[Chipy]

Hi Jason,

Great question! There are so many synthetic and toxic supplements on the market. We’ve spent countless hours researching the overwhelming supply of products. When it comes to essential supplements such as minerals, vitamins, omega oils and probiotics, choosing the right product can be daunting.

The following article was very helpful for us to find the best quality, natural supplements for our pup;

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

Dog Essentials

I hope this helps. Wishing you and your dog all the best in good health!
Chipy

[Chipy]

Hi DanDad,

I completely understand your concern about commercial dog food. It’s very difficult to trust any brand nowadays while the industry is so unregulated. It’s so awesome that you are considering to prepare home cooked meals for your pups.

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

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

https://recipemaker.peterdobias.com

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

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 you find the above information useful for your beloved Chihuahuas. Wishing you a great rest of the week! 🙂
Chipy

[Patricia A]

Giving tums or pepcid to your dog on a regular basis is not a good idea .
Repeated use. Regular exposure can lead to kidney disease, urinary stones, pancreatitis, and other conditions in dogs. Alternative treatment is necessary for chronic stomach issues, and there are safer alternatives if your dog needs calcium supplements.
Maybe a change in diet done very slowly could be a better solution?

[Birdie30]

Hi Devin,
That menu looks pretty good. 🙂 I would suggest a bit less oil and maybe cook the veggies a bit more (not sure how lightly you’re cooking them) as I’ve read that veggies do not get absorbed as nutritiously if they’re not cooked. It also helps to blitz or puree them rather than giving them whole, for some reason. You can then add bone broth to make a kind of slurry.

The reason I suggest less oil too is because oil is fatty, and too much fat can upset the tummy. You might want to also try, instead of veggie oil, fish oil. I use a sardine/anchovy oil , and it’s done wonders for my dog’s fur and coat – so soft and shiny! I believe there are fish oils you can get that also supply Vitamin E.

For the egg, another variation you can try is to soft-boil the egg so that the yolk stays fairly intact and runny. The yolk is very nutritious and cooking it does deplete some of the nutrients (from the heat). And finally, instead of eggshells, which could be sprayed with pesticides, you can instead give her a bone meal supplement. It’s a powder and provides plenty of good calcium/phosphorus supplements that your dog needs. Otherwise, lookin’ good!

[Birdie30]

My dog also had bad diarrhea and runs (she was transitioning to a new diet), and the stuff I used did help over the course of a week. I tried Olewo carrots, Honest Kitchen’s Herbal Digestive supplement and the dog version of Kaopectate…basically, it’s kaolin and pectate and there are alot of manufacturers that make a dog version of this liquid. All of these, sometimes a combination of them (in like 1/2 to 1 tbps portions) mixed together with food, helped alot.

[Robbie M]

My dog is approximately 10.5 years of age (rescued from southern Cali in 2012 wasn’t sure of age brought him to Canada) he’s a boxer cross either staffordshire or pitbull likely pitbull. His hips have never really been in their sockets per se they are just held in place by muscle which he had lots of but now as he ages I worry. Also don’t want him to be sore or stiff or inflamed. Anyways I put him on Orijen Senior and he has shown good results, we also feed him a scoop or 2 of pumpkin every day, and his food is given 3 time’s a day with 2 scoops am 1/2 scoop afternoon and 2 in evening which equals to about 2.25 or 2.5 cups per day. Pumpkin usually goes in the AM and the afternoon he gets a tiny bit of tuna sometimes as well as a cracker with a bit of peanut butter n a couple small pieces of apple. And at night we top it with a bit diced apple/cucumber/carrot with an emphasis on the cucumber. His snacks are the orijen Six fish which he gets about 1-3 pieces a day. Oops and finally he gets CBD which I generally squirt 10mg onto a mini wheat and that’s twice a day. So with all this taken into account i bought him a bottle of grizzly joint aid with these ingredients:

Active Ingredients, per ounce
Glucosamine Sulfate (crustacean source) 1500 mg
Chondroitin Sulfate (porcine source) 1250 mg
Methyl Sulfonyl Methane (MSM) 1250 mg
Krill Oil 560 mg
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) 10 mg
Inactive Ingredients
Water, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid. Each pump is 0.12 ounces and he gets 4 pumps per day.
He seemed to do well on it but I wanted to make sure it was good.

I’m considering switching it for alpha omega sinew which has:

Ingredients (per 1 scoop [5 g]):

Vitamins:
beta-Carotene………………………………………………………………… 600 mcg (1000 IU)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine hydrochloride)……………………………………….. 2 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)…………………………………………………………. 2 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)…………………………………………………….. 20 mg
Vitamin B5 (D-Pantothenic acid)…………………………………………….. 5 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine hydrochloride)…………………………………….. 2 mg
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)…………………………………………………………. 200 mcg
Vitamin B9 (L-Methylfolate)………………………………………………. 300 mcg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)…………………………………………… 100 mcg
Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic acid)…………………………………………………. 100 mg
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)……………………………………………… 12.5 mcg (500 IU)
Vitamin E (d-alpha Tocopheryl acetate)………………………………… 16.8 mg AT (25 IU)
Vitamin K2 (Menaquinones)………………………………………………. 10 mcg
Choline (Choline bitartrate)…………………………………………………. 10 mg
Inositol (Myo-inositol)…………………………………………………………. 10 mg
Rutin………………………………………………………………………………. 10 mg

Minerals:
Boron (Sodium borate)……………………………………………………. 250 mcg
Calcium (Calcium citrate)…………………………………………………… 50 mg
Chromium (Chromium polynicotinate)……………………………….. 100 mcg
Copper (Cupric gluconate)……………………………………………… 1000 mcg
Magnesium (Magnesium citrate)………………………………………… 50 mg
Manganese (Manganese sulphate)……………………………………….. 2 mg
Molybdenum (Sodium molybdate)…………………………………….. 100 mcg
Selenium (L-Selenomethionine)…………………………………………. 10 mcg

Silicon (Sodium metasilicate)……………………………………………….. 1 mg
Zinc (Zinc citrate)……………………………………………………………… 1 mg
Minerals are in elemental quantities.

Phytonutrients:
Boswellia serrata (Frankincence Resin)…………………………………… 25 mg
Curcuma longa (Turmeric Rhizome)………………………………………. 15 mg

Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil’s Claw Root)……………………. 20 mg

Accessory nutrients:
Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorella Broken Cell)……………………………….. 100 mg
D-Chondroitin sulphate……………………………………………………… 500 mg
D-Glucosamine sulphate………………………………………………….. 1000 mg
Hyaluronic acid……………………………………………………………….. 50 mg
Hydrolyzed collagen……………………………………………………….. 1000 mg
L-Glutamine…………………………………………………………………… 50 mg
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)……………………………………………. 400 mg

Enzymes**:

alpha-Amylase……………………………………………………….. 15 mg (330 FCC DU)
Cellulase………………………………………………………………… 10 mg (35 FCC CU)
Lipase……………………………………………………………………… 35 mg (42 FCC LU)
Protease…………………………………………………………………… 40 mg (720 FCC HUT)

**Enzymatic Units
FCC (Food Chemicals Codex)
FCC CU (Cellulase Units)
FCC DU (alpha-Amylase Dextrinizing Units)
FCC HUT (Hemoglobin Unit on a Tyrosine Basis)
FCC LU (Lipase Units)

Additional ingredients:
Apple fibre, Citrus bioflavonoids, Spirulina.

The only issue with the sinew is I don’t feed him wet food but that actually leads to another question. Would it be a bad idea to say lower his dry food content a bit and use the Orijen Freeze Dried pucks as a topper instead of other stuff? Or is that too much for an old boy. I’m just trying my hardest to keep him as healthy and mobile as I can to keep his muscles as strong as possible around the hips. He’s always been fairly slow but never overweight I walk him about 2-3km a day at a relatively lax pace he likes to sniff a lot. We often break it up into two walks about 0.6 km early afternoon and about 2-3km at night. Hoping even with the slow pace this will keep his muscles from deteriorating too much. Really considering a water treadmill as I’ve been told that’s a good way to keep muscles without much strain. Sorry. I know that’s a lot to unpack and everything but I truly appreciate the feedback as I’ve been given very sound advice from this website before. Thanks again again my apologies I just love my guy so much he’s been like my best friend and helped me through some serious trauma and the ensuing insomnia and ptsd that goes with it.

[Elena S]

Hi there,
My pug Higgins has had protein losing entropathy this past year and he had made huge gains with Vegetarian Royal Canin and prednisone. Every other novel animal protein caused bad reactions. Now he is fully of prednisone but I’m starting to see some symptoms of dry skin, more shedding and odourless flatulence. I am a little worried that he’s not absorbing the protein from the vegan food. However, I wanted to see if anyone has similar experiences on vegan food and has used vegan food with supplements to help? If so which supplements? I really do not want him to be on steroids again….

Thanks!

[Octopus B]

We are looking for food recommendations for a 2 year old mixed breed indoor dog. Her overall activity level is low to medium – both of her owners work during the day but she is walked 2-3 times per week and is relatively active indoors (playing with toys, chasing balls, etc.) She does not attend Agility or any high-activity sports.

Our primary focus is her anal gland issues – she will begin licking herself consistently and will emit a foul smell if she has not been expressed in a few weeks. Our vet suggested that this was due to a lack of grains in her diet and suggested a grain-inclusive meal. The vet did not specify which type of grains were needed and if gluten was a good or bad ingredient.

She was eating Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken dry food (1/2 cup twice daily). She would also receive supplementary meals of Solid Gold wet food (an assorted variety) replacing a meal about 3-4 times per week. We have since replaced the Solid Gold dry food with Lotus oven-baked chicken small bite food, which contains grains. She still receives the Solid Gold wet foods, which are grain-free.

Her daily treats include CET veggie-dent dental sticks, Tartar Shield sticks, and dried sweet potatoes. She also occasionally eats (organic, whole) dried fish, chicken necks, and other rare treats from our local pet shop.

Her breed info is as follows:

21.6% Chihuahua
12.9% German Shepherd Dog
12.5% Chow Chow
9.7% Australian Cattle Dog
9.0% American Eskimo Dog
4.9% Rottweiler
29.4% Supermutt


[Mikkel J]

Hi

Looking to change from Hill’s J/D joint care, to a grain free product. My dog was very ill for a month probably do to lyme borreliosis . We’re of the meds (antibiotics and adrenocortical hormone) and recovered, however with stiff joints especially in hear rear legs after laying down, and not quite the same motivation to play and run with her son (7y), and inability to jump as before.
However things are doing somewhat better than just after the recovery, we’re doing an hour walk/run in her pace only on soft soil like in the forest. We supplement Hills with joint supplement powder containing (Glycosaminoglycans, Proteoglycans, Organic sulfur, Green-lipped mussel, Collagen II), turmeric with bioperine, Omega 3 (EPA/DHA) and the popular CBD oil 30 mg pr. day, dogs weight 30 kg/66 lbs.

I’m not certain that I’m on the right path her, and looking at first to find another base food instead of hills full of grain.
I’ve found Wolfsblut as the best substitute and like another pair of eyes on it.

https://www.wolfsblut.com/vetline/trockenfutter-hunde/vetline-joint-care/

Fresh wild poultry meat 41% (partridge, pigeon, wild duck, ostrich), sweet potato (17%), potato, banana, ostrich oil (5%), pumpkin, alfalfa, salmon oil, Jerusalem artichoke, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, black currants, parsley , Spinach, minerals, carrot, chickpeas, green-lipped mussel, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, glucosamine (3,900 mg / kg), methylsulfonylmethane (3,900 mg / kg), chondroitin sulfate (2,750 mg / kg), cetyl myristoleate (500 mg / kg ), Ginger, licorice, garlic, turmeric

Vitamins: vitamin A (as retinyl acetate) 14,400 IU, vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) 2,000 IU, vitamin E (as alpha tocopherol acetate) 100 IU; Trace elements: iodine (as anhydrous calcium iodate) 0.96 mg, iron (as ferrous sulfate) 48 mg, zinc (as zinc sulfate) 48 mg, manganese (as manganese sulfate) 33 mg, copper (as copper sulfate) 14 mg, selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.29 mg

Crude protein 20%
Crude fat 13%
Crude fiber 3.5%
Crude ash 9.5%
Humidity 8%
Omega-6 2.98%
Omega-3 0.75%

What are your thoughts about this product?
Also, i’d like some advice on the following
– The need if any, to supplement this kind of food with additionally or other nutrition.
– Exercise, I know shorter and more frequent walk is advisable, however she is responding rather well on 1 hour long walk a day.
– If you know about another joint care dry food or any other advice, whom you have good experience with, I’m all ears, however needs to be sold in Europe.

Thanks for your time
Mikkel

[Lori H]

Hi Cesar,

I totally know how you feel, I was in the same situation as you about two years ago with my dog Buddy. You might want to look at the following website. My dog Buddy (long hair Chihuahua, Dachshund and Pomeranian) has been through a lot, much like your dog. He had so many medical issues including being diagnosed with Diabetes. He is now almost 13 and during his life he has had surgery on his spleen, surgery for bladder stones, been diagnosed with Diabetes, my vet thought he had Cushing’s and I was also told by my vet that he was suffering from liver failure and was preparing me for the fact that Buddy was going to die. The liver failure diagnosis was over two+ years and today, he is healthy, happy, looks amazing and has energy. It has been an amazing turnaround so I know how you feel. I basically had to get him healthy myself. My vet did not support my decision to do what I did, but he is healthy and that is all that matters! I switched vets because I did not believe that the prescription food was helping him, it was killing him. There is not whole food or much nutritional value in prescription foods. I remember asking my prior vet in an email what the difference was between the labels which consisted of a bunch of names I could not pronounce and he never got back to me, that is when I realized that the industry needs a checkup.

If anything, read what Rick has to say on his website. The change in Buddy’s food as well as the supplements, changed his life. Rick has had success getting dogs and cats healthy and insulin free!

http://www.doglivershunt.com

Following is my dogs personal story:
https://www.doglivershunt.com/buddys-story.html

I now believe wholeheartedly that most vets know nothing about nutrition. They are told to carry a line of food in their offices by one of the large pharma/dog food companies because most of these companies go out and recruit at the vet universities across the United States when vets are in school and provide them with a kickback when the sell either Science Diet or Royal Canin in their clinics, up to 40%. My vet wanted me to have Buddy on Hills Science Diet for the rest of his life! I looked at the ingredients and thought to myself, there has to be something better out there. There was not one thing on there that was considered a whole food or ingredient that comes from the natural world!

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

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

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

I suggest reaching out. I think Rick saved Buddy’s life.

Good luck on your search for information and I hope you find a solution.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am happy to talk to you. I have helped three others with their dogs and I truly believe Rick knows what he is talking about. I put my trust in him and I now have a healthy, happy dog. Lori

[Kendra J]

Hi, Anne A. I’m coming in late to the game, but wanted to tell you that you are NOT ALONE. Loving a dog with Short Bowel is easy, but dealing with the special issues it can create is definitely challenging. My 3 month old Rottweiler puppy had a 75% resection of her small intestine following intussusception caused by a savage battle with Giardia. She recovered like a champ and after two rounds of nutritional absorption tests she was able to come off of B12 shots and taurine supplements. She’s now 15 months and 80 pounds (a petite little thing due to her not growing much in her first 3-4 months because of that infection, then surgery and recovery). We are feeding her over 2,000 calories a day just to keep her at 80 pounds – which based on her frame is a lean, but nice-looking weight on her according to our vet. After trying multiple off-the-shelf foods (Canidae All Life Stages, FirstMate Grain Friendly varieties, Wellness Core, Wilderness, etc.) she would end up with soft, almost-diarrhea consistency stool. We gave two weeks of transition time between varieties, then kept her on each for only about a month (as long as she would tolerate it). She’s currently on Purina EN (gastrointestinal diet) and getting some canned food as a topper because she’s bored stiff of the kibble. Her stools are fantastic, but she has to try to eat 6 cups of it a day, plus the topper. That’s A LOT OF FOOD for any dog to try to get down and I’m not keen on the ingredients – but do readily admit that she’s doing well. I’m looking to try her back on some off-the-shelf varieties, so if you’ve had success, I’d definitely like to hear about it!!!

[m3ntat]

Prescription Royal Canin SO diet can help dissolve struvite uroliths specifically, and prevent formation of struvite and oxolate uroliths. RC also makes multiple diets with the SO index, including a behavior modifying diet, Calm. Stress is primary contributor to urinary disease, including bacterial infections, sterile inflammation, uroliths in the bladder (cystolith) or kidneys (nephrolith), as unsure which your vet has diagnosed. Moderating stress with diet, supplements, environment, and exercise, can help reduce stress induced disease and inflammation. Feliway (cat) and Dog Appeasing pheremone products are very helpful. Over the counter products by veterinary companies, such as Composure (Vetriscience), Zylkene (Vetoquinol), and Calming Care (Purina) are the most utilized amongst vet professionals. Long-term use of the rx urinary diet is recommended in repeat urethral obstruction or urolith affected pets. Obstruction by crystals blood/bladder cells, and stones is emergent, as blood cannot flow through the kidneys to filter toxins into urine, and toxins accumulate in the blood, leading to electrolyte imbalance, azotemia, dehydration, hypotension, and shock left untreated. Since he is older onset, ensuring water intake and more elimination opportunities on walks/yard visits will help decrease risk for concentrated urine accumulating crystals, which can form uroliths that gain size the longer crystals are present. Dilution decreases urine crystal formation. Inquire as to the serum kidney values, to ensure underlying kidney changes are not the contributors to the bacteria and crystals sited in his urine. Ultrasound is the best way to diagnose urinary tract changes, inflammation, and foreign material; limited abdominal U/S can find early kidney changes, prior to any abnormality in serum/blood work. Hope your boy continues to improve, as he already sounds 100% turnaround. Link to SO index Calm diet https://www.royalcanin.com/us/dogs/products/vet-products/canine-calm-dry-dog-food

[m3ntat]

Hydrolyzed veterinary diets are prescribed for a variety of health conditions in dogs, formed in the last few years when novel protein diet was not “hypoallergenic” enough for affected dogs. The protein is hydrolyzed, a process of “predigestion” or breakdown that decreases immune-mediated response to absorption of protein’s peptides. Royal Canin’s hydrolyzed diets can be a formula combined with a renal friendly diet, or urinary diet formula, so multiple disease processes are managed with a single prescribed diet. Hydrolyzed protein diets have additional B vitamins and essential fatty acids, especially omega 3’s incl EPA and DHA, to promote healthy cell division and decrease inflammation, a proponent of skin health; but these are not in excess, as excessive B vitamins and fatty acids can cause toxicity symptoms, more common in homemade diets or over-supplementing diet. Some dogs with specific cancer, autoimmune disease, lymphangectasia (inflammatory disease of the lymphatic tissue surrounding GI tract), skin/ear/feet/anal gland allergy are prescribed Hydrolyzed protein diets. Ask if the dog has done well specifically due to its current prescribed diet, or if it is still in a diet trial phase (first 8 weeks on the new diet) so effect is still unknown. Inquire as to other effective or ineffective treatment the dog has tried. Often, hydrolyzed protein diet is utilized after acute symptoms have been treated and controlled with initial glucocorticoids, antibiotics, probiotics, antiemetics etc. A diet is challenged after 8 week trial by single introduction of a whole food ingredient to determine catalysts of symptoms/disease only if the dog is deemed healthy enough to trial and error diet triggers, with emergency treatments on hand if a response is triggered. Most derm vets start with a few grams of apple or carrot, then rice or oatmeal, then a lean meat-derived protein source, one ingredient per week added until note a reaction or immune-mediated response signifying sensitivity or allergy. Many owners elect to maintain status quo and never challenge the diet, as the journey leading up to the hydrolyzed protein diet was difficult and taxing to them and their pet.

[dogsforever123]

I think it’s a great idea that you want to start making dog food for your pup! I don’t there’s anything harmful or unhealthy about the ingredients you mentioned, but as the person above me said you should look into adding some supplements to your dog’s diet just to be safe. There’s plenty on the market with things like CBD oil, flax seed oil etc. In fact, there’s a wellness protocol that uses flax seed oil and cottage cheese. It’s based on the work of Dr. Budwig and many dog owners have seen positive changes in their dogs. Plus there’s even a peanut butter variety so your dog will love it! You should look into trying supplements like the Budwig protocol to make sure that you’re giving your dog a well rounded, healthy diet. Best of luck!

[dogsforever123]

I don’t know much about senior specific dog foods so imho if all the dogs are happy and healthy with the current food you usually feed them then there’s no problem feeding them all the same thing. However, senior dogs do need extra care and that’s where supplements can come in. These days, there are so many types of oils like CBD and fish oils that have a variety of health benefits. There’s also flax seed oil which when combined with cottage cheese has actually helped dogs suffering from diseases like arthritis and even cancer. It can help keep senior dogs thriving and happy for longer. There’s a company in Florida that specializes in this wellness protocol. Switching to senior food is probably a good option, but you should also do some research into supplements to see if they might be a good idea to add to your dog’s diet.

[pugmomsandy]

You can buy supplements at BalanceIt.com to make a homemade recipe complete. Just according to the ingredients you listed, the food is not balanced.

[Korrin J]

I was feeding my 5 year old lab Purina Beneful salmon formula. I switched him to Nutro after hearing that Beneful wasn’t that great of a food. The Nutro didn’t agree with his stomach so I switched him to American Journey salmon formula.

This is when the skin issues began. He started getting terrible dandruff, white flakes all over his fur mainly concentrated on his back towards his rear. He doesn’t seem overly itchy, but does itch. I since switched him to the Purina Pro Plan sensitive skin and stomach formula, which he has been on for about 2-3 weeks with no improvement. I’ve tried bathing him with the veterinary formula hot spot and itch relief shampoo, spray antifungal and antiseptic spray on him, leave on soothing lotion, and lots of grooming and brushing. I bathed him last night and he is already covered in dandruff again. He had zero skin issues for years until I switched up his food.

I’m not sure what else to try. The vet said the food I have him on is fine, so I don’t really want to switch foods again. I compared ingredients to beneful (he never had any skin issues on beneful) and the only thing that stood out to me in pro plan is “brewers dried yeast”, which beneful doesn’t have. Could this possibly be the culprit? Beneful does contain grain so I don’t think it’s a grain allergy.

I’ve thought of supplementing with more Omega 3’s in his diet, but I’ve also heard too much can be bad as well, and the beneful he was on didn’t even have any omega 3 or 6? Is it possible he’s already getting too much now if he was fine without it before?

I’m lost. I’ve read 1000 articles online and can’t find any real help. The vet wants to wait 4-6 weeks for him to adjust to the new food but I’d like to help him sooner. I don’t even like taking him places right now because the dandruff is that bad.

[Nadia K]

If you are on Facebook, I would highly recommend your join this group. – Home Cooked Diets For Dogs. They offer a wealth of information on how to keep meals balanced, what supplements to use etc.

[Susan]

Hi,
have you asked vet about “Cartrophen vet” weekly injection given for 1 month, Cartrophen vet is all natural, injection is given under thick section of dogs skin near neck & it finds the dogs pain.
My boy suffers with IBD he cant take steroids, high omega oils, medications etc they cause diarrhea, acid reflux stomach ulcers so vet said NO to any meds, Patch is 11yrs old after his 2nd Cartrophen injection Patch was running around like a young pup, I have to tell him to slow down & stop jumping up your going to hurt your back, I couldn’t believe the results.
Cartrophen vet caused no side effects, I’m feeding Royal Canine Intestinal Low fat vet diet at the moment with Canidae Pure Senior kibble, I feed 1/2 & 1/2 mixed together, in Australia our R/C comes from Europe, France they use dried meats, no meat meals & ingredients seem to be heaps better then the American R/C.
I also feed Tin Salmon with boiled Sweet potato for lunch & his vet diet= Canidae is high omega 3 oils, he also eats Canidae Pure Senior, Wellness Core Senior or the Wellness Core Large breed its high in Glucosamine & Chondroitin, start adding Glucosamine & Chondroitin with diet it helps rebuild joints. If you’re going to give a fish oil buy Krill Oil Capsules instead, Krill Oil Capsules are better then Fish or Salmon oil, I also buy Freeze Dried Green Lipped Mussels & give 1-2 Mussels a day as a treat, Patch seems to handle foods that are high in Omega oils but not the supplements, just be careful as Supplements & Meds (NSAID) can cause acid reflux, diarrhea, stomach problems..

What is Cartrophen Vet?

[Empire F]

I had a cat that lived to 17 that died 3 years ago
i have another cat that turned 19 years old this month. STill running around the house having fun
I believe carefully selecting excellent cat food and spring water is the key

My senior citizen dog, i need help what dog food to be giving him. I will look into the supplements but for right now, i need food that, even just a little bit, will help with his joints,cartridge.

[pugmomsandy]

There is usually not enough of an ingredient (a high enough dose) for joint health in food. You would want to use supplements. They come in many forms. Powdered or soft chew may be what your dog needs. Some examples are powdered green-lipped mussel, glycoflex soft chews, Acti-flex K9 liquid.

[anonymous]

There are no veterinarians affiliated with this site.

Find a vet nearby that you like and trust, make an appointment for a senior checkup, lab work , dental exam and all.
The vet will then advise you regarding diet, and medication (if needed) to keep your senior healthy and comfortable.

Never give OTC meds or supplements to a pet unless recommended by a veterinarian that has examined the animal.
Many products are not intended for veterinary use and can cause harm.

[Linda P]

Mike L and CZ Riley, Thank you both for sharing your experience with Galliprant! Our
16 y/o Border Collie has osteoarthritis. We started out with Rimadyl She then became very sick with vomiting; her food, yellow stomach acid and foam. She also had diarrhea mixed with blood and mucus. Vet stopped Rimadyl and did testing. Our girl was then diagnosed with Pancreatitis and prescribed Hills Digestive Care Low Fat i/d Dog Food along with meds to treat her pancreatitis. Once stable she started on Rimadyl again. Months later she had a flare of Pancreatitis. More meds to treat that and changed arthritis med to Galliprant. I noticed her doing odd things such as staring at the wall, she would walk into corners as though she forgot where the doorways are. She appeared to be confused most of the time. She also started dodging head pats or any kind of movement too close to her as though something or someone was about to to hit her. She batts her eyes and tries to avoid whatever she thinks is happening. After discussing with our Vet she suggested the Canine Adequan injections. We were in the multiple beginning doses and not yet to the maintenance only doses when our furbaby became very sick again. Her liver enzymes were off the charts and her RBC was elevated. I was terrified she was going to die. Vet said to stop all meds but to give her the liver supplement Denamarin (life long) and two different antibiotics. She wanted to recheck her in two weeks.
She was also diagnosed the same day with Gallstones after a ultrasound. Went back in two weeks and her RBC was normal one liver enzyme was normal but the other liver enzyme was still off the charts. They also tested her bile to help determine liver function without doing a biopsy of her liver. Bile and liver function was within normal the Vet said. We were allowed to start back on the Galliprant. The next day she slowly started acting odd and confused again. I then realized while she was off the Galliprant her mental health and confusion was much better. Unfortunately and according to our Vet, unless we want to try the laser therapy on her spine and hips, the Galliprant is all that’s being offered for our girl now. It’s a miracle she survived this entire ordeal. The Vet acted as though nobody has ever suggested Galliprant can cause confusion, dementia like symptoms and dismissed my concern. Thanks for sharing. Now I’m certain it must be the Galliprant that causes our furbaby to have this confusion. Just not sure what else we an do about it at this point.

[pugmomsandy]

@Gary R: Click on the main “Forum”, then scroll down and select “Dog Supplements”, go to the bottom and you can start a new Topic. Or you can use the Search box towards the top of the left side column, search for “Nutra Thrive”, if there is already a Topic called NutraThrive, you can post your review there.

[Jessica M]

I’m trying to reply to Gregory b so hopefully this isnt just a general reply but anyway I’m confused as to why your vet would say not to use any product that says to consult your vet first. EVERY single supplement and vitamin on earth says to ask your Dr before using it so why would it be different for dogs? The reason youre supposed to check is because every dog and human is different. Just because your dog had an allergic reaction to an ingredient doesnt mean the whole company is a scam. For instance they could be using a simple filler ingredient and just hypothetically lets say the ingredient was harmless blueberry extract. Well my friend is allergic to blueberries so she would have a horrible reaction to any supplement that contained blueberry in any form. That diesnt mean the supplement is unsafe! Everyones health is different and anyone could be allergic to anything and some supplements cant be taken if youre on certain rx meds etc. Like youre not supposed to take beta keratin if youre a smoker because it causes kidney damage or something. You should ALWAYS check with your Dr before taking any vitamins or supplements and thus you should ALWAYS ask your vet before giving your dog any vitamins or supplements. That’s just how it works and I cant believe youve never seen a bottle of vitamin c that says “consult your dr before taking this supplement”. It doesnt mean vitamin c is dangerous for gods sake. Some people posting here are just really ignorant. Lots of people and dogs are allergic to gluten or wheat or corn etc which are totally harmless so before you start calling companies scams and saying their products are dangerous id do a little more research altho I thought the vitamin thing was common knowledge. Also when a person begins a new vitamin regimen with high quality supplements and a lot of them, the body can react badly at first. It happened to my mom. Shes just very sensitive. You really shouldnt be shocking your dogs system and giving them the full doses all at once. I’d reccommend starting off with just a small bit of supplement powder and slowly increasing it. When I start my dogs on new food, if I dont go suoer slowly introducing that new food, my dogs will barf and be sick for a couple of weeks. It doesnt mean the food is poison or generally dangerous. Come on people use your brains! I’m considering buying this product but I’m definitely going to clear it with my vet before actually putting it in either of my dogs food. Are there any updates on the whole ordering problem on the website? Is there still no way to manage your account/shipping type of options? I also read that some of the ingredients are worthless when taken orally so thats the kind of thing id want more info on.

[Andrea V]

My husky puppy is now 17 weeks old and has been diarrhea free for the first time since I took her home at 8 weeks. We tried all kinds of puppy chow, soft and kibble, tested over and over for parasites. I was up at night and all day trying to take care of her needs and she was clearly uncomfortable. Finally read about some homemade dog food, and discovered a simple recipe I have been feeding her and she has now been producing excellent, normal BMs. I buy a rotisserie chicken, take the skin, bones, gristle out and shred it/chop it up finely, cook 2 sweet potatoes (medium size) in the microwave on the potato setting, cool and mash it with a fork, and cook 1/2 cup of Cream of Rice cereal with 2 cups of water, adding salt to the water, and a tablespoon of butter to the cooked cereal. Let it all cool, mix it up, and divide it into three or four portions. My dog eats a lot, maybe because she is still underweight. She has been diarrhea free for 10 days. This has helped her enormously, although it is very time consuming to put together these meals. I can now supplement (last 3 or 4 days) with the Pedigree dry kibble my 8 year old Lab eats, and plain (not flavored or food colored) Milk Bones in the Small size. I have been working closely with our vets during this time. It is just so bewildering to see a little puppy so overcome with diarrhea. Hope this helps someone.

[jim N]

our rescue silk terrier apx 10 years old suffered from extreme diarrhea with blood and mucus beginning bout 5 years ago, after a bunch of vet visits and Rx $$$$ he would recover then revert. we tried chicken and rice, recommended by many and found many dogs are allergic to chicken. we tried every brand and specie of dog food. same result. we then were recommended by vet to put our dog on a strict hydrolyzed protein diet and it is working out very well for him. it has been about 3 years on this diet and he has very few episodes if we watch what he eats. If we give him table scraps, which he loves, even tiny amounts, we can see results next day in his too soft poop. we have another dog, a malteepoo King Charles about the same size and weight and they eat side by side as best buddies. he has no dietary issues but…we had to put out only one kind of food, because they share everything. so now both dogs have been on Rx hydrolyzed protein by Royal Cannin for a few years and both are doing very well. Occasionally we supplement their diet with canned pumpkin and it helps with constipation or loose stool. we are never sure what they eat as they are roaming around in dog parks.
it is about 2.5x the price of other quality dog food. for our pups it is a no brainer as we thought the silky would die from the problem. I am now looking at probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes to help both dogs with digestion and good health. PS they eat grease too often, hence the probiotic thoughts

[Kathy M]

I’d love to know how your chi is doing and what food you ended up using. My chi (NM) 10#, 10 yrs. old is already on 6.25 Lasix and 1.25 Vetmedin twice a day. I’ve ordered Dr. Becker’s Heart Bites and Young at Heart supplement and Mercola’s Meal Mixer (which according to customer service rep has no sodium) to start making his food. Right now I’m feeding Primal frozen chicken and adding fresh chicken breasts boiled, fresh boiled sweet potato, Fresh zucchini and spinach with ArthriEase Gold to help with arthritis and it increases his appetite. Never been picky eater until Lasix administered at ER vet.
Just hoping to share with someone looking for low sodium frozen raw. I do know that fresh chicken breasts are naturally lower in sodium than other meat. Maybe that’s why chicken is the lowest sodium frozen meat patty Stella and chewy offer. [email protected]

[Marisa J]

I work at a pet store and I can tell you I’ve only ever had one dog deny Farmina so far. And the dog was fed raw and they were looking to find a kibble. So, when going from something so fresh to something cooked and not fresh it’s pretty hard.

Farmina is awesome though! They are a high protein kibble and low carb. They are from Italy so the standards there are much higher than any USA dog food.

They produce bags to vendors orders. So it’s nice to know that these bags are not sitting on a shelf waiting for dust.

They also press fruits and vegetables together and spray this on their kibble for a vitamin supplement. So no random vitamin E supplement purchased from the market. And I think this is why so many dogs and cats love their food.

They also cold press their ingredients into the shape.

Farmina is an awesome kibble! Their bags range in price too depending on proteins and flavors too.

[aimee]

Hi Katherine W,

I don’t think there is a straightforward answer, which is why you can find various advice on the matter. Omega 3’s have been shown to be beneficial in pancreatitis in other species. Not sure that there is research done in dogs. I think having Omega 3 as part of a low fat diet can potentially be beneficial.

Is supplementation is safe for your dog? I think that depends on the total fat content of the diet, how much fat is added as an Omega 3 source (this will vary depending on the concentration of the supplement). and how fat tolerant/intolerant the patient is

Adding together all sources of fat how many grams of fat/day is your dog consuming? What percentage of calories is coming from fat? What is the current EPA/DHA intake?

It sounds like your vet wants to trim down the fat content in your dog’s overall diet. It may be that moving to a lower fat food an appropriate supplement could be used, and still be lowering the fat content overall.

These are all things that could be discussed with your vet. (A bit of nutritional number crunching will be needed here) It could be that your vet has taken all this into consideration and for your dog thinks the risk outweighs the benefit.

[GSDsForever]

Hill’s W/D Dry Ingredients:

Whole Grain Wheat, Powdered Cellulose, Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Oats, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Pork Flavor, Lactic Acid, Soybean Oil, Caramel color, Flaxseed, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Glyceryl Monostearate, Potassium Citrate, Iodized Salt, L-Lysine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Tryptophan, Calcium Carbonate, DL-Methionine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene.

Farmina Light Chicken & Pomegranate w/Ancestral Grains:

boneless chicken, dehydrated chicken, whole spelt, whole oats, herring, dehydrated herring, dried whole eggs, dried beet pulp, suncured alfalfa meal, chicken fat, herring oil, dried carrot, inulin, fructooligosaccharide, yeast extract, dried pomegranate, dried apple, dried spinach, psyllium seed husk, dried sweet orange, dried blueberry, salt, brewers dried yeast, turmeric, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, choline chloride, beta-carotene, zinc methionine hydroxy analogue chelate, manganese methionine hydroxy analogue chelate, ferrous glycine, copper methionine hydroxy analogue chelate, selenium yeast, DL-Methionine, taurine, L-Carnitine, aloe vera gel concentrate, green tea extract, rosemary extract, mixed tocopherols (a preservative).

[GSDsForever]

Hi Victoria.

First (so I don’t forget it!), no, you cannot use cooked pancreas for EPI. It *must* be raw for the active enzymes needed. Vets know this — it’s a special exception recommended in otherwise normal, healthy dogs with EPI.

In your dog’s case, an older dog with cancer, I wouldn’t worry about trying to use pancreas. Just stick with the Enzyme Diane/other prepared enzymes as they are highly effective. For B12, a lot of dogs use WonderLab pills vs the injections.

I share your vet’s concerns about DCM and the connection to many current grain-free/high legume formulas, your dog’s heart murmur, as well as raw for your dog, and agree with his guidance. (Also, while I am respectful of raw feeding, I prefer gently cooked homemade food as ideal anyway and don’t find a benefit for my dogs in raw.)

It’s just hard to capture all those criteria — along with low fiber, low insoluble fiber necessary in particular for EPI dogs — in commercial kibbles, especially here in the U.S. at this time.

Aside from what HaleyCookie pointed out well (Thank you, HaleyCookie!), the starch binding in kibbles, I think companies add to the problem. They just don’t want to spend the money, chance cutting into their profits by including more quality animal protein, which is expensive. Or they don’t think that the public will buy the products at a necessarily higher price — and, here, they might be right.

I mentioned those particular GF formulas ONLY as something you could potentially do part homemade with, and that other EPI dogs are using with success.

Another formula currently being re-released and available again, which *might* work for you with some tweaks (you’ll need lower % fiber in an EPI dog; perhaps you can accomplish this diluting it with what you add homemade?):

Farmina LIGHT Chicken & Pomegranate with Ancestral Grains
34% Protein/11% Fat (6.4% Fiber)
https://www.farmina.com/us/dog-food/n&d-ancestral-grain-canine/113-chicken-&-pomegranate-light-medium-&-maxi.html

I really like Farmina and my German Shepherd is doing very well on their food. I use a different formula, higher in fat and low in fiber (typical of most Farmina formulas).

A board certified veterinary nutritionist I would recommend is Lisa Weeth, DVM DACVN.
http://www.weethnutrition.com/about-us.html
https://weethnutrition.wordpress.com/

You can work with her long distance, through your vet. She is very supportive of homemade diets and experienced with them, and is also more open minded, fair, unbiased across a variety of commercial diets and brands imo. I think you would get a better diet from her for the money than from some other prominent services/DACVNs.

You can get a good feel for what she’s like from her nutrition blog, both her blog and Q&A section (click on “comments” at the top), in that 2nd link. You might ask her some questions there, about a commercial kibble or your current homemade additions; she’s pretty gracious and generous in her answers. (Your questions would tie in to her recent blog entries on DCM & diet, also one on grains.)

I like Susan Wynn, DVM DACVN, also but she left private practice in nutrition in January 2019 to work for Nature’s Variety.

I think the expensiveness comes from the pre-diet formulation blood tests & work up you’ll need to submit (costs dependent upon your own vet), but I think they need that to ensure that a major health issue is not present so that when they formulate a custom diet for your dog it is safe and appropriate, does not make an underlying health problem worse. And, as you’ve already seen for yourself, multiple health conditions & diet parameters, not only require review of all your medical file, but presents a diet more challenging, complicated to formulate. In your case, if you have any of those blood panels, etc. already done recently, then you’ve already spent that money. Talk to her assistant & ask about costs, what is included, your concerns. (They were very helpful with me.)

With Just Food For Dogs, the cheapest by far is doing their DIY — where you buy their recipe + balancing supplement. I just don’t know whether any of those would be appropriate for your dog, with her conditions and the diet parameters. They have good customer service (and knowledgeable veterinary staff) if you want to ask them.

I was encouraged by — and have considered using a couple of their diets myself — an independent review I read from a guy who broke down his total costs for a large breed dog about mine’s weight, showed the receipts and shopped at Whole Foods no less(!), to feed one of the formulas the DIY route. With this diet, you do feed lower total calories because it is fresh whole foods gently cooked, using highest quality ingredients, and is therefore highly digestible. So, his cost was lower than what I would have assumed for a large dog.

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by GSDsForever.
• This reply was modified 6 years ago by GSDsForever.

[GSDsForever]

Victoria,

You poor thing and your poor dog! That is certainly a lot to be trying to treat at once & in selecting a food.

Have you thought about feeding a therapeutic homemade diet, via your vet & you doing a consult with a board certified veterinary nutritionist (DACVN)? I wouldn’t recommend them all equally, but there are some good ones.

Those are some tough dietary parameters to meet all at once, particularly through a commercial kibble/can and from a quality reputable company, and you might have better luck with feeding homemade.

You might also look into the Vet Support Diets or a custom therapeutic diet from Just Food For Dogs, via their board certified veterinary nutritionists and other vet specialists.

Bear in mind that with EPI, the diet should also be low fiber, especially insoluble fiber — per veterinary guidelines. The main keys for the EPI part, are the pancreatic enzymes on the food + B 12 supplementing.

I would strongly encourage you to reach out to EPI4Dogs. Olessia, the lovely owner of that foundation & moderator, in fact has an EPI dog with diabetes that has been well managed on a combination homemade/fresh and Annamaet’s Lean. Dogs with EPI are no longer recommended to to have low fat, but as Olessia’s dog has needed low fat due to the diabetes, she will be able to help. The enzyme preparation that many use there is called Enzyme Diane, which is less costly. Many of the dogs in that group have done very well, and there is a wealth of knowledge and encouragement, hope there.

I believe most of the EPI dog owners there are feeding grain-free. The issue is with fiber though, as many whole grains found in commercial dog foods are high fiber and much of that fiber is insoluble, which EPI dogs cannot handle. The dogs also notably do not do well with peas, which also happen to be nearly all insoluble fiber. (Ditto for lentils.)

Among whole grains, a very very small amount of oats (higher in soluble, at ~50%), amaranth, or sorghum would be lowest in both fiber and % insoluble fiber; otherwise, white rice (refined). Lowest fiber grains like brown rice and corn contain almost entirely insoluble fiber. Cassava, white potato, and sweet potato are more balanced in soluble/insoluble fiber than most grains — and the fiber in sweet potatoes reduces to half in canned, vaccuum packed.

Elizabeth Hershey DVM, DACVIM is an outstanding, nationally known board certified oncologist you might wish to have your local vet reach out to. She is integrative and evidence based, as she is trained in both traditional western medicine and eastern/Traditional Chinese Medicine, includes diet, and typically combines her approaches. She does have success where other oncologists have not.

If I think of a suitable grain inclusive commercial food from a company that I personally would recommend, I will post it.

[Shayne, Ultimate Pet Nutrition]

Hi Anna, I’m Shayne from Ultimate Pet Nutrition. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review about your dog’s experience with Nutra Thrive. I have not heard of this happening before, so I would like to fill out an Adverse Reactions Form. Our sole mission is to improve the health and happiness of all pets. We would never create a product that we did not believe in, let alone, a product that is unsafe for consumption. We believe in our products which is why every product is backed by a 90-Day Money Back Guarantee. I wanted to mention that we always ask that our customers consult their pet’s veterinarian prior to starting any new supplement to ensure that it’s safe for that specific pet to take depending on their medical history, allergies, etc. In addition, if our customers find that their pets are reacting negatively to any product, it is always recommended to stop giving them that product immediately. I am so sorry for this upsetting experience. Please e-mail me at [email protected] so I can issue you a full refund and fill out the Adverse Reactions Form. I’m so sorry to hear about your upsetting experience but I look forward to making this right. I’ll keep a lookout for your e-mail.

[Anna S]

I started using Nutra Thrive a little over a month ago and am on my second can, also using the Omega 3 brain booster powder and the juviflex vitamins. My dog has been very tired all day, maybe less energy than normal. Not sure if it’s the rainy cold weather. But also I have noticed that since he has been sleeping next to me on the couch or when he’s on the bed, he is having seizures in his sleep and I have to nudge him to wake up to stop the sleep seizures. I am not sure if the Nutra Thrive is giving my dog seizures. He has had some small short seizures before the product, but that was like years ago once in a blue moon, not recently. I’ve noticed he’s been having a lot more frequent seizures every time he sleeps next to me. Also, I researched online what causes seizures in dogs and its either a deficiency or an “excess” of potassium,caclcium,ect some of the ingredients used in the Nutra Thrive. So too much of it can actually be bad and cause the seizures in dogs as well. That’s very risky. Also not sure if crominex C+ which is supposed to extend a dogs life has side affects. Not sure if that can cause cancer like the human diet loss supplemt Chromium. Can Silica ingredient in the Nutra Thrive cause cancer? There are a ton of ingredients that seem like the ingredients put into the Whey Protein Powders you buy at the gym that have Chromium and tons of ingredients that cause cancer and liver and lung cancer and death. Not sure if all of these ingredients in the Nutra Thrive are completely natural or not, or if there are some compounds that cause liver lung or cancer. Initally my dog would not touch the food, like Christophers dog. And I had to throw out tons of canned food because eh would not eat the green stuff mixed in with the canned food probably because of the bad overpowering smell like fish food that the dog did not recognize the meaty smells in the can food anymore. Then he started finally eating it, maybe because he was desperate and hungry. But for the hard food, it looked like it had molded over the hard food and got green gunky on the bottem of the bowl, like it could mold, even the soft food. When I tried adding water to the mixture and the food, the hard food sticks together and hardens altogether like a rock which is harder for the dog to eat. With adding the water to the food and green mixture of nutra thrive, all the food sticks together and hardens and gets soggy and could mold more easily, it doesn’t stay separated and hard if you want to leave the food in the bowl for the dog all week. Also the Juviflex vitamins are hard for the dog to eat whole, so I would have to chop them up in tiny pieces and mix it into the wet food. If I did not use the nutra thrive in the soft food, it would last for another day to eat. If I did use the Nutra thrive, it would green up and smell bad and kind of mold over and be inedible for the next morning or day. And I would have to throw all the food out. Also, I think like everyone’s concern is that it’s too expensive to afford and spend a few months supply for like $400, which I did. There should be a whole bag of Nutra Thrive for $50, not a tine can. Now my dog is having seizures after the first can and I taking him to the vet for a checkup, and am wary to try the remaining cans and juviflex vitamins.

Anna
(510)480-6840

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Anna S.
• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Anna S.
• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Anna S.
• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Anna S.

[Nadia K]

I recently joined Home Cooking for Dogs on Facebook. There is a wealth of information there about how to get started, keeping meals balanced, supplements etc. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1651729598373140/

[anonymous]

Placebos for Pets?: The Truth About Alternative Medicine in Animals. Paperback – November 1, 2019
by Brennen McKenzie (Author)
Whether online or in the local pet store, there is a bewildering variety of pet healthcare products and services to choose from. Diets and supplements, ancient herbs and folk remedies, and even high-tech treatments like hyperbaric oxygen tanks and laser therapy. Everything promises to give your pet better health and a longer life, and isn’t that what every pet owner wants?
But how do you know if all of these products do what they claim? Are they safe? If they really are miraculous cures, why are so many offered only on the Internet or by a few veterinarians specializing in “alternative medicine?”
McKenzie, a vet with twenty years of experience and the former president of the Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine Association, helps pet owners and veterinary professionals understand the claims and the evidence, allowing them to make better choices for their companions and patients

[anonymous]

I hope this article is helpful to readers. It’s a few years old but still just as accurate, there are more recent Nutrition articles at this site, just use the search engine
Click on link to read comments

What do Veterinarians Know About Nutrition?

What do Veterinarians Know About Nutrition?
Posted on July 8, 2012 by skeptvet
It is not unusual for people promoting unconventional, approaches to pet nutrition, such as raw diets, grain free foods, homemade diets, a preference for organic ingredients, and so on, to dismiss objections to these approaches made by veterinarians. These people will often claim that veterinarians know little about nutrition and that what they do know is mostly propaganda fed to them by commercial pet food manufacturers. Like most bad arguments, this one contains a few bits of truth mixed in with lots of unproven assumptions and fallacies.
Most veterinarians do have at least a semester course on nutrition in general. And a lot more information on the subject is scattered throughout other courses in vet school. So the idea that we know nothing about the subject is simply ridiculous. However, it is fair to acknowledge that most veterinarians are not “experts” in nutrition, if by this one means they have extensive specialized training in the subject. The real “experts” in this area are board-certified veterinary nutritionists, individuals who have advanced residency training in nutrition and have passed the board certification exam of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.
Of course, as I always take great care to point out, expertise is no guarantee of never falling into error, particularly expertise based primarily on experience and a familiarity with the opinions of other experts rather than solid scientific research. Given the limited research data available on many important questions in small animal nutrition, even the real experts are often forced to rely on extrapolation from basic science or research in humans and their own clinical experience, which are important sources of information but always less reliable than studies specifically designed to answer these questions. Nevertheless, boarded nutritionists have a legitimate claim to expert status in this area. And as a group, they generally are skeptical of many of the alternative approaches to nutrition, as they should be give the paucity of data to support them As for the question of the role of the pet food industry in veterinary nutrition education, there is some truth to the claim that much of that education is sponsored by companies who make pet foods. Obviously, most veterinary nutritionists put their training to work researching and evaluating food for veterinary species, so the money and expertise in this area tends to concentrate in industry. And it is not entirely unreasonable to ask the question whether or not this influences the information veterinarians get about nutrition. It quite likely does.
This is not the same thing as saying that veterinarians are all lackeys or dupes of industry and unable to think critically for themselves, however. I am generally as skeptical and critical of pharmaceutical companies and mainstream pet food companies as I am of herb and supplement manufacturers and producers of alternative diets. All of them have both a genuine belief (most of the time) in their products, a genuine interest in the welfare of the animals they serve, and a high risk of bias and cognitive dissonance that impedes their ability to see and accept the flaws in their own reasoning or the data that contradicts their beliefs.
One should always be aware of bias, but that awareness does not justify ignoring the arguments or evidence coming from a source with potential bias, only evaluating it carefully and critically. The reason science is so much more successful than unaided reasoning is precisely because it is a method for compensating for human biases and other cognitive limitations that interfere with our seeing the truth. Mainstream pet food companies undoubtedly have biases, but often they also have good scientific data, which is rarely available for the alternative products and approaches. Ignoring this data in favor of opinion, theory, or personal experience is not a recipe for improving the state of veterinary nutrition.
The real issue is not so much what do general practice veterinarians know about nutrition as what is the evidence supporting the alternative theories and products being promoted? The accusation that vets know little about nutrition, even if it were true, doesn’t invalidate their criticisms. The classis ad hominem fallacy is the strategy of attacking a person and imaging that somehow this attack says anything about that person’s argument. It is the mirror image, in many ways, of the appeal to authority fallacy, which involves claiming some special wisdom or expertise on the part of a person making an argument and then imaging that claim somehow proves the argument. If proponents of raw diets or other unconventional nutritional approaches wish to make a case for their ideas, they have to do it based on logic and facts, not on the presumed expertise of supporters or the supposed ignorance of critics. As always, it is the ideas and the data that matter, not the people involved.
That said, there is a certain hypocrisy to many of these criticisms in that they come from sources with no particular right to claim expertise in nutrition anyway. Proponents of alternative nutritional practices are almost never boarded veterinary nutritionists. Often they are lay people who have labeled themselves as experts without even the training general practice veterinarians have in nutritional science. And while they may not be influenced by the mainstream pet food industry, this only means they are less subject to that particular bias, not that they don’t have other biases. People selling pet food or books on veterinary nutrition are all too often blind to the hypocrisy of claiming their opponents are under the influence of pet food companies while ignoring the fact that they make money selling their own ideas or products.
Others who frequently claim most veterinarians know little about nutrition are themselves general practice veterinarians or specialists in some aspect of veterinary medicine other than nutrition. It may very well be true that they are well-informed about nutrition because they have an interest in it, but this is not evidence that their arguments are true and those of their opponents are false. It is not even evidence that they know more about nutrition than their detractors, who may themselves have studied independently in the area. If you’re not a boarded nutritionist, you can’t claim to be an expert. And whether or not you are an expert, your ideas must stand or fall on their merits and the evidence, not on any presumed superiority in your knowledge over that of your critics.
So I think it is fair to say that most general practice veterinarians have only a fairly general knowledge of veterinary nutrition. And it is fair to acknowledge that much of this information comes from a source with a significant risk of bias, that is the pet food industry. However, I see no evidence that proponents of alternative approaches to nutrition have a reason to claim they know more about nutrition than most veterinarians, or that they are free from biases of their own. Only boarded veterinary nutritionists can legitimately claim to be “experts,” and even this is no guarantee of perfect objectivity or the truth of everything they believe. Claims about who is or is not smart or informed enough to have an opinion on a subject are mostly a superficial distraction from the important elements of any debate, what are the arguments and data behind each position. Awareness of potential bias only serves to make one more careful and cautious in examining someone’s arguments and data, it doesn’t get one a free pass to ignore what they have to say.

[anonymous]

@ YorkiLover4

Per the product link you provided”

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[anonymous]

Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats: Does Treatment Improve Health?
Posted on June 6, 2013 by skeptvet
A reader recently asked me about the evidence supporting recommended therapy for dental disease in dogs. This is has become a common question given the increasing awareness among pet owners that dental disease is a real and important health problem, … Continue reading →

Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats: Does Treatment Improve Health?

Posted in Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 37 Comments

Dry Pet Food and Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats
Posted on October 17, 2011 by skeptvet
One of the most common diseases in cats and dogs that I see in practice is dental disease. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, by three years of age 70-80% of dogs and cats will have signs of oral … Continue reading →

Dry Pet Food and Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats

Posted in Nutrition | 19 Comments

Healthy Mouth Water Additive: Does It Help Prevent Dental Disease?
Posted on January 13, 2011 by skeptvet
I am often asked by clients or readers about specific products, and while I certainly can only investigate a small proportion of all the stuff marketed to pet owners, I try to look at as many of these things as … Continue reading →

HealthyMouth Water Additive: Does It Help Prevent Dental Disease?

Posted in Herbs and Supplements | 103 Comments

[Kim N]

It has been a huge blessing for my dog! I understand and am sorry it hasn’t worked for others as hoped, but I do believe it works very well for my dog. Every dog has their own story and history. My dog has been on every natural diet and supplement possible for his hip issues which worked wonders and I continue to do, but now he is over 13 yrs old, a lab mix and Galliprant has been the icing on the cake for us. I feel very blessed, his back legs were giving out, now we can walk an easy mile on uneven terrain at the Nature Preserve dailynif Inam not too lazy, and he has had no Galliprant issues at all. No diarrhea, nothing. I just wanted to let people know it really can be of benefit for some dogs. It has been a blessing to us!

[anonymous]

Here you go!
Just add a little bit of chopped up boiled egg (no shell) and a splash of water

https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-classic-adult-dog-food

INGREDIENTS: Chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, pearled barley, oatmeal, white rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), menhaden fish meal, dried whole egg, beet pulp, cheese, flaxseed, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, calcium sulfate, dl-methionine, l-tryptophan, taurine, chicory root extract, yucca schidigera extract, sodium selenite, sorbic acid (preservative), Vitamins [vitamin A acetate, Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin E supplement, Vitamin B12 supplement, choline bitartrate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, biotin], Minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, magnesium sulfate, copper sulfate, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, magnesium proteinate, cobalt proteinate], dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Pediococcus acidilactici fermentation product.

PS: I just reread your post. I would stay awy from grain-free unless a veterinarian that has examined your dog specifically recommends it.

[Todd H]

I have never…repeat NEVER written a review on any product. However, I felt compelled to do so after reading so many negative and/or controversial reviews regarding Nutri Thrive both on this site as well as Reddit.

I have 3 girls, 9,7 and 5. The 9 year old is a 45 lb. mix shepherd and some various other breeds. My 7 year old is what I believe to be a 55 lb. Jindo. My 5 year old is mostly Jack Russell. Our life revolves around our 3 girls. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for them. We feed the Mix and the Jack raw and the Jindo Fresh Pet and a small amount of freeze dried raw as she is a bit more sensitive regarding her tummy.

I bought 3 jars of Nutri Thrive about 5-6 weeks just as a supplement to potentially enhance and ensure overall health and longevity. Our Jack does have occasional bouts of chewing and licking raw spots. Our Jindo has always has had a bit of morning sickness her entire life although it has declined a bit over the last few years. Once to twice weekly she would throw up in the morning. No issues whatsoever with the 9 year old mix.

After 5-6 weeks use, the Jack (almost immediately) ceased chewing and licking. Her raw spots are completely filled in and her coat is the best it has ever been by far. As for the Jindo, I have yet to see her get sick. If she has, we haven’t seen it. As for the 9 year old, I can’t say for sure, because she’s always been a healthy, vibrant girl, but I swear I think she has more energy and playfulness about her.

I will continue using the product unless something changes. As for the one’s having negative side effects, so sorry to hear.

Best to all. A home without a dog isn’t home.

[Patricia A]

Anon Helen stated in her post that he is NOT eating his kibble. I should have added that the change over should be VERY SLOWLY with the new freeze dried diet if she goes that route. Stick to one brand and one protein for awhile and then GRADUALLY add more proteins/brands.
Her dog is smart to be looking for better nutrition then Science Diet or any kibble turds for that matter.
Primal
INGREDIENTS:
Turkey, Turkey Necks, Whole Sardines, Turkey Hearts or Turkey Gizzards, Turkey Livers, Organic Collard Greens, Organic Squash, Organic Cranberries, Organic Blueberries, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Celery, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Cilantro, Organic Ginger, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Quinoa Sprout Powder, Organic Ground Alfalfa, Dried Organic Kelp, Organic Rosemary Extract, Vitamin E Supplement.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:
Crude Protein (min) 40%
Crude Fat (min) 23%
Crude Fiber (max) 2%
Moisture (max) 4%
Ash (max) 5%
ADDITIONAL PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Turkey 77%
Sardine 10%
Produce 11%
Supplements 2%
Organic Ingredients 11%
Organ Meat 9%
Bone Content ≅ 10%
CA-to-P ratio 1.55:1
NUTRITIONAL FACTS
Calories: 154 per oz.
1 ounce = approx. 4 nuggets

• This reply was modified 6 years ago by Patricia A.

[Hav mom]

I agree Chipy! I had to reread Dr. Dobias on the raw bone feedings. I bought one from my butcher and when I got home
was going to let my dog have it. Something made me recheck Dr. Dobias site and yep, freeze for at last 7 days due to
the possibility of tapeworms no matter where the raw meat or bones came from. Good Advice, I won’t forget that
again. By the way, do you use his supplements if I may ask????

[anonymous]

It may not be all about the diet

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/disorders-of-the-rectum-and-anus-in-dogs

Your veterinarian can often squeeze out impacted anal sacs by hand. If the material in the sacs is too hard or dry, the veterinarian may inject a softening agent into the sac. If infection is present, antibiotics might be prescribed. Your veterinarian might recommend applying hot compresses if an abscess (infection) is present. Supplemental fiber may be recommended to increase fecal bulk, which facilitates anal sac compression and emptying. If treatment is ineffective, the condition keeps coming back, or a tumor is present, the anal sac can be surgically removed. A common complication from this surgery is fecal incontinence.

Anal sacs may become clogged (impacted), infected, abscessed, or cancerous. There are several common causes of clogged anal sacs, including failure of the sacs to be squeezed out during defecation, poor muscle tone in obese dogs, and excessive secretion of the gland. When the clogged gland contents are not periodically squeezed out, this can make the glands susceptible to bacterial overgrowth, infection, and inflammation.

[Sarah Y]

I have a beagle that I rescued a year ago. He was in really poor shape and since being with us his coat and body look great. He is soft and shiny :-). However, we are having problems with his anal glands being full. He does not scoot, but he has leaked and even when having him checked by the vet, they always say his glands are full, especially on the left side. (I mention that because the last two times they tell me, “his glands are full on the left and not the right”)

It seemed his poops have been formed, but not solid. I assume this is why he doesn’t express his glands well?

We talked to the vet about trying a higher fiber diet and if that doesn’t work, trying limited ingredient diets. He has been on the original wellness core since being with us. I tried switching him a couple of weeks ago to the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Healthy weight food and we are having the same issues. In fact, perhaps not quite as formed as he was on the CORE. We gradually changed him over to NV over a week and he’s been on the full NV diet for about 8 days now.

We also tried him on Glandex the fiber supplement for about 4 months and there really wasn’t any change. We are sort of wondering if it’s ingredient related.

I’m thinking maybe trying another high fiber, different protein diet to see if that helps and I wondered if there were some suggestions. I will admit, I’m afraid of TOTW, Earthborn, and some of the other foods on the DCM food list. NV is on the list, but I didn’t realize it until I bought it. I know nothing is proven, but Acana, TOTW, Earthborn are pretty high on that list too. I wouldn’t mind trying another wellness food since it’s not on the list if one is recommended for anal gland problems.

Any suggestions for another protein that may work for anal gland problems that’s higher in fiber? Or should we go straight to limited ingredients?

Thanks in advance!

Edited to add: it seems Wellness Core Lamb and Wellness Core Wild Game (6% fiber), Wellness core ocean (7% fiber). Are any of these better for digestion? for anal glands?

• This topic was modified 6 years ago by Sarah Y. Reason: added wellness core foods
• This topic was modified 6 years ago by Sarah Y.

[Edith M]

My dog has started having the same symptoms for a week now, and nothing seemed to help. Vet did full Xray of his upper and lower torso(esophagus, heart, lungs, intestine, pancrea, kidney, etc.)with barium, fasting overnight. Did blood test and urinalysis. Everything came back normal, except his stomach and pancrea as per Vet appeared to be moderately inflamed. His symptoms only starts after eating his meal. He was not bloated the morning of barium xray, and not gulping, because he fasted overnight. He is prescribed sucralfate, and pepcid ac, which doesn’t seemed to help. I gave his Vet a call but she is not in today, and other Vet from the clinic will return my call anytime today. I read that gulp disorder can be a precursor to bloat, so I decided to give him Gas X today and he seemed to be comfortable now, passing gas on both ends. No return phone call yet from Vet. I will start him on probiotics, and digestive enzyme supplement tommorrow. I will update.

[Elizabeth G]

Has anyone used this supplement for their dog, and if so had any luck with reducing the bad kidney values, or any downside like nausea or other gastric intolerance of the powder? Thanks in advance.

[Patricia A]

Not sure about kibble but I know raw or freeze dried Primal is all life stages. Their website lets you put in quick info and calculates approx. how many nuggets to feed for puppy of a certain age. https://primalpetfoods.com/pages/feeding-calculator
PUPPIES

In the wild, when puppies reach 4-5 weeks of age, the mother dog will naturally begin to regurgitate some of her raw foods for her puppies to consume. Thus, when domestically reared puppies reach approximately 4-5 weeks of age, you can begin introducing them to Primal Canine Formulas. Puppies should be fed one to two small (1-2 teaspoons) raw-food meals daily in conjunction with either the milk they consume from nursing and/or other foods you may be supplementing. Puppies should always be fed from separate bowls, as competitive feeding can promote overeating and indigestion. Gradually increase the quantity of Primal Canine Formulas foods every 2-3 days until 8 weeks of age, when the puppies are consuming two tablespoons of Primal Canine Formulas twice daily. At this point (8 weeks), the puppies should be fully weaned and can be fed a diet solely of Primal Canine Formulas and raw meaty bones. Puppies 8 weeks of age and older should be fed approximately 4-8% of their body weight daily in Primal Canine Formulas. Factors such as breed, overall health and level of activity play a part in the necessary feeding quantities of all puppies. Please be sure to monitor your puppy’s dietary needs and adjust the feeding quantities accordingly.