[L T]

My 1 yr old lab developed a small patch on his nose which didn’t seem to bother him, but he did look a little funny with a balding patch. His vet prescribed a topical Ivermectin treatment daily for six weeks with his first treatment at the vet. I am pretty particular about topical treatments and toxicity and questioned him extensively. After doing some additional research (Demodectic is usually immune system related) I decided to not proceed with this course of treatment as the case was mild. The symptom first appeared when he developed a minor cold (sneezing). The patch itself is healing rather nicely without any further intervention. I did supplement his Orijen Regional Red with a small serving of Orijen Six Fish (being careful not to increase his food/caloric intake) as an added boost.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Jacob –

Chronic otitis in dogs can have numerous causes – many of which are secondary (meaning the otitis is in fact a symptom of another underlying issue).

If you’ve been battling ear infections for as long as you have I’m sure your vet has already looked into this, but just in case, has a scraping from the ear been examined to check for yeast? Malassezia is a fairly common type of yeast that can infect the ears.

Has your dog’s thyroid been checked (especially would recommend having this done if the dog is overweight). Hypothyroidism can predispose dogs to chronic otitis.

Have you tried a grain-free diet? If not – I’d recommend trying a grain-free diet with a novel protein source (think rabbit, buffalo, kangaroo, etc. – something your dog hasn’t eaten before). Keep her on this for a couple months and see if things clear up.

Supplementing with multi-strain non-dairy probiotics, enzymes and coconut oil probably wouldn’t hurt either.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of what could be causing the otitis, however it may give you a few avenues to explore as far as getting to the root of the problem.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Yes – RMBs can most definitely be fed daily. My dogs get a ground red-meat based meal in the a.m. (I make my dogs’ meals from scratch – this is when I add items such as vegetables, fruits, yogurt, supplements, etc.) and in the p.m. they get poultry RMBs and some sort of offal (i.e. a turkey neck with a couple turkey hearts or a chicken back with a few chicken gizzards). RMBs are great for the teeth and also the joints as they’re high in glucosamine and chondroitin. Just make sure to feed an RMB that is an appropriate size for your dog because you want to minimize choking risk. The RMB should be larger than the dog’s mouth – my dogs are large (65-75 lbs.) so they only get large RMBs, I wouldn’t feed them chicken necks. For small dogs, however, chicken necks are great.

Both of these articles by Dr. Becker have some good information on selecting bones:

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/05/19/caution-bones-can-kill-your-dog-find-out-which-ones-are-safe.aspx

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/05/09/bone-supplements-for-pets.aspx

Also – if I’m not mistaken, it’s been awhile since I’ve ordered from Darwin’s – I believe Darwin’s actually sells duck necks. Duck necks are larger than chicken necks but smaller than turkey necks – they’d probably work out well for most small to medium sized dogs.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Poultry and vegetable oils are very high in omega 6’s. For most dogs, omega 6’s aren’t an issue. In fact most dogs (and people for that matter) get WAY too many omega 6’s. Ideally, a diet should have roughly a 5:1 ratio of omega 6’s to omega 3’s (some sources recommend a slightly lower ratio, others say a slightly higher ratio is okay) – the diet of a typical America (and most dogs too) is usually closer to 14:1 to 25:1. So it’s necessary to supplement with omega 3’s in order to get closer to that 5:1 ratio.

These articles have some good info:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/12/aha-position-on-omega-6-fats.aspx

How Too Much Omega-6 and Not Enough Omega-3 Is Making Us Sick

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi zolicylus –

Supplementing a raw diet with items such as those suggested above – RMBs, sardines, oils – will not result in the components “digesting at different rates.” Why would a chicken neck digest at a different rate than ground chicken?

In fact, it’s very beneficial to supplement any diet with healthy fats such as coconut oil and sardines, as Sandy mentioned. Coconut oil offers many benefits – it has natural antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties and may help improve skin and coat health. More info here.

Darwin’s does not add a source of available omega 3’s (DHA/EPA) to their foods so it would actually be advisable to feed sardines (or another fatty fish on a regular basis). The only source of omega 3’s in the Darwin’s recipes is flax. plant based omega 3’s (with the exception of algal oil) contain omega 3’s in the form of ALA. ALA is a a short-chain fatty acid that is, essentially, a pre-cursor to long chain omega 3’s DHA and EPA. It is DHA and EPA that the body utilizes and because ALA is poorly converted (in most cases less than 10% actually gets converted) it’s necessary to feed foods naturally rich in long chain omega 3’s (EPA/DHA) such as fatty fish, algal oil or cage-free eggs.

Feeding RMBs in conjunction with a balanced ground raw diet (such as Darwin’s) will provide the dog with the dental benefits they miss out on when eating ground food.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[zcRiley]

Supplementing a raw diet (especially one of the best like Darwin’s) is not a good idea. Different types of foods digest at different rates, so tossing in a bit of this and that will unbalance their digestive tracts. Stop counting calories and instead monitor your dogs’ muscle growth & energy levels. You must feed more Darwin’s to get them to a healthy 12 lbs. Increase the Darwin’s per meal, when they get to 12 lbs. you decrease and maintain. There’s nothing quick & easy about feeding a pet. Darwin’s opened pouches are good in the fridge for 48 hours. Throw the pouch into a well sealed glass container like a large mason jar or a rubber sealed food container.

[LexiDog]

My mom shih tzu is also very picky and he throws up the foamy stuff sometimes too. She softens his hard food in water for a couple hours, mashes it with a fork, then adds cut up chicken tenders and stirs. I have tried to get him to eat just the hard food but he won’t touch it. Maybe you can try softening it and adding the digestive supplement.

[Corey K]

I am new to these forums and hoping for some assistance. I have been doing a lot of research on foods lately as I have two senior bearded collies one with some stomach issues and hoping to find a food they can both eat. In addition, I have a 3 year old 100 lb dane mix who is going through some teeth issues and I was told to soften his food. I see on the website the food calculator but unless I’m missing something, what I do not see anywhere is the calorie content in food. Right now I am feeding him natures’ recipe canned food and chicken with rice. Before the issues, he was eating IAMs large breed food and he ate 4 cups a day. I cannot figure out how much of this current food to feed him. The cans say for his weight he would need 5 but I am supplementing the chicken and rice. Right now I am giving him 2 cans, and one cup each of the chicken and rice. I do not plan to go back to IAMs when the issue is resolved. I guess there is no “cups of food required daily based on weight” way to figure it out?

[Shasta220]

Shih Tzu… Sorry, couldn’t help correcting that one… XP

Maybe try the NutriSource….avoid Purina, as it is a very low quality big-name food. Possibly add some digestive supplements (like probiotics). Canned pumpkin is a great way for a quick fix as far as icky stools go, too.

[Raffaele C]

Both my dogs are on a raw food diet (Darwin’s to be exact) and I need to increase their calories by about 100 to get them to their ideal weight of 12 pounds. I could give them more of the raw food, but I am trying to avoid having to have open packages of raw meat in the fridge. Right now I just split one pack at each meal time between the two of them and then I can just through the pack away. Quick and Easy! To give them each 100 more calories I wouldn’t need a whole other pack so I would have to store part of it in the fridge.

Anyways, I was doing a ton of research and thought about just adding some homemade food items like eggs or spinach or quinoa to supplement them and get to 100 calories. I was also considering giving them a vegan kibble but Darwin’s diet is already well balanced with meat and vegetables so I believe they are getting all their necessary amino acids and vitamins. Can anyone help with some fresh suggestions to supplement their current diet? Or should I just increase their current raw diet?

[Hound Dog Mom]

If you by “too rich” you’re suggesting that the food has too much protein and/or fat – Orijen has less protein and fat than WEF canned. So if your dog does well on WEF canned Orijen wouldn’t be “too rich” for your dog. There are a variety of reasons why your dog may be experiencing loose stools after consuming Orijen. It could be the result of an ingredient sensitivity, it could be that your dog doesn’t tolerate dry kibble well (as opposed to the moist canned) or the dog could just be adjusting to the new food. All dogs are different and some just don’t do well on certain foods. There have been quite a few reports of dogs not doing well on the new Orijen formulas (they removed the white potato and added legumes). You can try giving the dog more time and supplementing the diet with probiotics and a little canned pumpkin, sometimes this can help with loose stools.

[Nancy A]

Hello, We have a mini long-haired Doxie mix (with what, we wish we knew!) who has food protein allergies, and a long-haired Chihuahua mix (again, the mix is a mystery) who has had frequent bouts of pancreatitis (he has been stable for quite awhile now). We prepare the food for our allergic dog using a product called BalanceIT.
https://secure.balanceit.com/
BalanceIT was created by a vet (formerly on the UC Davis faculty) and products include supplements for making homemade food as well as a product that you simply add to a protein source (if vegetarian, either nuts or tofu) and gives you the recipe. I’ve recommended it three times on this forum today alone (I swear I’m not an employee, it just works for us). Good luck–when our little guy ends up in the hospital my husband thinks I need a psychiatrist (I probably do).

[Nancy A]

You may want to consider a product called BalanceIT. BalanceIT was designed by a vet (formerly on the UC Davis faculty). Products include supplements for making homemade food as well as a product that you simply add to meat if you want to make homemade food. I understand from our vets, as well as a recent peer-reviewed study, that it is extremely risky to make food for your dog without the proper supplementation:
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10666
The BalanceIT website includes recipes:
https://secure.balanceit.com/
Our little guy is allergic to chicken and has a tender tummy. Most of the beef-based dog foods are high in fat and also include chicken. We’re happy we found this product.

[Nancy A]

Hello, We have a mini long-haired Doxie mix (with what, we wish we knew!), who also scratched himself silly. We learned from the doggie dermatologist that food allergies rarely respond to steroids (the “P” in Temaril-P is prednisone). His scratching did not respond to steroids, which indicated a food allergy. His food had just about every common allergen (see article on this site regarding allergies). We switched him to a buffalo-based canned food (he hated it) because it was unlikely he had been exposed to that protein (he has a tender tummy and many of the novel proteins and hypoallergenic foods are higher in fat). It took about 2 weeks, but his licking stopped and he was cone free! After 6 months we were told we could add one of the proteins contained in his previous food. Because he loves, loves, loves chicken, I poured some homemade chicken broth on this food. Within about 24 hours, he was attacking his body again. He is now on an all-beef diet, which is hard to find because it seems like there is some kind of chicken in every food or it is too high in fat… sigh.

If you find that it is a food allergy–and you can figure out the offending ingredient–you may want to consider a product called BalanceIT. BalanceIT was designed by a vet (formerly on the UC Davis faculty) and products include supplements for making homemade food as well as a product that you simply add to meat if you want to make homemade food. I understand from our vets, as well as a recent peer-reviewed study, that it is extremely risky to make food for your dog without the proper supplementation:
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10666

With vigilance and a good plan to rule out problems, you will figure it out. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[USA]

Hi Mary C

The highest quality dog food would be one you made yourself using lean pasture raised meats and wild caught fish, fresh organic vegetables and a few supplements.

In commercial dog foods I would rate them as follows:
Raw
Dehydrated
Canned
Kibble

One of the issues with a very low carbohydrate food for dogs is the fat content. Most commercial foods with low carbs are high in fat, some are really high. If your dog doesn’t have any other health issues he or she might do fine with a high fat, high protein, low carb diet. If your dog has other issues such as pacreatitis a high fat diet might not work as well.

I strongly believe that with a diabetic dog the number one priority is to limit carbs as much as you can. After all, diabetes is a failure of the bodies ability to regulate and metabolize ALL carbohydrates and injected insulin cannot currently duplicate the bodies own production of insulin. Diabetes CAN be controlled with the proper diet, the proper insulin regimen and home testing of blood glucose.

So please tell me a little bit about your dog:
How old
Current food and amounts fed and at what times in relation to insulin injections
Current insulin regimen, what type, how often
Current blood sugar readings
Overall health and any issues besides diabetes

Once you develop a routine that works for you and your pup things get easier! Give your pup a hug for me!!!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Bryan C –

I wasn’t familiar with the product but I just looked it up. My concern with this product would be that it contains generic “animal fat” preserved with BHA, BHT, citric acid and ethoxyquin. 🙁 As far as puppy formulas go, my favorite is Wysong’s Mother’s Milk (http://www.wysong.net/products/mothersmilk-dog-cat-supplement.php) there are also some great recipes out there for homemade formulas – they usually contain ingredients like goat’s milk and egg yolks. Just curious as to why you’re looking to feed formula to an 8 week old puppy? Formula definitely won’t do any harm but a pup that age should be able to eat solid food.

[Susan C]

My dog almost died before we discovered he has AUTOIMMUNE disease. A life on Steroids means eventual kidney failure. We hope that a diet change will increase the chance of a normal life. He needs additional omega 3 and 6 plus zinc and more that I am not familiar with. Happy to make him dinner, but if there is a dog food that moves us in the right direction, I can at least supplement what I feed him now.
Help!

• This topic was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Susan C.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nicole-
The vet once prescribed this food for my pups also. It is so expensive for what is in the bag. My dogs were having loose stools as well. Turns out they had a terrible long lasting case of giardia. I assume that you have had a fecal test checking for parasites. If the high fiber helps your dog, you could always add it to another high quality food. You could add a little psyllium, chia seed or pumpkin to add fiber. If you decide to do this, please transition very slowly. I am currently feeding Victor grain free kibble. It contains montmorillonite clay which is known to help with loose stools. I have used different supplements that also help. I often use Gastriplex made by Thorne, Fruitables digestive supplement, Perfect Form made by the Honest Kitchen and probiotics that also help. There is a lot of information on dogaware.com for dogs with loose stools and intermittent diarrhea. Please let me know what you decide to do and how it goes. Good luck!

[Shasta220]

Hopefully you’ll have a success story as well!

Don’t feel too bad about the vet situation – we only took Cassy in a few times when she was younger. Not once did they suggest food/supplements, except for Beneful and flax oil (Beneful=garbage. Flax oil-they don’t absorb many of the nutrients). They just continued to give us expensive drops and washes, which seemed to make her worse.

We went several years without going to the vet since we knew it wouldn’t help… We finally had no other option when she got to the point of wearing the cone and sweaters.

The food change was night and day though. She acted /years/ younger, wanting to jump and play again. If I didn’t switch her food a year ago, I’m not sure she’d even be alive today (poor girl is starting to slow back down again. She spends most of the day sleeping on her fluffy bed lol)

[DogFoodie]

Darn it! I posted a response, but it disappeared. I hate that! I’ll try again.

My Golden, Sam, just turned two and he has some food intolerances. He can’t have fish in any form, garlic (apparently) or chickpeas & lentils. He’s eaten a lot of foods that he did great on, once; but, when I feed it again, he reacted. When he’s exposed to something to which he’s intolerant, he develops a red inflamed right ear that quickly turns into a yeast infection in that same ear. The chickpeas and lentils give him horrible gas and loose stools. He also doesn’t seem to do well on foods with lots of fruits and veggies, like Orijen and Wholesome Blend. He does well on Darwin’s raw for short periods of time at a stretch, but I think you’re looking for kibble. I have to pay attention to his protein, fat and carb levels and know what ranges he seems to work best within. I recently started him on Udo’s Choice DHA blend, an omega supplement, and the poor thing had gas so bad it woke me up at night after just one teaspoon per day for a week. There are so many foods I’d love to try him on, but wouldn’t dare; but, it’s very important to me to have multiple foods for him, so I keep trying. So far, the only food he can eat without reacting is MS Lamb. I’m getting ready to try him next on Nature’s Variety Instinct LID Duck next and have my fingers crossed. My Cavalier can eat most anything, but it does seem that chickpeas and lentils cause her to become constipated. She doesn’t have anything that I consider to be “true intolerances.”

So, that said, foods that I trust and that Sam has eaten, at least once, and did well on are Canine Caviar, Horizon Legacy (my Cavalier eats Amicus sometimes which would be great for your little guy), Nature’s Logic, Dr. Tim’s, Brother’s Complete, Wellness Core, Earthborn Holistics and NutriSource. Of these, I most wish I was still able to use the Horizon and Dr. Tim’s.

If it weren’t for those intolerances, there would be many more he’d have eaten. One food I like and tried a couple of different formulas for Sam is Victor. I was disappointed the Victor didn’t work, it’s a great product and the price is a huge unexpected bonus! A couple of foods I wish I could use for him are Go!, Now Fresh, Farmina and Annamaet, but those all contain triggers. I’ve considered fermenting some veggies to add to his foods because I often wonder if it’s the cabbage in the MS that’s one of the reasons he does so well on it. Commercial raw and canned foods are a completely different story ~ are either of those options for you?

[Kim H]

I am so glad I found this list … my Dog is being treated for UTI and did 2nd round of antibiotic as they saw crystals. Dog in years past has UTI goes on meds and then fine. This time they wanted a urine sample after the 10 day antibiotic cycle. My vet suggested it may just be related to the UTI but wanted to know her food. I finally found a food for my itchy, sticky ear dog – Earthborn the Bison blend. So she says well is there a fish in that brand and there is but this dog went thru easily a dozen foods before we realized get her off the chicken ingredient. Vet office suggested a potato and duck and I went with Natural Balance Limited Ingredient potato and duck and after a week of it mixed in with their Earthborn she is itching so I am just beside myself. I did not keep her on duck before as I thought their urine staining on the grass was excesive so maybe she does not tolerate that along with the potato. so I am going back to Earthborn and Nzymes and a bladder support supplement. I am going to rotate her to the Meadow which is Lamb with lesser protein value as my vet seemed to imply the protein level of bison is higher. My head just wants to explode. I have had her and her sister 7 yrs since they were 6 weeks old and when I tell you we have been up and down the food choices I really have. This list is very helpful and the cost has to come in to play for me as well – three dogs to feed – the other dogs don’t have her issues

[Ron M]

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this company?
I have looked over their site in the past and they have some interesting looking products.
But I’m can’t find very much info. on them. I know some website have begun to carry their
supplements.

The Most Effective Cat and Dog Supplements

Ron

[Positive Puppy D]

I also agree that Earthborn Primitive Natural is a food I would nominate. When I contacted the company they said their food had no GMO products, no vitamin supplements from China and that all the ingredients were grown in the US and the food manufactured in their own plant. They further support and advocate many ways to reduce our carbon footprint. One of which is that I see FAR fewer poops in my yard! I have been feeding “premium foods” for years and am totally impressed with how much of the food they are eating is digesting, instead of on the ground!

[Mom2Cavs]

OnyxMom…try adding a probiotic/enzyme supplement to his food to see if it helps with the breath. I just adopted another older Cavalier and he will be getting a dental. His breath was stinky when we got him 2 months ago. However, after adding Wholistic Pet Organics digest all plus to his morning and evening meals, his breath doesn’t smell now, even though his dental isn’t scheduled until 6/10.

[weezerweeks]

I noticed when I bathed my yorkie today he was shedding a lot of hair.I noticed this last week but I thought it was because it was the first bath after he was groomed.The only thing different is I have added another canned food to his rotation that he’s never had before. It is Go Fit chicken,turkey and trout stew. He has never had trout before. I also started springtime joint supplements for a switch from mercola’s’ which I love.This is so unusual because he never has this much hair in the sink. I also give him Nordic natural fish oil every other night and krill oil the nights I don’t give fish oil. Any ideas what could be causing this. He’s not scratching at all. Thanks

[Mike M]

I could put this in one of several forums but chose this one since it has more posts.

Our dog – Wally, almost 15, small mixed breed, about 17 pounds, working towards 15.

Health issues – “sore joints” (we have set up a system of pillows where he jumps down from the couch or bed and in fact, I am considering having a trampoline floor installed though it could interfere with our getting around and cause some queasiness and vacuuming issues), collapsing trachea with an extra cough chaser that seems to have gone way down, after a course of antibiotics and changes in his diet and the addition of salmon fish oil.

I am brand new to making my own dog food, spurred on by Wally’s health issues and a change to the formula of Wally’s canned food (Wellness Chicken/Sweet potato) where they seem to be adding more “chicken broth”, effectively a price increase and it changed his poops. Anyway …. good that I’m doing this.

Have been researching and so far, am relying on (because they have the ring of truth):

Hound Dog Mom and others here
“Unlocking The Canine Ancestral Diet.”
Dogaware.com

Will be starting with the Urban Wolf mix and other supplements to add to my meats.

There is a lot to digest re supplements, fat balancing, meats, etc and I will have questions and comments as I go along. Appreciate any input – thanks!

[3dogmom]

Hi all,
I have recently switched my 3 hounds to a raw diet – Bravo performance dog food. I transitioned them slowly from their kibble and they have now been on the raw diet only for about 6 weeks. They LOVE the food!! The problem is that 2 of the 3 are having severely loose stools. The third has looser stools than usual, but not as bad as the others. I have added a probiotic to the mix, Purina Fortifore, which I am giving them each one packet once a day with their meals. I also supplement with Salmon oil, but I am not giving the the recommended dose of that yet because of the loose stools and gurgling tummies. I am wondering if the beef based food is too fatty for them? Should I switch to another protein source? They are a pure basset, a basset-beagle mix, and a blu etick basset mix (he’s handling the switch the best). I have scoured the net looking for help/suggestions, and so far this is the most knowledgeable forum I have found. Any and all help is truly appreciated!

[Mike M]

Yes, I can tell Cyndi. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to provide that level of detail Hound Dog Mom!

For the record, our dog Wally is 15 years old and is smallish, weighing in at about 17.5 pounds, needing to lose probably 2 of those.

Yes, I have read about most of what you suggested HDM, though it is still not clear to me that my dog will “need” liver, given everything else he will get. I did send an email to Urban Wolf – will see if they respond though they do suggest the liver supplement. They just responded, asking if I could give him liver treats but that’s all they offered.

I will have to reconsider adding the sweet potato and rest of the non-meat stuff since much of that is in the Urban Wolf (which I will start using on Friday) but if I do, it will be in “treat” amounts and I will use Wally’s poop status to help monitor. I do understand he needs adequate protein and I’m confident he’ll be getting more than he did with his Wellness canned food, who seemingly just began adding more liquid to their formula.

The nutritional yeast he just likes, if I did add any, it would be occasionally and just a small sprinkle.

Was thinking I should add just a sprinkle of calcium now and again because my plan was to feed Wally more Salmon — which has the phosphorous — than would be in the Urban Wolf recipe. Of course, the diet then becomes a bit less controlled or precise.

I’ve read the fat balancing discussions and it seems a little too much like rocket science to me but I will keep researching that and won’t stick my head in the sand on it. I’d rather not feed him beef but will if I need to.

Any further recommendations or discussion are welcomed ….. thanks again

[Hound Dog Mom]

Liver is a species-appropriate means of supplying several trace minerals such as copper, iron, manganese, iodine and zinc and it’s also a good source of vitamin a and vitamin d. A properly balanced homemade diet should be comprised of about 5% – 7.5% liver – as long as this amount isn’t exceeded the dog isn’t at risk of consuming too much vitamin a. Because the liver (this also applies when feeding kidney or spleen) is a filtering organ, myself (and many others here) prefer to use liver from naturally raised animals. It’s certainly possible to supplement separately for the nutrients liver supplies and exclude it from the diet but, with the exception of someone who can’t get liver or can’t get liver from a clean source, I’m not sure why someone wouldn’t want to include liver in the diet. As for exactly how much of which nutrients the liver is contributing to the Urban Wolf recipe, you’d have to contact the company directly for that data.

Just a few other suggestions.

I would not recommend feeding only turkey or mostly turkey – it’s very important to feed a variety of protein sources and especially important to ensure an equal balance of red meat and poultry is being fed (unless you want to go through a lot of additional work to balance the fats). Poultry is very high in polyunsaturated fats (especially linoleic acid – a short-chain omega 6) while red meats are high in saturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats, therefore rotating between red meat-based and poultry-based recipes is ideal.

You don’t want to add calcium to a pre-mix. Pre-mixes (such as Urban Wolf) are designed to supply a proper ratio of calcium and phosphorus with the addition of boneless meat. As long as you follow the instructions on the package there is no need to supply additional calcium.

Personally, I wouldn’t add additional starches such as yams and garbanzo beans. Urban Wolf already contains potatoes and several vegetables so your dog will be getting more than enough plant matter, you’ll just be diluting the protein further and cancelling out one of the main benefits a home-prepared diet has over kibble – more meat and less plant matter.

Also – just in case you missed it on the ingredient panel – Urban Wolf already contains nutritional yeast so if that’s something you want included in your dog’s diet there’s no reason to add extra outside of the pre-mix.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[LexiDog]

When I bought my girl home she had demodectic mange. We did the Mitaban dip every other week just because I didn’t want to do the oral ivermectin. Looking back now I don’t think it would have made a difference if I did the dip or the oral meds.

Since Demodectic Mange is caused by a weakened immune system, I did what the vet prescribed (Mitaban dips) and did everything I could think of to help her immune system.

I started her on a grain-free diet (I believe it was Fromm Grain Free and then Acana Regionals), gave her BIXBI’s Organic Superfood Immunity Daily Supplement, Vital Digest by Only Natural Pets washed all of her bedding and sanitized her crate. I know that Demodectic Manage is not contagious but I just took the extra caution by washing everything.

I suggest you boost your puppy’s immune system with good food and some supplements along with your vets treatment plan.

[USA]

Hi Tina L,

Demodectic Mange is definitely related to the immune system. It is believed that all dogs have the mites but they are kept in check by a healthy immune system. Your dog may have a late blooming immune system or there may be other things going on.

I would recommend you feed him the best food you can. Take a look at the 5 star foods on the review part of this website. Try to stay below 25% carbs which is still a lot but it is hard to find dry foods with less carbs. Canned foods can be found with less carbs and if you are able to feed a large dog only canned food then that would be a good option. If you want to look a little deeper into the quality of the foods you might want to join the Editors Choice section here. There is a yearly fee but it goes more in depth into the dog food companies on the list. The better his diet, they better he will do with everything life throws at him.

The pills for the itching might have been a prednisone type drug which stops itching by SUPPRESSING the immune system! This is counter productive to BUILDING up the immune system to control the mites that cause Demodectic Mange!

I agree with you on limiting vaccines, flea control and any other toxic meds although at some point if his mange becomes wide spread and he is in constant distress you might have to seek the least toxic alternative. I would suggest you supplement his diet with digestive enzymes to make sure he is absorbing all the nutrients in his food, probiotics to help strengthen his immune system, omega 3’s to help with inflammation and turmeric as an antioxidant.

Good Luck with your pup!!!

[USA]

Hi Leslie

Would you consider making your Jack a homemade diet? If he has no food allergies or intolerances a homemade diet using chicken, beef, turkey, fish, pork and other meats would be beneficial for your pup. You would use lean meats, 10% fat or less. Lightly cook the meats. Add about 20% non-starchy pureed veggies and fruits. Occasionally add some organs and sardines.

Supplement with Omega 3 oils, digestive enzymes, probiotics and a vitamin mineral mix like Steve Brown’s See Spot Live Longer Dinner Mixes and you have the basics of an economical, highly nutritious, species appropriate low carb diet that would help your precious pup do the best he can!! Turmeric is an excellent supplement for dogs with cancer. Slight adjustments to the diet with fiber would depend on the needs of your dog.

This is not that hard to learn and there are plenty of people here to help you along the way! I wish you and your pup the BEST!!!

[Nora S]

Have these foods been reviewed and I am just missing it or have they not been reviewed yet? Has anyone tried it? I love the concept, kind of like Tom’s shoes, for every bag or treat sold, one is donated.

The only food my dog consistently does well on is what I cook – would love to be able to supplement his home cooked food with a high quality kibble, but so far the ones I have tried have not worked out, he either hated it or got an upset stomach. Purina One Beyond has been the only one he did well on, but after researching it I became concerned and took him off it. If Dogsfood is decent quality and they are actually doing what they are saying, I would love to try it!

[Bobby dog]

Marie: For ticks you use it like a flea powder

Akari:
I used to buy Shoo Flea by the Natural Vet, really liked it but just didn’t fit into the budget anymore. The main ingredient in Shoo Flea is food grade DE and it is scented with a capsule of herbs and essential oils. I began using plain food grade DE several years ago as a flea powder and for treating pet beds, floors etc with good results. Keep in mind it does not kill them immediately.

I have seen warnings about DE clogging vacuums, it has never happened to me. I just make sure I take their bedding outside to shake them out then throw them in the washer. I have only had to use DE on the floors in my basement so I swept the floor well before vacuuming.

Be careful not to inhale the dust or let your pets inhale the dust.

I have never fed it to my cats or dogs.

The one drawback I found using it as a flea powder is that it can dry their skin. I always use organic unrefined coco oil as a food supplement when using it. Fish oil would probably be a good choice also. I use CVS 1000 mg fish oil capsules for Bobby and the cats. The good thing about coco oil is it can be applied externally. As a flea deterrent I had the best luck using coco oil applied directly to the skin, but it can be messy for your furniture. Coco oil does very well at soothing skin irritations like flea bites. I apply DE first, then coco oil if needed in certain areas. I used coco oil daily on Bobby last summer. Hopefully I won’t have to treat flea bites this year because his yeasty smell is gone and his skin is healthy since I have improved his diet. So far so good!

Good thing I checked the links I saved on DE, some of them no longer existed.

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/benefits-diatomaceous-earth/
http://www.vetinfo.com/using-diatomaceous-earth-to-worm-pets.html
http://www.diatomaceousearth.com/?gclid=CJ2Dt8S5p74CFaQF7Aod5g4AcA
http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/a/Diatomaceous-Earth-For-Flea-Control.htm
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html&sa=U&ei=9l5xU7PaKPLHsATEvYCQCA&ved=0CB0QFjAA&sig2=DCYxeQKLHzMoXm6BYZtcxw&usg=AFQjCNHLDmVU6sLMs22UbzqWxC0OnCzAVw

[crazy4cats]

Yes, I use slippery elm for my dogs. I think it works very well. I’ve never used it by itself, however, always in a supplement. Right now I’m using Gastriplex made by Thorne. Also, ive used Perfect Form made by The Honest KitcheN and Phytomucil by Animal Essentials that also contain it. I think it really helps with loose stools with my two lab mix dogs. I’m not sure if they have leaky guts or IBS due to giardia parasites and many treatments of antibiotics to get rid of them. It’s funny you asked about it because I was thinking of starting a thread about it also. Only becasuse I worry about the long term usage of it. Also, I’ve read that plantain, DGL, and marshmallow root are also helpful. Dogaware.com has much info on the subject.mgood luck!

[Kayley L]

Anything you can recommend from this selection?

http://www.renspets.com/dogs/health/supplements.html

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Kayley L.

[LexiDog]

W/D is a low fat glucose management dog food by SD that is supposed to be for diabetic dogs. The ingredients are: Whole Grain Corn, Powdered Cellulose, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Caramel color, Calcium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Flaxseed, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C) , Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Iodized Salt, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, L-Threonine, Beta-Carotene, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors.

[Shasta220]

Ironically, I was just on the subject of Hills myself! It was a different forum, someone had asked what’s good kibble for their cat – said they were feeding Hills. I suggested DFA for some head starts on good brands, and warned about the gross junk in Hills.

What happened? A bunch of people chewed me out how “…if your dog needs a prescription diet, you have no other choice.” I still said that I would never feed such useless fillers to my dogs, and would rather look into home made diets for the “prescription” benefits. They said, and I quote, “…you just don’t understand, do you! THERE IS SIMPLY NO OTHER OPTION!!!!!” – eek! They tried to caps me to death! Ohhhhh the pain!

Eeeesh! I’m sorry, I don’t care how bad my dogs get and how “absolutely necessary” a prescription Hills or RC kibble is needed, I would never feed it to my dogs! I’d rather take time to find some sort of home made diet and supplements that had the benefits without that added trash.

Okay, my vent is over too 😉

(I use shudder for the description as well, I almost never use shiver except to describe when I’m cold lol)

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Shasta220.

[LexiDog]

Yeah, I think the Merrick Classics would be a good place to start! I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but remember to do the transition slowly over a period of several days. Fruitables makes “Switch” to help transition that is just pumpkin. I used their Pumpkin & Ginger digestive supplement because it has other ingredients like ginger to help calm upset stomachs.

Good luck! Let us know how it turn out!

[Gloraidy R]

I’m also looking for a free of synthetic vitamins and minerals, grain free/good for sensitive dogs to allergies, and i can make it into a rotational dry kibble diet(cans are too expensive to feed to large dogs and i dont have the fridge space for a raw/home made diet). I recently heard of different studies (done with humans, not dogs so it might/not apply) where the researchers compared the health of people who took synthetic vitamins from pills and those that took their vitamins from their diet(vegetables, fruits, meats ect.). They found that those that took synthetic vitamins had higher occurrences of cancer than those who ate their naturally occurring vitamins in foods. Here are two sources where you can get this info from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/selenium-vitamin-e-supplements-increase-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk-201402287059 , http://www.cancer.org/healthy/eathealthygetactive/acsguidelinesonnutritionphysicalactivityforcancerprevention/acs-guidelines-on-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-cancer-prevention-diet-cancer-questions
“Can nutritional supplements lower cancer risk?
There is strong evidence that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods may reduce the risk of cancer. But there is no proof at this time that supplements can reduce cancer risk. Some high-dose supplements may actually increase cancer risk.”

so please help me find one >.< for my very special adopted senor furbabies.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Gloraidy R.

[InkedMarie]

Bandits mom: yes, it works great for her. There are various supplements:

Neutricks: overall improvement in sleep, disorientation and especially house training. Very
Few side effects & no known side effects with meds. Improvements noticed with
In days.

Novifit: favorable response seen within one month & increased in second month. Reduction in
Problem behaviors including improvement in playfulness, less house soiling and
awareness. Moderate improvement in sleep patterns, disorientation & confusion.
Showed improvement in attention & cognitive process.

Senilife: significant improvement in sleeping problems, playfulness, apathy, response to
Commands & disorientation.

Cholodin: one study showed 9/15 client owned dogs had moderate to significant
Improvement in clinical signs.

That’s a little from the November 2012 Whole Dog Journal.

[SandyandMila]

Oh good. So it’s be better to break it up into several balanced meals during the week than having just the one day , like Sunday, with a big balanced meal (large turkey necks, large leg quarter, or even a whole prey) with organ/muscle/supplements.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by SandyandMila.

[pugmomsandy]

SandyandMila,

The 3 meals a week is approximately 20% if your dog eats twice a day. That 20% could be anything unbalanced like just a RMB, a whole sardine, some leftover table food, etc. Or if you like, a RMB + muscle/organ/supplements, or 2.25 lbs or raw for one week split up however you like. You could even split up a 2.25 lb whole chicken with gizzards over the course of one week.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by pugmomsandy.

[SandyandMila]

I’m actually thinking of doing the same at the moment. I was doing just raw (commercial and RMBs) for awhile but because of availability or cost I am now back to canned and dry with a periodical commercial raw (Answers recently). My dog is about the same weight and activity level as the dog above. If I make a meal from the RMB (adding organ/muscle meat, chicken feet, green supplements, fish oil, eggs, etc. ) would I have to feed it for the same 3 meals a week as the person mentioned above or is that if it’s not balanced? If I use a bigger RMB like a turkey neck or chicken leg quarter and make a meal of it would that be a one meal day, with her eating about 1 1/2 lbs a day? Would that be enough to fill her up for the whole day? Since chicken is easily available and usually on sale I wanted to start feeding RMBs again and eventually feed her more homemade raw. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Rudy –

I wouldn’t recommend Blue Buffalo products for a large breed puppy. Proper calcium levels are crucial during the first 8 months or so in order to minimize the chances of developmental orthopedic disease and Blue won’t disclose their calcium levels.

There’s a large breed puppy forum here. There’s a list of appropriate 4 and 5 star foods somewhere in that forum, I’m sure there’s something you could find at Petsmart.

I wouldn’t recommend adding vitamins to an already balanced food unless done so at the recommendation of a veterinarian. However, there some nutraceuticals that can be beneficial – such as probiotics, enzymes, omega 3’s, wholefood/superfoods (i.e. kelp, spirulina, bee pollen, etc.), coconut oil, glandular supplements, garlic, etc. I like to keep several of these types of supplements on hand and rotate around.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[LexiDog]

I am curious as to why everyone seems to love Dr. Tim’s. Is it the price point? I am not sure. When reading the ingredients for their Kinesis GF formula, it seems to have a lot of ingredients that I would not want to give to my dog. Most of the ingredients are dried. It has beet pulp, salt and canola oil. It has a very long list of added vitamins and minerals at the bottom…I understand that some vitamins and minerals have to be added to make a complete and balanced diet…but it just seems like this food has more supplements added to it than good ingredients in the food with the natural occurring vitamins and minerals.

I haven’t fed my dog this brand but don’t really see why I would want to. I have seen people suggest this food to others as a good quality dog food and can’t figure out why.
****this is NOT an attack on Dr. Tim’s****I just want to know why it is so highly recommended. Am I missing something?

I feed my girl Orijen, ACANA, Primal and Stella and Chewy’s. I know that a rotational diet is good for dogs so I have been trying to find another brand that I think is as good as Orijen.

What are your thoughts?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Cindy q-

First of all, have you had a fecal test at the vets yet? Sometimes parasites and worms can be the cause of loose stools. So, please rule that out first. Also try cutting back on the food a little. Maybe her growth has slowed down and does not need quite as much food any longer. Then… Have you tried adding any type of supplement to help? If neither one of the two first recommendations work, you could try to add supplements. I’ve used Perfect Form made by The Honest Kitchen, Gastriplex made by Thorne, Vetri-Pro BD made by Vetri Science, Fruitables Pumpkin Digestive Supplement and other digestive enzymes and probiotics that have helped. A website that was helpful to me when I was having these issues is dogaware.com. I wish you luck!

[Shasta220]

I love Kirkland food, but some dogs get all gross on it (diarrhea, hair loss, itching) even though other foods with similar ingredients are fine. I’m considering trying Hyperion GF variety just for the heck of seeing if my lab does any better and has a possible allergy to rice. She’s doing fine on the grain-in stuff, but has been having some dandruff. Luckily no itching.

Anyway, back to the rave: I love Costco. Wish there was one closer (have to drive 2hrs)…. Coconut oil is a fave supplement, but I wouldn’t feed it as it was SO spendy (a little tiny jar is about 20$). Found it at Coscto! A jar about 5-6x the size was only 24$. Boo-yah!

[arwyru24]

Hey all, I am new here, have been lurking around this site for a little while for dog food because my parents just added a new puppy, but feeding cats on a budget happens to be my specialty. I have 2 pretty big guys (12 and almost 14lbs) The 12lb guy has a really sensitive system, but his body condition is ideal, and the 14lber tends towards the tubby side and so I have to really pay attention to his weight (they are both indoor only). I have tried most of the higher end foods on the market at one time or another. I subscribe to the idea that cats need the moisture in their diet and ideally should be on all wet food, however I supplement with dry to help meet my budget.
I primarily feed wellness grain free canned food, the 12.5oz cans are really cost effective, I primarily feed the turkey and salmon (purple can) it seems to be their favorite and the one they eat the most consistently without turning their noses up to it. I also rotate in the chicken (orange can), turkey (green), and chicken and herring (royal blue) and the minced turkey, chicken, and turkey salmon. I like wellness for a number of reasons and they have done really well on it. I rotate in a number of other brands: Evo (again those big cans save money), california’s natural salmon and sweet pea, (I am a little wary of Natura but I havent had any bad experiences) natural balance LID can’s, HALO pate, Instinct all work and are tolerated well.
The cat that loves crunchies isn’t picky at all really. He never met a kibble he didn’t like….. that is until I bought a 6lb bag of what I am feeding now: Wellness Core Indoor formula. I just bought a trial size bag of Orijen yesterday for $3.99 and am mixing it in with the Wellness. Its the first I have tried Orijen, because it is so expensive, but with the Orijen mixed in I am feeding less than 1/2 a cup of kibble a day total so it is affordable. Dry food lasts me forever it is the canned that really breaks the bank.
Sorry to chime in uninvited to this forum but am glad to have a place to share my experience 🙂

[Caroline M]

I have been home cooking for my dogs for a little over a year now and they are doing wonderfully on it. It is as economical as buying a good quality kibble if you look for sales. They have beautiful coats, are healthy, and the chronic itching one of my dogs used to have has now completely disappeared. I follow Dr. Pritcairn’s recipes and recipes on dogaware.com, and have been adding my own calcium in the form of ground eggshells.

However, one of my dogs had calcium oxalate in her urine at her annual check-up. Not crystals, just the presence of calcium oxalate. She has no symptoms. I am now worried that the ratio of calcium/phosphorus may be contributing and ordered a supplement from Just Food for Dogs to add that is designed for people who home cook. It was recommended in a recent issue of The Whole Dog Journal. But…the company does not supply information on the ratios of calcium and phosphorus, and there is not even an ingredient list. It just says it’s proprietary. That worries me and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this company? They are not reviewed on Dogfoodadvisor.