[Susan]

Hi, I have a boy with IBD he suffers from food sensitivities & suffers with the Helicobacter-Pylori so he gets bad acid reflux, he can’t take steroids (Prednisone) it gives him diarrhea & nausea….cooking for him is the best, I went thru a Animal Naturopath Jacqueline Rudan (Australian) to put Patch on a Raw diet but he kept regurgitating the raw back up into his mouth when he burped, kibble seems to stay down better, so now I cook her raw diet minus any bone & I use her supplements Digestavite plus powder & the Omega 3, 6 & 9 Oil…
A few people use the “Balance It’ we don’t have it in Australia….I give Metronidazole tablets to Patch when needed & he’s on an ant acid med Losec. I finally gave in after 3 years…I believe foods help heal & natural supplements…. L-Glutamine is suppose to be good, you make a bone broth & add to the meal… there’s a group on Face Book called “Canine Nutrition and Natural Health” Cat Lane can help with a balanced diet but I don’t know what she charges, I only paid $60 & the Naturopath rung me & spoke to me for 1 hr what to feed & what supplement to give here’s Jacqueline Rudans Raw Diets, she put Patch on the Maintenance Diet minus any bone & organ meats to start with & I had to add the Digestavite Plus Powder… http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/education.php

[Raava]

Hi all, just joined b/c I have an unusual question…

I just started my dog on a full raw diet again. He’s a 30lb, 10yo husky mix. Tried it before but couldn’t keep up the expense, and he’s eaten raw on and off throughout his life.

This time I’m a little bit “OCD” about making sure he’s not lacking in any nutrients. lol I give him a pretty balanced diet: Mostly red meat like beef and pork, pork bones, chicken quarters, gizzards, eggs, chicken and beef liver, beef kidney, canned mackerel, salmon, and sardines, kefir sometimes, and salmon oil (b/c I’m paranoid about the mercury in even small fish). I’m swapping the chicken out for turkey now though (both ground and bone-in) b/c I kind of suspect a chicken allergy, but I’m not sure. He even gets oysters for the extra zinc, and a liquid vitamin E supplement.

I recently noticed that iron seems low though, and I got him some baby clams to supplement it since those are super high in iron, but then I read about cadmium in them and other heavy metals that can accumulate (might be the same with oysters, I don’t know anymore). -_- It’s always something. I discovered that spleen is high in iron too, but I can’t get my hands on that.

So I was thinking about how wolves in the wild eat… they kill their prey and eat/drink some of the blood as well while they’re gnawing on their meat, right? Well blood has plenty of iron in it… but I can’t buy fresh blood. I’ve even read it’s illegal to sell (not sure on location). So the next best thing is blood meal.

Would adding blood meal be a good idea as an iron supplement? (I’ve calculated the amount of iron in it and know how much he would need, roughly 2g, give or take.) Or do I sound like a lunatic? xD I’m just slightly paranoid about him getting ALL the right amounts of nutrients he needs. I know they say “balance over time”, but even then, the raw diet seems low in a lot of things. Particularly, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin e, and manganese.

Since I added more red meat and the oysters to his diet, his coat is getting a lot better. It was unusually dry-ish before, and not soft and shiny like you typically see with a raw diet.

And to add another thing: I really wish I knew the nutrient content of bones! I read there’s some magnesium, potassium, zinc and other things in them, but there’s no info to say how much. So there’s no telling what he’s getting from the bone content too.

As I mentioned in the beginning, he’s 10 years old already and I want him to live forever, basically…. lmao So that’s why I’m a little paranoid about him getting everything he needs. Sorry for being long-winded, and thanks to anyone who reads this. lol

• This topic was modified 9 years, 4 months ago by Raava.

[anonymously]

Cut the amount of food you are feeding in half, divide into 3 or 4 small meals a day, do not free feed. Nothing wrong with a small amount of cooked lean meat being added to the kibble instead of canned. Add water to the meals, most dogs do not drink enough water.
Walk at least 3 times a day, even if it is only around the block and in slow motion.

If you can afford aqua therapy/swimming/rehab look into that. Consider seeing a specialist (Veterinary Internal Medicine).

Most supplements are a scam, don’t waste your money. Plus they can cause harm.

Rimadyl is a very effective pain med for dogs, however it often causes side effects such as GI disturbances after they have been on it for a while. A lot of dogs can’t tolerate it. So if your dog develops loose stools…..

Below is an excerpt from a letter my vet sent out to all clients that have dogs on Tramadol. (5/2016):
“Tramadol is no longer recommended as a pain med for dogs. Current research and studies now indicate that Tramadol as a pain management medication has little if any therapeutic value.”
“As a result, …… Animal Medical Center will no longer be prescribing Tramadol for pain management. We recommend alternative therapies including gabapentin, acupuncture,and rehabilitation”. With that said if, if you feel that tramadol has been beneficial to your pet and wish to continue it, we will refill the medication.”
“We pride ourselves on keeping our clients aware and informed of any changes in the veterinary science which is why we are informing you of the most current information regarding Tramadol.”

Science-based Veterinary Medicine information at this site: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

PS: These are just my opinions based on experience, I am not a veterinarian.

[Robin F]

Hello Everyone,
My Natasha is almost 10 years old and weighs 125 pounds. She has arthritis and has a fatty tumor which I was told should shrink when she looses weight. I finally trained the husband not to give table food or cook chopped beef to mix in food! She is eating Wellness Cores Reduced Fat dog food. She hardly never eats all of what she is given (2 cups once a day) which I do top with half a can of one of the stews from Blue since the chopped beef is gone! Does anyone know if there are supplements to help the weight loss, but without her getting diarrhea or having to go potty all the time? She is limping quite a bit and is already on pain meds (Tramadol and Rimadyl).
Thank you, Robin

[Christine W]

Kathleen,these are the ingredients:Starch, hydrolyzed soy protein isolate, vegetable oil, dicalcium phosphate, oat fiber, powdered cellulose, partially hydrogenated canola oil preserved with TBHQ, potassium chloride, guar gum, lecithin, corn oil, choline chloride, magnesium oxide, DL-Methionine, salt, taurine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, niacin, ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, garlic oil, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.

I usually stay away from Canola oil.

[Bonnie G]

Regarding Merrick Ltd Ingredient food – I have fed my 8 1/2 yr old boxer/lab Merrick since he came to us at 6 months of age. He had a very touchy digestive system when we got him & had to try several foods before we got one that agreed with his stomach. He eats Merrick dry chicken & sweet potato supplemented with Merrick 96% Grain Free canned. The vet just this week advised me to put him on a senior version. Hope this helps and good luck with your pup!

[anonymously]

I would make an appointment with a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist asap.

Have you checked the search engine here? Example, from on of my previous posts on the subject:

I believe most supplements and “natural” remedies are a scam. I tried various things…nothing worked. Do you really think I wanted to go to a specialist? I am glad I did, as nothing else worked for my dog.

BTW: ASIT (allergen specific immunotherapy) is the most natural treatment available for environmental allergies. No drugs involved. Of course steroids and antihistamine medications and frequent bathing with Malaseb (sometimes twice a week for my dog, even now) may be necessary from time to time to stop the suffering until the ASIT takes effect.
There is no cure for environmental allergies, it requires lifetime treatment. Fortunately there are effective treatments available.

I hope these articles help:
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

PS: I would not put anything topically on the dog unless prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined her/him, it could make things worse. We ended up at the emergency vet after I applied witch hazel to a rash.
Do not give over the counter meds to a dog unless approved by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.

Hope this helps:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[anonymously]

Has she had a complete physical exam? Sometimes pain can manifest itself as anxiety. Dachshunds are notorious for back problems. If the dog has tweaked it’s back, they are reluctant to squat in order to defecate because it is painful to do so….so it may present as constipation.

I would rule out back/spinal issues, medical issues first. A good veterinarian will know what to look for.

Regarding soft food, all you have to do is presoak the kibble overnight in the fridg and it becomes soft food.

PS: I would stop adding supplements and yogurt, etc. Maybe your vet can recommend a prescription diet.

[Lana A]

Two months ago I went to buy Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear and store owner asked me if I want Canada made or the new one, US made. I had no idea they moved production to US and changed the formula. I got the last two 25 lbs bags made in Canada and started checking all dog’s blogs for people feed back on new version of their singles line, Duck and Pear line in particular. It wasn’t much of positive reviews, many unhappy dog parents, some reported dog having diarrhea. I called store owner and asked her how her customers who buy this formula are reacting. She said none of the them are happy, some already switched to different dog food.
From my past experience every time when company “improve” the formula nothing good comes out of it because usually their “improvement” results in cutting corners in quality. I decided not to take a chance with the new formula and switched 2 weeks ago to The Honest Kitchen “Grain Free Turkey Recipe”. It’s more expensive than Acana and lacking glucosamine and chondroitin which I have to supplement now, but other then that no complains about ingredients and my dog loves it.

[GSDsForever]

Posting this 2013 article from DVM DACVN* (board certified veterinary nutritionist) Susan Wynn, in case it hasn’t already been posted or read:

(The whole website page has food information, discussion, recommendations for feeding large breed puppies. But scroll to the very bottom for the Susan Wynn vet journal article.)

Why choose a large breed puppy food?

Or click on these to read only Wynn’s article:

http://valorgoldens.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/food-lg-breed-1.jpg

http://valorgoldens.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/food-lg-breed-2.jpg

http://valorgoldens.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/food-lg-breed-3.jpg

http://valorgoldens.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/food-lg-breed-4.jpg

*double board certified

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by GSDsForever.

[RobbW]

Thank you all for your helpful insight and advice! Much appreciated!

Here is what I’m doing now:

1). I’ve set up a sprinkler on an automatic timer to water the main part of the lawn where the dogs conduct their business. The timer is set for 7:15 am and goes for an hour every morning. I’m hoping this will help with diluting the urine and preventing the burn.

2). I have done a lime application on my entire lawn, front and back. The lawn showed multiple symptoms of an acidic pH. We have never limed our yard in the 13+ years we’ve lived here. So, it was long overdue. I had never known that was something you should do every now and then. Seriously, someone should give new homeowners some type of guidebook on general home and lawn care when they close on their house! This fall and in future years, I will over-seed my lawn with grass seed of a variety that is more tolerant to urine burn, such as tall fescue.

3). I have switched back to The Honest Kitchen Revel (chicken) food. For now, I am mixing their old BB Wilderness kibble half and half with the THK. I will keep mixing the two together until we have gone through what’s left of the BB kibble. I am mixing the combination with twice as much water as THK calls for. This is making their meals pretty sloppy wet, but my dogs eat it up heartily!

4). I am feeding the dogs according to their ideal weights, not their current weights.

5). I have NOT purchase any lawn burn supplements and will NOT. No need to mess with their chemistry!

6). My wife, kids, and I have started playing Pokemon Go and take our dogs out on the walks with us. The increased exercise should help!

I’m hoping all these changes will help with the lawn burn and also my dogs’ weight problems. However, I’m afraid that the switch to the THK food may hinder my beagle’s weight loss in the near future. They like this food much better. So much so that my beagle, after she finishes her bowl, pushes my golden out of the way and eats all the rest of his food. I did not realize this was happening until I caught her in the act the other morning. No wonder she has gotten so big! I have to figure out a way to prevent this from happening.

[Susan W]

Andrea,
While you’re researching puppy foods, please check out VeRUS. I have been feeding my dogs this food (adult formulas) for about 6 months and it has made a HUGE difference in them! They have a large breed puppy formula, they have canned foods, they supplements. If you fill out their contact form, someone will get in touch with you and ask/answer questions before sending samples. The samples are great. At least you’ll have something to try that won’t cost you anything.

[Katie C]

I have an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy and I’d like to supplement her diet with some raw foods and go from there. Can puppies have livers, hearts or gizzards? Are they beneficial?

[Ashley M]

Hello Marco,

I love Protein for Pets! One more question I had about your food is if it has glucosamine chondroitin in it? At the moment we feed our Dogs Acana and they love it but it is a little pricey. I have to have the glucosamine chondroitin in the dog food though because one of my dogs has bad knees and this has helped tremendously. It seems cheaper and easier to feed my dog food that includes glucosamine chondroitin in it than buying a supplement and try to get him to take it.

[Kellye P]

Linda,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I held the little paw print that came with Duffy’s ashes and cried a bit. 😢

The one thing I did that made the biggest positive impact was finding the Chi Institute herbalist. It’s a real shame that Duffy was so allergic to cinnamon because the formula for diabetics gets rave reviews but it’s full of various forms of cinnamon. However, the Chi Institute vet had other herbal formulas that helped a lot with keeping him content in other ways. Duffy was drug free except for insulin and he never had any problems with stiffness or liver or bladder or anything except the dad-blasted glucose!!!
I highly recommend finding a local Chi Institute herbalist because Kismet can probably handle cinnamon just fine and the formula will help.

http://www.tcvm.com/Resources/FindaTCVMPractitioner.aspx

The Solid Gold food isn’t necessarily for diabetics but since Duffy would eat it, he got it every day and he thrived on it. My vet wanted him to get at least 300 calories a day, which meant over half a can. With any other food, that would have been impossible, but I could get 1/3 cup in Duffy twice a day and then little bonus bits as baked treats. The food is very thick so I could slice it and bake it as crunchy treats as well as feed it straight from the can.
Also, a trick I thought of that seemed to work —
I took Acana duck kibble (“cool” for diabetes), put it in the food processor, and chopped it to a fine powder. I added 1/8 cup of the powder to the canned food for added calories.
It didn’t add much bulk and Duffy didn’t notice the extra food.

He was so hard to keep alive. Even as a puppy, he refused to eat. He never saw food as a reward. He never begged for treats. I always had to force him to eat but it wasn’t a big deal until he became diabetic. That when he HAD to eat twice a day, and had to eat the same amount of food.

What breed is Kismet? Do you use the super short needle syringes? I had my pharmacy special order them. Duffy was like a baby bird so he needed everything very small. I ordered the glucose/ketone test strips from Amazon. They had the two test pads on each strip. I used an electrolyte supplement in his water. It was an unsweetened brand made for dogs. It’s also sold on Amazon.
Let me know how things go for Kismet. Best wishes!!

[crazy4cats]

I’m glad that supplement is working for your dog, but all the extra minerals and vitamins in addition to an already balanced diet would concern me. Have you had a urinalysis done since starting it?

[InkedMarie]

Hi Kyle,
I am of the opinion that by the time food is baked or extruded, any added glucosamine or chondroitin is negligible. There are many supplements for dogs. I’ve used K9 Liquid Gold, Dog Gone Pain, In Clover Connectin and Swanson’s people joint support with good success.
I do agree with a vet visit just to make sure but I personally won’t feed vet foods. It is said that grains can be inflammatory so a high quality grain free food would be a good start. I think it’s the nightshade veggies you may want to avoid as well as white potato.
It is important to keep your dog lean.

[Acroyali]

What pills from the vet are you considering? Reason I ask is a lot of vets don’t sell supplements as much as pain medication for arthritis. They are very different things and it all depends on what your vet has available. I agree with C4D; in order to get enough glucosamine from the food, you’ve have to feed enough food to create an obese dog, which would defeat the purpose entirely. There are a lot of supplements out there, from over the counter G&C you can get at Wal-Mart, to tumeric, right down to feeding raw chicken feet (or boiling them, discarding the feet and pouring a bit of the stock onto their food.) I had an extremely arthritic dog for many years, and did all of the above and then some but what really seemed to help him was Arnica (homeopathic). Every dog is different. Best of luck.

[C4D]

Hi Kyle E,

That seems to be Merricks new marketing tool. Your dog would have to eat roughly 1 kg or 2.2 pounds of food to get a 1200mg dose of glucosamin and chondroitin on the Backcountry Game Bird and Great Plains recipe. The other 2 formulas have 800 mg/kg(2.2 lbs). Most joint supplements have a higher dosage than that and when you have a dog that already has joint or hip issues you definitely need separate supplementation. It doesn’t necessarily have to be from the vet. Some of the supplements Susan mentioned could be a good possibility. I use a supplement that has Green Lipped Mussel. I haven’t used the Turmeric Golden paste yet as my dog hasn’t showed any symptoms of pain. Anonymously is right about the senior blood panels and feeding a lower calorie food if your dog is getting on the heavy side. I do yearly blood panels on my dogs. It gives you a heads up on possible issues before the symptoms appear or have progressed too far.

I also have an almost 12 year old Lab that has bad knees due to torn CCL’s several years ago. I have been supplementing with fish oil (human) and joint supplements for years now. She does well, even though she has diagnosed arthritis in both knees. She goes for a brisk 1-2 mile walk daily, with her choosing to jog most of the way. The other most important thing you can do is to keep your dog on the lean side and daily walks to keep the joints from getting stiff. If you haven’t been walking or exercising your Lab on a daily basis, start very slow.

Edit: I don’t know how much 1 cup of Merrick weighs (I couldn’t find it on their website) and all dog foods are different, but as an example, I use Earthborn in my rotation and it states on it’s website that an 8oz cup of Great Plains holds 4.8 oz of food. So, if Merrick’s weight is comparable and if I did the math right, that would be feeding over 10 cups of food to get the 1200 mg dose of supplement. That’s a LOT of food.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by C4D.

[Susan]

Hi Kyle, I think your better off adding a joint supplement to the diet, there’s a few out there I’ve been looking at “Rose Hip Vital Canine” its suppose to work very well but when I spoke with the rep he said America doesn’t have the Rose Hip Vital Canine yet but will be getting it very soon. it comes from Denmark & imported to Australia, the human Rose Hip Vital is the same as the canine Rose Hip Vital, I was going to take it myself, send them a email asking when it will be in America, its for treating inflammation, maintaining healthy joints takes away inflammation pain, they are finding its helping people with Crohns Disease as well that’s why I’m interested in using it on Patch cause he has IBD & it will help him with his inflammation of the stomach as well as his joints..
http://rosehipvitalcanine.com.au/

There’s Sasha’s Blend is another good joint supplement invented in Australia for a dog called Sasha, I’m pretty sure you can buy in America….
http://www.sashasblend.com.au/cb_pages/what_makes_special.php

Turmeric Powder you make “Golden Paste” Turmeric Powder, Coconut Oil & Black Pepper, join the Turmeric Users Group on Face Book the recipe is in the files, people swear by Turmeric Powder https://www.facebook.com/groups/415313751866609/

I’ve just ordered a bag of the “Holistic Select Senior” kibble, it has 750mg/kg of Glucosamine but I was still going to add either the Rose Hip Vital Canine powder to meal or try the Turmeric Golden paste as well… but I’m pretty sure kibble with added Glucosamine is not as strong as the supplements for joint problems/Arthritis they have more Glucosamine & Green Lipped Mussel then kibble…
Some one my know more about Senior kibbles…..

[anonymously]

First, has the dog had a senior workup? Exam and lab work. If not, I would start there.
Supplements are not medication. I would find a veterinarian that you trust and that your dog likes, and go by his recommendations.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=glucosamine
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

“The internet is no substitute for talking with a vet who knows you and your pets about their specific needs.” copied from a response to a question: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2016/07/things-holistic-vets-say-about-cancer-that-should-make-pet-owners-run-the-other-way/comment-page-1/#comment-119501

PS: It doesn’t hurt to go with a higher quality food, however, some of the better foods are higher in calories, so, if you have a senior inactive dog, that is something to keep in mind.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by anonymously.

[Dennis L]

My puppy has been on a raw diet since we got him. We feed a combination of food from My pet carnivore including tripe, whole ground rabbit, whole ground chicken, pork, and beef. I give him raw meaty bones everyday. He was doing great on the bones and even was eating turkey necks, but last week he started chewing all of the meat off the bone and leaving the rest. I tried giving him a chicken thigh and then I went down to chicken wings. He eats the meat off of each bone and leave the rest. He used to crunch the bones up like they were nothing, but he has no interest now.
I know he needs more than the 10 percent bone that is in his ground food so I have been adding bone meal to his food to supplement. I am really not comfortable with this as I don’t want to give him too much calcium. I am wondering if teething is an issue and if anyone has had this problem and if their pups started back up on the bones. Thanks

[Maniza D]

Sorry .. I did not read that your dog maybe allergic to fish. My research revealed that dogs with digestive issues are best treated with having a higher protein than fats and carbs. Dogs do not have the intestines needed for digesting complex carbs … hence diarreahh, stinky stools, big stools etc. There is a PHD pet nutritionist in Canada who has a cookbook for dogs as wells totally balanced vitamin supplement. Her name is Hilary Watson and her website is http://www.hilarywatson.com/. I spoke with her today. She was very helpful. She is the one who suggested to me that my Toby may not have an allergies to food but food intolerances. Her recommendation was to feed him food with lower fat content than I had been. The recipe I created above certainly provides less fat than what he was accustomed to with Acana. I also think the addition of slippery elm, the small amount of garlic, ginger and some greens has helped tremendously. Dr. Watson suggested that once his digestive system has settled down, I might want to reintroduce him to other low fat proteins such as turkey, venison, bison and goat. But please note that almost every kibble has higher fat percentage than protein. The fat is added back in to make the food palatable to dogs. Natural Balance is a good food per my breeder .. but it’s nutrient values are (for fish and sweet potatoe .. limited ingredients) Protein 22%, Fat 20% and the remainder is carbs.

[Maniza D]

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD FOR DIGESTIVE AND SKIN ISSUES
My 13 month old Tibetan Terrier has been sick on and off since I got him at 14 weeks old. After spending thousands of dollars, I decided to cook for him. After doing a lot of research, I discovered that the Acana Pacifica he was on was too rich for him. Acana, like most dog foods does not have a balanced protein to fat ratio (1:1). It is a very fatty kibble. Also it has quite a few sources of carbs lentils ( which are also a source of protein) etc. Lentils are hard to digest, even for humans .. see Indian cooking where Hing is added to aid digestion of these pulses. The Acana ingredients may work well for other dogs but not mine. I decided to switch to homemade meals and the recipe below cured him of stomach ailments overnight!

I was able to create this recipe using BalanceIt website. Couple of important things to note : I added in one capsule of Slippery Elm, great supplement for digestive issues, rosemary, one teaspoon of fresh garlic-ginger paste, parsley, a half teaspoon of bonemeal, and substituted out a portion of the corn oil (causes inflammation) for 1/2 tsp of high quality fish oil. I also adjusted the ingredient quantity to cook for 14 meals ( 2 per day). I cooked the base consisting of the cod, salmon, sweet potatoes and pumpkin and froze the portions. The fresh veggies in the recipe are par-boiled and pureed in the water they were boiled in, and added on a daily basis, along with the above ingredients and a VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT. Very important to add the vitamins and bonemeal (for calcium) to create a nutritionally balanced meal. I add in the bonemeal because the calcium to phosphorus ratio is off in the BalanceIt Vitamin powder.

The following homemade recipe was specially created for a 28 lb healthy adult dog who requires 659 Calories per day. The following recipe provides 692 Calories, enough for 1 day.

TOBY’S HOMEMADE PET FOOD RECIPE
Ingredients Grams Amount
(1) Sweetpotato, baked in skin, without salt (BalanceIT.com; flesh fed only) 200.0 g 1 cup
(2) Fish, cod, Pacific, baked 159.5 g 5 5/8 oz
(3) Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, baked 74.4 g 2 5/8 oz – *I used canned
(4) Pumpkin, canned, without salt 61.2 g 1/4 of a cup
(5) Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 56.2 g 3/8 of a cup, diced
(6) Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 45.0 g-1/4 cup
(7) Squash, summer, crookneck and straightneck, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed without salt 45.0 g 1/4 of a cup, sliced
(8) Apples, raw, with skin 40.9 g 3/8 of a cup slices
(9) Oil, corn, industrial and retail, all purpose salad or cooking 18.7 g 1 3/8 tbsp – *I use only 1.5 tsp.

You MUST also add the following supplement(s) to prevent essential nutrient deficiencies:
2 3/8 teaspoons (4.75 gram) of Balance IT® Canine – I give Toby half the dose.

Per Above Recipe: 692 Calories; 33% protein calories (228 Calories); 34% fat calories (238 Calories); 33% carbohydrate calories (226 Calories).

[Patty L]

I, too, am searching for the best canned food for my Corgi/Sheltie/Norwegian Elkhound mix. I supplement with Arthroplex by Thorne for joint issue prevention. I also supplement with Thorne Vet’s geriatric canine vitamins. I hope this helps. I so want our precious canine family members to live very long, active lives with us.

[pugmomsandy]

Foods do not contain a therapeutic dose of joint supporting supplements so that shouldn’t be a deciding factor for choosing a wet (or dry) food. I would check into separate powder, liquid, capsule or chewable joint/senior supplements. And if you haven’t already, check to see if she has any dental or gum issues and have a check up with blood work.

http://www.dogaware.com/health/arthritis.html

[crazy4cats]

Hi RobbW-
If you are feeding the Adult Chicken Blue Wilderness kibble, it has 415 calories per cup. Here is a link the the dog food calculator that may help you determine how much to feed your pups: /dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/

Raw food has a lot more moisture in it and most likely a lot less calories. You either need to feed less of their current food and exercise more. Or, find a food with less calories. I tend to feed lower calorie foods and add different toppers to my dogs’ meals. In fact, I feed commercial raw mixed in their meals three times per week. You could still feed partial raw along with kibble to help save money.

I agree with the others about not adding any supplements that advertise stopping urine burn to you dogs’ diets. Changing the pH of their urine could be dangerous. Best of luck to you!!

[anonymously]

I believe most supplements and “natural” remedies are a scam. I tried various things…nothing worked. Do you really think I wanted to go to a specialist? I am glad I did, as nothing else worked for my dog.

BTW: ASIT (allergen specific immunotherapy) is the most natural treatment available for environmental allergies. No drugs involved. Of course steroids and antihistamine medications and frequent bathing with Malaseb (sometimes twice a week for my dog, even now) may be necessary from time to time to stop the suffering until the ASIT takes effect.

I hope these articles help:
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=probiotics

PS: I would not put anything topically on the dog unless prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined her/him, it could make things worse. We ended up at the emergency vet after I applied witch hazel to a rash.
Do not give over the counter meds to a dog unless approved by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.

[Jen T]

Thanks anonymous. I had read what you have posted here in other people’s posts and it’s very helpful. I wanted to know how I could help my dog unrelated to drugs to maintain allergies as best as possible. I will take her to a dermatologist but in the mean time, instead of using Cortisone cream is there another natural anti-itch cream that can be used? Do people supplement with probiotics and salmon oil? Do people use those spot on treatments to help with the skin barrier? I’m hoping to find some natural alternatives to help her while we find a dermatologist and get to the bottom of this.

[Oceans11]

Thank you, Marie P., for your recommendation on NuVet. After going online and reading an impartial review, I decided against using NuVet. Here is a link to the review https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/nuvet-pet-supplement-snake-oil/

[Shawna]

Hi Katie C,

There definitely is LOTS of opinions on right from wrong with raw feeding. I think there are three really important factors and everything else is just opinion — 1. No matter what you decide to feed, minimally processed food is always going to be an improvement over highly processed food. 2. The diet MUST be balanced. That said, except for calcium/phosphorus, the balance can happen at every meal or over a weeks time. 3. Variety in the diet (even if feeding commercial prepared, balanced foods) is absolutely a must.

I’ve been feeding raw to about 35/40 dogs over the last 11 to 12 years (my own and foster dogs). I’ve weaned pups onto raw and fed 19 year old seniors raw. I personally don’t feed grains or many starchier vegetables but if the pup isn’t having specific issues these can help keep the diet financially friendly. 🙂 I personally DO like small amounts of fruits (about 5% of total diet) and veggies (about 15 to 20%). They are not necessary, I will totally agree, but they do add a lot of nutrient bang for the buck when properly processed. Since our pups live in a somewhat toxic environment those extra antioxidants etc can only be beneficial in my opinion. I live pretty clean but my pets are exposed to formaldehyde in a few pieces of particle board furniture in my house as well as the anti-stain coating on furniture and rugs. I don’t spray my yard but my neighbors do. Then there’s car exhaust and………

I mostly feed commercial raw, right now I have more money than time. But I do buy meat on sale and use a premix to help balance it. I also have freeze dried raw, and even kibble, on hand for those days I literally run in to feed the dogs and run back out, or maybe I’ve got the flu and don’t even want to get out of bed let alone dish up meals for seven dogs.

There are recipes in books and online that you can use but, as mentioned, I don’t think it’s good to rely on one recipe all the time. Dr. Karen Becker has a book with recipes called “Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats”. She uses a few supplements but, in my opinion, it’s better to use supplements (even synthetic ones) than to omit that vitamin / mineral from the diet all together because of a bias. Balance IT website is another place where you can create recipes using ingredient you chose and then use their supplement mix to balance the diet. You also DEFINITELY CAN balance over a week but you have to be way more committed to finding and using harder to find ingredients/foods.

To recap, best thing you can do is not get too wrapped up into what is wrong or right and just strive for balance using whatever fits best into your lifestyle, price range and belief system.

[Marie P]

HI there.. I do home cooking and all my dogs get the NuVET supplement powder or wafer to balance out home cooking.. it’s a liver flavor and amazing..
WE have been on the NuVET Plus for 9 years
http://www.nuvet.com/81098

it’s great for pets on commercial dog food too.. NO dog food will maintain all it’s nutrients because of the HEATING and cooking process. So that is why good quality supplement like NuVET Plus are needed..

[Marie P]

Becca mentioned the NuJOINT plus .. Also a great product.. The nice thing about this Joint supplement is it’s NATURAL, made in the USA and will help in about 2-3 weeks.. they give you a 60 day money back guarantee. My pets are on the NuJOINT DS and doing amazing , Learn more here .. Blue bottle NUJOINT DS http://www.nuvet.com/81098 NOT sold in stores , holistic

[Marie P]

The NuVet Plus helps to rebuild the immune system and fight allergens. Normally with a good quality food and the NuVET Plus you can fight off many allergens. Take a look at your environment too. Sometimes environmental issues will come up and it is a new allergen hitting your pets. See here as NuVET and Zyrtec are highly recommended by many vets for environmental issues – Many VETs offer this Dosage of Zyrtec along with the Natural NuVET supplement http://bulldogvitamins.blogspot.com/2015/07/does-your-dog-have-watery-eyes-itchy.html

[Susan]

Hi have you seen a Dermatologist?? a Dermatologist is the best place to start google one in your area they are a bit dearer then a vet but in the long run you will save money cause all vets do is relieve the itch with drugs & don’t find the cause of the problem…

With my boy it’s Food sensitivities & seasonal environment allergies….I don’t give any steroids as they suppress the immune system or antibiotics as they kill all the good bacteria in the gut & they need a healthy gut to have a strong immune system…. It sounds like you have been going around in circle….
With food did you try elimination diet ? 1 novel protein, 1 carb & feed for 2 months & add dog Omega 3, 6 & 9 Oil, with kibbles it’s too hard, unless you feed a kibble that just has 2-3 ingredients like “California Natural” Lamb & Rice, a few people use this kibble instead of feeding the vet diets….. http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

With the shampoo which one did you use ? you have to make sure your using the right shampoo for the skin problem your dealing with….. Baths are the best for skin problems, you wash away any allergens & pollens on their skin & fur & if they have yeasty smelly skin, shampoos like Malaseb kill the bacteria & relieve any itch & redness they may have.
I use Malaseb medicated shampoo twice a week in the Spring/Summer months & once maybe twice a month give baths in the Winter months…..It depends if he’s starting to smell & itch at the moment it’s Winter & Patch has no yeasty smell & isn’t itchy, so I must have his diet right finally as soon as he eats a kibble with Barley & chicken he starts scratching & starts to smell yeasty, gets red paws, red under his mouth/chin & sometimes hive like lumps all over the white fur section of his body…when it’s food sensitivities some dogs have sloppy poos, bad farts/gas etc, it starts to do your head in…..
I take Patch for a walk & he’s fine, no itch, nothing, we go for a walk & Patch might walk under a tree or smell a bush that he’s sensitive too, then in 1/2 to 1 hour later he’ll get his hive like lumps all over the white fur on his body & start to itch, sometimes he doesn’t itch when he has his hive lumps… also when you change diet, add new supplements, bath in a new shampoo etc, you have to do 1 thing at a time, if you try a new supplement or add a new ingredient to the diet, it must be done with nothing else new added to diet or put on their skin that day or week, even treats you can not give a little treat cause it may have something he’s sensitive too…..Keep a diary….my vet said you’ll start to see a pattern & I did, I was at the vets the same times every year March/April & November/December that’s when vet said he’s got Seasonal Environment Allergies… & with food sensitivities it can take anywhere from 1 day to 6 weeks to show any symptoms…Patch was eating Wellness Simple he was doing really well then on the 4-5 week his poos started to get real smelly, yellow & soft, so I emailed Wellness & the lady said he’s probably sensitive to an ingredient, it happened on the Wellness Complete health kibbles as well.. so I rotate his kibbles now find, a few limited ingredient kibbles he does good on & rotate before the month is up.. I also cook his dinner, Pork & Sweet Potato & add DigestaVite Plus powder & Dog Omega 3, 6 & 9 Oil, so the meal is balanced…
It’s best to see a Dermatologist….. I’ve joined a Face Book group called “Dog issues, allergies and other information support group” http://www.facebook.com/groups/240043826044760/
the admins that run the group are very helpful so are the ladies in the group, they have links of Dermatologist in your area, prices & cost for blood test, some of the ladies do injections once a week, once the Dermatologist finds out what your dog my be sensitive too, then the Dermatologist de sensitises your dog from that allergen…has your dog been tested for mites?? also are you feeding chicken a lot of the Bull breeds Staffys /Pit Bulls are sensitive to chicken & have skin problems….

[Shawna]

Hi Erin N,

I would start by giving the good probiotic for at least for several days and then add the fiber at just maybe 1/16 to 1/8 tsp. Increase the amount over a few weeks. You can possibly use the human dosage given on the product you purchase as a guide but I would err on the side of less is more till you can judge how your pup is doing. Fiber 35 is no longer made but NOW and Garden of Life both have an acacia fiber supplement.

I wish I could give you exact amounts but I simply haven’t seen any reference. It is now easier to find data overall — they now refer to nitrogen trapping as enteric dialysis but I still have yet to see recommended dosage amounts.

This website has some info about how it works about halfway down the page. They are pushing low protein (which we know is not necessary) but it is the best source of info I’ve found on how nitrogen trapping actually works. http://todaysveterinarypractice.navc.com/nutritional-management-of-renal-disease-an-evidence-based-approach/

I’m happy you are starting the Standard Process Canine Renal Support!!!!

Wishes for your baby to have as much success with these products as my Audrey did!!!!!!

[Erin N]

Hi Shawna,

I have a 10 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback that has been diagnosed with stage II kidney disease. I have ordered the Standard Process Renal supplement and working on implanting some raw into her diet. I am very curious about the Nitrogen trapping. Do you have a suggested guideline for how much to give a dog per weight? Mine is ranging from 90-100 lbs (trying to get some weight back on her, currently 95 lbs, but always been 100-105).

Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[crazy4cats]

Hi again-
The food that worked the best for my dogs when they were going through a similar stage was a Victor’s grain free formula. But I’m not sure if it is suitable for a growing large breed pup. You also may want to think about using a supplement that contains a probiotic and ingredients that help soothe and heal the gut. I like and still use from time to time supplements such as Perfect Form, Vetri Pro BD, Gastriplex, Forti Flora or Phytomucil.

I have two lab/retriever mix male siblings who turn five this week. We had a rough start too, but are doing well now and can rotate between a few different kibbles and toppers finally without issue.

Best of luck to you. I know it’s stressful!

• This reply was modified 9 years, 5 months ago by crazy4cats.

[CircaRigel]

No. The dry food is very different from the canned version with regard to the ingredient profile, and even the canned is meant as a supplement, not as the dog’s full diet. Regardless of what the dry ingredients are, you MUST make sure that the mean calcium/Phosphorus ratio is approximately 1:1, and that it contains a maximum of 1.5% calcium. Most manufacturers list the minimum amounts, so you may have to contact Petkind directly to get the mean and/or maximum levels each variety contains.

[anonymously]

Environmental allergies wax and wane. Maybe this is why the dog was given up?
If the dog is suffering I would advocate for the dog, ask the vet to recommend to the shelter to have him seen by a specialist (as described in my previous posts). In my opinion, it will be cheaper in the long run. The best part is, the dog may feel and look better and therefore become adoptable.

Why would he want to walk and move around if he is bothered by pruritus.
You could try a dome dish to slow down his eating, the rescue may have one you could borrow.

Above comment is in response to:
“Regarding the allergy testing. I don’t think the rescue is going to do that at this point unless it’s recommended by the vet. His allergies are not severe I would say (not like our late dog who had terrible allergies). We just notice a bit of paw chewing/licking.”
And:
“He had a severe yeast infection and lost a lot of hair and was severely matted and had to be shaved down. His hair is growing back now and we’re giving him some fish oil supplements as well. He has been on occasion chewing or licking his feet/paws. I think that might be our grass and we’ve had another dog who was allergic to the grass and I can attest that it is very itchy for me to walk in it (I have grass allergies).”

[Oceans11]

We are feeding the Orijin Puppy kibble because we have a one year old also. Both are Coton de Tulears. They aren’t that active except they do run around and play hard in their area which is quite large. We tried feeding him Fromn Gold Adult kibble along with the can food but they completely ignore it. I am afraid I sound like an idiot but I am exasperated as to what to fed them. The two year old has been a finicky eater. So we keep trying to come up with something he will eat. If he doesn’t like it, he will go two days without eating. We have tried: cooking chicken breasts or thighs which the like but I am concerned they are getting the right mix of nutrients (when I add veggies and blueberries, they pick around and just eat the chicken.). We tried balance It Whole Canine menus w/the supplement and they wouldn’t touch it. We tried Basic Instinct t Raw with no luck. Tried Freshpet – they didn’t eat that after an initial meal. They are eating the Evangers canned chicken thighs supplemented with the Orijin Puppy kibble which we leave out all day. The reason we leave the kibble out all day is they often don’t eat the canned food right away. I think we are making feeding them way harder than it should be.

[Elizabeth A]

Thank you for all the posts regarding the allergies. I will definitely look over the links and do some reading. The rescue had recommends feeding grain free for skin issues. Most of his skin issues have cleared up. He had a severe yeast infection and lost a lot of hair and was severely matted and had to be shaved down. His hair is growing back now and we’re giving him some fish oil supplements as well. He has been on occasion chewing or licking his feet/paws. I think that might be our grass and we’ve had another dog who was allergic to the grass and I can attest that it is very itchy for me to walk in it (I have grass allergies).

Regarding the allergy testing. I don’t think the rescue is going to do that at this point unless it’s recommended by the vet. His allergies are not severe I would say (not like our late dog who had terrible allergies). We just notice a bit of paw chewing/licking.

Also, we brought the Limited Ingredient back and got the Merrick Lil’ Plates for him since it was 5 stars and the other was 3.5. I started feeding him 5/8 twice a day plus a spoonful of can food just to mix it for him. The can food he’d need 1.25-1.5 cans a day if we fed him entirely canned food so I’m not too worried about the calories in one spoon or two.

I’m just confused should I feed him to his ultimate goal weight of 15 lbs or should I feed him to 20lbs and when he reaches 20lbs feed him the 15lb guide? And thank you for pointing out the guides are too much on a lot of dog foods. We definitely noticed this with our other dog’s food (Nutro Ultra). We have one that’s overweight by about 1 – 1.5 lbs (small dog–12-13lbs) and we were feeding the guidelines too! I wish they would just put Calories/kcals on the serving size on the bag of food. It’s much easier for me to relate to and then I could find out exactly how many calories she should be eating.

We’re trying to exercise our foster as much as possible but it’s a little hard with the heat here. Today’s heat index was about 110! He is so overweight and had a lot of breathing trouble (recovering from kennel cough) so we didn’t want to walk him too much. He does like to walk he just can’t go too far. We’ve gone down a few houses each way and he’s huffing and puffing when it’s over.

[anonymously]

Rimadyl is an effective pain medication, if it agrees with the dog. Short term usually is not problematic, however, long term could lead to various side effects such as GI distress and paradoxical effects, in example, agitation.

Tramadol is no longer recommended for pain relief for dogs, consult a veterinarian for details.

It is best to find a veterinarian who you trust and discuss all treatment options, I would not recommend spending money on supplements and over the counter medications unless a veterinarian that has examined your dog advises you to do so. You could cause more harm.

[Debra E]

Recommend you supplement with STANDARD PROCESS Hepatic Support (per my holistic vet and Western vet). My 16 yr. old Maltese has done wonders with both.

[Debra E]

Standard Process makes a Cardiac Support Supplement that a seasoned, top notch dog rescuer had recommended to me when one of my Maltese was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Blood work also showed he and his “brother” needed Denamarin (now available generically as Sylben, a Milk Thistle Extract plus hepatic support (liver). Bambi’s heart murmur was never a problem and both the 15 yr. old and 11 yr. old (who were seemingly on their last legs) found new life and energy here in Florida with my 90 yr. old dad and I had them on Blue Buffalo (before the recalls, as they assured us they only used human grade ingredients). Even their treats were only Blue. Their bloodwork 6 mo. later was NORMAL and except for old age, they both lived to be 14 (when Bambi’s trachea suddenly collapsed and we had to put him down) and then Beebop (17) died of a broken heart in my arms the 2nd night after his passing. I now have the last of the 3 Maltketeers, Thumper (nearly 16) and am trying to cope with is severe arthritis — which is going amazingly well with a combination of Western and Holistic DVM care (accupuncture, supplements, Adequan shots, Rimadyl, Tramadol for pain, etc.) Hope that helps. They can live a long healthy life even with a heart murmur. Just keep an eye on your Chi and look for panting, easy exhaustion and do regular checkups. Hugs, MalteseMom

[Kelly R]

The ingredients are INGREDIENTS: Organic chicken, Organic chicken meal, Organic tapioca starch, Organic dried pea, Organic chickpea, Organic flaxseed meal, Organic potato flour, Organic poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Organic pea flour, Organic chicken liver, Chicken liver meal, Menhaden fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Choline chloride, Salt, Natural mixed tocopherols (preservative), Ascorbic acid, Vitamin E supplement, Zinc proteinate, Zinc sulfate, Manganous oxide, Manganese proteinate, Inositol, Ferrous sulfate, Niacin, Vitamin B12 supplement, Zinc oxide, Iron proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Riboflavin supplement, Calcium pantothenate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Sodium selenite, Copper sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, Copper proteinate, Citric acid (preservative), Vitamin D3 supplement, Folic Acid, Potassium iodide.

I bought a 20lb. bag from Flintriver.com. Flintriver stopped selling their food, and replaced it with this. My dogs like it. I’m currently trying to find something comparable to this as it is quite pricy.

[anonymously]

Any veterinarian or vet tech can show you, just pop the pill down their throat and rub under the throat/neck area until you feel a gulp indicating that the medication has been swallowed.

I assume you are talking about medication that has been prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined the dog. Most supplements are a scam.

Regarding supplements: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/herbs-and-supplements/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/supplements-and-safety/

[Chris S]

Does anyone know of a DIY slushy treat mix that I can make to give my dog his medicines & supplements? I do mix them in with his dog food but he doesn’t eat sometimes so it goes to waste & he doesn’t get his supplements. I would like to have some sort of slushy mix that I could mix his powder supplements into that he would really like so much he eat it even if he didn’t eat his meal.

I say slushy, but it can be liquid as well. It would be easier to mix these powders in a slushy or liquid instead of regular food. Plus I would like something he would surely like. He likes things like turkey & chicken, & won’t turn down roasted chicken or turkey. He doesn’t choose beef as much as the poultry.

Thanks!

[anonymously]

https://www.chewy.com/nutrisca-grain-free-salmon-chickpea/dp/35033
Ingredients
Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Salmon Meal, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Salmon Oil (a source of DHA), Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Dried Eggs, Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Carrots, Cranberries, Apricots, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Iron Proteinate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Proteinate, Biotin, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Rosemary Extract

PS: I just noticed the rosemary extract (probably minute amounts) check with your vet first.
I have good results with this limited ingredient product.
Seizure disorders are often idiopathic, unknown cause. Sure there are triggers, some as benign as the weather….
Consult a specialist for a more detailed evaluation if the regular vet isn’t being helpful.

[anonymously]

It may not be about the food, I have a senior peke who needs help to have a bowel movement. The anal sphincters sometimes don’t work as well as these small breeds age.
I have a medical background so I deal with it, I realize that not everyone can.
Have your vet examine the dog and advise you.

Add water to the food dish, they will lap it up to get to the food, this may help.
Don’t free feed, 2 or 3 small meals per day, and increase exercise, even a couple of 10 minute walks around the block every day can make a big difference.

Just my opinion, but I would stop all supplements including the coconut oil, unless the vet advises you differently.