dog is 1/2 boston terrier and
1/2 bull terrier of some sort, probably staffy or pit, I’ve got a compact model though,
only about 40 lbs. That’s great that your feller found a loving home with you! I
would assume that his regular diet is around 1150 calories give or take? For your
purposes and for now as supplemental only, yeah I would limit the chicken hearts to
NO more than about 3 or 4 ounces. at least if and until until you are more prepared too see to it that the diet retains balance with your additions. Here, raw Chicken hearts show more calories and fat than the beef hearts, raw. (you might have to enter the serving size) but 100 grams chick hearts (about 3.5 ounces) has about 150 calories. add to that maybe a teaspoon of fish oil a day, an egg a couple times a week, and youre already pushing nearly 20% of unbalanced supplemental calories in his diet, and that then isn’t allowing for any unbalanced treats!

The more things you would add if you do so, or if you go with homemade meals, the more attention you are going to need pay to keeping nutritional balance. And you should really
balance out the extra phosphorus you are adding as it is, with calcium supplement.

If using finely ground eggshell, add 1/2 teaspoon to 2/3 t for each 1 lb of meat, organs, egg etc used. Calcium is very important in a dog’s diet, overall calcium in the diet should at least equal the amount of phosphorus, but also never going more than 2X the amount of phosphorus. a ratio of between 1:1 to 2:1. Most commercial diets I think fall between a ratio of 1.2:1 and 1.6:1, so there would likely be enough buffer already there in your commercial diet to cover your extra phosporus additions, but if me, I would still add at least a bit of calcium anyway.

raw chicken hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/664/2

raw beef hearts

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/3464/2

I hear ya on financial bias. dogaware.com is a great site with lots of useful info, some is a little outdated, as Mary Strauss is not so active anymore, but she has nothing to sell as far as I know. and has generously accumulated a ton of good info/articles there.

I prefer a pump bottle for fish oil, so I use Iceland Pure sardine/anchovy, I keep it in the fridge and get a fresh bottle every 3 months. This brand already has some mixed tocopherols in it (vit E), but I still add some additional E in my dog’s diet.

I use some veggies, fruits, and even some select grains, but never in abundance. I
don’t know if you’ve ever heard the old idiom “as fit as a butcher’s dog” I don’t
think the typical old time butcher fed his dog an abundance of starchy plant
material!!! I also still use 25% commercial kibble, haven’t ever been able to get away from it completely for various reasons.

Lastly, I might not be around here to write much anymore, but as you can see from the replies to your thread(and other threads) there are so many awesomely helpful people, good people, on site to help with questions you have, or even just support!! And even if they don’t have answers right away, they have also proven to be excellent researchers!!!

G’night everyone!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 2 months ago by losul.

[Kim J]

Thank you for your replies.

I actually just called Wellness, and asked them about this, as well as ‘why the gelatin’ that this site says actually has no nutritional value for dogs. The person I spoke to knew about the amazon post and they had seen the papers referred to. She said that the Green tea extract was given in super doses to fasting dogs, whereas it is used in much smaller quantities in their foods for its natural preservative effect. By the way, green tea extract has a similar effect in people if you take the doses that were given to these dogs. She also pointed out, as is true, that in these studies they said no such effect was seen in dogs that had not been fasted. If the dog eats the food with the green tea extract in it, it is necessarily not ‘fasted’.

As long as I had her on the phone, I asked her why they used gelatin – she told me it was basically used as a binder because of the high meat content of the food.

All in all, I was pleased with her response.

To the user who suggested Ziwipeak – thank you – I looked at it, and was impressed that it includes glucosamine and chondroitn – I currently give my dogs a supplement for these. However, so does Wellness, and Wellness has a lower fat to protein ratio than Ziwipeak. I read a couple of reviews from people that had fed Ziwipeak and said that their dogs had loose stools and/or gas when on Ziwipeak. My dogs do tend to get gassy if they eat too much fat, and since I have three Great Danes that could make for a pretty stinky house. I did contact Ziwipeak too, to be fair, and haven’t heard back. So, while I didn’t have a negative experience with their customer service, I had a better one with Wellness.

I have samples of Honest Kitchen, Wellness and Ziwipeak (I think) coming. While I prefer the latter two for their inclusion of glucosamine and chondroitin, Honest Kitchen’s grain free has an even lower fat to protein ratio, and no gelatin.

More will be revealed….

[Marianne P]

I wondered if anyone has thoughts on SpecialBlend dog food, one is chicken & rice. It sells for 69 cents a can at Save-A-Lot stores. My dog has special gastrointentional problem and has been on hill’W/D and looked at the ingredients in this and bought a can. I have not tried it yet.

starts with chicken, poultry by products, rice, then guar gum (?),sodium tripolyphosphate (?), salt , potassium chloride(?)vitamins E,A, B12, D3 supplements, thiamine monotrate(?),
BIOTIN, RIboflavin supplement, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide,, copper protenate, manganous sulfate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, choline, chloride, natural flavor.

is this bad or good sounding?

Marianne (and SAmantha the dog)

[C4D]

I actually use l theanine for my dog that has anxiety.

Here’s a link:
http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/January-2012/Supplement-Can-Bolster-Pets-Anxiety-Treatment/

[Steve S]

I own an english bulldog and an a small American Bull dog. I’ve used these multivitamins and they work out great. http://www.musclebully.com/product/vitabully/ They say for bullies but I’ve emailed them because I have a friend who’s just got a normal jack russell terrier and wanted to know if he can take them. They said yes as they are general dog vitamins just cater toward bully breeds. Go to Amazon because It’s cheaper there. Here is the link . The reviews are great also

[Faith G]

Hi Losul,

Would beef hearts be better than chicken? and how much would you feed a 60lb dog daily?
also krill oil isn’t the only one I am interested in, natural salmon oils are supposed to be good also, it’s hard to search for oils when so many companies are selling it, I can’t just go on a website that is promoting their oils or supplements, when of course they are going to swear by it. I am pretty skeptical of people like ceasar millon and dr mercola, because of course they are going to say it works, everyone has an endgame: money.

[losul]

Hi Faith. Count me in as another raw heart proponent, I too think it’s a great idea! Raw beef heart is a major staple in my dogs diet. I get from a rural meat market that slaughters and butchers their own locally raised, state inspected beef. It’s not 100% grass fed beef, but pastured on grass and supplemented, especially in the winter, with alfalfa, clover, lespedeza hays and minimal grain. But it’s NOT the typical mass produced feed lot beef that comes from most supermarkets. Clean and lean it only costs me $1.49/lb.

Feed heart and you wouldn’t have any need to supplement with CoQ10! Because in addition to the great source of taurine, heart is also one the very best natural sources of CoQ10! Like the taurine, if you cook it, you will also destroy some of the CoQ10. Would also lose much of most the B vitamins by cooking.

If your dog eats say 1000 calories a day, and you are feeding an otherwise balanced diet, you should be able to substitute about 130 of those calories daily with 4 ounces beef heart daily, and not worry much about throwing the entire diet out of balance without other supplementation. It would help to add some calcium though even with that little bit of addition, as heart is also very high in phosphorous. 4 ounces beef heart has about 250 mg phosphorous, and only very minimal calcium.

I also would reccomend some omega 3 fish oils in the diet, not sure why it would need be krill oil though, unless it’s for the high concentration of astaxanthin?

[Anonymous]

Did the vet do a lung x-ray? To rule out other reasons for the congestion? Most of my older dogs eventually have murmurs. But, your dog is young…. doesn’t mean that it might just be congenital and benign. Good luck, let us know what they find.

PS: For the age related murmurs, my dogs were never prescribed medication, as they were asymptomatic. No supplements were recommended either, just a healthy lifestyle and avoid high sodium foods.

[Faith G]

The vet who heard the murmur isn’t a cardiac specialist, I took him to get neutered and that’s when they heard it. The doctor who is doing the echo in a week is a specialist. I am going to get a second opinion, although I have no doubt he has a murmur, he is very mucus-y sounding in his breathing every once in a while, and has a hard time taking full deep breaths. I have no issue with waiting until the echo before giving him supplements, it is only a week. I just don’t have a lot of experience with vitamins, or raw food, I am just doing some personal research to see if there is anything more I can do besides giving him heavy medication that they will probably prescribe after the echo. I have already spoke with my vet about CoQ10 and fish oils, he said I can try them, although he told me to be careful with coq10 because he didn’t know the recommended doses.

[Anonymous]

Check The SkeptVet for info, click on Herbs and Supplements.

[Anonymous]

Is your vet a specialist (cardiac)? I would spend my money on that first, before supplements. See what the specialist recommends.